US Embassy urges Americans to leave Mali immediately amid Jihadi fuel bloackade

 BAMAKO, Mali

The United States Embassy in Mali is urging all American citizens to leave the country immediately, warning of rising terror threats and a worsening fuel crisis caused by a jihadi blockade.

In a statement, the embassy said travelers should use commercial flights, as overland routes are too dangerous, with terrorist attacks reported along national highways.

It’s the second alert in just three days, following an earlier warning against travel to Mali because of crime, terrorism, and kidnappings.

The al-Qaida-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, announced in September that it had blocked fuel tankers from entering the country, part of its campaign against Mali’s ruling military authorities. Fighters have set more than 100 trucks on fire, crippling the nation’s fuel supply.

The impact has been severe, schools and universities have shut down nationwide, and transportation has nearly ground to a halt.

JNIM is one of several armed groups destabilizing the Sahel region, a vast stretch of desert from North Africa to West Africa, where an insurgency is spreading fast and the humanitarian toll is growing.

Cameroon opposition leader to face legal action over election unrest, government says

YAOUNDE,  Cameroon 

Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji says opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over allegations he incited "violent post-election demonstrations".

At least four protesters have been killed during clashes between security forces and opposition supporters since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya winning an eighth consecutive term.

Tchiroma Bakary insists he won the election, a claim dismissed by Biya's ruling party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).

Violent crackdowns by police and security officers on protesters have alarmed the international community, with the UN, African Union and EU calling for restraint.

On Tuesday, Nji accused Tchiroma Bakary of organising what he said were "illegal" protests leading to the loss of lives, and also criticised him for declaring victory in the election.

He added that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices responsible for an insurrectionary plan" will also face legal action.

Paul Biya, who came to power in 1982 and is now the world's oldest head of state, won the 12 October election with 53.7% of the vote, compared to 35.2% for Tchiroma Bakary, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.

Tchiroma Bakary is yet to respond to the government's decision to try him, but he had previously told our reporter that he would not accept a stolen vote - and that he was not afraid of being arrested.

On election result day, he said armed men opened fire on protesters assembled near his residence in Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.

On Tuesday, the interior minister revealed that an investigation would be launched into violent incidents before and after the announcement of the election results.

"During these attacks, some of the criminals lost their lives," he said, without providing a specific number of protesters who have been killed in the clashes.

Nji added that several members of the security forces also sustained serious injuries.

Although Nji insisted the situation nationwide was now under control, protesters remain active in some parts of the country, especially in Douala and Garoua, where demonstrators mounted roadblocks on Tuesday, and burnt tyres on the streets.

Analysts warn the post-electoral violence could plunge the country into a political crisis.

Tundu Lissu, Kizza Besigye honoured as champions of democracy in Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya 

Jailed Tanzanian and Ugandan opposition leaders Tundu Lissu and Kizza Besigye have been recognized as Champions of Democracy in Africa by the Democracy Union of Africa Conference 2025. 

Tundu Lissu's award comes as Tanzania heads to the polls on Wednesday amid growing criticism over the suppression of dissenting voices against President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government. 

KANU Chairperson Gideon Moi, Democratic Party Leader Justin Muturi, and former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo urged African States to uphold democratic values and respect the will of the people. 

Lissu’s award was received on behalf of CHADEMA Secretary General by Deogratius Munishi, who read the imprisoned leader’s acceptance speech.

“In the past six months that I have been in this maximum-security prison, charged with treason for calling for reforms to our rotten electoral system, CHADEMA has been slapped with a ban on political activity," Lissu stated in the speech, as read by Munishi. 

Former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, after whom the awards are named, called on African nations to uphold democracy and reject authoritarian tendencies

“There are those who would rather have authoritarian rule, arguing that democracy is cumbersome and slows development. We still have much work to do to convince such people that democracy is the only sustainable path forward," he noted. 

Moi and Muturi echoed calls for the protection of democratic institutions emphasizing respect for sovereignty and the rule of law.

“It is time we rise against radical populist politics and ensure we respect the sovereignty of our nations," said the KANU Chairman.

“All leaders in Africa must ensure that leadership is decided by the people," Muturi chimed in.

Former President Akufo-Addo also condemned the recent wave of unconstitutional power takeovers witnessed across Africa. He paid tribute to the late Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for his lifelong dedication to advancing democracy on the continent.

