Tuareg Rebels Vow Mali Junta ‘Will Fall’, North Will Be Captured
Mali’s Tuareg rebels declared that the country’s ruling junta “will fall” and that they intended to conquer the north, in an interview with AFP Wednesday just days after carrying out large-scale attacks targeting the nation’s military government. … Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, [spokesman for the Tuareg-dominated separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA),] told AFP on Wednesday that the rebels intend to take control of Gao, Timbuktu and Menaka following their success in Kidal. … The latest assaults raise questions about the junta’s ability to tackle the security crisis, despite its insistence that its strategy, foreign partnerships and increased military efforts have stemmed the jihadist threat. … Although JNIM and FLA have different goals, according to experts, they are united against a common enemy — the military junta that has ruled since 2020 and the Russian paramilitary backers. FLA spokesman Ramadane told AFP Wednesday that his group’s “objective is for Russia to withdraw permanently from Azawad and beyond, from all of Mali”. In addition to Tuaregs, the FLA is made up of Fulani and Arab rebels who want independence for Azawad, a territory in northern Mali. A historically nomadic people, Tuaregs, who are spread across Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso, have waged an armed struggle for decades against marginalisation, with action centred in particular around the key city of Kidal. AFP
Burkina Faso Ups Security after Mali Attacks
The ruling junta in Burkina Faso has tightened security in the capital Ouagadougou in the wake of coordinated attacks in its neighbour and ally Mali, security sources told AFP on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Burkina Faso’s security ministry announced the launch of an operation aimed at strengthening security across the country and called for vigilance. It also called on people to report any suspicious behaviour, particularly around sensitive infrastructure such as military barracks, airports, administrative buildings and other installations of national importance. “A major security operation has been deployed in Ouagadougou and in other parts of the country,” a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity. … Niger’s junta on Wednesday cancelled its traditional 1 May parades across the country for security reasons. The government of Ivory Coast, which neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso to the south, meanwhile said that its borders were secure but that it expected an “influx of refugees” as a result of the Mali attacks. Africanews with AFP
Sudan’s Burhan Reaffirms Rejection of RSF Talks, Vows to Continue War
Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Wednesday reiterated his refusal to negotiate with the “rebel militia,” vowing to continue military operations until the country is fully cleared. The war in Sudan has continued since April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to a deterioration of humanitarian and security conditions across several regions as regional and international efforts for a political settlement remain stalled. … The conflict, which was previously concentrated in Khartoum and central Sudan, has shifted toward the Greater Kordofan region and parts of Blue Nile, a front that opened earlier this year. The army and its allies, operating from North Kordofan, are attempting to push westward into the region as a precursor to reaching Darfur, most of which is currently under RSF control. Sudan Tribune
Sudan Doctors Warn of Humanitarian Disaster in Ed Damazin
The Sudan Doctors Network warned on Wednesday of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe threatening more than 100,000 displaced people in the Blue Nile region. Fighting in the southern and western parts of the region between the Sudanese army and an alliance comprising the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement has triggered mass displacement. Residents from the Kurmuk and Geissan districts have fled toward the regional capital, Ed Damazin. The Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement that the approaching autumn rainy season poses a severe risk of epidemic outbreaks. It cited a lack of health infrastructure and the absence of urgent interventions to improve living and health conditions. Sudan Tribune
Nigera: ISWAP Claims Responsibility for Attack on Adamawa Community
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for the killing of at least 29 people on Sunday in Guyaku community, Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The terror group claimed the attack on its Telegram channel, according to Reuters. Residents said the terrorists targeted youths and spectators gathered at a local football pitch in the community. Witnesses and officials said the attackers operated for several hours, shooting sporadically at civilians before burning places of worship, homes, and dozens of motorcycles. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who visited the community on Monday, confirmed the death toll and condemned the killings as a brutal act of cowardice. … Residents said many of those killed were young people gathered at a local football pitch when the attackers arrived. … ISWAP and its Boko Haram rival have continued to reign terror in the North-east, especially the three focal areas that analysts constantly refer to as BAY (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) states. … Adamawa, which borders Cameroon, remains vulnerable to overlapping threats from these groups. It also faces other security threats, including communal clashes and activities of armed criminal networks. Premium Times
Nigeria: Defence Ministry Inaugurates Committees to Boost Security, Veterans Welfare
The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday inaugurated three strategic committees aimed at strengthening national security, enhancing long-term military planning, and improving the welfare of military veterans. … The committees include the Technical Committee on Integrated Border Security System, the Defence Sector Capital Requirements Plan Committee, and the Committee on Veterans Welfare and Institutional Reform. … [Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.)] said the initiative reflects a coordinated effort to address evolving security challenges, improve operational readiness, and ensure that retired personnel receive the recognition and support they deserve. He noted that Nigeria’s complex land and maritime borders require a technology-driven and intelligence-led approach, tasking the border security committee to review existing frameworks and recommend integrated solutions that promote real-time information sharing and inter-agency collaboration. PR Nigeria
What to Know about the Pro-Russian Activist Arrested in South Africa and Wanted in Benin
