Photo : AFP/BBC
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : AFP/BBC
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Sudan: Nine dead as anti-military protests turn violent
On 1 July, the death toll from protests against military rule in Sudan rose to nine. On 30 June, Sudan witnessed the largest protests since the military coup in October. Doctors said several victims had been shot while security forces tackled protesters. A BBC news report quoted doctors as saying the security forces tried storming into hospitals while protesters were being treated. Police also used live ammunition, tear gas and water cannons against the protesters. Internet and telephone services were also blocked. (Emmanuel Igunza, “Death toll in Sudan protests rises to nine,” BBC, 1 July 2022)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: UN peacekeepers attack by rockets
On 1 July, the UN said peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had come under rocket attacks by rebels in North Kivu province. The M23 rebel group has been blamed for the attack. The development comes after the UN Security Council was told, on 29 June, that the M23 operations seemed to be one of a conventional army with military capacities to overrun the UN forces. (Emmanuel Igunza, “Rebels fire rockets at UN peacekeepers in DR Congo,” BBC, 1 July 2022)
Ethiopia: Government claims successful military operation against rebels
On 30 June, prime minister Abiy Ahmed's spokesperson said the military operations against rebels in the Benishangul-Gumuz, Oromia and Amhara regions were successful. The spokesperson said the rebels' training bases had been destroyed and weapons were confiscated. The development comes after over 330 civilians were killed, reportedly by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The UN-appointed Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia is investigating the incident and says that the increasing violence in the country is an "an early warning indicator of further atrocities." ("Ethiopia claims success in anti-rebel offensive," BBC, 1 July 2022, Kalkidan Yibeltal, "UN begins probe into Ethiopia minority killings," BBC, 1 July 2022)