
Central African Republic exam crush: Panic following blast leaves 29 pupils dead in Bangui
He also ordered that the more than 280 who were wounded in the crush get free treatment in hospital.The CAR continues to face political instability and security challenges.Government forces, backed by Russian mercenaries, are battling armed groups threatening to overthrow Touadéra's administration
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Africans who fought in the second world war deserve fair recompense
Thank you for highlighting the new exhibition at the National Army Museum, commemorating the invaluable service of Indian and African soldiers in the second world war (London museum tells forgotten story of African and Indian troops in second world war, 14 August). I had the honour of serving with Ghanaian, Nigerian and Sierra Leonean soldiers in west Africa in 1999-2000 and they remembered, with pride, their forefathers' campaigning in Burma; rightly so – the battles in the Arakan in 1943 were some of the hardest fought in the war. Far less honourable has been successive British governments' refusal to treat African veterans, who fought so bravely for us, equitably. At the end of their service, African veterans were awarded a settlement one-third of that given to British soldiers or white settlers from Africa: it was straightforward racial discrimination. Few of those veterans are still alive, but their families and communities are, and they should receive the upgraded payments, suitably adjusted for inflation. Labour, when in opposition, cheerfully hammered the Tories over this issue. Now they are in power, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, it is time to set right this DigginsColonel (retired), British military advisory team (west Africa), 1999-2000


Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Ukrainian arrested in Italy over Nord Stream pipeline bombings
A Ukrainian citizen has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of helping to orchestrate the underwater bombing of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany. The suspect, identified only as Serhii K, is the first person known to have been detained in connection with the attack, which German prosecutors believe was carried out by a small group of Ukrainians operating from a rented yacht. The Nord Stream explosions, which took place at three locations on the bed of the Baltic sea in September 2022, were among the most momentous acts of sabotage carried out in Europe in recent years. The blasts ripped open three of the four strands of the pipelines, which were a symbol of Germany and central Europe's dependence on Russian energy. They resulted in the biggest single methane leak on record.


The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 denies role in Congo massacres
The Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has denied involvement in a series of massacres in eastern Congo which were detailed in a report published by a rights group Wednesday. Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the M23 military, called the Human Rights Watch report 'fake and a falsification of reality' and accused the group of spreading 'extremist propaganda' in a statement late Wednesday. M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups fighting for control in Congo's mineral-rich east. Both M23 and the Congolese military have previously been accused of violence against civilians. Earlier this year, Congolese authorities accused M23 of extrajudicial killings during its seizure of major cities. In the report, Human Rights Watch accused M23 of killing over 140 civilians as part of a military campaign against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group made up mostly of ethnic Hutu fighters. Nearly 2 million Hutus from Rwanda fled to Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed 800,000 Tutsis, moderate Hutus and others. Rwandan authorities have accused Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide, alleging that the Congolese army protected them. Bertrand Bisimwa, an M23 leader, said on social platform X that the report was intended to influence the United Nations Security Council and was not based on evidence. A separate report by another rights group, Amnesty International, also published Wednesday, found that both M23 and Congolese government-sponsored militias regularly committed mass atrocities and sexual violence against civilians. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the U.N. has called the conflict in eastern Congo 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.' The United States and others have been trying to achieve a permanent ceasefire since fighting between M23 and Congolese forces escalated in January. The Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers signed a peace deal at the White House in July. But M23 was not directly involved in the negotiations and said it could not abide by the terms of the agreement. The final step was meant to be a separate deal between Congo and M23, facilitated by the Gulf state of Qatar, that would bring about a permanent ceasefire. However, a deadline for the deal was missed and there have been no public signs of major talks between Congo and M23 on the final terms. The U.S. Bureau of African affairs, in a statement late Wednesday on X, called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the 'horrific abuses perpetrated against civilians, including by M23.'