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Thousands of Illegal African Migrants Overrun Spanish Enclave, turn Streets into Open Toilets and Bathe in Fountains: ‘An apocalypse’

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An unprecedented wave of 60,000 illegal migrants from Africa flooded the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this week, prompting Spain to deploy its military – as terrified locals likened the invasion to an “apocalypse.”

Harrowing local media reports reveal residents and business owners in Ceuta – a Spanish territory located on the north African coast – are too afraid to open their doors amid the rush of migrants, many of whom arrived wearing nothing but swimwear, without a penny or possession to their name.

“Businesses closed. Shops shut because if you open a business, it gets overrun … We’re scared. The streets are packed. There are no measures in place. It’s every man for himself. They’re not giving us any help,” a frightened downtown restaurant owner who didn’t want to give their name told state-owned Spanish media outlet RTVE.

Ceuta’s president estimated Friday that around 60,000 people had crossed by sea and land from Morocco over the past 24 hours — a sea of humanity representing nearly 70% of Ceuta’s population of 85,000.

Spain’s Interior Ministry, meanwhile, estimated that about 50,000 migrants had crossed the border – but in a stunning reversal by 6 p.m. Friday, 48,300 had already returned home. (Read more from “Thousands of Illegal African Migrants Overrun Spanish Enclave, turn Streets into Open Toilets and Bathe in Fountains: ‘An apocalypse’” HERE)

African Elephants Trample Skilled California Hunter to Death

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A wealthy big-game hunter from California was ambushed and trampled to death by five elephants as he hunted small forest antelopes in central Africa earlier this month.

Californian vineyard owner Ernie Dosio, 75, who had trophy rooms in his home filled with his collection of exotic animal heads, was caught off guard with his guide when the herd emerged out of the underbrush where they were concealed and charged the hunting party, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The fatal encounter took place in the Lope-Okanda rainforest and involved five female elephants with a calf, according to the Mail.

A professional hunter was guiding Dosio in the thick forest of Gabon for a $40,000 fee in search of a shot at the “elusive yellow-backed duiker.”

Over the decades Dosio reportedly has hunted elephants, leopards, rhinos, buffalo, and lions across Africa, and back home in the United States he hunted almost every species of wild deer. (Read more from “African Elephants Trample Skilled California Hunter to Death” HERE)

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Country’s President Declares Security Emergency Amid Slaughter Of Christians

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Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency Wednesday after President Donald Trump put pressure on Tinubu due to the mass kidnappings and murders of Christians in the region.

The declaration also included an order for the country’s armed forces to increase recruitment numbers, and it called on police to recruit 20,000 more officers, making the total 50,000.

“My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” the order said. “The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation.”

This will be accomplished by utilizing the National Youth Service Corps as training depots, and the order directs officers away from VIP guard duties so they can focus on “security-challenged areas.” Nigeria’s government is also deploying trained forest guard members to “flush out the terrorists and bandits lurking in our forests.”

“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil,” the declaration continued. (Read more from “Country’s President Declares Security Emergency Amid Slaughter Of Christians” HERE)

‘The Future of Christianity Is Already Here’: Gospel Spreading at an ‘Explosive’ Rate in Africa

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Evangelicalism is growing around the world but nowhere more so than in Africa where the increase has been “explosive”, says researcher Jason Mandryk.

By contrast, growth in Western nations remains “modest”, he told the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) on the first day of its World General Assembly taking place in Seoul this week.

In a detailed presentation tracking growth, delegates heard how in 1960, evangelicals accounted for only 8% of the global body of Christ. Today it stands at over 25%, said Mandryk, a Christian researcher with Operation World. The total number of evangelicals worldwide, he estimates, sits between 600 million and 650 million.

“We are many …, we are increasing,” he said, explaining that the growth is down to a combination of factors, including natural reproduction, evangelism, and the “evangelicalisation” of Christians who were not previously evangelical.

Around 70% of Christians in general, many of them evangelicals, live in Africa, Asia and Latin America, he said. In Africa specifically, this growth has gone hand in hand with “rapid urbanisation”, with many rural Christians migrating to cities. (Read more from “‘The Future of Christianity Is Already Here’: Gospel Spreading at an ‘Explosive’ Rate in Africa” HERE)

Pentagon Abandons $110 Million Military Base as African Regime Takes Over

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The Pentagon announced Monday that it had finished withdrawing U.S. forces from a $110 million military base in Niger, Africa, as the nation’s ruling regime takes over.

Niger’s Air Base 201 previously hosted hundreds of U.S. troops who have now evacuated at the request of the country’s military junta. The Pentagon said in a statement on Monday that all remaining forces and assets at the base have been withdrawn as final evacuation efforts come to a close.

Opened in 2019, Air Base 201 cost the Pentagon $110 million to build and $30 million annually to maintain, according to Defense News. The base played a pivotal role for U.S. forces working in coordination with Niger’s army in fighting against terror networks including al Qaeda and the Islamic State, both of which maintain a sweeping presence in the violent Sahel region, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“This effort began on May 19 following the mutual establishment of withdrawal conditions and coordination will continue between U.S. and Nigerien armed forces over the coming weeks to ensure the full withdrawal is complete as planned,” a statement from the Pentagon reads. “The effective cooperation and communication between the U.S. and Nigerien armed forces ensured that this turnover was finished ahead of schedule and without complications.”

