Fresh Ebola outbreak in Guinea's capital Conakry

Guinea's capital Conakry has recorded its first new Ebola cases in more than a month, while other previously unaffected areas have also reported infections in the past week, according to the World Health Organisation.
The spread of the two-month-old outbreak, which Guinean authorities earlier said had been contained, risks further complicating the fight against the virus in a region already struggling with weak healthcare systems and porous borders.
Seven confirmed cases and nine suspect cases of ebola are being dealt with in Sierra Leone, the WHO announced on Thursday (May 29).
The announcement comes after the WHO said on Monday (May 26) that five people had died in the country's first confirmed outbreak of the virus, signalling a new expansion of the disease which regional officials said had been brought under control.
Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 90 percent, is believed to have killed some 185 people in neighbouring Guinea and Liberia since March in the first deadly appearance of the disease in West Africa.
"For Ebola in Sierra Leone for the last few days we have a total reported of seven confirmed cases and nine suspect cases. All of them are reported in the Koindu district, which is in the Kailahun prefecture which is bordering Guinea, notably bordering Gueckedou, the first site of Ebola in Guinea," said Dr Pierre Formenty from the WHO's Department for the Control Of Epidemic Diseases.
Authorities had identified several ways the virus had been transmitted, but human to human was the most prevalent form.
"We have been able to identify several chains of transmission. One of them starts, I would say, in the forest. But more importantly, this chain of transmission have lasted for six months now, through contact, human to human transmission, so human contact. And again, through caring of people without precaution, through transmission within health care facilities, and through people attending funeral without precaution and being in contact of people dying of Ebola."
Dr Formenty said that the outbreak could be contained relatively easily as long as the population in affected areas followed advice from health officials.
"This outbreak in West Africa is primarily transmitted through human to human transmission. This is why it should be relatively easy to stop if the population is with us and understand that unsafe burial and unsafe care at home will help the outbreak to continue to spread and if you want to stop the outbreak we should develop safe behaviour."
The WHO said on Monday (May 26) it was deploying six experts to the area along with essential supplies.
The West African outbreak spread from a remote corner of Guinea to the capital, Conakry, and into Liberia, causing panic across a region struggling with weak healthcare systems and porous borders.
A total of 258 clinical cases have been recorded in Guinea since the outbreak was first identified as Ebola, including 174 deaths - 95 confirmed, 57 probable and 57 suspected - according to the WHO.
The disease is thought to have killed 11 people in Liberi

Youths protest in C.A.R. over church attack

Youths in the Central African Republic set up barricades on roads in the capital on Thursday and lit fires in protest at an attack by Muslim gunmen on a church that left at no fewer than 15 dead, witnesses said.
The violence erupted in the afternoon close to the Our Lady of Fatima church in central Bangui, where thousands of displaced people were sheltering, according to a police officer and a military source.
Gunmen sprayed bullets and hurled grenades, following a battle between anti-balaka Christian militia and residents of the nearby Muslim neighbourhood of PK5.
A 76-year-old priest, Paul-Emile Nzale, was among those killed in the violence near the church.
Peacekeepers from France and the African Union were working to remove the barricades, said Francis Che, head of communications for the African Union peacekeeping force MISCA.
"People need to understand that we will crack down on them and bring them before national or international justice. We will have zero tolerance for the authors of this kind of act," Che told Reuters in reference to the church attack.
The majority Christian country has been wracked by relentless tit-for-tat attacks between Christian vigilante groups and the mainly Muslim ex-Seleka rebels who had seized power in a coup which ended in Januar

U.S. says cannot confirm Nigeria's claim it has located girls

The United States has said it did not have independent information to confirm Nigeria's claim to know the whereabouts of more than 200 kidnapped girls and questioned the wisdom of making public such information.
"We don't have independent information from the United States to support these reports you referenced," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said when asked about Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh's statement that the military knew where the abducted girls were. "We, as a matter of policy and for the girls' safety and wellbeing, would not discuss publicly this sort of information regardless.

US warship carrying marines deployed near Libya

The United States is deploying an amphibious assault ship with about 1,000 marines off the coast of Libya in case the US embassy must be evacuated, a US defense official said Tuesday.
The move came as the State Department recommended Americans in Libya “depart immediately,” in its latest travel warning on Tuesday.
The USS Bataan was to be in the area “in a matter of days,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move was described as “precautionary” in case conditions in Libya, where militia battles have plunged the country into anarchy, worsen and require the embassy’s evacuation.
“Due to security concerns, the Department of State has limited staffing at Embassy Tripoli and is only able to offer very limited emergency services to US citizens in Libya,” the travel warning said.
“Because of the presumption that foreigners, especially US citizens, in Libya may be associated with the US government or US NGOs, travelers should be aware that they may be targeted for kidnapping, violent attacks, or death,” it added.
“US citizens currently in Libya should exercise extreme caution and depart immediately,” it said.
The leader of Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi Tuesday warned the U.S. against interference or it would face worse than the conflicts in Somalia, Iraq, or Afghanistan.
Ansar al-Sharia, listed as a foreign terrorist organisation by Washington, was accused of orchestrating the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in which U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died.
Mohamed Zahawi, head of the Benghazi brigade of Ansar al-Sharia, accused the U.S. government of backing renegade former general Khalifa Haftar, who has begun a self-declared campaign to purge Libya of Islamist militants.
"We remind America, if they intervene, of their defeats in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, because they would face in Libya something much worse," he said in a statement. "It was America who urged Haftar to turn the country towards war and bloodshed."
A former general under Gaddafi, Haftar earlier this month launched attacks with his irregular forces on Islamist militant bases in Benghazi because he said the government had failed.
Ansar al-Sharia also runs a network of social services in the city and has operated its own checkpoints.
Many Libyans are fed up with violence and Islamist militants accused of assassinations and bombings especially in the eastern city, and Haftar gained some support from regular army units.
But forces claiming loyalty to him also stormed the Tripoli parliament a week ago, and he demanded the legislature hand over powers in a further challenge to the vast North African country's already stumbling transition to democracy.
Asked about Zahawi's assertion that Washington was backing Haftar, a U.S. official in Washington replied: "That's ridiculous, but coming from a terrorist, not unexpected."
The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States opposed political violence by all sides in Libya. "Our position is clear - political violence will not solve Libya's political problems. We call upon all parties in Libya to work constructively and productively toward finding solutions to the current crisis."
Libya's young democracy is in turmoil three years after the NATO-backed war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, with rival Islamist, anti-Islamist, regional and political factions locked in a complex struggle for influence in the OPEC member state.
Four decades of Gaddafi's one-man rule left few institutions or national army to resist competing militias and brigades of former rebels who have become de facto power-brokers

