By Rédaction Africanews and AP At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed and 23 others wounded after a deadly raid by jihadists linked to the Islamic State in the country’s northeast. Security sources say around 70 fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province stormed a military base in Cross Kauwa village in Borno State on Monday, arriving on motorcycles and launching a fierce gun battle. The attackers reportedly mobilized from a camp on Lake Chad, burning down the base, destroying 11 gun trucks and seizing mounted anti-aircraft weapons before retreating. The base lies just 24 kilometers from Baga,…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews The Aboko teaching hospital is one of a string in South Sudan that are overwhelmed, as fighting in the country rages on. It has only one surgeon, and basic resources are running thin on the ground. Dozens of people are being treated for gunshot wounds. An anonymous injured victim said, “the regime guard targeted the civilians. So because we are civilian, we are not soldiers. So even me, I don’t know how to hold a gun. I’m just a civilian. I just came from Kenya recently. So I just go there to visit the family. We just…
At least 33 miners have died in a suspected carbon-monoxide leak at a lead and zinc mine in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, witnesses have told the BBC. The tragedy is believed to have happened just before sunrise at a site outside the town of Wase run by the mining company Solid Unity Nigeria Ltd. Toxic gas is believed to have built up underground in poorly ventilated tunnels, causing the workers to collapse just before the end of their night shift. They were discovered by those reporting to work in the morning – more than 20 other miners were rescued and…
By Dominic Wabwireh with AP Catholics in Nigeria’s largest city flocked to churches on Wednesday for Ash Wednesday, beginning the 40-day Lenten season with prayers and the traditional imposition of ashes. This year’s observance coincides with the start of Ramadan, creating a rare moment of simultaneous fasting for the country’s two major faiths. At the Church of Assumption in Lagos, priests marked faithful’s foreheads with ash crosses—a ritual symbolizing mortality and repentance. “If we go through life and we’re not reminded that we are dust and we’ll get back to ash, this day serves as that reminder,” said Patricia Ku-Eworo.…
If you ate a corn on the cob, green beans or some spring onions in the UK this winter, chances are it would have come from one of two farms at the edge of the Sahara, in the north of Senegal. The West African nation is becoming an important player in the UK’s food supply. Is that a good thing? Hidden behind green leaves and thick stalks you can hear Diarra at work before you see her. The cobs of corn she’s harvesting are so abundant and the plants so tall, she’s almost lost in a sea of maize. And…
Barbara Plett Usher A UN fact-finding mission has determined that evidence of atrocities carried out during the siege and takeover of the Sudanese city of el-Fasher points to genocide. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured el-Fasher, located in the western region of Darfur, at the end of October after an 18-month blockade. It was one of the most brutal chapters in Sudan’s nearly three-year civil war and triggered widespread international outrage. This is the closest the UN has come to declaring that genocide is being carried out by RSF fighters in Darfur during the current conflict. The RSF has…
The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of over USD 666,000 (approximately RWF 970 million) from the Government of Japan to provide lifesaving food assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and returnees in Rwanda. The contribution was announced today at a ceremony in Kigali attended by Mr. Kazuya Nakajo, Ambassador of Japan to Rwanda, Mr. Ngoga Aristarque, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), and Mr. Andrea Bagnoli, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Rwanda. “We are deeply grateful to the Government and people of Japan for their generous contribution. This support will help WFP…
By Rédaction Africanews As Muslims across the world gear up to celebrate Ramadan, the Misr ElKheir charity foundation in Egypt is getting aid ready for residents living in poverty. Volunteers hope the food will ease the burden for families who are struggling to make ends meet. Mariam Zaki, a volunteer, said, “every year, I always see that Misr ElKheir during Ramadan packs Ramadan boxes every day for families in need and I’ve always wanted to be part of the volunteering team involved in this. This year, I managed to be part of the volunteering team and I came to pack…
Michael Teferi Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation. During a visit to Ethiopia, Erdogan said it could prove dangerous for a volatile region. In December, Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia more than 30 years ago. The move upset Mogadishu, which still considers Somaliland as part of its territory. Landlocked Ethiopia has yet to comment, but its plans two years ago to lease a piece of Somaliland’s coastline to build a port angered Somalia at the time – and it…
The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training today warned universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges not to misuse internationalisation as a reason for ignoring South Africa’s immigration and labour laws. The committee held a joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs to discuss the employment of foreign academics in universities and TVET colleges. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) briefed the committee on their respective roles, regulations and oversight responsibilities regarding the employment of foreign nationals. Thereafter, committee members raised serious concerns about the…