CynicalCevap

doing maps - otw to freelance from africa

[CynicalCevap @CynicalCevap]

A small experiment visualizing canopy density in Madagascar. Created with Google Earth Engine, QGIS, and Blender – finalized in Photoshop. Wishing you a great weekend! #maps #dataviz #madagascar

[Reuters Africa @ReutersAfrica]

Armed bandits in northwest Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on Monday, highlighting the region's worsening security. https://t.co/DMAC9atFgZ

[Critical Threats @criticalthreats]

NEW | Benin is working to increase counterinsurgency coordination with its neighbors, including joint operations with Nigeria and diplomatic efforts to repair frayed ties with Alliance of Sahel States members Burkina Faso and Niger. 1/5

[FRANCE 24 Afrique @France24Afrique]

Ebola : 900 cas détectés en RD Congo dans la région d'Ituri https://t.co/eSLHk1RsR7

[DEFENCE HQ NIGERIA @DHQNigeria]

CLARIFICATION ON RECENT REPORTS REGARDING THE NEUTRALISATION OF TERRORIST COMMANDER ABU-BILAL AL-MINUKI

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wishes to provide clarification following emerging public discourse regarding the recent neutralisation of a high-profile terrorist commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, during a joint operation with the United States Africa Command on 16 May, 2026.

Certain media reports referencing a similar operation in 2024 have mentioned the elimination of a terrorist commander bearing the same name. This has understandably generated questions about the identity of the individual recently neutralised.

It is important to state that within the North East region and across the Lake Chad Basin, the use of similar or identical names, aliases and nom de guerres is common among ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists.

This is essentially part of their indoctrination program which is aimed at deliberately obscuring identities. This fact has been established over the years in the course of counter terrorism operations in the Northeast of Nigeria.

The Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki eliminated on 16 May, 2026 has been positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior global operative within the Islamic State network, with direct links to international terrorist coordination, funding and operations across the Sahel. There is therefore no ambiguity in his identity.

The strike is a significant milestone in our counter-terrorism efforts.

The Armed Forces of Nigeria, in partnership with the United States, remain committed to dismantling terrorist networks and will continue to provide verified information through official channels. The general public and the media are please urged to rely only on these sources to avoid confusion from coincidental name similarities.

SAMAILA UBA
Major General
Director Defence Information
16 May 2026

[ACLED @ACLEDINFO]

Attacks against civilians surged in Nigeria’s Plateau state in April, accounting for 60% of violence incidents recorded during the month. ACLED also records the highest number of political violence incidents in the state since coverage began in 1997. More: https://t.co/uEV1gyS0o4

[Christophe RIGAUD @afrikarabia]

#RDC #Ituri Au moins 69 morts après des attaques de la milice #CODECO qui affirme défendre les intérêts de la communauté #Lendu. https://t.co/uIMQG08ZNw

[FRANCE 24 Afrique @France24Afrique]

Tchad : L'attaque d'une base militaire attribuée au groupe djihadiste Boko Haram https://t.co/uCQDH9QsL3

[CynicalCevap @CynicalCevap]

@bilignb @Reuters @grok Bro its reuters

[Hopewell Chin’ono @daddyhope]

President of Botswana on xenophobia!

[Brant @BrantPhilip_]

JNIM spokesman Abu Hudheifah al-Bambari, aka Bina Diarra, announces the beginning of a total siege against Bamako, capital of Mali, he mentions the operation that took out the Malian Defense Minister and warns civilians not to put themselves between JNIM and the army or they will be targeted as well.

[Thomas van Linge @ThomasVLinge]

Sudan 🇸🇩: Burhan rolls out the red carpet for an RSF commander who defected to the SAF last week. A clear encouragement for other RSF members to do the same.

Note however this commander did not defect because he rejected the RSF's genocidal violance, but because he missed out on a promotion. https://t.co/yFyY2FSJVH

[CynicalCevap @CynicalCevap]

@Anne_Delenclos @mbinswanger Ruhig brauner

[BBC News Africa @BBCAfrica]

Kenyan President William Ruto has faced a social media backlash after publicly suggesting that Nigerian-accented English was incomprehensible and required a translator.

https://t.co/whuyG6gbO7

[Ahmad Salkida @A_Salkida]

By 9 am today, I will publish Ideology, Blood, and War: Rethinking the Origins of Boko Haram.

This piece confronts the dominant narrative head-on. It traces the insurgency’s roots through the network around Muhammad Yusuf's family and surfaces details that have been ignored or suppressed. It dissects the ideology and the patterns of violence that fueled mass displacement and large-scale killings across the Lake Chad Basin.

If you want to understand what Boko Haram became, and if you are serious about ending it, you must examine how it was formed.

Read it when it is out.

[Yonas Nigussie @Yonigussie]

Pretoria Dead & Buried: TPLF Moves to Restore Pre‑War Gov’t

#TPLF’s Central Committee has wrapped up a high‑stakes meeting by deciding to restore #Tigray’s pre‑war State Council. This comes after Abiy unilaterally extended Tadesse Werede’s mandate, violating the Pretoria accord.

[Reuters @Reuters]

Togo's foreign minister said the country will ask United Nations member states to adopt a world map that more accurately reflects Africa's true size and ditch the 16th-century Mercator projection https://t.co/C3O6cWlmNA

[Brant @BrantPhilip_]

In retaliation to the ISWAP attacks that killed Nigerian Colonel I.A. Muhammad and six other soldiers in Monguno, troops destroyed and burned civilian infrastructure in the Chali 2 community of Monguno, accusing the locals of not reporting ISWAP infiltration into the town soon enough.

[Reuters Africa @ReutersAfrica]

An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on a planned $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline will be signed this year, the head of Morocco's hydrocarbons and mining agency (ONHYM) said. https://t.co/6CvxzcX9ba

[Critical Threats @criticalthreats]

In today's Congo War Security Review:

Pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters clashed with M23 for the second straight week and recaptured several villages from M23 in north and central Kalehe district in South Kivu.

The Congolese army reportedly conducted air attacks and clashed with M23-aligned militia fighters in the South Kivu highlands.

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters on the RP1030 and north of Nyabiondo in Masisi district in North Kivu.

Read the full brief here: https://t.co/RXQBqa6k28

[RFI @RFI]

🔴 URGENT - France: les députés adoptent un projet de loi pour faciliter les restitutions d'œuvres pillées durant la colonisation https://t.co/jLfptca3PE