Today in Africa — September 25, 2025: DRC and Rwanda to Implement Peace Deal in October, Seychelles Votes, Ex-French President Nicholas Sarkozy Sentenced to Five Years Over Seeking Millions From Muammar Gaddafi

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.

DRC and Rwanda to Begin Implementing Trump-Backed Peace Deal in October

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda will start rolling out security measures in October under a peace deal backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at calming years of deadly unrest in eastern Congo. The plan includes joint border monitoring, ending support for proxy militias, and granting humanitarian access to displaced civilians, with neutral observers set to oversee the process.

The deal is being touted as one of the most significant efforts in recent years to stabilize the region, where M23 rebels and other armed groups have fueled violence and mass displacement. Officials in Kinshasa and Kigali say October will be the first real test of whether international pressure and political will can turn commitments into lasting peace.

Seychelles Heads to Polls as President Ramkalawan Seeks Second Term

Voting is underway in Seychelles, where President Wavel Ramkalawan is seeking reelection after steering the island nation’s tourism-driven economy through post-pandemic recovery. Ramkalawan, who touts rising wages, debt reduction, and neutrality in foreign relations, faces his main rival, Patrick Herminie of the United Seychelles party, which ruled for four decades until 2020. Over three days, more than 73,000 registered voters will also elect members of the 35-seat National Assembly.

Ramkalawan’s Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) coalition hopes to maintain its majority, while Herminie has campaigned on high living costs, corruption, and social challenges like drug abuse. The race also features gospel singer Robert Moumou, entrepreneur Marco Francis, and former tourism minister Alain St Ange. Results are expected Sunday, with both economic gains and concerns over governance weighing heavily on voters in Africa’s wealthiest country per capita.

Sarkozy Sentenced to Prison Over Libya Campaign Funds Case

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been handed a five-year prison sentence after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy for seeking millions in illicit campaign funds from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The 70-year-old, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was acquitted of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing but ordered to pay a €100,000 ($117,000) fine. He insists the case is politically motivated and plans to appeal, though the ruling requires him to begin serving time.

The investigation, launched in 2013 after Gaddafi’s son alleged Sarkozy took about €50 million ($58 million at today’s exchange rate) to fund his 2007 campaign, has drawn in high-profile figures including ex-interior ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux, both found guilty of related charges. It marks the first time a former French president faces jail time over foreign campaign financing and adds to Sarkozy’s string of legal troubles, including prior convictions for bribery and overspending. His wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, also faces charges linked to the case, which she denies.

Ethiopian Marathon Champion Shewarge Alene Dies at 30

Ethiopian runner Shewarge Alene, winner of the 2025 Stockholm Marathon, has died at the age of 30 after falling ill during training in Addis Ababa. Alene, who also lived and competed in Mexico and New York, had built a strong career, winning 12 of the 27 races she entered, and setting a personal best of 2:29:34 at this year’s Tata Mumbai Marathon. Her victory in Stockholm, where she clocked 2:30:38, was hailed as the highlight of her career. Organizers of the Stockholm Marathon confirmed her death, sending condolences to her family and loved ones.

Nigeria’s Top Court Lets Death-row Musician Lodge Late Appeal in Blasphemy Case

Nigeria’s Supreme Court today, Thursday, September 25, agreed to let lawyers for Yahaya Sharif-Aminu file a late appeal against his 2020 death sentence for alleged blasphemy handed down by a Kano State sharia court. The court also ordered an accelerated hearing after the defense argued that the trial was flawed, held over Zoom with only one day’s notice, and without proper legal representation. Sharif-Aminu’s team will also challenge the constitutionality of Kano’s sharia provisions that allow capital punishment and amputation. State lawyers defended the verdict and warned that if the lower court ruling is upheld, the sentence would be carried out publicly — a case that has drawn heavy national and international attention over tensions between religious law and Nigeria’s secular constitution.

Lesotho’s Trade Minister Says U.S. to Extend Africa Trade Pact by One Year

Lesotho’s trade minister, Mokhethi Shelile, says U.S. lawmakers assured him that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will be extended by one year before the end of 2025, providing much-needed stability for countries that depend on duty-free access to American markets. But a spokesman for Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee pushed back, saying the Trump administration has given no official confirmation of its position on renewal. With AGOA set to expire on September 30, businesses across Africa warn that delays could spark factory closures and job losses, especially in export-dependent economies like Lesotho.

Judge No-Show Delays Deportee Case in Eswatini

A court hearing in Eswatini over four men deported by the U.S. stalled today, Thursday, September 25, after Judge Titus Mlangeni failed to appear, prolonging their detention without charge. The men — from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen — were sent to the kingdom in July under the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program, and have been held for over two months in a maximum-security prison without access to lawyers. Rights groups accuse Eswatini of using delaying tactics to avoid scrutiny, while U.S. officials insist the men are convicted criminals. A Jamaican man deported in the same group was repatriated last week, leaving the four in limbo as legal challenges drag on.

Guinea-Bissau Court Bars Opposition Bloc from Elections

Guinea-Bissau’s Supreme Court has disqualified the main opposition coalition, Pai Terra Ranka, from contesting the upcoming legislative elections, citing the late submission of candidate lists. The 10-party coalition, led by former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, says it will seek clarification from the court, which requires names to be filed 72 hours before the September 25 deadline. Pereira, who lost the disputed 2019 presidential race to current leader Umaro Sissoco Embaló, has also entered the presidential race. Analysts say the ruling further highlights Embaló’s tightening grip on power after dissolving parliament twice in recent years and surviving an attempted coup in 2022.