News That Matters To Africa©️
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HIGHLIGHTS
More than 4 million refugees have fled Sudan war
Amnesty criticizes Nigeria’s military air strike
South Africa’s Stock Market hits record levels
Africa targeted for majority of Bill Gates’ $200BN
TOP NEWS
AFRICA-WIDE NEWS
AFRICAN DIASPORA
UN-AFFAIRS
EASTERN AFRICA
BURUNDI
Burundi recalls ambassador from Belgium
The Burundi government has recalled its ambassador to Belgium for consultations to assess the state of relations between the two countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Aimé Nyamitwe told the African News Agency that relations between the two countries were not at the desired level. A diplomat in Bujumbura who asked to remain anonymous said it was normal for a country to summon an ambassador for consultations when relations with the host country were troubled. But, in the case of the ambassador of Burundi to Belgium, “it is abnormal because he was told to leave with all the existing contracts with Belgian companies and institutions, as well as the estimate of the cost of the embassy removal”, he told ANA. The measure may have heavy consequences for one of the poorest countries in the world. Relations between Belgium and Burundi have been deteriorating for about two months. Burundian authorities accuse Brussels of being behind the destabilisation in the country.
Photos: People in Burundi struggle amid Lake Tanganyika’s endless flooding
Climate change drives severe flooding, displacing families, spreading disease, and leaving urgent aid gaps in one of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries.
ETHIOPIA
Govt nears deal with IMF
The Ethiopian government has reached an initial agreement with the International Monetary Fund that could see the country access $260 million in new financial assistance. The lender’s executive board and management still need to approve the deal, which followed a recent IMF review of a $3.4 billion four-year funding package for the East African economy. Ethiopia has been trying to raise confidence among international lenders in the past year amid a host of fiscal challenges: It floated its currency in July, for example. The government’s “policy actions in the first year of the program have yielded strong results” and “should help deepen the FX market and tackle remaining distortions,” the IMF said on Friday.
Ethiopian Airlines plans major fleet upgrade with order for 20 regional jets
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest and most profitable carrier, is set to purchase at least 20 regional or small narrowbody planes as part of its strategy to grow its domestic fleet and retire aged aircraft. The Addis Abeba-based airline is presently testing multiple models, including the Airbus A220, Embraer E-2, and Boeing’s yet-to-be-approved 737 MAX 7. While the Boeing 737 MAX 7, one of the contenders for the new regional order, has a larger seating capacity, its certification has yet to be finalized. The actual number of aircraft bought will depend on the type chosen. This strategic move comes as Ethiopian Airlines is witnessing an increase in travel demand while struggling to achieve capacity owing to aircraft delivery delays and ongoing global supply chain problems. Several planes have also been grounded owing to engine shortages, placing pressure on operations even as passenger and cargo numbers increase steadily.
KENYA
Court releases Rose Njeri on bond amidst controversy over crackdown on digital dissent
Kenyan software developer Rose Njeri was arrested on June 1, 2025, after creating a digital tool that allowed users to automatically submit objections to the controversial Finance Bill 2025. She was charged with “unauthorized interference with a computer system” under Kenya’s cybercrime laws. Njeri was released on a KSh 100,000 personal bond, and the court set June 20, 2025, to determine the validity of the charges. Her arrest has sparked national outrage, with civil society groups, politicians, and legal experts condemning the move as an infringement on digital rights and freedom of expression. Notably, former Chief Justice David Maraga and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka are part of her defense team, arguing that the email system she utilized was publicly provided by Parliament for citizen engagement. They contend that Njeri merely facilitated public participation and did not violate any laws. This incident is part of a broader trend of increasing repression in East Africa, where governments are intensifying crackdowns on digital dissent. In neighboring Tanzania, activists and lawyers, including former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, faced deportation or assault while attending a treason case against opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Meanwhile, Uganda has permitted military trials for civilians, and opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains jailed on treason charges
How Kenya quietly abandoned the Sahrawi cause
For decades, Kenya stood firmly in support of Western Sahara’s pursuit of statehood, aligning itself with Pan-African ideals and the right to self-determination. That legacy came to a quiet but seismic shift last week, when Kenya officially opened its first embassy in Rabat and named an inaugural ambassador to Morocco, effectively throwing the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) under the bus. The chronological and political moments behind Nairobi’s dramatic turn on the Sahrawi cause—a founding member of the African Union— was shaped by a seemingly quiet 2021 meeting between then-Deputy President William Ruto and Morocco’s former envoy to Kenya, Mokhtar Ghambou, helped reshape Kenya’s foreign policy trajectory… On March 23, 2021, during a meeting with Ambassador Ghambou in Gigiri, Ruto said: “The autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty is the best solution to the Sahara issue.” It was a glaring contradiction to official Kenyan policy and, in hindsight, the beginning of a diplomatic pivot. Barely a day after being sworn in as President in September 2022, Ruto stunned observers with a tweet announcing Kenya’s withdrawal of SADR recognition. The tweet was deleted within 11 hours after a domestic and international outcry…The real pivot came in May 2025 when Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi issued a statement endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan as “the only credible and serious” solution. The announcement marked the end of Kenya’s historical support for SADR, without any public explanation.
Safaricom to invest $500m in AI
The amount Safaricom plans to invest in artificial intelligence infrastructure across East Africa over the next three years. The funds will support local developers and companies building AI solutions in industries such as agriculture, health care, and financial services, according to the Kenyan telecoms giant’s chief business officer Cynthia Karuri-Kropac. A key goal for Safaricom, Kenya’s largest mobile network operator, is to meet Africa’s specific AI needs. “We must build AI that reflects our values, cultures, and priorities. Are we ready to write Africa’s AI story?” she told the Connected Africa Summit 2025 in Diani, a town south of the coastal city of Mombasa.
