Author: WAJ Editor

Finland has returned a historic royal stool to Benin, marking a significant step in the broader campaign to restore West Africa’s looted cultural heritage. The artefact, known as a katakle, was officially handed over during a ceremony in the Beninese city of Cotonou on Tuesday. The three-legged stool, dating back to the 17th-century Kingdom of Dahomey, was looted by French colonial forces in 1892 during an attack on the royal palace. It had later found its way into the collection of Finland’s National Museum after being separated from a set of artefacts transferred to France. Benin’s Minister of Culture, Jean-Michel…

Mali’s military-led transitional government has officially dissolved all political parties and organizations of a political nature, a significant escalation in the country’s deepening political crisis. The move, confirmed through a presidential decree broadcast on state television Tuesday, also bans political gatherings and meetings. The announcement follows a decision earlier in the day by transitional President Assimi Goita to suspend the charter governing political parties, clearing the path for full dissolution. The decree stated that officials working within political or administrative institutions may continue their duties, but without identifying as representatives of political parties. This development has heightened concerns over Mali’s…

South African prosecutors announced plans to appeal the rape acquittal of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, following a court ruling that has sparked public outrage and renewed focus on the country’s gender-based violence crisis. Omotoso, founder of the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, was cleared of rape charges last week after the judge cited prosecutorial missteps as a key reason for the decision, despite noting the implausibility of the pastor’s testimony. In response, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed on Tuesday that it believes there are “reasonable prospects” for a successful appeal and is moving forward with legal steps to challenge…

A court in Nairobi has approved the extradition of former Afghan deputy parliamentary speaker Abdul Zahir Qadir to the United States, where he faces charges related to narcotics trafficking and illegal firearms distribution. Magistrate BenMark Ekhubi ruled on Tuesday that the U.S. had provided sufficient evidence to justify Qadir’s extradition under Kenya’s commitments to international law enforcement agreements. The decision follows a formal request from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which issued an international arrest warrant through a New York court. Qadir was arrested in April at a Nairobi hotel shortly after entering the country. U.S. authorities allege that…

An improvised explosive device (IED) has killed at least eight workers at the Samira gold mine in Niger’s restive Tillaberi region, local sources confirmed on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Friday when a convoy transporting mine workers hit an explosive device while returning to the capital, Niamey, under military escort. The vehicle involved, a minibus, was destroyed in the blast. “They rolled over a mine, and the explosion caused eight deaths. They were buried on Sunday,” said Amadou Arouna Maiga, head of the Tillaberi Union for Peace and Security, in a televised statement. Some reports, including one from local newspaper…

The Dominican Republic and Kenya have signed a new agreement aimed at enhancing support for the UN-backed multinational security mission in Haiti, where escalating violence continues to destabilize the region. Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez and Kenya’s First Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Secretary Musalia Mudavadi formalized the pact on Monday during a bilateral meeting focused on Haiti’s deteriorating security situation. The agreement outlines a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that provides medical evacuation and repatriation support for injured or fallen Kenyan personnel deployed in Haiti. Authorities confirmed that 20 members of the Kenyan contingent have already received treatment in the Dominican…

Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela was born on September 26, 1936, in the village of Mbongweni, Bizana, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. She was the daughter of Columbus and Gertrude Madikizela, both teachers. Her upbringing was shaped by the values of education, discipline, and service, and these traits followed her into adulthood. Winnie earned a degree in social work from the Jan Hofmeyr School of Social Work in Johannesburg and later studied international relations at the University of Witwatersrand. Her move to Johannesburg marked her exposure to the brutal realities of apartheid urban life and the early stages…

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has issued an urgent warning that more than 50 million people in West and Central Africa could face severe hunger in the coming months, driven by escalating conflict, mass displacement, economic instability, and increasingly extreme weather conditions. Latest projections indicate that over 36 million people are currently struggling to access enough food. That figure is expected to surge to more than 52 million during the upcoming lean season from June to August. Among them, nearly three million face emergency-level hunger, and at least 2,600 people in Mali are on the brink of catastrophic food…

