标签： Africa

The ongoing geopolitical unrest in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through global energy markets, and one of its most immediate impacts is being felt by ordinary consumers in the East African nation of Kenya. On Tuesday, the country’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) confirmed what many had feared: a dramatic upward adjustment to fuel prices that will raise costs for transportation, commerce and households across the country.

In its bi-monthly pricing review, covering the period from April 15 to May 14, 2026, the regulator announced steep increases across most fuel grades. Diesel, which powers the vast majority of Kenya’s freight transport, agricultural machinery and public transit vehicles, saw the largest jump at 24.1 percent. Super petrol rose by a smaller but still significant 16.2 percent. The adjustments pushed the retail price of both fuels above $1.59 per liter in the capital Nairobi, according to the new pricing schedule.

In a statement signed by Joseph Oketch, EPRA’s acting director-general, the authority announced it would hold kerosene prices steady, capping the domestic cooking fuel at a maximum retail price of $1.18 per liter in Nairobi.

The price hikes are directly tied to a sharp surge in global benchmark oil prices, which has been triggered by escalating conflict between the US-Israel alliance and Iran in the Middle East. As a country that relies entirely on imports for all its refined petroleum products, Kenya has no domestic refining capacity to insulate itself from global market volatility, leaving the nation fully exposed to external energy price shocks.

Even as it enforced the new global-market-aligned prices, the Kenyan government moved quickly to roll out targeted measures to soften the blow for consumers. Oketch confirmed that the value-added tax (VAT) applied to super petrol, diesel and kerosene has been cut from 16 percent to 13 percent to reduce overall costs. To further stabilize retail pump prices, the government will draw approximately $48 million from the national Petroleum Development Levy Fund to offset part of the elevated landed cost of imported fuel products.

Oketch moved to reassure Kenyans that the regulator remains committed to upholding fair competition in the energy sector, and will continue working to protect the interests of both consumers and industry investors amid the ongoing market instability.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s fragile post-shock economic recovery is at growing risk of stalling this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have warned, as spillover effects from the ongoing Middle East conflict drive up critical commodity prices and amplify pre-existing economic vulnerabilities across the continent.

In joint comments released following a Tuesday meeting in Washington between IMF leadership and the African Consultative Group, the two global financial institutions cut their 2026 growth projections for the region, confirming that the conflict has erased earlier optimism for accelerating expansion. The IMF now forecasts aggregate African GDP growth will cool to 4.2% in 2026, down from an estimated 4.5% growth in 2025. Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth, specifically, is projected to ease to 4.3% this year, with the World Bank trimming its own Sub-Saharan forecast by an even steeper 0.3 percentage points to 4.1%.

Citing the Middle East conflict as a major new disruptive force, analysts warn that higher prices for fuel, food and fertilizer – three commodities critical to African household budgets and industrial activity – have reignited inflationary pressures that were starting to ease. The World Bank projects regional inflation will climb back up to 4.8% in 2026, a sharp jump from 3.7% recorded in 2025, a surge that hits low-income and poor households the hardest, as they spend the majority of their income on basic necessities.

“Growth momentum in Africa is expected to slow down in 2026 contrary to earlier projections,” the joint statement reads, adding that the conflict has deepened fragility that already stemmed from soaring debt service costs, restricted access to affordable financing, and unmet development needs that have long constrained policy options for low-income and conflict-affected nations. “The war has further complicated the situation, with risks of lasting economic scarring driven by renewed inflation, food shortages and growing social tensions.”

Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, director of the IMF’s research department, told reporters on Tuesday that the economic hit is already visible, with growth downgrades and rising inflation recorded across a large number of African countries. He noted that the impact varies by national economy: energy-importing nations face far steeper headwinds than energy-exporting countries that benefit from elevated global oil prices.

