De 2011 à 2015, un total de 1,7 milliard de dollars a été requis pour l‘action humanitaire au Niger à travers le Plan de Réponse Stratégique (CAP/SRP). Un total de 1,4 milliard de dollars a été mobilisé, soit un taux de financement de 82 pour cent.

Grâce aux fonds rendus disponibles par les donateurs, les acteurs humanitaires, en soutien au Gouvernement, ont apporté une aide humanitaire intégrant le développement des capacités de résilience des communautés affectées par l’insécurité alimentaire, la malnutrition, les épidémies et les catastrophes naturelles. Cette assistance a également profité aux migrants vulnérables, aux réfugiés, aux déplacés ainsi qu’aux communautés qui les accueillent. On observe depuis 2012, une tendance à la baisse tant au niveau des besoins financiers, qu’à celui des financements reçus.

Toutes les années restent marquées par une récurrence de l’insécurité alimentaire et de la malnutrition, avec un pic pour l’insécurité alimentaire en 2010. En 2012 et 2013, la situation s’est aggravée avec l’arrivée massive des personnes déplacées de la Libye, de la Côte d’Ivoire et du Mali ainsi que des inondations qui ont touché plus de 500 000 personnes. Quant à 2014 et 2015, on enregistre un important flux de mouvements de populations dû à la situation sécuritaire du Nord-Est du Nigéria, en plus d’une augmentation sensible du nombre de personnes en insécurité alimentaire par rapport à 2012/2013.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP | mardi 25/08/2015 - 15:19 GMT

Un gendarme burkinabè blessé après une attaque par des inconnus d'une caserne dans le nord du Burkina, frontalier du Niger et du Mali, est décédé dans un hôpital à Ouagadougou, a-t-on appris mardi de source gouvernementale.

"Le gendarme qui a été blessé dimanche est mort hier (lundi) soir peu avant son admission au bloc opératoire", a indiqué à l’AFP un membre du gouvernement burkinabè.

L'attaque perpétrée dimanche soir sur la brigade territoriale de gendarmerie de Oursi, localité du nord du Burkina, frontalière du Niger et du Mali, avait également blessé la fille du commandant de brigade qui est "toujours dans une situation critique", a précisé une source sécuritaire.

Un témoin joint à Oursi par l’AFP, a indiqué que les assaillants "parlaient la langue peulh" et disaient "rechercher des chrétiens et non des musulmans", tout en se réclamant "de Boko Haram", la secte islamique basée au Nigeria qui s’est ralliée au groupe Etat islamique.

"L'identité des assaillants n'est jusque-là pas connue" a affirmé à l'AFP une source sécuritaire.

Le gouvernement a condamné "fermement cette attaque et appelé la population "au calme", déclarant que "toutes les dispositions sont prises pour assurer la sécurité des personnes et des biens".

Un pistolet automatique, des munitions et du matériel -dont la nature et la quantité n’ont pas été précisées - ont été emportés par les assaillants, a indiqué à l’AFP la même source sécuritaire sous couvert d’anonymat.

C’est la première fois qu’un poste tenu par les services de sécurité fait l’objet d’une attaque dans le sahel burkinabè frontalier du Niger et du Mali.

Oursi, à 45 kilomètres de Gorom-Gorom, chef-lieu de la province de l’Oudalan, est situé en plein désert du Burkina Faso, près des frontières nigérienne et malienne, et très proche de la fontaine Christine, où s’abreuvent des troupeaux venus des trois pays frontaliers.

Début avril, le chef de sécurité roumain de la mine de manganèse de Tambao, située dans la même région du Sahel avait été enlevé par des assaillants. Cet enlèvement a été revendiqué par le groupe islamiste Al-Mourabitoune du chef jihadiste Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

Ce fut le premier rapt d’un ressortissant occidental jamais opéré dans ce pays d’Afrique de l’ouest qui a été impliqué ces dernières années dans des négociations pour des libérations d’otages et dans la médiation dans la crise touareg malienne.

roh/ck/jhd

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

On 12 December 2014, 10 cases of cholera were reported in the Chetmari area of Diffa region of Niger. By 14 December 2014, 91 cases and four deaths had been reported; and by 20 December 2014, this had risen to 183 cases. The Direction Régionale de Santé Publique Diffa (DRSP) reported 292 cases (including 17 deaths) (DRSP / Diffa final epidemic report). On 6 February 2015, due to the evolving insecurity situation in the Diffa region, which has included incursions by the Boko Haram group into Niger, all activities in Diffa region were suspended. The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), as the lead agency in the region, has continued to monitor the security situation. On 5 March 2015, following a meeting between all Movement partners operating in Diffa, it was agreed that activities could be resumed in accordance with a new “intervention strategy for Diffa region”, which will prioritize: awareness raising / sensitization, distribution of water purification tablets and oral rehydration solutions (ORS), provision of hygiene items and disinfection of latrines in health centres / schools.

On 24 December 2014, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) allocated CHF 261,637 from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Red Cross Society of Niger (NRCS) respond to the needs of the affected population. This DREF operation was intended to support 3,000 households (15,000 people) in the Diffa region, with heath and care, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities; over a period of three months. On 20 March 2015, an operations update was issued to extend the timeframe of the DREF operation and to enable NRCS to contribute to the complete eradication of the epidemic. In accordance with the new intervention strategy, which included a revision to the schedule as per the Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA). Even though the epidemic had brought under control (Ministry of Public Health), the probability of cases spreading remained high as a result of the continuing influx of refugees from Nigeria, movement of people within the Diffa region, and prevailing poor hygiene practices. From 23 March – 11 April, the IFRC Niger country representation’s operations manager carried out a 10-days mission to the Diffa region, with the intention of assessing the situation, prioritizing relevant activities, and establishing with movement partners a new operational strategy. The operational strategy was reviewed, and thus some activities were removed and replaced with new activities, taking into consideration the epidemiological situation, the security conditions, the accessibility to beneficiaries, and the finances available. On 24 April 2015, another operations update was issued to enable the revision of the operation strategy (as above).

Please note that this preliminary final report is issued in advance of the final report, which is expected to be issued by the end of September 2015.

This DREF has been replenished by the Belgian Red Cross / Government, Canadian Red Cross/Government, Netherlands Red Cross/Silent Emergencies Fund and Spanish Red Cross/Government AECID. The major donors and partners of the DREF include the Red Cross Societies and governments of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA, as well as DG ECHO, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) the Medtronic, Zurich and Coca Cola Foundations and other corporate and private donors.

The IFRC, on behalf of the Red Cross Society of Niger would like to extend many thanks to all partners for their generous contributions.

FAITS SAILLANTS

• La situation sécuritaire semble s’être stabilisée par rapport aux semaines antérieures.

• Distribution des articles ménagers essentiels (AME) pour 3.428 ménages soit 10.317 déplacés tchadiens dans la ville de Bol et ses environs.

Introduction

During the 2015 Strategic Response Plan (SRP), The Sahel output indicators were defined in consultation with the regional sector focal points to provide a standard measure of performance for the Sahel. Country Cluster focal points provided their annual targets for each country and started to report on their cluster achievements for each of the output indicators on a monthly basis.

The report below shows the performance of the Sahel Output Indicators for the period April – June 2015. The monthly data is collected from the respective cluster focal points across the 9 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal) and validated with the regional sector focal points.

The sectors represented at a regional level and included in the report include; Food Security,
Nutrition, Health, Water Sanitation & Hygiene, Multi-sector for Refugees, Education and protection.
In the next quarterly report i.e. July – September 2015, the report will include a one-page narrative per cluster highlighting the key achievements.

In case of any questions or queries, please contact the regional cluster focal points or the incountry cluster coordinators.

1. Key points

 According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS), donors have committed/contributed US$130.6 million of humanitarian assistance to Nigeria so far in 2015.

