Burkina Junta Chief Says Country Must ‘Forget’ Democracy
The people of Burkina Faso must “forget” about democracy, said the country’s junta ruler on Thursday in an interview broadcast on national television. Captain Ibrahim Traore took over in a September 2022 coup after toppling another junta, and has sharply muzzled dissenting voices since then. The military government dissolved the country’s electoral commission last year and then in February, the junta-led parliament dissolved all political parties, whose activities had been suspended since 2022. “We’re not even talking about elections, first of all,” Traore said in the interview with state broadcaster RTB. “People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy isn’t for us.” The country’s stated transition to democratic rule, initiated after the first coup in January 2022, was scheduled to end in July 2024. But the junta that year decided to extend the transition period by five years, allowing Traore to remain at the helm of the country, plagued by jihadist violence that has claimed thousands of lives for nearly 10 years. AFP
Paramilitary Forces in Sudan Kill at Least 10 People in Hospital Drone Attack, Medical Group Says
Sudan’s paramilitary forces killed at least 10 people on Thursday in a drone attack that hit a hospital in the south-central part of the country, said a medical group. Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF, launched two drone strikes on Al-Jabalain Hospital in the White Nile province, hitting an operating theater and a maternity ward. The strikes, the latest in an intensifying drone warfare between the army and the RSF, killed 10 people, including seven medical staffers, and injured at least 19 people. Those injured were transferred to a hospital in Kosti, which is around 50 miles (80 kilometers) away, said MSF. The strikes are the latest in a series of attacks on the health care system in Sudan that continues to be hit hard during the ongoing war between the army and the RSF that broke out in April 2023. … “The attack is even more appalling as it occurred during a children’s immunization campaign,” the MSF said of the strike on the al-Jabalain hospital. AP
Sudan’s Burhan Appoints Yasir Al-Atta as New Army Chief of Staff
Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appointed Sovereignty Council member Yasir al-Atta as the army’s chief of staff on Thursday. He also named new deputies for supply, training, and operations. Al-Atta is a prominent military figure who has played a major role since the fall of Omer al-Bashir’s regime. He served as a member of the Transitional Military Council and later became a member of the Sovereignty Council and assistant to the army chief. When conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in the capital in April 2023, al-Atta became the sole member of the Sovereign Council to stay in Omdurman, where he took command of the army forces across Khartoum state. He was not positioned at the army headquarters, where Burhan remained under siege for several months. … This reshuffle is the second of its kind in recent months. In August 2025, al-Burhan retired a large number of officers and previously restructured the military leadership. Sudan Tribune
Protests Erupt in Guinea-Bissau after Activist’s Killing
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, demanding justice following the killing of civil society activist Vigario Luis Balanta. Demonstrations broke out after his funeral, with mourners marching through the capital before being dispersed by police using tear gas and batons. Some protesters also burned tyres and blocked roads, bringing parts of the city to a standstill. Balanta, 35, was found dead earlier this week in a rural area outside the capital, his body reportedly showing signs of violent assault. His death has sparked outrage in a country already facing political instability following a recent coup. … Many described Balanta as a defender of the people and a symbol of resistance. … The United Nations has condemned the killing as “brutal” and called for a full investigation, warning of a shrinking civic space in the country since the 2025 military takeover. As tensions rise, the case has become a flashpoint for wider concerns about human rights, political repression and the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau. Africanews
Sixteen Kenyans Missing in Russia after Army Recruitment
Sixteen Kenyans are missing in Russia after joining the country’s army, Kenya’s foreign affairs minister has said, while 47 others have returned home from the front lines in Ukraine. Thirty-eight others are currently in different Russian hospitals under restricted access, Musalia Mudavadi told a Senate committee meeting. He added that the number of missing Kenyans had risen from 10 to 16 within the last 24 hours. It remains unclear whether they are dead or alive. The minister also estimated that 165 Kenyans are actively involved in military operations, bringing the total number who have participated in the conflict in Ukraine to more than 250. … He said the recruits had signed contracts to serve either as logistics officers or in combat roles. … He said that promises of “lucrative compensation” ranging from $11,500 to $23,000 upon joining, plus a monthly salary of up to $2,700, as well as the possibility of citizenship and a hefty gratuity upon contract completion were “a major motivation”. Some agencies based in Kenya, Russia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are behind the enlistment, according to the minister. BBC
Cameroon Plans Constitutional Reform to Create Vice President Role
