Mali’s Army Carries Out Overnight Strikes on Rebel-held City of Kidal
Mali’s army reportedly carried out several strikes overnight Wednesday to Thursday on the town of Kidal in the desert region in the north of the country. It has been under the control of Tuareg rebels and their allies from the JNIM jihadist group since their large-scale coordinated attacks across the country in late April. Their rare alliance enabled a rapid campaign that saw several strategic military bases overrun across northern Mali. Residents have told an AFP journalist they heard at least four explosions in Kidal on Wednesday night which caused material damage. One strike reportedly hit a house near a former market, destroying it, while another struck the governor’s compound. A Malian army officer says the armed forces are targeting specific objectives and warned the strikes will be intensifying in the coming days. Witnesses say Kidal was unusually calm on Thursday morning with very little traffic on the roads. The strategic town served as an unofficial headquarters of the Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front coalition for more than a decade. It was captured by Mali’s army in late 2023 with the help of Russian mercenaries. Africanews with AFP
A New Ebola Outbreak Is Confirmed in a Remote Congo Province, with 65 Deaths Recorded
Africa CDC, the continent’s top public health body, on Friday confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far. The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal. … Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing and control challenges. The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns, it said. The agency said it is convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting Friday with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, together with key partners including U.N. agencies and other countries. AP
Over 40% of Sudan’s Population Face High Levels of Acute Food Insecurity, Monitoring Group Warns
More than 40% of the population in war-torn Sudan are facing high levels of acute food insecurity through May as the conflict enters its fourth year, a global hunger monitoring group said Thursday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said in a new assessment that of the nearly 19.5 million people facing this level of food insecurity, 135,000 people were in Phase 5, which is characterized by “extreme food gaps, starvation, very high levels of malnutrition, and death due to disease or acute malnutrition.” “Conditions are expected to deteriorate further in the upcoming June–September lean season,” the IPC assessment statement read. … The IPC said Thursday that it found that no area is in famine, but warned that 14 areas in the provinces of North Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan are at risk of famine if conflict intensifies, food access worsens, healthcare and sanitation decline, and displacement increases. Last year, famine was confirmed in el-Fasher, a major city in the western Darfur region, and in the town of Kadugli, in South Kordofan. AP
AU Selects Ex-Nigerian President Obasanjo for Horn of Africa Peace Role
The African Union Commission has appointed former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to support peace and stability efforts in the Horn of Africa, the continental body said on Thursday. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said Obasanjo would engage with relevant stakeholders and parties to help build confidence, sustain dialogue and support ongoing efforts toward lasting peace, stability and reconciliation in the region. … Obasanjo is widely known in South Sudan for his prominent role in regional and continental peace efforts following the outbreak of civil war in December 2013. In March 2014, the African Union appointed him to chair a five-member Commission of Inquiry tasked with investigating human rights abuses committed during the conflict. … The commission’s final report, released by the African Union in 2015, called for accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity and recommended the establishment of a hybrid court for South Sudan. Radio Tamazuj
Madagascar Opposition Moves to Oust Military Leader in Constitutional Challenge
Political tension is rising in Madagascar, where a leading opposition lawmaker says he has asked the country’s top court to remove President Michael Randrianirina over alleged constitutional violations. The move comes just months after Randrianirina, a military colonel, took power in October following mass youth-led protests that forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country amid anger over worsening water and electricity shortages. Since then, hopes for reform have begun to fade. Small but persistent protests have returned in recent weeks, led largely by young Madagascans frustrated with the slow pace of change. Opposition MP Antoine Rajerison has filed a petition to the High Constitutional Court, accusing Randrianirina of treason and “serious and repeated violations of the constitution,” including controversial government appointments. The petition also claims the administration has failed to restore national unity, warning the country is “on the verge of rupture,” while rights groups have raised concerns over arrests and what they describe as heavy-handed security responses to protests. Africanews
Nigerian Government Eyes AI-powered Intelligence System to Tackle Terrorism, Piracy, Illegal Mining