Secret burials, ‘cult-like’ practices at Kenyan church
Just more than a month ago, the church in Opapo village, in western Kenya, was thrust into the spotlight when reports of secret burials and “cult-like” practices emerged. On April 21, local police stormed the grounds and discovered two bodies buried within the fenced compound – including that of a police officer who was also a church member – as well as dozens of other worshippers who had been living there. During the raid, 57 people were rescued and taken into custody. In the weeks since, most have been released, but police have banned them from returning to the church and sealed off the compound. For Kenyans, the incident has unearthed the memory of other controversial churches steeped in allegations of abuse, like the 2023 case where more than 400 people linked to a church-cult starved to death in the Shakahola Forest. In Opapo village, residents are troubled by the deaths and the decades-long secrecy surrounding the church. Many want to see the permanent closure of the compound and the exhumation and return of the bodies buried there.
OpEd: Ngugi wa Thiong’o was not just a writer, he was a militant
RWANDA
Rwanda nears migrant hosting agreement with U.S.
The Trump administration appears to be positioning Rwanda as the latest addition to a growing list of partner nations—including El Salvador, Mexico, and most recently, South Sudan—willing to accept deportees as part of its intensified migration crackdown. The US appears to be adopting a version of the UK’s previously discarded plan to deport asylum-seekers to certain countries. The UK’s “Rwanda scheme,” introduced by the Conservative government in 2022, was met with controversy and ultimately scrapped by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly after taking office, with him labeling it a “gimmick” that was ineffective. The US now seems to be following a similar approach, looking to partner with Rwanda to accept deportees. Media reports that the U.S. administration appears to have already tested Rwanda as a deportation destination. Earlier this year, reports emerged that the U.S. deported an Iraqi national, Omar Abdulsattar Ameen, to Rwanda, paying $100,000 to cover relocation costs. Ameen has long been a controversial figure, having drawn attention since the Trump administration’s earlier attempt to extradite him to Iraq.
SOMALIA
Puntland forces make gains against ISIS terrorists
The Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces have continued to make immense gains in eastern regions, with the ISIS militants suffering numerous setbacks, including the latest deaths of at least 10 fighters, who had planned an attack against the security teams. According to Puntland Counter-Terrorism Forces, the ten militants were hiding in the Shaakaalooyin area before they faced off with the military teams that were pursuing them in Miraale and Baalade valleys in the Bari region…And on Tuesday morning, the fighting resumed within the same region, leading to fierce clashes with casualties reported as well. The Puntland air and ground forces within Miraale areas were activated and are responding with equal force, officials said…At night on Monday, fresh airstrikes were carried out by the US Africa Command in support of the Puntland Counter-Terrorism operations, with four locations also targeted. The Miraale area was one of the targeted regions during the onslaught. ISIS fighters were fleeing from the area while running to nearby caves to shield themselves from the airstrikes in the vicinity.
President announces new political forum amid criticism
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has officially announced a national political consultative forum scheduled to take place in Mogadishu on June 15, 2025. The forum is expected to bring together politicians, community leaders, and key political stakeholders from across the country…The announcement comes at a politically sensitive time, following a joint statement by opposition leaders who rejected Villa Somalia’s proposed electoral roadmap. With less than a year remaining in President Hassan Sheikh’s term, critics have accused him of attempting to orchestrate a term extension through unilateral decision-making…Once a vital platform for dialogue between the federal government and member states, the NCC is now widely seen as defunct after three of the five federal member states aligned politically with the ruling party led by President Hassan Sheikh. This consolidation of political power under a single bloc has intensified concerns over the inclusivity and neutrality of the upcoming forum.
SOMALILAND
President’s diplomatic tour: A mixed reception in the Horn of Africa
President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Irro” of Somaliland concluded a significant diplomatic tour in May 2025, visiting neighboring Djibouti and regional powerhouse Kenya. The visits aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and advance Somaliland’s foreign policy objectives. While the trip to Kenya saw notable developments, the reception in Djibouti underscored the persistent challenges Somaliland faces in its quest for international recognition. President Irro’s visit to Djibouti was his first to an African nation since taking office… discussions regarding Somaliland’s international recognition were not on the agenda. Instead, the focus was primarily on issues of mutual economic interest, particularly the utilization of Djibouti’s fiber optic cable network in Somaliland… it reinforces that Djibouti’s engagement with Hargeisa remains largely pragmatic and economic, rather than political endorsement of Somaliland’s sovereignty. In contrast to the subdued reception in Djibouti, President Irro’s visit to Kenya, his third foreign trip since assuming office, saw more overt displays of engagement. Despite strong opposition from the Federal Government of Somalia and initial statements from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirming Somalia’s territorial integrity, President Irro was received by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs. A significant development during the Kenyan visit was the inauguration of Somaliland’s new diplomatic mission office in Nairobi on May 29, 2025. Discussions between President Irro and President Ruto reportedly covered a range of bilateral and regional issues, including trade, security, education, and institutional development. While direct recognition of Somaliland was not declared, the meeting and the upgrade of the diplomatic mission represent a significant step in Somaliland’s efforts to enhance its international presence and establish more formal relations with key regional players.
