Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility for an Explosion at a Somalia Military Training School
Somalia’s defense ministry said officials were investigating an explosion at a military training school in the capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday, an incident claimed by the al-Shabab militant group as a suicide attack. It was not immediately clear if anyone else was injured or killed in the explosion at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy, one of Somalia’s main training centers for army recruits. Al-Shabab, which has long staged deadly attacks in Somalia against both government and civilian targets, said a suicide bomber targeted a Western delegation that was training recruits. It was not immediately clear what delegation might have been there. The United States, European Union and Turkey are among those who have been involved in Somali military training…The military academy was last targeted in July 2023, when a suicide bomber disguised in uniform killed at least 25 soldiers and wounded more than 70 others. Al-Shabab frequently targets military installations as part of its insurgency aiming to topple the Somali government and impose its strict version of Islamic law. AP
Nigeria Insurgents, Bandits Kill More in First Half of 2025 than in All of Last Year
More people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria in the first half of this year than in all of 2024, according to figures released on Tuesday by Nigeria’s human rights agency. According to the figures, at least 2,266 people were killed in the first half of 2025, compared to 1,083 in the first half of 2024 and 2,194 for the full year last year. Nigeria’s military has been stretched thin, fighting a multi-front war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies in the northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, herder attacks in the central states and secessionists in the southeast. The situation has worsened lately, with 606 people killed last month alone, including in attacks by gunmen on the Yelewata and Dauda communities in the central Benue state where around 200 people were killed…The report also noted a trend of attacks against law enforcement and local security forces, with more than 17 soldiers killed in Kaduna and Niger States and over 40 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force killed in the northwestern Zamfara state. Reuters
Nigeria Targeted in Digital Russian Influence Campaign, Says French Intelligence Report
Nigeria has been identified as a central battleground in Russia’s sophisticated influence operations across Africa, according to a technical report published by Viginum, France’s agency for combating information manipulation. The report said that Nigeria is at the centre of an expansive and covert Russian influence campaign in Africa, driven by artificial intelligence and advanced digital deception tools. The report, published by Viginum in collaboration with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the EU External Action Service, identifies the “African Initiative” press agency as a key actor in Russia’s soft power offensive across the continent. According to the document, the African Initiative, operating under the guise of promoting “Russia-Africa information exchange”, is a front for pro-Kremlin influence operations, using fake news websites, AI-generated content, and inauthentic social media personas to disseminate anti-Western narratives. The campaign is particularly active in Nigeria, which the report describes as a “central pillar” in Moscow’s strategic disinformation playbook…Nigeria’s large population, digital infrastructure, and geopolitical significance make it a prime target and a powerful vehicle for these operations,” the report said. Vanguard
Benin Bets on Free Vets and Schools to Turn People Away from Jihadism
In jihadist-threatened north Benin, the army is waging a campaign away from the front — a programme of social projects, including free veterinary care, to tempt locals away from extremism. Located just south of Niger and Burkina Faso — which together with neighbouring Mali form the world’s terrorism epicentre — Benin’s north has come under increasing pressure from Islamist extremists…Besides fighting off the militants, the 3,000 Beninese soldiers deployed to the region have worked to win the trust of northern communities both threatened by the jihadists’ advance and courted by well-funded Islamist groups. In May, the army provided free treatment to more than 4,000 cattle belonging to herders in the Materi commune and delivered medical care to 1,700 patients in another village in the Atacora region bordering Burkina Faso. “These projects show an obvious desire to restore trust between the defence forces and communities,” Lieutenant-Doctor Mardochee Avlessi said in early June. The army medic, who is in charge of a joint civilian-military committee in Materi, said the army wanted to work in the “spirit… of building security together”. In this, the west African country hopes to learn from the errors of its neighbours in the Sahel — the army cannot root out jihadism by itself…But observers fear the state’s social initiatives and the army’s programme of well-digging and school-building will be too small to fulfil the growing needs of the north’s people. The army’s ability to fight jihadists will remain limited without effective collaboration with Niger and Burkina Faso, with both of whom Benin is locked in a diplomatic spat. AFP
Sudan: RSF’s Drone Strike Kills at Least 8 in North Darfur Capital
At least eight people were killed and several others wounded on Tuesday evening when a strategic drone belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted a shelter for civilians in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. Most residents of El Fasher and surrounding camps have been forced to dig underground shelters to protect themselves from artillery shelling and drone attacks. However, large numbers of civilians are dying daily from indiscriminate shelling. Local sources told Sudan Tribune that “an RSF drone bombed a shelter where dozens of citizens were taking refuge west of El Fasher, killing eight people instantly and seriously injuring others.” Separately, the El Fasher Resistance Committees Coordination said in a statement that the city was subjected to intense artillery shelling on Tuesday, affecting various areas…The RSF has tightened its siege on El Fasher this year after displacing the inhabitants of villages to the south, west, north, and east, in addition to the Zamzam camp. The siege has also involved the destruction of medical facilities, water sources, and main markets, leading to a scarcity of goods and the complete absence of some. Sudan Tribune
