Africa News Tonight - VOA Africa Voice of America (VOA)

Chad’s presidential election concludes today with civilians going to the polls, a day after members of the military cast their ballots. Nigeria is cracking down on electoral fraud, marking a turning point for African democracy. Advocacy group Reporters Without Borders says limits on political coverage has a chilling effect on journalists in Africa, especially in the Sahel.

Chad’s election on Monday is almost certain to result in victory for transitional president and military leader Mahamat Idriss Déby, some analysts say. Some Sahel states favor restrictions on news media for reporting security-related stories that governments do not like. Presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says if elected he would restore a travel ban on some majority-Muslim countries; President Joe Biden rescinded the controversial ban the former president imposed in his first term.

In its 2024 economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa, the Bretton Wood Institution says it is upbeat about a good regional economic recovery but adds that growth has been more sluggish than expected. There are reports that Russian cargo planes were seen offloading scores of soldiers at Brak al-Shati, while cargo ships carrying equipment docked at the port of Tobruk. A South African whistleblower had to fight for her job after she exposed corruption.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has thrown his political weight behind a fresh rival to the ruling African National Congress, and adds more unpredictability to the elections. To mark Labor Day in Cameroon, hundreds of thousands of workers march against abuses they say include illegal dismissals and failure to pay the $70 monthly minimum wage. Economic and accountability bodies in Malawi urge the government to address flaws in the public procurement system, and counter corruption.

Kenyan President William Ruto today led an emergency cabinet meeting to plan the government's response to the floods and ordered mandatory evacuations from at-risk areas. Mali’s military government says its forces have killed a senior Islamic State commander, Abu Huzeifa, during a joint operation with Burkina Faso and Niger. U.S. officials are negotiating the removal of American troops from Niger after the country's military junta ended a longstanding security pact.

Heavy rains continue to pound a large portion of East Africa, causing death and devastation, with Kenya and Tanzania reporting nearly 250 deaths. The African Union has said it is deeply concerned about "escalating tensions between local communities" in a disputed area of northern Ethiopia and asked all parties to halt hostilities. African nations are hard hit by rising plastic pollution, although they lag behind developed nations in plastics use.