Central-Africa

Wednesday April 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has written a fresh chapter in its football history, edging Mauritius 4-2 on penalties on Tuesday to move into the next round of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers after a tense, scoreless second leg. The match at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex finished 0-0 in regulation time, just as the first leg in Mozambique had ended without a goal. After 180 minutes of play produced no breakthrough, the contest came down to a shootout,…

Chad has started moving refugees away from its volatile frontier with Sudan after a deadly cross-border raid that killed 17 people, including mourners at a funeral, escalating tensions and prompting vows of retaliation from President Mahamat Idriss Déby. In a formal announcement, the government said it had reinforced security along the border and signaled it may pursue operations inside Sudan if necessary. Local officials added that investigators have yet to determine which group carried out the attack. The eastern border…

Sunday March 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — With their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) dream on the line, Somalia’s national football team, the Ocean Stars, left Mogadishu on Saturday for Mozambique ahead of a decisive preliminary-round meeting with Mauritius. The fixture represents a pivotal moment in Somalia’s push to move deeper into Africa’s flagship international tournament. Both Somalia and Mauritius head into the contest chasing the kind of result that can keep qualification ambitions intact and set the tone for the…

Rising Violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Puts Civilians at Risk The United Nations has raised the alarm over escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in Ituri Province, warning that civilians face growing dangers and widespread displacement. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted that humanitarian agencies are "deeply concerned by the impact of continued violence on civilians." Recent clashes between armed groups have resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people…

China’s next five-year plan could rewrite African agriculture — if the continent seizes the moment China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) is more than a domestic blueprint. It is a signal of how the world’s second-largest economy intends to buy, process and secure the food that will feed a warming planet. For Africa — home to the largest share of the world’s uncultivated arable land and an emerging network of agribusinesses — the plan reads like an invitation. The opportunity is to move from being a supplier of raw crops to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The International Press Institute on Sunday condemned the killing of Somali journalist Abshir Khalif Shidane in Kismayo and the separate detention of a television reporter in Mogadishu, calling the incidents the latest evidence of mounting pressure on the country’s media and urging swift accountability. Shidane, 25, was shot and killed the evening of March 2 in Kismayo, the capital of Jubaland State, after a police officer opened fire following a brief argument at a checkpoint, according to reports from…

New York — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appointed U.S. diplomat James Swan as his new Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO, placing an experienced Africa hand at the helm of one of the U.N.’s most challenging peace operations. Swan succeeds Bintou Keita of Guinea, whom Guterres thanked for her leadership and service during a difficult period for the mission. The appointment lands at a pivotal moment for MONUSCO,…

Angola's New NGO Law Raises Alarms Over Civil Liberties President João Lourenço has signed into law new legislation regulating the operation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups in Angola, stirring significant concern among civil society. Organizations like Human Rights Watch have raised alarms about the severe implications this law could have on civic freedoms within the country. The new legislation grants authorities expansive powers to authorize, monitor, suspend, and financially restrict NGOs under…

The UK Home Office has announced a significant policy shift, halting the issuance of study visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan. This decision also extends to skilled work visas for Afghans, with the government citing rampant visa abuse as the driving force behind the change. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasized that this move comes in response to a startling rise in asylum claims from individuals who first entered the UK legally on study visas. Official statistics reveal that asylum…

Landslide at Rubaya Coltan Mine Claims Over 200 Lives in Eastern DR Congo In a tragic turn of events, a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has resulted in the deaths of at least 200 individuals, with reports indicating that around 70 of the victims were children. The catastrophic incident has raised serious concerns about safety regulations in the mining sector and the ongoing conflict in the region. The Congolese Ministry of Mines confirmed the…