Mali Faces African Court Case over Wagner Killings
Mali must answer before the African Court over its deployment of Russian mercenaries, whom rights activists allege killed more than 500 civilians. Rights groups on Monday filed a case at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, accusing Bamako of deploying Russian Wagner fighters to combat terrorism, but who allegedly attacked and killed hundreds of civilians. The case is expected to be heard during the Court’s 81st Ordinary Session, beginning June 1, 2026. Three civil society organisations initiated proceedings before the pan-African court, seeking to use a regional mechanism to address human rights violations involving transnational armed actors. This is the first known case against a state for hosting and contracting private military and security actors (PMSAs). The Pan African Lawyers Union (Palu), based in Arusha, along with TRIAL International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), submitted the case to the court, citing serious human rights violations. It is alleged that Russian mercenaries committed grave atrocities against civilians in Mali in 2022 under the supervision of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). The East African
Djibouti’s Guelleh Reelected for Sixth Presidential Term: Official Results
Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh was reelected for a sixth term after official results showed him winning 97.01% of the vote in the election held on 10 April. Guelleh, 78, has ruled the small Horn of Africa nation of about 1 million for more than two decades. He had vowed his fifth term would be his last. Instead, he had the constitution altered to allow him to run past the age of 75. … Guelleh faced a single challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former ruling party member, in a race analysts say offered little genuine competition. Opposition groups frequently boycott elections, citing restrictions on political freedoms. … He casts himself as a guarantor of stability and has turned the strategically located nation into an international military hub. … But rights groups say Guelleh has repressed dissenting voices and press freedom. Critics called the election a “masquerade” with a “foregone conclusion.” Africanews
Suspected Boko Haram Militants Kill 20 in Northeast Nigeria Attacks
Suspected Boko Haram militants riding motorbikes stormed two villages in northeast Nigeria, killing at least 20 people, a local official said on Wednesday. The assaults are part of a surge by Boko Haram and its Islamic State splinter ISWAP, who have stepped up deadly attacks on military bases and villages in Nigeria’s insurgency-hit northeast. The gunmen raided the villages of Pubagu and Mayo-Ladde in the states of Borno and neighbouring Adamawa, respectively, on Tuesday afternoon after overwhelming local vigilantes, said Mada Saidu, chairman of Askira-Uba district, where one of the attacks occurred. At least 11 people were killed in Pubagu and nine in Mayo-Ladde. Homes and shops were torched and food supplies looted, Saidu said. Reuters
Nigeran Lawmakers Move to Amend Cybercrime Law, Seek Protection for Journalists
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the first reading of a landmark bill aimed at amending the controversial Cybercrime Act. The proposed legislation, titled, “Cybercrime Prohibition, Prevention (Amended) Bill (HB 2740), ” was introduced by the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi (APC, Ekiti), and seeks to dismantle the legal ambiguities that have frequently been used to suppress investigative reporting and silence whistleblowers. … Particular concern was centred on the cyberstalking provision, which has remained the most controversial aspect of the law since it came into force. Media organisations and civil society groups have called for its repeal, citing its use by authorities to harass journalists, bloggers, activists, and critics across Nigeria. … Under the current framework, a journalist can be handcuffed and jailed for a story a politician dislikes. The new bill mandates that disputes over reputation, defamation, or alleged falsehood must be handled through civil lawsuits, meaning people can sue for damages, but they can no longer use the police to throw reporters in jail. The amendment also removes discretionary powers from law enforcement agencies by providing that only a court of competent jurisdiction can determine whether a communication is false, harmful, or against public interest. Premium Times
Sudan Army Resumes Heavy Air Strikes in South Kordofan
Sudanese heavy military aircraft returned to the skies over Kordofan on Wednesday for the first time in months, bombing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targets around the city of Dilling in South Kordofan state. The army had previously halted air operations over the Kordofan and Darfur regions after RSF air defences successfully downed several fighters and cargo planes, the last of which was lost in Babanusa, West Kordofan. In response to those losses, the military had increased its reliance on drones. These unmanned crafts consistently targeted the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in Dilling and nearby towns, including Abu Zabad, Al-Fula, Al-Mujlad, and Lagawa, causing significant casualties. Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune they saw MiG fighter jets flying over Dilling and its outskirts for the first time in many months. They reported that the aircraft carried out heavy strikes on positions in the Al-Dulaymah, Al-Hujayrat, and Birno areas. Dilling, the second-largest city in South Kordofan, is frequently targeted by aerial and artillery attacks from the RSF-SPLM-N alliance. The coalition also launches periodic ground offensives, attempting to seize control of the densely populated city. Sudan Tribune
South Sudan Envoy to China Detained in Juba
A senior South Sudanese diplomat has been held without charge by the National Security Service (NSS) for more than a month, family members said Monday. Ambassador Regina Akur Nyok, the deputy head of mission to China, is being held at the National Security Service headquarters, a notorious detention facility in the capital known as the “Blue House.” Before her diplomatic posting, Nyok served as a key administrative aide and deputy office manager for President Salva Kiir following her appointment in November 2025. Prior to her role as deputy office manager, she served as the chief cashier in the Office of the President. Majokrial Mathiang, a relative of the ambassador, told Radio Tamazuj that the family remains in the dark regarding the reasons for her arrest. He noted that while some relatives have attempted to visit her, they have been denied access by security personnel. … South Sudan’s National Security Act grants the agency broad powers to arrest and detain individuals without a warrant. While the nation’s laws mandate that detainees must be brought before a judge within 24 hours, security forces rarely adhere to this requirement. Radio Tamazuj
