Sudan’s RSF Pushes into Abu Shouk Camp as Fierce Fighting Engulfs El Fasher
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) pushed deeper into a vast displacement camp in El Fasher on Monday, three local sources said, as fierce fighting raged for control of the North Darfur capital amid conflicting claims of battlefield gains from both sides. The advance was focused on the Abu Shouk camp, which is home to approximately 190,000 people. The sources told Sudan Tribune that the RSF now controls about half of the camp, having forcibly displaced residents, looted homes, and abducted around 30 people, including women and children. The escalating clashes in El Fasher, the historic capital of the Darfur region, are drawing closer to strategic army positions, including the city’s airport and artillery headquarters. An RSF field commander told Sudan Tribune his forces were advancing along three axes to capture the army’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters in the city centre. He said that troops on a southern front were fighting near El Fasher International Airport, while another force was tasked with neutralizing the army’s artillery command in the west…Activists told Sudan Tribune that residents are resorting to grinding animal fodder and mixing it with scarce sorghum flour to survive. A sack of sorghum, a local staple, now costs 9 million Sudanese pounds (approx. $3,000), while a sack of fodder is more accessible at 160,000 pounds (approx. $53). Sudan Tribune
War-displaced Sudanese Return to Shattered Khartoum Eager to Rebuild Lives and Homes
[Roughly 1.2 million people] returned to Sudan between December 2024 and May this year, according to the latest estimates by the International Organization for Migration. Mohanad Elbalal, cofounder of Khartoum Aid Kitchen, said that in areas recaptured by the military in Khartoum province people are returning to find their homes destroyed, neighborhoods shattered, often with no electricity and scarce food, water and services, but they’re returning to rebuild their homes. In Khartoum City, electric substations have been destroyed and cables have been torn from the ground…“Khartoum took serious steps towards repairment despite this destruction to rebuild the province,” he said, adding that the first phase of rebuilding is nearing completion. The work has focused on removing corpses, clearing unexploded ordnance and other war remnants, opening blocked roads and sanitizing neighborhoods to prevent disease outbreaks. Khartoum officials are now focusing on restoring basic services, including electricity, water pumps, pavements, sidewalks, and solar panels…[Kholood Khair, founding director of Confluence Advisory,] said that while returnees to Khartoum are relieved their areas are free of the RSF, they still face insecurity. Acts of robbery, ethnic profiling and illegal occupation of homes continue in the absence of proper civil order and the rule of law. “The lack of services and increased militarization … are the perfect recipe for organized crime to take root,” she added. AP
Why Africa Must Take Ownership of Its Security – UN Deputy Secretary-General
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has charged African defence chiefs to take full ownership of the continent’s security. Mrs Mohammed, who gave the charge at the opening of the maiden African Chiefs of Defence Forum in Abuja on Monday, warned that violent extremism, cyber warfare and climate change are reshaping Africa’s stability. She described the summit as “the birth of a new era in African security cooperation,” noting that it was a rare opportunity to connect the boots on the ground with the policies that shape the continent’s collective future. “Africa today is the epicentre of global terrorism deaths. Attacks in West Africa’s coastal states have surged by 250 per cent in just two years. “By the end of last year, 14,000 schools were closed in the Sahel due to conflict. We risk losing an entire generation,” she warned. The Deputy UN chief, who is a former Nigerian Minister of Environment, also highlighted new and emerging threats. “Cyberspace today is a battlespace. Once it was the radio that carried messages of hate and incited genocide; today, it is social media, amplifying division at terrifying speed,” she said. On artificial intelligence, Mrs Mohammed cautioned that while AI could help predict food insecurity and detect landmines, it also raises profound risks for human rights, dignity and the rule of law…Mrs Mohammed urged African leaders to act collectively, stressing that security could not be pursued in isolation as it was inseparable from development, human rights, and climate resilience. “Above all, Africa will not be a bystander. Africa will take ownership of its security, harness technology for peace, and protect its people. “Nearly 1.5 billion Africans are counting on us to rise to this moment,” she said. Premium Times
Burkina, Mali Skip Nigeria-hosted African Defence Talks
Burkina Faso and Mali did not send representatives to a continental military meeting hosted by Nigeria Monday as relations between the junta-led Sahel countries and their west African neighbours remain tense. Along with Niger — also under military rule — Mali and Burkina Faso withdrew from regional bloc ECOWAS in January, after forming their own Alliance of Sahel States (AES) as they battle long-running jihadist insurgencies. Niger, represented by embassy defence attache Colonel Major Soumana Kalkoye, was the only AES country at the African defence chiefs of staff talks, hosted in the Nigerian capital Abuja. Billed by Nigerian authorities as the first such high-level pan-African meet hosted on the continent, the conference drew high ranking officers from Djibouti to Namibia for “discussions on collective strategies” and finding “homegrown solutions to Africa’s defence needs”, according to its programming. Speaking of security challenges that “recognise no borders”, Nigerian Chief of the Defence Staff Christopher Musa called for “a new architecture of African-led security cooperation”. “True security is not achieved in isolation,” Musa told officers gathered for the talks, set to run through Wednesday. AFP
