Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of Facilitating Drone Strikes on Infrastructure

31 October 2026

October 31, 2026 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s foreign ministry on Saturday urged the international community to take action against Ethiopia for allegedly allowing drone strikes on Sudanese vital infrastructure from its Assosa air base.

A wave of attacks targeting power grids resumed across much of Sudan last week.

More than 13 electricity distribution stations in Gedaref, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Red Sea, Sennar, White Nile and South Kordofan states were severely damaged, causing widespread power outages in several cities.

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muawiya Osman told foreign diplomats in Port Sudan that they must take responsibility and confront what he termed a “brutal aggression” from Ethiopia.

During the briefing, a foreign ministry official identified as Khalid presented wreckage of downed drones, collected in coordination with Sudanese security services.

He said the attacks have escalated in recent months, targeting power plants, water stations, schools, hospitals and fuel depots.

Sudanese officials described the campaign as a proxy war waged by Ethiopia on behalf of regional powers, primarily the United Arab Emirates, using the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which the government refers to as a militia.

“The Assosa base in Ethiopia has become a base for supplying the militia with weapons and equipment and facilitating the passage of foreign mercenary fighters,” Khalid said, adding that launching drones from Ethiopian territory was the most dangerous development.

Osman said the Sudanese government is pursuing diplomatic avenues to de-escalate tensions and address deteriorating relations with Addis Ababa.

He emphasized, however, that Sudan retains its full right under international law to respond to any attacks.

According to the ministry, diplomats attending the briefing affirmed their support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The diplomatic push follows a defence ministry press conference on Wednesday, where the army displayed models of intercepted drones alongside technical flight data.

The defence ministry reported that data extracted from the drones and satellite imagery indicated the weapons were launched from coordinates inside Ethiopia, including Bahir Dar airport.

Sudan previously submitted evidence to the U.N. Security Council accusing the UAE of supplying the Rapid Support Forces with military equipment via supply routes through Libya, Chad and the Puntland region of Somalia.

Egypt Condemns Drone Attacks in Sudan, Urges Halt to RSF Arms Supply

1 November 2026

Al-Jabalain Hospital in White Nile State destroyed after drone attack, April 2, 2026

October 31, 2026 (CAIRO) – The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the recent escalation of drone attacks targeting civilian and vital infrastructure across Sudan.Sudan political analysis

In a press statement, Cairo warned that the strikes have caused numerous civilian casualties and represent a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

Widespread power outages have struck multiple cities after severe damage to more than 13 electricity distribution stations.

The destruction impacted infrastructure across the states of Gedaref, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Red Sea, Sennar, White Nile and South Kordofan.

Egypt reiterated its absolute rejection of all forms of violence directed at innocent people.

The ministry stressed the urgent need to protect civilians and shield them from the dangers of ongoing military operations.

The statement renewed Egypt’s firm demand to stop the flow of weapons to the Rapid Support Forces militia through neighbouring countries.

Cairo reaffirmed its complete support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing the critical need to preserve Sudanese national institutions.

Egypt also called on all neighbouring states to respect Sudanese sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

The foreign ministry urged regional and international actors to intensify their efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire.

The statement concluded by calling for guaranteed humanitarian aid access and the creation of suitable conditions for a political settlement to end the suffering of the Sudanese people.

Drone Strikes Target Power and Oil Facilities in Eastern Sudan

1 November 2026

Haya power station burning after a drone strike on Oct 31, 2025

October 31, 2026 (HAYA, Red Sea) – Drones belonging to the Rapid Support Forces targeted the Haya electrical transformer station and a nearby oil pumping station on Saturday, setting fires and damaging the facilities.

The oil facility sits on the pipeline transporting crude to the Bashayer port on the Red Sea coast in eastern Sudan.

This attack is the second to target energy infrastructure in Haya over the past three days.

It is part of a broader series of coordinated drone strikes on energy facilities in states controlled by the Sudanese armed forces.

The government has accused Ethiopia of facilitating the launch of these drones from its territory.

More than 13 electricity distribution stations in Gedaref, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Red Sea, Sennar, White Nile and South Kordofan states have suffered severe damage, causing widespread power outages.

Local sources told Sudan Tribune that a long-range drone fired missiles at the Haya transformer station, causing extensive fires at the site.

The Haya power station is a critical component of the electricity supply grid in eastern Sudan.

It had reached an advanced stage of completion and was ready for operation, intended to significantly alleviate power shortages in Port Sudan.

The facility is part of a project to construct ten power plants, funded by the Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.

Sources indicated that the drone attack also hit the oil pumping station in Haya, setting several crude oil tanks on fire.

The South Sudan pipeline passes through Haya in Red Sea state before reaching the Bashayer export terminal, making the city a key location for crude oil processing.

Sudan Says Ukraine Training RSF Fighters, Submits UN Complaint

31 October 2026

October 31, 2026 (MOSCOW) – Sudan has conclusive material evidence that Ukrainian snipers and trainers are actively assisting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudanese Foreign Minister Muhieddin Salem told Sputnik Afrika.

Salem stated that Ukrainian personnel have been training the RSF on the use of drones to target civilian facilities.

The minister said that some Ukrainian fighters have been captured or killed, and associated weapons have been seized by Sudanese authorities.

Sudan has officially recorded these activities in the United Nations Security Council’s records through its permanent representative in New York.

Salem also noted that during a visit to Washington last year, a Sudanese delegation provided the United States with evidence confirming the use of American weapons that had leaked from Ukraine and other areas.

The foreign minister warned that the ongoing conflict poses a severe threat to regional and international security.

He urged the international community to support Sudan’s legitimate national institutions, including the army, to prevent the danger from spreading.

The war’s negative effects have already begun to appear in neighbouring countries due to weapons falling into the hands of undisciplined groups.

These armed factions are exacerbating the economic crisis by smuggling drugs, fuel, and foodstuffs, which drives up prices and worsens living conditions.

Salem called for concerted international efforts to limit the conflict’s expanding regional impact

Protests Spread to Germany as Hundreds of Thousands March Again in France

By Pierre P Bairin

Sophie Tanno

People shout as they attend a demonstration organised by 'Gen Z has got this!' in Berlin on Saturday.

Cost-of-living protests that began in France have spread to Germany where demonstrations to coincide with Halloween were underway on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people turning out across the country.

The new German youth-led movement dubbed “Gen Z has got this!” is protesting against the high cost of living, underfunded schools and universities, environmental concerns and a potential reintroduction of mandatory military service. Protests were planned in major cities including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich.

While the protest in the German capital appeared peaceful, water cannons and riot police were deployed in Cologne and Hamburg.

Police in Cologne said water cannons were used after some protesters set off fireworks during a march in the city center. “Our measures are directed against troublemakers and violent individuals – not against peaceful participants,” the police said in a statement.

In Hamburg, riot police responded after barriers were set on fire and emergency service workers attacked. “There has been an increase in incidents of emergency personnel being pelted with pyrotechnics and construction (materials) … our riot police are taking immediate action against this,” the police said.

