Today in Africa — November 12, 2025: UN Warns of Mass Killings in Tanzania Post Elections, El Fasher Women Report Systematic Rape & Missing Children, Nigeria’s Super Eagles Boycott Training Over Unpaid Wages

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.

UN Says Hundreds Killed in Tanzania’s Post-Election Crackdown

The UN Human Rights Office says hundreds of people were likely killed in Tanzania during protests following the October 29 elections, with reports that security forces removed bodies to hide evidence. The unrest erupted after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with nearly 98% of the vote in an election widely criticized for excluding opposition candidates. The UN says it cannot independently verify the death toll due to an internet blackout and poor access, but multiple sources point to large-scale killings and detentions.

The government has dismissed the opposition’s claim of more than 1,000 deaths as exaggerated and insists security forces acted against violent elements. More than 300 people have been charged in connection with the protests, including at least 145 with treason. Human rights groups and opposition leader Tundu Lissu accuse the government of suppressing dissent, while African Union observers say the election failed to meet the standards of democracy.

UN Reports Systematic Rape and Killings After RSF’s Capture of El Fasher

Women fleeing Sudan’s El Fasher city have described killings, sexual violence, and the disappearance of children following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) takeover on October 26, according to U.N. Women. The agency’s regional director, Anna Mutavati, said survivors reported “horrors that no one should ever endure,” adding that rape is being used deliberately as a weapon of war. The city’s fall has cemented the RSF’s control of Darfur, where widespread famine and insecurity have left millions in crisis.

UN field reports say women searching for food in Darfur face sexual violence and abductions, as 11 million women and girls suffer acute hunger. The UN Human Rights Chief warned of ongoing summary executions, rape, and ethnically driven attacks. At the same time, roughly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher since its capture, leaving up to 200,000 still trapped inside.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles Ditch Training Over Unpaid Allowances

Ahead of a crucial World Cup playoff game against Gabon, Nigeria’s men’s football team, The Super Eagles, boycotted training yesterday, in protest against unpaid allowance and match bonuses. Both players and technical staff participated in the boycott and are demanding a resolution to all outstanding payments. Team captain William Troost-Ekong confirmed that the team didn’t train, debunking alternate claims that the players had received due payments but are now seeking special bonuses.

“Any other statement/claim or especially [sic] demands other than the rightful request..is FALSE,” Troost-Ekong wrote in an X post. “All we want and continue to do is focus on the big games ahead.” The Super Eagles are in a must-win situation; they play Gabon in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday, November 13, and the winner advances to the final playoff match against the winner of the other semi-final match between Cameroon and DR Congo. The winner of the final advances to next year’s intercontinental playoffs.

Son and Wife of Former Gabon President Convicted of Embezzling Public Funds

Nourredin Bongo, son of deposed Gabon President Ali Bongo, has denied allegations of embezzlement after a special criminal court found him and his mother, Sylvia Bongo, guilty of siphoning public funds. The pair were convicted in absentia, as they didn’t attend the trial. They’ve been sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined 100 million CFA francs ($177,000). Noureddin was also ordered to pay an additional 1.2 trillion CFA francs ($2.1m) for damages to the Gabonese state when he used his role as the General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs to allegedly embezzle obscene amounts.

“The Gabonese justice system has no interest in credibility when it accuses us of embezzling €7.5 billion, as this is a political conviction and it needs to make too big to be true,” Noureddin wrote in an X post, claiming that the conviction is based on a verdict coerced by the erstwhile junta that ousted his father. “I have never embezzled money and I will continue to fight for the truth before independent legal authorities,” he added. Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of the coup that ousted the 56-year-long Bongo dynasty, won the presidential election earlier this year.

Writer Boualem Sansal Set to be Freed by Algerian Government

Algerian authorities have announced that they will be releasing writer Boualem Sansal after nearly a year in detention. Sansal was arrested in mid-November 2024, after he said France ceded Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial era. He was sentenced to five years in prison for comments deemed harmful to national unity. Sansal’s pardon came after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the Algerian government for his release, a request the Algerian government has now granted. Germany will take charge of Sansal and take charge of his treatments for prostate cancer.

Paris Trial Begins for Congolese Rebel Leader Accused of War Crimes

Former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala went on trial in Paris today, Wednesday, November 12, for crimes against humanity committed during the Second Congo War between 1998 and 2003. The 67-year-old, who led the Uganda-backed Congolese Rally for National Democracy, is accused of torture, rape, executions, and enslavement of civilians from minority groups in eastern Congo. Arrested in France in 2020, Lumbala faces life imprisonment if convicted. His case marks the first time a Congolese political or military figure has been tried abroad under the principle of universal jurisdiction, in what rights groups are calling a “historic trial” for survivors seeking justice.

Tension Emerges Between Faye and Sonko as Senegal’s IMF Talks Stall

Senegal’s ruling coalition is showing cracks after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko issued conflicting statements about its leadership, fueling speculation of internal discord as the country struggles to secure a new IMF loan deal. Faye appointed former Prime Minister Aminata Toure to head the coalition, while Sonko’s Pastef party rejected the move, insisting Aissatou Mbodj remains its leader. The dispute comes as IMF negotiations drag on over how to address Senegal’s $11 billion debt, with Sonko publicly opposing any restructuring, remarks that sent Senegal’s bonds to a four-month low.

At Least 42 Migrants Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Libya

At least 42 migrants are feared dead after their rubber boat capsized near Libya’s Al Buri oilfield, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today, Wednesday, November 12. Seven survivors from Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Somalia were rescued after drifting at sea for six days. The tragedy pushes the number of deaths on the central Mediterranean route past 1,000 this year, with over 2,400 recorded across the Mediterranean in 2024. Libya remains a major departure point for migrants attempting the dangerous crossing to Europe, where rights groups have urged authorities to shut down detention centers accused of abuse and torture.