Study Tours
Namibia – Five‑Day Immersion
The Namibian delegation spent five days in Accra, a visit facilitated by its government. On arrival, Dr Christian Addai‑Poku, Registrar and CEO of the National Teaching Council (NTC), tasked Dr Cecilia Agbe (Deputy Registrar) and Dr Lawrence Sarpong (Director for Higher Education) with guiding the team through Ghana’s regulatory ecosystem. The programme covered licensing and registration, the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework, and the point‑based CPD system. It also showcased three home‑grown technology initiatives:

• Teacher Portal Ghana – a digital platform programmed by Next Dev Technologies that links teacher data (CPD transcripts, digital portfolios, the teacher register, and a marketplace of CPD service providers).
• Technology‑Induced Coaching and Mentoring Model – a digital‑first scheme developed by Samuel Nuamah Boakye that matches newly qualified teachers with seasoned mentors, tracks mentoring hours, and feeds outcomes into the CPD record.
• Teacher Learning Accountability System (TLAS) – an automated monitoring suite also created by Samuel Nuamah Boakye that validates CPD points, flags non‑compliance, and generates real-time dashboards for school leaders and regulators.

All three initiatives were brought to life under the skillful design and initiative of Dr Lawrence Sarpong, whose work was supervised by Dr Christian Addai‑Poku.

Tanzania – One‑Day Intensive Visit
A Tanzanian team arrived for a single, full‑day programme, also arranged by its government. Dr Addai‑Poku entrusted the delegation to Dr Lawrence Sarpong, leader of the partnership and affiliations team, and Ms Araba Eduafoah Mensah, support‑team lead, whose combined expertise delivered a concise overview of the same components presented to the Namibians.

Both visits were followed by a Ghanaian delegation’s trip to Uganda, sponsored by the Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA). Led by Dr Addai‑Poku, the team shared best practices with Uganda’s Ministry of Education on 1 December 2025 at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kampala.

Institutional Architecture
Unlike the centralized models often cited, Ghana and Nigeria operate decentralized systems in which the employer’s role is separate from regulatory functions. Kenya and Sierra Leone, by contrast, combine employer and regulatory responsibilities within a single authority.

Ghana has further refined its approach by establishing three zonal centres—in the Northern, Middle, and Southern regions—under Dr Addai‑Poku’s stewardship. These centres act as operational hubs, bringing council services closer to schools, streamlining registration, CPD accreditation, and support for Teacher Portal Ghana.

Legislative Momentum in Uganda and Namibia
Namibia and Uganda now have draft legislation for their own teaching regulatory bodies under parliamentary review. If enacted, the councils are expected to be operational before the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) conference in Botswana in May 2026. Ghana’s early success has set a benchmark that other African states are keen to follow.

Comparative Overview of African Models
During his Uganda presentation, Dr Addai‑Poku sketched a comparative landscape of continental regulatory architectures:

• Nigeria and Ghana – employ a decentralized structure that separates employer functions from regulation.
• South Africa – operates a decentralized system, with provincial councils reporting to a national authority.
• Zambia – mirrors the Ghana‑Nigeria model, emphasizing statutory backing and a points‑based CPD system.
• Kenya and Sierra Leone – combine employer and regulatory functions within a single entity.

This analysis helped Ugandan officials see the full spectrum of options and the common ingredients that make a regulatory system effective.

Why Ghana’s System Stands Out
Ghana’s regulatory architecture enjoys recognition beyond the continent. The United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Jamaica, and Australia have all acknowledged the quality of Ghana’s teacher‑licensing regime, granting reciprocal recognition to Ghanaian teachers.

Key differentiators include:

• Transparent, point‑based CPD that generates a verifiable transcript of every professional‑development activity.
• Technology‑induced CPD, an online learning‑management system that delivers tailor‑made modules, enabling teachers to earn points from anywhere.
• Teacher Learning Cycles (TLCs), school‑based action‑research projects that embed continuous improvement.
• Coaching and Mentoring Programme, which pairs newly qualified teachers with seasoned mentors.

Together, these innovations have turned Ghana into a beacon of success in teacher training and development across Africa.

The Ghana Teacher Prize: A Magnet for Benchmark Visits
Each year, from 2 to 5 October, the NTC hosts the Ghana Teacher Prize, celebrating outstanding educators at every level. Winners receive a suite of prizes—including a three‑bedroom house, a 4×4 vehicle, a salon car, motorbikes, fridges, laptops, international and local scholarships, and cash awards—making the event a draw for other nations seeking to replicate Ghana’s success.

Leadership Driving the Vision
Strong political and governance support underpins the momentum. Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education, and Mr Emmanuel Kwami Alorvi, Board Chairman of the NTC, have championed the cause of making teaching an attractive profession. Their leadership, coupled with Dr Addai‑Poku’s visionary direction, positions Ghana as the go‑to destination for countries aiming to raise the bar in teacher regulation.

Outlook: A Broader African Impact
As Uganda, Tanzania, and Namibia edge closer to establishing their own councils, the continent stands on the cusp of a new era in teacher professionalism. Ghana’s contribution—from policy formulation to cutting‑edge implementation, from transparent CPD to the inspirational Ghana Teacher Prize—is unparalleled.

The forthcoming AFTRA conference in Botswana will serve as a testament to this progress. With Ghana’s experience as a cornerstone, the newly formed regulatory bodies in Uganda, Tanzania, and Namibia are poised to join AFTRA, expanding the federation’s influence and reinforcing the message that quality teacher regulation is the foundation of quality education across Africa.

For further information on the Ghana Teacher Prize and upcoming benchmark visits, please visit the NTC website or contact the council’s communications office.

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“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” the president wrote on Truth Social.

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” he went on. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” the president concluded.

CNN said it has reached out to the White House for additional comment.

Trump has focused for the last several months on the plight of Christians in Nigeria, including calling in November on his secretary of defence to “prepare for possible action” and warning the US would enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect the Christian population of Africa’s most populous country.

Speaking on Friday via his X handle, Moore said the strikes, conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, marked “just the first step to ending the slaughter of Christians and the security crisis affecting all Nigerians.”

“President Trump has been clear that the killing of Christians in Nigeria must end.

“As I stated at the outset: Do not test President Trump‘s resolve in this matter,” the congressman added.

The comments came after reports that US forces, under President Donald Trump’s direction, carried out airstrikes against ISIS-linked terrorist elements in North West Nigeria. In a separate post, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington acted with Nigeria’s cooperation.

“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The Department of War is always ready…Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” Hegseth wrote.

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the strikes were part of structured security cooperation with international partners to combat terrorism and violent extremism.

Moore recently concluded a fact-finding mission in Nigeria to investigate alleged attacks on Christian communities, describing the experience as deeply disturbing.

Leading a five-member congressional delegation, he visited IDPs, survivors of terrorist attacks, Christian leaders, and traditional rulers in Benue State.

The team also met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi.

Speaking on Fox News, Moore recounted harrowing cases, including a woman who lost five children while pregnant, and another who lost her husband, two daughters, and her unborn child, describing the violence as deliberate targeting of Christians.

“This is one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. They are trying to erase Christians in Benue and across Nigeria from their ancestral homeland,” Moore said.

He confirmed that President Trump tasked him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to submit a report with recommendations by the end of the month, following Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian killings.

Police launched a manhunt for the 12 unidentified gunmen who had opened fire at patrons at around 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT Saturday) in the Bekkersdal establishment, near Johannesburg.

On Wednesday, provincial deputy commissioner of police, Major General Fred Kekana, said nine of the arrested suspects are Lesotho nationals, while one is from Mozambique.

Another suspect, believed to be a South African mineworker, was also detained.

Murders in South Africa – which has one of the highest rates in the world – are often the result of arguments, robberies and gang violence.

While the attack appeared “unprovoked” at the time, preliminary investigations now appear to suggest a motive linked to illegal mining turf wars.

During the attack, gunmen continued to shoot as people fled the tavern, killing two as well as a taxi driver who had dropped off a passenger nearby.

Upon making the arrests, several unlicensed firearms including an AK-47 rifle, were found in the suspects’ possession.

There are about 3m legally held firearms in South Africa and at least the same number of unlicensed weapons, according to statistics cited by Gideon Joubert from the South African Gunowners’ Association,

Although 2025 has seen a decline in reported mass shootings, there has been a significant increase in incidents where four or more people are either killed or injured since 2020, Claire Taylor, a researcher at campaign group Gun Free South Africa, told the BBC.

Among the most common locations for these attacks are licensed taverns or illegal drinking spots, known locally as shebeens.

Sunday’s shooting occurred just two weeks after another attack at the Saulsville Hostel in the capital Pretoria, where eleven people including a three-year-old child were killed.

Nahum Daso told local media that another 35 people were injured in the blast in the Gamboru market of Maiduguri, the state capital, during evening prayers.

Unverified footage on social media appears to show the aftermath of the explosion, with people standing in a market area with dust particles in the air.

No group has admitted carrying out the attack, but militants have previously targeted mosques and crowded places in the area with suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices (IED).

Maiduguri has been central to an insurgency by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province.

Military operations by Boko Haram to create an Islamic caliphate in Borno state began in 2009.

Security measures against the group have failed to prevent sporadic attacks against civilians in north-east Nigeria.

Jane Ansah’s visit will be in a private capacity, but the reported size of both her entourage and the overall cost of the trip has ignited fierce criticism. The details have been disputed by her office.

The row began after the circulation of an alleged leaked letter to the Malawi High Commission in London, signed by Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chauncy Simwaka, listing 15 individuals set to accompany Ansah.

In power since October, the vice-president’s government has pledged to manage the economy competently and has already announced a raft of austerity measures.

Malawian media have published further alleged details about the visit, reportedly from leaked documents saying it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While the vice-president’s office has confirmed the trip, it has disputed the information in circulation about how much the state is spending.

“These documents did not originate from any government institution and do not reflect official records or approved government expenditures,” the vice-president’s press secretary Richard Mveriwa said in a statement.

“The Office of the Vice President remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of public resources, and strongly condemns the deliberate spread of false information intended to mislead the public.”

The spokesperson did not, however, say anything about the number of people making the trip, said to include two accountants, four security personnel, three assistants to the vice-president, and other officials.

A Malawian human rights organisation, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) said it finds the reported size of the delegation “deeply troubling, particularly given that the trip is explicitly described as private yet appears to be financed using public resources”.

Ansah was the running mate to President Peter Mutharika, who soundly beat incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in September’s election.

They promised a “return to proven leadership” that would manage the economy better than the Chakwera administration.

Among the announced cutbacks in government spending are a reduction of both domestic and international travel by senior government officials.

When he was sworn in, Mutharika promised to be prudent. He said his government would not be a “feast” for members of the administration and supporters.

The HRDC said the vice president’s UK trip, due to start on 26 December, directly contradicted the government’s own rhetoric on austerity and called it a “double standard”.

“While Malawians are continuously urged to tighten their belts, endure hardship and accept reduced public services in the name of fiscal discipline, senior political leaders appear to exempt themselves from these very principles,” the organisation said.

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The troops were formally sent off at a parade addressed by President John Mahama, who described the mission as a humanitarian duty rooted in solidarity and shared history between Ghana and the Caribbean.

Addressing the soldiers, President Mahama said the deployment reflected Ghana’s long-standing commitment to helping countries in need.

“We’re gathered here today for a solemn and proud national duty to see off officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces who have been selected to represent Ghana on a humanitarian reconstruction mission to Jamaica following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.”

“This deployment reflects Ghana’s solidarity with the people of Jamaica and our shared history, values, and bonds within the African-Caribbean family,” the President said.

He recalled that Ghana had already sent humanitarian relief to countries affected by crises, including Jamaica, Cuba and Sudan.

“After the destruction of the hurricane, Ghana dispatched humanitarian assistance to the friendly people of Jamaica and Cuba and also to the displaced people of Sudan,” President Mahama said.

“This humanitarian assistance included food aid, locally produced Ghanaian rice, blankets, mattresses, plastic buckets, medicines, and other such accoutrements.”

According to the President, Ghana’s response is driven by its own experience with disasters and recovery.

“Our nation understands the pain of natural disasters and the long road to recovery. Today’s mission reinforces Ghana’s commitment to humanitarian response, disaster recovery and reconstruction, and South-South cooperation, Pan-African and Afro-Caribbean solidarity,” he said.

President Mahama praised the Ghana Armed Forces for their readiness to serve beyond the country’s borders and said that the assignment was strictly humanitarian.

“I commend the Ghana Armed Forces for their professionalism, for their discipline, and their readiness to serve not only at home but anywhere in the world, duty calls. This mission is not a combat mission. It is a mission of compassion, skill, and service.”

He disclosed that the decision to send engineering troops followed direct discussions with Jamaica’s Prime Minister after the initial relief supplies were delivered.

