Last week in Africa, student demonstrations turned violent in South Africa; dozens of Amhara civilians were killed in the Oromia region of Ethiopia; and the return of a former presidential candidate prompted police action in Guinea-Bissau.
In Guinea-Bissau, police used batons and tear gas to disperse people gathered in support of the return of African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) leader Domingos Simões Pereira to Bissau. A journalist was also beaten by police while attempting to cover Pereira’s return. Pereira had fled the country in early 2020 after unsuccessfully running in the disputed 2019 presidential election (DW, 12 March 2021). Several days earlier, unknown persons abducted, beat and cut the tongue of another journalist and known Pereira-supporter in Bissau.
In Nigeria, heightened bandit activities were reported in the north-western states of Niger and Kaduna, as multiple high fatality events were reported in the north-eastern state of Borno. In Niger state, a large number of bandits were killed when local militiamen repelled an attack on Kutigi. In Kaduna, bandits invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka and abducted more than 210 students and staff, the majority of whom were rescued by Nigerian forces. Meanwhile, dozens of fatalities were reported during clashes between Nigerian state forces and Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) fighters in the Ngala, Monguno and Marte local government areas of Borno state.
In Ethiopia, more than 40 civilians were killed in the Oromia region by suspected members of the Shane splinter faction of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). The attacks targeted members of the Amhara community in the Dabis and Jaret Jargeda Horo Dadi kebeles in Horo Gudru.
Deadly communal clashes erupted in the Cueibet and Rumbek North counties of Lakes state in South Sudan. At least 17 people were killed during a clash between members of the Pakam section of the Agar Dinka, and the Kongor and Waat sub-sections of the Macar section of the Gok Dinka at a cattle camp in the Ngap area of Cueibet county. Further deadly clashes between the Pakam section of the Agar Dinka and Gok Dinka fighters were also reported in the Mabor cattle camp area of Rumbek North county. Meanwhile, members of the Ayiel sub-section of the Langdiing section of the Gok Dinka clashed with members of the Pagok sub-section following the killing of a South Sudanese People’s Defence Forces soldier in the Ayiel territory of Cueibet county.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congolese military forces (FARDC) continued operations targeting Patriotic and Integrationist Force of Congo (FPIC) territory in the Irumu territory of Ituri. In the Masisi territory of North Kivu, the FARDC clashed with members of the Nyatura – Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS) coalition, leaving 14 militants dead and triggering the displacement of civilians. Meanwhile, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants launched deadly attacks on civilian populations in both North Kivu and Ituri.
Finally, student demonstrations demanding debt relief and free university registration turned violent in South Africa. Police employed tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators, resulting in the death of a bystander who was hit by a rubber bullet at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Further demonstration activity was reported in Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.
A separate, weekly discussion of the ongoing conflict in Mozambique can be found in the Cabo Ligado project.
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