Ghana’s Illegal Gold Mining Crisis: A National Security Threat with Regional Implications
Following years of steady expansion, artisanal and small-scale gold mining [in Ghana] now generates roughly $11 billion in foreign exchange, compared to $9 billion for large-scale miners. An estimated 70–80 percent of artisanal miners operate without a license. This supports a sprawling illicit economy involving hundreds of thousands of miners, transnational financiers, foreign operators, gold smugglers, equipment suppliers, and criminal intermediaries. Successive Ghanaian governments have deployed military and police task forces to combat illegal mining in Africa’s leading and the world’s sixth largest gold producer. Yet, these recurring operations have failed to establish durable control over many affected areas. … Weakly governed mining sectors leave Ghana vulnerable to exploitation by violent extremist organizations, as has happened elsewhere in West Africa. … Past enforcement efforts have relied heavily on periodic crackdowns at mining sites, often targeting miners while leaving financiers, equipment suppliers, transportation networks, and gold aggregation networks comparatively insulated from disruption. Because [illegal gold mining] increasingly functions through organized and layered networks, more effective responses will require intelligence-led operations focused on the actors who finance and coordinate illegal mining. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Kenya Calls for Global Push to End Sudan Conflict
Kenya has renewed its call for coordinated regional and international efforts to end the devastating conflict in Sudan, warning that continued fighting is worsening one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises while threatening stability across the Horn of Africa. Speaking during the Third Forum of Special Envoys and Representatives on Harmonizing Regional and International Mediation Efforts for the Sudan Peace Process in Nairobi, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi urged the international community to act with urgency to restore peace in the war-torn country. … The Prime Cabinet Secretary outlined five priorities that should guide the peace process. They include an immediate cessation of hostilities, an inclusive Sudanese-led political dialogue, stronger coordination among regional and international mediators, expanded humanitarian assistance and accountability for those responsible for violations of international law. He emphasized that any political settlement must involve civilians, women, youth, religious leaders, professional associations, business leaders and civil society to ensure lasting peace. The Standard
How Armed Group Alliances Are Reshaping Mali’s Conflict and the Wider Sahel
The ambush that killed at least 50 Malian soldiers and struck a joint convoy of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and Russia’s Africa Corps, which replaced the Wagner Group as Moscow’s military presence in Mali, near the northern town of Anefis on July 18 was more than another battlefield setback. It underscored how Mali’s armed groups are becoming increasingly coordinated, exposing the limits of the military government’s security strategy, despite growing Russian military support. … The July 18 ambush was jointly claimed by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a coalition of predominantly Tuareg separatist groups, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). … For Mali’s military, that cooperation makes attacks harder to anticipate and more difficult to repel, allowing armed groups to combine local knowledge, manpower and operational experience while pursuing separate objectives. … If the FLA-JNIM partnership proves durable, it could encourage similar tactical cooperation elsewhere in the Sahel, further complicating efforts to contain armed groups whose operations already span national borders. Al Jazeera
West African Bloc Calls for Guinea-Bissau Opposition Leader’s Release
The West African bloc ECOWAS urged Guinea-Bissau’s military-led government to unconditionally release all detained political figures, including opposition leader Domingos Simoes Pereira, at the conclusion of a summit meeting of heads of state in Sierra Leone, a statement said. The release of all political prisoners could “bolster the credibility of the transition process,” ECOWAS said in a statement released late on Monday. Guinea-Bissau’s leaders took power in a coup last November and adopted a one-year transitional charter the following month. Pereira, a former prime minister and the leader of the revolutionary PAIGC party, was ordered back to prison on July 10, his family told Reuters last week. He was previously detained on the day of the coup last year but then moved to house arrest in February, in an apparent attempt to appease ECOWAS. Pereira has been accused of economic crimes and involvement in an alleged coup attempt in October 2025, which he denies. The West African country will hold a constitutional referendum on August 30, followed by general elections on December 6, 2026, according to the ECOWAS statement. Reuters
Ethiopian Police Arrest Alleged Leader of Multi-million-dollar Trafficking Ring
Police in Ethiopia say they have arrested 17 suspects including the alleged leader of what they say is a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking network. The gang is accused of “the deaths of 60 migrants”, sexually abusing many women, and torturing Ethiopian migrants in Yemen – allegedly collecting more than 1bn Ethiopian birr ($6.1m; £4.6m) from victims in the process. Suspected ringleader Mohammed Tahir, aka “Wordi”, and his co-accused have yet to appear in court or comment on the allegations. … The alleged traffickers are accused of transporting more than 40,000 Ethiopians to Saudi Arabia, through Djibouti and Yemen. The ring is alleged to have operated detention warehouses in Yemen, a nation with scant rule of law after being devastated by civil war. It remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to Human Rights Watch. It is here that they allegedly filmed migrants while torturing them as a way to extort money from their terrified relatives back home. Police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi told BBC News Amharic that the suspects were arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa, and the eastern city of Harar, in a “15-day operation”. BBC
Funding, Security Still Challenge South Sudan Election Preparations