“He embodied the shared belief of all of us gathered here that democracy, however painful its process, remains our greatest hope," said Akufo-Addo.

The late Former President Daniel arap Moi was also honoured posthumously for his contributions to Africa’s development. The award was received by his son and KANU Chairman, Gideon Moi.

At least 64 killed in Rio's largest police raid on gangs

By Mimi Swaby, RIO DE JANEIRO Brazil

At least 64 people were killed in a police operation against the Red Command gang in Rio de Janeiro's northern suburbs - the largest and deadliest raid in the Brazilian state's history.

Four police officers were among those killed during Operation Containment in the Alemão and Penha districts, state Governor Cláudio Castro said. More than 80 people were arrested.

Fierce clashes erupted when about 2,500 security personnel moved in on Tuesday morning. The Red Command (Comando Vermelho) responded with gunfire, burning barricades and dropping bombs from drones, officials said.

The UN Human Rights Office said it was "horrified" by the police operation, urging "prompt and effective investigations".

The area of favelas near Rio's airport is considered to be the headquarters of one of Brazil's most powerful organised crime groups.

State officials said at least 50 of those killed were "indicated by police as suspected of being criminals".

Dozens of people were injured, including civilians caught in the crossfire.

Locals have likened the hillside area - home to about 300,000 people - to a "war zone" since the operation began.

Roads remain closed throughout the region.

The Red Command group have been expanding their territory across the Rio state, increasing drug trafficking routes and control of the hillside favelas.

Rio's police said more than 200kg (441lb) of drugs were seized in the raid, along with dozens of firearms.

The joint operation by civil and military police comes after a year-long investigation.

Dozens of the suspects are thought to be members of a faction from the Pará state who are currently hiding in Rio de Janeiro.

Large-scale police operations are not uncommon in Brazil ahead of major international events in the South American nation.

The UN climate summit COP30 is taking place in the northern city of Belem in November.

Tanzanian president poised to retain power as rivals barred from election

DAR-ES-SALAAM,  Tanzania 

Tanzania’s president looks on course to strengthen her grip on the country as it holds a general election on Wednesday against the backdrop of rapidly intensifying repression and the exclusion of opposition candidates.

Samia Hassan, a former vice-president who took office after the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021, has left nothing to chance for her first presidential and parliamentary electoral test.

Candidates from the two main opposition parties in the east African country have been disqualified, opposition gatherings have been banned and government critics have been abducted, killed or arrested.

Analysts say they expect voter apathy, possible unrest over the stifling of opposition voices, and the further entrenchment of Hassan and the ruling CCM party.

“Tanzania will never be the same after this election,” said Deus Valentine, the chief executive of the Center for Strategic Litigation, a non-profit organisation based in Dar es Salam, a commercial port city on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast. “We are either entering a completely new paradigm or level of impunity, or we are entering a completely new level of civil defiance. Something is going to give.”

Hassan started her tenure by undoing some of Magufuli’s authoritarian and repressive policies, including ending a ban on political rallies and making reconciliatory moves with the opposition. Along the way, she gained local and international approval.

But she later backtracked and her administration has been accused of overseeing a grim return to the repression of the past, dashing hopes of lasting change.

In June, after the reported disappearance and torture of two activists, Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda, UN experts called on the Tanzanian government to “immediately stop the enforced disappearance of political opponents, human rights defenders and journalists”.

The UN experts said more than 200 cases of enforced disappearance had been recorded in Tanzania since 2019.

A wave of abductions in the lead-up to this election has increased public anger against Hassan. One of those taken was Humphrey Polepole, a CCM insider who had resigned from his role as ambassador to Cuba and become a vocal critic of the government, CCM and Hassan’s leadership. His family said he was abducted by unknown individuals early this month.

In June, Tanzanian police dismissed claims of increasing abductions and disappearances, claiming some were staged. Hassan has in the past ordered an investigation into abduction reports but the findings have not been made public.

A crackdown on opposition parties has intensified in recent months. In April, Tundu Lissu, the chair of the leading opposition party, Chadema, was arrested and charged with treason and cybercrime offences. 

His party, which has led calls for a boycott of the election unless electoral systems are reformed, was later disqualified from participating.

Last month Luhaga Mpina, the leader of ACT-Wazalendo, another opposition party, was also disqualified, meaning Hassan will contest only lesser-known candidates from minor parties.

