Sudan: Civilian Killings Doubled in 2025 Compared to Year before, Says UN
Killings of civilians in Sudan’s war more than doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, the United Nations rights chief said Thursday. … Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has killed tens of thousands, displaced 11 million people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. “This war is ugly. It’s bloody and it’s senseless,” Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council, blaming both warring sides, which have so far rejected any form of humanitarian truce. He also blamed foreign sponsors funding what he called a “high-tech” conflict. … Turk highlighted the “increased use of advanced long-range drones”, which has “expanded harm to civilians in areas far from the front lines that were previously peaceful”. Turk also voiced concern over “the growing militarisation of society”, including the recruitment of children and young people into the fighting. Africanews with AFP
Sudan: Brother of RSF Commander Hemedti now Using Kenyan Passport and Emirati ID
Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, the youngest brother of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, is now using a Kenyan passport and Emirati ID, according to an updated US sanctions memo. The Dubai-based businessman leads the procurement of weapons for the RSF. In October 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) sanctioned Dagalo for “leading efforts to supply weapons to continue the war in Sudan”. In the memo issued by the US Department of the Treasury [last week], Dagalo’s information included the addition of a Kenyan passport and an Emirati identification number. The previous description of the RSF senior commander only included an additional passport from Sudan. Kenya’s government is known to be close to the United Arab Emirates, the principal sponsor of the RSF. … According to Ofac, Algoney Dagalo has managed RSF-affiliated front companies that help facilitate the import of vehicles and military equipment into Sudan. Middle East Eye
Deadly Jihadist Offensive Sweeps Northern and Eastern Burkina Faso
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has claimed to have inflicted heavy losses in Burkina Faso as a surge in deadly jihadist attacks sweeps across the Sahelian state. Burkina Faso, ruled by a military junta led by Ibrahim Traoré since September 2022, has faced more than 10 years of raids by militant groups, including JNIM. … “The group’s efforts in Mali have been the primary focus since early September last year,” said Heni Nsaibia, analyst at conflict monitor ACLED. However, the attacks never stopped, and JNIM has launched a string of large-scale assaults in northern and eastern Burkina Faso since mid-February, killing dozens, including civilians. … The deadliest incidents targeted Titao’s military base on 15 February in the northwest, where the group says it killed dozens of soldiers. A separate ambush on the same day left around 50 forestry officers dead in Tandjari in the east. The day before, at least 10 civilians were killed in Titao, including Ghanaian traders. … The latest attacks have gripped the country’s north and east, areas seen as financial hubs for the group. “These are zones with numerous gold sites and key routes that fuel the group’s smuggling activities,” a Burkinabe security analyst told AFP, requesting anonymity. The Africa Report with AFP
US, DR Congo Agree to Boost Intelligence Sharing amid M23 Fighting
The United States deputy ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, accompanied by the US defence attaché, met the Congolese defence minister on Thursday, with both sides agreeing to intensify intelligence sharing as Congolese forces battle armed groups including the M23 rebels. The US embassy’s chargé d’affaires, Ian McCary, accompanied by Colonel Chad Brinton, met Defence Minister Guy Kabombo in Kinshasa to discuss defence cooperation. “The discussions centred on intensifying military cooperation through intelligence sharing, the implementation of training programmes, and the participation of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in joint military exercises in the coming months,” the Congolese defence ministry said in a statement. … Last year, Washington and Kinshasa signed a strategic partnership committing the United States to cooperate with the DRC on security, defence and protection of critical infrastructure, as well as safeguarding the country’s territorial integrity and strategic mineral reserves, in line with international law. Monitor
Ghana Navy and Air Force Rescue 71 Fishermen after Gunmen Attack Boats off the Coast
The Ghanaian navy and air force rescued 71 fishermen whose boats were attacked off the coast of Ghana by unidentified gunmen, a local official said Thursday. Armed men attacked the fishermen’s boats and robbed them late Wednesday, Kalala Nyamekye Eghan, the top local government official for the Awutu Senya West District in Ghana’s Central Region, told The Associated Press. The gunmen stole the boat’s outboard motors, leaving the fishermen stranded at sea. All the fishermen were rescued by the military Thursday morning and were taken to a hospital and later discharged, Eghan said. An investigation into who was responsible for the attack is ongoing, he added. … The Gulf of Guinea — a part of the Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa — is considered a piracy hot spot, with armed groups targeting commercial and fishing vessels for robbery and kidnapping. However, incidents have declined since 2021 following increased naval patrols and stronger regional security cooperation, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. AP
UN: South Sudan’s Political, Military Leaders Driving Country to Full-scale War
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has said the country’s political and military leaders are systematically dismantling the 2018 Revitalized Peace agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (Revitalized Agreement), and undermining governance and security safeguards. The Commission made the revelations on Friday in Geneva while presenting its latest investigative report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which established the Commission ten years ago, in March 2016. The Commission warned that the actions of the South Sudanese leaders are exposing civilians to grave risks of renewed armed conflict, mass atrocity crimes, and serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. … Evidence gathered by the Commission indicates these violations are authorized, condoned, or tolerated by senior political and military officials. Radio Tamazuj
