Month: March 2022

PENTAGON — U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday that he would make "no apologies" after his recent comment that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," stressing he was "expressing moral outrage" and not actually calling for regime change in Moscow.

"People like this shouldn't be ruling countries, but they do. The fact they do doesn't mean I can't express my outrage about it," Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday.

"I wasn't articulating a policy change," he said.

The president's unscripted remark about Putin, while speaking with Ukrainian refugees and international volunteers in Poland on Saturday, stirred controversy in the United States and caught some allies in Western Europe by surprise.

"The last thing I want to do is engage in a land war or a nuclear war with Russia," Biden said, while rejecting the idea that his comment could escalate tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian troops have stopped ground advances toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as they appear refocused on regions in eastern Ukraine, according to senior official from the U.S. Department of Defense.

"They clearly are not moving on Kyiv anymore," said the official, who briefed reporters on background Monday. "What we are seeing is this continued reprioritization on the Donbas."

Moscow's latest military shift appears to be an effort to cut off Ukrainian forces in the eastern region, according to the official, adding that the move "could be an attempt by the Russians to gain negotiating leverage" in peace talks with Ukrainian representatives trying to end the war.

Mercenaries

Britain's Defense Ministry said Monday that a private Russian mercenary company, the Wagner Group, has been deployed to eastern Ukraine.

"They are expected to deploy more than 1,000 mercenaries, including senior leaders of the organization, to undertake combat operations," the ministry said. It added that the troops were being pulled from Syria and Africa.

The top commander of U.S. military forces in Africa, General Stephen Townsend, told VOA earlier this month that the Wagner Group was trying to recruit its mercenaries in Africa to fight in Ukraine.

Russia has been backing separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine since at least 2014, when Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

Ukrainian forces have stopped Russian troops from taking most major cities.

Nearly 5,000 people, including more than 200 children, have been killed in the southern city of Mariupol, which Russia has heavily bombarded since the invasion started last month, according to the mayor's office.

Mariupol's mayor on Monday called for evacuation of the remaining 160,000 residents. Ukraine's deputy prime minister, however, said no humanitarian corridors would open, because of intelligence reports of potential Russian assaults on the routes.

"We've seen the Russians announce humanitarian corridors and then promptly shell them, or mortar them, or strike them," the senior U.S. Defense official said Monday in response to a question from VOA, without speaking to Ukraine's recent assertions.

Near Kyiv, the large suburb of Irpin has been liberated from Russian forces, according to Mayor Alexander Markushin.

"We understand that our city will be attacked more. We will protect it," he said.

Last week, the deputy chief of the Russian armed forces' general staff said Russia's "main tasks" of the invasion of Ukraine were complete.

"The combat capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces have been substantially reduced, which allows us to concentrate our main efforts on achieving the main goal — the liberation of Donbas," Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi said.

Last week, however, a senior U.S. Defense official said Ukrainians still have more than 90% of their combat power, in part because the U.S. and other allies have replenished them "in real time."

Peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" are a priority as Ukraine and Russia head into a new round of peace talks.

"We are looking for peace, really, without delay," Zelenskyy said in a video address late Sunday. "There is an opportunity and a need for a face-to-face meeting in Turkey. This is not bad. Let's see the outcome."

Earlier Sunday, in a call with Russian journalists, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was open to adopting neutral status as part of a peace deal if it came with third-party guarantees and was put to a referendum.

Turkey is set to host the latest talks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that he would meet briefly with both the Russian and Ukrainian delegations ahead of the talks on Tuesday.

Speaking about the peace talks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on national television Monday that "the minimum program will be humanitarian questions, and the maximum program is reaching an agreement on a cease-fire."

"We are not trading people, land or sovereignty," he added.

The United Nations says the Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed 10 million people out of their homes, and more than 3.8 million have fled the country.

In response to the invasion, the NATO alliance has increased defenses on its eastern flank, announcing four new battlegroups to Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia last week. Individual NATO members have also unilaterally sent troops and equipment to allied countries including Poland and the Baltic states, which neighbor Russia and have hosted NATO battlegroups since 2017.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby announced that six U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler aircraft and about 250 air crew would arrive in Germany on Monday to bolster NATO's defenses.

"These Growlers … specialize in conducting electronic warfare missions, using a suite of jamming sensors to confuse enemy radars," Kirby told reporters.

"They are there to reinforce deterrence capabilities of the alliance on the eastern flank. They're not there to engage Russian assets. That is not the goal," the senior U.S. Defense official added.

Source: Voice of America

KADUNA, NIGERIA — Suspected bandits attacked a passenger train headed to the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna from Abuja, the capital, Monday evening after they trapped the train, the Kaduna state government said.

One passenger, Anas Iro Danmusa, posted on Facebook that bandits planted explosives which halted the train. He said bandits were trying to force themselves inside the train and gunshots were being fired outside the train.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and no casualties have been confirmed.

"The military has secured the Kaduna-bound train from Abuja trapped by terrorists," a representative for Kaduna state government said. "Efforts are ongoing to convey the passengers from the location and others that sustained injuries have been rushed to hospitals for urgent medical attention."

