Russia’s Deceptive War Recruitment Scheme Ensnares Thousands of Young Africans
Russia has built a deceptive recruitment pipeline that preys on African job seekers and students and channels them into Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Investigations reveal a recurring pattern. Young Africans are promised civilian work, sports opportunities, study programs, or legal status in Russia, only to arrive and be pressured to sign Russian-language military contracts. This scheme is intended to address Russia’s growing shortage of foot soldiers. … What first looked like isolated cases of recruitment scams of Africans has now been exposed as an extensive and systematic effort involving Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the government’s principal intelligence agency. … African recruits appear to be assigned to especially expendable battlefield roles. Survivors and investigators describe Africans being used in high-risk assaults. … They are pushed toward frontline positions with little training, poor equipment, limited supplies, and little apparent regard for their survival. … African governments are increasingly speaking out and demanding accountability from Russia. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Nigeria Deploys Troops to Benin Republic to Bolster Regional Security
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to regional security cooperation with the deployment of troops to the Republic of Benin as part of coordinated efforts to combat terrorism and transnational crimes across West Africa. Shaibu made this known on Tuesday while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference 2026 in Abuja. He stated that the Nigerian Army remained committed to strengthening intelligence sharing, strategic partnerships, and collaborative security mechanisms aimed at denying criminal and terrorist groups freedom of operation within Nigeria and neighbouring countries. According to the army chief, the deployment to Benin Republic reflects Nigeria’s resolve to reinforce the regional security architecture and enhance collective responses to emerging security threats in the sub-region. PR Nigeria
Risk of Ebola Spread Is High Locally but Low Globally, WHO Says
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday the risk of spread of the Ebola virus in Congo and Uganda is high at national and regional levels, but low at the global level. The risk assessment came as the leader of the WHO team in Congo said the outbreak, which has led to over 130 suspected deaths, could last at least another two months as aid efforts intensified to stem the spread. WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, requiring a coordinated response. On Tuesday, it expressed concern over the “scale and speed” of the outbreak. … Congo was expecting shipments from the United States and Britain of an experimental vaccine for different types of Ebola, developed by researchers at Oxford, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, a virologist at the National Institute of Biomedical Research, told reporters on Tuesday. … Health experts said the delayed detection of the virus and large population movements in affected areas, which already suffer a preexisting humanitarian crisis, complicated the response. Parts of eastern Congo are controlled by armed rebels, hampering the delivery of aid. AP
Drone Attack Kills 28 at Market in Southern Sudan
A drone strike on a crowded market in southern Sudan killed 28 people and injured 23 more on Tuesday, a medical source and witnesses told AFP, in one of the deadliest recent attacks on civilians in the country’s three-year war. The strike hit the town of Ghubaysh in West Kordofan, an area controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) whose conflict with the Sudanese military has devastated much of the country since April 2023. … Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese legal advocacy group, said the strike targeted a key market relied on by thousands of civilians for food and basic supplies. … Fighting has escalated in recent months in southern Kordofan and the southeastern state of Blue Nile, following the RSF’s capture last October of El-Fasher, the military’s last major stronghold in western Darfur. The Kordofan region, home to oil deposits, arable land and the RSF’s most powerful paramilitary allies, connects RSF strongholds in the neighbouring Darfur region to the country’s army-controlled east. AFP
UNMISS: Renewed Violence Threatens South Sudan Peace Process
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Anita Kiki, on Tuesday urged South Sudan’s leaders to end ongoing violence and commit to inclusive dialogue, warning that renewed clashes and political tensions are threatening the country’s fragile peace process. Addressing a press conference as the new UNMISS Chief, replacing the late Nicholas Haysom, Kiki said the revitalised peace agreement remains the only viable framework for ending the country’s prolonged transition. “We continue to believe in the peace agreement,” she said. … Her remarks come amid escalating insecurity in parts of the country, including Jonglei State and Akobo County, as well as growing debate over the implementation and possible amendment of the 2018 peace agreement ahead of planned elections. … The UN envoy revealed that UNMISS had suspended plans to close its base in Akobo after violence intensified in the area. According to Kiki, the mission had initially planned to withdraw from Akobo due to UN-wide financial constraints but decided to retain peacekeepers following reports of escalating clashes. Radio Tamazuj
MSF Accuses All South Sudan Forces of Exploiting Aid for Military Objectives
French aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres on Tuesday accused South Sudan’s government of blocking humanitarian access to opposition-controlled areas and said all parties involved in an ongoing conflict in the impoverished country were exploiting aid for political and military ends. Clashes between the military and fighters loyal to detained First Vice President Riek Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) party have surged since last year, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in opposition-controlled areas. MSF said in a report that it had observed “a concerning trend of access blockages, recurring coercive letters and evacuation orders by the Government of South Sudan directed at civilians and humanitarian organisations in contested and SPLA-IO controlled locations.” … The medical charity also said that attacks on its facilities, including the bombing of two hospitals in May 2025 and in February this year, had led to around 762,000 people losing access to healthcare. Reuters
