Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1943 German General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim's Fifth Panzer Army launched a counter-attack against Allied positions in the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid during the Tunisia Campaign.
BattleOn this day — February 14 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 2 of 6 on this page carry one so far. The rest were written before per-entry citations were recorded, so if you intend to rely on one, check it independently until its source appears here. See our sourcing methodology.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1943 Two tanker trains carrying fuel collided and derailed beside the oil depot at Nsam on the edge of Yaoundé. People came to collect the spilled fuel, and a dropped cigarette set off a fireball that ran back to the wrecked tankers. Early reports counted about 100 dead and state radio later gave 120, with more than 150 badly burned. Later accounts put the toll at 200 or more.
Sources: The Irish Times ; Deseret News
Tragedy
CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 2018 Jacob Zuma resigned as President of South Africa under pressure from his own party.
PoliticsCameroonian soldiers and armed ethnic Fulani raided the village of Ngarbuh in the North-West Region, killing at least 21 civilians including 13 children and a pregnant woman, and burning homes. The government first said five had died and called the reports fake, before an inquiry acknowledged that its troops were involved.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Tragedy
CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons 1978 Danai Gurira, American-Zimbabwean actress and playwright, was born.
Birth
CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 2018 Morgan Tsvangirai, 2nd Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and longtime opposition leader, died.
Death