US, UN Announce Separate Diplomatic Pushes to End Sudan War
The United States and the United Nations are launching separate diplomatic initiatives to end the war in Sudan, officials said, reflecting intensifying international urgency to resolve the conflict…Massad Boulos, an advisor to [U.S. President Donald Trump] on African affairs, told Asharq TV news channel in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt would meet in Washington to revive the “Quartet” initiative. “Washington is in direct and indirect contact with the two warring parties,” Boulos said, adding there could be “no military solution in the country.” The U.S. announcement came a day after the United Nations detailed its own mediation efforts. The U.N. Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is working to scale up “unified diplomatic efforts by the international community to end the war,” U.N. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday. Lamamra’s team is organising a Consultative Group meeting with the African Union in Addis Ababa and is also trying to launch talks between the Sudanese parties on civilian protection, Dujarric said. The aim is to move to “proximity talks as soon as feasibly possible.” Sudan Tribune
Congo Gold Miner Says M23 Rebels Force Staff to Work Without Pay
Gold miner Twangiza Mining SA has accused Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of forcing its employees to work against their will and without pay after seizing its mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. M23 staged a lightning advance earlier this year in eastern Congo, taking control of more land than ever before in North and South Kivu provinces. The Twangiza Mining site is located in South Kivu province. In May, the company said it had been ordered to suspend operations at the mine after M23 accused it of not paying taxes. In a new statement dated Friday, Twangiza Mining, which is headquartered in Congo and describes itself as a Chinese firm, said its workers were being “held in captivity, forced to work in inhuman conditions, without any security measure, remuneration or medical coverage.” The statement from Twangiza Mining also said production had been “paralyzed” and that the site was “entirely controlled” by a group of Rwandan nationals who, working with M23 and claiming to be new investors, have been exploiting the mine “for their own profit by treating our employees like slaves deprived of all protection”. Reuters
Three Indians Seized in Mali during Militant Attacks
Three Indians working in Mali were kidnapped from a cement factory during a spate of militant attacks this week in the troubled west African nation, New Delhi’s foreign ministry said. The men were seized Tuesday when “a group of armed assailants carried out a coordinated attack at the factory premises” of the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes, the main city in Mali’s western region, the ministry said in a statement late Wednesday. It said the gunmen “forcibly took three Indian nationals as hostages”. It added the Indian embassy in Bamako was in “close and constant communication” with Mali’s government, as well as “the family members of the abducted Indian nationals”. AFP
Civilian Killings In South Sudan Hit Highest Level Since 2020: UN
The number of civilians killed in South Sudan has soared to the highest in almost five years, the United Nations said on Wednesday. The unstable east African nation has seen a drastic uptick in violence since simmering rivalry between President Salva Kiir and his vice-president Riek Machar boiled over into open hostilities. The detention in March of Machar in the capital Juba further escalated tensions, with international NGOs working in the country reporting attacks on medical facilities and the targeting of civilians. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said that between January and March of this year, 739 civilians were killed, 679 injured, 149 abducted and 40 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence. In a statement, it said that compared to the previous quarter this toll marked a “110 percent increase in civilians killed (352 to 739)”. AFP
Ailing South Sudan President Prepares Volatile Succession
With South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir undergoing medical tests abroad after years of rumours about his health, analysts say a long-gestating plan has been set in motion to secure his succession. Kiir returned from at least 10 days in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, with state media saying he had been “exploring new avenues for economic cooperation”. But members of his entourage, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously told AFP he was there for medical tests — reinforcing long-held concerns about the 73-year-old’s health…After a few relatively calm years, the country has been thrown back into turmoil in recent months, prompted, say analysts, by Kiir’s declining health and his efforts to install his heir-apparent, businessman Benjamin Bol Mel, in power…For months, Kiir has been manoeuvring to sideline rivals. His old foe, Riek Machar, against whom he fought the civil war, was placed under house arrest in March and many of his political allies disappeared into detention…During [Kiir’s] absence, it was Bol Mel — who was named second vice-president in February and deputy head of the ruling party in May — who chaired last week’s cabinet meeting. “It seems to be a script written a long time ago and being implemented in phases,” said Wani Michael, a former activist now in exile. “They had to take away Riek Machar to pave the way for Bol Mel because… Riek would give Bol Mel a hard time,” he added. AFP
Guinea Junta Proposes Extended Presidential Terms
Guinea’s ruling junta wants to extend presidential terms from five to seven years, with a two-term limit, according to a draft constitution due to be put to a referendum in September. The draft was presented last Thursday to General Mamadi Doumbouya, head of the junta that ousted President Alpha Conde in 2021 — one in a series of military coups in west Africa. It did not specify whether Doumbouya would be able to run for president when the country returns to democratic elections. The upcoming referendum is meant to pave the way for a return to constitutional rule in the country, where the junta has placed sharp curbs on citizens’ freedoms since taking power. Doumbouya initially pledged not to run in a future presidential vote, and a road map set out by the junta in the aftermath of the coup barred its members from running. But a series of high-profile figures close to the junta have recently said they would support his candidacy…The junta had initially vowed under international pressure to return the country to elected civilian rule by the end of last year. AFP
Nigeria’s Opposition Leaders Form Alliance in Effort to Unseat the Ruling Party in 2027
