News That Matters To Africa©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance.”
HIGHLIGHTS
Kenya’s Deputy President warns President against betrayal
Biya directs response to Cameroon’s floods, from abroad
UN Security Council ‘no longer fit’ says SAfrica
Europe to be probed over migrant abuse in Tunisia
79th Session of UN Gen. Assembly this week.
TOP NEWS
Eastern Africa
Peacekeepers won’t leave DRC in Dec, says UN official
Codeco militia adds to Congo’s peace bid woes
Congo frees 600 inmates at main prison in a bid to ease overcrowding
Congo govt.’s first 100 days see many goals, few results
Kenya’s Deputy President warns President against politics of betrayal
Kenya to send 600 more police officers to Haiti
Ruto praises Kenyan police force on visit to Haiti
Kenya’s Ruto open to converting Haiti mission to U.N. peacekeeping operation
Kenyan court rules Meta can be sued over layoffs by contractor
Missing Kenyan anti-government protesters resurface as police chief appears in court
Video: Kitengela brothers speak out after release, recount 30 days of torture
Editorial: Police chief’s contempt case put governance of Kenya on trial
Africa’s first vaccination campaign against Mpox starts in Rwanda
Somalia alleges ‘unauthorized’ arms transfer from Ethiopia to Puntland
Somalia bickers with federal states over deal with Egypt
Egypt urges citizens to leave Somaliland amid tension
Sponsors decry South Sudan term extension
We won’t back down, US envoy tells President Samia on Tanzania abductions
OpEd: Security, you say? Not even Savak could save Mohammad Pahlavi
Museveni’s son drops 2026 presidential bid
At 80, Museveni set for ‘second coming’ with political cards close to chest
West Africa
Cameroon’s Biya directs response to floods, from abroad
Lack of birth certificates puts Cameroon’s Indigenous people on the brink of statelessness
Sigh of relief for Ghana’s (not-so) new gender equality law
Residents ransack Guinea chimpanzee centre after animal kills infant
Explainer: More than 70 killed in Mali attack – What happened, why it matters
Could AI save Nigerians from devastating floods?
Attacks by Islamic extremists are rampant in Africa’s Sahel.
Southern Africa
UN Security Council ‘no longer fit’: SAfr president
Businessman extradited from UK to South Africa on corruption charges
Zimbabwe Raises Age of Consent to 18, Strengthening Child Protection Laws
North Africa
Libya thwarts smuggling attempt of 100 kg of gold
Spain’s Ceuta stretched by Moroccans eager to reach Europe
Tunisians resume protests against president ahead of Oct. 6 election
Europe has questions to answer over migrant abuse in Tunisia, say MEPs and activists
AFRICA-GENERAL NEWS
THE WEEK AHEAD
EASTERN AFRICA
DR CONGO
Peacekeepers won’t leave DRC in Dec, says UN official
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Monusco, will not exit the country by December 2024. UN Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who visited the Congo this weekend, said that December 31, 2024, which was supposed to be the date for the total withdrawal of Monusco troops, has never formally been agreed on by all the parties. “I dispel this rumour, especially as it has never been confirmed by the authorities, ourselves or the Security Council. We are currently in a consultation phase, and the humanitarian situation remains very worrying. We have met with members of civil society, who have all asked us to stay in Ituri in particular,” Mr Lacroix said in Kinshasa. Congolese authorities have recently asked Monusco to reconsider its withdrawal plan, even as the mission had already begun its disengagement, particularly in South Kivu, where it withdrew completely and handed over to the Congolese army. In 2023, bloody protests broke out in North and South Kivu with the residents demanding the departure of this mission, which has been present in the DRC since 1999. But in July 2023, Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs Thérèse Kayikwamba informed the UN of the need to “delay the withdrawal process” of Monusco due to the escalation of violence in North Kivu. Today, a ceasefire has given way to relative peace in the region, with sporadic clashes between the rebel M23 and Wazalendo, young people who support the Congolese army. But the “security vacuum” feared by the Congolese authorities is now manifesting in Ituri, where Codeco and other armed groups are wreaking havoc and killing civilians. According to Gracien Iracan, MP for Ituri province, “60 per cent of the province is in the hands of armed groups and beyond the control of the Congolese army.” Monusco has pledged to reinforce its positions in Ituri and continue supporting the Southern African Development Community mission in the DRC.
Codeco militia adds to Congo’s peace bid woes
In north-eastern Ituri province, CODECO militiamen killed 10 people, including nine minors. That was on Monday September 17. But this was neither new violence nor unexpected. In Djugu, a territory in Ituri Province, at least 32 civilians have been killed in the space of a week with everyone pointing a finger at the CODECO and Zaïre militias. These have been two deadly militias in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it is Codeco, more than the Zaïre group, that is more associated with atrocities including the beheading of civilians. Its origin wasn’t always violent. In fact, its bloody crimes were only a recent addition to its spots. It originally started as an agricultural development cooperative, way back in the 1970s. So frequent have been their raids that Congolese authorities sometimes look helpless. Critics, however, say, the government must do more. Behind the murderous activities of the Codeco militias is the race for gold. They battle for control of the mining areas in Ituri, pitying Codeco and Zaïre. Sometimes the Codeco militiamen clash with the rival Zaïre group, and sometimes there is a community conflict between the two groups: The Lendu, which the Codeco group claims to defend, against another, the Hema, which the Zaïre group claims to protect.
