Africa

In a contentious legal battle, Zambia’s government prevailed in a South African court on August 8, 2025, securing the right to repatriate the remains of former President Edgar Lungu for a state funeral in Zambia, contrary to his family’s wishes. Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, passed away on June 5, 2025, in a Pretoria hospital while undergoing medical treatment. Despite…

In August 2025, Egypt officially received 13 ancient Egyptian artefacts that had been smuggled to the United Kingdom and Germany, marking a significant stride in the country’s ongoing cultural restitution efforts. The artefacts were handed over during a formal ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, in the presence of the Supreme Council of…

In early August 2025, South Africa found itself under scrutiny due to the absence of a formal ambassador to the United States during sensitive trade negotiations. This gap in diplomatic representation was heightened by the March expulsion of its ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, following controversial remarks he made abroad. In response, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola sought to quell…

Former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara, who briefly held office from April 2014 to early January 2015, has been formally charged over a social media post expressing solidarity with detained critics of Mali’s military rulers. ⚖️ The Post That Triggered the Charges On July 4, 2025, Mara posted on X (formerly Twitter) after visiting political prisoners, whom he described as…

In mid‑July 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa initiated a significant leadership shake‑up within the Ministry of Police, placing Minister Senzo Mchunu on indefinite special leave amid serious corruption allegations. Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, KwaZulu‑Natal’s police commissioner, accused Mchunu of aiding criminal syndicates, accepting campaign funding from a controversial…