Africa: All of Africa Today – November 28, 2025

Guinea-Bissau General Sworn in As Transitional President Following Coup

Guinea-Bissau’s military installed General Horta Nta Na Man as transitional president and announced a one-year interim administration. This comes a day after senior officers said they had deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, halted the election process, and formed the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order.” The capital, Bissau, remained tense but relatively calm, with businesses closed following the lifting of an overnight curfew. The takeover came just before the first-round election results were due, and Embalo later arrived in Senegal after ECOWAS intervention. His main rival, Fernando Dias, claimed the coup was fabricated to block his victory and accused Embalo and the army of conspiring to nullify the vote. Dias, speaking from hiding, insisted the people had already chosen their next leader and demanded the release of detained opposition figures. While Dias’ coalition called for election results to be published, the army alleged a destabilization plot involving politicians, foreign actors, and drug traffickers. Regional and international bodies, including the African Union, ECOWAS, and the UN, condemned the coup and raised concerns about detained officials and the safety of election observers, as Guinea-Bissau once again faced political upheaval in a history marked by repeated coups since 1974.

Ramaphosa Calls Trump G20 Exclusion Threat ‘Regrettable’

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described as “regrettable” former US President Donald Trump’s announcement that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit in Florida. In a social media post, Trump said South Africa had refused to hand over the G20 presidency to a US embassy representative at the summit in Johannesburg. Members of the G20, a gathering of the world’s biggest economies, do not need an invitation but can possibly be barred through visa restrictions. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa had accepted that relations with the US were unlikely to improve and would look beyond the US-hosted summit if visas were denied. Ramaphosa rejected Trump’s accusations, including his long-standing, widely debunked claims of violence targeting white South Africans. He said the G20 presidency instruments were properly handed over to a US embassy official since Washington did not attend the summit. The summit, the first held in Africa, concluded with a joint declaration on multilateral cooperation despite US objections.

Somalia Declares Drought Emergency as Millions Face Hunger

Somalia faced a rapidly escalating drought emergency after four consecutive failed rainy seasons left millions at risk of hunger and displacement. In a formal declaration on 10 November, the Federal Government of Somalia declared a drought emergency, appealing for international aid as conditions in the northern, central, and southern regions continued to deteriorate. Puntland is among the worst-affected areas, where authorities estimate that nearly one million people need support, including 130,000 in immediate life-threatening need. Water sources dried up, vegetation withered, and contaminated boreholes left towns dependent on costly trucked water. Funding shortfalls are compounding the crisis. Somalia’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan was only 23.7% funded, forcing major reductions in assistance. The number of people receiving emergency food aid plunged from 1.1 million in August to just 350,000 this month. At least 4.4 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity through December, while 1.85 million children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition through mid-2026.

Lassa Fever Cases Rise in Nigeria

Nigeria recorded 184 deaths and 995 confirmed cases of Lassa fever this year, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). In its Week 46 situation report, the agency said that confirmed cases rose from 10 in epidemiological week 45 to 19 in week 46, with new infections reported in Bauchi, Ondo and Edo states. Overall, 21 states across 102 Local Government Areas reported at least one confirmed case, though 88% of all infections came from Ondo, Bauchi and Edo. The case fatality rate stood at 18.5%, higher than the 16.2% recorded during the same period in 2024. The most affected age group was 21–30 years, while no new healthcare worker infections were recorded. Despite the recent uptick, the total number of suspected and confirmed cases remained lower than what was reported at this time last year.

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