Global Pulse

标签： Africa

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  • Ghana conference urges slave-trade nations to issue apologies and reparations

    Ghana conference urges slave-trade nations to issue apologies and reparations

    ACCRA, Ghana – In a pivotal gathering held in Ghana’s capital on Friday, leaders from across Africa and the Caribbean have amplified calls for formal apologies and reparatory justice from countries that orchestrated and profited from the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved African people. The summit, branded the “Next Steps” conference, comes three months after the United Nations approved a historic non-binding resolution that formally categorized the centuries-long Atlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity.”

    The final declaration issued at the conference lays out a clear demand: all nations that participated in the systematic enslavement and forced displacement of African people must issue “full, formal and unconditional apologies” as the fundamental first step toward advancing reconciliation, rebuilding broken trust, and delivering the reparatory justice that descendant communities have long demanded. While the UN resolution adopted in March carries no legal enforcement power, global activists and participating leaders note it carries unprecedented moral weight that shifts the global conversation on historical harm.

    Conference organizers emphasize that the Accra gathering is not just symbolic: its core goal is to move the global reparations debate beyond formal recognition of historical atrocities toward actionable, concrete policy measures. Among the key priorities under discussion is pushing to formalize compensation requirements under frameworks of international law.

    Historical records confirm that between the 16th and 19th centuries, an estimated 12 million African people were violently abducted from their homelands by European traders, then trafficked across the Atlantic to be forced into chattel slavery on colonial plantations. The forced labor of enslaved people generated enormous, enduring wealth for European and North American powers, a progress built entirely on the systemic violence, displacement and death of millions.

    Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama opened the summit by noting that the UN resolution has opened an unprecedented new window for constructive global dialogue on reparations. He stressed that the intergenerational harm of centuries of slavery continues to shape structural inequalities across Africa, the Caribbean, and the global African diaspora to this day.

    Addressing delegates representing more than 80 nations in attendance, Mahama stated: “We’re here because recognition creates responsibility, and because the enduring consequences of this history continue to demand thoughtful, coordinated, and sustained international engagement.”

    This summit builds on efforts launched at a 2023 reparations gathering also hosted in Ghana, where attendees first proposed the creation of a dedicated Global Reparation Fund, though key operational details for the fund have yet to be finalized. Global opinions on reparations remain deeply divided, particularly among nations that would be expected to contribute to compensation efforts. In the United States, for example, public opinion leans heavily against reparations for descendants of enslaved people: a 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that only 30% of U.S. adults support any form of compensation such as cash payments or land grants.

    Movement activists have outlined a broad vision for reparations that extends beyond direct cash payments to individual descendants. Many leaders call for targeted developmental aid to African and Caribbean nations impacted by the slave trade, as well as the return of cultural artifacts and natural resources stolen during the colonial era that followed the formal end of the slave trade.

  • Mourners bury a 6-month-old Ebola victim in the Congo outbreak’s 3rd orphanage death

    Mourners bury a 6-month-old Ebola victim in the Congo outbreak’s 3rd orphanage death

    BUNIA, Democratic Republic of Congo – On a somber Friday morning in eastern Congo, hundreds of mourners gathered to lay to rest a six-month-old girl, the latest fatality from the country’s escalating Ebola outbreak and the third child from a local orphanage to lose their life to the virus in recent weeks. As the small pine coffin was carried to its final resting place, attendees held small wooden crosses and stood several meters apart to reduce infection risk, while only trained health workers clad in full personal protective equipment (PPE) – including face masks, thick gloves, and fluid-resistant gowns – were permitted to lower the casket. A Catholic priest led the brief funeral service, offering prayers for the infant and comfort to grieving community members.

    “It is a profound sadness to lose one of our own, a child of this congregation,” said Father Innocent Ndogo, opening the service. “As we have always believed, the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.”

    The ongoing outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, is centered in Congo’s Ituri region, which has recorded more than 90% of all confirmed cases to date. Efforts to contain the spread have been severely hampered by repeated community clashes with response teams, rooted in longstanding distrust of public health measures and anger over altered burial practices that are required to stop transmission. The outbreak response has also faced criticism for its occasional militarization, which has further alienated local populations.

    Unlike the more common Zaire strain of Ebola – which has driven 16 of Congo’s previous outbreaks and has an approved, effective vaccine – the Bundibugyo strain has no licensed treatment or preventative vaccine. For many frontline workers, even basic PPE remains in short supply, leaving them exposed to the virus as they carry out critical contact tracing and safe burial work. Early in the outbreak, diagnostic testing for Bundibugyo was not widely available, meaning cases were misidentified as the more common Zaire strain, allowing the virus to spread undetected for weeks – a gap that public health officials now cite as a key reason for the outbreak’s current scale.

