News That Matters To Africa©️
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TOP NEWS
AFRICA-WIDE ISSUES
UN-AFFAIRS
THE WEEK AHEAD
EASTERN AFRICA
DR CONGO
Renewed clashes between M23 and Wazalendo amid ceasefire
Heavy fighting continues in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), despite a ceasefire intended to facilitate peace talks between the government and armed groups. Since June 18, 2025, clashes have intensified between M23/AFC rebels and the Wazalendo militia across Kabare, Kalehe, and Walungu territories, with significant violence reported in Nyangezi, Cirunga, and Katana, causing widespread panic among locals. The conflicts have resulted in casualties and disruptions, with gunfire reported in areas such as Mumosho, Nyantende, and the Panzi area, forcing residents and students into hiding. This escalation violates the established ceasefire aimed at supporting ongoing peace negotiations in Doha. Previously, in April, parties reaffirmed commitments to halt hostilities and promote peace, urging communities to adhere to these resolutions.
ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia’s vast lake being pumped dry
Ethiopia’s Lake Dembel, once approximately four meters deep, has seen its depth halved since 1990—now averaging just two meters—due to extensive groundwater extraction by around 6,000 pumps operating continuously for agriculture and industry. The hum of motors keeping the water flowing is a constant reminder of the lake’s declining levels, with some experts warning it could eventually vanish. This trend closely follows the fate of other regional wetlands, such as Lake Haramaya, which has already disappeared under similar pressures. Adding to the crisis, heavy pesticide use among local farmers is decimating fish populations. Veteran fishermen like Belachew Derib report catches have plunged from 20–30 fish daily in the 1980s to just two or three today. In response to this dual environmental and economic decline, the Ethiopian government has introduced a new fee for water extraction from Lake Dembel—an effort to curb over pumping. However, critics contend that without stronger regulation and enforcement, this measure is unlikely to reverse the lake’s rapid degradation
ERITREA/ETHIOPIA
Joyful Ethiopians and Eritreans embrace at rare border reopening
There have been celebrations at the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea as communities from the frontier villages came together for the first time in five years. Separated by the closed border since the outbreak of the 2020 conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, and subsequent political tensions, Sunday’s coming together was a symbolic moment of peace and reconciliation. The move to re-open a section of the border was organised by local activists and community figures without the official backing of the authorities on either side. But those behind it indicated that they had the blessing from officials in Tigray and Eritrea. Many at the celebration described it as an emotional and long-overdue gathering…Many in Zalambessa and the nearby villages had suffered economic hardship and social fragmentation during the two-year war in Tigray that ended in November 2022. People had been forced to flee their homes, with more than 55,000 people now living in makeshift shelters in Adigrat, 30km (19 miles) south of Zalambessa, relying on relatives for survival. The border has officially remained closed despite the end of the war amid tensions between the two governments.
KENYA
Report exposes systemic police abuses in 2024 youth protests
A new report has exposed widespread human rights violations committed by security forces during the 2024 Gen Z-led protests. According to the report by the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), there were 63 deaths, 63 abductions, 26 missing persons, more than 600 injuries, and widespread cases of torture and illegal detention. “These events did not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they are part of a long-standing pattern in which public dissent is criminalized, and police forces operate as tools of political repression,” read a statement by IMLU…Police violence has become embedded in the architecture of public order management. During the Gen Z protests, law enforcement agencies reportedly ignored de-escalation strategies and instead employed military-style tactics, including the use of live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas,” notes the report. IMLU documents the increasing use of enforced disappearances and torture being deployed to silence political dissent, tactics which are historically associated with anti-terror operations.
