Africa: Explainer – What Is UNFPA and Why Does It Matter?

Five members of a UN aid convoy were killed in an attack near el-Koma, North Darfur, as they attempted to deliver food and nutrition supplies to the famine-stricken city of el-Fasher. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army have accused each other of using drones in the assault, while the UN has called for an investigation into the incident. The ongoing civil war in Sudan, which began in 2023, has led to...

A Kenyan activist, Boniface Mwangi, has recounted his harrowing experience of alleged sexual torture while detained in Tanzania last month after showing solidarity with opposition politician Tundu Lissu. He described being stripped, beaten, and assaulted, and claimed he was threatened with footage of the abuse being leaked if he spoke out. The Tanzanian police chief dismissed Mwangi's allegations as hearsay, while rights groups have called for investigations into the reported abuses amid growing repression by...

SummaryIn Kampala, Uganda, two individuals labeled as "armed terrorists" were killed by a counter-terrorism unit during Martyrs Day celebrations, which honor 19th-century Christian martyrs. One of the assailants was a female suicide bomber, reportedly linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), known for previous attacks on public gatherings and places of worship. Despite a reported explosion near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, no other casualties occurred, and authorities remain on heightened alert amid ongoing threats from...

Nafisa Salahu's near-fatal childbirth experience in Nigeria, where a woman dies every seven minutes due to complications, highlights the country's alarming maternal mortality rate, which accounts for 29% of global maternal deaths. Contributing factors include inadequate healthcare infrastructure, a shortage of skilled professionals, and cultural distrust of medical facilities, leading many women to seek traditional remedies. As a result, while urban women may access better care, many rural women remain vulnerable to preventable deaths during...

Tanzania's Main Opposition Leader on Trial Tundu Lissu, the chairman of Tanzania's main opposition party and the runner-up in the 2020 presidential election, is currently on trial facing charges, including treason, which is a capital offence. He was arrested for allegedly urging his supporters to prevent the national elections scheduled for October from taking place. Lissu's case has garnered significant attention due to the serious nature of the charges and the implications for political dissent...

Nigeria's Kano State declared Monday a day of mourning following a tragic road accident that resulted in the deaths of 22 people, including athletes, coaches, officials, medical staff, and a journalist, while returning from the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta. The state bus overturned near Dakatsalle, injuring nine others, with one person unhurt. Shehu Dikko, chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, expressed heartbreak over the loss of promising athletes who had recently represented their state...