Somali Parliament Approves Constitution Change to Extend President’s Term, Delay Election
Somalia’s parliament voted to change its constitution and extend the term in office for lawmakers and the president, the president and the parliament’s speaker said, pushing back planned elections by a year. Somalia has endured conflict and clan battles with no strong central government since the fall of autocratic ruler Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. While an African Union peacekeeping mission has pushed back al Shabaab, it still controls vast areas of the countryside and has the ability to conduct regular strikes on major population centres. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had reached a deal last August with some opposition leaders stipulating that, while lawmakers would be directly elected in 2026, the president would still be chosen by parliament. A 2024 law restored universal suffrage ahead of the vote. On Wednesday, 222 lawmakers from the parliament and senate out of a total of 329 voted by acclamation to change the law, extending their term and that of the president to five years, from four years previously. Opposition party leaders, including former presidents and former prime ministers, rejected the amendment and called for elections in May as planned. Reuters
Nigeria: Islamist Militants Kill 14 Nigerian Soldiers in Borno State, Sources Say
Islamist militants killed at least 14 Nigerian soldiers and injured several others during two separate attacks on army bases in northeastern Borno state on Tuesday night, security sources said, as insurgents intensify attacks on the military. Suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters attacked the Nigerian Army’s base in Ngoshe town, Gwoza district, killing at least nine troops and a local imam, three army sources said late on Wednesday. The attackers, who forced the troops to retreat from their base, seized guns and ammunition before abducting an unknown number of women, said the sources, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media. At the same time, militants also attacked another military base in Pulka, further north in Gwoza district, killing five soldiers, including a commanding officer, two other sources with knowledge of the attack said. … Insurgents have been launching coordinated attacks aimed at stretching the military and limiting its ability to quickly bring reinforcements. … Nigeria’s military has been into insurgent strongholds in the northeast this year as part of a renewed offensive against militant groups. But despite repeated operations, ISWAP and Boko Haram continue to mount large-scale attacks, exploiting difficult terrain, porous borders and a weak state presence across parts of Nigeria’s arid northeast. Reuters
Sudan: Fierce Clashes in South Kordofan as ‘RSF Seizes Key Town’
Clashes in South Kordofan have intensified sharply since the start of the week, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces announcing that it had seized El Kuweik, north of Kadugli. RSF fighters circulated videos from inside the area, claiming the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) had retreated into Kadugli after fierce confrontations. By taking control of El Kuweik, the RSF has effectively cut the road between Delling and Kadugli, tightening the siege on the state capital. SAF soldiers responded with their own footage, saying they had recaptured El Kuweik. In a related development, military sources said SAF units and allied forces had also retaken El Takma, between Habila and Delling, days after the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North claimed control. … The United Nations voiced grave concern over escalating violence in Kordofan and Blue Nile states. Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the UN Stéphane Dujarric cited local reports of increased drone attacks in El Obeid since Friday and continuing clashes in and around Delling. Fighting along key supply routes is disrupting trade and hampering humanitarian operations. Dabanga
Landslide Kills over 200 People at Congo’s Rubaya Mine, Mines Ministry Says
More than 200 people died on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy rains at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s mines ministry said on Wednesday. A senior official from the AFC/M23 rebel group, which controls the mine, told Reuters earlier that only five or six died in the accident. Rubaya produces around 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, which has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024, was recently added to a shortlist of mining assets being offered by the Congolese government to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework. … The mines ministry said that around 70 children were among the victims and that many injured were evacuated to health facilities in the city of Goma. … The latest incident came a month after another disaster at the site killed more than 200 people in late January. Reuters
Ethiopia Rights Commission Urges Urgent Federal, Oromia Action after Dozens Killed in Renewed Attacks in Oromia Region
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has called on the federal government and the Oromia Regional State to take immediate, tangible, and sustainable measures to halt killings, injuries, property destruction, and displacement in Arsi Zone, following renewed attacks that left up to 30 civilians killed. In a statement on 04 March, the Commission recalled an earlier warning it made in December 2023, noting that although the security situation in the zone had shown temporary improvement, violence has escalated again since October 2025. … According to information gathered from victims’ families, local residents, and government officials, the EHRC said attacks in Shirka, Guna, Merti, Aseko, and Onkolo Wabe woredas have resulted in loss of life, physical injuries, property damage, and displacement driven by security fears. … The EHRC called on federal and regional authorities to deploy adequate security forces to areas repeatedly targeted by attacks or deemed at risk. It also urged the provision of immediate humanitarian assistance to displaced residents, in cooperation with partner organizations, and the creation of conditions that would enable the sustainable rehabilitation and return of displaced persons. Addis Standard
Ethiopia Experiments with ‘Smart’ Police Stations that Have No Officers
[A pilot project of what is being called a “smart” – or unmanned – police station in the Bole district of the capital, Addis Ababa, is the latest chapter in Ethiopia’s bid to catch up with the digital revolution. Inside a booth at the smart police station, Cdr Demissie Yilma, police’s head of technology expansion department, taps a screen and goes through the steps to make a report.] Demissie selects the type of incident – a crime, a traffic report or a general concern – enters the details and presses a button to submit the comment. Then, an officer – who is a real person in a remote location rather than a chatbot – pops up on the screen and begins to ask questions and take down information. “If there is a problem, officers respond immediately and patrol the area mentioned by the reporter,” Demissie says. … The use of a computer tablet to communicate with officials may mean less human-to-human contact but the authorities believe that the SPS could increase access to the police in places where there may not be enough personnel to man a fully fledged station. At the project’s launch on 9 February, the prime minister was quoted in state media as saying that it was aimed at making “law enforcement institutions competent and competitive” and he framed it as part of a wider digital reform drive. … Traditional stations continue to operate, and most citizens still rely on in-person reporting. Whether the model expands will depend less on how sleek the technology looks, and more on whether people choose to use it when no-one is there to explain the screens. BBC
