Mali Political Parties File Court Action Against Junta Ban
Political parties in Mali are taking legal action after the military government banned them from operating, according to a statement sent to AFP late on Wednesday. The junta led by General Assimi Goita earlier this month announced the dissolution of all political parties and organisations, as well as a ban on meetings. In a joint statement, the parties said they had “filed legal appeals to six high courts in the Bamako district as well as a parallel appeal to the administrative section of the Supreme Court”. The submissions aim to challenge the legality of the presidential decree enacting their dissolution but also its consequences. The parties maintain that the ban constitutes a serious infringement of the freedom of association, assembly and right to participate in public life…It is the latest in a series of restrictions on freedoms taken by the military, which came to power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. AFP
Ugandan Activist Arrested in Tanzania Found ‘Tortured’ At Border: Rights Group
A Ugandan activist who was arrested and held “incommunicado” in Tanzania after attempting to attend a treason trial for an opposition leader has been found at the Ugandan border with “indications of torture”, a rights group said Friday. Ugandan activist and journalist Agather Atuhaire was arrested earlier this week alongside her Kenyan counterpart, Boniface Mwangi, a prominent campaigner against corruption and police brutality in Kenya. Atuhaire and Mwangi were among activists who went to Tanzania to show solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu at the latest hearing of his treason trial on Monday. Ugandan rights group Agora Discourse posted on X on Friday that Atuhaire had been found. “She was abandoned at the border by Tanzanian authorities,” it said…Police in Tanzania initially told a Tanzanian rights group that Mwangi and Atuhaire would be deported by air. But Mwangi was also found abandoned on a roadside in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border, according to the local newspaper Daily Nation. “We were both treated worse than dogs, chained, blindfolded and underwent a very gruesome torture,” Mwangi told reporters on his return to Nairobi. AFP
Sudanese Army Unearths Mass Graves in Omdurman, 465 Victims Found
The Sudanese army on Thursday reported the discovery of mass graves containing the remains of 465 victims of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in southern Omdurman, Khartoum State. This marks the second-largest mass grave discovery by the army, following the unearthing of at least 550 bodies in northern Khartoum Bahri in March. That previous site was near a compound used by the RSF for imprisonment and torture. In a statement received by Sudan Tribune, the army said it “found mass graves in the Al-Salha area, south of Omdurman, containing the bodies of 465 people who died due to neglect, lack of food, treatment, and medicine.” It further clarified that some of the discovered graves held as many as 27 bodies each…The army stated that the RSF had detained 648 citizens and retired regular forces personnel, holding them in inhumane conditions inside a school in Al-Salha. Of these, 465 “were martyred and buried in mass graves,” while the remainder were released after the area was recaptured. Sudan Tribune
UN Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan Amid Surging Displacement, Cholera Outbreak
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is deteriorating rapidly, with surging fighting displacing tens of thousands and a cholera outbreak raising alarm in Khartoum, a UN spokesperson said on Thursday. Stéphane Dujarric, the Secretary-General’s spokesperson, highlighted the warnings from the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, about the escalating crisis…North Darfur now hosts over 1.7 million internally displaced people. The UN and its partners have scaled up assistance in Tawila, where many have sought refuge. Soaring food prices and a concerning surge in cholera cases in some localities in Khartoum state compound the crisis. The capital has also been grappling with a near-total electricity blackout over the past week, reportedly caused by drone attacks on critical power infrastructure. This has severely disrupted access to water and healthcare, forcing residents to rely on unsafe water sources, which increases the risk of waterborne diseases. Sudan Tribune
South Sudan Refugees in Ethiopia Face Imminent ‘Health Catastrophe’: MSF
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, was plunged into a violent civil war between 2013 and 2018 that claimed around 400,000 lives. A power-sharing agreement between the warring parties provided a fragile calm, but it has all but collapsed as violent clashes have broken out between forces allied to President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, First Vice President Riek Machar, who was put under house arrest in March. According to MSF, 35,000 to 85,000 South Sudanese refugees have fled to Mattar, an Ethiopian town near the border with South Sudan…”The local infrastructure is stretched beyond capacity,” the NGO said in a statement, adding that “with the resurgence of waterborne diseases such as cholera and acute watery diarrhoea, the risk of a health disaster is imminent.”…The NGO also announced that it had moved its medical services from the Ethiopian border town of Burbeiye to the more distant Mattar due to armed clashes between “the South Sudanese army and an opposition group” along the border. It has received more than 200 people with “war injuries” in Burbeiye since the fighting began in February, it said. AFP
Ethiopia, South Sudan Military Officials Pledge Joint Efforts against ‘Illegal Elements’ in Border Areas
Military officials from Ethiopia and South Sudan have agreed to enhance joint operations targeting what they described as “illegal elements” active along their shared border, according to state media. Lieutenant General Zewdu Belay, Chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) Central Command, was quoted as saying that efforts are underway to “strengthen peace and security” in the border areas, with particular focus on preventing “contraband activities” and fostering community cooperation. The statement was made during a consultation forum held in Pagak, a border area that straddles Ethiopia’s Gambella region and South Sudan. The forum brought together security officials from both countries to discuss ongoing peace efforts and cross-border coordination…The reported security coordination comes amid recent clashes in Nasir, near the Ethiopian border, where South Sudanese government forces reportedly engaged with White Army militias believed to be aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar. Addis Standard
