Somali Army, Allies Conduct Airstrikes against al-Shabab in Several Regions
Somalia’s national forces, backed by international partners, carried out a series of airstrikes targeting the Islamist militant group al-Shabab in multiple regions, officials said. The strikes targeted areas in Tardho in the Hiiraan region, Ugunji in Lower Shabelle, Daynuunaay in Bay and Qumbi in Lower Juba, according to a statement. Officials said six airstrikes were conducted, hitting what they described as key militant targets that had been under surveillance following recent movements in the areas. … The operations are part of ongoing efforts by Somali forces and their allies to degrade al-Shabab’s operational capabilities and prevent the group from using rural areas to organise attacks against civilians. SMN
Election Body Schedules Regional Polls as Somalia Advances Voting Plans
Somalia’s National Electoral Commission has announced key election dates in two federal member states, in a move aimed at advancing the country’s transition toward a more democratic system. The commission said elections for regional parliaments and local councils in Galmudug and Hirshabelle will be held simultaneously on May 13, 2026. … The announcement comes as Somalia steps up preparations for wider electoral reforms aimed at introducing more direct voting, moving away from the clan-based indirect system that has defined past elections. In recent months, the commission has launched voter registration drives and increased coordination with regional administrations to lay the groundwork for inclusive polls, despite ongoing security and logistical challenges. Goobjoog
Nigerian Security Forces on High Alert for Large-scale Attack on Airport and Prison, Memo Says
Nigeria’s security forces are on high alert over a planned attack by Islamist militants on public infrastructure in Abuja and Niger states, an internal memo dated April 13 obtained from the Nigeria Customs Service by The Associated Press on Wednesday showed. The planned targets include the international airport and a prison facility in the capital city of Abuja, as well as a military detention center in neighboring Niger state. “Their intention is to release detained terrorists and inflict significant damage on critical aviation infrastructure,” the memo reads. The plan mirrors a similar attack in Niger Republic in January, in which Islamist terrorists attacked an air force base in Niamey, the memo read in a warning to customs service personnel. “An analysis of the report reveals a concerning correlation between the potential targeting of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja and recent large-scale attacks on aviation facilities in Niger Republic, notably in Niamey and Tahoua. This suggests a possible intent by terrorists to replicate the attack patterns within Nigeria,” according to the memo. AP
Bandits Attack Kwara Communities, Abduct Residents
Suspected bandits have raided communities in Isin and Ifelodun local government areas of Kwara State, abducting several residents, injuring others, and rustling cattle in incidents that have heightened security concerns in the southern part of the state. The attacks occurred late Wednesday and targeted Iwo Odo-Ore in Isin Local Government Area, as well as Gaa-Idera and Gaa Dembo-Agunjin in Ifelodun Local Government Area, according to multiple sources familiar with the incidents. Sahara Reporters, citing security sources, reported that the assailants struck the communities almost simultaneously, suggesting a high level of planning and coordination. … [A]ccounts from Ifelodun Local Government Area indicate that the attacks were more extensive, with multiple abductions recorded across communities. … Residents said the attackers operated for a sustained period, moving between settlements. Several people were reportedly injured during the attacks, including one who sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. The incidents add to a growing pattern of insecurity in Kwara State, particularly in rural and forested areas where armed groups have carried out repeated kidnappings and violent attacks. Premium Times
Sudan: €1.5bn Aid Pledged in Berlin, But No Ceasefire Deal
Germany’s Foreign Minister has confirmed the Third International Conference on Sudan, held in Berlin yesterday (May 15) failed to make progress towards securing a ceasefire in Sudan, despite international pledges of €1.5bn in humanitarian aid, and broad agreement among participants on the urgent need to end the fighting. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the German Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Serap Güler, said the gathering had not succeeded in achieving a truce or cessation of hostilities. Nonetheless, she stressed that foreign ministers and representatives from participating countries and organisations were united in calling for an immediate ceasefire and a pathway to peace. The conference concluded on Wednesday with pledges totalling €1.5bn, alongside demands to halt hostilities, protect civilians, end external support for warring parties and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need. … Civil society representatives issued a joint statement — which Güler described as the most impactful moment of the conference — declaring their readiness to assume a political role in a future transition. She said this signalled that a political solution remained possible, though she cautioned it was only a first step. Dabanga
