AGP Executive Report

Chad–Sudan Tensions: Chad put forces on high alert after drones and aircraft linked to Sudan’s war bombed a convoy inside Ennedi-Est on Aug. 20, raising fears of direct confrontation and renewed border violence. Land Degradation & Drought Finance: At the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, UN officials warned that most countries’ drought and land restoration plans lack predictable funding, with a major gap between needed investment and what’s actually going in. Lake Chad Basin Security Push: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni met Lake Chad Basin Commission and MNJTF officials in N’Djamena, pledging to relay operational gaps—like shortages and Niger’s withdrawal from the task force—to President Tinubu. Humanitarian Logistics in Sudan: Aid groups moved 6.7 tonnes of temperature-sensitive medicines through Chad into West Darfur, as displacement and food insecurity in Sudan keep worsening. Mining Safety Shock (CAR): A gold mine collapse at Zamboye near Cameroon left dozens dead, with rescue hampered by limited equipment and calls for stronger protections for artisanal miners. World Humanitarian Day: UN marks Aug. 19 with a focus on frontline aid workers and the need to turn compassion into prevention systems.

Desertification & Drought Finance: UN officials at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification warned that land restoration is falling far short of what’s needed, with drought plans lacking predictable funding and a major gap between the $355B annual need and about $77B currently invested. Lake Chad Security & Regional Cooperation: Yobe’s Mai Mala Buni pushed for stronger coordination around the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Multinational Joint Task Force, flagging operational shortfalls and the impact of Niger’s withdrawal, while also urging refugees in Chad to stay law-abiding and work toward repatriation. Chad–Sudan Cross-Border Tensions: Chad put forces on high alert after drones and aircraft linked to Sudan’s war allegedly bombed a convoy inside Chad’s Ennedi-Est, renewing fears of direct confrontation along the porous border. Mining Disasters & Environmental Safety: Guinea’s Conakry landfill collapse killed dozens after heavy rains, while Central African Republic gold mine collapses near Baboua left a disputed death toll and prompted a temporary shutdown—both underscoring how weak waste and mining controls amplify climate-linked risk. Humanitarian Pressure in the Region: World Humanitarian Day coverage highlighted the strain on aid workers amid displacement and hunger, including worsening drought-driven hunger in Somalia.

Chad–Sudan Tensions: Chad has put its forces on the highest alert after Sudan-linked aircraft and drones bombed a vehicle convoy more than 100 km inside Chadian territory in Ennedi-Est on Aug. 20, with N’Djamena calling it a grave sovereignty breach and warning against wider spillover. Lake Chad Security & Governance: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni visited the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the MNJTF in N’Djamena, pledging stronger coordination on security and development, and urging better resourcing for the regional anti-terror force amid Niger’s reported withdrawal. Refugees & Livelihoods: Buni also visited Nigerian refugees in Lac Province, urging law-abiding behavior and reporting of infiltration, while highlighting fishing and farming as a path to self-reliance and promising repatriation support via LCBC census processes. Land Restoration Opportunity: A new push around Africa’s Great Green Wall frames landscape restoration as a high-return climate and jobs strategy, shifting from failed tree-only planting toward agroforestry, water harvesting, and natural regeneration. Disaster Risk & Waste: In Guinea, heavy rains triggered a landfill collapse in Conakry that killed at least 30, with authorities promising evacuations—another reminder of how climate shocks amplify pollution and public health risks.

Waste Disaster: Heavy rains triggered a landfill collapse at Dar-es-Salam in Conakry, Guinea, killing at least 30 people and prompting promises to evacuate families still living near the site. Lake Chad Security & Governance: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni visited the Lake Chad Basin Commission in N’Djamena, pledging stronger coordination for sustainable security and economic growth, and urging support for the Multinational Joint Task Force amid operational hurdles. Refugee Returns: Buni also visited Nigerian refugees in Chad’s Lac Province, urging law-abiding behavior and offering a pathway for those willing to return home via Lake Chad Basin Commission census and state-led repatriation. Climate & Food Stress: Somalia’s drought is deepening a humanitarian emergency, with WFP warning that millions face acute hunger as climate shocks, insecurity, and funding gaps worsen conditions. Land Restoration Promise: A new push behind Africa’s Great Green Wall highlights a shift from failed tree-planting to landscape restoration, with claims of major economic and carbon benefits. Mining Safety Shock: Central African Republic gold mine collapses near Baboua left a disputed death toll (government: 49; others: 100+), with authorities ordering a temporary shutdown and investigations.

