Africa

9, May 2026

After losing influence in West Africa, France seeks a regional reset at Kenya summit ⁰

Shorn of influence in its former colonies in West Africa, France will seek to deepen ties elsewhere on the continent next week at an Africa summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, its first to be held in an English-speaking country.

With a year left in his presidency, French President Emmanuel Macron is hoping to showcase a “renewed ‌partnership” with Africa, an aide at the Élysée Palace told reporters.

Monday and Tuesday’s summit, which will ⁠be attended by heads of state, business executives and heads of multilateral development banks, follows repeated setbacks for France in former colonies where it has wielded influence for decades.

A series of coups in ‌the Sahel region since 2020 have brought to power military officers who have expelled French troops and invited in ⁠Russia-backed mercenaries like the Wagner Group and its successor, Africa Corps, to deal with violence and unrest perpetrated by jihadist militias.

France also handed over control of its last major military facility in Senegal last July after Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye – who is expected to attend the Kenya summit – said French bases were incompatible with the country’s sovereignty.

“It does feel like a rebranding of how France is positioning itself on the continent,” said Beverly Ochieng, a Senegal-based senior ‌analyst at the Control Risks consultancy.

“It is moving away from some of its former colonial partners, security partners, towards countries where it has more of a cultural – a different footprint.”

French pivot

Macron came to power in 2017 vowing to ‌bring an end to “Francafrique”, the lingering and often murky links between France and its former colonies that at times saw Paris back autocratic regimes, while broadening engagement across the continent.

The pivot has involved attempts to tackle historical tensions with countries like Rwanda and Algeria while more closely engaging African civil society and youth leaders, said Alain Antil, the head of the Sub-Saharan Africa programme at the French Institute for International Relations.

At the same time, Paris has looked to boost trade ties, growing its imports from Africa by a quarter between 2021 and 2024, according to data from the International Trade Centre.

France and Nigeria signed a €300 million investment agreement in 2024 to support critical infrastructure, healthcare, transportation and renewable energy across Africa’s most populous country.

Investment deals, especially in areas like clean energy, artificial intelligence and education, are expected to be at the centre of Macron’s trip to Africa for the summit, during which he will also visit Egypt and Ethiopia.

Macron’s government has also looked to strengthen security cooperation with non-traditional partners, including by signing a defence pact with Kenya last October to boost cooperation in intelligence-sharing, maritime security and peacekeeping.

However, France has faced some high-profile setbacks in countries where foreign investors like China and Gulf states have leveraged deep pockets and longstanding relationships to build influence.

Kenyan President William Ruto’s government terminated a deal with a consortium led by France’s ⁠Vinci SA for a $1.5 billion highway expansion project last year and handed it to Chinese firms instead after Kenyan authorities said the contract saddled them with too much risk.

Ruto, who ⁠will co-host the summit, plans to focus on advancing talks on making the global financial system fairer to heavily indebted African countries. France has pledged to support this campaign.

Source: Reuters

5, May 2026

Mali leader Assimi Goïta assumes role of defense minister ⁰

Mali leader, Assimi Goïta, will assume the additional role of defense minister, according to a decree read on state TV on Monday, following the death of the previous minister in large-scale attacks.

Mali’s army chief of staff, General Oumar Diarra, ⁠will serve as minister delegate for defense, said the report, which described the move as a “strategic decision coming in a security context that remains ‌sensitive”.

The simultaneous attacks beginning on the morning of April 25 showed how fighters from different groups with different goals were ‌able to strike at the heart of the West African country’s military government, which took power after coups in 2020 and 2021.

Sadio Camara, the former defence minister who was instrumental in forging stronger ties with Russia, was killed when a car laden with explosives driven by a suicide attacker drove into his residence, the government has previously said.

The attacks set off fighting across Mali’s vast desert north, raising the prospect of significant gains by armed groups that have shown an increasing willingness to strike neighbouring countries and, analysts say, could eventually ⁠set their sights further afield.

Source: AFP

27, April 2026

Iran condemns terrorist attacks in Mali, assassination of defense minister ⁰

Iran has strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks in Mali, which led to the assassination of Defense Minister Sadio Camara, members of his family, and a large number of civilians, including worshippers at a mosque in the city of Kati near the capital Bamako.

