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WORLD NEWS Friday 20 OctOber 2017

Jihadist ambush on US forces shows new danger in Sahel

gay Aghali, told The Associ- Sahel region bordering the
ated Press by phone from Sahara Desert. It is led by
the remote village of Ton- Adnan Abu Walid who
go-Tongo. Who were these built ties with various ex-
men and how did they tremists before forming his
know the Americans would own group. Some officials
be there that day? believe Walid’s militants
No extremist group has are also holding an Ameri-
claimed responsibility for can, Jeffery Woodke, who
the deadly ambush on was abducted in Niger a
Oct. 4 and the languages year ago. A rebel leader
reportedly spoken by the approached by Niger au-
jihadists are used through- thorities to conduct nego-
out the Sahel including tiations for his release con-
Tamashek, spoken by eth- firmed that Walid’s group
nic Tuaregs. is holding Woodke, who
The ambush of U.S. troops in had spent 25 years as an
Niger has been the center aid worker in Niger, one of
of controversy in America the poorest countries in the
because President Donald world. Now Walid’s group
Trump has been criticized is suspected of the attack
in some quarters, including that killed four American
by one grieving family di- soldiers this month.
Peul and Tuareg herdsmen walk to the livestock market in the desert village of Sakabal, Niger, 140 rectly, for the way he spoke The ambush in Niger high-
miles north of Maradi. Niger has suffered extremist attacks for years _ the local al-Qaida affiliate to the wife of one of the sol- lights how extremist groups
staged dramatic kidnappings of foreigners, Boko Haram from neighboring Nigeria brought suicide diers slain in that operation. have shifted and rebrand-
bombings across the border. The Niger attack appears ed since the 2013 French-
(AP Photo/Jerome Delay) to be the work of the Is- led military operation oust-
By BABA AHMED ing four American service with community leaders, lamic State of the Sahel, a ed them from power in
KRISTA LARSON members after shattering residents say the men who splinter group of extremists northern Mali.
Associated Press the windows of the unar- came to kill that day had loyal to the Islamic State Those extremists lost Ma-
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The mored U.S. trucks. never been seen there be- group who are based just li’s northern cities but re-
Islamic militants came on In this remote corner of Ni- fore. across the border in Mali, grouped in the desert, in-
motorcycles toting rocket- ger where the Americans “The attackers spoke Ara- according to interviews cluding the man suspected
propelled grenades and and their local counter- bic and Tamashek, and with U.S. officials and au- of ordering the attack on
heavy machine guns, kill- parts had been meeting were light-skinned,” Barin- thorities here in the vast the Americans.q

Kenya police disperse demonstrators despite court order

By TOM ODULA Freedom Park. The police right that cannot be with- crush dissent. Rights groups opposition leader Raila
Associated Press action was despite a court drawn. And it shows we do report that police killed 67 Odinga called off daily
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ke- ruling Tuesday that re- not have a police service. people in opposition pro- demonstrations.
nyan police fired rifles and moved the government’s We have a police force tests in the days after the Two senior officials of Ke-
tear gas Thursday to dis- ban on demonstrations. that is not answerable to August 11 announcement nya’s electoral commission
perse demonstrators pre- Demonstration organizer the people but the presi- of election results showing cast doubt on the whether
paring to protest police kill- Boniface Mwangi said a dent. that Kenyatta won re-elec- a free and fair election can
ings of opposition support- policeman pushed him The government is quelling tion. Kenyatta’s victory with be held at the end of the
ers ahead of a fresh presi- back and shot him with dissent and trying to show 54 percent of the vote was month, saying the coun-
dential election, a witness a tear gas canister which everything is O.K., but it nullified by the Supreme try is divided, the electoral
said. wounded his chest. isn’t,” he said. Court in September and a commission is split, and the
An AP photographer saw “Kenya is slowly sliding to Human rights groups ac- fresh election is scheduled major opposition candi-
police scatter the protest- dictatorship. The right to cuse President Uhuru Ke- for Oct. 26. date refuses to stand in the
ers gathering in Nairobi’s protest is a fundamental nyatta of using the police to Citing the police killings, poll. q