Libyan warplanes strike Islamist militias in Benghazi

Libyan warplanes bombed Islamist militia bases in Benghazi on Wednesday as part of a self-declared campaign by a renegade former general to purge the North African country of extremists.
A Reuters witness and an air force official in Benghazi said two jets bombed a base belonging to the February 17th Brigade, one of the Islamist-leaning armed groups operating in the eastern city

Boko Haram Targets Adamawa State University

Posted: May, 26 2014, 8:05PM

A threat letter purportedly written by Boko Haram with a pound of flesh attached

var popunder = true; Over the past two weeks school officials based at the Adamawa State University have been the recipients of written threats directed at them, but the source of the unspecified threats remain a mystery. The origins are unknown. Yet the threats, rather than being cast off as a malicious prank, are being taken seriously, as word of the letters has shaken both the student body and officials at the school. The atmosphere on campus, and in the surrounding area, can be best described as tense.
A source has told SaharaReporters that the letters are believed to be real, with school officials and the student body suspecting it is coming directly from the Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram.
As word of the letters making undetermined threats have surfaced, rumours, too, have circulated.  Compounding matters is that school officials have largely remained silent. Most of the students at Adamawa State University are fearful of an impending Boko Haram attack. Rumors are being taken seriously.
For example, most of the Adamawa State University students who use the only hostel available to men have not slept there over the past weekend.  The hostel, also known as ‘Barde Hall,’ according to a SaharaReporters source, was nearly empty of students beginning on Saturday evening.  Barde Hall, is also popularly known as "256" by many in the student body. It is a popular ‘hang out’ spot for many of the students attending. It is also seen as a safe space, and resting place, that normally has scores of students milling around outside during the academic year. Many of the students did not sleep, or ‘hang out’ at the hostel on Saturday night. It was ghostly quiet.
A student source told SaharaReporters that the atmosphere at the hostel worsened on Sunday night. In room A5, a student confided that, he was the only person that slept the night in his room.
Another student said that many of the occupants had fled to the nearby town to seek shelter instead, where they believe it to be a much safer place. Yet, the tension Monday morning picked-up, when students in Barde Hall awoke and found a letter placed on a wall that was written in the Hausa language. The letter, when translated into English, reads, "Last warning."
But this time around, it had a pound of flesh clipped to the letter. It dripped with blood, and was described as somewhat black in colour, though looking as if it was not long since this section of human flesh it was cut off.
This caused panic among many of the students at the hostel. They then openly questioned the  efforts of the university security men, and called them to the hall to remove the grisly letter. The students denied the letter was written and posted by a fellow student among them to thge arriving security men. They then demanded to see the schools’ vice chancellor.
 The Adamawa State University Vice Chancellor is Dr. Alkassum Abba, who arrived shortly afterwards, and addressed the students in a tense exchange over the letters and this latest note placed on a wall dripping with blood. Abba was peppered with many questions from the assembled students about school security. But to many in attendance Abba’s explanation was neither reassuring, or satisfying. 
The Vice Chancellor according to a SaharaReporters source reportedly insisted that nothing will change with the school's academic calendar. Strangely, the students were told that their exams will be held as earlier scheduled.
As it stands now, many of the Adamawa State University students have packed their bags, and also, reportedly, packing out of the hostel.
 The "256" is in a place many of the departing students feel is especially vulnerable, in large part because, physically, it is isolated, and neighbored by bush, with just a few farms located behind the building. In short, for many it is too easy a target with a school administration almost detached from their concerns over whether the threatening letters received are real, or not.

New Speaker, Possibly A Woman, To Emerge Today In Ondo House Of Assembly

Posted: May, 27 2014, 1:05AM

The Mace at the House of Assembly

By Saharareporters, New York

A new Speaker for the Ondo State House of Assembly is likely to emerge today (Tuesday), SaharaReporters has learned, and it might be a woman.
Sources at the Assembly revealed to our correspondent on Monday evening in Akure, the state capital, that all is set for the voting and the eventual announcement of the new top official.  The House has been without a Speaker since February 24 when the incumbent, Samuel Ajayi Adesina, died.
SaharaReporters has authoritatively learned that Princess Akindele Jumoke Yetunde from Okitipupa Constituency II, who is favored by the states’ first lady, might become the new Speaker.
But an insider in the office of the Deputy Speaker told our correspondent on telephone on Monday evening that most of the legislators might not agree that a woman lead them in the house adding that the issue of woman as Speaker has already divided the house.
Members of the House have seen then been in a race for the new Speaker since the passing of Adesina, who hailed from Oniparaga in Odigbo Local Government Area.
SaharaReporters learned that his deputy, Dare Emiola Francis, who represents Akoko South West Constituency I area of the State, has been holding the position.
A source in the Assembly said members of the ruling Labour Party (LP) folks in the House want the vacant position to be filled not by a “dribbler,” but by someone who would be loyal and faithful to the party.
“A new speaker should be someone that will be a loyal party member and ready to serve under the tenet of the ruling labour party,” the source said.
It is not clear if the status quo would be maintained on Tuesday in choosing the New Speaker, using the zoning formula which gave the position of the next speaker to the Southern Senatorial district.  Observers said that any attempt to shy away from the formula might possibly destabilize the existing political calculations of the state.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko is from the Central Senatorial district of Ondo town; and his deputy, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, from the Northern Senatorial district of Ikare Akoko while Speaker Adesina was from Oniparaga in the Southern Senatorial district.  Despite that, the southerners in the state still want the vacant seat to go to the area.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the position of Speaker has been zoned to the Southern senatorial district on account of clear indications emerging from the office of the Information Officer of the House.
With the zoning system in place, it is clear that the new Speaker could be any of the following Assemblymen: Iwalewa Afolabi from Irele Constituency; Edema Olugbenga Omogbemi from Ilaje Constituency II;  Aladetan Oyebo (JP) from Ilaje Constituency I; Akinwe Victor Adesulu from Odigbo Constituency II;  Akpoebi Lubi Ebielatei from Ese-Odo Constituency; Princess Akindele Jumoke Yetunde from Okitipupa Constituency II;  Akinkurolere Soji David from Okitipupa Constituency I; and Gbemibade Adetoro Folagbade from Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo.
It is worthwhile to recall that of these men, only two:  Oyebo and Adesulu are in their second term and are visibly in the race.
 Oyebo Aladetan is the Chairman House Committee on Information and the Deputy Minority Leader.
Mimiko had earlier picked Dare Emiola but we learned he dropped him when legislators in the state insisted that the seat should be zoned to the Southern Senatorial part of the state.
A source said the Governor might now be pushing for Jumoke, who is the second female legislator in the chamber.  An independent observer told our correspondent Jumoke seems to be a close and loyal aide to the Governor's wife and might possibly get the seat.
Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, it was gathered, had put pressure on her husband to allow Ondo to produce the first female speaker in the country.  She holds the view that issues of political position should not be dominated by men.
Our correspondent learned that a police detachment will provide security during the voting.

