Malian Official Accuses Russian Forces of ‘Betrayal’ after Kidal Falls to Rebels
Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga has sought to reassure Malians after Saturday’s large-scale offensive by jihadist fighters from JNIM and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA. But the loss of Kidal, a strategic northern city long seen as a symbol of control over Mali’s restive north, and Russia’s retreat have opened a dangerous new political and military crisis for the ruling junta. “The Russians betrayed us in Kidal,” one senior Malian official told RFI after Russia’s Africa Corps, the Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force that succeeded Wagner in Mali, confirmed its withdrawal. … Malian troops, Russian paramilitaries and official civilian authorities have all now left Kidal for Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, leaving Kidal under the full control of JNIM and the FLA. Reports also suggest Russian forces may be preparing to withdraw from other northern positions. … Russian Africa Corps (ex-Wagner) fighters had been stationed in Kidal, but instead of defending the city they withdrew with their equipment after negotiations with the city’s new rulers. They later confirmed they had received permission to leave. The withdrawal marks a major reversal. Malian forces, backed by Russian paramilitaries, had recaptured Kidal in November 2023 after years of control by Tuareg rebels. RFI
ICC Orders $8.5mn Compensation for Victims of Malian War Criminal
The International Criminal Court on Tuesday ordered $8.5 million in compensation to be paid to victims of the Malian former jihadist leader Al Hassan, who was found guilty in 2024 of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court said it had awarded “collective community-based reparations … focused on rehabilitation” and “symbolic and satisfaction measures” to 65,202 victims. “The Chamber assessed Mr Al Hassan’s liability for reparations at approximately 7,250,000 euros, equivalent to 4,755,688,250 CFA francs,” said presiding judge Kimberley Prost. Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, known as Al Hassan, was a member of Ansar Dine, one of a number of jihadist groups that seized control of Timbuktu between April 2012 and January 2013. The 48-year-old Islamic police chief was found guilty of three counts of crimes against humanity and five of war crimes in 2024, including flogging, amputation of a hand and torture, and was jailed for 10 years. … The former jihadist leader was arrested by the Malian authorities and sent to The Hague in March 2018. AFP
Six Jailed for Life over Deadly 2020 Jihadist Attack in Ivory Coast
Six men have been sentenced to life in prison for their roles in a 2020 jihadist attack that killed 14 Ivorian soldiers at a border post in Kafolo, a village in the country’s northeast. … The attack, carried out overnight on 10-11 June 2020, targeted a military post near the border with Burkina Faso. Although no group claimed responsibility, authorities blamed jihadist fighters operating from Burkinabe territory, describing the assault as retaliation for a joint counterterrorism operation conducted by Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Out of 45 defendants, six received life sentences, 17 were sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined 50 million CFA francs (about $89,000), and one received a five‑year sentence while 21 were acquitted. The wide range of verdicts reflects the complex web of involvement in the attack, which investigators say included logistical support networks stretching across borders. … The verdicts underscore Ivory Coast’s determination to confront the evolving threat. As instability in the Sahel deepens, security analysts warn that coastal nations must brace for continued pressure from armed groups seeking new footholds. Africanews with AFP
UN Sanctions RSF Procurement Chief and Three Colombians
The United Nations Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on Sudan added four individuals to its sanctions list on Tuesday, including a high-ranking official from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and several Colombian nationals linked to a service agency. The 1591 Sanctions Committee designated Al-Goney Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF’s procurement director and brother of the paramilitary group’s leader. Al-Goney, who is based in Dubai, is now subject to measures including asset freezes and travel bans under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The committee also blacklisted three Colombian nationals associated with the International Services Agency (A4SI). The individuals identified are Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, the agency’s founder; Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, its owner and manager; and Mateo Andres Duque Botero. … Established by the Security Council in 2005, the 1591 Sanctions Committee was originally created to address violence in Darfur. It oversees an arms embargo, asset freezes, and travel bans, supported by a Panel of Experts that monitors compliance and investigates violations of international humanitarian law. Sudan Tribune
