Congo and M23 Rebels Plan to Hold First Direct Talks on April 9
The Congo government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels aim to hold direct talks on April 9, sources from both camps said on Tuesday, a potential boost to Qatar’s efforts to end the Central African country’s worst fighting in decades. The meeting in Doha would be the two sides’ first direct negotiations since M23 fighters captured eastern Congo’s two largest cities in a rapid offensive that has left thousands dead and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes…Both sides have agreed not to publicly discuss the substance of the talks, the sources said. Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame held a surprise meeting in Doha on March 18. Qatar hosted a second round of talks between the two countries beginning on Friday and met separately with M23 representatives. Congolese officials and M23 have not yet met, sources said…M23 has long demanded direct negotiations with Kinshasa, but Tshisekedi had refused, arguing that M23 was merely a front for Rwanda. He reversed his position last month amid mounting battlefield defeats, and agreed to send a delegation to Luanda, the Angolan capital. Those talks were cancelled at the last minute when M23 pulled out after being hit by European Union sanctions. Reuters
Mali, Burkina, Niger Foreign Ministers to Visit Moscow This Week
The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will visit Moscow this week as the Sahel nations and Russia seek to strengthen ties, the three African countries’ foreign ministries said in a joint statement on Tuesday. The West African nations, run by juntas that have taken power in coups in recent years, have formed an alliance known as the Confederation of Sahel States (AES). The grouping kicked out French and other Western forces and turned towards Russia for military support. Their foreign ministers will visit Moscow on April 3 and 4 and hold meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at his invitation, the statement said…It referred to this week’s visit as the first session of “AES-Russia consultations”. Reuters
Niger Junta Releases Ministers of Overthrown Government
Niger’s junta said Tuesday it had freed around 50 people, including ministers from the government it toppled in July 2023, in line with recommendations of a “national conference” in February. Those freed include former ministers, a diplomat, a journalist and soldiers accused of a coup bid in 2010. However ousted former president Mohamed Bazoum is still in detention despite international calls for his release…Those released include former oil minister Mahamane Sani Issoufou, the son of ex-president Mahamadou Issoufou who was in power for a decade from 2011, ex-defence minister Kalla Moutari, former finance minister Ahmat Jidoud and former energy minister Ibrahim Yacoubou. The president of the PNDS former ruling party, Foumakoye Gado, and journalist Ousmane Toudou are also among those freed, along with Alat Mogaskia, former ambassador to Nigeria. They were arrested after the coup that brought to power General Abdourahamane Tiani, former head of the presidential guard, and were being held in various prisons, notably for “conspiracy to undermine the security and authority of the state”. Similar charges are pending against former president Bazoum, whose immunity was lifted without a trial date being set. Soldiers previously convicted of coup bids or “endangering state security” were also released…The national conference held in February strengthened the ruling junta by authorising Tiani to remain in power in Niger for the next five years. France24 with AFP
Algeria Says It Downed a Drone near Its Border with Mali as Tensions Simmer between the 2 Countries
Algeria said Tuesday it shot down a military drone near the country’s border with Mali in the first incident of its kind during growing tensions between the two countries governing a vast portion of the Sahara. The country’s army said in a statement that the armed reconnaissance drone had entered Algerian airspace Monday near Tin Zaouatine, a border town and stronghold for Tuareg separatists opposed to Mali’s government. Mali’s army acknowledged that one of its drones had crashed in the area, but did not confirm whether it was shot down by Algeria…The incident comes as tensions rise between Algeria and its southern neighbors, including Mali. Algeria once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali’s government and Tuareg rebels. But the two countries have grown apart since a military junta staged coups in 2020 and 2021, putting military personnel in charge of the country’s key institutions. Algeria has denounced the direction that Mali’s new government has taken and its expanded efforts to quash rebellion in historically volatile parts of northern Mali. Afraid of conflict spilling over the border, Algerian officials have denounced Mali’s use of Russian mercenaries and armed drones near Tin Zaouatine, which is divided by the border separating the two countries. AP
Guinea’s Junta Sets September Vote on New Constitution after Missed Deadline
Guinea’s military government says a long-promised referendum on a new constitution will take place this September. The vote is seen as a first step towards a return to civilian rule, which the junta had previously promised would happen by the end of 2024. “The date for the referendum for the adoption of the new constitution is set for Sunday 21 September 2025,” said General Amara Camara, secretary general of the presidency, during a televised address on Tuesday…Guinea’s junta, led by General Mamadi Doumbouya, seized power in a coup in September 2021. It had promised, under international pressure, to hold a constitutional vote and then transfer power to elected civilians. Neither of those commitments has been met…While Doumbouya has publicly said several times that he does not intend to run for president, those close to him are reportedly urging him to enter the race…The junta faces growing criticism at home and abroad. Opposition parties and civil society groups accuse the military of clamping down on free expression and delaying the transition process. Protests demanding the military’s departure are often banned. Several media outlets have been shut down, and some opposition figures are reported missing. RFI
AU to Dispatch Panel of the Wise to Mediate in South Sudan Crisis
