Kaleb Moges

Hundreds of people have fled western Tigray into Sudan after intense fighting between Tigray forces and Ethiopia’s federal army near Shererina. The clashes, involving artillery, drones and aircraft, are among the most serious since the 2020–2022 civil war, which ended with an African Union-brokered peace deal. Both sides blame the other for violating the agreement, while federal minister Abraham Belay called for negotiations. The violence has renewed fears of a wider conflict and possible links to Sudan’s civil war, amid unresolved territorial disputes in western Tigray and unclear casualty figures.

Fifteen elephants found dead near Kenya’s Amboseli National Park between 24 June and 24 July 2026 are suspected of having been poisoned by cyanide in pesticides sprayed on tomatoes at nearby farms. Kenya Wildlife Service officials say preliminary tests detected cyanide and have ruled out foul play for now, while investigations continue. The deaths, involving elephants of varied ages and sexes, have heightened concerns about expanding agriculture and human-elephant conflict in the Amboseli ecosystem, which has more than 2,000 elephants and extends across the Kenya-Tanzania border.

Former Migori County governor Okoth Obado and his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and county clerk Caspal Obiero have been convicted of arranging the 2018 murder of pregnant university student Sharon Otieno. Judge Cecilia Githua found that Obado supplied the motive, direction and funding, while the other two men supported the abduction and concealment. The case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and journalist Barack Oduor’s eyewitness account. The killing prompted protests and renewed attention to violence against women in Kenya; the three defendants are awaiting sentencing.

Former Migori County governor Okoth Obado and his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and county clerk Caspal Obiero have been convicted of arranging the 2018 murder of 26-year-old pregnant university student Sharon Otieno. The court found that Obado supplied the motive, instigation and funding, while the other defendants helped execute and conceal the crime. Otieno’s abduction and killing, which involved stabbing and possible rape, sparked protests and renewed attention to violence against women in Kenya. The three men remain in custody pending sentencing.

Ethiopian police arrested 17 people, including alleged trafficking ringleader Mohammed Tahir, accused of running a multi‑million‑dollar network responsible for migrant deaths, torture, and widespread abuse while transporting thousands of Ethiopians through Djibouti and Yemen to Saudi Arabia. The suspects were detained in Addis Ababa and Harar during a 15‑day operation, with the case now submitted to the justice ministry, supported by witness statements from Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. The arrests follow intensified government efforts to curb trafficking, including an earlier crackdown on another group accused of sending migrants to Libya.

Ethiopian police arrested 17 suspects, including alleged ringleader Mohammed Tahir, accused of running a trafficking network responsible for the deaths of migrants, sexual abuse and torture in Yemen while extorting money from families. Authorities say the group trafficked more than 40,000 Ethiopians to Saudi Arabia and operated detention sites in Yemen. The operation drew on witness statements from Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, and comes as the government steps up efforts to curb human trafficking following earlier arrests linked to routes through Libya.