Today in Africa — December 5, 2025: FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw, Fighting in DRC, Tanzania Urged to Release Bodies

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.

World Cup Draw Places Competing African Teams into Groups

The nine African countries heading to next year’s men’s FIFA World Cup have been drawn into groups ahead of the tournament in June. The new expansive format draws 48 teams into twelve groups of four teams, with the top two teams advancing to a round of 32 after round robin matches. Eight third-place teams from the group stage will also qualify for the next stage, and it will be a knockout format till the winner is determined in the final. With more African countries than ever before, the general hope is that multiple African teams make it into the knockout phase and, perhaps through some improbable force, an African team wins the most prestigious trophy in football.

While several groups aren’t complete yet, as there are still playoff games to determine the full list of teams, possible qualifiers have been placed in groups. For example, DR Congo will play in Group K if it wins its playoff match between either Jamaica or New Caledonia. Meanwhile, South Africa is in Group A with Mexico and Korea and will play the 2026 tournament inaugural game against Mexico in Mexico City. Morocco’s Atlas Lion will face Brazil as part of their Group C schedule, Cȏte d’Ivoire and Tunisia are in Groups E and F respectively, Egypt will face Belgium in Group G, and World Cup debutants Cape Verde will have a serious task trying to qualify from Group H over Spain and Uruguay.

Senegal will face France in the opening match of Group I, a rematch of the infamous 2002 World Cup opener when the Teranga Lions were surprise victors. Algeria is in Group J alongside Argentina, Austria, and Jordan, while England and Croatia will be the marquee matchups for Ghana’s Black Stars in Group L.

Fighting Intensifies in Eastern DR Congo Despite Trump Winning FIFA Peace Prize for U.S.-backed Deal

Residents living in eastern DR Congo have reported intensified fighting in the region, despite the signing of a U.S.-mediated peace deal between the Congolese government and Rwanda. The border town of Kamanyola, near Burundi and Rwanda, has been the most affected over the last few days. “People are fleeing; they are leaving the neighborhoods where the bombs are falling to go to areas considered calm, and others are fleeing towards Rwanda,” a Kamanyola resident told AP News. Reuters also reported that unverified videos surfaced online of displaced families fleeing on foot with their belongings and livestock near the town of Luvungi in South Kivu province.

At a ceremony in Washington yesterday, Thursday, December 4, U.S. President Donald Trump touted the signing of the peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda, saying his administration is “succeeding where many others have failed.” During today’s World Cup draws ceremony, football’s world governing body FIFA awarded Trump its first-ever “FIFA Peace Prize,” citing the Congo-Rwanda deal as one of his accomplishments in fostering world peace. However, the deal, which has been met by many with skepticism, has yet to be effective in bringing peace to the region.

The M23 rebel group, reportedly backed by Rwanda, has accused Congolese forces of attacking first. The group has also stated that the U.S.-backed deal doesn’t involve them. A separate set of peace talks is being organized between the Congolese government and M23, which took over two of the largest cities in eastern DR Congo in a lightning offensive at the beginning of this year.

Tanzanian Government Urged by Western Embassies to Release Bodies Of Those Killed in Post-Election Protests Crackdown

The embassies of over a dozen European countries, as well as the British High Commission, have called for an urgent release of the bodies of those killed during the crackdown on demonstrations that followed Tanzania’s heavily disputed presidential election. In a joint statement, the embassies and the European Union delegation cited “credible reports from domestic and international organizations [that] show evidence of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and concealment of dead bodies.” It called on the Tanzanian government to uphold its commitment to protecting the rights of citizens.

This statement follows Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan lashing out at foreign countries for interfering with her country’s affairs. Her regime has declared demonstrations planned for next week, on the country’s independence anniversary, to be illegal, continuing its repression of the civil space. “We hear there is another one planned ... whenever they come, we are prepared,” Hassan said earlier this week, referring to the upcoming protests. Opposition and civil society groups have stated that hundreds were killed by security forces during the post-election protests, a period during which much of the country faced an internet blackout.

