Sudan: RSF Killed 16 Civilians in El Fasher in Ethnic Attack, Doctors Say
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed 16 civilians, including three women, in ethnically motivated attacks in El Fasher, North Darfur, the Sudan Doctors Network said on Wednesday. The network said in a statement that the paramilitary force carried out the summary executions against unarmed residents within the city. The victims were buried in three separate mass graves on the outskirts of El Fasher, according to the doctors’ group, which described the scene as a reflection of the tragedy facing civilians in conflict zones. … On Feb. 19, 2026, an independent UN Fact-Finding Mission reported that the RSF committed genocide during its takeover of El Fasher. … Since taking control of the city months ago, the RSF has maintained strict restrictions on humanitarian access and banned satellite internet services, a move observers say is intended to suppress evidence of atrocities. Sudan Tribune
UN Envoy Urges De-escalation in Sudan to End Conflict after Burhan Talks
The United Nations Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, called on Wednesday for a reduction in tensions to pave the way for a cessation of hostilities following a meeting with Sovereign Council head and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Haavisto arrived in Port Sudan on Monday for his first visit since being appointed in February to succeed Ramtane Lamamra. … He stated that the UN remains fully engaged with all parties to promote peace and deliver humanitarian aid. He added that his visit provides an opportunity to listen directly to the views of major political and civilian actors. … The UN works within a five-party mechanism alongside the African Union, IGAD, the Arab League, and the European Union to contain the crisis and bridge gaps between political forces ahead of a process on the country’s future governance. Sudan Tribune
Ex-Tanzania President Kikwete Named AU Envoy to South Sudan
The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has appointed former Tanzanian president Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as the African Union’s High Representative for South Sudan, diplomatic sources told Radio Tamazuj. Kikwete’s appointment on Tuesday is aimed at strengthening the AU’s high-level efforts to support a successful political transition and the restoration of peace and stability in South Sudan. Diplomatic sources said Kikwete will follow up on resolutions of the AU C5 grouping, focusing on inclusive dialogue, general elections, and stability, while working to build trust among South Sudan’s leaders. South Africa, alongside the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), acts as a guarantor of South Sudan’s peace agreement through the C5 grouping, which also includes Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda. The bloc was established by the AU Peace and Security Council in December 2014 and has repeatedly called for a cessation of hostilities, the release of opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar, and inclusive political dialogue. Radio Tamazuj
ECOWAS Appoints Veteran Diplomat to Mediate with Sahel States
West African states have appointed a new mediator to try to bridge the divide with three junta-led countries that quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025. Lansana Kouyaté, a former Guinean prime minister and ex-ECOWAS executive secretary, confirmed to AFP that he had been named “chief negotiator with the AES countries”. … An ECOWAS presidency source in Abuja said Kouyaté’s appointment aimed at “bringing the peoples of the west African community closer together”. … ECOWAS had previously tasked Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye with mediation in July 2024. Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama also toured the three countries in March 2025, but neither succeeded in convincing the juntas to return. Africanews
Militants in Northern Nigeria Kill 10 Security Forces and 1 Resident, Officials Say
Armed militants ambushed Nigerian security forces who were responding to a distress call in the northwestern state of Kebbi, fatally shooting nine soldiers, a police officer and one resident, authorities said Wednesday. The militants targeted the security forces in Kebbi’s Shanga council area late Tuesday when they were being deployed to respond to warnings about a pending attack, according to Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for Kebbi state government. Several soldiers also were injured in the attack in the village of Giron Masa, said Sarki, who shared photos of burned vehicles along a dusty road surrounded by forests. … No group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, but some residents suspected the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), known locally as Lakurawa, which recently has become more lethal in states like Kebbi and Sokoto along the porous border with Niger Republic. AP
Nigeria to Launch Trade Platform at Ports as Part of Reform Push
Nigeria will launch a key digital platform on Friday to streamline imports and exports in a “game changer” for trade in the West African nation, Minister of Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole told Reuters. The first phase of Nigeria’s National Single Window – a centralised electronic trade platform aimed at drastically slashing red tape and time for importers and exporters – is scheduled to go live on Friday. It will include one shipping line and one port. … The project is part of President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda that has also included tax architecture and fiscal reforms, Oduwole said. Britain and Nigeria last week announced a 746 million pound ($1 billion) export finance deal to fund the redevelopment of two trading ports. … Nigerian port inefficiencies add significantly to costs. SBM Intelligence analysts have said that the average cost of bringing goods from Europe to warehouses within the port city limits in Lagos are five times the comparable costs in South Africa and three times those in Ghana. Reuters
Zimbabwe Says 15 of Its Citizens Killed after Fraudulent Recruitment into Russia-Ukraine War
