Jeffery Woodke and Olivier Dubois finally freed in West Africa

AUS aid worker and French journalist who had been kidnapped by militants in West Africa have been released.

Jeffery Woodke and Olivier Dubois arrived at an airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Monday.

Mr Woodke went missing in Niger in 2016, while Mr Dubois was held hostage in neighbouring Mali for nearly two years. Their release was secured following efforts by authorities in Niger.

Speaking in Niamey, Mr Dubois, 48, said it was “amazing for me to be here, to be free”.

“I feel tired, but I’m fine,” he told journalists, smiling but visibly overwhelmed.

“I want to pay tribute to Niger for its skills in this delicate mission and pay tribute to France, to all those who have helped me to be here today.”

Niger Interior Minister Hamadou Souley said the pair had been freed after “several months of efforts” by Nigerien authorities, before being handed over to French and US officials.

It is not clear exactly how or when the men were released from the captors.

Mr Woodke’s release was announced days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Niger for an official visit, becoming the first top US diplomat to do so.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he was “relieved” and thanked the authorities in Niger for “bringing [Mr Woodke] home to all who miss and love him”.

“I thank so many across government who’ve worked tirelessly toward securing his freedom,” he added in a tweet.

Mr Woodke, who had served as a missionary and humanitarian aid worker in Niger for more than 30 years, was seized at gunpoint from his home in Agadez in October 2016.

Mr Dubois, meanwhile, began working as a freelance journalist in Mali in 2015 for Parisian daily newspaper Libération and news weekly Le Point. He himself announced his abduction in a video posted on social media in May 2021, saying he had been kidnapped in the northern city of Gao by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) - the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel region of Africa which is linked to Al-Qaeda.

Following his release, Libération editor-in-chief Dov Alfon said: “We are deeply relieved and happy about this outcome.”

French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Niger in a tweet and said Mr Dubois was in “good health” after speaking to him.

Kenya protests: Raila Odinga’s convoy tear-gassed in Nairobi

Kenyan police have tear-gassed opposition leader Raila Odinga’s convoy as he spearheaded the biggest protest against President William Ruto’s government since it took office.

At least one person was shot and several lawmakers were arrested in the crack down in the capital, Nairobi.

Mr Odinga accuses the government of being “illegitimate”, and of failing to tackle the high cost of living.

Mr Ruto has rejected the opposition leader’s claims.

Kenya’s highest court upheld his victory in last year’s election, but Mr Odinga insists that the election was “stolen”.

He has been driving through Nairobi’s residential suburbs to rally his supporters and has vowed to organise weekly protests against the government.

It has caused many businesses to shut in the city, due to fears of looting.

Running battles have taken place on the main Kenyatta Avenue between police and demonstrators, some of whom are throwing stones at the security officers.

Roads leading to key government buildings have been blocked and the president’s official residence sealed off.

Mr Odinga’s convoy was tear-gassed by police as he left a hotel after addressing the media. Hundreds of his supporters were part of the procession.

An adviser to Mr Odinga later tweeted that the opposition leader’s vehicle had been hit by a bullet.

“Our windscreen has been badly damaged,” Prof Makau Mutua said. He did not give further details, and it is unclear exactly where the alleged incident took place.

Police had earlier denied the opposition permission to hold the protest, and warned that any gathering would be illegal.

Mr Ruto said the government would not condone “impunity”.

“We have a responsible government in office who have a constitutional duty to protect life and property. We have a country to run,” he said.

Some of the fiercest scenes have been in Nairobi’s Kibera settlement - a poor neighbourhood with a strong history of supporting the opposition.

“We came here peacefully, but they teargassed us,” 21-year-old Charles Oduor told the AFP news agency in another district of Nairobi.

“They lie to us everyday. Where is the cheap maize flour they promised? Where are the jobs for the youth they promised? All they do is hire their friends.”

Riot police have also confronted protesters in the western town of Kisumu, where Mr Odinga draws a fanatical following.

Footage shared by Kenya’s Standard newspaper earlier on Monday appears to show local bus operators fleeing their transport hub in central Nairobi.

Meanwhile, the second-biggest opposition party in South Africa, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), also held nationwide protests to demand the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa over the worsening economy, power cuts, and widespread corruption.

Several thousand people marched to his official residence in the capital, Pretoria.

“Our demands are simple, we want Ramaphosa to leave this house,” EFF leader Julius Malema said.

The government said it had authorised the deployment of more than 3,000 troops to help police maintain law and order, and 85 people had been arrested.

China’s President Xi Jinping condemns killings of miners in CAR

China’s President Xi Jinping says the killers of nine Chinese goldmine workers in the Central African Republic (CAR) must be “severely” punished.

Two Chinese workers were also wounded when gunmen stormed a mining site near the central town of Bambari on Sunday.

The local mayor blamed a rebel group for the killings.

But the rebels said Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group were behind the attack.

The Wagner group has not yet commented on the claim.

Its fighters are widely reported to have been deployed to mineral-rich CAR to help government forces defeat the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an alliance of rebel groups.

Both China and Russia have been investing heavily in Africa to tap into its mineral resources, as well as to rival the influence of Western powers.

In a statement, China’s foreign ministry called on its nationals to “leave high-risk areas as quickly as possible”.

“The entire Central African Republic, with the exception of its capital Bangui, is rated red in terms of security risks,”it added.

The statement quoted President Xi as saying that every effort should be made to save the lives of the wounded, and to ensure the perpetrators were arrested and “punished severely” under the law. Source; BBC