Hezbollah Unleashes Wave of Strikes Against IOF Across Southern Border

By Al Mayadeen English

Hezbollah carried out a series of rocket and artillery strikes targeting Israeli troops and vehicles across multiple southern border villages in ongoing cross-border confrontations.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon carried out a series of coordinated operations targeting gatherings of Israeli occupation soldiers and military vehicles that had advanced into Lebanese territory along the southern border.

Sustained strikes across multiple border areas

The operations focused on several key locations, including al-Odeisaa, Markaba, al-Taybeh, al-Khiam, and nearby border sites, where Israeli troop concentrations and military vehicles were targeted with rockets and artillery fire.

At 7:00 PM on Saturday, Resistance fighters struck a gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehicles at al-Khazzan Hill in al-Odeisaa with a rocket barrage.

At 10:20 PM, another gathering of Israeli forces in Jabal Wardeh in Markaba was targeted with rockets.

At 12:10 AM, Resistance fighters struck a gathering of Israeli forces at al-Muhaysibat Hill, south of the Taybeh project, with a rocket salvo.

At 12:15 AM, the same area was targeted again with artillery shells.

At 12:30 AM, a third rocket barrage hit Israeli forces at al-Muhaysibat Hill, south of al-Taybeh, marking a continued escalation in strikes.

At 12:40 AM, Israeli troop gatherings in the Taybeh project area were targeted with rocket fire.

At 3:10 AM, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli forces in the vicinity of the al-Khiam Detention Center with a heavy rocket.

At 5:00 AM, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli forces and vehicles in the town of al-Taybeh with a precision rocket.

Resistance fighters also struck separate gatherings in Khirbet al-Kassif, southwest of Taybeh, using artillery shells.

In al-Khiam, Israeli occupation forces were targeted at multiple locations, including the newly established Hamams site and Khallat al-Asafir, where rocket volleys were launched.

The Islamic Resistance confirmed that its operations are ongoing in response to Israeli incursions, targeting troop gatherings and military positions along the border and engaging forces at close range in several areas.

Hezbollah complicating IOF’s ability to locate missile launch sites

Hezbollah is making it more difficult for the Israeli army to locate its rocket launch sites by changing launch patterns and spreading launch platforms across a broader area, including distant areas and within Shiite villages in southern Lebanon, Channel 12 reported.

The channel’s military affairs correspondent, Nitzan Shapira, noted that Hezbollah is deploying launch platforms in a way that makes it more difficult to locate and thus target them. This comes as hundreds of rockets continue to be fired daily toward “Israel” with about 40% targeting Israeli army positions along the border, despite an almost 24/7 Israeli intelligence surveillance and lock.

Shapira added that the average number of rockets fired is around 100, increasing to about 150 on days of intensified operations, noting that the Israeli army continues its operations inside Lebanon to pursue cells and launch platforms, only to be met with fierce resistance, preventing its advancement.

According to military estimates, Hezbollah still possesses thousands of short-range missiles, in addition to long-range missiles capable of reaching areas such as Gush Dan and other distant areas inside “Israel”, reflecting the difficulty the Israeli army faces in controlling rockets and their systems.

EU's Refusal to Condemn War Against Iran Shows its Subservience to US Empire: Ex-MEP

Saturday, 21 March 2026 9:29 PM

By Press TV Website Staff

The European Union's refusal to condemn the ongoing unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against Iran shows its total subservience to the strategic interests of the American empire, says a European politician.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Mick Wallace, a former member of the European Parliament, said that the striking silence of European leaders in the face of US-Israeli attacks on Iranian civilian areas is a result of Europe's total geopolitical dependence on Washington.

"The EU doesn't have an independent foreign policy; it is subservient to the interests of the US Empire," the firebrand European politician said.

The aggression, launched on February 28 amid indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US, has mostly targeted Iran's civilians and civilian infrastructure, apart from the leadership.

Nearly 1,300 Iranians have been killed in the aggression so far, according to the health ministry, including 165 schoolchildren in the southern Iranian city of Minab.

Figures released Saturday by the Iranian Red Crescent Society detail the severe toll on non-combatants, reporting damage to over 80,000 civilian units, including 60,000 residential homes.

Despite this extensive death and destruction, Wallace said European institutions remain intentionally passive. He noted that the bloc's growing reliance on the US-led NATO military alliance, which he described as an "instrument to keep the Europeans where the US wants them," makes this dynamic starkly obvious. 

Iran has called on the EU Commission chief to stop ‘hypocrisy’ and cease approving occupation, genocide, and atrocities.

According to the former European lawmaker, who has frequently condemned Israeli-American genocide in Gaza both inside the European Parliament and on various platforms, Brussels will consistently refrain from censuring Washington or Tel Aviv.

He stressed that the EU "will not condemn Israel or the US," adding that the EU's respect for international law and human rights has always been "selective."

This selective morality has drawn fierce criticism from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei recently condemned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her hypocrisy and complicity in the face of lawlessness.

Baghaei's rebuke followed a horrific joint US-Israeli bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in the southern city of Minab, which killed at least 165.

Iranian Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Kolivand has highlighted the systematic nature of these attacks, confirming that strikes have damaged 498 schools, 266 medical facilities, and 17 humanitarian centers so far.

Hundreds of civilians, including 231 women and children under five, have been martyred, while thousands more have been injured in blatant violation of fundamental human rights.

When asked about the likelihood of European states directly joining the military campaign against Iran, Wallace dismissed the possibility.

"EU member states will not enter the war directly," he said, adding that "they are much more interested in supporting the unwinnable war in Ukraine," he stated.

"Sadly, the EU today is being run by people who are not very smart, don't respect International Law, and lack integrity."

Meanwhile, Iranian armed forces and resistance groups across the region continue to carry out retaliatory military operations against the United States and the Israeli regime.

Iranian armed forces have so far carried out 72 waves of missile and drone strikes with advanced weaponry targeting Israeli military facilities in the occupied territories, as well as US occupation bases and assets scattered across the West Asia region.

For years, Brussels has claimed to be a global moral arbiter. Wallace recalled how European leaders frequently lectured the world about the supposed superiority of "European values," framing their continent as the civilized world in contrast to others they deemed "barbarians."

However, the ongoing aggression and the bloc's tacit approval of systemic atrocities against Iranians have shattered this facade entirely.

"The EU's unconditional support for the Israeli Genocide in Gaza exposed that myth forever," Wallace told the Press TV website.

'Enemy to be Astonished': IRGC Declares 'Missile Dominance' Over Occupied Territories

Saturday, 21 March 2026 8:58 PM

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has declared "missile dominance" over the skies of the occupied territories as the war enters its 23rd day.

In a post on X on Saturday, the force's commander, Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, declared that the skies over the south of the occupied territories “will remain illuminated for hours” tonight.

"The new tactics and launch systems to be employed in the upcoming waves will leave American and Zionist commanders astonished," he stated.

His remarks came hours after the IRGC carried out the 70th wave of Operation True Promise 4 against sensitive and strategic Israeli and American targets throughout the region.

Launched immediately after the United States and the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran on February 28, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and some top-ranking commanders.

Iranian armed forces have so far carried out 72 waves of missile and drone strikes with advanced weaponry targeting Israeli military facilities in the occupied territories, as well as US occupation bases and assets scattered across the West Asia region.

Iranian armed forces and resistance groups across the region continued their retaliatory military operations against the US and the Israeli regime on Saturday, March 21.

In the occupied territories, retaliation strikes have targeted military sites in Tel Aviv, the occupied city of al-Quds, the occupied port of Haifa, the technological hub of Be'er Sheva, the Negev Desert, and other locations.

US military positions across the region, including in Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, have also faced sustained counterstrikes.