Zimbabwe on Wednesday said that 15 of its citizens have been killed after being recruited into the war between Russia and Ukraine, as authorities warn of fraudulent schemes to lure recruits from several other African countries into the four-year-old conflict. Information Minister Zhemu Soda told reporters in the capital, Harare, that the government is ramping up diplomatic efforts to get back home 66 other Zimbabweans who are still alive. Besides Zimbabwe, African countries such South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria have reported similar cases of their nationals being tricked to Russia with false promises of work but ending up on the front lines of the war. Soda said victims from Zimbabwe had received deceptive and lucrative job offers by “fraudulent” employment agencies “leveraging social media platforms as their primary hunting ground.” He said the “pattern” includes victims being promised attractive salaries and safe working conditions, but they ended up being stripped of travel documents and “coerced into active combat.” AP
Zimbabwe Lithium Export Ban Triggers Crackdown, Concerns
A month after banning raw lithium exports, Zimbabwe is tightening its regulations and ramping up its crackdown on mineral smuggling in a major shake-up that is winning local praise even as it stirs concerns. The February 26 ban covered exports of all raw minerals but focused on raw lithium, a critical mineral of which Zimbabwe is Africa’s largest producer, shipping most to China’s massive rechargeable battery sector. While welcoming the move as a long overdue step towards ending the hemorrhaging of the country’s natural wealth, critics question its feasibility, while workers fear for their jobs. Zimbabwe had already flagged in June that raw exports would be banned from January 2027 to force local processing and industrialisation, echoing a position taken by several African countries, most recently Malawi in October. … The ban was not backed by a formal law, which made it weak and potentially unenforceable, said Farai Maguwu, director of the mining watchdog Centre for Natural Resource Governance. … Labour leaders warned that miners are bearing the brunt of the sudden policy shift. AFP
US Begins “Security Capabilities Assessment” in Madagascar
The United States has begun a capabilities‑based security assessment in Madagascar, a move officials say will determine how Washington expands and strengthens its security assistance to the Indian Ocean island nation in coming years. A team from the US Africa Command (USAFRICOM) joined the US embassy in Madagascar this week to launch the assessment in Mahajanga, according to a statement issued on Wednesday. The review will analyse Madagascar’s defence and security institutions, identify capability gaps and outline areas for deeper cooperation. … The United States has provided security assistance to Madagascar for years, including training, maritime domain awareness support and military exchanges aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to counter trafficking, piracy, and other transnational threats in the Mozambique Channel. APA
Mideast War Sparks Long Queues at Kinshasa Petrol Stations
Long queues of cars and motorcycles have built up at petrol stations in DR Congo’s sprawling capital Kinshasa over fears of shortages and price hikes after Iran’s blockade of a crucial shipping conduit. … The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) imports nearly all the oil needed for its more than 100 million people and a shortage would risk paralysing the economy, which relies on the transport of goods by road. The vast central African country has only a single overland pipeline, which carries imported oil from the Atlantic port of Matadi in the west to Kinshasa. … Fuel distributors, caught between the fear of seeing barrel prices skyrocket and the regulation of prices at the pump, are being singled out as responsible for the sudden shortage. The government regulates pump prices, which are the equivalent of around $1 a litre in the region around Kinshasa. It pays subsidies to those involved in the petroleum sector to cover the difference with the actual price. Emery Mbasthi, vice president of the Congo Oil Association, told AFP that he was worried about “depleting reserves without being able to replenish them”. He has called on the authorities to raise the price per litre at the pump or increase the subsidies. AFP
Sierra Leone Joins Africa Energy Week 2026 for Offshore Boom
The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) has officially joined African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Strategic Partner, signaling a major push to attract international investment to the country’s offshore basins. Scheduled to take place in Cape Town from October 12–16, the event will serve as a platform for the PDSL to showcase its open acreage, competitive fiscal framework, and comprehensive upstream integration plans. This move highlights Sierra Leone’s growing status as a frontier exploration hotspot within the MSGBC basin and the wider Gulf of Guinea, supported by rising interest from global energy majors like Eni. A defining feature of this renewed ambition is the anticipated resumption of offshore drilling in 2026, marking the country’s first such campaign in nearly a decade. … In tandem with exploration efforts, Sierra Leone is in the final stages of establishing its first state-owned national oil company. … NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, noted that the PDSL’s participation at AEW 2026 reflects a serious commitment to transparency and data-driven exploration. APA
UN Designates African Slave Trade As ‘Gravest Crime Against Humanity’
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday designated the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” despite opposition by the United States and some European countries. In a move advocates hailed as a step towards healing and possible reparations, the resolution was adopted to applause by a vote of 123 in favor, three against and 52 abstentions. The United States, Israel and Argentina opposed the measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained. … Despite being non-binding, the resolution goes beyond simple acknowledgment and asks nations involved in the slave trade to engage in restorative justice. … “The United States also does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred,” said US ambassador Dan Negrea. … The resolution “risks pitting historical tragedies against each other that should not be compared, except at the expense of the memory of the victims,” said French representative Sylvain Fournel. AFP