It is the second train attack since October in Nigeria, which faces an Islamist insurgency and armed bandits that have kidnapped hundreds of students, travelers and villagers for ransom, leaving the population terrified.

Some people have opted to travel by rail after several kidnappings by armed bandits on Nigerian highways, especially in the northwest of the country.

The train was stopped about 25 kilometers to Kaduna when the attack happened, an official of the Nigerian Railways Corp (NRC) said, adding that a relative was also trapped on the Kaduna-bound service.

Source: Voice of America

Addis Ababa: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency, Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomes the Declaration of an indefinite Humanitarian Truce by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in an effort to expedite the provision of much needed humanitarian aid to people in need in the Tigray region. The Chairperson further welcomes the announcement by the Regional Government of Tigray committing to observe the said humanitarian truce, and also welcomes its declaration of an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The Chairperson calls the donor community and humanitarian agencies to redouble their efforts to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Tigray and all affected regions, including Amhara and Afar regions. The Chairperson reiterates the call for all partners to scale up humanitarian relief efforts in order to reach all those in need.

The Chairperson continues to advocate for a negotiated permanent comprehensive ceasefire, and for parties to engage in dialogue towards this goal.

In this regard, the Chairperson urges the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, H.E Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, to continue his strong efforts working closely with the parties and stakeholders towards the swift resolution of the conflict.

Source: African Union

Al-Shabab extremists in Somalia are getting “bolder” in their attacks and have increased using suicide bombers wearing homemade explosives in what security experts call a "change in tactics."

The Islamist militant group mounted one of its deadliest attacks Wednesday, targeting elections at the regional presidential palace in Beledweyne town around 300 km north of Mogadishu. Forty-eight people were killed, and more than 100 others wounded.

Among the dead was a member of parliament, Amina Mohamed, a vocal critic to the government, who was on the campaign trail when she was targeted and killed by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest.

Hours earlier, two Shabab militants breached the heavily fortified compound at Mogadishu’s airport, where presidential elections are scheduled to take place. Offices for the U.N., Western embassies and the African Union peacekeeping mission are in the same area.

For more than a decade, al-Shabab has been fighting the U.N.-backed Somali government in Mogadishu, and during its violent campaign it has used a range of tactics that include intimidation and use of violence.

But in recent months, al-Shabab increased attacks in which individual suicide bombers deliver explosives and detonate them on selected targets with precision to inflict the greatest possible damage, security experts told VOA Somali service.

In November of last year, Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled, a critic of al-Shabab, was killed in Mogadishu in a suicide attack carried out by a man wearing a vest.

In January 2022, former Somali government spokesman and now lawmaker Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu survived a similar attack on his car by a man wearing a suicide bomb. Militants also carried out several other attacks in the same way.

“So, this shows a change of a tactics from using vehicles and armed raids to more individual suicide bombers,” said former Somalia National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) chief Abdullahi Mohamed Ali. "For them [al-Shabab] deploying suicide bombers, who strike intended targets, is cheaper, effective, and easier strategy,” Ali said.

Former NISA deputy director Abdisalan Guled says when one of the group’s strategies fails, it always comes up with another.

“Before, the militants used mainly gunmen storming on military bases, government offices, hotels, and restaurants, roadside IEDs, drive-by shootings, guerrilla style ambushes, and among others. But now as security at government key installations and military basis beefed up, they use more bombers wearing suicide-vests with huge magnitude and impact,” Guled said.

Al-Shabab now stronger

Former deputy NISA chief Ismail Osman believes the group is now in a stronger financial position than before, allowing it to purchase more bomb making materials and weapons.

“The group generates millions of dollars of revenue from its taxation of all aspects of Somalia's economy, including the money they get from Zakat, a big revenue stream, an annual religious tax of 2.5% of an individual's wealth. Therefore, they used much of the money to purchase weapons and the materials they need to manufacture more homemade bombs,” said Osman.

Guled, agrees that the terror group is possibly now in one of its strongest positions in years, given its increasing willingness to launch bolder, daylight, face-to-face attacks while penetrating security agencies to plan their bombings and assassinations.

“Another thing that helped the group to grow stronger and bolder is how they have been able to infiltrate within the country’s security agencies and institutions “to operate within,” said Guled.

“Along with their military dedication, al-Shabab always had cohesive and adaptable strategies and intelligence structures capable of disguising simply as ordinary civil servants, and more into the security agencies ranks,” he added.

The experts also said repeated political disputes among the country’s top leaders and more focus on the elections gave the militants a better breeding ground.

“The national security has been politicized by rival politicians jockeying for power and that created division and negligence within the security sectors. Also, the focus of the government for more than a year shifted from security to elections and disputes between the top leaders. That indeed gave al-Shabab a space to remobilize and plan their attacks accordingly,” said Osman.

“Political disputes and lack of effective government security measures in place in Somalia continue to weaken the security apparatus and strengthen the militants,” said Ali.

According to Somali security data, al-Shabab commands as many as 10,000 fighters across Somalia and parts of Kenya.

U.S. troops withdrawal

Somalia security efforts and the fight against al-Shabab has been mainly relying on the support of the U.N.-backed African Union Mission in the country, and limited military assistance from the United States and other international partners.

