RIP
Gen Ogolla: Badass combat pilot who sought peace via diplomacy

General Ogolla died on Thursday afternoon after a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopter he was travelling in crashed in Sindar, Elgeyo-Marakwet County in Northern Kenya.

General Francis Ogolla addressing participants during change of guard ceremony at Ulinzi Sports Complex Langata in Nairobi, Kenya on May 5, 2023. 

Summary

Gen Ogolla lauded the positive impact of the East African Regional Force, which was deployed in 2022 with the mandate to restore peace in Eastern DRC.

Ogolla was trained in France and United States in specialised military technique and air warfare and is also a graduate of ÉcoleMilitaire de Paris and US air force, as well as the National Defence College of Kenya.

General Ogolla’s commitment to a peaceful region has been lauded by the US National Security advisor Jake Sullivan

The death of Kenya's military chief General Francis Omondi Ogolla may have robbed the wider East African region of a strict soldier who top his skill with diplomacy in search for peace.

Gen Ogolla's departure, just ten days shy away to mark one year in office, abruptly ended his commitment in the deployment of Kenyans troops in peace-keeping mission in the continent, which has been acknowledged by leaders who have eulogised him.

Among them, was the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), who posted on X: “Atmis has received with shock and sadness the news of the death of Kenya’s CDF, Gen Ogolla. Atmis extends its heartfelt condolences to the government and the people of Kenya, relatives and friends during this time of mourning.”

General Ogolla’s commitment to a peaceful region has also been lauded by the US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan.

“During his nearly four decades of service, General Ogolla was a valuable partner in Kenyan-US relations, dedicating his life to making his country — and all of us — safer and more secure. From combatting terrorist threats posed by Al Shabaab to leading efforts to bolster regional cooperation across a range of domains, he has left an indelible mark,” Mr Sullivan said.

He noted that throughout his career, the US enjoyed a close relationship with General Ogolla, “who received pilot training alongside our own officers in the US and developed strong relationships with US diplomatic and defence leaders, including Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III, Ambassador Meg Whitman, and Africa Command Commander General Langley.”

General Ogolla died on Thursday afternoon after a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopter he was travelling in crashed in Sindar, Elgeyo-Marakwet County in Northern Kenya.

Read: Kenya army chief involved in deadly chopper crash

The plane was carrying 12 military men and women and 10 of them perished in the accident.

The other victims were Brigadier Swale Saidi, Colonel Duncan Keittany, Lieutenant-Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu, Captain Sora Mohamed, Captain Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi, and Sergeant Rose Nyawira.

President William Ruto announced three days of national mourning, beginning Friday, in honour of General Ogolla and the nine others.

After assuming office as Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) in April 2023, Gen Ogolla hit the ground running, inviting troops in their bases locally and in the region, to offer a word of encouragement and also to check on their welfare.

Gen Francis Ogolla carries a Bible during his swearing in ceremony as Chief of the Defence Forces at state house Nairobi, Kenya on April 29, 2023. PHOTO | PCS

In May last year, Gen Ogolla joined the East African Community (EAC) military chiefs for an extraordinary meeting in Bujumbura to discuss the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Gen Ogolla was in charge at a time Kenya was scaling down its troops in Somalia, Eastern DRC and other parts of East Africa.

He lauded the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), which was deployed in 2022 with the mandate to restore peace in Eastern DRC. He noted that the force gradually created accessible supply routes, protected civilians, and oversaw the withdrawal of armed groups.

Under him, KDF was actively involved in EACRF, supporting the Congolese army in its efforts to combat the M23 rebels. According to officers who worked closely with Gen Ogolla, he never shied away from acknowledging the strides achieved by his troops.

Read: Kenya declares EAC mission in Congo a 'success'

He visited Somalia in April last year, with his trip coming against a backdrop of sustained attacks against Al Shabaab militants in Jubaland and Southwest State.

