Kenya put a three million shillings bounty (around $30,000) on suspected abductors of an Italian aid worker from the coastal region of the country.
Kenya has put a 3 million shillings bounty (around $30,000) on suspected abductors of an Italian aid worker from the coastal region of the country.
In a statement, Kenya’s Inspector General of police Joseph Boinett said the abductors of 23-year-old Silvia Romano have been identified as Ibrahim Adam Omar, Yusuf Kuno Adan and Said Adan Abdi, who he warned are “armed and dangerous.”
Earlier this week, some armed bandits kidnapped Romano and wounded five people when they attacked Chakama Trading Center in Kilifi county.
“We consequently appeal to the public to inform the nearest police officer or police station for further action, should they see any of the three persons. A cash reward will be offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the suspects,” the statement said.
Boinett added that a multi-agency team has been assembled to rescue the Italian lady.
A fresh batch of 174 Nigerians, believed to be stranded in Libya, returned home on Friday, according a national relief agency official.The refugees' repatriation came as part of Nigeria’s evacuation of thousands of its nationals from Libya, especially after footage emerged of Africans being held as slaves in the strife-torn north African country early this year, triggering an international outcry.Segun Afolayan, the southeast region coordinator of the Nigeria National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the returnees arrived in the early hours of Friday, in a joint operation with the International Migration Organization (IOM) and the European Union.Nearly 450 Nigerians returned voluntarily in the last three weeks, and among today's returnees were 61 women and 22 children, he added.He said the IOM will provide rehabilitation and vocational training for the returnees.They returned to Nigeria under the Assisted Voluntary Return Program, according to Afolayan.Some 7,000 Nigerian refugees returned home voluntarily over the last year, according to the Nigerian agency.Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with some 192 million people, and has faced such problems as economic crises, security threats, and the herder-farmer conflict.Attacks from the militant group Boko Haram in the country's northeast forced millions of Nigerians to flee their homes.Some who try to cross the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean through Libya fall into the hands of human traffickers. Some die in the desert or the sea.
Over 170 ‘stranded’ Nigerians repatriated from Libya
A war crimes suspect from the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for a pre-trial hearing.The court heard Alfred Yekatom who commanded a group of Christian militias, known as the anti-balaka, had committed crimes against humanity, the ICC said in a statement.He is accused of torturing, murdering and forcing tens of thousands of Muslims to flee the country from December 2013 to August 2014.The pre-trial court said it found reasonable grounds to believe he committed or otherwise ordered the crimes.Tunisians urge demonstrations ahead of bin Salman visitYekatom was arrested in CAR late last month and handed over to the court on Nov. 17.CAR, a mineral rich country descended into conflict in 2013 after seleka rebels, said to be predominantly Muslim, ousted the government of President Francois Bozize, a Christian, and installed Michel Djotodia, a Muslim.Thousands of both Muslim and Christian civilians have fled their homes to internally displaced peoples camps or across neighboring countries.Despite electing a new president, the country is still plagued by tit-for-tat communal violence.African Union reveals list of abuses within commissionDaesh claims attacks in West Africa caused 118 casualties
Central African Republic militia leader appears at ICC
A high-level investigation team set up by the African Union Commission on Friday revealed their findings on alleged abuses within the commission.The team issued a report including a 7-point list of malpractices within the Pan African body's commission."Following allegations of harassment against women leveled through an anonymous letter, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission instituted a High-Level Committee (HLC) on 24 May 2018 to fully investigate all these allegations," read the report.Daesh claims attacks in West Africa caused 118 casualtiesAccording to the report, the chairperson of the commission also entrusted the HLC with a mandate to investigate all alleged institutional malpractices within the commission on March 15, 2017. The aim of the investigation was to independently establish the facts in the light of the commitment he made to staff on assumption of duty to ensure good internal governance throughout the entire commission.Accordingly, the team identified malpractices in Human Resource functions, cases of harassment, bullying and intimidation, governance challenges, gender discrimination, fraud and corruption, impunity and sexual harassment.This is the first scandal openly exposed within the African Union Commission in recent years.
African Union reveals list of abuses within commission
Turkey and Africa need to forge closer political, economic and social ties, Erol Yarar, president of the International Business Forum (IBF), said on Thursday."There is huge potential in Turkey-Africa cooperation," he told the Turkey-Africa Summit which was held as part of the 17th Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MUSIAD) Expo in Istanbul.Yarar, who is the founding president of MUSIAD, said his association wanted to reach out to African nations. "Western countries exploited Africa, but the continent has now woken up," he said.Yarar said the coming century in Africa is crucial as it has the highest population growth rate in the world.Turkish parliament formed friendship mostly with Africa"Nations should have economic and political freedom," he said.Turkey started its Africa outreach program in 2003 when bilateral trade was $5.4 billion. Last year, bilateral trade reached nearly $19 billion, data from TurkStat showed.In its 15-year period, Turkish contractors undertook hundreds of projects worth $55 billion in Africa, Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said last month.The four-day expo which kicked off Wednesday is being attended by businesspeople, academics, journalists, non-governmental organizations, and politicians.As part of the expo under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the International Business Forum's (IBF) 22nd Annual Congress, high technology and defense industry event “the High-Tech Port” and International Young Businessmen Congress (UGIK) are also set to be held.
Turkey, Africa should forge closer ties: Businessman