Senegal Accelerates Industrialization Amid Oil, Gas Production Surge

October 29, 2025

Senegal’s industrialization accelerates with new oil, gas, mining and transport projects, driving regional connectivity and sustainable economic transformation.

Senegal is advancing its industrialization agenda with renewed momentum following the commencement of major oil and gas projects. The Sangomar oil field is forecast to exceed initial production estimates, with output expected to reach 34.5 million barrels in 2025. Simultaneously, the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project – a joint venture with Mauritania – started LNG production last year, with plans to increase capacity in upcoming phases. These developments are set to provide a critical boost to the country’s industrial and energy transformation.

The country’s long-term development strategy, the Plan Sénégal Émergent (PSE), aims to position the country as a leading industrial and logistical hub in West Africa by 2035. The PSE emphasizes structural economic transformation, decentralization of industry away from Dakar and growth in key sectors including energy, mining, agro-industry, chemicals, construction and transport. Large-scale infrastructure projects and public-private partnership models are central to attracting investment and supporting this shift.

Energy Sector Transformation

Senegal is actively reducing its historical dependence on imported fossil fuels through both domestic hydrocarbons and renewable energy initiatives. The government’s strategy prioritizes using natural gas for domestic power generation, aiming to reduce costly heavy fuel oil consumption while directing hydrocarbon revenues toward broader development objectives.

On the renewable front, Senegal has set an ambitious Just Energy Transition Partnership target of 40% of the energy mix from renewables by 2030. Projects such as the Taiba N’Diaye Wind Power Station and large-scale solar installations are underway, although rural electrification remains a challenge. Partnerships with the World Bank and other development organizations are supporting grid expansion to underserved communities.

Transport Infrastructure Expansion

To support industrialization and regional integration, Senegal is investing heavily in transport infrastructure. The Port of Ndayane, under construction since late-2024 with DP World funding, is designed as a deep-water facility capable of accommodating larger vessels and easing congestion at the Port of Dakar. The Port of Bargny serves as a critical hub for mineral exports, including from the Falémé iron ore project. Senegal’s mining industry is a major contributor to export revenues, with phosphate, gold, mineral sands and iron ore as key resources. The government has strengthened its mining code and implemented reforms to improve transparency, fiscal management and local content policies.

Rail infrastructure improvements, such as the Regional Express Train connecting Dakar to suburban areas, and road network expansions – including the Dakar-Thiès-Tivaouane-Saint-Louis highway – are set to improve domestic and regional interconnectivity. These projects are also aligned with UN road safety targets.

Senegal is also enhancing its regional role through energy and transport integration. The OMVG interconnector links Senegal with The Gambia, Guinea-Conakry and Guinea-Bissau, expanding access to reliable electricity across borders. Regional road corridors and trade liberalization under the Economic Community of West African States aim to strengthen Senegal’s competitiveness and position the country as a West African logistics hub.

Looking ahead, the combination of new hydrocarbon production, infrastructure expansion and targeted reforms is expected to accelerate Senegal’s industrialization in 2025 and beyond. Industry leaders and policymakers are set to convene at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference and exhibition in Dakar from December 8-10, providing a key platform to align investment, share best practices and ensure that energy security gains translate into broader, sustainable economic transformation across the country.

Explore opportunities, foster partnerships and stay at the forefront of the MSGBC region’s oil, gas and power sector. Visit www.MSGBCOilGasandPower.com to secure your participation at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 conference. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com

President Lourenço and AU’s Youssouf Lead Historic Push for African Infrastructure Sovereignty

October 31, 2025

By Ajong Mbapndah L

Infrastructure is a means to create jobs, promote intra-African trade, and improve lives. It is the foundation of regional and continental integration, said Angola’s President and current Chair of the African Union João Lourenço

A wave of optimism swept through Luanda as African leaders, investors, and policymakers concluded the 3rd Summit on Financing for Infrastructure Development in Africa (LFS 2025). Hosted by President João Lourenço of Angola in partnership with the African Union Commission, the summit marked a decisive step toward financing Africa’s transformation on African terms.

The Luanda Financing Summit ended with tangible outcomes: the launch of a US $1.5 billion fund to support 69 priority infrastructure projects and a record US $160 billion in new commitments from African governments and financial institutions.

It also saw the adoption of the landmark Luanda Declaration, a policy and financing roadmap reaffirming Africa’s determination to accelerate integration and inclusive growth through domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and strategic investment in Agenda 2063 flagship programmes.

A Defining Message: Africa Must Build Itself

Opening the summit, President Lourenço called for a collective mindset shift — from dependency to self-determination.

“We are not here merely to discuss numbers or mechanisms,” he declared. “We are here to reaffirm our shared vision of a connected, modern, and resilient Africa.”

He emphasized that infrastructure is the backbone of Africa’s economic sovereignty, not simply a development metric.

“It creates jobs, powers industries, and drives intra-African trade,” he said. “It is the bridge linking our economies and the engine that will power the African Continental Free Trade Area.”

Africa must invest 130 billion dollars yearly to close its infrastructure gap — the backbone of the AfCFTA and our economic sovereignty, said AUC Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf

Youssouf: ‘Integration Is Not a Dream — It Is Our Method’

Joining the Heads of State, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, underscored the continent’s progress under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the urgency of scaling up.

“Africa must invest 130 billion dollars yearly to close its infrastructure gap — the backbone of the AfCFTA and our economic sovereignty,” he said.

Through PIDA, Youssouf noted, Africa has already built 16,000 km of roads, 4,000 km of railways, and delivered energy access to 30 million people.

“The next phase will scale this success through domestic resource mobilization, innovative financing, and stronger global partnerships,” he added.

His most resonant line drew applause across the hall:

“Africa’s integration is not a dream; it is our method.”

From Vision to Action: The Luanda Declaration

The Luanda Declaration on Financing Africa’s Infrastructure Development, adopted at the summit’s close, enshrines this spirit of ownership.

It calls for:

Strengthening Africa’s financial architecture and deepening regional capital markets;

Mobilizing domestic savings and sovereign funds to finance large-scale projects;

Enhancing public-private collaboration to close the infrastructure gap; and

Accelerating Agenda 2063’s flagship initiatives, including:

the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA),

the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM),

the Continental Commodities and Manufacturing Platform (CMP),

the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), and

the African Integrated High-Speed Rail Network (AIRN).

With these commitments, LFS 2025 positioned itself as more than a conference — a continental turning point.

Confronting the $170 Billion Challenge

Both Lourenço and Youssouf reminded delegates of the African Development Bank’s estimate: the continent faces an annual infrastructure financing gap of $130–$170 billion.

This deficit, Lourenço said, “limits growth, raises production costs, and perpetuates inequality.”

