Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for April 9th

Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are updates on Kenya's actions against its Somali population, political tension in Burundi, bombings in North Darfur, concerns about violence in Central Africa, conflict in Cote d'Ivoire, criticism of UN operation in South Sudan, religious persecution in Nigeria, and fear for ramifications of Chadian troop removal from CAR.

Kenya rounds up thousands in Islamist crackdown
Kenyan security forces have rounded up thousands of Somalis or Kenyans of Somali origin, leaving many languishing in a football stadium, amid a major crackdown on suspected Islamists blamed for a string of attacks.  The operation, which local media say has involved more than 6,000 men from the police and from the elite General Service Unit, started on Friday and appeared to have been focused on Eastleigh, an ethnic Somali-dominated district of the Kenyan capital. – Times Live
To read more, please visit the Times Live site here.

US urges Burundi to drop constitution changes, avoid 'dark days'
The United States urged Burundi's president on Tuesday to drop planned constitutional changes that could upset a delicate ethnic power balance, warning that the country risked a return to the "dark days" of civil war. Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations met President Pierre Nkurunziza - who might be allowed to run for a third term under a new constitution - and told him he should leave the current system in place. – VOA News
To read more, please visit the VOA News site here.

Sudanese Air Force bombs Um Baru, RSF attacks in Kutum, North Darfur
The Sudanese Air Force has been bombarding areas in Um Baru locality from Friday until Monday. Elements of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked various areas in Kutum locality in North Darfur. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, fleeing residents from the area of Muzbat in the northern part of Um Baru locality reported that the Sudanese Air force has stepped up its bombardments since last Friday. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.

Ethnic violence, African extremists worry Pentagon officials
Twenty years after close to one million people were slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide, U.S. military officials are confident that forces are better positioned to prevent a repeat of such mass slaughter.  But, Washington is still concerned about security across the African continent. Fears run rampant across much of the Central African Republic, where 2,000 people have been killed in ethnic violence since December, and some African peacekeepers already have pulled out. – VOA News
To read more, please visit the VOA News site here.

Reconciliation falters in Ivory Coast as Ouattara is slow to welcome back exiles
Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara has tried to patch up relations with Ivorian Popular Front supporters in exile. – The Guardian
To read more, please visit the Guardian site here.

Medical Charity Sharply Criticizes U.N. Operation in South Sudan
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan was severely criticized on Wednesday by Doctors Without Borders, the emergency medical charity, over what it called a shameful indifference to the squalid living conditions of 21,000 displaced people forced to live in a flooded portion of a peacekeeping base in the capital, Juba. – New York Times
To read more, please visit the New York Times site here.

Top Nigerian Islamic body accuses military over Muslim deaths
A leading Nigerian Islamic group has accused the country's military of summarily executing Muslims in the name of counter-terrorism, prompting a swift and strongly-worded denial on Tuesday from top brass. – AFP
To read more, please visit the AFP site here.

Chadian withdrawal leaves CAR's Muslims exposed
Interviewed by FRANCE 24, Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko, head of the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), raised the alarm on Chad's recent decision to withdraw from the peacekeeping efforts in the country. Speaking after his meeting with the Chadian defence minister, Mokoko said he regretted the decision, which he said leaves the UN-backed peacekeeping mission worryingly short on troops. – France 24
To read more, please visit the France 24 site here.