United News of Bangladesh

Health experts are warning of growing lead contamination risks across Africa as the continent’s rapid shift toward clean energy fuels a surge in battery use and recycling, often in unsafe conditions. In Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, residents of Owino Uhuru say they continue to suffer from lead poisoning years after a lead-acid battery recycling plant was shut down, highlighting the long-term health impact of industrial pollution linked to battery processing. Faith Muthama, 40, a mother of four, said her health has never recovered. “Life has never been the same,” she said, wiping away sweat. “I still struggle to do heavy chores as I suffer from breathing difficulties. When I was tested in 2012, I was found with high lead levels in my blood.” The contamination in Owino Uhuru dates back to 2007, when Kenya Metal Refineries EPZ, a local subsidiary of a Mumbai-based company, operated a lead-acid battery recycling plant in the settlement. Residents allege toxic waste from the facility, which exported processed lead to India, seeped into soil and water, causing widespread illness. More than 20 deaths have been linked to the pollution. The plant was shut down in 2014, but residents say its effects remain. Lead exposure is associated with neurological damage, reduced cognitive development, and long-term health complications, particularly in children. A February report by the Centre for Global Development, a Washington and London-based think tank, warned that the rapid expansion of off-grid solar systems and battery storage in Africa is increasing demand for battery recycling, much of which takes place in informal or poorly regulated environments. The report noted that lead-acid batteries remain widely used in low-income markets because they are cheaper than alternatives such as lithium-ion batteries. However, safe recycling requires costly infrastructure, which is often lacking, leading informal recyclers to use unsafe methods that release lead into air, soil and water. Experts say similar risks are emerging across Africa and other regions as renewable energy adoption accelerates. “Off-grid solar could account for a substantial share of batteries entering the recycling stream in Africa,” said Lee Crawford, senior research fellow at the Centre for Global Development. “That's on top of existing demand from vehicles like cars and motorbikes.” “Safe recycling is expensive and that creates a strong incentive to do it unsafely,” he added, noting that banning lead-acid batteries is unrealistic and the focus must be on making recycling safer. Across Africa and South Asia, studies suggest that between one-third and half of children have elevated blood lead levels, making it one of the most widespread environmental health threats globally. Experts say weak enforcement of environmental rules in many countries worsens the situation, even where regulations exist. “This is a silent threat,” Crawford said. “It's often invisible, but it affects health, cognitive development and economic productivity.” In Owino Uhuru, residents say the impact continues to devastate lives. Alfred Ogulo, 70, a village elder, said he is still awaiting compensation after years of illness linked to exposure. He described nerve damage, mobility issues, and severe health problems. At one point, Ogulo said tests revealed extremely high lead levels in his blood. “I cannot walk without a stick,” he said. “I also suffer from serious chest pain and coughs from the toxic fumes that we breathed in here when the factory was still in operation.” In 2025, Kenya’s Supreme Court awarded about $12 million in damages to around 3,000 residents after a class-action lawsuit against the smelting company, marking a rare legal victory in industrial pollution cases. However, activists say compensation has been delayed. Phyllis Omido, who leads the Centre for Justice Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA) in Mombasa and helped residents take legal action, criticised the lack of implementation. “It is sad that the state has ignored prioritizing the compensation payment as ordered by the court,” she said. “These monies would have alleviated the current suffering these vulnerable residents are going through.” Residents also expressed frustration over the long wait for justice. “Is it fair that we are the ones still chasing justice while the company walks away?” said Mejumaa Hassan Nyanje, 60. “Will we all die before justice is served? It feels like we've been abandoned, like our lives and our health don't matter.”

Mali’s Defence Minister General Sadio Camara has been killed during coordinated attacks on military installations across the country, according to Al Jazeera report on Sunday. The attack came a day after his residence in the garrison town of Kati came under assault amid simultaneous strikes by an al-Qaeda-linked group and Tuareg rebels. Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership following coups in 2020 and 2021, was seen as one of the most influential members of the ruling junta. Analysts say his death marks a significant blow to the country’s armed forces. According to reports, attackers carried out a suicide car bombing targeting his residence in Kati, a heavily fortified military town about 15 kilometres northwest of the capital Bamako, where Interim President Assimi Goita also resides. Despite the scale of the assault, Goita was safely evacuated and remains in a secure location, according to Al Jazeera reports. The attacks also targeted several other locations, including Bamako, and northern and central regions such as Gao, Kidal and Sevare. Witnesses reported heavy gunfire and explosions continuing in some areas hours after the initial assault. Armed groups, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), are believed to have coordinated the attacks. Analysts warn that the situation remains volatile, with further clashes expected as rival armed groups intensify operations against state forces. The African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United States Bureau of African Affairs have condemned the attacks.

Mali’s army said unidentified armed “terrorist” groups launched coordinated attacks on several military positions in the capital Bamako and other parts of the country on Saturday, with fighting ongoing. In a statement, the army confirmed that multiple locations came under attack, though it did not provide immediate details on casualties or the extent of damage, reports Al Jazeera. Witnesses and journalists reported hearing sustained gunfire and at least two explosions near key military sites, including areas close to the country’s main airport in Bamako. Gunfire was also reported near the main military camp in the capital, raising concerns over security in the military-ruled West African nation. The situation remained fluid, with authorities yet to disclose further operational details as clashes continued in several places.

