China and Australia Collaborate in Namibian Uranium Project

 Ecofin Agency published on 28 September 2026 an article titled "Australia's Bannerman Funds Etango in Namibia Without Bank Debt, Gives China Rights to 60% of Uranium Output" by Idriss Linge.

Australian uranium developer Bannerman Energy has secured a $320 million investment package from the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas for Namibia's Etango uranium project.  The Chinese nuclear group gets a 42.75 percent interest in Etango but rights to buy 60 percent of the mine's uranium production over its operating life.

Current Situation in Ethiopia

 Journalist Martin Plaut posted on 28 September 2026 a summary titled "A Brief Update on Ethiopia's 2026 War."

Fighting is escalating in Ethiopia.  On the Afar front, Tigray Defense Forces and allied Afar militants have gained the upper hand.  The military situation remains fluid along the Amhara-Tigray front.  Eritrean forces have established an alliance with the ruling party in Tigray.  Regional alliances are in flux.

Senate Democrats Press Trump Administration on Conflict in Ethiopia

 Semafor published on 28 September 2026 an article titled "Democrats Press Trump Administration to Intervene in Ethiopia" by Adrian Elimian.

All Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Africa panel criticized both sides of the conflict in Ethiopia and faulted the Trump administration for letting sanctions on regional actors lapse days before hostilities resumed.

Western Mining Companies Can Compete with Chinese Companies in Africa

Reuters published on 25 September 2026 an article titled "Western Miners Can Match China's Speed If African Governments Cut Red Tape, KoBold  President Says" by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila and Oliva Kumwenda Mtambo.

California-based KoBold Metals says Western miners can match China's pace in developing critical minerals in Africa as long as governments streamline approvals and improve coordination among regulators.   

Ethiopian Rebels Launch Major Offensive

 AEIs Critical Threats Africa File posted on 24 September 2026 an article titled "Ethiopian Rebels Launch Major Offensive" by Michael DeAngelo and Liam Karr.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched an offensive against federal forces in northern Ethiopia.  The fighting has expanded to the Tigray/Afar border region.  The offensive likely aims to consolidate the TPLF's control of Tigray region and its rear supply lines.

Avoiding a New War in Northern Ethiopia

 The International Crisis Group published on 25 September 2026 a commentary titled "Arresting the Dangerous Descent Back into War in Northern Ethiopia."

Ethiopia's Tigray Region is slipping into renewed war between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and Amhara Fano militias, on one side, and the federal government and allied Tigrayan forces on the other.  Fighting is concentrated in the Amhara-southern Tigray border area and along the Tigray-Afar border.  The situation could escalate out of control.

Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Complicate Situation in Horn of Africa

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 23 September 2026 an analysis titled "The Impacts of the Houthis' Advance Could Extend Well Beyond Saudi Arabia" by Andrew Leber and Lesley Anne Warner. 

Connections between the Houthis in Yemen and terrorist organizations in Somalia, renewed conflict and insecurity in the Horn of Africa, and a revival of Somali piracy raise the question whether the worsening situation in the Red Sea region will lead to increased US engagement.

US Rejects Both Belligerents in Sudan

 The US Department of State issued on 22 September 2026 a statement titled "Efforts to Achieve Peace in Sudan."

The statement said neither the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) nor the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have made any serious effort to achieve peace.  Consequently, the Trump administration will raise the cost of continued conflict on all belligerents.  Neither the SAF nor the RSF is eligible to govern Sudan.

Houthi Alliance with Al-Shabaab in Somalia

 The American Security Project published on 23 September 2026 an article titled "Two Shores, One Chokepoint: The Houthi-al-Shabaab Nexus" by Joshua Perez.

The alliance between the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and al-Shabaab in Somalia demonstrates that the Bab el Mandeb chokepoint at the south end of the Red Sea has two gatekeepers.

Another African Bank Joins China's Cross Border Payments Network

 Business Insider Africa published on 24 September 2026 an article titled "Rwanda's Most Important Bank Joins China's Payment Network as Africa's De-dollarisation  Push Grows" by Chinedu Okafor.

Rwanda's Bank of Kigali has joined China's cross border payment network known as CIPS.   This is one more indication that African banks are seeking to de-dollarize.  

Conflict Escalates in Ethiopia

 Aljazeera published on 24 September 2026 an article titled "Fighting Widens across Ethiopia as Tigray Clashes Escalate" by Faisal Ali.

Officials in Ethiopia's Tigray Region claim federal government troops have launched a "full-scale offensive" against it while the central government charges that the Tigray People's Liberation Front launched the attack.  Whatever the case, the security situation in Tigray Region and neighboring territory has deteriorated.

South Sudan's President Dissolves Government

 The BBC posted on 23 September 2026 an article titled "South Sudan's President Dissolves Government Ahead of Country's First Elections" by Nichola Mandil, Akisa Wandera, and Allan Olingo.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir dissolved the transitional government three months before the country's first election since its independence in 2011. Kiir removed the country's five vice presidents and dissolved parliament, national, and state governments.  Kiir has no viable opposition in the December election.

Mozambique Wants China to Help Reduce Timber Smuggling

 The Club of Mozambique published on 22 September 2026 an article titled "Mozambique Wants to Revise Agreement with China to Strengthen Fight Against Timber Smuggling."

China imports 90 percent of Mozambique's exported timber.  Restrictions on the export of raw logs continue to be ignored by timber smugglers.  Mozambique wants to strengthen its agreement with China to reduce smuggling and encourage Chinese companies to process raw logs in Mozambique.