But he was clear that Africa can no longer outsource its destiny. He urged countries to capitalize on partnerships with AUDA-NEPAD and the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI) — whose new $1.5 billion infrastructure facility was launched during the summit — to mobilize long-term, blended capital.

“Africa must not be seen solely through the prism of risk,” Lourenço insisted. “We must be rated for our potential and our record of responsibility.”

Angola’s Example: Building a Future from the Ground Up

As Angola prepares to celebrate 50 years of independence, Lourenço showcased his nation’s evolution from post-war reconstruction to regional powerhouse.

Delegates arriving in Luanda landed at the new António Agostinho Neto International Airport, one of Africa’s most modern gateways.

Angola has rebuilt thousands of kilometers of roads, expanded ports — including the deep-water Port of Caio in Cabinda — and launched nationwide energy and water infrastructure programs.

The Caculo Cabaça Hydropower Plant, producing 2,172 MW, will elevate national power generation toward 15,000 MW within two decades, enabling exports to the SADC and Central Africa power pools through public-private transmission lines.

Water initiatives such as BITA and Quilonga Grande will deliver potable water to 7.5 million people in Luanda and Icolo e Bengo, while new dams in Cunene and Namibe are mitigating the impact of droughts.

Digital expansion is also central: Angola is extending its national fiber-optic backbone and preparing a new Earth-observation satellite, bringing innovation to rural communities and industries alike.

Deal Rooms and Commitments

Throughout the summit, “deal rooms” facilitated direct engagement between governments, investors, and multilateral banks. Dozens of pre-selected projects — spanning energy, transport, water, and ICT — were presented for financing, generating a pipeline of transformative opportunities across the continent.

President Lourenço praised the collaboration between AUDA-NEPAD and AAMFI for ensuring that “African projects are evaluated on merit, not outdated assumptions.”

Youssouf reinforced that domestic and regional capital must take the lead.

“We must depend on our ambition, our creativity, and our collective strength — not aid,” he told the gathering.

Integration Through Connectivity

From the Lobito Corridor, linking Angola, Zambia, and the DRC, to the African Integrated High-Speed Rail Network, the message was clear: connectivity is the currency of Africa’s future.

“The future of Africa depends on our ability to unite around common objectives,” Lourenço concluded. “Our ambition is to build the infrastructure that will sustain industrialization and guarantee the future of our youth.”

With $160 billion in new commitments, a $1.5 billion infrastructure fund, and a Declaration that unites governments, investors, and institutions around a single vision, LFS 2025 has become a milestone in Africa’s journey toward economic self-reliance.

A New Dawn for Africa’s Infrastructure Sovereignty

With $160 billion in new commitments, a $1.5 billion infrastructure fund, and a Declaration that unites governments, investors, and institutions around a single vision, LFS 2025 has become a milestone in Africa’s journey toward economic self-reliance.

No longer waiting for external saviors, the continent is charting its own course — one highway, one port, one digital network at a time.

“Every kilometer of road, every megawatt of power, every fiber-optic cable,” Lourenço said, “must translate into a better life for Africans.”

Russia-Africa Expo-2025: Spotlighting Africa’s Economic Potentials for Russian Investors

October 29, 2025

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Louis Gouend, Founder and Chief Executive of African Business Club (ABC) and Chairman of the Commission for Work with African Diasporas of the Russian-African Club of Moscow State University

Designed as an investment and entrepreneurial platform, the 'Russia-Africa Expo-2025. Made in Africa' held in Moscow, in mid-October, attracted state officials, investors and business people from Africa and Russia who are highly-interested in mutually beneficial dialogue and developing business collaboration. Sharing the same platform, the participants tried to find answers to the critical questions including why do Russian entrepreneurs want to work on mega-projects with partners from Africa. For Africans, their concern was to export basic agricultural products, handmade crafts and artifacts to the Russian market from contemporary Africa. On the other side, Russians are increasingly in search of profitable businesses across the continent, amid renewed debates and narratives over Russia's low economic representation in the African discourse. For decades, the continent's stories have largely been filtered through external lenses—often highlighting Africa's development progress especially transforming as the last frontier with an economic power.

According to the organizers, 'Russia-Africa Expo 2025. Made in Africa' was a unique space to foster economic and commercial exchanges. The organizers described it as “the solid platform for entrepreneurs to deliberate business collaborations, expertise and innovations, and to transform ideas into tangible opportunities for both Russian and African entrepreneurs.” It was the second edition of Russia-Africa Expo, aimed at promoting the continent's economic influence and, at least, to project the exceptional visibility by African and diaspora actors. In this exclusive interview, Louis Gouend, Founder and Chief Executive of African Business Club (ABC) and Chairman of the Commission for Work with African Diasporas of the Russian-African Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, discussed the main results of the week-long corporate entrepreneurial gathering and hightlighted Russia's comparative stakes and perspectives with African partners. Here are the interview excerpts:

How confident are Russian investors in developing the African market in the current geopolitical environment?

Louis Gouend: Russian business confidence in working with Africa has reached a qualitatively new level. Whereas previously these were fruitless attempts at market exploration, today we see a fully formed strategy. More than 200 Russian companies represented at the Russia-Africa Expo-2025 forum, not only from the raw materials sector, but also from IT, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and education.

Key indicator: at the financial instruments session, Payment Agent A7 and representatives of the Russian Export Center (REC)presented specific products for the African market with state guarantees. These aren't just words – this year alone, the volume of transactions through these mechanisms has grown by 40%. Russian entrepreneurs understand that Western sanctions have created a unique window of opportunity to reshape relations with Africa.

How are trade and economic relations developing after the two Russia-Africa summits?

Gouend: We have gone from political declarations to concrete projects. Trade turnover reached $23 billion last year, but its structure is more important: while grain and fertilizer accounted for 80% of the total last year, today the share of machinery and equipment (15%), IT solutions (7%), and educational services is rapidly growing.

After Expo-2025, we clearly identify three trends:

- Diversification: from raw materials to technologies and joint ventures

- Localization: establishing assembly plants and distribution centers in Africa

- Financial architecture: developing alternative payment systems

What are the prospects for African exporters in the Russian market?

Gouend: The situation is changing dramatically. At the "Made-in-Africa" ​​pitch session, 15 African companies signed memorandums of understanding on supplies to Russia. Ethiopian coffee suppliers plan to capture 5% of the Russian premium coffee market by 2026.

Russia is simplifying customs procedures for African products, according to a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. By 2025, imports of African goods are expected to grow by 25%, particularly in the following categories:

- Coffee and cocoa

- Fruits and nuts

- Pharmaceutical raw materials

- Natural cosmetics

Which countries and industries were most significant in the discussions?