 The UN-coordinated 2015 Strategic Response Plan (SRP) for Nigeria requests US$100.3 million from donors to respond to the crisis. The appeal is currently 46% funded at US$46.3 million.

 While there is limited detail on the geographical distribution of funding to Nigeria in 2015, US$46.1 million has been reported as commitments/contributions specifically to states in the north.

 Nigeria is the eighth largest CERF recipient in 2015, with US$9.9 million allocated so far – 4% of global CERF allocations in 2015.

 In 2015, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) received 17% (US$22.6 million) of total funding to Nigeria. Northern states received a greater proportion of funds channelled through NGOs at 25% (US$11.4 million).

 The majority of funding to northern states went to the health and protection sectors (54%).

Highlights

• Since mid-July, several Boko Haram attacks, as well as preventive evacuation of civilians by Chadian Army, have caused massive displacement of populations in Lake Chad Region. Additional evacuations from the 65 islands have been announced. In July, 21,600 newly displaced people spontaneously settled on 13 small sites in Bagasola, Bol and its surrounding villages. These families are in immediate need of Shelter, NFIs, Food and WASH assistance.

• According to OCHA, more than 65,000 people have been displaced by violence including 14,870 refugees, 47,653 Chadian returnees and internally displaced persons.

• UNICEF transported and delivered WASH, protection, education, health and nutrition supplies in Bagasola to respond to the new displacement situation.

• Since the beginning of the year, 86,620 children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition have been admitted and treated in therapeutic centers.

• 60,204 children under five were vaccinated against measles in an emergency campaign covering all 7 health centre catchment areas in Abeché. UNICEF, MSF-H and PU-AMI supported local health authorities to respond to an ongoing measles epidemic in this major town in the East.

• Data available for the four primary level school inspections in the Lake region shows an average increase in number of students of 55% accounting for IDPs, returnees and refugees.

• So far UNICEF’s HAC appeal of 63.1 million$ is 12% funded with US$ 7.2 million received as of 31 July.

27 August

Date : 25 August 2015

Five hundred days ago, in the town of Chibok, northern Nigeria, Borno state, over 200 girls were abducted from their hostel by Boko Haram. The few who have returned are scarred by the emotional, psychological and physical brutality of their captivity. The fate of those that remain is unknown.

The Chibok Girls’ lives matter. Their situation is our shared problem as a global community. The humanitarian impact of Boko Haram is growing by the day; thousands are displaced, swelling the numbers of refugees in the region. Violent extremism is one of the greatest peace and security threats we face globally at present, hallmarked by the targeting of women and girls, the use of trafficking for funding sources, and sexual violence as a tactic of terror. Our response must therefore include prevention efforts, directly addressing the drivers of extremist violence with an aim of building resilient families and communities.

UN Women applauds the Buhari Administration in their efforts to put an end to the situation of child abduction that continues to afflict the northern regions of Nigeria. We are encouraged by the mounting news of releases of abducted girls. With the support of the global community, we can counter this scourge of violence in the region.

To build societies that are conflict-resilient and able to permanently address the root causes of extremist violence requires investing in policies and programmes that support good governance and sustainable development. By definition, this must involve policies and programmes that empower women as decision makers and partners.

We congratulate the government on the passage last May of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill. We encourage the State and local governments to enact this in their states and localities, to make budget allocations to prevent and respond to violence against women, and to build a strong foundation of human rights. >

Nigeria cannot do this alone, nor should it have to. We must all do more to protect girls, as well as boys, who are at risk in areas affected by Boko Haram, including protecting their rights to security, life and education. We must support the reintegration of those rescued and ensure that they are welcomed and supported, not stigmatized. Many need access to comprehensive care services, including support for trauma and health impacts as well as income-generating skills. In this respect, I call on the international community to step up efforts to support national authorities in addressing their needs.

During this global week of action in commemoration of the Chibok Girls, we join the call of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to unconditionally release the Chibok girls and the many children and adults kidnapped in the North East. We must consider that these are not just Nigeria’s children, they are our children. In the spirit of what is termed in many parts of Africa as Ubuntu — where my neighbour’s child is my child — on this day we, the global community, must stand with our Chibok girls. We must remember them each day and do all that we can to help increase efforts to rescue those who remain in captivity.