“The fight against terrorism is an international responsibility requiring cooperation and coordination of all countries as well as sustained struggle against the perpetrators, organizers, supporters, and financial sponsors,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement on Monday.

Baghaei extended his condolences to families of the victims and expressed sympathy with the government and people of Mali.

He expressed confidence that the Malian people will overcome terrorism and its supporters through unity and solidarity.

In an official statement, a spokesperson for Mali’s government Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly announced on Sunday that the defense minister died in hospital from injuries he suffered following “cowardly terrorist incidents” the previous morning.

According to the statement, the assailant, driving a car, detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) targeting the minister’s home in Kati, a key military town near the capital.

The government added that the collapse of the minister’s residence caused additional casualties and led to the destruction of an adjacent mosque, where several worshippers and neighbors were killed.

Source: Presstv

22, March 2026

Senegal’s President to visit Spain, migration among key issues ⁰

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will begin a three-day official visit to Spain on Tuesday, March 24, at the invitation of King Felipe VI. Details of the visit have not been made public, but at the last high-level meeting between Senegal and Spain, talks focused on agriculture, vocational and technical training, industrialization, digitalization and security.

Cooperation is expected to prioritize combating irregular migration, a key issue for both countries. Migratory flows from Senegal to Europe have increased in recent years. In 2023, nearly 12,833 migrants arrived in Spain, of whom 9,319 were identified as Senegalese nationals, according to official data.

The visit comes amid an intensification of diplomatic relations between Dakar and Madrid, highlighted by visits to Senegal by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno in December 2023 and again in June 2024.

According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain provides development assistance to Senegal worth 27 million euros annually, focused on priority sectors such as agriculture, food access, health, and drinking water and sanitation.

Source: ecofin agency

18, March 2026

Mafia: Morocco awarded Afcon title after CAF overturns result ⁰

Morocco have been declared the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result of the final following Senegal’s controversial walk-off.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January in a match which was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

However, that result has now been overturned after a decision by an appeal board at African football’s governing body.

A statement from Caf said that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

The Senegalese Football Federation said it would appeal Caf’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, calling it “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable”.

The decision follows an appeal by Moroccan FA (FRMF) which Caf said is “declared admissible in form” and was upheld.

Caf added that “through the conduct of its team” Senegal infringed on Article 82 of regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations and as a result Article 84 became applicable.

Article 82 states that if a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the end of regulation time without the referee’s authorisation, it will be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.

Article 84 complements this provision, stating that any team that violates Articles 82 will be permanently eliminated and will lose the match 3-0.

A statement from FRMF said that their decision to appeal the final result was “never intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams” but was a request for the “application of the competition’s regulations”.

“The federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions,” the FRMF statement added.

“It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the Afcon, which has been a major moment for African football.”

Earlier, a video was posted on the X account of the Senegal men’s national team, external of their players celebrating on a bus parade with the Afcon trophy and an ‘OK’ emoji.

Maher Mezahi, a North African football journalist, told BBC Radio 5 Live that the decision to overturn the result will not change the emotional impact of what unfolded on the pitch for those who witnessed it.

“We cannot erase the final 16 minutes of that match and what we saw,” he said.

“We cannot erase the feelings of seeing Senegal lift the trophy and the players going home with the medal and them having a parade.”

Instagram story posts from Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr and West Ham's El Hadji Malick Diouf — Image caption,Some of Senegal’s players reacted to the news on social media. Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr posted a series of crying laughter emojis on his Instagram stories shortly after the announcement, while West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf uploaded a post-tournament celebration image captioned with “Champions, speak up!” and a photo of his medal accompanied by “How to make your party real”

What happened in the Afcon final?

With the scoreline 0-0, referee Jean Jacques Ndala gave a spot-kick in the eighth minute of added on time.

Ndala was advised by the video assistant referee (VAR) to consult the pitchside monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Diaz.

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw, still incensed by Ndala’s decision a few moments earlier to disallow a Senegal goal from Ismaila Sarr, ushered his team off the field.

Former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane stayed on the pitch and tried to encourage his Senegal team-mates to finish the game.

After a 17-minute delay, Senegal’s players did eventually return.

