At Least 12 Dead and Dozens Missing After a Vessel Capsized in Eastern DR Congo’s Lake Kivu

6:26 AM EDT, September 27, 2026

BUKAVU, Congo (AP) — A vessel carrying traders capsized in Lake Kivu in eastern Congo, killing at least 12 and leaving dozens missing, authorities said Sunday.

The vessel was carrying more than 50 people when it capsized on Saturday night on Idjwi Island, in South Kivu province, said Félix Habiragi, chief of the village of Kisheke near the scene of the accident.

He said that about 15 people have been rescued. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.

Deadly boat accidents are common in Congo, where rivers and lakes are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people

The vessel was transporting fish traders and goods from Idjwi Island’s Bwina to Boza, according to Muhindo Ntambuka Pascal, the local administrator.

Videos that appear to be from the scene showed villagers and other passengers pulling bodies from the lake.

Christian Amini Ndahira, a resident of Ijwi, said he lost a friend on the boat. “We had even spoken in the evening, before he boarded that boat. It’s so sad for me and for his family.”

Congo’s vessels are often overloaded with goods and passengers, many of whom frequently travel without life jackets.

“The authorities had, in particular, begun requiring passengers to wear life jackets. Today, however, many people continue to travel without them,” said Dorcelle Bagazane, a member of civil society in Idjwi.

DR Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Tops 8,000 Confirmed Cases as Disease Remains Out of Control

10:07 AM EDT, September 28, 2026

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — The number of confirmed cases of Ebola virus in Congo has surged past 8,000, as the country runs out of health workers to contain the deadly disease.

Congo announced an outbreak on May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine, and has struggled to contain it.

The latest data from Congo’s health ministry released Sunday showed that 8,067 cases have been confirmed, with 3,901 deaths as of Sept. 26 across 63 health zones in seven of the country’s 26 provinces, with a fatality rate of more than 48%.

“The continuously high crude case fatality ratio, and especially the continuously high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care,” the World Health Organization said in its latest report.

It means that a large percentage of those infected were dying, without taking into account factors like delays in seeking help or hidden cases.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday that the outbreak has begun to have an impact on other essential services in the hot spots as resources are mobilized toward fighting Ebola. According to OCHA’s report, routine primary healthcare services fell by 13% between April and June in Ituri province alone.

“The indirect impact of the outbreak reflects both reduced health service availability — as a result of staffing and operational pressures — and reduced demand, as fear of infection and isolation discourages care-seeking,” OCHA said.

Last week, WHO said that Congo was running out of health workers to contain the disease. Health workers have complained about delayed or missing payments, triggering several strikes. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 health workers have died since the outbreak was announced.

Some areas have shown signs of improvement, with fewer confirmed cases in the past several weeks, including in Ituri province and Haut-Uele, but officials say the disease is spreading further in other areas, expanding its geographical reach.

According to data from the Africa CDC, the current outbreak has outpaced the two-year West Africa regional outbreak in terms of spread in the same time. By week 19, the regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016 recorded 3,781 cases, while the current outbreak recorded 7,840. WHO said that it’s on track to surpass the regional outbreak, which killed 11,000 people.

Containment efforts have been hamstrung by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements.

11th Woman’s Body in South Africa as Authorities Investigate Recent Spate of Killings

8:24 AM EDT, September 28, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police said Monday that another body of a woman was discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing the total number of female victims recently found in the area to 11.

The spate of killings and bodies of women discovered in the area since July has sparked fears that a serial killer or killers are responsible. The killings also have generated anger in South Africa, which has high rates of femicide and violent crime toward women and children.

The body of the latest female victim was discovered in Springs, which is part of Ekurhuleni, by a private security company that was patrolling the area on Sunday, police said.

Police began investigating after the bodies of three women were found in July and August within about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) of one another in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg.

The discovery of six bodies in Ekurhuleni over 10 days earlier this month raised fears about a serial killer or killers.

The latest discovery came a day after another body of a woman who appeared to have been violently killed was discovered near Tembisa township.

Police released limited details about the 10th body, which was found early Saturday, and didn’t immediately identify the victim.

According to the police, a 36-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the killing and is due to appear at Tembisa Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

It is alleged that following the killing, the suspect fled to Tzaneen in Limpopo province, which is nearly 400 kilometers (about 245 miles) away from where the woman’s body was discovered. He was arrested on Saturday evening, the same day the woman’s body was discovered.

Last week, two women appeared in court in relation to the killing of one of the women whose bodies have been discovered around Ekurhuleni since July. They are due to appear in court on Oct. 1.

South Africa’s Death Toll from Weekend Mass Shootings Rises to 28 After Another Victim Dies

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

4:47 AM EDT, September 28, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African authorities on Monday raised the combined death toll from two mass shootings over the weekend to 28, after another victim from one of the attacks died in hospital.

South Africa has struggled with violent crime for years, but the shootings on Saturday night have shocked a country used to some of the highest homicide rates in the world.

The victim who died was from the first attack, in the Wedela township near Johannesburg, where 17 people died on Saturday night and several others were wounded, police said. Armed with AK-47 rifles, gunmen stormed a tavern and opened fire first at patrons outside the bar before moving inside and continuing to shoot.

The gunmen searched some of the patrons and took their mobile phones before escaping in two vehicles. Two cars were set on fire outside the bar during the shooting.

“One more victim has died in hospital, bringing the total number of deceased to 18,” the police statement on Monday said.

About four hours later on Saturday night, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded in a shooting at a store linked to what police described as an entertainment venue in Lwandle township, near Cape Town, South Africa’s second biggest city. Police said they were searching for multiple suspects, though they didn’t give an exact number.

Of the dead in Wedela, two were South Africans and two were Lesotho nationals. The four are the only fatalities whose identities have been confirmed so far.

“All the injured victims in hospital have been identified,” the police said, adding that five were “shot in the upper body and are critically wounded, while the others are in a stable condition.”

A team of detectives and members of the South African Defence Force are investigating. No arrests have been made so far.

What’s Behind South Africa’s Mass Shootings and How They’re Often Different to Lone Gunman Attacks

By GERALD IMRAY

4:35 PM EDT, September 27, 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Eight gunmen with AK-47 rifles and pistols shot patrons outside a bar and then moved inside to continue their deadly rampage, killing at least 17 people Saturday in one of three mass shootings in South Africa in the space of six days this week.

A total of at least 38 people were killed and nearly 30 were wounded in the separate late-night shootings in impoverished townships near South Africa’s three biggest cities. Two of the massacres happened in the space of a few hours late Saturday night and in the predawn hours of Sunday.

South Africa’s mass shootings often differ from lone gunman mass shootings seen in the United States and other countries. The shootings in South Africa are mostly connected to criminality, rather than ideological motive or personal grievance.

There is no standard global definition of mass shootings. In South Africa, police define a mass shooting as when three or more people are shot in a single attack.

Multiple gunmen are often involved in South Africa

All three mass shootings this week involved multiple gunmen, according to police. They said they were hunting for eight suspects who carried out the attack Saturday night at a small neighborhood bar in Wedela township, southwest of South Africa’s biggest city of Johannesburg.

Multiple suspects carried out another mass shooting hours later that killed 10 at a store connected to a nighttime entertainment venue in Lwandle township near the city of Cape Town, though police didn’t say exactly how many shooters there were. Three gunmen — at least one of whom also used an AK-47 rifle — killed 11 people after forcing their way into a house party in KwaMakhutha township near the city of Durban on Tuesday night.

Seven mass shootings have gained national headlines since December. Six of them — where dozens of victims were killed in bars, houses, at a hostel or outside on the street — were carried out by multiple gunmen.

Many of the shootings are linked to criminal gangs

Authorities say many of the mass shootings are linked to criminal gangs fighting turf wars or using violence to establish control over communities and areas.

Saturday night’s mass shooting at the bar near Johannesburg occurred in an area where residents said there was a history of violence by illegal mining gangs. The acting provincial commissioner said police were investigating a possible lead that the shooting was a revenge attack as one of the victims was connected to a previous shooting.

