Mapping the Armed Actors in the Sudan Conflict
The conflict in Sudan is regularly presented as a contest between two militaries—the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This obscures the accelerating fragmentation of the security space in Sudan. There are now an estimated 150 militias active in the conflict. Comprising a collection of military and paramilitary forces, tribal militias, Islamist brigades, community defense groups, criminal gangs, and foreign mercenaries, these armed actors represent a wide range of motivations, chains of command, organizational structures, and professional training. … This systematic use of armed militias has fueled the growing fragmentation and deprofessionalization of Sudan’s security sector. It has also reshaped the political landscape as these armed groups have leveraged their security role to expand their political influence. The current competition for supremacy between the SAF and the RSF is an ongoing outcome of this fragmentation. … Notwithstanding the critical role that external actors are playing in the Sudan conflict, the internal fragmentation of Sudan’s security environment holds far-reaching implications for the war’s trajectory—including the security, political, and economic challenges that will shape the post-conflict landscape. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
UN Envoy for Sudan Visits Chad to Address Regional Impact of Conflict
The United Nations’ personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, is conducting a diplomatic mission in neighbouring Chad to address the growing regional fallout from the Sudanese conflict, a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday. Haavisto is holding a series of meetings with Chadian national authorities and diplomatic counterparts to discuss the security situation and its wider regional implications, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters during a briefing in New York. As part of his visit, the personal envoy is scheduled to travel to camps hosting Sudanese refugees who have fled the fighting. … The regional tour follows recent diplomatic efforts by Haavisto to push for de-escalation, including direct discussions with the warring parties and meetings with regional leaders as part of a five-party mechanism involving the UN, African Union, Arab League, European Union, and IGAD. Sudan Tribune
MINUSCA Steps up Security after Attack on Northern CAR Base
The United Nations mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is stepping up security at its base in the northeastern town of Am Dafock, following an attack there last month. Fighters from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Central African Republic’s former Seleka rebels attacked the base located near the Sudan border on 30 June. The assault killed members of the military, security forces and civilians, and wounded three UN peacekeepers from Zambia. Authorities said more than 16,000 displaced people were gathered near the UN base in Am Dafock, while more than 2,000 others had taken refuge in the Vakaga capital, Birao, around 60 kilometres away. … Am Dafock is a strategic point on the border between the Central African Republic and Sudan. It regularly faces incursions by armed groups operating on both sides of the border, against a backdrop marked by the war in Sudan since April 2023 and the presence of the RSF in the frontier regions. In 2024, a UN report said the RSF was using Am-Dafock as a “key logistical hub”, including for recruitment. Africanews with AFP
Violence Escalates in South Sudan as a Government Commissioner Is Killed
A government-appointed county commissioner in an opposition stronghold in South Sudan’s oil-rich Jonglei State was “assassinated” by opposition forces in renewed violence, the government confirmed late Monday. Fighting in Jonglei has intensified in recent days, with an unknown number of casualties. The strategic county of Akobo has seen the appointment of both government-backed and opposition-backed county commissioners. James Kueth Makuach, the government-appointed commissioner, was killed on Sunday when opposition fighters launched an assault on Walgak, a remote area in Akobo West, according to officials from both sides. Makuach defected to President Salva Kiir’s ruling party in April after being removed by the opposition’s acting leadership earlier this year. The government then appointed him as county commissioner, ignoring a 2018 peace agreement that assigns that Akobo County position to Riek Machar’s opposition party. Machar remains in prison and faces treason charges. … The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, formed to monitor South Sudan’s peace process, on Monday said the renewed violence undermines the implementation of the 2018 peace deal ending civil war and threatens the safety of civilians. AP
Mali: Sabotage Plunges Bamako into Water and Power Crisis
Large parts of Mali’s capital have been left without electricity and running water after suspected sabotage damaged a key power transmission line. The disruption has deepened hardship for residents as insecurity and jihadist attacks continue to strain the country’s fragile infrastructure. Bamako has endured widespread electricity and water outages for two days after suspected sabotage disrupted a major power transmission line supplying the city, according to utility officials. State-owned electricity provider Energie du Mali (EDM) said an incident on the transmission network had severely affected power supply across several districts but did not identify the cause. A senior official at the Malian water utility SOMAGEP later told AFP that the disruption resulted from sabotage on the high-voltage line linking Bamako to the Manantali Dam, located on the Mali-Mauritania-Senegal border. The official said the perpetrators had not been identified. … The infrastructure disruption comes as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has intensified pressure on routes leading into Bamako. For months, the jihadist group has imposed blockades on major roads and set fire to buses, cargo trucks and fuel tankers in an apparent effort to weaken the country’s economy and disrupt supply chains. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the latest sabotage, the incident highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure amid Mali’s worsening security environment. Africanews with AFP
Somalia: Puntland and Jubbaland Reject Turkey-led Mogadishu Talks, Citing Concerns over Neutrality
Puntland and Jubbaland have declined to take part in meetings hosted by Turkish intelligence officials in Mogadishu, questioning Ankara’s neutrality in the country’s ongoing political disputes, informed sources said Tuesday. The two federal member states argued that Turkey could not be considered an impartial mediator in discussions over Somalia’s key political issues, including the electoral process, accusing Ankara of providing direct support to the federal government in Mogadishu. The decision comes amid heightened tensions between the Federal Government of Somalia and opposition groups over the country’s political future and election arrangements. Representatives from Puntland and Jubbaland are, however, expected to participate in a broader meeting on Thursday involving Western diplomatic representatives, Turkey, the Federal Government, and opposition figures. The meeting is expected to mark the first formal dialogue bringing together all major stakeholders to discuss the electoral roadmap. Garowe Online