SOUTH SUDAN
Judge rips Trump Administration over failure to give deportees due process
A Boston-based federal judge lambasted the Trump administration for misrepresenting his order and falsely attacking him, amid a dispute over the administration’s illegal effort to deport undocumented men to South Sudan without first giving them due process. “Defendants have mischaracterized this Court’s order, while at the same time manufacturing the very chaos they decry,” U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy said. Murphy had previously prevented the government from moving migrants to countries other than their own, so-called “third-country deportations,” without first giving them adequate notice and a chance to express fear of persecution or torture if they are transferred. Last week, Murphy said the Trump administration “unquestionably” violated his order by attempting to move multiple undocumented men to South Sudan, a country on the verge of civil war that the men are not citizens of and have no relation to, without giving them due process. Rather than ordering the government to return the men to the U.S., the judge allowed the government to retain custody over the men at a U.S. military base in Djibouti but ordered that the men be given a chance to object to being transferred to South Sudan. Almost immediately after Murphy issued his order, he was attacked by President Donald Trump and his officials…In response, Murphy pleaded for Trump to tone down its rhetoric. “It continues to be this Court’s sincere hope that reason can get the better of rhetoric,” the judge said.
SUDAN
More than 4 million refugees have fled Sudan civil war, UN says
The number of people who have fled Sudan since the beginning of its civil war in 2023 has surpassed four million, U.N. refugee agency officials said on Tuesday, adding that many survivors faced inadequate shelter due to funding shortages. “Now in its third year, the 4 million people is a devastating milestone in what is the world’s most damaging displacement crisis at the moment,” U.N. refugee agency spokesperson Eujin Byun told a Geneva press briefing. “If the conflict continues in Sudan, thousands more people, we expect thousands more people will continue to flee, putting regional and global stability at stake,” she said. Sudan, which erupted in violence in April 2023, shares borders with seven countries: Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and Libya.
Sudan’s Transitional Government Dissolved, New Administration Awaited
Sudan’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Kamil Idris has dissolved the government, tasking the secretary-generals and undersecretaries of ministries with continuing governmental duties until a new administration is formed, the official news agency SUNA reported. The announcement followed a Sunday evening meeting between Idris and his cabinet…In an address to the Sudanese before the meeting, Idris outlined the government’s priorities, which include launching a comprehensive dialogue and eradicating the rebellion, referring to the RSF. He declared six urgent national priorities to the Sudanese people, foremost among them “national security and state prestige by eliminating the rebellion and all forms of rebellious militias.” Idris called on countries supporting “militias” to cease what he described as criminal operations, including those involved in planning, financing, and assisting in their implementation…Idris said his priorities include initiating a Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue that excludes no party, pledging to maintain an equal distance from all political forces…Idris’s appointment as prime minister has been met with objections from some political forces, saying it could legitimize military rule and prolong the ongoing conflict
Accusations fly after aid convoy destroyed in North Darfur
North Darfur’s government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) traded accusations on Tuesday over an attack that destroyed a World Food Programme (WFP) aid convoy in Al-Koma of North Darfur. Ibrahim Khater, Director General of the Ministry of Health in North Darfur state, told Sudan Tribune the RSF militia “set fire to trucks carrying relief materials in Al-Koma city.” He said the fire was in retaliation for the army targeting RSF military gatherings in the town last Saturday. Khater denied accusations that the Sudanese army was behind the incident, adding that the army “has no interest in burning aid and targeting humanitarian convoys.” He said the militia committed the crime “to choke the residents of El Fasher.” He stated that most of the convoy was en route to El Fasher, but the RSF had impounded the trucks for more than 10 days, preventing them from leaving for the North Darfur capital. The WFP in Sudan had announced on May 14 the departure of a convoy from the Al-Debba area in Northern State, heading to El Fasher, carrying food and nutritional supplies.
TANZANIA
Kenyan and Ugandan activists say they were sexually assaulted in Tanzania
A Kenyan and a Ugandan human rights activist who were detained in Tanzania for several days last month said on Monday that Tanzanian security officers sexually assaulted them while in custody. Kenya’s Boniface Mwangi and Uganda’s Agather Atuhaire were detained after arriving in Dar es Salaam to attend the first court appearance of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. Tanzanian authorities have not commented on Mwangi and Atuhaire’s detentions, though in public remarks on May 19, the day they were detained, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned foreign activists against “invading and interfering in our affairs.” After being taken into custody at their hotel in Dar es Salaam, Mwangi said they were blindfolded by police officers and taken to a house. He said that while questioning him about the whereabouts of his phone and laptop, his interrogators stripped him, blindfolded him and sexually assaulted him. He cried as he described his ordeal at a press conference in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, adding that the security personnel had also photographed him while assaulting him. Atuhaire said she too had been blindfolded, tied up and similarly assaulted. Both activists were eventually dumped near the borders of their countries, where they crossed back home.
UGANDA
Uganda Army kills 2 after explosion reported in capital
Uganda’s army said it killed two “armed terrorists” in the capital Kampala on Tuesday after reports of a bomb explosion ahead of the country’s annual Martyr’s Day celebrations. The authorities did not immediately confirm reports by NBS Television and other local media of an explosion near the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine. But army spokesman Chris Magezi posted on X that a “counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb”. He said security services were on “heightened alert to ensure the Martyrs Day celebrations proceed without disruption”. Uganda marks Martyrs Day each June 3 to remember the killing of 45 Christian converts in the 1880s on the orders of Mwanga II, king of Buganda, which later became part of Uganda.
Human rights groups demand sanctions on East Africa leaders over state-sponsored abuse
Human rights organizations have called for international sanctions against East African leaders, including Kenyan President William Ruto, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in response to alleged state-sponsored abuses. The coalition, led by former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, condemned the detention and reported torture of activists Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda in Tanzania. Both activists were reportedly held with valid East African passports and return tickets, raising concerns about the suppression of dissent and the abuse of state power. The coalition also criticized the silence and inaction of regional and international bodies, including the East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the African Union (AU), describing their response as “deafening.” They demanded immediate sanctions against the implicated leaders and called for a full explanation from the Tanzanian government regarding the arrest, detention, and expulsion of Mwangi and Atuhaire. Additionally, they urged the Kenyan government to prosecute individuals involved in the abduction, disappearance, and killings of youth since June 2024 and to release software developer Ruth Njeri, who was arrested for allegedly creating an application allowing Kenyans to reject specific clauses in the 2025 Finance Bill.
