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Ethiopia’s month-long war in its northern Tigray region has severely hampered efforts to fight one of Africa’s worst coronavirus outbreaks,... View Article
The post Ethiopia’s conflict stokes humanitarian and virus crisis: 'I think the war is worse' appeared first on TheGrio.
He replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party.
The \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize.
\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report.
Amnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\"
The dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts.
Witnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\".
It nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\".
Abiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies.
The region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground.
Abiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray.
Thousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.
[Addis Fortune] For Grave Rights Concerns, Truth Should not be Casualty of Conflict
ONE MILLION dollars. That’s the mind-boggling estimate small farmer Dahlia Nugent-Griffiths has put on the loss of 20 head of goats to thieves who have plundered her herd this year. They made their assault on November 27. Nugent-Griffiths’ story...
MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe has ordered that there will be no gap filling to the party’s 2014 structures ahead of the party extraordinary congress to block his secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora from accommodating his backers. BY RICHARD MUPONDE Khupe and Mwonzora will battle for the party’s presidency next weekend alongside interim chairman Morgen Komichi and his deputy, Elias Mudzuri. Mwonzora and Khupe seem to be the most popular and are set for a bruising fight as the congress dates draw near, but party insiders accused the secretary general of trying to manipulate the 2014 structures and rope in his loyalists to form the Electoral College and increase his votes. The plot, which was thickening until Wednesday when it was put to a halt by a caucus meeting, had caused tensions within the party. Mwonzora had reportedly ordered a gap filling to the 2014 structures in Chitungwiza, Harare, Mashonaland East Mashonaland Central and Manicaland where most of the chairman and organisers had openly showed him support. “Mashonaland West was ordered last weekend by Mwonzora to conduct gap filling,” a party insider said. “Some chairman and organisers loyal to Mwonzora who include Piniel Denga (Mashonaland East chairman), Rhino Mashaya (Organiser for Harare) among others, had remained adamant and wanted to do the gap filling.” But sensing danger, Khupe reportedly ordered that there will be no gap filling and threatened to suspend provinces that conduct the exercise. But Khupe has managed to block Mwonzora. “This memo serves to advise all provinces that the national secretary for elections is now in the process of compiling the first Electoral College which is going to be validated by the relevant party structures and organs,” read part of a notice by Tapiwa Mashakada, the acting party spokesperson. The memo was released after the caucus meeting. “Linked to the process, please be advised that No GAP filling or replacements should be done. For the avoidance of doubt, those delegates who have left, died, resigned or joined other political parties shall not be replaced. Please be guided accordingly.” Khupe was not picking calls yesterday, but Mwonzora denied he was plotting to ambush his opponents. He accused his opponents of being jittery after sensing defeat. He said he had a successful launch of his presidential campaign which was oversubscribed with delegates from Harare and Chitungwiza showing who their choice was, adding “this was frightening to my opponents who have reported to spreading falsehoods and creating an explanation of their impending loss.” “This is the work of people who are developing butterflies about this election,” Mwonzora said. “They are afraid of losing because the members of the MDC-T have already shown their voting patterns. The Electoral College to be used by congress is going to be tabled before the national standing committee on Tuesday. “It is at that point that the leaders will be able to analyse it. Further, after we have finalised the Electoral College on Tuesday, we will send it back to t
More than two dozen various hand sanitizers sold by the Mexico-based company 4E Global -- many carrying the Blumen label -- contain high levels of methanol, or wood alcohol, and have been recommended for recall.
The post FDA Warns Against Using Hand Sanitizers That Could Contain Toxic Wood Alcohol appeared first on The Seattle Medium.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the removal of American soldiers from Somalia by early 2021.
According to the Pentagon, nearly 700 US soldiers are currently deployed in Somalia. Their responsibility include conducting training with local forces — comprised of the elite Danab special forces — and assisting them in their fight against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militant group in counterterrorism missions.
The Pentagon statement on Friday added that the US is not \"withdrawing\" or \"disengaging\" from Africa and that some forces could be reassigned outside of East Africa.
It said it the US will instead \"retain the capability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia, and collect early warnings and indicators regarding threats to the homeland.\"
Trump had recently ordered similar troop withdrawals from Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The troop cut from Somalia is the latest in a planned global pullback of US personnel before Trump leaves office in January.
Jamaican immigration advocates and attorneys in the diaspora have welcomed a federal court’s decision overturning a ban in H-1B visas set to be implemented by the Donald Trump administration on December 7. The immigration advocates described the...
