Regional Perspectives

Sudan's army has long accused the UAE of arming the RSF. The UAE denies the charge but some U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers have found it credible, citing evidence in reports by human rights organisations on the supply of weapons.

Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is Museveni's eldest child, said last week that he had detained Eddie Mutwe, the chief bodyguard for opposition leader Bobi Wine.

Inside Port Sudan, the attack on the electricity substation led to a power outage across the city while army units deployed around public buildings, the witness said.

Dark plumes of smoke could be seen emerging from the vicinity of the country's main maritime port in the city, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge.

The high-level visit to Juba came amid mounting tensions and stalled progress in the implementation of the 2018 accord.

Large plumes of smoke and fire rose from the facility well into the afternoon as civil defence teams worked to contain a blaze there.

The outcome of these talks will be closely watched, especially as the country prepares for local elections and works toward longer-term national reforms.

Mutwe's lawyer, Magellan Kazibwe, said his client had been produced in a chief magistrate's court in Masaka city, 140 km south of the capital Kampala and charged with simple robbery and aggravated robbery.

Boulos said the plan was for Rubio to meet in mid-May in Washington with his Rwandan and Congolese counterparts to agree on a final draft peace accord.

IGAD's Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu urged all actors to avoid unilateral actions and respect the framework of the 2018 accord, still regarded as South Sudan's best shot at sustainable peace.

In a decision issued on Monday, the UN's top court ruled that it "manifestly lacked" jurisdiction to hear the case, effectively ending the proceedings.

Ssebufu's forceful detention sparked outrage among human rights activists in Kampala, with Uganda Human Rights Commission demanding his unconditional release in a letter dated May 2, 2025.

Kigali signed an agreement with Britain in 2022 to take in thousands of asylum seekers from the UK before the deal was scrapped last year by the then newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

DRC said on Friday that it had become the latest African country to grant a license to Starlink, reversing an earlier ban.

The ranking places Ethiopia alongside Uganda (143rd) and Rwanda (146th) as East African countries experiencing a “worrying decline” in press freedom.

The army has responded by beefing up its deployment around vital facilities in Port Sudan and has closed roads leading to the presidential palace and army command.

Virtually all banks are closed. Currency shortages abound. With supply chains disrupted, prices of some staples have jumped.

Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni will oversee the NRM members' verification exercises in Rwakitura and Ntungamano Ireenga, respectively.

Witnesses described the moment RSF men poured into Zamzam displacement camp on April 11, looting and burning homes as shells rained down and drones flew overhead.

In a statement, the organisation condemned the attack, which began at approximately 4:30 am when two helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on the hospital’s pharmacy, setting it ablaze. The aircraft then continued to fire on the town of Old Fangak for around 30 minutes.

In addition to the general ban on foreign currency transactions, the regulations also place restrictions on contracts that were signed in foreign currencies. These contracts must be amended within one year to align with the new law.

These doses will primarily target the worst-affected areas, particularly focusing on at-risk populations affected by regional displacements due to security challenges.

Eddie Mutwe, who also acts as the chief bodyguard for Uganda's leading opposition figure, Bobi Wine, went missing last weekend after being grabbed near the capital Kampala by armed men.

Many had little choice after M23 dismantled displacement camps upon seizing Goma, eastern DR Congo's largest city, in late January.

The latest wave of violence, which escalated on April 11, has led to the deaths of hundreds and forced a mass flight from Al Fasher and the camps of Abu Shouk and Zamzam.

The mission's renewal reflects a sobering reality: the country's internal fragility continues to pose a threat to regional peace and security.

The phased withdrawal, which began on April 29, 2025, marks the conclusion of a mission launched in December 2023 to stabilise and restore peace in one of Africa’s most volatile zones.

The WMA stressed that such actions constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law and the principle of medical neutrality, which is designed to protect healthcare providers from military and political interference.

The exit of the soldiers comes a day after the SADC mission began its exit from Goma, a move that began quietly early Tuesday morning before it was confirmed by officials.

Human Rights Watch estimates that 17 individuals remain incarcerated in Juba without formal charges.

A unit of SpaceX, the satellite internet company, is rapidly expanding its services on the African continent and is already live in more than a dozen countries. It was granted licences by Somalia and Lesotho earlier this month.

The notice has gone to airlines and was given so that Somalia complies with United Nations Resolution 2758, passed in 1971 and which saw the Beijing government take Taipei's place at the global body, and the "one China" principle, the ministry added.

This time of year, known as the hunger gap, is when people in South Darfur face the most difficulty accessing food. MSF warns that supplies for malnutrition treatment must be pre-positioned now, or communities will be completely cut off once the rains begin.

Reports indicate that less than 20 per cent of the entire funding required for the period between January to June 2025 has been mobilised.

Kenya emphasised that it has consistently leveraged its proximity and role within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to mediate between Sudan's warring factions.

SAMIDRC was deployed on December 15, 2023, to support the DRC government in restoring peace and stability in the eastern region, following the withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

Last month, Sudan filed a case against the UAE at the World Court. The government's case alleges that the UAE violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention by arming the paramilitary RSF. The court opened hearings last week.

Ethiopia opted to restructure its external debt under the G20's Common Framework in 2021, before it defaulted on its sole Eurobond in December 2023.

Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed, who previously served as foreign minister and national security chief, was appointed defence minister, replacing Jibril Abdirashid.

The ministers say bolstered numbers are crucial to regaining lost ground. If approved, the request would substantially increase the mission's capacity.

The discussions focused on boosting bilateral military ties, with both sides expressing satisfaction over growing cooperation and agreeing on a draft military partnership expected to be signed soon.

Half of its population is facing extreme hunger, and nearly five million children and breastfeeding mothers are severely malnourished.

The outbreak started in Kampala, a crowded city of about four million that is also a crossroads for routes branching out to eastern Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan.

Worryingly, attacks based on ethnicity are returning in parts of Darfur, echoing the horrors of the 2003 conflict that also left tens of thousands dead.

This latest move marks a de-escalation of tensions after what had initially appeared to be a brewing trade row among the SADC partners.

It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease, with both countries hoping to attract significant US investments in minerals.

The meeting in Entebe, Uganda was convened to review security progress under the AUSSOM as well as take stock of gains made in the fight against Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

The RSF, which denies carrying out drone attacks and did not respond to a request for comment, has targeted power stations in army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan for the past several months, but the strikes had not previously left major death tolls.

The IPO is part of the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's broader plan to expand private investment in the Horn of Africa economy.

The AU forces in Somalia are credited for helping to root out the terrorists from the capital Mogadishu in 2009 as well as other major cities like Kismayo which was liberated by the Kenya Defence Forces in 2012.

While he maintained a quiet presence on Long Island, working as a gardener and tending bees, U.S. investigators say his past is now catching up with him.