News That Matters To Africa©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Politics is too serious a matter to be left to…the politicians.”
HIGHLIGHTS
RSF attack shuts down last major hospital in el-Fasher
Syrian rebels sent to (West) Africa to guard mines and businesses
SAfrica legalises cannabis use; the Sinai, a graveyard for education under Sisi
CAR suspends Chinese mining company
European cartels force African migrant children into cocaine trade.
TOP NEWS
Eastern Africa
Suspected Islamists in eastern Congo kill more than 80 in a week
49, mostly Ethiopian, die after boat capsizes off Yemen – UN
Ethiopian coffee booms despite looming EU regulation
Haiti: Imminent deployment of Kenya-led international police force
US ambassador backs Ruto amid economic criticism and tax hikes
Man jailed in Belgium for 25 years over Rwandan genocide
Fighting between two Somali clans kills at least 55
Sudan: RSF attack shuts down last major hospital in el-Fasher
ICC prosecutor appeals for evidence of atrocities in Sudan after rebels attack hospital in Darfur
UN: ‘Sudan’s Internal Displacement surpasses 10 Million’
West Africa
Syrian rebels sent to (West) Africa to guard mines and businesses
Cameroon or Canada? Poorly paid doctors and nurses are choosing to leave.
Russia enters agreement with Guinea to construct Nuclear Power Plants
American troops begin withdrawal from Niger
Nigeria confronts its worst economic crisis in a generation
Amnesty: ‘Nigerian army detains girls who escape from Boko Haram’
Why a Nigerian woman faces jail time for reviewing tomato puree
Nigerian star’s drowning forces Nollywood to look at safety
Southern Africa
Lesotho’s draconian snooping law resurfaces
Malawi VP confirmed dead in plane crash in forest
The Malawi VP who was plucked from business
SAfrica’s new parliament to convene Friday as parties scramble to form coalition government
President Ramaphosa has ‘lost his grip’ on ANC
SAfrica’s Ramaphosa to miss G7, focus on finding partners to govern
SAfricans favour an ANC-MK Coalition, survey shows
SAfrica legalises cannabis use. Will the rest of Africa follow?
A leaked audio fingers Zimbabwean president in expansive, shadowy businesses
Millions given to Zimbabwe universities during COVID went missing
North Africa
Egypt: How Sinai became a graveyard for education in ten years under Sisi
Migrants turn to Mauritania as new EU transit route
Central Africa
CAR suspends activities of Chinese mining company
AFRICA GENERAL
PODCAST OF THE DAY
(16) ARTICLES ON ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL & OPINION
EASTERN AFRICA
DRCONGO
Suspected Islamists in eastern Congo kill more than 80 in a week
The death toll has risen to 41 following an attack on Friday by suspected Islamist rebels on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese army spokesman said, bringing the total toll in the region to more than 80 since Tuesday. Friday night’s attack, on the villages of Masala, Mapasana and Mahini, had been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), said lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman in Congo’s North Kivu province. The ADF, which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups are active. It originates from neighbouring Uganda and is alleged to be behind multiple assaults in the area over the past week, including one in the village of Masawu that killed 17 people, two civil society leaders said. On Thursday, five bodies were found in the villages of Kabweli and Mamulese, according to Justin Kavalami, a civil society member who helped search for bodies. The same day, six bodies were recovered from a river in the village of Mununze, that village’s chief said. On Friday, 13 bodies were found in the village of Makobu, a civil society leader and the village chief said, bringing the total number of people killed by suspected ADF militants since Tuesday to 82.
ETHIOPIA
49 die after boat capsizes off Yemen – UN
At least 49 people from the Horn of Africa have died after their boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Survivors have told rescuers that the vessel, carrying 260 migrants, sank on Monday in strong winds. The search continues for 140 people who are still missing. Local authorities in Rudum, east of Aden, said that those on board were migrants, mostly from Ethiopia, who use Yemen as a transit point to reach Gulf states. Fishermen and residents managed to rescue survivors, who reported that more migrants were missing from the same boat. An IOM spokesman said “this recent tragedy is another reminder of the urgent need to work together to address urgent migration challenges”. His organisation, he added, remains committed to supporting survivors and improving search and rescue efforts in the region. According to the UN, 97,000 migrants arrived in Yemen from the Horn of Africa last year.
Ethiopian coffee booms despite looming EU regulation
Ethiopia’s coffee industry is experiencing a robust year, with exports reaching a staggering $1.2 billion in the past 11 months, according to the Coffee and Tea Authority. During this month alone, 43,481 tons of coffee were shipped, surpassing the planned target by 5%. In terms of revenue, the country earned $209.5 million during the month, exceeding the planned figure by 7%. However, the future of Ethiopian coffee exports faces uncertainty due to the European Union’s upcoming Deforestation-Free Regulation. The EU, a crucial market for Ethiopian coffee, accounts for roughly 30% of annual sales. The new regulation, set to take effect on December 30, 2024, will impose stricter requirements on Ethiopian exporters, potentially impacting this significant revenue stream. Currently, Ethiopia exports coffee to 50 to 60 countries, and authorities are working to expand its market reach. Efforts include organizing coffee fairs in various countries to promote Ethiopian coffee.
