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SA prepares for G20 handover to United States amid attendance uncertainties

Source: Government of South Africa

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, says South Africa is prepared for a ceremonial handover of the Group of 20 (G20) Presidency to the United States, although the process may need adjustments due to that country’s absence.

This announcement follows USA President Donald Trump’s earlier declaration that no government representatives from the United States would attend the summit.

The focus is now on setting the tone for the upcoming G20 Johannesburg Leaders’ Declaration, which will revolve around the theme of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability“.

“We are ready to hand over to the US, but… the handover is really ceremonial. If they don’t come, we will just issue the declaration, and the US will decide how they want to continue in the next year. 

“It is important that a declaration must be adopted by the countries that are present, because the institution cannot be bogged down by someone absent… If I am absent and the institution cannot function, it means for the next G20, someone [else] will have a reason not to go to the US and cite whatever [reason],” Lamola said on Monday.

Lamola was speaking at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, where he was briefing the media on South Africa’s state of readiness to host the historic G20 Leaders’ Summit. 

Thousands of international delegates, media representatives, and visitors are expected to gather at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg for the two-day summit scheduled to take place from 22 – 23 November 2025.

Preparations for the summit are on track, with numerous Heads of State and Government from G20 member countries and invited guest countries confirmed for participation.

In total, 42 countries are confirmed for participation at various levels. 

This includes 20 member States of the G20, excluding the United States; 16 guest countries and six countries representing Regional Economic Communities in Africa, the Caribbean and East Asia. 

According to Lamola, four countries – Russia, Mexico, Argentina and China – will instead be represented by Ministers or Deputies. 

“We don’t see this as a snub or undermining of Africa… In all multilateral platform events, it does happen for whatever reasons that Heads of State are not able to attend, and they will delegate.”

The Minister insisted that the summit must proceed, nonetheless.

Preparations for the G20 Social Summit, set to begin on Tuesday, 18 November, are progressing smoothly. 

The event will take place at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, with an expected attendance of 5 000 people. 

Out of this total, 4 050 participants will represent civil society and various engagement groups. 

Lamola expressed gratitude to the residents of Johannesburg and Gauteng for their patience amid the disruptions they have experienced. 

He acknowledged the ongoing efforts to minimise these disruptions, particularly concerning the roads near the venues and relevant ports of entry.

“We have seen how hosting a major event of this magnitude can be a catalyst for higher levels of service delivery, and we look forward to sustaining and expanding the improvements we have seen.

“I’ve heard of the criticism that some of the service delivery initiatives will be discontinued after the G20. I say look at electricity (sic). We were told before the last elections that the sustained period without load shedding before the… elections was because of elections. Today, we are a year and some few months after elections and without load shedding. I believe the G20 has served as a catalyst to turn the corner on service delivery in the City of Johannesburg and across the country.” – SAnews.gov.za

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SA’s G20 Presidency drives inclusion, equity and sustainability

Source: Government of South Africa

South Africa’s G20 Presidency has not only elevated African voices, but galvanised global momentum toward a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future.

This is according to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, who updated the media on Monday, on South Africa’s preparations ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, set to take place in Johannesburg, this weekend.

“We are not just participants in global affairs. We are determined to shape them. Our Presidency builds for the future; it does not preserve the ways of the past,” Lamola said. 

Speaking from the NASREC precinct’s historic National Arts and Sports Recreation Events Centre, Lamola situated the briefing within the broader context of South Africa’s democratic journey, describing the venue as “a living testament to South Africa’s journey of transformation and resilience.” 

He emphasised NASREC’s symbolic role as a bridge during the apartheid era and its continued relevance today. 

“This facility remains a symbol of our commitment to bridge the spatial and economic divides of our past,” Lamola said, reflecting on its proximity to historic landmarks such as the Apartheid Museum, Vilakazi Street, and Soccer City. 

Historic Moment for Africa and the Global South

Lamola described South Africa’s G20 Presidency – the first ever on African soil – as a decisive moment for the continent and the broader Global South.

“Our Presidency is a call to action as the last nation of the Global South to hold the Presidency in this cycle. A call to bridge the developmental divide between the Global North and the Global South, to champion equity, sustainability, and shared prosperity,” he said. 