How State operatives are plotting to stop Gen Z anniversary protests
KTN has uncovered a shocking alleged plot involving prominent figures Antonellah Kakuko and Elizabeth Waithira (aka Liz Wa Sakaja) to mobilize goons. This scheme aims to disrupt the planned June 25th protests, which are focused on police brutality and other grievances. This video delves into the details of these explosive allegations, examining the individuals involved and the potential impact on the upcoming demonstrations
SUDAN
Chaos, crime force residents to flee Sudan’s Nyala amid security collapse
Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, is facing an unprecedented collapse in security. Violations have sharply escalated to include extrajudicial killings, systematic looting, extortion, and kidnappings for ransom, with senior officers accused of organizing and directing these criminal enterprises. The lawlessness peaked following the arrival of numerous Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters retreating from military losses on the fronts in Khartoum, Al Jazirah, White Nile, and Sennar states. According to local sources, these returning fighters have unleashed a wave of widespread looting and plunder. This has turned civilian life into a nightmare, forcing dozens of merchants and employees into hiding for fear of being targeted…Human rights activist Othman Badr al-Din attributes the crime wave to a vacuum of law and order. He notes that RSF fighters have not been paid since the war began, driving them to loot and kill simply to provide for themselves…Specialized kidnapping groups are active in Nyala, where over 100 people have vanished under mysterious circumstances in the last two months. The RSF operates multiple detention centers in the city, most notoriously the “Neem Forest” and the former military intelligence headquarters.
UGANDA
After 39 years in power, 80 year-old Museveni to seek reelection for 7th time
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni will seek re-election for a seventh term in polls due early next year, according to a senior official from the ruling party. Museveni was widely expected to run again but this is the first confirmation from his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. The country will hold general elections in January 2026, in which voters will choose both the president and lawmakers. Yoweri Museveni, 80, has held power in Uganda since 1986. He is the fourth longest-ruling leader in Africa after Teodoro Obiang from Equatorial Guinea (46 years), Paul Biya from Cameroon (43 years) and Denis Sassou-Nguesso from the Congo Republic (41 years). Under his tenure, the NRM has changed the 1995 constitution twice to allow him to extend his rule. The 2005 amendment removed presidential terms limit and in 2017, the Ugandan Parliament voted to withdraw age eligibility requirements.
WEST AFRICA
CAMEROON
Cameroon tops global list of neglected displacement crises, says report
Cameroon is facing the world’s most neglected displacement crisis, according to a recent report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The growing humanitarian emergency is worsened by insufficient funding, limited media attention, and a lack of effective international engagement. The NRC’s Neglected Displacement Crises Report ranks crises based on three core criteria: humanitarian funding shortfalls, minimal media coverage, and inadequate political efforts to resolve conflicts. Cameroon, already prominently in past editions, now leads the list, underscoring the worsening plight of displaced communities. Now, eight African countries are on the list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises, with Cameroon clinching the first position. Globally, displacement caused by conflict or disaster has doubled over the past decade, with 2024 marking a peak in numbers. Cameroon has endured multiple crises over the last ten years, each displacing thousands across the country. The ongoing Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West regions, where separatist groups have clashed with government forces since 2016, has resulted in thousands of deaths and displacements, causing school closures
IVORY COAST
Ouattara delays decision on 4th term
Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara has delayed accepting his party’s nomination as its candidate for general elections in October. The 83-year-old, who has been in office since 2010 and in January promised he was “eager to continue” serving his country, said on Sunday that he would give his answer in a few days. Ouattara’s announcement came days after former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam formed an alliance with former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo: Both allege government interference in the polls, with Thiam disqualified for previously holding French citizenship and Gbagbo barred over a criminal conviction. Analysts say the delay around Ouattara’s announcement could mean he is considering retirement. That possibility, coupled with changes to the opposition, creates uncertainty around who will stand in the contest to run Francophone West Africa’s largest economy. Côte d’Ivoire has functioned as a stable democracy amid a spate of coups in other former French colonies in West and Central Africa in recent years, driving economic growth in the subregion.
NIGERIA
Court jails 23 Chinese nationals for cyberterrorism, internet fraud in Lagos
The Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced 23 Chinese nationals to one year in prison each for cyberterrorism and internet fraud linked to a massive cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme uncovered in December 2024… In a statement on Monday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said the convicted persons were part of a 792-member cyber-fraud syndicate arrested on 19 December 2024 in Lagos during an operation code-named Eagle Flush…Each of the convicts was arraigned on one count of cyberterrorism and internet fraud. The charge filed against Yu Hui (a.k.a. A. Bin) alleged that the defendant and others, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, “accessed computer systems used for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria.” EFCC said the act constituted an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015. Another charge accused Jia You (a.k.a. A. You) of accessing computer systems “for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria,” in violation of the Cybercrimes Act and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The journalists hounded by victims of the armed violence they cover
In northern Nigeria, journalists covering terrorism and banditry are increasingly being inundated—not by government censors or militant threats—but by desperate victims demanding help. Reporters receive endless calls and messages from internally displaced persons (IDPs), survivors of attacks, and family members seeking rescue or assistance, often mistaking journalists for aid workers or intermediaries. These journalists, already working in high-risk environments with limited resources, are emotionally overwhelmed and professionally constrained. Many say they carry a deep sense of helplessness, caught between the duty to report and the guilt of being unable to provide material aid. This unintended burden has begun to take a psychological toll. Journalists describe sleepless nights, anxiety, and even trauma after witnessing the scale of human suffering—and then being personally drawn into it. Some reporters recount being asked to rescue kidnapped children or deliver ransom money. The story shines a light on the unseen emotional labor of conflict reporting in Africa, and how under-resourced journalism ecosystems leave reporters vulnerable—not just to physical harm, but to burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress.
