Today in Africa — January 14, 2026: U.S. Halts Visas for 26 African Nations, Sudan Truce Talks Resume

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.

U.S. Freezes Immigrant Visas From 26 African Countries Under New Trump Order

Starting January 21, the U.S. will pause immigrant visa processing for 75 countries as it reviews screening and vetting, according to the State Department, with officials saying the move targets places where migrants are seen as becoming public charges. Africa is heavily affected, with 26 countries on the list: Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda. The pause will remain in place until the review is completed.

In a series of statements posted online, the State Department said consular officers have been told to refuse visas under existing law while the reassessment continues, arguing the goal is to stop new immigrants from relying on U.S. welfare. The freeze, which also covers dozens of countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, will run indefinitely and is part of President Donald Trump’s broader push to tighten U.S. immigration rules. Yesterday, the U.S. said it would end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 1,100 Somalis in the United States, a move that would strip them of deportation relief and work permits starting March 17.

Egypt, UN Push for Sudan Truce as Aid Reaches Besieged El Fasher

Peace talks on Sudan picked up again in Cairo as Egypt and the United Nations urged the army and the Rapid Support Forces to agree to a nationwide humanitarian truce nearly three years into the war. Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, says Cairo will not accept any move to split Sudan or weaken its state institutions, calling those red lines, while United Nations envoy Ramtane Lamamra says diplomacy still offers a path forward. U.S. adviser Massad Boulos says more than 1.3 metric tons of aid reached El Fasher in North Darfur today, Wednesday, January 14, through American-led talks, the first delivery since the city fell to the RSF in October after an 18-month siege, even as Egypt and the U.S. push the warring sides to keep aid corridors open.

Fighting has not stopped. The UN says at least 19 civilians were killed in ground clashes in Jarjira in North Darfur on Monday, while a drone strike on Sinja in Sennar province killed at least 10 more, with the Sudan Doctors Network blaming the RSF. More than 8,000 people have been newly displaced by the latest violence, some fleeing within Darfur and others crossing into Chad, as rights groups continue to accuse both sides of abuses in a conflict that has already created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Uganda’s Poll Chief Says He Is Being Threatened Ahead of Presidential Vote

Uganda’s electoral commission head, Simon Byabakama, says he has received threats from senior state officials warning him not to declare certain candidates the winners in the presidential election tomorrow, Thursday, January 15, but insists only the law and the voters will decide the outcome. His comments followed the release of a video showing a presidential aide saying the commission would never announce opposition leader Bobi Wine as president, even if he won. Byabakama says anyone who gets more than 50 percent plus one of valid votes must be declared president and promised results within 48 hours of polls closing.

President Yoweri Museveni, 81, is seeking a seventh term after nearly four decades in power, with Bobi Wine, 43, as his main challenger among seven others in a race with 21.6 million registered voters. The campaign has seen opposition rallies broken up and activists detained, while internet access was cut and mobile services limited this week, a move the United Nations rights office called deeply worrying. Byabakama said the military’s heavy presence is meant to keep order, though he confirmed his office is probing claims that some polling stations are inside military sites.

Burkina Faso Fires Coach Brama Traoré After AFCON Exit

Burkina Faso has dismissed head coach Brama Traoré and his entire staff after the team’s 3–0 loss to Côte d’Ivoire in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 in Morocco, falling short of a semi-final target set before the tournament. The Burkinabe Football Federation says the results caused deep disappointment and did not match the team’s recent momentum, ending Traoré’s 22-month spell in charge and making him the second coach sacked at this year’s AFCON after Tunisia’s Sami Trabelsi.

Benin Opens Its Doors to the African Diaspora With New Citizenship Program

Benin has begun granting citizenship to people of African descent through its My Afro Origins program, which lets applicants prove ancestral ties through records or DNA tests, as part of a push to reconnect the diaspora with a country deeply linked to the transatlantic slave trade. About 50 people, including Martinique-born content creator Isaline Attelly, have been naturalized so far, with thousands more applications under review, while projects like a new Door of No Return, a slavery museum in Ouidah, and celebrity ambassadors such as filmmaker and actor Spike Lee aim to spotlight Benin’s history and boost tourism and diaspora ties.

Mauritania Crackdown Pushes West African Migrants Onto Deadlier Canary Islands Routes

A clampdown on irregular migration in Mauritania forced more West African migrants to set off from farther south in 2025, making the already deadly journey to Spain’s Canary Islands even riskier, Red Cross data shows. Departures from Mauritania fell 89 percent after the country signed an EU-backed migration pact, but boats from The Gambia more than doubled to 22, and even Guinea sent three vessels, including one that traveled 11 days from Conakry over 2,000 kilometers away, as overall arrivals to the Canaries dropped 59 percent by October despite the longer, more dangerous crossings.

Armed Gang Threat Forces Thousands to Flee Homes in Northwest Nigeria

Thousands of people have been driven out of the Tidibale community in Nigeria’s Sokoto state after gang leader Bello Turji allegedly ordered residents to leave, blaming them for tipping off security forces during a raid that killed one of his fighters. Locals say Turji killed three people to enforce the threat, while authorities have evacuated more than 3,000 people by truck to the town of Isa, where many are now sheltering in schools as police warn of a growing humanitarian crisis in a region already hit by years of gang and Islamist violence.

Nigeria Steps Up U.S. Lobbying as Trump Deepens Security Ties

Nigeria has hired a U.S. lobbying firm, DCI Group, for $750,000 a month to push back against claims of anti-Christian persecution and strengthen ties with the Trump administration, as Washington ramps up security cooperation after Christmas Day airstrikes in Sokoto State. The strikes, which Nigeria called a joint operation against Islamic State-linked militants and bandit groups, were followed this week by the delivery of what U.S. Africa Command called “critical military supplies,” even as President Donald Trump again warned of more attacks if Christians are killed. Abuja and independent analysts reject Trump’s “Christian genocide” narrative, saying Nigeria’s violence affects both Muslims and Christians, but the country remains listed by the U.S. as a “country of particular concern,” while journalists have so far confirmed only civilian damage and injuries from the December bombing.

Tunisian Journalist Chatha Belhaj Mubarak Freed After Sentence Cut

A Tunisian appeals court has ordered the release of journalist Chatha Belhaj Mubarak after reducing her prison sentence from five years to two in the high-profile “Instalingo” conspiracy case, making her eligible for immediate freedom. Mubarak, who has been jailed since 2023 and has denied all charges, is now leaving prison, her family says, adding that her health worsened in detention, with serious hearing loss and a cancer diagnosis. Authorities say the case involves financial and security crimes and reject claims of political targeting, even as other journalists, activists, and opposition figures continue to face long sentences in similar conspiracy trials.

Deadly Attack Kills at Least 15 in Cameroon’s Anglophone Northwest

At least 15 people, including eight children, were killed when armed men attacked the village of Gidado in Cameroon’s Ndu area early today, Wednesday, January 14, according to local chief Tata Ndzisshoto, who said the victims were Mbororo herders often accused by separatists of backing the military. No group has claimed responsibility, but the North West regional governor called it a “massacre” by “terrorists” as fighting continues in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, where separatists have been waging an insurgency since 2017. The conflict has left more than 6,000 people dead and displaced over 600,000, and despite fewer recent attacks, peace talks remain stalled with no end in sight.