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2026 BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE SEASON: BY THE NUMBERS

Source: APO


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The 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) (www.BAL.NBA.com) Playoffs tipped off on Friday, May 22 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, and will culminate with the 2026 BAL Finals on Sunday, May 31 at 6:00 p.m. CAT.  For the complete schedule, click here (https://apo-opa.co/4dL0rt5).

Eight teams have qualified for the Playoffs: Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Ahly Ly (Libya), ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal), Club Africain (Tunisia), Dar City (Tanzania), FUS Rabat (Morocco), 2024 BAL champion Petro de Luanda (Angola) and the RSSB Tigers (Rwanda), with the top four teams advancing to the single-game semifinals and Finals.

The Playoffs and Finals are livestreaming to fans around the world on www.NBA.com, the NBA App, and www.BAL.NBA.com.  Tickets are on sale now at www.BAL.NBA.com.

Below are facts and figures about the 2026 BAL season:

  • 722,000,000 – Heading into the Playoffs, the BAL’s social media channels had generated more than 722 million views this season, a record for group phase play.
  • 1,073 – On April 5, Petro de Luanda’s Childe Dundão became the all-time BAL record holder for minutes played with 1,073 minutes across all six BAL seasons.
  • 75,000 – Nearly 75,000 fans attended the Kalahari Conference and Sahara Conference group phases in South Africa and Morocco, respectively, a record for group phase play in those countries.
  • 1,000 – BAL games have generated a 1,000% year-over-year increase in total watch time on BAL.NBA.com and the NBA App.
  • 215 – Al Ahly Ly and Dar City combined to score a BAL record 215 points in Al Ahly Ly’s 118-97 victory on March 31.
  • 214 – BAL games reach fans in 214 countries and territories, including all 54 countries in Africa.
  • 200 – The BAL celebrated its 200th game on April 1 when Petro de Luanda defeated Nairobi City Thunder 97-70.
  • 54 – RSSB Tigers guard Craig Randall II scored a BAL-record 54 points in a loss to Dar City on April 4.
  • 30 – Thirty players who competed at FIBA AfroBasket 2025 are participating in the Playoffs.
  • 22 – A record 22 marketing, merchandising and institutional partners have supported the BAL this season: AB InBev; Afreximbank; Air Senegal; Amazon Web Services; Bank of Kigali; Fédération Royale Marocaine de BasketBall; FLEXX; the French Embassy of Senegal; Greenride Africa; Hyundai; the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sport; Office National Marocain du Tourisme; PUMA; Qatar Foundation; QAVS; Rwanda Development Board; RwandAir; Rwanda Events; ServiceNow; South African Tourism; Wave; and Wilson.
  • 11 – Eleven of the 16 teams that competed at FIBA AfroBasket 2025 have at least one player in the Playoffs.
  • 8 – A record eight former NBA players have competed in the BAL this season: Damion Baugh and Donovan Williams (Al Ahly Ly), Michael Foster Jr. (Dar City), Mangok Mathiang (RSSB Tigers), Kevin Murphy (Al Ahly), Chasson Randle (Petro de Luanda), Hasheem Thabeet (Dar City) and Axel Toupane (ASC Ville de Dakar).  Toupane is the first NBA champion to play in the BAL, having won the 2021 NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • 5 – Five players have competed in all six BAL seasons: Abdoulaye Harouna (FUS Rabat), Ater Majok (ASC Ville de Dakar), Gerson Domingos (Petro de Luanda), Dundão and Solo Diabate (ASC Ville de Dakar).
  • 3 – Baugh became the first player in BAL history to record a triple-double in his first BAL season, finishing with 11 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in a 110-72 win over Dar City on April 4.
  • 2 – On May 3, Al Ahly defeated FUS Rabat 77-71 in the second double-overtime game in BAL history.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Basketball Africa League (BAL).

About the BAL:
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its sixth season in March, 2026.  Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized across the continent and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.  Fans can follow the BAL (@theBAL) on Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4uBnKg0), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4dwErmI), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4dLk97O), X (https://apo-opa.co/4v9rpBC), and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4wMkaB4) and register their interest in receiving more information at www.BAL.NBA.com.

