Africa Intel

🇿🇲 Zambia resumes election vote count after nationwide pause Zambia's Electoral Commission has resumed counting votes from Thursday's presidential, parliamentary and local elections after halting the process nationwide over alleged attacks on polling staff. The commission said the violence had resulted in the theft of marked ballot papers in ballot boxes, but on Friday evening said the security threat had been contained after consultations with law enforcement agencies. President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second five-year term, while Brian Mundubile is the main opposition candidate among 13 challengers. The commission aims to announce results by the end of Sunday. More than eight million registered voters took part in the 7 August vote, which was largely peaceful apart from isolated delays. Earlier on Friday, Mundubile raised concerns over delays in presidential results and alleged incidents involving tallying centres and ballot boxes, while Hichilema urged Zambians to remain peaceful and patient. #Zambia 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇸🇴 Somalia says intelligence raid killed Al Shabaab commander in Middle Shabelle Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said its fighters killed veteran Al Shabaab commander Abdullahi Ganey and three other militants in Middle Shabelle on 13 August during a wider counter-terrorism offensive that also struck targets in Hiiraan and Lower Shabelle. The announcement came as Al Shabaab said it carried out an IED attack on an army truck near Mubarak on 12 August, claiming at least 20 soldiers were killed. The developments come as a troop drawdown nears, testing the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud amid continued insurgent attacks. The report was published by Africa Confidential on 14 August 2026. #Somalia 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇲🇱🇧🇫🇳🇪 Russia-linked air network transports weapons and troops to Sahel bases Africa Corps, the Russian expeditionary force that replaced Wagner in the Sahel, has built an air logistics network using multiple airlines to move weapons, ammunition, personnel and equipment from Russia to its bases in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, according to a report published by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies and cited by The Africa Report on 14 August 2026. The article identifies the network as a key supply route for the force operating in the Alliance of Sahel States. The flights reportedly support Russia’s military presence in the three junta-led Sahel states. Africa Corps took over Wagner-linked operations as Moscow restructured its security footprint in Africa. #Mali 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇳🇪 🇺🇸 US missionary seized in Niamey released after more than nine months in captivity Kevin Rideout, an American missionary and pilot with North Carolina-based evangelical group Serving in Mission, has been released and is now in the care of US officials, SIM said on 14 August. Rideout was kidnapped by three gunmen outside his home in Niamey on 21 October and is believed to have been moved through the Liptako-Gourma border area linking Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. According to The Africa Report, Rideout’s release followed improved coordination between the United States and the military authorities in Niger and Mali, including a joint intelligence group focused on the tri-border area. Official details of the release remain limited, while The New York Times first reported the development. #Niger 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇱🇾 Libya's Haftar played key role in release of US hostage held by Islamic State, sources say A deal to secure the release of an American hostage held by an Islamic State affiliate in West Africa's Sahel region was brokered with the help of eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, according to four sources cited by Reuters. The report says Haftar played a key role in the arrangement that led to the hostage's release. Haftar is the dominant military figure in eastern Libya, and the case links Libyan actors to negotiations involving an Islamic State affiliate operating in the Sahel. #Libya 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇲🇱 A $50 million hostage ransom funded al Qaeda's Mali offensive, UN says An estimated $50 million ransom paid to free a hostage seized by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali in late 2025 helped fund the group’s advances across West Africa and its wider global network, according to U.N. experts cited by Reuters on August 14, 2026. The finding links a single hostage payment to financing for al Qaeda-linked operations in Mali and the broader region. #Mali 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇪🇸🇲🇦 Spain boosts security in Ceuta as calls appear online for another mass border rush Spain has increased police and military deployments in its North African enclave of Ceuta after social media messages urged migrants to attempt another mass border breach on Saturday. The move comes two weeks after tens of thousands rushed into the city, according to Reuters. Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast bordering Morocco, has long been a focal point for irregular migration pressures between Africa and Europe. #Morocco 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇨🇬 Fitch upgrades Republic of Congo's local-currency rating on lower refinancing risks Fitch upgraded the Republic of Congo's long-term local-currency rating to CCC+ from CCC on Friday, while affirming its foreign-currency rating, according to Reuters. The ratings agency cited improved regional financing conditions and a smoother debt repayment profile behind the upgrade. The move points to lower refinancing risks for the country in local currency amid more favorable funding conditions in the region. #CongoRepublic 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇺🇸🌍 US Senate moves to renew AGOA until end of Trump term The US Senate has quietly advanced a renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act before breaking for the summer recess, in a move that would extend the trade preference programme for African countries through to the end of President Donald Trump’s term. The measure was pushed through late at night, according to The Africa Report. AGOA grants eligible African countries preferential access to the US market and has been a central pillar of US-Africa trade ties since 2000. The Senate move could help avert a confrontation with the Trump administration over the future of the programme. #UnitedStates 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇬🇳🇬🇭🇸🇱 EBID approves more than $510m for projects in Guinea, Ghana and Sierra Leone The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development approved five operations worth more than €269.55m and $200m at its 100th Board Meeting on 13 August 2026, chaired by President and Board Chairman Dr George Agyekum Donkor. The funding includes €143.06m for 84 kilometres of roads in Guinea, €65.87m for a 200-bed regional hospital in Siguiri, €60.62m for Guinea’s 11-megawatt Tinkisso II Hydropower Project, a $150m credit facility for eight road and bridge projects in Ghana, and a $50m subordinated loan facility for WAICA Reinsurance Corporation Plc in Sierra Leone. EBID said the projects target transport, healthcare, renewable energy and private-sector development across West Africa. The approvals are aligned with the bank’s Growth, Resilience and Optimisation Strategy 2026–2030. #ECOWAS 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇹🇩 Chad pardons former prime minister and opposition rival Succès Masra Chad President Mahamat Déby has granted a state pardon to former Prime Minister Succès Masra, who had been serving a 20-year prison sentence, clearing the way for his release. Masra, a leading opposition figure who claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election, was arrested in May over alleged links to violence in south-western Chad in which authorities said at least 42 people were killed. Eight other political figures from the Group for the Coordination of Political Actors were also pardoned. The presidency said the pardon does not amount to an amnesty, meaning all nine could still face prosecution. The move came four days after Déby said he would free several convicted individuals in the name of national unity, peace and reconciliation. #Chad 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇿🇲 Vote counting resumes in Zambia after pause over alleged attacks on polling staff Vote counting resumed in Zambia after an earlier suspension caused by alleged attacks on election staff at some polling stations during the country's election process. Electoral officials restarted the tallying as authorities continued to monitor the situation. The interruption came amid tensions surrounding the vote, with election authorities and security officials responding to reported incidents affecting polling personnel. Zambia has faced closely watched elections in recent years amid heightened political competition. #Zambia 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇸🇴 Al Shabaab tests Somalia as troop drawdown nears Fighters from Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said they killed veteran Al Shabaab commander Abdullahi Ganey and three other militants in Middle Shabelle on 13 August during a wider counter-terrorism push that also struck targets in Hiiraan and Lower Shabelle. A day earlier, Al Shabaab claimed an IED attack on an army truck near Mubarak that it said killed at least 20 soldiers. The developments come as Somalia approaches a troop drawdown and underline continued fighting between government forces and the insurgent group. The article was published by Africa Confidential on 14 Aug 2026. #Somalia 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇳🇪🇺🇸 US missionary kidnapped in Niger released after more than nine months Kevin Rideout, an American missionary and pilot with North Carolina-based evangelical group Serving in Mission, has been released after being seized by three gunmen outside his home in Niamey on 21 October. SIM said on 14 August that Rideout was in good health and in the care of US officials after more than nine months in captivity. Rideout is believed to have been moved around the Liptako-Gourma border area