Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu died on Thursday at the age of 68, six months after his attempted return to politics was stopped by a court verdict that barred him from running for office again. Lungu was the sixth president of Southern Africa, serving from 2015 to 2021, when he was defeated in an election by long-time opposition leader and current President Hakainde Hichilema. According to a social media announcement from his political party, the Patriotic Front, Lungu passed away on Thursday morning at a medical facility in the capital city of Pretoria, South Africa, where he had been undergoing specialized treatment.
Four Ivory Coast opposition figures, including Tidjane Thiam, Charles Ble Goude, former president Laurent Gbagbo, and former prime minister Guillaume Soro, have been excluded from the final electoral list, leaving them ineligible to contest the October presidential elections. The Electoral Commission has also excluded Charles Ble Goude because he was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, while Guillaume Soro was eliminated due to his leadership in a rebel group and his organization of a coup. However, Ivorian President Ouattara, who has been in power since 2011, is included on the electoral register but has not announced if he will seek a fourth term.
Burundi held parliamentary and local elections on Thursday, with more than six million registered voters trooping out to elect members of parliament and municipal councilors. According to the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), 14,156 voting booths were constructed both domestically and internationally. This contains 14,103 stations across the country, as well as 53 stations in the diaspora and peacekeeping operations, which serve 6,013,498 registered voters. Long lines of voters had formed at some voting sites early Thursday, indicating civic involvement despite the country’s deteriorating economic prospects. The vote comes amid a worsening socioeconomic crisis typified by gasoline shortages, skyrocketing inflation, and scarcity of basic necessities like sugar and foreign currency.
The World Bank has lifted a freeze on loans to Uganda, two years after suspending new lending due to the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ laws. The freeze was imposed in 2023, following the death penalty provisions in cases involving same-sex acts. Rights groups report hundreds of LGBTQ Ugandans have been evicted, subjected to violence, or arrested due to their identity. The bank is now prepared to resume funding, stating it has developed mitigation measures to ensure projects do not harm or discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Ghanaian citizens can now travel to Morocco without a visa, following an agreement between the two countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the new policy, which allows travelers to obtain an online travel authorization within 24 hours. This change is expected to make travel easier and faster, boosting tourism, trade, and personal connections between Ghana and Morocco. Direct flights between the two countries are already in place, with more likely to follow. Ablakwa emphasized that Africa’s borders should not divide Ghana but rather serve as bridges of connectivity.
Two Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, a female suicide bomber and her accomplice, were killed in an explosion near a Catholic shrine in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, during Martyrs’ Day celebrations. The blast occurred in Munyonyo, outside the Munyonyo Martyrs’ Shrine, where Ugandans were assembling to commemorate 19th-century Christians executed for their faith. No civilian injuries were reported. The incident prompted increased security patrols across Kampala. The suspects are believed to be linked to the ADF, a rebel group that originated in Uganda in the 1990s but later relocated to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Congolese government has banned journalists from reporting on former President Joseph Kabila’s actions or interviewing members of his political party. This comes after Kabila returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo last month amid rising tensions between himself and the administration led by his successor, President Félix Tshisekedi. The authorities are attempting to prosecute Mr. Kabila on charges of treason and alleged ties to the M23 rebels who have been fighting the army, something he has previously denied. Christian Bosembe, the chairman of DR Congo’s media authority, warned that violations of the prohibition could result in suspension. However, an M23 representative stated that media outlets under its control will not comply with the prohibition.
Gabon has announced its decision to withdraw from a significant fisheries agreement with the European Union, 18 years after signing it, citing worries over resource exploitation and an imbalance in benefits. The deal, signed in 2007, allows European vessels to fish in Gabonese waters in exchange for financial assistance to Gabon’s fishing industry. Gabon is now raising concerns about potential overexploitation of its marine resources, as well as a lack of investment and job development opportunities. The European Union recognizes Gabon’s sovereign right to depart but remains open to negotiations. The move represents a substantial shift in Gabon’s natural resource management strategy.
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday that prohibited nationals of 12 nations from entering the country, citing the need to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security risks. Chad, the Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan have all been affected. People from seven additional countries, including Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo, would also be partially restricted from entering the U.S. In retaliation, Chad’s President Idriss Deby ordered his government to suspend issuing visas to US Americans with immediate effect, while Congo Republic’s government spokesperson, Thierry Moungalla, said the country’s inclusion was a “misunderstanding.” The African Union Commission expressed alarm about the new travel ban’s possible harmful impact on educational exchanges, commercial engagement, and broader diplomatic connections.
The UK has become the latest country to support Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, stating that it is the most credible, viable, and pragmatic way to resolve the dispute over the territory’s sovereignty. The UK supports the United Nations-led resolution process and called on Morocco to expand on details of what autonomy within the Moroccan state could entail for the region. Western Sahara has been disputed since Spain left its former colony in 1975, with Morocco and the Polisario Front claiming sovereignty over the area. The region is home to 600,000 people and is considered a non-self-governing territory by the United Nations. The UK’s shift is part of a momentum to speed up the solution of the conflict. Both countries have signed cooperation deals in healthcare, innovation, port and water infrastructure, and procurement. Algeria has long criticized Western support for Morocco and expressed regret for Britain’s decision.