Source: Government of Qatar
Manama, November 01, 2025
HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Saturday with HE Advisor on Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Tohid Hossain, on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2025, currently underway in Bahraini Capital Manama.
Discussion during the meeting, focused on bilateral relations and ways to support and strengthen them in addition to number of topics of mutual interest.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – French
Ayo est un jeune lion qui symbolise la joie et l’énergie de la jeunesse sénégalaise. Le nom signifie “joie” en yoruba – une langue largement parlée en Afrique de l’Ouest – et reflète l’esprit de fête et d’unité associé aux Jeux. Ayo porte un chapeau traditionnel Fulani Tingandé, symbole de sagesse, de dignité et d’un profond attachement à la vie rurale. Il incarne les valeurs de Dakar 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4hCV8gz) et met en valeur l’héritage culturel du Sénégal en tant que pays hôte.
La mascotte a été dévoilée par le comité d’organisation des JOJ lors d’une cérémonie spéciale au Grand Théâtre de Dakar, dans le cadre des célébrations marquant le compte à rebours d’un an avant les Jeux, en présence du président du Sénégal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, de la présidente du Comité International Olympique (CIO), Kirsty Coventry (https://apo-opa.co/4nwcqNK), du président de la commission de coordination du CIO pour Dakar 2026, Humphrey Kayange (https://apo-opa.co/48Xgwej), ainsi que du président du comité d’organisation de Dakar 2026 et du Comité National Olympique sénégalais, Mamadou D. Ndiaye.
Lors de la cérémonie marquant le compte à rebours d’un an avant les Jeux de Dakar, la présidente du CIO, Kirsty Coventry, a déclaré : « Ces Jeux représentent beaucoup pour l’Afrique ; ils inspireront la prochaine génération et seront une porte ouverte sur notre continent et le reste du monde.
La mascotte Ayo transmet un puissant message de joie et brise de nombreuses barrières. Elle symbolise parfaitement la jeunesse et le dynamisme de notre continent. Chaque jour, de nouvelles opportunités s’ouvrent aux jeunes Sénégalais, et ces Jeux y contribuent. J’ai hâte d’être de retour ici dans un an pour célébrer cet événement avec vous tous. »
La mascotte a été sélectionnée à l’issue d’un concours national lancé par le comité d’organisation de Dakar 2026 en collaboration avec le ministère de l’Éducation nationale. Ouvert aux élèves des collèges et lycées, le concours a reçu plus de 500 candidatures provenant des 16 inspections académiques du Sénégal. L’initiative visait à promouvoir la créativité chez les jeunes et à renforcer leur lien avec les Jeux à l’approche du premier événement olympique organisé sur le sol africain.
Outre le lancement de la mascotte, les célébrations de la dernière année avant les Jeux comprendront la présentation de l’horloge officielle du compte à rebours ce soir à 18h30 heure locale, au cœur de la capitale sénégalaise, par le partenaire olympique mondial OMEGA.
Les célébrations se poursuivront début novembre avec la quatrième et dernière édition de Dakar en Jeux, le festival culturel et sportif annuel qui est devenu un élément central de la stratégie de mobilisation de Dakar 2026. Du 4 au 9 novembre, le festival réunira les communautés locales à Dakar, Diamniadio et Saly, autour du sport, de la musique et des arts visuels, tout en continuant à promouvoir les valeurs olympiques auprès de la jeunesse sénégalaise.
Pour rappel, les JOJ de Dakar 2026 se tiendront du 31 octobre au 13 novembre 2026 et réuniront 2 700 des meilleurs jeunes athlètes du monde âgés de 17 ans au maximum. Ils se dérouleront sur trois sites hôtes au Sénégal : Dakar, Diamniadio et Saly.
Distribué par APO Group pour International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Pour plus d’informations, veuillez prendre contact avec l’équipe des relations médias du CIO au :
+41 21 621 60 00
email : pressoffice@olympic.org
consulter notre site web : www.IOC.org
À propos du Comité international olympique :
Le Comité International Olympique est une organisation internationale non gouvernementale, civile et à but non lucratif, composée de volontaires, qui s’engage à bâtir un monde meilleur par le sport. Il redistribue plus de 90 % de ses revenus au mouvement sportif au sens large, soit chaque jour l’équivalent de 4,7 millions de dollars (USD) pour aider les athlètes et les organisations sportives à tous les niveaux dans le monde.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Dan Paget, Assistant professor, University of Sussex
In Tanzania, something snapped this year. Protests followed the 29 October 2025 elections. They are unprecedented in their scale, national breadth and political content since the country’s independence in 1961.