Congo frees 600 inmates at main prison in a bid to ease overcrowding
Authorities in Congo said they released 600 prisoners in the country’s main prison on Saturday as part of a process aimed at decongesting overcrowded prisons. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba announced the move during a ceremony at Makala Central Prison in Congo’s capital, Kinshasha. There are plans for construction of a new prison in Kinshasa, he said, without giving more details. Makala prison, Congo’s largest penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds more than 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report. Earlier this month, an attempted jailbreak in the prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot by guards and soldiers and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, according to authorities. Emmanuel Adu Cole, a prominent prison rights activist in Congo and president of the local Bill Clinton Peace Foundation, put the death toll at more than 200…authorities failed to act despite warnings, said Cole, whose foundation has visited the prison in the past. Mutamba, the justice minister, said that around 10 minors were freed on Saturday, while he ordered prison authorities to examine the cases of all minors to organize more releases. There are around 300 minors at Makala prison, according to the prison’s deputy director.
Congo govt.’s first 100 days see many goals, few results
One hundred days ago, the first female-led government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took office. Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka’s team consists of 54 members, including 18 women. The basis of the new government’s work is a program based on six pillars: national economy, security, spatial planning, social well-being, responsible ecosystem management and helping the population to develop and strengthen necessary skills, processes and resources…Suminwa Tuluka has announced an extremely ambitious investment program, estimating the scope at almost $93 billion (€83 billion) over the next five years. On September 16, Suminwa Tuluka introduced three bills in the National Assembly: for the Budget Act 2025, for the Accounts Act 2024 and for the Amending Budget Act 2024. As expected, the government has found words of praise for its program, but observers have been less enthusiastic. That includes — also as expected — the opposition, with Moise Katumbi’s Together for the Republic party saying Congolese authorities are primarily dividing up resources among themselves and leaving the population to live in misery. “This government has shone with words and promises,” said Jonas Tshiombela, national coordinator of the New Congolese Civil Society, a platform of civil society organizations, adding that the people in charge had so far done little more than speak in front of cameras and travel. “The only record we have from this government is speeches and this kind of helplessness in the face of diplomatic questions about the war in the east. There is nothing consistent to record that has been done for the benefit of the people,” he said.
KENYA
Video: Deputy President warns President Ruto against politics of betrayal
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a warning to President William Ruto, urging him to avoid reviving the politics of betrayal that have historically sparked acrimony in the country. Speaking at a church service in Thika Town, Gachagua voiced concerns about a purported plot to oust him from office, asserting that any form of betrayal would not sit well with the people of the Mt. Kenya region. Accompanied by his political allies, including ousted UDA Party Secretary General Cleophas Malala, Gachagua cautioned against a repeat of the betrayal that defined the 2022 elections.
Kenya’s Haiti Mission:
Kenya to send 600 more police officers to Haiti
Kenya has pledged to send 600 more police officers to Haiti in the coming weeks to help fight gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and nearby areas. This would bring the Kenyan contingent, deployed incrementally since June to help the Caribbean nation’s beleaguered police force, up to 1,000. During a visit to the country, Kenya’s President William Ruto also said he supported turning the current Kenya-led security mission into a full United Nations peacekeeping operation. A handful of other countries have together pledged at least 1,900 more troops. Violence in Haiti is still rife and a UN human rights expert has warned that gangs are targeting new areas, causing further displacement. The UN Security Council is due to meet by the end of the month to decide whether to renew Kenya’s current mandate for another 12 months, paving the way for a full UN mission in 2025. This would lead to increased funding and resources for the operation, which has been hampered by a lack of equipment.
Ruto praises Kenyan police force on visit to Haiti
Kenya’s President William Ruto arrived in Haiti on Saturday, claiming that because of a Kenyan police force battling gangs “the country’s security has significantly improved.” Ruto’s claim was contradicted by a United Nations security expert, who just days earlier warned that violence in the country was worsening as gangs expand their control over the Caribbean nation. Ruto headed to a Kenyan base at the airport where he met with police tasked with battling the gangs and a number of high-ranking Haitian and Canadian officials. He claimed that Kenyan forces have boosted security infrastructure and allowed displaced Haitians to return home after fleeing violence, though many Haitians say violence is just as bad, if not worse, than it was when the police were deployed in June. Kenya was the first nation to send forces as part of a larger effort by the U.N. to offer international support to Haiti, which has spiraled into conflict and political turmoil since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. About 400 Kenyan police are in Haiti. Earlier this month, about two dozen police and soldiers from Jamaica arrived in the country. But the United States and other countries have said that the forces aren’t enough and lack resources to take on gangs, which control about 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Ruto open to converting Haiti mission to U.N. peacekeeping operation
Kenyan President William Ruto, on a visit to Haiti, said on Saturday that he was open to Kenya’s anti-gang mission in the country being converted to a full U.N. peacekeeping operation. Ruto visited Haiti to assess the progress of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, where Kenya is playing a leading role to curb rampant gang violence that has ushered years or political chaos and mass displacement. The mandate of the MSS mission – first approved by the United Nations Security Council for 12 months – is set to expire at the start of October. Earlier this month it was reported that the Council has began considering a draft resolution to extend the MSS mandate and ask the U.N. to plan for it to become a formal peacekeeping mission…The 15-member council is due to vote on Sept. 30 on the mandate renewal. Kenya sent about 400 police officers to Port-au-Prince in June and July from an expected total of 1,000. A handful of other countries have together pledged at least 1,900 more troops. However, the efficacy of the MSS mission has been criticized amid delays in deployments of manpower and vital equipment needed to fight powerful gangs. On Friday, he United Nations’ expert on human rights in Haiti said that the situation has worsened, with now about 700,000 people internally displaced.
