Al-Qaeda-linked Fighters Storm Mali Prison, Block Food Supplies to Bamako
In a new wave of attacks in Mali, an al-Qaeda-linked group has stormed a main prison housing fighters from the armed group and set fire to trucks with food supplies heading to the capital Bamako. Fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) group stormed the Kenieroba Central Prison, a recently built complex dubbed “Africa’s Alcatraz”, located about 60km (37 miles) southwest of Bamako, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reported on Wednesday. The detention centre houses 2,500 prisoners, including at least 72 inmates considered “high value” by the Malian state, Haque said, adding that Malian armed forces were repelling the attack. Among the prisoners are JNIM fighters and a number of people arrested following large-scale attacks last month by the group’s fighters and Tuareg separatists, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). Al Jazeera
Mali’s Junta Leader Appoints New Army Chief of Staff Following Attacks
Less that two weeks after a coordinated wave of attacks struck Mali, the country’s junta leader has appointed a new chief of the general staff to the armed forces. Elisée Jean Dao took office on Wednesday after being promoted from brigadier general in the National Guard to the rank of major general. Dao takes over from Oumar Diarra who has been named minister delegate to the minister of defence, a role now held by Mali’s transitional president and junta leader, General Assimi Goita. Former Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed by a car bomb during last month’s attacks. … According to media reports, several members of the military and opposition have been detained or abducted in the wake of the April offensive. … Meanwhile, security sources said that Diawara and Djire were suspected of links with, respectively, the influential imam Mahmoud Dicko and Oumar Mariko, two opposition figures in exile. At least two other civilians who are close to Mariko were also arrested following the attacks, a judicial source told AFP, without giving further details. “Everything suggests that these events are being used as an opportunity to carry out a purge within the political opposition and the army,” a political official told AFP, requesting anonymity for security reasons. AfricaNews/AFP
Western Powers Alarm over Escalating Violence, Sexual Crimes in South Kordofan
A group of international powers on Thursday expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in the Kordofan region, citing reports of civilian casualties and widespread conflict-related sexual violence. The Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement highlighting the deteriorating situation in and around the town of Dilling in South Kordofan. “We are alarmed by reports of strikes in which civilians have been killed or injured, and basic services including markets, medical facilities, and primary schools affected,” the statement read. The coalition specifically underscored “multiple credible reports” of sexual violence against women and girls. It reminded the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their respective allies of their “absolute responsibility” under international law to prevent such atrocities and held them accountable for violations. … According to the joint statement, the current violence in the Kordofans follows “patterns repeatedly observed across other conflict-affected areas of Sudan,” which the group insisted must cease immediately. Sudan Tribune
Nigeria’s New Corridor Opens Doors for Jihadi Groups
For more than a decade, violent extremism in Nigeria was largely confined to the country’s Northeast where militant Islamist movement Boko Haram and its factions have waged an extended armed rebellion against the state. Over the past few years, however, the borderlands across Nigeria’s North West and North Central regions have become a melting pot for Sahelian and local jihadis. The area, known as the Kebbi-Kainji-Borgu triangle, straddles the Nigerian states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger and part of Kwara in central Nigeria. It stretches across the border into Niger’s Dosso region and Benin’s Alibori department. The actors include homegrown jihadi groups such as the Sadiku‑led faction of Boko Haram, as well as Ansaru and the Mahmudawa group whose leaders were arrested last year, alongside criminal gangs known locally as bandits. Together, these groups are believed to number in the hundreds of thousands, raiding villages and killing or displacing communities across the region. … The borderlands connecting Niger, Benin, and Nigeria form a vast stretch of ungoverned territory and underserved communities. There are also extensive forest reserves like the Kainji National Park crisscrossing the region and, in some of these rural communities, state presence is partly or nearly absent as security thins out, making border control limited. DW
Six Killed in Plateau as Gunmen Disrupt Mass Burial
Gunmen on Tuesday night attacked Nding Susut, a village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing six persons, including five members of a family. Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday, saying the attack occurred in the Fan District of Barkin Ladi. “The assailants opened fire on residents who were seated in front of their houses, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives, four females and one 9-year-old boy,” Mr Alabo said, adding that three other women sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at the General Hospital. The latest attack comes amid renewed security concerns in Plateau State, where several communities in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Mangu local government areas have witnessed repeated killings and displacement in recent months. … The fresh killings also followed a security alert by members of the community, warning of imminent attacks in parts of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. … Meanwhile, the Plateau State Police Command said additional tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed to Barkin Ladi to prevent further attacks. Premium Times