Gouend: The most active countries were:

- Ethiopia: as a hub for East Africa (logistics, agribusiness)

- Nigeria: energy and IT

- Cameroon: agriculture, distribution, and culture

- Burkina Faso: medicine, fruit processing, and the film industry

- Côte d'Ivoire: fertilizers, cocoa, financial services, and culture

- Mali: education and development of Russian-African women's entrepreneurship

- Rwanda: mining

- Gambia: pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and construction

Key areas of cooperation:

1. Energy and mining - 35% of projects discussed

2. Agribusiness and food security - 25%

3. Digitalization and IT - 20%

4. Education and training - 15%

5. Pharmaceuticals and healthcare - 5%

Business Expo-2025

What noticeable challenges remain, and what agreements have been reached?

Gouend: Despite significant progress, systemic challenges remain. Key among these remain logistics infrastructure, the need to develop financial mechanisms adapted to current realities, and the importance of bridging the information gap between business communities.

Following the Russia-Africa Expo-2025, a qualitative shift in the approach to cooperation can be observed. Fundamental agreements were reached on the creation of new institutions for interaction designed to make cooperation systemic. A series of framework agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between key players from the private and public sectors of both sides. These documents lay the foundation for the implementation of specific projects in priority sectors, such as agriculture, energy, digitalization, and personnel training.

The main outcome was not only the creation of a full-fledged partnership ecosystem, where joint working groups and development institutions will ensure the sustainability of cooperation in the long term, but also the creation of a new platform for ongoing communication between entrepreneurs from Russian and African small and medium-sized businesses.

Africa Sets the New Global Mandate for Women, Peace and Security at UN Headquarters

October 30, 2025

The African Union (AU) asserted its leadership in the global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda during the week-long commemoration of the Silver Anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York which kicked off on October 27, 2025. The AU’s message, unified and non-negotiable, centered on translating two decades of commitment into verifiable accountability and transformative influence on the ground.

The Windhoek Imperative: From Presence to Power

The centerpiece of the AU’s mobilization was the Windhoek+25 Declaration, adopted in Namibia just prior to the UN meetings. H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security (OSE-WPS), delivered the declaration’s mandate across multiple high-level events.

"The era of symbolic inclusion is over," Ambassador Mulamula declared. "The Windhoek+25 Declaration is a new Call to Action, moving the agenda forward by demanding that we stop counting women's presence and start measuring their influence and transformative impact."

The core of this imperative is accountability at the highest political levels, underpinned by three crucial areas:

Financial Accountability: Securing predictable and sustainable financing for WPS, including the mandatory use of gender-responsive budgeting at national and regional levels.

Addressing New Threats: Urgently integrating gender perspectives into emerging security challenges like climate change, technology-facilitated violence, and displacement.

Intergenerational Leadership: Fully empowering young women and men as the co-architects of the next 25 years of peace.

Africa’s Roadmap: Five Priorities for Concrete Change

The AU highlighted that Africa is leading WPS implementation, citing examples like Kenya's launch of its Third National Action Plan (KNAP III) immediately following Windhoek—a powerful, costed blueprint for national action. The Special Envoy outlined five key priorities guiding the continent’s action plan:

Full Participation: Guaranteeing at least 30% representation for women in all peace processes, from ceasefire negotiations to recovery efforts.

Protection and Accountability: Strengthening efforts to end all forms of gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence, ensuring justice and safeguarding the safety of women and girls.

Regional Solidarity: Building stronger women’s platforms across RECs (SADC, IGAD, ECOWAS, and Great Lakes Region) to foster cross-border collaboration and early warning.

Nurturing Intergenerational Leadership: Connecting young women with seasoned leaders through mentorship and amplifying grassroots voices.

Economic Empowerment and Peace Education: Investing in women’s economic resilience while embedding peace education in schools to counter hate speech.

Amplifying Voices from the Frontlines

AU’s presence also included the second launch of the e-book, "She Stands for Peace: 25 Stories in Celebration of 25 Years of UNSCR 1325," at Africa House. The event showcased the unfiltered realities shared by peacebuilders Ms. Fabiola Faïda Mwangilwa (DRC) and Ms. Saba Gebremedhin Hagos (Ethiopia), who delivered a unified message: 

Let Peace Prevail.

The AU Office of the Special Envoy extends its sincere gratitude to Norway and Ireland, whose generous financial support, channeled through the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), ensured that the experiences and resilience of these African peace architects could be captured and amplified globally.

Partnering for Implementation

The African Union welcomed deeper collaboration with the United Nations on shared commitments. H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Edrees, the African Union Permanent Observer to the United Nations, affirmed the AU’s position at the High-Level Meeting on the Secretary-General’s Common Pledge:

“We warmly welcome the United Nations’ Secretary-General’s Common Pledge on Women’s Participation in Peace Processes and urge all mediation and peace actors to turn its promises into practice. When women are meaningfully included in peace processes, the outcomes are stronger, fairer and more enduring.”

The Future of Peace is Accountable

The AU’s participation in WPS Week reinforced a clear message: peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the "presence of justice, equality, and inclusivity." The momentum generated by the Windhoek+25 Declaration must now shift from declarations to demonstrable delivery. The African Union remains committed to ensuring that the power, participation, and leadership of women—across all generations—are the cornerstone of a sustainable and peaceful future for the continent.

Ethiopia Seeks International Mediation in Red Sea Access Dispute with Eritrea

By Al Mayadeen English

28 Oct 2025 17:13

Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed insists the country's claim to the Red Sea is “irreversible".

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday called for international mediation with Eritrea over access to the Red Sea, reaffirming what he described as his country's “irreversible” claim to secure sea access amid rising tensions in the Horn of Africa.

Abiy, speaking to parliament in Addis Ababa, ruled out a military conflict but stressed that Ethiopia’s demand must be resolved diplomatically.

“Ethiopia’s request for access to the sea is irreversible. We have no intention of going to war with Eritrea. On the contrary, we are convinced that this issue can be resolved peacefully,” Abiy said.

Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated in recent months, decades after Eritrea gained independence in 1993, leaving Ethiopia landlocked. The two nations fought a bloody border war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Though Abiy received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for normalizing relations with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, ties have grown increasingly strained since the end of Ethiopia’s two-year civil war in Tigray, during which Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces.

The African Union estimates that the conflict left more than 600,000 people dead.

Talks with global powers, request for mediation

Abiy revealed that his government has engaged several international actors to mediate the dispute, including the United States, Russia, China, the African Union, and the European Union.

“We... have requested their mediation to find a lasting solution,” he told lawmakers.

Eritrea has not officially responded to the proposal, and Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Wider context

At the heart of the Ethiopia-Eritrea sea access dispute lies Assab, a strategic Eritrean port city on the Red Sea. Eritrean officials have accused Ethiopia of seeking control over the city, a claim that has fueled regional unease.

In October, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of financing armed groups within its borders, an allegation that Asmara dismissed as “a false charade.”

