BAMAKO: An attack blamed on militants in central Mali killed more than 20 civilians on Monday, two local officials said, in the latest killings in the troubled Sahel region.
Mali has for over a decade been ravaged by militants and other armed groups, with the center of the West African country becoming a hotbed of violence since 2015.
“At least 21 civilians have been killed” in the village of Djiguibombo, several dozen kilometers (miles) from the town of Bandiagara, an official from the provincial authority said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He attributed the attack to militants.
Another provincial authority official, who spoke overnight, said about 20 people had been killed and the security situation prevented authorities from going to the site.
But a local youth representative said the army had arrived afterwards.
Both local authority sources asked not to be identified given their positions. Since the junta came to power in 2020, information about such incidents is not generally made public.
The attack began before nightfall and “lasted around three hours,” the youth representative said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
“Twenty people have been killed. More than half are young people. Some victims had their throats cut,” the source said.
“Many inhabitants fled toward Bandiagara. Those who stayed were not even able to bury the dead properly,” he said.
The deteriorated security context, remote locations and a lack of reliable information mean that attacks often take a long time to confirm.
Mali has since 2012 been plagued by different factions affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group, as well as by self-declared self-defense forces and bandits.
The militant violence that started in the north spread to the center of the country in 2015, when Katiba Macina — an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group — was established, led by the Fulani preacher Amadou Kouffa.
Human rights groups regularly denounce widespread impunity for attacks on civilians.
Radical Islamist groups impose pacts on local populations under which they are allowed to go about their business in return for paying a tax, accepting Islamic rules and not collaborating with the Malian army or other armed groups.
Communities are subject to retaliatory measures in the event of non-compliance.
The violence spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, with military regimes seizing power in all three countries.
Thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by the violence.
Since taking power in a 2020 coup, Mali’s military rulers have broken off their anti-militant alliance with France and European partners, while turning politically and militarily toward Russia.
The junta has enlisted the services of what it presents as Russian military instructors, but who, according to a host of experts and observers, are mercenaries from the private Russian company Wagner.
Bamako regularly claims to have gained the upper hand against the militants, as well as separatists in the north.
Suspected militant attack in Mali kills more than 20 civilians
https://arab.news/n5967
Suspected militant attack in Mali kills more than 20 civilians
- Mali has for over a decade been ravaged by militants and other armed groups
- Mali has since 2012 been plagued by different factions affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group
A home away from home: Saudi students enjoy special London iftar
- Annual ‘Ftoorna Yajmana’ Ramadan event aims to strengthen bonds among overseas Saudis
- ‘Seeing everyone smiling and sharing their food … it was amazing, ’ organizer tells
LONDON: Saudi students in London captured the spirit of Ramadan and forged friendships as part of a special iftar held in the first week of the holy month. The event was part of the “Ftoorna Yajmana” (Our Iftar Brings Us Together) initiative, organized by the Saudi Club in London in collaboration with UCL and Imperial student societies.
Held at Nunn Hall in the UCL’s IOE Building, the iftar welcomed a large group of students, scholars and community members, offering them the chance to break their fast in a warm and familiar setting. Students were encouraged to bring and share their own iftar meals, creating a true spirit of generosity and cultural exchange.
Capturing the Ramadan spirit without family The gathering was more than just a meal; it was a space where students could experience the spirit of Ramadan despite being away from their families. Fozan Al-Farshouty, president of the Saudi Club in London, highlighted the importance of such events in strengthening bonds within the Saudi student community.
“As you can see from this beautiful gathering, I wanted to create a space where Saudi students could feel a sense of home, connect with each other and strengthen our community bonds while embracing our cultural traditions, especially in this holy month. We needed to reduce the homesickness and stay connected more with each other,” he said.
Voices from the community Attendees from various academic backgrounds shared their experiences, highlighting the significance of communal gatherings during Ramadan.
Dr. Rahaf Al-Shahrani, a DClinDent student at Queen Mary University, described how meaningful it was to spend iftar with fellow Saudis: “Being here surrounded with the other Saudis in London, it means a lot. It brings the spirit of being with the family and surrounded by people who share the same culture, the same fasting. So, yeah, it makes me feel really good.”
Abdulaziz Hussain, an events management and tourism student at the University of Westminster, said that the event offered an emotional and cultural connection to home.
