By Ismail Abdulaziz

Cooperation between Egyptian and Nigerian authorities was instrumental to the ease with which Nigerians stranded in war-torn Sudan were evacuated to Nigeria, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Speaking with NAN on Wednesday on the sidelines of the arrival in Abuja from Sudan, of the first batch of stranded Nigerians, the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Ihab Awab, said the existing relations between the two countries helped to quicken the resolution of the challenges that emerged during the evacuation process.

‘’In spite of the initial confusion and absorption capacity issues at the border with Sudan due to a large number of evacuees, made up of Egyptians, and other foreign nationals alike, we managed to arrive at the reported arrangement and the process started.

‘’I believe everyone involved on both sides contributed to resolving the situation to the best of their abilities given the very difficult circumstances.

‘’We have been working closely and tirelessly with our authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerian Embassy in Cairo ahead of the arrival of our sisters and brothers – the evacuees,’’ he told NAN.

Media reports had indicated that the situation surrounding evacuation efforts became positive on Sunday after moves by the two countries’ security and diplomatic agencies led to a quick resolution of some of the hiccups encountered earlier in the process.

NAN reports that the first batch of 376 Nigerians trapped in war-torn Sudan arrived at the Pilgrims Terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at exactly 11:30 pm.

Speaking shortly after their arrival, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, announced the donation of a N100,000 stipend courtesy of Dangote Foundation, adding that MTN Foundation also donated recharge cards worth N25,000 and 25GB data to each of the returnees.

Also speaking, the Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Mohammad Yusuf, said the situation in Sudan would soon be brought under control.

Yusuf expressed happiness that Nigeria was able to evacuate its citizens safely.

The envoy, who described Sudan as the second country to many Nigerians, said normalcy would be restored in the war-ravaged country soon.

NAN reports that fighting broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, led by Gen. Mohamed Dagalo.

The escalating conflict has so far claimed over 400 lives and left 3,500 persons injured.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

A News Analysis by Lizzy Okoji, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

With air strikes in Khartoum, Darfur, and other cities of Sudan resuming just hours after the ceasefire, one would only wonder what next to expect in the conflict-torn country.

The current conflict in Sudan which started on April 15 is the result of the lingering rivalry between two Generals, Sudanese President, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his Deputy, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

The quarrel dates back to 2021 after al-Burhan overthrew the joint military-civilian government which ousted Sudanese long-serving President, Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

Since then, al-Burhan head of the Sudanese Armed Forces and former Chairman, Sudan Transition Sovereignty Council and Dagalo, popularly called ‘Hemedti’, head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been are locked in a deadly fight over who will control of the country.

Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, Former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) described the conflict as an unfortunate product of selfish leadership.

“What is happening in Sudan is that we have two Generals fighting and the African Union expects that under normal circumstances, there must be peaceful approach to it; using war to take over power is illegal.

“Why the war is most unfortunate is because those who are fighting were together in the same camp as at 2019.

“In this case, what brought them together initially, what is now separating them is because of selfishness and this is why I think it is most unfortunate.

“Many lives have been lost, many people have been displaced and rather than focusing their attention on the economic situation in Sudan they are fighting over who will be in charge of the country,” Akinterinwa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Akinterinwa blamed the degeneration of the political situation of Sudan on the failure of all parties to adhere to agreements before the ousting of former President al-Bashir in 2019.

When two elephants fight, the grass suffers. The conflict in Sudan has forced many grasses, including Nigerians in Sudan and other foreigners to suffer unimaginable losses.

There are growing concerns over the safety of Nigerians in Sudan as the Federal Government makes frantic efforts to evacuate them through neigbouring Egypt.

Also a source of worry is the impact of such an arms conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa which is also a theatre of terrorist activities fuelled by illegal arms deals by dubious elements from conflict-ravaged countries such as Libya.

The impact of the conflict in Sudan, experts say, could resonate in heightened insecurity, humanitarian crises, and economic difficulties, for Sub-Saharan African countries, particularly Nigeria which has had to contend with terrorist groups such Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Dr Kabiru Adamu, a security expert and Managing Director, Beacon Consulting Limited, told NAN that given the number of Nigerians in Sudan there is the likelihood of some criminal elements infiltrating the group as evacuation goes on.