Illegal mining gangs are notorious for terrorizing communities in the gold-mining areas around the Johannesburg region, where they are involved in the lucrative illicit gold trade. In other parts of the country, including Cape Town, gangs involved in selling illegal drugs or extortion rackets have been responsible for mass shootings.

Sudanese Doctors Say RSF Looted and Wrecked Hospital in Recaptured Town

27 September 2026

RSF elements in front of North Kordofan's Sodari hospital, file photo

September 26, 2026 (SODARI, Sudan) – Sudanese medics on Saturday accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of destroying and looting the main hospital in the North Kordofan town of Sodari, cutting off healthcare access for over 50,000 families.

The Sudanese army and allied groups retook the strategically located North Kordofan town on Friday after heavy fighting with the RSF, which had held the area since the early months of the conflict that began in April 2023.

Pro-army media platforms published video footage showing widespread destruction, ransacked wards, and stripped medical infrastructure across the rural hospital and nearby public facilities.

“Sodari Rural Hospital, which served more than 50,000 families before the war, was attacked and systematically looted of its infrastructure and medical equipment by the RSF,” the Sudanese Doctors Network said in a statement.

The group said the facility was left in ruins, depriving civilians of basic medical care amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.

An RSF spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sudan’s healthcare sector has largely collapsed after more than three years of civil war, with international aid agencies reporting that the majority of medical facilities in conflict-affected regions are either out of service or severely damaged.

The medics’ group urged international agencies to pressure the RSF to halt attacks on healthcare infrastructure and demanded accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

RSF Extracts Transit Fees as Heglig Oil Output Reaches 26,000 bpd

27 September 2026

RSF elements pose at Heglig oilfield in West Kordofan, on Dec 8, 2025

September 27, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is collecting around $4 per barrel on crude pumped from landlocked South Sudan in exchange for allowing pipeline transit across territory under its control, oil industry sources told Sudan Tribune.

Under a tripartite arrangement involving Juba, Khartoum, and the RSF, South Sudan now pays the paramilitary group $4 per barrel, leaving $7 per barrel for the Sudanese government from the original $11 transit tariff agreed before the civil war, the sources said.

The RSF took control of the Heglig area on Dec. 8, 2025, following a military withdrawal, later declaring full control over the strategic zone containing one of Sudan’s primary oilfields.

Output from the Heglig fields currently stands at about 26,000 barrels per day (bpd), the sources added.

South Sudan deducts payments to the paramilitary force directly from the revenue allocation historically designated for Khartoum under pre-war cross-border transit deals.

Former Sudanese oil minister Adel Ali Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune that all crude pumped from Heglig is sent directly for export via the pipeline shared with South Sudan and its partners for sale on global markets.

However, Ibrahim noted that receipts from these sales do not appear in revenue disclosures published by the Central Bank of Sudan, raising questions about the transparency of the funds.

The complete export of Heglig crude followed the shutdown of the Al-Jaili refinery near Khartoum, which ceased operations shortly after fighting broke out between the army and the RSF in April 2023.

Data from the former minister showed the Petco pipeline transported an average of 60,000 to 65,000 bpd in 2025 from South Sudanese fields, including Unity, Manga, Toma South, El Toor, El Nar, and Thar Jath. The same line carried an average of roughly 22,000 bpd of Sudanese output from the Heglig and Bamboo fields.

The Bapco pipeline, formerly Petrodar, carried between 100,000 and 106,000 bpd of South Sudanese crude before a major rupture halted operations though technical teams repaired the fault and restored flows later that month, Ibrahim said.

RSF Drone Strike Hits Strategic Fuel Depot in Central Sudan

27 September 2026

Smoke rises from burning storage tanks at the Um Aleila fuel depot following a drone strike by the paramilitary RSF, near Wad Madani, Al Jazirah state, Sept 27, 2026.

September 27, 2026 (WAD MADANI) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces struck a strategic fuel storage facility on Sunday near Wad Madani, the capital of central Al Jazirah state, security sources and witnesses said.

The drone attack targeted the Um Aleila fuel depot near the town of Abu Haraz, about 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Wad Madani, in the early hours of Sunday, according to security sources speaking to Sudan Tribune.

Witnesses in adjacent villages reported hearing several loud blasts followed by thick plumes of black smoke billowing from storage tanks across the complex.

The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment.

Um Aleila is one of Sudan’s primary petroleum reserves, serving as a critical hub for storing and distributing gasoline and diesel throughout the agricultural state of Al Jazirah and adjacent regions.

The facility had previously been ransacked during the RSF’s takeover of Wad Madani in December 2023, when control rooms and supply pipelines were damaged, and equipment was looted.

The strike comes amid a protracted war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, which erupted in April 2023 and has triggered widespread devastation, famine risks, and one of the world’s largest displacement crises

Sudan Army Downs Drone in North Kordofan, Resumes Air Strikes on Nyala

Drone downed in North Darfur on Sept 27, 2026

September 27, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army said on Sunday it had shot down a long-range drone operated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in North Kordofan, while warplanes carried out air strikes on at least three sites in the South Darfur capital of Nyala.

Over the past 10 days, military air defences have intercepted approximately eight Chinese-made FH-95 drones across several regions, according to military sources.

Four of the aircraft were brought down in North Kordofan’s al-Kukiti and Tinna districts, three in Blue Nile region, and one on Saturday near Kalamendo, southeast of the North Darfur capital of el-Fasher, the sources said.

In an official statement, an army spokesperson said air defences intercepted a hostile FH-95 drone on Sunday morning west of Tinna. The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The reported downings point to upgraded air defence capabilities to counter long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, which had repeatedly stalled army ground operations across front lines in Kordofan.

Over the past two weeks, a major army offensive pushed RSF fighters out of multiple areas in North Kordofan, including the strategic hub of Sodari, which links Kordofan and Darfur. The paramilitary force withdrew westward toward al-Mazroub, Hamrat al-Sheikh, and Um Badr along the Darfur boundary.

Separately, local residents and witnesses in Nyala said military aircraft resumed strikes on the city on Sunday afternoon, ending a prolonged pause in jet activity across Darfur.

Warplanes dropped munitions across central, southern, and northern districts of Nyala, triggering heavy explosions and sending columns of smoke over the city, the sources said. Casualties could not be immediately determined.

The army had largely halted crewed air operations over Darfur in February 2025 after the RSF deployed air defence systems that brought down at least three military jets.

Following those losses, the military turned to long-range drones to strike deep into RSF-held territory, repeatedly targeting Nyala’s airport.

The RSF repaired the facility to handle logistics and supply flights. Sudan’s military government and international monitors have accused the United Arab Emirates of using supply hubs in Chad, eastern Libya, and Ethiopia to fly equipment to the RSF through Nyala. The UAE has repeatedly denied providing military backing to the paramilitary group.

Gold Exporters Accuse Influential Actors of Draining Sudan’s Gold Wealth

25/09/2026 16:56 

KHARTOUM

A billion dollars of Sudanese gold to Egypt's coffers (Cartoon: Omar Dafalla / RD) Goldmining equipment

Sudan’s Gold Exporters Division has accused influential actors of taking gold outside official channels, warning that the country is losing billions of dollars in potential revenue while the pound continues to slide.

Sudan produces more than 70 tonnes of gold a year worth an estimated $8 billion, but only about $2 billion reaches the state treasury, according to Abdelmoneim Siddig, head of the Gold Exporters Division.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga today, Siddig said gold could help Sudan tackle its economic crisis and provide much-needed foreign currency but alleged that influential entities export gold outside formal channels. Onlineradio streaming

He accused the Central Bank of Sudan of buying gold at high prices, saying the practice encourages exports outside official channels and puts further pressure on the Sudanese pound.

Siddig said smuggled gold becomes a source of foreign currency for travellers, students, patients and others, adding that rising gold prices drive up the dollar price and weaken the pound.

He warned that weak oversight and flawed economic policies could deepen the crisis, leaving citizens to bear the cost through higher living expenses and deteriorating healthcare and education.

“If these policies are not reversed, these government institutions that work unconsciously and care about nothing but to get any amount of dollars regardless of their economic consequences, will cause the crisis to worsen,” he said.