Sudan's Man-Made Famine

 Aljazeera published on 22 September 2026 an article titled "Sudan's Historical Famine Echoes Through Latest Hunger Crisis" by Al-Noor Ahmed Al-Noor.

The on-going civil war in Sudan has plunged the country into one of its worst modern food crises, with conditions deteriorating sharply since 2024.  Unlike historical famines in Sudan, the current one is man-made.  The warring parties are using control over food supplies as a tool of war, while international funding fails to respond to current needs.

China-Africa Defense Ties

 Modern Diplomacy published on 20 September 2026 a commentary titled "China-Africa Defense Ties Deepen after Beijing Security Forum" by Nadia Helmy.

The 4th China-Africa Peace and Security Forum took place in Beijing in mid-September.  Military representatives and defense officials from the African Union and 41 African nations participated.  The event reflects growing interest in security cooperation with China and diversification away from Western countries.  

Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council Peace Plan

Foreign Policy published on 21 September 2026 an article titled "How to Bring Peace to Sudan" by Abdalfatah Alburhan, president of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council. 

The author does not agree that the conflict in Sudan is a civil war.  Rather, he described it as "an assault on a United Nations member state by a paramilitary group."  He argues that peace in Sudan must be homemade--by Sudanese, for Sudanese, in Sudan.  Peace dictated from outside will not last, although credible outside monitors can add legitimacy.  He adds that his government offers a plan for peace, which has been submitted to the UN Security Council.

China-Africa Remote Sensing Cooperation

 Tech Review Africa published on 21 September 2026 an article titled "China Expands Satellite Remote Sensing Cooperation with Mauritania and Madagascar" by Nana Appiah Acquaye.

China recently signed memoranda of conversation with Madagascar and Mauritania to deepen satellite remote-sensing applications.  This occurred during a conference with representatives from 23 African countries in Beijing hosted by China's National Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center.

Internet Fraud Prisoners in Madagascar Transferred to China

 Nouvelles Afrique published on 9 September 2026 an article titled "Madagascar: 50 Chinese Prisoners Transferred to China after Being Convicted of Online Fraud" by Djamila Kambou.

Fifty Chinese nationals convicted in Madagascar of online fraud were transferred to China for the remainder of their sentences.  Interpol and the Chinese embassy in Antananarivo assisted in the investigation.  

Turning the US Refugee Program on Its Head

The Washington Post published on 21 September 2026 an exclusive analysis titled "How Trump Turned a Refugee Bureau into a $410 Million Deportation Operation" by David Nakamura and Adam Taylor. 

The State Department's new Office of Remigration reverses a long-standing policy of resettling refugees in the United States to a focus on expelling them.  The State Department implements the policy by bribing governments in Africa and Latin America to accept the deportees.  

The United States has suspended accepting almost all refugees except for White South Africans.  So far, the Trump administration has deported under this program more than 25,000 people, most of them to Mexico and the others to Africa and Latin America.  This is a tiny percentage of the 985,000 deportations conducted by the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's second term.  

Ethiopian Eritrean Rivalry

 African Arguments published on 20 September 2026 a commentary titled "The Rivalry Between Ethiopia and Eritrea Is Reshaping Tigray" by Mebratu Kelecha.

Since the 2020-2022 war between Tigray region and the Ethiopian central government, political alignments have changed dramatically.  Eritrea, which was aligned with central government forces during the war, is now aligned with the Tigray People's Liberation Front faction led by Debretsion Gebremichael and elements of the Amhara Fano militia in opposition to the central government. 

US Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea

 The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published on 18 September 2026 a statement titled "Expiration of Emergency with Respect to the Situation in Ethiopia."

The Trump administration has lifted sanctions imposed in 2021 on Eritrea's People's Front for Democracy and Justice, Eritrean National Defense Forces, and several individuals.

Rebel Coalition Forms in Ethiopia

 The BBC posted on 21 September 2026 an article titled "Seven Ethiopia Rebel Groups Form New Alliance" by Michael Teferi and Basillioh Rukanga.

The Fano militia in Amhara region, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and four smaller organizations in Somali, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz regions have created a coalition named Alliance for Survival to oppose the Abiy Ahmed government.

China and US Compete for South Africa's Platinum

 Semafor published on 21 September 2026 an article titled "South Africa Woos US and China with Platinum" by Alexis Akwagyiram, Tiisetso Motsoeneng, and Sam Mkokeli.

South Africa is the world's leading supplier of platinum and seeking to gain influence with both China and the United States.  The US needs it for catalytic converters and defense equipment while China needs it to develop green hydrogen as a form of sustainable energy.

At the political level, the Trump administration continues to alienate South Africa, while China is cultivating the South African government.  Washington's criticism of South Africa shows no signs of abating, which risks losing more ground to Beijing in the race to secure access to Pretoria's critical minerals.

What Does Africa Want from Russia?

 Pressenza published on 13 September 2026 an article titled "Geopolitics: Africa Deserves Its Own Position on Russia's Policy Agenda" by Kester Kenn Klomegah.

Russia's policy towards Africa lacks coordination and adequate information.  This makes it even more important that Africa avoid the mistakes of its interaction with the former colonial powers and ensures that Russia treats African natural resources in a way that contributes to local manufacturing and processing of raw materials.

Somaliland President Seeks US Recognition During US Visit

 New Lines Magazine published on 16 September 2026 an article titled "Somaliland's Uphill Struggle for Recognition in Washington" by Theophile Simon.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi is on a month-long visit to the United States in an effort to obtain diplomatic recognition by the Trump administration.  While his chances of succeeding are not high, he may well obtain some commitments from Washington that will strengthen Somaliland's relations with the United States.