Regional News

French President Emmanuel Macron to embark on Africa tour | Africanews French president Emmanuel Macron will embark on a new tour of Africa this week, hoping to “spur” new “dynamics” in the relationship between France and the continent, according to the Élysée Palace. The tour will start with a visit to Mauritius on Thursday to promote partnership with neighbouring French islands Mayotte and Réunion. After Mauritius, Macron will be flying off to South Africa to attend the G20 summit over the weekend, which will be marked by the boycott of the United States. The French president hoped to use the event to meet with his Algerian counterpart and try to appease tensions between their two countries.

Africa hosts G20 for the first time: what the summit means for global influence | Africanews The recurring presence of former U.S. President Donald Trump in discussions about South Africa , and more recently Nigeria, highlights enduring geopolitical tensions and competing visions of influence on the African continent. Trump’s criticism of South Africa has focused on claims that Afrikaners, a white minority group, are being persecuted through farm attacks and controversial land reform policies. These assertions have contributed to the U.S. decision to boycott the 2025 G20 Johannesburg Summit. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed the move, telling journalists: “It is their loss.”

COP30: UN urges protection for climate migrants | Africanews The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is calling on global leaders to protect the rights and dignity of those living on the frontlines of the climate crisis, including migrants and displaced persons, Indigenous Peoples, and traditional and local communities. Floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms are forcing millions from their homes every year. Most never cross a border; they remain internally displaced yet uprooted all the same. But experts warn that in the not-so-distant future, entire nations could disappear beneath rising seas or become uninhabitable through drought.

UN officials warn of worsening situation in Sudan | Africanews Officials from the UN refugee agency, World Health Organization and UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service) on Friday delivered stark warnings over the deteriorating situation in Sudan. The military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, went to war in 2023, when tensions erupted between them. The army and RSF are former allies that were supposed to oversee a democratic transition after a 2019 uprising. The fighting has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and displaced 12 million others.

Nigeria: The contrasted reality behind Trump’s claims of Christian persecution | Africanews Nigeria has been at the centre of a controversy in the past month, after United States President Donald Trump accused the country’s government of tolerating the widespread killing of Christians. Nigeria’s population of 220 million people is split almost evenly between Christians, who live predominantly in the south, and Muslims, mostly in the north — where attacks have long been concentrated and where levels of illiteracy, poverty and hunger are among the country’s highest In the northeast, Boko Haram jihadi extremists and, more recently, an Islamic State-backed breakaway faction have since 2009 waged an insurgency to enforce their brutal interpretation of Shariah law.

South Africa: Two school staff shot dead inside Tembisa Primary School | Africanews Authorities in South Africa are investigating the fatal shooting of a school principal and an administrative staff member at Inxiweni Primary School in Tembisa. The two women were killed inside the school’s administration block late on Tuesday afternoon. The Gauteng Department of Education said the attack happened shortly after 5pm while staff were preparing for an upcoming meeting. Colleagues in a nearby office reported hearing several gunshots before taking cover. When they emerged, they found the 58-year-old principal and a 55-year-old administrator lying in the corridor. Emergency teams arrived soon after but both victims were declared dead at the scene.

Sudan relief operations are ‘on the brink of collapse,’ UN migration agency warns | Africanews The U.N. migration agency warned on Tuesday that humanitarian efforts in Sudan’s war-torn North Darfur region might come to a complete halt unless immediate funding and safe delivery of relief supplies are ensured.“Despite the rising need, humanitarian operations are now on the brink of collapse,” the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement. It added: “Warehouses are nearly empty, aid convoys face significant insecurity, and access restrictions continue to prevent the delivery of sufficient aid.”

South Africa says security services are ready for G20 summit this weekend | Africanews With just a few days to go to the first ever G20 leaders’ summit in Africa, South Africa’s security cluster says it is ready to secure delegates from around the world. On Wednesday, the acting Minister of Police and the National Police Commissioner rallied troops at a parade in Soweto saying they must act decisively against troublemakers. The police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, told officers the country was depending on them for the summit to go off smoothly. “The hope is on you so, make sure that when you deal with society and the delegations, you give that smile, and when you deal with criminals, handle them the way you’re supposed to deal with a criminal,” he said.

