Dear Friends,

Coming to you this Saturday after a big week at the UN General Assembly.

As ever, enjoy the read.

• Afrobarometer. An Afrobarometer survey of 36 African countries found that two-thirds of respondents (66%) say they want democracy, while 67% disapprove of military rule (Afrobarometer).

• Alliance of Sahel States. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have signed a mutual defence pact (Al Jazeera).

• Congo Brazzaville. The government refuted online claims about a military coup underway to remove long-serving President Denis Nguesso. The rumours went live on social media while President Nguesso was in New York for the UN General Assembly (Africa News).

• Egypt. Officials are reportedly considering holding presidential elections this year rather than in 2024. President Sisi is struggling to lift the country out of an economic crisis. He is widely expected to run for re-election (and win) (Bloomberg). Meanwhile, the U.S. approved $235 million in military aid for Egypt, releasing money that had been withheld for two years because of the country’s repressive policies (New York Times).

• Ethiopia. UN experts on Ethiopia reported persistent human rights abuse in northern Tigray, even after the civil war officially ended more than 10 months ago (The Guardian).

• Gabon. Gabon’s coup leader and now transitional President, General Brice Oligui Nguema, announced an inquiry into public works spendings ‘to detect any irregularity or potential fraud’ (AfricaNews).

• Libya. The U.S. is planning to allocate $11 million to support both local and international organizations aiding Libya in its recovery from devastating floods that claimed thousands of lives (The Hill).

• Rwanda. President Paul Kagame will run for a fourth term in office. Kagame has been President of Rwanda since 2000. As a result of a constitutional change in 2015, Kagame could stay in power until 2034 (The Economist).

• Somalia. Somalis displaced by drought and conflict who are receiving U.S. aid are being exploited by a cabal of Somali landowners, clan leaders, police, and other local authorities who are systematically taxing that aid and even threatening to arrest, beat, or deny life saving assistance to anyone refusing to pay up (Devex).

• South Africa. Following the successful hosting of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the South Africa statement to UN General Assembly on Tuesday. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Africa’s ongoing mission to broker peace (Daily Maverick).

• Sudan. The Food and Agriculture Organization has launched its Emergency Livelihood Response Plan to assist over 10 million Sudanese in addressing food insecurity (VOA).

• Ukraine. In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is “launching food prices as weapons” and added that “the impact spans from the Atlantic coast of Africa to Southeast Asia” (X).

• Zimbabwe. The European Union has stopped funding Zimbabwe’s electoral commission, citing concerns of its independence following August’s sham election (The Economist).

In Context: Foreign Policy covers how the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) sanctions are beginning to bite landlocked Niger. According to reports, the country is experiencing rolling blackouts and goods shortages. The sanctions are without humanitarian exemptions.