Global Pulse

标签： Africa

非洲

  • Congo and Rwanda agree on steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Congo

    Congo and Rwanda agree on steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Congo

    In a significant diplomatic development, Congolese and Rwandan officials have reached a landmark agreement during US-mediated talks to de-escalate mounting tensions in eastern Congo’s conflict-ridden territories. The high-level meetings, conducted Tuesday and Wednesday in the United States, produced a joint commitment to implement coordinated measures addressing the protracted violence that has plagued the mineral-rich region.

    The tripartite statement issued by the Congolese, Rwandan, and U.S. governments outlines concrete steps toward stabilization, including scheduled force disengagement and the lifting of Rwandan defensive measures within specified Congolese territories. Both nations pledged to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity—a crucial development given Rwanda’s alleged backing of the M23 rebel group, which launched an unprecedented offensive into eastern Congo early last year.

    This diplomatic breakthrough comes as peace efforts led by the United States and partners including Qatar had reached an impasse despite ongoing violence. The eastern Congo region has endured decades of instability, with government forces combating over 100 armed groups. The M23 rebellion, recognized as the most potent militant force, has been accused of receiving substantial support from Rwandan authorities—a claim Rwanda denies while justifying its involvement as necessary defense against Hutu rebels responsible for the 1994 genocide.

    President Donald Trump has emerged as a pivotal facilitator in these peace negotiations, building upon previous agreements between the two African nations. The talks also yielded commitments from Congo to intensify efforts against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group formed predominantly by Hutus who fled to Congo following the genocide. This mutual recognition of security concerns represents a critical step toward sustainable conflict resolution in the region, which holds vital mineral resources essential for global technology production.

  • Denounce ‘abject’ Afcon decision – senior Caf member

    Denounce ‘abject’ Afcon decision – senior Caf member

    In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through African football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded the championship to Morocco. The controversial decision comes months after Senegal’s dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory in January’s final.

    The ruling stems from Senegal’s players walking off the pitch in protest when Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty during regular time. The match, which resumed after a 17-minute delay, saw Moroccan forward Brahim Diaz’s penalty saved before Pape Gueye eventually scored the winning goal for Senegal in extra time.

    Following a formal appeal by the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF), CAF’s disciplinary committee determined that Senegal’s temporary abandonment of the pitch constituted a forfeiture, resulting in an official 3-0 victory for Morocco. The Moroccan football authority praised the verdict, stating it ‘upholds respect for rules necessary for the proper functioning of international competition’ and establishes important precedent for future tournaments.

    However, the decision has sparked fierce criticism from senior African football figures. Augustin Senghor, CAF executive committee member and former head of the Senegalese Football Federation, condemned the ruling as ‘abject’ and ‘unacceptable,’ vowing to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. ‘Football is fair play, football is played on the field, not in offices,’ Senghor declared in an interview with BBC World Service.

    The controversy has raised questions about governance and external influence within African football. Former Cameroon, Ghana, and Senegal coach Claude Le Roy suggested the decision reflected broader issues within CAF’s leadership and alleged influence from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

    CAF president Dr. Patrice Motsepe defended the organization’s integrity, emphasizing that ‘not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner which is more preferential or more advantageous than any other.’ The decision marks the first time in African football history that a continental title has been stripped and reassigned after the completion of a tournament.

  • Africa seeks benefits from two sessions

    Africa seeks benefits from two sessions

    African policymakers and business leaders are intensively analyzing the outcomes of China’s recently concluded Two Sessions, seeking to align continental development strategies with Beijing’s newly articulated economic priorities. The annual legislative and advisory meetings have provided crucial signals about China’s focus on manufacturing advancement, technological innovation, and green industry development—areas of significant relevance to Africa’s economic transformation ambitions.

    According to Carlos Lopes, Professor at the University of Cape Town’s Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, the policy directions emerging from Beijing must be understood within the broader context of global economic restructuring. “While China remains Africa’s paramount economic partner,” Lopes noted, “the critical question revolves around how the continent positions itself within this dynamically evolving relationship framework.”

    The discussions highlighted Africa’s opportunity to leverage China’s reaffirmed commitment to free trade principles, particularly through preferential measures such as zero-tariff treatment for exports from 53 African nations. However, experts emphasized that African countries must develop stronger productive capacities and industrial capabilities to fundamentally transform the nature of Africa-China trade relations beyond commodity dependency.

    Gordon K’achola, Founder of the Africa Center for Diplomatic Affairs in Kenya, described this as a “pivotal moment for Africa,” noting that Beijing’s policy signals will influence how Global South nations recalibrate their economic and foreign policy orientations. K’achola stressed that enhanced regional coordination through mechanisms like the African Continental Free Trade Area could enable African economies to present a unified market front and maximize development opportunities.

