US Criticizes South Africa Over Iran’s Participation in Naval Drills

By Al Mayadeen English

16 Jan 2026 15:23

The US criticized South Africa for including Iran in naval exercises off Cape Town, warning that the move undermines maritime security and strains US–South Africa relations.

The United States has sharply criticized South Africa for allowing Iran to take part in joint naval drills off the coast of Cape Town, citing concerns that Tehran’s involvement could undermine regional stability and maritime security.

The criticism comes amid conflicting reports over the Islamic Republic’s actual participation, with visual evidence suggesting Iranian officials were present despite claims of a withdrawal.

In a statement posted on X Thursday night, the US Embassy in South Africa said: "Iran’s inclusion in joint exercises, in any capacity, undermines maritime security and regional stability. South Africa can’t lecture the world on justice while cozying up to Iran."

BRICS warships gather near Cape Town

The naval drills, which ended on Friday, involved warships from BRICS nations, including Iran, Russia, and China. Vessels docked at the Simon’s Town Naval Base near Cape Town as part of the multi-day exercise.

While some media outlets, including News24, reported that South Africa had persuaded Iran to withdraw, photos posted by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) showed Iranian officials present alongside captains of participating vessels.

The developments come amid renewed tensions between South Africa and its second-largest trading partner, the United States, particularly since the return of President Donald Trump to office last year.

Trump has taken a hardline stance on Iran, vowing to impose a 25% tariff on goods from countries that "do business" with the Islamic Republic. He has also threatened military action in response to Tehran’s domestic crackdown on protests.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Presidency issued a statement Thursday expressing concern over the situation in Iran, "We call on authorities in Tehran to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace."

The US Embassy also cited confusion within the South African government, stating: "The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defense and SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises."

As of Friday, South African government officials had not responded to requests for comment. The apparent disconnect between military and civilian leadership raises questions about Pretoria’s foreign policy coherence and its ability to navigate competing geopolitical pressures.

KSA to Form Military Pact with Somalia, Egypt to Counter UAE Influence

By Al Mayadeen English

16 Jan 2026 13:46

Saudi Arabia is close to sealing a military pact with Somalia and Egypt, aiming to curb the UAE’s growing influence in the Red Sea region amid rising tensions over Somaliland, port deals, and regional security.

Saudi Arabia is finalizing a new military and security agreement with Somalia and Egypt, in a strategic move seen as an effort to limit the United Arab Emirates’ growing influence in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon to finalize the pact, which focuses on enhanced military cooperation and Red Sea security coordination. The agreement would mark Riyadh’s most direct military engagement with Somalia to date.

The development follows Somalia’s abrupt cancellation this week of its security and port agreements with the UAE, accusing Abu Dhabi of violating Somali sovereignty by using its territory to extract a Yemeni separatist leader.

The Somali news agency said the move followed strong reports and evidence of “malicious actions” that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity, and political independence.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both key members of OPEC+, have been simmering in recent months. Riyadh has reportedly urged Mogadishu to scale back its relations with Abu Dhabi, especially after it ordered Emirati forces to withdraw from Yemen as part of a broader recalibration of regional power balances.

Saudi Arabia steps up in the Horn of Africa

Though Saudi Arabia has long expressed support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and its struggle against the militant group Al-Shabaab, it has provided relatively limited material support. The emerging pact would be the first instance of Riyadh formally committing to strengthening Somalia’s military capacity.

A spokesperson for the Somali government confirmed that a deal is in progress, though details remain undisclosed. Officials from Saudi Arabia’s government and defense ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Egyptian government also declined to issue a statement.

Meanwhile, the UAE has increased its presence across North and East Africa, backing armed factions in conflicts in Libya and Sudan, and investing heavily in strategic port infrastructure. This includes facilities in Berbera, located in the self-declared breakaway region of Somaliland, and Bosaso in Puntland.

Despite its public commitment to Somalia’s sovereignty, Abu Dhabi’s economic and security ties with Somaliland have raised tensions with Mogadishu and its allies.

Somaliland-'Israel' deal sparks regional backlash

Somalia’s break with the UAE came shortly after "Israel" officially recognized Somaliland, triggering swift condemnation from regional powers including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey.

Riyadh rallied the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), headquartered in Jeddah, to denounce the recognition as an “illegal measure.”

In its statement, the OIC warned that the move posed a "direct threat to the peace and security of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region."

In the same context, Cairo has been steadily increasing its engagement with Somalia. In 2023, Egypt signed a bilateral agreement with Mogadishu aimed at strengthening military cooperation and institutional capacity, a sign of its growing interest in maintaining stability and influence in East Africa.

The new trilateral alignment between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Somalia, if finalized, could reshape the regional balance of power and serve as a counterweight to UAE-backed ventures across the Red Sea corridor.

More Than 100 Dead in Torrential Rains and Floods Across Southern Africa

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME, MICHELLE GUMEDE and GERALD IMRAY

4:40 PM EST, January 16, 2026

NKOMAZI, South Africa (AP) — Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said Friday.

The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after weeks of heavy rains. Weather services issued warnings that more rain was on the way, possibly bringing more destructive flooding.

More than 200,000 people affected in Mozambique

Mozambique was the hardest hit, with flooding across swathes of the country’s central and southern provinces. Its Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people had died in an unusually severe rainy season since late last year, though that count included deaths from various causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning in floods, infrastructure collapse caused by the severe weather and cholera, the institute said.

More than 200,000 people have been affected in Mozambique, thousands of homes have been damaged and tens of thousands face evacuation, the World Food Program said of another crisis in a poor country with limited resources that has faced several damaging cyclones in the last few years.

In neighboring South Africa, officials said Friday the death toll from floods in two northern provinces had risen to at least 30, with rescue efforts ongoing.

Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said that 70 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in heavy rains since the beginning of the year, while infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges collapsed. Flooding has also hit the island nation of Madagascar as well as Malawi and Zambia.

The United States’ Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven southern African nations, possibly due to the presence of the La Nina weather phenomenon that can bring heavy rains to parts of southeastern Africa.

The army is deployed in South Africa

The South African army was using helicopters to pluck people to safety as they took refuge on rooftops or in trees in the northern Limpopo province. The army also had to rescue police officers and border control officers from a checkpoint on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border, it said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken areas in Limpopo on Thursday and said that region had received around 400 millimeters (more than 15 inches) of rain in less than a week. He said that in one district he visited “there are 36 houses that have just been wiped away from the face of the Earth.”

Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba said more than 1,000 houses were damaged across the province, with many of them washed away entirely. “It’s so terrible,” she said.

There was also extensive damage in Mpumalanga province, where roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed. In the Nkomazi Municipality near the border with Mozambique, residents were trying to repair the damage in their flooded homes and yards — and bracing for more extreme weather after the South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for more destructive rains and floods for that part of the country, the highest warning level.

“I am still terrified that the rains will return as these were the worst rains I have seen in this area,” said Nkomazi resident Josephina Mashaba.

Tourists and staff evacuated at Kruger park

South Africa’s renowned Kruger National Park, which covers some 22,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) across Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, has been affected by severe flooding. Around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas in the park, park spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.

He couldn’t immediately say how many people there were in the park, which has been closed to new visitors after several rivers burst their banks and flooded camps, restaurants and other areas. The national parks agency said precautions were being taken and no deaths or injuries had been reported at Kruger, but parts of the park were completely cut off by the floods.

Southern Africa has experienced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, including devastating cyclones that killed thousands across several countries and a scorching drought that caused a food crisis in parts of a region that often suffers food shortages.

The World Food Program said more than 70,000 hectares (about 173,000 acres) of crops in Mozambique, including staples such as rice and corn, have been waterlogged in the current flooding, worsening food insecurity for thousands of small-scale farmers who rely on their harvests for food.

___

Gumede reported from Johannesburg and Imray from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writers Charles Mangwiro in Maputo, Mozambique, and Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed to this report.

Uganda’s President Leads in Tense Election Marred by Internet Shutdown and Voting Interference

2:17 PM EST, January 16, 2026

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for 40 years, had an early lead Friday in a tense presidential election marred by an internet shutdown, voting delays and opposition allegations of ballot stuffing and detentions by security forces.

Provisional results from half of the polling stations tallied so far showed Museveni with more than 70% of the vote while his main challenger Robert Kyagulanyi, the musician-turned-opposition leader best known as Bobi Wine, had 19%, according to the national electoral commission. Wine asked his supporters to “ignore fake results being announced.”

Activists protesting against the election results so far lit bonfires in the capital, Kampala, on Friday afternoon as the provisional results were being announced. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert urging its citizens to be cautious as security officers were “firing into the air to disperse gatherings”.

The 81-year-old Museveni has served the third-longest tenure of any African leader and is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade. The aging president’s authority has become increasingly dependent on the military, which is led by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Wine, who is calling for political change, said he was unable to leave his house and that his polling agents in rural areas were abducted before the voting started, undermining his efforts to prevent alleged electoral offenses such as ballot stuffing.

Wine was hoping to end Museveni’s four-decade rule in an election during which the military was deployed and heavy security was posted outside Wine’s house near Kampala, the Ugandan capital, after the vote.

“He is a person of interest. He is a contestant,” police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told local broadcaster NBS, suggesting heavy security deployment around Wine’s home was for his own security.

Several people were killed and others were injured in a violent incident in central Uganda that involved supporters of two parliamentary candidates, Rusoke said. He said that more than 20 opposition supporters were arrested.

Rusoke also said police had dispersed a group of “rowdy and riotous youth” in Kawempe, an area of Kampala. Witnesses in Kawempe said they heard gunfire as police in the streets dispersed protesters disputing the victory of a rival parliamentary candidate.

The security forces were a constant presence throughout the election campaign, and Wine said authorities followed him and harassed his supporters, using tear gas against them. He campaigned in a flak jacket and helmet due to his security fears.

Wine wrote Thursday on X that a senior official in his party in charge of Uganda’s western region had been arrested. He charged that there was “massive ballot stuffing everywhere.”

Rural Uganda, especially the western part of the country, is a ruling-party stronghold, and the opposition would be disadvantaged by not having polling agents present during vote counting.

To try to improve his chances of winning, Wine had urged his supporters to “protect the vote” by having witnesses document alleged offenses at polling stations, in addition to deploying official polling agents.

Wine faced similar setbacks when he first ran for president five years ago. Museveni took 58% of the vote, while Wine got 35%, according to official results then. Wine said at the time that the election had been rigged in favor of Museveni, who has spoken disparagingly of his rival.

Threats to 'Abduct' Putin,' Greenland: Statements by Russian Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova said all issues around Greenland should be resolved within the framework of international law

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

© Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. If someone is so bold as to try to detain and imprison Russian President Vladimir Putin, they will wish they hadn’t, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news conference.

She also said all issues around Greenland should be resolved within the framework of international law.

TASS has compiled the key statements by the official representative of the Foreign Ministry.

On Lavrov's press conference

About 400 journalists have applied for a major press conference on the results of 2025 to be held by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on January 20.

Threats against Putin and Russia

Any attempts to detain and imprison Russian President Vladimir Putin "will have disastrous consequences for their initiators."

The appeals and fruitless attempts of the Council of Europe to "punish" Russia mean nothing, and are "doomed to fail."

On the situation around Greenland

The growing tension in the Arctic region is a direct consequence of the actions of NATO "as a bloc as a whole and individual member states."

All issues surrounding Greenland must be resolved within the framework of international law, "taking into account the interests of the people of this country."

Moscow agrees with Beijing's position on the "unacceptability of references to certain activities" in Greenland against China and Russia.

Attempts to ignore Russian interests in the Arctic region and the Arctic Circle "will not go unanswered and will have far-reaching consequences."

On relations with the UK

Moscow will consider the implementation of London's threat to intercept Russian vessels "as a direct violation of the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the British themselves so faithfully advocate for."

Russia calls on the UK to abandon its policy of creating international tension and return to a respectful dialogue, "realizing its responsibility for preserving the foundations of the post-war world order."

On Western policies in Ukraine

Western sponsors don't care about the fate of Ukrainian children, they only care about denigrating Russia: "The main thing is to denigrate Russia and not tarnish the so-called bright image of a fighter against evil, as [Vladimir] Zelensky and his company present themselves, actually being this evil in the flesh."

The media should ask the German government for data on the use of drones by Ukraine made from spare parts from German company Rheinmetall during the strike in the village of Khorly in the Kherson Region on New Year's Eve: "Go ask these questions of the German Foreign Ministry, their public organizations, and perhaps, by the way, the Union of Journalists of Germany. How do they feel about this information and what can they say about it?"

The steady build-up of weapons and ammunition by Western countries in Ukraine speaks to their true intentions "more eloquently than any hypocritical words about the desire for peace."

Russia will consider any foreign military contingents in Ukraine "legitimate targets," and any "multinational forces" are no exception.

On the situation in the world

Russia is concerned about the growing escalation around Cuba: "the language of blackmail and threats is simply unacceptable" in relation to this country.

Russia considers it necessary to "ensure the non-interference of external players" in the upcoming general elections in Somalia to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of the republic.

Russia does not recognize "unilateral illegitimate sanctions against sovereign states," they grossly violate international law.

On Finland's withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines

Russia may take retaliatory actions, including of a "military-technical nature," to Finland's withdrawal from Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines.

