Burundi Votes but with Opposition Neutered
Elections for a new parliament in Burundi got under way on Thursday but with little risk of an upset after the main opposition was effectively barred from running…A former rebel group, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD) of President Evariste Ndayishimiye, has dominated Burundian politics since 2005. It is accused of undermining its main opponent, the National Freedom Council (CNL), which came second at the last election in 2020 and claimed it was cheated. In 2023, the interior ministry suspended the CNL over “irregularities” in the way it organised its meetings. Then last year, the CNL ousted its leader, former militia commander Agathon Rwasa, while he was abroad — a move which he said was orchestrated by the government. The government then passed new rules effectively barring Rwasa and his allies from joining other parties or standing as independents…President Ndayishimiye took over following the death of his predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza, who had isolated the country with his brutal and chaotic rule since 2005. While Ndayishimiye was seen as relatively less authoritarian, Burundi’s rights record remains poor, with journalists, activists and opposition figures all facing severe repression. AFP
Former Prime Minister Hamdok Says the Military’s Recent Gains Won’t End Sudan’s Civil War
In a rare interview with The Associated Press, [Sudan’s former prime minister] Abdalla Hamdok said no military victory, in Khartoum or elsewhere, could end the war that has killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes…Hamdok became Sudan’s first civilian prime minister after decades of military rule in 2019, trying to lead a democratic transition. He resigned in January 2022 after a turbulent stretch in which he was ousted in a coup and briefly reinstated amid international pressure…Hamdok, a 69-year-old former economist who now leads a civilian coalition from exile, called the idea that the conflict was drawing down “total nonsense.” The idea that reconstruction can begin in Khartoum while fighting rages elsewhere is “absolutely ridiculous,” he said…Hamdok said a ceasefire and a credible process to restore democratic, civilian rule would need to confront Sudan’s deep inequalities, including uneven development, issues among different identity groups and questions about the role of religion in government. “Trusting the soldiers to bring democracy is a false pretense,” he added. AP
Sudan Media Advocacy Group Warns against Proposed Amendments, Call for Independent Structures
Sudan’s media freedom is under “significant threat” from proposed amendments to the 2009 Press and Publications Act, the Sudan Media Forum (SMF) said Wednesday, calling for an independent body to oversee the media instead. The SMF voiced deep concern over recommendations from a May 26-27 workshop in Port Sudan, which it said would undermine the media’s vital role as a societal watchdog. The proposed changes, despite referencing “international standards” and “freedom of expression,” inherently aim to restrict these freedoms, according to the Forum. “The press and media in Sudan don’t need a new law that adds restrictions,” the SMF said in a statement. “Instead, they need an independent body formed by civil society from the journalistic, legal, and academic communities, operating within a democratic legal framework aimed at strengthening and protecting freedom of expression for all media institutions.” Sudan Tribune
DR Congo Bans Reporting on Ex-President Kabila
The Congolese government has banned the media from reporting on the activities of former President Joseph Kabila and interviewing members of his party. This comes after Kabila returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo last month amid heightened tensions between himself and the government, led by his successor, President Félix Tshisekedi. The authorities are pushing to prosecute Mr Kabila amid accusations of treason and alleged links to the M23 rebels which have been fighting the army – something he has previously denied. Breaches of the ban could result in suspension, said the head of DR Congo’s media regulator, Christian Bosembe. Responding to the announcement by the regulator, known as the Supreme Council of Audiovisual and Communication (CSAC), an M23 spokesperson said the media outlets in parts of the country under its control would not abide by the ban…Reacting to the announcement by the CSAC, activist and president of the African Association for the Defence of Human Rights, Jean-Claude Katende, said the ban constituted an “abuse of power”, according to local media. BBC
Detained Chad Opposition Leader Released: Party
The secretary general of Chad’s Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), Robert Gam, has been released eight months after his abduction by Chadian intelligence services, his party said Wednesday…Gam had suffered various threats and intimidation before his disappearance in September, a few months after the death of the leader of the movement, Yaya Dillo Djerou. Djerou, a cousin of Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and considered a political rival, was killed in February 2024 by presidential guard soldiers during an assault on his party’s headquarters, two months before presidential elections…Last December saw the release of 23 Djerou associates, arrested in the aftermath of his death. Citizen platform Wakit Tamma said in a statement that Gam’s detention had been “unjust and politically motivated, aimed solely at silencing a free and courageous voice in an increasingly repressive political climate.”…Another opposition figure, former prime minister Succes Masra, was arrested last month and placed in provisional detention on charges of “incitement to hatred.”…French lawyers defending Masra last week said they were seeking to have the case against him dismissed. AFP
Tanzania: Opposition leader’s UN petition escalates pressure on President Samia
A high-profile petition filed by Tundu Lissu’s international legal team has escalated pressure on President Samia Suluhu Hassan‘s administration, as concerns mount over Tanzania’s shrinking political space. The legal challenge, submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, accuses the government of using fabricated treason charges to silence Lissu, a lawyer and former member of the National Assembly of Tanzania, arguing that his detention violates international law and represents a broader pattern of state institutions being weaponised against political dissent. Bob Amsterdam, the international human rights lawyer who filed the petition, says domestic remedies are ineffective and the decision to approach the UN stems from a lack of judicial independence in Tanzania, particularly in politically sensitive cases. He argues that Lissu has already suffered serious due process violations…Though its rulings are not legally binding, the Working Group has significant moral and diplomatic authority. Its findings have previously triggered the release of high-profile prisoners in multiple countries…For now, Lissu remains behind bars, with no clear timeline for trial proceedings. The Africa Report
Kenya’s Elite Troops Kill Al-Shabaab Militants in Operation Near Somalia Border
