Sudan: RSF Deputy Leader Threatens to Invade Northern Sudan States
The deputy commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Abdel Rahim Hamdan Daglo, threatened on Wednesday to invade two northern states after his paramilitary group suffered significant battlefield setbacks, according to a video statement. The threat to attack the Northern State and River Nile State follows RSF losses in recent months to the Sudanese army and allied forces…In the video, filmed at an undisclosed location in the western Darfur region, Daglo appeared surrounded by fighters chanting slogans signalling an attack on the Northern State…The threat follows the RSF’s capture of al-Maliha town in North Darfur state, near the border with Northern State, in late March. The RSF briefly seized the airport in Merowe, Northern State, at the outset of the conflict in April 2023 before being pushed out by the army. In the video, Daglo also ordered deserting RSF officers to report to the front lines within hours or face dismissal and prosecution. He accused some officers of staying home “with their mothers and sisters.” Sudan Tribune
Sudan: UN Rights Chief Says ‘Appalled’ By Reports of Khartoum Executions
UN rights chief Volker Turk said Thursday that he was “appalled” by reports of extrajudicial killings of civilians in Sudan’s capital Khartoum last week after its recapture by the army from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. “I am utterly appalled by the credible reports of numerous incidents of summary executions of civilians in several areas of Khartoum, on apparent suspicions that they were collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces,” Turk said in a statement…Last week the army said it had retaken full control of Khartoum after weeks of attacks on the capital by the paramilitaries, though Daglo said his forces had only “repositioned”. An activist group, the Sudanese resistance committee, said Wednesday that at least 85 people had been killed in one week during the fighting…[Turk] said his office had reviewed “horrific videos” on social media since March 26 apparently showing armed men “executing civilians in cold blood” in southern and eastern Khartoum. “In some videos, perpetrators state that they are punishing supporters of RSF,” the statement said. AFP
South Sudan: Over 600 SPLA-IO Fighters Defect to SSPDF
More than 600 soldiers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) have defected to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), one of the defectors has said. The group, led by Brigadier General Gabriel Bol Anuer, switched allegiance on Wednesday in several locations, including Panyier, Lologo and Rejaf training centres, as well as Gutmakur. Brig Gen Anuer told reporters that dissatisfaction with the SPLA-IO’s leadership was the main reason for the defection. David John Kumuri, spokesman for South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS), confirmed that 604 SPLA-IO personnel had defected. He said their reintegration into the SSPDF was crucial for stability…This is the third such defections announced by the NSS since tensions rose following clashes in the town of Nasir last month. The move comes amid heightened political tensions, including the recent house arrest of SPLM/A-IO leader and First Vice-President Riek Machar. Analysts say the defections could weaken the opposition SPLA-IO while strengthening President Kiir’s grip on the military. Radio Tamazuj
Russian Army Intensifying Mali Assistance, Lavrov Says
Russia’s army is intensifying its cooperation with Mali, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday during a visit to Moscow by the African country’s foreign minister. Russia is pushing its influence in Africa, as it seeks to deepen ties outside the West amid its Ukraine offensive and is this week hosting foreign ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — three Sahelian countries that are led by juntas who seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023. Since the coups, the three countries have turned away from former colonial power, France, and moved closer to Russia, which sends mercenaries to help them fight a jihadist insurgency…The group are in Moscow for a summit with Lavrov, hailed by the Russian foreign minister as a step to “strengthen the whole suite of our relations.” Mali’s [Abdoulaye] Diop expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with Russia and announced President Assimi Goita would visit Moscow in June, while Niger’s Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare called the summit a “historic event”. AFP
Detained Burkina Journalists Seen at Anti-jihadist Front Line
The government last week dissolved the Burkina Journalists’ Association (AJB), a day after police arrested its president, Guezouma Sanogo, and his deputy, Boukari Ouoba. The arrests followed an address Sanogo made to the AJB’s congress in which he criticised “attacks on the freedom of expression and the press” in the west African country. A third journalist, Luc Pagbelguem, was later taken in for questioning after reporting on Sanogo’s remarks. The location of where the three were being held was unknown. The three men appeared in a video widely shared since late Wednesday on pro-junta social media accounts. In it, they appear to be inside a military barracks in a rural area, with shaved heads and in military fatigues, and are answering questions from a soldier. They talk about the need to “cover the reality on the ground”, without it being clear whether the answers are being given under duress. Burkina Faso has seen numerous abductions of people viewed as critical of the junta under its chief Ibrahim Traore since he took power in a coup in 2022…NGOs have reported cases of people being forcibly recruited into the security forces to be sent to fight jihadists, following a mobilisation order in 2023. The campaigners say the order targets figures critical of the country’s leaders. AFP
