Sudan Army Fortifies El Obeid as Paramilitary Forces Mass for Assault, Yale Report Says
The Sudanese army has established at least 14 checkpoints and a 51-kilometre (32-mile) network of defensive berms and trenches around El Obeid, bracing for a sustained siege as paramilitary forces mass outside the strategic city, according to a report by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL). Satellite imagery analyzed in the report, titled “RSF Bombardment Accelerates Humanitarian Crisis in El Obeid, North Kordofan”, shows that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) 5th Infantry Division has heavily fortified the capital of North Kordofan state. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have encircled the city from the west, north, and south, drawing international warnings over potential atrocities and reprisal killings against civilians if the city falls. El Obeid holds major strategic importance as a central transport hub linking the capital, Khartoum, to the Kordofan and Darfur regions. A total capture of the city would sever SAF resupply routes and compromise its ability to project power across western Sudan. Sudan Tribune
Sudan’s RSF Committed Crimes against Humanity in El-Fasher, Amnesty Says
Sudanese paramilitaries committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during their campaign to seize the city of el-Fasher last year, a rights group report says. The siege and takeover of the city in the western region of Darfur marked one of the bloodiest episodes in Sudan’s civil war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “The RSF’s crimes included murder, forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, rape, sexual slavery, other forms of sexual violence, enslavement, extermination and persecution,” said an Amnesty investigation released on Wednesday. … Widespread sexual violence against men, women and children is being used as a weapon of war, the UN says. … “Children were not collateral damage of this violence – often, they were deliberately targeted and have suffered immensely. They have been killed, injured, raped, abducted, and forcibly recruited on a massive scale,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general. In its report that details dozens of accounts of more than 200 survivors, Amnesty said evidence gathered “may be relevant to the crime of genocide”. BBC
Uganda Crackdown Deepens as Opposition Leader Faces Treason Trial
Uganda’s political crackdown is intensifying, with opposition leader Kizza Besigye appearing in court on treason charges as concerns grow over a widening assault on dissent. Besigye told the court the trial could not proceed while his lawyers feared for their own safety, after one of his lead attorneys was arrested earlier this month. The opposition veteran has been in detention since he was abducted in neighbouring Kenya last year. The crackdown has been driven by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni and head of Uganda’s army. In recent weeks he has ordered the arrest of activists, politicians and lawyers, while drawing international criticism over his increasingly hardline actions. The latest target was one of East Africa’s biggest independent media groups, whose newspapers, television and radio stations were shut down by soldiers over the weekend. However, the company says it is now in talks with the military to reopen its Ugandan outlets, although staff remain locked out of their offices as pressure mounts on authorities to restore media operations. Africanews with AP
Uganda: Lukwago Case Adjourned to July 9 over Deteriorating Health
Proceedings in the case involving Erias Lukwago, the former Kampala Lord Mayor and current People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) president, were on Tuesday adjourned to July 9. The Uganda Prisons Service informed the court that he could not appear because he is undergoing specialized medical investigations and treatment. Makindye Chief Magistrate Sarah Basemera deferred the proceedings after receiving official communication from prison authorities explaining Lukwago’s absence. The adjournment follows growing concerns over the opposition politician’s deteriorating health. During his previous court appearance, his legal team argued that his condition had worsened significantly while on remand at Luzira Prison. … During earlier proceedings, the defense revealed that Lukwago is battling a severe spinal condition involving a suspected dislocated disc, which causes intense pain. His lawyers also expressed deep concern over his vulnerability to infections due to a declining white blood cell count. Monitor
36 Students and 3 Teachers Missing after Gunmen Raided a School in Northeastern Nigeria
Thirty-six students are missing after gunmen raided a school in northeastern Nigeria, authorities said Tuesday. The attack, which happened Monday at the Lassa Day Secondary School in the Askira-Uba area of Borno state, left at least one teacher dead. Twenty-five girls and 11 boys, as well as three teachers were abducted during the attack, Dauda Iliya, spokesman of the governor of Borno, said in a statement. The governor, Babagana Zulum sent a delegation of high-level officials to the community. It was not immediately clear if the teachers were rescued. … The students, who were taking their secondary school leaving examinations when they were attacked and abducted, are between 15 and 18 years old. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but an insurgency from armed groups in the region has killed thousands and displaced millions. AP
Nigeria: Terrorists Exploiting Cyberspace for Recruitment, Funding, Says COAS
The Nigerian Army has warned that terrorist and other criminal groups are increasingly exploiting cyberspace to recruit members, raise funds, coordinate attacks and disseminate propaganda, describing the trend as a growing threat to Nigeria’s national security. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, raised the concern on Tuesday at the 2026 Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare School Seminar in Abuja. … [T]he Army Chief said cyberspace has evolved into a strategic domain where both state and non-state actors operate with unprecedented speed, making cyber threats increasingly sophisticated and difficult to counter. According to him, hostile actors no longer require physical presence to disrupt critical infrastructure, compromise sensitive information, manipulate public opinion or undermine national security through anonymous cyber attacks. … Shaibu said the changing security landscape has compelled the Nigerian Army to strengthen its cyber warfare capabilities to effectively confront emerging asymmetric and technology-driven threats. The Army Chief also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, the military, law enforcement agencies, academia and the private sector, stressing that cybersecurity requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach. He further underscored the need for sustained investment in indigenous cyber capabilities, research, technological innovation and human capacity development to protect Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and improve national resilience against evolving cyber threats. PR Nigeria