Wave 72 of Operation True Promise 4, codenamed Ya Rasul Allah, and dedicated to Major General Martyr Rezaiian and the martyrs of the Law Enforcement Command, targeted the hangars and fuel depots of the Israeli regime at the "Minhad" base and the "Ali Al-Salem" airbase with a massive volume of ballistic missiles and suicide drones on Saturday.

The previous wave also targeted Tel Aviv in the heart of the occupied Palestinian territories and points in "Rishon LeZion" with the "Emad" super-heavy, precision-guided missile system, as well as the "Qadr" heavy, multi-warhead missiles and suicide drones.

IRGC also announced the downing of a third Israeli fighter jet, F-16, in the central part of Iran by modern air defense systems on Saturday.

It said another fighter jet was shot down in the skies north of the city of Isfahan. The type and model of this aircraft are not known yet.

Iranian Islands Will Be Graveyards of 'Child-killing' Aggressors if Invaded, Warns IRGC

Saturday, 21 March 2026 5:15 PM

IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri greets members of his force. (File photo)

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy commander has issued a stark warning to the United States and Israel, saying Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf will turn into graveyards for “child-killing aggressors” in case of a ground invasion. 

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday, as the United Staes and Israel continue their aggression against Iran.

Tangsiri further noted facilities at Al-Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates as well as Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait have been destroyed with a large volume of ballistic missiles and destructive drones.

“These bases were the starting point for aggression against Iranian islands. We have prepared the graves of child-killing aggressors on all Iranian islands,” he said. 

The latest development comes as US President Donald Trump claimed military installations on Iran’s Kharg island had been bombed, threatening to order attacks on critical oil facilities there if Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran, in turn, has warned that any aggression against oil structures on the strategic Kharg Island will be met with the complete destruction of oil and gas facilities in any country from which the attack originates. 

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply normally passes, has effectively been shut down since the US-Israeli aggression against Iran in late February. 

Hundreds of ships have reportedly remained anchored nearby, while global shipping companies and oil exporters have paused operations due to security concerns.

Skies of Occupied Territories 'Defenseless', Says Speaker Qalibaf After Dimona Strikes

Saturday, 21 March 2026 11:25 PM

Emergency response personnel work at the site of damage after Iranian missile retaliation struck the city of Dimona in the central part of the occupied territories on March 21, 2026. (Photo by Reuters)

Iran's top legislator says reports of significant damage caused to the city of Dimona in the central occupied territories following Iranian missile strikes point to the disempowerment of the Israeli defenses in the face of Iranian retaliation.

"If the Israeli regime is unable to intercept missiles in the highly protected area of Dimona, it is, in operational terms, a sign of entering a new phase of the battle," Speaker of Majlis (the Iranian Parliament), Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, wrote in a post on X on Saturday.

He described the prominent feature of this phase as the occupied territories' skies having been rendered "defenseless."

"As a result, it appears that the time has come to implement the next pre-designed plans," the official concluded, referring to the surprises the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces have repeatedly promised they have in store for Tel Aviv.

The comments came after, despite widespread censorship of the real toll of the missile strike, local reports indicated that dozens had been killed in the reprisal targeting Dimona. The city is famous for being outfitted with extreme protective means due to its hosting the regime's notorious Dimona nuclear reactor in its vicinity.

Official sources have reported nearly 50 injured. However, the deployment of dozens of ambulances and several military helicopters to evacuate those affected has suggested that local accounts might be closer to reality.

While the regime's police have strictly prevented any form of filming of the scene, some residents of Dimona have reported seeing numerous body bags alongside the ambulances.

Israeli media describes 'hardest night'

Meanwhile, Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that, due to the Iranian retaliation, the regime's so-called "home front" experienced its "most difficult night" since February 28. The day saw the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces begin unrelenting and decisive counterstrikes in the face of Tel Aviv's and Washington's most recent bout of unprovoked aggression targeting the Iranian soil.

The Israeli paper cited a high number of casualties in Dimona and the nearby city of Arad.

The Israeli military officially confirmed that the reprisal was carried out using a ballistic missile with a warhead carrying approximately half a ton of explosives.

According to military sources, two attempts were made to intercept the missile, both of which failed.

The Iranian reprisal, codenamed Operation True Promise 4, was launched momentarily after the unlawful aggression began late last month.

Iranian armed forces and resistance groups across the region continued their retaliatory military operations against the US and the Israeli regime on Saturday, March 21.

In the occupied territories, retaliatory strikes have targeted military sites in Tel Aviv, the occupied city of al-Quds, the occupied port of Haifa, the technological hub of Be'er Sheva, the Negev Desert, and other locations.

US military positions across the region, including in Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, have also faced sustained counterstrikes.

UK Lets US Use British Bases to Strike Iranian Missile Sites Targeting Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump says London should have acted faster after it agreed to help efforts to curb attacks on shipping

A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress takes off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Thursday. The British bases being used by the US in it war against Iran are RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia © Getty Images

UK lets US use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites targeting Strait of Hormuz on x (opens in a new window)

Lucy Fisher in London and Steff Chávez in Washington

MAR 20 2026

The UK has confirmed it will allow the US to use British air bases to conduct strikes on Iranian missile sites and other military capabilities that are targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

While the move is a significant broadening of London’s policy on the Iran war, it was met with criticism by US President Donald Trump, who said Britain should have “acted a lot faster”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with ministers on Friday to discuss Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping and its blocking of the strait, as well as Tehran’s strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, including oil and gas facilities.

Ministers confirmed that an agreement “for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The British bases being used by the US in its war with Israel against Iran are RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer’s decision is the most significant step he has taken to widen his policy, confirmed one day into the war, for the US to use UK bases to attack missile storage depots and launchers inside Iran.

London views this as defensive activity to protect British nationals and interests in the region as well as support Gulf allies that have borne the brunt of retaliatory attacks by Iran.

Number 10 insisted the announcement on Friday did not represent a change to Starmer’s stance of the UK not getting drawn into a wider conflict and stressed the British government viewed the move as being in line with international law.

It came after Trump rebuked Nato “cowards” who “complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz” in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The US president lashed out again after the Downing Street announcement. “It’s been a very late response from the UK”, Trump said, adding it was “a surprise because the relationship is so good”.

Trump reiterated his criticism of the UK’s deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. The agreement, under which the UK will lease back the military base, is paused while British officials engage with Washington.

Earlier on Friday, UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper spoke with her Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. 

She condemned Iran’s “reckless attacks” and said Britain’s operations were a response to Tehran’s strikes in the region, according to a Foreign Office statement.

She also cautioned the Tehran regime against targeting UK bases, territory or interests, it added. 

Araghchi said on X that the vast majority of Britons did not want any part in the “Israel-US war of choice” and by “ignoring his People, Mr. Starmer is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran”. Tehran “will exercise its right to self-defence”, Araghchi added.

London was working with international partners to develop a viable plan to safeguard international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Downing Street said.

In addition, RAF F-35 and Typhoon fighter jets are flying sorties across the Middle East, and counter-drone units are active, attempting to intercept Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles.

The Conservatives, who argue Britain should have let the US use UK bases to carry out its initial strikes on Iran, said Starmer had dithered in his response to the war and had shown “weak and indecisive” leadership.

Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “After weeks of dither and finger pointing, the prime minister has once again changed his mind and performed yet another screeching U-turn.”

A Number 10 official dismissed the Tories’ criticism, saying the opposition party did not seem to understand the government’s policy.

The Liberal Democrats also censured the government over its latest move and renewed calls for a parliamentary vote on the war.

Calum Miller, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson, said: “We have warned from the start that the UK has to avoid being dragged into another war in the Middle East with no obvious end.”

Trump Sets 48-hour Deadline for Iran to Open Strait of Hormuz to Imperialist and Zionist States While Tehran Pounds US Bases and Israel

US president threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants if waterway is not opened for shipping

Edited by Joshua Oliver and Peter Barber in New York, Gavin Huang in Hong Kong and Kieran Cash

Main developments

Iran state media released footage purportedly showing rockets fired towards Israel on Saturday © Iranian state TV

Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if the country did not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Benjamin Netanyahu said it had been a “very difficult” night after two Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel — including one near the country’s nuclear research centre — injured more than 120 people, 11 of them seriously.

