Borno Villagers fight off Boko Haram gunmen,kill and Capture many

Borno Villagers fight off Boko Haram gunmen,kill and Capture many

Residents of Kalabalge Village in Borno State on Tuesday fought off invading Boko Haram gunmen in an early morning attack, killing several of them with about 10 also caught alive.
According to Premium Times,the insurgents had repeatedly attempted to attack Kalabalge, an agro-nomad community near the Cameroon borders, but failed to gain entry into the village on each attempt.
A vigilante member told premuim times on phone

“We have told them (Boko Haram) that they cannot take their attacks to our village because, we have taken measures both security wise and spiritually to prevent them.They wanted to attack us just the way they did in Bama, Konduga and Damboa, but we got the wind of it and all of us laid ambush for them; when they neared the village, we opened fire using our Dane duns, double barrel rifles and bows-and-arrows, most of them who were shocked took to their heels, but many of them died, some that were injured have been caught alive and are with the security people as I am talking to you”, 

An official of the State Security Service who pleads anonymity confirmed the incident to reporters on phone.

“The insurgents tried to attack the village as at 5 a.m. of this morning (Tuesday) but the vigilante and some members of the village who got the hint of the attack laid ambush and were able to kill as many of them as possible, while about ten of them were caught alive; they also recovered two trucks from the insurgents"

Nigeria kidnapped girls 'shown' in new Boko Haram video

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The BBC's John Simpson says the video, which shows more than 100 girls in hijabs, could be the first step in a negotiated settlement

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Nigeria under attack

• Five questions
• What happened, when?
• Who are Boko Haram?
• In 60 secs: Boko Haram Watch

A new video released by Islamist militants Boko Haram claims to show around 100 girls kidnapped from a school in Nigeria last month.

The group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said they would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed.
He said the girls had converted to Islam. The video, released on Monday, claims to show them praying.
Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from northern Nigeria on 14 April and threatened to sell them.
The BBC's John Simpson in the northern city of Maiduguri said Boko Haram's comments showed signs that the group was willing to negotiate.
Three of the girls are shown speaking in the 17-minute video, obtained by French news agency AFP, wearing the full-length hijab.

Three girls are shown speaking in the 17-minute video and one says the group have not been harmed

Two girls say they were Christian and have converted to Islam, while the other says she is Muslim.
"These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with... we have indeed liberated them. These girls have become Muslims," Abubakar Shekau says in the video.
It is thought the majority of the abducuted girls are Christians, although there are a number of Muslims among them.
Correspondents said the girls appeared calm and one said that they had not been harmed.
There is no indication of when or where the video was taken.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau uses the video to call for imprisoned Boko Haram fighters to be freed

It is estimated to show about 130 girls - just under half of the 276 pupils abducted from their school in the northern state of Borno.
Our correspondent says this could mean the group has been split into smaller groups to help avoid detection.
Boko Haram had previously admitted to kidnapping the girls.
The group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden," said they should not have been at school and should get married instead.
Boko Haram has been engaged in a violent campaign against the Nigerian government since 2009.

THE WINNERS: Diplomat of the Year Awards

THE WINNERS: Diplomat of the Year Awards

Ambassadors and High Commissioners from over 70 countries (and diplomats from over 100 countries) attended DIPLOMAT magazine’s 2014 annual Awards Ceremony in the glorious surroundings of the Ballroom at The Langham London hotel on Monday 14 April. DIPLOMAT presented 10 awards to some of the most influential diplomats based in the UK. The 250-plus guests were treated to a champagne reception and canapés prepared by the hotel chefs.
In its sixth year, the awards ceremony recognises the outstanding work and achievements of London’s diplomatic community, who are trying to better their nations’ well-being. DIPLOMAT magazine identified 10 categories that recognise different levels of diplomacy, and winners were nominated by their peers.  The evening welcomed the massed ranks of London’s diplomatic corps, at what has become a key date in the capital’s diplomatic calendar.
Veteran broadcaster Martin Lewis was the Master of Ceremonies, who performed with immense slickness and wit. The Ambassador of Kuwait, His Excellency Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisan won the ‘Diplomat of the Year for Asia’ award. As Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, he’s known for attending up to seven receptions on one evening. This Ambassador has won a place in the hearts of the political establishment in London, as well as his colleagues. He expressed a wish to retire some years ago, but the Emir has understandably wanted him to remain.
The popular award of the evening went to the High Commissioner for Antigua & Barbuda, Dr Carl Roberts, for ‘Diplomat of the Year for the Americas,’ who praised his wife and the staff behind him at the mission, for ‘behind every successful High Commissioner is a good team.’
Other heads of mission who were honoured on the evening included the Ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Finland and El Salvador and the High Commissioners of Singapore and Cameroon.
Winner of the ‘2014 Contribution to Women in Diplomacy’ was Mrs Younis from the Egyptian Embassy. She dedicated her award ‘to all the brave women in Egypt who stood up in a revolution to be part of the rebirth of a democratic Egypt.’ Fittingly, The Lord Mayor of Westminster and the youngest women ever to be elected into this office, Councillor Sarah Richardson, presented the award.
‘Young Diplomat of the Year’ went to ‘someone to watch for great things in the future’, Susana Arana Garduno from the Mexican Embassy and ‘Contribution to the Press Corps,’ to the Diplomatic Press Attache President, Maria Monteiro from the Portuguese Embassy.
The evening was sponsored by The Langham London, International Diplomatic Supplies, Volvo, International Hospitals Group, Apsley’s Tailors and Henry & James. For the fifth year running, Cleave and Co produced the unique awards for the winners.
With over 160 diplomatic missions, a posting in London remains one of the highlights of any diplomat’s career. Host of the event, DIPLOMAT’s Editor, Venetia de Blocq van Kuffeler, said: ‘The scale of global challenges facing us all today – economic, social, environmental, and security – weigh upon us all. In short, Diplomacy is more important than ever. And so it is important that we appreciate the great conductors of diplomacy this evening.’

2014 AWARD WINNERS:

2014 Diplomat of the Year from the Middle East
His Excellency Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisan 
Ambassador of Kuwait

2014 Diplomat of the Year from Africa
His Excellency Mr Nkwelle Ekaney
High Commissioner for Cameroon

2014 Diplomat of the Year from Asia
His Excellency Mr Thanbynathan Jasudasen
High Commissioner for Singapore

2014 Diplomat of the Year from Eurasia
His Excellency Mr Kairat Abusseitov
Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan

2014 Diplomat of the year from Europe
His Excellency Mr Pekka Huhtaniemi
Ambassador of Finland

2104 Diplomat of the Year from the Americas
His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts
High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda

2014 Diplomat of the Year from Central & South America
His Excellency Mr Werner Matias Romero
Ambassador of El Salvador

2014 Outstanding Contribution to Women in Diplomacy
Mrs Sohair H. Younis
Press Counsellor, Egyptian Embassy

2014 Outstanding Contribution to the Press Corps
Ms Maria Monteiro
Press & Political Affairs Attaché, Embassy of Portugal
President of DPAAL

2014 Young Diplomat of the Year
Ms Susana Garduño Arana
Second Secretary, Embassy of Mexico