Displaying items by tag: Africa

More than 300 people, including many women and children, have been abducted after militant fighters attacked the town of Ngoshe in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state. Local officials say the assault likely came in retaliation for the recent killing of three Boko Haram commanders by Nigerian forces. The attack forms part of a wider wave of violence across the region, with additional assaults reported in several nearby communities. Although the military says troops repelled some attacks, soldiers were also killed during the fighting. Mass kidnappings have become increasingly common in Nigeria, particularly in remote areas where security is limited. Armed groups often arrive on motorbikes, raid villages quickly, and disappear into remote bushland before troops can respond. Among the militant groups operating in the region are Boko Haram, IS, and other armed gangs which engage in kidnapping and illegal mining. Analysts warn that cross-border militant cooperation and new technologies such as drones are strengthening these groups, while many communities remain vulnerable to ongoing violence.

Egypt’s tourism sector has rebounded strongly in recent years, reaffirming its importance to the national economy. In 2025 the country welcomed nearly 19 million visitors, a 21% increase from the previous year, while tourism revenues reached €14.17 billion - more than 20% above pre-pandemic levels. This recovery follows the sharp decline in 2020 when travel restrictions caused revenues to fall dramatically. Authorities expect continued growth in 2026, supported by increased air travel, including a significant rise in charter flights, and the development of destinations such as El Alamein, Siwa and the North Coast. The government is investing in infrastructure, with plans for more than 200,000 new hotel rooms and expanded airport capacity. However, due to the new Middle East conflict many Egyptians are at present struggling with rising living costs: higher transport costs are pushing up food prices, leaving both vendors and families facing growing financial strain. See

Leaders from the twelve nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have reportedly agreed to establish a new regional force to address growing insecurity across West Africa. Military chiefs reached the decision during a meeting in Sierra Leone, where discussions focussed on the rising threat of jihadist violence, the spread of transnational organised crime, and ongoing maritime insecurity in the region. The proposed force aims to assemble about two thousand troops who would respond to terrorism and instability while remaining based in their home countries, with Sierra Leone serving as a logistical hub. Officials are still working through questions about how the force will be funded, and ECOWAS has not yet issued a formal announcement. Much of the concern centres on the Sahel region, where militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda and IS have been active for years. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger - now outside ECOWAS - are viewed as crucial to cooperation.

Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has called for stronger action by state governments as the country faces a worsening outbreak of Lassa fever. The viral disease, endemic in parts of West Africa, typically peaks during the dry season from November to May, and at least 18 Nigerian states have reported cases, notably Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba and Edo. By mid-February, 326 infections and 75 deaths (including three healthcare workers) had been confirmed. Officials say weak infection-prevention practices and limited access to personal protective equipment have contributed to transmission in hospitals, including maternity and outpatient wards. The virus spreads through contact with food or household items contaminated by rat urine or droppings, or through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals. Gaps in contact tracing, along with stigma and misconceptions which delay treatment, have also increased risks. There is currently no licensed vaccine for Lassa fever.

An investigation has alleged that the Nigerian government paid a substantial ransom to secure the release of up to 230 children and staff abducted from a Catholic boarding school in November. The pupils were taken from St Mary’s in Niger state during a mass kidnapping by Boko Haram. Intelligence sources told AFP that millions of dollars were delivered by helicopter to militants in northeastern Borno state after negotiations reportedly led by national security adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Two Boko Haram commanders were also said to have been freed. Officials publicly denied paying any ransom, insisting that government agents do not negotiate with kidnappers. The Islamist insurgent group, active since 2009, has carried out widespread violence and abductions across northern Nigeria. Reports suggest the children were released in stages after confirmation that the payment had been received.

A United Nations report reveals severe abuse faced by migrants and refugees in Libya. Many fleeing war or poverty hope to cross the Mediterranean, but instead encounter exploitation. Testimonies describe detention in crowded centres, forced labour, trafficking, and repeated violence. Some are intercepted at sea and returned to conditions where dignity and safety are absent. Investigators say criminal networks often operate alongside officials, creating a system where suffering becomes routine. Thousands remain held without due process, and families are left uncertain about missing relatives. The crisis shows how vulnerable people can be when trapped between conflict, poverty, and political instability.

A brutal massacre in Nigeria’s Kwara state left more than two hundred dead after gunmen attacked two Muslim-majority villages for rejecting extremist teaching. Witnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles, entered a mosque and shot worshippers, then moved house to house killing, kidnapping and burning residents. Many victims were tied before execution, and entire families were wiped out. Survivors fled, leaving only a few men to bury bodies among destroyed homes. Authorities blamed Boko Haram-linked militants, and the army deployed troops while local groups struggled to respond. The violence reflects Nigeria’s wider insurgency, where armed factions target both Muslims and Christians, spreading fear across communities. International partners are now providing intelligence support, yet the tragedy shows the urgent need for protection, reconciliation and healing for traumatised survivors who have lost loved ones and livelihoods. In related news, the USA is to send two hundred soldiers to Nigeria to train local forces: see Nigeria’s military recently claimed to have killed a senior Boko Haram commander and ten other militants in Borno.

Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved constitutional changes that could extend president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule until 2030, sparking strong opposition concern. The proposals would lengthen presidential terms from five to seven years and allow parliament, rather than voters, to choose the president. Supporters say the measures would ensure political stability and continuity for development programmes, but critics argue the reforms undermine democratic processes and require a national referendum. Since coming to power in 2017, Mnangagwa has faced growing scrutiny from civil society groups who fear weakening constitutional protections. He has presided over a collapsing economy which has suffered hyperinflation and unemployment, undermined by alleged corruption and cronyism. The opposition, fragmented and weakened after years of repression, has failed so far to mount significant resistance to the proposal.

UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has warned that the world is ‘looking away’ from the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Sudan, urging global action to protect women and children. Visiting the Sudan–Chad border, she said the international community was failing Sudanese women, many of whom have suffered sexual violence since fighting erupted in 2023 between the army and the RSF. At the overcrowded refugee camp in Adré, most arrivals were women and children who had fled extreme brutality. More than twelve million people have been displaced, with millions crossing borders in search of safety. The UK has pledged new funding to support survivors, alongside partners including War Child, represented on the visit by Carey Mulligan. Calls are growing for stronger international pressure to end violence, halt the flow of arms, and pursue accountability. Meanwhile, the army claims to have broken through a blockade by RSF of the important town of Kadugli: see

For reporter Haru Mutasa, covering climate change stories was not part of the plan, yet one assignment led relentlessly to another. A routine trip to Kenya’s Mandera County revealed a devastating drought along the Kenya–Somalia border. Dry riverbeds, starving camels and burned livestock graves told a grim story. Communities depended on infrequent water deliveries, sharing muddy water with animals. Pastoralists like Mohamed Hussein had lost most of their livestock, struggling to keep families alive. After leaving Kenya, Haru thought the story was over. Instead, heavy rains and floods swept across southern Africa. Soon she was deployed again, this time to Mozambique. In Maputo, neighbourhoods lay submerged in filthy floodwaters. Further south, highways had disappeared underwater and farmland had vanished beneath rising rivers. With dams upstream full, more flooding threatens. While the world looks elsewhere, these communities remain, facing a climate crisis that refuses to pause.