Gabon Election Challenger Says Coup Leaders Should Go ‘back to Barracks’
The top opposition candidate in Gabon’s presidential election challenged the eligibility of Brice Oligui Nguema in an interview with Reuters, saying the putschist-turned-frontrunner posed a threat to democracy. Nguema came to power in the August 2023 coup that ended the Bongo family’s 56-year dynasty in the oil-producing Central African nation. He is widely expected to win the election on Saturday. “Gabonese democracy is in danger,” Nguema’s main challenger Alain Claude Bilie By Nze told Reuters…”Military personnel were allowed to be candidates, so you have the one who controls the forces, who controls the finances, who controls the state, and who is a candidate,” Nze said. “We must fight to put an end to this system and send the military back to their barracks.” Nguema, 50, promised in the days after the coup to hand over power to civilians in a transition back to constitutional rule. But a new constitution approved in November did not bar Nguema from running and he announced last month that he would be a candidate. Nguema told Radio France Internationale in March that he had renounced his military status though he has not formally done so. Reuters
DR Congo: Civilians Caught in Crossfire as M23 Clashes with Wazalendo
Some civilians have been caught in crossfire as fierce battles erupted on Monday between M23 rebels and Wazalendo in different villages in Kalehe territory, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The clashes have caused widespread panic among the civilian population, with many forced to flee their homes. Though the fighting began on Monday, it escalated to more regions on Tuesday, with reports of gunfire and explosions heard in several villages, including Bushaku, Katale, Kafufula, and Lemera. The clashes have resulted in a significant displacement of civilians, with many seeking refuge in nearby towns and villages…The violence has also disrupted education, with school children being sent home due to the fear of the unknown. Similarly, it resulted in looting and property damage, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. The clashes come days after the M23 rebels appointed administrators for territories in South Kivu, including Kalehe territory. The territory is now led by Buseye Jean Bosco as administrator and Ndaye Faustin as his assistant. HumAngle
Sudan’s Burhan, Malian Intelligence Chief Discuss Closer Ties amid Conflict
Sudan’s leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met Mali’s intelligence chief Modibo Kone in Port Sudan on Wednesday, the latest high-level contact aimed at strengthening relations as Sudan seeks regional support amid its ongoing internal conflict, Sudan’s ruling council said…Burhan praised the “fraternal relations” between the nations and stressed the need to consolidate ties to serve their “common interests”, the statement added…Burhan visited Mali’s capital Bamako for 48 hours starting Jan. 11, 2025, for talks focused on security and economic cooperation. That followed a visit by another top Sudanese official, General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, to Bamako on June 5, 2024, aimed at bolstering security, military, and diplomatic links…Discussions during those earlier visits reportedly included agreements to establish joint commissions and facilitate exchanges between the two countries’ armed forces. Sudan Tribune
Amnesty Accuses RSF of Widespread Sexual Violence as War Crime in Sudan
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have systematically used rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon of war, constituting war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said in a report released Thursday. The rights group documented 36 cases of rape or gang rape by RSF soldiers, including against girls as young as 15, across four Sudanese states between the start of the civil war in April 2023 and October 2024. The report detailed incidents of sexual slavery, torture, and assaults carried out to humiliate and displace communities…Amnesty noted that while both sides have committed serious violations of international law, its latest report focuses on sexual violence perpetrated by the RSF…Cases documented included the rape of a mother after her breastfeeding baby was taken from her, the 30-day sexual enslavement of a woman in Khartoum, and gang rapes carried out in front of family members. Some women were reportedly targeted on suspicion of affiliation with the SAF or raped after being unable to save wounded RSF soldiers they were forced to treat. Amnesty stated that many attacks occurred openly, suggesting perpetrators felt little fear of repercussions. Sudan Tribune
South Sudan: Peace Minister Replaces Detained Machar as ‘Interim Leader’
A group of senior SPLM-IO party members in Juba on Wednesday endorsed Stephen Par Kuol, the country’s peacebuilding minister, as the party’s interim leader, replacing detained chairman Dr. Riek Machar. Kuol will serve until Machar is released from house arrest. However, the meeting to establish the interim leadership was largely boycotted by top SPLM-IO officials, including Interior Minister Angelina Teny, Mining Minister Martin Abucha and Secretary-General Regina Kaba. The faction supporting Kuol includes Federal Affairs Minister Lasuba Wango, Council of States Speaker Deng Deng Akon and former Deputy Finance Minister Agok Makur. Analysts say the controversial move could lead to Machar’s removal as first vice president, a position created for him under Article 1.7.2 of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement. This marks the second major rift within Machar’s party. In July 2016, then-chief negotiator Taban Deng, now vice president, replaced Machar after deadly clashes in Juba. Addressing reporters after the meeting at a hotel, Kuol said discussions focused on peace commitments, the status of deputy chairman Oyet Nathaniel and the formation of interim leadership amid Machar’s detention…On Monday, Nathaniel suspended Kuol and three others, accusing them of conspiring with President Salva Kiir to oust Machar. Kuol called the suspension “the joke of the year.” Since Machar’s detention, several senior SPLM-IO members have fled the country or gone into hiding. Tensions escalated after Kiir placed Machar under house arrest on March 26 following clashes in Upper Nile state that killed a general and several soldiers. Radio Tamazuj
