People who were trapped inside the hospital after a heavily armed gang surrounded the area in Port-au-Prince have been evacuated. The hospital director said three armored trucks were sent for the rescue. A heavily armed gang surrounded the Fontaine Hospital Center in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday. The hospital is considered a lifeline to the community living in the Cite Soleil shantytown, which has been seeing violent attacks by gangs against each other as well as residents. The hospital founder and director, Jose Ulysse, told the AP news agency that gangs were setting homes around the hospital on fire, due to which people inside were unable to leave. Police help evacuate Ulysse had initially said some gang members entered the hospital, but later said none of them had come in, and denied reports that they had entered the facility and taken patients hostage. "There was no hostage-taking. There was a gang war, but the war is around the hospital. We've had neighboring houses burnt down," he told the AFP news agency. "All the health staff took cover... and we had to call the police to come and help us evacuate all the people who couldn't move on their own, among them women who had a caesarean yesterday and couldn't walk," he said. Ulysse said Haitian police arrived with three armored trucks and evacuated 40 children and 70 other patients to a safe space. Some patients fled the scene on their own. Ulysse said those responsible were members of the Brooklyn gang, led by Gabriel Jean-Pierre, also known as "Ti Gabriel." The gang has around 200 members and is involved in extortion, hijacking of goods and violence, according to a UN report. ean-Pierre is also the leader of a gang alliance called G-Pep, one of the two rival coalitions in Haiti. Haitian gangs have become more powerful since the assassination of  President Jovenel Moise, and the numbers of kidnappings and killings have risen. Earlier this year, at least 20 armed gang members burst into a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders and took away a patient in an operating room.

Washington's decision to resume food assistance comes after Ethiopia agreed to allow monitoring of food supplies. Deliveries were halted earlier this year as the US said the deliveries were being stolen. The United States said it is going to resume delivering food aid for people in Ethiopia next month after the government allowed monitoring the distribution. The US had halted the food aid to Ethiopia earlier this year as Washington said the deliveries were being stolen and were not reaching the intended recipients. Last month, it began distributing food packages but only to refugees in the country. Food deliveries will restart next month for an initial trial period of one year, during which the US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it would will ascertain whether the government keeps its promises. In June, USAID had paused all food assistance to Ethiopia alleging a "widespread and coordinated" campaign to divert donations.  The UN and the World Food Programme took similar steps, citing the same reasons. The US has not named any individuals behind the diversions but aid organizations have accused both the federal and regional authorities, with soldiers benefitting from resale of donated food. Ethiopia's government engaged in a major internal conflict between 2020 and 2022 causing major food shortages not just in the most severely affected Tigray region, but elsewhere too, and putting strains on its military.  What would change in Ethiopia? USAID in a statement said that Washington was resuming food aid across the country after significant diplomatic engagement over the last several months resulted in "widespread and substantial reforms of the food assistance structure by the government of Ethiopia and our humanitarian partners." The World Food Programme also resumed some deliveries to Ethiopia last month. Ethiopia has agreed to change how its government will operate alongside aid organizations and intends to improve the partners' ability to identify beneficiaries, USAID said. It also committed to providing seamless access for the agency and third-party monitors to review sites throughout the country. "USAID places the highest priority on taking every possible measure to make sure that US humanitarian assistance is used for its intended purpose, reaches the most vulnerable, and ultimately saves lives," USAID statement said.

It is one of the deadliest air attacks yet in the three months of fighting between Sudan's rival generals. At least 22 people were killed in an airstrike by Sudan's military in the city of Omdurman on Saturday, health officials said. Numerous people were also injured in the attack, the Khartoum state Health Ministry said. The airstrike was one of the deadliest since clashes between the military and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, began in Sudan in mid-May. Last month, an airstrike killed at least 17 people, including five children in Khartoum. The RSF blamed the military for striking residential areas in Omdurman. Hot spot of fighting While the RSF quickly dominated the capital, Khartoum, and its sister cities, Omdurman and Bahri, after fighting broke out on April 15, the military has launched air and artillery strikes. In recent days, fighting has focused on Omdurman, as the western part of the city is a key supply route for the RSF to bring reinforcements in from Darfur, its power base. Strikes, including overnight on Friday, have also centered on the country's state broadcasting complex in eastern Omdurman. Other strikes hit southern and eastern Khartoum. Battle of two generals The conflict broke out in mid-April, capping months of increasing tensions between the military, chaired by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The fighting came 18 months after the two generals led a military coup in October 2021 that toppled a Western-backed civilian transitional government. Previous attempts at mediation have been unsuccessful. More than 2.9 million people have had to leave their homes due to the fighting, and more than 700,000 of them have fled to neighboring countries. Observers fear a destabilization of the entire region. According to aid organizations, there has recently been an "alarming number” of rapes and kidnappings of women and girls.