Burkina Faso Moves to Reinstate Death Penalty Amid Rights Concerns

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has approved a bill to restore the death penalty for crimes including treason, terrorism, and espionage, six years after the country abolished capital punishment. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said the measure reflects public demands for a tougher justice system, but it must still pass parliament and judicial review. Amnesty International called the decision a “serious setback,” warning that it comes as the junta tightens its crackdown on journalists, activists, and political opponents. Since seizing power in 2022, the government has delayed a return to civilian rule, dissolved the electoral commission, suspended major media outlets, and faced mounting accusations of human rights abuses while battling militant violence across the Sahel.

South Africa’s Zuma Awaits Key Ruling in Long-Running Arms Deal Corruption Case

South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales are waiting for a court decision on whether they can keep appealing or must finally face trial in a corruption case that has stretched nearly two decades. Zuma faces 18 charges — including fraud, corruption, and money laundering — over claims he received more than 700 illegal payments linked to a 1999 arms deal, accusations he dismisses as a political “witch hunt.” Prosecutors told the court that repeated appeals have stalled proceedings for 18 years, while Zuma’s lawyers continue to challenge the impartiality of lead prosecutor Billy Downer and argue that the deaths of key Thales executives weaken their defense. Zuma’s broader legal troubles include a 2021 contempt sentence and an ongoing fight over a ruling ordering him to repay $1.6 million in state-funded legal fees.

13 Prisoners Held in Eritrea Without Trial Have Been Released

Eritrean authorities have released 13 people held in prison without trial since October 2007. Olympian Zeragaber Gebrehiwot, a participant at the 1980 Moscow games while Eritrea was still a part of Ethiopia, was among those released. Gebrehiwot and the other prisoners were held at Mai Serwa prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. They were among 30 people arrested for an assassination attempt on a senior state security officer; several of them had been released over the years before this group was released. Many of the 13, which includes six senior police officers and several prominent businessmen, are reportedly sick and may have been released due to their health conditions. Eritrea has been dubbed Africa’s North Korea, due to the iron fist-style of rule by President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in office since the country’s independence in 1993. Under Afwerki, Eritrea has yet to adopt a constitution, while critics and political prisoners are routinely held without trials.

Tunisia’s Main Union Calls First National Strike Since President Saied’s Power Grab

Tunisia’s UGTT union has announced a nationwide strike for January 21, accusing President Kais Saied of escalating repression and refusing to engage in wage talks as the country’s economic crisis deepens. The million-member union, once a key player in Tunisia’s democratic transition, said Saied’s crackdown on political parties, journalists, and civil society has crossed a line, vowing to resist what critics call a return to one-man rule. Saied, who shut down parliament and began ruling by decree in 2021, denies interfering in the judiciary, but rights groups say freedoms have sharply eroded under his watch. The planned strike threatens to paralyze public services at a moment when frustration over rising living costs and failing institutions is already boiling over.

Namibia’s Push to Lift Global Rhino Horn Trade Ban Rejected at CITES Summit

Namibia’s bid to overturn the international ban on black and white rhino horn trade was overwhelmingly rejected at this week’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) conference in Uzbekistan, where both of its proposals drew only about 30 votes out of 120 — far short of the two-thirds majority required. Delegates also dismissed Namibia’s attempt to lift the ivory trade ban as global concern grows over shrinking rhino populations: just 6,421 black rhinos remain worldwide, and southern white rhinos have fallen to their lowest numbers since the poaching crisis began nearly 20 years ago. Namibia, which pioneered dehorning in 1989 and now holds more than 11 tonnes of horn in stockpiles, argued that legal trade could support conservation. But opponents warned it would fuel demand and accelerate poaching, noting more than 8,000 rhinos were killed in the past decade and that 2022 saw Namibia’s highest poaching toll on record.