Darfur Catastrophe: Thousands Displaced from El Fasher Camps Swell Tawila
The General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees announced on Wednesday the arrival of almost 3,000 displaced people fleeing the North Darfur capital of El Fasher and its surrounding camps and countryside toward the area of Tawila, 50 kilometres to the west, over the last two weeks. The United Nations reports talked about the fall of more than 500 people between dead and wounded, while about 400,000 people fled about 80,000 families from Zamzam camp, most of whom arrived in Tawil and the city of El Fasher after an arduous journey during which they suffered hunger and thirst. Meanwhile, satellite imagery showed the effects of fires and destruction caused by artillery shelling and Rapid Support Forces attacks, which began last Thursday, targeting the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps in El Fasher. The images, taken between April 10 and 15, show plumes of smoke rising in different parts of the city due to artillery shelling and drone attacks. Commentators report that Zamzam camp itself has been ‘obliterated’. … The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Rapid Support Forces prevented young people from leaving the Zamzam camp, after 400,000 displaced people managed to escape. “As of 15 April, access to Zamzam camp remains inaccessible, communications disruptions hamper efforts to verify the situation on the ground, and reports indicate that rapid support is preventing those remaining in the camp, especially young people, from leaving,” OCHA’s office said in a report. Dabanga
UN Details RSF Supply Routes as Leaked Report Spotlights UAE-Chad Flights
An upcoming United Nations report maps out increasingly sophisticated supply lines fuelling Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including routes via Chad and Libya and potential airlifts into Darfur, while details from a separate, leaked U.N. document have reignited questions about the United Arab Emirates’ alleged role, according to reports and reviewed documents. The soon-to-be-released U.N. Panel of Experts report, obtained by Sudan Tribune, reveal investigations centred on Am Djarass airport in neighbouring Chad between May and October 2024. While investigators identified land routes from the airport into Darfur, they noted they could not confirm any military supplies were transferred from Am Djarass at the time of writing. These overland routes came under pressure starting June 2024, when forces loyal to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) launched a “Desert Front” campaign targeting RSF supply hubs, the extracts show. The report details how the RSF adapted, decentralised storage and established a new logistics base at Bir Mirgui in North Darfur. This hub reportedly received supplies flowing from eastern Chad and southern Libya, managed by commanders including Abdallah Tijani Chaghab. Sudan Tribune
Returning Home to Nothing: Displaced Families in Eastern DRC Face Dire Humanitarian Crisis
As violence continues to escalate in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), families returning to their communities after months—or even years—of displacement are met with ruin, hunger, and uncertainty. “These are families that were already displaced before the crisis that has rocked the city of Goma and North Kivu more broadly,” says Hercules Kipa, Head of Emergency Programmes for Concern, speaking from Kibumba. “Following this latest crisis, these communities returned to their areas of origin. These families that are returning home don’t have land to cultivate and have lost their sources of income. They are home, but their humanitarian needs continue.” The most recent wave of displacement, triggered by renewed violence and the dismantling of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, has forced over a million people into precarious conditions. Humanitarian actors are on the ground, but their operations are hampered by serious funding shortfalls and a lack of security guarantees. AfricaNews
Rwanda Grants South African Troops Safe Passage Out of Congo
Rwanda says it will grant Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo a safe passage to pull out of the war zone, potentially earning a publicity credit in the chaos. Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe told The EastAfrican that SADC had formally sought permission to use Rwandan territory to exit, a month after the bloc’s summit had authorised the withdrawal of the troops. The announcement is a turnaround in relations between Rwanda and SADC in general, and South Africa in particular, because Kigali had been critical of the mission deployed in eastern DRC, ostensibly to rout the M23 rebels. The mission, SAMIDRC, was led by South Africa and included troops from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Earlier, SADC military chiefs inked a deal with the M23 to guarantee safe exit, but the deal reached in March collapsed after the rebels accused SADC of allowing the infiltration of the Congolese army FARDC, Wazalendo and other rebels at war with the M23 to carry out operations in parts of Goma. The East African
Rise in Violence against Civilians in South Sudan