Nigeria’s key opposition leaders on Wednesday unveiled a new coalition which they say is aimed at unseating the ruling party in Africa’s biggest democracy ahead of the 2027 presidential elections. The Africa Democratic Congress coalition, challenging President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress party, is led by Abubakar Atiku and Peter Obi, both runners-up in the last presidential vote. They are joined by other top figures, including former federal lawmakers and former governors from the ruling party…The battle for the country’s top job has intensified, even two years ahead of the next elections, as several federal lawmakers and state governors have defected to the ruling party in recent months, and opposition politicians have coalesced to contest Tinubu’s second term. The new coalition is reminiscent of the alliance that defeated Nigeria’s former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in 2015 after an uninterrupted 16-year rule. As was the case in 2015, many see the current administration as not delivering on their key promises to improve the country’s ailing security and economic sectors. AP
West African Economic Summit 2025: Tinubu Calls for Deeper Regional Integration
President Bola Tinubu has urged West African leaders to move beyond fragmentation and missed opportunities, working towards deeper regional integration, collaboration, and shared prosperity. Mr Tinubu, while speaking at the just concluded inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, emphasised that West Africa is one of the last great frontiers of economic growth, but opportunity alone does not guarantee transformation…“Rather than competing in isolation or relying on external partners, we must strengthen our regional value chains, invest in infrastructure, and coordinate our policies…,” Mr Tinubu said…“Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together or they will collapse separately. From the Lagos-Abidjan Highway and West African Power Pool to digital and creative industry initiatives, our joint projects demonstrate what is possible when we work together. But we must do more. We must move from declarations to concrete deals; from policy frameworks to practical implementation,” he said. Premium Times
Uganda: US Hands over Training Auditorium to UPDF
The United States government has officially handed over a state-of-the-art training auditorium to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), marking another milestone in the ongoing partnership to strengthen Uganda’s role in regional and international peacekeeping. Valued at $3.7 million, the facility is located at the International Peace Support Operations Training Center (IPSOTC) in Jinja and is part of the broader African Peacekeeping Rapid Response Partnership (APRRP). In a statement issued by the US Mission in Kampala, the facility was described as “an advanced training center with a capacity of over 1,500 trainees, equipped with significant audio-visual and IT infrastructure.” The complex also includes storage space, offices, and conference rooms designed to host UPDF workshops, strategic meetings, and peacekeeping operations planning sessions…The newly inaugurated auditorium complements previous US investments in Uganda’s peacekeeping infrastructure. Monitor
Senegal’s Top Court Upholds PM’s Defamation Conviction
Senegal’s Supreme Court has upheld a defamation conviction against Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, validating a verdict which had prevented him from running for president in the country’s last election. The top court had already in January 2024 upheld Sonko’s six-month suspended sentence for defamation and insults against a tourism minister. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that decision, rejecting Sonko’s request for an appeal that was based on formal technicalities. Sonko for his part said in a video Tuesday evening that the matter was “not yet over” and added that “if I don’t participate in an election, it would be of my own free will because nothing can prevent me from being a candidate.” However, according to multiple legal experts, the Supreme Court’s latest decision definitively closes the case. The minister had accused Sonko of defaming him in relation to his management of a community agriculture programme. Sonko is implicated in several other legal cases, which he has denounced as plots aimed at removing him from the country’s presidential election in March 2024. AFP
Fact Check: Fake Videos Cloud Kenya Protest Coverage
On June 25, 2025 several cities in Kenya, including Nairobi, were the scene of protests marking the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024 demonstrations against Kenya’s new finance bill. The 2024 protests saw citizens take to the streets and storm parliament. These demonstrations were violently suppressed, resulting in multiple deaths. A year later, rallies organized in memory of the victims were once again met with force. Many images and videos circulated online, purporting to show the brutality. However, as is often the case during breaking news events, not all of the content was authentic. Old footage resurfaced on social media and was shared with misleading claims…A 17-second video published on TikTok, with over 500,000 views, allegedly shows footage from the June 25, 2025 protests in Nairobi, Kenya. The caption reads: “Gen Z live demonstration in Nairobi CBD Maandamano live in Nairobi CBD 25 June Occupy StateHouse Kenya Protests.” The video does not depict the June 2025 protests in Nairobi. A reverse image search reveals that both clips originate from earlier events. DW
India and Ghana Deepen Security, Economic Ties as Modi Visits
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ghana’s President John Mahama agreed on Wednesday to deepen security and mining ties during the first visit by an Indian leader in three decades. Resource-rich Ghana, seen as a beacon of democratic stability in Africa, is Modi’s first stop in a tour that will take the Indian premier to four other countries in Africa, the Caribbean and South America…The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues, including the Sahel, where jihadists have recently intensified offensives in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger…Modi pledged Indian companies’ support in the exploration and mining of “critical minerals”. Ghana’s main exports to India include gold, cocoa, cashew nuts and timber, while India exports pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery, transport vehicles, electrical equipment, plastics, iron and steel and alcoholic beverages. The leaders also discussed cooperation in vaccine production. AFP
Zimbabwe Detains Journalist Over Satirical Piece
A prominent Zimbabwean journalist was detained Wednesday over a satirical article critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in a charge media groups decried was another attack on freedom of expression. Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, is the latest journalist to be charged in court over what the government claimed undermined the authority of 82-year-old Mnangagwa. Prosecutors said Zaba, 55, published the article titled “When you become mafia state” under the muckraker column of the weekly tabloid…A magistrate’s court in the capital Harare ordered Zaba detained until Thursday, when it will rule on bail…The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists said it was “deeply disturbed by the criminalisation of journalism” and called for Zaba’s immediate release…The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe also echoed the calls, saying the arrest reflected how press freedom was “becoming more and more disrespected”. AFP