BBC Pidgin of Friday, 14 October 2022

Source: BBC

Africa kontris dey divided on UN vote against Russia

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Twenty-six African kontris vote in favour of one UN resolution wey reject Moscow contentious referendums for four Ukrainian regions wey im declare part of Russia. Nineteen kontris abstain including Eritrea wey bin vote to reject one UN resolution wey condemn Russia invasion of Ukraine. Russia alleged allies, including Mali, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe dey among oda African konris wey no follow vote. Three of dis kontris bin host Russia top diplomat Sergei Lavrov wen im bin tour di region for July. Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome bin dey absent from di assembly. Earlier dis month, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tour Africa to counter Russia influence on di continent and convince leaders to support Kyiv. E end im visit after Moscow increase bombardments on Ukraine. Nato boost Ukraine missile defence Meanwhile, Ukraine Nato-led allies don announce deliveries of advanced air defence weapons to Kyiv, after Russia missile strikes. Di weapons wey UK, Canada, France and Netherlands promise include missiles and radars. US bin earlier make similar pledge. One high-tech system from Germany don already land Ukraine. Di pledge dey come as Ukraine allies from 50 countries meet for Nato headquarters for Brussels. Kyiv hail di summit as "historic". Hours later Russia missile hit di southern city of Mykolaiv on Thursday morning, officials tok. Di city mayor Oleksandr Senkevich say di city bin dey "massively shelled" around 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT). "Dem hit one five-storey residential building, di upper two floors dey completely destroyed, di rest - under rubble. Rescuers dey work on di site," im say. Dis week bin dey particularly stressful for Ukraine - on Monday and Tuesday, e see some of di heaviest Russia bombardment in months wen dem launch more dan 100 missiles, hitting energy infrastructure and oda non-military targets including children playground.  At least 19 pipo die on di first day of di strikes, wey include hitting central Kyiv. Russia President Vladimir Putin say di missile strikes na revenge for one attack on one important bridge wey link Russia and Crimea - Ukraine southern peninsula wey Moscow collect for 2014. Russia say di Saturday blast of  di bridge na Ukraine intelligence agency do am - claim wey Kyiv rubbish. UK go donate air defence missiles, as well as hundreds of aerial drones to support Ukraine information gathering and logistics capabilities. E go also provide 18 howitzer artillery guns in addition to di 64 wey dem don already deliver. "Russia latest indiscriminate strikes on civilian areas for Ukraine warrant further support to those wey wan defend dia nation," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace tok. "Dis weapons go help Ukraine defend im skies from attacks and strengthen dia overall missile defence." Speaking after di Brussels meeting on Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin say "we go do everytin we fit to make sure say dem [Ukrainians] get wetin dey required to dey effective". French President Emmanuel Macron say Paris go supply air defence systems to Ukraine. For interview wit France 2 television, im no specify which systems dem go send. But im sha say dia main function go be to protect di pipo from drones. Netherlands say e go deliver €15m (£13m; $14.5m) worth of air defence missiles. Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren say Russia attack, dem "go only fit meet am wit unrelenting support for Ukraine and im pipo". Canada pledge to provide more dan C$47m ($34m; £31m) worth of military aid, including satellite communications and drone cameras. Meanwhile, Ukraine military announce earlier on Wednesday say di first of several "state-of-di-art IRIS-T SLM don land from Germany to Ukraine". E say di air defence system go help protect di kontri "against terror". President Zelensky don dey ask Ukraine allies to provide air defence systems to create an "air shield" for Ukraine for months. For im video address late on Wednesday, Ukraine leader say: "Di more bold and harsh Russia terror become, di more obvious e go dey to di world say helping Ukraine to protect di sky na one of di most important humanitarian tasks for Europe of our time." "I believe say we go cope wit dis task," im add. Russia don repeatedly warn Ukraine allies against supplying advanced weaponry to Kyiv, stressing dis go make dem participants of di war wey begin on 24 February. Di West accuse Moscow of showing off im nuclear.