🇪🇸🇲🇦 First migrants buried in Spain's Ceuta after deadly border rush

Gravediggers on Friday began burying some of the scores of migrants who died during a mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa three weeks earlier, according to Reuters. The burials took place in front of about a dozen reporters and a small number of local residents.

Ceuta is a Spanish enclave on the North African coast bordering Morocco and has long been a flashpoint for irregular migration into Europe.

#Morocco

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@africaintel

🇨🇩 DR Congo Government and AFC/M23 Issue Joint Statement on Doha Process

Representatives of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement issued a joint statement on 22 August 2026 on the Doha process, according to allAfrica. The statement concerns contacts between Kinshasa and AFC/M23 as part of talks hosted in Doha, Qatar.

The Doha track is part of ongoing efforts to address the conflict in eastern DR Congo involving M23 and affiliated actors. The joint statement was published by allAfrica under the title Congo-Kinshasa: Joint Statement Between the Representatives of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Representatives of the Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement on the Doha Process.

#DRC

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@africaintel

🇪🇹 Fano leader Zemene Kassie says militia seeks total removal of Abiy regime

Amhara Fano National Movement chairman Zemene Kassie said his militia is fighting for the total removal of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government, according to an interview published by The Africa Report on 21 August 2026. Speaking from Ethiopia’s Amhara region, Kassie said there would be no room for political settlement, solutions or dialogue as long as Abiy remained prime minister.

Fano is an armed movement active in the Amhara region and has been at the centre of escalating conflict with federal forces. The remarks were published as fighting and political tensions continue in northern Ethiopia.

#Ethiopia

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@africaintel

🇪🇹 Tigray cancels Ashenda festival gathering in Mekelle over drone strike fears

Authorities in Ethiopia's Tigray region have cancelled a planned Ashenda festival stadium gathering in Mekelle that was due to take place on Saturday, citing ongoing drone strikes and fears of renewed conflict. Dori Asgedom, head of Tigray's culture and tourism bureau, said the event was called off because of ongoing drone strikes and the threat of war. Tigray's communications affairs bureau said a drone strike on Mekelle on Thursday injured 13 civilians and damaged homes, while regional officials said strikes near Dandera on 18 August killed one person and injured another, and a strike in Raya-Alamata district on 10 August killed three people.

Ashenda is a three-day cultural and religious festival held as Orthodox Christians commemorate the Virgin Mary and traditionally draws thousands of girls and young women in northern Ethiopia. The Tigray regional administration blamed recent strikes on federal armed forces and called on the international community to condemn them, while the federal government did not respond to a BBC request for comment.

#Ethiopia

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@africaintel

🇳🇬 Gunmen abduct worshippers from Nigeria mosque, police say

Armed men abducted several worshippers from a mosque in Nigeria’s north-central Niger state during Friday prayers, according to police on Saturday. Reuters described the incident as the latest mass kidnapping in a region affected by violent gangs.

North-central Nigeria has faced repeated abductions by armed groups targeting villages, travellers and places of worship.

#Nigeria

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@africaintel

🇸🇴 Humanitarian aid cuts leave millions of Somali children vulnerable to hunger

Cuts to humanitarian assistance in Somalia have left millions of children at increased risk of hunger, according to aid agencies cited by allAfrica on August 22, 2026. The reduction in support comes as humanitarian needs remain high across the country, with children among the most exposed to food insecurity and related health risks.

Somalia has faced repeated drought, conflict and displacement crises in recent years, driving persistent humanitarian needs. Aid groups have warned that funding shortfalls are undermining food assistance and other essential services for vulnerable households.

#Somalia

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@africaintel

🇸🇩 El Nino-driven drought leaves Nile-side farms barren in Sudan

Farmers across Sudan are facing failed planting conditions as El Nino has delayed seasonal rains and pushed Nile water levels sharply lower, leaving fields fallow from the Egyptian border to the Ethiopian frontier. The crisis comes on top of a war that has raged since April 2023, killing more than 200,000 people and pushing nearly 20 million into crisis levels of hunger, while fuel and fertiliser costs have also risen after supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said the current season is unfolding under heightened climate risk, with delayed and below-average rains and frequent dry spells. Data from Germany's University of Tubingen showed water levels at the reservoir behind Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam were six metres lower in July than in the same month last year, while Sudan's agriculture minister Ismat Qurashi said farmers were being advised to plant drought-resistant crops and delay sowing.

