2026 Elections: São Tomé and Príncipe
Africa’s smallest nation by population size, roughly 240,000 people, will be heading to the polls on Sunday for its eighth cycle of presidential elections. … Elections in São Tomé and Príncipe are widely seen as free and fair. The Comissão Eleitoral Nacional (CEN) operates independently with members selected from the National Assembly. Independent media are able to cover elections and candidates without fear of reprisals, and São Tomé and Príncipe is regularly recognized for having one of the most open environments for journalists and civil society leaders in Africa. São Tomé and Príncipe’s tranquility was roiled in November 2022, however, when four people were killed in an assault on a military barracks in an apparent coup attempt. … While there was no evidence that the attack was linked to any political party, a key issue for the 2026 elections will be to demonstrate that this violence was an isolated aberration rather than an ongoing feature of national politics. Because of São Tomé and Príncipe’s strategic location in the Gulf of Guinea—near valuable offshore hydrocarbon reserves, illicit trafficking routes from Latin America to Europe, and periodic pirate attacks—São Tomé and Príncipe’s 1,300-strong security forces have maintained ongoing security partnerships with neighboring African coastal countries, the European Union, Portugal, and the United States. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Sudan to Sue UAE in US and International Courts, Justice Minister Says
Sudanese Justice Minister Abdallah Dirif said on Thursday that the government has finalized plans to launch fresh lawsuits against the United Arab Emirates in U.S. and other international courts. The announcement came a day after Sudan’s deputy UN representative, Ammar Mohamed Mahmoud, urged the International Criminal Court to expand its investigation into Rapid Support Forces (RSF) crimes in Darfur to include Emirati actors. Dirif said in a press statement that the legal strategies involve prosecuting the UAE in countries whose legal systems allow the prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity, even if committed abroad. The minister outlined three distinct legal paths: international prosecution, the International Criminal Court, and the International Court of Justice. A specialized committee of internal and external legal experts has mapped out these processes to target both the UAE and the RSF under international law, Dirif said. The planned lawsuits cover war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, illegal weapons supply, mercenary recruitment, and training. Sudan Tribune
UK Sanctions Sudan Gold Networks and War Financiers
The British government announced sanctions on Thursday targeting Sudan’s conflict gold trade, procurement networks, and financial facilitators accused of fueling the country’s devastating civil war. The new measures target 11 individuals and entities suspected of providing vital financial and commercial support to either the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Britain’s Foreign Office stated that Sudan’s gold industry serves as the primary engine of its war economy. While official gold exports were valued at $1.5 billion during 2024 and 2025, billions of dollars’ worth of gold are smuggled out of the country annually through illicit channels to fund weapons procurement and military operations. The sanctioned targets are all Sudanese nationals or entities that trade internationally, specifically exploiting gold markets in Dubai and Hong Kong to monetise Sudanese gold before it enters global supply chains. Sudan Tribune
Suspected Pirates Seize Tanker off Yemen Coast in Gulf of Aden, Sources Say
Armed assailants are believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Friday and are in control of the vessel, maritime security sources said. Based on initial assessments, the incident appeared to be related to Somali piracy rather than Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia, one of the maritime security sources said. The small tanker, which had no confirmed flag, had listed the Somali port of Bosaso as its next destination, ship tracking data showed. Efforts were under way to assist the Asana tanker and determine the circumstances of what happened, said an official with the European Union’s Aspides naval mission, which is active in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region. Reuters
Saudi Arabia Expands Military Role in Somalia with New Troop Training Programme
Saudi Arabia has expanded its military support for Somalia by launching the implementation of a defence cooperation agreement signed with Mogadishu in February, according to reports. As part of the programme, around 5,000 Somali troops are reportedly being trained at two military bases in the northern part of the central Galmudug state. The training is being provided by foreign instructors from Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, and Colombia under a Saudi-funded initiative, the reports said. Saudi military officers recently visited the training sites to review the progress of the programme, according to the reports. The defence agreement, signed earlier this year, is intended to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, although its implementation has largely remained out of public view. The move underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing security engagement in Somalia, joining other Gulf states seeking greater strategic influence in the country. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have long maintained prominent security and military roles in Somalia. Garowe Online
Djibouti, EU Sign Red Sea Maritime Security Cooperation Agreement
Djibouti and the European Union have signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to govern the presence and activities of the EU’s naval operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES in Djibouti, as both sides seek to strengthen maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. The agreement was signed during a visit to Djibouti by Kaja Kallas, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, following talks with Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, and Acting Minister of Defense Omar Abdi Saïd. … Prior to her visit to Djibouti, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas held talks in Addis Abeba with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, focusing on regional security challenges and strengthening EU–Ethiopia relations. Addis Standard
