Heavy rainfall in southern Ethiopia has caused devastating floods and landslides, killing at least 30 people in the Gamo Zone, local authorities confirmed. The majority of fatalities occurred in highland areas where saturated soil gave way after days of intense rain. The town of Arba Minch and surrounding regions endured continuous downpours for 48 hours, destroying homes, infrastructure, and farmland. Mudslides blocked critical roads and damaged bridges, hampering rescue efforts. Officials warn that further flooding and landslides remain likely as severe weather continues to affect East Africa, with dozens also reported dead in neighbouring Kenya.
In a separate Ethiopia crisis, hundreds of civilians are fleeing the regional capital of Tigray, Mekelle, amid fears of a return to full-scale conflict. Tensions between the federal government and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have escalated in recent weeks, with both sides amassing troops near their shared border. The 2022 peace agreement that ended a civil war that killed an estimated 600,000 people has not been fully implemented. TPLF officials accuse federal forces of surrounding the region, while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has stated his government does not seek renewed war. The standoff, compounded by poor relations with neighbouring Eritrea, has created deep uncertainty.
Diplomatic tensions have surfaced between South Africa and the United States following comments by the new U.S. ambassador, Leo Brent Bozell III, regarding the anti-apartheid chant “Kill The Boer.” South Africa’s government summoned Bozell after he criticised a court ruling that affirmed the chant does not constitute hate speech, saying he did not care what the courts decided. The remarks were described as “undiplomatic” and disrespectful to the judiciary. Bozell later clarified that the U.S. respects South Africa’s judicial independence and expressed regret. The incident adds strain to relations already tested by disagreements over trade, land reform, and U.S. claims about the treatment of white Afrikaners.
Senegal’s parliament has passed legislation doubling the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to ten years. The government-backed bill, a campaign promise of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, also criminalises the “promotion” of homosexuality and increases fines to 10 million CFA francs. It prohibits judges from issuing suspended sentences. The law passed with 135 votes in favour, none against, and three abstentions. Rights groups note the move aligns with a regional trend of tightening anti-LGBTQ+ laws, citing similar recent actions in Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Along the Liberia-Guinea border, a territorial dispute turned violent after Guinean soldiers opened fire into Liberian territory in the Sorlumba Clan, injuring one man. Liberian district commissioner B. Njamilah S. Bornguoi confirmed Guinean troops fired multiple shots across the border, striking a civilian in the thigh. The soldiers subsequently retook a disputed area, rehoisted the Guinean flag, and remain in control, escalating tensions in the border community. The injured man is receiving treatment at Foya Boma Hospital.
These developments across multiple African regions underscore ongoing challenges from climate-induced disasters, fragile peace processes, diplomatic friction with international partners, and shifting social legislation, each carrying significant humanitarian and political implications.
