Africa Confidential

23/12/2025

and ’s leaders are urging the head of the Sudan Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al Burhan, to participate in peace talks brokered by Riyadh and Washington. has so far refused talks with his RSF opponents to try and end their civil war.

Sudan Armed Forces have so far refused idea of direct talks with RSF opponents

23/12/2025

’s government has agreed a deal with Atlantic for the company to transport by rail from its planned Kon Kweni mine in . The agreement is aligned with US government efforts to reduce dependence on ore from China.

An agreement has been struck for US firm to transport iron ore from planned Kon Kweni mine in Guinea

23/12/2025

Although opposition MPs supported Zambian President Hakainde ’s bill to increase the size of the National Assembly and introduce an element of proportional representation, there are still concerns that it will help solidify the leader’s control.

Constitutional amendment that increases the size of the National Assembly may boost president’s power

22/12/2025

’s long‑trailed ‘new approach to ’ has landed with a thud – a speech, shrinking aid budgets and no clear investment plan for a continent of 1.55 billion people.

Diplomats consulted 47 governments and 25 multilateral institutions, but Britain’s new Africa policy is still seen as a damp squib

22/12/2025

France is ’s main economic and commercial rival in - but both were quick to cooperate amidst a quickly evolving Beninese coup, ensuring loyalists were able to defeat the putsch.

Stopping the coup in Benin could mark a turnaround in the fortunes of the Ecowas regional bloc after a spate of military takeovers since 2020

22/12/2025

The Malian junta withheld drone contracts from both the Ministry of Defence and the Conseil national de la transition, fuelling concerns about opaque procurement and growing internal rivalries.

Lucrative contracts with a Turkish arms dealer point to graft and power struggles in Bamako, even as jihadists edge closer

22/12/2025

: Ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh plans to return to his country after nine years of exile in , causing major upsets in the political class in .

Despite being accused of plundering the state and murdering opponents Yahya Jammeh is coming home and little stands in his way

22/12/2025

A former army officer says is no longer informal – it’s a structured criminal enterprise backed by foreign financiers and political actors – with proceeds laundered and smuggled through networks that thrive on and impunity.

https://africa-conf.com/the-price-of-control

22/12/2025

Low‑quality smuggled into was allegedly mixed with purer local and sold at premium rates. The central bank halted purchases after discovering the adulteration.

The central bank’s eyebrow-raising gold export figures are raising questions about the precious metal’s provenance

22/12/2025

Behind ’s glittering export figures lies a murky mix of inflated reporting, smuggling networks and political control over ’s mines.

The central bank’s eyebrow-raising gold export figures are raising questions about the precious metal’s provenance

22/12/2025

’s parliament has accused British soldiers of decades of abuses, from sexual violence to environmental damage. The 94‑page report says is seen as ‘an occupying presence’.

Diplomats consulted 47 governments and 25 multilateral institutions, but Britain’s new Africa policy is still seen as a damp squib

20/12/2025

Half of ’s record haul came from – yet artisanal miners insist they couldn’t have produced it. Our latest investigation digs into the mystery behind the glittering figures.

The central bank’s eyebrow-raising gold export figures are raising questions about the precious metal’s provenance