China’s Expanding Military Reach in Africa: From Exercises to Expeditionary Power
“Eagles of Civilization 2026,” the latest China–Egypt air force warfighting exercise, is a significant step up in scale, complexity, and power projection from China’s previous military training drills in Africa, including last year’s Eagles of Civilization. … In a first, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Egypt for a state visit during the exercise, accompanied by leaders from the ruling party’s Central Military Commission (principals who rarely leave China), underlining the geostrategic importance of the exercises for Beijing. … Eagles of Civilization 2026 and other Chinese military exercises in Africa underscore the evolution of China’s military engagement on the continent from episodic training and capacity building initiatives toward increasingly sophisticated warfighting activities aimed at advancing China’s geostrategic posture. While the value of such exercises for African capability development and interoperability is ambiguous, they raise challenges of strategic dependency and entanglement in global rivalries. To maximize African interests in future military engagements, African governments should assert greater ownership of joint exercises, shaping objectives, scenarios, force composition, and access arrangements around their own security requirements. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Guinea-Bissau Referendum Nods to Expansion of Presidential Powers
A referendum in Guinea-Bissau has approved a new constitution that will significantly increase the power of the president. The National Electoral Commission said on Tuesday that 70 percent of votes cast last week were in favour of the changes, with the turnout at almost 60 percent. The referendum, proposed by the military government, which seized power in a coup in November last year, took place shortly ahead of a general election at the end of the year, which is aimed at returning the country to civilian rule. However, the vote has been denounced by the main opposition party, PAIGC, and civil society groups, which argue that it threatens Guinea-Bissau’s transition back to democracy. The military rulers say the changes are aimed at stabilising key state institutions ahead of December’s vote, when the presidency and parliamentary seats will be on the ballot. Under the new rules, the president will be able to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet, which significantly weakens the country’s power-sharing system. The president will also be able to create and abolish ministries and dissolve parliament under certain conditions. … Although the electoral commission reported a turnout of close to 60 percent of eligible voters, international news agencies had reported that polling stations were largely empty. PAIGC had called on people to boycott the referendum. Critics accuse the military government of attempting to concentrate power, allowing the country’s rulers to reshape the political system in their favour ahead of the elections in December. Al Jazeera with AFP and Reuters
Zambia’s Chaotic Election Casts Shadow over Hichilema Swearing-in
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in for a second term on Tuesday, while his main rival was in prison on treason charges, the conclusion of a chaotic vote observers said was marred by serious irregularities. Hichilema came to power in 2021 pledging a democratic break from a government he accused of rigging elections and jailing opponents. But observers have cited a number of irregularities during and after the August 13 election, including fiddling with the vote tally, the arrest of opposition lawmakers, the posting of soldiers at polling stations and the shutting down of courts, while runner-up Brian Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, were both charged with treason over the weekend. … “Zambia’s democratic credentials are in peril. We have never experienced this kind of confusion,” said historian Euston Chiputa, referring to the suspension of vote counting, the positioning of the military at counting centers and the subsequent arrests of opposition members. Reports by international and local election observers found indications that votes were added to Hichilema’s tally, although they all found that he would have won regardless. Asked about such criticism, the Electoral Commission of Zambia told Reuters that the courts should examine any allegations of discrepancies. But as the deadline approached for such a case to be filed last week, Zambian authorities barred access to the courts and later said that no complaint had been received. Reuters
AU Backs Sudan-based Dialogue Initiative, Drawing Fire from Civilian Opponents
The African Union on Monday endorsed a new Sudanese dialogue initiative aimed at ending the country’s civil war, drawing swift condemnation from civilian and political groups who dismissed the effort as a military-backed attempt to legitimise the conflict. A Khartoum-based preparatory committee of public figures launched consultations on Sunday to coordinate talks with political and civil society actors, with security guarantees from the army-led government. The African Union Commission said it welcomed the dialogue led by an “independent committee of Sudanese elders”, adding that the move complements international mediation tracks under the AU-led Quintet Mechanism, which includes the U.N., the EU, IGAD, and the Arab League. The AU reiterated that any political process must remain fully inclusive, aiming for a unified, sovereign Sudan run by legitimate civilian institutions. However, key civilian coalitions and political parties, including the National Umma Party secretariat led by al-Wathiq al-Berair and the Sudanese Congress Party, rejected the AU’s stance as premature, warning that the process lacks transparent criteria for participation and risks converting battlefield gains into political leverage. The Declaration of Principles forces, an alliance comprising the Somoud Coalition and Abdel Wahid al-Nur’s Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW), accused the AU of an “irresponsible” endorsement of an army-controlled process. Sudan Tribune
Sudan Army Deploys Allied Reinforcements to Blue Nile after Rebel Gains
The Sudanese army said on Tuesday that advance units from the Joint Force of allied armed movements had arrived in Ed Damazin to join the fight against an alliance between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). Fighting has intensified since last February across Blue Nile state in Sudan’s far southeast, where the rebel coalition seized control of Kurmuk and Geissan, two towns bordering Ethiopia. Last week, the RSF-SPLM-N alliance claimed control over the strategic army bases of Bakori and Sorkam in Geissan and Kurmuk localities. … The deployment marks the second wave of reinforcements in a week, following recent advances by RSF and SPLM-N forces across multiple fronts in the region. Sudan Tribune