    Infrastructure development remains central to Africa’s engagement calculus, with experts highlighting continued needs for electricity, transportation networks, clean water systems, and healthcare facilities across the continent. Melha Rout Biel, Executive Director of South Sudan’s Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies, pointed to China’s emphasis on high-quality growth and domestic consumption as factors that will require African exporters to elevate product standards to access Chinese markets effectively.

    The analysis suggests that joint ventures and establishment of free trade zones could serve as catalysts for industrialization and knowledge transfer. As K’achola concluded, the long-term success of Africa-China engagement will ultimately depend on “how effectively the continent strengthens productive capacity, advances regional integration, and positions itself within emerging global value chains.”

  • DR Congo and Rwanda agree to ease tensions after talks in US

    DR Congo and Rwanda agree to ease tensions after talks in US

    In a significant diplomatic development, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have committed to implementing concrete measures to reduce bilateral tensions through negotiations facilitated by the United States in Washington. This breakthrough follows recent U.S. sanctions imposed on the Rwandan Defence Forces and four senior officials for their alleged direct support of the M23 rebel group operating in eastern DR Congo.

    The trilateral joint statement outlines coordinated steps toward de-escalation, with both nations reaffirming their commitment to mutual sovereignty and territorial integrity. As part of the agreement, Rwanda will initiate military disengagement and remove defensive installations from specified areas within Congolese territory. Concurrently, DR Congo has pledged to intensify time-bound operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed faction including participants in the 1994 Rwandan genocide that remains active in the eastern regions.

    This diplomatic initiative occurs against the backdrop of a stalled peace process despite a U.S.-brokered agreement signed in December. The M23 rebel group continues to maintain control over substantial territories in eastern DR Congo, including the major urban centers of Goma and Bukavu. Recent military movements near the Burundian border have raised concerns about potential regional escalation.

    Rwanda maintains that its military presence constitutes defensive measures against security threats posed by armed groups in DR Congo, consistently denying allegations of supporting M23 rebels. The Congolese government has conversely been accused of violating the peace agreement through indiscriminate drone attacks and ground offensives.

    Washington has warned that continued Rwandan military support to M23 forces, coupled with their strategic positioning, creates substantial risk of transforming the conflict into a broader regional confrontation.

  • South Africans say criminal gangs are exploiting the water crisis

    South Africans say criminal gangs are exploiting the water crisis

    Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic powerhouse, is grappling with an escalating water crisis that has left numerous suburbs without reliable running water for over a month. In affluent northern neighborhoods like Greenside and Melville, frustrated residents of all ages have taken to the streets, banging empty plastic bottles and chanting demands for their constitutional right to water.

    Colin Regesky from Green Hill describes pipes remaining ‘bone dry’ for weeks, creating unhygienic conditions and health concerns. The situation echoes Johannesburg’s recent electricity shortages from 2022-2024, when prolonged blackouts disrupted lives and businesses due to aging infrastructure and inadequate investment.

    The crisis extends beyond Johannesburg to Hammanskraal, 100km north, where Pastor Tshepo Mahlaule reports two months without water, severely impacting children’s hygiene and education. This township has experienced intermittent water access for over a decade, forcing municipalities to deploy water tankers as emergency measures.

    A disturbing dimension has emerged with allegations of ‘water mafias’ – criminal syndicates allegedly monopolizing tanker operations. Dr. Ferrial Adam of Watercan explains these groups may sabotage infrastructure to prolong lucrative municipal contracts. Residents like Eric Sebotsane confirm some tanker drivers illegally charge for what should be free water, exploiting desperate communities.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded by establishing a National Water Crisis Committee and threatening criminal charges against negligent municipal managers. However, solutions remain contentious: Democratic Alliance politician Cilliers Brink suggests municipalities operating their own tankers, while Dr. Adam argues for sustainable alternatives like boreholes rather than normalizing emergency tankers.

    The human impact is severe – in Hammanskraal, car washers walk 2km with wheelbarrows to fetch water for their businesses, while families struggle with basic laundry and sanitation. Despite governmental promises of ‘lasting difference,’ residents continue enduring what local Jenny Gillies calls ‘an actual disgrace,’ reducing citizens to begging for essential resources.

  • As Senegal cracks down on homosexuality, gay people say they suffer

    As Senegal cracks down on homosexuality, gay people say they suffer

    Senegal is intensifying its crackdown on LGBTQ+ individuals through legislative measures that would significantly increase prison sentences for same-sex conduct. The West African nation, where homosexuality remains criminalized under colonial-era laws, is poised to enact tougher penalties that have triggered widespread fear within the LGBTQ+ community.