Nigeria: INEC Mulls Mock Presidential Election Ahead Of 2027 Polls
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering conducting a mock presidential election and a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems as part of efforts to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general election. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. … He said the Commission was considering a full audit of its electoral systems and a mock presidential election to test the readiness of its processes and technology ahead of the 2027 polls. According to him, although the proposed exercises were not included in INEC’s budget, the Commission would explore ways to implement them because of their potential to enhance the credibility of the elections. The INEC chairman said the initiatives were part of broader efforts to improve technological reliability, including the continued deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as well as an ongoing review of the Commission’s cybersecurity architecture covering system redundancy, penetration testing, and disaster recovery mechanisms. Leadership
Ebola Patients, Responders Flee Attack on Congo Hospital
Relatives of a patient were part of the crowd that stormed the Nyakunde Hospital in Ituri province on Wednesday afternoon and evening, throwing stones and damaging its perimeter fence, said François Berocan Uderos, a medical biologist at the hospital. The crowd was responding to the death of a woman who had gone to the hospital to give birth but developed severe anaemia, he said. “Members of her family offered to donate blood, but the hospital refused because blood transfusions are prohibited during an Ebola outbreak,” Uderos said. The woman died at around 3 p.m., and the attack on the hospital began shortly afterwards, he said, adding that several of the up to 10 Ebola patients receiving treatment there had escaped. … The attack underscores the difficulties health authorities face in tackling Ebola in eastern Congo, where mistrust of medical teams, community resistance and insecurity have repeatedly disrupted treatment and containment efforts. Reuters
ICC Confirms Charges against Libyan War Crimes Suspect
Judges at the International Criminal Court ruled on Thursday that a 48-year-old suspect accused of running one of the most notorious prisons in Libya could be charged with multiple crimes, paving the way for his trial. Khaled Mohamed Ali Al Hishri has been charged with 17 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes including persecution, enslavement, torture, rape and murder between 2014 and 2020. Prosecutors say Al Hishri oversaw the women’s wing in Mitiga, a detention centre run by the Special Deterrence Force known as Rada. Thousands of people were unlawfully arrested and kept without legal basis, held in inhumane conditions and systematically abused and tortured in Mitiga, according to the prosecution. In earlier hearings lawyers for Hishri have said their client denies the charges. ICC judges this week confirmed they had jurisdiction over the case, rejecting a defence challenge that tried to argue the case did not fall under the U.N. Security Council resolution that gave the court legal authority to prosecute atrocities committed in Libya. Al Hishri’s case would be the first ICC trial to focus on war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya. Reuters
Union of Journalists of South Sudan: Journalists Need Protection to Ensure Credible Elections
The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) on Wednesday called for stronger protection of journalists and greater respect for media freedom ahead of the country’s anticipated December elections, warning that restrictions on civic space could undermine a credible electoral process. Speaking during a roundtable dialogue organised by the South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network (SSHRDN) in Juba, UJOSS President Oyet Patrick Charles said journalists continue to face censorship, intimidation and uncertainty over what constitutes a national security issue, making it difficult for the media to perform its watchdog role. “As journalists, we still face challenges as far as civic and political space is concerned,” he said. “Articles are still removed based on what others may think is not good enough, or they say it might not support some groups, or they say it might be a national security issue. The definition of a national security issue is not clear to us in most cases.” According to Oyet, an open civic and political environment would be essential if South Sudan is to hold credible elections. Radio Tamazuj
No Radiation Leak after ‘Contamination’ Events at Africa’s Only Nuclear Plant, Regulator Says
South Africa’s nuclear regulator said Thursday that no radioactive material leaked into the environment during three recent “contamination” events inside Africa’s only nuclear power station. The incidents involved “elevated airborne radioactive contamination” inside the Koeberg Power Station, on South Africa’s west coast, when there was a loss of power to ventilation units during maintenance work, the National Nuclear Regulator said, adding there was no danger to the public. It said the three separate contamination events on June 30, July 2 and July 7 were contained inside the station. Workers inside the power station who may have been exposed were screened and recorded radioactive contamination below the radioactivity a person is exposed to when they have a dental X-ray, the NNR said. … The Koeberg plant is located around 40 kilometers north of South Africa’s second biggest city, Cape Town. It is Africa’s only commercial nuclear power station and was commissioned in the 1980s during apartheid. It has two reactors which generate around 5% of South Africa’s electricity, and is operated by the national electricity company, Eskom. AP