What to Expect from Africa-China Relations in 2026
African countries seek to rebalance their ties with China toward debt sustainability, value addition, and industrialization to move toward a more equal and transparent partnership that prioritizes long-term African development. … African countries are working with China on debt restructuring, refinancing, interest-free loan cancellations, and currency conversions. Lowering interest rates and easing repayment pressures is surely a win-win—it enhances socioeconomic outcomes while reducing the risk of defaults on Chinese debt. … Industrialization and value addition now dominate Africa-China negotiations. This is a strategic issue for Africa—one that takes on greater significance given the renewed global demand for critical minerals, including rare earth metals. … A major recent development is the expanded use of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Originally designed to evaluate governance standards, the APRM is now also being used to assess the transparency and impact of foreign partnerships, including those funded by China. This marks a broader shift toward integrating oversight of external investments into Africa’s governance architecture. … Africa-China security cooperation is expanding, but African countries are approaching it cautiously, focusing mainly on noncombat support. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Bobi Wine Tells the BBC from Hiding He Will Not Contest Uganda Election Results in Court
Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine has told the BBC he will not contest the results of Thursday’s election in court, citing a lack of confidence in the judiciary and has instead urged his supporters to take to the streets to peacefully protest. Speaking to the BBC from hiding, he said he would continue to stand up to President Yoweri Museveni despite concerns for his safety. “The judiciary in Uganda is captured and we encourage Ugandans to use any legal means to fight back and protect their democracy,” the 43-year-old former pop star said. … During his interview, Wine also hit out at the security forces for not allowing food into his family home where his wife and relatives are effectively under house arrest. He says he fled the house, in a suburb of the capital, Kampala, on Friday night during a raid by the security forces. BBC
Uganda: Detained Dr. Kizza Besigye Critically Ill, PFF Says After Prison Transfer
Uganda’s opposition People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) said early Tuesday that the health of veteran dissident Dr Kizza Besigye had reached a “critical state,” claiming he was rushed overnight from prison to a medical facility under heavy security. In a statement posted on X at 2:31am on January 20, PFF said it had received “credible reports” that Besigye was transferred from Luzira Prison to a medical facility in Kampala. … The party accused Ugandan authorities of denying Besigye proper medical care, noting that his continued detention amounted to a violation of his basic rights. … He has been in detention for more than 350 days without trial, following his rendition from Nairobi and is facing treason-related charges. Monitor
Central African Republic Confirms Touadéra’s Election Win despite Fraud Claims
The Central African Republic’s Constitutional Council on Monday confirmed President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s victory in last month’s election, granting him a third term and rejecting an appeal by the opposition alleging widespread fraud and other irregularities. … [His main challenger and runner-up, Anicet Georges Dologuélé,] had contested the results on Jan. 6, citing instances of alleged malpractice by the National Elections Authority and widespread fraud. Dologuélé earlier this month proclaimed himself the winner of the election. … Touadéra, 68, faced challenges from six candidates, but the main opposition coalition did not participate after denouncing what it called an unequal political environment. Analysts say Touadéra has consolidated power within state institutions. In 2023, a controversial referendum removing term limits was approved, allowing him to run for a third term. AP
Guinea Swears In Junta Chief as President
Guinea junta leader Mamady Doumbouya was sworn in as president on Saturday in front of tens of thousands of supporters and several heads of state. … Doumbouya toppled Guinea’s first freely elected president Alpha Conde in 2021 and has since cracked down on civil liberties and banned protests, while opponents have been arrested, put on trial or driven into exile. The west African country’s Supreme Court validated his victory days after a late December poll, crediting him with 86.7 percent of the vote. Dressed in a traditional gown, Doumbouya swore an oath to uphold the constitution — that he altered to allow him to stand — during an hours-long ceremony at the General Lansana Conte Stadium on the outskirts of the capital Conakry. Although he initially pledged not to run for president after seizing power, Doumbouya ultimately stood for election in a race in which all main opposition leaders were barred. AFP
Benin Opposition Fails to Secure Seats in Parliamentary Election
Benin’s political opposition has failed to win any seats in parliament, according to provisional election results released over the weekend, as two parties aligned with President Patrice Talon secured control over the entire body. The January 11 election came just over one month after soldiers attempted to topple Talon in a failed coup bid and three months before the West African nation holds a presidential election that will end his 10-year tenure. The Progressive Union for Renewal will hold 60 of 109 seats in the National Assembly, having won 41.15% of the vote, according to provisional results that still need to be validated by the Constitutional Court. The Republican Bloc will hold 49 seats, having won 36.64% of the vote. The Democrats, the main opposition party linked to President Patrice Talon’s predecessor and rival Thomas Boni Yayi, received 16.14% of the vote, failing to meet the 20% threshold required for parliamentary representation. That threshold was increased from 10% as part of electoral code reforms passed in 2024. The Democrats previously held more than 20 seats. Reuters
Sudan’s Somoud Alliance Begins European Tour to Push for End to War
Three delegations from Sudan’s Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Somoud), led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, began a European tour on Sunday to push for an end to the country’s conflict, coalition sources said. The Somoud coalition is seeking a peaceful resolution, arguing prolonged conflict will lead to further atrocities and displacement, and that intense political polarization could lead to division of the country, the sources said. The delegations will visit France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss the situation with European officials and review initiatives aimed at halting the war, the sources said. The representatives also plan to meet international humanitarian organizations to address deteriorating conditions in the Kordofan and Darfur regions. Sudan Tribune