South Africa Says 2 of Its Nationals Died Fighting for Russia in Ukraine after Recruitment Scheme
At least two South Africans have died fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine after being tricked into traveling there by a recruitment scheme, South Africa’s foreign minister said Thursday. It was the first time South African authorities had confirmed any of their citizens who were allegedly lured to Russia with false promises of employment or training opportunities had been killed in the war. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola didn’t name the two people who died or say when or where they had died, but the Foreign Ministry said their families had been informed. Lamola’s announcement came after he traveled to the east coast city of Durban to visit the families of 11 South Africans who returned home on Wednesday after they were allegedly recruited last year in a scheme promising them security training in Russia and ended up involved in the conflict in Ukraine. AP
Ethiopia Revokes Addis Standard’s License amid Escalating Crackdown on Independent Media
The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ethiopian authorities to immediately restore the registration of independent outlet Addis Standard after the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) revoked its online media registration certificate effective February 24. … In a February 24 statement, the EMA accused Addis Standard of “repeatedly disseminating reports that compromise media ethics, violate Ethiopian laws, and endanger the national interests of the country and its people.” The authority said it had issued multiple warnings and that the outlet had failed to take corrective measures before canceling its registration under Ethiopia’s Media Proclamation. Addis Standard Editor-in-Chief Yonas Kedir rejected the decision, saying the outlet had never received any formal notice of violations from the EMA. He described the claim of “repeated notices” as factually incorrect and said the publisher is reviewing legal options to ensure due process. The move comes amid an escalating crackdown on independent media. On February 19, an Agence France-Presse journalist was blocked from traveling to Tigray. Authorities also recently declined to renew the accreditation of three Reuters journalists, revoked Wazema Radio’s license, and in October 2025 suspended the licenses of Deutsche Welle’s local correspondents. CPJ
Ethiopia, Azerbaijan Deepen Ties as PM Abiy Arrives in Baku on Official Visit
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Azerbaijan late Wednesday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. … Previous discussions between the two sides have included experience-sharing on climate diplomacy, following Azerbaijan’s hosting of the COP29 climate conference in November 2024, and Ethiopia’s preparations to host COP32 in 2027. The visit also comes amid a new defense engagement between the two countries. In November 2025, Addis Standard reported that senior Azerbaijani defense officials visited Addis Abeba to discuss military cooperation. Following bilateral talks, Ethiopia and Azerbaijan agreed to expand “military-industrial cooperation,” according to Ethiopia’s Minister of Defense Aisha Mohammed Mussa. Discussions focused on strengthening Ethiopia’s domestic defense manufacturing capacity, with Azerbaijan expressing readiness to share expertise, particularly in defense industry knowledge transfer. No specific projects or agreements have been publicly disclosed. Addis Standard
Somalia Reaffirms Solidarity with Kuwait in Maritime Border Dispute with Iraq
The Federal Republic of Somalia has officially declared its “full solidarity” with the State of Kuwait, issuing a diplomatic warning regarding the potential implications of a recent maritime filing by Iraq. In a formal press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Feb. 25, 2026, the Somali government stated it is closely monitoring Iraq’s submission of maritime coordinate lists to the United Nations. Somalia expressed concern that these coordinates could negatively affect Kuwait’s sovereignty and established maritime zones. … Citing “deep historical and fraternal relations” with Kuwait, the Somali government called for restraint and the use of constructive dialogue to resolve the dispute. The statement concluded by encouraging peaceful means to address differences in a manner that strengthens regional stability and “good neighborliness”. The move signals Somalia’s active diplomatic role in Middle Eastern territorial matters, aligning itself with international consensus on recognized borders. Garowe Online
Gabon in Talks with Meta and TikTok over Social Media Ban
Gabon is in talks with Meta and TikTok over the country’s social media ban, the communication ministry said on Thursday. Gabon’s media regulator suspended all social media platforms earlier this month, blaming online content for stoking conflict and division. … TikTok has contacted the media regulator to express its shared commitment to maintaining a “safe digital environment that respects the rights of Gabonese citizens,” according to local media. Government critics have condemned the ban, calling it “disproportionate” and unconstitutional. Despite the suspension, some users are still managing to access social media. VPN provider Proton reported a 60,000 percent increase in downloads since the suspension was announced. Africanews
Senegal, IMF Fail to Strike Lending Deal as Debt Mounts
Senegal and the International Monetary Fund failed to agree on a lending deal after the latest round of talks in the debt-strapped West African nation. “Fundamental differences” remain between the two sides, the country’s finance minister told lawmakers on Tuesday, while an IMF spokesperson told Reuters that the group remains engaged with Senegalese authorities and talks will continue. Senegal’s debt burden has now crossed 130% of GDP, after the administration that came to power in 2024 uncovered billions of dollars of unreported borrowing under the previous government. Dakar has ruled out debt restructuring and looked toward West Africa’s regional debt market to bridge its budget gap. But some experts are questioning its position: Debt restructuring is Senegal’s best bet, argued two economists in a commentary for Project Syndicate. “Senegal does not have any pain-free options for escaping its current morass,” they wrote. “But absent large volumes of cheap liquidity, attempting to repay its debts at all costs would be more dangerous — and, ultimately, more costly — than default.” Semafor