A pro-Russian activist accused of backing a failed coup in Benin appeared in court Wednesday in South Africa over separate charges of attempting to illegally leave that country with the help of a member of a far-right white nationalist group. Kémi Séba, a prominent Beninese influencer, faces charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and immigration violations. He also faces extradition to Benin, where he was declared wanted for “inciting rebellion” after publicly backing a failed coup there last December. Séba, whose legal name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, was born in France to Beninese parents but was stripped of his French citizenship. He remains in custody after a judge Wednesday postponed a bail hearing to May 11. … Séba has publicly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and aligned himself with pro-Russian networks tied to late Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to the U.S. State Department. … Beninese authorities in December declared Séba wanted after he posted a video supporting soldiers who had tried to topple the government of Benin’s President Patrice Talon. … Benin issued an international arrest warrant for him on Dec. 12, charging him with inciting rebellion. AP
Tunisia Opposition Leader Ghannouchi Hospitalised after Health Deteriorates, Party Says
Imprisoned Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has suffered a sharp deterioration in his health and has been urgently transferred from prison to hospital, his Ennahda party said on Thursday. Ghannouchi, 84, a fierce critic of President Kais Saied and a dominant figure in Tunisian politics since the country’s 2011 uprising, was arrested in 2023 as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures. He has received prison sentences totalling up to 70 years in cases he says are fabricated, refusing to appear in court before judges whose rulings he says are pre-determined. In a statement, Ennahda, the Islamist party that Ghannouchi has long headed, said prison authorities had moved him to hospital due to what it described as a “serious development” in his condition. Ghannouchi was speaker of the parliament dissolved by Saied in 2021. The sudden shutdown of the elected chamber in 2021 and moves to rule by decree were described by the opposition as a coup. Reuters
Ghana Cocoa Buyers Divert Funds to Purchase Smuggled Beans, Regulator Says
Ghana’s cocoa regulator has accused some officials at licensed buying companies of using government funds to buy cheap beans smuggled from the Ivory Coast, depriving local growers of income and threatening Ghana’s reputation for quality cocoa. Jake Kudjo Semahar, director of special services at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), told Reuters the practice had spread across four regions along the Ghana-Ivory Coast border, marking a reversal from earlier smuggling patterns, when Ghanaian beans were trafficked into Ivory Coast and Togo. … The practice is driven by a wide price gap. Ivory Coast is selling cocoa at the equivalent of 1,200 cedis ($107.33) per 64-kg bag, compared with Ghana’s farmgate price of 2,587 cedis. Semahar said some officers and clerks were exploiting the spread to generate illicit profits. … The allegations deepen concerns over a prolonged liquidity crisis that has plagued Ghana’s cocoa sector for months, leaving farmers unpaid for beans delivered since November 2025. Reuters
Experts Warn of Rising Lead Risks in Africa’s Solar Energy Boom
Years after a lead acid battery recycling plant shut down in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, residents of Owino Uhuru say they are still suffering from lead poisoning, a growing public health risk as Africa’s clean energy boom drives a surge in battery use. … Experts warn that similar risks have emerged across Africa as the continent adopts more renewable energy. A February report by the Centre for Global Development, an independent think tank based in Washington and London, warned that the rapid expansion of off-grid solar systems and battery storage, seen as critical to closing Africa’s energy access gap, is driving a sharp increase in demand for battery recycling. … Much of that recycling is done in informal or poorly regulated settings. … Lead exposure is linked to neurological damage, reduced cognitive development and long-term health impacts, particularly in children whose brains are still developing. AP
HIV Patients in Senegal Skip Treatment, Fearing Arrest amid Anti-LGBTQ Crackdown
Fewer patients are visiting some HIV treatment centres in Senegal amid a wave of arrests targeting LGBTQ people, according to health officials and government data seen by Reuters, threatening the country’s fight against the virus. Last month, Senegal, where homosexuality is illegal, doubled the maximum prison term for same-sex sexual acts to 10 years and criminalised what it described as any efforts to promote it. … Data from the Senegalese government’s National Council for the Fight Against AIDS (CNLS), made available to Reuters, suggests that patients are forgoing vital antiretroviral drugs, which both treat and suppress HIV, for fear of arrest or abuse. … CNLS conducted a survey of 22 HIV/AIDS treatment centres over three days at the end of February, after warning the arrests could lead to a drop in HIV testing and treatment disruptions. The responses showed that 1,803 patients visited in February, down from 2,425 in January – a drop of 25.6%. … If a patient stops receiving treatment, the virus is more transmissible. Reuters
Ruto to Address Tanzania Parliament in First by Kenyan Leader
Kenya’s President William Ruto is expected to address Tanzania’s parliament on May 5, 2026, in Dodoma. This will be the first address to Tanzania’s parliament by a Kenyan president. Ruto has made several visits to Tanzania for East African Community (EAC) meetings and union celebrations since taking office. In March, he travelled to Arusha to hand over the chairmanship of the EAC Heads of State Summit to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. During his tenure, President Ruto announced a raft of reforms aimed at strengthening EAC integration. The May 5 visit comes as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda push plans for a regional oil refinery in Tanga to reduce reliance on imported petroleum products. Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has expressed interest in financing the project, which aims to process crude from Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo and South Sudan. Kenya and Tanzania, whose relations have at times been strained, have recently moved to strengthen diplomatic and trade ties. Bilateral trade has surpassed $1 billion, with efforts focused on removing non-tariff barriers. The East African
Kenya Gives a Hero’s Welcome to Marathon Record Breaker Sabastian Sawe
Marathon record-breaker Sabastian Sawe received a hero’s welcome in Kenya, complete with a water cannon salute on Wednesday for the aircraft he was aboard. On Thursday, he was awarded $61,000 and a car by the president. Sawe, the first person to officially break the two-hour barrier in an marathon, was welcomed home by his parents and Sports Minister Salim Mvurya, who hailed the runner’s accomplishment at the London Marathon as “a win for Kenya.” President William Ruto held a more formal welcoming ceremony Thursday, where he described Sawe’s win as “a defining moment in the history of human endurance.” Sawe gave President Ruto an autographed Adidas Adizero shoe worn during Sunday’s marathon. He also autographed a photo of the moment he broke the world record. Sawe made history on Sunday when he won in a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds. He bettered the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds. AP