Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) – The African Union Peace and Security Council on Wednesday expressed support for efforts being made to bring peace to Darfur region, and commended the role played by African peacekeepers in the region. Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – A former French ambassador to Mali, Michel Reveyrand de Menthon, has been appointed the European Union (EU) envoy to Sahel, PANA reported here, quoting a communiqué from the European bloc in Brussels. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The US Wednesday congratulated Namibia on the occasion of the South West African nation's 23rd independence anniversary, to be marked on 21 March, 2013, according to a press statement received here from the office of the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Washington, US. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya’s Supreme Court, preparing to make a landmark ruling in just a few days on the conduct of the 4 March Presidential elections, Wednesday issued an order banning public utterances over the petitions challenging the conduct of the vote. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga disagreed Wednesday over an order to all ministers elected to political offices during the 4 March elections to immediately resign. Full text...

Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - A summit on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea will be held on 17 April in Yaounde, Cameroon. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - After almost quarter of a century in power, Sudan’s President Omar El Bashir has announced he will not seek a fresh term of office. Full text...

Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) – German minister of foreign affairs, Guido Westerwelle, has called on Tunisian political leaders to complete the writing of a new constitution and organize elections as quickly as possible to guarantee economic and social stability. Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – The European Union (EU) is to grant an additional aid of 33 million Euros to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to play its key peacekeeping role in Somalia, a statement issued in Brussels said on Tuesday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Ms. Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and UN human rights chief, as his special envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a UN statement said on Tuesday. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – Morocco and Senegal have agreed to improve their bilateral economic cooperation by holding their 14th Joint Commission for Cooperation as soon as possible, a joint communiqué released on Tuesday in Dakar at the end of the five-day visit of Moroccan King Mohamed VI to Senegal. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade has been appointed the new Director of Defence Information, Defence Headquarters, Nigeria, PANA reported Tuesday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged participants at the UN Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to conclude work by 28 March on a comprehensive instrument that would establish standards for international trade in conventional weapons. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian presidency has denied reports that American billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates cancelled his impending trip to Nigeria because of the controversy surrounding the pardon granted a former state governor who was convicted of money laundering. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the bomb attacks in the northern city of Kano Monday evening that left many people dead and injured, saying barbaric activities by terror groups would not stop the government from its firm resolve to fight terrorism in the country. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The victims of Kenya's post-election violence have called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure the urgent prosecution of Kenya's President-elect, Uhuru Kenyatta, at a hearing over whether to refer the confirmation of his crimes against humanity charges back to the pre-trial chamber. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is eager to develop ties with the African Union and African countries, the minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, told PANA on Monday. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Lebanese President Michel Sleiman began a two-day visit to Nigeria Monday with President Goodluck Jonathan saying that his administration was working hard to secure the release of the remains of some of the foreign hostages alleged to have been killed by the splinter Ansaru group of the Boko Haram terrorist group. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – Foreign Affairs Ministers from Mali's neighboring countries rose from their meeting here, hailing the liberation of major cities in northern Mali from rebels, according to a communique issued on Sunday. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Raila Odinga, who is challenging Uhuru Kenyatta’s electoral victory in the 4 March Presidential elections, claimed on Monday that he won the vote with 5.7 million votes against Kenyatta’s 4.5 million votes, but the outcome was altered by an additional 1.7 million votes in favour of his rival. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said Monday’s explosion near the Somali Presidential Palace, which killed at least seven people, was shocking and saddening. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - American billionaire Bill Gates has cancelled his 27-28 March visit to Nigeria following the diplomatic row between the African nation and the US over the controversial pardon granted the former governor of oil-rich Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted of corruption, Nigeria's online Premium Times newspaper reported exclusively Monday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Ahead of the negotiations on the Arms Trade Treaty, scheduled for 18-28 March at the UN headquarters in New York, 18 Nobel Peace Laureates have written to US President Barack Obama calling on him to agree and support the adoption of a strong text. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria has assured it will work for the safe release of the French family of seven who were abducted in northern Cameroon and taken to Nigeria last month. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Mali’s neighboring countries are due to meet here on Sunday on the initiative of the African Union peace and security council, official sources told PANA on Saturday. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Raila Odinga, the Kenyan Prime Minister, presented his Supreme Court challenge Saturday, alleging stuffing of ballot boxes and the inflation of vote results to his opponent's favour. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Friday urged stakeholders to support a draft Act for the enhancement of the legislative powers of the institution to enable it serve the Community better and in accordance with international best practices, according to an ECOWAS press statement, received here by PANA. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The US Friday came down hard on Nigeria over the state pardon granted first Civilian Governor of the South South Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and seven others on Tuesday, according to local media reports which said that through its Diplomatic Mission in Abuja, Washington described the gesture by the National Council of State (NCS) as a setback to Nigeria’s anti-graft crusade. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Former Malawi presidential legal adviser Allan Ntata has expressed surprise at his inclusion among the dozen people charged with treason over an alleged coup plot in the aftermath of the death of former president Bingu wa Mutharika. Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) - The Zambian parliament on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to remove former president Rupiah Banda’s immunity, paving the way for the former head of state to be prosecuted. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Malawi's much-respected Economic Planning and Economic Development Minister, Goodall Gondwe, arrested last Monday over coup plot allegations, has resigned. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Friday that the Kenyan people deserve praise for a peaceful election, saying “there were few problems seen during the voting”. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Senate President David Mark will lead Nigeria's delegation to the 19 March formal installation of Pope Francis I at the Vatican, the Nigerian presidency announced Friday. Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – Zambian former president Rupiah Banda’s lawyer has denounced plans by the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party to table a motion before parliament requesting the removal of the immunity of the former president. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) – Saying that the recent matrix implementation agreement concluded between Juba and Khartoum on their post-secession question was a positive step, Russia Thursday called for further cooperation between the two countries to cement confidence-building process. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region has decided to honour ECOWAS by naming the main hall of an International Conference Centre now under construction in the capital city of Uyo after ECOWAS, as a tribute to the organisation for promoting integration, peace and stability in the region. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - While Sierra Leone has made impressive progress since the end of its civil war, the international community still needs to help the country's transition efforts, according to the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Guillermo Rishchynski. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - African priests have welcomed the choice of Pope Francis saying he would bring new vibrancy to the evangelization of the Gospel and institute broad reforms within the church. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission Thursday began receiving nomination papers from candidates contesting in the West African nation's local government election, slated for April, PANA reported, citing a statement from the electoral body. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Hundreds of supporters of the former senior Malawi government officials, arrested last Monday following the publication of a report of an inquiry into the death last April of former president Bingu wa Mutharika, broke into jubilation after Lilongwe High Court judge, Justice Ivy Kamanga, granted them bail. Full text...