The decorated four-star general was a diplomat, a holder of a diploma in international studies and military science from Egerton University, a Bachelor of Arts in political science, armed conflict and peace studies (Ford Class Honours) and a Masters of Arts degree in international studies from the University of Nairobi.

Gen Ogolla was trained in France and United States in specialised military technique and air warfare and is also a graduate of ÉcoleMilitaire de Paris and US Air Force, as well as the National Defence College of Kenya.

Armed with his distinguished career achievements and academic background, backed by previously posting as Air Force Commander before his promotion by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta to Vice-CDF, his transition to handle the exit plan for the Atmis was seamless.
He had been directly involved in Somalia’s Transition Plan (STP) in his previous roles.

According to Atmis, Gen Ogolla toured the KDF Forward Operating Base near Kismayu airport, accompanied by Brigadier Luka Kutto, Commander of the Kenyan contingent serving in Sector VI of Atmis. He visited President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe at presidential palace in Kismayu.

Mr Madobe is credited with playing a central role in the war against Al Shabaab militants.

“They discussed the security situation and the just-concluded Atmis troop drawdown. The CDF also visited Atmis KDF troops at the New Airport FOB located on the outskirts of Kismayu,” Atmis posted on X.

Then, KDF was set to participate in the second phase of operation against Al Shabaab within Jubbaland and Southwest states, ahead of the contingent expected reduction in line with STP. KDF soldiers had already handed over the Gherille FOB in Jubbaland.

Regional leaders have also eulogiused Ogolla as a astute officer.

It is projected that by December, Atmis would have cleared from the country after over 17 years of successful war against Al Shabaab.
When he visited the EACRF headquarters last year, Gen Ogolla commended troops under the (EACRF) troops for achieving significant milestones since their deployment in DRC.

Read: Defence ministers endorse longer stay of EACRF in Eastern Congo

In December, he addressed Kenyan troops stationed in Goma, Kibumba Forward Operating Base, and Kibati Logistics Base within Nyiragongo territory, North Kivu to reassure them.

Kenya’s Chief of the Defence Forces Gen Francis Ogolla (R) shakes hands with an army officer during a visit in Goma, DR Congo on December 2, 2023. PHOTO | POOL

EACRF is credited with the success in preventing an imminent threat to Goma town, Goma International Airport, and enabled the withdrawal of M23 from areas close to Goma along National Road number 2 and Provincial Road number 1030. As a result, Congolese army and M23 entered into a ceasefire deal that held until it was breached in October 2023.

“We must always act professionally within the law and respect the constitution of the host nation. I must thank the government of DRC for being a great host and for providing the necessary support to EACRF despite the inherent challenges,” Gen Ogolla told the troops.

At Kibumba FOB and Kibati Logistics Base, Gen Ogolla emphasised the need for collective responsibility of the East African Community to protect the Congolese people.

“When given a mission, be focused, keep track of your progress, and do your part until the mission is complete. In any international mission, we must always respect and appreciate each other’s values, culture and customs,” he said.

When Gen Ogolla received the troops, in their hundreds, upon their arrived at the Kenya Army Embakasi Garrison, he lauded them for a job well done.

“I am proud to note that Kenya's deployment as the first contingent in the theatre made a significant contribution to stabilising the region and created conditions for the deployment of other contingents from other member states,” he said.

The success and gains made during your tour of duty in the mission reflect the professionalism, discipline, and dedication of our forces,” he said.

He said the assignment the forces undertook was testament to the collaborative spirit and shared responsibility within the East African Community.

“And we have Kenya ready to embark on any other mission we may be called upon to restore peace in the region. As I welcome you back home, I want to acknowledge and appreciate the effort that every one of you has made," Gen Ogolla said.

Rights groups call for arms embargo on Sudan fighters


SATURDAY APRIL 20 2024


Members of Sudanese Armed Forces look on as they hold weapons in the street in Omdurman, Sudan on March 9, 2024. 