Arno du Toit and Gert Heyns won the third and final stage of the KAP sani2c at Scottburgh Golf Club in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
BY PATRICIA SIBANDA TWO Bulawayo ex-convicts, who robbed an elderly man of his cellphone and clothes before they killed and dumped his naked body in a bushy area, were on Wednesday sentenced to life in jail. Perfect Sibanda (30) of Four Winds suburb and Vusumuzi Ndebele (35) of Siphambaniso Flats robbed and killed Joseph Godfrey Mataviri (65) only months after they were released from prison under the Presidential Amnesty in March 2018. Sibanda was previously convicted for unlawful entry while Ndebele had served three years for robbery. Mataviri’s naked body was found in the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) premises in Mpopoma suburb. Police officers received a tip-off from members of the public that the two had committed the crime leading to their arrest. When officers investigating the case raided Sibanda, they found him in possession of the deceased’s jeans, belt and jacket. He implicated Ndebele. Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa convicted the two of murder with actual intent. Mabhikwa condemned the two accused persons’ to life in jail, saying their actions warranted their permanent removal from society. “You committed an offence of murder in the course of robbery, which is a very serious offence. “You killed an innocent, poor man who had done nothing to you, and under normal circumstances you deserved a death sentence,” Mabhikwa said. “However, due to your ages, as youthful offenders at the time of commission of the offence, I will spare you from capital punishment. “Accordingly, you are sentenced to undergo life imprisonment.” Prosecuting, Kudakwashe Jaravaza said on June 5, 2018 at around 8 am, Mataviri left his home and proceeded to his garden at Steeldale industrial area near NRZ, but never returned. When he left his home, he was wearing a pair of blue jeans, brown t-shirt, a pair of brown safety shoes, a black and white jacket and a Samsung cell phone. The court was told that when the deceased’s son discovered that his father had not returned home, he went out to look for him in his garden. “The following morning, Mataviri’s son set out at 6 am to look for his father in the garden. “When he got to the dust road within the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Mpopoma station yard, his attention was drawn to a group of people among them, police officers,” Jaravaza said. “He drew closer to the crowd and saw a male adult who was lying naked on the ground in his underwear and upon closer examination he discovered that it was his father.” According to a post-mortem report, it was concluded that the cause of death was extensive subarachnoid haemorrhage, blunt force trauma and head assault. Investigations led to the arrest of the two accused persons and subsequent recovery of some of the deceased’s stolen clothes. In their defence, both accused persons through their lawyers from R Ndlovu and Company and VJ Mpofu and Associates, denied the charges, arguing that they were forced into admitting the charges after police tortured them and severely assaulted them with batons and subjected them to electrocut
The Conflict Gets Worse
The Tigrayan regional government has fired rockets at two airports in the neighbouring Amhara region in Ethiopia with spokesman Reda asserting that further retaliation could continue and even Asmara in Eritrea could be targeted. The Ethiopian federal government confirmed that Gondar and Bahir Dar airports were damaged in the strikes late Friday — as the deadly conflict threatens to spread to not only other parts of Africa's second-most populous country but more areas in the horn of Africa.
Since the conflict began Nov 4th, reports from the Tigray region — still under a national state of emergency, see hundreds of people on both sides losing their lives and over 21,000 Ethiopians fleeing to neighbouring Eastern Sudan.
Many authorities in the international community who caution against inter-ethnic genocide fear a possible all-out civil war — compounded by the already chaélengiong Covid-19 pandemic.
[DW] Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said the government will launch more military attacks on the Tigray region. His announcement comes amid international calls for an end to hostilities.
FILE PHOTO | NMG
The number of corporate deals in East Africa went up by a fifth in the first four months of the year compared to a similar period last year, with Kenya accounting for two thirds of the disclosed agreements.
Analysis by advisory firm IM Burbidge Capital shows the number stood at 31 for the four months, compared to 26 last year.
\"Deal activity in April brought the total number of deals for the year thus far to 31 with a total disclosed deal value of about $360 million (Sh38.5 billion), most of these being private equity investments,” said IM Burbidge in the report.
IM Burbidge expects firms that are providing critical services during the virus crisis to attract more investor interest, offering hope that the deal pipeline will not dry up in coming months as a result of the travel restrictions and capital drought.
The value of disclosed deals last year stood at $847.4 million (Sh90.7 billion) in the first four months, largely on the back of a Sh51.7 billion deal in January 2019 by Indonesian oil giant Medco Energi to buy London-listed Ophir Energy.