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Guyana Confirmed to Host Caribbean Energy Week 2027 as Regional Energy Integration Gains Momentum

Source: APO

The second annual Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) will take place in Guyana in July 2027, convening regional governments, international energy companies and investors at a pivotal moment for the Caribbean’s emergence as a global energy hub. Held under the patronage of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and with the endorsement of The Honorable Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, the event highlights the country’s growing leadership in shaping the region’s energy future.

Under the theme, “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub,” CEW 2027 will focus on transforming the Caribbean from a set of fragmented markets into an integrated, globally competitive energy corridor. Central to this vision is deeper cross-border collaboration, accelerated infrastructure development and increased capital flows across the oil, gas and LNG value chains.

Momentum across the region continues to build. In Guyana, offshore production from the ExxonMobil-led Stabroek Block averaged approximately 914,000 barrels per day in the first quarter of 2026, with output expected to exceed one million barrels per day following the startup of the Uaru development. At the same time, upstream expansion remains robust, supported by new seismic campaigns, FPSO developments and ongoing work tied to the Longtail project. In neighboring Suriname, TotalEnergies is advancing its $10.5 billion GranMorgu offshore development alongside new exploration activity, underscoring sustained investor confidence in the Guyana-Suriname Basin and reinforcing the region’s long-term growth trajectory.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the focus is shifting toward revitalizing mature gas production through new upstream partnerships and cross-border developments, including progress on projects such as Manatee and increased collaboration with Venezuela to unlock stranded reserves. At the same time, the country is advancing efforts to expand its LNG and petrochemical value chains, positioning itself to remain a key gas processing and export hub in the Atlantic Basin.

“We are seeing unprecedented upstream growth in Guyana, major project development in Suriname and renewed momentum around regional gas and LNG integration in Trinidad and Tobago,” said James Chester, CEO of Energy Capital & Power, the event organizer. “Caribbean Energy Week 2027 is about connecting those opportunities – bringing together governments, operators and investors to unlock a truly integrated energy corridor that can compete on the global stage.”

The inaugural Caribbean Energy Week in 2026 laid a strong foundation, attracting more than 400 attendees and over 90 companies, alongside high-level ministers and industry leaders from across the region and beyond. Hosted in Paramaribo, the event facilitated critical dialogue on cooperation, investment and infrastructure, while also serving as a platform for deal-making and knowledge exchange.

Building on this momentum, CEW 2027 is set to expand in both scale and impact, offering a premier platform for strategic dialogue, project showcases and investment engagement. As global demand for diversified energy supply grows, the Caribbean is increasingly well-positioned to play a central role – one defined by collaboration, connectivity and opportunity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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You have a right to march, but do it responsibly – JCPS Cluster

Source: Government of South Africa

You have a right to march, but do it responsibly – JCPS Cluster

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has called on South Africans to bear in mind their responsibility when conducting marches and protests and not to engage in criminal behaviour.

The Minister was speaking during a media briefing of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster on Monday in Pretoria.

The briefing followed an engagement with all the security cluster ministers and senior officials responsible for national security in the country, as well as political parties, various groups and associations that have been involved in mass protests and community marches against illegal foreign nationals across the country.

“We emphasised the importance of the marches being peaceful, because marches are protected. People’s right to march is protected by the Constitution, and freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution. We also emphasised the importance of ensuring that these marches remain peaceful.

“But again, others would indicate that they would march, and then they would not notify law enforcement agencies. We explained the risk associated with that. You will understand that when an organisation or an organiser decides to march, they should notify us as a state by saying: ‘We are going to march on this day. We are going to move from this point to this point.’

“Then we put mechanisms in place as the state to secure that march. But when marches are happening without communicating with the state, the organisers actually are [absolving] the state from responsibility. As a result, liability rests with the organisers,” she said.

Kubayi noted that it was impressed upon groups at the meeting that the safety of all citizens, including those who are not participating in any marches, is paramount.

Responding to questions on rumours of countrywide protests against illegal immigration on 30 June, Kubayi reiterated government’s stance.

“I want to emphasise that they have the right to march. They have the right to hold protests. But we are appealing to them to ensure that they are peaceful, and we have appealed to them in the meeting to say: ‘How many people are you expecting at those marches?’ so that, as the state, we can ensure that law enforcement is on the ground.

“As a country, we are not xenophobic, and we don’t believe that South Africans are xenophobic. There are socio-economic issues that we’ve got to deal with and must respond to. Equally, we are appealing to South Africans to know that there are migrants who are in the country legally. We are part of a global society.

