News That Matters To Africa©️
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HIGHLIGHTS
Goma likely in hands of M23
Future of ECOWAS uncertain after trio quits and plan to miss return deadline
ANC calls for accountability following deaths of troops in the DRC
Italy’s PM under investigation over release of ICC Libyan suspect
Africans swept up in Trump’s migrant deportation plans.
TOP NEWS
EASTERN AFRICA
WEST AFRICA
SOUTHERN AFRICA
NORTH AFRICA
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AFRICA-GENERAL NEWS
EASTERN AFRICA
DR CONGO
The DRC Crisis/War:
Rebels enter Congo’s Goma in major escalation
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance that includes the M23, told reporters his forces controlled the city of Goma… Congo accused Rwanda of sending troops into its territory, while Rwanda said fighting near the border threatened its own security. Congolese soldiers on Mount Goma, a hill within the city, exchanged artillery fire with Rwandan troops on the other side of the border in the town of Gisenyi, according to two U.N. sources…Nangaa, the alliance’s leader, said “Our objective is neither Goma nor Bukavu but Kinshasa, the source of all the problems,” he said, referring to the Congolese capital, more than 1,500 km (930 miles) west of Goma.
Fighting rages as rebels and army clash in DR Congo
Fierce fighting rages on in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma, as rebels and the army exchange fire. Following Sunday’s lightning advance against the Congolese army, M23 took control of the Goma branch of state broadcaster RTNC, according to the UN-sponsored Radio Okapi. This swift advance comes hours after DR Congo’s foreign minister accused neighbouring Rwanda of declaring war by sending its troops over the border to support the M23. Rwanda does not deny backing the M23 but accuses the Congolese authorities of supporting militias trying to topple the government in Kigali… Amid the escalating clashes in Goma, Rwanda has also been hit. Five civilians had been killed and 25 seriously injured in the town of Gisenyi, just across the border from Goma, a Rwandan military spokesperson reported.
With fear and fist-bumps, Goma residents greet Congo’s M23 rebels again
Residents of eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma greeted the arrival of Rwanda-backed rebels with trepidation on Monday, some staying indoors and others coming out to cheer in what one called a “show” of happiness. The M23 fighters swept into Goma, a lakeside city of about 2 million people, on Sunday for the second time in 13 years. They met little resistance from Democratic Republic of Congo’s army, although gunfire could be heard in parts of town on Monday. In some areas of Goma, a hub for humanitarian operations across the region, residents lined the streets to applaud and fist-bump heavily-armed fighters in green fatigues and matching rubber boots, videos posted on social media showed.
Tanzanian Troops Trapped in Goma Seek Evacuation Amid M23 Control
Over four dozen Tanzanian soldiers are reportedly trapped near Goma’s airport in a storage facility containing minerals and supplies, unable to escape due to the heavy presence of M23 forces., and calling for urgent rescue and evacuation as M23 rebels solidify their control of the city. Attempts to contact UN peacekeepers under MONUSCO reportedly failed, as the troops lacked direct communication channels. Moreover, neither MONUSCO nor DRC forces could intervene, given M23’s complete capture of Goma. By press time, the fate of the trapped soldiers remained uncertain. However, sources within M23 stated that they have no intentions of killing or capturing foreign troops. The group claims to have issued an ultimatum for all foreign forces to leave or surrender, which they say was ignored.
Congo’s ex-election chief turned rebel boss builds insurgency
In 2018, Corneille Nangaa orchestrated the heavily criticised vote that handed President Felix Tshisekedi power. Today, he is the public face of a sprawling coalition of Congolese politicians and rebel groups fighting to oust him. The success of his unlikely transition from election board boss to rebel leader has so far hinged on a partnership with Rwandan-backed insurgents who have fought a series of rebellions in the east against Democratic Republic of Congo’s central government during the last two decades… He added that the fight was nationwide and he had many alliances, declining to give more details. While it is hard to gauge the extent of the support for Nangaa’s Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which sees the M23 rebels as their military wing, U.N. experts said in December that an increasing number of armed factions sided with them.
