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Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have responded to a significant increase in mpox cases and the emergence of a more virulent strain by approving the use of two new vaccines.

Since the start of last year, Congo has reported over 20,000 cases of mpox , with more than 1,000 deaths, primarily affecting children. Mpox, a viral infection spread through close contact, presents flu-like symptoms and can lead to pus-filled lesions, with severe cases proving fatal.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and scientists recently highlighted a new, more dangerous strain spreading in Congo’s South Kivu province. In response, regulatory authorities have granted emergency use authorization for two vaccines: Jynneos, developed by Bavarian Nordic, and LC16, produced by KM Biologics. This decision follows rigorous evaluation by relevant authorities and stakeholders involved in the authorization process.

Congo, one of the world’s poorest countries, first reported a human case of Mpox in 1970 but has historically lacked widespread access to vaccines or treatments for the disease, except through limited clinical trials.

Defense chiefs of West Africa on Thursday, June 27 proposed a plan to deploy a 5,000-strong “standby force” to fight the region’s worsening security crises, a measure that analysts say might not work due to challenges of funding and division within the regional bloc.

The plan, which will cost $2.6 billion annually, was proposed to heads of state at a meeting of defense officials in Nigeria’s capital of Abuja. The plan was also aimed at preventing further coups following a string of military takeovers that have destabilized the region, Nigeria’s Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru said.

Thursday’s meeting is the first time the bloc is mapping out publicly the financing of its long-talked-about standby force. However, analysts identified challenges it might face, including the shortage of funds from member states required to contribute money and securing the support of coup-hit countries most affected by the security crises.

“More than ever, we are at a pivotal moment in the history of our community to address insecurity,” said Omar Alieu Touray, president of the regional bloc of ECOWAS Commission, as he urged member-states to support the force. Their proposals are expected to be considered at the upcoming summit of the regional heads of state.

The resurgence of coups in West and Central Africa – with four of its nations being run by military governments – has divided the 15-nation ECOWAS and destabilized the region, especially the coup-hit countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which are worst-hit by the deadly violence now spreading to coastal nations.

ECOWAS has unsuccessfully tried to return democracies in these countries. Their best shot with now-lifted economic sanctions resulted in the three coup-hit countries withdrawing their membership and opening more windows for Russian mercenaries in the region.

Touray, the ECOWAS commission president, said the bloc invited officials from the coup-hit countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to attend Thursday’s meeting and join in forming such a force. It was not immediately clear if the countries would agree to this.

“I don’t think ECOWAS has the capacity to launch military interventions without foreign assistance,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Such a standby force can only work if ECOWAS gets the commitment of all its member states and if the bloc maps out a strategy to deal with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, said Kars de Bruijne, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael Institute think tank.

“Delivering (on such plans) has been the issue with ECOWAS for a long time,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso in the Kremlin on Thursday. Sassou is the latest African leader to visit Moscow, which has stepped up ties with African nations since 2022.

The Russian leader Sassou Nguesso’s contribution to developing Russian-Congolese ties.

“You personally have done a lot for the development of Russian-Congolese relations. You took part in two Russia-Africa summits, and you are making the necessary efforts to develop our cooperation in almost all areas, I mean the political level, and recently trade and economic relations have been noticeably developing. We are grateful to you for your joint work on the international stage. Overall, everything is working out for us,” said Putin.

Sassou-Nguesso has been in Russia since Tuesday. This is his second trip to the country in less than a year. Last July, he traveled to Saint Petersburg to attend the Russia-Africa summit.

This trip is expected to culminate in the signing of agreements on energy, trade and security cooperation.

“We would like to discuss with you and other officials the best way to advance the cooperation between our countries in all the fields, including economy, finance, defense, and security. We need security nowadays,” said Sassou Nguesso.

Putin also awarded Sassou Nguesso with an Order of Honor for his contribution to developing Russian-Congolese ties.

Russia has worked to bolster ties with African countries in a bid to counter western sanctions and isolation over the war in Ukraine.

Most African nations have adopted a neutral stance on the conflict, calling instead for a ceasefire and peace talks.

The International Criminal Court has convicted an al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremist leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Mali’s Timbuktu.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed  was accused of playing a key role in a reign of terror unleashed by insurgents on the historic desert city in northern Mali in 2012.

He was accused of involvement in crimes including rape, torture, persecution, enforced marriages and sexual slavery. Prosecutors say he was a key member of Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali at the time.

Al Hassan faces up to life imprisonment when a sentence is handed down at a later date.

Prosecutors say he was a key member of Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali at the time.

Women and girls suffered in particular under Ansar Dine’s repressive regime, facing corporal punishment and imprisonment, the court’s then-chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said at the start of Al Hassan’s trial nearly four years ago.

“Many were forced into marriage,” Bensouda said. “Confined against their will and repeatedly raped by members of the armed group.” Al Hassan was involved in organizing such marriages, the prosecutor told judges.

She cited one rape victim as saying, “All that was left of me was a corpse.”

Defence lawyer Melinda Taylor told judges that Al Hassan was a member of the Islamic police force who was “obliged to respect and execute the decisions of the Islamic tribunal. This is what the police around the world do.”

In Timbuktu, victims of Ansar Dine crimes were awaiting the verdicts and possible compensation.

“We are waiting and hoping for a judgment that will give us justice,” said Yehia Hamma Cissé, president of a group of victims’ associations in the Timbuktu region.

“Members of our associations have been raped, had their hands cut off, been whipped, and we would like to be compensated,” he said.

The court made a reparation order following the 2016 conviction of an Ansar Dine member, Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for attacking nine mausoleums and a mosque door in Timbuktu in 2012.

A French-led military operation in 2013 forced Al Hassan and others from power.

Mali, along with its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance instead.

Col. Assimi Goita, who took charge in Mali after a second coup in 2021, promised to return the country to democracy in early 2024. But in September, the junta cancelled elections scheduled for February 2024 indefinitely, citing the need for further technical preparations.

The verdicts in Al Hassan’s case were delayed by some six months due to the illness of one of the judges in his trial.

An ambush by a “terrorist group” killed 21 Nigerien soldiers near the country’s border with Burkina Faso on Tuesday, Niger’s ruling military junta said in a statement read on national television.

The statement Tuesday evening did not specify which group was behind the attack. Niger is struggling with a deadly security crisis involving several armed groups.

Last week, the rebel Patriotic Liberation Front attacked a China-backed pipeline and threatened more attacks if the $400 million deal with China isn’t cancelled. The group, led by Salah Mahmoud, a former rebel leader, took up arms after the junta staged a coup last year ousting a democratically elected government.

The violence killed thousands of people last year, and more than 2 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations

Mali and Burkina Faso are also led by juntas and have experienced two coups each since 2020. Both juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenaries as they struggle to quell the Islamist groups.

Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday he won’t sign into law a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protestors stormed parliament and several people were shot dead. It was the biggest assault on Kenya’s government in decades.

The government wanted to raise funds to pay off debt, but Kenyans said the bill caused more economic pain as millions struggle to get by. The chaos on Tuesday led the government to deploy the military, and Ruto called protesters’ actions “treasonous.”

The president now says the bill caused “widespread dissatisfaction” and he has listened and “conceded.” It’s a major setback for Ruto, who came to power vowing to help Kenyans cope with rising costs but has seen much of the country, led by youth, unite in opposition to his latest attempt at reforms.

“It is necessary for us to have a conversation as a nation on how to do we manage the affairs of the country together,” he said.

Kenyans faced the lingering smell of tear gas and military in the streets a day after the latest protests saw thousands storm parliament, an act of defiance that Ruto had called an “existential” threat. At least 22 people were killed, a human rights group said, and police were accused of some shooting deaths.

Ruto acknowledged deaths, calling it an “unfortunate situation,” and offered condolences. He said about 200 people had been wounded.

Nairobi has seen protests in the past, but activists and others warned the stakes were more dangerous. Ruto on Tuesday vowed to quash unrest “at whatever cost,” even as more protests were called at State House on Thursday.

“We are dealing with a new phenomenon and a group of people that is not predictable. If it would have been the normal demonstrations, I’d say it will fizzle out with time, but we don’t know whether these people will fear the army,” said Herman Manyora, an analyst and professor at the University of Nairobi.

