Ghana's Mahama Says Slavery Reparations Go Beyond Cash Payments
Ghanaian President John Mahama says calls for slavery reparations are not limited to direct cash payments and also include investments in education, health, economic growth, and debt treatment. In March, the UN adopted a non-binding resolution, pushed by Mahama and backed by 123 member states, that declared the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity" and asked nations involved to engage in "restitution" and "compensation." British Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he is open to apologizing but has ruled out financial reparations, and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called payments "not feasible." Mahama has announced three working panels to explore practical paths to reparatory justice.
U.S. Moves Toward $986,500 Grant for AfriForum to Document Violence Against Afrikaners
The Trump administration is expected to award a $986,500 State Department grant, about R18 million, to AfriForum, a white Afrikaner advocacy group in South Africa. The grant is to document alleged violence, hateful rhetoric, and discrimination affecting Afrikaners and other minorities in South Africa, according to ProPublica. The department's August 6 notice did not name a recipient, and AfriForum says the allocation has not been finalized. The money would come from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor for a 15- to 18-month project. It follows Trump's February 2025 order halting aid to South Africa and prioritizing Afrikaners for refugee admission, and the administration plans to admit up to 17,500 refugees, mostly Afrikaners, this fiscal year. South Africa's government rejects the claim that Afrikaners face state persecution.
At Least 39 Migrants Die in Boat Sinking Off Senegal
At least 39 people died when a small wooden boat carrying migrants to Spain's Canary Islands capsized between Dakar and Saint-Louis, Senegal's press agency reports. One person was rescued, and the number still missing is unknown. Authorities have identified 24 of the dead, and 11 are awaiting identification. Walking Borders recorded 635 deaths on the Atlantic route between January and May 2026, the highest toll among the routes it monitors. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye urged people not to risk the crossings and pledged to dismantle the smuggling networks. Meanwhile, Spain's El Hierro island declared a state of emergency after more than 3,300 people arrived in about 30 boats since early November.
Dangote IPO Misses 10 Million Investor Target Despite ₦6.4 Trillion in Orders
Africa’s wealthiest man Aliko Dangote said yesterday, Sunday, November 8, that his refinery's "People's IPO" fell short of its goal of 10 million investors, even though Reuters reports it drew about ₦6.4 trillion (about $4.7 billion) in orders, roughly three times its ₦2.15 trillion (about $ 1.6 billion) base target. Speaking at the WIMBIZ conference in Lagos, he blamed limited time and said that "a lot of people... didn't know how to access" the offer, and said the final investor count is not yet set. Dangote said applications came from 120 countries, including all 54 African nations. The offer sold 4.1 billion shares at ₦525 each, and its close was extended to October 27. Proceeds are meant to help fund a $14.3 billion plan to double the Lagos refinery's capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2029.
