Tuesday, May 19, 2026
AFCON 2027 Qualifier: Super Eagles Draw Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau in Group L
CAIRO, Egypt
The road to the has officially begun for the Super Eagles after Nigeria was drawn in Group L of the qualification series during the draw ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt.
Nigeria will battle Madagascar national football team, Tanzania national football team and Guinea-Bissau national football team in what promises to be a highly competitive qualification campaign.
The Super Eagles, three-time African champions, head into the qualifiers as one of the continent’s top-seeded teams following their strong performances in recent tournaments.
Nigeria will be aiming to secure an early qualification ticket and continue their quest for a fourth AFCON title.
The inclusion of Tanzania in the group adds extra intrigue, as the East African nation is one of the co-hosts for the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Although Tanzania has already secured automatic qualification as a host nation, the Taifa Stars will still participate in the qualifiers.
Football analysts believe Nigeria will be favourites to top the group, but matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau are expected to pose serious challenges.
Madagascar have continued to improve in recent years, while Guinea-Bissau remain one of West Africa’s resilient sides in continental competitions.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will be played across FIFA international windows between September 2026 and March 2027, with teams competing on a home-and-away basis.
The 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda under the “PAMOJA” banner, is scheduled to hold from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Kenya strike over rising fuel prices pauses after mass shutdown
NAIROBI, Kenya
A Kenyan transport strike triggered by rising fuel prices from to the Middle East war was paused on Tuesday after causing four deaths and major economic disruption, raising concerns about potential wider unrest across Africa.
One of many African countries dependent on fuel imports from the Gulf, Kenya has hiked petrol prices by 20 percent and diesel by almost 40 percent since Iran choked off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil normally passes.
The transport sector, especially operators of the "matatu" buses that provide most public transport in Kenya, called the strike on Monday after another steep price rise last week.
"The strike that is going on is suspended for a period of one week to provide an avenue for consultations and negotiations between the government and stakeholders," interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen told reporters on Tuesday.
Albert Karakacha, the president of Matatu Owners Association, confirmed the suspension -- although other representatives warned they would protest again if the negotiations were not serious.
Earlier in the day, while the strike was still on, Cornelius Chepsoi, chairman of the Rig Owners Association, told AFP they would not be satisfied by a political move "lowering the price of diesel by a very tiny margin".
Analysts warned that soaring oil prices could be sign of more protests across the continent.
Last week, rising fuel prices sparked protests in Comoros, paralysing the Indian Ocean nation, where one person was confirmed dead.
"We think the unrest in Kenya is an early indicator of what could unfold elsewhere across the continent if elevated oil prices persist," warned political analyst Jervin Naidoo.
"As the conflict in the Middle East enters its third month, the risk of further supply disruptions and sustained price increases remains high."
In Nairobi's nearly empty central business district, Faith, a nurse who declined to give her surname, said she spent 24 hours at Poplar Hospital as she was unable to get home.
"I did not expect this... It's really affecting patient care, big time," she said, adding that despite the transport shutdown she still supported the strike "because the fuel prices don't make sense".
Schools and embassies in the capital Nairobi were also closed.
The government said four people were killed and more than 30 injured nationwide on Monday, while police confirmed on Tuesday that over 700 people had been arrested during the violent protests.
Rights groups denounced lethal violence by police, with Amnesty International urging "maximum restraint".
Motorbike taxi driver Fred Makarani, 59, told AFP he did not support the strike, saying he had had no customers for two days, and called for a return to work.
"They're scared of goons," he said, referring to people paid to violently disrupt political events and protests.
Kenya's vital trade corridor was also disrupted, with local media reporting truckers had refused to drive over fears their vehicles would be attacked and torched by demonstrators.
The government's treasury and economic planning minister John Mbadi said the strike was "completely uncalled for".
"This is a war that we have not caused," he told the NTV broadcaster on Monday.
Critics argue Kenya has high taxes on fuel that could be reduced, although it is also reliant on them to service mountains of debt and a strained budget.
A day of protests such as Monday's can cost Kenya's economy around 50 billion shillings ($390 million) a day, economist XN Iraki told AFP.
"This is a massive headache for the government. Fuel taxes are easy to collect and heavily anchor public spending," economist Kwame Owino posted on X.
The energy regulator said last week that the government had spent $38.5 million to cushion consumers from rising diesel and kerosene prices.
Last month, Kenyan authorities also suspended fuel quality standards to maintain supply in the face of shortages.
While Kenya is among east Africa's most dynamic economies, around a third of its 50 million citizens still live in poverty and unemployment remains high.
Monday, May 18, 2026
Belgian diplomat linked to Lumumba case dies before landmark trial
BRUSSELS, Belgium
Étienne Davignon, the last surviving Belgian official facing prosecution over the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, has died at the age of 93, bringing an end to the criminal case that was seen as a historic reckoning with Belgium’s colonial past.
Davignon, a towering figure in Belgian and European politics, died on Monday while appealing a March court decision ordering him to stand trial for alleged war crimes.
Prosecutors accused him of participating in Lumumba’s unlawful detention and transfer and of helping deny him a fair trial. Davignon consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Lumumba became the first prime minister of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo after independence from Belgium in 1960.
Just months later, he was overthrown and assassinated in a killing that became one of the defining events of Africa’s post-colonial history and a symbol of foreign interference on the continent.
Davignon was the only remaining suspect in a case launched in 2011 by Lumumba’s children against ten Belgian officials.
His death effectively ends the criminal proceedings, but not the broader legal battle.
Lawyers for the Lumumba family say they will now pursue civil action against the Belgian state in an effort to establish responsibility for colonial crimes and seek further accountability.
Born into Belgian aristocracy, Davignon served as a senior diplomat, a European commissioner and a prominent business leader.