Suspected Jihadists Kidnap Mali Local Official, Driver
Suspected jihadists have kidnapped a local official and his driver in northern Mali, the official’s entourage and a relative told AFP on Wednesday. Ahmed ag Akilini, the prefect of the town of Ansongo, left for the regional capital, Gao, in his own car “around 6:00 am”, a local official in his area told AFP. “Less than 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Ansongo, at Nonia, he was kidnapped with his driver in his car by jihadists who fired on the vehicle,” the official said…A police source in Gao told AFP that “we have learned the information (but) have nothing else to say.” The road between Ansongo and Gao is regularly the scene of attacks attributed to jihadists or bandits who rob civilians. Military escorts accompany convoys in the area as a result. AFP
Gnassingbe Loyalist Elected Head of Togo Senate
Barry Moussa Barque, loyal supporter of Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe, was Wednesday elected unanimously as head of the Senate, whose role was revamped as part of last year’s constitutional reforms. A special advisor to Gnassingbe since 2009, Barque, 82, served several times as a minister under the head of state’s father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who died after 38 years at the helm in 2005. The new constitution did away with the election of a head of state by direct universal suffrage and established a parliamentary regime in which the office of the presidency becomes largely ceremonial. A president of the council of ministers, leading the majority party in the national assembly, and currently Faure Gnassingbe himself, will in the future ensure the effective exercise of power under the revised system. The opposition sees this as a means of ensuring that Gnassingbe, in power since 2005, will essentially remain head of state indefinitely. AFP
Guinea Opposition Accuses Junta of ‘Diversion’ with Constitution Vote
Guinea’s opposition on Wednesday dismissed the junta’s announcement that a referendum on a new constitution would be held in September as a “diversionary manoeuvre”. The junta, which took power in a 2021 coup and suspended the constitution, said late on Tuesday that the vote would take place on September 21, in what it presents as a first step towards returning the west African country to democratic rule. Under international pressure, the military-led administration had said it would hand back the reins of power by the end of last year but reneged on that commitment. Junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya promised in his New Year address that 2025 would be “a crucial electoral year”. No date has been announced for parliamentary or presidential elections. An opposition coalition, the National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy (ANAD), said in a statement that the latest announcement “far from being a step towards normalisation, is akin to a diversionary manoeuvre aimed at masking the absence of any real intention of organising free elections”. AFP
Somali President Lands in Djibouti for Talks with President Guelleh on Regional Issues
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Djibouti, the capital of the neighboring Republic of Djibouti, on Wednesday to kick off an official working visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, the presidency said. Greeted by senior Djiboutian officials at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, Mohamud’s visit marks a significant step in fostering dialogue between the two Horn of Africa nations amid a backdrop of regional security and economic challenges. During his stay, President Mohamud is set to engage in high-level bilateral talks with his counterpart, President Ismail Omar Guelleh, at the Presidential Palace. The discussions are expected to cover a range of pressing regional and global issues, including strengthening the longstanding relationship and strategic cooperation in the areas of security, economy, and politics, and enhancing regional stability…Djibouti, a strategic hub hosting military bases for several foreign powers, including the United States and France, plays a key role in securing vital shipping lanes, a priority also for Somalia as it battles piracy and seeks to rebuild its economy. Garowe Online
Senegal Lifts Amnesty for Some Offences during Deadly 2021-24 Protests
Senegal’s parliament has approved revisions to an amnesty law covering 2021-24 protests, paving the way for possible prosecutions over the deaths of dozens of protesters. The law was passed in March 2024 under former President Macky Sall, and offered amnesty for offences committed by both security forces and protesters during demonstrations that saw clashes involving armed riot police. The protests were triggered by concerns that Sall was trying to muzzle his opponents and cling to power past the end of his mandate, which he denied. Amnesty International has said at least 65 people were killed, mostly by bullets. The standoff, exacerbated by the arrest of Sall’s political rival Ousmane Sonko in 2023, became one of the most violent episodes in Senegal since it gained independence from France in 1960. Current President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Sonko were released from prison after the law took effect, and Sonko is now prime minister. The former government and the security forces deny wrongdoing, although witnesses at the time told Reuters that security forces fired on crowds. Rights groups and lawyers had called for the amnesty law to be repealed because it left families of the dead with no recourse for justice. The measure that passed on Wednesday by a vote of 126-20 does not repeal the law but instead removes amnesty for specific crimes including murder, torture and forced disappearance. Reuters
South Africa: Budget Scrapes through the National Assembly after DA Revolt
