UN Raises Alarm over Drone Strikes in Sudan as Envoy Pushes Political Talks
The United Nations warned on Monday of rising risks to civilians from drone strikes in Sudan, even as its personal envoy continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed deep concern over deadly drone attacks, including a strike in the Ghurra Zawia area of Kabkabiya locality, North Darfur, on August 2, 2026, killing at least 37 people. … Meanwhile, UN Personal Envoy Pekka Haavisto spoke with Sudanese Foreign Minister Muhieddine Salem to discuss preparations for an upcoming visit to Khartoum and arrangements for Sudanese students in Chad to sit national examinations. Haavisto also held discussions with Rapid Support Forces commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, to explore practical steps toward de-escalation. The UN envoy will travel to Türkiye this week for talks with Turkish authorities and Sudanese political stakeholders, including youth and women representatives. The regional diplomatic initiative, involving the UN, African Union, IGAD, Arab League and European Union, follows preliminary talks held in Addis Ababa in June aimed at advancing a Sudanese-led political resolution. Sudan Tribune
Sudan’s RSF Turns to Tribal Leaders to Stem Losses after Kordofan Defeats
The move by Rapid Support Forces Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti, toward direct tribal mobilization in Darfur following the defeat of his forces in North Kordofan represents a strategic shift with new operational and political implications. In a speech late last week, Hemetti announced the mobilization of his forces to liberate Khartoum, assemble fighters, and unleash what he described as “al-Rasan” for the forces in Kordofan. The term “al-Rasan” is used exclusively in Sudan’s political and military context, particularly in the western region, and means untying a beast’s rope. Figuratively, it refers to unleashing certain tribal and community formations, serving as a slogan to signal heightened combat readiness and mobilization to join battlefronts. … An informed source within the RSF familiar with native administration movements in Darfur and Kordofan told Sudan Tribune that the recent tribal mobilization process no longer relies solely on historical loyalties. Instead, it has been paired with financial injections and offers of weapons and equipment. The source confirmed that influential RSF leaders held closed-door meetings with tribal figures and notables, offering large sums under the guise of “supporting local committees and securing areas” in exchange for pledges to send specific numbers of young men and fighters to the frontlines. Sudan Tribune
Nigeria’s Displaced Communities Risk Being Shut Out of Elections
Across Nigeria, millions of internally displaced persons, uprooted by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East and terrorism in the North West and North Central regions, are being locked out of the forthcoming 2027 elections, not by law, but by logistics, neglect, and a registration system that repeatedly fails to reach them. In camps across affected regions, HumAngle found the same pattern: officials who promise to return and don’t, voters’ cards lost or destroyed in flight, and a growing number of displaced residents who have simply stopped believing their vote will count. … INEC extended the voter registration exercise nationwide from July 10 to 26. Mohammed Haruna, the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairperson of the Information and Voter Education Committee, said the extension would give eligible but unregistered citizens a final opportunity, as well as a new self-service online option for first-time voters. But in a camp where smartphones and internet access remain rare, that solution reaches almost no one. HumAngle
The UAE’S Imperial Push into Africa
Under the leadership of its autocratic ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, known as MBZ, the [UAE] has spread investment, influence and military hardware across Africa with dizzying speed in a bid to harness trade and resources for its post-oil future. The UAE’s projection of power spans the continent, ranging from ports to green energy projects to industrial-scale farms. It has leased millions of hectares of agricultural land to bolster food security. It has acquired mining rights from DR Congo to Guinea to secure critical minerals for the energy transition and for its burgeoning defence sector. The pace and imperial ambition of the UAE under MBZ has caught African policymakers on the back foot, arguably marking the most significant geopolitical shift since China began courting the continent with a mix of loans, infrastructure and mining deals at the turn of the millennium. That engagement also comes at a price. The UAE is creating a complex system of commercial, industrial and military entanglements that sometimes reinforce but also undermine the sovereignty of fragile states — most notably in war-torn Sudan. Financial Times
Tinubu Approves up to 80% Salary Increase for Nigerian Soldiers
President Bola Tinubu has approved a salary increase of between 30 and 80 per cent for members of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, a move expected to raise the federal government’s annual military wage bill by N264 billion as the country continues to battle terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. This was disclosed in a Tuesday statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga who noted that the pay review will take effect from 1 September. The presidency said about 250,000 personnel would benefit from the salary review. … Under the new salary structure, officers above the rank of colonel—including brigadier generals, major generals, lieutenant generals and generals—will receive a 30 per cent salary increase. … Junior soldiers, who make up much of the military’s frontline fighting force, received the largest percentage increase, suggesting the government is directing the biggest pay improvements to personnel most actively engaged in combat operations. Premium Times
