Lessons from the Inter-Congolese Dialogue for the DRC Crisis
The rapid advance of the Rwandan-backed M23 militia and its political coalition, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), has sparked fears that the country could be carved into zones of influence and annexed. … The situation’s complexity mirrors previous DRC conflicts. Of particular relevance is the Inter Congolese Dialogue (ICD) and resultant Sun City (South Africa) Accords that ended the Second Congo War (1998-2003). This conflict demonstrated similar root causes, actors, and external dimensions to the current crisis. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, a key architect of those talks, has noted that the current conflict does not present anything fundamentally new in terms of core issues. Reviewing lessons from the ICD, therefore, may provide guidance for deterring a further escalation of the current DRC crisis. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
UK Conference on Sudan Fails to Set Up Contact Group for Ceasefire Talks
A British-led attempt to establish a contact group to facilitate ceasefire talks in Sudan fell apart on Tuesday when Arab states refused to sign a joint communique after a conference in London. The daylong argument between Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the communique represents a big diplomatic setback for efforts to end two years of civil war in Sudan. Hopes of a negotiated end to the conflict were further dimmed late on Tuesday when the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, declared the establishment of a government rivalling the army-backed administration. … The aim of establishing a contact group had been to persuade Middle Eastern states to focus on diplomacy rather than strengthening the warring factions. But from the start officials struggled to find neutral wording that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates could accept on Sudan’s future. Guardian
Mass Displacement, Horrific Eyewitness Accounts Follow Sudan Camp Attack
Tens of thousands of people have fled attacks on camps for displaced families in Sudan, the United Nations’ migration agency says, as eyewitnesses and survivors described an onslaught by paramilitary forces just days before the second anniversary of a civil war seen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. An eyewitness who survived the assault in Zamzam camp, which was attacked last Friday by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), described walking over dismembered body parts and past incinerated neighbors as he fled. The U.N., citing preliminary information from local sources, estimates more than 400 civilians, including 12 aid workers, have been killed. “Reports indicate the forces affiliated with the RSF have taken control of the camp and are preventing those who remain inside, especially young people, from leaving,” a statement from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. Washington Post
Mozambique Carried Out a Brutal Crackdown on Post-Election Protests, Amnesty Says
Mozambique’s security forces carried out a brutal, three-month crackdown on protesters after the country’s election last year, a leading international rights group said Wednesday, citing local activists who alleged that more than 300 people were killed and more than 3,000 were injured in the unrest. … Thousands of Mozambicans took part in waves of protests in the weeks after the Oct. 9 presidential and parliamentary election, where Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party was declared the winner amid allegations of rigging and election fraud raised by his challengers and international observers. The protests were in support of Venancio Mondlane, who ran as an independent candidate but was supported by the opposition Podemos party. The demonstrations intensified after the Oct. 18 killing of Mondlane’s lawyer and a Podemos official, who were fatally shot by gunmen late at night while sitting in a car in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo. AP
Tanzania Opposition Protests Election Ban
Tanzania’s opposition on Tuesday slammed a decision by the election commission to disqualify it from October’s general election. The electoral body accused CHADEMA, the country’s main opposition party of refusing to sign a document pledging to respect the commission’s decisions. CHADEMA on Saturday boycotted an event for all parties to sign a code of ethics, violating a legal requirement for parties to participate in polls, Ramadhani Kailima, a director with the Independent National Electoral Commission, told reporters. But CHADEMA’s legal secretary called the ban unconstitutional. … Tundu Lissu, the leader of CHADEMA, was charged with treason on Thursday following his arrest at a public rally in which he called for electoral reforms ahead of elections. Africanews
Amid Zimbabwe’s Political Crisis, Hope and Frustration Brew
