News

Match Masters Limited, East Africa’s largest manufacturer of safety matches, has filed an urgent petition at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) challenging Tanzania’s newly imposed excise duty on imported matches. The company argues that the levy, introduced under the Finance Act 2025, violates the East African Community (EAC) Treaty by creating discriminatory trade barriers against...

Digital payments in Burundi rose steadily in the second quarter of 2025, but cash withdrawals and deposits still account for nearly half of all transactions, underlining the country’s slow transition to a cash-light economy, according to new data from the central bank. Burundi's Central Bank (BRB) reported nearly 97.5 million mobile money and digital...

Burundi’s president, who also chairs the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, officially opened the 2025-2026 judicial year on July 26 with a call for judges to strengthen national unity and deliver impartial justice. Speaking at a ceremony held at the Kigobe Congress Palace, the head of state urged magistrates to remember their mission of...

The United Kingdom on Friday urged Burundi to address “serious irregularities” in its June elections and to reopen the UN human rights office, during the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. “We urge the government of Burundi to allow full access and to reopen the OHCHR country office,” the...

At the opening of the 80th United Nations General Assembly this week, dozens of nations formally recognized the State of Palestine in what diplomats are calling the largest collective push for Palestinian statehood in recent decades. The surge of recognition comes amid the intensifying war in Gaza and stalled peace negotiations, spotlighting shifting global attitudes toward the...

A Rwandan soldier has been detained in northern Burundi after inadvertently crossing the border, officials from both countries confirmed Wednesday, in an incident that underscores the fragile ties between the two neighbors. The Rwanda Defence Force said Sgt. Sadiki Emmanuel, a driver in the force, “inadvertently strayed across the Gasenyi-Nemba border” on Sept. 24...

Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday called for Africa to gain permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, describing the continent’s exclusion as “unacceptable and indefensible.” Speaking at the 7th Summit of the Committee of Ten (C‑10) Heads of State on Security Council Reform, held alongside the 80th UN General Assembly, Ruto said...

Burundi is among 17 African countries that committed Wednesday to concrete reforms aimed at boosting electricity access under Mission 300, a global initiative led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group that seeks to connect 300 million Africans to power by 2030. The announcement was made in New York during...

Aigle Noir CS controlled possession and created the bulk of scoring chances but couldn’t find the back of the net in a 0-0 draw against ASAS Djibouti on Sunday in the first leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round matchup. The result leaves the tie wide open heading into the return leg in...

CAIRO, Egypt — The East African Business Council (EABC) has called for the urgent implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), emphasizing its critical role in driving economic growth and integration across the continent. The call was made during the 17th meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and the High-Level Private Sector...