World Heading Toward Chaos Due to West's Actions — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed to "the West’s destructive activities, both in its own countries and abroad, aimed at dismantling the basic principles of morality"

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

© Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. The world is rapidly moving toward total chaos due to the West’s destructive efforts to eradicate fundamental values, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

"Unfortunately, the world has found itself in a situation where, under various pretexts and supposedly in the name of creating a new ethic by abandoning outdated principles and norms, it has gradually and then rapidly begun to descend into complete chaos, losing an understanding of what is good and what is bad," she said.

In this context, Zakharova noted that as a result of "the West’s destructive activities, both in its own countries and abroad, aimed at dismantling the basic principles of morality," not only children but also adults are now asking what good actually means.

The diplomat recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier signed a decree defining "the basic concept of what is truly good and what is bad." According to her, this was done largely to help adults understand how to speak with the younger generation about values in an accessible way in the areas of education, upbringing, and the formation of the information and political environment.

"This serves as a foundation for us, for adults, to work with the younger generation in clear and simple language, while relying on the existing legislative framework," Zakharova said, adding that adults themselves "should not lose sight of this reference point."

Russian Troops Liberate Five Communities in Ukraine Operation Over Week — Top Brass

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the Defense Ministry reported

© Alexey Konovalov/TASS

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated five communities in the Sumy and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donetsk People’s Republic over the week of January 10-16, including Zakotnoye and Zhovtnevoye over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"During the week, Battlegroup North units gained control of the settlement of Komarovka in the Sumy Region through well-coordinated operations. <…> Battlegroup South units liberated the settlement of Zakotnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic through decisive operations. <…> Battlegroup East units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Zhovtnevoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said in a statement.

During the week, "Battlegroup Dnepr units liberated the settlements of Belogorye and Novoboikovskoye in the Zaporozhye Region through decisive operations," the ministry reported.

Russia delivers one massive, six combined strikes on Ukrainian military sites over week

Russian forces delivered one massive and six combined strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises and energy facilities over the week, the ministry reported.

"On January 10-16, in response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces delivered one massive and six combined strikes, hitting enterprises of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector, energy, transport and port infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations, fuel depots, military airfields, workshops for the production and sites for the storage and launch of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries," the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 1,345 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week in the Sumy Region, Battlegroup North units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an air assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a border guard detachment of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service, the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,345 personnel, four armored combat vehicles, 92 motor vehicles and 10 field artillery guns in those frontline areas over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed seven electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 23 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 1,340 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,340 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 16 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an air assault brigade, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, two territorial defense brigades and two National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,340 personnel, a tank, 16 armored combat vehicles, 132 motor vehicles and six field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed six electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 26 ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 1,140 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 1,140 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and 42 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup South units "inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault brigade, a mountain assault brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade, two territorial defense brigades and two National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,140 personnel, two tanks, 42 armored combat vehicles, 105 motor vehicles and 22 artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed eight electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 18 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 2,835 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 2,835 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks and 30 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units continue active offensive operations on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Dnepropetrovsk Region. They inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of five mechanized brigades, two jaeger brigades, an infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, an airborne brigade, two air assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade and five National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 2,835 personnel, three tanks, 30 armored combat vehicles, 60 motor vehicles, eight field artillery guns and two electronic warfare stations in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Center over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 1,665 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 1,665 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 30 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the past week, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, an air assault brigade, three assault brigades, four assault regiments of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,665 personnel, 30 armored combat vehicles, 74 motor vehicles and eight field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed four ammunition and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts 370 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 370 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and five armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup Dnepr units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a mountain assault brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a National Guard brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 370 personnel, a tank, five armored combat vehicles, 74 motor vehicles, seven field artillery guns, eight electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 12 ammunition and materiel depots in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russian troops destroy five rocket launchers, including HIMARS system over week

Russian troops destroyed five multiple rocket launchers, including a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system over the week, the ministry reported.

"Attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed five multiple rocket launchers, including a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and a Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launcher," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses intercept 1,138 Ukrainian UAVs, 31 smart bombs over week

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 1,138 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 31 smart bombs over the week, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 31 guided aerial bombs, 21 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, three Neptune long-range missiles and 1,138 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 670 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 283 helicopters, 109,344 unmanned aerial vehicles, 645 surface-to-air missile systems, 27,154 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,642 multiple rocket launchers, 32,613 field artillery guns and mortars and 51,993 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Russia Capable of Persuading NATO Countries to Abandon Provocations in Baltic Region

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin emphasized that "Russia will not allow navigation in the Baltic Sea to be regulated according to NATO and the European Union's model"

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Russia has a sufficient arsenal of means to convincingly persuade NATO countries to abandon provocations in the Baltic Sea region, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said in an interview with TASS.

"Russia has a wide range of measures to effectively persuade NATO countries to refrain from provocative actions in the Baltic [Sea region]," he said. "Our arsenal includes more than just diplomatic protests. The Russian side has already been forced to demonstrate other ways to respond to attempts to stop and seize ships," the diplomat added.

"The desire of NATO countries to restrict the freedom of navigation for ships carrying Russian cargo or [cargo] registered in Russia under various pretexts is and will be met with the most decisive opposition," he stressed.

"Russia will not allow navigation in the Baltic Sea to be regulated according to NATO and the European Union's model," Barbin emphasized, adding that "they will have to comply with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea."

Russian Troops Liberating Zhovtnevoye Straighten Frontline at Orekhovo — DPR Official

Igor Kimakovsky called Orekhovo one of the largest enemy hubs in this section of the front

DONETSK, January 16. /TASS/. Russian troops, having liberated the Zhovtnevoye settlement in the Zaporozhye Region, have straightened the frontline in the direction of Orekhovo, Igor Kimakovsky, an adviser to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), told TASS.

"Zhovtnevoye has come under our control, allowing us to straighten the frontline in the direction of Orekhovo, a settlement that is currently one of the largest enemy hubs in this section of the front," Kimakovsky said.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of Zhovtnevoye in the Zaporozhye Region. The ministry specified that during combat operations, servicemen of the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of Battlegroup East crossed the Gaichur River and liberated the Zhovtnevoye settlement in the Zaporozhye Region, breaking down the resistance of the enemy on a fortified line of defense.

"The liberation of Zhovtnevoye allowed us to strengthen the position on the western bank of the Gaichur River, enlarge a bridgehead, and create conditions for further advancement in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry reported.

Stoltenberg Does Not Rule Out Possibility of US Leaving NATO

The former secretary general believes that NATO must take measures to preserve the transatlantic alliance "regardless of whether the United States remains an active ally in NATO or not"

BERLIN, January 17. /TASS/. Former NATO Secretary General (in office from 2014 to 2024) Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out that the United States could leave NATO.

