Tanzania Blames Outsiders and Government Foes for Election Violence
A commission appointed by Tanzania’s government on Thursday said that the deadly violence that followed last year’s presidential election was fomented by well-trained agitators with outside help and the authorities were not to blame. The commission was set up by President Samia Suluhu Hassan as the first consolidated attempt by the state to explain the worst violence of its kind since Tanzania gained independence in the 1960s. In a speech on receiving the report, Ms. Hassan said that what had happened “shook the nation.” Yet the findings outlined by commission chairman Mohamed Chande Othman, a former chief justice of Tanzania, presented a picture at odds with human rights groups, which estimated that hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed during the crackdown. Without providing evidence, Mr. Chande said that the violence was carefully planned and financed by outside forces and others that wanted to destabilize the country. The New York Times
The Priceless Treasures Fueling Sudan’s Bitter Civil War
Historians and curators say the Rapid Support Forces who have been fighting government troops for the past three years are targeting Sudan’s rich cultural history and selling it to the highest bidder in the illicit international art market. Their fighters have joined private looters nationwide in stripping museums of artifacts chronicling the country’s history from the Stone Age to the rise of Islam. … Abdelrahman Ali Mohamed, a culture expert with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization who is helping with the recovery of the looted artifacts, said the rebel fighters systematically target the most valuable items during museum raids. “We believe the militia has linked with international organized criminal gangs to facilitate the sale of these items,” Mohamed said. … In videos, the fighters film themselves with piles of stolen jewelry and gold bars. The items are then transported by truck to the southern and western borders where they are smuggled out, according to Sudanese officials and satellite imagery. United Nations investigators say they are sold to art traders and the proceeds used to pay for the drones, armored vehicles and artillery shells the RSF is using in a war that has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people and uprooted more than 14 million others. Wall Street Journal
Deadly Meningitis Spreads as Sudanese Refugees Pack Chad Camps, MSF Says
Cases of deadly meningitis are surging in eastern Chad, killing nearly 12% of children who catch it in an area housing hundreds of thousands of war refugees from neighbouring Sudan, Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Thursday. Measles is also spreading in the border town of Adre, where an increase in arrivals in recent weeks has left camps overcrowded, making it easier for diseases to spread, the medical aid group said in a statement. Out of 212 children admitted to MSF facilities with meningitis from March to April, 25 had died, “a shocking case fatality rate,” MSF added. … Chad’s health ministry and MSF staff have given emergency vaccinations to more than 95,500 children against measles and to 337,800 people against meningitis in the most affected areas, the charity said. Reuters
Fresh Paint, Careful Choreography as Pope Visits Equatorial Guinea Prison
In the Spanish-speaking country of close to two million, ruled with an iron fist since 1979 by Teodoro Obiang Nguema — who has regularly been accused of rights abuses — the US-born pontiff’s visit offered officials a rare opportunity to burnish the image of a widely criticised prison system. … The carefully crafted red carpet reception for the papal visit was in sharp contrast to criticism of detention conditions. In a 2023 report, the US State Department documented cases of torture, extreme overcrowding and deplorable sanitary conditions in Equatorial Guinea’s prisons. … “The administration of justice aims to protect society,” the US-born pontiff, 70, told detainees. “To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity of every person.” Leo’s comments, although delivered diplomatically, represented an open critique unheard of in a country accused of stifling freedom of expression. Pope Leo was on the 10th day of his African tour, following a hectic schedule that began on Wednesday with a mass in Mongomo, near the border with Gabon. During the service, with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the congregation, the Catholic leader called for “greater room for freedom” and human dignity to be safeguarded. AFP
EU Restores Somalia Mission Funding With $87 Million Package
The European Union has approved a $87.7 million funding package for the military component of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, ending months of uncertainty and negotiations. In a statement dated April 21, 2026, the EU said the funding for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom) will mainly cover troop allowances, as well as non-lethal equipment and related services. The support, drawn from the European Peace Facility (EPF), ends Brussels’ two-year break from peace support funding in Somalia, offering relief to the cash-strapped AU mission, which has struggled to secure adequate and predictable financing since its mandate began in January 2025. Aussom has operated with a recurring budget deficit. It has secured $48.6 million in pledges, including $22 million from the United Kingdom and $20 million from the AU Peace Fund, alongside contributions from China, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Italy. The East African
Nigeria: Defence Minister Tasks Universities on Innovation, Cybersecurity for National Stability
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa, has charged Nigerian universities to prioritise innovation, cybersecurity, and technology-driven research as critical pillars for strengthening national security and long-term stability. Musa made the call on Thursday while delivering the Convocation Lecture at the combined convocation ceremony of Akwa Ibom State University, at main campus in Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. In his address, the Defence Minister emphasised that the evolving nature of global threats—ranging from terrorism to cyber warfare—has redefined the concept of national defence, making it imperative for Nigeria to adopt a knowledge-driven security framework anchored on education, innovation, and human capital development. He noted that modern security challenges require more than conventional military responses, stressing that universities must play a strategic role in producing skilled manpower, advancing research, and fostering values that promote national cohesion and resilience. PR Nigeria
Libya: UN Mission Chief Laments Lack of Progress Toward National Renewal