Bandits Demand ₦3bn Ransom For Abducted Kwara Worshippers • Channels Television Bandits who abducted worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State have demanded ₦100 million as ransom for each of the abductees. At least 30 people were reportedly taken away by the bandits who attacked the church in Eruku on Tuesday. Three people were also said to have been killed during the attack while the worshippers were holding a service. ‎A community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, whose four relatives were among the kidnapped victims said the bandits had started contacting family members.
‎

Search intensifies for abducted Nigerian girls as gunmen attack church | Africanews Security forces in north-western Nigeria are intensifying efforts to find the 24 young girls abducted by gunmen from a school in an early-morning raid on Monday. President Bola Tinubu has called for swift action to return them to safety saying no effort will be spared in the search. Parents gathered at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in the town of Maga in Kebbi State said two girls managed to escape their abductors on Monday evening. School officials said most of the students and those kidnapped are Muslim, the dominant religion in the region.

Peace and Security

Bandits attack Catholic school in Niger, abduct students, teachers – Yerwa Express News Suspected terrorists have abducted some students of and members of staff of St. Mary’s School, school in Papiri community in Agwara Local Government Area of the state. Confirming the incident on Friday in Minna the Niger State Government said the number of victims was yet to be ascertained, adding that security agencies were still assessing the situation. However, a resident of the area who preferred anonymity told the News Agency of Nigeria that the abducted pupils and members of staff were not fewer than 100. He said the terrorists stormed the school premises around 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. and abducted the victims Abubakar Usman Secretary to Niger Government, in a statement condemned the incident.

JUST IN: Court Sentences Nnamdi Kanu to Life Imprisonment – PRNigeria News The Federal High Court has sentenced Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to life imprisonment over terrorism-related charges. The judgment was delivered by Justice James Omotosho on Thursday, four years after Kanu was controversially arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria. Kanu faced seven counts of terrorism, all of which he pleaded not guilty to. However, Justice Omotosho found him guilty on all charges, stating that his broadcasts via Radio Biafra, as well as his calls for sit-at-home orders in South-Eastern states, constituted acts of terrorism.

Tinubu directs Matawalle to Kebbi as search for abducted schoolgirls continues – Yerwa Express News President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defense, to relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 24 schoolgirls. The president gave the directive after receiving reports that gunmen kidnapped the students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town around 4 a.m. on Monday. He instructed Matawalle to remain in the state and oversee all security efforts to rescue the abducted students. According to a statement issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, the president emphasized the urgency of the operation. President Tinubu said Matawalle’s experience in handling mass kidnappings in Zamfara makes him suitable to coordinate the rescue mission.

Boko Haram leader, Hussaini Isma’il, jailed 20 years – Yerwa Express News The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced Hussaini Isma’il, one of the leaders of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, to a 20-year imprisonment. Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment, convicted Isma’il, popularly known as Maitangaran, in the four counts preferred against him by the Federal Government. The judgment was delivered on Tuesday. In count one, Justice Nwite sentenced him to 15-year jail term; while in counts two, three and four, Isma’il bagged 20-year jail term each, making a total of 75 years. The judge, however, ordered that the jail terms shall run concurrently begining from the date of his arrest.

Tinubu places security agencies on ‘Highest Alert’ as FG moves to rescue Kebbi schoolgirls – Yerwa Express News The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced new security measures in response to recent attacks across the country. Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and Internal Security, said on Wednesday in a briefing that the steps follow the killing of a senior Army General, the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State, and the attack on a church in Kwara State. According to him, the incidents show the scale of the threat facing the country. He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has postponed his trip to the G20 meeting in South Africa to focus fully on the security situation. Idris said the president has ordered the military and the police to deploy more personnel to Eruku and the wider Ekiti local government area of Kwara State.

