Sudan: 400,000 Displaced People Face Acute Food Insecurity in North Kordofan
Nearly 400,000 displaced people across the Sheikan, Bara, and Gharb Bara districts of North Kordofan are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity, the United Nations warned on Monday as escalating violence continues to deepen Sudan’s humanitarian disaster. According to World Food Programme assessments highlighted by UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, conditions in El Obeid are deteriorating rapidly. Ongoing clashes and forced displacement toward the regional capital have strained local resources to their breaking point, leaving hundreds of thousands without sufficient food. The worsening emergency in North Kordofan reflects a broader pattern of displacement and hunger spanning multiple states in the region. … Conditions remain similarly dire in South Darfur, where recent intercommunal clashes have uprooted nearly 4,000 families. These households require immediate emergency shelter and basic essential supplies to survive ongoing instability. Sudan Tribune
US Slaps New Sanctions on Sudan after Chlorine Gas Deployment Claims
The United States has imposed new airspace bans and financing restrictions on Sudan’s military-led government, accusing it of using chemical weapons in its war against rival RSF paramilitaries. The latest sanctions, which came into effect on Monday, restrict Sudan’s access to US financing and exports and ban Sudanese state-owned airlines from using US airspace. The US State Department said last month it had determined that “the government of Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024”, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Sudan ratified in 1999. … Last year, the New York Times, citing four anonymous senior US officials, said the chemical agent used, with the direct approval of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was chlorine. RFI’s sister television channel, France 24, also reported that the army dropped two chlorine gas barrels near the al-Jaili oil refinery north of Khartoum in September 2024. Using open-source data, social media footage and analysis from five experts, the media outlet said the area was under the control of the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the time. The army, which has been in control of Sudan for most of its post-independence history since 1956, has been accused of carrying out chemical attacks before. RFI
Militants Increasingly Using Drones, Cryptocurrencies in Nigeria , Sahel to Boost Operational Capabilities – UN Warns
The United Nations (UN) has raised alarm over the growing use of drones, sophisticated communication technologies and cryptocurrencies by [jihadist] groups operating in northern Nigeria and across the West Africa and Sahel region, warning that the evolving tactics are making the groups more difficult to combat. The warning was delivered by Leonardo Simão, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), during a briefing to the UN Security Council. Simão presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on developments in West Africa and the Sahel, covering the period from November 29, 2025, to June 30, 2026, as the Security Council reviewed the political, security and humanitarian situation across the region. The briefing followed the Council’s decision to extend the mandate of UNOWAS until January 31, 2029. According to Simão, [jihadist] organisations are rapidly adapting their methods by deploying modern technologies and expanding cross-border coordination. … He noted that the activities of these groups have become deeply intertwined with transnational organised crime, enabling them to consolidate territorial and economic control while undermining public confidence in state institutions. … Simão stressed that military operations alone would not be sufficient to defeat terrorism, urging governments to address the underlying socio-economic conditions that fuel violent extremism. PR Nigeria
Nigeria: Court Jails Two Ansaru Commanders for Life over Terrorism
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced two suspected Ansaru commanders to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to 32 terrorism-related charges. The convicts, Abubakar Abba (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud Usman (also known as Isah Adam and Mahmud), were prosecuted by the State Security Service (SSS) on behalf of the federal government. Judge Emeka Nwite handed down the verdict after the convicts, who were captured last year by Nigerian security forces, changed their earlier “not guilty” to “guilty” to all 32 counts brought against them. … SSS initially arraigned the two suspected Ansaru commanders before the court on 32 terrorism-related charges on 11 September 2025. The 32 counts included terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, funding terrorism, fabricating improvised explosive devices and related offences. The prosecution also alleged that they coordinated sleeper cells, orchestrated attacks and maintained links with [jihadist] groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions. Premium Times
What to Know about the West African Economic Summit Seeking Regional Reform
