Central Africa

President Félix Tshisekedi has ignited a political backlash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after saying he would consider a third term if citizens called for it, a statement that opposition leaders swiftly denounced. The constitution restricts presidents to two terms, and Tshisekedi said any modification would be decided by referendum. His critics counter that Article 220 expressly forbids changing presidential term limits, accusing him of laying the groundwork to prolong his time in office. The dispute…

Branding the sanctions “untimely and counterproductive,” politicians aligned with the Mouvement Sauvons la RDC — a movement co-founded by Joseph Kabila — condemned the measures, warning they could deepen the country’s protracted crisis. The pushback from the opposition comes as diplomatic efforts gather pace to tackle the conflict in eastern DR Congo, with parallel tracks seeking to address both the regional dynamics and the internal drivers of instability.

Tanzania and Rwanda have moved to tighten ties, with Presidents Samia Suluhu Hassan and Paul Kagame vowing to expand cooperation that prioritizes trade facilitation, infrastructure links, and broader regional integration. The initiative is intended to speed up Rwanda’s transit logistics through the Port of Dar es Salaam, a lifeline that handles about 70% of the landlocked country’s imports and exports—some 1.6 million tonnes of cargo each year. President Samia said Tanzania is ready to deepen relations by dismantling…

A quarrel over access to a water well has spiraled into deadly interethnic violence in eastern Chad, leaving at least 42 people dead and 10 others injured. Such clashes, often rooted in farmer-herder tensions over scarce resources, are a recurring challenge across the country. Authorities said a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Limane Mahamat was dispatched to the area and that the situation is now under control. Conflicts over water and grazing land have become more frequent in Chad, with extreme weather…

Fifteen Latin American migrants have become the first group deported by the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo, landing in Kinshasa under a contentious third-country removal program. On arrival, they described feeling fearful and uncertain about what awaits them. The group—nationals of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru—is being accommodated at Venus Village, a dilapidated hotel complex on the outskirts of the capital. They received one-week entry visas at the airport and now face a stark choice: arrange travel back…

Before a crowd estimated at about 100,000, Pope Leo XIV delivered a pointed message at a national service attended by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the country’s leader and the world’s long-serving president. Leo called on citizens to work together to forge a society “capable of engendering a new sense of justice,” one with “greater room for freedom” where “the dignity of the human person always may be safeguarded.” He also addressed the nation’s troubling record on human rights and the stark imbalance in how the oil-rich…

Washington is weighing a plan to move roughly 1,100 Afghan evacuees from a former U.S. base in Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to AfghanEvac, an advocacy coalition. The evacuees—interpreters, former Afghan commandos, and relatives of personnel tied to the United States—were airlifted out after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. AfghanEvac has sharply criticized the idea, alleging that U.S. officials intend to steer the group back toward Taliban-ruled Afghanistan by trying to "manufacture a…

More than 200 civilians held by an armed group tied to the Islamic State in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been freed in a joint military operation, officials said, marking one of the largest recent rescues in the volatile region. Ugandan forces, operating alongside the Congolese army, struck a camp run by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant organization that originated in Uganda. The Ugandan People's Defense Forces (UPDF) said the raid targeted the ADF, a Ugandan group active in eastern Congo…

Burundi’s presidency says Media and Communication Minister Gabby Bugaga died in an accident, releasing fresh information about the circumstances of his death. The former journalist was discovered lifeless in his car on the outskirts of Bujumbura, a development that has prompted colleagues and observers to seek greater clarity about the incident. In a post on X, President Evariste Ndayishimiye said he was "deeply saddened" by the reports, while commending the minister’s "diligence and dedication" to his role and the nation.

Squeezed by budget shortfalls, shifting battlefields, and emerging security risks, the United Nations peacekeeping mission is buckling under intensifying pressure, with mounting struggles to shield civilians and uphold stability. Yet UN official Jean-Pierre Lacroix emphasized that these deployments remain essential instruments for helping nations transition from war to durable peace. Over the past year, peacekeeping missions have confronted "significant financial challenges," Lacroix said, triggering contingency steps that…