Africa’s 2025 Elections: A Test of Credibility to Uphold Democratic Norms
Following its “year of elections” in 2024, when 19 African countries were slated to hold elections to select their head of state, Africa’s roster of 2025 elections is more modest, with 10 polls on tap. Credibility will be a key theme for this year’s elections, with half of the planned polls shaping up to be highly orchestrated processes with the predictable outcome of a victorious incumbent…The limited credibility of some of these electoral processes is not occurring in isolation but rather is part of a concerted effort by certain incumbents or ruling parties to further insulate themselves from the public will—and popular accountability. This is effected through an increasingly shrewd series of tactics including term limit evasions, extending presidential terms, weakening of constitutional courts, and usurping the independence of election management bodies, among other means of eroding democratic checks and balances. A preponderance of this year’s elections will be in Francophone countries with seven of the ten occurring in West and Central Africa—the epicenter of Russian influence operations to undermine democracy on the continent…For countries with competitive elections, the process will provide an occasion for the public to validate their support for the direction of the country—as well as the opportunity for democratic self-correction and renewal. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Sudan’s Military Recaptures Key City From Paramilitary Accused of Genocide
The Sudanese military recaptured a key city in Sudan’s breadbasket region on Saturday, chasing out a paramilitary group that the United States accused last week of genocide…If the army can hold on to the city, it would be its most significant victory since the war started nearly two years ago. Experts said it would most likely shift the focus of the war northward to Khartoum, the capital…Local media reported that fighters with the paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or R.S.F., were fleeing the city. The group’s leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, admitted defeat but vowed to soon recapture the city…In recent months, the tide of the fight appeared to turn as the R.S.F. ceded territory in Khartoum and in parts of the east of the country. The military launched a counteroffensive in the area around Wad Madani, culminating in the recapture of the city on Saturday. Still, it was too early to say if the victory would fundamentally change the course of the conflict. The New York Times
Sudan Rescuers Say At Least 120 Killed By Shelling Near Capital
Sudanese volunteer rescuers said shelling in the greater Khartoum area has killed at least 120 people, as fighting between the army and paramilitaries has escalated nationwide. The “random shelling” on Monday in western Omdurman, the capital’s twin city just across the Nile River, resulted in the deaths of 120 civilians, said the Ombada Emergency Response Room, part of a network of volunteer rescuers across the war-torn country. It said the figure was an “initial toll”, and did not specify who was behind the attack…The shelling on Monday came as fighting between the army and the RSF has intensified in recent weeks, more than 20 months into their war. Port Sudan, the seat of Sudan’s army-aligned government was without power on Monday after a drone attack blamed on paramilitaries hit a major hydroelectric dam in the country’s north. The drone attack followed the army’s capture of Wad Madani, the capital of the central state of Al-Jazira, after more than a year of paramilitary control. AFP
Ugandan Military Court Rules It Can Try Opposition Figure on Treachery Charge Carrying Death Penalty
A prominent opposition figure in Uganda will stand trial on the serious charge of treachery, a military court ruled Tuesday, escalating the legal trouble Kizza Besigye faces ahead of presidential elections scheduled for 2026. Treachery carries the death penalty for those convicted. Besigye, who has contested the presidency four times, went missing in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Nov. 16. Days later, he and his co-accused, an assistant named Obeid Lutale, appeared before a military court in Kampala, the Ugandan capital. Besigye was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and a charge relating to the alleged solicitation of military support overseas in order to destabilize national security. Besigye, who denied the charges, has since been remanded in custody. A military prosecutor on Monday amended the charge sheet to include treachery and introduce a third suspect, who is a serving army officer, surprising defense attorneys who then challenged the move…The unfolding trial of Besigye is being watched closely by Ugandans anxious over political maneuvers ahead of presidential elections…[Besigye ]is a fierce critic of Museveni, for whom he once served as military assistant and personal doctor before they fell out in the 1990s over what Besigye said was Museveni’s slide into authoritarianism. AP