KENYA
Haiti: Imminent deployment of Kenya-led international police force
The deployment of the Kenyan police force for a peace keeping mission in Haiti, will most probably take place in the coming week or two, assured William Ruto, the Kenyan President on Sunday 9th of June. Kenya is required to lead this mission that was concluded in october 2023 by the United Nations Security Council with a troop of 1,000 policemen to join forces with the haitian police in the fight against organised gangs. Other countires taking part in this mission include The Republic of Bénin, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad. In Kenya, this controversial issue was taken to the Court of Justice terming it ‘unconstitutional, illegal and invalid’. Human Rights Watch at the end of May questioned among others, the human rights record of the Kenyan police which has been accused in the past of using excessive force and extrajudicial executions. Haiti has for decades now suffered a chronic political stalemate with 80 percent of the Capital Port au Prince under the control of the criminal gangs accused of several execution killings, rape and kidnapping for ransom.
US ambassador backs Ruto amid economic criticism and tax hikes
Amid mounting criticism over his administration’s economic policies and proposed tax hikes, President William Ruto has found an ally in the US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman.
In an interview, Ambassador Whitman defended President Ruto’s handling of the economy, describing it as a difficult situation that is not unique to Kenya. “President Ruto is navigating a tough economic environment. This is a global issue, not just a Kenyan one,” she said. The Kenyan government’s proposed Finance Bill 2024, which seeks to increase taxes to boost revenue, has faced significant opposition. Many Kenyans have expressed discontent, arguing that the Bill, in its current form, is counterproductive. Despite the backlash, Ambassador Whitman praised the Kenyan government for its efforts to involve the public in the legislative process. The Finance Bill, which has been subjected to rigorous public scrutiny, is now set for debate in the National Assembly. Ambassador Whitman acknowledged the challenges but expressed confidence that the Kenyan government would find a balanced solution.
RWANDA
Man jailed in Belgium for 25 years over Rwandan genocide
A court in Brussels on Monday sentenced a 65-year-old Belgian-Rwandan man to 25 years in prison for murder and rape committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Emmanuel Nkunduwimye was found guilty of war crimes and genocide for a series of murders as well as the rape of a Tutsi woman. Nkunduwimye, who was first arrested in Belgium in 2011, owned a garage in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, in April 1994 when the genocide began. The garage was part of a complex of buildings that was the scene of massacres perpetrated by Interahamwe militiamen. Nkunduwimye was close to several militia leaders – including Georges Rutaganda, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and died in 2010. The jury at the trial in Brussels found the accused assisted the militia “with full knowledge of the facts.” During the trial, Nkunduwimye was formally identified by the woman he raped, who came to testify in private at the hearing. Nkunduwimye denied the accusations and his defense called for his acquittal, arguing in particular that the prosecution’s evidence was unreliable.
SOMALIA
Fighting between two Somali clans kills at least 55
A violent clash over the weekend between two clans in central Somalia has killed at least 55 people and injured another 155, residents and medical officials said. Somalia’s federal government is not only struggling to contain violence unleashed by the Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group, but is also facing clan-based clashes over control of land and water in the Horn of Africa nation. The fighting between the Dir and Marihan clans, which used to jointly fight al Shabaab years ago, erupted on Saturday in Abudwaq and Herale towns in Galmudug region over grazing land and watering points, said a clan elder and resident of Herale. Personnel from hospitals in Herale, Abuwaq and two other adjacent towns confirmed they had attended to 115 people who were wounded in the fighting. Those who died were buried immediately, residents said. The fighting subsided following the arrival of federal government soldiers: “There is (a) ceasefire but the mood is not good. A permanent ceasefire is needed,” Sadia Hussein, a mother of four, reported from Abudwaq.
SUDAN
RSF attack shuts down last major hospital in el-Fasher
The last functioning major hospital in el-Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur in Sudan, has been forced to close after it was attacked and looted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it and the Sudanese health ministry had suspended all activities in el-Fasher’s South Hospital after armed members of the paramilitary RSF seized the facility. “RSF soldiers stormed the facility, opened fire, and looted it, including stealing an ambulance,” MSF said in a statement late on Sunday night. It added that at the time of the incursion, the hospital only had 10 patients and reduced staff after MSF and health ministry teams began transferring patients to other facilities earlier in the week due to intense fighting.
“Most patients and the remaining medical teams, including all MSF staff, were able to flee the RSF shooting,” it said, adding that MSF was unable to verify if anyone was killed or wounded during the attack. Michel Lacharite, the head of emergencies at MSF, said the RSF’s attack on South Hospital was “outrageous”. “This is not an isolated incident – staff and patients have endured attacks on the facility for weeks from all sides, but opening fire inside a hospital crosses a line.” Lacharite added that the remaining facilities in el-Fasher were not prepared for the arrival of mass casualties.
ICC prosecutor appeals for evidence of atrocities in Sudan
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor appealed Tuesday for information and evidence of atrocities in Sudan, saying his ongoing investigation “seems to disclose an organized, systematic and a profound attack on human dignity.” ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan released a video statement in the aftermath of an attack Sunday by the notorious Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group that forced the closure of a main hospital in the western Darfur region. The group fired shots and looted the hospital in al-Fasher, aid group Doctors Without Borders reported. The attack came as the RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese army for a year, intensified its offensive seeking to wrest control of the city, the military’s last stronghold in the sprawling Darfur region. Two weeks of fighting last month in and around al-Fasher has killed more than 120 people.
