News That Matters To Africa©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Leave the table when respect is no longer being served.“
HIGHLIGHTS
Sudan army says it has control of presidential palace in Khartoum
Niger declares three days of mourning after mosque attack kills 44
SAfrican ambassador expelled by Trump receives hero’s welcome at home
Mother of activist imprisoned in Egypt threatens to go back on hunger strike
UN Missions sexual misconduct top 100
French billionaire Bolloré sued as being at heart of African ‘system of corruption’.
TOP NEWS
UNITED NATIONS & RELATED
AFRICA-GENERAL NEWS
EASTERN AFRICA
DR CONGO
Will Qatar’s mediation role bring peace to eastern Congo?
Qatar has been mediating peace talks to end the conflict between the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group and the Congolese army in the eastern DRC. It was the first meeting at which both presidents Kagame and Tishekedi had sat face to face at the negotiating table since the M23 rebels seized the key Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu in January and February. Beverly Ochieng, an analyst, pointed out that Qatar has a good track record when it comes to brokering peace deals. She observed that earlier peace efforts by the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community” ultimately failed — and any potential ceasefire agreements collapsed before they were put in place. Ochieng also noted Doha’s success with regard to its long-standing role as mediator in Afghanistan. Qatar’s substantial investments make it an important strategic partner for Rwanda. Qatar Airlines holds almost half of the shares in Rwanda’s state-owned airline RwandAir and has a 60% stake in Bugesera International Airport near Rwanda’s capital Kigali… For Yvon Muya Cimanga, from the School of Conflict Studies in Ottawa, Canada, Qatar’s mediation in the eastern Congo peace process is not surprising. “It can be explained by the close relationship that has accelerated in the recent years between the Qatari monarchy and the two countries in conflict…”
Congo M23 rebels say they will withdraw from seized town to support peace push
The M23 staging an offensive in east Congo said on Saturday they would withdraw forces from the seized town of Walikale in support of peace efforts, having previously said they were leaving troops there as they pushed on to the capital. The government said it hoped the move would be translated into concrete action, after M23 this week pulled out of planned talks with Congolese authorities at the last minute due to EU sanctions on some of its leaders and Rwandan officials. A senior member of the alliance who did not wish to be named said repositioning meant withdrawing to “give peace a chance”. The source declined to say where M23 rebels would withdraw to.
DRC asks its troops to observe ceasefire in the troubled east
The Congolese military said on Sunday it has asked its troops to observe a ceasefire to halt strikes in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The announcement came a day after the Alliance Fleuve Congo, a rebel alliance that includes M23 rebels, announced its withdrawal from the captured mining town of Walikale and its surroundings in North Kivu province. In a statement, the military said it took note of the rebel group’s decision to heed the ceasefire called for by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame during talks mediated by Qatar’s emir on March 18 in Doha. The Congolese army “also calls on the Congolese self-defence forces to do the same, in order to encourage de-escalation, to give priority to peace talks and the continuation of the Luanda and Nairobi (dialogue) processes, as well as the discussions recently started in Doha,” the statement said.
Rwanda welcomes de-escalation efforts in eastern DR Congo
Rwanda has welcomed AFC/M23 rebels’ announcement regarding the repositioning of its forces from Walikale in support of ongoing peace initiatives, as well as DR Congo’s declaration that all offensive operations by FARDC and Wazalendo groups will be halted. “Rwanda is committed to working with all parties to ensure adherence to commitments, particularly in the context of the Joint EAC-SADC Summit process and other initiatives which pave the way towards a lasting political and security settlement for the region,” read a Sunday statement from the Office of the Government Spokesperson. Rwanda’s statement welcoming peace progress in DR Congo came after FARDC acknowledged the AFC/M23’s decision to withdraw from Walikale Centre. FARDC stated that it would refrain from any offensive action against M23 to encourage de-escalation and the continuation of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
Uganda’s military says it killed 242 rebels in eastern Congo
The army said it killed 242 fighters belonging to a Congolese rebel group known as CODECO after they attacked an Ugandan military camp across the border in the Congo locality of Fataki, in the province of Ituri, eastern Congo, earlier this week. A CODECO spokesperson refuted the army’s account on Saturday, saying that the group only lost two fighters and that the UPDF death toll was higher. A United Nations source who did not wish to be named said 70 rebels and 12 Ugandan troops were killed. CODECO fighters say their aim is to defend Lendu farmers from Hema herders, which have historically clashed over land. The group is one of a myriad of militias fighting over land and mineral resources in east Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have stepped up an offensive this year and made unprecedented gains. Uganda sent troops to Congo in 2021 to help the government fight another rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is affiliated with the Islamic State and stages brutal attacks on villages.