Mali Political Party Ban Sent to Constitutional Court
A court in Bamako on Monday referred the dispute over the dissolution of political parties — a decision of the ruling junta which the opposition is seeking to overturn — to Mali’s Constitutional Court. The court’s decision, confirmed by lawyers representing the banned political parties, followed the junta’s announcement in May that political parties and organisations of a political nature across the country would be banned. The move was the latest in a series of restrictions on civil liberties introduced by the military rulers, who came to power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. Members of the parties filed appeals to several courts in Bamako, seeking to challenge the legality of the presidential decree enacting their dissolution and its consequences. The courts initially rejected the opposition parties’ appeals, prompting them to take the case to the Bamako High Court. That court on Monday ordered “the transfer of the case to the Constitutional Court via the Supreme Court”, according to the lawyers’ statement. AFP
UN Experts Urge Immediate Release of Malian Activist
Several UN experts on Monday urged Malian authorities to free activist Clement Mamadou Dembele, who has been in jail since November 2023 despite a judge ordering his release. Dembele, an academic and anti-corruption activist, had been accused of issuing death threats against Mali’s junta chief and now president, General Assimi Goita, in an audio message shared on social media. But an independent forensic expert tasked with authenticating the recording concluded that the voice in the audio was not Dembele’s. A judge from Mali’s National Cybercrime Unit then dismissed the case, prompting an appeal by prosecutors. Since taking power in Mali through coups in 2020 and 2021, the west African country’s military rulers have ramped up pressure on critics. “This case reflects the persistent and escalating pattern of human rights violations against members of opposition political parties, civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders in Mali,” the UN experts said in a statement. A court order authorising Dembele’s release was issued but the UN experts — who were appointed by the organisation’s Human Rights Council (HRC) but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations — said Dembele remains in jail. AFP
Nigeria Police Repatriate Chinese Gang Leader in Landmark INTERPOL Operation
In a major breakthrough against transnational organized crime, the Nigeria Police Force has successfully repatriated a high-profile Chinese fugitive, Mr. Dai Qisheng, to the People’s Republic of China. The operation, coordinated through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, was executed in collaboration with INTERPOL NCB Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, marking a milestone in international policing cooperation. Mr. Dai, a notorious gang leader wanted for orchestrating violent organized crimes in Guizhou Province, fled China in 2024 after an arrest warrant was issued by the Public Security Bureau of Zhijin County. He had been on the run until INTERPOL operatives in Nigeria tracked and arrested him in Abuja on August 8, 2025. Following his arrest, the fugitive was repatriated to Beijing on August 15, 2025, under a police-to-police cooperation framework facilitated by INTERPOL. The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, hailed the successful operation as a testament to the Nigeria Police Force’s unwavering commitment to global security and justice. “This operation sends a clear message to criminals worldwide: Nigeria will not be a safe haven for fugitives,” the IGP said. He emphasized the importance of intelligence-sharing, operational collaboration, and strong international alliances in combating modern transnational crime networks. Vanguard
Somalia: Puntland Forces Step Up Pressure on ISIS as Trapped Militants Face Surrender Deadline
Puntland’s defense forces have issued an urgent 72-hour ultimatum to Islamic State (ISIS) fighters trapped in the Baallade valley, urging them to surrender peacefully or face full military action. The militants, currently surrounded in cave hideouts within the valley, have been warned that this is their final chance to avoid bloodshed. The message, issued in multiple languages, called on the fighters to lay down their arms and contact Puntland security forces for safe surrender. “The Puntland government calls on ISIS fighters and anyone wishing to surrender to contact Puntland security forces within 72 hours. Your life is valuable,” read a statement from Puntland’s military command. Authorities pledged humane treatment for any fighters who surrender, including safe return to their families and communities. However, officials warned that failure to comply would lead to severe consequences. “There will be no escape. This is the final opportunity,” the statement said. The standoff comes as the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, concluded a separate two-week counterterrorism operation in the Puntland region targeting ISIS-Somalia. The joint strikes focused on leadership hideouts in the Golis Mountains, a remote area known to harbor high-ranking militants. Garowe Online
Tunisia Rights Groups Denounce Closure of Freedom of Information Agency
Tunisian rights groups on Monday condemned the dissolution of an authority that sought to guarantee access to information for citizens and journalists. The groups denounced as a setback for freedoms the closure of the National Authority for Access to Information (INAI), an independent body established in 2016 in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprising of 2011, aiming to safeguard rights to access information. The government told AFP it had shut down the agency earlier this month and reassigned its staff to other government roles. The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) said the move was made “in secret” with no major public announcement, criticising the government’s tighter restrictions on information. “Access to information is increasingly locked now,” SNJT head Zied Dabbar told AFP. “We cannot speak of press freedom if there is no access to information,” he added. “From now on, there will only be the official narrative, which will lead to propaganda.” The journalists union described the measure as “the demolition of one of the fundamental pillars” of Tunisia’s fragile democracy. President Kais Saied, elected in 2019, has ruled Tunisia by decree since a 2021 power grab, with local and international organisations decrying a decline in freedoms in the North African country. Many of Saied’s critics are currently behind bars, including dozens of journalists and public figures who have been prosecuted under a 2022 law incriminating “spreading false news”. AFP
