Eye on Africa

Lawmakers Warn of Risks to Draft 2026 National Budget Targets Lawmakers are raising alarms about the ambitious US$1.2 billion target of the Draft 2026 National Budget, insisting that without key reforms, these goals remain at risk of being unmet. This budget, the largest proposed under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's administration, signifies a bold expansion in government spending. It emphasizes funding for social projects, civil service restructuring, infrastructure investment, and governance reforms. However, lawmakers…

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…

War Crimes Committed in Sudan's Zamzam Camp, Amnesty Reports An international rights group has alleged that Sudanese paramilitary forces committed war crimes during a brutal raid earlier this year on Darfur's largest displacement camp. The report highlights severe humanitarian violations as the conflict in Sudan deepens. Amnesty International accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of targeting civilians in the Zamzam camp. The attack was part of a broader assault on the city of el-Fasher in North Darfur.…

Mogadishu — A rare cesarean section complication has been confirmed in Somalia after a 30-year-old woman developed scar endometriosis, a painful condition in which endometrial tissue grows in a surgical incision, according to a new case report by Dr. Abdirahman Omar Moallim of Kaafi Hospital and Dr. Mohamed Ali Kahiye of Sahan Diagnostic Center. The case underscores an emerging risk in Somalia’s maternal health system as cesarean deliveries rise, especially in urban centers. Scar endometriosis is often mistaken for a hernia…

Crisis Deepens in Guinea-Bissau: A Political Stunt or Genuine Coup? The recent turmoil in Guinea-Bissau has sparked intense debate among analysts and commentators, with some suggesting that the events unfold less like a traditional coup and more like a politically orchestrated stunt shrouded in military theatrics. Daniel T. Makokera, writing in an AllAfrica guest column, suggests that there is a "growing belief that the crisis may have been an inside job," framing it as "a carefully managed confrontation used to settle…

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…

Windhoek — Namibia’s ruling Swapo party captured a decisive share of seats in Monday’s local authority elections, winning just over 52% of all seats nationwide, electoral authorities said, marking an increase of nearly 40% compared with the 2020 local polls. Officials also reported turnout was low, with fewer than 40% of registered voters casting ballots. The results reaffirm Swapo’s standing after three decades in national government, but analysts cautioned the party’s gains do not translate into uncontested control at the…

Germany formally recognizes Somali diplomatic passports for entry and residence MOGADISHU, Somalia — Germany has officially recognized the Somali diplomatic passport for entry and residence, a decision published in the German Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) on Dec. 1, 2025, in a move Somali officials hailed as a milestone for the country’s travel document credibility and its international mobility. The designation gives full official status to Somalia’s diplomatic passport at German borders and for residence purposes,…

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission warned this week that technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence (TFGBV) is moving from the margins into the mainstream, forcing many women and girls to silence themselves online and offline. The statement, released to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, said that journalists, activists, politicians and young women in Zimbabwe are among the most affected and urged stronger enforcement of existing laws. "Women and girls are increasingly…

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…