Libya’s political leaders continue to lag in implementing a roadmap that leads to national elections and unified institutions, the UN Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Wednesday. “We are not where we would like to be in terms of progress on the roadmap,” said Hanna S. Tetteh, who also heads the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) – a country that remains divided between two rival administrations. … Ms. Tetteh also addressed the sharply deteriorating economic situation in Libya, marked by “currency pressures, rising prices, fuel shortages, uncontrolled and opaque public spending, and growing poverty.” … Ms. Tetteh noted that the security situation remains volatile, although no violations of a 2020 ceasefire were recorded. She said localised incidents, particularly in southern border areas, underscore the need for progress toward unifying the security and political institutions. Meanwhile, the situation in northwest coastal communities “remains volatile among armed groups and criminal networks vying for control over territory and creating space for illicit activities,” with clashes reported in four locations last month. UN News
“Sovereignty” Bill Seeking to Deter Foreign Influence Has Drawn Widespread Concern in Uganda
A bill by Ugandan authorities whose stated purpose is to deter foreign interference has drawn widespread criticism as concern grows over its all-encompassing definition of a foreign agent and its potential to hurt the work of civic groups. The “Protection of Sovereignty” bill is being examined by lawmakers who could pass it within days despite criticism by banks, traders, the political opposition, civic groups and others who depend on remittances in foreign currency from abroad. Many critics say the sovereignty bill really seeks to weaken opposition parties and civic groups, which usually depend on generous grants to do their work in governance and human rights, in a sign of what they see as increasing government repression. … The bill’s definition of a foreigner includes “a non-Ugandan citizen” as well as “a Ugandan citizen residing outside Uganda,” in addition to other categories of individuals and companies not domiciled in the East African country. That includes students, businesspeople, migrant workers, diplomats and others who live abroad. If the bill is passed in its current version, Ugandans abroad would have to register as foreign agents to avoid delays in the processing of transactions through the banks, which would be punished for non-compliance. AP
South African President Suspends Police Chief Over Irregular Tender
South Africa’s president suspended the country’s police chief on Thursday over allegations that he broke public finance rules in the irregular awarding of a 228-million-rand ($13.8-million) tender. Fannie Masemola, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, has denied the charges, which prosecutors laid after revelations at a national corruption inquiry. Other people charged over the contract include businessman Vusimuzi Matlala, whose company Medicare24 won it. Matlala and 15 others stand accused of corruption, fraud and money laundering. They have not yet entered pleas in court. … Prosecutors allege Medicare24 colluded with police officials to secure the tender to provide health services to the police. Matlala received payments of just over 50 million rand before the contract was cancelled. Masemola, who is accused of violating the Public Finance Management Act, has been in charge of the day-to-day running of the police since 2022. Reuters
Ten Countries Account for Two-Thirds of the People Most Affected by Hunger, According to UN-Backed Report
Two-thirds of people facing food crises globally last year lived in just 10 countries, with a third of them in Sudan, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN-backed yearly report said Friday, April 24. Conflict remained the main driver of acute food insecurity, according to the Global Report on Food Crises, based on data from the United Nations, the European Union and humanitarian agencies. And with conflicts and climate extremes “likely to sustain or worsen conditions in many countries,” the outlook for 2026 is “bleak,” it said. … For the first time in the report, which is in its 10th edition, famine was confirmed in two separate contexts – in Gaza and parts of Sudan – in the same year. Le Monde with AFP
Kenya, Tanzania and Neighbours Discuss Joint Refinery as Dangote Offers to Build It
East African countries are discussing plans for a joint oil refinery at Tanzania’s port of Tanga modelled on Nigeria’s Dangote plant, Kenyan President William Ruto said on Thursday. East Africa currently imports all of its refined petroleum products, mainly from the Middle East, leaving the region vulnerable to supply disruptions and price spikes as seen in the fallout of the Iran conflict. Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, who also attended the conference, said he could replicate his 650,000‑barrel‑per‑day Nigerian refinery in East Africa, provided governments in the region supported the initiative. … Dangote also said he planned to establish about 20 fertiliser blending plants across Africa by 2028 to meet most of the continent’s needs. Reuters
New Bridge Helps Cement Lesotho as Water Lifeline for South Africa’s Economic Hub
A newly built bridge launched this week is part of a network of constructions that will help the landlocked nation, cited by the World Bank as one of the poorest in the world, nearly double its water exports to South Africa to power one of Africa’s biggest industrial and economic hubs. It will also boost the water royalties and revenue for a country where half the population lives under the national poverty line. The Senqu Bridge, 825 meters (2,700 feet) long and 90 meters (295 feet) high, is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project that will increase water exports to South Africa from 780 million cubic meters a year currently to more than 1,270 billion cubic meters. … The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is one of the biggest transboundary water projects in the world and it is the largest investment South Africa has ever made outside its borders. It also boosts Lesotho’s hydropower output, advancing energy security and reducing the country’s reliance on electricity imports. AP
Nigerian Ecologist Wins Major Environmental Prize
A Nigerian ecologist won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her work protecting endangered bats. When Iroro Tanshi found a colony of short-tailed roundleaf bats in a cave in Cross River State’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in 2016, it was the first time the species had been seen in the area for almost 50 years. However, just days later, a major wildfire swept the park, endangering the species she had only just rediscovered. Since then, Tanshi has set up a major wildfire monitoring and prevention system that informs locals what days are safe for burning land, which is necessary to clear bush for farming. Previously, small fires had often escalated due to increasingly difficult-to-predict weather conditions. “The wildfire problem was also a community problem — that was the hook,” she told the BBC. Tanshi has discovered 14 new species of bats in the park — including one that has never been seen anywhere else. Semafor