Africa’s Critical Minerals at a Critical Juncture
Africa is at the center of rising global demand for critical minerals and metals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, coltan, manganese, platinum, tantalum, and bauxite needed to support modern technologies and manufacturing. African countries hold sizable shares of known reserves for many of these critical minerals…Previous eras of natural resource extraction from Africa have been highly disruptive and destabilizing, contributing to what became known as the natural resource curse, where countries with relatively more abundant natural resources tended to become more autocratic, corrupt, and conflict prone while lagging in their development. This instability, in turn, made investing in Africa less attractive to countries and companies committed to higher standards of transparency and mutually beneficial partnerships…For the latest global mineral drive to be a boon for Africa, African countries need to invest heavily in research and development, take steps to address their lack of industrial capacity, and develop the skills and technologies for processing these minerals. In the interim, they need to identify and develop solid competencies in niche areas within the mining ecosystem. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Sudan Reports Surge in Cholera Cases amid Khartoum Water Crisis
Sudan’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported a surge in cholera cases in Omdurman’s Karrari locality and Jabal Awliya, south of Khartoum. Large areas of Khartoum State are experiencing a severe water supply crisis. The crisis worsened after the Rapid Support Forces shelled three power stations in Omdurman on May 14, leading to power outages in the capital. Khartoum residents are being forced to use water from unsafe sources, such as shallow wells or direct extraction from the Nile, contributing to the widespread outbreak of diseases. The Ministry of Health’s Emergency Operations Centre said in a statement that “2,323 new cholera cases have been recorded, including 51 deaths over three weeks, 90% of which were identified in Khartoum State, especially Karrari and Jebel Aulia.” The ministry also stated that Sudan faces other health threats, including dengue fever, malaria, hepatitis, measles, and diphtheria, with varying infection and fatality rates across the states…Up to 80% of healthcare facilities in conflict zones and about 45% in other areas have ceased operations due to shortages of supplies, lack of electricity and water, and insufficient medical personnel. Sudan Tribune
Sudan’s Al-Burhan Invited to Russia-Arab Summit
Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, on Tuesday received an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the Russia-Arab Summit. The summit, scheduled for Oct. 15, will be the first of its kind. Putin invited Arab leaders and the Secretary-General of the Arab League to participate in it to discuss strengthening cooperation…Sudan enjoys strong support from Russia, especially in the U.N. Security Council, where Moscow holds veto power. On Nov. 18, Russia used its veto to block a draft resolution concerning civilian protection put forward by Britain and Sierra Leone. Khartoum and Moscow have signed several agreements for Russian investment in oil, mining, energy and transport. They also reached an understanding on using local currencies to settle trade transactions. Russia is seeking to establish a naval base on the Red Sea coast, having signed an agreement with Sudan in this regard, but the actual implementation of the step remains stalled. Sudan Tribune
Burkina Faso’s Military Leaders Turn to ‘Africa’s Che Guevara’ to Rally Struggling Country
Since taking power during a coup in 2022, [junta leader Ibrahim Traore] has presented himself as the new [Thomas] Sankara. He has named one of the main streets after the revolutionary leader, elevated him to the rank of Hero of the Nation and revived revolutionary slogans such as “Fatherland or death, we will win!” in most of his speeches…Despite promising to fight the security crisis that pushed it to stage a coup, Burkina Faso’s military leaders have struggled to deal with the worsening crisis. According to conservative estimates, more than 60% of the country is now outside of government control, more than 2 million people have lost their homes and almost 6.5 million need humanitarian aid to survive. Human rights groups say the military leadership has installed a system of de facto censorship, crushing critics, while many have been killed by jihadi groups or government forces. As people flocked to Ouagadougou to celebrate Sankara, life elsewhere in the country reflects a different reality. “We can go out for a bit in the city center, but with caution,” said one student from Dori, the capital of the northern region, echoing concerns about restrictions on free speech and movement. The student spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested. AP
Families Mourn and Call for Probe after Malian Soldiers Accused of Massacre