Lake Chad Security & Jobs: Yobe Gov. Mai Mala Buni met the Lake Chad Basin Commission in N’Djamena, pledging stronger coordination for sustainable security and economic growth, and flagged climate pressures and displacement as cross-border drivers of instability. Regional Anti-Terror Push: Buni also visited the Multinational Joint Task Force, saying gaps like limited resources and Niger’s withdrawal are weakening operations, and promised to brief President Tinubu. Refugee Welfare & Livelihoods: Buni toured Nigerian refugees at the Kaya site in Lac Province, urging law-abiding behavior and reporting of infiltration, while praising fishing and farming as a path to self-reliance and less dependence on aid. Humanitarian Systems: Vice President Kashim Shettima urged humanitarian groups and communities to shift from short-term relief to prevention and resilience, stressing that crises in Nigeria are tied to wider Sahel and Lake Chad dynamics. Mining Safety Shock (CAR): A gold mine collapse at Zamboye near Baboua left a disputed death toll (49 vs. 100+), with authorities suspending operations and calling for better rescue capacity and safer work. Climate & Food Risk (Women Farmers): A report highlights how climate change is hitting women farmers with disabilities hardest, turning floods and crop losses into deeper vulnerability.

Lake Chad Basin Security & Jobs: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni visited the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the MNJTF in N’Djamena, pledging stronger coordination for sustainable security and economic growth, and flagging operational gaps like inadequate resources and the Niger Republic’s withdrawal from the force. Refugee Livelihoods & Repatriation: Buni also visited Nigerian refugees in Chad’s Lac Province, praising peaceful coexistence and urging law-abiding behavior while pushing fishing and farming as a path to self-reliance; for those returning, he pointed to census and documentation via the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Humanitarian Systems: Vice President Kashim Shettima urged humanitarian groups and partners to shift from sympathy to prevention by strengthening local collaboration and information sharing across the Sahel and Lake Chad region. Mining Safety Shock (Central Africa): A gold mine collapse at Zamboye near Baboua killed dozens to over 100 people, with Chad among the victims, and authorities ordered a temporary shutdown and investigation amid calls for better rescue capacity and safer working conditions. Climate & Food Risk for Vulnerable Farmers: A report on women farmers with disabilities highlights how flooding can wipe out crops and deepen hardship, showing climate impacts hit hardest where support is weakest. Carbon-Linked Restoration Idea: A study argues restoring the Aral Sea could cut greenhouse gas emissions and unlock carbon-credit funding—an environmental finance angle that could inspire future water restoration thinking.

Aral Sea Restoration & Carbon Finance: A new study argues that refilling the dried-up Aral Sea could cut major greenhouse gas emissions while opening doors to large-scale funding through carbon credits. Lake Chad Security & Climate-Linked Stability: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni, chair of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, pledged stronger coordination for sustainable security and economic growth, warning that insecurity, displacement, and climate pressures spill across borders. Lake Chad Basin Governance Push: Buni met the Lake Chad Basin Commission in N’Djamena, backing a tighter working relationship and urging support for longer-term, scalable development beyond short projects. Borno Budget Pressure: Borno Governor Babagana Zulum said security and humanitarian services consumed 70% of the state budget over seven years, underscoring the strain of rebuilding after insurgency. Mining Disaster in Central Africa: A gold mine collapse in the Central African Republic near the Cameroon border killed dozens to over 100 people, with authorities ordering a temporary shutdown and investigations amid calls for safer conditions. Women Farmers With Disabilities & Climate Impacts: Reporting from Nigeria highlights how floods can wipe out crops and deepen hardship for women farmers with disabilities. World Humanitarian Day: Coverage marked 19 August, spotlighting humanitarian workers and the push to turn compassion into prevention and resilience.

Lake Chad Basin Security & Growth: Yobe Gov. Mai Mala Buni met Lake Chad Basin Commission officials in N’Djamena and pledged stronger coordination for sustainable security and economic development, pointing to insecurity, displacement, climate pressures and violent extremism that spill across borders. Refugee Repatriation in Chad: Buni also visited Nigerian refugees at the Kaya site in Lac Province, urging law-abiding behavior and reporting of infiltration, while saying returnees should work with the Lake Chad Basin Commission for census and documentation before state governments repatriate them. Regional Counterterrorism Pressure: Buni warned that the Multinational Joint Task Force is constrained by inadequate resources, equipment and manpower, and noted Niger’s withdrawal from the force—promising to brief President Tinubu on operational challenges. Humanitarian Systems Call: Vice President Kashim Shettima urged humanitarian groups and local leaders to shift from sympathy to prevention by strengthening collaboration and information sharing, stressing that Nigeria’s crises are tied to wider Sahel and Lake Chad dynamics. Mining Disaster in Central Africa: A gold mine collapse at Zamboye near Baboua left a disputed death toll, with the government suspending mining and investigations underway—raising alarms about unsafe artisanal work during the rainy season. Climate & Disability in Farming: A report highlighted how floods can devastate women farmers with disabilities, with mobility barriers making recovery harder and losses more severe.

