Today in Africa — Feb 24, 2026: 11 South African Men Lured into Russia-Ukraine War Are Coming Home, Morocco Captain Achraf Hakimi Faces Rape Trial in France

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.

South Africa Says 11 Men Lured Into Russia-Ukraine War Will Return Home Soon

South Africa’s government says 11 of 17 men allegedly tricked into fighting for Russia in Ukraine are expected to return home soon, after four arrived back in the country last week. Two others remain in Russia, including one being treated in a Moscow hospital. President Cyril Ramaphosa raised the men’s situation directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, and his office says the repatriations are being handled through diplomatic channels.

The men, aged between 20 and 39, contacted South African authorities in November after becoming trapped in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Officials say they were lured to Russia with promises of security training and well-paid jobs, only to be deployed to the front lines. Under South African law, citizens are barred from joining foreign armed forces or mercenary activities without government approval, and the four men who returned last week were questioned by police before being released to their families.

Authorities are now investigating how the recruitment took place. At least three people are under scrutiny, including Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, who has denied wrongdoing and resigned from the legislature amid the allegations. The case comes as reports grow of African men being recruited to fight for Russia, including more than 1,000 Kenyans, according to a recent Kenyan intelligence report, adding to diplomatic strain around the war.

Morocco Captain Achraf Hakimi Set to Face Trial Over Rape Allegation

Morocco national football team captain and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi says he will face trial in France following an allegation that he raped a woman at his home in Paris in 2023, an accusation he denies. The public prosecutor’s office in Nanterre opened a preliminary investigation last year, and while no trial date has been set, Hakimi says the case is moving forward. In a post on X, the 27-year-old called the process unjust and said he is awaiting trial so the truth can be heard publicly.

Hakimi remains available for selection and was named in PSG’s squad ahead of their Champions League play-off match against Monaco. Born in Spain and capped by Morocco, he is a key figure for both club and country and was recently named to the FIFPRO Men’s World Team of the Year at the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris. The defender has made nearly 200 appearances for PSG and continues to captain Morocco as the team prepares for upcoming international competitions, including the FIFA World Cup. He was named the 2025 CAF African Player of the Year in November, becoming the first defender to win the award in 52 years. 

Hundreds of Kenyans Rescued From Cambodia Scam Centers Seek Court Order to Go Home

More than 600 Kenyans who say they were trafficked to Cambodia after being promised jobs have asked Kenya High Court to compel the government to bring them home. Court filings say the group was held in a guarded compound surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, forced to work up to 16 hours a day in scam operations, and subjected to violence, with some suffering stabbings and untreated injuries. The petition seeks urgent orders for consular protection, emergency travel documents, and repatriation, citing constitutional protections against torture and slavery.

Cambodia’s interior ministry says the Kenyans were rescued during a crackdown on scam centers and are being held in safety shelters while talks continue with embassies. Officials added it was a misunderstanding that the group could face legal action, after the Kenyans said they were told to leave Cambodia by February 28 or risk imprisonment. A Kenyan foreign ministry spokesperson says she is not aware of the case, which was set to be heard by the High Court today, Tuesday, February 24.

RSF Assault on Darfur Town Kills at Least 28, Doctors Say

At least 28 people were killed and 39 wounded when Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces attacked the town of Misteriha in North Darfur, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The town is a stronghold of Arab tribal leader Musa Hilal, who belongs to the same Rizeigat tribe as many RSF fighters. The medical group says RSF shelling hit the local health center, after which fighters assaulted medical staff and detained at least one worker. Rights monitors say homes were burned, and residents fled to nearby villages as RSF forces took control of the town following drone strikes and a ground offensive. There was no immediate comment from the RSF, and the motive for the attack was unclear. Sudan’s war, which began in 2023 between the army and the RSF, has killed thousands, displaced more than 14 million people, and fueled famine and disease across the country.

M23 Spokesperson Killed in Congo Drone Strike as Ceasefire Talks Continue

Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, was killed in an army drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo today, Tuesday, February 24, according to multiple sources cited by Reuters. The strike hit near Rubaya in North Kivu around 3 a.m., following several days of sustained drone attacks by Congolese forces. Rubaya is a key coltan-mining hub that accounts for about 15% of the world’s supply and serves as a major financial base for the M23, which the United Nations says is backed by Rwanda and controls large parts of North and South Kivu after seizing cities including Goma and Bukavu last year. Ngoma’s death comes as Qatar-mediated ceasefire efforts continue, with the Congolese government and M23 having agreed in Doha to set up a joint ceasefire monitoring mechanism involving Qatar, the United States, and the African Union.