Nigeria's military says knows where girls are

Nigeria's military knows where the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents are being held, the state news agency has reported.
The military will however not use force to rescue the teenagers, the state news agency quoted Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh as saying on Monday.
"The good news for the parents of the girls is that we know where they are, but we cannot tell you," Badeh was quoted as saying.
"But where they are held, can we go there with force? We can't kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back

Sisi, Sabahi vote in Egypt presidential elections

Frontrunners in Egypt's presidential election former army chief Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi have cast their votes.
Sisi, the man favoured to win the elections, cast his ballot in Cairo amidst heavy security.
Army helicopters circled overhead as Sisi arrived at a polling station in Cairo's Heliopolis neighbourhood.
Sisi, who toppled Egypt's first freely elected leader Mohamed Morsi last July is widely regarded as the north African nation's de facto leader.
His sole competitor Sabahi, finished third in the 2012 election which brought Morsi to power.
Polling stations opened at 9.00 a.m. (0600 GMT) and although the result appears a foregone conclusion, a big turnout would be seen as a strong mandate for Sisi's rule.
Sisi made no public appearances at campaign rallies in the run-up to the vote, due to what his campaign team said were security concerns. In contrast Sabahi toured the country for weeks to drum up support.
Supporters regard Sisi, who resigned from the military earlier this year, as a decisive figure who can stabilise Egypt, a strategic U.S. ally in the heart of the Arab world.
His opponents, mostly in the Islamist opposition, say he is the mastermind of a coup that robbed Egypt's first freely-elected leader of power.
Rights activists have also criticised the imprisonment of liberal activists by the interim government, which Sisi played a prominent role in before resigning to run for president.
Sisi told journalists at the polling station that Egyptians have a historic opportunity in the elections, which will take place over two days.
"Today, Egyptians are coming out to write their history, and to underline their future," Sisi said. "The whole world is watching us. How Egyptians will make history and create the future today and tomorrow. I will not tell the people except that God will hopefully stand by Egypt and help us all. The future will be great God willing.
"(I am telling the Egyptian people) that they have to be comfortable that tomorrow will be beautiful and great to all of us. The turnout, God willing, will be beautiful and great God willing. Long live Egypt."
Security forces have largely driven the Brotherhood underground after hundreds were killed and thousands arrested. More than a thousand Brotherhood supporters have been sentenced to death on charges including inciting violence after the army overthrew Morsi.
Monitors from the European Union and U.S.-funded Democracy International are observing the vote, and more than 400,000 security forces have been deployed to secure polling stations across the country.
Sisi secured 95 percent of votes cast in advance by Egyptians overseas, but an opinion poll by the Washington-based Pew Research Center suggests a more mixed picture inside Egypt, with Sisi viewed favourably by 54 percent and unfavourably by 45 percent

Plot To Impeach Ondo Deputy Governor Thickens

Posted: May, 25 2014, 9:05PM

ndo Deputy Gov. Ali Olanusi

By Saharareporters, New York

Close aides to Ondo State Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi, say he is being subjected to unjustified stress by state lawmakers who are plotting his removal after his refusal to resign voluntarily.
Several state legislators say the deputy governor is not really fit to continue his job as a result of his old age which one of them described as “a nursing sickness.”
Mr. Olanusi has been a subject of public discussion for the past three years as a result of his sudden illness which some of his aides blame on old age, even though they insist that his health has not impeded his performance of little official functions.
The state twenty-five lawmakers recently resumed sitting after a short recess following the burial of their late Speaker, Samuel Ajayi Adesina. Several of the lawmakers disclosed that a motion for the deputy governor’s impeachment might be moved anytime now.
Some of the lawmakers said the deputy governor’s inability to perform his duties had become a source of great embarrassment.
Legislative sources indicated that Mr. Olanusi has some backers in the state assembly, but that those who want him impeached are in the majority.
A Government House source also told SaharaReporters that, even though Governor Olusegun Mimiko has been silent on the removal of his deputy, he is quietly encouraging acting Speaker, Dare Emiola, to act on the impeachment. Both Mr. Emiola, who represents Akoko South West Constituency I at the assembly, and Mr. Olanusi are from Akokoland.
Mr. Mimiko, a known political lone ranger who has aspirations to become the biggest political godfather in the state, was instrumental in choosing Mr. Emiola for the deputy speaker post. It is unclear, however, whether Mr. Emiola would yield to the governor’s pressure to call a vote on the impeachment of the deputy governor.
An associate of Mr. Emiola stated that the acting speaker was caught in a bind between loyalty to the governor and sympathy for a fellow Akoko politician. “He might be termed ‘a bastard’ for moving against someone from the same Akoko clan,” said the source.
Legislative sources added that it was also unclear where the five lawmakers from Akokoland stand in relation to the plot to impeach the deputy governor. The five are Banso Adeyinka Alexander, who represents Akoko North West I, Aladetimehin Joseph Olusola, representing Akoko North West II, Fatai Olotu, representing Akoko North East, Ogunbi Abiodun, representing Akoko South West II, and Dailo Stegelin Ajayi, representing Akoko South East.
Mr. Olanusi has faced a barrage of insults over his ‘old age.’ At some state functions, unruly youths had interrupted Mr. Olanusi’s speeches and booed him, demanding his resignation.
“We want him to go because when he speaks, you hardly hear whatever he says,” said a youth leader who asked that his name not be used.
Mr. Olanusi was born on February 28, 1942. He was a former state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003 before he joined the Labor Party (LP) and became a running mate to Mr. Mimiko.
Mr. Olanusi, a Muslim, continues to enjoy wide support among fellow Muslims who want him to continue in the post of deputy governor. A Muslim politician in the state told SaharaReporters that any attempt to impeach Mr. Olanusi “would be seen as war against us.” The man added that the deputy governor has been a source of great support to Muslims in the state.
An aide of the deputy governor accused the governor of marginalizing Mr. Olanusi and rendering him “a mere figure head.” He stated that the deputy governor is hardly briefed on the goings-on in the state.
“Alhaji Olanusi only knows what is going on in the state through news and programs aired on the state-owned television and radio stations as well some few media stations present in the state,” said the source. He added, “You won’t believe that the deputy governor most often hears of major state issues and decisions on the television and radio just like any other citizen.”
Some associates of Mr. Olanusi told SaharaReporters that the deputy governor finds it difficult to voluntarily resign because he needs access to government funds for his medical care.
Despite Mr. Olanusi’s frequent medical trips abroad, his health appears to continue to worsen, our correspondent said. He nearly collapsed as he attempted to climb onto a stage during a recent function held at the Adegbemile Cultural Center when the Master of Ceremony (MC) introduced him.

