Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening on the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page, with stories from across the regions.
Uganda Strikes Controversial Deportee Deal With U.S.
Uganda’s foreign ministry says it has agreed to take in migrants deported from the United States who fail to qualify for asylum but refuse to return home. The deal excludes people with criminal records and unaccompanied minors, and Kampala says it prefers to accept deportees of African nationalities. Details are still being worked out, and U.S. officials declined to discuss terms, calling them part of ongoing diplomatic negotiations. The announcement came a day after Uganda’s state minister for foreign affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, denied the existence of such a deal, saying his country lacked facilities to take deportees.
The plan has already stirred backlash in Uganda. Opposition lawmaker Muwada Nkunyingi accused the government of seeking legitimacy ahead of the 2026 elections, while human rights lawyer Nicholas Opio said the deal borders on human trafficking and violates international law. Uganda already hosts nearly two million refugees from across the region, and ties with Washington have been strained by last year’s anti-homosexuality law and U.S. sanctions on top officials. This latest deal comes as Washington ramps up efforts to deport people it cannot easily send back to their countries of origin.
Tunisia’s Biggest Protest in Years Targets Saied’s Rule
Thousands of Tunisians rallied in Tunis today, Thursday, August 21, in one of the country’s largest protests in years, led by the powerful Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT). Demonstrators accused President Kais Saied of rolling back union rights and civic freedoms, while also condemning poverty and hunger. The march began at the UGTT headquarters and moved through Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a symbolic site of the 2011 uprising that toppled Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and ignited the Arab Spring. Protesters chanted “The right to struggle is a duty” as union leaders pushed back against what they called threats and smear campaigns.
UGTT chief Noureddine Taboubi demanded the release of political prisoners and fair trials, saying the union will continue to defend workers’ rights despite government pressure. The protest follows last month’s nationwide strike over wages and working conditions that disrupted transport and fueled tensions with Saied, whose supporters recently called for the union to be suspended. Since seizing sweeping powers in 2021, Saied has dissolved parliament, ruled by decree, and dismissed judges, actions his opponents denounce as a coup.
Cameroon Court to Rule on Biya’s Eligibility for Eighth Term
Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, 92, faces a legal bid to block his run for an eighth term in October. Opposition figure Akere Tabeng Muna has petitioned the Constitutional Council, citing Article 118 of the electoral code to argue Biya is unfit due to age, health absences, and reliance on aides. Muna insists the move is a legal duty, not political theater. Judges are expected to rule Friday morning at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé.
The challenge comes as Biya’s main rival, Maurice Kamto, has already been barred from the ballot, a decision condemned by Human Rights Watch and met with protests broken up by tear gas. Biya, who has ruled since 1982, remains one of the world’s longest-serving and oldest leaders, and his candidacy was recently confirmed online. The case has heightened tensions in Cameroon, where questions of governance, health, and election fairness loom large.
Benin Football Mourns Razak Omotoyossi
Benin is mourning the death of legendary football striker Razak Omotoyossi, one of the country’s greatest goal scorers, who passed away on Tuesday, August 19, in Nigeria at age 39. Omotoyossi scored 21 goals in 47 appearances for the national team between 2004 and 2016, featuring at the 2008 and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and earning over 40 caps in his career. He also played club football across more than eight countries, including stints in Sweden, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and France with FC Metz. Tributes poured in from teammates and clubs, who remembered him as “a servant of Beninese football.” Reports noted he had faced financial difficulties in recent years and had publicly appealed for support.
Ghana’s Godwin Asediba Wins Coveted BBC Komla Dumor Journalism Award
Ghanaian journalist Godwin Asediba has been named the winner of the 2025 BBC Komla Dumor Award, one of Africa’s most coveted honors in journalism. The 29-year-old investigative reporter and filmmaker, who works with TV3 and 3FM in Ghana, was praised for his integrity and work highlighting marginalized communities. Asediba will spend three months with BBC News in London, receive training from senior journalists, and report from Africa for a global audience. The award, created in 2015 to honor Ghanaian broadcaster Komla Dumor, who died at 41 while presenting for BBC World News, marks its 10th anniversary this year. It is widely regarded as one of Africa’s most prestigious journalism honors. It has international visibility through the BBC, and past winners have gone on to build influential careers both at home and on global platforms.
Nigerian Firm Unveils Black-Skinned Bionic Arm for Amputees
A Nigerian company, Immortal Cosmetic Art, has developed the Ubokobong Bionic Arm, a hyper-real prosthetic designed to look like Black skin while functioning with brain signals sent to the muscles. Founded by artist John Amanam after his brother lost fingers in an accident, the firm first made lifelike cosmetic prosthetics before moving into functional designs. The bionic arm has already drawn orders from Nigeria, Ghana, the U.S., the UK, and Australia, even before its official launch. For amputees like 25-year-old cosmetologist Gift Usen, who was born with one underdeveloped hand, the innovation offers long-awaited hope for affordable, locally made prosthetics in a country where access remains limited.