By JONATHAN KAMOGA
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As the war in Sudan enters its second year, right groups are calling for the United Nations Security Council to put in place stricter measures that will disrupt the flow of arms into the wartorn country.

The groups also want the international community to take action in response to a UN Panel of Experts’ recent report on arms embargo violations.

The ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (Saf) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left over 14,600 people killed nationwide and over eight million displaced.

About two million of these are currently seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, including Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

In a petition to the UN Security Council, Amnesty International said the warring parties have no regard for human rights and international humanitarian law.

Read: UN: Sudan warring sides committed violations

EA security chiefs plan to end arms trade with technology

Why outsiders won't let Sudan enjoy prosperity

“The people of Sudan feel forgotten amid the spiralling violence across the country, where parties to the conflict are causing untold death and destruction. Caught in the middle of fighting, they have no food, water, or access to medical services, and with limited internet, civilians have no access to information about safe passage or where to find medicine,” the petition reads.

The group notes that despite several outcries, the flow of arms continues to increase into the borders of Sudan unabated. Since fighting broke out, both the Saf and the RSF have been accused of repeatedly using heavy explosive weapons in densely populated areas of the capital and conducting indiscriminate attacks, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure including schools, hospitals, mosques, and churches.

Aid workers and humanitarian convoys have also been reportedly targeted by parties to the conflict.

The Human Rights Watch in a statement called on the European Union to take urgent, strategic and concrete steps that respond to the massive cost on civilians of the human rights and humanitarian crisis in the Sudan and prevent further violations.

West Darfur state in particular has witnessed some of the worst attacks on civilians and serious violations of international humanitarian law, some amounting to war crimes, according to HRW.

The fighting and attacks on civilians have spread to other regions, including South Kordofan and Aj Jazirah State.

Read: Sudan's war spills into farming state hosting displaced people

Over the years, United Nations experts, NGOs, and civil society have raised concerns about the surge of sexual violence, primarily against women and children, including in Khartoum and Darfur.

“Survivors’ access to urgent services was hampered by attacks on medical facilities and organisations providing care, exacerbated by deliberate obstruction of assistance and looting of aid by the warring parties,” HRW said.

The group called on the EU to Engage with the warring parties and their regional backers to end all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure end the deliberate obstruction of aid and allow unhindered, safe, and immediate humanitarian access.

The EU was also implored to increase emergency funding for the humanitarian response in Sudan, including for local responders, and ensure specific support for the protection, care, treatment, and support mechanisms for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

Nigerian airstrike killed 33 villagers during Eid, witnesses say


FRIDAY APRIL 19 2024

Security forces patrol as people wait for the arrival of the rescued schoolgirls in Jangebe, Zamfara State, Nigeria 

An airstrike on a village in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara State killed at least 33 people last week, four residents and a traditional leader said, after a military operation targeting armed kidnapping gangs and their hideouts.

The incident, on April 10, is the latest in a pattern of deadly aerial assaults by the military that have killed civilians and were the subject of a special Reuters report last year.

The military said on Thursday the airstrikes had eliminated armed gangs, known locally as bandits, in several locations in Zamfara, including Maradun local government area.

But Lawali Ango, the traditional head of Dogon Daji village in Maradun, told Reuters there were no bandits in his area of mainly Muslim Zamfara.

Ango said he was away from his village on April 10, preparing for Eid prayers marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at around 0700 GMT when he saw aircraft passing. This was followed by loud explosions.

When he tried to contact his village, the calls did not go through, and he and a group of men raced back home on motorbikes.

"Arriving at the scene, I saw children, men and women ... were killed and trapped inside the collapsed buildings that were hit by a bomb," Ango said by phone, adding that 33 people had been killed.

"They (the military) are saying the bandits escaped and sought hideouts in our village. I swear there is nothing like this, I can go anywhere and confirm this to the world."