between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. His release followed improved coordination between the United States and the military authorities in Niger and Mali, including a joint intelligence group focused on the tri-border area. #Niger 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇱🇾 Libya's Haftar played key role in release of US hostage held by Islamic State, sources say A deal to secure the release of an American hostage held by an Islamic State affiliate in the Sahel was brokered with the help of eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, according to four sources cited by Reuters on August 14, 2026. Reuters reported that Haftar played a key role in the arrangement involving the US hostage in West Africa's Sahel region. The case links Libya to a hostage release involving an Islamic State affiliate operating in the wider Sahel, a region that has faced a persistent jihadist insurgency. #Libya 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇷🇺🇲🇱🇳🇪🇧🇫 Russia uses multi-airline network to supply Africa Corps in the Sahel Africa Corps has set up an air logistics network using multiple airlines to transport weapons, ammunition, personnel and equipment from Russia to its bases in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, according to a report published on 14 August by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. The force replaced Wagner in the three Alliance of Sahel States countries, with flights documented using aircraft including Il-76 transport planes operated by Russian airline Zitotrans. The Africa Report said the air bridge links Russia to the Sahel through a structured pattern of flights serving the expeditionary force. Africa Corps is the Russian state-controlled formation that succeeded Wagner's operations in several African countries. #Mali 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇲🇱 A $50 million hostage ransom funded al Qaeda's Mali offensive, UN says An estimated $50 million ransom paid to free a hostage seized by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali in late 2025 helped fund the group's advances across West Africa and its wider global network, according to U.N. experts cited by Reuters. The militants were described as linked to al Qaeda, and the payment was tied to a hostage release. The finding links a single ransom payment to the financing of militant operations in Mali and the broader region, where jihadist violence has expanded in recent years. #Mali 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇰🇪 Kenya to host AUDA-NEPAD continental human capital centre The African Union Development Agency, AUDA-NEPAD, has announced plans to establish a Continental Centre of Excellence for Human Capital and Institutional Development in Kenya, with the proposal unveiled during the inaugural AUDA-NEPAD Human Capital, Social and Institutional Development Week in Nairobi, which opened on 11 August 2026. The agency said the centre will link governments, universities, industry and development partners to address Africa’s widening jobs gap, with around 12 million young Africans entering the labour market each year while only about 3 million formal jobs are created. AUDA-NEPAD said its Human Capital, Social and Institutional Development portfolio now includes 26 programmes across all 55 African Union member states. The agency also said that since 2022 its programme portfolio has grown from below $30 million to more than $350 million, it has mobilised a further $250 million in project financing, and has maintained budget execution above 90%. #Kenya 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇳🇬 Ndume urges first-line charge status for Nigeria military budget Senator Ali Ndume has called on the Federal Government to place Nigeria’s military budget on first-line charge, arguing that security spending should receive automatic and priority funding. Ndume made the appeal amid ongoing security challenges across the country, saying the armed forces need sustained financial support to prosecute operations effectively. First-line charge refers to expenditures deducted directly from government revenue before other allocations. Ndume’s comments come as Nigeria continues to face insurgency, banditry and other armed violence in several regions. #Nigeria 🔸 Source @africaintel

🇨🇫🇫🇷 France opens disciplinary proceedings against ambassador to Central African Republic France has opened disciplinary proceedings against its ambassador to the Central African Republic, Bruno Foucher, 65, over allegations of misconduct at his official residence in Bangui. A French diplomat told the BBC the administrative procedures are ongoing after French weekly Le Canard enchaîné reported that Foucher invited about 30 women to the residence between January 2024 and March 2025, with some reportedly staying overnight, prompting a foreign ministry investigation into a potential security breach. Foucher has served as France's top diplomat in Bangui since 2023 and has not commented publicly. The case comes as France and the Central African Republic have been working to improve relations, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in March praising the complete restoration of ties. #CAR 🔸 Source @africaintel