Eritrea, a nation of roughly 3.5 million people, has moved diplomatically closer to Egypt, which also maintains tense relations with Ethiopia over Nile River dam projects and regional influence.

UAE Directly Funded RSF, Leading to Fall of El-Fasher: Sudan

By Al Mayadeen English

29 Oct 2025 21:03

Sudan's officials accuse the UAE of funding the RSF, blaming it for massacres in El-Fasher, while the EU and the UN condemn atrocities and urge humanitarian access.

Sudan's Information Minister, Khalid al-Isaa, has directly accused the United Arab Emirates of bankrolling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stating, "The UAE is providing full and direct funding to the Rapid Support Forces militia, and this is what led to the fall of Al-Fashir."

In his speech this Wednesday at a ministry conference in Port Sudan, al-Isaa drew a stark comparison, pointing out that while the world designated Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda as terrorists for killing 2,000 people, the Rapid Support Forces militia has been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, a fact which he insists must lead to its official proscription as a terrorist organization.

On her part, humanitarian aid officer Mona Noor characterized the situation in El-Fasher as tragically catastrophic, stating that the militia is actively pursuing those who flee the city and subjecting them to killing, looting, and rape.

RSF committing massacres with glee

Noor further condemned the international community's suspicious silence in the face of the Rapid Support Forces' violations, stating that, according to preliminary figures, the civilian death toll has reached 2,000, adding that the militia has been executing the wounded and sick in their hospital beds, killing those who run soup kitchens, and systematically targeting medical personnel and aid workers.

The humanitarian aid officer also pointed out that "the killings were carried out with brutal savagery, driven by revenge and an apparent delight in the act," adding that "members of the militia have even published videos of these crimes."

Concluding the conference, the Undersecretary of the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hussein al-Amin, stated that the international community mistakenly treats the Sudanese Army and the terrorist militia as equivalent parties in a mere conflict between two generals.

He called for the punishment of those states in the regional and international sphere that are providing assistance and funding to the militia.

Al-Amin stated that "the crimes committed by the militia will remain a stain on the conscience of humanity." Furthermore, he addressed the recent expulsion of World Food Programme staff, confirming that the decision was made after monitoring numerous violations.

He explained that these actions "compromised the organization's neutrality and infringed upon national sovereignty," adding that "the decision was coordinated with all relevant authorities based on information that cannot be disclosed in a press conference."

European countries call for calm after fall of El-Fasher

Meanwhile, the European Union and several European nations have issued calls for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict in Sudan following the Rapid Support Forces' seizure of El-Fasher, the capital of the Darfur region.

In a joint statement, the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Hagia Habib, declared that the Rapid Support Forces' targeting of civilians on an ethnic basis underscores the sheer brutality of their campaign.

The bloc reiterated its support for relief efforts and diplomatic initiatives aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire, confirming that it "remains in contact with both sides and with international partners to facilitate a return to the negotiating table." Furthermore, it reaffirmed its support for international efforts to ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Foreign ministries condemn the RSF

The French Foreign Ministry has condemned the military escalation in El-Fasher, warning that it dangerously exacerbates the severe humanitarian crisis that has gripped the city for nearly eighteen months.

In an official statement, the Ministry strongly condemned the intensification of the Rapid Support Forces' offensive, which began on October 26, and expressed profound concern over reports of widespread atrocities, including summary executions in El-Fasher and Bara.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the situation in El-Fasher as "unbearable" and insisted that "the Rapid Support Forces must protect civilians and allow immediate, unhindered humanitarian access."

Earlier on Tuesday, the United Nations demanded that the Rapid Support Forces permit the opening of a safe corridor to allow civilians to flee El-Fasher, while the joint force of armed movements allied with the Sudanese Army accused the RSF of killing 2,000 civilians in the city on October 26 and 27 of this month.

African Union Condemns Sudan’s RSF for El Fasher ‘Atrocities’

29 October 2025

October 29, 2025 (ADDIS ABABA) – The African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Wednesday condemned Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for committing reported atrocities in El Fasher and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities after the group seized control of the city.

The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency session on Sudan on Thursday following El Fasher’s fall, amid reports of widespread atrocities around the North Darfur capital.

In a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the AU council warned that perpetrators of heinous acts would be held accountable. It stated the people of El Fasher have “suffered enough since May 2024 under siege by the paramilitary RSF, during which time they have been denied access to food and other social basic needs”.

The PSC called for an unconditional halt to the fighting and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow aid to reach affected populations. It tasked the AU Commission with monitoring the crimes, developing a plan to protect civilians, and reporting back with recommendations within three weeks.

The council also strongly condemned “any external interference… which is fueling the Sudanese conflict” and stated that those providing support to the warring parties would be held accountable. It called for an urgent meeting between the AU, U.N., regional bloc IGAD and the Quad to coordinate efforts and instructed its sanctions committee to identify external actors supporting the factions within three weeks.

Reaffirming that there is “no military solution to Sudan’s crisis”, the statement strongly rejected the RSF’s establishment of a “so-called parallel government” and urged the international community not to recognise it.

The AU Commission chairperson was directed to engage with a presidential committee led by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni to facilitate negotiations between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, with a special AU summit on Sudan being a possibility.

The council also requested its Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities to undertake a fact-finding mission to Sudan and report back with recommendations within three weeks. The PSC said it would remain actively seized of the matter.

RSF Leader Acknowledges ‘Abuses’ After El Fasher Capture

29 October 2025

October 29, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, on Wednesday acknowledged “abuses” by his troops during their recent capture of El Fasher and announced the immediate formation of investigative committees.

In a speech broadcast on social media, Dagalo said he “observed abuses occurring in El Fasher” and pledged to hold “any soldier or officer who committed a crime” accountable. He confirmed that military and legal investigation committees had already arrived in the North Darfur capital to begin their work, stressing that any trials would be public and immediate.

Dagalo’s admission follows widespread accusations that his forces committed atrocities in El Fasher, including killings and the destruction of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and markets.

The announcement also echoes previous pledges by the RSF commander that critics say yielded no tangible results. After his forces seized Al Jazirah state, Dagalo announced a “special force to protect civilians” on August 12, 2024, followed by an “exceptional order” on August 31 to enhance civilian protection. However, the security and humanitarian situation in the state continued to deteriorate until the Sudanese army regained control in early 2025.

Conditional withdrawal

Dagalo ordered his forces to pull back from El Fasher’s residential neighbourhoods but conditioned a full withdrawal on the “clearing of the city and achievement of stability.” He said his engineering teams had begun removing mines and unexploded ordnance.

Once the city is secured, he explained, a “Federal Police” force will assume sole responsibility for internal security, while military troops will remain outside the city. The Federal Police is a security body established by the RSF’s deputy commander, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, from former police elements and is active in other RSF-controlled cities.

Dagalo also made an urgent appeal for humanitarian organizations to intervene in El Fasher and called on displaced people to return to their homes, promising to create safe conditions for their return.

Negotiations and political vision

On the political front, Dagalo revealed that “secret negotiations” had taken place between the RSF and the army, describing the participation of the Port Sudan-based government’s foreign minister as merely “decorative.”

He reiterated his vision for Sudan’s future, stating his demands include a full democratic transition and the establishment of a “new army” under a civilian president. The mission of this new army, he said, would be to protect the country’s borders, not the constitution, in order to prevent future military coups.

U.N. ‘Horrified’ After 460 Reported Killed at El Fasher Hospital

30 October 2025

Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital in Al Fasher partially destroyed following artillery strikes in October 2024. UN photo

October 29, 2025 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations said on Wednesday it was “horrified” by reports that more than 460 civilians, including patients and their companions, were killed at a hospital in Sudan’s El Fasher, condemning the attack amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Darfur region.

The “tragic killing” at the Saudi Maternity Hospital is the latest in a series of indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians and medical facilities since the conflict began. U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric stated that prior to this incident, the World Health Organization had already verified 185 attacks on healthcare in Sudan, resulting in over 1,200 deaths of health workers and patients since April 2023.

The attack comes as tens of thousands flee the violence. The International Organization for Migration reports that more than 36,000 people fled El Fasher between Sunday and Tuesday, with many now living in the open without shelter or protection.

The killing of aid workers also continued in other parts of the country. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was horrified after five Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers were killed and three went missing while distributing food in North Kordofan. A total of 21 Red Crescent staff and volunteers have been killed since the war started.

“We can’t stress enough that civilians, humanitarian workers and medical personnel must be always protected,” Dujarric said, reiterating the U.N.’s call for an immediate halt to hostilities.

In response to the escalating crisis, the U.N.’s Emergency Relief Coordinator approved a new $20 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund for Sudan.

Sudan expels WFP officials

Separately, the U.N. condemned the Sudanese government’s decision to expel two senior World Food Programme (WFP) officials from the country.

The WFP’s Country Director and Emergency Coordinator were declared persona non grata and ordered to leave within 72 hours, without any explanation being provided.

Dujarric called the decision deeply concerning, stating it “comes at a pivotal time” when over 24 million people in Sudan face acute food insecurity. He confirmed that senior U.N. officials are engaging with Sudanese authorities to protest the action and seek clarification.

Sudan Doctors Say 2,000 Killed, Some Burned Alive in El Fasher

30 October 2025

RSF members inside El Fasher on August 31, 2025

October 29, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese doctors’ union said on Wednesday that 2,000 civilians were killed, some of them burned alive, in the first hours after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured North Darfur’s capital, El Fasher.

The claims of widespread atrocities were supported by a report from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, which said it had confirmed evidence of ongoing mass killings in the 48 hours since the RSF seized the city on Oct. 26. Satellite imagery released by the lab showed bloodstains from executions, the report added.

“Reports indicate the killing of 2,000 civilians and the liquidation of innocent people by burning them alive,” the Preliminary Committee of the Sudan Doctors Union said in a statement.

The union detailed a series of horrific violations, including summary executions and house-to-house raids. It said victims were forced to dig their own graves and bury themselves alive.

An estimated 177,000 civilians remain besieged in the city, with the union stating that many who tried to flee in their vehicles were burned alive inside them.

The committee also reported the “field execution” of more than 450 patients and wounded people at the city’s main hospital. An additional 1,200 elderly, sick and wounded individuals were killed in field health facilities, while hospitals and pharmacies were looted, the statement said.

The violence has triggered a new wave of displacement, with an estimated 28,000 people fleeing in just 48 hours amid attacks on escape routes. The doctors’ union confirmed that over 1,000 injured and starving people had reached the nearby area of Tawila.

Sudan War Takes a Turn as Paramilitary Force Captures Darfur, Threatening to Split the Country

By SARAH EL DEEB

12:04 PM EDT, October 29, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s brutal two-year war has entered a new, dangerous phase.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces this week seized control of the entire Darfur region, after ousting the rival Sudanese army from its last stronghold there. The fighting for control of Sudan has killed over 40,000 people and created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with over 14 million displaced.

The capture of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, by the powerful Arab-led force raises fears that Africa’s third-largest nation may split again, nearly 15 years after the oil-rich South Sudan gained independence following years of civil war.

The RSF is led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, a commander who had briefly ruled Sudan alongside his military rival, and whose meteoric rise to power has shaped Sudanese politics for the past decade.

The paramilitary force has roots in Darfur genocide

The RSF was formed in 2013, growing out of the Janjaweed militia that fought in Darfur since the early 2000s in a ruthless campaign against the region’s non-Arab tribes and rebels.

Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide in Darfur in 2009. Some 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes.

The RSF was founded initially as an attempt to instill discipline among Arab militias that were accused of ethnically motivated violence, abuse and rape in Darfur and other regions.

A native of Darfur, Dagalo hails from an Arab camel-trading tribe. He was handpicked by al-Bashir to lead the RSF on a series of counterinsurgency campaigns against the largely non-Arab rebels in Darfur and other restive provinces.

Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, drew on his family’s vast livestock and gold mining operations in Darfur to expand his support among the local Arab militias. At the time, he commanded an estimated 10,000 fighters.

But the force also gained notoriety in 2014 and 2015. Rights groups have accused it of forcibly displacing entire communities, torture, extrajudicial killings, mass rapes and plunder.

The former Biden administration accused the RSF of genocide and imposed sanctions on Dagalo, his family and associated businesses.

Courting regional allies

Dagalo has since expanded his powerful militia and financial network. His fighters were sent to fight in Yemen, as part of a Saudi-led coalition, and in Libya, with support from the United Arab Emirates. The RSF also protected the country’s borders from illegal migration to Europe in a controversial deal between the European Union and a bloc of African countries. The EU said it did not directly pay the RSF.

Dagalo’s gold mining operations thrived, making it a key source of income for his powerful group as well as Sudan’s biggest export after the secession of oil-rich South Sudan in 2011.

Since the overthrow of al-Bashir in 2019, Dagalo emerged as the country’s main power broker, playing key roles in a brief transitional government and a subsequent military coup that led to a power struggle that still pits him against the country’s army chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.

Sudan’s army accused the UAE of sending foreign fighters to prop the RSF, and has filed a case against the oil-rich Gulf nation in the International Court of Justice for breaching the Genocide Convention by supporting the paramilitary.

The UAE denied the charges, calling the court case a publicity stunt.

The army also accused Libya’s strongman Khalifa Haftar of sending weapons and fighters to the RSF.

