The Africa Edition©️2 July 2025
The Africa Edition: News That Matters to Africa - “Overlooked and Misunderstood”©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“… If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing...”
TOP NEWS
EASTERN AFRICA
WEST AFRICA
SOUTHERN AFRICA
NORTH AFRICA
CENTRAL AFRICA
AFRICA-WIDE ISSUES
UN AFFAIRS
THE WEEK AHEAD
EASTERN AFRICA
DR CONGO
Inside the US-led peace deal between Congo and Rwanda
In late June 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough. President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan officials, including Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, formalized the accord under the oversight of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former President Trump. Key provisions include the withdrawal of Rwandan troops within 90 days, the cessation of state support for armed groups (notably M23 and FDLR), and the creation of a joint security coordination mechanism. The deal also integrates economic commitments, such as launching a regional value-chain framework for minerals and enabling U.S. investment in critical supply chains—tying stability to access to cobalt, lithium, tantalum, and other resources. While the agreement is framed as a turning point toward peace and economic integration, critics question its durability and fairness. Important rebel factions like M23 weren’t party to the accord, and lingering doubts remain about implementation mechanisms, transparent auditing, and anti-corruption measures. Congolese civil society voices, like Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege, have voiced concerns that the deal disproportionately prioritizes mineral extraction and foreign investment over justice and local representation. Analysts note that the success of the “Washington Accord” depends heavily on sustained U.S. oversight, meaningful diplomatic follow-through, and genuine regional commitment—especially amid unresolved tensions and past failures in eastern DRC.
KENYA
Civilian shot at close range by police during protests dies
The Kenyan man who was shot at close range by a police officer during recent protests over a blogger’s death in custody has died, his family said Monday. A family spokesperson said Boniface Kariuki died on Monday afternoon, a day after doctors at the national referral hospital in Nairobi declared him brain-dead. An Associated Press photographer captured the moment when the police officer shot Kariuki in the head. Kariuki held a package of face masks and appeared to be a vendor and bystander during the protests over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang. That death, and the shooting of Kariuki, reignited anger in Kenya over the longstanding issue of police brutality. Two police officers have been arrested over the shooting of Kariuki on June 17. President William Ruto has vowed to end police brutality and said no enforced disappearances would happen during his administration. But Ruto’s interior minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, last week told police to “shoot on sight” anyone who approaches police stations during protests. The order came after five police stations were torched.
MADAGASCAR
Madgascar's President in Paris to discuss disputed Indian Ocean islets
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina arrived in Paris on Monday for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on the future of the long-disputed Scattered Islands. The five tiny islets with a total area of just 43 square kilometres in the Indian Ocean were part of Madagascar when it was a French colony. They were split off when the island nation gained independence in 1960 and Madagascar wants them back. France, however, is determined to maintain ownership of the uninhabited but strategic islands which are protected ecological sanctuaries. Not only because of their ecological and symbolic importance, but also because of the control they offer over vast maritime zones rich in resources. These tiny islands grant France jurisdiction over a staggering 640,000 km² of marine space -- roughly six per cent of its total maritime domain – full of fish and possible gas reserves. The trouble is that for Madagascar, they carry symbolic weight and it has long contested their detachment. United Nations votes in 1979 and 1980 agreed that the islets should be reintegrated into Madagascar.
SOMALIA
Puntland forces launch operation against ISIS remnants in Al-Miskad Mountains
Puntland Defense Forces launched a military operation early Monday targeting areas in the Al-Miskad mountain range where remnants of the ISIS-affiliated militant group are believed to be hiding. “The forces are conducting a clearance operation today against fleeing terrorists. Troops have spread out and are advancing toward the limited zones where the fugitives may be hiding,” read a statement from Operation Hillaac, the ongoing military campaign. According to intelligence information, ISIS elements who previously operated in the area are now believed to be hiding in remote locations currently under military pressure. Security officials say the operation is part of a broader effort to eliminate remaining militant cells in the mountainous region, which has long served as a hideout for armed groups. The Puntland authorities have not yet released casualty figures or confirmed arrests linked to the ongoing offensive.
SOMALILAND
Diplomatic visit to Qatar marks strategic shift
Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, arrived in Doha for his first official visit, holding talks on maritime security, investment, and humanitarian aid. The president was invited by the Qatari government and is accompanied by a high-level delegation. The visit is seen by many as a significant step in Somaliland’s efforts to expand its foreign policy footprint and strengthen diplomatic ties with key regional actors. The President’s visit comes amid Somaliland’s ongoing push for greater international recognition and deeper economic engagement across the Gulf and beyond. The trip could elevate Somaliland’s international profile but may also complicate Ethiopia-Somalia dynamics amid tensions over sovereignty.
