Category: Legal Judicial

CAMEROON

ARMED MEN ABDUCT HEALTH WORKERS NEW DEATH DUE TO EBOLA DISEASE IN THE SOUTH-WEST REGION

On 15 May, non-state armed group (NSAG) members abducted two health workers administering infant vaccinations in Kendem, Manyu division, in the South-West region, and took them to an undisclosed location.

Abductors accused the health workers of executing a government-funded project. There are currently no details regarding their release. Humanitarian organizations are advocating with parties to the conflict to emphasize that health workers and facilities are not a target and should be allowed to conduct their activities safely.

BURKINA FASO

ARMED GROUPS THREATEN INHABITANTS IN BOURZANGA DEPARTMENT AND FORCE THEM TO LEAVE

Since 19 May, inhabitants of Alga, Boulounga, and Sibargo villages, in the Bourzanga department of Bam Province, in the north, have been forced to flee due to threats from nonstate armed groups (NSAGs).The KongoussiDjibo route via Bourzanga has been under blockade by non-state armed groups for several months, and humanitarian actors continue to face challenges in accessing the route to deliver aid, including violence, irregular controls, and diversion of aid. In March, the Bourzanga department received over 30,000 displaced persons. An additional 6,000 people are estimated to have arrived following attacks by NSAGs in Pobe Mengao, in the Soum province of the Sahel region, on 24 April.

DR CONGO

NEW DEATH DUE TO EBOLA DISEASE

On 19 May, a new case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was confirmed in Wangata health zone in the western province of Equateur . The patient was a 12-year-old boy who passed away despite receiving intensive care. This new case brings the total number of confirmed cases to four, with four deaths and two health zones affected: Mbandaka and Wangata. Aid agencies are drawing on lessons learned from previous epidemics to contain the outbreak and prevent it from spreading beyond the province’s health zones

NIGER

EXPLOSIVE DEVICES KILL TWO CIVILIANS IN ANZAROU DISTRICT

On 13 May, an improvised explosive device (IED) killed two civilians in a village in the Anzourou District ofthe Tillaberi region, in the centre of the country. Non-state armed groups (NSAG) operating along the borders of Mali and Burkina Faso use IEDs, obstructing humanitarian organizations’ access and aid delivery. Since the beginning of the year, more than ten civilians have been killed in IED explosions. Aid organizations continue to seek urgent actions to prevent and protect populations from mine-related risks.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

The United States has announced rewards of up to $1 million each for information leading to the arrest of two Kenyans wanted on charges of drug and wildlife trafficking.

Kenyan security agencies are searching for the two fugitives, Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh and Abdi Hussein Ahmed.

Speaking to reporters Thursday in Nairobi, the head of Kenya’s criminal investigation unit, George Kinoti, said the two Kenyan nationals were wanted for drug and wildlife trafficking worth millions of dollars.

“They were involved in transportation, distribution and smuggling of 190 kilograms of rhinoceros horns and 10 tons of elephant ivory from different countries in Africa, including our country, Kenya, and they transported these things to the United States,” Kinoti said. “They were also involved in transportation and distribution of one kilogram of heroin from Kenya to the United States.”

Kinoti said Saleh was arrested in June 2019 and arraigned in a Kenyan court, where he was released on bail. He was last seen in December 2019.

Kinoti made no mention of Ahmed.

Saleh and Ahmed were indicted in the United States in 2019 and the international police organization Interpol issued a red notice against the suspects.

Eric Kneedler, charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, said in a statement that eradicating drug and wildlife trafficking was a priority of President Joe Biden’s administration and that the U.S. would work with Kenya to stamp out the crimes, which are affecting both countries.

Information on the reward offer can be found on the U.S. Embassy website.

In July 2020, another suspected wildlife trafficker, Abubakar Mansur Mohammed Surur, was arrested and extradited to the U.S. Surur is believed to have been involved in the illegal poaching of at least 35 rhinos and more than 100 elephants.

Source: Voice of America

UNITED NATIONS, Military coups in Mali and Burkina Faso – two members of the G5-Sahel anti-militant force – are undermining the mission’s operational capacity, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

“I am deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Sahel, as well as by the potentially debilitating effect the uncertain political situation in Mali, Burkina Faso and beyond will have on efforts to further operationalise the G5-Sahel Joint Force,” Guterres’ report to the UN Security Council said.

Mali was hit by coups in August 2020 and May 2021, while another took place in Burkina Faso in January 2022. In addition to those countries, the 5,000 strong Sahel force is composed of personnel from Mauritania, Chad and Niger.

