[CAF] The second leg of the 2024 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers delivered dramatic moments on Saturday as Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal and DR Congo booked their places in the final phase of the competition.

[VOA] Yaounde -- Tensions continue to mount in Chad, with opposition and so-called civil society groups vowing to disrupt Sunday's local council, regional and parliamentary elections. The groups say the polls will be rigged to favor current President Mahamat Idriss Deby, and are visiting towns and villages warning people to stay home to avoid possible street violence.

[New Times] The long time it takes for a case to be tried, and the fact that some members of staff in the judiciary are leaving for better paying jobs in other entities, are among major issues affecting citizen' access to justice, a new study has shown.

[Dabanga] Delling / El Nahud / N'djamena -- The decision to postpone Sudanese certificate exams in Delling, in the northwestern part of South Kordofan, and El Nahud in West Kordofan, was announced yesterday, citing logistical setbacks and security concerns. Originally scheduled for 28 December, the exams have been rescheduled for March 2025.

[CAF] The stage is set for an electrifying weekend as the second-leg matches of the 2024 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers unfold.

[ANGOP] Luanda -- The Government of Luanda (GPL) has announced that it will close some roads to traffic on December 31 for the 68th edition of the traditional year-end race «São Silvestre Luanda».

[MAP] Rabat -- The Government Council was briefed on two international agreements and related draft laws, presented by Government Secretary General Mohamed Hajoui on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita.

[ANGOP] Luanda -- Citizens of Luanda defend the combination of efforts and the adoption of more assertive measures between the Government and partners in order to avoid price speculation during the festive season.

[ANGOP] Lobito -- The National Chicken Consortium's target, for 2025, is to reach 10,000 tons of national production, ANGOP learned on Monday.

[ANGOP] Luanda -- The Angolan government has decreed a day off throughout the country on 24 and 31 December, dates before Christmas and New Year.

[The New Humanitarian] Djaiba Displacement Camp, Democratic Republic of t -- «The militias are still active and the weapons are still circulating.»

[UNHCR] Kigali -- «Through film, I can draw attention to issues like gender-based violence, reaching a wider audience and creating a lasting impact.»

[New Times] The decision by the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) to close 62 privately owned schools is necessary.

[New Times] Rwandan attacking midfielder Samuel Mbabazi is having a winding career path. Initially supposed to go for trials in Poland after being scouted in the 2018 FEASSA Games, he ended up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

[ANGOP] Luanda -- President João Lourenço on Friday appointed the newly elected vice president of the ruling MPLA party, Mara Regina da Silva Domingos Quiosa, as a member of the Council of the Republic, replacing Luísa Pedro Francisco Damião.

[New Times] The Ministry of Health plans to adopt advanced technologies, including GPS tracking, to monitor bat migration and behaviour as part of efforts to enhance prevention and surveillance of zoonotic diseases.

[RFI] French soldiers have been asked to leave Chad by 31 January, sources close to the government in Paris say - a deadline that RFI was able to confirm with Chadian authorities.

[WHO-AFRO] The outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease was declared over today by the Government of Rwanda with no new cases reported over the last 42 days after the last patient tested negative for the virus twice, as per the usual protocol for ending these types of outbreaks.

[New Times] The «Bright Stars» of South Sudan welcome Rwanda's Amavubi to Juba International Stadium on Sunday, December 22, in the first of the two-legged tie that could decide the team which will qualify for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

[Global Witness] The DRC government has made some ambitious commitments to achieve sustainable forest governance. But the journey there is being stalled by corruption, impunity and weak enforcement.

[The Conversation Africa] One of the most significant African museum openings of 2024 was the Musée des Rois Bamoun, or Museum of the Bamoun Kings, in Foumban, Cameroon.

[New Times] It was a chilly, sunlit mid-morning when we arrived at Kwetu Film Institute and Hillywood Café, tucked into the serene hills of Gacuriro. This creative haven is where seasoned filmmaker Eric Kabera spends his hours -- either overseeing the production of Rwandan-made content or mentoring the next generation of filmmakers, actors, and actresses.

[New Times] The decision by a French court to uphold the life sentence of Philippe Hategekimana, alias Biguma, for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is a significant step towards justice.

[State Department] Washington D.C. -- President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s December 2024 travel to Angola was the first visit of a U.S. president to Sub-Saharan Africa since 2015.  Assistant Secretary Molly Phee provides an overview of the President's Angola travel, including his visit to the Lobito Corridor infrastructure project, the pledge to provide $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to 31 African countries, and U.S. efforts to deepen the U.S.-Africa partnership.

[New Times] President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, December 18, received a message from his Angolan counterpart Joao Laurenço, who is the facilitator of the Luanda process.

[New Times] Nine people including Theoneste Nsengimana, the creator of the YouTube channel Umubavu TV, are being prosecuted on charges of forming a criminal association and conspiring to commit offenses against the government or the president.

[VOA] Yaounde, Cameroon -- Chad's electoral commission has asked the central African state's military to help protect election officials and candidates amid a spike in attacks ahead of Dec. 29 elections.

[New Times] The Court of Appeal in France on Tuesday, December 17, upheld the life sentence for Philippe Hategekimana, alias Biguma, a former deputy commander of the Gendarmerie in Rwanda, for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly in the Southern Province.

[New Times] After nearly five years of dedicated effort, residents of Kayonza District are celebrating the fruits of their labour. The community has transitioned from subsistence farming to commercial fruit production, with their first sales of avocados marking a significant milestone.

[CAF] The President of the Confédération Africaine de Football («CAF»), Dr Patrice Motsepe, on Monday, 16 December 2024 conferred the CAF President's Outstanding Achievement Award 2024 on Cameroon Head of State, President Paul Biya and Egypt Head of State President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

[New Times] Multi-award-winning American artiste and producer John Legend, popularly known for his hit song 'All of Me', is set to headline the Move Africa tour both in Kigali and Lagos in February, 2025.

[New Times] As the world continues to grapple with the aftermath of Covid-19 and Marburg virus disease (MVD), scientists are increasingly alarmed by the growing threat of zoonotic diseases--infections that jump from animals to humans.

[World Bank] STORY HIGHLIGHTS

[Ethiopian Herald] ADDIS ABABA -- The Ankara Declaration signed between Ethiopia and Somalia can be seen as a win-win diplomatic victory for both signatories, Scholar said.

[New Times] A new partnership that focuses on developing Rwanda's automotive industry by establishing a centralised service centre for maintenance, repairs, remanufacturing, and parts distribution, was signed on Monday, December 16, with potential expansion into hospitality and real estate, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said.