conflict

A widening Middle East conflict moved closer to a broader confrontation with Iran yesterday after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched their first attacks on Israel since the war began, even as more US forces arrived in the region. Washington has sent thousands of Marines to the Middle East during the month-old conflict. The first of two contingents arrived on Friday aboard an amphibious assault ship, the US military said yesterday. The Washington Post reported that US officials said the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of…

In southern Somalia’s Ladan camp, a child’s cry can be heard—but for the most malnourished youngsters, even sound can be out of reach. Mothers there are focused on a single question: whether their children will survive. At the Ladan camp, on the outskirts of the town of Dollow, families who have fled drought-stricken areas arrive with little more than their children. Their farms and livestock were wiped out after four failed rainy seasons, leaving displaced people to seek shelter in crowded conditions where hope is measured…

Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, a pivotal figure convicted for his involvement in the 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea, has died in custody following a medical emergency. Diakité, who was serving a 10-year sentence for his actions during the violent episode in Conakry—where over 150 lives were lost and at least 109 women were subjected to rape—was a controversial presence even behind bars. He established a political party and made attempts to vie for the presidency. The prison administration confirmed that Diakité succumbed at the…

In a call to action, Human Rights Watch (HRW) is pressuring Nigerian officials to prioritize civilian safety in high-risk areas and to improve early warning systems in response to the tragic bombings that recently shook Maiduguri. The deadly attacks on March 16, 2026, targeted bustling public spaces—including a market, a post office, and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital—resulting in the loss of 23 lives and leaving 108 others injured. HRW highlighted that the indiscriminate nature of these…

At least 15 Zimbabweans have been killed in the Russia-Ukraine war after being deceived into joining foreign militaries, a development officials say exposes a trafficking pipeline preying on job seekers. Information Minister Soda Zhemu said employment agencies tied to criminal syndicates are enticing Zimbabweans with promises of lucrative pay before steering them into foreign armed forces. Recruiters have leveraged social media and bogus job listings to hook applicants, he added, with victims later stripped of their…

Chad has started moving refugees away from its volatile frontier with Sudan after a deadly cross-border raid that killed 17 people, including mourners at a funeral, escalating tensions and prompting vows of retaliation from President Mahamat Idriss Déby. In a formal announcement, the government said it had reinforced security along the border and signaled it may pursue operations inside Sudan if necessary. Local officials added that investigators have yet to determine which group carried out the attack. The eastern border…

In a significant diplomatic move, President Joseph Boakai has reached out to French President Emmanuel Macron for assistance in addressing Liberia's escalating border conflict with Guinea. This appeal follows allegations that Guinean customs officials have been operating within Liberian territory. As reported by the local newspaper FrontPage Africa, Boakai aims to draw upon France's longstanding connections with Guinea to help ease tensions. Earlier initiatives to resolve the dispute included a summit in Conakry, where…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — South West State Assembly Speaker Dr. Ali Said Fiqi on Sunday delivered a sharp rebuke over what he called the misuse of Egyptian military assistance, alleging that arms meant to protect the country are instead being turned against its own people. Dr. Fiqi said the consignment of small arms, provided by Egypt, was intended to strengthen Somalia’s national security and confront “the real enemies of the country.” He stressed the aid was never designed for deployment against Somali civilians or to…

Three weeks into the conflict, the human and material toll is already stark and sweeping. More than 2,000 people dead, 10,000 injured. More than 4 million people displaced in the region, a million of them in Lebanon. Oil prices above $100 a barrel. 45 million people at risk of acute hunger as food, fuel and shipping costs rise. 56 cultural heritage sites damaged or destroyed in Iran. Several more at risk in Lebanon. One of the clearest indicators of how this war is unfolding is the pace and scale of the bombardment. The…

The Conversation Africa reached out to five academic experts from Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, and Ethiopia to explore the pressing issue: Is the recent surge in oil prices negatively impacting your nation's economy? Across the board, their responses echoed a shared sentiment...