DR Congo Seeks to Strip Kabila’s Immunity Over M23 Support Claims
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) requested that the senate lift the immunity of former president Joseph Kabila, who was accused of supporting the M23 rebel group. President Felix Tshisekedi accused Kabila of preparing “an insurrection” and backing an alliance that included the M23 armed group fighting government forces in the country’s east. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba said that the judiciary had gathered compelling evidence linking Kabila to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and massacres of civilians. As a former president, Kabila holds the title of “senator for life”, which allows immunity from prosecution. Kabila, who left the DR Congo before the last presidential election in 2023 and went to South Africa, has announced his intention to return to the country to address the security situation in the east.
Malawi Records Sixth Mpox Case in Two Weeks
Malawi’s health authorities confirmed a sixth case of mpox, deepening concerns over an outbreak that began just two weeks earlier. The latest case involved an 18-year-old student from Area 36, Lilongwe, who sought treatment at Bwaila Hospital on April 30 with classic mpox symptoms, including fever, fatigue, and a rash, before testing positive. There was no recent travel history for the student, but he was in close contact with a confirmed case, which indicates local transmission. All six recorded cases were in Lilongwe, raising fears of community spread in the densely populated capital.
UN Warns of More Bloodshed in Sudan as RSF Threatens El Fasher
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported that over 500 civilians had been killed in North Darfur, Sudan, in just three weeks amid escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He condemned the RSF’s coordinated attacks on El Fasher and Abu Shouk camp, which left at least 40 civilians dead, warning of further bloodshed after the RSF threatened imminent battles. Turk called for immediate action to protect civilians and pointed out worrying reports about extrajudicial executions in Khartoum.
Namibian President Orders Curfew in Okahandja After Child Murders
A curfew has been imposed in Okahandja with immediate effect. The country’s president, Nandi-Ndaitwah, has assured the public that the security forces are doing everything possible to restore safety. She also constituted a high-level committee to address the situation and devise mitigating interventions after the murders of Ingrid Maasdorp (5), Roswinds Fabianu (6) and Beyonce !Kharuxas (15). It comprises of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister Emma Kantema, Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp, Justice and Labour Relations Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel, and Health Minister Esperance Luvindao.
Is Uganda’s Budongo Forest a Ticking Time Bomb for the Next Global Pandemic?
Tobacco farming in Uganda has resulted in the loss of trees key to the diets of chimpanzees and baboons, increasing human-primate interactions, and the risk for disease spillover. The ecological disruption led primates to consume bat feces, which, according to a 2024 study published in Nature, contains numerous concerning viruses, including some related to SARS, the coronavirus family that spawned COVID-19. This seemingly innocuous dietary shift has created what experts now recognize as a potential pathway for devastating bat-borne viruses to jump from wildlife to human populations, setting the stage for a devastating spillover event, not long after COVID-19 upended lives worldwide.
