PARIS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — “This week,” France will begin withdrawing its soldiers deployed in Niger, the French Joint Defense Staff said on Thursday. “We will begin our disengagement operation this week, in good order, safely and in coordination with the Nigeriens,” the French military headquarters was quoted by the French daily Le Figaro as saying. According to the Joint Defense Staff, about 1,000 French soldiers are based in Niamey, Niger’s capital, and 400 others in the northwest of the…

JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — South Africa on Thursday unveiled the Border Management Authority (BMA) in its northernmost province of Limpopo in a bid to combat cross-border crime. Established in response to a number of serious challenges, the BMA was designed to address security, migration, safety, congestion, and long transit problems at the borders, said President Cyril Ramaphosa at the launch of the authority. “A more secure border is important for curbing illegal migration, human smuggling and trafficking. It will…

NAIROBI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, provided Kenya with 8.95 million U.S. dollars worth of equipment to help strengthen disease surveillance at border points on Monday. Fatuma Adan, IGAD head of mission to Kenya, said the equipment, including seven laptops and 37 desktop computers, will significantly contribute to the country’s Universal Health program. Adan, who spoke during the donation ceremony in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, noted that digitization is an important…

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — Ahead of the United Nations (UN) general debate next week, developing countries at the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China urged strengthening solidarity and cooperation to champion multilateralism. In the face of some countries’ practices such as unilateral sanctions, decoupling, and disruptions of industrial and supply chains, developing countries widely expect to enhance solidarity and cooperation and make efforts to make global governance more just and equitable.  After the two-day summit in…

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday. The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Xi said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries’ older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship. Xi said China has always viewed…

NEW DELHI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — The African Union (AU) celebrated its founding anniversary Saturday, marking its creation in 1999. This year, the joy was doubled as the AU became a new Group of 20 (G20) member on the same day. “It’s finally Africa’s time,” many Africans said on social media, echoing “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It’s a dreams-come-true moment for the AU, which has long strived…

CAIRO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) — The Arab League (AL) on Sunday welcomed the admission of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member to the Group of 20 (G20), expressing hope that the pan-Arab organization would enjoy the same status. In a statement, AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit welcomed the G20 leaders’ decision on AU’s entry into the group. On Saturday, G20 members agreed to grant permanent membership to the AU in an effort to make the group more representative.  The agreement…

RABAT, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — A devastating earthquake, the deadliest in decades, struck Morocco Friday night, claiming the lives of more than 1,300 people. The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the High Atlas mountain range shortly after 11:00 p.m. local time on Friday (2200 GMT) at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh, the fourth-largest city in the North African kingdom and a popular…

NEW DELHI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — The Group of 20 (G20) members agreed Saturday to accept the African Union (AU) as a new member in an effort to give a greater voice and more representation to developing countries. The agreement was reached at the inaugural session of the two-day G20 summit held in New Delhi during the weekend. Amidst applause from other G20 representatives, Azali Assoumani, president of the Union of the Comoros and current AU chairperson, then assumed his seat…

LIBREVILLE, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Raymond Ndong Sima, Gabonese transitional prime minister, on Saturday published the list of 26 members of his government.  According to the list, this transitional government comprises 26 ministers, including the head of the transitional government. New figures held key government positions, including Murielle Minkoue Epse Mintsa, minister of institutional reform.  Three ministers from the outgoing cabinet remained in the new transitional government. Camelia Ntoutoume-Leclercq retained her portfolio as minister of national education, while Hermann Immongault,…