“Having iftar in London is the closest thing to our homes. Being surrounded with fellow Saudi students, it means a lot to us and it keeps the spirit of unity and Ramadan going. It’s a nice thing and a good tradition; it happens every year,” he said.
Firas Al-Turki, an MBA student at UCL, said that the initiative captured the essence of Ramadan: “Such initiatives really make you feel like you’re at home. You see your fellow colleagues, your fellow Saudis, seeing familiar faces, praying together after iftar; doing all these things together in a crowd really brings us back to home and we get that Ramadan spirituality.”
Beyond the meal, the event became a celebration of culture and tradition. Amani Al-Shihri, vice-president of the Saudi Club in London, said that the gathering was about more than just food.
“As a Saudi student club in London, we arranged this event so we can get together, and it’s not just about the food; it’s about sharing our culture and keeping our religious ties strong, even when we’re studying abroad,” she said.
“Seeing everyone smiling and sharing their food and telling everyone ‘Oh, you have to try my dish!’— it was amazing.”
Building lasting connections The evening featured a diverse spread of homemade Saudi and Middle Eastern dishes, along with international delicacies, reflecting the multicultural nature of the gathering. In addition to the iftar meal, attendees enjoyed board games, adding a fun and interactive element to the night.
The hall was beautifully decorated with Ramadan-themed decorations, creating a warm and festive ambiance. A large screen displayed videos and photos of Saudi Arabia and the holy city of Makkah, reminding attendees of home and the spiritual essence of Ramadan.
As the call to prayer marked the start of iftar, the hall was filled with an atmosphere of warmth, gratitude and unity. After the meal, the event fostered discussions on Ramadan traditions, academic journeys and ways to support one another in both personal and professional life.
With Ramadan now in full swing, the “Ftoorna Yajmana” initiative continues to serve as a bridge between students, offering them a meaningful space to celebrate, connect and embrace the essence of the holy month.
Man who scaled London’s ‘Big Ben’ clock tower appears in court
- Clutching a Palestinian flag, Daniel Day, 29, scaled 25 meters (82 feet) up the building, officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, at about 7:20 a.m. on Saturday
LONDON: A man who climbed part way up the ‘Big Ben’ clock tower at London’s Palace of Westminster early on Saturday and stayed there all day as part of a pro-Palestinian protest, appeared in court on Monday.
Clutching a Palestinian flag, Daniel Day, 29, scaled 25 meters (82 feet) up the building, officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, at about 7:20 a.m. on Saturday, remaining there for 16 hours until agreeing to come down, his lawyer and prosecutors told London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
He was subsequently charged by police with climbing and remaining on the tower which created “a risk or caused serious harm to the public,” and also trespassing on a protected site.
Prosecutors said Day’s actions had led to serious disruption in that area of central London with roads closed and buses diverted, and the cancelation of parliamentary tours had cost 25,000 pounds ($32,300).
Day’s lawyer said he would plead not guilty to the first charge, saying his action was designed to spread awareness regarding the situation in Gaza and Britain’s response to it.
The second charge of trespass requires the authorization of the attorney general, and so the case was adjourned until March 17 for a decision to be made.
Day, from a seaside town in eastern England, was remanded in custody, with his supporters clapping and shouting “Hero” and “Free Palestine” as he was led away.
Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker of parliament’s House of Commons, which is also located in the Palace of Westminster, said he had asked for a review of the incident.
Social media platform X outage appears to ease, Downdetector shows
- Social media platform X was down for thousands of users in the US and the UK
- There were over 16,000 incidents of people reporting issues with X as of 6:02am ET
Social media platform X is down for thousands of users in the US and the UK, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.
There were more than 16,000 incidents of people reporting issues with the platform as of 6:02 a.m. ET, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collating status reports from a number of sources.
X did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Downdetector's numbers are based on user-submitted reports. The actual number of affected users may vary.
Tanker, cargo ship collide off UK coast causing blaze and casualties
- Thirty-two casualties have been brought ashore with ambulances waiting to take them to hospital in the port town of Grimsby
- Vessels involved are the US-flagged chemical tanker Stena Immaculate and Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong
LONDON: A tanker and container ship collided off the northeastern coast of England on Monday causing a huge fire on at least one of the vessels and leading to numerous casualties.
Authorities mounted an emergency response, and the coast guard agency said a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability had all been called to the incident to help.