According to the Minister, 130 of the 133 official G20 meetings have already taken place, with the Sherpa Meeting, Social Summit, and Leaders’ Summit poised to conclude what he called a “transformative journey” for South Africa and its partners.

Drawing from African values, he said Ubuntu reminds us that “I am because we are” – a timeless truth that resonates with the global commitment to Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Minister painted a picture of a country reclaiming stability. 

“The winds of change are no longer on the horizon, they are here,” he declared.

He highlighted stabilisation in energy and logistics as key milestones, crediting the leadership of the Ministry of Electricity, Eskom’s board, and its CEO for bringing load shedding to an end.

“Together, they have steered the nation, into a new era of energy security. This progress is not isolated; it is part of a broader wave of reform driven by Operation Vulindlela, which continues to unlock South Africa’s economic potential, one sector at a time.” 

Noting Operation Vulindlela’s role in structural reforms, Lamola pointed to declining unemployment, South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force [FATF] grey list, and S&P Global Ratings’ November 14 upgrade of the sovereign credit rating.

He described the upgrade as a major signal of renewed confidence, stating it lowers borrowing costs, broadens the investor base, and signals renewed confidence in the country’s reform trajectory.

G20 priorities and global leadership

Lamola outlined four key priorities that have anchored South Africa’s Presidency:
•    Strengthening disaster resilience
•    Ensuring debt sustainability
•    Mobilising finance for a just energy transition
•    Harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth

The Presidency also established task forces on inclusive growth, food security, and artificial intelligence (AI).

South Africa has been instrumental in coordinating the G20@20 review, synthesising global perspectives into a high-level report to be presented at the Summit.

Following the African Union’s (AU) inclusion in the G20 in 2023, Lamola said South Africa worked hand-in-hand with the AU to ensure Africa’s development priorities are firmly embedded in global economic governance.

He cautioned that Africa is still recovering from a world order “that prized division over unity, inequality over haircuts and plunder over preservation.”

The key achievements highlighted include:
•    A highly successful G20 High-Level Dialogue in Addis Ababa on debt sustainability and capital costs.
•    Establishment of the Africa Expert Panel chaired by Trevor Manuel, which recently submitted its report to President Ramaphosa.
•    A renewed and broadened Compact with Africa aligned with Agenda 2063.
•    Outreach meetings on food security in Cairo and industrialisation in Abuja.
•    South Africa has also pushed forcefully for reform of the international financial architecture to better serve developing economies.

Legacy

Lamola announced several legacy initiatives arising from the Presidency, including the AI Initiative for Africa, the Technology Policy Assistance Facility, the G20 Clean Cooking Legacy Programme, the Africa Energy Efficiency Facility, the High-Level Principles to combat Illicit Financial Flows, the Ubuntu Approaches on Food Security and Food Price Volatility and a G20 Africa Cooperation Agenda on Trade and Investment. 

He also underscored the launch of the Report of the G20 Extraordinary Committee on Global Inequality, recommending the creation of a permanent international inequality panel modelled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

A rising nation 

Despite persistent challenges including crime, corruption and unemployment, Lamola said South Africans have shown resilience. 

“We have proven that we are a resilient nation. As we stand at the final stages of our historic G20 Presidency, the first ever on African soil, we do so with pride and purpose,” the Minister said.

He also took a moment to celebrate the country’s sporting achievements from the Springboks to Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualification as further signs of national momentum. 

“The list of positives is endless, the sky is the limit,” he said. 

As the G20 Leaders’ Summit begins, South Africa stands poised not just as host but as a global convener of solidarity, reform, and shared prosperity.

The Summit will take place from 22-23 November 2025. – SAnews.gov.za

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New G20 Report on sustainable industrial policy launch

Source: Government of South Africa

Monday, November 17, 2025

The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi will on Thursday preside over the launch of a new high-level G20 Report titled: G20 Principles for Sustainable Industrial Policy.

The event, to be held at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) headquarters in Pretoria, will be co-hosted by the dtic, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ).

The launch comes on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which is a culmination of South Africa’s G20 Presidency. 