UN: ‘Sudan’s Internal Displacement surpasses 10 Million’
The number of internally displaced people in Sudan has reached more than 10 million, the United Nations migration agency announced on Monday. The International Organization for Migration said the figure included 2.83 million people driven from their homes before the start of the current war by multiple local conflicts in recent years. More than 2 million others have been driven abroad, mainly to neighbouring Chad, South Sudan and Egypt , Mohammedali Abunajela, an IOM spokesperson said. “Imagine a city the size of London being displaced. That’s what it looks like, but it’s happening with the constant threat of crossfire, with famine, disease and brutal ethnic and gender-based violence ,” said the IOM Director General, in a statement. The war has ravaged Sudan, killing more than 14,000 people and injuring thousands more, while pushing the population to the brink of famine.
WEST AFRICA
BURKINA/NIGER/NIGERIA
“Syrian rebels sent to Africa to guard mines and businesses
Syrian rebels have been hired to fight and provide security at gold mines and factories in African countries, several rebel sources said. Syrian fighters, who are mostly affiliated with the Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of armed opposition groups that works closely with Turkey in northern Syria, reported that hundreds of fighters were deployed in Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. There they guard Turkish-operated businesses, factories and mines, or provide protection services in countries where the Islamic State group poses a danger to local security. An SNA fighter using the pseudonym Deyri, who was recruited for a mission in Africa, said that the recruits weren’t operating alone but in groups. “The command is not in Syrian hands. Sometimes we sign up for the protection of Turkish businesses, sometimes for fighting the Islamic State, and sometimes for guarding mines or factories,” he said. Reports of Syrian rebels being sent to Africa first surfaced in the western media, which said they had been given short-term combat training before deployment. SNA members told the media that they were recruited through the Sultan Murad Brigade faction, and signed contracts ranging from six months to a year for a monthly salary of $1,500. According to reports, the controversial private Turkish military company SADAT is allegedly behind the recruitment of SNA members for Africa. However, the company’s executives frequently deny these allegations. Turkish opposition parties have long claimed that SADAT, led by a former Turkish presidential adviser, functioned as a private military company that is used in secretive Turkish state operations in the Middle East.
CAMEROON
Cameroon or Canada? Poorly paid doctors and nurses are choosing to leave.
Cameroon has one of the world’s lowest ratios of health workers per capita. About a third of trained doctors who graduated from medical school last year left the country, the minister of higher education, Jacques Fame Ndongo, has said. Many doctors and nurses are leaving the West African nation for more lucrative jobs in Europe and North America. Canada, like Cameroon, has official languages of English and French. Cameroon is not the only sub-Saharan African country where low salaries are driving health workers to leave. While the number of health workers increased after the COVID pandemic in several countries, almost 75% of African nations still experience medical staff shortages and high rates of healthcare professionals leaving to work abroad, according to a 2023 report from the World Health Organization. The lack of health workers makes it increasingly difficult to tackle infant mortality and infectious diseases and provide essential services like vaccinations, the WHO regional director for Africa has said. Cameroon has fewer than seven nurses per 10,000 inhabitants, according to the latest WHO data. Neighboring Nigeria has more than double that ratio, and Canada has more than 14-fold. Canada is facing its own health workforce shortages. Over 30,000 nursing positions in the country are vacant, according to Statistics Canada.
GUINEA
Russia enters agreement with Guinea to construct Nuclear Power Plants
Russia and The Republic of Guinea are set to collaborate on a very ambitious nuclear project. Both countries signed a memorandum of understanding at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to this effect. Recently, Russia has initiated several nuclear projects in Africa, including the construction of the fourth unit of Egypt’s Dabaa nuclear power plant. Although details of the project remain scarce, a report by the Russian newspaper Sputnik shows that Russia and The Republic of Guinea have signed a memorandum of understanding on a nuclear project in the West African country. According to a statement on Friday by the Russian energy corporation Rosatom, Russia and Guinea are looking to build floating nuclear power plants. “A floating nuclear power plant is a site with one or more nuclear reactors, located on a platform at sea. It is an autonomous site that can provide electricity and heat to areas with difficult access, such as the cold Northern territories. It can also provide drinking water to dry areas, via desalination techniques.” This could be a component of Russia’s larger strategy to strengthen ties with its allies in Africa. Back in March, it was reported that West Africa’s Burkina Faso and Rosatom were on the verge of finalizing a nuclear deal, according to Yacouba Zabré Gouba, the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Quarries.
Both sides were in the process of signing a road map to build a nuclear reactor in the West African country.
NIGER
American troops begin withdrawal from Niger
The process of withdrawing American troops from Niger has officially commenced, marking a significant milestone in the relationship between the two nations. With a total of 946 soldiers stationed in various bases across Niger, the withdrawal operation has begun from key locations such as Agadez, Ouallam, and Diffa, with the destination set for Niamey. Over the past weekend, the first steps of this withdrawal were initiated as troops began their journey back to the United States. Nearly a thousand soldiers gathered at Niamey International Airport’s squadron base, preparing for their gradual departure. This significant move comes following the signing of a withdrawal agreement between Niger and the USA on May 19, signifying a formal start to the withdrawal process. According to General Kenneth P. Ekman, the head of American troops in Niger, this marks the official start of the withdrawal of American military personnel and equipment. Since the agreement was signed, over 269 personnel and several tons of equipment have already been repatriated. The departure of the C-17 Globemaster III from the U.S. Air Force’s 101st Air Base in Niamey on June 7 signifies the beginning of a series of heavy transport rotations to repatriate personnel and equipment, in accordance with the agreement. In a solemn joint ceremony between the Nigerien and American armies, Colonel-Major Mamane Sani KIAOU, President of the Disengagement Committee, and Major General Kenneth P. EKMAN, U.S. Troop Commander in Niger, formalized the departure. Tons of equipment have been loaded onto planes, with the first batch set to leave Niger, including at least 269 soldiers.