On a sunny April afternoon, 41-year-old Tawanda Zvamaida sat with four friends at an outdoor bar. They were discussing recent antigovernment protests where police arrested about half of the 200 protesters. On March 31, protesters gathered following a call for demonstrations by a former member of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party. … The protesters called for Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after the army overthrew former President Robert Mugabe, to step down, decrying what they insist is a corrupt political elite and a struggling economy. Those arrested were accused of throwing stones at the police and have since faced charges of “participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence.” … For many Zimbabweans, the recent protests offered a moment of hope as they continue their push for economic and democratic reforms. Al Jazeera
Al Shabaab Attacks Strategic Somalia Town as It Presses Offensive
Al Shabaab fighters attacked a town in central Somalia on Wednesday that government forces have been using as a staging area for their efforts to drive back the militants, who have been gaining ground in recent weeks, residents said. Advances by the al Qaeda affiliate, which included briefly capturing villages within 50 km (30 miles) of Mogadishu last month, have left residents of the capital on edge amid rumours al Shabaab could target the city. The army has recaptured those villages, but al Shabaab has continued to advance in the countryside, leading the government to deploy police officers and prison guards to support the military, soldiers have told Reuters. The town attacked on Wednesday, Adan Yabaal, lies around 245 kilometres north of Mogadishu and has been used as an operating base for raids on al Shabaab. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who hails from the area, visited Adan Yabaal last month to meet with military commanders there about reinforcing them. Reuters
Flooding Displaces Thousands Amid Ongoing Unrest in Eastern DR Congo
The Rugumba River burst its banks, inundating large areas of Kalemie and Nyunzu territories, destroying homes, schools and agricultural land. Thousands have been left without shelter or a means to earn a living, while key crops such as cassava, maize, and peanuts have been wiped out, worsening an already serious food insecurity situation in the country. Furthermore, stagnant and contaminated floodwaters are raising concerns over the risk of disease outbreaks, with reported cholera cases in Tanganyika already six times higher than during the same period last year. UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun said the unfolding emergency reflects the “double crisis” in the DRC, where people are confronting weather shocks on top of ongoing conflict and mass displacement. UN News
Fears Grow for Trapped SAMIDRC Troops After M23 Rebels Renege on Agreement
New concerns have arisen over the safety and withdrawal of South African and other southern African troops trapped for nearly three months in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after Rwandan-backed M23 rebels reneged on their agreement of last month to let the troops fly out of Goma airport — with all their equipment. At the same time, renewed fighting has erupted around Goma between the M23 and DRC forces close to the bases of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC) — which comprises troops of South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi. Daily Maverick
Nigeria Confronts New ‘Drone Threat’ From ISWAP
The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) recently deployed four armed drones carrying locally made grenades in an attack on the Forward Operating Base in the Wajikoro area of Borno, Northeast Nigeria, leaving about five soldiers injured. Nigeria’s military has stepped up efforts to contain ISWAP and Boko Haram insurgents. This week, local media reported that the army had thwarted plans by ISWAP to establish bases in Plateau and Bauchi states. Using weaponized drones marks a significant shift in the insurgent group’s tactics. Residents and critics are worried the new shift could further prolong the conflict in the region. Authorities have since banned the flying of drones, citing security concerns, while acknowledging that non-state actors have used the technology against military targets and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). … ISWAP initially used drones to spread propaganda and surveillance. The group reportedly also operates tech tools like satellite internet and even uses artificial intelligence to edit propaganda materials. DW
On the Hunt for Meteorites in the Far Reaches of the Sahara
Nearly 100,000 pounds of meteoritic matter enters Earth’s atmosphere every day, scientists estimate. The vast majority burns up as it hurtles through the sky, creating shooting stars. Of the few space rocks that fall to Earth, most end up in the ocean. The rest mostly go unnoticed, blending in with other stones. But in the Mauritanian desert, herders have learned what to look for: rocks with a strikingly dark surface, known as the fusion crust. Though meteorites fall with the same frequency around the world, scientists say, they are especially easy to spot in places like this, where they stand out against the beige expanse. Finding the rare rocks has become a popular pastime — and a business opportunity. … While Mauritania has no museum to house its meteorites, and no proper marketplace for them, Navee agreed his nation has one clear advantage: “Nomads are the best collectors in the world,” he said. Washington Post