West Africa Bloc Looks to Regional Force as Jihadist Attacks Spike
West African political bloc ECOWAS said Wednesday that plans to establish a long-awaited “regional counter-terrorism force” are “in full-gear” as the region battles a resurgence of jihadist attacks. A wave of attacks in Benin and Nigeria has recently tested the region, with jihadists exploiting strained relationships between members of the ECOWAS and Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, who withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States at the beginning of the year. With jihadist groups in the Sahel active across porous border areas, the withdrawal has hobbled intelligence and collaboration between regional militaries…”It is a major source of worry for us because we believe disunity will make it difficult for us to collaborate to fight insecurity, including terrorism,” [ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray] said. “Even if (the AES countries) have decided to stay out of ECOWAS, there should still be a way for us to collaborate to maintain regional security.” AFP
EU and African Union Ministers Pledge to Boost Cooperation on Peace, Security and Economy
Foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) on Wednesday vowed to strengthen cooperation for peace, security, and economic partnership between the two continents, stressing the urgency of moving from commitments to implementation. Their pledge resulted from the third ministerial EU-AU meeting in Brussels, which the European Council said took stock of progress made since the last EU-AU Summit in February 2022. The last time foreign ministers from both continents met, Russia had not launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, the war in Sudan had not begun, and France, a leading member of the 27-nation EU bloc, had not lost its influence in the Sahel, where its military departed from last year as Russia forged closer ties. Kallas noted what she called “the fight of narratives everywhere”, with “misinformation being one of the tools that Russia is using, especially in Africa.” “We have to fight the misinformation and foreign malign influence all the time, but it is, of course, increasingly hard,” said [EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas]. “But saying that does not mean that we have to give up. We still have to counter the narratives and fight the misinformation,” she stressed…Confronted by the pressing issues and changing dynamics, Kallas announced Brussels now has a new Special Representative for the Sahel region. Africanews
African Union, IGAD Plan New Sudan Mechanism – Sources
The African Union (AU) Commission and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are working with United Nations officials to establish a new mechanism to address the conflict in Sudan, sources within the AU told Sudan Tribune. The new body would be chaired by IGAD. The initiative follows AU Commissioner Mahmoud Ali Youssef’s recent welcome of a new prime minister in Sudan. Youssef reiterated the continental body’s support for the Sudanese people and the country, which has been in conflict since mid-April 2023. AU and IGAD officials recently held separate meetings with UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Ramtane Lamamra and AU Commissioner Youssef, other AU sources said. Sudan Tribune
Sudan: Civilians Displaced by RSF in West Kordofan
Witnesses from eastern Al-Nuhud reported that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) displaced residents from several villages following widespread looting and plundering in the area. Local sources told “Sudan Tribune” that RSF forces expanded their deployment east of Al-Nuhud after the army and joint forces regained control of al-Khawi city. Witnesses informed “Sudan Tribune” of intermittent waves of displacement towards northern Al-Nuhud, where the villages of Jabr al-Dar, al-Khamasat, al-Ruwayana, Akirt, and Umm Awisha experienced looting and arrests among young people. Witnesses also reported abuses in areas north of Al-Khawi, specifically in the villages of Nibleit, Shallouta, and Al-Muqayismat, after the army and joint forces took control of the region. “Sudan Tribune” observations indicate extensive military mobilization by both the RSF and the joint forces. Sudan Tribune
Chad’s Ex-PM Provisionally Detained Accused of Inciting Hatred
A Chadian judge on Wednesday ordered former prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra placed in detention, nearly a week after his arrest on suspicion of inciting hatred, his lawyers said…Masra was arrested on May 16, accused of inciting hatred in connection with deadly clashes in the southwest of the country…He also faces charges of revolt, forming and being complicit with armed groups, complicity in murder and arson. His lawyers said that Masra, who has been in police custody since his arrest, was brought before a public prosecutor and an investigating judge, who ordered his provisional detention…At a press conference at Masra’s Transformers party headquarters, the politician’s lawyers denounced what they called “a political-judicial cabal” and a “conspiracy” against their client…Masra’s supporters say one audio message presented by the authorities as evidence against Masra dates from two years ago. “It is clear that this is a set-up and an extremely crude state lie… concocted by a government scared of the popularity” of Masra, his supporters said in a statement at the weekend. AFP
Tanzania Frees Kenyan Activist after Nairobi Protest
Kenya says Tanzanian authorities have freed activist Boniface Mwangi following days of detention in Dar es Salaam. A spokesperson of the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, also the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS, said Mr Mwangi was released on Thursday morning, but added no further detail on his health condition or where he had been freed. But The EastAfrican has learnt that Mr Mwangi was dropped near the border between the two countries at the coast…On Wednesday, the Kenyan government had formally protested Tanzania’s detention of Mr Mwangi, accusing Dodoma of refusing consular access to its national…Mr Mwangi was arrested with Ugandan activist Agatha Atuhaire, who is also missing. Amnesty International demanded for their immediate release…He had travelled to Tanzania together with other activists to stand in solidarity with the opposition leader Tundu Lissu, whose treason trial began on Monday. The East African
