‘How Are We Going to Get Back Home?’ Islamist Group Tightens Blockade on Mali Capital
Mali’s capital city Bamako – a major West African hub and home to more than three million people – is under a partial blockade by Islamist militants, days after the country’s defence minister was assassinated there. “Our army isn’t capable of protecting us, how are we going to get back home?” a mother-of-two told the BBC, unable to re-enter Bamako after visiting her parents out of town. She and many others have been stranded on the Bamako-Kéniéba highway, a major road out of the capital for almost a day. It follows Wednesday’s warning by fighters from the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) that “no-one will be allowed in any more”. Last year, the Islamist groups imposed a fuel blockade on the city, causing shortages and a sharp increase in prices but they have now ordered a total blockade, leaving residents worried. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that at least three of the six main routes into the city are now closed for hours at a time before the fighters move elsewhere. BBC
How Russia Lost Its Way in the Sahara
[The] devastating defeat in Kidal has exposed Russia’s failure to stabilise Mali and has called into question both the future of its African military adventurism and survival of the pro-Russian government in Bamako, the country’s capital. “It is a humiliation. This is another confirmation that they are inefficient and unreliable in the fight against insurgents and jihadists,” said Wassim Nasr, an analyst at New York’s Soufan Center, who added that recapturing Kidal three years ago had been the sole battlefield success Russian forces were able to show. “They have not achieved anything beyond helping the regime hold on to power,” he added. … There is growing anger in Mali about the way Russian paramilitaries, stranded without reinforcements, retreated from Kidal and left many Malian soldiers trapped. “They left behind Malian soldiers to be captured like rats,” said Moussa Kondo, a former official who now runs the Sahel Institute for Democracy and Governance in Bamako. Russia had invested heavily in building an image of itself as a partner, Kondo said. But he argued that no amount of propaganda would erase the images of the Russian paramilitaries being hounded out of Kidal by victorious Tuareg militants. … [Nasr] added that the indiscriminate violence that Wagner and Africa Corps had exacted across northern Mali had also driven recruits towards JNIM and the FLA, which made their own challenge more difficult. “They did not solve the problem. They made it worse,” [he] said. Financial Times
New Report Links $24 Million Dubai Property Empire to Sudan’s RSF Leadership
[A new investigation by The Sentry], released in April 2026, found that “a network of family members, sanctioned individuals, and entities linked to the leadership of Sudan’s brutal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia owns a $24 million real estate portfolio in Dubai consisting of over 20 properties.” … According to The Sentry, leaked property records reveal that many of the assets, including luxury villas, apartments, and office spaces, are concentrated within a single gated community near Dubai’s Meydan racecourse. The report notes that “several of these properties, along with additional rental properties, are located within the same gated community in Dubai,” suggesting a tightly linked network of ownership and proximity. … The Sentry stated that the evidence “suggest[s] that, in addition to reportedly supporting the militia with weapons and mercenaries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provides a safe haven for the RSF leadership’s family and wealth.” Addis Standard
Sudanese Journalists’ Union Wins UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize
The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate won the 2026 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on Thursday, in recognition of its role in documenting violations against media workers during Sudan’s ongoing conflict. The award highlights the syndicate’s efforts to expose abuses since the war began. In January, the group reported 67 documented violations against journalists over the previous year, including the deaths of 14 media workers and several cases of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention. UNESCO Director-General Khaled el-Anany said the members of the syndicate demonstrated exceptional courage and unwavering dedication despite grave challenges. He noted that their commitment serves as an essential service for truth, accountability, and peace. El-Anany added that the prize reaffirms the pivotal role of independent journalism in protecting democratic values and amplifying the voices of civilians caught in the crossfire. … Abdelmonem Abu Idris, head of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, said the timing of the award is significant as the local media environment continues to deteriorate. Sudan Tribune
Nigeria: Tinubu Inaugurates World’s First UNESCO Media Literacy Institute
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday inaugurated the world’s first Media and Information Literacy Institute established under UNESCO, positioning Nigeria at the forefront of global efforts to combat misinformation and promote responsible communication. The institute, known as the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), was launched at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with top government officials and international partners in attendance. Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President described the development as a historic milestone for Nigeria, Africa, and the global community. He said the institute comes at a critical time when misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech are increasingly threatening social cohesion and institutional trust worldwide. … Tinubu noted that the establishment of IMILI fulfilled Nigeria’s commitment made during the 10th Global Media and Information Literacy Week hosted in 2022, adding that the initiative received unanimous endorsement from all UNESCO member states. … The institute is expected to play a central role in advancing global efforts to build resilient information systems and promote access to credible information. PR Nigeria
Hundreds Rally in Chad for Release of Opposition Leader Masra
Hundreds gathered on Wednesday in N’Djamena to demand the release of Chadian opposition leader and former prime minister Succes Masra, who has been in custody for almost a year. The activists were members of Les Transformateurs, the country’s largest opposition party, which was marking its eighth anniversary at the party’s headquarters in the capital. Most of those attending were young people, protesting under intense heat and carrying signs calling for the release of Masra, one of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno’s fiercest critics. “An innocent man is today deprived of his freedom and basic rights for having carried the voice and embodied the hope of the entire people,” said Ngagorngar Tog‑Yeum, secretary‑general of the Transformateurs Party. He also called for the release of several other opposition figures from the GCAP movement arrested in recent days, saying they — like Masra — “have no business being in prison.” Africanews with AFP
UN Votes to Cut the Peacekeeping Force in South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000
The U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to reduce the ceiling for the peacekeeping force in conflict-torn South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000 troops with a mandate to prevent a return to civil war in the world’s newest nation. The vote on the U.S.-drafted resolution was 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining. It extends the mandate of the force until April 30, 2027. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz told the council the resolution seeks to get the force “back to basics” — keeping the peace, protecting civilians and supporting access to humanitarian aid. There were high hopes when oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long conflict. But the country slid into a civil war in December 2013, largely based on ethnic divisions, when forces loyal to Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, battled those loyal to Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer. … More than 400,000 people were killed in the war, which ended with a peace agreement in 2018 and a national unity government with Kiir as president and Machar as vice president. But Kiir’s government put Machar under house arrest in March 2025, accusing him of subversive activities, and he now faces treason charges. AP
Madagascar’s Leader Speaks with Macron after Expelling French Diplomat
Madagascan leader Michael Randrianirina said, on Thursday, April 30, that he spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, after the Indian Ocean island country expelled a French diplomat over an alleged plot to destabilize the country. Madagascar, a former French colony located off the southeast coast of Africa retains close political ties with Paris but has pivoted towards Russia following its latest bout of political turmoil, which forced former leader Andry Rajoelina from power. It expelled a French diplomatic official this week, prompting Paris to summon the charge d’affaires of the Madagascan embassy in protest. … The expulsion follows social media accusations against France, including unsubstantiated claims that “French mercenaries” had arrived on the island. France’s foreign ministry has rejected the allegations. … Madagascar has faced a cycle of political upheavals and is the latest former French colony in Africa to come under military rule since 2020, following coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Le Monde with AFP
China Scraps Tariffs for All but One African Nation
China will scrap tariffs for all African countries from Friday – except Eswatini, which maintains ties with Taiwan. As of December 2024, China had already implemented a duty-free policy for 33 least-developed African nations. The policy now covers 53 countries, and will be in place until 30 April 2028. It is unclear what will happen after that. Beijing has boasted that it is the first major economy to offer unilateral zero-tariff treatment to Africa. But analysts say that while China is seizing the chance to enhance its soft power, they point out that tariffs are rarely the main obstacle for exporters in Africa which has a huge trade deficit with China. … The expansion of China’s zero-tariff regime could increase African agricultural exports, which will “help to elevate rural incomes, improve rural productivity, and ultimately to reduce hunger and poverty”, Johnston says. But Sino-African trade is marked by a growing imbalance in China’s favour, which means Chinese exports to Africa far exceed African exports to China, and that difference is widening. Last year, Africa’s trade deficit with China rose by 65% to about $102bn. Africa’s exports to China are dominated by minerals and raw materials, such as crude oil and metallic ores. BBC
Iran War Redraws Sea Routes with Africa as the Pivot
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz as well as tensions in the Red Sea are reshaping trade routes, with Africa becoming a hub of global container ship traffic, according to logistics and maritime sources. … “Today, 70 percent of the freight traffic that went through the Red Sea in 2023 is being rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope,” added Yves Guillo, a supply chain expert at Efeso, a management consultancy in Paris. According to data from the International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch platform based on ships’ GPS signals, commercial vessel traffic via the Cape of Good Hope has more than tripled in three years, while traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has fallen by more than half. Between March 1 and April 24 this year, an average of 20 commercial vessels went round the Cape of Good Hope every day compared with six in the same period in 2023. … Large differences exist between routes: some African ports are seeing their activity increase. The Tanger Med Port Authority said it handled 11 million standard containers in 2025 — up 8.4 percent. But Egypt lost toll revenues from the Suez Canal, which make up a large part of its income. According to CyclOpe, in 2024 it lost $7 billion — a drop of more than 60 percent compared with 2023. AFP
Libya, Algeria, Tunisia Sign Agreement to Share Sahara Aquifer Water
Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia on Wednesday agreed to a “rational and equitable” of the water in a giant aquifer in the Sahara that straddles all three nations. The so-called “Tripoli Declaration” stresses the importance of “strengthening coordination and exchanges to ensure sustainable use” of the non-renewable resource. … The North-Western Sahara Aquifer System is one of the world’s largest groundwater reserves and has been exploited for centuries via springs and surface wells. An increasing number of boreholes, which reach as far as 1,000 metres below ground, are speeding up the extraction rate. Just under two-thirds of the underground reserves, estimated at more than 40 trillion cubic metres of fossil water, are located beneath Algeria, with a little under a third below Libya and eight percent beneath Tunisia. The mechanism is also intended to prevent pollution and overexploitation of the water, with management and monitoring to be carried out jointly by the three countries. Africanews with AFP
Boat with Sudanese Migrants Capsizes off Libya, Leaving at Least 17 Dead, UN Says
A boat carrying 33 Sudanese migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea near the eastern Libyan town of Tobruk, leaving at least 17 people dead and nine others missing, U.N. officials said Thursday. Only seven of the people on board survived the shipwreck, the U.N. refugee agency said on X. It was unclear when the boat capsized. The U.N. International Organization for Migration, or IOM, said that when the survivors were rescued, they had been stranded at sea for several days, and that some of the migrants had died of hunger and thirst. The boat had taken off from Tobruk and was heading to Greece when it capsized about 100 kilometers northwest of the city, the IOM said. The agency said rescue operations were carried out by the navy, the Libyan coast guard and the Libyan Red Crescent. … The IOM said in early April that 2026 had seen the deadliest start to a year for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea since 2014. In the Central Mediterranean alone, 765 people had been reported dead, marking about a 150% increase compared with the same period last year. AP