Israel’s military chief said the war was at its “halfway point” and suggested the conflict would continue at least until early next month, while defence minister Israel Katz said the “intensity” of attacks on Iran would increase in the coming week.

Iran fired two ballistic missiles at Britain’s Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, 4,000km away. Neither hit their target but Tehran’s use of missiles with such a long range will alarm military planners in Europe. 

Saudi Arabia and UAE intercept missiles

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they had intercepted missiles launched towards their countries on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it had intercepted one of three missiles launched towards the Riyadh region. The other two fell in an uninhabited area, it said.

The UAE’s defence ministry said it was “responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran”.

Earlier, Qatar’s defence ministry said one of its helicopters had crashed in the country’s waters and a search operation was under way.

The ministry said the helicopter was conducting a “routine duty” when it suffered a “technical malfunction”.

Maritime group reports explosion near shipping vessel

UK Maritime Trade Operations said it had received a report of an explosion near a bulk carrier off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

The UKMTO said on Sunday the vessel reported “an explosion from an unknown projectile in close proximity” to the ship about 30km north of Sharjah. It said all crew were reported safe.

Trump sets 48-hour deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if the country does not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

The US president said in a Truth Social post on Saturday evening in Washington that if Iran did not open the crucial waterway “within 48 hours from this exact point in time”, the US would “hit and obliterate” the country’s power plants, “starting with the biggest one”.

Trump did not specify which plants would be hit.

The ultimatum threatens to further escalate the conflict after Trump said on Friday he was considering “winding down” the US campaign and that the American military was getting “very close” to meeting its objectives.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had said on Friday in response to an Israeli attack on the country’s South Pars gasfield that there would be “zero restraint if our infrastructures are struck again”.

The conflict has in effect closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and other cargo, and caused a surge in global energy prices. Trump has struggled to convince allies to participate in a naval mission to reopen it.

“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday. “The United States does not!”

Israel suffers ‘very difficult’ night as missile strikes injure 120

Benjamin Netanyahu said it had been a “very difficult” night after two Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel injured more than 120 people, 11 of them seriously.

The first strike on Saturday night hit the city of Dimona, near the country’s nuclear research centre and heavy-water reactor. A few hours later, a second salvo struck the nearby town of Arad, heavily damaging several multistorey residential buildings.

“We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

The Israeli military said it was investigating why aerial defences missed the incoming projectiles. Authorities said the second strike used a heavier warhead.

The strikes — and Iran’s missile launch towards the UK’s base at Diego Garcia — came despite US President Donald Trump saying Iranian missile capability had been “Completely degrad[ed]”.

Senior Iranian officials said the failure to intercept the missiles launched at Israel signalled the “entry into a new phase” of war.

“Israel’s skies are defenceless,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, wrote on X.

Majid Mousavi, head of aerospace for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said Iran’s “new tactics and launch systems” would greatly shock the US and Israel.

Israel’s top general says war at ‘halfway point’

Israel’s military chief has said the war against Iran is at its “halfway point” and will continue during the Jewish festival of Passover at the beginning of next month.

Eyal Zamir, chief of the general staff, said the joint US-Israeli assault on Iran “is beginning to accumulate into a systemic, strategic, military, economic and governmental achievement”.

But, in a video statement marking three weeks since the start of the offensive, he warned Israel should be prepared to “continue fighting for our future and our freedom” until Passover, in early April.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said earlier in the day that the “intensity of the attacks” against Iran would increase in the coming week.

Their comments came after President Donald Trump on Friday said he was considering “winding down” the American campaign against Iran and that the US military was getting “very close” to meeting its objectives. 

Imperialist War in West Asia Has Unleashed Severe Disruption for the Aviation Sector

Executives said that the epicentre of the crisis remained in the Gulf © AP

Peter Campbell in Brussels and Rachel Rees in London for the Financial Times

MAR 20 2026

The airline industry is in the grip of its worst crisis since the pandemic, as the Middle East war has grounded flights, wiped more than $50bn off the value of the world’s biggest carriers and even raised the spectre of fuel shortages.

As the conflict headed into a fourth week, executives sounded the alarm on its repercussions for an industry exposed to a prolonged increase in oil prices, disruption to the Gulf’s hub airports and a potential hit to global demand.

Passengers on routes far beyond the Gulf are set to face a steep increase in ticket prices in coming months as airlines attempt to shield their profits. Jet fuel, which accounts for a third of airlines’ costs, has doubled since the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran last month and is still rising.

Although many carriers are hedged against swings in oil prices, executives warned that the precipitous rise in the cost of jet fuel this month would force them to lift fares.         

“Fuel spiked quite heavily after the Ukraine invasion in 2022 as well, but this has gone further north,” said easyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis, adding that the conflict marked the severest upheaval for the industry since the pandemic closed the skies in 2020.

In a sign of investors’ alarm, the 20 largest publicly listed airlines have lost about $53bn in market capitalisation since the war began, according to FT calculations. 

Investors have also increased their bets on further declines in share prices, with Wizz Air, a low-cost European carrier, now the most shorted company on the FTSE 100, and easyJet also targeted.  

The crisis has struck following a sustained rebound in demand since the pandemic, with several airlines enjoying a run of record profits. Nevertheless, executives are wary that demand can withstand much higher ticket prices. 

Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of Lufthansa, said he feared higher prices could dent demand over the longer term but insisted that Germany’s largest airline had no choice but to raise fares. 

“Our average profit is about €10 per passenger, there’s no way you can absorb the additional cost,” he said. 

In an indication of how the disruption is ricocheting across the sector, airlines are drawing up contingency plans in the event of a shortage of jet fuel. 

Ben Smith, chief executive of Air France-KLM, said that the carrier was putting plans in place to cope with a squeeze in supplies, including cutting services to parts of Asia.

Europe’s airlines eye opportunities from Iran war fallout

Executives said that the epicentre of the crisis remained in the Gulf, where the state-backed trio of Emirates, Etihad and Qatar have been forced to dramatically cut back their schedules amid airspace closures and the collapse of the region’s tourism.

“For the guys in the Middle East, this is a big crisis,” said Willie Walsh, head of airlines lobby group Iata and the former boss of BA, adding that it remained dwarfed by the crisis that engulfed the industry during the pandemic.  

This is “more akin to the post-9/11 transatlantic issues where demand for transatlantic flying declined significantly”, he added.

Given the scale of the disruption, Andrew Charlton, head of Aviation Advocacy, a consultancy, said that the Gulf’s flag carriers were likely to require cash injections from their state owners. 

“If you’re an airline without state backing you are going to be in trouble,” he said. 

The disruption has extended to cargo as freight from heavily disrupted global shipping shifts to aircraft, leaving some airports overwhelmed.

Goods sent to Geneva airport are being driven to Paris because planes taking off from the Swiss base are full, according to Giovanni Russo, who heads operations at the airport.

As the industry reels from the conflict, Jarvis, the head of easyJet, said he expected airlines’ share prices would quickly rebound when the war ends.

“The share price has moved against all airlines since the start of the conflict,” he added. “I think they’ll [short sellers] close their position quite quickly if any ceasefires are announced.”

Neo-Colonial Dependence Laid Bare as Nigeria Seeks Assistance from UK Whose Policies Set the Stage for the Worsening Divisions in Africa's Most Populous State

This Day

President Bola Tinubu meets King Charles III

19 March 2026

This Day (Lagos)

By Deji Elumoye and Emmanuel Addeh

Abuja — President Bola Tinubu has called on the United Kingdom to maintain and strengthen support for Nigeria in addressing terrorism, emphasising that bilateral cooperation remained pivotal to the security and stability of West Africa.