In Frankfurt, police said Molotov cocktails were being thrown at emergency personnel and shop windows had been smashed, prompting the closure of part of the Zeil shopping street. Officers arrested a suspect and seized two weapons after windows were broken at a gun shop.

Organizers of ‘Gen Z regelt’ planned the large day of action to coincide with Halloween, to maximize turnout and visibility.

“We are young people who no longer want to watch decisions being made about our future without us,” the movement states on its website. It adds that the intention is to protest peacefully and organizers instruct participants to keep their faces visible, even in Halloween costumes.

Extra German police officers have been deployed nationwide in preparation for the protest, and the luxury shops lining Berlin’s upmarket Kurfürstendamm shopping street have boarded up their windows as a precautionary measure.

Workers install protective wooden boards over the windows and storefront of a luxury boutique on Friday, ahead of a planned large-scale protest scheduled for tomorrow, in Berlin, Germany.

The German youth movement follows a broader wave of protests that have swept Europe, including significant unrest in France, which has been hit by rioting and looting and is now facing another weekend of rallies.

More nationwide protests from the Yellow Vests movement were also underway in France on Saturday, in what has been billed as the third act of demonstrations, following earlier protests on October 17 and 24. Students and some unions are also expected to join.

French Interior Ministry said 320,000 people were protesting across the country on Saturday, with 70,000 turning up in Paris. That is a significantly smaller number than the 550,000 who demonstrated on October 17 and the 410,000 who showed up last week.

The ministry said that as of 6 p.m. local time, 296 people had been detained countrywide.

Warning of a “very high risk of public disorder,” France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced this week that demonstrations would only be authorized outside town centers, with 70,000 extra law enforcement officers deployed nationwide.

The protest were mostly peaceful, except for a few incidents. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that “radical elements at the tail end of the processions” in several cities. including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes, Lille, Nantes, Marseille, and Lyon, “attempted to enter city centers with the intent to cause damage and engage in looting.”

The ministry said the police intervened and “thwarted” those attempts.

Jordan Bardella, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, said on X that “anyone who sends an ‘improvised incendiary device’ to law enforcement must be very severely punished,” adding that “perpetrators must rot in prison for very long years.”

Police in Rennes in Brittany in northwest France, said that while the main march planned for Saturday “proceeded calmly along the planned route,” several hundred violent individuals began attacking the police after the protest ended, throwing projectiles and setting off fires.

Halloween was adding a new complication to the protests, with Nuñez warning of separate calls for gatherings across France from 8 p.m. local time “by radical far-left groups and radicalized Yellow Vests.”

He said some messages invoked Halloween while calling for “revolution” and “insurrection,” describing them as incitements to serious public disorder and warning that the gatherings would be banned.

In recent days, the word “purge” has been circulating across social media platforms, a reference to the dystopian film franchise which depicts a world where all crime is legalized for a 12-hour period each year.

“At Halloween, the rules remain the same!” warned the Paris police on X, reminding people that concealing one’s face in public is punishable by a €150 ($170) fine, while carrying a weapon, even a fake one, can carry a sentence of up to three years in prison and a €45,000 ($50,398) fine.

The French protests began in late September, led by high school students demanding improvements to deteriorating school buildings, teacher shortages and a lack of resources, as well as changes to the university admissions system.

The protests then morphed into something bigger, with the Yellow Vests, which began as a movement against soaring fuel prices, among those taking to the streets.

The images of violence and looting from the October 17 protests are still haunting French officials. That day, more than 550,000 people took to the streets across France, according to the Interior Ministry, more than 3,000 shops were attacked or looted, with some destroyed and over 2,700 people were arrested.

Asked about the students injured during the protests, President Emmanuel Macron described the violence as a “collective failure.”

“I think no high school student started pushing for their demands expecting to suffer such terrible consequences. And I don’t know a single police officer who signed up to find themselves caught up in such terrible and violent moments either,” he told Youtuber Hugo Travers.

Saturday’s demonstration comes ahead of November 5, when all eyes will be on a nationwide strike and mobilization called by the inter-union coalition over rising living costs.

Alessandra Freitas contributed to this report.

A Third Weekend of Protests in France as Youth-led Rallies Sweep Europe

By TOM NOUVIAN and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER

5:17 PM EDT, October 31, 2026

PARIS (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of protesters inspired by frustrated high school students took to the streets across France on Saturday in a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education.

Youth-led protests were also held elsewhere in Europe, including in Germany and Portugal.

France’s protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, with whimsical Halloween costumes lightening the mood, but gatherings in Paris and other cities ended in clouds of tear gas and scattered fires set by small groups on the margins.

About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country after French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a “very high risk” of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween. Paris marches were rerouted to the capital’s edge to protect stores, government buildings and touristed areas in the city center.

France’s government estimated that 320,000 people protested nationwide Saturday, fewer than in previous protests but still a significant turnout. Mass protests on Oct. 17 that deteriorated into some of France’s worst rioting in years drew 550,000 people around France, and demonstrations on Oct. 24 drew 410,000, according to government estimates. Organizers’ turnout estimates are higher.

Authorities in France reported more than 560 arrests nationwide by Saturday night. Police had arrested thousands of people following riots and looting that marred marches the previous two Saturdays.

Protesters have diverse grievances

In the main Paris march, each group carried its own banner: high school students, climate activists and people angry about the cost of living.

Corentin Cabreux, a 21-year-old student, said that he lives in a state-run student residence where “there are damp stains all along the bottom of my walls, whole sections peeling off, cockroaches everywhere, rats.”

An information technology worker protested in solidarity with the students and her mother, who was struggling with a minimum wage job. A gray-haired woman carried a sign reading ‘’The Old are Fed Up Too.’'

Halloween costumes reflected the mood. Cléo Farenc, a 30-year-old gallery assistant, came dressed as a beheaded Marie-Antoinette.

“It’s about embodying a figure of power who was brought down by the people,” she said. “It’s a very strong symbol in French culture.’'

The rallies in France were started last month by high school students protesting neglected buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system seen as unfair to disadvantaged students. Labor unions and others angry at the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron joined in with a variety of demands.

On Saturday, the crowd streamed along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, avenues that ring the edge of Paris, in a march that was joyful for hours. Techno music blasted from speakers, and some marchers went trick-or-treating. A police helicopter hovered overhead as the sun set slowly over the city.

Later, clashes broke out near Porte de Charenton, where the march ended. Protesters hurled glass bottles and fireworks at police. Officers responded with volleys of stun grenades and tear gas. The blasts echoed through the streets, and smoke filled the air as dusk fell.

Many peaceful marchers turned back, coughing, their eyes streaming with tears, and left the march, some scattering into the nearby Bois de Vincennes, one of the largest parks in Paris.

Police impose curfew and other measures

While the vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, groups of troublemakers routinely target police with fireworks and projectiles. Police use tear gas, dispersion grenades, water cannons and other tactics that have resulted in severe injuries.

