53 Migrants Dead After Boat Capsizes Off Libya
A rubber boat carrying 55 migrants from several African countries overturned off the coast of Libya after taking on water about six hours after leaving al-Zawiya, the UN migration agency said. Only two Nigerian women survived, and both received emergency medical care from the International Organisation for Migration, which reported that nearly 500 people had been declared dead or missing on the Libya-Europe route so far in 2026. The survivors said the dinghy departed late at night and capsized north of Zuwara. One woman lost her husband, while the other lost her two babies. The tragedy occurred against a backdrop of worsening migrant conditions in Libya, where reports of torture, trafficking and forced labour have been widespread since 2011. The IOM said smugglers continued to profit by forcing people onto unsafe, overcrowded boats and urged stronger international cooperation and safer migration pathways to prevent further deaths.
Senegal Arrests 14 in Cross-Border Child Exploitation Ring
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Senegalese police have said that they had arrested 14 people and dismantled a criminal network operating between Senegal and France. The group, made up of Senegalese nationals, had allegedly been active since 2017 and was accused of serious offences involving the exploitation of minors. The police said the group was accused of “organised paedophilia, pimping, rape of minors under 15, sodomy, and intentional transmission of HIV/Aids”. They allegedly repeatedly forced boys to have “unprotected sex” with men who were mostly HIV-positive and filmed it. Police linked some of the suspects to a Frenchman arrested in 2025. The accused said that they acted under his instructions in exchange for money. The arrests followed coordinated raids in Dakar and Kaolack, during which investigators seized evidence. The police have pledged to continue pursuing and dismantling such criminal networks and have released a toll-free number for the public to report any relevant information.
UN Pledges Smooth Transition as South Africa Pulls Peacekeepers
South Africa announced that it had begun withdrawing its peacekeepers from the UN’s MONUSCO mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after nearly three decades of deployment. President Cyril Ramaphosa said he informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January, explaining that the decision was driven by the need to realign the South African National Defence Force’s resources after 27 years of peacekeeping support in the DRC. South Africa, one of the mission’s top troop contributors with more than 700 soldiers, was praised by MONUSCO and the UN for its long-standing commitment and the sacrifices made by its personnel. The mission said it would work with South Africa and the UN Secretariat to ensure a safe and orderly transition. MONUSCO, established in 2010 to help stabilise the DRC and protect civilians, currently has more than 12,400 personnel and has recorded 304 fatalities since its inception. The announcement came as UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix visited the DRC for talks with President Félix Tshisekedi and other officials on implementing the mission’s mandate and supporting a permanent ceasefire.
UN Rights Chief Warns Sudan War ‘Spiralling Out of Control’
UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that Sudan’s ongoing war was spiralling further out of control. He urged the international community to act immediately to stop mass killings and other serious abuses against civilians. Addressing the Human Rights Council, he called for the Darfur arms embargo to be extended to all of Sudan, saying that the continued flow of weapons was fuelling atrocities. He cited consistent testimony about large-scale killings in El Fasher last October, including reports that some people were targeted because of their non-Arab ethnicity. Türk said these findings aligned with the International Criminal Court’s assessment that war crimes and crimes against humanity had occurred. He placed responsibility for such abuses on the Rapid Support Forces and their allies. The conflict between the national army and the RSF began in April 2023, resulting in the displacement of more than 30 million people, hunger, and widespread sexual violence. Both sides have used drones to kill civilians in other regions beyond Darfur.
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Tinubu Says Terrorism Keeping Nigerians ‘Sleepless,’ Vows Defeat
President Bola Tinubu said that Nigeria’s security crisis had worsened to the point of causing him and many citizens sleepless nights. However, Tinubu declared that Nigeria will defeat terrorism and banditry, describing the security threats as unacceptable and alien to the nation’s core values. Speaking at the opening of the second National Economic Council Conference in Abuja, Tinubu assured Nigerians of his administration’s resolve to strengthen the country’s security forces and restore peace across affected communities. He called insecurity a major obstacle to economic growth and praised governors in hard-hit states for their efforts. He said recent economic reforms had helped stabilise the economy, improved federal allocations to states and boosted confidence in monetary policy.
