Djibouti
South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy and a local journalist working with him, Kooki Mahmoud, are missing in Djibouti, according to Reddy’s family and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, where Reddy works as Africa coordinator, said he was not working on a story about Djibouti. His brother Niall Reddy told Reuters that Micah was in contact with his family before communication abruptly stopped and messages sent to him via Signal and WhatsApp were no longer being delivered. CPJ called on Djiboutian authorities to “establish their whereabouts, credibly confirm their safety, and promptly release them if detained.”
More from Reuters here.
Iraq
Six French nationals have gone on trial in Iraq, accused of being fighters for the Islamic State (ISIS) group, with a member of the Supreme Judicial Council telling the court they could face the death penalty if found guilty of crimes against Iraq and its people. The six are part of a group of 47 French citizens who were transferred to Iraq from Syria last year in a U.S. and Iraqi effort to relocate ISIS suspects from Syrian prison camps due to security concerns prompted by Kurdish forces losing control of some facilities. More than 5,700 suspected ISIS members were brought to Iraq during the operation.
More from Iraqi News here.
Ethiopia
Seven rebel groups in Ethiopia have formed an alliance, saying they intend to overthrow the government, as fears grow of renewed full-scale war in the country. The grouping, dubbed the Alliance for Survival coalition, unites the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the Fano militia in the Amhara region and four smaller groups. The TPLF and Ethiopian government forces fought a ruinous war from 2020 to 2022, during which rights groups say acts of genocide were carried out. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed responded by saying he had faith in Ethiopia’s "defensive capabilities."
More from BBC here.