UN Rights Council Extends Sudan Fact-finding Mission Mandate by a Year
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday voted to extend the mandate of its independent international fact-finding mission on Sudan for an additional year, urging warring parties and regional states to cooperate fully with investigators. … Sudanese government authorities have consistently refused to engage with the mission, arguing that existing UN human rights mechanisms are sufficient, and have repeatedly denied entry visas to its investigators. Under the extended mandate, the independent panel will present an oral update and a comprehensive report on human rights violations and accountability measures to both the Council and the UN General Assembly. The resolution calls on the warring factions—the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces—as well as UN member states to provide documentation, evidence, and unimpeded access to support the probe. … Established in October 2023, the mission is tasked with gathering and preserving evidence of war crimes and identifying individuals and command structures responsible for atrocities to ensure accountability. … Investigators previously found reasonable grounds to believe a cross-border illicit network operating across multiple nations supplied the RSF with advanced weapons, logistical assistance, and specialist drone contractors. Sudan Tribune
Sudanese Fleeing Attacks by Paramilitary RSF in Blue Nile Region, Aid Agency Says
Hundreds of residents have fled their homes in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile region following fresh assaults by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, local authorities and an aid agency said on Monday. The regional Humanitarian Aid Commission reported a wave of mass displacement from the localities of Jabal Al-Nimr and Minza after both areas came under fire from the RSF. Most civilians headed toward the town of Al-Azaza and a settlement known as Village 6 after heavy clashes broke out, prompting concerns over civilian protection and shortages of essential supplies. … Minza, located in the Wad Al-Mahi district east of the Roseires Dam, holds strategic importance as a supply and defensive position for the regular army in southeastern Sudan. Sudan Tribune
Ethiopia: Tigray Rebel Groups ‘Forcibly Recruiting Boys as Young as 15’ as Fighting Spreads
As renewed fighting has threatened a fresh humanitarian crisis in the northern region of Ethiopia, reports are emerging that a new alliance of armed groups in Tigray has been forcibly recruiting men and boys to its ranks. … Witnesses who spoke to the Guardian described a broad campaign of forced recruitment in Tigray, targeting men and boys between the ages of 15 and 65. The Eritrean Defence Forces and Amhara militias, which committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2020-22 conflict, have switched allegiance and are now fighting in support of the TPLF. Along with this new alliance, testimonies of forced recruitment, child soldiers and fresh humanitarian crises are emerging out of the already battered region. The Guardian
Drone Hits Ethiopia IDP Camp As Fears Grow Of Regional War
A drone strike in Ethiopia’s Tigray region killed several people in a displacement camp, sources said on Monday, as the government pressed north into rebel territory after almost two weeks of internal conflict that threatens a wider regional war. Fighting broke out between the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and federal forces on September 23, sparking fears of a return to the devastating civil war of 2020-2022. Federal forces have pushed back the rebel offensive and this weekend seized the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, after TPLF leaders and troops abandoned the city. On Sunday, witnesses reported a drone strike on an IDP camp in Sheraro, western Tigray — home to thousands displaced during the last war. … There are fears the fighting could spark a wider war, especially if the TPLF retreats across the border into Eritrea, which the Ethiopian government accuses of supporting the rebels. AFP
Yemen Fighting Intensifies as Government Forces Retake Key Areas near Bab El-Mandeb
Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have recaptured several key areas near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Yemeni officials said Monday. It comes as the Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities, airports and military bases as fighting escalated on Yemen’s western coast. Earlier, the Houthis seized several villages and areas on Taiz’s outskirts, paving the way for the rebels to encircle Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. Houthis seized the town of Turbah on Sunday. Turbah sits on a main road linking the provincial capital of Taiz with the port city of Aden, which serves as an interim seat of Yemen’s government. … The Yemeni officials said forces allied with the internationally recognized government retook the crucial town of Dhubab just north of the strait, a vital shipping route that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. They also captured the towns of Bab and Hadeid, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. Africanews
Nigerian Military Aircraft Crashes, Killing 25
A Nigerian military plane flying from Benin City to Lagos crashed on Monday in southwestern Ondo state, killing all 25 passengers and crew members. The Nigerian Air Force death toll announced on Tuesday was lower than the 32 initially announced by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo on Monday. There were no survivors. President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation and declared three days of national mourning. The Air Force ATR-42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at 0813 GMT on Monday, Keyamo said. The accident was one of the deadliest air disasters in Nigeria in recent years. The wreckage was later located near the coastal town of Igbokoda, where search and rescue teams were deployed. Reuters