“The highly volatile political and security situation in the Sahel impacted the operationalisation of the Joint Force … Among other issues uncertainty over the transition timelines in Mali and the 23 January coup d’etat in Burkina Faso significantly slowed down the Joint Force’s operational tempo,” said the UN chief’s report.

Guterres also highlighted reports of human rights abuses by both security forces and militants.

“I am also seriously disturbed by the deteriorating human rights situation, amid reports of gruesome violations committed against civilians, both by terrorist armed groups but also reportedly by armed and security forces in the region,” he said.

Command and control problems are posing challenges for the G5-Sahel force.

In Mali, there are issues determining whether security forces are operating under the Joint Force or national command, “particularly when investigating alleged human rights violations,” Guterres said.

And the Sahel force’s leadership reported “conflicting chains of command as a major impediment to the Force’s full operationalisation.”

The force is also fighting against militants who are able to infiltrate and move within the civilian population, Guterres said.

“The infiltration and increased mobility of terrorist armed elements within local communities continues to present a major challenge for the G5 Joint Force, both in terms of identifying suitable informants and protecting civilians during operations.”

Source: Nam News Network

JUBA, At least 72 people have been killed and 11 wounded in a series of intercommunal conflicts in South Sudan’s Leer County of Upper Nile State, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

In a press release, UNMISS said it also recorded 64 cases of sexual violence.

“UNMISS strongly condemns the widespread sexual violence, killings, including beheadings, burning alive of civilians, and attacks on humanitarians in Leer County.

“These are among the human rights violations documented during a surge in violence carried out by armed youth from Koch and Mayendit counties,” the mission said.

Two survivors said they were repeatedly gang-raped after they came out of hiding to find food for their children.

“Another woman who had recently given birth recounted that she was raped and severely beaten for three days. I am strongly appalled by these horrific attacks on civilians in Leer.

“We must all do everything we can to ensure that victims and survivors get the justice they deserve and receive the care and support they need,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom.

UNMISS says that according to initial reports, at least 40,000 people have fled the violence in Leer, with thousands reportedly crossing the Nile to Fangak in Jonglei State.

“Thousands of cattle were raided, and markets, homes, and humanitarian facilities and warehouses looted and burnt down.

“The wet season has already begun, along with the risk of floods, creating a dangerous situation for thousands of internally displaced families. Violence in Mayendit and Koch counties, including Mirmir Payam, is also being investigated,” UNMISS added.

The mission stressed that it has deployed additional peacekeepers to conduct regular patrols, including night patrols, in Leer town to prevent further loss of life.

“Peacekeepers are providing protection to displaced people and humanitarians responding to the needs of survivors.

“However, the protection of civilians is first and foremost the responsibility of the Government. The Mission welcomes initial steps taken in the formation of an investigation committee and the deployment of SSPDF to restore security,” said UNMISS.

The mission head urged national and local authorities to take immediate measures to reduce tensions and prevent escalations and retaliatory attacks.

“Impunity on violations of human rights must end and perpetrators held accountable for these horrible crimes. UNMISS is also engaging with leadership at the capital and state level to mitigate violence while civil affairs teams are meeting with communities to conduct focus group discussions in conflict-affected areas,” said Haysom.

Source: Nam News Network

Your Excellency Mathume Phaahla,

Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends

When the COVID-19 pandemic started more than two years ago, we responded by setting up the ACT Accelerator to help deliver vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics equitably.

Two years on, the unique partnership of governments, global health agencies, civil society and industry has delivered.

Our partnership has enabled 40 countries to begin their COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

It has helped build the sequencing capacity in Southern Africa that first detected the Omicron variant.

And we negotiated unprecedented deals with the world’s largest oxygen suppliers to increase access in more than 120 low- and middle-income countries.

However, we know that the job is far from done.

Omicron’s sub-variants are driving rapid case increases in some countries and there’s always the possibility of a more deadly variant emerging.

We must work even harder to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

WHO’s goal to vaccinate 70% of the population of every country remains essential for bringing the pandemic under control, with priority given to health workers, older people and other at-risk groups.

1.8 billion people in low- and low- and middle-income countries have yet to receive their first dose.

New COVID-19 antiviral medicines also show huge promise.

On Friday, WHO recommended nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, also known as Paxlovid, for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 patients who are at high-risk of hospitalisation.

However, while this effective therapy is readily available in high-income countries, it’s virtually inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries.

ACT-A is working to facilitate access to antivirals and develop generic production over the long-term.

The rollout of new oral antivirals is further compounded by very low testing rates in low- and middle-income countries.

Testing rates have been declining at an alarming rate in the past four months, with low-income countries testing at an average of 2 tests per day per 100 thousand population.

