Thousands of people attended the first AfroPunk festival to be held on the continent. The celebration of alternative black culture was held in the South African city of Johannesburg recently.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

The festival describes itself as “a blank space to freak out in, to construct a new reality, to live your life as you see fit, while making sense of the world around you”.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

For years the festival has been a space for Africans in the diaspora to explore their heritage. So some described its first appearance in Africa as a homecoming.

AfroPunk was first held in New York in 2005, and was started by people who felt marginalised by both mainstream black and pop cultures. They drew heavily on the rebellious spirit of punk.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

It has since become a global movement, and has been held in Atlanta, Paris and London.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

The festival celebrates music and culture “born of African spirit”, as well as alternative music and fashion. It has become synonymous with eclectic, experimental outfits and style.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

There was some controversy on the first day after South African DJ Cleo pulled out, claiming local artists were not being treated with the same respect as international ones. But that didn’t seem to stop music-lovers dancing to both legendary old and popular new South African musicians, including Kwaito star Thebe, below. Kwaito music developed in South Africa in the early 1990s.

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Traditional healer, artist and activist Albert Ibokwe Khoza, below, accompanied The Brother Moves On for their carnivalesque performance.

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International artists, including British performer Laura Mvula, below, and American Anderson .Paak kept festival-goers entertained on day two. US star Solange was meant to be the headline act but she cancelled due to sickness. Some say the AfroPunk movement has become a victim of its own popularity, and has become mainstream.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

Pride in black hair, beauty and fashion were all on display, in keeping with the themes of the festival.

The festival also champions inclusion of people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Screens flashing the messages rejecting ableism, sexism, homophobia and racism were on display throughout the festival.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

Art was also created – Gloria Shoki, below, urged others to join her painting a graffiti mural.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

For 29-year-old performance artist and poet Thola Antamu, below, this was a chance to dress up in her most regal attire.

Image copyright Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

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Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

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Thirteen people have been killed in an attack in the restive southern Senegalese region of Casamance.

Hospital workers who have seen the bodies said some of the victims had been shot, others decapitated. The dead are said to be teenagers.

It is not clear yet who carried out the attack.

Casamance has seen a long-running conflict between the government and the MFDC rebel group, which wants independence. Thousands have died.

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The Senegalese military said the attack may be connected to the recent release from custody of two MFDC members.

Local media suggested the youths were attacked by a group hostile to the MFDC while collecting wood.

Once home to a thriving tourist industry, Casamance is separated from the Senegalese capital, Dakar, by The Gambia.

It is home to numerous ethnic groups, including many Christians, while northern areas are dominated by three, largely Muslim communities.

Violence has largely waned since a 2014 ceasefire agreed between the government and rebels.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

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At least eight migrants have drowned and 84 have been rescued after a rubber dinghy sank off the coast of Libya, the Italian coastguard said.

Dozens of others might still be missing, the Spanish rescue charity Proactiva Open Arms said.

It is believed to be the first sinking of a migrant boat in the Mediterranean in 2018.

The sea crossing to Europe is the deadliest route in the world for migrants, the UN says.

Nearly 34,000 migrants have drowned or gone missing in the waters since 2000, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration.

The German charity Sea-Watch said at least 25 people had died but numbers were still unclear. One of its boats was on the way to the scene north of Tripoli, it added.

Proactiva Open Arms said many of those rescued had spent hours in the water.

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The coastguard said the partly submerged dinghy was spotted by a surveillance aircraft engaged in the EU’s Operation Sophia, which aims to intercept boats engaged in people smuggling.

“The search continues for survivors,” it added.

In 2017 nearly 3,000 migrants were believed to have drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean.

On Friday, the EU’s border management agency, Frontex, said the numbers of migrants travelling to Europe illegally last year dropped 60% to 204,300.

The numbers travelling to Italy was 119,000 – 34% fewer than 2016, Frontex said.

The drop was due to improved border controls, the agency added.

The EU saw record levels of asylum seekers arriving in 2016 but the numbers have fallen since a deal with Turkey stemmed the influx of those crossing into Greece.

A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.