Nigerian Defence Headquarters Spokesperson Major General Edward Buba denied civilians had been killed or targeted and said airstrikes were carried out only after careful intelligence and surveillance.

"Accordingly, the strikes were conducted on terrorist(s) and not civilians," Buba said in a text message. He provided no death toll.
Roar of jets and loud blasts

Surajo Abubakar, a farmer, said he heard the roar of jets in the sky just in the morning, followed by blasts.

He lost two wives and five children, he said.

Read: Gunmen kill 46 farmers in north central Nigeria

"I lost seven people in my family, and in all about 33 dead bodies were counted," Abubakar said.

Abu Waziri, who lives next to Dogon Daji, said he went to investigate after hearing loud explosions and was shocked by what he saw.

He said he saw victims' remains on the ground and added: "We managed to be patient and put the body parts together and prayed for them and buried them."

Two other residents also said civilians were killed.

Beyond the war zone in the northeast, the military has been called on to tackle the growing threat in Nigeria's northwest and central region posed by armed criminal gangs that spray villages with bullets and carry out mass kidnappings.

Africa’s apes in peril from losing habitat to mining


SATURDAY APRIL 20 2024


A female black howler monkey carries its nine-day-old baby on its back as it sits on a branch. 

By PAULINE KAIRU
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High demand for critical minerals to power green energy is driving an alarming threat to Africa’s great ape population, with over one-third of these majestic creatures at risk due to mining activities, a recent study, says.

The study published in Science Advances was led by teams from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and conservation organisation Re:wild. It estimates that more than one-third of the entire ape population — nearly 180,000 gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees — is at risk.

“These minerals are essential for the transition to cleaner energy, but then they are leading to increased deforestation of tropical rainforests where the apes reside,” explained the researchers.

Read: African Great Apes, elephants set to face more extreme climate

The study also highlights that because mining companies are not required to make biodiversity data publicly available, the true impact of mining on biodiversity and great apes, in particular, may be even higher and may be further obscuring the true impact on great apes and their habitats. Also, there still exists a scarcity of studies assessing the threat of mining to global biodiversity.

Using data from operational and preoperational mining sites across 17 African nations, the researchers identified significant overlaps between high ape density areas and mining zones.

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In Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Guinea, the overlap between mining areas and great ape habitats was particularly pronounced.

Dr Jessica Junker, lead author of the study, emphasizes the need for transparency in mining to better understand its impact on great apes and their habitats. She underscores the importance of mining companies sharing data to inform conservation efforts and mitigate environmental damage.

The study also examines how mining areas intersect with Critical Habitat, vital regions for biodiversity preservation. Despite regulations governing these areas, the researchers found substantial overlaps, raising concerns about the effectiveness of offset plans to compensate for mining impacts.

The scientists advise that avoidance measures be implemented during the exploration phase. However, this phase is poorly regulated, and companies often collect baseline data after significant habitat destruction has occurred.

Read: China factor in West Africa's deforestation

Consequently, these data fail to accurately represent the original state of great ape populations in the area before mining commenced.

“In West Africa in particular, numerous mining areas overlap with fragmented ape habitats, often in high-density ape regions. For 97 percent of mining areas, no ape survey data are available, underscoring the importance of increased accessibility to environmental data within the mining sector to facilitate research into the complex interactions between mining, climate, biodiversity, and sustainability,” they said.

“Companies operating in these areas should have adequate mitigation and compensation schemes in place to minimise their impact, which seems unlikely, given that most companies lack robust species baseline data that are required to inform these actions,” says Dr Tenekwetche Sop, manager of the IUCN SSC A.P.E.S. Database at the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, a repository of all great ape population data.

“Encouraging these companies to share their invaluable ape survey data with our database serves as a pivotal step towards transparency in their operations. Only through such collaborative efforts can we comprehensively gauge the true extent of mining activities’ effects on great apes and their habitats.