South African Foreign Minister condemns Rwanda’s role in DRC conflict as SA loses more soldiers
Minister Ronald Lamola on Tuesday demanded Rwanda withdraw its troops from the DRC after three more South African soldiers died in the rebel offensive on the eastern city of Goma. “The current security situation in the eastern DRC is utterly appalling and unacceptable,” Lamola said in a virtual address to an emergency meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council. Lamola condemned M23 militia’s siege of Goma, before speaking directly to Rwanda’s role in the conflict. “We would also like to condemn Rwanda for its support of the M23 as clearly proven by various United Nations reports of experts. We therefore call upon Rwanda to cease its support to the M23 and for its forces to withdraw from the DRC,” he said.
South Africa is preparing to send reinforcements to DRC after nine soldiers were killed
The SA National Defence Force is preparing to send reinforcements from South Africa to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said military sources, after nine South African soldiers were killed and several injured in fighting there on Thursday, 23 January and Friday, 24 January. The SANDF announced on Saturday that nine soldiers had died and an unnamed number were wounded in successfully repelling a full-scale attack on them by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels who have laid siege to the provincial capital, Goma. It said seven of those killed were members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC) while two were members of the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, Monusco.
2,000 UN staff, aid workers given safe passage through Rwanda
Rwandan authorities on Monday, January 27, received close to 2,000 people, most of them employed by the UN in Goma, the eastern DR Congo city which was captured by M23 rebels.
They were received in the border district of Rubavu in western Rwanda, before being escorted to Kigali. […] According to officials, the group received in Rwanda includes the leadership of MONUSCO, the UN mission in DR Congo, particularly the foreign staff, who fled the country after the rebels advanced in the border.
DRC could have avoided current crisis, says Rwanda
Rwanda’s Ambassador to the UN, Ernest Rwamucyo told the Security Council that the conflict in North Kivu Province could have been brought to an end had the Congolese government accepted dialogue with the rebels, instead of choosing a military solution… “the DRC has all the necessary tools to achieve a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict.” The Rwandan envoy noted that the conflict was the collaboration between the Congolese army and the FDLR, a group founded by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Dozens of Congolese soldiers flee to Rwanda
Dozens of soldiers from eastern DR Congo fled to Rwanda on Monday, January 27, after M23 rebels captured the border city of Goma. The Congolese soldiers, who crossed into Rwanda through the Grande Barriere border post in Rubavu District, were disarmed by Rwandan defence and security forces. The M23 rebels have been fighting the Congolese army since late 2021. In recent weeks, they surrounded Goma, the capital city of North Kivu Province, whose military governor Peter Cirimwami was killed on Thursday on the battlefield. On Sunday, the rebels closed airspace over the besieged city and suspended all activities on Lake Kivu.
Inmates escape from Goma prison amid M23 rebel advances
More than 4,400 inmates escaped from Munzenze Central Prison in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern DR Congo, on Monday, January 27, after M23 rebel group captured the city. Local media reports said the inmates fled after parts of the facility were set on fire. At least ten inmates lost their lives in the blaze, including women and an infant who was with an incarcerated mother, Radio Okapi reported. Video footage showed inmates running away as smoke emanated from some of the prison buildings.
Protesters attack French, US, Rwandan embassies in DRC
Protesters have attacked several embassies in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa, including that of Rwanda, during demonstrations on Tuesday against the escalating conflict in the country’s east, diplomatic sources said. Crowds of demonstrators also attacked the embassies of France, Belgium, Uganda, Kenya and the United States on Tuesday, and smoke could be seen rising from the French embassy after a fire erupted. Protesters denounced international inaction over the conflict, targeting the embassies of countries they accuse of complicity in Rwanda’s alleged support for the rebel group, which Kigali denies.
Four more South African soldiers killed in Congo, defence department says
Four more South African soldiers have been killed in fighting with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government said, taking the number of South African peacekeepers killed to 13 since the conflict escalated last week. South African troops are in Congo as part of U.N. and Southern African missions. The Department of Defence said in a statement that on Monday M23 rebels had launched mortar bombs in the direction of Goma airport in eastern Congo, resulting in three SANDF (South African National Defence Force) soldiers being killed. Another soldier injured in combat with M23 rebels over the past three days died from their injuries, it added.