Military personnel in Mali carried out “apparent summary executions” of at least 22 people in the conflict-hit central region of the country, advocacy group Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. At least three families and two local leaders recounted to The Associated Press how Malian soldiers seized more than 20 men from a market in the village of Diafarabé in the central Mopti region. The men’s bodies were later found in two mass graves. Diafarabé, whose inhabitants mostly belong to the Fulani ethnic group, is in an area where [Islamist militant group] JNIM is active and regularly targets the Malian army with attacks. Such extrajudicial killings are becoming increasingly common under Mali’s military junta, including late last year when Human Rights Watch accused the army and Russia’s Wagner Group of killing dozens of civilians and setting fire to at least 100 houses during military operations…Locals previously told the AP the Malian army arrested the victims of the latest killings at the market in Diafarabé, but one escaped from custody and, upon return, raised the alarm that others had been executed. In interviews with AP this week, villagers recounted seeing decomposing bodies in the graves…Villagers also spoke about growing fear and tension in the aftermath of the killings. “We are asking the authorities to remove the soldiers to avoid further incidents,” said one resident who said he lost four of his relatives. AP
Kenya Admits Role in Kidnapping of Uganda Opposition Leader
Kenya has admitted it assisted in the kidnapping of a Ugandan opposition leader on its soil last year as he appeared in court for the latest hearing of his treason trial on Wednesday. Kizza Besigye, 68, was abducted by armed men in the heart of the Kenyan capital Nairobi in November and re-emerged a few days later at a military court in Uganda…Kenya’s government had previously denied any involvement in his abduction. But in a TV interview late Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Musalia Mudavadi admitted: “Kenya cooperated with the Ugandan authorities.”…”We have to partner with our East African states and sometimes we have to manage those relations very carefully for the broader national interest,” he added. Rights groups say Besigye’s abduction and trial for treason, which carries a potential death penalty, are linked to the upcoming election in January, when Museveni, 80, will once again seek re-election. Besigye’s case was moved to a civilian court after he went on hunger strike earlier this year. After a brief hearing on Wednesday, his case was adjourned to May 29. AFP
Uganda: Parliament Defies Supreme Court with Passage of Bill Expanding Military Jurisdiction over Civilians
Uganda’s Parliament on Tuesday passed the contentious UPDF (Amendment) Bill, 2025, granting military courts sweeping powers to try civilians under certain circumstances, a move that directly contradicts a Supreme Court ruling issued just 109 days ago…The Act now awaits President Museveni’s assent, a procedural formality, given his vocal and sustained backing for the legislation. On Tuesday, Opposition lawmakers condemned the law as a grave constitutional breach. Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi, who led a dramatic walkout from plenary, vowed a joint opposition legal challenge and denounced the Bill as “rushed and a draconian measure.” Nansana Municipality MP Wakayima Musoke said “what the army is trying to do is create two parallel systems, which is unacceptable.”…Analysts maintain that the UPDF (Amendment) Bill, 2025, though framed as a national security measure, has broader political implications. With general elections scheduled for 2026, the law could give the government legal cover to silence dissent, intimidate the opposition, and deter civic activism. Monitor
Rising Demand for Gold, Critical Minerals Fuelling Crime in Africa, Others – UNODC
The growing demand for gold and critical minerals are fuelling crimes, corruption, and instability in Africa, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has said. This is contained in a report released by the UNODC on Tuesday in Vienna…“In Africa”, the report found, “some organised crime groups operate exclusively in gold, while others use gold profits to fund armed activity, challenge state authority or fuel conflict”. It stated that organised crime groups had increasingly embedded themselves in gold supply chains, attracted by the sector’s high profitability and the rising value of gold. While revenues from gold were then reinvested into other criminal operations, local populations faced sexual exploitation, forced labour or displacement as a result, it stated…The report noted that the precious metal often crossed multiple borders before it reached a refining centre, creating opportunities for both criminal exploitation and law enforcement intervention. Premium Times
South Sudan: Kiir Appoints Ally Bol Mel as Deputy Ruling Party Leader
