Tanzania Families Still Looking for Bodies Three Months After Protests
Manenos Selanyika could only receive a symbolic burial. His family never found his body after the violent unrest of Tanzania’s election three months ago. The 40-year-old journalist was shot dead by security forces on October 30, neighbours told the family. He had ventured out for food supplies amid protests that had engulfed Tanzania during elections the previous day. … The family hunted through dozens of corpses at multiple hospitals in the following days, but to no avail. … Hundreds of families are believed to be in the same position. The authorities are accused of dumping bodies in mass graves. The protests were sparked by the banning of opposition candidates and a campaign of killings and abductions against critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. … Many of those killed were innocent bystanders, say rights groups and witnesses, most too scared to talk for fear of reprisals. … AFP has previously spoken with a doctor at a major hospital in Dar es Salaam who said hundreds of corpses were taken from its morgue by security forces to secret locations at the height of the unrest. AFP
Somalia’s NISA Kills Al-Shabaab Finance Chief in Targeted Operation
Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), in coordination with international partners, successfully carried out a planned operation that ended the life of Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Cosoble, also known as Abdullahi Wadaad, on January 23 in the Kuunyo Barrow area of the Lower Shabelle region. Abdullahi Wadaad was the chief financial commander for a militant group, overseeing the collection and management of funds illegally extracted from Somali citizens. … NISA, which had long been tracking Wadaad for his involvement in exploiting public resources and harming civilians, had previously shared his photo and intelligence with the Somali public. Authorities said the operation has removed a major threat to the safety and security of Somali communities. A NISA statement described the operation as a significant step toward protecting citizens from the group’s continued financial exploitation and violence. Garowe Online
Mozambique: Insurgents Intensify Activities in Mocímboa da Praia Amid Lack of Security Response
[A] report by Mozanorte, a publication that covers developments in northern Mozambique, states that last Friday the islands of Muissune and Quifuque, in Mocímboa da Praia district, were targeted by insurgent incursions. During these attacks, goods belonging to the local population were looted and fishermen were abducted, with payments of 50,000 meticais demanded for the release of each victim. So far, there has been no intervention by Mozambican government or Rwandan forces to dislodge the insurgents from the islands. Both forces face operational constraints in the maritime domain, and lack adequate capacity for counter-insurgency operations in island environments. The vessels used by both the Rwandan forces and the Mozambican Navy are primarily intended for coastal patrols and lack the range and autonomy required for sustained pursuit operations around the islands, where insurgents have a strong advantage due to their detailed knowledge of the terrain. Mozambique Times
Mozambique Delays Start of School Year as Floods Affect Over 800,000 People
Mozambique will delay the start of the 2026 school year by a month due to flooding in the south of the country, which has affected more than 812,000 people, about half of whom are teachers and students, the Council of Ministers announced on Tuesday in a statement. The return to school had been scheduled for the first week of February but has now been postponed to the end of the month, as over 427,000 pupils and 9,204 teachers were directly affected by the floods. In total, the floods affected 431 schools, destroyed 281 classrooms and led to 80 schools being converted into temporary accommodation centres for displaced people. A further 218 schools remain surrounded by floodwaters. In addition to the education sector, the health service has also been severely affected. According to data from the Mozambican relief agency, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGD), 229 health facilities were impacted. Mozambique Times
Nigeria, Türkiye to Fast-Track Trade, Energy, Defence Ties—Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria and Türkiye have agreed to fast-track cooperation in trade, energy and defence to boost jobs, investment and shared prosperity. The President disclosed this on Tuesday via his official X handle during his ongoing State Visit to Ankara, Türkiye. … “We are creating a clear pathway to a five-billion-dollar trade volume between Nigeria and Türkiye,” Tinubu stated. … Tinubu announced the establishment of a Joint Economy and Trade Committee to drive the implementation of agreements and attract fresh investments. … He said the committee would also support industrial growth, technology transfer, and stronger private-sector participation. … The agreements cover defence, education, media cooperation, diaspora policy, trade facilitation, social development and institutional collaboration. Vanguard
Nigeria Rescues 11 Kidnap Victims in Late-Night Operation
The Nigerian army said on Tuesday it had rescued 11 kidnapping victims during a late-night operation along the Kaduna–Abuja highway, thwarting an attempt by armed militants to move the captives through a forested area under the cover of darkness. The five men, three women and three children had been held for 92 days after being abducted from the Gada Mallam Maman community in Kaduna state in October. Troops from forward operating base Doka detected the group on January 26 using long-range surveillance equipment, the army said in a statement. Soldiers moved in after spotting the kidnappers escorting their victims along a bush track. Kidnappings for ransom have become a major security challenge in northwestern and central Nigeria, including along the Kaduna–Abuja expressway, a major transport corridor linking the commercial capital with the federal capital territory. Reuters
Sudan: Khartoum Is the Capital Again, and Residents Are Risking Life and Limb to Make It Safe.
