Ebola Epidemic Spreading Rapidly and Outpacing Containment Efforts
There are more than 900 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 220 suspected deaths, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, said on Monday. The latest outbreak of the deadly disease, which WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern, is spreading faster than health workers can contain it. In the DRC, the epicentre of the outbreak, WHO has upgraded its national risk assessment from high to very high, and neighbouring countries – including Uganda, where five cases and one death have been confirmed – are at especially high risk. However, efforts are being hampered, especially in the troubled east of the DRC, by the local community’s distrust of outside authorities, which is significantly increasing the risk of disease transmission. In recent days, two treatment centres were set on fire in the region, which has been beset by intense fighting, causing the displacement of more than 100,000 people. Marie Roseline Belizaire, Director of Emergency Response for WHO Africa, told UN News that the attacks are linked to misinformation campaigns circulating on social media, which are significantly slowing case investigations and limiting the ability of healthcare teams to reach affected communities. UN News
DR Congo Officials Call for Safe Humanitarian Corridors amid Ebola Outbreak
Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are calling for the urgent establishment of safe humanitarian corridors to help combat the spread of Ebola. The outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the deadly virus in the east of the country has failed to halt fierce fighting between the army and armed groups in the region. Its proliferation is unfolding in provinces already dealing with fragile health systems, food insecurity, and mass displacement as a result of the ongoing conflict. The disease has spread to both South Kivu and North Kivu which are on the frontline of fighting pitting the army against the AFC/M23 coalition. Congo’s Minister of Public Health, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, said it was not the first time officials called for a humanitarian corridor. “We had asked that the response, whether for Mpox or now, not be a sequenced one, meaning there should not be one response for the country and then a micro-response for Goma, because that will not be effective,” he said. Africanews with AFP
Sudan Army Recaptures Four Areas in Blue Nile, Pursues RSF to Ethiopian Border
The Sudanese army announced Tuesday it had recaptured four areas in the Blue Nile region in southeastern Sudan and pursued Rapid Support Forces fighters to the border with Ethiopia. The Fourth Infantry Division — the army’s Blue Nile command — said the 13th Infantry Brigade based in Kurri carried out successful sweeping and clearing operations covering the areas of Abdaqla, Adi, Washimbu, Um Shanqar, and Kinshinkaru, all within Qaysan locality. The division said its forces, after consolidating control over the four sites, continued pursuing what it described as enemy elements to the international border, in a reference to the frontier with Ethiopia. The advance comes two days after the army retook the Barka area, bringing it closer to the town of Karamak, which fell in March to an alliance of RSF forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. Sudan Tribune
Poverty, Racism and Forced Disappearances: Why Sudanese War Refugees Are Leaving Egypt for Europe
There are an estimated 1.3 million Sudanese refugees living in Cairo. Most have fled from neighbouring Sudan after the outbreak of civil war in April 2023. Instead of the safety and security they had hoped to find, they say life in the Egyptian capital has turned into a horror story. … The war, in which at least 150,000 people have died, has forced approximately 4.5 million people to flee Sudan in search of safety in Chad, South Sudan, Libya and Egypt. The World Health Organization has described the conflict as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. But once in Egypt, Sudan’s war refugees have faced racism and what the UN has described as an “intensifying campaign of arbitrary arrests and human rights violations”, with a surge in deportations of Sudanese nationals since late 2025. The UN says the deportations were reportedly carried out without assessments to determine whether individuals faced risk of torture or harm. … The increasingly hostile climate is driving growing numbers of Sudanese refugees to consider leaving Egypt, either in the hope of returning to Sudan or, more often, of attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. The Guardian
Eid-l-Kabir: Nigerian Army Alerts North-east Residents of Suicide Bombing, IED Attack Plots, Deploys Troops
