Category: Africa

Source: APO

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In his welcome address, the Resident Representative highlighted the Office’s nationwide sensitization efforts across 12 districts in Sierra Leone, aligned with ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Community’s 50th Anniversary activities. He emphasized the importance of enhancing public awareness on the role of the three Arms of the Community Regional Governance Structure, including the Court, and ECOWAS institutions, while noting the need for careful handling of issues relating to Court judgments given their sensitive and political nature.

The President of the ECCJ expressed appreciation for the warm reception and institutional support. He underscored the importance of strengthened communication and collaboration between the Community Court and the Representative Office, noting that both institutions form part of the same ECOWAS framework. He encouraged the integration of Court information materials into district outreach activities to enhance public understanding of the Court’s mandate, particularly in relation to the protection of human rights and the rule of law within the Community.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to sustained cooperation and enhanced institutional visibility in Sierra Leone.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO – Report:

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The micro-credit and saving program in Teseney sub-zone reported that last year 24.7 million Nakfa was disbursed to 1,350 customers in the sub-zone.

Mr. Tadese Mebrahtu, head of the program in the sub-zone, noted that the main objective and mission of the program is to enable citizens in remote areas to access loans and improve their livelihoods, and that many have become beneficiaries of the program.

Mr. Tadese indicated that there are about 11,498 beneficiaries of the program at individual and group levels in 51 administrative areas and about 200 villages in the sub-zones of Teseney, Golij, Haikota and Forto-Sawa, who are mostly engaged in small trade, agriculture, and livestock development.

Mr. Tadese also said that 68% of the loans have been repaid by customers and called on others to repay their loans on time, as well as on area administrators to strengthen their contribution to the effort.

Mr. Lenin Okbaselasie, a member of the program, said that sustainable training programs on financial and material management are being provided to customers and called on others to take advantage of the opportunities the program offers.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

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A potable water project constructed at a cost of about 3 million Nakfa has been put in place in Gerger administrative area, Mensura sub-zone. The project was implemented in collaboration with the public and the Government.

At the inauguration ceremony held on 12 February, Mr. Hagos Mengisteab, administrator of the administrative area, said that the project will solve the potable water problem of residents in the villages of Gerger, Werchewa, Zereftai and Intitere.

Eng. Zerebruk Tekle, head of water development in the Gash Barka Region, said that the project, which operates with a solar system, includes a 9 km water pipeline, a water reservoir, and four water distribution centers. He also called on residents to use the project judiciously to ensure its sustainability.

Mr. Tadese Gebregergis, administrator of Mensura sub-zone, on his part said that efforts are being exerted to encourage the remaining villages in the sub-zone to follow the noble initiative to address their potable water problems. He also expressed appreciation for the initiative of the development committees in Gerger administrative area.

Gerger administrative area, which is home to over 700 residents, is one of the 10 administrative areas in Mensura sub-zone and is located 27 km south-west of Mensura.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held a meeting with the newly appointed governors and their deputies following their swearing-in ceremony. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, and Minister of Local Development and Environment, Dr. Manal Awad.

Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said the President welcomed the new governors and their deputies and stressed the vital need for each governor to utilize their governorates’ resources and tools to achieve tangible results that serve the public interest. The President emphasized the pivotal role of every governor and the necessity of working with sincerity and dedication, free from favoritism, while being well-informed about details of issues and problems in their governorates. The President also stressed the importance of governors leveraging their deputies and the cadres of the executive bodies, taking into account the unique characteristics of each governorate. President El-Sisi confirmed that the success of a governor’s mission reflects directly on the welfare of the entire nation.

President El-Sisi highlighted the vital need to maintain constant communication between the governors, their deputies, and the citizens, affirming the importance of addressing complaints and requests with utmost seriousness. The President also emphasized the significance of the efficient management of the available equipment and resources, and of fostering cooperation with investors and businesspeople. President El-Sisi asserted the imperative necessity transparency and clarity, maintaining constant communication with the government and members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as with the President when necessary.

The President directed the governors to prioritize the regularization of building violations, wastewater treatment plants, drinking water and electricity, schools, and the smooth operation of studies. This is in addition to promoting sports culture and enhancing cooperation with civil society organizations.

