Mamady Doumbouya, Guinea Junta Chief Who Pledged Not to Run for Office, Elected President
Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency, but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote held over the weekend. In standing, the general reneged on his initial vow not to run for office and to hand the mineral-rich but poor west African nation back to civilian rule by the end of 2024. … “A huge majority of Guineans chose to boycott the electoral charade,” the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution said in a statement Monday. In September 2021, Doumbouya led a coup to topple Guinea’s first freely elected president, Alpha Conde. He has cracked down on civil liberties and banned protests, while opponents have been arrested, put on trial or driven into exile. … Candidate Abdoulaye Yero Balde denounced “serious irregularities,” citing in a statement late Monday in particular the refusal to grant his representatives access to vote-counting centers and allegations of “ballot stuffing” in some areas. Le Monde
Guinea Faces the Ghosts of Dictatorship: ‘We Have a Terrible Past and a Worrying Future’
With its palm and African mahogany trees, the site is one of Conakry’s precious few green spaces: A slightly old-fashioned haven by the sea, strikingly calm compared with the capital’s bustle once past its iron gate. … For a long time, the property was one of the personal residences of Sekou Touré, the father of Guinea’s independence and the country’s first president, who held power from 1958 until his death in 1984. … The Bellevue lodges, which are considered to have been left to the state by Touré … were given back to the Touré family by General Mamadi Doumbouya in December 2021, three months after he seized power in a coup. Four years later, Doumbouya, a former corporal in the French Foreign Legion, who had pledged to give power back to civilians at the end of a transition period, is now on track to be elected to the presidency for a seven-year term in office, renewable once. … His main political opponents, who have accused him of silencing all dissenting voices and imposing a climate of repression throughout the country, are set to boycott the election. Le Monde
Uganda Detains Prominent Rights Campaigner and Government Critic Ahead of Polls
Police in Uganda said they have detained a prominent human rights activist as long-serving President Yoweri Museveni’s government widens its crackdown on dissent and political opposition ahead of the January 15 general election. The detention of Sarah Bireete, head of a rights organisation and a frequent anti-government commentator on local TV and radio, was confirmed by police in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday. … Bireete, a lawyer and executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), has been critical of a range of government actions including what the opposition says are illegal detentions and torture of its supporters. … Last month, U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk also decried what he described as an “intensifying crackdown” on the opposition in Uganda and said at least 550 NUP supporters had been detained this year. Another major opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, remains in prison more than a year after he was detained on treason charges. Reuters
Rwanda Builds ‘Global Scale’ Mines to Shake Off Conflict Mineral Label
Nyakabingo has become something of a national totem. It is emblematic of Rwanda’s efforts to increase domestic production of “3T” metals — tin, tungsten and tantalum — and counter its reputation as a conduit for smuggled riches from war-torn neighbour the Democratic Republic of Congo. Behind China, Russia and North Korea, Rwanda is now one of the top sources globally of tungsten, a metal prized by the defence and tech industries for its density, conductivity and high melting point. … Kigali, which backed a rebellion against the Kinshasa government, used minerals taken from areas under proxy control to make the conflict “self-financing”, said Greg Mthembu-Salter, a consultant who has spent years studying conflict minerals. “They didn’t want the war on the books.” The continuation of this illicit trade is hard to disguise. M23 rebels allied to Rwanda have since January captured a huge swath of Congolese territory rich in coltan, tin and gold. … The aggregated ore ends up in Chinese smelters, helped on its way by local, Chinese and European exporters, according to a host of people in the industry. Financial Times
Starvation, ‘Ghost Towns’ Plague Sudan as Al-Burhan Demands RSF Surrender
The head of the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has insisted the war, now deep into its third year, will only end with the “surrender” of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s maximalist stance against the rival paramilitary forces comes as the war-torn nation faces a collapsing humanitarian response, with starvation and displacement under fire rife, and intensifying battles that are turning villages into “ghost towns”. Speaking during an official visit to Ankara on Sunday, al-Burhan summarily dismissed the possibility of a political solution that does not involve the disarmament of the RSF. … United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Friday for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan’s brutal civil war, which the UN says has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Al Jazeera
Sudan: Inside Besieged El-Obeid, the War’s New Frontline
For the first time, Le Monde traveled to El-Obeid, a city threatened by paramilitary forces and now crucial for controlling the country’s center. The city of El-Obeid is hanging by a thread. A long, rutted road stretches 300 kilometers eastward, reaching all the way to the banks of the White Nile. On either side of the battered asphalt lie fields of sesame, peanuts and hibiscus, where the colorful silhouettes of women working can be seen, their backs bent beneath the relentless sun. From time to time, a military convoy roared down the asphalt. Pickups mounted with missile launchers or heavy machine guns were dispatched as reinforcements toward the stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Kordofan province, which has become the epicenter of the conflict. If El-Obeid were to fall, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) would once again be at the gates of Khartoum, the country’s capital. Le Monde
African Military Coups a Recipe for Violent Extremism — Experts
Lawlessness created by military coups across Africa, especially in the Sahel region, risks eroding the continent’s democratic gains and pushing the continent’s youthful population into the ranks of violent extremist groups, governance experts have noted. … Timothy Chemonges, the executive director of the Centre for Policy Analysis, a civil society organisation, said … coups weaken constitutional order, normalise the use of force in politics, and shrink civic space. … Michael Aboneka, a lawyer and governance expert, said coups are categorised as unconstitutional change of government under the African Union governance architecture. “The only recognised means of change of government by the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance (ACDEG) is elections.” New Vision
President of Somalia Meets with Turkish Counterpart
The high-level meeting follows Israel’s recognition of Somaliland last Friday. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia more than two decades ago, but it has failed to gain recognition from any United Nations member state. The two leaders kicked off bilateral talks after an official welcoming ceremony. Discussions focused on steps to strengthen bilateral relations between Turkey and Somalia. Also on the agenda was Somalia’s fight against terrorism and the Somali government’s endeavours to ensure national unity. Israel is the first and only country to recognise Somaliland as a sovereign state, prompting condemnation from Somalia and a string of other nations. AfricaNews
Senegal and Congo Get Big Wins at Africa Cup While Tanzania and Tunisia Squeeze into Knockout Stage
Senegal and Congo served notice of their intent with convincing wins at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, when Tanzania and Tunisia grabbed the last places in the knockout stage. Senegal, the 2021 champion, survived Kalidou Koulibaly’s sending off on his 100th appearance for the team by routing Benin 3-0 in Group D in Tangier. Congo finished second in the group on goal difference with a 3-0 win over already eliminated Botswana in Rabat. Senegal, Congo and Benin were already assured of their places in the last 16. But Tanzania and Tunisia were not. They progressed from Group C by playing out a 1-1 draw that eliminated Angola. AP
Top Afrobeats Songs of 2025
Afrobeats’ enduring popularity remains a source of pride for West Africa and the entire continent. Its global growth is undeniable, prompting top international artists to seek collaborations with African musicians, many of which have been remarkably successful. While the genre is often associated with established stars like Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tems, Rema, and Ayra Starr, there has been a meteoric rise of emerging talents such as Shallipopi, Seyi Vibez, Faceless, FOLA, and Fido, who continue to release outstanding Afrobeats music. Music in Africa