By Owen Fugit

Countries across Africa continue to confront issues and conflicts, from continuing violence in Sudan to a swift worsening of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Republic of South Africa. Here are some of the headlines from the past few months concerning the most important African developments.

Sudan’s conflict continues: After a spat over the shape of the government came to a head in 2023, the Sudanese Army continues to battle the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebel group for control of Sudan. The conflict has left millions without food, killed at least 61 thousand people, and alarmed the international community. Recently, the Sudanese military launched a brand-new campaign to recapture the nation’s capital, Khartoum, from the RSF. The conflict is ongoing, and the people of Sudan continue to suffer despite international efforts to supply food to starving communities. The war has also displaced nearly 12 million people, making it one of the largest conflicts in recent years.

Goma prison burns: On Jan. 27, members of the M23 Rwandan military group took control of and subsequently burned down Goma prison in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Before setting the inferno, members of the group entered the prison, ] raped all the female inmates, and locked them inside the building as it burned, killing hundreds. In an unexpected turn of events, M23 attacked DRC on Jan. 27, capturing the provincial capital of Goma and raising concerns that the budding conflict in the resource-rich region may widen into a regional war. Rwandan military groups have already forced one million of Goma’s two million residents to flee their homes, feeding concerns of a potential humanitarian crisis in the region.

Trump feuds with South Africa: On Jan. 23, the Republic of South Africa signed a new law into effect, allowing the government to seize or purchase lands for public use as it sees fit. The law, officially the Expropriation Act No. 13 of 2024, came under fire from President Trump, who criticized the law for its “shocking disregard of [South Africa’s] citizens’ rights,” and claimed the law allowed “the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.” The Trump Administration directed the government “to prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, for Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination.” Multiple Afrikaner representation groups in South Africa refused Trump’s offer, with the Solidarity Movement group, issuing a statement declaring, “We may disagree with the African National Congress, but we love our country. As in any community, there are individuals who wish to emigrate, but repatriation of Afrikaners as refugees is not a solution for us.”

(Sources: AP, African Union, BBC, Reuters, Solidarity Movement, Sudan War Monitor, The Guardian, The Week, The White House, Wall Street Journal)