Eye on Africa

The UN expert group on mercenaries is sounding the alarm about serious "human rights violations" that can be attributed to Russian paramilitaries in the Central African Republic, and experts condemn the authorities' increased use of private security companies in Bangui, which has been the target of a new uprising since December. They also deplore the "close contacts" that the Central African Army and in…

Authorities say an "attempted coup" was carried out overnight Tuesday through March 31 in Niamey. Many residents of the capital were suddenly awakened at 3 o'clock by heavy gunfire that lasted less than half an hour. Shooting in the city center, in the administrative district, close to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency. The leader of the attackers, Captain Gourouza, is said to be on the run. He is today the most sought after man in Niger. Forty-eight hours before the inauguration of the new president…

Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé were definitely acquitted. The ICC Court of Appeal announced its decision on Wednesday afternoon, March 31, in The Hague. A news eagerly awaited by the militants and sympathizers of the FPI, the party for Gbagbo, which caused scenes of cheering in the Ivory Coast. In the Selmer district of Yopougon, where our correspondent went Sidy Yansane, maquis Tantie Margot has been transformed into a mini-cinema for live broadcasting of the ICC hearing. When the judge dismissed the prosecutor's…

According to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), almost 1,100 migrants have been intercepted off the Libyan coast by the Coast Guard since Saturday 27 March. They are being sent back to internment camps in Tripoli where conditions are deplorable. Five people died during rescue operations on Tuesday and 77 were rescued, according to the IOM, which condemns the return of these migrants to a country in chaos. "This is a consequence of an irresponsible migration policy," tweeted Safa Msehli, an…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Northeastern State and the state of Jubaland have jointly accused the outgoing Somali government on Wednesday of "pulling its legs" by convening inclusive election negotiations in Mogadishu. Negotiations between federal leaders and international partners have been going on for weeks in Mogadishu, seeking a broad consensus on the poll dispute, but Farmajo is blocking an agreement. On Wednesday, Northeastern State and Jubaland issued a joint statement accusing incumbent President Farmajo of…

In Ethiopia, after months of denials, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed acknowledged that the Eritrean army was participating in the fighting in Tigray against the TPLF. Today, the veil is beginning to lift over the reality of Asmara's soldiers, including minors, being sent to fight in Ethiopia. Like the story of Rodanim, a high school student forcibly recruited and now a prisoner of the Tigrayan uprising.…

President Évariste Ndayishimiye has declared that Covid-19 is Burundi's first enemy. After a first significant decline following the measures taken, the country has faced a second wave since the beginning of 2021. The country has since launched a massive screening campaign with about 180,000 tests already done so far, and it introduces mandatory quarantine and testing for travelers, but doctors believe…

Since Monday, the Assize Court in Paris has tried three pilots and co-pilots accused of murder and attempted murder in the case of the bombing of Bouaké in Côte d'Ivoire in 2004. On Wednesday morning, "one of the 38 French soldiers injured in the bombing, one of the most seriously affected , who gave a moving testimony. With our…

The Islamic State group announced earlier this week that it had taken control of the port city of Palma, in northern Mozambique, after an attack that killed dozens of people, according to Maputo. Which ISIS-affiliated group led this offensive? What is its strategy, what is its goal? What does this situation mean in relation to…

For the UN, it was mainly civilians who were killed on January 3 in the Barkhane strike near Bounti. The spokesman for Antonio Gutteres, the UN Secretary-General, expressed his concern about respect for the precautionary principle. In Paris, the Ministry of Defense and the military claim that Barkhane hit terrorists. as…