Britain Shifts Policy on Occupied Palestine

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband “called out” the growing numbers of Israeli settlements in the West Bank imposing sanctions on some aspects of the system although contradictions remain within the overall stance towards the apartheid state

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday September 9, 2026

Geostrategic Analysis

In an unprecedented address before the British parliament on September 8, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Ed Miliband, criticized the growing Israeli settlements in the West Bank area of Occupied Palestine.

Beyond the criticism, the government announced sanctions against individuals and businesses based among the settlers who are encroaching even further on Palestinian land.

In response to the speech by Miliband, the Israeli administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the closure within 30 days of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem. Israeli officials denounced the British Labor government of Prime Minister Andy Burham accusing it of antisemitism. 

The situation in Palestine has stirred the conscience of people throughout the world. In the UK specifically, demonstrations involving millions have taken place since the onslaught of the latest genocidal wave by the settler regime in the aftermath of the Al Aqsa Flood during early October 2023. 

Days of solidarity with the Palestinian people have mobilized people in various regions Britain and other states within the UK. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign brought multitudes into the streets of London, Manchester and many other municipalities.

Another organization called Palestine Action has been targeted by the British government and proscribed by the legal system. Numerous people are currently charged with terrorism for simply saying that they support the aims and objectives of Palestine Action which engages in civil disobedience designed to disrupt British military and economic assistance to the zionist state.

Consequently, this growing level of popular support for the Palestinian cause cannot be ignored by British Labor government. For several years inside the Labor Party there has been a fierce struggle over policy related to the Palestinian question. Former Labor leader Jeremy Corbin and many of his closest allies within the party were accused of antisemitism, charges in which they have vehemently denied. 

Under the previous Labor Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, the government “recognized a Palestinian state” in response to the continuing genocide. Yet this symbolic gesture does not advance the realization of an independent government for the Palestinian people within their homeland. 

However, Starmer’s efforts towards curtailing the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem proved ineffective. Demonstrations continued by the Palestinian solidarity movement while monetary and diplomatic assistance to the settler-colonial state proceeded unabated.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on the address delivered by Miliband, noting that:

“The foreign secretary also says lots of people in Britain ‘have been stirred by the suffering of the Palestinian people’ and want the government to respond to what is happening. Miliband says what he has heard from voices on ground in the West Bank is that Palestinian people are being ‘intimidated, harassed, bullied out of their homes by these settler terrorists’. He says he is afraid of the Israeli government ‘turning a blind eye’ to the enforced displacement of Palestinians. Miliband says it is right to call it out, saying the UK could not remain ‘silent or passive’.” (https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cmp8djn8983gt)

However, this statement from the Foreign Secretary revealed no indications of a broader and more comprehensive strategy to bring about the complete independence of the Palestinian people. Since October 2023, there have been nearly 80,000 officially reported deaths in Gaza with more than 100,000 wounded and injured as well as the displacement of the entire population of approximately 2.3 million. 

The situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is gruesome as well. The uprooting of olive trees and other agricultural projects by the settlers continue in efforts to seize more land and eliminate the capacity of Palestinians to earn a livelihood. People are being forcibly evicted from their homes, farms and small businesses in efforts to drive the Palestinians out of their homeland completely.

Contradictions in British Foreign Policy on Palestine

Despite these statements which go further than any other utterances of the recent past, Miliband said that the British government opposed the “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” (BDS) campaigns which have swept the world. In reality, it is the BDS movement which is driving the attempts by former supporters and enablers of the apartheid system in Occupied Palestine to distance themselves from the Netanyahu government and its US financiers and arms suppliers. 

Although these efforts by the Labor government have aggravated the Israeli regime and the White House, much stronger sanctions are needed to have a real impact. The Palestinians are still being killed and denied housing, education, adequate food, water and healthcare.  

The ceasefire, which was agreed upon last year, has not stopped the hostilities against the Palestinians. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops continue to occupy large swaths of territory in Gaza. In the West Bank, the settlers are violently attacking people who are largely disarmed.

These settler paramilitary groupings are supported and reinforced by the Israeli security forces and military apparatus. The Trump administration, the main backers of the apartheid regime, opposes any efforts by the Palestinians to win their liberation and sovereignty. 

The Israeli government leaders have maintained the same views for decades on their purported right to occupy Palestine. They utilize distorted pseudo-religious dogma to justify and rationalize the ethnic cleansing and genocide which has characterized the system since the Nakba of 1948. 

A parallel movement in the US described as Christian Zionism, which links the existence of the settler-colonial regime to some form of religious redemption, has strong influence within the United States administration of President Donald Trump. Yet these positions have created fissures in the MAGA tendency within the Republican Party since it has resulted in a war against Iran which has fueled inflation and other economic problems in the US and the world.

Zionist thinkers and politicians from as early as the 1890s have said openly that their purpose in creating a settler-colonial regime was to strengthen western colonialism and imperialism. The Israeli state serves as an outpost for western hegemony throughout West Asia and North Africa.

So far there have been four measures announced by Tel Aviv in response to the sanctions announced by Miliband. These actions include:

“The closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem within 30 days. The removal of British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center located in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel. The termination of British activities to train Palestinian Authority forces in the occupied West Bank under the ‘British Support Team in Ramallah’. A ban on entry to Israel for 12 British MPs and other British nationals involved in ‘antisemitic and anti-Israel activity, as well as those who deny the very existence of the State of Israel’. Saar said this response should be viewed as a message to every country, adding ‘Whoever acts against Israel, Israel will act against them, and they will lose their influence and relevance in the region. Measures against Israel will not go unanswered.’” (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/9/how-has-israel-hit-back-against-sanctions-by-the-uk-others)

In addition to the sanctions announced by the British government, a joint declaration condemning the settlements has been signed by several European countries. This represents an even broader willingness to criticize the Israeli Occupation regime in Palestine. 

The governments which signed the statement against the settlements were France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. Undoubtedly, the BDS Movement in alliance with the Palestinian organizations themselves are having an impact throughout the western capitalist world. 

Nonetheless, it will require far more rigorous measures to dismantle the settler-colonial regime in Palestine. There would have to be a total ban on providing economic, military and diplomatic support for the State of Israel to force Tel Aviv to abandon the zionist project.

Britain Has an Obligation to Assist the Palestinians

It is the British monarchy and successive civilian governments which are responsible for the Palestinian crisis. Since the late 19th century, the zionist movement has allied itself with colonialism and European imperialism. 

During World War I in 1917, British Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur Balfour issued a letter calling for the creation of a “homeland” for Jewish people. The Balfour Declaration does mention the need to respect the rights of the Arab population which has never been honored.

The British Mandate over Palestine (1920-1948) was resisted by the Palestinian people. Between 1936-1939 the Palestinians engaged in a rebellion against British rule and the encroachment by zionist settlers in Palestine. It was the British which turned over Palestine to a settler-colonial regime in 1948 after the western-colonial dominated United Nations voted to recognize the illegal state of Israel several months earlier. 

Consequently, the British masses will have to further intensify their efforts to break the historical ties between London and Tel Aviv. The UK and other European states can have an impact on United States foreign policy towards Palestine and the entire West Asia region. 

