President Julius Maada Bio has been reelected in Sierra Leone with 56 percent of the vote. The margin of victory is high enough to prevent a second round of voting. The opposition has disputed the results of the election and international observers have raised issues with the counting of ballots, though they came short of declaring the election fraudulent.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is scrambling to complete infrastructure for the 2023 Francophone Games, due to be hosted in Kinshasa from July 28-August 6. Some participants, including France and New Brunswick, have scaled back their delegations over concerns. Quebec has elected to send a diplomatic representative instead of athletes.

• A new documentary, Grandpa Was An Emperor by Yeshi Kassa, tells her story about growing up the great-granddaughter of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. The film documents the Derg coup that brought an end to the monarchy, through the eyes of a young girl.
• Ghanaian artist, Kwesi Botchway has established a new art studio and residency space in Accra. Read more about it from Prazzle Inc.
• Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has come under fire for arriving in Lagos with a fleet of over 100 vehicles. Nigerians have contrasted the image of the president’s convoy with the government’s removal of fuel subsidies.
• The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ruled against the South African Government’s attempt to revoke special work permits for 200,000 Zimbabwean nationals, finding it unconstitutional.

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Image: View of Kinshasa from Kempinsky Hotel. Creative Commons. 31 October 2019. Photo credit: Garcia-Pavilion.

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