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Kenyan prosecution welcomes detention of UK ex-soldier over woman's murder

Kenyan prosecution welcomes detention of UK ex-soldier over woman's murder

by AFP Staff Writers
Nairobi (AFP) Nov 8, 2025

Kenya's prosecution service on Saturday welcomed the detention of a British ex-soldier accused of murdering a woman in the east African country more than a decade ago.

Robert James Purkiss, 38, was remanded in custody by a judge after being arrested on Thursday, Britain's National Crime Agency said in a statement.

Purkiss is wanted in Kenya on suspicion of killing 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru in 2012, in a case that has caused diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The body of the young mother was found in a septic tank two months after she reportedly went partying with British soldiers at a hotel in Nanyuki, a town in central Kenya where Britain has a permanent army garrison.

Kenya's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) welcomed the "significant development" in a statement on X, adding it was a result of an "extensive and coordinated effort" between the British and Kenyan authorities.

The ODPP "reiterates its unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for Agnes Wanjiru and her family, in collaboration with international partners, to ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable", the statement added.

In September, a Nairobi High Court judge issued an arrest warrant for Purkiss, with local prosecutors saying extradition proceedings would be initiated to bring him before a Kenyan court.

Purkiss appeared in court on Friday, saying he did not consent to being extradited, the Press Association news agency reported.

The judge rejected his application for bail and ordered him to appear before the court again on November 14.

Sudan army says intercepts drone attack on key southern city
Port Sudan, Sudan (AFP) Nov 8, 2025 - The Sudanese army intercepted Saturday a drone attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces on the key southern city of El-Obeid, a military source told AFP, two days after the paramilitary group said it agreed to a US-backed truce proposal.

The RSF, at war with the army since April 2023, appears to be preparing for an offensive to seize the army-controlled city, less than two weeks after it captured the city of El-Fasher -- the last army stronghold in the western Darfur region.

"The air defence system today shot down a drone launched by the RSF militia towards the city," said the military source, who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to brief the media.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, sits on a key supply route linking the Sudanese capital Khartoum to Darfur.

The fall of El-Fasher gave the RSF control of all five state capitals in the vast western region, in addition to parts of the south.

The army controls most of Sudan's north, east and centre.

El-Fasher's takeover was accompanied by reports of mass killings, sexual violence and looting, drawing international condemnation.

On Thursday, the RSF said it had agreed to a truce proposal put forward by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

But the United Nations warned the following day of "clear preparations for intensified hostilities" in Sudan, "with everything that implies for its long-suffering people".

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 12 million and triggered a hunger crisis.

Both sides have been accused of committing atrocities over the course of the war.

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