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Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh on Friday declared the formerly secular country an Islamic republic in a move he said was designed to distance the West African state further from its colonial past. The small country joins the ranks of other Islamic republics such as Iran and Afghanistan. "In line with the country’s religious identity and values, I proclaim Gambia as an Islamic state," said Jammeh on state television. "As Muslims are the majority in the country, the Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy," he added. Gambia’s population of 1.8 million people is 95 percent Muslim, but Jammeh reassured Christians and followers of other faiths that they would be able to worship freely. "Christians will be given their due respect. The way of celebrating Christmas will continue," he said, adding that no one had the right to interfere with others' "way of life". He also warned against trying to impose a dress code ...

A deadly burst of violence in troubled Burundi has stoked fears that the country’s political crisis could escalate into a full-blown conflict, barely a decade after the end of a civil war fought largely along ethnic lines. Dozens of people were killed on Friday after coordinated attacks on three military sites prompted a fierce crackdown by security forces in and around the capital, Bujumbura. The army said 87 people died during and after the attacks, including eight soldiers and 79 people it identified as "enemies" of the government. But other sources said the real toll was significantly higher. Several witnesses quoted by AFP and REUTERS news agencies accused the security forces of extrajudicial killings, describing officers breaking down doors in search of young men and shooting them at close range. Read full story: http://www.france24.com/en/20151214-burundi-crisis-civil-war-pierre-nkurunziza-hrw