Protesters in Sudan march against military PM deal

The pact allows Mali and Burkina Faso to provide military assistance to Niger in the event of military intervention against the putschists there.

The UN urged donors who had pledged aid to deliver on their promised contributions. Meanwhile, Sudan's military ruler left the capital to visit army bases, on a rare trip since the start of the fighting.

A group of senior Gabonese military officers appeared on national television in the early hours of Wednesday and said they had taken power, minutes after the state election body announced President Ali Bongo had won a third term.

Sudan military ruler arrives in Egypt on first trip abroad since war began. Aug 29 (Reuters) - Sudanese military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met his Egyptian counterpart on Tuesday in his first trip abroad since the April outbreak of war in Sudan, a day after rejecting calls for fresh negotiations

Military officers in oil-producing Gabon said they had seized power on Wednesday, placing President Ali Bongo under house arrest and naming a new leader after the Central African state's election body announced Bongo had won a third term.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin returned to Thailand last month, after some 15 years in self-imposed exile. He was arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison shortly afterward.

Gabonese hope for jobs, eventual civilian rule following military coup

The regional bloc CCAS, and the country's opposition coalition, have urged international partners to push for a rapid return to civilian rule. Also in this edition: In Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 48 protesters are reported to have been killed in the eastern city of Goma. And finally: In South Africa, the death toll rises to 76 after the devastating Johannesburg fire at an abandoned apartment block that housed dozens of homeless people and squatters.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi faced 47 various charges of criminal breach of trust, bribery and money laundering. The court says the dropped charges do not amount to an acquittal.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are pledged to boost African carbon credit production at the opening day of a landmark climate summit for the continent, despite protesters in Nairobi warning the approach is flawed. Also, Gabon's new leader promises elections to restore civilian rule as he is sworn in as president less than a week after toppling his predecessor.

Military coups are resurging in Africa. A phenomenon that once plagued the continent. There have been over 70 coups in Africa since countries on the continent gained independence from colonial rule. Here are the African countries currently being led by military juntas.

Families of killed activists are under pressure as authorities crack down on any sign of protest a year after the death of a young woman in police custody sparked an Iran-wide civil disobedience movement.