Presenter Newsday @bbcworldservice. Sudans book A Poisonous Thorn in our Hearts in link. Ex-BBC Correspondent in Sudans, Ivory Coast, Morocco. Usual disclaimers

Joined October 2011
Over 6,500 Detainees in El Geneina Amid Concerns Over Food Shortages and Deteriorating Health Conditions Documented information obtained by the Sudan Doctors Network reveals that more than 6,500 individuals, including military personnel and civilians, are being held at various detention sites in El Geneina, West Darfur State. Among them are 709 women and approximately 500 children under the age of 18. whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vai… #Sudan_Doctors_Network
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It was a pleasure hearing the thoughts of @Olara_Otunnu - one of the leading contenders to be the next UN Secretary General. Link to the full interview in the replies
Thank you to @JamesCopnall and the @BBC team for hosting me. In case you missed it, here's my conversation with #TheInterviewBBC where I speak about bridging the gap between international politics and the needs of local people around the world. “I do not want the United Nations of New York, Geneva or Vienna to be an ivory tower, a diplomatic ivory tower. I want to see the UN not of power and privilege, but the UN of service and impact. That is the UN I want to see" bbc.com/audio/play/w3ct8klv #OlaraOtunnu4UNSG #NextSG
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James Copnall retweeted
People are coming home! 2.5M people already returned to Khartoum 🇸🇩 Overall 4.7M returned nationwide but access to shelter, water, healthcare, education, and livelihoods remains critical. Collaborative effort is required to sustain the return. More: data.unhcr.org/en/documents/…
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James Copnall retweeted
Today's quick update [Oct 8]: - Clashes between SAF and RSF reported in Jebel Kadom and Um Darfa, Blue Nile State. #KeepEyesOnSudan
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James Copnall retweeted
#Ethiopia 🇪🇹 says “invaded” by Eritrea 🇪🇷 and left with “no other option but to defend itself” in a letter sent to UN Security Council on Wednesday. Acc to a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the FM Gedion said 🇪🇷 poses a “grave threat” to 🇪🇹’s national security.
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James Copnall retweeted
Extraordinary reporting here on the RSF’s potential unravelling - from Mada Masr which has been exceptional on covering Sudan in general
على مدى ما يقارب أربع سنوات من الحرب، ظل سؤال واحد يشغل قيادة «الدعم السريع»: كيف يمكنها أن تفرض تحديًا جللًا على مركز الحكم التاريخي في الخرطوم؟ بالنسبة للإخوة دقلو، كان ذلك يتطلب مكاسب عسكرية، غير أنه كان يحتاج كذلك إلى تجاوز النموذج التاريخي لحركة التمرد القادمة من هوامش الدولة، وهو ما استدعى قبضة تزداد إحكامًا على السلطة. خلال الأشهر الستة الماضية، تحدث «مدى مصر» إلى مصادر في قيادة «الدعم السريع»، ومستشارين سابقين، وأعضاء في الإدارات الأهلية في دارفور، ومصادر مقربة ممن انشقوا إلى صفوف الجيش، ليرووا لنا قصة محاولة آل دقلو بناء مركز ثقل بديل في غربي السودان، وكيف بدأ ذلك الثقل نفسه يزعزع كل ما حوله. storage.googleapis.com/madam…
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James Copnall retweeted
Reuters gains access to #Eritrea. Tightly controlled internet access is sparse and slow. Few people bother staring at phones. Young people drink unlabeled bottles of beer from the state-owned factory. Almost no cars can be seen on the streets amid severe government fuel rationing, save a few battered taxis.
The Iran war has made Eritrea's Red Sea coast more strategically important, and the country says it's now ready to open up. Reuters got access to one of the world's most secretive countries reut.rs/4zA8emT
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James Copnall retweeted
WFP strongly condemns an aerial attack that hit two contracted trucks carrying WFP food commodities in South Kordofan on Saturday, 3 October 2026. One driver was killed in the air strike. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Full statement:
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A great writer (and much more) passes on. Rest in peace Cheikh Hamidou Kane
Un monument s’est éteint. Un baobab, un grand témoin et acteur de l’histoire du Senegal . De L’Aventure ambiguë aux Gardiens du Temple, Cheikh Hamidou Kane a su saisir les profondeurs de l’homo senegalensis et de la société sénégalaise, ses contradictions, ses questionnements et son rapport complexe a soi et au monde. À travers ses œuvres, il a su insuffler en nous la fierté face à l’aliénation, la curiosité intellectuelle, mais aussi la fierté d’appartenir à un terroir riche de traditions, de valeurs et de conventions. Un Sénégalais comme on voudrait tous l’être est parti. Merci, Cheikh Hamidou Kane pour tout ce que vous nous avez transmis. #Cheikhhamidoukane #senegal #lagranderoyale
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James Copnall retweeted
“Never again.” That was the promise after the 2014–16 West Africa Ebola epidemic killed more than 11,000 people A decade, several Ebola outbreaks and a global pandemic later, what have we really learned? Our new @BBCWorldService documentary is out today: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct9c…
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James Copnall retweeted
Benjamin Daniel spent seven days dancing in Nigeria in a bid to break the Guinness World Record for the longest individual dance marathon. The 33-year-old exceeded his target, dancing an extra nine hours. Guinness World Records is reviewing his application.