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - US President Barack Obama has expressed his country's support for the ongoing democratic transition in Libya, according to a statement from the White House. Full text...

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The United States, United Kingdom and Norway have hailed the Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – Rwanda has turned down a request from Mali to join the international force involved in the liberation of the north of the West African country. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya's Media Council warned Wednesday it would crackdown on propaganda mongering on the social media after the government announced it intended to act against foreign reporters operating without government licenses. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Botswana, whose former President, Festus Mogae, observed the Kenyan elections, has become the first nation to signal possible travel ban against Uhuru Kenyatta, winner of the 4 March polls. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya's Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD), which featured outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, may have scored a first-round victory in its bid to challenge Uhuru Kenyatta's victory in the 4 March presidential polls in Kenya. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - The Chief Resident Magistrates Court in the Malawi capital, Lilongwe, has levelled treason charges against all the 12 suspects in an alleged coup plot to stop Vice President Joyce Banda from taking over the reigns of government after the sudden death of former Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika last April. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, has appointed Nana Grey-Johnson as his new Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure, PANA confirmed from here Wednesday. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) – The Libyan Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan, is due in New York, US, at the start of a three-day working visit to the US during which he will discuss crucial issues with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon and with the President and members of the UN Security Council. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A Nigerian Non-Governmental Organization Wednesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to 'rescind without delay' the presidential pardon he granted a former governor of his oil-rich Bayelsa state, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and former head, Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama, both of whom were convicted of corruption charges. Full text...