Les enfants d’El-Obeid, dans l’État du Kordofan du Nord, sont de plus en plus exposés aux menaces liées aux drones qui survolent la ville, contraignant les écoles à suspendre les cours et perturbant l’accès à l’éducation, a alerté le Conseil norvégien pour les réfugiés (NRC).

Shashwat Saraf, directeur pays du NRC au Soudan, a tiré la sonnette d’alarme après une visite dans la ville cette semaine. Il a indiqué que les élèves et les enseignants peinaient à poursuivre les activités scolaires en raison de la dégradation de la situation sécuritaire.

« J’ai visité une école où les enseignants m’ont expliqué qu’ils étaient contraints de suspendre régulièrement les cours à cause des drones qui survolent les environs », a déclaré M. Saraf.

« Il est révoltant que des enfants soient confrontés à de telles situations alors qu’ils cherchent simplement à accéder à l’éducation. Ils ne devraient pas avoir à faire preuve de courage simplement pour aller à l’école », a-t-il ajouté.

Selon le NRC, ses centres d’apprentissage à El-Obeid accueillent plus de 5 500 élèves, tandis que de nombreuses autres familles cherchent encore à inscrire leurs enfants.

En collaboration avec son partenaire, l’Organisation Al-Salam pour la réhabilitation et le développement (AORD), l’organisation aide les enfants à rattraper les cours manqués et à gérer la peur et le stress liés au conflit.

Ces dernières semaines, des drones ont frappé à plusieurs reprises des sites civils à El-Obeid, notamment un dortoir universitaire, un abri destiné aux familles déplacées ainsi que des entrepôts situés dans la localité de Sheikan. Ces derniers contenaient plus de 330 000 manuels scolaires.

La ville compte plus de 500 000 habitants, parmi lesquels des dizaines de milliers de personnes déplacées par les combats dans d’autres régions du Kordofan et du Soudan.

« Les lieux où les gens dorment ont été frappés depuis les airs, tout comme les livres dont les enfants ont besoin pour apprendre », a déclaré M. Saraf.

Il a ajouté que ces attaques plongeaient les familles dans l’incertitude quant à leur sécurité, tandis que la hausse des prix et l’accès limité à l’eau potable, à des installations sanitaires sûres et à des abris adéquats aggravaient leurs conditions de vie.

« Après chaque attaque, les familles se demandent ce qui sera frappé ensuite », a-t-il souligné.

Le NRC a également attiré l’attention sur les conditions difficiles des élèves d’une école pour filles à El-Obeid. L’établissement compte environ 1 200 élèves, mais ne dispose que de trois salles de classe utilisables.

« Pour entrer dans l’une des salles de classe, il fallait essayer de ne pas se marcher les uns sur les autres », a raconté M. Saraf.

L’organisation a construit deux salles de classe supplémentaires et des toilettes dans cette école. Elle a également fourni du matériel pédagogique et formé des enseignants afin qu’ils puissent mieux accompagner les enfants touchés par le conflit.

Toutefois, M. Saraf a estimé que ces interventions demeuraient insuffisantes face à l’ampleur croissante des besoins.

« Les enfants sont prêts, les enseignants sont prêts et les parents sont prêts. Ce qui leur manque, c’est la certitude qu’une journée d’école puisse simplement se dérouler normalement, sans avoir à écouter les drones ni à se demander à quel moment les cours devront être interrompus », a-t-il déclaré.

Au-delà du secteur de l’éducation, le NRC a apporté une aide financière à 4 000 ménages et distribué 3 000 kits contenant des articles d’hygiène et des fournitures pour les abris. Ces kits comprennent notamment des couvertures, des bâches en plastique, des nattes de couchage, des bidons d’eau et des lampes solaires.

L’organisation prévoit également de soutenir des initiatives communautaires afin de renforcer les efforts des habitants qui viennent déjà en aide aux familles touchées par la crise.

Le NRC a indiqué que son plan d’intervention sur 12 mois à El-Obeid nécessitait un financement de 7,1 millions de dollars pour venir en aide à 107 000 personnes. Cependant, 65 % des fonds nécessaires restent à mobiliser.

M. Saraf a appelé les parties au conflit à protéger les civils et les infrastructures essentielles, rappelant que les attaques contre les populations civiles et les infrastructures dont elles dépendent sont interdites par le droit international humanitaire.

« Les parties à cette guerre doivent protéger les écoles, les habitations, les abris et les marchés, et maintenir les équipements militaires à l’écart des zones civiles », a-t-il déclaré.

Il a également exhorté les bailleurs de fonds à débloquer d’urgence des ressources pour les programmes d’accès à l’eau, d’hébergement et d’éducation, afin de garantir aux personnes déplacées et aux communautés d’accueil d’El-Obeid l’accès à une assistance essentielle.

Sea-Watch, a German non-governmental organisation involved in civilian sea rescue, says its vessels rescued 227 people from boats in distress in the central Mediterranean within 48 hours.

