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Dozens of Sudanese rallied in Khartoum on Thursday to demand the closure of illegal detention centres. The protests came after the alleged torturing and killing of a man by a paramilitary force whose members once formed the backbone of a militia.
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.
DELAWARE, United States (CMC) - United States President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday tapped a Caribbean American voting rights advocate for a senior US Department of Justice (DOJ) position.In a national television address, Biden named Kristen Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, as assistant attorney general for civil rights.
Chad has locked down its capital N'djamena for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and has declared a dusk to dawn curfew due to a rise in infections, a decree signed by President Idriss Deby showed on Fr
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (AP) - They were never a natural fit, the straight-laced evangelical and the brash reality TV star. But for more than four years, President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence made their marriage of political convenience work.
Law enforcement officers in The Gambia have discovered nearly three tonnes of cocaine in a salt shipment from Ecuador, its drugs agency has said.
A letter signed by all 54 African nations requested the UN Human Rights Council to urgently debate racism and police violence as protests over George Floyd's death grow around the world.
African countries on Friday called on the United Nation Human Rights Council to urgently debate racism and police impunity, amid growing protests over George Floyd's death in the United States and other parts of the world.
Burkina Faso's ambassador to the UN in Geneva wrote the letter on behalf of the 54 African countries, asking the UN's top human rights body for an \"urgent debate\" on \"racially inspired human rights violations, police brutality against people of African descent and the violence against the peaceful protests that call for these injustices to stop.\"
The appeal comes after Floyd's family, relatives of other victims of police brutality, and nearly 600 NGOs urged the council to urgently address the issue of systemic racism and police violence.
\"The protests the world is witnessing are a rejection of the fundamental racial inequality and discrimination that characterize life in the United States for black people, and other people of color,\" the letter said.
Founder of Black Roses, a brand experience firm in Downtown Riverside, Dex Alexander began figuring out what to do with all of the art next, and is working with artists directly to see what they can do.
His goal is to preserve the artists’ artwork, have the artists obtain ownership of the pieces, and to have them displayed in a museum or somewhere downtown as a memorial.
Riverside artist Cynthia Huerta partnered with Back To The Grind, a Black-owned coffee shop, and Division 9 Gallery, a space for artists– both located in Downtown, to paint pieces that express the fight for liberation.
“In this movement I have to support my Black community, I am a person of color, a Mexicana,” said Huerta, “But what I know and what I can do is teach through art because I’m also an artist.
The second piece located at Back to the Grind was influenced by her close friend Shanna Dolores, who wrote her own quote, “The Hatian Revolution is forever a blueprint for global Black Liberation.”
BY MOSES MATENGA THE South African ruling African National Congress (ANC) party yesterday defiantly told Zanu PF that its delegation would soon head back to Harare to meet other stakeholders as part of efforts to initiate dialogue to resolve Zimbabwe’s political and economic crises. Zimbabwe is in the throes of its worst political and economic crises in a decade, and critics accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa of persecuting opposition members and perceived political opponents under the guise of COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Lately, activists have used a Twitter hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter to draw international attention to gross human rights violations and the deterioration of the rule of law since Mnangagwa was adjudged the winner of a highly-contested election in July 2018, and to pile global pressure on his government. Mnangagwa replaced long-time ruler Robert Mugabe in a November 2017 military coup, but critics say he has failed to keep his promise to break with Mugabe’s authoritarian style. The ruling Zanu PF party vehemently denies that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe, a claim it repeated during the two meetings with the ANC delegations. But ANC, a fellow liberation party, has insisted that its northern neighbour is in a “mess” which required urgent intervention. Zanu PF has refused the ANC delegations permission to meet other stakeholders on their two visits, but appears to have relented. In a statement yesterday, the ANC said it was “excited” about Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu’s position on the possibility of the ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule-led delegation to meet other stakeholders, including the MDC Alliance, Transform Zimbabwe and United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols, among others. The named organisations requested to meet the ANC delegation last week, but Zanu PF remained adamant that such would not take place, accusing the ANC of playing “big brother”. “The ANC welcomes and concurs with the comments made by the Zanu PF secretary for administration Cde Obert Mpofu that the recent engagement between ANC and Zanu PF was both frank and constructive,” Magashule said in a statement. He reiterated the need for Zanu PF to respect human rights and end the challenges faced by the citizens. “The ANC, therefore, warmly welcomes the constructive approach of Zanu PF with regards to the ANC meeting with other stakeholders, opposition parties and civil society organisations in Zimbabwe,” Magashule said. “In this regard, it was agreed that the ANC will in the foreseeable future return to Zimbabwe in order to proceed with these envisaged meetings.” Zanu PF also denied there was a crisis in Zimbabwe and accused the opposition of working in cahoots with the US and more than 4 000 non-governmental organisations in the country to porttray a “non-existent crisis”. Magashule described his delegation’s mission as successful. However, the delegation was under fire back in South Africa for using an Air Force jet during its visit to Zimbabwe.Magashule conceded that the delegation erred an
The researchers behind the study warned that the findings should be viewed with caution, not only because the paper is yet to be peer-reviewed, but also because the engineered virus they relied upon did not include a full set of the spike mutations found in either the UK or South African viral strains.