Pistorius begins 30-day psychiatric assessment

South Africa's Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius has arrived Pretoria's Weskoppies hospital to start a month of psychiatric tests as an outpatient.
Pistorius was ordered to undergo the tests to find out whether he was criminally responsible when he shot dead his girlfriend on Valentine's Day last year.
Judge Thokozile Masipa told Pistorius he must report to the hospital, as an outpatient for up to 30 days.
The Blade Runner was driven into the facility in a Chevrolet Sonic on Monday morning and security around the hospital remains tight.
He will undergo tests to see if his Generalised Anxiety Disorder played any role in the shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The evaluation would determine "whether the accused by reason of mental illness or mental defect was at the time of the commission of the offence criminally responsible for the offence he is charged and whether he was capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act".
The Olympic star could face a life sentence if he is found guilty of murdering Steenkamp. He denies killing Steenkamp in cold blood after an argument, as suggested by prosecutors, and insists he shot four times at the toilet door she was behind, in self defense against what he thought was an intruder

M.I.A: Nigeria’s Female Legislators On The Dock For Chibok

Posted: May, 26 2014, 6:05AM

Ayisha Osori

By Ayisha Osori

What differentiates the 20 female senators of the United States Congress who signed a joint statement in support of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and the 34 collectively silent women in Nigeria’s seventh Assembly?
According to the New York Times, within 2 weeks of the campaign for the Chibok girls going global, female US Senators had also met with Secretary of State Kerry to push for sanctions on Boko Haram and surveillance support for the search. Senator Susan Collins, who co-spearheaded the effort, marveled at how easy it was to get the women together, “There was no need to convince, or cajole, or persuade.” “These girls cry out for a voice”.
Unfortunately, the female legislators in the National Assembly do not collectively feel the same way and it is important to ask why.
One possible explanation is that regardless of party, female Nigerian legislators cannot empathize with the public. Increasingly benumbed by daily reports of deaths and abductions, the argument could be, that if nothing was done in February when 59 boys were murdered in school, this abduction does not warrant special reaction. Fair enough considering the body count of over 2000 Nigerians killed by Boko Haram since Jan 1 2014. But Chibok is different because there is a solution which is to get the girls back. If the stories of abductions since November 2013 were not alarming, then the impunity of moving into a school and carting off hundreds of girls in the care of a government that was under a State of Emergency should be considered a game changer.
The second theory for their silence has been that the women fear alienating their parties and sponsors. We are 10 months away from the general elections and for those in PDP and APC everything is about 2015. But this is why there is safety in numbers. Using the Violence Against Persons Bill, currently languishing in the Senate, the respective chairs of the Committee on Women Affairs – Senator Esuene and Hon. Alaaga or even by Hon. Khadi who represents Jere constituency in Borno, could have galvanized all the female legislators. They could have shown agency and taken the opportunity for bi-partisan, joint house showwomanship to push for a bill that has been in the system for over a decade.
The lack of reaction is symptomatic of a larger malaise that infects all arms of government: a disconnect from the public, an increasing unwillingness to identify with social issues and/or recognize tipping points and a lack of accountability to citizens which stems from the doubtful legitimacy of those elected into office. That is the heart of the matter concerning elected representatives who are not concerned with issues which impact over 70% of the population.
While there is a global campaign to increase the representation of women in government in the belief that more women translates to sustained development, under Nigeria’s current political system and structures, it is unrealistic to expect this result. If we run a political process which is based not on valid votes but on rigging, violence, vote buying, security agency manipulation and compromised electoral officers, then we cannot expect to have men and women in elected office who are accountable to us.
This explains the problem identified in a Washington Post article where the authors pointed out that ‘the growth of women in African governance has not necessarily translated into real influence’ (‘nor translated into gains for women and children’). It also explains the silence of our female executives.
Some think that one of the biggest flaws of any feminist movement is the belief that women have an innate bond. Perhaps. But there is undoubtedly an empathy line that lights up once in a while. Sometimes all humans get the tug but there are situations, which are especially poignant for women, and loosing a child is one of them. The individual statements of a few female legislators and any behind the scenes support for the campaign are not enough. ‘I think when women come together across party lines, it is very powerful and effective,’ US Senator Landrieu said explaining why they acted. ‘When women stand united on an issue like this, we can bring tremendous amount of moral authority to the issue.’ It is a shame that our female legislators are incapable of understanding this.
It will be an even greater shame if we cannot change our political system to ensure that going forward, only the most capable and caring Nigerians get elected into office to represent us.
 

Shabaab claims blasts at Somali parliament compound, four dead

TVC NEWS [MOGADISHU]-- Al-Shabaab militant group has claimed responsibility for the a car bomb at parliament in the Somali capital which killed at least four people on Saturday.
"We are behind the suicide bombing, explosions and the fighting inside the so-called Somali parliament house - and still heavy fighting is going on inside," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, disclosed.
Colonel Farah Hussein, a senior police officer, told our source that the blasts had killed four police officers.
"The lawmakers and the other workers were rescued as soon as the car bomb exploded. But the terrorist are still firing from inside a mosque nearby," he added.
Gunfire was heard after the blasts inside the parliament compound, a Reuters witness said. He saw four bodies at the site.
"Two explosions went off inside the Somali parliament house compound," police officer Major Nur Ali told Reuters. Some members of parliament were inside the building at the time, one lawmaker said. Gunfire was also heard from a mosque opposite.
Police confirmed at least four people had been killed.
Mogadishu has been hit by a series of suicide bomb attacks claimed by al Shabaab militants, who were pushed out of the capital about two years ago and have waged a sustained guerrilla campaign since then.
A lawmaker said some of his colleagues were in the compound.
"I am now in the town but I know some of my colleagues are having talks inside the house," the lawmaker, who asked not to be identified, told TVC NEWS source.

