Nigerian Army ‘Rescues 200 Girls and 93 Women’ in Strike Against Boko Haram
Nigeria’s military has claimed to have rescued 200 girls and 93 women from a notorious Boko Haram stronghold, but an army official said they were not those kidnapped from Chibok a year ago. “Troops have this afternoon captured & destroyed three camps of terrorists inside the Sambisa forest & rescued 200 girls & 93 women,” defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a text message on Tuesday, referring to the area in north-east Borno state where the Islamists have bases. Olukolade gave no indication as to how long it would take for the hostages to be identified, although an army spokesman said they were not from Chibok. The Guardian
Bodies of 400 Men, Women and Children Discovered in Nigerian Town of Damasak in Suspected Boko Haram Massacre
The badly decomposed bodies of hundreds of men, women and children have been discovered in the north-eastern Nigerian town of Damasak, in a massacre government officials suspect was carried out by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The gruesome discovery comes weeks after military forces from Nigeria and Chad launched a successful operation to free the town from the clutches of extremist militants on 9 March. Troops found the bodies of least 70 at an apparent execution site under a bridge leading out of the town shortly after. Babagana Mustapha, a local government spokesman for Damasak, told CNN a provincial government committee was visiting the area to assess the damage caused by Boko Haram’s insurgency when the bodies were discovered. The group overran the town in November. The Independent
Burundi Blocks Social Media Amid anti-Pierre Nkurunziza Protests
Messaging services including Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and Tango have been cut off in Burundi amid protests over the president seeking a third term. The regulator ordered telecoms operators to block mobile access to certain sites, reports AFP. The government has banned protests, deployed the army and shut down the main independent radio station. There have been days of protests over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to stand for re-election in June. Social media messaging services have been used to coordinate the protests which are the biggest in Burundi since the civil war ended in 2005. BBC
Burundians Fleeing to Rwanda Deepen Kigali’s Refugee Crisis
The number of Burundian refugees entering Rwanda fearing violence has topped 21,500, just a month to the June 26 presidential election. This brings the number of refugees in Rwanda from neighbouring countries to almost 100,000, a scenario observers say could create one of the most worrying refugee crisis in the region. The numbers are expected to soar as tensions and violence grip Burundi following President Pierre Nkurunziza’s party the National Council for the Defence of Democracy Forces for Defence and Democracy (CNDD-FDD) announcement that it would field him in the presidential polls on Saturday. East African
UN Chief Sends Envoy to Burundi Amid Political Unrest
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has dispatched an envoy to Burundi following deadly protests over the president’s election bid that have raised fears of a return to war. Ban condemned violence that has left at least six dead in two days and said those responsible should be held accountable, a statement from his spokesman said on Tuesday. Said Djinnit – the UN envoy for the Great Lakes region, which consists of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda – is to hold talks with President Pierre Nkurunziza, who on Saturday announced that he would run again for office as his party’s candidate. Protesters were back on the streets of Bujumbura, the capital, on Tuesday for a third day of anti-Nkurunziza demonstrations and the police chief appealed for people not to turn “protests into a rebellion”. Al Jazeera
Burundi Tells Diplomats to Stay Neutral Over Unrest
Burundi’s government told diplomats on Tuesday to stay neutral and not side with protesters who accuse President Pierre Nkurunziza of violating the constitution by announcing he will seek a third term in office. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets for a third straight day and were confronted by police firing teargas and shots in the air, as Burundi faced its worst political crisis since the end of an ethnically fuelled civil war in 2005. The United States, other Western nations and regional African countries had pushed Nkurunziza, 51, not to seek a third term. Washington said it was disappointed he was doing so and warned it would take steps against those behind any violence. “In such a situation, the Burundi government asks you to observe diplomatic neutrality,” the first deputy president, Prosper Bazombanza, told a meeting with ambassadors from the United States, Europe and African nations to discuss the crisis. Reuters
Mali Peacemaking in Danger After Rebel Attack Near Timbuktu: U.N.