“After we dispatched the first batch of humanitarian assistance, I made a phone call to the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Honourable Andrew Hornace, to express Ghana’s solidarity with the people of Jamaica,” the President said.

“He thanked me for the assistance we had dispatched and in our discussion he said what they need currently is assistance with rebuilding and providing shelter for the people who have been displaced.”

President Mahama said Ghana then offered further practical support.

“And so I offered to send a regiment of our engineering corps to help with the assistance and also send them some tents to provide temporary shelter.”

“We’re dispatching those tents by sea so that we can provide temporary shelter, but in the meantime, our troops are going to help with reconstruction, with building, and also providing support for the people of Jamaica,” he explained.

He told the soldiers they would be engaged in engineering works, technical and logistical support, and community-focused assistance.

“Your conduct will reflect the values, discipline, and humanity of the Ghanaian soldier. You’re ambassadors of the Republic of Ghana. Your actions will shape how Ghana is perceived abroad.”

The President urged the troops to uphold discipline, professionalism and respect for local authorities, while looking out for one another.

“We expect you to uphold professional excellence, respect for local authorities and communities you work in, to exercise discipline, integrity and teamwork, and protect one another and return home safely,” he said.

President Mahama expressed confidence that the contingent would maintain Ghana’s strong reputation in international missions.

“Ghana has already carved out a good reputation for service abroad, and I know that those of you who are dispatching today will hold the flag of Ghana high and you will not let us down,” he said.

The President assured Jamaica of Ghana’s continued support.

“Through you, Ghana is going to convey a clear message to the people and government of Jamaica that they are not alone and that Ghana stands in solidarity with them,” President Mahama said.

“Ghana stands with them in this moment of rebuilding and recovery. This mission symbolises a bridge of solidarity across the Atlantic, grounded in shared history and mutual respect.”

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A radio and TV presenter and podcaster was gunned down as he was leaving Zambesi House near Carlton Centre on Tuesday.

The video footage shows the suspect approaching Stock and opening fire shortly after noon. 

According to Gauteng Acting Provincial Commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana, the suspects also left cartridges at the scene. He confirmed that Stock had his firearm on him and nothing was taken.

Warrick Stock, 40, who was popularly known as DJ Warras was killed on Tuesday.

Kekana said video footage shows the suspect sitting near Warras’ car and one other suspect, dressed in something that appears to be a security uniform. Police are actively tracing the suspects and the weapon.

He highlighted challenges posed by the building near the scene where the majority of occupants are unauthorised. He said that Warras was allegedly a co-owner of the Zambesi House, and investigations into the ownership and its occupants are ongoing.

Authorities are appealing to eyewitnesses and members of the community who may have seen the suspects to come forward. “We know they walked a long distance after the shooting, and officers have been tracking them to determine their whereabouts,” Kekana said.

The motive for Warras’ killing remains under investigation. While there are suggestions it could relate to hijacked buildings, police say they are keeping an open mind and following all leads.

Speaking in Ife State in Nigeria on Monday, Mr Mahama said he remained optimistic that prosperity in Nigeria would invariably translate into shared progress for Ghana, given the deep cultural, economic and social ties between the two countries.

He noted that Ghana and Nigeria share common values, intertwined histories and complementary ambitions, positioning both nations as natural partners in regional development and continental leadership.

“I know that there is a historic bond between the people of Ghana and the people of Nigeria. When Nigeria prospers, Ghana prospers. When Ghana prospers, Nigeria prospers. God brought two of us together, we are like twins of the same mother,” he said.

The ceremony was at a traditional event at which President Mahama was installed as Aare Atayeto Oodua of the Source by the overlord of the Ife Kingdom.

He described the honour as a symbol of unity, shared heritage and a renewed commitment to strengthening people-to-people relations between the two West African neighbours.

Just a few days after soldiers took power in Guinea-Bissau while a presidential election vote count was still under way, leaders of the West African grouping Ecowas rapidly concluded that Sunday’s attempted overthrow of Benin’s President Patrice Talon was one destabilising step too far.

In support of his government, Nigerian warplanes bombarded mutinous soldiers at the national TV and radio station and a military base near the airport in Cotonou, the largest city.

Ecowas also announced the deployment of ground troops from Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone to reinforce the defence of constitutional order.

This is a region that has been shaken by repeated coups since 2020, and which little more than 10 months ago saw the putschist regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger completely withdraw their countries from Ecowas – the Economic Community of West African States – of which they had all been founding participants 50 years ago.

So, faced with the prospect that yet another civilian government might be overturned by discontented soldiers, the presidents of the remaining Ecowas member states rapidly reached the conclusion that the attempted coup in Cotonou could not be allowed to succeed.

Learning from past mistakes

Having fought off early morning putschist attacks on Talon’s home and the presidency offices, loyalist forces had already reaffirmed government control across the city, locking down the main central administrative district.

But it was proving hard to break down the last-ditch resistance of rebel troops who had shown they were ready to use lethal force without regard for civilians.

In response, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, Benin’s eastern neighbour and much the largest military power in the region, authorised air strikes, while Ecowas leaders decided to despatch ground troops the same day.

Among those sending forces is Ghana’s President John Mahama, who leads a resilient democracy but has made friendly diplomatic overtures to the Sahelian military regimes.

In acting so quickly, Ecowas has perhaps learned a lesson from its misjudged response to the 2023 coup in Niger.

On that occasion it was not practically organised to intervene militarily in the hours after the elected head of state, Mohamed Bazoum, had been detained by coup leaders – the only moment, perhaps, when a rapid commando raid to rescue him and secure key buildings might have had any chance of success.

By the time the bloc had threatened intervention and begun to plan it, the chance had gone: the new junta had consolidated control over the Nigérien army and mobilised popular opinion in its support.

Faced with the prospect of intervention becoming full-scale war, and under strong domestic popular pressure to avoid any such bloodbath, Ecowas leaders backed off – opting to rely on sanctions. And when those also proved counter-productive, they settled for the diplomatic path alone.

This time around, in Benin, the situation was quite different: Talon was still in full control, even if some would-be putschists were still resisting. So he, as the internationally recognised president, could legitimately request support from fellow member countries in the regional bloc.

And this seems to have had popular support in Cotonou.

Many Béninois citizens do have grievances against the current government, notably over the exclusion of Les Démocrates, the main opposition party, from the forthcoming presidential election.

But there is a strong culture in Benin of trying to achieve change through political and civil society action, rather than force.

Béninois are rightly proud of their country’s role as the pioneering instigator of the wave of peaceful mass protest and democratisation that swept across francophone Africa in the early 1990s.

While the complaints against Talon aired by the would-be putschists during their brief appearance on national television are widely shared, there has been absolutely no sign of any popular support for their attempt to get rid of the government by force.

So Benin represented a particularly favourable context for a forceful Ecowas intervention in defence of constitutional civilian rule.

Indeed, if anything, the coup plotters are likely to become the target of growing public anger as news of casualties circulates. At least one civilian – the wife of Talon’s key military adviser – was killed.

In recent days two top military officials abducted during Sunday’s failed coup attempt have been rescued, but security forces are still searching for the coup leader Lt Col Pascal Tigri and other plotters.

Simmering grievances

This was just the latest in a string of coup attempts across the region, though most of the others have succeeded.

They have all occurred in a context of fragility and pressure in West Africa at a time of Islamist violence across the Sahel, now spreading into the northern regions of many coastal countries.

There is disenchantment with traditional political elites. Even where economies are growing, there is a desperate shortage of jobs and viable livelihoods for the region’s rapidly growing young population.

However, while the regional context is widely shared, the driving factors for the coups are often local – specific to each country.

The lack of popular support for the Cotonou putschists stands in stark contrast to the mood on the streets of Conakry, the capital of Guinea, in September 2021, when the special forces commander, Col Mamady Doumbouya led the overthrow of then-President Alpha Condé.

Like Talon, Condé had first been democratically elected but later secured re-election in questionable conditions, and presided over a significant erosion of political freedoms. Yet in Guinea, Condé had presided over violent abuse on a far greater scale than in Benin.

In addition, Condé had then strong-armed his way to a third term aged 83. In contrast the 67-year-old Talon has promised to step down next April, albeit having adjusted the electoral rules to almost guarantee an easy victory for his chosen successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni.

Another key difference is Condé’s deeply disappointing economic track record, whereas Talon has presided over strong growth and improving services.

Further north, the wave of coups in the Sahelian countries in recent years were also driven by local conditions.

In Mali and Burkina Faso, military commanders had grown frustrated with the weak leadership elected presidents were providing in the campaign against Islamist insurgents. In both countries, troops had repeatedly suffered brutal losses while their civilian governments appeared incapable of mobilising the extra weapons or sometimes even food that the troops needed.

There was also deep resentment at France’s inability to bring the jihadists to heel, despite the high-tech weaponry at the disposal of its forces then deployed across the Sahel.

Also in Mali, some nationalist sections of political and military opinion were frustrated with the functioning of a 2015 peace agreement with former Tuareg separatists in the far north, overseen by UN troops. Hardliners even accused French forces of actively preventing Bamako from deploying national army units to the north.

In Niger, the circumstances surrounding the 2023 putsch were equally distinctive.

President Bazoum’s political support had been eroded by his very publicly close partnership with France, and particularly his request that Paris provide troops to defend the north-western border from incursions by Mali-based jihadists.

However, his vocal support for judges probing a corruption scandal in defence procurement also risked alienating powerful elements of the military.

The coup that followed soon afterwards in Gabon, in August 2023, was similarly the product of local frustrations. In this case, the opaque management of election results saw an implausible victory awarded to President Ali Bongo, in frail health after a slow recovery from a stroke.

So, circumstances vary widely. And recent events confirm the trend.

The region certainly does face a real crisis of security and, in many countries, politics or development too.

But national conditions are often the major driver for each upheaval or coup attempt.

Many suspect the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau aimed to forestall a possible opposition election victory.

Whereas the Benin rebels seem to have been motivated by a mix of army grievances and broader political and economic complaints.

But they strikingly misjudged the popular appetite in Cotonou for any violent or radical system change.

The endorsement follows a unanimous recommendation by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, which nominated President Mahama as the sole candidate from the sub-region.

The recommendation was adopted during the Council’s 95th Ordinary Session held in Abuja and subsequently forwarded for formal endorsement on Sunday, December 14, 2025.

ECOWAS expressed appreciation to member states for their support of Ghana’s candidacy, citing the country’s contributions to regional integration and its strong standing in international diplomacy.

In a statement, the Council reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment to supporting candidates from member states for leadership positions in international organisations, including the African Union, to ensure that the region’s interests are effectively represented and protected.

The Council noted that the endorsement reflects ECOWAS’ resolve to strengthen West Africa’s influence within continental and global institutions, particularly the African Union.

The recommendation now calls on the Authority of Heads of State and Government to formally adopt the declaration endorsing Ghana’s bid for the AU Chairmanship in 2027.

Brumelda Zuma became one of South Africa’s newest MPs on Wednesday, representing uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the opposition party led by her father.

Her half-sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, resigned from parliament following allegations that she had tricked 17 men into fighting for Russia as mercenaries in Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla has denied these accusations.

Brumelda Zuma’s appointment suggests the former president intends to ensure his family is represented in parliament.

She was sworn in alongside three other MK members, who, the party said, “bring a wealth of experience and dedication” to parliament.

She said she would focus mostly on ensuring that South Africans had “good public services” because “that is what I studied”.

MK said Brumelda Zuma had a degree in public administration.

Brumelda Zuma has not previously had a national profile, unlike her half-sister who had represented South Africa in the Pan-African Parliament.

MK previously said it was Zuma-Sambudla’s decision to resign as she wanted to focus her efforts on ensuring the return of those trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region.

She was implicated in the Russia recruitment scheme after South Africa’s government revealed it had received distress calls from more than a dozen citizens who had joined mercenary forces.

The men are aged between 20 and 39 and are trapped in Donbas.

One of Zuma-Sambudla’s most prominent accusers is another half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube.

Zuma-Mncube filed a criminal complaint against Zuma-Sambudla and two other people, accusing them of luring the men to Russia “under false pretences” and then handing them to a Russian mercenary group “without their knowledge or consent”.

She said that eight of them were her relatives.

Police have confirmed they are carrying out an investigation.

Working as a mercenary or fighting for another army is illegal under South African law, unless the government authorises it.

Zuma-Sambudla has said in an affidavit that she thought the men were going to Russia for “lawful” training.

She is currently also on trial on terrorism-related charges over social media messages she posted during deadly protests in 2021. She has denied the charges.

Jacob Zuma formed MK in 2023 after a massive fall-out with current President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The MK party came in third place in South Africa’s general election last year, and became the main opposition party in parliament after the second-biggest party joined a coalition government led by Ramaphosa.