U.N. Security Council members considering S. Sudan sanctions

U.N. Security Council members are considering sanctions on South Sudan's warring parties, envoys said, after U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous demanded "serious consequences" be imposed to force an end to the violence.
Ladsous and U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for human rights Ivan Simonovic briefed the 15-member council on a recent escalation in attacks on civilians, including an ethnic massacre in the oil town of Bentiu and the killing of dozens of people who had sought refuge inside a U.N. peacekeeping base in Bor.
"Unless there are serious consequences for the parties to cease the violence and engage in meaningful talks ... the toll on innocent civilians will continue to rise," Ladsous told reporters on Wednesday after the closed-door council meeting.
"The United Nations is doing everything it can to protect the civilians who are fleeing the violence, the war, but let us never forget that the primary responsibility for protection of civilians is with the government," he said.
Nigerian U.N. Ambassador Joy Ogwu, president of the council for April, said there was a lot of support among council members for pursuing sanctions on South Sudan.
"I think we are ready to go down the road of sanctions," French U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power posted on Twitter after the briefing: "For the sake of the people of South Sudan, international community must sanction political spoilers and those who target civilians."
The United States and the European Union have already threatened South Sudan with sanctions. President Barack Obama earlier this month authorized possible targeted sanctions against those committing human rights abuses in South Sudan or undermining democracy and obstructing the peace process.
China, the biggest investor in South Sudan's oil industry, said it would "conscientiously participate" in Security Council discussions, but stopped short of saying whether it would support sanctions.
"We will make a decision on our position in accordance with the pros and cons," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing, adding that China was in favor of promoting talks between all sides in the country.
U.N. 'SOUL-SEARCHING'
More than 1 million people have fled their homes since fighting erupted in the world's youngest country in December between troops backing President Salva Kiir and soldiers loyal to his sacked deputy, Riek Machar.
The fighting has exacerbated ethnic tensions between Kiir's Dinka people and Machar's Nuer. Negotiations between the Kiir government and rebels loyal to Machar have failed to advance since the Jan. 23 signing of a ceasefire which never took hold.
The United Nations accused the rebels of hunting down men, women and children last week in a hospital, church and mosque in the capital of the oil-producing Unity state and then killing them based on ethnicity and nationality.
After the rebels seized Bentiu, Dinka residents of Bor town in Jonglei state attacked a U.N. base on Thursday where about 5,000 people, mostly Nuer, were sheltering.
They pretended to be peaceful protesters delivering a petition to the United Nations before opening fire on the base, killing some 58 people and wounding 98, including two Indian peacekeepers, the United Nations said.
Thousands of people have been killed and tens of thousands have sought refuge at U.N. bases around South Sudan after the violence spread across the country.
The Security Council is due to renew the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, in July. In December, the council approved a plan to almost double the number of peacekeepers to 12,500 troops as the violence worsened but so far only half those 5,500 reinforcements have arrived.
"We are refining the mandate of UNMISS so we have also to face the fact that maybe we can't cooperate with this government anymore because atrocities are committed by both sides," Araud said.
"I do think that we have to have some soul searching about what should the U.N. do in South Sudan.

Malawi electoral body challenges president's annulment of elections

TVC NEWS [LILONGWE]-- Malawi's electoral authority boss on Saturday challenged President Joyce Banda's announcement annulling the country's elections, saying she did not have the power to do this and that vote counting was continuing.
"As far as I know, the President doesn't have any Constitutional powers to nullify the election, only the electoral commission has the powers to
do so," Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairman Maxon Mbendera disclosed to our source

BringBackOurGirls: South Africans Boo President Jonathan In Pretoria -Vanguard/AFP

Posted: May, 24 2014, 11:05AM

President Goodluck Jonathan arriving Pretoria yesterday

By Vangaurd Newspaper/ AFP

(AFP) -President Goodluck Jonathan was greeted with shouts of “bring back our girls” when he arrived at the Union Buildings, where Zuma was inaugurated.
Nigeria‘s President Goodluck Jonathan is among more than 20 heads of state gathered for the event.
African leaders in Pretoria for President Jacob Zuma’s inauguration will hold informal talks on the security situation in Nigeria, South Africa’s government said on Saturday.
Government spokesman Clayson Monyela said they would meet to discuss security in Nigeria, where the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls has laid bare the government’s inability to tackle an insurgency by the Islamist group Boko Haram.
The talks follow a spate of attacks in Nigeria, which is under growing international pressure to tackle the increasingly bloody uprising.

10 civilians killed in fresh South Sudan rebel assault

TVC NEWS [JUBA]- No fewer than 10 civilians have been killed and several others wounded in a fresh rebel assault in South Sudan's oil-rich Upper Nile State, the military said on Thursday.
Army spokesman Philip Aguer said the four children, four women and two men met their fate on Wednesday when rebels allied to former
Vice-President Riek Machar attacked Barliet County, south east of the state capital Malakal.
"These were families just attacked and robbed. They knew they were attacking civilians and just wanted to rob," Col Aguer said.
It was the second time in a week the rebels had been accused of violating a cessation of hostilities agreement President Salva Kiir
signed with rebel chief Dr Machar nearly two weeks ago.
The army said three days ago that rebels had attacked and overran Mathiang, a military base in Upper Nile, last week.
The rebels denied attacking army positions, but claimed they went into the town after the army had withdrawn under mysterious circumstances.
Col Aguer said the fresh attack on Barliet followed a heavy shelling on army positions on Tuesday in Naser County in the same state.
"They used heavy artillery to shell us in Nasser. We regard this as a serious violation of the ceasefire. We are bringing these things to the
attention of the mediators to verify," he said.
However, the rebels denied any engagement with the army at Barliet and instead accused the army of provoking fighting in Nasser.
"What the military governor told me is that the SPLA shelled us in Nasser," rebel spokesman Gen Lul Ruach told the Africa Review.
It was not clear who was in charge of Nasser, a strategic town near to the Ethiopian border.
Sources from Malakal, however, confirmed that there was fighting in Barliet on Wednesday.
Forces loyal to President Kiir and those of Dr Machar have been engaged in armed confrontation since December 15, when a sporadic gunfire broke out in the capital Juba in a failed coup.
President Kiir blamed the attempt on Dr Machar.
The fighting that ensued has so far killed about 10,000 people and displaced some 1.2 million others from their homes.
A peace deal the two rivals signed on May 9 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa has seen several violations, even as world leaders urge both sides to cease hostilities and allow humanitarian access to about 4 million people at risk of famine