Court rules Meta can be sued over layoffs by contractor
A Kenyan court ruled on Friday that Facebook’s parent company Meta could be sued in the East African nation over the dismissal of dozens of content moderators by a contractor. Last year, the content moderators sued Meta and two local contractors, saying they lost their jobs with Sama, a Kenya-based firm contracted to moderate Facebook content, for organising a union. They said they were then blacklisted from applying for the same roles at another firm, Majorel, after Facebook changed contractors. Out-of-court settlement talks collapsed in October last year. Friday’s decision by the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling by a Kenyan labour court in April 2023 that Meta could face trial over the moderators’ dismissals, which Meta appealed. It also upheld a separate ruling in February 2023 that Meta could be sued in Kenya over alleged poor working conditions, which Meta also appealed. “The upshot of our above findings is that the appellants’ (Meta’s) appeals … are devoid of merit and both appeals are hereby dismissed with costs to the respondents,” the three judges at the Court of Appeal said in their ruling on Friday.
Missing Kenyan anti-government protesters resurface as police chief appears in court
Three Kenyans who were abducted last month after taking part in an anti-government protest have resurfaced, amid anger directed at a police chief who belatedly honoured a court summons in relation to the disappearances shortly after they were found. Bob Njagi, and brothers Aslam and Jamil Longton were found in Kiambu county, north of Nairobi, Faith Odhiambo, the president of the Law Society of Kenya, said in the early hours of Friday. She then wrote about Njagi: “At around 1am Bob Njagi managed find his way to Tigoni police station and for assistance. He is alive and well”. Social media images show the brothers appearing distressed after their release. The three went missing on 19 August after being taken away by people alleged to be police. The brothers were abducted in the afternoon after they left their house, while Njagi was ejected from a bus by masked men that night and put into another vehicle. Their disappearances followed deadly anti-government protests that lasted nearly two months and in which dozens went missing. The Law Society of Kenya filed a case against the government and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations relating to the disappearance of the three men. The matter caught national attention after the acting inspector general of police, Gilbert Masengeli, snubbed court summons to answer questions about their whereabouts. Last Friday, after Masengeli had failed to honour the summons seven times, a judge ordered him to serve six months in prison for contempt of court, suspending the sentence for seven days to give him another chance to appear before the court. On Friday Masengeli made a last-minute appearance and apologised for his absence, thus avoiding the conviction. “We believe [the men’s release] was intended to provide immediate grounds for [Masengeli] to challenge his conviction,” Cornelius Oduor of the Kenya Human Rights Commission told Agence France-Presse. Although the contempt charge against Masengeli was dropped, the case into the men’s disappearance is to continue. The case once again turned the spotlight on widespread abductions and enforced disappearances in Kenya, and the general lack of accountability by authorities.
Video: Kitengela brothers speak out after release, recount 30 days of torture
The family of Jamil and Aslam Longtone, the Kitengela brothers who were abducted by individuals believed to be police officers, has spoken out for the first time since their release. Abdi Razak, the brothers’ sibling, recounted the traumatic experience they endured during their 30 days in captivity. Speaking about the ordeal, Razak revealed that Jamil and Aslam, along with activist Bob Njagi, were subjected to intense torture and severe starvation.
Editorial: Police chief’s contempt case put governance of Kenya on trial
RWANDA
Africa’s first vaccination campaign against Mpox starts in Rwanda
Rwanda has started a vaccination campaign against mpox with 1,000 doses of the vaccine it obtained from Nigeria under an agreement between the two countries, the African health agency said Thursday. The vaccinations started Tuesday targeting seven districts with “high risk populations” who neighbor Congo, Dr. Nicaise Ndembi from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. Nigeria donated the 1,000 doses to Rwanda from an allotment of 10,000 it had received from the United States. Rwanda and other countries are now requesting more doses than they originally indicated that they needed, Kaseya said. African experts have estimated the continent might need about 10 million vaccines to stop the ongoing outbreaks. The Japanese government has signed an agreement with the government in Congo to provide 3 million doses of the mpox vaccine. The World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday urged more countries to contribute to the response…WHO said Friday it had granted its first authorization for use of a vaccine against mpox in adults, calling it an important step toward fighting the disease in Africa. The approval of the vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic A/S means that donors like vaccines alliance Gavi and UNICEF can buy it. But supplies are limited because there’s only a single manufacturer.
SOMALIA
Somalia alleges ‘unauthorized’ arms transfer from Ethiopia to Puntland
The Government of Somalia has raised concerns over what it describes as an “unauthorized shipment of arms and ammunition” allegedly transported through Ethiopia to Somalia’s Puntland region. In a press release dated 20 September 2024, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that “documented evidence” confirms two lorries transported weapons from Ethiopia to Puntland “without any diplomatic engagement or clearance.” Somalia’s foreign ministry characterized this incident as a “grave infringement on Somalia’s sovereignty” with “serious implications for national and regional security.” The Government of Somalia suggests that this is not an isolated incident, referencing previous reports of “weapons being transported similarly to the Galmudug region and another cache flown into Baidoa via aircraft.” These incidents, the government claims, indicate what it terms “an ongoing disregard for Somalia’s sovereignty.”
Ethiopia has not responded to the latest accusations. These accusations come amid strained relations between Somalia and Ethiopia, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in January between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland. Turkey has hosted two rounds of meetings between the East African neighbors, but no results have been achieved thus far.
