Today in Africa — Feb 11, 2026: Cyclone Kills 20 in Madagascar, Ghana Declares Weekly ‘Fugu Day’

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.

Cyclone Gezani Kills at Least 20 in Madagascar, Devastates Port City

At least 20 people have died after Tropical Cyclone Gezani slammed into Madagascar’s eastern port city of Toamasina with winds topping 195 kph, collapsing homes and triggering red alerts for floods and landslides. Authorities say at least 33 people were injured, 15 are missing, and more than 2,700 residents have been evacuated. Most of the deaths were reported in Toamasina, a city of about 300,000, where power has been cut since yesterday, Tuesday, February 10. Officials say around 75% of the city’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, with roofs ripped off, walls crumbling, and streets filled with debris.

Gezani weakened to a tropical storm as it moved west across the island of 31 million people, passing about 100 kilometers north of the capital, Antananarivo, which remains under flood warnings. Forecasters say the storm could regain strength over the channel between Madagascar and Africa’s east coast and possibly loop back toward the island next week. The disaster comes less than two weeks after Cyclone Fytia killed 14 people and displaced more than 85,000. The United Nations has released $3 million in emergency funds as Madagascar, one of the world’s poorest countries, braces for yet another blow in a cyclone season that runs from November to March.

Ghana Names Wednesdays ‘Fugu Day’ After Zambia Banter Sparks National Pride

Ghana has officially designated Wednesdays as a national day to wear fugu, the traditional northern Ghanaian garment, after online banter with Zambians pushed the outfit into the spotlight. The debate began when President John Mahama wore fugu during a state visit to Zambia, and some critics mocked it as a “blouse,” prompting a strong response from Ghanaians on social media. Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie says the weekly display will help project Ghana’s identity with pride and bring social and economic benefits to local weavers, designers, and traders.

Fugu, also known as batakari, is made from hand-woven strips of thick cotton stitched into a structured, poncho-style top and is widely worn as a symbol of authority and heritage. Following the announcement, many Ghanaians wore the garment across the country, reviving a grassroots “Fugu Friday” movement that had trended online. The exchange even drew in Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who said Zambia would order fugus from Ghana, while Mahama suggested exporting the smocks in bulk. Ghanaian leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah at Independence in 1957, have long used the outfit as a symbol of national pride.

U.S. to Deploy 200 Troops to Nigeria for Anti-Militant Training

The United States plans to send about 200 troops to Nigeria to train its military in the fight against Islamist militants, weeks after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets. A U.S. official says the deployment would add to a small team already on the ground, marking Washington’s first confirmed presence in Nigeria since the Christmas Day strikes. Nigeria’s military says the troops will not take part in combat and will focus on technical training and advisory roles, with Nigerian forces retaining full control over operations. Abuja requested the support under the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group.

The move comes as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province intensify attacks on military convoys and civilians, especially in the northwest, a hotspot in a 17-year insurgency. Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from militant violence, claims the government denies, saying security forces target armed groups attacking both Christians and Muslims. U.S. Republican lawmakers have also introduced a bill seeking a report on religious persecution in Nigeria. The country, home to more than 230 million people split roughly between Christians and Muslims, is grappling with multiple crises, including insurgency, kidnapping gangs, and deadly farmer-herder clashes. Trump has described the crisis as a Christian genocide, but the violence in Nigeria affects both Christians and Muslims.

Student Death Sparks Campus Closure at Senegal’s Top University

Thousands of students left Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar yesterday, Tuesday, February 10, after authorities shut down campus housing following the death of Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year medical student, during protests over unpaid stipends. Ba died from severe head injuries, according to the president of the student association at the Faculty of Medicine, who says Ba was beaten by police in his room, though the government describes his death only as the result of “serious events.” Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cissé promised an inquiry, while Amnesty International Senegal and other rights groups condemned what they called disproportionate force by police. The protests, which began in early December, center on delayed stipends of about 40,000 CFA francs ($73) a month — often students’ only income — amid repeated academic disruptions, mounting national debt, and growing frustration with a government that had promised reform but now faces stalled IMF talks and deepening public anger.

