Global Pulse

标签： Africa

非洲

  • Ethiopia certifies results for watershed election

    Ethiopia certifies results for watershed election

    One month after Ethiopians headed to the polls for the country’s seventh general parliamentary election, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has officially certified the final results, marking what observers and local officials are calling a defining milestone in the East African nation’s ongoing democratic evolution.

    Held on June 1, 2026, the election saw more than 50 million registered Ethiopians eligible to cast ballots across national constituencies, though voting was delayed in a small number of districts due to unresolved local security threats. When votes were counted, the ruling Prosperity Party secured a commanding position in the 547-seat House of Peoples’ Representatives, the country’s lower parliamentary body, taking 438 seats to retain its absolute governing majority.

    Under Ethiopia’s constitutional framework, the political party or coalition that wins a majority in the House of Peoples’ Representatives is granted the mandate to form a new national government and appoint the country’s prime minister. The official certification of results clears the way for the transition to the new administration to move forward.

    International observers have framed the election as a step forward for Ethiopia’s democratic institutions. Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, emphasized that the successful completion of the vote demonstrates significant progress in Ethiopia’s work to strengthen its democratic governance systems. He reaffirmed the AU’s longstanding commitment to supporting credible, inclusive electoral processes across the African continent, and expressed firm confidence that Ethiopia will continue advancing toward lasting domestic peace.

    Local political analysts, while acknowledging the democratic progress the election represents, have outlined clear priorities for the incoming government. Terecha Balcha, an Ethiopian researcher specializing in political science and international relations, noted that the vote marks another incremental advance along the country’s democratic journey, but stressed that the new administration must now center its work on fulfilling campaign pledges to voters and rebuilding widespread peace and stability across regions.

    Mekdes Mesfin, a lecturer in political science and international relations at Ethiopia’s Madda Walabu University, echoed that perspective, noting that Ethiopian voters will now expect the newly mandated government to turn its electoral support into measurable, tangible development gains for communities across the country. Addressing persistent peace and security challenges in fragmented regions of the country must sit at the top of the incoming administration’s policy agenda, she added.

    This report included contributions from Afework Eyayu on the ground in Ethiopia.

  • Armed group in Nigeria kills at least 20 people and exchanges gunfire with police

    Armed group in Nigeria kills at least 20 people and exchanges gunfire with police

    Fresh reports from Nigeria confirm that a deadly armed attack on a rural community in the country’s north-central Plateau State has claimed at least 20 lives, police authorities confirmed Monday. The violent incident unfolded Sunday in Kawel, a small community located within Bokkos Local Government Area, according to an official statement released by Plateau State police spokesperson Alfred Alabo.

    Responding to emergency calls about the attack, law enforcement personnel were deployed to the scene rapidly, where they engaged the unidentified assailants in an exchange of gunfire. The shootout ultimately forced the attackers to withdraw from the area, Alabo confirmed. As of Monday, no suspects have been taken into custody, and no militant or armed organization has issued a claim of responsibility for the killing.

    Following the attack, local authorities have moved forward with processing the victims’ remains. Alabo noted that the bodies of those killed have already been turned over to their next of kin for burial, after family members requested to forgo formal autopsies.

    Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has ordered an immediate coordinated response to support affected residents, according to a statement from the governor’s spokesperson Joyce Ramnap. Mutfwang directed state emergency management and humanitarian assistance agencies to deploy all available resources to provide urgent relief, support, and aid to survivors and the families of the deceased.

    The attack is the latest episode of recurring intercommunal and insurgent-linked violence that has plagued central and northern Nigeria for years. According to United Nations data, a long-running insurgency centered in Nigeria’s northeast has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since the conflict began. Armed criminal gangs have also maintained a persistent presence across the country’s northwest and north-central regions, carrying out frequent attacks on civilian communities. This killing marks the second deadly assault in Plateau State that has left 20 people dead so far this year: a nighttime raid on the Gari Ya Waye community in March also claimed 20 lives.

  • Unpaid bonuses and food issues – what’s going on inside Senegal camp?

    Unpaid bonuses and food issues – what’s going on inside Senegal camp?

