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world news Diasabra 10 Juli 2021

UK police officer admits killing woman abducted on walk home

(AP) — A British police of- hearing the facts about what
ficer pleaded guilty Friday happened to Sarah. Today is
to murdering a 33-year-old a day to remember Sarah, and
woman who was abducted our thoughts remain with her
as she walked home from family and friends.”
a friend’s house in south Couzens is due to be sen-
London. tenced during a two-day
hearing that starts Sept. 29.
Wayne Couzens previ-
ously admitted kidnapping The police force has ex-
and raping Sarah Everard, pressed shock and horror at
a marketing executive who his crime, but faces an in-
went missing on March 3. vestigation by the policing
Couzens entered a guilty plea watchdog over how it han-
to murder during a hearing at dled an allegation of indecent
London’s Central Criminal exposure against Couzens
Court, appearing by video days before Everard was ab-
link from Belmarsh high-se- women sharing experiences don’s Metropolitan Police in body was found in woods ducted.
curity prison. of being threatened, attacked 2018 and had most recently close to a piece of land owned
or simply facing the everyday served in the parliamentary by Couzens. Despite his Metropolitan Police Com-
A major police investigation fear of violence when walk- and diplomatic protection guilty plea, prosecutors said missioner Cressida Dick said
was launched after Ever- ing alone. command, an armed unit Couzens has not revealed she had told Everard’s family
hard’s disappearance. Her responsible for guarding em- where he raped and killed “how very sorry I’m am for
body was found a week later Police in the U.K. capital bassies in the capital and Par- Everard. their loss, for their pain and
in woodland more than 50 came in for criticism after liament. their suffering.”
miles (80 kilometers) south- some women attending a vig- “We still do not know what
east of London. il for Everard were detained Prosecutor Tom Little said drove him to commit this ap- “All of us in the Met are sick-
for breaching coronavirus re- Couzens abducted Everard, a palling crime against a strang- ened, angered and devastated
The search for Everard and strictions. complete stranger, in a rented er,” said Carolyn Oakley of by this man’s truly dreadful
news of her killing caused car hours after he finished a the Crown Prosecution Ser- crimes,” she said. “Everyone
a nationwide outcry, with Couzens, 48, joined Lon- 12-hour policing shift. Her vice. “Today is not the day for in policing feels betrayed.”

France to pull more than 2,000 troops from Africa’s Sahel

(AP) — France will with- configure its presence in the evolution of the threat,” he
draw more than 2,000 coming weeks to focus par- said. Once the reorganiza-
troops from an anti-ex- ticularly on the restive bor- tion is complete, he said, “the
tremism force in Africa’s der area where Mali, Burkina Barkhane operation will close
Sahel region by early next Faso and Niger meet. down.”
year and pivot its military
presence to specialized Niger’s President Mohamed Some experts say that
regional forces instead, Bazoum, speaking at Ma- France’s decision may be
President Emmanuel Ma- cron’s side, welcomed the linked to growing political
cron said Friday. French military support instability in Mali.
and training, but on African
Macron announced last terms. Macron’s June announce-
month a future reduction of ment came days after Mali
France’s military presence, “The main thing is that coup leader Col. Assimi Goi-
arguing that it’s no longer France maintains the prin- ta was sworn as president of a
adapted to the needs in the ciple of its support, its coop- transitional government, so-
area. The French Barkhane eration and support for the lidifying his grip on power in
force, operating in Mali, armed forces of our different the West African nation after
Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso countries. We need France to carrying out his second coup
and Mauritania, had also met give us what we don’t have. in nine months.
opposition from some Afri- nally in the Sahel,” Macron Hundreds have died since We don’t need France to give
cans. said. “We are there because January in a series of massa- us what we already have,” Late in June, the U.N. Se-
were asked to be.” cres targeting villages on the he said, without elaborating. curity Council unanimously
After discussions Friday with border of Niger and Mali. He acknowledged failings of adopted a resolution extend-
leaders of the African coun- French troops have been local armed forces but also ing the U.N. peacekeeping
tries involved, Macron an- present in Mali since 2013, While governments in the Sa- praised their courage in fight- mission in crisis-wracked
nounced that France would when they intervened to force hel have embraced France’s ing extremists. Mali and said it’s “impera-
reduce its force to 2,500 to Islamic extremist rebels from military help, some critics tive” that the military gov-
3,000 troops over the long power in towns across the have likened their presence France’s military presence ernment holds presidential
term. The country currently country’s north. Operation to a vestige of French colo- in the future will focus on and legislative elections on
has 5,000 troops in the re- Serval was later replaced by nial rule. neutralizing extremist opera- schedule next February.
gion. Barkhane and was expanded tions and strengthening and
to include other countries in France will focus over the training local armies, Macron The council maintained the
The French leader insisted an effort to help stabilize the next six months on disman- said. “There will also a di- ceilings in the U.N. force at
that his country is not aban- broader Sahel region. tling the Barkhane operation mension of reassurance ... to 13,289 military troops and
doning African partners, and and reorganizing the troops, remain permanently ready to 1,920 international police,
would keep helping them Islamic militants, though, Macron said. intervene rapidly in support but it asked Secretary-Gener-
fight groups linked to Al- have continued to launch of partner forces,” notably via al Antonio Guterres to make
Qaida and the Islamic State devastating attacks against The French military will shut military aviation from Niger a recommendation on the
group. the militaries fighting them down Barkhane bases in Tim- and Chad. force level given growing lev-
as well as increasingly against buktu, Tessalit and Kidal in els of insecurity and physical
“France doesn’t have the vo- civilians. northern Mali over the next This new structure “seems violence against the civilian
cation or the will to stay eter- six months, and start to re- to us to respond better to the populations in central Mali.