Africa

West Darfur governor abducted, killed as war in Sudan spreads

Published

2 years ago

June 16, 2023

Khamis Abakar

West Darfur governor abducted, killed as war in Sudan spreads

A regional governor in Sudan has been killed after publicly blaming the deaths of civilians on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as the brutal war between the group and the Sudanese army entered its third month.

The killing of West Darfur state governor Khamis Abakar late on Wednesday marked a new escalation in the conflict that began on April 15 when months-long tensions between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, exploded into war.

Footage circulating on social media late on Wednesday appeared to show a group of armed men, some wearing RSF uniforms, detaining Abakar. Other clips purportedly showed the governor on the ground with wounds to his neck and face.

Hours earlier, he had accused the RSF and allied Arab fighters of “genocide“.

“Civilians are being killed randomly and in large numbers,” he told Al Hadath TV, urging the international community to intervene to protect people in el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur.

“We haven’t seen the army leave its base to defend people,” he said.

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The Sudanese army accused the RSF of “kidnapping and assassinating” the governor. The killing had added a “new chapter” to the RSF’s “record of barbaric crimes that it has been committing against all the Sudanese people”, it said on Facebook, calling the incident a “brutal act”.

Later on Thursday, the RSF issued a statement saying it condemned Abakar’s “assassination … by outlaws amid the continuing tribal conflict in the state”.

It added: “We hold the Sudanese Military Intelligence, a wing of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and its radical Islamist backers linked to the former regime of dictator Omar al-Bashir responsible for fueling this conflict by arming the tribes.”

The paramilitary group denies any involvement in attacks against civilians in Darfur, but refugees who spoke to Al Jazeera last month in settlements inside Chad said they had seen men wearing RSF uniforms joining the fight alongside Arab armed groups. The refugees also said that violence erupted in their towns and villages after the army or the local police left, creating a power vacuum that was filled by Arab militias. Not a single resident said the army offered any protection.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that the conflict in Sudan had displaced more than 2 million people, and escalating attacks in Darfur could amount to “crimes against humanity”.

In el-Geneina the RSF and allied fighters have rampaged through the city over the past week, killing and wounding hundreds of people, local activists and UN officials were quoted as saying by The Associated Press news agency.

Activists and residents in el-Geneina also reported that dozens of women were sexually attacked inside their homes and while trying to flee the fighting. Almost all rape cases were blamed on the RSF, which has not responded to repeated requests for comment, the AP reported.

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Volker Perthes, the UN envoy in Sudan, said on Tuesday that as the situation deteriorated in Darfur, he was alarmed by the situation in el-Geneina, which had taken on an “ethnic dimension”.

“There is an emerging pattern of large-scale targeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities, allegedly committed by Arab militias and some armed men in Rapid Support Force [RSF]’s uniform,” Perthes said in a statement.

“These reports are deeply worrying and, if verified, could amount to crimes against humanity,” he said.

Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, also condemned “the shocking violence” in el-Geneina.

She warned in a statement on Tuesday that such fighting could turn into “renewed campaigns of rape, murder, and ethnic cleansing amounting to atrocity crimes”.

Darfur was the scene of genocidal war in the early 2000s, when ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum of discrimination. Former President Omar al-Bashir’s government was accused of retaliating by arming local nomadic Arab fighters, known as the Janjaweed, who targeted civilians. Millions were displaced and an estimated 300,000 were killed in attacks attributed to Janjaweed fighters, who later evolved into the RSF and became a legalised governmental force in 2017.

In a statement, the RSF called the fighting in el-Geneina a tribal conflict, blaming the country’s former regime for fanning the flames. It said it had been making efforts to get aid into the city.

aljazeera

Africa

Niger Republic adopts Hausa as national language

Published

5 days ago

April 9, 2025

Trends Admin

Niger’s military ruler Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani

Niger Republic adopts Hausa as national language

In a significant cultural shift, Niger’s military-led government has officially designated Hausa as the country’s national language, marking a break from the nation’s colonial legacy where French held prominence.

The announcement was made in a new national charter released on March 31, as published in a special edition of the government’s official journal.

According to the document, “The national language is Hausa,” and “the working languages are English and French.”

Hausa is already widely spoken across Niger, especially in the regions of Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua. With an estimated population of 26 million, the majority of Nigeriens speak Hausa, while only about 13 percent—roughly three million people—are fluent in French.

Alongside Hausa, the charter also officially recognizes nine other indigenous languages, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as “the spoken languages of Niger.”

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This language policy change follows a national consultative meeting held in February, during which the junta gained increased support. The assembly also approved a five-year extension for junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani to remain in power.

Since the coup that ousted civilian president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, the military government has taken steps to sever ties with France. These include expelling French troops, cutting diplomatic relations, and renaming roads and public buildings previously named in French.

Niger’s move mirrors similar actions taken by fellow former French colonies Mali and Burkina Faso—both under military rule—as they too distance themselves from France and its institutions.

All three countries have also withdrawn from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, a body that promotes the French language and cultural ties among member nations.

Niger Republic adopts Hausa as national language

Africa

Okada rider allegedly stabbed to death by wife over money

Published

2 weeks ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Jeff and Geoffrey Oumaa

Okada rider allegedly stabbed to death by wife over money

A Bodaboda operator identified as Geoffrey Ouma, was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife in their home in Ongata Rongai town, Kenya after he returned with less money than usual.

Witnesses reported that the man fondly called Jeff, had just come back from work, having earned significantly less due to heavy rainfall affecting business.

His wife confronted him about the household items that they lacked and demanded that he provided the money to get them. When he was unable to do so, an argument ensued between them.

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In a fit of rage, she rushed to the kitchen to grab a knife.

Sensing the imminent danger, the Bodaboda operator attempted to flee but slipped and fell on the floor.

The wife then stabbed him in the chest, ending his life instantly.

By the time neighbors arrived, it was too late; he was already dead.

The two have been married for around 5 years and have a child.

It was gathered that the Ongata Rongai Police have arrested the woman.

Okada rider allegedly stabbed to death by wife over money

Africa

W’African juntas impose levy on imported goods from ECOWAS nations

Published

2 weeks ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

W’African juntas impose levy on imported goods from ECOWAS nations

West African neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced a new 0.5% levy on imported goods as they seek to fund a new three-state union after leaving the larger regional economic bloc, they said in a statement.

The Alliance of Sahel States began in 2023 as a security pact between the military rulers of the three countries, who all took power in coups in recent years.

It has since grown into an aspiring economic union with plans for biometric passports and closer economic and military ties.

The levy was agreed on Friday and will take effect immediately.

It will affect all goods imported from outside the three countries, but will not include humanitarian aid, the statement said.

It will “finance the activities” of the bloc, it said, without giving details.

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The move ends free trade across West Africa, whose states have for decades fallen under the umbrella of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and highlights the rift between the three states that border the Sahara Desert and influential democracies like Nigeria and Ghana to the south.

The juntas of the three countries announced plans to leave ECOWAS last year, accusing the bloc of failing to assist in their fight against Islamist insurgents and ending insecurity.

ECOWAS had imposed economic, political and financial sanctions on the three in a bid to force them to return to constitutional order, to little effect.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are some of the poorest countries in the world and have been overrun by an armed Islamist insurgency over the past decade.

The violence, committed by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, has killed thousands, forced millions to flee, and eroded faith in the democratically-elected governments who initially struggled to contain it.