Drone Attack from Sudan Injures Civilians in Eastern Chad, Official Says
A Chadian official said Wednesday that a drone arriving from Sudanese territory attacked positions inside Chad, injuring civilians and destroying vehicles and several shops. This attack marks the fifth of its kind in recent months, following an incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into Chadian territory last January that targeted an army camp and killed eight soldiers. In March, a drone belonging to the same forces attacked a gathering of citizens during a Ramadan Iftar, killing 18 people. A high-level Chadian delegation inspected the Bamina area of the Tine Djougaraba district in eastern Chad on Wednesday. The delegation included the district governor, the commander of the Chadian army’s Eastern Command, and representatives of the Zaghawa tribal administration, who assessed the extent of damage inflicted on citizens after a drone targeted several locations in the area. … The border town of Tine stands out as a key flashpoint due to its strategic location and its importance as a commercial and humanitarian corridor between Darfur and eastern Chad. Sudan Tribune
Surrounded by Militias, Sudanese Fear Endless Cycle of War
In Sudan’s capital, young militiamen, some no older than 15, ride around in pickup trucks mounted with missiles: a familiar sight to civilians who remember how the current war began. Three years ago, a powerful militia that had come under the auspices of the state — the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — turned against the army, sparking a conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people by some estimates. Now, with Sudan’s army relying on a new coalition of militias to fight its battles, many fear it is repeating the same cycle. … Of the dozens of armed groups in army-controlled territory, technically under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, three are the most powerful: The Joint Forces, a coalition of former Darfuri rebel militias; the Sudan Shield Forces, which defected from the RSF. And the Baraa ibn Malek Brigade, an Islamist force. All have inflated their ranks since the war broke out in April 2023, and possess their own artillery, anti-aircraft missiles and killer drones. And all are “allies for now”, wary civilians whispered to AFP in the army-controlled cities of Port Sudan, Khartoum and Wad Madani. … The Sudanese army has for decades outsourced its wars in Sudan’s far reaches to militias — most disastrously, the RSF itself. AFP
Yemen’s Houthis Declare Naval Blockade of Saudi Arabia: What to Know
Houthi leaders in Yemen have declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, effective immediately. The announcement on Monday came days after the group, officially known as Ansar Allah, threatened a “siege” on the kingdom in retaliation for an attack on Sanaa International Airport last week. The action marks a new phase in the long-running war between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which has backed Yemen’s internationally -recognised government since 2015. … The Houthis disrupted global commerce when they began attacking ships around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait following the launch of Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2023. The Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, including for oil exports worldwide. Between Yemen to the northeast and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa to the southwest, the strait is just 29km wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound vessels using the Suez Canal. In 2024, about 4.1 billion barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products passed through the strait – about five percent of the global total. Al Jazeera
How Houthis Put the Red Sea at Risk as an Alternative Oil Route
If the Houthis make good on their threat to blockade ships traveling to and from Saudi Arabia via the Red Sea, it would yet again upend global oil markets by compromising a crucial fallback for the Strait of Hormuz. Since the early weeks of the war with Iran, Saudi Arabia has been relying on a pipeline that bisects the country to reroute millions of barrels of oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea. Most of that oil gets to market via the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen and near territory controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia. A smaller portion goes north to the Mediterranean Sea, via a pipeline that crosses Egypt or, in the case of oil-derived fuel, via the Suez Canal. Any disruption to those alternatives would further restrict the supply of oil and fuels to a market rattled by renewed attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf. The threats already appear to be having an impact. Two oil tankers, the Rodos and the Xin Long Yang, that were headed toward the Bab al-Mandab made U-turns on Tuesday, according to the maritime data firm Kpler. The New York Times
Nigeria: Reps Seek FG’s Funding to Boost Local Drone Industry for National Security
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to provide structured financial support to indigenous drone manufacturing companies as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and boost local defence production. … The lawmakers specifically urged the Federal Government to support verified Nigerian drone manufacturers, including Beirech UAS, Terra Industries, Elites Group, Pro-force and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), to enhance their production capacity. The House also called for the activation of appropriate financing mechanisms through institutions such as the Bank of Industry (BoI), the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and other relevant agencies to enable local manufacturers to scale up operations and meet military procurement standards. … [Rep. Ademorin Kuye (APC–Lagos)] noted that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have become indispensable tools for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and counter-insurgency operations in modern warfare. According to him, non-state armed groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), are already deploying commercially available drones against Nigerian troops, underscoring the urgency of strengthening indigenous drone production. PR Nigeria
Nigeria: Troops Eliminate ISWAP Chief Photographer, Media Team in Borno Operation
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have eliminated a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) propaganda operative, Abu Salim al-Barnawi, alongside other members of the group’s mobile media team, in what the military described as a major blow to the terrorist organisation’s propaganda network. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, the military said Abu Salim was killed during the failed terrorist attack on a military position at Cross Kauwa on July 12, 2026. According to the statement, Abu Salim, a former Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander who later became the group’s chief photographer and propaganda operative, was eliminated alongside Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman, both members of the ISWAP mobile media team. The military recalled that a video camera was among the items recovered after the failed assault, providing further evidence of the group’s media activities during the operation. PR Nigeria
Two Russians Handed down Jail Terms for Terrorism and Spying in Angola
