Ethiopia: Election Board Says 143 Polling Stations Failed to Open over Security Problems; Voting Interrupted in ‘Certain Areas’ of Oromia and Amhara Regions
The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said 143 polling stations across the country failed to open [yesterday] due to security-related problems, while voting that had already begun was later interrupted in parts of the Oromia and Amhara regions. The Board disclosed the developments during a briefing on Ethiopia’s 7th general election. … According to [NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu], 50,188 polling stations opened on schedule to conduct voting. Of these 695 polling stations began operations between 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM. However, she said 143 polling stations did not open due to security concerns. Melatwork further stated that following the start of voting, the electoral process was interrupted in parts of the Oromia and Amhara regions because of a “security problem” reported in “certain areas.” She identified Bilonopa, Mekosachi, Qersa, and Kutaber localities among the polling stations where voting was disrupted after polling had already commenced. … The disruptions reported by the election board come days after security authorities in Amhara and Oromia regions publicly emphasized readiness for election day, while armed opposition groups renewed calls rejecting the vote. Addis Standard
Sudan: Drone Attack Hits Market and Hospital in South Darfur as Tribal War Intensifies
A long-range drone strike struck a crowded marketplace and a rural hospital in the town of Kubum on Monday, causing multiple civilian casualties and fueling fears that localized ethnic warfare could destabilize neighboring Central Darfur State. The aerial attack comes amid a sharp escalation in tribal clashes between the Salamat and Beni Halba ethnicities inside Kubum and its surrounding areas. Both factions have continued to mobilize fighters and funnel tribal reinforcements to the theater of conflict. The Salamat and Beni Halba are among the most prominent tribal components to have declared allegiance to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the early days of the ongoing Sudanese war, supplying thousands of combatants to active military operations. … The RSF faces persistent accusations of complicity and active participation in the tribal bloodletting. Social media footage published by activists shows tribal gunmen from both sides wearing RSF uniforms, driving its military vehicles, and utilizing heavy weaponry exclusively available to the paramilitary group. Sudan Tribune
Disputes over Representation Threaten to Delay ‘Quint’ Meeting on Sudan
Crucial meetings of the Quintet Committee on Sudan, scheduled to take place in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, this Wednesday, are facing significant complications that could prevent them from convening. The mediation mechanism aims to contain the escalating crisis in Sudan and bridge the gap between various political factions, paving the way for a comprehensive political process to address the future of governance in the country. Sources closely linked to the meeting, alongside event organizers, told Sudan Tribune that the African Union (AU), the Arab League, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have raised strong objections regarding the representation and number of delegates allocated to the participating groups. The sources further disclosed that some invited political forces have also expressed their own reservations about the inclusion of rival blocs in the direct consultations. Sudan Tribune
Nigeria-US Joint Airstrike Kills 21 ISWAP Militants in Lake Chad Region
A joint air operation conducted by the Nigerian military under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has neutralised 21 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in a precision strike on a [militant] enclave in Arege, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. Security sources disclosed that the operation was executed on May 30 following credible intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions that confirmed the presence of ISWAP elements within the area. According to the sources, the coordinated airstrike targeted a terrorist camp where insurgents were reportedly planning and directing hostile operations across the Lake Chad region. … Sources further revealed that the mission forms part of ongoing Nigeria–United States counterterrorism cooperation aimed at degrading terrorist networks, dismantling their safe havens, and denying them freedom of movement across the North-East theatre. PR Nigeria
Nigeria’s Obi to Run for President Again after Opposition Split
Nigerian politician Peter Obi said he would run for president again in January after winning his party’s nomination, setting up another contest between incumbent Bola Tinubu and a divided opposition. Obi was declared winner of the Nigeria Democratic Congress primary on Sunday, less than a month after quitting an alliance that had tried to set up a single opposition challenger. The acceptance from Obi – who came third in the last election after galvanizing young voters – hit hopes among some opposition backers that he might return to the coalition. It prepares the ground for a re-run of 2023’s three-way contest that is likely to test whether public anger over rising living costs and insecurity can translate into votes against Tinubu, or whether the anti-government vote will once again be split. “We must address insecurity with resolve and urgency, for no nation can thrive while its citizens live in trepidation,” Obi said in a statement late on Sunday. Nigeria is grappling with overlapping security crises that stretch far beyond the jihadist insurgency in the northeast, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have waged a conflict for more than 15 years. Reuters