NIGERIA
Confronting the worst economic crisis in a generation
Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to buy food. Only two years ago Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria is projected to drop to fourth place this year. The pain is widespread. Unions strike to protest salaries of around $20 a month. People die in stampedes, desperate for free sacks of rice. Hospitals are overrun with women wracked by spasms from calcium deficiencies. The crisis is largely believed to be rooted in two major changes implemented by a president elected 15 months ago: the partial removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the currency, which together have caused major price rises. A nation of entrepreneurs, Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens are skilled at managing in tough circumstances, without the services states usually provide…But right now, their resourcefulness is being stretched to the limit.
’Nigerian army detains girls who escape from Boko Haram’ says Amnesty International
Amnesty International accused the Nigerian army of illegally detaining girls and young women who have escaped from Boko Haram captivity because the military believes they support the Islamist insurgent group. The military in a statement denied the allegations, which the human rights group said were based on 126 interviews from 2019 to 2024 with female former captives. 31 said they were unlawfully held in military barracks for several days to almost four years between 2015 and mid-2023, typically because of their real or perceived association to Boko Haram, Amnesty said in a report. Boko Haram has fought an armed rebellion in Nigeria’s Northeast, which the U.N. says has killed more than 35,000 people. With a reputation for brutality, the group has been accused of torture, rape, forced marriage and kidnapping. The most well known incident was the abduction of 300 girls from Chibok in 2014. Since then, more girls have been abducted, and many have lived for years with Boko Haram fighters. Some have escaped. Nigeria’s military has launched a counteroffensive against the Islamist group that has also attracted criticism of harsh tactics. A Reuters’ investigation last year revealed that the military secretly ran a mass abortion programme in its war against Boko Haram.
Why a Nigerian woman faces jail time for reviewing tomato puree
On September 16, 2023, Chioma Okoli posted a review of the Nagiko tomato puree she bought at a street market in Sangotedo, Lagos, on her Facebook page. She was telling the few thousand followers on her small-business page that it tasted more sugary than other products, asking those who had tried it what they thought. … Two days later, the post had garnered more than 2,500 comments, to her surprise. That Sunday, as she was stepping out of church with her husband, she was accosted by two men and one woman in plainclothes who said they were police officers, she said. They took her to the Ogudu police station still dressed in her church attire. “They took me into one room, I sat down and they brought more than 20 pages and told me those are my charges. I had forgotten about the post, then I remembered,” the 39-year-old mother of three told Al Jazeera. “They were charging me with extortion, blackmailing and that I run a syndicate.” Okoli is just one of several Nigerians who have been arrested, detained or charged for allegedly violating the country’s cybercrime laws, which are meant to secure critical national information as well as protect citizens from cyberstalking. But rights groups say more and more, it’s being used against journalists, activists, dissidents and even ordinary people publishing reports and expressing their freedom of speech.
Nigerian star’s drowning forces Nollywood to look at safety
The last video that Nigerian actor Junior Pope made for his more than two million Instagram followers eerily foreshadowed his death. The next day the Nollywood star was dead. He drowned in the same river, after a boat he was travelling in collided with a fishing canoe. Four others, including film crew members, were also killed. The death in April of one of the biggest names in Nigeria’s renowned movie business – he had more than 100 films under his belt – sent the industry into shock. Actors have since been speaking out about Nollywood’s poor safety record and calling for change. Nollywood is the third largest film industry in the world – after Hollywood and India’s Bollywood. It produces more than 2,500 films a year: some are by large, established production houses, but there are dozens of smaller companies riding on the coat-tails of one the country’s huge success stories. After the fatal accident, the Actors Guild of Nigeria immediately responded, saying that all filming in and around rivers would be suspended indefinitely. It then called for safety standards to be implemented and observed.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
LESOTHO
Draconian snooping law resurfaces
The government has resumed its push to approve a draconian law to jail journalists found in possession of “classified” information, among other things. The law also seeks to smuggle back criminal defamation into Lesotho’s statutes despite it having been outlawed by the Constitutional Court. It will also enable the state to snoop on the communications of private citizens. The controversial Computer Crimes and Cyber Security Bill was deliberated upon by the National Assembly’s Prime Minister’s Ministries Portfolio Cluster Committee in a string of closed meetings this week. Journalists will be subjected to harsh legal measures if certain sections in the Bill are passed as they are. They will face imprisonment of up to 17 years or fines of up to M12million or both if found guilty of being in possession of “classified” information. … The Bill is seen hampering the media from doing its work. It will make it impossible for journalists to probe and expose corruption because of its sweeping and overarching descriptions of “classified information” obtained from computers.
MALAWI
VP confirmed dead in plane crash in forest
The wreck of a plane carrying Malawi’s vice-president has been found with no survivors, President Lazarus Chakwera has said. Saulos Chilima and nine others were flying within the country on Monday morning when their aircraft disappeared from airport radars. The plane, a military aircraft, was flying in bad weather. Soldiers had been searching Chikangawa Forest overnight and into the morning in an effort to find the plane. In a news briefing on Tuesday, President Chakwera said the Malawi Defence Force commander informed him that the search and rescue operation had been completed and the plane was found. Mr Chakwera said he was “deeply saddened and sorry” to inform Malawians of the terrible tragedy. He said the rescue team found the aircraft completely destroyed. Dr Chilima, 51, was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former government minister Ralph Kasambara, who died four days ago. Former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on the flight, which took off from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning. It was meant to land at the airport in the northern city of Mzuzu, but was turned back because of poor visibility. The military is transporting the remains of Dr Chiima and the other victims to Lilongwe, the president said, adding that funeral arrangements will be announced in due course. Dr Chilima, vice-president since 2014, was arrested and charged in 2022 on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts. He denied any wrongdoing. Last month, the court dropped the charges, giving no reasons for the decision.
