Madagascar Faces Power Struggle

Madagascar Faces Power Struggle as Elite Army Unit Joins Youth-Led Protests Madagascar Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina warned Sunday that an “attempt to seize power illegally and by force” was underway after an elite army unit that once helped him take power in a 2009 coup said it was assuming command of the military after weeks of escalating protests demanding his resignation, the Guardian reported. Over the weekend, leaders of the elite CAPSAT unit marked the most serious challenge to Rajoelina’s rule since his reelection in 2023, which was marred by allegations of fraud. The unit’s leaders announced they were taking control of national security operations and coordinating all military branches from their base outside the capital, Antananarivo. They were soon joined by elements of the gendarmerie (military force with law enforcement duties), who said in a televised statement that they would “protect the people, not the interests of a few individuals,” Reuters added. It is not clear if the rest of the military was under CAPSAT control. The crisis marks a major escalation after nearly three weeks of youth-led protests that began on Sept. 25 over water and electricity shortages. The demonstrations quickly evolved into calls for Rajoelina’s ouster, an end to corruption, and a complete political overhaul. Thousands have participated in the “Gen Z” protests, with CAPSAT soldiers joining the protests over the weekend after previously refusing orders to shoot at protesters. Amid the turmoil, Rajoelina’s office said he was “in the country, managing national affairs,” though his exact whereabouts remained unclear. Newly appointed Prime Minister Ruphin Fortunat Zafisambo, who is a general, said the government was ready to “engage in dialogue with all factions,” including youth and military representatives. At least 22 people have been killed since the unrest began, though Rajoelina has disputed that number. The African Union has called for calm and urged all sides to avoid violence as fears of another coup mounted over the weekend.

Cape Town's Best Three Markets To Visit

Cape Town’s best 3 markets to visit: Days and opening times you need to know If you’re visiting Cape Town or living in the Mother City, consider visiting these three markets. Here’s when they’re open … By James Durrant 06-10-25 10:36 in Cape Town Oranjezicht City Farm Market If you're visiting Cape Town or living in the Mother City, consider visiting these three markets. Image: Oranjezicht City Farm Market Being originally from Cape Town with family and businesses there, I’m lucky to visit ‘home’ regularly. Three markets I never miss are festival-like experiences that capture everything I love about Cape Town’s vibrant food and community culture. If you’re visiting or living in the city, you should visit these too. 1. Oranjezicht City Farm Market – Now at a Stunning New Waterfront Location Days: Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday evenings (seasonal) Opening Times: Saturday: 08:00 – 14:00 Sunday: 08:30 – 14:00 Wednesday Night Market: 16:00 – 21:00 (September 2025 to April 2026) Location: Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront, Beach Road The Oranjezicht Market has always been my go-to for fresh, sustainable, locally-sourced produce, and now it’s better than ever. In October 2025, this beloved farmers’ market relaunched at its new location within the V&A Waterfront’s Granger Bay precinct. Consistently ranked in the top 10 farmers’ markets worldwide, the market now occupies a beautiful wooden shed designed by a prominent architect. The new space offers more room, better parking (350 bays), and improved connectivity with the waterfront – while keeping the signature woodchips and dog-friendly atmosphere locals love. This is where I do my weekly shopping when ‘home’ – fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs, artisanal bread, organic dairy, free-range eggs, raw honey, and ethically sourced meats and seafood. The focus is squarely on local, fresh, seasonal ingredients from independent farmers and artisanal producers. The relocation is part of the V&A Waterfront’s R20 billion Granger Bay expansion. The market has retained its authentic, community-driven spirit while gaining the space it deserves. What makes it special: Commitment to sustainable food systems, quality produce, community atmosphere, and unbeatable ocean views. Pro tip: Arrive early Saturday mornings. Dogs on short leashes welcome. 2. Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill – The Original Hipster Haven Days: Saturday and Sunday Opening times: Saturday: 09:00 – 15:00 (designers), food stalls until 17:00 Sunday: 10:00 – 15:00 (designers), food stalls until 17:00 Location: 373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock If Oranjezicht is about farm-fresh produce, Neighbourgoods is about street food culture and creative community. Located in a former biscuit factory in Woodstock, this market has been Cape Town’s cultural hub for nearly two decades. This is where I come for inspiration from Cape Town’s creative energy. The market offers designer street food from around the world – flammkuchen, Korean delicacies, pasta, shakshuka, Swahili doughnuts, paella, and shisa nyama. Options for everyone: vegan, halaal, and sugar-free. Live DJs and bands create an incredible atmosphere. Beyond food, you’ll find handcrafted products, designer clothing, organic beauty products, and artisanal goods from local makers. What makes it special: The vibe, people-watching, and fusion of food, design, and live music representing Cape Town’s cosmopolitan spirit. Pro tip: No parking available Saturdays. Use Cape Town College parking opposite (R10 all day, entrance on Kent Street) or take MyCiti bus route 261. Dogs on leashes welcome. Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill 3. Bay Harbour Market – Hout Bay’s Vibrant Celebration Days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Opening times: Friday: 17:00 – 21:00 (Friday Nite LIVE!) Saturday & Sunday: 09:30 – 16:00 Location: 31 Harbour Road, Hout Bay Set in an old fish factory at Hout Bay Harbour, Bay Harbour Market is the most vibrant market in Cape Town. This is where I bring visitors who want to experience South African creativity, culture, and cuisine in one place. Friday nights are special, with live music on the Brampton sound stage that creates a party atmosphere. The market hosts musicians, dancers, and entertainers throughout the day. You can enjoy with a craft beer or local wine, or get up and dance. Over 100 traders offer handmade clothing, jewellery, art, and foods representing every cuisine. The indoor setting means rain or shine visits, with an outdoor area for fresh sea breezes. The Hout Bay Harbour setting, surrounded by mountains and ocean, is spectacular. What makes it special: Live entertainment, diversity of offerings, and genuinely South African atmosphere. A social enterprise supporting traders from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pro tip: Friday nights have the best vibe. Pets not allowed inside. Explore Hout Bay while you’re there. Bay Harbour Market Why These Three Markets Matter Each market offers something different but equally essential to the Cape Town experience. Oranjezicht celebrates sustainable food systems. Neighbourgoods showcases creative culture and global cuisine. Bay Harbour brings together the diversity and spirit that makes South Africa special. When I’m ‘home’, I visit all three because they’re about community, connection, and celebrating what makes Cape Town one of the world’s great food cities. Whether you’re after fresh produce, global street food, or festive market atmosphere with live music, these three deliver every time.

