🇷🇼🇬🇧 Sunak says no Rwanda deportation flights before election as campaigns begin

No deportation flights to Rwanda will take place before a July 4 snap election, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said, meaning a Labour Party victory could stop the controversial Conservative Party scheme from ever leaving the tarmac.

Sunak made the announcement on Thursday during the first full day of campaigning. The Labour Party currently maintains a commanding 20-point lead in opinion polls and has promised to scrap the deportation plan if it wins power.

#Rwanda #UK

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🇿🇦 Zuma says he will fight for his rights over South Africa election disqualification

South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma said that he will fight for his rights, after the country's top court ruled that he was not eligible to run for parliament in next week's election.

The constitutional court ruled on Monday that Zuma's 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021 disqualified him from standing in the May 29 vote, as the constitution prohibits anyone given a prison sentence of 12 months or longer from holding a parliamentary seat.

#SouthAfrica

@africaintel

🌍Today, May 25th is Africa Day, a day to celebrate the unity, diversity and richness of this amazing continent. Africa inspires us with its beauty and spirit of freedom. This day reminds us to respect and support the diversity of cultures, languages and traditions that make Africa so unique.


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🇳🇬 Nigeria cracks down on illegal lithium mining with dozens of arrests

Nigeria's government is cracking down on illegal mining, making dozens of arrests since April for unlicensed miners allegedly stealing lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones, and power systems.

The crackdown comes as Nigeria seeks to regulate its mining operations, curb illegal activity, and better benefit from its mineral resources. The global demand for lithium has surged due to the clean energy transition. However, corruption and minimal government presence in remote areas have led to rampant illegal mining, which has fueled militia groups in the north.

In mid-May, a joint team of soldiers and police raided a market in Kishi, Oyo State, arresting 32 individuals, including two Chinese nationals. The market, once known for farm produce, had become a hub for illicit lithium trade. Community leader Jimoh Bioku reported clandestine searches for lithium by Chinese nationals, who then engaged locals to mine for them, turning the market into a transit point.

President Bola Tinubu has blamed illegal mining for worsening conflicts in the north and called for international help to stop it. The Chinese embassy in Abuja has not commented on the arrests, but previously urged Chinese nationals to abide by Nigerian laws.

Nigeria is emerging as a significant lithium source in Africa, but illegal mining denies the government substantial revenues. Emeka Okoro from SBM Intelligence highlighted the exploitation of vulnerable workers from conflict-affected regions. The government estimates that resource theft causes annual losses of $9 billion.

To combat this, Nigeria has established a 2,200-strong "corps of mining marshals." The corps has made several arrests and seizures, including two trucks loaded with lithium near Abuja in April and four Chinese nationals in Nasarawa State.

#Nigeria

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🇸🇴 Somali town of Beledweyne heavily flooded after a river burst its banks

Floodwaters flowed through the Somali town of Beledweyne on Sunday after heavy rains pounding East Africa caused the Shebelle River to burst its banks.

The inhabitants of Beledweyne, situated in the heart of Somalia, have used the river as a lifeline for generations.

But with the onset of severe seasonal rains, the overflowing Shebelle brought a deluge which engulfed the town.

Footage showed homes left partly submerged, compelling families to seek refuge in higher areas as the floodwaters surged through the streets.

Ali Abdi Yusuf, a lifelong resident of Beledweyne, said multiple neighborhoods had been severely impacted.

The Somali government had preemptively issued warnings about the torrential rains urging residents to flee to higher ground.

#Somalia

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🇪🇬 Egypt jails former presidential hopeful for one year with labour

An Egyptian court sentenced former presidential hopeful Ahmed Tantawy on Monday to one year in prison with labour on charges of forging election documents, and barred him from standing in elections for the next five years, his lawyer Khaled Ali said.

Tantawy was the most prominent politician to challenge President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as he sought a third term last year.

Tantawy halted his campaign saying state-linked groups had impeded him from gathering the required number of public endorsements to register as a candidate, and that dozens of his family members and allies had been arrested.

Authorities denied foul play, and charged him with violations linked to his campaign's move to distribute their own copies of endorsement forms.
Tantawy was found guilty of the charges in a lower court in February and given a suspended sentence that was upheld by on Monday.

He was detained in court and transferred to a correctional facility, joining more than 20 members of his campaign who were also sentenced in the case, Ali said.

#Egypt

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