Mining companies threaten halt

The comments come as Sudan’s mining companies escalate their dispute with the government over the Central Bank’s gold purchasing and pricing mechanism. Goldmining equipment

The Union of Mining Companies in Sudan has threatened to halt gold production from October 1, warning that the current system is making it difficult for companies to meet their financial and operational obligations.

The union said companies recognise the state’s right to regulate the sector and collect its legal revenues, but reject the current mechanism for purchasing, pricing and settling payments for their production.

The dispute centres on how the Central Bank buys companies’ gold, sets its value and settles their dues. Producers want a mechanism that better reflects gold’s economic value and production costs.

Central Bank changes rules

The Central Bank recently amended rules governing gold produced from mining waste after 23 companies warned they would gradually suspend production at the end of September before halting completely in October. Goldmining equipment

New rules allow mining waste companies to sell their entire production to the Central Bank, authorised buyers or exporters. They can also hold export proceeds in foreign currency for up to 21 working days and use them for operational imports or other permitted obligations.

The Central Bank ordered banks not to process gold exports by mining waste companies without its written approval and confirmation that all other requirements had been met.

RSF Drones Strike El Gezira Fuel Depot as Both Sides Report Shootdowns

27/09/2026 15:22 

WAD MADANI

RSF drone strikes hit the Umm Alila fuel depot east of Wad Madani on September 27, 2026 (Photo: Social media) SwitchEnergy Plans

Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces drones struck the Umm Alila fuel depot east of Wad Madani in El Gezira early on Sunday, triggering fires as Sudan’s warring sides reported further drone activity across the country.

Residents said they heard several explosions shortly after dawn prayers in Abu Haraz, about 20 kilometres northeast of Wad Madani. Videos circulating online showed flames across parts of the depot as Civil Defence teams worked to contain the blaze.

The facility stores and distributes petrol and diesel across El Gezira. Civil Defence said it contained the fire and prevented it from reaching other tanks, with damage limited to the petrol and diesel tanks.

‘Drones shot down’

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said on Thursday that its air defences shot down an FH-95 drone northeast of El Kokiti in North Kordofan, the second drone of the same type it said it had downed this week.

North Kordofan has seen an escalation in fighting in recent weeks.

The RSF, meanwhile, said it shot down a Turkish-made Bayraktar drone over the Blue Nile region on Thursday. It accused the army of systematic attacks on populated areas and called on the international community and regional organisations to condemn them.

US-Egypt-Sudan Meeting in New York Discusses Peace Efforts

22/09/2026 17:16

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem and US President’s Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos meet in New York on Sunday to discuss Sudan’s war and efforts to end the conflict (Photo: @US_SrAdvisorAF via X)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem and US President’s Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos met in New York on Sunday to discuss efforts to advance existing diplomatic initiatives and create conditions for a sustainable political settlement in Sudan.

Abdelatty stressed the need to preserve Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its national institutions and state capabilities. He called for intensified regional and international efforts to end the conflict through dialogue and negotiation.

Boulos said the talks focused on the urgent need to agree on a path towards lasting peace. He said Sudanese civilians urgently need a humanitarian truce that could pave the way for comprehensive civilian dialogue and a unified, peaceful Sudan.

The meeting follows separate talks in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, who also discussed the war and the need for continued US-Egyptian coordination on Sudan.

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok is also in New York, leading a delegation from the Civil Democratic Alliance for Revolutionary Forces (Somoud), for talks with US and other international officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The delegation has called for an immediate, comprehensive humanitarian truce and stronger measures to protect civilians and ensure aid reaches those in need.

Nuba Christian and Muslim Leaders Call for End to Sudan War

24/09/2026 18:33

Meeting of the Sudanese Council of Churches and the Islamic Council of the Nuba Mountains in South Sudan, 24 September 2026 (Photo: Social media) SouthSudan history

Christian and Muslim religious leaders in the Nuba Mountains, spanning South and West Kordofan states, have called for an immediate end to armed violence and hate speech, urging all parties to pursue dialogue and reconciliation.

The new Sudanese Council of Churches and the Islamic Council of the Nuba Mountains issued a joint statement on Wednesday following consultations held from September 21 to 23 at Yida refugee camp in Ruweng, South Sudan.

Held under the slogan “One Society, One People, United for Peace and Reconciliation”, the meeting addressed the conflict’s devastating impact on communities.

Bishop El Aiser Coco said the conflict, which began on March 12, 2026 and spread across Heiban locality in South Kordofan, had caused deaths, destroyed livelihoods, displaced thousands and deepened fear and trauma.

He urged all sides to stop violence and inflammatory rhetoric, exercise restraint and give dialogue a genuine opportunity, saying civilians’ lives, dignity and security must take precedence over political, military and tribal interests.

The statement also called for an end to hostilities, serious and inclusive dialogue, justice and tolerance, community reconciliation, confidence-building, humanitarian assistance, action on the root causes of the conflict, and protection of civilians and human dignity.

Coco urged communities across the Nuba Mountains to remain calm and avoid actions that could inflame tensions.

He called on traditional leaders, women, youth, civil society and political leaders to support peacebuilding, urging communities to choose “dialogue instead of violence, reconciliation instead of hatred, tolerance instead of revenge, and coexistence rather than division”.

The leaders also appealed to local, regional and international actors to support peace efforts, provide humanitarian assistance and help address the root causes of the conflict.

Sudan's Farmers Are Ready to Return - Private Investment Could Get Them There

WFP/Abubakar Garelnabei

A woman who fled violence in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, shows the wheat that she farmed in Al Dabbah in the north of the country.

25 September 2026

UN News Service

The war in Sudan has devastated the economy and agricultural production, but a UN-backed plan aims to mobilise private sector investment to help farmers return to their fields.

The roadmap for recovery, and the potential for some $155 million in external investment, were among the outcomes of a three-day dialogue held this week in Khartoum, organized by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Sudan's Ministry of Finance.

More than 300 participants from 20 countries - representing the Government, financial institutions, the national and international private sector, farmers' and trade associations, as well as other stakeholders - registered for the event.

A 'steppingstone' forward

"This dialogue is a steppingstone towards moving forward in bringing more private sector engagement, which ultimately socioeconomic recovery depends on," said Arvind Kumar, Team Leader for Recovery and Resilience at the UNDP Country Office in Sudan.

He told UN News that focusing on the private sector is critical because it provides some 98 per cent of jobs.

Speaking from the capital, Mr. Kumar described an economy that has been broken by war but not completely paralysed. Sudan's farmers continue to grow crops, goods are still being transported, and markets still function in some areas.

But the last two years have seen yields fall by 40 to 70 per cent in some cases, he said, while the cost of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and fuel have increased due to the crisis in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.

"The third and most key important aspect is that there is not much injection into the economy from the private sector," he said. "And they are willing to come back."

Millions going hungry

Mr. Kumar stressed that "food production is obviously not close to what Sudan needs," highlighting the immense impacts of the civil war that erupted in April 2023.

The brutal battle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and former allies the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left more than 19 million people facing hunger. Nearly 35 million require humanitarian assistance and 13 million have been displaced.

Before the war, Sudan exported gum arabic, sesame, cotton, hibiscus, sorghum and livestock, he said, and once accounted for a 12 to 13 per cent share of the global sesame market, now reduced to six per cent.

Although livestock exports continue, the share of "high-value agricultural crops" has declined because most businesses have lost assets and lack access to capital, "therefore it is very difficult for them to come and rebuild, so it is taking time."

Meanwhile, UNDP analysis shows that 90 per cent of farmers cannot access financing, and "with the support only of aid, they will not be able to continue to improve food production."

Recognition, recovery and potential resources

He said the dialogue in Khartoum concluded with "three key outcomes": recognition of the need for continued engagement with the international and national private sector, adoption and endorsement of a private sector recovery roadmap for agriculture, and "an encouraging potential investment" of nearly $155 million from Pakistan, India, Türkiye, Egypt and Syria.

Participants also discussed the need to re-connect farms with markets and ultimately buyers, while business owners raised concerns about regulatory barriers and the difficulty of linking up with international investors.

Financial support for farmers

UNDP is exploring measures to bring more support to farmers through the banking system, such as credit guarantees.

