Congo and Rwanda Presidents Call for East Congo Ceasefire during Qatar Sit-down
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo on Tuesday during their first meeting since M23 rebels stepped up an offensive there in January. A joint statement issued along with Qatar, whose emir mediated the sit-down in Doha, said the ceasefire should be “immediate and unconditional”. But it was unclear whether that would stop the M23 insurgents who now control more territory than ever before in eastern Congo, including the region’s two biggest cities. Congo accuses Rwanda of sending arms and Rwandan troops to support the rebels, whose offensive has plunged eastern Congo into its worst conflict in decades…Neighbouring countries have been working to broker a ceasefire but an attempt to bring Congo’s government and M23 leaders together at a meeting in Angola on Tuesday failed when M23 pulled out on Monday afternoon…A diplomat briefed on the talks said the meeting was “informal” and “not meant to replace any existing efforts.”…Qatar’s close ties with Rwanda mean Kagame would have had a hard time refusing an invitation to Tuesday’s meeting, something Tshisekedi would have also recognised, said Congolese analyst Bob Kabamba of the University of Liege in Belgium. Reuters
Somalia: Al-Shabaab Targets President’s Convoy in Mogadishu
In what could raise concerns about the security of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Al-Shabaab militants reportedly targeted his convoy in the outskirts of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, just as he headed to the frontlines to assess the gains made by the troops in pursuing the group. The explosion, sources said, was the result of a roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Ceelgaab vicinity of Mogadishu…[N]ew footage shows a bomb targeting the Somali president’s convoy at El-Gabta junction in the capital on Tuesday morning, killing at least 1 and wounding 3 others…Details of the incident remain unclear, but sources report that the attack was unsuccessful in hitting the President’s convoy. Security forces responded swiftly, securing the area. However, Hassan Sheikh has since arrived in Aden Yabal where he is set to meet troops on the frontlines, state media reports. For the last two weeks, security forces have intensified the crackdown against the Al-Shabaab militants, killing dozens in the process. The US Africa Command and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have been supportive of this mission. Garowe Online
Nigeria Declares State of Emergency in Rivers State over Pipeline Vandalism
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in oil-producing Rivers State and suspended the state governor, his deputy and all lawmakers. Tinubu, in a television broadcast, said he had received security reports in the last two days of “disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.” Police said earlier they were investigating the cause of a blast in Rivers state that resulted in a fire on Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline, a major oil artery transporting crude from onshore oilfields to the Bonny export terminal…The state has been embroiled in a political crisis pitting factions of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against each other. The state lawmakers had also threatened to impeach the governor and his deputy. Tinubu’s state of emergency enables the federal government to make regulations to run the state and also allow authorities to easily deploy security forces to bring order if needed. Tinubu nominated a retired vice admiral as caretaker to run the affairs of Rivers State for an initial six months. The president said he had sent a copy of his proclamation to the National Assembly, which can endorse or reject his decision. Reuters
Strike on Market in North Mali Kills 18, Civil Society Group Says
An army air strike at a market in Mali’s northern Timbuktu region on Sunday killed at least 18 people and injured seven, a local rights group said, while the army said it was targeting terrorists. The Collective for the Defence of the Rights of the Azawad People, which is linked to separatist Tuareg rebels, said Malian armed forces bombed a weekly market 50 km (30 miles) north of the city of Lerneb. Mali’s army said on Monday it had launched air strikes against what it called terrorist activity in the same area cited by the rights group. It said in a statement on X that the strikes has “neutralised” at least 11 terrorists…The Tuaregs, an ethnic group who inhabit the Sahara region including northern Mali, are fighting for an independent homeland. They launched an insurgency against Mali’s government in 2012, but the rebellion was later hijacked by Islamist groups, setting off a violent insurgency that has since spread across West Africa’s Sahel region and beyond. Reuters
Burkina Political Activist Kidnapped: Organisation
“The Servir et Non Se Servir (SENS) movement expresses its deepest indignation and deep concern in the face of … the brutal kidnapping of Idrissa Barry, a member of its national coordination, today,” the civil society organisation turned political movement said. It said Barry was kidnapped while he was in a meeting in the town hall of Saaba near the capital…Early this week, SENS had condemned videos showing the alleged massacres of Fulani civilians in Solenzo in the country’s west which were attributed to the army and allied fighters combating jihadists. Primarily nomadic herders, the Fulani people are often stigmatised across the wider Sahel, accused of collaborating with the jihadists who stalk the region and providing the bulk of their recruits…In February the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders accused Burkina Faso of using “abductions, illegal confinements, enforced disappearances and torture” to silence critical voices. AFP
