|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Geopolitics & Policy
🇺🇬 Uganda Signs Migrant Deal with U.S.
Uganda has agreed to accept non-criminal deportees from the United States in a deal aimed at enhancing “reciprocal trade and commercial ties” with the Trump administration. While details remain sparse, the agreement reflects Kampala’s continued alignment with Washington on strategic migration and trade cooperation.
🇷🇼 French Court Dismisses Genocide Case Against Former Rwandan First Lady
A Paris court has dropped charges against Agathe Habyarimana, widow of Rwanda’s former president, for alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide. Judges ruled that insufficient evidence linked her to the orchestration of the massacres. Kigali has repeatedly sought her extradition since she fled to France in 1998.
🇸🇸 South Sudan’s Finance Instability Deepens
President Salva Kiir has dismissed Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater—his seventh such replacement since 2020—amid worsening cash shortages. The IMF projects a 4.3% economic contraction this year. Critics warn that constant reshuffles are fueling corruption and undermining fiscal reform.
🇺🇬🇸🇸 Uganda and South Sudan Vow Border Security Cooperation
Military chiefs from Uganda and South Sudan have pledged closer collaboration after deadly clashes along their border in late July. Kampala accused Juba’s forces of territorial incursions, while South Sudan claims Ugandan troops crossed into its land. Talks aim to prevent future escalations.
🇹🇳 Tunisia’s Largest Union Faces Government Pressure
Thousands rallied in Tunis to support the UGTT, the country’s influential labour union, amid accusations of a state-led campaign to undermine it. President Saied’s critics view the union as a key bulwark against rising authoritarianism since his 2021 power consolidation.
🇨🇲 Boko Haram Resurges in Northern Cameroon
At least 30 people have been killed in renewed Boko Haram attacks, with dozens kidnapped, including schoolchildren. The Far North region faces escalating violence as militants target civilians and soldiers, prompting military deployment along the Nigeria border.
🇳🇬 Nigeria Targets Pro-Biafra Militancy
Nigeria’s military says calm is returning to the South-East following the arrest of pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa in Finland. Authorities allege Ekpa incited separatist violence remotely. Security forces are now pursuing his local operatives.
Business & Macro
🇰🇪 Kenya Seeks to Halve Chinese Loan Rate
Nairobi is negotiating to reduce the 6% interest rate on its $5 billion standard gauge railway loan from China to 3%. The move aims to ease debt servicing amid fiscal consolidation pressures.
🇳🇬🇵🇭🇨🇳 Nigeria Deports Over 100 Foreign Cybercriminals
Nigeria has deported 60 Chinese and 39 Filipinos convicted of cyber-related crimes. The EFCC said the foreign nationals were among nearly 800 suspects arrested in a massive December raid in Lagos targeting international fraud syndicates.
🇬🇭 Ghana Raids Cybercrime Hub
Ghanaian authorities arrested 39 people, including minors, in a cybercrime crackdown at Tema’s Adom City Estate. The joint CSA-CID operation is part of a nationwide push to combat rising digital fraud.
Climate & Energy
🇧🇯 Benin to Add Solar Capacity
Axian Energy and Sika Capital will construct four solar power plants in Benin, supplying electricity to 50,000 households. The $52 million project supports the country’s renewable energy targets.
Tech & Investment
📱 African Smartphone Shipments Rise
Smartphone shipments across Africa rose 7% year-on-year in Q2 2025, reaching 19.2 million units. Currency stability and easing inflation in Nigeria and South Africa contributed to demand growth.
🇿🇦 Student Housing Investment in South Africa
Maia Capital Partners acquired a 51% stake in Academia, Stellenbosch’s largest student residence. The 1,026-bed facility serves a university town grappling with growing accommodation demand.
🇬🇭 Ghana to Become Africa’s AI Agriculture Hub
Japanese firm Degas Ltd pledged $100 million to turn Ghana into Africa’s first AI-powered agricultural hub. The investment will scale satellite-based crop monitoring and microfinance access for smallholder farmers.
Conflict & Human Rights
🇸🇩 RSF Accused in Massacre, Sexual Violence in Kordofan
Witnesses say over 450 civilians were killed during a two-day RSF-led assault on Shaq al-Noum village in July. Reports include widespread sexual violence. Satellite imagery confirms targeted arson. The attack is part of escalating violence in oil-rich Kordofan.
🇸🇩 Sudan’s Warring Sides Implicated in Sexual Crimes
The SIHA Network has documented over 400 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, including child rape and sexual slavery. Both the Sudanese army and RSF, along with allied militias, are accused.
🇨🇩 Victims of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC Left Without Aid
With rebel group M23 controlling eastern Congo, support systems for sexual violence survivors have collapsed. Legal impunity and the closure of clinics have left victims with no recourse or care, worsening a decades-long crisis.
Health
🇧🇼 Botswana Leads in Preventing HIV Transmission to Newborns
Botswana has become the first high-burden HIV country to achieve WHO’s Gold Tier for eliminating mother-to-child transmission. A mix of political will, repeat testing, and access to antiretroviral drugs underpins the country’s model.
Sports
⚽ East Africa Triumphs in CHAN 2024 Group Stage
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda topped their groups in the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship and advance to the quarter-finals. The tournament’s knockout stage begins this weekend, with the final set for August 30 in Nairobi.
Source: africacenter.org, semafor.com