Tuareg rebels shot at peacekeepers outside the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali on Tuesday in an attack that endangers the United Nations-brokered peace process, the U.N. mission in the West African country said. In another northern town, Menaka, fighting erupted anew as separatists sought to wrest it back from pro-government armed groups who had seized it the day before, the rival groups said. Mongi Hamdi, U.N. special envoy in Mali, said the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), which combines various Tuareg and Arab separatist groups, claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack on U.N. peacekeepers on Timbuktu’s outskirts. Reuters
Climate Change, Food Shortages, and Conflict in Mali
Life has never been easy in Moussa Majga’s corner of northern Mali, a desert region of leafless trees, mud huts, and roaming gunmen. For years, violence has plagued Majga’s dusty town, the scene of clashes between government forces and Tuareg-led separatists who took advantage of a 2012 coup in Mali’s capital Bamako to escalate their uprising. But today, the biggest security concern for the ageing chieftain is a new cycle of ferocious drought he blames on climate change that is ravaging his people. Al Jazeera
Over 300 Senegalese, Malian Migrants Drowned in Med
More than 300 Senegalese and Malian migrants have died in recent sinkings in the Mediterranean, their governments said on Tuesday, as pressure mounted on European nations to take action. Sorry Kaba, a foreign ministry official in Dakar, told AFP “more than 200 Senegalese perished” in the worst migrant shipwreck recorded on the sea, earlier this month. Some 1,750 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe this year, 30 times more than during the same period in 2014. At least 700 were killed on April 19 after their rickety trawler sank between Libya and southern Italy, sparking global outrage and demands for a solution. AFP on Yahoo News
Ethiopia Ponders Stiffer Penalties for Human Smuggling
Ethiopia is drafting a new law to stiffen punishments for human trafficking. The Ministry of Justice old state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate that human smuggling is increasing alarmingly. Ethiopians are among Africans who are trying to reach Europe, and dying en route. Ethiopia’s current laws stipulate prison terms ranging from five to 20 years for crimes related to human smuggling and a maximum fine of $2 500. Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Tedros Adhanom, told Parliament last week that most smugglers of Ethiopian migrants are Ethiopians. He said the smugglers have established networks in different migration routes. News 24
Guinea’s Opposition Postpones Protest
Guinea’s opposition said on Tuesday it was delaying a demonstration against the country’s disputed election timetable for a few days and widening the rally into a nationwide show of defiance. Originally planned for Thursday and limited to the capital Conakry, the “peaceful march” will now take place across the country on Monday, the coalition said in a statement. It urged activists to mount a large show of support “to express by their massive presence on roads and public places, their rejection of current practices in political, economic and social governance”. AFP on Yahoo News
Ghana President to Mediate in Togo After Opposition Cries Fraud
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, the current head of the ECOWAS West African bloc, arrived in Togo on Tuesday on a mediation mission after the opposition complained of irregularities in Saturday’s presidential vote. Mahama was accompanied by Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, who would also take part in the talks between political parties, the Togolese presidency said. Results from 11 of Togo’s 42 voting districts put President Faure Gnassingbe comfortably ahead of his opposition rivals, after he won nearly three-quarters of the valid votes counted. Togo’s main opposition candidate complained on Monday of widespread irregularities and called for the announcement of results to be halted. Reuters
Xenophobia Row Exposes Rivalry Between South Africa and Nigeria
The recall of Nigeria’s top diplomat after a spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa follows several similar spats that expose the two countries’ deep rivalry for economic and political dominance in Africa. Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa Martin Cobham said on Saturday he had been “invited” to Abuja to discuss this month’s anti-immigrant attacks in South Africa, which have killed at least seven people. Televised images of armed gangs attacking immigrants and looting foreign-owned stores in Johannesburg have sparked a backlash in Nigeria, where hundreds protested in front of shops owned by South African brands like MTN and Shoprite. South Africa’s foreign ministry on Sunday called Cobham’s recall an “unfortunate and regrettable step”, before taking a swipe at Abuja for its own record on protecting foreigners. Reuters
Anti-Foreigner Discrimination ‘Fostered in South African Schools’
A practice of denying admission to South African public schools of children without visas or whose parents are refugees from other African countries is creating a foundation for the current rash of xenophobia, critics of the practice say. Jean-Luc Ntumba from the DRC, a father of three, said he was unable to enroll his children in public schools. “They could not even give a reason why they could not take my kids,” he said in an interview with the BBC. “I’m not happy with that. Because we also have rights to education for our kids.” IPS
SADC Leaders Meet in Zimbabwe
Heads of state from the Southern African Development Community are in Zimbabwe for talks that follow the recent wave of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals in South Africa. The issue of the immigrant attacks in South Africa is not on the meeting’s official agenda, but South African President Jacob Zuma has said he wants the issue discussed. “It is our firm belief that efforts of the African Union to promote peace, stability and democracy in every corner of the continent will in the long run reduce the need for people to migrate toward South Africa or toward the south,” said Zuma. “The promoting regional integration and other economic interventions are designed to improve the economic situation in sister countries. The end result will be that the brothers and sisters will no longer need to leave their countries in search of a better life. We are preparing a report to Southern Africa Development Community, the African Union and the United Nations on the matter.” VOA