This call for sanctions underscores growing concerns over human rights violations and the erosion of democratic freedoms in the region. The international community’s response to these demands remains to be seen, as the situation continues to develop.
WEST AFRICA
ECOWAS
ECOWAS urges end to petrol imports, calls Dangote refinery “beacon of hope’
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a resounding call for an end to petrol imports within the region, positioning Nigeria’s sprawling Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a critical “beacon of hope” for Africa’s industrial future. During a high-level visit to the 650,000 barrels-per-day facility, ECOWAS Commission President, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, lauded the refinery as a testament to the private sector’s transformative power and a blueprint for regional self-reliance. Touray, accompanied by a delegation including Sediko Douka, ECOWAS commissioner for infrastructure, energy and digitalisation, expressed profound optimism at the sheer scale and sophistication of the refinery. “What I have seen today gives me a lot of hope, and everybody who doesn’t believe in Africa should come here,” he remarked, visibly impressed.
GHANA
From finance minister to outlaw: Ghana’s Ofori-Atta declared wanted again
Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s former Minister of Finance, has been branded a wanted person by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) after failing to appear for interrogation on Monday. The reissued warrant is related to continuing investigations into potential wrongdoing during his tenure, namely, payments made for contentious projects. This recent action represents a substantial shift from events in February 2025, when the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) officially removed Ofori-Atta from its wanted list. According to the OSP, Ofori-Atta’s new status as a “wanted individual and fugitive from justice” derives from his failure to provide a plausible schedule for his return or response to summons…Consequently, the Office of the Special Prosecutor declares that Mr. Ofori-Atta is a wanted person and a fugitive from justice,” OSP added. The special prosecutor also initiated the procedure for issuing an Interpol red alert for Ofori-Atta’s arrest and extradition to Ghana.
Ghana’s Cedi Ranks as World’s Best Performing Currency
Ghana’s cedi has stunned global markets in 2025, becoming the world’s best-performing currency with a nearly 50% surge against the dollar. This comeback—fueled by soaring gold prices, strict Bank of Ghana policies, and a $3 billion IMF program—marks a sharp turnaround from its 2022 collapse, triggered by a debt crisis and inflationary spiral. Other factors include increased FX reserves, commodity windfalls, and political stability under President Mahama. Moreover, strategic moves such as forex market reforms and domestic gold-settlement mandates have helped strengthen Ghana’s external position. Despite the progress, the central bank remains cautious, with Governor Johnson Asiama emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balanced currency management. Nevertheless, investors are cheering the cedi’s rally, which was largely unexpected.
GUINEA
President’s nemesis carted off to prison after calling out military abductions
Aliou Bah asked religious leaders to break their silence on the disappearance of political activists and called the military junta incompetent. The leader of the MoDeL party (Mouvement Démocratique Libéral) will now spend two years in prison. Bah, a political outsider who has become one of the main symbols of resistance to General Mamadi Doumbouya’s rule, was first sentenced in January. The two-year prison terms followed charges that he had offended and defamed Doumbouya. The offence was a reported Bah remark made about the military group ruling the country, officially named the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development, calling it incompetent. He criticised what he saw as a lack of transparency in how the government is managing a $20-billion mining project, Simandou. Bah also reportedly called on religious leaders to speak out about the enforced disappearances of activists. Foniké Menguè and Billo Bah, leaders of a protest movement, disappeared in July, and journalist Habib Marouane Camara has also not been seen since December. Witnesses and their lawyers say that all were abducted at night by men in military uniforms. The authorities denied any involvement in their disappearances and have pegged Bah’s prosecution for defamation on the claims.
IVORY COAST
Coalition calls for election talks
Thousands rallied in Ivory Coast on Saturday at the first gathering of an opposition coalition, demanding political dialogue ahead of a presidential vote from which authorities have banned four prominent candidates. Tensions are high in the French-speaking country ahead of the October 25 election, with memories still fresh of the 2010–2011 crisis that killed around 3,000 people after then-president Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to current leader Alassane Ouattara. The 24-party coalition is calling for a revision of the electoral register before the polls, to allow the barred candidates to be registered and for a reform of the electoral commission…Tidjane Thiam, the head of the main opposition party who is barred from running in the vote due to a dispute about his nationality, addressed the crowd via livestream from abroad, where he has been for over two months.
MALÍ
Insurgents overrun Mali base
The jihadist group, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), said in a statement on Sunday that it had seized the base in Boulkessi in central Mali, near the border with Burkina Faso. The Malian army said it had been forced to pull back…A spokesperson did not respond to a question about the toll, but two security sources said more than 30 soldiers had been killed. A municipal source at Mondoro, near the base, said the insurgents “cleared the camp” and that there were many dead…JNIM has claimed responsibility for a host of recent attacks in the region. On May 24, it said it had attacked a base in Dioura, central Mali, killing 40 soldiers. Last Friday, it said it had seized a base in Sirakorola in southwestern Mali, although the army said it had repelled the attack. It did not provide a toll for that incident either. In neighbouring Burkina Faso, JNIM claimed attacks on military positions and the town of Djibo in mid-May in which it said it had killed 200 soldiers. And in Niger, more than 100 soldiers were killed in two attacks in the Tahoua region on May 24 and the Dosso region on May 26, security sources said.