But the repression unleashed by newly re-elected President Samia Suluhu Hassan has also been unprecedented. She has gone further than her autocratic predecessors in closing off the political space and silencing opposition figures.
By putting her main rival Tundu Lissu on trial for treason and barring others from contesting the presidency, Hassan has crossed autocratic thresholds that other leaders have not. Activists have been arrested, brutalised or disappeared.
The protests spread across a series of major cities and towns in Tanzania. However, an internet blackout created a fog of war in which details are difficult to ascertain.
I am an assistant professor of politics at the University of Sussex. I have dedicated 11 years to studying Tanzania’s anti-authoritarian struggle.
Amateur and professional coverage found its way through the internet blackout. What I see in this footage is anger and tragedy running through these protests, and the struggle of the anti-authoritarian movement at large. However, at least fleetingly, there has been hope as well.
The anger is directed at the regime. It simultaneously focuses on Tanzanians’ material circumstances and what they see as the political sources of those circumstances. The hope comes from a changing sense of what is possible – the regime long seemed invulnerable. The protests have thrown its authority into doubt.
The immediate trigger for the public protests was the sham general election.
The protests turned violent. Protesters set police stations and other buildings ablaze, hijacked police and ruling party vehicles, and ransacked polling stations.
The regime responded with force. Police met civilians with gunfire and teargas.
Two people were reportedly killed and several others injured on election day. Media sources, who include opposition leaders and diplomats in Tanzania, put the number of those killed over three days of protests in the hundreds.
Tanzanians have plenty of reasons to be angry at the government.
The causes are many. About 72% of citizens work as street vendors, motorcycle taxi drivers and in other informal jobs. Yet Hassan’s neo-liberal government suppresses the demands of these constituencies.
Under Hassan’s rule, young people in particular have been neglected. Tanzania is a youthful country, with more than half of the population below the age of 18. They have especially suffered from Tanzania’s under-investment in education and health relative to its regional neighbours.
While Hassan has presided over an economy that has continued to steadily grow, it has remained deeply unequal. More than 66% of Tanzanians remain poor.
The anger is not just about policy, but politics too.
The ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has deep roots. It has ruled Tanzania in one form or another since the country’s independence from Britain in 1961. For years, CCM has used autocratic measures to tip the playing field in its favour.
Since 2014, under former president John Pombe Magufuli, it has been steadily extending those measures. By 2020, the playing field had become all but closed.
Protesters are directing their anger against the regime. They have torn down posters of Hassan. They are demanding constitutional reform, a truly independent electoral commission, and free and fair elections.
These people’s-power protesters, in short, are defining their cause in terms of democracy.
There is no precedent for protests like this in Tanzania. There have been many vigorous protests over the year. However, they have been localised protests against the forced eviction of the Maasai from ancestral lands, extraction by transnational gold mining corporations and exclusion of the public from the proceeds of natural gas extraction.
In semi-autonomous archipelago Zanzibar, electoral manipulation has been consistently protested for three decades,
Yet, Zanzibar aside, protests against the regime itself have always remained anaemic, until now.
It is not for want of trying.
The main opposition party Chadema has steadily turned to protest since 2016. It called for nationwide protests in the wake of the apparent rigging of the 2020 elections. Yet, few turned out to join them.
Chadema, and the opposition at large, has struggled in the face of a violent state apparatus to draw protesters beyond a cadre of committed activists to its banner. Until now.
Until days ago, the sort of protests unfolding across Tanzania seemed like a fool’s hope. The CCM regime, and its security apparatus, would never allow them. Protesters were arrested, brutalised, abducted or killed. Resistance, it seemed, was futile.
The 2025 protests have thrown all of this into doubt.
As political scientists Adam Branch and Zachariah Mamphilly observe, in protests, what seems possible can change profoundly and suddenly. Whenever protests gather momentum, the dynamics of their formation and repression change. Security personnel can seem hopelessly outnumbered. Protests can seem unassailably large.
