Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for March 25th

Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are updates on violence in Kenya, U.S. policy issues with Uganda, mining strike in South Africa, an Ebola outbreak in Guinea, women's rights in Mozambique, religious terrorism in Central African Republic, and a deadly explosion in a Nigerian market.

Gunmen kill 6 in attack on Kenyan church
Gunmen killed six worshipers in a church near the coastal city of Mombasa on Sunday, an attack of the kind that Islamist militants have been carrying out in retaliation for Kenya's intervention in neighboring Somalia. Witnesses said the attackers burst in through the church's back door before shouting out and opening fire on the congregation. – Washington Post
To read more, please visit the Washington Post site here.

Uganda's anti-gay law complicates U.S. aid in rebel hunt
A month [after Museveni signed an anti-gay law], administration officials have announced that President Obama is sending more Special Operations forces and additional military aircraft to help Mr. Museveni as he continues to hunt down Joseph Kony, the elusive rebel commander who is bent on toppling the Ugandan government. Mr. Kony is believed to have been hiding out in the jungles of Central Africa for years. The timing of the decision to increase American military help for Mr. Museveni, even as his government has been locking up journalists, targeting opposition leaders and criminalizing homosexuality, has dismayed human rights advocates. On Monday, a number of them questioned Mr. Obama's support for advancing civil liberties in Africa. – New York Times
To read more, please visit the New York Times site here.

South Africa mining strike damage is 'irreparable'
Leaders of South Africa's platinum mines have said the nine-week long strike by workers has caused 'irreparable' damage and has cost the sector nearly $1bn. Miners at Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin, and Impala Platinum want their pay to be doubled. But the companies said they cannot afford to meet the workers' demands. The strike has damaged mining communities in the platinum belt northwest of Johannesburg, they said. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here.

Ebola suspected to have spread from Guinea to Liberia
Africa's biggest Ebola outbreak in seven years has probably spread from Guinea to neighboring Liberia and also threatens Sierra Leone. Five people are suspected to have died from the disease in Lofa county in northern Liberia, Bernice Dahn, Liberia's chief medical officer, said at a briefing yesterday. At least 86 cases and 59 deaths have been recorded across Guinea, the west African country's health ministry said. – Bloomberg
To read more, please visit the Bloomberg site here.

When women vote against women's rights: The strange case of the Mozambican Parliament
What is the point of having women make up half of Parliament, if they vote for laws that put girls and women right back into the 19th century? This is happening today in Mozambique. In April, the country's lawmakers will debate and approve the review of the new Penal Code, provisionally approved in December 2013. The revision is long overdue and welcome: finally, Mozambique is getting rid of the colonial Penal Code in use, which dates from 1886. That makes it 127 years old. – Daily Maverick
To read more, please visit the Daily Maverick site here.

Central African Republic: Tug of war over Muslim community in West
Anti-balaka militia fighters at the diamond mining town of Boda in the Central African Republic (CAR) have rejected a government-sponsored attempt to allow a Muslim community of about 12,000 people to stay there. "We don't want the Muslims to stay here," he said. "They have burned our houses and killed our relatives. We don't want them in the CAR or in Boda." – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.

Nigeria: une explosion dans un marché fait au moins 32 morts
Une explosion sur un marché dans un village du nord-est du Nigeria a tué au moins 32 personnes, selon des sources hospitalières et les autorités locales lundi 24 mars. Cette explosion s'est produite mardi dernier dans le village de Ngurosoye. Les difficultés de communication dans cette région font que la nouvelle n'a été apprise que plusieurs jours plus tard. Les militaires ont en effet coupé toute communication dans cette zone. – Le Monde
Pour en lire pluse, veuillez visiter le site Le Monde ici.