Photo : AP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : AP
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar and Anu Maria Joseph
Nigeria: More than 300 killed in heavy rains since July
On 20 September, BBC reported that since July over 300 people had died and 100,000 people displaced in torrential rains. The rains had impacted 29 of the 36 states; the National Emergency Management Agency said Nigeria is likely to experience more floods in the upcoming weeks and therefore, called on state governments to evacuate people from flood-prone areas. The news report said that along with heavy rains, the floods were caused by the release of excess water from dams within Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon. (Ishaq Khalid, “Nigeria floods kill hundreds of people,” BBC, 20 September 2022)
Ethiopia: TPLF accuses Eritrea of launching big offensive in Tigray
On 20 September, a spokesperson from Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said the Eritrean troops have launched a full-scale offensive in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. He said: “Eritrea is deploying its entire army as well as reservists. Our forces are heroically defending their positions.” Meanwhile, the US has condemned the Eritrean presence in Tigray. The US envoy to the region, Mike Hammer said: “They’re extremely concerned and we condemn it. The presence of Eritrean troops in Ethiopia only serves to complicate matters, and inflame an already tragic situation.” Both the Eritrean and Ethiopian governments have not yet commented on the accusations. (“Eritrea starts big offensive in Ethiopia's Tigray region - TPLF,” BBC, 20 September 2022)