South Sudan: Conflict and Hunger Push Millions to the Brink
Hunger in South Sudan’s northeast has reached a critical tipping point, with nearly 7.7 million people facing severe food insecurity as conflict escalates, the UN’s emergency food relief agency warned on Wednesday. The situation is especially dire for returnees fleeing violence in Sudan, who now account for nearly half of those experiencing catastrophic hunger levels. The influx of over 1.1 million displaced people into already fragile communities has overwhelmed resources and relief efforts, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). With the pre-harvest lean season underway, conditions are expected to deteriorate further…The crisis extends beyond hunger with a cholera outbreak now underway in volatile Upper Nile state. In response, WFP has airlifted 35 metric tons of aid to affected areas, with additional stock awaiting transport once security conditions allow. The agency also aims to deliver food assistance to more than 450,000 people in the region, focusing on those facing emergency (IPC4) and catastrophic levels (ICP5) of hunger, tracked by the UN-supported food security classification system known as the IPC. However, active conflict is hampering aid efforts and food distributions have been paused in six counties due to active fighting and insecurity…As conflict spreads and hunger deepens, women and girls are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Many have been forced to flee insecurity multiple times. UN News
The Chinese Obsession with Africa’s Illegal Donkey Skins for Beauty Products
[A]mid post-Covid animal welfare campaigns, the African Union (AU) imposed a continent-wide ban on donkey slaughters in February 2024. A year on, traders and experts say the ban has only driven the trade underground, fuelling violence and illegal sales…Ejiao, gelatin extracted from donkey skin, is an ancient traditional Chinese remedy used by people with anaemia, respiratory and reproductive issues, despite lacking medical evidence…Around 2013, Chinese players in the ejiao industry, in search of donkey hides, turned to Africa — home to 33 million of the estimated 53 million donkeys in the global population. Concerns over the alarming decline in donkey numbers, the brutal slaughter of the animals, and the illegal trafficking of their hides prompted a continental ban…“Traffickers have simply resorted to skinning donkeys on site for easier mobility, selling the hides to Chinese cartels who are also linked to timber, ivory and wildlife smuggling,” says [Yerima Abdullahi, a donkey farmer in the Maradi region of Niger]…In some parts of rural Africa, owning a donkey — which does not breed easily or quickly — is a vital asset that shields impoverished families from extreme poverty. “The loss of a donkey could mean that women and children must take on the strenuous work once done by the animal, affecting their daily survival,” says Lauren Johnston, an expert on China-Africa relations and a professor at the University of Sydney. The Africa Report
Nigerian Troops Arrest Dozens in Week-long Oil Theft Crackdown
Nigerian troops arrested 43 suspected oil thieves and seized more than 254,000 litres of stolen fuel in a series of operations across the oil-rich Niger Delta, the army said on Monday. The week-long operations between March 31 and April 6 targeted illegal refining sites and transport networks used by oil thieves, acting army spokesperson Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said in a statement. Troops also destroyed 14 artisanal refineries and demobilized 14 boats during the operations. Oil theft and illegal refining are rife in Nigeria’s oil-rich delta as impoverished locals and more sophisticated criminal gangs pilfer pipelines to make fuel to sell for profit. Seizures were made in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states. In a large, illegal bunkering site in the Sapele area of Delta, thousands of litres of stolen crude oil and refined products were recovered, along with vehicles and equipment, Danjuma said. Reuters
West African Bloc Raises ‘Deep Concern’ over Algeria-Mali Dispute
West African bloc ECOWAS on Wednesday expressed “deep concern” over a row between Algeria and its southern neighbour Mali. On Monday, the two countries closed their airspace to each others’ aircraft, the latest escalation in a row over accusations that Algeria shot down a Malian drone…It appealed to both sides to “de-escalate the tension, foster dialogue and use regional and continental mechanisms to settle differences”. Algeria said on April 1 that it had shot down an armed reconnaissance drone in its airspace without giving further details. Mali accused Algeria of having downed one of its drones over its territory, an allegation Algiers dismissed as false. On Sunday, Mali and its allies Niger and Burkina Faso – all three countries run by the military – withdrew their ambassadors from Algeria, a move Algiers quickly reciprocated. The airspace closures followed a day later. Mali’s ruling junta also pulled out of the Sahel region’s joint military staff committee, known by its French acronym CEMOC. CEMOC was formed by Algeria, Mali, Niger and Mauritania in April 2010 to coordinate their efforts against AQIM. France 24 with AFP
