UN rapporteur on human rights pressures Algeria to release jailed activistsF

The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders on Tuesday urged Algeria to release all jailed human rights activists, citing “ongoing judicial harassment”. After a 10-day visit to the North African country, Mary Lawlor said at a press conference the authorities should “release all human rights defenders imprisoned for the exercise of their freedom […]

Libya releases four Hamas members held since 2016F

Libyan authorities on Friday released four members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas who were arrested in 2016 on charges including trafficking arms to Gaza, according to Libyan media. The four men — Marwan al-Ashqar, his son Baraa, Mouayad Abed and Nasib Choubeir — were detained in Tripoli in October 2016. Their arrest was made […]

Sahel: Burkina Faso and Niger withdraw from regional anti-terror forceF

The military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger said Saturday they would quit the G5 anti-jihadist force in Africa’s Sahel area, the latest blow to the fight against insurgents in one of the world’s most troubled regions. The G5, created in 2014, has secured only meagre results, with Mali also quitting the original five-nation force […]

Libya: Illegal gold mining network dismantled, foreign nationals arrestedF

An illegal gold mining network, comprised of Chinese, Chadian, and Nigerien nationals, has been dismantled in southern Libya, local authorities have said in a statement. The network, led by a Libyan man, was mining four large sites in the southern desert, said the Tripoli attorney general, which posted photos of the mines and seized gold […]

Egypt: Italy sets new trial for Egyptians accused of student’s murderF

A court in Italy on Monday set a February date for a new trial in absentia of four Egyptian security officers accused of murdering an Italian student in 2016. Giulio Regeni, 28, was researching his doctorate at Cambridge University when he was abducted while in Cairo. His body, bearing extensive signs of torture, was eventually […]

Sahel: Mauritania sends ex-president Ould Abdelaziz to prison for corruptionF

A court in Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott on Monday sentenced former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years in prison for having abused his position to amass an ill-gotten fortune.  Aziz, who ruled the pivotal country between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa between 2008 and 2019, fell into disgrace under successor and current President Mohamed […]

Niger ditches security arrangements with EU, engages more with RussiaF

Niger’s military leaders said Monday that they were ending two European Union security and defence missions in the country, after earlier in the day agreeing to strengthen military cooperation with Russia.  The Nigerien foreign ministry said that it was ending the agreement between Niger and the EU regarding the Niamey-based civilian capacity-building mission called EUCAP […]