More than half a million people are expected to attend a Mass led by Pope Leo XIV in Cameroon on Friday, as he marks the midpoint of his four-nation tour of Africa. The pontiff travelled to Douala, the country’s main port city, to lead the large-scale liturgy and visit a hospital, with the Vatican estimating a crowd of around 600,000 — the biggest turnout anticipated during his 11-day visit, the first to Africa by an American pope. Later in the day, he is scheduled to return to Yaounde to meet students, faculty and staff at the Catholic University of Central Africa, continuing his focus on engaging young people. Catholics make up about 29 percent of Cameroon’s population of roughly 29 million, in a country where the median age is just 18. During his visit, Pope Leo has emphasised the importance of youth, urging greater investment in education, training and employment opportunities to address poverty, corruption and social exclusion. In earlier remarks to Cameroon’s longtime leader Paul Biya, he called for breaking what he described as the “chains of corruption” and highlighted young people as the nation’s hope. Cameroon, led by Biya since 1982, reflects broader tensions across Africa between a youthful population and aging leadership, with many young people expressing frustration over limited economic opportunities. Despite modest economic growth, many youths remain in informal employment, and the country has experienced a significant outflow of skilled professionals, particularly in the health sector. Pope Leo warned that unemployment and exclusion could fuel instability, stressing that empowering young people is essential for long-term peace and development.

At least 14 people, including five children and two women, were killed in an attack by Sudanese paramilitary forces and allied rebels in the central Kordofan region, a medical group said on Sunday. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, launched a major assault on Saturday on Dilling, the capital of South Kordofan. Sudan’s military said it repelled the attack after recently breaking an RSF siege on the শহর. According to the Sudan Doctors Network, the attackers shelled residential areas during the offensive, which lasted several hours and left at least 23 others injured, including seven children. Dilling had endured severe shortages resembling famine conditions during more than two years under RSF siege, when supply routes were cut and the area was frequently bombed. The military lifted the siege earlier this year. The doctors’ group warned the situation could deteriorate further, drawing parallels with the Darfur city of El-Fasher, where intense violence erupted after an RSF offensive in October. A UN-commissioned report said the attack there bore signs consistent with genocide. The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 following a power struggle between the military and the RSF, which escalated into full-scale fighting in the capital Khartoum. According to UN estimates, more than 40,000 people have been killed, though aid agencies believe the actual toll could be significantly higher. Recent clashes have been concentrated in Darfur and Kordofan, where frequent drone strikes have caused heavy civilian casualties. The UN Human Rights Office said more than 500 civilians have been killed in drone attacks this year alone, as of mid-March. The war has been marked by widespread abuses, including mass killings and sexual violence, which are under investigation by the International Criminal Court as possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

At least 64 people, including 13 children, were killed in an attack on a hospital in Sudan’s Darfur region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the strike targeted Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur state on Friday night, killing patients and medical staff, including two nurses and a doctor. He added that 89 others, including eight health workers, were injured in the attack. The assault severely damaged key departments of the hospital, including paediatrics, maternity and emergency units, rendering the facility non-functional and cutting off critical healthcare services. The WHO said the latest incident has pushed the total number of deaths from attacks on health facilities during Sudan’s ongoing conflict to more than 2,000. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), triggering a major humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. The WHO called for an immediate de-escalation and protection of civilians, health workers and humanitarian personnel. With inputs from ALJAZEERA

A total of 40 students from Ekwazini Secondary School in South Africa's Mpumalanga province were hospitalized on Tuesday following a suspected food poisoning incident, local authorities said Wednesday. The Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Education said that three students initially reported severe stomach cramps after consuming snacks. As more learners presented similar symptoms, the number of those transported to a nearby hospital for assessment rose to 40, the department said, adding that all affected students are in a stable, non-critical condition and have since been discharged. Health inspectors have been deployed to investigate the cause of the outbreak. Samples of the suspected snacks, other food items and local water sources have been sent for laboratory testing to determine the exact cause of the illness. This incident followed a series of similar cases across South Africa. Media reports said that dozens of students have died or been hospitalized in recent years due to suspected food poisoning linked to snacks purchased from local informal shops, leading the government to previously declare such outbreaks as "a national security threat." 

