The Shifting Front of Militant Islamist Violence in the Sahel
The Sahel has held the designation of the most lethal theater of militant Islamist violence in Africa for 4 years in a row…An estimated 67 percent of all non-combatants killed by militant Islamist groups in Africa are in the Sahel…Fatalities linked to these groups are more than two and half times the levels seen in 2020 when the first military coup in Mali occurred. Subsequent coups in Burkina Faso and Niger have also been followed by deteriorating security. Militant Islamist groups control more territory and transportation arteries in the three countries than at any point since the insurgencies began more than a decade ago. These figures are likely an undercount as the military juntas in all three countries have systematically intimidated journalists for reporting on military setbacks…The continued southward and westward push of militant Islamist groups is heightening the pressure on the borders of all the coastal West African countries. This will require the redoubling of proactive security and governance outreach measures in the northern regions of these countries to mitigate this threat and hold the line. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Ethiopia: Lt. Gen. Tadesse Named Tigray’s Interim President
Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede has been named the new interim president of the Tigray region, replacing Getachew Reda. Lt. Gen. Tadesse was the deputy president of Tigray’s interim administration and head of the cabinet secretariat for peace and security…The latest leadership shake-up that saw Lt. Gen. Tadesse take the position follows months of internal disagreements within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) after the party’s 14th Congress in August 2024, which lead to the emergence of two splinter groups led by Debretsion Gebremichael, TPLF’s chairman, and Getachew Reda. Subsequently, in October Debretsion’s group announced the removal of Getachew and others from their roles, leading to the interim administration under Getachew to counter-accuse Debretsion’s faction of attempting to “destabilize” the region through a “coup d’état.”…A decorated military leader, Lt. Gen. Tadesse played a key role in leading the Tigrayan forces during the two-year brutal war in the Tigray region and was instrumental in negotiating the Pretoria and Nairobi peace agreements. Addis Standard
UN Concerned over Sudan’s Blue Nile Displacement, Aid Access Blocked
The United Nations voiced grave concern on Monday for thousands of civilians displaced by insecurity in Sudan’s Blue Nile state and lamented the lack of humanitarian access to reach them due to fighting and bureaucratic obstacles. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said local authorities estimate 4,000 people fleeing Ullu and other towns in the southeastern state’s Bau locality were heading northeast towards the state capital Ed Damazine, some 230 kilometres away. About 600 people have already arrived in Ed Damazine and are taking shelter at a displacement site, Dujarric told reporters. “Ongoing insecurity and bureaucratic constraints have prevented humanitarian partners from reaching impacted areas,” he said during a regular press briefing…He also noted that the situation was further complicated by the recent arrivals of people fleeing from neighbouring South Sudan into other parts of Blue Nile State. Sudan Tribune
Sudanese Refugees Flee to Chad Amid Deadly Airstrikes
The first stop for many Sudanese refugees fleeing deadly ground attacks and airstrikes in Sudan is a remote mobile medical clinic along the border with Chad, operated by Doctors Without Borders. Sudan’s civil war is entering its third year, and increasing airstrikes have been a driving factor for many refugees now fleeing the country for safety in neighboring Chad…“As the Sudanese Armed Forces have made progress in Khartoum, we’ve seen more [R.S.F.] moving towards Darfur,” said Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Sub-Saharan Africa Amnesty USA. “Wherever the R.S.F. is, we’ve seen burning of villages, blocking of aid, conflict related sexual violence, and we expect an increase in that in the coming weeks.” While Ms. Hixon notes an expected increase in ground attacks as the R.S.F. regroups in its Darfur stronghold, she said airstrikes from both sides of the war had been a driving factor of recent displacement. In recent months, the influx of refugees to the region prompted Doctors Without Borders to scale up its services along the more rural northern border regions of Chad. Survivors who recently fled the Darfur region described to The New York Times how airstrikes by Sudan’s military would follow shortly after R.S.F. fighters infiltrated their villages or marketplaces. The New York Times
Allies Of South Sudan’s Arrested Vice President Denounce Weapons Ban