One building was unoccupied, while the second was hosting an Aqiqah, a traditional Muslim celebration marking the birth of a child, the Fez prosecutor stated in a press release.

The prosecutor said the death toll was preliminary and that an investigation has been opened.

Eight families lived in the building where the celebration was taking place, they said.

BUILDINGS HAD SHOWN CRACKS

A survivor, who lost his wife and three children, told local Medi1 TV early that rescuers had been able to retrieve one body, but he was still waiting for the others.

State-owned broadcaster SNRT News footage showed rescue workers and residents digging through the rubble.

“My son, who lives upstairs, told me the building is coming down. When we went out, we saw the building collapsing,” an old woman wrapped in a blanket told SNRT News, without giving her name.

SNRT News reported that witnesses at the scene stated the buildings in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood, a densely populated area in the west of the city, had exhibited signs of cracking for some time.

Besides the judicial probe, a technical and administrative investigation has also been launched to determine what caused the four-storey buildings to collapse, local authorities said in a statement.

The buildings were erected in 2006 as part of a government scheme under which residents of shantytowns in the city build their own homes on allocated plots.

WORST BUILDING COLLAPSE IN 15 YEARS

Fez, a former capital dating back to the eighth century and the country’s third-most-populous city, was among cities caught up in a wave of anti-government protests two months ago over deteriorating living conditions and poor public services.

Adib Ben Ibrahim, housing secretary of state, said in January that approximately 38,800 buildings across the country had been classified as being at risk of collapse.

Wednesday’s collapse is one of the worst in Morocco since the fall of a minaret in the historic northern city of Meknes, which killed 41 people in 2010.

YOUTHS ANGRY AT LACK OF SERVICES, POVERTY

Most of Morocco’s population, financial and industrial hubs and vital infrastructure are concentrated in the northwest, with the rest of the country reliant on farming, fisheries and tourism.

In October, youth-led unrest revealed deep-seated anger over poverty and public services as the government pushes on with ambitious infrastructure projects and the opening of modern stadiums ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Fez, one of the cities to host the World Cup and this month’s African Cup of Nations soccer tournament, has some of the country’s poorest neighbourhoods.

Brumelda Zuma became one of South Africa’s newest MPs on Wednesday, representing uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the opposition party led by her father.

Her half-sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, resigned from parliament following allegations that she had tricked 17 men into fighting for Russia as mercenaries in Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla has denied these accusations.

Brumelda Zuma’s appointment suggests the former president intends to ensure his family is represented in parliament.

She was sworn in alongside three other MK members, who, the party said, “bring a wealth of experience and dedication” to parliament.

She said she would focus mostly on ensuring that South Africans had “good public services” because “that is what I studied”.

MK said Brumelda Zuma had a degree in public administration.

Brumelda Zuma has not previously had a national profile, unlike her half-sister who had represented South Africa in the Pan-African Parliament.

MK previously said it was Zuma-Sambudla’s decision to resign as she wanted to focus her efforts on ensuring the return of those trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region.

She was implicated in the Russia recruitment scheme after South Africa’s government revealed it had received distress calls from more than a dozen citizens who had joined mercenary forces.

The men are aged between 20 and 39 and are trapped in Donbas.

One of Zuma-Sambudla’s most prominent accusers is another half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube.

Zuma-Mncube filed a criminal complaint against Zuma-Sambudla and two other people, accusing them of luring the men to Russia “under false pretences” and then handing them to a Russian mercenary group “without their knowledge or consent”.

She said that eight of them were her relatives.

Police have confirmed they are carrying out an investigation.

Working as a mercenary or fighting for another army is illegal under South African law, unless the government authorises it.

Zuma-Sambudla has said in an affidavit that she thought the men were going to Russia for “lawful” training.

She is currently also on trial on terrorism-related charges over social media messages she posted during deadly protests in 2021. She has denied the charges.

Jacob Zuma formed MK in 2023 after a massive fall-out with current President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The MK party came in third place in South Africa’s general election last year, and became the main opposition party in parliament after the second-biggest party joined a coalition government led by Ramaphosa.

The announcement was made by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, during the 55th session of the Mediation and Security Council at the ministerial level in Abuja on Tuesday.

Omar Touray said the worsening situation in the sub-region demands urgent attention and collective action.

According to him, recent developments highlight the “imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.”

The emergency declaration comes on the back of a troubling wave of unconstitutional takeovers in parts of West Africa.

In the past few years, countries including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea-Bissau have experienced coups or attempted coups, while security agencies in Benin and other states have also reported foiled mutinies.

Officials say Tuesday’s meeting was convened to assess the growing threats—ranging from military interventions to violent extremism—and to consider measures that can help stabilise the region.

ECOWAS has faced criticism in recent months, particularly after Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from the bloc earlier this year.

More updates are expected as the ministerial council continues its deliberations in Abuja.

The military takeover attempting to overthrow President Patrice Talon, which lasted a few hours before authorities announced it had been foiled, was the latest in a series of recent coups across Africa — most following a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent.

In a statement detailing Sunday’s events, Government Secretary Edouard Ouin-Ouro said the mutinous soldiers attacked Talon around 5 a.m. before being “overwhelmed by the fierce resistance of the loyal soldiers.”

The government confirmed the involvement of Nigerian and Ivorian troops in helping to thwart the coup, saying the Nigerian military had “(used) its military aircraft, which immobilised some of the armoured vehicles.”

Authorities said that although several arrests have been made over the coup, its apparent leader remained on the run and was being hunted. Two senior military officers held hostage by those carrying out the coup had also been released, officials said. Authorities did not specify the number of casualties.

An ongoing investigation into the coup will “identify all the perpetrators and their sponsors, whoever they may be” and will assess the damage in the aftermath, Ouin-Ouro said in the statement issued after a high-level cabinet meeting chaired by the Benin leader.

How the coup unfolded

A group of soldiers calling themselves the Committee for Refoundation stormed the national television station on Sunday morning to announce the coup.

Led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, eight soldiers appeared in a broadcast announcing the removal of Talon, the dissolution of the government and the suspension of state institutions.

Before the coup, Tigri was a member of Talon’s protection detail. As an artillery officer, he commanded a National Guard battalion between 2023 and 2025.

By Sunday afternoon, the coup was foiled by Benin’s military, supported by Nigerian air and ground forces, which launched attacks against fleeing coup participants.

Calm on Monday returned to Cotonou, Benin’s administrative centre, with soldiers on the streets.

Talon described the coup late Sunday as a “senseless adventure,” and said the situation was under control. He vowed to punish mutineers and ensure the safety of hostages, including some believed to be senior military officers. He didn’t disclose their identities, and it wasn’t clear how many were held.

The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, said Sunday that it had deployed a standby force to Benin to help preserve democracy. The troops included personnel from Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. The size of the force was unclear.

A Nigerian government spokesperson said in a statement that Talon had requested Nigeria’s help. It wasn’t clear how many personnel or how much equipment had been deployed.

Regional challenge

Nigeria and the ECOWAS regional bloc hadn’t intervened in a member state since 2017, when it sent troops to Gambia to force then-President Yahya Jammeh to vacate power following his election loss.

The bloc, led by Nigeria, tried to intervene in Niger after the country’s 2023 coup. At that time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu led the bloc. His threat to intervene if the junta didn’t restore the ousted democratic government resulted in a standoff between the bloc and three junta-led countries, and they later left the bloc.

Analysts say Nigeria has a strategic interest in defending its borders — which it shares with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon — especially now, while it experiences a severe security crisis.

“The coup in Benin is one too many. Nigeria cannot afford to be encircled by hostile governments,” Oluwole Ojewale, a senior security researcher at Dakar-based Institute for Security Studies, told The Associated Press.

As West Africa battles a surge in coups, analysts say ECOWAS lacks consistency in its response. In Gabon and Guinea-Bissau, the bloc was less assertive, and it has watched some other leaders stay in office via constitutional changes.

“You can make the argument that Tinubu needed to show some strength in preserving democracy, but this now speaks to ECOWAS’ double standard,” said Cheta Nwanze, a partner at the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence geopolitical consultancy firm.

Despite a history of coups following its independence from France in 1960, Benin has enjoyed relative calm in the past two decades. The country is set to elect a new president in April, because Talon is set to leave office after a decade in power.

The Commission explained that the decision is grounded in Article 25(e) of the 1999 Protocol on Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, which empowers the regional body to intervene when constitutional order is threatened.

The Chair of the ECOWAS Authority has therefore activated the standby arrangement to support Benin during the crisis.

Under the new directive, the regional force will draw troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. These forces are to work alongside the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional rule and safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.

The deployment comes against the backdrop of rising tension in Benin, where soldiers reportedly seized key state installations in what appears to be a coup d’état.

ECOWAS had earlier condemned the development and called for the immediate restoration of democratic governance.

“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail,” said a statement read by one of the soldiers who was flanked by half a dozen others, several wearing helmets.

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“The constitution is suspended. All institutions are dissolved (and) political party activities suspended until further notice.”

A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The announcement came as Benin was preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of incumbent Patrice Talon, in power since 2016.

Benin’s ruling coalition had nominated Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni to be its candidate, positioning a man seen as a key architect of its economic policies to pursue the administration’s current reform agenda if elected.

Talon’s decision to step down after two terms was a rare move in the West and Central Africa region where democratic norms are increasingly under pressure.

A coup last month in Guinea-Bissau was the ninth in the region since 2020.

“The adoption of this bill is part of reforms … to have a justice that responds to the deep aspirations of our people,” Minister of Justice Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said in a Facebook post late Thursday.

The death penalty was abolished in the country in 2018.

The bill has to be adopted by parliament and reviewed by the courts before becoming law.

Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, called the move a “serious setback for human rights in Burkina Faso,” and alarming “in the context of the ongoing crackdown on political opponents, human rights activists and journalists in Burkina Faso.”

Since taking power in a 2022 coup, the West African country’s military leaders have launched sweeping reforms, including postponing elections that were expected to restore civilian rule and dissolving the country’s independent electoral commission.

Burkina Faso has increasingly silenced critical media outlets in recent years. It suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country’s armed forces, as well as arrested three prominent journalists earlier this year.

The country is one of several West African nations where the military has taken over in recent years, capitalising on widespread discontent with previous democratically elected governments over security issues. The military government has been accused of human rights abuses and the detention of journalists critical of the government.

The landlocked nation of 23 million people is among the countries struggling with a security crisis in the arid Sahel region south of the Sahara in recent years. It has been shaken by violence from extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

The meeting, scheduled for Thursday and hosted by Ghana’s First Lady, H.E. Lordina Dramani Mahama, will focus on ending mother-to-child transmission and achieving the triple elimination of HIV, syphilis, and Hepatitis B across the continent.

The dialogue will emphasise the role of women in leadership in combating stigma, abuse, and neglect—challenges that disproportionately affect women and children—and highlight the need to strengthen protections for vulnerable groups.

Mrs. Mahama and the Lordina Foundation have earned global recognition for over a decade of advocacy in health and humanitarian support. In 2013, she was appointed a Health Ambassador to champion the Heart-to-Heart campaign for HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana.

In 2016, as President of OAFLAD, she delivered a powerful call for a proactive response to HIV and greater protection of sexual and reproductive rights at the 7th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights in Accra.

First Ladies from Kenya, Liberia, and a former First Lady of South Africa are also expected to attend the high-level gathering.

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The military-led government launched an audit of Mali’s mining sector in early 2023 that uncovered massive shortfalls for the state and paved the way for a new mining code.

That new mining law raised royalties, boosted state stakes in mining companies and scrapped stability clauses.

A recovery commission was set up after an audit by firms Inventus and Mozar flagged financial irregularities and shortfalls for the state estimated at 300 to 600 billion CFA francs.

The overhaul of the industry triggered a two-year dispute with Canadian miner Barrick Mining, Mali’s top gold producer, before a deal was struck in November.

Economy and Finance Minister Alousséni Sanou, speaking on state television late on Monday, did not say if the recovered sum included Barrick’s recent 244 billion CFA francs deal.

Other operators, including B2Gold, Allied Gold, Resolute Mining, Endeavour Mining, and lithium players like Ganfeng and Kodal settled their arrears and migrated to the new regime earlier.

“I am delighted with these results, among which we can mention the recovery of 761 billion CFA out of a target of 400 billion,” Sanou said during a ceremony presenting the audit report to President Assimi Goita.

Sanou added that all mining companies will now operate under the 2023 code, which is expected to lift annual revenues by 586 billion CFA francs on audited firms alone, bringing their total contribution to about 1,022 billion CFA francs each year.

Audit and legal costs amounted to 2.87 billion CFA francs, he said.