Sudan: Two Decades on, a New Generation of Children Faces ‘Horrific Violence’ in Darfur
In a new Child Alert report titled Darfur: 20 Years On, Children Under Threat, UN children’s agency UNICEF warns that while the horrors of 2005 are repeating, the scale of need is now far greater, and international attention is dangerously constrained. The report draws a chilling parallel between the past and the present. Homes, schools, and hospitals are again under fire, but the modern nature of the fighting between rival militaries has become even more lethal. Since April 2024, more than 1,500 grave violations against children have been verified in the regional capital of El Fasher alone. Over 1,300 children have been killed or maimed in the city – which was held by military Government forces until being overrun by RSF militia after a lengthy siege last October – many by explosive weapons and drones. Beyond the physical strikes, children face the trauma of abduction, recruitment into armed groups, and sexual violence. … Across the whole of Sudan, the UN has verified over 5,700 grave violations since the current war began. The trend is accelerating: in the first three months of 2026, child fatalities rose significantly compared with the previous year. UN News
No Sanctuary: How Attackers Exploited Nigeria’s Religious Gatherings
At least eight major terror incidents across six states between early March and mid-April coincided with Ramadan and Easter. Reports compiled from multiple media outlets, alongside conflict data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), indicate a noticeable clustering of violent attacks across northern Nigeria during the Ramadan and Easter periods. … Individually, the incidents reflect Nigeria’s familiar security challenges, including insurgency, banditry and communal violence. Collectively, they show attackers exploiting periods of predictable civilian activity. … Religious observances draw large crowds at known times and places. Easter church services occur in the morning, while Ramadan iftar meals and night prayers concentrate people in the evening. In rural areas, these gatherings often have minimal security presence and weak telecommunications, delaying distress calls and response times. Security experts describe such settings as soft targets: areas with high civilian density and limited protection. … Despite differences in religion and geography, the underlying vulnerability is similar. … Security experts recommend targeted deployments during major religious events, stronger rural intelligence networks, improved communication infrastructure and closer coordination with local communities. Premium Times
Suspected Members of Nigeria-linked Black Axe Crime Gang Arrested in Switzerland
Suspected members of the Nigerian-linked Black Axe crime gang have been arrested in Switzerland accused of involvement in romance scams and cyberfraud, Europol said on Tuesday. … “The suspects are accused of numerous crimes. This includes romance scams and other cyberfraud offences causing millions of Swiss francs in damages, as well as money laundering,” said Europol, which is headquartered in The Hague, in a statement. The pan-European police body said 10 people – most of whom are of Nigerian origin – had been arrested in the operation that also involved German police. The Swiss operation against the Black Axe crime gang follows a similar operation carried out by Spanish police in January, while global police body Interpol had also targeted it in 2023. Reuters
New Pirate Group Behind Latest Somali Hijacking: Officials
A pirate attack off Somalia is the work of a new group of “opportunistic criminals”, security officials said on Tuesday, complicating a threat that costs the shipping industry billions of dollars. Piracy was rampant off the coast of Somalia in the 2000s, peaking in 2011 with hundreds of attacks, but was significantly reduced by international naval deployments and new tactics by commercial shipping. Yet the past week has seen oil tanker HONOUR 25 and cement carrier SWARD hijacked in the first major incidents in months. The SWARD seizure was the work of a group operating from the port town of Garacad in Puntland state of northeastern Somalia, a Puntland security official told AFP. That is further south than the usual piracy hotbed focused on a cluster of three coastal towns — Hafun, Bander Beyla and Eyl — which is where the HONOUR 25 oil tanker has been taken. The new group is mostly formed of “rural youth” from an area “awash with weapons”, motivated by poverty, and anger over illegal fishing by ships from China, Yemen, Iran and beyond. … A second Puntland security official told AFP the group that seized the SWARD ware all from the same clan and sub-clan. That complicates counter-measures by the state, which could be seen as an attack on the clan as a whole. AFP
Puntland Warns Somalia’s Statehood at Risk Amid Deepening Electoral Deadlock