According to Somali military officials, the U.S. military has been very effective in degrading al-Shabab’s capacity and movement through kinetic airstrikes with the coordination of the Somali National Army. But the U.S. military withdrew from Somalia in 2021, in one of the last actions of President Donald Trump's presidency.

Since then, security concerns have been growing sharply as the country's fragile political system wrestled with the completion of a bitterly contested election process and increased attacks by militants.

Guled says the withdrawal of some vital U.S. military forces and the decrease of airstrikes by U.S. drones gave the militants a freedom to move around the country and plan their attacks accordingly.

“Before, due to the U.S military pressure and drone attacks targeting their leaders and possible explosive vehicles, al-Shabaab was largely confined to rural areas and hideouts, but now, with the reduction of the U.S. troops’ direct engagement with the group, the decrease of the drone attacks, plus a lack of military movement on the government and AMISOM side, al-Shabab has the opportunity and the momentum to show off its military presence and capability and that it was operating without fear,” said Guled.

Source: Voice of America

VICTORIA — The Red Cross Society of Seychelles is urging everyone in Seychelles to donate non-perishable food items to help the people of Madagascar overcome the devastating effects of five recent natural disasters related to flooding and destruction by cyclones.

Previously, the society was only accepting financial contributions due to the high cost of sending the items to Madagascar, but with the assistance of the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), basic commodities are now being accepted. Donations are being accepted until April 5.

The chaplain of the defence forces, Deacon Louis Agathine, said in a news report on the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) that the delivery of donated goods will now be possible as the Seychelles Coast Guard will leave on a ship for a mission to the region next month.

“As we have a mission to carry out soon, we have been asked by the Commander in Chief, President Wavel Ramkalawan, to use this opportunity to assist Madagascar and kill two birds with one stone,” said Agathine.

Over 400,000 people in Madagascar have been affected by recurring cyclones and flooding in January and February. In February, it was hit by four tropical cyclones. The calamities resulted in large-scale ravages on crops.

“Even if Madagascar produces rice, they do not have enough at the moment as the cyclones have destroyed a lot. As such, we will take commodities that will not spoil like oil and rice. We might knock on the doors of IOT as well,” said Agathine.

Other than food items, water and basic commodities, the Red Cross is also calling on people to donate bedsheets, towels and blankets but no longer accepting clothes items as there are enough in stock.

Clothes have already been sorted and packed for delivery by members of the SDF.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

GENEVA — U.N. human rights officials warn a deepening crackdown on civil society in Libya is creating a chilling effect on human rights defenders and other activists, who are subject to arbitrary arrests and other forms of government intimidation.

Human rights spokeswoman Liz Throssell says the trend of a shrinking civic space in Libya has been going on for many months. She notes it reached an apex in the run-up to planned presidential elections last December 24.

She says election-related hate speech and smear campaigns attacking the freedom of expression in Libya were at an all-time high during that period.

The U.N.-sponsored election was meant to end a decade of conflict. It was subsequently delayed because of bitter arguments about divisive candidates. However, Throssell notes the hate speech campaigns have not stopped.

“We noted that there are attacks against human rights defenders, journalists, civil society actors and members of social movements, as I said. And these attacks appear aimed to silence movements, such as youth movements, social, cultural, peaceful movements. So, it is a broader concern,” she said.

Throssell says members of the Internal Security Agency and state-affiliated armed groups have arbitrarily detained, tortured, and intimidated human rights and civic activists. That was justified under the pretense of protecting so-called Libyan and Islamic values.

She says videos were posted of seven young men arbitrarily arrested between November and March in the capital, Tripoli. They were seen seemingly confessing to being “atheist, areligious, secular, and feminist.”

“We have received allegations that these confessions were obtained by coercion, raising serious concerns regarding the use of torture, which is absolutely prohibited. These confessions also implicate several other men and women, many of whom have now gone into hiding after receiving death threats,” she said.

Throssell says the Facebook videos have sparked a wave of hate speech against human rights defenders. She says there have been calls to prosecute activists as apostates under Sharia law and for death sentences. She says some campaigners for gender equality and social and cultural rights have fled overseas fearing for their safety.

The human rights office is calling on Libyan authorities to stop the aggressive campaign against Libyans defending their human rights and to release those arbitrarily detained. It says perpetrators of alleged torture and other violations should be prosecuted, including members of the Internal Security Agency.

Source: Voice of America

AMMAN, Mar 25 (NNN-PETRA) – King Abdullah II of Jordan, took part in the Aqaba Process meetings, with the presidents of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, and Tanzania’s prime minister, in Jordan’s coastal city, Aqaba yesterday, the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement.

During the new round of the Aqaba Process meetings, the participants highlighted the importance of continuously countering the threats of terrorist and extremist groups.

They also urged the ongoing cooperation and exchange of expertise to prevent the expansion of terrorist groups into new areas.

Representatives of military and security agencies from African, European, East Asian, and Latin American countries, also joined the meeting, the statement added.

The Aqaba Process is an initiative launched in 2015, by the King, in the namesake Jordanian city, for enhancing international cooperation against extremism and terrorism.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK