Also known as: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres · H.E. António Guterres · Mr António Guterres · UN Secretary General António Guterres · U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres · UN Secretary-General António Guterres · Mr Guterres
António Guterres — UN Secretary-General who has engaged with President Mahama on reparations and West African peace, and warned of extreme weather dangers.
… The current Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has repeatedly reminded member states that the architecture built in 1945 no longer reflects the world of today, and nowhere is that gap more glaring than in the continued absence of permanent African represen …
… Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack on Tuesday, stating that “The relentless gang attacks on communities and the loss of lives underscore the alarming security conditions in Haiti”. …
… Referencing UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ description of the world as facing a “five-alarm global crisis,” Mrs Tetteh said many of the challenges identified years ago remain unresolved. …
Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu has joined the contest to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, the seventh contender to succeed Antonio Guterres when he steps down at the end of this year. …
… The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, in a speech on his behalf underscored the importance of Africa in the fight against global health threats as none could be contained without Africa. …
… Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih chose Finerty over Simon Hankinson, a U.S.-backed candidate and former foreign service officer who has accused the UNHCR of pursuing “a mass migration agenda.” “If they wanted reform, a retur …
… If chosen, Sall would succeed Antonio Guterres to become the third African secretary-general, after Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Ghana’s Kofi Annan. …
President Mahama held discussions with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the 81st UN General Assembly, where Guterres congratulated Mahama on his initiatives, expressed optimism about the draft UN Resolution on reparations, and commended his leadership on the Accra Reset Agenda and advocacy for international financial reforms. The leaders discussed regional peace and security challenges in West Africa and the Sahel.
President Mahama held discussions with outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the 81st UN General Assembly, where Guterres congratulated Mahama on his initiatives, expressed optimism about the draft UN Resolution on reparations, and commended his leadership on the Accra Reset Agenda and advocacy for international financial reforms. The leaders discussed regional peace and security challenges in West Africa and the Sahel.
The United Nations said it is ready to investigate allegations that Sudan's armed forces used chemical weapons if given a formal mandate. The allegations remain contested, and no independent international investigation cited has established responsibility, though the US determined in 2025 that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024.
Bright Ofori argues that a reformed UN Security Council should grant Africa a minimum of two permanent seats—one for the African Union and one rotating every two years among regional economic blocs such as ECOWAS and SADC—to address the continent's underrepresentation in global governance.
The World Meteorological Organization says El Niño could be the strongest weather phenomenon in over 70 years and last until at least February 2027, with the potential to cause drought, flooding, typhoons, and temperature increases globally. UN head António Guterres warned the world has entered a "danger zone of extreme weather," and governments are strengthening early warning systems and pre-emptive medical assistance to protect vulnerable groups.
Armed men attacked Kenscoff, a community near Haiti's capital, killing at least 47 people and kidnapping more than 50 others on Sunday, according to UN reports. The attack is believed to be one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years, with victims including at least five children, and a gang leader threatening to kill hostages if authorities attempt to rescue them.
Hannah Tetteh, UN Special Representative for Libya, has warned that the weakening of the global multilateral system could have serious consequences for Africa, particularly countries with limited influence on the international stage, and that smaller and less powerful nations would be disproportionately affected if multilateral cooperation continues to deteriorate.
Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, a former U.N. under-secretary-general and special representative for children and armed conflict, has been nominated by Uganda to become the next UN secretary-general, making him the seventh contender to succeed Antonio Guterres at the end of this year.
Heads of State and Government, health ministers, and development partners met in Accra to advance Africa's health agenda, with a focus on ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, reducing maternal mortality, and boosting local pharmaceutical manufacturing. Delegates are expected to adopt a fully-costed continental roadmap and declarations on monitoring non-communicable and neglected tropical diseases.
The Trump administration has considered disengaging from UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, prompting diplomats and U.N. officials to lobby for continued U.S. support, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deliberation follows a disagreement over the appointment of a deputy high commissioner, and potential cuts to U.S. funding—historically the agency's largest source—would weaken it amid near-record displacement levels globally.
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall will visit Senegal on Friday for the first time since leaving office, as he campaigns for the position of U.N. secretary-general. Sall remains a divisive figure in Senegal following his attempt to postpone the 2024 presidential election and amid allegations of hidden government borrowing, which he denies.
Dr. Ekua Amoakoh, spokesperson to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has been nominated for the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), a flagship professional exchange programme that annually selects more than 4,400 professionals globally to deepen their understanding of American society, governance, culture and economic systems.