Wildebeest suffocating from being boxed in parks


SATURDAY APRIL 20 2024

A herd of Wildebeests approaching Sand River bordering Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve. 

By PAULINE KAIRU

The annual migration of 1.3 million wildebeest through Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara is a spectacle that draws hundreds of thousands of tourists and has earned a spot on Unesco’s list of World Heritage sites. This emblematic migration also plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of ecosystems.

Regrettably, such grand annual migrations are now limited to a handful of locations across Africa.

Roads, fences, farms and urban sprawl have fractured the historic migratory routes of wildebeest herds and prevented them from roaming far and wide in search of fresh grass and water. A recent study by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and published in Nature Communications Journal, says this has impacted negatively on the genetic wellbeing of wildebeest populations.

“Our results clearly show that wildebeest populations which no longer migrate, but have historically done so, are simply less genetically healthy than those that continue to migrate. And this weakens their chances of long-term survival,” says Rasmus Heller, one of the study’s lead authors.

Read: Kenya named top safari destination in Africa

Scientists examined the complete genetic makeup of 121 wildebeest spanning their entire range, from South Africa to Kenya, delving into the genetic repercussions of migration in wildebeest.

“Wildebeest are dependent on migrations to support their large numbers. They can survive in resident, non-migratory populations, but their numbers simply shrink when they cannot migrate. We see this in parts of Kenya and Tanzania that have prevented them migrating and showing numbers decreased as a result,” says co-author Joseph Ogutu, senior statistician at the University of Hohenheim.

“Migrations make wildebeest a keystone species in ecosystems. Their grazing keeps vegetation healthy, transports and distributes nutrients, while they themselves serve as prey for predators and carrion for scavengers. It isn’t just the iconic animal we threaten when we prevent them migrating – but many other species as well, as it does the enormous tourism revenue that benefits governments and local communities.”

Over centuries, the populations of two wildebeest subspecies, the Western white-bearded wildebeest and the Eastern white-bearded wildebeest, have dwindled. Historically, both subspecies undertook extensive migrations, with large populations.

While the Western subspecies found protection in the Serengeti-Mara from the 1950s, human activities since the early 1900s have threatened the Eastern subspecies. Presently, only 6,000-8,000 Eastern, white-bearded wildebeest remain, divided into small, isolated groups.

In Botswana in particular, fencing to protect cattle from coming into contact with migratory wild animals was put up in recent times. Botswana’s Kalahari population declined from roughly 260,000 in the 1970’s to fewer than 15,000 in the late 1980s.

China could drive Africa's renewable energy revolution, report says


Wind turbines produce renewable energy outside Caledon, South Africa 

China has a unique opportunity to drive forward an energy revolution in Africa, but it must first reverse nearly two decades of neglect of green power investments there, research from Boston University showed on Tuesday.

Beijing has emerged as the continent's biggest bilateral trading partner since the start of the century and has financed billions of dollars worth of large-scale infrastructure projects.

Three years ago, China's President Xi Jinping said the country would not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, pledging to deal with climate change by supporting the development of green and low-carbon energy.

Although Africa's green energy potential is one of the highest in the world, Chinese lending and investment has so far provided relatively little support for the continent's energy transition, according to a report from Boston University's Global Development Policy Center and the African Economic Research Consortium.

Lending for renewables, such as solar and wind, from China's two main development finance institutions constituted just 2 percent of their $52 billion of energy loans from 2000 to 2022, while more than 50 percent is allocated to fossil fuels.

"Given current economic challenges and future energy opportunities, China can play a role in contributing to Africa's energy access and transition through trade, finance and FDI (foreign direct investment)," the report said.

Chinese development finance institutions have been focused on investing in the extraction and export of commodities to China and in electrification projects.

Chinese lending has targeted many of the same sectors that produce the oil and minerals that flow back to China.

At least eight hydropower projects financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (Chexim), which represent 26 percent of all hydropower lending, are intended to support the extraction of various metals.

