The 2026 Men’s World Cup draw has taken place, and we now know which countries will be competing in the group stages. Nine African teams are participating in this edition, maybe ten depending on the runoff results, and everyone is excited about who ended up where. Highly anticipated matches include Ivory Coast vs Germany in Group E, Senegal vs France in Group I, and Morocco vs Brazil in Group C.
Fighting continued to rage in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, one day after a meeting in Washington between the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda. On Thursday, President Félix Tshisekedi met with President Paul Kagame to sign a peace and economic agreement designed to end over 30 years of conflict in eastern DRC. However, the US and Congo also agreed a strategic partnership on the sidelines, which will give the US greater access to Congo’s mining sector.
Meanwhile, the Ugandan presidential election campaign is in full swing. With the vote set for 15 January, eight candidates, including President Yoweri Museveni and leading opposition figure Bobi Wine, are competing for the country’s top job. However, on Wednesday, the United Nations condemned an intensifying crackdown on the opposition. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged Ugandan authorities to end what he termed “repressive tactics” against the opposition and the media.