The rescues were carried out by the Sea-Watch 5 and Aurora 2 between Sunday afternoon, October 11, and Monday evening, October 12, 2026, according to a statement issued by the organisation on October 13.

The rescued people were found aboard five boats in distress in international waters. During the operations, both crews also encountered unidentified vessels approaching their rescue ships.

In one incident, an individual identifying itself over the radio as the Libyan Navy threatened to prosecute the Sea-Watch 5 crew in Tripoli if they failed to leave a restricted area near an offshore oil platform.

Sea-Watch spokesperson Julia Winkler welcomed the successful rescue operations but criticised Italian authorities for assigning the Sea-Watch 5 a distant port.

“We are incredibly happy that 227 people survived the dangerous journey. The rescue of 227 people in 48 hours shows how urgently rescue ships are needed,” Winkler said.

She said the Italian authorities’ decision to direct the vessel to Civitavecchia, approximately 900 kilometres away, would significantly reduce its ability to carry out further rescue operations.

“Deliberately reducing rescue capacity is a political choice with deadly consequences,” she added.

According to the organisation, the Sea-Watch 5 rescued 151 people in three separate operations.

On Sunday, its crew rescued 28 people from a sinking boat after receiving an alert from an aircraft operated by SOS MEDITERRANEE, another humanitarian organisation involved in sea rescue.

The crew subsequently rescued another 51 people following an alert from Alarm Phone, a hotline that supports people in distress during sea crossings. Before the second operation, an unidentified vessel repeatedly circled the Sea-Watch 5.

On Monday morning, the crew received an alert about another boat in distress in a restricted area near an offshore oil platform.

After a supply vessel associated with the platform authorised the Sea-Watch 5 to enter the area and assist those in distress, an individual identifying itself as the Libyan Navy ordered the rescue ship to leave.

The individual threatened to bring the crew before a court in Tripoli if it failed to comply. The Sea-Watch crew eventually de-escalated the situation and rescued all 72 people aboard the boat.

Meanwhile, the Aurora 2 rescued 76 people in two operations on Monday.

During the first operation, an unidentified grey fibreglass boat carrying four people approached the rescue vessel closely without making contact.

Later that evening, the Aurora 2 assisted another boat in distress by helping to stabilise it until the Italian Coast Guard arrived and took the people aboard.

While Italian authorities assigned the Sea-Watch 5 to Civitavecchia, the Aurora 2 was directed to the island of Lampedusa, where it arrived at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Sea-Watch said the Aurora 2 would not have been able to reach a more distant port because of its limited fuel reserves.

The rescue operations come amid continued concerns over migrant deaths and disappearances along Mediterranean migration routes.

According to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 1,982 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2026.

A Ugandan lawyer and youth advocate, Mwanje Gideon, has called on the African Union (AU) to urgently introduce a continental digital currency, invest in youth development, remove barriers to movement across Africa and reject migration agreements that turn African countries into offshore detention centres for European nations.

Gideon, alias Batapa, born on 8th April 2000, in Bamunaniika, Luwero, Uganda said the measures were necessary to accelerate Africa’s economic integration, strengthen its sovereignty, create employment opportunities for young people and protect the dignity of migrants and asylum seekers.

He made the appeal in a letter dated September 10, 2026, addressed to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He physically went to submit the  letter at the AU headquarters.

In the letter titled “Urgent Priorities for Africa’s Economic Integration, Youth, and Sovereignty,” the Kampala-based lawyer acknowledged the progress made towards continental unity through the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity, its transformation into the African Union and the introduction of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He, however, expressed concern that Africa continued to face significant economic, political and migration challenges despite decades of commitments to regional integration.

According to him, the rapidly changing global political and economic landscape demands urgent and practical measures to safeguard Africa’s future.

Gideon identified four priority areas requiring immediate intervention by the continental body.

Calls for African digital currency

On economic integration, the lawyer advocated the development of a secure continental digital currency specifically designed to facilitate cross-border trade among African countries.

He argued that the current reliance on foreign currencies for transactions between African countries was undermining regional trade and draining valuable financial resources from the continent.

“Today, a trader in East Africa selling goods to West Africa often has to convert local money into foreign currencies first, paying heavy transaction fees and losing valuable capital along the way,” he said.

Gideon maintained that although the long-term ambition of establishing a unified African currency remained important, businesses could not afford to wait indefinitely for its realisation.

He proposed the introduction of a digital Afro currency that would enable African businesses to conduct transactions seamlessly across borders.

“A digital Afro currency would allow African businesses to buy and sell from one another seamlessly, keep financial value within our continent, and build real economic independence,” he stated.

He said such an initiative would strengthen intra-African trade, reduce transaction costs and accelerate the continent’s economic integration.

Seeks investment in sports, technology for African youth

The lawyer also urged African governments to prioritise investment in sports infrastructure, technology development, digital education and innovation centres as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment.

He noted that Africa, despite having the world’s youngest population, continued to struggle with inadequate employment and economic opportunities for millions of young people.