Real Madrid forward Diaz was trusted with the penalty, but his tame ‘Panenka’ effort was caught by Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy who barely had to move, and Ndala immediately blew his whistle for full-time.

Villarreal midfielder Gueye then scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of extra time to seal a second triumph in five years for Senegal.

In his post-match news conference, Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Senegal’s actions were “shameful” and do not “honour Africa”.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly condemned the “ugly scenes” in a post on Instagram.

Thiaw, meanwhile, had his media briefing cancelled after a ruckus broke out in the press room.

But in a later post-match interview he accepted that he should not have ordered his team off the field and he had reacted “in the heat of the moment”.

Morocco subsequently parted company with head coach Walid Regragui on 5 March – four months before the World Cup finals.

Source: BBC

13, February 2026

World’s rules-based order ‘no longer exists’, Germany’s Merz warns ⁰

The rules-based world order “no longer exists”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned world leaders at a major security summit.

Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, he said “our freedom is not guaranteed” in an era of big power politics, and Europeans must be ready to make “sacrifice”.

Merz also admitted that “a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States” – an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump’s threat to Denmark’s sovereignty by pledging to annex Greenland and his tariff policies towards other European nations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was listening to Merz and will deliver his own speech on Saturday, earlier spoke of a “new era in geopolitics”.

Some 50 world leaders are expected to attend this year’s conference, where European defence and the future of the transatlantic relationship will be discussed.

It comes at a time when US commitments to the Nato military alliance have been called into question. Trump’s ambition to acquire Greenland has also been viewed by many European leaders as a watershed moment that has eroded trust with its biggest ally.

The Russia-Ukraine war, tensions between the West and China, as well as a potential Iran-US nuclear deal are also on the agenda at the annual gathering.

Referring to multiple warnings that the rules-based order was collapsing, Merz told the conference: “I fear we must put it even more bluntly: this order, however imperfect it was even at its best, no longer exists in that form.”

He also said that “a rift, a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States. Vice-President JD Vance said this very openly here in Munich a year ago.

“He was right. The culture war of the MAGA [Make America Great Again] movement is not ours. Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade.”

Last year, Vance attacked Europe, including the UK, for policies on free speech and immigration. His speech triggered a year of unprecedented transatlantic tension.

But Merz did not write off the decades-long partnership, instead appealing directly to the US by saying “let’s repair and revive transatlantic trust”.

The German leader also revealed that “confidential talks” were ongoing with Macron on creating a joint European nuclear deterrent. He gave no further details.

France and the UK are the only two nuclear powers in Europe – but Germany and many other European nations have traditionally relied on the US nuclear umbrella within the Nato alliance for deterrence.

Ahead of the Munich conference, Rubio warned that “the world is changing very fast right in front of us” after being asked whether his message to Europeans would be more conciliatory than Vance’s a year ago.

“We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”

Tensions have been heightened in recent months as Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital to US national security, stating without evidence that it was “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place”.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Friday she planned to meet Rubio to discuss the US threats to seize Greenland – Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory from its Nato ally.

Source: BBC

6, February 2026

France, UK involved in assassination of Muammar Gaddafi’s son ⁰

France and the United Kingdom are reportedly involved in the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the prominent son of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, as he was seen as the man who could reunite Libya after the NATO-backed uprising.

Saif al-Islam was killed by unknown gunmen who stormed his home in the town of Zintan on Tuesday.

Gaddafi’s political team said in a statement that “four masked men” killed him in a “cowardly and treacherous assassination,” adding that he tried to fight off the assailants, who shut off the security cameras at the house “in a desperate attempt to conceal traces of their heinous crimes.”

“Our sources on the ground in Libya told us that they suspect that British intelligence used local proxies to assassinate the man seen by many as the one who could reunite Libya, 15 years after NATO bombed Libya into a failed state during their campaign to kill Muammar Gaddafi,” said British broadcaster and former Press TV presenter Afshin Rattansi.

He also hinted at France’s involvement in the assassination, saying “We also know that France has deep motives in Libya, we know from Wikileaks cables that France wanted a ‘greater share in Libya’s oil production’ in 2011, and [former President Nicolas] Sarkozy was negotiating to reserve as much as 35% of Libya’s oil production.”