DR Congo, M23 Rebels in Qatar for Talks on Broader Truce: Diplomat
Negotiators from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 armed group were in Qatar Wednesday for talks on a broader truce, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told AFP. “Delegations from both the DRC and… M23 are currently in Doha, with the Qataris facilitating the talks,” the diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. The Rwanda-backed M23 had called last week for more talks to address problems left out of a peace agreement between Kigali and Kinshasa inked in Washington in June. “This round of negotiations will be critical towards reaching an agreement,” the diplomat said, adding that Qatari mediators were working closely with the African Union. The deal signed by the DRC and Rwanda was aimed at bringing about an end to fighting that has killed thousands of people in mineral-rich eastern Congo. AFP
Fear and Survival in Kalemie, a Strategic Town in Eastern DRC
Kalemie, the provincial capital of Tanganyika, in eastern DRC, still bears the scars of the floods that killed 10 people and left more than 10,000 displaced two months earlier. On the shores of the vast Lake Tanganyika, the water swallowed everything – houses, pavement, roads – but life has slowly resumed, and markets, shops and public offices have reopened. While the water has subsided, the threat from the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, continues, even after the DRC and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington on 27 June…Kalemie is a strategic point between the Kivus and the Katanga region. When M23 took Bukavu in South Kivu and Goma, in North Kivu, seemingly poised to advance further, the city held its breath…Since then, the situation at the front appears to have stalled – there have been skirmishes in South Kivu between the rebels and the wazalendo militia, who are loyal to Kinshasa, but no major advances...The Congolese army and M23 continue to accuse each other of trying to strengthen their positions around Uvira, while in Kalemie, the humanitarian situation remains precarious. According to UNHCR, nearly 50,000 displaced people from North Kivu and South Kivu have arrived there since January, often after perilous journeys…The early May floods made things worse. In addition to the Kivu displaced, the province must also support over 10,000 flood victims as well as people fleeing various intercommunal conflicts affecting the region. The Africa Report
Libya: UN Urges Restraint as Military Buildup Threatens Renewed Violence in Tripoli
With Libya once again teetering on the brink of violence, the United Nations has issued an urgent appeal for calm amid rising military tensions in and around the capital, Tripoli. In a statement late on Wednesday, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed deep concern over continued reports of armed group mobilisation in densely populated areas, urging all parties to refrain from the use of force and inflammatory rhetoric…The Mission reiterated its support for the implementation of security arrangements developed by the Truce and Security and Military Arrangements Committees, emphasising that “forces recently deployed in Tripoli must withdraw without delay.” It also underscored that dialogue – not violence – remains the only viable path to achieving sustainable peace and stability in Tripoli and across Libya. The appeal comes amid reports of military movements in the capital and renewed clashes between armed groups, reflecting the persistent volatility that has plagued Libya since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. UN News
MSF Warns North Ethiopia Conflict Has ‘Severely Affected’ Healthcare
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Wednesday that the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has “severely affected” the healthcare system, leading to a shortage of medicine. Home to some 23 million people, Amhara is Ethiopia’s second most populous region, but has been roiled by conflict since April 2023. Despite Addis Ababa placing the region in a state of emergency for a year in 2023, clashes between the army and local militias are ongoing. The “ongoing conflict has severely affected the already fragile healthcare system in the region”, MSF said in a statement. “Insecurity, movement restrictions and lack of affordable transportation are making it increasingly difficult for patients with life-threatening conditions,” it said…The volatile situation has also forced MSF “to halt life-saving ambulance referrals for highly critical patients”. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with roughly 130 million people, is grappling with armed conflicts in its two largest regions, Amhara and Oromia. AFP
Tigray Women’s Groups Urge Action to Prevent Renewed Conflict, Seek Justice for Wartime Brutal Violence
A coalition of women-led civil society organizations in Tigray has issued a joint statement warning of renewed instability in the region and urging accountability for atrocities committed during the two-year war. The groups emphasized the urgent need for full implementation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement and justice for survivors – particularly women and girls – who continue to bear the devastating consequences of the two-year brutal war in the region. In the statement issued on Sunday, the organizations, Yikhono, Gorzo, Nolawi, Umbrella for the Needy, and Hiwet Charity Organization, voiced concern over what they described as “rising tensions between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Federal Government, as well as internal divisions within the Tigray Army,” warning that these developments are steering the region “toward a dangerous path of destabilization.” …Nearly two years after the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), the women-led groups noted that close to one million people in Tigray remain displaced, and large parts of the region remain under occupation. The statement further cited ongoing violence, repression, and conflict-related sexual violence, which, continue with impunity as survivors are left without access to justice or redress. Addis Standard
