United News of Bangladesh

A Sudanese paramilitary group reportedly killed 43 civilians while praying inside a mosque early Friday in the besieged city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, said a local medical group. The Sudan Doctors Network said Friday on X that Muslim worshipers, including older people and children, were killed in a drone strike launched by the Rapid Support Forces, calling it a “heinous crime” against unarmed civilians that showed the group’s “blatant disregard for humanitarian and religious values and international law.” The Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a group comprised of local citizens from the community that includes human rights activists, who track abuses, posted a video Friday reportedly showing parts of the mosque reduced to rubble with several bodies scattered on the site, now filled with debris. The Associated Press could not independently verify the footage. No details were shared about the exact location of the mosque, but the latest drone strike is among a series of attacks over the past week as the RSF and the army heavily clashed in El Fasher. The fight between the army and the RSF escalated in April 2023, erupting into a civil war that has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, displaced as many as 12 million others and pushed many to the brink of famine. El Fasher has been at the epicenter of fighting for over a year between the two and is the military’s last stronghold in the Darfur region. Intense fighting on Thursday centered in the western and southern parts of the city, where residents told the Darfur Victims Support Organization, which monitors abuses against civilians, that they heard loud explosions and saw drones being used, according to a statement by the nonprofit. The Resistance Committee in El Fasher said in a statement Thursday that the RSF targeted several unarmed civilians, including women and older adults, in displacement shelters in the city. The group also said Wednesday heavy artillery by the RSF continuously targeted residential neighborhoods.  

  Two separate boat accidents in northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this week have left at least 193 people dead and dozens more missing, authorities and state media said Friday. The tragedies occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, about 150 kilometers apart in Equateur province. On Thursday evening, a whaleboat carrying nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized along the Congo River in Lukolela territory, killing 107 people, according to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. At least 209 survivors were rescued near the village of Malange, while a memo from the Ministry of Social Affairs said 146 others were still missing. A day earlier, another motorized boat capsized in Basankusu territory, claiming the lives of at least 86 people, most of them students, state media reported. Several others remain unaccounted for, though no official figure was given. The cause of the accidents was not immediately clear. State media, citing reports from the scene, blamed Wednesday’s disaster on “improper loading and night navigation.” Photos from the area showed villagers mourning beside recovered bodies. A local civil society group accused the government of negligence and claimed the toll was even higher. Search operations were launched after the accidents, with naval personnel and community volunteers combing the riverbanks. Authorities pledged medical treatment for the injured, assistance to bereaved families, and the repatriation of survivors. River transport remains a lifeline in the DRC’s vast rainforest regions, where wooden vessels serve as the primary mode of travel between remote villages. The boats are often poorly maintained, overloaded with passengers and goods, and travel without life jackets, making accidents frequent and deadly. Night navigation adds further risk, often complicating rescue efforts and leaving many victims unaccounted for. Limited resources and the remoteness of accident sites also hamper search and recovery operations. Source: AL Zazeera    

Sudanese authorities said Thursday they recovered and buried the bodies of hundreds of people who died in a landslide over the weekend in Sudan’s western region of Darfur. Mujib al-Rahman al-Zubair, head of the Civil Authority in the Liberated Territories, said in a video address shared with The Associated Press that the authority, along with help from local aid workers, was able to reach 375 bodies, but the remaining bodies remain trapped underground. “May the victims of this devastating incident receive mercy,” he said as he and dozens of others gathered at the scene of the landslide to pray for the dead. Al-Zubair is leading rescue missions, hoping to recover more bodies and find survivors despite the lack of equipment and resources. The Aug. 31 landslide that followed days of heavy rainfall in Tarasin, in the Marrah Mountains, could have possibly killed as many as 1,000, Mohamed Abdel-Rahman al-Nair, a spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army, previously told the AP. The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, had a similar death toll estimate, but said it’s hard to confirm the magnitude of the tragedy because the area is hard to reach. The U.N. has said that efforts have been mobilized to support the impacted area, located more than 900 kilometers (560 miles) west of the capital, Khartoum. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a briefing on Thursday that an estimated 150 people from Tarseen and neighboring villages have been displaced. OCHA and partners launched a rapid assessment and response mission Thursday, with teams from local NGOs, U.N. agencies and international groups reaching the site partly by donkey due to rough terrain, according to Dujarric. Their focus is to verify the number of people affected and deliver essential aid for up to 750 people, including medical kits and food. Mobile health clinics and emergency medical teams were also deployed to the area. Al-Nair said in a statement Thursday that the landslide caused a “catastrophic humanitarian situation” that requires a rapid response from the international community to provide food and shelter for those who have lost everything. The Marrah Mountains region is a volcanic area with a height of more than 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) at its summit. The mountain chain is a world heritage site and is known for its lower temperature and higher rainfall than its surroundings, according to UNICEF. A small-scale landslide hit the area in 2018, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens of others, according to the now-disbanded United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur. Sudan is already impacted by one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world caused by the ongoing civil war that erupted in April 2023 in the capital city, Khartoum. The conflict spread across the country after simmering tensions escalated between the Sudanese army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. More than 40,000 people have been killed and as many as 12 million displaced. Some areas in the country are struggling with famine and disease outbreaks such as cholera.