“In a recent interview, the Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria claimed that there were about five million Sudanese of Nigerian descent currently living in different parts of Sudan.

“Some of them are fourth generation, fifth generation or even longer than that; there is a strong business link, especially the north Eastern part of Nigeria.

“Given these huge numbers it is only normal that there would be concerns. Another area of concern is the possibility of a prolonged conflict reinforcing or institutionalising the spread of weapons.

“Already, Nigeria has that challenge. There are so many weapons within the region including Nigeria, small arms and light weapons”, he said.

He said the security implication for Nigeria is worsened by the age-long gun running channels that goes through Sudan which could expose Nigeria to the activities of gun runner due to its potential large market for illegal arms.

“ The entire Sahel region is almost being dominated by Jihadists, Burkina Faso is an example, Mali, Niger to an extent, and Sudan and Chad used to be the only countries that presented some sort of hope.

“So, if there is a degeneration of the security situation in Sudan you could see the infiltration of these jihadists into other regions including Nigeria,” Adamu said.

The international community said it would do everything possible to end the Sudan conflict.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said the UN would use all its instruments, institutions and structures to ensure that all the parties in the conflict appreciated the need to sheath their swords and embrace peace.

“The United Nations is not leaving Sudan. Our commitment is to the Sudanese people in support of their wishes for a peaceful and secured future. We stand with them at this terrible time.

“I call on all council members to exert maximum leverage with the parties to end the violence, restore order and return to the best of democratic transition.

“We must do everything within our power to pursue them from the edge of the abyss,” Guterres told a recent Security Council meeting on maintaining international peace.

Experts say the intervention of world leaders, especially African leaders is critical to resolving the conflict in Sudan.

The brawling Generals must accept that no country thrives under war and conflicts. Peace cannot be kept by force; it is always a product of compromise.(NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

By Salisu Sani-Idris

An Abuja Based Islamic Cleric, Yahya Al-Yolawi, has commended the Federal Government for the evacuation and rescuing of Nigerian students trapped by the Sudan crisis.

Al-Yolawi made the commendation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Monday.

” I will like to thank and appreciate efforts made by the Federal Government for the evacuation of our students and youths trapped in Sudan due to the ongoing war.

” However, more needs to be done as it appears some are still stranded and even those carried by buses are still to reach their destination, based on the clips being circulating by the the students themselves.”

Al-Yolawi noted that islam considered life- time of persons as great valuable resources, thus believers were encouraged to be conscious of their action and inaction in life.

” To achieve maximum benefit out of this life, one needs to recognise its importance and organise it wisely.

” If human beings do not waste or abuse life but rather perceive it as a blessing from Allah, they would have every chance and hope for success both in this life and in the hereafter.

” Islam teaches us that your life passes quickly and can never return; it is irreversible. It is also the most precious gift that mankind possesses and can be taken from us at any given moment.”

He urged the youth to utilise their energy for the sake of Allah by seeking knowledge, obtaining halal means of sustenance, and worshipping Allah through acts that he or she might not be able to do later in life.

” When people lose their youth, they find it harder to do certain deeds which were easier to do at a younger age. Youth, here, does not mean the concept of youth where youthfulness finishes after the age of 13 or 19.”

The cleric also advised Muslims to take advantage of their good health before they being overcome with illness or disability.

” What we often don’t realise is that our health is a blessing from Allah. When we are in good health, we take it for granted and don’t always appreciate what we have.

” It is only when we fall sick that we realise what a great blessing we had and how we lost it by not doing as much as we could have done.”

Al-Yolawi also enjoined wealthy muslims to take advantage of their wealth before poverty.

” One day we might have much more than we need, and the next day, we might not have anything.

“One day, a person might have the best of jobs or the best of businesses; yet, the next day, something happens and he does not have the job or the business, and loses all his sources of income.

