Today in Africa — Feb 9, 2026: 53 Dead in Capsized Migrant Boat off Libya, Shallow Graves Found After North Nigeria Violence

Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening on the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page, with stories from across the regions.

Two Babies Among at Least 53 Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Libya

At least 53 migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off Libya’s western coast, the International Organization for Migration says. The boat left Zawiya late on Thursday and overturned early on Friday near Zuwara. Only two Nigerian women survived and were rescued by Libyan authorities. One told rescuers she lost her husband, while the other said she lost both of her babies. The IOM said the boat began taking on water before capsizing.

The incident adds to a growing toll on the Central Mediterranean route, where at least 484 migrants have been reported dead or missing so far this year, according to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project. More than 1,300 people were reported dead or missing on the route last year. The agency warned that smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants using unsafe boats from Libya, which has become a major transit point since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Rights groups and several governments have urged Libya to shut detention centers where returned migrants face abuse, while recent discoveries of mass graves and secret prisons have underscored the dangers migrants face both at sea and on land.

Shallow Graves With Mutilated Bodies Found in Ebonyi After Deadly Land Dispute

The Nigerian Army says it has uncovered multiple shallow graves containing mutilated bodies in the Amasiri community, Ebonyi State, during a joint security operation following days of violence linked to a long-running land dispute. The discovery came after four people were beheaded in nearby Okporojo village, prompting the deployment of troops alongside police, state security agents, and civil defense officers. Army spokesperson Olabisi Ayeni says the operation uncovered several burial sites, including graves holding the remains of adults and children, pointing to what he described as the scale and brutality of the crimes.

According to the army, the shallow graves were found during intelligence-led patrols, cordon-and-search operations, and forensic exhumations aimed at restoring order and identifying those responsible. Ebonyi State authorities imposed a curfew and temporarily shut schools in Amasiri as investigations continued. Police have arrested a local government official and two traditional rulers in connection with the killings, while Governor Francis Nwifuru has sacked political appointees and dethroned traditional leaders from the community, accusing them of failing to stop the violence. The army said the deployment targets criminal elements exploiting communal tensions, not residents, and will remain in place until those behind the killings are brought to justice.

Zimbabwean War Veteran and Mnangagwa Critic Blessed “Bombshell” Geza Dies at 73

Blessed Runesu “Bombshell” Geza, a controversial Zimbabwean war veteran who recently led a movement calling for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s removal, passed away on Friday at a hospital in Johannesburg. He was 73. His eldest son, Fortune Geza, confirmed the death, saying his father had been hospitalized for nearly 10 days. An official family statement said Geza died at a cardiac hospital.

Geza, a former Zanu-PF Central Committee member, broke with the ruling party last year after opposing a bid to extend Mnangagwa’s term. In recent months, he appeared on the state’s wanted list after holding explosive press conferences accusing the president and his allies of wrongdoing, then fled to South Africa. Back in Zimbabwe, he faced multiple charges, including inciting violence and terrorism linked to calls for mass protests. Hours before his death, Geza posted an emotional goodbye message on X, urging Zimbabweans to continue the fight, sparking polarized reactions online over a legacy seen by supporters as courageous and by critics as reckless.

UN Warns Drone Strikes Still Killing Civilians in Sudan After Sieges Lifted

The United Nations human rights chief says civilians in Sudan are still being killed by drone strikes even after the army broke long RSF sieges in parts of the south. Speaking in Geneva, Volker Türk says Greater Kordofan has become a new frontline in the nearly three-year war, and that drone attacks by both the Sudanese army and the RSF have caused heavy civilian harm. His office documented more than 90 civilian deaths and 142 injuries from drone strikes between late January and February 6, despite the lifting of sieges in al-Dalanj and Kadugli, where residents had faced severe hunger and medical shortages. Türk also warned that the fallout from the RSF’s takeover of El Fasher last year continues, with thousands still missing — some believed dead and others likely held in inhumane detention conditions.

Study Finds Hunger Is Becoming a Permanent Crisis for South African Families

Hunger in South Africa is no longer a short-term shock but a worsening, long-term condition for struggling households, according to a new 18-month study by FoodForward SA and the University of Cape Town’s Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). Based on interviews with 796 households receiving food aid and focus groups in Mitchells Plain, the research found severe and persistent food insecurity even where assistance already exists. Children are hit hardest, with most living in food-insecure homes and up to a third facing severe hunger. In poorer communities, more than 60% of household income goes toward servicing debt, leaving families unable to absorb rising food costs. As a result, households move from rationing to skipping meals and sometimes going entire days without eating, prompting calls for urgent, child-focused nutrition programs, targeted community support, and safety nets to prevent food-related debt.

Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Border Incursions and Backing Rebels

Ethiopia’s foreign minister has accused Eritrea of occupying Ethiopian territory and supporting armed groups inside the country, sharply escalating tensions between the former wartime foes. In a letter dated February 7, Gedion Timothewos says Eritrean troops had been present along parts of the shared border for an extended period and were providing material support to rebels, calling the actions “outright aggression” and demanding an immediate withdrawal. Eritrea rejected the claims as false and accused Addis Ababa of fueling hostility. Relations have deteriorated since Eritrea was left out of the 2022 deal that ended Ethiopia’s Tigray war, with disputes now also tied to Ethiopia’s push for sea access through Eritrea’s Assab port — an issue Asmara views as a potential security threat.

Senegal Arrests 14 in Child Sex Abuse Network Linked to French National

Senegalese police have arrested 14 people accused of belonging to a child sexual exploitation ring allegedly run by a French citizen, following a joint investigation with French authorities. Police say the network had operated since 2017 and involved the sexual exploitation of boys, including exposure to HIV-positive men, and filming the abuse. The alleged ringleader, French national Pierre Robert, was arrested in France last April. The Senegalese suspects face charges including child rape, pimping, acts against nature, and deliberate transmission of HIV, with four accused of acting as paid “sex trainers.” Raids were carried out in Dakar and Kaolack, though authorities have not said how many children were affected. Human rights groups have long warned that limited resources and weak follow-through hamper the enforcement of Senegal’s child protection laws.

At Least 30 Killed in Truck Crash in Northern Nigeria

At least 30 people were killed and several others injured in a road accident in Kano state, northwest Nigeria, authorities said yesterday, Sunday, February 8. The crash occurred in Kwanar Barde, Gezawa. It was caused by reckless driving by the driver of a truck-trailer, according to Governor Abba Yusuf, who called the incident a major loss for affected families and the state. Officials did not say how many vehicles were involved. Nigeria recorded 5,421 deaths in more than 9,500 road accidents in 2024, with experts pointing to poor roads, weak enforcement of traffic laws, and dangerous driving as key factors behind the country’s high toll.

Man Linked to Police Corruption Probe Dies in Apparent Suicide in South Africa

A South African man named in a major police corruption inquiry has died after reportedly shooting himself at a petrol station east of Johannesburg, police say. Wiandre Pretorius, 41, was found dead late on Saturday night in Brakpan with a firearm next to his body, according to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, adding that officers are reviewing CCTV footage to confirm what happened. Pretorius had been mentioned at the Madlanga Commission, which is probing alleged police corruption linked to the 2022 killing of Emmanuel Mbense. He had also told police last week that he survived an apparent assassination attempt. Four of the 12 people named as persons of interest in Mbense’s murder are now dead, with police questioning whether a criminal syndicate is eliminating those connected to the case.

Guinea-Bissau Opposition Leader Summoned Over Alleged Coup Links

Guinea-Bissau’s main opposition leader, Domingos Simões Pereira, has been summoned to appear before a military court over alleged links to multiple coup attempts, according to judicial and military sources. Pereira, who leads the PAIGC party that brought the country independence in 1974, was arrested during the November coup that toppled President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, shortly after presidential elections, and was released last month but remains under house arrest in a separate financial crimes case. The military now says he is suspected of involvement in at least two attempted coups, in late 2023 and October 2025. Guinea-Bissau has seen five coups since independence, with persistent poverty, corruption, and drug trafficking driving chronic political instability.

Uganda Minister Condemns Military Raid on Bobi Wine’s Home

Uganda’s information minister, Chris Baryomunsi, has condemned a military raid on opposition leader Bobi Wine’s home last month, saying the pop star-turned-politician committed no crime and is free to return. Wine has been in hiding since fleeing his Kampala home hours before he was declared runner-up to President Yoweri Museveni in the January 15 election, which Wine has rejected as fraudulent. He said soldiers raided his home on January 24 and assaulted his wife, who was later hospitalized, allegations the army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba initially denied before saying troops had “captured and then released” her. Baryomunsi told Reuters the government would investigate, calling any invasion of Wine’s home or assault “wrong,” though he did not say if anyone would be punished. He also downplayed Kainerugaba’s repeated social media threats against Wine as personal comments that do not reflect state policy, amid long-running accusations that Museveni’s government uses the military to suppress dissent.

South Africa to Pull Troops From UN Mission in Congo by 2026

South Africa will withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said on Saturday. Ramaphosa has informed United Nations chief Antonio Guterres that the decision is driven by the need to realign military resources. South Africa has backed United Nations peacekeeping in Congo for 27 years and currently has more than 700 soldiers there. The UN force, which had nearly 11,000 troops and police after its mandate was renewed in December, is tasked with countering armed groups in eastern Congo, where fighting has recently escalated. Pretoria said the withdrawal will be completed before the end of 2026, while maintaining close ties with Congo’s government and supporting other efforts aimed at lasting peace.