Dozens kidnapped in northwest Nigeria after bandits invite them to talks

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By Reuters and Posted by TOE Armed bandits in northwest Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting ‌about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on ‌Monday, highlighting the region’s worsening security. Police said 39 people were seized on Sunday ​when they went to a meeting in the forest near Magamin Diddi village in the Maradun municipality of northwest Zamfara State. Some local residents and officials said the number could be as ‌high as 50. According to ⁠a Zamfara State Police Command statement, the victims were meeting relatives of a bandit leader in ⁠an attempt to broker peace and ease restrictions on movement imposed on the community. Zamfara is at the centre of a long-running security ​crisis in ​which armed groups, locally referred ​to as bandits, carry ‌out mass kidnappings, killings and village raids. The violence has disrupted farming and displaced thousands. Security forces have deployed personnel and...
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Surge in rebel attacks sparks deadly protests in eastern Congo

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By Yassin Kombi Reuters

At least seven people have been killed in unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, local officials said on Saturday, after people took to the streets to protest against a surge in deadly attacks by suspected Islamist rebels.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group affiliated to the Islamic State, are alleged to have killed more than 40 people in an attack on Mayikengo village this week and over 80 in attacks on other villages in the province the previous week.

The insecurity has fuelled public frustration, leading to the killing of two soldiers and their driver in Lubero territory by a crowd who torched their vehicle overnight on Friday, local official Julio Mabanga told Reuters.

On Saturday, further clashes in the area between security forces and local residents led to the deaths of another three people: a civilian, a soldier, and an agent of the ANR national intelligence service, Mabanga said.

A similar protest broke out in the city of Butembo on Saturday, with hundreds of youths taking to the streets wielding sticks, chanting and singing songs to denounce the widespread insecurity, according to a Reuters reporter.

“I’m here at this roundabout, barricading the road. We sympathise with our killed compatriots,” said Daniel Sivanzire Paluku, one of the protesters, who said they needed to block the roads to monitor who was coming and going.Her win at this match, called the ‘Billie Jean cup’ has put her a step closer to that goal..

Butembo Mayor Mowa Baeki Telly confirmed one civilian was killed during clashes between security forces and protesters in the city.

The ADF originates in neighbouring Uganda, but is now based in mineral-rich eastern Congo. It has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups compete for influence and resources.

It has not been possible to reach the ADF for comment on the attacks.

The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which follows militant websites, said on Friday Islamic State had published communiques from its so-called Central Africa Province division claiming responsibility for the killing of 51 people in attacks in North Kivu this week. It has also claimed to have beheaded over 60 people in a single attack in the province on June 7.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/J7Hf5rC

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