DRC and M23 Rebels Sign Ceasefire Deal
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed armed group M23 signed a ceasefire deal on Saturday, July 19, to end fighting that has devastated the country’s mineral-rich but conflict-torn east. The truce was agreed in a declaration of principles signed by the two sides after three months of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, which follows a separate Congolese-Rwandan peace deal signed in Washington last month. Under the deal, the warring parties agreed to open negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement. The deal, which the two sides said aligns with the Washington agreement, also includes a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern DRC. “The Parties commit to uphold their commitment to a permanent ceasefire,” including refraining from “hate propaganda” and “any attempt to seize by force new positions,” said the agreement. The M23, which seized vast swathes of territory in eastern DRC in a lightning offensive in January and February, had insisted on seeking its own ceasefire deal with Kinshasa, saying the Washington deal left out various “problems” that still needed to be addressed…Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the deal took account of the DRC’s “red lines,” including “the non-negotiable withdrawal of the M23 from occupied areas followed by the deployment of our institutions,” including the national armed forces. He said a comprehensive peace agreement would follow “in the coming days.” The deal said the two sides had agreed to implement its terms by July 29 at the latest, and to start direct negotiations toward a permanent agreement by August 8…Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi are due to meet in the coming months to solidify the Washington peace deal, whose terms have not yet been implemented. Le Monde with AFP
How Russia Resorted to Cleverly Messaged Communications Targeting Africa after Wagner
On September 11, 2024, a social networking app was launched at the University of Nairobi, which now appears to be an extension of Russia’s covert influences in African countries. The marketers of the app said the new service, going by the name AFree was designed for the African market, featuring instant messaging, calling, video calling, and video conferencing. However, as The Standard learns, the launch of that app was one of the many fronts that Vladimir Putin’s Russia has been using in its new methods of extending influence on the African continent after the killing of the leader of Russian funded Private Military Company Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin on 23 August 2023. Before his attempted coup in June 2023 Prigozihin led one of the strategic approaches of Russia’s information influence in Africa, the covert information operations that was carried out by Project Lakhta, which he founded in 2013. Since the outbreak of Russia’s war on Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Russia has isolated itself from Western countries, forcing it to seek new partnerships on the international stage, particularly in Africa. Its strategic pivot towards the continent, enshrined in the Russian Federation’s 2023 Foreign Policy Concept, has resulted in a strengthening of Russia’s information influence strategy resulting in increased Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) efforts at multiple levels. The AFree mobile application launched in Nairobi and now in operation in Kenya through app downloads on mobile phones as is WhatApp works in association with the African Initiative news agency a project of the Russian propaganda machine…The AFree application has been promoted offline, and received considerable media coverage in four countries: Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco. In each of these countries, local people were recruited to organise and host launch events to introduce the AFree application to the local population. The app is closely monitored by Russian Intelligence service for purposes of understanding information exchange trajectories which facilitates creation of narratives fit for the African continent. The Standard
Shooting at a Central African Republic Gold Mine Run by Russia’s Wagner Leaves 11 Dead
A shooting at a mine controlled by the Russia-linked Wagner mercenary group in the Central African Republic killed at least 11 people, residents and aid workers said Friday. The victims were killed Wednesday night at the gold mine in Ndassima, about 450 kilometers east of the country’s capital of Bangui, the residents and aid workers told The Associated Press. Residents of nearby villages are forbidden access to the Wagner-controlled mine. Resident Serge Pounematchi, whose son was among those killed, said the victims were at the site searching for gold residue and gravel when they were summarily killed…Two aid workers, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted, confirmed that the victims were young people from surrounding villages and that most were shot dead…Wagner is often accused of carrying out rights abuses and extrajudicial killings with little or no accountability in Central African Republic, where it has pledged to fight rebel groups and restore peace. The mercenaries have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, helping him win a 2023 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely. AP
Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Worsens amid Escalating Violence in Kordofan and Darfur