Sahel Vacuum Provides Opportunities for China, Analysts Say
Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, Africa’s Sahel region is experiencing security problems and surging anti-Western sentiment that could prove an opportunity for China, analysts say. China’s top diplomat was in the volatile Sahel last week as a part of his weeklong trip to the continent, where he pledged military aid…His pledge was a reiteration of Beijing’s promises at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September…Paul Nantulya, a China analyst at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, noted that China has recently become bolder in taking advantage of the French vacuum by delivering batches of high-end security equipment to Sahel countries over the last 15 months. “And at the FOCAC summit, the representatives of these military regimes were received very, very well in Beijing,” he said, adding that they also visited weapons manufacturers during their time in China. VOA
Barrick to Suspend Operations in Mali after Gold Seized
Canadian miner Barrick Gold said it will have to suspend mining operations in Mali after the government seized gold stocks from the company’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex and flew them out by helicopter over the weekend. Around three metric tons had been taken from the mining complex in western Mali on Saturday, two sources told Reuters on Monday, with one putting the value of the gold at $245 million. In a letter to the Malian government on Monday, Barrick said the seizure meant it would now be “obliged” to temporarily suspend mining operations at the Loulo and Gounkoto mines. The seized gold will be transported to the state-owned Banque Malienne de Solidarite (BMS) in the capital Bamako, two sources said…Barrick has been in a dispute with Mali’s government since 2023 over a contract based on new mining rules. The row has escalated several times, with Mali detaining senior executives and issuing an arrest warrant for Barrick CEO Mark Bristow. On Friday, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes registered Barrick’s request for arbitration proceedings against Mali, according to public documents. Reuters
Ghana’s Mahama Scraps Seven Government Ministries to Save Costs
Ghana’s President John Mahama has scrapped seven government ministries as part of a cost-saving measure under the International Monetary Fund’s austerity program, the president said in an e-mailed statement. The new government will work with 23 ministries instead of the original 30 to fulfill a pledge for a leaner and more effective administration. The country sought a $3 billion bailout from the Washington-based lender in 2022 because it couldn’t keep up with debt payments. Mahama was elected leader of the world’s second-largest cocoa grower with a commanding victory in a Dec. 7 poll amid voter anger over economic hardship. He has vowed to restore and stabilize the economy, but his administration faces challenges including crippling debt, high living costs and unemployment. Bloomberg
Three Terms? President Tshisekedi Wants DRC Constitution Amended
[D]emocratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi insists constitutional reform has nothing to do with allowing him to stay in power beyond his second mandate. Yet the opposition – from former president Joseph Kabila to Moïse Katumbi and Martin Fayulu – calls it a smokescreen for a future run in 2028. Meanwhile, the influential Catholic Church, which once stood up to Kabila, may again take center stage in resisting what many suspect is a bid for a third term. Tshisekedi’s allies say the 2006 Constitution was drafted under foreign supervision during a post-conflict transition and has “serious flaws”. The head of state has criticised it as being “written abroad by foreigners” and wants to “Congolise” it. Supporters insist this is about strengthening institutions, aligning the text with present realities – such as discussing dual citizenship or possibly recognising more official languages – and removing outdated sections. However, many Congolese suspect that the real agenda is to reset presidential term limits…The Church leadership, under the Conference Episcopale Nationale du Congo (Cenco), is closely monitoring the debate and has even allowed opposition leaders to meet in its facilities, underscoring its potential role as a rallying point for anti-revision forces…Despite ongoing security crises in the east – where the M23 and other rebel groups continue to disrupt daily life – plus economic concerns and even a mysterious disease outbreak, the political elite seems consumed by constitutional talk. Critics argue that this is precisely the point: a high-stakes distraction to divert attention from intractable problems that plague citizens. Tshisekedi counters that constitutional reform can be handled in parallel with everything else. The Africa Report
Nigeria to Spend Seized Money on Rural Electrification
