African political news summarised in English: elections, governments, diplomacy, justice and security across the 54 countries, from the local press. 1,350 articles published.
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The La Nouvelle Responsabilité Jamm-Ji movement, associated with former Senegalese prime minister Amadou Ba, has welcomed Macky Sall’s withdrawal from the race for the UN secretary-generalship. In a statement, it said the decision, taken after the Security Council’s straw poll on 16 October, could help pave the way for a consensus candidacy, Senenews reports.
Source: Senenews
Police have arrested four people in Grand-Dakar, including Oumou Traoré, as part of an investigation into suspected drug trafficking. The operation was launched following an anonymous tip and surveillance of a site described as a drug den, according to Senenews.
Source: Senenews
US Vice-President JD Vance has declined to back Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election, unlike Donald Trump, who recently supported the Israeli prime minister. Days before the election in Israel, Vance says he does not want to get involved in Israeli politics, according to an interview with journalist Mark Halperin.
Source: Egypt Independent
A 16-year-old girl filed a complaint in Mauritius after intimate photos and a video of her were circulated on Telegram. She says someone on Snapchat had threatened her to obtain the content and had also threatened her younger sister; police are investigating after recording her complaint, Defimedia reports.
Source: Defimedia
After fires broke out in late August at two transformer stations belonging to the Mauritanian Electricity Company (SOMELEC), several officials, including a minister and two chief executives, were dismissed. The files were referred to the police unit responsible for economic crimes, reports Le Calame, cited by Kassataya.
Source: Kassataya
Three more people have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of a Chinese national during a burglary in Cité Fayçal, Dakar. The attack also left another Chinese national injured and led to the dismantling of a burglary network, Senego reports.
Source: Senego
Media regulators and partners in East Africa are calling for stronger regional cooperation to defend press freedom and ensure the viability of media businesses in the digital age. These issues were discussed at a regional meeting of East African press councils, Rwanda Dispatch reports.
Source: Rwanda Dispatch
South African courts have refused bail to Shadrack Sibiya, a former deputy police commissioner charged with rape, human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl. The magistrate said he had failed to demonstrate exceptional circumstances, and the case will return to court on 24 November for the continuation of the investigation, according to Scrolla.
Source: Scrolla
A court in Mombasa has found preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 co-accused guilty of murdering 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola forest massacre case. The verdict was delivered on Monday, according to Africanews.
Source: Africanews
Donald Trump said Paris would soon become a “Muslim city” and attributed this development to immigration, criticising French President Emmanuel Macron’s policy. The US president made the remarks to the press at the White House on 19 October, amid violence and unrest in France, according to a video broadcast by CNN.
Source: La Nouvelle Tribune
The Central African National Assembly’s presidency has reached an agreement with private hospital Medipol in Istanbul to make healthcare in Turkey more accessible to MPs and their families, Corbeaunews Centrafrique reports. The outlet says the costs would be covered by the National Assembly’s budget and attributes authorisation of the agreement to its president, Simplice Mathieu Sarandji.
Source: Corbeaunews Centrafrique
Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA’s candidate for eThekwini mayor, says competition for municipal contracts can fuel political violence. He was speaking after two ANC campaigners were killed in Umgababa, according to IOL.
Source: IOL
Ghana’s Northern Regional Police arrested four men and seized 142 parcels of suspected cannabis being transported in a van from Bimbilla to Tamale. The suspects allegedly offered officers 50,000 Ghanaian cedis, but the police refused the bribe, according to a statement from the regional police command.
Source: Ghanaiantimes
The Zambian High Court has postponed until 21 October 2026 the examination of the constitutional bail application by Brian Mundubile and 17 other detainees. The state requested more time to file its opposing affidavit, while their lawyer criticised the conditions of their transfer from Mukobeko prison, reports Diggers.
Source: Diggers
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s governing coalition has withstood an ANC attempt, led in part by Solly Mapaila, to derail the alliance with the Democratic Alliance. With local elections approaching, Johannesburg’s crisis and the ANC’s weakened position could test whether the coalition holds, The Namibian reports.
Source: The Namibian
Léonce Ngendakumana, a member of Sahwanya-Frodebu’s national steering committee, defends the party’s decision not to field a candidate in Burundi’s 2027 presidential election. In an interview published by Iwacu, he justifies the withdrawal by citing the risk of fraud and the consequences of past elections, which he describes as tragic.
Source: Iwacu Burundi
In Tanzania, religious leaders are calling for ethics lessons in schools and universities after several killings were reported in different regions. Retired Catholic Bishop Methodius Kilaini advocates teaching civic values, while Sheikh Kichwabutwa urges religious leaders to meet young people at educational institutions, JamhuriMedia reports.
Source: Jamhurimedia
Seychellois Vice-President Sébastien Pillay has called on the public to avoid non-essential travel. He also spoke in his capacity as minister responsible for risk and disaster management, according to the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation.
Source: Sbc
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