Rwanda, Congo presidents to meet for talks led by Kenya
President William Ruto is set to facilitate high-end talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, January 29, as he seeks to tame escalating hostilities in the DRC. However, the Chairman of the East African Community (EAC) is in a precarious position over his past comments for direct dialogue between the Congolese government and the M23 rebels, a move that has frequently been resisted by Kinshasa. Last year, President Tshisekedi also criticised Ruto for taking control of the Nairobi Peace Process, which was initially led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
ETHIOPIA
British Army in Ethiopia looting row
The British Army has been told by Ethiopia to hand back “looted” treasures in a growing reparations row. After defeating an Ethiopian emperor during an 1868 expedition, British regiments and corps plundered his fortress capital of Magdala. Emperor Tewodros II had taken European hostages in anger over a letter not being delivered to Queen Victoria. The Ethiopian will also need to persuade Army veterans and serving officers to hand back the items. Additionally, Ethiopian officials were also seeking the return of items which form part of the King’s Royal Collection. The push for the return of the treasures comes as part of a campaign planned for 2026 to reclaim all looted artefacts from British collections.
KENYA
Kenya faces crisis as Trump’s Executive Order to cut supply of HIV, malaria drugs
The Trump administration in the U.S. on Tuesday moved to halt the supply of lifesaving drugs for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis in countries supported by US-AID. This signals the end of the life-saving PEPFAR program, a casualty of the new order from Washington. PEPFAR has been crucial in saving lives and preventing millions of HIV infections. In Kenya alone, it funds projects focused on reducing HIV infections and providing inclusive access to treatment, from testing to management and treatment of HIV/AIDS. While the impact is significant, not just for Kenya but for other African countries as well, the Kenyan government has urged citizens to stay calm.
AU body disagrees with Moody’s positive rating on Kenya, terms it irresponsible
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has disagreed with Moody’s positive rating on Kenya, terming it irresponsible. Established in 2003, the APRM is a specialised agency of the African Union that is an arrangement among African states to review governance across the member states. On Friday, Moody’s revised Kenya’s credit rating from negative to positive, citing a potential ease in liquidity risks and improving debt affordability. APRM, however, argued that the rating was premature as Moody’s downgrade rating in July 2024 was speculative…and Moody’s downgraded Kenya’s rating downwards due to the anti-government protests that occurred from June to August 2024. Further, APRM noted that Moody’s has erred in its past reviews by providing premature analysis
2024 ‘deadliest year on record’ for Kenyan women
Almost 200 Kenyan women were murdered in gender-based violent incidents in 2024, nearly double the previous year, monitoring groups said Monday. The issue of gender-based violence is endemic in the east African country. The second annual report by the Silencing Women Project, found 170 women had been murdered, up from 95 the previous year…Nairobi saw the highest number of women killed, with 28 deaths recorded, according to the report which is based on analysis of 930 female murders since 2016 and draws on court and media reports. Almost 70 percent of the murders were undertaken by intimate partners, it found, with 61 percent carried out in private or “home” spaces.
Man awarded dammages by court for being detained by hospital for bill
The High Court has ruled that hospitals cannot detain patients to force them to pay medical bills. In his judgment against The Labib Hospital, Justice Lawrence Mugambi said that holding onto a person who has been treated and fully recovered is unreasonable, unfair, and a punishment. He awarded Harman Kamau Kinoru, a carpenter, Sh800,000 for the anguish he suffered in 2021 at the hands of the city hospital. “Although the debt was legally incurred, the means adopted by the respondent to enforce the payment was callous and had no place in a civilized society. It runs afoul of our Bill of Rights,” said Justice Mugambi.