    During an official visit to Bunia on the same day as the funeral, Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba released the latest official case count, confirming 933 confirmed infections and 245 deaths across affected regions. To expand access to care, Kamba announced that all healthcare facilities in Ituri would offer free Ebola-related treatment moving forward, and that hazard pay bonuses for frontline healthcare workers would be doubled to retain critical staff during the crisis.

    Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) updated their contact tracing data a day prior, reporting that more than 35,000 people who may have been exposed to the virus are currently being monitored, one of the largest contact tracing operations the continent has seen in recent years. While the current outbreak has caused hundreds of deaths, it remains far less severe than the 2014 West African Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people across multiple countries.

    Alex Lock, communications officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which is supporting the outbreak response, warned against global indifference to the crisis, noting the human cost of each new case. “She was a baby. She had her whole life ahead of her. Unfortunately, she was taken by the disease, a disease that, as you know, is transmitted from one person to another,” Lock said, emphasizing the urgent need for additional global support.

    Though the outbreak is concentrated in Ituri, cases have now been recorded in neighboring North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, and the virus has crossed the international border into Uganda. Ugandan health authorities have confirmed 19 cases and two deaths linked to the Congo outbreak, prompting regional public health alerts. Donors and global health organizations have begun deploying additional resources, but many response teams warn that more support is urgently needed to stop the outbreak from spreading further across East Africa.

  • A boat with migrants capsized north off Libya, leaving 51 dead or missing, group says

    A boat with migrants capsized north off Libya, leaving 51 dead or missing, group says

    CAIRO – A devastating new tragedy has struck the perilous central Mediterranean migration route, after a smuggling boat carrying dozens of migrants hoping to reach Europe capsized off Libya’s eastern coast last week, leaving 51 people confirmed dead or missing, a regional migration monitoring group confirmed Friday.

    The Abreen Organization, which documents migrant movements across eastern Libya, reported that 10 migrants managed to survive the June 12 shipwreck. So far, recovery teams have pulled 11 bodies from the waters or shoreline, while 40 additional passengers remain unaccounted for, the group confirmed.

    This latest incident underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis that has plagued the Mediterranean Sea for decades. Libya’s extensive northern coastline has long been the primary departure point for migrants from across Africa and the Middle East fleeing conflict, poverty, and political instability, who seek safety and better economic opportunities in Europe. Human smuggling networks operate with near-impunity across Libya, packing hundreds of desperate migrants into overcrowded, unseaworthy boats ill-suited for the open ocean crossing. Thousands have lost their lives attempting this dangerous journey year after year.

    Local authorities confirmed that recovery efforts have been ongoing for days. The Libyan coast guard and the Red Crescent branch based in the eastern Libyan port city of Tobruk confirmed that bodies began washing ashore in the area over the 24-hour period ending Friday, releasing footage that showed rescue teams carrying remains wrapped in white body bags onto the beach.

    Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlights the scale of the crisis. Between January 1 and May 16 of this year alone, more than 800 migrants were recorded as dead or missing along the central Mediterranean migration route. In all of 2023, the IOM documented more than 1,300 deaths and disappearances on the route.

    Libya descended into widespread political chaos and civil conflict following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed long-time authoritarian ruler Moammar Gadhafi, creating a power vacuum that smuggling networks have exploited to expand their operations. In the years since, the country has become the world’s busiest transit hub for migrants heading to Europe, with criminal networks moving people across Libya’s unpatrolled, 4,300-kilometer border it shares with six neighboring countries.

    Migrants who survive the crossing attempt but are intercepted by Libyan authorities face further danger: those returned to Libya are typically held in overcrowded, government-run detention centers where systemic abuse is rampant. A UN-commissioned investigation has documented widespread human rights violations in these facilities, including forced labor, sexual violence, beatings, and torture, with many of these abuses classified as crimes against humanity under international law.

    This incident is the latest in a long string of maritime disasters that have drawn repeated international condemnation, yet policy solutions to address the root causes of the crisis remain stalled. For more coverage of global migration trends, visit AP News’ dedicated migration hub.

  • US to end funding of South Africa’s HIV programmes over claims of Afrikaner persecution

    US to end funding of South Africa’s HIV programmes over claims of Afrikaner persecution

    Long-strained diplomatic ties between the United States and South Africa have reached a new turning point, with the Trump administration confirming it will begin a phased withdrawal of critical U.S. funding for South Africa’s national HIV and AIDS response, linking the cut to unsubstantiated claims that the South African government has failed to protect the white minority Afrikaner community.

