BRICS Summit Diplomacy: South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa met Vladimir Putin in New Delhi, thanking Russia for backing SA’s 2025 G20 presidency, as leaders converge for the 18th BRICS summit amid wars and sanctions. Regional Trade & Value Addition: Ramaphosa warned BRICS not to repeat Africa’s raw-material trap, urging manufacturing, mineral beneficiation, energy and logistics investment. Global South Positioning: Iran’s Pezeshkian told BRICS to prevent trade obstruction and shift from pledges to operational cooperation. AU-Linked Security: AU Political Affairs Commissioner Bankole Adeoye wrapped an Australia visit focused on counterterrorism cooperation and strengthening AU-Australia partnership. Human Rights & Civil Liberties: Amnesty condemned Zambia’s cancellation of passports for six government critics, calling it “weaponizing citizenship documents” amid a post-election crackdown. Governance & Due Process: Nigeria’s civil society NDD urged review of El-Rufai’s detention beyond 200 days, citing due process and rule-of-law concerns. Parliamentary Boycott Over Xenophobia: Nigeria’s National Assembly suspended all official visits and boycotted South Africa-hosted legislative activities over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. LGBTQ Rights Under Pressure: Sierra Leone police hunted activists after raiding a gay party, arresting dozens on “same-sex activities” allegations. Energy & Extractives Policy: Senegal plans to put 109 oil and gas blocks up for grabs, aiming to build domestic companies in the sector. Civic Action in Cities: South Africa’s municipalities failing on services is pushing communities to step in, with business leaders arguing it’s in their interest to help fix cities.