” So the wise person uses his wealth before he loses it. He invests for his future,” the cleric said. (NAN)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Maureen Okon

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) says it is expanding its operation in news exchange as the agency signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoS) with Italian news agency, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), in Abuja.

ANSA, the leading news agency in Italy, is a not-for-profit cooperative, founded in 1945 whose members and owners are 36 leading news organisations in the European country.

Its mission is the distribution of fair and objective news reports.

The Managing-Director of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle, signed the agreement for NAN while the Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria, Mr Stefano De Leo, signed on behalf of ANSA at the NAN headquarters.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed virtually by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ANSA, Mr Stefano De Alessandri, and the Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, Mr Mfawa Abam.

Also, at the signing ceremony, De Alessandri said that ANSA is a private news agency 100 per cent private, adding that they specifically are a cooperative of 26 publishers of newspapers, magazines and the most important national and regional newspapers.

He added that ANSA has more than 500 employees, two third of them are journalists, also with correspondents in more than 50 countries around the world.

“We do not publish only in Italian language, our websites publishes news in English, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and German.

“We are at the same time a traditional news agency providing news wire, photo and videos services on a bit to bit, we are trusted and respected in Italy.

“Currently, we have agreements with more than 70 international partners all across Europe, South America, Asia and Africa,” he said.

According to him, the objective of this agreement is the exchange of our respective news wires with the possibility to use up to 50 news items per day of the partner agency for editorial production.

“I am very please to be here today to sign this agreement with NAN, which is the first country by population in Africa and one of the most important in the continent.

“Starting from 2022 we are renewing our collaboration agreements with international news agencies and we also open new partnership,” he said.

The CEO added that the agreement would enable both agencies to exchange videos, saying this partnership will allow us to improve our coverage of event in Nigeria.

“Thus, improve our information offer for the large Nigerian community living in Italy with more than 120 thousand citizens in 2022, and is one of the largest foreign population we have in Italy.

“Also, it will allow our colleague and partner NAN to offer more news on Italy in Nigeria, hopefully bringing our countries even closer and enlarging the cooperation between our two countries.

“Moreover, by way of this agreement we will be able to provide access to our news feed to our respective Embassies, meaning that we will give our news feed to the Nigerian Embassy in Rome and NAN will do the same with our embassy in Nigeria.

Responding, Ponle said that the agreement was a step in the right direction as it would unveil great possibilities of news exchange between both agencies.

The managing director described NAN as the country’s largest content provider and national purveyor of information, with 36 state offices and 26 district offices.

Ponle added that NAN has Nigeria as its focus and Africa as the centerpiece of its reportage.

“Today’s signing of news exchange agreement with ANSA marks another defining phase in our continued engagements with like minded institutions.

“It is my hope and belief that this landmark event will signal the beginning of a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship.

“To leverage on its octopoidal reach, NAN also has news exchange partnerships with leading international wire agencies such as Rueters of United Kingdom, Deutsch Presse-Agentur of Germany, Xinhua of China and Sputnik of Russia.

“Other are Yonhap (South Korea), Asian News International (India), Anadolu (Turkey) and Bulgaria News Agency (Bulgaria).

“This is just a chip of the global experiences we are bringing into the partnership agreement with ANSA, aimed at fostering a new and positive order in global reportage,” he said.

Also speaking, Mbam said that the signing agreement demonstrates the importance of what Nigeria and Italy attached to their existing relations and commitment in strengthening it.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria welcome’s this development and the close collaboration which will enhance the quality of news delivery and lead to further initiatives that will add value to the development of both agencies in years to come.

“Therefore, I will like to assure the readiness of the Nigerian Embassy in Italy to provide all necessary support for the successful implementation of this agreement,” he said.

The Italian ambassador said that the agreement would strengthen the already existing relationship between Nigeria and Italy.

He added that the exchange of information and knowledge was key with Nigeria as the giant of Africa.

“Today is an important day because as the African saying goes thus, “that if you want to go far go alone.

