Seychelles Holds Early Voting as Many in the Nation Worry about a Drug Crisis and Environment
Early voting started Thursday across Seychelles as concerns over a drug crisis and environmental challenges facing the nation weigh heavily on the minds of many as they choose a new president and parliament. President Wavel Ramkalawan hopes to hold on to the top post in this tourist haven and Africa’s smallest country, both in land area and population. Ballots papers were flown to the outer islands and special polling stations opened for the elderly and essential workers for early voting, said election commission’s chief, Manuella Amesbury. The presidential and parliamentary election will be held on Saturday. Ramkalawan, an Anglican priest turned politician, became the first opposition leader since 1976 to defeat the ruling party when he made his sixth bid — and the first successful one — for the presidency in 2020. This time around, he and his Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party campaigned on efforts for economic recovery, social development, and environmental sustainability. His chief political rival, Patrick Herminie of the long-ruling United Seychelles Party, is a veteran lawmaker who was the speaker of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2016. … Seychelles has struggled with a growing drug crisis. A 2017 United Nations report described the country as a major drug transit route. The Global Organized Crime Index stated in 2023 that the island nation has one of the world’s highest rates of heroin addiction. … While Seychelles leads Africa in development metrics and has the lowest corruption rankings in the sub-Saharan Africa, the rampant corruption during the three-decade presidency of France-Albert Rene, which ended in 2004, remains fresh in the minds of many. AP
Seven Killed in Shelling of UNICEF Compound in Sudan’s Al-Fasher
At least seven displaced civilians sheltering in a UNICEF compound in the besieged city of al-Fasher were killed by shelling on Tuesday, the U.N. children’s agency said in a statement. The attack is part of a “series of events” that highlights the extreme dangers facing civilians and aid efforts in the capital of North Darfur state. According to a statement from UNICEF Sudan Representative Sheldon Yett, the main building within the compound came under “repeated attack” on September 24, killing at least seven and injuring others who had sought refuge there. The shelling followed an incident on September 20, when armed individuals entered the same compound, seizing communications equipment and vehicles. “In the days that followed, the armed individuals dismantled and made alterations to the vehicles, which were clearly marked with UNICEF logos,” the statement said. While UNICEF has been unable to occupy the compound since March 2024, the agency stressed that the premises and assets remain protected under U.N. privileges and immunities. The building was reportedly being used as a shelter for civilians displaced by the fighting as the city remains under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan Tribune
Mali Ends Counterterror Cooperation with France and Expels Embassy Staff
Mali’s ruling junta has declared an end to counterterrorism cooperation with France and expelled five French Embassy employees, according to a confidential letter seen by The Associated Press on Thursday, amid diplomatic tensions between the countries. A note dated Sept. 17 from Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the French Embassy in the capital, Bamako, said the five staff had been declared “personae non grata” and announced ”the cessation of all international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.” The ministry note did not give a reason for the embassy expulsions. A French diplomatic source told the AP that the move by Mali was in response to France’s decision last week to expel two Malian intelligence services officers working at Mali’s embassy in Paris and suspending counterterrorism cooperation. Diplomatic tensions have been growing recently between France and Mali following the arrest in August of a French intelligence services officer working at the embassy in Bamako. Malian authorities had accused the French national of attempting to organize a coup with the help of several members of Mali’s military, including two army generals, who were also arrested around the same time. … Following two military coups, the ruling junta expelled French troops and instead turned to Russia for security assistance. … Despite the departure of French troops, France and Mali’s intelligence services had continued cooperating on counterterrorism. AP
Interpol Says 260 Suspects in Online Romance Scams Have Been Arrested in Africa
A crackdown on cybercrime coordinated by Interpol has led to the arrests across 14 African countries of 260 people suspected in online romance and extortion scams, the organization announced Friday. The operation took place in July and August and focused on scams in which perpetrators build online romantic relationships to extract money from targets or blackmail them with explicit images, Interpol said. Altogether the scams targeted more than 1,400 victims who lost nearly $2.8 million, the international police organization said. “Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams,” Cyril Gout, acting executive director of police services at Interpol, said in the statement. … Interpol says Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 suspects in romance and sextortion scams. They are accused of using fake identities to trick victims into paying fake shipment fees and secretly recorded explicit videos for blackmail. In Senegal, police arrested 22 suspects who allegedly posed as celebrities on social media and dating platforms to scam over 100 people out of around $34,000, Interpol said. The organization also said authorities in Ivory Coast arrested 24 suspects accused of using fake profiles to obtain and blackmail victims with intimate images. AP
The Balkan Connection: West Africa’s New Cocaine Gatekeepers
