15 Killed in South Sudan Plane Crash Near Juba
A Cessna 208 Caravan operated by CityLink Aviation Ltd has crashed about 20km south-west of Juba. A total of 15 people are on board: the pilot and 14 passengers, 13 South Sudanese and 2 Kenyans. Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft 30 minutes after it had departed Yei. According to initial reports, the cause may have been poor weather and low visibility. Authorities have launched an investigation. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has a poorly developed transport network and the aviation industry does not have a good safety record. More than 55 planes crashed in the country, resulting in dozens of fatalities, in the decade following independence in 2011.
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Nigeria Security Forces Rescue 15 Children After Orphanage Attack
Eight children remain missing after gunmen attacked an unregistered orphanage in Kogi State. Kogi’s information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, said 15 children were rescued due to the “prompt and coordinated response” of security agencies. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources say the state has a functional Boko Haram cell and that there have been several violent attacks in the area. Fanwo said that efforts are being intensified to rescue the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice. The government raised concerns over the operation of unregistered institutions in isolated locations. He warned that establishing orphanages, schools, and similar facilities in vulnerable areas without proper registration and notification to authorities poses serious security risks, especially in the prevailing security environment.
42 Killed in Chad Water Dispute Clash
At least 42 people were killed, and 10 were injured in fighting between rival ethnic groups in eastern Chad in a conflict that began as a dispute over a water well. Community conflicts over resources are common in the country, driven by farmer-herder tensions. Chadian authorities said on Sunday that a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Limane Mahamat had been sent to the area and the situation had been brought under control. Community clashes over water resources are becoming increasingly common in Chad, fueled by extreme weather. Last November, a dispute over a water well in Hadjer-Lamis province in western Chad resulted in the deaths of at least 33 people.
UNHCR Condemns Increasing Drone Attacks in Sudan
A vehicle transporting emergency shelter kits for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, to Tawila in North Darfur, was destroyed in a drone strike in North Darfur on Friday, April 24, leaving more than 1,300 families without shelter. In a separate attack, at least seven people were killed, and 22 others were wounded in an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) using drones in El Obeid in North Kordofan. The UNHCR expressed concern at a sharp increase in the use of drones / unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Sudan since the start of 2026, which it said resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. UNHCR said it would continue its efforts, as part of the wider UN response, to deliver assistance to displaced populations in Sudan, including nearly nine million internally displaced people and 862,000 refugees.
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Ruto Calls Out Cartels for Attempting to Sabotage Social Health Authority Rollout
President William Ruto has said that Kenya is taking decisive steps to secure universal health coverage (UHC) through legislation designed to outlast political cycles. Ruto said that healthcare should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost, noting that the government has enacted “transformative legislation” to institutionalize reforms. The President pointed out the role of the Social and Health Authority in implementing a unified financing model. Further, Ruto accused cartels and individuals with vested interests of attempting to derail the rollout of the Social Health Authority program for teachers and civil servants. The President said the government is aware of efforts by powerful groups to frustrate the transition to the new health scheme. However, he maintained that such attempts will not succeed.