Drug Lord Secures Protection In Siera Leone By Having A Child With The President's Daughter

Drug lord 'secures protection in Sierra Leone by having a child with the president's daughter' By Olivia Allhusen, 2 days ago Europe's most wanted cocaine kingpin has secured protection in West Africa by fathering a child with the daughter of Sierra Leone's president, according to opposition figures. Dutch trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, known as Chubby Jos, has spent more than two years on the run in Sierra Leone while being hunted by European authorities. The 34-year-old, who faces prison sentences totalling 74 years, is allegedly being shielded by President Julius Maada Bio. Opposition leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray claims that Agnes Bio, the president's daughter, gave birth to Leijdekkers' child in New York. He accused the Bio government of protecting the Dutch fugitive and blocking efforts to bring him to justice. Leijdekkers has been seen socialising with the Bio family, including at a New Year's church service filmed and shared on social media by First Lady Fatima Bio, where he appeared standing two rows behind the president. Reports that he sat beside the president's daughter were denied by Bio, who insisted he does not know Leijdekkers. Footage obtained by Follow the Money and AD also shows Leijdekkers at a private birthday party in March 2024 for Alusine Kanneh, Sierra Leone's immigration chief, where he presented a gift during the celebration. The 34-year-old (pictured), who faces prison sentences totalling 74 years, is allegedly being shielded by President Julius Maada Bio Leijdekkers has a €200,000 reward for his capture and reportedly remained in Sierra Leone during the birth, while President Bio visited his daughter and grandchild in New York during the UN General Assembly. In response to mounting reports, Sierra Leone's communications ministry issued a statement saying Bio had 'no knowledge of the identity or the issues detailed' concerning Leijdekkers. Convicted multiple times in the Netherlands and Belgium for large-scale cocaine trafficking, Leijdekkers was sentenced in September to eight years in Belgium, bringing his total prison term there to 50 years. He also faces charges including torture and murder. Last year, he received a 24-year sentence in the Netherlands for his role in six major drug shipments. Dutch authorities have formally requested his extradition, but the appeal remains unresolved. Now living under the alias Omar Sheriff, Leijdekkers is believed to be running a vast smuggling network from a fortified compound in Freetown, worth an estimated €1 billion. The so-called Africa route - used to funnel cocaine into Europe - now accounts for a third of the continent's supply, a figure expected to rise to half within five years, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC).