Fighting in Sudan’s Kordofan region that has killed hundreds and ongoing violence in Darfur — the epicenters of the country’s conflict — have worsened Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, with aid workers warning of limited access to assistance. The United Nations said more than 450 civilians, including at least 35 children, were killed during the weekend of July 12 in attacks in villages surrounding the town of Bara in North Kordofan province…Marwan Taher, head of mission with humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, told the AP that military operations in Kordofan heightened insecurity, prompting scores of people to flee to Darfur, a region already in a dire humanitarian situation…Taher said those fleeing El Fasher to Tawila walk long distances with barely enough clothes and little water, and sleep on the streets until they arrive at the area they want to settle in. The new wave of displacement has brought diseases, including measles, which began spreading in parts of Zalingi in Central Darfur in March and April as camps received people fleeing Kordofan…With a looming rainy season, a cholera outbreak and food insecurity, the situation in Darfur is “getting worse every day and that’s what war is,” said Taher. AP
EU Targets Sudanese Commanders and Companies for Human Rights Violations
The European Union on Friday imposed its fourth round of sanctions on key figures and companies linked to Sudan’s warring parties, citing their roles in financing the conflict and committing serious human rights violations. The new measures target two senior military commanders, one from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and one from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with two companies accused of enabling the military operations that have devastated the country for over two years. The sanctioned entities include Alkhaleej Bank, which the EU Council said is largely owned by companies linked to the family of RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as ‘Hemedti’, and plays an “essential role” in financing RSF operations. The other company, Red Rock Mining Company, is accused of facilitating the production of weapons and vehicles for the SAF. The Council noted that the mining sector is of particular importance for fueling the conflict, with war zones often linked to strategically essential mining areas..Among the individuals listed is Hussein Barsham, an RSF military field commander. According to the EU, Barsham played a leading role in RSF operations that resulted in mass atrocities, including targeted killings and ethnic violence, particularly in Darfur. The EU also sanctioned Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, a SAF commander who previously defected to the RSF but then rejoined the army in 2024. The Council stated he is deemed responsible for targeting the Kanabi, described as a “historically marginalised group comprised mainly of Nuba and other African tribes,” during his time as Head of the Sudan Shield Forces. Sudan Tribune
Libya Deports 700 Sudanese Migrants in Crackdown on Trafficking
Eastern Libyan authorities have sent hundreds of Sudanese back to their war-torn home country, officials said Saturday, in a crackdown on migrants seeking to flee conflict and poverty for Europe by way of the Mediterranean nation. Seven hundred Sudanese who were detained recently in central and southeastern Libya, were deported Friday by land to Sudan, the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration in eastern Libya said in a statement. The statement said some of the deportees suffered from infectious diseases including hepatitis and AIDS. Others were deported because of either criminal convictions or “security reasons,” it said, without elaborating. The deportation was part of an ongoing crackdown campaign on migrant trafficking in eastern Libya, which is controlled by forces of powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter…A raid earlier this month freed 104 Sudanese migrants, including women and children, who were held in a trafficking warehouse in the town of Ajdabiya, about 480 miles east of the capital, Tripoli, according to town security authorities. AP
Gunmen Kill 2 Indians and Abduct a Third in Niger
Gunmen killed at least two Indians and abducted a third during an attack in Niger’s southwest Dosso region, according to Indian authorities, the latest such violence targeting foreigners in Niger’s conflict-battered territories. The Indian Embassy in Niger said in a statement on X on Friday that the attack occurred on Tuesday, and that it was in touch with local authorities to repatriate the bodies of the victims and ensure the safe release of the kidnapped individual. Local media in Niger identified the victims as workers at a construction site in Dosso, located 140 kilometers from the country’s capital of Niamey. Foreigners are increasingly becoming targets of armed groups in Niger. Several of them have been kidnapped this year, including an Austrian woman who has lived in Niger as an aid worker for more than 20 years, a Swiss woman seized from her home in April and five Indian workers, also in April. Niger has for many years battled a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a security crisis that analysts say has worsened since the military toppled the country’s government in July 2023, and has since struggled to restore peace in hot spots. AP
Fierce Critic of Cameroon President to Stand in Election
