Author: WAJ Editor

South Africa’s government has unveiled draft policy changes that could ease entry for Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink, among other foreign telecommunications firms, by relaxing strict local ownership requirements. Currently, the Electronic Communications Act mandates that foreign-owned communications providers allocate at least 30% of equity in their South African subsidiaries to historically disadvantaged groups. This has been a major hurdle for companies like Starlink, which cited the requirement as a significant barrier to entering the local market. In response, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi is proposing the adoption of “equity equivalent” investment schemes in the information and communication technology (ICT)…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that Comoros faced significant economic challenges in 2024, citing falling exports and imports, as well as limited credit availability in the private sector, as key factors behind the country’s sluggish performance. In a statement following a recent mission to Moroni between April 29 and May 13, IMF officials said the Arab-African island nation’s economic activity declined more than expected. Contributing factors included weak trade flows, underperforming tax revenues, and difficulties in the financial sector. Despite the slowdown, external remittances and project-related subsidies helped stabilize the economy, keeping the current account deficit at 2.2%…

A Ugandan human rights activist, Agather Atuhaire has accused Tanzanian authorities of torture following her arrest and forced deportation, sparking widespread condemnation from East African rights groups. Agather Atuhaire, a journalist and activist who recently received the International Women of Courage Award, was reportedly arrested after attending a treason trial in Tanzania in support of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. She had traveled alongside Kenyan anti-corruption activist Boniface Mwangi, who was also detained. According to Ugandan NGO Agora Discourse, Atuhaire was abandoned at the border by Tanzanian officials showing signs of physical abuse. “We are relieved she has been found,” said…

European Union institutions have reached a provisional agreement to provide Egypt with €4 billion in macro-financial assistance (MFA), marking a significant step in a broader €5 billion support package proposed by the European Commission in March 2024. The deal was struck between the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission, and now awaits formal adoption by both legislative bodies by the end of June. The funds, aimed at supporting Egypt’s economic and fiscal stability, will be disbursed in multiple instalments. This €4 billion tranche is the second phase of the EU’s broader financial commitment to Egypt. The first phase,…

Jomo Kenyatta, born around 1897 in British East Africa, rose from humble beginnings to become the founding father of independent Kenya. Early exposure to colonial structures and missionary influence shaped his worldview. He joined the Kikuyu Central Association in the 1920s, advocating for land rights, and later traveled to Britain where he studied, engaged with anti-colonial thinkers, and published Facing Mount Kenya (1938), defending African traditions. After returning to Kenya in 1946, Kenyatta led the Kenya African Union (KAU) and became a key figure in the nationalist movement. Though denied involvement, he was imprisoned during the Mau Mau Uprising. Upon…

Desmond Mpilo Tutu, born in 1931 in South Africa, rose from a humble background to become a globally respected moral and spiritual leader. Initially intending to become a teacher, Tutu turned to the Anglican priesthood after battling tuberculosis. Ordained in 1961, he later earned a Master of Theology from King’s College in London. His religious platform became a powerful voice against apartheid. As Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral and later General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, he led peaceful resistance against the regime, calling for international sanctions and advocating nonviolence inspired by Christian teachings and Gandhi. Awarded…

Sudan has forcefully rejected newly announced U.S. sanctions, accusing Washington of exploiting baseless chemical weapons allegations to exert political pressure. In a statement issued Friday, Sudan’s Information Minister Khalid Al-Ayasir denounced the U.S. decision as an act of “political blackmail” and claimed it was part of a broader campaign to distort the reality of the conflict within the country. Al-Ayasir, who also serves as the government’s spokesperson, insisted that the allegations lacked credible evidence and were intended to undermine Sudan’s recent efforts toward peace and stability. The U.S. announced on Thursday that it would impose sanctions on Sudan, citing findings…

A Kenyan court has convicted two men for assisting al-Qaeda-linked militants in carrying out a deadly terrorist attack on a hotel and office complex in Nairobi in 2019, which left 21 people dead. Delivering the verdict on Thursday, Judge Diana Mochache found Hussein Mohammed Abdile and Mohamed Abdi Ali guilty of providing logistical and financial support to the attackers. The two were arrested months after the assault and had pleaded not guilty to the terrorism-related charges. The attack occurred in January 2019 when gunmen stormed the DusitD2 hotel and business complex in Nairobi, engaging security forces in a siege that…