The Malawi vice-president who was plucked from business
Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima has died at the age of 51 after a military aircraft he was flying in crashed in a forest in the north of the country. He had been vice-president for 10 years, initially under former President Peter Mutharika, who picked him from the business sector for the second most senior post in government…But four years later, Dr Chilima fell out with the president, accusing the government of not doing enough to fight corruption and protecting some people. Under Malawian law the president cannot fire the vice-president – Dr Chilima defied calls to resign despite publicly challenging the government he was in. He later formed his own political party, the United Transformation Movement (UTM), calling for radical change and reform in the country. He ran for president in 2019 as the party’s candidate and came third. Dr Chilima teamed up as the running mate of Lazarus Chakwera in the historic 2020 re-run. Mr Chakwera, who had emerged second in the discredited poll of 2019, was resoundingly elected president, and Dr Chilima became his vice-president. But the vice-president would soon himself face corruption allegations, which he had so much rallied against in the previous administration. He was arrested in 2022 on claims that he received money in return for influencing the awarding of government contracts – which he denied. But the charges were dropped last month with no reasons given – in a move that raised questions about the handling of corruption cases.
SOUTH AFRICA
Aftermath of 2024 Elections:
SAfrica’s new parliament to convene Friday as parties scramble to form coalition government
South Africa’s newly elected parliament will convene for the first time on Friday, as parties try to form a coalition government after recent elections produced no outright winner. “The first sitting of the National Assembly shall be on Friday, 14 June 2024,” wrote Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in an order released by the justice ministry Monday. Zondo, the country’s top judge, will preside over the ceremony at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where the lawmakers will take the oath of office. He will also oversee the election of the National Assembly’s speaker, who will then preside over the deputy speaker’s election. Zondo will then preside over the election of the next president. The ANC is attempting to find partners to form a coalition government, the first since the advent of democracy in South Africa. The May 29 elections came at a difficult time. South Africa’s economy, the most developed on the African continent, has been declining for the past decade, facing high levels of poverty and unemployment, as well as political corruption.
President Ramaphosa has ‘lost his grip’ on ANC
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership stands on shaky ground as calls for him to resign by some of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) members continue to mount after the party failed to win an outright majority in the 2024 General Elections. Highly placed sources within the NEC say there has been a significant shift in the balance of power away from Ramaphosa, particularly following a move to push through an ANC-DA coalition government. This follows the latest NEC meeting of the ANC last week, where the party discussed its various options to forming a new government. According to the sources, the ANC-DA coalition was defeated, with the NEC favouring a more measured Government of National Unity Government of National Unity (GNU). However, this too, is currently proving problematic due to reported attempts from within the ANC to frustrate parties like the EFF and MKP out of any discussions. political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said Ramaphosa was likely to face the fallout after the election results. He noted that if an ANC-DA coalition was pushed through, it could spell the end of Ramaphosa in the ANC. Seepe said Ramaphosa should not even be asked to step down because “he failed to deliver” but should fall on his sword. “Any leader who has any integrity will not be forced to step down from the position. The election outcomes were disastrous… Ramaphosa is obsessed with the idea of being a president,” he said.
South Africans favour an ANC-MK Coalition, survey shows
A survey conducted by Geopolitics Risk showed that the public was more receptive towards the ANC and uMkhonte weSizwe Party (MK) forming a coalition. The survey was conducted a week after the country held its national elections on May 29. At least 1,120 respondents were interviewed during the survey. The findings were subsequently posted on X (formerly Twitter). The survey comes after the ANC suffered a defeat in the 2024 elections, gaining a mere 40% support, resulting it losing its grip on total power. The loss of votes has created a lot of debate on who will the ANC form an alliance with to govern the country. According to the survey, 64.8% of the people who were called, responded positive towards the idea of ANC and MK forming a coalition, while 21.1% had a negative response, and a meagre 14.1% experienced difficulty in answering the question. Regarding the other opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the survey established that more people were against the DA and ANC forming a coalition, almost 56% people were against the idea. Regarding the EFF and ANC, only 38.9% were in support of the coalition.
Ramaphosa to miss G7, focus on finding partners to govern
President Cyril Ramaphosa will not attend this week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy, his spokesperson said on Monday, as his party rushed to find partners to govern the country. The African National Congress (ANC) is holding talks with a wide range of other parties, saying it wants to form a national unity government after losing its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in last month’s election. The ANC is under pressure to reach an agreement quickly because the new National Assembly is set to hold its first sitting on Friday. One of the national legislature’s first acts will be to elect the next president, which is still expected to be Ramaphosa as the ANC remains the biggest party. The ANC will have 159 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly. Its nearest rivals are the pro-business Democratic Alliance with 87 seats, the populist uMkhonto we Sizwe led by former president Jacob Zuma with 58 and the hard-left Economic Freedom Fighters with 39.
Cannabis use is legalized. Will the rest of Africa follow?