NIGERIA
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200
Flash flooding in north-central Nigeria last week killed more than 200 people, the Niger state humanitarian commissioner said Tuesday, while hundreds more remain missing and are feared dead. The town of Mokwa was hit with the worst flash flood in living memory Thursday from overnight rains, with more than 250 homes destroyed and swathes of the town wiped out in a single morning…Given the number of people still missing nearly a week later, the toll from a single morning of flooding in Mokwa could be worse than all of 2024 combined, which saw 321 deaths from flooding across the country…Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. Floodwaters would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. Floods in Nigeria are often exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels.
Military air strike kills at least 20 people – Amnesty calls it reckless
A military air strike in northwest Nigeria has killed at least 20 people, according to the military and local residents, prompting calls from human rights groups for an investigation into the attack. The strike occurred over the weekend in Zamfara state, one of the regions worst affected by violence from armed groups, commonly referred to as “bandits”. Nigerian Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the strike followed intelligence that “a significant number of terrorists were massing and preparing to strike unsuspecting settlements…Further intelligence confirmed that the bandits had killed some farmers and abducted a number of civilians, including women and children”… However, according to residents, it was a group of local vigilantes pursuing a gang that was mistakenly bombed by a Nigerian military jet. “We were hit by double tragedy on Saturday,” said Buhari Dangulbi, a resident of the affected area. “Dozens of our people and several cows were taken by bandits, and those who trailed the bandits to rescue them were attacked by a fighter jet. It killed 20 of them.” Amnesty International condemned the strike and urged a full investigation. “Attacks by bandits clearly warrant a response from the state, but to launch reckless air strikes into villages – again and again – is absolutely unlawful,” the rights group said.
Top ISWAP Commander Abu Fatima Killed by Nigerian Troops
Abu Fatima, a high-ranking commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and one of Nigeria’s most wanted terrorists, has been killed by troops of the Nigerian Army’s Operation Hadin Kai. Abu Fatima had a ₦100 million bounty on his head. He was killed along with two of his key lieutenants in Aleru village, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Nigerian Army officially confirmed the operation on its Facebook page earlier Friday. According to sources, Abu Fatima coordinated ISWAP’s attacks in northern Borno, particularly around the Baga axis. He was reportedly captured alive but succumbed to excessive bleeding. This decisive operation, which also saw the recovery of motorcycles, AK-47 rifles, and bomb-making materials, marks a major setback for ISWAP operating in the region. For residents of Baga, Kukawa, Cross, Doro, and surrounding areas where fishermen and farmers were killed by his group, Abu Fatima’s death is as significant as that of Abubakar Shekau, the former Boko Haram leader.
Analysis: Resurgent jihadist violence in northeast Nigeria part of a worrying regional trend
Nigeria imports Danish cows in bid to slash $1.5 billion milk import bill
Nigeria is importing dairy cattle from Denmark as it aims to double its milk output within five years, part of a plan to cut dairy imports that cost the country $1.5 billion a year, Livestock Minister Idi Maiha said on Monday. Despite boasting one of Africa’s largest cattle populations, Nigeria’s milk output of 700,000 tonnes a year lags its annual consumption of 1.6 million tonnes. This shortfall means the country imports around 60% of its milk. “Our goal is ambitious but achievable; to double Nigeria’s milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years,” he said. A Nigerian farm has already imported over 200 heifers from Denmark, building its herd through intensive breeding, Maiha said. So far, eight new pasture species have been registered, the first in 48 years, and a national strategy for animal genetic resources with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization has been launched, he said.
SENEGAL
Govt aims to raise tax collection to cut reliance on external funding
Senegal plans to boost tax compliance to increase revenue and reduce reliance on financing from external sources like the International Monetary Fund, its Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has said. The West African nation is engaging with the IMF to craft a resolution following a case of misreporting of debt and deficit levels, which led to the suspension of its $1.8 billion financing programme with the Fund. “Good tax reform… can help us withstand the 250 billion CFA francs ($437.64 million) that the IMF gives us every year,” Sonko was quoted as telling Senegalese nationals living in Guinea by Le Soleil newspaper on Tuesday. The government will make all Senegalese pay their fair share of taxes, the paper reported the prime minister as saying, to avoid raising taxes. The revelations of Senegal’s understated debt have pummelled its assets. Senegal’s dollar bonds have made losses of 7.3% for investors this year so far, according to a JPMorgan bond index, compared with the average gains of 3% for its Africa peers in the same time.
Israeli ambassador chased off campus by pro-Palestinian protesters in Senegal
Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuval Waks, was forced to leave a university campus in Dakar last Tuesday after students protested his presence and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans, according to footage circulating on social media. Waks had been invited to speak at a conference on international relations practices at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), the country’s largest and most prominent higher education institution. But as he arrived, dozens of students gathered outside the hall, chanting “Free Palestine,” “Free Gaza” and “Israel is a war criminal.” Videos shared online show students waving Palestinian flags and booing the newly appointed envoy, preventing him from delivering his speech. Waks was escorted off by security and left the campus without addressing the audience. Protesters continued to follow him, shouting slogans and waving flags as he departed. Waks, who also serves as Israel’s non-resident ambassador to Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and Chad, presented his credentials to Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on May 8.