It is also working with the national and international private sector to restore a warehouse receipt system - a process that would allow farmers to store produce in approved facilities and receive receipts that may be used to secure financing.

Trade facilitation is another top priority. UNDP is engaging with the Sudanese authorities responsible for customs and ports, as well as UN trade and development organization UNCTAD, "to review the reforms that are needed for ease of business."

Mr. Kumar said people need education, healthcare, electricity and jobs to rebuild their lives, He insisted that development should begin alongside life-saving humanitarian assistance "and there is an opportunity and a space to bring development back on track."

Read the original article on UN News.

Liberia: Weah, Cummings, Three Others Sign Opposition Pact Against Boakai

New Dawn

Liberia opposition leaders

28 September 2026

The Liberian Investigator (Monrovia)

By Lennart Dodoo

Former President George Weah and Alexander Cummings, a founder of the opposition coalition built to unseat him, joined three other opposition leaders Sunday in a pact to confront President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's government. They deliberately left open the question that destroyed that coalition: who leads the ticket.

The five leaders signed a joint communique at the Sinkor Palace on Tubman Boulevard, where Simeon C. M. Freeman of the Movement for Progressive Change hosted their second roundtable. Weah signed for the Coalition for Democratic Change, Cummings for the Alternative National Congress, Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr. for the Movement for Economic Empowerment and Jonathan A. Mason for the Union of Liberian Democrats Party.

In the communique, the parties pledge to "jointly and constructively hold the Boakai-Koung-Unity Party-led Government accountable for its stewardship of the Republic." They accuse the government of losing territory to Guinea, running a selective fight against corruption and drugs, defying the Supreme Court, and using a new cybercrime law against critics.

At a news conference after the signing, the leaders refused to be drawn on 2029. "We are not discussing who becomes president, who becomes vice president," Freeman said.

"We've also agreed that this is not an electoral alliance," Cummings said. He added that the arrangement "may become one."

The communique carries the same ambiguity. "Our cooperation is grounded in addressing issues of national concern, not mere electoral calculations," it says. It, however, predicts that "the political implications of that success will naturally inform the 2029 electoral agenda."

On Feb. 21, 2019, Cummings, Boakai, the late Charles Walker Brumskine and Benoni Urey signed the agreement that created the Collaborating Political Parties. The alliance was meant to field a single ticket against Weah. In the December 2020 special senatorial election, it won six of the 15 races.

It came apart in early 2022. Boakai and Cummings could not agree on who would head the 2023 ticket, and the partners fought over an alleged alteration of the coalition's framework agreement. The All-Liberian Party filed its withdrawal on Jan. 28, 2022, and Boakai's Unity Party followed on Feb. 17. The Supreme Court declined to rule on the alteration claim, and the state dropped its criminal case against Cummings.

Boakai then took Nimba Sen. Jeremiah Kpan Koung of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction as his running mate and defeated Weah in 2023. Cummings, running under what remained of the collaboration, won 29,613 votes, or 1.61%. Boakai won Weah with a margin of about 20,567 votes.

Sunday's document says the new arrangement was shaped by those failures. "We will build trust through actual consultations, collaboration and measurable national engagement rather than attempting to manufacture opposition political unity by declaration," it says. Each party keeps its own identity and organization, with no merger or shared leadership structure.

Freeman compared a rushed alliance to a hasty marriage that ends in divorce. "So we're trying to know each other. We're trying to like each other," he said.

Weah said the talks had never turned to candidacies. He said that when the leaders first met, there was no discussion "on who going on a ticket or who joining who."

"We were one voice and we signed a document to work together in the interest of our country," Weah said.

Weah convened the first roundtables Sept. 5-6 at the Jamaica Resort in Paynesville. Freeman said one leader had stepped away before the structure was even formed, and said the group looked forward to working with him.

Cummings acknowledged that the leaders had agreed in September to issue a joint statement the following Friday. "Last time we met, we did agree that we were going to issue a joint communication," he said, adding that the leaders later decided that plan "was not cast in stone." He said Sunday's document was produced by a joint technical committee of the parties.

The communique's sharpest charges concern corruption and drugs. It calls a US$10 million construction project in Foya, Boakai's hometown, "a flagship of corruption." It says the project violated procurement and budget rules and that its funding sources have never been credibly explained. The Alternative National Congress asked the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the project in May, the communique says. The commission replied in June that it would conduct a "preliminary assessment," and no action has been made public since.

The parties also demand an investigation into the Central Bank of Liberia's May 2024 transfer of US$8 million in reserves to SIB Liberia under an April 18, 2024, presidential directive.

On drugs, the parties call for an independent commission to investigate the US$19 million and US$317 million busts. They cite Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, who said senior officials at the highest level of government were involved, and complain that calls to remove Coleman from the investigation have been ignored.

They propose that the commission include the Liberia National Bar Association, the Press Union of Liberia, civil society groups, the Liberia National Muslim Council and the Liberia Council of Churches. They also charge that the government prosecutes opponents quickly while dismissed security officials linked to the cartel remain free.

On territory, the parties say Guinea "occupies a Liberian territory in Foya District, Lofa County." They accuse the government of failing to press the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations to act.

They also condemn:

the recent arrest of a young man accused of spreading an AI-generated image of the vice president, calling it evidence that Liberians "may be living under a police state"

the government's request in March that the European Union recall its ambassador, Nona Deprez, after she called for transparency in the mining sector

what they describe as armed security officers menacing Weah and supporters when he returned through Roberts International Airport on Sept. 2

The parties say they are alarmed by what they describe as the new leadership of the National Elections Commission's perceived intention to deregister political parties. "No such actions would be tolerated, and any such attempt will be resisted in the strongest term," the communique says.

The parties offered one concession to the government. They commended it for passing US$1 billion in domestic revenue, but said the real test is the budget's impact on ordinary Liberians.

Kemayah said the technical committee, made up of two representatives from each party, has presented a first draft of terms of reference and a phased roadmap for cooperation. He said the leaders will next meet on or around Nov. 1.

Read the original article on Liberian Investigator.

Kenya Hospitals Risk Sha Lockout As Current Contracts Expire Wednesday

28 September 2026

Capital FM (Nairobi)

By Irene Mwangi

Nairobi — Healthcare providers across the country risk being locked out of the Social Health Authority (SHA) system from Thursday if they fail to complete the contracting process for the new 2026-2029 cycle.

In a notice issued on Monday, SHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Mercy Mwangangi said existing contracts with healthcare providers will expire on September 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

The authority warned that facilities that have not secured an executed contract for the new cycle will no longer be allowed to provide services to SHA beneficiaries from October 1.

Their access to the SHA provider portal will also be switched off, raising concerns over possible disruptions for patients who depend on the facilities for treatment.

"Providers without an executed contract for the 2026-2029 cycle will not be permitted to offer services to SHA beneficiaries after that date, and their access to the SHA provider portal will be switched off," Mwangangi said in the notice.

The warning comes just days before the expiry of the current contracts, placing hospitals and other healthcare facilities under pressure to complete outstanding requirements.

SHA has urged providers that wish to continue serving its beneficiaries to apply for a new contract and complete the contracting process before October 1.

The authority said facilities that fail to secure new contracts should make arrangements to transfer patients already receiving treatment to contracted providers to ensure continuity of care.

The directive could particularly affect patients undergoing ongoing treatment, including those requiring regular reviews, procedures or other services covered by SHA, if their preferred facilities are not among those contracted under the new cycle.

SHA said the contracting exercise is part of the transition to the 2026-2029 provider contracting cycle, which was launched earlier this month through the authority's new electronic contracting platform.

The Ministry of Health said the new framework, known as HAKIKA, is intended to strengthen contracting, verification, payment and accountability arrangements between SHA and healthcare providers.

The new contracts cover services under the Primary Health Care Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund, Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund and the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund. The contracting period runs from October 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029.

The electronic contracting portal allows facilities to submit applications, provide supporting documents, complete verification and execute contracts digitally.

The latest notice, however, puts the responsibility on individual providers to ensure they have completed the process before the deadline.

SHA asked providers with outstanding contracting requirements to act promptly to avoid interruptions to services for beneficiaries.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

Nigeria: Atiku, Obi, Adc, Others Question Tinubu's Extended Holidays, Want Clarity On Status

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (file photo).

