Rule of Law: Nigeria’s former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai has appealed for international attention to his detention, insisting he is entitled to a fair trial; a court recently dismissed his no-case submission in a case over alleged phone interception. Public Health: Nigeria ratified the African Medicines Agency treaty, becoming the AU’s 34th member to join efforts to coordinate medicines regulation and improve access to safe drugs. Digital Governance: An AU commissioner called for investment in African AI and digital infrastructure, joint planning and progress towards a single digital market. Regional Trade: Kenya urged governments to harmonise commodity standards and warehouse receipt rules, saying fragmented systems hinder cross-border trade and agricultural financing. Public Finance: South Africa’s parliamentary finance committees are nearing completion of their review of the revised fiscal framework and revenue proposals, with reports due in November. Elections: Nigeria assured an ECOWAS mission it would work towards peaceful, credible and inclusive 2027 elections. Great Lakes: International partners backed AU-led mediation on the Democratic Republic of the Congo conflict and urged parties to honour peace commitments and respect the rule of law. Child Protection: Ghanaian NGO International Justice Mission called for traditional leaders and communities to help prevent child trafficking, alongside enforcement and rescue work.