Trump Hosting the Leaders of Congo and Rwanda to Sign Key Deal for Peace in Eastern Congo
U.S. President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Congo and Rwanda on Thursday for a deal signing aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo and opening access to the region’s critical minerals for the U.S. government and American companies. … The Central African nation of Congo has been battered by decadeslong fighting with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The conflict escalated this year, with M23 seizing the region’s main cities of Goma and Bukavu in an unprecedented advance, worsening a humanitarian crisis that was already one of the world’s largest with millions displaced. … Trump is expected to hold separate meetings with both Congolese and Rwandan leaders before three-way talks followed by the signing scheduled to take place at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. Several African leaders are expected to attend the signing. AP
Sudan’s Somoud Alliance and Communist Party to Join AU-led Talks
Sudan’s Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces, known as Somoud, and the Sudanese Communist Party said on Tuesday they would join African Union-led consultations aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis. The talks, scheduled for Dec. 16–18 in Djibouti, are part of broader efforts by the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to bridge divisions among Sudanese factions and pave the way for a political process. Somoud spokesperson Bakry Eljack told Sudan Tribune the alliance would participate in discussions on forming a preparatory committee to launch inter-Sudanese dialogue. … The Sudanese Communist Party also confirmed its participation, with conditions. Saleh Mahmoud, the party’s Secretary for External Relations, said it had requested separate meetings with the AU, IGAD, the European Union, and the United Nations. Sudan Tribune
Human Rights Activists Urge ICC to Act against Tanzanian President for Crimes against Humanity
International human rights activists have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a case against Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and several senior members of her government for crimes against humanity during the crackdown on civilian protesters after the 29 October 2025 elections. South African NGO Intelwatch, the Madrid Bar Association, the World Jurist Association and several anonymous Tanzanian NGOs submitted an 82-page dossier of evidence to the Hague-based ISS on 18 November, accusing Tanzanian security forces of deliberately killing between 700 and 3,000 protesters after the election. The widespread protests erupted after Hassan was declared the winner of an election in which the candidates of the two main opposition parties were disqualified by law. The activists charged Hassan and her officials with many other crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and abduction, mainly against the Tanzanian political opposition, before the elections, going back to 2022. … The dossier says the Tanzanian courts have proven themselves unwilling or unable to prosecute these alleged crimes because it has initiated “zero investigations” of any of the grave crimes documented in the dossier and have rewarded rather than punished official perpetrators of these crimes. Daily Maverick
Nigeria Insecurity: New Defence Minister to Withdraw Soldiers from Checkpoints
Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, on Wednesday said one of his key strategies for tackling insurgency is to withdraw soldiers from road checkpoints and redeploy them into the bush to directly confront [criminals]. Mr Musa, a retired general, said police officers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) would take over checkpoint duties from the military. He said this while responding to questions during his screening at the Senate. He was responding to a question on how he plans to enforce discipline among military officers. “I can assure you that we’re going to address them totally. We’re going to have independent patrol teams that will go and make sure that we do, and what we want to do again is to withdraw basically all military men out of checkpoints and let the police and civil defence corps handle those aspects so that we can go into the bushes and take out these criminals wherever it is they are. It’s important,” he said. For decades, soldiers have manned checkpoints across Nigerian roads, especially in volatile areas, to support civil authorities in maintaining security. Mr Musa said the redeployment of soldiers in the bushes will play a crucial role in restoring farming activities. Premium Times
In Nigeria, Self-defence Groups Step in to Compensate for Widening Security Gaps
[VIDEO] Around 50,000 volunteer vigilantes across Nigeria put their lives at risk as they step in to protect rural communities where security forces are largely absent. In Niger State, men like Makailu form small local brigades that patrol, train and defend villages despite rising bandit attacks and failed peace efforts. France24
Hostage Video Shows Abducted Malian Journalists Asking for Help
Two journalists from Mali’s state broadcaster ORTM have appeared in a video released by the armed Islamist group JNIM, more than six weeks after they were abducted in the centre of the country. Colleagues have described the images as shocking. Daouda Koné, the ORTM director based in Douentza in central Mali, and his cameraman Salif Sangaré were taken on 14 October while travelling between Sévaré, a major road junction near Mopti, and Konna, a town further northeast on the Niger River flood plain. The footage shows both men wearing boubous in front of a cloth backdrop that hides their surroundings. … Speaking under duress, the pair said they were being treated well and called on those watching to “do everything possible” to free them. … Mali’s transitional authorities – the military-led government that took power after coups in 2020 and 2021 – have offered no public reaction since the men were taken a month and a half ago. Management at ORTM and national journalist organisations have also remained silent. RFI
UN Rights Chief Warns of Growing Repression in Uganda Ahead of 2026 Polls
