Today in Africa — December 9, 2025: 200,000 Flee Eastern DRC, Nigeria Approves Troop Deployment to Benin, Tanzania on Lockdown

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.

M23 Push Toward Uvira Displaces 200,000 as DRC Accuses Rwanda of Breaking Peace Commitments

The United Nations says about 200,000 people have fled fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance toward the strategic town of Uvira, days after U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Congo and Rwanda to reaffirm a U.S.- and Qatari-brokered peace deal. At least 74 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in recent clashes, and 83 others have been hospitalized. Residents and local officials report that M23 seized Luvungi and is now battling Congolese troops and Wazalendo militias in villages along the road to Uvira, sparking mass flight from places like Sange and Kiliba.

Rwanda continues to deny supporting M23, despite U.S. and U.N. assessments pointing to clear backing. The U.S. State Department said it was “deeply concerned” by the violence and urged Rwanda to prevent further escalation. DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of violating the commitments made in Washington, while a senior Trump administration official said the U.S. is watching closely and expects “immediate results” from both sides.

Nigerian Senate Grants President Permission to Deploy Troops to Benin Republic

Nigeria’s upper legislative house has given President Bola Tinubu permission to deploy troops to Benin Republic, for a mission to help defend its neighbor’s democratic institutions, following Sunday’s coup attempt. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the approval without putting the matter to a debate, instead opting straight to a voice vote by other senators in attendance at the session. The president had deployed fighter jets to Cotonou, the capital of Benin Republic, on Sunday, while the coup attempt was going on. Per Nigeria’s constitution, the president is mandated to seek legislative approval within 14 days of deploying troops outside the country.

Akpabio said the deployment of troops is a proactive measure “to ensure peace mission and restore order and sanity in that country” and that it would pre-empt the influx of thousands of refugees, which would save “the Nigerian border from unnecessary criminality and disruption of peace and stability.” He added that Tinubu had taken the right actions in rising to the occasion. However, a debate followed Sunday’s troop deployment, with many wondering how the Nigerian security apparatus was very effective in a foreign country but had failed to stymie the country’s insecurity issues.

Tanzania Locks Down Cities Ahead of Planned Independence Day Protests

Tanzania saw heavy police and military deployments across major cities today, Tuesday, December 9, as the government moved to block planned anti-government protests tied to Independence Day. The government said yesterday, Monday, December 8, that any protests would be interpreted as a coup attempt. Streets in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, and Mwanza were largely empty, with many residents staying indoors amid uncertainty and fear of clashes. Public transport shut down, roadblocks increased, and officers were stationed at key sites as authorities insisted the situation was calm and warned the public not to believe old footage circulating online.

The protests were called to demand political reforms after deadly post-election unrest in October, which the government admits involved the use of force while claiming some protesters tried to topple the regime. Activists urged supporters to stay alert for possible afternoon demonstrations, but none had materialized by sunset. In Kenya, several activists were arrested outside Tanzania’s high commission in Nairobi during a solidarity protest.

Burkina Faso Detains Nigerian Military Personnel for Violating Airspace

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has dismissed claims of airspace violation, a day after 11 military personnel were detained in Burkina Faso. A C-130 NAF aircraft landed in Bobo Djoulasso, about 350 KM from the Burkinabè capital city, Ouagadougou, following an emergency situation. In a statement issued by the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), Burkina Faso’s authorities determined that the aircraft did not have authorization to fly over its airspace. “The Confederation of the States of Sahel condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.” 

However, NAF said the situation was a precautionary landing shortly after takeoff from Lagos. In a press statement issued by public relations director Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, “the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield,” adding that it was only following international aviation protocols related to safety. Ejodame said the crew was on a non-combat ferry operation heading to Portugal, stating that the military personnel were being treated cordially and the mission would go on as scheduled.

AES, a confederation including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — all junta-ruled states — officially broke away from the West African political bloc ECOWAS. The trio of allies isn’t on good diplomatic terms with Nigeria, particularly after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu threatened the use of force to restore democracy after the 2023 coup in Niger.

ICC Sentences Sudanese Warlord to 20 Years in Prison for Leading Murderous Militia

Sudanese warlord Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes committed in the Darfur region, during the civil war back in 2003-04. Back in October, the 76-year-old was convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 27 charges of war crimes, including mass murder and sexual assault. He led the Janjaweed militia that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians in Darfur, amidst allegations of ethnic cleansing of the region’s non-Arab population – similar to the accusations leveled against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the ongoing Sudan civil war. Abd-Al-Rahman is the first person to be tried for atrocities committed during the war in Darfur between 2003 and 2020. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, calling Abd-Al-Rahman “an axe murderer.” In the sentencing, ICC Judge Joanna Korner said, “Abd-Al-Rahman not only gave the orders which led directly to the crimes but...also personally perpetrated some of them.”

Mthunzi Gxashe, Longtime Aide to Desmond Tutu, Dies in Johannesburg

Mthunzi Gxashe, the widely admired aide and son-in-law of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, died unexpectedly in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 7, after recently suffering mini-strokes. Gxashe spent the last decade of Tutu’s life as his close companion and protector, traveling with him on international missions for The Elders and safeguarding the late archbishop’s space and routine during demanding trips. He and his wife, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, had returned to South Africa after years in Atlanta and were visiting Johannesburg when he died on Sunday. Tributes poured in from church leaders and friends, with Archbishop Thabo Makgoba calling him a devoted aide whose humility, firmness, and care made him the Arch’s “shadow” in every sense.