Fresh Fighting Flares in Eastern DR Congo
Fighting erupted Tuesday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, three days after a call by African leaders for a ceasefire and a brief lull in the conflict. M23 fighters attacked Congolese army positions in South Kivu province at dawn, local and security sources told AFP. The DRC government has designated the M23 rebel group as a terrorist organization, while the United Nations and the United States classify it as an armed rebel group. Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels…The resurgence comes after east and southern African leaders called on their general staff to propose a plan for implementing an “unconditional” ceasefire by Thursday, in a conflict which has killed thousands and driven vast numbers from their homes…Bukavu has been preparing for an M23 offensive for several days, with schools shuttering in the city Friday as residents began to flee and shops closed over fears of an imminent attack…The capture of Bukavu would give full control of Lake Kivu to the M23 and Rwandan troops. AFP
Detained Ugandan Opposition Figure Besigye Is on Hunger Strike, His Wife Says
A prominent opposition figure in Uganda who is on trial in a military tribunal has begun a hunger strike, his wife said, two weeks after the country’s top court banned courts-martial from trying civilians. President Yoweri Museveni said his government would continue to prosecute civilians in military courts despite the Supreme Court’s ruling…Besigye, a long-time opponent of Museveni, was detained in neighbouring Kenya in November, in what a senior Kenyan foreign affairs official described as an abduction. He was subsequently brought home and charged with illegal possession of firearms and with treachery, which carries the death penalty…Human rights activists have accused Museveni’s government of widespread human rights abuses, including torture and arbitrary detention. The government has repeatedly denied allegations of election fraud and rights violations. Reuters
Sudan Scene of World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis: African Union
The civil war in Sudan has created the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world”, the African Union has warned…The war “has hampered access to humanitarian relief, led to shortage of food and aggravated hunger”, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chairperson of the AU High Level Panel on Sudan (HLP-Sudan), said on X…Wilson Almeida Adao, a senior AU official for child welfare, said in a separate statement that hospital admissions for malnutrition rose by 44 percent in 2024, with more than 431,000 children receiving treatment…The Sudanese army controls the east and north of the country, while the RSF holds most of the stricken Darfur region, where the UN on Monday accused it of blocking aid. Al Jazeera
Sudan’s Hamdok to Lead New Civilian Coalition
Sudanese political groups and professional associations opposed to a parallel government initiative announced on Tuesday the formation of the “Civil Democratic Alliance of the Forces of the Revolution – Resistance” (Smoud) led by former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok. The announcement follows the dissolution of the “Coordination of the Democratic Civil Forces (Tagadum)” on Monday after disagreements among its components regarding the declaration of a parallel government in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Each party will now choose a new name. In a statement received by Sudan Tribune, political and union forces said they “decided to join the Civil Democratic Alliance of the Forces of the Revolution (Smoud) through temporary structures, headed by Abdallah Hamdok.” The alliance includes the National Umma Party, the Sudanese Congress Party, the National Unified Umma Party, the Sudanese National Party, the Umma National Party, the Tawasul Party, the Nasserist Party, the National Alliance Party, the United Popular Front, the Haq Movement, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – Revolutionary Democratic Current (SPLM-RDC) the statement said. It added that the coalition comprises 17 union and professional bodies, including the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, the Sudan Doctors Committee, the Emergency Lawyers, and the Teachers’ Committee, in addition to eight resistance committees. Sudan Tribune
Cameroon Leader Turns 92 After Nearly Half His Life in Power
Cameroon President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, turns 92 years old on Thursday after more than four decades in power but remains tight-lipped on whether he will run for another term in elections this year. Many people including the deeply divided opposition are in little doubt that the leader, who first won election in 1982, will stand for an eighth term in the October vote. After highly contested elections in 2018, Biya further toughened his autocratic grip on power, with dissenting opinions firmly met with repression, arrests and prison terms, human rights activists say. Biya has refrained from picking a successor and the subject of who would replace him remains taboo…Biya and his government are regularly accused by international human rights organisations of repressing opposition. The long-serving president was re-elected for a seventh term seven years ago after a contested vote that sparked a wave of political repression. AFP
In Search of Economic Boost, Some African Countries Send Workers Abroad
