Ebola Outbreak Could Become Worst on Record, Africa C.D.C. Chief Warns
Health officials on Tuesday warned that the Ebola outbreak in East Africa could significantly worsen, saying it could last as long as a year and infect thousands of people if current transmission rates go on unabated. The outbreak is already one of the largest on record, and has spread most in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where distrust of the authorities and violence in eastern regions have hampered health workers’ ability to help people. “If we don’t stop the outbreak very soon it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern D.R.C.,” said Jean Kaseya, the director general of the Africa C.D.C., said on Tuesday at an emergency conference on Ebola for African leaders. There have been more than 800 confirmed cases in this outbreak, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and nearly 200 people killed. The worst recorded Ebola outbreak took place between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa and killed more than 11,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The New York Times
Nigeria Clamps Down On Misinformation After School Kidnapping
Nigerian authorities have arrested at least eight people in recent weeks for spreading false information on social media, as officials threaten tougher penalties following a wave of misinformation linked to a recent school kidnapping. … Analysts said that while Nigeria’s myriad security crises are real, the approaching elections have incentivised people to amplify and distort the problem. … Many of the arrests have been made under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises sharing false information on social media and prescribes a three-year jail term or a fine of seven million naira (about $5,000). But experts warn relying on arrests to combat misinformation can infringe on the right to free speech, especially in situations where there is no documented harm. “In many cases, people share false information because they genuinely believe the information is accurate or because it reinforces their existing beliefs and biases,” Olasupo Abideen of Fact Check Africa told AFP. There are also worries the government could use the law to crack down on news it disagrees with. … Abideen said enforcement measures should be complemented with long-term investments in public awareness campaigns and robust fact-checking initiatives. “An informed and media-literate public remains one of the strongest defences against misinformation; far more effective in the long run than the fear of arrest alone,” he said. AFP
Nigeria: IGP Urges Greater Role for Traditional Rulers in National Security
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has called for stronger collaboration between traditional institutions, security agencies and local communities to enhance peace, security and development across the country, while assuring police personnel that proposed policing reforms, including discussions on State Police, will not jeopardize their welfare or career progression. Disu made the call on Monday during a working visit to Jigawa State, where he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Umar Namadi, attended the 8th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council (NTRC) in Dutse and addressed officers and men of the Jigawa State Police Command. Speaking at the meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, the IGP commended the council, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, for its contributions to peacebuilding, dialogue and national unity. He emphasized the strategic role of traditional rulers in intelligence gathering, conflict resolution, community engagement and early warning mechanisms, noting that effective collaboration between traditional institutions and security agencies remains critical to tackling insecurity and fostering sustainable development across Northern Nigeria. PR Nigeria
Nigerian Court Orders Electoral Body to Deregister Main Opposition Party, Four Others
A Nigerian court on Monday ordered the electoral agency to de-register one of the main opposition political parties and four others for failing to meet constitutional requirements, a ruling that could reshape the field ahead of next January’s elections. Federal high court judge Peter Lifu directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to strike the African Democratic Congress and the others from its register, backing claims by former lawmakers that they did not meet minimum electoral performance thresholds. Nigerian law requires a party to either win at least one elective seat at any level or secure at least 25% of votes in a state in a presidential election, failing which it risks deregistration. The ruling poses a hurdle for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate and a leading challenger to President Bola Tinubu, and could narrow the opposition field. Reuters
How State Violence and Intimidation Continue to Haunt Mozambique’s Opposition
More than 18 months after a disputed election triggered deadly unrest in Mozambique, pressure on political opponents continues to grow. Two members of Anamola, the party founded by former presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, were shot dead in May, while rights defenders report killings, torture and arbitrary detention. … Civil society organisation Decide says more than 7,200 people were arrested and arbitrarily detained during the post-election protests and that 1,500 remain behind bars. Some detainees have been held under an anti-terrorism law introduced in 2018 and amended in 2022. The law allows suspects to be held for 16 months without charge. … Mozambican human rights organisations denounced the threat the law posed to public freedoms when it was introduced in 2018. The legislation provides prison terms of two to eight years for spreading false information and 24 years for terrorist activities. … Human rights defenders accuse the ruling party of using different branches of the security apparatus for political purposes, including the Criminal Investigation Service, the Rapid Intervention Unit and the Special Operations Group. RFI
South Sudan: Man Abducted in Nairobi Arrives in Juba, Held in Military Detention
