The Desert Locust situation is a cause of concern in Sudan as several swarms moved east across the country from Darfur to Gedaref in mid-June. Some swarms have laid eggs while others may reach or have already reached western Eritrea. Survey efforts should be intensified in both countries. Locust infestations continue to decline in the spring breeding areas in Northwest Africa. In the summer breeding areas in the Sahel in West Africa, small-scale breeding and ground control operations are underway in central Niger and groups of adults and perhaps a few swarms are present in northern Mali. Although swarms are unlikely to invade the Sahel this year, intensive survey operations should nevertheless be immediately launched in Mali, Niger and Chad and continue in Mauritania.
In the Central Region, a few more swarms appeared in western Darfur, Sudan from Chad in early June and quickly matured. Some swarms laid eggs in western and northern Darfur while others moved eastwards along the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone on 12-16 June, first appearing in western and northern Kordofan and then continuing across the Nile River to the Gedaref area in eastern Sudan. A few swarms are expected to reach the western lowlands of Eritrea. Hatching and band formation are likely to start by the end of June in Darfur. In southern Egypt, hatchlings and early instar hoppers persisted in the Nokra Valley near Aswan and solitarious immature adults were present on farms near Sh. Oweinat. No locusts were reported elsewhere in the region.
Desert Locust infestations continued to decline in the spring breeding areas in Northwest Africa. In northeast Morocco, 6 ha of small residual populations of late instar hoppers were treated near Oujda during the first decade of the month. Although locusts were not seen during recent surveys in northern and central Algeria, small-scale breeding was in progress in the south near Tamanrasset where control operations treated 1,200 ha of late instar hoppers and scattered adults during the first week of June.
In West Africa, early rains have fallen in parts of the summer breeding areas in the Sahel. In northern Mali, there was an unconfirmed report from nomads of two mature swarms appearing from the north along the border with Algeria on 1-2 June. Groups of immature adults were seen on the 6th in the Tilemsi Valley. In Niger, small-scale breeding continues near Tanout where control teams treated 172 ha of early instar hopper bands and mature adults during the first decade of June. Additional surveys are being mounted in both countries. No locusts were reported in Mauritania, Senegal or Chad.