Hello and welcome back. 

A DR Congo military court sentences former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia, Trump tells US generals his administration will target “domestic threats,” and Arab states deliver mixed responses to Trump’s Gaza plan. 

Our lead story revisits the African Union—where African states, acting collectively, confront the challenge of turning visibility into real influence in global governance.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇭🇹 UN approves expanded multinational force to combat gangs in Haiti: The United Nations has approved a resolution upgrading its Haiti mission into a fully fledged multinational force of up to 5,500 troops and police to confront rampant gang violence. Backed by the US and Panama, the enlarged mission will replace the current 1,000-strong deployment, mostly Kenyan officers, which has struggled to stem killings, mass displacement, and neighborhood destruction.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸 Trump warns of imminent US government shutdown: President Donald Trump warned that the US government will “probably” shut down, blaming Democrats for refusing to pass a funding bill and accusing them of pushing policies on immigration and healthcare he rejects. He said federal layoffs would be unavoidable if a shutdown occurs.

3️⃣ 🇱🇾 🇪🇺 Europe’s Libya migration deals entrench armed groups and weaken leverage: EU efforts to curb migration through deals with Libyan authorities have reduced crossings but empowered armed factions complicit in trafficking, undermining both human rights and diplomacy. Italy’s handling of Osama Elmasry Njeem’s ICC warrant and a humiliating standoff with Khalifa Haftar’s forces highlight Europe’s eroding influence. Analysts argue that sustainable policy requires sanctions and political accountability rather than subcontracting border control to conflict-driven militias.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺 🇵🇱 Russia escalates airspace violations as NATO faces mounting pressure: Russian drones and fighter jets have breached the airspace of Poland, Romania, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia in recent weeks, fueling fears that Moscow’s aggression is widening beyond Ukraine. European leaders at the Warsaw Security Forum warned that Putin is testing NATO’s defenses, exploiting gaps in readiness, and that deterrence is no longer enough.

5️⃣ 🇪🇬 🇸🇦 🇯🇴 Arab states respond to Trump's Gaza plan: Regional responses to Trump and Netanyahu’s 20-point proposal have been mixed—some governments, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, cautiously backed elements like a ceasefire and reconstruction while insisting on safeguards against displacement, whereas Islamist factions and hardline Israeli ministers rejected the plan outright.

Major Story

🇰🇪 🇪🇹 🇿🇦 AFRICA’S INFLUENCE DILEMMA IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

African states remain sidelined in key global institutions despite being disproportionately affected by their decisions. Since the African Union’s 2005 Ezulwini Consensus, leaders have demanded two permanent seats on the UN Security Council (UNSC), yet reform has stalled even though most of the UNSC’s agenda concerns Africa. At the UN General Assembly, Sierra Leone’s President Maada Bio called this exclusion “unjust and untenable,” warning that it undermines the UN’s credibility.

Economic Marginalisation

Africa’s voice also remains limited within the IMF and World Bank, where it bears the brunt of climate shocks and debt crises but holds minimal voting power. Kenyan President William Ruto stressed that reforming these institutions is not charity but essential for global stability, pointing to punitive lending terms for poorer states. A breakthrough came in 2023, when the AU secured permanent membership of the G20—placing Africa, at last, alongside the EU in global economic decision-making.

The Responsibility of Representation

The first G20 summit on African soil in 2025 offers an historic chance to highlight continental priorities: debt restructuring, climate finance, and embedding the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in global trade rules. Yet inclusion brings new responsibilities. Real influence requires coherence, technical expertise, and political will, not just visibility. Financial independence for the AU, stronger enforcement of continental agreements, and investment in negotiation capacity are vital steps.

Collective Voice vs. Fragmented Action

Despite progress, divergent national ambitions often weaken Africa’s leverage. States frequently negotiate individually in forums such as the WTO, diluting collective influence. Regional blocs like ECOWAS, SADC and IGAD can respond faster to crises, but overlapping memberships, rivalries and poor implementation undermine them. Aligning national strategies with continental goals—on trade through the AfCFTA or security via the African Standby Force—remains critical.

Major powers now compete for African partnerships, but without unity the continent risks remaining a stage for global rivalries rather than shaping international rules.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇸 Trump addresses US generals, says administration will prioritise domestic threats: In a lengthy speech to US generals in Virginia, Donald Trump mixed familiar grievances with claims of foreign policy success but underscored that the military’s main focus will now be on internal threats, including immigration and civil unrest. He justified recent troop deployments to US cities as part of a “war from within.”

2️⃣ 🇨🇩 🇷🇼 DRC military court sentences Joseph Kabila to death in absentia: A military court in DR Congo has sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia on charges including treason, crimes against humanity, and backing the M23 rebellion. Kabila, who ruled from 2001 to 2019 and recently resurfaced in Goma, was tried without legal representation and has denounced the proceedings as political persecution. 

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Book Shelf

Here are some books we recommend 📚:

Prisoners of Geography

The Revenge of Geography

The World: A Brief Introduction

The Shock Doctrine

Sea Power

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics