Africa

Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher told the UN Security Council that South Sudan is at risk of slipping into ‘full-scale famine and collapse’ as fighting intensifies and the UN peacekeeping mission is cut back.

Magistrate hands the opposition figure five-year term, that his lawyers say will be appealed.

South African opposition politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to prison time for firing a rifle in ⁠the air at a party rally.

Malema, the leader of the far-left opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was handed a five-year sentence on Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier.

Malema, who is one of South Africa’s most prominent politicians, was convicted last year of charges, including unlawful possession of a ⁠firearm and discharging a weapon in a public place over the 2018 incident at a stadium in the Eastern Cape province.

The 45-year-old leader of the fourth-biggest party in parliament had pleaded not guilty, arguing the gun was a toy.

“It wasn’t … an impulsive act,” the magistrate said. “It was the event of the evening.”

Malema’s defence said the shots were only intended to be celebratory.

His lawyers applied for leave to appeal the magistrate’s decision within ⁠minutes of it being ⁠read out in a court in KuGompo City, formerly East London, on Thursday.

Outside the court, hundreds of Malema’s red-clad EFF supporters gathered for the sentencing in the politically charged case.

The EFF – a small but vocal party – says the case is an attempt to silence its outspoken leader, who is known for fiery speeches.

Party supporters have threatened protests should their leader be jailed.

The magistrate stressed it “is not a political party who has been convicted here … it is a person, an individual.”

The maximum time was a 15-year prison sentence. If confirmed after all appeals, the five-year sentence would bar Malema from serving as a lawmaker.

That would be a major setback to the EFF, which has strong support among young South Africans frustrated by the racial inequality that has persisted since the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Huge crowds have greeted Pope Leo in Cameroon, returning to a country he visited 20 years ago as ‘Father Bob’. Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque was there, and explains how the Roman Catholic leader is transforming the church as congregations shrink in Europe but expand in Africa.

Roelf Meyer will replace the South African ambassador who was expelled from the US by President Donald Trump in 2025.

South Africa has appointed Roelf Meyer, who helped negotiate the end of white minority rule in his country in the 1990s, as the next ambassador to the United States, according to local media.

Meyer’s appointment is seen as a sign that Pretoria is aiming to improve its relations with Washington following a “turbulent year”, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

South Africa has gone without diplomatic representation in Washington, DC, since March 2025, when US President Donald Trump expelled Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool for his criticism of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Posting on social media at the time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates the US and Trump.

Rubio’s post linked to a story by US conservative news site Breitbart that reported on a talk Rasool gave on a webinar organised by a South African think tank. Rasool had spoken in academic terms of the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity and equity programmes, as well as immigration, and mentioned the possibility of a future US where white people would no longer be in the majority.

Trump last year also issued an executive order freezing most foreign assistance to South Africa amid the country’s legal action at the International Court of Justice over Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the passage of a controversial South African law aimed at correcting historic racial disparities in land ownership.

Tensions escalated further when Trump then launched a refugee programme for white South Africans, whom the US president claims face government-led persecution in their home country.

Meyer, 78, is a seasoned negotiator with experience working under pressure. As a member of South Africa’s white Afrikaans minority, he once served as a minister under the apartheid Nationalist Party government.

He rose to prominence in the 1990s, during the final days of apartheid, as the Nationalist Party held talks with the African National Congress (ANC) to end segregation and white minority rule. The talks paved the way for South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.

As the chief negotiator, Ralph had become acquainted with South Africa’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who was then an ANC negotiator.

Meyer himself later joined the ANC in 2006.

He is set to take up the post as US ambassador once all protocols are complete in Washington, DC, according to Ramaphosa’s office.

Jailed Senegal fans await judge’s reply to their denial of wrongdoing at the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco.

Eighteen Senegalese football supporters convicted over a pitch invasion during the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat in January have denied any wrongdoing.

A Moroccan court in February sentenced the 18 Senegalese football fans to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months on charges of hooliganism.

Prosecutors sought stiffer penalties in the appeals court in Rabat, but the initial sentences were upheld on Monday.

The Senegalese argued that they had been forced onto the pitch because of a surging crowd or to avoid being spat upon and projectiles thrown towards them.