A South Sudanese man who was abducted in Kenya earlier this week has been deported to South Sudan and is being held at a military detention facility in Juba, community representatives said on Thursday. Athorbey Al-Gaddhaffy-Dit Guet, widely known as Gaddafi, was reported missing in Nairobi on [last week] after armed men seized him at gunpoint, according to family members and rights advocates. His disappearance raised fears that he had been forcibly returned to South Sudan. Gaddafi, who is originally from the Bor community in Jonglei State and also holds Kenyan identification documents, had previously expressed concerns about his safety, according to people familiar with the matter. … The deportation of Gaddafi to South Sudan adds to a series of cases documented by independent media, human rights groups and United Nations investigators over the past decade involving South Sudanese activists, opposition figures and government critics who were abducted, deported or forcibly returned from Kenya. Radio Tamazuj
South Sudanese Journalist Kidnapped, Extradited from Egypt to Juba
A South Sudanese journalist and registered refugee has been deported from Egypt to South Sudan, his family said, raising concerns for his safety over allegations linking him to an opposition group. Kennedy Nimaya was detained by Egyptian authorities on April 29 while attempting to renew his residency permit and remained in custody until he was deported to Juba on June 9, according to relatives. His family said they have been unable to establish his whereabouts since his arrival in South Sudan and fear he may be in the custody of security agencies. … Nimaya previously worked for several South Sudanese Arabic-language newspapers, including Al-Masier and Al Masar, and also served as a journalist for Juba City Council. His family said he was deported without due process, alleging that he was not formally notified of the decision and was denied an opportunity to appeal. … He had been living in Egypt for several years under refugee status granted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to relatives. Family members and rights advocates said the deportation may violate the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of refugees to countries where they face persecution or threats to their lives. Radio Tamazuj
Congo Opposition Condemns New Bill Seen as Opening the Way for a Third Term for President Tshisekedi
Congo’s opposition on Tuesday condemned the adoption of a bill that could open the door to a third term for President Félix Tshisekedi, denouncing what they say is a power grab. The bill, adopted by the Senate on Monday, would enable a referendum on a new constitution under which Tshisekedi’s previous terms wouldn’t count against him — effectively resetting the clock. It has already passed the National Assembly and now awaits the president’s signature. Tshisekedi, 62, has been in office since 2019. He has said that he would seek a third term, if voters approved of it in a referendum. But no date has been set for one. Congo’s constitution explicitly bars any revision of presidential term limits. The bill works around that provision by allowing the president to amend the constitution in the event of a “major dysfunction” paralyzing state institutions. AP
Equatorial Guinea Government Resigns after Failing to Meet Targets
Equatorial Guinea’s government has resigned after failing to meet its objectives, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue said. Obiang, who is also the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, said the prime minister had presented the resignation of all members of the government because it had barely reached 10% of its targets. He did not specify the targets but a statement by the ruling party said the president had observed that the government fostered corruption and failed to diversify the economy. President Obiang is the world’s longest-serving leader who has ruled the oil-rich West African country since 1979 with a strong grip, while naming family members to key government roles. The president appointed the outgoing government in 2024, with Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua as prime minister. BBC
Africa’s Anti-graft Chiefs Meet in Nairobi as EACC Warns of Sophisticated Corruption Networks
Nairobi has become the centre of Africa’s anti-corruption agenda after senior anti-graft officials from across the continent convened for the 8th Annual General Assembly of the Association of African Anti-Corruption Authorities (AAACA), with leaders warning that corruption is becoming increasingly sophisticated and technology-driven. Speaking during the opening ceremony Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 said corruption remains one of the biggest threats to economic growth, public trust and governance across Africa. … The meeting has brought together heads of anti-corruption agencies from across Africa, government officials and international partners to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation in the fight against graft, illicit financial flows and asset recovery. … He noted that delegates will focus on strengthening cross-border cooperation through mutual legal assistance, information sharing, joint investigations and enhanced coordination among regional anti-corruption networks. The EACC boss further emphasised the growing public demand for accountability and recovery of stolen public resources. The Standard
Ghana to Advance Reparatory Justice at First Major Gathering since Landmark UN Resolution
Ghana is hosting a conference to advance the continent’s push for reparatory justice after the adoption of the landmark United Nations (UN) resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. Heads of state and government, ministers, civil society representatives, historians, researchers and legal experts representing more than 80 countries are converging in the capital, Accra, for the three-day event, billed Next Steps, which starts on Wednesday. It is the first major gathering on the issue since the resolution was adopted. The conference will feature an event on 19 June at Osu Castle – a 17th-century fortress in the capital built by the Danish that served as a hub for the transatlantic slave trade – to honour Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the US. Expected speakers include the African Union commission chair, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, prime minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and presidents John Mahama, Joseph Boakai, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Emmanuel Macron of Ghana, Liberia, Namibia, Senegal and France, respectively. The Guardian