    For years, the U.S. President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) channeled roughly $400 million (£300 million) annually into South Africa’s HIV programs, covering approximately one-fifth of the country’s total public spending on the epidemic. South Africa carries the world’s heaviest HIV burden, with more than 8 million people living with the virus across the nation. The program received a last-minute temporary extension last October via a short-term bridge plan, but that reprieve has now expired.

    This funding cut marks the culmination of rapidly deteriorating bilateral relations that began shortly after Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Within his first weeks in office, Trump issued an executive order echoing his long-held false claims that South African government policies systematically erode equal rights for white South Africans and fuel violence against white landowners. The order also criticized two other major South African policies: the country’s landmark case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and its documented diplomatic and economic ties to Iran. In justifying the aid cutoff, the White House framed these policies as “unjust and immoral” that disqualify South Africa from continued U.S. assistance.

    Trump has repeatedly amplified the discredited conspiracy theory of a “white genocide” targeting Afrikaners—descendants of 17th-century European settlers in southern Africa—an allegation that led his administration to launch a specialized refugee program prioritizing Afrikaner resettlement to the U.S. Currently, Afrikaners remain the only refugee group consistently approved for entry under the administration’s restrictive immigration policies. The rift was on public display just over a year ago, during a high-profile White House meeting between Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where Trump directly confronted his South African counterpart with unproven claims of anti-white persecution. Subsequent efforts to repair bilateral ties have failed to gain traction, and the U.S. went as far as boycotting the G20 heads of state summit hosted by South Africa last November.

    A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed the upcoming drawdown, explaining the decision stems from what the administration calls South Africa’s “failure to make demonstrable progress” on U.S. policy demands. Echoing the administration’s official framing, the official argued that the cut is intended to “foster self-reliance” and reduce South African dependence on American aid, noting that South Africa is classified as a middle-income country with the capacity to fund its own public health initiatives.

    South Africa’s health ministry has responded to the news with cautious calm, noting that it had not received formal advance notification of the decision, but the country has been preparing for this transition for years through a pre-existing national self-reliance plan. Ministry officials clarified that while Pepfar made valuable contributions to broader HIV programming, the procurement of life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for South African patients is funded entirely through separate national government budgets, insulating core treatment services from the funding cut.

    Original reporting for this story was contributed by Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg, with the original piece published by BBC Africa.

  • Africa’s greatest World Cup kits – pick your favourite

    Africa’s greatest World Cup kits – pick your favourite

    The FIFA World Cup is globally celebrated for its breathtaking goals, last-minute drama, and raw emotional moments — but it is also a stage where memorable football fashion is born. When it comes to bold, culturally rooted, and instantly recognizable kit designs, African national teams have produced some of the most iconic looks in the tournament’s history. BBC Sport Africa has curated a list of 10 standout designs from the continent, spanning more than 50 years of World Cup participation, inviting fans to weigh in on which they rank as the all-time greatest.

    The oldest entry on the list hails from 1974, when Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) took to the World Cup stage in a striking yellow and green ensemble that perfectly embodied the fashion sensibilities of its era. Featuring a wide collar and a dramatic deep V-neck, the kit made its biggest statement by emblazoning both the country’s name and the national team’s Leopards nickname and logo directly across the chest. While Zaire’s 1974 tournament ended in disappointment — including a lopsided 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia — the kit itself has gone down in history as a bold classic. Even contemporary Congolese designers draw inspiration from it: Alvin Junior Mak, who went viral recently for creating the current DRC squad’s viral leopard-print arrival suits, says he looked back to 1974 to ground his work. “When you are in Africa, we say if you want to move forward, you have to see where you come from,” Mak explained to BBC Sport Africa.

    Next on the list is Algeria’s 1982 kit, created for the country’s first ever World Cup appearance. Mirroring Zaire’s 1974 design choice, the kit featured the country’s name printed across the chest, written in elegant Arabic script. Like the Zaire kit, it also boasts a deep neckline and oversized collar that marked it as a product of early 1980s fashion. Produced by Sonitex, Algeria’s defunct state-owned clothing manufacturer, the design is no longer bound by copyright protection — a detail that has made it widely reproduced by small local brands for both domestic fans and the Algerian diaspora. This accessibility has cemented its cult status among Algerian football fans, particularly self-described football hipsters, says Algerian sports journalist Maher Mazahi.

    Cameroon’s 1990 kit is forever tied to one of the most iconic runs in African World Cup history. That year, the Indomitable Lions became the first African nation to reach the tournament’s quarter-finals, stunning defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the opening match and capturing global attention with Roger Milla’s iconic corner flag dance celebration. The 38-year-old striker, who was called out of retirement by Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, scored four unforgettable goals during the run. The kit’s centerpiece was a roaring lion emblazoned across the chest, a symbol that still stands for national pride, courage, and determination for Cameroonians, explains Paul Njie, BBC World Service’s Yaounde correspondent. “Many people believe that was the best ever performance of the Cameroon national team and some of them attribute that to the luck which came with the kit,” Njie says.