#Sudan

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@africaintel

🇨🇩 DR Congo to launch Ebola vaccine trial as WHO warns infections are accelerating

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is preparing to roll out the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, with 20,000 doses to be used in a clinical trial to assess its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo species driving the current outbreak and 50,000 doses allocated to frontline health workers. The World Health Organization said the outbreak was growing exponentially in north and east DR Congo, with close to 2,500 deaths recorded after the outbreak was declared three months ago, and half of those deaths occurring in the last 20 days.

Ervebo is known to protect against the Zaire species of Ebola, but there are currently no proven vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo. In North Kivu, the M23 rebel group announced a one-month suspension of shared taxis and passenger boats between government-held and rebel-held areas from Saturday after two travellers tested positive in a village under its control.

#DRC

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@africaintel

🇰🇪 Kenya drops NIF plan for Dangote Lamu refinery stake, targets $500m local bond

Kenya plans to raise $500m, equivalent to KSh64.8bn, from the domestic capital market to finance its stake in the planned Dangote refinery in Lamu, abandoning an earlier plan to use proceeds from the National Infrastructure Fund. The move concerns Kenya’s participation in the refinery project linked to Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote.

The decision was reported by The Africa Report on 21 August 2026. The planned refinery in Lamu forms part of a wider regional contest over oil refining capacity in East Africa.

#Kenya

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@africaintel

🇬🇶🇱🇷🇺🇸 Migrants flown to Equatorial Guinea after resisting Liberia deportation under Trump deal, sources say

Five people the United States attempted to deport to Liberia this week refused to get off the plane and were then transported to Equatorial Guinea, according to two sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The report said Equatorial Guinea is another African country to which the Trump administration is sending migrants it cannot legally return to their home countries.

The case points to the use of third-country deportation arrangements involving African states as Washington seeks to remove migrants whose repatriation to their countries of origin is not legally possible.

#EquatorialGuinea

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@africaintel

🇳🇬 US activists push to keep Nigeria on religious freedom blacklist

US Christian rights activists have begun lobbying the Donald Trump administration to maintain Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern despite improved military cooperation and a Washington visit last week by senior Nigerian officials. The push comes ahead of the first anniversary of Trump’s CPC announcement on 31 October 2026, amid continued concern over killings of Christians in Nigeria.

The campaign is unfolding as Abuja seeks closer security ties with Washington and highlights military gains against armed groups. Nigeria was designated a Country of Particular Concern by the United States over religious freedom concerns.

#Nigeria

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@africaintel

🇨🇩 DR Congo government and M23 agree roadmap for peace talks

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group have agreed a roadmap for peace talks after five days of negotiations in Switzerland. In a joint statement, the parties said they would pursue negotiations toward a comprehensive peace and conflict resolution, establish a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire, and follow sequenced steps and timelines under a US-brokered peace framework signed in 2025. The first verification mission is due on Monday in Minembwe, South Kivu.

The talks were attended by M23, the DR Congo government, Qatar, the US, Togo, the African Union Commission and Switzerland. Fighting has continued in North and South Kivu despite repeated ceasefire commitments, after M23 seized parts of eastern DR Congo, including Goma and two airports, in January 2025.

#DRCongo

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@africaintel

🇪🇹 Fano leader Zemene Kassie says militia seeks total removal of Abiy Ahmed’s government

Zemene Kassie, chairman of the Amhara Fano National Movement, said in an interview published on 21 August 2026 that the militia is fighting for the total removal of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his regime. Speaking from Ethiopia’s Amhara region, Kassie said there would be no room for political settlement, solutions or dialogue as long as Abiy remained in office.

