Sudan
A terrifying situation is developing in Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group appears to have largely captured the city of el-Fasher in the Darfur region after laying siege to it for more than 500 days. The U.N. immediately called for safe passage for the more than 250,000 people still trapped inside as fears grew of ethnically-motivated reprisals against civilians and videos of brutal killings began to spread on social media. The RSF, which has been at war with the Sudanese army for two and half years, grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militia - a group that in the 2000s committed widespread atrocities and war crimes in Darfur that rights groups said amounted to genocide.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Lebanon
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said it shot down an Israeli drone that flew close over one of its patrols in the south of the country, the latest in a series of incidents between UNIFIL and Israeli forces. In a statement, the U.N. said the drone was operating in an “aggressive manner,” that the Israeli military (IDF) also dropped a grenade, and that a tank fired a shell in the direction of peacekeepers after the drone was downed. The IDF said the drone was carrying out “routine intelligence-gathering activity.” Israel agreed a ceasefire with Lebanon almost a year ago but regularly violates it with air strikes.
More from the New Arab here.
Cameroon
Cameroon’s 92-year-old Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, has been declared winner of a presidential election, landing him a controversial eighth term. Biya secured 53.7% of the vote, compared to the 35.2% of opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, according to the Constitutional Council. With presidential terms lasting seven years, the victory could keep the often elusive Biya in power until he is almost 100. The opposition rejected the result and in recent days security forces have opened fire on crowds protesting the outcome.
More from Africa News here.
Humans are such a violent, ignorant, greedy, self-destructive species.