NAF airstrikes shatter terrorist enclave in Borno – Yerwa Express News The Nigerian Air Force has carried out a precision strike on a terrorist base in the Sambisa area. The operation took place on November 19, at a location identified as Arra. The strike followed the October 17 ambush on troops at Kashomri. The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted the mission under the directive of the chief of the air staff. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights tracked movements around Kashomri and Sambisa before the strike.

US lawmakers disagree over alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria The United States House Subcommittee on Africa, on Thursday, held a sharply divided hearing on President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians. Lawmakers split along two broad narratives, with some framing the crisis as “Christian genocide” and others warning against a dangerous oversimplification of Nigeria’s complex violence. The subcommittee chairman, Chris Smith, opened the hearing by alleging “systematic and accelerating violence against predominantly Christian communities in Nigeria.” He said: “Nigeria is ground zero, the focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today,” describing the session as “a very critical hearing.”

Pope expresses alarm over Nigeria’s insecurity, says violence knows no religious boundaries – 9News Nigeria Pope Francis has voiced fresh concern over the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, warning that the wave of violence sweeping through the country is inflicting suffering on both Christians and Muslims. His comments come as the international scrutiny over Nigeria’s security situation intensifies. In a communication to the Catholic bishops, the Pope condemned the surge in extremist attacks, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis that has left thousands grieving, displaced, or living in fear. He stressed that the violence has grown beyond religious lines with communities of all faiths facing daily threats. Cardinal John Onaiyekan, reacting to Pope’s message, called for intensified interfaith dialogue and cooperation, noting that Nigeria’s security challenges require unity rather than division.

Boko Haram Kills 8, 3 Missing After Attack on Borno Community – HumAngle Boko Haram attacked Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members in the Warabe community in Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, North East Nigeria, on Thursday, Nov. 20, at about 10:00 am, killing eight people and leaving three others missing, according to a CJTF member in Warabe.  “All the members killed are part of the CJTF, except for one,” a local told HumAngle..

Image Shows Missing Nigerian General in ISWAP Captivity – HumAngle The Nigerian Army’s statement that Brigadier General M Uba, the Brigade Commander 25 Task Force Brigade “successfully led troops back to base” after an ambush last Friday, Nov. 14, in the Damboa area of Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, has been challenged by an exclusive, verified image obtained by HumAngle. The image shows the senior officer alive but held by insurgents, contradicting the military’s official account. The ambush by ISWAP fighters on a joint military and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) convoy on Biu Road resulted in the deaths of several soldiers and CJTF members, with the general’s whereabouts initially reported as unknown.

Brigade Commander Leads Troops to Safety; B/Haram’s Wajiroko Ambush Claims 4 Lives – Northern Nigerian Express Troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade were ambushed by terrorists while returning from a routine patrol around Wajiroko in Azir-Multe, Damboa LGA of Borno State, on Friday, November 14, 2025. This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday, according to Lt Col Appolonia Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations. The patrol, led by Commander 25 Task Force Brigade, Brig. Gen. M. Uba, included soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members. They fought through what the army described as “a sudden and heavy volume of fire”. Anele said the troops responded with “superior firepower”, forcing the insurgents to retreat in disarray. Two soldiers and two CJTF members were killed in the encounter.

ISWAP terrorists kill Army Brig-General after Borno ambush  Terrorists suspected to be Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, fighters have reportedly killed Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. M. Uba. The development came after the terrorists wambushed a Nigerian military convoy, killing some soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, in northeastern Nigeria. Zagozala Makama, a counter-insurgency security expert in the Lake Chad, disclosed this in a post on Monday.

