Trove of Documents Reveals Alleged Chemical Weapons Stockpile in Sudan
Sudan’s authoritarian government built a secret stockpile of chemical weapons that senior military officials sought to conceal after chlorine bombs were used against rebel forces, according to internal videos, documents, text messages and other materials reviewed by The Washington Post. The materials indicate that Sudan’s chemical weapons effort involved diverting shipments of chlorine meant to provide safe drinking water, hiding warhead production sites on military bases, testing bombs in remote desert locations and drawing up lists of targets where toxic gas could penetrate enemy defenses. … Any stockpiling and use of chemical weapons would violate long-standing international bans aimed at eradicating a notoriously inhumane form of warfare, and put Sudan in the company of Syria and Iraq as states that have been condemned in recent decades for deploying chemical agents against their own people. … The files include documents allegedly prepared by Sudanese military officials that refer to “dual-effect” munitions filled with “choking gas,” videos that show weapons tests producing plumes of green-yellow vapor, and messages between Sudanese military officials indicating that the country’s security forces had stockpiled as many as 290 chemical munitions. … The files also indicate that SAF officers were focused on covering their tracks. The same document includes Arabic text saying that “the main purpose of the new design is to conceal any evidence of the use of chemicals and to release the gas from the tank directly in a perfect way,” according to a Washington Post translation. The Washington Post
Sudan: Quintet Group to Visit Khartoum Tuesday for Peace Talks
Leaders of an international diplomatic group seeking an end to Sudan’s conflict and restoration of a civilian-led government will travel to Khartoum on Tuesday for talks aimed at charting a path toward civilian rule, the group said in a statement on Monday. The delegation from the Quintet group, comprising the United Nations, the African Union, the regional bloc IGAD, the European Union, and the Arab League, will conduct a three-day good-offices mission from Sept. 8-10. The mission is part of ongoing efforts to coordinate international efforts and to pursue direct political consultations with Sudanese stakeholders on the ground. During the visit, envoys will listen to local assessments of the current situation and share reflections on work carried out so far, according to the statement. … The Quintet said it remains in close coordination with the Quad, which brings together the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as other international partners, to advance a viable peace process. The visit comes alongside a separate push by a panel of independent national figures to create a conducive environment for intra-Sudanese dialogue, an initiative that has drawn rejection from several political factions. Sudan Tribune
Hijacking Pirates Exploit Regional Chaos to Return to Seas off Somalia
The scourge of Somali piracy targeting cargo ships and smaller dhows off the Horn of Africa has returned to levels not seen in a decade, driven by a convergence of factors including disruptions to the shipping industry caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran and a resurgence of political instability in Somalia. … Insufficient patrol vessels and an inability to regularly pay salaries to those involved in coastal patrols are among the reasons why Somalia has long-struggled to secure its coastline. Piracy has historically thrived during periods of increasing instability and political, factional and regional competition. Observers say the recent rise in incidents has been exacerbated by a domestic and international focus on arms smuggling to Yemen by networks acting on behalf of Iran. Analysts suggest some of these networks have become increasingly associated with Somalia’s Islamist al-Shabaab group as it once again expands its territorial control in central and southern Somalia and seeks to build ties with the Houthis in Yemen. … Officials say the recent attacks have also been marked by increased technological sophistication on the part of pirate groups, including the use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to facilitate the tracking of potential targets and for high-speed communications between pirates. The Guardian
South Sudan, Uganda Sign Agreement on Cross-border Health Security
The governments of South Sudan and Uganda have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cross-border cooperation in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies. The agreement, signed in Juba on Monday by the two countries’ health ministers, establishes a framework for joint surveillance, information sharing and coordinated preparedness and response to health emergencies along their shared border. South Sudan’s Health Minister Luke Thompson Thoan Teny said the agreement moves the two countries’ health cooperation from general goodwill and communication towards an institutionalised system for rapid joint action. … Under the MOU, South Sudan and Uganda will strengthen real-time epidemiological information sharing, mutual notification of outbreaks, joint contact tracing and coordinated disease surveillance. The agreement also provides for cooperation in areas including biospecimen transfer, harmonised screening at points of entry and the deployment of coordinated mobile health teams during emergencies. … “Health security is national security,” [Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol] said, adding that the government would support measures to remove administrative barriers that could delay emergency health responses. Radio Tamazuj
Ethiopia Boosts Drone Production to Fight Rebels
