Russia shipped a record volume of wheat to Tanzania in the 2025/26 season, exporting more than 850,000 tons, the Russian agriculture export agency Agroexport reported on Monday. 

The agency stated that the figure is 16% higher than the previous season and 47% above the five-year average. 

“Russia is a key supplier of wheat to Tanzania,” Agroexport said, adding that Russian exporters have steadily expanded their presence in the East African market in recent years.  

According to the estimates from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Tanzania imported around 1.5 million tons of wheat in the 2025/26 season, up 200,000 tons from the previous year and the highest level on record. 

Agroexport also reported that East African Community (EAC) countries are playing an increasingly important role in Russia’s wheat exports to Africa. Combined shipments to the bloc were about 3.5 million tons in the 2025/26 season, up 26% from a year earlier and accounting for roughly 16-17% of Russia’s total wheat exports to the continent. 

The record shipments to Tanzania come as Russia continues to expand wheat exports across Africa. Agroexport reported last week that exports to neighboring Kenya rose 10% year-on-year to around 1.4 million tons in the current season through late May. 

Wheat exports to Egypt also increased by 19% this year, while deliveries to Sudan surged 78%, according to the agency. 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said investments by global technology firms, including Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Mastercard, are strengthening the country’s position as Africa’s leading digital hub.

In his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said the investments would support cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, job creation and economic growth, while warning that South Africa must protect data sovereignty and citizens’ privacy.

”Our country’s ambition to be a leading digital investment destination is being recognised by some of the world’s leading technology companies,” Ramaphosa said.

Among the projects is a new Digital Exchange Port to be built in the Eastern Cape, the first of four connectivity hubs planned across the continent to improve reliable cloud services. Ramaphosa said Google would also establish a R3 million digital innovation centre at South West Gauteng TVET College in Soweto as part of its commitment to developing digital skills. He also noted that Amazon Web Services announced plans in 2023 to invest R30.4 billion in local cloud infrastructure, while Microsoft last year committed R5.4 billion towards expanding hyperscale cloud and AI infrastructure.

Ramaphosa welcomed Mastercard’s recent launch of its Africa Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, which will begin with a phased rollout in South Africa and Nigeria to strengthen cyber resilience and support secure digital growth across the continent.

Ramaphosa said small, medium and micro enterprises stand to benefit significantly from cloud computing, with one study estimating that wider adoption could unlock more than R185 billion for South Africa’s economy by 2030.

Despite the opportunities, Ramaphosa cautioned that South Africa must ensure innovation is matched by appropriate regulation as it positions itself as “a continental cloud and AI gateway.”

“There is a need for ‘guardrails’ to prevent abuse and other risks,” he stressed.

”The digital economy must safeguard the rights and privacy of citizens, support environmental sustainability and uphold our country’s sovereignty.”

“In the digital age, sovereignty is measured not only by territorial borders. It is increasingly measured by a nation’s ability to secure its data, develop its own digital capabilities and exercise meaningful control over the technologies on which its economy depends,” he noted.

He said government was investing in its own cloud infrastructure through institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to strengthen the country’s digital capabilities.

”As we navigate these complexities, we must deepen collaboration across government, business, labour, industry and civil society in pursuit of a digital future that is secure, inclusive and leaves no-one behind,” the president concluded.

First published by IOL

The US military deployment in northern Nigeria has failed to produce major improvements in the country’s security crisis despite Washington’s claim that its counterterrorism mission was successful, Nigerian political figure Samuel Memeh has told RT.

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) head Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson said at a press briefing on Thursday that the unit had withdrawn most of the troops deployed to the West African country. The AFRICOM commander, however, said Washington would maintain intelligence sharing and broader security cooperation with Abuja.

About 200 American soldiers were deployed to Nigeria two months after US and Nigerian forces launched a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin area in December, including strikes targeting militants on Christmas Day.

Speaking to RT in an interview published on Sunday, Samuel Memeh, chairman of Nigeria’s opposition Democratic Leadership Alliance, argued the mission “has not yielded significant improvements” in the country’s security.

“There are reports that as a result of the mineral resources that are deposited in these areas, and so there are a lot of foreign interests,” Memeh said.

He noted foreign military support alone cannot defeat terrorism in Nigeria, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted schools, communities, and security forces.

“It is not a war that can be won by only the external forces,” Memeh said, adding that “local problems require local solutions.”

In December, Abuja said it had reached a bilateral security agreement with Washington covering intelligence sharing and “other forms of support,” after previously rejecting any unilateral military intervention on its soil. The announcement came weeks after US President Donald Trump threatened action over Abuja’s alleged failure to address what he called a “genocide” of Christians in Africa’s most populous country.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for Moscow’s cooperation in the construction of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). 

Speaking after inaugurating Egypt’s State Strategic Command headquarters in the New Capital on Saturday, he pointed to accomplishments and upcoming progress in joint projects. 

“I seize this opportunity to thank Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation for this constructive and longstanding cooperation, which continues to yield remarkable achievements in our mega-development projects,” the Egyptian leader said. 

Sisi said the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the facility’s second power unit is expected within days. 

“This facility will have a significant positive impact on sustainable development by delivering clean energy to power investment projects as well as services citizens need,” the president stressed. 

The total cost of the project is estimated at $28.75 billion. Russia is financing about 85% of the construction through a 22-year loan to Egypt carrying an annual interest rate of 3%. 

Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev said in April that the first shipment of nuclear fuel for El-Dabaa is expected to arrive in 2027. He also said preparations are underway to turn the first power unit into an operational nuclear facility as early as next year, allowing testing and commissioning to begin ahead of electricity generation for Egyptian consumers in 2028. 

In September, Egyptian Energy Minister Mahmoud Esmat announced that construction of the project is expected to be completed by 2029. 

Malian forces backed by Russia’s Africa Corps have repelled a coordinated terrorist assault on several locations across the West African nation, killing at least 26 militants, the army has said.

In an initial statement on Saturday, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) said armed groups had targeted military positions in Aguel-Hoc, Anefis, Gao, Sevare, and Kenioroba. It later said all the attacks had been “vigorously repelled” and that the situation was “totally under control.”

The statement came after Azawad Liberation Front spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane wrote on Facebook that the separatist group had launched an offensive to take control of the town of Anefis in northern Mali.

According to the provisional toll, “20 terrorists on motorcycles and in equipped vehicles were neutralized” in Sevare. In Gao, one soldier was killed and four others wounded, while six terrorists were neutralized and one vehicle destroyed, the army said.

“The human and material toll of these two coordinated operations is particularly heavy in the ranks of the enemy,” the army stated.

African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the July 4 attacks, describing them as “a stark reminder that terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a serious threat to Mali, the Sahel, and the African continent as a whole.”

He extended condolences to the families of those killed and reaffirmed the AU’s support for efforts to combat terrorism and restore stability across the Sahel.

In April, coordinated strikes hit multiple locations in Mali, including military sites and infrastructure in Bamako and Kati. Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack on his residence, prompting the country’s transitional leader Assimi Goita to assume direct control of the republic’s defense.

On May 28, 2026, the US government announced plans to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya for its citizens exposed to the virus in the DR Congo. It was also to be used as a treatment center for Americans who contract Ebola.

The 50-bed unit was to be set up at the Laikipia Military Airbase, 125 miles Northwest of the capital, Nairobi, with the US government committing $13.5 million toward the facility’s construction.

Already, the US had deployed more than 30 members of the US Public Health Service to coordinate the establishment and running of the facility before the courts stopped the process. The plan, however, attracted criticism from ordinary Kenyans, politicians, human rights defenders, the doctors’ union, and the country’s Law Society.

By the time the court order was issued, construction of the controversial facility was already underway, prompting protests from locals. Hundreds of residents of Nanyuki town, where the facility was being built, poured into the streets to oppose it. Security officers used force to repulse demonstrators who were trying to reach the military installation where the construction was happening. The protesters cited fears over potential health risks associated with hosting an Ebola centre in their neighbourhood.

‘The execution plan left a lot to be desired’

The head of Kenya’s Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah, said that “lack of transparency and public involvement in the establishment of the quarantine facility raised more questions than answers’’.

“If the establishment of the Ebola quarantine facility was for the good of the country, then there was no need to treat it with a lot of secrecy and confidentiality,” he told RT.

He added, “The idea itself was not bad, but the execution plan left a lot to be desired”.

Atellah wondered why the US settled on Kenya as the host of its Ebola quarantine center when the outbreak was in the DR Congo.

“Why not put the facility in the DR Congo, where it is needed the most. If they are afraid of exposing their own citizens to the virus, why should they put Kenyans at risk of hosting them?”

Kenyan government officials were economical with details about the plan to set up the facility, forcing civil society groups to go to court.

The Katiba Institute, a civil society group focusing on constitutional matters in Kenya, went to court to stop the establishment of a quarantine facility. In its petition, the group argued that the planned facility was being established in secret and unilaterally, and that it “raised grave constitutional concerns”.

Joshua Malidzo Nyawa, an Advocate acting on behalf of Katiba Institute, told the court that bringing Ebola-exposed individuals into Kenya could increase the risk of the disease spreading in the country.

Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama accused the US of playing double standards by pushing to have the Ebola quarantine center in Kenya despite the US having a more advanced and better-funded health system compared to the East African nation.

“It makes no sense that the US, with its advanced health system, is afraid of ‘importing’ the Ebola virus into its territory but wants to put Kenya at risk,” Kanjama told RT.

He added, “If this is not neocolonialism, then tell me what it is”.

‘Lack of transparency has raised a lot of suspicion’

Dr. Bonface Mouka, head of security, diplomacy, and peace studies at Kenyatta University, argues that it is hard to ignore the question of sovereignty whenever a foreign government supports such a critical infrastructure in another country.

According to Mouka, the global strengthening of disease surveillance and response capabilities through cross-border collaborations is a strategic imperative, but the public good must guide such agreements.

He added that the world learned vital lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, which demonstrated that health emergencies can rapidly evolve into national security crises with economic and social consequences.

“As much as the Ebola quarantine facility agreement between Kenya and the US was a good idea, it must be embedded within Kenya’s own national security and public health frameworks. Anything outside that becomes a security concern,” he noted.

‘Total disregard for sovereignty’

Mariah Muli, an associate fellow on global security and diplomacy at the Horn Institute, argues that global health has become an important component of diplomacy and security cooperation and that the US can use investments in health preparedness to strengthen bilateral relations.

“The United States views Kenya as a strategic partner in the region, and such investments are expected as part of bilateral relations. Partnerships are good, but when they are shrouded in secrecy, they become more of a one-sided affair,” Muli said.

She told RT that in the Ebola quarantine facility case, “the US seemed to be dictating to Kenya on what to do, in total disregard for its sovereignty”. 

“It appears a call was made, and Kenya was told that the facility must be set up on US conditions and there was no room for asking questions or opposing,” Muli suggests.

“Global health cooperation is necessary in an interconnected world, and Kenya stands to benefit from strategic partnerships in epidemic preparedness and response. But any arrangement that appears to sidestep public participation or compromise national sovereignty is bound to face resistance, regardless of its intended benefits,” she concluded.

A clinical trial of two possible Ebola treatments has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), where an outbreak has killed nearly 440 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Thursday that the first participant had been enrolled in the Platform Adaptive Randomized Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS (PARTNERS), which will test treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.

Tedros said 438 people have died in the outbreak so far, with 1,406 confirmed cases reported. The Bundibugyo strain is highly infectious, and there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.

“We urgently need treatments that can help people affected by Bundibugyo virus disease. One of the key lessons from recent outbreaks is that research needs to happen alongside the response, not after it,” PARTNERS Trial Operations Lead Professor Amanda Rojek said.

The study will assess Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug remdesivir and Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s MBP134, an antibody-based treatment, either separately or in combination. Patients will receive standard care and be monitored for survival over 28 days.

The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern in May, after laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease in DR Congo and Uganda.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said last week that health systems in DR Congo, particularly in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, were under strain amid worsening humanitarian conditions. Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu have been affected for years by attacks by armed groups and fighting that has led to mass displacement.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said about $1.4 billion is required to respond to the Ebola outbreak, roughly three times higher than the previous estimate.

The South African government has strongly rejected claims by Ghana that a Ghanaian national was killed during anti-immigration demonstrations on June 30, insisting that the victim was fatally shot a day earlier in what police believe was an extortion-related criminal attack in the Western Cape.

The response follows a statement issued by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, in which it condemned what it described as the killing of a Ghanaian citizen during protests linked to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Ghana said the death of Bashiru Isak, whom it identified as a 44-year-old Ghanaian national, was evidence of a “rising tide of xenophobia targeting African nationals, including Ghanaians, in South Africa”. The West African nation further demanded a “full, transparent and expedited investigation” and called on South African authorities to ensure greater protection for Ghanaian nationals living in affected communities.

However, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, said the Ghanaian government’s claims were “not based on fact”.

“In addition to being factually incorrect, because the irregular migration protests took place on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, this statement is not based on fact.”

Kubayi said police investigations indicate that the victim was attacked at his workplace in Nyanga, Cape Town, on Monday, June 29, a day before the nationwide demonstrations. “The Ghanaian national who was fatally wounded was attacked at his place of work on Monday, 29 June 2026, in an incident that the police suspect as a criminal act, which is totally not linked to the alleged demonstrations,” she said.

According to information provided by the Western Cape police, unknown suspects allegedly entered a barbershop in Emms Drive, Nyanga, demanded money from the victim and then shot him before fleeing the scene. “The motive for the attack is believed to be extortion related,” the police statement said.

No arrests have been made and police have appealed to members of the public to assist with information that could lead to the suspects’ apprehension.

“The fact of the matter is that no fatalities have been recorded during the day of these demonstrations and isolated incidents of criminality that occurred on the day have been acted upon by the law enforcement authorities.”

The minister also urged African governments to use established diplomatic channels when raising concerns with South Africa.

While dismissing claims that the killing was linked to xenophobic violence, Kubayi expressed sympathy for the victim’s family. “We regret all loss of life on our shores and we would like to send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased and assure them that our law enforcement authorities will investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to book,” she said.

Ghana additionally said its petition to the African Union Commission on xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa remained active and urged the continental body to address the matter as a priority.

First published by IOL

Russia’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, handed over a mobile anti-epidemic laboratory to Namibia on Wednesday to help the African nation improve its ability to detect and respond to dangerous infectious diseases.

The mobile facility was officially transferred to Namibia’s Ministry of Health and Social Services during a ceremony in the capital, Windhoek.

“Currently, 25 specialists from the Namibian Ministry of Health are undergoing comprehensive theoretical and practical training in organizing mobile laboratories, ensuring biological safety during research into particularly dangerous infections, and mastering modern methods for detecting and identifying pathogens,” Rospotrebnadzor said.

The DR Congo declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, marking the country’s 17th since the virus was first identified there in 1976. The Bundibugyo strain detected in the country has also raised concerns among regional health authorities due to the risk of cross-border transmission.

As of July 2, the largest Ebola outbreak continues in the DR Congo, where 1,460 cases have been confirmed, 447 people have died, and 213 have recovered. Neighboring Uganda has recorded 20 cases, two deaths, and 16 recoveries. France has reported one imported case with no fatalities.

Mali has created a state body to regulate the trade in artisanal gold and other precious substances, as the transitional government moves to tighten control over one of the West African nation’s main sources of revenue.

The Council of Ministers announced the establishment of the Malian Office for Precious Substances on Tuesday, following a decision by the cabinet in March as part of efforts to centralize and secure sales in the sector.

The authorities said the measure is part of the implementation of the 2023 Mining Code and a local content law, aimed at reinforcing state sovereignty over the value chain of precious substances.

Gold from artisanal and small-scale mining occupies a strategic place in Mali’s economy, providing foreign exchange, tax revenue, and jobs for 2 million people across 350 to 400 sites, the government said. However, the sector still faces challenges, including smuggling and gaps in recorded flows.

Official statistics show Mali produced 72.2 tons of gold in 2022, including 6 tons from artisanal mining, generating 763 billion CFA francs ($1.27 billion) for the state budget. Mali’s gold exports climbed to about 2.75 trillion CFA francs ($4.81 billion) in 2025, compared with 1.61 trillion CFA francs the previous year, according to Reuters, citing the national statistics institute Instat.

The reform comes as Bamako seeks to increase state revenue from mining. The 2023 Mining Code allows the state and local investors to hold up to 35% in new mining projects.

Canadian miner Barrick and Australia’s Resolute Mining have faced direct disputes with Bamako under the government’s push to extract more revenue from the gold sector. Other operators, including Canada’s B2Gold, British firm Hummingbird Resources, and London-headquartered Endeavour Mining, have reached agreements with the state to align parts of their operations with Mali’s revised mining framework.

Last year, Niger nationalized the country’s only industrial gold mine, accusing its Australian-owned operator McKinel Resources Limited of “grave contractual breaches.” Ghana created a state gold board last year to regulate small-scale gold exports, while Guinea banned raw gold exports in June to boost local refining.

Air Tanzania has operated its first scheduled flight between Tanzania and Russia, marking the launch of the only direct regular air service currently linking the two countries.

The airline’s inaugural flight landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on Thursday, carrying 123 passengers, while 144 travelers were booked on the return service. 

According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, Tanzania’s national carrier will operate the Dar es Salaam–Moscow (Vnukovo)–Zanzibar route up to three times a week using Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Air Tanzania is currently the only airline offering scheduled passenger flights between Russia and Tanzania.

The Moscow–Zanzibar journey takes around 8.5 hours.

The new route became possible after intergovernmental consultations, with Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) granting Air Tanzania permission to operate flights to the country, Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin said.

Passengers welcomed the launch, with one traveler telling RT they had been “waiting for a long time” for a direct connection between the two countries. “Not only Tanzanian people will benefit from this, but also other countries, extended parts of Africa,” the passenger said.

The resumption of direct air links could increase the number of Russian tourists visiting Tanzania by at least 30%, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) told TASS.

The flights restore a direct air link between the two countries for the first time since April 2021, when services were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, though these had been mostly tourist charter flights. Moscow and Dar es Salaam agreed to resume direct flights in April 2026, and Air Tanzania received approval from Rosaviatsiya the following month to operate the route. 

A coalition of international lawyers has sued Ghana at West Africa’s top human rights court over its role in accepting migrants deported from the US under a third-country removal agreement.

The case was filed at the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States on behalf of 27 deportees sent to Ghana under the arrangement. The coalition includes the Global Strategic Litigation Council, a network of lawyers and advocates, Ghanaian law firm Merton & Everett LLP, and Cornell Law School’s Transnational Disputes Clinic.

Since returning to office in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has pursued agreements to deport asylum seekers and other migrants to countries where they have no ties as part of a wider crackdown on illegal immigration.

Ghana has accepted at least 60 people from the US since September 2025, according to the lawyers. The complaint said Accra is violating domestic and regional law by “facilitating removals to unsafe countries.”

“No person should be returned to a place where they face persecution, torture or serious threats to their dignity and safety,” Merton & Everett LLP senior partner Oliver Barker-Vormawor said, according to Al Jazeera.

The Ghanaian government has not publicly responded to the latest case.

Last September, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the government’s decision to accept West African migrants deported from the US was driven by humanitarian concerns, not support for Washington’s immigration policy.

On Monday, the Global Strategic Litigation Council announced a separate lawsuit against Equatorial Guinea at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on behalf of 14 deportees transferred from the US. The case accuses Equatorial Guinea of receiving $7.5 million from Washington to host the deportees.

In April, the Uganda Law Society said it approached the courts seeking orders to halt what it called a “patent international illegality” after a dozen third-country migrants were transferred to the East African country.

More than 235 healthcare workers have been killed or reported missing since the civil war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, the Sudan Doctors Network reported on Tuesday. 

In its latest report, the group also said 20 doctors, including four women, have gone missing in the last few months alone, after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El Fasher in October. Their whereabouts remains unknown.

At least 25 healthcare workers were killed in North Darfur between the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023 and the fall of El Fasher.

The dead include doctors, pharmacists, nurses, nutrition specialists, laboratory staff, administrators, and support workers. According to the report, they were killed in assassinations, drone strikes, shelling, shootings, torture, and other attacks linked to the fighting.

The organization called on the RSF to reveal the fate of the missing doctors in El Fasher and urged all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of healthcare personnel and allow medical services to continue without interference.

Sudan plunged into a civil war three years ago after a struggle for power broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

In June, the Sudan Doctors Network said strikes on civilian infrastructure in El Obeid had knocked hospitals, dialysis centers, and water stations out of service, worsening the humanitarian crisis. It urged the UN and international organizations to pressure the RSF to halt attacks on civilian facilities.

More than 900 people were arrested in South Africa during nationwide anti-immigrant protests held on Tuesday to mark a deadline set by groups demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country, police have confirmed.

South African Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili told reporters on Wednesday that 120 marches were held across Africa’s most industrialized nation, with 108 ending peacefully and 12 requiring police intervention.

Mosikili said the arrests were made for offenses including immigration violations, public violence, harboring undocumented migrants, looting, and robbery.

“The majority of those arrested were illegal foreigners and looting as a result of law enforcement operations conducted alongside the protests,” she stated.

Police said one person was shot dead late on Tuesday in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township, where residents were looting small grocery shops owned by foreign nationals. Two other people were injured in a shooting in the inner-city neighborhood of Hillbrow, where soldiers were deployed to reinforce police.

The demonstrations were organized by groups including March and March, Operation Dudula, and Progressive Forces. The groups had set June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, accusing them of taking jobs, running informal businesses, straining public services, and contributing to crime.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected the deadline, saying only the government can enforce immigration laws.

Ahead of the marches, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi warned against violence and intimidation targeting foreign nationals, adding that advocates and perpetrators of racism, Afrophobia, and xenophobia have no place in South Africa.

On Tuesday, Kubayi said the South African government had repatriated 4,286 people and deported another 419 in recent days.

German federal prosecutors have arrested a dual German-Rwandan national on suspicion of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The suspect, identified only as Innocent S. in line with German privacy laws, was detained on Wednesday in the Main-Kinzig district of the state of Hesse under a warrant issued by Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. 

According to prosecutors, Innocent S. served as an assistant to the mayor of Kayove, a municipality in northwestern Rwanda, during the genocide. 

“He ordered the killing of a total of 25 Tutsis on five different occasions,” prosecutors said in a statement.

Investigators allege that the suspect used his position to incite violence against the Tutsi minority and ordered the creation of death lists. In one case, prosecutors say, he personally took part in the murder of a man by stabbing him in the chest. 

The genocide took place April 7 to July 19, 1994. According to the UN, Rwanda’s population at the time exceeded 7 million, with Hutus making up around 85%, Tutsis 14%, and Twa around 1%. An estimated 1 million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by extremist Hutu factions.