Senegal’s Student Protests and Heavy Police Crackdown Magnify the Country’s Debt Crisis 

This month’s police raid on student dormitories at Senegal’s top university, which left one student dead and dozens injured, came as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s government grapples with a major hidden-debt crisis uncovered last year, which has forced spending cuts, stalled projects, and new taxes, deepening frustration among students and workers. The clashes followed protests over delayed or reduced student financial aid, with students accusing authorities of failing to honor bursary payments, while the government says it has only changed the payment schedule. Journalism students tell Reuters that police beat residents with batons during the raid, triggering a fire as some tried to flee, and second-year dental student Abdoulaye Ba later died from his injuries. Police say more than 100 students were arrested and defend the use of force, while prosecutors say Ba died after jumping from a window, a claim students dispute. The debt scandal, which was inherited from the previous administration, pushed public debt to 132% of GDP and froze IMF funding. To stabilize finances, authorities have cut spending, adjusted student aid payments, paused construction projects, and introduced new taxes. Students and unions say the burden is falling hardest on young people, accusing the government of betraying promises made during the youth-led protests that helped bring it to power.

South Sudan’s Kiir Fires Finance Minister in Latest Cabinet Shake-Up

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol, marking the country’s ninth change at the finance ministry since 2020. The decision was announced on state television on Monday, with Kiir appointing Salvatore Garang as the new finance minister. Garang, an economist trained in Khartoum, previously held the role from 2018 to 2020 during a period of economic reform and fiscal pressure. The decree also removed several other senior officials, including the head of the National Revenue Authority. No reason was given for Chol’s dismissal, analysts say; frequent reshuffles are a tactic Kiir uses to consolidate power amid ongoing conflict and uncertainty over succession in South Sudan.

Ghana Renames Kotoka Airport, Dropping Coup Leader’s Name

Ghana’s government has removed the name of coup leader Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka from the country’s main airport, restoring it to Accra International Airport 60 years after the overthrow of independence leader Kwame Nkrumah. Kotoka was among the officers who led the 1966 coup against Nkrumah and was later killed during a failed counter-coup at the airport, which was renamed in his honor in 1969 by a military government. Transport officials said the change reflects democratic values and presents a neutral national image tied to the capital, while critics, including Kotoka’s family and opposition lawmakers, argue it erases his legacy and ignores more urgent economic issues. The debate has intensified since President John Mahama returned to power, with civil society groups backing the move as a rejection of honoring unconstitutional rule, and authorities insisting the renaming will not disrupt airport operations or travel.

Cameroon Allows Family of Detained Opposition Figure Anicet Ekane to Retrieve His Body

Cameroonian authorities have allowed the family of opposition figure Anicet Ekane to retrieve his body nearly three months after he died in military detention, clearing the way for funeral arrangements. Ekane, 74, died on December 1, about five weeks after his arrest, and his remains had been held under judicial seal at a Yaoundé hospital mortuary. Family lawyers say they are also seeking access to the autopsy report, which has not been made public. Ekane was detained with other opposition figures accused of insurrection after backing rival candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary in Cameroon’s disputed October presidential election, which official results say was won by longtime leader Paul Biya, sparking deadly protests across the country.

Fires Disrupt Flights at Lagos and Cape Town Airports

Flights were briefly disrupted at two major African airports after separate fires hit facilities in Nigeria and South Africa this week. Airspace over Murtala Muhammed International Airport was suspended yesterday, Monday, February 23, after a fire broke out in a server room at Terminal 1, injuring six people and trapping 14 others in the control tower before they were evacuated; flights resumed later that evening. The blaze damaged the departures hall, which is undergoing a $500 million renovation, and authorities set up a temporary control tower to restore operations. A day later, a fire at Cape Town International Airport disrupted international and domestic flights after the network and IT systems were affected, forcing temporary suspensions and diversions. Officials say the fire was extinguished quickly and that no injuries were reported.