We must also on a practical level support Nigeria and the global community to prevent the spread and influence of extremist groups such as Boko Haram.

No child should have to fear going to school. No child should ever have to fear being a child. And no child should ever have to fear being a girl.

Scott Fontaine

MCC helped a group of 125 women to set up a cooperative in the northern Senegalese city of Ndioum.

The method is simple: combine fresh milk, cold water and a bit of sugar. Boil it for a few minutes to thicken, let it cool and then freeze it overnight.

The recipe is one that a group of women in northern Senegal hope is a formula for a better future.

As a side investment to the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s five-year, $540 million compact with Senegal, a group of 125 women in the northern city of Ndioum received training to start a cooperative that creates and sells packets of a sweet dairy product.

Many of the women in the group are refugees from Mauritania who have been living in Senegal for more than a decade but were often unable to find work. The program was part of MCC’s larger investment to rebuild the highway that runs through Ndioum to help ensure residents from diverse backgrounds benefit from the project.

MCC invested $325 million in roads that lead to major national and international markets for Senegalese farmers and businesses. By rebuilding the 75-mile RN2 highway in the country's north – a key link between Senegalese cities and markets in Mauritania and Mali – MCC is helping to stimulate regional trade.

The women’s group received training on business development and marketing, as well as a grant to purchase needed equipment.

Leila Diallo, 25, joined the group when it formed in summer 2014 to help pay health and school fees for her two children. She helps make the dairy product at a small brick building the group rents, and she occasionally helps sell it at the local market and bus station.

On an average day, the sellers can bring in revenues of about $8.

The group eventually plans to purchase a larger building and a larger refrigerator so they can sell more products, group member Assiata Hamidou Ba said.

Like others in the group, Ba preferred not to talk much about her life before coming to Ndioum—but the dairy business gives her reason to smile.

“This will be the path to a better life,” she said.

Scott Fontaine

Oumar Sow makes the same 270-mile drive from Ndioum in northern Senegal to the capital, Dakar, two to three times each week. He knows each mile of the journey—where the smooth stretches of highway are, where the nasty speed bumps are, and where police set up their checkpoints.

He has been driving his truck for the past five years with remarkable consistency. He leaves Ndioum in the early hours of the day, hauling a truck full of sheep. He returns from Dakar the next day with a load of cement.

He has few good things to say about the old RN2 highway, which links Ndioum with the coastal city of Saint-Louis.

“It was just so bad,” he said. “I would always look for ways around it.”

Now, he says, the new RN2 highway is the smoothest portion of his drive. That’s because the 75-mile northern roadway was rebuilt as part of MCC’s five-year, $540 million compact with Senegal. Throughout the country, MCC is investing $325 million to improve roads that lead to major national and international markets for Senegalese farmers and businesses.

Sow’s drive time from Ndioum to Dakar has dropped from 10 hours to six, he says. He is also spending less money replacing his brakes and purchasing fuel.

The extra income Sow is bringing in has already made a difference.

“It’s definitely more,” he said. “Life has gotten easier for me.”

Other Ndioum residents have heard about the new road and see profits in their future as well.

Thirty residents recently formed a farming cooperative and purchased about five acres of land to grow tomatoes, corn, eggplant, peppers, yams and millet.

MCA-Senegal helped the group purchase improved-variety seeds, a pump to irrigate the field, and get training on agricultural techniques and business practices. They sell their products in Ndioum, Saint- Louis and Dakar.

A diverse variety of crops allows the group to farm year-round, and its members are already reaping profits, says 40-year-old cooperative member Baye Pam. Pam, like others, used to grow rice on a plot smaller than a quarter-acre.

Now with extra money, he is purchasing healthier food for his family and helping to support his relatives. Along with other cooperative members, he has also reinvested part of his profits in the cooperative, which has purchased two cows and 20 sheep.