Ethiopia has been manufacturing drones at two factories since last year and is now thought to have a fleet of thousands, analysts say, giving the government an edge against its multiple insurgent enemies. Turkish drones were decisive during the country’s devastating civil war of 2020 to 2022, when the federal army used them to push back rebels from the northern Tigray region who had come within 200 kilometres of the capital, Addis Ababa. Only the federal army has military drones in the country of 130 million people, and they have been deployed repeatedly against insurgents operating in several regions. Increasingly, they are made domestically. In March 2025, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the SkyWin Aeronautics Industries factory in the capital, manufacturing “unmanned aerial vehicles for both civilian and military use”, according to the state’s Ethiopian News Agency, which said they were “designed and built by our own young professionals”. Abiy said the aim was not “not to fuel conflict, but to prevent it” through “deterrence”. But much of Ethiopia’s capability remains a mystery, and the authorities have refused access to the site for foreign media. … Ethiopia has bought Turkey’s top-end Akinci drones and the more basic Bayraktar TB2 models, as well as the cheaper Wing Loong from China and Mohajer-6 from Iran. AFP
Italy Offers to Mediate between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile Waters
Italy has offered to help facilitate dialogue between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile waters, stressing the importance of reaching a fair and sustainable negotiated solution to the water dispute in line with international law. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty after talks in the Egyptian city of El Alamein on Thursday. Tajani said Italy stressed the importance of reaching a negotiated solution over Nile waters, emphasising that this must be done in accordance with international law. He said Rome was ready, if Egypt and Ethiopia wished, to mediate and help facilitate dialogue between the two sides. … The talks followed the first meeting of the Egyptian-Italian Joint Committee, during which the two sides discussed several issues of mutual interest, including water, energy, migration, and economic and trade cooperation. Middle East Monitor
Nigeria: INEC Unveils New Strategy for 2027 Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission has unveiled a new operational strategy aimed at strengthening its preparations and identifying potential challenges ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. The strategy centers on a real-time monitoring system that will allow the commission’s headquarters to track the preparedness of its offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. … The system will be linked directly to INEC’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre, enabling the commission to monitor critical aspects of election preparations, including the distribution of materials and training of personnel. … Electoral technology will form another major component of the preparations, with officials expected to improve their understanding and management of systems. … The commission will additionally focus on financial compliance, including workflow automation and adherence to procurement regulations. Guardian Nigeria
Tunisia Arrests Journalist Mohamed Yousfi amid Crackdown on Critics
Tunisian police have arrested prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied’s rule, the head of the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists told Reuters. According to local journalists, police said that Yousfi, the editor-in-chief of the investigative news website Al-Qatiba, was brought in on Friday for questioning. The focus of the investigation is unknown. Tunisian authorities have not yet commented on the arrest, which is the latest in a string of prosecutions of media figures and activists in Tunisia this year. Khaoula Boukrim, founder of the news website TUMEDIA, who fled to France last year, was sentenced in June to four years in absentia. Prominent journalist Zied el-Heni was sentenced in May to one year in prison, while broadcaster Mourad Zeghidi and political commentator Borhen Bsaies were sentenced in January to three and a half years. Al Jazeera
Ex-Sierra Leone President Returns Home from Nigeria after Treason Case Discontinued
Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has returned to his country after spending more than two years in Nigeria, following the withdrawal of criminal proceedings against him. Mr Koroma, who was exiled for two and a half years, departed Nigeria for Freetown on Sunday. Mr Koroma fled to Nigeria in January 2024 after a high court in Sierra Leone allowed him to travel on medical grounds despite being charged with treason. He was indicted for his alleged role in a 2023 failed military attempt to topple the government led by Julius Bio. The former president, who ruled Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, denied involvement in the November 2023 coup attempt, which saw gunmen attack military barracks and a prison, freeing about 2,200 inmates and leaving more than 20 people dead. … Mr Koroma’s lawyers have called the charges “trumped up” and part of a political vendetta. Sierra Leone discontinued the criminal proceedings against Mr Koroma in July. The decision ended a high-profile treason case that placed the former leader at the center of a national security investigation. Premium Times
Africa’s Richest Man Eyes Continent’s Largest IPO
Africa’s richest man will next week launch what he says will be the continent’s biggest initial public offering, seeking to raise $1.6 billion from his Nigerian oil refinery while giving ordinary people a chance to buy in. … The IPO, which goes live September 14, aims to attract up to 10 million shareholders across Africa. Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals will offer investors the chance to buy as few as 10 shares at 525 naira each, potentially raising 2.15 trillion naira ($1.6 billion). Speaking at an event in Lagos on Monday to sign off on the paperwork, Dangote said raising money was only part of a bigger plan. His broader goal is to give ordinary Nigerians and Africans a chance to own a stake in what would be the continent’s biggest industrial project. “It’s not really about raising funds. It’s about getting our own Africans generally to be part and parcel of this refinery,” Dangote said. He wants the investment to become a long-term asset for ordinary people, he said, comparing his ambitions to US giant Amazon, whose early shareholders saw the value of their investments grow dramatically. AFP