Chad Suspends U.S. Visas in Retaliation for Trump Travel Ban
Chad’s President Mahamat Deby suspended all visas to U.S. citizens as a matter of “reciprocity”, after learning that it is one of a dozen countries whose nationals are prohibited from entering. In the new U.S. travel ban announced by President Donald Trump, seven of the 12 countries on the list are in Africa, while visa restrictions were placed on seven others. Trump claimed the measure was necessary to protect the U.S. from foreign terrorists and security threats. Meanwhile, the African Union Commission has warned that the arbitrary travel restrictions imposed on African countries by the U.S. government could strain decades-long diplomatic relations between the two sides.
Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu Dies at 68 in South Africa
Former President Edgar Lungu has died while receiving medical treatment in South Africa. He was 68. Lungu served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 to 2021, a period that was marked by major infrastructure projects as well as rising debt and economic difficulties. He lost re-election to Hakainde Hichilema in 2021 and kept a relatively low profile until recently, when he re-entered politics as an opposition candidate. President Hichilema described Lungu’s death as a tragic loss for the nation.
World Bank Ends Loan Ban to Uganda Over Anti-Gay Law
The World Bank announced that it had lifted its two-year suspension on new lending to Uganda, imposed after the country enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in 2023. The Bank said it had developed and tested mitigation measures to ensure its funding neither harmed nor discriminated against LGBTQ people, and it approved fresh projects in social protection, education, and support for refugees and displaced persons. During the suspension, Uganda, already reliant on World Bank financing for infrastructure such as road upgrades and electrification, had lost an estimated $470 million to $1.7 billion in frozen funds. While Ugandan officials argued the Anti-Homosexuality Act reflected local values, critics contended it diverted attention from issues like unemployment and opposition repression and fuelled violence, evictions, and arrests of LGBTQ individuals, all of which human-rights groups said the new lending safeguards now had to address.
Burundi’s Main Opposition Blocked from Elections
The main opposition, the National Freedom Council (CNL), was effectively blocked from competing in elections in Burundi, in which voters elected a new parliament. The ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party, led by President Evariste Ndayishimiye, faced little electoral threat after the CNL was suspended in 2023 over alleged meeting irregularities and later experienced a leadership ousting widely viewed as orchestrated by the government. Former CNL leader Agathon Rwasa and his allies were also blocked from joining other opposition groups or running as independents. Analysts said that the CNDD-FDD was tightening control amid a deepening socio-economic crisis marked by extreme poverty, inflation above 40%, and growing public discontent. Observers expected the vote to further entrench the ruling party’s dominance despite mounting criticism of its economic and political record.
AIDS-Related Deaths Hit Lowest Since 2004, But Progress Fragile Amid Funding Woes
AIDS-related deaths dropped to their lowest level since 2004, but the progress remained fragile, with the disease still claiming a life every minute. UN Under Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, speaking at a UN General Assembly review, said that over 30 million people were receiving lifesaving treatment, calling the global AIDS response a multilateral success. However, she warned of fading global commitment, falling funding, and widespread disruptions to HIV services, especially affecting vulnerable groups like adolescent girls and young women. The potential cuts to PEPFAR, the U.S.-led program combating HIV in Africa, posed a serious threat, with UNAIDS projecting four million additional AIDS-related deaths and six million new infections by 2029 without continued support. Mohammed said there is an urgent need to address the funding crisis, particularly as many sub-Saharan African countries spent more on debt servicing than on healthcare. She called for debt relief, sustainable HIV financing, stronger national leadership, and protection of human rights, as punitive laws and stigma continued to push people away from critical services.
