Somalia Calls for Global Action as Piracy Surges off Its Coast
Somalia on Sunday called for coordinated international action against a renewed wave of piracy off Puntland and into the Gulf of Aden, saying it would raise the threat at the UN Security Council as dozens of seafarers remain in captivity. Somalia’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued on Sunday that attacks and seizures had targeted commercial vessels since April and called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all seafarers still being held. “Somalia will not permit its waters to become a haven for maritime crime,” the ministry said. … The appeal comes after a sharp escalation in attacks this year. The International Maritime Organisation said on August 24 that pirates were holding more than 90 seafarers aboard six vessels after the hijacking of the tanker Seamull in the Gulf of Aden. … Somalia said it would use its seat on the UN Security Council to press for greater international cooperation against piracy. The country is serving a two-year term on the 15-member body through the end of 2026. The government cited Article 100 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which requires states to cooperate in repressing piracy, and said it would work with bilateral, regional and multilateral partners. Somalia Today
Sudan Lobbies African Envoys to Block UN Fact-finding Mission Renewal
Sudan’s government intensified diplomatic efforts on Tuesday to block the renewal of a United Nations fact-finding mission investigating war crimes, warning the U.N. Human Rights Council against what it described as political interference. Sudan’s permanent representative in Geneva, Hassan Hamid Hassan, lobbied African ambassadors to reject an upcoming British-drafted resolution that would extend the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan. The diplomatic push follows an appeal made late last month to the 29-member Like-Minded Group, led by China, as Khartoum seeks allies to derail the Western-backed initiative during the council’s 63rd session. The U.N. established the fact-finding mission in October 2023 to document atrocities and preserve evidence of violations committed during the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan has consistently refused to cooperate with the investigators or permit them to enter the country. Sudan Tribune
Nigerian Government and Boko Haram Strike Secret Ceasefire Deal
A ceasefire agreement with the jihadist group Boko Haram has been in effect for the past three months and is expected to be extended, but has not been previously reported publicly, The New Humanitarian has learned. The agreement is linked to hostage negotiations that secured the release in June of 360 civilians abducted by the group from Ngoshe village, in the foothills of the Mandara mountains on the border with Cameroon. The mass kidnapping occurred in March during a Boko Haram attack on a nearby army base. Three people with contacts among Boko Haram members, some of them senior figures, independently told The New Humanitarian that a truce had been in effect since June and was likely to be extended for a further 40 days. Communities in the Ngoshe area – regular victims of Boko Haram predation – say attacks have stopped since the ceasefire, according to two of the sources. … What remains unclear is the longer-term significance of any agreement. The New Humanitarian
INTERPOL Nigeria Arrests Over 10 Fugitive, Recovers ₦2bn Criminal Assets in One Year
The INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Nigeria, has intensified the country’s fight against transnational organised crime through sustained international police cooperation and intelligence-sharing between September 2025 and August 2026. According to the NCB Nigeria, the coordinated efforts with law enforcement agencies and INTERPOL partner countries across five continents resulted in the arrest of more than 10 fugitives, alongside over five international extraditions and handovers during the period. The bureau also facilitated the rescue of more than 60 victims of trafficking and kidnapping, while criminal assets valued at over ₦2 billion were permanently forfeited. In the area of financial crimes, INTERPOL NCB Nigeria said more than 43 cases were investigated through international cooperation, while over 15 cybercrime referrals were received from partner National Central Bureaus around the world. … It attributed the successes to coordinated intelligence-sharing and operational collaboration between Nigerian law enforcement agencies and INTERPOL partners across five continents. PR Nigeria
Chad May Have just Joined 2 Other African Countries in Buying China’S CH-4 Combat Drones, Capable of Carrying Guided Bombs and Air-to-ground Missiles
The CH-4 drone, developed by China, is valued for its long endurance, surveillance, and combat capabilities, including carrying guided bombs and missiles. Images shot at Abéché Air Base in Chad’s Ouaddaï area show four Caihong-4 (CH-4) unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) positioned beside their operating and maintenance equipment. The aircraft were apparently seen sometime last month, but administrators in the country have yet to publicly announce any related acquisitions, according to the defense newspaper International Defense Analysis. … Chad has an especially vital security role in the Sahel region because it shares borders with numerous conflict-affected nations, including Libya, Sudan, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic. Its military is largely focused on border security, counterterrorism, and combating armed groups in the country’s harsh desert and inaccessible terrain. As a result, the West African country has purchased other military equipment in recent years, including Chinese artillery, armoured vehicles from the United Arab Emirates and several aircraft and drones from Turkey. Business Insider
