Polls Open in Ethiopia’s Election that Is Widely Expected to Be Won by the Ruling Party
Polls opened Monday in Ethiopia in an election that is widely expected to be won by the ruling party. A heavy military presence was observed in the capital, Addis Ababa, as observers called for a peaceful election in the country that is Africa’s second-most populous and hosts the headquarters of the African Union. Long queues began forming before the 6 a.m. opening time, with voters eager to cast their ballots and make their voices heard. Ethiopians are choosing more than 500 members of the House of Representatives, who will subsequently vote to select the prime minister. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party is expected to secure a majority of seats, paving the way for him to retain office for another term. … Opposition parties have raised concerns over what they describe as a shrinking political space, alleging that they were prevented from actively campaigning and persuading voters. Ethiopia has also faced criticism over reports of human rights abuses targeting government critics and journalists. AP
Sudan: Over 2,400 Displaced from Kordofan Conflict Zones in Days, IOM Reports
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sunday that more than 2,400 people have been displaced from conflict-affected areas in North and South Kordofan states over the past several days, as violence escalates across the region. The UN agency said 160 people fled the village of Al-Murra in West Bara locality of North Kordofan following a deterioration in security conditions, with displaced persons seeking refuge in other areas within the state. The situation remains tense and highly volatile, IOM said. A further 2,245 people were displaced from the cities of Kadugli and Dilling and villages around Habila in South Kordofan between 28 and 30 May due to insecurity, with those affected fleeing to North Kordofan, White Nile, and Khartoum states. RSF elements have been carrying out attacks on villages in West Bara since Thursday using heavy weapons, and have been implicated in serious violations against civilians. Sudan Tribune
Nigerian Retired General Abducted with His Wife in the North-west
A retired senior Nigerian military officer and his wife have been kidnapped by armed men in north-west Nigeria, the army has confirmed. Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, who had a high-profile job as military spokesman between 2015 and 2017, was abducted from his car on Saturday while travelling in Katsina state. Efforts are now under way to rescue the couple and track down their captors, military spokesman Gen Michael Onoja told the BBC. The kidnapping highlights the continuing security challenges facing parts of north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs known locally as “bandits” frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, as well as cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities. Some militant jihadists have also operated in the region. … No group has said it was behind Saturday’s abduction and the army is still waiting for the kidnappers to contact the family, the army said. Local reports say the retired general was travelling to Katsina for a wedding when gunmen attacked his vehicle. BBC
Brutal and Emboldened: How Nigeria’s Bandit Crisis Spun Out of Control
[Hundreds of gangs have roamed across vast swathes of un-policed land in northern Nigeria since 2011, razing villages to the ground and maiming, torturing, raping and killing with unrestrained ruthlessness.] … Between 2010 and 2023, there were 13,485 deaths linked to banditry in the seven states that comprise Nigeria’s north-west region, according to the conflict monitor Acled. The crisis has its roots in conflicts between farmers and nomadic herders over land and resources that have become more intense because of the climate crisis, deforestation and rapid population growth. Some herders formed vigilante groups, which morphed into criminal gangs. … The crisis stems in part from a lack of state presence in large parts of the country. Huge areas have been abandoned by the state, including territory designated by the federal government as nature reserves. … As the crisis festers, some say the lines are blurring between opportunistic banditry and ideological jihadism, with consequences for a common enemy – the state and its citizens. The rise of Lakurawa, a hybrid insurgency that has emerged in the last decade in the north-central region, has become cause for concern in particular. It started as a vigilante group fighting bandits but morphed into a terrorist outfit levying a religious tax on communities in return for protection. The bandits’ success has given them an air of impunity. Younger gang members show off their loot on TikTok, while older ones have become influential in political circles. The Guardian
Mozambique: Are ‘Death Squads’ Targeting the Opposition?
