A UN-protected wildlife reserve in Congo is facing growing threats from illegal gold mining, with a Chinese company accused of significantly damaging the environment. For eight years, Kimia Mining, a Chinese-owned firm, has expanded its operations inside the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local communities and conservationists say the company’s activities are wreaking havoc on the area’s biodiversity. Established as a protected area in 1996, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve covers over 13,000 square kilometers (5,000 square miles) of rainforest and is home to unique species, including the okapi, a forest giraffe. The reserve holds about 15% of the world’s remaining okapi population, estimated at just 30,000 animals. It also plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change, as part of the Congo Basin rainforest, a major carbon sink. However, over the years, the boundaries of the reserve have been gradually reduced under unclear circumstances, allowing mining companies like Kimia Mining to operate within its limits. Despite being a protected area, the reserve has long been a site for illegal mining, with authorities cracking down only after the arrival of the Chinese firm. Kimia Mining has allowed limited access for locals to mine leftover materials, but many cannot afford the fees. Muvunga Kakule, a 44-year-old former artisanal miner, says he has lost nearly all his income since the Chinese arrived. He no longer mines or sells produce, as the company refuses to buy from local farmers. “Our life has not been the same since the Chinese came and chased us out of the bush. We can no longer work or send our children to school,” he says. Conservation groups are working to protect the reserve, but they face difficulties in enforcement due to unclear legalities surrounding the boundaries. Kimia Mining has recently renewed its mining permits until 2048, according to government records. While the Congo government’s mining registry claims it is working with the ICCN (the body responsible for managing protected areas) to update the reserve’s boundaries, it is unclear when action will be taken. An internal government memo from August indicated that all mining operations in the reserve, including Kimia Mining, would eventually be shut down, but no timeline has been set. Aime Vusike Kiruzi, director of Epulu Radio, based inside the reserve, expressed concern over the loss of wildlife. “We are no longer seeing some species that used to be well protected here,” he said. “In our time, we saw okapi, elephants, antelopes, even monkeys. But it is no longer easy to see them.” Kiruzi called on Congolese authorities to protect the reserve for future generations, so they can witness the same wildlife he saw growing up.

Thousands of Syrians gathered on Monday outside Saydnaya military prison, just north of Damascus, hoping to find their loved ones. Civil defense workers and teams from the White Helmets were seen digging inside the prison, searching for hidden cells or underground chambers. The notorious prison, known as the “human slaughterhouse,” has long been a symbol of fear and suffering for the Syrian people. Ghazwan Hussein, who came to search for relatives, said, “We have detainees who were taken since 2011, 2012, and 2013.” During the early days of the Syrian conflict, as insurgents made rapid advances across the country, they broke into prisons and security facilities to release political prisoners and many of those who had disappeared since the war began. On Sunday, reports emerged of women detainees, some with children, screaming as men forcibly broke the locks off their cell doors. Syria’s prisons have gained a horrific reputation for their brutal conditions. Human rights organizations, whistleblowers, and former detainees report systematic torture, while secret executions have been carried out at more than two dozen facilities controlled by Syrian intelligence. Amnesty International estimates that up to 13,000 people were secretly executed at Saydnaya between 2011 and 2016. In 2013, a Syrian military defector known as “Caesar” smuggled out over 53,000 photographs, which human rights groups say provide clear evidence of widespread torture, disease, and starvation within Syria’s prison system.

Africa is full of surprises, including some unexpected winter havens

Three people were killed and several others injured in clashes between two ethnic groups in northern Cameroon over cattle theft.

Tanzania’s president pardoned 1,548 prisoners on Independence Day to mark the country’s liberation from British colonial rule.

General al Burhan-controlled government has officially requested an urgent Arab League meeting to address foreign interference in its internal affairs.

At least 11 people were killed in southern Chad during a clash between nomadic herders and farmers.

