Author: Abdihakim Kalale

Framework agreement covers eight protocols; work still needed on implementation The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group signed a framework agreement on Saturday in Doha, Qatar, aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands this year. The agreement, signed by representatives from both sides at a formal ceremony, lays out eight protocols to guide the peace process. Officials from the United States and Qatar described the framework as an important step, but stressed that additional work is needed to implement six of the protocols. The top U.S. envoy…

Army forces seize control of Umm Dham Haj Ahmad, Kazgil, military source tells Anadolu The Sudanese army has regained control of two areas in North Kordofan State following heavy clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a military source told Anadolu on Saturday. The source, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said army troops recaptured Umm Dham Haj Ahmad and Kazgil, inflicting “significant human and material losses” on RSF militants. Videos shared by army personnel on social media appeared to show soldiers stationed inside the two areas, which the RSF seized last month.There has…

Suspension follows broadcasts on ongoing fuel shortages caused by armed group actions Mali’s media regulator has suspended French broadcasters TF1 and LCI over allegedly broadcasting false information related to a fuel blockade imposed by an al-Qaeda-linked armed group. In a letter dated November 13 and made public Friday, Mali’s High Authority for Communication (HAC) told local distributors that the two channels had made “unverified claims and falsehoods” in a November 9 broadcast. The channels have been inaccessible in Mali since Thursday evening, according to AFP. The HAC specifically disputed reports that:• The military junta had banned fuel sales.• The Kayes…

Sudan’s army chief and head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Friday ruled out any truce or peace talks with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) unless the group first surrenders its weapons. Speaking to residents during a visit to the village of al-Siraih in central Al-Gazira State, al-Burhan said: “If the rebels do not put their weapons on the ground and sit down, there will be no dialogue or peace. We will not accept them in Sudan, nor those who stand with them.” He vowed that the army would continue fighting until the “rebellion” is defeated.“Either…

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday announced the formation of a special commission to investigate deaths and destruction that occurred during recent post-election protests. Speaking at the opening of the country’s 13th Parliament in the capital Dodoma, Samia expressed condolences to families who lost relatives in the unrest that followed the Oct. 29 polls, saying the violence had “deeply affected” her. She said the government has “formed a commission to investigate what happened so that we understand the root of the problem,” adding that the report will guide national dialogue and efforts to restore calm. Samia said the clashes…

Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has extended a state of disaster to all 28 districts and four cities as the country grapples with severe food shortages triggered by prolonged drought, according to an official statement on Friday. In a statement, Justin Saidi, chief secretary to the government, said food insecurity has reached “alarming proportions,” noting that the situation is projected to worsen in the coming months. Mutharika first declared a state of disaster in 11 districts in October. The measure has now been expanded nationwide after a report by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) warned that food shortages will…

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International on Friday condemned what they described as a serious deterioration in civil liberties and the rule of law in Tunisia, accusing authorities of intensifying pressure on activists, opposition figures, and foreign nongovernmental organizations. In a statement, Amnesty said Tunisian authorities have “escalated their crackdown on human rights defenders and independent NGOs through arbitrary arrests, detention, asset freezes, bank restrictions and court-ordered suspensions,” citing the government’s claims of combating “suspicious” foreign funding and protecting “national interests.” The group said the pressure on civil society has reached an unprecedented level, noting that six NGO workers…

South Africa allowed more than 150 Palestinian passengers to disembark from a chartered aircraft late Thursday after they were kept onboard for nearly 12 hours due to immigration concerns, according to officials. In a statement, South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) said the Ministry of Home Affairs granted approval for the group to leave the aircraft after a local humanitarian organization, Gift of the Givers, committed to providing accommodation during their stay if required. The plane, carrying 153 Palestinians, landed at OR Tambo International Airport shortly after 8 a.m. local time (06:00 GMT). The passengers were not initially permitted to…

