Communal clashes over land in South Sudan result in 38 fatalities and 52 injuries
- Conflict since Wednesday, ongoing tensions, and fear of revenge attacks reported Thursday night in a remote area.
- Violence de-escalated, but minor clashes persist in remote swampy areas, making casualty verification challenging, according to Mayom.
- Four days post gunmen attack in Abyei, an oil-rich region claimed by Sudan and South Sudan, 52 killed, including a U.N. peacekeeper, and 64 wounded.
Read more at: https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/02/38-killed-and-52-wounded-in-communal-clashes-over-land-in-south-sudan/
Somali forces are still searching for UN helicopter passengers.
- Somali forces seek passengers of captured UN helicopter, says Minister to CNN.
- Al-Shabaab seized the helicopter with eight people, including foreigners and one Somali citizen.
- Iqarus, a global medical care organization, operated the helicopter with a conflict-response crew.
- “Ayman was accountable for planning multiple lethal terrorist attacks in Somalia and nearby countries,” Aweis said.
Read more at: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/10/africa/un-helicopter-captured-al-shabaab-somalia-intl/index.html
What led to the suspension of ex-President Jacob Zuma by South Africa's ruling ANC?
- The ANC accused Zuma of insubordination, justifying his suspension citing "exceptional circumstances."
- Zuma's suspension results from ongoing disputes with President Ramaphosa, marring the party's image after decades in power.
- Despite Zuma's enduring popularity, he poses a threat to the struggling party.
Read more at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/31/why-did-south-africas-ruling-anc-suspend-ex-president-jacob-zuma
UN human rights chief condemns Mali attacks that led to the death of 50 people.
- The UN rights chief expressed shock at alleged summary executions of 25 people by Mali's army.
- Mali's vast geography, poor communication, and security challenges hinder gathering and verifying information.
- As per a senior ECOWAS official, this represents just a glimpse of the severe insecurity's impact.
Read more at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/1/un-rights-chief-decries-death-of-50-people-in-mali-attacks
Tinubu expresses concern over the stereotyping of Nigerians as cybercriminals.
- Tinubu stressed that this narrative unjustly tarnishes the reputation of law-abiding citizens in the majority.
- Deputy President Kashim Shettima presented Tinubu's speech, underscoring the absence of statistical proof linking cybercrimes to all Nigerians.
- Tinubu emphasizes that ordinary Nigerians contribute significantly to global fields, including AI and medicine.
Read more at: https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/01/tinubu-decries-stereotyping-of-nigerians-as-cybercriminals/
Tunisia wants to borrow billions from its Central Bank
- Cash-strapped Tunisia wants to take the unprecedented step of borrowing billions from its central bank to plug budget deficits and heal its economic crisis, a move that experts say could cause inflation and undermine confidence in institutions.
- In an emergency closed-door meeting, parliament's finance committee on Wednesday considered President Kais Saied 's government's request to borrow the funds after revising laws intended to guarantee the bank's autonomy.
- Mr. Saied’s government wants the central bank to directly buy up to 7 billion Tunisian dinars ($2.25 billion) of interest-free bonds to help close a budget deficit of 10 billion dinars ($3.2 billion).
https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/01/tunisia-wants-to-borrow-billions-from-its-central-bank/
Three African Juntas Leave Regional Bloc, Accusing It of ‘Inhumane’ Sanctions
Soldiers who seized power in three West African nations announced on Sunday that they would pull their countries out of their regional economic bloc.
Military juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso said they were withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, because of sanctions the group imposed in response to the coups that were carried out.
Read ahead at:https://nyti.ms/49fMDmx
Navy secures release of fishing vessel with crew of 11 Iranians, 8 Pakistanis
The Indian Navy foiled a piracy attempt on an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, FV Omaril, off the east coast of Somalia on February 2 and ensured the release of the crew — 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani nationals — along with the boat.
“Information regarding piracy attempt on fishing vessel FV Omaril was monitored on January 31. The Indian naval remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), undertaking surveillance in the area, successfully located FV Omaril, and INS Sharda, deployed for anti-piracy mission in the region, was diverted to intercept the boat,” the Navy said in a statement on Friday.
Kenyan police updates on Nairobi massive gas explosion
Early Friday (Feb.02nd) moring, Kenyan firefighters were still hosing a warehouse after a vehicle loaded with gas exploded igniting homes, vehicles and businesses in Nairobi.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police revised the death toll to a least 3 fatalities.Around 270 people were injured the assistant inspector at the scene said.
"We have around 271 people who are admitted in various hospitals in Nairobi. With Mama Lucy (hospital) having the bulk, 140 are there. The rest of the resident hospitals have various numbers, 21 were treated on site and allowed to go back to their home. We have 3 fatalities, that is as at now."
Read ahead at:
https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/02/kenya-gas-explosion-death-toll-rises-to-3/
Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts Kenyan counterpart Musalia Mudavadi
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi at the State Department Thursday to highlight the longstanding strategic partnership between the two countries.
Blinken expressed gratitude for the relationship with Kenya, "a key democratic partner," and said he looked forward to working together on bilateral issues and opportunities to address regional and global challenges
Read ahead at:
Morocco arrests 30 people suspected of trafficking newborns, report says
Moroccan authorities arrested 30 people this week in the city of Fes on multiple charges as part of a wide-ranging case involving blackmail, threats, and trafficking of newborn babies.
The North African country's state-run news agency, MAP, reported on Wednesday that the suspects — including law enforcement agents, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals — were arrested earlier this week. They are accused of working with unwed mothers to sell babies to families wishing to adopt.
Read ahead at:
UN warns of spike in killings and kidnappings across Haiti as deployment of armed force stalls
More than 2,300 people were killed, injured, or kidnapped in Haiti from October to December last year, a nearly 10% increase compared with the previous quarter, according to a new U.N. report released Thursday.
The number of killings alone spiked to more than 1,600 during the period, with officials blaming the vacuum created by the death of a powerful gang leader known as Andrice Isca for unleashing territorial fights in the Cite Soleil slum of Port-au-Prince that killed and injured nearly 270 people over roughly two weeks in late November. Isca has also been identified as Iskar Andrice and Iscar Andris.
Read ahead at:
UN experts: Terrorist threat is high in Africa conflict zones and Afghanistan, and rose in Europe
The terrorist threat from al-Qaida, the Islamic State group, and their affiliates remains high in conflict zones in Africa and in Afghanistan – and threat levels have risen in some regions including Europe, U.N. experts said in a new report.
The panel of experts said in the 23-page report that the relationship between Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and al-Qaida remains close, and unnamed member states report that "the high concentration of terrorist groups" in the country is undermining the security situation in the region.
Read ahead at:
News bits compiled and drafted by:
Swapnil Tiwari (B.A. I.R. 1st Year)
Daney Antonio Martin (B.A. I.R., 1st Year)
Manjyot Kaur (B.A. I.R., 1st Year)
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