They said it was not to protest against a refereeing decision at the end of the contentious AFCON final on January 18, which Senegal won 1-0. Senegal Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko spoke out to decry the decision.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed Senegal’s win last month, awarding the title to Morocco two months after the final.

The Senegalese Football Federation immediately instructed its lawyers to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Defence lawyer Naima El Guellaf asked on Monday that videos of the incidents be shown to verify the identities of the 18 Senegalese in court.

It is a move rejected by the prosecution, who said the Senegalese were caught in the act.

“The entire world saw these terrible images live,” it argued.

The judge is yet to respond to the request to replay videos of the incidents.

“There have been mistakes; the people involved in what happened are currently in Senegal and are not present here,” a second defence lawyer, Patrick Kabou, told the AFP news agency.

Now, the United States is the one shutting the Strait of Hormuz, even as President Donald Trump was calling for it to reopen just a few days ago. He said ships entering or leaving Iranian ports would be stopped by the navy after talks between Tehran and Washington fell apart.

However, this is not just about a blockade. Iran is tightening its grip on the strait, demanding the right to impose tolls on ships passing through it.

The ripple effects could go beyond energy and trade flows, challenging the dominance of the US dollar in global shipping.

The Portuguese coach takes charge after the sacking of Otto Addo, and will lead the Black Stars at the FIFA World Cup.

Ghana ‌‌have appointed Carlos Queiroz as the head ⁠⁠coach of their men’s national team, less than two months before the World Cup.

The Portuguese will take the reins of Ghana’s tournament preparations immediately, the ⁠⁠country’s football association said on Monday.

“The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association, working with all key stakeholders, has appointed Carlos Queiroz as head coach ⁠⁠of the senior national team, ⁠⁠the Black Stars,” the GFA said in a statement.

Queiroz, 73, left his role as Oman coach last month ⁠⁠after the side failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but will make his fifth consecutive appearance as coach at the World Cup with the Black Stars.

Ghana were left without a coach 72 days before the World Cup kickoff, ‌after parting company with Otto Addo following friendly defeats by Austria and Germany in March.

Queiroz led Portugal to the round of 16 at the 2010 ⁠⁠World Cup and later coached Iran at the last three ⁠⁠editions of the tournament, ⁠⁠recording three wins in 13 matches.

Born in Mozambique, the former goalkeeper has also held coaching positions with Egypt, Japan, ‌‌Colombia, and South Africa, and previously led Portugal in the early 1990s.

“This is not just another job – it is a mission,” Queiroz said in a statement. “And I am ready to give everything of my experience and knowledge once again, in service of the game and the happiness of people.”

Queiroz was chosen from more than 600 local and foreign applications because of his extensive World Cup experience.

Ghana have been ‌‌drawn ‌‌in Group L alongside Croatia, England and Panama.

The Black Stars also have warmups against Mexico on May 22 and Wales on June 2.

Benin is voting for its next president. The election is between Benin’s current Finance Minister Romauld Wadagni and the opposition candidate, Paul Hounkpe.

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris is in Cotonou, explaining what’s at stake.

Benin is facing harsh economic conditions and security challenges that its new leader will have to address.

Voting is under way in Benin’s presidential election with long-serving Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni expected to win in the absence of a major challenger.

Polls opened at 7am (06:00 GMT) on Sunday and will close at 4pm (15:00 GMT). More than 7.9 million people are registered to vote, including 62,000 in the diaspora.

Backed by the two main parties in the governing coalition and the outgoing president, Patrice Talon, Wadagni, a 49-year-old former Deloitte executive, is being challenged by Paul Hounkpe, an opposition figure and former culture minister whose campaign has been low-key.

The member of the Cowry Forces for ⁠an Emerging Benin party got on the ballot with help from lawmakers of the two main ruling coalition parties after they refused to endorse the candidacy of Rene Agbodjo, head of the opposition Democrats party.

Talon, 67, is barred from running again after two terms in office and is expected to step down with a legacy of mixed results: economic growth, which reached 7 percent last year, but also a clampdown on the opposition and his critics. In December, a group of military officers also tried and failed to overthrow Talon’s government.

