Humanitarian Aid Cuts in Nigeria Mean 1,4 Million Face Food Shortages
Drastic cuts to humanitarian aid in north-eastern Nigeria triggered alarm among aid agencies, who warn the reductions could strengthen Boko Haram by pushing desperate youth into militant recruitment. The World Food Programme (WFP), now out of resources, has been forced to stop food support for nearly 1.4 million displaced people, like Aisha Abubakar, who lost most of her family in attacks and now struggles to survive in a displacement camp in Gwoza. Aid cuts, partly linked to shifting donor priorities, including a U.S. aid reorganisation, have led to worsening malnutrition. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that child deaths from severe malnutrition more than doubled in 2025, with over 650 children dying in their facilities alone. Although Vice-President Kashim Shettima recently acknowledged the crisis and launched a national nutrition board, local communities remain sceptical of meaningful government action. Farmers displaced by violence, like Hauwa Badamasi, are now unable to feed their families or access farmland due to ongoing insecurity. Over 150 donor-funded malnutrition clinics are facing imminent closure, but WFP officials warned that food insecurity could drive vulnerable people into the hands of insurgents, further destabilizing the region.
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso Formally Quit ECOWAS Regional Bloc
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso officially severed ties with the West African regional bloc Ecowas, ending a six-month window to reverse their withdrawal without any sign of returning. Although everyday life in the three military-led, landlocked countries has seen little immediate change, passports remain valid, free movement and duty-free trade continue, and the practical, legal, and security implications of the split remain unresolved. Officials from the three countries have been dismissed from Ecowas posts, and ongoing negotiations to manage the disentangling process have stalled since initial talks in May. Experts stress the importance of preserving regional cooperation and protecting civilians amid complex political and security challenges, including rising jihadist threats. Ecowas faces pressure to reform internally while balancing consequences for the departing states, which still depend on the bloc for funding and development programs. Meanwhile, the security landscape is shifting as French forces withdraw from the Sahel, replaced increasingly by Russian-backed groups, coinciding with a surge in deadly jihadist attacks, marking one of the most violent periods in recent regional history.
Indigenous Groups Accuse Kenyan Conservancies of Violent Land Grabs
Indigenous communities in northern Kenya are being pushed off their land to make way for wildlife reserves, human rights groups say. They accuse conservation groups of using tourism and carbon offset schemes to justify evictions and violence. A new report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Lawyers Without Borders (ASF) accused the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) of displacing Indigenous communities in northern Kenya to make way for wildlife reserves tied to tourism and carbon offset projects. The NRT claims to support community-led conservation, but rights groups said it had restricted the Borana, Samburu, and Rendille peoples from accessing their ancestral lands, often using rangers and police to enforce evictions, sometimes violently. The conservancies, which receive funding from major corporations and donors like Netflix, Meta, USAID, and the EU, have faced repeated allegations of abuse. Earlier this year, a court sided with Indigenous communities and ruled that two of NRT’s largest conservancies had been created illegally. 165 people from local communities brought the case.
Report Links Lack of Justice for Tigray Atrocities to Spread of Sexual Violence in Ethiopia
A new report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Organisation for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa (OJAH) revealed that the lack of accountability for sexual violence during Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict enabled similar atrocities to spread to other regions. The report, “You Will Never Be Able to Give Birth”: Conflict-Related Sexual and Reproductive Violence in Ethiopia, documented systematic abuse in Tigray predominantly committed by Ethiopian soldiers and their Eritrean and ethno-militia allies during the 2020-2022 war, and how a lack of accountability led to revenge attacks in the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. Tigrayan women were also held in captivity, where they were raped by multiple attackers, resulting in forced pregnancies. Tigrayan men also suffered rape and sexual assault, the report found. Despite the 2022 peace agreement, such crimes continued, especially in Eritrean-occupied areas. When Tigrayan fighters later advanced into Amhara and Afar, they too reportedly committed similar acts, driven in part by the lack of justice for prior atrocities.
Burundian Journalist Remains Imprisoned for Two Months Despite Court Ruling
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Burundian authorities to release Sandra Muhoza, a La Nova Burundi reporter who remained in prison two months after an appeal court ruled that the court that convicted her lacked jurisdiction. Muhoza had been arrested in 2024 and, in December that year, was sentenced to 21 months in prison by the Mukaza High Court for allegedly undermining national integrity and inciting ethnic hatred, based on comments made in a journalists’ WhatsApp group. However, the Bujumbura Mairie Court of Appeal said that it and the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to hear Muhoza’s case. It cited a law on judicial procedures, which stipulates that a defendant should be tried by a court in the region where they were arrested, live, or where the crime was allegedly committed. Burundian authorities have previously convicted other journalists for anti-state crimes, such as Floriane Irangabiye, who in 2023 was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of undermining the integrity of the national territory. She was released in August 2024, following a presidential pardon.
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Barcelona Signs Shirt Sponsorship Deal with War-Torn DR Congo
Barcelona will feature “DR Congo – Heart of Africa” on the back of their training shirts from next season, following a $50 million four-year partnership with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The deal, aimed at promoting tourism and investment, has sparked debate in DR Congo, where critics argue the funds should address pressing domestic needs, such as the chronically underfunded national football league. Supporters, however, see it as a valuable opportunity to raise the country’s global profile. As part of the agreement, Barcelona’s Camp Nou will host an exhibition highlighting DR Congo’s culture and sports, and training camps will be organized for Congolese youth and coaches across various sports. The DRC has also signed similar deals with AC Milan and AS Monaco. The move mirrors Rwanda’s controversial “Visit Rwanda: sponsorships with top European clubs, which have faced criticism amid accusations of the country’s involvement in the eastern DRC conflict. DRC officials defend the partnerships as strategic investments; however, others worry they could overshadow the ongoing insecurity and human rights concerns in the region.