On the eve of the May 27 general elections, which saw the ruling African National Congress lose its majority for the first time in 30 years of South African democracy, a major change to the country’s drug laws slipped through, barely noticed by most. Just one day before the historic ballot, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the ‘Cannabis for Private Purposes Act’, making South Africa the first African nation to legalize the use of marijuana. The bill removes cannabis from the country’s list of outlawed narcotics, meaning adults are now free to grow and consume the plant (except in the presence of children). The bill also stipulates that those who broke the law by committing such deeds should have their records automatically wiped clean. However, it is unclear how this will take place or when and if any of the 3,000 people in prison for cannabis-related offences as of 2022 will be released. While a few African countries like Malawi have legitimised medical marijuana, and others such as Ghana ended penalising minor quantities for personal consumption, South Africa is the first to allow recreational use. One country closely watching the developments in South Africa is Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, a tiny landlocked kingdom surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. Cannabis, locally known as insangu, is currently banned there under a British colonial-era law, which the government is now considering revising.
ZIMBABWE
A leaked audio fingers Mnangagwa in expansive, shadowy businesses
A leaked voice note by controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo has fingered President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his expansive and shadowy dealings that include millions paid for printing and delivery of last year’s voting material. Chivayo, who has recently been seen more frequently with Mnangagwa at public functions brags, in the audio, that the whole of Zimbabwe is in his hands. He bases this argument on Mnangagwa, promising his associates in the WhatsApp group from which the audio leaked, millions if they decide to be patient and stop fighting his attempts to capture the presidency further. Those he mentions by name include fellow businessmen Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, both of whom he allegedly duped in the voting material deal last year. The leaked audio gives a sneak peek into the goings on between Chivayo and Mnangagwa as the former reveals he has unspecified deals which are raking in millions with Zimbabwe’s immigration department and the police. “I have deals with the police, immigration and many more. Keep collecting, do not be greedy just bring new work. There is no need to be greedy, or try aiming high,” brags Chivayo.
Millions given to universities during COVID went missing
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development cannot account for seed money of about US$500,000 that was allocated to state universities during COVID-19, according to a report from Zimbabwe’s acting auditor-general, submitted to the Zimbabwe Parliament. The report tabled in parliament recently showed a lack of accountability in the disbursements of funds to seven state universities. The funding was made available to state universities to make PPE to ameliorate a national shortage of the materials needed to fight the coronavirus. The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee may summon individuals for hearings and make recommendations about action that should be taken, which may include prosecution. The universities failed to account for the monies and the ministry of higher education failed to exercise its oversight role as required…The acting auditor-general said only the University of Zimbabwe and Midlands State University were preparing monthly financial statements but they were not submitting them to the ministry as required. Other universities were not preparing statements.
NORTH AFRICA
EGYPT
Sinai: a graveyard for education under Sisi
Egyptian army and security forces have destroyed dozens of schools and killed 186 students and 21 teachers during the decade-long conflict with Islamic State militants in Sinai, a report has revealed. Between 2013 and 2023, the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights (SFHR) documented 386 attacks on educational facilities and 73 school demolitions in North Sinai, most of them by Egyptian security forces. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared a “war on terror” in Sinai after he led a coup against his predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013. From 2013 to 2023 Egyptian military forces engaged in an armed conflict with the IS-affiliated group Sinai Province (SP) in North Sinai. The group was poorly armed and formed mainly of members of Sinai Bedouin tribes. The army recruited rival tribal militias to help fight the group, which was declared defeated in 2022…The report documented direct attacks on students, bombing and demolition of schools, using schools for military purposes, and the underage recruitment and arming of children. According to SFHR, attacks on students and schools were not individual cases, but rather constituted systemic violations and intimidation tactics.
MAURITANIA
Migrants turn to Mauritania as new EU transit route
Thousands of Africans continue to try to reach Europe either over the Sahara desert or via sea, facing inhumane conditions. EU wants to discourage the trend but more and more migrants are now using Mauritania as a route. Lala grew up in Senegal and Mauritania, where she has long dreamed of a better life. She had saved enough money to pay for a pirogue — a traditional fishing boat that human traffickers use for their businesses. The small fishing boat was to take her from the capital, Nouakchott, to Spain’s Canary Islands. She was looking forward to a future in the EU. … According to her, the small boats brought to the shore to take the migrants, can accommodate only 20 people on board. “Not everyone could get on because there were so many of us, more than 100 or so people. Only 80 were lucky enough to get on,” she said. … But Lala’s ordeal did not end after she managed to get on board the boat transporting them across the sea. After four days at sea, drifting without fuel, she and other migrants ended up on a beach in northern Mauritania, where authorities held them. … Lala was unable to reach Europe as she had anticipated. The crossing she attempted is one of the most dangerous migratory routes in the world. … In April this year, the EU granted €210 million ($226 million) in aid to Mauritania, nearly €60 million will be invested in the fight against illegal immigration to Europe. … many migrants, mostly from the Central Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea, are picking Nouadhibou in the northwest of Mauritania, making it a migratory crossroads and transit city. In this city of 140,0000 inhabitants, some 30,000 are migrants.
CENTRAL AFRICA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP. (CAR)
Activities of Chinese mining company is suspended
The government of the Central African Republic has suspended the activities of a Chinese mining company in the country, accusing it of cooperating with armed militias, according to a government decree. The country’s Ministry of Mines has accused Daqing SARL, a Chinese gold and diamond mining company, of “intelligence with armed groups, illegal mining, illegal introduction of foreign subjects into mining areas, non-payment of taxes and absence of activity reports”, in the decree, which was made public on Saturday. Daqing SARL operated in Mingala, a town in southern Central African Republic plagued by fighting between the country’s armed forces and the Coalition of Patriots for Change, an anti-government armed group. The country remains one of the poorest in the world despite its vast mineral wealth, notably gold and diamonds. Over the past decade, rebel groups have operated with impunity in the conflict-ridden country, preventing foreign companies from carrying out mineral exploration. Many of those operating in the country today are Chinese-run and have faced security concerns. Last month, four workers were killed at a Chinese-run gold mine in an attack the local government blamed on the Coalition of Patriots for Change. Last year, nine Chinese nationals were killed at another gold mine in the Central African Republic.