It’s all because of the road, he says.

“We decided to invest in agriculture when we heard the new road would be built. That was the motivation. With the link to the major cities, it finally made economic sense.”

Ce rapport de synthèse s’articule autour de cinq (05) points à savoir :

1. Complétude des notes hebdomadaires

2. Accidents graves / catastrophes

3. Décès maternels et néonatals

4. Capacité technique des services

5. Coopération et partenariat.

Qatar Charity Mauritania's annual health convoys have served different areas in the country's remote interior by providing medical check-ups and tests in addition to free medicine for more than 10,000 people at-risk rural dwellers. At a budget exceeding QAR 1.0 million (USD 275,000) and traveling more than 1400 kilometers each direction over very challenging roads, many of those treated in the regions of Hodh Ech Chargui and Hodh El Gharbi suffered from diseases directly related to malnutrition and the lack of potable drinking water.

As part of its wide-range of disaster preparedness, recovery and development projects across the country, six hospitals and health centers have been built by Qatar Charity Mauritania at a cost of QAR 7.0 million (USD 1.92 million). As drought and desertification continue to paralyze this Sahel country in which approximately half the population lives below the poverty line, Qatar Charity Mauritania's 2015 programming budget currently stands at QAR 31.5 million (USD 8.7 million).

SG/A/1589-BIO/4751-PKO/515

Biographical Note

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Koen Davidse of the Netherlands as his Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Mr. Davidse succeeds Arnauld Akodjènou of Benin who concludes his tenure as Deputy Special Representative in September. The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Akodjènou’s dedicated service in Mali under challenging circumstances.

Mr. Davidse brings with him 25 years of international experience acquired through a distinguished career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the World Bank and the United Nations. From 2011 to 2015, he served as Director of Multilateral Institutions and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to that, he served as Director of Peacebuilding and Stabilization in the Ministry and acted as the Dutch Special Envoy for Sudan.

In 2006, he served at the United Nations as Research Director for the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence. Mr. Davidse also served in South Asia for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and at the Permanent Missions of the Netherlands to the United Nations in Geneva and New York.

A graduate of Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Mr. Davidse holds a degree in international relations and political science.

For information media. Not an official record.

By Soumaila T. Diarra

OUELESSEBOUGOU, Mali, Aug 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - At the end of every wet day, Sali Samake walks to a gauge a short distance from the mud brick houses in her village of Tamala in southwest Mali to measure how much rain has fallen.

Read the full article

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)
HUMANITARIAN WORKERS ATTACKED IN BAMBARI

On 20 August, a vehicle with humanitarian workers was attacked in Bambari and one staff injured. The vehicle was on its way to retrieve casualties from the clashes in Bornou neighbourhood, when a mob intercepted and attacked its occupants. Renewed intercommunal tensions in Bambari have resulted in 10 civilians dead and 8 injured. The situation on the ground remains very tense and all humanitarian activities in Bambari have been temporarily suspended pending a reassessment of the security of the operating environment.

CHAD
7 NEW SPONTANEOUS IDP SITES IN THE LAKE REGION

Over the last week, seven new sites hosting internally displaced people were reported in the Lake region, bringing the total number of IDP sites to 22. Between 21 July and 21 August, at least 41,000 people had already been displaced. The additional number of IDPs in the seven new sites remains unknown, as evaluations have not yet been carried out. Most important needs include shelters, food security, WASH, and health.

GUINEA
POLITICAL PARTIES SIGN DEAL

On 20 August, the ruling party and opposition coalition signed a political agreement towards ending political tensions. Local elections were planned for 2014 but have been postponed due to the Ebola epidemic. The opposition parties claim that the Presidential elections, which are due to be held on 11 October, should not be held before the local ones without consultation.

GUINEA-BISSAU
NEW PRIME MINISTER CONTESTED BY PARLIAMENT

The political crisis in Guinea-Bissau continues, whilst no further protests were reported in the past week. The appointment of a new Prime Minister was condemned by the Parliament because he was not put forward by the party which won the last legislative elections. The UN expressed concerns that the crisis risks to undermine progress and destabilize the political situation.

