Malian political groups expressed outrage on Wednesday (Sep. 27) at the junta's decision to postpone the presidential election that was supposed to bring back civilian rule.

The ruling junta on Monday (Sep. 25) announced a delay to a presidential election scheduled for February 2024 in the jihadist-hit West African nation.

New dates for the voting "will be communicated later," a government spokesman said.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met Sylvain Itté on Wednesday (Sep. 27) "to thank him and his teams for his work in the service of our country under difficult conditions," the ministry said in a written statement to AFP.

The return of the ambassador comes two months after a coup in Niger ousted its president Mohamed Bazoum and prompted a souring in relations between France and its former colony, with Niger's new rulers demanding his departure.

The killing and arrest of hundreds of pro-democracy, anti-French protesters by the France-backed Chadian military government found no mention at the “High-Level Side Event on Chad,” held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on September 18.

Outbreaks of dengue fever and acute watery diarrhoea have "killed hundreds" in war-torn Sudan, medics reported on Monday, warning of "catastrophic spreads" that could overwhelm the country's decimated health system.

In a statement, the Sudanese doctors' union warned that the health situation in the southeastern state of Gedaref, on the border with Ethiopia, "is deteriorating at a horrific rate", with thousands infected with dengue fever.

At least a majority of African leaders are calling for complete overhaul of multinational financial system to enable them to pursue their development goals across Africa. Their scathing remarks on negative impacts inflicted by imperialism, neocolonialism and western hegemony struck a serious chord during their invaluable speeches delivered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that French will remove its troops and ambassador from Niger, as the military junta that took over the country in July wants French forces out.

“France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” Macron said on French TV, according to AP. “And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities.”

Uganda said on Saturday it would mediate between Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland to facilitate reunification after a more than three-decade split.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda agreed to take up the role after a visit on Friday by a special envoy from Somaliland, Jama Musse Jama, according to a presidency statement.

"President Museveni agreed to be the unification facilitator between Somaliland and Somalia," it said.

Violence-wracked Somalia is seeking a three-month delay in the planned reduction of African Union troops after suffering "several significant setbacks" in its fight against Al-Shabaab militants, according to a government letter seen by AFP.

Somalia's national security adviser wrote to the United Nations requesting a 90-day delay in the second phase of a pullout that provides for the departure of 3,000 troops by the end of September.

The military government that seized power in Niger has accused United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of “obstructing” the West African nation’s full participation at the U.N.'s annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France, Niger’s former colonizer, and its allies.

A Nigerian scientist has lashed out at projects backed by the likes of Bill Gates and George Soros, who are using Africa to secretly test unproven vaccines and experiment with dangerous technology, killing and maiming millions of people in the process.