For supporters, he was one of the architects of modern Belgium and European integration. For critics, his final years were overshadowed by unresolved questions about Belgium’s role in the removal and killing of Congo’s independence hero.
More than six decades after Lumumba’s death, the search for truth and justice continues to resonate in both Belgium and the Congo, where his legacy remains deeply tied to the struggle for sovereignty and dignity.
Strike over high fuel prices paralyses transport in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya
Thousands of Kenyan commuters have been stranded and businesses paralysed as public transport operators went on a nationwide strike to protest against recent increases in the cost fuel.
Key roads in the capital Nairobi remained largely empty, forcing some commuters to walk to work, with other parts of the country also affected by the transport crisis. Businesses in parts of Nairobi remained shut and schools asked students to stay at home.
Local TV on Monday showed protesters barricading roads and lighting fires.
The strike comes days after the authorities raised petroleum prices to record levels, with costs increasing by more than 20%.
Kenya, like many other African countries, relies heavily on fuel imports from the Gulf, a supply route disrupted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran that began on 28 February.
Even though a ceasefire has been declared, fuel prices have remained high as the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil passes through, is still blocked.
In parts of Nairobi and elsewhere across the country, police clashed with protesters, using tear gas to disperse them. This came amid reports of demonstrators stopping and harassing some motorists.
Ahead of the strike, the police assured Kenyans that security measures would be in place and warned against any disruptive conduct.
The association representing transport operators had earlier urged all vehicle users, including private motorists, public transport buses (locally known as matatus) and truckers, to stay off the roads as part of a coordinated shutdown.
"This action is not only for transport operators, but for every Kenyan citizen," the Transport Sector Alliance (TSA) said in a statement.
The alliance has accused the government of not doing enough to shield Kenyans from the rising fuel prices, amid a broader high cost-of-living crisis.
It has called for the reversal of the price increases announced last week, and for fuel prices to be reduced by about 35%.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) on Thursday raised prices to a high of 242 shillings ($1.8; £1.4) a litre for diesel and petrol to $1.65.
Treasury Minister John Mbadi told local NTV station on Monday that the increase in fuel prices was "unfortunate" and acknowledged that it was hurting the economy.
He however said the strike was "completely uncalled for" and the government would only make decisions that are "informed and not emotional".
"Why are we trying to solve a global problem using domestic means?" he asked.
The high cost of fuel is being blamed for increases in the price of food and other basic goods and services, with public service vehicles already raising commuter fares.
Last month, the government cut VAT on fuel from 16% to 8% until July but there have been calls for it to do more.
Ebola outbreak kills 88 in DR Congo as WHO declares global emergency
GOMA, DR Congo
A fast‑moving Ebola outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 80 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and reached the major city of Goma, prompting the World Health Organization to declare an international health emergency amid fears the real scale of the crisis is far larger than reported.
Professor Jean‑Jacques Muyembe, head of the National Institute of Biomedical Research, confirmed that the epicentre lies in the Mongbwalu health zone, with infections quickly moving to Bunia, Rwampara — and now Goma.
“The epicentre must be the Mongbwalu health zone… and yesterday… there was a case in Goma,” he said, describing a woman infected by her husband who died in Bunia.
Health officials warn that the outbreak is unfolding in a densely populated, conflict‑affected region, complicating containment.
“It is an epidemic that will spread very rapidly… there are many armed groups in this province. That is what will make managing this epidemic very, very, very complicated,” Muyembe added.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the situation now constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the organisation’s second‑highest alert level.
He stressed that the outbreak “does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency”, but warned of major uncertainties around the true number of infections and the geographic spread.
Africa CDC reports 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases, while Doctors Without Borders prepares a “large‑scale response”, calling the rapid spread “extremely concerning”.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, first identified in 2007.
Unlike the Zaire strain — for which vaccines exist — Bundibugyo has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, and its fatality rate can reach 50%.
DR Congo’s health minister Samuel‑Roger Kamba confirmed that patient zero was a nurse who reported symptoms in Bunia on April 24. Uganda has also reported one death linked to the same strain.
Local civil society groups describe a dire situation: “There is nowhere to isolate the sick. They are dying at home and their bodies are being handled by their family members,” said Isaac Nyakulinda in Bunia.
Poor roads, insecurity and limited laboratory capacity mean few samples are being tested, raising fears the outbreak is far larger than official figures suggest.
The WHO notes that the high positivity rate, confirmed cases in two countries, and growing reports of suspected infections “all point towards a potentially much larger outbreak”.
This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, a country four times the size of France with over 100 million inhabitants. The deadliest outbreak in the region, between 2018 and 2020, killed nearly 2,300 people.
Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, with symptoms including fever, vomiting and haemorrhaging. The incubation period can last up to 21 days.
As MSF mobilises staff and equipment, and WHO ramps up surveillance, authorities warn that the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether the outbreak can be contained.
Rwandan genocide suspect Kabuga, 93, dies in custody
THE HAGUE, Netherlands
Felicien Kabuga, a suspect in the 1994 Rwanda genocide, has died in custody, a U.N. court said on Saturday. He was 93.
Kabuga was arrested in France in 2020 after more than two decades on the run and extradited to The Hague. He was later ruled unfit to stand trial because of dementia and was also deemed too ill to return to Rwanda.
With no country willing to accept him, Kabuga remained in the U.N. detention centre in The Hague. The court said it had ordered an inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
The former businessman and radio station owner was among the last fugitives sought over the genocide, in which Hutu extremists killed more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 100 days.
Prosecutors accused Kabuga of promoting hate speech through his broadcaster Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines and of helping arm ethnic Hutu militias.
The court that announced his death, the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, oversees remaining cases from the former U.N. tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)