Page 10 - aruba-today-20170620
P. 10
A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 20 June 2017
Al-Qaida-linked militants staged Mali resort attack; 5 dead
By BABA AHMED at Campement Kangaba
Associated Press on the weekend, accord-
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — An ing to a witness at the
al-Qaida-linked Islamic mil- scene. The attacker was
itant group said Monday it wounded and later died.
staged an attack the pre- There was no immediate
vious day on a resort area claim of responsibility for
in Mali popular with for- the attack, which took
eigners, killing five people, place amid the final week
including a Portuguese of the Muslim holy month
soldier who had been serv- of Ramadan. However, the
ing in the European Union attack resembled a num-
mission to stabilize this West ber of others carried out
African country wracked by the local affiliate of al-
by mounting extremism. Qaida in West Africa over
The recently formed Mali- the past two years.
based Nusrat al-Islam wal Sunday’s violence also
Muslimeen extremist group came about a week after
has claimed responsibility the U.S. State Department
for the attack, according Malian Police officers take position outside Campement Kangaba, a tourist resort near Bamako, warned of possible attacks
to SITE Intelligence Group, Mali, Monday, June. 19, 2017. Authorities in Mali say the death toll has risen following a terror at- on Western diplomatic mis-
which monitors jihadi web- tack on a luxury resort area popular with foreigners in Mali’s capital. sions and other locations
sites. (AP Photo/Baba Ahmed) in Bamako that Westerners
A Malian soldier and three frequent.
civilians — a Chinese safe enough that it was an serene surroundings as an Traore told The Associated Religious extremism in Mali
citizen, a Malian, and a approved rest and recre- escape from the bustling Press. once was limited to north-
French-Gabonese dual ation location for soldiers capital’s heat and traffic. Witnesses described a cha- ern areas, prompting the
national — also were slain with the EU mission. It was Initially the country’s secu- otic scene Sunday after- French military in 2013 to
in the worst terror attack not immediately clear how rity minister said one of the noon, with one man saying lead a military operation
to strike Bamako since late the attackers managed wounded attackers had the first jihadi on the scene to oust jihadis from power
2015. to overpower the security managed to escape but arrived by motorcycle in the major towns in the
EU foreign policy chief Fed- staff and shoot at guests. on Monday officials said shouting “Allah Akbar.” north.
erica Mogherini said the Mali’s special forces ar- they had accounted for all Three others subsequently But the militants have con-
Malian victim worked for rived on the scene not long the jihadis. arrived in a vehicle and tinued targeting Malian
the European delegation after the reports of gunfire “At this hour, all of the ter- began firing their weapons. forces and peacekeepers,
in Bamako. erupting from Campement rorists have been killed. The One of the attackers was making it the most dan-
The attack struck a resort Kangaba, known for its situation is under control,” subdued by a French sol- gerous U.N. mission in the
area that was considered three swimming pools and Mali’s Security Minister Salif dier who happened to be world.q
South Sudan has world’s fastest growing number of displaced
By SAM MEDNICK Filippo Grandi, said after squalor. Although condi- ing to the International agreed to lease a tract
Associated Press visiting a camp for the dis- tions are dire, most of the Organization of Migration. of land for internally dis-
BENTIU, South Sudan (AP) placed. camp’s residents are too Thousands now live in U.N placed people in Bentiu.
— South Sudan has the “The international ne- scared to leave. protected camps, making Two weeks ago, residents in
world’s fastest growing dis- glect that you see here is “I’m terrified,” said Ange- some towns and cities like the protection camps were
placed population and matched nowhere else in lina Wicyote, a resident of ghost towns. given an opportunity to
more needs to be done to the world,” Grandi told The the Bentiu camp. Eighty percent of Bentiu’s leave the U.N site and start
help them, says the director Associated Press. “Wherev- The 39-year-old mother of population now lives under afresh. Many in the protec-
of the United Nations refu- er you look there are dead eight said she was chased U.N protection. Many, like tion camps fear they will
gee agency. ends.” by men with guns when Wicotye, are too afraid to be targeted by ethnic vio-
More than 4 million South Grandi on Sunday visited she went out to collect fire- go home. lence if they were to leave
Sudanese have fled their a camp for internally dis- wood. She said she will re- Grandi urged South Su- the camps.
homes, nearly 2 million of placed people in the city main in the camp for pro- dan’s officials to ensure The government is taking
whom went to neighbor- of Bentiu. South Sudan’s tection. safety for its people, saying steps to improve safety
ing countries, said U.N. and second largest city, after Since fighting broke out that now more than ever, by increasing patrols and
other organizations. the capital of Juba, has the four years ago in the “authorities have a greater making it illegal for off-duty
The international commu- country’s largest camp for world’s youngest nation, an responsibility to provide se- soldiers to take their guns
nity should do more to help internally displaced peo- estimated 2 million South curity.” from the barracks, said
South Sudan, U.N. High ple where 120,000 people Sudanese have been in- After seven months of ne- Bentiu’s Acting Governor
Commissioner for Refugees are living in rows of tented ternally displaced, accord- gotiations, the government George Ruony Badeng. q