20120519 AFP Madagascar's strongman leader Andry Rajoelina said Friday he was ready to make a political agreement with the president he ousted ahead of new elections.

20120519 AFP US President Barack Obama on Friday reached out to the private sector in hopes of lifting 50 million people in the developing world from poverty, as wealthy nations grapple with a budget crunch.

20120519 AFP The parliament in Mali on Friday passed a law granting amnesty to the leaders of the March coup that plunged what was considered one of Africa's democratic success stories into chaos.

20120519 AFP The UN Security Council unanimously ordered sanctions Friday against the leaders of last month's military coup in Guinea-Bissau and warned it was ready to take new measures.

20120519 AFP Five of 11 people accused of links with Al-Qaeda and Somalia's Shebab rebels and of plotting to overthrow Ethiopia's government appeared in court Friday.

20120519 AFP The leaders of Argentina and Angola said Friday they plan to sign new cooperation agreements soon, though Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner wrapped up a visit to Luanda with no news on an oil-for-food pact.

20120519 AFP Several people were hurt and arrested in Mauritania on Friday as police fired tear gas and beat back protesters demanding that President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz step down in a fresh anti-regime protest, an AFP journalist witnessed.

20120519 AFP A lawyer for Moamer Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam said Friday he doubted Libya was able or willing to try his client, as he asked the International Criminal Court to report the matter to the UN.

20120519 AFP A military force being deployed to stabilise Guinea-Bissau after an April 12 coup will be drawn from Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Senegal, the west African bloc ECOWAS said on Friday.

20120519 AFP UN envoy on Western Sahara Christopher Ross has called off plans to carry out his first official trip to the disputed territory, the UN said Friday after Morocco launched a strong attack on him.