I. NORTH AFRICA & SAHEL REGION
Sudan: Arbitrary Killings Triple Amid Military Clashes
- OHCHR Warning: UN Rights Chief Volker Türk reports a threefold increase in civilian killings between February and April 2025, largely attributed to summary executions by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Khartoum.
- Escalation in El Fasher: The SAF and paramilitary RSF continue a fierce battle for El Fasher, intensifying displacement and civilian suffering.
- RSF Strategic Gains: The RSF claims control of Karb al-Toum, near the Libyan border, potentially securing supply routes through Libya and Egypt.
Mali & Burkina Faso: ICC Complaint Targets National Armies and Russian Mercenaries
- ICC Filing: Four Tuareg organizations accuse Malian and Burkinabe armies, and Russia’s Africa Corps (formerly Wagner), of war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2022.
- Crimes Alleged: Mass killings, torture, looting, and enforced disappearances, with evidence including 60 tortured bodies found in Kwala, Mali.
Mali: Barrick Gold Complex Seized
- State Control: Mali’s judiciary places Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mine under provisional administration amid a tax and ownership dispute.
- Investor Risk: This decision may deter foreign investment, despite the mine’s potential to generate $1B in gold revenue annually.
Togo: French Media Suspended
- Broadcast Ban: Togo’s regulator suspends RFI and France 24 for allegedly destabilizing content, following recent anti-government protests in Lomé and rising public discontent with President Gnassingbé.
II. EAST AFRICA
South Sudan: Catastrophic Food Insecurity Projected
- FAO & WFP Alert: Rising inflation, currency instability, and flooding forecast a worsening food security crisis. Staple prices are five times higher than in 2024.
- Recommendations: Early warning dissemination, livestock disease prevention, and climate risk management are advised.
Uganda: New Law Enables Military Trials for Civilians
- Controversial Law: Signed by President Museveni, the law permits civilians to be tried in military courts under “exceptional circumstances.”
- Opposition Concerns: Critics say it is tailored to suppress political dissent and continue the detention of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has exceeded the six-month legal detention limit.
Kenya: Deputy Police Chief Steps Down Amid Death Scandal
- Public Outcry: DIG Eliud Lagat steps aside pending investigation into the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody. Autopsy suggests torture, contradicting official suicide claims.
III. CENTRAL AFRICA
Democratic Republic of the Congo: UN Flags War Crimes
- OHCHR Findings: Both M23 rebels and Congolese armed forces accused of abuses potentially amounting to war crimes.
- Crimes Include: Arbitrary arrests, forced child recruitment, and extrajudicial executions. Allegations also involve reprisals against civil society and journalists.
Chad: Deadly Intercommunal Violence in Ouaddai
- 20 Killed: Clashes between Ouaddai farmers and Zaghawa herders erupted over a stolen motorcycle, exacerbating long-standing ethnic tensions near the Sudanese border.
IV. WEST AFRICA
Nigeria: Peace Pact with Bandits Amid Surge in Massacres
- Katsina State Accord: Local authorities broker deal with bandit kingpins, leading to weapons surrender and hostage release.
- Benue Attack: Over 150 killed in Yelewata village by unidentified gunmen. Victims included displaced persons sheltering in markets. Food supplies were torched.
Migration Crisis: Sahelian Women Risk All to Reach Canary Islands
- Rising Female Migrants: Women and girls now constitute up to half of migrants crossing from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands.
- Drownings Highlight Risk: A May 28 shipwreck near El Hierro killed seven women, underscoring growing desperation amid conflict in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
V. PAN-AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT & TECHNOLOGY
Tech vs. Malaria: Drone Innovation in Ghana and Sierra Leone
- Aerial Surveillance: AI-powered drones identify and target mosquito breeding grounds with larvicides before outbreaks begin.
- Local Empowerment: Project includes training community drone operators and engaging public health institutions, supported by Japan’s SORA Technology.
Based on UN, AFP, RFI, AP, and independent reports (as of June 17, 2025)
