- Libya authorities have began the repatriation of hundreds of Nigerien Tuareg rebel fighters, the latest sign of progress in pacifying Niger's north after two years of revolt.
Local reports said in the last 48 hours, 386 rebels have been flown back to the town of Agadez, in Niger's north.
The fighters who defected from MNJ, launched an uprising in 2007 calling for more representation for the nomadic Tuareg people and a greater share of the minerals mined in Niger's north, where they live.
The rebels had laid down their weapons in Libya, a country that they used as a base but also acted as mediator to end the conflict in the uranium miner.
Tuaregs in neighbouring Mali have also been fighting their government over the last few years. Both rebellions can be traced back to failures to end similar uprisings in the two countries in the 1990s.
Niger's President Mamadou Tandja earlier this year accepted Libyan help in ending the conflict and has agreed to amnesty for all rebels who disarm. President had initially dismissed the rebels as bandits and smugglers.
Two rebel factions have agreed to disarm while a third, the FFR led by Rhissa Ag Boula, has said it wants to join the peace process but is not yet ready to lay down its weapons.
The violence in Niger's north closed down the tourism industry and threatened mining operations.
French nuclear giant, Areva, plans to open a 1.2 billion euro uranium mine in Niger, making the desert state a leading global uranium exporter.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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