Zimbabwe Cabinet Backs Bill That Could Extend Mnangagwa’s Rule to 2030

Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved draft legislation that could allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 83, to remain in office until at least 2030 by shifting presidential elections from a direct public vote to selection by members of parliament and extending terms from five to seven years, capped at two terms. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi says the bill will go through public consultations before heading to a parliament dominated by the ruling Zanu-PF party. Legal experts argue that changing term limits would require a referendum and cannot benefit a sitting president. Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after Robert Mugabe was ousted and won disputed elections in 2018 and 2023, is currently due to step down in 2028. Supporters have pushed a “2030” slogan tied to his development agenda, while critics, including the late war veteran Blessed Geza, accused him of nepotism and trying to cling to power. The government says the proposed changes aim to strengthen governance and promote political stability.

Cambridge Transfers Ownership of 116 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Ownership of 116 Benin Bronzes held at the University of Cambridge has been formally transferred to Nigeria, marking a major step in returning artefacts looted by British forces during the 1897 occupation of Benin City. The university’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology says the move follows a formal request made in January 2022 by Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and approval from the UK Charity Commission. Plans are underway for most of the objects to be physically returned before the end of the year, with the artifacts set to be housed in museums in Lagos and Benin City. Seventeen pieces will remain on loan in Cambridge for an initial three years for display and research. Nigerian officials described the return as a restoration of pride and dignity, while the university said support for repatriating items taken during colonial violence has grown nationally and internationally.

UN Urges Ethiopia and Eritrea to De-Escalate as Tigray Fighting Intensifies

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to urgently de-escalate tensions as fresh fighting in Tigray raises fears of a worsening human rights crisis. The call comes after Ethiopia accused Eritrea of carrying out a massacre in Tigray and demanded its forces leave Ethiopian territory. Clashes between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and Tigray Security Forces intensified on Jan. 26 in areas near the Amhara border, with drones and artillery used by both sides before the TSF withdrew from Tselemti on February 1. Arrests and detentions have been reported, with civilians caught between rival forces and accused of backing the opposing side. Fighting has also continued in southern Tigray between the TSF and a rival faction known as the Tigray Peace Forces. More than a million people remain displaced from the 2020–2022 war, and the UN warns that renewed conflict could deepen an already dire humanitarian situation across the Horn of Africa.

UN Seeks Security Guarantees to Use Goma Airport for DRC Ceasefire Monitoring

The United Nations is seeking security guarantees from all sides in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo before using Goma’s airport to monitor a planned ceasefire, a senior UN official said yesterday, Tuesday, February 10. Deputy Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned the UN would not fly helicopters if there are risks such as signal jamming or nearby drones. Goma’s airport has been closed since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized the city during a major escalation last year, despite a U.S.-brokered peace deal signed by Kinshasa and Kigali in December. Lacroix said there is still no effective ceasefire in the east, where fighting has persisted for decades. The UN mission, MONUSCO, plans to begin with aerial reconnaissance and a limited ground deployment from Uvira before expanding its presence. Nearly 8,000 peacekeepers are stationed in eastern DRC, and aid groups have called for Goma airport to reopen to support operations.

Erik Prince Team Deployed Drones to Help DRC Army in Uvira Fight

Erik Prince, the founder of the U.S. private military contractor Blackwater, deployed a private security team to help the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army secure the strategic city of Uvira against Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels, according to multiple sources briefed on the mission. The contractors provided drone support to Congolese special operations forces and the army as they worked to recapture the border city with Burundi after rebels briefly seized it in December, a move that rattled U.S. and Qatar-backed peace talks. Prince’s team was hired by Kinshasa primarily to improve tax revenue collection from the country’s vast mineral sector, but this marked their first known frontline role in Congo’s long-running conflict. 

A senior Congolese security official said the presence of U.S.-linked contractors could deter rebel advances, and described the operation as aligned with the minerals-for-security deal with Washington. The U.S. State Department says it has no contracts with Prince, who is reportedly a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and it remains unclear whether Washington endorsed the deployment. Israeli advisers were also on the ground, focused on training Congolese special forces, while Prince’s team has since returned to its revenue collection mission.

Egypt Names New Defense Minister in Cabinet Reshuffle

Egypt has appointed General Ashraf Salem Zaher Mansour as its new defense minister, according to a presidency statement released today, Wednesday, February 11. Mansour, who previously served as Commandant of the Egyptian Military Academy, replaces General Abdel Majeed Saqr, who had held the post since July 2024. The change comes as part of a limited cabinet reshuffle approved yesterday, Tuesday, February 10, by the House of Representatives, though Mansour’s appointment was not announced at the time.