A truck veered out of control at a busy junction in the Kenyan town of Londiani, hitting other vehicles and pedestrians, officials have said. The death toll from a road crash in Kenya has risen to 49, Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday evening in the town of Londiani in the western county of Kericho. "Unfortunately we lost 49 people in an accident here in Londiani," the minister said. Meanwhile, Kenyan newspaper The Standard reported that two additional bodies had been recovered from the wreckage on Saturday, citing local health officials. If confirmed, this would bring the death toll up to 51. What was the deadly road crash in Kenya's Londiani? Police said that the accident, one of Kenya's deadliest for several years, occurred when a truck veered out of control and hit several other vehicles and pedestrians at a busy junction. "The search has resumed and we want to remove two of the bodies in the wreckage, we don't know if they are more," Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan said. The commissioner said that more than 30 people were injured. The fate of the truck driver was not immediately clear. "The accident happened in a flash, many of them had no time to escape," said one witness, Joel Rotich. "There was a lot of confusion because people were screaming all over and everyone was running after the accident." President William Ruto expressed his condolences following news of the accident. "The country mourns with the families who have lost loved ones in a horrific road accident in Londiani, Kericho County," the president tweeted. "It is distressing that some of the fatalities are young people with a promising future and business people who were on their daily chores." "We pray for the speedy recovery of all survivors; you are in our thoughts," he said. "We urge motorists to be extra cautious on roads, especially now when we are experiencing heavy rainfall." According to Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority, at least 4,690 people died in road accidents last year.

Some polling stations opened several hours late, with local media reporting confusion among crowds of voters. A two-horse race for president emerged between incumbent Julius Maada Bio and opposition leader Samur Kamara. Sierra Leoneans voted on Saturday in a presidential election to decide whether to give incumbent Julius Maada Bio a second term. Local media and opposition figures said that several stations had opened later than the scheduled 7:00 a.m local time (0700 GMT), leading to chaotic scenes among voters in some areas. Voting was scheduled to close at 5 p.m. The AFP news agency's correspondents also said that they witnessed some polling stations in the capital Freetown opening later than scheduled. Amid a crippling economic crisis that sparked deadly riots last year, Bio faced a dozen challengers — 12 men and one woman — though experts predicted a two-horse race between the president and his main rival, Samura Kamara, the head of the All People's Congress party. A poll last week by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), a partner of the pan-African survey group Afrobarometer, forecast that Bio, from the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), would win 56% of the vote, with 43% for Kamara. Another poll, by the Sierra Eye magazine and two local research groups, forecast 38% for the incumbent and 25% for his main challenger. The winner must secure 55% of the vote to avoid a runoff. If a second round is called, it will be the second time that the pair have faced off in a runoff, after a similar battle in 2018. In Siera Leone, many people vote based on regional allegiances, with those in the south and east usually picking the ruling SLPP while most people from the north and west normally vote for the opposition APC. During Saturday's poll, voters also elected members of parliament and local councils. What happened on polling day? Polling stations opened much later than the scheduled time of 7:00 am in the capital Freetown, AFP journalists said. Local media said some stations were still yet to open four hours later, describing agitation among some voters, but no reports of violence. The Cocorioko online newspaper said voting papers were also late to arrive in other areas of the country, especially the northwest. It published videos showing alleged election malpractices, including ballot stuffing, and said several people were arrested. SLPP lawmaker Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah complained on Twitter that some voters were being refused a chance to vote, despite carrying valid voter cards. National Election Watch, a coalition of civil society groups, said in a statement that 84% of polling stations it observed had opened by 8:00 am. However, only 59% of stations in the Freetown area had opened by that time. Election campaign turned ugly The election campaign was marred by tensions that led to the cancellation of rallies in the final stages and clashes at an opposition gathering on Wednesday. Bio and Kamara reported small-scale attacks on their supporters ahead of polling day, with both candidates urging calm. A group of foreign ambassadors on Wednesday issued a joint statement calling for peace. There are concerns the tensions could worsen, particularly if no candidate secures a clear majority. On Friday, 72-year-old Kamara told the Reuters news agency he was concerned about the possibility of vote rigging. Asked if he would accept the outcome of the vote, he said: "It's not me. The acceptance has to come from the people ... so it is the people we will listen to." In the previous election, 59-year-old Bio beat Kamara in the runoff by a margin of less than five percentage points. Crippled economy top of voters' minds Bio has faced increasing criticism over the country's longstanding economic crisis, which his opponent is pledging to fix. Nearly 60% of Sierra Leone's population of more than 7 million are facing poverty, with youth unemployment being one of the highest in West Africa. Multiple deadly anti-government protests have rocked the country during Bio's term. Fueled by a rise in cost of living, the latest protests last August left dozens dead, including security forces. Inflation soared to its highest level in over 20 years last year, while the national Leone currency slumped 60% in value against the US dollar. Bio's supporters say the president has invested in improving education and taken steps to fight rampant corruption. The president's camp blames the economic malaise on external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Sierra Leone was also battered by a brutal 1991-2002 civil war and the Ebola epidemic a decade later. 