28 September 2026

This Day (Lagos)

By Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Emmanuel Addeh, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

With speculations doing the rounds about President Bola Tinubu's alleged extension of his holidays, opposition leaders have fully taken up the matter, alleging constitutional breaches.

Presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubukar, while querying the extended holidays of the president, said Nigerians had a right to know his whereabouts.

The presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, also expressed concern over the president's continued absence from Nigeria and the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Similarly, ADC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) demanded an explanation from the presidency over Tinubu's continued absence from the country, six days after the expiration of his originally announced three-week vacation.

Atiku, in a statement by his Media Aide, Paul Ibe, said, "President Bola Tinubu @officialABAT left Nigeria on 30 August for what the presidency described as a three-week annual vacation.

"That period expired days ago. His return was subsequently extended, and reports today indicate that his expected return today has been postponed yet again.

"The obvious question is: what exactly is keeping the President of Nigeria in Paris? President Emmanuel Macron @EmmanuelMacron has attended to France's international engagements and returned home, yet Nigeria's president remains in France while his country confronts serious security, economic and cost-of-living challenges."

Atiku, who raised the constitutional implications of Tinubu's continued absence, said, "More importantly, there is a constitutional question that cannot simply be wished away.

"Section 145(1) of the Constitution requires a President proceeding on vacation beyond 21 days to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate @SPNigeria and Speaker of the House of Representatives @Speaker_Abbas, enabling the Vice President @officialSKSM to perform presidential functions as Acting President.

"Section 145(2) goes further: if the president fails to transmit that declaration within 21 days, the National Assembly shall, by a simple majority of each House, mandate the Vice President to perform the functions of President.

"President Tinubu has now been away for 28 days, 7 days longer than 21 days. So, where is the letter? If it was transmitted, let the Presidency, Senate President or Speaker publish it.

"If no letter was transmitted, Nigerians deserve to know why the constitutional procedure has not been followed. We do not want to believe insinuations that the inner circle of Tinubu are scared of Shettima being handed the Acting President authority."

Atiku added, "Former President Muhammadu Buhari transferred presidential functions to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on five occasions during his tenure, including through formal Section 145 communications to the National Assembly.

"There is also speculation that President Tinubu is in France for medical reasons. That is precisely why the presidency should provide a clear explanation.

"Nigerians are entitled to know why their President has remained abroad beyond his announced vacation and, above all, whether the Constitution has been complied with.

"The constitution is not optional. And Nigeria cannot be placed on indefinite vacation while Tinubu plays absentee president."

Obi: Where Is Nigeria's President?

Obi equally questioned the whereabouts of Tinubu, expressing concern over the president's continued absence from Nigeria and his non-attendance at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Obi raised the issues on Sunday in a post on his X handle, shortly after watching the address delivered by Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, at the ongoing UN General Assembly.

The former governor of Anambra State, asked, "Where is Nigeria's President?"

Obi said Nigeria, as Africa's most populous country, should have its president participating directly in major international engagements, particularly at a time when the country was facing significant domestic and international challenges.

He stated, "Here is the remarkable address delivered by Ghana's dynamic President, John Dramani Mahama, at the 81st UNGA.

"As the international community commends this distinguished leader, many are asking: Where is the President of Africa's most populous nation, a country of more than 200 million people, more than Ghana, whose leader has been absent from the global stage for three consecutive UNGAs?"

He added that Tinubu "ought to be representing and guiding the continent at the international level," but had not attended the last three UN General Assembly gatherings".

Obi said, "Nigeria's President, who ought to be representing and guiding the continent at the international level, has not attended any of these three global gatherings.

"Where is he, particularly at a time when the country faces significant challenges both domestically and internationally?"

Obi acknowledged that Vice President Kashim Shettima attended the current UNGA, but said the vice president's presence did not resolve the question of the president's absence.

"Although our Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was present, the question remains: where is the president?" he stated.

The NDC candidate called for prayers for Tinubu's return and his leadership, while reiterating his political message that a "New Nigeria" was possible.

Obi promised not to travel overseas to spend his vacation if elected Nigeria's president in 2027.

Separately, at the inauguration of the NDC campaign office in Asaba, Obi criticised the situation where elected and appointed political office holders in the country went on holidays outside the shores of Nigeria or engaged in medical tourism in European countries.

He appealed to Nigerians to rally behind him and NDC in the effort to reset Nigeria for better performance domestically and among the comity of nations by him and his party into power in the 2027 general election.

Obi, in company with his presidential running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and NDC's governorship candidate in Delta State, Deacon Chris Iyovwaye, and other party leaders, received a rousing welcome amid chants of "Obi will reset Nigeria! Peter for President!"

Addressing thousands of party members and supporters who came to welcome him, Obi stated that his economic transformation agenda was aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians, rather than producing statistical figures that existed only on paper and counting for mere academic exercise.

Meanwhile, NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, continued to mobilise support for the party and its presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.

In London on Saturday, according to a statement by NDC-UK Media Office, the NDC United Kingdom Chapter leadership met with Dickson at the London Park Lane Hilton Hotel and reaffirmed its commitment to the growth and expansion of the party.

The meeting brought together members of the NDC-UK executive committee, party supporters, and representatives of the Nigerian community from across Great Britain and Ireland.

Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, briefed the participants on developments within the party, its progress since its formation, and preparations for the 2027 elections.

The NDC-UK Country Chairman, Princewill Urum, expressed the chapter's commitment to advancing the objectives and programmes of the party.

Equally at the meeting was the leader of Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), a Nigerian and global political network, which expressed support for initiatives aimed at strengthening democratic participation and promoting credible elections in Nigeria.

Dickson, according to the NDC-UK statement, expressed confidence in the party's leadership and presidential ticket, while urging institutions and officials responsible for conducting elections to uphold integrity, fairness, responsibility, and patriotism.

He also disclosed that he would return to the United Kingdom later this year with Obi, Kwankwaso, and other senior party officials for the formal launch of NDC-UK Chapter.

The development came amid continuing efforts by the NDC leadership to consolidate its structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party recently announced plans to inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Council, with Obi and Kwankwaso authorised to nominate principal officers for several strategic positions.

ADC Demands Explanation over Tinubu's Extended Absence from Nigeria

ADC's Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) demanded an explanation from the presidency over Tinubu's continued absence, six days after the expiration of his originally announced three-week vacation.

In a statement by its Director, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, ADC PCC said the president had yet to return to the country as of Sunday, September 27, after the vacation scheduled to end on September 21.

It stated, "The country cannot afford uncertainty at the highest level of government.

"The ADC therefore calls on the presidency to immediately come clean with Nigerians and provide clear, verifiable information on the president's current location, the reason for the prolonged absence and the constitutional arrangements governing the administration of the country during this period.

"The presidency owes Nigerians a clear and transparent explanation. The continued absence of the President, without sufficient public information on his whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding the extension of his stay abroad, has inevitably generated questions and public concern."

ADC stated that the president's position as the country's chief executive made information about his prolonged absence a matter of public interest, particularly against the backdrop of economic difficulties and security challenges confronting the country.

The party stated, "The office of the President is a public trust. Nigerians who elected President Tinubu are entitled to know where their President is and, more importantly, who is exercising presidential authority while he remains outside the country.

"This is particularly important at a time when Nigeria is confronted by serious economic pressures, widespread hardship and persistent security challenges. The country cannot afford uncertainty at the highest level of government."

ADC also asked the presidency to clarify the constitutional basis for the current arrangement, particularly given that the president's absence had extended beyond the period earlier communicated to Nigerians.

It said the presidency should immediately come clean with Nigerians and provide clear, verifiable information on the president's current location, the reason for the prolonged absence, and the constitutional arrangements governing the administration of the country during this period.

"The presidency must also clarify the status of the president's vacation and explain the constitutional basis for the current arrangement, particularly where the president remains away from the country beyond the period earlier communicated to Nigerians," it stated.

The party questioned the reported extension of Tinubu's vacation and the directive for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to continue to represent the president at official engagements.

