Author: WAJ Editor

Seven Chinese nationals have been convicted by the Kapenguria Law Courts of Kenya for conducting illegal mining operations along the Wei-Wei River in Sigor, Pokot Central Sub-County. The accused—Wang Youping, Xian Zhenming, He Zhouming, Wang Xiadodong, Zhao Zhenewei, Guan Qiang, and Deng Chun—were apprehended on February 12, 2025, during a coordinated crackdown led by the Mining Investigations Unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects were found engaging in large-scale mining activities without the necessary government licenses. Authorities impounded an array of heavy machinery at…

Libyans are facing a steep drop in purchasing power following the sudden devaluation of the national currency, as the country grapples with prolonged political division and economic instability. Earlier this month, the Central Bank of Libya reduced the official value of the dinar by 13.3 percent—the second such adjustment in five years—raising the official exchange rate from 4.48 to 5.56 dinars per U.S. dollar. In the black market, the rate surged from 6.90 to 7.80 dinars per dollar, further driving up import costs and consumer prices. Experts attribute the dinar’s depreciation to unsustainable public spending by Libya’s two rival governments,…

The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a series of deadly assaults in Sudan that have reportedly killed around 400 civilians, including children and humanitarian workers. In a statement delivered on Thursday, Council President and France’s UN Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont expressed alarm over the intensifying violence, particularly in and around El Fasher. He cited repeated RSF attacks on the city as well as on Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for internally displaced people. “The Council members called for the RSF to be held accountable for these attacks and demanded an immediate halt to…

Four men suspected of involvement in international drug trafficking have been extradited from Guinea-Bissau to the United States and appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale today. The suspects—Ramon Manriquez Castillo, 68, a dual U.S.-Mexican national; Edgar Rodriguez Ruano, 29, of Mexico; Fernando Javier Escobar Tito, 48, of Ecuador; and Anderson Jair Gamboa Nieto, 30, of Colombia—were surrendered to U.S. authorities on April 16 following a coordinated international law enforcement operation. According to a newly unsealed federal indictment, the men are accused of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy from November 2023 to September 2024. The charges allege they used…

Massad Boulos, senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on African affairs, has reiterated Washington’s stance that Rwanda must immediately end all military support for the M23 rebel group and withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Speaking during an online press briefing following a diplomatic tour of Rwanda, the DRC, Uganda, and Kenya, Boulos underscored U.S. concerns over Rwanda’s alleged involvement in the eastern Congo conflict. “Rwanda should cease all military support of M23 and withdraw all Rwandan troops from DRC territory,” he stated. The DRC, along with Western powers including the United States and the…

A U.S. federal jury in Colorado has convicted Gambian national Michael Sang Correa for his role in the torture of detainees in 2006, marking the first time a non-American has been found guilty under the U.S. Torture Act for crimes committed abroad, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. Correa, a former member of the feared Gambian paramilitary unit known as the “Junglers,” operated under the regime of ex-president Yahya Jammeh. During the trial, witnesses recounted how Correa participated in the torture of five individuals suspected of plotting a coup against Jammeh. The abuses described included electrocution, stabbing, burning, and…

Ghana has extended invitations to the military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to attend the launch of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), scheduled for April 22, 2025, in Accra. President John Dramani Mahama, who will host the event, is leading the effort to include the three Sahel nations despite their recent withdrawal from ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The invitation is being positioned as a diplomatic gesture aimed at restoring regional dialogue and unity. At a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs…

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and his spouse Zinash Tayachew departed Hà Nội on Thursday afternoon, concluding their official visit to Vietnam and participation in the 4th Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, held from April 14 to 17 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse. The Ethiopian delegation was seen off at Nội Bài International Airport by Minister of Construction Trần Hồng Minh and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường. During the visit, Prime Minister Abiy paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his…