The African Union Commission (AUC) said it is sending a high-level mediation team to South Sudan amid escalating tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, raising fears of a collapse of the country’s fragile peace deal. AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf announced the deployment of the AU’s Panel of the Wise to Juba following direct talks with President Kiir. The move comes as renewed violence in Nasir and broader political instability after the house arrest of Machar threaten to unravel the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS)…The Panel of the Wise—a conflict prevention body made up of senior African elders and statespeople—will engage with key stakeholders to “de-escalate tensions and promote dialogue,” the statement said…The AU’s intervention follows a surge in violence, including a recent attack in Nasir by the White Army—allegedly linked to Mr Machar—which overran an army base…This marks one of the first major conflict interventions under Mr Youssouf’s leadership, highlighting South Sudan’s crisis as a key priority for the AU. The move may also signal the AU’s bid to reassert its role in African peace diplomacy, after recent third-party mediation efforts in other conflicts on the continent. Radio Tamazuj
Sudan: RSF Attacks Kill at Least 50 in Villages South of Omdurman – Local Spokesman
At least 50 people were killed and dozens injured in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages south of Omdurman over the past three days, a local community spokesman said on Tuesday, calling the assaults retaliatory. The attacks followed the withdrawal of many RSF fighters from the nearby Jebel Aulia area towards the southern Omdurman countryside in late March, after the Sudanese army recaptured parts of Khartoum and Jebel Aulia, according to the spokesman and previous reports. Seifeddine Ahmed, identified as a spokesman for the local Al-Jumu’iya community, said: “Over the past three days, more than 50 citizens have been killed as a result of violent attacks launched by the RSF militia on the villages of Al-Jumu’iya.” Ahmed accused the RSF fighters of using heavy weapons, including artillery, rockets and anti-aircraft guns, against civilians, resulting in the deaths of children, women and elderly people. Ahmed said there was no military presence in the targeted area. He alleged that RSF forces retreating from Khartoum had committed widespread violations against civilians and forced them to flee their villages. Sudan Tribune
UN Sounds Alarm on Sudan Famine, Condemns Deadly El Fasher Attacks
The United Nations expressed grave alarm on Tuesday over intensified fighting in and around El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur and confirmed that famine conditions were now present in several hotspots across the war-torn country. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said recent attacks near El Fasher, including shelling that struck the Abu Shouk displacement camp on Monday, had resulted in civilian casualties…Critically, the UN reported that famine is now occurring in at least five locations, affecting approximately 640,000 people. These include the Abu Shouk, Zamzam, and Al Salam displacement camps in North Darfur, as well as areas in the Western Nuba Mountains…The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued an urgent call for action to prevent the wider spread of famine, particularly with the lean and rainy season just two months away, starting in June. An estimated 25 million people across Sudan are currently acutely food insecure…The ongoing conflict has crippled Sudan’s agricultural sector, which supports two-thirds of the population. Millions have been displaced, infrastructure destroyed, and access to seeds, tools, and markets severely limited, driving up food prices. Sudan Tribune
Forces Launch Joint Operations Against Al-Shabaab in Southern Somalia
The Somali National Army (SNA) with the help of Jubaland regional forces conducted joint military operations in southern regions, targeting key Al-Shabaab hideouts within the vast lands of the state which is struggling to contain the group. At Lower Jubba, the military officers and their local counterparts managed to destroy crucial checkpoints used by the Al-Shabaab during Ramadan to collect Zakatul Fitr—an obligatory alms payment during Ramadan—from local civilians…Lower Juba remains one of the regions where Al-Shabaab retains a foothold, and it frequently sees clashes and counterterror operations by federal and Jubbaland forces. Early this year, the Jubaland forces and federal troops clashed in Raskamboni. But the latest joint operations signify improved relationship between the federal and regional forces, perhaps coinciding with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s clarion call over the weekend. During Eid al-Fitr celebrations on Saturday night, President Mohamud emphasized that defeating Al-Shabaab requires broad political consensus and unity. He thanked political leaders for prioritizing the nation’s unity and called for their inclusion in both security and state-building efforts. Garowe Online
At Least 95 Arrested in Zimbabwe after Antigovernment Protests
Zimbabwe police say they have arrested 95 people on charges of promoting public violence for taking part in demonstrations that called for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to leave office. A large police deployment in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, and other cities on Monday, largely neutralised a call by war veterans for large protests against plans to extend Mnangagwa’s rule. Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party said in January that it wanted to extend Mnangagwa’s term in office by two years until 2030. Eighty-two-year-old Mnangagwa, who first came to power in 2017 after his long-term mentor Robert Mugabe was deposed in a military coup, is serving his final term. Independence war veterans led by Blessed Geza previously supported Mnangagwa but have turned against him, accusing him of seeking to cling to power. The men and women in custody appeared before a court on Tuesday. They were among 200 people who had gathered at Harare’s Freedom Square and are accused of throwing stones at police and temporarily barricading a main road, according to a copy of the police charges cited by the AFP news agency. Al Jazeera with AFP
