Photo : Mulugeta Ayene, AP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Mulugeta Ayene, AP
IN BRIEF
by Anu Maria Joseph and Apoorva Sudhakar
Eritrea: President accuses the US of supporting Tigray rebels
On 13 February, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki accused the US of supporting the Tigray rebels during the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict. He claimed that the peace deal between the federal government and the Tigray rebels was rushed by the US to halt the rebels from losing their ground. Additionally, for the first time Afwerki admitted that thousands of people died during the conflict. Previous week, he denied the reports of war crimes committed by Eritrean troops which fought alongside the Ethiopian federal forces. (“US supported rebels in Tigray conflict - Eritrean leader,” BBC, 13 February 2023)
Burkina Faso: At least 12 civilians killed in armed men attack
On 13 February, BBC reported that at least 12 civilians were killed in an attack by armed men in northern Burkina Faso. Residents of the village told a French news agency that armed men on motorbikes stormed the village and looted animals and goods. Assailants are assumed to be members of an Islamist group that has forced thousands to flee their homes in Burkina Faso and in neighbouring Mali and Niger. (“Twelve civilians killed in Burkina Faso attack,” BBC, 13 February 2023)
Mali: 12 killed in attack near Mali border
On 13 February, BBC referred to a French news agency and reported that at least 12 civilians had been killed in an attack in Kossi province along the border with Mali in the north. Locals told the news agency that unidentified armed men, suspected to be linked to the Islamist insurgency, stormed a village on 10 February, looted animals and goods, and killed the civilians. (“Twelve civilians killed in Burkina Faso attack,” BBC, 13 February 2023)