There has been a major shift in public opinions towards Tel Aviv in the US as well. The Israeli press has expressed its concern over the Palestine solidarity movement in the US and the growing opposition to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) among left-leaning elements and others within the Democratic Party. 

The unprovoked war against the Islamic Republic of Iran is clearly related to the US efforts to shield the Israeli state against the Axis of Resistance in West Asia. However, broad opposition to the war is weakening support for the zionist regime in the US at the same time.

Somaliland Ready to Send 2,000 Soldiers for Gaza 'Peacekeeping Force'

By Al Mayadeen English

11 Sep 2026 00:03

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro says up to 2,000 soldiers could be deployed to Gaza for a so-called peacekeeping mission if officially requested.

Somaliland is ready to participate in security and peacekeeping efforts in Gaza, self-proclaimed President of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, has announced, indicating that around 2,000 soldiers could be deployed for a peacekeeping mission if an official request is received from the relevant parties.

According to the Somalia Now website, Irro said during his visit to the United States that "Somaliland is ready to provide security support and participate in international arrangements aimed at enhancing security and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza."

The remarks come amid international moves to discuss new security arrangements in Gaza, alongside the continuation of the regional war, including military escalation and growing interest in the security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Irro's visit to Washington comes as part of the separatist Somaliland administration's efforts to strengthen its international relations and obtain political support for its bid for recognition.

Irro's visit to Washington

Self-proclaimed Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro departed on September 3 for the United States on an official working visit, with a stopover in the United Arab Emirates, marking his first trip to the US since assuming the presidency.

Irro is expected to visit New York, where he will hold meetings with members of the US House of Representatives and Senate. Diplomatic sources have said he hopes to meet with US President Donald Trump.

According to the self-proclaimed Somaliland Presidency, the agenda will focus on strengthening relations with the United States, expanding security and economic cooperation, promoting investment, and advancing efforts to secure international recognition.

Trip comes three months after visit to 'Israel'

The visit comes about three months after Irro's trip to Israel, which Israeli media described as historic, and follows "Israel's" announcement in December 2025 that it had recognized Somaliland as an independent state. Somaliland has since offered "Israel" access to establish a military base at Berbera.

President Irro departed on September 3, 2026, according to a statement from his office, which said the trip aims to strengthen diplomatic relations, security and economic cooperation, attract investment, and advance the recognition agenda.

In response, Mogadishu has significantly upgraded its diplomatic mission to the United States, expanding a delegation originally planned as a mid-level team led by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar and placing it under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama.

Algeria Cites 'Hostile and Provocative Actions' in Cutting UAE Ties

By Al Mayadeen English

10 Sep 2026 21:44

Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with the UAE, citing “provocative and hostile” actions amid growing tensions over regional and security issues.

Algeria has severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of engaging in “provocative and hostile” actions and saying it had exhausted all efforts to preserve bilateral ties.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Algiers had repeatedly warned the UAE about the consequences of “regrettable and unjustified” conduct. Algeria’s state television announced the decision, while the UAE ambassador was summoned and given 48 hours to leave the country.

Algiers did not publicly identify specific incidents behind the decision. The rupture follows years of increasingly strained relations and comes after Algeria had already taken several steps to distance itself from Abu Dhabi.

According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Algeria, tensions between the two countries have intensified since 2020, when the UAE formally normalized relations with the Israeli occupation under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

Algeria has consistently rejected normalization with “Israel.” President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly said that Algiers would not establish relations with “Israel” before the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Tensions escalated before diplomatic rupture

The deterioration in ties had become increasingly visible in 2026.

In February, Algeria initiated procedures to terminate its air services agreement with the UAE, originally signed in 2013. The decision did not include an official explanation at the time. The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said the agreement would remain in force during the legally required notice period and that flights would continue during that period.

Emirates subsequently said it would continue operating flights to Algeria during the notice period, with its final scheduled service from Algiers set for February 3, 2027.

The aviation dispute followed remarks by Tebboune in late 2025 in which he said Algeria maintained “brotherly” relations with Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, while referring to tensions with another Gulf country widely understood to be the UAE. Tebboune accused that country of interfering in Algeria's internal affairs and seeking to destabilize the country.

Western Sahara and regional influence

The diplomatic rift also comes against the backdrop of competing Algerian and Emirati positions on regional affairs.

Algeria backs the Polisario Front and its demand for independence in Western Sahara, while the UAE has supported Morocco's position on the disputed territory. The Western Sahara dispute remains a central fault line in North African politics and has contributed to Algeria's broader rivalry with Morocco.

The two countries have also pursued competing interests across the Sahel, where Algeria has sought to maintain its influence amid growing regional instability and competition among external powers.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent said Algiers views Abu Dhabi's regional political maneuvering, including its dealings with organizations that Algeria designates as terrorist entities, as part of a broader challenge to Algerian national security.

As per our correspondent, the Algerian leadership also considers the expansion of the Israeli occupation's regional presence, facilitated by certain Arab states, to pose a direct security concern.

A major break

The decision marks a significant escalation in relations between the two countries. Reuters had stated that the rupture was the culmination of tensions over divergent positions on regional issues, including “Israel,” Western Sahara, the Sahel, and reported Emirati interference in Algerian affairs.

For Algiers, the break represents the latest move in a broader effort to defend what it considers its strategic and security interests in North Africa and the Sahel. For Abu Dhabi, it comes as the UAE continues to expand its political and economic partnerships across Africa, the West Asia, and Europe.

The UAE has not publicly announced a reciprocal break in relations in the immediate aftermath of Algeria's decision.

Algeria Severs Diplomatic Ties with UAE Amid Mounting Tensions

By Al Mayadeen English

10 Sep 2026 15:18

Algeria has severed diplomatic relations with the UAE after years of escalating tensions and accusations of Emirati interference in regional and national affairs.

Algeria announced on Thursday that it is severing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, marking a dramatic escalation in years of increasingly strained ties between Algiers and Abu Dhabi.

The decision was announced by Algerian state television, which said authorities had concluded that efforts to prevent relations from deteriorating further had been unsuccessful.

"Algeria has decided to cut diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, following the exhaustion of all means to preserve bilateral relations," state television announced.

Algerian authorities also ordered the UAE ambassador to leave, granting the diplomat 48 hours "to comply with the decision."

The announcement represents the sharpest deterioration yet in relations between the two Arab states, following repeated accusations from senior Algerian officials that Abu Dhabi has interfered in the internal and regional affairs of other countries.

Tebboune repeatedly denounced UAE regional role

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly voiced concern over the policies pursued by the UAE, at times referring indirectly to Abu Dhabi as a "micro-state" or "statelet" that is contributing to instability across the region.

Relations had become particularly tense by July, when Tebboune delivered one of his strongest public criticisms of the UAE's regional activities.

"Wherever they set foot, blood flows," he said in a televised interview in July, adding that the UAE has had a "very negative impact."

"We want them to stay away, so that blood does not flow in our country," he added.

The remarks reflected mounting Algerian concern over what Algiers considers foreign interference in regional crises and attempts to influence developments affecting Algeria's security environment.

Algiers says efforts to preserve relations exhausted

Despite the growing tensions, Tebboune indicated at the time that Algeria had deliberately refrained from taking the ultimate step of severing relations in an effort to prevent further fragmentation among Arab states.

