Oil-rich Sudanese Region Becomes New Focus of War between Army and Rival Forces
Sudan’s oil-rich Kordofan region has turned into a major front line in the war between the army and rival paramilitary forces, as both sides try to gain the upper-hand in a conflict that has devastated the vast African state for more than two years. Attacks that killed hundreds of civilians earlier this month have shifted attention to the battle for this part of the country. “Whoever controls Kordofan effectively controls the country’s oil supply, as well as a huge chunk of Sudan,” Amir Amin, an analyst with risk consultancy Oasis Policy Advisory, told the BBC. The region is also vital for landlocked South Sudan, as its oil flows through pipelines in Kordofan, before being exported. So, it has a vested interest in Kordofan’s stability. However, the battle for the region – which is made up of three states, with a population of close to eight million – has intensified since June, when the army focused on regaining the territory from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after it made significant gains in the preceding three months, recapturing the capital, Khartoum, and neighbouring Gezira state, the agricultural hub of Sudan. BBC
Sudan Civilian Group Backs New International Push to End War
Sudan’s main civilian political coalition said on Tuesday it had urged the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt to coordinate efforts to end the country’s war, backing a new diplomatic push by the four countries. The group, known as the Civil Democratic Alliance Somoud, and led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, sent letters to the foreign ministers of the four countries as they prepare for consultations in Washington later this month. The talks aim to find a solution to the conflict that erupted between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2024. There are reports that Britain and Qatar may also join the discussions. The diplomatic initiative follows a U.S. proposal for a two-track process, a source familiar with the matter told Sudan Tribune last week. The plan involves securing an immediate ceasefire, followed by bringing the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemetti”, together for talks. In its letters, the alliance called for a “comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire,” unimpeded humanitarian access, and a new political process to address the root causes of the crisis, a statement from the group said. Somoud added that its outreach was part of its continuing effort to find a solution that “puts Sudan on the path to peace, stability, and a civilian democratic transition.” Sudan Tribune
Mali Forces, Russian Fighters Killed Dozens of Fulanis: HRW
The Malian army and Russia’s Wagner group killed dozens of ethnic Fulani men this year during anti-jihadist operations in the troubled west African nation, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. Primarily nomadic herders, the Fulani are often stigmatised across the Sahel, accused of collaborating with armed Islamist groups and providing the bulk of their recruits. Mali’s army and the Wagner paramilitary group “appear to have executed at least 12 Fulani men and forcibly disappeared at least 81 others since January”, HRW said. It said it had credible reports, corroborated by the United Nations, that 65 of the missing from a village in the western Kayes region had been executed in April…On March 30, the Malian military and Wagner fighters entered Belidanedji in the central Segou region “and summarily executed at least six Fulani civilians who were fleeing or hiding,” HRW said, citing witnesses…HRW said the deaths and disappearances were carried out “in the context of counterinsurgency operations across several regions of the country”…The executions and abductions were carried out in the regions of Douentza, Kayes, Segou and Timbuktu and also included house burnings and torture, HRW said. HRW interviewed 29 people with knowledge of the incidents by phone between February and May, including 16 witnesses. The rights group called on the African Union to pressure Mali’s junta to carry out an investigation and prosecute those responsible. AFP
Mali Court Rejects Appeal to Release Four Barrick Employees, Judge Says
A court in Mali on Tuesday rejected an appeal by Barrick Mining to release four employees arrested last November, judge Samba Sarr said, the latest development in a long-running standoff between the Canadian firm and the Mali government over taxes and ownership of mining operations in the country. The appeal by the company, which has dismissed the allegations against the four local employees as baseless, was determined by the judge to be “unfounded”, said Alifa Habib Kone, a lawyer for Barrick…Barrick and Mali’s military-run government have been in negotiations since 2023 over the implementation of a new mining code that raises taxes and gives the government a greater share in the country’s gold mines. Barrick owns 80% of the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali and the government owns the rest. Operations have been suspended since mid-January after the government blocked Barrick’s gold exports and seized three metric tons of its stocks…Mali also issued an arrest warrant last December for Barrick CEO Mark Bristow who is based in Toronto. Reuters
