Author: Amina Abdi

Belgian authorities have detained three people suspected of involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Cameroon’s long-running separatist conflict, federal prosecutors have said. The suspects are believed to be senior figures within the Ambazonia Defence Forces, an armed group fighting for the independence of Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions in the predominantly French-speaking country. Prosecutors allege that the suspects helped co-ordinate the rebellion from Belgium, including raising funds for weapons and issuing instructions for attacks carried out in Cameroon. “Money is reportedly being raised for the armed struggle and for the purchase of arms and ammunition, and instructions…

South African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare says it expects double-digit profit growth for the full 2026 financial year, even after reporting a sharp decline in earnings during the first half, driven largely by once-off restructuring costs. The company reported a 21% drop in normalised headline earnings for the six months ended December 31, with earnings per share falling to 574.8 cents. Normalised EBITDA declined 13% to about 5 billion rand, reflecting the financial impact of restructuring loss-making manufacturing operations in France and South Africa. Aspen said it incurred a one-off restructuring charge of 695 million rand as it works to streamline…

Sudan has, for the first time, accused Ethiopia of playing a direct role in its civil war, alleging that attack drones were launched from Ethiopian territory into Sudan during strikes carried out in February and March. In a statement released late on Monday, Sudan’s foreign ministry said the alleged drone operations mark a serious escalation in the nearly three-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a war that has already become one of the deadliest in the world and has displaced millions. According to the ministry, the drone launches constitute “a blatant violation of Sudanese…

Divisions within the Anglican Church are deepening as conservative clergy move to appoint a rival global leader just weeks before the installation of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Clerics from the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon), a conservative Anglican movement, have gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, to choose their own “first among equals” in open opposition to Sarah Mullally, who was confirmed in January as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. Her formal installation is scheduled for later this month in England. Mullally’s appointment marks a historic moment for the Anglican Communion, which comprises nearly 95 million worshippers worldwide. But it…

The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four senior Rwandan military commanders, accusing them of fuelling the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The US Treasury Department said Rwanda’s army had undermined a US-brokered peace agreement by training, arming and fighting alongside the M23 rebel movement. The deal, signed in December by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, was intended to end years of fighting in the mineral-rich region. Rwanda has strongly denied the accusations, saying the sanctions unfairly target one side and “misrepresent the reality and…

US federal investigators are examining whether a deadly shooting outside a beer garden in Austin, Texas, may be linked to terrorism, after two people were killed and more than a dozen others wounded in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is investigating a possible terrorist connection after police shot and killed the suspected gunman, bringing the total number of deaths to three. Austin police identified the suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalised US citizen who was born in Senegal, according to CBS News and other US media outlets. Police were called to…

Ghana’s foreign affairs minister has revealed that at least 55 Ghanaian nationals have lost their lives while fighting in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with two others currently being held as prisoners of war. Speaking during an official visit to Kyiv, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Ukrainian authorities estimate that around 272 Ghanaians have been drawn into the conflict since it began in 2022. He described the figures as deeply troubling, warning that the scale of Ghanaian involvement could not be ignored. “These numbers are both depressing and frightening,” Ablakwa said. “Ghana cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics.”…

When Marin Petrović landed in Mali in early September last year, it felt like a long-awaited victory. The Bosnian adventurer had spent years applying for tourist visas to the conflict-scarred country, repeatedly rejected because of security concerns. When approval finally came, he was eager to explore. Posting on Instagram in November 2025, Petrović described his excitement at wandering through the capital, Bamako—taking in markets, schools, traffic-clogged streets, and even sampling local beer. His plan was to travel onward to Mopti, home to the famed Grand Mosque, a century-old mud-brick structure rising 15 metres high along the Niger River. But the…

South African television personality Ian von Memerty, who had openly shared his intention to end his own life through a series of social media posts, has died at the age of 61. Von Memerty, a former judge on South Africa’s Got Talent and a host of the local edition of Strictly Come Dancing South Africa, passed away a week ago, according to a statement released by his family. The family did not disclose the cause of death. “As a family we have done everything we can to love and respect him on his journey,” the statement read. In the months…

At least 169 people, including senior officials, were killed on Sunday in a sudden attack in South Sudan’s northern region, authorities said. The Ruweng Administrative Area’s Information Minister, James Monyluak Mijok, said dozens of armed youths launched the assault on Abiemnom county before dawn, around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), catching residents while they slept. Homes and markets were set on fire, and fighting lasted three to four hours. Among the dead were 90 civilians – including children, women, and the elderly – and 79 members of local security forces, including police. Fifty others were wounded and transferred to the…