Hospitals across the United States are being put under immense pressure as the nation continues to hit record levels of new Covid-19 cases, adding more than 1 million new cases in the first five days of December. 'We're seeing day-by-day increasing numbers of patients with Covid-19, both those who are a little bit sick and those who are really sick,' […]
… , Special to the Star Tribune
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle …
… , would be the highest-ranking Black American in the department’s history … issues are more acute for African American owned businesses. ... PPP was essentially … Department. The unemployment rate for Black Americans, however, has only declined from …
It is critical to the success of the study to have Black participants involved to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of the vaccine to our community.
Source
Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Africa with 110 million people, and by far the most important power in the Horn of Africa.
By JERRY HARMER Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thousands of yellow-clad supporters greeted Thailand's king on Saturday as he led a birthday commemoration for his revered late father, the latest in a series of public appearances at a time of unprecedented challenge to the monarchy from student-led protesters. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, accompanied by Queen Suthida, waved as he arrived at Bangkok's Sanam Luang ceremonial ground. Supporters of the monarchy held Thai and yellow royal flags to welcome them, with some cheering 'Long live the king.' The crowd wore yellow shirts, the color associated with the royal institution. The king led […]
The post Thai king leads thousands to remember late father's birthday appeared first on Black News Channel.
The Guinness World Records have officially certified Brooklynite, Simone Williams's afro as the biggest in the world. It measures in... View Article
The post Brooklyn woman's afro breaks Guinness World Record appeared first on TheGrio.
David Abdulah, the current leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) charged a resounding \"Hush your mouth please!\" response to US ambassador to TT Joseph Mondello regarding comments he made about Venezuelans' migration to TT.
My Day By Dr. J. Ester Davis Picture: Dr. Phil Huang, Director, Dallas County Health&Human Services What is the most important topic to date from the Dallas County Health Department? Is it contact tracing or the illusive vaccine? What groups will be receiving the proposed vaccine first? With African Americans still labeled and suffering disproportionately […]
The United Nations and Ethiopia have reached a deal to allow aid into the country's conflict-torn northern Tigray region, UN officials say. UN spokesman Saviano Abreu says an assessment mission will begin later on Wednesday, the AP news agency reports. Food and medicines are said […]
The post Ethiopia and UN 'reach Tigray aid deal' appeared first on The New York Beacon.
… of history about Africa or African-American contributions to society.
Saulsberry taught …
Yesterday, member States of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) from across Africa, shared their priorities for tourism against the backdrop of COVID-19.
This builds on the UNWTO Agenda for Africa – Tourism for Inclusive Growth, the roadmap for African tourism that was adopted at the UNWTO General Assembly in 2019, and is based on the responses to a survey sent out by the Regional Department for Africa.
At the continental level, the survey revealed that the five key areas of the UNWTO Agenda for Africa that Member States would like to see prioritized in order to better support them as they recover from the impact of COVID-19 are:
UNWTO is committed to helping Africa grow back stronger and better and for tourism to emerge from this crisis as an important pillar of economies, jobs and sustainability.
Alongside this, Member States across Africa also expressed a wish for UNWTO to focus future capacity building and training sessions on the topics of crisis management and communications, marketing, developing domestic tourism and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, the survey also found that Member States from across the continent would like to see UNWTO add a new section to the Agenda for Africa, focusing on the promotion of regional and domestic tourism.
IT is now in the public domain that Zimbabweans have been victims of propaganda news perpetrated by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government. Zimbabweans have had enough daily dosage of propaganda spewed by the State media. This narrative is meant to maintain the status quo. This is the reason why the government has been reluctant to license more radio and television stations. The government was fearing that private media organisations would propagate counter ideologies. The government should implement media reforms. The State media should be accessed by all Zimbabweans regardless of their political, religious and economic affiliation. Its content also needs to reflect the aspirations of Zimbabweans, not that of the ruling party. The licensing of six television channels last month was cosmetic. The bulky of the television stations are owned by politically connected individuals. The television stations are likely to bring plurality, but not diversity. However, the coming of social media platforms has changed the game altogether. Social media has empowered some marginalised people. Social media has given rise to citizen journalism. This is good for democracy. Citizens are now able to question the decisions of those in positions of authority. There is no more gate-keeping. The floodgates of information have been opened. The monopoly over information that the Zanu PF-led government has been enjoying has been broken. The coming of social media is breaking all the barriers. It is unfortunate that four decades after independence, Zimbabwe has one television station. However, social media should be held with a pinch of salt. Social media is a black market of information where everything can go for news. Village Head
[East African] Almost 10 percent of African youth have been approached by recruiters of various militia as terrorism emerges as one of the biggest concerns for the youth in the continent.