"Nothing is immutable, everything can change," he said in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine. "I cannot promise that the United States will remain in NATO," Stoltenberg said. The former secretary general believes that NATO must take measures to preserve the transatlantic alliance "regardless of whether the United States remains an active ally in NATO or not."

Regarding the situation around Greenland, Stoltenberg warned against underestimating Washington’s plans. "If the United States says it wants to take control of Greenland we must take that seriously," he said.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated the need for Greenland to join the United States. Even during his first term, he proposed purchasing Greenland, and in March 2025, he expressed confidence that it could be annexed. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejects those claims, emphasizing that the island is part of the kingdom.

Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Treaty in addition to their NATO alliance obligations. Under this agreement, the US committed to defending the island from possible aggression.

MLK Day 2026: Lessons from the Past for the Struggles of Today

There must be systematic change to eradicate racism, mass poverty and imperialist war

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday January 14, 2026

Historical Review

January 15 represents the 97th ancestral birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was martyred on April 4, 1968, while working in solidarity with the African American sanitation workers strike in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. King on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel after 6:00pm on that fateful day, mass demonstrations and urban rebellions erupted in more than 125 municipalities across the United States. 

Many people within the African American community and beyond began to seriously question whether non-violent civil disobedience would remain an effective methodology to affect social change. The latest strategy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which Dr. King served as president, was to mobilize thousands of impoverished people from various nationalities to occupy Washington, D.C. to demand immediate legislative action by the U.S. Congress on jobs and income. 

The Poor People’s Campaign did occur several weeks after the murder of the SCLC leader, yet it was unable to evoke any substantial legislation aimed at eradicating poverty within the Democratic-dominated Congress under then President Lyndon B. Johnson. Just five days prior to the assassination of MLK, Johnson announced during a long and meandering address on March 31, 1968, that he would not pursue or accept the nomination for the Democratic Party that year.

It was Johnson’s failure to end the growing discontent among African Americans and other social forces over national oppression, the ongoing genocidal war against the Vietnamese people and a growing wealth gap between the wealthy and impoverished that doomed his presidency. Although the Johnson administration had shepherded the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Bills through the Congress in 1964 and 1965 respectively, the level of rising expectations among the African Americans fueled militancy and a burgeoning revolutionary fervor.

A combination of ongoing repression, the racist character of the selective service system which disproportionately drafted African Americans into the military and the discrimination prevalent within the labor market, prompted major shifts within sections of the Civil Rights Movement towards an emphasis on Black Power and the right to self-determination.

The Brutal Murders of Sammy Younge, Jr. and Vernon Dahmer, Sr.

During early January of 1966, there were two murders of civil rights activists, one in Alabama and another in Mississippi. Even though the passage of what was perceived at the time as the most monumental Civil Rights legislation since the 1870s, serious impediments to the implementation of these bills remained.

Sammy Younge, Jr. was an activist in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the state of Alabama. He lived in Tuskegee, the location of one of the most well-known Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

While organizing African Americans to register to vote, Younge had been subjected to threats and violence from the white authorities. On the same day he was murdered, Younge and his comrade, Jimmy Rogers, were threatened with serious bodily harm and death.

Later in the evening on January 3, Younge was told by a white man working at the Greyhound bus station in Tuskegee that he could not use a white only toilet. When Younge defied the white man, he was chased on to a bus seeking refuge. The bus driver told him that he must leave the vehicle. When he did, he was shot to death. Just three days after this racist murder, SNCC issued its first public statement opposing the U.S. occupation and war against the people of Vietnam. 

According to the SNCC Digital Archives:

“Younge’s murder pushed SNCC to make a public stance on the war, regardless of the political consequences. Three days after Younge’s murder, SNCC’s Executive Committee released a statement on Vietnam according to their ‘right and responsibility to dissent with United States foreign policy on any issue.’ Younge had been murdered, they wrote, ‘because United States law is not being enforced.’ Likewise in the war, the statement read, ‘Vietnamese are murdered because the United States is pursuing an aggressive policy in violation of international law.’ SNCC pointed to the hypocrisy of United States foreign policy on the basis of ‘democracy,’ while cries of protection for those working for democracy in the Black community went ignored. Younge’s murder made the connection between Vietnam and the American South clear.” (https://snccdigital.org/events/murder-of-sammy-younge-snccs-statement-on-vietnam/)

Just one week after the murder of Sammy Younge, Jr. (1944-1966), Vernon Dahmer, Sr. (1908-1966), leader of the Forrest County, Mississippi chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was murdered by the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan headed by Grand Wizard Sam Bowers. Dahmer had been active in the Civil Rights Movement for many years.

In 1962, he had invited members of SNCC to assist in his voter registration efforts in Forrest County. Dahmer was hated by the local white authorities who viewed him as a militant. 

Leading up to his murder, Dahmer and his family had received numerous death threats. They were forced to sleep in shifts for fear of a KKK attack which did occur in the early morning hours of January 10, 1966.

In another entry published by the SNCC Digital Gateway, it noted that:

“On January 9, 1966, he (Dahmer) announced on the radio that he was willing to collect poll taxes at his store in the Kelly Settlement in order to encourage voter registration. He said he was willing to pay people’s poll taxes if they could not afford the fee. The next day, Dahmer’s farm was firebombed by local Ku Klux Klan members. His wife Ellie recalls, ‘when I woke up, I heard shooting and blazes; it looked like the house was on fire… you could hear gun shots coming into the house.’ Dahmer’s home and store burned to the ground, nothing was left but ashes. Dahmer later died of smoke inhalation and severe burns. Even on his deathbed, Dahmer still encouraged his community to register to vote. Dahmer’s murder made clear the commitment and risks ordinary Black people were willing to make and take in order to improve their overall quality of life.” (https://snccdigital.org/events/vernon-dahmer-murdered/)

These two murders illustrated that despite Civil Rights legislation, the struggle for African American freedom would require far more serious efforts. Consequently, many members of SNCC, SCLC along with other organizations, began to move in a programmatic manner which challenged the underlying causes of national oppression and economic exploitation.

By June 1966, SNCC would emerge with a new leadership under Chairman Stokely Carmichael (later known as Kwame Ture), who along with Field Secretary Willie Ricks (later known as Mukasa Dada), advanced the slogan for Black Power. The cry for Black Power coincided with the proliferation of urban rebellions and resistance against the Vietnam War. 

Lessons for Contemporary Struggles

Today, after one year of the second non-consecutive term of President Donald Trump, the move toward complete fascist control of the U.S. is well underway. The current administration has openly attacked the remaining vestiges of the gains made during the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. 

