Drone War Escalates in Sudan; Nigeria Warns of Social Media Extremism; Rwanda Rejects Congo Abuses Report

Sudan is facing a widening drone war, with at least 30 civilians and five soldiers killed in recent strikes, according to the Emergency Lawyers Group and local sources. North Kordofan's El Obeid was the hardest hit, suffering 23 civilian deaths and 19 injuries from attacks attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Initial strikes on residential areas were followed by a second attack targeting mourners at a cemetery, highlighting the brutal nature of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is grappling with the weaponization of social media by extremist groups. Boko Haram factions are leveraging platforms like TikTok for propaganda, mocking authorities, and posting content linked to kidnappings and violence. Experts warn that these groups are outpacing traditional content moderation, using algorithm-driven platforms to amplify messages and normalize extremist narratives, posing a significant digital security challenge.

In a separate development, Rwanda has strongly refuted allegations made in a recent Human Rights Watch report concerning abuses in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwandan government criticized the report for allegedly conflating its defense forces with the M23 rebel group and questioned the methodology, citing a lack of site visits and reliance on anonymous testimonies. Kigali called for independent investigations with proper forensic standards.