Mamou Touré, a member of the renegotiation committee, said the goal was not only to recover funds but also to give the state a sizable stake in mining contracts.

Mali, one of Africa’s top gold producers, relies heavily on mining for export earnings and fiscal revenues.

The scrutiny to tighten oversight has squeezed growth, with industrial gold output falling 32% year-on-year to 26.2 metric tons by the end of August.

He reaffirms the regional bloc’s firm resolve to see constitutional order restored without delay.

President Bio met Major-General Horta Inta-a and his team in Bissau on Monday, December 1, 2025, in what officials described as a constructive engagement aimed at easing the country back onto a democratic path.

He was accompanied by Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission; Leonardo Santos Simão, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel; and Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister and Chair of the ECOWAS Executive Council, Alhaji Timothy Musa Kabba.

The mission followed a directive from an extraordinary session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, which tasked President Bio with leading a high-level delegation to press the military authorities to commit to a full return to constitutional governance.

As part of the visit, the delegation also met with Guinea-Bissau’s Electoral Commission.

Its Chairman and members briefed President Bio on the current electoral landscape and the state of preparations in the country.

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Ekane, 74, was among the leaders of an opposition coalition who endorsed Issa Tchiroma Bakary in October’s presidential election.

Tchiroma Bakary says he was the rightful winner of the poll, officially won by 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya. Tchiroma Bakary has since fled to The Gambia.

No official cause of Ekane’s death has been announced. His party has accused the authorities of denying him access to his medication – a charge the government has denied.

According to a spokesman for Ekane’s African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem) party, Ekane died on Monday morning at a military medical facility, after his health worsened over the weekend.

“We have no clarification… His wife had been called to come and when she found herself there, she was just presented the corpse of her husband,” he said.

He added that the family later took the corpse to the mortuary.

Defence ministry spokesman Capt Cyrille Serge Atonfack said the Manidem leader had died from illness, but did not give any further details.

“The deceased, who suffered from various chronic pathologies, had been interned at the Military Medical Centre of the National Gendarmerie,” he said, adding that the politician had been well taken care of by doctors since his arrest on 24 October.

According to Ekane’s lawyers, he was accused of hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection.

“He was never presented before a judge or charged with any misdemeanour,” said one of his lawyers, Hippolyte Meli, in a statement on social media, describing the detention of the Manidem party leader as “illegal”.

In recent weeks, rumours had circulated that the opposition figure had died, and Ekane’s party members had demanded to see him “dead or alive”.

His death has sent shockwaves across the nation, with supporters gathering at the party headquarters in Douala to grieve. Others have taken to venting their anger online.

Manidem says its premises have been surrounded by security forces.

Ekane initially endorsed another vibrant opposition figure, Maurice Kamto, for the presidential election. But Kamto, who endured a long detention after disputing the previous election in 2018, had his candidacy rejected upfront this time by both the electoral body, Elecam, and the Constitutional Council, on the grounds that the party had endorsed more than one candidate.

Ekane and other politicians went on to create the Union for Change Coalition with other politicians, which named former government spokesman Tchiroma Bakary as its candidate.

Authorities say an investigation has been launched to determine the exact circumstances of Ekane’s death.

The organisation’s Executive Secretary, security expert and humanitarian critic Francis Ahovi, issued the assessment in a press statement dated 27th November 2025, calling for decisive regional and international action to restore stability.

According to him, the current crisis is the product of a sustained breakdown in constitutional order. Repeated unlawful dissolutions of parliament, the unilateral dismissal and appointment of prime ministers, interference in the judiciary, and the politicisation of the security forces have created what Mr Ahovi describes as a “governance vacuum”.

This vacuum, he noted, emboldened military factions and criminal actors, ultimately culminating in the overthrow of constitutional authority.

GLOSARGG identifies multiple, interlinked drivers of instability. These include executive overreach, competing command structures within the military and police, the growing influence of narcotrafficking networks, weak parliamentary oversight, and widespread economic hardship.

Organised crime, in particular the narcotics trade, has, according to Mr Ahovi, penetrated political circles and is shaping decision-making at the highest levels.

He was also critical of the regional response, pointing to weaknesses within ECOWAS and the African Union. He highlighted slow consensus-building, reluctance to sanction sitting presidents who breach constitutional norms, limited rapid-deployment capability, and gaps in intelligence-sharing.

Inconsistent enforcement of sanctions, he warned, has further undermined regional credibility.

The statement outlines several immediate priorities designed to reverse the escalating crisis. These include deploying neutral observers to safeguard civilians, instituting targeted sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes, and stabilising the security forces by halting politically motivated promotions.

GLOSARGG also calls for an independent fact-finding mission comprising ECOWAS, the AU and the UN to document constitutional breaches and human rights violations.

Looking ahead, the organisation proposes a short-term transitional arrangement lasting six to twelve months, led by a civilian authority and backed by a Security Oversight Mechanism to prevent further factional clashes.

Plans also include intensified anti-narcotics operations with UNODC and EU partners, alongside scaled-up humanitarian assistance for vulnerable and displaced populations.

Medium-term reforms, spanning six to 24 months, include comprehensive security sector reform, tightening constitutional checks on executive power, improving electoral integrity, and strengthening anti-corruption systems such as asset recovery and transparent budgeting.

GLOSARGG also advocates a judicial fast-track system to resolve electoral disputes more efficiently.

In the longer term, the organisation recommends structured civil–military training, enhanced regional intelligence-sharing, civic education programmes to reinforce democratic values, and youth employment initiatives to reduce the appeal of extremist or criminal recruitment.

To strengthen regional responses, Mr Ahovi urged ECOWAS and the AU to establish a Rapid Stabilisation Force, adopt automatic sanctions for unconstitutional actions, including those committed by sitting presidents, and create a permanent joint monitoring commission involving the UN and CPLP, with public updates every 90 days.

He concluded that resolving Guinea-Bissau’s political and security crisis will require more than negotiation between political elites.

“A viable solution must confront breaches of executive constitutional authority, the politicisation of the security sector, and the criminal economies that perpetuate instability,” he stated, adding that only bold institutional reforms and firm regional leadership will ensure long-term resilience and prevent future upheavals.

It follows negotiations by the regional West African bloc Ecowas to secure his transfer amid rising tensions in Guinea-Bissau.

Senegal’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Embaló had landed in the country “safe and sound” on a chartered military flight late on Thursday.

The military in Guinea-Bissau has already sworn in a new transitional leader, Gen Horta N’Tam, who will rule the coup-prone country for a year.

Wednesday’s coup came a day before authorities were due to announce the provisional results of a presidential and parliamentary election.

The military has suspended the electoral process and blocked the release of the results.

It said it was acting to thwart a plot by unnamed politicians who had “the support of a well-known drug baron” to destabilise the country, and imposed a night-time curfew.

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In a press statement issued on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the takeover disrupts the democratic process, particularly following the peaceful presidential and legislative elections held on November 23.

Ghana expressed “profound concern and deep dissatisfaction” over what it called a brazen attempt to overturn the will of the people, warning that the situation has dangerously derailed Guinea-Bissau’s democratic trajectory and obstructed the expected announcement of election results scheduled for November 27.

The statement urged all actors in Guinea-Bissau to respect democratic processes and to address any electoral grievances through peaceful, transparent, and legally recognized mechanisms.

Ghana also called for the protection of all citizens and foreign nationals, particularly the officials of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission currently in the country, emphasizing that their safe passage must be ensured without delay.

Additionally, the government appealed to the people of Guinea-Bissau to remain calm, exercise restraint, and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.

Ghana reaffirmed its full support for ECOWAS and the African Union in coordinating a regional response that upholds democracy, good governance, and constitutional rule.

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Shortly after gunshots were heard in the capital, Bissau, government sources told the BBC that Embaló had been detained.

Military officers then appeared on state TV, saying they had suspended the electoral process and would be in charge until further notice.

The West African nation had been awaiting the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election, in which the main opposition candidate had been disqualified from running.

The results were expected on Thursday – both Embaló and his closest rival Fernando Dias have claimed victory.

Late on Wednesday afternoon, Embaló told France 24 in a phone call: “I have been deposed.”

Witnesses in Bissau heard gunfire earlier on, at around 13:00 GMT, but it was not immediately clear who was involved in the shooting or if there were any casualties.

Hundreds of people on foot and in vehicles fled, seeking shelter as the shots rang out, the AFP news agency reported.

Later on, General Denis N’Canha, head of the military household at the presidential palace, read out a statement declaring a takeover.

He said officers had formed “the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” and closed the border.

Gen N’Canha instructed the population to “remain calm”.

In addition to Embaló, the president’s army staff and a number of ministers have reportedly been arrested.

Guinea-Bissau, one of the poorest countries in the world, has seen nine coups or attempted coups since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974.

Embaló has said he has survived multiple coup attempts during his time in office. However, his critics allege he has fabricated crises in order to crack down on dissent.

Guinea-Bissau has a population of just under two million people and has been called a “narco-state” by the UN, due to its role as a key transit point in trafficking cocaine from Latin America to Europe.

But Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna’s accusation was disputed by the state’s police chief, who accused the school of failing to cooperate with its search and rescue operations.

It is unclear who abducted the children from St Mary’s school in Papiri village, but criminal gangs have been involved in kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Nigeria if the government fails to stop “the killing of Christians”.

Nigeria is the most populous state in Africa, with a large Christian and Muslim population.

Its government says that people of all faiths and no faith are victims of insecurity in the country.

Militant Islamist groups are also waging an insurgency in Nigeria, with the government confirming last week that a senior army general had been killed by jihadists in an ambush in north-eastern Borno state.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held talks with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu last week to discuss ways to make “tangible progress on stopping violence against Christians in Nigeria and combating West African jihadist terrorist groups”, the U.S. Department of War said in a statement.

Nigeria’s presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said that Ribadu’s delegation refuted allegations of state-sanctioned religious persecution in the West African state, and said that the security crisis was driven by criminality, extremism and land-related conflicts.

Mr Onanuga added that the two governments had agreed to set up a working group to focus on strengthening defence and security cooperation.

The Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says that 303 students and 12 members of staff were abducted from the school in Papiri village, but 50 children managed to escape and have been reunited with their families.

Bishop Yohanna – who is the chairman of the Niger chapter of CAN and leads the Catholic church in the region – told the BBC that the only official action taken so far to rescue the students had been to compile their names.

“I’m not aware of any effort made by government beyond collecting the names of the students from us,” he said.

He disputed allegations made by the governor of Niger state, Umar Bago, in local media that the church had defied an order to close its school after threats of attacks.

“We did not receive any order at any point,” the bishop added.

Responding to criticism about the presence of police in Papiri, Niger state police chief Adamu Abdullahi Elleman said enough had been deployed despite the fact that the BBC only saw three officers at the school.

The BBC also drove about 60km (37 miles) from Yauri, a major link road to Papiri, but came across only one police checkpoint and none of the officers was armed.

However, the police commissioner insisted that a tactical police team and members of other security agencies were stationed in the community.

He said the police headquarters in Agwara town, not far from Papiri, had been made the operational base.

“So they moved from Agwara police station to the school. Probably when you got there, they must have moved back to the headquarters,” the police commissioner told the BBC.

He stressed that a search operation for the children was continuing, but said the school was yet to “report” to his command.

Meanwhile Nigeria’s police chief Kayode Egbetokun said that he had stepped up operations, including on the intelligence front, to ensure the children and members of staff were freed.

“We are ready to give everything to ensure that the remaining pupils and their teachers still in captivity are rescued unhurt,” he said, in a statement issued after talks with the state governor.

The abduction at the school was the third to hit Nigeria in a week, forcing President Bola Tinubu to cancel his trip to the G20 summit, held in South Africa at the weekend, to deal with the crisis.

On Tuesday, Mr Onanuga said that 24 girls who were kidnapped last week from a boarding school in Kebbi state, which borders Niger, had been released.

The presidential spokesman did not give details of how their freedom was secured.

Tinubu said on Sunday that 38 worshippers abducted from a church further south in Kwara state had also been released.

Two people were killed in the attack on the church.

The spate of abductions has forced the closure of many boarding schools across Nigeria, with parents rushing to collect their children.

The authorities in Lagos – the most populous state in Nigeria – said they were beefing up security at schools, places of worship and other key buildings to prevent attacks.

Additional reporting by Chris Ewokor, Abayomi Adisa and Gift Ufoma

The Christian Association of Nigeria says they have been reunited with their families.

A major military-led search and rescue operation is underway for the remaining 265 children and 12 teachers who were taken with them.

Calling for the release of the abductees, Pope Leo XIV expressed “immense sadness” and urged the authorities to act swiftly.

Authorities in several Nigerian states ordered schools to shut following the mass abduction in Niger and another smaller hostage-taking in Kebbi state on Monday, when 20 pupils were kidnapped from a boarding school.

