Today in Africa — November 24, 2025: Sudan Army Chief Rejects “Biased” Ceasefire Deal, Cameroon Opposition Leader Flees to Gambia, Nigerians Demand Better Solutions to Insecurity Crisis

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.

Sudan Army Chief Rejects “Biased” Ceasefire Proposal

Sudan’s army chief has rejected a ceasefire proposal by U.S.-led mediators, stating that the proposed deal is “biased.” General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan criticized the deal for terms he deemed unacceptable, and accused U.S. African affairs adviser Massad Boulos of wanting to “impose conditions” on the Sudanese army. “This plan eliminates the armed forces, dissolves security agencies and keeps the militia where they are,” al-Burhan said in a video released by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). “It is very bad and we won’t accept it.”

A four-nation group known as the quad, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been trying to broker peace between SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). SAF have been critical of the UAE’s involvement, accusing it of supporting the RSF in an ongoing civil war that has killed thousands and displaced millions. Al-Burhan’s rejection of the proposed ceasefire dents the hopes for a cessation of fighting in Sudan. The RSF had agreed to the deal, but only after it violently captured El-Fasher, where it has been accused of carrying out a systemic genocide.

Nigerians Demand Better Results from President Tinubu Amidst Return of Abductees

Many negative reactions have trailed a statement by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, lauding “the efforts of our security forces,” amidst renewed attention to the country’s dire insecurity crisis. Tinubu announced that all 38 abducted people during an attack on a church in Eruku, Kwara state, north-central Nigeria, had been rescued. He also shared that 51 of the hundreds of students abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state “have been recovered.” Over three hundred students were taken by armed attackers in the school incident, making it a school kidnapping with the largest number of abducted students yet.

Criticisms of the president’s statement centered on the dearth of information, particularly a lack of arrests amidst the recoveries. Some also wondered if the Nigerian government had to pay ransom to the terrorists. Also, the 51 students escaped from their captors, nullifying the optics of a successful military operation. Schools in certain areas of Kwara and Niger states have been closed due to the security situation. Tinubu, who started his statement by reminding Nigerians that he cancelled his trip to last weekend’s G20 Summit in South Africa, added that he “will not relent” until Nigeria is secure.

Daughter of former South African President Accused of Recruiting Locals to Fight in Russia-Ukraine War

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, has been accused of recruiting 17 South African men to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. The criminal complaint was filed by Zuma-Sambudla’s sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube. The men were allegedly lured in by claims of a training in Russia to be part of the bodyguards for Jacob Zuma’s party uMkhonto weSizwe (MK). Earlier this month, the South African government said it had received distress calls from 17 citizens trapped in the Ukrainian region of Donbas, after joining Russian mercenaries. This complaint adds to Zuma-Sambudla’s legal woes, as she’s currently on trial for inciting riots in 2022.

Opposition Leader Flees Cameroon Amidst Post-Election Tensions

Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary has fled to The Gambia, following deadly protests that rocked the central African country, in the aftermath of last month’s controversial presidential election. Tchiroma fled “for the purpose of ensuring his safety,” the Gambian government said in its statement over the weekend, adding that it was looking to facilitate a “peaceful and diplomatic resolution” to Cameroon’s post-electoral tensions. Long-term President Paul Biya was declared winner of the elections, as the world’s oldest head of state looks to remain in office until he’s 99 years old. Tchiroma has been adamant that he won the election, claiming that Biya’s 53.7 percent win announced by the country’s electoral body is a sham, and is only possible due to electoral fraud.

Long-Dormant Volcano Erupts in Northern Ethiopia

Several villages in Northern Ethiopia have been covered by dust, while ash plumes have floated across the red sea toward Yemen and Oman, after a volcanic eruption took place in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Local administrator Mohammed Seid told The Associated Press that no casualties were recorded, but the resulting ash from the long-dormant volcano means “animals have little to eat” in these areas, several of them communities of livestock herders. A resident described the eruption as akin to “a sudden bomb [that] had been thrown with smoke and ash.”