Burkina Faso Releases Two More Detained Journalists
Two journalists in Burkina Faso who had been detained under controversial anti-terrorism laws have been released, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday, a few days after two others were let go. The military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, in power since a coup in September 2022, is accused of using a mobilization decree to forcibly enroll critics into the army to fight jihadist rebels. Guezouma Sanogo, head of the Association of Burkina Faso Journalists (AJB), and Phil Roland Zongo, from radio station Femina FM, were released and returned to their families Monday evening, after spending four months in the military, RSF said in a statement. They had both been arrested in March in a crackdown on journalists who had protested limits on freedom of the press in the country. Last week, two other detained reporters — Guezouma Sanogo, vice president of the AJB, and Luc Pagbelguem — were released, but RSF says there are still at least two remaining journalists forcibly enrolled at the front. AFP
Clashes Between Somali Army and Regional Forces Kill Five
At least five people were killed after fierce fighting broke out on Tuesday between the Somali army and forces loyal to the semi-autonomous southern Jubaland region, a security official said. Somalia is a federation of five semi-autonomous member states — Puntland, Jubaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West — and a central government in the capital. Clashes erupted in Beled Hawo town, in the country’s southern Gedo region, an area long entangled in political tension with Mogadishu…Ongoing tensions between Jubaland and Somalia’s federal government escalated last year when Madobe, a former warlord, defied pressure and held a unilateral regional election, securing a third term in office. Mogadishu labelled his re-election “unlawful”. AFP
DR Congo Rescuers Dig with Bare Hands for Trapped Miners
People in a gold-mining area in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been using their bare hands and basic tools to free miners trapped underground. Six have been pulled out alive, with one seriously injured, since shafts collapsed in Lomera in the early hours of Sunday, local journalist Ashuza Barack told the BBC…The area, in South Kivu province, has been under the control of M23 rebels since they captured swathes of DR Congo’s mineral-rich east earlier this year…Lomera has witnessed a gold rush since the end of last year when the precious ore was discovered in the hills near what was then a quiet village, according to medical charity MSF. Thousands of people arrived hoping to make money as freelance, or artisanal, miners, turning the area into a “sprawling chaos of mineshafts and makeshift shelters”, MSF said in a statement on a cholera outbreak in the area last month. Reports said a series of cascading landslides buried up to 15 of these makeshift shafts without warning. Rescue efforts have slowed as debris and large stones continue to block access. Journalist Barack told the BBC that the lack of proper equipment has hampered attempts to clear the site. Survivors told him that many miners remain stuck. BBC
Mozambique Opposition Leader Says Facing Terrorism Charges
Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane said he had been charged with five offences, including inciting and instigating terrorism, after meeting with the country’s attorney general Tuesday. Mondlane led months of violently repressed protests following disputed general elections in October last year. He claimed he is being persecuted despite an agreement with President Daniel Chapo to end violence from all sides, and in March said he was questioned for 10 hours by prosecutors without being informed of what accusation lay behind the interrogation. The five charges include inciting and instigating terrorism, incitement to collective disobedience, and condoning and inciting crime, he said. “This means that we can go to court, which for me is the best moment because it means that we’re out of judicial secrecy,” he said, adding he was supported by “national and international lawyers”…The October election, which several international observer missions said was tainted by irregularities, was followed by more than two months of demonstrations and blockades during which almost 400 people died, according to local civil society groups. AFP
Russia and Mozambique Reaffirm Defence Cooperation after Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Russia and Mozambique reaffirmed their defence relations during a visit from the African country’s foreign minister to Moscow on Tuesday. Maria Manuela Lucas expressed concern over the ongoing war in Ukraine, but praised the “resilience” of the Russian people…Maria Manuela Lucas’ visit to Moscow also allowed her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to proclaim his country’s commitment to provide defence assistance to Mozambique. Russia and Mozambique have intensified their military cooperation for several years. The Mozambique government hired Russian mercenaries from the Wagner paramilitary group in 2019 to help fight a jihadist insurgency. A 2020 German intelligence report found that Russia was planning to build a military base in the African country. Africanews