The president of Puntland, a key federal member state in northeastern Somalia, warned Tuesday that escalating political disputes could collapse the country’s governing framework if a consensus is not reached before the federal leadership’s term expires next month. President Said Abdullahi Deni stated that without a comprehensive political agreement accepted by all stakeholders before President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term ends on May 15, the future of the federal system is in jeopardy. … The warning comes as Somalia faces a constitutional crossroads, with the federal government and regional states at odds over electoral models and power-sharing arrangements. Puntland has long maintained a semi-autonomous status while remaining a pillar of the federal structure, though relations with the central government in Mogadishu have grown increasingly strained. Deni emphasized that Puntland is prepared to protect its own interests and will confront federal leaders if they are perceived to be undermining the constitutional order. However, he noted that the state remains committed to the defense of the Somali people and national stability. Garowe Online
Over Half of South Sudan’s Population Faces Acute Hunger Crisis
Conflict and displacement are intensifying South Sudan’s hunger crisis, with 7.8 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity while 2.2 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, according to a joint statement on Tuesday from UN agencies. Among those projected to face acute food insecurity, 73,300 people are facing catastrophic levels (Phase 5), the most severe level under the internationally-backed alert system. This represents a dramatic increase of 160 per cent from the last estimate. UN agencies said the crisis is being driven by escalating conflict, mass displacement, economic decline, climate shocks, flooding and below-capacity agricultural production. Meanwhile, 2.5 million people are in IPC Phase 4 – Emergency level, and 5.3 million are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3). … At the same time, acute malnutrition is being exacerbated by lack of access to health and nutrition services that have been damaged or closed due to conflict. In addition, shortages of supplies and funding have reduced access to life-saving treatment. UN News
Rights Group Urges Saudi Authorities to Halt Executions of Ethiopians, Calls for Addis Abeba’s Immediate Intervention as Three Already Executed
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for urgent action to halt the imminent execution of Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia, warning that dozens face death sentences following proceedings marred by due process violations. In a call issued today, HRW said “at least 65 Ethiopian migrants are at imminent risk of execution” for drug-related offences, with three already executed on 21 April. … The warnings come as the Tigray Youth Affairs Bureau last week raised similar alarm over a “mass death sentence” against Ethiopian detainees in Saudi Arabia. In a letter to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bureau called for immediate diplomatic engagement to halt the executions and protect those detained. … Both HRW and Tigray regional officials say many of those facing execution are migrants who fled war and economic hardship, including the two-year devastating war in the Tigray region, and undertook dangerous journeys through Yemen into Saudi Arabia in search of work. Some were reportedly convicted for carrying khat, a substance legal and widely consumed in parts of Ethiopia but banned in Saudi Arabia, often without knowing it was illegal or after being coerced. Addis Standard
Senegal MPs Back Electoral Reform that Could Open Door to Sonko Candidacy
Senegal’s National Assembly overwhelmingly approved on Tuesday changes to the country’s electoral code, introducing provisions that could pave the way for Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to run in the 2029 presidential election. Firebrand opposition leader Sonko, 51, was excluded from standing in the 2024 election following a conviction, which could potentially bar him again in 2029. His handpicked successor, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, went on to win the presidency. Since taking office, differences have emerged between Faye and Sonko, fuelling debate that the prime minister may seek the top job himself in 2029. The bill, introduced under an emergency procedure criticized by opposition parties, was easily adopted by the National Assembly, which is dominated by Sonko’s Pastef party, with 128 votes in favour, 11 against and two abstentions. The legislation amends provisions that had previously disqualified Sonko from running for office, potentially removing a key legal obstacle to his candidacy. The bill will now be sent to the president, who must decide whether to sign it into law. Opposition parties could also challenge the adopted bill at the Constitutional Council. Separately, the presidency on Monday released draft reforms covering the constitution, electoral code, political parties and the constitutional court for public comment ahead of cabinet debates. Reuters