Some U.S. troops will remain at the U.S. Embassy in Niger while final withdrawal operations are completed in the coming weeks, according to The New York Times. Some equipment from Air Base 201 was shipped out, such as weaponry, but other equipment was left behind. (Read more from “Pentagon Abandons $110 Million Military Base as African Regime Takes Over” HERE)

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Biden Administration to Withdraw U.S. Forces from Niger

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President Joe Biden’s administration faced a setback on the global stage this week as reports emerged indicating the United States is preparing to withdraw its forces from Niger and abandon key military bases in the region.

The decision to pull out approximately a thousand American troops from Niger marks a significant shift in U.S. counterterrorism efforts and security policy in the politically volatile Sahel region of Africa. Stretching across the northern central part of the continent, the Sahel encompasses a vast expanse of territory, including countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and others. It is known for its instability and serves as a breeding ground for various major Islamic terrorist groups, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

According to The New York Times, the Biden administration has opted to withdraw troops in the wake of Niger’s democratically elected government being ousted by its own military. This development underscores broader trends in the region, with countries increasingly turning away from Western alliances and forging closer ties with other global powers.

Niger’s pivot towards Russia has been particularly notable, with the country receiving military support and personnel from Moscow’s paramilitary forces. Furthermore, there are indications that Niger is exploring potential agreements with Iran regarding its uranium reserves, while also deepening economic cooperation with China.

For the United States, Niger held strategic importance due to its geographic location, which facilitated critical counterterrorism operations in the region.

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American-Trained Warlords Could Be Hours Away From Starting a Massive Conflict

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West Africa is on the brink of armed conflict as a regional security bloc must decide whether to intervene against the junta leaders in Niger, at least one of whom previously trained under Department of Defense (DOD) programs.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a Nigeria-led economic and security group, set a Sunday ultimatum for the military officers who seized control of Niger in July to restore the ousted president under threat of force, according to Reuters. But the deadline passed without a change in Nigerien leadership, and the ruling elements of Niger’s security forces on Sunday announced pre-positioning of troops ahead of a possible ECOWAS invasion.

If launched, it would trigger the first conflict involving multiple countries on the continent in decades, according to Politico.

ECOWAS heads will discuss the matter Thursday.

“Niger’s armed forces and all our defense and security forces, backed by the unfailing support of our people, are ready to defend the integrity of our territory,” a junta representative said in a statement, according to Reuters. (Read more from “American-Trained Warlords Could Be Hours Away From Starting a Massive Conflict” HERE)

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US Spent Years Funding and Training the African Military That Just Overthrew Its US-Backed Gov’t

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The United States has sunk $500 million over the last decade into training and equipping Niger’s armed forces, which have now overthrown the democratically-elected president of the country.

Nigerien armed forces declared that they removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power amid a coup that began last Wednesday, spearheaded by a general who studied at the Department of Defense-backed College of International Security Affairs, Reuters reported. The U.S. has spent $500 million on training and arming Nigerien soldiers and stationing more than 1,000 U.S. troops in the region, according to the U.S. Embassy in Niger.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said over the weekend that the U.S. partnership with Niger is in “clear jeopardy.”

“Our economic and security partnership with Niger, which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars, depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said at a press conference on Saturday. “So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.” (Read more from “US Spent Years Funding and Training the African Military That Just Overthrew Its US-Backed Gov’t HERE)

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Police Arrest Man for Allegedly Photoshopping President’s Face Onto Porn

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A South African man was arrested Monday for allegedly photoshopping President Cyril Ramaphosa’s face onto pornographic images.

The 34-year-old man allegedly edited and then distributed the images with not only the face of Ramaphosa superimposed, but also Police Minister Bheki Cele and his wife, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing police. The man will appear in court Tuesday in the South African capital of Pretoria. He is charged with violating the Cyber Crimes Act, which regulates the accessing and processing of digital data.

The alleged culprit distributed the images on social media, and also went one step further and sent them to police officers, police reportedly said. Law enforcement began investigating the incident sometime in May when the images were first being distributed, police spokesman Philani Nkwalase told the news site TimesLive, according to AP. (Read more from “Police Arrest Man for Allegedly Photoshopping President’s Face Onto Porn” HERE)

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A Side Skirmish in Russia-Ukraine War Flares up in South Africa

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It’s thousands of miles from the front lines, but South Africa suddenly finds itself in the thick of a diplomatic dust-up over the war in Ukraine, and over whether the man who started the war should be welcomed here later this year.

Pretoria‘s busy weekend featured President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking by phone with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing a slew of murky allegations that South Africa had secretly sold weapons to Moscow. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken put in a call to South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, seeking to clear the air on an incident that has strained relations between the two capitals.

The diplomatic dancing began Thursday after U.S. Ambassador to Pretoria Reuben Brigety went public with U.S. suspicions that a Russian ship, the Lady R., had picked up badly needed ammunition, guns and other equipment when it docked near Cape Town in December.

“Weapons of war were loaded onto that vessel, and I will bet my life on that assertion,” Mr. Brigety told reporters.

The ambassador later met with Mrs. Pandor who claimed that he “apologized unreservedly,” but in a tweet, Mr. Brigety said he had merely “corrected any misimpressions left by my public remarks.” There remained, he added, a “strong partnership between our two countries.” (Read more from “A Side Skirmish in Russia-Ukraine War Flares up in South Africa” HERE)

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