Orders were given for many schools to close in the states of Kebbi, Niger, Katsina, Yobe and Kwara.

News of the children’s escape brought welcome relief for families and for a country that has been agonising over the fate of hundreds of schoolchildren abducted in Nigeria’s northwest.

According to a Christian group involved in the case, the pupils managed to escape between Friday and Saturday in what is being described as a brave and risky attempt to flee their captors.

The students and teachers were taken from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger state. Earlier reports spoke of 303 students and 12 teachers being taken.

Their number surpasses the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok mass abduction of 2014.

Local police say armed men stormed St Mary’s at around 02:00 (01:00 GMT), abducting students staying there.

Niger state governor Mohammed Umaru Bongo announced on Saturday that all schools in the area would close, warning that it was “not a time for blame game”.

Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, told the BBC: “Everybody is weak… It took everybody by surprise.”

One distressed woman tearfully told the BBC that her nieces, aged six and 13, had been kidnapped, adding: “I just want them to come home.”

The military, police and local vigilantes are searching for the children, combing nearby forests and remote routes believed to have been used by the gunmen.

Authorities in Niger state said St Mary’s School had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks. The school has not commented on that allegation.

The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become a major problem in many parts of Nigeria.

The payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to cut the supply of money to the criminal gangs, but it has had little effect.

On Monday, more than 20 schoolgirls, who the BBC has been told are Muslim, were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi state.

Authorities there have now ordered all secondary schools and colleges to close.

A church was also attacked further south in Kwara state, with two people killed and 38 others abducted.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign trips – including to this weekend’s G20 summit in South Africa – in order to address the security concerns.

This week’s attacks follows claims by right-wing figures in the US, including President Donald Trump, that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria.

For months, campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants are systematically targeting Christians. The Nigerian government has dismissed this claim.

Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria “guns a-blazing” if the African nation’s government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”.

The Nigerian government has called claims that Christians are being persecuted “a gross misrepresentation of reality”.

An official said that “terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology – Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike”.

In the north-east, jihadist groups have been battling the state for more than a decade.

Organisations monitoring violence say most of the victims of these groups are Muslim because most attacks happen in the majority-Muslim north of the country.

In the centre of Nigeria, there are also frequently deadly attacks between herders – who are mostly Muslim – on farmers, who are largely Christian.

However, analysts say these are often motivated by competition for resources, such as water or land, rather than religion.

The militant Islamist group Boko Haram took 276 girls from their school in the town of Chibok in 2014.

The incident drew international attention and sparked a global campaign seeking their return, which included an intervention from then-US First Lady Michelle Obama.

Many have since either escaped or been freed, but as many as 100 remain missing.

Warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing.

The mother of an 11-year-old boy murdered as part of a suspected black magic killing four years ago is devastated that no one has yet been brought to justice for his death.

“Today I’m in pain. They killed my child and now there is just silence,” Sallay Kalokoh told BBC Africa Eye, explaining how her son Papayo was found with parts of his body removed, including his vital organs, eyes and one arm.

He had gone out to sell fish at the market and never came back.

His family searched for him for two weeks – and finally found his mutilated corpse at the bottom of a well.

“We always tell our children to be careful. If you are selling, don’t go to a corner or take gifts from strangers. It happens frequently in this country,” Ms Kalokoh said.

This murder in my hometown of Makeni, in central Sierra Leone, has haunted me as we often hear of reports of killings linked to black magic, also known as juju, that are never followed up or properly investigated by the authorities.

In Papayo’s case, the police did not even confirm that it was a “ritual killing” – when a person is murdered so that parts of their body can be used in so-called magic rituals by illicit juju practitioners.

They promise things like prosperity and power to clients who pay large sums in the false belief that human body parts can make such charms more potent.

But with the authorities severely under-resourced – there is only one pathologist in a country that has a population of 8.9 million – it is often impossible to gather the evidence needed to track down the culprits.

Belief in witchcraft is also so deeply ingrained in Sierra Leone, even among many police officers, that there is often a fear of pursuing cases further, and most go unsolved.

But I wanted to find out more about this underground trade in human body parts that leaves tragedy in its wake.

Our BBC Africa Eye team was able to find two people who claimed they were juju practitioners and offered to obtain body parts for ritual purposes.

Both said they were part of much larger networks – and one boasted that he had powerful clients across West Africa. The BBC was unable to verify these claims.

One member of our team went undercover, using the name Osman, to pose as a politician who wanted to achieve power through human sacrifice.

We first travelled to a remote area of Kambia district, in the north of the country near the Guinean border, to meet the juju man in his secret shrine – an area in dense bush where he consulted with his clients.

Calling himself Kanu, he wore a ceremonial red mask covering his whole face to conceal his identity and boasted of his political connections.

“I was working with some big, big politicians in Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria. We have our team. Sometimes during election time, at night, this place is full of people,” he claimed.

Election season is regarded by some as a particularly dangerous time when parents have been warned to take special care of their children because of the heightened risk of abductions.

On a second visit, Kanu became more confident and showed Osman what he said was evidence of his trade – a human skull.

“You see this? This belongs to someone. I dried it for them. It is a woman’s skull. I am expecting the person to pick this up today or tomorrow.”

He also pointed to a pit behind his shrine: “This is where we hang human parts. We slaughter here, and the blood goes down there… Even big chiefs, when they want power, come here. I give them what they want.”

When Osman specified that he wanted limbs from a woman to be used in a ritual, Kanu got down to business: “The price of a woman is 70m leones [£2,500; $3,000].”

Anxious not to put anyone at risk, we did not meet Kanu again. He may have been a scammer, but we handed over our evidence to the local police to investigate further.

Such juju men sometimes refer to themselves as herbalists, the name given to healers who use traditional medicine, often made from local plants, to treat common illnesses.

World Health Organisation data shows that Sierra Leone, which suffered a brutal civil war in the 1990s and was at the centre of the Ebola epidemic a decade ago, had around 1,000 registered doctors in 2022, compared to reported estimates of 45,000 traditional healers.

Most people in the West African nation rely on these healers, who also help with mental health issues and treat their patients in shrines where there is an element of mysticism and spiritualism culturally associated with their craft and the remedies they sell.

Sheku Tarawallie, president of Sierra Leone’s Council of Traditional Healers, is adamant that “diabolic” juju men like Kanu are giving healers a bad name.

“We are trying very hard to clear our image. The ordinary person doesn’t understand, so they class us [all] as bad herbalists. One rotting fish can destroy the batch of fish… We are healers, we are not killers,” he told BBC Africa Eye.

Mr Tarawallie is, in fact, trying to work with the government and another non-governmental organisation to open a traditional medicine clinic to treat patients.

It was those with a lust for power and money who were often behind the ritual killings, he believed.

“When somebody wants to become a leader… they remove parts from human beings. They use that one as a sacrifice. Burn people, use their ashes for power. Use their oil for power.”

The number of ritual killings in Sierra Leone, where most people identify as Muslim or Christian, is not known.

“In most African countries, ritual murders are not officially recorded as a separate or sub-category of homicide,” Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu, a researcher at the UK’s Aberystwyth University, told the BBC.

“Some are misclassified or misreported as accidents, deaths resulting from attacks by wild animals, suicides, natural deaths… Most perpetrators – possibly 90% – are not apprehended.”

When we found another suspected supplier of body parts, he was located in a suburb of the capital, Freetown, called Waterloo, which is notorious for drug abuse and other crime.

“I’m not alone, I have up to 250 herbalists working under my banner,” the man calling himself Idara told Osman, who was again undercover and wearing a secret camera.

“There are no human parts that we don’t work with. Once we call for a specific body part, they bring it. We share the work,” Idara said.

He went on to explain how some of his collaborators were good at capturing people, and on Osman’s second visit, played a voice message from one of them who claimed they were prepared to start going out every night in search of a victim.

Osman told him not to proceed yet but when he later received a call from Idara claiming his team had identified a victim, we contacted Police Commissioner Ibrahim Sama.

He decided to organise a raid – but said his officers would not do so without the involvement of Mr Tarawallie, who often assists the police on such operations.

“When we got intelligence that there is a particular dangerous witchdoctor operating a shrine, we will work with the traditional healers,” said an officer on the raid, Assistant Superintendent Aliu Jallo.

He went on to express the superstitions some officers have about tackling rogue herbalists: “I will not go and provoke situations. I know that they have their own powers that are beyond my knowledge.”

After Idara was captured – discovered hiding in the roof clutching a knife – Mr Tarawallie began searching the property for evidence, saying there were human bones, human hair and piles of what looked like dirt from cemeteries.

This was enough for the police to arrest Idara and two other men, who were charged in June with practising sorcery as well as being in possession of traditional weapons used in ritual killings. They pleaded not guilty to the charges and have since been granted bail, pending further investigations.

As we never heard back from the police in Kambia about Kanu, I tried to call him myself to challenge him about the allegations directly, but he was unreachable.

There are occasions when even high-profile cases appear to stall. Two years ago, a university lecturer went missing in Freetown, and his body was later found buried in what police say was the shrine of a herbalist in Waterloo.

The case was referred in August 2023 by a magistrate to the High Court for trial, but two sources have told the BBC it has not been pursued so far, and those detained by police have been released on bail.

My family is facing similar hurdles in finding justice. In May, during our BBC investigation, my 28-year-old cousin Fatmata Conteh was murdered in Makeni.

A hairdresser and mother of two, her body was dumped the day after her birthday by the side of the road, where a resident told the BBC two other bodies had been found in recent weeks.

Several of her front teeth were missing, leading the community to believe it was a ritual killing.

“She was a lady who never did harm. She was very peaceful and hard-working,” said one mourner as family, friends and colleagues gathered for a big funeral at her local mosque.

We may never know the true motive for Fatmata’s murder. The family paid for her body to be transported to Freetown for an autopsy – something the authorities could not afford to do – but the post-mortem was inconclusive and no arrests have yet been made.

As is the case for Papayo’s mother, the lack of closure and feeling of abandonment by the police fuels fear and terror in poor communities like Makeni.

Additional reporting by Chris Alcock and Luis Barrucho

He has been given four life sentences, along with other terms, to be served concurrently. The prosecution had called for the death penalty but Judge James Omotosho said that executions were now “frowned upon”.

In his ruling he said he was satisfied that Kanu had made a series of broadcasts to incite violence and killings, as part of his campaign for a separate state in south-east Nigeria, known as Biafra.

Kanu was convicted on all seven charges he faced. As well as terrorism, they included treason and involvement with an outlawed movement.

Kanu always denied the charges and challenged the court’s jurisdiction. At the start of the trial he sacked his lawyers but refused to defend himself.

He was not in court when the verdict was delivered, after being removed for unruly behaviour.

Security around the courthouse in the capital, Abuja, was tightened ahead of the verdict in case of protests by Kanu’s supporters.

Once a relatively obscure figure, he came to national prominence in 2009 when he started Radio Biafra, a station that called for an independent state for the Igbo people, broadcast to Nigeria from London.

Though he grew up in south-eastern Nigeria, where he attended the University of Nsukka, Kanu moved to the UK before graduating and acquired British nationality.

In 2014, he set up the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a movement demanding independence.

IPOB was banned as a terrorist organisation in 2017. Its armed wing – the Eastern Security Network – has been accused of killings and other acts of violence in recent years.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Omotosho said: “Mr Kanu knew what he was doing, he was bent on carrying out these threats without consideration to his own people.

“From the incontroverted evidence, it is clear that the defendant carried out a preparatory act of terrorism.

“He had the duty to explain himself, but failed to do so.”

Kanu is a popular figure in his movement’s heartland in south-eastern Nigeria, but reaction to the verdict there has so far been muted.

In court ahead of the ruling, Kanu insisted that proceedings could not continue because he had not yet filed his final written address, accusing the judge of bias and not understanding the law.

The judgment was delivered after Kanu had been forcibly removed from the courtroom for unruly behaviour.

He was first arrested in October 2015 but he jumped bail in 2017 and left the country after a military raid on his home. The court later revoked his bail in March 2019.

Two years later, the government announced that he had been re-arrested. His lawyers say he was detained in Kenya and forcibly returned to Nigeria. Kenya has not commented.

In 2022, an appeal court ordered that the charges against him be dropped, saying he had been illegally arrested abroad, but this ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court the following year.

The calls for Biafran independence date back many years.

In 1967, Igbo leaders declared a Biafran state, but after a brutal civil war, which led to the deaths of up to a million people, the secessionist rebellion was defeated.

Many Igbo people continue to feel that they are marginalised by the Nigerian state; however, it is not clear how many are in favour of independence.

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The initiative forms part of an accelerated effort to bolster regional security as extremist violence expands beyond traditional hotspots.

