Sudan Landslide Kills at Least 1,000 People, Rebel Group Says
More than 1,000 people were killed in a landslide in western Sudan on Sunday, according to a rebel group that controls the area. The landslide, which followed heavy rain, destroyed a village in the Marra mountains area of western Sudan and left only one survivor, said the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM). “Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than 1,000 individuals, with only one survivor,” its statement said. The movement, which controls the area located in the Darfur region, appealed to the UN and international aid agencies to help recover the bodies of victims. The village “has now been completely levelled to the ground”, the statement said. Footage shared by the Marra Mountains news outlet showed a flattened area between mountain ranges and a group of people searching the area. … The Marra Mountains area has turned into a hub for displaced families fleeing fighting in and around El Fasher. The SLM has mostly stayed out of the fighting but controls parts of Sudan’s tallest mountain range. … Much of Darfur – including the area where the landslide occurred – remains largely inaccessible to international aid organisations because of ongoing fighting, severely limiting the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance. Guardian
At Least Seven Killed, 71 Wounded as Sudan’s RSF Paramilitaries Shell Besieged City
Shelling by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces killed at least seven people and wounded 71 others in El-Fasher, a medical source said Sunday, as the paramilitary group launched its fiercest offensive yet on the besieged city. El-Fasher, the last major city in the vast western Darfur region still under army control, has become the most violent front line in the war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. In recent weeks, paramilitary forces have escalated their long-running siege, launching fierce artillery barrages and ground incursions into densely populated neighbourhoods, the city’s airport and the famine-hit Abu Shouk displacement camp. The few hospitals still operational have been repeatedly bombarded and the local police headquarters captured by the RSF. France24 with AFP
Sudan Shuts Down Heglig Oil Facilities After Drone Attacks
Sudan has initiated a shutdown of the Heglig oil facility following drone attacks it blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, according to a letter sent by its government to its South Sudanese neighbour and seen by Reuters. Heglig, which lies along Sudan’s southern border, houses the main processing facility for South Sudanese oil, which accounts for the majority of South Sudan’s government revenues. … As a result, Sudan had instructed the Sudanese companies operating in the area, 2B OPCO and PETCO to evacuate, and said the latter would not be able to meet its lifting schedule. Reuters
Wagner Russian Paramilitary Group’s Troubled Legacy in Mali Revealed
The Russian paramilitary group Wagner has left behind a troubled record in Mali, according to a report published by the United States-based war crimes watchdog The Sentry. The organisation assessed Wagner’s impact in the Sahel country between January 2022 and June 2025 – when its mercenaries were replaced by the Africa Corps, a new force directly under Moscow’s command. When the Wagner Group announced its departure earlier this year, it claimed its “mission was accomplished”. However, the report’s findings detail three and a half years of insecurity and strategic failure. The report outlines what it calls Wagner’s “triple failure”. The first is a military one: the Russian fighters proved unable to secure northern and central Mali, despite high expectations from Bamako’s transitional authorities. Secondly, their arrival coincided with a “significant increase” in attacks against civilians. And third, far from strengthening ties between the army and local populations, their actions “gravely undermined” confidence, creating fertile ground for jihadist groups to boost recruitment. Wagner’s presence, the Sentry argues, also destabilised the Malian security apparatus. “The fighters of Wagner sowed chaos and fear within the military hierarchy,” the report notes, describing a chain of command now plagued by mistrust and poor communication. RFI
A Chinese Mining Company Is Accused of Covering Up the Extent of a Major Toxic Spill in Zambia
A Chinese-owned mining company has been accused of covering up the extent of a disastrous toxic spill in Zambia that polluted a major river that millions rely on with cyanide and arsenic. The spill happened in February when part of a dam that held waste from the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia copper mine collapsed, allowing it to flow into the Kafue River that runs through the heart of Zambia. Sino-Metals Leach Zambia is a subsidiary of the state-run China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group. An environmental cleanup company says that it was contracted by Sino-Metals Leach Zambia to investigate the accident. It said its two-month investigation found that the disaster resulted in the release of 1.5 million tons of toxic material — at least 30 times more than Sino-Metals admitted at the time. The South Africa-based environmental company Drizit said it submitted preliminary reports to Sino-Metals “indicating the severity of the pollution,” but Sino-Metals then terminated its contract one day before the final report was due. AP
Financial Crisis in Privately Owned Media Puts Senegal’s Press Freedom at Risk
The Futurs Médias group (GFM) – which owns leading Senegalese media outlets including newspaper L’Observateur, radio station RFM and television channel TFM – says it is experiencing an “unprecedented” crisis. With advertising revenue plummeting, print sales falling, rising costs and tax adjustments, the group has not paid some employees for three months. For its management there is only one option left: restructuring the company. The group was founded in 2003 by the internationally renowned musician and former culture minister, Youssou N’Dour, to provide an independent media platform that could offer diverse perspectives, countering the dominance of state-controlled media. … When President Bassirou Diomaye Faye came to power in April 2024, he pledged to support a free press and a diversified media landscape. Under Senegal’s previous president, Macky Sall, 60 journalists were arrested, assaulted, questioned or detained between 2021 and 2024, according to an RSF report. But among the measures to cut public spending out in place by the government of his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, were a pause on the Press Support and Development Fund (FADP) and a reduction in publicly-funded advertising campaigns. … Senegal’s media is considered vital for press freedom across West Africa, as the country boasts the most dynamic press in a region where journalists are under huge constraints. Neighbouring economies, for instance in Niger and Mali, are also much weaker. RFI
More Than 130 People Are Feared Dead in West Africa Boat Tragedy
