The AU-EU Summit 2025 concluded in Angola, on Tuesday, bringing together leaders from approximately 80 countries for two days of talks focused on strengthening cooperation across various sectors. Marking 25 years of formal relations, the summit resulted in a wide-ranging joint declaration emphasizing the commitment to boost trade relations and better manage irregular migration. African leaders successfully pressed for increased European investment that focuses on local value addition rather than just raw material extraction, with an agreement to diversify and secure global supply chains for strategic and critical minerals. On migration, both continents pledged to curb illegal crossings while simultaneously expanding legal pathways for mobility, alongside improving the return of failed asylum seekers.
Guinea-Bissau witnessed a military coup d’état on Wednesday, just a day before the official results of the presidential and parliamentary elections, held on November 23, were due to be announced. Military officers, led by Brigadier General Dinis Incanha, seized power, announcing they had taken “total control” and ordered the suspension of all political institutions. Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was detained and later released after negotiations with the regional bloc. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had condemned the coup, immediately responded by suspending Guinea-Bissau’s membership from all decision-making bodies. The African Union (AU) similarly condemned the coup and demanded the unconditional restoration of constitutional order. The international community also reacted strongly; the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for restraint, while countries including South Africa and France condemned the move. The coup leaders subsequently appointed Ilídio Vieira Té as the interim leader of the country.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a “nationwide security emergency”, this week, in response to an alarming wave of mass kidnappings sweeping across the country. The emergency declaration was accompanied by an order for the immediate deployment of more security personnel to affected areas and an approval for the recruitment of over 50,000 additional police officers. This decisive action followed a week where assailants kidnapped hundreds of citizens, including two major attacks targeting schools: the abduction of 24 schoolgirls from Kebbi State and over 300 pupils and 12 teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State. In a statement on the same day, President Tinubu confirmed that all 24 schoolgirls abducted from Kebbi State had been successfully rescued. The declaration aims to signal a robust response to the crisis, with the legislature rejecting proposals to negotiate with the bandits and demanding stronger military action.
Mali commenced the implementation of a project that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create and deliver educational content in Bambara, the country’s most widely spoken local language. Launched in collaboration with the local tech firm RobotsMali, the Ministry of Education is leveraging generative AI tools like ChatGPT and specialized image generators to produce over a hundred short, illustrated stories, teaching guides, and pedagogical materials for primary school students. This effort is designed to address a critical scarcity of books and materials in local languages, a factor that has historically hampered educational efforts since independence.
Egypt successfully concluded the second and final phase of its parliamentary elections on Tuesday, following two days of tightly supervised voting. The second phase covered 13 governorates, including populous regions like Cairo, Qalyubia, and Sharqia, with a total of nearly 35 million eligible citizens registered to cast their ballots across over 5,200 polling stations. The voting process was overseen by judges from various judicial bodies and monitored by domestic and international civil society groups. Observers noted that the election proceeded smoothly, citing a strong turnout among youth, women, and the elderly. The National Election Authority (NEA) enforced a strict ban on campaigning near polling stations and put in place enhanced accessibility measures for voters with disabilities. The vote counting began immediately after polls closed, with the overall results set to determine the final composition of the House of Representatives.
South African police have confirmed a formal investigation into claims that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, and two associates tricked 17 men into fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine. The investigation, confirmed on Sunday, follows a police report filed by another of Zuma’s daughters, Nkosazana Bongamini Zuma-Mncube, who alleged that her stepsister lured the men with promises of “lucrative employment contracts” for bodyguard training with her father’s political party, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. Instead, the men were allegedly handed over to a Russian mercenary group and sent to the frontlines without their knowledge or consent. South African law strictly prohibits citizens from fighting for foreign armies without government authorization.
The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has formally agreed to a unilateral three-month humanitarian truce, announced on Tuesday. The ceasefire proposal was put forth by the quadripartite mediator group comprising the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. This latest acceptance comes despite the rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) having rejected the proposal a few days earlier, citing concerns over the RSF’s compliance with previous ceasefires. Given the history of past truce failures and the Sudanese army’s contention that the RSF must withdraw from civilian areas before any ceasefire can be implemented, the immediate impact on the ground remains uncertain.
Tanzanian authorities have officially cancelled the country’s Independence Day celebrations planned for December 9, citing a plot by the opposition to disrupt the events with planned nationwide demonstrations. Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba announced the cancellation on Tuesday, stating that the state money earmarked for the festivities would instead be redirected to refurbish public infrastructure damaged during weeks of post-election violence. The opposition and civil society organizations had called for massive street protests on the independence anniversary to condemn the deaths of protesters during the post-election crackdown that followed President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s controversial re-election. The government recently initiated an inquiry commission to investigate the unrest, but opposition groups argue the cancellation demonstrates an attempt to avoid a major public confrontation on a national holiday.
Ugandan Police forces disrupted a rally held by the main opposition presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine in the central district on Thursday. Police reportedly used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds gathered for the campaign event, in what the opposition party condemned as an ongoing effort by the authorities to impede their electoral activities. The disruption is the latest in a series of incidents where law enforcement has interfered with opposition rallies, underscoring the tense political environment ahead of the next general election. Bobi Wine, a popular singer and figurehead for the youth-driven opposition, has repeatedly accused the government of using security forces to suppress dissent and limit his ability to freely campaign against the long-serving incumbent President Yoweri Museveni.
Researcher at Alafarika for Studies and Consultancy; and writer at Cultural.ng.