President El-Sisi reiterated the crucial need for governors to personally and persistently supervise cleanliness campaigns, complete projects related to the “Decent Life” initiative, monitor bakeries, and be present on the ground to solve citizens’ problems. The President directed them to effectively oversee housing projects and the establishment of new cities, working with state agencies to overcome obstacles, while also firmly addressing the phenomenon of encroachments on agricultural land, violations along canals, and dealing with slum areas and illegal constructions. Governors were also instructed to focus on urban planning and visual identity.

Furthermore, the President emphasized the need for each governor to continually work on developing resources and implementing projects in heir governorate, and to take necessary actions to overcome challenges in tourist destinations, thereby promoting tourism and strengthening the role of tourism in their region.

– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Source: APO

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Some families have survived in those harsh conditions for months.

Among them, 17-year-old Doha and her brothers and sisters reached Tawila after a three-day long journey from El Fasher by foot and donkey cart, exhausted and frightened. Home in the key city of Darfur had become too dangerous. Food was scarce. Health facilities were destroyed. School, once the centre of Doha’s days, was no more.

“This girl caught our eye because she was smiling,” said Eva Hinds, spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan to UN News. “And she so desperately wanted to speak English. I’m always so struck when I see someone who is beaming in the middle of such a hardship environment.”

‘Not giving up’

Her first name, Doha, means “morning” in Arabic and is often used colloquially to refer to the period from dawn to sunrise.

“The light in the eyes of this girl showed she lives to her name,” said Ms. Hinds.

Before the war broke out, Doha was studying English and was keen to know if there were opportunities to continue learning English in Tawila. She told Ms. Hinds she’d like to teach others at some point.

“I’m always struck by how people are resilient and they’re not giving up when the world is stuck against them,” said Ms Hinds.

Millions flee violence

According to a recent report from the UN Human Rights Office based on victims and witnesses’ testimonies, more than 6,000 people were killed in three days when Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city of El Fasher last year. The key city of Darfur came under 18 months of sustained siege. This is where some of the most harrowing stories have emerged out of this brutal conflict.

“There are millions of children who’ve had to flee their homes several times, not only once or twice, but more than that,” underlined Ms. Hinds.

These children end up in camps for internally displaced, which are very difficult places to grow up in, with cramped spaces and very limited access to safe water, food and opportunities to continue learning.

“Their sense of safety has been shaken as they’ve been forced to flee and they’ve seen things that many children have never seen and should never see,” she said.

Their routines, friendships and sense of security have been completely upended as they struggle with the most basic things, such as getting food and enough water to drink and wash. 

Skyrocketing needs, declining funding

On the ground, UNICEF and its partners provide different types of support, from healthcare to nutrition, and also safe spaces where heavily traumatised children can start receiving psychosocial services so they can start going through their traumatic experiences amid a sense of normalcy for the first time. It’s a space where they can play, be with friends and start learning.

But, Sudan is an immense country, with around 34 million people who need humanitarian assistance, and needs keep growing. This is a challenge for humanitarians operating on the ground. The dramatic situation for children is worsening in conflict zones, where the risks of violence, including sexual violence, are escalating.

UNICEF works to identify and support children, looks for the adults in their families to reunite them and offers them refuge if needed.

“With regard to sexual violence, it is essential to provide safe spaces, especially for women and girls,” according to UNICEF.

“Needs are skyrocketing and the funding is dwindling,” the agency’s spokesperson said. “It’s a very difficult equation to make, and unfortunately, it’s often the most vulnerable that pay the heaviest price: the children.”

Hope remains last refuge

Sudan is also one of the countries that practices female genital mutilation (FGM). UNICEF and the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, have a joint programme on the elimination of the practice, which the agencies continue to implement despite the challenges of a country at war.

“We foster girls clubs as part of the programming,” Ms. Hinds explained. “These clubs are safe spaces where girls and adolescents come together, where they learn. It’s a place where they can support one another and develop a sense of identity and belonging and this is very much about the positive social norms. These clubs also play a critical role in encouraging girls to stay in school, complete their studies and challenge harmful practices, including female genital mutilation.”

In camps for displaced people, education and basic services provide children with a fragile sense of safety and stability. “Education is a lifeline,” UNICEF insists.