Read: Why China is hesitant to finance Africa energy projects

"Although this track has led to export revenues for African economies, African countries are not yet receiving the full benefits of renewable energy technologies," the report said.

In 2022, fossil fuels accounted for around 75 percent of total electricity generation in Africa and about 90 percent of energy consumption, the report said.

Sub-Saharan Africa incomes falling further behind rest of world, IMF says


FRIDAY APRIL 19 2024

Street vendors wait for customers at an open market in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

Incomes in Sub-Saharan Africa are falling further behind the rest of the world amid a "tepid" economic recovery, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday, warning of risks from geopolitics, domestic instability and climate change.

The IMF earlier this week said the region's economy would grow 3.8 percent this year, up from 3.4 percent in 2023, as it begins to emerge from four years of shocks, from the Covid-19 pandemic to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising global interest rates.

"When accounting for population growth, the income gap with the rest of the world is widening," the fund said in its biannual Regional Economic Outlook report, launched during its Spring Meetings this week in Washington.

It noted that other developing countries saw real income per person more than triple since 2000, while they grew 75 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 35 percent in developed countries.

"Two-thirds of the countries are already experiencing acceleration in growth; diversified and fairly broad-based growth," said Abebe Selassie, director of the IMF's African Department, said in an interview with Reuters in Washington.

Many of the more diversified economies had already enjoyed some growth recovery since the pandemic, he added.

Inflation falling

Economic conditions have started to ease for many countries this year, with Ivory Coast, Benin and Kenya issuing international bonds and median inflation falling to 6 percent in February from almost 10 percent a year earlier, the IMF said.

But political instability is rising and denting investor confidence, it said, pointing to junta-led states Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger leaving the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and 18 elections across the region this year.

Devastating droughts last year in the Horn of Africa and currently in Southern Africa, as well as cyclones and floods, have also increased the region's struggles.

Read: Zimbabwe declares drought a national disaster

South Africa is set to grow just 0.9 percent this year, a slight increase from 0.6 percent in 2023, amid ongoing rolling power cuts and problems with the country's railways and ports, the IMF said, adding that "electoral uncertainties" could derail ongoing energy sector reforms.

Africa's most industrialised economy holds an election on May 29, in which the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party could lose its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.

West Africa's largest economy, Nigeria, is set to grow 3.3 percent this year, as it struggles with high inflation amid painful currency and subsidy reforms.

In its northern neighbour Niger, meanwhile, growth is predicted to rocket from 1.4 percent last year to 10.4 percent, as oil exports ramp up.

Tritium Level in Fifth Batch of ALPS Treated Water Far Below Japan's Operational Limit, IAEA Confirms

Vienna, Austria



International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have confirmed that the tritium concentration in the fifth batch of diluted ALPS treated water, which Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started discharging today, is far below the country’s operational limit.

Experts stationed at the IAEA’s office at the site of the Fukushima nuclear power station (FDNPS) took samples after the treated water was diluted with seawater in the discharge facilities on 19 April. The IAEA’s independent on-site analysis confirmed that the tritium concentration is far below the operational limit of 1500 becquerels per litre.

The corroboration of data will be also conducted in the fifth batch using interlaboratory comparisons involving both IAEA laboratories as well as independent third-party laboratories from China, Republic of Korea, Switzerland and the United States of America – all of which are members of the network of Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA).

Japan is discharging the ALPS treated water from the FDNPS in batches. The previous four batches – a total of 31,145 cubic metres of water – were also confirmed by the IAEA to have contained tritium concentrations far below operational limits.

The IAEA Task Force conducting the safety review of Japan’s release of the ALPS treated water will reconvene on 23 April and conduct its second mission to Japan since the start of the water discharges. It is the next in a series of missions that began in 2021 and will continue throughout the IAEA’s safety review of the discharges. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited Japan in March, as part of his ongoing commitment to monitor the discharge of treated water that began in August last year.