REGION
States pile pressure on western mining firms
Authorities in West and Central Africa have in recent days announced steps aimed at tightening their control of precious commodities, ramping up pressure on foreign mining companies in the name of greater control over their countries’ riches. Niger last Thursday said it plans to nationalize the Somair uranium mine operated by France’s Orano. And the world’s top cobalt producer, DR Congo, on Sunday announced a three-month extension to its ban on exports of the mineral as part of its attempt to curb oversupply of cobalt, which is used in electric vehicle batteries. Additionally, last week, a judge in Mali ordered Barrick Gold’s Louolo-Gounkoto gold complex to be placed under provisional administration for six months as part of a tax dispute between the Canadian miner and the country’s ruling junta. To fight back, the mining industry has looked to international arbitration. “Mali’s conflict with Barrick and other Western mining firms has dented the investment sentiment, limiting Mali’s options to Russian and maybe Chinese firms,” says Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at Konrad Adenauer Foundation think tank in Mali.
Drones deployed to fight wildcat goldmining mining
On 23 June, wire services reported that West African gold operators are now using drones to monitor unauthorized artisanal mining, with gold prices topping $3,300 an ounce . Operators aim to reduce illegal activity, conflict over concessions, and health hazards from unregulated mining. Almost 20 illicit miners have been killed in confrontations at major mining operations across the region since late 2024. There have been no reports of official mine staff injured. In some cases, clashes at corporate mines caused production halts of up to a month, prompting companies to press governments for more military protection. Sub-Saharan Africa’s unofficial mining operations provide critical income for nearly 10 million people, according to a May United Nations report. In West Africa, three to five million people depend on unregulated mining, accounting for approximately 30% of its gold production, other industry data show, serving as economic lifelines in a region with few formal employment opportunities…Critics argue that without formal avenue for small-scale miners—and structural poverty alleviation—technology alone falls short. They advocate for legal integration, tax capture, and community-driven regulation instead.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
ANGOLA/ZAMBIA
Push for Lobito Corridor rail project as financing talks advance
Zambia hopes to start work on the Lobito Corridor railway connecting its copper belt to Angola’s Atlantic coast by the third quarter of 2026, Transport Minister Frank Tayali said, as the project moves forward amid financing negotiations. The corridor, which will link Zambia’s Chingola region to Angola’s Benguela railway line at Luacano, is expected to span over 530 km and serve as a key export route for copper and agricultural goods. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the U.S.-Africa summit being held in Luanda, Tayali expressed optimism about the multinational project, noting interest from the United States, the European Union, and regional stakeholders. Angola’s Minister of State for Economic Coordination José Massano said the government remains committed to facilitating investments like the Lobito Corridor through private sector negotiations but ruled out direct government funding for the project. Talks have focused on concession contract clauses, including potential guarantees sought by financiers. Massano also confirmed that Angola is advancing on a planned $500 million World Bank funding, with requirements expected to be fulfilled by the end of the year… Asked whether the country had ruled out an IMF programme, Massano said Angola remains open to dialogue with multilateral organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, to consolidate public finances if necessary.
