governance

The Bongos on Trial: A Nation Grapples with Legacy and Accountability In a courtroom echoing with tension and significant societal implications, the wife and son of former Gabonese President Ali Bongo, along with eleven close associates, have entered the dock, facing a litany of serious charges, including treason, corruption, and the embezzlement of public funds. This unfolding legal drama has captured the attention not only of Gabonese citizens but also of the international community, as it brings to the forefront urgent…

A new citadel of memory rises beside the Great Pyramid Just a short walk from the ancient silhouette of Khufu, a modern glass-and-stone landmark opened its doors to the public this week: the Grand Egyptian Museum, known simply as GEM. With room for some 100,000 objects spanning roughly 7,000 years of history, the complex is being presented not only as the world’s largest archaeological museum but as a statement of national pride and a fresh engine for tourism. The building’s broad terraces and sunlit atrium create a…

Zimbabwean opposition figure Job Sikhala detained in South Africa; party blame and questions about evidence When Job Sikhala, a senior opposition politician from Zimbabwe, was arrested in South Africa this week after police say they found blasting cartridges and capped fuse connectors in his vehicle, supporters and fellow opposition figures immediately cried foul. Sikhala — who has accused Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF of orchestrating the incident — now faces an uncertain legal fight in a country that has long been a refuge…

After years of silence, Mozambique’s gas dream restarts — but who will pick up the tab? When French energy major TotalEnergies announced it had lifted the force majeure on its liquefied natural gas project off Mozambique’s northern coast, the message was outwardly simple: long-dormant gas operations in the Rovuma Basin are ready to resume. The subtext, however, is far murkier. The four-and-a-half-year pause — driven by an insurgency that convulsed Cabo Delgado — has transformed what was a marquee energy project into a…

Echoes of Dissent: Cameroon's Deepening Political Crisis In the heart of Central Africa, where the air carries a blend of hope and despair, an unsettling tension has gripped Cameroon following the recent presidential election. On October 12, the Constitutional Council declared President Paul Biya the victor, cementing his authority for an astonishing 43 years. At 92 years old, Biya’s continued reign raises significant questions, not only about the nation’s political landscape but also about the very fabric of democracy in a…

Djibouti Clears Way for President Guelleh to Run Again — What It Means for a Tiny but Pivotal State Djibouti’s parliament has removed a constitutional age limit that would have barred the 77‑year‑old president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, from seeking another term, clearing the path for him to run in the April 2026 election. The decision, short and decisive in the capital, underscores a growing pattern across parts of Africa in which long‑serving leaders reshape rules to extend their time in office — with consequences that ripple…

Dozens killed in catastrophic multi-vehicle crash on Kampala highway; authorities urge caution Dozens of people were killed and many more likely injured after a multi-vehicle collision on a major highway leading out of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, on Wednesday — an incident officials described as one of the country’s worst recent road disasters. Police and other stakeholders were swift to appeal for calm and for motorists to drive with caution after the crash, which triggered a chain reaction involving buses, trucks and…

In Durban, Africa's public health debate turns from aid to agency Durban — Delegates in brightly patterned shirts and surgical scrubs threaded their way through the humid corridors of the conference centre here, trading phone numbers, business cards and the kind of blunt, practical advice that follows crises. This was not a glossy health summit but a working room: ministers, nurses, start‑up founders, community health workers and WHO officials convened for the 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA)…

Mozambique’s memory of election violence tests trust in courts and rights to protest When former presidential contender Venancio Mondlane publicly disavowed calls for street demonstrations this week, he was trying to steer what has become an anxious ritual in Mozambique away from confrontation and toward commemoration. “I did not call for demonstrations,” he told supporters; “I called for a day of reflection” to honour those killed in the unrest that followed last year’s disputed election — among them his lawyer, slain…

The Unyielding Call for Justice: A City Divided by Dissent On a seemingly ordinary day in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the air thickens with tension as protesters gather, their chants rising like a storm. Under a veil of clouds and uncertainty, the demonstration unfurls its wings, an echo of a deeper longing for justice and autonomy resonating through the streets. Amid the clamor, one name emerges—Nnamdi Kanu, a polarizing figure whose imprisonment has set aflame a nation’s quest for identity and political agency. The…