Briefly

GABON

Campaign begins for presidential election

The electoral campaign for Gabon's April 12 presidential election commenced on Saturday. Transitional President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema addressed his supporters at a stadium in the capital Libreville. "On April 12,2025, you will choose your candidate, the builder, special President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema," he said. Nguema, who led the Aug 30, 2023, coup, resigned from the military to run as a candidate. Eight candidates are contesting the presidency.

SUDAN

RSF chief says pulled out from Khartoum

The head of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces admitted in a speech to fighters on Sunday that the group had withdrawn from the capital Khartoum, which the Sudanese Armed Forces have retaken. The comment from Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo came three days after the RSF said there would be "no retreat and no surrender" despite the army's declaration on Thursday that "the last pockets" of the RSF had been eliminated from Khartoum after nearly two years of conflict.

UNITED STATES

1 dead as plane crashes into house

At least one person in a small plane flying from Iowa to Minnesota died after the aircraft crashed into a house at a Minneapolis suburb on Saturday, a city official said. The residents of the house were not hurt, Brooklyn Park spokeswoman Risikat Adesaogun said, but the house was destroyed. It was not yet known how many people were aboard the single-engine SOCATA TBM7 aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Agencies - Xinhua