World’s Oldest President Reshuffles Army as His Absence Stokes Unease
Cameroon’s veteran leader Paul Biya – who has not been seen in public for nearly two months – has reshuffled the country’s military amid growing concerns over his prolonged stay abroad. The 93-year-old president appointed officials to key positions within the army and promoted five colonels to the rank of brigadier general. One of the newly promoted brigadier generals is Raymond Jean Charles Beko’o Abondo, who was immediately reappointed as commander of the elite presidential guard – responsible for protecting Biya – a position he has occupied since 2013. Such shake-ups are not unusual under Biya’s administration, particularly at times of intense public scrutiny or perceived weakness. … The circumstances under which the latest changes were made have sparked debate, especially among social media users. Biya made the appointments in separate decrees on Monday from the Swiss city of Geneva, where he has been staying since leaving Cameroon on 7 June for what his team described as a “brief private stay”. … His absence sparked further speculation about his health, but the government has continually debunked reports that the head of state has been in hospital. BBC
EU Ministers Condemn Foreign ‘Information Interference’ in Ceuta Crisis
European interior ministers have expressed concern over cases of foreign “information interference” linked to the circulation of images during the migration crisis in Ceuta. Speaking after a meeting with his EU counterparts on Tuesday, French interior minister Laurent Nuñez, said there was no rift in the EU on the issue. The informal online discussion was convened following the influx of tens of thousands of migrants last week into the Spanish enclave in North Africa. Nuñez said all member states had “without exception” expressed solidarity with Spain and that the interference was trying “to sow division among” them. “There was a certain amount of interference by foreign states which used these images to criticise the EU’s migration management policy,” he said. He added that EU ministers “also praised the way the Spanish government had handled the situation” and “the remarkable cooperation with Morocco”. Africanews with AFP/AP
WHO Chief Arrives in Congo to Support Ebola Response as Cases near 4,000
The head of the World Health Organization has arrived in Congo to support measures being ramped up to slow the world’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, the agency said Wednesday, as confirmed cases reach nearly 4,000. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, late Tuesday night and is scheduled to meet with partners and Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi, the WHO country office told The Associated Press. It’s his second visit to the country since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. The Ebola outbreak reached 3,874 cases, including 1,751 deaths as of Monday, according to the latest data published overnight by Congo’s Ministry of Health. The outbreak has eclipsed all other Ebola outbreaks in history in terms of rate of transmission and is the second-largest outbreak on record, only behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that recorded more than 28,000 cases, including over 11,000 deaths. … The Africa Centers for Disease and Control Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said Tuesday when he visited Bunia, Ituri’s capital, that contact tracing isn’t working, with at least 60-70% of new cases coming outside of the contact list. AP
Strong El Niño Could Push 49 Million More People into Acute Hunger, UN Agency Says
A powerful El Niño weather event could push an additional nearly 49 million people into acute food insecurity across some of the world’s most vulnerable regions by the end of next year, the World Food Programme said on Wednesday. The U.N. agency said in a report that there was an 81% chance of a very strong El Niño event, with sea surface temperatures at their warmest levels since at least 1982 and potentially making it the strongest such event since 1950. El Niño, a periodic warming of ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific, alters global weather patterns and is often associated with drought in Southern Africa, delayed monsoons in parts of Asia and erratic rainfall elsewhere. … Based on an analysis of 45 countries deemed vulnerable to the adverse effects of El Niño, WFP estimates that the number of people facing acute food insecurity could rise by almost 49 million to a total of 274 million people, an increase of 22%, relative to the baseline population already experiencing crisis-level food insecurity or worse. Central America and Southern Africa are expected to be among the hardest-hit regions, with the number of food-insecure people set to increase by 83% in Central America and nearly 75% in Southern Africa, the WFP report said. Reuters
Algeria Arrests Suspected Drug Lord at France’s Request
Algeria arrested a man described by French authorities as a leader of the criminal organization DZ Mafia, a French prosecutor told Le Monde on Wednesday, August 5. Laribi, a French-Algerian dual national from Marseille also known as “Tic,” was arrested on July 20 on the basis of a warrant issued by French judges handling a large-scale investigation dubbed “Octopus.” He was granted conditional release on July 21, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said. His arrest was first reported by Franceinfo. The charges against him include leading a group with the goal of drug trafficking – a crime punishable by life imprisonment – as well as violating drug legislation, criminal conspiracy and money laundering, said Bessone. … As an Algerian citizen, Laribi cannot be extradited by Algeria to France. He could however be prosecuted in Algeria. The arrest warrant for Laribi had been issued as part of the “Octopus” investigation, which in March also led to a major crackdown in southern France involving some 900 gendarmes and 40 arrests, 26 of which led to charges. Le Monde