Al Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels launched a counteroffensive in Mali on Monday after four days of French air strikes on their northern strongholds, seizing the central town of Diabaly and promising to drag France into a brutal Afghanistan-style war.
France, which has poured hundreds of troops into the capital Bamako in recent days, carried out more air strikes on Monday in the vast desert area seized last year by an Islamist alliance grouping al Qaeda’s north African wing AQIM alongside Mali’s home-grown MUJWA and Ansar Dine militant groups.
“France has opened the gates of hell for all the French,” said Oumar Ould Hamaha, a spokesman for MUJWA, which has imposed strict sharia, Islamic law, in its northern fiefdom of Gao. “She has fallen into a trap which is much more dangerous than Iraq, Afghanistan or Somalia,” he told Europe 1 radio.
The UN is already estimating that approximately 230,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Mali, and the French government has heightened security in many public locations to prevent a possible retaliatory attacks on France’s civilian population. President Francois Hollande was also sure to specify that France’s only goal in Mali is to support the mission of a 15-member group of West African nations which received United Nations support back in December. source
Launching early in January of this year, Battabox has quickly become a household name in Nigeria. Bringing a new and different approach to News and Entertainment, Battabox aims to give Nigerians a chance to have an input in how their news and stories are being shared. Their tagline is ‘Nigeria like you’ve never seen before’ and that is exactly what they show you. From important news features to silly everyday activities, Battabox covers it all; giving the viewers, as well as those involved, a different perspective on things going on in Nigeria. We had the opportunity of speaking with the founder, who happens to be the ex-CNN correspondent to West Africa, Christian Purefoy, who gave us insight to what Battabox is about.
Rise Africa: I see you studied International politics and International History in University, was there anything in particular that attracted you to Journalism?
Christian Purefoy: I got into Journalism because I enjoy writing. That was the main thing; studying international politics obviously helped. I enjoy it because for me, it’s a big part of what makes the world go round. I had an opportunity to go to Nigeria so I followed that through. Funnily enough I got into it because of the writing but I ended up in video and enjoyed that even more.
This is really cool stuff. The site, if you’re curious, is over here.
The Islamist armed groups have become increasingly repressive as they have tightened their grip over northern Mali. Stonings, amputations, and floggings have become the order of the day in an apparent attempt to force the local population to accept their world view. In imposing their brand of Sharia law, they have also meted out a tragically cruel parody of justice and recruited and armed children as young as 12.
Read more after the break.
“On July 30, the Islamist authorities in Aguelhoc stoned to death a married man and a woman he was not married to for adultery, reportedly in front of 200 people. They also have punished women for failing to adhere to their dress code – which requires women to cover their heads, wear long skirts, and desist from wearing jewelry or perfume – and for having contact with men other than family members.” Scary stuff.
» Emergency health measures in place: One of the most virulent diseases in the world, the Ebola outbreak, centered on the Kibaale district of Uganda, was only confirmed as such recently. This is bad — Ebola has no vaccine and a 90 percent death rate. Most of the deaths are tied to a single family, who contracted the disease at a recent funeral. Seven others have fallen ill due to the disease. (thanks @sorta_like_art)
Follow ShortFormBlog • Find us on Twitter & Facebook
Central African Republic: LRA Attack Near Hunting Reserve
The Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), carried out attacks from June 21 to 25, 2012, near a remote hunting concession outside Bakouma, in the Central African Republic (CAR). The attackers killed at least two civilians and abducted at least 14 others. The attacks followed killings of 13 civilians in the same area in March.
To be clear, this is the same Lord’s Resistance Army as associated with Kony 2012.
Sudan, South Sudan move closer to war: South Sudanese leader Salva Kiir (shown above), in China to meet with President Hu Jintao, said Tuesday that his country’s “neighbour in Khartoum has declared war on the Republic of South Sudan.” This follows a comment by Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir last week that suggested they would crush the “insect” government to the south. The two countries — as a country, South Sudan is less than a year old — are locked in a deadly battle over a contested border, augmented by concerns over the valuable oil supply in the region. (photo by Phil Moore/AFP; EDIT: Removed use of phrase “civil war,” which was accidental. Apologies.)
This is an interesting development. Worth keeping an eye on it. Transitions from sultanistic regimes are never easy—or pretty.
From clubrelaford:
Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was yesterday said to be fighting for his life in a Singapore hospital with an undisclosed illness, amid reports he had agreed to hand over power to his feared Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Zimbabwe Mail, quoting a senior official of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, said the President was undergoing intensive treatment in Singapore and that some members of his family had joined him after boarding a chartered private jet on Saturday.
Continue reading HERE
Of the world’s leaders, few have as bad a reputation as Mugabe, he of hyperinflation and questionable political tactics. So we’ll be watching this one closely.
A new female leader in Africa: Joyce Banda, the vice president of Malawi, was sworn in as president Saturday, two days after the death of the country’s longtime leader, Bingu wa Mutharika. ”I call upon all Malawians to remain calm and to keep the peace during this time of bereavement,” she said. Though there were political concerns which threatened to prevent Banda from taking power — she had been removed from her party, though held onto her vice-presidential post — but when all was said and done, Banda was sworn in, a fairly smooth transition for a country in need of one. Banda is the continent’s third-ever female leader, following in the footsteps of Ethiopian Empress Zewditu and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. (photo by Mabvuto Banda/Reuters)
Over the last 90 days, the Digg...
#FMMDI (at 30 Rockefeller Plaza)
Thanks. I guess my thoughts are as follows:
1. I think...
Two Months Ago I set out to interview the principal cast...
This guy’s name is Gen. Keith...
“I love the one non-NSA story that made it on the...
Some sort of dog/pig thing is attacking a small town in northern Nambia, according to local residents. “This is an alien animal that the people have not seen before. We don’t have a forest here, only bushes,” Nambian official Andreas Mundjindi claimed. “So, this must be black magic at play.” Think this, except not cute.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has repeatedly betrayed the trust conferred on it by the local population and, in the recent weeks, falsely accused the Mujahideen (Shabaab fighters) of hindering food distribution.A statement from al-Shabaab • Discussing its decision to bar the Red Cross from the parts of Somalia it controls. That’s right: al-Shabaab is blocking humanitarian aid from being distributed over accusations by the Red Cross that they’re already blocking humanitarian aid from getting distributed. You can’t make this stuff up.
Madagascar’s former leader screwed out of trip back home: Marc Ravalomanana, exiled from his former country, was trying to get back in to Madagascar on a flight from Johannesburg. But his plane was forced to turn around mid-flight after the country shuttered a number of its airports before he could land. source
» This despite a global ban on ivory trade: What’s causing the black-market trade of ivory? According to Traffic, a group that monitors wildlife trading, much of this is as a result of larger Asian influence on the continent. ”We’ve reached a point in Africa’s history where there are more Asian nationals on the continent than ever before,” said Traffic official Tom Milliken, based in Zimbabwe. ”They have contacts with the end-use market and now they are at the source in Africa. This is all adding up to an unprecedented assault on elephants and other wildlife.”
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
