This report provides a concise summary of the critical events shaping Africa’s political, security, and economic landscape as of late December 2025.
Geopolitics and Governance
Guinea: Junta Leader Favored in Historic Post-Coup Election On December 28, 2025, Guinea held its first presidential election since the 2021 coup. General Mamady Doumbouya, the incumbent transition leader, is widely expected to win a seven-year mandate under a new constitution that removed previous bans on military candidates. While nearly 12,000 police officers were deployed to ensure order, the vote was marred by low turnout following boycott calls from major opposition parties. Critics and international rights groups, including the U.N., noted that the campaign period was marked by the sidelining of strong challengers and the enforced disappearance of political activists.
Libya: Military Leadership Shaken by Tragic Air Disaster The unification efforts of the Libyan military faced a severe setback on December 23, 2024, when the Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, was killed in a plane crash near Ankara, Turkey. The private jet reported an electrical malfunction shortly after takeoff, killing all eight people on board, including four high-ranking officials. Al-Haddad was a pivotal figure in U.N.-brokered talks aimed at merging the country’s divided eastern and western military factions.
Security and Stability
Somalia: UN Extends AUSSOM Mandate Amid Persistent Al-Shabaab Threat The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2809 on December 23, 2025, extending the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) through 2026. Despite recent territorial gains, U.N. experts warn that Al-Shabaab remains the “greatest immediate threat” to the region, maintaining its capacity for complex attacks and sophisticated extortion. The mission is authorized to maintain 11,826 uniformed personnel to support the Somali National Army as international funding remains a critical concern.
Sudan and Chad: Cross-Border Drone Strikes Escalate Tensions Violence from the Sudanese civil war spilled further into neighboring Chad on December 26, 2025, when a drone strike killed two Chadian soldiers at a military camp in Tine. Both Sudan and Chad have traded accusations over the origin of the drone, which was reportedly launched from Sudanese territory. The incident highlights the growing regionalization of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Humanitarian and Human Rights
Sudan: UN Mission Reaches Fallen El Fasher For the first time since the city was seized by the RSF in October, a U.N. assessment mission reached El Fasher in North Darfur on December 27, 2025. The team arrived to document “catastrophic” conditions where residents had been forced to eat animal feed to survive. Recent satellite imagery from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab has identified at least 150 clusters of human remains in the city, suggesting mass summary executions during the RSF’s final offensive.
DRC/Burundi: Cholera Outbreak Hits Fleeing Refugees A humanitarian crisis is unfolding on the border of the DR Congo and Burundi, where 80,000 people have fled the recent December offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. At least eight refugees have died from a cholera outbreak in overcrowded camps lacking clean water and medicine. UN agencies report that the fighting has displaced over 500,000 people in South Kivu province this month alone.
Business and Tech
Ghana: Major Crackdown on Transnational Cybercrime In late December 2025, Ghanaian authorities arrested 48 Nigerian nationals in a nighttime raid on a “romance scam” and investment fraud ring. This was part of a larger INTERPOL-led “Operation Sentinel,” which resulted in 574 arrests across 19 African nations and the recovery of $3 million. The operation successfully decrypted six distinct ransomware variants that had targeted financial institutions in Ghana and Senegal, preventing losses estimated at $21 million.
Madagascar: Russian Arms Shipment Solidifies New Military Ties Following an October coup that ousted President Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s new military government received its first major shipment of Russian weaponry on December 20, 2025. The delivery, including sniper rifles and anti-tank systems, was accompanied by 40 Russian military personnel intended for training and “capacity-building.” Analysts suggest this move cements Russia’s expanding “Africa Corps” footprint in the Indian Ocean region.
Sports and Culture
Sudan: ‘Falcons of Jediane’ Bring Hope to a War-Torn Nation Amidst a war that has displaced 14 million people, the Sudanese national football team has become a rare symbol of unity. Despite being forced to train and play every match abroad, the team successfully qualified for the Africa Cup, even defeating powerhouse Ghana in the process. Their opening matches in Morocco have drawn thousands of Sudanese refugees, providing a temporary reprieve from the ongoing national tragedy.
