Paris- France (PANA) -- French associations and left-leaning political parties on Tuesday paid glowing tribute to the famous Cameroonian writer, Mongo Beti, who died last Sunday in Douala, Cameroon. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- The famous Cameroonian writer, Mongo Beti, one of the best-known African writers during his generation, passed away on Sunday at the age of 68, following a long illness, informed sources said Monday in Yaounde. Full text...

Port Louis- Mauritius (PANA) -- Mauritian Arts and culture ministry has launched a scheme to help local artists financially. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- "Inch'Allah Dimanche" by French director of Algerian extraction, Yamina Benguigui, Tuesday clinched the Grand Prize at the first edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Benin journalist Paul Martial Tévoedjrè has published a booklet arguing against a project to return 6 000 Black Americans to Benin. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- In the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the US, UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura Tuesday called for better understanding of true civilisations and the need to eschew prejudice. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- About 30 African photographers would take part in the month-long fourth meeting of African photography beginning 15 October in Bamako, the ministry of culture said in a statement. Full text...

Antananarivo- Madagascar (PANA) -- the great flutist, Rakoto Frah, died Saturday in Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital in Antananarivo at the age of 76 following heart problems, the regional press agency MATERA said Monday. Full text...

Tunis- Tunisia (PANA) -- The annual concert in Carthage opens on 1 October with the 'Musiques Vivantes en Méditerranée' symphony orchestra featuring music by Edward Elgar, Ouanes Khligene, Antonio Vivaldi and Solhi Al Wadi. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Seven countries are expected to participate in the fourth sub-regional "Roots" drama festival in Benin from 4-29 October, the organisers disclosed Friday in Cotonou. Full text...

Ouagadougou- Burkina Faso (PANA) -- A book tracing the life of Burkina Faso's former President Thomas Sankara, who was assassinated in October 1987, has just been published by a former official in his office, Alfred Sawadogo. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- Local communities living in and around Kenya's world-famous Shaba Game Reserve in the northern area of Isiolo, have gone to court seeking 100 million shillings in compensation (1. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- A US entertainment company, Lions Gate Entertainment, will soon produce part of a feature film, "Beyond Borders," in Ethiopia. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Benin comedian and manager of the Wassangari theatre group, Marcel Orou Fico, is representing the country at the 18th Francopholies Festival in Limoges, France, sources at the French Cultural Centre in Cotonou hinted Saturday. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- A fundraising drive to turn President Sam Nujoma life story into a movie was launched Friday in the Windhoek, the Namibian capital. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- A book providing insight into the pain and sufferings endured by Coloureds in Namibia and South Africa during the colonial era was launched Friday in Windhoek. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- The European Union (EU) is to contribute six million euro over the next three years to the development of the film industry in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- DR Congo and China have signed a three-year agreement on cultural co-operation, Congolese Culture and Arts Minister, Marthe Ngalula said in Kinshasa. Full text...

Ouagadougou- Burkina Faso (PANA) -- The 8th edition of the International Festival of Theatre for Development (FITD) has been slated for 18-28 February 2002 in Ouagadougou. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- The second international jazz festival of Tangier will start on Friday and be held until 21 September in this seaport city on the Straits of Gibraltar. Full text...

Porto Novo- Benin (PANA) -- Museum specialists from 10 African countries are meeting in Porto Novo, Benin to establish a working methodology that could be used by the School of African Patrimony to implement the UNESCO/World Tourism Organisation's "Road To Slavery" project. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- The second Tangiers international jazz festival opens Friday and continues until 21 September in the port city on the strait of Gibraltar. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare on Tuesday highlighted the importance of African languages in the continent's development efforts. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare has denounced the isolation of African historians due to the inactivity of their association. Full text...

Durban- South Africa (PANA) -- Personal stories of Apartheid brutality, injustice and the complex issues of truth and reconciliation are being staged on the sidelines of the World Conference against Racism holding in Durban. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- A senior conservationist and former Kenya Wildlife Service director, Dr Richard Leakey, has proposed the creation of an African museum to help change the face of the continent in the world. Full text...