Acknowledging that the world is grappling with overlapping crises, from climate change and economic underdevelopment to inequality, poverty, and geopolitical instability, the report outlines a framework for aligning green industrial strategies with climate, development and equity goals. 

It highlights the role the G20 can play in advancing a just and globally inclusive approach to green industrial policy. 

The event will provide a platform for policymakers, experts, and civil society to engage with the report’s recommendations and shape South Africa’s G20 leadership on this critical agenda. – SAnews.gov.za

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Fish farming is booming in Lake Victoria, but pollution and disease are wiping out millions. How to reduce losses

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ekta Patel, Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute

Aquaculture – the farming of fish and other aquatic organisms – is the world’s fastest-growing food production system.

The sharpest growth in aquaculture is happening in Africa. Average annual growth rates have exceeded 10% in recent years measured by production value.

Over the past 10 years in Lake Victoria, shared between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, aquaculture has transformed from a small-scale enterprise into a vast and diverse commercial industry.

Lake Victoria is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. Cage aquaculture, the farming of fish within cages, has expanded rapidly in the lake. The cages are made of nets in frames, and are mostly stocked with Nile tilapia. The number of fish in a cage farm varies from tens to hundreds of thousands. The sector accounts for about 25% of the fish Kenya produces.

Basic structure of a metal frame cage in Lake Victoria. Authors provided.

These cage farms support the nutrition and livelihoods of more than 40 million people in the lake’s basin.

We are environmental scientists who study biological threats to public health. From our research, we have found that this industry faces two interconnected challenges: large-scale fish deaths; and resistance to the drugs used to treat diseased fish.

Repeated, large-scale die-offs are known as fish kills. They involve the rapid death of hundreds of thousands, or sometimes millions, of fish within a few days. Many farmers who find dead fish in their cages simply toss them into the lake, where they can easily wash up against another cage and transmit disease.

Farmers and fish health professionals often use antimicrobials, which are drugs like antibiotics, to manage and treat infectious diseases. But antimicrobial resistance is a rising threat. A misuse of these drugs is fuelling the emergence of resistant bacteria, making treatments ineffective.

Because of the scale of these problems, we set out to systematically examine both the causes of mass fish deaths and the spread of antimicrobial resistance in Lake Victoria’s cage aquaculture industry.

Our study was conducted in Kenya. We found that fish deaths in Lake Victoria’s tilapia industry are likely driven by water quality problems. These include low oxygen levels, pollution and harmful algal blooms. Algal blooms refer to the rapid growth and subsequent decomposition of algae. This can lead to the release of toxins and rapid drops in dissolved oxygen levels.

These water quality problems create openings for infectious bacteria to thrive.

To address this, we suggest:

  • stronger disease reporting systems to enable a prompt response from industry authorities

  • improved diagnostics to determine the cause of fish mortalities

  • clear guidelines for antimicrobial use among farmers.

Without these interventions, the sustainability of a rapidly growing industry – and the food security of millions in east Africa – remains at risk.

Our findings

Our study surveyed 172 cage farm operations. These were across the five Kenyan counties in Lake Victoria (Kisumu, Siaya, Busia, Homa Bay and Migori).

We surveyed cage farmers’ perceptions and responses to fish kills. We also carried out a rapid-response investigation of a mass tilapia mortality event, and disease surveillance. Finally, we tested the antimicrobial resistance of identified bacterial pathogens.

Between 2020 and 2023, the farmers in our study reported 82 large-scale fish kill events in Lake Victoria, with more than 1.8 million tilapia dying.

These events had major economic consequences, but reporting and treatment were limited.

We found that only 39% of farmers informed the relevant Kenyan authorities. These include the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya Fisheries Service and county fisheries offices.

Just 17% attempted treatment. This usually included applying salt to the water without obtaining a diagnosis. This points to gaps in reporting systems and access to fish health services.

Farmers mostly attributed fish deaths to poor water quality. Nearly 90% perceived links to changes in water colour and smell, high temperatures or algal blooms.