BOTSWANA
Gold’s deadly glitter
Littered with abandoned gold mines, eastern Botswana is drawing hundreds of informal prospectors as the precious metal’s price smashes records. With the price of gold climbing to new records every month, eastern Botswana has become inundated with unlicensed miners who are reopening old mines to scrape for leftovers. They leave behind gaping holes, eroded grasslands and water sources contaminated by the mercury used to extract gold in low cost operations. Global gold prices have risen nearly 47% in the past 18 months, making prospecting for the precious metal even more attractive… Economically desperate people see abandoned mines as a sign the area is rich in gold. Local police believe many of the unlicensed miners are undocumented Zimbabweans who have crossed over the nearby border. They say only 22 of the 136 unlicensed miners arrested in the past two years were from Botswana… Reckoning with the environmental destruction caused, residents in the area want higher sentences, especially for repeat offenders. Six months, they say, is too light and does little to discourage repeat offences. The 2022 attempt to reopen the Mupane gold mine offered brief hope for legal mining jobs, which has now fizzled.
SOUTH AFRICA
Why Trump ‘snubbed’ Ramaphosa at G7 summit amid Iran-Israel conflict
US President Donald Trump appears to have snubbed his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa when he left the G7 Summit in Canada before the two could meet. The latest developments raise further questions where SA-US relations stand after Ramaphosa led a delegation to the US in efforts to ‘reset’ strained relations over false claims by the Trump administration that there was white genocide in South Africa. Trump is said to have left the G7 summit early to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which started just days before the summit. The US is a strong Israeli ally and continues to support it with weapons, while accusing South Africa of backing the Iranian regime. Iran is now part of BRICS of which South Africa plays a major role. Ramaphosa was an invited guest at the summit as the only African leader. He met with all other leaders on the sidelines of the summit. The meeting between Trump and Ramaphosa was expected to discuss trade agreements, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and US-SA tariffs.
ZAMBIA
Zambian women trafficked to Pakistan by known operator
An investigation has uncovered a trafficking ring led by a Zambian man who has been sending young women to Pakistan under the false promise of domestic jobs. Once abroad, the women face long hours, unpaid labor, and psychological abuse. Many have their passports seized, leaving them trapped and unable to return home. Despite multiple reports and victim testimonies, the trafficker remains free and continues to operate openly in Lusaka. Authorities have failed to take meaningful action, raising serious concerns about enforcement gaps and political will. Survivors and advocates are calling for urgent intervention, stronger protections for job seekers, and legal accountability for those profiting from modern-day slavery. As the trafficker walks free, the women he exploited remain abandoned — and at risk.
ZIMBABWE
History made as Zimbabwean woman takes over as head of Olympics
The first female and first African president of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, was inaugurated in the role on Monday – the organisation’s 131st birthday. Coventry, a two-time Olympic swimming gold medallist for Zimbabwe, formally takes office on Tuesday after decisively winning a seven-candidate election in March to succeed Thomas Bach. “You have placed your trust in someone whose life story is deeply rooted in the Olympic movement. As an Olympian, she knows what it means to live the Olympic values,” said Bach. “She knows how to lead with courage. She is driven by a desire to give back to our Olympic movement that has shaped her life. Now she makes history.” The 41-year-old Coventry will lead the IOC through the next eight years, including the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
NORTH AFRICA
ALGERIA
Thousands of migrants abandoned in the desert without food, water or shoes
Thousands of migrants including hundreds of unaccompanied children have been kicked out of Algeria and left in the desert without food, water or shoes, aid groups have said. Over 7,000 people including more than 700 children have been trucked over the border by the Algerian authorities since April in a dramatic escalation of the migrant crisis in the Sahara, according to data from the Agadez governorate in northern Niger. While Nigerien nationals among them are driven to a transit centre, those from countries across Sub-Saharan Africa are stripped of their belongings, including mobile phones, passports and shoes, and dumped in a remote area of the Niger desert known as Point Zero. From here, they have to make a 15km journey to the transit centre in Assamaka, a dusty border village, facing 40 degree heat and frequent sandstorms without food or water…Survivors of the arduous desert trek report suffering beatings, dehumanizing abuses and rape at the hands of Algerian border guards…Under a 2014 agreement between Algeria and Niger, only Nigerien citizens are meant to be sent back across the border. But the testimonies collected by aid groups operating in the area reveal that large numbers of migrants from third countries are being kicked out in unofficial operations.