Speaking at a state banquet at Windsor Castle, yesterday, Tinubu highlighted the decades-long historical ties between Nigeria and Britain, describing the two nations' shared history, culture, and institutions as a strong foundation for collaboration on security, economic, and social issues.

Addressing an audience that included King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, the president described the occasion as historic, noting that he was the first Nigerian leader to speak at Windsor Castle, a symbol of Britain's continuity and governance traditions.

On regional security, Tinubu pointed to terrorism challenges in the Sahel and West Africa, noting that Nigeria carried a significant responsibility in safeguarding regional stability.

He said partnership with the United Kingdom remained essential for intelligence sharing, training, and coordinated counterterrorism measures.

The president also disclosed that his visit to the UK included a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer later today, where discussions would focus on security cooperation, economic collaboration, and strengthening trade and investment ties.

"Our West African region faces complex terrorism challenges with roots in the Sahel. Nigeria carries an enormous responsibility to help safeguard regional stability.

"In confronting these threats, partnership with the United Kingdom remains essential and I look forward to my meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer tomorrow (today)" he stated.

Tinubu traced Nigeria's legal and institutional frameworks to British influence, highlighting the adoption of English common law in the judiciary, parliamentary traditions in legislative structures, and administrative models in the civil service.

He said these foundations had helped Nigeria build a stable and resilient democratic system while adapting British models to the Nigerian context.

The president also celebrated the Nigerian diaspora in the United Kingdom, noting their contributions to the National Health Service, business, education, and sports.

He cited Nigerian-trained doctors and nurses as critical to the success of UK's healthcare system and highlighted prominent Nigerian-descended athletes including footballers, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, rugby star Maro Itoje, and boxing champion Anthony Joshua, as living symbols of the enduring connection between the two nations.

Tinubu emphasised Nigeria's potential as a nation of young, dynamic people and innovative entrepreneurs, even as he expressed confidence in the country's ability to harness its human and natural resources for economic growth and social development.

The Nigerian leader noted that collaboration with the UK through the Commonwealth of Nations provided an additional platform for strengthening trade, investment, education, and governance links across 56 member states.

Tinubu reflected on Nigeria's history, recalling the support extended by the United Kingdom during the country's pro-democracy struggle in the 1990s.

He personally acknowledged that his life and those of other pro-democracy advocates were protected while in exile in the UK, with the Metropolitan Police providing surveillance to safeguard him against threats from the military junta.

"Your Majesty, I wish to express Nigeria's deep gratitude to this great nation for the refuge and support it extended during the dark years of military dictatorship.

"Like many Nigerians involved in the pro-democracy struggle, I found safety here, and I recall that my residence was placed under Metropolitan Police surveillance for protection following threats from agents of the junta.

"That solidarity remains etched in our collective memory, and it is deeply humbling for me to stand before Your Majesty today as the President of a democratic Nigeria," Tinubu said.

Discussing historical ties, Tinubu also highlighted shared values, including respect for democracy, rule of law, and civic responsibility, noting that British thinkers such as John Locke, Edmund Burke, and Thomas Hobbes, had influenced democratic principles that underpinned governance in both countries.

At the same time, he cited British literary figures, including William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, whose work has shaped the English language globally, which remains Nigeria's official language and a bridge for trade and cultural exchange.

Besides, economic cooperation featured prominently in Tinubu's remarks, noting that Nigeria and the UK were working together to expand trade, attract investment, and support innovation in multiple sectors.

He highlighted Nigerian entrepreneurs and businesses as vital drivers of growth, particularly in agriculture, technology, and creative industries, while stressing UK's role as a longstanding partner in these efforts.

He expressed the hope that despite its many problems, Nigeria was on the verge of renaissance.

"Despite these challenges, Nigeria approaches the future with hope and confidence. We are a nation of diverse and vibrant people, of young people dreaming big, of entrepreneurs with a global outlook, and of a hopeful people determined to realise their full potential," he stressed.

Tinubu, therefore, expressed gratitude to the United Kingdom for its historical support and for nurturing the enduring friendship between the two nations.

He invited attendees to raise a toast to the continued partnership, reaffirming Nigeria's commitment to working with the UK in building security, prosperity, and mutual understanding.

King Charles: Nigeria Has Shown People of Different Faiths Can Live Together in Peace

British monarch, King Charles III, has said Nigeria has shown that people of different faiths could live together in peace, harmony and shared purpose.

Speaking last night in London at a state dinner in honour of President Bola Tinubu, the monarch recalled earlier in the day when "you and I witnessed one such example of how we are learning from one another when we met leaders of the British Christian and Muslim communities."

According to him, "The gathering was a deeply meaningful symbol of what Nigeria has long shown: that people of different faiths can, do, and must live alongside one another, in peace, in harmony and in shared purpose.

"It was also a timely reminder of the importance of standing with you - and in us strengthening your Quick Reaction Forces, or in providing food, nutrition and protection services in Northern Nigeria - when challenges disturb the age-old balance between these communities."

The monarch also told President Tinubu that Nigeria was an economic powerhouse, a cultural force and an influential diplomatic voice from a continent that is playing an increasingly important role in the world.

He stated: "In a vastly interconnected global environment, one that is changing at unimaginable speed, that leadership brings responsibility - and opportunity. I heed the Yoruba wisdom - and forgive me if I say it in English... that 'rain does not fall on one roof alone'.

"As you observed so astutely before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in 2024, 'if we didn't have this global alliance... of fifty-six member states, 2.7 billion people and a combined G.D.P. forecast soon to surpass twenty trillion U.S. dollars... there would be a need to create one'.

"I believe firmly that, when rain clouds gather, we can tighten the grip of friendship between us and, in so doing, reinforce the central role of the Commonwealth in our shared future."

He further talked about examples of living bridge especially economic ties that joined Britain and Nigeria together.

His words: "As the connections between our nations deepen every day, so too do the economic ties. Your visit has provided the opportunity to celebrate the fact that Nigeria is investing in Britain's future as much as Britain is investing in Nigeria's - leading Nigerian banks have chosen the City of London as a global base, examples of the best Nigerian companies have listed on London's Stock Exchange, and U.K. Export Finance is supporting investment in Nigeria's ports.

"In education, British schools and universities are opening their doors in Nigeria, and British and Nigerian technology companies are forming ever closer partnerships. I was pleased to see that visitors from Nigeria spent £178 million in Britain in 2024, and 251,000 people from Britain travelled to Nigeria and spent just as much, in return.

"In January of this year, Nigeria became the United Kingdom's biggest export market in Africa and whilst I hear that in Nigeria the phrase 'Made in U.K.' has always symbolised the highest quality, it evidently now has a distinctively Nigerian flavour...

"The friendship between our two countries, Mr President, is a partnership of equals that has brought us both enormous benefits. It has been described to me as a deeply spiritual connection - beyond churches and mosques - a deep bond through which we have strengthened our shared security, ensured our economies are more prosperous, and empowered each other to believe in a more hopeful future.

"The many dynamic connections between our two nations have deep roots and yet I do not pretend that those roots are without a shadow. There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks. I do not seek to offer words that dissolve the past, for no words can. "But I do believe, as I know you believe, Mr President, that history is not merely a record of what was done to us - it is a lesson in how we go forward together to continue building a future rooted in hope and growth for all, and worthy of those who bore the pains of the past."

Read the original article on This Day.

Pentagon Penetrates Nigeria Further Through Drone Deployment to Track Rebels with Origins in US Intelligence

21 March 2026

Radio France Internationale

The US military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops - in a non-combat role providing training and intelligence support to the military in its fight against Islamist militants across the north, US and Nigerian officials have confirmed.

A US defence official said the drones had been deployed alongside troops at the request of the Nigerians to collect intelligence. "We see this as a shared security threat," the official told Reuters news agency.

Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information at Nigeria's Defence Headquarters, confirmed that the US was operating assets from Bauchi airfield in the northeast.

"This support builds on the newly established US-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders," he told Reuters. "Our US partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities."

Uba said the timeline for the United States' deployment in Nigeria would be determined in agreement by both sides.

MQ-9 drones, which are sometimes known as Reaper drones and can loiter at high altitude for more than 27 hours, can be used for both intelligence gathering and airstrikes.

But the two officials stressed the troops were not integrated within Nigerian units on the frontline and the drones are not carrying out airstrikes.

However, the US deployment, which follows US airstrikes targeting militants in northwest ⁠Nigeria in late 2025, shows Washington getting involved once more in tackling Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies that are spreading across West Africa.

Long partnership

Washington has had a long partnership with Nigeria's military, providing training and selling weapons.

The US military previously had a $100 million drone base in neighbouring Niger with about 1,000 troops monitoring militants across the Sahel region. It closed in ⁠2024 after the Niger junta requested their departure - part of a broader rejection of western military support by countries in the Sahel region.

The US carried out airstrikes in the northwest on Christmas Day, saying it was aimed at stopping the targeting of Christians in the region.

Nigeria's government and experts on the conflict have rejected claims of a concerted anti-Christian ⁠campaign, saying it oversimplifies a complex crisis.

US strikes on Nigeria set 'deeply troubling precedent' for African governance

Suicide bombers launched an assault on the northeastern Nigerian garrison town of Maiduguri on 16 March, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100 others.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

Uba said it was still being investigated, ⁠adding that both Boko Haram militants and ISWAP, an Islamic State-allied faction, remain a persistent threat, adapting their tactics over time.

(with Reuters)

President Ruto, Museveni Launch Railway Extension To Boost Regional Trade In East Africa

March 22, 2026 12:54 am

Pan African Visions

By Jean-Pierre A.

President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, met in Kisumu city, Western Kenya on Saturday to commission the long-delayed extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a project expected to boost regional trade in East Africa amid concerns over its cost.

The two leaders presided over the launch of the next phase of the railway, which is expected to connect Kisumu to Malaba [a town on Uganda-Kenya border] and eventually link Kenya to Uganda and the wider East African region, reported Citizen Digital, a local media outlet in Kenya.

Speaking at the event, President Ruto recounted the historical significance of railway connectivity in shaping the region’s economic growth.

“It’s in moments like these that our nations are shaped. 130 years ago, the colonial administration had the Kenya-Uganda railway connecting the Indian Ocean to East Africa. The railway did more than move people and goods. Mombasa became the gateway of trade, Nairobi rose from a swampy town to a logistical hub because it sat close to the railway, and Machakos declined. Kisumu was a vital inland source linking rail and water,”  Ruto was quoted as saying.

He added that the railway eventually became a continuous line reaching Kampala in 1931, spurring the growth of towns such as Eldoret in Kenya and Jinja in Uganda.

Ruto said the vision for regional connectivity has remained alive, tracing it back to a 2008 agreement between former President Mwai Kibaki and Museveni to establish a seamless railway system between Kenya and Uganda.

“This new line will connect agricultural hubs. We break ground today for 107km SGR from Kisumu to Malaba. It will serve Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Central African Republic,” president Ruto was quoted as saying.

The Kenyan President noted that high logistics costs continue to undermine regional competitiveness, citing delays in cargo movement.

“We face a challenge of the economy not supporting a high population. High logistics for business don’t allow us to compete effectively. Cargo takes 100 hours to reach Kampala. We cannot build prosperity like this,” he said, adding that the Mombasa–Malaba corridor will spur the growth of industrial parks and special economic zones in areas such as Busia and Kisumu.

Museveni, according to Ruto, confirmed that Uganda had already awarded the Malaba–Kampala section, with plans to extend the line further to Kasese.

Present Musaveni said: “We’re going to push our section from Malaba to Kampala, then to Kasese and Mpondwe linking to the DRC. We are also working on the railway from Tororo to Gulu, then Nimule to Juba, as well as the line from Bihanga to Kigali.”

The SGR, built between 2013 and 2019, currently connects Mombasa to Nairobi and on to Naivasha. However, plans to extend it to Uganda stalled after China declined to offer additional financing, reported Citizen Digital.

Several countries in East and Central Africa region are landlocked, which hinders the trade, as the cost of transport from Indian Ocean makes most of the imported products very expensive.

Maasai Group Rejects Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Reports, Deepening Rift Over Land Rights

March 20, 2026 6:59 am

Pan African Visions

By Adonis Byemelwa

The Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA) vehemently rejected two presidential commission reports submitted to President Samia Suluhu Hassan last week, preparing the ground for a fresh confrontation over land, conservation and the future of one of East Africa’s most iconic landscapes.

In a statement released on March 18, the group accused the Tanzanian government of overseeing a consultative process that was more aimed at legitimising policies that were already underway than trying to address longstanding grievances in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including forced resettlement of Maasai communities from their ancestral homes.

The commissions, one assessing land-use conflicts in Ngorongoro and surrounding areas, the other evaluating a relocation program that started in 2021, were created after protests in 2024 garnered international attention to tensions between conservation authorities and pastoralist residents. Their findings, published on March 12 at the State House in Dodoma, have not yet been fully made public.

Government officials contend that the growing human and livestock populations inside the conservation area are exerting unsustainable pressure on fragile ecosystems and wildlife corridors, endangering both biodiversity and tourism revenues. Authorities in Ngorongoro have argued that relocation is voluntary and essential to conserve a site recognised worldwide for its ecological significance.

MISA disputes both claims. It says the commissions were framed by narrow terms of reference that took it as a given that relocation was going ahead, dealing with how to go about it rather than whether or not it should happen. “Our people came out in droves to testify,” the group said, “but it seems that the outcome has already been determined.”

The alliance also contested the evidentiary foundation for the reports, claiming that they are based on disputed policy documents and selective data. Those claims cannot yet be independently verified without the full reports publicly available.

Analysts knowledgeable about the debate say disputes over population numbers, how much grazing hurts wildlife and trends in wildlife populations have long been at the heart of the conflict, with both government agencies and advocates for pastoralists often citing competing datasets.

At the centre of the dispute is a deep disagreement about conservation itself. For decades, Ngorongoro has permitted human habitation alongside wildlife in what has widely been called a “multiple land-use” system.

Government officials say the model is now under strain. MISA argues that Maasai pastoralism has coexisted with wildlife for generations, and newer pressures, like road construction, high-end tourism infrastructure and increased safari traffic, are often scrutinised far less.

If so, independent conservation researchers have observed that both may be putting ecologies under stress. Some researchers focus on vegetation changes and localised overgrazing, others on the footprint of tourism development and changing patterns of land-use across a wider ecosystem. “Lack of a common, open dataset makes consensus intractable.”

The relocation program remains hotly disputable in itself. Misa said it welcomed what it considered to be the commission’s implicit confirmation that the process had not been entirely voluntary, claiming restrictions on health care, education and grazing access have coerced families to leave.

Government officials have not publicly reacted to those characterisations, but had previously insisted that incentives and better living conditions elsewhere backed relocation. Legal questions further complicate the issue.

The areas of land reformatted for conservation or game reserves, according to MISA, were transformed while breaking Tanzanian legislation concerning village lands. Legal scholars say such claims would likely turn on certain statutory interpretations and, in the end, court judgments, none of which have definitively resolved the issue to date.

Tensions have remained high on the ground. The alliance said several residents were arrested days after the reports were submitted, and accused authorities of encroaching on disputed land for tourism operations. Those claims could not be independently verified, and the conservation authority has not publicly commented on the incidents.

