Scores Killed in Nigeria Air Strike on Market
Scores of people, mostly traders, were killed after a Nigerian military air strike reportedly hit a village market. The attack took place near the border between Yobe and Borno states. The aircraft was said to be engaged in an operation against Islamist militants in the area. The Nigerian Air Force said it carried out “mop-up” air strikes on “identified terrorist locations” within the Jilli axis of Borno State. Multiple sources said the fighter jet that carried out the operation was tracking a group of suspected insurgents believed to have visited the market to collect levies from traders and obtain supplies. However, the strike reportedly missed its intended target. Amnesty International has condemned the military airstrike.
Polls Close in Benin as Finance Minister Wadagni Eyes Victory
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Polling stations have closed in Benin after nearly eight million eligible voters cast their ballots in a presidential election. Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is expected to secure victory. Patrice Talon, the outgoing president, is stepping down after reaching his limit of two five-year terms and surviving a coup attempt last December. Talon endorsed his 49-year-old finance minister, Wadagni, to lead the next government. The main opposition party, the Democrats, is not fielding a candidate after its leader, Renaud Agbodjo, failed to secure enough parliamentary endorsements to get his name on the ballot. The vote took place under the watch of observers from ECOWAS, the African Union and the European Union.
Pope Leo XIV to Begin Four-Nation Africa Tour
Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on an 18,000-kilometre tour across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. He is expected to deliver 11 speeches and preside over seven masses before returning on 23 April. The visit, his third abroad since his election, is expected to address global issues including conflict, migration, corruption and human rights amid ongoing uncertainty linked to the Middle East war. Leo will become the first pope to visit Algeria, where Islam is the state religion. He is expected to meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and travel to Annaba, home of Saint Augustine, where he will meet members of the Augustinian order. He is also expected to pay tribute to migrants killed in shipwrecks trying to reach Europe. In Cameroon, he is expected to focus on peace and reconciliation, particularly in the conflict-hit, English-speaking northwest of the country. In Angola, the Pope is expected to address poverty and corruption in a country rich in oil and minerals but marked by deep inequality, after a long civil war that ended in 2002. The final leg of the tour in Equatorial Guinea will see Pope Leo meet President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has ruled since 1979.
UK Chagos Deal on Ice After Lack of US Formal Approval
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has shelved his Chagos Islands deal amid worsening relations with Donald Trump after the U.S. failed to formally confirm its approval. Trump had urged Starmer to scrap the deal despite earlier expressing support for the treaty. In January, Trump called the plan an “act of total weakness”. UK government officials have said they are not entirely abandoning the agreement, which would hand sovereignty of the British territory to Mauritius, but have run out of time to pass legislation before Parliament is prorogued in the coming weeks. The Chagos Islands, officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, are located in the Indian Ocean, and Britain has controlled them since the early 19th Century.
Somaliland MP Urges X to Recognise Territory
A Somaliland lawmaker, Abdilahi Mohamed Ahmed, has called on Elon Musk and social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to address what he described as a lack of digital recognition for Somaliland users. Ahmed urged the company to include the Republic of Somaliland in its identity verification system. In a letter, he said Somaliland users were currently required to select Somalia when verifying their identity on X, a requirement he argued does not reflect their national identity. He said that this exclusion creates obstacles for Somalilanders, blocking account verification and limiting full use of X for personal, business, journalistic, or civic needs. This exclusion creates obstacles for Somalilanders, blocking account verification and limiting full use of X for personal, business, journalistic, or civic needs.
