标签： Africa

The African Union has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening agricultural and technological cooperation with China, aiming to accelerate growth and achieve food sovereignty across Africa. This partnership was highlighted during the 2025 General Assembly of the China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Alliance, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Gaspard Banyankimbona, AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, emphasized the importance of leveraging China’s expertise in modern farming, digital technologies, and water management to align with the AU’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2025–34) and the continental development blueprint, Agenda 2063. Banyankimbona stated that Africa is at a pivotal moment, with vast opportunities to apply innovation for sustainable progress. The alliance provides a platform for joint research in climate-smart agriculture, animal and plant health, agroecology, and food safety. Efa Muleta, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Agriculture, highlighted the country’s progress in agricultural modernization, emphasizing the integration of Chinese technological expertise with local strengths to enhance productivity. The collaboration includes training and exchange programs in the livestock sector, with capacity-building initiatives set to begin immediately. The three-day assembly, co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Mission of China to the African Union, brought together over 200 scientists, policymakers, and representatives from agricultural institutions across China and Africa. Lise Korsten, President of the African Academy of Sciences, noted that China’s agricultural modernization journey offers valuable lessons for Africa, particularly in addressing the paradox of food insecurity despite Africa’s vast uncultivated arable land. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa at the FAO, described China-Africa South-South cooperation as a strategic lever for transforming African agriculture, highlighting tangible outcomes such as higher rice yields, improved pest management, and digital farming adoption.

The city of el-Fasher in Sudan has become the epicenter of a deepening humanitarian crisis following its capture by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. Reports from the United Nations and local activists paint a grim picture of widespread violence, including the massacre of 460 civilians at the city’s main hospital. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressed profound shock at the atrocities, describing the hospital as a site of unimaginable brutality. The Sudan Doctors’ Network corroborated these accounts, stating that RSF fighters executed patients, medical staff, and bystanders indiscriminately, transforming healthcare facilities into ‘human slaughterhouses.’

In addition to the mass killings, the RSF has been accused of kidnapping six medical professionals, demanding exorbitant ransoms for their release. The el-Fasher Resistance Committee, a local activist group, reported a ‘horrifying silence’ in the aftermath of the hospital attack, underscoring the terror gripping the city. El-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region, fell to the RSF after an 18-month siege characterized by starvation and relentless bombardment.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has seen the RSF and allied Arab militias accused of targeting non-Arab ethnic groups, allegations the RSF denies. With the city’s capture, concerns have mounted for the estimated 250,000 civilians trapped within, many from vulnerable communities. A communications blackout has hindered efforts to verify the full extent of the devastation, though new videos analyzed by BBC Verify show RSF fighters executing unarmed individuals.

Refugees fleeing to Tawila, a town 60 kilometers west of el-Fasher, have recounted harrowing tales of violence, including beatings, theft, and executions. Jan Egeland, a former UN humanitarian official, described the situation as ‘the worst place on Earth,’ emphasizing the catastrophic combination of massacres, starvation, and lack of medical care. Dr. Tedros called for an immediate ceasefire, highlighting that 185 attacks on healthcare facilities have resulted in 1,204 deaths since the war began.

The fall of el-Fasher has effectively split Sudan, with the RSF controlling much of Darfur and neighboring Kordofan, while the army retains Khartoum and eastern regions. The conflict, rooted in a power struggle between former allies, threatens to plunge the nation further into chaos as international attention remains insufficient.

A devastating plane crash in Kenya has claimed the lives of 11 individuals, including a prominent Hungarian boxing club leader and his family. The incident occurred on Tuesday when a Cessna Caravan aircraft, operated by Mombasa Air Safari, crashed in a hilly, forested area of Kwale County shortly after takeoff from Diani. Among the victims were eight Hungarians, two Germans, and the Kenyan pilot. Gyula Süllős, a long-time supporter and president of the Vasas SC boxing program, was identified as one of the deceased. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, confirmed that two families, including children, were among the victims. Kenya’s aviation department secretary, Terry Mbaika, stated that some bodies remain unrecovered due to challenging terrain and heavy rains. The investigation, expected to take 30 days, aims to ensure transparency. This tragedy highlights concerns about Kenya’s aviation safety, as recent audits indicate its accident investigation performance falls below global standards.