Abducted Burkina women flee jihadist gunmen through bush

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs and politicians made a beeline for southern France. Others tried to smuggle suitcases full of cash across the Hungarian border.

Crossing from Russian-occupied areas to the rest of Ukraine is difficult and dangerous. But there's one place about 30 kilometers south of the city of Zaporizhzhia where civilians pass through an informal corridor, albeit one with police checkpoints.

Criminal networks and poor prospects have sparked a mass exodus from Bosnia. Many feel abandoned by the international community.

Piercing thorns and treacherous stones underfoot did not stop some of the young woman as they charged through thickets fleeing armed militants who had kidnapped them with dozens of others in northern Burkina Faso last week.

Capturing the key city would give Moscow a rare battlefield gain after months of setbacks. But Kyiv says Russia is losing hundreds of fighters every day in Bakhmut. DW rounds up the latest.

Sub-Saharan migrants living in Tunisia have been the target of a surge in racist attacks, following a February 21 speech by President Kais Said denouncing what he called "hordes of illegal immigrants". Since then, many migrants have been urgently trying to return to their countries of origin. The Ivory Coast in particular has organised a repatriation of its citizens, who have had to pack up their lives and leave with just a few days' notice

With the Taliban banning girls from secondary schools and universities, we meet the Afghan families who risked everything by fleeing to neighbouring Pakistan to ensure their daughters receive an education. We also visit the Kenyan village which bans men as it offers a refuge to women and girls facing gender-based violence.

Ukraine's ombudsman on children's rights, Daria Gerasymchuk, explains how Russia has managed to transport at least 16,000 Ukrainian children out of the country, and how Ukraine is trying to get them back.

 

The United Nations said Thursday up to 20,000 people had fled escalating violence in Sudan to seek safety in Chad, many of whom lacked basic needs such as food, water and shelter. The UN's refugee agency said the majority of those arriving were women and children, who were currently sheltering out in the open.

Speaking to DW in Strasbourg, Sergey Lagodinsky, a Green Party MEP, said some 16,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted and taken to Russia since the war in Ukraine began. It's a huge problem, the parliamentarian said, urging the EU to address the issue.

The United Nations warned on Monday that 800,000 people may flee Sudan as rival military factions battled in the capital despite a supposed ceasefire.