Djibouti: An Uncontested Election Masks a Sea of Instability
Djibouti’s April 2026 presidential election is unlikely to produce any surprises. In power since 1999, President Ismail Omar Guelleh is pursuing a sixth presidential term in this country of 1.2 million people. … The 77-year-old Guelleh’s prolonged tenure has been facilitated by a series of constitutional amendments bypassing presidential term limits. … Guelleh’s continuation in office is also likely assured in that only one lesser-known candidate, Mohamed Farah Samatar, is contesting in the election. … Meanwhile, the ostensible opposition, holding 7 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly, has also endorsed Guelleh. The two most vocal opposition parties, the Mouvement pour le renouveau démocratique et le développement (MRD) and the Alliance républicaine pour la démocratie (ARD), have boycotted elections since 2016, citing the lack of impartiality of the Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI). … Djibouti’s economic prospects are closely tied to regional stability—and the use of its ports. Djibouti still handles over 90 percent of Ethiopia’s trade, despite Addis Ababa’s efforts to diversify. … The upsurge in attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea by Houthi militias operating out of Yemen and Somali pirates, therefore, have added to Djibouti’s economic challenges. … Djibouti must also manage expanding Gulf State competition for influence in East Africa, including over control of ports and trade routes. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Fighting between Sahel-based Jihadist Rivals Spills into Niger
[Two West African jihadist groups] have clashed in Niger for the first time, according to a statement from one of the groups, a development that analysts said signals an intensification of their years-long rivalry. Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP) engaged in their first skirmishes in 2019 and have since clashed hundreds of times, resulting in more than 2,100 deaths, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a conflict monitoring group. That fighting had unfolded exclusively in Mali and Burkina Faso until last week when ISSP fighters attacked a JNIM position in the Tillaberi region of western Niger. In a statement dated Monday, ISSP said it had killed 35 JNIM operatives and seized weapons and motorbikes. It said the attack came on April 2 in response to a JNIM attack on a village in Tillaberi. Human Rights Watch has previously accused ISSP of staging deadly attacks killing scores of civilians in Tillaberi. JNIM has not issued a statement on the incident and could not be reached for comment. Heni Nsaibia, ACLED’s senior analyst for West Africa, said ISSP statements have “quite high credibility”, as the group has consistently provided visual evidence of slain JNIM fighters and seized weapons and equipment. Nsaibia said the spread of violence between the two groups highlights how little state control there is in much of the Sahel. Reuters
Nigeria Begins Mass Trial of 500 Terrorism Suspects
Nigeria has begun the prosecution of more than 500 people accused of involvement in militant attacks in one of the country’s largest ever terrorism trials. The suspects face charges linked to aiding and abetting terrorism, particularly in the north-east where an insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist group began 17 years ago. Since then insecurity has spread to many other areas of the West African nation, leaving communities, often those in rural areas, at the mercy of mushrooming militant groups and gangs that kidnap for ransom. The mass trial opened on Tuesday at a high court in the capital, Abuja, where 227 suspects were arraigned before 10 judges, according to the attorney general. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in bombings and various attacks across Nigeria this year alone. Very few people are ever prosecuted over terror attacks – and suspects are often detained and spend years in custody without facing trial. … The defendants are alleged to have taken part in attacks mainly in northern Nigeria, while others face charges of supporting militants through funding, supplying arms and logistics. BBC
Sudanese Army, Security Forces Accused of Torture and Arbitrary Detention
Forces affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have arbitrarily detained and tortured civilians in areas under their control, leading a campaign of retaliation against perceived opponents, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday. The rights group reported that the military and its allies, including the General Intelligence Service and the al-Baraa Ibn Malik battalion militia, have targeted individuals based on ethnic identity, humanitarian work, or political affiliation. The report, based on interviews with 28 people conducted between June 2025 and February 2026, documented abuses in Khartoum, Gezira, Gedaref, Red Sea, and Northern states. HRW found that detainees were often held incommunicado in military bases or houses converted into detention sites. Evidence suggests the military has specifically targeted individuals from Darfur, profiling them as collaborators because the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) originates from that region. HRW documented accounts of Darfuri civilians being beaten and told they had “brought the war” to the capital. Humanitarian workers and local volunteers running soup kitchens have also been interrogated and detained. Sudan Tribune
New Report Cites Evidence of Alleged Military Assistance to RSF from Ethiopian Base, Raising Regional Security Concerns
A new report by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) says it has found “high confidence” evidence of activity consistent with military assistance by Ethiopia to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), raising concerns about escalating regional insecurity. The report, published on 8 April, is based on satellite imagery and open-source data collected between late December 2025 and late March 2026. It concludes that such activity is taking place at an Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) base in Asosa town, in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region. According to HRL, the findings “represent clear visual evidence over a five-month period that RSF is basing its attacks on Blue Nile State, Sudan from inside Ethiopian sovereign territory.” The report further states that this alleged support is occurring within an active ENDF installation and involves an armed group “credibly accused of committing acts of genocide,” adding that such activity could violate UN Security Council Resolution 1591, which prohibits arms transfers to actors involved in the Darfur conflict. Addis Standard
Ethiopia Renews Tenure of Tigray Regional Leader