He said the president missed an opportunity in his national address Tuesday night to adopt a more conciliatory approach.

Kenya’s High Court on Wednesday ordered the military deployment suspended after a challenge by the Kenya Law Society.

There were no reports of violence Wednesday, but there was fear. Civil society groups have reported abductions of people involved in recent protests and expect more to come. The High Court ordered police to release all people arrested in the protests. Ruto said those allegedly abducted had been released or processed in court.

Many young people who helped vote Ruto into power in 2022 with cheers for his promises of economic relief now object to the pain of reforms. Part of the parliament building burned Tuesday, and clashes occurred in several communities beyond the capital.

At least 22 people were killed, the Kenya National Human Rights Commission said. Commission chairperson Roseline Odede said 300 others were injured and 50 people were arrested.

A pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court issued Tuesday (Jun. 25) arrest warrants for Russia’s former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and current chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov.

The judges say there are reasonable grounds to believe that the officials bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian army against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.

Shoigu and Gerasimov are allegedly responsible for the war crimes of directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts under the Rome Statute.

Like the US, Ukraine and Israel, Russia isn’t a member of the court and refuses to hand over suspects.

The ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the court “failed to live up to expectations and did not become a truly independent body of international justice,” according to state news agency Tass.

Last year, the court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a group of young people aged 18 to 25, known as the “Wazalendo” or “patriotic resistors,” have taken up arms to defend their country. Teaming up with the Congolese army, they claim to have successfully pushed back the M23 rebels, who are supported by the Rwandan army, from the town of Sake.

Katembo Faustin, Commander of the FAR-W Group (Forces Armées des Résistants Wazalendo), emphasized the unity and collaboration that led to their success:

“We succeeded in repelling the M23 because we united with the government and, as Wazalendo, we came together to push back the enemy. I can assure you that the M23 will never reach here again. We are doing everything to protect Sake.”

The fighting between the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo), supported by the Wazalendo, and the M23 rebels has intensified in the North Kivu region. Many young Congolese have taken up arms, driven by a sense of duty to defend their homeland.

Innocent Mihigo, a fighter of the FAR-W Group, expressed his motivations:

“I decided to take up arms to defend my country, honor the national flag, and give hope to my fellow Congolese. They must understand that we are fighting to defend the nation with love and unity.”

Despite the patriotic fervor, human rights organizations have raised concerns. They acknowledge the dedication of these young fighters but condemn the human rights violations committed by some alongside the Congolese army. These organizations are calling for the government to exercise greater oversight and responsibility.

Moïse Hangi, a LUCHA activist, highlighted the dual nature of the situation:

“Young people defending their land against foreign aggression are justified, but it must be noted that some are committing acts contrary to the law. The government needs to supervise and ensure these young people are monitored.”

The town of Sake has been largely deserted for months, now resembling a ghost town. Situated about twenty kilometers west of Goma, Sake is considered the last security barrier protecting Goma.

The Wazalendo resistors patrol daily to prevent any infiltration. On Thursday, the UN Security Council strongly condemned the recent M23 rebel attacks, which resulted in civilian casualties and injured a MONUSCO peacekeeper. Since late 2021, the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi in North Kivu have been embroiled in a conflict between the M23 rebels and the FARDC. The situation remains tense in eastern DRC, and the fighting seems far from over.

Russian Foreign Minister reckons that the economy has been weaponized and that African countries are among those bearing the brunt.

Sergey Lavrov was speaking Tuesday (Jun. 25) in Minsk at a meeting with students and teachers.

“Among those countries that want to be independent and seek mutually respectful partnerships are China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Vietnam. The list is not exhaustive. In Africa, many countries are increasingly asserting their national interests and understanding that exploitation continues, but through different economic methods.

During the official visit to Belarus, Lavrov announced the nation will be admitted in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

“The very first act of the summit in Astana will be the official admission of Belarus to full members of the SCO, and for the rest of the summit Belarus will participate on an equal basis with all other members,” Lavrov said.

The president of Belarus Lukashenko replied that his country’s accession to the SCO is important “not only from the point of view of image and politics, but also from the point of view of the economy.”