Despite ongoing violence in Darfur and Kordofan, hope remains the last refuge for thousands of children like Doha in Tawila, who dream of a peaceful Sudan and the chance to reclaim a stolen childhood.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO

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In recent months, the Egyptian authorities renewed their campaign of arbitrarily detaining and unlawfully deporting refugees and asylum seekers solely on the basis of their irregular immigration status in blatant violation of the principle of non-refoulement and Egypt’s own asylum law, Amnesty International said today. Refugees or asylum seekers registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are among those unlawfully deported or arbitrarily detained pending deportation.

Since late December 2025, police officers in plain clothes have been arbitrarily rounding up nationals of Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and other Sub-Saharan countries from the streets or their workplaces in cities across the country following identity checks. Those found without valid residency permits were driven away in unmarked vans, even when they were able to produce UNHCR cards.

“Refugees who have fled war, persecution or humanitarian crises should not be forced to live in daily fear of being arbitrarily arrested and deported back to a place where they are at risk of grave human rights violations. By forcibly expelling refugees and asylum seekers, Egyptian authorities are not only flagrantly flouting international human rights and refugee law, but they are also breaching the protections afforded in the country’s own recently passed asylum law prohibiting refoulment of recognized refugees,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International.

“Fearing arrest and deportation, families have been forced into hiding at home, living in limbo and unable to access work or education. Many are struggling to survive after the primary breadwinner of the family had been detained or deported. The Egyptian authorities must immediately release all refugees and asylum seekers arbitrarily detained solely on immigration grounds and halt deportations of anyone entitled to protection under international law.”

Amnesty International documented security forces’ arbitrary arrest of 22 refugees and asylum seekers, including one child and two women, from their homes, the streets or at security checkpoints between late December 2025 and 5 February 2026 in Cairo, Giza, Al-Qalyubia and Alexandria governorates. Those arrested and detained are refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan, Syria and South Sudan, 15 of whom are registered with UNHCR. 

Of this group, security forces have deported one Syrian asylum seeker registered with UNHCR. The 21 others remain at risk of deportation as the authorities had already begun their deportation procedures even though prosecutors had ordered the release of 19 of them, while three had scheduled residency renewal appointments with the immigration department.

There are no available statistics on deportations of Syrians, but Egyptian NGOs sounded the alarm about the rise in unlawful deportations of Syrian nationals in mid-January. On 17 January, the Syrian embassy in Cairo stated that it had received information from the Egyptian authorities that they were conducting “periodic verification campaigns on residency permits.” The embassy advised Syrians to always carry a valid residency permit.

On 31 January, the Sudanese Ambassador to Cairo said in a press conference that 207 Sudanese nationals were returned from Egypt in December 2025 and another 371 in January 2026, without clarifying whether these were deportations carried out by security forces or whether individuals were compelled to return home through programmes coordinated by the Sudanese embassy and Egyptian authorities, in order to avoid indefinite detention or risk of arrest. He added that around 400 Sudanese nationals were currently detained in Egypt, without clarifying the grounds.

Since the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan in 2023, Egyptian authorities have periodically carried out intensified identity checks targeting foreign nationals, detaining those who lack documentation and subsequently deporting them. The Egyptian government does not publish official figures on deportations.  As of January 2026, 1,099,024 refugees and asylum seekers were registered with UNHCR.

Amnesty International interviewed a former detainee, four relatives of detained refugees and asylum seekers, a friend of a released asylum seeker, a lawyer representing detainees, four refugees and asylum seekers whose families are confined at home due to the crackdown, and two community activists. The organization also spoke with two staff members at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, who both documented cases of arbitrary arrests and unlawful deportations of refugees and asylum seekers.

Arrest despite immigration appointments and UNHCR cards

The Egyptian government requires all foreign nationals in the country “irregularly” to regularize their status through an Egyptian sponsor and the payment of US$1,000. Refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR are not subject to these requirements when renewing their residence permits.

Many of the refugees and asylum seekers arrested since late December 2025 had scheduled appointments at the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Passports, Immigration and Nationality to renew their residency. Such appointments are routinely delayed due to government backlogs – refugees and asylum seekers reported waiting for up to three years for appointments.

The arbitrary arrests took place even in cases where refugees and asylum seekers were able to produce UNHCR cards. The mother of a 10-year-old South Sudanese boy with a valid residence permit told Amnesty International she chose to keep him at home after hearing reports of police confiscating refugees’ valid documents.