Authorities Intercept Drug Syndicate on Uganda–Tanzania–DRC Route
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has seized 9.93 tonnes of illicit drugs, confiscated 1,795 bottles of controlled medicinal narcotics and destroyed 87.5 acres of cannabis farms in nationwide operations. In a statement issued yesterday, the Authority said six motor vehicles and 29 motorcycles were impounded and a total of 151 suspects were arrested. The countrywide operation was conducted in January and February 2026. In another development the DCEA, working with officers at the Mutukula Customs Post, intercepted a major consignment of opioid medicines. The seizure included 105 boxes of Pethidine containing 1,045 bottles, 31 boxes of Morphine Sulphate with 310 bottles and 44 boxes of Fentanyl holding 440 bottles. According to the statement, the consignment was discovered on a passenger bus belonging to SR Classic Company. The vehicle, bearing Congolese registration number 5673AB04, was operating between Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The drugs were detected during a routine inspection as the bus entered Tanzania. … The DCEA said the operations underscore the government’s resolve to curb trafficking. It pledged closer collaboration with security agencies and other stakeholders to address drug abuse and related crimes nationwide. The Citizen
African Telecoms Giants Plan to Launch $40 Smartphone
Africa’s leading telecom network operators plan to roll out a new $40 4G smartphone as part of a push to bridge affordability gaps that limit access to digital services on the continent. Airtel, Axian Telecom, Ethio Telecom, MTN, Orange, and Vodacom — who together serve some 800 million Africans — are in talks with manufacturers on the device’s specifications, as part of an affordability coalition brought together by the mobile industry trade body, the GSMA. DR Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda will be pilot countries for the phone’s launch, with no date released as yet. Africa’s mobile phone market is dominated by Chinese brands that sell models offering functionalities that are more sensitive to the needs of users on the continent, and are much cheaper than higher-end products from Apple and Samsung. Still, just one in four people in Africa owned a smartphone in 2024 compared to the global average of more than half, a recent GSMA study said, with affordability cited as the main reason for the trend. Semafor
Ghana Armed Forces and Agri-Impact Partner to Deepen Food Security
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General William Agyapong, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, visited Agri-Impact Group’s state-of-the-art greenhouse enclave in Dawhenya to explore a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Ghana’s agricultural sector and reducing reliance on food imports. Managed by Fresh Logistics Limited (FLL), a subsidiary of Agri-Impact Group, the 120-acre greenhouse complex serves as a hub for modern vegetable production and showcases advanced agribusiness practices. Accompanied by Senior Officers of the Special Projects Committee under the office of the CDS, the delegation toured the facilities, observing production techniques and post-harvest handling first-hand. “One of my first tasks from the late Minister of Defence, Dr. Omane Boamah, was to find ways to reduce our national food bill. We asked ourselves who we could partner with, and we are fortunate to have found Agri-Impact,” Lt. Gen. Agyapong said. … For his part, Dr. (h.c.) Daniel Fahene Acquaye, Group CEO of Agri-Impact, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to working with the Armed Forces. “We are excited about the potential of this partnership. Agri-Impact is ready to bring all our resources, networks, and expertise to support the Armed Forces and the country. Together, we can take Ghana further,” he said. Agri-Impact Group (AIG) is a fully Ghanaian-owned agribusiness consultancy and project development firm operating across Africa and the Caribbean. Joy Online
Ivory Coast Cuts Cocoa Producer Price By Nearly 60 Percent: Govt
Ivory Coast, the world’s leading cocoa producer, on Wednesday cut the price paid to its growers by nearly 60 percent, the government said, to try to address a sales slump affecting the sector. Agriculture Minister Bruno Kone announced the reduction to 1,200 CFA francs a kilo ($2) — which comes amid a fall in world cocoa prices and an oversupply crisis. “The price of cocoa on the international market is forcing us to make an adjustment,” Kone said. The Ivorian government sets the price of cocoa paid to its producers twice a year, but its latest announcement comes a month earlier than normal. The sector accounts for 14 percent of the west African country’s gross domestic product and around five million people depend on it for their living. In October, just ahead of his re-election, President Alassane Ouattara announced himself that authorities were setting the price at a record high of 2,800 CFA francs a kilo. But global cocoa prices, which went through the roof in 2024 before starting to drop in 2025, have plunged this year, meaning Ivorian cocoa cost much more than world market prices. … With Ivorian prices out of step with the world market price, exporters have delayed purchases in recent months, while some buyers have offered lower prices in return for immediate payment, sources have told AFP. In response to the hardship faced by producers, the state’s Coffee Cocoa Council announced in January it would buy at the record price tens of thousands of tonnes of cocoa piling up across the country. AFP
Some West African Farmers Turn to TikTok as Part of Agriculture’s Changing Image
[Millions of farmers in West Africa are] believed to be using TikTok and other social media to do business, share ideas and change the perception of agriculture as the work of poor people in this part of the world. “Social media is democratizing access to information for farmers,” said Abbie Phatty-Jobe, a specialist in digital agriculture for Caribou, a U.K.-based private research company that is the first to look into regional farmers’ use of TikTok. Caribou has helped to establish a network of 24 agri-influencers across 11 countries in Africa whose content reaches a combined 5 million people. They help to turn scientific research into information more accessible for farmers. … In 2023, the World Bank invested $57.4 million in a digital agriculture platform in Ivory Coast, aiming to increase access to markets and purchases of agricultural inputs. However, “most people didn’t really care about specific or tailor-made platforms,” [Nicolas Paget, a researcher on digital agriculture at French research institute CIRAD] said. “Farmers are using (existing apps) in very creative ways and adapting them to their needs.” AP