Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister Apollinaire J. Kyelem de Tambela met with Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss expanding military cooperation between the two countries. The talks come amid deepening ties between Russia and African nations, particularly Burkina Faso, which has been under military leadership since a 2022 coup. Russia has been seeking to bolster its influence in Africa, with Burkina Faso hosting Wagner mercenaries and receiving additional military support from Moscow to help combat terrorism.
Cameroon’s 91-year-old president, Paul Biya, is in good health, according to an official government statement, dismissing widespread rumors about his condition as “pure fantasy.” Biya, who has not been seen in public since attending a China-Africa forum in Beijing in September, missed a summit in France, fueling speculation about his well-being. Government spokesperson Rene Sadi emphasized that the president was on a private visit to Europe and would return to Cameroon soon.
Ethiopia’s parliament this week appointed Taye Astike Selassie as the new president, replacing the country’s first female head of state, Sahle-Work Zewde. Taye, who served as foreign minister since February, assumes a largely ceremonial role while political power remains with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Reports indicate that Sahle-Work had a falling out with Abiy, and sources close to her revealed she had been unhappy for some time, eagerly anticipating the end of her term, which is set for later this month. Although she advocated for peace during her presidency, she faced criticism for not addressing gender-based violence amid the Tigray civil war and ongoing conflicts in Oromia and Amhara. Taye, an experienced diplomat and close ally of Abiy, was sworn in before MPs on Monday.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, despite opposition from civil society and political parties over the country’s human rights record, including political repression, arbitrary detentions, and killings. Congo received 172 out of 190 votes in the General Assembly, securing its seat alongside Benin, Gambia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, all of which will serve three-year terms starting in January 2025. Human Rights Watch and opposition groups had expressed concerns about Congo’s inclusion, but Congo’s minister for human rights vowed to use the position to address and improve the country’s human rights situation.
The presidents of Somalia, Eritrea, and Egypt this week agreed to strengthen regional security cooperation amid increasing tensions in the Horn of Africa. At a summit in Asmara, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud committed to boosting ties and ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their nations. The leaders emphasized the need to resist foreign interference and coordinate efforts for regional stability and sustainable development. They also pledged deeper cooperation to combat terrorism in Somalia, where the military is fighting the al-Shabab group. This new security agreement may cause concern in Ethiopia, which has strained relations with Somalia over its plans to develop a port in Somaliland.
Mozambique’s election authorities are counting votes from Wednesday’s national elections, with civil society groups monitoring the process for signs of fraud. The ruling Frelimo party, in power for 49 years, is expected to retain control, although it has faced longstanding accusations of election rigging, which it denies. Civil society platform Sala da Paz reported irregularities, including over 200 polling stations barring journalists and observers from the vote count. Using an app to track results, monitors at the Centre for Public Integrity aim to identify discrepancies. Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, faces independent challenger Venancio Mondlane, who has gained significant support from youth voters. If the outcome is disputed, protests may arise. The next president will face multiple challenges, including an Islamist insurgency in the north, debt, and climate change impacts. Official results are expected in two weeks, but concerns about the election’s credibility remain.
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group on Tuesday reported recovering the bodies of its fighters killed during a July 2024 battle against Tuareg rebels and Islamist forces in northern Mali, fought alongside Malian troops. Wagner emphasized the heroism of its fighters despite being outnumbered, but a Tuareg rebel spokesperson denied the claim, asserting that the rebels had moved the bodies shortly after the battle. This conflict is part of a pattern of contradictory reports from both sides, with Wagner previously claiming two of its captured fighters had died, while the rebels insisted they were alive.
Preliminary results from the Tunisian election indicate that President Kais Saied has secured a second term, receiving 90.69% of the vote, as reported by the electoral commission on Monday. Voter turnout was notably low at 28.8%, with Saied facing two challengers: Zouhair Maghzaoui, the leader of the Chaab Party and a former ally turned critic, and Ayachi Zammel, who had been jailed the previous month.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will not face criminal charges related to a cash scandal involving $580,000 hidden in a couch at his game ranch. Prosecutors announced this decision on Thursday, following a comprehensive investigation prompted by former national security chief Arthur Fraser’s allegations in June 2022. Fraser accused Ramaphosa of kidnapping and bribery, claiming the president sought to cover up the theft by having his protection unit track down and bribe the thieves. The incident occurred in early 2020 but remained undisclosed until Fraser’s claims emerged, causing significant turmoil for Ramaphosa’s presidency ahead of crucial leadership votes.
Sudan is now experiencing the largest displacement crisis globally, according to Věra Jourová, Vice President of the European Commission on Tuesday. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced 10.9 million people internally, with an additional 2.2 million fleeing to neighboring countries. European Parliament members expressed concerns about the failure of development policies in Sudan, where famine has been declared, with projections of up to 2.5 million deaths by year’s end.
Writer and researcher at Alafarika for Studies and Consultancy.