    For Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup debut, the Super Eagles debuted an away white kit that would become legendary. In that tournament, Nigeria claimed 3-0 and 2-0 wins over Bulgaria and Greece respectively while wearing the white jersey, dropping only their matches against Argentina and Italy when wearing their traditional green home kit. That coincidence has only added to the kit’s mythos among Nigerian football fans. “We see the legends, the players that made the difference for Nigerian football, and if I close my eyes that’s the first shirt that comes to mind,” former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong told BBC Sport Africa. “Nigeria’s greatest set of Super Eagles have worn that shirt and all of us strive to be able to imitate that.”

    South Africa’s 1998 kit, worn during the country’s first ever World Cup appearance after the end of apartheid, is a geometric-designed classic from Italian sportswear brand Kappa. The design was an updated iteration of the kit Bafana Bafana wore when they won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, a moment that remains a touchstone of national pride. Though South Africa failed to win any of their three group stage matches in their 1998 debut, the kit has endured as a fan favorite. “These days South Africa tend to wear yellow, but back in the 1990s their shirts were much more fun,” said Josh Warwick, co-founder of the Cult Kits website. “In our opinion, Kappa were one of the great brands from that era.”

    One of the most controversial entries on the list is Cameroon’s 2002 sleeveless kit. Originally designed as a basketball-style vest, the Indomitable Lions wore the sleeveless version to win the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations title just months before the World Cup, and it instantly won over players and fans alike. “When we came to the dressing room we said, ‘Wow, this is a new generation of shirt’. When we went on to the pitch the world was watching and it became famous. Everybody in Africa wanted to wear that shirt,” former Cameroon midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba recalled in a 2023 interview. However, FIFA ruled the sleeveless design violated World Cup competition rules, forcing Cameroon to add awkward black sleeves for the tournament — a decision many fans still see as an unnecessary spoiler.

    Senegal’s 2002 kit is tied to one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history: the Teranga Lions’ 1-0 opening match win over defending champions France, courtesy of a winning goal from the large, imposing midfielder Papa Bouba Diop, nicknamed “The Wardrobe” for his massive frame. The kit’s signature baggy fit even became part of its iconic look, and it remains wildly popular among Senegalese fans decades later. “Of all our kits, 2002 is the best,” said Mamour Insa, a Senegal fan who followed his team at a recent World Cup watch event in New York. “All our generation, they wear just that kit. A lot of young people wear it more than new designs. It is very difficult to find.”

    Ghana’s 2010 red and gold kit is forever linked to one of the most gut-wrenching moments in African World Cup history: Asamoah Gyan’s late penalty miss against Uruguay that would have sent the Black Stars into the tournament semi-finals, the first for any African side. With the match tied 1-1 in the final moments of extra time, Luis Suarez was sent off for a deliberate handball that stopped a sure Ghana goal, but Gyan’s penalty clipped the crossbar and went over; Uruguay went on to win the match in a penalty shootout. Despite the heartbreaking outcome, the kit itself remains a fan favorite. “I think it was a great shirt, the players loved it,” former Ghana midfield legend Michael Essien told BBC Sport Africa, jokingly adding that its tight, figure-hugging cut required a well-built physique to pull off.

    Nigeria’s 2018 neon green kit became a global viral sensation before the tournament even kicked off, with fans queuing for hours outside retailers to get their hands on the popular design. The Nike design pays deliberate homage to Nigeria’s 1994 debut kit, creating a modern classic that circles back to the Super Eagles’ first World Cup moment. “The best football shirt ever,” Troost-Ekong said of the design. “Everyone was trying to get hold of it, I had so many calls and messages.” Despite its massive popularity, the Super Eagles only got to wear it once during the 2018 tournament, in a 2-0 group stage win over Iceland.

    The newest entry on the list is Ghana’s 2026 home kit, which features a striking spiderweb design inspired by Kwaku Ananse, the iconic trickster spider figure from Ghanaian folklore. The bold design has drawn comparisons to Spider-Man’s suit for its bright, web-patterned look, but it may never get its moment on the World Cup stage: FIFA has already ruled that Ghana will not be allowed to wear the home strip for any of its 2026 group stage matches, leaving fans to wonder if this will go down as a would-be classic that never got its spotlight.

