(By Estera Popowska)

South African president Jacob Zuma on Monday made what may appear to be a controversial speech when he said foreigners are partly too blame for the recent anti-immigrant violence in South Africa.

The South African leader was reacting to recent backlash from African countries on how he has handled the crisis. “As much as we can have a problem alleged to be xenophobic, our brother countries contributed to this,” President Zuma reportedly said adding that “why are the citizens not in their countries?”

(By Estera Popowska)

A local official in Nigeria has on Monday  said gunmen suspected to belong to the notorious Boko Haram terror group shot dead 21 people in northeast Nigeria who were trying to return home to recover abandoned food supplies.

An official with the Gujba local government in Yobe state, Baba Nuhu, reportedly said “The men, 21 of them, were stopped at Bultaram (village) by gunmen we believe are Boko Haram who shot them dead.”

(By Estera Popowska)

Following the electoral commission announcement of re-election of President Hassan Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese opposition alliance has called for the overthrow the 71 year old leader.

On Monday , the National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced that President Bashir had been re-elected with 94.5 per cent of the vote. According to Africa Review, opposition leader Farouq Abu Issa vowed in statement on Sunday night, to lead the people in a popular uprising to topple President Bashir.

(By Estera Popowska)

In polls where the incumbent Sudanese president was widely expected to win,  the 71 year old was on Monday declared winner of polls with 94.5 per cent of the vote, the National Electoral Commission said.

National Electoral Commission chief, Mokhtar al-Asam said at a news conference in Khartoum  that “the number of votes obtained by candidate Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir of the National Congress Party was 5,252,478, or 94.5 per cent” of ballots cast.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday condemned the “successive horrific incidents” in Libya this past week – ranging from the appalling loss of life in the Mediterranean of those escaping violence, the execution of Christians and the killings of several members of a prominent family by the so-called ‘Islamic State in Libya.’

(By Estera Popowska)
Following deadly attacks on foreigners by South African locals in recent weeks, some 1067 Zimbabweans have returned home. According to reports, the last batch of Zimbabwean citizens left South Africa and were expected in Zimbabwe on Friday.

According to Daily Nation, only 737 had volunteered to return home but the last batch of 330 Zimbabweans left Durban on Thursday and were expected at the Beitbridge border post on Friday.On Monday, some 470 Zimbabweans arrived in Beitbridge and received counseling before they were transported to their homes.

(By Estera Popowska)
China announced Thursday that it will finance the construction of a 60,000-seat stadium in the Cote d'Ivoire city of Abidjan ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

AFP reported on Friday that a spokesman said before a sports ministry meeting in the Cote d'Ivoire capital “A gift from China, the Olympic stadium of Ebimpe with 60,000 seats will allow the hosting of high-level football, athletics and rugby tournaments.”

(By Estera Popowska)
The United Nations has said three of staff peacekeeping mission staff were on Thursday kidnapped in Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UN reportedly said “Three members of MONUSCO (the 20,000-strong UN peacekeeping force)... have been kidnapped in Kibumba”, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the provincial capital Goma.

(By Estera Popowska)
World Food Programme (WFP) said Wednesday that three of its workers have not been seen since they disappeared in South Sudan at the beginning of the month, According to information from UN news centre, the UN staff were travelling in a marked UN convoy carrying supplies for thousands of conflict-affected people, according to WFP.

(By Estera Popowska)
Following a wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa’s two cities that have killed at least seven people, South Africa’s defense minister said Tuesday that the government will deploy military personnel to prevent further violence and criminality.

According to press reports, South Africa's defense minister announced that soldiers will join with police to stop the xenophobic attacks. This announcement comes after weeks of violence in impoverished areas of Johannesburg and Durban.