Surge in Online Abuse Targets Sudanese Women Journalists
The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate has reported a sharp rise in digital harassment and violence against women journalists, with more than 250 subjected to various forms of online threats and defamation on social media platforms, particularly Facebook. The union says it has also documented more than 25 cases of direct threats and hate speech over the past year of the war that began on 15 April. Iman Fadl Ed Sayed, a member of the executive office and secretary for freedoms, told Radio Dabanga that about 80 per cent of women journalists had lost their jobs since the outbreak of the war in April 2023, reflecting a severe deterioration in their professional conditions compared with before the conflict. She warned that digital violence had become one of the most dangerous phenomena at the current stage, noting that it is escalating alongside the spread of hate speech. It often takes the form of organised campaigns targeting women journalists via social media, and in some cases involves the use of personal images and information for defamation. Dabanga
South Sudan: UN Warns of Hidden Toll as Graves Reported in Jonglei
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan on Friday raised alarm over reports that human remains have been uncovered in Jonglei State during recent road works, warning the true toll of renewed violence in the country may be higher than currently known. The commission did not specify the exact location of the reported burial sites in Jonglei State. The commission said initial information suggests the remains could belong to combatants killed in earlier fighting, though the circumstances surrounding their deaths and burial remain unclear. The discovery comes amid renewed clashes, including recent fighting around Akobo, where control has shifted between government forces and opposition fighters. … The commission said the findings point to broader concerns about a possible escalation of violence and a breakdown of the fragile peace agreement, raising the risk of serious abuses occurring out of public view. It also emphasized that the discovery of graves linked to conflict raises concerns under international humanitarian and human rights law and requires prompt, independent investigation. Radio Tamazuj
Burkina Faso Dissolves More than 100 NGOs and Civil Society Groups
Burkina Faso’s military government has ordered the dissolution of more than 100 associations and civil society groups – which rights groups are calling an “attack” on basic rights. It is the latest crackdown in the West African country, months after the government issued a decree dissolving all political parties. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility announced on Wednesday the dissolution of 118 NGOs and associations “in accordance with current legal provisions” and a ban on their activities. All are based in Burkina Faso, with many involved in the defence of human rights. Since taking power in a 2022 coup, the military government led by Ibrahim Traore has cracked down on NGOs, unions, freedom of assembly and opposition to military rule. … Last November, all national and international NGOs were ordered to close their commercial bank accounts and transfer them to a newly created state-controlled bank. In January, all political parties were dissolved after three years of suspension. And earlier this month, Traore told citizens they must “forget about” democracy. Al Jazeera
How the U.S. Is Uniting Libyan Rivals to Squeeze Out Russia
[S]hortly after Lt. Gen. John Brennan emerged from the plane on Tuesday, he was greeted by an army composed of two rival Libyan factions the American officer had coaxed into holding their first-ever joint military exercises. If all goes to plan, Western officials say, it would be the next step in squeezing Russia out from its biggest launchpad into Africa and placing one of the region’s most energy- and mineral-rich countries in a more Westward-looking direction. … It is an ambitious project. Libya has been beset by violence since the fall and grisly death of its former leader, Moammar Gadhafi, in 2011. The two armies have been fighting each other for years: one supporting the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli, the other a rival faction led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar, who has long tried to secure power from his stronghold to the east, in Benghazi. Russia stepped into the vacuum by siding with Haftar. It flew in its Wagner mercenaries to support his forces and used his territory as its logistical access point to half-a-dozen sub-Saharan countries where it scooped up valuable reserves of gold, diamond and timber. The U.S.-brokered peace plan uses the carrot of United Nations exemptions to an international arms embargo on the two armies if they can cooperate and create a combined military command. WSJ
Asia and Africa Turn to Nuclear Power as Iran War Sparks Energy Crisis