Paris police barred people from entering Place de la Republique and Les Halles — neighborhoods popular among young people — from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Unaccompanied minors face a separate 9 p.m. curfew around the Champs-Elysees. A Paris court on Wednesday suspended an earlier curfew on minors as a serious and illegal infringement of freedom of movement.

Protests took place in Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands

In Germany, a youth initiative called “Gen Z regelt” — roughly “Gen Z’s got this” — rallied in more than 30 cities “for education, health, climate protection and an affordable life,” and against any return of military conscription. Organizers said that tens of thousands participated in the protests across the country, but official figures weren’t immediately available.

In Berlin, young protesters gathered at Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon, demanding more investments in education and housing.

“We call for more money to be invested in social services and education, as well as in climate protection — in short, in our future — because we are the ones who will be affected by this the longest and who will have to live with it,” high school student Lara Breitenbach said.

Janelle Schulz, another high school student from Berlin, also said that the authorities had to invest more money in education.

“At my school, the ceiling is collapsing because of water damage, nothing is being done about it, we have a shortage of teachers, the toilets are broken,” she said.

While most people rallied peacefully, some protests turned violent on Saturday night.

In downtown Frankfurt, some rioters smashed several storefronts and stole goods from inside. They also stole weapons from a gun store, which police were able to retrieve later. Some rioters also threw Molotov cocktails at police after pummeling them with stones and bottles earlier in the day, Frankfurt police said on X.

In Cologne, police ended a protest march early after protesters used pyrotechnics, threw stones at them and covered their faces despite a ban. Police also used water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

In the northern city of Hamburg, some protesters also shot pyrotechnics toward police and burned down barricades. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds in Hamburg.

Elsewhere in Europe, people also protested against the housing crisis and for a better future.

Thousands of protesters, including families with small children, converged in downtown Lisbon to peacefully protest Portugal’s housing crisis, holding up placards reading “Houses or Fire” and “We are not Afraid.” Others in the crowd held aloft small cardboard houses while a few dressed up for Halloween.

In The Hague, Netherlands, there was a strong police presence in and around the downtown shopping area on Saturday afternoon after online appeals for protests and fears of rioting and looting. However, there were no major disturbances by midafternoon. Many stores in the city were boarded up as a precaution.

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Kirsten Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Angela Charlton and Thomas Adamson in Paris; Kerstin Sopke and Geir Moulson in Berlin; Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands; and Helena Alves in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

London Police Arrest 139 People Outside US Embassy for Supporting Banned pro-Palestinian Group

By PAN PYLAS

4:14 PM EDT, October 31, 2026

LONDON (AP) — London police said they arrested 139 people at a protest outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday in support of the banned group Palestine Action.

The majority of those taken into custody had expressed support for a proscribed organization, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. It said that more arrests are expected as officers remain at the scene.

Many of those protesting were retirees and had been holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” One protester climbed a tree outside the embassy and could be seen waving a placard reading “God help us. Teachers who support Palestine. Palestine Action.”

More than 4,000 people have been detained since July 2025 for defying the ban, said Defend Our Juries, an activist organization that planned the demonstration.

“It is truly dystopian that there have now been over 4,000 arrests under terror laws for peaceful vigils silently expressing opposition to genocide and support for the protest group Palestine Action,” the group said.

The U.K. government outlawed the direct-action protest group last year as a terrorist organization. The ban makes membership in or support for Palestine Action a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Demonstrators also held a vigil in support of Palestine Action outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland, holding placards akin to those in London. No arrests were reported there, but Police Scotland said that inquiries to identify people seen wearing T-shirts and holding banners showing support for a proscribed organization were ongoing.

“Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate,” it said.

The protests came before an appeal on Nov. 4 at the Supreme Court against Palestine Action’s designation as a terror group. Supporters say the ban is draconian and that it violates their freedom of speech.

In August, the U.S. government announced sanctions against Palestine Action, designating it as a terror group.

Palestine Action, founded in 2020, aims to stop U.K. military support for Israel, which it says is committing genocide against the Palestinians — an accusation that Israel strongly denies.

The group says it aims to stop genocide by disrupting “corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex.”

In 2024, its activists broke into a factory owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK, smashing equipment with sledgehammers and crowbars. In June 2025, activists broke into a Royal Air Force base, sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker planes and caused further damage with crowbars.

Youth Protests Begin in Over 30 German Cities as Authorities Warn of Possible Unrest

In Berlin, demonstrators are gathering at the Brandenburg Gate with more than 10,000 participants expected

© Vyacheslav Filippov/TASS

BERLIN, October 31. /TASS/. Large-scale youth demonstrations have begun in more than 30 German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart; the initiative "Gen Z regelt" ("Gen Z takes charge"), which called the protests, hopes to draw around 160,000 participants nationwide.

In Berlin, demonstrators are gathering at the Brandenburg Gate, the city’s landmark, with more than 10,000 participants expected, a TASS correspondent reports. Protesters are demanding that the government rule out a possible return to conscription, increase investment in education, healthcare and climate protection, and take stronger action against the rising cost of living. Another rally, expected to draw around 500 people, is scheduled for the evening at Rosenthaler Platz in the German capital. Under the slogan "Gen Z has had enough," it is expected to attract pro-Palestinian activists and radical leftists, among others.

Around 1,500 police officers are providing security in Berlin. Ahead of the rallies, organizers repeatedly stressed their commitment to peaceful protest and warned against provocations. However, German law enforcement agencies have not ruled out unrest and clashes between demonstrators and police.

DR Congo’s Ebola Deaths Top 5,000 as Fear of Continent-wide Spread Mounts

By OPE ADETAYO and CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA

4:57 AM EDT, October 31, 2026

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Deaths in Congo’s Ebola outbreak have topped 5,000 as the country grapples with the relentless spread of the disease and cases are recorded in other African countries, the latest government data on Saturday shows.

Data from the Congolese Ministry of Health showed that the disease has killed 5,026 people out of 10,351 infected, at a nearly 50% lethality rate. The surge is sparking concerns among experts regarding the authorities’ ability to contain the deadly virus.

The latest outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May, catching authorities by surprise. They have since struggled to manage it.

It is already the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, second only to a two-year-long West Africa outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people across multiple countries.

“It is a very tragic milestone because it is just not a number,” said Dr. Patrick Otim, a programme area manager with the World Health Organization. “It is families and communities that have been devastated by this outbreak. The number also shows the severity of this outbreak.”

2,788 people have recovered from the virus so far. The Bundibugyo virus has no known vaccine or treatment, but health workers treat patients based on symptoms.

One-third of people who have died did not get to receive any care

Since May, the disease has spread to 67 out of the country’s 178 health zones in eight of 26 provinces. Fifty of the affected 67 health zones have active cases.

The virus has been concentrated in the eastern region of Congo, especially in Ituri and North Kivu, which have emerged as the epicenters with 9,782 total confirmed cases and 4,792 total deaths.

Authorities are still struggling with tracing contacts and testing, key components in the race to curb the outbreak.

