Author: WAJ Editor

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) remains hopeful that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will rejoin the regional bloc, despite their recent withdrawal, officials said during ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Nigeria on Wednesday. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar downplayed the impact of the trio’s exit, emphasizing the bloc’s continued progress. “Much has been made of the departure of three member states, but democracy is a journey, not a one-time event,” Tuggar said. ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray also struck a conciliatory tone, expressing confidence in future unity. “Even without our brothers who left, we recognize the importance…

In the heart of the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, a quiet climate revolution is underway. Refugees who once relied heavily on charcoal—produced through deforestation—are now turning to eco-friendly biomass briquettes as a cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable cooking alternative, journalist Hamza Kyeyune from Anadolu Agency reports. With support from the Education Above All (EAA) foundation, a climate action initiative led by Girl Child Network (GCN) and Green Youth 360 is empowering refugees and host communities in northern Kenya to produce and use briquettes made from waste materials like paper, sawdust, and agricultural residue. Awime Magela, a 22-year-old refugee from…

Namibia held its first official commemoration of the Herero and Nama genocide on Wednesday, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah renewing calls for Germany to pay reparations for atrocities committed over a century ago. The ceremony, held at the Parliament Gardens in Windhoek, marked the massacre of tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. The mass killings, triggered by uprisings against German rule, are widely recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. “We take some comfort in Germany’s recognition that a genocide took place,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah said. “But we must remain…

Kenyan President William Ruto has publicly apologized to Tanzania and Uganda in a bid to ease growing diplomatic tensions following the controversial deportation of Kenyan and Ugandan activists from Tanzanian territory. Speaking during Kenya’s annual national prayer breakfast held in Nairobi on Wednesday, President Ruto called for reconciliation and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong regional ties. “To our neighbors in Tanzania and Uganda, if we have wronged you in any way, we seek your forgiveness,” Ruto said. “We want to foster relationships that will elevate the greatness of our countries.” His comments come in the wake of heightened tensions…

The government of Burkina Faso has launched a comprehensive agricultural equipment distribution campaign to strengthen the agricultural sector and increase food security. At a ceremony held in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso on May 22, 2025, Transitional President Captain Ibrahim Traoré delivered the equipment to farmers and agricultural investors. This support package, worth a total of 104 billion CFA francs (approximately $179 million), aims to increase the country’s agricultural production and promote rural development. The ceremony distributed 400 tractors, 239 motorcycles, 710 motor pumps, and 714 motorcycles for agricultural consultants. The support for the agricultural sector was not limited to this.…

Tensions flared at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar on Tuesday as Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuval Waks, was forced to leave the campus following a protest by pro-Palestinian students. Waks, who was scheduled to speak at a conference on international relations, was met by a crowd of students chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Israel is a war criminal.” Protesters waved Palestinian flags and booed the ambassador, disrupting the event and blocking him from delivering his address. Videos circulating online show the scene unfolding, with students surrounding the entrance to the hall and continuing to chant as…

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched Zimbabwe’s new Media Policy Framework, signaling a major step in efforts to reform and modernize the nation’s media sector. The event, held Tuesday morning at State House in Harare, brought together key figures from government, media institutions, and civil society. The new policy is being hailed as a blueprint for developing a dynamic and inclusive media industry. According to officials, it aims to foster a competitive media environment that promotes access to information, supports innovation, and reflects Zimbabwe’s broader development goals. In his address, President Mnangagwa underscored the media’s central role in shaping national identity…

Kwame Nkrumah was born on September 21, 1909, in Nkroful, a small village in the Western Region of what was then the British colony of the Gold Coast. He was the only child of his mother, Elizabeth Nyaniba, and was raised in a traditional matrilineal Akan family. Nkrumah attended Achimota School in Accra, where he was exposed to Western education. After teaching for a few years, he pursued higher education abroad. In 1935, he traveled to the United States, enrolling at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He later earned degrees from Lincoln and the University of Pennsylvania, studying economics, sociology, theology,…