Nigeria Deploys More Weapons, Vehicles to Kano as Matawalle Assures End to Insecurity
The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy additional fighting vehicles, weapons and other operational equipment to Kano State as part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity and strengthen ongoing security operations. The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle, disclosed this on Monday during a condolence and assessment visit to the Kano State Government House following the bandit attack on Chiroma Village in Garun Mallam Local Government Area on August 29, 2026. Matawalle reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ending insecurity and restoring lasting peace across the country. He said the Federal Government was adopting proactive operations, strategic planning and stronger collaboration with state governments to address security threats. “The President has constituted a committee to develop a Five-Year Defence and Security Plan. This will guide our long-term approach to tackling security threats across the country,” the minister said. … Matawalle stressed that defeating insecurity required coordinated efforts among the federal, state and local governments, as well as active cooperation from citizens. PR Nigeria
‘I Have Fired 40 of My Agents for Being Corrupt’, Says Nigeria’s Anti-corruption Chief
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has dismissed more than 40 employees for alleged corruption and financial misconduct over the past three years. The disclosure was made by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman Ola Olukoyede at an event assessing the agency’s achievements since he took the helm in October 2023. He said more than five of the dismissed officials were already facing prosecution, while case files are being prepared against others. The EFCC investigates financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and corruption – regularly pursuing cases against politicians, public officials, business figures and others accused of misusing public funds. BBC
Massive Promises, Empty Fields: The Multi-billion-dollar Unsuccessful Saudi Project in Ethiopia
In the late 2000s, global food price volatility prompted Gulf countries to seek secure agricultural breadbaskets abroad to shield their populations from future supply shocks. Under this global rush for land, the Federal Government of Ethiopia positioned itself as a primary destination by establishing a centralised “federal land bank.” This strategy placed hundreds of thousands of hectares of fertile, indigenous land at the disposal of corporate foreign investors under the promise of rapid national development. Promoted as a crown jewel of the King Abdullah Initiative for Saudi Agricultural Investment Abroad, Saudi Star Agricultural Development Plc acquired a massive land portfolio spanning 14,020 hectares across the Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. The venture, backed by Saudi-Ethiopian billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Al-Amoudi, promised to inject $2.5 billion to $3 billion in foreign direct investment. Corporate blueprints outlined a modern agricultural powerhouse featuring advanced machinery, thousands of secure jobs, and an annual yield of 1 million tons of export-grade rice. However, an on-the-ground investigation reveals that after more than 15 years, the reality in these peripheral frontier regions stands in stark, devastating contrast to those initial corporate pledges. Paralysed by environmental miscalculations, operational mismanagement, and a regulatory vacuum, Saudi Star has left the majority of its conceded fields completely idle. Millions of dollars of highly engineered infrastructure now sit rusting in the open air, while indigenous communities suffer the dual burden of ancestral displacement and heightened food insecurity. Premium Times
IMF Reaches Agreement with Senegal on New $2.2 Bn Loan Programme
The International Monetary Fund announced an agreement with Senegal on Tuesday for a new $2.2-billion loan programme, after a prior deal was suspended following the discovery of previously unreported debt. The announcement comes nearly two years after Senegal’s current government, which rose to power on an opposition electoral victory, accused the former administration of ex-president Macky Sall (2012-2024) of having concealed the true extent of the west African country’s worrisome budgetary situation. As a result, the IMF suspended a $1.8-billion aid programme it had agreed upon in 2023, pending further information and commitments from new President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s government. The new 36-month arrangement announced Tuesday is meant to support Senegal’s “economic and financial reform program for the 2026–2029 period.” … Senegal has been able to continue financing itself largely through regional financial markets but this comes at higher costs than loans from international financial institutions, development banks or governments. A simmering political feud between Faye and his then prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, came to a head earlier this year over a variety of topics, including the IMF programme. Although the president sacked Sonko in May, Sonko was afterwards elected speaker of the National Assembly — a role that could complicate Faye’s ability to usher in IMF reforms. While Faye prefers a more conciliatory approach with the IMF, Sonko has rejected any debt restructuring, calling any such move a “disgrace” for the country. AFP
Ebola Death Toll Passes 3,000 in DR Congo: Official Data
The deadliest ever Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people, according to the latest official toll released on Wednesday. The epidemic, which has hit the conflict-hit east and northeast of the country, has caused 3,007 deaths and infected 6,186 people, the Congolese National Institute of Public Health said. The fatality rate is 48.6 percent. A total of 1,409 people have been reported to have recovered, it added. … The worst outbreak previously recorded in DR Congo left nearly 2,300 people dead from 3,500 reported cases between 2018 and 2020. The current outbreak originated in the remote northeastern province of Ituri and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. The virus has spread to six provinces and is ravaging areas where the presence of the Congolese state is weak and insecurity is widespread due to the presence of armed groups. AFP