    Four appearances at the FIFA World Cup now under their belt, Senegal entered the 2026 edition with high hopes: the West African nation aimed to surpass its iconic 2002 quarter-final run, the highlight of its World Cup debut, and carry forward the momentum of its run to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. Instead, two back-to-back defeats have left the Teranga Lions pointless after two group-stage matches, on the brink of an early first-round exit. Only a win against Iraq on Friday can keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

    Rumors of disarray within the national team camp have overshadowed Senegal’s on-pitch struggles, with multiple off-field controversies leaking into public view in the lead-up to the tournament’s opening matches. Reports of bonus disputes, sudden staff changes, catering conflicts and a drawn-out contract row with head coach Pape Thiaw have fueled speculation that internal friction is to blame for the team’s underwhelming start. To separate fact from speculation, a closer look at the issues roiling the Senegal camp reveals a more nuanced picture.

    One of the most widely reported issues surrounded the quality of team catering at the squad’s New Jersey base, where the team is staying at a four-star Hyatt Regency close to their training ground at Rutgers University – a step down from the five-star venue they used at the 2025 Afcon in Morocco, but not a source of complaint from the playing core. The team originally traveled with their long-time personal chef, who had planned menus for the camp months in advance, but he departed for private family reasons after the team’s final pre-tournament warm-up friendlies against the United States and Saudi Arabia. When a replacement was brought in, core players have not raised issues with the new catering arrangements. Instead, dissatisfaction with the lack of traditional Senegalese cuisine has come from non-playing delegation members staying at the team hotel, some of whom have ordered external meals in response to their disappointment.

    Other minor disruptions have stemmed from accompanying travel parties: some Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) officials brought family members to the United States at their own cost, who have stayed near the team hotel and at times drawn criticism for overly close proximity to the squad. Players’ families are housed separately at a nearby hotel, with all accommodation and breakfast costs covered by the federation.

    Claims of unpaid performance bonuses, another widely circulated controversy, have already been resolved: the unpaid funds were disbursed by the Senegalese government just days before Senegal’s third group match. Long-running tension over Thiaw’s contract, however, created the most significant deadlock for the side ahead of the tournament. The 2002 World Cup veteran, who took the reins of the national team in 2024 on an annual salary of roughly £210,000, saw his original contract expire immediately after the 2025 Afcon, where he guided Senegal to a controversial final that later stripped the side of their title, with an appeal pending to regain the crown.

    Buoyed by his strong tournament run, Thiaw entered contract extension talks from a strengthened position, but negotiations stalled for months. Under Senegalese sports governance, while the head coach negotiates directly with the federation, all contract signings and salary payments require final approval from the state through the ministries of sport and finance. Prolonged political upheaval in Senegal, triggered by the dismissal of the previous government and removal of the prime minister, created cascading delays across public sectors, leaving Thiaw without a signed new contract as the team departed for the United States.

    As pressure mounted through local media, with hints that Thiaw might refuse to travel for the tournament, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye intervened personally, contacting the coach to guarantee a swift resolution. After newly appointed Sports Minister Djireye Clotilde Coly traveled to the U.S. to meet with the squad ahead of the opening match against France and reaffirm the administration’s commitments, negotiations moved forward, and a deal was finally reached: Thiaw’s new contract carries an annual salary of £480,000 plus an additional £80,000 annual performance bonus.

    “It’s true it took too long, but it was never a money issue. It was more a principles and respect issue, but it’s been resolved,” Thiaw told reporters on Sunday. “As Senegalese people, patriotism is more important than anything else and the questions around the contract are in the past now. It’s been signed. It is true there have been a couple of creases that need to be ironed out.”

    Ranked 17th in the world, Senegal entered this World Cup as one of Africa’s top contenders, but dropped their opening two matches: a 3-1 loss to defending champions France followed by a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Norway that sealed their early point drought. Despite the off-field noise, both Thiaw and senior players have emphasized that the squad remains fully focused on Friday’s must-win match.

    “All these are problems that are resolved internally. I don’t think you need to be across what we say internally. We have a group of players who are professional,” goalkeeper Mory Diaw explained at Sunday’s press conference. “We’re here to represent our country. There’ll be nothing that will make us lose our heads when it comes to our common objective.” Before the tournament, Thiaw had made his commitment clear: “If I lose even a second of my belief that I can win the World Cup with Senegal, I will step down.”

