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Two African Social Media Influencers Living with HIV to Address UNGA

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Two African Social Media Influencers Living with HIV to Address UNGA

By: Michael Mike

Two young social media influencers living with HIV with the support of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) are on their way to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the Summit of the Future in New York to urge world leaders to partner with them in the response to HIV.

The two, Ibanomonde Ngema from South Africa and Jerop Lima from Kenya, according to a statement on Thursday by UNAIDS, will call on leaders to invest in youth-friendly health systems, provide holistic services for young people living with HIV, and to partner with young people and communities, allowing them to lead in the response to HIV.

Executive Director of UNAIDS. Winnie Byanyima said: “Young people’s powerful and vibrant activism has driven so much of the progress made in the HIV response,” adding that: “They know what works for them. It is essential for leaders to listen to them to understand the specific challenges that young people face and how those challenges can be overcome. Leaders can only successfully plan how to end AIDS and sustain the advances made by partnering with young people living with HIV.”

The young Kenyan HIV activist. Jerop Limo, said: “I am representing not only the voices of 1.5 million Kenyans living with HIV but all people living with HIV,” adding that: “I want leaders to leave New York knowing that we are not beneficiaries, we are equal rights holders. We have a voice, we have skills and expertise and we need an equal playing field where our data is valued, where our input is valued and where our voices are heard. We want meaningful and ethical engagement of adolescents and young people in all spaces of the AIDS response.”

According to the statement, young people, especially adolescent girls and young women, are disproportionately affected by HIV. Globally, 44% of all new HIV infections were among women and girls (all ages) in 2023 and every week 4000 young women and girls around the world are infected with HIV—3100 are in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, some 3.1 million adolescents and young people (15-24 yrs) were living with HIV—1.9 million were adolescent girls and young women.

Ibanomonde Ngema, a young South African AIDS activist, said: “Governments meeting here in New York cannot end AIDS alone. They need to involve us to find solutions. We have lived experiences of HIV, from treatment to mental health, because we navigate life with HIV every day. We need to be included in policymaking so that we can take full ownership of ending end AIDS as a public threat,”

He noted that: “The world can only benefit when young people are included in the global HIV response. No conversation about HIV should take place without us, from policy to practice in communities.”

The safety decried that too often young people report facing stigma and discrimination, including from doctors and healthcare workers, when they access sexual and reproductive health and HIV services. This discourages them from seeking support and crucial information about their health, putting them at risk of HIV infection or of defaulting on treatment for those who are living with HIV.

The statement added that young people living with HIV play a critical role in the fight against AIDS in communities. They offer support and share important information about HIV that schools or parents might not talk about. They also challenge stigma and discrimination through social media, helping to save lives and encourage young people to stay on treatment.

It also added that they drive innovation in communities, for example, a self-funded project by the Youth Empowerment Group uses e-bikes to deliver antiretroviral medicines, food and adherence support to young people who often cannot attend clinics because their schooling hours conflict with clinic opening times in Namibia.
However, their transformational work is being held back because it is not being sufficiently supported. Youth-led HIV responses often operate with little or no financial and political support. At the UNGA the two young people will call on world leaders to fully support and fund their work. They will also urge leaders to uphold the human rights of young people as key to ending AIDS as a public health threat—they will call on them to protect young people’s right to healthcare, education, freedom of speech, and to provide social support to young people living with HIV.

Jerop Lima said: “Providing treatment is not enough, young people living with HIV need an education and they need a job to survive,” adding that: “We need to be seen as equal contributors and partners, and we need investment to allow us drive change. We are the leaders of the future and we need to be included now to help shape a better future for us all.”

Two African Social Media Influencers Living with HIV to Address UNGA

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Borno State Councillors endorse Tinubu/Kashim for a second term

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Borno State Councillors endorse Tinubu/Kashim for a second term

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The forum of Councillors in Borno State have endorsed the enthronement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term

The Councillors all from the All Progressive Congress (APC) gave the endorsement during a news conference in Maiduguri on Friday led by their Chairman of the Forum Kellum Geshehu.

While endorsing the Tinubu-Shettima Ticket for 2027, they said that they were pleased with the developmental projects of President Bola Tinubu and their son Senator Kashim Shetima who they say equally deserves a second term for pleasing the masses with basic dividends.

They maintained that as grassroot politicians who understood the pains of the masses especially when the subsidies were removed, it was clear that the economic policies applied by the party at the National level has given rise to massive production of foodstuffs and the reduction of prices of basic staples which before now were beyond the reach of a lot of people.

“We also express our profound satisfaction with the progress of the Government under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu. We see the Renewed Hope Initiative gradually yielding fruits for Nigerians.

“We specifically thank Mr. President for the confidence and trust in our son, His Excellency, Vice President Sen. KashimShettima, who has proven to be a dedicated, loyal, and capable partner in development.