  • Brazen attack on Niger’s airport shows jihadis are expanding to cities in Africa’s Sahel

    Brazen attack on Niger’s airport shows jihadis are expanding to cities in Africa’s Sahel

    On Thursday, gunfire and deadly explosions tore through Diori Hamani International Airport, Niger’s primary international gateway in the capital Niamey, leaving 11 soldiers and two civilians dead. The al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), widely recognized as the most powerful extremist faction operating in the Sahel region south of the Sahara, quickly claimed responsibility for the assault. This attack marks the second time this year the strategic airport has been targeted, a site that doubles as a command center for Niger’s ruling military junta, hosts the national air force base housing the bulk of the country’s drone and aircraft fleet, and serves as headquarters for the tripartite military alliance between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

    The first assault on the airport back in January was carried out by motorcycle-riding militants aligned with the Islamic State Group’s Sahel Province (ISSP), with attackers specifically focusing on the facility’s high-value drone assets. Thursday’s attack comes on the heels of a large-scale incursion and an ongoing fuel blockade imposed by al-Qaeda-linked forces inside and around Mali’s capital Bamako, underscoring a rapid expansion of extremist activity across the region.

    Regional security analysts warn this string of high-profile attacks on major urban centers signals a dangerous shift in militant strategy across the Sahel, a region already labeled one of the world’s most active hotspots for terrorist activity. Both al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated factions have ramped up offensive operations over the past 12 months, as the rival groups compete to seize control of territory and expand their regional influence.

    Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, deputy project director for the International Crisis Group, a leading global think tank focused on conflict analysis, explained that where insurgent groups once confined their operations to remote, under-policed border communities, they are now increasingly targeting populated urban hubs to amplify their impact. “JNIM in Niger is trying to mark its territory. This is a message to the government but also to the Islamic State group,” Ibrahim noted, adding that while Thursday’s attack caused less disruption than January’s assault, it carries significant symbolic and strategic weight for the faction.

    Much of this escalating extremist activity is concentrated in three neighboring Sahel states: Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, all of which are currently ruled by military juntas that seized power via coups driven by widespread public resentment of former democratic governments and longstanding Western security partnerships. After expelling French and American military forces from the region, the three juntas have turned to Russia as their primary security ally, opening the door for Russian military personnel to deploy across the three countries while creating a power vacuum that extremist groups have rushed to fill.

    Niger’s unique geographic position makes it a particularly coveted prize for competing extremist factions. It shares western borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, JNIM’s core strongholds, while its southern and eastern borders abut Nigeria and Chad, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) maintain a heavy presence. To the north, Niger’s territory stretches deep into the Sahara toward Libya and Algeria, creating ungoverned spaces ideal for militant movement and weapons trafficking.

    Analysts warn that ISSP and ISWAP are currently working to connect their respective operations by establishing a contiguous corridor along the Niger-Nigeria border, a move that would unite two of Africa’s deadliest extremist networks across a vast swath of territory. This consolidation effort is fiercely opposed by JNIM, which views the expansion of Islamic State influence in the region as an existential threat to its own dominance.

    “Niger is a territory of competition between them,” explained Wassim Nasr, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center. “If JNIM loses the upper hand in Niger against the Islamic State, it will jeopardize its upper hand in Mali and Burkina Faso. … You have an open space like the Wild West, where each is looking to mark its territory.”

    This report was compiled with contributions from Associated Press writer Chinedu Asadu based in Abuja, Nigeria.

  • Six-year-old Ebola patient taken from DR Congo hospital found and ‘doing well’

    Six-year-old Ebola patient taken from DR Congo hospital found and ‘doing well’

    An ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took an unexpected turn earlier this week, when a 6-year-old confirmed Ebola patient—abducted from her treatment ward by armed men alongside her mother—has been located and is reported to be in stable condition. Local health official Dr. Lubambo Maboko Gaston confirmed the update to the BBC on Friday, two days after he first announced the abduction that drew international attention to growing unrest around Ebola response efforts in the region.

    According to Dr. Gaston, the pair were taken by a group of armed, angry men from a hospital in Butembo, a major city in eastern DRC, on Monday. It remains unclear whether the abductors had prior personal connections to the child or her family, but the abduction fits a pattern of rising hostility toward Ebola treatment facilities that has hampered outbreak response for weeks. On Friday, the girl and her mother voluntarily arrived at an alternative Ebola treatment center located roughly 18 kilometers outside Butembo, where medical teams have since assessed the child’s condition as stable and improving. “Her condition is currently considered stable,” Dr. Gaston confirmed in a statement to reporters.

    Hostility toward outbreak response teams is not a new development during this outbreak. To date, the event has killed more than 230 people and recorded 890 confirmed cases across eastern DRC, with treatment centers facing repeated attacks from local communities driven by fear and misinformation. Just last month, police in Mongbwalu were forced to fire warning shots into the air to disperse angry crowds that attempted to seize the bodies of Ebola victims from a local health facility. Days prior, residents of Rwampara, a small town 85 kilometers southeast of Mongbwalu, set fire to hospital isolation tents after officials blocked them from retrieving the body of a man who had died from suspected Ebola.