A proposed constitutional reform to create a Vice President position in Cameroon is triggering sharp debate among lawmakers and raising questions about governance and legitimacy. The draft bill, submitted to parliament on April 2, 2026, seeks to amend key provisions of the constitution. President Paul Biya has called for an urgent congress bringing together both the National Assembly and the Senate to fast-track the changes. Supporters of the reform say the move would strengthen institutional stability and ensure continuity in leadership. … However, opposition figures have criticized both the timing and the process, arguing that such a significant reform requires wider consultation. … Under the proposed changes, the Vice President would be appointed and would take over in the event of a vacancy in the presidency. Africanews
Ghana’s Reliance on Dubai for Gold Exports Leaves Cedi Exposed as Iran Conflict Disrupts Trade
Ghana sends more than 72% of its small-scale gold exports to Dubai, making the emirate by far the country’s most important destination for the trade. … The conflict between Israel and Iran has led to the closure of several airspaces across the Middle East. As a result, the air transport routes used to move gold from Ghana to Dubai have been heavily disrupted. That disruption has potential currency implications. Ghana’s small-scale gold sector still lacks a comprehensive traceability system. Because of this, much of the gold cannot easily access stricter markets such as Switzerland or the United States, where refiners and buyers demand full supply chain verification. Instead, Ghana sells most of its small-scale gold in markets like Dubai, where scrutiny over the source of gold is generally less stringent. … Under the current structure, the Ghana Gold Board purchases gold from small-scale miners in cedis. The gold is then exported, and the foreign currency proceeds are returned to the Bank of Ghana in exchange for cedis. … Ghana’s reduced ability to sell gold to Dubai due to airspace closures means the economy is currently generating fewer dollars than it typically relies on to sustain the mechanism that has supported the cedi. Joy Online
Africa’s Top Bank Warns of Iran War Growth Impact
War in the Middle East could cost Africa as much as 1.5 percentage points of growth this year, the African Development Bank said. A scenario in which the conflict stretched for six months would hurt the continent’s already fragile prospects and expose fiscal constraints on economies struggling to fund basic services, it warned. Now in its second month, the Israel-US war against Iran is deepening pressures on African economies, from mounting debt-service burdens to fading capital flows and rekindled energy-driven inflation. The AfDB had projected 2026 growth of 4.3% before the strikes on Iran by the US and Israel. Chief Economist Kevin Urama now expects the war could shave 0.2 percentage points if the conflict ends within three months, and 1.5 percentage points if it lasts twice as long. The multilateral lender joins the International Monetary Fund and several African central banks in warning that a prolonged conflict could weaken Africa’s growth outlook. Semafor
Congo Says Its Mpox Outbreak Is over after 2 Years and More than 2,200 Suspected Deaths
Congo on Thursday declared the end of a two-year outbreak of the mpox disease that’s believed to have caused more than 2,200 deaths in the country. Health Minister Roger Kamba told journalists that the government had made the determination that the outbreak was over and no longer a national emergency. Congo, a vast country in central Africa, was at the center of an outbreak of the infectious viral disease that spread to neighboring countries in 2024 and prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency as it spilled over borders. WHO ended the global health emergency declaration in September. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were more than 161,000 suspected cases of mpox in Congo during the outbreak between 2024 and this year, with around 37,000 of them confirmed through tests. AP
UN Tells Africa Borrow, Boost Revenue, to Fund AI Push
African nations should borrow, boost domestic revenue and tap its pension and sovereign wealth funds to develop the crucial infrastructure required to benefit from an AI boom, the Ethiopia-based United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said in a report on Thursday. … Less than 1% of the world’s data centres are based in Africa, which poses “an economic and sovereignty challenge,” the report said. … Governments should also prioritise skills training and fully implement the pan-African free trade area (AfCFTA) to complement a technology investment drive. AI adoption, the report said, along with digital platforms and robotic production systems, could help the continent diversify its reliance on commodity exports and sell more finished, high-value products. Reuters
Mozambique Confirms Early Repayment of Entire IMF Debt
Mozambique has repaid in full the debt it owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), totalling USD 698,587,604, the Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday in an emailed statement. Confirmation of the full and early repayment by the southeastern African country follows a Bloomberg report that cited the payment but lacked an official source. The debt Mozambique owed to the IMF was disbursed under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), through three programmes in 2019, 2020 and 2022, the Ministry of Finance said. “These programmes had all expired, and no additional financing was expected,” the statement explains. Mozambique is facing unsustainable levels of domestic and external debt, and the Ministry of Finance said the early repayment to the IMF helps to “preserve the balance sheet of the Central Bank and consolidate macroeconomic stability”. Mozambique Times