At Least 11 Dead and Scores Injured in Congo after Blasts at M23 Rebel Leaders’ Rally, Rebels Say
At least 11 people were killed and scores injured Thursday when explosions in the eastern Congo city of Bukavu struck a rally held by leaders of the M23 rebel group, which took control of the city earlier this month. Rebel leaders blamed the bombing on Congo’s government and said attackers were among those killed in the blasts, with conflicting reports among rebels and local officials about the number of attackers and victims. Congo’s president blamed the attack on unspecified “foreign” forces…The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away. AP
Sudan on Brink of ‘Explosion into Chaos,’ Mass Famine, U.N. Warns
Sudan is teetering on the edge of a catastrophic escalation in violence and a devastating famine that could claim hundreds of thousands of lives, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Thursday. The ongoing conflict, marked by widespread human rights abuses and a collapsing humanitarian situation, threatens regional stability…More than 600,000 people are facing imminent starvation, with famine already reported in five areas, including the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur…The conflict has displaced an estimated 8.8 million people within Sudan, while another 3.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries… More than half of reported rape cases involved gang rape, suggesting its use as a weapon of war. Underreporting is significant due to stigma, fear, and institutional collapse…Child recruitment by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias is also a major concern, often driven by poverty and school closures. At least 12 journalists were killed during the reporting period. Some documented acts may amount to war crimes. Sudan Tribune
Sudan’s Gambo Wins 2025 Africa Editors Forum Prize
The Africa Editors Forum (TAEF) has named Sudanese journalist Durra Mohammed Gambo as the 2025 laureate of its Service to Journalism Award. The announcement was made on Thursday at the Africa Media Festival, hosted by the Baraza Media Lab in Nairobi, Kenya. It recognised Gambo’s unwavering commitment to press freedom, truth, and democracy. Gambo is the second recipient of the award, following Mathatha Tsedu. In a press release, TAEF described Gambo as a beacon of courage, resilience, and integrity in journalism…A founding member of the Sudanese Journalists Network and a pioneer of the Al Ahdath newspaper, Gambo has played a critical role in advancing independent journalism in Sudan. Her work with international outlets such as Al Jazeera, the BBC, and Sudan Bukra TV has provided the world with an unfiltered lens into the realities of war, displacement, and the struggle for democracy. Radio Tamazuj
UN Warns of Eritrean Troops’ Continued Abuses in Tigray amid Impunity, Cites “Lack of Political Will” on Rights Violations in Eritrea
The United Nations has warned that Eritrean troops continue to commit human rights abuses in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and raised concerns over persisting impunity despite international calls for accountability. Speaking at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council on 27 February, Ilze Brands-Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Human Rights Office, said the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) remain in Tigray despite the 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, which mandated their withdrawal. She cited the Joint OHCHR-Ethiopia Human Rights Commission Investigation Team in 2023, which documented serious violations by the EDF in Tigray. “This impunity continues to embolden perpetrators of human rights violations,” she added. Addis Standard
Nigeria: Abuja Govt to Establish Control Centre for Intelligence Gathering, Sharing
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has concluded plans to establish a Central Command and Control Centre for the deployment of technology to improve security in the territory. The Director of the Security Services Department of FCTA, Adamu Gwary, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday while interacting with journalists about efforts to improve security in the territory. Mr Gwary explained that the centre, approved by the FCT Minister, Nyeson Wike, would collate and analyse security intelligence feeds from drones, Closed-Circuit Television cameras and other technological devices. He added that there would also be a unit at the central feed that would respond and act on the analysed data…He said the move would improve citizens’ confidence in the government’s commitment to addressing security challenges affecting them. He added that step would equally encourage residents to support security agencies with immediate and timely security information for prompt action. News Agency of Nigeria
Namibia Court Dismisses Opposition Bid To Annul Presidential Vote
Namibia’s Supreme Court dismissed Friday a bid by the main opposition party to have the chaotic 2024 presidential election declared invalid after voting was extended twice. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has said it does not recognise the results of the November elections, won by the ruling SWAPO party which has been in power since independence in 1990. The IPC argues that President Nangolo Mbumba acted outside his constitutional authority when he extended voting for two days in only some areas. Mbumba acted on the advice of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) after logistical and technical problems resulted in massive queues outside polling stations as they were due to close on what was meant to be a single day of voting. The court concluded that the presidential proclamation to extend voting was lawful, Chief Justice Peter Shivute said, reading aloud a summary of the ruling. AFP
