Central Africa

Congolese Electoral Commission Urges Voter Verification Ahead of 2026 Presidential Election The electoral commission in the Republic of Congo is urging registered voters to verify their names on the provisional voter's roll in preparation for the upcoming presidential elections. This call to action is accompanied by banners displayed throughout Brazzaville, highlighting the critical nature of this verification process. As the nation gears up for the 2026 presidential election, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, now 81 years…

A Historic Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda After three decades of violence, proxy wars, and relentless political maneuvering, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement that is being heralded as historic. Yet, in the Great Lakes region—a landscape marked by the tumult of conflict and fragility—optimism walks a delicate line alongside skepticism. As the ink dries on this pivotal document, questions linger: Will this truly signal the dawn of durable…

Somalia’s long campaign for debt relief culminated in December 2023, when the IMF and World Bank certified the country had reached the HIPC “Completion Point.” In March 2024, Paris Club creditors followed with sweeping cancellations, clearing much of the stock of legacy obligations. On paper, the breakthrough restores Somalia’s access to concessional finance and signals confidence in the government’s economic direction. Yet the core domestic underpinnings that are supposed to safeguard a post-relief economy remain uneven…

MOGADISHU — The man at the center of a viral deportation saga stepped into Mogadishu last month to cheers, ululations and a crush of cellphone cameras. For many Somalis online, Mahad Maxamud — a TikTok creator with a following now exceeding 450,000 — returned a folk hero. For others, he was the face of a bruising fight over truth, power and the politics of migration. In late October, the official White House account on X labeled Maxamud a “criminal illegal scumbag,” alleging he helped kidnap two French intelligence officers…

Cholera Outbreak in the DRC: A Crisis Unfolding The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently grappling with its worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, reporting a staggering 64,427 cases and 1,888 deaths since the year's onset. Among these, 14,818 cases involved children, leading to 340 tragic child fatalities, according to UNICEF. This health crisis has severely disrupted children's education and wellbeing, thrusting them into a world of illness while forcing them to bear witness to the suffering and loss of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalis reacted with anger and disbelief Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump described Somalis as “garbage” and said “we don’t want them in our country,” remarks delivered during a cabinet meeting a day earlier that drew condemnation across Mogadishu and beyond. Trump, who has a long record of inflammatory language, also said Somalis “just run around killing each other” and declared “their country stinks,” intensifying a wave of rhetoric he has aimed at immigrants following last week’s shooting…

In a historic move towards peace, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi signed a pivotal peace accord at the White House on Thursday. The ceremony, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, signals a significant step in addressing the long-standing conflict between the two neighboring countries. The peace accord underscores a commitment to ending hostilities and building a foundation for stability in the region. Both leaders, flanked by their foreign ministers, expressed optimism about the…

Lobito Corridor, the multimodal transport link from Angola’s Atlantic port to Central Africa’s mineral belts, has been paraded at this week’s 7th African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda as a flagship sign of renewed partnership between Europe and Africa. Western capitals and sympathetic media have billed the corridor as a strategic answer to China’s expanding footprint on the continent. But in a stinging appraisal published in Maka Angola, journalist Rafael Marques de Morais urges a different reading: the corridor, he…

Opposition Leader Anicet Ekane Dies in Custody, Escalating Tensions in Cameroon Anicet Ekane, the prominent opposition leader and head of the Manidem party, has died at the age of 74 after being held for several weeks at a military garrison in Yaoundé. His family and legal representatives claim he was denied essential medical care during his detention, where he struggled to breathe while facing serious charges, including hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection. Ekane's arrest on…

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially declared the end of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Kasai Province, marking a significant public health achievement. The announcement comes after no new cases were reported in the past 42 days, following the discharge of the last patient from the treatment center on October 19, 2025. This outbreak primarily impacted the remote Bulape Health Zone, resulting in a total of 64 cases, with 53 confirmed and 11 classified as probable. Tragically, 45 individuals lost their…