Author: Faith Daniel
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has accused Eritrea’s army of committing atrocities during the two-year war in the northern Tigray region, which ended in 2022. Eritrean forces fought alongside Ethiopian troops against local Tigrayan fighters during the conflict, which centred on control of Tigray, a region bordering Eritrea. Speaking in parliament, Abiy acknowledged for the first time that Eritrean soldiers had massacred civilians in the historic city of Aksum. Eritrea had previously denied allegations of mass killings reported to have taken place there over two days in November 2020. The remarks mark another shift in the volatile relationship between the…
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed two senior aides after an embarrassing incident in which a deceased man was appointed to a panel tasked with leading discussions on elections scheduled for December. The appointment of Steward Soroba Budia was announced in a presidential order dated January 30. However, local media quickly pointed out that Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), had died five years earlier. The mistake sparked widespread mockery on social media. In an official statement issued without explanation, the presidency announced the dismissal of press secretary David Amour Major and Valentino Dhel Maluet,…
Ghana has temporarily paused applications for citizenship for members of the African diaspora to make the system more user-friendly. Since 2016, descendants of Africans, particularly those whose ancestors were affected by the transatlantic slave trade, have been eligible to obtain Ghanaian nationality. Over 1,000 people, including African American singer Stevie Wonder, have acquired citizenship. However, applicants have raised concerns about the complexity, cost, and tight deadlines, including the requirement to submit DNA evidence within a week. The application fee is $136, with an additional $2,280 for shortlisted candidates, followed by orientation and a citizenship ceremony overseen by President John Mahama.…
South African singer Tyla has won her second Grammy at the 2026 awards, taking the Best African Music Performance prize for her song Push 2 Start. She beat four other nominees, including Nigerian stars Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, and Davido, as well as Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo. Tyla, 24, previously won the same award in 2024 for her global hit Water. After her latest win in Los Angeles, she expressed pride in representing Africa, saying: “This is insane… I’m so proud to be African.” Social media in South Africa and beyond celebrated her victory, though some Nigerian fans expressed disappointment…
A Kenyan family is seeking answers and assistance to repatriate the body of a 29-year-old relative who was killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russian forces. Clinton Nyapara Mogesa left Kenya in 2024 for what he believed was a job opportunity in Qatar. He later informed his family that he was travelling on to Russia. On Saturday, Ukraine’s defence intelligence said Mogesa was killed in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region during what it described as a high-casualty “meat assault”. Ukrainian officials said Mogesa had been recruited while in Qatar and claimed Russian forces did not evacuate his body. They also said…
There has been widespread grief in Nigeria following the death of 26-year-old aspiring singer Ifunanya Nwangene, who died on Saturday after being bitten by a snake in her Abuja apartment. Nwangene rose to public attention after appearing on The Voice Nigeria in 2021, where she was praised for her vocal range and ability to blend jazz, opera, classical music and soul. Friends say she had been planning her first solo concert later this year. She was also a trained architect. Videos shared on social media show a snake handler removing a snake from her apartment, as bystanders screamed that it…
Africa is poised to lead global high-impact oil and gas exploration in 2026, accounting for roughly 40% of planned high-impact wells, driven by ultra-deepwater plays along the Atlantic margin. Operators are increasingly targeting frontier and capital-intensive prospects to secure large, long-life resources, as mature basins deliver diminishing returns. Strong Momentum in Upstream Exploration The upstream sector is expected to carry strong momentum into 2026 following a solid 2025. Last year, the success rate for high-impact wildcat wells rose to 38% from 23% in 2024, while total discovered volumes increased by 53% year-on-year to around 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent…
Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited is betting that artificial intelligence (AI) can breathe new life into hundreds of oil wells previously destined for abandonment, potentially unlocking significant value from assets written off using conventional exploration methods. Tony Attah, Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian energy company, told attendees at the PwC BusinessDay Outlook event that AI-powered reinterpretation of seismic data could reveal bypassed reserves in more than 300 wells currently earmarked for decommissioning. “Can you imagine a scenario where I deploy AI, and I can see clearly all I need to do is go back into those wells, sidetrack,…
Africa’s defence industry is at a pivotal moment as security threats intensify across the continent. From insurgencies in the Sahel and Horn of Africa to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and renewed great-power competition, governments are increasing military spending to address immediate risks while modernising their armed forces and asserting greater strategic autonomy. This shift is occurring even as domestic defence production remains limited, leaving most countries reliant on foreign suppliers. Africa’s defence equipment market is highly internationalised. While countries such as South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria maintain some manufacturing capacity, the majority of military hardware is imported. Traditional…
Three decades after his passing, Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Grammy Awards. The recognition makes Kuti the first African artist to receive the honour since the category was introduced in 1963. Fela Kuti helped shape the Afrobeat sound in the 1960s and 1970s alongside drummer Tony Allen, blending West African rhythms with elements of American soul, funk and jazz. Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, he released more than 50 albums before his death in 1997 at the age of 58. His legacy continues to…