This is over 100 times lower than the testing rate in high income countries.

If we are not able to detect the disease, we will not be able to treat it either.

The ACT Accelerator launched a new Strategic Plan and Budget in October 2021 – yet halfway through its current budget cycle, just over 10% has been funded.

With sufficient funding and support, we can work to bring the acute phase of the pandemic to an end, save lives, prevent suffering, and help get economies back on track.

We must ACT now and ACT together to end the COVID-19 emergency – for everyone, everywhere.

I now have the pleasure to welcome our Co-Host for the Council, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides from the European Commission.

The European region has been hard hit by COVID-19.

They are all too aware of the tragic the consequences of this virus. The European Commission played a key role in establishing the ACT Accelerator, and has remained a steadfast champion

Commissioner Kyriakides, thank you for joining us. You have the floor.

[Commissioner Kyriakides addressed the meeting]

Thank you, Commissioner, for your remarks, and for the leadership of the European Commission to support ACT-Accelerator.

As you know, South Africa and Norway have been true champions of the ACT Accelerator as co-chairs of this facilitation council.

It’s now my honour to welcome His Excellency Mathume Phaahla, Minister of Health of South Africa, on behalf of President Ramaphosa. Your Excellency, thank you so much for South Africa’s leadership and support, and thank you for joining us today. You have the floor.

[Minister Phaahla addressed the meeting]

Thank you, Your Excellency, and my deep respect and appreciation once again for South Africa’s continuing leadership and support.

We now have a video message from Her Excellency Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister for International Development of Norway, on behalf of Prime Minister Støre.

[Minister Tvinnereim addressed the meeting by video message]

My thanks once again to South Africa and Norway for their steadfast support and leadership. I will now hand over to the co-chairs of the technical team to moderate the meeting:

From South Africa, Olive Shisana, the President’s Special Advisor on Social Policy, and from Norway, John-Arne Røttingen, Ambassador for Global Health.

John-Arne, you have the floor.

Source: World Health Organization

The security crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatens to frustrate favourable developments in the wider Great Lakes region, the Security Council heard today, as members welcomed that country’s recent admission into the East African Community and stressed the need to combat the illicit trade of natural resources that continues to fuel conflict.

Xia Huang, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, first briefed the Council on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the implementation of the peace, security and cooperation framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the wider region (document S/2022/276).

While he noted that the situation in the Great Lakes region has seen encouraging trends in dialogue, cooperation and integration, he pointed out that this positive trend has been upset by security and humanitarian crises in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The 23 March Movement (M23) has resumed military activities, and the Allied Democratic Forces and other local armed groups continue committing atrocities against civilians. “All of this tells us that peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains fragile,” he said.

Despite this fragility, however, he emphasized that major accomplishments achieved in the region to date can still be consolidated to move towards lasting peace. For this to happen, regional cooperation in security matters must be strengthened, direct dialogue between leaders must occur regularly and continued international support in the region must continue. He went on to say that, for his part, he will prioritize several initiatives in the coming months, including efforts to combat the exploitation and illicit trade of natural resources and to promote the economic empowerment of women as a strategy for peacebuilding in light of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s recent admission into the East African Community.

João Samuel Caholo, Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, then briefed the Council via videolink, but connection issues frustrated delivery of his statement. His written statement will be circulated to Council members.

Dinesh Mahtani, an independent expert on the Great Lakes region, next told the Council that insecurity and conflict in the region is increasingly linked to dynamics in other parts of the continent. Mozambican insurgents and radical youth from Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania have trained in the Allied Democratic Forces’ camps, and these East Africans are among the young men whom Islamic State may be looking to support with continued financing. He pointed out that these individuals are likely to be a threat to security in their home countries, should they ever return.

While a proposed joint force to address insecurity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is now on the table, he said, it poses significant risks as many of armed groups that the regional Governments propose to attack have at times been proxies for the same. Despite the warming of ties between two of the country’s neighbours in the Great Lakes, trust between them remains tenuous. While the use of force should eventually be an important part in any exercise to neutralize armed groups, all interested parties must first work together to implement the Congolese strategy to demobilize armed groups and rebuild trust between its neighbours.

In the ensuing debate, Council members stressed the importance of regional cooperation to address concerning security threats in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many emphasized that purely military strategies will be unsuccessful, spotlighting the need to address the root causes of conflict in the region through non-military means. On this point, members called for the combating of the illicit trade in natural resources that funds armed groups. Many members also welcomed improved diplomatic relations between regional States, along with the recent admission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo into the East African Community.

