35 opposition activists in Zimbabwe face up to 5 years in prison for ‘barbecue’ meeting at their leader’s house
Amnesty International described the detention as “part of a disturbing pattern of repression against people exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.” The rights group called for an investigation into allegations that some of the activists were tortured while in police detention.
Central African Republic journalist once retained by Russian mercenaries pulls veil off Wagner disinformation
Yalike-Ngonzo said that for three years he was tasked with writing stories praising the activities of the Russian forces and the army and military government of the Central African Republic and placing them in local media outlets. He was also asked to organise anti-Western demonstrations and suppress voices critical of the government.
Senegal’s President Faye secures majority in parliamentary election to enable him to carry out reforms
President Bassirou Faye, 44, became Africa’s youngest elected leader in March, less than two weeks after he was released from prison. The former tax inspector’s rise has reflected widespread frustration among Senegal’s youth with the country’s direction – a common sentiment across Africa.
ICC hands al-Qaida-linked former Mali police chief 10 years in jail for war crimes
Mali, along with its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida or the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance instead.
Mali prime minister kicked out for raising concerns about timeline for return to civilian rule
Over the last decade, Mali, along with its neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, has been shaken by extremist uprisings and military coups. The three Sahelian nations are now ruled by military leaders who have taken power by force on pledges of providing more security to citizens.
For the love of rice, Sierra Leone launches push to free itself from costly food imports
Sierra Leone’s agriculture minister, Henry Kpaka Musa, accused the International Monetary Fund of pressuring Sierra Leone in the 1980s to stop investing in agriculture and open its markets to imports as a condition for receiving loans.
African health activists worry Trump presidency means a return of abortion ‘gag rule’, unsupportable pregnancies
Even NGOs in countries that outlaw abortion, such as Zimbabwe, are affected. Population Services Zimbabwe, for instance, closed its outreach clinics during Trump’s first term after losing funding due to its association with MSI Reproductive Choices.
Australian mining company to pay Mali’s military rulers $160m to free detained CEO, employees
The Australian company has been working for years at Mali’s Syama gold mine, a large-scale operation in the country’s southwest. It holds an 80 per cent stake in mine, while the Malian government holds the remaining 20 per cent.
Russia, whose Wagner mercenaries fund RSF faction, vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire between Sudan’s rival forces
Sudan plunged into conflict in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders erupted in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including western Darfur, which was wracked by bloodshed and atrocities in 2003. The UN recently warned that Sudan has been pushed to the brink of famine.
Nairobi, Kigali Africa lead to green energy switch as continent looks to bridge skills gap in labour market
One factor in Africa’s struggle to accelerate green industrial development is that the level of technical skills training is generally poor across the continent, especially outside a handful of higher-income countries.
