Russia Cements Its Role as Africa Junta Protector after Helping Quell Niger’s Mutiny
Niger’s junta survived its most severe internal threat since seizing power in a 2023 coup when renegade soldiers staged a mutiny over the weekend, triggering a 24-hour standoff that ended with Russian intervention. The mostly young soldiers took some of their colleagues hostage at a strategic military base in the capital, Niamey, and fired shots near the presidential palace 12 kilometers away before being subdued by presidential guard forces aided by Russia’s Africa Corps paramilitary group, according to several analysts and diplomats. … In a region known to be the global epicenter of terrorism, “fighting jihadis comes as a second priority (for the Africa Corps), but the first priority is to sustain regimes and they are succeeding in this,” said Wassim Nasr, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank. Across the Sahel region, a vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert, militaries that grabbed power citing security failures have severed ties with longtime Western security allies and turned to Russia. … While the Russian military partnerships have protected the juntas from security threats, everything else has worsened on the security front in the Sahel as armed groups increasingly target cities and urban centers in competing for influence and territories. … Threats like this weekend’s in Niamey could make the juntas prioritize their protection even more at the detriment of overall security. AP
Zambia’s Opposition Leader Charged With Treason
Zambia’s detained opposition leader Brian Mundubile has been charged with treason, his lawyer said on Sunday, deepening concerns over the government’s treatment of political dissent. Mundubile, who finished second to President Hakainde Hichilema in the August 13 election, was taken into custody on Thursday after more than two weeks in hiding. Police accuse him of posing a national security threat after security forces raided his home a day after the vote and said they found rifles and other military equipment. They were charged on Saturday and have remained in custody at Lusaka Central Police Station, Aongola said. Zulu, Mundubile’s running mate, is a former lawmaker and a spokesman for the family of late former president Edgar Lungu. The pair have denied the allegations, dismissing claims of an armed insurgency as fabricated. It was not immediately clear when they would appear in court to take plea. Hichilema is due to be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday. Rights groups have warned that recent opposition arrests risk further narrowing political space in Zambia. AFP
People Fleeing Sudan Civil War Face ‘Dire and Deteriorating’ Conditions in Refuge City
Humanitarian conditions in the Sudanese city of El Obeid and two camps on its outskirts are dire and deteriorating, according to people on the ground, as civilians displaced by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia continue to pour in from the surrounding countryside. … While many of the new arrivals have been absorbed into the city, tens of thousands are living in two main tented camps. According to analysis of satellite data by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, 800 new tents appeared in one of the camps between 4 and 25 August. … Recently, volunteers in El Obeid had noticed more “double-tap” drone strikes, where a second drone follows the first, hitting rescuers at the scene, Maryam [a humanitarian worker] said. “It is hard, so hard, living with this, hearing the sound of a drone hitting somewhere,” she said. “It’s very disturbing.” The Guardian
Military Build-up at Ethiopian Base Threatens Sudan’s Ed Damazin, Yale Report Says
A rapid accumulation of combat vehicles and military supplies at an Ethiopian military base near the border with Sudan poses a significant and imminent threat of an assault on the city of Ed Damazin by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict monitoring group said on Friday. The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) said satellite imagery showed a major escalation of activity and materiel at the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) base in Asosa between Aug. 23 and Aug. 28. Over that five-day period, researchers identified about 100 newly present light technical vehicles across three groupings, marking a sixfold increase compared with Aug. 23. The imagery also revealed 15 vehicles consistent with armoured personnel carriers, 14 vehicle transport trailers, and at least eight cargo transport trucks. Several technicals showed visible weapon mountings, including at least five fitted with heavy weaponry. … The logistical build-up follows claims by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) sources that the RSF has been resupplied via Asosa airport during clashes across the border in Sudan’s Blue Nile state. The observatory said logistics expansions had expanded steadily at the base, with at least 60 shipping containers arriving between late June and late August, followed by another 15 containers and the completion of a large vehicle storage shed measuring 70 meters by 17 meters. Sudan Tribune
Ethiopia’s Abiy Could Consolidate Power As ‘Executive President’
A weeks-long political dialogue in Ethiopia has backed constitutional changes to create a new presidential system that could extend Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s control over the country. Abiy, 50, has ruled the Horn of Africa country of 130 million since 2018. His party won another landslide victory at elections in June, albeit in the midst of a crackdown on the opposition and media. That was followed by a long-promised “national dialogue”, in which some 4,000 delegates gathered to discuss the country’s many challenges, including its deep ethnic divides and ongoing insurgencies. More than a month of talks ended on August 22 with the delegates overwhelmingly backing plans to combine the office of prime minister and the largely ceremonial presidency into a new “executive presidency”. It could be put before parliament as soon as it reconvenes in October. Most assume that Abiy, who was absent from the dialogue, will get the job if it goes ahead, since this new president will be selected by a parliament packed with his supporters. They say it will be a more unifying role, representing all of Ethiopia’s ethnic groups, compared to the current system in which Abiy is elected as a member of parliament from his Oromia region. … Critics fear all this will allow Abiy to consolidate personal power, as Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan did when he jumped from prime minister to a newly created executive presidency in 2014. AFP
Ethiopia Joins Regional Maritime Security Talks in Nairobi amid Growing Red Sea Threats, UN Says
Ethiopia participated in a two-day Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue held in Nairobi [last] week, bringing together security officials from Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia to strengthen cooperation and information-sharing amid growing maritime threats in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United Nations said. The dialogue was facilitated by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with support from the European Union, INTERPOL, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Discussions focused on strengthening maritime domain awareness, operational cooperation and coordinated responses to threats including piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and narcotics trafficking. … Djibouti Maritime Authority official Abdurrahim Muhammad Ali said regional security threats were interconnected and called for closer information-sharing among countries facing similar challenges. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden constitute critical maritime corridors linking regional economies to international markets, with disruptions potentially affecting shipping routes and supply chains beyond the region, the UN said. Addis Standard
