1. Gabon holds its breath as coup mastermind eyes presidencypublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 11 April

    Saturday's election marks a major test for a coup leader who wants the democratic stamp of approval.

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  2. Reunite me with son taken by my serial killer ex, mum pleadspublished at 10:05 British Summer Time 11 April

    Lobna Yakout's son Zayn was taken by her abusive ex-husband while she was living in Egypt.

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  3. Heart of Darkness: Fear and Loathing in the Congopublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 11 April

    “The horror! The horror!”

    Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ - the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now’ - is one of the most celebrated literary works of all time, though now increasingly contentious. Based on Conrad’s own terrible journey into the Congo in 1890, and the horrors he beheld there while it was under the sway of King Leopold of Belgium’s monstrous regime, the novella, published in 1899, delves into man’s capacity for evil - the primal beast lurking beneath the surface of all humans - and has long stood as the preeminent cultural representation of European colonialism. It tells the story of Mr Kurtz, a great ivory trader who has disappeared deep into the African interior, and appears to have lost his mind, having penetrated some terrifying, ancient truth. Initially, Conrad’s disturbing account was viewed as the ultimate attack on imperialism, though aspects of the novella have also invited accusations of racism and imperialism, in part owed to Conrad’s own sympathy for Empire. So what is the truth at the heart of 'Heart of Darkness'? And who was Joseph Conrad himself? What horrors did he behold to have inspired such a poignant account of the nightmares within and without…?

    _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

  4. Tanzania's opposition leader charged with treasonpublished at 18:05 British Summer Time 10 April

    He has been holding rallies nationwide saying October's elections cannot go ahead without reforms.

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  5. Unsecured penguin caused helicopter crash in South Africapublished at 17:17 British Summer Time 10 April

    Pilot lost control after bird in cardboard box slid off a passenger's knee and knocked controls, aviation authority finds.

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  6. Kenya police fire tear gas during school drama competitionpublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 10 April

    A play critical of the government was initially disqualified from the competition under unclear circumstances.

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  7. Sudan accuses UAE of 'complicity in genocide' at world courtpublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 10 April

    Sudan's government alleges that the UAE is arming its civil war opponents, which it denies.

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  8. Zimbabwe makes first compensation payments to white farmers over land grabs published at 10:36 British Summer Time 10 April

    This is the first payment under a deal aimed at helping Zimbabwe mend its relations with the West.

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  9. Why Gabon's coup leader is bucking a trend by embracing democracypublished at 02:53 British Summer Time 10 April

    Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema swaps his uniform for a suit in a bid for electoral success.

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  10. Nigerian governor warns of Boko Haram comebackpublished at 17:17 British Summer Time 9 April

    The jihadist group has recently staged several deadly attacks and even seized control of some districts.

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  11. Three Americans jailed over failed DR Congo coup returned homepublished at 11:25 British Summer Time 9 April

    Details of the repatriation are not known but it comes amid talks about a mineral deal between the two countries.

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  12. Liberia’s women in white who helped end civil warpublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 9 April

    In December 2011, Leymah Gbowee was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in helping to end the devastating civil war in Liberia.

    She had mobilised thousands of women to take part in daily, non-violent public protests calling for peace – which pressurised ruthless President Charles Taylor into meeting them.

    When he agreed to peace talks, a delegation from The Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace followed Taylor to Ghana. When talks stalled, they barricaded the room, refusing to let anyone leave until a peace deal was reached.

    Within weeks, after continued pressure from the US and other West African nations, the former warlord had resigned and gone into exile.

    Jacqueline Paine speaks to Leymah about her pivotal role in securing peace for Liberia.

    Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

    Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

    (Photo: Leymah Gbowee with fellow activists. Credit: Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images)

  13. Dozens dead in floods in DR Congo capitalpublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 8 April

    Desperate residents have been fleeing floodwaters by wading or paddling to safety in homemade canoes.

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  14. Fifty hippos killed by anthrax in DR Congopublished at 15:08 British Summer Time 8 April

    Efforts are now under way to recover the animals and bury them to prevent further spread.

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  15. Up with roosters and nicknamed Neymar - Jackson's risepublished at 14:15 British Summer Time 8 April

    Nicolas Jackson, nicknamed Neymar by his young contemporaries back in Senegal, is looking to fire Chelsea to European glory this season.

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  16. Nigerian make-up artist jailed for throwing cash at his weddingpublished at 13:28 British Summer Time 8 April

    Amuscap is the latest Nigerian to be imprisoned for six months for abusing the currency.

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  17. South Sudan to accept man deported from US in bid to defuse visa rowpublished at 13:14 British Summer Time 8 April

    The government initially denied entry to the man, saying he was Congolese, not South Sudanese.

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  18. Algeria and Mali block flights from each other after drone shot downpublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 8 April

    The statement escalates regional tensions after Mali accused Algeria of backing terrorism.

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  19. Dozens die after torrential rain hammers Congolese capitalpublished at 16:17 British Summer Time 7 April

    Kinshasa is prone to soil erosion and the president warned the climate crisis is making flooding worse.

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  20. 'What I learned from a failed travel world record attempt'published at 15:23 British Summer Time 7 April

    Nigerian vlogger Alma Asinobi on failed Guinness World Record attempt

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