Two Russians have been found guilty of terrorism and spying by a court in Angola’s capital, Luanda. Political consultant Igor Ratchin was sentenced to 11 years in prison and translator Lev Lakshtanov was given eight years. They had denied the charges. They were arrested last August over accusations of stirring up anti-government protests, conducting a campaign of disinformation and attempting to interfere in next year’s presidential election. … Prosecutors alleged that the defendants played a role in organising deadly unrest in Angola in 2025. They alleged the Russians paid local journalists and experts more than $24,000 to spread pro-Russian and anti-government content aimed at provoking political change in Angola. They also cited publications linked to the operation, notes and photographs related to the 2025 protests found on the defendants’ devices, as well as alleged contacts with senior Angolan political figures. BBC
Lissu Petition: Tanzania Lawyers Detail Prison Barriers to Legal Consultations
Two witnesses in a constitutional petition filed by lawyers representing Chadema national chairman Tundu Lissu have told the High Court Main Registry in Dodoma that Ukonga Prison officers prevented them from handing documents to their client, including one from the Commonwealth. The witnesses, who are also applicants in the petition, Nashon Nkungu and Paul Kisabo, described the lack of privacy during consultations with Mr Lissu at Ukonga Prison and the restrictions they encountered while handling his legal matters. They gave the testimony on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, while being cross-examined by Mr Lissu over claims contained in the petition and supporting affidavits. … The applicants, who identify themselves as Mr Lissu’s legal advisers, argue that the Officer in Charge of Ukonga Prison failed to enforce Regulation 13 of the Prison Regulations, which guarantees advocates the right to consult clients privately and without interference. The Citizen
DRC’s Ebola Outbreak Kills More than 1,000, with Children Hit Hardest
Fifty new Ebola cases were detected on Monday in the eastern DRC provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, the country’s public health institute said in its latest report, as the outbreak declared in May continues to accelerate. A total of 2,536 cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed in the DRC since May, along with 1,001 deaths, plus two deaths registered in neighbouring Uganda, according to a World Health Organization overview based on official data from the two countries. The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on 15 May after several deaths in Ituri, and has remained concentrated in the mineral-rich northeastern province, which is plagued by fighting between armed groups. Nearly 90 percent of the cases are in Ituri province, where children are paying a heavy price. According to the NGO Save the Children, 189 children have already died and 476 have been infected, while thousands more are suffering from trauma after losing a loved one, being displaced, or living under the constant threat of the virus. RFI
Demand for Critical Minerals Fuels Conflict but Could Help Resource-rich Nations, WTO Says
Surging global demand for critical minerals should be “a once-in-a-lifetime chance” for resource-rich countries in Africa and elsewhere to harness wealth and improve life for millions — but it has too easily triggered violence and poverty, the head of the World Trade Organization said Wednesday. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned the U.N. Security Council that “critical minerals are increasingly viewed as strategic assets, not just commodities, and a major source of interstate competition.” … She said a real opportunity exists to create “a more diversified, inclusive, and win-win global economy” where mineral wealth is not just extracted and shaped abroad but is a catalyst for economic transformation. She proposed three priorities: 1. Resource-rich developing countries should demand more local processing, refining and “value addition.” 2. The international rule of law should be strengthened. 3. Most important, resource-rich countries should work together and use the leverage they have to reverse the export of raw materials and import of finished goods as well as promote investment. AP
Cocaine Worth $317m Seized in Liberia’s Biggest-ever Drugs Bust
A huge quantity of cocaine has been seized during a raid on a suspected illegal storage facility near Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, in what authorities say is the biggest drugs bust in the country’s history. Videos and photos released by police showed dozens of sealed suitcases and boxes inside a lorry that investigators believed contained high-grade cocaine. Investigators said they had recovered 3,971kg of processed cocaine during the raid, with an estimated street value of more than $317m. Several people were arrested during the raid in Duazon, a town about 20km east of Monrovia, including two foreigners and several Liberians. … West Africa has long been regarded by international law enforcement agencies as a key transit route for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe, taking advantage of porous borders and weak enforcement in parts of the region. … The UN has also warned about the growing threat posed by drug-trafficking networks in the region, saying the “increasingly sophisticated operations launched by drug cartels is an issue of great concerns”. BBC
Ghanaian Nationals Ask ICC to Probe Xenophobic Violence in South Africa
Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, which they said could constitute crimes against humanity. South Africa has been gripped by a surge in anti-immigrant protests in recent months, accompanied in some cases by violence against foreigners, whom protesters blame for problems such as crime and unemployment. Several African migrants have been killed in the violence, while others have been beaten and have seen their homes and shops looted. Tens of thousands have fled the country. … The petition was filed by Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a former Ghanaian government spokesperson on governance and security, and Emmanuel Kotin, a counter-terrorism and security analyst. … “While we commend individuals in South Africa who have condemned these acts, the pattern, scale, and recurrence of the violence raise serious questions about the failure of state authorities to prevent, investigate, and punish these crimes,” it said. Reuters
Cameroon’s Ruling Party Meets as Biya’s Long Absence Draws Criticism
Cameroon’s ruling party called a rare meeting of senior leaders on Wednesday as criticism mounted over the continued absence of President Paul Biya, 93, who has spent the last 45 days abroad. Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, left Cameroon on June 7 for what the civil cabinet described as “a brief private stay in Europe” and has since not returned. The government has provided no information as to when he might be back. Jean Nkuete, secretary-general of the central committee of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), who summoned the meeting, did not disclose its agenda, describing it in a statement only as “an important working session.” … In office since 1982, Biya has for years spent extended stretches in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe, though his advanced age means they have increasingly fuelled speculation about his health, whereabouts and ability to govern. The current overseas trip is his longest yet. After a similarly extended period out of the country in 2024, the government banned discussion of Biya’s health. That has not stopped some opposition figures from commenting on Biya’s absence. Reuters