Congo Army and Rebels Trade Blame over Clashes, Troop Buildup
Congo’s army on Tuesday accused Rwanda-backed rebels of carrying out multiple attacks in eastern Congo which it said violated agreements signed in Washington and Doha, and warned it reserved the right to respond to provocations. The army statement came a day after the rebel group, known as M23, accused Congolese forces of mobilising more troops and violating the terms of a declaration of principles signed on July 19 in Doha voicing support for a permanent ceasefire. The conflicting statements came as peace talks scheduled to resume in Doha last week have been delayed. In the declaration of principles, Congo and M23 pledged to begin talks by August 8 and aim for a final deal by August 18. Neither side currently has delegations in Doha…M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa said last week that the rebels had not received an invitation to the talks…The statement on Tuesday from Congo’s army said M23 was perpetrating almost daily attacks on its positions. Reuters
Nearly 600 Killed in Nigeria Airstrikes in Eight Months, Air Force Says
Nigeria’s military has killed 592 armed militia members in the northeastern sate of Borno in the past eight months, after stepping up air strikes in a region hit by years of violence, the air force said. The results surpassed the operational gains recorded in 2024, Chief of Air Staff Hasan Abubakar said during a visit to Borno Governor Babagana Zulum on Tuesday. Abubakar said the air force also destroyed more than 200 technical vehicles and 166 logistics hubs in a sweeping offensive against insurgents in the northeast. Militants from Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have attacked security forces and civilians in Nigeria’s northeast, causing widespread displacement and thousands of deaths. Militia gangs in Borno State have killed at least 2,000 people since 2023, according to Nigeria Watch, a database that monitors lethal conflicts and security in the country…Abubakar said the operation involved coordinated day-and-night air strikes across key locations in the state, including Gonori, Rann, Dikwa, Damboa, Azir and Mallam Fatori. He said it was bolstered by A-29 Super Tucano aircraft capable of precision and night missions, Mi-171 helicopters for medical evacuation and logistics, and enhanced surveillance platforms for round-the-clock target tracking. Reuters
Mali Junta Arrests Former PM Choguel Kokalla Maiga
Mali’s former prime minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga was arrested Tuesday, according to his entourage and a judicial source, several months after he was dismissed for criticising the country’s ruling junta. Plagued by jihadist and separatist violence, Mali has been led by the military since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. Maiga’s detention comes days after the junta carried out dozens of arrests to quash an alleged plot within the army’s ranks to topple the government in turn. His sacking in November 2024 appeared at the time to confirm that the army, which went back on a pledge to hand the reins back to civilians by the end of March 2024, had tightened its grip on power. Maiga was arrested in relation to an investigation into allegations of “misappropriation of public funds” made in a report by Mali’s auditor general, his lawyer Cheick Oumar Konare said in a statement sent to AFP. “Several of his former allies” were also in custody, Konare added. Having been named to the post following the second coup in 2021, Maiga was fired after he publicly condemned the lack of clarity over when the military would give up power in the West African country. AFP
South Sudan: Vice President Bol Mel Travels to UAE
South Sudan’s Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday to bolster economic ties and attract foreign investment, his office said. Mel, who heads South Sudan’s economic cluster, was accompanied by senior government officials and will deliver a message from President Salva Kiir to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his office said. Oyiti Ajawin, Mel’s press secretary, told reporters the visit aimed to enhance cooperation between the two countries and attract investment to South Sudan. Mel is also expected to meet Emirati business leaders to explore new economic opportunities, Ajawin said. The trip marks the latest in a series of diplomatic engagements between Juba and Abu Dhabi, following Kiir’s 10-day visit to the Gulf state last month. South Sudan and the UAE maintain diplomatic and trade relations, with the UAE providing humanitarian aid to the conflict-affected country. The vice president’s trip comes as South Sudan faces severe cash shortages and regional pressure on Kiir to resume stalled talks with First Vice President Riek Machar, the opposition leader who has been under house arrest since March. Radio Tamazuj
South Sudan: AU Ends Juba Visit Without Breakthrough on Detainees
The African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) wrapped up a three-day mission to South Sudan on Tuesday, pledging support for the country’s fragile peace process and planned elections. But observers say the visit failed to address deepening political crises, including political detentions. Led by Algerian Ambassador Mohamed Khaled, the rotating PSC chair for August, the delegation met with government officials, foreign diplomats, political figures, and civil society groups. In a statement seen by Radio Tamazuj, the AU Peace and Security Council reaffirmed backing for the 2018 peace agreement and welcomed President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s commitment to hold elections by December 2026. Yet the council sidestepped one of the most contentious issues: the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, Kiir’s longtime rival, detained since March over what authorities call criminal charges tied to violence in Nasir County. Machar’s supporters allege the move is politically motivated, undermining the peace deal he helped broker…The AU delegation did not confirm whether it requested to meet with Machar in Juba. Radio Tamazuj
Uganda: NUP Petitions Court to Block Return of Civilians to Military Courts
The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has filed a petition at the Constitutional Court, challenging the recently enacted Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) law, arguing that it undermines judicial authority and allows civilians to be tried in military courts. Through legal teams from Nyonzi, Kiboneka & Mbabazi Advocates, Pace Advocates, and Nalukoola Advocates, NUP has named the Attorney General, Parliament Speaker Anita Among, and Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth as respondents. NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said in his affidavit that Parliament rushed the legislation, reinstating provisions the Supreme Court had already declared unconstitutional in the landmark Attorney General vs Michael Kabaziguruka case. “This law is a direct affront to constitutionalism, judicial authority and the rights of Ugandans,” Rubongoya said, adding: “It is designed to entrench political persecution and normalise the trial of civilians in military courts.” …NUP seeks a declaration that the contested provisions are unconstitutional, a permanent injunction preventing civilian trials in military courts, and legal costs. Monitor
