DR Congo, Rwanda Vow to Uphold Trump-backed Peace Deal
US President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Washington on Thursday to mark a peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi reaffirmed an economic integration pact and a US-brokered peace deal reached earlier this year. … Eastern Congo has endured years of conflict between government forces and more than 100 different armed groups, most notably the M23 rebels, which the UN and other international observers say is backed by Rwanda. … M23 was not part of the Congo-Rwanda deal and instead previously took part in separate, Qatar-mediated talks with Congo. … The two leaders’ pact builds on months of peace efforts by the US, the African Union, and Qatar, and finalizes an agreement first signed in June. DW
U.N. Warns of ‘Another Wave of Atrocities’ in Sudan’s Civil War
The U.N.’s top human rights official warned on Thursday of “another wave of atrocities” in Sudan’s civil war as paramilitary groups intensify an offensive on an oil-rich crucial region bordering Darfur. In October, one of the groups, the Rapid Support Forces, seized the famine-stricken city of El Fasher from the Sudanese military, unleashing widespread violence against civilians. Heavy fighting has now surged across the sprawling Kordofan region, which connects central Sudan to Darfur. … The region is important for both sides of the conflict. To regain its territorial foothold in Darfur, the Sudanese military will need to secure key routes through Kordofan. Control of the region would allow the Rapid Support Forces to build on its momentum and choke the flow of movement between the center of the country and Darfur. The New York Times
RSF Massacres Left Sudanese City ‘a Slaughterhouse’, Satellite Images Show
The Sudanese city of El Fasher resembles a “massive crime scene”, with large piles of bodies heaped throughout its streets as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) work to destroy evidence of the scale of their massacre. Six weeks after the RSF seized the city, corpses have been gathered together in scores of piles to await burial in mass graves or cremated in huge pits, analysis indicates. With the capital of North Darfur state still sealed off to outsiders, including UN war crimes investigators, satellite evidence has revealed a network of newly dug incineration and burial pits thought to be for the disposal of large numbers of bodies. While the final death toll of the massacre remains unclear, British MPs have been briefed that at least 60,000 have been murdered in El Fasher. … As many as 150,000 residents of El Fasher remain unaccounted for since the city fell to the RSF. They are not thought to have left the city, and this grisly development comes amid increasingly gloomy speculation about their fate. … No expert or agency has been able to explain the whereabouts of the tens of thousands of residents who have been missing since El Fasher – the army’s last major stronghold in the region – was overrun on 26 October after the RSF’s brutal 500-day starvation siege. The Guardian
Uganda: 2026 Elections: EC under Pressure as Campaign Violence Escalates
Agents representing Uganda’s presidential candidates have urged the Electoral Commission to take full control of the upcoming election, warning that rising violence and selective enforcement of the law threaten a peaceful vote. Speaking after a five-hour closed-door meeting with Electoral Commission officials on Wednesday, David Lewis Lubongoya, an agent for National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, described the campaign environment as “almost like a war zone.” … Other agents demanded procedural reforms, including allowing voters to remain near polling stations after voting, publishing all polling stations in advance, and announcing results district by district. … Uganda will hold its General Election on January 15, 2026, with eight candidates in the race, including incumbent President Museveni and opposition leader Bobi Wine. Monitor
Tanzania Crackdown Goes Digital: Meta Blocks Two Leading Activists
Two of Tanzania’s most influential online dissidents – diaspora firebrand Mange Kimambi and media entrepreneur Maria Sarungi Tsehai – have had their Meta accounts suspended, sparking accusations that the tech giant is enabling state censorship as Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan faces growing international scrutiny over the country’s violent election fallout. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, confirmed that Kimambi’s Instagram accounts were removed, citing “recidivism” and repeated violations of its community standards. Sarungi-Tsehai’s Instagram page has been geo-restricted inside Tanzania after what Meta described as a “legal order from Tanzanian regulators”. … Kimambi’s Instagram accounts @mangekimambi80 and the news forum @wananchiforum together reached millions. She insists that every post emphasised non-violent protest, and alleges her deactivation coincided directly with the scale of the Gen Z demonstrations. … Sarungi Tsehai, founder of the Change Tanzania movement, saw her account abruptly rendered inaccessible from within the country on the same day. Meta says the decision followed a formal legal request from the Tanzanian government. The Africa Report
Nigeria: Ribadu, Kukah, Sultan Outline how Nigeria Can Achieve Lasting Peace
