NEWS - The African Mirror

Feb

28

2026

UN Chief’s farewell to Africa: Guterres pledges lifelong solidarity as tenure nears end

NEWS

IN an emotionally charged address to the African Union, outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered what he insisted was "not a farewell" but a solemn pledge of eternal solidarity with the continent that has defined his decade-long tenure. Speaking with unusual candour, Guterres declared Africa would remain "priority number one" until his final day in office on December 31, and promised the continent would stay "at the centre of my concerns" for the rest of his life. He concluded in Portuguese: "Africa Sempre" — Africa Always. The Portuguese diplomat's tribute laid bare the depth of his partnership with African nations,…

Feb

13

2026

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

A father’s unbearable grief after Zambian son falls victim to Canadian school massacre

NEWS

THE morning of February 10, 2026, began like any other in the Mwansa household. Twelve-year-old Abel picked up his backpack at 8:20 a.m., reminded his mother to tell his father about the evening youth meeting at church, and headed to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in northeastern British Columbia - a boy who loved the Lord, loved learning, and loved life. He would never return home. By day's end, Abel lay among nine victims of one of the worst mass school shootings in Canadian history, his dreams of a bright future extinguished by a killer's bullets in a crime that has…

Feb

13

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Two new charges: Ghanaian football star Thomas Partey now faces seven rape charges

NEWS

THOMAS, the Ghanaian international midfielder who once commanded the Arsenal midfield with defensive precision, now faces a legal battle of unprecedented severity for a top-flight footballer, as British prosecutors added two new rape charges to an already substantial criminal case against him. The Crown Prosecution Service announced on Wednesday that Partey, 32, has been charged with two additional counts of rape relating to alleged offences in 2020, bringing his total charges to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The new charges involve a fourth alleged victim and stem from a complaint first reported to the Metropolitan…

Feb

13

2026

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Africa’s health economy transforms into multi-billion dollar investment opportunity

NEWS, AUDA-NEPAD

AFRICA’S health sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation from fragmented spending to structured investment, according to the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), which today released its Programme for Investment and Financing in Africa's Health Sector (PIFAH) Project List – Africa's Health Market Atlas. The continent-wide portfolio reveals 253 investable health opportunities valued at $2.6 billion, spanning infrastructure, diagnostics, digital health platforms, local manufacturing, and research ecosystems across all African regions. "The message is clear: Africa's health economy is transforming," said Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, in the Atlas foreword. "It is firmly anchored in African priorities, open to…

Feb

14

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

African Union welcomes DRC-M23 ceasefire agreement signed in Doha

NEWS

THE African Union has welcomed the signing of a ceasefire mechanism between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 rebel group, calling it a significant step toward de-escalating violence in the country's volatile eastern region. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf praised the February 3 agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, describing it as "a significant confidence-building measure" and a positive development toward restoring peace and security in eastern DRC. The terms of reference establish a framework for monitoring and implementing a ceasefire between the DRC government and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 (AFC/M23), addressing a conflict that has displaced…

Feb

13

2026

By The African Mirror

Ramaphosa unveils sweeping reforms as South Africa “Turns corner” on economic recovery

NEWS

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa painted an optimistic picture of South Africa's economic trajectory on Thursday while announcing a raft of interventions to tackle the country's most pressing crises, from gang violence, crime, fraud and corruption to water shortages that have sparked protests across major cities. In a State of the Nation Address marking 70 years since the historic 1956 Women's March, Ramaphosa declared the nation has reached "a turning point," leaving behind "an era of decline and turning towards an era of prosperity and growth." Army Deployed to Fight Gang Violence In perhaps the most dramatic announcement, the president confirmed he…

Feb

12

2026

By The African Mirror

UN Rights Chief urges de-escalation in Ethiopia’s volatile Tigray region amid renewed clashes

NEWS

THE United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for urgent de-escalation in Ethiopia's Tigray region, warning of a deepening human rights crisis fueled by recent clashes between government forces and regional militias. UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensified on January 26, particularly in Tselemti and Laelay Tselemti near the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from Tselemti on February 1, but both sides deployed drones, artillery, and heavy weapons, leading to arrests and detentions for alleged affiliations…

Feb

12

2026

By The African Mirror

Africa poised for historic transformation as 2026 brings unprecedented opportunities for growth

NEWS

AFRICA stands at the threshold of extraordinary opportunity in 2026, positioned to harness its unparalleled demographic dynamism, vast resource wealth, and accelerating regional integration to chart a path toward inclusive and self-determined prosperity, according to the Brookings Institution's newly released Foresight Africa 2026 report. The Africa Growth Initiative's flagship annual report reveals how the continent can transform current challenges into catalysts for transformation, with bold strategies across six critical areas that promise to unlock Africa's immense potential. "Africa's demographic transition - with a population projected to double by 2050, making one in four people on the planet African - represents…

Feb

12

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Mandela’s long walk to Freedom: 36 years on, Ramaphosa returns to sacred ground

NEWS

THE gates of Drakenstein Correctional Facility witnessed history twice: once when Nelson Mandela walked to freedom, and again on Wednesday when the man who escorted him that day returned to honour his legacy. Thirty-six years ago to the day – at 4:15 pm on February 11, 1990 – the world held its breath as Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at his side, walked out of these very gates into a massive, jubilant crowd. The moment transformed a prisoner into a legend and set South Africa on an irreversible path to democracy. "To have been there beside the father of…

Feb

13

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

20 die as cyclone Gezani unleashes deadly rampage across Madagascar

NEWS

MOTHER Nature has unleashed her full fury on Madagascar as Tropical Cyclone Gezani carved a devastating path of destruction across the island nation, claiming at least 20 lives and leaving 15 people missing in her wake. The monster storm transformed into a 270-kilometre-per-hour harbinger of death as it slammed into the coast with apocalyptic force, ripping metal roofing from buildings like paper, uprooting ancient trees as if they were toothpicks, and reducing homes to rubble in the impoverished port city of Toamasina. "I have never experienced winds this violent," said resident Harimanga Ranaivo, his voice trembling with terror. "The doors…