According to ADC, while the presidency can offer administrative explanations for the arrangement, such explanations do not address the central constitutional question arising from the president's continued absence.

"Who is constitutionally and effectively in charge of the affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while the president remains away?" it asked.

Presidency: Tinubu is Hale and Hearty

Responding to the barrage of questions, the presidency, last night, said Tinubu was hale and hearty.

Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in response to enquiries by THISDAY, declared that the president was in good health and on working vacation, citing his weekend's meeting with investors in France.

Onanuga stressed that in the present digital age, Tinubu did not need to be in Abuja to carry out the executive functions for which he was elected for in 2023.

He stated, "Nigeria's President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to. In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023.

"And we have seen that he has, indeed, been working, meeting investors in France, most recently facilitating a $7 billion deep-sea port in Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government."

Onanuga said the Nigerian president announced he was taking his annual vacation and delegated attendance to the vice president.

"Yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu's whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X," Onanuga stated.

Onanuga further explained that apart from the Nigerian president, two other African leaders - South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt's Abdel el-Sisi, did not attend this year's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. He claimed crisis did not occur in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Egypt over their presidents' absence.

Onanuga stated, "Two other important African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Ramaphosa booked himself off public engagements. Johannesburg and Pretoria made no uproar over Ramaphosa's absence at UNGA. And Egypt did not erupt that Sisi did not go to New York."

The presidential aide assured that Tinubu would be back to Nigeria and be part of the country's 66th independence anniversary and premiere of a movie in honour of MKO Abiola in Lagos.

"President Tinubu will return home this week to mark Nigeria's 66th Independence Anniversary and honour MKO Abiola, the martyr of the democracy we enjoy today, by attending the premiere of a movie in MKO's memory in Lagos," he said.

Read the original article on This Day.

Africa: Group-by-Group - How the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Qualifying Race Stands After Matchday One

CAF

How the AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifying race stands after Matchday One

26 September 2026

Confederation of African Football (Egypt)

Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Nigeria and Cameroon were among the continental heavyweights to make winning starts as the first matchday of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers produced goals, comebacks and several away successes across Africa.

Guinea-Bissau recorded one of the standout results by winning 2-0 away to co-hosts Tanzania, while Zimbabwe recovered from two goals down to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory in Sierra Leone.

There were less convincing starts for Egypt and Senegal, with the record seven-time African champions held 0-0 at home by Angola while Patrick Vieira's first competitive match as Senegal coach ended in a 1-1 draw against Mozambique.

Rwanda and Mali both scored three times in opening victories, while Mauritania, Namibia, Sudan, Togo, The Gambia, Malawi, Niger and DR Congo also collected maximum points.

Group D is the only section yet to begin, with co-hosts Kenya facing Eritrea and South Africa hosting Guinea on Saturday before Matchday Two starts on Sunday.

Group A: Morocco and Niger set early pace

Morocco and Niger both collected maximum points to take early control of Group A.

The Atlas Lions beat Gabon 2-0, with Noussair Mazraoui opening the scoring in the 36th minute before Soufiane Rahimi secured the victory six minutes from time.

Niger had earlier survived a late Lesotho fightback to win 2-1. Daniel Sosah opened the scoring after 38 minutes before Oumar Sako doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Sera Motebang's 85th-minute penalty gave Lesotho hope, but Niger held on.

Matchday 1 results: Morocco 2-0 Gabon; Niger 2-1 Lesotho.

Matchday 2: Lesotho v Morocco (29 September, 13:00 GMT); Gabon v Niger (29 September, 19:00 GMT).

Group B: Malawi lead after Egypt frustration

Malawi are the early Group B leaders after beating South Sudan 2-1, while Egypt and Angola cancelled each other out in Cairo.

Babatunde Adepoju gave Malawi the lead after 20 minutes before Stephen Joseph Dhata equalised three minutes after the restart. Lloyd Njaliwa struck in the 64th minute to secure the points for the Flames.

Egypt thought they had gone ahead against Angola when Mostafa Zico found the net in the 21st minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Neither side could subsequently find a breakthrough as Angola earned a valuable away point.

Matchday 1 results: Malawi 2-1 South Sudan; Egypt 0-0 Angola.

Matchday 2: South Sudan v Egypt (29 September, 13:00 GMT); Angola v Malawi (6 October, 19:00 GMT).

Group C: Côte d'Ivoire and Gambia start with victories

Côte d'Ivoire made an impressive start to Hervé Renard's second spell in charge with a 2-0 victory over Ghana in Bouaké.

Malick Yalcouyé, one of eight newcomers in Renard's squad, opened the scoring in the 44th minute following a pass from Franck Kessié.

Kessié then converted a penalty in the 58th minute to secure victory against a Ghana side missing several influential players, including Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew.

The Gambia joined the Elephants on three points after beating Somalia 2-1. Ebrima Colley scored an 18th-minute penalty before Bilal Njie equalised in the 72nd minute. Substitute Muhammed Badamosi restored the Scorpions' advantage 11 minutes later.

Matchday 1 results: Côte d'Ivoire 2-0 Ghana; The Gambia 2-1 Somalia.

Matchday 2: Ghana v The Gambia (29 September, 16:00 GMT); Somalia v Côte d'Ivoire (29 September, 19:00 GMT).

Group D: South Africa take early control as Kenya rescue point

South Africa took early control of Group D after beating Guinea 2-1 in Pitso Mosimane's first match back in charge, with Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini scoring for Bafana Bafana.

Guinea equalised through Seydouba Cisse before Kabini struck the winner in the 77th minute for his first international goal.

In Nairobi, co-hosts Kenya needed an 87th-minute Ryan Ogam equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw after Nahom Girmai Netabay had given Eritrea the lead.

South Africa lead the group with three points, ahead of Kenya and Eritrea on one each, while Guinea have no points.

The result is particularly important for Bafana Bafana because Kenya have already qualified automatically as co-hosts. Only the highest-placed side among South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea will join Kenya at PAMOJA 2027.

Matchday 1: Kenya v Eritrea (26 September, 13:00 GMT); South Africa v Guinea (26 September, 16:00 GMT).

Matchday 2: Eritrea v South Africa (30 September, 16:00 GMT); Guinea v Kenya (1 October, 16:00 GMT).

Group E: Zimbabwe produce comeback of Matchday One

Zimbabwe provided arguably the most dramatic comeback of the opening round, recovering from 2-0 down to beat Sierra Leone 3-2.

Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie appeared to have put Sierra Leone in command, but Marshall Munetsi pulled one back in the 72nd minute and Tawanda Chirewa equalised four minutes later.

Munetsi then completed the turnaround with his second goal in the 88th minute.

DR Congo also started with three points, beating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 through goals from Chancel Mbemba and Yoane Wissa.

Matchday 1 results: DR Congo 2-0 Equatorial Guinea; Sierra Leone 2-3 Zimbabwe.

Matchday 2: Equatorial Guinea v Sierra Leone (28 September, 16:00 GMT); Zimbabwe v DR Congo (28 September, 16:00 GMT).

Group F: Mauritania take early advantage

Mauritania moved to the top of Group F after beating Central African Republic 3-1.

Aboubakary Koïta opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Goduine Koyalipou equalised. Dawda Camara restored Mauritania's advantage and Mamadou Diallo added a third.

Burkina Faso and Benin shared the points following a 1-1 draw.

Lassina Traoré converted a penalty in the 20th minute for Burkina Faso, but Aiyegun Tosin responded from the spot for Benin in the 68th minute.

Matchday 1 results: Mauritania 3-1 Central African Republic; Burkina Faso 1-1 Benin.

Matchday 2: Central African Republic v Burkina Faso (28 September, 16:00 GMT); Benin v Mauritania (29 September, 19:00 GMT).

Group G: Cameroon and Namibia collect maximum points

Cameroon and Namibia both made winning starts in Group G.

The Indomitable Lions beat Comoros 3-1, with David Ningo opening the scoring before Bryan Mbeumo doubled the advantage shortly after half-time.

Warmed Omari quickly pulled one back for Comoros, but Danny Namaso's 81st-minute goal made the points safe.

Namibia edged Congo 1-0 in Gaborone, with Bethuel Muzeu heading the only goal two minutes after the interval.

