ECOWAS Summit in Focus: Nigeria’s VP Kashim Shettima has arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to represent President Tinubu at the 69th ECOWAS mid-year summit, where leaders are set to push decisions on peace, security, trade, integration and appoint a new ECOWAS Commission head. Sahel Security: Mali says rebels ambushed an army convoy in the Gao region, killing or capturing scores of soldiers, with JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front claiming joint responsibility. Borno School Attack Foiled: Nigerian forces repelled an ISWAP attempt to abduct students at a school used as a temporary hostel in Monguno; 46 students were rescued, though some were killed in the firefight. Humanitarian Health: DR Congo’s Ebola toll has risen to 864 deaths and 2,181 confirmed cases as surveillance and contact tracing intensify across affected provinces. Cyber Risk: Kenya temporarily shut down its presidential website after a ransomware attack, with reports of hackers demanding payment in bitcoins. Climate Pressure: A new study warns Saharan dust is hitting the Canary Islands on about 146 days a year, as calima events become more frequent. Regional Migration Tensions: Nigeria and Ghana condemned anti-immigrant violence in South Africa and are pushing for an AU debate on “Afrophobia.” War Recruitment Alert: Botswana warns of an alarming rise in citizens being fraudulently recruited to fight for Russia.