Rwanda-backed Rebels Committed Possible War Crimes in Eastern Congo, Rights Group Says
Human rights group Amnesty International accused the M23 rebels in eastern Congo of killing, torturing and forcibly disappearing civilian detainees in two rebel-controlled cities on Tuesday. “These acts violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,” Amnesty said in a statement…Amnesty said that between February and April, it interviewed 18 civilians who had been detained by M23 in Goma and Bukavu, after they were accused of supporting the Congolese army or government. The former detainees said that the rebels produced no evidence of these accusations and several weren’t informed of the reasons for their detention. They were held in overcrowded, unsanitary cells without sufficient food, water, sanitation facilities or health care, according to the rights group. Several said that they saw fellow detainees die from the harsh conditions, and torture…The rights group said that relatives looked for their loved ones at the detention sites, but M23 fighters often refused to grant them access or denied that their relatives were there, which Amnesty said amounts to enforced disappearances. AP
Ex-DR Congo President Returns from Self-imposed Exile, Party Says
Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila is back in the country for the first time in two years, having arrived in the rebel-held eastern city of Goma, spokespeople for the rebels as well as a youth leader from his party have said. Kabila’s arrival comes after senators stripped him of his immunity over alleged support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group which has been fighting the Congolese army. Kabila, who has previously denied links with the rebel group, recently decried the justice system, alleging it was “exploited for political ends”. The 53-year-old led DR Congo for 18 years, after succeeding his father Laurent, who was shot dead in 2001. He handed power to President Félix Tshisekedi in 2019, but they later fell out. Speaking to the BBC, a Goma youth leader for Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), confirmed earlier reports from the M23 that Kabila had arrived in Goma…Last month, the PPRD was banned by the authorities in the capital, Kinshasa, who accused of having an “ambiguous attitude” towards the capture of Congolese territory by the M23…Kabila has been living outside the country, in South Africa, for the past two years. At the beginning of last month he said he would be returning to help find a solution to the conflict. BBC
Uganda Opposition Leader Denied Bail Despite Legal Limit
A Ugandan court on Friday denied bail to veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye despite exceeding the six-month legal limit for detention without trial. Besigye, 69, was abducted by armed men in Nairobi in November and re-emerged a few days later at a military court in Uganda, where he was charged with treason, which carries a potential death penalty…Under the constitution, he must be released on bail after 180 days if the trial has not started — a deadline which passed this week. His case was transferred to a civilian court in February after he went on hunger strike. But [last] week, lawmakers passed a bill allowing civilians to be tried in military court. In a packed courtroom on Friday, magistrate Esther Nyadoi opted to examine the prosecution’s case instead of ruling on Besigye’s bail, prompting his lawyers and supporters to walk out in protest…The hearing was adjourned and his detention extended until his next appearance on May 29. AFP
Sexually Assaulted and Smeared in Excrement: Uganda Activist Details Torture in Tanzania
[Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire], who won an International Women of Courage Award from the United States last year, was arrested [last] Monday in Tanzania’s business hub Dar es Salaam. She had travelled there to support opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is on trial for treason, facing a potential death penalty, ahead of elections in October. Atuhaire was abandoned early Friday by Tanzanian agents near the Ugandan border after a brutal ordeal, she said…Atuhaire was arrested along with Boniface Mwangi, a well-known rights activist from Kenya who also wanted to attend the trial…She says she was stripped naked, her hands cuffed to her ankles…One of the Tanzanian officers then hit the soles of her feet “with all his might”, while another inserted an object into her anus, she said. “I had never known pain like that existed,” she said…Then they smeared her body with excrement, she said. The whole scene was filmed — “to humiliate, instill fear, but also silence you”, she said…Atuhaire, a lawyer and journalist, is a fierce critic of the government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for almost 40 years. Her work in exposing corruption as head of the Agora Centre for Research has earned her international recognition. AFP
At Least 42 Killed in Weekend Attacks in Nigeria’s Benue State, Local Official Says
At least 42 people were shot dead by suspected herders in a series of weekend attacks across Gwer West district in Nigeria’s central Benue state, a local official said on Tuesday.