Ugandan army chief Muhoozi says his troops ‘coming’ for DRC’s Kisangani city
Uganda’s army chief claimed on Sunday that his troops or the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group would enter the key Congolese city of Kisangani in the coming days. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, said either the Ugandan army or M23 would be in the city in “one week.” Kainerugaba is known for provocative and unfiltered comments on X that have occasionally caused diplomatic problems. Uganda plays a complex role in the decades-long unrest in the eastern DRC, operating in other parts of the region at the behest of the Congolese government to tackle different militias. “Our people of Kisangani, we are coming to rescue you. God’s Army is coming!” Kainerugaba posted on X. The seizing of Kisangani by M23 would be a significant escalation of the conflict, taking the armed group much deeper into Congolese territory. Kisangani is a commercial hub and a key transit point at the meeting of three rivers on the way from the east to the capital Kinshasa.
Video: Will diplomacy end the conflict in eastern DRC?
Congolese and Rwandan leaders called for a ceasefire after holding direct talks in Qatar.
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been in a state of conflict since the late 1990s. M23 has been making gains this year after taking control of major cities in the east.
ERITREA/ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia does not want war with Eritrea, says PM
Landlocked Ethiopia has no intention of starting a war with neighbouring Eritrea in order to gain access to the sea, the country’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said. A previous statement, in 2023, that having a seaport was an “existential issue” for the nationsparked concerns that the Ethiopia could take one by force.
Abiy’s comments to parliament on Thursday came amid fresh concerns that the neighbours, which have had a fractious relationship in the past, could be involved in a conflict again. The prime minister said the issue of sea access for the world’s most populous landlocked nation should be resolved through diplomacy and mutual benefit. In recent weeks, there have been fears that the war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region could resume, possibly with the involvement of Eritrea.
Commentary: Stop the Next Ethiopia-Eritrea War Before It Begins
The Road to War with Eritrea After the Siege of Tigray
ETHIOPIA
Army says it killed more than 300 Fano militiamen
Ethiopia’s army said on Friday its troops had killed more than 300 fighters from the Fano armed group in two days of clashes in the northern Amhara region, as fears have emerged of a wider regional war. Fighting between Ethiopia’s army and Fano – a loose collection of militias with no centralised leadership – broke out in July 2023, fuelled in part by a sense of betrayal among many Amharas about the terms of the 2022 peace deal. A spokesperson of Amhara Fano in Wollo Bete-Amhara, contradicted the tally on Friday, saying the army had not killed even 30 of their fighters. Another spokesperson for Fano in Gondar, Amhara region, said 602 federal army soldiers were killed in the fighting and 430 wounded, while 98 soldiers had been captured and weapons had been seized by the militia. Independent media were unable to independently verify the number of those killed in the fighting.
Ethiopia introduces new tax to fill gap after USAID funding pause
Ethiopia’s parliament introduced a new tax for all workers as part of measures to fill the financial gap left by the USAID funding pause. The funds collected will go to a new Ethiopian Disaster Risk Response Fund to pay for projects previously funded by USAID, Ethiopia’s biggest partner for development and humanitarian efforts. Ethiopia is facing recurring conflict in some of its regions including Tigray, which is recovering from a two-year conflict, Amhara and Oromia. The conflicts have left millions of people in need of food aid and healthcare. The new tax will apply to people employed in both the private and public sectors. A mandatory contribution will also be asked of companies across sectors such as banking and hospitality. The new bill has been forwarded to a parliamentary committee for deliberation on the percentages to be contributed. Ethiopia with its population of over 125 million people had been the biggest beneficiary of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving $1.8 billion in the 2023 financial year.
