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On Sunday, demonstrators in Lagos expressed their thoughts on an early request made by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the weeks-long protests in the country against economic challenges.
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.
In 1997, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda – an international court established by the UN in 1994 to judge people responsible for the genocide – indicted Kabuga for his role.
It was set up to perform the remaining functions of both the Rwanda tribunal and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
The International Criminal Court was set up to hear cases of crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression crimes.
From my experience working in Rwanda, Rwandans perceive international-based justice as aiding the conscience of the international community, which failed to intervene before or during the genocide.
The original warrant for his arrest was issued by the now-dissolved International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
As it battles mounting cases of coronavirus, Sudan is grappling with acute medicine shortages at a time of economic woes largely blamed on the policies of ousted president Omar al-Bashir.
Healthcare providers have reported shortages of basic medications in pharmacies and hospitals, while patients suffering from critical diseases struggle to find drugs.
\"I've been looking for my medicine for three days, and I still can't find it,\" Abdul Aziz Adam, who has asthma, told AFP outside a Khartoum pharmacy.
\"Sudan needs to import medicine at (a rate of) $55 million a month,\" said Jalal Mohammed Ahmed, who runs a pharmaceuticals import company.
In a March report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sudan's imports of medicines were already 20 percent lower in 2019 compared to 2017.
At least 10,000 people were arbitrarily arrested and detained last year as part of the government's crackdown on armed attacks and violence in Oromia Region
Forces have burned homes to the ground, committed rape and extrajudicial execution in response to inter-communal violence
'With elections on the horizon, these violations and abuses could escalate out of control unless the government takes urgent measures' - Deprose Muchena
Ethiopian security forces committed horrendous human rights violations including burning homes to the ground, extrajudicial executions, rape, arbitrary arrests and detentions - sometimes of entire families - in response to attacks by armed groups and inter-communal violence in Amhara and Oromia, Amnesty International said today.
In a new report, Beyond law enforcement: human rights violations by Ethiopian security forces in Amhara and Oromia, Amnesty documents how security forces committed grave violations between December 2018 and December 2019, despite reforms which led to the release of thousands of detainees, expansion of the civic and political space and repeal of draconian laws - such as the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation - which were previously used to repress human rights.
Amnesty's report reveals that the Liyu police, local administration militia and two Amhara youth vigilante groups joined forces to attack members of the Qimant community in January last year, and again in September and October, leaving at least 100 dead and hundreds displaced.
Security forces and vigilante groups also attacked a Qimant settlement in Metema, with grenades and guns and set homes on fire last year.
Brutal beatings, lifetime scars
Last year at least 10,000 people were arbitrarily arrested and detained as part of the government's crackdown on armed attacks and inter-communal violence in Oromia Region.
#EndSARSNow: NGO SAYS JUSTICE \"NEEDS TO BE SERVED\" IN NIGERIA
The anti-police brutality movement #EndSARSNow that has seen Nigerian youth take to the streets over the last two weeks, erupted Tuesday evening when armed security forces opened fire on a group of demonstrators in Lekki, Lagos city.
The exact number of resulting wounded and fatalities is still unconfirmed.
Amnesty International is currently taking steps to get official figures - according to Director in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, who gives insight into the incident based on the human rights organisation's credible sources on the ground.
Osai Ojigho : The eyewitness accounts that we received last night and the views that we got and various other sources that were shared point to the fact that they were military officers. So it is important that they actually investigate this and find out what happened. What were they doing there? Were they there to protect the protesters? Were they there to stop something from happening? Were they given orders to shoot at unarmed people? It would be important for the authorities to give that information today. But for us where we sit, people have died, people have been injured and justice needs to be served.
In order to attain a just conclusion to these events, the human rights lawyer outlines the necessary legal avenues to take.
Osai Ojigho : So the first thing is the individual culpability of officers and commanders who have actually perpetrated these acts of violence against protesters and the populace. because it is not only protesters who have been affected. Earlier on in the protests, there were also individuals who were not part of the protesters who were hit by stray bullets. That is 1.
The second is Nigeria needs to recognise that it has an international obligation under international human rights law to ensure that the safety and security of people within its territory are protected.
President Muhammadu Buhari had previously issued a statement last week denouncing excessive force used by the police - and also acknowledged officers in the country who are upright. Many now speculate on his stance since Tuesday's shootings and many others question the silence from other Africa leaders.
Osai Ojigho : It would be good to see the political leadership in the African Union and ECOWAS actually come out to say, \"Nigeria, we are seeing what is happening. You need to preach nonviolence.\" This is not a time to be silent.
