Nigerian security forces rescued 360 people, including men, women, and children, from a Boko Haram hideout in the Mandara Mountains of Borno State on June 8, 2026, in an intelligence-led joint operation that forced fighters of the JAS faction to flee. Two children died in captivity from exhaustion and harsh conditions before rescue teams arrived. The hostages had been abducted from multiple communities and held in a remote mountain camp.
President Bola Tinubu praised the operation in a statement from Aso Rock, calling it “a decisive blow” to Boko Haram’s remaining capacity to hold large numbers of civilians. The military did not disclose how long the victims had been held, but community leaders in southern Borno said some had been missing since late April.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a televised address on June 7, warned his government would act against groups fueling xenophobic violence as anti-immigrant protests continue to draw international criticism. Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique are repatriating citizens affected by the unrest; Mozambique says five of its nationals have been killed. Ghana has petitioned the African Union and is compiling a record of assets lost for possible legal action.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak meanwhile surpassed 500 confirmed cases, with 515 infections and 91 deaths reported as health officials race to contain the rare Bundibugyo strain. New CDC projections warn the outbreak could exceed 20,000 cases if infected people are not identified and isolated more quickly. WHO launched a $518 million response plan. Fighting involving the M23 rebel group has disrupted contact-tracing in eastern DR Congo.
Meanwhile, the Central African Republic agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States under a third-country arrangement, with the IOM expected to assist deportees upon arrival. Mexican criminal networks are establishing a longer-term presence in South Africa — authorities have linked at least four major methamphetamine lab busts over the past two years to Mexican nationals. And a DR Congo military court sentenced all 54 defendants in the 2017 killings of UN investigators Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan to death.