A 600-person Search Continues for Missing US Soldiers off Morocco’s Coast
Over 600 military personnel from multiple countries are searching for two U.S. soldiers who went missing in Morocco during U.S.-African military exercises, scouring underwater caves and the Atlantic coast, authorities said Wednesday. As the search entered its fifth day, the African Lion military drills neared their end. The two U.S. Army members went missing last week near the Cap Draa training area outside Tan-Tan, a coastal city in southwestern Morocco, the Moroccan military said. They are believed to have been on a recreational hike and may have fallen into the ocean. … The soldiers had been taking part in African Lion 26, a U.S.-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. It is set to end Friday. Since 2004, it has been the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa. AP
Burkina Faso Authorities Accused of Secretly Detaining Prominent Journalist
A media rights group has accused Burkina Faso’s military authorities of arbitrarily detaining and mistreating a prominent investigative journalist who has been missing for nearly two years. In a report on Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Atiana Serge Oulon was abducted from his home on June 24, 2024 by some 10 armed men in civilian clothing. The authorities later said the publication director of L’Evenement had been conscripted into the military. But RSF said its investigation had found that at least until the end of 2025, Oulon “was detained, held captive, and subjected to violence” inside a villa in the capital, Ouagadougou, that had been turned into a makeshift prison holding dozens of people. “This secret detention contradicts the account provided by the authorities,” RSF said, calling the alleged forced conscription “merely a smokescreen to conceal his captivity”. The watchdog alleged detainees at the heavily guarded house faced threats of execution, unnecessary violence – including beatings by guards using tree branches as whips – and food deprivation. … Calling for Oulon’s immediate release, RSF said the journalist had been in the military authorities’ sights crosshairs since 2022, when he accused a senior army officer of embezzlement. Al Jazeera
Tunisia Court Sentences Former Justice Minister to 20 Years in Prison
A Tunisian court has sentenced former Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri, a senior figure in the opposition Ennahda movement, to 20 years in prison over allegations linked to the granting of passports and citizenship documents to foreign nationals wanted in terrorism-related cases. According to Tunisian state media, the case concerns accusations that fraudulent documents were issued during Bhiri’s tenure as justice minister in 2012. Bhiri and his legal team have denied all charges, describing the case as politically motivated. Bhiri is already serving a separate 43-year sentence handed down last year in a case related to “conspiracy against state security,” one of several prosecutions targeting opposition figures in Tunisia in recent years. The ruling comes amid growing criticism from international rights groups over what they describe as an intensifying crackdown on dissent under President Kais Saied. AfricaNews
Central African Republic Opposition Leader Denounces Seizure of his Passport
Central African Republic’s former prime minister and major opposition figure, Anicet Georges Dologuélé, criticized the confiscation of his diplomatic passport as an abuse of power on Wednesday. Dologuélé, who served as prime minister between 1999 and 2001, said he was not allowed to board a flight to an African Union meeting in Addis Ababa on Wednesday. “It was at the airport that I learned I was forbidden from leaving the country after being declared stateless in my own country,” he told a news conference in capital Bangui. He is on the board of directors for the African Union Peace Fund, a role he has held since 2018. Dologuélé renounced his French citizenship last year in line with the country’s constitution to contest President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who ran for a third term last year. Dologuélé denounced last year’s election as “very far from the truth” and has regularly criticized Touadéra. He won 13.1% of the votes according to the country’s electoral body. AP
Somali Police Arrest Two SMN Journalists in Mogadishu, Media Outlet Condemns Move
Police in Mogadishu have detained two journalists from Shabelle Media Network while they were covering reports on the displacement of civilians in the capital, the outlet and witnesses said Wednesday. The journalists – Shugri Abdi Abdi and Abdullahi Abdifatah Sidow– were reportedly working on a story about forced evictions affecting residents in parts of the city when officers arrested them. … According to Shabelle Media’s statement, police “handled the journalists inappropriately” and confiscated their equipment before taking them into custody. … The incident comes amid growing complaints over the displacement of civilians from several districts in Mogadishu, where authorities have been accused of carrying out evictions without adequate notice or support. SMN
Goobjoog Media Group Condemns Arrest of Journalist Rowdo Hassan Taakilo, Demands Unconditional Release
The management of Goobjoog Media Group has strongly condemned the arrest and alleged abduction of journalist Rowdo Hassan Taakilo by Somali government security forces. In a statement issued by the media house’s senior management, GMG described the incident as an unlawful act carried out by government forces on Tuesday night while the journalist was on her way home. … The media organization said the arrest reflects what it described as an escalating crackdown on the press and increasing restrictions on journalists operating in Mogadishu. GMG called on the Federal Government of Somalia and all security agencies to immediately and unconditionally release the journalist and to respect the independence of the media and the country’s laws protecting press freedom. The statement further noted that the detention of Rowdo Hassan Taakilo is part of what it called a broader pattern of pressure and intimidation against journalists in recent months, including repeated arrests and alleged abductions targeting media workers. Goobjoog