Monrovia- Liberia (PANA) -- Liberia's education ministry has commissioned a nation-wide feasibility study to identify and locate sites, places and objects linked to the "Transatlantic Slave Route," an official said in Monrovia Tuesday. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- Folk groups from Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Eritrea and Sudan have performed at a banquet hosted by Colonel Kadhaffi in honour of leaders from Benin, Sudan, Chad and Zimbabwe. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- Some 1,400) folk dance artists from 43 African countries performed Friday in Tripoli as part of festivities marking celebrations 32nd anniversary of the Libyan revolution. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- In a bid to promote Namibia's culture, Windhoek the capital city, plans an annual arts and culture Festival. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- Several anti- sexual and racial discrimination organisations have reacted angrily against Michel Houellebecq's book, "Plate-forme" published by Flammarion in Paris, on the eve of the world conference against racism (WCAR). Full text...

NaAIROBI- Kenya (PANA) -- Congolese musician Werra Son and his Wenge Musica troupe are stranded in Nairobi owing to non-payment of 92,000 Kenyan shillings (about 1,180 US dollars) in visa fees. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- The Namibian Cabinet has approved a draft Policy on Arts and Culture for the country. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- The DR Congo government is about to ban Nigerian movies for portraying only "occult forces, sorcerers, wizards and the holders of evil powers. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Some 100 pupils and students of 36 nationalities Sunday began a four-day caravan to discover Morocco. Full text...

Khartoum- Sudan (PANA) -- The Sudanese ministry of culture and tourism has decided to establish a museum for folk music instruments, dances and attires. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- Ahead of an Afro-Brazilian conference slated for November in Cotonou, Benin's permanent Ambassador to UNESCO Alabiyi Babal ola Yai has underscored the importance of studying cultural spin-offs in the return to West Africa of slave descendants from across the Atlantic. Full text...

Praia- Cape Verde (PANA) -- Cape Verdian writer Vera Duarte has become the first woman to grab the "Tchicaya U Tam SI" African poetry prize. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- The 7th Cultural Festival of West African University Clubs of UNESCO (FESCUAO) rolled off Wednesday in Bamako, Mali and would continue through 25 August. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Morocco's delegation has stormed off the 15th World Youth Festival in Algiers, protesting what it alleged were physical attacks from the Western Sahara delegation. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- A group of Africans from the Diaspora arrived Friday morning in Cotonou, Benin's business capital, where they were received by His Majesty Onikoyi, king of Africans in the Diaspora and local political leaders. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has urged African countries to set up and enforce mechanisms for protecting royalties due the continent's artists. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Intellectuals, researchers and creators from some ten African countries confirmed their participation at the 23rd edition of the International Cultural Festival of Asilah in northern Morocco, starting Friday. Full text...

Monrovia- Liberia (PANA) -- The US government Thursday donated 15,000 dollars towards the restoration of the national museum in Monrovia devastated by the Liberian civil war. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- A month-long international cultural festival involving over 350 artists, intellectuals, scientists and designers from 30 countries including nine from Africa, opens Friday in Asilah, northern Morocco. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- DR Congo's "Palmier" drama group will take part in the second Afro-Caribbean festival slated for 16-31 August in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Thirty-three dancers from the Northern Province Traditional Dancers (NPTD) are back in South Africa after winning several awards in two Folklore Dance competitions in Turkey. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- Five world heritage sites in DR Congo are being rehabilitated with about 8 million US dollars from donors, according to Foreign Affairs, Environment and Tourism Minister, Banumuhere Baliene. Full text...

Abidjan- Côte d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Ivorian reggae star Ismael Isaac, who sold more than 225,000 copies of his latest album "Black System," goes on stage Saturday for the first time at Abidjan's Hotel Ivoire. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- A five-day conference on 'Afro- Brazilian' heritage would hold next November in Benin, at the behest of the Benin-based African Heritage School, UNESCO and the Benin Institute of Research Studies on the African Diaspora. Full text...