Lake Chad Security & Governance: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni visited the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Multinational Joint Task Force in N’Djamena, urging stronger regional cooperation against terrorism and flagging operational gaps like limited resources and Niger’s withdrawal from the MNJTF. Refugees in Chad: Buni also visited Nigerian refugees at the Kaya site in Lac Province, praising peaceful coexistence, pushing law-abiding behavior, and pointing returnees to the Lake Chad Basin Commission for census and documentation before repatriation. Humanitarian Crisis Response: Nigeria’s VP Kashim Shettima called for turning humanitarian “sympathy into systems” through better coordination among local leaders, women and youth, and security agencies—linking Nigeria’s challenges to the wider Sahel and Lake Chad Basin. Climate & Food Security: A report on women farmers with disabilities shows how flooding can wipe out crops and deepen vulnerability, especially when communities fail to help salvage harvests. Mining Safety in the Region: Central African Republic gold mine collapse at Zamboye near the Cameroon border left a disputed death toll (government says 49; others say 100+), with authorities suspending mining and launching an investigation. World Humanitarian Day: Coverage marked 19 August, spotlighting humanitarian workers and the push to protect dignity and resilience amid conflict, displacement, hunger, disease, and disasters.

Climate & Food Security: In Benue State, a woman farmer with a spinal condition says flooding destroyed most of her crops after villagers refused to help salvage them, highlighting how climate shocks hit people with disabilities hardest. Mining Safety & Environment: In Central African Republic, a gold mine collapse at Zamboye near the Cameroon border killed dozens to over 100 people, with disputed death tolls; authorities ordered a temporary shutdown and an investigation, while residents warn rainy-season artisanal mining remains dangerously under-equipped. Lake Chad Basin Livelihoods: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni visited Nigerian refugees in Chad’s Lac Province, urging law-abiding behavior while praising fishing and farming as a path to self-reliance and lower dependence on aid. Regional Security & Climate Pressure: Buni also pushed for stronger regional cooperation against terrorism, warning that insecurity, displacement, climate pressures, and economic vulnerability spill across borders and demand coordinated action around the Lake Chad Basin. Indigenous Knowledge & AI: Chadian environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim says AI should support Indigenous knowledge—citing participatory mapping and predictive tools used to anticipate drought and protect herders’ migration routes—while warning about risks to water, biodiversity, and community rights. Chad Politics & Stability: Chad’s president pardoned opposition figures including former PM Succès Masra, a move aimed at easing tensions and improving conditions for dialogue and development.

Mining & Safety: A gold mine collapse at Zamboye near Baboua on the CAR–Cameroon border has left at least 49 dead, with witnesses and relatives saying the toll is closer to around 100; the site was temporarily shut and an investigation opened, but rescuers say they lack the equipment and expertise for disasters of this scale. Lake Chad Security & Climate Link: Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum chair Mai Mala Buni visited the LCBC and MNJTF in N’Djamena, urging stronger regional cooperation as insecurity, displacement, and climate pressures strain livelihoods across the basin. Refugees & Livelihoods: Buni also visited Nigerian refugees in Chad’s Lac Province, backing repatriation for those who want to return and pushing law-abiding work like fishing and farming to reduce dependence on aid. Policy & Environment Tech: Chadian activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim warns that AI rollouts can pressure water, land, and biodiversity, and can risk taking community-held knowledge without consent—while noting examples where AI and mapping help anticipate drought and protect herders’ routes. Governance Signal: Chad’s president pardoned opposition figures including former PM Succès Masra, a move aimed at easing political tensions that could affect how quickly the country tackles development and basic services.

Mining Disaster: In the Central African Republic, hopes of finding survivors are fading after a gold mine collapse near Zamboye killed dozens, with officials and witnesses giving sharply different death tolls; mining has been suspended and rescuers say they lack the gear for a disaster of this scale. Refugees & Lake Chad Security: Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni visited Nigerian refugees in Chad’s Lac Province, urging law-abiding behavior, reporting infiltration, and pushing fishing and farming to reduce dependence; he also backed repatriation plans via the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Regional Terror Response: Buni warned that the Multinational Joint Task Force is hampered by shortages and Niger’s withdrawal, and he urged stronger regional cooperation—tying security to climate pressures and displacement across the Lake Chad Basin. Cholera Risk in Chad Basin: UNICEF says cholera is spreading faster across west and central Africa along shared rivers and trade routes, including a Lake Chad corridor linking Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, with flooding contaminating water and sanitation. Indigenous-Led Climate Tech: A Chadian environmental activist argues AI governance must respect Indigenous knowledge, citing participatory mapping and satellite tools used to anticipate drought and protect herders’ migration routes. Chad Politics & Stability: N’Djamena urged calm after President Déby pardoned political prisoners, framing it as a step toward reconciliation—relevant for keeping humanitarian and environmental work on track.