According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 80% of new cases are coming from outside the chain of monitored contacts, meaning an overwhelming share of infections are coming from unknown chains of transmission to health authorities.

Also, one-third of recorded deaths are victims who have died outside of treatment centers, before being tested for Ebola, WHO’s Otim said. These issues, health officials say, contribute to community transmission outside of the immediate purview of health workers who can effectively manage infection in accordance with medical protocols.

“These are people we never had opportunity to try to save them and it is one of the biggest concerns for us in this outbreak. How do we try to reach people early to get them to come to health facilities to get a fighting chance to survive?” Otim said.

‘The outbreak is stretching everyone responding to it’

The explosive number of infections in Congo comes on the heels of a long list of issues that have hamstrung efforts to contain the outbreak.

The eastern region of Congo, where the outbreak is concentrated, plays host to a conflict between the government and an array of armed groups, most prominently the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, and there is also an Islamist insurgency in the border areas with Uganda, where the Allied Democratic Forces carry out attacks, limiting the reach of healthcare workers.

Also, there is widespread disbelief among the population, which has led to a series of attacks on health workers and health facilities. A nurse was killed while responding to an Ebola alert last week, and a politician from the ruling party was killed in September after advocating for health measures on the radio.

Health workers have gone on multiple strikes, shutting down facilities where they treat infected people, citing long delays in payments by the government.

On Friday, workers at an Ebola treatment center in Tchomia, in Ituri, downed tools, demanding four months of unpaid wages. At the center, there are currently five confirmed Ebola patients and 10 suspected cases under care.

“We are tired of requesting our salaries. If they want to pay us, they will. ... Today, being able to feed our families has become a real problem,” Moise Mugenyi, one of the striking workers, told the AP.

Dr. Justin Mukonkole, acting head of response operations in Ituri, said the workers should be patient while the government responds to their demands.

Similar situations have played out in other health zones like Beni in North Kivu, where services in some treatment centers have ground to a halt. Alain Siwako, an elected public official in Beni, said cases are spiralling in Beni because of a lack of fuel and financial resources from the central government.

“Across Ituri and North Kivu, this outbreak is stretching everyone responding to it, including the communities themselves,” Rose Tchwenko, Country Director for the DRC, Prosper Global (formerly Mercy Corps), said.

In October, both Kenya and Nigeria confirmed cases of Ebola. Kenya has confirmed eight cases and 2 deaths, while Nigeria’s sole confirmed case had been evacuated to Switzerland.

The confirmation of cases in both countries, and earlier in Uganda, made the latest outbreak the first recorded in three African regions and the continent’s most geographically widespread outbreak.

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Ope Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

UK Leader Burnham Hints at Apology for Country’s Role in Slave Trade but Rejects Reparations

By DANICA KIRKA

3:27 PM EDT, October 31, 2026

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says his government will consider apologizing for the first time for its role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but has rejected calls for the country to pay reparations.

Writing in the Guardian on Saturday, Burnham said Britain needed to acknowledge its “complicated history” in order to protect the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent nations that grew out of the British Empire.

Burnham travels to Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean next week for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders, which he hopes will bolster the U.K.'s relations with nations in Africa and the Caribbean, many of which were former colonies.

“For years, those members of the Commonwealth affected by the slave trade have asked for an honest conversation about the legacies of slavery,” Burnham said. “By sticking our heads in the sand, we have damaged the ability of the Commonwealth to function.”

Burnham said his government is offering to begin a “structured dialogue” with those affected by slavery and will listen to calls for a formal apology by the British state, which benefited hugely from the slave trade before it was outlawed in 1833 — the British Empire was arguably founded on it.

“I do not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part,” Burnham said.

Burnham gets former prime minister Brown on board to focus on debt

Instead, the prime minister said, he wants to address the issues that face the Commonwealth and other nations today, including high levels of debt faced by many developing countries.

Burnham said he would work with other wealthy nations and investors to help vulnerable countries pay off their debts over a longer period and at lower interest rates.

To help move this initiative forward, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a champion of debt relief for developing nations, will attend the Commonwealth meeting, he said.

The king has been in a bind as to what he can say

King Charles III faced calls for Britain to apologize and pay reparations during the first phase of a nine-day trip to the Caribbean that will end with the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting Sunday through Wednesday in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.

Speaking in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, on Tuesday, Charles acknowledged “the great suffering and injustices of the past” but stopped short of an apology.

The king, whose forebears directly benefited from the slave trade, has been prevented from going further because it was government policy not to apologize for the country’s role in the slave trade and Britain’s constitutional monarch speaks on behalf of the elected government.

Britain seeks to shore up relations with former colonies

Burnham’s comments come as Britain seeks to shore up relations with its traditional allies in the Commonwealth in the face of economic, environmental and military challenges around the world.

A change in the government’s position could also respond to younger, more liberal voters at home, where activists have called for Britain to reexamine the legacy of its colonial history. It involved the transfer of several million people from Africa to work, often in the most arduous conditions, on plantations in the Caribbean, North America and elsewhere.

In 2020, anti-racism protesters in Bristol tore down the statue of Edward Colston, an English merchant and politician, saying the city should no longer glorify the life of a slave trader. Colston was a deputy governor of the Royal African Company, which shipped thousands of enslaved people to English colonies in the Americas.

The descendants of some British people who profited from the slave trade have already apologized and offered compensation. They include the owner of the Guardian, a liberal newspaper where leaders of Burnham’s Labour Party often lay out policy initiatives.

U.K. politicians have traditionally focused on the country’s role in banning the slave trade in 1807 and outlawing slavery throughout the British Empire in 1833.

But Burnham said it is now time for the country to acknowledge the other side of the story as well.

“We are a country where brave people led the way in abolishing slavery, but we are also a country that participated in the trade in human lives,” he said.

“The trans-Atlantic slave trade was a brutal and barbaric violation of those people,” Burnham said. “I want to express my sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions of people, and to recognize the way it still shapes our world today.”

Change of tack receives modest welcome

Barbados’ prime minister, Mia Mottley, welcomed Burnham’s acknowledgment of the “brutality of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, his openness to a formal apology and his offer of structured dialogue” but said there were differences on the issue of reparations.

“Those differences should not prevent progress on health, education, tackling poverty and inequality, and fairer debt terms for vulnerable states,” she said on X.

Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of nearby Antigua and Barbuda, echoed Mottley’s response, calling Burnham’s comments a “significant and welcome development.”

“The Caribbean’s longstanding position on reparatory justice remains unchanged,” he wrote on Facebook. “Differences over financial compensation should be addressed through dialogue, but they need not prevent progress in areas where agreement is possible.”

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Associated Press writer Pan Pylas in London contributed to this report.

Putin Describes Russia and Africa as “Natural Allies” in Multipolar World Order

Addis Ababa, October 30, 2026 (ENA) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has described Russia and Africa as "natural allies" in shaping a multipolar, democratic world order anchored in international law, sovereignty, and equality. 

