An International Conference Rallies Aid for Sudan After 2 Years of War, but Peace Is Elusive
Diplomats and aid officials from around the world met Tuesday in London to try to ease the suffering from the 2-year-old war in Sudan, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 14 million and pushed large parts of the country into famine. The African Union, which co-hosted the one-day conference with Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities.” But U.K Foreign Secretary David Lammy acknowledged that achieving peace would take time, renewed international effort and “patient diplomacy.” The main aim of the conference was not to negotiate peace, but to relieve what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. … The war has driven parts of the country into famine and pushed more than 14 million people from their homes, with more than 3 million fleeing the country, to neighboring countries including Chad and Egypt. Both sides in the war have been accused of committing war crimes. AP
Animated Maps Show Two Years of War in Sudan
Two years into the war in Sudan, the country remains engulfed in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing displacement crises. Since April 15, 2023, a brutal struggle for power between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, has turned cities into battlegrounds and forced more than 14 million people to flee their homes. In recent weeks, the SAF has taken the capital, Khartoum, and forced the RSF to retreat. … According to ACLED, at least 32,973 people have been reported killed across Sudan, though the actual death toll is likely much higher, especially when accounting for deaths caused by indirect reasons such as the spread of disease, malnutrition, and lack of adequate healthcare. Al Jazeera
Brice Oligui Nguema Had Promised to Relinquish Power After He Led a Coup in 2023. He Now Is Set to Lead the Oil-Rich Country for the Next Seven Years.
Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema has won the presidential election in the Central African nation of Gabon, according to provisional results, cementing the military officer’s hold on power after he staged a coup in 2023. … General Nguema, 50, had vowed to relinquish power after a takeover that ended a decades-long political dynasty. But after his administration adopted a new constitution and introduced a new electoral code that allowed military officers to run in elections, he swapped his uniform for jeans and Air Jordans on the campaign trail. … With all political parties suspended, every candidate, including General Nguema, ran on independent platforms. But General Nguema had the state funds to finance his campaign, opponents said. “If he won, it’s because he used state equipment, helicopters, cars, even the military,” said Yannick Mbina, a taxi driver in the Libreville area who said he had voted for Mr. Bilie-By-Nze. “I’m waiting to see what people will gain with him,” he added. “They’ve chosen to continue with the Bongo system.” New York Times
Attack by Gunmen Leaves at Least 40 People Dead in Nigeria, the Country’s President Says
President Bola Tinubu also said he has ordered an investigation over the late Sunday night attack on the Zike community, extending his condolences to the victims and their families. “I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts,” Tinubu said in a statement late Monday. Amnesty International said the victims, who included children and the elderly, were taken by surprise and could not flee from the gunmen. … Amnesty says that between December 2023 and February 2024, 1,336 people were killed in Plateau state… AP
Ant Smugglers Caught With Hundreds of Prized Insects in Kenya
Four men have pleaded guilty in Kenya to trying to smuggle hundreds of highly sought-after ants out of the country. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which is more used to protecting larger creatures, such as lions and elephants, has described this as a “landmark case.” The contraband included giant African harvester ants, which are valued by some UK dealers at up to £170 ($220) each. The case showed a “disturbing shift in trafficking patterns – from iconic mammals to lesser-known species that are vital to ecological balance”, the KWS said. … The exact number of insects involved is still being evaluated but KWS spokesperson Paul Udoto told the BBC this was the country’s first case of “bio-piracy” on this scale. The four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan – were arrested after what the KWS has described as “a co-ordinated, intelligence-led operation”. BBC
IMF and Ghana Agree Programme Review That Will Unlock $370 Million
The International Monetary Fund and Ghana’s government have reached a staff-level agreement on a fourth review of its $3 billion loan programme, unlocking another $370 million on completion by the Fund’s Executive Board. The gold, oil, and cocoa-producing nation is recovering from its most severe economic crisis in decades, with its cocoa and gold industries facing challenges. The IMF said in a statement on Tuesday that Ghana’s overall performance under the programme had deteriorated markedly at the end of 2024. However, authorities had since taken measures to address policy and reform slippages, it added. Reuters
Ghana Orders Foreigners to Exit Gold Market by April 30
Ghana has ordered foreigners to exit its gold trading market by the end of the month, a new government body said on Monday, as the West African country looks to streamline gold purchases from small-scale miners, increase earnings and reduce smuggling. Africa’s leading gold producer is shifting away from a system in which local and foreign companies with export licenses can buy and export gold from artisanal or small-scale mining. Under the new system, the newly created gold board known as GoldBod is the only entity allowed to buy, sell, assay and export artisanal gold, Monday’s statement said, and older licenses have ceased to be valid. … Finance minister Cassiel Ato Forson said in January that the creation of GoldBod would allow Ghana to benefit more from gold sales while maintaining the national currency’s stability. Reuters
Ivory Coast: Tidjane Thiam Claims Important Win in Nationality Case
Despite being accused by a dissident member of his own party of lying about his Ivorian nationality, Tidjane Thiam is continuing his bid for the October 2025 presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire. The judge in charge of emergency proceedings declared herself not competent to rule in the case brought by Valérie Yapo, who had sought the removal of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) leader. Tidjane Thiam remains the main opposition figure against the camp of outgoing President Alassane Ouattara, which has yet to name its own candidate. Thiam’s nationality has been a source of controversy among his critics, who claim he lost his Ivorian nationality — a situation that would disqualify him from running. But his lawyers say Thiam holds a certificate of Ivorian nationality, which was required for him to renounce his French nationality on March 19. Africanews
The Musicians Who Knew a Malian Rock Star Pay Tribute to His Legacy
Mr. Bagayoko was 70 when he died last week, of complications from a malaria infection. He and his wife, who is 66, were scheduled to perform across Europe next month. And while their fame has faded in the United States since the peak of their global success, they remained huge celebrities in Europe and in West Africa, where their music inspired generations of artists. We asked relatives and friends of Mr. Bagayoko for their favorite songs by Amadou & Mariam, and the significance of the guitarist and his music — a blend of blues riffs, guitar solos, and djembe — to them. New York Times