Congo’s public prosecutor on Friday requested the death penalty for former President Joseph Kabila, who is being tried in absentia on treason charges that include war crimes linked to his alleged support for the M23 rebel group. Kabila, who led Congo from 2001 to 2019, has faced trial since July for war crimes, murder, and rape. He became president at 29 after the assassination of his father, former President Laurent Kabila, and extended his term by delaying elections for two years after 2017. The Congolese government accuses him of backing the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who have seized key towns in eastern Congo in recent months. Kabila had lived in self-imposed exile since 2023 but returned in April to Goma after the city fell to the rebels. His current whereabouts are unknown. Supporters claim the trial is politically motivated. Prosecutor Gen. Lucien René Likulia asked for, in addition to the death penalty, a 20-year sentence for allegedly condoning war crimes and 15 years for conspiracy, without detailing the specific incidents. No date has been set for the verdict. Islamic State-linked rebels kill at least 21 in church attack in Eastern Congo President Felix Tshisekedi accused Kabila last year of supporting the rebels and planning an insurrection, charges Kabila denies. Ferdinand Kambere, a former minister under Kabila, called the immunity revocation “the start of a campaign against him,” while analyst Henry-Pacifique Mayala described the prosecution’s demands as “more about settling scores than seeking truth.”      

A bus carrying mourners back home from a funeral in southwestern Kenya overturned and plunged into a ditch on Friday evening, killing at least 21 people, police said. The bus was travelling from the western town of Kakamega to the city of Kisumu, where the accident happened. The driver lost control of the bus as it approached a roundabout at high speed and plunged into a ditch, according to Peter Maina, a regional traffic enforcement officer for the province of Nyanza, where Kisumu is located. The victims include 10 women, 10 men, and a 10-year-old girl, he said. Road accidents are common in Kenya and the wider East African region, where roads are often narrow and in poor condition with many potholes. Police often blame road accidents on speeding drivers. In another accident on Thursday, nine people were killed in a bus crash in the town of Naivasha in the county of Nakuru. The victims were among 32 workers going to work when the bus crashed at a railway crossing, police said.  

Nigerian security forces have killed at least 30 gunmen in a joint military and police operation following a wave of violent attacks in the country’s northwest, officials said Thursday. The operation was launched on Wednesday in response to coordinated assaults by armed men on several villages the previous evening, according to a statement by Nasir Mua’zu, State Commissioner for Home Affairs. He confirmed that three police officers and two soldiers were killed during the counter-assault. “We are working tirelessly with federal security agencies to ensure the safety of all citizens,” Mua’zu said. Violence has surged across northwestern and north-central Nigeria in recent months, with armed gangs—often referred to as “bandits”—carrying out deadly raids and mass abductions for ransom. Hundreds have been killed, and many more injured or displaced as these groups exploit the region's limited security presence. At least 10 Nigerian soldiers are killed in an ambush, the army says The gangs, primarily composed of former herders, frequently clash with settled farming communities. Dozens of such groups now operate with near impunity in the mineral-rich northwest, attacking rural communities and travelers along major routes. In addition to banditry in the northwest, Nigeria is grappling with a long-running insurgency in the northeast. The United Nations estimates that more than 35,000 civilians have been killed and over 2 million displaced due to ongoing conflict in that region. Source: Agency 