    Long-time Senegalese football journalist Babacar Diarra, who has covered the national team for more than a decade, told BBC Sport that internal friction behind the scenes is not entirely unprecedented for the side. “Senegal hasn’t been in this type of situation for a while. You might have had some bonus issues in the past, but it wasn’t out in the press. I don’t think this will impact the players or the team. They will stay focused on the tournament. I’m not totally surprised by this. Even if they got to the final at Afcon and everything looked fine, it was a bit messy there too.”

    Off the pitch, tensions have also emerged over fan access to the tournament. Traditionally, the Senegalese state covers all travel, accommodation and ticket costs for official main supporter groups to attend major international tournaments, but travel restrictions for this World Cup have blocked those groups from making the trip. That left the North American Senegalese diaspora hoping to pick up the slack, but only 400 tickets were allocated to the local community, a number many see as far too small. Many diaspora members have also complained about a lack of transparency in ticket distribution, with a group of Senegalese national association representatives gathering outside the team hotel on Sunday to formally voice their grievances. The BBC has reached out to the FSF for additional comment on the camp issues.

    For now, all focus rests on Friday’s match: Senegal’s only path to extending their 2026 World Cup run runs through a decisive win against Iraq, with the side desperate to turn their turbulent campaign around before it is cut short.

  • South Sudan sets December date for long-delayed first-ever election

    South Sudan sets December date for long-delayed first-ever election

    More than 15 years after South Sudan seceded from Sudan to become the world’s youngest sovereign nation, the country’s electoral commission has locked in December 22 as the date for its first democratic general election since independence — a vote that has already been delayed for more than a decade, and still faces major threats of further postponement or renewed large-scale conflict.

    Prior to 2011, South Sudan existed as an autonomous region within Sudan, and its current ruling leadership has never faced a national electorate. Incumbent President Salva Kiir has held executive power for 15 years, and while he is widely expected to seek re-election, he has not yet made his official candidacy announcement. This long-awaited poll was originally scheduled to take place in 2015, but a devastating civil war that broke out shortly after the planned vote date forced an indefinite delay.

    A 2018 power-sharing peace agreement established a unity government, with Kiir retaining the presidency and his long-time political rival Riek Machar taking the post of vice president. That deal set a new election timeline for 2022, however, ongoing tensions between the two leaders derailed all preparations for the poll, and no vote was organized that year. Persistent friction between Kiir and Machar still stands as one of the biggest barriers to a smooth, timely election today.

    Last year, Machar was removed from the vice presidency, arrested, and hit with a slew of serious charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity — all of which he has denied. Since March 2024, Machar has been held under house arrest in the capital city of Juba, while low-intensity armed conflict continues to simmer across multiple regions of the country. The United Nations and other international actors have repeatedly warned that ongoing unrest could escalate back into a full-blown national civil war if political tensions are not resolved.

    When announcing the official December election date last week, Electoral Commission Chair Abednego Akok Kacuol openly admitted that two major issues continue to hinder poll preparations: unpassed legal amendments required to govern the electoral process, and a persistent, major gap in funding for the commission’s work. “The political will to move this process forward does not rest with our commission; it lies with the national government,” Kacuol stated. When asked about what would happen if the required funding was not secured within the next six months, the electoral chief said his team would continue preliminary work while adjusting to a “more realistic timeline” for the vote if necessary.

    In an official statement released Monday, the South Sudanese presidency reaffirmed Kiir’s commitment to upholding the terms of the 2018 peace agreement and keeping the country on a path toward peaceful, democratic elections. The statement added that preparations for cross-party dialogue focused on election-related issues are advancing, and the talks will serve as a platform to build consensus among all major political stakeholders.

    Despite these assurances from the sitting government, opposition groups and domestic civil society organizations have raised widespread alarm over poor security conditions, restrictions on political freedoms, and the lack of meaningful progress on election preparedness. Machar’s main political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), has issued a stark warning over the poll, describing any attempt to hold the current vote as inherently dangerous. Nathaniel Pierino, the group’s acting chairperson, said in a public Facebook post that any election officials attempting to register voters or run campaign events in territories controlled by the SPLM-IO would be treated as prisoners of war. “Be reminded, the country is at war,” Pierino added.