He said a diplomatic break "would have happened long ago" had Algeria not sought to avoid "deepening divisions" in the Arab world.

Thursday's decision indicates that Algiers now considers those attempts to contain the dispute exhausted.

The Algerian announcement did not immediately specify whether a particular recent incident prompted the rupture or detail what measures beyond the departure of the Emirati ambassador would accompany the termination of diplomatic relations.

Ethiopia Says Nile Agreement Will Proceed Despite Egypt's Opposition

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Agencies

10 Sep 2026 00:13

Ethiopia defends the Nile Basin framework and calls for cooperation as Egypt and Sudan press for safeguards over their water security.

Former Ethiopian Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu said the implementation of the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement will not be halted by Egypt's refusal to join it, arguing that the treaty now has an established legal and political basis.

Speaking to the Ethiopian News Agency, Tegenu said Egypt's refusal to sign the agreement "does not constitute an obstacle to its implementation," adding that countries that have ratified it can move forward independently of the positions of Cairo and Khartoum.

He called on the member states to begin establishing an institutional framework based on the equitable and reasonable use of Nile waters and cooperation among the basin's riparian countries.

The Cooperative Framework Agreement officially entered into force on October 13, 2024, after the required minimum number of ratifications was completed. The threshold was reached after South Sudan deposited the sixth instrument of accession with the African Union in August of that year.

The agreement provides for the establishment of a Nile River Basin Commission as a permanent institution responsible for cooperation and the management of shared water resources.

Dispute continues over Nile water management

Tegenu criticized Egypt's position on the agreement, arguing that Cairo continues to rely on water-sharing arrangements concluded with Sudan in 1959, to which Ethiopia was not a party.

From Addis Ababa's perspective, he said, the Cooperative Framework Agreement represents a shift away from previous arrangements toward a system based on equitable and reasonable use and sovereign cooperation among Nile Basin states.

Egypt, meanwhile, maintains that a comprehensive consensus among all Nile Basin countries is necessary and insists that any water management arrangements must be based on international law, equitable and reasonable use, and the principle of avoiding significant harm to other states.

GERD remains at the center of tensions

Addressing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Tegenu said the dam is now operational and argued that it has not reduced the volume of water reaching downstream countries.

He said Ethiopia would continue to develop its water resources and pursue its development projects.

The Arab League this week renewed its support for the positions of Egypt and Sudan, expressing concern over the continued operation of the GERD without a legally binding agreement between the three countries governing its operation.

Expert calls for Egypt and Sudan to share watershed protection costs

In a parallel development, water expert and former executive director of the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office, Fekahmed Negashie, called on Egypt and Sudan to contribute to the costs of Ethiopia's large-scale watershed restoration and reforestation programs.

He said the two downstream countries directly benefit from improved conditions in Ethiopia's drainage basins, including through reduced soil erosion and sedimentation and better regulation of water flows.

Under normal circumstances, he argued, countries benefiting from such projects should contribute to their costs.

Negashie said effective watershed management could generate benefits extending beyond Ethiopia to Sudan and Egypt, particularly by reducing sedimentation, improving water-flow regulation, and strengthening the Nile Basin's ability to withstand climate variability.

Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda signed the Cooperative Framework Agreement in May 2010, followed by Kenya and Burundi. Ethiopia deposited the first instrument of ratification in 2013, while South Sudan's accession in August 2024 completed the legal threshold required for the agreement to enter into force 60 days later.

The central dispute over the future management of Nile waters remains focused on reconciling the demands of upstream countries for equitable use of shared water resources with the demands of Egypt and Sudan for water security and protection of existing uses, leaving the issue among the most significant sources of political tension between Nile Basin states.

Ebola Outbreak Spreads to 61 Health Zones in DRC — WHO

The affected provinces are Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.

by Fortune Eromonsele  

September 11, 2026

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to spread geographically, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting cases across 61 health zones in six provinces.

The WHO disclosed this in its latest outbreak situation update issued on Thursday, saying the outbreak had expanded to Kayna Health Zone in North Kivu.

Transmission remains a concern

According to the latest WHO update, transmission patterns remain variable, with evidence of continued geographical expansion and sustained increases in cases across some affected health zones despite ongoing response efforts.

The agency said delayed detection remained a major concern, increasing the risk of further transmission within households, communities and healthcare facilities.

It said limited access to early treatment and difficulties in interrupting transmission were also contributing to the challenges faced by the response.

In addition, the WHO said these challenges required strengthened surveillance, rapid response measures and early treatment to help interrupt transmission.

As of 7 September, the DRC had recorded 6,757 confirmed Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus, including 3,267 deaths.

The figures represent a crude case fatality ratio of 48.3 per cent, according to the WHO.

Outbreak challenges

The latest development comes less than a month after the WHO described the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

At the time, 4,449 confirmed cases had been recorded across 53 health zones in five provinces.

The WHO had also warned that the outbreak was spreading faster than previous Ebola outbreaks at the same stage and was on course to potentially surpass the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which remains the largest recorded Ebola outbreak.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.

Unlike the Zaire species, which has caused several previous Ebola outbreaks and for which the Ervebo vaccine is used, there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.

In August, the WHO said a high proportion of cases were being detected in communities rather than treatment centres and outside known contact lists, suggesting that some chains of transmission remained unidentified.

The agency had said response measures included contact tracing, treatment centres, safe burial teams, laboratories and community engagement activities.

The WHO said the continued geographical expansion of the outbreak highlights the need to strengthen surveillance and ensure early detection and treatment, particularly in affected communities and healthcare facilities.

A Driver’s Mysterious Final Hours Expose Congo’s Deep Ebola Fears

When a truck driver unexpectedly collapsed and died in a remote village, frontline medical staff scrambled to safely isolate his body, triggering a standoff.

Health workers transporting the body of Taylor Okito, a truck driver who died suddenly after vomiting blood, in the village of Marabo, one of the areas affected by the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

By Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Arlette Bashizi

Reporting from Marabo, a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo

New York Times

Sept. 9, 2026

The dead man lay in a pool of blood, a few yards from the truck that he had parked in the village.

Witnesses said the driver had stopped on a recent Friday night to repair a burst tire, intending to continue east the next day along the unpaved highway that connects the cities of Bunia and Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The next day, they saw him buy juice from a kiosk in the village, Marabo, and sit down on the broken tire. He stood up, staggered a few paces, collapsed and threw up blood, according to Etienne Sanyobo, the leader of the village youth council.

A crowd gathered to stare. Nobody knew who the man was. But they kept their distance. Vomiting blood can happen in the final stages of Ebola, and his blood was still seeping into the dirt.

“I heard that a driver died so I came,” said Esperance Nganabo, a mother of nine. “I don’t know how he died, but it’s important to fear Ebola.”

A large group of people, including many children, stand on reddish-brown dirt. They wear diverse colorful clothing. Some individuals have their hands near their mouths or faces. A large tree and water tank are the background.

A crowd watched the team of volunteer medical workers removing the body in Marabo. Nobody knew who the man was, and people kept their distance.

Several health workers in white protective gear and long red or yellow gloves gather near a green truck trailer in the background as the body of a person lies motionless on reddish-brown dirt. One person stoops near the body.