Ethiopia’s Rastafarians community under threat
Rastafarians who sought a spiritual homeland in Shashamene, face eviction and arrest for flying flag of Haile Selassie’s empire. At its peak, more than 2,500 Rastafarians from around the world moved to Shashamene. Recently, though, the Rastafarian community’s relations with the locals have come under strain. Shashamene is in Oromia, Ethiopia’s biggest and most populous region. Since 2018, Oromia has been gripped by an ethnic insurgency that claims the Oromo people are marginalised in Ethiopia’s federation. Newly established Protestant churches have also taken aim at the beliefs of Rastafarians and their use of cannabis. Newcomers have struggled to secure the right to stay in Ethiopia. Others who have been here for decades are forced to live illegally because the immigration authorities will not renew their documents. Several Rastafarians are fighting legal battles with locals who are trying to evict them from their land. Faced with these hurdles, the Rastafarian community is preparing to submit a petition to the government, claiming their rights are not recognised.
KENYA
6 Kenyan Police killed in AS attack on Somali border
At least six police personnel have been killed and four were injured after an attack on a police camp in Kenya by suspected fighters from Somalia’s al-Shabab group. Kenyan police said in a report on Sunday that the attack was carried out in Garissa County, eastern Kenya, on the border with Somalia. While al-Shabab has not yet commented on the attack, the group frequently carries out cross-border operations against military and civilian targets. The latest attack comes after al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a roadside bomb near Somalia’s presidential palace on Tuesday. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack targeting the convoy and reaffirmed the UN’s support for Somalia’s people and government…Earlier in March, al-Shabab fighters stormed a hotel in central Somalia, where government officials and tribal leaders were meeting to discuss efforts to control the group. Several people are reported to have died in the attack.
48 Kenyans stranded in Myanmar finally return home as 77 await repatriation
Forty-eight Kenyans who were stranded in Myanmarn have finally returned home after being rescued from forced labour in scam centers by the governments of Thailand, China and Myanmar. The group landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 6 am on Saturday aboard a Kenya Airways flight and was received by a multi-agency team led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Upon arrival, the returnees were taken through medical and security checks before being allowed to reunite with their families. Authorities confirmed that some of them were in poor condition. Meanwhile, 77 more Kenyans remain stranded in Myanmar, waiting for repatriation. Many of them are at KK Park near the border with Thailand where conditions are worsening by the day. They have pleaded with the government to speed up their return, fearing for their safety and well-being. Authorities from had earlier dismantled scam centres along the border where thousands of foreigners had been trapped in forced labour.
OpEd: Kenya’s handshake politics – Elite self-preservation disguised as compromise
The recent MoU between Raila’s and Ruto’s parties follows a long tradition of intractable enemies coming together to get rich, block reform and survive in Kenyan politics.
RWANDA
Rwanda gets backing from world cycling chief despite blowback over Congo war
The head of world cycling, David Lappartient, said the Road World Championships would go ahead in Rwanda in September, dismissing criticism from human rights groups who accuse Kigali of using sports to burnish its image while backing rebels fighting in neighbouring Congo. Hosting the event, which typically draws the world’s top cyclists and has never previously been held in Africa, would be a public relations success for Rwanda at a time when it is facing diplomatic pushback over its actions in Congo. Western powers have sanctioned Rwandans over the country’s support for M23 rebels who have seized a large swathe of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo this year, while sports executives have maintained partnerships with Rwanda. “As of today, we don’t have any elements that mean we shouldn’t go to Rwanda. And we haven’t been working on plan Bs, so we’re not working on plan Bs today. We’re working on plan A, which is Rwanda,” Lappartient said…Rwanda’s government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said the charge of sportswashing was “a petty and tired trope pushed by those who want to perpetuate negative stereotypes of non-Western countries like Rwanda”.
SOMALIA
Somalia sacked Defence Minister amid US pressure over his Turkey ties
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud dismissed his defence minister, Abuldkadir Mohamed Nur, on Sunday following lobbying efforts by the US military, sources told Middle East Eye. Nur has been reassigned as the minister of ports amid indications that US military support for Somalia’s fight against al-Shabab – an armed group designated as a terrorist organisation by Washington – has slowed. Two sources familiar with the situation said that Nur’s efforts to deepen Somalia’s military, energy and aerospace cooperation with Turkey unsettled Washington, which maintains closer ties with the United Arab Emirates in the Horn of Africa. Under Nur’s leadership, Somalia and Turkey signed a comprehensive naval, trade and defence agreement in February last year. While the full details of the deal remain undisclosed, sources indicate that it grants Turkey the responsibility of safeguarding Somali waters, establishing a Somali navy and assisting in the exploration of energy resources, as a response to Ethiopia’s naval deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland. A Somali official disclosed that US military officers repeatedly pressured Mohamud to dismiss Nur, citing concerns over his lack of coordination with American forces.
