Drone Attacks Spread to Sudan’s ‘Safe Havens’ as War Escalates
In an escalation of hostilities in Sudan, the drone attacks blamed on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have spread to regions in the east that were considered safe, such as Kosti in White Nile State, Umm Rawaba in North Kordofan, and, for the fifth consecutive day, Kassala and Port Sudan…Stephanie Tremblay, spokesperson for the UN, confirmed that the World Food Programme (WFP) had suspended UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights to and from Port Sudan as of May 4 due to the security situation…UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, also issued a statement expressing shock and alarm at the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Port Sudan—including the international airport, fuel storage facilities, and an electrical transformer—warning that such attacks are deepening human suffering and hampering logistical efforts to deliver life-saving assistance. The EastAfrican
South Sudan: Upper Nile Fighting Puts 60,000 Malnourished Children at Greater Risk – UN
Over 60,000 malnourished children in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State are at risk of plunging deeper into malnutrition as treatment supplies run critically low and resupply efforts are hampered, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF warned on Thursday. According to a joint statement from the two UN agencies, intensified fighting along the White Nile River has meant no humanitarian supplies have reached the area in almost a month…According to the statement, in mid-April, barges carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies bound for Upper Nile state were forced to return due to insecurity…Due to security concerns and the high value of nutrition supplies, WFP and UNICEF are unable to preposition stock in insecure areas, as doing so would leave health facilities and warehouses increasingly vulnerable to looting, the joint statement said. Already, in Upper Nile, almost 2,000 cartons of life-saving nutrition supplies (around 26 metric tonnes) have been looted since the onset of the conflict, robbing around 1,900 children of their only chance of treatment and recovery. Radio Tamazuj
South Sudan: Opposition Alliance Hit by More Military Defections
The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) last week suffered yet another blow of military defections, with over 4,000 officers and men led by Maj. Gen. Nyuop Kuol Nyuop and Maj. Gen. Samuel Mabor Mayen, switching allegiance to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and other organized forces in Juba. The defectors, totaling 4,410, include police, wildlife officers, National Security Services personnel, prison officers and warders, and fire brigade service staff who were trained and stationed across various sites in Pantit, Masna Biira, Tufagia, and Alel in Western Bahr el Ghazal and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states…Meanwhile, Ter Manyang Gatwech, Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), said these military defections not only undermine the peace agreement’s security arrangement but security of the state. “The massive defection from one party to another is not healthy for the country,” he stated. “First of all, there is a motivation, and maybe those people are encouraged to rejoin another party, which is not good for the country.” SSOA is a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement, which established a unity government in 2020 and mandates the formation of a unified army before elections. Radio Tamazuj
How Olusegun Obasanjo Is Pushing for ‘inter-Congolese’ Dialogue
While the United States and Qatar have recently been busy advancing talks between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Olusegun Obasanjo has outlined plans for an internal Congolese dialogue. This is in cooperation with Donald Trump’s adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos. Obasanjo, who is one of five facilitators appointed by the mediation led by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), quietly travelled to Kinshasa overnight on 2-3 May. In Kinshasa, Obasanjo met President Félix Tshisekedi…Prior to arriving in Kinshasa, Obasanjo had visited South Africa on 2 May, where he met with former minister Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi…Ahead of his meeting with Tshisekedi, Obasanjo also travelled to Harare, Zimbabwe, to speak with Joseph Kabila…In his meetings, Obasanjo has promoted an internal dialogue modelled on the Sun City talks that ended Congo’s second war in 2002…According to Obasanjo’s proposal, this dialogue would lead to a transitional government to steer the country out of the crisis. The former Nigerian leader plans further diplomatic contacts. The Africa Report
‘Better to Suffer in the Village’: Displaced Locals Return Home Amid Rising Insecurity in DR Congo
