Tanzania’s opposition leader, Lis, has been charged with treason
Tanzania’s opposition leader Tundu Lissu was charged with discord one day after his arrest following a rally in the South. The charges stem from his nationwide campaign calling for election reform under the slogan “No Reform, No Elections” ahead of the October poll. She first came to power in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. She was praised for reversing some of his more authoritarian tendencies. However, her government later faced criticism for targeting opposition figures. Sris, a survivor of the 2017 assassination attempt, previously fled Tanzania twice over election conflicts and security concerns. On the day of his arrest, police used tear gas to disperse supporters, drawing blame from rights groups and legal agencies that the government had denounced suffocating opposition. His case was postponed until April 24th.
95 Zimbabwe protesters refused bail
A Harare magistrate refused bail to 95 people arrested on suspicion of organizing anti-government protests on March 31, posed a security risk and determined that they could attack again if released. The group faced charges of illegal gatherings and inciting violence after prosecutors said they were planning to march to the state capitol to demand the removal of President Emerson Mnangawa. Police reported that protesters threw stones, built barricades and shared footage online. Three more suspects were brought to trial separately. The magistrate cited their chants, including “Mnangagwa must go” as evidence of their intention to destabilize the government. The accused was taken into custody following the verdict.
South Sudan is on the verge of a new civil war
South Sudan, the youngest and one of its poor countries, is wobbling at the edge of another civil war as its unelected leader prepares for a new armed conflict. The 2018 Revitalization Agreement aimed to end the long-standing brutal conflict between President Salva Kir and Vice President Riek Machar, which collapsed in early 2025, rekindling ethnic and political tensions. Burning at the Upper Nile and later near the capital, Juba, was flaring up following Macher’s detention, accused of coordinating an attack on the national army. Despite attempts to mediate AU, tensions escalated after the Machar faction withdrew from the peace mechanism, denounced President Salva Kier’s target arrest.
Tear gas disrupts Kenya’s school play
The high school drama competition in Kenya was cast a shadow of real-life drama after police dispersed crowds gathered to watch the controversial play by fired tear gas. Set in a fictional kingdom where young people lost faith in their leadership, Echo featured scenes of clashes with police, drawing comparisons to last year’s youth-led protests. The play was initially disqualified from the Drama Festival under uncertain circumstances, but the court later reversed the decision. Clefas Malala, a former senator who wrote the script for a student at Butare Girls High School, was blocked by police from meeting performers for the final rehearsal. He was released without charge and praised the students for boycotting his protest performance. Julius Bitoku’s basics secretary said the Ministry of Education is investigating it.
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Pepfer threatens the South African HIV fight
Canceling the Pepfahl funds to South Africa threatened to cause 150,000-295,000 HIV infections by 2028, along with 56,000-65,000 deaths, unless the government intervened to cover the gap. A study by researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Wittwaterland (WITS) found that ARV coverage would fall from 78% to 59-70% by 2026, with HIV prevention services like PREP dropping sharply. The cuts have led to the closure of Pepfer-fair-funded clinics and layoffs for thousands of healthcare workers following assistance in suspending a US executive order in 2024. Although some of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resumed after a court ruling, their future remained uncertain.
