Photo : AFP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : AFP
IN BRIEF
Anu Maria Joseph and Apoorva Sudhakar
Tigray: Government forces enters Tigray, UN calls for urgent resumption of peace talks
On 18 October, the Ethiopian government said that the military had taken control of three towns from TPLF rebel forces in Tigray. The government said in a statement: “The ENDF (Ethiopian National Defence Force) has taken control of the towns of Shire, Alamata and Korem without fighting in urban areas.” Earlier, the Tigrayan rebel forces said that the government forces and their allies have entered the city of Shire in Tigray, adding that they continue to to engage in a “life and death struggle.” The Tigrayan authorities said: “If we don't defend ourselves against our enemies, they will continue the atrocities.”(“Ethiopian army captures several towns in war-torn Tigray,” Al Jazeera, 18 October 2022)
Mali: Four UN peacekeepers die in attack in the north
On 18 October, the UN mission in Mali said the death toll of peacekeepers from an attack in Kidai region had risen to four on 17 October. Prior to the fourth peacekeeper’s death, three died on the day of the attack and three were injured after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. ("Death toll rises to four U.N. peacekeepers killed in Mali attack," Reuters, 18 October 2022)
Somalia: US blacklists alleged funders of militants
On 18 October, the US blacklisted multiple individuals in Somalia accusing of give financial and material assistance to the Islamist al-shabaab group. Meanwhile, earlier Somali authorities had warned businesses in the capital, Mogadishu against paying taxes to al-Qaeda affiliates. The previous week, the information ministry had suspended dozens of social media accounts and pages for publishing al-Shabaab propaganda. (“US blacklists alleged funders of Somali militants,” BBC, 18 October 2022)