Burkina Faso Scraps Visa Fees for All African Travellers
Burkina Faso scrapped visa fees for all African travellers in a move to boost the free movement of people and goods across the continent. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said that any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees. However, any visitors will be required to submit an online visa application, which will be reviewed for approval, the minister clarified. The country joined others such as Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya in easing travel restrictions. Citizens of West African countries can already travel to Burkina Faso without the need for visas, however, this may change in the future because the country has pulled out of the regional bloc, Ecowas, along with its neighbours, Mali and Niger, which are also under military rule.
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Nigerian Resident Doctors Suspend Strike
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) suspended its two-day warning strike “following commitments by the federal government to address key demands.” The strike had disrupted services in public tertiary hospitals, leaving consultants and other health workers to manage heavy patient loads. NARD had embarked on the strike to press for several outstanding demands, including the immediate payment of the 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund and the settlement of five months’ arrears under the 25-35% Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review. The association said the decision to suspend the strike followed government commitments and initial payments. They are also considering the plight of Nigerians amid tough economic conditions. However, it warned that unresolved issues, particularly at state levels, could lead to further industrial action.
ICJ Rules in France’s Favor in Corruption Case Against Equatorial Guinea VP
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed France a legal victory in its dispute with Equatorial Guinea over a Paris mansion seized during a corruption probe into Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of long-time ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The case was launched in 2022, with Equatorial Guinea accusing France of breaching international law by holding onto the property. Judges ruled that Equatorial Guinea had not demonstrated a plausible legal right to reclaim the Avenue Foch property, which French courts confiscated in 2021 after finding Obiang guilty of embezzling state funds. Equatorial Guinea had accused France of breaching international law and engaging in “neo-colonial” behaviour, but the ICJ said that the property was a private residence, not a diplomatic mission, echoing its 2020 ruling. The mansion, complete with a cinema, nightclub and hammam, was among assets seized alongside luxury cars, highlighting the lavish lifestyle of Obiang, who has faced corruption allegations and sanctions abroad, even as much of Equatorial Guinea’s population remains in poverty.
Deadly Floods Displace Over 100,000 in South Sudan
More than 100,000 people in South Sudan were displaced by what UNHCR described as “new deadly floods,” which have inundated Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states. The agency warned that if flooding persisted, up to 400,000 people could be forced from their homes by year’s end, surpassing 2024 levels. UNHCR said the floods had destroyed homes, schools, health facilities, and farmland, devastated livestock, and contaminated water sources, worsening health risks amid an ongoing cholera crisis. Stagnant water, combined with limited access to safe drinking water, is raising the threat of further disease outbreaks on top of the ongoing cholera crisis, which had already affected over 12,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,100 refugees by the end of August. UNHCR has appealed for more funds to carry out its life-saving work. As of 31 July, it had only received a third of the nearly $300 million required to protect and assist displaced people and local host communities in the country. To mitigate the ongoing crisis in South Sudan, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) recently signed a $9.9 million Climate Resilience Project in South Sudan with the Ministry of Water Resources.
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Children Bear Brunt of Sudan’s Prolonged War, Aid Agencies Warn
After more than two years of civil war in Sudan, aid agencies warned that children were facing mounting risks as hunger, malnutrition, and loss of education deepened. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that displaced families in some areas have not received any aid for three months, as it announced that for the first time, funding shortfalls have forced it to pull back support in areas where it does not have access. Humanitarians reported surging child malnutrition, with education also hit hard as 13 million of the country’s 17 million children were out of school, though nearly 9,000 schools had reopened with added support like meals, safe water, and trauma counselling. To support health needs in Sudan, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s $135 million appeal is just one-fifth funded. “It’s only a fraction of what is urgently needed,” the agency said.