Health workers collecting a sample for Ebola testing from the body of Mr. Okito.

Dr. Duabo Musubi Desire received an emergency call at the nearby hospital in Nyankunde. Knowing the risk that the man’s body posed — Ebola victims remain contagious even after they have succumbed — he said he had to act quickly.

He ordered the immediate assembly of a team of trained volunteers.

What happened over the next 24 hours showed the challenges that health workers face as they confront Congo’s most serious Ebola outbreak ever. It also showed the professionalism of Congolese teams who risk their lives in the face of a virus that has killed more than 3,000 people.

When the health workers arrived, the man had been dead for less than 30 minutes. They donned protective gear and approached him cautiously. They sprayed the area with chlorine, took a swab of saliva from his mouth to be tested, gingerly zipped him into a white body bag and carried him to their pickup truck.

They also retrieved the man’s I.D. card from his pocket, giving it to a police officer. The card identified him as Taylor Okito, 34, born in the city of Goma on Congo’s eastern border.

Complications arose. The truck driver’s assistant, Patrick Muhindo, 25, had called the man’s colleagues to report the death and three men arrived on motorbikes. They demanded the body for burial. Health workers refused, saying the man needed to be taken to the hospital until his body had been tested for Ebola.

A person stands against a white truck carrying two green containers on a reddish-brown dirt road. Other people ride motorcycles nearby. Red-roof structures are off the side of the road.

Mr. Okito’s assistant, Patrick Muhindo, 25, leaning against the truck, called the man’s colleagues to report the death. Men arrived on motorbikes to demand custody of the body for burial.

ImageA child and other observers stand on a dirt road as a person wearing white protective hooded gear and blue gloves sprays a wooden structure with a mist. 

A medical worker disinfected a bench where Mr. Okito was believed to have been sitting.

With no obvious resolution, the health workers consulted the village chief, Jean-Pierre Lemabo, who sided with them, arguing that the man’s body should only be released if it proved negative, for fear of contaminating the community.

A truck driver who had arrived from out of town and then died presented a worst-case scenario for health workers. Under Ebola protocols, the contacts of any infected person should be traced and placed under surveillance, or in quarantine. That was not possible under these circumstances. Even Mr. Muhindo, who was potentially infected, was wandering around in the village talking to people.

For more than an hour while the dispute unfolded, the body lay in the medical workers’ pickup truck, parked under a mango tree.

Resolving the dispute amicably was crucial. Health experts say that securing the consent of relatives and friends of Ebola victims is necessary because violating their wishes can breed mistrust and imperil medical staff.

The health workers, who had risked infection to retrieve the body, were determined to see Mr. Okito treated with respect.

“I wasn’t afraid because it’s my job as a rescuer to help everyone,” said Emile Yombe, a Red Cross volunteer who was part of the team that retrieved the body.

People in protective suits and gloves stand in a dirt clearing. One pours something from a green bucket into a white container. Another aims a sprayer at a person raising both arms.

Health workers disinfecting themselves after securing the body of Mr. Okito. When the first workers arrived, he had been dead for less than 30 minutes.

ImageA person in blue scrubs stands by a white vehicle with a red cross while holding a notebook toward a person, in a hat and dark clothing, whose arms are crossed.

Emile Yombe, in blue, a Red Cross volunteer, with an ambulance driver in front of Nyankunde General Hospital while waiting for the test results for Mr. Okito.

When the outbreak first began in Ituri province, Congolese health experts struggled to identify it as Ebola because the species of virus causing the current epidemic, Bundibugyo, is uncommon and requires a specific test.

Since then, the World Health Organization has distributed testing kits to many laboratories, enabling them to return results for Bundibugyo on site. Faster testing facilitates rapid triage, a crucial step toward containing the virus.

The test at the hospital came back negative for Ebola.

Some health experts have said that, while the rapid tests are reliable, false negatives happen and the copious bleeding in the minutes before Mr. Okito’s death pointed toward Ebola or another hemorrhagic fever.

“We worry about the risk of false negatives,” said Trish Newport, the head of the Ebola response in Ituri for Doctors Without Borders, the medical charity. She was speaking of Ebola testing overall, rather than a specific case.

The negative result meant that the hospital had no further involvement in the case and there would be no attempt to trace Mr., Okito’s contacts. “Now it’s negative, it’s up to the family to take the corpse,” said Dr. Kashindi Makuta Charles, the hospital’s medical director.

Mr. Okito’s colleagues transported his body to a private morgue in Bunia late that night, but workers there refused to accept it because it was zipped in a body bag, something only done for Ebola victims.

Their suspicion intensified when they opened the bag and found the body drenched in blood, said Thierry Mumbere, one of the friends.

They then took the body to the city’s main hospital, which accepted it.

ImagePeople gather around a brown coffin and an open grave. One person, appearing to be weeping, sits on grass. Another records with a phone while standing.

Thierry Mumbere, a friend, second from left, with relatives attending the funeral of Mr. Okito.

ImageSeveral people stand around a deep pit where two people are standing near a coffin. One person, in blue, raises a hand, seemingly in distress.

A mourner became distraught in the grave.

The next day, when family members and colleagues of Mr. Okito arrived at the hospital’s morgue to retrieve the body for burial, the mourners wanted to open the coffin and the body bag to check that it was indeed Mr. Okito inside. But they did not end up opening the coffin.

Even though the body had returned a negative test, health workers still drove the body to the cemetery. Their vehicle was followed by a phalanx of friends and colleagues on motorbikes.

Burials have emerged as a significant flashpoint in the Ebola outbreak. Sometimes families have attacked burial teams to gain access to coffins, which they then open for a last physical contact with the deceased. The practice violates health protocols and risks spreading the virus.

When Mr. Okito’s coffin arrived at the burial ground in the hills outside Bunia, a furious argument ensued.

After the health workers lowered the coffin into the ground, mourners then drove them off with threats of violence, shouting that they wanted to open the coffin to make sure their friend was really inside. A preacher delivered an impromptu message, urging honor for the deceased and praising his life.

Amid cries of protest from Mr. Okito’s family, two of his friends climbed into the open grave. It had only been a day since Mr. Okito had died. Despite the unknowable consequences, his coffin was unsealed.

ImageA blue cloth with yellow patterns hangs from a stick protruding from a mound of brown dirt bearing green leaves in a field. 

Mr. Okito’s colleagues placed the national soccer team’s jersey on his grave.

Matthew Mpoke Bigg is the East Africa bureau chief for The New York Times, based in Nairobi, Kenya.

'I've Never Seen Anything Like This' — A U.S. Doctor Treats Ebola's Youngest Victims

September 10, 202611:06 AM ET

By Durrie Bouscaren

Courtesy of Dr. Rupa Narra. Diptych by NPR.

An Ebola treatment unit in the city of Butembo, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has 30 beds. Tonight, they're all full.

"I don't know how this is going to slow down," says Dr. Rupa Narra, a U.S. pediatrician who arrived in August to work for Doctors Without Borders. "It's the most devastating thing I've ever seen in my life."

With at least 6,800 confirmed cases and more than 3,310 deaths since May, the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on track to be the worst on record. Last week, Narra's unit lost eight patients — all under the age of 5.