Nigeria’s Stolen Classrooms – HumAngle  Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for students. Being a student in Nigeria is like life on the shifting sand. One of the victims of the famous Chibok abduction of 2014, Amina Ali, still recalls that shift: “One minute we were students, the next we were running, unsure of where safety was. What stays with me most is the fear in everyone’s eyes … that feeling that life had just taken a turn I could never prepare for.” A decade after Amina and 275 other schoolgirls were abducted from their hostels in the country’s North East, sparking the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign, the violence that began as an extremist campaign against Western education has transformed into a multi-million-naira kidnapping industry affecting both public and private schools.

Portraits of Grief: Inside Abducted Kebbi Girls’ School after Brutal Terror Attack – HumAngle The terror struck in the wee hours of Monday, Nov. 17, shattering the quiet of the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga.  The students woke from their deep sleep and scrambled for safety when the terrorists invaded, triggering a wave of fear and anguish throughout the premises. By morning, news had spread that at least 25 schoolgirls had been abducted in the raid in Maga, a town in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, North West Nigeria. The attack happened around 3:30 a.m. when armed men stormed the school, killing two staff members – Hassan Yakubu, the school’s security officer, and Aliyu Shehu, the night watchman.

Mass Abduction at Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi State – HumAngle Terrorists have launched an early-morning attack on the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko Wasagu Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi State, North West Nigeria, abducting scores of students. The assault took place around 4:00 a.m., shortly before dawn prayers. Local sources say the attackers stormed the school premises, killing a staff member and injuring a security guard before escaping with several girls. Residents of Maga, a community under the Danko Wasagu LGA, with its headquarters in Ribah, told HumAngle that the assailants “have not gone far” and are believed to still be within reach.

Humanitarian

International envoys visit Borno over insurgency crisis A high-level delegation of international partners visited Borno State to meet communities affected by conflict and discuss long-term solutions to displacement. The delegation also held talks with Borno State Governor, Prof.  Babagana  Zulum, and the Military Commanding Officer in Banki Garrison during the one-day mission. According to a statement from the British High Commission in Abuja on Thursday, the visit focused on strengthening cooperation with the state government in order to achieve safe and sustainable pathways for displaced people to rebuild their lives across the North-East. Delegates included the Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Abuja (Cynthia Rowe), ambassadors of Denmark (Jens Hansen), Finland ( Sanne Selin), Germany (Annett Günther), the Netherlands (Bengt Loosdrecht), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative to Nigeria (Arjun Jain).

WFP: Ending global hunger by 2030 achievable at less than 1% of military budgets | Africanews Ending hunger by 2030 would cost just $93 billion a year, less than one per cent of the $21.9 trillion spent on military budgets over the past decade, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In its 2026 Global Outlook, WFP indicated that by 2026, a staggering 318 million people would face crisis levels of hunger or worse, more than double the figure recorded in 2019. The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General had earlier warned world leaders on Monday that food “has become a weapon” in various conflicts around the planet. Speaking to the UN Security Council, Amina Mohammed said armed conflict and violence are the leading causes of food insecurity in most of the world’s hunger hotspots.

UNICEF: More than 400 million children globally live in poverty | Africanews According to UNICEF, more than 400 million children globally live in poverty, missing out on at least two daily needs such as nutrition and sanitation. New report warns more children are at risk of falling into poverty as global funding cuts, conflict and climate threaten access to services crucial for health and wellbeing More than 1 in 5 children in low- and middle-income countries – or 417 million – are severely deprived in at least two vital areas critical for their health, development, and wellbeing, according to UNICEF’s flagship report issued on World Children’s Day today.

How the G20 summit could benefit ordinary Africans | Africanews As world leaders gather for the G20 summit, the focus often stays on big pledges, long speeches and complicated communiqués. But behind all the diplomacy, there are real ways decisions taken at this meeting can shape life for everyday people across Africa. Cheaper credit and lighter debt pressure Many African countries are struggling with heavy debt and high borrowing costs. If the G20 agrees on fairer lending rules or pushes global banks to restructure debt, governments could free up money for schools, hospitals and public services. For the average African, it simply means budgets that can actually address basic needs rather than servicing loans.