Nigeria: INEC Sets Up Joint Team To Track Illegal Campaign Spending
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has established a joint financial monitoring mechanism with anti-graft and financial intelligence agencies to track illegal campaign spending and vote-buying ahead of the 2027 general elections. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop for media executives organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission. Amupitan said the commission was working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor campaign financing and identify suspicious expenditure. He said the joint mechanism would track illegal campaign expenditure, while surveillance would also be strengthened around polling units to detect attempts to induce voters with cash or other material benefits. … “Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket,” Amupitan said. Leadership
Erdogan Says Turkey Has Begun Building a Spaceport in Somalia
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey has begun construction of a spaceport in Somalia, describing the project as a strategic partnership that would strengthen Ankara’s ability to access space and contribute to the development of Africa’s space sector. Erdogan made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 77th International Astronautical Congress, where he outlined Turkey’s ambitions under its national space program. … The planned facility is part of Turkey’s broader push to develop an independent space program and expand its capabilities in satellite technology and space launches. Somalia’s location along the Indian Ocean has been cited as a potential advantage for a spaceport because of its proximity to the equator and access to open waters. Launching spacecraft from locations closer to the equator can provide a rotational advantage, potentially reducing the amount of energy required for some launches. The project also adds a new dimension to the growing partnership between Turkey and Somalia, which has expanded in recent years to include security, infrastructure, trade, energy and development. Garowe Online
Uganda’s UN-supported Wildlife Forensics Lab Turns Ivory Seizures into Convictions
Evidence from the UN’s 2024 World Wildlife Report shows that Uganda is as a significant hub of organised wildlife trafficking networks – especially of elephant ivory but also pangolin, a scaly anteater. In April, the Uganda Wildlife Forensics and Timber Laboratory opened with support from Denmark, the European Union and UNODC to help address the ivory issue. It builds on a national training and technical support centre established in 2019 as a pilot wildlife forensics facility through a partnership involving UNODC, the TRACE Wildlife Forensics Network and the Ugandan Government. The earlier facility has assisted hundreds of investigations and prosecutions connected to illegal wildlife trade. … [Lab manager Patrick Chiyo] said enforcement must reach the person who kills or captures an animal and those higher up in criminal networks who also profit. Prosecuting higher-ups requires more investment in interagency networks, he added. At the same time, he said, criminal justice is not enough. Alternative livelihoods are important, although they may not eliminate poaching linked to cultural values. He suggested a combined approach of livelihood support, preventive patrols and legal deterrence. …“The forensic laboratory is critical to the criminal justice system, significantly enhancing the court’s ability to hold offenders accountable by providing objective, scientifically validated evidence to protect Uganda’s natural heritage for future generations,” [Gladys Kamasanyu, the chief magistrate of the Uganda Wildlife Court] said. UN News
Kenya Confirms First Ebola Case Imported from Congo after Patient Dies in Nairobi
Kenya’s Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first imported Ebola case from Congo. Health Minister Aden Duale said a Kenyan citizen who arrived in the country on Saturday from Congo via Uganda had been isolated and treated at Nairobi Hospital. The patient tested positive for the Ebola virus after developing symptoms associated with hemorrhagic fever. The patient died late Monday while receiving treatment. Health authorities have placed the country’s border points on high alert and are monitoring for possible additional cases. Duale said 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient, had been identified. Another 23 passengers who traveled on the same flight from Uganda were being traced. The contacts will remain in isolation for 21 days and will be released after testing negative for the virus, the ministry’s director, Patrick Amoth, said. … The minister said the patient had been living in Congo for the past seven years and fell ill about a month ago. He was treated at various hospitals before traveling by road to Kampala, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi, arriving on Saturday afternoon. Director Amoth said the patient was screened at the airport but, because he was already undergoing treatment, the screening process did not detect any symptoms. AP
South Sudan Church Leaders Call for Immediate End to Violence
South Sudan’s church leaders have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities across the country, warning that rising armed violence, youth mobilisation and inter-communal fighting are killing and displacing civilians and disrupting humanitarian operations. The South Sudan Council of Churches made the appeal at a press conference in Juba on Tuesday, saying the security and humanitarian situation had continued to deteriorate in several parts of the country. … The churches urged the government, armed groups, traditional authorities and communities to protect civilians, end revenge attacks, ensure humanitarian access and commit to dialogue. They also called for an end to the mobilisation and arming of young people for violence and urged authorities to secure major roads and river transport routes used by civilians and aid agencies. Radio Tamazuj