Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Having successfully liberated the continent from colonialism, racism and apartheid, African leaders must now give the fullest possible attention to the economic emancipation of their countries, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said on Tuesday. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Defence Minister Mohamed al-Barghiti on Tuesday stepped down, citing the ongoing siege on the Justice and Foreign Affairs Ministries by armed groups. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa's President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday condemned the fresh outbreak of violence in Sudan's disputed Abyei region over the weekend in which the Paramount Chief of the Ngok Dinka, Kual Deng Majok, and a UN peacekeeper were killed. Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – At least 206 Rwandans, made up of soldiers, police officers and civilians, are to participate in a series of joint military exercises against terrorism, under the initiative of some East African and Indian Ocean nations, Rwandan army spokesman Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, disclosed here Monday. Full text...

Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - Member countries of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) have said "the resolution of the crisis in Mali must be comprehensive and should not be limited to military operation," the Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, has said. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday paid tribute to his predecessor in office, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, on the third anniversary of his death after a prolonged illness. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Mrs. Mary Robinson, the UN Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes Full text...

Rabat Morocco (PANA) – Moroccan Prime minister, AbdelIlah Benkirane, on Friday held talks in Rabat with the visiting head of the Libyan national coalition, Mahmoud Guibril. Full text...

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) – Congolese president, Denis Sassou NGuesso, on Friday urged the international community to help the Central African Republic (CAR) which has faced insecurity, humanitarian and economic crisis since the military coup there a few weeks ago. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) – The Libyan government on Friday deployed the military at key areas in the capital, Tripoli, including Martyrs Square. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to establish the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, to be known as UNSOM and based in the country’s capital, Mogadishu, from 3 June for an initial period of 12 months. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The Mauritanian government on Thursday announced a minor cabinet reshuffle, appointing a new minister for the education sector, according to a statement issued by the Mauritanian presidency. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Residents of Tripoli, the Libyan capital, Thursday protested the proliferation of arms and the occupation in recent days of some ministries in the city by armed militia alleging political exclusion of officials of the fallen Gaddafi regime. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - A major political row has erupted in South Africa following revelations that government permitted a private aircraft to land at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) – Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called on French president François Hollande in Paris with their talks focusing on the situation in Mali, according to a French presidency communiqué issued in Paris. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) – France says it is concerned about the situation in Chad after the announcement on Wednesday evening on national television by the Chadian government that it has foiled an attempted coup against president Idriss Déby. Full text...

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) – The South African president, Jacob Zuma, arrived here late Thursday to attend Friday's meeting of the international contact group on Central African Republic (CAR), official sources told PANA. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Ms. Mary Robinson, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes Region, has stressed the need for countries in the region to restore trust among themselves to ensure long-term peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and beyond. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The European Union on Thursday welcomed the start of direct talks between the Sudanese government and northern rebel groups from the Blue Nile and South Kordufan. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, accompanied by International Relations Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, will attend a meeting to address the situation in the Central African Republic in the Congo on Friday. Full text...

Lomé, Togo (PANA) – A delegation from the International Francophone Organization (OIF) is in the Togolese capital, Lomé, to observe preparations for local and parliamentary elections due to be held shortly, official sources told PANA on Tuesday. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – African Union (AU) member states and their regional economic communities should conduct a comprehensive and physical assessment on the early operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF) that has been on the drawing board for the last 10 years, according to a recommendation adopted here Tuesday by the African Chiefs of Defence Staff. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Heavily armed militias on Tuesday morning took over the building housing the Libyan Ministry of Justice in the capital city of Tripoli, further undermining the authority of the state which is seeking to curb insecurity and instability plaguing the country since the fall of the Gaddafi regime. Full text...

