Ethiopia Launches First Gold Refinery in $50 Million Joint Venture
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says Ethiopia has launched its first gold refinery, a $50 million joint venture in which state-owned Ethiopian Investment Holdings holds a majority stake. It will melt, test, refine, cast, mint bars, and make dies, and Abiy says neighboring countries and regional miners can bring gold there instead of exporting it outside the continent. Gold exports earned Ethiopia $5.6 billion last year.
Ramaphosa Releases 2.5 Million Hectares of State Land to Black Farmers
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said today in his Monday newsletter that the government is releasing about 2.5 million hectares of state-owned land to Black farmers with title deeds under its Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy. He noted that Black farmers account for around 10% of output, and he said emerging farmers are often stuck at subsistence level for lack of financing. The announcement comes amid a dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump over land policy, which Ramaphosa’s government says does not involve confiscating land from white South Africans.
Gunmen Kill at Least 20 in Ambush on Escorted Trader Convoy in Zamfara
Gunmen ambushed a convoy of traders traveling to Nasarawa market in Zamfara state’s Bukkuyum district under military escort on Saturday, killing at least 20 people, a witness and a military source told Reuters. Witness Musa Danladi said the dead included 12 civilians, four soldiers, three policemen, and a civil defense corps officer, and the military source said 19 more were wounded. Separately, the military says an October 10 air strike in Borno state killed more than 40 ISWAP fighters, including a senior commander.
Ethiopian Forces Advance in Tigray as Flights to Mekelle Resume
Residents say Ethiopian federal troops and allied militia have entered the strategic town of Adwa, near the Eritrean border, after Tigrayan rebels withdrew. Ethiopian Airlines has resumed flights to Mekelle for the first time since rebels seized the airport on September 23 and withdrew on October 3. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the rebels and sending troops across the border, which Eritrea denies, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres is urging all sides to end hostilities and resume dialogue.
HRW Says Senegal’s Crackdown on LGBTQ+ People Is Driving Them Into Hiding
Human Rights Watch says Senegal’s crackdown following a new law that doubles prison terms for homosexuality to five to 10 years has led to arrests and rights violations, and has pushed people to avoid HIV testing and treatment. The African Forum for the Defense of Human Rights counts at least 212 arrests between February and July, while the HIV Justice Network puts the number above 300, including 82 people charged with “voluntary HIV transmission,” charges a court dismissed in August. The law also punishes the promotion or financing of homosexuality.
South Africa Plans Asylum Receipts That Would Block Deportation While Claims Are Decided
South Africa plans to start a phased asylum-registration system by November 10, following measures announced by the government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration yesterday, Sunday, October 11. Eligible first-time applicants would register online and receive a receipt with their details, a reference number, and a Refugee Reception Office appointment; valid receipt holders would be protected from deportation and from arrest solely for lacking a visa. The receipt would not be an asylum visa or grant refugee status. The government says it will ask the Constitutional Court for guidance on implementing its July 7 ruling.
Libya Seizes About 400 Kg of Hashish Near Tobruk
Libya’s eastern-based authorities seized about 400 kilograms (about 880 pounds) of hashish worth around $934,000 at a house southeast of Tobruk on Saturday and arrested suspects from Libya and Egypt, an anti-drugs official said. Preliminary findings show the shipment was smuggled across the Egyptian border for sale in Libya. Also Saturday, a Libyan National Army brigade seized more than 1.3 million narcotic pills after a firefight with smugglers in Kufra, where three soldiers were injured.
Algeria Says It Arrested 61 Moroccans on Suspicion of Planning Sabotage
Algerian authorities say they arrested 61 Moroccan nationals earlier this month on suspicion of preparing “acts of sabotage” against security and public order. The suspects reportedly entered Algeria on mountain trails from Tunisia, and they include a former Moroccan soldier. Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security called them part of “an international Moroccan criminal network.” The two countries have been at odds over Western Sahara for years, with their border closed since 1994 and diplomatic ties cut since 2021.
