MOMBASA, Kenya — Every morning at the Tides Inn, a waiter trudges down from the restaurant to the beach with a huge blackboard advertising the daily specials — deep-fried fish and masala prawns, pepper steak and pizza, all listed in chalk and illustrated with cute drawings.
But nobody ever comes by, not even for a gander.
Up and down the Kenyan coast, it is the same picture. Tables sit empty, dance floors are deserted, crates of Tusker beer collect dust. The fabled white sand beaches along Kenya’s perch on the Indian Ocean have become ghost towns with palm trees.
“It’s the worst time anyone can remember,” said Dhiren Shah, the Tides Inn’s owner.
Kenya’s coastal tourism is collapsing, and part of the reason — a big part of the reason, Kenyan officials say — is Western travel warnings issued after a round of violence last summer in a remote coastal area. The American warning is perhaps the strictest, barring embassy personnel from setting foot anywhere on the coast, unless special permission is granted. It also warns tourists of possible “suicide operations, bombings — to include car bombings — kidnappings, attacks on civil aviation, and attacks on maritime vessels in or near Kenyan ports.”
Photo
Souvenir vendors with their merchandise this month on Bamburi beach near Mombasa, Kenya, hoping for sales to tourists. Credit Ivan Lieman for The New York Times
Kenyan officials are incensed, saying that the coast is hardly a raging war zone and that the Western travel warnings amount to “economic sabotage,” scaring away travelers who rely on government advisories to explain which places are safe and which are not. Worse, many Kenyans contend, and even some diplomats say, these warnings could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The logic goes like this: A major reason for the travel advisories is the string of terrorist attacks that Kenya has suffered over the last three years, including some on the coast. But by contributing to the collapse of the coastal tourism industry, the travel warnings may simply be increasing the joblessness, idleness, poverty, drug use and overall desperation — all well-known kindling for terrorist activity — in an already depressed slice of Kenya.
“The weakening of the coastal economy is aggravating the very problem we were trying to combat,” said one American official in Nairobi who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Within the legions of young men now out of work on Mombasa’s streets, several acknowledged the temptations of militant groups.
“They came to me offering work,” recalled Fahmy Omar Nassir, a former heroin addict in Mombasa. Heroin is becoming another serious problem on the coast, with tens of thousands now addicted.
Mr. Nassir said that a few years ago, a separatist group called the Mombasa Republican Council recruited him to a secret training camp in the bush under the ruse of giving him money for heroin. He stayed a month, but after realizing he was not going to be paid much, he escaped.
“If you give me money, I will follow you,” he said.
He also said that several of his unemployed friends had been lured into the Shabab, a Somali terrorist group that has killed scores in Kenya.
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American officials said that they were fully aware of the woes on the coast but that local economic consequences were not part of the travel warning calculus.
“It’s strictly our view of the security and safety situation,” said Philip Skotte, director of the American citizen services office at the State Department.
Still, some American officials in Kenya wonder if their own government has overreacted, with possibly dangerous unintended consequences. Other Western nations — Italy, France, Britain and Sweden, for instance — have formulated more nuanced travel warnings, highlighting certain hot spots without drawing a giant red X across Kenya’s entire coast, which is about 300 miles long and home to millions of people.
“Our policy doesn’t make much sense,” said the American official in Nairobi. “There are neighborhoods in Washington, Anacostia, for example, that are way more dangerous than Nyali or Diani,” he said, citing two relatively quiet Kenyan beach towns.
Several aid officials said the travel warnings might be undermining the work the American government had been doing in Mombasa to combat violent extremism, a White House priority.
The American government spent millions of dollars in coastal Kenya in 2013 and 2014 on programs that included facilitating workshops with moderate imams, supporting community peace-building efforts and helping youths get national identification cards — a necessity to land a salaried job in Kenya but something many young men on the coast lacked because of a history of marginalization. Many of those programs have since stopped.
Experts argue that youth unemployment is a primary driver for radicalization. And in normal times, the Kenyan coast has an answer for this: an impressive job-creating machine — the tourism industry — that cranks out opportunities for thousands of young people, from hotel clerks to maids, chefs, drivers, mechanics and computer engineers.
But the perception that the coast is off limits has left that job machine sputtering, with many hotels at 5 to 15 percent occupancy and more than 20,000 people laid off.
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RECENT COMMENTS
Emily 2 days ago
I had $600 stolen out of a locked safe at one of Mombasa's European-focused resorts (I was there for work, chose that location for supposed...
Kat 2 days ago
Kenya has always been on my bucket list & nothing in this article...or recent news reports...has led me to change my mind. There are parts...
Heather 2 days ago
This article misses the larger point. Acts of terror (which terrorists may carry out for a few thousand dollars) have the ability to cost...
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“We have no desire to do any economic damage to Kenya,” said Robert F. Godec, the American ambassador to Kenya, adding that he questioned the impact of the travel warnings. Other factors, he said, including news media coverage of the recent terrorist attacks, had contributed to the coast’s slump.
While Kenya has long had a spotty record on public safety, with a corrupt police force and rampant street crime, it does not seem that the beach towns are any more perilous than the capital, Nairobi, where there are no travel restrictions on American Embassy personnel, except to a Somali neighborhood few expatriates ever visit anyway.
Kenya’s two worst terrorist attacks — the bombing of the American Embassy in 1998 and the siege of the Westgate mall in 2013 — both happened in Nairobi. The capital is also considered the most dangerous part of the country for muggings, carjackings and gangland-style killings, like the recent ambush of a prominent lawmaker who was shot and killed by masked men in the heart of downtown.
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But many observers say all the factors are lining up for the ailing coast to become more volatile. Already there has been a spike in break-ins and holdups, along with some brazen attacks, like a machete raid on a military barracks. And the coast, which is predominantly Muslim, has been historically neglected, often viewed by other Kenyans with suspicion and disdain.
Since independence, Kenya’s central government has been controlled by “wabara,” the upcountry people, who have also appropriated some of the best coastal land. Even today, many coastal tourism operators say the Kenyan government seems deaf to their plight, perhaps overconfident that recent oil discoveries in Kenya’s north would be the magic bullet for the country’s economy. Now that global oil prices have crashed, that strategy seems flawed.
Out on the beach, it is not uncommon to see a pack of 10 to 15 aging beach boys padding after a single tourist, offering boat rides, camel rides, fresh fish, the desperation shining in their eyes.
John Kazungu, a “beach operator,” has been doing this for years. He built a house from the crumpled bills pressed into his hands by mzungus, or foreigners.
On a recent afternoon, Mr. Kazungu zeroed in on a heavyset mzungu strolling down the beach who shook his head at Mr. Kazungu’s offers and then whirled around violently, jerking both his hands up, palms out, as if to say “Stop it!”
Mr. Kazungu walked away dejected.
“No mzungu, no money,” he said.
He then disappeared down a soft, white, deserted strip of sand that almost anywhere else would have qualified as paradise.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
LGBT activists in Cameroon face threats and violence
In Cameroon, where a homosexual act can get you six months to five years in prison, people defending members of the gay community are now being targeted as well.
A report by the international human rights group Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’homme (FIDH) released on Wednesday shows that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community’s allies and defenders face grave dangers in the West African country.
LGBT activists say they are in danger of arbitrary arrests, having their homes burned, burglaries and “violent deaths”. They also also say that they cannot rely on the police for protection.
Entrapped and imprisoned
Intimidation is one of the primary methods used to target activists, who are regularly threatened by anonymous messages via SMS or Facebook.
Michel Togué, a lawyer who has defended members of the LGBT community, says that even his children have been threatened. One message he received said that if he didn’t stop “defending homo ideas” he might find himself “at the bedside of his dying children”. This was sent with an image of his children, photographed walking home from school.
A member of the ACODEVO association, which seeks to repeal anti-gay laws and defend “poor and vulnerable communities”, was the victim of an entrapment scheme in 2013. After receiving an SMS from a man and setting up a meeting, he was condemned to one year in prison for planning a “tentative homosexual act”.
Sometimes, it is more than just threats. The director of the human rights advocacy group REDHAC, Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, received death threats while her niece, who lives with her, was sexually assaulted and tortured by a group of armed men. Previously, unidentified assailants had also tried to kidnap Ngo Mbe’s son from his school.
At first it was primarily activists who were threatened and assaulted. Now, more and more lawyers are being targeted. Out of 2,500 practicing lawyers in Cameroon, only four or five are willing to defend homosexuals. And those who do are often stigmatised by their peers, the FIDH report said.
'The mama of queers'
But despite the noxious atmosphere, activists like Alice Nkom, a lawyer and the founder of theAssociation de Defense des Homosexuel-les (Association for the defense of gay men and women), continue to fight for LGBT rights.
“I am under constant security,” Nkom, 70, told FRANCE 24. She said that she no longer risks walking in the street, but doesn’t plan to leave her country.
“I made arrangements," she said. "I have a security contract with a company, because the state doesn’t ensure my safety."
Her complaints to the police are never followed up. But despite the threats, Nkom, a grandmother, said that she is not intimidated.
“If I was afraid, I would have stopped,” she said. “I got myself in this battle knowing the risks…I defend the indefensible.”
One of Nkom’s most notable clients was one of Cameroon's leading gay rights activists, Roger Jean-Claude Mbédé, who was condemned to three years in prison for homosexuality before dying sequestered in his home.
“Recently on a television show, they accused me of being the 'mama of queers'. They said I was sent by the West to pillage Africa,” said Nkom, laughing.
The first black woman to succeed at passing the bar exam in Cameroon, Nkom openly denounces the hypocrisy of her government. “In my career of 47 years, I've defended many criminals, but I was never threatened for that,” she said.
International help
Nkom says she hasn’t lost hope and she is confident that she will “win the battle”, with the help of the international community. “If I did not have outside help, they would have already killed me,” she said. In 2013, Nkom won the German branch of Amnesty International’s human rights prize.
She will continue with the support of her family and said that she hopes to see future generations continue the work.
“Everyone in my family is behind me. The new generation is sensible to these questions. My grandson wants to one day take over for me, and he has begun taking aikido lessons so he can defend himself,” she said.
Other activists speak of the importance of “outside help”. The report by FIDH highlights international media that transmit information that local media cannot. Cameroonian journalist Alex Gustave Azebaze says he learned of the murder of philosophy student Eric Ohena Lembebe, who was found with a broken neck and feet after sending a "love text" to another man, from “buzz from the outside" – that is, from RFI (Radio France Internationale), FRANCE 24 and international humanitarian organisations.
In July of 2013, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the minister of communication in Cameroon, said the following in response to Lembebe’s death:
“First of all, there is no state plot, nor social plot in Cameroon, which is directed against homosexuals… These acts can be committed against either heterosexual or homosexual individuals. It is firstly a safety issue, which is naturally the responsibility of the state to solve.”
However, many say that the government does not work to protect members of the LGBT community but rather to intimidate them.
And, Azebaze says, the press is often hesitant to write about such a sensitive subject. “Here the press has written few articles, because they are in an ambivalent position. If the subject irritates those in power, they don’t dare intervene.”
Obama nominates first ambassador to Somalia since 1991
US President Barack Obama has nominated a career diplomat to be the first US ambassador to Somalia in nearly 25 years, filling a post that has been vacant since the Horn of Africa country collapsed into chaos in 1991.
Obama on Tuesday tapped Foreign Service veteran Katherine Simonds Dhanani for the job, which will be based in neighboring Kenya until security conditions permit the embassy in the Somali capital of Mogadishu to reopen, the State Department said.