Cholera Watch: UNICEF warns cholera is surging along west and central Africa’s rivers and trade routes, with outbreaks in six countries and a Lake Chad corridor moving between Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria—flooding and broken sanitation are accelerating spread. Lake Chad Security & Climate: Yobe Gov. Mai Mala Buni visited the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Multinational Joint Task Force in N’Djamena, urging stronger regional cooperation as insecurity, displacement, and climate pressures strain the basin and weaken counter-terror operations. Refugee Repatriation: Buni also met Nigerian refugees at the Kaya site in Chad’s Lac Province, promising support for those willing to return to Nigeria via Lake Chad Basin Commission census and documentation, while urging law-abiding behavior and reporting suspicious activity. Governance & Reconciliation: Chad’s government urged calm after President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno pardoned political prisoners, framing it as a step toward stability and dialogue. Water History: A new look at “Mega-Chad” explains how a once-massive Sahara lake vanished about 5,000 years ago, leaving today’s Lake Chad as the surviving remnant. Cross-border Crime: Nigeria repatriated a Chadian murder suspect wanted in N’Djamena after an INTERPOL-linked arrest in Kano, under police cooperation between the two countries.

Lake Chad Security: Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni met officials in N’Djamena and pledged to brief President Tinubu on what’s holding back the Multinational Joint Task Force, citing shortages of resources, equipment and manpower, plus Niger’s withdrawal from the force. He also pushed for tighter coordination between the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Governors’ Forum to sustain gains against violent extremism. Humanitarian Focus: World Humanitarian Day on 19 August spotlighted the people who keep serving amid conflict, displacement, hunger and disasters, marking the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad and celebrating ongoing humanitarian work. Chad Politics & Stability: Chad’s government urged calm after President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno pardoned political prisoners, framing it as a step toward reconciliation and a more stable environment for dialogue and development. Public Health in the Basin: UNICEF warned cholera outbreaks are spreading along shared rivers and trade routes, including a Lake Chad corridor linking Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, with flooding and disrupted sanitation driving risk for children.

Governance & Security: A new analysis challenges the “ungoverned spaces” idea across the Sahel, Horn, Lake Chad Basin and eastern Congo, arguing political space is never empty—when the state retreats, other authorities govern through different rules and incentives, shaping violence and citizenship. Regional Peace Planning: UNESCO’s Central Africa office convened a preparatory meeting for the Bujumbura Forum, stressing integrated responses to security, social, climate and humanitarian crises, including Lake Chad Basin cross-border insecurity and Great Lakes tensions affecting 10.4 million people. Chad Politics & Stability: N’Djamena urged calm after President Mahamat Idriss Déby pardoned former PM Succès Masra and eight opposition figures, aiming to ease tensions and support dialogue. Public Health in the Lake Chad Basin: UNICEF warns cholera outbreaks are spreading along shared rivers and trade routes, with a Lake Chad corridor moving between Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria as flooding contaminates water and disrupts sanitation. Climate History for Chad: A study revisits “Mega-Chad,” showing the Sahara once held a lake far larger than today’s Great Lakes—an abrupt climate shift that reshaped the region and helps explain how rainfall can transform landscapes. Cross-border Crime: Nigeria repatriated a Chadian murder suspect to N’Djamena after an INTERPOL-linked arrest in Kano.

Cholera Watch: UNICEF warns cholera is surging along shared rivers and trade routes in west and central Africa, with active outbreaks in six countries; in the Lake Chad basin it’s moving between Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, as flooding contaminates water and disrupts sanitation. Water & Climate History: A new look at “Mega-Chad” shows the Sahara once held a vast lake system far larger than today’s Lake Chad, and its disappearance highlights how fast rainfall shifts can reshape the region—relevant as modern climate swings intensify pressure on water. Health & Conflict Spillover: The same climate-and-disruption pattern is echoed by reports of conflict-driven instability across Sudan’s border regions, where fighting and displacement can worsen access to clean water and basic services. Governance & Rights: In Chad, President Mahamat Idriss Déby pardoned opposition leader Succès Masra and eight others, a move aimed at easing political tensions and supporting reconciliation. Justice Across Borders: Nigeria repatriated a Chadian murder suspect to N’Djamena after an INTERPOL-linked arrest in Kano, underscoring cross-border cooperation on serious crimes. Energy Access (Region): The Central African Republic highlighted a major solar-plus-storage project that boosted electricity capacity and cut emissions—an example of climate-linked development in the wider region.