SAHEL STATES QUIT THE ICC
At the end of September, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing what their leaders described as an "instrument of neocolonialist repression” and alleging anti-African bias in the institution. The ICC, established in 2002, is tasked with prosecuting perpetrators of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Of the 33 cases the court has initiated since its founding, all but one involved an African state. The decision comes amid escalating turmoil in the Sahel and represents a retreat from accountability on the part of regional states, as well as a loss of access to justice for regional victims of human rights. The withdrawal likewise reflects a broader geopolitical shift, with the three juntas signaling closer alignment with geopolitical actors like Russia, and a shift away from traditional partners in the West. (BBC, September 23, 2025)
MUTHARIKA RETURNS TO POWER IN MALAWI
Malawi’s former president, Peter Mutharika, won September’s presidential election in the southeastern African state, ousting incumbent Lazarus Chakwera. Mutharika secured more than 56 percent of votes cast, compared to Chakwera’s 33 percent and enough to secure a first-round victory. The vote reflects public frustration over persistent economic challenges during Chakwera’s presidency, including inflation that has hovered above 20 percent for more than three years, crop losses from a devastating cyclone and regional drought, and hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mutharika’s return could shift Mali’s foreign partnerships significantly. His first term in office favored closer alignment with China, contrasting with Chakwera’s reliance on Western donors. The election result could thus create an opening for China and other actors to expand their influence over Lilongwe through infrastructure and economic engagement. (Reuters, September 24, 2025)
MADAGASCAR IMPOSES CURFEW AFTER PROTESTS
In late September, Madagascar’s government imposed a nighttime curfew in the capital city of Antananarivo following violent protests over prolonged electricity and water cuts that left many households and businesses without power for more than 12 hours. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds after demonstrators set up barricades, looted stores and banks, and torched several stations of the capital’s new cable car system. The homes of politicians close to President Nirina Rajoelina were also attacked. The protests, largely driven by young people mobilizing through social media, spread beyond the capital to provincial offices of the state-run water and electricity company. The demonstrations reflect growing frustration with basic service failures and the government’s management of the national utility. (Associated Press, September 25, 2025)
GUINEA APPROVES NEW CONSTITUTION
Four years after a military coup, Guinea’s voters resoundingly approved a new constitution in a late-September referendum, with 89 percent in favor and a turnout totaling 86 percent of the country’s 6.7 million registered voters. The new charter replaces the transitional framework that had barred members of the ruling junta from contesting elections, paving the way for current military leader Mamadi Doumbouya to run for president. The new constitution also contains a number of other changes. It extends presidential terms from five to seven years (renewable once) and establishes a new Senate. Since seizing power in 2021, Doumbouya’s government has banned demonstrations and detained or exiled opposition figures, with reports of forced disappearances. (Reuters, September 24, 2025)
CHINA REVAMPS TANZANIA–ZAMBIA RAILWAY
China has signed a $1.4 billion agreement with Zambia and Tanzania to rehabilitate the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara), a 1,860-kilometer line originally built in the 1970s with Chinese financing. The project, led by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp., will modernize the route linking Zambia’s “copper belt” to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean port and is expected to quadruple the line’s freight capacity to about two million tons per year. The deal positions Tazara as a competitor to the U.S.- and EU-backed Lobito Corridor on Africa’s west coast, underscoring intensifying global competition for access to critical minerals. Under the arrangement, China will finance and operate the concession for 30 years. (Bloomberg, September 29, 2025)
GEN Z PROTESTS SWEEP MOROCCO
Hundreds of young Moroccans have staged nationwide protests in what are some of the north African country’s largest anti-government demonstrations in years. Their grievances center on accusations that authorities of prioritizing preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup over health and education. The youth-led rallies, held in at least 11 cities including Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech, denounced corruption and rising inequality, with protesters chanting, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” Police disrupted several marches and arrested dozens of demonstrators, according to human rights groups. The leaderless movement, organized primarily on TikTok and Discord by groups such as Gen Z 212 and Morocco Youth Voices, reflects growing frustration among Morocco’s Generation Z cohort with unemployment, low wages, and poor public services. The protests intensified after the deaths of eight women in a public hospital in Agadir, fueling anger over healthcare neglect. (CNN, September 28, 2025)
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