Zimbabwe’s opposition politics and civil society circles are mourning the death of Linda Masarira, an outspoken human rights activist and party leader, who has died aged 43. Masarira founded and led the Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) in 2019. Tributes have begun to pour in from those who worked alongside her. Close friend Abigale Mupambi remembered Masarira as a “comrade to many,” reflecting the breadth of her relationships across activism and political organising. Over the past decade, Masarira became…

Saturday May 23, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Police in Mogadishu have detained several young people accused of interfering with security checkpoints and taking part in violent incidents, authorities said Friday, even as opposition leaders denounced the arrests as a political crackdown. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the suspects were taken into custody in security zones after allegedly engaging in conduct that could endanger public safety, disrupt stability and restrict movement in the capital. Police said initial…

Rwandan opposition figure Victoire Ingabire is back in court for a second trial, this time accused of inciting public unrest and joining a criminal organization. She appears alongside nine co-defendants, most of whom are fellow members of her party, Development and Liberty for All (DALFA-Umurinzi). Ingabire was freed in September 2018 by a presidential pardon from President Paul Kagame after serving 8 years of a 15-year sentence.

Wednesday May 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s principal opposition alliance said Tuesday it will begin weekly street protests in Mogadishu on June 4, stepping up pressure on the federal government after negotiations collapsed over the country’s electoral roadmap. The Somali Salvation Council said the demonstrations will be staged every Thursday until the sides reach a political settlement on elections. Opposition leaders framed the rallies as peaceful and urged residents of the capital to join them after the Eid…

MOGADISHU, May 18, 2026 – Somalia’s long-running electoral dispute took on fresh urgency on Monday as international partners opened virtual crisis talks with the opposition alliance and influential regional leaders, diplomatic sources said, in a bid to pull the country back from a deepening political impasse. The online session brought foreign diplomats face to face with the Future Council, a major coalition of opposition-aligned political figures, as well as Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders left the table Wednesday without a deal after hours of hard-fought talks over the country’s contested electoral roadmap, according to sources familiar with the meeting. The negotiations took place within the tightly secured compound of Aden Abdulle Osman International Airport in Mogadishu, at a venue operated by the National Intelligence and Security Agency. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama…

Somalia’s President, Opposition Leaders Head for Crucial Talks in Mogadishu’s Halane Compound MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s political deadlock is set to move behind the walls of Mogadishu’s fortified Halane compound, where President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders are expected to meet in high-level talks aimed at easing a widening dispute over delayed elections and constitutional revisions. The discussions, anticipated in the coming days, will bring together officials from the federal government and members of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s opposition has raised the political temperature in the capital, with the Somali Future Council announcing a mass protest in Mogadishu on May 16 and accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his government of intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and broader political repression. In a statement released in Mogadishu, the coalition said authorities were trying to stop a peaceful rally planned by forum members a day earlier in the city. “The Somali Salvation Forum strongly condemns the actions taken…

Monday May 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s dominant opposition alliance said Monday it will return to the streets of Mogadishu on May 16, pressing ahead with an anti-government protest after accusing federal authorities of blocking an earlier rally and using security forces to stifle dissent. The Somali Salvation Forum said it would carry on what it described as a “peaceful struggle” over forced displacement, land seizures and what it called the misuse of power by the federal government. In a statement, the forum said…

President Félix Tshisekedi has ignited a political backlash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after saying he would consider a third term if citizens called for it, a statement that opposition leaders swiftly denounced. The constitution restricts presidents to two terms, and Tshisekedi said any modification would be decided by referendum. His critics counter that Article 220 expressly forbids changing presidential term limits, accusing him of laying the groundwork to prolong his time in office. The dispute…