For far too long, African youth have been told that democracy is something imported, something borrowed, something foreign to their identity. But history gives us a very different truth. Democracy is not an idea that arrived from the West. It is a human idea. And Africa practised it long before modern states existed. Africa’s democratic inheritance is older than the colonial borders that sliced the continent into fragments.

For far too long, African youth have been told that democracy is something imported, something...

Burkina Faso and Niger have reaffirmed support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, according to the Moroccan government-friendly North Africa Post and agencies on December 2nd. Support was expressed following separate meetings in Rabat with the foreign ministers of the two countries, Burkina Faso's Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré and Niger's Bakary Yaou Sangaré, as well as their Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita.

Burkina Faso and Niger have reaffirmed support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, according...

Two former South African police officers were convicted on December 2nd of the 1987 killing of an anti-apartheid activist, according to the Associated Press. In 1987, student leader and activist Caiphus Nyoka was fatally shot at least 12 times at his family home near Johannesburg by former apartheid-era police officers, Abraham Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander. The officers were convicted of the murder by a judge at Johannesburg's Gauteng High Court, and will be sentenced at a later date; a third former officer was acquitted.

Two former South African police officers were convicted on December 2nd of the 1987 killing...

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has raised the alarm on worsening violence in Northern Mozambique, forcing close to 100,000 people to flee the area, according to Africa News and agencies on 3rd December. Fighters associated with the so-called Islamic State have been attacking villages and burning homes, forcing an estimated 1.3 million to flee since 2017. This is the fourth mass displacement this year, after…

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has raised the alarm on worsening violence in Northern Mozambique,...

Two former police officers in South Africa have been found guilty of the 1987 murder of an activist during the apartheid era, according to the Associated Press on December 2nd. Student activist and leader, Caiphus Nyoka, was shot dead at his family home near Johannesburg by two officers from the apartheid-era police force. Abraham Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander were convicted by a judge at Johannesburg's Gauteng High Court.

Two former police officers in South Africa have been found guilty of the 1987 murder...

A children's colouring book about Palestinian history and culture has been removed from sale by a major German book chain, Hugendubel, according to the Middle East Eye and agencies on December 2nd. The book "From the River to the Sea" is by South African author and illustrator Nathi Ngubane and was reportedly removed from sale after a request for comment by Judische Allgemeine, a Jewish newspaper.

The Mali finance minister said that the audit that made way for the new mining code has helped recover 761 billion CFA francs ($1.2 billion) from mining companies, making it Mali’s largest sum recovered from the mining industry, Reuters reported on December 2. The audit was presented at a ceremony by Mali’s finance minister, Alousséni Sanou, in the presence of the President Assimi Goita.

The Mali finance minister said that the audit that made way for the new mining...

A children’s colouring book about Palestinian history and culture has been removed from sale by...

FIFA announced that players will be released from their clubs only a week before the start of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), according to RFI on 2nd December. The announcement led to frustration amongst national coaches as FIFA rules state that players should be available 2 weeks before an international competition, in order to prepare. The tournament, hosted in Morocco this year, will start on 21st December, with 24 participating teams from all over the continent. RFI, Maghrebi

FIFA announced that players will be released from their clubs only a week before the...

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu appointed his former military chief as defence minister on 2nd December, only weeks after forcing him to retire from his previous position, AP reported. Musa will replace the previous Defence Minister, Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on 1st December, due to “health reasons.” Nigeria is currently gripped by a wave of mass abductions and civil unrest that has forced the government to declare a national state of emergency. AP, Maghrebi.org

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu appointed his former military chief as defence minister on 2nd December,...

Algeria hosted a 2-day international conference, which opened on 30th November, exploring crimes committed during the colonisation of Africa, reports state-friendly TSA Algerie. The summit, organised at the request of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, focused on crimes committed by European powers in Africa and the possibility of reparations. It brought together historians, legal experts and politicians from 29 countries to discuss their colonial heritage and its legacy.

Algeria hosted a 2-day international conference, which opened on 30th November, exploring crimes committed during...

The Polisario Front has confirmed that it will file a new appeal in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the end of the year to challenge the EU-Morocco agricultural and fisheries agreement, according to an Algerian government-friendly AL24 report on 1st December. Special Advisor to the Sahrawi President in charge of natural resources and legal affairs, Abi Bouchraya El Bachir, has condemned the labelling of Western Sahara products as “Moroccan”, which he said is also against EU rules.

The Polisario Front has confirmed that it will file a new appeal in the Court...

US President Donald Trump advised Israel on December 1st against unsettling Syria, after an Israeli military operation killed 13 people in Syria's south on November 28th, according to Asharq Al-Awsat via AFP on December 1st. Posting on Truth Social, Trump said “it is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria” and that “nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria's evolution into a prosperous state."

US President Donald Trump advised Israel on December 1st against unsettling Syria, after an Israeli...

Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli Prime Minister, has expressed support for pardoning Benjamin Netanyahu, but only if his successor leaves politics, according to Middle East Eye and agencies on December 1st. Netanyahu has been on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust since 2020, and received support from US President Donald Trump, who reportedly sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog last month, urging a "full pardon" to be issued for Netanyahu.