Today in Africa — November 26, 2025: A Coup in Guinea-Bissau, 24 Kidnapped Students Released in Nigeria, Coalition Asks ICC to Investigate Tanzania Post-Election Crackdown

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.

Army Officers Announce Coup in Guinea-Bissau Ahead of Contested Election Results

Army officers in Guinea-Bissau announced a coup, saying they have removed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo from power, suspended the electoral process, closed the country’s borders, and imposed a curfew. They delivered the declaration on state television today, Wednesday, November 26, just hours before the electoral commission was due to release provisional results from Sunday’s presidential vote. The officers claimed they had formed a “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” to take control of the country.

Gunfire erupted near key government buildings in the capital — including the election commission, presidential palace, and interior ministry — and lasted roughly an hour before calm returned, witnesses told Reuters. Embalo, who was seeking a second term, could not be reached. At the same time, his spokesperson accused supporters of rival candidate Fernando Dias of trying to stop the results from being announced, an allegation Dias’ camp denies. Guinea-Bissau has a long history of instability, with Embalo himself claiming to have survived three coup attempts since taking office in 2020.

Nigerian Students Abducted in Kebbi State Have Been Released

24 schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GCSSS) in Maga, Kebbi state, in the early hours of Monday, November 17, have been released. 25 students were abducted in the school attack, one of them escaped shortly after. Nigerian authorities stated that the remaining students had been brought back following a military operation, without providing further details. State minister for defense Bello Matawalle said the mission was carried out on the directive of President Bola Tinubu and commended the “security and intelligence forces for their swift response, dedication, and professionalism.”

However, many Nigerians online have voiced out dissatisfaction at the lack of details on the operation, with some asking if any arrests were made. Also, a video surfaced online, seemingly showing the armed attackers talking to the abducted girls in Hausa and strongly alleging that the Nigerian government had to negotiate for their release. “We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government cannot rescue you with might. Your government has failed,” one of the abductors declared at the end of the video. Former Presidential election candidate Atiku Abubakar slated the Tinubu administration, deeming the release of the students an achievement, rather than “a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms.”

A few days after the Kebbi incident, over 300 students were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger state. The government has disputed the number, which was provided by school authorities, and several schools across Niger and Kwara states have been closed due to recent kidnapping incidents. Over 1,800 students have been kidnapped by Islamist insurgent groups in the past decade-plus, making northern Nigeria one of the least safe places for students in the world.

Civil Society Groups Petition ICC to Investigate Tanzania Post-Election Protests Crackdown

A coalition of regional and international civil society groups and legal bodies has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate gross human rights violations and alleged killings that happened after Tanzania’s presidential election in late October. The 82-page petition was submitted by lawyers of the alleged victims, backed by the World Jurists Association, Madrid Bar Association, and several other groups. The petition document details alleged killings, abductions by Tanzanian police and state forces, torture, and other more.

“I can confirm that a communication concerning the situation in Tanzania has been submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC,” lawyer Juan Carlos Gutierrez said. In what analysts saw as a preemptive move against international scrutiny, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan set up a commission of inquiry last week to look into the events of the post-election protests. Hassan was announced as the election winner with 98 percent of the vote, a result the opposition called a sham. Protests erupted during and after the election, and reportedly over 700 people were killed in the violent crackdown by state forces.

Ethiopia Confirms Six Deaths in Marburg Virus Outbreak

Ethiopia has reported six deaths from a Marburg virus outbreak in the Omo region, where authorities detected 11 infections and declared the outbreak on November 14, state media said. Five patients remain under treatment, while health officials have isolated 349 people who were in contact with confirmed cases — 119 of whom have since completed monitoring. No other African country has reported recent Marburg cases. The virus, which originates in fruit bats and spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials, causes symptoms ranging from fever and muscle pain to severe bleeding, and has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Apple Sued in Washington Over Alleged Use of Conflict Minerals From Congo and Rwanda

A U.S.-based advocacy group has filed a lawsuit in Washington accusing Apple of using cobalt, tin, tantalum, and tungsten tied to child labor and armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, despite the company’s repeated denials. The complaint by International Rights Advocates says Apple’s supply chain still includes material processed by three Chinese smelters accused by the United Nations and Global Witness investigators of handling minerals smuggled from conflict zones. The lawsuit seeks a court ruling that Apple violated consumer protection laws and an injunction against what it calls deceptive marketing, but does not seek damages. Apple has insisted its audits show no links to conflict minerals and says most of the cobalt in its devices now comes from recycled sources, while critics argue that its accounting methods still allow contaminated ore to enter the supply chain.

Kenya to Appeal Court Ruling That Halted EU Trade Deal

Kenya says it will appeal a regional court decision that suspended its Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, a move Trade Minister Lee Kinyanjui warned threatens $1.56 billion in annual exports. The East Africa Court of Justice halted implementation after an NGO argued the deal violates parts of the East African Community’s common market treaty. Kinyanjui said the ministry has begun legal action to overturn the injunction and insisted Kenya will keep trading with the EU while seeking “continuity, predictability and protection” for existing arrangements. Kenya signed the agreement in 2023 to secure long-term access for its goods to the 27-nation bloc and gradually open its own market to European products.