Boko Haram Founder’s Son, Others Arrested in Chad
Muslim Yusuf, a son of Boko Haram’s late founder, Mohammed Yusuf, has been arrested in Chad, where he allegedly led a jihadist cell. According to multiple reports, the teenage son of the late founder was born in Nigeria before the 2009 uprising, groomed into militancy, and had begun to carve out his own cell to prove his worth within ISWAP. A source said he was attempting to establish a new base in the Lake Chad region when he was arrested. His true identity was reportedly revealed to the Chadian authorities following a tip-off from Nigerian intelligence. It was gathered that the suspect had initially disguised as Mustapha Bana Abubakar when he was captured alongside five others. According to AFP, Muslim Mohammed Yusuf was detained alongside five suspected members of the Islamist movement. Chadian police had earlier confirmed the arrest of six suspected members of Boko Haram but declined to identify them. It was only after Nigerian intelligence alerted N’Djamena through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that authorities realised one of the suspects was the son of Boko Haram’s founder…A Nigerian intelligence source in the Lake Chad region said the group belonged to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a breakaway faction that split from Boko Haram in 2016 over ideological differences. Premium Times
Gunmen in Nigeria Kill Muslim Worshippers in ‘Reprisal Attack’
Gunmen in north-west Nigeria have stormed a mosque, killing Muslim worshippers in what the local government has called a “reprisal attack”. Police in Katsina state said 17 worshippers were shot dead by the assailants – known locally as bandits – but other reports from the region say the death toll is higher. The mosque, located in the village of Unguwan Mantau, was attacked on Tuesday because local residents had ambushed and killed a number of “bandits” two days earlier, Katsina state official Nasir Muazu said. Banditry is rife in north-western Nigeria, where armed gangs target locals, often for financial gain. Muazu, Katsina state’s commissioner for internal security, said the attack occurred during morning prayers and that the gunmen shot “sporadically”. As of Wednesday afternoon, the attackers remained at large. Muazu said the police and military personnel had been deployed to find them. Despite the reprisal, Muazu said the local government “reaffirms its unwavering support for community-based security initiatives”. BBC
Nigeria: Police Create New Area Commands, Upgrade Five Stations in Benue amid Rising Security Concerns – Official
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has approved the creation of two new area commands and the upgrade of five police stations to divisional status in Benue State, in what authorities say is a response to the state’s deepening security challenges. According to the police, the decision followed an appraisal of recent operations which revealed “geographical gaps” between security formations and vulnerable communities across troubled local government areas of the state…[The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Benue, Udeme Edet] explained that the restructuring was aimed at boosting the police response to security threats in the state. “This adjustment will assist the command in policing troubled areas with large and difficult terrains. These Divisions will also ensure quick resolution of conflict between farmers and herders and facilitate quick response to distress calls,” he said. Mr Emenari also lauded the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, for his support of security agencies in the ongoing efforts to safeguard lives and property in Benue. Premium Times
Armed Men on Motorbikes Keep Conflict in Motion in the Sahel
In recent years, motorcycles have become the preferred mode of transport for armed groups operating not only in Benin, but across the Sahel from Burkina Faso to Mali to Niger. Fighters on motorbikes have changed the face of conflict, experts say. According to a 2023 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), motorbikes are “one of the most widely trafficked commodities in the Sahel”, deeply embedded in the region’s criminal economy, and “indispensable to the violent extremist armed groups” operating in West Africa’s borderlands. In the process, public sentiment towards these vehicles, and those who drive them, has shifted, with a shadow now cast over daily riders…Groups like Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), with an estimated 6,000 fighters forming the region’s most heavily armed rebel force, have perfected the art of motorcycle warfare. Fast, nimble, and easy to conceal, these bikes enable hit-and-run tactics perfectly suited to the Sahel’s vast, sparsely populated terrain. In early 2025 alone, JNIM fighters launched a coordinated campaign of attacks: 30 soldiers killed in Benin, more than 50 people near Kobe in Mali, 44 worshippers in Niger’s Fambita, and 200 troops at Burkina Faso’s Djibo military outpost. In each assault, motorbikes provided the speed and surprise that made these attacks possible…Governments across the Sahel have responded with blunt instruments, with at least 43 motorcycle bans having been recorded since 2012, according to GI-TOC. Yet these sweeping restrictions often hurt civilians more than armed fighters, cutting off rural communities from markets, clinics and schools. Al Jazeera
Sudan: MSF Halts Operations in Zalingei Hospital after Deadly Attack