Thirty-two bodies were recovered from Sunday’s assaults on the Ahume and Aondona villages, while 10 more were killed in a separate attack on the villages of Tyolaha and Tse-Ubiam on Saturday, said Victor Omnin, chairman of the Gwer West local government…Benue is in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region where the majority Muslim North meets the largely Christian South. The region faces competition over land use, with conflicts between herders, who seek grazing land for their cattle, and farmers, who need arable land for cultivation. These tensions are often worsened by overlapping ethnic and religious divisions. Benue Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s office said a Catholic priest was also shot in the area by the assailants, and is in critical but stable condition. Reuters
Hundreds Return to Deserted Nigerian Town After Jihadist Raid
Hundreds of residents who fled their homes earlier this month after jihadists raided a military base have returned to their town in northeastern Nigeria, despite an increase in jihadist attacks. On May 12, fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked a military base in Marte, a town in Borno state, killing four soldiers and seizing weapons before torching the facility. Surviving troops and local residents fled to another base in Dikwa town, 38 kilometres away. Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum warned that the displaced population could become potential recruits for jihadist groups. Zulum said the town, once made up of 300 communities, had been reduced to just “one standing village”. If residents abandon it, he said, the entire district could fall to ISWAP…Since 2018, the Borno State government has been returning displaced people to their communities despite international aid agencies voicing their concern about the persistent threat of jihadist attacks. The authorities argue that the displacement camps are no longer sustainable and that people should go back home and rebuild their lives with government support. AFP
South Sudan Clashes Kill At Least 75 Since February: UN
Clashes between South Sudan’s army and fighters backing the rival to President Salva Kiir have killed at least 75 civilians since February, the UN human rights chief said on Friday. Dozens more have been injured and thousands forced to flee their homes in the world’s newest state, said United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk…{F]or several months, violent clashes have set President Kiir’s faction against supporters of his rival, Vice President Riek Machar, who was arrested in March. The fighting between Kiir’s SSPDF, Machar’s SPLA-IO and their respective militias has left “at least 75 civilians killed and 78 others injured, and displaced thousands from their homes”, Turk said in a statement. There are reports of “indiscriminate aerial bombardments, river and ground offensives” by the South Sudanese army against SPLA-IO positions in Jonglei State and Upper Nile regions,” the statement said…Turk said dozens of opposition politicians linked to the SPLM-IO had been arrested, including Machar, ministers, MPs and army officers, as had civilians. He expressed concern over arbitrary detentions and a rise in hate speech since February. AFP
African Military Chiefs Converge in Nairobi for Africom-led Summit
The United States Africa Command (Africom)-led 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Conference takes place in Nairobi starting on Wednesday, at a time when many African countries are facing political and economic instability and humanitarian crises, which are likely to pose security threats to US interests in Africa and create space for expanded engagement by US competitors. Brig-Gen George Dietrich, Director of Logistics at Africom, told The EastAfrican that the meeting will provide a platform for open dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration on topics such as emerging technologies, professional military education, and civilian military cooperation. The conference serves as a premier forum for military leaders across the continent to convene, collaborate, and address pressing security challenges…This year’s theme is “Strengthening African Security, Sustaining Unity of Effort.” In 2024, the Gaborone conference focused on shared security and stability challenges, fostering partnerships, and exchanging knowledge. The East African
Under Mounting Pressure, Somali President Agreed to Initiate Talks with the Opposition
After weeks of fierce criticism by members of the opposition, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reportedly agreed to hold talks with the opposition next month, which accuses him of, among others, mutilation of the constitution and oppression. The international community has also piled more pressure on him, demanding immediate dialogue for the sake of stability and peace. The political temperatures in the country have simmered in recent weeks due to ongoing constitutional changes. Envoys in Mogadishu have already expressed concerns about divisions, noting that elections without consensus shall trigger further divisions. While Hassan Sheikh wants direct polls, some states are pushing for the status quo, clan-based model. The meet-up between Hassan Sheikh and opposition leaders was hinted at by Ali Ba’ad, the state minister for foreign affairs. Garowe Online