“Similarly, we have committed to ensuring that where there are illegal immigrants, law enforcement takes appropriate action in accordance with the law. Those who commit crimes are criminals, irrespective of whether they are South African or non-South African,” she said.

The Minister revealed that Deputy Ministers will now be deployed to ensure visibility on the ground to further “ensure compliance with the current laws”.

“We are expecting them to give us a report on where they’ve been, what they found, and what is being done. Because citizens want to see practical action from government, although our NATJoints have been involved in a number of operations, whether it’s Operation Shanela or other initiatives,” she said.

Reflecting on the July 2021 unrest, which claimed lives and resulted in billions of rands in infrastructure damage, Kubayi said government has drawn lessons from that incident.

“We can’t allow properties and businesses to be destroyed. We’ve got to protect … lives during those protests. Another lesson is that those who are responsible for criminal acts get arrested.

“Because when  people are killed in those marches, somebody has to be held accountable. Somebody has to be held responsible for that loss of life, because families are going to demand justice,” Kubayi said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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South Africa joins efforts to combat Ebola outbreak

Source: Government of South Africa

South Africa joins efforts to combat Ebola outbreak

South Africa has pledged an initial $5 million contribution to support a $319 million continental preparedness and response plan, as Africa mobilises to combat its second-largest Ebola outbreak in history.

This, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who addressed a High-Level Meeting of African Ministers of Health on the Ebola outbreak that has swept through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

South Africa had pledged an initial $2.5 million to the cause.

The President addressed the gathering in his capacity as African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.

“The Kampala meeting aligned behind a continental preparedness and response plan of approximately $319 million for the period June to November 2026. This plan will support outbreak control in affected countries while strengthening preparedness in at least ten high-risk Member States.

“Importantly, African countries themselves have already committed initial domestic contributions representing approximately 10% of the required financing. This demonstrates ownership and responsibility. Africa is no longer waiting passively for others to act.

“In this spirit of African solidarity and African solutions to African challenges, the Government and people of South Africa are pleased to announce an initial contribution of U$5 million to Africa CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], in support of the ongoing continental Ebola response,” President Ramaphosa said on Monday.

The outbreak – which was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation – has claimed at least 200 lives, a situation President Ramaphosa descried as “deeply concerning”.

The outbreak is also the largest one since the one in West Africa more than a decade ago and the President raised concern over the trajectory of the disease, while underscoring the urgent need for regional solidarity.

“Although, at the onset of this outbreak, there are no therapeutics and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain, we have reason to be hopeful. Working together with Africa CDC and the World Health Organisation through the interim medical countermeasures network, organisations such as GAVI [Vaccine Alliance], CEPI [Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations] and UNITAID are working at speed on promising vaccine and therapeutic candidates towards clinical trials.

“We strongly support these efforts, as Africa cannot continue to face deadly epidemics without equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and treatments.

“We call on all relevant partners and manufacturers to accelerate research and development, strengthen genomic surveillance, expand laboratory systems, and fast-track the equitable delivery of safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics,” the President urged.

The international community is also urged to stand with the continent of Africa in the “spirit of partnership, solidarity and respect”.

“The world is safer when Africa is safer. Delayed support today will result in much higher human, social and economic costs tomorrow,’” he warned.

The President emphasised the outbreak currently confronting Uganda and the DRC is a reminder that preparedness cannot begin when a crisis is already expanding.

“We must continue investing in resilient health systems, strong national public health institutes, emergency operations centres, local manufacturing of medical countermeasures, community health workers, genomic surveillance and sustainable domestic financing.

“Africa has the institutions, expertise and leadership to respond effectively. What is required now is speed, unity, solidarity and trust in our collective capacity.

“The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and all countries at risk must know that they are not alone. Africa stands with them,” President Ramaphosa concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

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Qatar Condemns Explosion Targeting Train in Pakistan

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha | May 25, 2026

The State of Qatar strongly condemns the explosion that targeted a passenger train in the southwest of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the State of Qatar’s firm stance against violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of motives or reasons.

The Ministry expresses the State of Qatar’s condolences to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of Pakistan, and its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured.