AFRICA – GENERAL NEWS
Cartels force African migrant children to work in Europe’s cocaine trade*
EU police forces have warned of industrial-scale exploitation of African children by cocaine networks operating in western Europe in cities including Paris and Brussels as they seek to expand Europe’s £10bn cocaine market. Child protection agencies warned that cocaine gangs, which are exploiting the “unlimited” supply of vulnerable African children at their disposal, are using brutal means to control their victims, including torture and rape if they fail to sell enough drugs. Concern over the level of exploitation was so great that in March, EU police forces – along with UK and UN agencies and Europol – met to discuss how to tackle the exploitation and trafficking of African children by drugs networks based in western Europe. A separate recent assessment by EU police forces investigating serious organised crime and human trafficking concluded: “Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and France presented several concrete cases of the exploitation of hundreds of north African minors, recruited by drug trafficking networks to sell narcotics.” Other sources believe the true figure could run into the thousands, with the latest police data showing 15,928 unaccompanied children arrived in Europe in 2022, many of whom subsequently went missing. A recent document by the Belgian federal police for Europol stated: “Thousands of unaccompanied foreign minors cross the EU’s borders every year, disappearing without any traceable trail. Many of them are ‘captured’ by criminal circles to exploit them, which worsens their traumas.” Police cite the Moroccan “Macro Maffia” as a prime exploiter of the children. The organisation includes several of Europe’s largest cocaine trafficking cartels, who work directly with South American producers. The group is thought to be active at Belgium port of Antwerp, the main gateway for cocaine into Europe.
Russia Is sending young Africans to die in its war against Ukraine
The Kremlin has forced thousands of migrants and foreign students to fight alongside Russian troops in its war against Ukraine, adding extra manpower for its offensive in the Kharkiv region, according to assessments from European officials. Using tactics first deployed by the Wagner mercenary group, Russian officials have with increasing frequency been threatening not to extend the visas of African students and young workers unless they agree to join the military, according to officials familiar with the matter. Moscow has also been enlisting convicts from its prisons while some Africans in Russia on work visas have been detained and forced to decide between deportation or fighting, one European official said. Some of those people had been able to bribe officials to stay in the country and still avoid military service, said the official … Those troops suffer especially high casualty rates because they are increasingly deployed in risky offensive maneuvers to protect more highly trained units, the official added. … Reuters reported last year that the mercenary group Wagner had recruited several African citizens as part of a drive to enlist convicts from Russian prisons for its forces in Ukraine. The news agency traced the story of three men from Tanzania, Zambia and the Ivory Coast. There are 35,000-37,000 African students currently in Russia, according to Yevgeny Primakov head of Rossotrudnichestvo, an organization devoted to spreading knowledge about Russia abroad.
Africa sees rise in e-commerce, digital marketplace
Online shopping is booming across Africa, with the digital marketplace estimated to grow to $75 billion by 2025. Big players like Amazon want to capitalize, but how can the continent unlock its e-commerce potential? Africans are gradually embracing the convenience of online shopping. However, this trend is still in its early stages in Africa, compared with more established markets such as Asia, Europe and the United States. Projections by the McKinsey Global Institute suggest that by 2025, e-commerce could account for 10% of all retail sales in Africa’s largest economies: Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt. But according to experts, though the e-commerce sector holds significant potential in Africa, it faces challenges related to cultural and logistical factors. These considerations are crucial when customizing products and services to align with local preferences. … Internet penetration has grown in Africa, with around 570 million internet users in 2022 — a number that more than doubled compared to 2015, according to statista. … But for e-commerce to thrive on the continent, some barriers need to be addressed. Some Nigerians who DW spoke with pointed out that credibility and efficient delivery services are crucial to customer satisfaction.
Armed conflicts hit post-WWII record in 2023
More armed conflicts took place in 2023 than in any other year since the end of World War II, a new study has found. The Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) said 59 armed conflicts – with 28 occurring in Africa – took place worldwide last year, led by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Following Africa, Asia came with 17 and the Middle East with 10. Just three conflicts were recorded in Europe and a single example in the Americas. Although the number of conflicts grew last year, the number of countries that experienced conflicts declined from 39 in 2022 to 34. The increase in the number of conflicts can partially be attributed to the spread of ISIL (ISIS) across Asia and the Middle East and the involvement in general of a growing number of non-state actors. That has made the work of NGOs only more difficult, the report said. According to data collected by Sweden’s Uppsala University from nongovernmental and international organisations, the number of deaths in combat halved last year to 122,000. But the number still remained the third highest since 1989, and overall, the past three years saw more conflict-related deaths than any time in the past three decades.