THE SAHEL
Video: Shifting powers in the Sahel
The political and economic tides are turning across West Africa. As new leaders like Gabon’s President Oligui Nguema take power and regional governments push back against colonial legacies, France’s grip weakens. Russia’s growing presence and the debate over the CFA franc reflect a changing landscape.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
MALAWI
British-Malawian hit with ‘state capture’ charges
In a scandal likened to that of the Guptas in South Africa, a British-Malawian businessman has been indicted in the United Kingdom on 18 counts of bribery. Zuneth Sattar is accused of orchestrating a sprawling corruption network in Malawi. The charges, filed in Westminster on Friday, place Sattar at the centre of what prosecutors describe as an elaborate scheme to secure multimillion-dollar contracts by bribing senior Malawian public officials. The indictment follows a multi-year investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency, and marks the first time Sattar has faced criminal proceedings over the allegations. Among the high-profile officials named in court documents as alleged beneficiaries are a top cop, the former VP, State House chief of staff and the ex-head of the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau. If convicted, Sattar faces prison time, fines, and potential asset forfeiture. Though Malawian authorities had previously frozen Sattar’s accounts and arrested officials linked to him, they failed to extradite or prosecute him. In a national address in 2022, President Lazarus Chakwera admitted over $150-million in contracts were awarded to Sattar-linked companies from 2017 to 2021, largely by the police and defence forces.
Conservationist’s dream turns into a nightmare
It was a fairytale fantasy of wildlife and people – until the killing began. On 3 February 2023, “everything fell apart,” for 35-year-old Kannock Phiri, the pumpkin-slicing father. “She (wife) went out to fetch vegetables for lunch…They found her body in the maize field later that day.” Strapped to Masiye Banda’s back was the couple’s one-year-old daughter Beatrice, who survived with injuries. Eighteen months before the tragedy, journalists from around the world were in Kasungu snapping dramatic pictures as elephants were lifted by industrial cranes into the national park. Malawian wildlife authorities, with funding and expert advice from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), were giving 263 elephants a new and larger home. Since then, 10 people in the area have been killed by elephants, or in circumstances the community blames on their sudden influx. A lawsuit being prepared by UK firm Leigh Day alleges that more than 12,000 people across 1,684 households have suffered injury, death, displacement, and starvation because of the translocation… IFAW didn’t respond to request for comment, but issued a statement last June which said that it was the government of Malawi that “chose to relocate elephants” and its own input was financial support and conservation expertise. But at least one conservation insider suggested the fund’s role was more than simply passive.
SOUTH AFRICA
Stock Market hits record levels
South Africa’s stock market hit record highs, providing a reprieve for the government amid escalating trade tensions with Washington. Boosted by a jump in revenues for Naspers, the country’s largest listed company, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange was on pace for its best month in nearly a year, during which it has outperformed the markets of both the US and peer countries. It comes as investors have piled into South African bonds as they seek alternatives to US assets. However, the country’s governing coalition still faces huge economic challenges: Youth unemployment is among the highest in the world, while the economy is expected to expand just 1% this year, far below the continental average of 3.9%.
Gauteng is SA’s kidnapping capital and Joburg is the worst by far
The latest crime statistics, covering the fourth quarter from 1 January to 31 March 2025, expose a troubling trend: kidnappings in Johannesburg have soared and sharp increases have been recorded all over the city. Half of Johannesburg’s police stations are in the top 30 nationwide for reported kidnappings and five – Johannesburg Central, Moroka, Roodepoort, Jabulani and Midrand – rank among the top eight. What’s worse for Gauteng as a whole is that 26 of the top 30 police stations for kidnapping cases are in the province. All the police stations in Johannesburg on the list of 30 recorded increases in kidnappings with the exception of four… Crime expert Herman Bos¬man says crimes such as kidnappings balloon because of the ineptitude of law enforcement. “The largely dysfunctional intelligence structures in South Africa add to this alarming situation… South Africa desperately needs a police service that is professional, well-trained and free from political meddling,” Bosman said.
Musk, Thiel and the shadow of apartheid South Africa
Elon Musk lived in apartheid South Africa until he was 17. David SackThiele venture capitalist who has become a fundraiser for Donald Trump and a troll of Ukraine, left aged five, and grew up in a South African diaspora family in Tennessee. Peter Thiel spent years of childhood in South Africa and Namibia, where his father was involved in uranium mining as part of the apartheid regime’s clandestine drive to acquire nuclear weapons. And Paul Furber, an obscure South African software developer and tech journalist living near Johannesburg, has been identified by two teams of forensic linguists as the originator of the QAnon conspiracy, which helped shape Trump’s MAGA movement. (Furber denies being “Q”.). In short, four of MAGA’s most influential voices are fifty-something white men with formative experiences in apartheid South Africa. This probably isn’t a coincidence. So what connects these men’s southern African backgrounds with Maga today? Southern Africa under apartheid offered an extreme version of some of the main themes of American life today… The final commonality between many white South Africans who experienced the end of apartheid and today’s American right: a contempt for government.
ZIMBABWE
10 rich countries non-committal on Zimbabwe’s $2.6b bridge financing appeal
Zimbabwe is yet to secure any firm pledges of financial support from the 10 countries it appealed to in its ongoing bid to settle long-standing debt arrears. The southern African nation is burdened with a $21 billion debt, which has shut it out of global financial markets since it defaulted in 1999. According to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, he had sent letters to Algeria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK, requesting $2.6 billion in bridge financing to help settle debts owed to major multilateral lenders, including the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the African Development Bank. However, responses from the countries Zimbabwe approached for debt relief have been mixed. “Some of them are very warm, some of them not so warm. You will get a varied response,” he said. One of the major hurdles to securing the bridge financing is that seven of the countries he contacted, including China and Germany, are already creditors to Zimbabwe. Given the large amount of funding Zimbabwe is seeking, it’s unlikely that a single nation will step in as a sponsor. Ncube stressed that it would require a collective effort of at least three countries. He also noted that Zimbabwe may explore other avenues to raise funds for debt repayment, including asset sales, though he did not offer specifics.