According to his remarks, Saif al-Islam was seen by many as “the most likely candidate to win any Presidential election” and unite the country after years of instability, especially as he had support from tribes that originally fought against his father in 2011.

“Watch now as the US, UK, and France start to steamroll ahead with the long-delayed elections in Libya, now that the one leading candidate who would have united Libya, and not followed their orders to allow Libya to be a de facto colony that is perpetually looted for its oil reserves, is now dead.”

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service’s (SVR) press bureau noted that Saif al-Islam’s assassination came as France has reportedly been preparing “neo-colonial coups d’etat” in Africa and seeking opportunities for “political revenge” on the continent.

The report said the influence of the former colonial power in African countries is waning, as they refused “to serve as puppets of the financial and political oligarchy of French globalists.”

“Whether inspired by the American operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or imagining himself as the arbiter of the fate of African peoples, [French President Emmanuel] Macron has authorized his special services to launch a plan to eliminate ‘undesirable leaders’ in Africa,” the SVR press bureau added.

Source: Presstv

4, February 2026

Libya: Gaddafi’s son reportedly shot dead ⁰

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead.

The death of the 53-year-old, who was once widely seen as his father’s heir apparent, was confirmed by the head of his political team on Tuesday, according to the Libyan News Agency.

His lawyer told the AFP news agency a “four-man commando” unit carried out an assassination at his home in the city of Zintan, though it was not clear who may have been behind the attack.

In a competing version of events, his sister told Libyan TV that he had died near the country’s border with Algeria.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was long seen as the most influential and feared figure in the country after his father, who ruled Libya from 1969 until being ousted and killed during an uprising in 2011.

Born in 1972, he played a key role in Libya’s rapprochement with the West from 2000 until the collapse of the Gaddafi regime.

After his father’s removal, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi – who was accused of playing a key role in the brutal repression of anti-government protests – was jailed by a rival militia in the city of Zintan for almost six years.

The International Criminal Court wanted to put him on trial for crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the suppression of opposition protests in 2011.

In 2015, he was given a death sentence in absentia for his role in the crackdown by a court in Tripoli, in the west of the country, where control is in the hands of the UN-backed government.

But he was released by militia in Tobruk, in the east, under an amnesty law two years later.

Since the overthrow of Gaddafi, Libya has been split into areas controlled by various militias and is currently divided between two rival governments.

During his father’s time as leader, he shaped policy and led high-profile negotiations despite having no official role in government, including those which led his father to abandon his nuclear weapons programme.

Such agreements saw international sanctions on the north African country lifted, and some considered Gaddafi a reformist and acceptable face of a changing Libya.

Gaddafi had always denied that he wanted to inherit power from his father, saying the reins of power were “not a farm to inherit”.

However, in 2021 he announced he would run for the presidency in elections which were then postponed indefinitely.

Source: BBC

31, January 2026

Congo-Kinshasa: More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse ⁰

More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located.

Rubaya produces around 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, where locals dig manually for a few dollars per day, has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024.

The collapse occurred on Wednesday and the precise toll was still unclear as of Friday evening.

“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” Muyisa said, adding that about 20 injured people were being treated in health facilities.

Source: Agencies

31, January 2026

Fela Kuti is first African musician honoured with Grammys Lifetime Achievement award ⁰

Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti to make history as first African honoured with posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela’s death and long after his influence reshaped global music.

He is one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala.

Others are Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.

In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms.

That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats – a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.

Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.

“Fela’s influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats,” said a citation on the Grammys list of this year’s honourees.

Known also as the “Black President”, the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.

His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.

“This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful,” Grammy-nominated Made Kuti said.

“It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it.”

‘Better later than never’

Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela’s first cousin and head of the family, said on Friday the award was “a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated.”

“But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please …not wait till people are dead,” she said.

As to what would have been Fela’s reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: “I’m sure he would have said better late than never” although “in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world, particularly the western world”.

Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.

His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album “Zombie”, generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.

His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.

His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles where he will join the Kuti family at the ceremony, was confident the award would “significantly uplift Fela’s music”.

“Fifty albums out there. I’m sure it’s going to continue onward and upward.”

“An increasing number of people what weren’t even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela’s music and hopefully Fela’s message,” he said

Source: AFP