Nicodemus Minde, a researcher with the Institute for Security Studies, said at a seminar organised by the institute: “The political landscape going into the election remains sharply polarised, with opposition leaders facing legal harassment and civic space that has been constrained.”

He said the absence of Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo from the ballot had made this election “arguably the least competitive” since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992.

CCM and its predecessor TANU have ruled the country since independence in 1961, making it one of the longest-ruling political forces in Africa.

Among those being allowed to run against CCM is Salum Mwalimu, a running mate of Lissu during the 2000 presidential election. He is running for the Chaumma party, which is made up of many Chadema defectors.

Observers say Hassan’s opponents lack the resources and name recognition to compete with the countrywide party machinery that CCM has built over the decades and benefited from to entrench its rule.

In the 2020 presidential election, Magufuli won with 84.4% of the vote and Lissu was second with 13.04%.

More than 37 million people are eligible to vote. The election encompasses separate votes for the president, MPs and local politicians.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 29/10/2025

 

Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara wins reelection with 89.77% votes

ABIDJAN,  Ivory Coast 

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term with 89.77% of the vote, according to provisional results announced Monday, following an election marked by historically low turnout and the exclusion of his main political rivals.

The 83-year-old incumbent won a commanding 89.7% of the vote.

His closest rivals, former Commerce Minister Jean-Louis Billon and former First Lady Simone Gbagbo, conceded defeat after capturing just 3% and 2.4% of the vote, respectively.

Billon congratulated Ouattara on Sunday, and Gbagbo followed suit on Monday, ensuring a peaceful outcome unlike the violent 2010 post-election crisis.

The election was characterized by a sidelined opposition.

Key figures Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam were disqualified, leaving the remaining candidates without major party support.

This contributed to a voter turnout of only 50%, reflecting widespread apathy.

"There was no reason to vote. Everything was arranged for Ouattara to win," commented one disillusioned voter in Abidjan.

Analysts view the win as reinforcing a trend of "constitutional engineering" and democratic backsliding in West Africa.

While Ouattara has overseen economic growth, his new term raises urgent questions about succession in a nation with a history of violent power struggles.

He has pledged to foster a new generation of leaders, but with the ruling party divided and no clear heir, the country faces uncertainty.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 28/10/2025

 

Deadly fire ravages Bukavu neighborhood in DRC, claiming 14 lives

A devastating nighttime fire swept through the working-class Funu neighborhood of Bukavu, killing 14 members of two families and leaving a community in mourning amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the rebel-controlled city.

In the smoldering aftermath Monday morning, Red Cross volunteers and local youth worked solemnly through the charred debris of collapsed homes, recovering victims' remains.

The fire, which erupted around midnight, rapidly consumed multiple dwellings in an area known for unregulated construction and frequent electrical hazards.

"I heard noises, woke up, and spotted the fire," recounted survivor Patrick Gedeon, who escaped but returned to find 14 neighbors dead.

Another resident, Olivier Bangalwa, described the terrifying moment residents became trapped: "When I saw the staircase engulfed in flames, those on the upper floors could no longer flee." The victims were predominantly women and children.

The tragedy highlights Bukavu's persistent urban safety challenges, where rapid, unregulated construction and makeshift electrical installations create constant fire risks.

The disaster is further complicated by the city's security situation—since February 2025, Bukavu has been under AFC-M23 rebel control.

While the rebel group has committed to providing victims with dignified burials, resident Ngwabuluka Jean echoed community appeals for government intervention: "We have nothing remaining."

Cameroon's 92-year-old president wins controversial eighth term

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon

Cameroon's 92-year-old president has won a controversial eighth term, in a fiercely disputed election.

Paul Biya, who is the world's oldest head of state, won 53.7% of the vote, compared to the 35.2% of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the Constitutional Council declared.

Before the announcement, Tchiroma Bakary - a former Biya ally - insisted he had won the election, but the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) dismissed his claim.

The election, held on 12 October, has been marred with deadly violence, and in recent days, hundreds of Tchiroma Bakary's supporters have defied protest bans in several cities, and clashed with security forces.

Biya thanked voters for "once again" trusting him.

"I sincerely hope that, together, we resolutely undertake to build a peaceful, united and prosperous Cameroon," he said in a statement.

On Sunday, at least four people were killed during protests in Cameroon's economic capital of Douala.