Backlash in Kenya over livestock vaccines and belching cows
An ambitious initiative to vaccinate all livestock in Kenya is due to kick off this week amid fierce resistance from farmers that is being driven by misleading claims about the vaccines. Currently only 10% of the national herd get the necessary vaccinations and the authorities say they want to raise that rate to 85% to make Kenya’s livestock products eligible for export. But some of those who oppose the programme believe Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is funding it, fuelled by people sharing videos of interviewsfeaturing him talking about vaccinating cows to control methane emissions. A senior official in Kenya’s agriculture ministry, has denied that Gates is involved in the livestock vaccination programme…
SOUTH SUDAN
Govt lifts nationwide curfew after riots over Sudan killings
South Sudan has lifted a nationwide curfew imposed more than 10 days ago after a night of deadly rioting in the capital over the alleged killing of South Sudanese people by the army and allied groups in neighbouring Sudan, its spokesperson said on Monday. Riots erupted in Juba and elsewhere in the country on Jan. 16 and 17, with protesters angry about what they believed was the involvement of Sudan’s military and allied groups in the killing of South Sudanese citizen in Sudan’s El Gezira. The Sudanese army condemned what it called “individual violations” in the area after human-rights groups blamed it and its allies for ethnically-targeted attacks against civilians accused of supporting the rebel Rapid Support Forces.
SUDAN
Sudan army chief visits recaptured headquarters, vows to defeat RSF paramilitary
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has visited the military’s headquarters in the capital Khartoum in his first appearance there since government forces claimed to have broken a months-long siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Accompanied by top military officials on Sunday, al-Burhan praised the “resilience and sacrifices” of soldiers who defended the army’s General Command for 20 months, vowing to “eradicate” the RSF and pursue its fighters “in every corner of Sudan”… The announcement on Friday by the SAF that it had successfully lifted the RSF blockade on Khartoum and took back control of parts of the city signaled a potential turning point in the nearly two-year war. The RSF denied the army claims as “propaganda” aimed at boosting morale…
Army makes fresh gains against RSF in Khartoum
The Sudanese army made fresh gains on Monday in areas of Khartoum, Khartoum Bahri and East Nile, tightening its grip on the capital from the eastern countryside and shelled Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in the Kafouri district. This advance comes two days after the army broke the siege of its headquarters in central Khartoum, the Signal Corps base, and a nearby intelligence facility in Khartoum Bahri, marking the start of the third phase of a military operation launched on September 26… The army has retaken large areas in Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri but still needs to take crucial steps to encircle the RSF in Khartoum, namely linking its forces at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers, the Armoured Corps base, and the southern neighbourhoods of the capital with the army headquarters.
Surging attacks on vital civilian targets
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned Monday that surging attacks in Sudan had severely disrupted access to clean water and electricity for millions of people across the war-ravaged country…Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal war between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy and head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The war has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, uprooted more than 12 million and pushed many Sudanese to the brink of famine. It has also decimated Sudan’s already fragile infrastructure, with large-scale attacks in recent weeks on dams and oil refineries…ICRC stressed Monday that disruptions to electricity and water supply also have dire ripple effects on the proper functioning of hospitals and thereby on critical healthcare.
ICC Prosecutor urges immediate action to address atrocities in Darfur
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday called on the UN Security Council to act decisively to address the worsening atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region. Karim Khan highlighted the urgent need for justice and accountability as violence and humanitarian suffering escalate…ICC Prosecutor announced that his office is preparing applications for new arrest warrants tied to alleged crimes committed in West Darfur. He emphasised that these applications would only proceed with robust evidence to ensure a realistic prospect of conviction, reinforcing the ICC’s commitment to justice for victims. Mr. Khan also stressed the need for greater cooperation in transferring ICC fugitives, including former President Omar al-Bashir and other high-ranking officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Sudanese filmmakers documenting Khartoum’s lost past amid war
Through displacement, war, and the destruction of cultural heritage, a groundbreaking Sudanese documentary sheds light on the untold stories of Khartoum and its people. The film captures the vibrant lives of its subjects and the filmmakers themselves – until violence erupted halfway through production. The country is facing the world’s worst displacement crisis with over 11 million people displaced according to the International Rescue Committee. The team and participants were also displaced as the conflict spread, forcing a shift in focus. Film funds were diverted to ensure their survival during perilous escapes to safety. Archives, libraries, and museums were burned to the ground, and much of Sudan’s cultural heritage was lost forever.