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has raised alarm over what he described as a “deepening crackdown on Uganda’s opposition and the media ahead of next month’s general election.” In a statement issued on Wednesday, Türk said credible reports show that at least 550 people—mostly members and supporters of the largest opposition political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP)—have been arrested since the start of the year. More than 300 arbitrary arrests were recorded after 2025-26 campaigns kicked off in September, with many detainees still in custody on charges ranging from public nuisance and disobedience of lawful orders to assault, obstruction, and incitement of violence. … Mr Türk expressed concern over incommunicado detention, enforced disappearances, and torture, saying these abuses have intensified over the past year. Monitor
WFP to Set up Africa Logistics Hub in Uganda
The Government of Uganda and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed an agreement that establishes Kampala as the home of the WFP Global Fleet Hub, an initiative designed to strengthen humanitarian logistics and accelerate emergency response across Africa. Under this arrangement, Uganda will host and manage the Logistics Bureau, including a regional fleet of more than 1,000 trucks dedicated to responding to crises in Eastern and Southern Africa. As part of the agreement, the Ministry of Works and Transport has granted WFP distinctive UN/WFP-owned and managed license plates for the fleet. These plates are entirely neutral and are not linked to any country, a move intended to eliminate delays caused by border clearance procedures and to enable fast, unhindered cross-border humanitarian movement. … Explaining why Uganda was chosen for this critical role, [WFP Deputy Country Director Marcus Prior] pointed to the country’s proven logistical capacity. “… In 2024, WFP here in Uganda delivered nearly 174,000 tons of food to 545 locations, reaching over 2 million people. We also transported another 10,000 tons of partner relief supplies and facilitated 33,000 metric tons of deliveries across five neighbouring countries,” Mr Prior said. Monitor
South Africa Breaks Ranks with BRICS to Vote for UN Resolution Demanding Russia Return Abducted Ukrainian Kids
South Africa broke ranks with all its Brics partners and voted on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, for a UN General Assembly resolution demanding that Russia return the thousands of Ukrainian children it abducted during the war and deported to Russia. … The resolution “Return of Ukrainian children”, introduced by Ukraine, Canada and the European Union, was adopted by 91 votes in favour to 12 against with 57 abstentions. … “South Africa’s vote today reflects the importance of the need to respect international law, and that children should never be targets of breaches of both international human rights and international humanitarian law,” said Mathu Joyini, South Africa’s ambassador to the UN in New York, in explaining South Africa’s vote for the resolution. Daily Maverick
Libyan Commander Faces ICC over Alleged Atrocities at Tripoli Prison
A Libyan man accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes at a Tripoli prison made his first appearance before judges at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday. Forty seven year old Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri sat expressionless as a court official read out charges of murder, rape and torture. He spoke only to confirm his identity and later asked judges to release him while the case proceeds. Presiding Judge Iulia Motoc told his lawyer to file a written request for provisional release. El Hishri was transferred to the Netherlands on Monday after Germany arrested him in July on a sealed ICC warrant. Prosecutors say he was a senior commander at Tripoli’s Mitiga prison between 2015 and 2020, ordering or overseeing the abuse of detainees. … Judges will decide at a May 19 hearing whether the evidence is strong enough for a full trial. His case would be the ICC’s first Libyan trial since the UN ordered an investigation in 2011. The court still has warrants for nine other Libyan suspects, including a son of Moammar Gadhafi. Africanews
Devastating Toxic Spill Seen as Test of whether African Countries Will Stand up to China
[In February, at a Chinese-owned mine in Zambia, the tailings dam – used to store toxic by-products from the copper mining process, including heavy metals like arsenic, mercury and lead – collapsed into a tributary connected to the Kafue, Zambia’s longest river and a major drinking water source.] At least 50,000 tonnes of acidic debris spilled out into the surrounding waterways and farmland, according to the government. Some environmentalists, however, claim as much as 1.5 million tonnes was spilled, with one expert saying a full clean-up could take longer than a decade. The spill has killed the fish around the towns of Chambishi and Kitwe, made the water undrinkable and destroyed crops, farmers have told the BBC. … In September, 176 farmers filed an $80bn lawsuit against Sino Metals and NFC Africa, the Chinese firm that owns the land the mine is on. … The lawsuit is being seen by some as a test case of how much African countries can hold China accountable for wrongdoing in their territories. BBC
AFCON Player Release Deadline Pushed Back to December 15
The deadline for clubs to release players for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations has been pushed back to December 15, allowing some players to feature in an extra week of fixtures before heading to the tournament. Teams were previously required to release players to their national sides by Monday, December 8 though The Athletic previously reported that the general expectation across the Premier League was that very few AFCON-bound players would have needed to report for international duty as early as that. Discussions between key stakeholders, including CAF, African football’s governing body, and European Football Clubs (ECF, formerly the European Club Association) have led to a relaxation of the rules in recent years. Prior to AFCON 2021, CAF agreed to allow Premier League players to fulfil club fixtures up until six days before the tournament began. … AFCON 2025 will take place in Morocco and gets underway on December 21 when the host nation takes on Comoros. The tournament concludes on January 18, meaning that clubs could be without players until then. The Athletic