Tuesday 14,Jan,2025 {HMC} Six more bodies have been pulled up from a South African mine as efforts continue for a second day to help scores of illegal miners still thought to be at least 2km (1.2 miles) underground, a national umbrella body for NGOs, Sanco, has told the BBC.

Eight people came out alive on Tuesday adding to the 26 rescued on Monday after they were hoisted up the disused mine shaft in a cage operated by a crane at the surface. Nine bodies were recovered on Monday.

The men have been underground since police operations targeting illicit mining started last year across the country.

Last week a court ordered the government to facilitate a rescue operation that had been long-delayed.

This story contains a video that some people may find distressing.

Last year, arguing that the miners had entered the shaft in Stilfontein deliberately without permission, the authorities took a hard line, blocking food and water supplies.

In November, one government minister said: “We are going to smoke them out.”

And as the rescue mission continued on Tuesday, mining minister Gwede Mantashe told a press conference that illegal mining was a war on the economy and that fight against it needed to be intensified.

More than 100 of the illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas”, have reportedly died underground since the crackdown began at the mine some 145km (90 miles) south-west of Johannesburg.

The authorities however, have not confirmed this figure as it is yet to be “verified by an official source”, a spokesperson told the BBC.

On Tuesday, the BBC saw dozens of emaciated miners – wearing tattered clothes and no shoes or socks – being taken away by medical professionals outside the mine.

The previous day, disturbing videos emerged showing the dire situation at the disused gold mine.

In one of the films, which the BBC has not independently verified, corpses wrapped in makeshift body bags can be seen. A second shows the emaciated figures of some miners who are still alive.

Hundreds are thought to be still in the mine while more than 1,000 have surfaced in the past few months.

In one of the videos released by a trade union, the General Industries Workers of South Africa (Giwusa), dozens of shirtless men can be seen sitting on a dirty floor. Their faces have been blurred. A male voice off camera can be heard saying that the men are hungry and need help.

“We’re starting to show you the bodies of those who died underground,” he says.

“And this is not all of them… Do you see how people are struggling? Please we need help.”

In the other video, a man says: “This is hunger; people are dying because of hunger.” He then puts the death toll at 96 and begs for help, food and supplies.

The union says the footage was filmed on Saturday.

In a briefing held on Monday near the site of the rescue operation, Giwusa leadership, alongside community figures, said the videos shared “painted a very dire picture” of the situation underground.

“What has transpired here has to be called what it is; this is a Stilfontein massacre. Because what this footage does is show a pile of human bodies, of miners that died needlessly,” Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei said.

He blamed the authorities for what he described as a “treacherous policy” that was deliberately pursued.

On Tuesday, a government statement said 13 youngsters, or “minors”, have surfaced from underground since the crackdown began.

The department of mineral resources, leading the rescue effort, told the BBC that the rescue operation included lowering down a cage that is then hoisted up once loaded with people.

This structure is designed to hold six or seven people, depending on their weight, according to Giwusa. It has been going down the shaft every hour.

SOURCE BBC

Tuesday 14,Jan,2025 {HMC} The Puntland Counterterrorism Forces told the national media that they are conducting clearing operations in the Bari region areas they took control of yesterday after eliminating several Daesh militants.

The Daesh terrorists yesterday faced one of the biggest defeats after the Puntland Counterterrorism forces killed 20 of their fighters and injured several others.

Sources from the Puntland forces told the Somali National News Agency (SONNA) that the operations yesterday caught 5 foreign fighters for the Daesh Militants and also shot down 9 drones that carry explosions for the group.

The Commanders leading the operations vowed to eliminate all the Daesh terrorists and their remnants hiding in the bushes as they cleared all the areas.

SOURCE SONNA

Tuesday 14,Jan,2025 {HMC} Two Somali fishermen, rescued by a Chinese ship after their boat broke down in the middle of the Indian Ocean, have been safely returned to Mogadishu, the Somali government announced.

The fishermen, identified as Ibrahim Mohamud Ali and Sharma’arke Nur Abdi Adan, spent 24 harrowing days stranded at sea. Their fishing boat, which broke down off the coast of Mogadishu, drifted aimlessly until they were rescued by a passing Chinese vessel.