REGIONAL
Interpol arrested 37 suspected terrorists in 8 East African countries
At least 37 terrorists were apprehended in a joint Interpol and Afripol counter-terrorism operation across East Africa late last year, including suspected members of the ISIS (Daesh) and al-Shabaab terror groups. In Kenya, police arrested 17 people, including two suspected ISIS members, several foreign terrorist fighters, and others involved in terrorism financing, radicalization, and propaganda. Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrested four alleged members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and two associates. Somali authorities detained three people, including a suspected al-Shabaab bombmaker. Interpol added that Tanzanian authorities also arrested an alleged ISIS Mozambique member and a Ugandan national attempting to join a terrorist group in Mozambique.
WEST AFRICA
BURKINA/MALI/NIGER
Thousands gather in 3 countries to cheer ECOWAS exit
Thousands of people rallied in junta-led Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali on Tuesday to back their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc, due to take effect on Wednesday. The departure of these three founding members from the bloc has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future. The three countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They had formally notified ECOWAS of their plan for an “immediate” withdrawal in January 2024, alleging the organisation’s excessive dependence on France in particular.
GHANA
Ghana plans gold board to increase earnings and curb smuggling
Ghana plans to launch a Gold Board to streamline gold purchases from small-scale miners, increase earnings and reduce smuggling, the west African country’s newly appointed finance minister Cassiel Ato Forson said on Monday. Data from Ghana’s central bank showed that total gold exports for 2024 stood at $11.64 billion, a 53.2% year-on-year increase which helped nearly double Ghana’s trade surplus to $4.98 billion in 2024. The minister said nearly $5 billion worth of gold exported last year was from legal small-scale miners. “The time has come for Ghana to expand beyond royalties and taxes by harnessing the entire value chain of gold from extraction to refinery, value addition and marketing, both locally and internationally,” Forson said.
MALI
Barrick Gold and Mali to start new negotiations on mine
Mali’s government and Barrick Gold will start a new round of negotiations on Tuesday (28 Jan) to resolve a deepening dispute over the alleged nonpayment of taxes by the Canadian miner and the seizure of its gold stocks by authorities in the country, two sources familiar with the matter said. Barrick has temporarily suspended its mining operations in Mali after the government seized close to 3 metric tons of gold, worth $250 million from the company’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex. The issues at stake in the new round of negotiations are Mali’s demanding $199 million, Barrick’s agreeing to the new mining code and the release of the seized gold.
NIGERIA
22 troops killed as insurgents counter military assault
At least 22 soldiers have been killed and several wounded in Nigeria’s northeast after insurgents deployed improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers to ward off attacks by the military, the army spokesperson Edward Buba said. The Nigerian military said late on Sunday that it had launched an assault 10 days ago against insurgents in the northeast and killed over 70 militants including three commanders. Buba said government forces also shot down drones used by the insurgents. Boko Haram and Daesh West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants have mainly operated in Borno state, targeting security forces and civilians in an insurgency that has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands.
SIERRA LEONE
Authorities investigating reports Dutch drug kingpin took refuge in country
Sierra Leone’s information ministry said Sunday it was investigating media reports that European cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers is in the country and benefiting from high-level protection there. Leijdekkers, who was sentenced last June in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Dutch court for smuggling more than 7 tons of cocaine, had been in Sierra Leone since at least early 2023. Leijdekkers is on Europol’s list of most wanted fugitives. In a statement, the Sierra Leonean ministry said the country’s police were ready to collaborate with the Dutch government, Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies about the case.
Future of ECOWAS uncertain after trio quits
The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States takes effect on Wednesday after a year of political tensions, fracturing the region and leaving the bloc with an uncertain future. On January 29, 2024, the three countries led by military regimes formally notified ECOWAS of their desire for “immediate” withdrawal. But the texts of the West African organisation required one-year’s notice for it to be effective. This will happen on Wednesday, all three countries having ignored ECOWAS’s call to extend the period by six months to try to find a solution. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are now united in a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)…In the sub-region, the diplomatic cards have been reshuffled, with the role of Togo boosted. As well as playing the role of mediator, its port in the capital Lome supplies the landlocked countries of the AES…Ghana, under the newly elected President John Dramani Mahama, is also reaching out to the AES. He has met its leaders and [named an envoy to the new block.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
MOZAMBIQUE
OpEds:
Mozambique’s cycles of violence won’t end until Frelimo’s grip on power is broken
Political assassinations, police violence and lack of press freedom: 3 barriers to peace in Mozambique
SOUTH AFRICA
ANC calls for accountability following deaths of troops in the DRC
The ANC has called on the government to provide answers regarding the deaths of 13 South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The soldiers are part of the SouthFikile Mbalula addressed the media following the party’s NEC Lekgotla over the weekend, vowing that Defence Minister Angie Motshekgakile Mbalula addressed the media following the party’s NEC Lekgotla over the weekend, vowing that Defence Minister Angie Motshekga would address the nation to explain the circumstances surrounding the deaths on Wednesday. https://shorturl.at/Xqmap
VIDEO – Chris Hani’s assassin makes chilling confessions.
