governance

Nigeria's Push for Enhanced Security Measures Amid Rising Challenges Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has called for urgent reforms to bolster the nation's security capabilities as violence continues to threaten citizens across the country. Addressing lawmakers and security officials, Tinubu urged a comprehensive recruitment drive for the police and military, signaling a shift toward more localized and responsive security frameworks. The President's comments come in the wake of increasing incidents of banditry and…

PUL Rebukes House Speaker Over Threats to Journalists The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has issued a strongly worded rebuke of House Speaker Richard Nage Koon, who recently threatened to "jail" journalists recording proceedings prior to reaching a quorum in the legislative body. Such remarks have raised significant concerns over the treatment of press freedom in Liberia, with the PUL stating the Speaker's comments exhibit a "dangerous" mindset among some public officials and an attempt to "weaponize state power." The union…

South Africa on Monday accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of repeating "misinformation and distortions" after a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform that accused the government of "horrific Human Rights Abuses" against white farmers — charges the African nation says it and Afrikaner leaders have long rejected. The South African Presidency said the allegations are being used to justify what it called punitive measures that undermine efforts to reset the bilateral relationship. "It is regrettable that despite the…

African Union Condemns Guinea-Bissau Military Coup Amid Electoral Unrest The African Union (AU) has issued a strong condemnation of the November 26 military coup in Guinea-Bissau, occurring just as the nation was poised to announce the results of Sunday’s presidential election. This sudden upheaval has raised significant concerns about the stability and democratic processes in the West African nation. In a statement released shortly after the coup, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf emphasized the…

Lilongwe — A court in Lilongwe has issued a warrant authorizing a search of former President Lazarus Chakwera’s residence over allegations that he is unlawfully holding four State-owned security dogs, according to court records and an affidavit filed with the court. The affidavit says the animals are normally deployed to State House and other presidential security installations and were allegedly moved into Chakwera’s custody without the required approval. The warrant empowers investigators to enter the former president’s…

Europe-Africa Summit: Leaders Seek Revitalized Partnership Amid Global Challenges Scores of African and European leaders are gathered in Luanda, the capital of Angola, for the seventh edition of the Europe-Africa Summit. This year's summit arrives at a critical juncture, characterized by "fraying" relations between these historic trading partners, as the influence of Russia, China, and the United States continues to expand across the region. Experts emphasize the necessity of re-evaluating the relationship between Europe…

JOHANNESBURG — The G20 summit in Johannesburg ended with a broad declaration aimed at addressing climate change, inequality and Africa’s development, marking a diplomatic victory for host South Africa even as the United States staged a boycott, organizers said Friday. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the outcome as a reaffirmation of multilateralism and said the summit elevated African priorities on the global agenda. The declaration commits the group to measures intended to advance renewable energy, strengthen disaster…

Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane has ordered a halt to the recruitment of new commissioners for Lesotho's electoral commission after a high court application challenged the constitutionality of the process. The applicants, who moved to the High Court, raised concerns about what they described as a "peculiar manner" in which an employment consulting firm was procured to assist the commission, and cited other unspecified irregularities that they say have marred the selection exercise. After hearing arguments from the parties,…

Kebbi Officials Dispute Claims of Religious Context in Schoolgirls' Abduction Local officials in the northwestern Nigerian state of Kebbi are vehemently contesting statements made by U.S. lawmaker Miley Moore regarding the recent abductions of schoolgirls in the region. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Moore claimed that the attack occurred in a "Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria," calling for prayers for the twenty-five schoolgirls kidnapped in this incident. He also urged the Nigerian government to take more…

SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa faces what health researchers call a “vaping crisis” among adolescents while a long-promised overhaul of the country’s tobacco laws sits largely dormant. The draft Tobacco Bill published in 2018 — designed to extend smoke-free public spaces, introduce plain packaging and ban point-of-sale displays for both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes — has yet to clear the long road from proposal to law, leaving regulators and public-health advocates alarmed as youth nicotine use climbs. A 2024 study of…