The case is the latest in a series of prosecutions targeting alleged perpetrators of the genocide. Among the most prominent suspects was businessman Felicien Kabuga, accused of bankrolling militias and using his broadcaster, RTLM, to incite mass killings. Arrested in France in 2020 after decades on the run, Kabuga died in custody in last month at the age of 93.

At least 12 people, including a mother and child, have been confirmed dead in Ghana following floods triggered by heavy rain, the West African nation’s authorities said. The country’s meteorological agency has warned of more rainfall.

The floods hit the capital, Accra, and the nearby city of Tema on Monday, submerging roads, homes, and buildings, and cutting off access to several areas, videos shared on social media show.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said it rescued more than 470 people as of Tuesday. It said the dead included three women, eight men, and one child. A rubber factory in the capital also caught fire amid the deluge.

GNFS spokesperson Alex King Nartey told AP that the mother and child were swept away in the Achimota-Agbogbloshie district. He said emergency services struggled to reach some areas and requested military assistance as rescue operations continued.

Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak said 7,761 households have been affected, with at least seven people reported missing.

🚨 Massive flooding has hit Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭🌊

Heavy rains have left roads submerged, stranded commuters, and caused major disruptions across parts of the capital. pic.twitter.com/SlOwajsuQZ

— Paradise News Line (@Paradisenewslin) June 29, 2026

🚒👨🏾‍🚒 YOU CALLED AND WE SWIFTLY RESPONDED WITH COMPASSION ❤️

Thankfully, the raging fire that engulfed a rubber manufacturing factory at Odawna, near Nkrumah Circle in Accra, is being brought under control by our adept firefighters,… pic.twitter.com/iC0EQFMLgt

— Ghana National Fire Service (@gnfsofficial) June 30, 2026

Speaking after touring affected areas on Tuesday, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said preliminary data showed that around 140 millimeters of rain fell in Accra, the heaviest rainfall recorded in years.

Mahama said, “blocked drainage channels and structures obstructing the natural flow of water continue to worsen the impact of heavy rainfall in several parts of the capital.” He ordered the release of 300 million Ghanaian cedis (around $26.5 million) for flood relief and mitigation efforts, and warned against illegal construction on waterways.

Neighboring Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) has also been hit by deadly flooding after days of heavy rain. Ivorian National Cohesion Minister Myss Belmonde Dogo said more than a dozen people died in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital.

Gunmen have abducted at least 36 students and one staff member from a secondary school in northeastern Nigeria, marking the latest attack on educational institutions in the country.

The attackers stormed the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, in Borno State’s Askira-Uba Local Government Area, on Monday morning. The Nigerian authorities initially said an unspecified number of students were kidnapped but that ten students and teachers were rescued during a military operation.

On Tuesday, Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Lawan Wakiibe said at least 36 students – 25 girls and 11 boys – remain missing, along with one member of staff. According to the commissioner, one teacher was killed, another was critically injured, and the third is still missing.

“Assurances have been given to us by the security services that rescue would be carried out soon,” Wakiibe said.

The Nigerian military said troops engaged suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants in a firefight during the rescue operation, killing an unspecified number of attackers and seizing seven motorcycles. One soldier and a member of a civilian task force were also killed.

Nigeria’s northern and Middle Belt regions have long been plagued by kidnappings, banditry, and communal violence, with armed gangs frequently targeting travelers, villages, and schools. Abduction incidents drew global attention in 2014 when Boko Haram militants kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State.

Switzerland has returned 18 cultural items to Nigeria, including Benin Bronzes stolen when British colonial forces raided the West African country in the 19th century, officials have said.

The handover took place at the National Museum in Lagos on Monday, where Nigerian Culture Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa and Swiss Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider also signed a bilateral agreement regulating the import, export, and repatriation of cultural property.

The agreement sets out procedures for the restitution of illegally imported cultural items and cooperation against illicit trafficking, according to the Swiss government.

Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) said that of the 18 artifacts returned, two came from the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, two from the Geneva Museum of Ethnography, and 14 from the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich.

“The return of our cultural heritage marks more than the recovery of artefacts. It reflects the power of dialogue, trust, and international cooperation,” the Nigerian culture minister wrote on X.

The return of our cultural heritage marks more than the recovery of artefacts. It reflects the power of dialogue, trust, and international cooperation.

Earlier today, alongside the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments @NCMMHQ , Olugbile Holloway… pic.twitter.com/8YexlmEOnk

— Hannatu Musa Musawa (@hanneymusawa) June 29, 2026

The Swiss government said last week that five archaeological artifacts seized in Geneva and Ticino would also be returned to Nigeria, along with the 18 cultural items being handed over during Baume-Schneider’s visit.

Earlier in March, Bern agreed to transfer ownership of 28 items to Nigeria as part of a wider restitution process, amid growing demands by African states for cultural objects stolen during colonial rule to be repatriated from Western museums and collections.

Nigeria’s neighbor Ghana also announced on June 20 that Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to return more than 2,000 cultural objects taken during colonial-era conquests.

Russia and Rwanda have signed a roadmap for the development of a small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power project, the state nuclear corporation Rosatom reported on Tuesday. 

The agreement follows Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev’s statement in May that Moscow and Kigali had reached an understanding on the construction of a nuclear power plant.

It was signed in Moscow following the first meeting of the Russia-Rwanda Joint Coordinating Committee on nuclear cooperation. The talks focused on the planned nuclear power project, the creation of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Rwanda, the development of the country’s nuclear infrastructure, workforce Training, and regulatory issues.

According to Dr. Lassina Zerbo, energy advisor to the president and chairman of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, the country aims to add nuclear power to its energy mix in the early 2030s to meet growing electricity demand.

Speaking to RT in 2025, Zerbo said that SMRs could provide a more affordable alternative to conventional large-scale nuclear power plants, describing them as a “plug-and-play” solution that can work with existing electricity grids, avoiding costly infrastructure upgrade, and major investments in grid modernization.

Russia and Rwanda have been developing nuclear cooperation since signing an intergovernmental agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in 2018. A year later, the two countries agreed to build a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Rwanda, which is expected to include a 10 MW research reactor and a network of laboratories.

Protests broke out across South Africa on Tuesday as anti-immigrant groups pressed ahead with demonstrations tied to an unofficial June 30 deadline calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

Police have been deployed in major cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, and other urban centers, amid fears of unrest linked to coordinated rallies led by groups including Operation Dudula and the March and March movement.

Shops remained shut and foreign workers stayed at home while security helicopters were reportedly seen circling overhead as police monitored crowds carrying South African flags and wooden batons.

In Tembisa, a northern suburb of Johannesburg, protesters threw stones at police during clashes, while sporadic gunfire was heard near the central business district, according to Reuters. The Daily Maverick reported that police deployed tactical vehicles and fired shots in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, after being confronted by a crowd of about 500 protesters.

Local media IOL reported that a Nigerian husband of a prominent politician was arrested in Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of the Free State province, after allegedly housing about 28 undocumented foreign nationals at his guesthouse.

South Africans are out in the streets across the country today demanding that foreigners leave their country. These are scenes from Durban where the protests are so far described as largely peaceful

📹 via @SiphamandlaGoge pic.twitter.com/XYxpqx04Xk

— ZimLive (@zimlive) June 30, 2026

Thousands of protesters storm the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦, demanding that illegal immigrants leave the nation.

There is heavy police presence around the demonstrations. The leaders of the anti-migration groups say they will submit a petition to the Government. pic.twitter.com/5HTaghWe3O

— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) June 30, 2026

The South African Police Service said in a statement that it has arrested five people for “breaking into tuck shops owned by foreign nationals and stealing various items” in KwaZulu-Natal, one of the country’s most populous provinces along the Indian Ocean coast.

The South African government has dismissed the ultimatum demanding the exit of undocumented migrants, warning against attempts to impose extralegal ultimatums.

Earlier this month, the Mozambican government said at least five of its nationals were killed in xenophobic attacks in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, during violence that broke out between May 30 and June 1, with hundreds more displaced.

Ghana has repatriated about 300 nationals in the first evacuation flight from South Africa, according to officials. Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique have also taken similar actions.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm in April over alleged xenophobic attacks, harassment, and intimidation against foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.

South African authorities have rejected characterizations of the country as xenophobic. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya described such claims in May as a “lazy analysis” of complex social and economic pressures.

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has reached 1,307, the country’s Ministry of Communication and Media reported on Tuesday.  

According to figures published as of June 28, the outbreak has claimed 377 lives, putting the overall case fatality rate at 28.8%. At the same time, 180 patients have recovered, while 615 people remain in isolation or hospitalized. 

The outbreak has also spread beyond the DR Congo’s borders. Uganda has reported 20 confirmed Ebola cases, including two deaths, while 15 patients have recovered, according to the latest figures from Ugandan health authorities. 

The epidemic continues to be concentrated in the eastern DR Congo. The Ituri province remains the epicenter, with 23 affected health zones, while neighboring North Kivu is under heightened surveillance across 11 health zones. In South Kivu, authorities have recorded three confirmed cases and one death, but say no new transmission has been detected there since May 26, with active monitoring continuing.  

The government has banned all public gatherings in the capital Kinshasa and the provinces of Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele in an effort to curb the spread of Ebola. The measure, announced by Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani in a directive sent to provincial governors on Saturday, suspends political rallies, public marches and other mass events that could bring large crowds together.  

DR Congo is battling its 17th recorded Ebola outbreak, which was declared on May 15. It involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments available.

An unspecified number of students taking secondary school examinations have been kidnapped in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, the authorities say, in the latest attack targeting educational institutions in Africa’s most populous country.

The incident occurred on Monday morning when heavily armed men suspected to be Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants stormed the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area, according to the Nigerian Army.

Army spokesperson Mohammed Goni said ten abducted students and teachers have since been rescued, and search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining victims.

One soldier and one member of a civilian task force assisting security forces in counterinsurgency operations were killed during an “intense exchange of fire with the terrorists,” Goni said in a statement.

He said the troops inflicted casualties on the “fleeing terrorists” and seized seven of their motorcycles during the operation.

TROOPS OF OPERATION HADIN KAI RESCUE ABDUCTED NECO CANDIDATES IN LASSA, INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR REMAINING VICTIM

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have successfully rescued ten National Examinations Council (NECO) candidates and teachers abducted during an ISWAP attack on Lassa… pic.twitter.com/amqDYhwcgu

— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) June 29, 2026

Nigeria’s northeast has been the epicenter of a long-running insurgency led by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which have repeatedly targeted villages and schools across the region. The groups have carried out mass abductions in Borno State since the 2014 kidnapping of more than 270 Chibok schoolgirls.

The latest attack comes just weeks after gunmen seized more than 40 students from the Primary and Junior Government Day Secondary School in Mussa-Biri community, also in Askira-Uba Local Government Area on May 15. Askira-Uba lies in southern Borno State near the Sambisa Forest, a known militant stronghold.

At least 20 people were killed in an armed attack in Kawel village in Plateau State last week, according to police. Last month, gunmen attacked two primary schools in the Oriire area of Oyo State, killing a staff member and abducting an unspecified number of victims. On May 8, the authorities said 17 police officers were killed when terrorists launched an assault on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.

Nine African teams have reached the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, setting a new record for the continent.

Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa all advanced from the group stage.

“It is the first time that 90% of the African National Teams qualified from the Group Stage of the FIFA World Cup,” the press service of Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Sunday. 

CAF President Patrice Motsepe congratulated all nine teams on reaching the knockout stage, calling their qualification “hard-earned and well-deserved.”  

“The players and technical teams have made each of their countries proud and have also made the 1.6 billion people on the African Continent and in the Diaspora, proud,” Motsepe said. 

Morocco, 2022 World Cup semifinalist, will play the Netherlands on June 30. So far in this competition, they drew with Brazil before beating Scotland and Haiti. The same day, Côte d’Ivoire faces Norway. The country advanced after victories over Ecuador and Curaçao, despite losing to Germany.

This is what qualification looks like. 🇲🇦❤️#FIFAWorldCup | 📹 @EnMaroc pic.twitter.com/NrSVQ0eNUJ

— CAF (@CAF_Online) June 25, 2026

On July 1, DR Congo takes on England. In group matches they drew with Portugal, lost narrowly to Colombia, and then beat Uzbekistan 3-1.

SCENES IN ATLANTA

LOOK WHAT IT MEANS TO DR CONGO AND THEIR FANS 🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/IHBXJwHJOv

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2026

Senegal meets Belgium,also on July 1, after keeping its World Cup hopes alive with a 5-0 victory over Iraq in its final group-stage match.

SENEGAL ARE HAVING A GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT COMPETITION 🇸🇳

Iliman Ndiaye joins in on the golazo party! pic.twitter.com/lR4SfSTW2Z

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 26, 2026

Algeria will face Switzerland on July 3 after recovering from an opening defeat against Argentina, before they bested Jordan 2-1 and drew 3-3 with Austria. Later that same day, Egypt, unbeaten so far, will play Australia.

South Africa became the first African team to play in the knockout phase, but lost 1-0 to Canada on Sunday.

Only Tunisia failed to escape the group stage.

On the eve of nationwide protests against undocumented immigration, President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stern warning against vigilantism, invoking the painful legacy of apartheid-era pass laws while reaffirming that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.

In his weekly newsletter released by the Presidency on Monday, Ramaphosa acknowledged growing public frustration over illegal immigration but stressed that concerns must be addressed through constitutional and legal processes rather than intimidation or mob justice.

”The exercise of rights by any citizen in a constitutional democracy cannot be determined by intimidation, threats, or ultimatums. It must be determined through democratic institutions, evidence, and the rule of law,” Ramaphosa said.

The protests, scheduled for Tuesday, have been organized by several groups demanding tougher action against undocumented immigrants. Organizers argue that illegal immigration has placed increasing pressure on public services, enabled criminal syndicates, and negatively affected South African communities.

Rather than dismissing these concerns, Ramaphosa acknowledged shortcomings within the government’s own immigration system, saying meaningful reforms are already underway.

In one of the strongest sections of his address, Ramaphosa drew a direct comparison between modern-day vigilantism and the apartheid government’s notorious pass laws, warning that private citizens cannot assume the powers of law enforcement.

”The painful history of the pass laws reminds us why the authority to demand identification and enforce immigration laws belongs to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution, not to private individuals. Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one’s own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy,” Ramaphosa said.

The president warned that attempts by civilians to police immigration status on the streets risk reviving practices that South Africans fought hard to dismantle. He described such actions as “vigilantism thinly disguised in the language of patriotism” and cautioned that they undermine the very constitutional order they claim to defend.

“We must never allow ourselves to return to that painful chapter of our history where people were stopped on the street, had their physical identities scrutinized, and their right to move freely in the country hindered by suspicion and humiliation,” he stressed.

Ramaphosa said the government had spent recent weeks engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including traditional leaders, Khoi-San representatives, organized labor, business organizations, and religious groups, all of whom had expressed support for peaceful demonstrations conducted within the law. He also welcomed commitments by some protest organizers to discourage violence, while warning that those assurances would be closely scrutinized.

The President’s intervention comes amid heightened tensions over immigration and growing public debate about border security, law enforcement and the state’s capacity to manage migration while upholding constitutional rights.

First published by IOL

A senior South African police officer has survived an assassination attempt after being shot in Johannesburg, the country’s authorities said on Monday.

Major General Feroz Khan, deputy head of crime intelligence, was wounded on Sunday evening in Houghton, an affluent suburb of Johannesburg, after being attacked, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement. He was driving home when the attack occurred and has since been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, according to local media.

Khan had been expected to appear before the Madlanga Commission on July 1, a judicial inquiry probing claims of corruption, interference, and misconduct within elements of the South Africa’s police and intelligence structures.

The allegations were brought forward last July by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, triggering the suspension of the country’s police minister, Senzo Mchunu. Mkhwanazi claimed the suspended police chief had conspired with a criminal network and interfered with investigations into high-profile assassinations.

The SAPS said it has launched an investigation into the attempted murder of Khan, warning that “it is premature and irresponsible to speculate on any possible motive or to conclude that the incident is linked to his anticipated appearance before the commission.” 

“The South African Police Service views any attempt to intimidate, silence or attack any individual involved in judicial processes in the most serious light,” the police stated.

Earlier in June, the South African Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police called for Khan’s suspension following his arrest in May, arguing that any officer facing allegations of wrongdoing should be removed from active duty to protect ongoing investigations and maintain public trust.

Committee chair Ian Cameron said the arrest of a senior crime intelligence officer “undermines a strategic pillar of policing” and exposed “the extent of the rot that continues to plague the SAPS Crime Intelligence environment.”

When news emerged that Kenya had authorized a 50-bed, American-funded Ebola isolation centre at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, the controversy immediately eclipsed medical logistics. The premise was stark: Quarantine US citizens exposed to the virus offshore to prevent them from entering US territory.

The backlash was fiercely swift. Opposition politicians, civil society groups, and citizens secured court injunctions and poured into the streets. The situation turned deadly when police cracked down on demonstrators in Nanyuki, leaving at least three people dead. What Washington framed as a pragmatic health measure has instead ignited a volatile debate over national sovereignty, neo-colonial health policies, and the cost of Western risk externalization.

On May 29, Kenya’s High Court halted the project. Responding to a petition led by the Katiba Institute and medical unions, Justice Patricia Nyaundi issued sweeping orders halting the US facility at Laikipia. The mandate went beyond stopping construction; it barred Kenyan authorities from facilitating the entry of Ebola-exposed individuals and compelled Nairobi to disclose all bilateral agreements with Washington.

For the petitioners, the state had engaged in “constitutional recklessness.” They successfully argued that hosting a Level-4 biohazard risk was negotiated in secrecy, completely bypassing parliamentary oversight and mandatory public participation. By agreeing to function as an alternative containment site, Nairobi allowed a foreign power to externalize its disease risk management, exposing a local population – in a country with zero confirmed Ebola cases – to an unacceptable imported threat.

The legal battle reached a dramatic point last week, underscoring the lengths to which the government initially went to accommodate Washington. Despite the clear judicial freeze issued in late May, work at the site quietly continued.

On June 22, the High Court held Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in contempt for actively ignoring the injunction. Facing the unprecedented prospect of severe judicial sanctions, the minister was forced into a humiliating capitulation. Appearing personally before Justice Nyaundi the next day, Duale tendered a formal apology, expressing “sincere regret” for undermining the judiciary. More importantly, he confirmed to the court that he had finally ordered the “immediate and complete cessation of any intended construction, site preparation, or related activities” at the Laikipia facility.

While Duale was discharged with a strict warning, his forced public retreat represented a monumental victory for Kenyan civil society and a sharp rebuke to executive overreach driven by foreign health agendas.

To understand the depth of the Kenyan backlash, one must look beyond Kenya itself and examine how Washington intends to bankroll it. On June 25, the White House requested $1.4 billion for the African Ebola response – a figure that reportedly includes hundreds of millions explicitly earmarked for the very Kenyan quarantine center the High Court just halted. This is not standalone humanitarian aid; the request is buried inside a massive $87.6 billion emergency supplemental package designed almost entirely to replenish the Pentagon for military operations.

The friction in Nairobi is mirrored perfectly by recent diplomatic ruptures in Harare and Accra. In February 2026, Zimbabwe abruptly halted negotiations with Washington over a proposed $367 million health funding package. The talks unravelled because of US demand for long-term access to Zimbabwe’s sensitive epidemiological data and biological pathogen samples.

Zimbabwean officials rejected the terms as a breach of national security and data sovereignty, pointing out the inherent neo-colonial asymmetry: The agreement would force the nation to provide the raw materials for scientific discovery without any reciprocal guarantee of access to the resulting vaccines or treatments.

In April, Ghana similarly withdrew from health negotiations, citing the exact same concerns over overreaching US demands for data access.

Meanwhile, in Uganda, the US successfully leveraged funding to secure direct, real-time access to nine of the nation’s central health data systems for seven years, raising massive alarms among digital privacy and human rights experts regarding the unchecked extraction of African medical records by foreign entities.

This transactional and coercive approach to health is now being aggressively deployed to punish geopolitical defiance. The most glaring example is currently unfolding in South Africa. In June 2026, the US State Department confirmed a phased termination of funding under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – a program that historically provided hundreds of millions annually to combat the world’s largest HIV epidemic. The official pretext for dismantling this critical infrastructure relies on highly controversial, politically motivated allegations regarding South Africa’s land policies and domestic economic transformation frameworks.

However, this manufactured narrative was brought to a head during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s highly publicized Oval Office visit in May 2025. When confronted by the US administration with sensationalized claims regarding the safety of the country’s minority population, Ramaphosa did not simply offer a standard diplomatic rebuttal.

The diplomatic timeline further reveals this health funding cut to be a calculated smokescreen. This devastating withdrawal of aid is part of a broader, sustained campaign of economic and political retaliation that included the imposition of crippling 30% tariffs on South African industrial and manufactured exports in 2025.

The true catalyst for Washington’s punitive measures is not a sudden concern for minority rights, but rather Pretoria’s non-aligned foreign policy – specifically, its historic sovereign decision to bring a genocide case, supported by numerous other states, against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). By weaponizing HIV/AIDS funding to settle geopolitical scores, the US has unequivocally demonstrated that African public health is viewed not as a humanitarian imperative, but as a strategic lever to be pulled whenever a sovereign nation refuses to comply.

This transformation of healthcare diplomacy into coercive policy tactics reveals that the US is ready to walk away from its global commitments to the world. By discarding multilateral health governance in favor of transactional bilateralism – accelerated by Washington’s formal exit from the World Health Organization in January 2026 – the US State Department is establishing a neo-colonial division of labor in global biosecurity.

The resistance unfolding from Nairobi to Harare is a necessary pushback against an unequal international order where national dignity, data sovereignty, and equal treatment are continually sacrificed to shield Western populations from the very risks they externalize.

Somali government forces have killed more than 30 Al-Shabaab militants in a series of coordinated airstrikes in the country’s Middle Shabelle region, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday. 

The operations targeted terrorist positions in Gayfo, Ruun Idiris, and Ali Gaduud over several days. Somali officials said the targeted locations served as command, training, and logistics hubs supporting Al-Shabaab’s activities in the region.

The first strike, carried out on June 24, targeted a militant mobilization center in Gayfo, where weapons were stored. On June 25, three additional strikes targeted a training facility in Ruun Idiris before hitting a gathering of militants in Ali Gaduud, where they were allegedly preparing future attacks.

“The strikes resulted in the elimination of approximately 30 Al-Shabaab militants,” the ministry said in a statement. 

Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent groups, particularly Al-Shabaab, have been carrying out regular attacks in several African countries since 2007, including those in the Sahel region. The terrorist group continues to conduct raids, bombings, and targeted assassinations in an effort to destabilize the Somali government, regional security structures and also establish its own rule based on a hardline interpretation of Sharia law.

The latest operation follows a similar offensive in April, when Somali government forces said they had killed 22 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior commander Abdirahman Jeeri, during a joint ground and air operation in the Lower Shabelle region.

France is considering reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso severed diplomatic relations with Paris, the French Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

The West African nation’s military authorities announced on Friday that they were breaking off ties with France, accusing it of “neo-colonial ambitions” and of backing “subversive networks” and “terrorists.”

In a statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs described Burkina Faso’s decision as “hostile and unfounded,” saying it “illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabe authorities.”

“The necessary reciprocal measures are currently being considered,” the ministry stated. Paris also said it is monitoring the safety of French government personnel and citizens in Burkina Faso and urged them to “exercise heightened vigilance.”

Burkina Faso’s neighbors Mali and Niger have also cut security cooperation with France, which has said it does not recognize the military authorities in the three Sahel states as legitimate governments.

Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou have in recent months repeatedly accused the former colonial power of acts of aggression, including allegations of backing or sponsoring jihadist groups behind a deadly insurgency in the region. France has denied the claims, rejecting any suggestion it supports terrorism in the Sahel.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has once again been named Africa’s highest-ranked university, improving its position in the latest US News Best Global Universities Rankings.

The 2026-2027 rankings, released on June 17, place UCT 122nd in the world, up from 124th in the previous edition. The result places the institution among the top 5% of the 2,250 universities assessed globally.

The latest ranking further cements UCT’s status as one of Africa’s foremost research institutions and underscores South Africa’s contribution to international scientific and academic research.

The US News rankings differ from university league tables that place greater emphasis on factors such as student experience, employability and sustainability. Instead, they focus primarily on research output, academic reputation, publications, citations and international collaboration.

“UCT’s influence goes beyond ranking positions. Our mission is to deliver outstanding teaching and learning, while advancing both curiosity-driven research and work that addresses the evolving challenges of our time,” said Professor Thokozani Majozi, UCT’s deputy vice-chancellor for research and internationalisation.

“Together, these efforts contribute towards shaping a sustainable future, and this result reflects the breadth of that impact.”

[ICYMI] The University of Cape Town remains the highest-ranked university in Africa in the 2027 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings released on 18 June 2026.

The university is placed within the top 2% of more than 8 808 institutions evaluated worldwide.… pic.twitter.com/YiODTJo1DL

— UCT (@UCT_news) June 19, 2026

One of UCT’s strongest performances came in the field of infectious diseases, where the university ranked 14th globally. The ranking is particularly significant given South Africa’s continued fight against diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV.

Professor Digby Warner, director of UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, said the recognition reflected years of research undertaken in communities most affected by these health challenges. “This recognition is especially meaningful because much of this work is conducted in settings where infectious diseases remain among the most urgent health challenges,” Warner said.

The rankings are based on research data collected between 2020 and 2024, as well as academic reputation surveys conducted from 2021 to 2025. Strong performances in international rankings can enhance the global recognition of South African qualifications, while also helping universities attract research funding, international partnerships and academic talent.

First published by IOL

Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, becoming the latest West African nation to distance itself from its former colonial ruler after years of deteriorating ties.

The decision was announced in a statement released on Friday by Burkinabe Communications Minister Gilbert Ouedraogo and posted by the country’s official information service. It said the move took effect on June 26.

Ouagadougou accused France of pursuing neocolonial ambitions, interfering in Burkina Faso’s internal affairs, and backing “subversive networks” and “terrorists.”

“Faced with these imperialist aims of domination over our country and the enslavement of our people, we have chosen responsibility and sovereignty,” the statement said. France has previously denied accusations that it supports terrorism in the Sahel.

COMMUNIQUE RELATIF A LA RUPTURE DES RELATIONS DIPLOMATIQUES ENTRE LE BURKINA FASO ET LA REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE

Le Gouvernement du Burkina Faso porte à la connaissance de l’opinion nationale et internationale qu’il a pris la décision de rompre ses relations diplomatiques avec la… pic.twitter.com/n444Q3K82a

— SIG Burkina Faso (@sigbf) June 26, 2026

The statement said the decision applies only to diplomatic relations and does not affect the historical, cultural, and social ties between the Burkinabe and French peoples.

Diplomatic relations between Burkina Faso and France have steadily deteriorated since the military seized power in Ouagadougou in 2022. The new authorities ended military cooperation with Paris, forcing French troops to leave the country the following year.

Paris has lost its foothold in several former colonies amid a wave of anti-French sentiment fueled by allegations of military failures and interference. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have expelled French troops and accused their former metropole of supporting armed groups fueling the deadly jihadist insurgency in the region.

France has previously denied the accusations and said it does not recognize the legitimacy of the military governments in the three West African countries, and is backing efforts to restore civilian rule.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended Pretoria’s non-aligned foreign policy during questions in Parliament. Tension with US persists over relations with China, Russia, and Iran, as well as trade.

Ramaphosa’s remarks come after US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III criticized South Africa’s non-aligned foreign policy stance on X, referencing its engagements with China and Iran, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s visit to Beijing.

Answering questions during a National Council of Provinces (NCOP) question and answer session on Thursday, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s foreign policy is grounded in the Constitution and guided by principles of human rights, peace, multilateralism and a rules-based international order.

”We don’t see ourselves as a country of enemies. We are a country that seeks to be at peace with all other countries and have good relations with all,” Ramaphosa said.

He said South Africa maintains diplomatic relations across different regions and political systems in pursuit of national interests and constructive global engagement, consistent with its non-aligned and strategically autonomous stance.

Ramaphosa said this approach allows the country to engage with both Western and Eastern powers, including the United States, China, Russia, Iran, and others, through bilateral and multilateral platforms aimed at dialogue, cooperation, and dispute resolution.

”This does not imply neutrality or disengagement, but rather an independent foreign policy that seeks to promote dialogue, cooperation and peaceful resolution of global challenges,” the president said.

”Even in areas where we disagree, even in areas where we do agree, we continue to engage, because non-engagement does not serve any of us any good,” he noted.

He said South Africa values its long-standing relationship with the United States and continues cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, health, education and security.

Ramaphosa also defended South Africa’s participation in joint military exercises with various countries, saying such engagements are routine and not inconsistent with non-alignment. He said these exercises, conducted with countries including the United States, China and India, allow for the sharing of experience, capabilities and approaches to security and peacekeeping.

The president said South Africa has not compromised its sovereignty or independence in its engagements, insisting that the country remains self-respecting and principled in its foreign relations. He said South Africa continues to play a constructive diplomatic role in global conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, where it maintains engagement with both sides.

”We are one of those very few countries that has been able to do a number of things to give assistance to the resolution of the conflict,” he noted, adding that South Africa is often able to engage with parties on both sides of international conflicts, and is sometimes asked to pass on messages between them.

He also stressed South Africa’s non-aligned stance allows it to engage widely on trade disputes, including tariff measures imposed by major economies.

”We have decided to turbocharge our economic diplomacy and reach out to many countries around the world with a view of establishing sustainable trade relations with them,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa’s participation in international organisations such as BRICS, the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement is voluntary and based on national interest.

”We will not be quiet. We will speak up,” the president said, adding that South Africa’s approach is deliberate, flexible and aimed at resolving disputes through engagement rather than confrontation.

First published by IOL

Africa requires about $1.4 billion to respond to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, roughly three times higher than previous estimates, the continent’s autonomous health agency has said.

Earlier funding requirements for a coordinated response had been put at about $518 million, developed with the World Health Organization and other partners to support surveillance, laboratory capacity, emergency stockpiles, and rapid response teams.

Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya said at a virtual press briefing on Thursday that the revised estimate reflects escalating response needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Uganda.

More than 300 people have been killed in DR Congo and Uganda since the outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus began on May 15. The Congolese Health Ministry said on Thursday that the country has recorded 1,155 confirmed cases and 304 deaths.

The WHO has said the risk of wider international spread remains low after the French Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday that France has reported its first Ebola case involving a doctor who returned from a humanitarian mission in the DR Congo.

Kaseya said health systems in DR Congo, particularly in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, are under strain amid worsening humanitarian conditions. Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu have been affected for years by attacks by armed groups and fighting that has triggered mass displacement of people from their homes.

The Africa CDC director-general said that so far about $910 million in funding has been pledged, but only 13% has been disbursed.

On Friday, China handed over $2 million in emergency support to the Africa CDC to help contain the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak and support affected member states, the agency announced.

Two volunteers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) Red Cross have been killed by unidentified armed men while on a humanitarian mission in South Kivu province, the organization said on Tuesday. 

Byamungu Mugisho Kabuha and Mugisho MParanya Romain were attacked on June 16 in Kakumba village, while working on a project to improve access to clean drinking water for vulnerable communities.  

“They were wearing the emblem of the Red Cross, a universal symbol of neutrality, impartiality, and humanitarian assistance,” explains Gregoire Mateso Mbuta Way, National President of the Red Cross of the DR Congo. 

The DR Congo Red Cross said attacks on humanitarian workers threaten life-saving assistance for civilians. The organization urged all parties to respect and protect aid personnel, stressing that humanitarian workers serve as a vital lifeline for communities affected by the country’s ongoing crisis. 

Alongside continuing violence in the country, the authorities are battling the nation’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak, which was declared on May 15. It involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and has raised concerns across the region because there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments available. 

As of June 24, the outbreak has resulted in 1,155 confirmed cases and 304 deaths, with 326 patients currently in isolation or hospitalized and 138 people reported to have recovered.

Hundreds of people were arrested across Kenya on Thursday during demonstrations in remembrance of dozens of protesters killed in the 2024 Gen Z anti-government rallies against tax hikes, according to police and rights groups in the East African nation.

Protests were reported in at least 14 counties, including the capital Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru. Police reportedly fired tear gas in Nairobi as families of victims and activists attempted to march toward parliament to demand accountability and compensation for those killed in last year’s unrest.

Security forces mounted roadblocks on major highways leading into the capital ahead of the demonstrations as part of heightened security measures.

“A few criminal elements attempted to commit diverse crimes in the guise of staging peaceful demonstrations. Consequently, a total of 355 arrests were made in connection with the demonstrations,” the minister said in a statement. He said Anthony Gathungu, a local Interior Ministry official in Murang’a County, was injured after being attacked by a group attempting to erect a barricade in Kandara.

However, the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG), which includes Amnesty International Kenya and other civil society organizations, said more than 361 people had been detained, accusing law enforcement of violating the right to peaceful assembly.

The group said families of victims killed in the previous protests were blocked from laying flowers in Nairobi in remembrance, and also accused the authorities of targeting journalists.

The June 25 demonstrations mark the second anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z-led protests against an International Monetary Fund-backed finance bill, later withdrawn by the government. The legislation had been introduced to address a $2.7 billion gap in the country’s budget.

President William Ruto later withdrew the bill, dismissed his cabinet, and formed a new government in an effort to ease public anger over the country’s economic woes. Kenya’s then-deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, was later impeached on charges including incitement to ethnic division and support for the anti-tax protests. Gachagua dismissed the allegations as false and “extremely outrageous,” claiming that his removal was politically motivated.

A former police operative appeared in South Africa’s Benoni Regional Court on Thursday to face charges stemming from three notorious apartheid-era operations examined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

According to The Star, the 74-year-old accused is facing 15 counts of murder, alongside charges of kidnapping, arson, unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and defeating or obstructing the administration of justice.

His court appearance follows an extensive investigation by the Hawks into apartheid-era atrocities and forms part of efforts to hold those implicated in unresolved crimes accountable, more than three decades after the alleged offences were committed.

”In its ongoing pursuit of accountability for apartheid-era atrocities, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) continues to fulfil its mandate,” Mogale said.

The investigation was conducted by the Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Crimes Against the State section and centres on three incidents previously brought before the TRC: Operation Zero Zero, the Nietverdiend 10 and the KwaNdebele 9.

Investigators have linked the former Vlakplaas operative to the deaths of 15 young people associated with the three operations.

According to the Hawks, the incidents allegedly followed a common pattern. Young recruits were allegedly enticed with promises of military training, provided with explosives and clandestinely taken out of South Africa during the apartheid era. The recruits were allegedly led to believe they would be involved in operations against the apartheid government.

”Instead, they met their deaths at the hands of the suspect and two accomplices who allegedly operated from Vlakplaas under the command of Eugene de Kock,” Mogale said.

First published by IOL

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) football supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, better known as Lumumba Vea, finally made his World Cup debut on Tuesday after missing the team’s opener against Portugal due to Ebola quarantine restrictions. 

The fan stood behind the DR Congo bench during the match against Colombia, recreating the motionless pose that turned him into a social media sensation. 

Wearing a bright red jacket and tie, a yellow shirt and blue trousers, Mboladinga stood on a pedestal with his right arm raised for almost the entire match. 

Apart from a brief delay returning after halftime, he remained frozen in character until after the final whistle. He declined interviews but acknowledged reporters with a smile and a nod, several news agencies reported. DR Congo lost 1-0 to Colombia.

FOR THE COUNTRY 🇨🇩🐆🙋🏾‍♂️#FIFAWorldCup #FifaWorldCup26 pic.twitter.com/852moEIBgp

— LUMUMBA VEA 🇨🇩🐆 (@JumbaDrc) June 24, 2026

Mboladinga’s performance is a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, who became the DR Congo’s first prime minister when the country gained independence from Belgium in 1960, but was ousted within months and executed by firing squad in January 1961 at the age of 35.

The appearance came as several African teams continue to make headlines at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup with a series of notable results.

South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday night in their final Group A match to reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history. 

UNBELIEVABLE SCENES IN MONTERREY 🇿🇦

SOUTH AFRICA TAKES THE LEAD OVER SOUTH KOREA! pic.twitter.com/YUq0uCTCqX

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 25, 2026

Morocco also advanced to the knockout stage after beating Haiti 4-2 in its final Group C match.

Cape Verde drew attention despite failing to win its opening match, holding Spain to a 0-0 draw. The result was secured largely through the performance of 40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar Dias, known as Vozinha, who made seven saves against the reigning European champions. Cape Verde followed up the result with another draw, holding Uruguay 2-2.

Other African teams have continued to collect points. Ghana held England to a goalless draw, while Egypt defeated New Zealand 3-1 and Algeria defeated Jordan 2-1.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being held from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in the US, Canada and Mexico. The tournament is the first in history to feature 48 national teams.

Burkina Faso has denounced a European Parliament resolution on alleged repression of civil society organizations and human rights violations in the West African country as unacceptable interference.

The official verbal note from the Burkinabe Ministry of Foreign Affairs was published on Wednesday. The ministry said it had summoned Philippe Bronchain, head of the EU delegation in Ouagadougou, two days earlier, to express the government’s “disapproval, disappointment and disgust” provoked by the resolution.

On June 18, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted three resolutions on the human rights situations in Nicaragua, Belarus, and Burkina Faso. The measure accused Burkinabe authorities of several violations, including dissolving civil society organizations and “severely” undermining press freedoms.

The MEPs criticized “intimidation, unlawful conscription, harassment, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance” in the Sahel nation, urging the government to reverse their decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.

They also expressed “serious concerns over Russia’s influence in Burkina Faso since the expulsion of European forces, contributing to human rights violations and authoritarian drift,” the European Parliament said in a statement.

The former head of French military intelligence said the country’s situation “illustrates the dramatic failure of the military junta in power since the 2022 coup.” 

In response, Burkina Faso rejected Gomart’s comments as “accusatory, rude, and untruthful.” Burkinabe Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore said the longstanding insecurity faced by the country, alongside Mali and Niger, is a direct consequence of NATO’s destabilization of Libya in 2011.

Ambassador Bronchain said he would “simply relay” Ouagadougou’s concerns to his “superiors” in Brussels.

The latest exchange adds to already strained diplomatic relations between Burkina Faso and the EU since the 2022 military takeover. The authorities in Burkina Faso, along with their allies in Mali and Niger, have cut defense cooperation with EU partners and expelled French troops, accusing France of aggression.

There are moments in history when the earth trembles under the weight of a truth buried for too long. Accra, from June 17 to 19, 2026, may have been one of those moments. On the coast that served for centuries as the embarkation point for millions of our ancestors into the hell of the slave trade, heads of state, jurists, activists, and representatives of the African diaspora gathered for the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice to build on UN Resolution A/RES/80/250, which was adopted on March 25, 2026. As the first document in the UN’s 80-year history dedicated to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, they wanted to ensure it leads to real action rather than remaining a dead letter.

Let us begin with what deserves to be acknowledged. Ghana, the symbolic gateway of the slave trade, is here staking its credibility as a pan-African leader. President Mahama did not convene this summit for appearances. His formula, which became the rallying cry of Accra, rings as a warning: Reparative justice “will not be handed to us. Like political independence, it must be asserted, pursued and won through determination and unity.” These words carry the direct lineage of Kwame Nkrumah.

For the first time, monitoring mechanisms exist on paper. It is a step forward. But a step is not yet a victory.

Allow me to say what others prefer to leave unsaid in the muffled diplomacy of grand conferences. The UN March vote revealed true faces. The text received 123 votes in favor, three against – the United States, Israel, and Argentina – and 52 abstentions, including all countries of the European Union. Fifty-two European abstentions. France, which wraps itself in the discourse of human rights at every international forum, abstained. Great Britain, whose slave traders made their fortunes on the blood of our ancestors, abstained. Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal: all absent from the vote for justice.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who was not in Accra, declared in his speech of May 21: “We must be honest enough to tell ourselves that we can never repair these crimes. We must accept the fact that there is no final point.” Translation: We acknowledge the crime, but we refuse to pay for it. This is the classic rhetoric of the torturer who asks the victim to “turn the page” while keeping the fruits of plunder in his coffers.

Then, the international committees will include not only African and Caribbean countries, but also Western nations that historically benefited from slavery, such as the United States, France, and Great Britain. Allowing the executioners to sit at the table of justice means offering them a say in the terms of their own conviction. What court in the world accepts that the accused co-presides over his own trial?

A third uncomfortable truth: Will the African states, some of whose kingdoms and trading posts were involved in the slave trade, be capable of maintaining a united position? Internal rivalries, divergent economic interests, and persistent dependence on former colonial powers all complicate any common strategy. Africa cannot demand solidarity from its diaspora while maintaining internal divisions that weaken its negotiating capacity. Unity is not a diplomatic luxury – it is the sine qua non of any real justice. Sankara knew it. Nkrumah knew it. Nyerere knew it. And it is precisely because they attempted to build this unity that the colonial powers financed their overthrow.

Accra must not be the end of a process. Participants agreed on ambitious objectives: restitution of looted cultural property, financial justice, debt relief, technology transfer, climate justice, reform of global governance, and the fight against discrimination inherited from slavery and colonialism. These demands are just and legitimate. But they will only materialize if Africa transforms moral pressure into effective political and economic pressure. Reparations will not come from the goodwill of those who profited from the crime. They will come from our capacity to make the status quo unsustainable for them.

The reparations envisioned go beyond the financial framework: restitution of cultural property, recognition of psychological trauma, rehabilitation of the dignity of victims, and institutional reform. We are not wrong to broaden the scope. But let us not scatter our forces in every direction at once. First monetary sovereignty, because without control of our currency, any financial reparation can be neutralized by economic mechanisms we do not control; then unconditional cultural restitution, because our sacred objects are not museum curiosities, they are fragments of our soul; and, finally, the reform of international institutions, because the IMF and the UN Security Council, in their current architecture, are instruments for perpetuating the colonial imbalance.

The political union between Africa and its descendants on the other side of the Atlantic marks a turning point, hailed by the organizers as the end of a historical fragmentation.

Russia will support African nations seeking reparations from former colonial powers, deputy chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has said, arguing that Western states should be held accountable for centuries of colonial exploitation.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on Wednesday, the former Russian president said African Union members, along with Caribbean nations, are spearheading efforts to seek compensation for the legacy of colonialism.

“We [Russia] are ready to actively support their endeavors to demand reparations and compensation from their former colonial powers,” Medvedev stated. 

He said Western countries have the capacity to provide reparations for the “colossal damage” caused by centuries of colonial and neo-colonial practices.

“The former colonial powers have neither legal nor moral grounds to evade reparations justice,” Medvedev noted, adding that fundamental legal principles prevent wrongdoing from becoming a legitimate source of rights.

The issue of reparations has gained international attention in recent months. Last week, Ghana hosted a global conference on reparatory justice, bringing together leaders from Africa and more than 80 countries to discuss compensation, the return of cultural artifacts, formal apologies, and other measures addressing the legacy of slavery and colonialism.

France has confirmed its first Ebola case in a doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the French Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday.

The ministry said the patient was admitted to a specialized facility and is in stable condition. He has been placed in isolation as part of precautionary measures.

“A thorough epidemiological investigation is underway to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient,” the ministry said in a statement.

French Health Minister Stephanie Rist later confirmed that five people seated near the infected doctor on the flight to France have been identified and isolated. The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), a non-profit organization involved in the Ebola response in DR Congo, said the patient is a physician working with its team.

The case comes amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo. Since the outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus began on May 15, 1,094 confirmed cases have been recorded and 277 deaths reported, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

Last month, the US denied entry to an Air France flight carrying a passenger from the DR Congo under stricter Ebola-related restrictions, forcing the aircraft to divert to Canada. Washington tightened travel measures in response to the outbreak on May 18, requiring travelers arriving from the DR Congo, South Sudan and Uganda to enter the US only through Washington Dulles International Airport.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has similarly assessed the risk as “very low for the general European population,” according to the French Health Ministry statement.

Nigeria sees the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow as an important opportunity to advance bilateral ties with Russia, newly appointed Nigerian Ambassador to Moscow Joseph Olusola Iji has said.

Speaking to RT, the diplomat said strengthening relations will be at the center of his mission in Moscow. Abuja expects to participate in the summit and views the event as a key platform for expanding cooperation across the continent as well.

“It will also be an advantage for multilateral relationship... it’s quite important for us,” the envoy stated.

Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Moscow will host the third Russia-Africa Summit in October, saying the Kremlin expects African leaders to approve a new three-year cooperation roadmap.

Iji acknowledged a persistent trade imbalance between the two countries, which he linked to sanctions-related restrictions, payment difficulties, and logistical challenges. He argued that expanding Russian industrial investment in Nigeria could help increase bilateral trade and create a more balanced economic relationship.

Iji highlighted the importance of media cooperation, saying: “It’s very important [media exchange with Russia] because the media are expected to build bridges.”