  • Egypt detains hundreds of workers near the Sudan border in a crackdown on illegal gold mining

    Egypt detains hundreds of workers near the Sudan border in a crackdown on illegal gold mining

    CAIRO – In a major security crackdown along Egypt’s southern border with Sudan, Egyptian security forces have apprehended hundreds of people, including dozens of foreign nationals, on allegations of involvement in unauthorized gold mining and cross-border smuggling, military officials confirmed in a public statement released Monday.

    Egypt’s underdeveloped southern frontier holds some of the country’s most significant untapped gold reserves, and in recent years the Egyptian government has prioritized expanding formal, large-scale mining activity in the region. Flagship projects include the massive Sukari gold mine, one of the largest industrial mining operations in North Africa, which is central to Cairo’s plans to boost mineral exports and drive economic growth.

    According to the official military communique, the detained population is made up of 87 Egyptian citizens and 136 foreign nationals. The statement did not disclose the nationalities of the foreign detainees. Alongside the arrests, security forces seized a large cache of heavy machinery and specialized mining equipment that authorities confirmed was being used to carry out unlicensed extraction operations in the border zone.

    This cross-border illicit mining trade has been fueled dramatically by the ongoing three-year civil war in neighboring Sudan, which shares a long, porous border with Egypt’s southern gold-bearing region. Sudan is also endowed with extensive gold deposits, but the collapse of state authority amid ongoing conflict between Sudan’s formal military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left most of the country’s mining sector completely unregulated.

    A 2024 United Nations Panel of Experts report estimates that more than half of all gold extracted in Sudan is illegally smuggled out of the country annually, and gold exports account for roughly 70% of Sudan’s total state revenue when formally recorded. For warring factions, unregulated gold smuggling has become a critical source of funding: the RSF and Sudanese military have both smuggled thousands of tons of gold from conflict-affected regions in Darfur and Kordofan to bankroll their military operations, turning the illicit gold trade into a core driver of the continuing war.

    Unverified video footage circulated on social media platforms in recent days showed hundreds of people gathered at a formal border crossing between the two countries, with Sudanese local media outlets reporting that the group consists of miners detained by Egyptian authorities who are being processed for expulsion back to Sudan.

    Egyptian military officials noted that a small number of suspected illegal miners who turned themselves in to security forces have already been repatriated to their home countries, but offered no additional details on the breakdown of nationalities among either the detained or expelled groups. In a closing warning, the Egyptian military emphasized that it “retains all available options to deal with all threats” to the country’s border security and legitimate mining sector, signaling that additional crackdowns on unauthorized activity may be underway in the coming weeks.

  • Kenya minister found in contempt of court over US-backed Ebola centre

    Kenya minister found in contempt of court over US-backed Ebola centre

    In a high-profile legal ruling that has amplified tensions around a controversial public health project, Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale has been convicted of contempt of court for violating a court order to halt construction on a US-funded Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki.

    Last month, Kenya’s High Court issued an immediate stop-work order for the 50-bed isolation center, which is planned to be built on a local military base. The order paused all construction until the court could hear a legal challenge brought by Kenyan rights organization the Katiba Institute. But in Monday’s ruling, Justice Patricia Nyaundi confirmed that Duale had deliberately ignored the court’s command and permitted construction work to continue uninterrupted. Sentencing for Duale is scheduled to be handed down on Tuesday.

    The facility, funded through a US regional Ebola response package, is designed to quarantine US citizens suspected of exposure to Ebola during the ongoing outbreak centered in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The project has sparked widespread public outrage and mass protests across Nanyuki, a town located roughly 140 kilometers north of Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Three people have been killed during clashes between demonstrators and police, who were deployed to disperse the crowds. Among the fatalities is 17-year-old high school student Sylvester Muigai Ndung’u, who had hoped to train as a Catholic priest. Witnesses report the teenager was shot in the head during the unrest, though police have stated they are waiting for post-mortem results to confirm the cause of his death, and have not yet responded to accusations that officers used excessive force against unarmed civilians.

    The Katiba Institute first filed its legal challenge to halt construction in May, warning in its petition that the facility poses “grave and imminent risks” to Kenyan public health. Following the stop-work order, Kenya’s Ministry of Health attempted to defend its actions by claiming it had not violated the court’s ruling. The ministry argued any ongoing work was being carried out independently by the Kenyan government, in the national interest of protecting Kenyan citizens from potential Ebola exposure. Justice Nyaundi rejected this justification outright in her ruling, stating the government cannot “avoid compliance by recasting or re-characterising the ongoing construction”. She emphasized that a court order “is not an invitation to ingenuity – it is a command to be obeyed”, and confirmed Duale clearly understood the requirement to stop all work at the Nanyuki site, yet chose to allow construction to proceed.

