Legal and Judicial Affairs

In a stark warning, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has highlighted a troubling decline in democratic principles within the nation, particularly focusing on increasing threats to freedom of speech and expression. Their recent statement reflects a mounting public unease regarding potential repercussions for those who dare to voice their opinions. "Currently, a considerable number of Liberians—comprising journalists, students, activists, and everyday citizens—are growing increasingly apprehensive about their ability to speak…

President Cyril Ramaphosa, moving decisively amid scrutiny of police procurement, has placed National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola on precautionary suspension. Masemola faces charges under the Public Finance Management Act for allegedly failing to properly oversee a contested $21 million police health services contract. He has denied the allegations. The charges are tied to a 2024 tender awarded to controversial businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala’s Medicare24 Tshwane District to provide health services to police…

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has lodged a formal protest with his South African counterpart after widely shared videos purportedly showing xenophobic assaults on Ghanaian nationals sparked outrage online. Calling the footage “extremely disturbing,” Ablakwa pressed South African authorities to act swiftly. “The South African Foreign Minister has expressed empathy with the victims and promised full-scale investigations into these depressing incidents,” Ablakwa said on social media. He added that…

In a move that escalates a bitter political standoff, the Zambian government says it has taken custody of former president Edgar Lungu’s body—10 months after his death in South Africa—despite the family’s objections. The clash revives a long-running feud between Lungu and his successor, Hakainde Hichilema. The family has responded by filing an urgent application in a South African high court, seeking an order to return the former president’s body to the funeral home where it was originally kept.

The Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court (OWEC) has raised serious concerns over the deliberate obstruction of its mission by high-ranking government officials. This body, dedicated to creating a judicial framework aimed at holding civil war perpetrators accountable, claims that its efforts are being stifled at a critical juncture. OWEC Executive Director Jallah A. Barbu highlighted the nature of the interference, describing it as a phenomenon surpassing mere bureaucratic hurdles. "What we are…

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…

The Nigerian government has officially charged a number of retired senior military officers in connection with an alleged coup attempt aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu. The accused appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja, facing a serious 13-count indictment that includes conspiring to "levy war against the state." Reports suggest that the conspirators planned to invade the Presidential Villa, seize control of the government, and imprison President Tinubu along with other senior officials. This intricate…

Zimbabwe’s ruling party youth wing has urged Parliament to reject a reported US$3.6 million offer from businessman Wicknell Chivayo, warning the move could fuel perceptions of private interests exerting undue sway over state institutions. The ZANU PF Youth League said it had seen social media posts suggesting Chivayo intended to donate US$3.6 million to Parliament, but argued such a contribution would be inappropriate. Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs John Paradza stressed that Parliament must remain independent and…

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…

Princess Kasune Zulu — once a child bride and later one of Zambia’s first public figures to reveal her HIV status in the late 1990s — is now driving a sweeping shift in criminal justice. Her ministry has spearheaded a law that makes sexual offences non-bailable, placing her at the forefront of a landmark legal overhaul. Under the reform, all sexual offences are now non-bailable. With the passage of the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act No. 4 of 2026, suspects accused of grave crimes in Zambia — including child…