The number of civilians in South Sudan harmed by conventional parties to the conflict and other armed groups increased by 51 per cent in 2024, the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) said on Thursday. The finding comes in its latest brief on violence against civilians, which also reveals a similar rise in incidents of conflict-related sexual violence (CSRV). Sources include victims and eyewitness accounts, as well as reports from secondary sources identified during field missions, service providers and protection partners. Of this number 1,561 were killed and 1,299 injured. Another 551 people were abducted, including at least nine humanitarian workers, while 246 were subjected to CRSV. This marks a 15 per cent increase over the 885 violent incidents documented in 2023 and a nine per cent increase in victims. UNMISS said armed communal violence by community-based militias and/or civil defense groups remained the leading cause of harm against civilians, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of victims. UN News
“No Peace through War,” South Sudan Church Says
South Sudan’s Catholic Church on Friday called for reconciliation among the country’s leaders ahead of Easter, urging dialogue to end ongoing political and security tensions. Escalating political tensions in South Sudan have raised fears of a return to civil war after President Salva Kiir detained First Vice President Riek Machar on March 26. Kiir, who is Catholic, and Machar, a Presbyterian, signed a peace deal in 2018. But progress has stalled on key provisions, including security reforms and preparations for elections. Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba, expressed frustration over the lack of progress in achieving lasting peace and warned against attempts to eliminate rival factions. … South Sudan’s political leaders signed a revitalized peace agreement in 2018 and formed a transitional unity government. However, political disputes and sporadic violence persist. … “The journey toward lasting peace requires us to lay down the burdens of the past, heal divisions, and build trust,” he said. He called on leaders to move beyond ethnic divisions and work toward a society where all citizens live in “safety, dignity, and security.” … The Church has repeatedly mediated in South Sudan’s peace efforts, but political rivalries continue to hinder stability. Radio Tamazuj
Zimbabwe Tightens the Noose on NGOs
In a move that has ignited fierce debate and drawn international condemnation, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act into law. The legislation, ostensibly aimed at regulating the operations of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), has been widely decried as a draconian assault on civil society, granting the government unprecedented control over entities that often provide crucial social services and advocate for human rights. The government insists that the law is necessary to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism. However, critics argue it is a thinly veiled attempt to stifle dissent and consolidate power, particularly in the lead-up to future elections. … The law’s provisions regarding the disclosure of funding sources have triggered particular alarm. “We also think that the ministry wants to use the information obtained from the finances to snoop into who is funding whom so that they can then target those people who are funding us for that purpose,” Moyo said, adding that it was not a good idea to disclose the identities of those who fund their organizations. DW
Uganda Plans Law to Allow Military Prosecution of Civilians
The Ugandan government intends to introduce a law to allow military tribunals to try civilians for certain offences even after the practice was banned by the Supreme Court. Human rights activists and opposition politicians have long accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of using military courts to prosecute opposition leaders and supporters on politically motivated charges. The government denies the accusations. In January Uganda’s Supreme Court delivered a ruling that banned military prosecutions of civilians, which forced the government to transfer the trial of opposition politician and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to civilian courts. If successfully enacted, the new law could allow the government to take Besigye back to a military court martial. …nBesigye, a veteran political rival of Museveni, has been in detention for nearly five months on what his lawyers say are politically motivated charges. The East African
Nigeria: Plateau Govt Orders Investigation as 36 Cows Are Killed by Poison
The cow poisoning is believed to be a continuation of a tit for tat between peasants farmers and cattle herders that has been going on for years. … The alledged poisoning occurred a day after Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited the troubled area on Tuesday and apologised to victims of an armed bandits’ attack. Over 50 people were killed by the attackers who invaded several peasant communities in the Miango district of Bassa LGA. … [The Chairman of a Fulani socio-cultural organisation] Ya’u Idris] urged members of the Fulani community to remain calm and not take the law into their hands, assuring them that security agencies were handling the situation. … “The government remains committed to promoting peaceful cohabitation, inclusive dialogue, and sustainable solutions to long-standing issues related to land use and grazing. We appeal to all stakeholders to avoid inflammatory statements and allow due process to take its course,” the government’s spokesperson said. Premium Times