Fitness will play as big a role as form when South Africa and Sri Lanka finalise their teams for the second and final Test at the Wanderers.
RAUL DOMINGUEZ Associated Press SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Becky Hammon would have preferred a victory over history after becoming the first woman to coach an NBA team. The assistant coach took over the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter after coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in a 121-107 loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. 'I try not to think of the huge picture and huge aspect of it because it can be overwhelming,' Hammon said. 'I really have had no time to reflect. I have not had time to look at my phone. […]
The post Hammon first woman to coach NBA team; Lakers beat Spurs appeared first on Black News Channel.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA ZANU PF has told Western countries, especially Britain and United States, “to shut up” and stop pontificating about democracy and human rights, adding that Britain and the US’s hands were historically dirty. Party acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said Western countries could not lecture Zimbabwe on democracy when they were responsible for denying the people of Zimbabwe their freedom. “Zanu PF takes strong exception to being lectured on issues of human rights by citizens of countries which perpetrated the brutalities accompanying the Atlantic African Slave Trade and colonial conquest of Africa, and who refuse to render apologies or pay reparations,” Chinamasa said. Zimbabwe is under international spotlight over human rights violations, closing of the democratic space and clamping down on opposition political parties, resulting in the imposition of sanctions against top government figures. Chinamasa said this was a form of slavery and bullying by the Western powers, which were also yet to come clean on their role on slavery. “As a consequence of seeking to redress the brutalities that occurred in the colonisation of Zimbabwe, accompanied by dispossession of our land and brutal confiscation of livestock by colonialists, the country has suffered 20 years of naked bullying, economic isolation and severe sanctions regime by the former colonial powers now acting in concert as economic and political powers in support of what they allege are rights of 4 500 white former farmers,” he said. The British have since dismissed the letter brandished by Chinamasa at his Press conference as fake photoshop replete with errors, but Zanu PF insists it was genuine. Zanu PF also demanded that all Western countries which were involved in colonialism and slavery should pay compensation and offer apologies to those that they wronged. Chinamasa said instead the British found it worthwhile to compensate the slave owners instead of the slaves. “That at the time of abolition of the Atlantic African slave trade the British through the British Parliament approved and paid 20 million pounds to slave owners already rich through the labour of the slaves,” he said. Despite Chinamasa’s utterances, the Zanu PF-led government is pursuing re-engagement with the West after being left in the cold over alleged human rights violation. Chinamasa said sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe were unjustified and should be removed because there were an extension of slavery and colonialism.
A 27-page complaint was filed against a Georgia immigration detention center on Monday for allegedly performed questionable mass hysterectomies, refused to test detainees for COVID-19 and shredded medical records. The complaint also details a number of other concerning allegations pertaining to the ethics of the center’s protocols. This complaint is spearheaded by a former nurse […]
The post Former Nurse Exposes Agency for Performing Mass Hysterectomies Without Consent appeared first on BlackDoctor.org.
BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE THE Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHCR) has pleaded with government to provide a safe and secure operating environment for human rights defenders. The appeal, which came at a time President Emmerson Mnangagwa is under global spotlight over gross human rights violations, was made yesterday during commemorations of the International Day of Peace in Bulawayo. ZHRC officer-in-charge of southern region Office Sindiso Nkomo said human rights violations, lack of accountability and prosecution of rights defenders were major drivers of conflict. “The ZHRC continues to appeal for safe and secure operating spaces for human rights activists, journalists and others. We encourage State and non-State actors in discharging their mandate to desist from promoting discrimination,” Nkomo said. “They should desist from promoting inequality whether in the form of differential access to public services, limitations on freedom of expression or denial of economic participation as there can be powerful drivers of human rights violations which pose a threat to peace.” “The government of Zimbabwe enacted regulations to regulate the way of living during this (COVID-19) pandemic, but it was noted that these regulations limited the enjoyment of human rights such as freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly and association among others,” Nkomo said. Zimbabwe Christian Alliance executive director Useni Sibanda said communities would not enjoy peace when individuals’ peace was curtailed. “Where there is no peace and harmony there can never be development and as a commission we understand that when all stakeholders work together we can achieve more. We cannot achieve much when we are alone,” he said. “In the era that we are in, the first component we understand is dialogue, where there is no dialogue, there is no progress and there will always be anarchy. Where we can facilitate dialogue let’s sit down together and focus on the conflicts which are at stake and move forward together.”