Libreville, Gabon (PANA) - Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, the leader of the military coup that topped Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure 22 March 2012, is seeking exile in Gabon, the Gabonese press reported Tuesday, quoting reliable sources. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's highest religious authority has condemned last week's bombing of the French Embassy in Tripoli. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The African Union (AU) has strongly condemned the recent rebel attack on a central Sudanese town, at a time of ongoing direct talks between the government and the rebel group active in the area. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Justifying its involvement in the crisis in Mali, the West African sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, attributed the current global interest in the country to the untiring efforts of West African leaders. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The UN on Monday said it was shocked by recent rebel attack on a central Sudan town which left an unspecified number of policemen and civilians dead and destroyed a number of public establishments, including electricity and communications facilities. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) – Efforts are being intensified to end the siege at the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs by former rebels, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan told a press conference here. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A body, calling itself "The coordination of political exclusion", has given the Libyan government a three-day ultimatum to sack all public workers who were loyal to the regime of Mouammar Kadhafi, the local media reported Monday, quoting Adel Gharyan, the organization's spokesperson. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - A road map that will ultimately result in the adoption of a Supplementary Act to enhance the powers of the ECOWAS Parliament has been adopted at a multi-disciplinary meeting of experts which ended in Accra, Ghana, at the weekend. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has assured that his country will never interfere in the affairs of other countries. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethioia (PANA) - International supporters of the Palestinian people's quest to achieve a sovereign and independent state need to do more, considering that an end to the Israeli occupation is not in sight, Abdou Salam Diallo, chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said here Monday. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is under increasing pressure to refer the controversial Protection of State Information Bill, tagged the Secrecy Bill, to the Constitutional Court. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Israeli and Palestinian political leaders to demonstrate their willingness to move beyond discussions about negotiations and tackle the final status issues in a constructive spirit. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – President Jacob Zuma on Saturday marked Freedom Day on the 19th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy by awarding outstanding citizens and foreign nationals with national orders at a ceremony in Pretoria. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese Army on Saturday accused the Rebel Revolutionary Front (RRF) of attacking a regional town of Um Ruwaba, about 500 km West of Khartoum, looting properties and terrorizing civilians. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The US government has congratulated the people of South Africa, Togo, and Sierra Leone as they celebrate their National Days on Saturday, 27 April, 2013. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, will Monday begin a week-long tour of the region with visits to the DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, South Africa and the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - African chiefs of defence staff are due to convene at the African Union Commission (AUC) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday to prepare for the 6th Ordinary Meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee on Defence Safety and Security of the AU. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The common challenge for Africa and Europe, each other’s closest neighbours, remains to consolidate sustainable economic growth that is inclusive in creating jobs, especially for women and young people, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said here Friday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UN Security Council on Thursday approved a 12,600-strong UN peacekeeping operation to take over from the African-led mission in Mali on 1 July, according to a PANA report. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, has approved the release of a total sum of 5,747,694,780 Naira (about US$ 35 million) to nine states in the country for direct disbursement to those who lost properties, means of livelihood and places of worship in the post-election violence of 2011. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Mauritania and Morocco have signed 17 cooperation pacts in various fields, according to a statement issued Thursday after the 7th meeting in Nouakchott of the countries' Joint Cooperation Commission. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The UN on Thursday welcomed the start of direct negotiations between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North). Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed the signing of a joint declaration by political actors in Guinea to resolve differences over preparations for stalled legislative elections and other contentious issues through peaceful means. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday inaugurated the committee he set up to engage the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in talks and work out the modality for a possible amnesty for its members who renounce violence. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The American embassy in Khartoum on Wednesday issued a statement, welcoming the progress made in the implementation of the cooperation agreement between Sudan and South Sudan. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The African Union (AU) on Wednesday commended Sudan and South Sudan for their agreement to open eight crossing points between the two countries immediately, saying this was an important step in the integration process between the two States. Full text...

Rabat, Morocco (PANA) – Morocco Wednesday expressed full support for the democratic transition underway in Libya and condemned Tuesday's attacks on the French embassy in Tripoli, PANA reported here, citing a communique from the Moroccan Foreign Affairs ministry. Full text...