The new president will have to address major challenges, including a huge gap between the poor and well-off. The poverty rate is estimated at more than 30 percent, and many Beninese complain that the benefits of the economic growth over the past decade have not trickled down to them.

Benin’s economic growth will also depend on improving security and stabilising the country. Benin has been the hardest hit among coastal West African states by armed fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate that has made major gains in the central Sahel region.

Wadagni has promised to deliver on bread-and-butter issues like expanding access to potable water and guaranteeing emergency healthcare regardless of ability to pay.

“The next phase of the country’s development will be the eradication of extreme poverty. That is one of his priorities,” one of Wadagni’s close associates told the AFP news agency.

‘A climate of fear’

Hounkpe has noted that the situation for many of Benin’s nearly 14 million people has not improved under previous leaders and has promised to bring about change.

“If we make progress but none of us can afford three meals a day, we haven’t made any progress. Yes or no?” he asked at a rally this month.

He has also decried what he described as a climate of fear as the political space for the opposition shrinks and the ruling coalition holds every seat in the National Assembly after the Democrats failed to win 20 percent of the vote in the last legislative elections, the threshold needed to enter the National Assembly.

Provisional results are expected on Tuesday in an election in which many people said they will not vote.

“I won’t go and vote. This election is not inclusive. You cannot talk about genuine democratic competition when some key political players are barred,” Arnold Dessouassi, a 39-year-old teacher, told AFP.

Reporting from a polling station in the port city of Cotonou, Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said voting has been slow and none of the ballot boxes is full.

“There is a low turnout of voters on election day,” he said.

He added that this low turnout is due to controversies surrounding the accreditation for candidates to run in the election.

Other voters have spoken of the presidential election as a formality and urged Wadagni to deliver on his platform.

“Once President Romuald Wadagni is at the head of this country, I would like him to promote and help young people to find work because we have many young graduates on the streets driving ‘zem’,” 34-year-old teacher Marcel Sovi told the Reuters news agency, using local slang for motorcycle taxis.

Christelle Tessi, a 40-year-old trader, added that Wadagni should focus on improving security in the north, where JNIM killed 54 ‌Benin soldiers in ⁠one attack a year ago and another 15 in an attack last month.

“What is happening in northern Benin is that our brothers are being killed, and if a soldier goes there on a mission, it is his body that comes back,” she said.

Fans of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa have to wait for the next episode as two new campmates arrive

I’m A Celebrity… South Africa won’t air this weekend.

Five episodes of the hit ITV reality show have already been broadcasted but fans will have to wait until Monday (April 13) for the next instalment.

The pre-recorded series was filmed in September 2025 with a host of famous faces returning to battle it out to be crowned I’m A Celebrity Legend.

Friday’s (April 10) episode played a teaser trailer confirming the arrival of former King of the Jungle Harry Redknapp and ex-contestant Jimmy Bullard.

Speaking to the group, hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly announced: “Camp life as you know it is about to change. It’s time to welcome two new campmates”

The group were then taken into a new area of the jungle to meet Harry and Jimmy.

Former Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas could heard be shouting: “Oh my God! What is going on?” before the show ended.

The second All Stars spin-off kicked off on Monday (April 6) and welcomed back fan favourites from throughout the ITV show’s history and like the first All-Stars series, which aired in 2023, it will Monday to Friday across three weeks.

From Gemma Collins and Sir Mo Farah to Scarlett Moffatt and Sinitta, they are all hoping to follow in the footsteps of season one winner Myleene Klass.

Tensions are already on the rise in camp with Coronation Street icon Beverley Callard taking a swipe at former professional boxer David Haye after he sent her to Savannah Scrub in the very first episode.

During the episode, Beverley threatened “to chin him” and later hit out at him again once the two camps were finally reunited.

It comes after the announcement that the live final will be split into two parts on Friday, April 24, meaning there’s just two weeks left.

The grande finale will be broadcast live from London with the first part airing from 7.30pm until 9pm and then returning at 10pm until 10.30pm for the winners’ announcement.

In the hour gap between 9pm and 10pm, Graham Norton’s new reality show The Neighbourhood will launch.

