1. Museveni’s Son Says He Will Not Run in Ugandan Presidential Race

The son of Uganda’s long-serving leader Yoweri Museveni said on Saturday he had abandoned plans to run for presidency at the next election in 2026, urging his supporters to endorse his father instead. President Museveni, who has led the country for 38 years, is widely expected to run for re-election even though he has not yet confirmed his candidacy. “I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026,” said Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections,” he said, urging his supporters to back his father for a seventh term. Kainerugaba, currently the head of the country’s military, is widely expected to eventually become his father’s chosen successor but is also known for making controversial comments. Museveni apologized to Kenya in 2022 after his son threatened on Twitter to invade the neighboring country. Uganda’s opposition has long accused Museveni of seeking to impose a monarchy on Uganda — a claim the president denies. Museveni, 80, has ruled Uganda since 1986 and has changed the constitution twice to extend his rule.

2. Congo Frees 600 Inmates at Main Prison in a Bid to Ease Overcrowding

Authorities in Congo said they released 600 prisoners in the country’s main prison on Saturday as part of a process aimed at decongesting overcrowded prisons. There are plans for construction of a new prison in Kinshasa, [Justice Minister Constant Mutamba] said, without giving more details. Makala prison, Congo’s largest penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds more than 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report. Earlier this month, an attempted jailbreak in the prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot by guards and soldiers and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, according to authorities…Inmates had increasingly grown frustrated with the poor conditions in the facility, including inadequate beds, poor feeding and poor sanitation.

3.  Peacekeepers Won’t Leave DRC in Dec, Says UN Official

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Monusco, will not exit the country by December 2024. UN Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who visited the Congo this weekend, said that December 31, 2024, which was supposed to be the date for the total withdrawal of Monusco troops, has never formally been agreed on by all the parties. “I dispel this rumour, especially as it has never been confirmed by the authorities, ourselves or the Security Council. We are currently in a consultation phase, and the humanitarian situation remains very worrying. We have met with members of civil society, who have all asked us to stay in Ituri in particular,” Mr Lacroix said in Kinshasa…[T]he “security vacuum” feared by the Congolese authorities is now manifesting in Ituri, where Codeco and other armed groups are wreaking havoc and killing civilians…Monusco has pledged to reinforce its positions in Ituri and continue supporting the Southern African Development Community mission in the DRC.

4. African Scientists Are Worried about a Different Demographic Explosion

Africa, which is often recognized for its young population with a median age of 19, is also home to the fastest-growing elderly population in the world, according to the UN…The healthy life expectancy in Africa jumped by 10 years per person between 2000 and 2019, a greater rise than in any other region in the world during the same period…In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 2.13 million people were living with dementia in 2015, with numbers projected to nearly double every 20 years, increasing to 3.5 million by 2030 and 7.6 million by 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. Many African countries lack widespread epidemiological studies or national registries for key non-communicable diseases. For example, early detection technologies, such as advanced brain imaging and blood biomarkers that are used in developed countries are not widely available in Africa. Most neurologists on the continent have to work with outdated tools, which further delays diagnosis and treatment, especially in rural areas where access to specialized clinics is especially limited.

5. Famine Takes Grip in Africa’s Prolonged Conflict Zones

An estimated 163 million Africans are facing acute food insecurity—sustaining the record numbers of Africans experiencing food crisis. This total is nearly triple the number from 5 years ago, highlighting the rapid escalation in Africa’s food emergency. Some 130 million (80 percent) of those facing acute food insecurity are in countries experiencing conflict, many of which have persisted for years and have eroded community and national coping mechanisms…13 of the 16 African countries with the largest number of people experiencing acute food insecurity are in conflict. This pattern underscores that conflict continues to be the primary driver of acute food insecurity in Africa. Africa Center for Strategic Studies

6. Southern Africa Is Enduring Its Worst Hunger Crisis in Decades Due to El Niño, the UN Says

Months of drought in southern Africa triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon have had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people and caused the region’s worst hunger crisis in decades, the United Nations’ food agency said Tuesday. The World Food Program warned it could become a “full-scale human catastrophe.” Five countries — Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — have declared national disasters over the drought and resultant hunger. The WFP estimates that about 21 million children in southern Africa are now malnourished as crops have failed. AP

7. Floods Leave 10 Million Children Out of School in West and Central Africa

An estimated 10 million children across Nigeria, Mali, Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo are unable to attend school after devastating regional flooding, the charity Save the Children has said. The severe rains, which have damaged or destroyed schools and displaced families, have left the education system in crisis. Displacing nearly one million people, the floods have worsened an already fragile situation…The situation is especially dire in Niger and Mali, where the start of the school year has been postponed for weeks, affecting millions of learners. RFI