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James Copnall retweeted
President Kiir is dismantling South Sudan’s unity government to lock in power. Whether he calls snap elections or pushes another extension, the endgame is the same: entrenching rule for himself and his family. My latest for @CrisisGroup: crisisgroup.org/anb/africa/s…
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I didn’t realise @oluwashina was filming my game this week
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James Copnall retweeted
#Guinée | Sidya Touré, ancien Premier ministre et figure politique majeure, est décédé à 81 ans Sidya Touré, ancien Premier ministre guinéen et président de l’Union des forces républicaines (UFR), est décédé à Paris, selon une annonce publiée tard dans la soirée du vendredi 25 septembre 2026 par des médias locaux. Né en 1945, il aura marqué pendant trois décennies la vie politique guinéenne. Économiste de formation, Sidya Touré rentre en Guinée dans les années 1990, après une longue carrière en Côte d’Ivoire. Le 9 juillet 1996, Lansana Conté le nomme Premier ministre. Il dirige le gouvernement jusqu’en mars 1999, avant de rejoindre durablement la vie politique. En mai 2000, il prend la présidence de l’UFR, dont il restera le principal dirigeant. Il est candidat aux élections présidentielles de 2010 et de 2015. Sous la présidence d’Alpha Condé, Sidya Touré occupe également une fonction institutionnelle au sommet de l’État. En janvier 2016, il est nommé Haut représentant du chef de l’État, un poste qu’il quitte en décembre 2018. Après la prise du pouvoir par les militaires en septembre 2021, son rapport aux nouvelles autorités se dégrade. En février 2022, il est contraint de quitter sa résidence de La Minière, à Conakry, dans le cadre de la récupération de biens par le Patrimoine bâti de l’État. Il quitte les lieux le 28 février et s’installe par la suite en Côte d’Ivoire, où il vivra en exil. En mai 2025, malgré son absence du pays, il est reconduit à la tête de l’UFR pour un nouveau mandat de cinq ans. Le parti est finalement dissous par les autorités guinéennes le 6 mars 2026, avec 39 autres formations politiques, dont l’UFDG de Cellou Dalein Diallo et le RPG-AEC d’Alpha Condé. Avec sa disparition, la Guinée perd l’une des figures politiques de la génération qui a accompagné l’avènement du multipartisme et qui aura traversé plusieurs séquences majeures de la vie politique nationale, sous les présidences de Lansana Conté et d’Alpha Condé, puis après le coup d’État de septembre 2021.
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I was really sad to hear of Mark Doyle’s death. I worked with him in Freetown and elsewhere, & it was impressive how much effort and skill and knowledge he put into the work, and how he loved Sierra Leone (and other parts of the continent). May he rest in peace.
The sad news of the passing of Mark Doyle is heartbreaking. I spent years listening to unique voice over the #BBC. May his precious soul rest in eternal peace. @JamesCopnall
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A big tree has fallen. I worked with Mark for many years across west Africa. In fact, I was with Mark in Accra, Ghana, on the very day passenger planes flew into skyscrapers in New York on September 11th. So many memories. May his rest in peace. bbc.com/news/articles/cq9862…
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James Copnall retweeted
BREAKING 🚨- the U.S. is denying Burhan’s visa to the UN General Assembly, tying it to his agreement of a 90 day ceasefire. Burhan rejects the condition and Sudan has complained to the UN which says it is pushing the U.S. to grant entry. reuters.com/world/africa/us-…
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Today 22 Sept. 2026 marks a consequential moment in S.Sudan’s transition. With just 3 months to the scheduled general elections, RJMEC urges all Parties to uphold the R-ARCSS, safeguard the peace gains, remain committed to a credible, inclusive transition. bit.ly/4cWOvVx
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