Last October, the administration of US President Donald Trump placed Nigeria on its list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ amid allegations of genocide against Christians in the country. Abuja has repeatedly rejected the claims, arguing that the country’s security crisis is driven by insurgency and banditry rather than religious persecution and affects Nigerians of all faiths.

Niger has formally initiated the process of its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), months after its decision to exit the tribunal over claims of “neo-colonialist” bias.

The West African country reportedly submitted a letter to the UN on Monday to leave the Rome Statute, the treaty on which the ICC was founded.

“While the court had raised great hopes among peoples who cherish peace and justice, it has been misused and exploited,” the letter said, according to AP.

In response, the ICC said it regrets “any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes.”

The withdrawal will take effect after 12 months, making Niger the third country to leave the ICC. Burundi withdrew from the Rome Statute in October 2017, accusing the court of deliberately targeting Africans for prosecution. The Philippines followed in 2018, with then-President Rodrigo Duterte saying the ICC was being used as a “political tool” against his country.

Niger’s intention to withdraw was first made public last September when the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), of which it is a member along with Burkina Faso and Mali, issued a joint statement saying the ICC had revealed itself as a “global example of selective justice.”

The AES denounced The Hague-based tribunal as an instrument of imperialist “neocolonial repression” and accused it of targeting actors outside the “closed circle” of beneficiaries of institutionalized international impunity.

The three countries have for years battled deadly insurgencies waged by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). The authorities in Mali, where the violence first erupted, referred the situation to the ICC in 2012, but in more than a decade, the court has pursued only two prosecutions.

In March 2025, Burkina Faso and Mali withdrew from the International Organization of Francophone Nations, saying the Paris-based group had deviated from its original mission of promoting cultural and technical cooperation and become a biased tool of “political manipulation.”

At least 20 people have been killed in an armed attack in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, local police reported on Tuesday.

The assault took place before dawn on Sunday in Kawel village, located in the Mushere district of Bokkos Local Government Area. Police said a group of armed men stormed the community at around 4:40 AM, opening an attack that left multiple people dead.

Security forces, including officers from the Plateau State Police Command and the Violent Crime Response Unit, were dispatched to the area shortly after receiving reports of the violence. The authorities said the attackers exchanged fire with security personnel before retreating.

Eighteen victims were found dead at the scene and three others were taken to the hospital with injuries. “Subsequently, two of the injured victims were confirmed dead by a medical doctor, bringing the total number of casualties to twenty,” police said.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear. No group has claimed responsibility.

The West African state has long struggled with criminal gangs and extremist groups, which frequently hold people for ransom. This gained global attention in 2014 when Boko Haram militants kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State.

On Saturday, Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters announced that retired Major General Rabe Abubakar died in captivity after being abducted by unidentified gunmen.

Last month, suspected Boko Haram militants abducted more than 40 pupils during a raid on a school in Borno State, according to local officials and civil society groups. The attackers reportedly stormed classrooms while lessons were underway, forcing dozens of other students to flee into nearby bushland.

The Kenyan Health Ministry has suspended construction of a controversial US-backed Ebola quarantine facility in the East African country after a court challenge raised questions over the legality of the project and its potential risks.

The move came after Health Minister Aden Duale appeared before the High Court in the capital, Nairobi, and apologized for defying an earlier court order to halt the project. A day earlier, on Monday, the minister was found guilty of contempt of court in a ruling by High Court Justice Patricia Nyaundi.

“The Cabinet Secretary [minister] also assured the court that all construction and site activities had been completely halted and expressed regret for any misunderstanding or perception of non-compliance with the court orders,” the ministry said on Tuesday.

Justice Nyaundi warned Duale against any further disobedience of court directives and discharged him without imposing any punishment.

The proposed quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, located about 200 km north of Nairobi, drew attention last month after Washington announced a $13.5 million initiative to boost Kenya’s Ebola preparedness amid a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Healthcare experts in the US, including former officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have also warned that the project presents “significant clinical, ethical, operational, and legal challenges.”

At least three people were reportedly killed earlier this month during protests in Nanyuki against the planned initiative.

Despite the order, flights carrying medical equipment and specialist personnel have continued to arrive at the air base, Reuters reported, citing flight-tracking data as well as US and diplomatic sources.

On Tuesday, Kenyan Health Minister Duale told the court that decisions made by the Health Ministry “are guided by scientific evidence, technical advice, and strategic public health considerations.” He said, however, that “the proposed collaboration” between Nairobi and Washington in relation to the facility was suspended “immediately after the conservatory orders were issued.”

South Sudan has announced that it will hold its first general election on December 22, after years of repeated postponements since gaining independence more than a decade ago.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) confirmed the date on Monday, saying preparations are underway across the East African country despite an ongoing armed conflict and logistical hurdles.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. It has been governed under a power-sharing arrangement since 2018 as part of a peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war sparked by a feud between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and opposition leader Riek Machar. Machar served as Kiir’s first vice president until his suspension last year after being charged with treason. He is currently under house arrest.

The landlocked country has remained volatile since the end of the war, with political tensions flaring in recent months over the dismissal and arrest of officials purported to be loyal to Machar.

NEC Chairman Abednego Akok Kacuol said the electoral commission requires $250 million to conduct the 2026 election but has so far received only a fraction of the required funds, SS24 news agency reported.

The government has insisted that the election will go ahead without further extensions, despite growing concerns over political instability, sporadic fighting, and the displacement of civilians across the country.

In a statement on Monday, acting SPLM-IO chairman Nathaniel Pierino said, “anyone coming to register voters and campaigns in territories controlled” by the group will be treated as a “prisoner of war, or at worst, dead.”

“Holding elections to abrogate [the 2018 peace agreement] for South Sudan is... pure politics, not governance, it is a dangerous escalation and shall throw the country into more chaos,” Pierino warned.

Kiir is expected to run in the December presidential election. It is unclear whether Machar will be permitted to run due to the criminal charges against him.

A growing number of undocumented schoolchildren in South Africa have been left without their parents following a recent wave of repatriations targeting illegal immigrants, Gauteng Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Sports, Arts, and Culture Lebogang Maile said during a provincial legislature session on Tuesday.

Addressing the critical issue of children without guardians, Maile pledged to devise a plan to tackle the concerns surrounding undocumented learners. He stated, “I have already asked the national department of education for a list of all the undocumented children in our schools at the instruction of the courts that we must accept them. We are examining their ages and which schools they attend, and we want to assess the financial implications of supporting their education”.

In addition to addressing the plight of undocumented learners, Maile touched on another pressing issue: corruption within schools, noting that reports from recent school visits reflect this persistent challenge. “The second issue is corruption in schools. We have received a report in this regard. This is coming up from the visits that we are having in the schools and communities,” he added.

As part of strengthening the province’s rich cultural heritage, Maile has committed his department towards unveiling eight new heritage sites with a sports, arts and culture budget made up of  R719.4 million from the Provincial Equitable Share and R336.3m in Conditional Grants.

“Our heritage work remains central to preserving the identity and memory of our people. During this financial year, the department will declare eight heritage sites and implement twenty national symbols awareness programmes to deepen constitutional values, social cohesion and public consciousness, particularly among young people,” he stated.

When it comes to infrastructure backlogs and other challenges facing the education system, Maile indicated that challenges arise from rapid in-migration, urbanisation, overcrowding, infrastructure backlogs, and growing learner demand, particularly in township, informal settlement, and inner-city schools.

“These pressures require us to think differently about education delivery, infrastructure planning, and long-term sustainability. To respond to these challenges, we are increasing the department’s budget from R68bn in 2025/26 to R70.9bn in 2026/27, representing an increase of R2.9bn, or 4.3%. This increase allows us to strengthen key interventions while maintaining our focus on quality, access, and equity”.

First published by IOL

A senior Kenyan health official has been found in contempt of court over the continued construction of a controversial US-backed Ebola quarantine facility, despite an earlier judicial order halting the project.

High Court Justice Patricia Nyaundi ruled on Monday that government authorities had failed to comply with existing conservatory orders and allowed work on the facility to continue.

The court summoned the cabinet secretary of health, Aden Duale, to appear on June 23 to explain the government’s actions.

“The court cannot permit its orders to ⁠be rendered hollow,” Nyaundi said, as quoted by Reuters.

The case stems from a petition filed in May by rights group Katiba Institute, which claimed that the proposed facility could pose a public health risk in a country that has never recorded a single case of Ebola.

In a separate finding, the court concluded that the Health Ministry had disclosed all available documents related to the project.

“The fact that construction continued in direct violation of a High Court order shows that the government believed it could operate entirely above the Kenyan judicial system,” the institute’s executive director, Nora Mbagathi, noted.

The quarantine facility issue drew attention last month, after Washington announced a $13.5 million initiative to boost Kenya’s Ebola preparedness amid an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

Despite a High Court order halting the project, Reuters reported that about 20 flights carrying equipment and personnel landed at the base between May 23 and May 31.

The project has also triggered strong opposition among local residents. Protests against the construction of the US-backed quarantine facility reportedly turned deadly, with at least three people being killed during unrest linked to demonstrations over the site.

As of June 22, the country had reported 1,048 confirmed cases, including 267 deaths and 112 recoveries. Neighboring Uganda has also recorded infections, with 19 confirmed cases, two deaths, and ten recoveries.

The political rift and dual power structure in Libya that emerged after the 2014 House of Representatives (HoR) elections persists to this day, despite numerous attempts to unify the country.

During this period, Libya lived through its second civil war; although the war ended with a ceasefire in October 2020, two competing centers of power remained: one based in Tripoli, in the west of the country, and the other in Benghazi, in the east. 

Last year, two new initiatives for reaching a settlement were launched. The first initiative comes from the US, and the second is yet another attempt by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to prepare the country for national parliamentary and presidential elections. 

The secret mission of Trump’s in-law 

Reports of US negotiations with Libyan political and military leaders surfaced shortly after US President Donald Trump’s return to office. These talks were led by the senior adviser to the US president on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, businessman and diplomat Massad Boulos.

In late April 2025, the US State Department announced that it had held a series of meetings with Saddam Haftar, the son of Khalifa Haftar, commander-in-chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) – also known as the Libyan National Army (LNA) or the Libyan Arab Army (LAA). Saddam was appointed Khalifa’s deputy in August 2025.

“The United States will continue to engage officials from western and eastern Libya and to support Libyan efforts to unify their military institutions as Libyans secure their autonomy,” the State Department said.

The talks in Washington were conducted by Boulos, who is of Lebanese descent. Libyans have nicknamed him ‘Tiffany’s father’ due to the fact that his son, Michael Boulos, is married to Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany.

Massad Boulos’ activities consist of implementing a pragmatic plan to unite the country’s military and economic institutions. A key episode in this strategy was a secret meeting in Rome on September 3, 2025, at which major figures from the two opposing Libyan camps met face to face for the first time. These were Saddam Haftar and Ibrahim Dbeibeh, the adviser and nephew of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Boulos acted as the mediator and main negotiator on the American side.

What is Boulos’ plan about?

Several similar meetings were held later, including one in Paris in January 2026, which was also mediated by Massad Boulos. Details of the negotiations later surfaced in the media.

In particular, the negotiators discussed the appointment of Haftar as head of the Tripoli-based Presidential Council (PC), which fulfills the role of the country’s president during the transitional period and is headed by Mohamed al-Menfi. The current head of the GNU, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, will also retain his position.

At the military level, according to the plan presented by Boulos, Khaled Haftar (Saddam’s brother and the LNA chief of the General Staff in Benghazi) will remain in charge of the military leadership in the east of the country, General Salah ad-Din an-Namrush (the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in Tripoli) will remain in charge in the northwest, and a third figure, whose identity has not yet been established, will be in charge in the south.

Many of the plan’s aspects are being kept under wraps by officials, but Boulos himself recently admitted in an interview with the Financial Times that he is working to unite the country’s disparate institutions under a single leadership, while simultaneously promoting investments by American oil companies in Libya. The LNA leadership soon issued a statement welcoming the US initiative.

Some aspects of Boulos’ plan have already been successfully implemented. For example, on April 11, 2026, the Central Bank of Libya announced that the House of Representatives and the High Council of State (HCS), an advisory body in the west of the country, had approved the first unified budget in over 13 years.

Furthermore, Boulos’ initiatives laid the foundation for the first joint military exercises to be held in many years between the country’s eastern and western forces, as part of the annual Exercise Flintlock – a training event for special operations forces conducted under the auspices of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).

In April 2026, Exercise Flintlock took place in Libya for the first time in history, in the port city of Sirte.

Harsh reactions

Boulos’ initiative and the secret negotiations between Saddam Haftar and Ibrahim Dbeibah are fundamentally changing the nature of the political rift in Libya. Instead of institutionally unifying the country through elections, the US is essentially promoting a pragmatic plan for power-sharing between the two dominant clans – the Haftar family and the Dbeibah family.

This has a dual effect on the power divide: On the one hand, the plan reduces the risk of a new large-scale war and temporarily defuses the acute geopolitical confrontation between Tripoli and Benghazi, transforming it into a pragmatic business alliance between the two families; on the other hand, it is creating new divisions within the two camps. 

In the east of the country, Saddam’s brother, Belqasem Haftar, who heads the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund, has sharply opposed the plan. He rejected US-sponsored economic agreements, claiming they “obstruct the national development project.”  

The authorities in the west, as well as paramilitary groups in Misrata and Tripoli, who fought against Haftar for years, perceive Saddam’s appointment as head of the Presidential Council as a betrayal by Dbeibah.

Moreover, Boulos’ plan completely ignores existing legitimate government bodies. This fact has united them against the US. The High Council of State and the Presidential Council of Libya officially declared the deal illegal and outside the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement. The agreement was signed on December 17, 2015, in the Moroccan city of Skhirat under UN auspices and laid the foundation for the creation of several government structures that are still in effect in the country.

The Presidential Council sees the American initiative as a direct threat to its existence, as the Boulos plan calls for the elimination of the current leadership of the council and the transfer of the chairmanship to Saddam Haftar. Realizing that Dbeibah negotiated with Haftar behind his back, Mohammed al-Manfi initiated the creation of a unified national Libyan front, joining forces with the HCS and HoR to block the Boulos plan.

Furthermore, the council is actively seeking support from loyal military groups in western Libya, convincing them that the American initiative leads to the establishment of a one-man military regime.

It’s worth noting that the swift actions of the US prompted Libya’s advisory bodies to accelerate the implementation of the UN initiative. On June 18, the HCS, HoR, and PC agreed on a roadmap that calls for holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections by February 17, 2027 (a significant date, as February 17, 2011, marked the beginning of mass protests and the civil war that led to the overthrow and assassination of Muammar Gaddafi).

Is US trying to sabotage the UN plan?

Since the Boulos plan generally proposes to entrench the existing status quo, the US is effectively admitting the failure of the UN plan, aimed at preparing the country for general elections. 

In contrast to America’s power-sharing deal between the clans, the UN, through its UNSMIL mission, led by Ghanaian lawyer and diplomat Hanna Tetteh, is promoting an official, inclusive Political Roadmap. Hanna Tetteh’s plan was presented on August 21, 2025, during her address to the UN Security Council.

The Political Roadmap is supposed to be implemented over 12-18 months and is built upon three main pillars: 

The first is the Electoral Framework. It includes the adoption of a single, legally sound electoral framework for holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections, thereby eliminating the option of appointing leaders ‘from above’; it also involves reforming and ensuring the full financial independence of the High National Election Commission (HNEC); and updating laws based on the work of the 6+6 Joint Committee formed by the HCS and HoR.

The second objective is the Unified Government. It calls for the formation of an inclusive transitional government led by technocrats and built on consensus between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State rather than family quotas. This government is temporary; its sole aim is to prepare the country for the elections. 

The third part of the plan is Structured Dialogue launched in Tripoli and aimed at engaging the entire Libyan society in the political process. It supposes the development of a common vision for the future structure of the state, the transparent distribution of oil revenues through independent oversight bodies (rather than through personal agreements between the clans), the institutional unification of the army, and the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country (as opposed to the joint exercises with AFRICOM), as well as the launch of transitional justice processes and the protection of human rights.

An inevitable dead-end

Despite Hanna Tetteh’s negotiations with various Libyan and foreign officials, the UN Roadmap, like previous UN initiatives, failed to achieve success, and encountered the usual delays or sabotage by Libyan political leaders.

The country’s key institutions – the HCS and the HoR – cannot agree on the constitutional foundations for holding the elections. One of the main issues is the restructuring of the High National Electoral Commission, which is one of the key objectives of the UN plan. Tetteh also acknowledged the failure of the UN plan, citing the usual delays in economic, social, legal, and security matters.

“The main cause of this dysfunction is a divided government, with limited coordination and unilateral action on both sides,” Tetteh stated.

This failure is also demonstrated by the security situation in western Libya, particularly the events in Zawiya, a city around 40 km from Tripoli, where armed clashes regularly occur between local militias loyal to the various government structures of Tripoli. 

Local clashes involving heavy weapons have resulted in civilian casualties, destruction, and the shutdown of the local oil refinery (the second largest in the country). A resumption of clashes near the refinery on May 8-9, 2026, resulted in deaths and injuries. Over 80 people were urgently evacuated from the fighting zone by the Red Crescent.

The UN’s inability to control local authoritarian leaders in western coastal towns like Zawiya or to achieve a permanent ceasefire remains the primary reason for the continued failure of broader UN mediation initiatives.

However, UN officials still have hope. Most recently, Hanna Tetteh announced a ‘two-step approach’: if major players continue to block the process, the UN will bypass them by convening a broad national conference involving elders, women, youth, and civil society in order to pressure leaders to make concessions. However, given the experience of past years, it is unclear how such an approach will help implement the UN plan.

Mixed opinions from outside

Boulos’ behind-the-scenes deal effectively reflects Washington’s policy in Libya, even though formally, the US, like the EU, supports the proposed UN mechanism, seeing it as a way to legitimize the government. However, several EU countries act inconsistently when it comes to the UN initiative. For example, Italy and France, which are concerned about illegal migrants arriving from Libya and have their own energy and security assets in the country, are interested in stabilizing the situation.

Italy is critically dependent on Libyan gas supplies and views a settlement as a guarantee of uninterrupted energy supplies to Europe. Furthermore, Rome views the unification of the Libyan authorities and the creation of a single government (as proposed by Boulos) as an opportunity to block the main illegal migration routes via the Mediterranean Sea.

Türkiye, which has demonstrated a surprising degree of flexibility, also supported the American initiative. While remaining the main military patron of the Government of National Unity, Ankara has begun forging ties with Saddam and Belqasim Haftar. Türkiye’s primary goals are to protect its construction contracts in the east and to secure the potential recognition of the 2019 Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding on the Delimitation of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas by the country’s eastern authorities.

Cairo, which traditionally backs eastern Libya, also welcomed the US plan. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated this during a telephone conversation with Boulos, emphasizing, however, that the process of unifying national institutions would pave the way for holding presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible, which is more in line with the UN Roadmap.

And what does Russia think?

As for Russia, it pursues a unique policy of ‘equal distance’ (or ‘equal proximity’) in Libya, maintaining strong contacts with both the east and the west. Moscow’s positive role consists in maintaining a strategic balance of power, preventing a resumption of a full-scale civil war, and facilitating economic recovery.

At the same time, eastern Libya remains Russia’s main geopolitical anchor in the region. Russia maintains a military and technical presence there through the Russian Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps. The presence of Russian specialists at key LNA bases (such as Jufra and Sirte) acts as a deterrent for western groups. In the Fezzan desert region of southern Libya, Russian forces are helping the LNA control the borders with Chad and Sudan, blocking the logistics of ISIS, Al-Qaeda and arms smugglers, and stabilizing the entire Sahel region.

The political leadership of western Libya (including Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah) regularly holds official talks with the Russian Foreign Ministry. Dbeibah has publicly declared improved relations and a commitment to a strategic partnership with Moscow. 

Despite reports by Western media that one of the goals of the Boulos plan is to oust Russia from Libya’s political life, contacts with Moscow play a stabilizing role for Libya and allow the authorities in Tripoli to avoid becoming completely dependent on US dictates or Turkish military bases. 

At the same time, Moscow advocates for an inclusive process within the framework of the UN Security Council that would lead to national elections. Russia maintains that a stable peace agreement is impossible without the participation of all Libyan factions, tribal alliances, and the consideration of the interests of both the east and the west.

Despite the support of many parties both within Libya and outside of it, America’s actions are not healing the divisions in the country, but only temporarily freezing them. They reduce the likelihood of a sudden war for Tripoli, but at the same time, by relying on a deal between the elites, they undermine the democratic process promoted by UN structures.

In the long term, the creation of the Dbeibah-Haftar ‘family consortium’ makes Libya’s political system even more fragile, as it rests solely on the balance of interests of two specific families whose internal stability may be shaken after the departure of their leaders.

Guinean President Mamadi Doumbouya has banned the export of raw gold, directing all production to be refined domestically as part of a push to expand local value addition in the West African nation’s mining sector.

The measure follows talks between the president and industrial and artisanal mining operators, as well as gold buying offices, on June 19, and takes effect immediately.

“Any operator who, after the expiry of this deadline, continues to export raw gold will have its license suspended, its mining agreement terminated, and will answer for its actions before Guinean justice,” Doumbouya warned, according to his office.

Guinea holds significant gold reserves and ranks as the sixth-largest producer in Africa, with production of 69.3 tons in 2025, according to the World Gold Council. The former French colony is also the world’s leading producer of bauxite, accounting for around 33.2% of global output in 2024, US Geological Survey data shows.

President Mamadi Doumbouya said Guinea has “unfortunately been among the poorest nations in the world,” despite being “one of the richest lands in Africa.”

He said the country’s “gold leaves its soil every day in raw form, loaded onto planes, taken to foreign refineries to be processed” and sold elsewhere while Guinea “receives crumbs.” 

The government said the measure is designed to boost local value addition and accelerate industrialization in a country where mining remains the backbone of the economy.

Doumbouya, who first came to power in 2021 after a military takeover and later won the presidency in an election last December, has also tightened oversight of Guinea’s bauxite sector, revoking and reassigning mining concessions while pushing for greater local processing.

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has condemned a terrorist attack targeting Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger’s capital, describing it as a “cowardly and perfidious aggression” supported by “foreign state sponsors” against the region.

The assault on Thursday left 13 people dead, including 11 security personnel and two civilians. Four others were injured, while 22 assailants were neutralized and about 20 suspects arrested, according to Niger’s Defense Ministry. Al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement published on Saturday, AES President Captain Ibrahim Traore said the “attempted takeover” of Niamey Airport was aimed at weakening Nigerien armed forces and reversing what he described as the defeat of militants in the Sahel.