The regional governor, Samuel Dieudonné Diboua, said police posts had come under attack and security forces had defended themselves.

The unrest continued on Monday, when a number of people were shot dead near Tchiroma Bakary's residence in the city of Garoua, a local journalist on the scene told the BBC.

Around the same time, the opposition leader wrote on Facebook that shots were being fired at civilians gathered outside his home. He later claimed that snipers had been stationed at the house across from his, and were "firing at point-blank range at the people".

The authorities have not yet commented on these reports.

Protesters were denouncing what they said was a plan by the ruling CPDM, to "steal the victory" from Tchiroma Bakary.

The situation is so tense in the capital, Yaoundé, that almost all shops and schools have remained closed, while most civil servants and office workers stayed home.

In total, 10 candidates were in the running for the presidential office, including former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari.

Voter turnout was 58%.

At least 10 petitions alleging electoral malpractice have been rejected by the Constitutional Council.

Residents in Yaoundé have been voicing their opinions on Biya's controversial victory.

"We are at the beginning of another nightmare," Amungwa Nicodemus told our correspondent.

"The economy is declining, corruption is endemic, a lot of things are going wrong."

Another resident, Abolo Denis, urged Cameroonians to accept the result, saying that peace is of the utmost importance.

"What struck me first, after the proclamation of the results, was the silence - graveyard silence," said Vivian Muma, in the northern city of Bamenda.

"The silence tells it all. Cameroonian people decided, but those who [make] the decisions, they decided otherwise," she said.

The governing party has hailed Biya's victory "under the sign of greatness and hope" in online posts.

Biya, who came to power in 1982, is rarely seen in public and is known for spending time outside Africa in Swiss hotels. These long absences coupled with his advanced age has, in the past, led to rumours he was dead.

While his leadership has been praised for the expansion of schools and public universities, and his handling of the Bakassi dispute - which saw the oil-rich peninsula handed to Cameroon instead of Nigeria - his tenure has also faced criticisms.

A violent separatist insurgency in the English-speaking west has been running for almost a decade, unemployment stands at 40% for the under-35s, roads and hospitals are crumbling, and freedom of speech has been limited.

Analysts have warned in recent days that Cameroon, a once peaceful country, could descend into political turmoil if the election results did not reflect the will of the people.

"Biya now has a notably shaky mandate given many of his own citizens don't believe he won the election," Murithi Mutiga, Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group, said in a statement.

"We call on Biya to urgently initiate a national mediation to prevent further escalation," he added.

Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in thriller

MADRID,  Spain 

It was almost the perfect day for Real Madrid as Xabi Alonso's side beat Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico to go five points clear at the top of La Liga.

Jude Bellingham got his first league goal and assist of the season after a difficult few months recovering from shoulder surgery.

Kylian Mbappe continued his lethal form in front of goal, while Alonso's tactics in his first Clasico in the dugout worked like a charm.

But then the Vinicius Jr question reared its head once more.

Unhappy with being substituted in the 72nd minute, the Brazilian winger ranted as he walked straight past his manager and stormed down the tunnel, before returning to the bench several minutes later.

As first Clasicos go, this wasn't a bad one for Alonso. Seven of Real's previous eight managers lost their first La Liga meeting with Barcelona.

After the laissez-faire, player-orientated approach of Carlo Ancelotti failed to get results last season, Alonso's positional game-model yielded its first major result.

"He got it spot on. Real Madrid were very good, and Barcelona didn't play well because of what Real Madrid were doing," Balague told our reporter.

"Without the ball they pressed high for as long as they could, and if they were beaten, they tracked back in an organised way, everybody including Vinicius.

"They defended in two lines separated by five to 10 metres. Barcelona could not find a way through."

The new system looks to be good news for Bellingham, who last season was essentially asked to do everything in midfield and more.

On paper the 22-year-old played on the right of midfield, but in practice he had the freedom to come inside and either support Mbappe or crash the penalty area.

"By using Eduardo Camavinga in central midfield, you get more dynamism and more ways to close down the channels," said Balague.

"That forced them to put Bellingham on the right-hand side. I'm sure he would have been asked to keep an eye on the runs of Mbappe when he had the ball and had space, and he found him a few times.

"He was asked to get into the box and be around the edge of the box, where he is very dangerous. He also came inside to close the inside channels and make Barcelona's life very difficult."