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Two Moroccan cyclists kidnapped in Burkina Faso released after six weeks

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Two Moroccan cyclists who were kidnapped in Burkina Faso by gunmen on April 1 have been released after spending more than six weeks in captivity.

The Moroccan Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a statement on Monday, said the two cyclists who were on a cross-country tour, were abducted at the Niger-Burkina Faso border in the strife-torn West African country which has been battling with insurgents.

The Ministry said the release of the cyclists was achieved as a result of cooperation between Moroccan security services and their Nigerien counterparts.

“The cooperation allowed the detection of the two Moroccans’ location and their release. The two citizens are safe and sound. The citizens are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure their health status, prior to their repatriation to Morocco,” the Ministry said.

The case of the two cyclists had raised serious oncerns among Moroccans and had pitched the two countries on a diplomatic row, which led to the Burkinese government pledging to do everything possible to secure the release of the captives.

The Moroccan Touring Bike Association, Souss Massa, had, in a statement in April, mandated the country to go the whole mile to free the cyclists.

“We ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates to send a research note to Burkina Faso.”

The Moroccan Embassy in Ouagadougou had also promised that it was mobilizing all of its resources and working in coordination with relevant authorities to solve the case of two Moroccan cyclists.

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Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

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A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25, to 35 years in prison each for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat, who was stabbed to death last year.

Khalumi and Lokere were both found guilty by Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Kenyan High Court in the northwestern city of Eldoret for stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser to death.

In his ruling, Nyakundi said overwhelming evidence from CCTV cameras showed the pair intentionally killed the athlete, adding that they had not shown any remorse for the pre-meditated crime and deserved a harsh sentence.

“Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short contrary to God’s plan, where God intended man to live for a minimum of 70 years,” Nyakundi said while announcing the 35-year sentence for each defendant.

The judge however, rejected a plea from Kiplagat’s mother, Elizabeth Chemweno, and his two brothers who wanted Khalumi and Lokere to be given life sentences.

The two convicts were arrested a day after the athlete’s body was found in his car on the outskirts of Eldoret on New Year’s Eve with a deep wound to his neck in a murder that shocked the country and Africa in general.

Kiplagat who was born in the Eldoret region in Kenya, had an illustrious career spanning almost two decades, and had represented Uganda internationally in the 3,000m steeplechase, including at several Olympic Games and World Championships.

He won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and bronze at the African Championships in 2012 and made the semi-finals of the event at the 2012 Olympics in London and also competed in Rio in 2016.

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Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

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Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui clinched victory in the race, clocking 2:24:35, with the defending champion, Hellen Obiri, securing second place, while Vivian Cheruiyot finished third.

In just her fourth marathon, Chepkirui ran a ferocious last half mile to win the race ahead of Obiri, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.

Chepkirui, 33, came into the race with the fastest personal best in the field, 2:17:29, which she ran at the 2022 Valencia Marathon though this is her her first win at a world marathon major.

Speaking in the post-race press conference the race, she said:

“Winning means a lot to me. It means my training has been going well, and I’m really happy for the win.

“The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.

“In the last mile, it was really hard. I pushed myself. I’m so happy. I pushed myself to the limit.”

This Kenyan dominance underscores the nation’s strength in long-distance running, particularly in major marathon events.

The 2024 New York City Marathon featured a competitive field, but the Kenyan athletes’ performances stood out, reaffirming their status as leading figures in women’s marathon running.

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