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Many killed in central Mali ethnic attacks: Officials
Armed men on motorcycles have killed at least 27 civilians in central Mali in three attacks on ethnic Dogon farming villages in less than 24 hours, local officials said on Thursday.
Central Mali has been ravaged in recent years by ethnic reprisal killings, as recriminations between Fulani herding and Dogon farming communities over violence compound long-standing grievances.
Local officials told Reuters news agency they believed the three attacks, between Tuesday night and Wednesday evening, were carried out by people claiming to be defending Fulani against rival Dogon.
“We were surprised by the attack on the village of Tille. Seven were killed, all Dogons, some of them burned alive,” said Yacouba Kassogue, the deputy mayor of Doucombo, the municipality in which Tille is located.
Attacks on villages in the neighbouring areas of Bankass and Koro killed another 20 civilians, most of them shot or burned to death, local officials said.
A spokesman for Mali’s army was not immediately available for comment. The army has been criticised by rights groups and residents for failing to protect civilians in central Mali.
Violence between the Dogon and Fulani has compounded an already dire security situation in Mali’s semi-arid and desert regions, which are used as a base by armed groups with ties to al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group.
The Fulani are primarily cattle breeders and traders, while the Dogon are traditionally sedentary farmers.
Last year, the United Nations mission in Mali (MINUSMA) announced it recorded “at least 488 deaths” in attacks on Fulanis in the central regions of Mopti and Segou.
In the bloodiest raid, about 160 Fulani villagers were slaughtered in March last year at Ogossagou, near the border with Burkina Faso, by suspected Dogon hunters.
MINUSMA said since January 2018, armed Fulanis had “caused 63 deaths” among the civilians in the Mopti region.
MINUSMA has been operating in Mali since 2013, which ranks as the most dangerous UN mission, with 125 peacekeepers killed in attacks since deployment.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a consultancy that tracks political violence, says it recorded nearly 300 civilian deaths in Mali in the first three months of 2020, a 90 percent increase over the previous quarter.
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Staying stress-free with our diet
Whole grains can reduce stress and weight gain
Everyone experiences stress sometimes; having to speak in public, taking an important test, or going on a first date may trigger it.
Stress can also come from your job, bills, and family. What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else.
But when stress strikes, you know it. Adrenaline starts pumping, and the body revs up to handle the crisis; the heart may pound, the hands may sweat, or the mouth may feel dry.
Although stress may push us to meet a deadline or get things done, long-term stress can take its toll on the body and health in general.
Chronic stress may weaken the immune system; research has linked stress to Type 2 Diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression.
If you have chronic stress, the best way to deal with it is to take care of the underlying problem. Counseling, stress-relieving strategies like getting a massage, taking a vacation, or listening to music, and certain medications may also help. Notwithstanding, adequate nutrition plays a crucial role in the management of stress.
Foods to include
* Complex carbohydrate rich foods such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, brown rice.
* Folate rich foods such as spinach, cabbage, asparagus, and black beans.
* Tryptophan rich foods such as crab, eggs, milk, and shrimp.
* Vitamin B-12 rich foods such as salmon, tuna, turkey, and crab.
* Vitamin C rich foods such as lemons, oranges, tangerines, sweet bell peppers, and pineapples.
Foods to avoid
*Added sugar and refined carbohydrates.
*Caffeine rich foods such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, and chocolates.
*Fried foods such as French fries and donuts.
*Salty snacks such as salted nuts and potato chips.
*Processed foods high in trans fat such as cakes, cookies, pies, and crackers.
Lifestyle modification
* Adequate rest and enough sleep of at least 6 to 8 hours.
* Avoid cigarette smoking.
* Moderation of alcohol
* Reduce excessive screen time.
* Adequate self-care by engaging in exercises and recreational hobbies.
* Embarking on vacations and fun trips.
In conclusion, whatever avenue stress tried to take to wreck our peace of mind, let’s always remember the options on our plate; with the inclusion of the foods and lifestyle changes noted above, we will surely be able to lay down and float away on a stress free cloud.
The writer Dr Bernice Asare Korkor is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult.
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@gmail.com
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NPP Caucus wasted our time and resources – Della Sowah
Member of Parliament for Kpando Constituency, Della Sowah has expressed disappointment in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs for failing to show up in Parliament yesterday.
According to her, never in the history of Parliament has this happened.
In an interview with the media, Della Sowah said, “The NPP only succeeded in wasting our time, personal and state resources with your action.”
She queried why the NPP Caucus would trigger a recall of Parliament only to refuse to show up in the chamber.
” If you are not ready,why did you petition the Speaker to recall Parliament?, ” she queried.
She said most of the MPs had to drive all the way from their Constituencies when the country had been told there was an urgent business to be conducted.
Della Sowah said it shows a s lack of maturity, adding that the NPP had taken the whole country for granted.
“The first letter they wrote for recall had five businesses two day after they brought an additional 17, and they did not show up when the house was finally recalled,” she said.
The recall, initiated by the NPP caucus, was expected to address several critical issues and government business.
However, as they failed to appear in the Chamber, Speaker Bagbin expressed disappointment and adjourned the house indefinitely.
“In view of the failure of the business committee to sit, as a result of the refusal of those who requested a recall to show up, we are compelled to once again adjourn the sitting of the house. Knowing the challenges we are facing, it is not advisable to be adjourning from day to day. So, I will proceed once more to adjourn the meeting indefinitely,” he stated.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme