UK, Italy to up Sahel troops
Search for Americans, Canadians
LONDON, Jan 18, (Agencies): Britain is set to send helicopters to bolster a key French counter-terrorism operation in Mali in a package of measures agreed at a summit near London on Thursday.
The commitment came as Prime Minister Theresa May met French President Emmanuel Macron at an army base near the British capital, with immigration and global aid also on their agenda.
In a separate move, Italy’s parliament on Wednesday also approved a ramped up military presence in Niger by agreeing to send an initial 120 troops with 350 more to follow as Rome looks to stem migration and people-trafficking of African migrants.
European powers are desperate to stem the flow of African migrants crossing the Mediterranean and are spooked by increased militant jihadism across the Sahel region. May announced the deployment of three RAF Chinook helicopters to provide logistic support to French troops.
The mission is focused on Mali, where the UN, EU and African Union all have military operations countering terrorism and illegal trade in people, drugs, weapons and wildlife.
“Today’s summit will underline that we remain committed to defending our people and upholding our values as liberal democracies in the face of any threat, whether at home or abroad,” May said in a statement ahead of the summit.
May
Boko Haram bombers kill 12:
Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers killed 12 people and injured 48 others in an attack on Wednesday on the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, officials from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for Borno said.
In recent weeks, Nigeria’s military has embarked on an offensive against the Islamist insurgency in the northeastern state of Borno, the epicentre for much of the conflict, which began in 2009.
That has not stopped Boko Haram’s attacks, which target both civilians and the military.
Two bombers struck a market in the Muna Garage area on the outskirts of Maiduguri late on Wednesday afternoon, the SEMA officials said.
Muna Garage is the site of a camp for displaced people and a frequent target of Boko Haram attacks.
In the wake of the attack, the smell of burned blood lingered while parts of the market were still ablaze, according to a Reuters witness.
Americans, Canadians kidnapped:
The Nigerian armed forces have joined the hunt for two Americans and two Canadians who were kidnapped in an ambush, a military source told AFP on Thursday.
Kidnappers seized the four on Tuesday evening in northern Kaduna state, shooting dead two of their Nigerian police escorts in the latest abduction targeting foreigners.
“We are on it and making some progress,” said the military source in Kaduna, on condition of anonymity.
“We have a special team now that arrived from Abuja, they have now joined with the team that are here.”
The North Americans were on private business in the state and were kidnapped near Jere, the source added.
Police said unidentified armed men seized the four on the road from the town of Kafanchan to the state capital of Abuja at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Tuesday.
UN cuts food for refugees:
Cuts in food rations for 1.5 million refugees in east Africa, due to funding shortages, could increase school dropouts, crime and malnutrition, a United Nations official said on Wednesday.
With humanitarian needs soaring around the world, donors are prioritising crises in Syria, Yemen and Bangladesh, said Peter Smerdon, the World Food Programme (WFP)’s east Africa spokesman.
As a result, refugees in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda fleeing drought and conflict have had maize, beans and vegetable oil rations cut by almost a third over the last seven months, he said.
“In my 15 years at WFP, I have never seen this number of refugees, at this time of year, having cuts to their food rations,” he said.