Somalia: International Partners Hold Crisis Talks with Opposition over Election Deadlock
International partners on Monday launched virtual crisis talks with Somalia’s opposition alliance and key regional leaders, diplomatic sources said, mounting a fresh push to break a dangerous deadlock over the country’s electoral framework. The online meeting brought together foreign diplomats and the Future Council—a prominent coalition of opposition-aligned political actors—alongside regional state heavyweights Said Abdullahi Deni of Puntland and Ahmed Madobe of Jubbaland, both participating remotely. According to participants familiar with the discussions, the high-stakes dialogue focused on standardising the structure and implementation of national elections, which have been stalled by deep political divisions. … The inclusion of Deni and Madobe underscores the critical role Somalia’s Federal Member States play in the consultations. Both regional presidents have frequently locked horns with the central government in Mogadishu over constitutional changes and the timeline for upcoming polls. In recent weeks, the Future Council has engaged in parallel negotiations with federal authorities to defuse the standoff, but a comprehensive breakthrough remains elusive. Garowe Online
Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia Discuss Bilateral Ties, Welfare of Ethiopian Workers during High-level Meeting
Gedion Timothewos held talks with Waleed Elkhereiji focusing on bilateral relations, labor migration, and regional peace and security issues. … The minister emphasized the need to further deepen bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both nations, while also underscoring the importance of protecting the wellbeing of Ethiopian citizens living and working in Saudi Arabia. Gedion further stressed the need to promote legal employment opportunities for Ethiopian workers seeking jobs in the Gulf kingdom. … The latest diplomatic engagement between Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia comes amid growing concern inside Ethiopia over the treatment of Ethiopian migrants and detainees in the kingdom, particularly following recent reports of executions and worsening conditions facing Ethiopians abroad. Addis Standard
A Fuel Strike in Kenya Is Suspended after 2 Days of Protests that Left 4 People Dead
Public transport operators in Kenya on Tuesday suspended a nationwide strike for one week to allow consultations with the government, marking an end to two days of protests that left four people dead and more than 30 others injured. Talks collapsed on Monday as transport operators demanded that fuel prices be reduced to cushion them and commuters from increased transportation costs. Commuters were stranded for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as public transport operators kept their vehicles off the roads. Protesters took to the streets, engaging police in running battles and setting tires on fire along major highways, making them impassable. Kenya’s fuel prices hit a record high on Friday, with the diesel price increasing by 23.5% and gasoline by 8%. The government attributed the latest price increase to the Iran war and its effects on energy supplies. AP
Ghana Commissions 10 Forest Protection Camps to Boost Fight against Illegal Mining and Logging
Ghana, with support from the United Kingdom government, has commissioned and handed over 10 forest protection camps and two checkpoint accommodation facilities at the Oda River Forest Reserve to strengthen the fight against illegal mining, logging, and other threats to the country’s forests. In a speech read on behalf of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Director of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Joseph Boakye, said the facilities represent the government’s broader commitment to sustainable forest management and environmental protection. He noted that Ghana’s forests remain critical national assets that support livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate resilience, stressing that the government is determined to protect them through stronger enforcement measures and improved operational capacity. … Mr Buah also commended development partners, traditional authorities, and local communities for supporting forest governance initiatives in Ghana. Joy Online
Rwanda to Explore Deployment of Small Nuclear Reactors with US Help
Rwanda signed agreements on civil nuclear cooperation with the United States and U.S. company Holtec International on Tuesday, as it assesses the potential for deploying small nuclear reactors to boost its power supply and support economic growth. … Holtec said its development agreement with Rwanda was to advance the deployment of its SMR-300 units. Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs, are smaller than conventional nuclear reactors. There is a global push to advance SMRs due to lower construction costs and quicker deployment times, but there are doubts over whether they will ever become widespread. South Africa has the African continent’s only operational nuclear power plant. Russian state nuclear company Rosatom is building another in Egypt. Fidele Ndahayo, chief executive of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, said Rwanda aimed to have its first nuclear reactor operating by the early 2030s. He said the agreement with Holtec was about assessing possible sites and considering whether the SMR-300 can be used when the technology matures. Reuters
Togo Opens Borders to African Travelers Visa-Free
Togo has announced a major shift in its travel policy, granting visa-free entry to all African nationals in a move aimed at boosting regional integration and cross-border movement across the continent. The decision took effect immediately on May 18 and applies to citizens of all African countries holding valid national passports. Authorities say travelers will now be allowed to stay in Togo for up to 30 days without a visa. … The government says it wants to position the country as a regional hub for business, trade, culture and services at the heart of Africa. Togo joins a growing number of African nations, including Rwanda, that have eased travel restrictions in support of continental mobility and integration efforts. Officials stress that security and immigration checks will still remain in place. Travelers must complete an online travel declaration at least 24 hours before arrival and present the document at border entry points. Africanews