The political movement of a detained South Sudanese vice president on Monday called on followers to ignore army orders not to carry arms in public and instead “remain armed and vigilant”. The army demand came amid fears of renewed fighting in the conflict-wracked country following the March 26 arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, a longtime rival to President Salva Kiir. Along with the weapons ban, the army also told Riek Machar’s SPLA-IO forces to report to government offices or barracks “to resume their normal duties”, according to a SPLA-IO statement…Riek Machar and Salva Kiir entered a power-sharing deal in 2018 that has gradually unravelled, risking a return of the civil war that killed around 400,000 people in the African nation. More than 20 of the vice president’s political and military allies have been arrested since February, with some held incommunicado. AFP
Kagame Tells Countries Sanctioning Rwanda to ‘Go to Hell’
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Monday that countries sanctioning Kigali could “go to hell”, weeks after some nations imposed the measures over Rwanda’s involvement in the eastern DR Congo conflict. The Rwandan-backed M23 group has taken swathes of the Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing and holding the eastern regional capitals Goma and Bukavu, to international condemnation. United Nations experts have estimated that Rwanda has around 4,000 troops in the country supporting the M23. The European Union issued sanctions against three Rwandan commanders in March, following a similar decision by Washington in February against a government minister. “If anyone comes around, and thinks they can, you know, they come and say ‘hey we’re going to sanction you’. What? Go to hell,” Kagame told an audience during an event marking the beginning of commemorations for the 1994 genocide…Britain, Canada and Germany have also suspended some aid and limited export permits for trade. AFP
DR Congo President Meets Irate Kinshasa Flood Victims
Angry residents vented their frustration at DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday after losing their homes in weekend flash floods in the capital Kinshasa that have killed at least 33 people. Flooding frequently proves deadly in Kinshasa, which sits on the banks of the Congo River, Africa’s second largest after the Nile. Poor maintenance and inadequate sewerage systems have left drainage pipes blocked by rubbish in many poorer neighbourhoods.”Dad, you left your children in the street,” a resident told Tshisekedi, who along with his wife Denise Nyakeru visited some 600 people sheltering in a stadium transformed into an emergency shelter…The Democratic Republic of Congo leader also faced questions regarding the shambolic infrastructure and sanitation in Kinshasa…At least 33 people died in the latest floods and around 50 were hospitalised, according to the interior ministry. About 5,000 families have been affected, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba told a news conference. AFP
ECOWAS Says Africa Loses $88.6 Billion Yearly to Illicit Financial Flows
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said that illicit financial flows cost Africa a whopping $88.6 billion yearly. Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, said this during a training on financial investigation for anti-corruption institutions across its member-states…Mr Musah, who was represented by Ebenezer Asiedu, the commission’s head of the democracy and good governance division, according to TheCable , also linked the fragility of democracy in the region to corruption, which is a key driver of illicit financial flows…Illicit financial flows refer to the movement of money across borders. Such flows are illegal in its source—as in corruption and smuggling; its transfer, as tax evasion; or its use, as in terrorist financing. Weak laws, regulations and law enforcement activities, bribery and corruption, weak tax and anti-money laundering regimes contribute significantly to the capital hemorrhage through illicit financial flows out of Africa…He expressed concern on the increasing adoption of crypto-currencies and other emerging forms of online financial systems, saying that it has introduced new risks and vulnerabilities across member states as the financial industry evolves in West Africa. Premium Times
Burkina Junta Warns Against Advocating ‘Terrorism’ Online
The military regime of jihadist-hit Burkina Faso on Monday warned people against liking or sharing content online “inciting terrorism”. The West African nation has been ruled by a military junta since a September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, who has promised to restore security. Dissenting voices have been regularly silenced, detained or kidnapped in the name of the war against jihadists…Videos or accounts of jihadist attacks targeting the Burkinabe army and civilian populations are regularly relayed on social media, often contradicting stories of military success shared by the junta…Under Burkina Faso’s penal code, advocating for terrorism and spreading fake news can result in prison sentences of one to five years. For fear of reprisals, some media outlets restrict comments under sensitive publications on social media. Several journalists have recently been kidnapped and conscripted into the army to fight the jihadists. AFP