Mali Follows Niger and Burkina Faso in Quitting Group of French-speaking Nations
Junta-run Mali, which has broken off ties with France, announced Tuesday, March 18, it was quitting an international group of French-speaking countries, a day after its allies Niger and Burkina Faso did the same…Mali was suspended from [the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)] – a post-colonial entity that resembles the Commonwealth – in August 2020 after a military coup, which toppled its president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. The OIF had called for the release of Keïta, in power since 2013 at the helm of the West African country, which for years has faced a security, political and economic crisis. It had also called for the speedy setting up of a transition government led by civilians. On Monday, fellow junta-led states Burkina Faso and Niger, which have also turned their backs on former colonial power France while forging ties with Russia, announced their withdrawal from the OIF…Niger was also suspended from the OIF after a military coup toppled its elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. The OIF is based in Paris and seeks to promote the French language and political, educational, economic and cultural cooperation among its 93 member countries. Le Monde with AFP
‘South Sudan on the Brink of Relapsing to War’-UNMISS’ Haysom
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Nicholas Haysom, on Tuesday, said the gains made since signing the 2018 revitalized peace agreement might be obliterated as South Sudan is tethering on the precipice of degenerating back to war. He made the remarks while addressing the African Union Peace and Security Council Meeting on South Sudan…“After the takeover of the Nasir barracks in Upper Nile by the White Army on the 4 March, tensions throughout the country have been extremely high. A number of senior SPLA/IO military and civilian officials have been arrested in Juba, while some have gone into hiding or fled the country…Meanwhile, airstrikes on Nasir have inflicted civilian casualties.” Haysom added: “With the proliferation of mis/disinformation in the public domain, hate speech is now rampant, raising concerns that the conflict could assume an ethnic dimension.”… He also welcomed and commended the IGAD Extraordinary Summit on 12 March which called for the de-escalation of tensions in South Sudan. Radio Tamazuj
50 Civilians Killed, Dozens Detained in Khartoum in One Week, Groups Say amid Worsening Crisis
Fifty civilians, including 10 volunteers, were killed and 82 others detained in Khartoum locality over the past week, a local emergency response group said on Monday, blaming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias. Emergency response rooms, which are independent groups, have been active in providing food and medical treatment to millions of Sudanese affected by the ongoing conflict. However, they say their efforts have been hampered by deliberate obstruction from the warring parties, including killings, detentions, and torture of their volunteers. “The past week witnessed the killing of 50 citizens, including at least 10 volunteers, and the abduction and detention of 70 civilians, in addition to 12 volunteers,” the Khartoum Locality Emergency Room said in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune. The group said it had received reports of rape but could not provide a precise number due to social stigma and fear…The RSF has recently launched retaliatory campaigns against civilians in central, eastern, and southern Khartoum neighbourhoods, coinciding with the army’s advance, restricting movement, and reportedly killing those fleeing their homes, according to the emergency group and local residents. Sudan Tribune
Sudan: High-level Aid Conference Set for London in April amid Worsening Crisis
A high-level conference on Sudan’s humanitarian crisis will be held in London on April 15, 2025, co-hosted by the United Kingdom, the EU, France, and Germany, the European Union said on Monday, as international pressure grows to address the worsening situation. The announcement followed a meeting of senior humanitarian officials in Brussels last week. Participants warned of a deepening famine and urged warring parties in Sudan to allow full, unhindered aid access. The third Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Sudan, held on March 13, brought together humanitarian donors, UN agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, international NGOs, and Sudanese local responders, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) said in a statement…The meeting summary highlighted the “deliberate obstructions to aid” as a key barrier, calling for lifting all bureaucratic impediments and guaranteeing “immediate, unconditional, safe, and unhindered access” for aid supplies and personnel across all border crossings and conflict lines. This includes expediting visas for aid workers and lifting Central Bank restrictions on cash withdrawals for humanitarian organizations. Sudan Tribune
