Africa

Trump cut U.S. financial assistance to the country this month, citing disapproval of its land reform policy and genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

"Thirty-three heads of state chose Mahmoud, the right choice for Africa’s challenges, refusing to let the AU be hostage to Kenyan domestic politics. Africa deserved better than Raila,” Djibouti's Foreign Ministry said.

The president commended Raila’s dedication throughout the campaign, noting that he engaged all key stakeholders and spared no effort in his bid for the position.

Guterres was speaking on the first day of the annual meeting of the regional organisation, held at African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, amid conflict and tensions in several AU member states, notably Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ruto called for structural changes within the AU to facilitate this recognition and ensure long-term support for Haiti's stabilisation efforts.

The women had climbed down into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to look for scraps of gold when the earth collapsed around them.

Kenyan President William Ruto whose candidate Raila Odinga contested in the AUC Chair race was also quick to acknowledge the results.

President William Ruto acknowledged the loss but stressed that the election was about Africa's collective future rather than individual nations.

Raila failed to maintain the momentum in subsequent rounds, leading to his early exit—a repeat of the 2017 AUC race, where former Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed also lost in a high-stakes contest.

Currently aged 80, Odinga made his fifth attempt at the presidency in the 2022 August elections and lost to President William Ruto.

Mahmoud Youssouf, a seasoned diplomat and long-serving foreign minister, clinched victory following an intense voting process that saw Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, eliminated from the race.

Mahmoud's address this year comes at a time when Africa's once-unanimous support for Palestine is increasingly complicated by internal divisions and growing bilateral ties with Israel.

For the 2025 elections, Eastern Africa has nominated candidates for chairperson, while Northern Africa has put forward candidates for deputy chairperson.

African Union analyst Emmanuel Bensah told DW from Accra, Ghana, that it is crucial that African leaders attending the summit in Addis present concrete solutions to these prevailing conflicts.

As leaders prepare for the high-stakes election to replace him, Kenya's top diplomat Musalia Mudavadi has already set a firm tone, cautioning against any delay in the voting process.

Ruto warned that budgetary commitments alone are not enough, stressing the need for efficient allocation, transparency, and accountability in healthcare financing.

Speaking at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he emphasised that governance reforms must be safeguarded to ensure long-term stability and prevent future crises.

The International Organisation for Migration said on Monday that the bodies found in two mass graves in Libya bore gunshot wounds.

President Ruto said the proposed agency would complement international credit rating agencies by filling data and analytical gaps.

The legislation, which was approved on Wednesday with a 51-0 vote, is now set to be reviewed by a standing committee before further readings.

Critics questioned the timing of the suspensions, especially amid the national energy crisis, suggesting that the move could destabilize the already struggling sector.

The IMF said on Wednesday that it would analyse the report and initiate consultations with authorities to address issues raised.

The drama at the Peace and Security Council election may pale in comparison to what is expected during the upcoming AU Commission leadership vote.

Atalanta noted that in the 13 months leading to the end of 2024, they had documented 44 attacks, including unsuccessful attempts. However, officials believe there are likely many unreported incidents, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 19 dhows have been hijacked.

In AU politics, campaigns are not about glossy manifestos; they are about power, influence, and strategic trade-offs.

Masango made history as the first African woman to conduct experiments at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), the world’s most advanced physics laboratory.

It said the authorities were conducting forensic tests to understand the cause of their deaths and had detained three suspects.

The expropriation act empowers the government to seize land owned by white farmers, in rare cases without compensation, in order to redistribute it to poor Blacks.

That law, which allows the government to confiscate land - in rare cases without compensation - has reignited racial tensions that have dogged Africa's southernmost tip ever since European settlers began arriving nearly four centuries ago.

Libya has become a transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe via the dangerous route across the desert and over the Mediterranean following the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

The law seeks to address racial land ownership disparities - which has left three-quarters of privately owned land in the hands of the white minority - by making it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest.

The executive order lists several grievances, accusing Pretoria of policies that Washington deems harmful to US interests.

While Rubio's remarks focused on land reform, the reality is that US-South Africa relations have been deteriorating for years due to Pretoria's increasingly independent foreign policy.

The split between Mondlane and Podemos highlights the deep divisions within Mozambique’s opposition political landscape.

According to the United Nations' Women division, only six countries in the world have 50 per cent or more women in their single or lower houses of parliament, with Rwanda leading globally.

Djibouti has secured backing from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, just days after Kenyan President William Ruto visited Cairo to lobby for Raila Odinga's bid.

Congo and Zambia, which together represent more than 13% of global copper supply, have over the last year increased their focus on securing a share of the mined metal that they too can trade for profit.

Critics have lambasted Ruto's decision to seek counsel from Western powers to solve continental problems instead of engaging his African counterparts.

Their decision to withdraw was announced in January 2024, citing dissatisfaction with the bloc's increasing ties to France.

As part of the informal division of security responsibilities among Western nations, France has long been considered the “gendarme of Africa”.

Protests have also disrupted oil operations previously, including in January last year when they forced a shutdown of production at the Sharara oilfield.

Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and Madagascar’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Richard Randriamandrato are the contenders for the chairperson role.

Interpol, which is headquartered in France, said the arrests had been made during November and December during operations conducted jointly with the pan-African police body Afripol.

Ruto highlighted that Kenya's candidature is informed by the country's longstanding commitment to championing the Pan-African agenda and delivering on the continent's aspirations.

El Fath has previously said Comoros, a group of three islands in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, is not a monarchy.

The network is expected to link 11 cities across the UAE, with projections that over 36 million passengers will use the service annually by 2030.

This visit comes amid rumours circulating that Youssouf had dropped out of the race in favour of Kenya's candidate, Raila Odinga.

Mahmoud is scheduled to travel to Tanzania tomorrow and later to Senegal, where he shall be seeking support for his bid.

A convergence of crises in Mozambique is forcing people to flee their homes, often multiple times, and complicating efforts to assist them.

His tour has also included stops in Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana, where he continued to lobby for his candidacy.

The Eastleigh Voice reached out to South Africa's Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, who confirmed that Raila Odinga did not meet with President Ramaphosa.