The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc that was established last September by the military leaders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, announced Sunday that they will launch a common passport to enhance cooperation and security. AES Chair and Mali’s junta leader Col. Assimi Goita said in a TV address that the alliance would soon launch a common biometric passport that will also facilitate the mobility of citizens across the three nations. He made the statement to mark the one-year anniversary of the AES since its creation on Sept. 16 last year. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the AES and announced the creation of a joint military force to counter spiraling security challenges posed in their countries by terrorist groups. The three West African nations withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had threatened to intervene militarily in Niger following a coup in that country in July last year. The three countries, with a combined population of 72 million, are affected by instability caused by militant groups. In July this year, the leaders of the three military regimes held their first joint summit in the Nigerien capital of Niamey, where they announced the confederation of three Sahel states. Highlighting joint “significant victories” against terrorist groups in the region, Goita said the AES was “open to discussion with international partners as well as sub-regional partners.” “This enhanced cooperation has helped to significantly weaken these (terror) groups, thus contributing to an improvement in security in the region, he added. Goita said the AES will also launch a common TV station.

A major jailbreak occurred in Nigeria after floods damaged the prison infrastructure.

Israeli is offering 30,000 African asylum seekers permanent residency in exchange for joining the army in the Gaza conflict, raising ethical concerns about exploitation.

The UN has condemned the attacks on civilians and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

National Weather Center warns of severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall in southern Libya

All of patients are infected with clade 1b strain of virus, which is believed to be deadlier variant that can spread through skin-to-skin contact, says director general health

Africa continues to solidify its position as a crucial player in the global energy market

The president of Comoros, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, sustained “slight injuries” in a knife attack during a religious leader’s funeral on Friday, according to his office. A bystander who tried to protect President Azali Assoumani was also injured. The president’s injuries were not severe, and he has since returned home. The attacker has been apprehended by security forces, though details about their identity and the circumstances of the attack remain undisclosed. The incident occurred in Salimani, near the capital city of Moroni. Government minister Aboubacar Said Anli reported that a civilian was injured while trying to shield the president, but there is no immediate information on the severity of these injuries. Assoumani, who was reelected in January amid allegations of election fraud, has faced political unrest, including a fatality linked to the post-election turmoil. The 65-year-old former military officer first seized power in a 1999 coup and has since served multiple terms. He recently extended his presidency into a fourth term by altering the constitution, removing term limits, and ending a rotational presidency system. His administration has been criticized for cracking down on dissent and banning peaceful protests. Comoros, an archipelago off Africa’s east coast, has experienced numerous coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975.

World Health Organization warns that limited testing capacity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is fueling the spread of mpox.

Rescue teams are working tirelessly to locate survivors, as the death toll continues to rise.

Africa’s linguistic richness continues to be a sign to its cultural depth

Witnesses report that the blasts occurred in a busy area where young people were taking photos.

Mashatile was addressing a crowd in Tzaneen, Limpopo province, about 412 kilometers (256 miles) northeast of Johannesburg

The first two cases in Uganda were confirmed in July

Tunisians are set to protest on Friday against the turmoil surrounding the upcoming elections, where candidates have been arrested, barred from voting, or banned from politics for life. The Tunisian Network for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms aims to highlight what it sees as a “rise of authoritarianism.” Mohieddine Lagha, secretary general of the Tunisian League for Human Rights, stated that the demonstration is in response to widespread violations of rights and the exclusion of some citizens from running in the presidential election. Tensions have escalated between the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) and judges over candidate eligibility for the October 6 vote. Critics argue that the commission, appointed by President Kais Saied, is biased and lacks independence. The ISIE has rejected election observer groups and excluded three candidates who had won court appeals. Former health minister Abdellatif Mekki, now running with his own party, Work and Achievement, was arrested in July and banned from politics for life. Although a court recently ordered his reinstatement, the ISIE has not complied with the ruling. Ahmed Neffati, Mekki’s campaign manager, urged mass participation in the protest to pressure for democratic reforms, asserting that Tunisians will not forfeit their right to free elections. President Saied has recently reshuffled his cabinet and intensified crackdowns on opposition figures. The International Crisis Group has labeled the situation as “deteriorating,” while Human Rights Watch has called for the reinstatement of excluded candidates, criticizing the election process as undermining democratic rights.