The Nigerian Army has alerted residents of the North-east region to plans by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) terrorists to carry out suicide bombing and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks ahead of the Eid-Kabir celebrations. However, it says it has deployed troops and surveillance assets to forestall the threats. In a security advisory issued on Monday, the Headquarters, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), a joint task force in the region, said credible intelligence indicated that insurgents could attempt isolated attacks on civilian targets, especially in crowded locations during the festive period. The Army assured residents that comprehensive security measures had been activated across the theatre of operations to ensure peaceful celebrations on Wednesday, 28 May 2026. … It urged members of the public to conduct Eid prayers and festivities close to their homes, avoid large gatherings where possible, and promptly report suspicious persons, movements, or unattended objects to security agencies. Residents were equally cautioned against spreading unverified information capable of causing panic, while traditional rulers, religious leaders, media organisations, and community stakeholders were urged to support ongoing security efforts through timely intelligence sharing. Premium Times
Nigeria: Kanwan Katsina Advocates Stronger Media–Security Collaboration During NUJ Visit to Customs
The Kanwan Katsina III and District Head of Ketare, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara, mni, has called for stronger collaboration between the media and security agencies to enhance national development and strengthen border security across the country. Alhaji Kankara made the call when he led the newly elected officials of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Katsina State Council, on a courtesy visit to the Katsina State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). … According to him, closer cooperation between the media, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies would significantly contribute to national growth, effective information management and improved security operations, particularly in border communities. He stressed the importance of responsible journalism and regular engagement between journalists and security institutions in addressing emerging security challenges facing the country. PR Nigeria
Côte d’Ivoire Wary of Jihadist Threat in North
Côte d’Ivoire, now a key western ally for counterinsurgency in the region, stands as a buffer state between the Gulf of Guinea and the core of the Sahel. The violence in its neighbours has driven thousands of refugees into the country’s north. … Military formations and security personnel in the region have been repeatedly targeted by Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). In June 2020, Katiba Macina, another group in the JNIM coalition, killed 14 Ivorian soldiers in the village of Kafolo near the Burkinabé border. The groups are beginning to employ more sophisticated tactics and are adept at carrying out complex raids in a region that is now “the world’s most active zone of Islamist militancy”, said Héni Nsaibia, senior analyst for west Africa at the conflict monitor Acled. “JNIM’s use of armed drones has rapidly proliferated from fewer than 10 recorded strikes in 2024 to around 80 in 2025,” he added. Since the Kafolo attack, the number of policemen and gendarmerie recruited in the Ivorian north has more than doubled. Five years ago, an EU-backed counter-terrorism academy opened in Jacqueville, another beach town west of Abidjan, where elite units are being trained to counter the evolving threat. … Backed by international development funding, the state has also been at work in remote border villages in the north – building primary schools, deploying mobile health clinics and funding vocational micro-loans for young cashew farmers who might otherwise be tempted by the financial promises of militant groups. But its dense forests and porous borders are still cause for concern to citizens and residents. The Guardian
US General Warns that Mexican Cartel Activity in Africa, Including SA, Boosts Terrorism
General Dagvin Anderson, who heads the US’s Africa Command, a combat command responsible for military operations to protect America, recently warned about a combination of cartel and terrorist activity in Africa. He has said that it needs different authorities to work together to tackle it, or it risks “a rupture”. … Over several months, various sources with ties to policing in South Africa have told Daily Maverick that drug production, especially linked to Mexico, is becoming a serious problem [there]. … Earlier this month, on 14 May, Anderson expressed some worries to lawmakers in the US about cartel activity in Africa. Responding to questions about South and Central American cartels and connections to terrorists, he said: “That’s an area that is emerging that is causing us great concern.” Anderson said that over 18 to 24 months, the US tipped off partner countries to drug activities and laboratories. In that time, 11 of 12 drug laboratories had “Mexican cartel members on site.” … “They [Sinaloa Cartel members] are actually doing production now in Africa as well as the transit of that across the continent,” Anderson said. The drugs manufactured in Africa were destined for the Middle East, Europe and the US. … Speaking more broadly, he said that terrorist organisations were being paid for helping to move drugs. Daily Maverick