Federalized National Guard units have been deployed in several major cities along with an increased presence of the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Thousands of migrants and U.S. citizens have been detained. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota have been targeted by the Trump administration under the guise of curbing “illegal immigration” and fraud within the childcare sector. Thousands of ICE agents have been sent to the twin cities resulting in arrests and injury of many people.

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot to death by an ICE agent in the early morning hours of January 7. Her death was not the first carried out by ICE. Reports from activists indicate that as many as 32 people have been killed by this Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency. 

The Somalian American community in Minneapolis and St. Paul are the focus of ICE agents reinforcing the administration’s anti-immigration policy. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been singled out for derision by the White House. Nonetheless, she continues to uphold the rights of the people of Minnesota in their struggle against the administration.

The deportations of people by the Trump administration are ostensibly designed to “Make America Great Again” (MAGA). Nonetheless, the economic situation in the U.S. is deteriorating due to the continuing mass transferal of wealth from the working class to the bourgeoisie. 

Although Trump told voters that he would end the ongoing imperialist wars in West Asia and Eastern Europe, the situation over the last year has only worsened in Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan and other geo-political regions. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela remains under siege with the bombing of the country and the kidnapping of President Nicholas Maduro and First Lady Cicilia Flores now being held at a federal detention facility in New York City.

With the deliberate reversals of the gains made from the 1950s-1970s and the escalation in imperialist aggression, it is essential that a broad-based united front against racism, fascism and imperialist war be built to ensure the survival and advancement of the masses of people in the U.S. and internationally. This year’s MLK Day must serve as a rallying point to organize, mobilize and defeat the Trump program.

23rd Annual Detroit MLK Day Rally/March and Community Fellowship

Date: Mon. Jan. 19, 2026, Noon-4:00pm

Location: St. Matthew's-St. Joseph's Episcopal Church, 8850 Woodward at Holbrook

Guest Speakers and Cultural Workers Include:

Allen Dennard, Bill Meyer, Aurora Harris, Abayomi Azikiwe, Julia Wright (video message), Jesus Rodriguez Espinoza (video message from Caracas), Atty. Mark Fancher, Atty. Huwaida Arraf, New York Attorney General Leticia James (via video message), etc.

The March will leave the Church right after the conclusion of the rally at 2:00pm. After the March there will be a community meal and additional cultural presentations at the Church.

This year's 23rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Rally comes at a time of rising hatred, bigotry and military conflict both inside the United States and around the world. The Detroit MLK Day Committee is once again requesting your support to continue this tradition which mobilizes the largest social justice gathering in the whole of southeastern Michigan.

The year 2026 has already brought another military intervention in the South American state of Venezuela. Other attacks by the Pentagon ordered by the Trump administration include Somalia, Syria, Nigeria and other states.

Domestically tens of millions are facing the elimination of healthcare benefits. Millions are forced to wait in line for food every day. While millions more are being threatened with the elimination of Section 8 housing subsidies. All of this is occurring while efforts aimed at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), scientific research, and the cultural arts are being criminalized. Millions of our neighbors and co-workers are being terrorized by ICE, CBP and National Guard units patrolling cities, suburbs and rural areas.

On Monday, January 19, 2026, the Detroit MLK Day Rally will commemorate the 97th birthday of Dr. King. This year's program will feature speakers and cultural workers from the Detroit area to emphasize the decades-long struggle for civil rights, self-determination and social justice locally, nationally and internationally.

The event is being held under the theme: “Six Decades of Mass Movements: The Struggle Continues.” Detroit has been at the center of the popular movements for labor, civil rights, political empowerment and self-determination extending back to the 19th century to the present.

You are cordially invited to attend this 23rd Annual Detroit MLK Day event at our location of the Historic St. Mathew’s-St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church located at 8850 Woodward Avenue between King and Holbrook in the city’s North End neighborhood. This venue, which is a historic institution in Detroit having played an integral part in the 19th century Underground Railroad and the Northern High School Student Strike of April 1966, among other important events, will place us in the heart of the city in a community where gentrification, food deficits and tax foreclosures continue to take a serious toll.

The program begins at 12 noon in the sanctuary and will include music and brief messages from cultural workers and activists from throughout the region.

At 2:00 p.m. a community meal will be served in the church basement. The meal is prepared by the Detroit Wobbly Kitchen and through donations from local merchants.

The Detroit MLK Day Committee is composed of a small, dedicated group of volunteers. Due to the significance of the January 19, 2026 Detroit MLK Day Program, we are seeking contributions now to assure a successful event.

Please send your contribution to: Detroit MLK Day Committee, 5920 Second Ave., Detroit, MI 48202. Please make checks payable to: "Detroit MLK Day". You may donate online https://mlkdetroit.org/donate/.

Sincerely in Peace and Solidarity,

The Detroit MLK Day Committee

Africa in Review 2025—Imperialism and Neo-Colonialism at the Root of Disunity

From the Moroccan unrest over AFCON to the military conflict in Sudan and the rebel insurgencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa faces ongoing balkanization hampering unity and development

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday December 31, 2025

Political Review

During 2025, unrest erupted in the Kingdom of Morocco prompting mass demonstrations and rebellions.

These manifestations were quickly labelled as Gen Z protests as a similar series of protests in the Southern African Indian Ocean state of Madagascar which resulted in a military coup.

In Morocco, one of the few monarchies remaining on the African continent, the governing administration was able to remain intact. However, the mass marches and clashes with the authorities could not be ignored on an international level.

One of the points of contention among the demonstrators against the state was the opposition to the enormous resources which were utilized for the hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where the leading teams in Soccer come to compete. Protesters carried signs calling for more spending on education, jobs, healthcare and other human needs while not prioritizing sports and tourism. 

When the demonstrations erupted in late September and early October, the youth-led protests were met with violent repression from the state. Many were arrested, beaten and tortured, creating a sense of fear among the population. 

According to a report leading up to the AFCON events published by the Guardian, it says:

“Three protesters were shot and killed, allegedly by security forces, at a protest on 1 October in the town of Lqliâa, near the popular Atlantic tourist hotspot of Agadir. A further 14 protesters were injured, including children as young as 12 left with firearm wounds. The authorities claim a group of protesters stormed the local police station, to which officers responded. So far, more than 2,400 people are being prosecuted in connection with the protests, and dozens who took part in a non-violent demonstration have been charged with acts of violence, according to Amnesty International. Dozens had already received prison sentences, some of up to 15 years, said AMDH, which denounced the absence of lawyers during hearings, insufficient investigations and the lack of presumption of innocence. It said hundreds more, including children, remained in detention.” (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/18/morocco-genz212-protests-police-mass-arrests-beatings-detentions-rights)

Yet, the efforts to rebuild Morocco as a continental player continues to run into difficulties. Another issue is the failure of the monarchy to hold a referendum on the future of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in the Western Sahara. 