Fake Rumors, Real Killings: Inside Congo’s Deadly Health Misinformation Crisis
In Tshopo, a northeastern Congolese province blanketed in rainforest, rumours rippled through villages late last year claiming a mysterious illness had caused men’s genitals to atrophy. Within days, testimonials proliferated on social media that amplified the imaginary threat, triggering a real-life panic that turned deadly before the government could react. Angry mobs attacked and killed four health workers conducting vaccination research in an episode that took place in October, four officials and a survivor told Reuters – a deadly example of the rising danger posed by online health misinformation in Africa. The violence has since spread to other parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In all, at least 17 killings related to the atrophy rumour have been reported, including the health workers, according to the WHO-led Africa Infodemic Response Alliance, which monitors fake health information. Reuters could not independently verify the other deaths. … Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said false information was keeping people away from lifesaving treatments. Reuters
Ivory Coast Dissolves Electoral Commission after Opposition Criticism
After sustained criticism from the country’s opposition, Ivory Coast says it will dissolve the authority responsible for organising elections. The cabinet decision follows the October presidential vote that saw Alessane Ouattara reelected to a fourth term, while leading opposition figures were barred from standing. “In view of the reservations expressed about this institution [the Independent Electoral Commission, or CEI], as well as the criticism it has faced, the Council of Ministers has decided to dissolve it,” said government spokesperson and Communications Minister Amadou Coulibaly. … The opposition has regularly and strongly denounced the lack of independence of the electoral commission, which is tasked with organising polls, ensuring the strict application of the electoral code and overseeing the electoral roll. AfricaCenter/AFP
Liberia: Boakai Sends War Crimes, Anti-Corruption Court Bills to Legislature
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. has moved to deepen accountability in Liberia by formally receiving draft legislation for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court and a National Anti-Corruption Court, before forwarding both bills to the National Legislature for consideration. … Addressing the presentation ceremony, President Boakai said the initiative is central to his administration’s governance and rule-of-law agenda, describing the proposed courts as critical instruments to confront Liberia’s legacy of impunity. … “The proposed courts are intended to strengthen national systems rather than target individuals,” he said. The President linked the initiative to Liberia’s international obligations and its reputation within the global community, stressing that accountability is essential for national credibility. … Civil society organizations have welcomed the move but are urging transparency and broad public participation in the legislative process, stressing the need to guarantee judicial independence, adequate funding, and witness protection mechanisms. International partners and human rights organizations that have long advocated for accountability mechanisms in Liberia have also expressed readiness to provide technical and financial support once the legislation is enacted. Liberian Observer
DRC President Félix Tshisekedi Hints at Third Term, 2028 Poll Delay
Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has raised the possibility of seeking a third term in office, saying he would accept another mandate if backed by the Congolese people through a referendum. Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the 62-year-old leader insisted he had not personally sought to extend his stay in power beyond the constitutional two-term limit ending in 2028. “I did not seek a third term, but I’m telling you: if the people want me to have a third term, I will accept,” Tshisekedi said. He added that any constitutional revision allowing such a move would only happen with public approval. … Tshisekedi also warned that ongoing conflict in eastern Congo could force a postponement of presidential elections scheduled for 2028. Fighting between Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has intensified in the mineral-rich provinces of North and South Kivu. … The comments are likely to fuel concerns among opposition groups, which have accused Tshisekedi of laying the groundwork for a constitutional change to remain in office beyond his current mandate. AfricaNews/AFP
Biogas Company in DRC Aims to Cut Bills, Deforestation and Pollution
In Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local initiatives are turning to biogas to address the challenges of access to household energy. Julienne Mukelenge no longer worries about toxic fumes or power cuts when cooking at her home in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after switching to biogas, a renewable energy source that is cheaper and locally produced. “Electricity is expensive, but with biogas it’s very economical,” she said, standing in her kitchen, where blue flames licked the sides of a bubbling pot of that night’s supper. Most of the city’s nearly one million people cannot afford to use electricity and mostly depend on charcoal, called makala, for cooking and heating. But the cost of a bag of charcoal has shot up after Goma, a strategic regional capital in the east, fell to the M23 armed group in January last year after fierce fighting with government forces. AFP