He said the AES “strongly condemns this new manifestation of terrorist violence supported by foreign state sponsors,” without naming any countries.

“These recurring and remotely directed attacks only strengthen the sacred union of … the AES around the vision of their heads of state in their struggle to preserve the territorial integrity of member states, protect populations, and guarantee lasting peace in the Sahel space,” Traore stated.

Niger and its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, formed the AES in 2023 to collectively address the jihadist insurgency that has gripped the region for more than a decade, driven by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

On Saturday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed Moscow’s solidarity with Niamey, denouncing the June 18 assault as an attempt to “undermine the stability of the Alliance of Sahel States.”

At the time, Niger’s transitional leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accused France and neighboring Benin and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the violence.

Germany and the Netherlands will return around 2,000 looted cultural artifacts to Ghana, the African nation’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said on Saturday.

The pledge was unveiled during the Next Steps Conference, where the Dutch and German ambassadors presented Ghanaian President John Mahama with a catalogue of the items set to be repatriated. The catalogue, however, has not yet been made publicly available.

The conference also saw Denmark acknowledge its role in the transatlantic slave trade. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen apologized for the country’s involvement and pledged support for preserving the forts and castles built by Denmark in present-day Ghana, saying the effort would help safeguard historical memory, promote truth-telling, and prevent similar injustices from being repeated.

According to Mahama, the groups will help develop practical pathways for restitution, historical accountability, and legal redress.

“We do not seek to reopen old wounds. We seek to heal those wounds,” he said. “We do not seek division. We seek justice, understanding, and reconciliation grounded in truth”.

The initiative follows a Ghana-sponsored UN General Assembly resolution adopted in March that recognized the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”.

The same month, Paris returned the sacred Djidji Ayokwe talking drum to Cote d’Ivoire. The drum had been taken during the colonial period in 1916 and held in France for more than a century.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has exceeded 1,000 confirmed cases, the country’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday.

Officials said 1,003 people have tested positive for the virus since the start of the outbreak. At least 254 patients have died, while case fatality rate reached 25.3%.

Just a day earlier, authorities had reported 956 confirmed infections and 247 deaths.

Hundreds of patients remain under medical supervision. Health officials said 365 people are currently receiving treatment or being monitored in specialized facilities, while 100 patients have been discharged after recovering from the disease.

Medical staff have also paid a heavy price during the crisis. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Director Marie Roseline Belizaire, 75 healthcare workers have been infected since the outbreak began, 17 of whom have died.

Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Belizaire warned that the situation remains highly volatile and continues to develop at a rapid pace.

DR Congo has been grappling with its 17th Ebola outbreak since May 15. Health authorities have linked the outbreak to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.

The epidemic is not confined to DR Congo. According to a situation report by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), neighboring Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed cases connected to the ongoing outbreak and two fatalities.

The Congolese government has ordered free medical care at designated health facilities across Ituri Province as part of its Ebola response. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said the measure was aimed at ensuring equitable access to treatment and reinforcing public health protections amid the outbreak.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party has secured a parliamentary majority in the country’s general election, officials have announced, extending its dominance in the 547-seat House of Peoples’ Representatives.

The Prosperity Party won 438 seats in the June 1 vote, according to results released by the National Election Board on Sunday. Only 17 of the 42 political parties that contested the election secured representation in parliament.

The election took place across most of the East African nation’s regions, with more than 50 million registered voters, according to the electoral board, which put turnout at about 94%. However, voting did not take place in the northern Tigray region, which has remained outside national elections amid ongoing instability after a two-year war between Ethiopian federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front that ended in 2022. Several areas in Oromia and Amhara also experienced disruptions, with 143 polling stations unable to open due to insecurity, according to local media.

Opposition parties, including the Oromo Federalist Congress, Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice, and the National Movement of Amhara, rejected the election process, citing intimidation, limited campaign space, and the exclusion of key political figures, and said the vote fell short of free and fair standards.

The African Union Election Observation Mission said election day was generally calm, with voting conducted in an orderly manner at most polling stations it observed.

Speaking at the release of the preliminary findings, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who headed the AU mission, urged Ethiopians to be proud of their country, which “stood against the wave of colonialism, united, and never colonized.”

In a statement following the announcement of the results, the Prosperity Party expressed gratitude to Ethiopians for “their role in a peaceful, credible, and historic electoral process” and pledged to intensify efforts to deliver inclusive economic growth, improve livelihoods, and expand employment opportunities.

Talks between Russia and Madagascar will give “new impetus” to bilateral relations and deepen cooperation across all areas, Malagasy Foreign Minister Alice N’Diaye has said during a visit to Moscow.

Speaking after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, N’Diaye said recent high-level contacts between the two countries, including the visit of Madagascar’s leader to Russia, demonstrate Antananarivo’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Moscow.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding political dialogue and strategic cooperation. The ministers highlighted opportunities for closer collaboration in energy, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, education, as well as the extraction and processing of mineral resources. Lavrov also pointed to prospects in transport and geological exploration.

“Russia is a lever for economic development, for the development and enhancement of our national security,” N’Diaye stated.

Lavrov pledged continued support for Madagascar in addressing socio-economic challenges, including through the training of national specialists and assistance in developing the country’s epidemic-response capabilities.

He noted that Russia delivered another batch of humanitarian aid to Madagascar on June 9 to help the country deal with the aftermath of Cyclones Fitia and Gezani.

“There is interest in such internships at our diplomatic academy, and we will support it in every possible way and strive to meet the expectations of our friends,” Lavrov said.

The minister also noted that “the French maintain an illegal presence, including on islands that belong to Madagascar”.

The meeting comes amid growing engagement between Moscow and Antananarivo. In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Madagascar’s interim leader in Moscow. Security ties have also expanded in recent months. On June 16, instructors from the Russian Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps completed a six-week training program for Madagascar’s Cabinet security service.

South Africa has welcomed a US-Iran peace deal aimed at halting the war in the Middle East, saying it could provide a framework for durable peace and regional stability.

South Africa calls upon all regional stakeholders to honour the reduction in military hostilities. Furthermore, the nation encourages active cooperation toward the comprehensive execution of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the attainment of a definitive settlement.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said “the agreement between the United States and Iran hopefully ends the unlawful use of force and violations of the UN Charter in this war”.

The Minister observed that South Africa has always advocated for resolving international conflicts through negotiation rather than armed conflict. He added that the MoU establishes a foundation for lasting peace and regional security in the Middle East by reinforcing the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the necessity of peace for all nations.

He further stated that South Africa expresses its gratitude to the governments of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Sultanate of Oman, and the State of Qatar, as well as other nations that contributed constructively to this process.

In an effort to achieve stability in the Middle East and surrounding regions, South Africa urges all involved parties to commit to the pursuit of a fair and enduring peace.

First published by IOL

Ghana has convened a global conference on reparatory justice months after the United Nations backed a landmark resolution recognizing the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

The meeting in Accra is seeking to move the reparations debate beyond symbolism, as African and Caribbean leaders press for apologies, restitution, compensation, the return of cultural artifacts, and institutional reforms linked to the enduring legacy of slavery and colonial rule.

Presidents from Senegal, Namibia, Liberia and Sao Tome and Principe, the prime minister of Barbados, Equatorial Guinea’s vice prime minister, Algeria’s parliamentary speaker and ministers from more than 80 countries were attending, according to officials.

In an opening address on Thursday, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama called for a new phase of global engagement, saying the world must move beyond acknowledging historical injustices toward action, truth-telling and reconciliation.

The reparations push continues to face opposition from some Western governments. At the UN vote, the UK and several European Union members abstained. The US (along with Israel and Argentina) rejected the resolution, arguing that it does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred.

French President Emmanuel Macron, addressing the conference by video, said reparations must not be reduced to financial compensation or “a fake cheque” that “would end a story or finish it.” Last month, his government backed the symbolic repeal of the Code Noir, the royal decrees that governed slavery in French colonies.

“Future generations will judge us not by the resolutions we adopted, but by the progress we achieved,” Mahama noted.

Gunmen launched an assault on Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger’s capital Niamey on Thursday, the Sahel state’s Defense Ministry has confirmed, claiming the lives of 13 victims, including 11 security personnel and two civilians. Four others were injured while 22 assailants were neutralized and about 20 suspects arrested.

Explosions and heavy gunfire were reported by residents near the airport early in the morning. The attackers arrived in two taxis and a van before attempting to enter the terminal, the ministry said in a state media press release.

Security forces stopped them before they could reach the building and later recovered heavy weapons, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, assault rifles, grenades, ammunition, radios, mobile phones and vehicles, according to the statement.

Al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the offensive.

The ministry said a major operation was underway to track down the remaining suspects, adding that the airport had been secured and remained open to air traffic.

Diori Hamani International Airport, which also hosts a military base, was previously raided by IS fighters in January. Niger’s government thanked Russian forces deployed to assist the country in combating the insurgency for helping to foil the attack. Four Nigerien soldiers were injured, 20 militants were killed in the exchange of fire, and 11 others were arrested, according to the Defense Ministry.

In a statement on Thursday, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the latest attack and pledged the bloc’s “solidarity with Niger in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.”

Gunmen attacked Niger’s main airport in the capital Niamey early Thursday, exchanging heavy fire with security forces in an assault that briefly disrupted operations, multiple outlets reported, citing local residents.

Residents near Diori Hamani International Airport reported explosions and sustained gunfire before dawn, with attackers attempting to breach the perimeter before being pushed back by soldiers deployed around the complex, which also hosts Air Base 101.

The identities of the assailants were not immediately known, and no group has claimed responsibility. No casualties have been reported so far, and Nigerien military authorities have not yet issued an official statement.

Footage purportedly from the scene and shared on social media shows a man believed to be one of the attackers being beaten by local residents before soldiers intervene and take him into custody in a military vehicle.

📍#Niger | Attaque terroriste contre l’aéroport de Niamey ⏳

Tôt ce matin, l’aéroport de Niamey a été la cible d’une attaque complexe menée par des groupes armés terroristes.

Selon les premières informations des autorités nigériennes, la situation est désormais sous contrôle… pic.twitter.com/6yvmhqwdi0

— 𝕮𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝕿𝖎𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖊 𝕯𝕴𝕬𝕽𝕽𝕬 (@CheickIbtidiani) June 18, 2026

The latest incident comes months after a major offensive on the same airport in January, claimed by fighters linked to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). The assault was repelled by Nigerien forces with support from Russian personnel, according to officials. Four Nigerien soldiers were injured in the attack, while military facilities and civilian aircraft on the tarmac were damaged, the West African nation’s Defense Ministry confirmed. The authorities said 20 militants were killed in the exchange of fire and 11 others were arrested.

Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have sought new partnerships, including with Russia, to address the region’s deepening security crisis after severing defense ties with France. The bloc has repeatedly accused France of supporting terrorist groups and militant networks in an effort to destabilize the Sahel.

Most public servants in South Africa are women, the minister of public service and administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, has said in a parliamentary reply which provides a snapshot of the country’s public service workforce as of April 30 this year.

According to the figures, the public service employs more than 1.2 million people. Of these, 779,481 are women, accounting for 63.5% of the workforce. Buthelezi said the representation of women exceeds government’s employment equity target of 50%, particularly at senior management level.

The data also shows that young people make up a significant portion of the public service, with 293,930 employees classified as youth. Buthelezi said this forms part of government’s broader efforts to strengthen youth participation in state institutions.

”In the 2026 State of the Nation Address, particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that no one is left behind, including the decision to increase the employment equity target for persons with disabilities in the Public Service to 7% by 2030. This provides a clear national mandate for accelerated inclusion and measurable progress across departments,” Buthelezi said.

To drive the transformation agenda, Buthelezi’s department has issued Circular 19 of 2026, requiring departments to actively improve the representation of women, youth and persons with disabilities. Departments must identify gaps, implement targeted interventions and demonstrate measurable progress each year.

Buthelezi added that several policies were introduced to support these efforts, including measures aimed at improving recruitment and retention of employees with disabilities, advancing gender equality and promoting women’s empowerment across the public service.

First published by IOL

Egypt and Islamic countries have condemned Somaliland’s diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, calling it a violation of international law and a challenge to Somalia’s territorial integrity. 

The criticism came after Somaliland officially opened the embassy in Israel on Monday. Israel remains the only country to recognize the self-declared breakaway region of Somalia as a sovereign state. 

Egypt on Tuesday denounced the inauguration of the embassy in Jerusalem, warning that it contradicts UN resolutions. 

In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it rejects “any unilateral measures aimed at entrenching an illegal reality in occupied Jerusalem” and reiterated that Jerusalem remains occupied Palestinian territory under international law. Cairo stressed that attempts to alter the city’s legal or historical status are “null and void.” 

The ministry also reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, rejecting any actions that could weaken the authority of the government in Mogadishu. 

“The Occupying Power has no sovereignty over Occupied Jerusalem,” the OIC said in a statement referring to Israel. The organization argued that any measures aimed at changing the political, legal, or demographic character of the city are invalid under international law. 

The 57-member bloc also expressed solidarity with Somalia and urged the international community to oppose what it called an “illegal move.” 

In May, Somalia condemned the act as illegal and a violation of its sovereignty, while the African Union also opposed Israel’s appointment of an envoy to Somaliland, reaffirming its support for Somalia’s territorial integrity. 

In addition, Somaliland’s Defense Minister, Mohamed Yusuf Ali, said on Wednesday that Israel is helping to train the territory’s police and military forces, while dismissing reports that Tel Aviv plans to establish a military base there.

Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has been cleared of all six bribery charges by a UK court, ending a long-running prosecution on allegations she received luxury benefits in exchange for preferential treatment in obtaining oil contracts during her time in office.

The verdict, delivered on Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court, found Alison-Madueke not guilty of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The jury concluded that the charges had not been proved.

Prosecutors had alleged that between 2011 and 2015, while serving under former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, she accepted cash payments and high-end perks including private jet travel, chauffeur services, luxury London properties and expensive shopping sprees from oil traders and intermediaries seeking favorable access to Nigeria’s petroleum contracts.

The UK National Crime Agency brought the case following a years-long investigation into suspected corruption linked to Nigeria’s oil sector, one of the country’s most politically sensitive industries.

Alison-Madueke, who was the first female president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), denied all allegations throughout the proceedings, maintaining that she did not receive bribes and that her ministerial role was policy-focused rather than operational in terms of awarding contracts.

Nigeria has consistently ranked among countries perceived as highly corrupt in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, placing 142nd out of 182 countries in the latest ranking, amid a series of high-profile cases involving senior political and business figures.

In May, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested former Power Minister Saleh Mamman, who had earlier been sentenced in absentia to 75 years in prison for fraud and money laundering linked to major state-backed electricity projects.

On Wednesday, the EFCC said proceedings in the case against former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his former finance commissioner Ademola Banu had been adjourned to July 27, 2026, for further cross-examination in relation to the alleged diversion of 5.78 billion naira in Universal Basic Education Commission funds.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed an ultimatum by anti-illegal immigration groups demanding that undocumented foreigners leave the country by June 30, warning that the government will not tolerate attempts to create instability.

Speaking on the sidelines of Youth Day commemorations at Nasrec on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said government was already implementing measures to address immigration challenges.

The deadline was set by anti-illegal immigration organisations, including the March and March movement, which has called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by June 30 and warned of further action should its demands not be met. Government has, however, distanced itself from the ultimatum, maintaining that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.

”The so-called 30th of June, in my view, is not an event that is even necessary because we are addressing the challenges that our people are facing,” Ramaphosa said.

”No South African must take any action against any person from any of our African sister countries. That is the responsibility of government and government officials,” he stressed.

The president warned that authorities would not tolerate any attempts to create instability under the guise of addressing concerns about illegal immigration. ”We must not allow South Africans to be duped and to be misled by those who want to foster instability in our country. We will not allow that.” Ramaphosa added that security forces would ensure there was no disruption to the lives of South Africans.

He added that government would not allow the concerns of citizens to be misused by people with what he described as “nefarious intentions”.

”Our people have heard the message, and we are taking action and we are implementing the interventions that are, in the end, going to address those needs,” Ramaphosa said.

The president also responded to criticism that government had only begun acting after pressure from organizations campaigning against illegal immigration. ”We have actually been doing a lot of work changing our immigration laws and also empowering our immigration officials to address these specific issues,” he said.

Ramaphosa described migration as a broader economic challenge, saying many people who entered South Africa were seeking better opportunities. ”The challenge of immigration that we’re facing is, in the end, an economic one because those who come to our country are, in the main, economic migrants or refugees,” he said.

Ramaphosa also rejected claims that South Africans were xenophobic, saying misinformation was being spread about developments in the country. “There’s a lot of disinformation that is aimed at tarnishing the image of South Africa,” he said.

The president revealed that he had recently spoken to Malawi’s President, who had expressed understanding of South Africa’s challenges and pledged cooperation. He said South Africa would also send envoys to various countries on the continent to explain government’s position and counter misinformation. ”We are addressing these issues, both the concerns of those who are outside our country and those who are inside our country.”

First published by IOL

Nigerian troops have rescued the wife of a retired major general who died after the couple was taken hostage by armed militants several weeks ago, the West African country’s military has said.

Amina Abubakar, the widow of Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former director of defense information, was freed during an operation which the army conducted with support from the Nigerian Air Force, military spokesman Major General Samaila Uba said in a statement on Monday.

The troops made contact with the kidnappers at Tunga village in Katsina State after “sustained offensive operations and pressure mounted on the criminal elements,” Uba said.

“The bandits shot Mrs. Abubakar before abandoning her and fleeing due to the overwhelming pressure from advancing troops,” he added.

She has been evacuated to a military hospital and is responding to treatment, the statement said, adding that the Nigerian Armed Forces will continue operations “to track down and neutralize the perpetrators.”

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the army said four other victims of hostage takers had been rescued in Katsina State during an operation targeting the network of militant leader Kachalla Muhammadu Fulani. According to the military, preliminary investigations showed that the victims were abducted on April 14 from Sabon Sara along the Matazu-Karaduwa road and were held alongside the late General Abubakar and his wife.

Africa’s most populous nation has faced years of violence from armed gangs, especially in the northwest, where kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling, and village raids have become frequent. Amnesty International said in a recent report that at least 1,100 people had been abducted across northern Nigeria between January and April this year.

The security crisis has also spread across other regions. Suspected Boko Haram militants killed at least 20 people in attacks on communities in Borno and Adamawa states in April, days after militants linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province killed at least seven troops in an assault on an army base near the border with Chad.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) risks becoming the deadliest in Africa’s recent history unless authorities bring it under control quickly, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned.

Speaking during a virtual meeting of African heads of state on Tuesday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said tens of thousands of people who may have been exposed to the virus have yet to be identified and monitored.

“If we don’t stop the outbreak very soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern ‌DR Congo,” he stressed.

The warning refers to the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which killed more than 11,000 people, as well as the second-largest Ebola epidemic in history, which took place in 2018 in the DR Congo.

The country’s cumulative toll has reached 837 confirmed cases and 196 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 23.4%. Health officials said 49 patients have recovered, while 376 remain in isolation.

The outbreak has also spread beyond Congo’s borders. In its latest update published on June 14, Africa CDC reported 19 confirmed Ebola cases in neighboring Uganda linked to the current outbreak. Two deaths have been recorded among confirmed patients, while four people have recovered.

The response to the outbreak has also been complicated by an ongoing insecurity in DR Congo; the M23 rebel group continues to control parts of the region, fueling clashes and displacement.

Equatorial Guinea’s entire government has resigned over its failure to meet key targets, the West African nation’s vice president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, announced on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua submitted the en bloc resignation of the executive during an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers, the vice president said in a statement.

Osa, a former national bank chief, was appointed in August 2024 after the previous government stepped down following criticism from President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo over its handling of the economy, social cohesion, and corruption.

The vice president said the move came after it was established that “the level of fulfilment of the established objectives has barely reached 10%.” The statement did not specify which objectives were not met.

Equatorial Guinea, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s major oil producers, has struggled to translate its hydrocarbon wealth into broad-based living standards. The World Bank said in its 2025 economic update that the country’s economy grew by an estimated 0.9% in 2024, but that the expansion was not enough to protect jobs and earnings, while more than half of Equatoguineans were still living in poverty.

The lender also warned that declining oil production and exports remain a major drag on the economy, with gross domestic product projected to contract by an average of 1.2% in 2025-2027.

Somaliland has officially opened an embassy in Israel, the territory’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday. Israel remains the only state to recognize the self-declared breakaway region of Somalia as a sovereign country.

The move comes after Somaliland Ambassador Mohamed Hagi visited Israel in May and revealed plans for the diplomatic mission to be based in Jerusalem. He also said Israel would open its own embassy in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital.

“The opening of Somaliland’s first-ever embassy in Jerusalem — a historic and long-awaited moment the people of Somaliland have waited more than 35 years to witness,” the Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Moshe Sa’ar attended the inauguration ceremony. Abdullahi arrived in Israel on Sunday and was received by President Isaac Herzog at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem. It was the first state visit by a Somaliland leader to Israel.

Abdullahi added that Somaliland and Israel had signed a Strategic Joint Declaration of Cooperation “marking a historic milestone in relations between our two nations”.

Somalia condemned Somaliland’s decision to open an embassy in Israel in May, calling it illegal and a violation of the country’s sovereignty. The African Union also opposed Israel’s appointment of an envoy to Somaliland, reaffirming support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Somalia’s current political landscape emerged after the collapse of the central government in 1991, when several regions established their own administrations. Somaliland declared independence the same year and has since operated with its own governing institutions, although remaining without international recognition.

A Nigerian court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister a major opposition party and four others ahead of the West African nation’s 2027 general election.

Abuja Federal High Court Justice Peter Lifu issued the ruling on Monday, in a suit filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The court said the affected parties – the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, and Zenith Labour Party – failed to meet constitutional requirements for continued registration, including electoral performance thresholds.

The judge ordered INEC to stop recognizing them, accepting their candidates, or allowing them to take part in future elections.

The ruling could affect former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who won the ADC presidential ticket in May, and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking reelection on the Accord Party platform in the state’s August 15 governorship election.

In a statement on Monday, the ADC said it will challenge the ruling, accusing Justice Lifu of being a “threat to democracy” for allegedly disregarding a Court of Appeal order, which directed a stay of proceedings in the case.

The ADC said that, contrary to the plaintiffs’ allegations, the INEC told the court in a counter-affidavit filed in May that the party “had not violated any registration requirements, had not failed any constitutional electoral-performance threshold, and that no legally recognized basis existed for its de-registration.”