The Khartoum Southern Belt Emergency Room reported that 28 people died and 37 were injured in a SAF drone attack on a fuel station near New Soug Sitta in the Mayo district

Attack occurred on Dec. 5 at border junction between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, reports state-run media

Both men denied the charges at the start of their trial in 2021

Love spicy food? One of the most iconic chili peppers, piri piri, traces its fiery origins back to Africa

Gana’da 7 Aralık’ta düzenlenen cumhurbaşkanı ve milletvekili seçimlerinde yaşanan şiddet olaylarında 2 kişinin hayatını kaybettiği bildirildi. Bağımsız Seçim Hizmetleri Direktörü Benjamin Bano-Bio, yaptığı açıklamada, ülkede dün düzenlenen seçimler sırasında farklı seçim bölgelerinde şiddet olaylarının yaşandığını belirtti. Bano-Bio, çıkan olaylar nedeniyle dün başkent Akra ve Tolon bölgesinde 2 kişinin öldüğünü, çok sayıda kişinin de yaralandığını kaydetti. Diğer yandan, ulusal basındaki haberlere göre de Damango bölgesinde bugün oy sayımı sırasında yaşanan şiddet olaylarında 1 kişi hayatını kaybetti, bölgedeki seçim komisyonu ofisi kundaklandı. Resmi olmayan sonuçlara göre, ülkede dün yapılan seçimlerde ana muhalefetteki Ulusal Demokratik Kongre (NDC) adayı eski Cumhurbaşkanı John Dramani Mahama, oyların yüzde 55,1’ini alarak önde gidiyor. İktidardaki Ulusal Vatansever Partisi (NPP) adayı mevcut Cumhurbaşkanı Yardımcısı Mahamudu Bawumia ise yüzde 41,7 oyla ikinci sırada yer alıyor. Ülkede dün düzenlenen cumhurbaşkanı seçiminde 12 aday yarışmıştı.

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Nearly 50 Somali survivors of a migrant boat tragedy arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday, where they were greeted by government officials. The group had been rescued after two boats they were traveling on capsized off the coast of Madagascar, leaving around 25 people dead. Emotional scenes unfolded at the airport as survivors were reunited with family members. Haboon Deeqa, whose sister perished in the tragedy, expressed her grief: “I send my condolences to those who died, including my sister Hanan. I’m relieved my brother Ahmed has returned safely,” she said. “I’m very thankful to everyone who helped bring them home.” The survivors had spent nearly a month at sea, hoping to reach the French island of Mayotte, about 1,600 kilometers away. “We were 75 in total, and 28 people died. My cousin was among the victims. Forty-seven of us, myself included, survived,” said Ahmed Hussein Mahadalle. Many young Somalis are driven to undertake such perilous journeys due to unemployment, poverty, and drought in the Horn of Africa, hoping for a better life in Europe. Somalia’s foreign affairs minister recently urged youth to consider the risks and prioritize their safety. Maryan Yasin, Somalia’s presidential advisor on refugee affairs, expressed relief at the group’s safe return and emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing the root causes of such dangerous migration. “They assured me they will never take the same risk again,” she said, adding that solving the issue will require a collective effort. The United Nations has raised alarms about the increasing numbers fleeing conflict and drought in the Horn of Africa.

At least 28 civilians were killed in a shelling attack on a fuel station in Khartoum, Sudan.

At 66, Mahama returns to power after a term as president from 2012 to 2016, during which he served as a prominent figure in Ghanaian politics

Since the military coup in July 2023 ousted Niger’s pro-French President Mohamed Bazoum, the junta has blocked uranium exports, driving Somaïr toward financial collapse

Cassava, a humble root vegetable, holds a vital role in the lives of over 500 million Africans

Ethiopia experienced a nationwide power outage lasting nearly six hours, but power was fully restored.

Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo becomes Burkina Faso’s new prime minister as the junta-led government undergoes a major restructuring under Captain Traore.

Ethiopia’s nationwide blackout caused by a grid failure highlights the challenges of maintaining a stable power supply for Africa’s second most populous nation.

During the workshop, RSF representative Ergani emphasized that Sudan’s current conflict should be the last one

Ghanaians cast ballots amid economic challenges

Africa is a land of remarkable diversity, home to both vast deserts and lush rainforests