“But if you want to go distance and far you have to go together, and having ANSA and NAN working together is the right step in the right direction,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Temitope Ponle

The People’s Republic of China says it is not ”and will never be involved in funding terrorism”.

The Chinese government’s position is contained in a statement released by its mission in Abuja, Nigeria on its official Twitter handle, @china_emb_ng on Monday.

The statement was released in response to a report by a British national daily, The Times, which alleged that Chinese nationals in the mining sector were funding terrorist groups in parts of Nigeria to secure access to the country’s mineral reserves.

According to The Times, it shared its research with a Lagos-based analytical group.

“Our attention has been drawn to a media report titled “Chinese ‘bribed Nigerian militants for access to vast mineral reserves”, published by the The Times of the U.K. on April 15, 2023.

“This report, claiming that “Beijing could be indirectly funding terror” in Nigeria, is based on unverified, unclear and unproven information, to which we have to express our strong dissatisfaction and objection.

“The Chinese government, as well as the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, have always encouraged and urged the Chinese companies and nationals in Nigeria to abide by the laws and regulations of Nigeria, and to implement the local rules and guidance on labour, environment, health and safety, among others, and would continue their efforts in this regard.

“The Chinese government was and would never be involved in any form of funding terrorism. The allegations contained in the report were totally irresponsible and unethical, and the intention of the report is seriously questioned.”

It also stated that the bilateral cooperation between China and Nigeria had brought tangible benefits to bilateral ties and well-being of both countries.

“We will continue to work with the Nigerian government to promote development and address security issues.

“We welcome international partners to join our efforts in good faith, but would reject any intention or action that would smear our cooperation.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Benson Iziama/Emmanuel Yashim

All train traffic in eastern Austria was temporarily suspended on Thursday morning due to a technical problem, a spokeswoman told dpa.

After years of investigations into an online investment fraud worth millions, an international team of investigators arrested five main suspects, according to German authorities on Thursday.

By Rotimi Ijikanmi

Some international media organisations and Think tanks have admitted that they were misinformed on the chances of the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, in winning the 2023 Presidential polls.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in London when he concluded his engagements and meetings with the media houses and Policy Institutes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister was in Washington and London to defend the legitimacy of the just concluded general elections and correct the imbalance in the skewed narrative which had pervaded the air on the polls.

Addressing newsmen at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London, where he concluded his engagements, the minister said his mission abroad was very successful.

“We have been able to correct the imbalance in the reporting and we are leaving today with a better feeling. Most of the people we met agreed with us that they had been misinformed and they over-relied on social media hype,” he said.

The minister said not until he educated them, many were not even aware of the requirements to win presidential election in Nigeria.

He said he pointed out to them that, in addition to plurality of votes, a candidate must have one quarter of votes cast in two third of the states which translates to 25 states before being declared winner.

“When we told many of those we met that the Labour Party scored one third of votes in only 15 of the 36 states they were shocked.

“We also told them there is no pathway to victory for either the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or Labour Party because they did not meet the requirements to be declared winner,” he said.

Mohammed said he was also able to explain the edge the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu had over the two other major contenders, Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, though they all won in 12 states each.

“We explained to them that it is not enough for you to win 12 states but what you scored in other states is also very important. For instance, in addition to winning 12 states, the APC came second in 19 other states with very high scores,” he said.

The minister said he also informed the media houses and think tanks that it was impossible for any party without national spread and grassroots base to win Presidential election.

Mohammed said he gave the instance of the Labour Party which scored only 315,000 votes in the entire North-East zone and 350,000 in North-West because it’s candidate was barely known and unpopular there.

He said, whereas in the same North-East and North West, where the APC and its candidate are popular, the vote scored in each of the zone was over two million.

‘Unfortunately, with all these facts on ground, they earlier believed that Obi won the election. This was because of the wrong mindset they had before the polls based on the hyped activities of his followers on social media.

“They also developed the wrong mindset based on skewed and very unrepresentative opinion polls especially by Bloomberg which was uncritically reported by other international media.

”However, I am living the U.S.A. and the UK satisfied because the wrong perceptions had been corrected and were changing,” he said.

