Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening on the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page, with stories from across the regions.

RSF Forms Rival Government in Sudan as Conflict Deepens, Famine Spreads

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied rebel and political groups have named General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo head of a new 15-member presidential council, effectively creating a parallel government to rival the military-led administration. Announced Saturday from Nyala in RSF-controlled Darfur, the lineup includes Abdel Aziz al-Hilu as deputy and Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi as prime minister, alongside regional governors for contested and army-held areas. The army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has condemned the move and vowed to continue fighting until it secures control of the entire country.

The announcement follows a February pledge by the RSF and its allies to form a secular “New Sudan” and challenge the army’s legitimacy. Both Dagalo and Burhan are under U.S. sanctions — Dagalo for alleged genocide, and Burhan for rejecting peace talks. The country remains locked in a devastating 27-month war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed half the population toward hunger and famine, according to the UN.

Cameroon Election Board Blocks Main Opposition Leader From Presidential Race as Biya Seeks Seventh Term

Cameroon’s main opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, has been barred from running in the October 12 presidential election, according to a list released Saturday by the electoral commission, ELECAM. No explanation was given for excluding Kamto, who placed second in the 2018 vote and was widely seen as President Paul Biya’s strongest challenger. Thirteen candidates were approved, including Biya. Kamto has two days to appeal the decision.

The move has sparked fears of unrest, with heavy security deployed across the capital, Yaoundé, and the economic hub Douala. The UN warned Friday that the announcement could trigger protests. Biya, 92, is the world’s oldest serving head of state and has been in power since 1982. His long tenure has been marked by corruption allegations and a violent separatist conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

Trump’s South Africa Refugee Program Questioned After U.S. Says Only Whites Qualify

A July diplomatic cable from the U.S. embassy in South Africa reveals internal confusion over President Donald Trump’s refugee program for South Africans, which originally prioritized white Afrikaners facing alleged discrimination. Embassy officials asked Washington whether other minority groups — such as Coloured South Africans and Khoisan people — could qualify. The response from a senior U.S. State Department official indicated the program was intended for white applicants, contradicting the agency’s public statements that broader racial minorities are eligible.

Since Trump’s executive order in February, 88 white South Africans have been resettled under the program, with more expected soon. Critics say the policy reflects far-right claims of white persecution and undermines the U.S.’s broader refugee approach. South Africa’s government rejects the idea that white South Africans are being systematically targeted, while some Jewish and Coloured South African families have already shown interest or been admitted. The State Department has yet to clarify who officially qualifies for this designation.

Christopher Nolan Slammed for Filming in Occupied Western Sahara Amid Repression Fears

British American filmmaker Christopher Nolan is facing backlash from Sahrawi activists and the FiSahara film festival for shooting scenes of The Odyssey in Dakhla, a city in occupied Western Sahara. Critics say the production helps whitewash Morocco’s decades-long military occupation and repression of the region’s Indigenous people. FiSahara says filming in a place where Sahrawis are barred from telling their own stories undermines their struggle for self-determination and normalizes human rights abuses that the UN and Amnesty International continue to document. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, and others.

U.S. Suspends All Visa Services in Niger, Citing Government Concerns and High Overstay Rates

The U.S. embassy in Niamey has halted all routine visa processing, immigrant and non-immigrant, amid rising diplomatic tensions with Niger’s junta-led government. While official and diplomatic visas are still being handled, an internal cable now instructs embassies to scrutinize all applicants from Niger more closely, citing high overstay rates, especially among student visa holders. The move follows last year’s U.S. troop withdrawal from Niger and forms part of a broader Trump-era immigration crackdown led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

ISIS-Linked Rebels Kill 38 Worshippers in Church Attack in Eastern Congo

At least 38 people were killed and 15 injured in a brutal attack on a Catholic church in Komanda, eastern DRC, early yesterday morning, Sunday, July 27. City officials say the assailants were members of the Islamic State-backed ADF rebel group, who stormed a night mass with guns and machetes. Several people remain missing. A local human rights activist said victims were mostly Christians gathered for overnight prayers. The UN mission in Congo condemned the surge in violence in the region, which has been plagued by repeated attacks from armed groups.

Overloaded Boat Capsizes in Niger State, 13 Dead and Dozens Missing

At least 13 people died and dozens are missing after a wooden boat carrying about 100 passengers capsized on Saturday, July 26, in Niger state, north central Nigeria. The passengers were on their way to a local market when the overloaded boat went down. Emergency officials rescued 26 people, mostly women and children. The boat driver survived but couldn’t confirm the total number onboard. Boat accidents are common in the area, which is home to Nigeria’s major hydroelectric dams. Rescue efforts briefly paused yesterday, Sunday, July 27, for a river ritual before recovery resumed.