In this context, protesters have created spaces in which they – rather than the regime – rule, at least temporarily. The footage of protesters making off with ballot boxes, tearing down posters and saying the previously unsayable shows moments that have an air of emancipation.
The exuberance may not last. Tanzania’s regime has not endured for 64 years for nothing. If the crackdown hardens, and the death toll climbs, the streets may clear quickly. If, in contrast, the police are unable to contain the protests and the military refuse to support them, they may quickly lose control.
Whatever follows, Tanzania has changed almost overnight. One way or another, the change is almost certainly not yet over.
– Tanzania: President Samia Hassan’s grip on power has been shaken by unprecedented protests
– https://theconversation.com/tanzania-president-samia-hassans-grip-on-power-has-been-shaken-by-unprecedented-protests-268849
Source: APO
Ayo is a young lion who symbolises the joy and energy of Senegalese youth. The name means “joy” in Yoruba – a language widely spoken in West Africa – and reflects the spirit of celebration and unity associated with the Games. Ayo wears a traditional Fulani Tingandé hat, representing wisdom, dignity and a connection to rural life, Ayo represents the values of Dakar 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/3LmO6k1) and highlights the cultural heritage of Senegal as the host nation.
The mascot was unveiled by the YOG Organising Committee, during a special ceremony at the Grand Théâtre in Dakar as part of the celebrations to mark one year to go.
The unveiling was attended by the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, alongside International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry (https://apo-opa.co/48WILtG); Humphrey Kayange (https://apo-opa.co/4nz1rDg), Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4oHyk1v) ; and Mamadou D. Ndiaye, President of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee and the Senegalese Olympic Committee.
At the One-Year-to-Go ceremony in Dakar, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: “These Games represent so much for Africa; they will inspire the next generation and open doors of opportunity across our continent and beyond.”
“Mascot Ayo carries a powerful message of joy and breaks many boundaries, a true symbol of how young and dynamic our continent is. Every day, new opportunities are opening up for Senegal’s youth, and these Games are making that happen. I can’t wait to be back here a year from now to celebrate together.”
The mascot was selected through a nationwide competition launched by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education. Open to middle and secondary school students, the competition received more than 500 entries from across all 16 academic inspectorates in Senegal. The initiative was aimed at promoting creativity among young people and strengthening their connection to the Games in the lead-up to the first Olympic event to be held on African soil.
In addition to the mascot launch, the “One Year to Go” celebrations will include the unveiling of the official countdown clock later today, at 6.30 p.m. local time, in the heart of the Senegalese capital by Worldwide Olympic Partner OMEGA.
Celebrations will continue in early November with the fourth and final edition of Dakar en Jeux, the annual cultural and sports festival that has become a central feature of the Dakar 2026 engagement programme. Taking place from 4 to 9 November across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, the festival will bring together local communities through sport, music and visual arts, while continuing to promote the Olympic values among young people across Senegal.
The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together 2,700 of the world’s best young athletes aged up to 17. The Games will be held across three host sites in Senegal: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Olympic Committee (IOC).
For more information, please contact:
IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
email: pressoffice@olympic.org
visit our web site at www.IOC.org.
About International Olympic Committee:
The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit, civil, non-governmental, international organisation made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 4.7 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.
Source: APO
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is currently dispatching critical medical commodities and supplies following the 28 October 2025 attack on the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. The assault, which killed hundreds of patients and caregivers and led to the abduction of several health workers, has crippled one of the few remaining medical facilities in the region and raised grave concerns about the continuity of essential health services.
Africa CDC, in collaboration with the African Union Humanitarian Affairs Division, has recently deployed emergency medical and laboratory experts to assess the situation in Sudan and support outbreak control, sustain essential health services and reinforce biosafety in the affected area. The agency’s Epidemic Intelligence team is working closely with Sudan’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to verify casualty figures, monitor potential disease outbreaks and assess the broader public-health impact.
“This is not only a human tragedy but a public-health emergency,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. “Our immediate priority is to preserve life, prevent secondary outbreaks and protect the health infrastructure that communities depend on. Health facilities and workers must never be targets of war.”
Africa CDC is also urging all parties to the conflict to protect the integrity of laboratories and biomedical facilities that store or handle high-consequence pathogens, warning that any compromise of these sites could pose serious biosecurity and public-health risks.