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Canon Demonstrates Print’s ‘Power to Move’ with On-Stand Experience and Latest Large Format Technologies at Federation of European Screen Printers Associations (FESPA) Global Print Expo 2026

Source: APO

At FESPA Global Print Expo, 19th-22nd May 2026, Stand 2-E20 in Barcelona, Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) showcased how its wide-format production technologies and customer-led approach combine to create bold, high-impact prints that transform spaces and connect with audiences, delivering real business impact. Under the theme ‘Move your World’, Canon re-emphasised the commercial potential and positive momentum that speciality print businesses can gain. Visitors not only saw a curated selection of real-world applications from across the retail, interior décor, point of sale (POS), corrugated and packaging segments, but also gained valuable and practical expert advice on how to bring those applications to life. The selection of prints and tactile applications created on Canon’s portfolio of high-performance production technologies for large-format print, including Arizona, Colorado, and imagePROGRAF printers, displayed in a visual and interactive sensory gallery on stand.

Making its European event debut, the new Colorado XL-series 3.4 m printer demonstrated its versatility and exceptional productivity by producing both flexible and rigid media applications live throughout the show. From signage and décor to point of sale and packaging, the printer extends the proven advantages of Canon’s UVgel technology to the 3.2 m graphics market, delivering application versatility across a comprehensive range of media. From banner, paper, vinyl and films to soft signage, heat-sensitive materials, foam board, fluted polypropylene, acrylic and aluminium composite boards, print service providers (PSPs) have the flexibility to tackle diverse customer requirements. With print speeds of 70m² per hour in quality mode, 106m² per hour in production mode and up to 211m² per hour in express mode, the system delivers the productivity needed for demanding production environments while accommodating substrates up to 52mm thick for rigid applications. 

Flexibility Through Partnerships

The momentum Canon created for its customers was achieved through a rich ecosystem of trusted technology and media partners. This ecosystem was fundamental to Canon’s presence at FESPA 2026 and was celebrated in all areas of the stand and in how technologies are located across the show.

Located between the Canon and Fotoba partner stands, was Canon’s award-winning Colorado M-series roll-to-roll printer in a UVgel Factory for Wallpaper configuration. The set-up produced a range of applications – from personalised wallpapers to wrapping papers, to show and inspire the breadth of versatility and commercial scope of mass customisation that it can deliver. The system provides a fully modular solution for mass-customised, automated wallpaper production, with UVgel technology at its core, comprising a Colorado M5W roll-to-roll printer with a Fotoba jumbo roll JRL media feeder, output cutter and rewinding taping unit.

The global demand for customised packaging and wallcovering is rapidly growing, and with the Canon UVgel Factory for Wallpaper, possibilities are endless – from traditional wallpapers to murals, to short-run personalised wrapping and décor elements.

Across the aisle, on stand 2-E15, Canon partner Neolt Factory demonstrated a configuration of the recently launched ‘UVgel Factory for Posters’, comprising a Colorado M-series printer with jumbo roll loader, cutter and stacker. Here, visitors were able to observe the productive, highly automated, on-demand poster production system creating an array of Barcelona-inspired posters.

Canon AI Tactile Studio

Canon experts hosted a series of ‘AI Tactile Studio’ sessions at set times throughout the show. Held at a dedicated area on the stand, the 1-2-1 demonstrations showed how the simple workflow fostered creative freedom and enabled users to easily create unique tactile prints produced using the latest Canon technologies.

Workflows Engineered for Flexibility and Ease of Use 

Supporting print demonstrations across all printers is Canon’s PRISMA XL Suite of workflow solutions. PRISMA XL is an open, flexible workflow that integrates seamlessly with existing systems while supporting PSPs to deliver first-time-right prints and simpler production, even across complex jobs – from file preparation to printing the job, through to shipment. Complementing Canon’s solutions on stand were Canon’s software partners, such as OneVision and Onyx, demonstrating how an open, non-proprietary approach to workflow solutions can increase operational flexibility and profitability.

Visitors experienced Canon Imaging Supplies’ wide format media portfolio for visual communications, supporting applications from signage and posters to wall coverings, textiles, and backlit displays. The range helped print service providers deliver consistent, professional results while offering sustainable media choices, including PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) free large format graphic media.

