Dozens of women seeking refuge at a camp for terror victims in Nigeria were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists while collecting firewood.

Social media platforms have woven themselves into the fabric of modern African society

Nigeria began trials this week for hundreds of people, including members of the country’s electoral commission, accused of committing offenses related to last year’s general elections. Trials for 190 people, including electoral body officials and members of the major political parties, opened in courts across the country on Monday. Lawyers from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, are serving as the prosecutor at the trials, with attorneys with the Nigerian Bar Association providing the defense. The INEC says the trials will serve as deterrents in future elections. Godbless Otubure, founder of the pro-democracy nonprofit Ready to Lead Africa, said civic society groups welcome the trials but hope they are not just for show. “It shows that the recommendations that the [civil society organization] community has been making to INEC to ensure that the sanctity and integrity of the electoral process is protected, is sort of gaining ground,” Otubure said. “A bit slow, but this is a welcome development. What we want to see is beyond just the announcement of trials, it’s securing convictions. We’ll continue to monitor it closely and see what the end product is.” Defendants are facing charges such as vote buying, stealing and destroying election materials, disorderly conduct at election venues, willful neglect of duty, possession of firearms and election-related violence. Such infractions are common in Nigeria before, during and after the polls. In last year’s general elections, police say more than 20 people were killed in election-related violence. Emmanuel Njoku of the nonprofit Connected Development said he hopes some of the main perpetrators will be brought to justice. “The thing that would achieve the most impact is not just trying these faceless people, there are very popular faces that were caught on live video threatening people not to come out to vote,” Njoku said. “If we can see such people arrested, tried and convicted on the basis of available evidence, that in itself will go a very long way.” According to the Afrobarometer survey conducted before the polls, less than a fourth of Nigerian citizens had trust in the electoral process. Analysts say irregularities during the polls made matters worse. Otubure said if the trial results in convictions, it could change the negative public opinions. “It’s about cause and effect,” Otubure said. “If people part away with ballot boxes, disrupt the electoral process and they go scot-free, you reduce overall public trust. If people get involved in electoral offenses and they are tried and jailed, you begin to build public trust again. It will not solve the age-long challenge of mistrust but it will begin a reconstruction process.” For now, civil society organizations and observers will be watching to see what happens.

Flash floods in Malawi’s central region last week left six people dead and has displaced thousands of others

Senegalese president Macky Sall was handed the report written following the national dialogue he convened last week.

According to prosecutors Kony had ultimate power over the entire LRA and led a coordinated campaign to abduct children to integrate them into the LRA.

Those on death row include senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and other politicians elected before the 2013 coup that brought President Sisi to power.

Turkish Energy Minister Bayraktar and Somalia’s Minister Mohamed discussed enhancing bilateral energy cooperation during a meeting in Ankara.

Liberia’s lower house moves forward with establishing a war crimes court for past civil war abuses.

The UN migration agency IOM reported on Monday that the total number of displaced people reached 112,894 from December 22 to March 3

Several African countries are increasingly investing in space exploration and technology,

An RSF officer and two soldiers lost their lives in the clash

Safarilink, the local airline, assured that passengers on its plane destined for the coastal resort of Diani remained unharmed

Algeria has pledged that it will support Mozambique in its fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Ghana’s finance ministry has warned the country stands to lose a substantial amount of financing from international banks estimated at USD$3.8 billion over the next five to six years

‘Seeking shelter near Lampedusa is our only option,’ says Sea-Watch International.

The largest amount of crude cocaine in the country’s history was seized at the Port of Benghazi in eastern Libya. In a written statement made by the Libyan Anti-Narcotics Unit, information was given about the drug operation carried out by security forces in Benghazi Port. The statement said that security forces searched two banana containers coming from Ecuador upon a tip-off from Saudi Arabia’s Counter Narcotics Unit and seized 128 kilograms of crude cocaine hidden on the floor of the containers. The statement said that the amount seized corresponds to 640 kilograms after dilution and is the highest amount of cocaine seized at a single time in the country’s history. The statement added that the financial value of the seized cocaine was over 224 million Libyan dinars (46 million 280 thousand dollars) and that 2 Customs Administration employees who were found to be in agreement with the smugglers were detained in the light of initial investigations. It was reported that an investigation was launched to capture other members of the smuggling gang.

The Gambia debates repealing its ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), citing religious freedom.

The European Union provided Tunisia with €150 million to support their budget for financial stability and economic reforms as the country faces a financial crisis.

Congo villagers take justice into their own hands, stoning two women to death over witchcraft allegations.

The US targets Zimbabwe’s President and officials with sanctions over corruption and rights abuses.

Senegalese President Macky Sall faces a political crisis as he receives a June 2 election recommendation after protests over the postponed February 25 vote.

The importance of preserving Africa’s indigenous languages cannot be overstated

The proposed agreement includes the release of hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, which triggered the conflict