Argentina Seizes 700 Trafficked Marine Animals Shipped from Kenya
Argentine authorities have seized more than 700 marine animals trafficked from Kenya in what conservationists describe as a major bust of exotic aquatic wildlife destined for the ornamental pet trade. The seizure took place on April 26 at Ezeiza International Airport near Buenos Aires in an operation involving Argentina’s Environmental Control Brigade, customs officials, the agricultural health agency, wildlife conservation group International Fund for Animal Welfare and rehabilitation group Fundación Temaikèn. Authorities said the shipment included tropical marine fish and invertebrates commonly sought for aquariums and exotic collections, including surgeonfish, puffer fish, lionfish, butterflyfish, octopuses, crabs and starfish. Many of the animals arrived dead after 120 hours in transit from Kenya, while others showed severe signs of stress and shock, conservationists said. … Wildlife trafficking experts say the global trade in ornamental marine species is expanding as demand grows for exotic pets and home aquariums. Conservation groups warn that the trade can damage fragile reef ecosystems and expose animals to high mortality during capture and transport. AP
Uganda: Old Wine in New Wineskin? Museveni Hints at Continuity in New Cabinet
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s new Cabinet, released on Tuesday evening, appears to be a careful blend of continuity, political reward, regional balance, and strategic repositioning aimed at strengthening his grip on power. At the top level, Museveni retained Vice President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja despite their limited influence in decision-making and the day-to-day running of the state. A defining feature of the new Cabinet is the retention of experienced and long-serving political figures such as Rebecca Kadaga, Janet Museveni, Jim Muhwezi, Frank Tumwebaze, Gen Kahinda Otafiire, and Gen Henry Tumukunde, many of whom are trusted loyalists and tested political veterans. The appointment of Kiryowa Kiwanuka as Defence Minister is particularly significant because defence remains one of the most sensitive portfolios in Uganda’s political system. Placing trusted figures in security-related ministries, including Kiwanuka in Defence and bush war veteran Jim Muhwezi in Security, suggests Museveni is tightening control over national security and state institutions as the new term begins. The East African
Africa Day Celebrations Spotlight Unity, Youth and Global Ambition
African leaders and young representatives gathered at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa to mark Africa Day, celebrating the continent’s growing global influence while calling for stronger unity, innovation and youth leadership in shaping Africa’s future. The 63rd edition of Africa Day brought together policymakers, diplomats and international partners in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa under the theme of African unity and integration. Speaking at the event, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa was steadily strengthening its place on the global stage. “Our continent is on the rise, slowly, smoothly, but with conviction and determination,” Youssouf said, pointing to Africa’s G20 membership and hopes for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council. He also highlighted projections that Africa’s combined GDP could reach 10 trillion dollars within the coming years. Young Africans attending the celebrations stressed the need for greater innovation, stronger continental integration and broader African representation in global institutions. Garowe Online
Cape Verde at World Cup 2026: What to Know
Known for its crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches, Cape Verde is set to steal the spotlight for very different reasons this summer. The archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean is making its football World Cup debut in North America, arriving at the global showpiece as one of 10 African representatives. Cape Verde’s fairy-tale qualification coincided with the its 50th anniversary of independence from Portugal, and the ‘Blue Sharks’ have the chance to give their fans even more to celebrate as they go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the world. … On the final day of qualifiers, Cape Verde started two points ahead of Cameroon, whose eight previous World Cup final appearances are the most by any African country. But at the full-time whistle, Cape Verde finished Group D on 23 points, four ahead of Cameroon, who ultimately crashed out in the second round. Cape Verde are in Group H with Spain, the 2010 champions and frontrunners for the 2026 title, former champions Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, who handed Argentina a shock defeat in the 2022 World Cup. All their group matches will be played in the US. Al Jazeera