ICC Convicts Sudan Militia Leader For Atrocities In Darfur

ICC Convicts Sudan Militia Leader for Atrocities in Darfur Darfur / Sudan The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, in a landmark ruling, convicted the first Janjaweed militia leader for atrocities committed over two decades ago in Sudan’s Darfur region, Reuters reported. The court unanimously found Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman guilty on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, murder, and persecution, and rejected his defense of mistaken identity. “He (Kushayb) encouraged and gave instructions that resulted in the killings, the rapes and destruction committed by the Janjaweed,” said presiding judge Joanna Korner, adding that he gave orders to “wipe out and sweep away” non-Arab tribes, telling soldiers, “don’t leave anyone behind. Bring no one alive.” His sentence will be handed down at a later time, following a new round of hearings. Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, was a key leader of the Janjaweed, a government-backed militia that terrorized the Darfur region and killed hundreds of thousands of people, the BBC wrote. His conviction represents a historic moment for the ICC – concluding the first and only trial over crimes committed in Sudan. The case was brought to the court by the United Nations Security Council in 2005, and the trial began three years ago. The 2003-2020 conflict in Darfur began when the then-government of Sudan mobilized mostly Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, to end an armed revolt by rebels from Black African ethnic groups, who accused the state of marginalizing them. Human rights groups have alleged that the violence that followed amounted to genocide and ethnic cleansing against the non-Arabic population in the region. Following Monday’s ruling, victims of the conflict said the verdict had restored some faith in the ICC after the length of time it took to conclude this case. During the trial, survivors recounted how their villages were set on fire and their males slaughtered, and how women were forced into sex slavery. Meanwhile, there are outstanding arrest warrants for other Sudanese officials, including former President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on charges of genocide, which he denies. Bashir, who was ousted in a coup in 2019, is reportedly in military custody in northern Sudan. Fighting restarted in Sudan in 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – the latter originating from the Janjaweed – resulting in ethnically-driven killings and mass displacement. The UN said the conflict created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Madagascar: Protests Erupt Over Power Outages And Water Shortages

Protests Over Power Blackouts Escalate in Madagascar Madagascar Hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces in Madagascar’s capital Saturday, as demonstrations over chronic power and water shortages entered their third day, killing at least five people and triggering widespread looting, Le Monde reported. On Saturday, demonstrators filled the streets of the capital of Antananarivo, carrying placards reading “We are poor, angry and unhappy” and “Madagascar is ours,” while security forces blocked their attempt to march toward the city center. The youth-led protests began Thursday, a day after authorities banned a planned demonstration over ongoing water and power cuts in the impoverished country. But the protests quickly devolved into violence as police used rubber bullets and tear gas, while students and young workers blocked roads in the capital with rocks and burning tires. There were reports of looting of shops and attacks on banks. Local media said a number of cable car stations were set ablaze and three homes belonging to politicians allied with President Andry Rajoelina were attacked. Authorities later imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew to restore order, Al Jazeera added. In an effort to appease protesters, Rajoelina announced the dismissal of his energy minister “for not doing his job” late last week. Even so, the president branded the protests as an attempted “coup d’état.” Despite the minister’s removal, protest organizers have called for demonstrations to continue and accused security forces of excessive force and a failure to prevent looting, Africanews wrote. Madagascar, a nation of about 30 million people, remains mired in poverty, with the World Bank estimating that 75 percent of the population was living below the poverty line in 2022.