The court decision comes ahead of a tense election cycle in Africa’s most populous country, where national elections have repeatedly been marred by violence, legal disputes, and allegations of irregularities, including the 2023 election.

In April, Nigeria’s broadcast regulator tightened rules for radio and TV stations ahead of the 2027 election, warning presenters against airing personal opinions, bullying guests, and broadcasting divisive political material.

African media should tell Russia’s story directly instead of relying on narratives filtered through outside perspectives, CEO of Nigeria’s Afia TV, Emeka Mba has said. 

Speaking to RT, former director general of the National Broadcasting Commission said his decision to send reporting crews to Russia stemmed from dissatisfaction with what he described as “one-sided storytelling” about both Russia and Africa. 

He argued that Africans should have the freedom to explore and portray other societies firsthand, noting that audiences in Nigeria had been surprised by what they saw in reports from Moscow and other Russian cities. 

“I wanted us [Africans] to have the freedom to explore ourselves, not just through other filters, but sending a crew here [to Russia] ... It’s important that stories like that, and it comes from us, not from other people,” he said.

The media executive stressed that African audiences have long consumed content produced by foreign broadcasters and that cooperation with Russian media should be viewed in that context.  

Addressing criticism over Afia TV’s cooperation with Russian media, Mba said the broadcaster is independently owned and reserves the right to engage with different partners. He maintained that viewers benefit from access to alternative perspectives and from seeing parts of Russia that are rarely shown to Nigerian audiences.

“There’s no law that says you cannot cooperate with Russia,” Mba noted.

Looking ahead, Mba called for deeper media cooperation between Nigeria and Russia. He said more Nigerian journalists, content creators, and storytellers should be given opportunities to visit different regions of Russia and share their experiences with audiences back home.  

“We need each other, definitely,” he said.

South African photojournalist Sam Nzima’s iconic black-and-white photograph of the lifeless body of Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhuba – with Pieterson’s distraught sister, Antoinette Sithole, running alongside – exposed the world to the sheer brutality of the apartheid regime.

Hector, just 12 years old, was among more than 10,000 schoolchildren participating in the Soweto Uprising on June 16, 1976. The march was a mass protest against a government mandate requiring key school subjects to be taught in Afrikaans – a language largely foreign to black students and deeply associated with the oppressive ruling class.

By the end of that violent day, official state reports indicated that 176 people had been killed in Soweto, 1,139 wounded, and 1,298 arrested. Meanwhile, in New York, the United Nations Committee on Apartheid estimated that the true death toll of black South Africans exceeded 1,000.

Eyewitness accounts placed the actual death toll in Soweto between 200 and 500, with Hector Pieterson among them. Although he was rushed to a nearby clinic, he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The rise of apartheid

Apartheid was a highly organized system of legalized racial segregation and white supremacy. For nearly three centuries, indigenous Africans had been dispossessed and exploited by British and Dutch colonizers. In 1948, apartheid (meaning ‘apartness’ in Afrikaans) became official state policy when the National Party, voted into power by an all-white electorate, formalized discrimination into a rigid legal structure.

The regime utilized hundreds of laws to enforce strict segregation. The most devastating of these measures stripped black South Africans of their citizenship, tightly controlled their daily movements through notorious ‘pass laws’, and dictated where they were allowed to live.

For black South Africans, this meant being forced into inferior, neglected residential areas, barred from white-only restaurants, cinemas, and beaches, and restricted to segregated public transportation and low-wage labor.

‘Equality with whites is not for them’

Afrikaners are a Southern African ethnic group primarily descended from Dutch, German, and French Huguenot settlers who first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.

The transition from British colonial control to total Afrikaner hegemony occurred in two phases. First, the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 established a power-sharing agreement between British and Afrikaner elites. Second, the watershed 1948 election brought the nationalist National Party into sole power, institutionalizing apartheid. By this stage, various colonial-era laws had already marginalized the indigenous population, whose native languages included Zulu, Xhosa, and Setswana.

In 1953, the regime introduced the infamous Bantu Education Act, which transferred the control of black education from provincial authorities and missionary schools directly to the central Department of Native Affairs (DNA), headed by Dr. Hendrik F. Verwoerd. The provisions of this act, along with policies enacted by its sub-department, the Bantu Education Department, laid the groundwork for the uprising more than two decades later.

“Natives [black people] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them.”

During the apartheid era, the term ‘Bantu’ was officially used by the white-minority government to refer to black Africans. Over time, it became synonymous with the state’s most oppressive policies – most notably the Bantu Education Act and the forced creation of the ‘Bantustans’ (impoverished, ethnically segregated homelands).

Although the 1953 act technically made classrooms accessible to more children in Soweto than the previous missionary system had, the state-run ‘Bantu’ schools suffered from a catastrophic shortage of teachers, facilities, and basic resources. Nationally, student-to-teacher ratios rose from 46:1 in 1955 to a staggering 58:1 by 1967. Simultaneously, the government spent several times more on the education of a single white child than it did on a black child.

The Afrikaans Medium Decree

In 1974, the Bantu Education Department issued the Afrikaans Medium Decree. This policy mandated that half of all school subjects, including mathematics and social studies, be taught in Afrikaans – a language largely foreign to black students and widely despised as the tongue of the oppressor.

The government’s plan was to enforce a strict 50-50 split between English and Afrikaans in the classroom. Opponents of the decree tried to mobilize educators to resist, particularly because many teachers did not understand Afrikaans themselves, let alone possess the training to teach in it. Though teachers harbored deep concerns, as civil servants they had no choice but to comply under threat of dismissal.

By 1976, this systemic provision of inferior education had created a groundswell of outrage among youth. Classrooms rapidly transformed into the ultimate battleground of anti-apartheid resistance.

June 16: The darkest of days

As the language dispute intensified throughout early 1976, school boycotts began to ripple across Soweto. By early June, the Soweto Urban Bantu Council had warned the state that unless authorities quickly addressed the language decree, the mounting tension would erupt into violence. The warnings went unheeded.

On June 13, student leaders gathered secretly to plan a mass demonstration. They deliberately chose to exclude their parents from the planning, fearing that older generations, weary of state brutality, would attempt to talk them out of the protest.

Three days later, on the morning of June 16, more than 10,000 students – mobilized by the South African Students Movement’s Action Committee and energized by the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) – marched peacefully through the streets of Soweto. Their destination was a rally at Orlando Stadium, where they planned to draft a formal memorandum of grievances to deliver to the Department of Education.

Instead, they were met by the full, militarized force of the apartheid state.

The police first lobbed tear gas and fired warning shots into the air. When the students stood their ground, holding simple hand-painted placards reading “AWAY WITH AFRIKAANS,” “AFRIKAANS MUST BE ABOLISHED,” and “WE ARE BEING CERTIFIED BUT NOT EDUCATED,” officers opened fire directly into the crowd. Unarmed, the children grabbed garbage can lids and stones to shield themselves.

Hector Pieterson was among the very first to fall.

Despite the use of live ammunition, the young demonstrators refused to disperse. In response, the authorities unleashed indiscriminate violence, killing hundreds of children over the hours that followed.

As darkness fell, the police lost control of the Soweto streets. Outraged communities retaliated, burning down government administration offices and engaging in running battles with the police. In response, the state deployed heavily armed paramilitary units and army troops to enforce a brutal lockdown.

The uprising lasted for three days in Soweto before spreading like wildfire across South Africa, igniting one of the most widespread and significant rebellions against white-minority rule in the nation’s history.

The state’s response to the uprising was systematic and ruthless. Over the course of the protests and their immediate aftermath, thousands of people were arrested. According to historical records and testimonies presented to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), more than 1,000 people were detained in the opening weeks alone. Many were held in tiny, windowless isolation cells, forced into agonizing stress positions for days on end, and subjected to severe torture.

In the two years following the initial march, the apartheid machinery prosecuted more than 42,000 people. At least 9,000 of those put on trial were children under the age of 18.

The living legacy of Soweto

For Antoinette Sithole, the enduring legacy of Soweto is the proof that a politically conscious youth can fundamentally alter the course of history. Sithole, who was 17 at the time, still shares her brother’s story with the local and international visitors who come to the Hector Pieterson Museum in Orlando West, Soweto, where she works as a guide.

She recalls that on the day of the fateful protest, her 12-year-old brother was never meant to participate. “He was too young to understand what was going on,” she explains.

When the chaos began, she tried desperately to reassure him that they would be safe. Sithole knew that a confrontation with the apartheid police was highly likely, but she resolved to stay brave for her younger brother.

The state’s lethal crackdown forced thousands of young people to flee South Africa into exile. Among them was Mbuyisa Makhuba, the 19-year-old who carried the dying Hector Pieterson in Sam Nzima’s defining photograph. Hounded by the security police, Makhuba fled the country, eventually disappearing in Nigeria in 1979. To this day, his whereabouts and ultimate fate remain unknown.

While liberation organizations like the African National Congress (ANC) were not involved in organizing the June 16 march, they soon experienced a massive influx of thousands of young exiled recruits. These students had realized that the apartheid regime would only intensify its violence, and they chose to join the armed struggle.

A turning point for freedom

The Soweto Uprising was the definitive turning point in the anti-apartheid movement. It shattered the illusion of state control, galvanizing international outrage and triggering a wave of global sanctions that isolated the Pretoria regime. The courage of the Soweto schoolchildren set off a chain reaction of domestic resistance and international pressure that ultimately led to the dismantling of apartheid and the birth of a democratic South Africa in 1994.

Fifty years after those children marched into live ammunition, the streets of Soweto stand as a testament to a generation that refused to be certified for subjugation.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has fired 18 staff members after an internal investigation found allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation involving Sudanese refugees in Chad, AP reported on Saturday, citing a confidential internal memo.

The medical charity said the dismissed workers have been barred from future employment. The report by the non-profit organization found 59 allegations involving local and foreign staff in camps along Chad’s border with Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Some cases reportedly involved underage girls; others included allegations that staff exchanged food, water, milk, and jobs for sex. It described the findings as evidence of “sexual abuse and exploitation” and said repeated exploitation in some cases suggested possible organized sex trafficking.

MSF told AP that the findings amounted to “a candid internal analysis” of failures in its safeguards. The group said it has strengthened recruitment checks, complaint systems, and reporting channels since the probe. It added that some allegations could not be verified because victims and alleged perpetrators could not be traced.

The investigation followed earlier AP reporting in 2024, when Sudanese women in displacement camps in Chad accused aid workers and local security personnel of offering money, jobs, and easier access to assistance in exchange for sex.

The allegations come as Sudan faces what the UN calls the world’s largest displacement and protection crisis. Chad has become one of the main destinations for people fleeing the conflict, with more than a million Sudanese refugees crossing into the neighboring country since the fighting began, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

On Monday, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said “the horrific conflict” in Sudan has “expanded and escalated,” with a “sharp increase” in drone warfare, as well as rape and sexual violence. He said his office has documented the killing of more than 1,000 civilians by drone strikes from January to May alone.

Russian medical specialists are working alongside Ugandan health workers to strengthen disease surveillance, treatment capacity, and outbreak response efforts as the East African nation battles the ongoing threat of Ebola, RT correspondent Hasifu Ssekiwunga has reported. 

According to Uganda’s Health Ministry, many suspected cases have been linked to people crossing into the country from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), including through unofficial border routes.   

The threat is particularly acute in districts bordering the DR Congo, where authorities have reinforced surveillance and disease-control measures. In response, Uganda has tightened monitoring at border checkpoints and worked with Congolese authorities to establish emergency health facilities. 

Ssekiwunga has reported that preventive measures have been intensified across affected areas. Mandatory handwashing, temperature screening, face-mask use, and public awareness campaigns have been rolled out as health workers seek to identify and isolate potential cases.  

In 2024, Russia transferred a mobile anti-epidemic laboratory to Uganda, enabling rapid diagnostics of dangerous infectious diseases. The facility was already used in 2025 to help contain a previous Ebola outbreak. 

The DR Congo declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, marking the country’s 17th recorded outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. The Bundibugyo strain detected in the DR Congo has also raised concerns among regional health authorities due to the risk of cross-border transmission. 

According to the latest Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) update released on June 10, Uganda has recorded 19 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak. Two deaths have been reported among confirmed cases, while four patients have recovered.  

South Africa says it needs more than 1,000 buses to repatriate 7,000 Malawian nationals stranded in Durban, as Pretoria moves to tighten immigration enforcement following protests against undocumented migrants.

The repatriation effort follows escalating protests demanding illegal immigrants leave the country by June 30. The recent spate of unrest, driven by civic groups like March and March and others, has propelled the government into action.

At a Sunday media briefing in Pretoria, chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC) Mmamoloko Kubayi said the repatriation process for the estimated 7,000 Malawians in Sherwood Park must be expedited, highlighting that their numbers have surged recently. ”We are committed to ensuring the safe return of our citizens. Our transport requirements have drastically increased, and more than 1,000 buses are essential to facilitate this effort efficiently,” Kubayi stated.

This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent address, in which he announced a sweeping package of measures aimed at tightening immigration enforcement, securing South Africa’s borders, and cracking down on employers who hire undocumented migrants.

Regarding the Malawian citizens at Sherwood, Kubayi revealed that the Malawian government has commissioned eight buses that will start moving their citizens today. To expedite the repatriation process, the South African government will support the effort with 10 additional buses for the deportation of some Malawian nationals.

During her address, Kubayi also unveiled alarming statistics surrounding illegal immigration, with law enforcement agencies having made over 40,000 arrests since the beginning of the year. This includes an impressive tally of 7,400 arrests in the past month alone, all in relation to violations of the Immigration Act.

”There is a belief that the government is wilfully ignoring illegal immigration; however, this is far from the truth,” Kubayi asserted.

“Our operational efforts have not only been ongoing but also intensifying across various regions. For example, in recent weeks alone, 143 arrests have been made for not only illegal entry but also for inciting violence during the protests.”

In a visit to Atteridgeville, where approximately 457 individuals were found sleeping on the streets, the IMC chairperson reiterated the government’s commitment to address these pressing issues head-on. She indicated that while the complexities of the immigration situation are evident, the government is reportedly ramping up its initiatives to restore order and safety in communities affected by the influx.

”In addition, the rollout of face recognition technology to our ports of entry is currently under way. I think it is a matter of weeks before we are able to scale that up. Finally, I wish to briefly touch on the digital ID. This is a new channel of identification verification, which will offer security for citizens and decentralise control over your ID information,” he stated.

First published by IOL

Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have climbed to 782, with 181 deaths recorded, the Health Ministry has said, as the country battles a fast-spreading outbreak in a conflict-torn region.

The ministry reported 72 new confirmed cases and 29 additional deaths on Sunday in its latest update on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, bringing the case fatality rate from 21% to 23.1%. It said 40 people have recovered since the outbreak was declared on May 15. According to the World Health Organization, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, although work is underway to test potential candidates.

Confirmed cases have now been reported in 31 health zones across three eastern provinces, including two newly affected zones as of June 13. The total includes 20 health zones in Ituri, ten in North Kivu, and one in South Kivu.

The authorities said the high number of detected cases also reflects more active community surveillance, adding that public vigilance is “more necessary than ever.”

The WHO has said the response is taking place in a challenging environment marked by insecurity, a humanitarian crisis, and high population and trade movements.

Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu have been affected for years by attacks by armed groups and fighting that has triggered mass displacement of people from their homes. The UN humanitarian office said nearly 1 million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri alone, making contact tracing harder as people flee attacks or move frequently through remote areas.

DR Congo has recorded repeated Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. The latest is the Central African nation’s 17th outbreak.

More than 2,200 people died in the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo, which mainly affected North Kivu and Ituri and became the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic on record, according to figures published by the WHO.

A retired Nigerian major general has died in captivity after being abducted by unknown assailants, the country’s Defense Headquarters announced on Saturday. 

Major General Rabe Abubakar died while being held by his kidnappers despite efforts by security forces to secure his release. The Defense Headquarters said it had refrained from commenting publicly on the abduction while rescue operations were underway.

Abubakar was a well-known figure within Nigeria’s armed forces, having served as director of defense information and spokesperson for several military formations throughout his career. The military credited him with making significant contributions to counterinsurgency operations and the professional development of the armed forces. 

On Sunday, a Defense Headquarters delegation led by Major General IM Abdullahi visited the late officer’s family in Katsina State, where a national flag was presented in recognition of his more than three decades of military service. 

His death comes amid a wave of kidnappings across Nigeria, where armed groups continue to target civilians, officials, and security personnel. The West African state has long struggled with criminal gangs and extremist groups, which frequently hold people for ransom. The most active militant group in the region is Boko Haram. 

Earlier this month, the Nigerian army said it had rescued 360 hostages, including women and children, from a Boko Haram enclave in the state of Borno following what it described as “weeks of painstaking intelligence preparation.” According to the military, the captives had been held in harsh conditions after being abducted from several communities in the region. 

Somaliland’s president has made his first visit to Israel, months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government controversially recognized the breakaway territory as an independent state.

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi was welcomed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem on Sunday at the start of what officials described as the first state visit by a Somaliland leader to Israel.

Herzog said it was a “great honor” to receive Abdullahi on a visit that “symbolizes the great potential of the new partnership” between the “two countries,” adding that the two sides must now move “from declarations to action.”

Somaliland’s presidency said Abdullahi was received with full state honors and that the two leaders held talks on economic and investment partnerships, innovation, technology, agriculture, and regional security. The Somaliland leader also visited the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Mount Herzl, and the Grove of Nations, where he planted a tree.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart, Abdullahi thanked West Jerusalem for receiving him and said the people of Somaliland spent decades seeking international recognition.

Israel recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state in December, drawing condemnation from Somalia and several African governments. Netanyahu’s office said at the time that the two sides had signed a joint declaration and that the move was made “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.”

#01.
The President of the Republic of Somaliland visited Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, Mount Herzl, and the Grove of Nations, where he ceremonially planted a tree. pic.twitter.com/nfGtvoABAd

— MFA Somaliland (@somalilandmfa) June 14, 2026

Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, has rejected Israel’s recognition as illegal and a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also condemned Somaliland’s plan to open an embassy in Jerusalem, saying any unilateral action by the breakaway region has no legal effect. Israel remains the only state to recognize Somaliland.

The African Union has also rejected the move, warning that it risks setting a “dangerous precedent” and could undermine peace and stability across the continent.

His trip to Israel follows the opening of a new Somaliland representative office in Taipei last Friday, despite objections from Somalia and China. Somaliland’s representative in Taiwan, Mahmoud Adam Jama Galaal, said Beijing and Mogadishu failed to pressure Hargeisa into cutting ties with the island, which he described as a “very important ally.” 

“We have the right to choose who we have relationships with. It’s our prerogative,” he said, according to Reuters.

Libyan social media has been simmering for weeks over the presence of irregular migrants, particularly those arriving from sub-Saharan Africa, with accusations directed at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international agencies operating in the country. What began as online outrage has now spilled into the streets of Tripoli, where tensions over migration have once again become a focal point of political anger in the capital already strained by division and economic pressure.

Libya hosts one of the largest migrant populations in North Africa. According to the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM), the country hosted more than 700,000 migrants in 2024, rising to approximately 936,000 by February 2026. This represents an increase of roughly 33% over the period – about 13% of the total population.

The majority of migrants are believed to be in an irregular situation and are concentrated in major urban centers such as Tripoli, Misrata, and Sebha. In the capital itself, aid agencies and local authorities describe large, fluid migrant communities that reflect Libya’s continuing role as a key transit hub toward Europe.

The move came after days of escalating rhetoric, including threats and online campaigns directed at the UN refugee agency and its representative in Libya, Carmen Sacco (UNHCR Libya spokesperson), following what activists described as misrepresented statements attributed to her regarding migrants and Libyan citizens. Video footage circulating on Libyan social media shows Libyan police attempting to calm the angry crowd and prevent it from breaking into the premises as the truck unloads sand at the entrance. The demonstrations followed a broader wave of calls for the closure of international organizations accused of facilitating the continued presence of migrants in Libya.

For many Libyans, migration has become the most visible symptom of a state that has never fully recovered from the 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

This public anger is understandable. Libya remains deeply divided between rival authorities in the east and west, its southern and coastal borders remain beyond effective state control, and outdated migration frameworks are inconsistently applied. No single government exercises full sovereignty over the country’s territory.

Yet, instead of addressing these structural weaknesses, public debate is increasingly dominated by accusations against international agencies. The entities are portrayed by influential domestic voices, including Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani, as actively playing a role in entrenching the presence of transit populations and turning the country into a permanent dumping ground for Europe’s unwanted migrants.

While Western media and the protesting crowds themselves frame this around irregular migration and the UNHCR, the true undercurrent of this public anger runs far deeper. The street mobilization in Tripoli is a proxy for a society completely exhausted by what has become of their daily lives.

The anger directed at international agencies is actually a localized explosion of a broader fury: Libyans are watching their national wealth absorbed into an elite system of patronage and parallel spending, while they are left to their own devices in a country where institutional rot is so rampant that Transparency International’s index places Libya among the six most corrupt nations on earth.

At its core, the entire migration debate leads straight back to the original sin of the 2011 NATO intervention. Fifteen years ago, Western powers were lightning-fast to drop bombs and dismantle a functioning, sovereign state under the banner of false promises – guaranteeing “freedom, democracy, and prosperity.” Instead, the West walked away, leaving behind a permanent security vacuum and a legacy of institutional rot.

Today, the tragic irony is that while billions of dollars in oil revenues disappear into thin air every single year through unaccountable rival factions, virtually nothing has been achieved for the Libyan people. The “humanitarian intervention” of 2011 engineered a lawless geographic buffer zone where the local population inherits the fallout of Europe’s border crises while being robbed of their own country’s wealth.

This brings us to the core structural deception of Western policy toward Libya. The European Union and the UK frequently issue statements lamenting Libya’s lack of a unified government, its human rights record, its lawless borders, and, most importantly, its deplorable treatment of irregular migrants.

Yet, the same countries find no contradiction in treating this fragmentation not as a crisis to be solved, but as a vital policy tool. Under international law, for example, states are bound by the principle of non-refoulement, meaning they cannot legally return asylum seekers to a country where they face systemic abuse or conflict. Yet Libya’s UN-recognized government, a swarm of associated militias, and its rival authority in the eastern region are being enabled by the EU to do exactly that.

This transactional arrangement, long maintained in the country’s west, is now being aggressively extended to the eastern-based parallel administration. Despite formally withholding diplomatic recognition from Khalifa Haftar’s government, Brussels is currently financing a new €3 million ($3.46 million) Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Benghazi.

