Frank Hall — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons President Mobutu Sese Seko fled Zaire as rebel forces closed in on the capital, ending his 32-year rule.
PoliticsOn this day — May 16 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 1 of 5 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.
Frank Hall — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons Twelve men from the Sidi Moumen shanty towns blew themselves up at five places across Casablanca on the same evening, among them a Spanish restaurant, a hotel and a Jewish community centre. Thirty-three other people were killed. Morocco arrested some 2,000 people over the following year and pushed an anti-terrorism law through parliament within ten days.
Sources: Voice of America ; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
HistoryTwin explosions tore through the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya, killing twelve people.
History
Fernando Pereira / Anefo — CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons 1924 Dawda Jawara, the first President of an independent Gambia, was born.
Birth
Not credited — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1977 Modibo Keita, the first President of Mali, died.
Death