11 Years Later, Chibok Parents Demand Action for 87 Missing Girls
More than a decade after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants in Chibok, Nigeria, the parents of 87 girls still in captivity renewed calls for the government to take concrete action rather than offer empty promises. In a statement, the parents acknowledged former President Muhammadu Buhari's role in securing the release of 103 girls but expressed deep frustration that the majority remain missing. They urged authorities to "move beyond rhetoric" and intensify efforts to bring their daughters home. Some parents said their children had been spotted in areas such as Kaduna and Sambisa Forest, with some even making phone calls but remaining unreachable due to their forced marriages. A global outcry followed the abductions of girls by Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest, which led to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Kenyan Man on Saudi Death Row for Decade Walks Free
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Kenyan national Stephen Abdukareem Munyakho, on death row in Saudi Arabia since 2013 for the murder of a Yemeni colleague, was released after the payment of $1 million in blood money (diya) brokered by the Muslim World League. His release was the result of years of diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, including repeated interventions by Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which helped postpone his execution twice in 2024. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei confirmed the release, noting that Munyakho performed the Umrah pilgrimage after regaining his freedom. The breakthrough was publicly announced in March during an Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi. Munyakho's mother, Dorothy Kweyu, led a persistent campaign for her son's release, arguing he acted in self-defense. Despite a 2014 appeal that reduced the severity of the charge, the death sentence remained until the victim's family accepted diya under Islamic law, allowing Munyakho to return home safely.
17 Dead in Zimbabwe Truck-Kombi Collision
Seventeen people were confirmed dead after a horrific road accident along Seke Road at Hunyani Bridge. The commuter omnibus was crushed in a head-on collision with a 30-tonne haulage truck. The tragedy left the commuter minibus completely mangled beneath the truck's massive frame. Three other passengers sustained critical injuries and were rushed to the hospital. Eyewitnesses said that the truck veered into the kombi's lane while trying to avoid a Honda Fit vehicle, resulting in the fatal crash. Relatives of the deceased arrived at the scene in shock as authorities worked to identify the victims. The Zimbabwe Republic Police urged the public and media to remain calm as investigations continued.
Millions at Risk as Food Aid Dwindles in War-Torn South Sudan
South Sudan's dramatic hunger crisis is worsening, and millions of people there could miss out on food aid because of the global humanitarian funding crisis, said the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Over 7.7 million people, half the population, were classified as food insecure, with more than 83,000 facing "catastrophic" hunger levels. The situation was especially dire in conflict-hit Upper Nile State, where communities in Nasir and Ulang teetered on the brink of famine. Since April 2023, nearly 1.2 million people have crossed the border into South Sudan, many of them hungry, traumatised, and without support. WFP says that 2.3 million children across the country are now at risk of malnutrition. In some areas like Uror County, the World Food Programme has reached over two million people with aid, but funding constraints mean only 2.5 million people can be supported. The agency said it needed $274 million urgently to avoid deeper cuts from September, warning that without peace and proper funding, humanitarian efforts would remain severely limited.
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Niger's Ousted President Bazoum Still Detained Two Years After Coup
Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza, remained in arbitrary detention two years after they were ousted by a military coup in July 2023. The couple remains in custody at the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, with no access to family members or lawyers. Bazoum is set to stand trial after the military junta stripped him of presidential immunity in 2024. Human Rights Watch and other international bodies, including the ECOWAS Court and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, condemned the detention as politically motivated and unlawful, urging immediate release. Despite a 2024 court proceeding that failed to meet fair trial standards, the junta continued with plans to try Bazoum, though no trial date had been set. His legal team and rights groups viewed the case as part of a broader pattern of repression by the junta, which had cracked down on opposition and delayed a return to democratic rule.
