First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a historic first, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted former Sudanese militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman — widely known as Ali Kushayb — of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the brutal Darfur conflict over two decades ago. The verdict, delivered on Monday (6 Oct), marks the ICC’s first conviction […]
At least 91 civilians were killed in September in the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher, where hunger and violence have converged into what medical groups warn is a “full-blown humanitarian disaster.” According to the Sudan Doctors Network, 23 people — including children and pregnant women — died of severe malnutrition last month alone. UNICEF reports […]
Internet shutdowns across Africa have surged in scale and frequency over the past decade, with nearly 200 incidents recorded between 2016 and 2024, according to a new study by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN). The tactic, often used to suppress dissent and manipulate political outcomes, is being normalized by governments across the continent, researchers […]
Sudan’s brutal civil war is entering a far deadlier phase, as advanced weaponry — including surface-to-air missile systems and suicide drones — floods the battlefield, raising alarms about civilian air safety and regional destabilization, according to a Washington Post investigation and confidential arms reports. Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) now wield SA-7s, a type of […]
Russia and Ethiopia have officially signed a long-anticipated nuclear cooperation agreement, marking a major milestone in Moscow’s growing strategic engagement across Africa. The deal, finalized at a nuclear energy forum by Ethiopian Electric Power Company and Russia’s state-owned Rosatom, outlines the construction of Ethiopia’s first nuclear power plant. The agreement includes a comprehensive roadmap for […]
Sudan’s principal civilian political blocs are deeply divided over whether to participate in an African Union-mediated dialogue scheduled for early October in Addis Ababa. The talks aim to establish a roadmap for a comprehensive political process and a transition to civilian governance. While the “Somoud” coalition, headed by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, has conditionally […]
Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), a grassroots network of volunteer aid groups, have been awarded the 2025 Rafto Prize for human rights work, in recognition of their life-saving efforts amid the country’s deepening war and humanitarian collapse. Founded during the 2023 civil war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the ERRs emerged […]
More than 42 million people across six East and Horn of Africa countries are facing acute food insecurity in 2025, according to a grim new report from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The Regional Focus of the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, released Tuesday (16 September), reveals that Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, […]
Egypt and Sudan have reiterated their opposition to unilateral actions on Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), declaring their water security “one and indivisible”. The position was made clear in Cairo during a “2+2” consultation meeting on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, that brought together the foreign and irrigation ministers from both countries. In a joint […]
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), was sworn in on Sunday, August 31, as leader of a self-declared parallel government in Nyala, capital of South Darfur State. The Sudanese Founding Alliance, a coalition aligned with the RSF, confirmed that Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu was sworn in as Dagalo’s deputy, alongside a […]