Beyond growth and inflation, the geopolitical uncertainty sparked by the conflict is already starting to disrupt planned investment flows into the continent. The World Bank estimates that more than $100 billion in investment commitments from Gulf Cooperation Council sovereign wealth funds – concentrated in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – could face delays or be scaled back as funds reassess their risk exposure amid heightened global volatility. These investments, which target priority African sectors including renewable energy, port infrastructure, logistics, mining and large-scale agriculture, have been a key source of financing for major development projects across Sub-Saharan Africa in recent years.

IMF officials added that the combination of higher commodity prices, tighter global financial conditions, and declining foreign aid has created even more severe pressure for low-income African countries already struggling to unsustainable high debt burdens.

Both institutions and African finance leaders have laid out a clear policy path for governments to navigate the crisis: in the near term, policymakers must prioritize keeping inflation expectations anchored and rolling out targeted, time-bound financial support to protect the most vulnerable households from price hikes. Over the medium term, countries need to accelerate structural reforms focused on economic diversification, deepen regional integration, and expand critical infrastructure to build long-term resilience against future external shocks. World Bank Africa chief economist Andrew Dabalen emphasized that maintaining core macroeconomic stability through inflation control and prudent fiscal management remains non-negotiable to set the continent up for faster growth once the current crisis eases.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s national security apparatus has been placed on heightened alert following a leaked internal intelligence memo that uncovered coordinated planned attacks by Islamist militant networks targeting critical public infrastructure across Abuja and neighboring Niger State. The confidential document, dated April 13 and obtained by the Associated Press from the Nigeria Customs Service on Wednesday, outlines specific high-value targets selected by the attackers: Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, a federal prison in the capital, and a military detention facility located in Niger State.

According to the memo’s text, the militants’ dual objectives are to free dozens of detained terror group members and cause catastrophic damage to Nigeria’s key aviation infrastructure. The warning draws a clear parallel to a deadly January assault on an air force base in Niamey, the capital of neighboring Niger Republic, noting that terror operatives are actively seeking to replicate that successful attack model within Nigeria’s borders. “An analysis of the report reveals a concerning correlation between the potential targeting of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja and recent large-scale attacks on aviation facilities in Niger Republic, notably in Niamey and Tahoua. This suggests a possible intent by terrorists to replicate the attack patterns within Nigeria,” the memo states.

The Abuja prison referenced in the warning was the site of a major 2022 militant breakout, when an attack organized by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) allowed 879 inmates to escape, including 64 confirmed ISWAP members. The latest planned operation is set to be executed by deep-cover sleeper cells belonging to two of Nigeria’s most active militant groups: Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP, the memo confirms.

A senior Nigeria Customs Service official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, confirmed that all branches of the military and national paramilitary forces have been placed on high alert and are actively preparing to disrupt the planned attacks. As of press time, neither the Nigeria Customs Service nor the Nigerian military has issued an official response to AP’s requests for comment on the intelligence alert.

The revealed plot comes amid a long-running and evolving security crisis across Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. For more than a decade, insurgent violence has plagued the country’s northern regions, where multiple armed extremist groups operate, carrying out attacks, kidnappings for ransom, and community raids. Alongside Boko Haram and ISWAP, the IS-affiliated Lakurawa group has expanded its operations in northwestern Nigeria’s border regions adjacent to Niger Republic in recent years.

The new terror warning also follows a recent security adjustment by the United States, which last week authorized the evacuation of non-emergency government staff and their family members from its Abuja embassy, citing a sharp rise in terrorist attacks, kidnapping incidents, and violent crime across northern Nigeria. The U.S. mission has since suspended regular public operations. Nigerian Information Minister Mohammed Idris downplayed the U.S. move, framing it as a standard precautionary step following internal security protocols, and stressed that the decision does not reflect the full security landscape across the country.

Across the African continent, business leaders, policy experts and senior officials are amplifying longstanding calls for a unified visa-free travel regime, framing the elimination of cross-border visa requirements as a non-negotiable step to unlock intra-regional trade, revitalize tourism and deliver on the long-held goal of continental integration.