Life Without Cash in Captured DR Congo City
Cash has become so scarce in Goma, the eastern Congolese city seized by anti-government fighters in January, that some parents are now paying school fees in cans of palm oil. After the city fell to the Rwanda-backed M23 group, authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo stopped supplying cash to banks in M23-controlled areas. Banks have since closed, cash points are all but empty and residents of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, are forced to fend for themselves for their everyday purchases…Parents “show up at school offering food and the school asks them to present a sample”, Augustin Vangisivavi, an official at the Majengo school, said. The school then “looks for which teachers are interested” in the goods. “A price is set that corresponds to the market price, then the equivalent currency is entered into the school’s accounts before a receipt is issued,” Vangisivavi said. It is an interim solution, but one that could drag on…Those still lucky enough to be paid a salary cannot access their bank accounts…Food prices have risen because of supply difficulties and new taxes imposed by the warring parties on both sides of the front line…And amid the shortage of dollars and Congolese francs, the country’s two main currencies, criminality has soared on the streets of Goma and Bukavu at night. AFP
Former DR Congo President Kabila Loses Immunity over Alleged M23 Rebel Ties
Democratic Republic of Congo’s Senate has overwhelmingly voted to strip former president Joseph Kabila of his honorific immunity. It follows accusations he backed the M23 rebel group which has seized land in the mineral-rich east of the country with Rwandan support. On Thursday, 88 senators voted in favour of lifting Kabila’s immunity; five opposed and three abstained. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi alleges Kabila conspired with the Rwanda-backed M23, whose recent offensive has intensified the more than three-decade-long conflict in the east of the country. Kabila, who has been outside the country since 2023, was not present in the chamber at the time of the vote…Kabila now faces the prospect of being tried in military courts for “treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity and participation in an insurrectionary movement”. RFI
Boko Haram Intensifies Attacks in Cameroon Amid Resurgence in Lake Chad Region
A Cameroonian soldier was killed and three others were wounded during a two-night attack by Boko Haram militants from 19 to 20 May. The assault occurred in Kerawa, a locality on the border with Nigeria, within the Kolofata sub-division of the Mayo-Sava division in the Far North region…The recent attack highlights an alarming trend, as Boko Haram militants have become more aggressive since March, utilising previously unseen sophisticated weaponry during their operations. Notably, one major incident occurred on the night of March 24 to 25, 2025, in Wulgo, in the Logone-et-Chari division, where 12 Cameroonian soldiers lost their lives…Recent developments have seen two significant bridges – one in the Gujiba local government area of Yobe State and the other in the Biu local government area of Borno State – damaged by IED blasts attributed to the militant group. These incidents have significantly disrupted mobility, making entire routes perilous and putting commuters at heightened risk of attacks, particularly in resettled communities that are already unstable. HumAngle
Somali President Visits Defense Ministry Following Army Setbacks on Battlefields
Somali President Hassan Sheikh visited the Defense Ministry Tuesday after recent setbacks suffered by the national army on the frontlines, including the strategic town of Aadan Yabaal falling to Al-Shabaab militants last month. The president’s visit comes amid growing concerns over security challenges as Al-Shabaab continues to make advances in central and southern Somalia. Government forces have faced increased pressure, losing ground in key areas critical to stabilizing the region. During the visit, the president met with Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Army Chief General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, and top military officials to assess the situation and discuss plans to reinforce troops and reclaim lost territories. Officials briefed the president on the war against Al-Shabaab and emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts between Somali forces and pro-government clan militias in the ongoing fight against the group. Aadan Yabaal, located in the Middle Shabelle region, is a key town whose control is vital for securing supply routes and regional stability. Its capture by Al-Shabaab marks a significant blow to government efforts in defeating the militants. Garowe Online
Nairobi Court Finds 2 Men Guilty of Aiding Al-Shabab Militants in 2019 Hotel Attack
Two Kenyan men charged with facilitating the 2019 attack on a luxury hotel complex that left 21 people dead were found guilty on Thursday and will be sentenced next month. Judge Diana Kavedza, while sitting a court in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, ruled that the prosecution had proved that Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali and Mohamed Abdi Ali sent money and helped acquire fake identification documents for the militants who died during the DusitD2 hotel complex attack…Based in neighboring Somalia, Al-Shabab have vowed retribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia to fight it since 2011, and continue to stage attacks in Somalia and Kenya. Kenyan authorities said all five attackers died during the Dusit attack…On Thursday, the judge ordered a probation report to be prepared within 21 days and set sentencing for June 19. A third suspect, Mire Abdulahi, who had been charged alongside the two men had earlier pleaded guilty and was sentenced. AP