    In recent weeks, Kenyan President William Ruto has publicly defended the quarantine facility project. Ruto stated he received an official request from the US government to host the center, and argued that turning down the request would be “inhuman”. He has also urged Kenyan politicians not to politicize the Ebola response, calling for an end to “reckless” rhetoric around the project.

    As of Monday, Kenya had not recorded any confirmed cases of Ebola. The ongoing outbreak is concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 1,000 confirmed cases have been recorded, with an additional 20 confirmed cases reported in neighboring Uganda, nearly all of which are imported from DR Congo. Notably, the outbreak epicenter in Bunia, DR Congo is more than 780 kilometers from Nanyuki, with Uganda lying between the two locations.

    The project has also faced fierce pushback from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), one of the country’s largest medical professional associations. Union leaders have publicly questioned why Kenya was selected to host a quarantine facility for exposed American workers, amid an outbreak centered hundreds of kilometers away in another country. KMPDU Secretary General Davji Bhimji Atellah stated the union “will not sit back and watch Kenya be treated as a containment colony for a lethal pathogen that we did not generate”.

    A spokesperson for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Washington has committed $13.5 million (£10.7 million) to fund Kenyan Ebola preparedness initiatives, including the Nanyuki facility. That funding is part of a broader $112 million US commitment to support regional Ebola outbreak response across Central and East Africa.

  • Twins marry twins in joyous Nigerian joint wedding

    Twins marry twins in joyous Nigerian joint wedding

    In a weekend celebration that has captured the imagination of communities across southwestern Nigeria, two sets of identical and fraternal twins have exchanged vows in a one-of-a-kind joint wedding ceremony at a local church in Ibadan, marking what attendees call a once-in-a-generation union rooted in Yoruba cultural tradition and a decade of quiet connection. The historic ceremony united fraternal twin brothers Taiwo and Kehinde Oguntoye in marriage to identical twin sisters Taiwo and Kehinde Adediran, a pairing so uncommon that even in a region where Yoruba communities boast one of the highest twin birth rates in the world, such an event draws widespread attention and joy.

    For the Oguntoye brothers, the match was more than a coincidence—it was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. “We know many twins across our community, but this marriage feels like it was divinely arranged,” Taiwo Oguntoye shared in an interview with BBC Yoruba on his wedding day. “We have always dreamed of marrying twins, and by God’s grace, we pray our first and second children will also be twins. That is our greatest heart’s desire.”

    This rare union aligns deeply with longstanding Yoruba cultural beliefs, where twins are universally regarded as a precious blessing, and their traditional names carry preordained meaning. By custom, the first-born of any pair of Yoruba twins is named Taiwo, which translates to “the one that tests the world,” while the younger twin receives the name Kehinde, meaning “the one that came after”—a naming tradition that the both grooms and brides share by coincidence.

    The foursome’s love story stretches back 10 years, to when all four were pursuing higher education at the University of Ibadan. A university lecturer who knew both the Oguntoye brothers and the Adediran sisters suggested an introduction, a suggestion that immediately piqued the brothers’ curiosity. It was not the first time they had connected with twin sisters, Taiwo Oguntoye explained: previous relationships with other twin pairs had not worked out, leaving the brothers hopeful that this match would be different. The Adediran sisters, meanwhile, were initially hesitant to meet, ignoring the lecturer’s outreach for a time before finally agreeing to a first gathering. When the pair finally met, the sisters were not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship, so the four settled into a quiet friendship instead.

    Life soon pulled the four in separate directions. The Adediran sisters, who had completed master’s degrees in Ibadan, relocated overseas to continue their academic work, while the Oguntoye brothers traveled and built careers across multiple countries, including the United States and South Africa. For years, the connection faded, until the brothers reached out to rekindle their friendship. What started as a casual reconnection slowly grew into romantic love, even overcoming the sisters’ early skepticism about the unusual pairing.