The Nigerian Masses Revolution Reaches Nation’s Military, World

Posted: May, 23 2014, 10:05AM

By Dr. Peregrino Brimah

There are two groups in Nigeria: the 168 million disaffected masses, a majority of whom live under a dollar-a-day and are the victims of outrageous government and private partner corruption, and the ruling Oligarchy. The revolution of and on behalf of the Nigerian masses can no longer be ignored as it has recently assumed new dimensions, with the military junior officers joining in, and the international community also in no weak terms, raising the urgency of the compromised plight of the nation’s people in the hands of devastating, failed, corrupt leadership and regime facilitated terrorism.
For the second time in barely two weeks, Nigeria’s 7th division soldiers drafted to combat Boko Haram in the northeast have revolted against their commanders. Mutiny is a very grievous military occurrence. The two instances of deliberate mutiny by Nigeria’s soldiers delivers a strong message—the junior officers are willing to be court-martialed, rather than continue to be sabotaged, humiliated and killed by the corruption and incompetence of the military top command and federal government.
The sabotage of the Nigerian army in operations, logistics and equipment has been brought to the fore, not only by the increased superior public displays of capacity and morale of the Boko Haram rag-tag army, but by visiting foreign military partners and reports from local and foreign media on instances of deliberate sabotage and the diversion of funds and frank underfunding of the nation’s army.
Nigeria, recently re-designated as Africa’s largest economy is unable to provide its soldiers involved in one of the most asymmetrical and deadly insurgencies in recent African history, the necessary hardware, tools for obtaining actionable intelligence and even food and accommodation to successfully engage the enemy. Reports have it that whereas, Boko Haram and a government sponsored Niger-Delta civilian army, run by an ex-militant (terrorist) Tompolo, have ordinary modern equipment like night vision goggles, Nigeria’s State army lacks these necessary tools. Soldiers have claimed that when sent to the war front, they are given just 60 bullets to engage a rapidly reloading enemy.
The replacement of the GOC of Maimalari barracks, Borno after the first instance of mutiny, with a new commander, failed to abate the real and serious crises in the army as the second mutiny event demonstrates. The army is ready for full change in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the dangerous plight of the nation’s millions has also been picked up by literally all global players. Global media, world leaders and top politicians have all unanimously raised great concern about the situation of systemic corruption under the present Nigerian regime. The Pentagon, the US military command and US senators across party lines have harshly condemned and criticized the level of corruption in Nigeria, blaming this for the state of failure of the nation’s security department in protecting the lives of its people. 40-80,000 have been killed since the current administration came into power and over 3 million have been displaced, making Nigeria Africa’s worst war devastated nation.
The President of Uganda, recently joined the list of disappointed commentators. Museveni rebuked Nigeria for having to invite the world to help protect his people. Of Nigeria’s failure, he said, “I have never called the United Nations to guard our security. Me, Yoweri Museveni to say that I have failed to protect my people and I call on the UN: I would rather hang myself.
We prioritized national security by developing a strong Army, otherwise our Uganda would be like DRC, South Sudan, Somalia or Nigeria where militias have disappeared with school children. It would be a vote of no confidence in our country and citizens if we can’t guarantee our security? What kind of persons would we be?”
What will be the end of the revolution of Nigeria’s masses? Can things be patched and managed or will this bring total, radical change to Africa’s largest nation and economy, also home to Africa’s most impoverished?
Dr. Peregrino Brimah for http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Email: drbrimah@ends.ng Twitter: @EveryNigerian

Boko Haram Militants Kill 34 In New Attacks On Three Villages In Borno State

Posted: May, 23 2014, 10:05AM

By Saharareporters, New York

Over 34 persons were killed in three separate Boko Haram attacks in Borno State villages on Thursday, sources have told SaharaReporters.
The militants extended their rampage in the state to Kerenuwa in Marte, Kimba in Biu and Kukumba in Chibok.
There is as yet no comment from Nigeria's military, which is known to have deployed widely in those areas.
 have deployed widely in those areas.

Thousands shelter in Moroccan mountains to migrate to Spain

A seven metres high fence separating Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla stands between the dreams of thousands of African migrants seeking a better life in Europe.
It takes just two minutes that seem like a lifetime to jump over the triple fence dividing Spain's North Africa enclave from Morocco, but they are two minutes full of risk and expectation.
Immigration has always been a controversial matter in the European Union but with the European elections looming and the escalation of activity in the Moroccan-Spain border in the last months, migration has earned an important place in the political agenda.
Some 1,074 people breached the 12-kilometre-long fences in the whole of 2013 and more than 1,600 have done so since the beginning of 2014.
After travelling for three months from Mali through the deserts of Algeria, 17-year old Keita Mohammed reached Morocco and camped in Mont Gurugu just outside the city joining hundreds of fellow countrymen who are preparing to jump the fences or to swim along the coast.
Poorly dressed for the rough hills of the Gurugu, they walk several kilometres every day carrying food and water from a small town at the bottom of the mountain to the camp.
Keita is conscious that he is preparing to storm the border and knows it is illegal, but said sub-saharan Africans are forced to do so in order to seek opportunities.
"If Africa had the resources and if it were God´s will we would never move to Europe. The only reason why we move to Europe is because we have to. Economically, logistically, technologically Europe is very strong, politically and I would say even morally they have the head. The big problem we have to face is that we don´t have the resources," he said seated on a rock in the hills.
Sleeping in improvised tents made from plastic bags and canvas some migrants expend up to one year of their life at the Gurugu.
28-year old Nicola has been living in Morocco for two years one of them in Mont Gurugu.
He had to leave his son behind in Cameroon in an effort to pursuit a better life in Europe as a mechanic.
Blind from one eye after suffering cuts in the cornea in one of his three attempts to jump over the fence chances to succeed in his quest seems to wane.
"We live very poorly in Gurugu. We spend day without eating. The best part of the time we hare injured. Those who wear uniform beat us. I´m talking about all the black Africa, we are all victims. We are continually chased by Moroccan police. We always meet challenges both in Moroccan and Spanish soil," he said next to the camp from which it is possible to see Melilla.
Spain has more than doubled the strength of security forces at Melilla after hundreds of migrants have stormed the border in recent months.
Using CCTV cameras and pressure sensors Spanish police controls the perimeter from their control centre in Melilla.
They can even detect the exact point in which the wire has been cut.
But not event the dissuasive presence of police stretching from cost to cost can prevent immigrants from all over Africa to regularly dare the razor-wire fences.
Melilla´s Government delegate Abdelmalik El Barkani said Europe had to address the situation and agree common policies to prevent illegal immigration.
"As I said at the beginning we should have a common caring policy among every European Union countries with the countries of the migrants. Hence we would have a regularised immigration so the migrant willing to come into Europe will do it with his documentation through an official border, not risking his life, without the help of mafias and with chances to integrate in any of the 28 countries which form the European Union socially and in working life," he said the day before the European Elections campaign was launched.
In February, the European Union asked Spain to explain why police had fired rubber bullets in warning when a group of African migrants tried to wade and swim to Ceuta.
Fifteen died drowning and the shots could have caused panic among the migrants, according to Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs.
Many of the migrants who illegally arrive in Melilla had to pay around 1.000 euros (1.300 U.S. dollars) to mafias that help them travel from their countries to morocco and cross the border hided in false bottomed cars or small vessels.
Once in Melilla the migrants are free to move and try to make a living by helping people park their vehicles on the streets or cleaning cars.
Immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa usually enter Ceuta and Melilla without identification papers.
Spain houses them in overcrowded processing centres in the territories while trying to establish their identities in order to send them back to countries with which it has repatriation agreements or conceding them the legal residence depending on the agreement.
Although many arrive with prosperity dreams hoping to integrate the society and find jobs that would help them send money to their families, reality might be different.
Spain´s youth jobless rate amongst the under 25s is over 55 percent and many Spaniards are leaving the country seeking a better job position in Europe and South America.
Cameroon born Gerard jumped over the fence two months ago and has since been leaving in the temporary immigration centre "CETI".
"Life is about decisions. Anyone who wants to come (to Europe) has to think it very wisely because he will meet many difficulties to arrive here. Many stages and obstacles for example death, death," the 18- year old said.
He lost a friend during his travel from Cameroon to Melilla and knows very well the harness of the endeavour.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday he joins hundreds of CETI residences at a nearby pitch where they play football leaving their problems aside for a few hours.
"If God gives me the chance to be here and I make it to Europe I will make everything to become a good person for the society," he said clad in his football gear.
Now he dreams to become a professional football player and perhaps travel to another European country where the labour situation is better.
On Sunday (May 25) Europeans are called to cast their votes under the cloud of abstention.
A survey published by the Centre of Sociological Research in the daily el Pais on May 9 shows voter intention for the PP at 33.7 percent and 31 percent for the Socialists marking a significant fall from results in 2009 when the PP received 42.23 percent of the votes or 23 seats and PSOE got 38.51 percent, or 21 seats.
Overshadowed by the economic crisis and jobless, perhaps immigration policies are not high in the agenda of Spaniards voters but with illegal immigration ascending to new heights politicians will have to work on common policies to favour agreements to regularised the entrance of migrants to the European Community

