UN Sanctions Four Paramilitary Leaders Over Sudan Atrocities
The UN Security Council imposed new sanctions on four senior leaders of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over atrocities committed during the group’s violent takeover of the western city of el-Fasher. Those sanctioned included deputy commander Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo; Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, widely known as “the Butcher of el-Fasher”; RSF deputy commander Gedo Hamdan Ahmed; and field commander Tijani Ibrahim. The sanctions followed a UN fact-finding report concluding that the October 2025 assault on el-Fasher bore the hallmarks of genocide. The RSF has admitted that “violations” were committed in el-Fasher and says it is investigating them, but insists the scale of the atrocities has been exaggerated by its enemies. Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a conflict between the RSF and the army, which the UN calls a “war of atrocities”. The conflict has caused the world’s worst food and displacement crisis, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of people.
Namibia President’s Sons Deny Claims Linking Them to Oil Sector
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President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s two sons said that the claim by Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader Panduleni Itula that they are involved in the oil industry is a blatant lie. Opposition leader linked Nandi-Ndaitwah’s sons, Ndeli and Nande Ndaitwah, to the oil sector through their private business interests. He alleged that the first family is positioning itself to control the oil industry. Itula linked Ndeli’s farming company, Vaneli Foods, once partially funded by energy businessman Mathews Hamutenya, to the petroleum sector, and claimed Nande’s company, Tradeport Namibia, operated within fuel distribution. The brothers rejected the claims as false and politically motivated. They argued that Itula’s accusations endangered their safety and violated their rights. The president said that her children have full and equal rights to participate in the country’s economy.
Kenya’s Plan to Reopen Somalia Border Sparks Security Concerns
Somalia’s push to reopen and reconnect with the region advanced after Kenya’s President William Ruto announced that two long-closed border crossings would reopen in April. Kenya had officially shut its land border with Somalia in 2011 due to security threats from the extremist group Al-Shabaab. There have been previous attempts to open the border. In May 2023, the two nations agreed to a phased reopening of their common border. However, Kenya reversed the decision two months later following the killing of five civilians and eight police officers near the frontier in attacks blamed on Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgency group based in Somalia. Analysts said that Somalia’s membership in the East African Community offers both countries strong economic incentives to cooperate, with Kenya serving as a key gateway for Somalia to the wider bloc. The reopening aligns with Somalia’s broader efforts to boost travel, trade and tourism. It is rolling out online visas and visas on arrival options.
Pope Leo XIV to Make First African Visit
Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on his first pastoral visit to Africa from 13 to 23 April. The 10-day tour will cover four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. In Cameroon, the Pope will visit the capital Yaoundé, the economic hub Douala, and the Anglophone city of Bamenda in the restive Northwest region, where an armed conflict has been raging for nearly 10 years. It will be the first time a pope has visited Algeria, a predominantly Muslim country. His decision to travel to the continent highlights Africa’s growing importance to the church – it is home to about 20% of the world’s Catholics. The last papal trip to Africa took place in February 2023, when Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
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Somalia Issues Urgent Global Appeal as Drought Hits Critical Levels
Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali visited the headquarters of the Somali Disaster Management Agency for discussions on the country’s worsening drought crisis. He met with agency commissioner Mahamud Moalim Abdulle, who warned that drought conditions had reached critical levels in several regions, leaving many families without adequate food and water. After the meeting, the minister urged the international community, Somali citizens, business leaders, and religious scholars to mobilise urgent humanitarian assistance. The Foreign Ministry also reminded embassies and international organisations that SoDMA was the sole national authority responsible for coordinating and managing humanitarian relief efforts, emphasising that all aid should be channelled through the agency to ensure transparency and efficiency.