Ivory Coast said Friday it is reinforcing security along its northern border following an “unusual flow of refugees” fleeing escalating violence by armed groups in neighboring Mali. In a statement issued after a Thursday meeting of the National Security Council, Ivorian authorities said military leaders were instructed to boost security measures along the frontier to respond to the growing influx. According to the statement, the rise in refugee arrivals is “reportedly due to attacks on civilians by Armed Terrorist Groups in several localities in southern Mali.” It added that Ivorian officials are working to register asylum seekers entering the country.…

For Around 57,000 displaced people have arrived in the Sudanese city of Al-Debba in Northern State after fleeing attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur and Kordofan, a local aid commission said Friday. Kawther Jaafar, the government-appointed humanitarian aid commissioner in Al-Debba, said the displaced endured “harsh” conditions throughout their journey as they escaped what she described as “the brutality and violations of the rebel militia.” She noted that many among the newly arrived displaced suffer from wounds and fractures, while children are arriving with signs of malnutrition. According to Jaafar, 50,000 of the displaced came from El-Fasher,…

Algeria registered 22 forest fires across eight provinces late Thursday, with the most severe outbreaks reported in Tipaza province in the country’s center, according to the Algerian Civil Defense. In a statement released at 10:30 p.m. local time (2130GMT), authorities said fires had been detected in provinces across the east, center, and west of the country, with the most intense blazes occurring in Tipaza’s mountainous areas. Videos shared by local media and activists showed evacuation operations in Hadjret Ennous municipality, where flames advanced toward residential areas. State-run Ennahar TV reported that gendarmerie units evacuated families from affected neighborhoods. Civil protection…

Africa is facing its worst cholera outbreak in a quarter century, with cases surging in several countries and straining fragile health systems, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday. More than 300,000 cholera cases have been reported across the continent so far this year, up from roughly 254,000 cases in 2024, marking an increase of more than 30%, according to Africa CDC data. Over 7,000 deaths have been recorded. Speaking at the agency’s weekly virtual briefing, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said cholera remains a “major issue” for African nations, with trends showing a…

A suspected outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever in southern Ethiopia has claimed six lives, including two health workers, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to send an emergency response team to support national efforts to identify and contain the disease. According to local health officials, the deaths were reported in Jinka town, in the South Omo Zone, where patients have shown symptoms consistent with viral hemorrhagic fevers such as high fever, weakness, and bleeding tendencies. Dr. Selamu Tadesse, medical director of Jinka General Hospital, said the doctor and nurse who died had been treating patients with similar symptoms, raising concerns…

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop has dismissed reports suggesting that militants from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) could soon overrun the capital Bamako, describing such claims as exaggerated and far from the country’s reality. Speaking Wednesday at the BAMEX’25 Defence Expo in Bamako, Diop said that the government and national security forces remain fully in control despite recent efforts by JNIM militants to disrupt fuel supplies to the capital. “We are very far from the scenario being described outside our country, saying that the terrorists are here or that they are going to take Bamako,” Diop told reporters. “We are…

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has appointed Mwigulu Nchemba as the country’s new prime minister following a disputed presidential election that sparked deadly unrest last month. Nchemba, who previously served as minister for finance and a longtime member of parliament, was endorsed by the National Assembly in a near-unanimous vote on Thursday. He pledged to “work diligently” in his new role. President Hassan, declared the winner of the October 29 election, has faced criticism from opposition parties and rights groups who allege widespread vote irregularities and the exclusion of key challengers. The UN Human Rights Office said it believes hundreds…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday called on the United States to reconsider its decision to boycott the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for 22–23 November in Johannesburg. Speaking to reporters outside parliament in Cape Town, Ramaphosa described the US decision as “unfortunate” and said boycotts rarely achieve their intended impact. “The G20 will go on. All other heads of state will be here, and in the end, we will take fundamental decisions — their absence is their loss,” he said. South Africa became the first African country to host the G20 after assuming the group’s rotational one-year presidency in…