South Sudan’s National Elections Commission (NEC) has made substantial progress in preparations for the country’s first post-independence general elections, with electoral commissioners appointed in almost all states; however, funding gaps, insecurity, and logistical challenges continue to threaten the electoral timetable. Speaking during an interview, NEC Chairperson Professor Abednego Akok said the commission has already established its structures across most parts of the country, leaving only the appointment of commissioners in Malakal before completing the nationwide deployment. … Akok explained that the electoral process will be conducted in phases, beginning with voter registration, followed by candidate registration, voter education, and polling. … Security remains one of the biggest challenges facing the planned elections. Akok acknowledged that some parts of the country continue to experience instability, which could affect voter registration and polling. … Funding is another major obstacle. … South Sudan has repeatedly postponed elections since gaining independence in 2011. Radio Tamazuj
Africa Shield: Why Securing Development Is Becoming a New Security Priority
As Africa’s economies expand and become more technologically advanced, governments face a growing challenge: protecting the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials used in healthcare, industry, research and mining from theft, diversion or misuse. … CBRN security covers radioactive sources used in cancer treatment, chemicals used in manufacturing and mining, biological materials handled in laboratories, and technologies with both civilian and security applications. Most materials are used safely every day, but weak regulation, inadequate oversight or theft can allow them to be diverted for criminal or malicious purposes. … Held July 14-16 in Tunis, Tunisia, the Africa Shield 2026 Regional Counterproliferation Workshop brought together more than 100 participants from across Africa, including law enforcement officials, military representatives, policymakers and national coordinators responsible for implementing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1540, which requires states to prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and related materials. The workshop was led by the International Counterproliferation Program of the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), in partnership with the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence Risk Mitigation Initiative and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. Now in its sixth edition, Africa Shield helps African governments strengthen their ability to prevent, detect and respond to CBRN risks through training, coordination and capacity building. Al Jazeera
AI Could Lift Sub-Saharan Africa Economy 4% if Power, Internet Improve, IMF Says
Artificial intelligence could boost Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by about 4% over the next decade with better electricity supply, internet access and digital skills, an International Monetary Fund paper showed on Tuesday, but without such reforms the growth dividend could be negligible. As countries and companies race to secure AI’s economic benefits, investment in data centres, energy infrastructure and digital networks is surging worldwide. But Sub-Saharan Africa, which ranks lowest on the IMF’s AI Preparedness Index, risks capturing only a fraction of the potential gains if infrastructure bottlenecks remain unaddressed, the paper found. … Africa remains on the margins of the global AI boom, with Sub-Saharan Africa recording one of the lowest AI adoption rates of any region worldwide, behind every region except South Asia. The IMF’s AI Preparedness Index attributes the gap to shortfalls in digital infrastructure, technical skills and regulatory capacity that limit both adoption and the region’s resilience to labor-market disruption. Reuters
Gabon and France Deepen Industrial Cooperation with Eramet Manganese Deal
The Eramet group announced on Monday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gabonese government during President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s state visit to France. The agreement sets out a joint industrial roadmap under which Eramet would examine investments allowing up to 700,000 tonnes of manganese ore to be processed locally each year by 2031. In return, Gabon has undertaken to provide the conditions needed to make the projects economically viable, including reliable access to energy. The memorandum marks an important step in Gabon’s drive to retain more of the value generated by its mineral wealth. The country is one of the world’s leading manganese producers and has made local processing a central part of its industrial strategy. … The plans were among the main issues discussed during talks in Paris between Oligui Nguema and French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders also reviewed progress on agreements reached during Macron’s visit to Libreville in November 2025. RFI
Zimbabwe Adds Freight Rail Option to Lithium Export Gateway
Zimbabwe’s state-owned railway company said on Tuesday its collaboration with private operators now provides capacity to haul lithium concentrate to Maputo port in Mozambique by rail, expanding logistics options for the battery mineral. Africa’s top lithium producer Zimbabwe mostly trucks the bulk mineral to port, a more expensive option fraught with logistical bottlenecks. The National Railways of Zimbabwe said in a statement it had partnered with Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR), a unit of South Africa’s Grindrod, and Zimbabwean logistics firm Silvergill to send the first 1,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate from Tsingshan Holding Group’s Gwanda Lithium Mine to Maputo. The first 180 km (112 miles) stretch of the consignment would be on BBR’s track between Gwanda and Beitbridge, the NRZ said. The NRZ’s 300 km line then connects Beitbridge and the Chicualacuala border post with Mozambique, the railway said. The Limpopo line, which connects Chicualacuala and Maputo, is about 522 km, making the rail leg from Gwanda to port about 1,000 km long. … Most of Zimbabwe’s lithium mines are along a west-south-east rail corridor leading to Mozambique, from where the minerals are shipped to China. Reuters
All You Need to Know about Wafcon 2026
The delayed 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – also known as Wafcon – is finally ready for kick-off, with Morocco staging a third successive finals. Originally scheduled to be held from 17 March to 3 April, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) postponed the tournament just 12 days before it was due to start. This year’s Wafcon, which comes only 12 months after the delayed 2024 edition, now begins on Sunday, 26 July when Algeria face Senegal in the opening game in Rabat (17:00 GMT). Caf cited “unforeseen circumstances” for the delay, but the late change has afforded more time for the newly expanded 16-team tournament, which will feature 34 matches and culminates in the final on Sunday, 16 August. This year’s Wafcon is all the more important because it doubles up as a qualifier for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup, with all four semi-finalists securing a ticket for Brazil. … Of the 16 nations taking part, only Nigeria and South Africa have previously lifted the Wafcon trophy. BBC