El Salvador has opened one of the largest mass prosecutions of President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang campaign, putting 486 alleged gang members on collective trial as his government continues to wield contentious emergency powers in its fight against violence. According to prosecutors, the case against the alleged Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, members covers more than 47,000 crimes carried out between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that became the country’s deadliest since the end of its civil war. Those allegations include…

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Police have arrested the final two suspects in a gang rape case that ignited public fury across Somalia after a video linked to the assault circulated widely on social media, authorities said Friday. In a statement, Beledweyne police identified the men as Abdishakur Hassan Ibrahim and Mohamed Awale Omar. They were the last at large in the case, which previously saw three other suspects detained, police said. The arrests bring all identified suspects into custody as the investigation proceeds. The case…

Navigating the Storm: Violence and Democracy in Nigeria's Political Landscape Ahead of 2027 As Nigeria gears up for its 2027 elections, a palpable tension hangs in the air, reverberating through the streets of a nation rich in culture but strained under the weight of political machinations. The fear of violence looms large, echoing the troubling cycles of electoral conflict seen in 1999, 2019, and most recently, in 2023, when hired thugs, gangs, and political militias turned polling stations into battlegrounds. Scholars and…

The government has reached agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with the United Arab Emirates. These arrangements aim to facilitate the return of high-ranking members of the Kinahan organized crime network to Ireland for legal proceedings. This notorious transnational drug trafficking syndicate operates primarily from Dubai. Notably, Sean McGovern, one of its key figures, is currently detained while awaiting extradition to face a murder accusation in Ireland. Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee,…

In Nigeria, the gang chief who led the kidnapping of 344 younger boys in Kankara, northwestern Nigeria in December, was killed by different native "bandits" simply days after breaking the peace settlement he made with the native authorities. as reported from Lagos, Liza FabbianAuwal Daudawa coordinated at the top of final 12…