NORTH AFRICA
EGYPT
Egypt to Build New Desert City Fed by Rerouted Nile Water
Egypt has unveiled plans for Jirian City, a bold new desert metropolis that will divert about 7% of the country’s annual Nile River water quota to power its development. Located 42 km west of Cairo, the 6.8 million square meter city will feature luxury homes, commercial zones, a yacht marina, and a free economic zone. The rerouted water will also irrigate Egypt’s vast New Delta agricultural project. Through the project, the government aims to boost land value and asset performance, particularly amid economic pressures and growing water scarcity. Tied to broader efforts like the $58 billion new capital city, Jirian reflects Egypt’s push for innovative urban solutions. However, critics, including Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, have questioned the financial burden of such mega-developments.
LIBYA
Protesters call on PM to resign
Hundreds of protesters gathered in central Tripoli on Friday for the third week in a row to demand the resignation of UN-recognised Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah following recent clashes in Libya’s capital. Demonstrators chanted “Dbeibah out”, “the people want the fall of the government”, and “long live Libya”. At least 200 people had assembled by late afternoon, with several hundred more following suit later…The recent unrest came after deadly clashes between armed groups controlling different areas of Tripoli killed at least eight people, according to the UN. The clashes were sparked by the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah’s government — the 444 Brigade which later fought a third group, the Radaa force that controls parts of eastern Tripoli and the city’s airport. The fighting broke out also after Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders seeking to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups but excluding the 444 Brigade.
TUNISIA
Row over ‘repressive’ transfer of political detainees
Several jailed Tunisian opposition figures have been transferred without prior notice to prisons far from their families in a move their lawyers and relatives on Friday denounced as “repressive”. At least seven political figures were moved on Thursday from Mornaguia prison near Tunis to remote facilities, lawyer Dalila Msaddek told AFP. Prominent figure Issam Chebbi was taken to a jail in Tunisia’s northernmost city of Bizerte, while Ridha Belhaj was moved to Siliana some two hours south of Tunis…She called the transfers “a form of harassment” aimed at making it harder for their Tunis-based families and lawyers to visit. Weekly prison visits in Tunisia allow families to bring prisoners baskets of food to last them through the week. Msaddek said some prison inmates resisted the move but were forcibly transferred…”What is happening today is a desperate attempt to silence free voices and intimidate anyone who dares to say ‘no’ to injustice and tyranny,” [Belhaj wrote in a letter posted to social media]…All of the transferred prisoners were defendants in a mass trial last month that saw around 40 public figures, some staunch Saied critics, sentenced to long terms on charges including plotting against the state.
AFRICA-WIDE NEWS
Majority of Bill Gates’ $200BN pledge to go to Africa
The “majority” of the $200 billion Bill Gates plans to give away over the next 20 years through the Gates Foundation will be used to promote development and innovation in Africa, the philanthropist said. The organization, in a statement on Monday that carried the co-founder’s announcement, acknowledged the “current headwinds,” but highlighted examples of government-backed innovation in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria, as well as the potential for AI in the fields of healthcare and education. Gates will be meeting with several of Africa’s AI leaders at an event in Nigeria later this week, the statement said. Gates, in May, said that he planned to use his foundation to give away “virtually” all of his wealth and then sunset his iconic foundation in 2045. He added that the $200 billion estimated spend — twice the amount given away since the foundation was founded — will still struggle to plug the hole left by USAID and other foreign aid rollbacks in recent months. “I’ve always been inspired by the hard work of Africans even in places with very limited resources,” Gates said in a speech at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa on Monday. “By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity — and that path is an exciting thing to be part of.”
Farewell Adesina, hello Ould Tah
Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania was elected the new president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) at the bank’s annual meeting, held this week in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He takes over from bowtie-clad Nigerian economist Akinwumi Adesina who has served two terms, during which the AfDB’s capital increased from $93-billion in 2014 to $318-billion. The AfDB gives direct loans and grants to African governments and focuses on supporting major projects in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and other critical sectors. The Mauritanian’s tenure starts on shaky geopolitical ground. The US is the bank’s third largest shareholder, after Nigeria and Egypt, followed by eight other Western powers who together hold nearly a quarter of the shares. This doesn’t bode well at a time when the Trump administration is retreating from multilateral institutions and isolationist sentiment is growing across the West. But this moment may also open a window for the bank to become the primary lender to governments on the continent, drawing them away from Western finance markets that charge African countries an unjust risk premium. An Africa No Filter study estimated that African countries pay an extra $4.2-billion each year on loans because of this. Ould Tah’s presidency could be an opportunity to bring Africa fairer and more autonomous financing. If the centre holds.
US prepares for Africa Summit
The Trump administration is working out the final details for a US-Africa Leaders Summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September that will be “almost entirely focused on economic growth,” according to its top Africa official. Troy Fitrell, head of the US State Department’s Africa bureau, said he had submitted his recommendations for an event he sees as an opportunity for commercial and market advocacy. His team has been encouraging African governments to come prepared with “a couple of major deals” and use the summit as an “action-forcing event,” he said during a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event in Washington last week. The last US-Africa Leaders Summit was hosted by President Joe Biden in December 2022, drawing more than 40 African leaders. Just before US President Donald Trump took office, lawmakers added a provision in an annual defense bill mandating that the president host an event for African leaders this year, with another one in two years’ time. Congress’ concerns are that limited senior US engagement with African leaders is leading Washington to cede ground to China and other powers.
