Mozambique Police Fire on Opposition March, Leader’s Location Unknown
Mozambican police fired on supporters of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane marching in the capital Maputo on Wednesday, injuring at least 10 people, Mondlane’s team and a human rights researcher said. A police spokesperson confirmed that law enforcement had dispersed marchers but declined to elaborate. Mondlane’s supporters had gathered hours before President Daniel Chapo signed an agreement with some political parties aimed at ending months of protests over Chapo’s disputed election victory last year. Mondlane came second in the presidential vote but has been excluded from the talks leading up to the agreement, which is meant to include a review of the country’s electoral laws. Analysts say Mondlane’s exclusion means the agreement will likely do little to stabilise the resource-rich Southern African country. Mondlane’s team said in a statement posted on Facebook that his whereabouts were not known after police broke up the march. It said 16 people had been injured. Reuters
80,000 Flee DR Congo amid Fighting, Sexual Violence – UNHCR
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said that insecurity and horrific sexual violence have left tens of thousands fleeing across borders with no sign of the exodus stopping in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). UNHCR’s Division of International Protection, Patrick Eba, in a statement on Tuesday said that no fewer than 80,000 had left DR Congo. “Near the frontlines, sexual violence and human rights abuses remain rampant, as is the looting and destruction of civilian homes and businesses,” he said. Speaking in Geneva, Mr Eba told journalists that North and South Kivu provinces remain unstable, with “hundreds of thousands of people on the move”. According to him, close to 80,000 people have fled armed clashes between Congolese Government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels into neighbouring countries and some 61,000 have arrived in Burundi since January. A staggering 895 cases of rape were reported to humanitarian actors in the last two weeks of February alone, the UN refugee agency official continued – an average of more than 60 a day. The UNHCR official highlighted other risks faced by civilians, including the dangers posed by explosive remnants of war to children and farmers trying to tend their fields. News Agency of Nigeria
UN Security Council Warns Against Sudan Rival Government
The UN Security Council has voiced “grave concern” over a charter signed by Sudan’s paramilitary forces, warning it could deepen the country’s war and worsen the humanitarian crisis. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, at war with Sudan’s army since April 2023, signed the charter last month with its allies to establish a “government of peace and unity” in RSF-held areas…They warned such a move would “risk exacerbating the ongoing conflict in Sudan, fragmenting the country, and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation”. They also urged warring factions to immediately cease hostilities and engage in “political dialogue and diplomatic efforts towards a durable ceasefire”. AFP
Many Feared Dead in Sudan after Shelling Hits Crowded Market
Dozens of people in the Sudanese state of North Darfur are feared dead following heavy shelling on a camp for displaced people. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a crowded market at Abu Shouk, a camp on the outskirts of the city of el-Fasher, for roughly two hours on Tuesday evening, a local official told the BBC. The camp is home to over half a million displaced people and the assault on its market is the second in three days. El-Fasher is the last major town in Darfur under army control and has been under siege by the RSF for almost a year. Tuesday’s attack on Abu Shouk took place at the busiest time of day. The camp’s population are mostly Muslims, who are observing the holy month of Ramadan, and many were out shopping at the market, preparing to break their fast for the day…Abu Shouk was also shelled by the RSF on Sunday, in an attack that that killed six civilians, local health volunteers said. BBC
Kenya Detains Sudanese Politician Arman on Interpol Request
Kenyan police have detained Sudanese opposition politician Yassir Arman, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Revolutionary Democratic Current (SPLM-RDC), after he arrived by air in Nairobi, acting on an Interpol warrant requested by Sudan, Sudan Tribune has learned. In late September 2024, Attorney General Al-Fateh Tayfour announced the pursuit of leaders of the Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces, or Tagadum, against whom arrest warrants were issued on charges of collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces in the war that began on April 15, 2023. He confirmed that the list includes former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and several leaders of the anti-war civil coalition. Sudan Tribune has learned that the Kenyan police stopped Arman upon his arrival at the airport and informed him of an arrest warrant issued for him. He was then detained in a hotel in the city pending an investigation into whether the charges are criminal or political…Arman had arrived in Kenya to meet Western diplomats about developments in Sudan, part of a regional effort by Sudanese civilian groups. The recently formed anti-war coalition of civil forces, known as Smoud, rejects both the military-led government and a move by the Rapid Support Forces and some political groups to form a parallel government. [On September 24, Tagadum announced that it had submitted an official memorandum to Interpol stating] that the accusations against these leaders were political and malicious and included allegations of undermining the constitutional order, genocide, and inciting rebellion. Sudan Tribune
South Sudan: IGAD urges restraint, dialogue amid tension in Nasir County
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is deeply concerned over the escalating tensions and armed clashes in Nasir County, South Sudan. The escalation of tension in Nasir came after the government announced plans to replace long-standing troops with new forces, while the community wanted a unified force deployed in the area. The regional bloc, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said these pose a risk to the hard-won gains made in the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and threaten peace in the country. The IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyeh called upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint, reaffirm their commitment to the R-ARCSS, and prioritize dialogue and reconciliation as the only sustainable path to peace. Sudan Tribune
Islamic State in Retreat after Offensive in Somalia’s Puntland
