Infighting between Nigeria’s two major jihadist factions has left scores dead, raising the possibility of a prolonged internecine conflict between the two forces, civilian and security sources told AFP Tuesday.

Islamic State West Africa Province or ISWAP has emerged as the dominant faction in Nigeria’s conflict, especially after the death of rival Boko Haram commander Abubakar Shekau in May during infighting between the groups.

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Sudanese authorities said they had foiled an attempted coup on Tuesday, accusing plotters loyal to ousted president Omar al-Bashir of a failed bid to derail the revolution that removed him from power in 2019 and ushered in a transition to democracy.

Sudan’s military said 21 officers and a number of soldiers had been detained in connection to the coup attempt, and a search continued for others. All affected locations under army control, it said.

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French President Emmanuel Macron early Thursday said the head of Islamic State, Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui has been “neutralised” by French forces in the Sahel. The information was shared by the french president on Twitter, who said, Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui, leader of the Islamic State terrorist group in the Great Sahara, has been neutralised by French forces.

“Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui, leader of the Islamic State terrorist group in the Great Sahara, has been neutralised by French forces. This is another major success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel,” Macron wrote on Twitter.

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The Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar clashed with Chadian rebel forces in the south of Libya on Tuesday and Wednesday, both sides said.

The fighting underscores the risk of further instability in the Sahel region, where an array of groups operate across borders and where fighting has created space for militant organisations.

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Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants fired mortars at a military base in Puntland, in an incident that comes at the time the country is struggling with security arrangements and political crisis.

The militants confirmed that they launched a mortar shell attack in Af-Urur area at the outskirts of Bosaaso, the capital of the Bari region. This is the first time the militants were trying to run over a case in Puntland, a region in northeastern Somalia.

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Rebels from Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray killed at least 125 residents of a village in the neighbouring Amhara region earlier this month before being driven out by pro-government forces, doctors said Wednesday.

“There were 125 dead in Chenna village… I saw the mass grave myself,” Mulugeta Melesa, head of the hospital in nearby Dabat town, told AFP.

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A coup d’Etat has been confirmed in Guinea after heavy gunfire between presidential guards and a division of the country’s special forces.

A photo went viral online showing masked members of Guinea’s special forces surrounding a dejected and dispirited President Conde on a sofa.

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