Metro

After jihadist extremists seize Malian village, military launches air strikes

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2022

The Malian military has launched air strikes to dislodge jihadist extremists with ties to the dreaded Islamic State terrorist group which seized a village in Mali’s northern Gao region on Wednesday.

The extremist group had invaded and taken over the village of Talataye on Tuesday night, reigniting fears that the extremists would again expand their hold on territories following the departure of French troops after nearly a decade of battling insurgents.

Fahad Ag Almahmoud, the Secretary General of GATIA, an umbrella organization representing former armed groups that signed a peace agreement with the Malian government, who confirmed the attack, said in a statement on Thursday:

“The Islamic State fighters attacked our position in the village of Talataye and our fighting unit finally withdrew from the village.

“Last we heard, the Islamic State fighters took control of the village all night, but this morning there were air strikes by the Malian army on the site. At this moment, we still don’t know if they are still in the village or if they have withdrawn.”

Before the coming of the French troops, extremist groups had seized Malian towns and villages where they hoisted their flags and set up governments.

In September 2016, al-Qaeda-linked fighters took control of the central town of Boni before abandoning the town a day after the attack. Last month Islamic State-linked militants briefly took control of the town of Tessit in the Menaka region.

In 2012, a group of extremists seized power in major towns across Mali’s north, implementing strict Islamic law known as Shariah Law that included amputating the hands of suspected thieves and publicly whipping women for wearing clothing deemed too revealing.

The extremists fled into the surrounding desert when, France, Mali’s former colonial masters, launched a military intervention in 2013.

But with the withdrawal of the French troops on August 15, the extremists have slowly made incursions back into the country.

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Metro

‘Cyber Act fails to protect the vulnerable,’ Student demands media inclusivity for persons with disabilities

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Peter Libila, a student at Icof University’s Chipata campus, highlights the lack of awareness among individuals with disabilities and those residing in rural areas about their digital rights, resulting in limited access to media platforms for free expression.

Libila underscored the marginalization of people with disabilities in discussions on community development, leading to their exclusion from voicing their perspectives.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Eastern Province, Libila discussed the discrimination and stigma faced by individuals with disabilities in the media landscape.

Read More: Differently-abled person speaks on challenges impacting freedom of expression in rural areas

“Persons with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to community developments,” he emphasized.

Moreover, as someone with a physical disability, Libala pointed out shortcomings in the Cybersecurity Act which failed to adequately address online barriers to freedom of expression.

“The act fails to ensure online safety for all; it only offers protection to certain groups while neglecting others,” he asserted.

He stressed the importance of bridging these gaps to foster inclusivity within the media.

“There’s a lack of sign language interpreters in most media outlets, which poses challenges for the deaf community,” he observed.

Libila also emphasized the necessity of providing braille reading materials and writing tools for individuals who are blind.

“Even basic resources like braille books are often unavailable for the blind,” he lamented.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

All my tough policy decisions are in Nigerians’ interest— Tinubu

Published

15 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has insisted that all his tough policy decisions and reforms have been taken with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

Tinubu, who made the assertion in Hague, The Netherlands, during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, insisted that though some of the policies had brought hardship on Nigerian masses, he was not afraid to implement more of such policies as they would yield positive results in the end.

“I am a determined leader of my people. I am ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if with initial pains,” Tinubu said.

“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.

“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

The President also noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.