Since the declaration of a ceasefire in 1999, the Moroccan government has not held the internationally supervised United Nations supervised elections. Morocco had left the Organization of African Unity (OAU) later known as the African Union for several decades from 1984 until early 2017. 

The departure of the monarchy was carried out because the continental body voted to recognize the SADR as a member-state. After seeking to undermine the OAU-AU decisions through the enhancement of relations between the monarchy and individual African states, the AU voted to readmit Morocco as a full member.

Nonetheless, states such as neighboring Algeria as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc strongly objected to the readmission of Morocco since the AU has always maintained the right of self-determination for all former colonies on the continent. The Western Sahara was colonized by Spain and after it relinquished its purported authority over the area, it was ceded to Morocco and Mauritania during the mid-1970s. 

By the late 1970s, Mauritania abandoned any territorial claims to the Western Sahara therefore leaving the Kingdom of Morocco in charge up until this period. Until a referendum is held on the future of the SADR, then the mandate of the AU Peace and Security Council will not be met.

Nonetheless, these are the contradictions in principle and practice which continue to hamper the implementation of the AU charter designed to foster political, economic and cultural unity across the continent. These imperatives of unity are prerequisites for qualitative development and genuine sovereignty. 

Sudanese Military Fratricidal War Leaves the Struggle for Democracy Frozen

Seven years ago, mass demonstrations erupted in the Republic of Sudan over the sharp rise in commodity prices. Between December 2018 and April 2019, the demands of the demonstrators went from calls for lower prices to the resignation of then President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

In April, al-Bashir was overthrown by his military counterparts inside the country. The military was thinking that the removal and detention of al-Bashir would halt the quest for a revolutionary democratic transition in Sudan. However, the youth-led demonstrations continued throughout the country well into June when a crackdown was launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 

Hundreds of activists and innocent persons were injured and killed during June 2019. Efforts to structure a functional transitional process ultimately failed despite the involvement of the AU, the Inter-Governmental Regional Authority (IGAD), the United Nations as well as the imperialist states such as the U.S. and Britain. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been accused of funding and supplying the RSF which has taken control of the Darfur region of the country. Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and refugees continue to grow at a rapid level.

Lt.-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Transitional Council has appointed a civilian cabinet which is seeking to bring some stability to the country. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt are supporting al-Burhan and the SAF as they attempt to take control of the areas now under the control of the RSF. 

Despite the identification of the UAE as major culprits in funding the RSF and its atrocities being committed against civilians, the war continues daily. There must be another major push by the Peace and Security Council of the AU to reignite talks to resolve the current impasse.

During the visit of the Saudi monarchy to the U.S. during 2025, the administration of President Donald Trump said it would work towards resolving the war in Sudan. This pledge does not acknowledge the role of U.S. imperialism in the destabilization of Sudan over the last two decades. Under successive U.S. administrations, there have been efforts to take control of the political trajectory inside the country.

From the destabilization of the previous government of President al-Bashir to the forcing of the former Interim Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in 2020 to pledge to violate the Sudanese Constitution by recognizing the State of Israel, the U.S. has sought to dominate this oil-rich state. Sudan prior to the partition of the country in 2011 represented the largest geographic nation-state in Africa. The creation of the Republic of South Sudan at the aegis of Washington, London and Tel Aviv has not stabilized either state or the region. 

It will be up to the AU and its member-states to resolve these issues of war and peace. Imperialism can only thrive amid the disunity and fratricidal conflicts among the people themselves.

DRC and the Lies of Imperialist “Peacemakers”

Since the second coming of the Trump administration there have been many false promises of peace negotiations and settlements around the world. Trump said prior to coming into office that he could end the Russian Special Military Operation in Ukraine within 24 hours.

However, after nearly a year in office, the war raged on without slowing down. In addition to Ukraine, there are weekly massacres of fishermen off the coast of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The attacks on Venezuela through the mass killing of fishermen and the seizure of oil tankers, are being carried out under the guise of preventing narcotics from entering the U.S.

The reality of the situation is that there are almost no narcotics being sent into the U.S. from Venezuela. What matters most to imperialism is the largest deposits of hydrocarbons present in Venezuela. Moreover, the government over the last quarter-century has been committed to socialist transformation and has worked closely with the Republic of Cuba.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the richest states in the world regarding its strategic minerals and metals, the administration has orchestrated several signings of “peace accords” between the State of Rwanda and the DRC over the funding and arming of the M23 rebel grouping. Yet, the M23 rebels and Rwanda remain a serious problem in the eastern DRC. Here again, the continent needs African solutions to African problems. 

Until the Peace and Security Council of the AU can build an effective mechanism for the stabilization of internal and regional conflicts the crises of governance will not be resolved. Pan-Africanism cannot be realized absent of continental structures which guarantee peace, security and the well-being of the workers, farmers and youth. 

Africa in Review 2025 II—AES, Nigeria and the Struggle for Pan-Africanism

Building unification on the continent represents the greatest threat to imperialism

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

January 6, 2026

Political Review

During the first year of the second non-consecutive term of the administration of President Donald Trump has been marked by accusations and threats against the African continent.

Africa has been enslaved, underdeveloped, colonized and neo-colonized since the mid-15th century by several European countries resulting in the contemporary international division of labor and economic power.

In the first administration of Trump, he referred to African states and other territories of the Global South as “S-hole” countries. His attacks on migrants and people of color communities were unrelenting.

Today the situation has worsened with the imposition of unjustifiable tariffs against foreign countries and travel bans into the United States. Although there were similar bans during the first administration of Trump, the list of states has expanded along with the suspension of humanitarian and development assistance to entire geo-political regions of the world.

In Trump’s first address before the U.S. Congress during the early months of 2025, he attacked the Southern African state of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It was also announced that Washington was again withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) which provides assistance to underdeveloped states regarding medicines, funding for clinics and research on the proliferation of infectious and non-communicable diseases.

The South African Government of National Unity (GNU) headed by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the African National Congress (ANC) was accused of pursuing a program of genocide against the white population, principally the Afrikaners (Boers), who had dominated the majority African population since the late 17th century. In fact, it was the Boers which killed and contained millions of Africans under settler-colonialism and apartheid.

AES States Facing Destabilization 

The former Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) General Michael Langley testified before the Congress early on in 2025 accusing the transitional leader of the West African state of Burkina Faso of utilizing resources from the marketing of gold to finance his administration. This statement prompted protests across West Africa and internationally. 

There have been numerous attempts to overthrow the government Capt. Ibrahim Traore in Burkina Faso along with efforts to undermine the objectives of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) which consist of the three military governments of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. In December of 2025, the AES formed a joint military force to more effectively address the security concerns of the region.

