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

With Chad recently confirming Mahamat Déby as civilian president after a long-delayed election, Western powers are watching to see what role, if any, they will play in countering terror threats in the Sahel region. The Kenyan medical workers strike is partially over, but salary issues for interns still are not resolved, nurses have just given a strike notice, and clinical officials and lab workers are still out. Some analysts say whoever wins the U.S. presidency will face a stiff challenge in trying to restore America's influence and prestige on the continent of Africa.

Chad’s transitional ruler General Mahamat Idriss Deby was declared the winner of Monday’s election, and the government ordered the immediate deployment of troops to maintain peace, especially in the capital, N'djamena. Aid organization World Neighbors helps people to build businesses in Burkina Faso and Mali, despite militant attacks and mercenary groups operating in the Sahel. A study released last year suggests that dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex had an exceptionally high number of neurons in their brains, and the king of the dinosaurs may have been more intelligent than had been assumed.

In eastern Libya, where General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army, is backed by the Russian military, some regional security analysts estimate the Russian presence ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 individuals. The war between Russia and Ukraine is in its 2nd year, and many African students who had to leave for safety find themselves back in their home countries and feel largely ignored. In Eswatini’s textile industry thousands of female workers say they face unhygienic work environments, low pay, excessively long unpaid hours, harsh discrimination, and unjust dismissals.

Kenya's health ministry has announced the government has reached a deal with striking doctors, after a walk-out that lasted 56 days. Two suspected poachers were recently shot to death by Namibian law enforcement officials who say the men had opened fire on police while being pursued for allegedly illegally hunting in the Etosha National Park. In Tanzania, Medical Teams International has been able to achieve a rate of zero maternal deaths over the past four years in the Nyarugusu and Nduta refugee camps..

The United States and other countries are pushing ahead with diplomatic efforts to establish a cease-fire between Israel and the militant Hamas group, as Israel threatens an assault on the Gaza city of Rafah. Hundreds of political parties and independent candidates have registered for South Africa’s election on May 29, as the ruling African National Congress faces the prospect of losing its majority for the first time. Egyptian businessman and Sinai militia leader Ibrahim al-Organi has been appointed head of Egypt's Arab Tribes Union, a paramilitary entity uniting five tribal groups under one umbrella to confront national security challenges.

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.