Burkina: at least 12 soldiers and 4 volunteers killed in Namissiguima

At least 12 soldiers and 4 volunteers were killed in Namissiguima, in northern Burkina Faso. On Friday morning, armed men threw shells before firing on the military detachment, also wounding about twenty soldiers and causing material damage . On the side of the attackers, presumed jihadists , no assessment has yet been established.

This attack comes as the army has launched a "clearance" operation in the region, the military being more present in this area, in a policy of reconquering localities .

The operations to secure the territory should intensify, in accordance with the announcements of Lieutenant-Colonel Damiba . When he took power in January, he criticized his predecessor Roch Marc Christian Kaboré for not having succeeded in fighting against the jihadist movements.

Since the start of jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso in 2015, at least 2,000 people have been killed and nearly 1.8 million others have been displaced.

Nigeria: Justice drops 8 charges against Nnamdi Kanu

In Nigeria, the Federal High Court in Abuja drops certain charges against Nnamdi Kanu . Judge Binta Nyako declared eight counts inadmissible , presenting no valid offence.

The leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (Ipob) movement remains accused by the government of seven charges, including terrorism and treason , which he allegedly committed as part of his separatist campaigns.

Pending his trial, he is being held in solitary confinement , the judge having refused his request for release on bail. In October, Nnamdi Kanu pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. He faces life in prison if the court finds him responsible.

Initially arrested in 2015, he fled the country in 2017 while out on bail. He was picked up overseas and brought back to Nigeria last year . His family and his lawyers denounce an illegal extradition from Kenya, constituting a violation of international law.

A new hearing is scheduled for May 18.