The Egyptians Finding a ‘Second Home’ after Migrating South
While Europe fortifies its borders against North African migrants, ambitious young Egyptians in a struggling economy are looking for alternatives to emigrating to the West, according to Ayman Zohry, a demographer and expert on migration studies at the American University in Cairo…Official statistics show the number of Egyptians in non-Arab African countries increased from 46,000 in 2017 to 54,000 by 2021. This trend stands in stark contrast to the perilous journeys many Egyptians still make across the Mediterranean… “While traditional destinations were the Gulf and Europe, there is a new trend towards the south, specifically some African countries,” Zohry told Al Jazeera. “Economic migration” sees young people seeking investment opportunities in emerging and promising markets. “This trend has grown in tandem with the expansion of the Egyptian government’s diplomatic and commercial relations with several African countries.” However, Zohry said, migration to Africa is often circular or temporary…Across the African continent, diaspora communities of Arabs and North Africans are growing. South Africa accounts for the highest percentage of Egyptian residents in Africa, accounting for 85 percent, followed by Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal. Al Jazeera
Uganda: Kampala Residents Urged to Learn Swimming as Flood Risk Grows
The Ministry of Works and Transport has advised residents of Kampala and other urban centres to take up swimming lessons as a last line of defence against drowning, amid increasing incidents of urban flooding. Speaking to journalists ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day, which is marked globally every July 25, Dr Charles Luzige, the assistant commissioner for Maritime Monitoring at the ministry, emphasised the need for personal preparedness in flood-prone areas. “While the government is working to reduce flooding in the city, residents need to learn how to swim. It is a critical life-saving skill — the last resort when all else fails,” Dr Luzige said. He noted that the government is establishing search and rescue centres across the country, linked to the national hub in Entebbe, to improve emergency response…A 2021 study by Makerere University’s School of Public Health found that 3,500 drowning deaths were recorded across 74 districts over just two and a half years — an average of 1,400 deaths per year. In March this year, at least seven people died in Kampala after flash floods swept through parts of the city. Other recent incidents have seen residents fall into open drainage channels during heavy rains, underscoring the deadly consequences of poor urban infrastructure and a lack of water safety skills. Monitor
‘Bet on Youth’ to Realise Africa’s Digital Potential, UN Deputy Chief Says
Digital innovation and technology remain underfunded and underdeveloped across Africa, according to a report on Africa’s development which was discussed at the General Assembly on Monday. In 2024, only 34 per cent of women and 45 per cent of men on the continent used the internet, compared to global averages of 65 and 70 per cent. Meanwhile, 98 per cent of Africans under the age of 18 do not complete school with even basic STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills, reflecting long-term underinvestment in education. This slow progress in digital integration and STEM education is impeding Africa’s ability to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the report noted…By 2050, there will be over 850 million young people in Africa. But current systems do not sufficiently support young innovators – three-fourths of young Africans have insecure employment, lacking basic protections. This lack of social protection is part of a wider labour rights gap, the report noted. In 2023, only 19 per cent of people in Africa had access to at least one form of social protection –such as social security or health insurance – compared to 53 per cent globally. UN News
Morocco into Wafcon Final after Shootout Victory
Hosts Morocco will face Nigeria in the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after beating Ghana 4-2 in a penalty shootout at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and neither side could break the deadlock in extra time. Evelyn Badu struck Ghana’s third penalty wide and, with Morocco maintaining a perfect record from the spot, the pressure was too much for 18-year-old Comfort Yeboah whose effort was saved by the diving Khadija Er-Rmichi. The game had started very differently for the Black Queens, who were the better side in the first half and took the lead in the 26th minute through Stella Nyamekye…Like Ghana, Morocco have never claimed a continental title. They will hope Saturday’s final against Nigeria sees a fresh name etched on the new Wafcon trophy, a reward for the country’s huge investment in the women’s game. BBC