Nigerian, Türkiye Strengthen Defence Partnership on Naval Shipbuilding, Technology Transfer
The Nigerian Navy has renewed efforts to deepen defence-industrial cooperation with Türkiye, with a focus on naval shipbuilding, technology transfer and the development of indigenous maritime defence capabilities. The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, made this known on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when he received the Deputy Secretary of Defence Industries of Türkiye, Mr Gökhan Uçar, at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja. The engagement centred on practical opportunities for collaboration in naval shipbuilding, defence technology, technology transfer, local production and capacity development, particularly in strengthening Nigeria’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities and supporting the Nigerian Navy’s fleet modernisation programme. Speaking during the meeting, Abbas emphasised the importance of mutually beneficial partnerships, sustained engagement and firm contractual commitments in developing credible and enduring defence-industrial cooperation between both countries. He also stressed the need for partnerships that would deliver greater localisation, skills development, maintenance capabilities and long-term technological value to Nigeria. The discussions further explored opportunities for joint production, research and development, maintenance and technical capacity building within Nigeria’s maritime defence sector. PR Nigeria
Morocco Not to Blame for Ceuta Border Breach, Says Spanish PM
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has insisted there was no evidence to suggest the Moroccan government was behind last month’s massive border crossing into Ceuta. “There’s no information from any intelligence agency that raises doubts over the involvement of Moroccan authorities,” he told Cadena Ser radio on Monday. “Cooperation with Morocco is frankly positive. I’d like to stress that we need to be aware that this crisis can be resolved only through cooperation – and not through a lack of trust in Morocco, which would only further aggravate the already complex situation we have in Ceuta.” The prime minister once again pointed the finger at “criminal gangs” who had used disinformation to falsely claim that a ruling by Spain’s supreme court meant that no one who entered Ceuta by swimming could be deported back to Morocco. He also said fake news had been pumped out on social media accounts “associated with Russia, Israel and the international far right that always use migration to attack not just Spain but also Europe”. The Guardian
Libya Rivals Agree Roadmap for Elections within 24 Months at UN-led Talks
Representatives of Libya’s rival political parties on Sunday signed an agreement on holding long-delayed national elections within two years to resolve contentious issues over electoral laws and reform the national elections body. The political process to resolve more than a decade of conflict in Libya has been stalled since an election scheduled for December 2021 collapsed following disputes over the eligibility of the main candidates. Sunday’s signing ceremony was held at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, in the Libyan capital Tripoli. It followed talks in a smaller format, known as the 4+4, that involved two representatives of each of Libya’s four main institutions: the Government of National Unity, the High Council of State, the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army. Walid Ellafi, state minister of political affairs and communications in the Government of National Unity, said legislative and presidential elections should be held “within a period not exceeding 24 months” under a single executive authority and unified national institutions. … The agreement says that if Libya’s House of Representatives and High Council of State fail to approve the deal within a month, the parties will seek to adopt it nationally as a constitutional document through broad national mechanisms and secure international backing through the U.N. Security Council. Reuters
Rare War of Words Exposes Tension within South Sudan Top Leadership
A rare public confrontation between South Sudan’s liberation heroes, President Salva Kiir and Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, has laid bare hidden tensions within the ruling elite. It has also raised fresh concerns about the cohesion of the transitional government as the country heads towards the scheduled but disputed elections in December 2026. … At the heart of the disagreement were remarks Nyandeng made during a funeral mass for veteran politician and former Minister of Cabinet Affairs Kosti Manibe Ngai in Juba earlier on August 11, 2026. The vice president said South Sudanese had inflicted hardships upon themselves that even their enemies never did, lamenting that national liberators now walk the streets with their heads bowed. … The public fallout between Nyandeng and President Kiir stems from deep frustrations over governance failures, exclusion at the highest levels of power, and the deteriorating welfare of ordinary citizens. She revealed that she has gone nearly two years without a one-on-one meeting with President Kiir, highlighting a deep political and communication freeze within the government. The East African
Ebola Response Shifts to Congo’s River Network
The runaway [Ebola] epidemic that started in the north eastern province of Ituri is already spreading in an area the size of France and has now reached Kisangani, the river port on the upper reaches of the Congo waterway. Health officials fear that once the infection is established in the city which acts as a jumping off point for travel to Kinshasa, it is only a matter of time before a case is conveyed by boat to the capital. As a result, Africa’s second largest river after the Nile has become a new epidemiological front line for the relief effort to stop the outbreak which has already killed nearly 2,700. … [DRC’s authorities have drawn] up their new “Congo river without Ebola” initiative. The initiative launched late last week will see community health volunteers screen passengers for high temperatures and physical symptoms as they embark and disembark at ports along the river. Passengers will also be checked against a contact tracing database to see if they have potentially been exposed to the virus. Meanwhile clinics and hospitals along the route will be helped to prepare and set up isolation wards and treatment centres just in case. Crew on river-going vessels will also be told how to look out for telltale signs and what to do if one of their passengers falls ill. … Peter Lambertz, an anthropologist with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), who has studied Congo river traffic, said the slow pace of travel may help stop the virus getting to Kinshasa. Telegraph