For Europe’s drug traffickers, West Africa is no longer a side route. It is becoming the main highway. Roughly a third of the cocaine consumed in Europe is thought to transit through West Africa, where Balkan crime syndicates have embedded themselves in the region’s maritime trade. Exploiting weak controls, they move shipments from Latin America to Europe – Bogotá to Paris or London, by way of Dakar or Abidjan. ‘Groups from the Western Balkans now purchase consignments directly from Brazil’s most powerful trafficking alliance, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), before managing logistics in West Africa,’ explains Lucia Bird Ruiz, co-author of a recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC). According to the report, much of the cocaine – sometimes entire multi-tonne loads – reaches West African shores in ways other than by container, such as being concealed in ship hulls. Motorboats and trawlers provide the final leg of delivery, ensuring discretion for these Serbian- and Albanian-speaking outfits concentrated in the Gulf of Guinea. Once ashore, they rely on trusted intermediaries to manage storage and repackaging, often behind the façade of front companies. … Two slavophone clans dominate this market: the Montenegrin Kavac group, entrenched in Sierra Leone, and its arch-rival, the Skaljari clan. Albanian-speaking networks, meanwhile, connect Senegal and The Gambia with the Canary Islands, often working hand-in-glove with the PCC and the ‘Ndrangheta. All benefit from the region’s expanding port infrastructure and the exponential growth in cargo volumes, which local authorities lack the means to monitor. The Africa Report
Central African Republic Community Flees to UN Military Base as Border Town is Attacked
The population of Am Dafock, situated on the border between Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR), have been forced to abandon their homes and take refuge in the camp of the United Nations Multidimensional Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) following an attack Monday, Sept. 22, by unidentified assailants from Sudan. This attack is suspected to be a reprisal, happening three days after the killing of four Sudanese Arabs by Russian mercenaries on Sept. 16, in Am Dafock, and marks an escalation of violence on the border between Sudan and CAR. The attack happened in a village seven kilometres from Am Dafock on the CAR side of the border. The Sudanese conflict has been spilling into the country for some time now. … This new escalation in violence confirms the analysis by Zachir Eric Takiya, who had alerted the authorities to the porous situation of the CAR border with Sudan during the national dialogue in 2022. According to him, the border resembles “two passageways which enable Sudanese and Chadians to enter and go as they like in the Central African Republic territory. These foreign populations, most times, know the terrain more than the Central African Republic natives themselves.” HumAngle
Ethiopia, Russia Sign Action Plan to Advance Nuclear Power Project
Ethiopia and Russia have formalized an action plan to advance the development of a nuclear power project in Ethiopia as part of a wider roadmap for cooperation discussed during Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Moscow. The agreement was exchanged on Thursday 25 September 2025 between Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, and Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos. It outlines practical steps for cooperation between Rosatom and the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation in building a nuclear power plant in Ethiopia. The exchange took place at the Kremlin in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders also held bilateral talks on energy, agriculture, healthcare, and defense cooperation, according to a Kremlin statement. … Prime Minister Abiy, who is attending the World Atomic Week conference in Moscow, said the project reflects Ethiopia’s ambition to strengthen cooperation with Russia and pursue new avenues for energy development. … Earlier in the day, Abiy and Putin also joined other leaders at the Global Atomic Forum, a platform for dialogue on nuclear energy and its applications. In an interview with local media, Ethiopia’s National Nuclear Program Coordinator, Teklemariam Tessema (PhD), outlined the country’s plans to build both research and power-generating nuclear reactors. Addis Standard
Niger Says It Wants to Build Two Nuclear Reactors in Partnership with Russia
Niger wants to build two 2,000-megawatt nuclear reactors in partnership with Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom, its mining minister Ousmane Abarchi said on Thursday. Abarchi said Niger was also proposing to cooperate with Russia in developing uranium reserves in the west African country. “Please, let’s develop our uranium deposits together,” he told a nuclear forum in Moscow, speaking via a translator. … Niger is among a group of African countries with which Russia is cultivating close ties, including in the area of security. According to the World Nuclear Association, Niger was the eighth largest producer of mined uranium in 2024. Abarchi said the proposed nuclear plants would be developed under the supervision of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. … South Africa is the only country in Africa with an operational nuclear power plant, but reactors are under construction in Egypt. Several other countries have put forward proposals to build nuclear power stations, including Ghana, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. Reuters
Kenya: Suspect in Russia War Recruitment Syndicate Arrested
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested a suspected human trafficking mastermind accused of luring Kenyans to Russia under the guise of lucrative job offers, only for them to end up in the Russian military and deployed to the frontline in the war in Ukraine. In an operation on Wednesday, detectives from the DCI’s Transnational Organised Crime Unit, backed by other security agencies, raided Great Wall Apartments in Athi River where 21 Kenyans were found being processed for travel to Russia. The operation led to the arrest of Edward Kamau Gituku, identified as the mastermind coordinating the illegal recruitment. According to investigators, the victims were scheduled to depart on different dates in September and October for “employment.” Authorities say the breakthrough followed months of coordinated surveillance after reports that Kenyans were paying hefty sums for jobs abroad, only to be forced into combat. Some of those who returned have suffered injuries, torture, or psychological trauma. The victims told detectives they had been lured by an overseas recruitment agency and signed binding contracts requiring payments of between Sh1.65 million and 2.31 million for visas, travel, accommodation, and other logistics. Several had already deposited between Sh50,000 and 100,000, lured by promises of salaries up to Sh200,000 a month. The Standard