MALI
KEY REBEL GROUP SUSPEND PEACE AGREEMENT MONITORING

The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) announced that they will suspend their participation in a committee monitoring the peace agreement. The agreement was signed in June 2015 by the Government and rebel groups to end the conflict in northern Mali but there has been a recent spike in violence.

NIGERIA
U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON VISIT

On 23 August, Ban Ki-moon began a two-day visit to Nigeria. After meeting with President Buhari, he pledged support for Nigeria's efforts to counter Boko Haram and tackle the causes of militancy in the country's northeast, where he described humanitarian conditions as particularly worrying.

EVD REGIONAL
EBOLA STILL IN GUINEA, ZERO CASES IN LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE

The number of cases of Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone remains at zero, while this week reported three new cases in Guinea. Presently, six EVD patients are receiving treatment in Guinea and several more suspected cases. All new cases for the past month are from known chains of transmission, permitting easier case management and tracking.

RÉPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE (RCA)
TRAVAILLEURS HUMANITAIRES ATTAQUÉS À BAMBARI

Le 20 août, un véhicule avec des travailleurs humanitaires a été attaqué à Bambari faisant un blessé. Le véhicule était en route pour récupérer les victimes des affrontements dans le quartier de Bornou, quand une foule l’a intercepté et attaqué ses occupants. Des tensions intercommunautaires renouvelées à Bambari ont causé la mort de 10 civils et fait 8 blessés. La situation sur le terrain reste très tendue et toutes les activités humanitaires à Bambari ont dû être temporairement suspendues en attendant une réévaluation de la sécurité de l'environnement opérationnel.

TCHAD
7 NOUVEAUX SITES DE PERSONNES DÉPLACÉES DANS LA RÉGION DU LAC

Au cours de la dernière semaine, sept nouveaux sites abritant des personnes déplacées ont été signalés dans la région du lac, ce qui porte le nombre total de sites de déplacés à 22. Entre le 21 juillet et le 21 août, au moins 41 000 personnes avaient déjà été déplacées. Le nombre supplémentaire de personnes déplacées dans les sept nouveaux sites reste inconnu, car les évaluations n’ont pas encore été réalisées. Les besoins les plus urgents comprennent les abris, la sécurité alimentaire, l’hygiène et l’assainissement et la santé.

GUINÉE
POLITICAL PARTIES SIGN DEAL

Le 20 août, le parti au pouvoir et la coalition de l'opposition ont signé un accord pour mettre fin aux tensions politiques. Les élections locales étaient prévues pour 2014 mais ont été reportées en raison de l'épidémie d'Ebola. Les partis d'opposition soutiennent que les élections présidentielles, qui doivent être tenues le 11 octobre, ne devraient pas avoir lieu avant les élections locales sans consultation.

GUINEE-BISSAU
NOUVEAU PREMIER MINISTRE CONTESTÉ PAR LE PARLEMENT

La crise politique en Guinée-Bissau continue, malgré l’absence de nouvelles manifestations depuis la semaine dernière. La nomination d'un nouveau Premier ministre a été condamnée par le Parlement car le parti qui a remporté les dernières élections législatives n’avait pas soumis sa candidature. L'ONU a exprimé son inquiétude concernant les risques que la crise ne sape les progrès accomplis jusque-là et ne déstabilise la situation politique.

MALI
GROUPE REBELLE CLÉ SUSPEND SA PARTICIPATION AU COMITÉ DE SUIVI DE L’ACCORD DE PAIX

La Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) a annoncé qu'elle va suspendre sa participation au comité de suivi de l'accord de paix. L'accord a été signé en juin 2015 entre le gouvernement et les groupes rebelles pour mettre fin au conflit dans le nord du Mali, mais il y a eu une récente hausse de la violence.

