Africa

Suspected Jihadists attack ‘Russian camp’ in Mali

Published

1 year ago

April 22, 2023

Suspected Jihadists attack ‘Russian camp’ in Mali

Suspected jihadists attacked a military camp in central Mali on Saturday, two local elected officials and a diplomatic source told AFP, referring to the site as a “Russian camp”.

Mali’s junta in 2022 began working with what it calls Russian military “instructors”. Opponents say these are mercenaries from the Wagner group.

“We have no toll for the moment — the situation is still confused — it is jihadists who targeted the airport and the Russian camp next to it”, a local elected official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Two Malian military officials also confirmed the attack had taken place in the town of Sevare, in the Mopti region.

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Around 5:30 am (0530 GMT), four loud explosions could be heard, followed by automatic weapons fire, several people on the ground told AFP. Smoke was also seen near the airport.

“It is the Russian camp and their planes that have been targeted — the camp is near the airport”, another local official told AFP.

“The jihadists have surrounded part of the airport.”

He said that Senegalese soldiers from the UN’s mission in Mali, MINUSMA, were able to slow the jihadists’ advance.

MINUSMA’s camp covers four hectares of land next to the airport and the Malian army camp that houses the Russians.

A MINUSMA official declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

“We are facing a terrorist attack in Sevare — our men are on the ground”, a Malian military official told AFP.

“It was a complex attack that required a booby-trapped vehicle and guerrilla techniques,” another military source said.

Suspected Jihadists attack ‘Russian camp’ in Mali

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.

23 killed in violent clashes over cattle in South Sudan

(dpa/NAN)

Africa

Electricity crisis forces Energy minister to resign

Published

5 days ago

April 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Electricity crisis forces Energy minister to resign

Following weeks of disruption, electricity supply has been finally restored in most cities across Sierra Leone after a part payment was made for the $48m (£38m) utility bill it owed to a Turkish company, Karpowership.

The payment of the sum of $18m comes as the country’s energy minister, Kanja Sesay announced his exit from government, saying he took full responsibility for the crisis.

Most electricity supplies to the capital, Freetown, is generated from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast.

Last week, Karpowership said it had severely cut supplies to the city, from 60 megawatts to 6 megawatt, citing backlog of unpaid bills.

Residents of the country’s main cities have been going for days on end without any power and hospitals have also been affected.

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At least one infant has died because of a lack of power, while medics have been using mobile phones to provide light as they carry out procedures, Reuters news agency quotes a doctor as saying.

“How do you iron your clothes, how do you make your food, how do you go to sleep? We pay our electricity bills so I don’t see why we should be forced to live like this,” BBC quoted a second-year engineering student in Freetown, Fatmata Gassim as saying.

Following the resignation of Sesay, the office of President Julius Maada Bio said the energy ministry would now fall under the direct supervision of the president.

Karpowership previously cut supplies to Sierra Leone in September over unpaid bills.

It is one of the world’s biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.

In October, it briefly cut power to Guinea-Bissau, saying it had no option “following a protracted period of non-payment”.