The government, for its part, has a tightrope to walk. Tourism is a huge source of national revenue, and Ngorongoro ranks as one of the country’s most valuable tourism draws. The Maasai also have historical and legal connections to the land, having been displaced from the Serengeti in the mid-20th century with promises that they would continue sharing this land.

International organisations, major conservation groups and cultural heritage bodies, among them, have become increasingly involved in the debate. Some have advocated for stricter protections of the region’s ecosystems, and others have demanded approaches that include more comprehensive recognition of indigenous land rights and governance.

MISA has adopted an uncompromising position, refused any change of location and demanded that the management of the conservation area be transferred to indigenous communities. It has also urged donors and international partners to withdraw support for conservation models that it says exclude local populations.

Whether or not the government will act on the commissions’ recommendations could be decisive for the future course of the conflict. For now, both sides seem entrenched, with scant indication of the “genuine dialogue” that the alliance says it is seeking, and with the future of Ngorongoro, and those who live within its borders, in play.

Cameroon: Trade Experts Call for Policy Alignment to Unlock AfCFTA Potential

March 21, 2026 2:07 pm

Pan African Visions

The virtual event brought together policymakers and researchers to assess progress and identify barriers to building a single integrated African market

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, PAV – Experts from across Africa have called for stronger policy alignment, improved infrastructure, and greater awareness among businesses to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area during a high-level webinar hosted by the Cameroon Economic Policy Institute.

Held under the theme “The AfCFTA’s Implementation in Cameroon, South Sudan, and Zambia,” the virtual event on March 6 brought together policymakers and researchers to assess progress and identify barriers to building a single integrated African market.

CEPI’s Executive Director Henri Koum described the AfCFTA as a transformative opportunity for the continent, noting that it creates a potential market of over 1.3 billion people. However, he cautioned that implementation remains uneven across countries.

“However, levels of implementation vary across countries, and several challenges persist, including limited trade infrastructure, low awareness among SMEs, non-tariff barriers, and institutional constraints,” Henri Kouam said.

Mixed progress across countries

Panellists presented contrasting realities from their respective countries, highlighting both progress and persistent gaps.

John Mustafa, an expert from South Sudan, noted that South Sudan has yet to ratify the AfCFTA agreement despite signing it in 2018. He attributed the delay to limited awareness among policymakers and concerns, and a protective stance due to the nascent nature of the country’s economy and fear of being a dumping ground for larger Economies in Africa.”

In contrast, Zambia has made notable strides since ratifying the agreement in 2021. According to Kenny Suze, the country adopted a national strategy in 2022 to align its policies with AfCFTA objectives.

This shift is already yielding results. In 2025, Zambia completed its first beef exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo, positioning itself as an emerging agricultural supplier within the continental market.

Cameroon, for its part, ratified the agreement in 2019 and was selected in 2022 to pilot the AfCFTA’s Guided Trade Initiative. The country has since begun exporting products such as tea and dried fruits to Ghana under the framework.

Barriers to trade and key reforms

Beyond country-specific updates, the panel emphasised structural challenges slowing down implementation across the continent. Speakers pointed to persistent non-tariff barriers, high transaction costs, and inadequate infrastructure as major obstacles to intra-African trade. Poor road networks, limited rail connectivity, and underdeveloped ports continue to hinder the movement of goods.

For land-linked countries like Zambia, transport corridors were highlighted as essential to unlocking trade potential. Dinga Tambi stressed the importance of strengthening institutions, including modernising customs systems and equipping officers with digital tools.

A key theme of the discussion was the need to broaden participation in the AfCFTA, particularly among women and young entrepreneurs. Panellists noted that many remain confined to informal or low-value agricultural activities and face barriers such as complex business registration processes and limited access to finance.

Simplifying administrative procedures and expanding access to credit, they argued, would help integrate these groups into formal trade systems and unlock new economic opportunities.

The panel expounded on policies to facilitate in removing tariffs, minimising taxation and trade bottlenecks, physical infrastructure like roads, rail, and ports

Rethinking payment systems

The webinar also highlighted the importance of reforming cross-border payment systems within Africa. Experts called for reducing reliance on foreign currencies such as the US dollar in intra-African trade.

By promoting local currency transactions, countries could lower transaction costs and reduce exposure to global currency fluctuations, thereby strengthening the resilience of African economies.

The session concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at accelerating the agreement’s implementation. These include aligning national policies with AfCFTA frameworks, sensitising the private sectors, businesses, and Agric-led sectors on the opportunities presented by AFCFTA, improving transparency in trade data, and enhancing data-sharing mechanisms among customs authorities.

Participants also stressed the importance of identifying sectors where countries have competitive advantages rather than attempting to produce a wide range of goods without specialisation. While the AfCFTA holds immense promise, its success will depend on sustained political will, institutional reforms, and active engagement from the private sector.

France Recalibrates Africa Strategy

March 21, 2026 10:41 pm

Pan African Visions

President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo courtesy

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh 

President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo courtesy

United States-Israeli war in the Islamic Republic of Iran, shattering Africa’s economic landscape and leaving an emotional devastation. Europe is fractured, but completely. France has taken the initiative to create a platform in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, located in East Africa. More than 2,500 corporate executives from across the continent, spanning 55 African countries would take up the challenge during a two-day indepth discussions on the existential threat of the Middle East conflict. Participating business leaders engagement over geopolitics, finding new paths to massive new investment would be central theme, while expressing commitment to forge new mechanisms for economic cooperation between Africa and France. The high-ranking guests from regional economic blocs are expected to join, teaming up to share practical thoughts and building awareness beyond the the current Middle East conflicts, and its impact on Europe and Africa. 

The common goal: new perspectives on innovation, new business directions in the context of geopolitical threats. Based on Africa’s untapped natural resources and human capital, communicating clearly with business executives and political leaders, high-ranking speakers plan to dissect and design the future. Strengthening Africa’s and France’s economic cooperation forms the irreversible target, and ultimately be incorporated into conference declaration. Cautious reflection indicated that the relationship between Africa and France is still pragmatic, as both agreed to renew and thoroughly review the existing economic potentials at the two-day conference in Nairobi. 

Experts and Conference coordinators told this article’s author that the French government and business circles involved in trade and economic cooperation with African countries, were invited to participate, layout their comprehensive business architecture. Africa and France will focus on the developing manufacturing and extractive industries, setting up special economic zones, energy and transport infrastructure, digitalization, and the agro-industrial complex. Education and training in the sphere of entrepreneurship. 

France has already work out financial mechanism to support joint business across Africa, while Africa’s financial institutions pledge their commitment, plan corporate strategies and support for joint investments in the localization of production chains in Africa, which covers both agricultural and mineral processing. 

President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron both acknowledged the strategic pathway should focus on unlocking Africa’s potentials, drive sustainable industrialisation, and target economic growth across Africa. Harnessing the untapped resources and utilising the huge human resources is France’s priority in consolidating the current bilateral engagement and collaboration.

In a statement, President Ruto underlined the summit reflects a shared commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and deepening multilateral cooperation to advance global goals. The agenda will focus on key areas including reform of the international financial architecture, energy transition, green industrialisation, the blue economy and connectivity, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture, and health. It will spotlight the role of young entrepreneurs, civil society, and international organisations in shaping solutions to pressing global and regional challenges. The May summit is described as part of the renewal of relations between France and Africa, emphasizing genuine partnerships and shared progress.

The agenda will focus on key areas including reform of the international financial architecture, energy transition, green industrialisation, the blue economy and connectivity, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture, and health.

In addition to the May summit by France, the European Union countries are increasingly strong economic partners for many African countries. It therefore beholds African leaders and business people to necessarily explore available possibilities and windows that have been opened. The EU has unveiled €300 billion ($340 billion) alternative to China’s Belt and Road initiative — an investment programme the bloc claims will create links, not dependencies.