Whilst there will be two hours of I’m A Celebrity South Africa to enjoy, fans are not happy with how the scheduling shake-up.

Taking to social media, fans lashed out at ITV’s decision to split the finale in two with one fan wrtiting: “Seems kinda pointless imo, why not start I’m A Celebrity at half 8 and put Graham on before or end I’m a Celebrity 9.30.”

“They might want to rethink that… I’m A Celeb won’t add any viewers with its current figures,” another said.

However, there was some positivity surrounding the move. “Seems odd nowadays, but a part of me misses when some live shows used to be split into two parts with another programme airing in the middle. Never see it now with the likes of BGT and Big Brother. Made it feel more like an event,” one viewer said.

I’m A Celebrity… South Africa returns Monday, April 13 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX

Libya shows it is ‘capable of overcoming its differences’ with rare budget deal, central bank says.

Libya’s rival legislative bodies have approved a unified state budget for the first time in more than a decade, in a rare moment of cooperation in a country fractured by years of conflict.

The Central Bank of Libya confirmed on Saturday that both chambers had endorsed the budget, describing the move as a step towards restoring financial stability after prolonged division.

Governor Naji Issa said the agreement showed the country could overcome internal rifts.

“This is a clear declaration that Libya is capable of overcoming its differences when a unified vision for its future is forged,” he said during a signing ceremony in Tripoli.

Libya has remained split since the 2014 civil war, which created rival administrations in the east and west. The last time the country operated under a single national budget was in 2013.

The deal brings together the eastern-based House of Representatives (HoR) and the Tripoli-based High Council of State, two institutions that have long competed for authority.

Representatives from both sides signed the agreement in the capital, where the internationally recognised Government of National Unity is based under Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Despite the breakthrough, political divisions remain entrenched. In the east, forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar maintain control over large parts of the country, including key oil-producing regions.

His self-styled Libyan National Army dominates major export terminals along the northeastern coast, as well as significant oil fields in the south and southeast.

The timing of the agreement underscores Libya’s growing importance in global energy markets. Demand for its crude has increased amid disruptions linked to the Israel-US war on Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Libya’s geographic position offers a critical advantage. Oil shipments from its ports reach European refineries quickly and avoid the risks associated with Gulf routes, including military escorts and high insurance costs.

Its light, sweet crude also meets the needs of European refiners facing ongoing supply challenges.

Previous attempts to stabilise Libya’s energy sector have relied on informal arrangements rather than institutional agreements. In 2022, during another period of energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine, key figures from rival factions struck a deal to keep oil flowing.

The new budget agreement signals a shift towards more formal cooperation, even as Libya’s political fragmentation persists.

A bill laying out plans to return the Indian Ocean archipelago, home to the US-UK Diego Garcia base, has been paused.

The United Kingdom is setting aside a bill to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius amid a lack of support from United States President Donald Trump.

“We have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support,” a UK government spokesperson said in a statement, according to the Reuters and AFP news agencies on Saturday.

This followed reports in the UK media that said a bill laying out plans to cede sovereignty of the 60-plus Indian Ocean islands had been dropped from the next parliamentary agenda.

Last May, the UK and Mauritius jointly announced a deal that would return full sovereignty of Chagos to Mauritius, which is some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) away from the archipelago.

Britain would then pay to lease Diego Garcia – the largest island and a strategic location in the middle of the Indian Ocean between Asia and Africa, which is home to the military base – on a 99-year lease to preserve US operations there.

But Trump opposed the move, calling it an “act of great stupidity” in January.

“Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority – it is the entire reason for the deal,” the UK government spokesperson added in his statement.

“We are continuing to engage with the US and Mauritius.”

The statement added that the UK “continue[s] to believe ⁠the agreement is the best way to protect ⁠the long-term future of the base”.

‘Big mistake’

After Trump’s initial opposition, he appeared to momentarily back down in February after speaking with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying Starmer had made the “best deal he could make”.

But he then attacked the prime minister again on Truth Social weeks later.

“He is making a big mistake,” Trump wrote, adding that ceding the Chagos Islands would be “a blight on our Great Ally”.