Armed groups believed to be terrorists have launched another wave of violence in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, torching at least two churches and 95 homes, police said. The attacks took place in the communities of Nkole and Ngura, located in the Ancuabe district, according to police spokesperson Orlando Modumane. He told Anadolu Agency that the assailants struck on Sunday and returned the following day, targeting residents in daylight hours with guns and machetes. “They invaded the two communities in broad daylight, armed with guns and machetes, and after setting ablaze the two churches and the 95 houses, they fled with…

Contrary to widespread claims circulating on social media, Nigerians are not barred from participating in the 2025 hajj pilgrimage. The Saudi Arabian government’s recent suspension of short-term visas does not affect hajj pilgrims. A number of Facebook posts in Nigeria have falsely reported that Saudi Arabia imposed a visa ban on Nigerians ahead of this year’s hajj. However, official clarifications reveal that the restriction only applies to new short-term visas, such as tourist, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries, including Nigeria. The policy, which took effect on 13 April, does not impact hajj visas. The annual Islamic pilgrimage…

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Tunisian government of systematically using arbitrary detention to suppress dissent, urging authorities to end the ongoing crackdown and release political prisoners, as several high-profile opposition figures face trial on conspiracy charges. In a report released Wednesday, the New York-based rights group said the administration of President Kais Saied had made arbitrary arrests a central tool in silencing critics, reversing hard-won freedoms achieved since the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. “President Saied’s government has dragged Tunisia back into an era of political imprisonment, stripping citizens of their civil liberties,” said Bassam Khawaja, HRW’s deputy director…

A tragic river accident in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 50 people dead and more than 100 missing after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and capsized on the Congo River late Tuesday night, according to local authorities. The vessel, named HB Kongolo, was en route from the port of Matankumu to Bolomba territory when the fire broke out near the town of Mbandaka, said River Commissioner Compétent Loyoko. The incident occurred after a passenger began cooking on board, which reportedly sparked the blaze. Several passengers, including women and children, jumped into the river to escape…

Algeria and Russia have held high-level discussions aimed at enhancing military and parliamentary ties, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen their long-standing strategic partnership, according to statements from both governments. The Algerian Ministry of National Defence confirmed that Mohamed Saleh Benbicha, Secretary-General of the Ministry, hosted a Russian delegation led by Yuri Valyaev, Deputy Chair of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security and head of the Algerian-Russian Parliamentary Friendship Group. Talks focused on shared interests, particularly within the framework of the Joint Committee on Military-Technical Cooperation, signaling continued collaboration in defense and security sectors. The visit…

The Egyptian government announced Wednesday that maritime security in the Red Sea has seen significant improvement, urging international shipping companies and foreign governments to redirect vessels through the Suez Canal. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly made the appeal during a ceremony attended by foreign ambassadors, emphasizing the strategic and economic importance of the waterway. “The Suez Canal is the world’s main shipping artery and a source of pride for every Egyptian,” he said. Madbouly stated that attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea have ceased since December 2024, and called on diplomats to relay this development to their respective countries.…

South African health authorities are preparing to conduct pauper’s funerals for 66 unclaimed bodies discovered earlier this year in an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, North West province, a senior official has confirmed. Tshegofatso Mothibedi, spokesperson for the province’s Health Department, said only 12 of the 78 bodies recovered from the mine in January have been identified by relatives. The remaining corpses may be buried as early as next month if they remain unclaimed. “In line with the National Health Act 61 of 2003 and Regulation 43 governing forensic pathology services, bodies that remain unclaimed for over 30 days may…

Veteran stage and screen actor Don Mlangeni Nawa has passed away at the age of 65, his family confirmed in a statement released on Wednesday morning. Nawa, widely celebrated for his portrayal of Bra Zeb Matabane on Isidingo, became a household name in the 1980s through his role as Laqhasha in the popular sitcom Sgudi Snaysi. With a career spanning several decades, he also starred in productions such as Uzalo, The River, The Throne, and Savage Beauty. In their statement, the family described him as “the heart of our family – a loving father, brother and friend. To the world,…