OpEd: From Insurgency to Power Grab: Al-Shabaab’s deadly advance on Mogadishu signals Somalia’s descent into disaster
SUDAN
Army says it has control of presidential palace in Khartoum
The Sudanese army, long on the back foot but has recently made gains including retaking territory from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the centre of the country, has seized full control of the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum on Friday. It would be a major gain in a two-year-old conflict that has threatened to partition the country. The RSF has consolidated control in the west, hardening battle lines and moving Sudan towards de facto partition. The RSF is setting up a parallel government in areas it controls, although that is not expected to secure widespread international recognition. Although the RSF still has positions in Khartoum, its foothold there is more tenuous than at any point since the conflict began and the trajectory suggests the RSF will be pushed out completely, said Ahmed Soliman, senior research fellow at Chatham House. The army is likely to continue the war in the west, he added, leaving Sudan facing “a contested, partitioned reality”.
Five key moments in the battle for Khartoum
The Sudanese army has regained control of key areas of the capital, Khartoum, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary faction seeking to overthrow the overthrow the UN-recognised government. On Friday, jubilant army soldiers took photos of themselves in front of the battle-scarred entrance to the presidential palace in the heart of the city. Fighting in Sudan broke out in April 2023, when the RSF launched attacks on Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) bases throughout Sudan, capturing significant territory, including key parts of the capital city and its airport. Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict, millions have been forced from their homes and many have been left facing famine in what the UN has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The BBC has been analysing videos and images posted during the conflict, frequently by fighters on both sides, to build a picture of the army’s push to take back control of Khartoum.
What could happen next in Sudan’s civil war
The war in Sudan appears to be reaching a critical juncture after nearly two years of fighting that has killed tens of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes and spread famine. In recent months, the military has been making steady advances against its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and it says it has wrested back control of the capital of Khartoum, including the iconic Republican Palace, traditionally the seat of the country’s president and government. A politician associated with the RSF acknowledged the loss, though the RSF later said its troops were still in the area and fighting. While the war is unlikely to end soon, here is a look at what the developments could mean.
Major moments in Sudan’s history of coups, wars and instability
Sudan has a history of civil wars, military takeovers and rebellions. Here are some major episodes of political turmoil and conflict in the country of 50 million people.
The Sniper’s Nest: A photo’s story
Four years ago, this ‘sniper’s nest’ was a prime riverside location in the capital of a nation that seemed to be inching toward democracy. Then came a military coup, and then almost two years of civil war, as the army and the Rapid Support Forces, its powerful paramilitary partner, turned on one another.By March 12, when this photograph was taken, the river was more or less the front line. This apartment block sits on the northern bank; the presidential palace, an emblem of power for centuries, is on the southern bank.
TANZANIA
Shining a light on Germany’s colonial past
Mnyaka Sururu Mboro is still driven by the promise he gave his grandmother when he left Tanzania for Germany almost 50 years ago: to bring back for a proper burial the head of a local chieftain, killed in 1900 by German colonists for opposing their rule in Africa. Mboro, now 73, grew up with stories about the king whom the Germans hanged from a tree with 18 other leaders in March 1900. The head is believed to have been cut off by German soldiers and taken to Germany by the colonial administration, though authorities can not confirm that. It was never recovered…Mboro co-founded Berlin Postkolonial, a group pushing for a reevaluation of Germany’s colonial past and removal of surviving colonial structures and racism. Compared to other European powers, Germany was late to colonialism. It established control over huge swaths of Africa from 1884, through the colonies of German South West Africa, Cameroon, Togoland, and also German East Africa, in what today is Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Germany also established German New Guinea, German Samoa, island protectorates in the Pacific, and leased territory around Jiaozhou Bay in China. All the colonies were lost by 1918, after Germany’s defeat in World War I.