“Therefore, the Borno State Supervisory Councillors Forum unanimously endorse the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for the 2027 Presidential election. We strongly support the President to retain Vice President Sen. KashimShettima as mate for the 2027 Presidential ticket, ensuring continuity and socio-economic gains currently being achieved in our great country.”

The councillors gave the endorsement based on the fact that the APC party under Professor Babagana Zulum has been doing well in his second term in Borno state following in the footsteps of the party at the national level.

They named sectors like Agriculture, education and the health sector as major areas of achievement of the academic turned politician Governor Babagana Zulum who has been a trailblazer in developmental projects in the state.

Borno State Councillors endorse Tinubu/Kashim for a second term

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Boko Haram, ISWAP reconcile with Bakoura Doro faction in North-East, forge alliance

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Boko Haram, ISWAP reconcile with Bakoura Doro faction in North-East, forge alliance

By: Zagazola Makama

In a major development that could reshape the security landscape in the North-East, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) have reconciled with the Bakoura Doro faction after years of bloody rivalry.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the reconciliation, according to credible intelligence marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the insurgency that has ravaged Borno and neighbouring states for over a decade.

Boko Haram, officially known as Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad (JAS), and ISWAP reportedly reached a truce with the Bakoura Doro group on Thursday, after weeks of internal negotiations aimed at consolidating their fighting strength and realigning their operational commands.

However, ISWAP leaders maintained their position of hostility toward the Abubakar Shekau faction, now under the command of Ali Ngulde, whose loyalists are entrenched in the Mandara Mountains along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.

According to field sources, ISWAP commanders used the meeting to warn their fighters against indiscriminate killings of local residents, citing the incident in Kirawa where innocent civilians were executed in error.

The group reiterated that attacks should only target government-backed militias and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), whom they accused of bearing arms against them.

Despite this rhetoric of restraint, both ISWAP and Boko Haram factions vowed to intensify their campaign of violence, with Boko Haram operatives under Bakoura Doro reportedly planning a renewed wave of kidnappings-for-ransom and bloodletting in vulnerable communities across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.

Security analysts view this reconciliation as a troubling development that could embolden the insurgents to regroup, and coordinate large-scale attacks against both military and civilian targets.

“The reconciliation between ISWAP and Bakoura Doro’s faction effectively closes one of the key internal cracks that previously weakened the insurgency. It allows them to pool resources, fighters, and logistics, which may translate to renewed offensives, particularly in border areas and ungoverned spaces.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military continues to sustain pressure on terrorist enclaves through coordinated land and air operations, with the goal of preventing the insurgents from re-establishing control over liberated territories.

As the insurgents’ alliance solidifies, analysts caution that Nigeria and its regional partners must strengthen intelligence sharing, border control, and community engagement to mitigate the security risks posed by this new wave of jihadist consolidation.

Boko Haram, ISWAP reconcile with Bakoura Doro faction in North-East, forge alliance

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Troops humiliate ISWAP in Ngamdu, kill 15 terrorists in ngamdu battle

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Troops humiliate ISWAP in Ngamdu, kill 15 terrorists in ngamdu battle

By: Zagazola Makama

In yet another demonstration of tactical superiority and resilience, troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled a coordinated attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Ngamdu in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, killing 15 insurgents and uncovering their mass grave.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the attack, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, was described by military sources as “one of the most daring but costly misadventures” by ISWAP fighters, who launched simultaneous assaults on troops from three different flanks.

According to reliable sources, the terrorists began the offensive from the Gonori axis around 3 a.m., apparently to divert troops’ attention from their main objective. The diversionary assault was swiftly contained by the gallant troops, forcing the attackers to retreat with casualties.

The second wave of attack, launched along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway, involved the use of command Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), rocket-propelled grenades.

Despite the intensity of the assault, troops advancing from Benisheikh managed to charge through the ambush position, though one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle sustained damage to its engine and tyres.

The third flank of the attack targeted Alpha Company’s defensive location near the main supply route, but despite minor infiltration into their outer perimeter, the soldiers held their ground firmly and neutralized several of the attackers in close-quarter combat.

The sources said four soldiers paid the supreme price while three were wounded in action during the encounter.

Subsequent intelligence gathered from local sources revealed that ISWAP fighters conducted a mass burial for 15 of their slain members at Bula Wura village near Wasaram, less than 24 hours after the failed operation.

“The attack was well-coordinated but the response was even more professional. The terrorists came in waves, using multiple tactics, but our men held their ground and made them pay heavily,” said one military sources.

The military has also intensified clearance operations along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway after terrorists planted IEDs to delay reinforcements. The road was temporarily closed for demining operations to ensure the safety of commuters.

As the military continues to dominate the theatre of operations, local communities are beginning to express renewed confidence in the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, which have seen a steady decline in insurgent activities across major highways and rural settlements in recent months.

Troops humiliate ISWAP in Ngamdu, kill 15 terrorists in ngamdu battle

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