Mogadishu bickers with federal states over deal with Egypt
Somalia’s move to invite Egyptian troops on its soil is playing out in differences between Mogadishu and its federal states, in what could derail the country’s focus on security needs. On Wednesday, hundreds of people in Waajid, the second major town in Bakol region in South West State (SWS) of Somalia protested along the streets, carrying placards with such slogans as ‘doonimayno Masar’ (we don’t want Egypt) and ‘soo dhowoow Itoobiya’ (welcome Ethiopia). The protests derailed transportation between Baidoa, the South West capital and Mogadishu as authorities sought to calm the unusual protests. As a result, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre flew to Baidoa in the company of top aides including the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Abdullahi Mohamed Ali alias Sanbaloolshe. They went to convince the SWS leader Abdiaziz Laftagareen that the federal government has plans to deploy enough forces to guarantee the security of his State in the event that Ethiopia is replaced. 5000 Egyptian troops are tentatively schduled to take part in the new AUSSOM plus an additional 5,000 arriving via a bilateral agreement. But the South West isn’t the only one expressing opposition to Mogadisghu’s policies. Puntland state had earlier ‘suspended’ cooperation after a fall-out over political reform. And Somaliland, which claimed secession but remains unrecognised, earlier angered Mogadishu after signing a controversial MoU with Ethiopia for Addis Ababa to build a naval base. Those three events now seem to be playing out in Somalia. For the South West, the deal with Egypt became unpopular because its regions have relied on Ethiopian forces for security. Of the three regions, including Bay and Lower Shabelle, of which SWS is composed; Bakol is the one bordering Ethiopia, and its people share security, trade and other cross-border issues.
SOMALILAND/EGYPT
Egypt urges citizens to leave Somaliland amid tension
Egypt called on its nationals Sunday to leave Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as soon as possible. “We urge all Egyptian nationals not to travel to the Somaliland region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, given the impact of the unstable security situation on their safety,” the Egyptian Embassy to Somalia said in a statement. The embassy urged Egyptians in the region to leave via Hargeisa airport, emphasising that the current security situation restricts its ability to provide consular assistance to Egyptians there. It also called on Egyptians planning to visit any regions of the Federal Republic of Somalia “to fully comply with the regulations set by the relevant Somali authorities.” In August, the Egyptian presidency announced the signing of a military cooperation protocol with Somalia, emphasising support for its sovereignty and rejecting any interference in its internal affairs. Somali media also reported the arrival of Egyptian troops as part of international peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu, without Egyptian confirmation, raising concerns in Ethiopia.
SOUTH SUDAN
Juba in dilemma as Sponsors decry term extension
South Sudan’s transitional government may face a legitimacy question as it starts an extended term of government, the result of failed plans to organise elections initially meant for December this year. The reality check emerged this week as Juba’s development partners, who had offered guarantees to the 2018 peace deal that created the coalition arrangement, indicated they do not support an extension. The gist of their argument is that South Sudan had already extended its term of government twice in the past, but still failed to meet the obligations that would have ensured elections. In a joint statement, the African Union Mission in South Sudan (Aumiss), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) said the extension is a failure by the government of national unity to meet critical benchmarks. “Regrettably, none of these extensions, since the R-ARCSS was signed on 12 September 2018, have helped achieve their objectives. It is imperative for South Sudan’s leaders to put the interests of the nation and its people first,” they said, referring to the 2018 peace deal mediated by Igad. These benchmarks included the unification of armed forces and reforms in the security sector. Due to the trust deficit, only 53,000 of the 83,000 required by the 2018 peace agreement have been trained and integrated. But even those who have been absorbed in the army lack weapons and often go without salaries for months. There are also the provisions that the country can only go to the elections after enacting a permanent constitution—which experts say could take three years, at least. The other prerequisite is the national census, which is supposed to determine the exact population of South Sudan and also allow the delineation of constituency boundaries. Then there is the issue of the registration of political parties, and the return of more than 2.5 million refugees in the neighbouring countries and the resettlement of the 1.5 million internally displaced people. South Sudan requires $228 million for elections, of which it can only afford 15 percent, for now. Yet the donors are insisting that Juba must fully implement the 2018 agreement—key among them the security sector reforms.
TANZANIA
We won’t back down, US envoy tells President Samia on Tanzania abductions
The United States Ambassador to Tanzania, Michael Battle, said on Thursday that his country had no intention of retreating from its push for strict adherence to democratic rights and principles as a key aspect of its partnership with Dodoma. This came after President Samia Suluhu Hassan earlier this week pointedly criticised the US Embassy for leading Western diplomats in Tanzania in condemning a wave of mysterious abductions and killings that has swept the country in the run-up to local elections in November…But, addressing a democracy conference in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, Mr Battle asserted that…”As long as we remain Tanzania’s partner, we will always speak openly and honestly on these principles. We will not back away or hold back. It is an obligation fundamental and paramount to human dignity and human respect…” In its strongly worded statement on September 9, the embassy described the incident and other recent disappearances, detentions and beatings involving political and human rights activists in Tanzania as “efforts to disenfranchise citizens ahead of (the) elections,” and called for an “independent, transparent, and prompt investigation.” The European Union, the British and Canadian High Commissions, and Norway and Switzerland embassies followed up with a joint statement on September 10, calling for a “thorough inquiry.” President Samia responded on September 17 in a televised speech insisting that such interventions by the diplomatic corps were not welcome and that no “outsiders” should claim to be more pained by the events than Tanzanians themselves. She also questioned whether the statements had been sanctioned by the heads of State of those countries, stating: “I have my own ways of checking with my fellow presidents and will lodge formal complaints with them once I confirm that they, indeed, were.”