EGYPT
Israeli fleeing war into Sinai raises double standards accusations against Egypt
Egypt has quietly stepped up security measures in South Sinai, as Israelis started crossing into the province in increasing numbers early last week, through the Taba border with Israel, to flee the conflict with Iran. Thousands of foreign nationals, including diplomats and international staff, have also crossed into Egypt through the border in recent days, aiming to fly out of Sharm el-Sheikh Airport to destinations around the world, in coordination with their governments, Israel and Egypt. However, thousands more Israelis have remained in South Sinai, hoping to return home once the situation stabilizes. The situation has sparked accusations of double standards…last week, hundreds of international activists attempting to march to the Gaza Strip through Egypt as part of the Global March to Gaza were violently attacked, detained, and subsequently deported. They were among 4,000 activists from 80 countries who sought to break Israel’s total siege, in place since early March. “It’s outrageous that Israelis can walk into Sinai, but activists carrying medicine and food supplies for Palestinians in distress are turned away,” said one activist in Cairo, who requested anonymity for safety concerns.
LIBYA
UN official for Libya to present ‘time-bound and politically pragmatic’ roadmap in August
The UN’s senior official for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, told the Security Council on Tuesday that she intends to present a time-bound and politically pragmatic roadmap that reflects the Libyan people’s demand for tangible change, with the goal of ending the transitional processes”. “I urge all parties to engage in good faith and to be ready to forge consensus on this roadmap,” she said. Tetteh warned that Libya is “yet again at a critical juncture” as fears grow about renewed armed clashes. “The continued inflow of weapons into Tripoli has led to the proliferation of heavy arms and weapons depots in densely populated civilian areas, posing serious risks to civilian lives,” she said. Calling on all political and security actors to avoid escalatory behavior, she noted: “This is not the time for brinksmanship and unilateral actions, there is the urgent need for cool heads to prevail.” Tetteh stressed that “cohesive international support is indispensable” and appealed for the Security Council’s “readiness to take measures against those obstructing the political process, or actively instigating violence and criminality.”
Greece to deploy naval frigates off Libya— to ‘send message’ to migrant smugglers
Greece plans to deploy navy warships near Libya’s territorial waters in a bid to curb irregular migration to the country, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday. “Unfortunately, we have seen several incidents in recent days that force us to act in a preventive and deterrent manner more strongly,” Greece’s PM said. Last week, Greece saw a spike in migrant arrivals, with 731 migrants, including many children, arriving on the islands of Crete and Gavdos in the space of 24 hours. Most migrants came from Egypt, Eritrea, Pakistan, and Sudan and had departed from Libya. Arrivals surged last year, with over 60,000 migrants landing in Greece — the majority by sea — compared to around 48,000 in 2023, according to UN refugee agency data. By mid-June 2025, Greece had recorded 16,290 arrivals, over 14,600 of which were by sea. With Greek authorities stepping up patrols along the eastern maritime border with Turkey, traffickers appear to be increasingly choosing the longer and more dangerous route across the Mediterranean from North Africa, using larger boats capable of carrying more people.
Libya’s Al-Khadim Airbase becomes a hub for Russian Arms in the Sahel
The airbase in Hmeimin in the Latakia province of Syria, along with the naval base in Tartus are key military outposts for Russia. The overthrow of longtime Syrian ruler and Russian ally Bashar al-Assad in December cast the future of these bases into doubt, with Western countries hoping to pressure Damascus into closing them. Russia, whose military backing helped Assad cling to power, has sought to retain the two bases and has begun discussions with the new interim leadership under former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. In the meantime, reports show that Russia has begun shifting some of its equipment to other bases – notably in Libya. Using satellite imagery and flight radar information, RFI’s investigative unit Info Vérif was able to trace last month’s voyage of a Russian Antonov-124 plane, which took off from the Hmeimin base and arrived at the Al-Khadim base in Libya. The Antonov-124 is designed to carry heavy, bulky loads (up to 100 tonnes), but it requires long, concrete runways for lift-off…RFI journalists focused on an Antonov-124 (RA-82030) operated by a logistics company known as 224 Flight Unit, a subsidiary of the Russian Ministry of Defence.
CENTRAL AFRICA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP. (CAR)
Zambian peacekeeper killed in CAR convoy attack
On 23 June, Zambia confirmed that a Zambian soldier serving with MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping mission, died when their convoy was attacked on Friday 20 June in the Central African Republic’s Vakaga Prefecture. Ministry of Defense Permanent Secretary Mambo Hamaundu said that in addition to the soldier killed, another Zambian soldier was also injured, and is currently in hospital receiving treatment. UN‑Secretary General Guterres condemned the assault, calling it a potential war crime and pressed CAR authorities to prosecute perpetrators. The incident underlines persistent risks to UN peacekeepers and the fragile security climate in northern CAR, constraining both stabilization and humanitarian outreach.