Speaking on October 29 at the second plenary session of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, the president emphasized the strong friendship and close partnership connecting the two sides.

“We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order, a world order free from diktat and double standards, based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnectedness,” he stated. 

 President Putin further reaffirmed Russia’s interest in supporting African countries as they defend their sovereignty, pursue independent development, and strengthen their economies and social sectors. 

 He also expressed Moscow’s readiness to maintain close cooperation with African nations to advance these shared objectives.

 Highlighting the growing economic partnership, the President said Russian companies have been implementing major investment projects across Africa in various sectors, including energy production, peaceful nuclear energy, mining, industrial cooperation, logistics, and tourism. 

 Russian businesses, he noted, conduct their operations with integrity and respect for their African partners, emphasizing equality and mutual benefit in their engagements.

 “They work on an equal footing with their partners and, rather than extracting profits as the former colonial powers once did,” he noted, adding, “they do the opposite: they invest and reinvest their earnings in the development of your national economies”.

He added that Russian companies also share advanced technologies and expertise, engage local subcontractors, establish production facilities and create employment opportunities.

 Russia’s role as a reliable supplier of food and agricultural products to African markets has been supporting food security across the continent, Putin underscored.

Turning to peace and security, he said Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, contributes to resolving existing conflicts and preventing new ones in Africa.

“In doing so, we consistently adhere to the fundamental principle you yourselves have proclaimed: African solutions to African problems,” he stressed.

The president also said Russia was undertaking various initiatives to support African countries in maintaining domestic stability, strengthening security and enhancing their defense and law enforcement capabilities.

Ethiopian News Agency Signs Agreement with ITAR-TASS and Russia Today (RT)

Addis Ababa, October 29, 2026 (ENA) — The Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) has signed a cooperation agreement with Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency and Russia Today (RT). 

The agreement was signed today in Moscow on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa Media Forum, ENA learned.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadera Abera and TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov signed the agreement on behalf of the two sides.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation in exchanging information, building professional capacity through personnel training, and facilitating mutual staff visits.

The partnership is expected to enhance professional exchanges and strengthen collaboration between the two news agencies.

PM Abiy Invites Russian Institutions to Partner with Ethiopia’s AI University

Addis Ababa, October 29, 2026 (ENA) —Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called for deeper scientific cooperation with Russia, specifically inviting Russian institutions to partner with Ethiopia’s newly established Medemer University of Artificial Intelligence.

Addressing the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of building local technological capabilities.

“Ethiopia is establishing the Medemer University of Artificial Intelligence in Addis Ababa. We invite Russian universities and institutions to work with us in teaching and research.”

The initiative is part of Ethiopia’s broader push for ''technological sovereignty," ensuring that AI development reflects local needs. 

“An African researcher should be able to create tools in the language of our people, and our institutions should decide how those tools use our data,” he said.

Beyond AI, PM Abiy identified food security and energy as key pillars for cooperation, including the development of a nuclear power plant to diversify Ethiopia's energy mix. 

He stressed that these partnerships must focus on tangible outcomes. “Innovation must find its way into production and trade”, the Premier noted.

Reflecting on the historical ties between the two nations, which date back to the late 19th century, he emphasized that modern cooperation must be backed by clear action plans. 

The PM concluded by highlighting that true independence requires both the right to decide and the ability to execute those decisions.

“Independence gives us a right to decide. Capability gives us a means to put those decisions into action.”

UN Special Envoy Commends Ethiopia’s Role in Promoting Regional Peace, Security

Addis Ababa, October 30, 2026 (ENA) — United Nations Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Guang Cong has commended Ethiopia for its contributions to promoting peace and security in the region through peacekeeping engagements and initiatives that foster regional dialogue.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Guang highlighted Ethiopia’s role in hosting platforms that bring together national, regional and international stakeholders to discuss peace and security challenges, particularly the Tana Forum, held annually in Bahir Dar on the shores of Lake Tana.

He further described the forum as an important platform for exchanging views on regional challenges, exploring opportunities and identifying ways for international partners to work with regional and continental organizations in addressing common concerns.

He stressed the need for countries in the region to reaffirm their commitment to respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.

Guang also underscored the importance of addressing regional geopolitical dynamics and strengthening regional and continental institutions so they can take the lead in resolving security challenges, with support from the United Nations and the wider international community.

Highlighting Ethiopia’s strategic importance, he said the country, with a population of more than 130 million and a growing economy, plays a significant role in regional peace and security.

He further noted that Addis Ababa has established itself as a major diplomatic hub, while Ethiopia has made important contributions to peace initiatives across the Horn of Africa.

Recalling his experience working in South Sudan, Guang said Ethiopia, alongside other neighboring countries, played an important role in bringing conflicting parties together ahead of the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.

On Ethiopia’s pursuit of access to the sea, the Special Envoy emphasized that the issue should be addressed through dialogue and negotiations with the countries concerned.

He reaffirmed the United Nations’ readiness to support initiatives aimed at easing regional tensions, including efforts to facilitate structured dialogue on sea access.

Former PM Hailemariam Says Ethiopia’s Pursuit of Sea Access Rational

Addis Ababa, October 29, 2026 (ENA)— Ethiopia’s pursuit of sustainable sea access is a rational and undeniable national aspiration that should be addressed through dialogue and negotiations, former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said.  

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Hailemariam said the central question should not be whether Ethiopia needs access to the sea, but how the country can secure it peacefully through mutually beneficial arrangements. 

He noted that Ethiopia, with a population of about 130 million, a growing economy and a vast land area, is the world’s most populous landlocked country.  

He described the loss of direct maritime access as a historical scar that continues to shape the country’s economic and strategic interests. 

The former premier also questioned the geographical circumstances that have left Ethiopia without direct access to the Red Sea despite its proximity, saying the issue deserves serious consideration. 

He traced the current regional arrangement to the European scramble for Africa in the 1880s, arguing that leaving the matter unresolved would pass the challenge from one generation to the next. 

 According to him, history, geography, culture and law are important considerations in discussions about Ethiopia’s maritime interests, particularly the role of sea access in trade, economic development and regional integration. 

He further urged neighboring countries to view Ethiopia’s aspirations in the context of shared economic growth, peace and security, emphasizing the need to find a solution that serves the interests of the region and future generations. 

“Access to a sea outlet should be viewed as a crucial catalyst for joint regional development”, he stressed, calling for constructive discussions to find a mutually beneficial solution.  

Hailemariam also warned that opposition to Ethiopia's maritime aspirations stems from a malicious intent to undermine the country's anchor role and regional power status.  

Drawing a parallel to past regional tensions, he recalled how Egypt previously argued that filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would severely harm downstream interests and demanded a 20-year timeline, only for the filling to be successfully completed in four years while Egypt ultimately received more water.  

Stakeholders should face the sea-access issue realistically and pursue a peaceful solution that supports shared development and regional stability rather than act out of unfounded fears, he concluded with a traditional proverb: "A dog chased by a hyena by moonlight will not venture outside by day."

