Gabon President Omar Bongo Dead at 73

(NEWSER) - Gabon is officially in mourning for Omar Bongo, who was, until his death Monday, the world’s longest-serving president in the world. But unofficially, “it’s worth remembering that Bongo was precisely the kind of leader Gabon, and Africa, could have done without,” Alex Perry writes for Time. The tiny, oil-rich country should have been an African Kuwait. Instead, Bongo funded “his own fantastically opulent lifestyle.” More»

French president booed, taunted in Gabon

(NEWSER) - Crowds in the African nation of Gabon booed Nicolas Sarkozy at the funeral of the country's long-serving strongman president, Omar Bongo. Dozens of onlookers shouted "We don't want you, leave!" at the French leader and his predecessor, Jacques Chirac. France ruled Gabon in the colonial era and kept close ties to the oil-rich nation after independence. More»

Boosted by quota system, females take 44 of 80 of parliamentary seats

(NEWSER) - The second parliamentary election in Rwanda since the 1994 genocide has ushered in the only majority female parliament in the world, the BBC reports. Of 80 seats, 44 went to women—and that 55% could go higher after additional voting. Under the constitution drafted after the genocide, 30% of MPs must be women; a separate “quota” election is held after the general one. More»

Won't force Mugabe to release election results; recount stands

(NEWSER) - A Zimbabwean high court today rejected a petition to force President Robert Mugabe’s government to release its long-delayed election results, the BBC reports. Instead, the ruling party will be allowed to go through with its recounts, which the opposition believes are a ploy to rig the parliamentary election. More»

Both sides claim 'memo' is part of dangerous power play

(NEWSER) - The Zimbabwe opposition denied responsibility yesterday for a "hit list" that is circulating in Harare, saying President Robert Mugabe created it to incite panic. The memo, which lists officials to be purged, cropped up as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was assuring military and intelligence leaders that his transition into the presidential office would not include retribution. More»