Africa: All of Africa Today – August 31, 2026

Russia has stated that its African Corps forces assisted Nigerian troops in repelling an attempted coup in the capital, Niamey, stemming from explosions and gunfire reported near a key military airbase and the presidential palace. Nigerien authorities subsequently announced the rebellion had been contained. Russian officials indicated the unstable situation remained under the control of President Abdourahmane Tiani’s government. The Alliance of Sahel States—comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso—condoned the attempted takeover as a bid to destabilise the nation. The incident underscores ongoing security challenges in Niger, where jihadist violence persists despite the military government’s tighter alignment with Russia and its withdrawal from Western allies.

Turkish and Somali forces have liberated a Cameroon‑flagged vessel that had been hijacked off Somalia’s coastal waters after a ten‑day operation that resulted in the death of fourteen suspected pirates. Somalia’s Defence Ministry confirmed that four attacking boats were destroyed and that sustained military pressure forced the remaining assailants to evacuate the ship, which has since resumed its voyage free of pirate threats. Nine crew members were aboard the MV LATUF, including at least one Turkish national. Although authorities have not disclosed casualty figures or individual circumstances, the operation emerges as piracy resurges along Somalia’s shoreline, recording at least fifteen attacks this year—the highest number since 2013. This surge adds significant strain to international shipping lanes in the broader Indian Ocean region.

Amnesty International Kenya has urged the government to advance beyond rhetorical support and implement concrete measures to eradicate enforced disappearances, locate missing persons, and hold perpetrators accountable. While praising President William Ruto’s recent pledge that no Kenyan should forfeit life, liberty or dignity for dissent, Amnesty emphasizes that such commitments demand immediate action. The organization referenced nineteen documented enforced disappearances and sixty‑nine police-related killings recorded through early 2026, highlighting thirty‑five verified cases within a recent reparations framework. The appeal calls for independent investigations, systemic accountability, reparations for victims and family members, and stricter protections for journalists, human‑rights defenders and demonstrators ahead of the forthcoming 2027 elections.

Following a catastrophic collision on the Harare‑Masvingo highway, Zimbabwe has proclaimed a state of disaster. The tragedy claimed twenty‑seven lives and left seven others critically injured. The accident involved a mining haulage truck transporting ore from South Africa colliding head‑on with a pedestrian minibus carrying members of the African Apostolic (Mwazha) Church near Honeyspruit Bridge in Chikomba District. Structural damage and fire trapped multiple occupants inside the minibus. Twenty‑four people died at the scene, three additional fatalities occurred later at Chivhu General Hospital, while the truck driver survived and underwent treatment in Harare. The disaster declaration authorises the administration to allocate supplementary resources and coordinate assistance for survivors and grieving families.

Military‑run Guinea‑Bissau is scheduled to conduct a referendum on a proposed constitution designed to expand presidential authority, effectively moving the country toward a presidential system. Under the envisaged reforms, the head of state would gain the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and the government, as well as dissolve parliament. The junta asserts these changes are vital for stabilising national institutions prior to the December general election, whereas the opposition has pressed for a boycott, citing curtailed public freedoms. The poll takes place less than one year after the military seized governance following a subsequent presidential election, reinforcing Guinea‑Bissau’s pattern of chronic political volatility.

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