Armed Men Abduct a Former Minister and Junta Critic in Mali, His Family Says
A former Malian minister and critic of the ruling junta was abducted from his home by armed, hooded men, one of his family members told The Associated Press Sunday, as fallout spreads from a wave of armed attacks against the government in the conflict-battered West African nation. Mountaga Tall’s home in the capital, Bamako, was stormed shortly before midnight on Saturday, his relative Mahmoud Touré told AP. The men did not identify themselves, nor did they say why they were seizing Tall, but Touré said they were from the armed forces. “They did not explain why and did not present an arrest warrant,” he said. “The soldiers mistreated Mountaga Tall’s wife and took his phone.” Tall served as Mali’s education and science minister from 2016 to 2017 and is the president of the National Congress for Democratic Initiative, a political party opposed to the military government. As a lawyer, he represents politicians and other individuals who have been arrested for criticizing the junta. AP
Joint Attacks Force 10 Health Facilities Offline in Sudan’s Dilling
Approximately 10 health centres and major hospitals in Dilling have been forced out of service following aerial and artillery attacks by an alliance of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), the Sudan Doctors’ Network said on Saturday. The SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, and the paramilitary RSF have escalated drone and artillery strikes over recent months on Dilling, the second-largest city in South Kordofan. The offensive has caused significant casualties and destroyed infrastructure. The Sudan Doctors’ Network stated that the shelling targeted the majority of health centres in the city, including facilities providing critical nutrition and reproductive health services. The group described the repeated targeting of medical facilities as a clear violation of international law. Sudan Tribune
Sudanese Journalists Warn against Media Militarization amid Rising Attacks
Sudanese media organizations issued a joint condemnation on Sunday against the systemic “militarization” of the country’s information space, warning that escalating violence and censorship are undermining prospects for national reconciliation. Marking World Press Freedom Day, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, the Sudan Media Forum, and the Sudanese Female Journalists Network highlighted a surge in targeted attacks that have left dozens of media professionals dead and pushed Sudan further down global press freedom rankings. The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, which recently won the 2026 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize, stated that attempts to control the media through intimidation or propaganda prolong the ongoing conflict. … The forum documented approximately 680 total violations, including enforced disappearances and the looting of equipment. These conditions contributed to Sudan falling five places in the World Press Freedom Index to rank 161 out of 180 countries. Sudan Tribune
Nigeria: Eleven Killed as Bandits Retaliate after Security Forces Foil Attack in Katsina
Eleven people were killed in a retaliatory attack by bandits on Gwalgoro village in the Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State on Saturday, after security forces disrupted an operation allegedly led by a notorious bandit and recovered rustled cattle and motorcycles. The Katsina State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs disclosed the details in a statement on Sunday. According to the ministry, intelligence reports indicated that Mohammadu Fulani, described as a notorious bandit kingpin, was leading a group of armed bandits towards certain bridges in the area. Community members promptly alerted security agencies, prompting the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kankia Police Division to lead a joint team that intercepted the bandits. The ministry said the operation resulted in the killing of several bandits. … However, in apparent retaliation for the losses suffered, Mr Fulani led another group of bandits in a vicious attack on Gwalgoro village in the Gyaza/Kunduru Ward around noon the same day, killing 11 civilians. … Banditry has remained a major security challenge in Katsina State and other parts of Nigeria’s North-west region, with criminal groups often attacking rural communities, rustling cattle, and killing residents. Premium Times
Rights Summit in Zambia Is Canceled after Chinese Pressure to Exclude Taiwanese Activists
The U.S.-based organizers of an international human rights conference said they canceled it days before it was due to open because China pressured the African host country to exclude Taiwanese activists. Access Now, the New York-based advocacy group that organizes the annual gathering, said late Friday it had canceled the RightsCon summit in Zambia that was due to take place next week after the Zambian government initially said it was postponed. Access Now said it had been informed by Zambian officials that the government had been pressured by China over the conference “because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person.” Access Now said it pushed back on any move to exclude delegates from Taiwan. … Zambia has strong political and economic ties with China, largely through Chinese mining interests in the mineral-rich southern African nation. RightsCon is an annual conference focused on human rights and technology and deals with issues like internet censorship, electronic surveillance and cyberwarfare. More than 2,600 participants were due to attend in Zambia, with another 1,100 attending online, Access Now said. They represented more than 150 countries. AP
Taiwan Leader Makes Delayed Visit To Eswatini After China Objections
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Saturday announced his arrival in Eswatini — Taipei’s only diplomatic ally in Africa — after an earlier trip was cancelled when several countries revoked overflight permits. Those various African nations withdrew overflight permission following “intense pressure” from Beijing, one of Lai’s closest advisers said at the time, forcing cancellation of the initially scheduled April 22-26 trip. Lai on Saturday said only that his initial visit had been “suspended due to unexpected external forces”. But “after days of secret arrangements by the diplomatic and national security teams, we arrived successfully today (Saturday),” he said in a Facebook post. … Eswatini, a small enclave kingdom formerly known as Swaziland, is one of 12 countries that still recognise Taiwan. China has persuaded other nations to break diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island, which it claims as part of its territory. AFP