Brazil star Neymar has laughed off controversy over reports he was throwing a mega New Year's party for 500 guests.
You may be hovering your fingers over your phone, wondering how to respond to the “U up?” text you just got. Or the invitation to go to some dude’s place. You don’t know the dude but…his pictures are hot enough…and your vibrator hasn’t been cutting it lately…STOP RIGHT THERE.
For the first time in a very long time, New Year’s Eve celebrations will be different from what many are used to. There will not be any large gatherings in many cities. In the U.S., Times Square will not be open to the public, neither will there be parties in the parks to usher in...
The post Seven creative ways to celebrate New Year's Eve, quarantine style appeared first on Face2Face Africa.
The US department of commerce on Saturday expanded its so-called Entities List, which restricts access to American technology and other items, to include 24 Chinese companies and universities it said had ties to the military and another nine entities it accused of human rights violations in Xinjiang.
It shows the US intention to politicise commercial ties, curb China’s technology development and expand its long-arm jurisdiction
“The move marks a US-China technology decoupling 2.0 or 2.5.
‘Unreliable entity list’
“The message sent from the US is more important than the Entity List itself,” said Li Yong, a senior fellow at the China Association of International Trade, which is connected to the ministry of commerce.
“It shows the US intention to politicise commercial ties, curb China’s technology development and expand its long-arm jurisdiction.”
China announced it was preparing the blacklist in mid-2019 at the height of the trade war with the US, but never said who was on the list.
On Wednesday, the United States seized a shipment of $800,000 worth of weaves and other hair products, according to the Associated Press. The hair, which was made by Lop County []
The post That Hair You Just Bought Could Be From A Chinese Prison appeared first on Essence.
Dining at your favorite restaurant could potentially put you at a higher risk for coronavirus. A new study conducted by... View Article
The post People who test positive for coronavirus twice as likely to have eaten at restaurant: study appeared first on TheGrio.
By RAF CASERT and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The New Year could finally bring a fresh start and a commitment to let bygones be bygones for Britain and the European Union. But don't bet on it. The U.K. has chosen to leave the EU, setting a course away from the continental mainland. But the two sides' histories have been too intertwined for 1,000 years for the split to be simple. Eleven months after Britain's formal departure from the EU, Brexit becomes a fact of daily life on Friday, once a transition period ends and the U.K. fully […]
The post Brexit's choice for EU, UK: firm friends or nearby rivals appeared first on Black News Channel.
By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Catholic priest who for decades had been one of the Vatican's top experts on the Latin language died on Christmas Day at a nursing home in Milwaukee. A United Methodist Church bishop in the West African nation of Sierra Leone died in a traffic accident in August as he was engaged in efforts to resolve the denomination's conflicts over inclusion of LGBTQ people. Back in March, a 49-year-old priest in Brooklyn became the first Catholic cleric in the United States killed by the coronavirus. They were among many religious […]
The post Religious leaders worldwide, across faiths who died in 2020 appeared first on Black News Channel.
Source: YouTube / Youtube
A white man screaming “All Lives Matter” in Brooklyn was ironically putting all lives at risk and holding up store business because of a “Black Lives Matter” sign.
He was demanding that the barista at Burly Coffee take down a “Black Lives Matter” sign posted at the window.
’”
In the video, Knofler had the nerve to say the “Black Lives Matter” sign is “causing problems” and it’s the “most racist thing out there.”
Burly Coffee responded to the incident in an Instagram post, writing, “We strongly stand with Black Lives Matter and applaud our staff for standing up to the blinding hate that has appeared at our door.