World Bank Calls for Translating African Urbanization Into Growth, Jobs

Source: Xinhua| 2026-10-31 10:14:30|Editor: huaxia

ABIDJAN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank (WB) has called on countries in sub-Saharan Africa to turn the region's rapid urbanization into a powerful engine of economic growth and job creation.

The region's urban population grew from 170 million in 1975 to 913 million in 2025 and is projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2050, the international financial institution said in a report, adding that around 15 million young people enter the region's labor market each year.

Sustained population growth in particular underscores the need for creating more jobs correspondingly for youth while expanding access to productive, better-paying employment, according to the report titled "Africa's Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation," which was published Wednesday.

The Bank recommends better planning for urban expansion, targeted investment in infrastructure and transport, and stronger regulatory frameworks and land governance. It also calls for greater mobilization of private capital to finance urban facilities and services.

Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, WB division director for Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Guinea and Togo, noted that currently in the region, "productivity gains remain limited, incomes have grown slowly, and too many jobs remain informal and poorly paid."

In Cote d'Ivoire, official data showed it had 17.84 million urban residents out of an estimated total population of 32.8 million last year. The number of localities with more than 100,000 inhabitants increased from eight in 1998 to 17 in 2021.

The West African country has prioritized urban development, mobility and improvements in people's living conditions in its 2026-2030 national development plan.

China Grants 30 mln USD to Support Small-scale Development Project in Nigeria

Source: Xinhua| 2026-10-30 20:27:30|Editor: huaxia

ABUJA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday signed a 30-million-U.S. dollar grant agreement with Nigeria to support small-scale development projects across the country.

Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Nigerian Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai said China had recently granted 200 million yuan (about 29.79 million U.S. dollars) to support Nigeria's economic and social development, particularly through mutually agreed projects designed to directly benefit Nigerians.

Yu said the grant would support "small but beautiful" projects requiring limited investment, delivering quick results and improving people's livelihoods.

He expressed confidence that the Nigerian government would make effective use of the funds to achieve the intended development outcomes.

Abubakar Bagudu, Nigeria's minister of budget and economic planning, expressed deep appreciation for China's continued support, describing the newly signed agreement as "evidence of strong bilateral relations and shared development objectives" between the two countries.

Bagudu highlighted the Nigerian government's efforts to tackle poverty at the grassroots, saying more than 8,809 interventions had been recorded at the lowest level of the economic support program.

Bagudu said Nigeria could learn from China's poverty alleviation strategy to accelerate its national development.

Justice Department Seeks to Isolate Alaska Ballots as Criminal Probe Underway Over Senate Candidate

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, JOSHUA GOODMAN and BECKY BOHRER

12:29 AM EDT, October 31, 2026

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice pushed Friday for a court order to isolate certain Alaska ballots to investigate potential voter confusion, while federal officials confirmed the existence of a criminal probe over a Senate candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent.

The dueling developments came days before Tuesday’s ranked choice general election, in a race headlined by two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The race is among a handful nationwide expected to determine control of the Senate.

Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that the investigation has been ongoing for several months, but recent revelations from The New York Times that Peltola’s campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan have resulted in a “significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska.”

Separately, the Justice Department — as part of a lawsuit it filed last week — asked a judge to order that state elections officials isolate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan to investigate potential voter “confusion” with the senator. The owner of a boat dealership in the candidate’s hometown of Petersburg who had donated to his campaign told The Associated Press that an FBI agent visited the business and wanted to know whether he had been misled by Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy. He said he had not and that “Everybody knows who the incumbent is.”

Alaska Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Bryan Wilson, in a filing, said the government “seeks to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan for the purposes of investigating whether such ranking was the product of voter confusion, should such an investigation become necessary.”

The Department of Justice also filed with the court a list of proposed questions it seeks to compel the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to answer as part of the civil case seeking to block certification of the Senate race if the incumbent loses. President Donald Trump has said he told the department to file the case.

Peltola denied Thursday that she knew anything about the effort to put Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot: “I am not interested in tricking voters,” she said.

Democrats, including the DSCC, have repeatedly denied that they were involved in any campaign trick. Dan J. Sullivan has long denied he was running at Democrats’ behest.

The request to segregate the ballots in Alaska comes after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Justice Department’s request for California to set aside disputed ballots received in the midterm election sent to some 20,000 people the administration contends may not be U.S. citizens. California officials argued the list is highly unreliable and most likely includes many people who are U.S. citizens.

Justice Department attorneys in the Alaska case said there is a “substantial risk” that Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy “will mislead voters and ultimately result in an electoral process that lacks integrity.”

“To guard against this danger, the United States seeks an order directing Defendants to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan for the purposes of investigating whether such ranking was the product of voter confusion, should such an investigation become necessary,” the filing states. It requests a decision by Monday.

Attorneys for the state in response questioned how segregation would be possible, writing that voters’ ballots are commingled in the ballot box on Election Day and that election workers couldn’t segregate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan without violating ballot secrecy protections. Ballots segregated or not wouldn’t reveal any voter’s reason for voting for Dan J. Sullivan, they said.

They have asked a judge to dismiss the case and said Alaska elections officials already took steps to distinguish the two Sullivans on the ballot. The senator is listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent, while the challenger is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation. That’s also how they appeared on the August open primary ballot.

Attorneys for the state also have argued that Alaska’s ranked voting system further addresses concerns about potential confusion by allowing voters to rank both Sullivans.

Timing of Justice Department announcements unusual

Heyman on Friday would not say what potential crimes authorities are looking into or the targets of the probe, but asked members of the public to come forward with tips that could help investigators.

It’s highly unusual for Justice Department officials to publicly discuss a criminal investigation or even confirm its existence. The timing of the press conference is particularly notable given the Justice Department has had a longstanding practice of avoiding taking public steps in the weeks leading up to an election that could be perceived as attempting to influence a political outcome.

Trump during a rally late Friday in Florida said Peltola and Dan J. Sullivan should be prosecuted. He noted U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche was in attendance and said, “He’s going to make his own decision.”

Trump, then addressing Blanche directly, said of decisions regarding the case, “Todd, please make your own,” and watched Blanche’s response.

Trump added: “OK, he said ‘yes.’”

Peltola, at a campaign rally in Anchorage late Friday, said she is “so deeply offended by these accusations about having any involvement with anyone else’s candidacy.” She said she doesn’t need any help in winning the race outside of the support of voters.

She was asked before the rally if it was possible that someone on her campaign was involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan: “I have no idea,” she told KTUU. “I honestly have no idea.”

The Times story revealing the potential recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan was based partly on interviews with a former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, who was fired before the August primary. Asked about Rios by the station, Peltola said certain people are “gone for a good reason. If I could fire them again, I’d be happy to fire them again.”

Federal prosecutors this week issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and requests to preserve records, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said, following The New York Times’ reporting, that he’d ordered an investigation into whether any violations took place.