8. Spiraling Sudan Bloodshed Sparks Refugee Surge into Chad

In a sign of the worsening conflict in Darfur, some 25,000 people — 80% of whom were women and children — crossed into eastern Chad in the first week of October, a record number for a single week in 2024. And more than 20,270 crossed into Chad in the whole of September. Chad is host to 681,944 Sudanese refugees — more than any other country. However, it is also one of the poorest countries in the world and is lacking the basic services to accommodate such numbers, said [Mamadou Dian Balde, the U.N.’s Sudan regional refugee coordinator], while highlighting the generosity shown by Chadians towards their fleeing neighbors…Balde said he expected “very unfortunately, in the coming weeks, to have many more refugees in Chad,” due to both the conflict intensifying in Darfur and the drop in water levels as the rainy season ends. AFP

9. Sudan Rescuers Say Airstrike Killed 23 in Khartoum Market

A Sudanese network of volunteer rescuers said on Sunday the military carried out an airstrike a day earlier on a marketplace in Khartoum, leaving 23 people dead. The market is near one of the main camps in the Sudanese capital, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting the military as part of a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people…The military is advancing towards Khartoum from nearby Omdurman, where clashes erupted on Saturday, eyewitnesses said. AFP

10. Years of War in Congo Have Created a Dire Mental Health Crisis. But Little Support Is Available

More than 100 armed groups have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda. The violence has escalated as the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, has reemerged. The fighting has displaced millions. Over 600,000 shelter in camps near Goma. More people are experiencing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as insomnia and excessive alcohol and drug consumption, psychologists say…But little mental health support is available. Less than 30% of the requested $180 million for protection — which includes mental health services — in the humanitarian response plan has been funded this year, said the United Nations, which calls Congo one of the world’s most neglected crises. AP

11. How Congolese Journalists Displaced by the M23 War Are Keeping the Airwaves Alive

Among the displaced [in and around Goma] are hundreds of local journalists who escaped the fighting or direct censorship from the rebels, who occupy vast swathes of territory in the east and regularly use local media to disseminate propaganda. Some journalists have abandoned their work as a result of the upheaval, though others…have struggled on, broadcasting in the camps often at their own expense…Displaced journalists…said they are tailoring their shows to the needs of the camps, providing space for communities to discuss events and issues in the sites, from sports competitions to gender-based violence. Displaced people who listen to the radio said they receive vital information from the shows…Earlier this year, around 100 journalists organised themselves into a union called the Synergy of Displaced Journalists, according to Justin Bizimana, the coordinator of the group. The New Humanitarian

12. Bill to Establish Nigerian Coast Guard Scales Second Reading in Senate

A bill to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard has scaled second reading in the Senate…[Wasiu Eshilokun (APC- Lagos)] said the bill sought to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard to be charged with the responsibility of securing maritime zones within Nigeria. He said the bill was also aimed at maintaining a state of readiness as a specialised service in support of the Nigerian Navy in war situations. The senator added that the overriding intent of the bill was to enact legislation that sought to contribute to the country’s security, with a special focus on the country’s maritime interests and regional coastal security. He said that it was also to ensure adherence to global norms and standards as they relate to maritime security. News Agency of Nigeria

13. IPU: Why Nigeria Seeks Responsible Use of AI – Reps Deputy Speaker

[The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu,] spoke on Monday at the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Debate in Geneva, Switzerland…Mr Kalu said the federal government is moving towards adopting a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Framework…“The integrity of universal electoral processes is a global imperative, and recent developments in Artificial Intelligence are posing threats, especially in the spread of disinformation and cyber vulnerabilities in election systems,” Mr Kalu said. “We call for the responsible use of AI to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes, particularly against threats such as deepfakes and the spread of disinformation,” he added. Premium Times

14. Kenyan Deputy President’s Impeachment Trial Begins

Kenya’s parliament has begun the final step to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office…The deputy president faces 11 charges including corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining government – all of which he denies…Gachagua’s trial is being conducted before the full house of the Senate after it abandoned a process to set up an 11-member committee to investigate the charges…At least two-thirds of the 67 Senate members must approve the motion for Gachagua to be removed from office. Should that happen and his impeachment stands, he would be barred from ever holding public office. He is expected to challenge the impeachment in the courts if it passes. BBC

15. Africa Must Continue to Rise,’ Says General Assembly President

In a speech delivered during a debate on African development, Assembly  President Philémon Yang addressed the continent’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s (AU) related framework, known as Agenda 2063…He called for a more just financial system, expressing that the current system “prioritises high interest rates and debt servicing over investments in resilience and social services.” The continent will need about $194 billion in additional financing annually to achieve the SDGs. While acknowledging the bleak economic outlook, Mr. Yang also praised Africa’s resilience as economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase from 2.6 percent in 2023 to 3.8 percent by 2025. UN News