The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of ebolavirus; which has no approved antiviral medication or vaccine. Without these medical options, about 30% of adults who are diagnosed with the virus die within two weeks. The death rate is even higher for children, whose immune systems are less developed. For newborns, the virus is almost always fatal.

While children have made up 1 in 4 confirmed cases in this outbreak, they represent 1 in overall 3 deaths.

Narra and her colleagues spend their days providing supportive care: running fluids through an IV, giving oxygen or blood transfusions. Treating hypothermia, fever or secondary infections as their patients' bodies try to fight the virus. Part of her role is helping train about a dozen doctors and nurses in Butembo on how to adjust this care for pediatric and newborn patients.

"I had to change my mindset, that we were going to save kids," Narra says. "Now, it's — we're going to minimize suffering, and we're going to let the Congolese staff know that they did everything they could to save that baby's life."

The Bundibugyo strain can often begin with symptoms similar to malaria, so 15 of the beds in the unit are for sick patients who are waiting on test results. The other 15 beds are for confirmed Ebola patients. But in recent days, Narra says, there are so many people coming to the clinic that they have begun using quarantine beds for confirmed cases.

"It's still not enough," Narra says. "I know everyone is trying to scale up as fast as possible, but it's moving at a rapidity that never was the case."

There's a tricky thing about taking care of kids in an Ebola unit. Because there's no approved vaccine — it's hard to find someone already immune to the virus, from a prior infection, who can watch over the smallest patients. Narra and her colleagues are limited to about an hour at a time due to the difficulty and risks of working in protective gear.

Shortly after she arrived in Butembo, Narra says, a young mother died in the Ebola unit soon after giving birth. Her newborn daughter was entirely alone.

"I didn't know what we were going to do with this baby, because there were no other family members who had been exposed, and there was a high likelihood for this child to have Ebola," Narra says.

But when she entered the baby's room — there was a woman there, holding her in her arms.

"Actually, she was an Ebola survivor," Narra says. "She did not know the family and agreed to take care of this baby."

The baby lived for 10 days — but eventually succumbed to the virus. Her caregiver never left her side.

Narra is no stranger to crisis. She worked as an epidemiologist in 2014, responding to the West Africa Ebola outbreak that killed 11,310 people. She was a pediatrician in an emergency department in Brooklyn when COVID-19 hit the United States. She worked for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.

"I've never seen anything like this," she says. "The speed of transmission, along with other aspects of a fragile healthcare system."

The latest Ebola outbreak is concentrated in the eastern border region between the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, where fierce clashes between the Congolese army and Rwandan-backed paramilitary forces have forced families to find refuge in cities like Butembo. Meanwhile, the region's healthcare system is already stretched thin, treating children with malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria or measles on a regular basis. The conflict, and cuts to foreign aid have disrupted routine vaccinations and other assistance.

As a pediatrician, there's little Narra can do to help a kid feel a little less scared.

Every day, before she sees her patients, she puts on a fully disinfected hazmat suit. Only her eyes are visible.

"You're 5 years old, and these people walk in with what looks like a spacesuit. Of course you're going to scream!" she says.

She can't bring in a toy to distract them, wear a funny hat. Pick them up and show them around the clinic, bouncing them on her hip. She can't hold their hand through the night, when they get really sick.

"That's been the very difficult part for me — is I can't be at the bedside of this critical child," she says.

She remembers one 5-year-old patient in quarantine, waiting on test results, whose father would sit with her, letting her watch Bollywood movies on his smartphone. Narra, whose family is from southern India, recognized one of the songs — a number from the romantic comedy, Desi Boyz.

After her shift that day, Narra took off her gear and ran outside to her patient's window. She knocked, this time looking like herself –- and did her best Bollywood dance moves from the film.

"And then, she was smiling, laughing and clapping," Narra laughs. "I was like –- I don't even know these moves but I will make them up for you!"

A few days later, the test results came back for the little girl: negative. One bright spot, in Narra's painful summer.

Ebola Case Detected in Seventh DR Congo Province

Case found in northwestern province of South-Ubangi bordering the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville.

By AFP, AP 

11 Sep 2026

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached a seventh province bordering the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville, according to local authorities.

The acting governor of the northwestern province of South-Ubangi, Jean-Rene Galekwa Vundawe, issued a statement on Friday saying Ebola was detected following laboratory analysis of a suspected case in the province.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe, head of DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, confirmed that a man had tested positive for Ebola.

Until now, the Bundibugyo virus, the rare kind of Ebola that caused the current outbreak, had been in six provinces in the country’s east and northeast. Local transmission has not yet been confirmed in South-Ubangi, meaning it ⁠has not been added to ⁠the list of provinces officially affected by the epidemic.

The outbreak, DRC’s 17th, is already the deadliest and the biggest in the country’s history in terms of case numbers – a milestone reached in late July.

As of Wednesday, 6,942 cases and 3,349 deaths have been reported, according to the latest government figures, well above the 2,299 deaths recorded in DRC’s 2018-2020 outbreak of the Zaire Ebola virus, previously the country’s worst on record.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the current outbreak remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak across West Africa, which killed more than 11,325 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Friday’s statement by the South-Ubangi governor’s office said a sample from a patient in the Bulu health district was tested by DRC’s national research institute, and laboratory results found the presence of the Bundibugyo virus.

The patient who died in South-Ubangi had developed symptoms in the capital of Tshopo province, Kisangani, where Ebola cases have been reported, after travelling through Rwanda, Uganda and Ituri province in northeastern DRC, Galekwa said. The patient then travelled by boat on the Congo River.

“The route taken both by the patient and by the boat exposes the populations” of the provinces of North-Ubangi, Tshopo and Mongala, Galekwa said.

“Thirty-eight people have been identified as having been in contact with the patient and have been placed in quarantine,” he said.

In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicentre, but risen sharply in neighbouring North Kivu and Upper-Uele.

The Bundibugyo variant of Ebola currently has no approved vaccines or treatments.

However, several treatments and vaccines are being tested.

The outbreak has spread rapidly since it was officially declared on May 15, as weak health infrastructure, the region’s remoteness, and ongoing conflict near DRC’s borders with South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda have hindered efforts to respond to cases.

Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Spreads to a 7th Province

Health workers who are members of the safe and dignified burial team prepare to bury Abineno Justine, a 38 year old woman who died of the Ebola virus, in Bunia, Congo, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole)

1:47 PM EDT, September 11, 2026

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The Ebola outbreak in Congo, the world’s fastest-growing outbreak of the disease on record, has now spread to seven provinces in the African country, local authorities said. And it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

According to the governor of the northwestern province of Sud-Ubangi, Jean-Rene Galekwa Vundawe, Congo’s national research institute tested a sample and found traces of the Bundibugyo virus, the rare kind of Ebola that caused the current outbreak.

The statement, which was issued on Thursday and reported by local media outlets on Friday, said the sample was from the Bulu health district in Sud-Ubangi. It did not disclose other information about the source of the infection.

Local lawmaker and former health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani said on X on Thursday a positive case was recorded in Gwaka, a town in Sud-Ubangi province. He said the patient was a 23-year-old man and has died.

Mbungani said in just three weeks the man had departed from South Kivu province — where confirmed Ebola cases have been reported — and then traveled to Rwanda and Uganda. He then traveled to Congo’s Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak.