Not at all silent and still raising their voices - undeterred by the very same police brutality they seek to end in the country, are Nigerian youth and the NGO Director applauds their resilience.
Osai Ojigho : The events of the last two weeks, on the one hand, have been inspiring to see people come out to express themselves. The overwhelming support they've received all over the world has been an eye-opener and it was a positive feeling - you know, that Nigerians are coming out and they are speaking truth to power.
Announcement - CPJ is Honored to Present its 2020 International Press Freedom Award to Nigerian Journalist Dapo Olorunyomi
(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says “under no circumstances” will Trinidad and Tobago implement an open-door policy to migrants.
The article Trinidad will not have open-door policy for migrants - PM appeared first on Stabroek News.
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian protesters demanding an end to police brutality defied a curfew as gunfire rang out where they were setting up a blockade Wednesday, a day after shots were fired into a crowd of demonstrators singing the country’s national anthem. That disturbing turn drew global outrage. It’s not clear if any protesters […]
The area is known for oil spills that have polluted the waters and left fish and other wildlife inedible.
The massive die-off was first reported in February when community people in Delta State complained of the schools of dead fish floating and littering their shores.
Samples of the fish were taken by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
Idris Musa, head of NOSDRA, declared the die-off had nothing to do with the continual oil leakages from offshore platforms as claimed over the years by Amnesty International, the U.N. Environmental Program, the Fishnet Alliance, and dozens of other groups in and outside of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) this month said that the dead fishes floating and littering the Niger Delta coastline had nothing to do with its operations.
In the midst of a pandemic that has jeopardized small businesses across the country, more than 40 tobacco retailers in Milwaukee risked a loss of sales by not selling menthol tobacco products Sunday, May 17, as part of “No Menthol Sunday.”
“No Menthol Sunday,” was a national day of observance led by the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network and supported locally by the Wisconsin African-American Tobacco Prevention Network (WAATPN), an interfaith and community-led effort to raise awareness about the impact of tobacco use on communities of color.
Retailers, who have also supported the WAATPN’s “No Singles/No Loosies” campaign to end the sale of single cigarettes in Milwaukee, jumped on board to this effort to raise awareness on tobacco’s impact on health by posting signs in their storefronts warning residents about COVID-19 related dangers for smokers and providing info on where they can access free help to quit, in addition to not selling tobacco last Sunday.
Menthol, a product used by 9 of 10 African American adult smokers in Wisconsin, is a peppermint flavored anesthetic tobacco companies added to reduce the harshness of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The WAATPN has led local efforts to spread awareness about menthol and other tobacco products and have taken the unique approach of engaging tobacco retailers to help share that message.
Outrage and anger in Nigeria continue to grow as the #EndSARS protests expand and contend with outright violence from the Nigerian army and police force, according to The Associated Press, New York Times and social media reports. As Blavity previously reported , peaceful protesters have been incensed since army officials opened fire on them on Tuesday at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, killing at least seven people under the shroud of darkness, according to local news outlet Punch. Dozens of other protesters were killed across the country that same day, the newspaper reported. The violence, covered extensively on social media, has largely been ignored by Nigerian elected officials and even president Muhammadu Buhari, who made no mention of it during his address to the nation on Thursday night. Thursday was Buhari's first appearance since the Lekki Gate shooting, but he only tacitly mentioned the actions of his armed forces, only threatening protesters to not continue their...
[Shabelle] The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) says an airstrike that was intended to target al-Shabab fighters in Somalia earlier this year killed one civilian and wounded three others, in a rare admission by the Command.
Africa can mount a stronger COVID-19 response strategy by using regional trade blocs to coordinate, consolidate, and connect resources across the continent.
Furthermore, on a continent where it is estimated more than one-third of economic activity is informal, restrictive public health response measures such as extended lockdowns could result in enormous damage to livelihoods in many countries, with wider health implications than COVID-19.
The African Union has an opportunity to integrate its economic pillars into the Africa-wide response strategy by using Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the sub-regional blocs of African countries that have existed for decades.
The most established RECs include the Arab Magreb Union (UMA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Eastern African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
Given that the COVID-19 trajectory in Africa is likely still at the beginning, the time is now for governments to use the existing REC structure for sub-regional economic coordination to strengthen the continent's pandemic response strategy.
The Albinism Community in Zimbabwe has urged the government to avail subsidised sunscreen lotions as a means to protect members from possible cancer and related ailments.
Maxhiha said most persons with albinism in the country were prone to cancers as they cannot afford the sunscreen lotions which are currently costing between US$15 to US$20 per bottle.
\"We acknowledge that the government has been assisting the albinism community but not to the expected extent.
Ahead of the 2020 commemorations, Amnesty International has called on governments the world over to pay attention to persons with albinism whose lives are at a higher risk during the Covid-19 lockdown periods being implemented the world over.
\"Authorities must ensure that measures to respond to Covid-19 are inclusive of the specific needs of persons with albinism, including provision of sunscreen lotions, enabling access to information, increasing community policing and improving access to social protection in order to maintain their health, safety, dignity, and independence during and post the Covid-19 pandemic,\" said the organisation.
Nigeria must urgently address its failure to protect and provide education to an entire generation of children in the Northeast, a region devastated by years of Boko Haram atrocities and gross violations by the military, Amnesty International warned today in a chilling new report.
The 91-page report, 'We dried our tears': Addressing the toll on children of Northeast Nigeria's conflict, examines how the military's widespread unlawful detention and torture have compounded the suffering of children from Borno and Adamawa states who faced war crimes and crimes against humanity at the hands of Boko Haram.
Between November 2019 and April 2020, Amnesty International interviewed more than 230 people affected by the conflict, including 119 who were children when they suffered serious crimes by Boko Haram, the Nigerian military, or both.
Military detention
Children who escape Boko Haram territory face a raft of violations by the Nigerian authorities, also including crimes under international law.
A 14-year-old boy whom Boko Haram abducted as a young child before he fled and was placed in detention by the Nigerian military, said: \"The conditions in Giwa are horrible.
By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a London court on Monday to fight a U.S. extradition request, at a high-stakes hearing that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Assange, who has spent almost a year and a half in a British prison, sat in the dock at the Old Bailey criminal court and formally refused the U.S. demand he be extradited to face trial on espionage charges. He wore a dark suit, white shirt and maroon tie, with glasses perched atop his neatly trimmed white hair. Several dozen supporters, including fashion designer […]
The post WikiLeaks' Assange in UK court to fight US extradition bid appeared first on Black News Channel.
[Daily Trust] The International Criminal Court, ICC has said that it will \"analyse materials\" it has received about the violence which hit Nigeria last month following protests against police brutality.
With the economic challenges arising out of the advent of the coronavirus pandemic still some distance away from being overcome, the Biden administration is reportedly in the process of formulating plans for a Caribbean Region Trade Mission and Business Conference in October.
The article US to mount October trade mission to the Caribbean appeared first on Stabroek News.
Protests against police brutality in Lagos turned bloody on Tuesday despite a state-wide curfew, with eyewitnesses telling CNN that multiple demonstrators have been shot by soldiers. Demonstrators have taken part in daily protests across the country for nearly two weeks over widespread claims of kidnapping, harassment, and extortion by a police unit know as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Tuesday […]
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc. by Rev David Durant, J.P. In the early hours of Thursday June 17, just after midnight, this 166 square mile Island, sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, was […]
The post #SpeakingOut - Could that freak storm be a precursor? appeared first on Barbados Today.
Amnesty International on Monday urged authorities in Tunisia to stop using \"largely outdated, overly broad and repressive laws\" to crack down on freedom of expression online.
Black Americans across the country are uniting with Nigerians against Police Brutality. Learn how you can join them.
INGLEWOOD — Students at Morningside High School are leading a community dialogue about creating equal opportunities for success for Black and Latino students in the Inglewood Unified School District.
“Our schools are not as good as if we were to go to La Tijera or Beverly Hills,” said senior Tristan Castillo, who serves as student body vice president at Morningside High School.
“I feel like this protest is more than just a Black Lives Matter thing, it’s for the community and all the people who are in the low-income communities who just want to be treated fairly,” Castillo added.
Castillo and Pilgrim also suggested that the district provide additional academic and community resources for all of its students.
He asked district officials to find more community partners who would be willing to donate their time and money to Inglewood schools.
By Associated Press Undefined MADRID (AP) — Police in Spain say 14 people were arrested in violent street protests in several cities following the arrest of Spanish rap artist Pablo Hasél, who had barricaded himself at a university with dozens of supporters to avoid prison and defend his fight for free speech. Emergency services said Wednesday that 33 people were treated for injuries in the disturbances. In the northeastern city of Barcelona, thousands of protestors set trash cans on fire and threw rocks at the police. Several stores and a bank were damaged amid chaotic scenes on one of the […]
The post 33 injured, 14 arrested in protests over rapper's jailing appeared first on Black News Channel.
