Africa

WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda an international emergency

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda an international emergency, citing risks of cross-border spread.

Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026.
The remains of missing US servicewoman Spc. Mariyah Collington were recovered on April 13, 2026.

Remains of second missing US servicewoman found in Morocco, military says

Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed at inauguration ceremony of reopening Eritrean embassy in Addis Ababa, 2018

The Red Sea, Assab, and the possibility of a reimagined Horn of Africa - opinion

West African Soldiers from Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Niger attend the closing ceremony of the U.S. sponsored Flintlock exercises at the site of the new French-backed international counter-terrorism academy in Jacqueville, Ivory Coast

Mer Group signs deal with West African country


Benin President Patrice Talon thwarts military coup attempt, vows swift punishment for plotters

A government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, said that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.

Benin President Patrice Talon addresses the nation on state broadcaster after coup attempt, in Cotonou, Benin, December 7, 2025.

Benin soldiers announce coup, gov't says plot is under control

The move was latest threat to democratic norms in the region, coming after a coup in Guinea-Bissau last month marked the ninth in West and Central Africa since 2020.

 A woman crosses a street as motorists engage a crossroad in Cotonou following rumors of a possible coup in the country on December 7, 2025. Benin's President Patrice Talon is safe and the army is regaining control, after a group of soldiers said they had ousted him from power.

Ethiopia accuses Egypt of driving up tensions in Nile dam standoff after int'l law accusations

The criticism centers on Egypt’s response to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, with Ethiopian officials alleging Cairo is using threats and regional pressure.

Flags from Egypt and Ethiopia.

Somalis arrested in Minneapolis immigration operation, federal officials say

Also on Thursday, federal officials said they had arrested dozens of people in New Orleans, another Democratic-run city.

Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman speaks alongside other elected officials at a press conference to address reported federal operation targeting Somali immigrants, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US December 3, 2025.

Congo, Rwanda leaders affirm commitment to Trump-backed peace deal

Washington staged a Congo-Rwanda peace signing, but continuing M23 clashes and stalled commitments raised doubts about its impact.

(From L-R) US President Donald Trump, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi hold  a signed document during a signing ceremony at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, December 4, 2025.

Ancient Sudan burial site reveals 4,000-year-old funeral ritual in forgotten Nubian kingdom

“Even a seemingly modest site can provide important clues for reconstructing past environments and climates," the researchers wrote.

Site BP 784, relics of a hut with an annex from the Middle Ages.

Congo’s Ebola outbreak contained, health officials declare

Congolese health officials declared the Ebola outbreak over after the DRC used a revamped national surveillance system to rapidly contain transmission in Kasai Province.

Kavota Mugisha Robert (L), a healthcare worker who volunteered in the Ebola response, stands with decontamination gear as his colleague prepare to enter a house where a woman, 85, is suspected of dying of Ebola in the Eastern Congolese town of Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo, October 8, 201

Dung DNA reveals hidden population of endangered forest elephants, study finds

The species of elephant, important in helping rainforests to regenerate, is notoriously hard to assess since they are spread across remote, dense jungles in 22 African countries.

 a wild forest elephant and calves bathe in the marshes of in Bayanga Equatorial Forest, part of the Dzanga Sangha Reserve, the last refuge of forest elephants and Central African gorillas, in south-western Central African Republic.

Army officers say they have seized power in Guinea-Bissau

Military officers announced a coup in Guinea-Bissau, suspending elections, deposing President Embalo and triggering unrest as regional bodies urge a return to constitutional order.

Soldiers patrol on the main road in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, November 21, 2025.

Trump escalates diplomatic efforts in Sudan, Ukraine conflicts

With peace deals in Sudan and Ukraine on the line, Trump’s diplomatic efforts reach a critical point in securing lasting arrangements.

US President Donald Trump welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, DC, US, October 17, 2025