He then traveled from the northeast of the country to the northwest through the provinces of Tshopo, Mongala and Sud-Ubangi, according to Mbungani.

Doctors and local authorities in Sud-Ubangi were alerted to a patient that had a fever and was vomiting blood, Mbungani told The Associated Press on Friday in a telephone interview, adding that the man had died on Tuesday. Samples were then taken after the patient had died and were sent to the national research institute.

“It worries me. … Our province borders Congo-Brazzaville and the Central African Republic. We fear it may spread regionally,” said Mbungani.

The development makes Sud-Ubangi the seventh province affected by the outbreak — and the first in western Congo — a worrisome spread outward from what was previously concentrated in the country’s east. A case was detected in Kinshasa in May in a person who had traveled from eastern Congo, but the Congolese capital, more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away from the epicenter, was not classified as an affected province.

As of Wednesday, 6,942 cases and 3,349 deaths have been reported, according to the latest government figures.

The World Health Organization has said the outbreak remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicenter, but risen sharply in neighboring North Kivu and Haut-Uele.

The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions for aid efforts, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The situation is particularly concerning at displacement sites, where residents already live in extremely precarious conditions.

Sud-Ubangi, which borders the Central African Republic, does not border any of the six provinces in eastern Congo where confirmed Ebola cases had previously been reported. They include Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Tshopo and Bas-Uele.

WHO said last month there is a risk the outbreak could spread from Congo to the Central African Republic and South Sudan, which border the affected provinces.

Neighboring Uganda, which had reported 20 cases since May, declared itself free of Ebola in July.

Last month, Congo began vaccinating health and other front-line workers with the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type of the virus called Zaire.

Clinical trials are underway to find a licensed vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus.

The vaccination trials started in Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces, Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said Thursday. Vaccinations in Ituri are set to start next week, he added.

Xenophobia: National Assembly Suspends South Africa Visits

Boycotts South African-hosted legislative activities

By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja

Vanguard

The National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and announced a boycott of South African-hosted legislative activities over continuing reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in the country.

The decision followed consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives, according to a statement signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, on Friday.

The National Assembly leadership expressed concern over reports of violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of hostility directed at Nigerians and other African nationals resident in South Africa.

It said it was particularly worried by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties as a result of recurring attacks.

The statement noted that despite repeated appeals by the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to South African authorities to take decisive steps to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals and prosecute perpetrators, reports of such incidents had continued to emerge.

“In view of these developments and following consultations between the Leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the National Assembly has resolved to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and to boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice,” the statement said.

The resolution covers official visits by lawmakers, National Assembly committees, officials and staff, as well as participation in conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchanges and other programmes organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities.

It also extends to physical and virtual participation in South African-hosted legislative programmes.

The leadership consequently directed the Clerk to communicate the decision to senators, members of the House of Representatives, committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff for strict compliance.

The National Assembly, however, stressed that the decision was not aimed at undermining the longstanding historical, diplomatic and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and South Africa.

Rather, it described the move as “a strong expression of concern over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in South Africa.”

The federal lawmakers called on the South African government to take urgent and concrete measures to protect Nigerians and other African nationals within its territory and prevent further xenophobic attacks.

They also urged the South African authorities to thoroughly investigate reported incidents, arrest suspected perpetrators and ensure that those found culpable were prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The National Assembly leadership further urged the leadership of the 36 State Houses of Assembly to take note of the decision and consider adopting similar measures.

It reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigerian citizens abroad and said it would continue to monitor developments concerning the safety and welfare of Nigerians in South Africa.

The suspension and boycott will remain in force until further notice and may be reviewed by the National Assembly leadership as circumstances warrant.

Obi Condemns Killing of Kano Commentator, Urges Justice

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called for a thorough investigation into the killing of Kano-based social media commentator, Ibrahim Khalil Dan Shagamu.

Obi made the call in a statement posted on his X account on Friday, condemning the killing and urging the Kano State Government and security agencies to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

Dan Shagamu was killed at his residence in Gaida Quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, on Monday night.

The Kano State Police Command said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to the police, the attack occurred at about 11:30pm after the Vigilante Group Commander in Gaida reported that unknown hoodlums had forcibly entered Dan Shagamu’s residence and attacked him with sharp objects.

Police operatives from the Kumbotso Division responded and took him to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

The command said the suspects were in custody and were being interrogated, while forensic procedures were ongoing to establish the circumstances and motive behind the attack.

Reacting to the killing, Obi said disagreements or criticism should not be used to justify violence.

“I am deeply saddened by the killing of social media commentator, Ibrahim Khalil Dan Shagamu, in his home in Kano.

“No disagreement, criticism, or neighbourhood dispute can ever justify the taking of a human life.

“Those who speak up, express their opinions, or hold different views must not be made to live in fear,” Obi said.

He urged the Kano State Government and relevant security agencies to conduct a “thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation” into the incident.

Obi also called for all those responsible for the killing to be brought to justice, stressing that freedom of expression was guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.

He expressed condolences to Dan Shagamu’s family, friends, colleagues and followers, while praying for the repose of his soul.

The police had earlier assured residents that the investigation would be pursued to its logical conclusion and said the suspects would be charged to court after the investigation.

Nigeria Develops Solar Panel Production Despite Imports from China — Climate Home News

UA.NEWS

11 September 2026 16:04

Nigeria develops solar panel production despite imports from China — Climate Home News

Several companies in Nigeria are developing local solar panel production, while the country’s government is seeking to reduce dependence on imported equipment, mainly from China. In particular, the LPV Technologies plant near Lagos, where production began last year, manufactures panels for buyers in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries, Climate Home News reports.

According to Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, about four in ten people in the country, more than 85 million people, do not have reliable access to centralised electricity supply. Over the past two years, Nigeria’s national power grid has suffered around 22 failures due to electricity transmission constraints, gas shortages and ageing infrastructure.

Demand for off-grid energy

Solar systems are increasingly being installed in households and businesses affected by grid disruptions. According to BloombergNEF estimates, Nigeria’s total installed solar capacity has reached about 6 GW, mainly thanks to small-scale installations. In the Agege area of Lagos, 100 LPV panels were installed on the roof of a new veterinary vaccine storage complex. Together with batteries, they are intended to provide round-the-clock power to offices, laboratories and refrigerated facilities.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu told Chinese investors back in 2024 that the country intended to manufacture solar technologies and batteries for the African market. The authorities also announced renewable energy industrial park projects in Nasarawa State and a solar module assembly plant in Enugu. However, commercial production at these facilities has not yet begun.

Competition with Chinese manufacturers

Nigeria’s solar market remains heavily dependent on foreign equipment. Last year, the country imported about 2.9 million panels worth more than 400 billion naira, or $295 million; more than 70% of supplies came from China. This made Nigeria the second-largest African importer of Chinese panels after South Africa.

According to LPV Technologies operations manager Emmanuel Agboli, the plant produces about 180,000 panels per year, but this is insufficient to meet domestic demand. The company imports up to 17 components, including solar cells, which increases costs. China controls more than 80% of global manufacturing capacity in the solar industry, the International Energy Agency notes. The retail price of an imported 550 W panel is about 150,000 naira, or $110 — the same amount LPV charges wholesale buyers.