Sudan’s Bashir Threatens to Pursue Rebels Inside South Sudan Territory
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir has threatened to pursue rebels inside South Sudan territory to disarm them. The Sudanese army clashed during the weekend with Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels in South Darfur state allegedly coming from the neighbouring South Sudan. On Sunday, the Sudanese government military spokesperson, al-Sawarmi Khaled, said they crushed JEM fighters at al-Nikhara area, south of the locality of Tulus in South Darfur and inflicted on them heavy losses in lives and equipment. Sudan Tribune
With Eection Victory, Sudan’s Bashir Stands Out in a Chaotic Region
Cheers of “Allahu Akbar” (“God is Great”) erupted from members of Sudan’s ruling party as election officials announced Monday what everyone had anticipated: another term for President Omar al-Bashir. Winning 94.05% of votes cast, Mr. Bashir easily outpaced his opponents, a field of unknowns, and has another five-year mandate to add to his quarter-century in power. Most major opposition parties refused to front any candidates in protest at a lack of representation, ongoing conflicts, restrictions on press freedoms, and the jailing of activists prior to polling. Western nations dismissed the vote before the first ballots were even cast, saying conditions were not conducive to a credible election. CS Monitor
Too Many Dying in Sierra Leone as Result of Ebola Response not Virus Itself – Report
Too many people are dying in Sierra Leone not from Ebola but as a result of the response to it, according to a report on the collapse of healthcare in the west African country. Ebola has killed at least 3,900 people in Sierra Leone so far, but the epidemic has critically damaged the ability of the country’s limited healthcare system to cope with anything else, including soaring HIV and tuberculosis rates. More people are believed to have died from malaria than from Ebola, while deaths of mothers and babies in childbirth are thought to have risen significantly. Health and medical staff have been drawn away from their clinics into the Ebola response effort and the population has lost confidence in their health centres and hospitals. Attendance at clinics has plummeted by more than 70%. The Guardian
Is Kenya at War With al-Shabab?
Kenya is at war. This mantra is repeated over and over ad infinitum by government officials and pro-establishment types. At a time of military conflict, we are told, peacetime rules and conventions do not apply and we should be prepared to give up some of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution. But really, are we at war? “We are in a war against terrorists in and outside our country,” declared President Uhuru Kenyatta in December. He was, of course, referring to the confrontation with the extremist and murderous terror group, al-Shabab, which has killed hundreds of Kenyans in the last four years. Most of these deaths have come in the wake of the October 2011 invasion of Somalia, whose goal was initially proclaimed to be the pursuit of kidnappers and to push al-Shabab away from our borders. Al Jazeera
U.N. Urges New Push to Settle Western Sahara Dispute
The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday pushed Morocco and pro-independence campaigners in Western Sahara to negotiate a settlement to the decades-old dispute over the former Spanish territory. The 15-member council unanimously adopted a resolution that extended the mandate of the U.N. peace mission MINURSO and called for a “more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations.” The three African countries with seats at the council voted in favor of the resolution despite demands from the African Union that MINURSO be tasked with monitoring human rights. Angolan Ambassador Ismael Abraao Gaspar Martins said African countries supported the measure with the understanding that the United Nations will be playing “a more active role in the search for a political solution.” AFP on Al Arabiya
Shifting Poles: How Turkey is Rising as a New Power in Africa
When Turkey declared 2005 the Year of Africa, the attention of global policy analysts was mainly focused on China’s rising profile on the continent and how the supposed emerging rivalry with India for Africa’s attention was likely to play out. The first indication of Ankara’s ambitions in Africa only came three years later, when the Mediterranean state entered a strategic partnership with the African Union and later that same year the first Turkey-African Partnership Summit took place in Istanbul. A follow up summit was held in Malabo last November giving new impetus to its bid for a piece of Africa’s future. To most observers however, it was Turkish Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Mogadishu on August 19, 2011, that signalled Ankara’s bold new policy that would in a couple of years see the Turkish flag present in many African capitals. East African
Africa’s Race to $1,000,000,000,000 – And the Winner is…
Nigeria is set to be the first African country with an economy larger than $1 trillion, according to the latest projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Africa’s most populous nation, which recently held peaceful elections, revamped its gross domestic product data in 2014 and pulled ahead of South Africa to become the continent’s largest economy with a GDP of $469 billion. Between now and 2030, experts predict annual growth rates as high as 7.92% resulting in a GDP of $1.05 trillion. “A lot of Nigeria’s growth will come from agriculture and services are huge in Nigeria,” says Charles Robertson, global chief economist at Renaissance Capital. He adds that he actually expects the country’s GDP to reach $1 trillion before 2030. “Banking, retail, telecoms and Nollywood has been an explosive growth story in past couple of years.” CNN