In the sun-dappled wetland plains of eastern Uganda’s Butaleja district, where endless emerald rice paddies roll toward the horizon, third-generation farmer Robert Sagula walks through his towering, swaying crop with a pride that speaks to a dramatic life transformation. For decades, Sagula followed the same path his father walked, growing the traditional rice varieties first brought to the region by Chinese agricultural experts in 1975. Back then, yields were barely enough to get by: a single hectare delivered just 1,500 to 2,500 kilograms of milled rice, enough to feed his family but leave no room for long-term prosperity.

That all shifted in 2018, when the tripartite FAO-China-Uganda South-South Cooperation project introduced high-yield hybrid rice varieties to Sagula’s community. Today, the change is visible in every stalk and every line of Sagula’s income statement. “The hybrid rice produces far higher yields, has a pleasant aroma, long golden grains that carry more weight, and sells for a much better price on local markets than our traditional varieties,” Sagula explained.

With the proper cultivation training he received from Chinese experts, Sagula now harvests roughly 12 metric tons of paddy rice per hectare each growing season, and he farms two full seasons annually across his 1.2-hectare plot. That translates to 7,500 kilograms of milled rice per season, netting him around $2,809 in earnings every six months. His total annual income now hits roughly $16,854 — more than 10 times what he earned growing traditional varieties.

That windfall has reshaped his family’s future: Sagula has sent all his children to top private schools, multiple have already graduated, and he has built a spacious modern family home on his farm. Word of his success has spread across eastern Uganda, drawing hundreds of curious farmers to his plot to learn his techniques. Sagula now serves as a community mentor, training local farmers in hybrid rice cultivation and encouraging more to make the switch. He credits his entire transformation to the hands-on training from Chinese agricultural experts and government support, and is calling for the project to be extended to reach more rural households.

Launched in Uganda in 2012, the FAO-China-Uganda South-South Cooperation project was designed to lift national agricultural productivity by transferring proven, smallholder-friendly Chinese agricultural technologies and decades of cultivation expertise to Ugandan farmers. Now in its third phase, the program has evolved into a shared partnership: the first phase was fully funded by China, while the Ugandan government now covers approximately 76 percent of the third phase’s total budget, with discussions underway for a fourth extension phase to expand impact.

To date, the program has deployed 54 experienced Chinese agricultural specialists across key sectors including livestock, fisheries, crop science, and agribusiness, according to Martin Ameu, FAO’s South-South program coordinator in Uganda. Beyond hybrid rice, the initiative has supported the adoption of a range of climate-resilient, productivity-boosting practices including integrated rice-fish co-culture, improved poultry and livestock breeds, and drought-resistant foxtail millet varieties.

Across 33 Ugandan districts, the project has directly improved livelihoods for approximately 140,000 smallholder farmers. “We are seeing tangible gains: improved national food security from new technologies, higher household incomes for smallholders, and study exchange tours to China that give Ugandan officials and farmers firsthand experience of effective practices they can bring home,” Ameu said. The program has also strengthened cross-border trade connections and attracted new private sector investment, boosting value addition and opening new market channels for Ugandan agricultural products. Ameu notes the initiative has become a gold standard model for South-South cooperation across Africa, with Uganda sharing its successful experience at regional forums to encourage similar programs across the continent.

Julius Twinamasiko, program coordinator at Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, said the project has driven critical progress in mechanizing and commercializing the country’s smallholder agriculture sector. Beyond hybrid rice, the ministry has already released three improved foxtail millet varieties through the program, with new drought-resistant chili and sorghum varieties planned for introduction in coming years. A core long-term goal of the initiative is to build local seed production capacity for all new varieties, ensuring high-quality seeds are accessible and affordable for smallholder farmers across the country to drive widespread adoption and boost total national food output.

“Chinese expert training has dramatically strengthened Uganda’s agricultural extension system, putting us on a stronger path to guarantee food security and improved nutrition for our rapidly growing population,” Twinamasiko added.