OpEd: Security, you say? Not even Savak could save Mohammad Pahlavi
UGANDA
Muhoozi drops 2026 presidential bid
The internet was again left buzzing Saturday after President Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba who has been mobilizing support ahead of 2026 presidential elections announced that he would not contest for the country’s top office currently occupied by his father for nearly four decades. “I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026. Almighty God told me to focus on His Army first. So, I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections,” Gen Muhoozi who serves as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a position he has held since March 21, 2024, when he was appointed by his father, posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle in the wee hours of Saturday morning. For about two years, the Gen Muhoozi and his supporters have traversed the country, celebrating birthday parties and other events in which they announced he (Muhoozi) as their preferred candidate for the 2026 presidential elections, whose date the electoral commission has just set to about January 12, 2026. And in March 2024, when Gen Kainerugaba was appointed the Chief of Defence Forces, the highest office in Uganda’s military, supporters thought he had been rewarded with more powers and influence while political pundits said the standby generator as his supporters preferred to call him, had been switched off. Last month, he fired at his brother-in-law, Mr Odrek Rwabwogo, a presidential advisor on exports, who sources indicate is harbouring presidential ambitions and enjoys the support of some members of Museveni’s family. He accused his father of hobnobbing with Rwabwogo, yet he has kept his supporter Mr Michael Mawanda in jail. However, without divulging details, President Museveni asked his party National Resistance Movement members to avoid “unprincipled conflicts” and focus on the party’s principles…
At 80, Museveni set for ‘second coming’ with political cards close to chest
Yoweri Museveni’s date of birth was always a subject of debate due to a lack of records. Then his family landed on September 15 as the month he was brought to this earth some 80 years ago. Now an octogenarian, he plays fit-as-fiddle, sometimes appearing in short videos doing press-ups. And this week, he told supporters he would “resurrect again” like the biblical Jesus. Only that his is a political resurrection—in Uganda. Some concluded that he was referring to running again in the 2026 presidential election. But the old man has not said it in plain language. Ruling NRM party spokesperson Emmanuel Dombo said that there was no official declaration, yet. He said, however, that the ruling party’s central executive committee (the top organ of the National Resistance Movement) had passed a resolution in 2020 declaring Museveni the sole presidential flagbearer for the party for 2021 and beyond. Last weekend, the Ugandan leader, with his daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, celebrated his birthday in Nakaseke district, central Uganda, which also acted as the epicentre of the war that catapulted him to power 38 years ago. This region has remained largely undeveloped despite several interventions by the government. Museveni’s longevity goes beyond Uganda. He is the only survivor of the 3Ms —leaders of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania who helped revive the East African Community that had collapsed in the 1970s, some 25 years ago this year. His colleagues, Daniel Arap Moi (Kenya) and Benjamin Mkapa (Tanzania) celebrated their 80th birthday in retirement. They have since died.
WEST AFRICA
CAMEROON
Biya directs response to floods, from abroad
Cameroon is battling devastating floods as the country’s President Paul Biya, still broad on a trip he began two weeks ago, tasked officials to address the dire humanitarian crisis. Some 20 people have died and 236,000 others displaced in the Far North region, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They are among 2.30 million people in West and Central Africa so far affected severe flooding in 2024. The peak of the floods was recorded on August 28 with the breaking of water retention dikes in Mayo Danay, causing the town of Yagoua and other villages to be flooded, OCHA said on Friday. Cameroon’s floods aren’t the only source of crisis…The English speaking regions of South West and North West in Cameroon have seen school disrupted for fear of being attacked as armed separatists have imposed a lockdown and are reinforcing tactics to prevent children from schooling…Cameroon’s President Paul Biya is still away after he first left the country Beijing on September 8 for the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. Biya routinely travels to Europe for “brief private stays” and sometimes detours from foreign trips. He has been absent before from national crises although his officials often argue they are delegated to deal with the issues while he is away.
Lack of birth certificates puts Cameroon’s Indigenous people on the brink of statelessness
The Baka and fellow Indigenous Bagyieli have lived in harmony with the forests of central Africa for generations. But mining and logging activities are encroaching, along with conservation areas, and government policy aims to integrate the ethnic groups into mainstream society. Francis, has aspirations. “I want to become a nurse,” he declared. “I want to be able to treat my grandmother when she is sick.” But for many Baka children, such dreams go unfulfilled. Their lack of birth certificates poses a significant barrier — part of a wider global problem. They never saw the need for birth certificates when they barely interacted with the world beyond the forest. Even now, they live far from administrative centers and can rarely afford the transport to reach them. “Without a birth certificate, he is stuck with me here in the village,” said Francis’ 61-year-old father, Bertrand Akomi. He himself was denied employment by a lumber company because he didn’t have a birth certificate. The document remains elusive for the more than 120,000 members of Cameroon’s Baka and Bagyieli communities. Without birth certificates, they cannot obtain national identity documents and are excluded from the full benefits of citizenship…There is hope for change. Earlier this summer, the Cameroon parliament passed a bill allowing the country to accede to two United Nations conventions relating to the recognition of stateless people. Cameroon’s actions are part of a commitment by African nations earlier this year to address the right to nationality and eradicate statelessness on the continent of more than 1.3 billion people.
GHANA
Sigh of relief for Ghana’s (not-so) new gender equality law
Women’s rights advocates are demanding the immediate implementation of a nearly 30-year-old gender equity bill which Ghana’s president signed into law on Thursday. This ends a process which began in 1998, with the bill shuffling between parliaments until the legislature passed it in July this year. Many campaigners faulted Ghana’s law-making body for the long delay. Ghana now joins Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Mozambique and others in Africa that have working affirmative action laws. These countries have a 30% quota for women in decision-making bodies, in parliament and other state agencies. Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act 2024 is expected to ensure a critical number of women hold key positions in government, security, commerce and other decision-making spaces. The law promotes the progressive and active participation of women in public life from a minimum of 30% to 50% by 2030, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of achieving gender equality by 2030. The country’s trade unions are mandated by this law to ensure gender balanced representation on their executive boards, while private industries which enforce provisions of this law to employ women would benefit from tax incentives. After the law passed in July, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin said he hoped lawmakers would commit to the reforms and “do more to create a free and just society to liberate more women to support us develop mother Ghana”.