Speaking about the show, Tushar Vaishnavi, Business Unit Director for B2B, Canon CCNA says, “At FESPA 2026, we created an experience designed to support PSPs and packaging converters to make confident decisions when looking for the right technologies and partners to support their next steps. This fresh approach saw each part of the stand carefully designed to reflect core business priorities for decision makers – from new commercial opportunities to ways to futureproof their businesses. Through an array of impactful applications created using Canon’s UVgel, true flatbed Arizona, imagePROGRAF and workflow technologies, FESPA visitors saw clear proof of the exciting future of large format print and packaging. Whether you’re a packaging converter or a signage and graphics producer, with the right partner, print has the power to transform spaces and campaigns and to move customers and consumers, delivering real business impact and long-term growth opportunities.”

Aligning with FESPA’s theme of ‘The Place for Experts’, Canon was also a Gold Sponsor at this year’s co-located ‘Corrugated 2026’ exhibition, stand 3/B150a.

There, visitors were able to speak to Canon corrugated experts and learn more about its technologies for this market, including:

  • Canon’s next-generation, digital corrugated press, the corrPRESS iB17, which combines high-end graphic quality with industrial productivity and smart manufacturing flexibility. The press uses water-based inks and 1200 dpi resolution printheads that support high graphic standards and indirect food compliance. Delivering up to 8,000 sqm/h output on sheet sizes up to 1.70 × 1.30m, the corrPRESS iB17 enables efficient, scalable digital production.
  • Current printing solutions for prototypes, mock-ups and ultra-short runs of printed corrugated packaging. This includes the Canon Arizona series of true flatbed printers and the UVgel Factory for Packaging (based on the Canon Colorado M-series printer) for pre-print corrugated.

To find out more about Canon’s wide-format and packaging portfolio, supporting technologies and the full list of covered applications, please visit each dedicated product page:

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Media enquiries, please contact:
Canon Central and North Africa
Mai Youssef
e. Mai.youssef@canon-me.com

APO Group – PR Agency
Rania ElRafie
e. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com

About Canon Central and North Africa:
Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.

Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.

Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei (https://apo-opa.co/42QpZzV) – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.

For more information: www.Canon-CNA.com

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Africa Doesn’t Need to Be Translated; It Needs to Be Heard (By Rania El Rafie)

Source: APO

By Rania El Rafie, Vice President, Public Relations & Strategic Communications at APO Group (www.APO-OPA.com). 

Every year on 25 May, the continent asks one pointed question: are we moving closer to the Africa we envisioned: self-determined, sovereign in its own story? With the African Union’s Agenda 2063 (https://apo-opa.co/4dDEuMk) approaching its midpoint, that question lands with particular weight for those of us in communications. Because Africa’s story is still being narrated over. And much of the industry, global agencies included, is complicit.

Relevance Before Reach

Many global brands arrive on the continent carrying their legacy like a passport, but African audiences aren’t waiting to be impressed by what a brand achieved elsewhere. They’re asking one question: did you come here to listen, or just to sell?

The moment an audience detects a message wasn’t made for them, trust erodes. Credibility in African markets must be earned, and the currency it demands is relevance – before reach.

One Continent. 54 Markets.

When APO Group partnered with the Jack Ma Foundation on Africa’s Business Heroes, the stated objective was to reach all 54 African markets. The actual requirement was harder: a single coherent programme identity running alongside 54 distinct audience conversations at the same time.

That’s not a logistics challenge. It’s a strategic discipline.

The Foundation understood something most organisations miss: the programme’s credibility depended on each market seeing itself genuinely represented, instead of merely accommodated. That distinction is where continental strategies fail. Treat Africa as a single unit, and you are reaching none of its markets properly.

Cultural Intelligence Is a Hiring Decision

The Canon World Unseen campaign showed what happens when you invert the creative model. It started with an African perspective and built outward – rather than a global brief made to feel “African”. That inversion is everything. Only a Kenyan team, deeply rooted in the community, could tell the story of East Africa’s coral conservation efforts with conviction.

At APO Group, this cultural intelligence comes with our team. We hire people who bring lived context to a brief, not just language skills. People with the conviction to challenge a client when the instinct is to impose a global narrative on a local audience.

It’s harder to scale than a media list. It also produces results a media list never will.

In a Crisis, Consistency Is the Wrong Instinct

When an organisation faces a crisis in an African market, headquarters’ instinct is uniform: be consistent, issue a unified statement, protect the global brand.