Both Dagalo and Haftar are backed by powerful neighbors in a war marked by momentous shifts. And both stand accused of abuses that displaced millions in a war marked by widespread use of sexual violence and indiscriminate fighting in civilian areas that caused starvation and famine in parts of Sudan.

Contours of a divided Sudan

The RSF had fought the Sudanese army in Khartoum and controlled the capital for two years, before retreating early this year after a devastating battle that left it in ruins.

The paramilitary regrouped in Darfur and made new local alliances that strengthened its hold over parts of neighboring Kordofan region. This year, RSF was once again able to carry out attacks, including drone strikes, on Khartoum and eastern Sudan, where the army commander is based.

Fighting the war appears to be a matter of survival for both the RSF leader and the army commander. The two dug in their heels and sought support from regional allies, while replenishing their forces with foreign fighters and weapons, including drones from Turkey, China, Iran and Russia.

Dagalo has appealed to some, including powerful Gulf states, as an ally against the Islamic movement that underpinned Sudan’s government, even though his forces were accused of a brutal crackdown on a pro-democracy protest camp in 2019.

He is estimated to command a force of over 100,000 fighters. Their incorporation into Sudan’s armed forces is believed to be among the main triggers of the power struggle between him and Burhan.

As Sudan marked two years of its latest war, Dagalo once again made a claim for legitimacy, announcing he is forming a rival government to rule parts of Sudan the RSF control.

With the takeover of el-Fasher on Monday, the RSF has seized control of Darfur, threatening to split the country or expand its military campaign once again toward the country’s center.

Tanzania Deploys the Military and Imposes a Curfew on Election Day After Protests Erupt

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

11:28 AM EDT, October 29, 2025

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania ‘s presidential election teetered toward chaos on Wednesday as protests erupted, the military was deployed, internet service was cut and a curfew was announced in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

Critics of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who seeks a second term, and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party that’s ruled since independence in 1961 went into the streets to protest the harassment of opposition leaders, asserting that it had limited the election choices.

The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert citing “country-wide” protests in the east African nation.

Tanzania’s inspector general of police, Camillus Wambura, announced the curfew in Dar es Salaam as of 6 p.m., after hundreds of protesters in the Kimara and Ubungo neighborhoods set a bus and a gas station ablaze. Local media reported protests in Magomeni, Kinondoni and Tandale neighborhoods, with polling stations vandalized in districts outside the capital of Dodoma including Arusha and Mbeya.

The military was seen deployed in Dodoma and Zanzibar, including along streets where media organizations are located.

Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila told journalists that security agencies were ready to deal with any “disruptors of peace.”

Netblocks, an internet access advocacy group, noted a “nationwide disruption to internet connectivity.”

Human rights organizations have long accused Tanzania’s administration of arresting, detaining and intimidating critics and opposition members. The leader of the main opposition CHADEMA party, Tundu Lissu, is in prison and faces treason charges after calling for electoral reforms, while the candidate of the second-largest opposition party was barred from running.

Amnesty International said the atmosphere around the election was characterized by fear, saying it had verified cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings ahead of the polls.

Preliminary election results were expected within 24 hours, but the electoral commission has up to seven days to announce the final outcome.

A spot check across dozens of polling stations revealed a low turnout, especially among younger voters.

A university student, James Matonya, told The Associated Press he didn’t vote because the election was a “one-horse race.”

Hassan seeks her first full term as president after completing the term of her predecessor, John Magufuli, who died in 2021. Sixteen opposition candidates representing smaller parties were also on the ballot.

There was no immediate public statement by the president or ruling party as events unfolded Wednesday.

Tanzania has more than 37 million registered voters, a 26% increase from 2020, but analysts have warned of voter apathy, citing the perception that Hassan will cruise to victory unchallenged.

An opposition party in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, ACT Wazalendo, alleged that early voting on Tuesday by electoral and security officials cast ballots was marred by irregularities that included voters impersonating security officials and the barring of party representatives by electoral officials.

The electoral commission said it had followed the law in conducting the early vote.

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This version corrects the first name of the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner to Albert.

Morocco Charges More Than 2,400 People Over Gen Z Protests

By AKRAM OUBACHIR

8:37 PM EDT, October 29, 2025

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco has charged more than 2,400 people over recent youth-led protests that turned violent, a sweeping response to some of the country’s largest anti-government demonstrations in years.

Of the 2,480 charged, 1,473 people remain in custody awaiting trial. Charges included armed rebellion, insulting and using violence against a public official exercising his duties, and incitement to commit felonies.

The demonstrations took Morocco by surprise after a youth-led movement called Gen Z 212 mobilized thousands across the country to protest the state of public services. The movement, organized on social media platforms like Discord, criticized government spending on infrastructure to host sporting events while neglecting social services.

Though organizers urged peaceful demonstrations, protests turned violent in some cities and towns, leaving three dead, injuring many others and damaging shops and cars. Rights groups criticized authorities’ heavy-handed approach toward the demonstrators, but the public prosecutor said interventions were carried out legally.

The wave of arrests has alarmed human rights groups and become an additional rallying cry for demonstrators, who have at recent protests held signs for those arrested for attending protests. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has denounced the arrests and called them random, while Gen Z 212 has demanded the release of all the protests’ detainees.

“Those calling for a fair chance for their future should not be met with lethal force and repression,” Human Rights Watch’s Associate Director Hanan Salah said last week in a statement.

Those arrested include Hamza Raid, a Moroccan rapper who was detained in Casablanca last month, whose lyrics often touch on politics and channel youth anger.

Three of the accused appeared in court on Monday before a presiding judge in the capital, Rabat, charged with incitement to commit felonies and insulting an official body after they printed activist slogans on Morocco’s soccer team jerseys, their attorneys told The Associated Press. They could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

Before a crowded court room, the attorneys made an application for bail for their clients – two college students and a print shop worker – who they said could be harmed after doing little to justify their arrests.

The public prosecutor said more than 400 people were condemned, with sentences ranging from one to 15 years. It added that 34 people were acquitted of all charges. — Sam Metz contributed reporting from Rabat, Morocco.

Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka Says US Visa Was Revoked After Trump Criticism

By WILSON MCMAKIN

4:10 PM EDT, October 29, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka said on Tuesday that his non-resident visa to enter the United States had been rejected, adding that he believes it may be because he recently criticized U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Nigerian author, 91, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, becoming the first African to do so.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Soyinka said he believed it had little to do with him and was instead a product of the United States’ immigration policies. He said he was told to reapply if he wished to enter again.

“It’s not about me, I’m not really interested in going back to the United States,” he said. “But a principle is involved. Human beings deserve to be treated decently wherever they are.”

Soyinka, who has taught in the U.S. and previously held a green card, joked on Tuesday that his green card “had an accident” eight years ago and “fell between a pair of scissors.” In 2017, he destroyed his green card in protest over Trump’s first inauguration.

