Gunmen Abduct Over 50 Schoolchildren in Nigeria

More than 50 children, most of them aged between two and five, have been abducted by gunmen from three schools in Mussa, Borno State. Eyewitnesses who saw the attacks said that the suspects used the children as human shields while fleeing on motorbikes, preventing security forces from opening fire. The kidnappings took place at the town's Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Secondary School. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Some reports suggest the attacks bore the hallmark of Boko Haram, the militant group vying for control over the region against its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Security forces are searching for the abductors as distraught families await news of their children.

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Somalia Faces Growing Famine Risk Amid Drought and Aid Shortages

At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned. Nearly two million of this number are young children "at high risk of illness or death". George Conway, the UN's top aid official in Somalia, said that the humanitarian context in Somalia is worsening faster than we originally projected and expected. The situation was made worse by the unresolved conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing global supply chain crisis that has resulted. Nearly one in three people in Somalia is critically food insecure, according to the latest UN-backed expert assessment from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform.

Botswana Repeals Anti-LGBTQ Laws as Crackdown Widens in Africa

Botswana has formally repealed sections of its penal code that criminalised same-sex relations, marking a significant step forward for LGBTQ rights on the African continent. The reform follows a landmark 2019 High Court ruling that found the laws unconstitutional. Legabibo activists claim that the amendment shows the government's commitment to human rights. The progress, however, contrasts sharply with developments in other parts of the continent. There have been several countries that have enacted or proposed tougher anti-LGBTQ legislation, including Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali. Human rights groups warn that rising nationalist rhetoric and external influences are fueling crackdowns. 31 African countries still criminalise homosexuality and some, including Uganda and Mauritania, retain the death penalty in certain cases.

Zimbabwe Police Uncover Fake Pharmaceutical Factory

Police in Zimbabwe have uncovered a makeshift pharmaceutical factory, where an assortment of 'medicines' was being manufactured and packaged for sale. One suspect, Blessed Magagoyi, has been arrested following the discovery of the backyard manufacturing plant in Zimre Park, Ruwa, situated on the outskirts of Harare. The arrest led to the recovery of medicine-manufacturing equipment, finished medicinal products, including Honey Bean, Gut Restore Powered, Cynocene, Fotal Harmony, and Cardio Cene Capsule, medicine-making raw materials, and packaging equipment, with an estimated street value of US$ 25,000. The police said a second suspect, Tonee Tapiwa Vambe, is still being sought in connection with the case.

20 Million People Facing Acute Hunger in War-Torn Sudan

UN agencies have warned that nearly 20 million people across Sudan are facing acute hunger, and more than 800,000 children risk severe malnutrition this year. The country's civil war, mass displacement and collapsing food and health systems continue to deepen one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and push parts of the country closer to famine. The warning came in a joint alert issued by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), citing the latest analysis from the global food insecurity monitor, IPC. According to the report, over 19.5 million people, around two out of every five Sudanese, are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse. More than five million people are facing emergency levels of hunger. At least 135,000 people are already living in catastrophic conditions marked by extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition, and heightened risk of death.

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All of Africa Today - May 18, 2026

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