Burundi Troops Deploy in East DRC, As UK Pauses Most Aid
Burundi troops — allies of Kinshasa — were still deploying Tuesday in east DR Congo, as the UK announced it was suspending most direct bilateral aid to Rwanda over an offensive by M23 fighters that UN experts say is supported by soldiers from the east African nation…M23 fighters were quickly approaching the town of Uvira which sits on the northwestern tip of Lake Tanganyika, opposite Bujumbura, the capital economic of Burundi. Burundi fighters were moving north of Uvira to fend off the advance of M23 fighters…M23 troops are present around the town of Kamanyola around 75 kilometres (47 miles) north of Uvira. The town “is calm” but “continues to empty of its inhabitants who fear a resumption of clashes”, a resident of the town told AFP on condition of anonymity. AFP
DRC: Ex‑President Joseph Kabila, Out of the Shadows
In the Democratic Republic of Congo’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) all eyes are on former President Joseph Kabila, the party’s leader, who recently reappointed key figures as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continue to advance in the east…The former Congolese head of state had arranged to meet 10 of his protégés in Nairobi…In Nairobi, Kabila also discreetly met with representatives from Cenco-ECC (the Conférence Épiscopale Nationale du Congo and the Église du Christ au Congo)…In January, in Addis Ababa, Kabila had already engaged in discreet discussions with a delegation of bishops, on the sidelines of his meeting with Congolese opposition leader Moïse Katumbi…As the M23 rebellion, backed by Rwanda, continues to gain ground in the east and advances toward the border with Burundi, Kabila’s camp condemns the “aggression” while also attributing it to the “incompetence of the Tshisekedi regime.” They further criticise Tshisekedi for “unilaterally” breaking the alliance that once bound him to his predecessor. The Africa Report
Unknown Deadly Illness Strikes Western Congo
An unidentified illness has killed scores of people and infected hundreds in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization has reported, with preliminary investigations tracing the outbreak to three children who in January ate a bat and died. Fifty-three people in the country’s northwest had died from the disease, out of 431 reported cases as of Feb. 15, and “with nearly half of the deaths occurring within 48 hours of symptom onset” in one of two identified clusters, according to a weekly bulletin published by the W.H.O.’s Africa office. “The outbreak, which has seen cases rise rapidly within days, poses a significant public health threat,” the report said, and “the exact cause remains unknown.” Victims’ symptoms have included fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and body aches, among others. The children who perished from the illness also had bled from the nose and vomited blood…The investigators sent 18 samples to Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, for testing, ruling out Ebola and Marburg viruses. The New York Times
Sudan: Attacks on Healthcare Facilities Increase Risks of Disease Outbreaks
The ongoing hostilities, insecurity and attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan continue to increase the risks of disease outbreaks across the country, the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) said…According to health authorities, over 1,600 cases, including 63 deaths, have been recorded in recent days, with the latest being 289 cases, including five deaths. A UN statement noted that a likely source of the infection is the White Nile River, where families have been collecting water during a major power outage following drone attacks on power facilities in the area, according to partners. On 21 February, according to the UN, the Sudanese Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children Fund (UNICEF) launched a six-day cholera vaccination campaign in the localities of Kosti and Rabak in White Nile…Since the start of the cholera outbreak in July of last year, more than 55,000 cases of cholera, including nearly 1,500 deaths, have been reported from 12 out of Sudan’s 18 states, according to authorities and the health partners. Sudan Tribune
AU, Somalia Agree on Troop Numbers for New Mission
The federal government of Somalia and the African Union have agreed on the number of troop-contributing countries for a new AU mission following weeks of differences between Ethiopia and Somalia, and later on between Somalia and Burundi over the number of troops coming from each country…The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, is expected to have 11,900 personnel operating on the ground in Somalia, including soldiers, police and civilian support staff, according to Somali and AU officials. The new arrangement allocates 4,500 soldiers to Uganda, 2,500 to Ethiopia, 1,520 to Djibouti, 1,410 to Kenya and 1,091 to Egypt, according to the official. A second AU diplomat who requested anonymity for the same reasons told VOA that the negotiations about Burundian soldiers in Somalia are still ongoing…There will also be several hundred police personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Egypt, to be based in Mogadishu, Jowhar, and Baidoa. VOA
Somali Govt Claims 70 Al-Shabaab Killed in Military Operation
More than 70 members of the Islamist armed group Al-Shabaab were killed during an army operation with local forces in Somalia, the information ministry said on Tuesday. Al-Shabaab has been fighting the federal government for more than 15 years, to try to establish Islamic law in the impoverished country…Several sources said the armed operation came in response to Al-Shabaab attacks in the area in the last few days…Somalia’s president has promised “total” war against Al-Shabaab. The army has joined forces with local militias in a military campaign backed by an AU force and US airstrikes. AFP
South Sudan: UNMISS-supported Mobile Court Brings Justice to the People of Renk