The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced on Tuesday it had suspended its work in Zalingei, the capital of Sudan’s Central Darfur state, after a deadly grenade attack inside the city’s main hospital. The attack on Aug. 16 killed one person and injured five others, including a health ministry staff member, MSF said in a statement. The violence reportedly erupted between armed relatives of two separate patients, culminating in a grenade being detonated in front of the emergency room. “Our staff cannot risk their lives while providing care,” said Marwan Taher, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Darfur. The suspension has immediate and critical consequences for the region. The hospital is the only referral facility serving a population of around 500,000 and is the sole medical centre in Central Darfur equipped to handle both emergency cases and severe cholera infections. The decision to close comes amid an outbreak that has already killed seven people. MSF said its teams had treated 162 cholera patients in the first 16 days of August alone. The closure also halts thousands of monthly gynaecological and paediatric consultations and surgeries. Zalingei is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), within a politically fractured Central Darfur state. Sudan Tribune
Weak State and Clan Politics Leave Somalia’s Urban Displaced in Limbo
Sinka Dheer is a maze of metal shacks, mosques, restaurants, stores, and pharmacies. But it is also an administrative no man’s land: It doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Mogadishu municipality, and neither is it recognised by the neighbouring South-West State. That means there are no public services reaching the residents here…The weakness of state institutions, after years of war, limits the federal government and Mogadishu municipality’s administrative reach. Al-Shabab and its two-decade-old insurgency is another challenge. The jihadist group vies with the authorities for control and legitimacy in areas outside the main towns – including the countryside beyond Afgoye…The challenge for the authorities is how to integrate this uprooted population: to provide land, public services, and political representation – rights that will change the demographics of cities like Mogadishu…Clan dynamics are a particular complication. Mogadishu is dominated by powerful major clans, especially the Hawiye. The majority of IDPs, however, are from marginalised so-called minority groups, including farm-based Bantu people…However, a degree of integration has happened already. In May 2024, the federal government recognised three new districts that were incorporated into Mogadishu. One of these was Garasbaley, a former informal settlement on the Mogadishu-Afgoye corridor. The New Humanitarian
South Sudan’s President Appoints Daughter as Envoy
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has appointed his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, as Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes, a move seen by analysts as part of a broader trend of consolidating power within the ruling elite. The position was previously held by Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, who was elevated to vice president in February. The reinstatement of the post, now occupied by Adut Kiir, has drawn criticism over perceived nepotism and concerns about growing political dynasties within the country’s leadership. Adut Kiir, who has recently been engaged in humanitarian work through her non-profit, the Adut Salva Kiir Foundation, has not held a formal government position before. Her new role places her among the president’s closest aides. The appointment comes amid a wider pattern of children of prominent liberation-era figures being placed in senior government positions…James Boboya, a senior policy analyst, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the trend reflects a move toward what he described as “inheritance governance.” “When political power is perceived to be slipping, leaders begin transitioning influence to close family members or relatives. This centralizes power and redistributes state resources within a narrow inner circle,” Boboya said. Radio Tamazuj
South Sudan, Djibouti Sign Deal to Develop Trade Corridor
South Sudan and Djibouti signed an agreement Monday to develop a major trade corridor along the White Nile River, a project aimed at giving the landlocked East African nation new access to sea routes and boosting regional commerce. The memorandum of understanding, signed by the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority and South Sudan’s government, focuses on building river and dry ports in several South Sudanese towns, including Juba, Bor, Malakal and Renk. South Sudan’s Transport Minister, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, called the signing a “significant milestone” for cooperation with Djibouti. He said the project would boost trade, advance logistics and foster economic growth in the Great Lakes region once implemented. The initiative is part of the White Nile Corridor development plan, which will use two main logistics routes to connect South Sudan to Djibouti’s ports, according to a statement from the Djibouti authority. One route will move goods by road from Djibouti through Ethiopia to Nasir in South Sudan, and then by barge along the Sobat and White Nile rivers. A second corridor will connect to Port Sudan, with road transport to Kosti, Sudan, before transferring to barges on the White Nile heading south. The Djibouti authority said the corridors will also be supported by air cargo solutions for high-value shipments from Asia. Radio Tamazuj