    Public health experts stress that the bodies of Ebola victims carry extremely high viral loads, and unsanctioned burial preparations are a major driver of new transmission. Safe, regulated burial protocols are one of the most critical tools for containing spread, but deep-rooted misinformation has left many local residents distrustful of these measures. “People are not properly informed or sensitised about what is happening,” local politician Luc Malembe explained to the BBC last month. “For a certain segment of the population, especially in remote areas, Ebola is an invention by outsiders – it does not exist. They believe it is the NGOs and hospitals creating this to make money, and this is tragic.”

    The outbreak was officially declared by DRC authorities on May 15, though public health officials later confirmed that transmission had gone undetected in remote communities for weeks before the declaration. A complicating factor for response teams is that the outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo, a rare strain of Ebola that currently has no approved vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has projected it could take months to develop and deploy an effective vaccine for this strain.

    The scale of the outbreak has already drawn grim projections from global health leaders. This week, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the outbreak could become one of the largest Ebola events in recorded history, echoing an earlier assessment from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cross-border spread has already been recorded in neighboring Uganda, which has confirmed 19 cases and two deaths since the outbreak began. However, the WHO reported this week that Uganda has not recorded any new confirmed cases since June 5, a hopeful sign that containment measures there are working.

    In DRC, the national ministry of health has said it is ramping up core response measures, including expanding community surveillance, scaling up contact tracing, and building out dedicated treatment infrastructure across affected towns. The WHO has committed $3.9 million to response efforts, while Africa CDC has approved a $319 million budget to support coordinated action across the region.

    Nearly all confirmed cases are concentrated in three eastern DRC provinces: Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu—the same region where the 6-year-old patient was abducted. Ituri remains the epicenter of transmission, accounting for more than 90% of all confirmed infections. Ongoing armed conflict in the region has created additional barriers to effective response, the WHO has warned. The M23 rebel group currently controls large swathes of both North and South Kivu, leaving response teams unable to access many remote communities where transmission may be spreading undetected.

  • UK law enforcement destroyed my reputation and integrity, ex-Nigerian oil minister tells BBC

    UK law enforcement destroyed my reputation and integrity, ex-Nigerian oil minister tells BBC

    More than a decade of high-stakes anti-corruption investigation ended in acquittal this week, leaving a trail of damaged careers, unproven allegations, and sharp criticism of British law enforcement from one of the oil and gas industry’s most prominent female leaders. Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, who made history as the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s oil minister and as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was cleared of all five bribery and conspiracy charges Wednesday at London’s Southwark Crown Court after a months-long trial.

    In her first public interview following the verdict, the ex-minister told the BBC the 13-year probe carried out by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) devastated her personal and professional life, leaving her with a permanently tarnished reputation that can never be repaired. The case was not just a legal battle, she said, but a traumatic experience that upended every part of her life. For years, she was barred from international travel and blocked from working in any professional capacity. When your personal freedom is restricted for so long, Alison-Madueke explained, it inflicts deep, long-lasting psychological harm. She has maintained her complete innocence from the start, emphasizing she never committed any of the serious misdeeds prosecutors alleged against her.

    The case against Alison-Madueke dated back to her 2015 arrest, though formal charges were not brought until 2023. Prosecutors claimed she accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in improper kickbacks from wealthy Nigerian oil tycoons who secured lucrative government oil contracts during her tenure. Prosecutors alleged these payments funded a lavish lifestyle, including more than £2 million ($2.65 million) in luxury goods purchased from London’s Harrods, access to private chauffeur-driven cars, and the use of multi-million-pound properties across London and Buckinghamshire. Two other co-defendants – Alison-Madueke’s brother Doye Agamas, a 69-year-old Pentecostal archbishop based in Manchester, and oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54 – were also cleared of all related charges. Ayinde’s acquittal carried extra weight: she had been prosecuted despite acting as a cooperating informant for Nigerian anti-corruption officials.

    From the opening of the trial in January, Alison-Madueke’s defense team challenged the validity and fairness of the prosecution’s case, arguing that critical documents that would have proven her innocence went missing under mysterious circumstances in Nigeria. The ex-mininger confirmed those missing records included boxes of receipts that proved she had fully reimbursed the oil tycoons for any payments they made on her behalf. She told the BBC that Nigerian intelligence forces seized those documents from her Abuja home back in 2015, and she has had no knowledge of their fate ever since. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed Alison-Madueke to her cabinet post, submitted a letter to the court backing her account, noting that it was common practice for third parties to cover travel and accommodation costs for Nigerian cabinet members conducting official overseas business.