Matchday 1 results: Cameroon 3-1 Comoros; Namibia 1-0 Congo.

Matchday 2: Comoros v Namibia (29 September, 11:00 GMT); Congo v Cameroon (29 September, 19:00 GMT).

Group H: All square after opening matches

There is nothing separating the four teams in Group H after both opening fixtures ended in draws.

Uganda, who are already qualified as co-hosts, earned a 1-1 draw away to Tunisia.

Adem Arous put Tunisia ahead after 12 minutes, but Rogers Mato equalised for the Cranes in the 68th minute.

Libya staged an even more dramatic recovery against Botswana. Tumisang Orebonye scored twice for the visitors before Maruwan Alhibeeshi reduced the deficit and Ezoo El Mariamy converted a stoppage-time penalty to complete a 2-2 draw.

Matchday 1 results: Tunisia 1-1 Uganda; Libya 2-2 Botswana.

Matchday 2: Botswana v Tunisia (28 September, 19:00 GMT); Uganda v Libya (29 September, 16:00 GMT).

Group I: Algeria and Togo make perfect starts

Algeria gave new coach Brahim Hamdani a winning start with a 3-1 victory over Zambia.

Jaouen Hadjam scored after only two minutes, although Fashion Sakala brought Zambia level in the 57th minute.

Algeria responded through Ibrahim Maza 10 minutes later before substitute Anis Hadj Moussa added a third in the 74th minute.

Togo joined Algeria on three points after Dermane Karim's 17th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory over Burundi.

Matchday 1 results: Algeria 3-1 Zambia; Togo 1-0 Burundi.

Matchday 2: Burundi v Algeria (29 September, 13:00 GMT); Zambia v Togo (29 September, 16:00 GMT).

Group J: Sudan capitalise as Senegal are held

Sudan are the early Group J leaders after a late 1-0 victory over Ethiopia.

The contest appeared to be heading for a goalless draw before Mohamed Eisa struck in the 86th minute to secure all three points.

Senegal, meanwhile, were denied victory in Patrick Vieira's first competitive match in charge.

Nicolas Jackson put the Lions of Teranga ahead against Mozambique in the 32nd minute, but Geny Catamo equalised in first-half stoppage time.

Neither side could find a second-half winner, leaving Sudan two points clear at the top after one match.

Matchday 1 results: Sudan 1-0 Ethiopia; Mozambique 1-1 Senegal.

Matchday 2: Mozambique v Sudan (29 September, 13:00 GMT); Ethiopia v Senegal (29 September, 13:00 GMT).

Rwanda and Mali both scored three goals to begin Group K with victories.

The Amavubi beat Liberia 3-1 after an impressive first-half display.

Abeddy Biramahire scored after only two minutes before Mickels Leroy Jacques doubled the advantage. Sylvanus Nimely replied for Liberia, but Mickels Joy Lance's penalty restored Rwanda's two-goal cushion before half-time.

Mali also won 3-1 against Cape Verde.

Martial Tia opened the scoring after five minutes before Lopes Cabral quickly equalised. Nene Dorgeles then struck either side of half-time to complete a double and secure the points.

Matchday 1 results: Rwanda 3-1 Liberia; Mali 3-1 Cape Verde.

Matchday 2: Cape Verde v Rwanda (29 September, 16:00 GMT); Liberia v Mali (29 September, 19:00 GMT).

Group L: Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria take early advantage

Guinea-Bissau produced one of Matchday One's most significant away results by beating co-hosts Tanzania 2-0.

Franculino Djú opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Mama Baldé doubled the advantage in the 58th.

The victory carries additional importance because Tanzania are already qualified as co-hosts, leaving Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Madagascar competing to become the highest-ranked non-host side.

Nigeria also claimed three points, although they had to come from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1.

Ehsan Kari gave Madagascar a 16th-minute lead before George Ilenikhena equalised in first-half stoppage time. Substitute Moses Usor completed the turnaround in the 65th minute.

Guinea-Bissau therefore lead the group on goal difference ahead of Nigeria.

Matchday 1 results: Tanzania 0-2 Guinea-Bissau; Nigeria 2-1 Madagascar.

Matchday 2: Madagascar v Tanzania (29 September, 13:00 GMT); Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria (29 September, 16:00 GMT).

With Matchday One almost complete, attention will quickly turn to the second round, which begins on Sunday. For several sides that dropped points in their opening games, the short turnaround offers an immediate opportunity to respond, while the early leaders have the chance to establish themselves in the race for places at the finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Police Hunt Gunmen After 2 Mass Shootings in South Africa Leave at Least 27 Dead

By GERALD IMRAY

11:32 AM EDT, September 27, 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Two separate mass shootings in South African townships within hours of each other have left at least 27 people dead, police said on Sunday.

South Africa has struggled with violent crime for years, but recent shooting incidents have shocked a country used to some of the highest homicide rates in the world.

In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar near Johannesburg late on Saturday. The South African Police Service said 17 people were killed at the small venue in Wedela township, southwest of South Africa’s biggest city.

The attackers fired at patrons outside the bar before moving inside and continuing to shoot. The victims included 13 men and four women, with at least 15 other people injured, police said.

The gunmen searched some of the patrons and took their mobile phones before escaping in two vehicles. Two cars were set alight outside the bar during the shooting.

Around four hours later, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded in a shooting at a store linked to what police described as an entertainment venue in Lwandle township, near Cape Town, South Africa’s second biggest city. Police said they were searching for multiple suspects, though they didn’t give an exact number.

No arrests have been made in either case. Police deployed specialized units to both townships and surrounding areas in the hunt for the gunmen.

The attacks came five days after another mass shooting in a township near Durban killed at least 11 people, including a pregnant woman, when multiple gunmen attacked a house party in KwaMakhutha township. Police have not reported any arrests.

Wedela resident Siyabonga Nondabula said there had been shootings in the area in the past involving illegal mining gangs, but none of them targeted so many people.

“Seventeen people and (maybe) even more have died, this has never happened here,” he said. “So I feel very sad and traumatized.”

A high rate of killings is a longstanding problem for Africa’s most advanced economy, but the phenomenon of mass shootings is becoming more common, according to experts, with recent killings often being carried out by multiple gunmen.

Gun homicides mostly affect South Africa’s poorest communities in townships and informal settlements made up of shacks and small homes on the edges of many big cities. Police have linked some of the recent shootings, including last week’s house party killings near Durban, to criminal gangs.

Other recent mass shootings include one in June in a poor neighborhood of Johannesburg that killed 12 people, and two in the space of two weeks in December that left a total of 21 people dead.

Soldiers deployed to help police fight crime

South Africa’s violent crime problem prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy soldiers on the streets in March in a yearlong operation to combat crime in some of the country’s worst-affected areas. The deployment included high-crime areas around Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as other areas.

Announcing the deployment, Ramaphosa said crime by organized gangs was the biggest threat to South Africa’s democracy and economic development. Some critics viewed the use of soldiers on the streets as an admission that police were failing.

Soldiers were deployed Sunday to the scene of the bar shooting in Wedela.

South Africa has on average 60 homicides a day

South Africa recorded 5,427 homicides in the three-months ending June 30, an average of nearly 60 a day, according to police statistics.

Shootings are the most common method of homicide in the country. Police and crime experts have long identified the large number of illegal firearms in circulation as a major problem.

Firearm ownership is legal in South Africa but heavily regulated and subject to strict competency requirements. Estimates from political parties and the country’s national gun owners association suggest that between 2 million and 6 million illegal firearms are in circulation. Those groups say the weapons are used in the vast majority of gun homicides.

Body of 10th Woman Found in South Africa as Killings Investigation Continues

10:50 AM EDT, September 26, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police said Saturday that another woman’s body had been found near Johannesburg, bringing to 10 the number of victims in a series of killings under investigation.

Police began investigating after the bodies of three women were found in July and August within about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) of one another in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg.

The discovery of six bodies in Ekurhuleni over 10 days earlier this month raised fears that a serial killer or killers were responsible.

Two women were arrested and charged last week with murder in relation to the ninth body, discovered on Sept. 17. The victim had been stabbed and had her throat cut, police said. Police did not link the two women charged to any of the other killings.

Provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Tommy Mthombeni told state broadcaster SABC on Saturday that investigators believed the ninth killing was an isolated case but could not rule out the possibility that some of the other cases were linked.

Police have identified similarities in some of the killings but said they had not found conclusive evidence that the same person or people were responsible.

All nine of the bodies discovered before Saturday were those of women in their 20s or 30s, according to police. Several were naked or partially clothed and left in open areas near main roads. Officers from the Investigative Psychology Unit, which specializes in complex or serial violent crimes, are part of the investigation.

Police released limited details about the 10th body, which was found early Saturday, and did not immediately identify the victim.

“We can only confirm the discovery of the body,” the South African Police Service said in a statement. “Crime scene management and all the necessary role players are currently on the scene.”

South Africa has high rates of violent crime and violence against women. The killings in Ekurhuleni have sparked a national outcry over women’s safety.

Horn of Africa Region Will Be Devastated by Another Internal War in Ethiopia

Reports of intensified fighting in Tigray and other regions must be viewed in a broader continental and international context

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Friday September 25, 2026

Geopolitical Analysis

Tensions have been building up between the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and several armed opposition groupings.

The issues which brought about the war between the central government in Addis Ababa and the northern regional Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have resurfaced despite the negotiated peace agreement in 2022.

Ethiopia is the second most populated state in Africa with an estimated 138 million people. Although it is a landlocked state it is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan. 

In May 1963 it was the location of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU). When the OAU was formed it consisted of 33 member-states. Today, the AU encompasses 54 independent states along with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) which remains occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco. 

Chronologically it is one of the oldest civilizations recorded in human history. There have been archaeological findings which date back to more than 3 million years. The country is famous for its rock-hewn churches at Lalibela which were constructed between the 7th and 13th centuries.

In recent events inside the country, flights from the capital of Addis Ababa into Tigray have been suspended according to government sources. In addition, there are claims of drone attacks which have wounded and killed civilians in Tigray and other areas of the vast Horn of Africa state. 

Further intensified fighting could erupt soon with the announcement of an alliance of several opposition organizations threatening to wage an armed struggle to seize control of the government led by the Prosperity Party of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The ruling Prosperity Party was declared the winners in a recent election although the opposition forces have declared the poll as being illegitimate. Prime Minister Abiy has rejected the protests of the TPLF and other allied groupings saying that the armed opposition will be met with full force of the federal government.

Figures provided by the government indicated that in the June elections, the Prosperity Party won 438 of 486 contested parliamentary seats. Elections did not occur in Tigray while they were interrupted by tensions in parts of Amhara and Oromia regions.

A recent article published in Al Jazeera said the present situation is quite explosive, noting:

“The Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, announced on September 20, was not a surprise. It followed several months of coordination meetings among the groups, held in the presence of military and security representatives from Eritrea and Sudan. It brings together the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and four movements from the Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. Despite the OLA’s participation, Oromo organizations and elites are divided in their support for the alliance. The alliance aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and establish an inclusive transition. Three of the seven organizations – the TPLF, the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Afar National Unity Revolutionary Front (ANURF) – have particular strategic importance. All three are in northern Ethiopia, which borders Eritrea, allowing continuous logistical support from there.” (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/9/25/ethiopias-new-rebel-alliance-faces-an-old-problem)

There has been widespread alarm domestically, regionally and internationally over the announcement of the armed opposition coalition aimed at toppling the government in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia remains the seat of the AU and its affiliated institutions such as the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC), the Peace and Security Council (PSC), designed to address conflicts inside the continent, along with other agencies. 

Since the transformation of the OAU to the AU in 2002, the affiliate institutions were redesigned for more effectiveness as it relates to peacekeeping as well as economic cooperation. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) based in Accra, Ghana was approved in 2018 after years of negotiations. 

The objectives of the ACDC and AfCFTA are to foster greater unity in addressing widespread economic underdevelopment resulting from the legacy of enslavement, colonialism and neo-colonialism. High rates of infectious and non-infectious diseases are direct outcomes of the continuing unequal distribution of wealth and terms of international trade. 

These lofty goals enunciated by the AU cannot be achieved in the face of increasing insecurity which can only result in human dislocation. With its large population and natural resources, Ethiopia should be a center of planning and development for the entire continent.

A statement from the AU on the situation in Ethiopia emphasized:

“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, expresses deep concern over renewed tensions and military escalation in Northern Ethiopia, including the seizure and occupation of the airports of Mekelle, Axum and Shire, the detention of federal personnel by the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) and the ensuing disruption of civilian air services. The Chairperson is also gravely concerned by reports of escalating hostilities in parts of South Tigray and the Afar Region, as well as recent developments involving the formation of new political and military alliances that risk further destabilizing the situation and reversing the gains made to silencing the guns, since 2020…. The Chairperson calls for utmost restraint and the immediate cessation of all actions that could further escalate tensions. He calls on the resumption of direct talks without delay within the framework of the Pretoria Agreement. (https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20260923/chairperson-calls-restraint-and-immediate-de-escalation-northern-ethiopia)

Such a statement is reflective of the concerns of the people of Africa related to the burgeoning conflict in Ethiopia. Other internal wars in neighboring Sudan, for example, have caused displacement of millions internally and into other regional states. 

These conflicts are often a direct result of the interference by western states and their allies such as Israel, United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Consequently, the capacity of African states to resolve their internal and regional problems would be a major achievement in building stability, economic independence and territorial sovereignty. 

Neighboring Eritrea and the Burgeoning Conflict in Ethiopia

The relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been complicated by the historical geographic mapping of the Horn of Africa region. Various African people over the millennia have migrated and settled in vast areas of territory that are today called nation-states. These nation-states existing in Africa today are derived from the legacy of classical colonialism and its successor system of neo-colonialism. 

Eritrea was colonized by Italy in the aftermath of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. Ethiopia under a monarchy repelled a military intervention by the same imperialist regime in Italy during 1896, known as the Battle of Adwa. Later in 1935, the fascist government of Benito Mussolini invaded and occupied Abyssinia until 1941. 

After the conclusion of the Second World War (1939-1945) there was a reconfiguration of the colonial landscape. Eritrean leaders made clear their desire for independence as early as 1950 when a resolution was introduced to that effect by socialist Czechoslovakia. This resolution opposed the federation of the former Italian colony to post-war Ethiopia. 

By 1961 a full-blown war was underway between Eritrean independence fighters and the Ethiopian government headed then by His Imperial Majesty Haile Sellasie I. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1974 during a revolutionary upsurge and the coming to power of Provisional Military Administrative Council, the war with Eritrea continued.

In 1991, when the Workers Party of Ethiopia under Mengistu Haile Miriam collapsed, Eritrea declared its independence which was codified two years later in a United Nations supervised election. Nonetheless, even under the TPLF government which controlled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, relations with Asmara (Eritrean capital) were tense and resulted in two major wars between 1998-2000. 

It was with great expectations when the current Prime Minister Abiy negotiated two peace agreements with Eritrea in 2018. Nonetheless, since 2018 the relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have worsened. The role of Eritrea will prove critical in the outcome of the rising internal tensions. 

Crisis Must Be Viewed Along with the Role of Imperialism

Throughout the Horn of Africa and broader East and Central Africa regions the United States is making a calculated attempt to further its geostrategic domination. The developments in the Horn of Africa are clearly related to the neighboring West Asia region.

The Israeli state recently “recognized” the breakaway Somaliland region of Somalia. It is quite obvious this maneuver is designed to establish a beachhead to counter the growing influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the affiliates of the Axis of Resistance, particularly those in Yemen. 

Concurrently, the US administration denied entry visas to the delegation of Sudanese General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan to attend the United Nations General Assembly 81st Session. The denial of Sudan took place alongside the same measures utilized against Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas. The State Department told the Sudanese government that their denial of entry was based upon Khartoum’s rejection of a US-proposed solution to the intra-military war which has raged since April 2023.

All of these provocations can by no means win friends and influence for Washington in the Global South and elsewhere. Events at the UNGA 81 in New York City reveal the disagreements existing in the international community.