North Africa

At least 61 people feared dead after two migrant shipwrecks off Libya, UN agency says TRIPOLI — A vessel carrying 74 people, mostly Sudanese refugees, capsized off the Libyan port city of Tobruk on Sunday, leaving only 13 survivors, the U.N. refugee agency said Monday. The tragedy came a day after another boat carrying dozens of Sudanese caught fire off Libya’s coast, in an episode the International Organization for Migration said claimed at least 50 lives. The two incidents underscore the perilous journeys many are taking…

Tragedy at Sea: The Perilous Journey of Sudanese Refugees In a chilling reminder of the treacherous paths taken by those fleeing conflict, at least 61 Sudanese refugees perished when a rubber boat caught fire off the coast of Libya. The vessel, which was bound for Greece, burst into flames near Tobruk, an eastern port city, leaving only 13 survivors to recount the ordeal, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). A Desperate Escape The Sudanese refugees, escaping the ravages of war in their…

Drone Strikes Shatter Fragile Calm in Sudan’s Capital Region In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the sudden roar of drones shattered the stillness near Sudan's capital as coordinated strikes targeted key infrastructure and military sites. Witnesses reported the assaults, which struck a power station, a weapons factory, and an oil refinery near Khartoum, effectively ending a period of relative calm. A Sudden Spike in Violence According to witnesses, the attacks began around 5 a.m. local time, sending tremors through the…

Sudan's Education Crisis: A Generation Lost to War In a stark reminder of the devastating toll of war, a recent study by the UK-based charity, Save the Children, has highlighted a dire reality in Sudan: more than three-quarters of the nation's school-age children are out of school, a crisis with profound implications for the future of the country. The Extent of the Crisis The study reveals a heartbreaking statistic: 13 million out of 17 million children are not attending classes in Sudan. Having missed more than two…

Ghana Welcomes the First Wave of West African Deportees: A Complex Narrative of Immigration and Diplomacy In a significant development that highlights the intricate web of international relations and the human stories behind immigration policy, Ghanaian President John Mahama recently announced the arrival of the first group of West African deportees from the United States. The event, which saw 14 individuals—predominantly Nigerians—and a Gambian citizen land on Ghanaian soil, unfolds amid broader geopolitical dynamics…

Egypt announces troop deployment to Somalia, intensifying Horn of Africa contest Egypt has announced it will deploy troops to Somalia under a bilateral security agreement, a move Cairo says is intended to bolster counter‑terrorism operations and help stabilize the war‑torn Horn of Africa nation. Officials described the steps as the completion of planning for the deployment, but they provided few operational details, leaving open questions about the size, mandate and timetable of the force. What Cairo says Egyptian…

Analysis: Egypt’s luxury resort at Mount Sinai — a test of faith, heritage and development When the first pilgrims come down from Mount Sinai at dusk, they still carry the small, sandy relics of a place that has been consecrated in the imaginations of billions: a rocky peak where, in the stories of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, a prophet received the law. St. Catherine’s Monastery, a fortified Byzantine complex tucked at the mountain’s base, has for centuries been the human anchor in a landscape that Bedouin communities…

Somali students touch down in Baku as scholarships cement a new South–South bridge When the doors slid open at Baku’s modern glass-and-steel airport, a small group of Somali students in winter jackets stepped into a new chapter. They paused for a group photo—smiles wide, eyes a little overwhelmed by the cold and the cameras—and were met by embassy officials and university representatives, a scene captured by Somali state media. For many, it was their first time in the Caucasus. For all, it was the beginning of a bet on…

Egypt’s campaign against online creators exposes a new front in the fight over free expression In the last weeks Egyptian authorities have detained and charged dozens of people who make videos, run social accounts or otherwise produce content for the internet, according to Human Rights Watch. The accusations are striking not for their specificity but for their vagueness — a range of crimes from “public morals” violations to “undermining family values” — and for whom they appear to be aimed at: a generation that came of age…

Nuruddin Farah’s Honorary Degree Is Also a Map of Where African Letters Are Headed On a damp London morning, SOAS, University of London, conferred an honorary doctorate on the Somali novelist Nuruddin Farah — an author whose life’s work has been to rescue a country by rebuilding it on the page. The honor feels tidy and ceremonial; Farah’s novels are anything but. Over nearly five decades, from the dictatorship of Siad Barre to the age of global exile, he has written Somalia into visibility with an unblinking steadiness. You…