AU, Arab League, UN Vow Coordinated Push for Sudan Peace
The heads of the African Union Commission, the Arab League and the United Nations have pledged to unify their efforts for a stronger, more coordinated international response to end the conflict in Sudan and achieve a permanent ceasefire, according to a joint statement. The high-level consultative meeting, held on the sidelines of the recent Arab League Summit in Baghdad, aimed to “stop the fighting and violence in Sudan, alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and reach a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” according to a statement issued following the discussions…They said their efforts would build upon existing frameworks, including relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, the Jeddah Declaration, and decisions by the African Union (AU) and Arab League. Sudan Tribune
Sudan’s Women ‘Bear the Brunt of War as Maternal Deaths Surge’
The maternal mortality rate has climbed to 295 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to figures from the Federal Ministry of Health. Health Minister Haitham Mohammed Ibrahim stated that “the number of pregnant deaths observed between June 2023 and July 2024 reached 870 deaths, including 350 deaths that occurred inside hospitals and health facilities.” …The UN had previously estimated Sudan’s maternal mortality rate at 270 deaths per 100,000 live births. Since the war, the Federal Ministry of Health now reports a staggering figure of 100 deaths per 10,000 births, a number echoed by the WHO and UNICEF. Dr Adiba Ibrahim, a member of the Sudanese Medical Association, warned that 90 percent of the country’s health institutions have collapsed…According to her, the Organisation for the Fight Against Violence Against Women and Children recorded more than 316,000 deaths from cholera and 576,000 from dengue fever. She also cited 176,000 pregnant women suffering from malnutrition, 850,000 lactating women dead, and 45,000 children who died due to malnutrition. Radio Dabanga
UN’s Türk Criticises ‘Draconian’ Decree Limiting Dissent in Mali
The military authorities in Mali have dissolved all political parties and repealed laws protecting political participation, drawing sharp condemnation from the UN’s top human rights official on Friday…Beyond political repression, Mali is grappling with worsening security conditions following the closure of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, at the end of 2023. According to credible information received by the UN rights office, OHCHR, violations and abuses increased by nearly 120 per cent between 2023 and 2024. The withdrawal of French forces and the European Union Training Mission in Mali in 2022 also contributed to the deteriorating security situation across the West African landlocked country. Civilians across the country continue to face deadly attacks – including killings, abduction, and sexual and gender-based violence – by extremist groups including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State – Sahel Province. Government forces, allegedly accompanied by foreign military personnel widely referred to either as “Africa Corps” or “Wagner,” have also been accused of serious abuses. UN News
Nigeria: Insurgents Launch 12 Attacks in Borno in Three Weeks
Residents are again deserting Borno rural communities following renewed attacks by Boko Haram insurgents. The Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents have carried out at least 12 attacks in the state in the last three weeks, resulting in the killing of scores of soldiers and civilians. Residents had hoped the attacks would reduce after the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, led his state counterpart, Bello Matawalle, the Chief of Defence Staff, Chris Musa, and the service chiefs on a visit to assess the security situation. However, despite assurances given by the authorities to check the resurgence of the insurgency, the attacks have increased. Since the security officials’ visit, the insurgents have carried out a dozen attacks, targeting military bases and civilians. Premium Times
Suicide Attacker in Somali Capital Kills 13 at a Military Recruitment Center
A suicide bomber in the Somali capital on Sunday targeted young recruits waiting to register at a military camp, killing at least 13 and wounding 21 others, witnesses said. Mogadishu has been repeatedly targeted by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which has waged an insurgency for over a decade. The group frequently attacks military and government sites as part of its effort to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law…There was no immediate claim of responsibility. A soldier identified only as Hussein, who was part of the camp’s guard unit, told The Associated Press that many young recruits were waiting patiently in line. “The explosion was devastating. I saw many casualties. The attacker disguised himself as a recruit before blowing himself up,” he said. He said the dead included five civilian passers-by. A similar attack in July 2023 at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in Mogadishu killed 25 soldiers and wounded 70. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that attack. AP
Tanzanian Opposition Leader Appears in Court for Treason Trial
Tanzania’s main opposition leader Tundu Lissu told his supporters to have no fear as he appeared in court on Monday for the first time since his arrest on charges that include treason…On Monday he entered the court with his fist raised in the air as supporters chanted “No Reforms, No Election,” according to a video of the courtroom shared by his CHADEMA party on X…Lissu, who was shot 16 times in a 2017 attack and came second in the last presidential poll, was charged with treason last month over what prosecutors said was a speech calling upon the public to rebel and disrupt elections due in October. A series of high-profile arrests has highlighted the rights record of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who plans to seek re-election. Hassan says the government is committed to respecting human rights. Lissu’s CHADEMA party has demanded changes to an electoral process they say favors the ruling party before they participate in the ballot. Reuters
Lawyers Condemn Tanzania over Deportation of Kenyan Activists