    When the couples introduced their relationships to their respective families, the reception was unilaterally warm. Taiwo Oguntoye recalled an instant bond with his future in-laws, saying, “Everyone was so happy to see us, it felt like we had known them all our lives. We were treated like sons right in our own father’s house.”

    On wedding day, proud relatives filled the pews of the Ibadan church, with the couples matching their wedding outfits for the ceremony. Multiple other pairs of twins joined the celebration, a fitting turn given that the Oguntoye brothers are already well-known locally for their work advancing Yoruba twin culture through cultural and tourism initiatives under the name the Oguntoye Twins.

    While the fraternal Oguntoye brothers have distinct physical differences, their brides are identical, a quirk that leads even close family members to mix the sisters up on occasion—but the grooms say they have no such trouble. “Our wives look so alike that even their family members sometimes confuse them. We don’t mix them up, we know our own wives very well,” Kehinde Oguntoye explained. The brothers also noted that they share complementary personality traits with their spouses: all four identify as ambiverts, shifting between quiet reserve and outgoing energy depending on the setting.

    Though the two twin pairs share an extremely close bond, they have shared that each new couple will maintain their own separate residence, following a unique long-term plan they will reveal to the public in time. For now, the newlyweds are savoring the opening of a new chapter: a love story that began with a chance introduction, was put on hold for nearly a decade, and finally bloomed into one of the most celebrated community unions southwestern Nigeria has seen in recent years.

  • Kenya’s health minister found in contempt of court over US-backed Ebola facility

    Kenya’s health minister found in contempt of court over US-backed Ebola facility

    In a high-stakes legal standoff that has roiled political and public discourse in Kenya, Health Minister Aden Duale has been found in contempt of court for defying a standing court order to stop construction of a U.S.-linked Ebola quarantine facility. The Nairobi High Court delivered the ruling Monday and ordered Duale to appear for sentencing on Tuesday, setting the stage for a critical test of Kenya’s rule of law amid a heated international partnership dispute.

    The controversy centers on the facility being built at Laikipia Air Base, a project that has drawn widespread pushback from legal activists, local communities and opposition groups since it was first announced. The court issued an initial suspension order on May 29, directing the Kenyan government to halt all construction work until it hears a legal challenge filed by two prominent domestic organizations: the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute, a non-profit constitutional watchdog. Local residents near the air base have reported multiple U.S. military aircraft landing at the site even after the suspension order was issued, deepening public anger over the government’s disregard for judicial authority.

    The petitioners argue that Kenya’s already overburdened public healthcare system lacks the capacity to safely manage Ebola patients brought in from abroad, a concern that gained new urgency after the U.S. confirmed that American patients infected with Ebola would not be repatriated for treatment, and would instead be quarantined at the Kenyan facility. The U.S. has committed roughly $13 million to fund the joint Kenya-U.S. project, which the Kenyan government frames as a key part of a broader global health preparedness network.

    President William Ruto has openly backed the initiative, pointing to the decades-long collaborative partnership between Kenya and the U.S. on both public health and national security issues. Ruto noted that the Laikipia center is just one of 24 regional Ebola outbreak preparedness hubs established across the country to strengthen response capacity for future public health emergencies. Duale echoed this defense earlier this month, claiming the facility would deliver mutual benefits for both Kenyan citizens and international partner nations.

    Public opposition has escalated rapidly in recent weeks, with mass protests breaking out across multiple regions of Kenya. Some demonstrations have devolved into violent unrest, with local reports confirming at least three civilian deaths from gunfire during the clashes.

    The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has pushed back against criticism, stating that the quarantine center carries no inherent public health risk for local Kenyan communities. In a statement, embassy officials noted that U.S. stakeholders are aware of the ongoing court proceedings and are working collaboratively with the Kenyan government to address all outstanding objections to the project.

    The contempt ruling marks a major turning point in the dispute, pitting Kenya’s executive branch against its judiciary at a time of growing public tension over the government’s decision to prioritize a foreign-backed public health project over domestic legal and safety concerns.

  • Guinea bans exports of raw gold to boost local refining

    Guinea bans exports of raw gold to boost local refining

    In a decisive move to rework its gold mining sector and unlock greater domestic economic value, the West African nation of Guinea has enforced an immediate ban on all exports of unprocessed raw gold. The new policy, announced by President Mamadi Doumbouya following extensive consultations with industrial mining operators, small-scale artisanal producers and gold buyers, mandates that all gold extracted within Guinea’s borders must undergo refining domestically before export.