    When asked who bears responsibility for the failed prosecution, Alison-Madueke said blame is shared across multiple parties. She called on Nigerian authorities to conduct a full review of the procedures and practices they use in cross-border corruption cases. For the NCA, she argued the agency lacked sensitivity when pursuing a case rooted in another country’s political context, suggesting the investigation into her was at least partially politically motivated. She claims the NCA targeted her as easy, high-profile “low-hanging fruit,” ignoring two key facts: her own record of pushing anti-corruption reform in Nigeria’s oil sector – the heart of the country’s economy, as Africa’s largest oil producer – and the fact that she had made powerful political enemies during her time in office. As a woman breaking barriers in a deeply misogynistic political culture, she said, she was already an outsider target.

    Alison-Madueke said the NCA should have paused to conduct a deeper, more thorough investigation into the on-ground context of the claims before moving forward with prosecution. In the wake of the not-guilty verdict, an NCA spokesperson confirmed the agency respects the jury’s final verdict. The BBC has requested additional comment from the agency, and has not yet received a response.

    The verdict comes after years of related asset recovery actions by international law enforcement. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice seized $53 million (£40 million) in assets from two of the oil tycoons named in the London trial. At the time, a department spokesperson claimed Alison-Madueke had abused her position to steer profitable oil contracts to the tycoons’ companies. Alison-Madueke pushed back on that claim in her interview, noting she was never given an opportunity to defend herself against those allegations because she was never charged in the U.S. case. She added that all contracts awarded during her tenure went through the full, required due diligence process as mandated by law.

    Nigeria’s leading anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), also has had prior actions against Alison-Madueke: in 2022, the agency said it recovered roughly $153 million and more than 80 properties linked to the ex-minister. When asked about those forfeited assets, Alison-Madueke said the assets were never directly traced to her, and she has had no clear updates on the status of that case. Now that she has been acquitted in London, she says she will finally have the freedom to investigate what actually happened with those assets to clear her name further.

  • The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over France

    The maths whizz turned teen star who chose Morocco over France

    Eighteen-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has become one of the most talked-about young talents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after his masterclass performance against Brazil, drawing transfer interest from top European sides including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. But for those who have watched the teenager grow from a youth prospect in northern France to a global stage standout, his dramatic rise is no surprise at all.

    World Cup-winning striker and Bouaddi’s current Lille teammate Olivier Giroud is among the talent’s biggest admirers, drawing a striking parallel between the teen and Kylian Mbappé. “I played with Kylian Mbappe when he was 18,” Giroud, now a BBC Sport pundit, shared. “He was so mature for his age and I have the same feeling with Ayyoub.” This is not a bandwagon take following Bouaddi’s breakout, either; Giroud has watched the midfielder’s relentless work ethic up close on a daily basis, and says his sudden fame is far from an overnight success.

    That consensus is echoed across every stage of Bouaddi’s early career. Growing up in the northern French town of Creil, Bouaddi stood out not just for his on-pitch ability, but for a discipline and focus rare for a young player. “No one is shocked here,” said his former youth coach Sofiane Khair. “For us, it’s logical.” Khair recalled that even as a child, Bouaddi rejected the typical hobbies of kids his age: no video games, no fast food. When he wasn’t training, he would stay home reading or studying. “He’s the same now as he was when he was 10,” Khair added.

    Off the pitch, that intellectual discipline translates to pursuits far beyond football: Bouaddi is currently completing a mathematics degree in his spare time, and previously won a national oratory competition after delivering a speech at the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President. That reflective, self-critical mindset has shaped his football development too. When Bouaddi moved up to Lille’s under-17 side at 15, coach Mickael Delestrez said the teen’s first question was, “What do you expect from me?”

    “His reflective nature leads to him constantly questioning his game – what could he have done better or what should he have done differently?” Delestrez explained. “He possesses this analytical ability that allows him to continually challenge himself.” Former Creil coach Armand Doue echoed that assessment, noting Bouaddi remains a perfectionist who still works closely with his early coaches to refine his game. Even as his career has skyrocketed, Bouaddi has never stopped pushing to improve.

    A quick look at his senior career already confirms his extraordinary trajectory. Just days after his 16th birthday in 2023, he became the youngest player to ever make a senior debut for Lille. On his 17th birthday, he helped the club secure a landmark Champions League win over Real Madrid, earning a serenade from the home crowd at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Earlier this year, he broke a 20-year record previously held by club icon Eden Hazard, becoming the youngest player in Lille history to hit 50 Ligue 1 appearances at 18.