The fiscal framework passed through the National Assembly by a narrow margin on Wednesday after the Democratic Alliance (DA) refused to support it, despite a warning from President Cyril Ramaphosa that this would be a betrayal of the government of national unity (GNU). MPs approved the measure 194 votes to 182 against after a fiery debate, as much about the coalition as the merits of the tax proposals and the possibility of amending these in the coming month. The DA announced immediately after the vote that it would challenge the budget in court…On Tuesday, a joint sitting of parliament’s standing and sitting committees on finance to draft a report on Godongwana’s fiscal and revenue proposals deadlocked between the ANC’s call to endorse it and the DA’s insistence that it be amended. An amendment would have seen it sent back to the minister…A proposal by ActionSA, which is not a member of the ruling 10-party coalition, allowed the committee to fudge a way out of the impasse…The events of the past two days pose an existential crisis for the coalition. On Tuesday night, Ramaphosa told the ANC caucus the DA would, by implication, be leading itself out of the partnership if it failed to vote for the fiscal and revenue proposals. His remarks were recorded without his knowledge and leaked. Mail & Guardian
Nigeria: Indigenous Drones Crucial for Defeating Unconventional Threats, Says CDS Musa
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has emphasised the importance of indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) in enhancing Nigeria’s military capabilities. He made this statement during the unveiling and live demonstration of locally manufactured attack drones by Briech Unmanned Aerial Systems Limited (Briech UAS) in Abuja on Wednesday…[Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang] emphasised the importance of acquiring advanced local capabilities to counter the growing threat posed by non-state actors. He pledged his support for Briech UAS, noting that the development of drones would provide much-needed security for farmers in Plateau State, allowing them to work without fear of insurgent attacks…[Dr. Bright Echefu, Chairman of Briech UAS] also outlined how the indigenous production of these drones aligns with Nigeria’s defence localisation agenda, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers and ensuring the rapid availability of spare parts and upgrades…The newly developed drones are equipped with advanced sensors and imaging technology, providing real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, ensuring constant vigilance over Nigeria’s diverse terrain. Vanguard Nigeria
Ivory Coast Opposition MPs Rally in Support of Leader
Lawmakers from an Ivory Coast opposition party protested Wednesday alongside dozens of activists outside an Abidjan courthouse as their party leader faced a hearing on whether he was eligible to stand in an upcoming presidential election. Tidjane Thiam, the head of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) who is expected to stand in the October presidential election, faces a challenge over whether he is able to do so because he for years held French citizenship. In February, Thiam announced he was renouncing his French nationality, granted to him in 1987. But critics say that by acquiring it, Thiam had lost his Ivorian nationality. They say the Ivorian nationality code, dating from the 1960s, states that an Ivorian adult who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Ivorian nationality. Thiam’s supporters say the case is a pretext to keep him off the ballot…The court is expected to issue a ruling on April 11. Thiam’s party has not yet named its candidate for the October poll and will meet on Saturday to set a date to do so. Former trade minister Jean-Louis Billon has said that he would contest the race to be named the party’s presidential candidate. AFP
Sierra Leone Starts Mpox Vaccination as Cases Rise
Sierra Leone on Wednesday started injecting frontline health care workers and high risk-individuals and children from age 12 with a preventive mpox vaccination after securing 61,300 doses from the World Health Organization and development partners. “We are currently rolling-out Mpox vaccines to frontline health care workers and high risk-individuals with a preventive mpox vaccination,” social mobilisation coordinator for the health ministry, Amanda Clemens, told AFP…Sierra Leone declared a public health emergency in January to combat mpox, announcing it was stepping up surveillance at its borders after confirming two cases of the deadly viral disease…A decade ago, Sierra Leone was one of the countries worst affected by an Ebola epidemic which killed about 4,000 people, including nearly seven percent of health workers, between 2014 and 2016. AFP
Ghana Unveils West Africa’s Largest Floating Solar Project, Boosting Renewable Energy Ambitions
The pioneering 5-megawatt floating solar installation is situated on the Black Volta River and was engineered by Ghanaian engineers from the Bui Power Authority…The floating solar power plant is a groundbreaking solution that utilises photovoltaic modules on water bodies, optimising land use while enhancing the efficiency of the solar panels. Additionally, it helps conserve water by reducing evaporation from the surface. This technology can be deployed on ponds, lakes, reservoirs, or other water bodies. The successful completion of this project aligns with Ghana’s National Energy Plan, supporting the goal of increasing renewable energy penetration by 10% by 2030…Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, outlined Ghana’s strategic focus on renewable energy, emphasising the development of solar, wind, and mini-hydro projects to meet the nation’s growing energy demands…”We will establish the Renewable Energy and Green Transition Fund. This fund will support research and development of home-grown green technologies, provide solar-powered solutions for various sectors, and ease the financial burden of electricity tariffs on state institutions,” [Jinapor said.] RFI