By Agencies Uganda’s Electoral Commission has cleared President Yoweri Museveni and opposition leader Bobi Wine to run in the country’s 2026 elections. The announcement sets the stage for a dramatic political showdown between the 81-year-old leader — who has ruled since 1986 — and his 43-year-old rival, a pop star turned politician who commands strong support among young Ugandans. Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents, is seeking another five-year term under the National Resistance Movement. He points to economic growth, new infrastructure, and stability as his achievements, and has pledged to focus on wealth creation, education, health and the fight…
Author: Montage Africa
By AP Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison if a Paris court convicts him of secretly using funds from the Libyan government of late dictator Moammar Gadhafi to finance his presidential campaign in 2007. The verdict is expected on Thursday. If convicted, the 70-year-old Sarkozy would be the first former French president found guilty of accepting illegal foreign funds to win office. Sarkozy, who was elected in 2007 but lost his bid for reelection in 2012, has denied all wrongdoing during a three-month trial earlier this year that also involved 11 co-defendants, including three…
The 2025 Namibia Open Chess Championship recently wrapped up in Windhoek, gathering a diverse field of competitors, including international masters, seasoned campaigners, and promising young talents. Organised by the Namibia Chess Federation (NCF) and sponsored by Bank Windhoek, the event attracted players from Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana, featuring Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats with dedicated sections for women, juniors, and cadets (U12). “This edition is remembered as one of the strongest and most competitive Namibia Opens to date, filled with surprises, intense rivalries, and inspiring stories of resilience and emerging brilliance,” said NCF President, Berdian Beukes. The Open Classical section,…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP On the shores of Lake Naivasha, thick mats of water hyacinth are choking aquatic life, blocking sunlight, and devastating local fisheries. But for Kenyan engineer Joseph Nguthiru, the invasive plant became an opportunity to fight both environmental degradation and plastic pollution. Nguthiru is the founder and CEO of HyaPak, a startup transforming water hyacinth into biodegradable alternatives to plastic, creating eco-friendly products while supporting local jobs. “Water hyacinth is the world’s most invasive aquatic weed,” Nguthiru says. “It destroys aquatic ecosystems and affects fishing, irrigation, and even increases malaria risks.” HyaPak’s standout innovation is its…
By Rédaction Africanews The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with a new outbreak of Ebola, as health officials have confirmed eleven additional cases in the Bulape Health Zone of Kasai Province. The outbreak remains concentrated in six health areas: Bambalaie, Bulape, Bulape Communautaire, Dikolo, Ingongo, and Mpianga. As of September 21, 2025, the total number of reported cases has increased to 57, comprising 47 confirmed and 10 probable cases. The outbreak has claimed 35 lives, including 25 confirmed and 10 probable cases, resulting in an overall case fatality ratio of 61.4%. Notably, five health workers are among the confirmed…
The African Union Commission (AUC), working with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and the AU member states, is presenting eight African countries as candidates for election to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council. The ICAO Assembly, taking place in Montreal from 23 September to 3 October, brings together 193 member states to set global aviation policy, adopt new standards, and elect the ICAO Council of 36 states, a body that governs international civil aviation between Assembly sessions. Under the theme “United for Greater Representation,” Africa is standing as one bloc, determined to secure stronger representation and advance its…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies A mission from the West African Regional bloc, ECOWAS, has left Guinea-Bissau saying the president had threatened to expel it. The team was sent to the country last month to help it reach a “political consensus” on how to conduct elections this year. It said it had “prepared a draft agreement on a roadmap for elections” and had started presenting it to the stakeholders for their consent. But the team decided to leave early on Saturday morning after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s threat. It says it will now present its report to the ECOWAS president,…
The conclusions from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), convened this summer in Seville, Spain, could not have been clearer: Africa must look increasingly to itself and its regional champions to finance its future. Africa’s development challenges are well known. Infrastructure gaps, from transport corridors to energy systems, continue to stifle industrial growth and regional trade. Food insecurity persists despite vast agricultural potential. High import bills for food and fuel drain scarce foreign exchange. Global capital markets remain prohibitively expensive for African borrowers, hamstrung by entrenched perceptions of risk and skewed rating methodologies. But the point that…
By Africanews with AP Global shipping, moving over 80 per cent of the world’s merchandise trade, is entering a period of fragile growth, rising costs and mounting uncertainty, according to The Review of Maritime Transport 2025: Staying the course in turbulent waters, released by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 24 September. After firm growth last year, seaborne trade is expected to stall in 2025, with volumes barely rising (+0.5 per cent). Long-distance rerouting caused by geopolitical tensions kept ships busier last year with a record of nearly 6 per cent growth in ton-miles. “The transitions ahead – to zero…
By Agencies The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have agreed to begin implementing key security measures in October as part of a peace deal brokered with support from U.S. President Donald Trump. The accord, signed earlier this year, aims to ease years of deadly conflict in eastern Congo, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels and other armed groups have destabilized the region. Under the plan, joint monitoring mechanisms will be established along the border, while both countries commit to halting support for proxy militias. The initiative also includes humanitarian access for displaced civilians and the deployment of neutral observers. The agreement…