Her fears are well founded. Amnesty International documented the case of Eisa, a 20-year-old Eritrean refugee registered with UNHCR and with a valid Egyptian residence permit. His mother said that police officers confiscated his UNHCR card and residence permit and warned him: “Next time we will catch you without documents and you will be detained and deported.”

On 23 January, police arrested Ahmed, a 40-year-old Syrian asylum seeker registered with UNHCR, from the street in 6th of October City, Giza, just six days before his scheduled appointment with the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality to renew his residence permit.

The following day, prosecutors ordered his release pending investigations into charges related to irregular stay in Egypt and ordered his referral to the “relevant administrative authority,” namely the ministry of interior. Despite this, police refused to release him   and escorted him to the National Security Agency (NSA), the immigration authority and the Syrian embassy to verify his identity, as part of deportation procedures.

Forced deportations and refoulement

In early February, police informed Ahmed’s lawyer that unless his family purchased him a flight ticket to Syria, he would remain indefinitely detained. The family complied, and security officials deported Ahmed, who had lived in Egypt for 12 years after fleeing armed conflict in Syria, without an individualized assessment of the risks he might face upon return and despite the prosecutor order for his release.

In 19 cases documented by Amnesty International involving refugees or asylum seekers who are currently at risk of deportation, prosecutors had ordered their release pending investigation into immigration-related charges. However, police continue to hold them in detention despite these release orders and with no further judicial review allowing them to challenge the legality of their detention.

In the two other cases documented by Amnesty International, detainees’ families were unsure if they had ever been brought before prosecutors.

In line with the pattern documented in Ahmed’s case, the ministry of interior has already begun to escort all detainees to various authorities and their countries’ diplomatic representatives as part of the deportation procedures.

The principle of non-refoulement prohibits states from sending anyone to a place where they would be at real risk of serious human rights violations. Even Egypt’s flawed asylum law prohibits the extradition of “recognized refugees” to their country of origin or habitual residence, despite the fact that other provisions implicitly permit exceptions under the guise of overly vague “national security and public order” grounds without due process safeguards.

Amnesty International opposes forced returns of Sudanese nationals to Sudan amid an ongoing armed conflict marked by serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including mass civilian casualties. Similarly, the UNHCR has maintained its position against all forced returns of Syrian nationals due to the volatile security situation and the ongoing risks posed by armed groups exercising control over towns and cities.

Devastating impact of livelihoods and right to education

The crackdown has had devastating consequences for refugee families, particularly affecting their rights to education and work. Three families, all registered with UNHCR, told Amnesty International they had stopped sending their children to school or university for fear of arrest because they currently do not have valid residence permits.

One family said they had been unable to secure any appointment to renew their expired residence permits because they could not reach the UNHCR — which books appointments on behalf of the Egyptian authorities — neither physically through its sole office in the country due to long queues nor through its hotline. Another family reported that their son’s appointment was scheduled for 2027.

Some refugees and asylum seekers have stopped or limited their work to minimize risk of arrest. Ahmed, a 26-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker registered with UNHCR, previously worked as a teacher at three schools. He resigned from two and now works at one school close to his home, in an effort to minimize journeys outside his home as his residence permit had expired, and his renewal appointment was scheduled for 2028.

Amina, a 49-year-old Sudanese single mother and refugee registered with UNHCR, told Amnesty International she resorted to begging on the streets to support her two daughters after losing the family’s breadwinner, her son Moaatz, who was detained in the recent crackdown. On 28 January, police arrested Moaatz, who is a UNHCR-registered asylum seeker, while street vending in Cairo for lacking a valid residence permit. His renewal appointment is scheduled for 2027.

“As a close partner to Egypt on migration and major donor to UNHCR, the European Union should urge the Egyptian government to adopt concrete and verifiable measures to protect the rights of refugees and migrants as well as to ensure that UNHCR has unimpeded access to all places of detention where refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are held, and allow them to make their international protection claims and have these fairly assessed,” said Mahmoud Shalaby.

“The EU and other states must also step up responsibility-sharing by expanding resettlement opportunities and creating safe and regular pathways for people in need of international protection, including humanitarian visas, labour and student mobility schemes, and community sponsorship initiatives.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.