13/04/2013 Reporters

We sent our correspondence to bring you the best stories and up across

Sexual violence in Somalia's camps. Most attacks are carried out by

former militia members. And we meet the women wrestlers of

Senegal, hoping to show their skills in a sport that is as big as

We start in Mali, where prices of transition is under way. The first

batch of French troops have left after their military campaign

against Islamic insurgents. African and Malian forces are taking over.

France deployed 4,000 troops there in January, amid fears that

fighters were about to advance on the capital. Around 3,000 French

troops will leave this year, but Paris is keeping a permanent force

of 1,000 troops in the country to fight terrorism.

Alone and exposed, these Malian soldiers want to show that they are

in control in the streets of Timbuktu. But they advance

anxiously, knowing they are the primary targets for suicide bombers.

They have lethal firepower, never Tatchell, and they lack the

training to face insurgents. Malian troops find themselves overwhelmed

when clashes break out. TRANSLATION: We want the French to

stay here. We don't have the means to defend the city and face this

fight at present. But for the French, the fight is

out there, in the desert. They quickly intervened in Mali to hunt

Al-Qaeda and its allies, not where they may strike but where they plan

their operations from. Paris believes its military task is

nearly a compass. The French say they are ready to pack and go, but

the surge of residual jihadi fighters continues. Only the French

have the means to come to places like this.

The piece of -- people of this village are all ethnic Arabs or

Tuaregs. They said that militants have never come here. But it is the

only outpost in an ocean of sand. So between the fear of reprisal and

hurried allegations, it is hard to know.

Back in Timbuktu, fear has returned. When we came here just over two

months ago, we found a publisher celebrating after a traumatic

occupation. -- a population. People are now even afraid to talk on

camera. Until recently, the 7,000 strong

regional African force was nowhere to be seen in northern Mali. Most

of the troops lack both logistics and funding.

TRANSLATION: Will worried because we don't think these forces, even

if they come, which is not sure, will be able to do what the French

have done so far. The French, deployed in Miley,

argue that militants operating here have become a threat not only to

the region but also to European countries. After a rapid campaign,

they are now pushing for a UN peacekeeping mission to take over.

Thousands of African forces are waiting for that mandate. There is,

however, little faith in these troops' capacity. The prospect of a

French withdrawal means that for the people of this region, are

seven times lie ahead. -- uncertain times.

Somalia's police and army are set to receive direct funding from the

UK as part of international efforts to help the country recover from

decades of war. The plans were discussed at a global summit on

Somalia or held recently in London. But the funding is going to the

same Somalis are -- Somali security forces who are accused of hundreds

of sex attacks against civilians. The fresh sea breeze really feels

like a wind of change here. But as life returns to Mogadishu, it's war

scarred people are still facing huge challenges.

Years of fighting and famine have left over one million people

displaced. The UN says women in particular are vulnerable in these

camps. They recorded 1,700 rapes last year alone. Many are thought

to be carried out by the members of the security forces. 7% of the

sexual violence is done by men in army uniform. This could be militia,

police, soldiers. We spoke to one recent victim, who called herself

an anonymous name. He came into my tent in the middle

of the night. He had a gun and he threatened to shoot me if I

resisted. He raped me in front of my son and nobody came to help.

Like her, many women are reluctant to speak out. Apart from the stigma,

there is also fear. Some who have reported their salt have been

threatened. Others have even been arrested. -- for their assault.

Mogadishu is becoming more liveable. No doubt about that. Until recently,

a place like this would have been emptying in preparation for a long,

scary night ahead. But the transition from the two decades of

war is proving to be a difficult one, and it is leading some of

Somalia's international backers with some unpalatable choices.

Somalia's fledgling national security forces consist mostly of a

patchwork of militia, groups of untrained young men who are used to

the power that comes with carrying a gun but his discipline and

loyalty is questionable. The EU, the US and others already trained

and finance the Somali security forces as part of wider efforts to

combat piracy and Al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa. Now Britain wants

to join them. Clearly, we are all shocked by the prevalence of sexual

violence in this country. It seems to me in consistent that we

wouldn't want to help this government move forward.

This is still a fragile peace. Without international support for a

for -- strong security force, Miley could -- Somalia could fall back

into anarchy. In the West African country of

Senegal, traditional wrestling is as big as football. However, women

rarely get a chance to enter the arena. In a small village, the rice

fields festival is one of the rare occasions that you can watch ladies

try to bring each other to the It is a kind of fight grown-ups

usually would not allow on the playground. Then again, this is no

ordinary playground. Here, and the rice fields festival, it is one of

the few times of the year that you see traditional female wrestling.

TRANSLATION: It is not like only man can do it. The females can also

do it. It is so good. People can feel it like it is a culture.

are used to seeing Ladies wrestling. It is very good. Wrestling is not

only for men. Girls can do it, too. Wrestling and the traditional

dances that go along with it are deeply rooted in the local culture.

It is also linked with a growing grass, a cornerstone in the culture

of the people. -- growing crisis. This field was burn in preparation

for serving at the start of the rainy season. It is usually the

women who will harvest the rice, and there will be more celebrations

with wrestling then. But passionate as she is for the sport, Serafina

will be wrestling many times before that. At 19, she joined the

national team last year and is now trained for the next African

championship. TRANSLATION: At school, I used to

see the other pupils Russell. Not girls, of course, and the boys. But

during the break, I would put my bag down and Wressle, too.

Serafina and her friends have to face prejudices about women in

wrestling. Also, a lack of funding. There are too few sold -- sponsors

for the gilts. We hope that in the future, sponsors will invest in the

gilts for wrestling. Why not a team of wrestlers?

In the meantime, during the final of the tournament, the girls get to

show their special skills. For now, when investors in Senegal are still

a long way from matching the popularity of their male