Over the last six weeks, relations between Trump and Starmer have been further strained by the US-Israel war on Iran.

The UK is now leading a coalition of more than 30 countries to protect vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, without US participation in the initial talks.

Britain has controlled the Chagos since 1814, including after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s. The Diego Garcia base has played a key role in US military operations in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chagossians – thousands of whom were forcibly evicted to make way for the base – have brought compensation claims to British courts, culminating in a 2019 International Court of Justice recommendation that the archipelago be returned to Mauritius.

Benin will elect a new president on Sunday in a race that is shaping up to favour the chosen successor of the governing party, which has been in power for the past decade.

Outgoing President Patrice Talon, 67, is barred under the constitution from running again after two terms in power, and will step down with a legacy of mixed results: economic growth, but also a clampdown on the opposition and critics.

The small West African nation with a population of 14 million has also seen increasing numbers of attacks in its north as Sahel-based armed groups expand their territories towards the Atlantic coast.

Benin is sandwiched between its bigger neighbour, Nigeria, to the east and Togo to the west. The coastal country has increasingly gained attention as a tourist destination as more people from the African diaspora flock to its windy beach towns.

A former French colony, Benin retains French as its official language. Fon, Yoruba, Bariba, and Fulfulde are among the largest local languages spoken in the country.

Here’s what to know about Sunday’s election:

What’s happening?

About eight million eligible voters will choose a president for the next seven years.

Candidates will need to secure at least 50 percent of the votes; otherwise, a run-off will be called on May 10 between the top two candidates.

There are only two candidates, however.

The main opposition party, the Democrats, failed to get enough lawmakers to sponsor a candidate, so it is not on the presidential ballot. It earlier failed to win any seats in legislative elections in January.

Reporting from a governing party campaign event in the commercial capital, Cotonou, this week, Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said the mood there was lively, but that it did not represent feelings in all of Benin after the main opposition party was sidelined.

“Most supporters of President Talon feel that this is a walkover …The only question will be whether the voting population will turn out in huge numbers. The last election we had only 50 percent,” he said.

Who is running?

Romuald Wadagni: The 49-year-old is presently the country’s finance minister and is the candidate of the governing alliance between the Progressive Union Renewal (UPR) and the Republican Bloc (BR).

A former Deloitte executive, he is expected to take a comfortable lead on Sunday, having been endorsed by current leader Talon, with whom he says he has a “father-and-son” relationship.

Wadagni, in his campaign, has touted the benefits of continuity that would come with his win. He has highlighted achievements under Talon, like tripling the national budget and posting the cotton-exporting country’s highest GDP growth rates in more than two decades.

He is also proposing new development hubs and expanding healthcare access.

Under Talon, “I had the honour of managing one of your most precious assets: your money,” Wadagni told supporters on the campaign trail in March. “I will do the job with the same seriousness and dedication,” he said.

On Friday, the final day of campaigning, he told supporters in Cotonou: “We are going to move forward, go even further with what began before your very eyes,” referring to a decade of economic transformation in the country.

Paul Hounkpe: The 56-year-old is the only opposing candidate.

A former teacher, he represents the Cowry Forces for ⁠an Emerging Benin party (FCBE).

He was formerly the culture minister under the government of ex-leader Thomas Boni Yayi of The Democrats. He also ran as a vice presidential candidate in the 2021 elections.

He is seen as a moderate, and has pledged to reduce the price of basic products and to secure the release of opponents imprisoned under Talon’s administration.

Hounkpe has campaigned on the perceived sidelining of citizens despite economic growth and flashy tourism projects under the current government.

What are the key issues?

Continuing Talon’s economic legacy

Economic growth sustained for a decade has been among Talon’s strongest achievements, and Beninese will be looking for a president who can sustain or improve on that.

Benin’s economy grew 7 percent in 2025 according to the International Monetary Fund, making it one of the region’s steadiest economies.

That’s driven by investments in trade, agriculture and infrastructure, including port expansions in Cotonou.

On the other hand, benefits have not been equally distributed across the country as poverty remains widespread in rural areas, especially in the poorer north.