Harmful algal blooms happen when phytoplankton (tiny organisms in the water) quickly multiply and then decompose. These blooms produce dangerous toxins and can rapidly lower the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. They can lead to fish deaths, and can affect human health if people eat contaminated fish or drink the water.

Harmful algal blooms in Lake Victoria are driven by the runoff from industries and the excessive use of fertilisers.

A smaller number of farmers cited human activities like stocking, handling or pollution.

Very few directly associated mortalities with disease. This probably reflects limited training to recognise clinical signs of infection.

Our rapid-response investigation of a major fish kill in Busia County supported these observations. On arrival, we found discoloured, foul-smelling water. There were floating dead molluscs and low dissolved oxygen levels, conditions typical of harmful algal blooms.

From freshly deceased tilapia, we isolated three bacterial pathogens: Aeromonas jandaei, Enterobacter hormaechei and Staphylococcus epidermidis. These opportunistic pathogens often cause disease secondary to a primary stressor, such as poor water quality or rough handling.

This was the first time bacterial pathogens were successfully identified from a fish kill in Lake Victoria.

Impact of a massive fish kill event in Busia County. Authors provided.

We found that bacterial tilapia pathogens were more commonly found within cage farms with clogged cage nets, likely because the nets reduce water circulation and worsen cage water quality.

Finally, antimicrobial resistance testing revealed resistant strains among the bacterial samples.

These results can guide veterinarians and policymakers in making decisions about antimicrobial use in aquaculture.

What next

Our findings point to a central conclusion: opportunistic pathogens are widespread in Lake Victoria. And fish disease outbreaks are often driven by poor water quality.

Action is needed at multiple levels.

At the landscape scale, nutrient runoff into the lake must be reduced. This requires improving sanitation infrastructure and promoting more efficient fertiliser use in agriculture. This will help prevent harmful algal blooms.

Fish farmers can:

  • set up cages in deeper waters with better circulation

  • keep cage nets clean to allow water flow

  • dispose of dead fish by composting or burning rather than throwing them back into the lake

  • rapidly report mortality events so authorities can investigate

  • improve feeding practices, such as using high-quality feed and avoiding overfeeding, to reduce nutrient loading into the lake.

A One Health approach, which recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, is important for the sustainability of Lake Victoria’s aquaculture.

This means monitoring water quality and pollution, and establishing cross-sectoral collaborations for rapid disease response. Farmers also need training.

Improved production practices can decrease the need for antibiotics in the first place. Coordinated monitoring systems and cross-sectoral collaboration can help promote their responsible use.

– Fish farming is booming in Lake Victoria, but pollution and disease are wiping out millions. How to reduce losses
– https://theconversation.com/fish-farming-is-booming-in-lake-victoria-but-pollution-and-disease-are-wiping-out-millions-how-to-reduce-losses-266073

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Senegal’s credit rating: Moody’s latest downgrade was questionable – here’s why

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Misheck Mutize, Post Doctoral Researcher, Graduate School of Business (GSB), University of Cape Town

The decision by the rating agency Moody’s to downgrade Senegal’s sovereign credit rating in late October 2025 triggered an immediate week-long sell-off in Senegal’s Eurobonds. This was the third downgrade in one year. It left the country’s 16-year bond trading at a 40% discount to its face value. Meaning, for every one dollar denominated bond, it was being sold for 60c on the market.

Moody’s decision once again raised questions about the accuracy of decisions taken by the world’s three biggest rating agencies – Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s, and the Fitch – when it comes to African countries.

One of the main reasons for Moody’s downgrade was Senegal’s decision to turn to regional markets to raise capital. Since the start of 2025, the government has raised over US$5 billion through the West African Economic and Monetary Union regional bond market. This is approximately 12% of Senegal’s US$42 billion public debt.

Moody’s interpreted Senegal’s actions as weakness, warning that dependence on regional investors could expose Senegal to ‘reversals in investor sentiment’. In other words, the rating agency treated the fact that Senegal had mobilised domestic and regional capital as a new source of risk. On the contrary, S&P recognise this strength.

I have been researching Africa’s capital markets and the institutions that govern them for decades. Drawing in this, I argue here that Moody’s interpretation is both unfair and analytically flawed. Tapping into local and regional capital markets isn’t a liability. It’s a model of the fiscal sovereignty African countries have been encouraged by economists and African leaders to pursue for decades. This enhances self-reliance and reduces vulnerability to external shocks.