These states signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter in September 2023 aimed at facilitating trade between all three of the landlocked states.  The AES has reached out to the Russian Federation for assistance related to security matters. 

All of these states have been inflicted with purportedly Islamist rebels which have blockaded oil supplies into the capital city of Bamako in Mali. In Niger, the rebels are attempting to undermine the efforts aimed at restructuring the uranium industry, one of the largest deposits internationally. Burkina Faso, which also has an abundance of natural resources, have been providing ideological orientations based upon the legacy of the martyred Capt. Thomas Sankara from the mid-1980s. 

The breaking of diplomatic relations with France and escalating tensions with the U.S. has alarmed the imperialist states in Europe and their allies on the African continent. A delegation from the State Department traveled to Mali in 2025 ostensibly to discuss security issues with the government of military leader and interim President Col.  Assimi Goita. However, the threat of greater instability remains a reality for the people of Mali in their attempts to chart an independent development course.

Although there have been several attempts to invite the AES governments back into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional organization composed now of 12 countries, they have refused. These states were expelled and then voluntarily relinquished their membership after the Federal Republic of Nigeria during mid-2023 sought to intervene militarily to reinstall the civilian puppet leader of Niger, President Mohamed Bazoum.

The attempts to mobilize an ECOWAS force backed by Paris and Washington to invade Niger to overthrow the Committee to Safeguard the Homeland (CNSP) administration headed by Presidential Guard Commander Abdourahamane Tchiani, failed due to widespread opposition throughout the region including in Nigeria. However, destabilization attempts are ongoing while Niger and other AES members continue their struggle for Pan-African unity and anti-imperialism.

When a coup was announced in Benin by high-level military officers, it was the Nigerian military which intervened bombing a military base and a television station in Cotonou. Western-backed President Patrice Talon was reimposed by the Nigerian army with the reported assistance of Ivory Coast and Ghana. 

This scenario differed from the previous efforts during 2023. There were no public discussions and debates within Nigeria and other ECOWAS states over whether to take military action in Benin. 

It appears that as long as the interests of imperialism are threatened Nigeria will intervene on behalf of the West and its allies. Yet, when the interests of the people are involved, the Tinubu administration has largely remained hostile or indifferent.

Nigeria Bombed by Trump with Consent

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the most populous state on the African continent with some 237 million people. As one of the largest oil producers on the continent successive governments have failed to build genuine industrial and agricultural development inside the country.

Perhaps the most blatant act of capitulation to imperialism was the December 25 bombing of areas in the Northwest. Rather than denouncing the unwarranted bombing in Sokoto state, a convoluted response from the government of President Bola Tinubu indicated that they had underwent this humiliation with advance notice. 

Claiming that they did not accept the premise that Nigerian Christians were being systematically persecuted, yet the government in Abuja says it will accept assistance in curbing “terrorism” in the north of the country. In an apparent reference to the violence carried out by Boko Haram,and the Islamic State of West Africa in the northeast of the country, the Tinubu administration claims synergy with U.S. imperialism.

Nonetheless, Boko Haram and the Islamic State have been largely active in the Northeast and not the Northwest. Moreover, why has successive governments in Nigeria since 2009 failed to end the rebel violence in northeast? 

It is well documented that the jihadist rebel groupings in Africa have their origins in U.S. intelligence dating back to Afghanistan in the late 1970s through the 1990s. These rebels are operating in the Sahel states to prevent a revolutionary transformation leading towards African unification against imperialism. 

The regional issues in Nigeria stem directly from the legacy of enslavement and colonialism by Britain. These conflicts in the South and North of the country are not based upon religion. Since the advent of colonialism, Africa has been divided in order to maintain western imperialist domination.

Consequently, the Tinubu administration with such an outlook cannot serve the interests of the people of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. What is needed in the resource-rich African states are revolutionary parties and organizations which speak directly to the needs of the workers, farmers and youth.

Madagascar and the Role of the Military in Africa

In October demonstrations erupted in the Southern African Indian Ocean state of Madagascar in response to the burgeoning economic crisis. Prices for commodities and energy resources skyrocketed prompting unrest during the same period as the mass demonstrations in the Kingdom of Morocco.

Both the demonstrations in Morocco and Madagascar were attributed to the discontent of the so-called Gen Z youth. Ideological considerations related to Pan-Africanism, anti-imperialism, socialism and national sovereignty were absent from any analysis put forward by the corporate and capitalist government-controlled media outlets. 

Another military coup occurred in Madagascar which removed President Andry Rajoelina amid the demonstrations in September and October. Rajoelina has rejected the military coup against his government while remaining in hiding from the public in Madagascar.

According to an article on the situation in Madagascar published by Al Jazeera, it says that:

“Madagascar’s coup leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who seized power this month after Gen Z-driven protests forced the former president out the country, has appointed a new prime minister. Randrianirina, who was sworn in as president last week, said on Monday that he had chosen businessman Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo as the new prime minister because of his experience and ‘connections with the international organizations that work with us’. Andry Rajoelina, the former president, whom lawmakers impeached for desertion of duty after he fled abroad last weekend, has condemned the army takeover and refused to step down while in exile. Rajoelina fled for his life amid the nationwide protests led by the ‘Gen Z Madagascar’ youth movement, which initially erupted in September over persistent water and power cuts and soon expanded into calls for a system overhaul.” (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/20/madagascars-new-prime-minister-named-after-military-coup)

Military seizures of power in Africa have been taking place since the 1950s. Some of the military coups have been anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist. However, many others have been engineered by imperialism and designed to foster the interests of the world capitalist system.

The situations involving these military seizures of power must be evaluated from an historical materialist and class perspective. Africa must overthrow neo-colonialism as a system of governance in order to empower the people in the struggle for Pan-Africanism and Socialism. 

Africa in Review 2025 III: Challenges for Unity and Genuine Growth

As the United States administration stages fake “peace agreements” in the DRC while enabling the further partitioning of Somalia, Africa must continue the political trajectory towards progress and development

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Monday January 12, 2025

Political Review

Since taking office for the second time, United States President Donald Trump has sought to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Yet his tenure in office during 2025 was marked by uncertainty, instability, repression and military conflict. 

In one of the most historically oppressed and exploited states in the world, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been severely impacted by the Atlantic Slave Trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism since the 16th century, remains a focal point for imperialist domination and intrigue. The country in the 21st century is a treasure trove for strategic and critical natural resources which are indispensable to the international capitalist system. 

