OkayAfrica has scoured the Internet for today’s major news stories, so you don’t have to. On June 12, coverage includes: a multi-million-dollar bounty announced by an al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group for information leading to Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goïta; a newly enacted penal code that introduces prison terms for LGBTQIA+ people in Niger; and more. 

Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening on the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page, with stories from across the regions.

Mali’s al Qaeda-linked militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has offered millions of euros for information on the whereabouts of transitional president Assimi Goïta and two senior military officials. The announcement comes after Mali’s government issued its own rewards for information leading to the capture of JNIM leader Iyad Ag Ghaly and other militant commanders, underscoring escalating tensions between the junta and insurgent groups.

What to Know:

 • JNIM offered €2 million ($2.3 million) for information leading to Assimi Goita.
• The group also offered €1 million each for information on Colonel Lassina Diallo and General Malik Dicko.
• The rewards were announced in a statement shared by SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity.
• JNIM described Mali’s government as an illegitimate authority.
• The offer follows intensified fighting in northern Mali after al Qaeda-linked attacks in April that killed the country’s defense minister.

Niger’s military-led government has enacted a new penal code that criminalizes same-sex relationships, introducing prison sentences of five to 10 years and fines for people found guilty of what the law describes as LGBTQIA+ acts. The law, which took effect yesterday, Thursday, June 11, also extends penalties to people involved in organizing or witnessing same-sex marriages, making Niger the latest African country to adopt stricter anti-LGBTQ legislation.