Heavy gunfire heard in Ivory Coast second-largest city

Refugees in Ivory Coast are starting to rebuild businesses affected by the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, through initiatives sponsored by the United Nation refugee agency (UNHCR), to help integrate refugees in the West African country.

Heavy gunfire could be heard coming from several military camps in Burkina Faso early on Sunday (January 23), the government said, but it denied the military had seized power. Heavy arms fire at the capital Ouagadougou's Sangoule Lamizana camp, which houses the army's general staff and a prison whose inmates include soldiers involved in a failed 2015 coup attempt, began at least as early as 5:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), a Reuters reporter said. The reporter later saw soldiers firing into the air in the camp. A witness also reported gunfire at a military camp in Kaya, around 100 kms (62 miles) north of Ouagadougou.

The Pharaohs played a goalless draw with the Elephants of Ivory Coast in Douala but went on to win after a penalty shoot-out. The seven-time champions are still on course to stretch their record.

Al Shabaab militants attacked several police stations and security checkpoints in Somalia's capital Mogadishu early on Wednesday, officials and the militants said, a show of force as the nation prepares for a much-delayed presidential election.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara granted an exclusive interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI ahead of an EU-African Union summit in Brussels. He criticised the planned departure of French and European troops from Mali, saying it "creates a void". Ouattara added that it was the responsibility of domestic African armies to "solve problems in their own countries.

While the war rages in Ukraine, NATO has been conducting a massive military drill in Norway. The alliance says the maneuvers are designed to test troops' readiness for combat in cold conditions.

Baky Meïté is a former captain of the Ivory Coast rugby team. Back in the spring of 2020, he put his rugby career on hold to work as a janitor in a geriatric hospital in Paris. He has now published a book, "Les Chiffons Bleus", as a tribute to his former colleagues who appear somewhat forgotten today. He joined us for Perspective.

In an unexpected announcement, Prime Minister Patrick Achi and his Cabinet have tendered their resignation. The leader of Ivory Coast's government had held the job for a little over a year.

When Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, some of the troops invaded from Belarus in the north to occupy the areas around Kyiv and Chernihiv. They have now withdrawn — but are they still in Belarus?

A top German court is debating the case of two army officers who have refused a mandatory vaccination against COVID-19. The two have cited their right to "physical integrity" under German law.

A photo from 2017, which users claim shows Ukrainian prisoners “caged like dogs” by the ultra-nationalist Azov regiment, has resurfaced. The misleading image actually depicts a Ukrainian soldier imprisoned for alcohol use. Also, users on social media claim that a Jerusalem pub rebranded from “Putin Pub” to “Zelensky Pub”. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

At the start of a U.N. conference on desertification in Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara has said the country wants to raise $1.5 bln to revive forests and land in the world's top cocoa producer.