This week, Madagascar’s political turmoil escalated as military commander Colonel Michael Randrianirina took the oath of office to become the new president, following a coup that ousted the former president, Andry Rajoelina, who has since fled the country. Randrianirina, who commands an elite army unit, was sworn in before the High Constitutional Court after seizing momentum from popular anti-government protests. Afterwards, he announced that the country will now be run by a military council with him as president for an interim period of 18 months to two years before new elections are held. This development has been met with condemnation from international bodies, including the UN, despite the military takeover being celebrated by some Madagascans who opposed the previous administration.
Cameroon held its presidential election on Sunday, contested in a single round, where the candidate with the most votes wins. While the official results have not yet been released by the Cameroonian electoral commission, the main opposition leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, has already declared himself the winner, calling on the 92-year-old incumbent, President Paul Biya, to accept the end of his 43-year rule in a video statement. The Territorial Administration Minister, however, warned against announcing overall results before the constitutional council’s validation, calling it a “red line.” With both sides claiming victory based on social media tallies and the turnout remaining unknown, the political climate remains tense as the country awaits the official pronouncement, which is expected to be made by October 26.
Opposition leader Patrick Herminie has won the presidential election in Seychelles, defeating incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan in a runoff vote. The official results showed Herminie, representing the United Seychelles party, garnered 52.7% of the vote, while Ramkalawan garnered 47.3%. The election proceeded to a runoff after no candidate secured the required outright majority in the first round. Herminie’s victory marks a significant political shift, as his United Seychelles party, which governed the country for four decades before losing power in 2020, also reclaimed a parliamentary majority in the first round of the general election. Herminie, who previously served as the National Assembly speaker, pledged in his victory speech to focus on key issues for Seychellois voters, including lowering the cost of living, reviving public services, and uniting the island nation.
Sudanese General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo this week to align strategies on the devastating war in Sudan and shared regional tensions. A key item on their agenda was the upcoming Quad meeting—involving Egypt, Sudan, the US, and Saudi Arabia—scheduled for later in October in Washington. Both leaders expressed hope that the Quad meeting would yield tangible results to stop the war and restore stability in Sudan, with President El-Sissi reaffirming Egypt’s unwavering support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and strongly rejecting any attempts to create parallel governing entities. The leaders also discussed the critical Nile water issue, reiterating their firm rejection of any unilateral actions by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile that violated international law.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a significant warning, based on its latest regional economic outlook report, on Thursday, regarding increasing debt risks across Sub-Saharan Africa, citing that governments rely more heavily on domestic borrowing from local banks. The report noted that as external financing has become more constrained and expensive, about half of the region’s total public debt is now owed to domestic financial institutions, with domestic borrowing being more expensive than external borrowing. The IMF estimates that approximately 20 countries in the region are currently in a situation of high risk of debt distress and thus urged governments to prioritize urgent policy reforms to boost domestic revenue and strengthen debt management frameworks to ensure sustainable growth.
Kenya is currently in a state of national grief following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga this week. Odinga, a stalwart of Kenya’s fight for democratic reforms, a celebrated opposition leader, and prime minister from 2008 to 2013, passed away at the age of nearly 80 from a cardiac arrest while undergoing medical treatment in India. The arrival of his body in Nairobi drew massive crowds, which tragically resulted in chaos when police used force, resulting in fatalities and numerous injuries. The government now has to bear the tasks of both honoring the memory of an iconic leader and addressing concerns about the excessive use of force against grieving citizens.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI presided over the launch ceremony for the construction of a state-of-the-art aircraft engine industrial complex by the French aerospace giant Safran in Nouaceur, near Casablanca, emphasizing Morocco’s position as a growing global aerospace hub. The complex, located within the Midparc industrial platform, will include two major facilities: an assembly and testing line for the new-generation LEAP-1A engines (used on Airbus jets) and a dedicated maintenance and repair plant. Safran is set to invest a total of approximately €320 million in the two facilities, which will produce around 350 LEAP-1A engines annually and service 150 engines annually by 2027.
Mali’s Foreign Ministry announced that it is imposing reciprocal visa bond requirements on United States citizens, mirroring the recent measures imposed by Washington on Malian travelers. The decision mandates that U.S. nationals seeking Malian business or tourist visas must now post a bond of up to $10,000. This action is a response to the new U.S. policy, set to take effect on October 23, which requires Malian visa applicants to post similar bonds ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. Mali’s government deplored the unilateral U.S. decision, stating it violates a 2005 bilateral agreement on long-stay multiple-entry visas.
Egypt has announced its second fuel price increase this year, with prices for various petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, rising by between 10.5% and 12.9%. This latest adjustment is part of a governmental push to align domestic energy prices with actual costs and fulfill commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce energy subsidies and curb a growing budget deficit. Despite the hike, the government affirmed its commitment to freezing domestic fuel prices for at least one year following this adjustment, citing various local and global developments.
In the southern Tunisian city of Gabès, hundreds of residents took to the streets to protest the severe environmental pollution caused by the state-owned Tunisian Chemical Group’s (GCT) phosphate complex, with many demanding its closure. However, the demonstrations escalated as protestors, angered by rising rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses and recent reports of children being hospitalized following a new gas leak, attempted to reach the industrial plant, which is a designated military zone. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, resulting in injuries to several demonstrators and riot police.