Kenyan MP Found in Coffee Farm after Alleged Abduction
A Kenyan member of parliament who was allegedly abducted by unknown men after a church service on Sunday is being treated in hospital after being found on a coffee farm, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said. George Koimburi had been “badly beaten” and was in a “very serious condition” at the Karen Hospital in the capital Nairobi, Gachagua added. A vocal critic of the government, Koimburi is allied with Gachagua, who was impeached by parliament and removed from office last year after falling-out with President William Ruto…In February, Koimburi was arrested and charged with forging his academic qualifications. He denied the charge and was released on bail. Police are reported to be also investigating him over allegations of land fraud and misuse of government funds. He denies any wrongdoing. His alleged abduction came weeks after MP Charles Ong’ondo Were was shot dead in the streets of Nairobi by gunmen on a motorcycle…The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says that more than 80 people have been abducted since mass protests broke out last June against an increase in taxation, in what was the biggest challenge to the authority of Ruto’s government since it took office in 2022. BBC
Ivory Coast Opposition Urges Political Dialogue Ahead of Polls
A large opposition coalition in Ivory Coast on Monday reiterated a call for “dialogue” with the authorities to allow several excluded candidates in this year’s elections to stand. Four prominent opposition figures have been removed from the electoral register, ruling them out from running in the October 25 presidential ballot. “We are determined to engage in dialgoue and we are fighting for it,” Charles Ble Goude, told reporters. “To ensure peaceful elections, we must iron out differences, reform electoral institutions and make transparency a non-negotiable imperative,” he added. Ble Goude’s COJEP party is part of the Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation, made up of 24 political parties, which is due to hold its first big meeting on Saturday near Abidjan. A meeting with the ruling party is also planned soon but the government has so far ruled out convening a political dialogue, which it says already took place three years ago. The coalition is calling for a revision of the electoral register before October to allow the barred candidates to be registered and for a reform of the independent electoral commission. Former president Laurent Gbagbo is another of those excluded due to a conviction, while the PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam has been ruled ineligible in a dispute about his nationality. AFP
Sierra Leone Reports More Than 3,000 Mpox Cases, 14 Deaths
The number of cases of mpox registered in Sierra Leone since the beginning of the year has hit 3,011, with 14 dead of the disease, according to new government data. All of the regions in the west African country have now registered cases, according to the latest health ministry figures released late Friday. The new figures mark a nearly 50-percent rise in registered cases since the previous update 10 days ago, on May 13, when 2,045 cases and 11 fatalities were registered since the start of the year…A police training centre in the capital Freetown has been refurbished into a 400-bed facility to deal with the increasing cases, authorities said. A decade ago, Sierra Leone was one of the countries worst affected by an Ebola epidemic, which between 2014 and 2016 killed about 4,000 people, including nearly seven per cent of health professionals. Other African states have seen rising cases of mpox, with thousands of cases notably afflicting Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya. AFP
Senegal Indicts Fifth Former Minister amid Intensifying Anti-corruption Campaign
Senegal’s anti-corruption special court on Monday indicted Amadou Mansour Faye, a former minister of community development and brother-in-law of ex-president Macky Sall, on charges of embezzling more than $4.6 million in public funds. Faye is now the fifth official from the previous administration to be charged by the High Court of Justice, a special judicial body tasked with trying former government officials for crimes committed in office. The court denied him bail and ordered his detention, according to his lawyer, Amadou Sall. This latest indictment is part of a broader crackdown on alleged corruption under the administration of newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who campaigned on promises of transparency and accountability. Just last week, the same court detained two other former ministers: Moustapha Diop, who served as industrial development minister, is accused of embezzling around $4 million from Senegal’s Covid-19 relief fund, while former mines minister Aissatou Sophie Gladima faces charges of misappropriating $330,000 from a fund meant for miners impacted by the pandemic. The charges stem from a parliamentary inquiry that revealed widespread misuse of state funds under the previous government. The detentions underscore the new government’s commitment to rooting out corruption at the highest levels, even as critics raise concerns about political motivations. Africanews with agencies