Fano is an armed movement active in the Amhara region and has been at the centre of the insurgency in northern Ethiopia. The remarks were published by The Africa Report as fighting and political tensions continue in the country.

#Ethiopia

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@africaintel

🇪🇹🇪🇷 Ethiopian opposition figure accuses Eritrean regime of fueling regional instability

An Ethiopian opposition figure has accused the Eritrean government of fueling conflicts across the Horn of Africa and destabilizing neighboring countries, according to a report published by allAfrica on August 24, 2026. The allegations concern Eritrea’s regional role and its relations with Ethiopia and other neighboring states.

The report comes amid continued tensions in the Horn of Africa following recent conflicts and diplomatic strains involving Ethiopia and Eritrea. No immediate response from the Eritrean authorities was reported in the article.

#Ethiopia

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@africaintel

🇲🇱 Report details Alghabass Ag Intalla network after Kidal offensive

The Africa Report says Tuareg leader Alghabass Ag Intalla, head of the Front de Libération de l’Azawad, remains central to the alliance between northern Malian rebels and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin after the 25 April offensive that retook Kidal. The report says the coordinated attack by FLA fighters and JNIM militants inflicted one of the most serious setbacks on the Malian army and Russian Africa Corps forces since Assimi Goïta seized power.

According to the report, the recent release of Malian soldiers by the FLA has signalled a shift in the group’s strategy, but Ag Intalla has not moved to abandon his cooperation with JNIM. The article maps the loyalists and tactical allies around the Kidal-based figure.

#Mali

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@africaintel

🇲🇱 Mali’s industrial gold production rises 30% in first half of 2026

Mali’s industrial gold production increased by 30% in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Mines. The rebound comes amid higher gold prices and stronger output from major operators including Barrick, Resolute and B2Gold.

Gold remains a strategic sector for Bamako, with Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mine the country’s largest gold operation. The production recovery follows pressure on Mali’s mining sector in recent years amid disputes with foreign operators and efforts by the military-led authorities to increase state revenues.

#Mali

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@africaintel

🇰🇪 Kenya to raise $500m local bond for Dangote Lamu refinery stake

Kenya plans to raise $500m, equivalent to KSh64.8bn, from the domestic capital market to finance its stake in the planned Dangote refinery in Lamu, according to a report published on August 21, 2026. The move replaces an earlier plan to use proceeds from the National Infrastructure Fund for the investment.

The planned refinery is part of the broader race to expand oil refining capacity in East Africa. Kenya’s revised financing approach marks a shift in how Nairobi intends to fund its participation in the project linked to Aliko Dangote.

#Kenya

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@africaintel

🇿🇦 South Africa telco MTN's half-year adjusted profit rises 21.3%

South African mobile operator MTN Group reported on Monday that its half-year adjusted profit rose 21.3%. The company said the increase was largely driven by subscriber growth that accelerated in the second quarter, alongside double-digit growth in service revenue.

MTN is one of Africa's largest telecom operators, and its performance is closely watched in South Africa and across its wider regional footprint.

#SouthAfrica

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@africaintel

🇹🇳 Tunisia coast guard recovers eight bodies of migrants whose boat sank

Tunisian coast guard forces have recovered the bodies of eight Tunisian migrants after their boat sank at the weekend while heading to Italy, according to a National Guard spokesperson on Sunday. The search was continuing for six other people still missing.

Tunisia is one of the main North African departure points for migrant boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

#Tunisia

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@africaintel

🇨🇩 Artisanal miners in eastern Congo continue work despite Ebola outbreak

In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, artisanal miners in Iga-Barrière are continuing to dig for gold despite a worsening Ebola outbreak, as many rely on the work to pay for food and rent. The latest outbreak has recorded 2,557 deaths out of 5,375 confirmed cases across six provinces, while the constant movement of miners between remote sites and nearby towns is complicating efforts to trace infections and contain transmission.

About 2 million people work in artisanal and small-scale mining across Congo, according to a 2024 OECD report. On Friday, 16,250 vaccine doses arrived at N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa as part of 70,000 doses expected from the World Health Organization and partners.

#DRC

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@africaintel