Africa: All of Africa Today – May 20, 2025

Equatorial Guinea Wins Territorial Dispute with Gabon Over Strategic Islands

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the islands of Mbanie, Conga, and Cocoteros belong to Equatorial Guinea, settling a decades-long territorial dispute with Gabon. The three tiny islands, which are effectively uninhabited but are located in potentially oil and gas-rich waters, have been controlled by Gabon since its troops forcibly evicted Equatorial Guinean soldiers from Mbanie in 1972. Equatorial Guinea challenged Gabon’s claim, arguing that it relied on an authenticated photocopy of the Bata Convention that was lacking legal force. Instead, the ICJ upheld a 1900 treaty signed in Paris between France and Spain, which assigned the islands to Spain and subsequently to Equatorial Guinea upon its independence in 1968. The ruling now compels Gabon to withdraw its military presence from Mbanie, concluding what both countries had managed as a peaceful diplomatic dispute.

Opposition’s Tundu Lissu Defiant as Treason Trial Kicks Off in Tanzania

Tanzania’s main opposition leader,  Tundu Lissu, appeared in court for a hearing in his treason trial, which, if convicted, he could face the death penalty.  The Chadema party leader was arrested on 9 April following his rallying call for “no reforms, no election,” telling supporters that the general election due in October should not go ahead unless there are electoral reforms.  He has since been charged with treason and publishing false information online, which allegedly incited rebellion and accused police of electoral misconduct. The country’s electoral commission barred the opposition Chadema party and Lissu from running in the October presidential election. His trial kicked off after Martha Karua, a Kenyan lawyer and opposition politician, was deported by Tanzanian authorities, where she had gone to attend Lissu’s trial.  The case, which Lissu has described as politically motivated, has heightened concerns over the state of democracy in the country.

Prosecutors Found No Conclusive Rape Evidence That Cwecwe Was Raped

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed it initially declined to prosecute an alleged rape case involving a seven-year-old girl, known publicly as Cwecwe, due to insufficient evidence. According to prosecutors, medical examinations and interviews did not provide conclusive evidence of rape or sexual assault. Cwecwe’s mother revealed in April 2025 that police identified three suspects, including the principal and caretaker. She also said the principal refused to provide DNA samples. The allegations sparked widespread protests and led to the principal being named and shamed, despite later clarification from police and Afriforum, now representing both the principal and the caretaker, that he was not formally identified as a suspect. Progress stalled when a forensic social worker and police could not re-interview Cwecwe due to her poor health. The police also reported that no foreign DNA was found on her clothing. The NPA confirmed that the docket has since been resubmitted for reconsideration. Meanwhile, Afriforum condemned what it described as a trial by social media, warning that authorities may have been unduly influenced by public pressure despite the lack of hard evidence.

Zimbabwe Minister Daniel Garwe Accused of Seizing MPs’ Land for Businessman

Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe is facing another land grab storm following his decision to seize residential stands sold to Members of Parliament (MPs) in 2018 and allegedly gifting them to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s longtime ally, Billy Rautenbach. The land in Goromonzi District was paid for and allocated through proper channels, but Garwe later claimed it had been taken by the Defence Ministry, a claim denied by local council officials. This followed similar accusations in which Garwe reportedly took land from Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative in Arlington, Harare, and handed it to PPC Zimbabwe. Nearly 100 individuals, including former MPs, war veterans, diplomats, and traditional leaders, were affected by the latest seizure of land in the STUHM area of Goromonzi District. Documents revealed that the land had been allocated in 2019 by then-Minister July Moyo’s office, with lease agreements completed and payments made as early as December 2018. MPs now say the land is being used for a private development linked to Rautenbach, and accuse Garwe of violating their legal rights despite clear documentation of ownership.