Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
21 July 2026 | 11:55 CAT
4-minute read

Zambian elections, Malian soldiers killed, DRC Ebola Crisis

Hichilema seeks second term as Zambia heads to 2026 polls

Zambia will head to the polls on August 13, 2026, in a presidential election featuring 14 candidates. Among them is incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), who is seeking a second five-year term.

Hichilema, who rose to power in 2021 on promises of economic reform and debt restructuring, faces his strongest challenge from Brian Mundubile. Mundubile leads the Tonse Alliance (TA), a coalition forged from the remnants of the once-dominant Patriotic Front (PF). The contest between the two men is expected to set the tone for Zambia’s political future, as voters weigh the government’s record on economic recovery against calls for change from the opposition.

Since taking office, Hichilema has overseen a significant turnaround in Zambia’s economy, driven by debt restructuring and fiscal discipline. Inflation, which peaked at 22 percent in 2021, has fallen to an eight-year low of 6.5 percent this year. Foreign reserves are growing, and investors are trickling in, particularly in the mining sector, creating much-needed employment. One of his government’s most notable achievements has been a successful debt restructuring effort, which reduced annual debt payments from $2,3 billion to $900 million—freeing up $1,4 billion to invest in other critical sectors of the economy.

The opposition, meanwhile, has struggled to mount a nationwide challenge. It has failed to field parliamentary candidates in 75 of Zambia’s 226 constituencies, a shortfall that analysts say highlights both its reduced national footprint and lack of resources. This effectively gives the ruling party a head start, with what amounts to 75 uncontested seats.

During this week’s Africa Report on Radio Islam International, analyst Dr Sizo Nkala said, “All indications, my view, seem to point to Hichilema’s re-election on the basis of a weak and enfragmented opposition in an economy that is doing fairly well.”

Rebel ambush kills 50 Malian troops in northern convoy attack

On Saturday, July 18, at least fifty Malian soldiers were killed when rebel groups ambushed a military convoy in northern Mali. The attack, which occurred in the Tabrichat area near the northern town of Anéfis as the convoy was traveling toward Gao, stands as one of the deadliest assaults suffered by the Malian armed forces in years. In addition to the casualties, at least 24 soldiers were captured, some of whom were reportedly executed on-site.

Both Tuareg members from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the ambush, Nkala said.

The attack comes just 2 weeks after the Malian army lost 30 soldiers during a battle to maintain control of Anéfis when the FLA and JNIM launched a highly coordinated attack to seize control of it.

Nkala explained that since taking power in a 2021 coup, junta leader General Assimi Goïta has struggled to impose state control or stabilise the security situation.

The military government’s strategy relied heavily on the Russian paramilitary outfit Africa Corps (formerly known as the Wagner Group). However, the foreign mercenary presence has failed to contain a rapidly expanding, multi-front insurgency.

Instead, the security crisis has drastically deteriorated, culminating in unprecedented attacks that have brought the conflict directly to the regime’s doorstep.

The fragility of the junta’s grip on power was laid bare during a coordinated assault that shattered the security of the capital city.

Al-Qaeda-linked fighters launched a massive offensive that effectively placed Bamako under a “total siege.” Insurgents choked off key transport arteries, cutting off three of the city’s six main supply routes and stranding hundreds of civilian and commercial vehicles.

In a blow to the military leadership, state media confirmed that Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed. The minister was targeted during a sophisticated assault on his residence at the Kati military base, just outside Bamako. Following the assassination, General Goïta personally assumed the role of Minister of Defence to consolidate control over the fracturing security apparatus.

“The military government has not been able to resolve this political and security crisis, and it looks set to get worse in the months ahead,” Nkala said.

DRC battles fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in its history

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently battling its 17^th Ebola outbreak, which has escalated into a severe crisis driven by a rare strain and exacerbated by armed conflict.

The epidemic, which was officially declared on May 15, 2026, has expanded faster than any previous Ebola outbreak in the country’s history, with a total of 2 423 confirmed cases and 967 deaths.

African Union (AU) member states, including South Africa, have collectively pledged $80 million as part of a larger $910 million international funding package to contain the Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. However, the World Health Organisation has stated that there is still a $400 million funding gap needed to properly contain the virus.

While Nkala called the support from African nations encouraging, he warned that it is not enough: “The continent must do more to help the DRC contain this outbreak.”

Listen to the Africa Report with Dr Sizo Nkala on Sabaahul Muslim, presented by Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.