Madagascar Police Fire Tear Gas at Protest Over Power, Water Cuts
Madagascar police fired tear gas and rubber bullets Thursday as protests in the capital Antananarivo over repeated water and electricity outages spiralled into chaos with looting and arson. The Indian Ocean island is one of the poorest countries on the globe despite vast natural resources. Police patrolled the capital in large numbers from early morning after authorities banned the demonstration the day before, citing the risk of public disorder. But the protesters defied the order and tried to break through a police barricade to reach their planned meeting point in the Ambohijatovo district in central Antananarivo. … “This movement was launched to restore water and electricity to Madagascar. Here, we have about 12 hours of power cuts daily. That means for 12 hours a day, we leave the house, go to work, pay taxes, and return home and still no electricity,” she said. … The protest, mobilised largely on social media, drew mostly young demonstrators and no political figures were seen among the crowd. AFP
Angola Groups Urge UN to Investigate Deadly July Crackdown
Leading Angola civil society groups have called on the United Nations to investigate a police crackdown on unrest two months ago when around 30 people were killed. A July 28-30 taxi strike against fuel price hikes in the oil-rich nation exploded into protests and looting, with security forces responding with live ammunition and sweeping arrests. In an open letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, five civil society groups made an “urgent request” for the world body to send a fact-finding mission. The letter was seen by AFP on Wednesday but dated Tuesday, the same day President Joao Lourenco addressed the UN General Assembly. It urged Guterres to “immediately establish an independent international fact-finding mission” that could identify perpetrators, collect evidence and “propose accountability measures”. “The systematic nature of violations, the scale of victims, the entrenched impunity, and the absence of domestic accountability mechanisms create compelling grounds for UN intervention,” said the letter signed by the Friends of Angola non-profit and four others. Police confirmed 30 deaths but have publicly released few details or follow-up. There has also been little information about the 1,500 people who were arrested, although some have been released on bail. AFP
Cameroon’s President Biya: Absent Candidate in Election
As campaigning starts on Saturday for Cameroon’s election, the nation is puzzling over the whereabouts of the lead candidate: its 92-year-old leader, Paul Biya — the world’s oldest head of state. In power since 1982 and seeking an eighth term in office in the October 12 polls, Biya left the central African country on Sunday for a “private trip to Europe”, his office said, without elaborating. Diplomatic sources said the leader, who is rarely seen in public, was in Geneva, his favourite destination for personal visits. The trip comes a week after his daughter Brenda called on Cameroonians not to vote for him, in a TikTok video that she later retracted. A weeks-long trip to Switzerland by Biya last September had fuelled rumours of his death, forcing the government to issue a statement reassuring the public about his health. This time, Biya appeared in good health in a video of his departure released by the presidency, showing him accompanied by his wife Chantal and three advisors. But the president was absent on Thursday from his scheduled appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, instead represented by his foreign minister. Biya is set to contend for another seven-year term against 11 other candidates. His RDPC party is rumoured to have scheduled a rally on Sunday in the northern city of Maroua. The party has not confirmed how many events it will organise and whether Biya will participate. He announced his candidacy on July 13 on X but has not directly addressed his fellow citizens since then. … The opposition, meanwhile, remained in discussions, attempting to name a consensus candidate. AFP
Dozens More Zambian Farmers Sue Over Toxic Mining Spill
More Zambian farmers have filed a fresh lawsuit against a Chinese mining company over a toxic waste spill, following a similar case earlier this month, court documents seen by AFP Thursday showed. The spill occurred in February when a waste storage facility burst near the town of Kitwe, in the heart of Zambia’s copper belt, releasing millions of litres of acidic mining residue into the environment. Around 50 farmers, backed by three non-governmental organisations, filed the suit in a Zambian court on Tuesday against the Chinese state-owned Sino-Metals Leach (SML) firm. They are seeking $220 million in damages to cover environmental and health impacts as well as relocation costs, the court documents said. According to the applicants, citing “results from independent studies”, more than two million square metres of land was visibly contaminated with an average residue depth of 0.3 metres (1 foot). They also accuse the company of attaching liability waiver clauses to its compensation agreements, which they say effectively prevent affected residents — most of whom are illiterate — from seeking further legal recourse. The new case follows another by almost 200 people affected by the spill who are demanding $80 billion from SML. They said the exposure to the population had caused a range of health issues including abdominal pains to skin irritations, respiratory issues, vomiting and blood in urine. … According to SML, about 50 million litres of waste had been spilled at the site of the incident, but a pollution control company said the amount was about 20 times greater. AFP