Al-Shabab Seizes Strategic Somali Town After Suicide Blasts and Troop Pullback

Al-Shabab fighters captured the town of Mahaas in central Somalia yesterday, Sunday, July 27, after suicide explosions and heavy gunfire forced government troops and allied militias to withdraw. Located in the Hiraan region, Mahaas had been a key base in Somalia’s fight against the extremist group and was under government control for over a decade. A local intelligence official was reportedly killed, but full casualty numbers remain unclear. The loss of the town highlights ongoing challenges in Somalia’s counterterrorism efforts despite recent gains by federal forces.

Ghana Sends Troops to Bawku as Chieftaincy Violence Escalates, Students Killed

Ghana has deployed more soldiers to the northeastern town of Bawku following a deadly flare-up in the decades-long chieftaincy dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusaasi communities. The violence last week left a local Kusaasi chief and three high school students dead, prompting the government to impose a curfew and bolster security. Presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said recent killings had disrupted near-final mediation efforts by the Asantehene and called for “drastic actions” to contain the unrest. The region, near the Burkina Faso border, remains tense.

Mali’s Ex-PM Choguel Maïga Probed for Alleged $3.3M Public Funds Misuse

Mali’s former Prime Minister Choguel Maïga is under investigation for alleged embezzlement and irregular spending amounting to nearly 2 billion CFA francs ($3.3 million) during his tenure. The probe, led by the Office of the Auditor General, focuses on questionable project inauguration costs and mission-related payments. Judicial authorities are reviewing the “Choguel Maïga Files,” which could lead to his questioning by the Supreme Court. Maïga’s supporters claim the case is politically motivated due to his outspoken criticism of the military-led government, while allies warn he holds his own evidence to challenge the accusations.

Following February's senatorial election, Togo has finally transitioned into a parliamentary government system, in which the ruling party, Union for the Republic (UNIR), won 34 of the 41 available seats. Over the weekend, Faure Gnassingbé, president for two decades, was inaugurated as the President of the Council of Ministers, now the highest executive office in the country. The presidency is now a ceremonial role.

UNIR continues to hold the overwhelming majority across both chambers of the national legislature, giving the party and Gnassingbé a firmer grip on power for the foreseeable future. Opposition and civil society leaders have denounced the constitutional reform that changed the country’s government system, terming it a political coup, as Gnassingbé can now continue to hold power indefinitely without directly seeking votes.

No term limit is assigned to the President of the Council of Ministers, a role reserved for the leader of the majority party in parliament.

Togo’s parliamentary elections, which were postponed twice due to a controversial constitutional reform, trigger an effective change from the presidential system of governance to a parliamentary one. Over the weekend, the head of the country’s electoral commission, Dago Yabre, announced on a national broadcast that the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR) party won 108 of the 113 seats in the national assembly, following the April 29 polls. Yabre also stated that 61 percent of registered voters participated in the elections.

With the UNIR retaining its dominance in the legislative house, long-term President Faure Gnassingbé gets a runway to stay in power, should his party continue to remain in the majority in parliament.

In accordance with the newly approved constitutional reform, parliament now has the power to elect the president for a single four-year term. This means Gnassingbé can remain in office when his current term ends next year, continuing on till 2029, without facing voters. Even as his approval ratings have plummeted, Gnassingbé has been in office since 2005, after the death of his father who ruled Togo for almost four decades.

The reforms also intend to make the presidency more of a ceremonial post, which would significantly strip the incumbent of his powers. However, Gnassingbé is also eligible to slip into the newly created office, president of the council of ministers — a post akin to that of a prime minister — which is meant to be occupied by the leader of the majority party in parliament.

There are no term limits to being the president of the council of ministers, a role that will command executive power under the constitution change. Gnassingbé is expected to continue ruling Togo, a move the UNIR and its loyalists claim is better representative of the public’s mandate.

Opposition groups and many citizens denounced the constitutional changes, with planned protests banned by the government. After boycotting the 2018 parliamentary elections, citing irregularities in the candidate registration process and the country’s history with generally unreliable elections, opposition parties were hoping to wrestle a significant number of parliament seats, but could only muster wins in five.

Regional observers from the Economic Community of West African States said that they were satisfied with how the election was conducted, but opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the vote. Leading up to the elections, authorities banned foreign media from covering the elections following the arrest and deportation of French journalist Thomas Dietrich — who was reportedly assaulted by government security agents.

The UNIR will now control the national assembly, the newly created senate, which political opposition believes to be a rubber stamp apparatus for President Gnassingbé’s continued rule.