Photo : Afolabi Sotunde, Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Afolabi Sotunde, Reuters
IN BRIEF
Ayan Datta
Nigeria: 160 villagers kidnapped by the bandits
On 26 May, BBC reported that ten people were killed and at least 160 villagers were kidnapped from a village in Nigeria's state of Niger. The men rode on motorcycles and looted the village. A resident told BBC that the assailants are suspected to belong to Boko Haram. Amnesty International expressed concerns on the incident. The group highlighted that the mass abduction indicates the Nigerian state’s failure to protect its people. It called on Nigerian authorities to put an end to similar incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice. (“At least 160 villagers reported taken in deadly raid, BBC, 27 May 2024)
Sudan: 130 people die at hospital amid city siege
On 26 May, BBC reported that over 130 people died at the South Hospital in Sudan’s besieged city of El Fasher. The city is currently under the control of Sudan’s army, which has been fighting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The intense fighting has caused 979 casualties. According to the UN, the hospital is running low on supplies. A UN expert warned that civilians in El Fasher were being targeted on the basis of ethnicity and that the Darfur region was facing risk of a genocide. (El Fasher: Single hospital in Sudan city records 134 deaths, BBC, 27 May 2024)
Burkina Faso: Military rule extended by five years
On 26 May, the BBC reported that Burkina Faso's military government, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, extended the military rule for another five years. The decision was announced after a national consultation meeting in the country's capital Ouagadougou. Additionally, he would be able to contest for the next presidential election. Captain Traoré has pledged to restore civilian government by 1 July this year. A new 60-month long transition period would take effect from 2 July, which would be followed by elections. (Burkina Faso extends military rule by five years, BBC, 26 May 2024)