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, revealed the plan while addressing the United Nations Security Council during a high-level discussion in New York on strengthening cooperation against terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.

Dr. Touray disclosed that early-warning systems in the region have recorded 450 terrorist attacks and nearly 2,000 deaths in 2025 alone, underscoring the severity of the crisis. He cautioned that terrorist activity, once concentrated in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, has now spread across the wider West African subregion, posing a direct threat to regional stability.

He also warned that violent extremist groups are increasingly engaging in “economic warfare,” deliberately targeting critical infrastructure by restricting fuel supplies, disrupting trade corridors, and destabilising local economies to weaken states and entrench their influence.

“To confront the escalating violence, ECOWAS is fast-tracking the deployment of its standby force, starting with 1,650 troops, with plans to scale up to 5,000 personnel through additional contributions from member states and support from international partners,” he said.

However, Dr. Touray noted that significant challenges remain. Fragmented national responses, mistrust among neighbouring states, weak intelligence-sharing frameworks, and limited operational coordination continue to hamper regional counterterrorism efforts.

He appealed to the UN Security Council to support initiatives aimed at restoring trust among member states, securing predictable and sustainable funding, and strengthening collaborative mechanisms in the fight against terrorism.

Dr. Touray stressed that ECOWAS’ ability to tackle the growing insurgency would depend on unified political will and deeper international partnerships to prevent further deterioration of security across West Africa.

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Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled Togo since 1967, was invited to visit Russia by Putin, according to a statement from Togo.

“Their Excellencies will hold a one-on-one meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of diplomacy, economy, trade, agriculture, energy, training, and food security,” it said.

Russia’s growing clout in Africa, including in countries such as Angola, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Mali and Mozambique, is viewed with concern by Western European states and the United States.

Russia sells grain to Togo. Russia is the world’s second-largest fertiliser producer behind China and the largest global exporter of fertiliser.

The aircraft, carrying the country’s Mines Minister, Louis Watum Kabamba and his delegation, was coming in to land at Kolwezi Airport at around 11am on Monday.

As the chartered Embraer flight touched down it suddenly failed to stop before skidding on its belly off runway 29. 

Within seconds the tail section immediately went up in flames, according to local reports. The entire back half of the plane was ignited as footage showed the horrors as they unfolded.

Huge clouds of smoke shot up into the sky at the airport as rescuers frantically rushed over to try and extinguish the flaming wreckage.

Armed with water hoses, some of the safety crews battled the flames as others desperately tried to get those trapped on board out.

The steps at the front of the aircraft managed to open up with some passengers near the exit making a swift escape.For the officials stuck in the middle or now badly burnt out back end they had no choice but to leap out of the centre exit.

Several could be seen jumping down onto the wing before falling to the ground below clutching onto their bags.The minister’s communications advisor, Isaac Nyembo, confirmed the aircraft “ran off the runway during landing”.

Footage from inside the plane as it comes in to land shows the panic for those on board.

One passenger films the landing as he shows how the wing scraped across the ground for several seconds at high-speed.

Those inside rushed to their feet just as the tail first ignited.

Miraculously, no deaths or major injuries were reported.

Investigations into the chartered flight, operated by Airjet Angola, are ongoing.

It remains unclear what caused the failed landing.

The plane is said to have been left completely decimated by the fire.

Minister Kabamba, 63, was headed to the Kalondo Mine near Kolwezi, to work with the community following a separate disaster over the weekend.

A bridge by a mine shaft suddenly collapsed on Saturday reportedly triggered by heavy rain and a surge of panicked workers.

Over 30 semi-industrial copper mine worker were killed in the tragedy.

The collapse was “caused by panic, reportedly triggered by gunfire from military personnel securing the site,” Congo’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service said.

The Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights called for an independent investigation into the deaths.

The bridge at the Kalando mine in Mulondo in Lualaba province fell on Saturday, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the province’s interior minister, said during a press conference.

“Despite the strict prohibition on accessing the site due to heavy rainfall and the risk of landslides, illegal diggers forced their way into the quarry,” Mayonde said.

A report by the Congo’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service, or SAEMAPE, government agency on Sunday said the gunfire from soldiers at the site sparked panic among the miners who rushed to the bridge resulting in the fall that left them “piled on top of each other causing the deaths and injuries.” While Mayonde put the death toll at at least 32, the report said at least 40 people had lost their lives.

The presence of soldiers at the mine had long been at the center of a dispute between wildcat miners, a cooperative meant to organize operations, and the site’s legal operators, the report added.

Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other products, with Chinese companies controlling 80% of the production in the central African country.

Accusations of child labor, unsafe conditions, and corruption have long plagued the country’s cobalt mining industry.

Mineral-rich eastern Congo has for decades been ripped apart by violence from government forces and different armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, whose recent resurgence has escalated the conflict, worsening an already acute humanitarian crisis.

The Africa CDC said it had recorded about 300,000 cases of cholera and suspected cases of cholera, and over 7,000 deaths. The figures show a more than 30% increase in total cases recorded last year.

Angola and Burundi have seen cases surge in recent weeks, Africa CDC data shows, driven by poor access to safe water.

Cholera is a severe and potentially fatal diarrhoeal disease that spreads quickly when sewage and drinking water are not adequately treated.

The outbreak in Congo appeared to be under control with total cases declining, the Africa CDC said. The outlook in conflict-stricken areas remained concerning, as the disease spreads quickly in overcrowded camps with poor sanitation.

The situation has also improved in South Sudan and Somalia.

The Africa CDC said that Ethiopia had detected eight suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever and was waiting for results to determine the exact cause of the illness. Rapid response teams have been deployed to bring the suspected outbreak under control.

The Africa CDC said the Mpox outbreak is declining in some of the worst-hit places but remains a concern in places like Kenya, Guinea, Liberia and Ghana.

On Tuesday night, Sylvia Bongo and Noureddin Bongo were found guilty of embezzlement and corruption after a trial that began a day earlier. They were not present.

They were both fined 100m CFA francs ($177,000; £135,000), with Noureddin ordered to pay an extra 1.2tn CFA francs ($2.1; £1.6bn) for financial damages suffered by the Gabonese state.

They were accused of exploiting Ali Bongo’s condition after he suffered a stroke in 2018 to run Gabon for their own personal profit. They denied the charges ahead of their trial, describing it as “a legal farce.”

Ali Bongo was ousted in an August 2023 coup led by Brice Oligui Nguema, who has since shed his military uniform and was elected president earlier this year.

Following the military takeover, Bongo’s wife and son were detained in Gabon for 20 months before being released in May and permitted to leave the country for London on medical grounds.

The former president is not facing prosecution and was also released from house arrest where he had reportedly remained, although Gabonese authorities said he was free to move about as he wished.

Separately, a money laundering investigation is under way in Switzerland against Sylvia Bongo, the public prosecutor’s office in the country has told the BBC.

Gabonese state prosecutor Eddy Minang on Monday told the court that they were “surprised” not to see the former first lady and her son in court as the trial began.

Noureddin described the conviction as a “rubber-stamping exercise”, saying it had been “predetermined in [Oligui Nguema’s office] a long time ago”.

He said it was “disappointing that a finding of guilt has been made without any semblance of evidence”.

Their conviction comes as a surprise for the unusual swift handling of the case, which they have alleged to be politically motivated. The trial had been expected to last until Friday.

The trial of the other accused will continue. Nine co-accused, former allies of the Bongos, were present in court at the start of the trial, according to reports.

Sylvia Bongo was born in France and holds French nationality as does her son.

They have claimed they were tortured by the military during their detention in Gabon and filed a case in France last year. Gabonese authorities have denied the allegations.

Noureddin was ordered to pay the extra $2.1bn fine due to his role as the General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs, a position that he allegedly used to embezzle this amount of public money.

He was also accused of forgery as he reportedly had the president’s signature and seal, which were allegedly used to siphon funds from the state. He denies all the charges.

The Bongo family ruled Gabon for more than five decades. Ali Bongo was in power for 14 years before he was ousted. He had succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled for 42 years.

Over the years, the family has been accused of amassing wealth for themselves at the expense of the country – allegations they deny.

Despite being an oil-rich nation, about a third of Gabon’s population lives below the poverty line, according to the UN.

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He had spent almost a year trying to reach Europe. He said he was attacked by police and scammed for money as he crossed Mali, Algeria and Niger, at one point limping past corpses in the desert. After seeing fellow migrants die from hunger and exhaustion, he gave up.

He is among tens of thousands of Africans returning home with the help of the International Organisation for Migration, as Europe spends millions of dollars to deter migrants before they reach its shores. The European Union-funded IOM program pays for return flights and promises follow-up assistance.

But migrants tell The Associated Press that promises by the United Nations-affiliated organisation are not fulfilled, leaving them to face trauma, debt and family shame on their own. Desperation could fuel new migration attempts.

The AP spoke to three returnees in Gambia and four in Guinea, and was shown a WhatsApp group of over 50 members founded around returnees’ frustration with the IOM. They described months of reaching out to the IOM with no reply.

Diallo said he told the IOM he wanted to start a small business. But all he has received is a phone number for an IOM counsellor and a five-day orientation course on accountability, management and personal development. He said many returnees had trouble grasping it because of low education levels.

“Even yesterday, I called him,” Diallo said. “They said for the moment, we have to wait until they call us. Every time, if I call them, that’s what they tell me.” He said he asked for medical help with a foot injury on his migration attempt, but was told it was impossible.

As the oldest child of a single mother, the responsibility for supporting relatives weighs heavily.

“If there’s not so much money, you’re the head of the family too,” he said.

Millions spent, but little scrutiny

The IOM program is financed almost completely by the EU and was launched in 2016. Between 2022 and 2025, it repatriated over 100,000 sub-Saharan migrants from North Africa and Niger.

Of the $380 million budget for that period, 58% is allocated for post-return assistance, the IOM said.

Francois Xavier Ada, with the IOM regional office in West Africa, told the AP that over 90,000 returnees have started, and 60,000 completed, the reintegration process “tailored to individual needs.” Ada said that it can “support anything from housing, medical assistance or psychosocial services to business grants, vocational training and job placement.”

Migrants told the AP they had not received any of those.

Ada said the IOM was ”concerned” to learn of people kept waiting and “happy to look into these cases.” He added that delays can occur due to high caseloads or incomplete documentation, and medical assistance is not guaranteed.

Experts said there is little insight into how the EU money helps returnees. The European Court of Auditors, an EU body, audited the program’s first phase between 2016 and 2021 and said it failed to demonstrate sustainable reintegration results, monitoring was “insufficient to prove results” and the EU “could not prove value for money.”

“The EU policy is obsessed with returns,” said Josephine Liebl with the Brussels-based European Council on Refugees and Exiles. “The question of how this support actually helps people in very vulnerable situations receives very little public scrutiny, which is due to the fact that there is such a lack of transparency and accountability of how EU funding works outside the EU.”

The EU did not respond to questions on the details of the budget beyond repeating IOM statements.

Moustapha Darboe, a Gambian journalist who interviewed over 50 returnees for an investigation into the IOM program, said they had to wait a long time, often almost a year, and the support they eventually received did not match their skills and ambitions.

“The IOM is donor-based,” he told the AP. “Their primary focus is not to help these people; their primary focus is to tick their box.”

Haunted by shame and stigma

The IOM program has coincided with Europe’s other efforts to deter migration, including paying some African governments to intercept migrants, an approach denounced by human rights groups that accuse African authorities of being complicit in abuses.

Europe’s efforts appear to be working. In the first eight months of 2025, it recorded 112,000 “irregular” crossings, over 20% less than the same period last year, and a drop of over 50% from two years ago.

Experts say that while the IOM’s return program helps to extract people from inhumane treatment, the promised follow-up support is often impossible to deliver, as most migrants’ home countries have poorly functioning state services.

“The major missing piece is the support for the returnees to get reintegrated, have access to social protection and to labour markets,” said Camille Le Coz, director of the Brussels-based Migration Policy Institute.

Kabinet Kante, a 20-year-old from Guinea who dreamed of being a footballer in Germany, spent almost two years trying to reach Europe. He said he was intercepted at sea and dumped in the desert, and still wakes at night screaming.

He returned to Guinea in July with the IOM’s help. He said he wanted to learn how to drive a bulldozer but the IOM has ignored his calls, and when he went to their office, they told him to stop calling.

He set up the WhatsApp group for over 50 other returned and frustrated migrants. He also records TikTok videos warning against the treacherous route to Europe.

But he has no way to pay back his parents, who supported his journey by sending money to pay smugglers and bribe officials.

“Right now, I am doing nothing,” he said, head bowed with embarrassment.

‘Going on an adventure’

Like many sub-Saharan African countries, Guinea has rich natural resources, including the world’s largest iron ore deposits. But experts say bad governance and exploitation by foreign companies have left most of the population destitute.

