A Sudanese civilian delegation led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has urged the international community to support a political-only solution to Sudan’s crisis, warning that attempts by the rival Port Sudan authority to form a government will only prolong the war. The delegation from the “Smoud” civil alliance delivered its message during more than 14 meetings at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Governance Week in Marrakesh, which took place from June 1-3, according to a report issued by the group. The delegation, which included prominent figures Yasir Arman, Omer Manis and Bakry Eljack, argued that “A credible political process is the only way forward” …During its meetings, the alliance, which describes itself as the largest civil coalition seeking to stop the war, also cautioned against efforts to reinstate Sudan’s membership in the African Union under the current circumstances. The delegation’s stance follows a May 20 welcome by the African Union and the United Nations for the appointment of Kamel Idris as prime minister under a plan that the military-led government says is aimed at restoring civilian rule. In a move to build a unified front, the Smoud delegation held extensive meetings with Abdel Wahid al-Nur, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement. The two sides agreed to activate a “Joint Committee for the Broad Front” to unify civil forces. (Sudan Tribune)

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) hosted a celebration of Russian Language Day as part of strengthening multilateralism and honouring the richness, resilience, and global significance of the Russian language. Organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Russian Federation and the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Addis Ababa, the event brought together UN staff, diplomats, and members of the Russian community in Ethiopia.

In her opening remarks, Nita Deerpalsing, Director of the Publications, Conference and Knowledge Management Division (PCKMD) at ECA, underlined the cultural and literary heritage of the Russian language, describing it as “a mighty river which for centuries has watered the fertile lands of literature, philosophy, and the human spirit.”

Deerpalsing paid tribute to literary giants such as Aleksandr Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, and Nikolai Gogol, along with philosophers like Vladimir Solovëv and Nikolai Berdyaev, whose contributions have shaped and enriched the Russian language. She noted that their works “resonate far beyond the borders of the Russian Federation, touching the whole world with their depth and humanity.”

[Albert] Ojwang, a digital creator who microblogged on X and Facebook on topical political and social issues, was arrested in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, on Friday. The 31-year-old, who is also said to be a teacher, was detained over a post on X that was allegedly critical of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. He was subsequently transferred over 350km to the capital, Nairobi, and booked into the Central Police Station on Saturday. Police said he was later found unconscious in his cell with self-inflicted injuries. But an autopsy, conducted by five pathologists who released a unanimous report, revealed that Mr Ojwang had severe head injuries and suffered neck compression and multiple soft tissue trauma. Dr Midia, who led the team of pathologists, said that Mr Ojwang did not hit himself on the wall, as police had said in a statement on Sunday. He said if Mr Ojwang had done this, the pattern of injuries would have been different, and frontal bleeding on the head would be seen…”There were also multiple soft tissue injuries spread all over the body, including the head, neck, upper limbs and the trunk and lower limbs… these were injuries that were externally inflicted,” he added. The injuries were consistent with “external assault” and there were also signs of a struggle, according to the pathologists. Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also ruled out the possibility that Mr Ojwang might have killed himself. The agency added that its premilitary findings showed that CCTV systems at the Central Police Station had been interfered with. (BBC)

The multi-agency security teams, acting on credible intelligence, launched a pre-dawn operation on Al-Shabaab militants who were planning to terrorise Kenyans using the Alungu-Elwak road, Mandera County, officials said, while confirming the incident, Tuesday. According to the officers, the [militants] were also in the final stages of placing explosives on the main road targeting civilian vehicles. It is the norm of the militants to plant explosives on major link roads within the northeastern parts of the country…The incident comes a day after the Mandera County leadership held a high-level meeting with the regional administration of Jubbaland in Kismayo, with security within the region featuring predominantly during the encounter. Jubbaland’s First Vice President, Mahmoud Sayid Aden, met with the Governor of Mandera County, Adan Khalif, in Kismayo to discuss shared security concerns along the porous frontier, where the al-Shabaab militant group continues to threaten lives, trade, and regional stability. (Garowe Online)