How Boko Haram Ambushed, Killed Some Of Nigeria’s Finest Soldiers Near Sambisa Forest

Posted: May, 21 2014, 2:05PM

Bita village on fire

By SaharaReporters, New York

Get paid to share your links! On May 12 2014, a group of soldiers selected from the Special Operations Battalion of the Nigerian Army headquarters were asked to proceed on an operation in Bita, Borno State. The mission, according to military sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, was informed by actionable intelligence showing that Boko Haram militants had been sighted in the area.
The village of Bita had witnessed numerous attacks by Boko Haram insurgents to the point that the residents had fled since February of this year to other locations, abandoning their community to the militants.
The selected soldiers had been taken from their operational base in Mubi, Adamawa State, and made to join some soldiers from the “213” battalion from the newly created “7 Division” of the Nigerian army stationed inside Maimalari Barracks.
SaharaReporters sources said the soldiers deployed on the mission were only instructed to pick up their gear, without being told the location where they were headed. The secrecy around their mission was due to suspicions within the military that some soldiers working in cahoots with the militants might tip them off about the impending attack.
When the soldiers arrived in Bita, which is a short distance from the now infamous Sambisa forest where Boko Haram might be keeping close to 300 abducted schoolgirls, the insurgents had “fled,” our sources said. After combing the nooks and crannies of the village without finding any Boko Haram militants, the soldiers set the village on fire and made to leave.
To the soldiers’ surprise, a lone militant hiding in a bush at the back of one of the huts fired at them. The soldiers stormed the bush, shot and wounded the gunman, and began to interrogate him. Before he died, the wounded militant told his interrogators that Boko Haram insurgents had been informed of the military operation three days before it commenced. The information had enabled them, the militant told the stunned soldiers, to evacuate the small town.
The soldiers waited for a few hours but saw no signs of any Boko Haram retaliation. But then, a few minutes after the soldiers boarded their buses to leave, the unexpected happened. They came under heavy artillery fire that some of the soldiers said they had never been seen since the insurgency began. They fired back, but they were soon overwhelmed by the insurgents who came out in large numbers and kept firing and advancing aggressively towards the soldiers.
The battle lasted for at least two hours. By the time the smoke cleared on the battle scene, the Commanding Officer of the “213” Battalion, one Captain Akintola, and one Lieutenant Abdullahi as well as 30 soldiers had been killed in the fire fight.
The commanding officer of the Special Operations Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel B.M.G. Martins managed to survive the battle.
Several days after the battle, several soldiers were sent to the scene to retrieve the bodies of the dead soldiers.
Our sources said about 10 bodies could still not be recovered because the Nigerian soldiers sent to retrieve the bodies were too scared to go near the Sambisa enclave of Boko Haram.
10 of the soldiers were buried in Yola, Adamawa State yesterday.
The loss of the soldiers has further deepened suspicion within the ranks of the army. Several soldiers who spoke to us wondered how the insurgents knew three days in advance about their impending arrival when they themselves did not know where they were headed.
The death of the soldiers on May 12 and the ambushed killing the next day of 70 soldiers returning from Chibok so infuriated soldiers at the Maimalari Barracks that they staged a mutiny against their commander, Major General Ahmadu Mohammed.
SaharaReporters broke the news that angry soldiers fired shots at the general’s car during the burial of some of the dead soldiers. The protesting soldiers said they and their colleagues are ill-equipped and often owed allowances. The army replaced Major General Mohammed the day after the mutiny.
Several soldiers who spoke to us disclosed that the Nigerian army commanders had yet to give orders to them to go into Sambisa Forest to rescue some 237 students kidnapped by Boko Haram militants on April 14 2014.

PDP Accuses APC Of Celebrating Violence In The Country

Posted: May, 22 2014, 6:05AM

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh

Get paid to share your links! The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of celebrating violence in Nigeria, and of being hypocritical in the face of the loss of lives being caused by the insurgents.
The National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Olisa Metuh, made the claims yesterday following a meeting of the NWC in Abuja, arguing that ignoring the twin Jos bombings and the one in Kano, the APC went ahead to organize a rally in Ekiti State.
Metuh maintained that by orchestrating violence, merry making and celebrations, the APC “sheds crocodile tears and engages in blame-game."
The spokesman also noted that despite engaging a foreign publicist, the opposition party has engaged in propaganda and misinformation, but that Nigerians would not be deceived.
Metuh cautioned Nigerians and the international community to be wary of the APC, which he accused of joining the naysayers in making the country ungovernable so that the doomsday prediction that Nigeria would split would become a reality.
"APC is the major beneficiary of terrorism in this country,” he said.  “We stand by our statement that APC celebrates terrorism. What they are doing has nothing to do with actions or inactions of the past. What they are doing does not translate to votes in this country.
"When APC said they would partner with government to find solutions on Boko Haram, we ask whether their celebration and consultancy is what they want partnering?
He noted that Nigeria is a developing democratic country, and that even in developed democracies, things are not perfect.
“The truth is that even if we had made mistakes, Nigerians know that APC and the opposition is not an option. We are not tribal, we are not owned by anybody and Nigerians know that.
"We didn't say APC bombed Nyanya, Kano, Jos, etc. What we said is that APC by their actions, utterances, promote violence and if they do so, they cannot shy away that they fuel violence," Metuh said.

Army General Opens Up, Says There Is Shortage Of Funds To Fight Boko Haram

Posted: May, 22 2014, 9:05AM

By Saharareporters, New York

Get paid to share your links! In recent days, irate image handlers of the Nigerian Army have accused a cross section of Nigerian media of biased reporting. Meanwhile, the head of the army’s account and budget, Major General Abdullahi Muraina, today claimed that the army does not have the robust financial allocations to successfully counter the Boko Haram insurgency.

General Muraina made the assertion in Jaji, Kaduna State while addressing the media. He said it was urgent to review the army’s financial constraints to enable the force to rise to the challenge of combating the spreading attacks of Boko Haram militants. The general’s claims about inadequate funding are startling in view of the fact that Nigeria budgeted more than $6 billion for security operations last year.