Mundubile, Lissu, Besigye: Treason Cases Sweep across Africa’s Opposition
Across Africa, treason is pulling opposition politics, disputed elections and struggles for power into the courtroom. The allegations are serious and varied: plotting coups, organising armed insurrections, acquiring weapons, financing paramilitary operations and, in some cases, actions and statements made during political and electoral campaigns. And it is not only opposition leaders in the dock. Ministers, MPs, military commanders, businessmen and even a bishop are among those accused. At the heart of many of these cases is a fierce dispute over what constitutes treason. Governments say they are prosecuting genuine threats to the state. Opposition figures and rights groups say some authorities are turning the gravest of charges into a weapon against political opponents. The Africa Report
Gambian Leader Vows Power Boost After Violent Blackout Protests
Gambian President Adama Barrow on Tuesday pledged to boost power supplies by next month after violent protests over blackouts that have dogged the west African country since June. The rolling power outages, which are occurring during the country’s hot season, have lasted up to 48 hours in some areas. Demonstrators in Banjul, and other nearby cities protested overnight Monday to Tuesday, setting fires and blocking traffic while chanting “Barrow must go!” In the Westfield district on the outskirts of the capital, police used tear gas as crowds headed towards the headquarters of The Gambia’s energy provider, the National Water and Electricity Corporation (NAWEC). Barrow called the outages “a national security issue” and “an emergency” Tuesday, while declaring that it was “time for action”, as he visited the NAWEC power station in the city of Brikama, near the capital. … The demonstrations mark a sharp escalation from earlier power protests and come just months before December elections, in which Barrow is running for a third term. AFP
Tunisian Journalists Protest over Media Crackdown after Colleague’s Arrest
Tunisian journalists protested on Tuesday to demand the release of prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, whose arrest has become a new flashpoint amid accusations that President Kais Saied is cracking down on the country’s remaining independent voices. The protesters, who also included activists, gathered outside a court where a judge was questioning Yousfi over illicit enrichment and money laundering charges, which critics say were fabricated to punish him for his outspoken journalism. Yousfi, a fierce critic of Saied and the editor-in-chief of investigative news website Al-Qatiba, was arrested last Friday as he was preparing to enter Express FM Radio to take part in a radio programme. His arrest prompted widespread condemnation of Saied’s government, with rights groups saying the case was aimed at increasing a climate of fear among journalists. Several media figures have been jailed this year, including Zied Heni, Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies, while Khaoula Boukrim was sentenced in absentia in June to four years. Reuters
India’s Lohum Ships First Lithium Ore from Zimbabwe, Starts Overseas Mining
India’s Lohum said on Wednesday it had dispatched its first shipment of lithium ore from Zimbabwe, marking the start of its mining operations in the southern African country and making it the first domestic company to produce lithium from overseas assets. The Indian producer of sustainable critical minerals has secured rights to 10 lithium mining blocks in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland South Province covering about 1,100 hectares, with estimated deposits of 30 million-40 million tonnes of ore The assets are expected to support production of around 300,000 metric tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent and carry an estimated value of about $7 billion at current prices. The company also holds an option to acquire up to 90 adjacent mining blocks. Lohum said the move expands its presence across the critical minerals value chain, complementing its existing refining, advanced manufacturing and recycling businesses. Chief Executive Officer Rajat Verma said securing lithium supplies at the source would help reduce battery costs and strengthen India’s electric vehicle supply chain. It also plans to build processing capabilities in Zimbabwe rather than exporting raw ore. Reuters
As African Space Race Heats Up, Senegal Pursues Homemade Satellites
“We have mastered the manufacturing process,” Gayane Faye, chief of Sensat, Senegal’s national space programme, told AFP — and preparations are already under way for the building of future satellites at Sensat’s new headquarters outside Dakar. It’s part of a push for technological independence by Senegal, a country where “sovereignty” has become a political and economic rallying cry but also reflects a breakneck push by African space agencies jostling for their own piece of the final frontier. The engineers from Sensat also built their first satellite — Gaindesat-1A — in collaboration with the University of Montpellier, launching it in 2024. But for Gaindesat-1B, which will collect environmental and climate data, “we’ve removed the coaching component”, Faye said. … Across the continent, national space budgets have grown to $800 million, said Temidayo Oniosun, founder of Lagos-based consultancy Space in Africa, up from less than $300 million in 2018. Part of that jump is from an increase in existing budgets and the establishment of the African Union’s new continental space agency in Cairo — but also from a vast expansion of new programmes, from eight countries in 2018 to more than 20 now, according to Oniosun’s count. AFP