The minister was asked whether the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud, fulfilled his promise made at the Chatham House in January to deliver free, fair, credible polls and letting the people’s votes count.

Mohammed said the INEC Chairman walked his talk on the promise.

He explained that contrary to the belief out there, the INEC Chairman did not promise that he was going to transmit elections electronically.

“Our laws today say all election management system is done physically and manually. There is this misunderstanding about the INEC Result Viewing Centre (IREV).

”IREV is not about collation and transmission of election. It is a platform for transparency to ensure that whatever is entered into Form EC8A is transmitted into IREV so that everyone can see it,” he said.

NAN reports that while in the U.S. the minister had engagements with international media platforms, including the Washington Post, Voice of America, Associated Press and Foreign Policy Magazine.

He was also at the Reuters News Agency; The Politico, an international political newspaper, and Zenger News, a channel that publishes its contents on Forbes.

Among the international Think tanks he engaged with were the United States Institute of Peace, Hudson Institute, The Atlantic Council and Wilson Institute.

He was also at the Council on Foreign Relations, a well versed think tank on African affairs and foreign relations chaired by a Nigerian, Dr Ebenezer Obadare.

In London, Mohammed engaged with The Economist, The Guardian, African Confidential, The Spectator, Times Radio and Africa Report.

He also met with the Think tanks, Royal African Society, the Royal United Service Institute and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House.(NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

By Muhyideen Jimoh

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has called for a comprehensive global alliance for the conservation of wildlife, especially the protection against poaching of ‘big cats’ across the world.

Modi disclosed this at the launch of the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) in Karnataka, India on Sunday.

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the inauguration was witnessed by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment, Mr Udi Odum among other dignitaries from across the world.

The envoy noted that the Prime Minister had called on the 97 ‘range’ country alliance (IBCA) of which Nigeria is a founding member, to work more closely to protect the seven species of big cats.

The big cats specie include: Tiger, Lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah.

“The Prime Minister of India on Sunday launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) in India.

“Nigeria is a founding member of IBCA and Mr Udi Odum, Minister of State, Environment, Federal Ministry of Environment, attended the inaugural event at Mysur, India,” the High Commissioner said.

He quoted the Prime Minister as saying “The presence of big cats has made a positive impact on the lives and ecology of the local people everywhere”

“India does not believe in the conflict between ecology and economy, and gives equal importance to the coexistence of both”.

“India is a country where protecting nature is a part of the culture”.

NAN reports that IBCA seeks to bring together countries, conservationists, and experts from around the world to collaborate on conservation efforts for these seven big cat species.

Through IBCA, India hopes to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices in conserving these species with other countries that have significant big cat populations.

The alliance also aims to facilitate collaborations between governments, NGOs, and the private sector to create sustainable solutions for conservation.

The launch of IBCA marks a significant step towards the conservation of these animals, as their populations face unprecedented threats from habitat loss and poaching. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Ukraine will resume exporting electricity to Europe after a six-month pause due to crippling Russian missile attacks on the country’s infrastructure, Energy Minister German Galushchenko, said on Friday.

“The Ukrainian power grid had been functioning for almost two months without any restrictions on consumption and with a power reserve,” Galushchenko said in a statement, saying repairs had been a success.

He said that exporting the surplus electricity would provide additional financial resources for the reconstruction of the destroyed and damaged energy infrastructure.

An export of a maximum of 400 megawatts to the European energy grid had been agreed. Ukraine was connected to the grid shortly before the war began.

However, the actual amount of electricity exported will depend on the needs of Ukrainian consumers, said Galushchenko, adding that their own electricity consumers “unquestionably” remained their priority.

In the face of the all-out Russian invasion more than 13 months ago, Ukraine continued to export electricity to neighbouring ex-Soviet republic, Moldova, and the European Union from June until October.

This was when targeted Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy supply began.

In 2022, electricity generation in Ukraine fell by over 27 per cent due to the war.

Europe’s largest nuclear power plant near Zaporizhzhya, which has been under Russian control since March, was shut down in September. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji/Vincent Obi