Africa in Brief: Africa’s Iran trade at risk, Uganda vote in tense poll, other stories

Africa in Brief: Africa’s Iran trade at risk, Uganda vote in tense poll, other stories

17 African countries, including Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, remain excluded from preferential access to the US market despite the US House of Representatives approving a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The African Union welcomed the move but urged the US Senate to act quickly to prevent further uncertainty. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, described AGOA as a “cornerstone” of US–Africa economic relations, citing its role in job creation, industrialisation, and regional value chains over more than two decades.

Africa’s growing trade with Iran could face severe disruption after Donald Trump warned that any country doing business with Tehran would face a 25 percent tariff on all exports to the United States.

The measure would be applied on top of existing US duties, further squeezing African exporters already affected by Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy. South Africa faces tariffs of up to 30 percent on some goods, while Kenya and Tanzania are subject to duties of around 10 percent . Economists warn the move could weaken competitiveness, reduce foreign exchange earnings, and put pressure on local currencies across the continent.

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Voting is underway in Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections, but has been marred by logistical delays, heavy security, and a nationwide internet shutdown.

Polling stations in Kampala opened late amid reports of biometric voter identification failures, with observers linking the problems to the internet blackout imposed days before the vote. President Yoweri Museveni is widely expected to extend his nearly four-decade rule amid a crackdown on opposition groups and fears of election-related violence.

Benin is offering citizenship to members of the African diaspora as part of a programme aimed at strengthening cultural and historical ties with descendants of enslaved Africans.

President Patrice Talon has enlisted filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lee Lewis, as ambassadors to promote the initiative, which has already attracted high-profile figures including American singer Ciara. The programme mirrors a similar scheme in Ghana, which has granted citizenship to hundreds of diaspora members since 2016.

Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.

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