UGANDA
Ugandan MP ‘alive but weak’ after abduction
A Ugandan member of parliament critical of President Yoweri Museveni has been found “alive but very weak” after being abducted over the weekend, his wife told the media on Monday. Uganda has seen increased pressure on opposition figures ahead of presidential elections in January, when Museveni will seek to extend his nearly 40 years in power. On Sunday, the Uganda Law Society raised the alarm over the “enforced disappearance” of Barnabas Tinkasiimire, a lawyer and MP. In a statement, the country’s bar association said a family source confirmed Tinkasiimire was picked up by “heavily armed, drone-operating security operatives” at a petrol station in the capital Kampala. Speaking on Monday, Tinkasiimire’s wife said he had since been found in a suburb of the city. “They dumped him in Namungoona in the early morning hours,” she said, adding that he went missing on Friday. “He is alive but very weak. We have taken him for medical attention,” she said. Tinkasiimire is a member of Museveni’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement. But in a post on X, opposition leader Bobi Wine said Tinkasiimire “has been very critical of Museveni’s effort to impose his brutal son on our country, which his family believes is the reason he is being persecuted and held incommunicado”.
WEST AFRICA
CAPE VERDE/ANGOLA
Cape Verdeans, Angolans want Portugal to return looted artefacts, poll shows
A majority of respondents in Angola and Cape Verde believe Portugal should apologise for its colonial past and return artefacts and other items looted during that era, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Pollsters surveyed more than 3,000 people across Angola, Cape Verde and Portugal. In Angola, 58% of respondents said Portugal should return artefacts such as masks, sculptures and ritual objects taken from its former colonies. Support was higher in Cape Verde at 63%. The survey showed 54% of the Portuguese supported the return of such items, but 58% said Portugal did not owe its former colonies an apology. In Angola, 59% thought Lisbon should apologize with 58% in Cape Verde. Portugal's colonial history, which spanned Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Brazil and East Timor, as well as parts of India, remains contentious. From the 15th to the 19th century, nearly six million Africans were forcibly transported by Portuguese ships and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil. Little is taught about it in schools. Most respondents in all three countries - 58% in Angola, 83% in Cape Verde and 78% in Portugal - do not think monuments related to colonialism should be taken down. In Portugal, 58% of respondents said a memorial to victims of transatlantic slavery should be built.
GHANA/NIGERIA
Dozens of Ghanaians trafficked in job scam rescued in Nigeria
Some 76 Ghanaians who were trafficked to Nigeria under a fraudulent recruitment scheme have been rescued, Ghanaian police say. The victims, mostly young men, were lured with promises of football contracts with top foreign teams, job placements abroad or assistance with visa processing. Upon arrival, their travel documents and mobile phones were seized, and they were housed in overcrowded rooms under poor conditions, police say. The victims were forced to contact their families to solicit about $1,000 (£727) in the guise of paying training or facilitation fees. The fraud masterminds also allegedly used the victims' phone contact lists to scam their friends and relatives. Seven Ghanaian suspects have been arrested in connection with the trafficking. The head of Ghana's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Lydia Yaako Donkor, said at a press briefing that the rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with Interpol and Nigerian law enforcement agencies. The victims were rescued from different states in Nigeria between 19 May and 27 June this year, and are yet to be repatriated to be reunited with their families in Ghana... QNET, a global lifestyle and wellness marketing company allegedly linked to the recruitment scam, has been banned from operating in Ghana since 2022 for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme. The company has repeatedly denied any involvement in fraudulent activities.
MALI
Govt completes takeover of gold mines abandoned by foreign companies
Mali has completed its takeover of the Yatela and Morila gold mines abandoned by their previous owners, the government announced at the weekend, but questions remain over how any untapped value can be released. The takeovers and failure to disclose how the operations will be funded highlight the complex challenges facing Mali as it seeks to regain control of its natural resources and leverage high commodity prices to boost the economy, mirroring moves by other West African states including Burkina Faso and Niger. Mali's military leaders, who took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, announced their intentions to nationalize the mines last year. Since taking power the military government has pressured foreign mining companies through increased taxes, revised contracts, regulatory crackdowns and a general pivot from Western investors to Russian interests. Mali produces about 65 tons of gold annually, making it Africa's second-largest producer. Gold prices, meanwhile, have remained strong this year, spurred largely by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff impositions and wider geopolitical uncertainty.