That instinct is wrong. In one case I witnessed first-hand, it would have been catastrophic. The decision to localise the response, speaking directly to the values and communication norms of the affected community, was the difference between containment and escalation.

The global playbook demanded consistency. Cultural intelligence demanded appropriateness. Those are not the same thing. The gap between them is where reputations are permanently lost.

The Shift Africa Day 2026 Demands

Agenda 2063 is a vision of African self-determination: economically, culturally, narratively. But much of the continent’s PR infrastructure still operates on a model where strategy is set in London or Paris and adapted downward. This doesn’t come down to talent. African communications professionals are exceptional. The gap is structural.

The one shift I challenge every senior communicator to make: stop briefing Africa and start listening to it first. Go into a market to understand before you communicate. That’s the most practical investment protection available.

Rania El Rafie is Vice President, Public Relations & Strategic Communications at APO Group, a pan-African communications consultancy. The views expressed draw on APO Group’s work across African markets and reflect the author’s professional experience.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group Insights.

Media Contact:
marie@apo-opa.com 

About APO Group:
Founded in 2007 by Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, APO Group is the communications consultancy built for performance – combining strategic advisory, on-the-ground execution, and guaranteed visibility across all 54 African markets. Its owned newswire, Africa Newsroom, secures placement on 250+ Africa-focused news sites, connecting organisations directly with journalists, analysts, investors, and policymakers worldwide.

Recognised internationally for communications excellence including SABRE, Davos Communications, and World Business Outlook distinctions, APO Group partners with global and African organisations to deliver communications that perform. Clients include the African Development Bank Group, Africa CDC, Afreximbank, NFL, Nestlé, Emirates, Canon, Western Union, GITEX Global, and Cassava Technologies.

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The Sahel region is less secure than ever: foreign forces just add to the cycle of violence

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Nina Wilén, Associate Professor, Lund University

Several of Mali’s major cities experienced coordinated attacks in April by a new coalition of jihadists and separatist groups.

As the coalition took over the town of Kidal in the north of Mali, images of Russian troops being escorted out of the town after negotiations were cabled out across global media.

Russia, now in the shape of Africa Corps and previously the Wagner Group, has been the Malian military’s external security partner since the beginning of 2022. It replaced French and European troops from the counter-terrorism operation Barkhane and Taskforce Takuba. France had deployed a force of 5,000 troops from 2014 to 2022. European special forces numbered 1,000 between 2020 and 2022. Both missions were forced to leave as relations between France and the Malian junta grew tense.

The strategic realignment, from western and multilateral forces to Russian troops, expanded in the region. In Burkina Faso, which experienced two coups in 2022, the French troops were expelled at the start of 2023, as 200 Russian troops moved in.

In the summer of 2023, the Malian authorities also kicked out the decade-old 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission. Niger’s junta, which took power the same year, followed suit and expelled the EU’s operations in the country six months later, before accepting a few hundred Russian troops.

During the past decade I have researched external security interventions in the Sahel and analysed their justifications, development on the ground, and consequences for political and security environments.

I conclude from my research that the external interventions have not stabilised the region. More than a decade after the first major interventions, the Sahel is more fragmented, militarised and violent than before.

Yet the persistence of insecurity also serves political purposes.

For military juntas, the jihadist threat justifies continued rule and repression. For Russia, the region has become a showcase for anti-western influence and security partnerships in Africa. For western actors, jihadist expansion, migration concerns and fears of regional instability are used as reasons for security engagement despite repeated failures.

The complex interactions between these actors have resulted in a continuous, strategic circle of violence, where civilians are the first victims.

On the ground

On the ground, interventions have often evolved in unpredictable ways through ad hoc decisions and informal interactions between local and external actors.

For example, they have shared logistical and medical assistance and intelligence.

More broadly, the external interventions strengthened militaries as political actors, reinforcing an already biased civil-military balance across the region.

“Security in the Sahel” became the moniker that framed the western and multilateral interventions in the region from 2013 onwards. Improving the capacities, capabilities and professionalism of the national security forces became the official objectives of these interventions, closely linked to the broader aim of defeating the jihadist insurgencies.

Framing the intersecting crises in the Sahel as a security issue also meant that security actors had the task of resolving it. The importance, status and budgets of the national militaries thus increased as the security situation deteriorated. A heavily tilted civil-military imbalance was the result.