UK Court Puts Last-minute Block on a Deal to Hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius
A British court blocked the U.K. from transferring sovereignty over the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius hours before the agreement was due to be signed on Thursday. The U.K. has agreed to hand Mauritius the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. The U.K. would then lease back the base for at least 99 years…The agreement was due to be signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mauritian leader Navin Ramgoolam at a virtual ceremony on Thursday morning. But a High Court judge granted an injunction in the early hours of Thursday, putting a hold on the agreement. It came in response to a claim by two Chagossian women representing the islands’ original residents, who were evicted decades ago to make way for the American base. Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British citizens, fear it will become even harder to return once Mauritius takes control of the islands. AP
Somalia: President Mohamud’s New Party Could Centralise Power, Critics Warn
The backlash was swift after Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched his new Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) at a meeting with opposition leaders…Former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, along with former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire, have urged President Mohamud to reconsider his decision…Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and nearly all cabinet members are also affiliated with this new party, which raises concerns about potential power consolidation. This is especially significant given that the upcoming election will be the first one in over 50 years to implement a one-person, one-vote system…The JSP includes members from three federal member states…In addition to its federal representation, the JSP also reflects Somalia’s entrenched clan-based political structure, adhering to the 4.5 formula. The four main clans are Hawiye, Daarood, Dir, and Rahanweyn, along with representation for minor clans (0.5)…Beyond questions of political intent, other analysts stress the importance of electoral integrity. The president needs to convene a neutral electoral body, says Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad, executive director of the Institute for Horn of Africa Strategic Studies and an analyst at Southlink Consultants. The Africa Report
AU Rights Body Hears Case Accusing Ethiopian Gov’t of ‘Widespread’ Rights Violations during, after Tigray War
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) held a public oral hearing on 14 May 2025 in a case filed by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) and its partners, accusing the Ethiopian government of committing “widespread human rights violations” during the Tigray war—violations they allege “have persisted” despite the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in November 2022. In a statement following the hearing, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) and partners described it as “growing international recognition” of what it said were grave violations committed by Ethiopia against civilians, including “mass killings and sexual violence,” as well as forced displacement, famine, and a prolonged communication blackout…The hearing is part of a broader series of international efforts seeking accountability…The complaint echoes findings by the now-dissolved International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), which, in its final report before its mandate expired in October 2023, documented evidence of “war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on a staggering scale.” Addis Standard
Third Senegal Ex-Minister Charged in Corruption Sweep
A Senegalese ex-mining minister on Wednesday became the third member of the country’s former government in as many days to be charged in a corruption crackdown. The Dakar high court charged Aissatou Sophie Gladima with embezzlement and placed her under a detention order, a source close to the case told AFP. She is accused of embezzling more than $330,000 from an aid fund intended for miners affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Hers was the latest of five cases against ministers under former president Macky Sall to come to court. She was the first to be held in custody. The court on Tuesday charged former justice minister Ismaila Madior Fall with taking bribes and on Monday charged ex-women’s minister Salimata Diop with “complicity in embezzlement”. Two other former ministers, Amadou Mansour Faye and Moustapha Diop, are to appear before the court in coming days. AFP
Illegal Logging in Rebel-held Congo Threatens Gorillas, Alarms Environmentalists
The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site west of Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Congo, which was seized by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in February. It is home to hundreds of species of birds and one of the last groups of eastern lowland gorillas, also known as Grauer’s gorillas. The advance this year of M23, which now holds more territory than ever in eastern Congo, has reopened roads that were once restricted due to government checkpoints, enabling more efficient transport of goods – including charcoal…That has led to more trees being felled in and around the park, charcoal producers and traders told Reuters…The producers and traders said charcoal prices have plunged as supply has surged…But conservationists warn that the charcoal boom is coming at a steep ecological cost. Environmental groups have appealed in a letter to M23 leaders to stop illegal logging, warning of possible irreversible damage to biodiversity and forest ecosystems. Reuters
How Women in Northern Ghana Resolved a Land Conflict
[VIDEO] When the men in the Doba and Kandiga communities in Ghana’s Upper East region went to war over land ownership, their women did not sit aloof. They were peace brokers and capitalized on what oral tradition prescribed about women’s role in peace restoration. DW