At the heart of the problem lies a narrow definition of risk. Rating models for emerging markets still prioritise narrow macroeconomic indicators – per-capita GDP, foreign-exchange reserves, current-account balances and IMF programme status. They don’t capture qualitative factors like domestic investor participation, fiscal adaptability and the development of regional markets.

Regional markets versus global

Countries worldwide are increasingly relying on local and regional markets to raise capital. In Africa, South Africa, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire have been mirroring patterns seen in Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia, prioritising domestic and regional borrowing.

Regional and local-market financing has a number of benefits for countries.

First, it reduces foreign exchange exposure by reducing the needs for huge foreign currency reserves for debt servicing.

Second, it strengthens domestic market liquidity by expanding the number of local investors on the bond market.

Third, it keeps debt-service payments within Africa’s financial ecosystem. Retaining capital on the continent and reducing dependence on volatile external financing.

Lastly, it minimises market swings. Domestic bondholders are largely local institutional investors — a more stable and less speculative pool of capital that understands local market dynamics far better than external rating agencies.

Senegal’s regional bond issues have been performing extremely well because investors want to buy more than the government is even offering — a sign of strong demand. The interest rate it paid, averaging 7%, was also much lower than the much higher (double-digit) interest rates it would have been charged if it had borrowed from international markets through Eurobonds. In simple terms, borrowing locally was cheaper, safer and more attractive for Senegal than borrowing globally.

Investors from across the region – pension funds, banks and insurance companies – have been lining up to purchase the bonds on all the five issuance in 2025.

Senegal’s success boosts confidence among local investors and encourage other African governments to tap their own capital markets. A powerful incentive to mobilise more African capital for the continent’s development.

When ratings become a source of risk

Moody’s downgrade triggered immediate selling of Senegal’s Eurobonds due in 2048, driving their price down to about 72 cents on the dollar. That slump was not because the country’s economic fundamentals were deteriorating, it was sentiment triggered by the downgrade.

This dynamic creates a damaging feedback loop. Negative ratings lead to investor flight, which raises borrowing costs and validates the pessimism. In effect, the perception of risk becomes the cause of risk.

This cycle undermines the policy credibility of African governments. It disincentivises reform and discourages innovation.

It’s not the first time that rating agencies have cautioned risks that have a near zero chance of materialising and in the process, shaken investor confidence and caused capital fight. These include:

  • During the COVID crisis S&P warned of imminent food shortages and foreign-exchange depletion in Egypt despite stable remittance inflows and active central-bank management.

  • In 2023 the Kenyan government announced plans to repurchase part of its maturing Eurobond. This was a prudent debt-management step, but Moody’s warned it would be interpreted as a sign of distress. This never happened. In fact, Moody’s later upgraded Kenya’s outlook, largely based on the success of same bond restructuring which it warned against 10 months earlier.

What needs to change

Credit ratings are supposed to guide investors, not govern economies through certain policy inclinations. But in Africa’s case, they often do both. Because many institutional investors are required to hold investment-grade securities, a single downgrade can abruptly cut a country off from international capital markets.

The consequences are immediate and severe – higher interest rates, reduced access to credit, weaker currencies and a perception of crisis. This sequence can unfold even when a country’s underlying fundamentals are still strong. Overly cautious rating assessments not only reflect negative market sentiment, they create it.

Africa does not need special treatment, it needs balanced and context-sensitive rating evaluation.

Accurate risk assessment would recognise the strategic logic of financing through domestic and regional markets. It would acknowledge that by financing through domestic and regional markets, African governments are building alternatives that are better suited to current realities.

Global agencies must therefore recalibrate their analysis to account for domestic and regional market depth, fiscal adaptability, strength and stability of Africa’s internal markets. Ignoring these and focusing solely on perceived weaknesses is to tell an incomplete story to investors.

Without such adjustments, rating agencies will continue to lag behind economic reality and risk becoming instruments of distortion rather than insight.

