Africa, Elections | featured news

Millions of jubilant south Sudanese voted on Sunday in an independence referendum which could cut Africa's biggest country in two and deprive the north of most of its lucrative oil.

Ivory Coast is in a major political crisis, after rival presidential candidates swore themselves in.

Thousands of Nigerians gathered in Abuja on Saturday to hear President Goodluck Jonathan proclaim his candidacy in January elections, likely to be the most fiercely contested since the end of military rule.

Leaders of Niger's military coup promise a "return to constitutional order", three days after overthrowing the president.