Sudan: A Gold Rush Precludes Peace

The War Dividend: In Sudan’s Civil War, a Gold Rush Precludes Peace Sudan When war erupted in Sudan’s capital in April 2023, Zainab Aamer faced an impossible choice: stay and risk death, or flee into unknown danger. Aamer, a widow and mother of six, had worked as a nurse in Khartoum before she decided to leave, becoming one of more than 12 million internal refugees in what the United Nations calls the world’s largest displacement crisis. “I had to protect my daughters,” she said, recounting the perilous 500-mile journey to Port Sudan on the coast that cost her eldest son his life. For the internally displaced like Aamer, the announcement in September by the group known as the “Quad” – the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates – of a proposal for a three-month truce and a permanent peace should bring some hope for the future. But it likely won’t, say analysts. That’s because this conflict is not just about power and territory and tribes – it’s about gold, which means it’s too lucrative a war for its key players to want peace. “The gold trade connects Sudan’s civil war to the wider region and highlights the roles that commodities play in perpetuating violent conflict,” wrote the British think tank, Chatham House. “The multi-billion-dollar trade of gold sustains and shapes Sudan’s conflict. This commodity is the most significant source of income for the warring parties, feeding an associated cross-border network of actors including other armed groups, producers, traders, smugglers, and external governments.” In 2019, Sudan saw a popular revolution that ousted longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was in power for 30 years. Afterward, a transitional civilian council took over the country before being deposed by another military coup in 2021. Afterward, as protesters fought for a transition to democracy, power struggles grew between the army commander leading the country, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and his deputy, Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia that arose out of the Janjaweed terror group in the Darfur region that killed thousands of people there in the 1980s. In April 2023, war broke out over the integration of the two forces. In the two years since, the fight has killed about 150,000 people. Both sides have to date rejected moves toward peace. In August, Burhan said he would “defeat this rebellion.” Hemedti, who was sworn in as head of a parallel government in April, says he represents Sudan’s future with “a broad civilian coalition that represents the true face of Sudan.” Meanwhile, they have carved up the country and its resources among themselves. The SAF controls the north, the east, the capital of Khartoum, and Sennar state in the south. The RSF controls parts of the south and center and most of the west of the country, where it is fighting for control of El-Fasher, its last stronghold in the resource-rich Darfur region. Elsewhere in the country, there are other rebel groups and tribal militias holding on to smaller fiefdoms, fighting one or both parties. And both profit from, and are supported by, the production of gold, which is increasing in the country: Last year, Sudan’s state-owned Mineral Resources Company reported gold production hit 64 tons in 2024, up from 41.8 tons in 2022. Along with the increase in production, the value of gold gained 27 percent in 2024, capping a decade in which it has more than doubled in value. In the first six months of this year, gold’s value increased by a further 24 percent. Both the RSF and the SAF are not only deeply involved in the production of gold in the areas they control, but even work together to harvest the riches and smuggle them out of the country, said analysts. As a result, foreign powers have created “networks of dependency” through gold smuggling, with “Dubai already serving as the primary destination for gold smuggled by militias,” wrote Noria Research in a recent analysis. “Regional powers currently intervening in Sudan do view the country as the site for national interests, but in the manner that 19th-century colonial powers viewed Africa.” And a weak Sudan, one in a state of civil war, makes stealing its resources far simpler, it added, because “a unified state cannot assert sovereignty to any meaningful degree… This is a much simpler task than navigating a constellation of bureaucrats, judges, businessmen, politicians, and civil society, as would be the case were Sudan made whole again.” The UAE is the key foreign player in Sudan but far from the only one. The SAF has received weaponry and financial support from Russia’s Africa Corps (formerly the Wagner Group of mercenaries), Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and Qatar, among others. The RSF has received support from the UAE and those it has influence over, including Kenya, Uganda, Libya – via Khalifa Haftar – and Ethiopia. As a result, analysts say what has developed in the region is a broader regional gold economy with a constellation of war-torn countries such as Libya, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo revolving around the UAE: Almost half of all exported African gold flows there, where its origins are scrubbed before being sold. For the UAE, it’s not just about the riches, but about power in the region, food security, and a return on its investment, say analysts. “The UAE has emerged as the foreign player most invested in the war,” wrote May Darwich of the University of Birmingham, in the Conversation, noting the country’s more than $6 billion in investment into Sudan. “It views resource-rich, strategically located Sudan as an opportunity to expand its influence and control in the Middle East and east Africa.” The UAE also recruits mercenaries from Sudan, for example, for its fight in Yemen. Emirati officials have repeatedly denied the UAE’s involvement in Sudan, claiming its neutrality. But US officials have blasted the country for its involvement in the war and for sustaining the conflict. Meanwhile, as gold continues to flow out of Sudan, its warring parties have yet to respond to the proposal by the Quad. That means more waiting for the dividends of peace for children like Sondos, 8, who, with her family, fled to yet another refugee camp because of repeated RSF attacks on El-Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, and its refugee camps of Zamzam and Abu Shouk. Famine is growing in the region due to a blockade by the militia, the UN says. We had no choice but to leave, Sondos says: “There was only hunger and bombs.” Share this story