A fierce critic of Cameroon’s long-running President Paul Biya has officially submitted his candidacy for October’s presidential vote, according to a list published on Friday by election authorities. Maurice Kamto, 71, who came second to Biya in the 2018 presidential election, will stand for the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), the party’s leader Anicet Ekane confirmed to a local television station. In 2018, Kamto stood for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), but Ekane said that he would “resign from the MRC to join MANIDEM”, a party founded in the 1990s and rooted in Pan-Africanism. The 92-year-old Biya is seeking an eighth term in office and has been in power since 1982. So far, 19 candidates have signed up to stand in the October 12 election, including former prime minister Bello Bouba Maigari, an ally of Biya’s for nearly 30 years, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who resigned as employment minister in early June to submit his candidacy. AFP
Beninese Journalist Released, Still Under Investigation
Beninese journalist Cosme Hounsa, who was arrested earlier this week after a minister complained of online harassment, was released on Friday but remains under investigation, relatives and a judicial source told AFP. His arrest on Tuesday came days after that of another journalist, Hugues Comlan Soussoukpe, a critic of the government who was detained in Ivory Coast and extradited to Benin. “Cosme Hounsa is now free,” said relatives of the journalist, adding that police had kept his telephones. Hounsa is, however, still facing legal proceedings and can be summoned at any time as part of the judicial process, a legal source said. The Benin-based ODEM association of journalists said that the detention of journalists was “prohibited, except in cases of incitement to crime and offences against public order”. AFP
Somalia: President Hassan Sheikh Meets Opposition as Election Stalemate Looms
For the third time this year, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a meeting with several opposition leaders, with the contested constitutional amendments featuring even as the future of elections remains uncertain. The opposition leaders arrived at Villa Somalia for the talks in the absence of Jubaland President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe and his Puntland counterpart, Said Abdullahi Deni, who have been leading the protest against the federal government. Although the agenda of the meeting remains a closely guarded secret, there are reports that the controversial constitutional changes proposed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud are on top of the agenda in the discussions. In the proposals, Hassan Sheikh wants to shift from the traditional indirect elections to universal suffrage, an idea opposed by Puntland and Jubaland, along with opposition bigwigs. For the past two decades, the indirect model of elections has dictated Somalia’s politics. For the opposition, the support for direct polls remains unwavering, but the problem remains that the government lacks capacity, time and territorial control to implement it without interruptions. This, they say, could plunge the country into a term extension conflict. They point to the government’s limited influence outside the capital, Mogadishu, and the vast areas still under the control of the militant group Al-Shabaab. The al-Shabaab is fighting to control the federal government of Somalia. The opposition insists that any shift to direct elections must include all regions of the country, including areas under militant control — a goal they say is unrealistic under current security conditions. Garowe Online
Kenyan Pro-democracy Activist Boniface Mwangi Is Charged with Alleged Possession of Ammunition
The prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was on Monday charged with unlawful possession of ammunition in a case stemming from his alleged role in street protests against the government. Opposition leaders and Mwangi’s followers had feared he would be charged with the more serious offense of terrorism. He was freed on bond immediately after his appearance in court on Monday. The charge sheet said the suspect possessed three canisters of tear gas without lawful authorization. His attorney, Njanja Maina, told reporters on Sunday that Mwangi never possessed such items. Mwangi’s wife Njeri, in a post on the social media platform X, said on Saturday that security personnel raided their home and took the activist and his electronic gadgets while “talking of terrorism and arson.” The Kenya Human Rights Commission said the ammunition charge was a “trumped-up accusation.” …Mwangi is a well-known pro-democracy activist in Kenya. AP
East African Activists File Case Over Abduction, Torture
Two activists — one Kenyan and the other Ugandan — have filed a case at a regional court over their abduction, torture and sexual abuse by police in Tanzania. They filed the case on Friday at the regional East African Court of Justice (EACJ). Kenyan Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania’s business capital Dar es Salaam between May 19 and 23 when they tried to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is charged with treason and faces a potential death penalty. They have both detailed torture and sexual abuse by the police officers who detained them. On Friday, they and seven other applicants — including the Kenya Human Rights Commission — filed a case at the EACJ in Tanzania naming the Tanzanian, Kenyan, and Ugandan governments, as well as the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC)…They say the “Kenyan and Ugandan Governments failed in their legal duty to safeguard their nationals” and failed “to exhaust all diplomatic and consular avenues to secure their safe return home”. AFP