Kenya’s President William Ruto on Wednesday broke his silence over the recent wave of anti-government protests that have left dozens dead, vowing to prevent what he described as “anarchy” disguised as peaceful demonstrations. Addressing the unrest, President Ruto declared “enough is enough” and directed police to take firm action, including shooting looters and arsonists “in the leg,” to protect property and restore order. Kenya has been gripped by unrest in recent weeks following the death of a popular blogger in police custody—a case that sparked widespread anger and renewed accusations of police brutality. Public outrage intensified when a protester was shot at close range by a police officer during a demonstration. Massive rallies took place on June 25, marking one year since large-scale protests against tax hikes. At least 8 dead in Kenya protests against police brutality On Monday, police set up roadblocks across all main routes into Nairobi’s city center, restricting movement to essential workers. Clashes broke out between protesters and police on the outskirts of the capital and in 17 of Kenya’s 47 counties, resulting in 31 deaths and over 100 injuries. Authorities also arrested more than 500 people. According to reports, at least 50 people have been killed during two separate waves of protests over the past two weeks. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday called on the Kenyan government to address the root causes of the public grievances. President Ruto alleged that the protests were politically driven and warned that the destruction of public and private property would not be tolerated. “You can call me any name, but I will ensure peace and stability in Kenya at all costs,” he said, accusing his political opponents of attempting to destabilize his administration through violent means. “Attacking police stations amounts to a declaration of war,” he added. Ruto emphasized that leadership in Kenya is determined through democratic elections—not violence. Meanwhile, civil society organizations have continued to urge restraint by law enforcement during demonstrations. In a recent development, five police officers were charged in connection with the blogger’s death and the shooting of a civilian. Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Langat, who had filed a complaint against the blogger over corruption allegations, has stepped aside pending the outcome of the investigation.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday sought nomination for a seventh term, a move that would bring him closer to five decades in power. Museveni, 80, has defied calls for his retirement, as critics warn that he as veered into authoritarianism with virtually no opposition even within his ruling National Resistance Movement party. He was welcomed by a large crowd of supporters as he went to collect nomination papers from the offices of the ruling party in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, reports AP. Museveni first took power as head of a rebel force in 1986. He has since been elected six times, though recent elections have been marred by violence and allegations of vote rigging. His main opponent in the last election was the popular entertainer known as Bobi Wine, who has also declared his candidacy in the polls set for January 2026. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has seen many associates jailed or go into hiding as security forces cracked down on opposition supporters. At least 8 dead in Kenya protests against police brutality Museveni has dismissed Wine as “an agent of foreign interests” who cannot be trusted with power. Wine has been arrested many times on various charges but has never been convicted. He insists he is running a nonviolent campaign. Decades ago, Museveni himself had criticized African leaders who overstayed their welcome in office. In Uganda, lawmakers did the same thing for him when they jettisoned the last constitutional obstacle — age limits — for a possible life presidency. His son, army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has asserted his wish to succeed his father, raising fears of hereditary rule. A long-time opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, has been jailed since November over alleged treason charges his lawyers say are politically motivated. Besigye, a physician who retired from Uganda’s military at the rank of colonel, is a former president of the Forum for Democratic Change party, for many years Uganda’s most prominent opposition group. The East African country has never seen a peaceful transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1962.

At least eight people have died and over 80 others are receiving specialized treatment, some with gunshot wounds, following nationwide protests in Kenya against police brutality and poor governance, according to human rights organizations. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, a state-funded body, reported that Wednesday’s demonstrations, which took place across 23 of Kenya’s 47 counties, resulted in over 400 injuries and more than 60 arrests. The protests were held to mark one year since anti-tax demonstrations left at least 60 people dead and 20 others missing. In the capital, Nairobi, access to Parliament and the president’s office was blocked with razor wire and road barricades as thousands of protesters confronted police, who responded with tear gas, live rounds, and batons, leaving several people injured. The demonstrations quickly escalated, spreading to major cities such as Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Nyahururu, with calls for President William Ruto to resign over allegations of mismanagement. Last year’s anti-tax protests saw demonstrators storm Parliament, where tax hikes had been passed, setting parts of the building on fire as lawmakers fled. Witnesses and rights groups reported that police opened fire, leaving bodies in the streets, prompting the deployment of the military. Frustration among young Kenyans has grown due to alleged government corruption, the rising cost of living, police violence, and the recent death of a blogger while in custody. Public outrage intensified further after a protester was shot at close range during recent demonstrations. President Ruto, speaking at a funeral in coastal Kenya on Wednesday as protests intensified in Nairobi, called for calm, saying, “We do not have another country to go to. It is our responsibility to safeguard our nation.” Youth-led protests erupt again in Kenya over police brutality and poor governance Despite government efforts to downplay the protests, including statements by government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura calling Wednesday a “normal working day,” businesses in central Nairobi largely remained shut. Police restricted vehicle movement, while hundreds of protesters took to the streets early, chanting anti-government slogans as officers fired tear gas. An Associated Press reporter witnessed one demonstrator suffer a mouth injury from police gunfire, while another protester was beaten over the head by anti-riot police and taken away by ambulance. Wangechi Kahuria, executive director of the Independent Medico-Legal Unit, which monitors protest-related deaths, said citizens should be allowed to mourn peacefully. Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja warned on Tuesday that unauthorized individuals would be barred from entering protected areas like Parliament and the State House. Protester Rose Murugi accused police of contributing to the crisis, declaring, "We will say it boldly—police brutality must end, and Ruto must go.” Another demonstrator, 25-year-old Derrick Mwangi, said young people were "fed up" with the current state of affairs, citing abductions, killings, and increasing police violence. Local media on Wednesday published the names and photos of some of those killed in last year’s protests. The Standard newspaper headlined its coverage with “A luta Continua,” Portuguese for “The struggle continues,” a phrase linked to Mozambique’s fight for independence. Meanwhile, the Communication Authority banned live coverage of the protests and disrupted some free-to-air TV broadcasts, drawing condemnation from human rights defenders. Political commentator Herman Manyora described the demonstrators as “heroes” who deserve recognition for their sacrifices. He called on the authorities to work with protesters to ensure a meaningful commemoration. However, Manyora also noted that government inaction has fueled discontent, hardening the resolve of young people to continue their demonstrations. Following last year’s protests, President Ruto dissolved the Cabinet amid allegations of corruption and incompetence, though many former ministers were reappointed. A controversial finance bill proposing higher taxes was initially withdrawn but new taxes were later introduced through amendments. Protesters in Kenya’s Nairobi demand justice for blogger’s death in police custody The president also brought opposition members into the Cabinet and, in March, signed a political agreement with opposition leader Raila Odinga, his main rival in the last election. #Source: With input from agency 