Russia’s Vladimir Putin Hosts Seychelles President Patrick Herminie at Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Seychelles President Patrick Herminie at the Kremlin on Wednesday for talks focused on bilateral ties and international issues. Putin said trade and economic relations between the two countries remain limited, but noted that there is significant room for closer cooperation. He also thanked Seychelles for supporting a number of Russian initiatives at the United Nations. Herminie described relations with Russia as very close and thanked Moscow for humanitarian assistance delivered last week, as conflict continues in the Middle East. … Herminie is in Russia on a several-day working visit. Africanews
Africa Faces 86 Mn Tonne Fuel Shortfall By 2040: AFC
The Iran war has exposed Africa’s vulnerability to fuel chokepoints and is heading for a 86 million tonne fuel shortfall by 2040, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) said Thursday. Africa imports over 70 percent of its refined fuel and some $230 billion worth of essential goods, including fuel, food, plastics, steel, and fertiliser each year, the AFC said in a report released in Nairobi. Its dependence on fuel imports will continue to rise from 74 million tonnes in 2023 to 86 million tonnes in 2040, said the report by the pan-African finance institution. That is equivalent to almost three of the giant refineries run in Nigeria by the Dangote group — by far the biggest in Africa. … The Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for a fifth of global fuel transport, has been effectively shut down by the war in the Middle East, leaving import-dependent countries in east Africa facing critical shortages. … Fixing Africa’s energy shortfall requires new hubs and better performance from existing assets, the AFC report said. AFP
Iran War Fuels Crisis for Africa’s Aviation Sector
The global aviation industry — including Africa’s rapidly growing sector — is struggling to cope with the economic fallout from the Iran war. One of the most immediate pressures comes from jet fuel costs, which make up a significant portion of airline operating expenses. Jet fuel, a kerosene‑based product refined from crude oil, is the primary fuel used by airlines. However, disruptions linked to the Iran war have caused prices to double in some markets, leading to supply shortages. … Beyond fuel costs, airspace restrictions around Gulf countries have forced airlines to reroute or cancel flights, pushing operational costs even higher and reducing route efficiency. These disruptions have also contributed to higher ticket prices. Ethiopian Airlines is among the hardest hit. In March, airline officials revealed that the carrier was losing about $137 million each week as a direct result of the crisis. DW
Macky Sall Pitches Four Decades of Power as His UN Calling Card
Former Senegalese president Macky Sall closed the public hearings for candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres as United Nations secretary-general, presenting himself as a bridge-builder. He is the only African in the race and the only one of the four candidates never to have held a position within the UN. … Sall, along with former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, Chile’s former President Michelle Bachelet and Argentinean diplomat Rafael Grossi, are bidding for a five-year term which can be extended for another five. To address his lack of experience within the UN, Sall highlighted his nearly 40 years of public service. … During the public hearing, he addressed the issue of African debt, saying it must be addressed within a global framework, involving both developing countries and advanced economies. He also announced that, if elected, his deputy would be a woman from a country from the global north. Sall also pushed for the allocation of two permanent seats on the Security Council to Africa, a demand backed by many on the continent. Sall was nominated by Burundi, the current chair of the African Union, but has failed to garner support from his own country, where authorities accuse him of violently repressing political demonstrations that left dozens dead between 2021 and 2024. RFI
Libya Rescues 404 Migrants on 10 Boats, Red Crescent Says
Libya’s eastern-based coast guard of the Libyan National Army rescued at least 404 migrants on board 10 boats after they had “faced harsh conditions at sea,” the Tobruk Red Crescent said on Wednesday. Tobruk is a coastal city in eastern Libya near the border with Egypt. The Red Crescent in the city said the migrants are from different nationalities. … Libya is a transit route for migrants, many of them from sub-Saharan Africa, risking their lives to flee to Europe across desert and sea in the hope of escaping conflict and poverty. On Monday, 10 migrants were confirmed to have died after their boat capsized off Tobruk, and 31 were still missing, according to three Libyan sources and the International Organization for Migration. Six bodies were recovered on Saturday after washing ashore. Reuters
Zambia Says It Has Custody of Ex-President’s Body in Dispute With Family Over Burial
The Zambian government says it has taken custody of former President Edgar Lungu’s body from his family in a long-running dispute over where he should be buried after he died in South Africa nearly a year ago. In a statement Wednesday, Zambia’s attorney general said the government had custody of Lungu’s remains after a South African court ordered the body be released to them. It said the body had been moved from a funeral home in the South African capital, Pretoria, to another facility. Lungu’s family claimed a separate urgent court order ruled that the body be returned to the funeral home, where it had been since he died in June last year while the macabre dispute over who should have control of his burial and final resting place played out in South African courts. The battle revolves around Lungu’s relationship with current Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. The two were bitter political rivals. Hichilema’s government has said Lungu should have a state funeral at home and be buried at a cemetery set aside for Zambian leaders. Lungu’s family claims that one of his last wishes was that Hichilema should not go anywhere near his body and not preside over his funeral. AP