On 1 July, Amnesty International published a report following an eight-month investigation involving 247 interviews, including 39 interviews with children. The organization concluded that the Rapid Support Forces had committed acts in North Darfur that it characterized as crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, rape, sexual slavery, other forms of sexual violence and persecution. It also said that the destruction of predominantly Zaghawa villages in Abu Zereiga was consistent with a pattern of “ethnic cleansing.” These are characterizations made by the organization and do not constitute a final judicial judgment. Ahead of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, EFHR published a paper on 9 September addressing civilian protection, accountability and the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission [36]. On 20 August, a joint letter joined by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies called for the Mission’s mandate to be extended and adequately resourced [40]. In the context of protecting women during conflicts, a human rights event held on 2 July discussed ways to strengthen protection, focusing on Sudan, sexual violence and women’s participation in peace efforts; a summary of the event was published by Maat Foundation on 12 July [38].

On 3 September, the Court of Cassation upheld the convictions of 34 people in the “conspiracy against state security” case and on terrorism-related charges, following the first-instance judgments issued in November 2025. Human Rights Watch said the final sentences ranged from 5 to 45 years and criticized the trial standards. The court’s decision remains a judicial fact, while the assessment of the fairness of the proceedings is attributed to the organization.

Amnesty International said that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed the Minister of Justice on 30 August to amend the Penal Code to broaden the scope of the death penalty in cases related to deliberately setting fires or inciting such acts. In September, the organization warned of the possibility that executions could resume after a suspension lasting more than three decades. The instruction remains an initial step; it does not establish that a legal amendment has been adopted or entered into force, nor that any death sentence has been carried out.

Amnesty International analyzed 12 video clips that it said documented the killing of at least 19 Malian soldiers after they surrendered in Tabarshat, Gao Region, on 18 July, and called for an investigation. Given the nature of the evidence, this is presented as the assessment of a human rights investigation into a specific incident, not as a judicial conviction.

Amnesty International published another report in which it said that the Malian Armed Forces and members of the Wagner Group committed war crimes, including killings and torture, during joint operations between 2023 and 2025. The report falls within the third quarter as a documentary development, while the underlying incidents it examines date back to earlier years.

Human Rights Watch examined the Foreign Aid (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, introduced in the Senate in May 2026 to regulate foreign aid, grants and donations and establish an oversight body. The organization considered that some provisions of the bill could allow broad interference in the funding and activities of independent organizations. On 12 September, EFHR published a legal and human rights analysis of the bill addressing freedom of association, funding and procedural safeguards. The text remains a bill and is not legislation in force.

Ghana deposited its instrument of ratification of the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU-CEVAWG), and the African Union announced that Ghana had become the second country to ratify it after The Gambia. According to the Union, ten states had signed and two had ratified the Convention, while 15 ratifications are required for it to enter into force.

Human Rights Watch said that fighting resumed on 22 September in parts of Tigray, Amhara and Afar, and called on all parties to protect civilians. On 25 September, it called for an investigation into an airstrike that it said took place on 20 August against a residential compound in Mekelle and injured 13 civilians, including seven children, describing it as a possible indiscriminate strike. On 6 August, EFHR had warned of renewed violations against civilians in Tigray. The details of the strike and its legal characterization remain in need of an independent investigation.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights expressed concern over statements and directives related to the closure of certain small businesses operated by foreign nationals, and said it had received reports of attacks, intimidation, harassment, looting and destruction of property targeting foreigners, particularly Burundians. The Commission called for investigation and protection, and for guarantees of equality, non-discrimination and due process.

In a separate report, Human Rights Watch said that armed or unidentified groups had attacked civil society events and political gatherings, and that the information it collected indicated that at least six people had been killed and dozens injured. The organization based its findings on interviews with 22 people.

Amnesty International said that on 21 September the President signed an amendment to the 2012 Elections Act which, according to the organization’s description of the text, grants him powers during the electoral period. It also addressed July amendments to the 2018 Peace Agreement that changed some previous requirements for the electoral process. The organization emphasized the need to protect civic space and ensure safe participation ahead of the planned elections.

Maat Foundation discussed the human rights situation in Somalia on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, addressing civilian protection, displacement, education, food security and civic space. This development is presented as discussion and advocacy within an international forum, not as independent field documentation of specific incidents.

Amnesty International said it had documented violations at the Rubaya coltan mine and the Lumera gold mine that it attributed to M23, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, forced labour, forced recruitment and pillage. The organization also raised issues concerning mineral smuggling and the crime of pillage during armed conflict. These conclusions are findings of a human rights investigation, not judicial judgments.

Human Rights Watch reported several killings of women during August, including cases attributed to current or former partners, and noted that the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family had acknowledged an increase in reported cases since 2023. It also said that the government was working on draft legislation to establish a standalone offence of gender-based violence and strengthen legal protection.

During its 88th Ordinary Session, the African Commission adopted the report of a promotion mission to the Central African Republic. The significance of this development is institutional: promotion mission reports are used to follow up implementation of the African Charter and dialogue with the State, but they do not in themselves amount to a judicial judgment or a finding of responsibility.

On 12 August, EFHR launched a human rights questionnaire ahead of polling to collect information on campaign conditions, electoral violence, media freedom and institutional performance. General elections were held on 13 August. Observer missions from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) said voting was calm and orderly in most polling stations they visited, while noting concerns regarding electoral violence, media freedom, delays in some reforms and the management of results. On 18 August, the Electoral Commission announced that President Hakainde Hichilema had won a second term with 60.7%, compared with 38% for candidate Brian Mundubile, according to Human Rights Watch’s account of the official results. Mundubile announced his intention to challenge the result, alleging irregularities in counting, tabulation and transmission of results; this remains an allegation by the candidate that had not been resolved within the scope of this issue. Information status: officially announced result and observations by election observer missions; objections are attributed to their source.

On 14 August, during a security operation at a property linked to Mundubile in Lusaka, a number of opposition figures were arrested. Amnesty International reported that Mutotwe Kafwaya, a former minister and opposition member, was shot dead during the operation and called for an independent investigation, noting that the circumstances of his death had not been established. According to contemporaneous reports, the authorities said the operation was linked to threats to national security and that an armed confrontation occurred; the opposition rejected this account. On 24 August, the authorities closed court buildings and imposed a security cordon around them on the final day legally available for filing a challenge to the election results. Human Rights Watch said the closure impeded access to justice, while police said the measure was precautionary and based on intelligence. On 27 August, Mundubile and his deputy, Makebi Zulu, were detained after questioning in connection with a treason allegation, and on 30 August their lawyers reported that they had been formally charged. A charge is not a conviction, and the presumption of innocence and fair-trial guarantees remain applicable. On 8 September, Amnesty International said that George Chisanga had remained in detention without charge since the 14 August operation and called for his release. On 11 September, the organization criticized the cancellation of passports belonging to a number of critics and public figures, considering the measure to raise concerns regarding freedom of movement.

Amnesty International said that human rights defender Bhekimpilo Mbedzi was arrested on 10 July after posting a video calling for protests against Constitutional Amendment No. 3, and was charged with offences related to incitement to an unlawful gathering. The organization considers the case to concern freedom of expression and assembly; the final determination of the accused’s responsibility remains a matter for the judiciary.

After the authorities seized the equipment of investigative journalist Estácio Valoi on 16 June in the context of a criminal investigation linked to his journalistic work, the Judicial Court in Pemba ordered the seizure lifted on 9 September after the procedures that had justified retaining the equipment had ended. The devices were returned to him on 18 September. Amnesty International documented the development on 28 September.