Elite forces from Kenya’s Special Operations Group (SOG) neutralized at least four Al-Shabaab militants in Garissa, an official said, signalling endless cooperation in the fight against the group, which controls large swathes of rural central and southern regions of Somalia. According to intelligence reports, the militants were neutralized at Najo and Guracho areas in Garissa County, following a fierce gunfight with the Special Operations Group, managing to down the fighters…The militants were first spotted by a surveillance drone, after which SOG units tracked and engaged them, intelligence reports indicate…Kenya has been fighting militants along the border for two decades, and the recent elevation of Wajir Air Base to a full-fledged base and the equipping of Modika Barracks have greatly influenced victories against al-Shabaab, thanks to the quick response by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The KDF is also establishing several Forward Operating Bases in the region, part of a strategy aimed at enhancing security awareness and operational success. The KDF also participates in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). Through civil-military cooperation, the government of Kenya has tremendously changed perceptions, with the local community also working with security forces to improve security within the Northern Frontier Districts (NFDs) of the Republic of Kenya. Garowe Online
Nigeria’s Defence Chief Proposes Fencing Borders to Curb Insecurity
Nigeria’s defence chief on Tuesday called for the country’s borders with its four neighbours to be completely fenced to curb the entrance of armed groups amid escalating insecurity. Nigeria’s military has been strained by widespread security issues, particularly a 16-year insurgency in the northeast led by Islamist militant group Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province. Security forces and civilians have been attacked and killed and tens of thousands of people have been displaced. Defence Chief of Staff, General Christopher Musa, who spoke at a security conference in the capital Abuja, said “border management is very critical,” citing Pakistan’s 1,350 km (839 miles) fence with Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia’s 1,400 km barrier with Iraq as successful precedents. This is the first time a top Nigerian official has publicly suggested such a measure…Nigeria borders Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad, which are all grappling with escalating militant campaigns across the Sahel. Reuters
Nigerian Drone Maker Beats Israeli Firm to Security Contract
Nigerian drone startup Terra Industries beat out a rival bid from an Israeli consortium to provide security for two hydropower plants in a $1.2 million contract. Terra Industries, earlier called TerraHaptix, will supply a dozen drones and more than 35 towers for a local security company to boost surveillance of the plants, the company’s 22-year-old chief executive Nathan Nwachuku told Semafor…The first drone deployments are set to begin in a few weeks. The deal comes amid growing drone adoption across Africa in sectors spanning the military to health care delivery. Terra began producing drones in Abuja in April 2024, banking more than $1 million in revenue from commercial customers in the oil, mining, and agriculture industries in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. Semafor
‘Our Worst Held Fears Are Being Confirmed’: Dozens of Bodies Discovered in Libya Mass Graves
Dozens of bodies have been discovered at official and unofficial detention sites in Libya. The grim findings confirm deep concerns about abuse and torture at the facilities, according to the UN human rights chief Volker Türk. “Our worst held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,” Türk said. The sites where bodies were discovered are run by the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA), an armed group tasked with increasing Government security in the capital, Tripoli. They have long been suspected by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) – and independent rights experts – to be sites of torture and enforced disappearance. Mr. Türk called for these sites to be sealed for forensic investigations to support accountability. UN News
Algeria Pushes Back 16,000 Illegal Migrants to Niger
Algeria has pushed back more than 16,000 irregular African migrants to Niger since April, the figure comprising more than half total expulsions for last year, an official source told AFP Wednesday. Irregular migrants from neighbouring Niger and other African countries have regularly been pushed back over the past decade from Algeria, a transit point to Europe…Those two months of expulsions account for more than half of the 31,000 migrants which Algiers kicked out in total in 2024, often in “brutal conditions,” according to local NGO Alarm Phone Sahara…In mid-May, Nigerien authorities announced plans to repatriate some 4,000 migrants to their home countries by July to avoid “a humanitarian disaster” in the country’s north, stepping up a regular repatriation operation by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). AFP
Senegal’s Gold Mining Boom Leads to Surge in Sex Trafficking
[VIDEO] For several years, the Kédougou region in the far east of Senegal has been experiencing a gold rush. This race for the precious metal has led to a proliferation of artisanal mining sites, drawing thousands of gold miners from across West Africa. But alongside the economic boom, the region has seen a surge in human trafficking. In particular, hundreds of Nigerian women are forced into prostitution at the mining sites. This exploitation is driven by extensive transnational networks whose reach spans nearly every gold mining site in West Africa and beyond. France 24
Nigeria Calls for Private Sector-led ECOWAS Integration
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has stressed the need for stronger collaboration between West African governments and the private sector to boost regional competitiveness. Mr Tuggar made the call on Wednesday during a high-level private sector roundtable in Lagos, ahead of the upcoming West Africa Economic Summit (WAES)… “The private sector is not peripheral, but central to economic governance,” Mr Tuggar said, stressing its vital role in shaping West Africa’s future prosperity…Mr Tuggar outlined key regional projects with strong potential for private sector involvement. These include the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), which aims to ease goods and labour movement within the region. He also noted the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor highway, connecting five countries to boost trade and regional integration. Additionally, he highlighted the West African Power Pool (WAPP), aimed at delivering reliable and affordable electricity across the region. He stressed that these projects need substantial private investment and technical know-how to be successful…He encouraged them to propose solutions to trade obstacles, regulatory issues, funding gaps, and policy reforms to boost private sector involvement. “WAES is not another talk shop. It’s about results — making West African business faster, cheaper, and more predictable,” he assured participants…The summit will host heads of state, ministers, investors, and regional institutions. News Agency of Nigeria