74 Goals, Top Scorers, and Defensive Walls as CHAN 2024 Heads to Knockouts
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 group stage wrapped up with 74 goals in 36 matches, averaging just over two per game, and standout performances across the board. Uganda, Morocco, and South Africa’s forwards led the scoring charts with three goals each, while Morocco’s Youssef Mehri topped assists with three. Kenya, Sudan, and Senegal conceded only once each, showing defensive grit, while Zambia leaked the most with eight. Guinea’s Aboubacar Bangoura created 13 chances, Madagascar’s Michel Lalain’arinjaka made 17 saves, and Mauritania’s Abderrahman Sarr and Tanzania’s Yakoub Ali each kept four clean sheets. Discipline shaped the games too, with seven red cards and 11 penalties converted. With 25 outright wins and only 11 draws, teams went all out, setting up quarter-final clashes in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Kampala this weekend.
Tanzania Faces Calls to Free Disabled Woman on Death Row
Human rights groups are urging Tanzania to release Lemi Limbu, a woman with severe intellectual disabilities who has spent 13 years in prison under a death sentence. Limbu, now in her early 30s, was convicted of murdering her baby in 2015, despite evidence of her history of sexual and domestic abuse, and a clinical evaluation showing she has the mental age of a child. Her first conviction was thrown out in 2019, but she was retried in 2022 and again sentenced to death after the court refused to hear medical testimony. Campaigners say prison conditions are worsening her health and argue that, under international law, she should not be held criminally responsible. A coalition of 24 African and international rights groups has appealed to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, while lawyers press for urgent intervention from the Tanzanian government and the UN.
Sudan’s Warring Sides Blame Each Other for Aid Convoy Attack
Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces are trading accusations after a UN World Food Programme convoy was attacked in North Darfur while trying to deliver aid to famine-hit villages. Sixteen trucks were ambushed near Mellit yesterday, Wednesday, August 20, leaving three vehicles burned but no casualties. The RSF says the army struck as part of drone raids on Mellit’s market, while the army dismissed this as a cover for RSF abuses in El Fasher, the city they’ve besieged for over a year. El Fasher’s 300,000 residents face soaring food prices, deadly hunger, and relentless violence, with displaced camps repeatedly attacked and civilians subjected to sexual assaults at RSF checkpoints. Seventy more trucks loaded with food, medicine, and supplies remain stuck in Nyala awaiting safe passage. U.N. officials warn lives are at stake, and U.S. senior Africa advisor Massad Boulos condemned the convoy strike.
Japan Pledges $5.5B, AI Training in New Africa Push
Japan rolled out a $5.5 billion loan package through the African Development Bank at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development this week, aiming to ease debt pressures and drive sustainable growth. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also proposed an “Indian Ocean–Africa economic zone” to link African economies with India and the Middle East, while pledging to train 30,000 AI experts over the next three years. UN chief António Guterres used the summit to call for Security Council reform and stronger African representation in global finance, and African Union chair João Lourenço pressed for fairer access to capital. With delegates from about 50 African countries in attendance, the summit signals Japan’s bid to strengthen its influence as U.S. engagement fades and China deepens its footprint.
Somali Forces Push Back Against Islamic State Expansion
Somali troops in Puntland are battling Islamic State fighters who have built hideouts in caves and bunkers in the Galgala Mountains, uncovering a bomb factory and stockpiles of rockets, explosives, and IS propaganda. Commanders say they’ve also found letters pointing to cooperation between IS and Yemen’s Houthis. Thousands of villagers have fled the fighting, and Puntland’s army chief has warned that international help is needed as the threat grows. Though smaller than al-Shabab, IS in Somalia funds itself through extortion and smuggling and is trying to expand its reach despite U.S. airstrikes, Somali raids, and internal rivalries.
Five Bodies Found at Suspected Cult Burial Site in Kenya
Kenyan authorities have uncovered at least five bodies in shallow graves near Malindi, Kilifi County, at a site linked to a suspected religious cult. Officials said remains were recovered from four graves across 27 excavation points, with investigations ongoing. Prosecutors believe victims may have been starved or suffocated under extreme religious practices, and 11 suspects are under investigation. The discovery comes two years after more than 400 bodies were exhumed from the nearby Shakahola Forest in one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in recent history.
Tanzania Sets Sights on Global Leadership in Traditional Medicine
Tanzania wants to position itself as a global hub for traditional medicine, with officials highlighting the country’s vast medicinal plant resources and the need for stronger research capacity. During talks at the Tanzanian Embassy in Seoul, the National Institute for Medical Research’s Prof. Said Aboud and Health Ministry’s Dr. Winifrida Kidima met with Ambassador Togolani Mavura to explore deeper cooperation with South Korea in areas like technology transfer, product development, clinical trials, and joint startups. Tanzania has already integrated traditional health services into 14 referral and zonal hospitals, and leaders said collaboration with South Korea — known for blending traditional medicine with modern healthcare — could accelerate progress, open new economic opportunities, and boost global credibility.
Nigeria Deports 51 Foreign Nationals in Cybercrime Crackdown
Nigeria has deported 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, the country’s anti-graft agency said today, Thursday, August 21. The move is part of a broader clampdown launched on August 15 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in partnership with the immigration service, which has so far deported 102 people. The latest deportees were among nearly 200 foreigners arrested in Lagos during a raid on one of the country’s largest cybercrime syndicates. The EFCC has ramped up efforts against online fraud, including a major operation late last year that saw nearly 800 people arrested in a Lagos building tied to romance scams and fake cryptocurrency schemes.