Africa 54 - Aug 26, 2021| Killings in Central Nigeria, Desertification in Burkina Faso, & Migration Top Stories: After dozens were killed in an attack on a village in central Nigeria, protesters have marched to government buildings in the city of Jos - some of them carrying the bodies of the deceased. Abubakar Adam sold his car, a plot of land and cleared out his savings hoping to secure the release of his kidnapped children - but for the bandits in Nigeria's northern Niger state, it still wasn't enough. In Part three of VOA’s Peter Clottey’s interview with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema they discussed the need to preserve the civil liberties of the people. President Hichilema reflected on his inability to freely express his dissatisfaction in the past under the former administration and how important it is for the will of the people to be heard. A Belgian-African company operating in Burkina Faso is planting trees to help curb desertification and open up lands for grazing cattle and farming. The project by the company, Hommes et Terre (trans: Men and Earth), is taking place in Burkina Faso’s dangerous conflict zones where expanding desertification is a cause for strife. Henry Wilkins reports from Ouagadougou. Spanish coast guards transported 46 migrants rescued in the Atlantic Ocean to the port of Arguineguin on the island of Gran Canaria on Wednesday. The dinghy which was intercepted 40 miles south of the island of Gran Canaria was carrying 30 men and 14 women, including a baby and a minor. Two migrants, both men, were taken to hospital due to dehydration and a woman and her baby were also checked by medical personnel The impact of the pandemic has increased wildlife poaching around Africa's national parks, as people who lost their jobs hunt the animals for food. To help protect the animals, anti-poaching organizations have been formed, including a squad of vegan, women rangers. Parfait Hakizimana suffered a life-changing injury as a child in an attack on his Burundian village. But now he will be chasing a taekwondo gold medal as a member of the Refugee Paralympic Team in Tokyo. The Biden administration said Wednesday it was on track to evacuate all Americans out of Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline for a military drawdown. But U.S. lawmakers say time is running out for the evacuation of Afghan allies who face significant challenges from the Taliban to make their way to Kabul airport. U.S. allies say they have no choice but to follow the U.S. timetable and withdraw their forces from Afghanistan by August 31 — despite fears that not everyone will be evacuated in time. Britain called an emergency summit of G-7 leaders Tuesday to discuss the crisis. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. Army Specialist Christopher Horton was a sniper who was killed in ambush in eastern Afghanistan on September 9, 2011. He was 26 years old. His widow, Jane Horton, is an advocate for fallen soldiers and the families they leave behind, known as Gold Star families. She's also worked as a senior adviser to the Afghan ambassador and the U.S. secretary of defense. She took VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb inside her own visits to Afghanistan, her husband's legacy of service and sacrifice and what the drawdown means to her.