Contamination of animal-source food products with antibiotic residues is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance development in Africa. To combat this phenomenon, a pan-African network of specialized laboratories — AFRI-ResidueLab — was officially launched at the Kigali Food Safety Conference in February 2026. The network brings together 30 laboratories across 22 African countries, equipped with cutting-edge technologies including High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry. For the first time, harmonized protocols for detecting antibiotic residues in meat, milk, and eggs are being applied uniformly across the continent, enabling reliable cross-country comparisons. The network's initial findings are concerning: of 5,000 samples analyzed during the first quarter of 2026, 23% contained antibiotic residues exceeding the maximum limits set by the Codex Alimentarius. Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones are the most frequently detected antibiotic classes, reflecting their massive use in intensive and semi-intensive livestock production. Dr. Bernadette Abela-Ridder, head of the AMR program at WHO, hailed this initiative as "a fundamental step toward antimicrobial traceability in the African food chain." The network plans to expand its analytical capacity to 50 laboratories by 2028, with the goal of covering 90% of African Union member states.