Senegal Leadership Shake-Up Raises Fears of Political Instability
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has fired Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government after months of tension. Recent months have seen rivalry mount between the two men, who teamed up to defeat the former ruling party’s candidate in presidential elections in March 2024. Sonko had backed Faye in the 2024 election after being barred from running himself due to a defamation conviction. Faye then appointed Sonko as prime minister. The split comes as the country faces mounting economic pressure, with its public debt having reached the equivalent of 132% of its GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Political analysts have warned that his firing raises the possibility of a power struggle between the president and Sonko, whose party dominates in parliament. No details were provided on the appointment of a new prime minister.
Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Linda Masarira Dies
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Zimbabwean opposition leader and human rights activist Linda Masarira has died at the age of 43. Masarira founded and led the Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) in 2019. Close friend Abigale Mupambi has described Masarira as a “comrade to many.” Masarira was widely known for her outspoken activism on issues affecting women, children and marginalised communities, as well as her involvement in opposition politics over the past decade. In 2023, she failed to run for president after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission raised nomination fees from $1,000 to $20,000. Her passing marks the loss of a prominent figure in Zimbabwe’s opposition and civil society space.
Africa Day Marked by Calls for Economic Control and Youth Inclusion
As Africa marks Africa Day 2026, more than six decades after the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa. Debates over the meaning of liberation have shifted from political independence to economic and digital control. For the older generation, Africa Day remains a deeply emotional milestone, a reminder of a hard-won victory against colonial rule and political oppression that reshaped the continent’s history. For many analysts and young Africans, money, jobs and economic control now sit at the centre of how liberation is understood today. The debate has shifted from flags, borders and national anthems to deeper questions about who controls economies, who makes financial decisions, and who ultimately benefits from growth on the continent. Across the continent, Africa Day is increasingly becoming less about celebration and more about reflection and questioning.
Deportees Speak Out as Lawyers Challenge U.S.-Eswatini Deal
Eswatini is facing legal and political scrutiny after agreeing to accept deported third-country migrants from the United States under a controversial deal linked to US immigration policy. At least 19 migrants deported from the US have been detained in a prison south of the capital, Mbabane. Two of the 19 have so far been released and repatriated. Some detainees and their relatives have reported that they are being detained under poor conditions. The agreement, which reportedly involves up to 160 deportees in exchange for about $5.1 million in US funding. This has also drawn concern from lawyers who argue it may violate Eswatini’s constitution by bypassing parliament, denying detainees legal representation, and holding individuals without charge. Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda and South Sudan have also agreed to accept deportees, with Sierra Leone the latest African country to follow suit. More than 40 deportees in total have been sent from the US to Africa as part of these agreements.
African Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Continent’s Crippling Water Crisis
African leaders have warned that poor access to clean water and sanitation is costing the continent billions of dollars annually while deepening poverty, disease, and inequality. African leaders met in Kigali during the 62nd African Liberation Day. Speaking at the conference, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Gertrude Kazarwa said millions of Africans still lack access to basic water and sanitation services, undermining development efforts across the continent. The United Nations estimates that more than 400 million Africans lack safe drinking water, while over 700 million do not have proper sanitation facilities. Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn warned that poor water and sanitation services are also slowing Africa’s economic transformation. Desalegn called for stronger investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, innovation, and regional cooperation on shared water resources, urging African countries to move from policy discussions to implementation under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 framework.
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