Niger Junta Dissolves Three Paramilitary Unions
Niger’s military regime has dissolved three unions representing official paramilitary forces involved in the fight against jihadists, according to a interior ministry decree seen by AFP on Wednesday. The country, which has been plagued by violence from [jihadist groups], has been run by a military junta headed by General Abdourahamane Tiani since a July 2023 coup d’etat. On March 26, Tiani promulgated a transition charter passing for a constitution, whose Article 39 “formally” prohibits the country’s defence and security forces from exercising their right to organise. Alongside the National Union of Customs Officers (SNAD), the National Union of Water and Forestry Officers (SYNACEF), and the National Union of Water and Forestry Workers (SNATEF) have also been dissolved…The army, police, customs, water and forestry services are all engaged in the battle with jihadist groups. AFP
Tanzania Arrests Top Opposition Figure Lissu After Rally
High-profile Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu was arrested by police on Wednesday, his party said, after he attended a rally in the country’s south. The east African nation has increasingly cracked down on its opposition, with Lissu’s party accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of returning the country to the repressive tactics of her predecessor, John Magufuli. Tanzania is scheduled to hold general elections in October, after Hassan’s party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), swept local elections last year. Lissu, leader of opposition party Chadema, was attending a rally in Mbinga, a town in the southern Ruvuma region…[The Party] said it was monitoring the situation, adding that officers “have not disclosed the reasons for Lissu’s arrest” nor what station he was taken to…It is not the first time Lissu — a trained lawyer and former MP between 2010 and 2017, when he survived an assassination attempt — has been detained by authorities. It is not the first time Lissu — a trained lawyer and former MP between 2010 and 2017, when he survived an assassination attempt — has been detained by authorities…The party has accused security forces of responsibility for the disappearances of several of its members, as well as the killing of at least one member of its national secretariat last year. AFP
Chad Extends Detention of French Broadcaster’s Reporter
A judge in Chad on Wednesday denied a request for provisional release of a correspondent for French international radio network RFI arrested and accused of collusion with Russia alongside two other journalists, his lawyer said. Press freedom advocates have condemned the March 5 arrest of RFI reporter Olivier Monodji and those of two other journalists, all charged with providing “information related to the country’s security and economy” and “working with Russian paramilitary group Wagner”. Monodji’s lawyer Allahtaroum Amos said his client had three days to appeal the denial of his petition for release…They face 20 to 30 years in prison. The two other journalists arrested are also still in pretrial detention, while another, Ahmat Ali Adji, told AFP he had been questioned by a judge over possible links to Russia. He has not, however, been charged. The Chadian Press Association expressed its “indignation” and “deep concern” at the detentions. The regional director of Reporters Without Borders, Sadibou Marong, meanwhile called on the Chadian authorities to cease media repression in the Sahel country. AFP
Journalists from Nigeria and Ghana Win 2025 Michael Elliott Award
Godwin Asediba and Silas Jonathan are the 2025 winners of the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling. Jonathan’s piece, “How Telegram, TikTok aided Russian disinformation that led to incarceration of Nigerian minors,” examines the ways in which foreign disinformation campaigns can influence African politics and society. Asediba’s story, “Troubled Morgue,” exposes the appalling conditions within a Ghanaian morgue. The Michael Elliott Award aims to advance the careers of emerging journalists in Africa who work to strengthen people’s voices and improve their well-being. The award is given out by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), in partnership with the ONE Campaign and the Elliott family. Jonathan is the digital investigations manager at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, a media-focused think tank in Nigeria. He focuses on media research and open-source intelligence (OSINT) related to AI, disinformation and digital governance policy. His piece ran in the Premium Times. “This investigation sheds light on a concerning yet overlooked trend: how Russian-aligned disinformation is infiltrating Nigerian protests and shaping anti-democratic narratives,” Jonathan said. “In an era where digital platforms amplify disinformation, understanding these dynamics is crucial to safeguarding democracy and informed decision-making.” …Jonathan and Asediba will receive a cash prize and take part in a customized professional development program at the London headquarters of The Economist, a generous long-time partner of the award. ICFJ