– Senegal’s credit rating: Moody’s latest downgrade was questionable – here’s why
– https://theconversation.com/senegals-credit-rating-moodys-latest-downgrade-was-questionable-heres-why-269473

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Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles eliminate measles and rubella

Source: APO – Report:

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In a significant public health achievement, Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles have eliminated measles and rubella, becoming the first sub-Saharan countries to attain this milestone.    

The three countries were verified by the African Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, established by World Health Organization (WHO).

Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles join 94 and 133 others globally verified as having eliminated measles and rubella respectively. Measles and rubella are highly contagious airborne viruses. Measles can result in severe complications and death, especially among young children, and rubella can cause irreversible birth defects if infection occurs during pregnancy. Both diseases are vaccine preventable.  

The achievement by the three countries follows the recommendation of the Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, which met in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October 2025. After reviewing comprehensive programmatic and surveillance data, the commission confirmed that the three small island developing states have interrupted endemic transmission of both viruses for more than 36 months, while maintaining high-quality disease surveillance systems capable of rapidly detecting and containing any imported cases.  

“This is a major public health achievement. Congratulations to Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles on this important milestone in our collective efforts to control and end diseases in Africa. It shows what’s possible when countries put prevention first and make vaccines a priority,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “We must build on this success so that every child in Africa can grow up healthy and protected.”  

Cabo Verde has fully funded its immunization programme since 1998 and maintained coverage above 90% for 2 decades. Strong political engagement on immunization, especially towards measles and rubella immunization has been critical in ending the local transmission of the two diseases. The country has not had a confirmed measles case since 1999. The last confirmed rubella cases were in 2010. 

“Today, we stand together at a truly historic moment—not only for Cabo Verde, but for the entire African region,” said Honourable Jorge Figueiredo, Minister of Health, Cabo Verde. “This achievement is a testament to what is possible when governments, health professionals, communities, and international partners unite behind a common goal. For decades, measles and rubella have threatened the health and futures of our children. Today, we celebrate the end of that threat in our countries.”

In Mauritius, no measles cases have been reported since 2019 and all recent suspected measles and rubella cases were adequately investigated and discarded as non-measles and non-rubella cases. The country responded to a 2018–2019 measles outbreak with renewed vaccination and surveillance efforts. By 2024, measles-mumps-rubella vaccination coverage at national level reached 98% for the first dose and 96% for the second dose.  

“This milestone reflects decades of investment in strong public health systems, unwavering political commitment and the dedication of our health professionals and communities,” said Honourable Anishta Babooram, Junior Minister of Health and Wellness, Mauritius.  

“Elimination is not the end of the journey. Sustaining this status requires constant vigilance, rapid detection and immediate response to any imported case. Mauritius remains fully committed to maintaining high vaccination coverage, strengthening cross-border health security and reinforcing early warning systems,” she added.

Seychelles has maintained over 95% coverage for the first and second measles vaccine doses for more than two decades, supported by vigilant surveillance, laboratory confirmation and health screening at points of entry. The last measles outbreak was contained in 2020. No rubella cases have been confirmed since 2016.  

“This sustained effort has not been without its challenges but through the dedication of our Extended Programme on Immunization team we have successfully kept measles and rubella transmission at bay for decades,” said Honourable Marvin Fanny, Seychelles Minister of Health. “I am proud to announce that … Seychelles was certified as measles and rubella free, a monumental achievement for our nation.”

Since 2001, countries across the African region have implemented measles control strategies that include providing two primary vaccine doses, conducting periodic mass vaccination campaigns, intensive disease surveillance and improved outbreak response as well as clinical care for measles cases. Between 2000 and 2023, these efforts are estimated to have prevented almost 21 million deaths, a 79% reduction in estimated annual deaths during this period.    

Over the years, immunization coverage across the region has increased. In 2024, coverage of the first dose of the measles-rubella vaccine reached 71%, up from 67% in 2022, while coverage of the second dose rose from 43% to 55% in the same period. In 2024, five countries—Botswana, Cabo Verde, Mauritius, Rwanda and Seychelles—have achieved the 95% coverage benchmark needed to interrupt transmission.