Mother of Egypt Detainee Ready to End Hunger Strike if UK Makes Progress
A mother declared at risk of sudden death due to her 150-day hunger strike to free her jailed son has been persuaded to end her fast if UK ministers show any sign of progress in efforts to seek his release. Laila Soueif, 68, is seeking the release of her son, the British-Egyptian prize-winning writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah, from a jail in Cairo. She has attempted to protest outside Downing Street for an hour each weekday to keep her son’s cause in the minds of ministers. Soueif was taken to hospital on Monday after her hunger strike led to a dangerous fall in her blood sugar levels. Her doctor said there was an “immediate risk to life including further deterioration or death” and that she was “in particular at high risk of sudden death with continued fasting”…Fattah, who has been jailed repeatedly by the regime of the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, completed his current five-year sentence last September, if his two years in detention before sentencing are taken into account as is specified by Egyptian law. The Guardian
Wife and Children of Warlord Joseph Kony Return to Uganda from Central African Republic
One of the wives and three children of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony have been repatriated from Central African Republic while he remains at large, Ugandan authorities said Wednesday. Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court on 36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between July 2002 until December 2005 in northern Uganda…Kony is the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, a rebel group opposed to Uganda’s government that became notorious for kidnapping children who then were forced to fight…Kony is believed to be hiding somewhere in Central African Republic…The LRA began in the 1980s and at the peak of its powers gained notoriety for cruelty against civilians in Uganda, Congo, Central African Republic and what is now South Sudan. AP
More than 100,000 African Seeds Put in Svalbard Vault for Safekeeping
More than 100,000 seeds from across Africa have been deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world’s repository for specimens intended to preserve crop diversity in the event of disaster. Among the latest additions are the tree Faidherbia albida, which turns nitrogen into ammonia and nitrates, and Cordia africana, the Sudan teak, a tree renowned for its strength and durability. The seeds, from 177 different species, were delivered to the Norwegian vault on Tuesday by Dr Éliane Ubalijoro, the chief executive of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (Cifor-Icraf). “For me, seeds are about hope,” Ubalijoro said. “They’re about moving beyond survival, particularly when you come from places that have gone through really difficult times. When I think of my country of Rwanda and what happened in 1994, seed banks were critical when it came to rebuilding after the genocide.” The Guardian
The ‘Hero’ Ship Fixing Africa’s Internet Blackouts
A ship the size of a football field, crewed by more than 50 engineers and technicians, cruises the oceans around Africa to keep the continent online. It provides a vital service, as last year’s internet blackout showed when internet cables buried deep under the sea were damaged…It was the Léon Thévenin which fixed the multiple cable failures. The ship, where a BBC team recently spent a week on board off the coast of Ghana, has been doing this specialised repair work for the last 13 years…Undersea fibre optic cables are designed to work for 25 years with minimal maintenance, but when they are damaged, it is usually due to human activity…”But most of the time it’s people anchoring where they shouldn’t and fishing trawlers sometimes scrape along the seabed, so typically we would see scars from trawling.”…There are local teams with the capacity to deal with faults in shallow waters, but if they are detected beyond a depth of 50m (164ft), the ship is called into action. Its crew can fix cables deeper than 5,000m below sea level. BBC
A School Helps Migrants in Mauritania. Is It Enough to Keep Them from Leaving for Europe?
As authorities strengthen security measures on long-established routes, migrants are resorting to longer, more perilous ones. From Mauritania, they risk hundreds of miles of sea and howling winds to reach Spain’s Canary Islands. The route puts new strain on [Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s second largest city and a launch point on an increasingly popular migrant route toward Europe.]…The school for children of migrants and refugees, set up in 2018 as an early response to the growing need, is the kind of program envisioned as part of the 210 million euro ($219 million) accord the European Union and Mauritania brokered last year. The deal — one of several that Europe has signed with neighboring states to deter migration — funds border patrol, development aid and programs supporting refugees, asylum-seekers and host communities…The school for Nouadhibou’s migrant and refugee children ages 5 to 12 runs parallel to Mauritania’s school system and teaches a similar curriculum as well as Arabic, aiming to integrate children into public classrooms by sixth grade. AP