Sudan continues to face multiple overlapping outbreaks of cholera, dengue fever, measles and diphtheria — all intensified by conflict, mass displacement, and restricted access to healthcare. Repeated attacks on hospitals and clinics are further undermining the fragile system that supports outbreak control, maternal and child health, and immunisation services, placing millions at increased risk across the region.
In light of these escalating health risks, Africa CDC is calling for an immediate halt to violence against health facilities and personnel, the protection of humanitarian and medical access, and full respect for international humanitarian law. The agency is reaffirming its commitment to work with the Sudanese Ministry of Health, the African Union, WHO and humanitarian partners to restore essential services, strengthen outbreak response and safeguard regional health security.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Source: APO
On behalf of the Government and People of Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie, President of the Republic of Seychelles, extends his profound sympathy and unwavering solidarity to Jamaica and all Caribbean nations affected by Hurricane Melissa.
The people of Seychelles share in the sorrow of those who have lost loved ones, those displaced, and communities now grappling with the immense challenges wrought by this catastrophic storm. As island nations, Seychelles and the Caribbean are bound by a shared heritage of resilience and an intimate understanding of the power and unpredictability of nature. When one nation endures hardship, it is felt across all; and when one rises, that renewal is a beacon of hope for the region as a whole.
At this solemn time, the Government and People of Seychelles convey their thoughts, prayers, and deepest encouragement to all affected families and communities. May strength and courage guide you through these difficult days, and may the enduring spirit of the Caribbean bring comfort, healing, and hope to all who have been impacted.
The President affirms that the Republic of Seychelles stands with you in solidarity of heart and spirit, confident in your resilience and unwavering determination to overcome these trying times.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Seychelles.
Source: APO
The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Ms Damtien L. TCHINTCHIBIDJA, carried out a high-level advocacy mission to the Government of Senegal, focusing on the establishment of the National Early Warning and Response Centre. As part of this mission, Ms. TCHINTCHIBIDJA was received on the 28th of October 2025 by H.E. Mr. Cheikh NIANG, Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad; on the 29th of October 2025, by General Birame DIOP, Minister of the Armed Forces; and on the 30th of October 2025, by H.E. Mr Ousmane SONKO, Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal.
These meetings are part of the follow-up to the decentralisation process of the ECOWAS Regional Early Warning and Response Mechanism, initiated after the adoption of the Supplementary Act by the Conference of Heads of State and Government in July 2014. This project aims to strengthen the capacities of Member States in the areas of crisis prevention, anticipation and management.
During the discussions, the Vice-President presented the progress made by ECOWARN, a regional mechanism dedicated to conflict prevention and the promotion of human security. Already operational in most member countries, this system has yet to be deployed in four states, including Senegal.
Ms TCHINTCHIBIDJA emphasised the need to place citizens at the heart of the system, recalling that the well-being of populations remains a priority for ECOWAS in its regional strategy for peace and stability. She also reaffirmed the Commission’s willingness and commitment to support the Government of Senegal in the final stages leading up to the official launch of the National Centre and its effective operationalisation.
For his part, Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO reiterated the Senegalese Government’s willingness to accelerate the process of establishing the Centre, which he described as a strategic tool for securing communities, both nationally and regionally. Finally, he raised the possibility of an official inauguration in the first quarter of 2026, marking a decisive step in the implementation of this regional initiative.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Source: APO
Afriex (www.Afriex.com), a global fintech platform, today announced a collaboration with Visa, a world leader in digital payments, to bring real-time cross-border payments to more than 160 markets. By integrating Visa Direct through Afriex’s financial institution partner, Afriex is making it faster and easier for individuals and businesses to send and receive funds across borders.
Together, Afriex and Visa Direct enable real-time delivery[1] of funds directly to eligible Visa endpoints, connecting to billions of accounts. This collaboration enhances Afriex’s mission of making international payments accessible and affordable, while leveraging Visa’s payment network to extend reach and reliability.
“For the millions of families and businesses who depend on remittances, speed and transparency matter most,” said Tope Alabi, CEO at Afriex. “Working with Visa allows us to pair Afriex’s innovation with Visa Direct’s global network, so money moves in real time, not days.”