The Misinga locals of the Ikobo tribal group in the North Kivu area of the Democratic Republic of Congo are returning to their village after more than four months of displacement due to the fighting between the country’s army and the M23 rebels…After facing tormenting hardship, most of the people have decided to return to their village despite the persistence of insecurity in the zone. “In the forest, we had been suffering. We lacked everything. No soap, no salt, no medicines. Why remain in the bush when we were seeing death in front of us? We have seen that remaining in the bush meant suffering, same as if we were in the village…” said Moise Mumbere, a returning resident of Misinga. Back home, the returnees face a harsh reality. Access to basic social services is severely lacking, with primary healthcare being a major challenge. Essential supplies are unavailable, and schools remain closed. In the meantime, the M23/AFC rebels still control Buleusa while the Wazalendo are in Rusamambu, two localities close to Misinga. Residents of Rusamambu have already deserted the town following the precarious security situation in the region. HumAngle
Mali’s Military Government Is Suspending Political Parties’ Activities, State TV Says
Mali ’s military government has suspended political party activities in the West African country “until further notice,” state media said Wednesday, days after the first pro-democracy rally since soldiers took power by force almost four years ago. The decree signed by the transitional president, Gen. Assimi Goita, cites “reasons of public order,” national television reported. The decision, which also applies to political associations, followed a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Hundreds of activists last weekend defied threats from the military government and demonstrated in the capital, Bamako, against the bill to dissolve political parties — the latest decision to restrict political activities. Police had cordoned off the area to avoid clashes with pro-military youths who tried to prevent the rally. Another protest had been expected this week. “I’m not surprised, I expected this because this is their way of preventing us from carrying out our activities, but we will continue to defend democracy in Mali. We are a people committed to democracy,” Cheick Oumar Doumbia, one of the leaders of the weekend demonstration, told The Associated Press. AP
Ibrahim Traoré: Inside the Digital Cult Glorifying Burkina Faso’s Military Leader
As insurgency intensifies and civic space shrinks in the West African state, a different kind of battle is unfolding online where AI-generated images, deepfake anthems and algorithmic fervour have turned the young military leader into a digital messiah…The images – curated, multiplied and mythologised – are now central to a rapidly evolving online movement that fuses anti-imperialism, youth frustration and pan-African aspiration. The main concern? Many of the images used and shared across social media and the internet aren’t real. They are machine-generated hallucinations, the product of AI tools; manipulated audio and filters that feed an online ecosystem of adoration… “It’s algorithmic populism; emotional, visual, anti-Western and hyper-shareable,” says Burkinabe researcher Alidou Werem. “It’s about vibe and vision and not fact or policy. Social media platforms reward spectacle and Traoré’s image fits perfectly into that ecosystem.” Pro-Traoré internet and social media warriors seem to stop at nothing to build and defend the image of a man who, in reality, leads a fragile transitional government in one of the world’s most unstable regions. The glorification comes with a cost, one increasingly paid by Burkinabe journalists, activists and ordinary citizens who raise critical questions about Traoré’s rule…Despite his populist appeal, tangible reforms under Traoré’s leadership remain limited…The ongoing jihadist insurgency has displaced over two million people, and much of the country remains outside state control. Journalists in Burkina Faso are increasingly subjected to online abuse for being critical of Traoré and his junta. This, according to rights groups, reflects a broader pattern of intimidation and censorship under the country’s military-led government. The Africa Report
Deepening Political Rift: Somalia’s NCC Talks End Without Jubaland, Puntland Participation
A section of leaders concluded the National Consultative Council (NCC) without the involvement of Jubaland and Puntland states, highlighting deep divisions within Somalia’s leadership and potential fallout ahead of the next elections…Among the issues discussed by the leadership were supporting the Somali National Army (SNA) in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants and armed groups…Also discussed is the controversial electoral process, with the leaders agreeing to intensify voter registration, which was recently launched in Mogadishu. The registration, they said, shall spiral to federal states. The National Independent Electoral Commission was tasked with scaling operations, while regional authorities were urged to ensure smooth local coordination. It is this thorny electoral process that forced Jubaland and Puntland to boycott the sitting. Further, the leadership recognised the SSC-Khatumo region as a federal state, a few weeks after Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre made the declaration during his inaugural trip. The leaders agreed to fast-track the process of recognition…The interior ministry was tasked with resolving the impasse between Jubaland and Puntland and the federal government. Garowe Online
Tanzania Court Orders an Opposition Leader, Who Is on a Hunger Strike, to Appear in Person