Soaring energy prices and power shortages in Africa, triggered by the Iran war, [are] leading to public calls for nuclear cooperation and re-invigorated interest in long-term nuclear energy plans, which are underway in more than 20 of the 54 African countries. With Africa seen as an atomic energy growth market, nuclear nations — including the U.S., Russia, China, France and South Korea — are pitching advanced technology such as small modular reactors, or SMRs, as a solution to energy shortages. These modular reactors are a cheaper, more compact alternative to large-scale plants. Proponents tout them as a faster option, but projects can still take years. Kenya, for instance, plans to bring a small modular reactor online in 2034 after starting the first phase in 2009. … South Africa, which has the continent’s only existing nuclear plants, wants nuclear to go from making around 5% of its energy mix now to 16% by 2040. … Ghana, which aims to begin building a nuclear plant in 2027, is in the market for foreign suppliers. The Independent
Pope Urges Young People to Resist Temptation of Corruption in Big Mass in Cameroon
Pope Leo XIV urged Cameroon’s young people on Friday to resist the temptation of corruption and instead work to serve the common good as he celebrated a Mass before thousands of people in one of the largest expected turnouts of his 11-day, four-nation Africa journey. Leo traveled to the port city of Douala, Cameroon’s financial and economic hub, on a day dedicated to encouraging the country’s youth. Later Friday back in the capital, Youande, Leo has an appointment with students, professors and administrators at the Catholic University of Central Africa. … He urged them to look beyond the poverty and disillusionment many experience and instead look to the future with hope. “Do not give in to distrust and discouragement,” he said. “Do not forget that your people are even richer than this land, for your treasure lies in your values: faith, family, hospitality and work.” “Do not let yourselves be corrupted by temptations that waste your energies and do not serve the progress of society,” he said. AP
Burundi Minister Found Dead in Car in Murky Circumstances
A Burundian minister has been killed in what the government said on Thursday was a car accident, with sources saying the cause of death was unclear and would be investigated. Gabby Bugaga’s body was discovered in a four-by-four by farmers roughly 10 metres from a rarely used and notoriously unsafe road that winds through oil palm plantations in Kivoga, some 10 kilometres north of the economic capital, Bujumbura. Two sources authenticated images of the body, collapsed sideways in the driving seat of the damaged car, after photos were shared on social media by local farmers who did not recognise him. … “The cause of his death has not yet been determined,” he said, specifying that Bugaga had a “deep wound on his skull” and that the right side and rear of the vehicle were heavily damaged. News24
Denis Sassou N’Guesso Sworn in for Another Term in Republic of Congo, Extending 42-year Rule
Denis Sassou N’Guesso was sworn in Thursday to a new five-year term as the Republic of Congo’s president in a ceremony in a packed stadium. The inauguration took place in Kintélé, a town north of the capital city of Brazzaville. Sassou N’Guesso was reelected in March with 94.8% of the vote, extending his 42-year rule over the oil-rich Central African country. He ran against six relatively unknown candidates. In his inaugural speech, he said he would not “betray the people who mobilized to honor him and reaffirm their support.” The Central African country is struggling with a sky-high debt-to-GDP ratio – which measures a country’s debt compared to its economic output – according to the World Bank, and climbing youth unemployment. Sassou N’Guesso is the third-longest ruling African leader, after Cameroon ’s Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea ’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. A 2015 referendum removed presidential age limits and term limits, allowing Sassou N’Guesso to remain eligible for office. AP
British Parliament Says Zimbabwe Stands Better Chance of Rejoining Commonwealth if Mnangagwa Steps Down
Lord David Howell of the British House of Lords has urged his government to explain to President Emmerson Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe stands a better chance of being accepted back into the Commonwealth if he steps down after his two terms. Zimbabwe was suspended from the group of nations in 2002 over disputed elections and land seizures sanctioned by late President Robert Mugabe. A year later he pulled the country out of the union. Upon being handed the reigns of power by the army in 2017, Mnangagwa preached re-engagement and set himself a target of getting Zimbabwe back in the Commonwealth. Mnangagwa, desperate for readmission, initiated the process of rejoining in 2018 as part of a re-engagement policy, even inviting the Commonwealth to assess Zimbabwe’s harmonised elections. His decision to force through an amendment that will extend his term by two years, without going for a referendum, as is dictated by the Constitution, is now threatening all hopes of being accepted back. … Although Zimbabwe claims to have met all requirements for readmission the Commonwealth maintains that democratic reforms are central to its decision as a bloc. New Zimbabwe