Dakar - As Gabon is rocked by violence following the contested re-election of President Ali Bongo, experts says electoral fraud in Africa is becoming harder, thanks to civil society vigilance and spread of mobile technology.

Dakar - Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre, sentenced to life in May for crimes against humanity, was ordered Friday to pay what could amount to tens of millions of euros to his thousands of victims.

Dakar - West Africa should "think harder" about developing a new anti-terror force, a top regional official said Saturday, as Niger announced the latest deaths among its troops battling Boko Haram jihadists.

Dakar - Critics of Gambia's government are increasingly fearful of arrest, torture and imprisonment as the west African nation clamps down on free speech ahead of polls expected to land President Yahya Jammeh a fifth term, Amnesty International said Thursday.

Dakar - The successful prosecution of Chadian dictator Hissene Habre has galvanised the movement for a permanent forum for justice in Africa, but several legal roadblocks stand in the way, according to experts.

Dakar - Hidden behind sunglasses and a white turban, Chad's former dictator was unrepentant Monday even as he learned he would spend the rest of his life in prison for crimes committed during his brutal rule.

Dakar - A special court in Senegal sentenced former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre to life in prison on Monday for war crimes, crimes against humanity and a litany of other charges, including rape.

Ta - Lying in hospital with bloodied bandages over the deep gashes in his legs, Senegalese fisherman Ali Fall recalls the moment a hippopotamus tried to kill him as he hauled in nets in a local river.

Dakar - An app that allows rural doctors to seek advice remotely from experts won Africa's first prize recognising new technology that boosts health on the continent.

Dakar - Mamadou is a child beggar wandering the streets of Dakar, perilously darting in and out of traffic as he tries to gather enough money for his Islamic teacher to feed him.

Dakar - Three Red Cross workers captured in northeastern Mali last weekend by Islamist group Ansar Dine have been freed, the ICRC said Friday.

Dakar - The Pentagon announced Monday the transfer of two Libyan inmates from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre to Senegal, the latest move under President Barack Obama's contentious plan to shutter the notorious jail.

Dakar - Senegal holds a referendum Sunday on sweeping constitutional reforms, including cutting the presidential term from seven to five years.Why is it controversial and what will the result mean for the country?

Saint-louis - West Africa's armed forces, police and governments need to ramp up cross-border links to contain Islamist groups now increasingly staging spectacular attacks on civilian targets, US and local top brass said this week.

Dakar - The prosecution in the landmark trial of former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre on Wednesday demanded he be jailed for life and stripped of all his assets.

Dakar - The groundbreaking war crimes trial in The Hague on Thursday of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo has rekindled a bitter row across Africa over the international justice system.

Dakar - Faced with a growing jihadist threat, West African nations are scrambling to boost security but are seeing visitor numbers fall as foreign governments warn their nationals about the risks.

Dakar - Senegalese leader Macky Sall's proposal to limit presidents to two consecutive terms was Monday submitted to the constitutional council, putting him at odds with several fellow African heads of state criticised for clinging to power.

Dakar - The first phase of former Chad dictator Hissene Habre's history-making trial for atrocities during the 1980s concluded in Senegal this week, with the regime's victims giving at times traumatic and horrifying evidence.

Ta - The bottles boasting Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache could be from any Parisian supermarket but a closer look reveals this is wine with a difference -- nurtured in the unforgiving soil of Africa's Sahel.