US President Donald Trump announced that Iran and the United States have reached a tentative deal to end the US-Israel war on Iran, including Israeli attacks on Lebanon. World leaders including Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait have welcomed the agreement, though Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned it as "bad for Israel and for the entire free world."
U.S. and Iranian officials announced a deal to end their war, halt the U.S. blockade of Iran, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Global leaders including the UN Secretary-General, European nations, and Australia have welcomed the agreement, with emphasis on nuclear non-proliferation and freedom of navigation.
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al Qaeda-linked group controlling territory in Mali, has shifted toward less violent methods, focusing on collecting taxes on crops and livestock and distributing aid to the poor, rather than issuing threats as they did five years ago. The group has grown stronger since Mali's 2020 military coup led to the expulsion of French and U.N. forces and has demonstrated its power through coordinated attacks across the country.
US President Donald Trump claimed an initial agreement to end the war with Iran is close after cancelling strikes, but Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said reports of an agreement were "speculative" and that "nothing has been finalised." The two countries have exchanged intermittent fire despite agreeing a ceasefire in April, with Trump repeating claims that a deal is near.
The US and Iran exchanged strikes for a second consecutive day, straining a ceasefire agreed in April. The US conducted "self-defence strikes" targeting Iranian military and radar sites; Iran responded with ballistic missiles at US assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, with Iran's foreign ministry saying the ceasefire is now "practically meaningless."
Ghanaian humanitarian leader Edem Wosornu has been appointed Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), one of the most senior global positions dedicated to protecting refugees and people displaced by conflict and crises. Her appointment by António Guterres marks a major milestone in her more than two-decade career within the UN system, following prior senior roles at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Ghanaian lawyer Ace Ankomah has urged Africa's next generation of leaders to prioritise ethics, integrity and service alongside technological advancement, arguing that moral character rather than national power or machine capability will determine the future. Speaking at the 2026 graduation ceremony of SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College in Tema, Ankomah warned that artificial intelligence advances are creating unprecedented risks and that "the defining question of your generation will therefore not be what technology can do, but what kind of people will control it."
Lawyer and public intellectual Ace Ankomah told SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College graduates that young Africans must combine technological excellence with ethical values as artificial intelligence reshapes economies and politics, and that Africa should lead rather than follow in this global revolution.
The National Communications Authority has acknowledged persistent consumer complaints about dropped calls, weak coverage and slow internet speeds, signalling it will hold telecom operators accountable for improving service delivery through monitored improvement roadmaps and tightened quality-of-service benchmarks.
An editorial notes that African leaders are gathering at two summits—the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi and the June 2026 African Leaders & Partners Summit in Washington—to attract investment and strengthen economic ties, while France, China, Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates compete for influence on the continent.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced €23 billion in investments at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, with €14 billion from French donors and the rest from African investors, targeting energy transition, digitalization and agriculture and potentially creating over 250,000 jobs. The summit brings together thirty African leaders and aims to shift France's Africa policy toward equal partnership and direct investment over traditional development aid.
President Mahama participated in the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, co-hosted by Kenyan and French leaders, where he contributed to discussions on energy and green transitions, African financial institutions, and healthcare systems. He also held bilateral meetings with leaders of the IMF, UN, African Continental Free Trade Area, and International Fund for Agricultural Development.
President John Dramani Mahama has returned to Ghana after participating in the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, co-hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron. At the summit, Mahama contributed to discussions on energy and green transitions, strengthening African financial institutions, and rethinking healthcare systems, and held bilateral meetings with leaders including the IMF Director and UN Secretary-General.
President John Dramani Mahama participated in the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, co-hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron, where he engaged in discussions on energy transition, healthcare reforms, and African financial institutions. He also held bilateral meetings with the IMF Managing Director, UN Secretary-General, and other international officials.
President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Nairobi to participate in the Africa Forward Summit, a France-Africa partnership meeting organised by French President Emmanuel Macron. Mahama will engage in discussions on green industrialisation, energy transition, reform of the international financial architecture, and global health systems.
President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Africa Forward Summit, a France-Africa partnership meeting on sustainable development and economic transformation. Mahama is scheduled to participate in sessions on green industrialisation and energy transition, international financial architecture reform, and health systems resilience.
Russian Africa Corps mercenaries and Malian government troops have withdrawn from the northern city of Kidal following intense combat against separatist forces led by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which now claims full administrative control. The withdrawal followed a negotiation agreement between the opposing factions.
Mali's defence minister Sadio Camara was killed in a suicide truck bombing on his residence near Bamako as part of coordinated attacks by jihadist militants and separatists across the country. The government said Camara exchanged fire with attackers and neutralised some before being wounded; he died later from his injuries in hospital.