Uganda Copying Russia and China with New Bill Designed to Crush Dissent, Say Critics
Ugandan opposition figures, human rights organisations and legal experts have condemned a sweeping bill that proposes up to 20 years in prison for promoting “foreign interests”, and imposes restrictions on a broad range of people and organisations that work with or receive funding from overseas partners. The protection of sovereignty bill 2026 is being fast tracked through parliament, with debate expected to conclude before the presidential swearing-in on 12 May. Internal affairs state minister Gen David Muhoozi told a parliamentary committee on 23 April that the bill would strengthen safeguards against foreign influence that could destabilise national security, economic stability and social cohesion. But critics have said that, like similar foreign agent laws brought in by other authoritarian governments, the proposed legislation is designed to restrict civil society, media and dissent by cutting off funding that supports activities such as legitimate political opposition and holding the government to account. … The controversial bill’s vague language and broad definitions puts a wide range of activities, people and organisations at risk of criminalisation, including those involved in advocacy, journalism, or public discourse and as well as private corporations. The Guardian
Morocco King Names Son to Senior Defence Post
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed his son, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, to a senior coordinating role within the country’s armed forces, according to an official statement released Saturday. The royal court said the 22-year-old prince was named “coordinator of the offices and services of the general staff of the Royal Armed Forces,” a strategic position at the heart of Morocco’s military structure. King Mohammed VI, who serves as chief of the military general staff, made the appointment as part of efforts to strengthen institutional continuity within the armed forces. The move echoes the monarch’s own path to leadership. In 1985, the late King Hassan II appointed Mohammed VI — then crown prince — to a similar role, giving him early exposure to military command and decision-making processes. Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan has increasingly taken on official duties in recent years, representing the kingdom at high-level events both at home and abroad. His new role is seen as a significant step in preparing him for future leadership responsibilities in the North African nation. Africanews
Japanese Foreign Minister’s Visit to SA Set to Intensify Relations
In a turbulent world, South Africa is intensifying its already solid relations with Japan, including several high-level visits recently. This week (4 May), Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit South Africa on an Africa tour that also includes Zambia, Angola and Kenya. Japan’s ambassador to South Africa, Fumio Shimizu, explains Motegi’s visit as necessary for Japan to boost relations with the Global South, including Africa, “to strengthen and maintain the international order based on the rule of law” at a moment when “we see the international power balance is changing”. Shimizu also noted that Motegi will be visiting Africa to explore how to strengthen the supply chains of the continent’s large reserves of critical minerals. He says there has been “a great development” in SA-Japan relations recently, especially through “very concentrated, high-level exchanges”. This included President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attendance at the ninth edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad 9) in Yokohama in August, Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s visit to Japan to meet his counterpart in March, newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Johannesburg in November to attend SA’s G20 summit and also visits by the foreign ministers and other ministers of both countries. Daily Maverick
First Malaria Drug for Babies Is Approved in ‘Major Public Health Milestone’
The first malaria treatment for babies has been approved by the World Health Organization, opening the door to widespread use around the globe. In parts of Africa, up to 18% of children under six months will be infected with malaria, but there has historically been no safe treatment for the smallest of them. There were 610,000 deaths from malaria in 2024, about three quarters of which were under-fives in Africa. The WHO said infants with malaria had until now been treated with formulations designed for older children “which increase the risk of dosing errors, side effects and toxicity”. Medical leaders hope that Coartem Baby, which can be used to treat infants as small as 2kg (4.4lb), will fill the treatment gap. The drug comes as sweet cherry-flavoured tablets that can be dissolved into liquids, including breast milk. … Coartem Baby now has WHO prequalification, which indicates it meets international standards of quality, safety and efficacy, and will enable public-sector procurement for many countries with high rates of malaria, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The Guardian
Kenya’s Rainy Season Turns Deadly Again, with 18 Killed and 54,000 Households Hit over a Week
Recent flooding during ongoing heavy rains in Kenya left 18 people dead over the past week, police said Sunday, with most of the deaths attributed to drowning. More than 54,000 households have been affected by the flooding countrywide, with 6,000 of those being in the capital, Nairobi, according to the Interior Ministry. Dozens of schools and hospitals across the country have flooded, and 17 roads have been cut off. Mudslides have also forced thousands to move from the western Rift Valley area, while people living downstream of the Tana and Athi rivers have been urged to move to higher ground as water levels in the country’s hydroelectric dams rise. The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that enhanced rainfall is expected to continue in the first two weeks of May. Heavy rains in the country started in March at the beginning of the rainy season and have left a trail of destruction, with more than 100 people dead by the end of March. AP