Thirty-two casualties have been brought ashore with ambulances waiting to take them to hospital in the port town of Grimsby, the chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East said via email. It was not clear how severe their condition was.
The vessels involved are the US-flagged chemical tanker Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong, according to shipping industry sources.
The BBC cited the chief executive of Stena Bulk, Erik Hanell, as confirming that all the crew on the tanker had been accounted for.
Television images from the BBC showed at least one vessel ablaze with clouds of black smoke billowing into a grey sky.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a lifeboat service working on the emergency response, said: “There were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships.”
The collision took place in a busy stretch of waterway with traffic running from the ports along Britain’s northeast coast to the Netherlands and Germany, shipping industry sources said.
Stena said its tanker was operated by US logistics group Crowley. The tanker was one of just 10 enlisted in a US government program designed to supply the armed forces with fuel.
Maritime analytics website Marine Traffic said the 183-meter-long Stena Immaculate was anchored off Immingham, northeast England, when it was struck by the 140-meter-long Solong, which was en route to Rotterdam.
Two shipping sources said the Stena Immaculate was at anchor at the time of the incident.
Ship insurer Skuld of Norway would only confirm that the Solong was covered with it for protection & indemnity, a segment of insurance that covers environmental damage and crew injuries or fatalities.
Solong’s manager, Hamburg-based Ernst Russ, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United Nations shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization, said it was aware of the situation.
Marcos appoints new chief minister in Philippines’ only Muslim region
- Abdulraof Macacua is the governor of Maguindanao del Norte and senior MILF leader
- New leader appointed only 7 months before Bangsamoro’s first parliamentary elections
Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed a new interim chief minister to oversee the only Muslim-majority territory in the Philippines, as the region prepares for its first parliamentary elections in October.
Bangsamoro was at the heart of a four-decades-long separatist struggle until 2014, when the Philippine government struck a permanent ceasefire agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, paving the way for peace and autonomy in the region home to the biggest Muslim population in the predominantly Catholic country.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was formed in 2019 as part of the region’s transition to autonomy, which will culminate in October this year, when it will elect its legislature and executive.
Until then, BARMM’s leadership is currently under a transition authority appointed by the Philippine president.
Marcos has appointed Abdulraof Macacua, the governor of Maguindanao del Norte — a province within the Bangsamoro region — to replace Murad Ebrahim, who had served as BARMM’s chief minister since 2019.
The change in leadership was confirmed on Sunday by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro.
“This transition comes at a crucial time as the Bangsamoro region prepares for a significant milestone — its first parliamentary elections in October this year,” Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said in a statement on Monday.
“For the continuity and success of the Bangsamoro peace agreement, we place our trust in Interim Chief Minister Macacua as he takes the helm of governance.”
Macacua’s appointment was welcomed by Yshmael “Mang” I. Sali, the governor of Bangsamoro’s Tawi-Tawi province.
“We stand firmly behind the new leadership as we work together toward the goals of the Bangsamoro Government for the benefit of all its constituents,” Sali said.
Macacua, 67, has been a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority since 2019. Also known as Sammy Gambar, he was a senior MILF leader and had served as chief of staff of MILF’s armed wing.
Rikard Jalkebro, an expert on Muslim Mindanao and associate professor at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, said the “unexpected” change in BARMM’s leadership “carries significant political, governance and security” implications.
“It signals that (the palace) is not happy (or) confident that things are moving in the right direction,” Jalkebro told Arab News.
The last-minute leadership change may create uncertainties for ongoing governance programs, development initiatives and election preparations.
“Ebrahim was leading the BARMM transition with policies aligned with the peace process. Will Macacua continue these policies, or will he introduce new priorities that alter the region’s political and economic trajectory?” he said.
Though Macacua is also part of MILF, his appointment may also “indicate internal rifts within the organization,” according to Jalkebro.
As such, how the MILF and other Bangsamoro stakeholders react to the latest development in the coming months “will be critical” in determining “whether this shift strengthens or destabilizes” the transition process.
“The transition from a rebel movement to a formal political entity is delicate, and any perception of unfair political maneuvers could create tensions, particularly among grassroots MILF supporters,” Jalkebro said.
“The long-term effect will hinge on whether Macacua can maintain stability, ensure a fair election, and uphold BARMM’s autonomy without undue national government interference. This moment is a critical test for the future of Bangsamoro self-governance.”
