Author: WAJ Team

Kemi Seba, founder of the Pan-African NGO Urgences Panafricanistes, has formally announced his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election in Benin. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) this past Sunday, Seba revealed that after considerable reflection, he has decided to respond to requests from his supporters urging him to enter the race. “After months, even years, of reflection, I have made the decision to answer your persistent calls to run for the presidency of Benin,” Seba said in the video. His announcement comes amid ongoing political discussions in the country, with many citizens seeking leadership change.…

In a phone call on Sunday, Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, reiterated Egypt’s steadfast support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and security. The conversation followed up on the outcomes of Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Faki’s visit to Cairo on December 23. Minister Abdelatty highlighted Egypt’s ongoing commitment to Somalia’s territorial integrity, emphasizing that Egypt’s support aligns with international legal principles. He stressed the importance of continuing to bolster Somalia’s state institutions, which are essential to the country’s stability and long-term prosperity. Additionally, Minister Abdelatty assured his Somali counterpart that Egypt would remain a reliable partner in…

On January 5, 2025, President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) met with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, at the Amiri Diwan in Doha. The meeting underscored the commitment of both nations to enhance their diplomatic and economic ties. During the discussions, the leaders focused on advancing bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, and cultural exchanges. Both parties expressed a shared vision to expand collaboration and achieve mutual growth across various sectors. In addition to bilateral issues, President Tshisekedi and the Amir exchanged views on significant regional and international…

Nine civilians, including women and children, were killed in an attack on a vehicle in Mali’s Segou region last Thursday, a civil society group and a rebel coalition reported late on Saturday. The groups have accused the Malian military and Russian mercenaries of being behind the assault. The attack took place while the vehicle was traveling from the town of Niono towards a refugee camp in Mauritania. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Tuareg rebel coalition, stated that the vehicle was struck by gunfire as it made its way through the region. The civil society group Kal Akal, which also…

Three Chinese nationals have been arrested in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after being discovered with 12 gold bars and $800,000 in cash. The discovery was made when authorities searched the vehicle in which the suspects were traveling. The gold and cash were hidden beneath the vehicle’s seats, according to South Kivu Governor Jean Jacques Purusi. This operation was carried out under a veil of secrecy, following the recent release of another group of Chinese nationals who had been detained for allegedly operating an illegal gold mine in the region. Governor Purusi highlighted the sensitive nature of the…

Mozambique’s mining industry is facing an uncertain future as the nation grapples with ongoing political instability, triggered by a dispute over the October 2024 election results. The unrest, which has continued for weeks, is causing severe disruption across the country, and the effects are being felt most acutely in the mining sector, a key pillar of the national economy. According to Plataforma Decide, a local monitoring group, at least 278 people have lost their lives in the violence, including civilians, security personnel, and protesters. Thousands of businesses have been affected, with 500 companies reported to have been vandalized, leading to…

Somalia’s Defense Minister, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama, has expressed appreciation for the Ethiopian Defense Forces for their “sacrifices and contributions” in maintaining peace and stability in Somalia, despite a history of diplomatic tensions between the two nations. This marks a notable shift in Somalia’s stance toward Ethiopia, with the Minister previously referring to Ethiopia as Somalia’s “number one enemy.” The tensions stemmed from a 2024 agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, in which Ethiopia recognized Somaliland’s self-declared independence in exchange for access to the Red Sea. Somalia rejected the deal, deeming it legally invalid and viewing it as a threat to…

As 2025 begins, Kenya’s wildlife conservation efforts have been buoyed by an extraordinary event in the Shimba Hills National Reserve, where a mother elephant has given birth to twin calves. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the remarkable discovery on January 2, sharing the news via its social media platforms. This marks the third instance of twin elephant births recorded in Kenya over the past three years, underscoring the region’s growing significance in global wildlife conservation. Twin births among elephants are a rarity, with the phenomenon occurring in less than one percent of all elephant births. The phenomenon’s rarity is…