During his visit to the US, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola on Friday called for global solidarity with Palestine. “We continue to call on the collective conscience of the global community to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine… to call Israel to stop the genocide that is currently unfolding” in Gaza, Lamola said at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. “We will continue to do so, despite threats that come from across the globe, because we believe we are standing on principles,” he added. “The future of the world depends on the rule of law being protected” by all nations, said Lamola, who is on his first trip to the US after being appointed in July. He arrived in Washington on Thursday for a weeklong visit, amid reports that Israeli diplomats are lobbying US lawmakers to pressure South Africa into dropping its genocide case against Tel Aviv at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). His schedule during the trip released by his spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, however, did not indicate whether Lamola will have a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart. After his appointment, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a phone call with Lamola to congratulate him. The two had discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine as well as Israel’s war on Gaza. “We continue to champion human rights in Gaza. We stand with the people of Palestine,” Lamola told the audience in Washington, which included US lawmakers as well as prominent diaspora members of the African community. “This has been a historic position of the South African government,” he said, recalling words of anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who had said: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” – ‘Disproportionate’ response from Israel The “whole world was quiet” when South Africa took the decision to take the Gaza case to the ICJ, Lamola said. Condemning last year’s Hamas attack, he, however, said: “The state of Israel’s response to the incident of Oct. 7 is disproportionate to the offense committed.” A trained lawyer himself, Lamola said: “It is going beyond self-defense as predicated by international law and it is against this background that we went to the International Court of Justice to call for a cease-fire, to stop maiming of innocent women and children, to stop the destruction of Gaza.” The court indicated that Israel “should cease its military operations, to cease the destruction of infrastructure,” Lamola, who served as justice minister in the previous term of President Cyril Ramaphosa, said, adding: “Despite the court’s ruling Israel continues to do so.” Pointing to the conflict in Ukraine, he said South Africa’s non-alignment position was a “catalyst for peace and democratic engagements.” “We are unequivocal about sovereignty and independence of all nations,” he said stressing that unlawful occupations “should not be allowed.” Reminding the Global North about the impacts of wars, Lamola said Africans were “most affected” due to the impact on value chains, including in the supply of food. – Mutually beneficial ties with US Taking no qualms, Lamola acknowledged “differences of opinion” with the US on “certain issues.” However, striking a positive note with a call for engagement “on the basis of constructive dialogue,” he said the bilateral relations “should not be based on threats but on mutual respect.” “We believe our relationship with the US is mutually beneficial and we value this relationship,” he emphasized. And Washington, he said, “also benefits from this relationship.” “It is a relationship that must be preserved,” Lamola said. “Let us engage on differences but we may agree to disagree,” he said, addressing the Joe Biden administration. “We will not tell the US what to do and we expect the US not to tell us what to do,” the South African foreign minister said. He added: “We will remain open to be persuaded and we are hopeful that we can also persuade the US on a number of issues in various multilateral platforms and this becomes a relationship of mutual respect.”

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema said Friday his government has in place a response plan, with the provision of humanitarian assistance, for Zambians hard-hit by drought from erratic rains in the previous season. In a State of the Nation Address at the opening of the fourth session of the 13th National Assembly in Lusaka, Hichilema said the government was implementing recovery and resilience interventions to mitigate the effects of climate change, after drought wiped out more than 1 million hectares of crops, affecting nearly 10 million people and 6.6 million in need of direct relief in 84 of the country’s 116 districts. Having declared that the El Nino phenomenon introduced a national disaster and emergency in February, Hichilema applauded Zambians for their resilience and patience as well as local and international partners for humanitarian support. Hichilema said his administration was committed to upholding the rule of law, respecting human rights and the Constitution, as well as the core of good governance. His administration was determined to eradicate all forms of corruption, remaining committed to a zero-tolerance policy against the vice, he said. Hichilema said all cases of corruption were being thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law, with assorted properties worth more than 100 million Zambian Kwachas ($3.8 million) and cash amounting to $30.8 million and 56.6 million Kwachas forfeited to the state. He said through a foreign policy anchored on the pillars of peace, security and economic diplomacy; Zambia effectively presided over the Southern African Development Community Organ on Politics, Defence (SADC) and Security, fulfilling the bloc’s mandate of promoting regional peace, security and stability: ultimately creating more economic opportunities. This was in addition to successfully leading SADC electoral observer missions to Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Madagascar, Congo DR, Lesotho and South Africa. Hichilema also highlighted growth prospects in agriculture, mining, tourism, energy, manufacturing and technology, among other sectors.

Al Burhan-controlled SAF used missiles with toxic gases on a refinery in Khartoum Bahri, resulting in severe respiratory problems and casualties among workers, RSF says.

The South Sudanese government has extended the transitional period and postponed elections until 2026.

A Congo military court sentenced 37 people, including three Americans, to death for their involvement in a failed coup attempt.

A notorious bandit leader, Halilu Sububu, was killed in a military ambush in Nigeria, marking a significant victory in the fight against criminal gangs.

Cyril Ramaphosa rejects the notion of limited veto power for Africa’s potential UNSC seats, emphasizing the need for full participation and equal status for the continent.

The High Court in Nairobi sentenced Kenya’s acting police chief, Gilbert Masengeli, to six months in prison for not revealing the location of three men taken by police.

The government’s decision has sparked concerns about the country’s democratic progress.