Biden Opens the Only Trip of His Presidency to Sub-Saharan Africa
President Biden arrived on Monday in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of Africa, for the first stop of the only trip to sub-Saharan Africa of his presidency…While waiting for the plane to be readied for the next leg of the flight, Mr. Biden met at an airport lounge with Ulisses Correia e Silva, the prime minister of Cabo Verde. The president is scheduled to arrive by evening in Luanda, the Angolan capital, where he will visit a slavery museum and highlight a new $1 billion rail corridor as a primary example of his administration’s plan to help lift the region’s economy…He is the first American president to travel to the region since 2015. The New York Times
Namibia Opposition Leader Says Party Will Not Recognize Vote
Namibia’s top opposition presidential candidate, Panduleni Itula, said Saturday that his party would not recognize the results of a controversially extended election marred by chaos and allegations of foul play…Electoral authorities decided to prolong voting in the presidential and legislative polls, after the original election day — Wednesday — was marred by logistical and technical failures that led to hours-long queues, which some voters eventually abandoned. Opposition parties have complained about the chaos and alleged voter suppression by the authorities in the face of a strong turnout for the ruling party’s rivals. AFP
Drone Strikes by Mali’s Military Regime Kill 8 Tuareg Leaders in the Country’s North
Drone strikes by Mali’s military regime killed eight Tuareg rebel leaders in the town of Tinzaouatine in the north of the country, a rebel spokesman said Sunday. It was the first time since the start of the rebellion in 2012 that so many Taureg leaders have been killed in a single attack…The statement from the separatists lists the names of eight Tuareg chiefs, the best known of whom is Fahad Ag Al Mahmoud, Secretary General of the Gatia, a Tuareg armed group…The attack by Mali’s military regime comes a day after the armed groups in the north announced they were merging into a single political-military entity, now called the Azawad Liberation Front. AP
Chad’s Deby Says Military Pact with France Was Outdated
Chad’s President Mahamat Deby said the decision to terminate the country’s military pact with France was taken because it had become outdated, in his first public remarks since the surprise announcement last week…Deby’s decision to end the pact with France could force all French troops to leave after being stationed there over six decades since the country became independent…The French drawdown, coupled with a U.S. pullback from Africa, contrasts with the increasing influence of Russia and other countries, including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, on the continent. Russian mercenaries are helping prop up the military governments of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, and are fighting alongside them against Islamist militants. Reuters
East African Summit Urges Peace in Eastern Congo but Its Leader Skips Talks
East African heads of state made another push for peace in eastern Congo on Saturday but its prospects remained bleak following a regional summit that was marked by the Congolese president’s absence and an early departure of his Rwandan counterpart…A July truce brokered by the United States and Angola has reduced the fighting between Rwandan and Congolese forces, but fighting between M23 and other militias continues. Other leaders at the summit were Presidents Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, William Ruto of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia. Burundi was represented by its vice president. Ruto was elected as the new chairperson of the EAC Summit, succeeding Kiir. AP
Mozambique Forces Face UN Scrutiny after Military Vehicle Strikes Protester
Mozambican security forces have been accused of using excessive force to suppress anti-government protests following disputed October elections. At least two people have died, with the UN calling for an investigation into an incident where a military vehicle struck a woman during protests in the capital Maputo…The country has been gripped by weeks of protests since electoral authorities declared Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party winner of the 9 October presidential election. Frelimo has governed Mozambique since 1975. UN Resident Coordinator Catherine Sozi on Thursday urged Mozambican authorities to investigate the mowing down of a woman by a military vehicle on Wednesday. RFI
Tanzania Opposition Youth Leader Dumped at Beach after Abduction
Tanzanian opposition youth leader Abdul Nondo has been found following being dumped at a beach, less than a day after he was reportedly kidnapped in the main city of Dar es Salaam. His party, ACT Wazalendo, says Nondo was severely beaten and injured and has been taken to hospital…On Sunday, ACT Wazalendo said Nondo was snatched minutes after he had arrived from the western region of the country where he had been campaigning for the party’s candidates in last week’s local elections. He had been taken from a bus station in Dar es Salaam in the early hours of Sunday by two individuals travelling in a white four-wheel-drive vehicle. The police now say investigations are under way to identify the suspects and determine their motive. This incident follows the kidnapping and killing of a senior leader from the main opposition party in September. BBC