WEST AFRICA
BURKINA FASO
Burkina Fasodenounces fake massacre videos
New videos are circulating showing civilians being escorted by armed individuals to an unknown destination. Elderly people and children unable to keep up are threatened with knives. Other footage reveals the lifeless bodies of civilians, allegedly from a massacre in Gayeri, a town in eastern Burkina Faso. In response, the government condemned the spread of “misleading” videos, which it claims falsely portray “ethnic massacres.” A statement from the government describes this as part of a broader “political-media campaign” aimed at tarnishing the country’s image. According to the spokesperson, the goal is to stir up “community tensions” and provoke inter-ethnic conflict. In a related development, Prosecutor Blaise Bazié confirmed the opening of an investigation into messages inciting the “extermination” of people from a particular ethnic group, often targeting the Fulani.
GABON
Coup leader and ex-PM among candidates approved for presidential vote
Gabon’s Constitutional Court has approved a list of eight candidates to run in the Central African nation’s presidential election next month, including interim President Brice Oligui Nguema, who seized power in a military coup in 2023. Although transitional leaders are not usually allowed to run for election, Gabon approved a new constitution by a landslide in November that exempted Nguema, stoking opposition and analyst concerns that the junta would seek to remain in power. Nguema, 50, ended the long-standing rule of his predecessor Ali Bongo and his family over the oil-rich but impoverished nation in the coup, the eighth in West and Central Africa between 2020 and 2023. Nguema’s main rival is tipped to be Bongo’s last prime minister Alain Claude Billie By Nze, 57, who is running as an independent candidate.
IVORY COAST
Ex-banker Thiam drops French nationality in bid for presidency
Former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam has been relieved of his French citizenship, according to the French government gazette, potentially clearing the way for his bid for the presidency of world-leading cocoa producer Ivory Coast. Elected leader of the opposition PDCI party in 2023, Thiam is expected to be a leading contender in the October election, though 83-year-old incumbent Alassane Ouattara has yet to saywhether he will run again. Thiam announced his presidential bid last month. Ivory Coast law, however, states that candidates must be Ivorian citizens and cannot hold another nationality…Thiam may have to wait for the Constitutional Council to validate his candidacy in August before he will know if he will be allowed to run – his acquisition of French nationality may be interpreted as having automatically voided his Ivorian citizenship.
NÍGER
Niger declares three days of mourning after mosque attack kills 44
The government of Niger has declared three days of mourning following an attack on a mosque in the country’s southwest that killed at least 44 people. The victims were killed in a “savage” armed assault in the Fambita quarter of the rural border town of Kokorou, the interior ministry said in a statement broadcast on state television on Friday. Niger’s interior ministry said the latest attack occurred early in the afternoon as people were attending a prayer service at the mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, adding that the attackers also set fire to a local market and homes. Since July 2023, at least 2,400 people have been killed in Niger, according to the database of ACLED, a non-governmental organisation that gives armed conflict location and event data.
Chinese oil execs expelled over local-expatriate pay gap, minister says
Chinese oil executives were expelled in a dispute over disparities between the salaries of expatriate staff and lower-paid local workers, Oil Minister Sahabi Oumarou said. The average salary of a Chinese employee in Niger last year was $8,678 per month, compared with $1,200 for an employee from Niger in the same post, he said. There was also a high concentration of expatriates in managerial positions, while Nigeriens tended to fill less significant roles as operators or labourers, he said. There had been several attempts to address the issue, the minister added, but the disparities had persisted, prompting the expulsions. Niger’s partnership with China began in 2008 with a $5 billion agreement to develop oil in east Niger.
NIGERIA
Lawmakers back president’s emergency rule in oil-rich state
Nigerian lawmakers approved on President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency measures and suspension of an opposition governor in oil-producing Rivers state in the Niger Delta region. Tinubu announced the measures saying they were aimed at halting vandalism of pipelines while a political crisis pitting factions of the opposition People’s Democratic Party against each other threatens to disrupt oil production. Police are investigating the cause of a blast in Rivers state that shut the Trans Niger Pipeline, a major oil artery transporting crude from onshore oilfields to the Bonny export terminal.