Report Finds 43 Journalists Arrested, Imprisoned, or Kidnapped in Ethiopia in 2024 amid Rising Threats to Press Freedom
At least 43 journalists in Ethiopia were arrested, imprisoned, or kidnapped in 2024, according to the Journalists’ Safety Assessment Report by International Media Support (IMS), which states that the safety of journalists has been “increasingly threatened,” with journalists facing intimidation, detention, and harassment from both state and non-state actors….According to the findings, “armed groups arbitrarily detained journalists, confiscated their equipment, and kidnapped them either for ransom or to control media narratives about conflicts,” while authorities detained journalists under what the report describes as “national security and national interest as a justification for threatening journalists.”…In Amhara, where militarized conflict between government forces and the Fano militia has continued since 2023, journalists have faced detention and accusations of “aiding illegal forces” or spreading “false information” about the Ethiopian National Defense Force, according to IMS…IMS notes that legal measures originally introduced for national security and online content regulation have increasingly been used against journalists. Addis Standard
Nigeria Appoints Former Shell Executive to Lead State-owned Oil Group
President Bola Tinubu said on Wednesday he had sacked the entire 11-person board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and replaced chief executive Mele Kyari with former Shell engineer Bashir Ojulari. Ojulari previously served as managing director of Shell’s Nigeria deepwater exploration and production unit. He was most recently chief operating officer of Renaissance Africa Energy, the consortium that bought Shell’s Nigeria onshore division in a deal completed last month…Kyari was appointed to the role in 2019, making him the group’s longest-serving leader…[b]ut his tenure was blighted by falling oil production, as installations suffered from large-scale theft that frustrated the foreign companies that had been the backbone of Nigeria’s oil industry, the continent’s biggest producer…Output has since picked up under Tinubu’s leadership, with Nigeria reaching its Opec quota of 1.5mn in January…All oil exploration and production companies, whether foreign or domestic, are required by law to operate their assets in a joint venture with NNPC, which manages Nigeria’s interests in the operations. Crude oil sales accounted for nearly 70 per cent of Nigeria’s exports last year and funds more than half of the government budget. NNPC transitioned into a fully commercial entity in 2022 following the passage of a landmark petroleum act, but is still controlled by the president and the government is its sole shareholder. Financial Times
UK and Mauritius Close in on Deal over Chagos Islands after US Signals Its Consent
Britain and Mauritius are finalizing a deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, a disputed U.K. territory that is home to a major U.S. military base, the U.K. government said Tuesday. The government signaled that President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, has given its approval and no further action is needed from the U.S….Britain and Mauritius have been negotiating a deal for the U.K. to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. The U.K. would then lease back the base for at least 99 years…Britain split the islands away from Mauritius, a former British colony, in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, and called the Chagos archipelago the British Indian Ocean Territory. In the 1960s and 1970s Britain evicted up to 2,000 people from the islands so the U.S. military could build the Diego Garcia base. Mauritius has long contested Britain’s claim to the archipelago and in recent years the United Nations and its top court have urged Britain to return the Chagos to Mauritius. AP
Africa’s AI Ambitions Take the Spotlight in Rwanda
Artificial intelligence is taking center stage in Rwanda this week as more than 1,000 policymakers, business leaders, and interest groups gather for the first-ever global AI summit on Africa. The two-day event starting on Thursday in Kigali, where President Paul Kagame is scheduled to speak, follows ambitious plans to make AI applications mainstream in Africa. Last week Cassava Technologies, a group owned by the Zimbabwean billionaire and summit co-chair Strive Masiyiwa, announced plans to build an AI factory in South Africa by June, using chips from the US manufacturer Nvidia. And in December, Chinese telecoms giant Huawei launched its cloud services in Nigeria powered by multiple high-level data centers. Underpinning this private sector push is a wave of African governments designing policies to court long-term investment — especially in cloud and fiber optic networks — and develop local talent…Last June, a group of 130 African tech ministers endorsed an AI strategy for the continent, underscoring this key moment. They praised the “tremendous opportunities” that come with AI but also urged the creation of a system that reflects Africa’s “diversity, languages, culture, history, and geographical contexts.” Semafor
New 3D Technology Could Soon Bring Surgeons Closer to Patients in Africa’s Most Remote Regions
[Charles Owusu] Aseku was preparing for yet another medical trip until late February when he joined others in the first trial of 3D telemedicine technology in Ghana powered through computer screens in the back of a van. Those behind the initiative, developed by Microsoft’s research team in partnership with local doctors and researchers, say the remote assessment will help provide medical consultations for patients awaiting surgery or after an operation, in a region where the doctor-to-patient ratio is among the lowest in the world…Once inside the van, cameras will capture a 3D model of each patient and the image is then projected onto a large computer screen. Multiple doctors can join the consultation session online and manipulate the 3D model to assess the patient… Aseku’s session had doctors from Rwanda, Scotland and Brazil, an experience that he said gave him hope…Researchers hope the trial at the Koforidua Regional Hospital, in Ghana’s eastern region, is the start of a wider project that could expand the service and explore new use cases. AP