By treating both rival authorities as outsourced border guards, the EU conveniently bypasses its own legal obligations, repatriating vulnerable populations to a territory perilous even for its own citizens.

Indeed, this policy of externalization has officially transitioned from hypocritical rhetoric to binding legislative reality. Following a definitive agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the revised Returns Regulation on June 1, 2026, EU interior ministers concluded their June 4 meeting by charting a course to rapidly operationalize a framework for extraterritorial “return hubs” – third-country jurisdictions within which Libya is functionally included due to its status as migration route.

The newly adopted rules escalate coercive measures, permitting member states to deport unsuccessful asylum seekers to holding facilities outside Europe’s borders – even if those individuals possess absolutely no geographic, cultural, or personal connection to the host nation.

To be clear, no one is claiming that the European Union possesses a premeditated blueprint to transform Libya into a permanent containment zone for transit populations – despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Libyans believe exactly that. However, the cumulative effect of these cynical containment policies achieves that precise result. By trapping hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants within the country, Western mechanisms project an impression that Europe is deliberately engineering a severe demographic crisis, forcing a settlement that dismantles the remains of Libya’s social cohesion.

Whether this outcome is an intentional strategy or the collateral damage of European self-interest, it has served as the catalyst behind the waves of anti-migrant anger fracturing the streets of Tripoli.

By financing localized militias and executing transactional arrangements across political divides, European governments have effectively transformed Libya into an offshore containment camp – a legal black hole designed to absorb the human fallout of their own border crises while shielding themselves from international accountability.

Mozambique’s Zinave National Park has received nine female white rhinos from South Africa in a major conservation operation aimed at restoring the species more than 40 years after its local extinction, the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) has reported.

The relocation was carried out by ANAC, the Peace Parks Foundation and Exxaro Resources, with support from the South African authorities. 

The restoration of the ecological system of the park started in 2022, “with the reintroduction of the first rhinos,” park administrator Antonio Abacar said.  

Abacar noted the transfer strengthens efforts to restore biodiversity and further reinforces Zinave’s position as Mozambique’s only national park home to the Big Five – the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. 

The arrival of the animals increases Zinave’s white rhino population to 39. The park is also home to 22 black rhinos, with both species now breeding in the reserve. 

“By returning the white rhinos to Zinave, we are not only guaranteeing the future of a keystone species, but also restoring the balance of ecosystems and creating investment opportunities in the wildlife economy,” Pejul Calenga, ANAC Director-General, said as quoted by AIM. 

Zinave National Park, established in 1973 in Mozambique’s southeastern Inhambane Province along the southern bank of the Save River, spans about 4,000 square kilometers and forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area linking protected ecosystems across Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. 

Other African countries have also been working to restore rhino populations lost to poaching. In April, Uganda began reintroducing southern white rhinos to Kidepo Valley National Park, 43 years after the species was wiped out there. The first two animals were moved from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary as part of a phased plan to relocate eight rhinos, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. 

Sudan’s poverty rate has risen to 73%, its human resources minister said on Tuesday. 

Speaking during a press conference in Cairo, Sudanese Human Resources Minister Moatassim Ahmed Saleh announced plans to launch 500,000 youth projects and expand support for female-led businesses as part of efforts to create jobs and restore livelihoods.

Authorities have also established 15 partnerships to support female-led businesses.

In November, around 23 million people were living below the World Bank’s poverty threshold of $3.00 per day, Saleh estimated. “The poverty rate in Sudan rose from 21% to 71% due to the war, according to official reports,” he said. 

Saleh said the government has adopted a five-year plan for 2026-2030 aimed at supporting more than three million small businesses, with over 10,000 projects already prepared for beneficiaries. He also called on Sudanese living abroad to return and take advantage of economic opportunities.

The conflict has devastated local economies and forced millions to flee their homes. 

The poverty crisis has been exacerbated by the collapse of the Sudanese pound, which recently hit a record low against the US dollar. Banking expert Waleed Dalil told Sudan Tribune the currency’s decline reflects the broader impact of the war, which has crippled key sectors of the economy.

In April, Sudan Tribune estimated that direct drone attacks on civilian targets had killed between 480 and 500 people and injured more than 1,200 others since the start of 2026.

The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has spread to another health zone in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), raising the nationwide total of affected zones to 26, the country’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COUSP) reported on Tuesday.

As of June 9, the authorities confirmed two Ebola cases in the Tchomia health zone of Ituri Province. The area is situated on the shores of Lake Albert near the Ugandan border and is roughly 50 kilometers south of Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province.

With the addition of Tchomia, 18 of Ituri’s 36 health zones have now recorded Ebola cases. The affected areas include Aru, Aungba, Bambu, Bunia, Damas, Gety, Kilo, Komanda, Lita, Logo, Mambasa, Mangala, Mongbwalu, Nizi, Nyankunde, Rimba and Rwampara.

According to Health Minister Roger Kamba, DR Congo had registered 635 confirmed Ebola cases as of June 9.

In a separate update, the minister announced eight new recoveries, bringing the total number of people who have overcome the virus to 30.

Last week, the Congolese Health Ministry reported that 340 tons of medicine and medical supplies had been delivered to Ituri and North Kivu provinces through a World Bank-funded project, in addition to 150 tons previously transported with UNICEF support.

The agency's experts were among the first to arrive in Uganda in late May to assist the local authorities. Russian-developed PCR tests for the Bundibugyo strain and mobile laboratories have since been deployed in both Uganda and DR Congo.

The joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iran and Tehran’s regional retaliation could give the African Union (AU) an opportunity to cement its identity as a defender of the UN charter and international law, but, as African experts argue, it seems to have missed it.

Dr. Wafula Okumu, executive director of The Borders Institute, says the AU’s reaction to the Iran crisis clearly showed that the continental body suffers from what he describes as a “crisis of consistency”.

According to Okumu, the AU Commission chairperson’s “softly-worded” statement on the US-Israeli attack on Iran and its sharp condemnation of Iran’s reaction portrayed Africa as succumbing to “selective Chartersim,” a practice it has long condemned in others.

“The AU appeared not keen on outrightly calling out the US and Israel for attacking Iran. It seemed to be taking a safe and neutral position, but its reaction to Iran’s retaliation lacked the tone of a peacemaker,” Dr. Okumu told RT.

Dr. Okumu notes that the AU’s “unsettling silence” on the breach of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, appeared to be justifying the actions of the aggressors (the US and Israel) against the victim of the aggression (Iran).

He explains that by adopting a posture of neutrality between an aggressor and a victim of that aggression, the AU “inadvertently weakened the very legal norms it purports to uphold.”

“The AU was simply not bold enough to call out the US and Israel for infringing on the sovereignty of Iran,” he said.

‘The current geopolitical settings are confusing for Africa’

Nicodemus Minde, a peace and security governance researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Nairobi, says Africa is good at the “art of selective application of principle’,’ especially in situations where powerful global players are the aggressors.

Minde argues that it was wrong for the AU to describe Iran’s retaliation as a violation of sovereignty, while failing to apply the same language when condemning the attacks by the US and Israel.

“The AU is a victim of unjustifiable inconsistency. There is nothing wrong with lawfully defending a victim against an aggressor. Africa must move from the periphery and be a bold, universal defender of the rule of law and sovereignty,” said Minde.

According to Minde, as much as it is right for the AU not to take sides in global crises, it is only right for it to side with the law while protecting its interests.

“The current geopolitical settings are complex and confusing for Africa, and the only thing that can shield Africa from being swallowed into the current global conflicts is by defending the law and speaking against violations committed by either the East or the West,” said Minde.

He called for the formulation of a common foreign policy among African Union member states to help the continent navigate shifting geopolitics with principled consistency.

Chepkorir Sambu, a peace and security researcher and law lecturer at Kenya’s Kabarak University, explains that for the AU to become an effective foreign policy actor on the global stage, it should firmly ground its actions in international law and consistently defend the UN Charter.

Sambu says the AU and its leadership should stop living under the unspoken fear of the US and other Western power players, and instead openly call them out when they are wrong.

“What the AU needed in the US-Israel versus Iran crisis was not taking a pro-Iran or anti-West stand, but simply being pro-rule-of-law. We cannot appear to be subtly supporting the actions of the aggressor while loudly condemning the victim,” she argues.

She added, “Africa must be explicit in reaffirming Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter on the prohibition on the use of force as the cornerstone of international law. A violation is a violation, whether being committed by the US or Iran.”

Sambu argues that the AU should apply the same legal and moral standard to all breaches of sovereignty, regardless of the actor. Condemning Iran’s retaliation is legitimate, but it is legally and morally incoherent without a prior, and equally strong, condemnation of the initial attack.

‘Africa has the power to be the voice of reason’

Dr. Okumu says the time is ripe for Africa’s voice to dominate the global stage and that it matters now more than ever, especially as the world fragments amid great-power competition.

He says Africa should speak with a clear, principled, and unwavering voice, and be part of the geopolitical shifts and realignments without fear.

“Africa, through the AU, must avoid the trap of political expediency and embrace the disciplined legal consistency that is the true source of its authority. The continent has the power to be the voice of reason on the globe, and that power must be exercised,” Dr. Okumu concluded.

Four African countries have taken steps to repatriate their citizens due to safety concerns in South Africa as tensions continue to rise.

This comes after an anti-illegal migrant group has been going around different cities across South Africa and has delivered a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave. 

On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation amid growing tensions over illegal immigration. Ramaphosa announced that the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority (BMA), the South African Police Service (SAPS), and other law enforcement agencies will intensify efforts to identify and deport undocumented foreign nationals residing illegally in South Africa.

He said illegal immigration was not the cause of all the country’s challenges and problems, adding that immigration was a global issue and not one faced by South Africa alone.

Several countries have heeded the call of their citizens who do not feel safe in South Africa. 

Malawi

A total of 150 Malawian nationals began their journey back home from South Africa under a coordinated voluntary repatriation exercise, after the first two buses departed from the Western Cape on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

Upon arrival in Malawi, authorities say the returnees will undergo administrative processing and reintegration procedures as part of the government’s structured support plan.

Ghana

In a statement released on Monday, the Border Management Authority (BMA) confirmed that 663 Ghanaian nationals were processed for repatriation from South Africa to Ghana through OR Tambo International Airport over the weekend, with nine passengers later offloaded after being declared medically unfit to travel.

BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said the repatriation process was coordinated through the Port Management Committee (PMC), comprising various government stakeholders responsible for facilitating lawful and orderly movement across the port of entry.

“On Saturday, June 6, 2026, a group of 332 Ghanaian nationals was brought to OR Tambo International Airport by the Ghanaian High Commission in Pretoria for repatriation,” Mogotsi said.

She said during immigration processing, 321 travellers were found to have overstayed their allocated period of stay in South Africa by 30 days or longer.

Mozambique

A group of 141 Mozambican nationals left South Africa on Sunday through the Lebombo Port of Entry, BMA confirmed. The repatriation operation was facilitated by the Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique in South Africa, which transported the individuals from Mossel Bay to the Lebombo Port of Entry using three buses.

“A total of 168 Mozambican nationals and one South African citizen arrived at the port for processing. The South African citizen was refused departure after indicating that he intended to accompany the group to visit family in the Republic of Mozambique without following the appropriate travel arrangements,” Mogotsi said. 

She said of the Mozambican nationals processed, 141 individuals, comprising 97 males and 44 females, were undocumented and were accordingly deported in terms of the Immigration Act.

Nigeria

The Nigerian government has confirmed it will be repatriating 1,000 of its citizens from South Africa; however, it has postponed flights until Wednesday, June 10.

According to a report from a local news channel, TVC News Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved five evacuation flights, and the first flight is expected to transport over 270 passengers. More than 500 people wishing to leave South Africa have been screened and cleared.

First published by IOL

A manhunt is underway in South Africa’s Gauteng province for the gunmen who opened fire in a marginalized residential area, killing at least 12 and injuring nine others, South African Police Service (SAPS) wrote on X on Wednesday. 

The attack took place late Tuesday night at Jumpers, an informal settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg.

According to investigators, officers responding to reports of shots fired shortly after 11 PM local time found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Eleven people – eight men and three women – were declared dead at the scene, while another male victim died after being hospitalized. 

“At least nine other victims were transported to various medical facilities for treatment of gunshot wounds,” authorities said.

A large-scale manhunt is now underway, with detectives, forensic specialists and crime intelligence units deployed to track down those responsible. Authorities have not announced any arrests, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear as the investigation continues.

South Africa remains one of the world’s most violent countries despite a recent decline in crime. SAPS data for October–December 2025 shows that 6,351 people were murdered nationwide during the three-month period, an average of nearly 70 killings per day. 

#sapsGP [POLICE LAUNCH MANHUNT FOLLOWING MASS SHOOTING THAT CLAIMED 12 LIVES IN CLEVELAND]#SAPS in Gauteng has launched a manhunt for suspects following a mass shooting that claimed the lives of 12 people and left several others injured at Jumpers Informal Settlement in… pic.twitter.com/Pw7cH3M6of

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) June 10, 2026

In addition, Gauteng province, where the latest mass shooting occurred, accounted for the highest number of murders nationwide, with 1,536 killings reported during the three-month period.

The government has stepped up efforts to tackle crime in recent months. In February, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced increased spending on peace and security, with funding set to rise from 268.2 billion rand ($14 billion) in 2025/26 to 291.2 billion rand ($16 billion) by 2028/29.

Russia intends to help Africa build a new economic order and remains committed to supporting the continent’s development, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has told RT.

Speaking during a visit to Moscow, Samia said Russia has historically supported African liberation movements and remains engaged in the continent’s development efforts. 

“Russia has an intention to support Africa to develop the new economic world order,” she stated. 

The president said relations between Tanzania and Russia are built on decades of cooperation dating back to the country’s independence. She noted that the Soviet Union was among the first states to recognize Tanzania and that the bilateral partnership is now entering a new stage focused on economic development.

The Tanzanian leader identified digital transformation as one of the most promising areas for future cooperation between the two countries. She said the government is prioritizing the expansion of online public services and is looking to strengthen technical expertise in a number of advanced industries.

Among Tanzania’s long-term goals is the development of nuclear energy capabilities based on the country’s uranium resources. Samia said the project will require highly qualified specialists, creating opportunities for cooperation with Russian educational and scientific institutions.

Agriculture is expected to become one of the main drivers of future trade growth, Samia said, adding that Tanzania is also seeking to attract more Russian visitors, with direct Air Tanzania flights between Moscow and Dar es Salaam expected to strengthen tourism and business ties.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s High Military Court has sentenced all 54 defendants to death in a long-running case involving the murder of two UN experts.  

The victims, investigator Michael Sharp, a 34-year-old American, and expert Zaida Catalan, a 36-year-old Swede, were killed in 2017 while investigating violence in the conflict-ridden Kasai region. The Congolese court found that the pair had been lured into an ambush, accused of being traitors, and executed.

The verdict was delivered on Friday at Ndolo military prison in Kinshasa. Among those convicted was former Congolese army officer Colonel Jean de Dieu Mambweni, who previously served on the staff of the 21st Military Region.

Mambweni was initially sentenced to ten years in prison in 2022 for failing to assist people in danger and disobeying orders. However, judges later concluded that he had played a direct role in arranging the operation that led to the deaths of the UN investigators. 

Sharp and Catalan were investigating reports of mass killings in Kasai when fighters linked to the Kamuina Nsapu militia stopped them at a bridge near the village of Moyo-Musila on March 12, 2017. They were then led into a remote wooded area, where they were killed. Their remains were found 16 days after the attack.

The death penalty is legal in DR Congo. Although courts continued to hand down death sentences, a de facto moratorium in place since 2003 meant they were routinely commuted to life imprisonment. The government ended the 21-year suspension of executions in March 2024, restoring capital punishment in practice.

Former Kenyan Chief Justice David Maraga was arrested alongside several activists during a protest against plans affecting Nairobi National Park, local media reported on Monday. 

Demonstrators opposed the proposed excision of a 75-acre section of the park, which is intended to make way for a parking facility capable of accommodating more than 1,000 vehicles, and a separate plan to relocate the Nairobi Animal Orphanage to a site near the Bomas of Kenya complex.

Maraga, who is running for president under the United Green Movement (UGM) next year, joined hundreds of protesters, arguing that protected land should not be altered without clear justification.

“Our national heritage and environment must be safeguarded from greed and unnecessary destruction without public participation,” Maraga wrote on X.

Reuters reported that riot police fired tear gas to disperse scores of demonstrators. Officers arrested at least nine people, including Maraga.

The dispute centers on Nairobi National Park, Kenya’s oldest national park, which was established in 1946. The protected area is home to lions, rhinos, giraffes and other wildlife, and has repeatedly been at the center of public campaigns against infrastructure and development projects.

The latest rally is not the first protest to hit Kenya in recent weeks. Last week, hundreds of people took to the streets of Nanyuki to oppose a proposed US Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base. According to reports, two people were killed during the unrest.

On May 28, 2026, France’s National Assembly voted unanimously to repeal the Code Noir – the 1685 royal decree that institutionalized slavery across France’s colonies. Tears were shed at the podium, speeches vibrated with hard-won dignity. Then the doors of the Palais Bourbon closed, and nothing changed. It should be noted: The symbolic without the substance is nothing but memorial theater. France owes a debt it has never paid, and a unanimous vote, however moving, does not begin to settle it.

Two hundred and fifty-four deputies repealed a decree that reduced human beings to the legal status of ‘moveable goods’ to be bought, sold, inherited, and mutilated. The vote was unanimous. France rarely finds such unity, and here, that unity served above all to mask the emptiness that follows.

Let us be precise though: This document carried no legal force since the abolition of slavery in 1848. Repealing it in 2026 means removing a legal corpse from the statute books. Symbolically necessary, without question the persistence of these royal edicts in French law was, as Macron himself admitted, “a form of offense.” But presented as a major act of justice, this vote amounts to a political sleight of hand. France has not repaired. France has deleted a line of text.

The question of reparations burns conspicuously on the lips of the bill’s rapporteur, Max Mathiasin, who chose to address it in a “broader framework” – a phrase that, in the vocabulary of French politics, has historically meant ‘not now, not here, perhaps never’. The debate took place, we should note, a few steps from a marble statue of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the minister of Louis XIV who drafted the Code Noir. He has not been moved.

“What does it mean to repeal the Code Noir in 2026 if the overseas territories continue to be viewed from Paris as distant peripheries?” Emeline K/Bidi, a French lawyer and politician who represents Reunion’s 4th constituency in the assembly, said.

In 2001, the Taubira Law recognized the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as ‘crimes against humanity’. It was a landmark achievement, fought for over years against significant political resistance. Twenty-five years on, what remains of that recognition? An annual commemoration on May 10. Presidential speeches. And a republic that still names streets, schools, and public buildings after the men who organized the deportation and torture of millions of human beings.

Here lies the unbearable paradox of the French Republic: It acknowledges the crime, votes to repeal its founding texts, and in the same breath continues to honor those who designed the system.

The Haitian affair

To understand the full scale of France’s unredeemed debt, one must look at Haiti. In 1825, under direct threat of military bombardment, French King Charles X extorted from the young Haitian Republic of the first free Black nation in the world, born from the only successful slave revolution in history, an “independence debt” of 150 million gold francs.

Some figures: 150 million gold francs imposed on Haiti in 1825 = 16× the country’s GDP.

90 million gold francs was the “renegotiated” amount in 1838, still ruinous.

Over a century of financial subjugation to French creditors – €0 in reparations paid by France to descendants of enslaved people to date.

The enslaved and their descendants were thus forced to compensate their oppressors. France compelled the victims to pay their torturers. This post-colonial extortion locked Haiti into structural financial dependence for more than a century. The Haitian people having already paid with their blood and their freedom were made to pay again with their future.

France remains one of the nine states, along with the UK, to have voted against the 2022 UN Human Rights Council resolution 51/32 calling on states to deliver restorative justice for slavery and colonialism. It is a deliberate political choice.

France also abstained, alongside the UK and EU states, when the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in March recognizing the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as among the gravest crimes against humanity.

Slavery is not ancient history. It lives on in the poverty rates of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion, in unemployment figures that systematically exceed those of metropolitan France, in the persistent health and educational disparities that no post-war republic has managed or truly tried to close.

Martinican activist Dieudonnee Boutrin, a descendant of enslaved people, said it plainly after the National Assembly vote: “It changes nothing. Black people are still looked at the same way.” She called for a “real reparations program,” funding for education, the active transmission of history, and the dismantling of systemic racism. Not symbolism, but structural, funded, accountable change.

As French Green MP Steevy Gustave stated, “No vote alone can repair centuries of shattered lives. We are not descendants of slaves. We are descendants of human beings born free, then reduced to the worst – reduced to slavery.”

What can actually be done

Acknowledging Haiti’s debt can open a negotiated restitution process in direct consultation with Haitian civil society. A national reparations fund should be established for descendants of enslaved people in France’s overseas territories, covering education, economic development, and public health. An independent commission of historians, jurists, and community representatives should be set to quantify the harm and propose binding measures. The statues honoring the architects of slavery beginning with Colbert at the Palais Bourbon, should be removed, while history of slavery and colonization should be integrated into national school curricula as a core chapter of French identity, not a footnote.

The vote of May 28, 2026 was necessary, long overdue, and genuinely moving for those who lived it. But it has already been co-opted, turned into a showcase for a Republic that watches itself perform goodness without ever paying the price of its guilt.

Restorative justice is a moral, legal, and political obligation. France should choose whether to remain permanently in the theater of the symbolic or to finally enter the era of repair.

South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) has intensified screening and surveillance measures at ports of entry to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the country, as a deadly outbreak continues to spread across parts of Central Africa.

The outbreak has claimed at least 61 lives and resulted in 359 cases, with the vast majority concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

As health authorities work to contain transmission and communities grapple with fear, disruption and uncertainty, concerns have been raised about the potential risk to neighbouring countries. However, the BMA has moved to reassure South Africans that screening and monitoring systems remain active and vigilant at all ports of entry.

“BMA Port Health Officials implement necessary screening measures at the Ports of Entry which include monitoring of conveyances arriving from international arrivals, and in this case, priority will be given to flights from the affected countries (DRC and Uganda) to ensure compliance with International Health Regulations (2005),” said spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi.

“Should Port Health identify any suspected or ill traveller on arrival, the Provincial Department of Health in that particular province will be notified, which will then trigger a coordinated response to that case or suspected traveller,” she said.

According to health expert Dr Angelique Coetzee, South Africans should remain concerned but not alarmed. “The number of suspected cases has now dropped significantly after investigations ruled out many people who initially appeared to fit the case definition,” she said.

However, she warned that the World Health Organisation’s primary concern is not necessarily the current number of cases, but the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.

