West

Vote counting was underway in Guinea on Monday following legislative and municipal elections seen as an important stage in the country’s ongoing political transition under President Mamadi Doumbouya.

The polls, held across the West African nation on Sunday, were part of efforts to restore constitutional governance after the 2021 military takeover that brought Doumbouya to power.

More than seven million registered voters were eligible to elect 147 members of parliament as well as local municipal representatives in a nationwide ballot closely watched across the region.

ACCRA, Ghana The first group of nearly 300 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa following a surge in anti-immigrant protests arrived in Accra on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the safety of foreign nationals living in Africa’s most industrialized economy.

The returnees landed at Kotoka International Airport to an emotional reception led by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, with patriotic music echoing through the arrival terminal.

Ghanaian authorities said about 800 citizens have so far registered for government-assisted repatriation flights from South Africa, citing fears for their safety amid escalating hostility toward migrants.

The third edition of Biashara Africa opened on Monday in Lomé, bringing together African leaders, investors, manufacturers and business executives for a three-day conference focused on boosting trade and industrialisation across the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Among the leaders attending the opening ceremony were H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, H.E. Wamkele Mene and former Niger President H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, alongside delegates from across Africa, the United States and Dubai.

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has appointed Senegalese expert Dr. Malle Fofana as its new Deputy Executive Director and Head of Green Growth Implementation, marking a major milestone for African leadership in global climate action.

Dr. Fofana becomes the first African to join the GGGI Executive Team, a move seen as a strong step toward giving developing countries a bigger voice in global climate and green growth decisions.

Based in Seoul, Republic of Korea, the appointment follows an international selection process. Dr. Fofana hails from Senegal and brings more than 20 years of experience in climate policy, sustainable development and international cooperation.

The next chapter of Africa’s trade story will unfold from May 18 to May 20, 2026 in Lomé, as leaders, businesses, and innovators gather for Biashara Africa under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

This edition comes at a decisive moment. AfCFTA is no longer just a vision on paper. It is a system in motion, with real expectations from governments, private sector players, and millions of Africans whose livelihoods depend on trade.

Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, has been killed during a series of coordinated attacks on military targets across the country, according to an official government statement.

Government spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly confirmed that Camara died after armed assailants attacked his residence in the garrison town of Kati on Saturday. The attack was part of a wider offensive carried out simultaneously in multiple regions.

Kati, located about 15 kilometres northwest of the capital Bamako, is considered one of Mali’s most secure military strongholds. Despite this, fighters linked to the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), alongside Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), managed to breach the area.

Ghana is stepping up its campaign at the United Nations, using both diplomacy and cultural advocacy to call for formal global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.

During remarks in New York, president John Dramani Mahama highlighted that the impact of slavery goes far beyond history, pointing to the systematic dehumanization of Africans as a foundation for inequalities that still exist today. He spoke at a high-level forum centered on reparatory justice.

Military officers in Guinea-Bissau announced on Wednesday that they have seized full control of the country, appearing on state television to declare the suspension of national institutions following days of political tension.

In an official statement, the military high command said it had “assumed the full powers of the State of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.” The officers claimed the takeover was triggered by what they described as “an ongoing plan” to destabilize the nation by attempting to manipulate electoral results from last week’s contentious presidential vote.

A devastating crowd crush at Accra’s El-Wak Sports Stadium claimed the lives of six people and injured dozens more on Wednesday, exposing the desperate lengths young Ghanaians are willing to go for a stable job. The tragedy unfolded during a nationwide recruitment exercise for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), which had drawn a massive and ultimately fatal turnout.

The stampede erupted in the early hours of Wednesday morning, well before the screening process was set to begin. According to a press release issued by the GAF on their official X (formerly Twitter) platform, the chaotic surge was triggered by an unexpected rush of applicants who overwhelmed the limited security protocols and forced their way through the stadium gates. The statement confirmed that six potential recruits died in the crush, while preliminary reports indicated that as many as 28 others were rushed to the 37 Military Hospital, with a number of them in critical condition.

For the second consecutive day, residents of Cameroon’s economic capital, Douala, have taken to the streets in protest following the announcement that President Paul Biya has secured a controversial eighth term in office.

Security forces have been heavily deployed across multiple neighborhoods, as demonstrations turned violent amid growing anger over the 92-year-old leader’s re-election.

Reports from the city describe barricades, burning tires, and live gunfire, as clashes broke out between protesters and police. Public transport has been halted, and many businesses remain closed as residents fear further escalation.