Below is the statement by the army general:
“Currently, budgetary allocation for the military is inadequate to meet the contemporary security challenges and also cater for the welfare of the Nigerian Army. The Nigerian Army is enmeshed in the bureaucratic bottlenecks for the funding approvals for military operations. This calls for a review as the increasing speed at which the effects of conflict appear in the operational environment will continue to challenge commanders.
“It is our humble appeal that [the] government should evolve other means of funding and supporting military operations than the normal budgetary allocation. Such means include but not limited to strategic cooperation and liaison with other civil industries for the production of uniforms and other equipment.
“We are not oblivious of the constraint on revenue generation and the fact that [the] government has so many other responsibilities, but we are appealing to the government to review the current template of funding of the military, considering the current security challenges.
“For instance, the army budget for this year is just N4.8 billion. Assuming we committed 20,000 troops to the Northeast operations, the jacket and helmet is in the average of about $1,000. If you change that to naira, it is about N150, 000. If you now have about 20,000 troops, this means that they are going to spend about $20 million and that is about N3 billion.

"N3 billion as a percentage of N4.8 billion which is the capital budget for this year is more than 50 per cent and that is just one item. We are not talking about uniforms, boots or structures where they will stay. We are not talking about training, because training is key to enhancing the capability of the force.”

US deploys surveillance aircraft over Nigeria to find schoolgirls

Get paid to share your links! TVC NEWS [WASHINGTON DC]- The United States has deployed manned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria and is sharing satellite imagery with the Nigerian government to find more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist insurgents, a senior Obama administration official said.
TVC NEWS Foreign Bureau gathered that Washington has sent military, law-enforcement and development experts to Nigeria to help search for the missing girls.
“We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government’s permission,” the US official said.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a news briefing yesterday that the US was providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnassance support. She said US teams on the ground “are digging in on the search and coordinating closely with the Nigerian government as well as international partners and allies.”
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was also considering deploying unmanned, drone aircraft to aid the search.
One of the US officials said the United States had been carrying out the manned surveillance flights “for a few days” but did not elaborate

Malawi vote counting system collapses, delays election results

TVC NEWS [LILONGWE]- The much relied upon Malawi electronic system had been reported broken-down, forcing election officials to resort to fax and email to tally votes from this week's election.
It has also caused unanticipated delay in the release of any results, the chief elections officer said Thursday.
The system "is refusing to take the information from the ground where our data clerks are stationed to send the results," chief elections officer Willie Kalonga disclosed to newsmen two days after the vote.
TVC NEWS gathered that as a "back-up solution," officials in the southern African country's 28 districts were sending the results manually via fax and email to the national elections centre in Blantyre.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has not yet released any preliminary results after Tuesday's tight-run polls, which pit incumbent Joyce Banda against her rival and predecessor's brother Peter Mutharika.
The military was deployed to restore calm after irate voters set alight voting stations when election materials were unavailable and some bureaus opened 10 hours late.
Voting spilled into an unscheduled second day Wednesday at 13 voting stations, and thousands queued to cast their ballot.
MEC chairman Maxon Mbendera said Wednesday said the Commission will only announce results when 30 percent of the votes have been counted, and is currently "not anywhere in the neighbourhood" of that figure

Deadly blasts rock city in central Nigeria

From Hassan John, for CNN

updated 3:05 PM EDT, Tue May 20, 2014

Get paid to share your links!

Police: Dozens killed in Nigeria market blasts

(CNN) -- Three explosions rocked the city of Jos in central Nigeria on Tuesday, two local journalists said.

The blasts caused casualties, but it was not immediately clear how many.

A journalist on the scene of the first explosion called it "massive." People were screaming and running, some covered in blood. Some had to be carried away, the journalist said.

An ambulance driver who asked not to be identified said he saw at least 15 bodies and about 30 injured at one of the blast sites.

In a statement, President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the bombings as a "tragic assault on human freedom" and described those behind them as "cruel and evil."

Massive explosion rocks Nigeria

Nigerian missing girl's mother speaks

Nigeria: A stolen education

"President Jonathan assures all Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilization," the statement said, adding that Nigeria was committed to implementing anti-terrorism measures and resolutions put forth at a recent summit in Paris.

The first blast was a bomb detonated at the Terminus market, where food and clothes are sold, the journalists said. The second blast was at the same market and could have been a bomb or gas canister ignited by the first bomb.

The third explosion was at Abuja market, which sells shoes, the journalists said.

Map: Jos, Nigeria

When CNN tried to speak with a nurse at a local hospital by phone, she was unable to hear because of victims' cries and screams.

Late Sunday, a bomb in the northern Nigerian city of Kano killed at least four people, according to local police.

The blast occurred at a busy intersection in a predominantly Christian area of the city and left several cars burning, Kano police spokesman Rabilu Ringim said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, the spokesman said.

Terrorism in Nigeria has been in the spotlight recently since more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by the militant group Boko Haram.

The terror group abducted 276 girls on April 14 from a boarding school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria. Dozens escaped, but more than 200 girls are still missing.

In his statement Tuesday, Jonathan reaffirmed his government's commitment to take "every necessary measure" to find the girls and cooperate with other countries in the region to combat the "Boko Haram menace."

The president also said Nigeria was determined to ensure safety and security in schools in Borno state and other parts of the country and to rebuild the school in Chibok.

'

Boko Haram To Abduct More Girls

Posted: May, 20 2014, 11:05AM

By Saharareporters, New York

The Boko Haram Islamist sect intends to abduct more girls following what they called, “the successful kidnap” of 276 girls at the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok.

According to a member of the group who spoke on Tuesday during with the American commercial broadcast television network, CBS-TV, the girls were abducted because there are enemies among them.

“You see the enemies among the children”, said the man who introduced himself as Saleh Abubakar.

“It is accepted to fire on all of them. You cannot differentiate the children. You understand?”

Selah refuted reports that some of the kidnapped girls are sick, and require medical attention saying, he saw them three weeks ago, and all of them were fine.

“It’s a lie”, he told the CBS Evening News Correspondent. “They don’t have any problem at all.”

However, he said the girls would not be sold to slavery, as Abubakar Shekau initially said in a video message days after the abduction. His reasoning, he told CBS-TV, is “because they had converted willingly to Islam.” But Shekau had maintained that the government must first release all Boko Haram fighters currently in detention.

Shekau shunned questions on whether the girls had truly been moved across the Nigerian border, as well as al-Qaeda’s alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram.

“No, no. I will not tell you anything about this,” he said. “But they are my brothers in Islam. Even in America, we have brothers.”

On whether Boko Haram intends to kidnap more girls, Abubakar Shekau told CBS News: “Yes, there are plans. Yes.”