The most important in this week’s headlines out of and concerning Africa, for those who need help catching up. This week saw the release of five jailed Ethiopian bloggers, the banning of full-face veils in Cameroon, and the opening of sub-Saharan Africa’s first Starbucks. 

[media-credit name=”Starbucks” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]1. Starbucks will open its first sub-Saharan Africa coffee shop in Johannesburg in 2016. Global Post writes that the increasing middle class in the region may be enough to sustain the new store.

2. In response to a terror attack last week that killed 13 people Cameroon has banned the wearing of the full-face veil in an attempt to identify possible terrorists. Gabon similarly banned the wearing of the veil, and Chad issued a ban last month.

3. Five bloggers held in jail in Ethiopia, and one journalist, were freed last week after being held since April under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation of 2009. While all charges have been dropped against the five, four still remain behind bars. Some have speculated that the release came in anticipation of Obama’s visit at the end of the month.

4. Voters of the Rwandan Parliament voted unanimously to back an amendment to the constitution that would allow current president Paul Kagame to run for a third term in office.

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Sarah Ford

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