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In tonight’s edition: The UN’s aid chief meets Sudan’s army leader as the war deepens with reports of mass killings and a growing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Darfur. Also, Ghana’s government reveals what caused the helicopter crash that killed two ministers in August. And the situation for one of the world’s great forests, the Congo Basin rainforest, will be discussed at the COP30 in Brazil.

Algeria on Tuesday jailed pro-democracy activist Mohamed Tadjadit for five years on terrorism charges, in what human right groups have called an “alarming signal’ for human rights in the country. Known for his public poetry readings during Algeria’s 2019 Hirak movement, Tadjadit has been imprisoned multiple times by the Algerian authorities.

African Union Commission President Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed serious concern over an ongoing jihadist blockade in Mali, calling for “urgent international action”. For weeks, jihadists with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have imposed a fuel blockade on Mali, creating a major crisis for its once-popular ruling military junta. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, William Hilderbrandt welcomes Dr. Bruce Whitehouse, Professor of Anthropology at Lehigh University.

A military helicopter crash in southern Ghana in August, which killed eight people including the defence and environment ministers, was caused by adverse weather, limited visibility, and hilly terrain, according to an official probe. The 12-year-old helicopter was airworthy but lacked safety features, and gaps in aviation infrastructure contributed to the crash. FRANCE 24’s Justice Baidoo has more details on the investigation.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has pardoned French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal following a request from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Sansal, 81, was arrested last year and sentenced to five years for undermining national unity, charges he denied, insisting he never intended to offend Algeria or its institutions.

The international charity Save the Children is warning of widespread violence against women and children in Somalia. Just this week, a father killed his four children in an arson attack. In October, an 11-year-old girl was subject to a violent rape, and a mother was murdered along with her three daughters. According to Save the Children, these cases are not isolated, and action needs to be taken. In Perspective, we spoke to Zahra Dahir, the head of Children Protection and Gender and Social Inclusion at Save the Children.