The representative of Kenya, also speaking for Gabon and Ghana, spotlighted that formal admission, stressing that economic development is key to minimizing the risks of conflict and that structured regional political cooperation is essential to overcoming common security threats. Noting that poverty is a root cause of the conflict in the Great Lakes region, he called for the illegal exploitation and export of natural resources therein to be addressed to translate them from a curse to a blessing.

China’s representative, urging that the views of the three African members of the Council be valued, noted the interdependent and interconnected nature of regional security. He stressed the need to jointly tackle security challenges — the establishment of a regional force will help in this regard — and to promote legal trade while cracking down on the illegal exploitation of natural resources. Sanctions must not be misused, he added.

The representative of Norway, joining other Council members in expressing concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, said that a common denominator behind these negative developments is rivalry related to natural resources. Calling on States to address the root causes of conflict, she stressed that military measures must be accompanied by concerted political dialogue, peacebuilding efforts and projects to promote economic and social development.

Brazil’s delegate pointed out that armed groups’ activities often result in sexual violence, lack of access to humanitarian aid, recruitment of children into armed conflict and the illicit exploitation of natural resources. As such, these activities can jeopardize ongoing efforts to reach sustained peace. To protect achievements made so far, he stressed the need to expedite the implementation of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, and ensure that former combatants, women and youth have access to economic opportunities.

The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo similarly underscored that military cooperation must be accompanied by non-military measures. He called on the United Nations and the international community to support efforts undertaken by leaders in the Great Lakes region to promote participation in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes and to combat the illegal exploitation of natural resources. “Peace must return to the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” he stressed, to end the untold suffering and allow its abundant resources to contribute to national and regional prosperity.

Source: UN Security Council

MOGADISHU, Six people have been killed in a blast at a seaside restaurant in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, an ambulance service official said.

The Pescatore Seafood Restaurant, which opened recently in the south of the city, was frequented by security and government officials.

Video uploaded to social media shows smoke billowing from the scene of the attack.

Militant Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the blast.

The group’s military operations spokesperson said they were targeting “security officers and politicians of the apostate government”.

Al-Shabab, which is allied to al-Qaeda, frequently carries out attacks in Mogadishu as part of its war against the government.

Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of Aamin Ambulance Service, said that they had “carried six dead civilians and seven others injured”.

A number of high profile people – including the Somali police commissioner – are reported to have been at the venue at the time, but there is no indication they were among the injured.

Police officer Mohamed Ali said that the police commissioner was safe along with “several legislators who stayed there”.

This attack comes amid a surge in violence in recent weeks as politicians have struggled through a much-delayed process to select a new parliament. Lawmakers were finally sworn in last week, paving the way for them to choose a new leader.

On March 24, a female member of the Somali federal parliament was among more than 30 people who were killed in two suicide bombings in Beledweyne town, in central Somalia.

And on April 18, seven people were injured in a mortar attack on Somalia’s parliament.

Source: Nam News Network

Clashes between Arab tribesmen and ethnic minority farmers in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region have killed eight people and wounded 16, an aid group said on Saturday.

The fighting broke out on Friday in Krink, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the West Darfur state capital of Geneina, when armed Arab tribesmen attacked villages of the non-Arab Massalit minority in retaliation for the killing of two tribesmen, the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur, an independent aid organization, said.

The clashes “led to the deaths of eight citizens,” said its spokesman Adam Regal.

Dozens of homes were burned and large numbers of families displaced, he added.

Rzeigat tribal leaders said the fighting was sparked by the killing of two Arab tribesmen on Thursday by gunmen who took refuge in Massalit villages.

The aid group accused the Janjaweed of orchestrating the attack on the Massalit villages. The mainly Arab militia, many of whose members have since been integrated into the security forces, gained notoriety in the early 2000s for its role in the repression of an ethnic minority rebellion in Darfur.

Regal said Krink and neighboring villages were suffering under a “tight economic blockade by the Janjaweed militias,” in addition to recurrent “threats” and “looting.”

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of houses torched in several bouts of violence in Darfur in recent months, the United Nations and medics say.

The conflict that erupted in 2003 between ethnic minority rebels and the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum killed 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million, according to U.N. figures.

Large-scale fighting has abated across much of Darfur, but the region remains awash with weapons and deadly clashes often erupt over access to pasture or water.

The clashes often take on an ethnic dimension as the region’s Arab tribes are largely pastoralists while many of the region’s settled farmers are drawn from minority groups.

A peace deal was signed in 2020 but since a military coup in October, Darfur has seen violence spike, with hundreds killed in fighting between herders and farmers.

Source: Voice of America