Macron Admits France Waged a Repressive War in Cameroon during Its Decolonization
France waged a “war” in Cameroon marked by “repressive violence” during and after the African country’s decolonization in the late 1950s, President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged, in a letter published on Tuesday, August 12. The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, is the latest example of France’s efforts under Macron to come to terms with its often-bloody colonial history. The admission follows an official report, published by a historical commission in January, which said that France implemented mass forced displacement, pushed hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into internment camps and supported brutal militias to quash the central African country’s push for sovereignty. The historical commission examined France’s role in the years both leading up to and after Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1, 1960.Macron announced the creation of the commission during a 2022 trip to the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde. Composed of both French and Cameroonian historians, the 14-person committee looked into France’s role in the country between 1945 and 1971, based on declassified archives, eyewitness accounts and field surveys. Le Monde with AFP
Ethiopia: Tigray Authorities Seize 440 Illegal Mining Machines; Report over 7 Billion Birr Loss in Revenue
Tigray’s Task Force for Preventing and Combating Illegal Mining has seized over 440 machines from illegal sites in the Northwestern Zone, regional media reported. It said mineral smuggling has cost the region more than 7 billion birr in revenue. The task force, established in December last year by the Tigray Interim Administration under former president Getachew Reda, aims to regain control of the region’s mining sector. During a meeting in Mekelle on Saturday with zonal and district leaders, senior military officials, and security and justice bodies, the task force revealed that illegal mining and mineral smuggling have cost Tigray over 7 billion birr in lost revenue to the National Bank. It noted that only 24 million birr in gold revenue has been recorded this year, well below projections. Amanuel Assefa, head of the Task Force, warned of severe environmental damage caused by illegal mining, particularly in the aftermath of the war. He highlighted pollution harmful to people, livestock, and the ecosystem, noting that the use of toxic chemicals in unregulated gold mining has created hazardous conditions. According to the report, the Task Force has established three operational committees — the Investigation and Control Committee, Security Committee, and Justice Committee — and is collaborating with lower-level government bodies to shut down illegal mining operations. Addis Standard
Africa’s ‘Land-linked’ Economies Poised to Drive Continent’s Prosperity
A new UNDP position paper – Africa’s Land-Linked Economies: Pathways to Prosperity and Development – explores the new narrative for African Africa’s landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), “rewriting the story from one of geographic limitation to strategic advantage”. UNDP notes that although African LLDCs’ contribution to global trade may be minimal, they supply regional and continental markets with strategic goods and services, including diamonds, copper, gold, coffee, sugar, as well as textiles and apparel. A critical element of the shift taking place on the continent is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into effect in January 2021 and represents the world’s largest free-trade area with a market of 1.2 billion people. Most African LLDCs are members of the AfCFTA, which is already reducing trade barriers, unlocking vast opportunities for LLDCs to actively participate in and benefit from intra-African and global trade, according to UNDP. “Land-linked flips the narrative: inland countries become bridges, not barriers. With AfCFTA, LLDCs can turn geography into a competitive edge – moving goods, services, and data faster and more affordably across Africa and beyond,” said [Samuel Doe, UNDP Resident Representative in Ethiopia]. The shift also requires coordinated policy reforms, as well as leveraging innovation, inclusive governance, resilience and financing to drive sustainable and inclusive growth. UN News
Lagos Summit Weighs AI Ambitions against Africa’s Tech Infrastructure Gap
In Lagos, the African Digital Economy and Inclusion Conference is bringing together policymakers, business leaders, academics and other stakeholders to explore how AI can drive growth while making sure no one is left behind…Discussions include using AI and big data for economic growth, digital identity systems for cross-border trade, and gender and youth inclusion in the digital workforce. Both public and private sectors are joining the race for AI on the African continent, whose digital economy is estimated at €155 billion and expected to reach almost €700 by 2050. Adedayo Oketola, head of the AFDEIC organising committee, said despite rapid fintech, e-commerce, and AI-driven advancements, Africa still faces significant digital infrastructure gaps. He said many rural Africans lack internet access, with millions still unable to benefit from digital financial services and e-learning platforms. Other challenges include poor access to electricity and a lack of experts in this field. “This disparity hinders the equitable distribution of opportunities associated with the digital economy and draws attention to the urgency for targeted interventions,” Oketola said. RFI
‘Existential Threat’: Sisi Warns on Nile Water as Ethiopia Completes Dam
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday held talks with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Cairo, in which the contentious topic of River Nile was discussed. At a joint press conference with Museveni, Sisi vowed to take all measures to protect his country’s water security. Sisi’s remarks were likely in reference to Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD). Cairo fears the dam will reduce the amount of water flowing to it…A decade of negotiations between the downstream nations and Ethiopia has failed to produce an agreement. Ethiopia has accused Egypt and Sudan of seeking to curtail its development ambitions. Last year, a new Nile water sharing accord – the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) – backed by seven countries took effect, drawing protests from Cairo and Khartoum. Several upstream countries have long argued that the downstream states of Egypt and Sudan had been unfairly allocated greater rights over the river Nile by colonial-era agreements. The Nile River has long been a focal point of geopolitical tension in eastern Africa, particularly between Egypt and Ethiopia. Africanews