Africa

Coup: UN demands detained Nigerien President’ release

Published

9 months ago

July 28, 2023

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Niger’s President Mohammed Buzoum, who is being held captive by military officers who have declared a coup.

After members of the president’s own guard detained him inside his offices in the capital Niamey, a group of officers from all branches of the military made the television announcement late on Wednesday.

According to news reports, the attempted coup does not have the support of the entire military, but the army chief has stated his support for the move.

In an address to reporters at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Guterres strongly condemned the attempted military takeover and the assault on the democratically elected government.

The UN backs the West African bloc ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) in their efforts to restore democracy.

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On Thursday, President Bazoum issued his own defiant tweet, saying that “the hard-won achievements would be safeguarded.” All Nigerians who value democracy and freedom will take care of it.

Guterres said he spoke with the president on Wednesday to express the UN’s complete support.

In a direct address to the coup plotters in Niger, the UN Secretary-General demanded that they stop obstructing democratic governance and respect the rule of law.

Following coups in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years, which were prompted by the rise of jihadist terrorist groups throughout the Sahel region, the secretary-general stated that the events in Niamey were part of a “disturbing trend.”

Successive unconstitutional changes of government are having terrible effects on the development and lives of civilian populations.

This is particularly glaring in countries already affected by conflict, violent extremism and terrorism, as well as the devastating effects of climate change.

The UN’s human rights chief Volker Türk tweeted that he was “shocked and distressed” by the coup attempt, adding that every step must be taken to restore constitutional order.

Related Topics:coup Nigerien President UN

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Africa

Floods kill over 200 in Kenya, cyclone approaches

Published

6 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Trends Admin

Floods kill over 200 in Kenya, cyclone approaches

The death toll from flood-related accidents in Kenya has surpassed 200 since March, the interior ministry announced Friday as a storm approached the Tanzanian coast.

Torrential rains have lashed parts of East Africa, causing flooding and landslides that have wrecked crops, buried homes, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

According to a statement from Kenya’s interior ministry, 210 people have died “due to severe weather conditions,” with 22 deceased in the last 24 hours.

More than 165,000 people had been evacuated from their homes, with 90 others missing, increasing concerns that the toll may increase further.

Kenya and adjacent Tanzania, where at least 155 people have died in flooding, are bracing for Cyclone Hidaya, which will bring heavy rain, wind, and waves to their coastlines.

Tanzanian authorities warned Friday that Hidaya had “strengthened to the status of a full-fledged cyclone” around 3:00 a.m. local time (0000GMT), about 400 kilometres (248 miles) from the southeastern city of Mtwara.

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“Cyclone Hidaya has continued to strengthen further, with wind speeds increasing to about 130 kilometres per hour,” they said in a weather bulletin.

Kenya’s interior ministry predicted that the storm would “bring strong winds and large ocean waves, with heavy rainfall,” and hit the shore on Sunday.

Since September last year, Burundi’s heavier-than-usual rains have killed at least 29 people, injured 175 others, and displaced tens of thousands, according to the United Nations.

The rains have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather pattern, a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that is normally associated with increasing temperatures worldwide, resulting in drought in some regions of the world and torrential downpours in others.

More than 300 people were killed by rains and floods in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia late last year as the area struggled to recover from its worst drought in four decades.

Cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean typically lasts from November to April and produces approximately a dozen cyclones every year.

Floods kill over 200 in Kenya, cyclone approaches

Africa

Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2024

Trends Admin

Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home

After 13 years of residing in the United States of America, a Kenyan man has expressed his strong desire to return to his homeland.

The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, reportedly relocated to the US in 2011, initially serving in the military for four years before transitioning into corporate employment.

During his time in the US, he held various positions, including a deployment in Afghanistan, and was earning a substantial salary of $12,000 per month.

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However, despite the financial security, he found himself grappling with a sense of unfulfillment, realizing that he was sacrificing his most valuable asset (time) for a pursuit that left him with little satisfaction.

In December of the previous year, he reportedly resigned from his corporate job and delve into entrepreneurship, seeking freedom and autonomy in his endeavors.

Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home

Africa

23 killed in violent clashes over cattle in South Sudan

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2024

Trends Admin

At least 23 people were killed and 44 were injured in violent clashes between different ethnic groups over cattle theft in South Sudan, a local official said on Tuesday.

Heavily armed cattle thieves attacked a village in the state of Eastern Equatoria, a local administration spokesman said.

Hundreds of cattle were stolen during the raid.

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Seven children and five women were also abducted during the attack.

Members of the Murle ethnic group were armed with machine guns and other rapid-fire weapons, he said.

The latest incident comes after other, deadly attacks relating to cattle theft in South Sudan.

Several ethnic groups in South Sudan breed cattle, with farming not only key for economic reasons and critical to prosperity, but also deeply embedded in their culture.