Today in Africa — November 7, 2025: Tanzania Charges 145 People with Treason, Sudan Army Intercepts RSF Drones One Day After Truce Agreement, ICC Confirms 39 War Crimes Charges Against Uganda’s Kony

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. 

Tanzania Charges 145 People With Treason as Post-Election Crackdown Deepens

Tanzanian prosecutors have charged at least 145 people with treason over last week’s election protests, according to court filings seen by Reuters. The charges come amid widespread outrage over alleged killings by security forces, with opposition party CHADEMA and rights groups claiming more than 1,000 people were killed — a figure the government insists is exaggerated. The filings accuse the group of trying to obstruct the 2025 general election and damaging government property. Religious leaders say the move will further inflame tensions. Several opposition figures, including CHADEMA’s leader Tundu Lissu, charged in April, and vice-chair John Heche, charged yesterday, Thursday, November 7, already face terrorism or treason charges after being barred from running. African Union observers said the vote was not credible and documented ballot-box stuffing, though the government maintains the election was fair.

The fallout is spilling across borders as Kenya raises alarm over its citizens caught in the violence. Kenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, told his Tanzanian counterpart that Kenyans have been killed, injured, or detained in the crackdown and demanded guarantees of their safety. Some families say bodies of their loved ones cannot be traced, while rights groups accuse Tanzanian security forces of targeting Kenyans as “scapegoats.” Nairobi has asked relatives to submit names of those missing or in distress. The unrest has triggered a wave of departures by Kenyans working in Tanzania, especially after authorities warned employers against hiring foreigners without permits.

In the aftermath of a tightly controlled election that returned President Samia Suluhu Hassan to office with 98% of the vote, Tanzania faces mounting international scrutiny. Observers say political space has sharply narrowed, with opposition leaders jailed or barred from running. As curfews lift and cities reopen, anger over the killings and treason charges continues to cloud the government’s call for calm — and threatens to test Tanzania’s already fragile relations with Kenya.

Sudanese Army Intercepts RSF Drone Strikes as Push for Truce Intensifies

Sudan’s army says it intercepted a wave of drones launched overnight by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including 15 drones targeting Atbara in River Nile state and another strike aimed at Omdurman. No casualties were reported, though residents heard explosions. The attacks came just a day after the RSF publicly agreed to a U.S.-backed humanitarian ceasefire, while the army said it would only sign on if the paramilitary group withdraws from civilian areas and surrenders weapons as outlined in earlier proposals. The war, now in its second year, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, with aid agencies warning the true toll is far higher.

International pressure is mounting as conditions worsen. The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session on November 14 to address recent atrocities in and around El Fasher, which the RSF seized after an 18-month siege. UNICEF reports more than 81,000 people have fled the city since late October, while many others are facing acute shortages of food, water, and medical care. Over 850 children have been identified with acute malnutrition, while violence, sexual assaults, and looting continue to rise across North Darfur.

ICC Confirms 39 War Crimes Charges Against Uganda’s Joseph Kony

The International Criminal Court has confirmed 39 war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, clearing the way for a trial if he is ever captured. Judges said there are “substantial grounds” linking Kony to atrocities committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army between 2002 and 2005, including murder, rape, sexual enslavement, and the abduction of children. The ruling also holds him responsible for 10 crimes he allegedly committed himself, tied to two women he forced to become his wives. It is the first time the ICC has confirmed charges in the absence of a suspect, allowing the case to move forward even as Kony remains at large.

Kony, 64, has been the ICC’s longest-standing fugitive since a warrant was first issued nearly two decades ago. The court’s decision follows a three-day hearing in September, where prosecutors and victims’ lawyers presented years of evidence and testimony. The LRA’s campaign of violence killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced 2.5 million across Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. Despite international campaigns like #Kony2012 and multiple military efforts to find him, Kony has never been apprehended. Prosecutors say attempts to track him down are ongoing.

EU Naval Force Rescues Crew After Somali Pirates Seize Tanker

A European Union naval mission reached the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite today, Friday, November 7, after it was attacked by Somali pirates, finding all 24 crew members unharmed. The mariners had locked themselves in the ship’s citadel when the assault began. Spain’s ESPS Victoria deployed special forces, a helicopter, a drone, and surveillance aircraft, prompting the pirates to flee. Operation Atalanta, the EU’s anti-piracy force, warned that the threat in the area remains “critical,” noting the pirate mother ship is still nearby as a joint effort continues to intercept the dhow used in the attack.

The tanker, carrying gasoline from India to South Africa, was more than 1,000 kilometers off Somalia’s coast when pirates opened fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The attempted hijacking follows a string of recent incidents linked to the same gang, including an attack earlier this week on the Stolt Sagaland and multiple fishing vessel seizures. After years of decline, Somali piracy is rising again amid broader insecurity tied to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Local fishermen say the renewed hijackings fuel fear and damage Somalia’s reputation, as many now worry they’ll be mistaken for pirates themselves.

WFP Warns Food Aid in Eastern DRC Could Halt by February Amid Severe Funding Shortfall

The United Nations World Food Programme says it may be forced to halt food aid in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by February as funding dries up, putting millions of malnourished people at risk. Country director Cynthia Jones says the agency has received only $150 million this year — less than half of the $350 million needed — as conflict in South Kivu and surrounding areas drives acute hunger for more than 3.2 million people. The WFP has already cut support from 1 million people per month to 600,000, warning it will “break completely” within months without new funding. The crisis comes as global donors, including the U.S. and major European partners, sharply reduce foreign aid budgets.

South African Bribery Whistleblower Avoids Jail in Major Plea Deal

South African businessman Angelo Agrizzi, once the star witness in the Zondo Commission’s corruption inquiry, has avoided prison despite receiving a 40-year suspended sentence after admitting to delivering bribes to senior officials during Jacob Zuma’s presidency. Prosecutors say Agrizzi pleaded guilty to corruption and money laundering linked to former Corrections Department leaders and a former lawmaker, whom he paid to secure lucrative prison contracts for his ex-employer, Bosasa. His dramatic 2019 testimony detailed years of bribery involving bags of cash, political favors, and a “little black book” of payouts, helping expose widespread graft in the Zuma era. The plea deal requires his continued cooperation, as South Africa faces criticism for the slow prosecution of those implicated in the state capture scandal.

IMF Ends Senegal Mission Without New Deal but Says Agreement Is Close

The International Monetary Fund says its latest mission to Senegal ended without securing a new lending programme. However, officials expect one to be finalized in the coming weeks. Mission Chief Edward Gemayel says talks are continuing after Senegal’s new government revealed more than $11 billion in previously unreported debt, a disclosure that froze the country’s earlier $1.8 billion IMF programme. Dakar now requires both a new loan package and a debt misreporting waiver from the Fund, as public debt reached an estimated 132% of GDP last year. The IMF is still completing its debt sustainability analysis, which will determine whether Senegal must restructure or re-profile its debt, but Gemayel says the government appears committed to an aggressive fiscal consolidation plan aimed at bringing its deficit down to 5.4% of GDP by 2026.