As military officers took over power through coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, a strategic realignment towards Russia began, to maintain military rule.

The Russian Wagner group allowed the newly installed juntas to entrench their power, while “deprofessionalising” the forces through harassment, attacks and massacres of civilians.

Research shows for example that civilian targeting accounted for 71% of the Wagner Group’s involvement in political violence in Mali between December 2021 and July 2022. This strategy of attacking civilians has made recruitment easier for jihadist groups. They could increase their ranks by exploiting grievances.

The latest attacks in Mali in April 2026 demonstrate the military junta’s failure, together with its Russian security partners, to contain the jihadist groups’ expansion.

They also reveal that Russia is in the country mainly to keep the military junta in power. Assimi Goïta, Mali’s military leader, reconfirmed the partnership with Russia after the attacks in spite of their failure on the battlefield.

The military leader needs regime maintenance more than ever, and the Russians need to be in the country for continued geopolitical influence on the African continent.

Conclusion

The result is that while all external actors claim to fight instability, the current regional order depends on continuing insecurity.

Stabilisation risks becoming less about resolving conflict than about managing insecurity in ways that sustain regimes, partnerships and geopolitical influence.

Foreign interventions, in combination with national actors’ ambitions, have helped to transform the region into a space of militarised regime survival, jihadist expansion and geopolitical competition between Russia and western democracies.

As military approaches have repeatedly proven insufficient to solve the intersecting crises in the Sahel, pressured military juntas may now be forced to negotiate with jihadist groups. That is likely to result in new, hybrid spaces of power and governance.

– The Sahel region is less secure than ever: foreign forces just add to the cycle of violence
– https://theconversation.com/the-sahel-region-is-less-secure-than-ever-foreign-forces-just-add-to-the-cycle-of-violence-282917

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Western Cape holds public consultations on eviction law amendments

Source: Government of South Africa

Western Cape holds public consultations on eviction law amendments

Communities in the Western Cape will have a chance to make their voices heard on the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land (PIE) Amendment Bill.

The Department of Human Settlements will this week host public information sessions in the Garden Route and the City of Cape Town.

The sessions are scheduled to take place at Pacaltsdorp Community Hall in George, Garden Route, on Monday, 25 May and Johnson Ngwevela Community Hall in Langa, Cape Town, on Tuesday, 26 May.

The Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act of 1998. Published in the Government Gazette on 16 April 2026, the public has until 16 June 2026 to submit their comments to PIE.AmendmentBill@dhs.gov.za. 

The PIE Act of 1998 was enacted to prevent arbitrary evictions and address historical injustices where people were removed from land without due process.

According to the Department of Human Settlements, the proposed amendment to the Act aims to deal with matters related to land invasions and informal settlements, provision of adequate housing to mitigate against illegal occupation of private properties, court processes and enforcement of court orders, and protection of vulnerable groups.

The provinces that have already held information sessions on the PIE Amendment Bill are Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal.

The department has welcomed the interest and level of participation by the public to date. – SAnews.gov.za

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Western Cape Premier leads oversight visits to storm-hit areas

Source: Government of South Africa

Western Cape Premier leads oversight visits to storm-hit areas

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, together with Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs), has embarked on oversight visits to several areas hardest hit by the severe weather system that struck the province earlier this month.

The two-day visit, taking place from 25-28 May 2026, forms part of the provincial government’s ongoing response and recovery efforts following widespread storm damage across parts of the Western Cape.

During the visits, Winde is expected to assess progress in rebuilding and repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring essential services.

He will also engage with disaster management officials, law enforcement agencies, volunteers, and municipal leadership, who played a key role in the province’s emergency response response.

Speaking at the Kransburg bridge and pipeline site near Klawer on the West Coast, Winde said several parts of the province were still without electricity as recovery operations continue.

“We are busy with the rebuild to get bridges and roads reopened, and to complete the necessary assessments,” Winde said.

The Premier expressed appreciation to teams working on the ground to restore normality in affected communities, while acknowledging that significant work still lies ahead.

“Our teams are on the ground this week, moving from town to town to… look at what is necessary, and possibly speed things up a little bit,” he said.

The oversight programme began in Malmesbury on the West Coast and is expected to conclude in the Swellendam area. – SAnews.gov.za

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