NIGERIA
One of Nigeria’s richest men set to be buried in Saudi Arabia
One of Nigeria's wealthiest businessmen, Aminu Dantata, is set to be buried in Saudi Arabia after he died on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates. Business mogul Dantata, 94, an uncle of Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote, leaves three wives, 21 children and 121 grandchildren. His body was set to be transferred from Abu Dhabi, where he died, to the holy city of Medina after Saudi authorities approved his burial in their country. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu described Dantata's death as a "monumental national loss” in a statement. Despite his riches, Dantata lived in one of the poorest areas of the northern city of Kano, like his parents before him. His influence was also felt in politics, with politicians eager to seek his blessings before elections...A special prayer was held for him in Kano, where he lived all his life. Two Nigerian state governors and four government ministers have gone to Medina for his funeral.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
LESOTHO
Lesotho activist arrested after video on unemployment rates angers prime minister
It took a single video complaining about Lesotho’s unemployment rate to turn Tšolo Thakeli into the prime minister’s enemy. Within a day of posting there were armed police at his door. It was Father’s Day, and the 31-year-old father of two was in his pajamas when they arrived. He had no idea his post would land him in trouble; after all, he had campaigned for a long time, under different governments, for action on jobs for young people. But this month’s video by Thakeli, asking why the premier, Sam Matekane, had not delivered on a promise to create jobs, had struck a chord with young people, who began sharing and discussing the post online. Initial attempts to charge him with insulting Matekane and inciting violence were abandoned due to lack of evidence. He was held for two days. Thakeli was then summoned by Lesotho’s head of police and told to never mention the prime minister’s name again. He was released but re-arrested the same day and charged with sedition. Maketane announced he would create 70,000 jobs in just three weeks. Thakeli’s video questioned the substance of this promise, highlighting that there was no provision for such job creation in a budget announced in February and asking why there had been no action in the three years since Maketane’s election. Lesotho struggles with 16% unemployment, with the rate rising to 24% for young people, according to the World Bank. Thakeli, now a business owner, said he struggled to find a job after graduating as a lawyer.
MALAWI
Attack on Malawi protesters condemned as vote tensions mount
The European Union and the United States called on Malawi’s government Friday to investigate violence against demonstrators in escalating tensions ahead of September elections. The diplomats issued statements of condemnation after unidentified men armed with machetes and stones attacked a protest of a few dozen people in the capital on Thursday, injuring several and torching two vehicles. The protesters were demanding the resignation of electoral commission officials over claims of a lack of transparency regarding plans to switch to electronic voting systems at the September polls. There have been sporadic demonstrations in the run-up to the election in which President Lazarus Chakwera will be seeking a second term to lead Malawi’s 21 million people, nearly three-quarters of whom live in poverty. One of the protesters at Thursday’s demonstration, Sylvester Namiwa, told AFP he was dragged from a minibus by one of the attackers and beaten in full view of the police and soldiers…Opposition leaders accuse Chakwera’s ruling Malawi Congress Party of stifling dissent through state institutions. There is also anger at skyrocketing prices, with inflation nearing 30 percent.
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique probes claim of army atrocities near TotalEnergies site
Mozambique’s human rights commission said on Friday it has opened an investigation into media reports of deadly abuses by government soldiers against villagers fleeing jihadist unrest near a major TotalEnergies gas plant. Politico reported in September that soldiers tasked with protecting the French fossil fuel giant’s site had rounded up villagers following a major attack in 2021 and locked between 180 and 250 into containers, accusing them of being part of an insurgency. The men were held for three months and beaten, suffocated, starved and tortured, with only 26 surviving, according to the report by journalist Alex Perry based on interviews with survivors and witnesses. “If true, the facts alleged in the article may constitute crimes of summary execution (murder) torture and other cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment,” the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) said in a statement. A team of investigators was in place and consulting with officials from the northern Cabo Delgado province, the statement said. They would visit the area to collect statements from witnesses and victims, and also meet representatives of Mozambique LNG, the local subsidiary of France’s TotalEnergies.