South Sudan: Anyuak King Urges Peaceful Coexistence in Independence Day Message
The king of the Anyuak Community in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area’s (GPAA) Pochalla South County has called for peaceful coexistence among his subjects and South Sudanese citizens as the country prepares for the first-ever general elections scheduled for December 2026. The Goc Royal Dynasty’s King Cham Odiel Gora made the remarks during celebrations held in Pochalla Town, along the South Sudan-Ethiopia border, on Wednesday to commemorate the country’s 14th Independence Day anniversary. The event was attended by local government officials, traditional leaders, and members of the organized forces, with performances from cultural groups, schoolchildren, and the army. Speaking to Radio Tamazuj after the event, King Cham said South Sudan’s independence was hard-earned and that it is worth preserving by burying political differences and preparing the country for transition to democracy….“This year’s anniversary comes amidst economic hardships and insecurity in parts of the country. However, this should not compel us to forget our struggle for freedom,” [he said.] Radio Tamazuj
Ivory Coast Charges Malian Official With ‘Insulting’ Ivorian Leader
Ivory Coast’s authorities have charged a Malian politician arrested in the west African country with “insulting” Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, his lawyer said on Wednesday. A member of junta-run Mali’s transitional parliament, Mamadou Hawa Gassama was arrested in early July in Ivory Coast and has been held in a detention centre in the economic capital Abidjan since. His arrest comes against a backdrop of tense relations between Mali and Ivory Coast, whose president has been a fierce critic of the generals who seized power in the neighbouring country through back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. Gassama had criticised Ouattara in a September 2022 interview with Malian media, calling him an “enemy of Mali”…Ivory Coast’s penal code punishes offences against the head of state with between three months and two years in jail, while false declarations are punishable by one to five years of imprisonment. Gassama criticised Ouattara following sanctions imposed on Mali by the west African regional bloc over the military coups which toppled elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. At the time, Mali accused Ivory Coast of pushing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take a tougher stance on the junta. AFP
Youth Leaders from Ivory Coast’s Main Opposition Party Arrested
Three youth leaders from Ivory Coast’s main opposition party have been arrested, their lawyer said Wednesday, amid political tensions less than four months before presidential elections. Five youth leaders from the opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) have now been detained since June, lawyer Emile Suy Bi Gohore told AFP. PDCI party leader Tidjane Thiam is among several prominent opposition figures to have been excluded from the October 25 vote. Youth leader Henri Joel-Ndri Kouadio, in charge of the party’s student wing, was arrested earlier this month, accused of public order disturbances. A month earlier, Innocent Yao, the PDCI’s rural youth leader, was charged with endangering state security, in a separate case. Both are currently in custody in the economic capital, Abidjan. The vice president of the party’s youth wing, Kouakou Jean-Paul Djabia, was among the three people arrested on Tuesday. The reasons and circumstances of the detentions are unknown. AFP
Zimbabwe’s Lithium and the EV Supply Chain
In a country rich in minerals but long plagued by widespread allegations of mismanagement and corruption, individual mining — with and without permits or licenses — is commonplace. Up to 1.5 million Zimbabweans are estimated to be involved in small-scale mining, with only around 15% holding permits. Some people mine informally on undeveloped land or in disused mine sites. Others…illegally enter corporate or government-run mines. The electric-vehicle revolution has created a global rush for lithium, an essential component of EV batteries. Zimbabwe has one of the world’s largest lithium reserves and is the top supplier of the mineral in Africa. Its annual earnings from lithium exports surged from $1.8 million in total in 2018 to more than $80 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone, and experts still see untapped potential. Several of the country’s large lithium mines have been purchased or built by Chinese companies since late 2021…But many residents in mining areas in Zimbabwe say the relationship with China is one of exploitation…Residents say they’ve been displaced from their homes by expanding operations at Chinese-run mines with little or no compensation. They say farmland has been degraded and water supplies contaminated. Rest of World
African Ministers Adopt Critical Policy Framework for Solid Minerals
African ministers have formally adopted the Pan-African Resources Reporting Code (PARC) for sustainable minerals governance, demonstrating a commitment to harmonise resource management across the continent. The Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dele Alake, said the ministers agreed to facilitate the PARC implementation in their countries during their sixth inter-ministerial meeting, held virtually…The PARC is a new continental standard developed to guide how African countries classify, estimate, and publicly report mineral and energy resources…It provides common rules for how mining companies, geologists, and engineers report the size, quality, and economic viability of mineral deposits. The reporting standard operates under the African Mineral and Energy Resources Classification and Management System (AMREC), the African Union’s framework for classifying, managing, and reporting mineral and energy resources. Mr Alake, who is also Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, said the critical challenge facing Africa’s mineral development agenda is the absence of a harmonised and transparent mineral resource reporting framework across the continent. News Agency of Nigeria