Rising insecurity and political stability

Benin made headlines in December after a group of military officers attempted but failed to seize power. About 100 alleged coup planners are still in jail awaiting trial.

The coup leaders’ key complaints were the deterioration of security in northern Benin, where al-Qaeda and ISIL(ISIS)-affiliated armed groups from neighbouring Sahelian countries have increasingly launched attacks on communities. They said soldiers were “neglected” on the front lines.

Benin’s north is close to the tri-border area, a hotbed for armed violence. Lack of security cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso, both now led by military leaders, has worsened the situation.

An attack by the al-Qaeda-backed Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM) on Benin military posts last year killed 54 soldiers. Last month, another 15 were killed.

Candidate Wadagni has promised to defend the north by creating municipal police forces to guard border towns.

Shrinking democratic space

Talon has also been accused of dragging the country back into an era of autocracy, especially after authorities shut down cost-of-living protests in April 2024.

Beninese treasure the country’s reputation as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies in recent times, but critics say that has changed under Talon, and opposition groups accuse him of using the justice system to undermine other parties.

A constitutional reform in November extended presidential terms from five to seven years. It also established grounds for the president to nominate candidates to the Senate, which further raised the bar for opposition parties to enter parliament.

In January’s parliamentary election, Talon’s two allied parties controlled all 109 seats in the National Assembly.

Rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have meanwhile accused Talon’s government of cracking down on dissent through arbitrary detentions, restrictions on demonstrations, and pressure on independent media.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry said he “categorically” rejects the “offensive and damaging” libel claim.

An African AIDS charity cofounded by the United Kingdom’s Prince Harry in honour of his late mother Princess Diana has sued him for defamation after he stepped down as a patron last year, following a management dispute.

“Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales,” the charity said in a statement on Friday.

“The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection and restitution following a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership and its strategic partners,” it said.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry said he “categorically” rejects the “offensive and damaging” libel claim, the Reuters news agency reported.

Online court filings show the prince is a defendant in the suit alongside Mark Dyer, who was also previously a trustee of the Sentebale charity, according to UK media reports.

“The proceedings have been brought against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, identified through evidence as the architects of that adverse media campaign, which has had significant viral impact and triggered an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the charity and its leadership,” Sentebale added.

Harry cofounded Sentebale about 20 years ago in memory of his mother, who was a prominent advocate for the treatment of HIV and AIDS and helped reduce stigma around the disease. Prince Seeiso of Lesotho was the cofounder.

Disagreements at the charity surfaced in 2023 over a new fundraising strategy, and the two founders stepped down as patrons in March 2025 in support of trustees who had quit.

At the time, they said the relationship between the board and its chair, Sophie Chandauka, was beyond repair. Chandauka later accused Harry of orchestrating a campaign of bullying and harassment to try to force her out.

After a months-long inquiry, the UK’s Charity Commission said in August that it had found no evidence of bullying – a charge Chandauka had levelled at Harry in March 2025.

However, it said there had been weak governance and criticised all parties for allowing an internal dispute to become public.

Harry’s spokesperson had criticised the commission’s report while Chandauka welcomed it.

Harry – the youngest son of the UK’s King Charles III – and cofounder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced last year they were resigning from the charity, after the trustees quit.

Speaking to British media after accusing the prince of trying to force her out, Chandauka criticised Harry for his decision to bring a Netflix camera crew to a fundraiser in 2024.

She also objected to an unplanned appearance by his wife Meghan, the duchess of Sussex, at the event.

The accusations were a new blow for the prince, who kept only a handful of his private patronages, including with Sentebale, after a dramatic split with the British royal family in 2020.

Harry chose the name Sentebale as a tribute to Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 when the prince was just 12.

Sentebale means “forget me not” in the Sesotho language and is also used to say goodbye.

Senegalese prime minister Ousmane Sonko criticised Donald Trump, accusing him of plunging the world into “chaos” by starting a war on Iran, and questioned whether the world is now less safe under Trump’s leadership.

Lawmakers scrapped presidential age limit last year, allowing incumbent Ismail Omar Guelleh to compete for another term.