The East African Law Society (EALS) has condemned the mistreatment of several Kenyan human rights activists, including a former Chief Justice. The activists had travelled to Tanzania separately on Sunday and Monday, only to be detained and deported from Julius Nyerere International Airport. Those deported back to Nairobi on Sunday was Martha Karua, Kenya’s former Justice Minister, along with two of her colleagues. On Monday, former Kenyan Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga and human rights activists Hussein Khalid and Hanifa Farsafi, were detained at the same airport and were awaiting deportation. However, David Maraga, another former Chief Justice, was permitted to enter the country with his delegation. Tanzanian officials have not publicly explained their decision to deport the Kenyan activists, who were heading to Dar es Salaam to show solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu. EALS, a professional body of lawyers from the Eastern Africa region, has condemned the detention and deportation of Kenyan activists in Dar es Salaam, accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan of restricting free movement and violating East African Community (EAC) law…The EALS says it intends to move to the East African Court of Justice regarding the deportation of the six Kenyans, and has called on the international and regional communities to intervene…Karua, who also represented Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye, who was kidnapped in Kenya last year and taken back to his home country to face treason charges, travelled to Tanzania in solidarity with Lissu. The East African
Ten Dead in ‘Brutal’ Attacks by Militants on Mozambique Wildlife Reserve
Conservationists in Niassa reserve, Mozambique, say decades of work to rebuild populations of lions, elephants and other keystone species are being jeopardised, as conservation operations grind to a halt. On 29 April, militants attacked buildings in Niassa, killing two anti-poaching scouts. Two more scouts are missing and another seriously injured. The attack, which was later claimed by [al-Shabaab, a militant group not linked to the group in Somalia], came 10 days after another raid on a nearby safari camp in which two people were beheaded and six soldiers were killed. A village of 2,000 people has been displaced by the violence and all conservation work has been suspended in Niassa reserve, according to local groups…Al-Shabaab emerged in 2017 and has displaced more than 1 million people in northern Mozambique as its activities have expanded. The Guardian
Libya’s Tripoli Premier Calls on Armed Groups to Align with State
Libya’s UN-backed premier [Abdulhamid Dbeibah] Saturday called on armed groups to align themselves with “state institutions” after days of deadly clashes in Tripoli and protests demanding his resignation…Days of clashes in the capital have pitted an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government against groups it has been seeking to dismantle…The clashes had been triggered by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA) faction, by the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade…Tripoli residents have taken to the streets for two consecutive days, demanding Dbeibah’s resignation after the deadly fighting. AFP
Morocco, Syria to Reopen Embassies after Assad Fall
Morocco said Saturday it would reopen its embassy in Damascus, signalling renewed support for Syria after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, as Damascus announced a similar move…A Syrian foreign ministry statement said top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani met with Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita on the sidelines of the Arab summit and that “the two sides agreed to establish bilateral diplomatic relations”…Rabat severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 after Assad’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests. Assad was toppled in December in a swift offensive by Islamist-led rebels. The 13-year civil war killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. AFP
Tanzania’s Prof Janabi Elected WHO Regional Director for Africa
Prof Mohamed Yakub Janabi of Tanzania has been elected as the new Regional Director for Africa at the World Health Organization (WHO), following a vote by the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Geneva. The announcement was made by the Chairperson of the session, Liberia’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Louise Mapleh Kpoto, during the committee’s proceedings…Prof Janabi’s nomination will now be submitted to the WHO Executive Board for formal approval. Once confirmed, he will serve as Regional Director for a term of five years and eight months…Prof Janabi, a prominent cardiologist and health policy expert, was nominated by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. He brings over three decades of experience in clinical practice, public health leadership, and institutional reform. His election marks a significant milestone for Tanzania’s leadership in global health governance. The Citizen
ICJ To Rule in Gabon-Equatorial Guinea Spat Over Islands in Oil-rich Gulf
The top United Nations court will on Monday rule on a decades-long dispute between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea over three tiny islands in potentially oil-rich waters. The two west African nations have been squabbling over the 30-hectare (74-acre) island of Mbanie and two smaller low-lying islets, Cocotier and Conga, since the early 1970s. The islands themselves are tiny and virtually uninhabited but lie in an area potentially rich in oil and gas. The dispute dates all the way back to 1900, when then colonial powers France and Spain signed a treaty in Paris setting out the borders between the two countries. But Gabon believes that a later treaty, the 1974 Bata Convention, then fixed the islands’ sovereignty in their favour…Equatorial Guinea argues that Gabon invaded the islands in 1972 and has occupied them illegally ever since. Lawyers for Equatorial Guinea rubbished the Bata Convention in the October hearings, saying Gabon suddenly produced the document in 2003, surprising everyone…Equatorial Guinea has been asking for an original copy of the Bata Convention since 2003, so far in vain…The two countries have asked the court to decide which legal texts are valid — the Paris Treaty of 1900 or the Bata Convention of 1974. The ICJ will not rule which country should be granted sovereignty over the islands. AFP