Author: WAJ Team

South Africa has temporarily suspended the importation of live poultry, eggs, and both fresh and frozen poultry meat originating from Brazil due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The suspension was prompted by a formal notification issued by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock on 15 May 2025. According to the report, the H5N1 virus — specifically from clade 2.3.4.4b — was identified in a flock of breeding chickens at a facility in Montenegro, a municipality located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In response, South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development…

Nigeria and Tanzania have reinforced their commitment to regional maritime cooperation through a strategic partnership focused on regulatory alignment, capacity development, and security enhancement. During a high-level visit by the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC) to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), both sides agreed to deepen collaboration in areas including seafarer certification, flag and port state inspections, digital transformation, and enforcement of cabotage laws. Leading the Tanzanian delegation was TASAC Vice Chairperson Rukia D. Shante, who commended Nigeria’s maritime reforms and pledged her country’s support for Nigeria’s bid to join Category C of the International Maritime Organisation…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been commended across Africa for his composed and diplomatic approach during a recent encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, where Trump reiterated controversial and unsubstantiated claims about violence targeting white farmers in South Africa. The South African leader’s visit to the United States was intended to revive and strengthen bilateral relations that have cooled since Trump assumed office. Ramaphosa’s delegation included well-known white South African sports personalities, signaling an emphasis on cultural and economic cooperation. The president aimed to focus discussions on expanding trade ties and mutual interests, but the meeting took a sharp…

Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio has dismissed any suggestion that African countries could serve as a destination for displaced Palestinians, stating that such proposals are fundamentally at odds with the values of the African Union (AU). Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday after the third European Union–African Union ministerial meeting, Antonio emphasized that Africa cannot accept attempts to shift the Palestinian crisis onto its soil. “The African Union cannot be happy when there is talk of relocating Palestinians to Africa,” he said during a joint press conference alongside EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “We strongly support the two-state solution and…

In a significant boost to North Africa’s industrial push, Egypt has signed a $123 million agreement with Chinese automaker Jetour to locally assemble and manufacture vehicles in partnership with the Cairo-based El-Kasrawy Group. The deal, formalized in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at the Cabinet headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, will pave the way for the production of Jetour’s T1 and T2 models on Egyptian soil. Officials hailed the agreement as a milestone in Egypt’s vision to anchor itself as a key automotive hub in Africa and the broader Middle East. “This is more than a business…

Uganda has opened its flagship tourism event, the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo, as the East African nation intensifies efforts to revive and scale its tourism industry following post-pandemic recovery. The three-day event, which commenced Wednesday in Kampala, brings together tourism stakeholders, investors, and media representatives from across Africa and beyond. Organized by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), the expo has drawn over 450 exhibitors from at least 50 countries, showcasing Uganda’s bid to reassert itself as a premier destination on the continent. Speaking at the official opening, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, standing in for President Yoweri Museveni, called the…

The African Union (AU) is steadily advancing its path toward financial autonomy, with over two dozen member states taking concrete steps to implement the landmark Kigali Decision on Financing the Union, a move that is reshaping the continent’s approach to self-reliance. Adopted in 2016, the Kigali Decision introduced a 0.2% levy on eligible imports as a sustainable source of funding for AU activities. By the end of 2018, 25 countries had begun integrating the policy into their national systems, with 16 having fully implemented the levy. Of those, 14 applied the funds toward their AU contributions that year—an unprecedented shift…

The South African rand remained near a five-month high early Wednesday as markets braced for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s third budget presentation and a significant diplomatic encounter between President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trading at 0650 GMT, the rand stood at 17.9525 against the U.S. dollar, down 0.2% on the day but close to levels last seen in mid-December. The currency’s relative stability reflects investor caution ahead of the budget unveiling at 1200 GMT, following the collapse of two earlier versions amid coalition disagreements. Key concerns center on how Minister Godongwana will address a 75 billion rand…

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has issued a stark warning over reports that Japanese automaker Nissan may shut down its manufacturing facility in Gauteng, potentially putting more than 20,000 jobs at risk. Irvin Jim, NUMSA’s general secretary, confirmed the union’s plans to meet with Nissan management to seek clarity on the company’s intentions. “We remain committed to defending jobs in this vital sector and will engage with Nissan to protect our members’ livelihoods,” Jim said. The warning follows reports that Nissan intends to close several plants globally, including sites in South Africa, India, and Argentina, as…

President Abdel Fattah Sisi has officially kicked off Egypt’s 2025 wheat harvest at the “Future of Egypt” agricultural zone, a vast project in the Dabaa Corridor linking Cairo to the North Coast. The occasion also marked the inauguration of the first phase of a new industrial city, signaling Cairo’s commitment to integrated agricultural and industrial expansion. The president used the platform to announce an ambitious plan to cultivate 800,000 feddans of land by September. He stressed that turning this goal into reality requires swift collaboration between government institutions and the private sector, with infrastructure works expected to wrap up by…

Algeria is poised to receive $3 billion in financing from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) over the next three years, a major boost aimed at accelerating key infrastructure and development initiatives across the country. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank, made the announcement during an interview with Algeria’s Ennahar TV on Monday. He stated that the funding will support a series of strategic projects, including a significant expansion of Algeria’s railway network. According to Al Jasser, the railway projects are a central element of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s broader economic vision, which seeks to improve connectivity between…

Uganda’s Parliament has passed an amended law permitting the military to prosecute civilians, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers and civil rights advocates who say it undermines the country’s judicial independence. The bill, approved on Tuesday, directly contradicts a Supreme Court ruling issued in January that declared the practice unconstitutional. The court had concluded that military tribunals lacked the legal competence and impartiality required for civilian trials. Despite this, the revised legislation sailed through Parliament, reigniting debate over the military’s expanding role in Uganda’s political and legal arenas. Government Stands Firm on Security Grounds The law…

The Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced former Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo to ten years of forced labour following his conviction on corruption charges involving nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in public funds. The 60-year-old politician was found guilty of embezzling up to $247 million from a government agro-industrial project in Bukangalonzo, located some 250 kilometers southeast of the capital. The ruling concludes a drawn-out legal process that began almost four years ago and has been marked by jurisdictional disputes and political controversy. Alongside Matata Ponyo, former Central Bank Governor Deogratias Mutombo and…

Angola has committed US $8 million to the World Health Organization’s Global Investment Round, reinforcing Africa’s leadership in advocating for stronger international health systems. The pledge was announced by President João Lourenço during his address to the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) in Geneva, where he spoke on behalf of Angola and in his role as Chair of the African Union. With this move, Angola joins over a dozen African nations backing a shift toward more sustainable and strategic financing for WHO’s operations, which are critical to addressing global health threats, from pandemics to routine care delivery. President Lourenço emphasized…

Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan environmentalist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She founded the Green Belt Movement, which empowered women to plant millions of trees, restoring degraded land and fighting deforestation. Born in Nyeri, Kenya, she was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a PhD. Her activism connected environmental protection with women’s rights, democracy, and sustainable development. Maathai’s legacy lives on through the forests she helped regrow and the lives she inspired across Africa and beyond.

Liberia’s health authorities are heightening surveillance and cross-border collaboration following a sharp rise in mpox infections in neighboring Sierra Leone. The latter has now confirmed 2,634 cases and 14 fatalities since the outbreak began earlier this year. Sierra Leone is currently reporting an average of 100 new cases per day, representing 58% of all mpox cases recently recorded across Africa. In response, its government has shifted from home care to centralized treatment, establishing a new mpox treatment center with an initial capacity of 400 beds, which is planned to increase to 950. Liberia’s National Public Health Institute and Ministry of…