‘Africa Is Poised for Progress’ Guterres Tells Development Conference in Japan
The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday repeated his call for Africa to have a greater say in decisions that affect its future, in remarks to a conference in Japan focused on the continent’s development. “With the world’s youngest population, abundant natural resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Africa is poised for progress,” he told the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama…Mr. Guterres highlighted five areas for cooperation, starting with his longstanding push to reform institutions of global governance so that they reflect today’s realities. “Africa must have a stronger voice in shaping the decisions that affect its future,” he said. “That includes long-overdue reform of the Security Council, where incredibly, Africa has no permanent member, and other regions remain underrepresented.” He also called for overhauling the international financial architecture, describing the current system as “unjust and unfair”, as well as bold action on debt relief. The Secretary-General next put the spotlight on investment in sustainable global value chains and regional integration…Mr. Guterres called for harnessing digital innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI), for development. He said Japan’s technological leadership can help close the digital divide, “and ensure that technology helps African countries catch up, with adequate digital public infrastructure, rather than being left behind.” UN News
IGAD Sets Sights on Peace and Prosperity in New 2026–2030 Strategic Plan
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has unveiled its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, setting out a renewed vision of peace, resilience, and prosperity for the Horn of Africa. The plan builds on lessons learned from the outgoing 2021–2025 framework, a period defined as much by ambition as by unprecedented challenges. Speaking in Kampala during the launch, Dr Willa Anthony Willa, IGAD’s Director for Planning, Coordination, and Partnerships, said the new blueprint is as much about continuity as it is about recalibration…The outgoing strategy was designed to strengthen governance, food security, infrastructure, and integration, but it unfolded against a backdrop of turbulence. The pandemic disrupted economies and strained fragile health systems, while conflicts in Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan diverted attention and resources from development priorities. Compounding matters, donor funding declined as traditional partners faced their own domestic pressures, slowing critical projects in agriculture, resource management, and infrastructure…The 2026–2030 plan will prioritize climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity protection, and renewable energy expansion. It will also emphasize food and nutrition security, strengthening regional value chains, and improving storage and distribution systems to safeguard livelihoods. Monitor
Media Watchdogs Urge Ethiopian Reporters Release
Ethiopian authorities must “unconditionally release” two arrested journalists, media watchdogs said Thursday, criticising the country’s increasingly “hostile environment” for reporters. The sprawling African nation is regularly criticised by rights groups for the repression of dissenting voices, and has seen a surge in detentions of journalists in recent months. Abdulsemed Mohamed, who hosts a business program on the privately-owned Ahadu Radio, disappeared on August 11 in the capital, Addis Ababa. Three days later he was seen “accompanying police officers who raided his office,” the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said, citing a relative. Yonas Amare, a senior editor with The Reporter newspaper, was “abducted by a group of masked individuals” on August 13 from his home in the city, his employer said…RSF sub-Saharan Africa director Sadibou Marong urged authorities to provide information on the two, and to “release them immediately”. “Attacks on press freedom and the practice of journalism have increased in recent months,” he said. AFP
New Bitcoin Institute to Focus on Africa
Human rights activists and technology leaders in Africa are working on developing original research into rising bitcoin usage on the continent as they seek ways to both boost financial inclusion and counter digital restrictions by authoritarian leaders. Anaïse Kanimba, the daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, the political activist whose story inspired the film Hotel Rwanda, is leading the new Africa Bitcoin Institute, which is being supported by organizations including the Human Rights Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bitcoin use has grown on the continent in response to unstable local currencies, difficult and high-cost cross-border transactions, and as a store of value in the face of rising inflation. But as much of the research on bitcoin has come from outside the continent, Kanimba told Semafor she is building a team to address a gap in the global bitcoin and digital currency narrative with African voices, data, and leadership: “We have a problematic cycle where African policymakers rely on global precedents rather than African realities when crafting digital currency policies,” she said. Semafor