[Video] The 69th ECOWAS summit was held on July 19th in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The outgoing Chair of the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government, Julius Maada Bio, set the tone by calling for “far-reaching changes” within the West African economic organisation. The meeting was also marked by the Senegalese Head of State taking up the rotating presidency of ECOWAS, as well as by strong criticism from Guinea, which condemned the sanctions imposed by the organisation in recent years. France 24
UN Sanctions Armed Groups’ Leaders in Eastern Congo
The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on leaders of armed groups operating in eastern Congo including Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebels and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which fights alongside the Congolese army. Fighting in eastern Congo intensified last year when the AFC/M23 rebel group, which the United Nations and Western governments say is backed by Rwanda, seized large swathes of eastern Congo. Rwanda denies backing the rebels. The U.N. Security Council said on Thursday a committee that oversees an arms embargo on Democratic Republic of the Congo added six individuals and two entities to its sanctions list. Among them were Corneille Nangaa, leader of the AFC rebel alliance that also includes M23, John Imani Nzenze, M23 chief of intelligence, and Gustave Kubwayo, an FDLR commander. Nzenze and Kubwayo were sanctioned last month by the United States which accused them of driving the conflict in the east despite mediation efforts by Washington. U.N. sanctions include an arms embargo, a travel ban and an assets freeze. Reuters
South Sudan: Deputy Army Chief Says He Was Tortured in Detention
South Sudan’s Deputy Chief of Defense Forces and fourth accused in the trial involving suspended First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny told the Special Court on Monday that he was subjected to torture while in detention. Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, 54, said he was shackled with chains and held under harsh conditions at the Jamus Ground Prison, which is run by the SSPDF’s Department of Military Intelligence, following his arrest on 4 March 2025. Testifying during the 98th court session on Monday at Freedom Hall in Juba, he added that his legs were shackled with a three-kilogram chain and padlocked and that he was held in an underground prison cell for seven months. He described the treatment as inhumane and degrading. … Dr. Machar is under house arrest, while the other defendants are being held at National Security Service detention facilities in Juba. … Prosecutors allege that SPLA-IO forces allied with the White Army killed 257 South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers, including commander Gen David Majur Dak, during an attack on the Nasir military garrison in March 2025. They also allege that military equipment worth about 58 million US dollars was destroyed or seized. The defendants deny the charges. Radio Tamazuj
Catholic Bishops: South Sudan Faces Looming Constitutional Crisis over Elections
Catholic bishops from South Sudan’s Ecclesiastical Province of Juba have warned that the country faces a looming constitutional and transitional crisis over the planned December 2026 general elections and urged political leaders to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and fully implement the 2018 peace agreement. The warning came in a communiqué issued at the end of the bishops’ annual meeting held in Juba from 15 to 17 July. The statement was read on Friday by Bishop Matthew Remijio Adam Gbitiku of the Diocese of Wau on behalf of the bishops. … They said the country’s leaders should seize the current moment to restore public confidence through dialogue, justice and respect for constitutional principles. The bishops also announced that they would soon issue a comprehensive pastoral message dedicated to the elections and the broader state of affairs in South Sudan to guide the faithful and the public ahead of the polls. The communiqué expressed concern over continued insecurity across the country, citing deadly communal violence in several regions, repeated clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and armed opposition groups. Radio Tamazuj
Sao Tome and Principe President Vila Nova Wins Second Term, Preliminary Results Show
Sao Tome and Principe President Carlos Vila Nova has won a second five-year term, according to preliminary results from the election commission announced on Monday. Vila Nova, a former public works and infrastructure minister, won Sunday’s election with more than 55% of the vote, enough to avoid a runoff, the commission said during a press conference. His top challenger, Nito Abreu, received more than 41% of the vote. Vila Nova came to power in 2021 with the backing of the Independent Democratic Action party (ADI), which holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly. But last year Vila Nova dismissed Patrice Trovoada as prime minister, prompting a split with the ADI that left him running as an independent on Sunday against three other candidates. Abreu had vowed to focus on creating jobs for youth and stemming what he describes as an exodus of young people from the country, which is made up of two main islands and has a population of around 240,000. A former Portuguese colony situated off the western coast of Africa, Sao Tome and Principe has had a history of free and peaceful elections since the adoption of multiparty politics in 1990. Reuters