For years, allegations have circulated in Mozambique about so-called death squads, allegedly targeting state critics. During the civil war between the ruling FRELIMO party and RENAMO rebels from 1977 to 1992, both sides committed serious human rights abuses and political killings. Since around 2015, activists, journalists and human rights organizations have reported on the alleged presence of organized groups within the security forces which are accused of intimidating or murdering opposition figures and critical voices. The allegations are directed mainly at police units and other security agencies said to have close ties to the ruling FRELIMO party. … Civil society groups are demanding independent investigations into the murders and attacks against opposition politicians. “In Mozambique, there is an extremely high level of political intolerance and violence,” says Adriano Nuvunga, director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) in Maputo. … DECIDE, a Mozambican NGO, has recorded a dramatic rise in political violence since the last elections. Spokesperson Wilker Dias accused the government of controlling the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office. His organization, he said, had repeatedly reported specific cases — without any visible investigative progress. DW
WHO Chief Reports 5 Ebola Recoveries as a New Treatment Center Opens in Eastern Congo
Five patients have recovered from a rare type of Ebola virus, the head of the World Health Organization said Sunday during a visit to Bunia in eastern Congo, a city at the heart of an outbreak. “Four people will be discharged today and there was one that was discharged the day before yesterday,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during the opening of a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. “Of course, we’re still working on vaccines and treatments but that doesn’t mean that people cannot recover from Ebola,” he added. The WHO said Friday a patient had recovered from the Bundibugyo virus, the current species of Ebola, which has no approved treatment or vaccine. It was the first documented recovery of a confirmed Bundibugyo patient during the current outbreak. AP
Moderna Partners with Global Health Coalition to Develop Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine
Moderna said on Monday it has partnered with a global health coalition to develop a potential vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, the strain linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal comes as health authorities worldwide race to identify medical options to help contain the outbreak, which has recorded more than 900 suspected cases and over 220 suspected deaths. Under the agreement, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has committed up to $50 million to support preclinical development and early clinical testing of Moderna’s investigational BDBV vaccine candidate. CEPI said it would also initially invest up to $8.6 million for a shot developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and an initial $3.2 million for a vaccine developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. … Separately, global vaccine alliance Gavi on Monday committed up to $50 million, including up to $40 million to accelerate vaccine access and $10 million to support outbreak response. The Pandemic Fund last week announced up to $220.6 million in grants to address critical response gaps in the Ebola outbreak. Reuters
Counting Underway after Guinea Votes in Legislative and Municipal Elections
Seven million voters were eligible to elect 147 members of parliament. But turnout was reportedly low in the capital Conakry and the central city of Labe. Most candidates were drawn from the presidential camp after the government dissolved the main opposition parties in March. … One opposition party, the Democratic Front of Guinea (Frondeg) … denounced an assault on one of its candidates in the central town of Mamou. The party said that Abdoulaye Bademba Diallo was “attacked” in a restaurant on Saturday evening “by two hooded individuals” on a motorcycle. … Critics urged people to boycott what they called “an electoral farce” that they said would only help establish “a new dictatorship.” … [Coup leader Mamady] Doumbouya was elected to a seven-year term presidential term in December facing no serious opposition. He had initially promised to hand power back to civilians at the end of a transition period. His government has suspended many political parties, banned protests and arrested opposition and civil society leaders. Enforced disappearances and abductions of dissidents and their relatives have become common. Africanews with AFP
Nigeria, Liberia Strengthen Regional Maritime Cooperation
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to advancing regional maritime integration, cooperation and capacity development across Africa. Receiving the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Liberia in Lagos, Dapo Akinosun, SAN, at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, Mobereola described the meeting as a reflection of the longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship between Nigeria and Liberia, particularly within the maritime sector. According to him, stronger collaboration among African nations remains critical to unlocking the continent’s maritime potential, strengthening the Blue Economy, and promoting sustainable regional growth of the continent. … “We must collectively build maritime capacity beyond borders. Sea-time training and practical exposure will position Nigerian and African youths to compete effectively in the international maritime space,” he added. He also appreciated the Liberian Government for supporting Nigeria’s successful bid for the Category C seat of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), noting that both countries have sustained productive maritime relations over the years. APA
AfDB President Calls for Stronger Regional Financial Cooperation in Africa
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, has said that Africa’s future development will depend on stronger regional financial cooperation and innovative risk-sharing mechanisms. Tah told journalists during a media interaction at the conclusion of the 2026 AfDB Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, Africa can no longer rely solely on public financing and fragmented development interventions to address its vast infrastructure and industrialisation needs. He said that Africa required a coordinated financial system capable of mobilising institutions at national, regional and continental levels. … He said that the arrangement was not intended to create another institution but rather to strengthen collaboration among existing African financial actors. According to him, the framework will bring together development banks, commercial banks, guarantee institutions, pension funds, stock exchanges and central banks. APA
South Africa Court Weighs Feud over the Body of Zambia’s Former President Lungu
A bitter feud over whether the body of Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu should return to his country for a state funeral or stay in South Africa for burial went before a South African appeals court Friday, nearly a year after his death. Lungu, who was Zambia’s leader from 2015 to 2021, died of an undisclosed illness in a South African hospital on June 5, 2025 at the age of 68. He has not yet been buried because of a tug-of-war between his family and his long-time rival, current Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Hichilema wants Lungu’s body returned for a state ceremony, and his government won a ruling in August from the Pretoria High Court that the remains be turned over to Zambian diplomats for repatriation. However, Lungu’s family wanted to bury him in South Africa because they objected to any funeral arrangements involving his bitter rival Hichilema, and appealed the ruling before South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal. … The court did not say when a ruling would be issued. AP