Africa·18 June 2026
Egyptian drone and artillery strikes on Sudanese gold mines killed dozens, escalating cross-border tensions amid a broader conflict where both sides are accused of systematic abuses. Somali pirates continue to hold a Pakistani crew hostage for over 50 days while US airstrikes in Somalia reach record levels with civilian casualties. The Trump administration is pursuing a power-sharing deal in Libya to unlock oil production, as South Africa faces internal political shifts and rising anti-immigrant unrest.
Sudan Conflict and Egyptian Cross-Border Operations
Egyptian military forces conducted drone and heavy artillery strikes on artisanal gold mining sites at al-Ansari market and al-Ogaidat in Sudan's River Nile State, near the Egyptian border. At least 15 miners were killed and over 50 others injured, with new video footage showing destruction consistent with earlier reported attacks. The strikes targeted areas under Sudanese Armed Forces control near the disputed Halaib Triangle, marking a significant escalation in cross-border tensions. Separately, the Sudanese Armed Forces launched a drone attack on villagers in the Nuba Mountains, a Christian-majority region, raising concerns over targeted violence against ethnic and religious minorities amid allegations of Muslim Brotherhood backing for the SAF.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan reported to the Human Rights Council that both the SAF and Rapid Support Forces are increasingly using arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearance to control populations exhausted by war. The report builds on earlier findings of systematic abuses. Meanwhile, an IRGC-linked Boeing 747 operated by Qeshm Fars Air continues to run weapons flights to Port Sudan, with at least seven confirmed missions transporting military matériel to Sudan's military, which maintains ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and the IRGC. In Khartoum State, a large-scale demolition campaign has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, destroying homes and businesses in poor communities after the RSF withdrew from the capital in March 2025.
Egypt's role in the conflict extends beyond direct strikes. A report alleges that Cairo is arming the junta responsible for Darfur atrocities while degrading refugees at its borders. Spillover violence reached Cairo, where South Sudanese refugees attacked a North Sudanese man with machetes, highlighting escalating ethnic tensions among Sudanese communities in Egypt. President Donald Trump offered unusually warm personal remarks about Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, stating they "fell in love, deeply in love," and reiterated US backing for Egypt in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, reinforcing the strong US-Egypt alliance that may embolden Cairo's regional posture. Amid the devastation, Al Jazeera journalist Al-Tahir al-Mardi reunited with his family in Khartoum after three years of separation, a rare moment of joy.
Somalia: Maritime Piracy and US Airstrikes
Somali pirates have intensified attacks on commercial vessels as shipping companies reroute around the Horn of Africa to avoid Middle East conflict zones, exploiting reduced naval presence and increased traffic. The MT Honour 25 oil tanker remains hijacked with its Pakistani crew held hostage for over 50 days; the pirates are armed with RPG-7 launchers, Chinese-made rifles, and machine guns. The crew released a desperate video plea calling for international assistance, underscoring the growing maritime security threat off the Somali coast.
The Trump administration has escalated covert airstrikes in Somalia to record levels, targeting Al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia. AFRICOM has largely stopped publishing civilian casualty data, but monitoring groups report dozens of civilian deaths, including 12 killed in a single strike on Jamaame, eight of them children. A seven-year-old boy, Abdiqadir Salah, was seriously injured by shrapnel in that strike six months ago and requires emergency surgery to walk, but his family cannot afford the cost and the US has offered no compensation. Despite the strikes, terrorist groups continue to strengthen their positions in the region.
Libya: US Oil Diplomacy and Power-Sharing Efforts
The Trump administration is pursuing a strategy to bring Libyan oil under US control as part of a broader energy dominance agenda. Senior US adviser Massad Boulos is working to broker a power-sharing deal between Libya's rival eastern and western administrations, proposing that Saddam Haftar, son of eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar, head a presidential council while western Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh remains in post. US companies are already moving in: ConocoPhillips and Chevron signed agreements in 2026 to develop fields, and Exxon Mobil is considering a return after a decade-long hiatus. Boulos told the Financial Times that Libyan oil production could double to 3 million barrels per day by the end of the decade, though analysts express deep skepticism given the deep mistrust between the two sides and the Haftar family's historical refusal to share power.
South Africa: Coalition Politics and Anti-Immigrant Unrest
South Africa's Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party in the fragile coalition government, demoted former leader John Steenhuisen from the cabinet on Wednesday, escalating an internal power struggle months before local elections. DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis formally asked President Cyril Ramaphosa for changes to the party's cabinet representatives, signaling potential shifts within the governing coalition.
Anti-immigrant sentiment continues to rise. A private movement has set June 30 as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country, a demand with no legal authority but causing widespread fear. Malawian migrants fled a temporary shelter in Durban after xenophobic attacks, and some have chosen to return home. South African police clashed with Malawian protesters demanding the deportation of undocumented migrants, using force to disperse the crowd. President Ramaphosa urged citizens not to blame migrants for the country's challenges, warning against attempts to exploit public frustrations.
On the domestic front, South Africa faces a severe housing crisis with a backlog of at least 2.6 million homes affecting over 12 million people. The state-subsidized housing construction has declined, prompting a policy shift relying on the private sector. The BRICS New Development Bank provided $1 billion for urban infrastructure improvements across eight municipalities, targeting water, sanitation, electricity, and solid waste management.
Other Regional Developments
Tunisian authorities repatriated nearly a hundred sub-Saharan migrants under a "voluntary return" initiative, part of a program that has involved almost 5,000 people over the past year. In Kenya, a TikTok video featuring a deepfake doctor discussing PCOS and promoting herbal supplements raised alarms about AI-generated misinformation targeting vulnerable patients. Separately, community conservationists in Kenya are leading efforts to restore carbon-rich mangrove forests along the coast, highlighting climate mitigation and coastal resilience. In Nigeria, former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke was acquitted of bribery charges by a London jury, ending a high-profile corruption case. A Nigerian man was also sentenced to jail for storing human faeces outside his residence, a case highlighting public nuisance and sanitation issues.