Today in Africa — December 16, 2025: Rwanda & Gambia Lead Visa Openness, Sudan Crisis Is World’s Worst, M23 to Exit Uvira

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.

Rwanda and Gambia Remain the Most Visa-Open Countries for Africans to Travel to

Rwanda and the Gambia are at the top spot of the 2025 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI), with both countries being the most visa-open countries to Africans. This year’s index report saw 11 African countries increase their index score, while nine decreased, and 34 countries made no changes to their visa rules. The index measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other countries on the continent, taking into account visa requirements across African Union member states. Both Rwanda and the Gambia scored a perfect 1.000 on the index, indicating the ease of access for African travelers. Kenya followed with a 0.962 score, following updates to its system that exempt citizens from 52 African countries from needing a visa before coming in.

Benin Republic and Ghana continued to rank in the index’s top five, while about a third of the 20 best-ranked countries on the index are East African countries. The majority of the top countries in the index are classified as lower-middle-income or low-income countries, while some of the countries ranked at the bottom are dealing with conflicts, including DR Congo, Somalia, and South Sudan. Generally, the combined visa openness score is 0.45, a lower score than in the past three years. The total number of visa-free travel countries in Africa increased from 803 in 2024 to 814 in 2025, accounting for over 28.2 percent of intra-African travel, which is the highest level recorded.

Sudan Tops Global Crisis Watchlist Again as Drone Attacks Kill Dozens

Sudan has once again been ranked as the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis, according to a new watchlist released by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). It marks the third year in a row the country has topped the list of 20 nations most at risk of worsening emergencies. The IRC says the war, which began in April 2023 after a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, has displaced more than 12 million people and created the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded. Aid groups warn they lack the resources to help civilians fleeing violence, including people who have been raped, robbed, or lost family members. The IRC said countries on the list make up just 12% of the world’s population but account for nearly 90% of global humanitarian need.

The warning comes as violence continues to escalate. The United Nations human rights office says at least 104 people, including 43 children, were killed in multiple drone attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan region since December 4. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk says the strikes hit civilian sites, including hospitals, a kindergarten, and a UN base, amid fighting involving the Sudanese army, the RSF, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North. Türk says he was alarmed by the intensifying hostilities, underscoring fears that Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe is still deepening.

Rebel Group Announces Plan to Exit Border Town in Eastern DR Congo

The M23 rebel group has agreed to exit the border town of Uvira, eastern DR Congo, as a “trust-building measure” to signal its readiness to implement resolutions from ongoing peace talks. The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), the rebel coalition group which M23 is part of, said the withdrawal is a unilateral decision “despite the continued provocations and abuses” by Congolese forces and their allies. In the statement issued by the AFC/M23 leader, Corneille Nangaa, exiting Uvira is also a consideration of U.S. mediation.

The group has said the accord signed between DR Congo and Rwanda recently isn’t binding on it, despite widespread claims that Rwanda is backing and actively participating in its operations. M23 took over Uvira last week in an offensive that resulted in hundreds leaving their homes and Congolese soldiers fleeing the city. It said it had captured hundreds of Burundian soldiers and has accused Burundi’s government of allying with the Congolese to breach the terms of a ceasefire. Uvira is about 20KM from Bujumbura, one of Burundi’s two capital cities. M23 exiting Uvira should ease tensions across parts of eastern DRC and Burundi, and also pave the way for Qatar-mediated peace talks to continue, following the signing of the Doha Framework Agreement on November 15.

Nigeria Petitions FIFA in Last Ditch Effort to Make World Cup

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is holding out a last-minute hope that the country could sneak into the inter-confederation playoffs for next year’s World Cup, due to a petition against DR Congo that it fielded several ineligible players during the qualifiers. The petition alleges that the Congolese team comprised players who had yet to clear diplomatic processes to be properly registered, and that the central African country doesn’t recognize dual citizenship. “The chances of the petition against DR Congo sailing through are even better than when South Africa were docked three points and three goals for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho in a qualifier,” a top source told SCORENigeria. At the playoffs, scheduled for March, DR Congo will play either Jamaica or New Caledonia, in the hope of qualifying for its first World Cup in over five decades.

France Sentences Ex-Congolese Rebel Leader Roger Lumbala to 30 Years for War Crimes

A French court has sentenced former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala to 30 years in prison for complicity in crimes against humanity committed during the Second Congo War, in a landmark ruling under France’s universal jurisdiction law. The Paris court found Lumbala guilty over atrocities carried out by the Congolese Rally for National Democracy, a Uganda-backed rebel group he led, which targeted civilians in eastern Congo in 2002 and 2003, particularly members of the Nande and Bambuti communities. The United Nations reports documented torture, executions, rape, forced labor, and sexual slavery, and victims testified to brutal killings and abuse. Rights groups hailed the verdict as a breakthrough against long-standing impunity, noting it is the first time a Congolese political or military leader has been convicted by a national court for mass atrocities committed in the country.

South Africa in Talks With Russia to Bring Home Men Allegedly Lured Into Ukraine War

South Africa’s government says it is in sensitive talks with Russian authorities to secure the return of 17 South African men fighting for Russia in Ukraine after they were allegedly deceived into joining the war. The men are said to have been recruited in July after being told they would receive bodyguard training or attend a personal development course linked to former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, Zuma’s daughter, is accused in lawsuits and a police report of luring the men, allegations she disputes, saying she was herself misled by another recruiter. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson said the men were “bungled into the Russian military forces” and face grave danger, with efforts focused mainly on engaging Moscow. Families say they have received distress calls, staged protests in Durban, and fear their relatives are being forced onto the frontlines, with some losing contact months ago.

Benin Jails Dozens After Failed Coup as Alleged Ringleader Remains at Large

Around 30 people, most of them soldiers, have been jailed in Benin over a failed coup attempt earlier this month, according to the news agency, AFP. The suspects were detained after a pre-trial hearing today, Tuesday, December 16, 2025, and face charges including treason, murder, and endangering state security. The coup bid unfolded on December 7, when mutinous soldiers briefly seized state television and announced the dissolution of President Patrice Talon’s government before being overpowered by loyal forces with military support from Nigeria, other West African allies, and logistical backing from France. Authorities say the alleged leader, Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, has fled to Lomé in neighboring Togo, and Benin has requested his extradition. The coup plotters accused Talon’s government of failing to contain insecurity in the north, cutting public services, and restricting political activity.