    One of the biggest talking points of Bouaddi’s young career came long before his World Cup breakout: his choice to represent Morocco at senior level, rather than France, the country of his birth where he featured for every French youth national side. The decision came despite gentle persistent encouragement from Giroud, who joked and “teased him the whole year regarding picking France.”

    For Bouaddi, the choice was always rooted in family and identity. To announce his decision, he shared a decade-old photo on Instagram: 10-year-old him, wearing a Morocco national team shirt, watching the 2018 World Cup from the stands. “I am aware of the privilege I have to defend these colours and I will give everything to best represent my country,” he wrote in the post. It is a commitment he backed up with his performance against Brazil at the New York New Jersey Stadium in Morocco’s recent 2026 World Cup group stage match.

    Against a star-studded Brazilian side, the 18-year-old was unflappable. He finished the 1-1 draw with more touches (87) and more completed passes (60) than any other Moroccan player on the pitch. As temperatures rose and older players faded late in the match, Bouaddi kept pushing forward, repeatedly dribbling past Brazil defenders to drive his team up the pitch. He was equally tenacious in the tackle, winning nine duels — a physicality that caught the attention of Brazil’s veteran midfield leader Casemiro, who was substituted at half time after being outplayed by the teen. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi summed up the performance as a “masterclass.”

    To those who know him best, however, this level of play is standard. “He does this kind of match every weekend on the pitches of Ligue 1,” Doue noted. Now, as Bouaddi prepares to face Scotland in Morocco’s next World Cup group fixture this Friday, all eyes will be on the teen prodigy who has drawn comparisons to Mbappé, attracted interest from Europe’s biggest clubs, and built his career on relentless self-improvement. While he has yet to score his first senior goal, all signs point to Bouaddi becoming one of the most exciting players to watch in this World Cup — and for decades to come.

  • Morocco captain Hakimi to stand trial for rape

    Morocco captain Hakimi to stand trial for rape

    French prosecutors have officially confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco national team captain Achraf Hakimi will face trial on rape charges, a development that has thrown the 27-year-old fullback’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign into uncertainty ahead of his side’s second group stage fixture against Scotland this Friday.

    The allegations date back to 2023, when a 24-year-old woman accused the star defender of assaulting her at Hakimi’s private residence in Paris. Authorities in Nanterre, the western Paris suburb overseeing the case, launched an initial preliminary investigation in March 2023. After more than three years of procedural review, an investigating judge ordered the case proceed to trial in February 2026. Multiple French media outlets have reported that Hakimi’s recent appeal to have the charges dismissed was rejected.

    Hakimi has vehemently denied all allegations against him from the beginning, and broke his years-long public silence on the case in a social media post published Friday. “The justice system looked me in the eye and said, ‘If you weren’t famous, there would never have been a case,’” he wrote.

    The World Cup star explained that he chose to stay out of public discourse for years out of a commitment to preserving his dignity and confidence in France’s judicial process. “Today, a story that isn’t mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth. I sometimes feel like I’ve become an easy target,” Hakimi added. “I’ve been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I’m eagerly awaiting it. Finally, I’ll be able to speak.”

    Rachel-Flore Pardo, the legal representative for the accuser, said the judge’s ruling to proceed to trial brings her client both relief and hope, after more than three years of navigating the legal process. Pardo noted that her client believes she has been defamed and publicly maligned by Hakimi’s defense team. “Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have the right to a trial,” Pardo said. “Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including in the world of men’s football.”

    As of this reporting, no official start date has been scheduled for the trial. All three of Morocco’s group stage matches at the 2026 co-hosted World Cup are set to take place in the United States, where the Moroccan squad is currently based, leaving Hakimi able to play for the time being. However, if Morocco advances to the knockout round, the team could be forced to play matches in co-host nations Canada or Mexico, where Hakimi may face entry restrictions.

    This scenario is not unprecedented at this tournament: last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry to Canada and forced to miss his country’s opening group stage match against Panama. Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven rape charges and one count of sexual assault leveled by four separate accuser for alleged incidents between 2020 and 2022, and he is scheduled to go to trial in 2027. Canadian immigration rules explicitly allow officials to deny entry to any person who has been alleged or convicted of a criminal offense.

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup splits matches across all three North American co-hosts through the quarter-final round, after which all remaining fixtures will be hosted exclusively in the United States.

    One of the most decorated active African footballers, Hakimi made his senior international debut for Morocco in 2016 at just 17 years old, and has since earned 97 caps for his country. He was a foundational player for the 2022 Moroccan World Cup squad that made history as the first African nation to reach the tournament’s semi-final. Since transferring from Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Hakimi has won 13 club trophies, including consecutive UEFA Champions League titles in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.