Industry representatives also cited instability in government policy and the exchange rate as obstacles for investors. A proposal last year to restrict solar panel imports in support of local manufacturers was withdrawn about a month after it was announced.

BRICS Summit: Nigeria Moves to Deepen Ties with Partners

VP Shettima

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to consolidate bilateral relations with key international partners at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, holding from Sept. 12 and 13.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Nkwocha explained that the engagement would provide Nigeria with another platform to strengthen partnerships in trade, investment, energy, agriculture, solid minerals, technology, and innovation.

This, according to him, will enable the country to promote greater cooperation among countries of the Global South.

He said that Vice President Kashim Shettima would be in New Delhi to represent President Bola Tinubu at the summit scheduled to take place in Bharat Mandapam, India.

Nkwocha said while in New Delhi, Shettima would join leaders of BRICS member and partner nations at plenary and high-level sessions examining global economic growth, multilateral cooperation, and shared development priorities.

Similarly, the presidential aide said that Shettima would also hold bilateral engagements with leaders and senior officials of participating countries.

According to him, the discussions are expected to focus on opportunities for deeper economic and diplomatic cooperation with Nigeria.

“Nigeria, a BRICS partner country since January 2025, is opening another channel for the country to deepen South-South cooperation and engage some of the world’s largest emerging economies on trade, investment, development finance and reform of global governance institutions.

“The country’s participation is consistent with President Tinubu’s drive to strengthen the country’s international economic partnerships, attract investment and expand markets for Nigerian products, particularly in agriculture, energy, minerals and other non-oil sectors,” he said.

Nkwocha said that VP Hettima would return to Nigeria shortly after participating at the event. (NAN)

Nigeria’s Oil Output Hits 1.573m bpd as OPEC Production Rises

By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor

Nigeria’s crude oil production, excluding condensate, rose by 35,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.573 million bpd in August 2026, from 1.537 million bpd in July, according to the latest data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The increase, representing a 2.3 per cent month-on-month (MoM) growth, places Nigeria among OPEC members that recorded higher production during the month.

OPEC, in its latest monthly data based on direct communication from member countries, said Nigeria’s August output was its highest monthly production level in the data provided for 2026.

The August figure also exceeded Nigeria’s average production of 1.552 million bpd in the second quarter of 2026, indicating a gradual improvement in upstream output.

The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government and oil producers to boost production through improved security, fresh upstream investments, new projects and the rehabilitation of existing assets.

Across OPEC, crude oil production increased by 346,000 bpd to 24.081 million bpd in August, from 23.735 million bpd in July.

Iraq recorded the largest increase among OPEC members, with output surging by 664,000 bpd to 3.378 million bpd. Kuwait followed with a 49,000-bpd increase to 1.894 million bpd, while the United Arab Emirates added 54,000 bpd to reach 3.835 million bpd.

Venezuela also increased production by 23,000 bpd to 1.145 million bpd.

However, some major producers recorded declines. Saudi Arabia’s output fell by 75,000 bpd to 7.276 million bpd, while Algeria and Libya declined by 8,000 bpd and 9,000 bpd to 999,000 bpd and 1.355 million bpd respectively.

Iran recorded the largest decline, with production dropping by 399,000 bpd to 2.086 million bpd.

Beyond OPEC, total production by the broader OPEC+ group, comprising OPEC members and participating non-OPEC producers under the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC), rose by 297,000 bpd to 38.055 million bpd in August.

Within the non-OPEC DoC group, Kazakhstan increased production by 159,000 bpd to 1.807 million bpd, while Russia cut output by 160,000 bpd to 8.718 million bpd.

For Nigeria, the latest production increase could provide some relief to government revenue and foreign exchange earnings, given the continued importance of crude oil exports to the economy.

Nigeria has set a target of raising crude oil production towards three million bpd by 2030, making sustained increases essential to achieving the ambition.

However, the country still faces significant challenges, including ageing fields, infrastructure constraints, crude theft, funding difficulties and the need to attract new investment into the upstream sector.

The August performance therefore represents progress, but maintaining the upward trend will be crucial if Nigeria is to close the gap between current production and its ambitious 2030 target.

Nigeria Takes Over UN Peacekeeping Committee Chairmanship

Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, known as the Committee of 34 or C-34, with Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, pledging to promote transparency, accountability and civilian protection....

By Kazeem Kasali

September 11, 2026 11:07 AM GMT+1

Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, known as the Committee of 34 or C-34, with Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, pledging to promote transparency, accountability and civilian protection.

Ibrahim took over the leadership of the committee from Canada, commending the outgoing chairman for his contribution to the work of the body.

The Nigerian envoy said his leadership would support efforts to strengthen international peace and security, particularly in tackling terrorism and other threats to global stability.

He stressed the need for peacekeeping and counter-terrorism operations to remain focused on restoring stability while protecting the rights, interests and welfare of civilians.

Ibrahim’s emergence further strengthens Nigeria’s leadership role within the United Nations, as he now chairs two key UN committees.

He is also chairman of the UN Fifth Committee, which oversees the organisation’s administrative and budgetary affairs.

The development is particularly significant given Nigeria’s longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping operations and its advocacy for stronger multilateral responses to international security challenges.

On assuming office, Ibrahim expressed appreciation to Canada for its stewardship of the C-34 and pledged to build on the progress recorded under the previous leadership.

He assured member states that his tenure would be guided by transparency, accountability and effective collaboration.

Ibrahim was appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

His assumption of leadership of the two committees comes within his first 100 days as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, placing him at the centre of key deliberations on peacekeeping, international security, administration and finances.

Nigeria’s chairmanship of the C-34 is expected to provide the country with another platform to shape global discussions on the future of UN peacekeeping, civilian protection, counter-terrorism and international security cooperation.

FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM: US Delivers Military Equipment to NAF

September 11, 2026

By Ripples Nigeria

The United States has delivered military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force as part of efforts to strengthen the security partnership between both countries and support Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations. 

The United States Africa Command disclosed this in a post on its X handle on Thursday, along with pictures of a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft delivering the equipment.

AFRICOM said the equipment was supplied under a foreign military sales agreement between the two countries.

“PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION: A U.S. Air Force C-17 delivers equipment to the Nigerian Air Force this weekend. The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement that furthers the U.S.-Nigerian partnership and will aid in Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region,” the command said.

The latest delivery comes against the backdrop of continued military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, including training and capacity-building programmes.

On August 23, US forces began training Nigerian troops in unmanned aircraft systems, combat casualty care and other military skills at Operating Location Bauchi, as part of efforts to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries.

According to AFRICOM, the training covered combat lifesaver and tactical combat casualty care instruction, weapons familiarisation, camouflage, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small-unit tactics and unmanned aircraft systems.

The command said the training was developed based on the expertise available among US forces and areas identified by their Nigerian counterparts as beneficial.

It added that unmanned aircraft systems generated particular interest among Nigerian forces, with about 10 members of the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment receiving practical training on operating the systems. 

The US personnel also trained the Nigerian troops on techniques for employing unmanned aircraft systems and incorporating information gathered by the systems into military operations.

