Tchad Tribune

UNITED NATIONS— A recent United Nations report states that some Africans linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Libya (ISIL-Libya) have been arrested.

The report which is the 29th of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaeda, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities noted that the African nationals were from Nigeria, Eritrea, Kenya, Mali, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, and Sudan.

The 23-page report from Feb 3 has since been submitted to the UN Security Council Committee.

In Nigeria, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was strengthened by the death of Jama‟atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda” Awati Wal-Jihad (Boko Haram) leader Abubakar Shekau in May 2021.

Member States remain divided on the status of ISWAP leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi (not listed), who was reportedly killed in September, in a fight with Boko Haram combatants and the group led by Ba Koura (not listed).

Although Malam Baku (alias Malam Bako, not listed) has replaced al-Barnawi as ISWAP leader, possibly followed by Sani Shuwaram (not listed), one Member State indicated that alBarnawi may have reverted to his previous role as head of the Al-Furqan office of the general directorate of provinces to ensure operational, logistical and financial liaison with the ISIL core.

The Al-Anfal office is almost defunct; its responsibilities in the Maghreb and the Sahel have been transferred to the Al-Furqan office in the Lake Chad Basin. Moreover, al-Barnawi is reported to have dissolved the old ISWAP shura council with the prior approval of the ISIL core in June.

The group and its 4,000 to 5,000 combatants have subsequently been reorganized into four branches: Lake Chad, Tunbuna, Sambisa Forest, and Timbuktu. Internal opposition to these developments led to a violent revolt in mid-August. ISWAP has sought to integrate Boko Haram fighters, but unification has proved difficult.

Ba Koura remains active, as the Boko Haram emir for Lake Chad, conquering Kirta Wulgo Island on 27 September and establishing his sanctuary in the Niger. Aliyu Ngulde sought to rebuild the group in the Mandara mountains, and Adamu Yunusa (alias Saddiqu) is active in gold extraction areas in north-western Nigeria.

One Member State asserted that they cooperate with the criminal group led by Dogo Gide and with Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (also known as Ansaru) but do not systematically join forces.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

BANGUI— The Central African Republic’s Economy Minister Felix Moloua became premier on Wednesday after the president fired the post’s predecessor.

Moloua is to retain his ministry position while also becoming the new head of government in the former French colony, according to a presidential decree read on public radio.

The rest of the cabinet line-up remains the same.

The 64-year-old replaces Henri-Marie Dondra, who was sacked on Monday as tensions have escalated between pro-Russian and pro-French political elite.

Russia’s influence in the mineral-rich country has steadily increased in recent years.

In late 2020, at Bangui’s request, Russian military contractors helped quell a rebellion against President Faustin-Archange Touadera.

Dondra was appointed prime minister in June 2021, after France suspended budgetary aid, accusing Bangui of going along with a Russia-led disinformation campaign.

Dondra was perceived to be more pro-French than his predecessor, who was seen as sympathetic to Russia.

But analyst Roland Marchal said that Dondra had little influence over the defence and foreign ministers and pro-Russian parliament speaker.

Moloua, the new prime minister, is considered a Touadera loyalist and a technocrat “with no political profile”, according to a diplomat who requested anonymity.

Trained as a demographer, he was the chief of staff at the economy ministry for eight years before being assigned the portfolio by Touadera in 2016.

The Central African Republic is rated the world’s second-poorest country by the UN’s Human Development Index, and has been wracked by political instability since independence 60 years ago.

A civil war erupted in 2013, killing thousands and displacing more than a quarter of the country’s 4.9 million people from their homes.

While the violence had decreased in recent years, it resumed abruptly when rebels launched their failed offensive to overthrow Touadera.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

GENEVA– The World Food Programme (WFP), yesterday warned that, an estimated 13 million people are facing hunger across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, as the Horn of Africa grappled with severe drought, caused by the driest conditions since 1981.

Tomson Phiri, spokesperson for the WFP, told a press briefing here yesterday that, the severe drought was widespread and likely to grow worse, with livestock dying, causing devastating losses for pastoral families.

After three consecutive failed rainy seasons, harvests were as much as 70 percent below the norm, in affected areas, the WFP spokesperson noted.

Moreover, he said, food and water prices were skyrocketing, leading to a sharp decline in the terms of trade.

“Given the forecast for a below-average Mar to May rainy season, the next two to three months would be critical. Early action was needed to prevent a humanitarian disaster across the Horn of Africa,” he said.

WFP said, it would be launching its Regional Drought Response Plan for the Horn of Africa, where teams were already supporting families with cash and emergency assistance, and providing life-saving food and nutrition assistance to affected communities.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

SpaceX says a geomagnetic storm brought down 40 satellites launched last Thursday as part of its Starlink satellite internet service.

In a release posted to the company’s website, the private space company said the satellites were among 49 Starlink satellites launched from the Kennedy Space Center, and that they were deployed to their intended orbit 210 kilometers above Earth.

The company explained it deploys its satellites into lower orbits so that, in the event they do not pass initial system checkouts, it can quickly and safely bring them out of orbit by atmospheric drag.

But SpaceX says the satellites were significantly impacted by a geomagnetic storm on Friday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ((NOAA)) Space Weather Prediction Center had posted a watch late last week for minor to moderate geomagnetic storm activity.

The company said the storms cause the atmosphere to warm and increase its density at altitudes where the satellites are deployed. SpaceX reports GPS readings on the satellites suggests the storm increased atmospheric drag 50 percent higher than normal.

The SpaceX ground control team set the satellites into a “safe-mode,” changing their flight attitude to minimize drag to effectively “take cover from the storm.”

The company says its preliminary analysis shows the increased drag at the low altitudes prevented the satellites from leaving safe mode and they failed to return to their intended orbits. It said 40 will reenter or already have reentered Earth’s atmosphere.

The company says the satellites pose no collision risk with other ones and are designed to disintegrate upon re-entering the atmosphere with no orbital debris expected to hit the ground.

SpaceX has launched nearly 2,000 satellites as part of a network to provide high-speed internet service to users anywhere in the world. Service in the northern United States and Canada is expected to start later this year.

Source: Voice of America