The Federal Government says it is preparing to deploy an artificial intelligence-powered security system known as the Multi-domain Hybrid Intelligence Shield (HIS) as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s fight against terrorism, piracy and illegal mining. The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed this during a working visit to Monaco alongside senior ministry officials as part of engagements on the proposed HIS project for the Ministry of Defence. … The proposed deployment of the HIS comes amid growing discussions on how Nigeria can use digital infrastructure and intelligence systems to strengthen its response to insecurity. … Mr Musa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the Armed Forces through “strategic partnerships, local capacity development, technology transfer and sustainable defence industrial cooperation.” He also emphasised the importance of building indigenous operational capacity while leveraging international expertise to tackle emerging security threats, including terrorism, border insecurity, illegal mining, piracy and threats posed by unmanned aerial systems. Premium Times
The Dark Side of Nigeria’s Crypto Craze: Hope, Scam and Money Laundering
[Video] Cryptocurrency has become part of everyday life for many Nigerians in the face of inflation and the collapse of the naira. People are turning to cryptocurrencies to save, trade, and send money outside traditional banks. For many young people, crypto also represents hope for quick financial success, fueled by a new generation of influencers, who showcase their success and sell advice to an audience hungry for social mobility. But behind the promise of opportunity lies a darker side marked by scams, fraud, market manipulation, and money laundering. Authorities and some private players are now working to better regulate practices and support victims. France 24
Synthetic Drugs from India Fuelling West Africa’s Opioid Epidemic
Millions of tapentadol tablets from India are helping drive a deadly opioid epidemic ravaging the region, with officials and researchers telling AFP that they are also being added to the “zombie drug” kush. The cheap pills are so strong that no regulatory authority in the world has approved them. Yet an AFP investigation found Indian pharmaceutical firms were flooding west Africa with the pills despite New Delhi vowing to crack down on the trade. Some shipments were even labelled “Harmless Medicines for Human Consumption”. Customs records show millions of dollars’ worth of the high-strength synthetic opioid being shipped from India every month to Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana, where even low doses of the drug are not permitted. … Most people in Africa take tapentadol not to get high but to do brutal back-breaking work, experts say. … “It’s used as a performance enhancer to enable people to do long hours of hard work,” said medical anthropologist Axel Klein of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. … “Kidnappers, terrorists and bandits use these drugs so they can carry out their nefarious activities,” [Femi Babafemi of the country’s NDLEA anti-drug agency] added, with police saying jihadist fighters like Boko Haram also take it “for courage”. Africanews with AFP
Egypt Farmers Hit by Iran War Price Surge
Egyptian smallholders have seen their lives upended by the war in Iran, with soaring fertiliser and energy prices forcing many to lay off workers and reduce the amount of land they farm. … Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global trade, have hit energy and fertiliser supplies. In peace time, about one-third of traded fertilisers pass through the waterway, along with one-fifth of liquefied natural gas and 35 percent of crude oil. Higher fuel costs have directly impacted agriculture, from fertiliser production and irrigation to transport. … Although Egypt produces seven to eight million tonnes of nitrogen fertiliser annually and exports more than half, domestic access remains uneven. The strain is compounded by domestic pressures. Egypt relies heavily on imported fuel, leaving it particularly exposed to global energy shocks. Fuel prices rose by up to 30 percent in March, while the pound has shed around 15 percent of its value since the war began, pushing up the cost of imported seeds and feed. AFP
Kenya Targets North African Startups in Regional Innovation Push
Kenya is positioning itself as a gateway for North African startups seeking expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa following the IPDAYS Nairobi x Silicon Savannah Startup Fair 2026 that brought together innovators, investors and policymakers from Kenya, Tunisia and Egypt. The forum attracted more than 60 Kenyan startups and six Tunisian startups for investment talks, business networking, training workshops and discussions on regional market expansion. Speaking during the event, Konza Technopolis Chief Executive Officer John Paul Okwiri said African countries must strengthen partnerships to support startups seeking cross-border growth. … He said innovation ecosystems across Africa have operated separately for years, limiting opportunities for growth and international collaboration. Douja Gharbi, CEO of RedStart Tunisie Accelerator, said the forum was aimed at deepening cooperation between African innovation ecosystems and creating pathways for startups to scale regionally. The event also featured discussions on financing startup expansion, policy alignment, intellectual property protection and regional market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Standard