In an official document, it said the European Commission is examining:

– Support AfCFTA implementation and the green transition;

– Improve trade and investment climate between the EU and Africa;

– Reinforce high level public private dialogue;

– Enhance long-term dialogue structures between EU and Africa Business Associations;

– Unlock new business and investment opportunities, including in the areas of manufacturing and agroprocessing as well as regional and continental value chains development.

It further included in the joint communication of the European Commission (EC) entitled “Toward a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa” – which sets forth what the EU plans with Africa. The Joint EU-Africa Strategy takes into cognizance the most common interests such as climate change, global security and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Just as China, India and the United States, so also France, and other European countries are exploring emerging opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which provides a unique and valuable access to an integrated African market of 1.5 billion people. In practical reality, it aims at creating a continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business people and investments in Africa.

Looking ahead, France intends to capitalise on the Africa’s most transformative economic sectors, make strategic moves by collaborating, as mutual partnership remains dynamic and adaptable. Despite growing geopolitical tensions, France’s approach, and its long-standing ties still offer an alternative partnership model that many African leaders find appealing. The challenge for the future will be to ensure these ties evolve in ways that serve Africa’s development needs, while navigating the increasingly complexity of global politics. As Africa is indiscriminately open for business, on May 11-12, 2026, African and French Heads of State and Government meet together to chart a new path for innovation, growth, and mutual cooperation. Kenya will hold this investment summit for France, to position Africa as a key partner in global innovation and economic development while strengthening bilateral ties with France and advancing Africa’s collective agenda on the international stage.

Senegal’s World Cup Jerseys to Display Just One Africa Cup Star, Not Two

Senegal's Sadio Mane holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi, File)

11:49 AM EDT, March 21, 2026

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s team jersey will display only one star instead of two at the World Cup this summer, but it has nothing to do with the country being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title.

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) issued a statement to clarify that production of the jerseys by kit manufacturer Puma began in August last year and “manufacturing deadlines and industrial constraints did not allow for the interruption of this ongoing process.”

Senegal went on to win the Africa Cup in January for its second continental crown after winning the 2021 edition, to which its first star refers.

But the Teranga Lions were surprisingly stripped of the second title on Tuesday when the Confederation of African Football’s appeals board ruled that Senegal forfeited the Jan. 18 final by leaving the field of play without the referee’s authorization, awarding Morocco a default 3-0 win.

The FSF made no mention of that decision in its statement, where it continued to refer to “our victory” and said it be reflected on the team jersey — after the World Cup.

“Aware of the Senegalese people’s legitimate attachment to their symbols, the FSF wishes to reassure all supporters: the new jerseys incorporating the second star are currently in production. They are scheduled to be available starting next September,” the federation said.

“The FSF apologizes for any misunderstanding this situation may have caused and thanks the supporters for their constant commitment, vigilance, and unwavering attachment to the national team.”

The FSF previously said it will appeal CAF’s unprecedented decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, a process that typically takes a year to deliver a verdict, while the Senegalese government slammed the “grossly illegal and deeply unjust decision” and called for an international investigation “into suspected corruption” within African soccer’s governing body.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe on Wednesday defended the body against perceptions of favoritism toward Morocco, which is a 2030 World Cup co-host and has invested heavily to become a soccer superpower.

Secretive Deal Leaves Deportees from the US Stuck in Equatorial Guinea with ‘No More Hope’

By MONIKA PRONCZUK

1:19 AM EDT, March 21, 2026

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — When a U.S. immigration judge told a 28-year old refugee from East Africa that he was free to leave detention in California after 13 months, he was overjoyed. Though an asylum request was denied, the judge ruled he could not be deported home because it would put him in danger.

“He told me: ‘Welcome to the U.S.,’” the refugee told The Associated Press, which saw his legal documents. “You are now protected by the U.S. law, so you can leave the center, work and stay in this country.”

But he was never freed, and instead was later handcuffed and put on a flight to Equatorial Guinea, an authoritarian petrostate in West Africa that signed a secretive deal with the Trump administration and has become a transit hub for deported migrants. It holds him and others in detention, and has no asylum policy.

He requested anonymity for fear of repercussions, saying he fled his country after being beaten, persecuted and imprisoned because of his ethnicity.

He is among 29 people deported to Equatorial Guinea, which the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, has called “one of the most corrupt governments in the world.”

The first American pope, Leo XIV, who has criticized the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful,” is visiting Equatorial Guinea in April.

Judge’s order is no guarantee of protection

At least seven African nations have signed deals with the U.S. to facilitate deportations of third-country nationals, which legal experts said are effectively a legal loophole for the U.S. Most deportees received legal protection from U.S. judges shielding them against being returned to their home countries, their lawyers said.

AP previously interviewed a gay asylum-seeker from Morocco who was deported to Cameroon and, believing she had no choice, agreed to be returned to her home country, where homosexuality is illegal.

In a phone interview, the 28-year-old refugee said authorities in Equatorial Guinea pressure him to return home even though he lodged an asylum application there, which AP has seen.

“They told us there is no any asylum or any protection in this country for us,” he said. “So the best option is to leave the country as soon as possible.”

But he said returning to a country ravaged by ethnic conflict was “not an option.”

The U.S. is deporting people to third countries “to circumvent laws that forbid sending a person to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened,” said Meredyth Yoon, litigation director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, who has helped deportees to Equatorial Guinea.

She verified significant parts of the 28-year-old asylum-seeker’s account.

“Once deported, these individuals face impossible alternatives: indefinite detention without access to counsel, or forced deportation to the very countries they fled from,” she said.

Handcuffed on a flight with an unknown destination

The 29 people deported to Equatorial Guinea were from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauritania, Angola, Congo, Chad, Georgia, Ghana and Nigeria, according to their visiting lawyer, who requested anonymity given the country’s human rights record. He said authorities did not allow him to see most of them.

The 28-year-old refugee said he was deported in January. Before that, he said, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pressed him to sign a document saying he wanted to return to his country voluntarily. He said they were surprised he could read it, and quoted one as saying: “I never knew Black people could read and write.”

When he refused, he said he was transferred to Arizona, where he spent five months in a room without windows with several others. Hygiene conditions in the facility were poor, and getting medical attention was “very difficult.”

“One guy in my room became crazy and started shouting and hitting himself because he wanted to go home,” he said.

An immigration judge denied his asylum claim but granted him protection under U.S. law and the U.N. Convention Against Torture, which prohibit his return home but would allow his removal to a third country that is deemed safe.

“All the people told me that we are going back to Africa,” he recalled. “I needed to speak with my lawyer, but these ICE officers started using force, they started beating me.”

After transfers to California, Texas and Louisiana, he was handcuffed and driven to an airport in the middle of the night.

The plane belonged to Omni Air International, a charter airline, filled with people like him, he said.

When they landed, he discovered they were in Equatorial Guinea.

When asked about his case, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said ICE officers “did NOT beat, coerce, or use racial slurs” against him, adding that he was “an illegal alien” who “was processed as an expedited removal and was removed to Equatorial Guinea.”

”All of these illegal aliens deported to Equatorial Guinea received due process and had a final order of removal,” they said.

Most have been deported to their home countries

The 28-year old and other deportees are detained in Malabo, the former capital.

“It’s an old closed hotel and there are no other customers,” he said. “Most of us were sick because of the food. I was hospitalized for two days. There is also malaria here, two guys were hospitalized with that.”

Yoon said 17 detainees have been returned to home countries after being told there is no other option, with no asylum policy in Equatorial Guinea.

“Everyone who I’ve talked to since they left is not in a good situation,” she said. “Many of them are in hiding.”

One man who was returned to Mauritania told AP he requested asylum anyway from the prime minister’s office, according to documents seen by AP. The visiting lawyer said he sent a copy to the United Nations refugee agency.

But on Christmas Day, Equatorial Guinea authorities handcuffed him and put him on a plane.