Over half of Guinea’s population of 15 million is experiencing “unprecedented levels of poverty,” according to the World Food Program, and cannot read or write. The official monthly minimum wage is less than $65. Most people work in the informal economy and earn even less.

“Those with degrees work as taxi drivers here,” Diallo said. “If there were, like elsewhere, job opportunities in the country, everyone would stay here.”

Diallo and Kante said they are not planning on “going on an adventure” any time soon — a term used widely to describe the migration route to Europe.

But that’s mostly because they don’t have money. They dream of working in Europe legally, but the visa process can cost hundreds of dollars, and applicants from sub-Saharan countries have a high rejection rate.

Elhadj Mohamed Diallo, director of the Guinean Organisation for the Fight Against Irregular Migration, is a former migrant who reached Libya before turning back. He now works with the IOM on reintegration activities but indicated doubt about their ability to prevent returnees from migrating again.

He said he doesn’t blame them as life at home becomes more difficult.

“We aren’t helping them so that they can stay. We are helping them so they can take control of their lives again,” he said. “Migration is a natural thing. Blocking a person is like blocking the tide. When you block water, the water will find its way.”

Biya won a controversial eighth term in a fiercely disputed election last month.

He has been in power for 43 years, and addressed only one campaign rally before the election.

The nonagenarian, the world’s oldest head of state, won 54% of the vote, compared to the 35% of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, according to the official results. Tchiroma Bakary maintains he was the rightful winner of the poll and has accused the authorities of fraud, which they have denied.

The announcement of the result led to major protests across the country.

Reuters reported that 48 people lost their lives during protests across Cameroon, citing data shared by two United Nations sources.

Judges on the Constitutional Council had dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.

Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary whose wherabouts are unknown declared himself the winner – a claim rejected by the Cameroonian ruling party.

Earlier this week, Bakary’s call for a stay at home protest was heeded by some people across Cameroon as streets were also deserted especially in his strongholds of Garoua and Douala.

The opposition leader was a former government spokesman who broke ranks with Biya to challenge him for power.

He refused to file complaints with the Constitutional Council, whose judges have been appointed by Biya.

The revelation came during a candid conversation on The Honest Bunch Podcast, where Waje retraced how a young church singer from the east of Nigeria found herself on one of West Africa’s most played tracks.

Waje said the opportunity came early in her career after she was signed to a small label as a teenager.

She described being a young mother, singing in church and learning on the job rather than navigating the business side of music.

When the song exploded, she said she did not fully grasp its reach, and because she trusted the label and lacked knowledge about royalties and contracts, any money that might have been generated did not reach her.

She succinctly summarised her experience by saying, “I didn’t make any money.”

The track in question appears on defunct music group P-Square’s 2007 album Game Over and is now commonly credited as featuring Waje on various streaming and catalog listings, a detail that confirms her vocal role on the record.

Yet Waje’s account highlights a recurring industry problem of young vocalists contributing to major hits without being equipped to claim credit or earnings at the time.

Beyond the financial issue, Waje used the interview to sketch the very human side of her rise. She recalled freestyling and finishing her own breakout song, “I Wish”, in P-Square’s home studio; the scramble to get a passport that stopped her from appearing in the ‘Do Me’ video shot abroad; and the way early success arrived before she had the infrastructure to turn it into sustained career momentum.

She also reflected on lasting relationships with artists who helped launch her, including moments of mentorship and protection that shaped her path.

Waje declined to fan public flames about longstanding disputes surrounding P-Square, saying she prefers not to weigh in on family fallouts that are complex and private.

Her wider message in the interview is clear: talent can open doors, but without basic business knowledge and proper management, artists can easily be left out of the rewards that follow a hit.

Source: Amelley Djosu

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In his remarks, President Mahama congratulated President El-Sisi and the people of Egypt on the opening of what is described as the world’s largest archaeological museum.

The GEM, situated on the outskirts of Cairo and overlooking the Giza Pyramids, houses around 100,000 artefacts spanning some seven millennia of Egyptian history, from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman eras.

The $1 billion project, over two decades in the making, includes thousands of treasures, notably 4,500 artefacts from King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

President El-Sisi described the museum as a “symbol of Egypt’s leadership in global culture,” highlighting its role in celebrating over 5,000 years of Egyptian civilisation.

Source: GNA

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Trump said on Saturday that he had asked the Defence Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if Africa’s most populous country fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.

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“We welcome U.S. assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity,” Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, told Reuters.

But Trump on Sunday told reporters the U.S. military could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out air strikes to stop what he called the killing of “very large numbers” of Christians there, but gave no further details.

“I envisage a lot of things,” Trump said aboard Air Force One, without elaborating.

Bwala sought to play down tensions between the two states, despite Trump calling Nigeria a “disgraced country.”

“We don’t take it literally, because we know Donald Trump thinks well of Nigeria,” Bwala said.

“I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism,” he said.

ISLAMIST INSURGENTS WREAK HAVOC FOR YEARS

Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people and around 200 ethnic groups, is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.

Islamist insurgents such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in the country for more than 15 years, killing thousands of people, but their attacks have been largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim.

While Christians have been killed, the vast majority of the victims have been Muslims, analysts say.

In central Nigeria there have been frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and mainly Christian farmers over access to water and pasture, while in the northwest of the country, gunmen routinely attack villages, kidnapping residents for ransom.

Item 1 of 3 A newspaper vendor pulls a newspaper with an article reporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria, November 2, 2025. REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun

[1/3]A newspaper vendor pulls a newspaper with an article reporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria, November 2, 2025. REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Nigeria “does not discriminate against any tribe or religion in the fight against insecurity,” Bwala said. “There is no Christian genocide.”

VIOLENCE ‘DEVASTATES ENTIRE COMMUNITIES’

“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa often present their campaigns as anti-Christian, but in practice their violence is indiscriminate and devastates entire communities,” said Ladd Serwat, senior Africa analyst at U.S. crisis-monitoring group ACLED.

“Islamist violence is part of the complex and often overlapping conflict dynamics in the country over political power, land disputes, ethnicity, cult affiliation, and banditry,” he said.

ACLED research shows that out of 1,923 attacks on civilians in Nigeria so far this year, the number of those targeting Christians because of their religion stood at 50.

Serwat said recent claims circulating among some U.S. right-wing circles that as many as 100,000 Christians had been killed in Nigeria since 2009 are not supported by available data.

NIGERIA REJECTS ALLEGATIONS OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

Trump’s threat of military action came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations that the U.S. says have violated religious freedoms. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.

Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor, on Saturday pushed back against accusations of religious intolerance and defended his country’s efforts to protect religious freedom.

When making key government and military appointments, Tinubu, like his predecessors, has sought to strike a balance to make sure that Muslims and Christians are represented equally. Last week, Tinubu changed the country’s military leadership and appointed a Christian as the new defence chief.

In the capital Abuja, some Christians going to Sunday Mass said they would welcome a U.S. military intervention to protect their community.

STRIKES WOULD TARGET SMALL GROUPS ACROSS WIDE AREA

“I feel if Donald Trump said they want to come in, they should come in and there is nothing wrong with that,” said businesswoman Juliet Sur.

Security experts said any U.S. air strikes would most likely seek to target small groups scattered across a very large swathe of territory, a task that could be made more difficult given the U.S. withdrew its forces last year from Niger, which borders Nigeria in the north.

The militant groups move between neighbouring countries Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and the experts said the U.S. may require help from the Nigerian military and government, which Trump threatened to cut off from assistance.

The result hands Hassan, who took power in 2021 after the death in office of her predecessor, a five-year term to govern the East African country of 68 million people.

Protests erupted during Wednesday’s vote for president and parliament, with some demonstrators tearing down banners of Hassan and setting fire to government buildings and police firing tear gas and gunshots, according to witnesses.

Demonstrators are angry about the electoral commission’s exclusion of Hassan’s two biggest challengers from the race and what they described as widespread repression.

Tanzania’s main opposition party said on Friday that hundreds of people had been killed in the protests, while the U.N. human rights office said credible reports indicated at least 10 people were killed in three cities.

The government dismissed the opposition’s death toll as “hugely exaggerated” and has rejected criticism of its human rights record.

Reuters could not independently verify casualty figures.

COMMISSION SAYS TURNOUT WAS 87%

The electoral commission said that Hassan received more than 31.9 million votes, or 97.66% of the total, with turnout nearing 87% of the country’s 37.6 million registered voters.

Turnout appeared low on election day, according to witnesses, with some polling stations disrupted by the protests.

The Tanzanian authorities have imposed a nationwide curfew for the past three nights and restricted access to the internet.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo on Friday denied allegations that security services had used excessive force, saying there had only been a “very few small pockets of incidents” caused by criminal elements.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, called “for a thorough and impartial investigation into all allegations of excessive use of force” and deplored the loss of life.

RECENT CRITICISM FOR HASSAN

Hassan, 65, won praise after taking office in 2021 from predecessor John Magufuli for easing repression that increased under his tenure but has more recently faced criticism from opposition parties and activists after a series of arrests and alleged abductions of opponents.

She has denied allegations of widespread rights abuses. Last year, she said she had ordered an investigation into reports of abductions, but no official findings have been released.

During the campaign, she touted accomplishments expanding road and railway networks and increasing power generation capacity.

The main opposition party CHADEMA, had called for protests during the election, which it said amounted to a “coronation”.

CHADEMA was disqualified in April from the election after it refused to sign a code of conduct, and its leader, Tundu Lissu, was charged with treason.

The commission also disqualified the candidate for the opposition party ACT-Wazalendo, leaving only minor parties to take on Hassan.

President Macron began by extending condolences over the passing of Ghana’s former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Ghana–France relations and commended the Paris Peace Initiative.

A key highlight of the meeting was Ghana’s request for French assistance in combating piracy in its territorial waters. President Mahama emphasised the need to safeguard Ghana’s maritime security amid rising threats in the Gulf of Guinea.

Discussions also covered a proposed French concessionary loan to support Ghana’s health sector, pending parliamentary approval. Mahama urged Macron to leverage his influence with the International Monetary Fund to facilitate access to the facility from the French Development Bank, citing Ghana’s improved debt-to-GDP ratio.

As African Union Champion of African Financial Institutions, Mahama called for collaboration to renegotiate loan agreements and secure lower interest rates for infrastructure projects. He also highlighted Ghana’s strategic role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and stressed the importance of enhancing road infrastructure to boost intra-African trade.

President Mahama showcased Ghana’s one-million-coders initiative, which has enrolled over 200,000 students, and sought French support to train more French language teachers to strengthen bilingual education.

President Macron welcomed the proposals, highlighting opportunities for collaboration at upcoming events, including the VivaTech Summit in Nairobi in May 2026, the AU-EU Summit in Angola, and the June 2026 G7 Summit, where France intends to advocate for stronger international support for Ghana.

The Ghanaian leader also raised the issue of reparations for slavery, which France supports, noting that the discussion should recognise the involvement of multiple actors beyond Western powers.

Both leaders discussed the worsening security situation in the Sahel, including rising terrorist activity across Mali and other Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries. President Macron commended Mahama’s leadership in the subregion and pledged France’s continued support for Ghana’s development agenda.

Companies affected include local subsidiaries of Harmony Gold, IAMGOLD, Cora Gold, Birimian Gold, and Resolute Mining.

The holders failed to comply with new legal requirements, the mines ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The decree does not give reasons for the revocations but states that all rights conferred by the permits are “released”, and the areas covered by them are now open for reallocation.

“Permit holders were asked to submit required documents under new mining rules, but after verification, authorities found widespread non-compliance,” the statement said. “As a result, the government has cancelled the permits in line with mining legislation.”

The ministry did not clarify whether companies can appeal or reapply.

PERMIT PURGES, TOUGHER RULES RESHAPE AFRICA MINING

Guinea and several other African countries have recently reformed their mining sectors, cancelling dormant or non-compliant permits. Some have also introduced tougher regulations to boost earnings from natural resources, part of a broader push to tighten oversight and reclaim control over strategic assets.

Mali’s decree, signed by Mines Minister Amadou Keita on October 13 and reviewed by Reuters on October 29, cancels permits issued between 2015 and 2022 for the exploration of gold, iron ore, bauxite, uranium, rare earths, and other minerals.

The decree lists the affected permits by number and location but does not specify the total area covered or the estimated value of the exploration activities.

Cora Gold told Reuters it had relinquished the affected permits over two years ago and had not received formal notice. It added that the delayed cancellation had no impact on its operations and did not warrant a response.

Harmony Gold, IAMGOLD, Birimian Gold, and Resolute did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mali is one of Africa’s top gold producers, with mining a major source of revenue and exports, though recent regulatory crackdowns and insecurity have disrupted foreign investment.