CAR officials issue statement claiming president is “not seriously ill”
Authorities in the Central African Republic on Monday issued a statement saying President Faustin- Archange Touadéra was not seriously ill. Specialist website, Africa Intelligence, has reported that he has been in Belgium since Saturday for emergency medical treatment. It said Touadéra was in a stable condition in hospital in Brussels after having been evacuated from Bangui on a private medical jet. Opposition politician Martin Ziguélé says the head of state’s health is a matter of national interest and has called for transparency. Officials, however, reassured the public that there was no cause for alarm and claimed that Touadéra simply took advantage of a scheduled trip to carry out a medical check-up. They said the aim of his visit to Brussels was to urge the European Union to support the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). Touadéra was due to attend the US-Africa business summit in Angola on Monday. The resulting power vacuum in the country comes just a few months before the presidential election. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bangui in April to oppose Touadéra’s plan to run for an unconstitutional third term in office.
CHAD
Intercommunal attack kills 17 women, children in Chad
An attack by herders armed with machetes has killed at least 17 people, all women and children, in a village in southwestern Chad, an official for the regional governor reported on Friday. A dispute between nomadic Fulani herders and Ngambaye farmers over the delimitation of grazing and agricultural areas is believed to have sparked the violence, local sources said. Fulani people are often stigmatised across the wider Sahel, accused of collaborating with violent Islamist groups that stalk the region…The attack in the village of Oregomel on Thursday took place five kilometres (three miles) from Mandakao, where 42 people were killed in an attack a month earlier, he said…In southern Chad, locals following Christianity or traditional African religions often argue they have been marginalised by the majority-Muslim authorities in the capital N’Djamena. Separately, at least 20 people have died since last week in intercommunal violence in the eastern province of Ouaddai, according to parliamentary and local sources…A strategic area near the border with Sudan which sees significant population movement, Chad’s east has for several dozen years also been gripped by conflicts between Arab herders and local farmers.
AFRICA-WIDE ISSUES
Africa tightens its control of key minerals
Governments across Africa have tightened their control of key minerals, the latest signs of a shift toward resource nationalism. DR Congo, the world’s top producer of cobalt — a key component in batteries and mobile phones — said it would halt exports of the mineral as it looks to boost prices, while Niger said it would nationalize a French-run uranium mine. As China, the US, and Russia vie for control of Africa’s natural resources, nations on the continent have moved to develop their refining and manufacturing abilities as they look to gain a firmer grip on valuable supply chains. After decades of exporting their mineral riches only to boost economic growth elsewhere, African nations are determined “to avoid repeating the ‘resource curse’ mistakes of the past,” law firm Covington wrote last year.
Cybercrime incidents make up a growing share of overall crime in Africa – Interpol
More than two-thirds of the 54 African member countries of the cross-border police organisation said cyber-enabled crimes were a medium to high share of all crimes in 2024, the agency said in a report. Phishing is the most frequently reported cybercrime in Africa, comprising a third of all incidents, while ransomware attacks, and business email compromise are some of the other leading threats. A “surge” in romance scams in 2024 — particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin — has made it one of Africa’s top online scams, the report said. And, citing a cyberthreat index by the International Telecommunication Union, it said Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria were among the countries most frequently targeted globally by cybercriminals in 2024. Attacks are becoming more sophisticated, especially with the strategic use of artificial intelligence and social media manipulation by criminals, Interpol said.
*‘We live like fugitives’: How African students legally in US are coping with new Trump-era terror*
Despite valid visas and spotless academic records, many students from Kenya and other East African countries, who got opportunities to study in the US now fear leaving the country — even for family funerals, summer break or visa renewals — worried they will be denied re-entry or worse, detained at the border. Universities have issued quiet warnings, legal aid sessions are held behind closed doors, and WhatsApp group chats now double as emergency lifelines. The “American Dream”, once marketed as a global opportunity engine, now comes with anxiety. For some of the students, the cost of education is no longer just tuition — but silence, trying to stay unseen, and fear of being deported. “We came here to study,” one student told Saturday Nation, whispering during an encrypted call. “Now we live like fugitives.”… it is the new reality for thousands of African students living in the US in an era of shifting immigration policy, sweeping travel bans, and digital surveillance. Since the reintroduction of Executive Order 14161 by President Donald Trump on June 2025, barring entry from 12 countries, including Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Libya, many students even those who are not from these countries are scared. The personal toll is mounting. Students report lost sleep, erased social media footprints, and eleventh-hour cancellations of long-awaited reunions. The campus climate in America, once a sanctuary of intellectual exploration, is no longer the same.
