Ugandan Man Gets Death Sentence for Nursery School Killings
A Ugandan court has sentenced 38-year-old Christopher Okello Onyum to death by hanging for the murder of four toddlers at a nursery school in Kampala. The victims, aged between one and two, were fatally stabbed at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Program on 2 April. While capital punishment has not been abolished in Uganda, it is rarely carried out, with the last recorded case taking place in 2005. Onyum, who holds both Ugandan and US citizenship, has 14 days to appeal against the sentence. Onyum admitted the crime and called it a “human sacrifice” that he hoped would make him rich. However, he later pleaded not guilty, denying intentional wrongdoing. He maintained that he was suffering from mental illness at the time of the attack and was unable to form the intent to kill. He urged the court to acquit him on the grounds of insanity. However, presiding judge Alice Komuhangi Khauka ruled that he was “very sane” on the day of the attack.
17 Sudanese Refugees Drown as Boat Capsizes off Libyan Coast
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At least 17 Sudanese refugees have drowned in a Mediterranean shipwreck off the Libyan coast near Tobruk. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said that of the 33 people known to be on board the boat, only seven survived. Nine people are still listed as missing. Since the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023, Libya has become both a refuge and a trap. According to the UNHCR Libya Sudanese refugee data, more than 559,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in the country, though only a fraction are formally registered. Many live in limbo, crowded into informal camps or urban margins–exposed to trafficking, exploitation and violence along what are described as “dangerous escape routes”. The UNHCR frames the crisis as part of the world’s largest displacement emergency, with millions of Sudanese scattered across the region.
Russian Forces to Remain in Mali Despite Rebel Attacks
Russia has said that its forces would remain in Mali and continue backing the country’s military rulers, rejecting demands from Tuareg separatists to withdraw after surprise attacks forced Russian troops out of a key northern town. The offensive forced Russia’s Africa Corps paramilitary unit to pull out of Kidal, a strategic northern town that Russian forces helped the Malian army recapture from Tuareg rebels in 2023, prompting speculation about a wider pull-out. A Kremlin spokesperson denied Russian forces were planning to leave Mali. He reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to fighting extremism alongside Malian authorities. The developments come after escalating violence involving jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and separatist forces. Defence Minister Sadio Camara, a central figure in the military government and the driving force behind Mali’s partnership with Russian mercenaries, was killed in an attack on his residence. Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012, fuelled by violence from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as separatist movements and criminal gangs.
Nigeria Accused of Abuse, Deaths in Kwara Detention Camp
Amnesty International has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect detained Fulani pastoralists in Kwara State, alleging that at least 150 people, most of them children, died in a military-controlled camp where displaced persons were held for months under harsh conditions. The organisation said those who died were among about 1,500 Fulani men, women, and children detained at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Yikpata after fleeing attacks by armed groups across parts of the state. According to the report, many detainees had initially fled their homes in Asa, Edu, Ifelodun and Patigi local government areas due to escalating violence. Military authorities later directed some to relocate to designated assembly points before transporting them to the camp in Yikpata. The organisation said acute malnutrition and disease were widespread in the camp, with at least 100 pregnant women reportedly at risk of life-threatening complications due to lack of maternal care. Amnesty called on Nigerian authorities to conduct what it described as a prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the reported deaths and treatment of detainees.
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Mozambique, U.S. Sign $537 Million Development Deal
Mozambique and the United States have signed a $537.5 million memorandum of understanding under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The United States government announced in September 2025 that Mozambique would receive foreign aid under the MCC, despite fears that the Trump administration would destroy it, just as it dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The aid packages disbursed under the MCC are known as “compacts’. The Compact contains three projects – one on coastal livelihoods and climate resilience, one on connectivity and rural transport, and one on promoting reform and investment in agriculture. The agreement includes $500 million in US contributions and 37.5 million dollars guaranteed by the Mozambican state, in a co-financing architecture geared towards concrete results. According to the Minister of Planning and Development, Salim Valá, the signed memorandum of understanding represents a milestone in deepening cooperation relations between the two countries.
