A deadly Boko Haram attack has once again highlighted the fragile security situation in Africa's Lake Chad Basin. According to reports, around 10 Nigerian soldiers were killed after militants launched a deadly assault near Diffa, a military garrison town in southeastern Niger, close to the borders of Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.

Authorities confirmed casualties following the attack, while security forces launched operations to secure the surrounding area. Niger's state media reported that military personnel were killed and equipment destroyed during the assault. The governor of Diffa, General Mahamadou Ibrahim, traveled to the town to oversee the burial of the fallen soldiers.

The Lake Chad Basin has long served as a stronghold for Boko Haram, which began its insurgency in 2009. The extremist group has killed thousands of people and displaced millions across northeastern Nigeria, with violence spreading into neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

Boko Haram Launches Deadly Attack Near Lake Chad | 10 Nigerian Soldiers Killed

West African country Burkina Faso suspended radio networks, BBC and Voice of America (VOA) for their coverage of a report that accused the Burkinabe army of executing civilians.

West African country Burkina Faso suspended radio networks, BBC and Voice of America (VOA) for their coverage of a report that accused the Burkinabe army of executing civilians. The report was published by the international organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday (Apr 25). According to the report, military forces of Burkina Faso “summarily executed” 223 people in two villages in February. There were at least 56 children among the executed civilians. Superior Council for Communication of the country said that “the programmes of these two international radio networks broadcasting from Ouagadougou have been suspended for a period of two weeks.” Why did Burkina Faso suspend BBC and VOA? They cited BBC Africa and the VOA airing as well as publishing the report "accusing the Burkina army of abuses against the civilian population" on their digital platforms as the reason behind the suspension. They said that BBC and VOA broadcasts had “disinformation likely to discredit the Burkinabe army." “The [Superior Council of Communications] found the content of the article to be full of peremptory and tendentious statements against the Burkinabe army, without any tangible evidence, especially as the same article calls for an independent inquiry,” Burkina Faso’s media regulator said. Also read: '170 people executed' in attacks on Burkina villages: Prosecutor According to HRW, these "mass killings, among the worst army abuse in Burkina Faso since 2015, appear to be part of a widespread military campaign against civilians". Soldiers killed at least 44 people, including 20 children, in Nondin village, and 179 people, including 36 children, in nearby Soro village, according to its report. As per the Superior Council of Communications, HRW's report contains "peremptory and tendentious" claims against the army that are likely to cause public disorder. Not the first time This is not the first time the country has censored media. In 2023, Burkina Faso's government suspended France 24 broadcasts for airing a 19-second clip featuring Abou Obeida Youssef al-Annabi, the self-proclaimed leader of the Islamist armed group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The country, now under military rule, is led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a coup in September 2022, following another coup that toppled President Roch Marc Kabore eight months prior.

Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for army mass killings coverage

Guinea''s opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo declared himself the winner of the West African country''s presidential election Monday before the official results have been announced, setting up a tense showdown with the incumbent leader of a decade.

Guinea elections: Violence grips West African nation amid prez poll

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Boko Haram Launches Deadly Attack Near Lake Chad | 10 Nigerian Soldiers Killed

Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for army mass killings coverage

Guinea elections: Violence grips West African nation amid prez poll