Africa

• Nigeria: government paid huge ransom for kidnapped schoolchildren 27 February 2026
  An investigation has alleged that the Nigerian government paid a substantial ransom to secure the release of up to 230 children and staff abducted from a Catholic boarding school in November. The pupils were taken from St Mary’s in Niger state during a mass kidnapping by Boko Haram. Intelligence sources…
• Libya: UN report shows severe abuse of migrants 20 February 2026
  A United Nations report reveals severe abuse faced by migrants and refugees in Libya. Many fleeing war or poverty hope to cross the Mediterranean, but instead encounter exploitation. Testimonies describe detention in crowded centres, forced labour, trafficking, and repeated violence. Some are intercepted at sea and returned to conditions where…
• Nigeria: over 200 dead after massacres in Muslim-majority villages 13 February 2026
  A brutal massacre in Nigeria’s Kwara state left more than two hundred dead after gunmen attacked two Muslim-majority villages for rejecting extremist teaching. Witnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles, entered a mosque and shot worshippers, then moved house to house killing, kidnapping and burning residents. Many victims were tied…
• Zimbabwe: cabinet approves extending president’s term till 2030 13 February 2026
  Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved constitutional changes that could extend president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule until 2030, sparking strong opposition concern. The proposals would lengthen presidential terms from five to seven years and allow parliament, rather than voters, to choose the president. Supporters say the measures would ensure political stability and continuity…
• Sudan: Yvette Cooper accuses the international community of failing vulnerable women 5 February 2026
  UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has warned that the world is ‘looking away’ from the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Sudan, urging global action to protect women and children. Visiting the Sudan–Chad border, she said the international community was failing Sudanese women, many of whom have suffered sexual violence since fighting…