Congo Bans Gatherings in Areas Far from Ebola Outbreak. Some Say It Limits Dissent
Opposition and civil society groups are protesting Congo’s new ban on public demonstrations and mass gatherings in the capital and other areas far from the country’s deadly Ebola outbreak, alleging that the decision aims to limit freedom of speech. The decision announced over the weekend came as the outbreak of a type of Ebola with no approved treatment or vaccine continues to grow, with 1,307 people infected and 377 dead across three provinces in eastern Congo. It could be the worst Ebola outbreak yet. Congo’s ministry of interior on Saturday said gatherings and demonstrations were forbidden in the provinces of Kinshasa, Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele as fears grow about the outbreak spilling into new areas. None of the provinces have any confirmed cases. … Congo’s political opposition has denounced the ban as unconstitutional. Prince Epenge, the spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, has said the ban aims to prevent a planned demonstration in the capital, Kinshasa, early next month. The protest is against proposed constitutional changes that would allow Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi to run for a third term. Civil society organizations also condemned the ban in a statement on Monday, citing freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. AP
Political Tensions in Somalia Fuel Concerns over Security and Stability
Rising political tensions in Somalia are fueling concerns that a prolonged dispute over the country’s electoral process could undermine recent security gains and complicate efforts to combat the al-Shabab extremist group, according to analysts and political observers. The latest concerns follow reports that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has secured a one-year extension of his mandate, a move that has reportedly widened divisions between the federal government, opposition leaders, and several federal member states. The government has defended its political agenda, but opposition figures argue that changes to the electoral process have been made without broad political consensus. They warn that the standoff could trigger another political crisis at a time when Somalia is facing significant security challenges. The political dispute comes as government forces continue military operations against al-Shabab. … Security experts say prolonged political infighting could distract from counterterrorism operations and allow the militants to exploit divisions within the country’s leadership. Garowe Online
Somalia, Ethiopia Leaders Discuss Security, Trade and Horn of Africa Stability
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa on Monday, with the two leaders discussing economic cooperation, security collaboration, and regional stability, according to official statements. The meeting focused on strengthening the longstanding relationship between Somalia and Ethiopia, expanding cooperation in security, trade, and development, and coordinating efforts to promote peace and stability across the Horn of Africa. During the talks, Hassan Sheikh, whose term in office ended last May, congratulated Abiy on his party’s victory in Ethiopia’s recent elections and wished him success in advancing the country’s development and stability. In a post on X, Abiy said he had held bilateral talks with Hassan Sheikh on “economic ties, security and regional stability,” adding that cooperation between the two countries is “anchored in trust and mutual respect.” The visit marks Hassan Sheikh’s first foreign trip since Somalia’s parliament approved a controversial one-year extension of state institutions’ mandates in May, a move that drew criticism from opposition groups. Garowe Online
South Africa Protesters Confront Migrant Homes during Nationwide Marches
Protesters stopped outside buildings believed to house undocumented migrants and urged residents to leave as thousands marched across South Africa on Tuesday, the deadline set by anti-immigration groups for foreigners without papers to leave the country. Widespread demonstrations were accompanied by isolated violence and arrests, while organisers renewed calls for mass deportations and vowed to keep up pressure on the government. Police mounted a major security operation in multiple cities – deploying soldiers overnight in Johannesburg and Durban after isolated unrest as authorities feared a repeat of the deadly unrest that swept the country in 2021. “We want mass deportation,” Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, leader of the anti-immigration March and March movement, told supporters in Durban, where the largest demonstration took place. RFI
South Africa: March and March, Jacob Zuma and the Shadow of 2021
The shadow of former president Jacob Zuma hangs over the anti-immigrant movement and its leading protagonists … just as it hung over the coordinated 2021 unrest that broke out after his jailing for contempt of court. While there is no evidence that Zuma himself is involved in manipulating the anti-immigrant sentiment, family networks and associates of the former president are at the heart of the loose alliance of entities driving the increasingly violent anti-immigrant movement spreading outwards from KwaZulu-Natal. They include March and March, and Ngizwe Mchunu and his Amabhinca Nation – as well as Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party itself, which has indicated its support for Tuesday’s protest. It also includes other parties such as ActionSA that have mobilised in a populist way around what are genuine grievances about illegal immigration. Daily Maverick and AmaBhungane
Floods in Ghana and Ivory Coast Leave at Least 24 Dead following Torrential Rains
Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain in the capital cities of Ghana and Ivory Coast have left at least 24 people dead, authorities said Tuesday, as emergency workers continued to pull hundreds of stranded residents from submerged buildings. Entire buildings and roads were submerged in Accra on Monday, cutting off access to several areas of the Ghanaian capital and in the neighboring city of Tema. At least 12 people have been confirmed dead in Ghana, including a mother and her child who were both swept away in the Achimota-Agbogbloshie district, Alex King Nartey, a spokesperson for Ghana National Fire Service told The Associated Press. In Ivory Coast, several days of rain brought flooding that left more than a dozen people dead, most of them in municipalities of Attécoubé and Yopougon in the capital, Abidjan, according to the Minister of National Cohesion Myss Belmonde Dogo. AP