The Somali Embassy in China facilitated the fishermen’s return by coordinating with the ship’s captain to assist. The two men arrived at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Monday afternoon, where they were greeted by Somali government officials, including the Somali Ambassador to China, Hodan Osman. Family and friends were also present to celebrate their safe return.

Speaking at the airport, Ibrahim and Sharma’arke stated that after their boat broke down while fishing near Mogadishu, strong winds carried them deeper into the Indian Ocean. They survived for nearly 24 days without food or water until the Chinese ship rescued them.

The two men were initially taken to China on January 10, 2025, before being repatriated to Somalia on January 13.

Their story mirrors a similar recent rescue involving three other Somali fishermen who were missing at sea for nearly a month. The fishermen, who disappeared on December 6, 2024, after departing Berbera, were rescued off the coast of Djibouti following a 29-day ordeal caused by a mechanical failure on their vessel.

Both incidents highlight the challenges Somali fishermen face operating in unpredictable and dangerous conditions and the importance of international cooperation in maritime rescues.

Tuesday 14,Jan,2025 {HMC} Somali Police Force has confirmed that the series of explosions heard in Mogadishu on Monday night were caused by fake landmines planted by al-Shabab in a commercial center in Dar es Salaam district.

Residents reported hearing nine explosions in parts of the city. However, in a statement released Tuesday, police assured the public that the mines posed no threat and caused no injuries, fatalities, or property damage.

“The mines were confirmed to be fake and did not pose any threat. There were no injuries, loss of life, or damage to property due to the incident. The police responded swiftly and took necessary measures to ensure security and maintain public confidence,” the statement read.

According to the police, al-Shabab planted the fake explosives to spread fear and disrupt public peace. Authorities emphasized that such tactics are intended to destabilize Somali society and called on the public to cooperate with security forces in maintaining peace and vigilance.

The police also urged citizens to remain cautious about misinformation and fake news propagated by those seeking to undermine Somalia’s stability.

Security forces have intensified operations in the capital in recent weeks, leading to a significant reduction in al-Shabab attacks, including bombings and hotel assaults.

Tuesday 14,Jan,2025 {HMC} A statue of Ghana’s immediate former President, Nana Akufo-Addo, put up at the end of last year has been destroyed.

The unveiling by Akufo-Addo of his own likeness in November in the country’s Western Region sparked a social media backlash, as well as being mocked and described as “self-glorification”.

Its launch had been in honour of the president’s development initiatives.

On Monday, local media shared images showing the statue in a ruined state, with its severed head lying on the ground. It is not clear who had targeted the sculpture or what the motive was and the police have not commented.

The torso also appears to have been destroyed, and only a damaged pedestal remains in place.

The statue was made of a mixture of metal, wire mesh, clay, fibre glass and resin, the sculptor Justice Gaisie said.

Akufo-Addo stepped down as president last week after serving two terms in power. His party’s candidate to replace him was heavily defeated in December’s presidential election.

The statue had already been partially vandalised last month with one leg being damaged.

Some local residents had earlier been calling for the sculpture to be removed, but the local authorities had pledged at the time of the initial damage to have it repaired.

Its destruction has elicited mixed reactions, with some condemning it while others saying there could have been a better way to deal with it.

One resident told local Citi FM outlet that it was “of no benefit” to the people, “so if it’s destroyed, its normal”.

Another said this was unfortunate and there should have been a “proper, civil way to get it removed” adding that that the action would have negative consequences for supporters of the former president’s party.

Joy FM quoted another resident saying he was happy it had been destroyed.

Last year, critics questioned the use of public funds for its construction especially at a time the country was facing economic hardship.

Ghana has in recent years been experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation and last year received a $3bn (£2.5bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The cost-of-living crisis was a key campaign issue in last month’s election.

President John Mahama, who won the vote in a landslide, has in the past criticised the erection of the statue.

He said it was up to the people to honour the former president for his achievements, describing the statue as insensitive given the hardships being faced by the people.

SOURCE BBC