As fast-aging countries around the world search for workers to keep their economies afloat, some African nations without enough jobs for their rapidly growing populations are moving to take advantage…For the government and jobseekers alike, the logic of turning to overseas employment is simple: about a million Kenyans enter the workforce each year, but only a fifth find formal jobs. Work in targeted countries pays considerably more than in Kenya, and part of the income is remitted to family members at home. Central to the government’s calculus are stark demographic trends. The United Nations projects that Africa’s working-age population will grow by about 1.5 billion by 2100, and that by 2050, it will be the only region in the world with a falling ratio of dependents to working-age people…There is no comprehensive data on the export of African labour abroad. But [Kenya’s labour minister, Alfred Mutua,] said Kenya’s government has facilitated the emigration of over 200,000 workers in the past two years and aims to export 1 million per year for the next three years. Reuters
Nigeria Seeks to Collaborate with India to Speed up Energy Transition
Nigeria is seeking to collaborate with India to accelerate its energy transition plans, a senior Nigerian government official said on Tuesday. Other than funding, Nigeria plans to seek technical assistance from India to implement its green energy plans, Agbu Kefas, governor of Nigeria’s Taraba state, told Reuters on the sidelines of the India Energy Week. India is ramping up its non-fossil fuel capacity, planning to connect a record 35 gigawatts of solar and wind energy capacity to its grid during the fiscal year ending March 2025…Kefas said alternative energy is also the solution for communities that have been unable to connect to the national grid. Nigeria’s power grid often suffers from frequent failures due to ageing infrastructure, under-investment and vandalism, resulting in frequent blackouts. Reuters
Nigeria, UAE Sign Amended BASA Agreement in Dubai
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Tuesday, signed an amended Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)…The agreement was signed during a high-level meeting with UAE’s Minister of Economy, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines 2025 ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS) ceremony…A Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) is an agreement that provides for civil aviation certifications to be shared between two countries. The latest development occurred less than a year after the UAE lifted the visa ban on Nigerians and Emirates Airlines resumed flights after suspension due to challenges in repatriating trapped funds…Beyond the BASA agreement, the statement said the aviation minister advocated for a review of UAE’s visa restrictions on Nigerians, stressing that easing the current conditions would increase passenger traffic on designated routes, benefiting both nations’ economies. Premium Times
Suspected Somali Pirates Seize Boat off Horn of Africa
Suspected Somali pirates have seized a Yemeni fishing boat off the Horn of Africa, authorities said late Monday. A European naval operation in the Mideast, known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta, said the incident remained under investigation. It said the attack targeted a dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the town of Eyl in Somalia. The maritime security firm Ambrey said the attack saw the suspects steal three small boats equipped with 60-horsepower engines…Once-rampant piracy off the Somali coast diminished after a peak in 2011…Increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and other efforts saw the piracy beaten back. However, Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. AP
Teachers across Algeria Go on Strike to Protest Low Salaries and Poor Conditions
Teachers throughout Algeria went on strike Wednesday to protest low salaries and deteriorating working conditions, following demonstrations staged by students last month in an unusual outpouring of protest. The action by teachers and students comes at a time when public criticism of the government is becoming rarer. Teachers say the strike is significant amid a gradual shrinking of rights, including for women, the press and opposition parties…To address economic malaise, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has raised wages throughout his time in office, including for public sector workers like teachers who saw their salaries go up by 37% during his first term. But teachers’ unions say starting salaries were barely more than the minimum wage or unemployment stipends, and are hoping for more increases. In 2019, demonstrators from across Algerian society took to the streets to protest a status quo that concentrated political and economic power in the hands of a small number of political and business elites. Public criticism of government officials and their policies has since become rarer in Algeria, which has increasingly clamped down on activism and the country’s once-muscular trade unions. AP
South Africa Mourns Pioneering Female Nuclear Scientist
South Africa’s first black female nuclear scientist, Senamile Masango, a trailblazer who set out to inspire young women, has died aged 37, the government has confirmed. Ms Masango, dubbed “the queen of science” by some in South Africa, passed away on Sunday…Headstrong and ambitious, she “was a beacon of hope for many young people, especially women”, a statement from Deputy President Paul Mashatile said…Ms. Masango was the first African woman to join an African-led team conducting experiments at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern), which is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory…Ms Masango enrolled at the University of Zululand at 16 to study physics, but after becoming pregnant and failing some modules, she had to drop out. With her family’s support, she returned to complete her degree and later earned an MSc in nuclear…Beyond her academic accomplishments, Ms Masango established a foundation dedicated to encouraging young women to pursue science. BBC