“What the World Health Organisation is most concerned about is not so much the current numbers, but the late detection of the outbreak, the ongoing conflict and insecurity in these affected areas,” Coetzee said. She highlighted the challenges facing containment efforts, including population movement across borders and difficulties accessing some affected communities.

She added that the risk to the average South African remains low, although health authorities must remain vigilant when assessing travellers arriving from affected regions. “Ebola is fundamentally different from Covid-19. Ebola generally requires direct contact with bodily fluids.”

Coetzee said there was no need for panic, but stressed that continued vigilance, strong public health systems and international cooperation would be essential as the outbreak evolves.

First published by IOL

South Africa has announced a sweeping new crackdown on illegal immigration, including faster deportations, tougher penalties for employers hiring undocumented migrants, and tighter border controls. 

On Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said authorities would set up dedicated courts to handle immigration cases and speed up the deportation of undocumented migrants.

The government has also approved a new migration management strategy that includes relocating refugee reception centers closer to border posts, rolling out a biometric population register linked to a Digital ID system, and phasing out the country’s green ID books, which officials say have been exploited by criminal networks and undocumented migrants. 

Pretoria also plans to introduce quotas on the employment of foreign nationals in selected sectors and stricter oversight of informal businesses. 

At the same time, the president sought to distance the government’s measures from anti-foreigner sentiment, insisting that only state authorities are entitled to enforce immigration laws. 

Ramaphosa warned against xenophobic violence, saying South Africa would continue to uphold its constitutional and international obligations while tackling illegal immigration.

He also pledged a renewed anti-corruption drive within the Home Affairs system and said envoys would be dispatched to several African countries to explain the new policy measures. 

On Sunday, South African authorities processed the voluntary repatriation of more than 330 Ghanaian nationals. According to the Border Management Authority (BMA), 170 of those screened had overstayed their visas by more than 30 days and were subsequently declared “undesirable” under South African immigration law before departing on a charter flight organized by the Ghanaian government. 

Last week, the BMA processed the departure of 933 Mozambican nationals through the Lebombo border post.

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has surpassed 500 confirmed cases, according to the latest figures released by the National Institute of Public Health. 

On Sunday, the authorities recorded 515 confirmed infections and 91 deaths across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, bringing the overall case fatality rate to 17.7%. More than half of all patients remain under isolation or hospital care, while only 12 people have officially recovered.

The epidemic remains overwhelmingly concentrated in Ituri province, which accounts for 487 of the 515 confirmed cases – nearly 95% of the total. 

The outbreak is being fueled by a combination of insecurity, population displacement, and cross-border movement, the authorities stated. The DR Congo declared the epidemic on May 15, marking the country’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. Later, the WHO classified the Bundibugyo strain detected in the country and neighboring Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern. There is currently no approved vaccine.

In addition, the agency reported 16 confirmed cases and one death in neighboring Uganda.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC announced a joint $518 million Ebola preparedness and response plan for Africa, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday. The program will focus on emergency coordination, disease surveillance, laboratory testing, infection control, patient care, community engagement, and logistics support.

“This plan is designed for the period from June to November of this year,” Tedros said.

The joint project “gives the continent a clear path to act with speed and unity to save lives, support the affected countries, and protect neighboring communities,” Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said.

Four suspects are expected to appear in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court in South Africa’s Free State province, following their arrest for attempting to sell an endangered pangolin for R80,000 ($5,000).

The suspects, aged between 47 and 62, face charges of contravening the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 and the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.

A pangolin is a solitary, nocturnal mammal easily recognised by the tough, overlapping keratin scales that cover its body.

Pangolins are considered the world’s most heavily trafficked wild mammals. They are poached for their meat and scales, which are highly sought after on the black market for use in traditional medicine, pushing the species toward extinction.

Head of the Hawks in the Free State, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, commended the officers for the swift arrest of the poachers and ensuring that the endangered species do not face total extinction.

First published by IOL

One quarter of the world’s population will be African by mid-century, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Friday.

Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Hassan highlighted Africa’s growing demographic and economic weight.

“By 2050, one in four human beings on this planet will be African,” she said in her opening remarks. “Africa will be the only continent still adding workers to the global labor force on a large scale. Africa will host nine of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies.”

Hassan also pointed to the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying that once fully implemented it would become the world’s largest market by population. The agreement, signed in 2018, seeks to create a continent-wide free trade zone by easing the movement of goods, services, and investment across all 55 African Union member states.

Africa is destined to grow. 

UN projections show the global population reaching 9.66 billion by 2050, with Africa accounting for roughly 2.5 billion people.

According to UN data, fertility rates across Europe averaged about 1.4 births per woman in 2023, well below the replacement level of 2.1.

The trend has also become a major concern for Russia, where the fertility rate stood at 1.4 in 2024. In response, Moscow has introduced a range of measures aimed at boosting births, including direct payments to mothers, expanded maternity benefits, and additional financial support for families.

Starting Monday, Russia will also launch new tax relief programs for families with two or more children.

Сlashes erupted in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu for a second consecutive day on Thursday, as security forces and opposition supporters exchanged fire ahead of a planned anti-government rally.  

Residents reported heavy gunfire, explosions, and civilians fleeing affected neighborhoods, while no official casualty figures were immediately released. 

Former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of attacking opposition representatives in Mogadishu on Wednesday. In a post on X, Khaire claimed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had ordered security forces to target opposition gatherings. 

“We are under attack. For the second time in less than 24 hours, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has directed armed forces against our peaceful gatherings,” Khaire wrote.  

“The incidents were not the organization of peaceful public demonstrations, but rather coordinated armed acts that directly threatened the security, order and stability of the capital,” AP reported the police as saying. 

Fighting eased later on Thursday after mediation efforts involving Somalia’s intelligence chief and Khaire reportedly produced an agreement to halt hostilities.  

The rally was intended to protest what opposition leaders describe as constitutional violations and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s alleged efforts to extend his grip on power. Tensions escalated after Mohamud announced in May that he would remain in office until May 2027, a move that critics say undermines Somalia’s political process. 

Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger have launched a new phase of construction aimed at completing the Algerian section of Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), a major energy project designed to carry Nigerian gas to international markets through North Africa, APS reported on Thursday. 

The ceremony took place in Algeria’s Adrar region and was attended by senior officials from the three countries. The event came a day after the project’s steering committee approved the final feasibility study and endorsed its recommendations, clearing the way for the next stage of implementation. 

First proposed more than 15 years ago, the 4,000-kilometer pipeline is designed to transport between 20 and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria, where it would be linked to existing infrastructure for delivery. The project has been stalled primarily by security concerns across the Sahel region, compounded by financing challenges and shifting regional politics. 

“This project means a lot to the three countries in terms of industrialisation and job creation,” Ekperikpe Ekpo, Nigerian minister of state for petroleum resources, said as quoted by The Sun.  

The move comes after Algeria and Niger agreed in February to restart work on the long-delayed project following talks in Algiers between Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Niger’s military leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. Tebboune said at the time that construction would resume after Ramadan, with Algeria’s state energy company Sonatrach leading implementation. 

Africa is seeking investment and equal partnerships, Tanzania’s minister for Planning and Investment in the President’s Office, Kitila Mkumbo, has said.

Speaking at the Russia-Africa Business Dialogue at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026 on Thursday, Mkumbo argued that the continent has much to contribute to the global economy and can be a full-fledged partner.

“We are tired of constant sanctions and repeated aid cuts, but we are not interested in aid alone. We want to build partnerships, we want investment,” he said.

Mkumbo stressed that African countries are undergoing a transformation that could make them some of the world’s fastest-growing economies in the coming years. He also called for deeper economic cooperation with Russia, saying Moscow has an important role to play in Africa’s development. 

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was Africa’s drive for greater sovereignty across key sectors, including food security, logistics, finance, and digital infrastructure.

PhosAgro CEO Alexander Gilgenberg pointed to a challenge facing African agriculture: Soil nutrient deficiencies. He said many African soils lack boron and zinc, adding that the company offers fertilizer solutions tailored to these needs. 

Gilgenberg stressed the importance of improving farmers’ knowledge of fertilizer use, noting that PhosAgro has been working with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to provide training and education programs for farmers across the continent.

Addressing the continent’s energy needs, Nikita Gusakov, the senior vice president of the Russian Export Center, said Moscow is ready to support African countries through both major power infrastructure projects and smaller-scale generation solutions.

“Overcoming the energy deficit is a fundamental condition for industrialization and improving quality of life. Russia is ready to help meet this need,” Gusakov said.

The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is being held June 3-6.

South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) says it has successfully processed the repatriation of 933 Mozambican nationals through the port of Lebombo on Wednesday.

BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said 349 of those processed originated from the Lindela Holding Facility and were transported by the Department of Home Affairs through its deportation programme, while the remaining 584 travelled from Mossel Bay through arrangements facilitated by the Mozambican High Commission.

Mogotsi said the operation was coordinated through an integrated approach involving BMA Immigration Services, Port Health Services, Law Enforcement and Border Guard functions, working in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Social Development, the South African Police Service and Mozambican authorities.

“All travellers underwent the required immigration processing, including identity verification, biometric checks and immigration status assessments, in accordance with South African immigration legislation and border management procedures,” she said.

Mogotsi said 38 minors formed part of the group and were processed with the assistance of the Department of Social Development to ensure compliance with all applicable child protection and cross-border movement requirements.

“As part of the BMA’s mandate, all persons were screened and processed in accordance with health, security and immigration protocols before being permitted to proceed through the Port of Entry,” she said.

Mogotsi said 926 individuals successfully departed South Africa for Mozambique at the conclusion of the operation. However, seven individuals were not permitted to depart following immigration processing and verification.

“These cases included individuals who did not meet the prescribed requirements for cross-border movement, individuals whose nationality or immigration status required further verification, and cases involving minors where the required supporting documentation was not available,” she said.

“The management of cross-border movement must be conducted in a manner that is lawful, orderly and consistent with South Africa’s immigration framework”.

He said the BMA remains committed to facilitating legitimate travel while ensuring compliance with immigration legislation and safeguarding the integrity of our ports of entry.

‘‘We will continue to work closely with our regional counterparts to promote safe, orderly and regular migration, while protecting the security interests of South Africa and the region,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the Government of Malawi said it was preparing a voluntary repatriation programme for Malawian nationals affected by recent attacks and demonstrations targeting African migrants in parts of South Africa.

“The Government will soon commence a voluntary repatriation exercise for Malawian nationals that have requested Government support for their return home,” the ministry said, stressing that the programme would be voluntary and only available to citizens who had requested assistance.

First published by IOL

On June 3-6, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is paying a state visit to Russia and taking part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

In recent years, Tanzania has been a growing priority for Russia, which is unsurprising: it is a politically stable country with access to the Indian Ocean, a rapidly growing economy, and significant resource potential. Moreover, Russia has a long history of contacts with this part of East Africa, which began long before the current rapprochement.

A Zanzibar native’s journey through the Russian Empire

One of the first official documents establishing contacts between Russia and the territories of modern-day Tanzania was the 1896 agreement on trade relations between the Russian Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar – the center of the Swahili civilization and Indian Ocean trade networks. The document defined privileges in trade and the possibility of appointing consuls.

However, the Russian Empire’s interest in Zanzibar became apparent even earlier: in 1892, after the Brussels Anti-Slavery Conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed the Russian Empire’s participation in the work of the International Bureau in Zanzibar and the possibility of establishing a permanent diplomatic agency there.

In Selim’s notes, Moscow is depicted as a major trade center, with goods from Syria, Persia, and Bukhara. He was interested in markets, merchants, prices, carpets, karakul fur, skins, silver, tea, roads, hunting, climate, and Muslim communities. He was amazed by the white nights in St. Petersburg, the Volga River, the Siberian banya (steam sauna), the sudden changes in weather, and the presence of Muslims in the distant land of the ‘wazungu’ (Swahili for ‘whites’).

In Samara, Barnaul, and other places, he recorded the locals’ reactions to seeing a black man for the first time. “In Altai, the peasants greeted my bwana (Swahili for ‘master’) who rode in front, but not in the same way as me; they greeted me as if I were the sultan himself... I am black, they had never seen anyone like me, so they thought I was the master.”

Relations with the USSR: Socialism, education, and geology

The political history of relations began in the era of decolonization. In December 1961, Tanganyika gained independence, and diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union were established almost immediately. Events unfolded even more dynamically in Zanzibar. In January 1964, a Marxist revolution took place there, leading to the fall of the sultanate and the establishment of the People’s Republic of Zanzibar.

Revolutionary Zanzibar quickly came to the attention of Moscow. Contacts existed even before the revolution. Soviet publications, including those in Swahili language, were distributed in the archipelago, and young Zanzibaris were sent to the USSR to study – among them was the future prime minister of Zanzibar, Abdullah Kassim Hanga. After the revolution, a group of Soviet military specialists and translators were sent to train Zanzibari troops at the Chukwani camp.

The country’s first president was Julius Nyerere (previously president of Tanganyika) – one of the most prominent African leaders of the decolonization era, an intellectual, publicist, and the author of the concept of ‘Ujamaa’ (Swahili for ‘brotherhood, unity’). In 1967, this policy was enshrined in the Arusha Declaration that outlined the principles of African Socialism and Self-Reliance.

Nyerere’s socialism was deeply rooted in the notions of communality characteristic of many African societies. Moscow viewed Nyerere’s ideas with caution. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union saw ‘Ujamaa’ as an independent African model of socialism that was markedly different from the Marxist-Leninist ideas familiar to Moscow and partly consonant with the Chinese socialist experience.

Under Nyerere, Tanzania pursued an independent foreign policy and was not perceived by the USSR as a direct ally. On several occasions, the positions of Dar es Salaam and Moscow diverged considerably: for example, Nyerere supported Biafra in the Nigerian conflict and condemned the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. However, the differences did not lead to a rupture of relations. On the contrary, Nyerere’s proactive foreign policy, aimed at supporting anti-colonial movements throughout Africa resonated with Moscow.

By the early 1970s, Dar es Salaam became one of the largest centers of African liberation movements, with representatives of Mozambique’s FRELIMO, Namibia’s SWAPO, South Africa’s ANC, and other organizations operating there. Tanzania’s stance in the struggle against colonialism and racist regimes was met with respect in Moscow. It became an important partner of the USSR in East and Southern Africa.

In the following decades, the two countries developed ties in the fields of education, technology, medicine, geology, and military cooperation. Education became one of the most notable areas of cooperation. By the time the USSR collapsed, at least 1,599 Tanzanian citizens had graduated from Soviet universities and technical institutes. Some of the graduates went on to become well-known political figures and renowned specialists in the social and humanitarian fields.

Esther Daniel Mwaikambo, Tanzania’s first female doctor, received her medical degree from the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN) University in Moscow. She later became one of Tanzania’s leading pediatricians, a professor, and the organizer of several major medical initiatives.

Another important initiative was the training of technical personnel. In 1969, the USSR and Tanzania signed an agreement to send Soviet teachers to Tanzanian schools and colleges. Soviet specialists worked in the secondary education system, helping equip educational institutions and train local personnel. In 1986, with Soviet assistance, Mbeya Technical College, which still operates today, was opened in the city of Mbeya in the south of the country.

In 1969, Tanzania signed an agreement with the Soviet association Technoexport to conduct large-scale geological exploration. Soviet specialists mapped territories in the central and western parts of the country, as well as prospected for gold and non-ferrous metals in the Lupa and Mpanda districts.

The 1975 World Bank Mining Sector Review called this contract the largest project of its kind undertaken by Tanzania at that time. Technoexport’s estimate for the Lupa region was 33,988 kg of ore gold, approximately 1.1 million ounces.

Modern-day ties: From wheat to uranium

After the collapse of the USSR, bilateral relations saw a significant decline. However, the human and professional ties built over the previous decades did not disappear. Specialists educated at Soviet universities continued to work in Tanzania, and contacts between graduates remained. Russia has also maintained the long-standing tradition of teaching the Swahili language. The Russian Center for Science and Culture (Russian House) has operated in Tanzania since 1990.

In the late 2010s, Russia’s general engagement in Africa grew, and Tanzania – a large and politically stable country with a rapidly growing population, access to the Indian Ocean, reserves of gas, gold, coal, and uranium, and the potential to develop transport corridors deep into the continent – was seen as a natural partner.

Trade flowing through the Dar es Salaam, Tanga, and Mtwara ports that link the coast with Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other countries in the region makes Tanzania an important part of East Africa’s economic connectivity and explains interest in it as a potential logistics hub for the re-export of Russian goods.

Political contacts have also intensified. Tanzania participated in both Russia-Africa summits (in 2019 and 2023). Russian and Tanzanian representatives hold regular talks on energy, agriculture, geology, healthcare, and personnel training.

In February 2026, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo visited Moscow and held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, conveying a message from Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to the Russian leadership. In May 2026, the third meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation was held in Arusha. Direct flights between Moscow and Zanzibar will be launched this year.

Trade structure also remains narrow: grain and fertilizers constitute the bulk of Russian exports. In 2024, Russian wheat exports to Tanzania reached $252 million, accounting for approximately 67% of Tanzania’s imports in this category, while fertilizer exports totaled $37 million, or approximately 10% of Tanzania’s total fertilizer imports. However, there are also long-term economic projects, primarily in the field of mineral extraction.

The largest Russian project in modern Tanzania is the Mkuju River uranium project in the Ruvuma region. It is being carried out by Mantra Tanzania, a subsidiary of Uranium One Group and its parent shareholder, the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

The project has a long history: a mining license was obtained back in 2013, and in July 2025, Rosatom announced the launch of a pilot uranium ore processing facility which is expected to reach full capacity by 2029. In Tanzania, it is considered one of the most promising mining projects. It is developing in a fairly competitive environment: Tanzania traditionally works with a wide range of external partners – from China and Western countries to regional and international financial institutions.

Such is the foundation of Tanzania’s approach to external relations: encouraging cooperation without sacrificing independence. This approach, expressed in a desire to develop relations with various external partners while maintaining room for individual choice, was established under Julius Nyerere and has been maintained throughout the country’s relations with the USSR, China, Western countries, and nations in the region.

Nyerere himself formulated this approach in a clear way: “No nation has the right to make decisions for another nation; no people for another people.” This concept remains important for Russia-Tanzania relations to this day. Historical memory, the Soviet educational legacy, and political sympathy create favorable conditions for cooperation, but do not replace its practical aspects.

A planned Ebola treatment center in Kenya should be available to all patients in need rather than exclusively serving US citizens, Nigerian professor of virology Oyewale Tomori has told RT. 

Addressing reports that Americans infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) could be treated in Kenya, the chairman of the West Africa National Academy of Sciences said he had no concerns about the facility’s ability to safely contain the virus. However, he argued that access to treatment should also extend to Kenyans and others in the region. 

“If that center is open, it should be open to everybody, not just Americans,” Tomori said. “If any Kenyan gets any infection, it should be treated in that place.” 

Tomori suggested that treating Ebola patients in Kenya rather than the US could be justified by shorter transportation times, allowing patients to receive care more quickly. 

The comments come amid protests over the proposed US Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base near the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki. Despite a Kenyan High Court order halting the project, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous US official, that around 20 flights carrying medical equipment and specialist personnel landed at the base between May 23 and May 31.

The death toll from an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist militant group that originated in Uganda, has risen to 21 in the town of Mbau, located in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). 

The increase in casualties follows the discovery of additional bodies on the outskirts of the town in the aftermath of the assault, a local news agency reported on Thursday. 

Mbau came under a deadly attack overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. According to preliminary accounts collected by local outlet Actualite from survivors, ADF fighters operated in three separate groups during the raid. 

The militants reportedly targeted the neighborhoods of Matete, Kithoho, and Mamuli, where they also set fire to homes and motorcycles. 

According to the publication, ADF militants have killed more than 40 people in attacks across the town of Mbau and the wider territory of Beni over the past three days. Several civilians were also abducted during the assaults and remain in captivity. 

The latest violence comes as the DR Congo continues to face a worsening security crisis. The M23 rebel group remains in control of parts of the country, contributing to ongoing armed clashes and deepening humanitarian challenges. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised ties with Tanzania as developing “intensively,” as he welcomed his counterpart from the African nation, Samia Suluhu Hassan, for talks in Moscow on Wednesday. 

Putin noted that this year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, adding that bilateral trade increased by 25% last year and stressing that economic cooperation should continue to expand. 

According to the Russian leader, opportunities for growth exist across a range of sectors, including energy, geological exploration, transport, logistics, healthcare and education.

“[Bilateral relations] have always developed at a good level and intensively,” Putin said. He noted that the Tanzanian president had chosen Russia for her first state visit abroad after taking office in November. 

She also expressed gratitude for Russia’s role in Africa’s liberation movements and stressed Moscow had made an important contribution to Tanzania’s development over the decades.

“We [Tanzania] have been working with Russia to date and with the much development we are talking in my country, Russia has got a great contribution on it,” the Tanzanian leader said.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s visit to Russia this week elevates relations between the two countries to a new level, reflecting the rapid growth in bilateral cooperation in recent years, Andrey Maslov, head of the Center for African Studies at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, has said.

Speaking to RT, Maslov noted that Tanzania has maintained an independent political course for decades, resisting outside interference and preserving key elements of its socialist legacy after the 1990s.

“Tanzania successfully combines rapid economic growth with political resilience and stability,” he said.

Strong economic performance is supported by growth in tourism, agriculture, mining, and transport, the expert noted, adding that “tourism alone generates nearly $4 billion annually” and other sectors “continue to steadily expand.” 

Maslov pointed to tourism as one of the main areas in bilateral relations. Around 17,000 Russian tourists visited Tanzania last year, he said, adding that flows are expected to multiply when direct Air Tanzania flights are launched between Moscow and Zanzibar from July 2. 

Speaking about the Mantra uranium project in southern Tanzania, which is being developed by the subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Maslov noted that the Tanzanian authorities and President Samia Suluhu Hassan personally “have secured all the necessary conditions for its implementation, paving the way for the birth of a new uranium mining industry in the country.” 

Maslov also highlighted expanding cooperation in standardization, certification, and pharmaceutical production.

At the same time, he warned that rising import costs remain a key challenge for Tanzania amid the ongoing crisis in the Persian Gulf, which has pushed up fuel and fertilizer prices. 

“Fortunately, Tanzania remains largely independent of food imports. At the same time, the nation ranks among the continent’s leaders in digitalization and financial sector development,” he added.

Samia’s trip marks the first visit by a Tanzanian leader to Moscow in more than half a century. The previous high-level visit took place in October 1969, when Julius Nyerere, the first president of the African state, traveled to the Soviet Union.