Today in Africa — October 29, 2025: Election Day Curfew Imposed in Tanzania, Former Sudanese MP Who Fed the Hungry Executed in El Fasher, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s U.S. Visa Revoked Over President Donald Trump Criticism

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 Imposes Curfew After Election Protests Erupt in Dar es Salaam

Tanzanian police imposed a citywide curfew in Dar es Salaam today, Wednesday, October 29, after violent protests erupted during an election widely seen as favoring President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Demonstrators torched buildings, clashed with security forces, and shared footage of burning streets as internet access was restricted nationwide. The unrest followed the disqualification of two leading opposition candidates, including CHADEMA’s Tundu Lissu, who is currently in prison facing treason charges, and whose party had called the vote a “coronation” of Hassan.

Authorities have denied allegations of human rights abuses, while opposition groups accuse the government of suppressing dissent and abducting critics ahead of the polls. Turnout at polling stations appeared low, and results are expected within three days. Hassan, who came to power in 2021, has been praised for loosening some of her predecessor’s restrictions on political activity but now faces growing anger over the credibility of Tanzania’s democratic process.

Former Sudanese MP Siham Hassan Executed in El Fasher as RSF Tightens Control

Sudanese former lawmaker and women’s rights activist Siham Hassan was executed on Sunday, October 26, by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after the group seized control of El Fasher, the last army-held city in Darfur, following a yearlong siege. Hassan, known for running community kitchens to feed the hungry and for her outspoken advocacy on women’s issues, was among more than a dozen civilians reportedly executed over the weekend. Activists described her as one of Sudan’s youngest MPs and a symbol of resistance who refused to flee the besieged city.

The Sudanese Doctors Network condemned the killings as a “heinous massacre,” accusing the RSF of targeting civilians on ethnic grounds and looting hospitals and pharmacies. The group said the militia’s actions are war crimes, citing the deliberate shelling of El Fasher Teaching Hospital that killed a nurse and injured medical staff. With more than 260,000 civilians trapped in the city and humanitarian access cut off, rights groups warn that El Fasher is facing catastrophic conditions under RSF control.

Wole Soyinka Says His U.S. Visa Was Revoked After Criticizing Donald Trump

Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka says his U.S. visa has been revoked, suggesting it may be linked to his recent criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump. The 91-year-old writer told reporters yesterday, Tuesday, October 28, that his non-resident visa was rejected with no clear explanation beyond a notice citing “additional information” that became available after it was issued. Soyinka, who once held a U.S. green card and taught in American universities, dismissed the incident with humor, calling the revocation a “love letter” and saying he has no plans to reapply.

Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Prize winner in literature, has long been outspoken on global politics. He joked that his green card “had an accident” years ago after he cut it up in protest over Trump’s inauguration in 2017. The author recently referred to Trump as a “white version of Idi Amin” and said he believes that remark may have influenced the decision. “It’s not about me,” he said. “But a principle is involved — human beings deserve to be treated decently wherever they are.”

Cameroon Government Plots Legal Action Against Opposition Leader over Post-Election Protests

Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary may face charges over allegations of inciting violent demonstrations. Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji accused Tchiroma of organizing “illegal” protests that have led to the loss of at least 6 lives, and also criticized the opposition candidate for claiming victory in the recent presidential election. Nji also said Tchirom will face legal actions. Tensions are high across the central African country, with incumbent Paul Biya remaining in office for another seven-year term following the announcement of election results earlier this week. Opposition leaders have called the election results fraudulent and alleged that the results were rigged in favor of Biya.

Gambia Government Issues Warning to Exiled Former Leader

Former President Yahya Jammeh might be discouraged from going back to Gambia, with the government warning that he could face legal action for alleged crimes committed while he was president. In a recent recorded message, Jammeh stated that he planned to return to the West African country in November and hinted at leading a faction of his former ruling party. He fled to Equatorial Guinea in 2017 after a tense standoff with current President Adama Barrow, which was the fallout of a dispute from the 2016 presidential election, which Barrow won. The Gambian government has stated that Jammeh has the right to return; however, he’s not immune from facing charges stemming from the findings of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), established after his 22 years in power.

Amnesty Calls U.S. Airstrike That Killed 60 African Migrants in Yemen a Possible War Crime

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into a U.S. airstrike that killed at least 60 African migrants detained in a Houthi-run prison in Yemen’s Saada province in April, saying it may amount to a war crime. The strike, part of the Trump-era “Operation Rough Rider” targeting Houthi rebels, hit a facility long known to hold Ethiopian migrants trying to reach Saudi Arabia. Amnesty said survivors reported no fighters inside the prison and found remnants of U.S.-made precision bombs at the site. The U.S. military has not explained the attack, which rights groups say reflects a pattern of civilian harm from the ongoing air campaign.

At Least 18 Migrants Dead, 90 Rescued After Boat Capsizes Off Libyan Coast

The Libyan Red Crescent says at least 18 migrants have died and more than 90 others were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Sabratha, west of Tripoli. The bodies were recovered near the port of Surman after an overnight rescue operation that began late on Monday, October 27. Photos shared by rescue workers showed volunteers carrying bodies in white bags and treating survivors at the scene. Libya remains a major transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe, with dozens dying in similar incidents along the Mediterranean each month.

Sudan Expels UN Food Officials Amid Famine and Atrocities in Darfur

Sudan’s military government

expelled

two senior World Food Programme (WFP) officials today, Wednesday, October 29, ordering them to leave within 72 hours as famine and violence worsen daily across the country. The move comes just days after the Rapid Support Forces captured El Fasher in Darfur following an 18-month siege that blocked food aid, leaving more than 24 million people facing acute hunger. Activists accuse the RSF of killing wounded civilians in hospitals and carrying out ethnically targeted attacks, drawing comparisons to Darfur’s early-2000s genocide. The WFP called the expulsions “deeply concerning,” saying they come at a time when humanitarian needs in Sudan are at their worst in decades.