Eye on Africa

A threatened lifeline: Harare’s fight to save Lake Chivero For residents of Harare, Lake Chivero is more than a body of water on a map. It is the city’s primary source of drinking water, a place where families once picnicked, where anglers made a living and where the surrounding wetlands buffered floods. Today, people who live along the Upper Manyame Catchment speak of algae-streaked shores, foul odours after rains and an uneasy sense that a vital lifeline is slipping away. At the launch this month of the Save Lake Chivero…

West African Deportees Find Uncertain Futures After US Return In a swift turn of events, eleven West African nationals have returned to their home countries after being deported to Ghana by U.S. authorities. This decisive action is more than just a legal maneuver; it casts a long shadow on the ongoing conversation about human rights, immigration policies, and the fate of vulnerable individuals caught in the crossfire of international agreements. A Cautionary Tale of Deportation The group's saga began with a glimmer of…

The Blaze That Ignited Political Tensions: A Look at Weah's House Fire In the heart of Liberia’s capital, a fire that engulfed former president George Weah's home has sent shockwaves through a nation already grappling with political divisions. Although the flames are extinguished, the repercussions linger, casting a long shadow over the promise of peace and coexistence in a country that has long been haunted by the specters of past violence and instability. A Destructive Flame The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC),…

Somalia Looks to Kuwait’s Quiet Power as UN Gathering Turns to Deals, Not Declarations On the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sat down with Kuwait’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, for the kind of conversation that rarely makes headlines but often shapes outcomes. The readouts were restrained: talks of strengthening ties, shared views on regional security, fresh avenues in trade and development. Yet the presence of Kuwait’s…

As AGOA’s clock runs out, U.S. influence in Africa faces a test After a quarter-century as the marquee U.S. trade tool for sub-Saharan Africa, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is poised to expire on September 30 — and with Congress preoccupied and polarized, the chances of a last-minute renewal look slim. The prospect is more than a technical lapse: it is a moment that forces a choice about how Washington wants to engage with a continent where other powers are already deepening economic ties. What AGOA has…

Clashes in Mogadishu as Government Accuses Opposition Guards of Trying to Seize Police Station What happened Somalia’s federal government on Wednesday accused opposition politicians of attempting to storm a police station in Mogadishu, an allegation that, if confirmed, would mark one of the most serious confrontations in the capital this year. The clash, outside the Warta Nabadda District Police Station, involved security forces and armed guards escorting opposition lawmakers. Shots were fired and injuries were reported,…

Mnangagwa’s shake-up in Zanu-PF: a bid for control or a sign of deeper fractures? President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent overhaul of Zanu-PF’s Politburo — described by the party as a constitutional exercise to “reorganise” its leadership — has stirred fresh questions about who will ultimately succeed him and how the long-dominant party will navigate the next era. Christopher Mutsvangwa, the party spokesperson, framed the changes as stabilising: the reshuffle “led to the elevation of trusted lieutenants” and the redeployment…

Somalia says airstrike kills three senior al‑Shabab commanders in Hiiraan What happened Mogadishu — Somalia’s government said Tuesday it killed three senior al‑Shabab commanders in an airstrike in the central region of Hiiraan, the latest strike in a campaign it says aims to shear away the group’s leadership and sap its battlefield strength. In a brief statement, the federal government said the operation was carried out by Somalia’s intelligence service “working with international partners,” and targeted “important…

The U.S. Takes a Stand Against Corruption in Nigeria In a bold move signaling its commitment to tackling global corruption, the U.S. mission in Nigeria recently announced that government officials found guilty of corruption will face a significant consequence: denial of U.S. visas. With a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the mission made clear that "fighting corruption knows no borders." This statement resonates deeply in a country where the scars of corruption run deep, casting a long shadow over…

A Changing Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Withdraw from the ICC In a significant geopolitical shift, the military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have declared their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Describing the institution as a "neo-colonial" tool wielded by imperialist powers, these West African nations are charting a new course in their foreign policy. A New Alliance Against the West The juntas that have risen to power in these countries between 2020 and 2023 have allied…