Senegal’s President Faye Forms New Government, Sidelining Party of Former Ally Sonko
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Monday, June 1, announced a new government, excluding the party led by his former ally Ousmane Sonko, whom he sacked as prime minister over political disputes. Faye’s announcement came in a live television broadcast less than two weeks after he fired Sonko, his former mentor, and dismissed the cabinet following disagreements including over the troubled economy. A popular figure, Sonko was promptly elected speaker of parliament by allies in a vote boycotted by the opposition, deepening the political crisis in the west African country. Sonko remains the undisputed leader of Pastef, the party he founded in 2014 – to which Faye also belongs – and which controls 130 of the 165 seats in Senegal’s only legislative body. On Monday, Faye named senior economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as prime minister, saying the new appointee had the expertise to steer Senegal out of its crippling debt. Lo on Monday read out a list of 30 new ministers, including some Pastef members, but notable for the absence of several of its senior figures who had been in the previous government. Sonko said his party would not join the cabinet after disagreeing about it with Faye during a “long conversation” earlier Monday. Le Monde with AFP
WHO Chief Wraps up Visit to Ebola-hit Congo, Briefs President on Response
The head of the World Health Organization on Monday concluded his visit to Democratic Republic of Congo by briefing the president on the response to the Ebola outbreak, which an aid agency warned was likely much larger than official figures show. The outbreak, already the third-largest on record, persisted for weeks undetected, say health officials, who are now behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control. Arriving in Congo last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for more international support to stop the disease’s spread before he travelled to Congo’s Ituri province where the first cases were confirmed. There he said he saw some encouraging signs – including five certified recoveries – as well as the need to ramp up testing and treatment capacity and promote trust in health workers. “This Ebola can be stopped when the community owns the agenda and with strong government leadership,” he said after meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa on Monday. “We need to strengthen the capacity of the health systems in the affected areas.” .. While Congolese officials are well-versed in fighting Ebola, they have little experience with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which is responsible for the current outbreak and for which there is no approved vaccine. Reuters
Uganda: Court Dismisses Besigye Bid for Constitutional Reference, Clears Way for Treason Trial
The High Court has dismissed an application by Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused seeking a Constitutional Court interpretation on what constitutes adequate time and facilities to prepare a defence, paving the way for their treason trial to proceed as scheduled. In a ruling delivered late yesterday evening via email, Justice Emmanuel Baguma held that the questions raised by the defence did not amount to substantial constitutional issues requiring interpretation by the Constitutional Court. “I am not satisfied that the questions of law proposed and framed for constitutional interpretation warrant a reference to the Constitutional Court,” Justice Baguma ruled. The judge directed parties to return for a preliminary hearing on June 8 and maintained earlier orders requiring the prosecution to commence presenting its case on June 11. … The defence proposed three constitutional questions for referral, including whether seven days amounted to adequate time under Article 28(3)(c) of the Constitution, whether requiring lawyers to access their detained clients during weekends and public holidays was consistent with the right to a fair hearing, and whether fixing trial dates before completion of preliminary proceedings violated constitutional guarantees. However, Justice Baguma rejected all three grounds. Monitor
South Sudan Requests Closure of Egyptian ‘Forward Base’ near Ethiopia Border as Nile Basin Realignment Deepens
South Sudan has requested the closure of an Egyptian military-linked facility in Pagak, a strategic border town near Ethiopia, in a move that signals shifting alignments across the Nile Basin and renewed geopolitical recalibration involving Addis Ababa, Juba, and Cairo, according to Almohagig reporting. The facility, described by Egyptian officials as a “forward operating base,” was reportedly used for training, technical support, and monitoring Nile River flows, particularly in relation to developments around Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). An Egyptian government official cited by Al-Hurra said that the contingent stationed in Pagak comprised “approximately 260 personnel engaged in technical support, military training, and advanced monitoring and logistical coordination systems.” The town lies in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, at a highly sensitive tri-border area with Ethiopia and Sudan, giving it strategic visibility over cross-border security and Nile Basin infrastructure corridors. … Almohagig reports that the decision reflects four converging shifts in South Sudan’s strategic calculus: its accession to the Nile Basin Cooperation Framework Agreement in late 2024; growing reliance on alternative oil export and logistics routes through Ethiopia amid instability in Sudan; concern over becoming a proxy theatre in regional conflicts; and domestic political signaling by President Salva Kiir Mayardit amid economic strain and internal political competition. Addis Standard
