At Least 14 Civilians Killed in Artillery Shelling on Sudan’s Dilling
At least 14 civilians, including women and children, were killed and dozens were injured in heavy artillery shelling by a coalition of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N al Hilu) targeting the city of Dilling in South Kordofan on Saturday and Sunday. Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reportedly repelled a major assault on Saturday aimed at capturing Dilling, the second-largest city in the state. The attacking force, allegedly supported by mercenaries from South Sudan, sought to isolate and control the critical urban centre. … Dilling has endured two consecutive days of intense bombardment coupled with ground attacks in its vicinity, according to [a statement from the Sudan Doctors Network (SDN)]. … The network compared the situation in Dilling to the humanitarian catastrophe in El-Fasher, warning that the RSF’s tactic of heavy shelling, supply line disruption, and blockades is creating an impending disaster. Sudan Tribune
Residents Flee Sudan’s Blue Nile State as RSF and Allies Mass near Geissan
Civilians are fleeing the town of Geissan in Sudan’s Blue Nile region toward Roseires, activists said on Saturday, as paramilitary and rebel forces massed for a potential assault. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have gathered troops around Geissan following their recent capture of Kurmuk and other nearby towns. The Sudanese army has responded by reinforcing its positions south of the regional capital, Damazin. A local emergency room committee said in a statement it was “deeply concerned by the waves of displacement from Geissan,” noting that large numbers of residents had been forced to abandon their homes in search of safety. … The RSF’s steady advance across Sudan has consistently triggered large-scale displacement. Civilians frequently flee ahead of the paramilitary group’s arrival, citing reports of widespread killings, sexual violence, and looting in areas falling under its control. Sudan Tribune
Propaganda Machine: Inside Russia’s Drive to Shift Chad from Western Influence
Russian operatives worked in Chad in 2024 to pull the country closer to Moscow and away from Western influence, internal documents reviewed by an international media consortium reveal. The papers show efforts to build ties with Chadian authorities, spread anti-Western narratives and target opposition figure Succès Masra during a tense election year. … They come from Africa Politology, a Russian influence network set up by Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and later taken over by the Russian state. … In the run-up to the election, Russian-linked operatives promoted the idea that tension, or “antagonism”, between President Déby and Masra was necessary. Their coexistence, they argued, reflected a “Western scenario”. … According to internal records, more than 120 publications were produced to undermine [Masra]. The campaigns included false or misleading claims. … At the heart of the operation was a clear objective, stated in internal documents: “Distancing Chad from the Western sphere of influence.” The documents also referred to efforts to promote Chad’s integration into a pro-Russian geopolitical framework. Campaigns pointed to President Déby’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in January 2024 and a later visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Other narratives promoted the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and BRICS, while also amplifying tensions with France. RFI
Republic of Congo Constitutional Court Confirms Leader Sassou-Nguesso’s Election Win and Fifth Term
The Republic of Congo’s constitutional court on Saturday confirmed President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso’s victory in the recent election, granting the 82-year-old leader a fifth term with 94.90% of the vote. … Six other candidates challenged the 82-year-old for the top job in the Central African country that boasts one of the largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa. Two of his challengers had rejected the provisional results last week. One of them, Uphrem Mafoula, had filed an appeal with the constitutional Court seeking to annul the election. The constitutional Court on Saturday rejected the appeal. The election is the latest in a trend of octogenarian African leaders clinging to power. … Two other major parties boycotted the elections over allegations of unfair electoral practices. A constitutional referendum in 2015 removed presidential age and term limits, allowing N’Guesso to run again. AP
Key Takeaways from the 8th Nigeria–EU Ministerial Dialogue
Nigeria hosted the 8th ministerial dialogue with the European Union last Monday. … It was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. … At the meeting, the EU told Nigeria of its plan to step up support for the country’s anti-terrorism and security efforts. The union is considering providing assistance to the country, including possible funding through the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget financial tool created by the European Union to support its foreign, security, and defence policy goals. It is also considering renewing support for the Multinational Joint Task Force operating around Lake Chad under the EPF. … Nigeria and the EU also committed to improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and supporting peacebuilding efforts, especially for displaced populations, when conditions allow. … Both Nigeria and the EU planned to strengthen cooperation between Nigerian authorities and agencies such as Europol. For issues relating to maritime security and organised crime, the parties considered establishing a working arrangement among Nigerian agencies, Frontex, the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA), and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre. Premium Times
Nigeria’s Giant Oil Refinery Fails to Prevent Record Gasoline Prices
Fuel prices in oil-producing Nigeria have reached record-high levels, industry figures show, as maximum output from the giant Dangote Petroleum Refinery has failed to shield the country from the energy market impact of war in the Middle East. The 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, Africa’s largest, became fully operational early this year. It was designed to transform Nigeria into a major exporter of refined products after decades of inadequate refinery capacity. In the past, that repeatedly led to fuel shortages but government subsidies kept pump prices low. President Bola Tinubu removed this buffer when he took office in 2023, promising reforms that earned plaudits from international investors. Now Nigerians face the shock of a 65% price spike – the largest among major African economies as the impact of the new refinery has been blunted by the need to import large volumes of expensive crude from abroad, even though Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer. … The difficulty is compounded because Nigeria does not have a strategic fuel reserve and the government has yet to begin action to set one up. Reuters
