Ecowas Deliberates Exit of Sahel States From Regional Bloc
Heads of state from West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS are meeting in the Ghanaian capital of Accra to deliberate on the decision by three of its members to leave the bloc in January. An ECOWAS statement said the leaders will discuss the "modalities of the countries' withdrawal and its implications for ECOWAS agencies".
The bloc has maintained existing ECOWAS protocols - including its free trade policy and visa-free policies with the three Sahel nations. During the meeting, the statement said, Ecowas would "set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities". The gathering will also be used to launch the 50th anniversary celebration of ECOWAS.
Liberia Holds Crucial By-Election Amid Heavy Police Presence
Liberians are voting in a by-election to fill a crucial Senate seat in northern Nimba County - the country's second most populated. The position became vacant after the sudden death of the warlord-turned-senator, Prince Johnson, who became a kingmaker in Liberia's presidential elections. Politicians from the country's main parties have flocked to the area to campaign for their respective candidates, while analysts say the result of the poll could provide insight into the next president election. A heavy police deployment was visible ahead of the vote.
ISWAP Claims Responsibility for String of Deadly Attacks Across Nigeria
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks earlier this month targeting Nigerian security forces and Christian civilians in northeastern Nigeria. Through its Amaq news agency, ISWAP released seven messages, including a video and photo albums, to document the assaults. In Borno state, the group said it attacked an army barracks in Yamtage, killing three soldiers and burning the facility, and later captured and executed four pro-government militia members. In Adamawa state, ISWAP claimed it attacked the Christian village of Banga on April 15, killing two civilians and burning over 30 houses and a church. A second assault on April 16 targeted a police patrol, injuring several officers. ISWAP also released images showing Christian homes and a church set ablaze in Lareh village. Boko Haram and ISWAP have long operated in the region, with the Nigerian government pledging to eliminate the groups and boosting its defence budget by over 40% this year.
Systematic Rape Used as Weapon of War Against Sudanese Women
As Sudan's civil war escalated into its third year, women and girls bear the brunt of the crisis, facing unprecedented levels of sexual violence, displacement, and vulnerability. Sudanese women were at the forefront of the 2019 revolution that led to the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir, now they endure systematic rape and abuse, particularly by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias, as sexual violence became a weapon of war. The war claimed over 28,700 lives, displaced more than 12 million people, and left nearly 25 million people facing acute food insecurity. Reports revealed horrifying cases of sexual violence against victims as young as one, though stigma and lack of services meant most cases went unreported. Most assaults are attributed to the RSF and allied militia. The conflict also decimated health services, displaced millions of children from school, and drove many women and girls into transactional sex due to extreme poverty. The risks of child marriage, female genital mutilation, and other abuses also rose sharply amid the deepening humanitarian crisis.
Zimbabwe War Veteran Calls for Nationwide Protest Until Mnangagwa's Ousting
War veteran and former Zanu PF Central Committee member Blessed "Bombshell" Geza called for an indefinite extension of the national shutdown until President Emmerson Mnangagwa resigned, accusing him of corruption and tribalism. Geza called for a two-day shutdown on April 22 and 23, declaring the protest would continue indefinitely until Mnangagwa and his allies were removed from power. Geza, currently in hiding, claimed to have secured support from progressive security sector members to assist in the uprising. This followed his earlier March 31 protests, which saw over a hundred participants and 98 arrests. Meanwhile, police heightened nationwide security to ensure public order and uninterrupted socio-economic activities.
MK Party's Shivambu Condemned for Visiting Fugitive Pastor Bushiri in Malawi
Floyd Shivambu, secretary-general of South Africa's MK party, faced widespread condemnation after visiting self-proclaimed pastor Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi, where the controversial preacher fled in 2020 to evade rape and fraud charges in South Africa. Shivambu shared footage of himself attending Bushiri's Easter service and praised him for his "good work" in uplifting communities. This move drew sharp criticism from South Africa's justice minister, who called it a blatant show of disrespect toward the country's legal system. Bushiri, once one of southern Africa's most prominent preachers, fled to Malawi after being released on bail, and South African authorities have been seeking his extradition ever since. The MK party distanced itself from Shivambu's visit, saying he acted in a personal capacity and reaffirming its condemnation of those who exploit vulnerable communities under the guise of faith.
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Moroccans Protest Ship Suspected of Carrying Arms to Israel
More than 1,000 people protested in the Moroccan port city of Tangier against the expected arrival of a Danish Maersk cargo ship suspected of carrying fighter jet parts to Israel. Dockworkers and pro-Palestinian groups claimed the vessel was carrying military equipment from the U.S. to Israel, prompting chants such as "No genocidal weapons in Moroccan waters." The protest also called for Morocco to cut diplomatic ties with Israel, which were normalized in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. The protest followed a report by Declassified UK alleging the shipment originated from a U.S. Air Force facility and was en route to an Israeli air base. Maersk denied transporting weapons, however, it acknowledged its contract with the U.S. government.
