Ramaphosa Hails South Africans After Successful G20 Summit on African Soil
President Cyril Ramaphosa praised South Africans for their unity and warmth after the country successfully hosted the G20 Leaders’ Summit and more than 130 related meetings. This was the first time the gathering was held on African soil. In an address to the nation, he expressed profound gratitude to the public for supporting South Africa’s G20 Presidency and helping the country showcase the spirit of ubuntu to world leaders. Ramaphosa said global leaders praised South Africa’s “People’s G20” approach and said the summit demonstrated the power of collective action, urging that the improvements seen in host cities continue beyond the event. He said South Africa used its G20 Presidency to prioritise Africa’s development, debt relief, climate financing, and fair benefit from critical minerals. Ramaphosa concluded by urging the nation to work with greater focus and determination to address the many challenges the country is facing and make South Africa a peaceful, prosperous, and great nation.
Tunisian Activist Chaima Issa Arrested During Protest Against Crackdown on Freedoms
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Lawyers for Tunisian writer and human rights activist Chaima Issa said she was arrested during a protest in Tunis as hundreds demonstrated against tightening restrictions on freedoms. Issa, one of about 40 critics of President Kais Saied who received long prison terms for allegedly plotting against the state, was detained after an appeal court upheld her 20-year sentence. Her lawyer, Samir Dilou, said plainclothes officers seized her during the march despite her posing no flight risk. The protest, organised by leading women’s rights groups, denounced what activists described as the authorities’ systematic suppression of free expression since Saied’s 2021 power grab. In February 2023, Issa, a member of the opposition National Salvation Front, was first arrested and later convicted of national security crimes. Rights groups and the European Parliament have condemned Tunisia’s crackdown, calling for the release of those imprisoned for exercising free speech, while Saied dismissed such criticisms as foreign interference.
Nigerian Army Rescues 12 Girls Kidnapped in Borno State
Nigerian Army troops under Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 12 girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP militants in Mussa District, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State. The 13 girls, aged between 15 and 20, were kidnapped on 23 November while working on their farmlands. One of them later escaped and returned home safely, leaving 12 in captivity. The army conducted a targeted operation in the southern Borno axis and rescued the remaining victims, following actionable intelligence. The girls were taken to a military facility for medical care, psychological support, and debriefing. The army said the victims will be reunited with their families after all necessary procedures are completed. The army commended both the troops and community members for their role in the operation, saying the rescue demonstrated ongoing efforts to eliminate terrorist threats in the North-east. It added that clearance operations continue in southern Borno. The rescue followed a series of similar recoveries in Kebbi, Niger and Kwara after President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to intensify action against renewed insurgent attacks.
Peace Efforts Stall as M23 Rebels Expand Control in Northeastern DR Congo
Peace in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remained elusive as diplomatic efforts repeatedly stalled, with brief moments of progress quickly overshadowed by setbacks. Despite a symbolic handshake between DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame in October, analysts, including Timo Roujean of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, viewed such gestures as empty rhetoric amid unresolved questions about any potential peace deal. Tensions escalated as M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, expanded control across North and South Kivu, casting doubt on a planned Washington meeting meant to finalise a US-brokered agreement. Accusations intensified: Kagame claimed the DRC was stalling the peace process, while Congolese officials demanded stronger international pressure and sanctions against Rwanda for supporting M23, claims Kigali continued to deny. The AU-EU summit in Angola exposed further rifts, with Congo criticising the EU for double standards and prioritising mineral interests. Meanwhile, Rwanda portrayed itself as a reliable European partner and accused the DRC of ceasefire violations. The closure of Goma airport, among other humanitarian access disputes, deepened mistrust. Both sides traded blame and conditions, but analysts warned that issues like banking access in rebel-held towns were being used as leverage instead of being addressed pragmatically. By late November, hopes for a breakthrough dimmed, with Kagame saying only that he would “wait and see” ahead of the uncertain Washington talks.
Mozambican President Denies Human Rights Abuse Allegations in Cabo Delgado
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Mozambican President Daniel Chapo denied claims of serious human rights violations allegedly committed by security forces in Palma, Cabo Delgado. The allegations were published in the London-based publication “Politico’, on 26 September, in an article entitled: “All must be beheaded: revelation of atrocities at French energy giant’s African stronghold’. The criminal complaint was filed by the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) against Total Energies. The complaint accused the company of alleged complicity in war crimes, torture and enforced disappearances against civilians in Cabo Delgado, where the company heads the Mozambique LNG Project, located on the Afungi peninsula, in Palma. The criminal complaint, filed in France, claims that “the company directly financed and materially supported the Joint Task Force, set up by the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), which between July and September 2021 allegedly detained, tortured and killed dozens of civilians on TotalEnergies’ gas site. The complaint has been filed with the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor (PNAT), which also has a mandate to investigate international crimes.’ Chapo dismissed the allegations as false during a visit to the provincial National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) in Pemba.