Nigeria: CCC Raises Alarm Over AI-Generated Disinformation, Identity Politics Ahead of 2027 Polls
The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) has raised concerns over the growing threat of artificial intelligence-generated disinformation, fake news and divisive identity politics, warning that the trends could undermine national cohesion and democratic stability as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections. … While acknowledging the operational successes recorded by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies in rescuing abducted victims and disrupting terrorist activities, the Centre warned that criminal groups continue to adapt their tactics, requiring more coordinated, intelligence-driven and technology-enabled security responses. The report identified the rapid spread of AI-generated fake news, manipulated multimedia content and inflammatory narratives as an emerging national security threat capable of eroding public trust in government institutions, aggravating social tensions and complicating ongoing security operations. … To address the challenges, the Centre called on the Federal Government and security agencies to strengthen intelligence-led operations, improve rescue capabilities and expand specialised training. PR Nigeria
Zimbabwe’s 83-year-old President Signs Law to Delay Elections and Extend His Own Term
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law constitutional amendments that abolish direct presidential elections, postpone the next vote and extend his tenure, according to a government notice issued on Tuesday, despite strong opposition from critics. Mnangagwa, already one of the world’s oldest serving leaders at 83, had previously pledged to step down when his second and final term ends in 2028. But his ruling ZANU-PF party, backed by some lawmakers from the fractured opposition, pushed the amendments through Parliament, making Zimbabwe the latest African country to amend its constitution in a way that allows an incumbent president to remain in office longer. Parliament approved the amendments in June. They postpone the next election, scheduled for 2028, by two years, effectively extending Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030. The revised constitution also scraps public voting in presidential elections, with lawmakers now responsible for choosing the president, and extends the terms of the president and MPs from five years to seven. The changes have drawn criticism from human rights lawyers, civil society groups, opposition politicians and some veterans of Zimbabwe’s 1970s liberation war, who argue that extending presidential terms requires approval through a national referendum. AP
Kenya, Tanzania Suppress Protests with Heavy Police Deployments
Heavy police deployments in the capitals of Kenya and Tanzania suppressed planned protests on Tuesday, with July 7 a significant date for the East African neighbors. In Kenya, the day commemorates the 1990s struggle for multiparty democracy. In Tanzania, it marks the founding of what would become the ruling party 72 years ago. Tanzania’s protests were meant to call for democratic reforms following the disputed October election and to demand the release of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is jailed on treason charges. … Analysts say the government has remained on high alert since the October election and ensuing protests and crackdown that saw the deaths of hundreds of people. … A few people were arrested as police in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, cordoned off parliament buildings with barbed wire and blocked major roads. Businesses were closed. Kenyan opposition politician James Orengo described the police presence in Nairobi as an effort to scare citizens. AP
Kenya: Activists Petition Parliament to Investigate Extrajudicial Killings, Abductions
A coalition of human rights groups and civil society organisations has petitioned Parliament to investigate alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture linked to security agencies, as Kenya marks Saba Saba Day. Francis Awino, national convenor of Mtetezi, a grassroots economic justice movement, presented the petition on behalf of the coalition under Article 119 of the Constitution, which allows any person to petition Parliament on matters within its mandate. Organisers led a peaceful march from Jeevanjee Gardens to Parliament Buildings on Tuesday, exercising the right to assembly guaranteed under Article 37 alongside the petition right. … The petition calls for stronger police accountability, enhanced oversight mechanisms and legislative measures to protect constitutional rights, and asks Parliament to review existing laws and strengthen accountability institutions. The Standard
Nigeria’s Dangote Confirms Lamu, Kenya For East Africa Mega-refinery
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, will build a 700,000-barrels per day east African oil refinery in Lamu on the Kenya coast, a senior company official said Tuesday, ending speculation over the mega-project’s location. The location of the massive refinery — similar to Dangote’s sprawling complex in Nigeria — was confirmed to AFP by Edwin Devakumar, the vice president in charge of oil and gas at Dangote Industries Limited. It will take around 30 months to build the facility in east Africa’s largest economy, he added. … There are still many question marks around the project in Kenya, not least where it will source the oil to refine, and how it will be financed. Kenyan President William Ruto said in April that it would process oil from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. But Kenya’s oil reserves are yet to be pumped, while DR Congo’s are only coming up in small quantities — around 20,000 bpd, according to the government — and only on the country’s Atlantic coast, some 3,000 kilometres (1,860 miles) from Lamu. AFP
Ghana Halts Visit by South African President amid Row over Anti-migrant Protests
Ghana has postponed a visit by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa following xenophobic rallies that resulted in hundreds of Ghanaians being repatriated from his country. Ramaphosa had long planned a visit to Ghana in the first week of August, and it had been hoped this would help de-escalate tensions between the two nations. But many in Ghana feared his presence would lead to mass protests there. On Tuesday, government spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu told the BBC the visit would not happen for the time being. … Diplomatic tensions between the two nations heightened after a video went viral of Emmanuel Asamoah, a young Ghanaian living in South Africa, being confronted and told to ”go fix his country”. Ghana has since repatriated more than 900 of its citizens from South Africa, and the last batch of over 900 others is expected to be brought home in the coming weeks. Other African countries – including Nigeria, Malawi and Kenya – have also been repatriating their nationals from South Africa because of ongoing protests against foreigners. … In May, Ghana petitioned the African Union over the recurring xenophobia in South Africa, urging action and a fact-finding mission to address attacks on foreigners, which contravene the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. BBC