“He alerted (authorities) to the fact that he had applied for asylum, and we contacted the U.S. Embassy in Malabo about his case but didn’t receive a response,” Yoon said.

UHNCR said it could not comment on individual cases. Larissa Schlotterbeck, its head of external engagement in the region, said Equatorial Guinea is working on establishing an asylum system and UNHCR is helping with identifying people who may need protection until then.

African nations are paid millions in opaque deals

The Trump administration has spent at least $40 million to deport about 300 migrants to countries other than their own, according to a February report by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The other African nations known to sign deals are South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and Cameroon.

Equatorial Guinea received $7.5 million, Senator Shaheen has said.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by AP, Shaheen said the “highly unusual payment” raised concerns over the use of taxpayer dollars, and noted that it exceeded U.S. foreign assistance to Equatorial Guinea over the last eight years.

Last year, the U.S. State Department issued a temporary sanctions waiver to allow Teodorin Obiang, son of Equatorial Guinea’s president and the country’s vice president, to visit the U.S. Obiang met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

The U.S. State Department and Equatorial Guinea authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

The 28-year-old asylum-seeker remains in limbo. He called it the worst part of his ordeal.

“Before, we were immigrants with hope,” he said. “But here, there is no more hope.”

Uganda Reintroduces Rhinos Into a Protected Area Where They Have Been Extinct Since 1983

By PATRICK ONEN

4:02 PM EDT, March 20, 2026

KARAMOJA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan wildlife authorities have reintroduced rhinos into a remote protected area where they were once poached into extinction, an event seen by conservationists as a milestone in efforts to support the recovery of a species threatened by poaching.

On Tuesday, two southern white rhinos from a private ranch in the East African country were reintroduced into Kidepo Valley National Park in the country’s northeast. Two more rhinos in metallic crates arrived there on Thursday.

There have been no rhinos in Kidepo Valley National Park since 1983, the result of poaching. But a private ranch in central Uganda — the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary — has been breeding the large mammals since 2005. That program has succeeded over the years.

“This moment marks the beginning of a new rhino story for Kidepo Valley National Park,” said James Musinguzi, executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. “We are deeply grateful to our conservation partners whose technical expertise, financial support and logistical contributions have made this milestone possible.”

Local wildlife authorities collaborated with multiple conservation groups, including Global Conservation, to relocate some rhinos from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to another sanctuary inside Kidepo Valley National Park, more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) away.

The rhinos’ new habitat are expected to be relocated there later this year, including some from Kenya.

The rhino translocation “shows that Uganda is stable again for tourism, national parks are being protected, and Ugandans and international visitors can watch rhinos in their natural setting, which will be an incredible feat,” said Jeff Morgan, executive director of Global Conservation.

Poaching remains a problem in Uganda’s protected areas, although enhanced security measures have curbed incidents over the years.

Rhinos are targeted by poachers who kill them because of the high demand for rhino horn products for medicinal and other uses in parts of Asia. Studies indicate that rhino horn products sold through illegal markets sometimes fetch higher prices than gold.

Anti-apartheid Activist, Human Rights Campaigner and UN Diplomat Nicholas Haysom Dies at Age 73

Nicholas Haysom, United Nations envoy in Afghanistan, speaks during a press conference in Kabul on Feb. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini, File)

By EDITH M. LEDERER

9:24 PM EDT, March 19, 2026

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nicholas Haysom, a white South African anti-apartheid activist who was tapped by prisoner-turned-president Nelson Mandela to help draft the country’s new constitution that enshrined equal rights for Black people, minorities and white people, has died at 73.

Haysom went on from high-level positions promoting human rights in his home country to a distinguished career as a U.N. diplomat, serving in hot spots from Afghanistan and Iraq to Somalia and South Sudan.

His daughter, Rebecca Haysom, told The Associated Press that he died Tuesday in New York “after a long, valiant battle with heart and lung complications.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Haysom “devoted his life to justice, dialogue, and reconciliation -- from his central role in South Africa’s democratic transition serving as chief legal and constitutional adviser to president Nelson Mandela to years of leadership in U.N. posts in some of the world’s most complex and fragile settings.”

His legacy “will endure in the peace processes he advanced, the institutions he strengthened, and the principles he helped bring to life around the world,” the U.N. chief said in a statement.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former anti-apartheid activist, said the country mourns “a distinguished diplomat and a pioneer of our democratic administration whose commitment to justice and peace made our country, our continent and the world a better place.”

“I remember him for applying his legal acumen, mentorship, wisdom and integrity to the development of our constitution,” Ramaphosa said in a statement urging South Africans “to honor his contribution to our nation and the international community by upholding the fundamental rights and maintaining the peace he advocated so passionately and eloquently.”

He came from a family that believed in equality

Nicholas Roland Leybourne “Fink” Haysom grew up in Durban in a liberal family that believed in racial equality, especially his mother who was an activist against apartheid. At university, he said he became a critic of apartheid as well and decided to go to law school at the Universities of Natal and Cape Town to tackle the conditions of how people lived.

He went on to become president of the anti-apartheid National Union of South African Students and he said in a U.N. interview last year that he was arrested or detained about half a dozen times, once serving six months in solitary confinement in about 1980. Ramaphosa said he also had a creative side: He was South African Playwright of the Year in 1987.

Nobody at that time thought apartheid would end, Haysom said, and it was a “tremendous moment” when Mandela was released in 1990. At the time, Haysom was a member of a very activist human rights law firm.

The African National Congress, which Mandela led, asked Haysom to join its Constitutional Commission, and he said he spent several years with “a very exciting group of intellectuals” conceptualizing the new South Africa, and negotiating with the National Party, which instituted and enforced the apartheid system of racial segregation, on how to get there.

Having been a pariah in much of the world, Haysom said the group wanted to find the perfect formula for a constitutional state that appreciated the need for equality among all its citizens and recreated a social contract “which we wanted to be a lesson for the world.” It wasn’t easy, he said, but “the South African constitution is still regarded as perhaps one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.”

“And I think that’s what led to me being asked to be Mandela’s legal adviser ... while he was president,” Haysom said, a position he held from 1994 to 1999.

Mandela wanted to set an example for the first post-apartheid government to respect the law, Haysom said, “and he was really at the forefront of creating a society built on respect for legal equality and human rights.”

He saw Mandela every morning and said he was “tremendously gracious.”

“But he was steely, strong in the conviction he had that he was embarking on the right path, and he persevered,” Haysom said. “As I say to my children, the lesson of Mandela is not just being a nice person, it’s perseverance in your ideals that’ll change the world.”

He worked across the decades to end ethnic discord

Under Mandela, Haysom joined a team that helped end ethnic violence in Burundi between Hutus and Tutsis in the 1990s. He then was asked to try to find a formula to restore peace in Sudan between the north and south, which eventually led to South Sudan seceding and becoming an independent country in 2011.

Haysom then spent from 2005 to 2007 in Iraq trying to find a formula for its communities — Shia, Sunni and Kurd — to live together, an issue he saw in all conflicts. From 2007 to 2012, he served in then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s office as director for political, peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs. He then spent four years in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2016 in two U.N. roles.

Most of the rest of his U.N. career was focused on Sudan and South Sudan, where he had been head of the peacekeeping mission since 2021 except for a brief stint in Somalia. He was ordered to leave by the Somali government in 2019 after questioning the arrest of a former leader of the al-Shabab extremist group.

Haysom is survived by his wife Delphine and their two sons Charles and Hector, as well as his three older children, Rebecca, Simone, and Julian, from his previous marriage to Mary Ann Cullinan.

Haysom said there was a time when he was “quite probably inappropriately proud” of his efforts particularly in Burundi, Sudan and South Africa, but after a few years all those peace agreements were in trouble.

It’s a recognition, he said, that peace doesn’t last forever and democracy requires “constant engagement by people of good intention.”

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Gerald Imray contributed to this report from Cape Town, South Africa