Fallout From U.S. Aid Withdrawal Hits the World’s Most Fragile Locations
State Department diplomats are reporting that the Trump administration’s sudden withdrawal of foreign aid is bringing about the violence and chaos that many had warned would come. The vacuum left after the U.S. abandoned its humanitarian commitments has destabilized some of the most fragile locations in the world and thrown refugee camps further into unrest. The assessments by American diplomats are not just predictions about the future but detailed accounts of what has already occurred, making them among the first such reports from inside the Trump administration to surface publicly — though experts suspect they will not be the last. In the southeastern African country of Malawi, U.S. funding cuts to the United Nations’ World Food Programme have “yielded a sharp increase in criminality, sexual violence, and instances of human trafficking” within a large refugee camp, U.S. embassy officials told the State Department in late April. To the north, the U.S. embassy in Kenya reported that news of funding cuts to refugee camps’ food programs led to violent demonstrations. During one protest, police responded with gunfire and wounded four people. Refugees have also died at food distribution centers, the officials wrote in the cable, including a pregnant woman who died under a stampede…Jeremy Lewin — an attorney in his late 20s with no prior government experience who is currently in charge of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and running USAID operations — ordered the end of WFP grants altogether in more than a dozen countries. (Amid outcry, he later reinstated a few of them.)
Japan Seeks to Grow Africa Investments to Ease Reliance on China
Japan is supporting its companies to grow their business in Africa and develop trade ties across a continent where it’s mainly been seen as a key donor. The second-biggest Asian economy’s emergence from a three-decade period of deflation has boosted its private sector’s risk appetite, Takehiko Matsuo, vice-minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry told Bloomberg in Abidjan, the commercial hub of Ivory Coast. “Now the mindset of Japanese business leaders has changed dramatically and they are now much more proactive about expanding their business globally,” Matsuo said. “Africa is one of the destinations where we expect Japanese companies” to grow their presence.
Japan is reasserting a commitment to do more business with Africa as it emerges from years during which its private sector was particularly risk-averse…Key sectors of interest for Japan include critical minerals, base metals and rare earths as the government seeks to reduce its reliance on China, coincidently Africa’s top trading partner.
Explainer: Why are humanitarian crises in African countries so ignored?
African countries have again topped the list of the world’s most ignored crises, with nearly all of the worst-funded humanitarian challenges located in the continent in 2024, according to a new study out this week. The report by the nonprofit Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) lists Cameroon, Mozambique and a host of other African nations as some of the most burdened by violence and displacement, but also the most invisible to donors. The news comes as the United States, formerly the world’s biggest aid provider, massively cut development funding this year. Aid agencies received only half of what they needed in 2024, and experts say further shrinking aid will likely make 2025 even more bleak for people in need. Aside from funding, there was little progress on effective conflict resolution, disaster prevention and diplomatic engagement in all the affected countries, the report added.
How Africans became trapped in a cyber-scam in Laos
In Laos’s Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), a sprawling cyber-scam industry has ensnared thousands, including young Africans like Khobby from Ghana. Promised legitimate jobs in online sales, Khobby was instead forced into a scam center where he and others were compelled to operate multiple phones simultaneously, deceiving victims into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. His passport was confiscated, and he was confined to a compound under constant surveillance, enduring long hours and threats of violence. Khobby’s experience is part of a broader pattern where individuals are trafficked from various countries under the guise of employment opportunities. Once in Laos, many find themselves trapped in scam centers, coerced into online fraud, and subjected to abuse. The GTSEZ, operating as a semi-autonomous zone, is notorious for such activities, with foreign nationals often lured by deceptive recruitment practices…thousands of trafficked workers from all over the world – just like Khobby – are reported to spend up to 17 hours a day working online to dupe unsuspecting “clients” into parting with their money. Despite some rescue efforts, the scale of the problem remains significant, with many victims still under the control of exploitative network
AFRICAN DIASPORA
Skulls once subject to racist study in Germany are laid to rest in New Orleans
19 Black patients who died at one New Orleans hospital in the 1870s, had their heads removed by a doctor and sent to Germany. There, the crania were studied as “specimens” in what was then a proliferating pseudoscience of phrenology. It purported connections between someone’s intellect or morality and the size or shape of their skull, with some doctors theorizing superiority of one race over another. The skulls of those 19 patients have now been repatriated to Louisiana after more than a century abroad. On Saturday, they were honored in a multi-faith memorial and laid to rest in a jazz funeral rooted in New Orleans tradition. The remains were returned by the University of Leipzig, which in 2023 contacted the city archeologist in New Orleans, acknowledging, the skulls had been acquired in a “colonial context and unethically.” Researchers presume many of the 19 people had been enslaved, later moved freely after the Civil War, and eventually fell ill or were institutionalized in asylums before landing at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Hospital death records helped reconstruct some biographical moments of the 13 men and four women. Two people are unidentified.
Tulsa’s new Black mayor proposes $100M trust to ‘repair’ impact of 1921 Race Massacre
Tulsa’s new mayor on Sunday proposed a $100 million private trust as part of a reparations plan to give descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre scholarships and housing help in a city-backed bid to make amends for one of the worst racial attacks in U.S. history. The plan by Mayor Monroe Nichols, the first Black mayor of Oklahoma’s second-largest city, would not provide direct cash payments to descendants or the last two centenarian survivors of the attack that killed as many as 300 Black people. He made the announcement at the Greenwood Cultural Center, located in the once-thriving district that was destroyed by a white mob. Nichols said he does not use the term reparations, which he calls politically charged, characterizing his sweeping plan instead as a “road to repair.”… Nichols also realizes the current national political climate, particularly President Trump’s sweeping assault on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, provides challenging political crosswinds. Other communities and organizations that have considered providing reparations range from the state of California to cities like Amherst, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Asheville, North Carolina; and Iowa City, Iowa; religious denominations like the Episcopal Church; and prominent colleges like Georgetown University in Washington.
UN-AFFAIRS
OpEd: Why the UN is inefficient and what to do about it
“Instead of ignoring it, pretending it’s not true, or apportioning blame, it’s time to learn to dance with the system.”
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