The IAEA’s comprehensive report issued on 4 July 2023 found Japan’s plan for handling the treated water to be consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

All reports on sampling, independent analysis, data evaluation, as well as timeline, will be available on the IAEA website.

'We broke into IDF, hold quarter of a million documents,' hacker group Anonymous claims

Pro-Palestinian hackers allege that after penetrating the Justice Ministry, they now possess 20 gigabytes of data, including nearly a quarter-million documents related to the Israeli military.

By DR. ITAY GAL

APRIL 19, 2024

JPOST

 

The masked face of international hacker Anonymous

(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA)

The hacker organization Anonymous issued a statement on Friday stating that it has hacked into the IDF and will reportedly showcase purported military documents. It also claims control over 20 gigabytes of data, encompassing over 233,000 documents, including PDFs, Word files, PowerPoint presentations, and more.

The hackers' accompanying video displays excerpts from PowerPoint presentations featuring IDF personnel, with slides bearing logos of General Staff departments. The authenticity of the documents in the video remains uncertain.

According to IDF security assessments, the likelihood of an actual breach is minimal, suggesting a possible "psychological warfare" tactic by the hackers. The IDF's computer system is tightly secured and classified at various levels. If a breach did occur, it's improbable that access extended directly to IDF computers; instead, files may have been obtained from civilian computers, potentially breaching regulations.

Claiming to hack the Justice Ministry

Earlier this month, an anonymous source claimed to have hacked the Justice Ministry, acquiring 8 million files totaling 300 gigabytes, including personal details of listed individuals. Some of the hackers, operating under the Anonymous banner since 2003, reiterated their vow to "destroy the Zionists."

At the start of the month, the national cyber array warned of an anticipated uptick in attacks following the end of Ramadan and escalating incitement against Israel and its online presence. Concerns include potential website breaches, digital system infiltrations (including smart homes), leaks of classified documents, exposure of personal data, deployment of tracking software, and intrusion attempts.

Picture of Anonymous hacker from social media‏ (credit: SOCIAL MEDIA)

The Israeli public was urged to avoid clicking on suspicious links and to report any indications of cyberattacks.

South Korea slows plan to hike medical school admissions as doctors’ strike drags on

Doctors stage a rally against the government’s medical policy near the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 25, 2024. Desperate to end a weekslong strike by thousands of doctors, South Korea’s government said Friday it will slow down … more >
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By Kim Tong-hyung - Associated Press - Friday, April 19, 2024


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Desperate to end a weekslong strike by thousands of doctors, South Korea’s government said Friday it will slow down a plan to admit more students to the country’s medical schools from next year.

More than 90% of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents have been on strike since late February, when the government announced a plan to recruit 2,000 more students next year. That would have increased the current cap of 3,058, which has been the same since 2006, by about two-thirds.

The government adopted a compromise proposal put forward by the presidents of six state-run universities on Thursday, under which medical schools will increase admissions over several years.

Doctors’ groups have claimed that the universities would be unable to handle a steep increase in students and that it would undermine the quality of the country’s medical services. Government officials say the country significantly needs more doctors to cope with the country’s fast-aging population.

Announcing the compromise proposal, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo cited concerns that the prolonged strike by junior doctors is increasing the strain on hospitals.

Han said the country’s 32 medical schools will be allowed to lower their quotas for new places by up to 50% of the target set by the government in 2025, meaning the number of new places could end up closer to 1,000 than 2,000.

Officials stressed that the compromise is temporary and that the schools will be required to finalize plans by April to increase their admissions by the full 2,000 by 2026.

Doctors’ groups have called for the government to scrap the plan entirely.

“The government decided that the damage caused by the vacuums in healthcare services cannot be left unchecked and that bold decisions are needed, considering the demands by patients and broader public to solve the problem,” Han said in a news conference, urging the striking doctors to return to work and negotiate with the government.

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