The development followed AFRICOM’s disclosure in July that the United States had withdrawn most of its troops deployed to Nigeria for a specific counter-terrorism operation, while retaining an intelligence-sharing and security partnership with the country.

Despite the withdrawal, both countries have continued to engage in military cooperation through intelligence sharing, training and other capacity-building initiatives.

Nigeria Suspends South Africa Visits Over Xenophobic Attacks

Friday 11th September, 2026 04:34 PM

By Kenneth Mwenda

Nigeria suspends South Africa visits over xenophobic attacks

Bola Tinubu during a past event. PHOTO/@officialABAT/X

Nigeria’s National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and ordered a boycott of South African-hosted legislative activities over continuing xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals.

The decision was announced on Friday, September 11, 2026, following consultations between the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The directive covers lawmakers, parliamentary committees, officials and staff of the National Assembly and will remain in force until further notice.

The National Assembly said the move followed reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon businesses, homes, investments and other property in South Africa.

“The National Assembly has resolved to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and to boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice,” Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana said in the communication.

The boycott applies to physical and virtual engagements, including conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, parliamentary exchanges and other activities organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by South African legislative institutions.

Any official delegation, committee, lawmaker or staff member seeking to take part in such an engagement will require the express approval of the leadership of the National Assembly.

Nigeria escalates response

The parliamentary action marks a further escalation in Nigeria’s response to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Nigeria’s federal government has already evacuated Nigerians from South Africa following the latest wave of attacks and security concerns. By July, the government said 1,490 Nigerians had been evacuated through a series of flights coordinated with Nigerian and South African authorities.

The government also condemned the killings of two Nigerian nationals in South Africa in June.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Emeka Charles Iroegbu was reportedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police officers in Pretoria on June 28, while Musa Yunana Joe, known as Big Joe, was killed outside his shop in Witbank on the same day. The ministry called for investigations and prosecution of those responsible.

The National Assembly said it was concerned that such incidents had continued despite repeated appeals by the Nigerian government and other stakeholders for South African authorities to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals.

The House had already moved to investigate xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in July, including casualties, property losses and abandoned assets.

The latest decision therefore moves beyond condemnation and investigation to a direct restriction on parliamentary cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa.

Tinubu takes issue to AU

The dispute has also moved to the continental level.

President Bola Tinubu recently raised the issue of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa at the African Union, calling for collective action by African countries.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented Tinubu at an AU meeting in Luanda, Angola, said Nigeria wanted the matter placed on the agenda of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027.

“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Shettima said.

He later said Nigeria would continue engaging South Africa through dialogue but would not accept the mistreatment of Nigerians.

Nigeria has stressed that its response is not aimed at ending diplomatic relations with South Africa.

The National Assembly said its suspension of parliamentary engagements does not undermine the longstanding historical and people-to-people relationship between the two countries.

Instead, it described the boycott as a response to concerns over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and doing business in South Africa.

The National Assembly has also urged State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria to take note of the decision and consider similar action.

It called on South African authorities to protect Nigerians and other African nationals, investigate reported attacks, arrest suspected perpetrators and prosecute those found responsible.

The parliamentary boycott will remain in place until further notice, with the National Assembly leadership retaining the power to review the decision depending on developments.

Nigerian University Lecturers’ Union Threatens Nationwide Strike

Lev Shevtsov

11 September 2026 14:39

Nigerian university lecturers’ union threatens nationwide strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities of Nigeria (ASUU) said it may declare a nationwide strike if the government does not urgently resolve problems at public universities. This was reported by Premium Times Nigeria, citing a statement by union president Christopher Piwuna issued after an emergency meeting of the ASUU National Executive Committee.

Union demands

According to ASUU, the possible protest is caused by the incomplete or, in its view, unsystematic implementation of an agreement concluded with the government in December 2025. The agreement resulted from longstanding disputes between the union and Nigerian governments over funding and working conditions at public universities.

The union demands the full implementation of the agreement, payment of salary arrears to lecturers, and transfer of funds deducted from salaries for the benefit of third parties. ASUU claims that deductions for pension contributions, workers’ cooperative societies, and union dues have not been properly remitted for several months. According to the union, the amount of such deductions reaches billions of naira.

Piwuna said that apart from recent attempts by the Federal Ministry of Education to pay arrears to lecturers at federal agricultural universities, there have been no systemic steps to resolve the problems. ASUU warned that it may resume its previously suspended strike without further notice if its demands are not met.

Arrears and state universities

The union also called for lecturers to be paid the remaining three and a half months of salaries withheld during the 2022 labour dispute under President Muhammadu Buhari. At the time, the Buhari government withheld payments for seven and a half months, while the administration of President Bola Tinubu later paid salaries for four months.

ASUU also raised the issue of implementing the December 2025 agreement at state-owned universities. According to the union, its implementation began in Bauchi, Ekiti, Ogun, Benue, Yobe, Adamawa, Kebbi, Katsina, and Borno states. The authorities of Kano, Edo, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe, and Bayelsa states, according to ASUU, promised to begin implementing the agreements in September or October. The union said that a strike may begin at universities in states without adequate progress, with the support of its national leadership.

Nigeria’s Parliament Suspends Engagements with South Africa Over Anti-migrant Violence

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN

9:24 AM EDT, September 11, 2026

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s parliament said Friday that it’s suspending official visits to South Africa indefinitely over anti-immigrant protests targeting other Africans.

The violent protests, which erupted in South Africa earlier this year, have forced thousands of migrants to leave and caused diplomatic tensions with other African nations.

Kamoru Ogunlana, the clerk to Nigeria’s National Assembly, said in a statement that the parliament was “particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties as a result of recurring violent attacks.”

South Africa has for years attracted foreign nationals from across the continent, including many from Nigeria, because of its relative wealth and opportunity. But foreigners have also experienced sporadic outbursts of xenophobic violence. Protesters in the southern African country blame foreigners for high levels of unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.

In June, two Nigerians were killed during anti-migrant violence in South Africa, just two days before an unofficial deadline set by protesters for foreigners to leave. Nigeria’s foreign ministry said one was allegedly killed by police officers and the other by unidentified attackers.

Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, hosted South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola in the country’s capital, Abuja, in July to discuss the recurring attacks. At that meeting, Enikanolaiye said that at least 98 Nigerians have been killed since 2022 in mob attacks, hate-related violence and extrajudicial killings.

The move by the parliament in Nigeria on Friday is a “strong expression” of concern over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in South Africa, Ogunlana said.

According to South Africa’s latest government figures, almost 90,000 people have either been voluntarily repatriated or have been deported since the migration tensions began. However, figures released by the governments of migrants’ home countries put the total at about 178,000.

PM Abiy Mourns Tanzania’s First Gentleman

Addis Ababa, September 7, 2026 (ENA)—) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has expressed condolences over the death of Tanzania’s First Gentleman, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, who died on Monday while receiving medical treatment in Zanzibar.

In a social media post, PM Abiy conveyed sympathy to President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Tanzanian people.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, we extend our deepest condolences to Her Excellency, her family, and the people of Tanzania.

Our thoughts and sympathies remain with her family and the people of Tanzania during this difficult time,” he stated.

Hassan, who became First Gentleman in 2021, had been receiving treatment for a heart condition.