Chris Hani’s assassin, Janusz Walus, has made some chilling confessions. He says he has no regrets about his actions, that the hit was well planned and denies the involvement of apartheid agents or liberation groups. In an exclusive interview, Walus, now deported back to Poland after completing his sentence, says the murder was political. Hani was gunned down outside his Boksburg home on the 10th of April, 1993.
OpEds
Will the US Congress pull the Magnitsky sanctions trigger on South Africa?
Informal mining in South Africa is here to stay. Police brutality won’t end it – here’s what will
NORTH AFRICA
ALGERIA
Govt blasts European Parliament for condemning a French-Algerian author’s arrest
Algerian lawmakers from both chambers of the North African nation’s parliament on Monday signed a statement rebuking the European Parliament’s resolution, criticizing the arrest of French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, for “misleading allegations with the sole aim of launching a blatant attack against Algeria…and political interference” Since his Nov. 16 arrest, Sansal’s cause has been taken up by European writers, artists and politicians, particularly those on the French right sympathetic to his criticism of Islam. The clash over the resolution is the latest rupture between Algeria and France.
EGYPT
Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal implementation
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Monday for ceasefire talks. The visit comes as Israeli media reports that a meeting could be held in Qatar next week to discuss implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. On Monday, tens of thousands of Palestinians began crossing the Netzarim corridor to return to their homes in northern Gaza. Israel had delayed allowing forcibly displaced Palestinians to make the trip. The negotiations will focus on the new batch of Palestinian prisoners who will be released on Saturday in exchange for the release of three Israeli hostages, the anonymous source said. On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced the completion of the second phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange.
LIBYA
Italy’s Meloni under investigation over release of Libyan suspect
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she has been placed under judicial investigation over Italy’s surprise release of a Libyan citizen who had been wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Meloni said she was suspected by prosecutors of embezzlement and aiding and abetting a crime. Osama Najim – also known as Almasri – is the head of Libya’s judicial police and the director of an infamous detention centre in Mitiga, near Tripoli. Mr Najim was arrested in Italy on 21 January and unexpectedly freed days later “due to a legal technicality”, the interior ministry said. The ICC, which said it had not been consulted, swiftly issued another arrest warrant for Mr Najim and demanded an explanation from the Italian authorities.
Ex-UN official from Montrnabbed by FBI for alleged role selling Chinese weapons to Libya
“James” Kuang Chi Wan, who was a deputy director at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), was apprehended by the FBI after he stepped off a flight from Taiwan on Jan. 21, 2023. Wan, 62, allegedly spearheaded a scheme to help China sell $1.54 billion of drones, missiles and even shoulder-fired missiles to armed militants in Libya between 2019 and 2023. None of the evidence cited in the FBI complaint and RCMP affidavits has been tested in a public court setting. Wan’s arrest is the latest in a growing list of FBI cases that highlight alleged misdeeds by China or its intermediaries that are landing before U.S. criminal courts.
MOROCCO
Morocco Islamists challenge monarchy, hint at political comeback
For the first time in years, Morocco’s leading Islamist movement, Al Adl Wal Ihsane (AWI), has openly questioned the legitimacy of the monarchy, sparking speculation about its potential entry into the political arena after decades of a boycott. Senior AWI figure Omar Amkassou criticised Morocco’s monarchy, stating: “A hereditary monarchy cannot be the basis for a true solution. It goes against the people’s will.”…the group’s late founder, Imam Abdessalam Yassine, who opposed monarchies as serving elite interests over public welfare, and Amkassou outlined the group’s vision: “a system where power is decentralised, wealth is shared, and the rights of the people are respected.”