Under the Measles and Rubella Partnership, of which WHO is a founding member, coordinated efforts aim to achieve a world without measles and rubella. Led by WHO, UNICEF, the American Red Cross, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the UN Foundation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the partnership works with countries to raise vaccination coverage, fund, plan, implement and monitor quality supplementary campaigns, investigate outbreaks and provide technical and financial support for effective outbreak response and support a global laboratory network for measles and rubella.

– on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Cabo Verde.

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Press release on the catastrophic humanitarian situation of internally displaced persons in North Darfur, Republic of Sudan

Source: APO – Report:

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The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) expresses its deep concern at the unprecedented scale of internal displacement in Sudan and the resulting rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation. The country is experiencing the world’s most serious internal displacement crisis, with nearly nine million people displaced within the country and millions more forced to flee across borders to neighbouring states. Persistent clashes, particularly around El Fasher (North Darfur), are exposing civilians to extreme risks, while humanitarian access remains severely hampered.

Since the capture of El-Fasher on 26 October 2025, successive waves of families have fled to neighbouring localities that are already saturated, notably Tawila, Mellit and Saraf Omra. Between 26 October and 9 November, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimated that nearly 90,000 people had been newly displaced from El-Fasher and surrounding villages; between 26 October and 2 November alone, UNICEF recorded more than 70,800 departures. The escape routes remain dangerous and the reception sites are struggling to absorb these arrivals, which include an The Commission is also alarmed by reports of famine conditions in El Fasher (North Darfur) and Kadugli (South Kordofan), as well as a critical risk of famine in other areas, if humanitarian access is not secured and intensified as a matter of urgency.

The Commission reminds the belligerents of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law and reiterates the need to effectively implement the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Kampala Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons, and all other relevant instruments for the protection of internally displaced persons in Sudan.

Given the urgency of the situation, the Commission, while reiterating the conclusions and recommendations of its Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Sudan, once again calls for rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, including through the opening of safe corridors to and from El Fasher and other besieged areas — notably the El Fasher–Tawila corridor — as well as security guarantees for civilians, humanitarian and health personnel and facilities.

In the reception areas, humanitarian assessments report immediate survival needs (shelter, water, healthcare) and overexposure of women and children to violence, including sexual violence. Acute malnutrition rates among children newly arrived in Tawila exceed 70% for those under five, while relief operations in North Darfur are described as ‘on the brink of collapse’ due to insecurity, access restrictions and underfunding. At the same time, unaccompanied and separated children are being identified and, in some cases, reunited with their families, but care capacities remain very limited.

The Commission urges international partners to urgently increase funding for nutrition, health, protection and education, and encourages enhanced monitoring of population movements by the IOM, data registration and disaggregation in order to better target the response, including family reunification for unaccompanied or separated children.

The Commission expresses its full solidarity with internally displaced persons, host communities and the entire Sudanese people. It commends the dedication of humanitarian actors operating in extremely difficult conditions and reaffirms the need to adopt urgent protection measures aimed at opening up and securing assistance, stabilising displacement sites and preventing further loss of life.

Done at Banjul, 14 November 2025.

Commissioner Selma SASSI-SAFER

Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa

Commissioner Essaim HATEM

Commissioner in charge of the human rights situation in Sudan

– on behalf of African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR).

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) champions cybersecurity and cyber diplomacy training for foreign ministries

Source: APO – Report:

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has taken a pioneering step to strengthen regional cyber resilience by launching a landmark Training of Trainers (ToT) Program on Cybersecurity and Cyber Diplomacy, from November 10th to 13th 2025, in Praia, Cabo Verde.

This strategic initiative addresses the capacity-building needs of diplomatic academies and training institutes across West Africa, positioning ECOWAS as the first Regional Economic Community (REC) to institutionalise cyber diplomacy training within foreign service education.The in-person workshop marked the culmination of a two-part training series. It followed a four-week online course launched in September, which introduced core concepts in cybersecurity and cyber diplomacy. The final workshop emphasised hands-on methodologies and practical application.

Participants acquired essential skills in both subject matter and pedagogy. Certified trainers from ECOWAS diplomatic academies are now equipped to develop and deliver courses within their institutions, ensuring long-term sustainability and regional capacity building.