Mali Separatist Rebel Commander Arrested in Niger
A commander of a separatist rebel coalition operating in Mali’s volatile north was arrested in Niger last week, local security sources told AFP on Monday. The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) was created late last year in a merger of several predominantly Tuareg groups seeking to seize territory in northern Mali. A security source told AFP that Nigerien security services arrested Inkinane Ag Attaher, who the FLA says is a “commander within the Azawad army”, in charge of training fighting units…Bamako may soon request his extradition, according to a Malian source…Attaher deserted from the Malian army and, in 2012, joined the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), a group of separatist rebels who ousted the army from several regions in northern Mali. AFP
Airspace Closures Heighten Algeria-Mali Tensions Amid Drone Row
Algeria on Monday closed recalled its ambassador to Mali and closed its airspace to Malian planes amid a diplomatic row over the alleged shooting down of a drone that has heightened tensions between the neighbours. In response, Mali also closed its airspace to planes going to or from Algeria…Algiers also recalled its ambassador to Niger in a retaliatory move after the two countries along with Burkina Faso withdrew their ambassadors over the drone incident. The three military-run African allies jointly announced the ambassadors’ recall on Sunday. Mali had accused Algeria of downing one of its drones over its territory last week. AFP
Nigeria: Burial Begins For 16 Killed in Lakurawa Attack in Kebbi
No fewer than 16 members of a local vigilante group were killed in an attack by [the Lakurawa group] on Sunday, April 6, in Morai, Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria…Although this is not the first attack by the group, this assault underscores the escalating threat posed by the Lakurawa in northwestern Nigeria…Initially claiming to be a self-defence force against banditry, the Lakurawa have since evolved into a more radical and oppressive faction. Operating mainly in Sokoto and Kebbi states, the group is suspected to have links with extremist organisations, including alleged affiliations with the Islamic State. The latest attack has heightened concerns among residents and local authorities about the group’s expanding influence and the limited effectiveness of current security measures. HumAngle
French Foreign Minister Barrot Proclaims ‘New Phase’ in Algeria Ties
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed hope on Sunday, April 6, for a “new phase” in relations with Algeria, during a visit aimed at mending a major diplomatic rift. After a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Barrot said that “we expressed the shared desire to (…) enter a new phase” and “rebuild a partnership of equals.” Relations between Paris and Algiers came under strain last year when France recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria has long backed the pro-independence Polisario Front. Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris in protest of the policy shift it has viewed as favoring its North African rival. Relations soured further in November when Algeria arrested French-Algerian writer Boualem…The top diplomat met with his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf and announced a resumption of security cooperation with an upcoming meeting of senior intelligence officials from both countries. Barrot said that “we will have a strategic dialogue on the Sahel” region, plagued by a transnational jihadist insurgency and where a series of coups saw countries turn away from former colonial power France. France and Algeria will also resume cooperation on migration and visa issues “within the framework of existing agreements,” Barrot said. Le Monde with AFP
ICC Confirms 52 Mn Euros for Victims of Ugandan LRA Warlord
The International Criminal Court Monday confirmed the award of 52 million euros to victims of a Ugandan warlord who pressed a brutal reign of terror as part of the Lord’s Resistance Army commanded by fugitive Joseph Kony. Dominic Ongwen, whose nom de guerre was “White Ant”, is currently serving a 25-year jail sentence for 61 charges, including murder, rape and sexual enslavement. ICC judges had last year ordered 52 million euros in damages, including a “symbolic” payment of 750 euros for each of the near 50,000 victims identified in the case. Ongwen had appealed the award but ICC appeals court judges unanimously rejected the challenge, according to presiding judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, who also comes from Uganda…ICC judges ruled Ongwen personally ordered his soldiers to carry out massacres of more than 130 civilians at the Lukodi, Pajule, Odek and Abok refugee camps between 2002 and 2005. While the court acknowledged he had been kidnapped as a “defenceless child”, judges said this did not mitigate his guilt. The court’s Trust Fund for Victims will arrange for the reparations to be made as Ongwen — currently serving his sentence in a Norwegian prison — was unable to pay. AFP