The Ethiopian government has launched a mass evacuation of around 80,000 people from the Afar, Oromia, and Amhara regions after a series of earthquakes struck the country, raising concerns about potential volcanic activity. Over the past week, at least ten tremors have been recorded, with the most significant occurring early on Saturday morning, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of this earthquake was located southeast of Ambosa, in Oromia, with a second tremor following hours later in the Afar region. Experts from Addis Ababa University confirmed that the earthquake’s epicenter was situated near Dofen Mountain in the Awash…

Five civilian volunteers assisting the Burkinabe military were killed in a deadly attack this week in the western part of the country, security officials confirmed on Saturday. The assault took place on Thursday in the Gnangdin area, located near the borders of Togo and Ghana. The volunteers, members of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), a local group formed to support the army’s fight against insurgents, were targeted by armed terrorist groups while stationed at a forward security position. A security official stated, “Unfortunately, five volunteers lost their lives during the attack.” The VDP members are locally…

At least eight civilians have been killed, and 53 others wounded in a series of artillery shelling attacks carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and the western city of El Fasher in North Darfur. The Ministry of Health in Khartoum confirmed that on Saturday, the RSF launched multiple artillery strikes targeting civilian areas in the Karari locality of Omdurman, located north of Khartoum, and the Sharq Alneel (East Nile) locality, situated to the east of the capital. The attacks resulted in the deaths of four civilians and left 43 others with injuries. The…

At least five Cameroonian soldiers were killed and several others wounded in a cross-border attack by Nigerian gunmen on the village of Bakinjaw, located near the Cameroon-Nigeria border. The assault occurred early on Friday and is the latest in a series of violent clashes between armed groups seeking to gain control of the region. Aka Martin Tyoga, Member of Parliament for Akwaya district in southwestern Cameroon, confirmed that the attack involved hundreds of armed Fulani herdsmen who crossed from Taraba state in Nigeria. Tyoga suggested that the raid was a retaliatory strike, following the deaths of several herdsmen in a…

At least 176 people have been killed by police in Mozambique following violent protests triggered by supporters of self-exiled presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane. The protests erupted in response to allegations of electoral fraud in the country’s general elections held on October 9, 2024. The unrest, described by Mondlane as the “Turbo V8” phase, began on December 23, 2024, after the Constitutional Council, Mozambique’s highest legal body, upheld the results of the election, which declared the ruling Frelimo party and its candidate, Daniel Chapo, as the victors. Mondlane’s supporters, who have been protesting since October, claimed the election was rigged, and…

Morocco’s dam water reserves have reached a filling rate of 28.44%, offering a much-needed respite from the ongoing water scarcity that has plagued the country for nearly six years. This boost comes following a series of favorable weather conditions and rainfall that have contributed to a rise in the total volume of water stored in the nation’s reservoirs, now at 4,790.03 billion cubic meters. The increase in water levels is seen as a positive development in the fight against severe drought conditions, with several key dams reporting significant improvements in water storage. Notably, Allal El Fassi is now 97.48% full,…

Ghana’s parliament has approved a provisional budget totaling 68.1 billion Ghanaian cedis ($4.65 billion), ensuring government operations can continue through March. The approval, announced by Speaker Alban Bagbin, was made following a late-night session on Thursday, narrowly avoiding a potential government shutdown. The provisional budget is typically passed in election years to cover the period until the new president is sworn in. This year’s approval faced delays due to a dispute over which political party, the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) or the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC), holds the majority in parliament. Despite the delay, the provisional budget was…

Almost 1,000 Mozambican nationals have sought asylum in the Kingdom of Eswatini over the past two months, fleeing the ongoing post-election crisis in Mozambique. Eswatini’s authorities confirmed that 911 refugees have been registered at the Malindza refugee center since November, as political unrest and violent clashes continue to rock the neighboring country. The crisis in Mozambique erupted in October following a contentious presidential election, which has led to widespread protests and violent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces. Civil society organizations report nearly 300 deaths as the situation spirals out of control. Protestors, alleging electoral fraud, have clashed with police…