GUINEA
Residents ransack Guinea chimpanzee centre after animal kills infant
People living near a chimpanzee research centre in Guinea attacked the facility on Friday after a woman said one of the animals had killed her infant, the centre’s managers said. An angry crowd ransacked the building, destroying and setting fire to equipment including drones, computers and over 200 documents, the centre’s managers said. Eyewitnesses said the crowd was reacting to the news that the mutilated body of an infant had been found 3 km (1.9 miles) from the Nimba Mountains Nature Reserve, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The child’s mother, Seny Zogba, reported that she was working in a cassava field when a chimpanzee came up from behind, bit her and pulled her baby into the forest. Local ecologist Alidjiou Sylla said the dwindling supply of food in the reserve was pushing the animals to leave the protected area more frequently, increasingly the likelihood of attacks. The research centre said it had recorded six chimpanzee attacks on humans within the reserve since the start of the year. The forests of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa are home to the largest population of the critically endangered western chimpanzee, estimated to have declined by 80% between 1990 and 2014, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are just seven left in Guinea’s Bossou forest, which forms part of the Nimba Mountains Nature Reserve, and is close to subsistence farming communities of the Nzerekore Region. Chimpanzees are respected in Guinea and traditionally given gifts in the form of food, prompting some to venture out of the protected area and into human settlements, where they can sometimes attack. The Nimba Mountains are also home to one of Guinea’s largest iron ore reserves, which has raised concern among environmentalists about the impact of mining on chimpanzees.
Guinea’s most wanted fugitive extradited from Liberia
Guinea’s most wanted fugitive, a former senior military officer convicted of crimes against humanity over a 2009 stadium massacre, has been extradited from neighboring Liberia, officials said Thursday. Former Col. Claude Pivi had been on the run following a high-profile prison escape in November, before he was arrested in Liberia on Tuesday, Yaya Kairaba Kaba, Guinea’s minister of justice, told reporters. Pivi was a henchmen of former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara, who ruled the West African country from 2008 to 2010. He had been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity over his involvement in the stadium massacre. At least 157 people were killed and dozens of women raped in that massacre in 2009. The then-military leader had staged a coup the previous year and on Sept. 28, 2009, demonstrators at the stadium were protesting Camara’s plans to run for president when soldiers opened fire on them. The junta at the time said “uncontrolled” elements of the army had carried out the rapes and killings. But Camara’s top aides were at the stadium and did nothing to stop the massacre, a Human Rights Watch report said. Many of the victims in the stadium were shot, crushed or knifed to death while some of the women were dragged out from hiding and gang-raped by uniformed men over several days, witnesses have said.
MALI
EXPLAINER: More than 70 killed in Mali attack – What happened, why it matters
An estimated 77 people have been killed in an attack on Mali’s capital, Bamako, according to the AFP news agency. About 200 others were injured in the attack, which took place on Tuesday and caused hospitals to be overwhelmed with wounded patients, a diplomat who asked to remain anonymous told the news agency. It’s unclear how the victims were wounded; however, residents reported gunshots and explosions. There was also smoke from apparent fires coming from buildings. Malian authorities closed Modibo Keita International Airport after the attack. Mali’s military government downplayed the incident with officials stating the situation was “under control” and the attack had been repelled. Officials later admitted the military had suffered casualties. State TV station ORTM showed images of about 20 suspects believed to have been involved in the attack wearing blindfolds and with their hands tied. It was reported they had been captured by the military. “The sweep continues,” army Chief of General Staff Oumar Diarra said.
NIGER
Floods force Niger to delay new school year
Schools in Niger will start the new academic year almost a month late because of heavy rainfall and flooding, says the military government. “Several schools have been affected, and others are being occupied by those impacted,” a government spokesperson said on the state-run broadcaster. Authorities have pushed the start date from 2 to 28 October. Over the last few weeks, the West African country has been battered by relentless downpours, resulting in over 300 deaths either due to drowning or buildings collapsing, according to the interior ministry. In the central-southern city of Maradi, one of the worst hit areas, around 100 tents have been erected to accommodate people in schools. The International Rescue Committee reported that over 800,000 people have been affected by the floods. The organisation says countries like Niger, Mali, and Nigeria are dealing with some of the “worst floods in 30 years”. Like other countries in the semi-arid Sahel region of West Africa, Niger is suffering from the impact of climate change. As well as floods, it has also experienced droughts and crop failures in recent years.
NIGERIA
Could AI save Nigerians from devastating floods?
The third-longest on the continent, the Niger is a major river in West Africa, originating in the Guinea highlands and discharging into the Atlantic Ocean via the expansive Niger Delta. Flooding, one of the most common natural disasters in the world, is a seasonal occurrence for the 4.5 million people living in Kogi State, named for a Hausa word meaning river. Most Ogba-Ojibo villagers are subsistence fishermen and farmers whose livelihoods are especially susceptible to environmental changes. Nigeria has the second-highest number of people in the world vulnerable to flooding after India – 15 million in total. In 2022, 470,000 people in Kogi alone were affected by flooding. But this year is expected to be particularly hard. As of mid-September, one million people have been displaced following the collapse of a dam in Borno State, with some still stranded in their homes, others fleeing to relatives in other states or government-supported displacement camps. In Kogi, a further 250,000 people are at risk of displacement, according to local authorities. Usually, aid agencies such as the Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration, or the State Emergency Management Agency step in at this point to distribute emergency food supplies, but while this is welcome, it does not address the underlying issue – that the floods come every year. Now, new innovative programmes are starting to appear, aiming to help people prepare for floods in advance. Since 2020, Google’s research team has been building AI disaster detection models, which can be used to identify individual buildings that have been destroyed by hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters. In Nigeria, Google’s AI for Social Good team has also been focusing on anticipatory actions to mitigate flooding risks from the Niger River in Kogi State. The idea was that “deep-learning” machine systems could be designed to forecast natural disasters, “with better granularity [more accuracy] and more lead time than what we currently have as the status quo”, explains a team member.