Ethiopia on Wednesday extended the mandate of the interim administrator of the northern Tigray region by one year, raising uncertainty over elections scheduled for June in the restive region. Tigray still suffers from the aftermath of a brutal two-year conflict, ended by a 2022 peace deal that established the interim administration. The war was one of the deadliest in recent decades, claiming roughly 600,000 lives and pitting Tigrayan rebels against federal forces, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army. The conflict disrupted legislative and regional elections in 2021, leading to the appointment of veteran Tigray politician Getachew Reda to head the interim administration. Getachew, who faced growing criticism within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), was replaced in April last year by Tigrayan General Tadesse Werede. … Tadesse’s one-year extension raises doubts over polls planned for June 1, when Tigray is due to elect leaders to its local parliament and government, as well as MPs to the federal parliament. With no elections held, Tigrayan legislators have not sat in the federal parliament since 2021. Africanews
Kenya: KDF Receives Guns and MRI Machine from Indian Navy
On Wednesday, Kenyan Navy and Indian Navy signed an Implementing Arrangement under a Quick Impact Project (QIP) for the provision of a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine. The machine is used for general imaging, musculoskeletal studies, cardiac imaging, and neuro scans. The Kenyan Navy also received 100 INSAS rifles and 50,000 rounds of ammunition. The MRI and the arsenal are part of the growing depth of defense cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Kenyan Navy that was handed over during a three-day port visit by the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Trikand, a frontline guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy, as part of its operational deployment in the Western Indian Ocean Region. … During the visit the Indian Navy emphasised its vision and commitment to strengthening maritime partnerships with African nations. The three-day visit will see the ship’s crew engage in a range of professional exchanges and interactions with the Kenya Navy, aimed at enhancing interoperability and sharing best practices. The Standard
Cameroon ‘Military Contractors’ Killed in Russia-Ukraine War – BBC Confirms Leaked Message
Sixteen Cameroonians have been killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine, the BBC has confirmed after a foreign ministry source verified that a recently leaked diplomatic note circulating on social media about the deaths was authentic. The government has faced criticism over its prolonged silence on the issue – and this marks the first recognition of the involvement of its nationals in the conflict. A recent report by All Eyes on Wagner, a group that investigates mercenary activities worldwide, said 94 Cameroonians had died in the war between 2023 and 2025. The leaked note – from Cameroon’s foreign ministry to the Russian embassy – describes the 16 who had died as “military contractors”. … While Cameroon refrains from publicly commenting on its nationals participating in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reports that it saw an internal memo from March 2025 in which the defence minister expressed concern over soldiers leaving the country to fight in Ukraine, and asked officers to monitor their units. BBC
Genocide Case against Widow of Ex-Rwandan President Remains in the Balance
A French court has postponed its ruling on whether to dismiss allegations of genocide against Agathe Habyarimana, the widow of Rwanda’s former president, and finally end 18 years of investigation. A decision is now expected on 6 May. French courts are weighing accusations that Habyarimana was part of the Hutu inner circle that planned and orchestrated the killings of around 800,000 people, mainly ethnic Tutsis, in 1994. The former first lady was married to Juvenal Habyarimana, the Hutu president whose assassination in April that year set the massacres in motion. She fled Rwanda days later with the help of the French military and has been living in France since 1998, despite repeated attempts by Kigali to have her extradited. The case against her has been open since 2008, when a French-based victims’ association filed a legal complaint. It has already been closed without charges three times before, but each time prosecutors have appealed the decision or requested a new probe. … After the most recent dismissal in August 2025, anti-terrorism prosecutors and the civil parties behind the complaint called for a review. The Paris Court of Appeal is now deliberating whether to uphold their challenge or end the case for good. RFI
Pope Leo XIV’S Historic Algeria Visit Seen as Symbol of Dialogue and Recognition
For Pope Leo XIV, an upcoming visit to Algeria marks both a personal and historic milestone, as the North African nation prepares to welcome a sitting pontiff for the first time. For Jean-Paul Vesco, the trip is a dream come true. He says he hopes the visit will foster a “true encounter,” emphasizing openness and mutual respect in a country where Islam shapes culture and identity. Algeria’s small Christian community sees the visit as a powerful gesture of recognition, while authorities view it as highly significant in a nation where ancient Christian heritage coexists with a predominantly Muslim society. Vesco also highlighted the legacy of clergy killed during the violence of the 1990s, saying their witness remains important for the global Church and a reminder of the need for solidarity across faiths. He stressed that beyond formal interreligious dialogue, the visit represents a deeper call to “live together” and share common human experiences. The April 13–15 trip will honor Saint Augustine, who was born in present-day Algeria. The pope is set to visit Algiers and Annaba, home to the Basilica of Saint Augustine. Africanews
CAF President Patrice Motsepe Visits Dakar in Wake of Africa Cup Title Drama
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Wednesday that he was visiting Senegal’s capital Dakar to support Senegalese football leadership, but stopped short of addressing directly the details of the controversial CAF decision that stripped Senegal of its Africa Cup title last month. … Earlier Wednesday, Patrice Motsepe met with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a vocal supporter of the national team since its chaotic January final, which saw Senegalese players walk off the field. Most of Senegal’s players left the field for nearly 10 minutes as fans clashed with stewards behind one goal in protest of a controversial penalty awarded to Morocco after Senegal had a goal disallowed. The players later returned, Morocco missed the penalty, and Senegal won in extra time. After the January 18 match, CAF’s disciplinary board imposed more than $1 million in combined fines on the Senegalese and Moroccan federations and handed suspensions to Senegal’s coach and several players. It did not alter the result. But in March, CAF’s appeals board ruled Senegal forfeited the final by leaving the field of play without the referee’s authorization and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory. Motsepe later defended the decision. The Senegalese Football Federation filed an appeal in March with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. Africanews