A Tale of Two Francks? World’s Oldest Leader Creates Deputy Role – Raising Prospect of Dynastic Succession
Since taking power in Cameroon 44 years ago, Paul Biya has done without a vice-president. In 1972, a decade before he first won the presidency, the role had been scrapped as the central African country transitioned from a federal to unitary state. Now, at the age of 93, people close to the world’s oldest head of state appear to have had a change of heart, and – according to their critics – they have one thing on their mind: the creation of a dynastic system that would transfer power to his son or his stepson. In April, parliament voted to amend the constitution to reintroduce the role of vice-president, who would be appointed by the president rather than elected. The bill stipulates that in the event of a president’s death or incapacity, the vice-president would take over as head of state until the end of the seven-year presidential term. Under the old system, the Senate leader would take over and an election be held as soon as possible. Several names have been mentioned as possible picks … [b]ut reports say it is likely the role will go to either Franck Biya, the first of two children the president had with the late former first lady Jean-Irène Biya, or Franck Hertz, a son of the current first lady, Chantal Biya. … In a statement after the constitutional change, the opposition politician Maurice Kamto did not mince his words. “The sitting president is establishing a constitutionally based republican monarchy, with a hereditary or nepotistic dynasty,” he said, describing the amendment as an “institutional power grab”. The Guardian
S. Korea, African Foreign Ministers Launch First Ministerial Meeting amid Global Uncertainty
South Korea on Monday hosted its first ministerial meeting with 50 African nations, bringing representatives from the countries together as Seoul seeks to strengthen ties with a continent of growing strategic importance amid global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty. Held under the theme “Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges,” the gathering drew delegates from 50 out of 54 African countries as well as four regional organizations, including the African Union and the African Development Bank. Cheong Wa Dae said President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to meet with more than 20 ministerial-level delegates from African countries on Tuesday afternoon to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation between South Korea and Africa. Opening the meeting, South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun highlighted Africa’s growing strategic importance amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and uncertainty in global supply chains. … The ministerial meeting is expected to be accompanied by a series of bilateral engagements between South Korea and the participating African countries, as Seoul seeks to translate the gathering into concrete diplomatic and economic partnerships. Those efforts will continue Tuesday at the Korea-Africa Business Forum, where government officials, business leaders and experts are set to explore opportunities for deeper trade and investment ties, industrial collaboration and supply-chain resilience. Korea Herald
Pushing Back from Big Tech: Africa’s Hard Road to AI Sovereignty
Africa’s four biggest tech economies have each drafted artificial intelligence strategies admitting they depend too heavily on Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Meta for infrastructure and want more control over the terms. Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya have released draft AI policies since January 2025 that identify dependence on U.S. tech companies as a threat to security and survival. South Africa reached the same conclusion in a draft it published and withdrew in April this year after the AI tools used to help write it generated fake citations. Most African nations rely on U.S. companies for computing power, funding, and expertise, AI and policy experts who advise these governments told Rest of World. They are now pushing for data sovereignty, local talent, and better terms from foreign providers, the experts said. “Africa’s push for digital sovereignty cannot mean total independence from global AI supply chains,” Rachel Adams, founder of the Global Center on AI Governance, told Rest of World. “But it can mean stronger control over sensitive data, better public procurement rules, investment in local infrastructure and skills, African language data sets, and clearer accountability for foreign AI providers.” … In the absence of infrastructure, African governments are leaning toward “segmented” data setups, where processing happens abroad but data stays stored within the country’s borders, Adeola Bojuwoye, Nigeria lead for nonprofit Digital Impact Alliance, told Rest of World. Rest of World