标签： Africa

Survivors of the atrocities committed by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda have expressed cautious optimism following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) confirmation of charges against the fugitive rebel leader. Kony, who remains at large and is believed to be hiding in the Central African Republic (CAR), faces 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and the use of child soldiers. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Kony in 2005, but despite extensive manhunts and a $5 million U.S. reward for his capture, he has evaded justice. Evelyn Amon, a 42-year-old survivor who was abducted at age 11 and forced to become one of Kony’s wives, emphasized the need for justice and compensation for victims. ‘I cannot be happy like other women who went to school. I need justice for women who went through abduction like me,’ she told the BBC. The LRA, notorious for mutilating victims and abducting children, was formed in the late 1980s with the stated goal of establishing a government based on the biblical Ten Commandments. After being driven out of Uganda in 2005, the group operated in neighboring countries, engaging in poaching and illegal mining. Patrick Ochieng, born in LRA captivity after his mother was abducted and sexually assaulted, echoed the call for justice, stating, ‘He should first be arrested. The victims who suffered can’t wait—some of these victims are already dying.’ The LRA’s insurgency in northern Uganda resulted in over 100,000 deaths, the abduction of 60,000 to 100,000 children, and the displacement of 2.5 million people. Survivors like Muhammad Olanya, who witnessed the 2004 massacre of 70 people in Lukodi, continue to bear the scars of the conflict. The ICC’s decision to proceed with charges without Kony’s presence offers a glimmer of hope that justice may eventually be served.

A former British soldier, Robert James Purkiss, is set to be extradited to Kenya in connection with the alleged murder of Agnes Manjiru, a 21-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a septic tank in 2012. Purkiss, 38, was arrested in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on November 6 by the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) National Extradition Unit following a warrant issued in September. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he stated his intention to contest the extradition. His lawyers emphasized that he “vehemently denies” the murder charges.

Agnes Manjiru vanished on March 31, 2012, and her body was found three months later near a British army training camp in Nanyuki, approximately 124 miles north of Nairobi. At the time of her disappearance, she had a five-month-old baby. Reports indicate that on the night of her death, she was at a bar with friends where British soldiers were also present.

Manjiru’s family has long accused the British army of covering up her death and criticized Kenyan authorities for failing to conduct a thorough investigation. An inquest in 2019 concluded that she was unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers, suffering stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. A 2021 Sunday Times investigation revealed that a British soldier had confessed to colleagues about the murder but continued to live in the UK after leaving the army.

In 2024, the British army launched an internal review into the conduct of its soldiers in Kenya, uncovering 35 suspected cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, nine of which occurred after such conduct was officially banned in 2022.

Manjiru’s niece, Esther Njoki, met with the UK’s defense minister last month to push for Purkiss’s extradition. In a statement issued through the family’s lawyers, Leigh Day, Njoki expressed relief over the arrest, calling it a significant step toward justice. Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory described the arrest as a “huge moment” for the family, who have been seeking justice for over a decade. The family and their legal team hope for swift collaboration between UK and Kenyan authorities to ensure the suspect faces trial in Kenya.

In a dramatic rescue operation, European Union naval forces successfully saved 24 sailors from a Maltese-flagged oil tanker, the Hellas Aphrodite, which had been seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The vessel, transporting petrol from India to South Africa, was attacked on Thursday when armed pirates fired machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before boarding. The crew managed to lock themselves inside a fortified citadel, ensuring their safety until help arrived. The Spanish warship ESPS Victoria, part of the EU’s anti-piracy mission Operation Atalanta, reached the tanker on Friday afternoon. Special forces boarded the ship and confirmed that all crew members were unharmed. The EU mission reported that a ‘show of force’ by the naval forces prompted the pirates to abandon the vessel before the warship’s arrival. The rescue operation utilized a helicopter, drone, and surveillance aircraft. This incident is part of a worrying resurgence of piracy in the region, exacerbated by the diversion of ships through East Africa’s Indian Ocean due to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Last year, the International Maritime Bureau recorded seven piracy incidents off Somalia, including three hijackings, compared to just one in 2023.

The Sudanese capital of Khartoum witnessed renewed violence as explosions echoed near military installations and power stations, despite the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announcing their willingness to agree to a humanitarian ceasefire. Residents reported being awakened by the sounds of drones and blasts in the early hours of Friday, signaling a potential breach of the proposed truce. The RSF, a paramilitary group, has not commented on these incidents, while Sudan’s military-led government expressed skepticism about the ceasefire, citing the RSF’s history of disregarding such agreements. The ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023, has claimed at least 150,000 lives and displaced 12 million people, with famine conditions now spreading in conflict zones. The RSF recently consolidated its control over el-Fasher, a strategic city in Darfur, which could strengthen its position in future negotiations. However, the group faces international condemnation over allegations of mass killings and sexual violence during the city’s fall. The ceasefire proposal, backed by the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, includes plans for a permanent truce and a transition to civilian rule, but Sudan’s government has rejected foreign interference and accused the UAE of supporting the RSF. UN experts have deemed these accusations credible, though the UAE denies involvement. As the conflict continues, the prospects for lasting peace remain uncertain.

The Sudanese military successfully intercepted a series of drone attacks launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) overnight in two northeastern cities, a senior army official disclosed on Friday. Speaking anonymously to discuss sensitive matters, the official revealed that 15 drones targeted Atbara in River Nile province, north of the capital, Khartoum. While no casualties were reported, local residents confirmed hearing explosions. A smaller-scale drone assault was also thwarted in Omdurman, Khartoum’s sister city. These strikes occurred just a day after the RSF announced its acceptance of a U.S.-proposed humanitarian truce mediated by the Quad, a coalition of international mediators. However, the Sudanese army emphasized that it would only agree to a ceasefire if the RSF withdraws from civilian areas and disarms, as stipulated in previous peace agreements. The conflict between the RSF and the military, which erupted in 2023 following a breakdown in their alliance during Sudan’s democratic transition, has claimed at least 40,000 lives and displaced 12 million people, according to the World Health Organization. Aid agencies warn that the actual death toll could be significantly higher, with over 24 million people facing acute food insecurity. Meanwhile, the U.N. Human Rights Council has scheduled an emergency session on November 14 to address the escalating violence in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region. UNICEF reported that over 81,000 people have fled el-Fasher since late October, with widespread shortages of essential supplies and rampant violence against civilians, especially women and children.