In Ethiopia, a nation believed to host nearly 20 percent of the world’s donkey population, a small clinic in the heart of Addis Ababa is playing a vital role in protecting the animals that underpin much of the country’s informal economy. Situated near the bustling Merkato market, the Donkey Sanctuary — a free veterinary facility run by a UK-based charity — treats dozens of donkeys daily, providing critical care to animals used for transporting water, grain, and other goods in a country where fuel prices and poverty leave few affordable alternatives. Inside the clinic, caregivers and veterinarians move between enclosures,…

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has publicly sought forgiveness from the nation for mistakes made during his nearly four decades in power, acknowledging failures in governance and calling for national reflection. At a prayer meeting held over the weekend and organised by his daughter, President Museveni stood alongside First Lady Janet Museveni as they read from a joint statement admitting to “laxity, negligence, and lack of diligence” within the government. “As top leaders of the movement, we humbly take responsibility for all the mistakes made by ourselves, our agents, and representatives,” the couple declared. “We therefore stand here to repent and…

The M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been accused of committing grave human rights abuses, including torture, killings, and enforced disappearances of civilians held in detention, according to a new report released by Amnesty International on Tuesday. Based on interviews with 18 former detainees held between February and April in areas controlled by M23, Amnesty said at least nine reported being tortured while in captivity. Detainees were allegedly kept in inhumane conditions and punished for suspected affiliations with the Congolese government, civil society, or other armed groups. “M23’s claims of restoring order in eastern…

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has credited the recent strengthening of the Ghanaian cedi with significantly easing the country’s debt burden, reducing it by nearly GH₵150 billion over the past five months. Speaking during a presidential panel at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and African Development Fund (ADF) Annual Meetings in Abidjan on Tuesday, Mahama highlighted the cedi’s rebound as a key factor in reversing the escalating cost of Ghana’s largely foreign-denominated public debt. “One major driver of our debt crisis was the weakening of the cedi,” he explained. “As the local currency depreciated, the cost of servicing foreign loans…

Sudan is grappling with a sharp rise in cholera infections as the ongoing war severely disrupts access to clean water and medical treatment, particularly in the capital, Khartoum. The Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday that 2,700 new cases and 172 deaths were recorded in just one week. Around 90 percent of the infections were concentrated in Khartoum state, where recent drone strikes—blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—have knocked out electricity and water supplies. Cholera, while endemic in Sudan, has surged in frequency and severity since the outbreak of war in April 2023. The conflict has further devastated…

Sudanese authorities have destroyed close to 50,000 explosive remnants of war as part of a nationwide clearance campaign, even as conflict continues to spread dangerous debris across major regions, particularly Khartoum. Major General Khalid Hamdan, head of the Sudan National Mine Action Center, reported that more than 49,000 explosive devices—including 37,000 large munitions and 12,000 smaller shells—have been safely dismantled so far. Thousands more await disposal in the coming days, especially in and around the capital. Hamdan revealed that at least 14 people have been killed and 36 others injured in 50 explosions linked to leftover war ordnance across the…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has clarified that the controversial anti-apartheid chant “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” should not be interpreted as an incitement to violence, but rather understood within the historical context of the country’s liberation struggle. His remarks come days after U.S. President Donald Trump presented a video of opposition politician Julius Malema chanting the slogan during a tense meeting at the White House. Trump used the footage to support claims of an alleged campaign of violence against white farmers in South Africa—a narrative long dismissed by local authorities and researchers. Responding to journalists on Tuesday, Ramaphosa…

Veteran Nigerian singer-songwriter, dancehall artist Inetimi Odon, popularly known as Timaya, has voiced concerns about the current state of the music industry, saying it lacks the depth and authenticity that defined earlier eras. Speaking in a candid interview with Afrobeats Intelligence, Timaya reflected on his musical journey from the streets of Port Harcourt to becoming one of the continent’s most recognisable voices. He contrasted the emotionally driven music of the past with today’s trend-focused sound. “I miss the old music, not just from my time, but even further back,” he said. “Songs like Alex Zitto’s Tickle Me—they had melodies that…