Sudan: Atrocities “Repeated Town by Town,” ICC Prosecutor Tells UN Security Council
Atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region are spreading from town to town in an organized campaign of violence that includes mass executions, rape and ethnic targeting, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court told the UN Security Council on Monday. Briefing ambassadors, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said the situation in Darfur had “darkened even further,” with civilians subjected to what she described as collective torture amid a widening war between Sudan’s rival military forces. “The picture that is emerging is appalling: organised, widespread, mass criminality including mass executions,” Ms. Khan said. “Atrocities are used as a tool to assert control.” … She said the fall of North Darfur’s regional capital El Fasher to the RSF had been followed by a “calculated campaign of the most profound suffering,” particularly targeting non-Arab communities. The crimes, she said, include rape, arbitrary detention, executions and the creation of mass graves, often filmed and celebrated by perpetrators. UN News
Congolese Soldiers Reenter Key Eastern City After M23 Rebels’ Withdrawal, Army and Residents Say
Congolese soldiers and fighters from a pro-government militia have reentered the strategic eastern town of Uvira, the army and residents said Monday, a month after it was seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, as fighting in the region escalated despite a U.S.-mediated peace deal. The Congolese army said in a statement it took control of the city on Sunday following the rebels announced withdrawal last month. … M23 had taken control of the city last month following a rapid offensive. More than 1,500 people have been killed and about 300,000 displaced, the Congolese government’s spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said Monday. AP
Pope Leo XIV Appeals for Peace for People Fleeing Violence in Eastern Congo
Pope Leo XIV appealed for peace for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, as part of his weekly message to the faithful in Saint Peter’s Square. Eastern Congo is facing renewed violence after decades of fighting between government forces and dozens of armed groups vying for control of the mineral-rich area. “Today I would like to recall in particular the great difficulties faced by the population of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, forced to flee their country, especially towards Burundi, because of the violence, facing a serious humanitarian crisis,” Leo told the crowd gathered to hear his Sunday address in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Leo also remembered residents of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe: “I also wish to send my prayers to the victims of the floods that have hit southern Africa in recent days,” Leo said. Africanews and AP
South Sudan Opposition Forces Call for March on Juba After Battlefield Gains
South Sudan’s main opposition faction called on its forces on Monday to advance on the capital Juba after they captured a strategic town last week. It was not clear whether the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), which battled forces loyal to President Salva Kiir during a 2013-18 civil war, could credibly threaten Juba. But the call signalled an escalation in the SPLA-IO’s rhetoric and ambitions following months of intense clashes around the country that the United Nations has said are occurring at a scale not seen since 2017. … Kiir’s forces battled those loyal to his vice president, Riek Machar, in the 2013-18 war, which was fought along largely ethnic lines and cost about 400,000 lives. A peace deal in 2018 quieted the conflict, although localised clashes persisted. Heavy fighting surged again last year after an ethnic militia with historic ties to the SPLA-IO overran an army base in the northeastern town of Nasir. The government then arrested Machar, who had returned to the vice presidency under the peace deal, and charged him with treason and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the incident. Machar has denied the charges during an ongoing trial. Reuters
Cape Verde Sets First-Round Presidential Vote for November 15
Cape Verde’s president on Monday announced that the country’s first-round presidential elections will take place on November 15, with a potential second round two weeks later. President Jose Maria Neves made the announcement to journalists after convening his advisory body, the Council of the Republic, and following consultations last week with political parties. Neves also set legislative elections for May 17 for the small archipelago nation located off the coast of west Africa. Cape Verde’s current legislative term ends on May 19. According to the country’s constitution and electoral law, legislative elections must be held a month before or after the end of the current legislative term. The presidential vote must then be held six months later, to prevent the results of the legislative elections from influencing the choice of president. Whichever party receives the most votes in legislative elections additionally chooses the prime minister. From 2011 to 2016, and from 2021 to 2026, the president and prime minister were from different parties. AFP
Floods in Mozambique Displace More Than 300,000 People in One Province, Governor Says
More than 300,000 people have been displaced by flooding in a province in Mozambique, its governor said Monday. Authorities had already announced that around 40% of the Gaza province has been submerged by floodwater following weeks of torrential rain in parts of southern Africa. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has canceled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, because of the severe flooding impacting central and southern parts of the country, according to the state-run daily newspaper Noticias. Gaza governor Margarida Mapandzene Chongo said around 327,000 people were being housed in dozens of temporary shelters like schools and churches. They had fled or been evacuated from flooded or flood-threatened areas of the southern province that has a population of about 1.4 million. Humanitarian organizations said earlier this month they feared around 200,000 people would be impacted by the extreme weather in Mozambique, but it appears that number has been exceeded. AP
AFCON: Senegal Snatches Football Cup from Hosts Morocco
Senegal won their second ever African Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy on Sunday, beating hosts Morocco 1-0. The game’s only goal came at the fourth minute of extra time, when Pape Gueye’s decisive kick landed the ball in the top-right corner of the goal. … Hosts Morocco were fighting for their second AFCON title, a trophy that has eluded them since their 1976 win. Sunday’s game was briefly interrupted when Senegal briefly walked off, in protest against a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco at the very deep end of the regulation 90 minutes. Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz however ended up missing the penalty, which Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy effortlessly saved. DW