Industrial gold output is projected to fall short of its 2025 target due to disruptions at Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mine, the country’s largest gold asset.

The military-led government has recently moved to deepen ties with Russia through energy and mining agreements, including a deal to supply 160,000 to 200,000 metric tons of petroleum and agricultural products amid an Islamist-militant-imposed fuel blockade that has crippled transport and forced nationwide school closures.

The agreement follows earlier Russian-backed initiatives in Mali’s mining sector, such as joint ventures in gold, uranium, and lithium, and the construction of a state-controlled gold refinery, in Bamako.

Source: Reuters  

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was “appalled and deeply shocked” by the reported killing of 460 people at the hospital.

Earlier, the Sudan Doctors’ Network said that on Tuesday, RSF fighters had “cold-bloodedly killed everyone they found inside the Saudi Hospital, including patients, their companions, and anyone else present”.

It gave no casualty figures, but said medical facilities in the city had been “transformed into human slaughterhouses”.

The Sudan Doctors Network has also accused the RSF of kidnapping six medics – including four doctors, a pharmacist and a nurse – and reportedly demanding ransoms in excess of $150,000 (£114,000) for their release.

Tuesday’s attack on the Saudi Hospital was also reported by the el-Fasher Resistance Committee, a group of local activists, which said there was “a horrifying silence” afterwards.

The city had been the army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region, and was captured by the RSF on Sunday after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, the RSF and allied Arab militia in Darfur have been accused of targeting people from non-Arab ethnic groups – allegations the RSF denies.

With the fall of el-Fasher, the UN, activists and aid agencies have expressed fear over the fate of the estimated 250,000 people trapped in the city, many from non-Arab communities.

A communications blackout has made it difficult to confirm what is happening.

BBC Verify has analysed new videos posted to social media showing RSF fighters executing a number of unarmed people in the last few days.

With the difficulties in getting reports from the ground, aid agencies say the full scale of the devastation in and around el-Fasher is only beginning to emerge.

Some people have managed to make the dangerous journey to the town of Tawila, about 60km (37 miles) west of el-Fasher, and described the extreme violence they faced.

“The shelling was so intense on Saturday that we had no choice but to flee el-Fashir,” one man told BBC Arabic’s Sudan Lifeline programme.

“Along the way, the RSF filmed us and we were beaten and insulted – and they stole what we had on the journey. A number of people were captured and ransoms were demanded for their release.

“Some of those who were taken were later executed. During the journey, many people were arrested, and we suffered greatly from hunger and thirst.”

Jan Egeland, a former top UN humanitarian official, told the BBC the situation was catastrophic.

“We have had massacres on top on all of those months of deprivation, starvation, no medical care,” he said.

“I think this is the worst place on Earth now; it’s the biggest humanitarian emergency on Earth and it happens in the dark, really – there has been far too little attention to what’s happening in Sudan.”

Dr Tedros said prior to the Saudi Hospital attack, the WHO had verified 185 attacks on health care facilities since the start of the war, resulting in 1,204 deaths.

“All attacks on health care must stop immediately and unconditionally. All patients, health personnel and health facilities must be protected under international humanitarian law. Ceasefire!” he said.

The capture of el-Fasher effectively splits the country, with the RSF now in control of most of Darfur and much of neighbouring Kordofan and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea.

The two warring rivals had been allies – coming to power together in a coup in 2021 – but fell out over an internationally backed plan to move towards civilian rule.

Source: BBC  

About three-quarters of the island is without power and many parts of its western side are under water, with homes destroyed by strong winds after Hurricane Melissa tore across the island with catastrophic force.

As wind and rain lashed through the night, one local official said the destruction resembled “the scene of an apocalypse movie.”

With communications crippled, the true scale of the disaster remains unknown. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster area” late Tuesday, warning of “devastating impacts” and “significant damage” to hospitals, homes and businesses.

Although no deaths have yet been confirmed, Montego Bay’s mayor Richard Vernon told the BBC his first task at daybreak would be “to check if everybody is alive.”

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm to strike Jamaica in modern history, barrelled across the country on Tuesday, leaving behind a trail of ruin.

At its peak, the hurricane sustained winds of 298 km/h (185 mph) – stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005 and killed 1,392 people.

“It resembled the scene of an apocalypse movie”, an MP in western Jamaica told Kingston-based journalist Kimone Francis of The Jamaica Gleaner.

Francis described the night as “stressful” and “intense”, marked by relentless heavy wind and rain.

“You don’t have a connection. You can’t speak to the people you normally speak to,” she told the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.

Across Jamaica’s central parishes, Francis said, floodwaters rose to the roofs of two-storey homes.

One anonymous woman told the BBC: “There is water coming in through the roof of my house. I am not okay.”

While no fatalities had been confirmed, Jamaica’s prime minister told CNN he feared “there would be some loss of life.” Damage, he said, was widespread – hitting hospitals, schools, homes and businesses.

Local government minister Desmond Mckenzie said on Tuesday afternoon that the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth was “under water”, with at least three families trapped in their homes in the community of Black River.

“Rescue teams are struggling to reach them because of the dangerous conditions”, he said at a news conference.

Verna Genus was sheltering from the storm at her four bedroom home in the village of Carlisle, St Elizabeth, when the hurricane ripped the zinc roof off her house.

The 73-year-old vegetable farmer was in the house with her sons and baby grandchild when the hurricane made landfall over the area.

Verna has lost communications due to the power lines being down. But her UK-based sister, June Powell, spoke to the BBC about what happened.

“She was crying on the phone,” June said, adding: “You are huddled up inside and then you look up then the roof is gone. I have never heard her like that – she was wailing ‘we are all finished.'”

She is anxiously waiting for the communications networks to be restored so she can talk to her sister.

St Elizabeth, known as Jamaica’s breadbasket, produces much of the island’s produce. With crops submerged and fields destroyed, many farmers will struggle to financially recover.

0:40Watch: Floods hit Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of destruction

On the north coast, Montego Bay – the heart of Jamaica’s tourism industry and home to its main airport – will also take time to get back on its feet. This hurricane has put a hand around the neck of the Jamaican economy.

Montego city was split in two by floodwaters, Mayor Vernon said. He told BBC Breakfast: “Once the wind subsided, we started to get a lot of heavy rain and that has led to massive floods right across the city. One side of the city is now cut off from the other due to roads being inundated by flood water.”

His immediate concern, he added, was simple: “Check if everybody is alive.”

In rural Jamaica, the storm has left people shaken. Tamisha Lee, president of the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers, said: “Right now, what I’m seeing is heavy rain, powerful wind, a lot of things flying all over the place, and trees uprooted. There is no electricity. I am feeling anxious and tense. The damage will be enormous.”

Meteorologists said Hurricane Melissa intensified at a speed rarely seen, its rapid strengthening fuelled by abnormally warm Caribbean waters – part of a broader trend linked to climate change.

By the time it struck Jamaica, the storm had reached Category 5 strength, with gusts fierce enough to tear roofs from concrete homes, uproot trees and snap power poles.

Health officials even issued a crocodile warning, cautioning that floodwaters could drive the reptiles into residential areas.

For thousands of tourists caught on the island, the storm brought terror and uncertainty.

“I’ve never heard anything like it,” said Pia Chevallier from Cambridge, who travelled to Jamaica with her 15-year-old son on Saturday.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live from her darkened hotel room, she said: “The glass in the windows and patio doors was all vibrating. The doors sounded like they were slamming, even though they were closed. It was horrendous.”

She added: “There’s debris everywhere – palm trees, coconuts, branches, all over the place. The big palm trees with all the roots are up. That’s how strong the winds have been.”

On the north coast, Wayne Gibson, a British tourist from Kent holidaying in Ocho Rios with his wife and two teenage daughters, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that they were sheltering in a communal hall.

Kyle Holmes from Bolton, visiting Lucea in the north west, described the hotel as “a disaster zone” and said he had no idea when they will be able to get home.

Hurricane Melissa had moved on to make landfall in Cuba by early Wednesday morning, leaving Jamaica paralysed and silent. Though it has since weakened to a Category 3 hurricane, it remains powerful with wind speeds of over 200km/h (124mph).

Jamaica has a catastrophe bond – a type of insurance for the country – which will hopefully allow people to get back on their feet, but the issue is what’s done in the interim.

Mara is among a handful of public figures to openly question Assimi Goita’s military government, which earlier this year dissolved political parties and granted itself a new five-year mandate without elections.

His lawyer, Mountaga Tall, posted on the social media site X that Mara had also been fined 500,000 CFA ($887.10).

Amnesty International said in a statement that Mara’s sentence was part of a wider crackdown on dissent, citing several examples of journalists and activists who had been detained after criticising Mali’s military rulers.

“Instead of muzzling critics, the authorities must stop their escalating repression of peaceful dissent and authoritarian practices,” the statement said.

Mali’s government did not comment, and lawyers for the prosecution could not be reached for comment.

Mali’s rulers face a growing challenge containing a resurgent jihadist insurgency. In recent weeks, Al Qaeda-allied militants have sought to choke off fuel deliveries to the landlocked nation, forcing schools to close until mid-November.

Source: Reuters

Ouattara, 83, won 89.8% of the vote, the electoral commission said on Monday, and businessman Jeal-Louis Billon came a distant second with only 3.09%.

The landslide victory is not a huge surprise, as after being banned from the presidential race, former President Laurent Gbagbo and Credit Suisse ex-CEO Tidjane Thiam had urged their supporters to boycott the vote.

Voter turnout reached just 50.1%, according to the electoral commission.

Gbagbo’s ex-wife, Simone Gbagbo, who was allowed to contest the election, got 2.42% of the vote.

Monday’s results are provisional, and the outcome will be announced by the Constitutional Council after it rules on any election petitions.

On Sunday, the opposition group made up of Gbagbo and Thiam’s parties denounced the election as a “civilian coup d’etat,” saying they would not recognise Ouattara as a validly elected leader.

Ouattara first assumed the presidency in 2011, following Laurent Gbagbo’s arrest after his refusal to accept defeat in the 2010 election.

Ouattara was originally restricted to serving two terms, but a 2016 constitutional overhaul allowed him to seek re-election in 2020, in a vote that was boycotted by the opposition.

Source: BBC

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Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the supporters of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary in his stronghold of Garoua, a city in the north of the country.

The protesters were denouncing what they said was a plan by the ruling party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), to “steal the victory” from the opposition leader.

Tchiroma Bakary has insisted that he won the presidential election held on 12 October, challenging incumbent President Paul Biya’s 43-year-old hold on power. The CPDM party has dismissed the claims.

The demonstrations come after Tchiroma Bakary called on his supporters in the country and the diaspora to march peacefully to “liberate Cameroon”.

Authorities have banned gatherings until Monday, when Cameroon’s constitutional council is set to announce the results.

In Garoua, the demonstrations began peacefully but quickly turned rowdy when security forces threw teargas on the streets to disperse the hundreds of people who had gathered in support of Tchiroma Bakary.

“We are not here for disorder. We’re demanding the truth of the ballot,” a placard read.

One protester was seen carrying a banner urging US President Donald Trump to help them.

“We are here to claim our victory. We are making a peaceful march, which is a civil right for all Cameroonians – for everyone,” another protester said.

Supporters also took to the streets in the south-western city of Douala. “We want Tchiroma, we want Tchiroma,” protesters chanted, Reuters news agency reports.

Tchiroma Bakary previously told the BBC that he would not accept a stolen vote.

He said his team had compiled the overall picture based on results from individual polling stations.

In a video statement posted on social media, Tchiroma Bakary said he had won the election with about 55% of the vote, based on what he said were returns representing 80% of the electorate.

The 76-year-old former government minister broke ranks with Biya, 92, who is seeking another term after 43 years in power.

CPDM has dismissed Tchiroma Bakary’s victory claims and several officials have described it as illegal because only the constitutional council can proclaim official results.

Opposition supporters have alleged that the 12 October poll was marred by irregularities, including ballot-stuffing.

Judges on the constitutional council dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.

Tchiroma Bakary refused to file complaints with the council, whose judges have been appointed by Biya, choosing instead to declare himself the “legal and legitimate president”.

Born in Garoua, Tchiroma Bakary trained as an engineer in France before returning to Cameroon to work for the national railway company.

In 1984, he was thrown in jail, accused of being involved in an attempt to depose President Biya. Despite denying the allegation and never being convicted, Tchiroma Bakary spent six years in prison.

He also served as communications minister from 2009 to 2019.

In this role and as the government’s spokesperson, he resolutely defended Biya’s government during crises such as the Boko Haram insurgency, when the army was accused of killing civilians.

But in June, just four months before the general election, Tchiroma Bakary changed course dramatically, resigning from the government and announcing he would run against Biya for the presidency.

Source: BBC

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