Via: RT Press

“Nigerian authorities have said the victims were abducted in a deadly mosque attack in Katsina State last week

At least 76 kidnapping victims, including women and children, have been rescued by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) after a precision air strike on the hideout of a notorious bandit in northwest Katsina State, authorities in Africa’s most populous country have reported.
The strikes on Saturday at Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area targeted a gang leader known as Babaro, who had carried out a deadly attack on a mosque in the town of Malumfashi last week, the Katsina State Internal Security Ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the rescued victims included all those abducted during the mosque attack, which left at least 50 people dead.

“However, it was regrettably noted that one child tragically lost his life during the ordeal,” it announced.

The West African country has long grappled with kidnappings carried out by criminal gangs and terrorist groups, particularly in the northwest and north-central regions. Such attacks have surged in recent months, defying government security measures that include routine army bombing raids against terror groups.”

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Via: Xinhua

“A senior African Union (AU) envoy in Somalia on Thursday reaffirmed the pan-African body’s commitment to enhancing peace, security, and stabilization efforts in the country amid threats from al-Shabab.

El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, special representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia and head of the AU Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM), also lauded the ongoing joint military operations by AU troops and the Somali Security Forces in some parts of Somalia to counter threats posed by the militants.

“We are supporting our Somali brothers and sisters. Our mandate is to support a Somali-led peace process. The ongoing operations are a priority defined by the government of Somalia, and we are collaborating closely with them to defeat al-Shabab,” Diene said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. He also praised the strong collaboration among key regional and international partners in the country’s stabilization efforts.”

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Via: AA

“Nigerien authorities announced on Friday the nationalization of the Liptako Mining Company (SML), responsible for gold mining and 80% owned by the Australian group Mckinel Resources Limited.

“SML SA, under Nigerien law, holds two (2) licenses for large-scale gold mining, namely the Samira Libiri license, renewed by decree on November 20, 2019, for a period of five years, and the Bouloujounga license,” the same source added, specifying that in May 2019, “the Société de patrimoine des mines du Niger (SOPAMIN), a state-owned company, sold 80% of its shares in Société des mines du Liptako (SML) SA to the Mckinel Resources Limited group through a share transfer agreement.”

According to the Nigerien government, the Mckinel Resources Limited group had then “committed to rehabilitating SML SA by mobilizing significant financial resources and honoring various operational, financial, and social commitments.” Unfortunately, Nigerien authorities lamented that “six (6) years after this share transfer, serious breaches of contractual obligations by Mckinel Resources Limited have been recorded, along with an alarming economic situation for SML SA.” Among other shortcomings, Niamey noted that a comprehensive investment plan, “including an indicative investment plan of at least US$10 million, which was to be developed within three (3) months of the acquisition, was never provided” by the Mckinel group, and that “SML SA has several outstanding tax debts to the State of Niger.”

SML SA is Niger’s main gold mining company, operating in the Liptako-Gourma region, near the border with Burkina Faso. Last June, Niger announced the nationalization of the Société des Mines de l’Aïr (SOMAÏR), responsible for uranium mining and 63.40% owned by the French operator Orano.

Since the July 2023 coup, the new Nigerien authorities have announced their intention to restore Niger’s “full” sovereignty over its natural resources.”

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