Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa vowed to resist arrest and possible extradition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court unsealed a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016–2022 anti-drug campaign, during which thousands were killed nationwide. Dela Rosa, who served as national police chief and was a chief enforcer of the crackdown, denied ordering extrajudicial killings and insisted police operations were legitimate self-defense actions. While under protective custody inside the Philippine Senate, he appealed to supporters, military personnel, and police allies for peaceful mobilization to prevent his transfer to The Hague and urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. not to cooperate with the ICC, maintaining he would only face trial in Philippine courts. Tensions escalated in Manila as security forces, marines, and police surrounded the Senate complex amid reports of attempted arrest operations. More than a dozen gunshots were reported inside the heavily guarded compound, though no casualties were immediately reported. Senate officials alleged National Bureau of Investigation agents attempted to enter the premises and fired shots while retreating, an accusation the agency denied. Marcos later called for calm and said no government personnel had been ordered to arrest dela Rosa, who has also petitioned the Supreme Court to block any transfer to the ICC.

President Yoweri Museveni, 81, was sworn in for a seventh consecutive term, extending his rule into a fifth decade after first taking power in 1986. The inauguration ceremony in Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala was attended by regional leaders, diplomats and senior officials, with Museveni pledging continued economic growth, infrastructure development and stronger regional cooperation. His latest term follows a disputed January election in which opposition figures alleged intimidation, arrests and electoral irregularities. The ceremony also highlighted the growing prominence of Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who oversaw the military parade and is widely viewed as a potential successor.

Boko Haram militants launched an overnight assault on a military base in Chad’s Lake Chad region, killing at least 23 security personnel and wounding 26 others, according to the army. Chadian forces said they repelled the attack and began clearing operations in the surrounding area following the raid, which reportedly targeted the island locality of Barka Tolorom. President Mahamat Idriss Deby condemned the attack as Chad’s military continues to face recurring assaults by Islamist militants operating across the Lake Chad basin. Boko Haram, which originated in northeastern Nigeria, has expanded its operations into neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, with attacks on military positions in western Chad becoming increasingly frequent in recent years.

An Israeli soldier from the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion was killed, and six others were wounded in an explosive drone attack carried out by the Hizballah terrorist group against Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon. An officer and three additional soldiers were severely wounded, one soldier moderately wounded and another lightly. The attack in Taybeh marked one of several ceasefire violations amid ongoing cross-border hostilities. A helicopter that arrived to airlift the wounded was also attacked with an armed drone, which was shot at and exploded nearby without causing further casualties. The death brings to 16 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the current round of violence between Israel and Hizballah, which escalated in early March amid the war with Iran. The attack prompted immediate Israeli retaliation, with airstrikes and artillery targeting Hizballah operatives and infrastructure in the area, as both sides exchanged accusations of breaching the fragile regional truce and continued military operations despite an extended ceasefire agreement.