Military commanders had expected that as they got closer to the area’s main IS strongholds of Shebaab, Dhaadaar and Dhasaan, that the terror group would fight hard and launch frequent counterattacks. But that has not been the case. The Puntland forces have been capturing caves and small villages one after the other, and they have routed IS from the strategic 40-kilometer-long Togjaceel Valley, from Turmasaale to Dhasaan. Somali officials told VOA it appears that the IS fighters, rather than trying to hold their positions, have fled, breaking into three groups, all headed in different directions. About 100 IS fighters, along with some family members, have sought to escape to Karinka Qandala, another mountainous area to the north of the group’s former stronghold in the Togjaceel Valley. Two larger groups fled to Tog Miraale and Tog Curaar, to the west and northwest. The group that went northwest, according to officials, was hit by airstrikes in the vicinity of Miraale Village…“Indications [are] that the Puntland forces are making real progress against ISIS in Somalia’s hideouts,” a former senior Western counterterrorism official told VOA, requesting anonymity to discuss the ongoing developments. “The question is whether they [the Puntland forces] will be able to continue to hold the captured hideouts, or whether ISIS will be able to return in the coming weeks and months,” the official said. If the Somali forces are able to hold the captured territory, though, the damage to the terror group could extend well beyond Somalia’s borders. “Given the central role of the al-Karrar office in financing the wider ISIS network, there could be some knock-on impact,” said the former Western counterterrorism official. VOA
Uganda: ICC Gives €17 million to Rehabilitate Kony War Victims
At least 85,000 victims of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in northern and eastern Uganda have benefited from a €17 million (approximately Shs65b) assistance programme. The initiative, which commenced in 2008 and is set to conclude this year, has been implemented in 18 districts across Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions. Funding has been secured through the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) of the International Criminal Court (ICC)…The fund has been directly utilised to address war victims’ physical, psychological, financial, and material needs…In July 2024, the ICC announced an annual allocation of at least Shs19 billion to progressively implement the Ongwen Reparation Order. The court has stated that voluntary contributions are required for the swift delivery of reparations to victims of sexual and gender-based violence, former child soldiers, and those affected by attacks on four internally displaced persons camps in the case of The Prosecutor vs Dominic Ongwen. Ongwen is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in a Norwegian correctional facility for his role in the brutal conflict that displaced more than 1.2 million people and resulted in hundreds of deaths. Monitor
Ethiopia: Over Half a Million Displaced in Amhara Face Dire Conditions as Shelters Crumble; IDPs in Tigray Struggle with Overcrowding
The humanitarian situation in the crisis-hit Amhara region remains a serious concern, with more than half a million displaced people in urgent need of shelter and essential non-food items. According to the Global Shelter Cluster (GSC), the living conditions of over 560,000 individuals residing in 33 internally displaced persons (IDP) sites and collective centers across the region—including those in the North and South Wollo zones—remain “severe due to prolonged use, overcrowding, and structural damage,” rendering many shelters uninhabitable. In its latest report, the GSC, an Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) coordination mechanism supporting populations affected by disasters and conflict-induced displacement, highlighted that overcrowding and maintenance deficiencies persist…The GSC report also highlighted the dire conditions of the more than 900,000 displaced individuals in the Tigray region, with 18% of IDPs across 90 collective centers experiencing “severe overcrowding and a lack of privacy,” which, according to the organization, “pose serious health and protection risks.” Addis Standard
Ethiopia: Research Finds Amharic Language Used to Evade TikTok Moderation, Bypass Hate Speech Detection
A study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) found that the Amharic language is being used on TikTok to “bypass moderation” and “evade hate speech detection” by exploiting gaps in the platform’s content moderation systems. The research identified 134 comments where Amharic was used in two ways: the first method, referred to as “coded,” involved “directly translating hate speech into Amharic using the Ge’ez script.” The second method, called “bypass,” involved “placing Amharic text alongside hate speech written in a European language.” The report states that “Of 16 comments reported to TikTok, the platform removed or limited the visibility of only 5.” It added, “This suggests that TikTok’s systems are failing to recognise hate speech, even when written in English and manually reported, if it appears alongside Amharic language text.” ISD noted that “previous studies on computing and natural language processing have pointed to the challenge of policing hate speech by native Amharic speakers, reflecting technical challenges and inequalities in the resources platforms allocate to different languages.” It explained that Amharic is a “low-resource language,” meaning there is less online data available to train natural language processing systems, which platforms rely on for automated moderation. Addis Standard
Unesco DG Visit Boosts Tanzania’s Heritage and Conservation Efforts
Since March 1, 2025, [Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco), Audrey Azoulay] has been touring both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, meeting with top government officials and visiting a number of historically significant sites…Unesco National Commission Executive Secretary, Prof Hamis Malebo, explained that Azoulay’s visit was prompted by an invitation from President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Prof Malebo highlighted several benefits from the visit, including opportunities for women involved in seaweed farming to participate in Africa Day exhibitions in Paris this May. In Zanzibar’s Old Town, many of the historic buildings are in dire need of restoration. Some require specialized expertise to prevent further deterioration. Unesco continues to provide technical assistance and financial support for their restoration…The visit underscores the ongoing collaboration between Tanzania and Unesco, with a focus on preserving the country’s heritage while fostering sustainable development for future generations. The Citizen
Trial of Tunisian Opposition Leaders Postponed
The trial of prominent opposition figures in Tunisia who have been accused of conspiring against the state was postponed on Tuesday until April 11 by the judge, who declined to release those held in custody. The Tunisian political opposition say the charges are fabricated and a symbol of President Kais Saied’s authoritarian rule. Protesters gathered at the courthouse on Tuesday in support of the accused. Rights groups say the trial shows that Saied now has full control over the judiciary. He dissolved the elected parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree before later dissolving the independent Supreme Judicial Council. Forty people, including high-profile politicians, businessmen and journalists, are being prosecuted in the case, including more than 20 who have fled abroad…The opposition leaders accuse Saied of staging a coup in 2021 and say the case is fabricated to stifle the opposition and establish a one-man, repressive rule. They say they were preparing an initiative aimed at uniting the fragmented opposition to face the democratic setback in the cradle of the Arab Spring uprisings. Reuters