Sudan’s Burhan Thanks Putin for Russia’s Veto at UN
Sudanese military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution to protect civilians in Sudan’s ongoing conflict. During a Sunday meeting, Burhan conveyed his thanks in a letter to Putin delivered by the Russian ambassador to Sudan, Andrey Chernobol. The Sovereign Council, in a statement, said the letter emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two nations…Russia blocked the British and Sierra Leonean-backed resolution on Nov. 18. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue to de-escalate the conflict while condemning attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on civilians in El Fasher, Gezira state, and other areas. Sudan Tribune
Sudanese Anti-war Coalition Grapples with Reform Demands at Uganda Meeting
A major Sudanese anti-war coalition will convene in Uganda this week for critical meetings amid internal discord and growing pressure to establish a government in exile. The Tagadum coalition, formed in October 2023 to unite civilian and political groups against the ongoing conflict in Sudan, will hold its summit in Entebbe from Dec. 3-6. The meeting comes nearly seven months after Taqadum’s founding conference in Addis Ababa and amidst increasing calls for reform within the alliance. Sources within Taqadum told Sudan Tribune that the Entebbe meeting will address organizational challenges and strategize on the ongoing war. Sudan Tribune
9 Killed in Ethiopia Oromia Region Attack
Residents and relatives say at least nine people were killed during an attack in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia region of Ethiopia on Thursday…Residents blamed the Oromo Liberation Army, an outlawed rebel group fighting against the Ethiopian government army, for the killings…A previous round of peace talks last year between Ethiopia’s federal government and the OLA in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar — has failed to end the violence. The two sides blamed each other for the failure of the talks. The government cited “unrealistic demands” by the armed group while OLA accused the government of failing to address “fundamental problems” facing the country, according to Reuters. VOA
Mauritian PM Asks for Independent Review of Chagos Island Deal with UK
The Mauritian prime minister has asked for an independent review of the Chagos Islands deal with the UK, according to parliamentary records…The deal to cede sovereignty over the archipelago to the Mauritian government was announced earlier this year and officials have said it secures the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. Under the terms of the deal, the UK-US military presence on the island is expected to run for 99 years with an option to renew and Britain paying a regular annual sum of money. The Mauritian PM, a critic of the deal before he took office, reportedly expressed continued reservations after a meeting with the UK’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, on Monday. The Guardian
Negotiators Fail to Reach an Agreement on a Plastic Pollution Treaty. Talks to Resume Next Year
Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won’t reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at an impasse over whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution…On Sunday, the last scheduled day of talks, the treaty draft still had multiple options for several key sections. Some delegates and environmental organizations said it had become too watered down, including negotiators from Africa who said they would rather leave Busan without a treaty than with a weak one. AP
Ten Years Ago Ebola Tore through Sierra Leone. Can a Vaccine Drive Stop History Repeating Itself?
Sierra Leone will this week become the first country to launch a nationwide preventive Ebola vaccination campaign for people at the highest risk. Over three weeks, officials aim to deliver 20,000 doses of Merck’s Ervebo vaccine in a drive that will be repeated every two or three years. Doses will be offered to healthcare workers, as the country lost 7% of its medical workforce to the 2014-16 outbreak, and also to soldiers and motorbike riders, who provide the main form of transport for many Sierra Leoneans. Also included will be village hunters, who go out in search of bushmeat, since Ebola circulates in animals and can spill over into humans. The Guardian
Senegal Seeks Answers 80 Years after French Massacre of African Soldiers
Senegal on Sunday commemorated the 80th anniversary of a massacre of African soldiers who fought for France during World War Two, and were gunned down by French troops in 1944 for demanding fair treatment and payment on their return. The West African country has long demanded its former coloniser take responsibility, officially apologise and properly investigate the massacre that took place in Thiaroye, a fishing village on the outskirts of Senegal’s capital Dakar…The ceremony, which France’s foreign affairs minister attended alongside other African heads of state, started with a visit to the Thiaroye military cemetery to lay flowers…A few days before the commemoration, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote a public letter to his Senegalese counterpart Faye in which he referred to the killings as a “massacre”. Reuters