SOUTH AFRICA
Donald Trump threatens to deport Elon Musk to South Africa
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he could consider deporting Elon Musk, after the South African-born billionaire slammed his flagship spending bill. Trump also said the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) -- which Musk headed before stepping down late May -- may train its sights on the Tesla and SpaceX founder's government subsidies. "I don't know. We'll have to take a look," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he would consider deporting Musk. "We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon." Trump doubled down on the threat when he said he believed Musk was attacking his so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill" because he was annoyed that it had dropped measures to support electric vehicles (EV). "He's losing his EV mandate. He's very upset about things, but you know, he could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you right now. Elon can lose a lot more than that." Trump made similar comments on his Truth Social network late Monday, saying that "without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa."
At least 101 dead in Eastern Cape floods as rescue efforts continue
The official death toll in South Africa's devastating floods remains unclear as rescue efforts for missing people continue in the Eastern Cape province. Authorities said last week that 101 people had died but this number is likely to increase. Victims include 38 children. The youngest fatality is an infant about 12 months old. Seven bodies remain unidentified and search operations are ongoing for two missing children. The OR Tambo and Amathole districts were the hardest hit areas. The Eastern Cape provincial government extended its condolences to the victims’ families. Extreme weather hit the province between June 9 and 10. Heavy rain caused by a cold front turned into floods that swept away victims and their houses, trapped others in their homes, strongly damaged infrastructure and cut electricity supplies. Electricity has been restored to over 80% of affected customers and more than 95% of the water supply having been restored in the OR Tambo and Amathole Districts, according to Williams. Local authorities said an estimated R5.1 billion (about $290 million) would be needed to repair damaged infrastructure. South Africa has declared a state of national disaster, allowing the government to release funding for relief services.
ZAMBIA
A bitter political rivalry shows no deference to death
President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia and his predecessor Edgar Lungu have spent years taking shots at each other. Each man’s home has been raided by the police when the other was in power. The government under Mr. Lungu arrested Mr. Hichilema for having failed to give way to his convoy. Mr. Hichilema’s government stripped Mr. Lungu of his retirement benefits, arguing that Zambian law required it because Mr. Lungu had re-entered politics. The rivalry is so bitter that it has extended into the afterlife. Mr. Lungu, who died three and a half weeks ago at 68, has yet to be buried as his family and Mr. Hichilema’s government spar over the terms of the former president’s funeral. While Mr. Hichilema has ordered a state funeral for Mr. Lungu in Zambia, Mr. Lungu’s relatives have said that their loved one did not want his political nemesis involved in his burial. They have sought a funeral and burial in South Africa, where Mr. Lungu died after treatment for an undisclosed illness. A South African court thwarted those plans last week, at least temporarily. After the Zambian government filed a lawsuit challenging the family’s decision to bury Mr. Lungu in South Africa, a judge halted the proceeding until the case was resolved.
ZIMBABWE
Hearings over Mugabe-era massacres delayed
Much-anticipated hearings on 1980s massacres by elite Zimbabwean soldiers failed to start on schedule amid reports of logistical problems and threats of a court challenge. Tens of thousands of people were killed over several years in the so-called Gukurahundi massacre under former leader Robert Mugabe, a few years after Zimbabwe’s independence from Britain. Starting in 1983, Mugabe deployed an elite North Korean-trained army unit to crack down on a revolt in the western Matabeleland region. Critics say the soldiers targeted dissidents loyal to Mugabe’s rival, fellow revolutionary and nationalist leader Joshua Nkomo. Most of the victims belonged to the minority Ndebele tribe…Politician Sibangilizwe Nkomo, son of Joshua Nkomo, said that his party had approached the High Court for a halt to the proceedings. Among the concerns is whether the chiefs have a legal mandate to preside over the hearings. Musa Kika, executive director of the pan-African Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, said there were also questions over the objectivity of the traditional leaders.