[Since hearings began on 30 January 2025 in Renk, a new mobile court,] has heard 60 cases, some involving inmates who have been detained in prison without trial since 2021…Decades of conflict in South Sudan have devastated infrastructure and displaced populations, forcing communities to mostly rely on traditional courts. However, mobile courts are now providing a temporary extension of the formal judicial system…To support the process in Renk, the victims, witnesses and accused were provided with psycho-social support as well as free legal representation…Similar mobile courts, deployed in Unity, Western Bahr El Ghazal, and Warrap, have helped change attitudes towards sexual violence and children’s rights and instill hope in communities that fair trials are possible, and perpetrators will be held accountable. This is demonstrated by the fact that new cases are being registered by people in the wake of the hearings because they have more confidence that the system will be transparent and robust. UNMISS News
Senegal Signs Historic Peace Deal with Casamance Separatists
Senegal has reached a landmark peace agreement with the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), ending one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts. The deal, brokered by Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, was announced at a joint press briefing in Bissau alongside Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The Casamance conflict, which began in 1982, has claimed thousands of lives and disrupted the region’s economy. The agreement marks a crucial step towards lasting peace in Senegal’s southern region, which is separated from the north by the Gambia. Prime Minister Sonko conveyed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s gratitude to Guinea-Bissau for mediating the negotiations, which had been ongoing for three days…The MFDC has been fighting for Casamance’s independence for over four decades, but recent years have seen progress toward peace. In May 2023, at least 250 MFDC fighters surrendered their weapons in Mongone, signaling a shift towards reconciliation. Africanews with agencies
The Main Ingredients in Sierra Leone’s Kush Are Synthetic Opioids and Cannabinoids, Report Finds
A new report released Tuesday by an anti-transnational crime group has identified the core chemical components of kush, a synthetic drug that has swept through Sierra Leone and the region in the past few years. The report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime conducted the first known testing of the most common varieties of kush available in Sierra Leone and neighboring West African countries and found that it contained either nitazenes or synthetic cannabinoids…Originally shipped as a finished product, increasingly precursor chemicals are ordered from China via online sites like Alibaba and then combined in labs in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown. Once combined, the now psychoactive liquid is sprayed onto plant material intended to be smoked and sold as kush. AP
Thousands March in Malawi to Protest Price Hikes
Thousands of people protesting price hikes in poverty-plagued Malawi marched to the parliament building Tuesday in the country’s largest demonstration in years, an AFP reporter said. Chanting anti-government songs and calling for the resignation of President Lazarus Chakwera, the protesters — most of them second-hand clothes vendors from Lilongwe’s largest flea market — brought the capital to a standstill. Malawi has in recent months seen an escalation in the prices of basic commodities and goods as a result of an acute shortage of foreign exchange currency which has also led to a severe shortage in fuel. The price of maize, the country’s staple food, increased by 21 percent in January, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. The shortage in foreign currency has hit traders hard, leaving many unable to pay their foreign suppliers…Following the protest, Malawi’s ministry of trade and industry released a statement revoking “all business licenses” for second-hand clothes wholesalers and retailers and telling them to re-apply…Political opposition members supported the demonstration, calling for inflation to receive “immediate attention”…The southern African country’s economic woes will be a focus of elections in September when Chakwera will seek a second term. AFP
Botswana, the Country with the Biggest Diamonds, Gets an Improved 10-year Deal with Miner De Beers
The Botswana government signed a new diamond sales agreement crucial to its economy with the De Beers mining company on Tuesday after seven years of negotiations. The deal gives the government an increasing share of diamond sales through the Debswana company — its joint venture with De Beers, a subsidiary of Anglo American…Diamonds account for around 80% of Botswana’s exports and a quarter of its GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund. But a decline in the price and demand for mined diamonds has badly hampered the Botswana economy and was a central issue in a national election last year. The party that had ruled for 58 years since independence from the British was voted out in a stunning result that was largely a reaction to new economic hardships related to the downturn in the diamond industry. AP
Uganda: In Kampala Slums, Uganda’s Action-packed Film Studio Wakaliwood Defies Norms
[VIDEO] In the slums of Wakaliga, on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital Kampala, an independent film studio has been defying norms for 20 years. With shoestring budgets, Wakaliwood produces action and martial arts films that are viewed by millions of Ugandans on YouTube every year. This cult film studio, blending ultra-violence, comedy and tributes to Bruce Lee classics, made waves in 2010 with “Who Killed Captain Alex?”, a viral hit amassing 10 million views. Today, after years of financial struggles, the long-awaited sequel to the film is about to debut, promising to reignite passion for this unique cinema. France 24