Attacks by Islamic extremists are rampant in Africa’s Sahel. Here’s what we know about them
Extremist attacks in Sahel, an arid swath of land south of the Sahara in Africa, have proliferated in recent months: Last week, Islamic militants attacked Bamako, the capital of Mali, for the first time in almost a decade, demonstrating their capacity to carry out large scale assaults. And last month, at least 100 villagers and soldiers were killed in central Burkina Faso during a weekend attack on a village by al-Qaida-linked jihadis, as they were forcibly helping security forces dig trenches to protect security outposts and villages. Here’s what we know about the security situation in Sahel:
SOUTHERN AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
Ramaphosa: UN Security Council ‘no longer fit’
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for UN reform on Sunday, stating before the General Assembly that the Security Council is “clearly no longer fit” to address contemporary challenges. “Placing the fate of the world’s security in the hands of a select few when it is the vast majority who bear the brunt of these threats is unjust, unfair and unsustainable,” Ramaphosa said at the UN’s Summit of the Future in New York. Highlighting ongoing wars, conflicts, and climate change, he stressed that the Security Council’s structure “does not represent all countries” and fails to consider diverse viewpoints. Ramaphosa described the Pact for the Future, adopted by the General Assembly, as a chance to “reinvigorate the multilateral system” and fulfill promises to reform global governance, including the Security Council and international financial institutions. He also urged support for Africa’s developmental agenda, known as Agenda 2063. He emphasised that the pact “must involve strengthening multilateral action for sustained peace.” …”We must pursue the attainment of just and sustainable peace based on international law,” said Ramaphosa, whose government took Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide over Tel Aviv’s indiscriminate offensive on the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza since October 7 last year.
Businessman extradited from UK to South Africa on corruption charges
A British businessman, who was a former contractor for South Africa’s ailing power utility Eskom, has been extradited from the UK to face 65 counts of corruption. Michael Lomas is accused of taking kickbacks on contracts between his firm, Tubular Construction, and Eskom for work at the Kusile power station, which were worth in excess of 1.4bn rand ($80m; £60m). “He allegedly manipulated contracts. He was previously arrested, got bail and fled the country to the UK,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe. He has not yet commented on the allegations against him. Eskom has been beset with corruption allegations and is struggling to recover from years of mismanagement that has led to prolonged blackouts in the country. Mr Lomas landed at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg early on Friday morning. He was in a wheelchair and under heavy police escort. He made a brief appearance at Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court before the case was adjourned. He was accused alongside 11 other alleged co-conspirators – including two senior executives at Eskom and two other businessmen. They were arrested in 2019 and their case is ongoing at the Johannesburg High Court.
ZIMBABWE
Age of Consent raised to 18, strengthening Child Protection Laws
In May 2022, Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court ruled in a landmark case that the country’s penal code did not adequately protect children between the ages of 16 and 18 from sexual exploitation. The court ruled that the previous law, which defined juveniles as anyone under the age of 16, was unconstitutional. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Bill, 2024, significantly strengthening child protection measures by raising the age of consent to 18. The new law, which was passed by the National Assembly in July and later by the Senate on Tuesday, brings Zimbabwe in line with its own Constitution, which sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 and defines young people as those under 18. This move follows a landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court in May 2022, which found that the previous Criminal Law Code inadequately protected children between the ages of 16 and 18 from sexual exploitation. The court deemed the previous law, which defined young people as those under 16, unconstitutional.
NORTH AFRICA
LIBYA
Authorities thwart smuggling attempt of 100 kg of gold
Libya’s Internal Security Agency said on Saturday it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle 100 kg (220 lb) of gold and 1.5 million euros at Misrata international airport during a security check of an international flight. The agency said on its verified Facebook page that the gold bars were found in three suitcases while the money was in one suitcase. The suitcases were spotted during the security inspection process of a flight to Turkey, said the agency. A number of pictures posted by the agency showing the confiscated suitcases containing gold bars and bundles of euro banknotes. Misrata is a port city about 200 km (125 miles) east of the capital Tripoli. The agency added that “those responsible for these suitcases were arrested.” In May, the Tripoli-based attorney general said it ordered the arrest of director general of customs and other officials at Misrata international airport over conspiring to smuggle nearly 26,000 kg of gold.
MOROCCO
Spain’s Ceuta stretched by Moroccans eager to reach Europe
The Spanish enclave of Ceuta is bracing for a new attempt by Moroccan and sub-Saharan migrants to forcefully cross the border after authorities foiled another endeavor one week ago. Hundreds of migrants including minors had tried to scale the border wall between Morocco and the enclave on Sunday before border agents pushed them back, arresting many in the process. Now new calls are being made over social media, mobilising people to storm the border on September 30, French newspaper Le Monde reported Saturday citing a security source. Until now, there have not been many cases of Moroccan migrants crossing into Ceuta since 2021, when an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 Moroccans arrived in Spain after a diplomatic dispute row between Rabat and Madrid. But in a recent Arab Barometer survey, 55% of young Moroccans aged 18 to 29 said they have considered emigrating, mainly for economic reasons. In meetings with European Union officials, Moroccan authorities have vowed to crack down on irregular migration.