Overnight Petrol Queues in Ethiopia as War Shortages Hit
Ethiopians said Friday they slept in their cars in hours-long queues for petrol as shortages caused by the Middle East war began to take their toll. The effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally passes, has caused shortages in many countries. Ethiopia, a nation in the Horn of Africa with around 130 million people, is particularly vulnerable as it imports all its petrol, primarily from the Gulf. … Land-locked Ethiopia relies on the port of Djibouti for its imports. It has only 13 strategic reserve depots, according to the state-owned Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise, which did not respond to requests for comment from AFP. … More than 40 percent of Ethiopians live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, and fear the inflation — already running around 10 percent — from rising fuel prices. AFP
Kenya Turns to Mozambique for Gas as Gulf Turmoil Deepens
Kenya is seeking a deal with Mozambique to secure long-term gas supplies, aiming to stabilise energy costs and diversify sources away from the Middle East, now engulfed in conflict. President William Ruto, hosting Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo at State House Nairobi, said Kenya imports liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Nigeria, the Middle East and via regional intermediaries in Tanzania. Mozambique holds one of Africa’s largest natural gas reserves, with more than 100 trillion cubic feet discovered offshore in the Rovuma Basin. Dr Ruto said the Russia–Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle East had heightened the need to diversify supply, including towards Mozambique. The East African
Mideast War Leaves 6,000 Tonnes Of Tea Stuck At Kenya Port
Between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of tea, worth around $24 million, are stuck at Kenya’s port of Mombasa because of the war in the Middle East, trade officials said Friday. The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) manages auctions at the port city, which serves as a global marketplace where hundreds of thousands of tonnes of tea from the region are sold every year. Around 65 percent of the east African tea market has been affected by the war. … The tea has been sold to customers but cannot be shipped, mainly to the Middle East, which accounts for about 20 percent of the market, [EATTA director George Omuga] estimates. Shipments to Pakistan, which makes up 40 percent of the market, have also been disrupted by a surge in transport costs because of changes in shipping routes and higher insurance premiums. Tea sales, meanwhile, have fallen by nearly 20 percent in recent weeks because of the war, resulting in lost revenue of $8 million per week. AFP
Uganda: Journalist Abducted in Kampala after Radio Show
Ugandan journalist Mr Arnold Anthony Mukose, attached to DigiTalk Media, is reported to have been abducted by unidentified plain-clothed men after a radio show on the Court’s nullification of sections of the Computer Misuse Act. … Eyewitnesses said they saw unidentified men force Mukose into a waiting grey Toyota Noah and drive off. It followed his talk show on the Constitutional Court’s recent decision to nullify key provisions of the act for violating rights and procedures. The Uganda Journalists Association condemned it as an unlawful abduction, demanding his release amid concerns over press freedom. … Eyewitnesses report that the individuals involved identified themselves as security officers, which raises serious concerns that must be addressed without delay,” added the UJA statement. Mr Mukose has in the past hosted jailed veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and other politicians on Digitalk Media’s Saturday’s talkshows. … A lawyer reported Mukose was held briefly at a police station before a search at his home, with no official statements from authorities. Monitor
22 Migrants Die Off Greece After Six Days At Sea: Survivors
Twenty-two migrants hoping to reach Europe from North Africa have died off the coast of Greece after six days at sea in a rubber boat, survivors told the Greek coastguard Saturday. The coastguard late Friday said 26 people, including a woman and a minor, were rescued by a European border agency vessel off the island of Crete. The coastguard later told AFP that 21 Bangladeshis, four South Sudanese and a Chadian citizen had emerged from the ordeal alive. Survivors said the bodies of those who had died were thrown into the Mediterranean sea on the orders of one of the people smugglers aboard the ship. … Based on survivor statements, the coastguard said the boat had left Tobruk, a port city in eastern Libya, on March 21, bound for Greece, the gateway for many migrants hoping for asylum in the European Union. … The Greek authorities have arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, believed to be the smugglers. … The number of migrants who have died trying to reach EU soil more than doubled in the first two months of 2026, compared with last year, the EU border agency Frontex said earlier this month. AFP
Former Algerian President Liamine Zeroual Dies
Algeria announced three days of national mourning on Sunday after the death of 84-year-old Liamine Zeroual, the former soldier who served as the country’s president from 1994 to 1999. Born on July 3, 1941 in the eastern city of Batna, Zeroual served in Algeria’s National Liberation Army (FLN), which fought for independence from French rule. After leading a transitional administration during a later civil war, Zeroual organised the country’s first multi-party presidential election in 1995, winning by a wide margin. In 1998, however, he unexpectedly cut short his five-year term, making way for Abdelaziz Bouteflika to succeed him and run the country for 20 years. Zeroual remained respected in retirement. Algeria’s presidency said he had died at a military hospital in Algiers after a serious illness and that flags would fly at half-mast across the country. RFI
Belgian Diplomat Appeals to Avoid Trial Over Congo Leader’s Murder
A 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat ordered to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba has appealed the decision, his lawmaker said Friday. A novice diplomat at the time, Etienne Davignon is the only person still alive among 10 Belgians accused by the Congolese leader’s family of complicity in his murder. … Davignon was ordered earlier this month to stand trial for “participation in war crimes” over his role in the “unlawful detention and transfer” of Lumumba, considered a prisoner of war at the time, and for him being denied a fair trial. The one-time European commissioner is also accused of “humiliating and degrading treatment”, although not of direct involvement in Lumumba’s killing. … Should the trial go ahead, Davignon would be the first Belgian official to face justice in the 65 years since Lumumba’s death. A new closed‑door hearing will now pit the parties’ lawyers against each other. If the court decision is upheld, Davignon’s trial would take place at the earliest in January 2027, according to Christophe Marchand, lawyer for Lumumba’s children. AFP