US Issues Warning over New Zambian Cyber-security Law
The US embassy in Zambia has warned its citizens to be wary of a new “intrusive” cyber-security law introduced in the southern African country. The embassy issued an alert telling Americans “in or planning to visit Zambia of a new law that requires the interception and surveillance of all electronic communications in the country”. This includes calls, emails, texts and streamed content “in-country to assess if they include any transmission of ‘critical information,’ a term the law defines so broadly that it could apply to almost any activity”, the embassy says. … Following the alert from the US embassy, Zambia’s foreign ministry released a statement saying that the new Cyber Security Act was “not intended to invade any person’s privacy” – whether Zambians or foreigners. “The Law does not authorize mass or random surveillance. Any interception or data request requires a court-issued warrant,” it said. … There are fears that the law could be use against anyone who criticises the government, especially with elections due next year. … Among other provisions, the legislation requires Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies to proactively intercept all electronic communications. BBC
Libya’s Fragile Transition Plagued by Deepening Economic and Political Divides
Nearly 15 years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi and the emergence of rival administrations in 2014, the country remains divided, with the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli in the northwest and the Government of National Stability (GNS) in Benghazi in the east. “Every day, ordinary Libyans face recurring crises, whether economic, security or political,” Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, told ambassadors in the Security Council on Thursday. She said that most Libyan leaders agree on the need for an inclusive political process, ending unilateral actions, unifying institutions and restoring stability. Some believe a new unified government is the solution, while others argue it could extend the transition. Similarly, though there is consensus on holding elections, opinions differ on whether a constitutional framework should precede them. … The competition for Libya’s oil wealth lies at the heart of its political and economic challenges. “The protracted institutional and political divisions, coupled with harmful unilateral actions and the struggle for control of resources by a privileged few, hold the aspirations and needs of the Libyan people captive,” Ms. Tetteh said. UN News
Former Credit Suisse Boss to Run for Ivory Coast President
Former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam is to run for president in Ivory Coast’s forthcoming election, his party has confirmed. Thiam, 62, was the only candidate vying to represent the country’s main opposition party, the PDCI. Thiam has spent the last two decades living abroad, and had to give up his French citizenship to be able to stand in the presidential election. The former minister has held directorship positions in leading international businesses like Aviva, Prudential and Credit Suisse, though he resigned from the latter following a spying scandal. Political scientist Geoffroy Kouao told the AFP news agency that Thiam was not “well known to Ivorians,” after spending more than 20 years out of the country pursuing his business career, and so would have to run a strong campaign in order to win October’s election. … He is well connected in West African political circles – he is the great-nephew of Ivory Coast’s first President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, while his uncle Habib Thiam was a prime minister in Senegal, on two occasions, spanning a total of nine years. BBC
Liberia Reports H5N1 Bird Flu on Poultry Farm, WOAH Says
Liberia has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Friday. The disease, commonly called bird flu, has spread around the globe in the past years, leading to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry. The outbreak, detected in February on a farm in the Bong county, killed 18 birds out of a flock of 26,000, the Paris-based WOAH said, quoting information from Liberian authorities. Some 25,800 poultry in the Western African flock were vaccinated, the report also said, without specifying when vaccination occurred. Reuters
Why Kinshasa Keeps Flooding—and Why It’s Not Just about the Rain
Floods have become recurrent in the DRC. The last quarter of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 saw the most devastating floods there and in neighbouring countries since the 1960s. According to UN World Urbanisation Prospects (2025), the reason the floods have become this devastating is the growth of Kinshasa. The city is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa. … Kinshasa faces two distinct flood hazards: first, flooding from the Congo River, which typically peaks around December and January; and second, urban flood events driven by local rainfall and runoff from the hills south of the city around April and December. … While annual [rainfall] totals may not increase, short, intense storms could become more frequent. This increases pressure on cities already struggling with today’s rains. In Kinshasa, the case for climate-resilient planning and infrastructure is urgent. The East African