Sudan is witnessing a sharp rise in cholera infections, with over 2,300 cases recorded in the past three weeks—90% of them in the capital Khartoum and its surrounding areas—amid ongoing conflict and infrastructure breakdown. According to Sudan’s Ministry of Health, at least 51 people have died from the outbreak, which has been concentrated in Karari and Jabal Awlia localities in greater Khartoum. Authorities say the spread of the disease has been accelerated by drone attacks that have knocked out electricity and water infrastructure. The nearly two-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated…

Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to contest for a second term in the 2027 presidential election. The endorsement was announced on Thursday during a summit in Abuja, coinciding with the second anniversary of Tinubu’s presidency. The 73-year-old leader secured victory in the 2023 presidential race, despite legal challenges from opposition candidates who alleged electoral malpractice. Tinubu has consistently maintained that his win was legitimate. APC leaders praised Tinubu’s economic reform agenda, citing the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange rate as key steps in reviving Nigeria’s economy.…

Ethiopian authorities have arrested four suspected members of the Dassanech militia believed to be behind the recent killing of four Kenyan fishermen near the volatile Todonyang border area, officials confirmed Thursday. The suspects were apprehended in a security operation along the River Omo and are currently being held at Omorate Police Station in Ethiopia’s South Omo region. The fishermen were attacked while sleeping on the shores of Lake Turkana, just a short distance from a Kenyan security outpost. The assailants reportedly fled into Ethiopia, escaping with firearms taken from the victims. Omorate Woreda administrator Tadale Hate said the suspects surrendered…

Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has been released by Tanzanian authorities after his arrest earlier this week in Dar es Salaam, where he had attempted to attend a high-profile treason hearing for Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) confirmed on Thursday that Mwangi had safely returned to Kenya and was received in Kwale County, in the country’s southeast. Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi also confirmed the release. Mwangi was detained on Monday after attempting to observe Lissu’s court appearance, a case that has drawn international attention amid accusations of political repression in Tanzania. Lissu,…

A video shown by former U.S. President Donald Trump during a high-level meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reignited controversy, featuring prominent opposition leader Julius Malema in what observers say was a misrepresentation of South African politics. The 4-minute clip, played during a tense Oval Office meeting, portrayed Malema — leader of the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) — as a government official calling for violence against white farmers. The footage included scenes of Malema wearing his party’s trademark red beret and chanting the liberation-era slogan, “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer.” Trump used the video to bolster…

The number of migrants in Libya has reached 858,604, according to the latest report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), covering the period from January to February 2025. The data, released through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), reflects a continuing rise in migration to Libya, up from 824,131 at the end of 2024. The report highlights the growing complexities surrounding migration in the country, with individuals from 46 nationalities now present. Men account for 78% of the migrant population, while women and children make up the remaining 22%. Most migrants originate from four countries: Sudan (31%), Niger (22%), Egypt…

A coalition of political parties in Mali has filed a series of legal appeals contesting a recent ban imposed by the ruling military government on all political activity. In a statement shared on Wednesday, the opposition groups confirmed they had lodged petitions with six high courts in the capital, Bamako, as well as with the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court. The appeals aim to overturn a presidential decree that dissolved all political parties and civil society organizations earlier this month. The decree, issued by the military leadership under General Assimi Goita, also prohibits political meetings. The parties argue that…

The Sudanese army announced on Thursday that it has discovered multiple mass graves in the Salha neighborhood of Omdurman, where hundreds of civilians allegedly died while being detained by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In an official statement, the military reported that 648 civilians were held in “horrific and inhumane conditions” inside a school. Of those, 465 perished and were buried in mass graves, with some graves reportedly containing more than 27 bodies each. The RSF has not responded publicly to the accusations. The discovery comes just days after the Sudanese military declared Khartoum fully cleared of RSF forces,…