In Butaleja district, the demonstration farms established during the project’s second phase proved to be the critical turning point for local adoption of hybrid rice, according to district production officer Amina Dugo. “From our first demonstration plot, we harvested 2,800 kilograms of milled rice — that result was enough to spark massive interest among local farmers, and hundreds signed up to adopt the variety almost immediately,” Dugo said. Study tours to China for Ugandan agricultural officials also helped deepen understanding of hybrid rice cultivation and program design.

Integrated rice-fish farming, another practice introduced through the program, can boost farm incomes by up to 50 percent, Dugo explained, though seasonal flooding remains an ongoing challenge for low-lying wetland farms. Even with that challenge, improved hybrid seeds and agronomic training have lifted average yields to between 1,500 and 2,500 kilograms of milled rice per hectare across the district, a massive jump from pre-project levels.

The program has not been without its growing pains: demand for hybrid rice seeds currently outpaces supply, and the upfront cost of hybrid seed remains a barrier for many low-income farmers. Traditional rice seed costs just $1.4 per kilogram, while hybrid seed retails for $10.4 per kilogram. Dugo noted that these challenges are already being addressed: as local seed production scales up, supply gaps will narrow, and the district is negotiating with the national government to introduce targeted seed subsidies to make hybrid varieties more accessible to smallholders. She also points out that the higher upfront cost is offset by lower seed requirements per hectare: traditional rice needs 49.4 kilograms of seed per hectare, while hybrid rice only requires 14.82 kilograms, cutting down on total input costs.

Today, Butaleja produces an estimated 75,000 tons of rice annually, a jump the district attributes largely to the South-South Cooperation project’s contributions. Beyond improved seeds, farmers have learned a full suite of improved practices from Chinese experts, including row planting, water and soil management, optimized fertilizer use, and improved post-harvest handling that cuts waste and improves grain quality. Last year, the district also received a donation of 11 tractors, 11 combine harvesters, and three modern rice processing mills through the project, further lifting output and reducing post-harvest loss.

“More than half of our district agricultural staff have received training in China, which has given us invaluable skills and boosted motivation across the board; staff morale is higher than it has ever been,” Dugo said, praising China’s sustained support for technology transfer, capacity building, and agricultural machinery donations.

Chinese experts working on the ground in Butaleja echo that the project has been a mutually rewarding success. Luo Zhongping, a rice specialist who has trained local farmers in the district for three years, said it is incredibly fulfilling to see farmers embrace Chinese technologies and transform their own livelihoods through hard work and new skills.

Wei Runwu, a foxtail millet expert working on the project, noted the drought-resistant crop has quickly gained popularity among Ugandan farmers thanks to its short 75-day growing cycle, higher yields than native finger millet, and strong nutritional profile: it contains 17 percent starch and 10 percent protein, making it a valuable addition to local food systems. Along with training, the project provided free starting seeds and fertilizer to early adopters, and “farmers are eager to switch after seeing the consistent results,” Wei said.

Currently, more than 300 smallholder farmers in Butaleja already grow foxtail millet, and that number is expected to rise rapidly as the government scales up promotion of the newly released improved variety. Stephen Were, Butaleja’s district agricultural officer, explained that foxtail millet’s short maturity period means it can be grown across all seasons, even during short rainy periods when other crops fail, and unlike hybrid rice, it is an open-pollinated variety, meaning farmers can save and replant seeds from their own harvest each year, cutting down on recurring input costs.

Were emphasized that the project is built for long-term sustainability. Local extension officers have already been fully trained to support hybrid rice and foxtail millet cultivation, and 10 lead farmers have been trained in each of the district’s three official rice schemes to serve as community mentors for other farmers. “Farmers learn best from their peers who face the same local conditions,” Were said. To date, 11 crop extension officers have been trained in Butaleja, five of whom traveled to China for advanced specialized training, with each officer now covering one subcounty or town council to ensure ongoing support for farmers across the district.

