US sanctions former head of DR Congo’s wildlife agency

West African military leaders are set to gather in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on Thursday to deliberate the potential for a military intervention in Niger in the event that diplomatic efforts do not succeed in reversing the military coup. Last month, the presidential guard in Niger, led by General Abdourahmane Tiani, staged a coup, leading to widespread condemnation from global powers and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In response, ECOWAS decided last week to assemble a standby military force. The meeting of ECOWAS army chiefs is scheduled to commence at Ghana’s armed forces headquarters at approximately 0900 GMT on Thursday and is expected to conclude by Friday afternoon. Niger’s junta has expressed willingness to engage in discussions to address the situation. However, the detention of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and the announcement of his potential prosecution for high treason have raised concerns that the junta might not be inclined to pursue a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The African Union, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations have expressed concerns over the conditions of detention for Bazoum. Any potential military intervention could exacerbate the already precarious situation in the impoverished Sahel region, where a decade-long insurgency by groups associated with Al Qaeda and Islamic State has led to the displacement of millions and exacerbated a severe hunger crisis. Niger hosts troops from the United States, France, Germany, and Italy, who are involved in international initiatives aimed at countering the insurgency. The nation holds significant strategic value for global powers due to its reserves of uranium and oil.

Captured Libyan commander returns to unit as 55 killed in clashes

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has said that his country will develop, with or without World Bank loans. The president’s defiance follows a decision by the World Bank to stop making fresh loans to Uganda due to the nation’s contentious anti-LGBTQI+. The Washington, DC-based lender announced that it would halt project financing while it reviewed the steps it took to safeguard sexual and gender minorities from prejudice and exclusion in its initiatives. “Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank’s values,” the lender said in a statement. As a result of the anti-homosexuality legislation, the U.S. placed travel restrictions on Ugandan officials in June 2023. President Museveni, who described homosexuality as a psychological condition, dismissed criticism from other countries, saying that the law was “necessary” to prevent members of the LGBTQI+ community from trying to “recruit” people. Uganda’s legislation provides for a mandatory death sentence for a person convicted of “aggravated homosexuality”. President Museveni has insisted that Uganda will do with, or without, the support of the World Bank.

Chairperson Fakki Mahamat calls for dialogue to achieve lasting solution to conflict

Nigeria’s president announced a cabinet of close advisers and political loyalists as he seeks to rejuvenate a faltering economy and respond to a crisis in neighbouring Niger that has dominated the first few months of his term in office. Bola Tinubu, who took over in May, appointed investment banker Wale Edun as finance and co-ordinating minister of the economy in a sweeping role responsible for rebooting the battered finances of Africa’s most populous nation. Edun, a former chair of the Lagos-based investment bank Chapel Hill Denham, was previously Tinubu’s special adviser on monetary policy. Many had expected Edun to be appointed finance minister eight years ago under former president Muhammadu Buhari but he was overlooked. One of Tinubu’s closest allies, he served as commissioner of finance in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, from 1999 to 2007 when Tinubu was governor of the state. Edun, 62, played a key role in crafting Tinubu’s economic manifesto during the campaign for February’s elections and is regarded as the architect of market-pleasing attempts to return to economic orthodoxy in Africa’s biggest economy.

Boat was carrying more than 100 people, at least 38 rescued.

Somalia to launch new large-scale military offensive against terrorists

The new U.S. ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, will arrive in Niamey, the State Department said

Nigerian state starts dialogue with bandits over escalating killings

Bloc urges military administration to restore constitutional order.

Pressure grows in DR Congo to revoke emergency measures in east

An agreement has been reached to establish a strong unified army that reflects Sudan’s diversity, under civilian authority, and lays the foundation for a true democratic civilian governance system at all levels

The Sudanese community in Cairo says there are more than a million Sudanese who have come to Egypt following the escalation of the crisis in Sudan

A top Sudanese official has said that a plan should be put in place to end the conflict between the army and RSF amid the continuing violence in the country

The Sudanes army says that it has liberated all the areas that Joseph Tuka’s forces had reached

Death toll from clashes in Libya rises to 55 – medical agency

A peace agreement between Salamat and Beni Halba tribes was reached following civil conflict in Kubum, South Darfur

S Africa church leads class action against mining companies

Egypt’s blackouts seen as a symbol of discontent against Sisi

Kenya’s treasury reports record high debt levels

Nigeria engaging in new contract negotiations with coach Peseiro

Attack near Mali border claims lives of seventeen Nigerien soldiers

Dozens of migrants rescued, others found dead off Cape Verde