Dhanani, currently director of regional and security affairs in the department's Africa bureau, has previously served in India, Mexico and Guyana, and has significant African experience, having been posted in Zimbabwe, Gabon, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.
The State Department said the nomination is a sign of the US commitment to Somalia.
“This historic nomination signals the deepening relationship between the United States and Somalia,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. “It also allows us to mark the progress of the Somali people toward emerging from decades of conflict. Somalia has considerable work ahead to complete its transition to a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous nation.”
Somalia has been ravaged by conflict and instability since the ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre 24 years ago, despite the formation of successive governments that have been plagued by civil strife, piracy and political uncertainty.
The current government continues to battle the al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab militant group, which has staged attacks around east Africa and earlier this week threatened shopping malls in the United States and other Western nations.
Al Shabaab controlled much of Mogadishu during the years 2007 to 2011, but was pushed out of Somalia's capital and other major cities by African Union forces.
Despite major setbacks in 2014, al Shabaab continues to wage a deadly insurgency against Somalia's government and remains a threat in Somalia and the East African region.
The group has carried out many attacks in Somalia and in neighboring countries, including Kenya, whose armies are part of the African Union troops bolstering Somalia's weak UN-backed government.
The US Embassy closed in 1991 when Somalia's government collapsed in civil war. The situation quickly deteriorated, prompting the deployment of a US-led UN peacekeeping mission.
American troops withdrew from Somalia in 1994, months after the humiliating “Black Hawk Down” debacle when Somali militiamen shot down two US helicopters. Eighteen US soldiers were killed in the battle, which marked the beginning of the end of that US military mission to bring stability.
Somali president survives mortar attack
Mogadisgu - At least three mortars landed inside Somalia's heavily fortified presidential palace compound on Thursday, a Somali police officer said. A number of people were wounded in the attack that was claimed by Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab through the group's radio station, Andulus.
Liberia schools reopen after six-month Ebola closure
Teachers trained to implement and monitor safety measures, with soap and other hygiene materials distributed.
Many schools in Liberia have reopened after a six-month closure caused by the deadly Ebola outbreak.Monday's move comes a day after the leaders of Liberia and Sierra Leone vowed to eradicate the virus, which has killed more than 9,000 people, mainly in West Africa, by mid-April.
Video: Chadian army clashes with Boko Haram in Nigeria
Backed by helicopters and armoured vehicles, the Chadian army clashed with Boko Haram militants Tuesday in the Nigerian town of Dikwa. It was the furthest Chad's army has ever ventured into neighbouring territory in its fight against the Islamists.
http://www.france24.com/en/20150219-video-chadian-army-clashes-with-boko-haram-nigeria/
The Chadian army said it lost two soldiers and killed 117 Boko Haram militants in the fighting, which took place 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of the Cameroonian border.
In the past two weeks Chad, Cameroon and Niger, all of which have been targeted in recent attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, have joined Nigeria in launching military counter-offensives. The US Army is also providing equipment and intelligence in the fight.
Nigerian forces said on Wednesday that they had killed more than 300 Boko Haram militants since the start of the week as part of a massive operation to recapture 11 towns and villages.
Goodluck Jonathan visits site of Boko Haram massacre
With just one month to go ahead of March 28 elections, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan visited the scene of a Boko Haram massacre in the northern city of Baga on Thursday and vowed that the insurgency would soon be over.
But the Islamist insurgency gave a fresh indication of the scale of the task, with three separate bombings in the country's religiously tense central region and restive northeast that left dozens of people dead.
The bombings raised fears of a renewed wave of attacks against vulnerable targets in urban centres, as troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon make gains against the militants in rural areas.
Jonathan's visit to Baga, where hundreds of people, if not more, are feared to have been killed, came after his main election opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, accused him of a lack of leadership in the crisis.
The head of state, accompanied by military top brass and his national security advisor, told reporters in the Borno state capital Maiduguri after the trip that he wanted to see the devastation first hand.
"I went... to visit communities devastated by the excesses of Boko Haram," he said. "I just went to see things for myself."
Jonathan and his administration have been widely criticised for failing to stop the violence, which has seen Boko Haram seize territory in the northeast and attack neighbouring countries.
Presidential elections scheduled for February 14 were delayed for six weeks as the military said the ongoing counter-offensive meant that troops could not provide security on polling day.
Boko Haram has threatened to disrupt the elections with an upsurge in violence. In a video posted online last week, Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau said: "This election will not be held even if we are dead. Even if we are not alive, Allah will never allow you to do it."
But Jonathan and his government maintain that major gains will be made by the new election date, March 28, to allow voting to take place.
On Wednesday, the head of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah told troops in Baga after its recapture at the weekend: "The war is almost ended."
Multiple attacks
Jonathan this week claimed the "tide had turned" against Boko Haram, whose battle for a hardline Islamic state has left more than 13,000 people dead and some 1.5 million others homeless.
On Thursday, he said he was still "very hopeful this time around that the journey to end (the) Boko Haram insurgency... will soon get to an end".
But 18 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowded bus station in the town of Biu, southern Borno, while a second bomber was shot dead before he could detonate his explosives.
Hours later, assailants threw explosives from a moving car as they sped through a bus station in the central city of Jos, killing five.
The blasts came after 51 people were killed in two separate bombings on Tuesday in Kano, the north's biggest city, and Potiskum, the commercial capital of Yobe state.
With all the explosions at bus stations, the government issued a warning for increased vigilance, as well as at parks, schools and mosques.
"Fugitive terrorists" were "now resorting to attacking soft targets in the face of the onslaught unleashed by the military forces", said National Information Centre spokesman Mike Omeri.
Buhari pledge
Meanwhile, the main opposition presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari vowed to "lead from the front" in the fight against Boko Haram if elected.
In a speech at the Chatham House international affairs institute in London, the former military ruler said Jonathan had failed to show leadership against Boko Haram.
"Our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentive to tackle this problem. Let me assure you that if I'm elected president, I vow to change that," he added.
"We will give them adequate modern arms and ammunition, we will improve intelligence gathering... we will be tough on terrorists and tough on its root causes... in the affected areas."
"No inch of Nigerian territory will ever be in the hands of the enemy," Buhari pledged.
Critics have accused Jonathan and his ruling party of enforcing a delay to the vote to give them more time to seize back the momentum from Buhari and the main opposition.
Buhari said that any further postponement would be unconstitutional and "will not be tolerated".
Instead, he said free, fair and peaceful elections could "trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa" and help to strengthen democracy in Nigeria.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Suicide bombing in northeast Nigeria kills 19, residents say
Use of suicide bombers has become a common tactic of Boko Haram since last year as the group expanded territory
A suicide bombing in the northeast Nigerian town of Biu killed about 19 people and injured 17, a day before the president made a visit to another town in another state hit by violence.
The bodies and remains of the victims were brought to the hospital in the town in Borno state after Wednesday's attack, said Nasiru Buhari, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), formed by residents to fight against Boko Haram — the armed insurgent group that controls large parts of Borno.
The suicide bomber may have been heading toward Biu’s market, but could not get past security points set up by the Civilian JTF, witnesses said.
A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press, confirmed the bombing. The use of suicide bombers has become a common tactic of Boko Haram since last year as the group expanded its territory and became stronger and more deadly.
On Thursday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan made an unannounced visit to Mubi in the northeastern Nigerian state of Adamawa. The Nigerian military reclaimed Mubi in November after Boko Haram fighters had seized it in October, renaming the town "Madinatul Islam," meaning "City of Islam."
The president met with soldiers and the traditional ruler, residents said.
The president’s visit to the former Boko Haram stronghold comes a day after the Nigerian army chief visited Baga, another town that was previously overtaken by Boko Haram.
Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minima traveled to Baga on Wednesday and later told journalists that residents displaced by Boko Haram should be able to return to vote in the March 28 presidential election.
President Jonathan is in the midst of a close re-election bid, running against ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
Nigerian defense officials have announced recent victories in the fight against the armed group, claiming to have recaptured towns across the embattled northeast, where Boko Haram's insurgency has displaced an estimated 1.6 million.
The U.S. Senate this week voted unanimously to condemn attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram against innocent civilians, according to a statement. It also called on Nigeria's government to ensure that upcoming national elections on March 28 and April 11 are safe, credible, and transparent.
Wire services
Devastation and disease after deadly Malawi floods
Tens of thousands stranded after southern Africa country's record floods face rising risk of disease outbreak.
Nsanje, Malawi - The most devastating floods in living memory have stranded at least 20,000 people in southern Malawi with disease now threatening to inflict further suffering. When the rains began in Nsanje province on January 11, a 20-kilometre-long vein of cropland on the east bank of the Shire River was overwhelmed, destroying resources needed to sustain the population for a year.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Nigerian troops retake major border town as Boko Haram attacks villages, kills scores
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian troops retook a major border town and killed scores of Boko Haram fighters Saturday, Nigeria's military said, although witnesses also reported the Islamic extremists killed scores in attacks on other villages.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
IMF Grants $100M for Debt Relief to Ebola-hit Countries
WASHINGTON—
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will get close to $100 million in total to pay off their debts to the International Monetary Fund, the first time a global institution provided debt relief to the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak.The IMF also called on other international creditors to offer further debt relief to the countries to help them deal with the economic fall-out from the devastating epidemic.
Former LRA child soldier on trial at The Hague
Lord's Resistance Army commander known for brutality is the first from feared rebel group to appear before the ICC.
The Hague, Netherlands - When Dominic Ongwen appeared before the International Criminal Court last week he seemed like a much different man from the fearsome rebel fighter that he was for more than 20 years.Ongwen, accompanied by two security guards, wore a dark-blue suit and a grey plaid tie. His movements were stiff and he spoke gently, using simplistic language.
Boko Haram massacre reported in Cameroon town
Sources in Fotokol say attackers killed more than 100 people as regional countries weigh offensive against group.
Boko Haram fighters have killed more than 100 people in the north Cameroon town of Fotokol, murdering residents inside their homes and a mosque, according to a local civic leader.The attack comes a day after Chad sent troops across the border to flush the armed group out of the Nigerian town of Gamboru, which lies about offensive from Fotokol on the other side of a bridge.
Bomb rocks Nigerian city minutes after presidential rally
A powerful blast, believed to have been triggered by two female suicide bombers, ripped through a car park near a stadium in northeastern Nigeria on Monday where President Goodluck Jonathan had just addressed a campaign rally, officials said.
"We have evacuated two bodies of females we believe were suicide bombers behind the blast," an unnamed rescue worker told AFP. That statement was also confirmed by an anonymous staff member at Gombe State Specialist Hospital.
According to AFP, 18 people were injured and have been admitted to hospital for treatment.
Witnesses attending the rally in the city of Gombe said the explosion took place just three minutes after Jonathan had left the stadium.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although suspicion is likely to fall on Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has attacked Gombe several times. On Sunday a suicide bombing near a mosque in the market area there killed five people and wounded eight.
Nigeria is due to hold presidential elections on February 14, pitting the ruling People’s Democratic Party’s Jonathan against former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari for the opposition All Progressives Congress.
Both candidates are wrapping up their campaigns for what is expected to be the most closely fought election since the end of military rule in 1999.
'Do your duty' in Africa, Hollande tells world powers
French President François Hollande called on the international community on Thursday to fulfil its "duty" to take action against Islamist extremists in Africa, saying that France could not go it alone.
"There is a message that I want to send to the international community and to the biggest countries," he told a bi-annual presidential press conference on Thursday. "Do your job. Don't give lessons – act. Do your duty. No one else will do it in your place.”
"France cannot settle all the world's conflicts," he said.