This program was delivered in partnership with the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union, co-implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Diplo Foundation and co-hosted by the Cabo Verdean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Regional Integration.  Their support was instrumental in driving this initiative forward and reaffirming ECOWAS’s commitment to regional cooperation and resilience.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) brings together experts from member states to advance preparations for the ‘‘Prodel20000’’ programme with a view to accelerating universal access to electricity in the region

Source: APO – Report:

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From 12th to 14th of November 2025, the Energy and Mines Directorate organised a regional workshop in Accra, Ghana, to validate the preliminary feasibility study for the Regional Programme for the Electrification of 20,000 Villages in West Africa (PRODEL20000). This three-day workshop brought together experts from the ministries responsible for energy, national electricity companies and national electrification agencies of ECOWAS member states, as well as representatives from ECREEE and the consulting firm BNETD.

Participants examined all the elements necessary for the success of PRODEL20000: technical design and sizing, socio-economic impacts, investment needs, general guidelines and mechanisms for managing social and environmental impacts. An in-depth and constructive analysis was carried out for each component of the report, accompanied by the identification of gaps and practical recommendations to strengthen the study’s conclusions.

Opening the workshop, Dr Ismael Ackah, Technical Adviser to Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, described PRODEL20000 as a flagship initiative that confirms the collective commitment to accelerating universal access to electricity in West Africa. He added that the project is a model of regional collaboration and emphasised that Ghana is particularly proud of the ECOWAS rural electrification component, which will help reduce inequalities between urban and rural areas.

Mr Arkadius Koumoin, Acting Head of the Conventional Energy Division, recalled that despite the region’s vast energy potential, millions of citizens, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, still do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity. PRODEL20000 is designed as a major priority for the Commission in order to respond to the urgent need to electrify a large number of localities, either through grid extension or solar systems.

This initiative embodies ECOWAS’ shared vision for universal access to sustainable energy, also aiming to stimulate local entrepreneurship, improve health and education services, and create employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people. He concluded by stating that the completion of the feasibility study will enable ECOWAS to begin mobilising funding for the implementation of the project.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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Kenyan Senate Speaker Urges African Scientists to Champion Homegrown Health Solutions

Source: APO – Report:

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The Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya, Rt. Hon. Amason Jeffah Kingi, has called for bold, African-led strategies to tackle the continent’s health challenges. Speaking as Chief Guest at the Inaugural Africa Health Summit in Kampala, held under the theme “Reclaiming Africa’s Health Future: From Dependency to Sovereignty through Innovation and Solidarity”, Hon. Kingi emphasized that Africa must move beyond diagnosing problems to delivering solutions at scale.

“We must not only diagnose the challenges, but also prescribe the solutions, and most importantly, implement them,” he said, urging African scientists to innovate on African soil. He further emphasised the need for sustainable domestic health financing, highlighting opportunities through capital markets, sovereign funds, and public-private partnerships.

Delivering a keynote address, Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Director of Programme Management, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to building sovereign and sustainable health systems across Africa. His message was clear:

“Africa’s health systems must be designed, led, and owned by Africa. If we can transform a hospital, we can transform a continent. If we can save one life, we can inspire millions.”

Dr. Diallo called on leaders to create enduring systems, thriving communities, and lasting solutions.

Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, underscored the importance of strengthening health systems to ensure accessibility, equity, and quality, both for primary healthcare and specialized services. She emphasized community engagement as a cornerstone for informed health decisions and advocated for widespread dissemination of health information.

The summit brought together high-level delegates, including Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, and Minister of Science and Technology, Hon. Monica Musenero, alongside representatives from Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya, policymakers, researchers, health professionals, private sector actors, civil society, and development partners. It served as a continental platform for strategic dialogue, showcasing African-led innovations and generating actionable commitments to advance health sovereignty, resilience, and equity.

The event concluded with the Heroes in Health Award, Uganda’s flagship recognition platform, established in 2019 to celebrate individuals, institutions, innovations, services, products, and programs that make outstanding contributions to healthcare delivery and outcomes in Uganda.

– on behalf of World Health Organization – Uganda.