NIGERIA
VISITE DU SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL DE L’ONU BAN KI-MOON

Le 23 août, Ban Ki-moon, a débuté une visite de deux jours au Nigéria. Après une rencontre avec le président Buhari, il s’est engagé à soutenir les efforts du Nigéria dans la lutte contre Boko Haram et contre les causes de militantisme dans le nord du pays, où il a décrit des conditions humanitaires particulièrement inquiétantes.

REGIONAL/ MALADIE A VIRUS EBOLA (MVE)
EBOLA ENCORE EN GUINÉE, ZÉRO CAS AU LIBÉRIA ET EN SIERRA LEONE

Le nombre de cas d'Ebola au Libéria et en Sierra Leone reste à zéro, alors que cette semaine, trois nouveaux cas ont été signalés en Guinée. Actuellement, six patients MVE sont traités en Guinée ainsi que plusieurs cas suspects. Les chaînes de transmission de tous les nouveaux cas sont connues, ce qui permet un meilleur suivi des cas.

• Abundant rain has continued across a wide portion of West Africa.

• Despite a recent increase in rain, seasonal deficits have persisted over parts of the Greater Horn of Africa.

1) Although an increase in rain has been observed over Eastern Africa during the past few weeks, seasonal deficits have persisted in south-central and eastern Sudan, western Eritrea, and northeastern Ethiopia due to the delayed onset and uneven rainfall distribution to the June-September season.

2) Despite recent increase in rainfall, the much delayed start to the rainfall season has resulted in drought, which has severely impacted ground conditions and already led to livestock death across parts of north-central and eastern Ethiopia.

3) Widespread, heavy rain during the past few weeks has caused flooding over localities of West Africa, including several states of Nigeria. Heavy rain is forecast to continue during the next week, which elevates risks for flooding over many alreadysaturated grounds of the sub-region.

4) Eastern Chad and western Sudan have received above-average rain over the past four weeks.
Abundant rain is expected to continue during the next week, heightening risks for localized flooding and potential waterborne disease outbreaks.

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Wednesday 8/26/2015 - 19:18 GMT

Pro-government militias in northern Mali refused Wednesday to pull out of a town they occupied last week, as renewed tensions with Tuareg rebels threatened to torpedo a crucial peace deal in the restive region.

The Platform coalition of loyalist fighters seized the town of Anefis, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of the northern city of Kidal in deadly clashes last Monday that left at least 10 dead, according to a source with MINUSMA, the UN mission in the country.

The outbreak of violence prompted the Tuareg rebels to pull out of an international committee set up to monitor a peace accord which they reluctantly signed in June with the pro-government militants after lengthy negotiations.

"We have just met with international mediators. They want us to leave the town of Anefis without conditions. We refuse categorically," said Habala Ag Amzata, deputy secretary general of GATIA, one of the armed groups that make up Platform.

The group had earlier released a statement agreeing "in principle" to leave the town if Malian and international troops were deployed there to protect locals.

Meanwhile an African military source with MINUSMA said the situation on the ground in northern Mali was "tense".

"In Anefis, Platform armed groups have reinforced their military presence and in Kidal the rebels have done the same."

A regional security source warned of "the risk of the rapid deterioration of the situation on the ground".

Mediators have demanded the warring parties return to "strict compliance" with the peace deal, seen as crucial to returning stability to the north which has experienced several uprisings in past decades by Tuareg populations who feel marginalised by government in the distant south.

The pro-government forces, which claim to recognise the territorial integrity of Mali, formed to "defend the interests" of their communities against Tuareg separatists, according to GATIA chief, Fahad Ag Almahmoud.

After the latest rebellion in 2012, Mali was shaken by a coup that cleared the way for Tuareg separatists to seize towns and cities across the vast northern desert.

Al-Qaeda-linked militants then overpowered the Tuareg, taking control of the region for nearly 10 months where they unleashed a brutal form of sharia law and destroyed ancient monuments, until they were ousted in a French-led military offensive.

However Bamako has yet to gain full control of the north which is overrun with competing armed groups and remains threatened by a jihadist insurgency.

sd-fb/rob

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