Islamic militants attacked a town in northeastern Nigeria on Friday, abducting more than 300 people, including women and children, local officials said. The attack occurred in Ngoshe town in Borno state, according to Bulama Sawa, an official from the Gwoza area. He told The Associated Press that the assault was likely carried out in retaliation for a recent military operation that killed three commanders of the militant group Boko Haram. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Nigeria is facing a complex security crisis involving multiple armed groups. The United States has also deployed troops to the West African country to advise and support its military in tackling the growing insecurity. 50 killed, many abducted in armed attack in Nigeria Separate attacks were also reported earlier this week in the communities of Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok between Wednesday and early Friday, a military spokesperson said. Spokesperson Uba Sani said troops managed to repel the attacks in those communities, but noted that “a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” including a senior officer. He did not provide details on the number of military casualties. Sani described the incidents as “failed attacks” and said they reflected the “increasing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained operational pressure” from the military. Ulf Laessing of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation said the attack on Ngoshe highlighted the Nigerian army’s challenges in controlling vast areas where jihadist groups operate. He said militants are also benefiting from stronger cross-border cooperation and the use of drones to identify targets before launching attacks. “The army is fighting a ghost — fighters descending with motorbikes on villages and disappearing into the bush before the army can respond in time,” Laessing said. Among the most prominent militant groups operating in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group. Other groups include the IS-linked Lakurawa as well as criminal “bandit” groups known for kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining. The security crisis has recently expanded with the involvement of militants from the neighbouring Sahel region, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack inside Nigeria last year. According to United Nations data, several thousand people have been killed in the violence in Nigeria. Analysts say the government is still not doing enough to protect civilians.

The United Nations has warned that South Sudan is at serious risk of returning to full-scale war unless urgent action is taken to end violence, abuses and long-standing impunity. The warning came in a new report released on Friday by the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan at a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The report said civilians are facing grave abuses, including killings, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, forced displacement and denial of basic needs, as fighting intensifies across the country. It described the humanitarian situation as worsening in one of the world’s poorest nations. The commission said rising risks of mass atrocities and the collapse of political safeguards make urgent preventive action necessary. It urged regional and international actors to apply diplomatic pressure, impose sanctions and strictly enforce the UN arms embargo until clear progress is made on human rights and accountability. According to the report, actions by political and military leaders have weakened the 2018 peace agreement. These include the detention of opposition figures, erosion of power-sharing arrangements and attempts to alter the terms of the peace deal. The report highlighted the arrest and removal of First Vice President Riek Machar last year, saying it undermined key guarantees of the peace agreement and triggered armed clashes on a scale not seen in nearly a decade. South Sudan plunged into civil war in 2013, two years after independence, following a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and Machar. The conflict killed an estimated 400,000 people before a fragile peace was reached in 2018. The UN report also noted a dangerous shift in military tactics, including air strikes on areas populated by civilians. It raised concerns over the deployment of forces from neighbouring Uganda, saying their involvement may have violated the UN arms embargo. Sexual violence remains widespread and systematic, the report said. Women and girls continue to face constant risk, with rape and other abuses used as tools to terrorise communities, force displacement and break social bonds. The commission said senior commanders and political leaders are rarely held accountable for serious crimes, allowing a culture of impunity to persist. It also noted shrinking civic space, with journalists, activists and opposition members facing harassment, surveillance and detention. The UN urged the government to stop violations by its forces, free those held without cause and guarantee basic freedoms. It also called for the immediate establishment of long-delayed transitional justice mechanisms to prosecute war crimes committed since 2013. Fighting has intensified in recent months, especially in Jonglei state, where opposition forces seized several government positions from December. In response, the army launched a major military operation in late January, ordering civilians and aid groups to leave parts of the area. The United Nations said earlier this month that about 280,000 people have been displaced since late December. More than 235,000 of them are from Jonglei alone. UNICEF has warned that over 450,000 children are at risk of acute malnutrition due to displacement and disruption of health services. Nearly 10 million people across South Sudan now need life-saving humanitarian assistance. Aid operations have been badly affected by violence and looting, while access to vulnerable communities remains restricted. The report said civilians continue to bear the heaviest cost of the conflict, as violence, displacement and abuse deepen an already severe humanitarian crisis.   With inputs from ALJAZEERA

Congolese authorities and a civil society group said Thursday that mass graves were found in part of eastern Congo that the M23 rebel group has recently withdrawn from, as fighting in the region escalates despite a U.S.-mediated peace deal. The governor of South-Kivu province, Jean-Jacques Purusi, said authorities found two mass graves with at least 171 dead bodies in the Kiromoni and Kavimvira neighborhoods on the outskirts of the eastern city of Uvira. “At this stage, we have identified two sites: one mass grave containing approximately 30 bodies in Kiromoni, not far from the Burundian border on the Congolese side, and another in Kavimvira where 141 bodies were found,” Purusi told The Associated Press over the phone. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim. M23’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Executive Secretariat of the Local Network for the Protection of Civilians, a civil society group in the region, said Thursday it wanted to visit the mass graves but was prevented from doing so by the Congolese military. Information gathered so far indicates that the victims were killed by M23 rebels, said Yves Ramadhani, the group's vice president. The governor and the civil society group alleged that the rebels killed the individuals because they suspected them of belonging to the Congolese army or a pro-government militia. Both the Congolese military and M23 have been accused of extrajudicial killings and abuses by rights groups. M23 had taken control of Uvira in December following a rapid offensive. More than 1,500 people were killed and about 300,000 displaced, according to regional authorities. The rebel group later announced it would withdraw from the city, in what it said was a “unilateral trust-building measure” requested by the U.S. to facilitate the peace process. Congo, the U.S. and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N. More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees. Despite the signing of a deal between the Congolese and Rwandan governments brokered by the U.S. and ongoing negotiations between rebels and Congo, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, claiming numerous civilian and military casualties.