Jihadists abduct fifty women in Burkina Faso
Some 50 women have been abducted by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, local officials say.
Residents in Arbinda said two groups of women were taken as they were out gathering leaves and wild fruits because of a severe food shortage.
A small number managed to escape and raise the alarm.
The abductions happened on Thursday and Friday, but news has just emerged, as much of the area has been blockaded by Islamist militants. Arbinda in the Sahel region has been hit hard by the jihadist insurgency.
Roads in and out have been blocked by the jihadists, there is severe hunger as food supplies are limited, and the humanitarian situation is desperate.
Last month, protesters in Arbinda broke into warehouses to get food and supplies.
Burkina Faso as a whole has been hit by a decade-long insurgency that has displaced nearly two million people.
The military seized power last January, promising an end to attacks, but the violence still rages.
dennis2020
Mon, 01/16/2023 - 06:43
UN Security Council denounces Taliban restrictions on women in Afghanistan
The UN Security Council on Tuesday called for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan, denouncing a ban by the Taliban-led administration on women attending universities or working for humanitarian aid groups.
In the latest blow to women’s rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban reclaimed power last year, on Saturday the hard-line Islamist rulers banned women from working in non-governmental organizations, sparking international outcry.
The Taliban have already suspended university education for women and secondary schooling for girls.
The 15-member UN Security Council said in a statement agreed by consensus it was “deeply alarmed” by the increasing restrictions on women’s education, calling for “the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
It urged the Taliban “to reopen schools and swiftly reverse these policies and practices, which represents an increasing erosion for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In its statement, the Council also condemned the ban on women working for NGOs, adding to warnings of the detrimental impact on aid operations in a country where millions rely on them.
dennis2020
Wed, 12/28/2022 - 09:43