‘Nigerian Senate is run like a cult’, suspended female MP
A Nigerian senator who alleged she was sexually harassed by one of the country’s top politicians has said the Senate operates like a “cult”. A fortnight ago, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months after submitting a petition saying she had been harassed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which he denies. His office also rejected the cult comparison – the latest twist in a row that has gripped Nigeria, raising questions about gender equality in the socially conservative nation. Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was being punished for speaking out against the system and that she now feared for her and her two-year-old’s safety as her security detail had been stripped. “The Nigerian Senate operates like a cult. The Senate president runs the Senate like a dictator, not a democrat. There is no freedom of speech, there is no freedom of expression and anyone who dares to go against him gets cut to size,” the 45-year-old said in the first TV interview since her suspension. In a statement to media, the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwebonyi said Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was not being silenced and that “her own legislative activities disprove this claim”.
Are Nigerians abroad widening the class divide back home?
Scenes playing out in Nigeria during holiday periods could be in a movie: emotional reunions at airport terminals, champagne flowing like water in high-end clubs and A-list Afrobeats performers dominating stages to packed audiences nationwide. This is when Nigerians abroad return for a visit to the home country. They are nicknamed I Just Got Back (IJGB) and bring with them more than full suitcases. Their Western accents dip in and out of Pidgin, their wallets are boosted by the exchange rate, and their presence fuels the economy. But it also highlights an uncomfortable truth. Those who live in Nigeria, earning in the local naira currency, feel shut out of their own cities, especially in the economic hub of Lagos and the capital, Abuja, as prices go up during festive periods. Residents say this is particularly the case for “Detty December”, a term used to refer the celebrations around Christmas and New Year. Detty December makes Lagos almost unliveable for locals – traffic is horrible, prices inflate and businesses stop prioritising their regular customers… At the beginning of the year, the charity Oxfam warned, external the wealth gap in Nigeria was reaching a “crisis level”. Statistics from 2023 are startling. According to the World Inequality Database more than 10% of the population owned more than 60% of Nigeria’s wealth. For those with jobs, 10% of the population took home 42% of the income.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
MOZAMBIQUE
Video: Numerous Mozambique businesses in limbo due to unrest
Entrepreneurs in Mozambique are struggling to get back on their feet after sweeping protests over unhappiness over the outcome of last year’s election swept the country. While a government has been formed, many business owners find themselves in limbo.
NAMIBIA
New president vows to diversify economy, tackle joblessness
Newly elected President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah pledged to boost investments in the agricultural sector and diversify the resource-focused economy in an attempt to address high unemployment rates. The southern African nation ranks second highest globally for income inequality. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became Namibia’s first female president after her SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, secured victory in both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November. However, SWAPO’s public support has fallen in the last decade due to dissatisfaction with high unemployment, inequality and graft allegations. The party secured 57% of the votes in November’s presidential race, compared to 87% in the 2014 election.
SOUTH AFRICA
Ambassador expelled by Trump receives hero’s welcome at home
The South African ambassador who was expelled from the United States in a row with US President Donald Trump’s administration has arrived home to a raucous welcome and struck a defiant tone over the decision. Crowds at Cape Town International Airport surrounded Ebrahim Rasool and his wife Rosieda on Sunday as they emerged in the arrivals terminal in their hometown. They needed a police escort to help them navigate their way through the building. Addressing the crowd, Rasool said: “We don’t come here to say we are anti-American…We are not here to call on you to throw away our interests with the United States.”
Video: Amb. Rasool’s arrival in C’Town
South Africa-US diplomatic rift: Is the EU a viable partner?
South Africa is one of the many African countries bearing the biggest brunt of the Trump administration’s recent shift in US foreign policy. The US has drastically reduced aid to South Africa and expelled its ambassador, sparking a diplomatic row. So, should South Africa look elsewhere for a ‘powerful’ partner, and can that be the EU?
Explainer: South Africa’s Antarctica base hit by assault claims: What happened?
South African authorities have put a crew member of a remote research team at the South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) IV base in Antarctica under psychological evaluation after reports of his violent behaviour emerged, including physical assault and sexual harassment of his teammates. Reports of assault were first reported last weekend by South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, which claimed to have seen a distress email sent by a crew member to government officials. That person pleaded for rescue and said the violent staff member had made death threats. Officials said psychological counsellors have since “constantly” intervened remotely and that the accused crew member is being “cooperative”. Here’s what we know about the incident and the research work being done at the SANAE IV base.
ZIMBABWE
The March 31 Uprising: Will it succeed?
Zimbabwe’s most wanted political fugitive has caused a stir after urging citizens to rise up against President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the end of March. The ruling ZANU-PF party has vowed that no protests will occur. After going into hiding for about a month, Zimbabwe war veteran Blessed Geza resurfaced this week calling for unity during planned protests on March 31… Zimbabwe’s information minister asked Zimbabweans to ignore Geza’s “delusional rumblings,” saying the political fugitive wants to cause disunity in the ruling ZANU-PF and the country by calling for anti-government protests on March 31. He added that law enforcement agents were on high alert, ready to deal with anyone attempting to cause unrest within the country’s borders. Geza wants Mnangagwa to step down immediately and pave the way for Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, a former military general who was said to be behind the November 2017 coup which forced longtime ruler Robert Mugabe to resign.
NORTH AFRICA
ALGERIA
President says Macron remains ‘only point of reference’ for mending ties with France
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has said that French counterpart Emmanuel Macron is the “only point of reference” for mending frayed ties with its former colonial ruler. Relations between Paris and Algiers have been strained over immigration and since Macron recognized Moroccan sovereignty of the disputed territory of Western Sahara in July 2024. “We will keep President Macron as our sole point of reference,” Tebboune said in an interview broadcast on Algerian television late Saturday night, March 22. “He remains the French president, and all problems must be resolved with him or with the person he delegates.” The Algerian leader said he had “complete confidence” in his foreign minister Ahmed Attaf, whose ministry has described Algiers as a victim of a “vengeful and hateful French far right.” Tensions worsened after Algiers refused to accept the return of undocumented Algerian migrants from France. Hardline French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau threatened a response if Algeria continues to refuse to admit its expelled nationals. He has led the verbal attacks on Algeria in the media, fuelling tensions between the countries. Relations were also damaged after the arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in November.
EGYPT
Mother of activist imprisoned in Egypt threatens to go back on hunger strike
The mother of the jailed British-Egyptian human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has said she will go on hunger strike again by the end of the month if no substantive progress is made to release her son. Laila Soueif, 68, said: “I know the step will mean I have a week or fortnight left to live.” In hospital doctors warned her she was close to death, while she herself wrote a letter to the Egyptian ambassador in London asking for her daughters to be given permission to take her body back to Cairo to be buried close to her deceased husband… There is still hope that Fattah could be freed as part of a wider amnesty linked to the end of Ramadan on 30 March. He has served more than his five-year sentence, but was not released last September on completion of his sentence because the Egyptian authorities chose to ignore the two years he spent in detention before his case was heard.
LIBYA
OpEd: The UN has opened up Libya to foreign meddling and foreign fighters
MOROCCO
OpEd: The Gaza war has not distanced Morocco from Israel, quite the opposite
The kingdom’s ties with Israel have strengthened despite it being one of the Arab countries where opposition to the war has been strongest.
TUNISIA
President sacks PM amid economic and migration crisis
President Kais Saied sacked Prime Minister Kamel Maddouri less than a year after his appointment, and named Sara Zaafarani as his replacement, amid a faltering economy and a worsening flood of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa countries. Zaafarani is the third prime minister in less than two years.
In recent months, Saied has sharply criticized the performance of ministers, saying many they have not met the required standards and that the expectations of the Tunisian people are high. Last, month he sacked Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri. Economic growth has not exceeded 1.4% in the past year, and the North African country’s public finances face a severe crisis that has led to shortages of key commodities including sugar, rice and coffee. The country also is facing widespread criticism over an unprecedented migrant crisis, as thousands of sub-Saharan African migrants are flocking to Tunisia seeking to reach the Italian coast. Thousands of them are living in tents in forests in Amra and Jbeniana after authorities prevented them from reaching Europe by sea.
Tunisia withdraws from African Union human rights court
In a declaration on Thursday, Tunisia announced “the withdrawal of its recognition of the competence of the (African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights) to accept cases from individuals and non-governmental organisations”. A reason for the Tunisian government’s withdrawal from the Tanzania-based court, but the move comes at a time when Tunis is increasingly slipping into authoritarianism following a power grab by president Kais Saeid back in 2019. Exiting the court – which is tasked with enforcing the African Union’s human rights charter – essentially deprives individuals and human rights groups from bringing cases against Tunisian authorities. The move comes amid a series of cases filed against Tunis in recent years, such as in May 2023 when the relatives of four detained opposition figures – including Ennahdha party leader Rached Ghannouchi – filed a case demanding their release. In August last year, the AU court then ruled against Tunisia and urged the government to stop preventing the detainees from accessing their doctors and lawyers.
UNITED NATIONS & RELATED
One million malnourished children in Nigeria and Ethiopia risk losing aid, UNICEF says
The United Nations children’s agency said on Friday it will run out of its supply of lifesaving food to treat children suffering from acute forms of malnutrition in Ethiopia and Nigeria within the next two months due to lack of funding exacerbated by Trump administration cuts to foreign aid. Some 1.3 million children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition risk losing access to lifesaving support this year in Ethiopia and Nigeria, UNICEF says. International donors have in recent years reduced contributions to UN agencies, including UNICEF. Its funding woes were accelerated when the United States, its top donor, imposed a 90-day pause on all U.S. foreign aid on the first day of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. That action have jeopardised the delivery of lifesaving food and medical aid, throwing into chaos global humanitarian relief efforts.
Sexual misconduct allegations in UN missions topped 100 in 2024, UN says
Allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation in U.N. peacekeeping and political missions topped 100 for the third time in the last 10 years in 2024, according to a U.N. report released Tuesday, which said 65 of the allegations involved women who gave birth after saying they were raped and were seeking child support. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report to the General Assembly that the allegations identified 125 victims — 98 adults and 27 children. This was fewer than the 145 victims identified in 2023, he said. According to the report, two U.N. peacekeeping missions accounted for 82% of the 102 allegations — Congo with 44 and the Central African Republic with 40. The United Nations has long been in the spotlight over allegations of child rape and other sexual abuses by its peacekeepers, especially by those based in the two African countries.
AFRICA-GENERAL NEWS
French billionaire Vincent Bolloré sued for being at heart of African ‘system of corruption’
Although he sold in 2022 his company to a Swiss group MSC for €5.7 billion, Vincent Bolloré’s African affairs are still far from being judicially settled. After the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) requested, in 2024, that the billionaire be put on trial for corruption, a new front opened up against him on Tuesday, March 18, in a complaint filed in the same jurisdiction. Eleven organizations working for transparency in Africa have filed a complaint with the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, alleging charges such as money laundering. They have demanded the restitution of billions of euros to ‘victim states and populations,’ sums stemming from the 2022 sale of Bolloré Africa Logistics. When contacted, a lawyer for the Bolloré group, Olivier Baratelli, did not “see it useful to react.” On Wednesday, March 19, the PNF confirmed that it had received the complaint, which was “currently being examined.”
Africa’s fight to free itself of pollution’s chokehold
Over 47 million health professionals, patients, advocates, and civil society representatives worldwide have united to demand urgent measures to combat air pollution and safeguard public health. This resounding plea will take centre stage at the Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, jointly hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Colombian government in Cartagena from March 25 to 27. Data shows that air pollution is one of the most potent environmental threats to health, claiming an estimated seven million lives annually. It is the leading cause of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, strokes, lung cancer, and pneumonia. The toll is particularly severe in Africa, where rapid urbanisation and reliance on polluting energy sources are rampant. From the industrial hotspots of South Africa to Kenya’s rural hinterland, where families rely on open fires for cooking, the air people breathe is slowly stealing their health and future.
Africa’s silent epidemic of maternal mortality
Millions of women and their families in Africa and elsewhere suffer the shock and uncertainty wrought by life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth every year.
According to a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), severe bleeding (haemorrhage) and hypertensive disorders like preeclampsia are the leading causes of maternal deaths globally. In 2020 alone, excessive bleeding and preeclampsia claimed approximately 80,000 and 50,000 lives, respectively. Published in The Lancet Global Health journal, the study underscores the need for improved access to lifesaving treatments and comprehensive maternal care… In 2020, an estimated 287,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes—equivalent to one death every two minutes.
OpEd: Belgium’s government abducted us as children. They must pay
Jacqui Goegebeur was one of thousands of ‘Metis’ children – those of mixed European and African heritage – systematically abducted from their mothers during Belgium’s colonial rule in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is her story.
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