NORTH AFRICA
ALGERIA
French sports journalist sentenced to seven years in prison
On June 29, 2025, an Algerian court in Tizi Ouzou—located in the Kabylia region—sentenced 36-year-old freelance sportswriter Christophe Gleizes to seven years in prison on charges of “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing propaganda publications harmful to national interests.” The verdict stems from interviews Gleizes conducted with a JS Kabylie football official who later became linked to the pro-independence Kabyle Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK), which Algerian authorities designated as a terrorist organization in 2021. Gleizes, a contributor to ‘So Foot and Society’, was arrested on May 28, 2024, while researching a book and commemorating former player Albert Ebossé. He remained under judicial control in Algeria until his harsh ruling. The sentence has attracted sharp criticism from press freedom advocates and the French Foreign Ministry. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the ruling as “absurd” and “nonsensical,” highlighting that it represents one of the most severe penalties ever handed to a French journalist for standard reporting activity. Algeria’s authorities did not publicly clarify the charges or specifics of the trial, prompting concerns of judicial overreach and political intimidation. Gleizes's defense lawyer confirmed he has filed an appeal, with a new session expected in October
LIBYA
Military build-up in Tripoli as human rights group warns of ceasefire collapse
Military movements in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli, have escalated sharply, raising fears over the stability of the fragile security situation and the possible return of armed clashes, according to both local and international warnings. A prominent human rights organisation expressed concern about what it described as a clear threat to stability and a serious indication of a potential resurgence of armed violence in the city. In its statement, the organisation stressed that any breach of the ceasefire or the current truce would pose a severe risk to the safety and lives of civilians, and undermine national reconciliation efforts and the path towards lasting peace in Libya.” The statement called for full commitment to the ceasefire agreement and respect for the security arrangements put in place by the Libyan Presidential Council. It also warned that renewed clashes could have grave humanitarian consequences, particularly for civilians and vital infrastructure.
MOROCCO
OpEd: How Morocco's high-stakes gamble on Israel could be its downfall
Why does the regime persist in this strategy of openly embracing Israel, despite the risk of political implosion?
CENTRAL AFRICA
CHAD
Detained Opposition leader Succes Masra ends hunger strike
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra, who has been in detention since mid-May, has ended his hunger strike after about a week of fasting, his lawyers announced Monday. “President Masra, physically weakened but morally combative is suspending his food strike and will re-prepare for the rest of this procedure," the group of lawyers defending him announced in a statement Monday evening. On Saturday, around twenty women from his opposition party, the Transformateurs, demonstrated in their undergarments in N'Djamena to demand the release of their leader. Masra, arrested on May 16, announced his hunger strike last Tuesday in a letter made public by his lawyers. He is being prosecuted for " incitement to hatred and revolt, formation and complicity of armed gangs, complicity in murder, arson, and desecration of graves." On May 14, 42 people, " mostly women and children," were killed in Mandakao, in the Logone-Occidental region (southwest Chad), according to the Chadian justice system, which accuses Masra of having provoked this massacre through one of his public statements. Success Masra, originally from the south of the country, enjoys widespread popularity among the predominantly Christian and southern populations, who feel marginalized by the predominantly Muslim regime in N'Djamena.
AFRICA-WIDE ISSUES
The limits to China’s transactional diplomacy in Africa
China has a stated policy of noninterference in internal affairs, predicated on respecting “sovereign authority” and “stability maintenance”, which holds that legitimacy derives from uncontested control of state power. Practically, this makes China “regime agnostic,” which is how some African commentators describe China’s preference for working with governments of all shades—authoritarian, military, civilian, democratic—so long as their hold on power is relatively firm. This strategy also means China is invested in regime stability, a policy that is particularly pronounced in fragile settings like Niger, where it has a major stake in keeping the regime in office…China is increasingly aware of the tests facing its transactional dealmaking in parts of Africa. A report released in May 2025 by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce warned that political instability in Africa was creating a complex operating environment for Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs)…Transactional relationships with governments that lack fidelity to constitutional rules or govern by decree or in a highly personalized style are inherently unstable…This means that the nature and quality of governance should be key considerations in investment decisions
The Sheikh who conquered soccer and coddles warlords
The NY Times profiles Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and vice president of the UAE and owner of Manchester City, not just as a soccer magnate but as a key sponsor of armed conflicts across Africa. Notably, it details his backing of warlords such as Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) and Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar. In Sudan, Sheikh Mansour’s Emirati charities established hospitals that allegedly doubled as fronts for smuggling weapons—including drones—for the RSF, suspected of genocide in Darfur. American intelligence reportedly intercepted phone calls between Mansour and Hemedti, indicating direct UAE coordination in arming the RSF amidst a war responsible for over 150,000 deaths. In Libya, the UAE is accused of supplying arms to General Haftar in violation of UN embargoes. Emirati weapons—ultimately including American-made hardware—are said to have buttressed Haftar’s military offensives, allegedly financed through mercenaries like Russia’s Wagner Group. These operations underscore a broader UAE strategy to wave “hard power” across conflict zones. Through Sheikh Mansour’s covert influence, the UAE selectively supported authoritarian warlords—Hemedti in Sudan and Haftar in Libya—as part of an ambitious regional geopolitical push. Beyond Sudan and Libya, the UAE’s scope extends to Yemen and Ethiopia, aligning militarily with Hemedti and leveraging Mansour as a diplomatic “fixer” who negotiates with armed actors to secure strategic gains. As Europe and the U.S. retrenched, the UAE accelerated investments and influence across Africa, building infrastructure and defense partnerships. However, growing scrutiny—from intercepted intelligence to international legal complaints—casts doubt on the impunity once enjoyed by the Emirates and Mansour. The report suggests that newfound global pressure may end the era of concealed warlord coddling and unbridled influence.
