EAST AFRICA

Rwanda’s teenage pregnancy rate rose to 8% in 2025 from 5% in 2020, according to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey, prompting warnings from health authorities about school dropouts, maternal health risks and reduced economic prospects for girls. Health authorities in Rwanda warned that the rising rate of teenage pregnancy is contributing to students leaving school, increased maternal health risks and limited economic opportunities for young women. The Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey reported that prevalence…

As the Republic of the Congo approaches a March 15 presidential election widely viewed as tightly controlled, attention is fixed on Denis Sassou Nguesso — the 82-year-old incumbent seeking what researchers say will be effectively a fifth consecutive term since his 1997 return to power. Analysts Remadji Hoinathy and Nirvaly Mooloo of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) warn that the vote is unlikely to alter the country's political trajectory, suggesting instead that the ruling Parti Congolais du Travail (PCT) will…

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…

South Africa’s government on Monday urged citizens stranded in the Middle East to “take immediate advantage” of the resumption of limited commercial flights out of the region, while Kenya Airways announced special repatriation services between Nairobi and Dubai to help passengers displaced by days of attacks. The moves follow a period of disruptions that left many travelers unable to leave and prompted several African governments to coordinate emergency measures. South African officials appealed to nationals in affected…

Macky Sall Nominated by Burundi for UN Secretary-General Position Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has received a formal nomination from Burundi to succeed UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term is set to conclude in 2026. This nomination comes at a time when the composition of the UN Security Council is particularly favorable for Sall, as it currently includes three African nations: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Somalia. Supporters of Sall have highlighted his commitment to advocacy…

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has granted an amnesty that will free 4,305 inmates in a move the government says is designed to relieve severe prison overcrowding and promote rehabilitation. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced the clemency order on Wednesday, saying the beneficiaries include women convicted of lesser offences, juveniles, elderly prisoners, terminally ill inmates and people with disabilities. The order also covers inmates housed in Open Prisons and prisoners who have served at least 20…

Rwanda Rejects U.S. Sanctions Over DR Congo Conflict The Rwandan government has unequivocally rejected recent sanctions imposed by the United States Department of the Treasury targeting the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four senior commanders. Officials argued that this action is "targeting only one party" involved in the Washington Accords, stressing it misrepresents the complex conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Treasury, focus on the RDF as an institution as…

Rwanda Rejects U.S. Sanctions, Defends Its Actions Amid Eastern DRC Conflict The Rwandan government has firmly rejected sanctions imposed by the United States Department of the Treasury on the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four senior commanders, labeling the decision as an unjust targeting of a single party involved in the Washington Accords. Officials in Kigali argue that the sanctions misrepresent the complex realities of the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On , the U.S. Treasury…

Rwanda Battles Alarming Rise in Illicit Alcohol Consumption Rwandan authorities are raising the alarm over a surge in illicit alcohol consumption that has claimed over a dozen lives and left hundreds more facing severe health crises, including permanent vision loss. Police report that the Eastern Province is the hardest hit, where local brews are frequently contaminated with methanol—a toxic industrial chemical. The Rwanda Standards Bureau has taken significant measures by dismantling illegal production sites and…

Kinshasa — The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed a five-year, $1.2 billion health financing agreement with the United States, officials announced, joining neighboring Uganda in adopting Washington’s new government-to-government aid framework. Under the pact, the DRC will receive $900 million in U.S. assistance while committing to boost domestic health spending by $300 million. The arrangement targets a slate of priority interventions intended to strengthen disease control and maternal-child health services. Program…