Climate Outlook for the Region: Southern Africa’s 2026/27 rainy season is expected to swing sharply under a strong El Niño, with drier conditions likely across central and southern areas but normal to above-normal rainfall forecast for parts of the north, including Comoros—though temperatures are also expected to run above average, raising risks for water and agriculture. Migration and Aid Tied to Mayotte: France says development assistance to Comoros and other nearby states will be linked to cooperation on stopping people smuggling and on “taking back” people in irregular situations, while reconstruction after Cyclone Chido in Mayotte is still moving too slowly. Biodiversity Data Rescue: A push to digitise African herbarium collections is highlighted as urgent for the western Indian Ocean islands, including Comoros, where better online access to plant records could strengthen conservation decisions before more biodiversity is lost. Trade and Finance Links: Tanzania and Comoros plan to deepen cooperation across trade, investment, financial services and infrastructure, aiming to make it easier for goods and people to move and to expand economic benefits. Blue Economy Focus: Tanzania is moving to attract more private investment into fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, transport and energy by strengthening maritime education and research ahead of a major blue economy conference. Maritime Security Note: Liberia’s armed forces say they have taken possession of a Comoros-flagged vessel seized in Côte d’Ivoire, as the case remains under scrutiny amid wider regional drug-trafficking investigations.