In a high-profile wildlife trafficking case that highlights Kenya’s growing crackdown on the illegal insect trade, a Chinese national has received a 12-month prison sentence and a substantial fine for attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 live queen garden ants out of the East African nation en route to China. The verdict, handed down Wednesday by a Nairobi court, ordered defendant Zhang Kequn to pay 1 million Kenyan shillings, equal to roughly $7,737 or £5,713, in addition to his custodial sentence. Presiding Judge Irene Gichobi issued a sharp rebuke of Zhang’s conduct, noting the defendant was not fully cooperative during proceedings and showed no genuine remorse for his actions. The case traces back to Zhang’s March 10 arrest at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where authorities discovered the large consignment of live ants hidden in his checked luggage as he prepared to board a flight bound for the Chinese mainland. Court documents revealed Zhang had purchased the entire batch of ants from local Kenyan national Charles Mwangi, paying a total of 200,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,540, £1,150) for the 2,000 specimens. Mwangi was also arrested and charged in connection with the smuggling plot, and he has been released on bail as his case moves through the Kenyan judicial system. Zhang initially entered a plea of not guilty to all charges, which included illegal trafficking of protected wildlife species, before reversing his position and entering a guilty plea. Judge Gichobi emphasized that a harsh penalty was necessary to deter future trafficking activity, pointing to a steady uptick in large-scale garden ant smuggling cases across Kenya and the serious ecological damage that these illegal removals cause to local ecosystems. “There is need for a stiff deterrent sentence,” the judge stated, referencing the growing threat unregulated insect trafficking poses to Kenya’s natural biodiversity. Following the completion of his prison term, Zhang will be transferred to Chinese authorities for deportation back to his home country, per the judge’s ruling. Zhang’s legal team has confirmed he plans to challenge the verdict and sentence, and he has 14 days from the ruling date to file an official appeal with the Kenyan appeals court. Kenyan wildlife authorities have long warned that global demand for native Kenyan garden ants, particularly among private insect collectors in Europe and Asia, has spurred a sharp rise in illegal trafficking activity. Each queen garden ant can fetch as much as $220 (£170) on the global black market, making the illegal trade a high-profit, low-risk enterprise for criminal networks. This case is not an isolated incident: just 12 months ago, a Kenyan court handed down an identical 12-month prison sentence and $7,700 fine to four men – two Belgian citizens, one Vietnamese national, and one Kenyan national – who were caught attempting to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of the country, also bound for collectors in European and Asian markets. The Kenya Wildlife Service, which leads enforcement against wildlife and insect trafficking in the country, has stepped up border and airport inspections in recent years to crack down on the illegal trade, as authorities work to protect native insect populations and preserve Kenya’s fragile ecological balance.

Across the arid landscapes of Somalia, a decades-long climate catastrophe is reaching a catastrophic tipping point, as two consecutive failed rainy seasons have turned chronic drought into a full-scale humanitarian emergency that threatens millions of lives and unravels centuries-old ways of life.

For pastoralist communities like Abdulkadir Mohamed Farah, a 61-year-old herder in Dhusamareb, the capital of central Somalia’s Galmudug state, the crisis is personal and catastrophic. In less than 12 months, he has lost 90% of his goat herd and more than two-thirds of his camels — assets that represent far more than income: for Somali pastoralists, livestock are the foundation of food security, economic stability, and centuries-old cultural identity. “The livestock, both camels and goats, have been lost. Now we fear that people may follow,” Farah said. “The animals are dying. They have nothing to eat. I had 500 goats, only 50 remain. I had 70 camels, 20 are left.”

His story is echoed thousands of miles across the country, including near Dangorayo in northern Somalia’s Nugal region, where 19-year-old Maymun Ali Mohamed recently fled to an internal displacement camp after all her livestock perished. “When I saw the animals dying, I decided to move and stay with relatives. I told myself my young children must not die,” Mohamed explained. For thousands of families across Somalia, displacement has become the only option to survive as water holes dry up and grazing land turns to dust.