The African Union has backed plans for a regional five-nation force of 7,500 troops to defeat the deadly rise of Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, and Chad has deployed its army to join the fight against the jihadists.
France is supporting the operations by carrying out reconnaissance flights over border areas of Chad and Cameroon to provide the two nations with intelligence, defence officials in Paris have said.
"We must help the Africans much more to act against terrorism,” Hollande said. “If we don't do it, countries will be destabilised once again."
France deployed troops to the Sahel region of Africa to fight against militant extremists after helping oust the Islamist forces that had seized much of northern Mali in 2013. The country is also taking part in US-led operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
The United Nations Security Council last month called for a multinational military effort to tackle Boko Haram, expressing concern that its incursions were undermining peace and stability in Central and West Africa.
Fresh fighting in Fotokol
Hollande’s comments came the same day that Cameroonian officials said Boko Haram fighters had shot or burned to death some 90 civilians and wounded 500 in ongoing fighting in a border town near Nigeria.
Some 800 militants attacking the town of Fotokol have “burned churches, mosques and villages, and slaughtered youths who resisted joining them to fight Cameroonian forces”, Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakari said.
TIMELINE: BOKO HARAM
The Nigeria-based insurgents also looted livestock and food in the fighting, which began Wednesday and was continuing on Thursday, Bakari told The Associated Press.
Boko Haram has been using civilians as human shields, making it difficult to attack their positions. Reinforcements have arrived in Fotokol, according to a military spokesman, Colonel Didier Badjeck.
Many schools have been razed and students slaughtered by the insurgents, whose nickname, Boko Haram, means “Western education is forbidden” in the local Hausa language.
At least 13,000 people have been killed and more than a million forced from their homes since Boko Haram launched an insurgency in Nigeria in 2009.
In recent months Boko Haram, which says it aims to establish an Islamic caliphate, has increased its cross-border raids, threatening regional security.
The group has stepped up its attacks in recent weeks, a move thought to be aimed at disrupting presidential and parliamentary elections set for February 14.
Violence halts Africa Cup semi-final as Ghana knock hosts out
The Africa Cup of Nations semi-final resumed after a break of over 30 minutes on Thursday as most of the crowd were forced from the stands amid violent scenes after missiles rained down from angry Equatorial Guinea fans.
Ghana supporters sought refuge on the pitch with their team leading 3-0 in a tempestuous semi-final at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo against the tournament hosts.
Teargas was fired as riot police tried to control the home supporters while Ghana fans, corralled into an enclosure to the side of the 15,000 capacity stadium, spilt onto the field and amassed behind the goal as they fled a deluge of water bottles and cans.
A helicopter flew over the stands in a bid to force the spectators out with at least one fan falling dangerously over a barrier. It was not immediately known if there were any injuries.
Equatorial Guinea fans had started throwing objects onto the field after their side went behind to a controversial 42nd minute penalty.
Ghana players had to be protected by riot police using plastic shields as they left the field at the end of the first half and the second period was delayed by two minutes as home fans aimed plastic bottles and tin cans at Ghana’s bench.
The Confederation of African Football used the public address system to threaten to call off the game if the crowd at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo did not stop pelting Ghana’s players.
Later there were also appeals for calm from Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue and the country’s sports minister.
The second half was halted briefly, first, as a linesman had to flee infield to escape more missiles from the angry crowd and again eight minutes from time when Ghana supporters sought sanctuary on the field after coming under attack from locals.
The players remained on the field with the referee as officials struggled to bring order. The delay went on for 34 minutes before play was resumed.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Angola's economy set to slow as oil prices collapse
* Cabinet proposes $14 billion in budget cuts
* Growth to slow, deficit widen, currency weaken
* Construction, electricity projects to be shelved
* President dos Santos faces public anger
By Joe Brock
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Angola's oil-dependent economy is set to slow this year, key infrastructure projects will be shelved and swathes of social spending are facing the chop as a global crude price slump takes its toll on Africa's second-biggest producer.
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