Date: September 29, 2025
Business & Macroeconomics
🇺🇬 Uganda Seeks $500M from Global Markets
The Uganda Development Bank plans to raise $500 million over the next three years through international capital markets, potentially via bond issuances. The funding will support industrial development and infrastructure investment as the country pushes ahead with its Vision 2040 economic agenda.
Climate & Energy
🇳🇬 Dangote Group Clashes with Oil Workers’ Union
The Dangote Group has urged the Nigerian government to intervene after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) ordered the shutdown of crude oil supplies to its massive Lekki refinery. The group called the union’s directive “criminal, lawless, and reckless,” warning of potential energy sector instability.
Geopolitics & Policy
🇬🇳 Guinea Sets Presidential Election for December 28
Guinea will hold its first presidential election since the 2021 coup on December 28. The announcement comes after the Supreme Court validated a constitutional referendum that may allow junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya to contest. The new constitution extends presidential terms and introduces a Senate.
🇸🇨 Seychelles to Hold Run-Off Election
No candidate secured a majority in Seychelles’ presidential vote. A run-off between President Wavel Ramkalawan and opposition leader Patrick Herminie will be held October 9–11. Key election issues include heroin addiction, foreign investment, and environmental concerns around Qatari-backed development near Aldabra Atoll.
🇬🇦 Gabon Awaits First Post-Coup Election Results
Gabon is tallying results from its first legislative and local elections since the 2023 coup. Voters chose 145 MPs and local councillors, whose appointments will shape the post-Bongo era. General Brice Oligui Nguema’s political movement faces off against the long-dominant Gabonese Democratic Party.
🇸🇸 South Sudan’s Constitution-Making in Crisis
South Sudan’s National Constitutional Review Commission warns that lack of government funding and spreading insecurity are stalling the process toward a permanent constitution. Chair Dr. Riang Yer Zuor said essential consultations are at risk, jeopardizing elections planned for 2026.
🇳🇪 Niger Airstrikes Kill Dozens of Civilians
Airstrikes intended to target jihadist fighters in Niger’s Tillaberi region reportedly killed dozens of civilians, witnesses say. The military junta has struggled to contain insurgent violence in the western borderlands with Mali and Burkina Faso.
🇳🇪 Niger Uranium Sale Blocked by International Court
A Washington-based arbitration court has temporarily blocked Niger from selling uranium stockpiles amid a legal battle with French mining firm Orano. The case follows Niger’s post-coup seizure of Orano’s operations, part of a broader pivot away from French influence.
🇲🇬 Madagascar Protests Escalate over Power Cuts
Widespread unrest in Madagascar continues after protests over water and electricity shortages turned violent. President Andry Rajoelina dismissed the energy minister and condemned the unrest as destabilizing. Regional bodies urged calm and accountability.
🇱🇾 Libya Reaffirms Sovereignty at UN
Libya’s presidential council head, Mohamed Younis Al-Menfi, told the UN that any peace solution must uphold Libyan sovereignty and reject foreign interference. A new roadmap envisions elections within 18 months, but political unity remains elusive.
🇧🇼 Botswana Launches Citizenship-by-Investment Program
President Duma Boko announced a new citizenship-by-investment scheme to raise funds as the diamond-dependent economy struggles. The initiative aims to attract capital for sectors like tourism, renewable energy, and healthcare. The minimum investment threshold is yet to be announced.
Human Rights & Justice
🇬🇳 Guinea Marks 2009 Stadium Massacre
Guinea commemorated the 16th anniversary of the 2009 Conakry massacre, when security forces killed at least 156 people and raped over 100 women during a peaceful opposition rally. Survivors have begun receiving state reparations, while the UN urged Guinea to lift restrictions on political freedoms and the press.
Security & Conflict
🇸🇩 El-Fasher Siege Nears Total Encirclement
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have nearly completed a full siege of El-Fasher in Darfur, constructing over 68 km of earthen berms around the city, according to Yale University researchers. Satellite imagery shows continuing construction and military buildup. Over 70 new graves were identified in a week.
🇸🇩 Sophisticated Weapons Flow into Sudan
Advanced arms — including Chinese-made antiaircraft systems, MANPADS, and Houthi-style drones — are fueling Sudan’s civil war, a confidential report shared with The Washington Post reveals. These weapons, mostly held by the RSF, pose threats to civilian aviation and deepen regional instability.
Technology & Investment
🇿🇦 Transnet Launches Private Data Centre in Durban
South Africa’s state-run Transnet opened a private data center in Durban, complementing its public cloud infrastructure provided by Microsoft and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, as part of its digital transformation.
🌍 AfricInvest Europe Closes €50M French-African Fund
Private equity firm AfricInvest Europe has reached the first close of its French-African Fund at €50 million ($59 million). The fund will invest in French SMEs operating in Africa, aiming to deepen commercial links across the Mediterranean.
Compiled from Reuters, AFP, Washington Post, UN News, Africanews, RFI, africacenter.org and semafor.com.
