DR Congo
At least one person was killed and several wounded when security forces opened fire during unrest at the burial of an Ebola victim in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after residents demanded to see the body. The crowd wanted to confirm that the deceased had died of the virus, a member of an Ebola response team said, underlining persistent distrust from local communities as DRC battles the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. The bodies of people who have died from the illness remain highly infectious and are buried according to strict protocols. There have been several attacks on burial teams, other Ebola responders and clinics, with some families trying to retrieve the bodies of their relatives. The outbreak has now killed a confirmed 3,779 people out of 7,820 cases, according to the latest figures. The true number is believed to be higher.
More from Reuters here.
Morocco
Morocco’s centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has taken first place in parliamentary elections, according to early results. The result will not fundamentally change the political landscape given Morocco is a semi-constitutional monarchy in which King Mohammed VI retains sweeping powers. PAM, though, will be expected to implement economic policies aimed at addressing youth discontent, which boiled over last year as Gen Z protests turned deadly. Analysts say the party was boosted by the recruitment of Fouzi Lekjaa, the popular football federation chief, who is seen as a potential prime minister.
More from DW here.
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian army said today it had killed 272 fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) as the armed group said it was in a “full-blown war” with the government. Widespread fighting erupted on Wednesday after months of tension and just days after the TPLF, which is the regional authority in the country’s Tigray region, said it had joined forces with six other armed groups to topple the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, dubbing the coalition the “Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival.” Ethiopia’s central government fought a ruinous war with the TPLF from 2020 to 2022, during which up to 600,000 people were killed, according to an African Union estimate.
More from Al Jazeera here.