On Friday, the government announced that millions in recovered funds linked to former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke will be used to fund rural electrification projects across Nigeria. The announcement followed the signing of an Asset Return Agreement between Nigeria and the United States which enables the US to return nearly $52.9 million seized from the forfeiture of assets belonging to the former minister and her associates. The agreement is significant in that it is the first repatriation of assets to Nigeria linked to Alison-Madueke. She was Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and became the first female president of the oil alliance OPEC…In 2017, a civil complaint filed by the US Department of Justice requested the recovery of over $100 million in assets suspected of being obtained through bribes to the former minister for petroleum resources…According to court documents, proceeds from those illicitly obtained contracts were laundered through the United States and used to buy various assets via shell companies, including luxury properties in California and New York, as well as a 214.5-foot superyacht. DW
Rescuers Bring Out Survivors and Dead from a South African Mine as Hundreds Remain Trapped
Rescuers sent a cage-like structure down into one of South Africa’s deepest gold mines on Tuesday to bring out survivors among hundreds of illegal miners trapped for months in an abandoned shaft. More than 100 are believed to have died of starvation or dehydration. Civic organizations and groups representing the miners say that at least 24 bodies and 34 survivors have been brought out of the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine since Friday, but more than 500 miners are still believed to be underground, many of them ill and starving…The mine near the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, has been the scene of a tense standoff between police, miners and members of the local community since November, when authorities first launched an operation to try and force the miners out…Illegal mining is common in parts of gold-rich South Africa where companies close down mines that are no longer profitable, leaving groups of informal miners to illegally enter them to try and find leftover deposits. Large groups of illegal miners often go underground for months to maximize their profits, taking food, water, generators and other equipment with them, but also relying on others in their group on the surface to send down more supplies. AP
U.S. Approves $100 Million Military Helicopter Sale to Zambia
The U.S. State Department has approved a $100 million foreign military sale to Zambia for military helicopters and associated logistics support, the Pentagon announced on Monday. The contract, which designates Bell Textron, based in Fort Worth, Texas, as the primary contractor, will provide Zambia with Bell 412 Enhanced Performance Exportable Medium-Lift Transport Helicopters…The package also encompasses training programs for pilots and maintenance personnel, technical assistance, contractor field support, and aviation ground support equipment. Additional provisions include spare parts, specialized tools, quality assurance inspections, and air freight delivery. This sale is designed to enhance Zambia’s ability to carry out peacekeeping operations, regional security missions, disaster response efforts, and humanitarian aid activities, especially across extended distances and in challenging weather conditions. Business Insider Africa
Sierra Leone Declares Public Health Emergency over Mpox
Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency Monday after the country reported its second case of mpox in less than four days, health authorities said. Neither patients were known to have been in contact with infected animals or other sick individuals, authorities said, adding that both individuals were receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital, Freetown…The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a global health emergency in August 2024, because of the rapid spread of the new strain of the virus…Sierra Leone was previously the epicenter of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the deadliest in history. DW
‘Survival Mode’ For Families Displaced By Ethiopia Quakes
Ethiopia’s Rift Valley is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. For several weeks, frequent tremors, including one measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, have been shaking the rural regions of Afar and Oromia. There are fears they could cause a major dam to collapse or lead to the eruption of a volcano, Mount Dofan, so the authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people…According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Ethiopian authorities have evacuated more than 60,000 people living in high-risk areas, including some near a dam…The region is known to be a “volcanic, tectonic zone”, Cecile Doubre, a seismologist at the Strasbourg School and Observatory of Earth Sciences and a specialist in Afar, told AFP. “There has been no eruption yet, but there is a spread of magma under the earth’s crust, between zero and 15 km. It is spreading in a large fissure, about 50 km long,” she added. “It’s a major geological event.” AFP