SEE ALSO:
Juneteenth: Celebrating The Early Moments Of Freedom Today
11 Black Women Joe Biden Should Consider For His Vice Presidential Running Mate
\t\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\tBed-Stuy Coffee Shop Addresses White Man Protesting ‘Black Lives Matter’ Sign
\t\t\t\t\t\twas originally published On The Urban Daily:
BY SILAS NKALA BRITISH MP and former anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain has urged the British government to extend sanctions against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime because of “escalating human rights violations” in the southern African country. Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Hain implored Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government to impose more punitive sanctions on key Zimbabwean ministers and security chiefs. “On July 20, highly-respected journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested and denied bail for supporting an anti-corruption protest and faces 10 years in jail,” Hain, a former Labour cabinet minister, said. “Opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume was arrested and youth leader Takunda Madzana abducted and tortured by State security agents on July 26.” Zimbabwe has been under Western sanctions since the 2000 land reform programme that displaced whites from commercial farms and subsequent human rights abuses by the late former President Robert Mugabe in successive elections. The European Union has relaxed its embargo on Harare, but the US has remained steadfast, demanding political and economic reforms from the Zanu PF government for sanctions to be lifted. Mnangagwa has been on a re-engagement drive, but continued rights abuses by his administration, which came to power in November 2017 through a military coup, has frustrated the efforts. Hain added: “As well as rampant corruption, there is a pattern of ongoing human rights violations under cover of the COVID-19 crackdown. “Can the government update its sanctions to cover more Zimbabwe ministers and security chiefs?” Ngarivhume and Chin’ono, whose arrest Hain cited as reasons for beefing up sanctions, were both involved in the organisation of the protest. Both have been charged with incitement to commit public violence and denied bail, to block them from participating in yesterday’s protests. Several other members of opposition parties were abducted with some going into hiding fearing arrest.
As Burundi holds elections, the UN's human rights body says the country fails to meet conditions for free and credible polls.
As elections were taking place, DW talked to Doudou Diene, president of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi at OHCHR, the United Nations body mandated to promote and protect human rights.
The commission has been tasked to investigate human rights violations and abuses in Burundi since 2015.
Burundi has a history of the highest level of violence and the violations of human rights in the context of electoral process.
This is why we had to put it in our [Commission of Inquiry 2019] report to call upon the authorities of Burundi to prove to the internal community that there is change and that human rights will be respected and elections will be held in a credible and a free conditions.
Nigerias election commission postponed for six weeks presidential elections scheduled for Feb. 14 after the military said it could not protect voters in the northeast from Boko Haram. Some questioned if the decision was influenced by President Jonathan, whose victory was by no means guaranteed. Indeed, he faced a strong challenge from Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator who was behind a 1983 coup. Buhari prevailed in the March 2015 election, which was largely peaceful. Jonathans defeat was attributed to his failure to defeat Boko Haram and his inability to crack down on endemic corruption. Jonathan accepted the loss, making for a smooth transfer of power—the first between civilians from different parties.
Buhari fired his top military leaders in July 2015, citing the militarys ineffective response to Boko Haram and alleged human rights violations—the use of torture, starvation, and ill treatment at detention facilities—during its campaign against Boko Haram.
In late Jan. 2016, Boko Haram raided the village of Dalori and killed at least 65 people. Dalori residents said that as many as 100 people were killed in the attack. During the raid, children were abducted and the entire village was burned.
The following month, at least 58 people were killed and another 78 wounded in a suicide bombing at a Nigerian refugee camp. The suicide bombers were three girls who had been welcomed into the camp. Two of the girls blew themselves up with bombs, while the third girl chose not detonate hers and gave herself up to authorities after seeing members of her immediate family in the camp. The refugee camp was for people fleeing Boko Haram. As of Feb. 2016, at least 2.5 million have fled from attacks and threats by the militant group.
By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but shut the door on President Donald Trump's push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid as he blocked another attempt by Democrats to force a vote. The GOP leader made clear Wednesday he is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump and even some fellow Republican senators demanding action. Trump wants the recent $600 in aid increased threefold. But McConnell dismissed the idea of bigger 'survival checks' approved by the House, saying the money would go to plenty […]
The post Trump push on $2K checks flops as GOP-led Senate won't vote appeared first on Black News Channel.
EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen, speaking in an interview with the Alpha Media Holdings-owned Heart and Soul TV yesterday said Zimbabwe was still failing to break from her past of corruption, human rights abuses and fiscal indiscipline.
Multilateral financial institutions have given a moratorium to many countries, including those in Africa to stop servicing their debts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Zimbabwe is not among them.
The EU ambassador said Zimbabwe had failed to pursue economic reforms leading to the end of the International Monetary Fund Staff-Monitored Programme, thereby blocking the path that could lead to debt relief.
On the political front, the EU said it remained worried over allegations of abductions and human rights violations in Zimbabwe and the failure by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to break from the past.
“We have been discussing with the authorities that Zimbabwe wants to make a break with the past, a very crucial part of the break is to end human rights violations.