Fiber-optic leap bridges African digital divide
Though tech giants have invested heavily in high-performance digital infrastructure — more cell towers, faster networks — Africans across the continent still grapple with sluggish internet speeds and expensive data. Tech companies such as Google and Facebook parent Meta are investing in new data highways and speeds for Africa. The first Google Cloud data center on the African continent has been up and running since January in Johannesburg, South Africa. “The big US tech giants have recognized the existing connectivity gaps and the need for additional investment associated with this as a major business opportunity,” Tevin Tafese, data scientist at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies, told DW. “Prominent examples are Google and Meta, whose major cable projects are aimed at reducing the cost of accessing their own service in a largely untapped African market,” said Tafese. Google had committed $1 billion in 2022 to driving Africa’s digital transformation, including undersea cables for faster internet connections. One of the projects is called Umoja — named after the Swahili word for unity — and aims to be the first ever fiber-optic cable connecting Africa directly to Australia. Anchored in Kenya, the fiber-optic cable will run through Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, from where it will continue along the Indian Ocean bed to Australia.
Why voters fall out of love with liberation movements
Africa’s oldest liberation movement is in trouble and may be going the way of similar groups across the continent. The African National Congress (ANC) – founded in South Africa more than a century ago – has lost its majority in parliament for the first time in 30 years, although it remains by far the country’s most popular party. No longer, it seems, were large numbers of voters reflexively willing to give the party…This mirrors the decline of other parties that battled colonial rule and made it to power, which have subsequently fallen prey to corruption, cronyism and a disgruntled population hungry for change. Some of those liberation movements which remain in power in southern Africa are accused of only doing so by stealing elections…the legacy of liberation is deeply embedded in the region’s culture, with stories of struggle shared across family dinner tables and national media continually reminding citizens of their hard-won freedom. Liberation songs and war cries are sung in high schools, even at sports matches. For citizens to move away from the liberation party is a big psychological wrench. But over time it does happen. Liberation movements in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe remain in power but have all experienced a decline in support and vote share in general elections.
World Cup Qualifiers
Senegal & DR Congo pick up wins
Senegal moved to the top of their group in African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after Habib Diallo’s header gave the Teranga Lions a 1-0 win in Mauritania. The striker got in front of his marker on the edge of the six-yard box to meet an in swinging cross from Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr in the 27th minute in Nouakchott. There was a lengthy delay in completing the match after frustrated home fans threw objects on to the pitch in the second half and proceedings were halted. DR Congo are a point behind Senegal in the Group B table after the Leopards registered a 1-0 home win against Togo, with Brentford forward Yoane Wissa superbly setting up Meschack Elia’s early goal. Meanwhile, Tunisia’s perfect start came to an end with a goalless draw away against Namibia, but the Carthage Eagles remain top of Group H on 10 points. All nine group winners at the end of the 10-match campaign are guaranteed a place at the 2026 finals, while another African side could book a spot in the United States, Mexico and Canada via an intercontinental tournament.
Nigeria suffer setback while Ghana’s Ayew hits hat-trick
Nigeria’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign suffered another setback as they lost to Benin, while Jordan Ayew marked his 100th cap with a hat-trick to inspire a 4-3 Ghana victory over Central African Republic. The Super Eagles have just three points from four matches in Group C after Benin came from behind to win 2-1, with coach Gernot Rohr inflicting defeat on his former employers. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah salvaged a 1-1 draw for Egypt against Guinea-Bissau to ensure the Pharaohs remain unbeaten at the summit of Group A, and Algeria also avoided a potential shock by recovering from a goal down to beat Uganda 2-1 in Kampala. The nine group winners at the end of the 10-game campaign will all seal spots at the expanded 2026 World Cup, while a 10th African side could reach the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada via an intercontinental tournament. The fourth round of matches culminates on Tuesday, after which the qualifiers will resume again in March 2025.
PODCAST OF THE DAY
The untold legacy of Winston Churchill and the British Empire
Despite women’s significant contributions to South Africa’s development, the political elite has sidelined them in key decision-making positions, like the presidency. This exclusion has had a profound impact on ordinary South Africans, who are left without the experiences that women could bring to the table. Women now want to play a vital role in the management of state affairs,
AFRICA – ANALYSIS, EDITORIAL/OPINION
Africa will be the pivotal continent in the world, given its economic prospects”—African Development Bank Group President
UN funds for AU peace operations: Somalia as a test case
International students are under attack: What can we do?
Red Sea attacks are rooted in western colonialism and piracy
Stabilization and the central Sahel
This policy brief calls for a stronger reflection on what decades of largely failing Sahelian policy can tell us about how to engage with Coastal West Africa.
Displaced by violent conflict: the world’s most neglected crises are in Africa – six essential reads
EU migration policy is getting tougher: the 3 new tactics used to keep African migrants out
Cholera can kill you within hours if left untreated: how to recognise the symptoms and protect yourself
DRCongo
UN experts have their own agenda and it has nothing to do with peace
East African leaders can either act in defense of the region’s collective security or cowardly acquiesce to the U.S.’s manipulation of UN reports and bear the brunt of the wider war that seems likely to come
Can presidentialism save Tshisekedi from the ‘lame duck’ syndrome?
By giving loyalists and technocrats ministerial posts, Tshisekedi hopes to insulate them from politics and ensure a fluid government.
Kenya
It’s disheartening to see Kenya, the regional leader, acting so helpless
Morocco
Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat
Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet
Mozambique
How did Mozambique find itself in the current security crisis?
A great deal had changed since independence, and some of the changes had degraded Mozambique’s ability, even willingness, to build and maintain an effective military.
South Africa
How can South Africa form a unity government from wildly different visions?
‘GNU is a ruse to subvert the Constitution, handing of power to a neo-colonial mob’
South Africa’s unity government: 5 parties that need to find common ground
The Africa Edition ©️ 
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