Zimbia: Casting A Spell: Attempted Murder of the President By Witchcraft

Casting a Spell: Attempted Murder of the President By Witchcraft Rivets Zambians Zambia In mid-September, a Zambian court sentenced two men to two years of hard labor in prison for attempting to kill Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema – with sorcery. The charges stem from an incident in December when a hotel cleaner in Zambia’s capital of Lusaka reported strange noises coming from a room. The two men were arrested after items such as a live chameleon, a mysterious white powder, a red cloth, and the tail of an unidentified animal were found among their possessions. Afterward, the two men – one a Mozambican national and traditional healer, Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, and the other, a Zambian village chief, Leonard Phiri – were accused of being “witchdoctors” and were charged under Zambia’s Witchcraft Act with “possession of charms,” “professing knowledge of witchcraft,” and “cruelty to wild animals.” Police say the two had been promised more than $73,000 by a political opponent of the president to bewitch Hichilema in a case that has gripped the nation. Many Zambians take witchcraft very seriously: A study by the Zambia Law Development Commission in 2018 found that 79 percent of Zambians believed in witchcraft. The criminal justice system also takes it seriously. In Zambia, under a colonial-era law, those found guilty of witchcraft face a fine or up to two years in jail, with the possibility of hard labor. However, witchcraft cases have been difficult to prosecute in the country because of difficulties in collecting evidence or finding credible witnesses. This case was also tricky for prosecutors, who say the pair were hired by Nelson Banda, the brother of independent lawmaker Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, to do harm to the president. Banda, who is facing trial for robbery, attempted murder, and escaping custody, was previously associated with former President Edgar Lungu from the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party – Lungu lost the presidency to Hichilema in 2021. The PF called the accusations against Banda politically motivated, while others alleged it was a stunt by Hichilema, who faces reelection next year. The president, who himself was accused of witchcraft by a past Zambian president a decade ago, has not commented on the case. Some local media, however, blasted it. “The president has nothing substantive to ride on to kick-start his second-term campaign – what better distraction from the economic crisis we face than a live viewing of a trial of ‘witches’ in the postmodern era,” wrote the Lusaka Times in an editorial. “Knowing Zambians fear witchcraft more than gunfire, the president hopes to score a major win. But the truth is…this trial will only expose him as a desperate figure, pleading for public sympathy while the whole world laughs at him.” Still, the trial sparked huge interest in the country and highlighted the impact of the belief in witchcraft in the country. In Zambia, for example, there are “witch camps” where those accused of sorcery, usually elderly women, are placed if they have survived the accusations in their communities. There, residents live in inhumane conditions, say activists, and almost never return to their communities. Often, the women sit behind a fence, posing for tourists, often tied with ribbons to prevent them from flying away. These so-called witch camps exist around the region, including in Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ghana, where belief in witches is deeply ingrained and goes back centuries. “The issue is persistent because of local beliefs,” Amnesty International West Africa researcher Michèle Eken told Newsweek. “It starts with a simple accusation…It can be because someone died in the village, and they are accused of being responsible. Or, tragically, the accusation can come from someone who has a debt to repay and does not want to pay it back or someone who wants their house/goods.” While activists and some governments have tried to stop the stigma and punishment, other places in Africa, such as The Gambia, have carried out state-sponsored witch hunts in the past two decades. Some, meanwhile, believe it is time to do away with the Zambian law that criminalizes witchcraft: It dates to 1914 when Zambia was part of the British “sphere of influence,” and does not reflect the country today culturally, they say. “Traditional Zambian societies and individuals believe in a strong relationship between the human world and the supernatural,” Gankhanani Moyo of the University of Zambia told the Associated Press. “I hate that colonial piece of legislation that attempts to outlaw a practice that it does not understand.” Share this story