New data from humanitarian agencies confirms the scale of the crisis: an estimated 6.5 million Somalis — nearly one-third of the country’s total population — now face acute food insecurity, a jump of 1.7 million people since January 2026, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which cited data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. As of late February, 2 million people are already experiencing severe hunger, and projections for 2026 show more than 1.8 million children under five will suffer from acute malnutrition, with nearly 500,000 facing life-threatening severe malnutrition.

“The situation has really been worsening over the past months. It is now reaching catastrophic proportions,” Anukha Combernous, head of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia, told China Daily. What began as an intensifying crisis in northern regions has now spread across the entire country, she added, disproportionately hitting rural pastoralist communities that support more than 60% of Somalia’s total population.

The crisis has piled unprecedented pressure on a Somali health system already crippled by decades of ongoing armed conflict. As mass livestock deaths and dried-up water sources drive rising malnutrition rates, existing health infrastructure cannot keep up with surging demand. “We’re talking about no food, no water, herds of goats, sheep and camels that are dying, rising malnutrition levels, especially among children under five,” Combernous said. “It is extremely difficult for the current health infrastructure to cope with the rising needs.”

Compounding the climate-driven emergency is a crippling global funding shortfall. Combernous noted that last year’s Somalia humanitarian response plan received only 29% of its requested funding, forcing the closure of more than 600 health facilities across the country. Even as needs grow at an alarming rate, restricted funding has cut off access to life-saving nutrition services, healthcare, and clean water for millions of vulnerable people. Active hostilities in several regions of Somalia also continue to block humanitarian access and prevent Somalis from traveling to find water, grazing land, or emergency medical care.

“Funding is insufficient. It has been decreasing over the past years and more significantly also in 2025,” Combernous said. She warned that without urgent, large-scale action, the death toll will rise sharply. “In brief, people will die.” Beyond emergency relief, she emphasized that short-term aid must be paired with long-term investment to rebuild essential public services and strengthen local, community-led systems to reduce long-term dependency on international aid. “Over the last decades, there’s been a trend of dependency on aid. What we need to work on altogether is to find ways of making these systems more sustainable, more autonomous,” she said, calling on the full global community to step up support.

Among international donors, China has recently moved to expand its support for Somalia’s drought response, committing $4.1 million in total humanitarian assistance on March 8. The package includes $2 million in direct cash aid and $2.1 million worth of emergency food supplies, targeted at supporting the millions of Somalis facing severe food insecurity.

“China and Africa share weal and woe in fighting natural disasters and epidemics together. As a good friend and strategic partner of Somalia, China will continue to support Somalia’s disaster relief efforts. China will never be absent when Somalia is in need,” Wang Yu, China’s ambassador to Somalia, said during a donation ceremony in Mogadishu. He reaffirmed China’s long-term commitment to supporting Somalia through the crisis, and pledged continued cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness.

Somali disaster management officials have echoed the urgent call for action, warning that repeated climate shocks, mass displacement, and declining funding have pushed vulnerable communities past their ability to cope. “Urgent life-saving assistance is essential to save lives and prevent a collapse of pastoral and farming livelihoods,” Mohamud Moallim Abdulle, commissioner of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency, said in a late February statement. He noted that funding cuts have forced humanitarian partners to scale back critical food, health, and water programs even as demand continues to rise, and appealed to global partners, the Somali diaspora, private businesses, and civil society to increase immediate support. “Together, through collective action and shared responsibility, we can save lives and protect livelihoods before conditions deteriorate further,” he said.

As the country waits for the next rainy season — which many fear will also fail — personal stories like Farah’s shrinking herd and Mohamed’s displacement put a human face on the grim statistics, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated global action to prevent the crisis from deepening even further. Combernous emphasized that the appeal for support is open to all donors, regardless of nationality. “It’s essential for all donors, regardless of where they’re from, to be mobilized at this point,” she said. “All we need is for donors to increase the capacity of those who are already present to provide a life-saving response.” Without timely rainfall and a major scale-up of assistance, she warned, millions more Somalis will slip into life-threatening levels of hunger in the coming months.