According to him, the global sports industry generates more than $500 billion annually through broadcasting rights, sponsorships, merchandise, sports tourism and other commercial activities.

Gideon cited Senegalese football star Sadio Mané and Egyptian international Mohamed Salah as examples of African athletes whose success had contributed to economic development in their home countries.

He claimed that Mané had invested more than $20 million in his hometown of Bambali, Senegal, supporting projects ranging from healthcare and education to agro-industrial development.

According to him, the investments have created employment opportunities, reduced poverty and strengthened the local economy.

He also highlighted Salah’s contributions to healthcare, youth development and community infrastructure in Egypt.

Gideon argued that developing more internationally competitive African athletes could generate substantial foreign exchange earnings and stimulate local economic growth.

“If Africa produces 1,000 elite athletes operating at Sadio Mané or Mohamed Salah’s market value across various international disciplines, the economy would see a direct capital injection exceeding $500 million in foreign currency inflows, transfer fees, and player remittances,” he said.

He urged the AU and member states to recognise sports as a major economic sector rather than merely a recreational activity.

“Sports are no longer just recreation; they are a major global industry that creates millions of jobs, builds local economies, and unites communities,” he said.

He added that investments in technology hubs, innovation centres and digital education would equip young Africans with the skills required to develop globally competitive products without leaving their home countries.

“Investing in our youth is the most critical economic investment Africa can make today,” Gideon declared.

Demands visa-free movement across Africa

On regional mobility, Gideon expressed concern that African citizens continued to encounter restrictive immigration procedures, high visa fees and lengthy processing times when travelling between countries on the continent.

He described the situation as inconsistent with Africa’s ambition to achieve economic and political integration.

The lawyer particularly criticised travel restrictions affecting African citizens attending meetings, conducting business or participating in civil society activities in cities hosting major continental institutions.

He identified Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Banjul, The Gambia, among important diplomatic destinations where easier movement should be guaranteed.

Gideon called on the African Union to introduce a mandatory policy granting African passport holders free visa-on-arrival access for at least four days when visiting member states hosting major continental headquarters.

According to him, the proposed arrangement would enable entrepreneurs, civil society representatives and other African citizens to conduct legitimate activities without unnecessary immigration difficulties.

“This short pass would give visitors enough time to complete their business calmly, rather than rushing through important meetings just to avoid immigration penalties,” he explained.

He maintained that removing unnecessary travel barriers would promote regional cooperation, strengthen people-to-people relations and bring the continent closer to achieving a borderless Africa.

Warns against Europe’s migration externalisation policies

Gideon also called for stronger African Union intervention against the externalisation of European migration and border control policies to African countries.

He expressed concern over arrangements under which European governments seek agreements with African states to host, process or detain migrants and asylum seekers in exchange for financial assistance or development funding.

The lawyer warned that such agreements could undermine Africa’s sovereignty and expose vulnerable migrants to human rights violations.

“Exchanging human beings for money is a deeply dangerous path that echoes the darkest chapters of our continent’s history,” he said.

He argued that wealthy countries should not transfer their international refugee protection responsibilities to African nations through financial arrangements.

According to him, the responsibility to protect people fleeing persecution must be shared in accordance with international refugee law and the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face serious threats to their lives or freedom.

“Western nations must not be allowed to contract out their international duties simply because African hospitality, our spirit of Karibu, is warm and welcoming,” he stated.

Gideon urged the African Union to investigate existing migration cooperation agreements between African and European countries to determine whether they comply with international human rights standards.

He also called on the continental body to publicly condemn agreements that compromise migrant dignity in exchange for financial benefits.

“The African Union must investigate all existing migration deals, publicly condemn those that trade human dignity for funds, and warn member states against entering into arrangements that turn our land into offshore detention centers,” he said.

The lawyer maintained that African countries must resist becoming holding centres for migrants rejected or transferred by European governments.

He stressed that Africa’s traditional hospitality should not be exploited to justify arrangements that shift migration management responsibilities away from countries with obligations to protect asylum seekers.

Urges AU to demonstrate stronger leadership

Gideon concluded by urging the African Union Commission to demonstrate decisive leadership in advancing continental economic independence, youth empowerment, freedom of movement and migrant protection.

He maintained that the proposed initiatives were interconnected and essential to achieving a prosperous, united and sovereign Africa.

According to him, a continental digital currency would facilitate trade, investment in sports and technology would empower young people, relaxed travel restrictions would strengthen integration, while rejecting exploitative migration agreements would protect Africa’s dignity and independence.

He said millions of Africans were looking to the continental organisation to translate its longstanding commitments into practical policies that would improve their lives.

“These four priorities—a digital currency for trade, youth development through sports and tech, borderless Africa, easier travel to continental hubs, and the defense of human dignity against unfair migration deals—are essential steps for a truly sovereign Africa,” he said.

“With those four points, if realised, we shall start to see a unified Africa,” Gideon added.