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit reshuffled the party’s top leadership Tuesday evening, replacing his first deputy with close ally Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel…South Sudan has been formally at peace since a 2018 agreement ended a five-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands. However, the country remains mired in a humanitarian crisis due to sporadic violence, food insecurity and poor health care. In decrees announced on state broadcaster late Tuesday, Kiir removed Dr. James Wani Igga, a long-serving liberation war veteran, as first deputy chairperson and secretary-general of the SPLM. He replaced him with Benjamin Bol Mel, a vice president appointed in February 2025 who is seen as increasingly influential in government decision-making. Bol Mel, a businessman under U.S. sanctions for alleged ties to money-laundering construction firms, oversees the economic portfolio as vice president. His new role as Kiir’s first deputy in the ruling party positions him as a potential successor, according to observers. Radio Tamazuj
Army Barrel Bombs Spark Exodus as South Sudan Peace Deal Crumbles
Civilians escaping government airstrikes and land offensives in South Sudan are taking refuge in makeshift shelters along rivers and crossing into camps in Ethiopia, as analysts warn that a long flawed peace deal has now totally collapsed. The government, led by President Salva Kiir, has been launching barrel bombs at communities in parts of the northeastern Upper Nile state, since self-defense forces known as the White Army overran a military base in the area in March…The government’s attacks have driven more than 130,000 people from their homes, worsened an already widespread cholera outbreak, and badly disrupted humanitarian operations in Upper Nile and elsewhere…The recent airstrikes and ground offensives have further inflamed local anger and driven some 50,000 people into Ethiopia, according to humanitarian workers based in the western Gambella region…Several refugees said the aerial bombardment is worse than the violence they experienced during the civil war, which killed an estimated 400,000 people and erupted two years after South Sudan gained independence from Sudan. The New Humanitarian
Tanzania Blocks X After Police Account Hacked
Tanzanians were blocked from social media platform X on Wednesday after a police account was hacked and used to falsely announce the president’s death, internet watchdog NetBlocks said. The social media shutdown comes amid the disappearance of activists Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda following their arrest by Tanzanian police earlier this week. They were in the country to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu who is accused of treason ahead of elections in October…Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Jerry William Silaa confirmed the hack in parliament, adding that the YouTube account of the country’s tax authority was also infiltrated…Police said they were hunting “the criminals who created and distributed the information” and warned the public against sharing the false messages. AFP
Tanzania Defence Budget Soars by 10 Percent amid Debate on Recruitment Policy
The government has proposed a nearly 10 percent increase in the defence budget for the 2025/26 financial year, aiming to modernise the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) and improve conditions for personnel…The funds will cater for acquisition of modern equipment, infrastructure upgrades, training, staff welfare and health services…Part of the budget will also go toward strengthening the National Service, popularly known by its Kiswahili abbreviation as JKT, to train more youth under patriotism and employability programmes. The budget includes Sh318.79 billion for development expenditure and will also support strategic project security, civil-military cooperation and defence diplomacy with international and regional bodies. The Citizen
People Smuggler Jailed in UK for Arranging Boats from Libya to Italy
An Egyptian national who helped smuggle thousands of migrants into Europe from north Africa was on Tuesday jailed for 25 years in a London court. Ahmed Ramadan Mohamad Ebid, 42, conspired with others to assist unlawful immigration by supplying vessels for illegally smuggling migrants from Libya to Italy from shortly after his arrival in Britain in October 2022 until June 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service said that, during that period, authorities intercepted seven crossings involving nearly 3,800 migrants and made the criminal network more than 12 million pounds. Ebid was said to have played a leading role in the gang which advertised crossings on Facebook, charging migrants an average of over 3,200 pounds per person. Ebid’s home was bugged by Britain’s National Crime Agency, which revealed him on one occasion telling an associate that migrants were not allowed to carry phones on his boats. “Tell them guys anyone caught with a phone will be killed, threw (sic) in the sea,” Ebid said. Reuters