Malians started tallying ballots in a constitutional referendum proposed by the ruling junta. The junta says the proposal, which greatly expands the powers of the military, paves the way for civilian rule. Malians voted Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would expand the role of the president and the military. Vote counting began Sunday evening and provisional results are expected by Tuesday. The West African nation is ruled by military officers, who seized power in a 2020 coup, followed by another coup nine months later that removed the interim civilian government at the time. Back then the prime minister and the president were to lead a government to steer the country towards new elections. The ruling junta has said the proposed measures are meant to kickstart a gradual transition to civilian rule, with parliamentary elections to be held in October. "I am convinced this referendum will pave the way for a new Mali, a strong Mali, an efficient Mali, a Mali in the service of the well-being of its population," military junta leader Assimi Goita said on Sunday.  A presidential election would follow in February 2024. Mali has been battling an Islamist insurgency and violence, with civilians bearing the brunt of the instability and conflict. Election observer group MODELE reported a voter turnout at midday of only about 21% of eligible voters. The organization also reported the closing of dozens of polling stations due to security issues. The referendum also did not the entire northern region of Kidan. What are Malians deciding? Malians faced the choice of accepting or rejecting the draft constitution, seen as being a test for Goita. The proposed changes would expand the role of the president and the military at the expense of the parliament. The military would be entrusted with the "execution of the law" and the president would have more power over the prime minister and the Cabinet. Goita has not said whether he would run for president. He oversaw the arrest of the nation's acting civilian leader and prime minister in 2021. Ahead of the vote, Malians received text messages to persuade them to vote in favor of the proposed measures. While opposition parties and groups have been critical of the new constitution, the vote is expected to go in favor of the military junta. The Freedom House's flagship annual report 2023 labeled Mali as a country that was "not free." The political situation in Mali Mali built up its democratic institutions for about 20 years after transitioning away from authoritarian rule in the 1990s. However, state fragility led to a coup in 2012 and insecurity followed in the years since. Over the years fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. On Saturday, Mali ordered foreign troops out of the country. France, which stationed troops in 2013 to fight terrorism, withdrew troops from Mali in August 2022. Germany is due to pull back troops from Mali in the summer of 2024.

The warring factions in Sudan's more than nine-week-long war have agreed another cease-fire, mediators say, shortly after deadly airstrikes hit the capital. All previous truces have failed to put an end to the conflict. The two opposing military factions fighting for power in Sudan agreed to another 72-hour cease-fire on Saturday in a deal that came shortly after airstrikes hit the capital, Khartoum, killing at least 17 people. The new truce, the latest in a series of attempts to put an end to the fighting, comes as the conflict between government troops and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its third month. Local volunteers and the Khartoum Health Ministry said those killed in the airstrikes included five children. The strikes on the Yarmouk district of the Mayo area of southern Khartoum also destroyed some 25 homes. The fighting, ongoing since April 15, has left over 3,000 dead and 6,000 more injured, Sudanese Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim told Saudi Hadath TV. He added that only half of the capital's 130 hospitals remained operational, while all West Darfur hospitals were out of service. Over 2 million residents have fled to safer areas within Sudan or crossed into neighboring countries. Clashes have intensified after a frail cease-fire expired last week. It was the latest of several others brokered to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. What do we know about the latest strikes? The impoverished, densely populated southern neighborhood has been in the crosshairs several times, especially in recent weeks. Neither party gave an immediate comment after the strikes, which reportedly also injured 11, and it was not clear whether the attack was carried out by aircraft or a drone. The Health Ministry shared a video showing the destroyed homes due to the strikes. The Sudanese military has mobilized its air force against the RSF since the start of the conflict. The latter has been hiding in residential neighborhoods, where the military has been attacking them. Top military general Yassir al-Atta warned civilians to steer clear of homes occupied by the RSF, in a speech on Friday. "Because at this point, we will attack them anywhere," he said to cheers. "Between us and these rebels are bullets." The RSF, meanwhile, reportedly used drones and anti-aircraft missiles to fight the army. Darfur medics 'overwhelmed' by wounded In neighboring Chad, medics have complained of the influx of wounded citizens fleeing Sudan's Darfur region. The region, which saw fighting amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity two decades ago, has been among the most impacted by the latest conflict. "We are overwhelmed in the operating theater. We urgently need more beds and more staff," said Seybou Diarra, physician and project coordinator in Adre, Chad for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity. At least 149,000 people have fled Darfur into neighboring Chad, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The US State Department has put the death toll in West Darfur's state capital, Genena, at around 1,100 since the fighting erupted in mid-April. Refugees from Sudan in Chad face desperation Among the victims was West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Akabar, the French AFP news agency reported. He was killed shortly after giving a television interview on Wednesday in which he criticized the RSF. The paramilitary has denied responsibility for his death. The US State Department has blamed the RSF "primarily" for the Darfur atrocities, warning that the violence witnessed in the volatile region was an "ominous reminder" of its previous genocide. Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Basheer had used the Arab Janjaweed militia, from which the RSF later emerged, to quell Darfur's rebel uprising in 2003. Local reports suggest the Janjaweed has been recently fighting alongside the RSF in Darfur.