Meanwhile, the Alaska Democratic Party has sued state elections officials, alleging absentee in-person voting sites did not open as advertised in some rural communities. The director of the Division of Elections in a letter dated Monday said the agency signs agreements with local or tribal offices to operate the sites and that most of the 18 highlighted had opened. A message seeking comment from the state Department of Law was not immediately returned.

___

Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. AP reporter Will Weissert contributed from Washington.

Libya Halts Oil Pumping from Hamada Fields to Zawiya Refinery

Libyan Martyred Revolutionary Leader Col. Mummar Gaddafi was assassinated by the Pentagon-CIA and NATO mercenaries.

Source: Xinhua| 2026-10-30 23:10:15|Editor: huaxia

TRIPOLI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced on Friday the suspension of crude oil pumping from the Hamada oil fields to the Zawiya refinery after an armed group shut down a valve on the main Hamada pipeline.

The NOC said in a statement that the major pipeline carries crude from the northwestern inland fields of Hamada to the Zawiya refinery on Libya's northwest coast west of Tripoli.

It said the sudden closure caused a sharp pressure spike, forcing technical teams to halt pumping to protect facility safety, and warned the continued closure would result in the loss of around 15,000 barrels of crude per day.

The NOC called on relevant authorities to take necessary measures to reopen the valve and resume pumping as soon as possible, reiterating the need to protect oil facilities from attacks that threaten production and supply continuity.

Algeria Approves Troop Deployment to Niger: What is Their Mission?

By Clara Nabaa & Jeremiah Fisayo-Bambi

26 October 2026 - 14:09 GMT+1

This rare move comes amid strengthened security ties between Algeria and Niamey following the thwarting of an attempted coup in Niger in August.

Algeria has approved sending troops to neighbouring Niger to "protect energy installations", in particular oil projects operated by the state-owned company Sonatrach, marking what will be the country's first foreign deployment of military forces since the 1970s.

The rare measure comes as both countries strengthen security ties months after a thwarted mutiny in Niger, which has seen Algeria gift four military helicopters to Niamey.

The move was approved in a closed extraordinary session of the parliament on Sunday, where 148 of the 174 lawmakers were present in the upper house and voted in favour of the deployment.

The parliament's lower house said it also voted "by an absolute majority" to deploy the military unit in Niger, though it did not provide numbers.

Article 91 of the Algerian constitution stipulates that any deployment of troops abroad must be endorsed by two-thirds of the members of each chamber.

The overseas deployment will be a first since Algiers sent troops to support Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

So far, the authorities have not announced the size of the force to be sent or the start date of its mission, while stressing that the deployment will be limited and focused on protecting Algerian investments.

Growing military cooperation

Sunday's vote followed a visit last Wednesday by Niger's Defence Minister Salifou Modi to Algeria, where he met with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the country's army chief Saïd Chengriha.

According to Algerian reports, a military cooperation protocol was signed by the two sides during the visit.

Tebboune had paved the way for this step on 3 October, declaring in a televised address that his country was ready to defend Niger. He said, "We will protect Niger whatever it takes," accusing unnamed states of plotting against it.

After providing the helicopters in August, Algeria dispatched four Su-30 fighter jets accompanied by an in-flight refuelling aircraft, to support Nigerien authorities when a coup attempt was foiled in the same month.

Oil and gas projects

Economic interests are a central driver of Algeria’s move, particularly as Sonatrach expands its investments in Niger through its international subsidiary SIPEX, which manages projects in the Kafra oil field in the north of the country, around 85 kilometres from the Algerian border.

The company began drilling one of its wells in the area on 13 August, as part of a project whose oil resources are estimated, according to figures reported by Anadolu Agency, to exceed 2.5 billion barrels, making it one of Sonatrach’s key investments outside Algeria.

Algeria’s interests go beyond the direct oil sector, as Niger forms a strategic corridor for the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline, which will stretch for more than 4,000 kilometres to carry Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria.

Algeria started work in June on the section of the pipeline that crosses its territory and inaugurated a 40-megawatt power plant to supply Niamey and surrounding areas with electricity.

Tebboune has linked the military moves to economic interests, referring to agreements signed with Niger in the oil and mining sectors and other fields, and warning of actors seeking to undermine these projects.

A historic shift in Algerian policy

Observers argue that the military support goes beyond protecting oil installations and reflects a broader shift in Algeria’s approach to regional crises, after decades in which the country relied on diplomacy and dialogue and remained wary of military action beyond its borders.

Relations between Algeria and Niger had been strained for months following Algeria's downing last year of a drone from Mali. The incident triggered a diplomatic row, with Niger joining fellow junta-led allies Mali and Burkina Faso in recalling its ambassador from Algiers.

The neighbours, who share a 960-kilometre desert border, have, however, in recent months committed to enhanced economic and security cooperation that includes combatting jihadist violence, cross-border crime and trafficking.

Since July 2023, Niger has been ruled by a military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, who deposed elected president Mohamed Bazoum, held in custody ever since, while the country continues to grapple with security turmoil and ongoing armed attacks.

Additional sources • AFP

President Abbas Congratulates Algerian President on Anniversary of Algeria’s Revolution

RAMALLAH, October 30, 2026 (WAFA) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday congratulated Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the occasion of the anniversary of Algeria’s Glorious Revolution.

In a congratulatory cable, President Abbas expressed his pride in the historic bonds of brotherhood between the two peoples and countries, and praised the Algerian president’s honorable fraternal positions and continued support for the Palestinian people and their just cause.

He further said that as Palestinians remember the sacrifices of the Algerian people and their distinguished struggle for freedom and independence, they draw inspiration from their enduring legacy of resilience and determination to secure their legitimate rights. He added that these are the same values underpinning the Palestinian people’s ongoing struggle for freedom, self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Y.S

Algeria Senate Approves Sending Troops to Niger

https://arab.news/gsepp

AFP

October 25, 2026

The rare measure from Algeria comes as Algiers and Niamey strengthen security ties after moving earlier this year to repair strained relations and following a thwarted mutiny in Niger in August

ALGIERS, Algeria: Algeria’s upper house of parliament on Sunday approved a proposal to deploy troops to neighboring Niger to “protect energy facilities,” a senator speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.

Any overseas deployment would mark a first since Algiers sent troops to support Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

The legislator said 148 senators in the 174-seat body voted in favor of the move. The parliament’s lower house is set to vote on the proposal later in the day, likely to approve it as well.

The rare measure from Algeria comes as Algiers and Niamey strengthen security ties after moving earlier this year to repair strained relations and following a thwarted mutiny in Niger in August.

Niger faces persistent attacks by armed groups, including in areas near the border with Algeria.

The neighbors, who share a 960-kilometer (600-mile) desert border, have agreed to deepen cooperation against jihadist violence, cross-border crime and trafficking.

“This decision marks a historic break with Algeria’s doctrine of non-intervention in military conflicts beyond its borders,” said Abdellah Akir, an international relations researcher.

“It’s driven by the need to protect Algeria’s strategic depth in the Sahel and to secure the future trans-Saharan gas pipeline,” Akir told AFP.