The letter he received informing him of his visa revocation cites “additional information became available after the visa was issued,” as the reason for its revocation, but does not describe what that information was.

Soyinka believes it may be because he recently referred to Trump as a “white version of Idi Amin,” a reference to the dictator who ruled Uganda from 1971 until 1979.

He jokingly referred to his rejection as a “love letter” and said that while he did not blame the officials, he would not be applying for another visa.

“I have no visa. I am banned, obviously, from the United States, and if you want to see me, you know where to find me.”

The U.S. Consulate in Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, directed all questions to the State Department in Washington, D.C. Through a spokesperson, it said that because under US law visa records are generally confidential, they would not discuss the specifics of this case while stressing that “visas are a privilege, not a right” and that “visas may be revoked at any time, at the discretion of the U.S. government, whenever circumstances warrant.”

Hurricane Melissa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica

By Ariel Fernández, ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ, JOHN MYERS JR. and EVENS SANON

8:06 PM EDT, October 29, 2025

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (AP) — Hurricane Melissa left at least dozens dead and caused widespread destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, where roofless homes, toppled utility poles and water-logged furniture dominated the landscape Wednesday.

A landslide blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish, where the streets were reduced to mud pits. Residents swept water from homes as they tried to salvage belongings. Wind ripped off part of the roof at a high school that serves as a public shelter.

“I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,” resident Jennifer Small said.

The extent of the damage from the deadly hurricane was unclear Wednesday as widespread power outages and dangerous conditions persisted in the region.

“It is too early for us to say definitively,” said Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister.

Melissa made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with top winds of 185 mph (295 kph), one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, before weakening and moving on to Cuba, but even countries outside the direct path of the massive storm felt its devastating effects.

At least 25 people have died across Haiti and 18 are missing, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said in a statement Wednesday. Twenty of those reported dead and 10 of the missing are from a southern coastal town where flooding collapsed dozens of homes. At least eight are dead in Jamaica.

The U.S. Defense Department has released footage of views inside Hurricane Melissa. The military said a U.S. Air Force Reserve crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the “Hurricane Hunters,” flew multiple passes through Melissa on Monday to collect critical weather data for the National Hurricane Center.

In Cuba, officials reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and roofs blown off buildings Wednesday, with the heaviest destruction concentrated in the southwest and northwest. Authorities said about 735,000 people remained in shelters.

“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon in Santiago de Cuba. The 52-year-old was one of the few people venturing out Wednesday, covered by a plastic sheet in the intermittent rain.

Forecasters expect Melissa, now a Category 1 hurricane, to bring dangerous winds, flooding and storm surge to the Bahamas on Wednesday night.

Jamaica rushes to assess the damage

In Jamaica, more than 25,000 people were packed into shelters Wednesday after the storm ripped roofs off their homes and left them temporarily homeless. Dixon said 77% of the island was without power.

The outages complicated assessing the damage because of “a total communication blackout” in areas, Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told the Nationwide News Network radio station.

“Recovery will take time, but the government is fully mobilized,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a statement. “Relief supplies are being prepared, and we are doing everything possible to restore normalcy quickly.”

Officials in Black River, Jamaica, a southwestern coastal town of approximately 5,000 people, pleaded for aid at a news conference Wednesday.

“Catastrophic is a mild term based on what we are observing,” Mayor Richard Solomon said.

Solomon said the local rescue infrastructure had been demolished by the storm. The hospital, police units and emergency services were inundated by floods and unable to conduct emergency operations.

Jamaican Transportation Minister Daryl Vaz said two of the island’s airports will reopen Wednesday to relief flights only, with U.N. agencies and dozens of nonprofits on standby to distribute basic goods.

“The devastation is enormous,” he said. “We need all hands on deck to recover stronger and to help those in need at this time.”

The United States is sending rescue and response teams to assist in recovery efforts in the Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X.

St. Elizabeth Police Superintendent Coleridge Minto told Nationwide News Network on Wednesday that authorities have found at least four bodies in southwest Jamaica. One death was reported in the west when a tree fell on a baby, state minister Abka Fitz-Henley told Nationwide News Network.

Before landfall, Melissa had already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

Melissa devastates Haitian town

Hurricane Melissa damaged more than 160 homes and destroyed 80 others in the town of Petit-Goâve, where 10 of the 20 people killed there were children, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said Wednesday.

Lawyer Charly Saint-Vil, 30, said he saw bodies lying among the debris after the storm as he walked the streets of the small coastal town where he grew up. People screamed as they searched for their missing children, he said.

“People have lost everything,” Saint-Vil said.

Although the immediate threat of the storm has passed, Saint-Vil said Petit-Goâve’s residents were living in fear about access to medicine, water and food in the coming days given the political instability in Haiti.

“We don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” he said.

For now, neighbors are helping one another source necessities and find places to sleep. Saint-Vil is hosting a number of friends who lost their homes in his small apartment.

“What I can do, I will do it, but it’s not easy because the situation is really complicated for everyone,” he said.

Cuba rides out the storm

People in the eastern Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba began clearing debris around the collapsed walls of their homes Wednesday after Melissa made landfall in the region hours earlier.

“Life is what matters,” Alexis Ramos, a 54-year-old fisherman, said as he surveyed his destroyed home and shielded himself from the intermittent rain with a yellow raincoat. “Repairing this costs money, a lot of money.”

Local media showed images of the Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Hospital with severe damage: glass scattered across the floor, waiting rooms in ruins and masonry walls crumpled on the ground.

“As soon as conditions allow, we will begin the recovery. We are ready,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X.

The hurricane could worsen Cuba’s severe economic crisis, which already has led to prolonged power blackouts along with fuel and food shortages.

Cuba’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources reported accumulated rainfall of 15 inches (38 centimeters) in Charco Redondo and 14 inches (36 centimeters) in Las Villas Reservoir.

Wednesday night Melissa had top sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 16 mph (26 kph) according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about 65 miles (100 kilometers) east of the central Bahamas and about 860 miles (1,385 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda.

Authorities in the Bahamas were evacuating dozens of people from the archipelago’s southeast corner ahead of Melissa’s arrival.

Melissa’s center is forecast to move through southeastern Bahamas later Wednesday, generating up to 7 feet (2 meters) of storm surge in the area. By late Thursday, Melissa is expected to pass just west of Bermuda.

___

Rodríguez reported from Havana, Myers from Santa Cruz, Jamaica, and Sanon from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

Sudan Expels Two Senior UN World Food Programme Officials

28 October 2025

WFP Country Director Laurent Bukera in Sudan

October 28, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s government on Tuesday expelled two top officials from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), declaring them personae non gratae amid tensions over reports of widespread hunger.