    The legislative advancement follows Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s proposal earlier this year to enhance punishments for what Senegalese law euphemistically terms ‘unnatural acts.’ The amended legislation, ratified on March 11, awaits presidential endorsement from newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. If enacted, imprisonment terms would double from five to ten years maximum.

    This legal hardening occurs against a backdrop of escalating social hostility. Human Rights Watch documents how anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has intensified, with numerous arrests reported since February. In one horrific incident from October 2023, a mob in Kaolack exhumed, desecrated, and burned the body of a man presumed to be gay—an event that circulated widely on social media.

    Activist groups like And Samm Djiko Yi (‘Together for the Preservation of Values’) have organized protests framing homosexuality as foreign to Senegalese values. Founder Serigne Ababacar Mboup alleges an imposed ‘LGBTQ+ agenda’ from Western nations and international bodies, stating: ‘Homosexuality contradicts our customs, values, and beliefs.’

    The climate has forced organizations like Free Senegal to cease operations—closing a Dakar safe house in 2025 over security concerns. A spokesperson noted that homophobic organizations now operate with impunity, often backed by politicians seeking electoral support. Many LGBTQ+ individuals have gone into hiding or fled the country entirely, with some finding refuge in nations like France.

    Despite international condemnation of similar measures in Uganda and other African states, Senegal joins the trend of strengthening anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the continent, where over half of countries criminalize same-sex relationships.

  • As Zambia nears election season, some warn against the ‘sextortion’ of female candidates

    As Zambia nears election season, some warn against the ‘sextortion’ of female candidates

    LUSAKA, Zambia — A disturbing pattern of sexual exploitation has emerged within Zambia’s political landscape, with senior male party officials allegedly demanding sexual favors from female election candidates in exchange for political endorsements. The scandal has triggered widespread condemnation from politicians and women’s rights advocates across the nation.

    The issue gained national attention when Mainga Kabika, Permanent Secretary of the government’s Gender Division, revealed this week that her office had received ten formal complaints of sexual harassment. The complaints allege that various high-ranking party officials—including chairpersons, youth leaders, and other senior figures—have solicited sexual exchanges for endorsing women candidates in Zambia’s upcoming August 13 national elections.

    Kabika issued a public appeal urging aspiring female candidates to gather concrete evidence against perpetrators, though she refrained from identifying specific parties or individuals implicated in the allegations.

    Saboi Imboela, President of the opposition National Democratic Congress, confirmed to The Associated Press that this problematic practice recurs during every election cycle. She noted that qualified candidates frequently find themselves sidelined for refusing to comply with these inappropriate demands, resulting in less capable individuals securing nominations instead.

    In response to the crisis, female politicians and NGOs including the Zambia National Women’s Lobby have established a special committee to combat what Imboela terms ‘sextortion.’ The initiative includes a toll-free helpline to support victims and document cases.

    The timing is particularly significant as Zambia prepares for comprehensive elections that will determine the presidency, parliamentary representatives, and local councilors. The nation currently suffers from severe gender imbalance in politics, with women occupying merely 15% of parliamentary seats according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

    Golden Nachibinga, Executive Director of the Zambia National Women’s Lobby, emphasized that previous allegations of similar misconduct have historically deterred women from political participation. Venna Banda, a mayoral aspirant for the ruling United Party for National Development, acknowledged her own encounters with sexual harassment during her political journey and urged women to resist such advances, while acknowledging the particular vulnerability of inexperienced candidates.

    Despite being a stable democracy, Zambia maintains a largely conservative and patriarchal social structure. The government attempted to address gender disparities last year by legislation reserving at least 20 parliamentary seats for women while also promoting representation for youth and disabled persons. President Hakainde Hichilema has previously acknowledged gender imbalances in Zambian politics, though his administration includes Vice President Mutale Nalumango, one of the nation’s highest-ranking female officials.

  • Nigerian soldiers repel an attack on a base and kill 80 Islamic militants, army says

    Nigerian soldiers repel an attack on a base and kill 80 Islamic militants, army says

    Nigerian military forces successfully defended a strategic base in northeastern Nigeria against a sophisticated militant assault, inflicting significant casualties on the attackers. The engagement occurred in the early hours of Wednesday near the Niger border in Mallam Fatori, Borno State.

    Army spokesperson Sani Uba confirmed that troops, anticipating the offensive, employed coordinated ground and aerial operations to neutralize the threat. Preliminary assessments indicate approximately 80 combatants from suspected Islamic extremist groups were eliminated, including three high-ranking commanders. The military’s proactive defense strategy prevented the base from being overrun.