According to the World Bank 2 (https://apo-opa.co/4hHiNN4), remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $669 billion in 2023. With Afriex and Visa Direct, these vital funds can reach families, communities, and businesses faster than ever before. This demand underscores the need for faster, more accessible cross-border payment solutions.
The integration is now live on the Afriex platform, available immediately through the Afriex mobile app.
[1]Actual funds availability depends on receiving financial instution
2 World Bank. (2024). “Remittances to Reach $669 Billion in 2023 with Record Flows into Latin America and the Caribbean, Says World Bank.” Press Release. https://apo-opa.co/3LiaLOD
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afriex Inc.
About Afriex:
Afriex is a global fintech platform making cross-border payments fast, affordable, and seamless. From personal remittances to business transactions, Afriex enables users worldwide to send, receive, and hold money across multiple currencies with zero-to-low fees and instant transfers. Founded with the mission to make international payments more accessible and affordable, Afriex leverages cutting-edge technology to provide fast, secure, and transparent financial services to individuals and businesses.
Visa Direct capability is enabled through Afriex’s financial institution partner. Push to Wallet functionality is not yet commercially available.
Source: Government of Qatar
Manama, October 31, 2025
HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa met Friday with HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, during His Highness’s meeting with a number of Their Excellencies and senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab countries participating in the Manama Dialogue 2025 conference, held in the Bahraini capital, Manama.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – French
Afriex (www.Afriex.com), une plateforme fintech mondiale, a annoncé aujourd’hui une collaboration avec Visa, leader mondial des paiements numériques, pour proposer des paiements transfrontaliers en temps réel vers plus de 160 marchés. En intégrant Visa Direct par l’intermédiaire de son partenaire institution financière, Afriex facilite et accélère l’envoi et la réception de fonds au-delà des frontières pour les particuliers et les entreprises.
Ensemble, Afriex et Visa Direct permettent la livraison en temps réel de fonds directement¹ vers les points d’accès Visa éligibles, se connectant à des milliards de comptes. Cette collaboration renforce la mission d’Afriex de rendre les paiements internationaux accessibles et abordables, tout en tirant parti du réseau de paiement de Visa pour étendre sa portée et sa fiabilité.
« Pour les millions de familles et d’entreprises qui dépendent des transferts de fonds, la rapidité et la transparence sont primordiales », a déclaré Tope Alabi, PDG d’Afriex. « Travailler avec Visa nous permet d’associer l’innovation d’Afriex au réseau mondial de Visa Direct, afin que l’argent circule en temps réel, et non en plusieurs jours. »
Selon la Banque mondiale2 (https://apo-opa.co/4hHiNN4), les transferts de fonds vers les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire ont atteint 669 milliards de dollars en 2023. Avec Afriex et Visa Direct, ces fonds vitaux peuvent parvenir aux familles, aux communautés et aux entreprises plus rapidement que jamais. Cette demande souligne la nécessité de solutions de paiement transfrontalier plus rapides et plus accessibles.
L’intégration est désormais en ligne sur la plateforme Afriex, disponible immédiatement via l’application mobile Afriex.
1La disponibilité effective des fonds dépend de l’institution financière réceptrice
2Banque mondiale. (2024). « Les envois de fonds atteindront 669 milliards de dollars en 2023 avec des flux records vers l’Amérique latine et les Caraïbes, selon la Banque mondiale. » Communiqué de presse. https://apo-opa.co/4qAFS88
Distribué par APO Group pour Afriex Inc.
À propos d’Afriex :
Afriex est une plateforme fintech mondiale qui rend les paiements transfrontaliers rapides, abordables et fluides. Des transferts personnels aux transactions commerciales, Afriex permet aux utilisateurs du monde entier d’envoyer, de recevoir et de détenir de l’argent dans plusieurs devises avec des frais nuls ou faibles et des virements instantanés. Fondée avec la mission de rendre les paiements internationaux plus accessibles et abordables, Afriex exploite une technologie de pointe pour fournir des services financiers rapides, sécurisés et transparents aux particuliers et aux entreprises.
La capacité Visa Direct est activée par l’intermédiaire du partenaire institution financière d’Afriex. La fonctionnalité Push to Wallet n’est pas encore disponible commercialement.
