Author: WAJ Editor

A drone strike launched by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday killed six people and wounded 12 others in a hospital in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, military and medical sources said. The RSF targeted the Social Insurance Hospital with a drone strike while simultaneously shelling residential areas with heavy artillery fire. An army source said a second hospital in the city center was also hit during the strike. A medical officer at El-Obeid Hospital, the city’s main health facility, confirmed the casualties and said the Social Insurance Hospital had to be closed due to extensive…

The Nigerian Army announced that at least 60 terrorists were killed in a coordinated military operation in Bita, Borno State in Friday. According to a statement made on the army’s official X account, the joint ground and air strike was carried out by troops under Operation Hadin Kai targeting militants hideouts in the area. “In a determined and coordinated operation, gallant troops of Operation Hadin Kai launched simultaneous ground and air strikes on terrorist positions in Bita, Borno State,” the army announced, noting that the engagement resulted in the neutralization of at least 60 militants. The attack is part of…

A fatal car crash in Libya’s southeastern desert on Friday left 11 Sudanese migrants and a Libyan driver dead, according to officials. The crash marks another bleak chapter in the ongoing exodus of Sudanese fleeing their country’s brutal civil war. The collision occurred about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of the Libyan town of Kufra, when the migrants’ vehicle collided with a truck, the Kufra Ambulance and Emergency Service reported. Three women and two children were among those killed. Emergency services director Ibrahim Abu al-Hasan confirmed that a 65-year-old man and his 10-year-old son were injured in the crash. The…

Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila made an unexpected return to the country on Thursday, arriving in the eastern city of Goma, now under the control of the M23 rebel group. His appearance came amid mounting political and legal pressure, including allegations of treason and possible prosecution over his alleged links to the rebels. Kabila, who was president from 2001 to 2019, appeared calm and confident as he met with local religious leaders in Goma. Witnesses noted that M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka was also present at the meeting. Although Kabila did not speak publicly, his presence alone…

African Development Bank (AfDB) elected Mauritanian economist Sidi Ould Tah as the next president, taking the helm at a time when the institution is facing increasing financial pressures following a decline in contributions from major partners including the United States. The 60-year-old economist secured his position after three rounds of voting during the AfDB’s annual meetings in Abidjan. He received 76.18% of the votes from the bank’s board of directors, which includes finance ministers and central bank governors from the bank’s 81 member countries. He will begin his five-year term on September 1, replacing former Nigerian president Akinwumi Adesina, who…

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) published an official statement on Thursday, announcing 134 Malian migrants stranded in Libya have been voluntarily repatriated. According to the statement, the migrants were repatriated from Sebha in southern Libya to Bamako, Mali, on May 26 under IOM’s Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) program, which helps irregular migrants return home in safety. Libya is still a major transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, especially after the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, which plunged the country into prolonged instability. IOM reported that 9,285 migrants have been intercepted and returned…

The National Electoral Commission of South Sudan has urged financial assistance to support preparations for the country’s first general elections, scheduled for December 2026. Speaking at a one-day roundtable in Juba on Thursday, Commissioner Amos Juma stressed the urgent need for funding to ensure the elections are free, fair and credible. He stressed the importance of engaging stakeholders, including civil society and political parties, and called for the rapid implementation of a civic and voter education strategy to raise public awareness. “We must continue to engage with stakeholders and accelerate the distribution of voter education materials so that the public…

The South African Reserve Bank has cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 7.25% after inflation fell below the bank’s target range for a second month in a row. The decision, announced on Thursday, followed headline consumer inflation eased to 2.8% year-on-year in April, well below the central bank’s 3% to 6% target. With inflationary pressures easing, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to cut rates in a closely contested vote: five members backed a 25 basis point cut, while one advocated a deeper 50 basis point cut. Economists had expected a close call, noting the MPC’s…

Nigerian authorities have rejected a recent report by Amnesty International Nigeria accusing the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to protect its citizens. The rights group claimed that more than 10,000 people have been killed since Tinubu took office in May 2023. The report, released as President Tinubu celebrated his second anniversary in office, said 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by armed groups, including gunmen, bandits and insurgents. The report highlights that Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi and Edo states have been particularly affected. According to the report, Benue recorded 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau…

A serious cholera outbreak in the Sudan’s capital Khartoum has killed over 70 people in just two days, amid a worsening health emergency in the war-torn city, health officials confirmed on Thursday. According to the Khartoum State Health Department, 1,177 new cases and 45 deaths were reported on Tuesday, followed by 942 infections and 25 additional deaths on Wednesday. The outbreak is further straining a health system already crumbling from more than two years of conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The latest pick in cases follows recent drone strikes attributed to…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) remains hopeful that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will rejoin the regional bloc, despite their recent withdrawal, officials said during ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Nigeria on Wednesday. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar downplayed the impact of the trio’s exit, emphasizing the bloc’s continued progress. “Much has been made of the departure of three member states, but democracy is a journey, not a one-time event,” Tuggar said. ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray also struck a conciliatory tone, expressing confidence in future unity. “Even without our brothers who left, we recognize the importance…

In the heart of the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, a quiet climate revolution is underway. Refugees who once relied heavily on charcoal—produced through deforestation—are now turning to eco-friendly biomass briquettes as a cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable cooking alternative, journalist Hamza Kyeyune from Anadolu Agency reports. With support from the Education Above All (EAA) foundation, a climate action initiative led by Girl Child Network (GCN) and Green Youth 360 is empowering refugees and host communities in northern Kenya to produce and use briquettes made from waste materials like paper, sawdust, and agricultural residue. Awime Magela, a 22-year-old refugee from…

Namibia held its first official commemoration of the Herero and Nama genocide on Wednesday, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah renewing calls for Germany to pay reparations for atrocities committed over a century ago. The ceremony, held at the Parliament Gardens in Windhoek, marked the massacre of tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. The mass killings, triggered by uprisings against German rule, are widely recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. “We take some comfort in Germany’s recognition that a genocide took place,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah said. “But we must remain…

Kenyan President William Ruto has publicly apologized to Tanzania and Uganda in a bid to ease growing diplomatic tensions following the controversial deportation of Kenyan and Ugandan activists from Tanzanian territory. Speaking during Kenya’s annual national prayer breakfast held in Nairobi on Wednesday, President Ruto called for reconciliation and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong regional ties. “To our neighbors in Tanzania and Uganda, if we have wronged you in any way, we seek your forgiveness,” Ruto said. “We want to foster relationships that will elevate the greatness of our countries.” His comments come in the wake of heightened tensions…

The government of Burkina Faso has launched a comprehensive agricultural equipment distribution campaign to strengthen the agricultural sector and increase food security. At a ceremony held in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso on May 22, 2025, Transitional President Captain Ibrahim Traoré delivered the equipment to farmers and agricultural investors. This support package, worth a total of 104 billion CFA francs (approximately $179 million), aims to increase the country’s agricultural production and promote rural development. The ceremony distributed 400 tractors, 239 motorcycles, 710 motor pumps, and 714 motorcycles for agricultural consultants. The support for the agricultural sector was not limited to this.…

Tensions flared at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar on Tuesday as Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuval Waks, was forced to leave the campus following a protest by pro-Palestinian students. Waks, who was scheduled to speak at a conference on international relations, was met by a crowd of students chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Israel is a war criminal.” Protesters waved Palestinian flags and booed the ambassador, disrupting the event and blocking him from delivering his address. Videos circulating online show the scene unfolding, with students surrounding the entrance to the hall and continuing to chant as…