Egypt Must Halt Lengthy Arbitrary Detention of Government Critics: UN Rights Chief
Egypt must end a practice allowing the prolonged arbitrary detention of government critics, the United Nations human rights chief said Tuesday. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk slammed a common practice in Egypt in which authorities bring new charges against individuals when they are about to complete their prison sentences or as they reach the maximum legal period of pretrial detention, preventing their release…Turk said the fresh alleged offences, often under counter-terrorism laws, are typically baseless and similar to charges the detainees had already been convicted of. “Most of those targeted by ‘rotation’ should not have been detained or jailed in the first place — the charges brought against them are often related to the exercise of their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” he said. “This practice has become a tool by which the Egyptian Government represses those perceived to be critical of, or in opposition to, its policies.” AFP
South Africa Probes Influencer Promotions of Recruitment to Russia
South Africa said Monday it was investigating allegations of human trafficking after multiple social media influencers shared recruitment campaigns promising young women jobs in a Russia-based programme accused of abuses. In videos shared to millions of followers, several South African influencers encouraged women aged 18 to 22 to join a programme called “Alabuga Start” with vague promises of international careers, flights, housing and Russian language classes in the central Russian region of Tatarstan. An investigation by the Associated Press last year revealed that some women recruited into the programme — many from African countries — were forced to work in factories assembling attack drones for Russia’s war in Ukraine. South Africa’s foreign affairs spokesman Chrispin Phiri told AFP the matter was “under investigation”…In some of the videos, the female influencers were in Russia and toured what they identified as the headquarters of the programme located in the Alabuga special economic zone near the town of Yelabuga…”Human trafficking syndicates are luring young people into all sorts of illegal activities under slave-like conditions,” said the foreign ministry’s head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela. AFP
FBI Crackdown in Ghana Sparks Urgent Push for Lifestyle Audit Law
A series of joint operations between the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Ghanaian authorities has reignited calls for a lifestyle audit law aimed at curbing corruption and fraud in the West African country. The recent probes, which resulted in the seizure of luxury vehicles and homes in Accra, reveal the extent of illicit financial flows that have entered and exited Ghana’s economy. Investigators found that crime proceeds, ranging from romance scams to multimillion-dollar fraud, have been laundered into lavish lifestyles. Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin confirmed that lawmakers are drafting a bill to empower state institutions to probe public officials, politically exposed persons and private individuals whose wealth cannot be justified…Africa loses an estimated $88.6bn annually to illicit financial flows, according to a 2020 United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) report. The sum is equivalent to 3.7% of the continent’s GDP, with corruption, tax evasion and trade misinvoicing as key drivers. Ghana has been flagged by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for deficiencies in combating money laundering, though it was removed from the grey list in 2021 after reforms. Still, flashy displays of wealth by politicians and business elites severely erode public trust. “We cheer public officials donating huge sums at funerals or churches, but rarely question the source. Lifestyle audits of appointees are urgently needed to restore confidence,” Transparency International Ghana’s executive director, Mary Addah, tells The Africa Report. The Africa Report
Three Sisters Drown in Migrant Boat in Mediterranean, Rescuers Say
Three young sisters have drowned in a rubber boat carrying migrants in the central Mediterranean after waves of up to 1.5m (4.9 ft) repeatedly washed over the vessel, a German rescue charity has said. About 65 people were rescued, including the sisters’ mother and brother, as well as three pregnant women and a seven-month-old baby, RESQSHIP added. The “dangerously overcrowded” rubber boat had departed from Libya’s Zuwara city and “started taking on increasing amounts of water” a few hours later, the charity said. Libya is a major launching pad for migrants who make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, hoping to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa. The sisters who drowned were aged nine, 11 and 17 years, RESQSHIP said in a statement…”The boat was dangerously overcrowded, it was pitch-dark, water was flooding in, people were panicking. In that chaos, it was impossible to see that the three sisters, sitting deep inside the boat, had already drowned. When the survivors realised, it was sheer horror,” [Barbara Sartore, the charity’s communications coordinator, said]. RESQSHIP said that many of the survivors suffered severe chemical burns caused by the mixture of seawater and petrol inside the boat, and required medical treatment…UN agencies say that more than 700 people have died trying to cross the central Mediterranean from North Africa this year. BBC