Djibouti: Emergency Alert Spotlights Sharp Hunger Spike
More than 256,000 people in Djibouti – around 25 per cent of the population – are likely to face crisis or emergency level hunger over the coming months, a UN-backed global food monitoring network warned in a new report released Friday. … The latest data reflects a significant increase from the previous May to June period, the report found. Most of the affected people are refugees living in the Ali Addeh and Holl-Holl camps where households remain largely dependent on food assistance. Nearly 70 per cent of their population, over 21,000 people, have been classified under the crisis level or above, the report said. The Horn of Africa nation of one million people faces multiple challenges that are affecting food security, with the latest report spotlighting three main contributors that will spur the spike in hunger over the coming six months: Climate hazards: Looming El Niño conditions, including irregular seasonal rains, extreme temperature increases and droughts, will cause water points to dry up and reduce the last available pastures for livestock, drastically reducing agricultural production and pastoral activities.; High food prices: Disruptions to regional trade flows and geopolitical tensions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are impacting the costs of food imports, disrupting supply chains and reducing product availability in local markets.; Economic shocks: Inflation is suffocating the already precarious purchasing power of rural and peri-urban households, limiting their access to food, leading to higher production costs and a slowdown in economic growth at the national level. UN News
France, Morocco Sign New Partnership despite Spyware Controversy
France and Morocco moved on Thursday, July 16, to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu hailing “exceptionally positive” ties in Rabat. But the high-level visit came as a media consortium published fresh reports that Morocco used the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to target French officials when tensions were high between the nations, after allegations first emerged in 2021. During his visit, Lecornu praised the diplomatic advances Paris and Rabat achieved since President Emmanuel Macron backed Morocco’s sovereignty claim over the disputed Western Sahara in 2024. Lecornu described the two countries’ ties as being at a “turning point,” saying that France sought to deepen cooperation, particularly on security and counterterrorism. Le Monde with AFP
Senegal’s Faye Backs Ex-president Sall’s Bid for UN Top Job, Ministry Says
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has endorsed former President Macky Sall’s candidacy to become the next United Nations secretary-general, the foreign ministry said on Monday, giving his predecessor crucial backing from his home country despite deep political divisions. Faye reached his decision after meeting Sall on Friday, according to the foreign ministry statement. Sall, who governed Senegal from 2012 to 2024, is one of five candidates seeking to succeed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31. Faye instructed his government to “fully mobilize” support for Sall, saying his bid “is now Senegal’s candidacy in the service of Africa,” according to the statement. The endorsement marks a significant political gesture from Faye, whose administration has frequently criticized Sall’s record. Sall’s attempt to postpone the 2024 presidential election triggered deadly protests and was ultimately struck down by the Constitutional Council. Faye won the election and succeeded Sall in April 2024, but relations have remained strained. Reuters
Nigeria and Ghana Call on AU to Address ‘Afrophobic Protests’ in South Africa
Nigeria and Ghana have condemned what they called the recent “Afrophobic protests targeting African nationals in South Africa.” In a statement, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two countries want the issue placed on the agenda at the next African Union summit. The foreign ministers of Nigeria and Ghana held talks over the weekend on the sidelines of the ECOWAS meeting in Liberia. South Africa has long attracted migrants from other African nations because of its relative wealth — a source of sporadic tensions. Tens of thousands of foreigners have fled the country in recent weeks due to growing xenophobic protests and violence. Close to 1,500 Nigerians and almost 1,000 Ghanaians were repatriated from South Africa after anti-immigrant groups issued a so-called deadline of June 30 for undocumented migrants to leave the country. Abuja and Accra said the protests undermine the ideals of African unity, solidarity and regional integration represented by the African Union. They called for an urgent coordinated regional response and for stronger mechanisms within the AU, including monitoring, early warning systems and preventative diplomacy. Africanews