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says lasting peace and stability in Nigeria cannot be achieved by security agencies alone without the active involvement of communities and critical stakeholders. Mr Ribadu stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a high-level dialogue on preventing violence and conflict in northern Nigeria, organised by the National Peace Committee in collaboration with the Kukah Centre and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He said effective security required a whole-of-society approach involving traditional and religious leaders, civil society, youth and women groups, the private sector and development partners working alongside government agencies. … He added that improved cooperation from communities helped early-warning systems and resilience-building efforts across affected states. … The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue, humility, and mutual respect as key tools in addressing extremism and insecurity in the country. Premium Times
Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, Fano Faction Sign Breakthrough Agreement
Ethiopia has taken a significant – though fragile – step towards easing one of its most volatile internal crises with the signing of a peace agreement between the Amhara Regional State Government and a faction of the Fano militia, the Amhara Fano Popular Organization (AFPO). Brokered and witnessed by the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional bloc, the agreement marks the first formal accord since the conflict erupted more than two years ago, destabilising one of the country’s largest regions. Regional officials cast the agreement as an essential opening for “relief and security”, but analysts warn its impact may be limited unless Addis Ababa confronts the broader political, security and governance grievances that fuelled the uprising. The Africa Report
South Sudan: Machar Trial Adjourned Due to Judge’s Illness
The high-profile trial of South Sudan’s suspended First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar, has been adjourned until Wednesday, 10 December after a member of the three-judge panel fell ill. The Special Court in Juba halted proceedings at Freedom Hall on Friday after Judge Stephen Simon became unwell, rendering the panel incomplete. Presiding Judge James Alala Deng announced the adjournment, stating: “One of the members of the panel is sick. He is receiving treatment; therefore, we are going to adjourn the session to Wednesday, 10 December.” The court had been scheduled to continue the cross-examination of Major Peter Malual Deng, the prosecution’s first witness and a military investigator. This was to be the 28th session of the trial. Machar, 72, along with seven co-accused, faces serious charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity. The charges relate to a deadly attack on a military base in Nasir County in March 2025. Radio Tamazuj
Kenyan MPs Accuse British Soldiers of Decades of Sexual Abuse
Kenya’s parliament has accused British soldiers of decades of sexual abuse, killings, human rights violations and environmental destruction while training in the country. … For decades, troops from the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) have been training in central Kenya but their presence has long attracted controversy, with soldiers accused of misconduct and rights abuses. More than 1,000 Kenyan soldiers receive British training each year, while thousands of UK troops are sent to Kenya for training exercises. In a 94-page report following a two-year inquiry, Kenya’s parliamentary Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations accused Batuk of continued ethical breaches, rights violations and environmental negligence, as well as employment and labour concerns. The panel cited oral and written submissions from affected civilians, victims, community leaders, civil society organisations and public agencies. The report said that during the inquiry, host communities had complained of killings, assaults and maimings, including public fights and fatal traffic incidents, involving Batuk soldiers. BBC
Students in Senegal Clash with Security Forces over Financial Aid
Clashes between students and security forces at Senegal’s main university intensified on Wednesday as protesters demanded stipends and other financial aid amid the government’s ongoing fiscal challenges. Authorities at Cheikh Anta Diop University in the heart of the capital requested help from law enforcement to ensure safety as rock-throwing students clashed with security forces, who responded with tear gas. The unrest comes as the West African nation struggles with a severe financial strain and a debt burden that the International Monetary Fund says is equal to 132% of its gross domestic product. Pape Demba Niane, a third-year student at the faculty of legal and political sciences, said students were trying to engage in discussions when the police entered the campus. “We are afraid… Several students are currently injured and the medical service is unable to cope with the influx,” Niane told Reuters. Demba Ka, president of one of the campus associations, said students had tried to hold peaceful demonstrations for 13 months without gaining attention from authorities. Reuters
‘Rhino Renaissance Campaign’: South Africa Steps up Fight against Poachers
[VIDEO] Every year, hundreds of rhinos are killed for their horns, which are trafficked mainly to Asia for use in traditional medicine. As part of the “G20 Heritage Projects”, a large-scale campaign was launched in mid-July in South Africa to help save the rhino from extinction. The “Rhino Renaissance Campaign” brings together advanced surveillance technology, the involvement of local communities and radical conservation measures – including dehorning – to combat poaching. France 24