South Africa is set to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, scheduled to take place from November 22 to 23, 2025. The summit, which will bring together heads of state and government from the world’s largest economies, is the first G20 meeting to ever be held on the African continent. South Africa’s presidency has centered its priorities on key Global South issues: strengthening disaster resilience, ensuring debt sustainability for developing economies, mobilizing finance for a just energy transition, and promoting the use of critical minerals for inclusive growth. The country is leveraging its hosting role to showcase its tourism sector and drive economic activity before handing over the G20 presidency to the United States on December 1, 2025.
Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, founder of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday, after being convicted of all seven terrorism-related charges brought against him. The verdict, delivered by Justice James Omotosho in Abuja, marks the conclusion of a decade-long trial that has been a major source of tension in Nigeria’s southeastern region. Prosecutors successfully argued that Kanu’s broadcasts and directives to IPOB members directly incited fatal assaults on both security forces and civilians as part of his campaign for an independent Biafra state. Although prosecutors sought the death penalty, the judge tempered the sentence, noting that the death penalty is increasingly frowned upon by the international community. The court sentenced him to concurrent jail terms, including life imprisonment for the main terrorism offense. The verdict immediately raised concerns among security analysts that the conviction could further inflame separatist sentiment and lead to renewed unrest in the region.
Benin’s National Assembly adopted a significant constitutional revision introducing key changes to the country’s governance structure. The reform, passed with 90 votes in favor and 19 against, extends the presidential term from five to seven years while maintaining the two-term limit. The amendment also establishes a bicameral Parliament by creating a Senate. This new upper chamber will be partially comprised of members of the right, such as former presidents and chiefs of staff, and partially by presidential appointees, a provision that has sparked controversy regarding the chamber’s democratic legitimacy. All new provisions are scheduled to take effect with the 2026 general elections. Proponents argue the reform will stabilize political life, while critics warn that the longer presidential term and the appointed nature of the Senate could potentially concentrate power, weakening checks and balances in a nation previously known for its democratic reputation.
The government of Eswatini confirmed on Tuesday that it had received $5.1 million from the United States under a confidential agreement to accept third-country nationals deported by the U.S. government. Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg verified the payment, which is intended to strengthen Eswatini’s border and migration-management capacity in accepting up to 160 migrants. The initial group of deportees received by the landlocked kingdom includes foreign nationals from countries like Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, and Yemen. This arrangement is part of the Trump administration’s broader, intensified immigration policy involving the transfer of migrants to third countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Togo’s Prime Minister, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss bolstering diplomatic and trade relations. The high-level meeting focused on expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade, energy, and food security. President Putin expressed optimism about the future of the partnership, noting that despite the current modest volume of trade, the trend is positive and is expected to grow further next year with the planned opening of embassies in both countries. The meeting comes as Russia continues its diplomatic and economic outreach across the African continent, an effort viewed with increasing concern by Western powers. Togo, a phosphate-producing West African nation, is seen as a strategic partner for Russia, particularly regarding the export of grain and fertilizer, where Russia is a major global player.
China and Zambia have officially sealed a $1.4 billion agreement to undertake the complete modernization and rehabilitation of the aging Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) line. The project was launched on Thursday in Lusaka by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Built by China in the 1970s, the 1,860-kilometer railway is a crucial route for moving minerals, particularly copper, from Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam. The deal grants a 30-year concession to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to upgrade the track, construct new infrastructure, and procure over 800 new locomotives and wagons. The aim is to dramatically increase the line’s annual freight capacity to 2.4 million tonnes, effectively creating an alternative mineral export route amid competition from U.S.-backed corridors.
French President Emmanuel Macron began a five-day tour of Africa on Thursday, with his first stop being the island nation of Mauritius. During his visit, he held talks with Mauritian President Dharambeer Gakhool, where they mutually agreed to explore deeper cooperation in areas including food security, energy transition, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The tour is viewed as an effort to deepen ties with Francophone partners in the region before Macron heads to South Africa to attend the G20 summit and then continues to Gabon. His visit reaffirms the strength of the long-standing Mauritius-France partnership, with the host country conferring the Most Distinguished Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean medal on the French president.
Sudan’s governing Transitional Sovereignty Council, led by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, formally announced its readiness to cooperate with the United States and Saudi Arabia to end the brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The statement, released on Wednesday, expressed gratitude to Washington and Riyadh for their sustained efforts to halt the violence and confirmed Sudan’s commitment to engage seriously in new peace initiatives. With the war having displaced millions and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, the SAF’s expressed willingness to cooperate is a crucial step toward de-escalation, although the underlying issues with the RSF remain unresolved.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health officially confirmed an outbreak of the highly virulent Marburg virus disease (MVD) in the Omo region, a location near the border with South Sudan. Marburg virus, which belongs to the same family as Ebola, is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads through human-to-human contact via bodily fluids, with symptoms including fever and hemorrhagic manifestations. Teams are on the ground in the affected Omo region tracing contacts, isolating infected individuals, and conducting community screenings to bring the outbreak under control rapidly. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Ethiopia’s swift action and transparency in dealing with the crisis. The news has caused neighboring countries, including Ghana, to activate public health emergency systems and intensify surveillance at points of entry to prevent cross-border spread.