The foreign ministry informed WFP Country Director Laurent Bukera and head of operations Samantha Katraj that they were considered “undesirable persons,” the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.

SUNA said the ministry had summoned the pair and ordered them to leave the country within 72 hours.

The state news agency did not give a reason for the expulsion, but the government has suggested that many international aid organisations are not complying with local laws. The government also regularly denies reports from international bodies about famine in the country, saying they lack credibility.

According to SUNA, the government stated it was committed to cooperating with all international organizations in Sudan, based on international norms and respect for state sovereignty. It stressed that the decision would not affect its cooperation with the WFP.

The expulsion comes days after the WFP highlighted a dire humanitarian situation.

In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, the agency said more than 70% of communities in Sudan’s Blue Nile state are facing crisis levels of hunger.

A WFP report published on Oct. 24 said the country’s health system was facing collapse due to simultaneous outbreaks of cholera, dengue fever and measles. The agency said it provided aid to 4.2 million people in September, including 1.8 million in areas facing or threatened by famine.

On Oct. 23, the foreign ministry summoned a representative for the UN humanitarian coordinator, Gemma Sanmartin, to object to a report by the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA), saying it contained false information about the government’s efforts to facilitate relief work.

Darfur Governor Blames Foreign Intelligence for El Fasher’s Fall

28 October 2025

Minni Minawi speaks on October 28, 2025

October 28, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi on Tuesday blamed foreign intelligence agencies for aiding the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in their capture of El Fasher by cutting his troops’ communications, while also admitting to “major mistakes” by his own side.

In a televised address following the city’s fall to the RSF on Saturday, Minawi said the capture was the result of a concerted effort by “aggressor states” that provided material, logistical and intelligence support to the paramilitary force.

“El Fasher would not have fallen without… the use of intelligence agencies in the region to cut off all modern satellite communications,” Minawi stated, adding that this action successfully severed contact between his forces on the ground and their command rooms.

The city’s capture was followed by reports of mass killings and looting, which researchers at Yale University said could amount to crimes against humanity and genocide.

While acknowledging “major mistakes and failures for which we, the state leadership and the leadership of the Joint Force, are responsible,” Minawi said the “unbalanced military situation” was created by a “state sponsoring and financing this war”.

He claimed the RSF had become “fragile” and reliant on two external elements: “mercenaries from neighboring countries and overseas, and drones operated from abroad alongside communication jamming technology.”

Minawi warned that the RSF’s next strategy would be to “work on inciting the forces constituting the existential battle and creating sedition among them” to drive a wedge between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Joint Force.

The governor also directed sharp criticism at the international community.

“Your shameful silence will be etched in the annals of history as a witness to an era when the world abandoned its humanity,” he said, accusing world powers of remaining silent out of fear of the “funder” who “turned money into fuel for genocide.” He added that anyone financing the RSF is a “criminal.”

Sudanese Red Crescent Says Five Volunteers Killed in North Kordofan

28 October 2025

An RSF fighter questions and beats a Sudanese Red Crescent member with a stick in a video released on Oct. 28, 2025

October 28, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Five humanitarian volunteers have been killed and three are missing in Sudan’s North Kordofan state, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) said on Tuesday, days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the area.

The volunteers were attacked while distributing food in the city of Bara, the SRCS said in a statement. The incident followed the circulation of a video on pro-RSF platforms allegedly showing one of the force’s officers assaulting Red Crescent workers and accusing them of supporting the Sudanese army.

The SRCS said the targeted volunteers were wearing official Red Crescent emblems and carrying identification. It called the attack a “flagrant violation” of the Geneva Conventions, which grant protection to humanitarian workers.

The RSF announced it had taken control of Bara on Oct. 25 after battles with the army. Rights groups have since accused the paramilitary force of widespread abuses and summary executions of civilians, prompting a mass exodus from the city.

The aid group called for an independent investigation into the killings and demanded that all warring parties respect the Red Crescent emblem and ensure the safety of its staff.

SRCS Secretary-General Aida Elsayed Abdalla also expressed grave concern over losing contact with another Red Crescent team working in a maternity hospital in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

Since Sudan’s conflict erupted in April 2023, at least 28 Red Crescent volunteers and staff have been killed while on duty, the statement said.

UN Warns of Humanitarian Catastrophe in Sudan’s El Fasher After RSF Takeover

28 October 2025

A child washes their hands in El Fasher, Sudan, in an undated file photo. UNICEF Handout

October 28, 2025 (GENEVA) – The United Nations humanitarian office on Tuesday warned of an “unfolding catastrophe” in the Sudanese city of El Fasher, citing a complete collapse of health services and dwindling supplies of food and water days after the city’s fall to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The warning comes after the RSF consolidated control over the North Darfur capital last week, following the Sudanese Armed Forces’ withdrawal. The takeover triggered widespread reports of looting and ethnically targeted violence, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

“The situation in El Fasher is deteriorating by the hour,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. “Hospitals are no longer functional, and our ability to reach tens of thousands of trapped civilians with life-saving aid is severely compromised.”

Aid agencies report that the city’s main medical facility, the Saudi Hospital, has ceased operations after repeated attacks and the recent abduction of its medical staff, according to local doctors’ groups.

El Fasher, once a relatively safe haven for over half a million displaced people in the war-torn Darfur region, now faces critical shortages. Residents who were unable to flee report being trapped in their homes with dwindling food and water reserves as lawlessness continues.

Aid agencies are calling for the immediate establishment of humanitarian corridors to allow for the safe evacuation of civilians and the delivery of essential supplies. The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions and pushed parts of the country to the brink of famine.

US Embassy Urges Americans to Leave Mali Due to a Fuel Crisis Linked to a Militant Group

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

1:44 PM EDT, October 28, 2025

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Mali told American citizens Tuesday to leave the country by plane because of the threats of terrorism and a severe fuel crisis stemming from a jihadi group’s blockade of fuel tankers entering the landlocked West African nation.

“U.S. citizens should depart using commercial aviation, as overland routes to neighboring countries may not be safe for travel due to terrorist attacks along national highways,” the U.S. Embassy in Bamako said on its website.

It was the embassy’s second alert in three days after an Oct. 25 advisory for U.S. citizens not to travel to Mali due to “crime, terrorism, kidnapping” and other reasons.

The al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group, or JNIM, announced in September that it was imposing a blockade on tanker trucks entering Mali as part of its fight against the country’s military authorities. The group’s fighters have set more than 100 trucks on fire, paralyzing the country’s fuel supply.

The government has announced the closure of schools and universities nationwide because of the disruptions to travel caused by the fuel shortage.

JNIM is one of several armed groups operating in the Sahel, a vast strip of semi-arid desert stretching from North Africa to West Africa, where an insurgency is spreading rapidly with large-scale attacks.