Nigeria Orders Probe into Tragic Ondo Military Plane Crash
Nigerian authorities are investigating the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, which had 25 passengers and seven crew members on board. The aircraft was travelling from Benin to Lagos on a routine mission when it crashed into a swampy area. President Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough investigation and declared three days of national mourning, with flags to fly at half-mast. The Nigerian Air Force said search and rescue operations were immediately activated. The Ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority offered technical support. Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa also deployed emergency, health and security agencies to assist. Local officials and eyewitnesses reported finding wreckage, human remains and personal belongings at the difficult-to-access crash site, with early accounts indicating there may have been no survivors.
Abiy Ahmed Sworn In for Second Term as Ethiopia’s Prime Minister
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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been sworn in for a second five-year term as the country formally begins a new parliamentary term amid renewed conflict in Tigray and worsening tensions with neighbouring Eritrea. Abiy took the oath during the inaugural session of the seventh House of Peoples’ Representatives, with the new administration described as the “Medemer Government”, reflecting his political philosophy of cooperation and national unity. The inauguration comes as federal forces and their allies consolidate control of Mekelle after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front withdrew from the city. Fighting has continued elsewhere in the region, including reported airstrikes and artillery attacks. The renewed violence has raised fears of a return to the devastating 2020–2022 Tigray war. Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea of supporting a new rebel alliance, a claim Asmara denies, further straining regional relations and raising concerns about a wider Horn of Africa conflict.
Ugandan President Questions Progress on Appeal of Death-Row Daycare Killer
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has questioned the handling of the appeal of Christopher Okello Onyum, who was sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering four toddlers at a daycare centre in Ggaba, Kampala. Speaking to the NRM Caucus, Museveni said the case appeared to have “disappeared” after the appeal was filed and questioned whether appellate proceedings could be held in the same community where the original trial took place. Onyum was convicted by the High Court in April following a mobile trial at Ggaba Community Church. The victims were Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignatius Sseruyange and Ryan Odeke, who were killed at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2. Onyum has appealed both his conviction and sentence, arguing that the evidence was not properly evaluated and that his mental state was not adequately considered. The Court of Appeal remains responsible for determining the merits of the case.
Malawi Proposal Seeks Major Changes to Vice-Presidency
A Lilongwe resident, Boldwin Bickiel Dzuwalatsoka, has submitted a draft Constitutional Amendment Bill proposing major changes to Malawi’s Vice-Presidency. The proposal would end the automatic succession of a Vice-President to the presidency, make the position appointive rather than elected on a joint presidential ticket, and allow the President to dismiss the Vice-President at any time without impeachment proceedings. The Vice-President would also have a largely ceremonial role, with executive powers delegated by the President. Under the proposal, if the presidency became vacant, the Speaker of Parliament would become interim President within 24 hours and organise a fresh presidential election within 90 days of the deceased President’s burial. Dzuwalatsoka argued that the current system has contributed to political tensions and power struggles between presidents and their deputies. The proposal has not yet been tabled in Parliament and would require constitutional scrutiny and the necessary parliamentary support before it could take effect.
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U.S. Supreme Court Ruling May Resume Deportation Flights to Liberia
The US Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump administration to continue deporting migrants to third countries temporarily could lead to the resumption of deportation flights to Liberia. At least 20 people have already been deported to the West African nation, some of whom had never had any connection to Liberia. The policy has referenced the nation’s long and complicated relationship with the United States, dating back to the early 19th century when the American Colonization Society advocated sending free Black Americans to Africa. Those settlers established Liberia, which became Africa’s first independent republic in 1847. Thousands of Black Americans and others were transported there during the 19th century, although many died from disease and others faced severe hardship. The latest deportations are different in circumstances, but critics and historians have noted parallels with earlier US efforts to remove nonwhite people viewed as unwanted from American society. The Supreme Court is expected to consider the broader legality of the current third-country deportation policy.