The Gautrain Management Agency has unveiled a new initiative, KlevaMova, aimed at making train travel more affordable for qualifying passengers. The offering provides a 50% discount on train fares to individuals from households with an annual income of R350,000 or less, as well as to students under 25, school pupils, pensioners, and recipients of disability grants from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). The move comes in response to rising transport costs, which continue to place pressure on household budgets—particularly in communities located far from urban economic centers. Findings from the Gauteng Household Travel Survey revealed that in 2019/2020,…

Suspected insurgents launched a deadly attack on a Nigerian army base in Borno State early Monday, resulting in the capture of troops and military equipment, according to security sources. The raid occurred at the 153 Task Force Battalion base in the Marte district, an area frequently targeted by armed groups. Militants reportedly arrived on motorcycles and gun trucks, overrunning the base around 2:00 GMT, said a soldier who survived the assault and spoke on condition of anonymity. In response, Nigerian forces withdrew to the nearby 24 Task Force Brigade in Dikwa, where they regrouped and mounted a counteroffensive that eventually…

Koidu Limited, the largest diamond mining company in Sierra Leone, has ceased operations and dismissed the majority of its workforce, affecting more than 1,000 local employees amid a prolonged dispute over wages and working conditions. The shutdown follows months of unrest at the mine. Workers initially went on strike in December 2024, temporarily suspending the action to allow for negotiations, before resuming their walkout in early March. The company, a subsidiary of Octea Limited and part of Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz’s BSG Resources, has not issued a detailed public statement about the closure. According to Charles Kainessie, president of the…

The African Union (AU) has strongly opposed any foreign interference in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, following allegations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been supplying weapons to paramilitary forces battling the Sudanese army. Speaking on Monday, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf reaffirmed the AU’s stance on national sovereignty, saying the organization would not condone involvement by external actors in Sudan’s internal affairs. “The Commission’s position is that member states are sovereign, and the AU will not accept any interference in the internal affairs of Sudan,” Youssouf stated. “We will not support any intervention or interference in the crisis.”…

A coordinated insurgent attack in northern Burkina Faso has left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region in recent months. Security and local sources confirmed that on Sunday morning, hundreds of armed fighters launched simultaneous attacks on military and police installations in the town of Djibo, a longtime target of insurgent activity. The attackers, arriving on motorcycles and in vehicles, reportedly encircled the town before storming various neighborhoods, leading to civilian and military casualties. Located in the volatile tri-border region shared with Mali and Niger, Djibo has been under siege by insurgent…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to meet with US President Donald Trump following the recent arrival of 49 Afrikaners in the United States under controversial refugee claims. The group reportedly travelled on a chartered flight from OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday evening, landing in Washington on Monday. Their departure has drawn attention after it emerged that they had been granted refugee status, a move the South African government firmly contests. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Monday, Ramaphosa criticized the classification of the group as refugees, stating they do not meet the established…

More than 5,000 residents have fled their homes in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state following threats of deadly attacks by notorious gang leader Bello Turji, local sources and officials reported Monday. According to local lawmaker Habibu Halilu Modachi, Turji sent armed men to several rural communities, warning residents to vacate by Sunday afternoon or face lethal consequences. The ultimatum led to mass evacuations across Bafarawa and nearby villages over the weekend. At least 12 people have been killed so far, with the toll expected to rise as new reports emerge. The displaced are now seeking refuge in Isa town, Shinkafi in…

In a significant cultural recovery effort, Egypt has reclaimed 25 antiquities smuggled out of the country, marking one of its most substantial repatriation operations in recent years. The artefacts, which span various eras of ancient Egyptian civilization, arrived in Cairo on Monday and were received by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The return was the result of a coordinated initiative involving Egypt’s consulate in New York, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement agencies, and private collectors. A joint committee from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities supervised the handover, which Abdelatty personally attended. The…