Institute blames west Africa terror spread on rivalries
Relatives of schoolgirl Leah Sharibu who was abducted by Boko Haram Islamists hold a banner to press for her release during an event to mark her 16th birthday and two years in captivity at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, on May 14, 2019. The Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria says competing interests between Ecowas, AU and the UN are hampering effective onslaught on militants and criminal gangs in west Africa. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Attacks on villages in three west Africa countries left more than 150 people dead over the weekend, raising suspicions of copy-cat attacks by marauding gangs.
The mayhem started on Saturday night in Nigeria where gunmen on motorbikes killed 43 people in waves of attacks on villages.
