International Organizations and Africa

G20 in Johannesburg: A test of multilateralism as Africa’s priorities meet fracturing diplomacy The historic 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg (November 22–23) arrives with symbolic weight — the first time the grouping meets on African soil — and with urgent expectations. Under South Africa’s presidency theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” hosts have signalled a push to center issues that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries: debt sustainability, climate finance, and rising inequality. Yet the…

G20 in Johannesburg: A test of multilateralism as the Global South takes the stage The 2025 G20 summit in Johannesburg will be historic: the first time the grouping meets on African soil. Under South Africa’s presidency and the banner "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," Pretoria aims to pivot the world’s premier economic forum toward issues that disproportionately affect the Global South — debt distress, climate resilience, and stark global wealth gaps. But the summit opens under an unusual cloud. President Donald…

South Africa allows 153 Palestinians to disembark after 12 hours held on plane South African authorities have permitted a group of 153 Palestinians who had been kept on board an aircraft for about 12 hours to leave the plane after it landed in Johannesburg, officials said. What happened The group arrived on a chartered Global Airways flight and was initially kept on the aircraft for roughly 12 hours, the Border Management Authority (BMA) said. After that period, BMA officials allowed the passengers to disembark and enter…

Conflict, poverty and collapsing services: why cholera is surging again "Peace is health," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus repeats in briefings, a blunt reminder that infectious disease is not merely a biological problem but a political and social one. In late August 2025, WHO warned the world that cholera is resurging — and that the drivers are familiar: armed conflict, broken water and sanitation systems, deepening poverty and strained vaccine supplies. The warning is not abstract.…

Morocco declares “Unity Day” after UN backs autonomy plan — but the Western Sahara question remains unresolved Morocco has named Oct. 31 a national holiday, calling it Unity Day, to mark the United Nations Security Council’s recent endorsement of an autonomy plan for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty. The announcement was billed in Rabat as a celebration of national unity and territorial integrity — a symbolic capstone to a long campaign to secure international backing for a solution many Moroccans consider a matter…

Tunisia’s treatment of migrants and the EU’s quiet deal: a test of values For three years, human rights researchers listened to stories that should have set off alarms across Mediterranean capitals: men and women beaten and detained without charge, people stripped of their documents and pushed toward unsafe borders, and Black migrants singled out for abuse. The accounts, collected from 120 refugees and migrants from nearly 20 countries, form the backbone of a new Amnesty International report that accuses Tunisia of…

New Afreximbank chief vows to turn raw exports into homegrown industry — but the path is steep In a stately ceremony in Cairo on Oct. 25, Dr. George Elombi took the oath as president and chairman of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), laying out a mission that is at once technical and deeply political: to break a continent’s dependence on exporting raw materials and instead build the factories, ports and skills that keep wealth in Africa. "To change the structure, we must process. We must produce. Unless we…

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)…

Hope on the Horizon: The End of an Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo In a remarkable turn of events, the last Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been discharged, signaling a beacon of hope amid the shadows cast by infectious diseases. This milestone marks not only a pivotal moment for the affected regions of the DRC but also for the global health community, eager for triumph over one of the most notorious pathogens known to humanity. A Comprehensive Response to a Complex…

African Cinema: A Resurgence of Culture and Identity African cinema has always been a rich tapestry, woven together with the threads of diverse stories and vibrant cultural expressions. Recently, however, this medium has witnessed an extraordinary renaissance, one that not only highlights the unique narratives of the continent but also asserts its place on the global stage. Central to this movement is the Film Africa festival, an event that serves as a crucial bridge connecting African filmmakers to international audiences.…