    The assailants, believed to be affiliated with either Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), utilized an unprecedented tactical approach involving multiple armed drones alongside conventional weaponry. Despite this technological escalation, Nigerian forces maintained defensive superiority throughout the engagement.

    Four soldiers sustained injuries during the confrontation and were evacuated for medical treatment. Security forces subsequently recovered substantial weapon caches, including assault rifles, RPG launchers, machine guns, ammunition, IEDs, and critical components of armed drone systems.

    This military confrontation follows Monday’s devastating suicide bombings in Maiduguri that killed 23 civilians and wounded 108 others. While no group claimed responsibility, both Boko Haram and ISWAP remain prime suspects. The persistent violence underscores the ongoing security crisis in northeastern Nigeria, where Islamic extremists have maintained an insurgency since 2009.

    The conflict has resulted in over 40,000 fatalities according to UN estimates, with recent months witnessing increased militant activity against military targets. The growing sophistication of attacks, including drone warfare, presents new challenges for Nigerian forces already stretched thin by multiple security crises across the northern regions.

    International support continues to bolster Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts, with the United States deploying military advisors last month to assist in addressing the nation’s security challenges.

  • Forty years after the last one was poached rhinos are back in the wild in Uganda

    Forty years after the last one was poached rhinos are back in the wild in Uganda

    In a landmark conservation achievement, rhinos have been reintroduced to Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park for the first time in over four decades. This historic moment follows the complete eradication of the species during a period of intensive poaching that culminated in the last wild rhino sighting in 1983.

    The restoration initiative commenced with the careful translocation of two southern white rhinos from a private breeding ranch in Nakasongola, approximately 100 kilometers north of Kampala. These animals represent the vanguard of a planned group of eight intended to re-establish a sustainable population. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), overseeing the operation, has implemented extensive protective measures including a specialized rhino sanctuary equipped with perimeter fencing, advanced monitoring technology, ranger facilities, and dedicated water systems.

    Executive Director James Musinguzi heralded the translocation as the commencement of “a new rhino story” for the park, emphasizing that this effort aims to restore a crucial component of Uganda’s natural heritage. The relocation strategy was informed by comprehensive ecological studies that identified Kidepo Valley as an optimal habitat meeting critical security and environmental requirements.

    The source ranch in Nakasongola has been instrumental in rhino conservation since 2005, when it imported four southern white rhinos from Kenya. Despite these efforts, significant challenges persist. Poaching remains an active threat throughout Uganda, with conservationists reporting continued arrests and prosecutions related to ivory, pangolin, and endangered species trafficking. The lucrative illicit market for rhino horns—driven by demand for traditional medicine and status symbols in Asian markets—continues to fuel wildlife crime.

    The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently classifies southern white rhinos as “near threatened” with a declining population trend. The most recent comprehensive survey conducted in 2020 estimated the global population at approximately 10,000 individuals, highlighting the critical importance of reintroduction programs for species preservation.

  • ‘The longest VAR check in history’ – now African football needs to move on

    ‘The longest VAR check in history’ – now African football needs to move on

    African football faces unprecedented institutional crisis following the Confederation of African Football’s controversial decision to strip Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to tournament hosts Morocco. The stunning reversal, announced two months after Senegal’s dramatic victory in Rabat, has sparked widespread condemnation and threatens to damage the reputation of continental football.

    The contentious final match descended into chaos when Senegalese players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest of a disputed refereeing decision during normal time. Captain Sadio Mane eventually persuaded his teammates to return to the field, enabling the match to conclude with Senegal ultimately prevailing. However, CAF’s disciplinary committee subsequently ruled that Senegal’s temporary abandonment violated competition regulations, resulting in their disqualification.

    The decision has created deep diplomatic tensions between the two football powerhouses. Senegal’s government has alleged corruption in the process, while Morocco’s football community expresses mixed emotions about acquiring the title through administrative means rather than on-field achievement. Former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul described the situation as ‘bittersweet,’ noting that true players would never feel like genuine champions through such circumstances.

    African football experts warn that the controversy undermines years of progress in elevating the continent’s premier tournament. The 2023 edition in Ivory Coast had been widely praised for its quality football and organizational standards, with expectations high that Morocco’s modern infrastructure would further advance the competition’s prestige. Instead, the 2025 tournament will be remembered for its chaotic conclusion and subsequent administrative turmoil.

    Both nations are expected to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, potentially prolonging the uncertainty surrounding the championship’s rightful winner. The incident has also prompted FIFA to consider implementing stronger sanctions against teams that abandon matches without official permission.