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Today in Africa — August 28, 2026: Uganda's “Boy King” Oyo Dies at 34, Salif Keïta Cancels South Africa Tour Over Xenophobia

OkayAfrica has scoured the Internet for today’s major news stories, so you don't have to. On Aug. 28, coverage includes: Tooro's monarchy preparing for a new heir following the young king's sudden death; the Malian musician saying his cancellation is a “rejection of hate,” not of South Africans; and more.

King Oyo in blue ceremonial robes stands among attendants at a traditional coronation ceremony in Uganda.
Newly crowned King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV (C), 18, stands next to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (L) and a King from Ghana (R) during a ceremony in Fort Portal on April 17, 2010.

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 across 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's King Oyo, Once World's Youngest Monarch, Dies at 34

King Oyo Nyimba, who ascended Uganda's ancient Tooro throne at 3 and became famous worldwide as a boy king, died at 34, Prime Minister Calvin Rwomiire Akiiki announced today, Friday, August 28. His death shocked many Ugandans, who had been told the king was alive but in critical condition while being treated abroad for an unknown illness. Tooro authorities say a prince will succeed him as heir, though his identity has not yet been revealed. Oyo, crowned in 1995 after his father's death, ruled through regents until turning 18 and remained unmarried at his death, having been widely seen as Uganda's most eligible bachelor.

A Life in the Spotlight

  • Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi befriended Oyo's royal family for years, making multiple trips to Uganda to support him and the queen mother before Gaddafi's death in 2011.

  • Deputy Parliament Speaker Thomas Tayebwa called the loss "very difficult to comprehend."

  • Tooro's traditional kingdoms were banned after Uganda's independence and restored in 1993, though monarchs hold no political authority and can't engage in partisan politics.

  • Tooro's people, known as the Batooro, are centered in a remote city in western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Malian Musician Salif Keïta Cancels South Africa Tour Over “Xenophobic Violence”

Malian musician Salif Keïta canceled his upcoming performance at South Africa's Macufe festival, citing "xenophobic violence" against African migrants amid the country's ongoing anti-immigration protests. The 77-year-old star, known as the "Golden Voice of Africa," said he couldn't ignore reports of migrants being attacked, calling the cancellation "a rejection of hate" rather than of South Africans, and left the door open to performing there again in the future. The Free State's culture department, which hosts the festival, said it regrets his decision, emphasizing that the event celebrates African unity.

A Wider Wave of Departures

  • More than 160,000 people have left South Africa through repatriation schemes since May, including Malawians, Zimbabweans, Zambians, Ghanaians, and Nigerians.

  • The first group of 173 Tanzanians recently returned home, with some describing years of hardship, lost jobs, and forced evictions from their housing in Durban.

  • Anti-migrant group March and March has called for a second wave of nationwide protests on September 30, saying it will be bigger than June's demonstrations.

  • Ghana's government recently rejected a roughly $1.8 million donation from MTN Ghana meant to support Ghanaians repatriated from South Africa, saying it already has funding in place.

DR Congo's Tshisekedi Launches National Dialogue, Excludes M23 as a Political Player

Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi announced a national dialogue lasting up to three months in an address yesterday, Thursday, August 27, ruling out the AFC/M23 rebel group's participation "as a political component" while leaving the door open to individual fighters who renounce violence. He said the Doha peace process remains the proper channel for dealing with AFC/M23, and again demanded the withdrawal of "foreign forces" from Congolese territory. The dialogue will begin once a preparatory committee is formed in the coming days, with provincial consultations feeding into national talks in Kinshasa aimed at producing a "national pact."

What's Still Unclear

  • Tshisekedi didn't say whether residents of AFC/M23-controlled areas, including Goma and Bukavu, would be able to take part in the dialogue.

  • AFC/M23, which has never officially acknowledged ties to Rwanda, hadn't responded to the announcement as of Thursday.

  • Congolese authorities this week suspended activities at public universities in AFC/M23-held territory, citing "illegal" appointments by the group's parallel administration.

  • The move comes as Congo's opposition remains united against a proposed constitutional amendment it says could pave the way for a third Tshisekedi term.

In Brief: More Stories Today

Sudan Lifts Khartoum Curfew After Two Years

Sudan has lifted the nighttime curfew and state of emergency in Khartoum, allowing residents to move and work around the clock for the first time in two years. Security patrols and checkpoints will remain, while foreign nationals entering the capital must carry valid visas or permits.

At Least 49 Killed in South Sudan Cattle Camp Attack

At least 49 people were killed and 33 wounded when gunmen attacked a village and seasonal cattle camp in South Sudan’s Warrap State. The attack comes just three weeks after another raid in the same area killed 60 people, amid an ongoing cycle of deadly violence over cattle, grazing land and water.

Nchout Njoya Ajara Speaks Out on Killing of Eight Women in Cameroon

Renowned Cameroonian footballer Nchout Njoya Ajara is speaking out about the killing of at least eight women in one week, which has sparked outrage in Cameroon and renewed calls for stronger protections against gender-based violence. Official figures show at least 50 women were killed between January and April, compared with 77 in all of last year, as women’s rights groups push the government to move forward with a long-delayed bill addressing gender-based violence.

DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Spreads to 60 Health Zones

DR Congo’s fast-growing Ebola outbreak has reached two more health zones in North Kivu, bringing the total affected to 60 as cases rise to 5,794 and deaths to 2,786. The outbreak remains out of control amid insecurity, displacement and health worker strikes, while authorities have begun vaccinating frontline workers with a vaccine developed for a different Ebola strain as trials continue for the rare Bundibugyo virus driving the current crisis.

Dutch Court Sentences Rwandan Man to Life for Role in 1994 Genocide

A Dutch court has sentenced a 66-year-old Rwandan man to life in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide, including attacks on predominantly Tutsi communities and throwing a grenade into a crowd sheltering at a soccer stadium. The man, whose name was not released, later settled in the Netherlands, where authorities prosecuted him following a yearslong investigation involving more than 30 witnesses.

U.S. Sends Two More Third-Country Deportees to Eswatini

Two Latin American migrants deported from the United States have arrived in Eswatini under a controversial third country deportation agreement that allows the U.S. to send people to countries other than their own. They are the fifth group sent to the southern African kingdom since July 2025, as rights groups continue challenging Eswatini’s secretive deportation deal with the Trump administration.