The two countries have been working to build the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), a vast project to export natural gas to Europe from Nigeria via Niger.

‘STRONG SIGNAL’

Akir said the measure also sought to “send a strong signal to competing actors, including Morocco and the United Arab Emirates” — two countries with which Algiers no longer has diplomatic ties.

Geoff Porter, an analyst with the North Africa Risk Consulting group, said the move was “illustrative of a shift in Algerian policy.”

Algeria had tried to maintain its national interests and exert its regional influence through its customary means — dialogue, international law, multilateral forums,” Porter told AFP.

“But in a multipolar and transactional world, those don’t work anymore. Instead, Algeria moved toward more tangible means — actual physical presence.”

“Algeria is still committed to its foreign policy principles,” he added. “It’s just demonstrating them in a new way.”

Earlier this month, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune signalled the possibility of military involvement in the Sahel country.

“We will protect Niger no matter what,” he said in a televised address on October 3. “There are countries, which I will not name, that have conspired against (Niger). We stand by its side.”

“Today, we have interests,” Tebboune then said. “We have reached agreements (with Niger) in the oil, mining and other sectors, and some are seeking to destroy all of this overnight.”

Algeria’s highly unusual measure to deploy troops outside its territory requires the approval of two-thirds of its parliament, according to a constitutional amendment from 2020.

GIFTED WARPLANES

The vote followed a visit last Wednesday by Niger’s Defense Minister Salifou Modi to Algeria, where he met with Tebboune and army chief Said Chengriha.

A military cooperation protocol was signed by the two sides, according to Algerian reports, but no details were given at the time.

The move also comes months after Algiers gifted four military helicopters to Niamey.

The warplanes were deployed at the request of Nigerien authorities, the Algerian defense ministry said.

Additionally, Algeria inaugurated a 40-megawatt power plant in June intended to supply electricity to Niamey and surrounding areas.

Algeria and Niger’s relations had been strained for months following Algeria’s downing last year of a drone from Mali.

The incident triggered a diplomatic row, with Niger joining fellow junta-led allies Mali and Burkina Faso in recalling its ambassador from Algiers.

Algeria and Mali have since resumed diplomatic ties.

Niger has been run by General Tiani since a coup in July 2023 that toppled the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who has been detained ever since.

Algeria to Send Troops to Niger in First Foreign Deployment in Over 50 Years

Algerian flags are waved outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum)

7:49 PM EDT, October 25, 2026

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria’s parliament approved a resolution Sunday to send troops to Niger, making it the first time Algerian soldiers will be deployed abroad since 1973, when they were sent to support Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war.

Authorities have not released any information about when and where exactly the Algerian army detachment will be deployed, or how many soldiers will be involved.

Algerian Sen. Belkacem Boulghiti said troops would be sent “to protect Algeria’s economic and strategic interests, particularly its oil facilities in Niger.”

“We are not sending our soldiers to wage war in Niger, but for a mission to secure economic infrastructure,” he told reporters as he left the chamber after the vote. “It is simply an adaptation of our doctrine to evolving circumstances so we can rise to the new challenges imposed by the situation in the Sahel region.”

Algeria’s state-owned energy giant and the largest company in Africa, Sonatrach, has been working with the Sahelian country on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which is designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria, through Niger to Algeria for export to European markets.

The western Sahel region comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, has been shaken by violent extremism due to deadly attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and the governments fighting them. All three countries have seen coups in recent years and struggled with overstretched security forces.

The move on Sunday emphasizes the thawing relations between Algeria and Niger.

In August, Algeria was the first country to express support for Niger after aggrieved soldiers staged a mutiny against the military junta under Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, which was repelled by loyalist forces aided by Russian troops.

After its foreign ministry assured Niger of its “full solidarity and firm support,” Algeria then sent a delegation to Niger’s capital, Niamey, with four combat fighter jets and a military transport aircraft in what Niger’s ruling council described as “the demonstration of the strategic support.”

The diplomatic rift between the two countries plunged to a historic low last year.

Last April, the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States — Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso — recalled their ambassadors from Algeria following an incident in which a Malian drone was shot down by Algeria’s army near the border.

Algeria’s foreign ministry also condemned the 2023 coup which brought Niger’s junta leader Tchiani to power.

First Body Retrieved from Kenyan Collapsed Building After Weeklong Search

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

5:43 AM EDT, October 30, 2026

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The first body was recovered on Friday from the rubble of a multistory building that collapsed a week ago in Kenya’s capital, with 16 people still missing. Authorities had deployed thermal imaging technology to help search through the debris.

The body of a woman was found badly mutilated after being crushed by the heavy concrete and steel that made up the 18-story building in Nairobi’s busy Eastleigh commercial area.

The building, which was under construction, collapsed last Friday.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building did not have the required construction approvals. He added that renting out completed shops on the ground and basement floors was illegal, as regulations require buildings to undergo inspection and obtain an occupation certificate before being occupied.

Families who believed their loved ones were still trapped beneath the rubble have been camping at the collapse site for a week, hoping for positive news.

However, some had begun losing hope after the critical 72-hour window following the collapse had passed. They said they were increasingly doubtful that their loved ones could survive more than three days under the rubble.

Since Saturday, no other survivors had been pulled from the debris. The four people rescued earlier recounted their traumatic experiences of being trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

Earlier this week, authorities deployed thermal imaging technology provided by a team from China to assist in the search. Officials said the equipment had detected two human beings beneath the rubble.

South African Court Allows Anti-Illegal Immigration Marches Under Strict Conditions

Crowds of anti-illegal immigration protesters demonstrate in the streets in Durban, South Africa, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

11:07 AM EDT, October 30, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African court ruled Friday that anti-illegal immigration groups could hold demonstrations in the South African city of Durban under strict conditions, after police sought to ban the protests over fears of violence.

Police had asked the court to block planned marches by the March and March movement, alleging that demonstrators intended to burn down a refugee reception center during a protest scheduled for Thursday.

That march did not take place after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court issued a temporary order against the protests.

Under the new ruling, protesters must follow designated routes and cannot carry sticks or conceal their faces. They can only demonstrate between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Police argued that although South Africa protects the right to protest, that right is limited when demonstrations become disruptive.

“With the application, we don’t intend to prohibit lawful marches and protests of whatever nature, but what we’re against is breaking the law, damage to property, attacking people and injuring people,” South African national police chief Fannie Masemola said Friday.

Protesters have accused foreigners who are in the country illegally of stealing their jobs as the country’s unemployment rate remains high. They also blame them for overburdening public services and for high crime rates in the country.

Some African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, have repatriated their citizens following violence that began several weeks before an unofficial June 30 deadline set by protesters for immigrants living in the country illegally to leave.

Earlier this month, protests over a court ruling easing access to asylum turned violent, with at least 24 cars torched and shops looted.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has accused the government and the police of trying to deprive demonstrators of their right to protest.

The government recently deployed over 500 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal province, which includes Durban.

With South Africans set to vote in local elections next week, the issue of illegal immigration has featured prominently in the campaign.