A magistrate court in Tanzania on Tuesday ordered that an opposition leader who was charged with treason last month be brought to court in person next month after he went on hunger strike to protest against virtual hearings. Opposition leader Tundu Lissu was arrested on April 9 after calling for electoral reforms before a general election in October and was charged with treason, a charge for which bail isn’t available. Lissu’s party, Chadema, has been outspoken about electoral reforms, arrests and detentions of opposition politicians before the vote in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan is seeking election after serving out her predecessor’s term in office…The magistrate’s court on Tuesday ordered prison authorities to present Lissu for a hearing of his case on May 19. The magistrate said that members of the public will be allowed to attend the hearing, unlike last month’s session which the public was barred from by the police. This will be the first time that Lissu will appear in court in person since his arrest. The last hearing was canceled after he protested against a virtual hearing. Over the weekend, Lissu’s lawyers had said that he would embark on a hunger strike to demand that his case is heard in court and not virtually. AP
Tunisia Lawyers Slam ‘Harassment’ Of Jailed Commentator
Tunisian lawyers on Wednesday denounced what they called “judicial harassment” of political commentator Mourad Zeghidi, detained since last year despite his lawyer saying he should have been released. His defence committee told a press conference Zeghidi was being held to “intimidate” critics of President Kais Saied. He was arrested in May 2024 and given a 12-month sentence over statements deemed critical of the authorities. This was later reduced to eight months. Zeghidi’s legal team said he should have been freed in January, but an arrest warrant was issued while he was still in detention. Lawyer Fethi Mouldi expressed shock that the warrant was issued “when he had little time before his release”. He said the warrant was linked to alleged money laundering, a charge that placed his client under anti-terrorism legislation. Mouldi called this “judicial harassment against a moderate journalist used to silence and intimidate others”…Many Saied critics have been prosecuted and detained under Decree 54, a law he enacted in 2022 to prohibit “spreading false news”. It has been used to prosecute more than 60 journalists, lawyers and opposition figures, according to the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT). Other opposition figures have been charged with plotting against state security in two recent mass trials that saw hefty jail sentences handed out. AFP
What Meta’s Dispute in Nigeria Means for Its Millions of Users
[Nigerian] authorities have fined Meta $290 million for regulatory breaches, prompting the social media giant to threaten pulling Facebook and Instagram from the country…The showdown is the latest development in a year-long regulatory battle between the social media behemoth and Africa’s most populous nation. The dispute began in 2021 when Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) started a probe into WhatsApp’s new privacy policy. The commission said Meta committed multiple and repeated infringements of the country’s Nigerian rules, including “denying Nigerians the right to control their data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorization, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions, and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.” After remediation efforts failed, the FCCPC issued its final order in July 2024, imposing a $220 million fine along with penalties from other agencies that took the total amount to $290 million. Meta appealed the decision, but the plea was overturned in April, prompting the company’s threat to withdraw its services from Nigeria…The potential withdrawal of Meta’s platforms may have significant implications for Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. According to social media performance tracker Napoleoncat, Meta has a massive presence in the country, with Facebook alone reaching about 51.2 million users as of May 2024, more than a fifth of the population. Instagram had 12.6 million Nigerian users as of November 2023, while WhatsApp had about 51 million users, making Nigeria the 10th largest market globally for the messaging app. Rest of World
Rwandan Awarded for Saving Grey Crowned Cranes
White wings flashing overhead in the sunlight, conservationist Olivier Nsengimana points out Rwanda’s grey crowned cranes, migratory birds that have made an extraordinary comeback in the Great Lakes region. Their resurgence is thanks to the veterinarian and former gorilla doctor’s work protecting their natural habitat in a country better known for its misty peaks than damp swamps. The British charity Whitley Fund for Nature was set to award Nsengimana the £100,000 ($134,000) Gold Award on Wednesday in recognition of his work. The sprawling Rugezi swamp has become a refuge for the distinctive cranes, which stand some 1.2 metres tall and have a wingspan of over two metres. Nsengimana’s work has seen their numbers soar from just 300 to 1,293…Their numbers fell due to habitat loss and the birds being kept as exotic pets, often injured and unable to breed — the animals being one of only two crane species that mate for life. The golden-crested birds play a vital role in the wetlands ecosystem and food chain. Nsengimana created the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association in 2015, which supports 75 community rangers…Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association is supporting locals with new jobs to move them away from damaging the marshes. AFP