AFRICA-GENERAL NEWS
Africans swept up in Trump’s migrant deportation operation
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting at least 1,445,549 noncitizens from 187 countries, including many from Africa, for deportation. African countries on the deportation list are Kenya (1,282), Tanzania (301), Uganda (393), Somalia (4,090), South Sudan (136), Ethiopia (1,713) and Rwanda (338). Others include Burundi (462), Congo (795), Djibouti (29), Nigeria (3,690), Niger (642), Zimbabwe (545) and Zambia (174). President Donald Trump’s first week in office saw him grant immigration authorities the power to sidestep courts to expel migrants without legal documentation more quickly. Since assuming office on January 20, Trump has promised the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history.
African presidents outline plan for ‘the Africa we want’
African leaders have laid out an ambitious reforms plan for the African Union (AU), focusing on peace, security, and financial independence to transform the continent into a powerhouse of development and stability. In a landmark retreat of the extended bureau of the African Union institutional reforms chaired by President William Ruto. Leaders identified key policy areas, including the operationalization of the Africa Court of Justice to enhance conflict resolution on the continent. President Ruto said they agreed on a committee of five to drive the implementation of the already agreed reforms of the different agencies, institutions and organs.
Inside a new plan to bring electricity to 300m in Africa
Some $35 billion is aimed at building small solar sites in rural areas and other improvements. The World Bank chief called the project “foundational to everything.” The leaders of more than half of Africa’s nations have committed to the biggest burst of spending on electric-power generation in Africa’s history. The World Bank, African Development Bank and others are pledging at least $35 billion to expand electricity across a continent where more than a half-billion people still don’t have it. About half of the money will go toward solar “minigrids” that serve individual communities…The summit’s promise is to get half of Africa’s 600 million unelectrified people powered up in just six years…Despite the unusually strong statements of political will, many people, particularly in Africa’s beleaguered power sector, expressed deep skepticism.
Global tech shares fall as China AI chatbot DeepSeek spooks investors
Chinese startup’s $6m product raises doubts about sustainability of western artificial intelligence boom. The race for domination in artificial intelligence was blown wide open on Monday after the launch of a Chinese chatbot wiped $1tn from the leading US tech index, with one investor calling it a “Sputnik moment” for the world’s AI superpowers. Investors punished global tech stocks on Monday after the emergence of DeepSeek, a competitor to OpenAI and its ChatGPT tool, shook faith in the US artificial intelligence boom by appearing to deliver the same performance with fewer resources… Marc Andreessen, a leading US venture capitalist, said it was AI’s “Sputnik moment” – referring to when the Soviet Union astounded its cold war rival by launching a satellite into orbit]
BRICS: Why experts say US dollar’s global reserve days may be numbered
Amid the ongoing de-dollarization efforts embraced by the BRICS alliance, experts have begun to state that the US dollar’s days as a global reserve asset may be numbered. Although the currency is at a new record high, economists have noted things do not look as promising in the long term. The geopolitical tensions over the US dollar have reached a fever pitch in recent years. The BRICS alliance has continued to seek ways to promote local currencies in trade. That has only drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump. In retaliation, he has threatened the presence of 100% tariffs and even discussed the creation of an external revenue service. Although it has been the world’s currency since post-World War II, nothing stays the same forever. Now, amid BRICS and other regions’ actions against it, economists warn that the US dollar’s days as a global reserve currency are numbered.
Africa Cup of Nations groups revealed ahead of 2025 tournament
The draw for the 2025/26 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations has taken place, with hosts Morocco facing Mali, Zambia and Comoros in Group A. Seven-time champions Egypt, who will likely be led by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, will play South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B. In Group C, Nigeria will start their campaign to win a first Afcon title since 2013 by taking on Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. In Group E, Algeria will play Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, while Group F will stage a mouth-watering clash between rivals Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon, as well as Gabon and Mozambique.
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