Youth-led demonstrations against police brutality and poor governance erupted across Kenya once again on Wednesday, with thousands marching toward Nairobi’s central business district. The protests coincide with the first anniversary of last year’s anti-tax hike demonstrations, which resulted in 60 deaths and at least 20 people reported missing. This latest wave of unrest follows protests last week demanding justice for a Kenyan blogger who died in police custody under suspicious circumstances. Discontent is rising, particularly among Generation Z, over issues including police violence, economic hardship, and government mismanagement. In response, the Communications Authority of Kenya ordered local media to halt live broadcasts of the protests midway through the day, while President William Ruto warned that acts of violence would not be tolerated. Many Kenyans turned to social media to share real-time updates, post tributes to slain protesters, and express anti-government sentiments through posts and memes. Meanwhile, on the streets, volunteers provided water to protesters as demonstrations continued. Protesters in Kenya’s Nairobi demand justice for blogger’s death in police custody Police brutality Demands for accountability in Kenya have intensified following the death of a street hawker during last week's protests. A Kenyan court has granted investigators 15 days to conclude their probe into two police officers suspected of involvement in the shooting. The incident has fueled public outrage, with young people flooding social media platforms throughout the week to honor protesters killed during last year's demonstrations. At that time, President William Ruto apologized for the violence and pledged to end police brutality, which led to the resignation of the country’s top police official. “Not a single officer has faced consequences,” said human rights activist Hussein Khaled, noting that people have taken to the streets to demand justice, including compensation for victims' families, arrests of those responsible, and urgent police reforms. He emphasized that far too many Kenyans are losing their lives due to police violence.   Economic frustration Last year’s deadly protests in Kenya were driven by strong opposition to a finance bill that significantly increased taxes to tackle national debt, placing a heavy burden on young, educated citizens already facing high unemployment and a soaring cost of living. President William Ruto eventually withdrew the bill. However, parts of those tax measures were later reintroduced, sparking public outrage and renewed demands for Ruto’s resignation, especially following the appointment of a new, but widely unpopular, cabinet. A revised healthcare levy also replaced standard premiums with a progressive tax based on income levels. According to United Nations data, 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is under 30, while Kenya faces a youth unemployment rate of 67%. Macharia Munene, a professor of History and International Relations at United States International University Africa in Nairobi, said the situation is worsening for young people, as essential sectors like health and education suffer from poor policies and a lack of resources, while government spending on lavish perks for elites continues unchecked. Rescuers in South Africa search for the missing after floods leave at least 49 dead Poor governance Ruto has been accused of misappropriating taxpayer money on lavish trips, most notably the use of a private jet on his trip to the United States right before last year’s protests. He apologized and dismissed ministers accused of incompetence, corruption and displays of opulence amid complaints about the high cost of living. Meanwhile, Kenya's opposition received its share of criticism, with many saying it avoided challenging the status quo after some of its members were appointed in Ruto's new cabinet “Enough is enough ... We are here for change, it is time for us to get our nation (back),” said protestor Sevelina Mwihaki. “The blood that we have shed is enough."