UN-AFFAIRS
UN turns 80 as its humanitarian aid work faces a clouded future
As the U.N. marks its 80th anniversary this month, its humanitarian agencies are facing one of the greatest crises in their history: The biggest funder — the United States — under the Trump administration and other Western donors have slashed international aid spending. Some want to use the money to build up national defense. Some U.N. agencies are increasingly pointing fingers at one another as they battle over a shrinking pool of funding, said a diplomat from a top donor country who spoke on condition of anonymity to comment freely about the funding crisis faced by some U.N. agencies. Such pressures, humanitarian groups say, diminish the pivotal role of the U.N. and its partners in efforts to save millions of lives… U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the heads of U.N. agencies to find ways to cut 20% of their staffs, and his office in New York has floated sweeping ideas about reform that could vastly reshape the way the United Nations doles out aid. Critics insist many operations have become bloated, replete with bureaucratic perks and a lack of accountability, and are too distant from in-the-field needs. They say postcolonial Western donations have fostered dependency and corruption, which stifles the ability of countries to develop on their own, while often U.N.-backed aid programs that should be time-specific instead linger for many years with no end in sight.
Firms led by US military veterans deliver aid – alarming humanitarian groups
Private contracting firms led by former U.S. intelligence officers and military veterans are delivering aid to some of the world’s deadliest conflict zones, in operations organized with governments that are combatants in the conflicts. The moves are roiling the global aid community, which warns of a more militarized, politicized and profit-seeking trend that could allow governments or combatants to use life-saving aid to control hungry civilian populations and advance war aims. In South Sudan and Gaza, two for-profit U.S. companies led by American national security veterans are delivering aid in operations backed by the South Sudanese and Israeli governments. The American contractors say they’re putting their security, logistics and intelligence skills to work in relief operations. Fogbow, the U.S. company that carried out last week’s air drops over South Sudan, says it aims to be a “humanitarian” force. But the U.N. and many leading non-profit groups say U.S. contracting firms are stepping into aid distribution with little transparency or humanitarian experience, and, crucially, without commitment to humanitarian principles of neutrality and operational independence in war zones… Fogbow has carried out aid drops in Sudan and South Sudan and says ex-humanitarian officials are also involved, including former U.N. World Food Program head David Beasley, who is a senior adviser.
A UN housing project in Kenya promised 100,000 homes. It delivered none
In December 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta joined United Nations officials and developers at a 103-acre site in Lukenya, outside the capital of Nairobi, to launch Habitat Heights, a planned 8,888-unit housing project. Today, the site sits abandoned amid new actions by the United States related to a broader scandal encompassing the project that further implicates a former UN official. Habitat Heights was the flagship of a $647 million affordable housing plan backed by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), promoted as the first phase of a national program to build 100,000 energy-efficient homes and generate 3,000 local jobs… Today, the site lies empty. UNOPS disbursed $11.2 million to the S3i plan from 2019 to 2020. Yet, not a single home was built, making Habitat Heights a stark example of the initiative’s collapse. UNOPS promoted the project as a “landmark initiative” and claimed “first homes were ready.” But only a sales gallery with two model show units was ever constructed. While the site remains under the control of the developers, it is abandoned, with the sales gallery sign missing letters. A brass plaque bearing President Kenyatta’s name is still bolted to a wall.
THE WEEK AHEAD
June 24-28: Nigeria hosts the 32nd Afreximbankl exhibition, takes place in London.
June 23-27: The African Union Commission hosts a joint event for the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications forum and the Space for Early Warning in Africa forum in Windhoek, Namibia.
June 24: South Africa publishes quarterly employment data for March 2025.
June 24-28: Nigeria hosts the 32nd Afreximbank annual meetings in Abuja.
June 25-28: The African Literature Association holds its annual conference in Nairobi.
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