DR Congo Extends Cobalt Export Ban
The Democratic Republic of Congo extended its cobalt export ban by three months to address market oversupply, following a previous four-month suspension that began in February after cobalt prices hit a nine-year low. The country, which supplies over 70% of the world's cobalt, aimed to stabilise prices and manage stock levels. Authorities said a decision on whether to end, modify, or extend the ban further would come before September. The price drop resulted from increased production and declining demand in electric vehicle batteries. While companies like Glencore supported quota-based exports, others, including China's CMOC Group and Eurasian Resources Group, opposed the ban. The government remained divided over the economic impacts of the policy.
South African Engineers Freed After Two Years in Equatorial Guinea Prison
Two South African engineers, Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, returned home after spending over two years in an Equatorial Guinea prison on what the UN described as "arbitrary and illegal" drug charges. Potgieter and Huxham were arrested in February 2023 after drugs were allegedly found in their luggage. The pair, who worked for the Dutch company SBM, were sentenced to 12 years and fined $5 million, but later received a presidential pardon following pressure from the South African government and their families. Their arrest occurred shortly after South Africa seized luxury assets belonging to Equatorial Guinea's Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang. Their families said that the pair was arrested in retaliation for the seizure of the assets belonging to Obiang. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention last year called for the pair's release, saying their detention was unlawful.
Three Dead in Algeria Stadium Collapse
Three people died and dozens were injured after falling from the upper stand of the 5 July Stadium in Algiers when a security barrier collapsed. The incident happened just after MC Alger secured the league title with a 0-0 draw against NC Magra. Fans had surged forward to celebrate, causing some to fall onto the lower tier. Over 70 people were treated in hospitals, though most were later released. Players and staff from MC Alger have gone to the hospitals to donate blood to the injured. The trophy presentation was postponed, and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune offered his condolences and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
Netherlands Returns 119 Ancient Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
The Netherlands officially returned 119 ancient sculptures stolen over 120 years ago from the former Kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria. The artifacts, known as the Benin Bronzes, were looted in 1897 when British forces invaded the kingdom and exiled its monarch. Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, said that the artefacts were the "embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken from". Holloway also said that Germany had agreed to return more than 1,000 additional pieces. The Benin Bronzes include metal and ivory sculptures dating back to the 16th to 18th centuries. In 2022, Nigeria formally requested the return of hundreds of objects from museums worldwide, with some already returned from the UK and U.S.
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WHO Warns of Global Health Financing Crisis as Aid Dries Up
The world is facing a health financing emergency, according to Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou of the World Health Organization (WHO), due to deep spending cuts by wealthy nations that disrupted both international aid and national health systems. Chalkidou said that global health investment could fall by 40% in 2024, dropping from over $25 billion in 2023 to an estimated $15 billion, the lowest in a decade. The cuts, led by the U.S., EU bodies, and several European governments, severely impacted developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where external aid accounted for up to 30% of health spending. Countries like Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe were heavily reliant on U.S.-funded programmes. Many of these nations also struggled with debt, spending more on repayments than on healthcare. WHO reported disruptions in health services not seen since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO urged reduced aid dependency, increased domestic revenue through health taxes, and access to low-interest loans, and planned to push for commitments at the upcoming financing conference in Seville.
