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Over 400 000 people have "crossed the threshold into famine" in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region, a senior UN official said on Friday, appealing for urgent humanitarian action to help the millions affected by the brutal eight-month long conflict.
In May, Burundi held a presidential election which was won by Evariste Ndayishimiye, candidate of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party.
Ndayishimiye was hurriedly sworn in after the untimely death of president Pierre Nkurunziza in June.
Rights violations continue
The Council encouraged donor countries which had suspended aid to Burundi to continue dialogue towards resumption of development assistance.
A report by a UN watchdog in September said human rights violations were still being committed in Burundi, including sexual violence and murder.
The country was plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Ndayishimiye’s predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term, which he ultimately won in July 2015.
His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015.
Hundreds of people were killed and over 300,000 fled to neighboring countries.
[Nation] British lawyer Karim Khan has been elected the new prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, replacing Gambian Fatou Bensouda.
[Radio Dabanga] Abyei -- United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) strongly condemns the attack on Dunguop village by unknown armed elements in which at least 14 people died and five others injured.
[AIM] Maputo -- The number of displaced people in Mozambique has risen to 723,000, Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario announced on Wednesday.
Ethiopians head to the polls in the country's national and regional parliamentary elections. But a fifth of the country won't be able to cast their vote.
By CARA ANNA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia's government says its security forces shot at and detained United Nations staffers as they tried to reach part of the embattled Tigray region. Senior official Redwan Hussein told reporters that the U.N. staffers were to blame because they 'broke' two checkpoints to go to areas where 'they were not supposed to go.' He said the staffers have since been released. The shooting occurred amid soaring frustration among humanitarians as aid is still not freely reaching the Tigray region more than a week after the U.N. and Ethiopia's government signed a […]
The post Ethiopia's forces shoot at, detain UN staffers in Tigray appeared first on Black News Channel.
Ethiopian Refugees in Sudan Will Go to a New Camp
Around 15 of the 50,000 Ethiopians who fled the violent conflict in their country's northern Tigray region to Sudan are waiting to be moved from village 8 — a transit camp, to Umm Rakouba, the first official refugee camp to deal with the crisis.
Mustafa Anwar Mohammed, the head of Village 8 camp, explains the evolution of events, \"These refugees when they entered. They were supposed to stay according to the law, 48-72 hours. Now the time was extended to a month because it was an emergency situation until they set up the camps that they were supposed to go to in Tenebe and Umm Rakouba.\"
Making the Best Out of an Emergency Situation
Some Ethiopians still hoping to be reunited with their family members are reluctant to leave as staying within proximity to the border is key in their search.
Others fear what awaits them at the new site preferring Village 8's known good facilities and cement buildings.
Haile Gebremikeal, an Ethiopian refugee worried about his family members he has still not located, shares his concerns, \"We can't say we won't go but where is our family? How can we go? If we can stay here for 1 or 2 months, if they give us a chance we can look out for our family or our family can look out for us. There are no telephones, no internet. We don't have anything. Now we will not be able to find our family.\"
Rahwa Garmla, another Ethiopian refugee, is a bit fearful of the unknown, Rakouba, they told us is a desert, there is no water. There is a lot there that scares me.\"
As village 8 was to house Sudanese people from Hashaba village displaced by a hydroelectric dam, it cannot serve as a permanent site as the people would like their territory back.
Hence, bus convoys will begin the weeks-long process to move the Ethiopian refugees to Umm Rakouba.
Background
Over the last month, many Ethiopians have escaped to Eastern Sudan in light of the violent military confrontations between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Movement (TPLF).
They fled through two main crossings: Hamdayet and Ludgi, but the Sudanese government — after the initial temporary solution to the emergency, will have them inwards towards Umm Rakouba camp.
Eritrea's president arrived in Sudan on Tuesday for talks with officials amid tensions over a longtime border dispute between the two nations:
The European Union has postponed nearly €90m ($110m; £81m) in budget support payments to Ethiopia due to concerns over the crisis in the Tigray region. European Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero-Hernandez told the BBC there were five conditions for the aid to be resumed: Granting full humanitarian access for aid workers to reach people in need in all affected areas Allowing civilians to seek refuge in neighbouring countries Ethnically targeted measures and hate speech must stop Mechanisms to monitor, and investigate allegations of, human rights violations Communication lines and media access to Tigray should be fully re-established. She said the decision 'does not affect EU humanitarian programmes on the ground or other development actions'. Government forces have been battling Tigray fighters since 4 November. Hundreds, even thousands, of people are thought to have been killed in the conflict, while about 50,000 have fled to neighbouring Sudan.- BBC
[Shabelle] The UN Security Council will meet to discuss Somalia's political crisis, diplomatic sources said Monday, after opposition leaders in the East African country declared the president illegitimate.
UNICEF said some 2.3 million minors are struggling to access treatment for malnourishment, critical vaccines, emergency medicines, water and sanitation.
[Nation] The Chinese government says Beijing is stepping up support for Africa's post-pandemic recovery, with initial focus on vaccine access, as a \"public good\"
According to the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF), more than 7,000 captive Ethiopian soldiers have walked from Abdi Eshir, about 75 km southwest of Mekele, streets of the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray for four days.
U.S. Department of State Background Note
Angola is located on the South Atlantic Coast of West Africa between Namibia and the Republic of the Congo. It also is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north and east and Zambia to the east. The country is divided into an arid coastal strip stretching from Namibia to Luanda; a wet, interior highland; a dry savanna in the interior south and southeast; and rain forest in the north and in Cabinda. The upper reaches of the Zambezi River pass through Angola, and several tributaries of the Congo River have their sources in Angola. The coastal strip is tempered by the cool Benguela current, resulting in a climate similar to coastal Baja California. There is a short rainy season lasting from February to April. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are mild. The interior highlands have a mild climate with a rainy season from November through April followed by a cool dry season from May to October when overnight temperatures can fall to freezing. Elevations generally range from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. The far north and Cabinda enjoy rain throughout much of the year.
Estimates of Angolas population vary widely, as there has been no census since 1970, but it is estimated at no less than 15.5 million. Angola has three main ethnic groups, each speaking a Bantu language: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, and Bakongo 13%. Other groups include Chokwe, Lunda, Ganguela, Nhaneca-Humbe, Ambo, Herero, and Xindunga. In addition, mixed racial (European and African) people amount to about 2%, with a small (1%) population of whites, mainly ethnically Portuguese. Portuguese make up the largest non-Angolan population, with at least 30,000 (though many native-born Angolans can claim Portuguese nationality under Portuguese law). Portuguese is both the official and predominant language.
In 1482, when the Portuguese first landed in what is now northern Angola, they encountered the Kingdom of the Congo, which stretched from modern Gabon in the north to the Kwanza River in the south.
[Ethiopian Herald] ADDIS ABABA - The House of Peoples' Representatives yesterday approved a resolution of the Council of Ministers submitted proposing Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and \"Shene\" to be designated as terrorist groups.
By Nicole Gaouette | CNN The US and Iran charged each other with ratcheting up tensions in the Persian Gulf as concerns about potential conflict build days before Iran marks one year since the US assassinated its most powerful military figure and less than three weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Iran appealed to […]
[UN News] The World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed operations in Ethiopia's Tigray region, after fighting halted the emergency response last week, although the agency warned on Friday that \"serious challenges\" continue to threaten the entire humanitarian response.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Ethiopia's security forces shot at and detained United Nations staffers as they tried to reach part of the embattled Tigray region, a senior official said yesterday, and he blamed the US staffers for trying to reach areas where 'they were not supposed to go'.
There have been reports that citizens of Nigeria claim the government has been using military force against innocent civilians.
[The Conversation Africa] Ethiopia is holding parliamentary elections at a time of immense domestic turmoil and foreign pressure. This is due to, in particular, the Tigray conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic and other ethnic-based violence.
By MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Yemen's Iran-backed rebels on Monday dismissed the U.S. move to designate them a terrorist organization in the final days of the Trump administration while a leading aid agency warned such a designation would deal another 'devastating blow' to the impoverished and war-torn nation. The planned designation, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late Sunday, would take effect a day before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated Jan. 20. It was not clear whether Biden would overturn the decision. Yemen is mired in a disastrous humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in […]
The post Yemen's rebels defiant as aid agencies fear US terror label appeared first on Black News Channel.
[Ethiopian Herald] ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia's 6th round general elections would be a historic milestone as it is highly expected to address long -awaited citizens' quest for democracy , politicians so remarked. All Ethiopian Social Movement Member Abera Yemaneab told local media that he is so hopeful that the upcoming general elections would be credible and offer a glimmer of hope for Ethiopia's democracy Abera added that the elections would for sure bring about socio-political freedom and equality despite various shortcomings
The Weekndis assisting in a crisis taking place in the East African country of Ethiopia. The Grammy award winner revealed on his Instagram page over […]