Who do children belong more to?
Africa has historically been home to many matrilineal societies. How common are they today? Between late 2021 and mid-2023, Afrobarometer surveyed 39 countries. We asked people to whom children belong more: the mother’s side, the father’s side, or both equally? On average, a majority (56%) say children are equally their mother’s and their father’s or neither’s. A quarter (24%) are paternally inclined while a fifth lean toward the mother (19%). Sudan is the most pro-matrilineal society, with a gap of 37 percentage points between matrilineality and
patrilineality. Pro-matrilineal gaps are large in São Tomé and Príncipe (+22 points), Tunisia (+21), Seychelles (+21), Mauritania (+21), and Malawi (+21). Several West African countries are
more patrilineal. Burkina Faso is “top of the pops”: A whopping 81% of citizens say children belong more to their father’s family vs a measly 2% who side with the mother. Majorities of Nigerians (54%) and Malians (53%) agree. Africans are more likely to report belonging to the ethnic group of their father (90%) than their mother (80%).
UN-AFFAIRS
UN working for ceasefire in besieged Sudan City
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday he has been in contact with the warring sides in Sudan to try to reach a ceasefire in the besieged and starving city of El-Fasher. Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has agreed in principle to such a humanitarian pause, his ruling Transitional Council said. But the opposing paramilitary side, led by al-Burhan’s erstwhile deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, said it had received no truce proposal. Since April 2023, the army has been at war with Daglo’s Rapid Support Forces, killing tens of thousands and tearing Africa’s third-largest country in two. In the latest violence, paramilitary shelling of El-Fasher on Friday killed 13 people including three children, a medical source told AFP. Another 21 were injured. In a telephone conversation with al-Burhan, Guterres called for a weeklong ceasefire in El-Fasher to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to civilians, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The city has been besieged by the RSF for more than a year.
UN warns global progress on gender equality is at risk
As UN Women marks its 15th anniversary this year, the world has witnessed significant progress in gender equality, transforming the lives of women and girls worldwide. While this is cause for celebration, the push for equality is losing ground. A survey from March 2025 shows a 60% increase in concern about the lack of progress on gender equality. UN Women data from more than 150 government reports confirm why: nearly one in four countries is seeing a backlash against women’s rights. Gender-based violence is rising. The gender digital divide is widening. And over 600 million women and girls now live near conflict zones. This historic and precarious moment threatens to reverse hard-won gains. The progress achieved cannot be taken for granted. This year, 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and 25 years since Security Council Resolution 1325, activists are calling for bold leadership and unwavering commitment to deliver on the promises made in Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals; the Women, Peace and Security agenda; and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Key priorities include countering the backlash against women’s rights, increasing peacebuilding efforts, ensuring women’s participation in peace talks, and addressing poverty and economic inequality. The plan also focuses on tackling gender-based violence, closing the gender pay gap, and expanding women’s access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
80 years of the UN Charter: Why it matters more than ever
In 1945, after the devastation of two World Wars, global leaders came together in San Francisco to sign a bold new document — the Charter of the United Nations. This video, featuring historian Stephen Schlesinger, marks the 80th anniversary of that historic moment and explores the origins, vision, and enduring relevance of the UN Charter. Discover how this ground-breaking document set the foundation for global cooperation, peace and collective security — and why it remains a vital guide for humanity. Learn about the events that led to the Charter and learn why the UN was and is still seen as a beacon of hope in these turbulent times.
THE WEEK AHEAD
June 29 - July 3: The NOG Energy Week conference for the oil and gas industry is held in Abuja, Nigeria.
July 2: India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to begin Africa tour with a visit to Ghana.
July 3: Digital Finance Africa conference on fintech to be held in Johannesburg.
July 3: South Africa publishes data on electricity generated and available for distribution in May