Voters in Djibouti are heading to the polls to choose their next president, with incumbent leader Ismail Omar Guelleh expected to easily secure a sixth term after politicians last year scrapped presidential age limits.

Just over 256,000 voters are eligible to cast ballots in Friday’s election between Guelleh, 78, and his only opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, the leader of the Unified Democratic Centre (CDU), a party with no seats in parliament.

At city hall, where Guelleh is due to vote, only a handful of voters had turned up when the doors opened, with turnout remaining generally low in the early hours, AFP reported. In the capital, Djibouti City, some polling stations opened late, the news agency said.

Human rights groups have accused authorities of abuses and repressing freedom of political activity. The government has denied the allegations. Two of the main opposition parties have boycotted elections since 2016.

Polling stations will close at 6pm local time (15:00GMT). Provisional results are expected shortly after or by Saturday morning, according to electoral authorities, as reported by the state-run news agency.

Several international organisations are observing voting, including the African Union (AU), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States.

Guelleh has governed the small nation in the Horn of Africa since 1999, when he succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the founding president of the country with about a million people.

Guelleh won re-election in 2021 with 98 per cent of the vote.

‘We have preserved peace’

Though Guelleh was originally ineligible to stand in this election due to age limits, politicians removed the restriction last year, paving the way to extend his 27-year rule.

“The scrapping of term limits in Djibouti is less about electoral competition and more about preserving regime continuity in a highly strategic state,” Mohamed Husein Gaas of the Raad Peace Research Institute told the Associated Press news agency.

“While it raises concerns about democratic backsliding, external actors are likely to prioritise stability given Djibouti’s critical role in Red Sea security and global trade routes, especially amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East,” he said.

Stability was key in Guelleh’s election campaigning.

“Let us remember we have managed to maintain the stability of our country in an unstable region. We have preserved peace when others have descended into chaos,” he said last month.

Djibouti hosts important military bases for the United States, France, China and other powers, earning it a reputation as the country with the most foreign military bases. It is also an important port hub for landlocked neighbours such as Ethiopia.

Since 2023, several commercial ships damaged in attacks by Houthi fighters in Yemen have docked there.

The United States and Iran may have agreed to a ceasefire for now, but the world’s supply chains will continue to feel the effects.

Beyond oil and gas, Iran’s near closure of the Strait of Hormuz has blocked shipments of critical raw materials from the Gulf.

Petrochemicals, helium and aluminium are just some of the products that have not been able to reach manufacturing hubs around the world.

Many everyday items are affected, from plastic packaging to the advanced semiconductors in our smartphones.

How will our supply chains recover, and can they become more resilient to global shocks?

Senegal, who were stripped of the AFCON title, are appealing the decision for the trophy to be awarded to Morocco.

The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has visited Dakar, nearly a month after the body’s shock decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.

Patrice Motsepe announced the trip at the end of March, stating that he would travel to Senegal and Morocco to emphasise the importance of “working together to grow African football”, as his organisation faces considerable criticism.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will receive Motsepe at the presidential palace later in the day, with a news conference to follow.

His visit comes at a particularly tense time for CAF following its surprise decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in the Cup of Nations final on January 18.

CAF cited regulations about leaving the field as it recorded a 3-0 victory in Morocco’s favour on March 17.

During the match, Senegalese players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded an added-time penalty, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.

The Senegalese Football Federation has appealed CAF’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The decision has prompted a strong response by Senegal, whose government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within the institution.

Weighing in on the matter late last month, Motsepe said he would “respect and implement the CAS decision. My personal opinion regarding the matter is irrelevant.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo is expecting to receive ‘third-country’ deportees after a deal with the US. Some people are unhappy with the deal, arguing that conflict and insecurity make life difficult enough without the added consequences of more arrivals.

The war in Iran has created an energy shock in Africa.

The continent relies heavily on oil and gas imports from the Middle East.

Much of this supply is currently stuck on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, which is closed.

Countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia are reporting shortages.

Africa’s largest oil refinery in Nigeria is pumping out crude at maximum capacity, but that’s nowhere near enough to meet the continent’s needs.

In addition, Africa’s energy infrastructure has suffered from years of underinvestment.

So, what choices do governments have to contain the crisis?