At least 70 people have drowned off the coast of Mauritania, in northwest Africa, and more than 60 others are missing after a boat capsized, officials said on Friday. Sixteen people were rescued, five of them from Gambia, that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement confirming the episode. The capsizing, which occurred early Wednesday, was one of the worst this year in a region where such shipwrecks have become common. … By June this year, at least 1,865 people had died trying to get to Spain by sea, according to Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish human rights nonprofit organization focused on migration. New York Times
Nigeria Hails Finland’s Conviction of Simon Ekpa On Terrorism-Related Crimes
The Nigerian government yesterday welcomed the conviction of Biafran irredentist, Simon Ekpa, in Finland for terrorism-related crimes, describing the verdict as a bold step towards justice and a victory against violence. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a post on his verified X handle, @HMMohammed, described the sentencing of Ekpa to six years’ imprisonment as a major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror. … Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and a civil society organisation, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), urged the government to emulate the good example set by the Finnish District Court in convicting and sentencing perpetrators of terrorism. In its judgement delivered yesterday, the three-member panel of judges ruled that Ekpa incited terrorism, participated in the activities of a terrorist organisation, and exploited his “significant social media following” to spread violent propaganda and destabilise Nigeria’s south-east region between August 2021 and November 2024. … The judges found that he issued direct calls to violence on social media platforms, especially X, and encouraged attacks on Nigerian security operatives. Beyond online incitement, the court further determined that Ekpa facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives, and ammunition to armed groups in Nigeria “through his network of contacts in the region.” This Day
Jailed Ugandan Opposition Figure Boycotts Trial, Accusing Judge of Bias
Jailed Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye boycotted the start of his treason trial on Monday, accusing the presiding judge of bias, his attorney said. Besigye’s months-long detention has shone a spotlight on President Yoweri Museveni’s human rights record ahead of polls early next year in which Museveni, 80, is seeking re-election. The trial of Besigye and his aide, Obed Lutale, was supposed to start on Monday after months of delays, but both defendants decided to boycott the proceedings after the judge, Emmanuel Baguma, refused to recuse himself, their attorney Eron Kiiza told Reuters. … Besigye was detained alongside his aide in November last year in neighbouring Kenya and returned to Uganda where both were subsequently charged with treason and other offences, initially in a military tribunal before the case was transferred to a civilian court. Reuters
CAR Opposition Leader Relinquishes French Passport to Run in Presidential Race
Dologuele is set to once again challenge Touadera for leadership of the Russia-friendly country, among the world’s poorest nations and plagued by instability for decades. The economist by training came second to the president in the 2020 ballot, which was marred by unrest and accusations of voter fraud. Touadera’s critics accuse him of wishing to become the CAR’s president for life, especially after a change of constitution in 2023 allowed him to seek a third term and barred candidates holding multiple citizenships from running against him. Though the presidential vote’s first round is scheduled for 28 December, Dologuele questioned whether the authorities would manage to organise the vote “in good time.” … Dologuele refused to rule out a boycott of the vote if the conditions for holding free and fair elections were not present. “It’s like a football match. A team who knows that the referees are biased won’t take to the pitch,” the opposition politician said. RFI
Benin’s Ruling Parties Pick Finance Minister Wadagni as Presidential Candidate
Benin’s ruling coalition has nominated Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni to contest the 2026 presidential election, positioning a man seen as a key architect of its economic policies to pursue the administration’s current reform agenda if elected. President Patrice Talon has confirmed he will step down after two terms, a rare move in the West and Central African region where democratic norms are increasingly under pressure. Two ruling parties, the Republican Bloc and the Progressive Union for Renewal, endorsed Wadagni, citing his experience and alignment with Talon’s development agenda. They urged activists and coalition members to support their choice, statements showed on Sunday. Wadagni, a former Deloitte executive, joined the government in 2016 and as minister of economy and finance led reforms to strengthen public finances and fund infrastructure. Political analyst Fidele Ayena told Reuters the selection reflects strong internal consensus and avoids the need for primaries, crediting Talon’s personal endorsement. Reuters
Japan Denies Giving Away City to Tanzania After Misinformation
The controversy began when Japanese authorities announced a new initiative last week under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which cooperates with global partners on issues including climate change and healthcare. The new program established four cities across different prefectures as symbolic “hometowns” for partner countries in Africa: Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. Through exchange events and overseas volunteers, the program aims to address challenges in Africa while revitalizing local communities in Japan, many of which face their own problems of economic and demographic decline, according to JICA and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But soon, misinformation spread – with some local African media reports giving “the false impression that … Nagai City in Yamagata Prefecture would become part of the country of Tanzania,” said JICA in a statement on Monday. … JICA and other authorities urged the partner African governments and corresponding local media to correct the information. CNN
Art as Activism: The Music and Murals of Kenya’s Youth-Led Protests
The faces of slain protesters are painted on an alley wall in the Kenyan capital. Nearby, a community theater troupe acts out a random roadside arrest. Over the past year, thousands of young Kenyans have marched in cities across the nation, protesting high taxes, corruption and police brutality. More than 100 protesters have been killed by security forces, according to rights groups, but they have not retreated. And their movement has inspired a new generation of Kenyan artists, who have championed the cause through music and murals, graffiti and spoken word. Running through their work is a consistent theme: Young people remain determined to change the status quo. “Music throughout history has influenced social and political revolution,” said Njuki Githethwa, a Kenyan activist and scholar. What’s happening now, he said, “is an awakening, a new thing coming into shape, and artists are centrally located.”