The African Tribune

The streets of Bargny were alive with jubilation as Ousmane Sonko, leader of Pastef, arrived to a warm welcome from a passionate crowd. This marked the first stop of his nationwide tour to promote the sale of party membership cards, a campaign designed to grow the party’s base to one million members. During his address, Sonko paid tribute to local activists who lost their lives during years of political struggle. He also celebrated the unwavering dedication of Bargny’s supporters, whose efforts were instrumental in securing the party’s victory in the April 2024 presidential and subsequent legislative elections. The party, founded by Sonko in 2014, had long framed its rise to power as the culmination of a decade of mobilisation, despite facing severe repression and tragic losses between 2...

Politics Niger Niger and ECOWAS: bridging diplomatic divides after three years July 2026 Three years after the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey, the military leadership remains locked in a tense standoff with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an organization that swiftly condemned the coup and imposed sanctions while threatening military intervention. The regional bloc’s ultimatum, delivered just days after the putsch, was perceived as a declaration of war by neighboring military-led governments in Burkina Faso and Mali. This collective response highlighted the interconnected nature of the crisis—isolating Niger from ECOWAS without considering the broader Sahelian context became an impossible task. The deepening rift culminated in the formation...

POLITIQUE Gabon detention: Alain Claude Bilie By Nze's lawyers slam legal flaws Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, former Gabonese Prime Minister and prominent opposition figure, has spent over 100 days in detention since his arrest on April 15. His legal team argues that the charges against him stem from a 2008 financial dispute and condemn what they describe as an irregular judicial process. Justice Alain Claude Bilie By Nze’s attorneys maintain that his prolonged detention is unjustified, linking it to an outdated private dispute. In their statement, they highlight a 2008 disagreement over approximately €7,600, which they claim was exploited to justify his arrest. The opposition party Ensemble pour le Gabon asserts that he faces allegations of fraud and breach of trust. Bilie By Nze pr...

Paul Biya, à la tête du Cameroun depuis 1982 et doyen des chefs d’Etat dans le monde, est âgé de 93 ans. Cela fait 48 jours samedi qu’il a quitté le sol camerounais, parti le 7 juin pour un «court séjour privé en Europe» selon un communiqué officiel, accompagné de son épouse Chantal Biya.L’état de santé de M. Biya, qui séjourne très régulièrement à Genève, fait l’objet de maintes rumeurs, parfois démenties par le gouvernement.Le 18 juin, en réaction à des articles de presse, le ministre de la Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, a publié un communiqué pour démentir l’hospitalisation du dirigeant camerounais dans une clinique genevoise.Pour l’opposition camerounaise, cette absence du président est révélatrice d’un «vide institutionnel criant», selon les mots de Mamadou Mota, vice-président du...