Mozambique Police Fire on Protesters, Killing Two: AFP Journalists
Mozambique police Tuesday opened fire in the capital Maputo on a crowd marking a day of protest called by the main opposition leader, killing two people, witnesses and AFP journalists said. It was the first major shutdown called by Venancio Mondlane in weeks, following months of deadly demonstrations after October presidential elections he claims were rigged in favour of President Daniel Chapo…Mondlane came second in the presidential election, in which various international observer missions noted many irregularities. He claims he was cheated of victory and called demonstrations in which more than 360 people were killed by police, according to local civil society group Plataforma Decide. Earlier this month, at least 14 people were injured when police dispersed an opposition march with live ammunition. AFP
Côte d’Ivoire’s Voter Roll Reaches 8.7 Million amid Opposition Demands for Revision
Nearly 8.7 million voters are on the provisional electoral roll in Côte d’Ivoire this year, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced on Monday. The IEC officially submitted this list to the political parties. Despite this move, the opposition continues to demand a further revision of the electoral roll before the presidential election on 25 October. Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), said he is conducting a “mid-term review” of the electoral process. According to data reviewed and corrected by the IEC, there are currently 8.7 million voters on the provisional list, including nearly 769,757 new registrations. This list for electoral roll is provisional, and from Saturday, Ivorian citizens will be able to file a complaint if they find an inconsistency or error in it. RFI
Ghana President’s X Account Hacked, Promotes Crypto Scam
Ghana’s President John Mahama’s verified X account was hacked for 48 hours, with cybercriminals using it to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency project, his spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday. The breach, which began on Saturday, was first noticed on Sunday when the compromised account started posting endorsements for Solanafrica, falsely claiming to be “led by Ghana’s President John Mahama to make payments across Africa free using the Solana blockchain.” The hackers urged Mahama’s followers to invest in the scheme, claiming it was an initiative to revolutionise financial transactions on the continent. The fraudulent posts were deleted after the President’s team noticed the breach, but the account continued sharing crypto-related content, including hints about the launch of a new memecoin…The breach highlights growing concerns over the rise of crypto-related scams in Africa, where digital assets have gained popularity, but regulatory oversight remains weak. Scammers frequently hijack verified accounts to push fake investment opportunities…In July 2023, South African opposition leader Julius Malema’s X account was hacked and used to promote a fraudulent token project. Similarly, in 2022, Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu’s account was compromised, flooding his timeline with bogus crypto giveaways. AFP
Libya Sends Dozens of Women, Children Back to Nigeria
Libyan authorities deported more than 150 Nigerian women and children on Tuesday under a UN-affiliated “voluntary return” scheme for irregular migrants, an immigration official and UN sources said. Libya is a key departure point on North Africa’s Mediterranean coast for migrants, mainly from other parts of Africa, risking dangerous sea voyages in the hope of reaching Europe. Mohamad Baredaa of Libya’s migration agency told AFP that the migrants deported on Tuesday were all Nigerian “women accompanied by children”…Baredaa said several more repatriation flights were due to leave this week from Mitiga and an airport in Benghazi, in the country’s east, carrying groups of Bangladeshi, Gambian and Malian migrants. Violence and instability in Libya since the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising helped turn the country into a fertile ground for human traffickers. AFP
Tanzania to Redraw National Map in Bid to Curb Land Disputes
Tanzania is embarking on a major initiative to create a new national map to address long-standing land disputes and improve border management…Samia Suluhu Hassan revealed this in Dodoma on Monday during the launch of the 2023 edition of the National Land Policy of 1995. She said as part of preparations, $65 million was provided by South Korea to improve surveying and mapping infrastructure…“This updated map is vital for digital planning, sectoral projects and resolving land use disputes. It will enable multiple sectors to collaborate on land utilisation and development.” The initiative is anchored on the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) project, which will play a key role in the mapping process. President Hassan said this effort will not only benefit government institutions but also private sector entities that rely on accurate land data for their operations…“The system will also support the underground placement of power infrastructure, helping the country advance while preserving its aesthetic appeal,” she added…[Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development minister Deogratius Ndejembi] said the new mapping system will categorize land into reserved lands, government-owned lands and land designated for citizens. The Citizen