Sudan’s military-led government has returned to Khartoum, after nearly three years of operating from the eastern city of Port Sudan. The officials and other residents are returning to a war-scarred city still littered with deadly ordnance. … Shell casings, unexploded munitions, and other remnants of war litter streets, homes, markets, and schools. In the absence of a state-run clearance effort, much of the work to make the city liveable again has fallen to volunteers. Abdullah al-Hilu, a social activist, coordinates more than 50 volunteers trying to clear war debris across Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri, Jebel Aulia, Um Badda, and East Nile. With almost no equipment, they load debris on tractors and handcarts, known locally as karos. “We’ve removed about 6,000 pieces of ordnance that could have killed hundreds of civilians,” says al-Hilu. Their work earned the backing of Sudan’s national mine-action centre, the body authorised to do such work, which provided training on ordnance collection. Volunteers are also repurposing shell casings into small enterprises, including brick and tile manufacture – creating jobs for residents who lost their incomes in the war. But the danger persists. “Remnants remain undiscovered,” says al-Hilu. His dream is to get electronic devices that can detect explosives more accurately. The Continent
South Sudan: Catholic Church Urges Leaders to Prioritize Peace amid Rising Conflict
The Catholic Bishops of South Sudan have called on government and opposition leaders to immediately halt fighting and take concrete steps to fully implement the Revitalized Peace Agreement, citing growing insecurity, displacement, and humanitarian suffering across the country. Addressing reporters in Juba while issuing a communique by the bishops, Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba, denounced the recent clashes between government forces, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), and other armed groups, particularly in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states. The church said such fighting is worsening the political, security, and humanitarian situation. The prelate urged leaders to stop sidelining genuine dialogue and to reject military solutions to political and social differences, insisting on immediate engagement in honest discussions for peace. … The cardinal also condemned inflammatory social media messages that promote tribalism and incite violence. Radio Tamazuj
Indian Diesel Exports to West Africa Jump as EU Bans Russian Crude-Derived Fuel, Shipping Data Shows
India stopped exporting diesel to the European Union this month due to the European Union’s ban on fuel derived from Russian crude and instead sent a record amount to West Africa, shipping data from Kpler and Vortexa showed, while Turkey’s diesel exports to the EU slowed in recent months. The developments highlight that the EU policy, aimed at punishing Russia over its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is prompting a further reordering of intercontinental oil flows, forcing India’s oil refineries to seek new markets and disrupting Turkey’s lucrative trade in supplying fuel to the EU. … Russian crude made up 30% of India’s seaborne crude imports in 2025, while it represented 48% for Turkey’s seaborne crude imports last year, according to Kpler. India has not sent any diesel to the EU so far in January, having exported a monthly average of 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2025, making it the third biggest diesel exporter to the bloc, according to Kpler. … India’s diesel exports to West Africa were on track to reach an all-time high in December at around 155,000 bpd, according to Kpler, which showed January exports were on pace to reach 84,000 bpd. Reuters
Big Tech Is Racing to Own Africa’s Internet
American big tech companies want to become Africa’s next internet providers. Earlier this month, Amazon acquired an operating license to roll out its low-Earth orbit satellite broadband service, Amazon Leo (earlier called Project Kuiper), in Nigeria. The approval places Amazon in direct competition with Elon Musk’s Starlink, and indirectly against Meta and Google, which are building massive subsea cables. Starlink already operates at scale in Nigeria, attracting thousands of subscribers who rely on satellite internet where fibre and mobile networks are unreliable or unavailable. Across Africa, Starlink is active in more than a dozen markets, often serving communities underserved by traditional telecoms. “Africa remains the least-connected region in the world, yet this is precisely what makes it one of the most attractive markets for global connectivity providers,” Temidayo Oniosun, founder and managing director at consulting firm Space in Africa, told Rest of World. … Control of infrastructure — not consumer apps — has become the strategic priority, Oniosun said. Rest of World
Guinea’s President Doumbouya Confirms New Prime Minister
Guinea’s newly elected president, former junta leader Mamady Doumbouya, has appointed a prime minister to the west African country’s government less than two weeks after being sworn in. Amadou Oury Bah, who already served as prime minister from February 2024 to January 2026 under the country’s junta, will remain in the role under the new government, according to a decree read on national television Monday evening. … As junta leader, Doumbouya ruled Guinea with an iron fist, banning all demonstrations since 2022, and arresting, prosecuting or pushing into exile several opposition leaders, while enforced disappearances and kidnappings multiplied. Although Doumbouya initially pledged not to run for president after seizing power, he ultimately stood for election in a race in which all main opposition leaders were barred. AFP
Dutch Court Jails Eritrean Man for 20 Years over “Cruel” People Smuggling
A Dutch court convicted an Eritrean man on Tuesday of people smuggling and extortion and sentenced him to the maximum 20 years imprisonment, saying that he and his accomplices subjected migrants to “cruel, violent, and degrading treatment.” Tewelde Goitom, also known as Amanuel Walid, was found guilty by the Overijssel District Court of leading a criminal organization that mistreated migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe and extorted money from their families in the Netherlands to pay for the risky voyages. The court rejected his defense that he was not the person identified by witnesses as a leader of a notorious smuggling network that shipped people from Libya to Europe and often onward to the Netherlands, where they applied for asylum. … Goitom, 42, was also ordered to pay more than 30,000 euros ($35,000) in damages to victims. … Migrants seeking to get to Europe were held by Goitom’s network in camps in Libya, where they were “mistreated while being forced to call family members, who were pressured to transfer money for their relatives’ passage,” the court said in a statement. AP