    President Doumbouya emphasized that for too long, foreign entities have captured the lion’s share of economic profits from processing Guinea’s natural resource exports, leaving the country with only limited gains from raw material sales. The core goals of the policy are to expand local job opportunities, build out the country’s domestic processing infrastructure, and grow the overall national economy, he added.

    Ranked as Africa’s sixth-largest gold producer by the World Gold Council, Guinea is far from alone in pursuing this resource sovereignty strategy across the continent. In recent years, a growing number of African nations have introduced similar regulations to capture more value from their mineral wealth: Tanzania and Uganda already enforce bans on unprocessed gold and copper exports, Ghana has pledged to implement a raw gold export ban by 2030, and Zimbabwe, the continent’s top lithium producer, will ban exports of unprocessed lithium concentrate starting in 2027.

    Gold stands as one of Guinea’s top export commodities, with official data showing the country shipped more than 22 tonnes of the precious metal in the first quarter of 2026 alone. To support the new domestic processing requirement, a large-scale new refinery is in the final stages of completion in Guinea’s capital, Conakry. With an annual processing capacity of 250 tonnes, the facility is sized to handle the country’s entire current gold output, eliminating concerns about infrastructure shortfalls for the new policy.

    Guinea’s government has issued a clear warning to foreign mining companies operating in the country: any violation of the new export ban will carry severe consequences, including potential revocation of operating licenses and termination of existing mining contracts. Beyond gold, Guinea holds another critical position in global commodity markets as the world’s largest producer of bauxite, the core raw material for aluminum production.

  • Former Kenyan justice minister blocked from entering Uganda, lawyers’ body says

    Former Kenyan justice minister blocked from entering Uganda, lawyers’ body says

    In a move that has sparked cross-border legal and human rights concerns, prominent Kenyan opposition figure and former Justice Minister Martha Karua has been barred from entering Uganda by immigration authorities, who have yet to offer any public explanation for the decision, regional legal bodies confirmed Monday.

    Karua, a seasoned rights lawyer, had traveled to Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport alongside Kenya Law Society President Charles Kanjama to join the legal defense team for prominent Ugandan attorney Erias Lukwago. Lukwago, who is helping represent detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in a high-profile treason case, faces his own treason-related charges, with a critical bail hearing scheduled for Monday.

    According to an official statement from Karua’s office, the lawyer was taken into custody immediately upon arrival at Entebbe and ordered to return to Nairobi. As of Monday, she remained incommunicado: her personal mobile phones are switched off, and her senior legal team has been unable to establish direct contact, awaiting updates on her status and confirmed departure timeline.

    Notably, Kanjama – who was traveling alongside Karua for the exact same legal assignment, in the same professional capacity – was granted entry to Uganda. In a public post on X, Kanjama described the arbitrary rejection as deeply alarming, noting that it makes no logical sense to allow one member of the same defense team to enter while turning away the other. He called on Ugandan immigration officials to immediately issue a public explanation for their actions.

    Uganda’s immigration department has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the BBC, and has not clarified why Karua was singled out for exclusion. This incident is not an isolated case for Karua: last year, she was deported from Tanzania before she could participate in the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. She also overcame multiple administrative barriers to secure permission to represent Besigye, after her initial application to practice law in Uganda was rejected.

    Lukwago, who was arrested at his home last week, made his first court appearance Wednesday looking visibly weak. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to report alleged treasonous activity linked to Besigye’s case, and has been remanded in custody until his bail hearing.

    Besigye, a long-time opposition figure who has challenged Uganda’s ruling government for decades, was forcibly abducted from Kenyan territory in late 2024 and returned to Uganda to face treason charges. His abduction, along with that of his aide Obeid Lutale, sparked widespread regional controversy over cross-border legal jurisdiction and fundamental human rights protections for political opposition figures.

    On Monday, the Law Society of Kenya released a statement affirming its solidarity with legal professionals across East Africa who continue to uphold the rule of law while working under increasingly challenging political conditions. The body called on Ugandan authorities to immediately release full details of the circumstances that led to Karua being denied entry. The BBC has also contacted the Kenyan government for comment on the incident, and as of publication, no official response has been received.