TUNISIA
Tunisians resume protests against president ahead of Oct. 6 election
Hundreds of Tunisians protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied, accusing him of deepening authoritarian rule and stifling political competition two weeks before a presidential election. Amid a heavy police presence, protesters for a second week marched along Tunis’ main avenue, a focal point of 2011 “Arab Spring” revolution, chanting slogans including “The people want the fall of the regime” and “Out with dictator Saied”. The protest came after lawmakers proposed a bill to strip the administrative court of its authority to adjudicate electoral disputes, a move that the opposition says would discredit the Oct. 6 election, and pave the way for Saied to secure a second term. “Saied’s steps show that he is no longer popular and he fears losing the election”, Nabil Hajji, said the leader of the opposition Attayar party. Political tensions in the North African country have risen since an electoral commission named by Saied disqualified three prominent presidential candidates, Mondher Znaidi, Abdellatif Mekki and Imed Daimi. The commission defied the administrative court, the highest judicial body in election-related disputes, and allowed only two candidates to run against Saied.
Europe has questions to answer over migrant abuse in Tunisia, say MEPs and activists
The European Commission can no longer ignore mounting evidence of the gross human rights violations against migrants and refugees in Tunisia, say MEPs and activists. The EU has given millions of pounds to Tunisia to reduce migration from north Africa into Europe in a deal that pledges “respect for human rights” and piqued the interest of the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. But a Guardian investigation this week reported on allegations of widespread abuses committed by EU-funded security forces in Tunisia, including sexual violence against vulnerable women. There is now growing pressure on the commission to reveal how long it has been aware of reports of these violent practices, what it is doing to “remedy the situation” and whether more EU money will be sent to Tunisia. “How is that reduction achieved? People are incarcerated, women are raped, and children are dumped and left to die in the desert; this is happening on a daily basis,” said David Yambio, spokesperson for the NGO Refugees in Libya. “Each agreement made with the Tunisian and Libyan regime is a death sentence for migrants and refugees,” he added. Catherine Woollard, director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, said: “These abuses are the horrifying yet entirely predictable violations that always result from these kinds of deals. The Guardian investigation alleged national guard officers are colluding with smugglers to arrange migrant boat trips, as well as routinely robbing, beating and abandoning women and children in the desert without food or water. German MEP Erik Marquardt said the EU needed to make an “honest assessment” of what was being done to tackle the criminal gangs involved in people-smuggling. “It’s not a conspiracy theory: it’s impossible for the smugglers to operate without the cooperation of the authorities.”…British barrister Rodney Dixon KC, said: “The new evidence shows that black African migrants are facing brutal and heartless treatment at the hands of the Tunisian authorities.”
AFRICA-GENERAL NEWS
UN Gen Assembly: What to know about upcoming meeting
Facing a swirl of conflicts and crises across a fragmented world, leaders attending this week’s annual UN gathering are being challenged: Work together — not only on front-burner issues but on modernising the international institutions born after World War II so they can tackle the threats and problems of the future. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued the challenge a year ago after sounding a global alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet: Come to a “Summit of the Future” and make a new commitment to multilateralism – the foundation of the United Nations and many other global bodies – and start fixing the aging global architecture to meet the rapidly changing world. The UN chief told reporters last week that the summit “was born out of a cold, hard fact: international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them.” He pointed to “out-of-control geopolitical divisions” and “runaway” conflicts, climate change, inequalities, debt and new technologies like artificial intelligence which have no guardrails. The summit is the prelude to this year’s high-level meeting, held every September. More than 130 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs are slated to speak along with dozens of ministers, and the issues at the summit are expected to dominate their speeches and private meetings, especially the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan and the growing possibility of a wider Mideast war. “There is going to be a rather obvious gap between the Summit of the Future, with its focus on expanding international cooperation, and the reality that the UN is failing in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan,” said Richard Gowan, UN director for the International Crisis Group. “Those three wars will be top topics of attention for most of the week.”
Video: US wants seats for Africa at UNSC – with a catch
Seats on the UN Security Council without veto power is ‘an insult,’ argues former African diplomat Arikana Chihombori. The US push to create seats for Africa on the UN Security Council – without veto power – is “an insult to 1.4 billion Africans,” argues the former African Union ambassador to the US, Arikana Chihombori-Quao. Since the creation of the UN in 1945, the Permanent Five (China, Russia, France, UK and US) have retained the right to block any Security Council resolution. Other countries have been allowed to join the Council, but only temporarily, and with no veto. Chihombori tells host Steve Clemons it’s tantamount to “inviting Africa to the table and then asking them to remain mute.”
THIS WEEK AHEAD
Sept. 24 — Semafor’s The Next 3 Billion Summit will take place in New York. Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera, Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, and World Trade Organization head Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will be among the speakers.
Sept. 24-30 — The 79th session of the UN General Assembly will be held in New York City.
Sept. 24 — Nigeria’s central bank will announce its latest interest rate decision. It is expected to hold rates for the first time this year after inflation eased for a second straight month in August.
Sept. 25 — Semafor’s Nights of Net Zero: Climate Innovations. Forward-looking discussions on the sidelines of UNGA about climate finance and AI’s role in advancing low-carbon technologies. Request Invitation.
Sept. 25-27 — The Power & Energy Africa event will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sept. 25-29 — The 25th edition of the Nairobi International Book Fair 2024 will be hosted at the Sarit Centre.
Sept. 26 — South African insurer Old Mutual will report half-year results.
Sept. 27 — Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja will begin a trial for 10 protesters who face charges of treason.
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