Since its independence in June 1960, the country has known very little peace. The first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, a mythical figure even after sixty-five years since his martyrdom, was the victim of imperialism led by the U.S. and the former colonial power of Belgium. The imposition of military surrogate Mobutu Sese Seko who ruled the country for more than three decades in conjunction with corporate interests undermined the aspirations of the masses for a genuinely independent society.

Facing the regional conflict which overlaps with the neighboring states of Rwanda and Uganda has been fueled by the multi-national mining firms. There have been numerous attempts in recent years to foster a sustainable peace agreement in the eastern DRC. These efforts have emanated from the African Union (AU) and other regional organizations. 

Therefore, when the Trump administration announced that it was in essence imposing an accord on Rwanda and the DRC without the involvement of the M23 rebel grouping along with many other similar formations in eastern region of the country, could not have been taken seriously. The series of peace agreement signings involving the foreign ministries and head-of-states of Kigala and Kinshasha has not resulted in the stabilization of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces. 

These purported peace agreements are tied to greater access to critical resources in the DRC by the U.S. mining firms. However, the U.S., Western Europe and multinational corporations have always dominated the mining industry since the late 19th century. Millions died between 1876-1908 when the so-called Congo Free State was completely ruled by King Leopold of Belgium. The subsequent civil wars and internecine conflict since the late 1990s have been credited with the deaths, injuries and displacement of millions more. 

M23 is just one of several rebel organizations operating in the eastern DRC. Successive groupings have engaged in military activities in areas which are well endowed with critical minerals and metals.

Consequently, the Trump administration utilizing his Secretary of State Marco Rubio have not done anything to resolve the internal and regional problems in Central and East Africa related to political stability, economic growth and cooperation. African problems must be resolved through indigenous solutions which are grounded in the interests of the majority of workers, farmers and youth on the continent.

Somalia and Zionist-Imperialist Balkanization

The Horn of Africa state of Somalia has suffered from extreme insecurity and impoverishment over the last three-and-a-half decades. This instability in Somalia has provided a rationale for imperialist intervention since the early 1990s.

Between late 1992 until early 1994, Somalia was occupied by U.S. Marines under the guise of bringing humanitarian assistance to the people. The occupation began under former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Sr. in his last days in office. This situation was inherited by President Bill Clinton who took office in January 1993.

Tensions escalated for several months resulting in a series of massacres of the people until an organized resistance movement known as the Somalian National Alliance (SNA) headed by Mohamed Farrah Aided, took on the challenge of driving both the Pentagon and the UN troops out of the country. In early October 1993, nearly 20 U.S. Marines were killed by resistance fighters. In the aftermath of the attacks on the Marines, the Clinton administration began to withdraw its forces from Somalia. Later the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces, which had been there before the Marines, also followed by exiting Somalia.

Yet, by early 2007, the U.S. under President George W. Bush, encouraged the-then governments of Ethiopia and Kenya to intervene on their behalf. U.S. and British warplanes began to engage in bombing operations to ostensibly wipe out the Union of Islamic Courts. The Islamic Courts had been successful in bringing together various groupings in the capital of Mogadishu during 2006. The prospect for a united Somalia was perceived as a threat to imperialism.

Since 2007, the U.S. and its allies have maintained a direct and indirect presence in this Horn of Africa state. Under the current administration of President Donald Trump, Somalia is still being bombed periodically claiming the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are going after the ISIS-linked rebels. 

Even during 2025, Trump ordered the Pentagon to bomb Somalia under the false pretenses related to security. Yet, a major controversy was unleashed when the Trump administration said it was contemplating the recognition of the northern breakaway region of Somaliland which declared its independence from the central government in Mogadishu after a ten-year rebellion against the formerly U.S.-backed regime of General Mohamed Siad Barre between 1981-1991. 

Somaliland has never been recognized as an independent state by the United Nations and the African Union (AU). Now, the closest ally of U.S. imperialism, the State of Israel, has recognized Somaliland. This political maneuver has been met by condemnation throughout Africa and other geo-political regions of the world. Inside of Somalia itself, demonstrations against Israel have attracted hundreds of thousands of people. 

This is an attempt to revive the so-called “Abraham Accords”, whose aims are to undermine the solidarity with the Palestinians by having West Asian and African states accept the occupation of the Arab people in perpetuity. However, the arrogance of imperialism and zionism has done nothing accept driving more people into the Palestine solidarity movement. 

Women in Power: Tanzania and Namibia of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

After the death of Republic of Namibia President Hage Geingob in February 2024, Vice-President Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was eventually elected as the first woman head-of-state representing the ruling South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), which served as the sole and legitimate liberation movement during the period of the struggle for independence. SWAPO fought a decades-long armed and mass struggle against the former racist apartheid regime in South Africa.

After its independence on March 21, 1990, SWAPO has maintained political power inside the country. President Nandi-Ndaitwah is attempting to further modernize Namibia while continuing its overall politically stable atmosphere. 

The SWAPO government continues its legacy of revolutionary politics through support for the Palestinian cause as well as the Western Sahara. Namibia is a firm member of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC), perhaps the most unified regional organization on the continent. 

In the United Republic of Tanzania, President Samia Suluhu Hassan was elected during 2025 amid much international interest. Hassan had served as Vice-President under the former President John Magafuli. After his death in office, Hassan took over the country becoming the first woman leader of Tanzania which has experienced political stability since it became independent in 1961 under President Julius Nyerere. 

Nyerere is still considered one of the icons of the movements for national independence and Pan-Africanism. He voluntarily left office in 1987 after serving more than a quarter-century in office. 

Nyerere was a co-founder of the Tanzania African National Union (TANU), the party of independence. The party’s name was changed in 1977 to the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania). 

Hassan was accused by the opposition parties of suppressing political participation. Riots erupted during the elections resulting in an undetermined number of deaths and injuries. This was the most tumultuous period in the country since its independence in the early 1960s.

However, the unrest did not appear to destabilize the state. Tanzania remains a staunch member of SADC, the AU and proponent of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Its political positions are still progressive and in line with the ideals and aspirations of the people of Africa and the Global South.

Pan-Africanism and Economic Growth

These internal and external struggles in Africa have continued to hamper the efforts aimed at genuine independence, sovereignty and qualitative growth. The consolidation of African states and their unification cannot occur until imperialism and neo-colonialism are defeated decisively.

Under the current western imperialist leadership in North America and Western Europe, the movement for Pan-Africanism and socialism will inevitably continue. Africa must be on constant guard for destabilization and outright military intervention.

Events in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a cause for alarm for the AU member-states and its 1.4 billion people. Those states and leaders are subject to invasion, abduction, assassination and the reimposition of direct colonial rule.

Consequently, the imperatives of the unification of Africa are more important today than in any other period in post-colonial history. Absent of political, economic and military consolidation, the continent cannot realize its objectives aimed at achieving its greatest potential.