Africa: New AU Mission for Somalia – Old Problems, Fresh Solutions?

Joseph Conrad's depiction of colonial exploitation in Congo echoes in current U.S. negotiations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the DRC is offering minerals in exchange for military assistance amid ongoing security crises and armed conflicts. With a history of Western exploitation and the DRC's dependency on foreign aid, this deal risks further entrenching a cycle of subservience, where the DRC's mineral wealth becomes a bargaining chip for military support rather than...

The authorities in Gabon are set to announce provisional results from Saturday's presidential election, the first since the August 2023 coup that removed Ali Bongo from power. The coup leader, Gen Brice Oligui Nguema, altered the constitution to facilitate his candidacy, while critics noted the electoral framework favored him, excluding significant opposition figures. Turnout in Libreville was reportedly high and the election was largely peaceful, although some allegations of irregularities were raised by opposition candidate...

Thomas MackintoshBBC News, LondonRegan MorrisBBC News, Los AngelesThe US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of temporary deportation protections for approximately 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians, citing improved conditions in their home countries. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's decision, influenced by a USCIS review, follows a previous extension of protections for Afghans announced in September 2023. The move has raised concerns among affected individuals, including Shukriah, an Afghan asylum seeker facing imminent deportation...

Tanzania's main opposition party, Chadema, has been disqualified from the upcoming elections after failing to sign a required code of conduct, coinciding with the treason charges against its leader, Tundu Lissu, following a rally advocating for electoral reforms. The ruling CCM party is expected to maintain power amid accusations of increasing repression against political opponents by President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government, which has been criticized for its treatment of dissenters. Lissu, who has faced multiple...

In a significant military operation in north-west Nigeria, notorious bandit kingpin Gwaska Dankarami and 100 of his followers were reportedly killed, disrupting criminal networks that have plagued the region. Dankarami, previously believed to be killed in 2022, was a high-value target linked to an Islamic State-affiliated leader and had been hiding in the Munumu Forest. The operation, which follows a deadly kidnapping incident in Katsina State, reflects ongoing efforts by authorities to restore stability and...

Sudanese paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) killed the entire staff of the last medical clinic in the Zamzam camp during an assault that resulted in at least 100 deaths, including 20 children, in El Fasher, Darfur. Following extensive shelling, the R.S.F. breached the camp's perimeter, destroying homes and the main market before targeting the clinic, where nine medical workers were shot dead as they had no way to escape. The violence escalates ahead...