Saturday, July 31We Break the News

UN Human RiGHTS

Jul172021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
IOM Ethiopia Appeals for USD 40 Million to Assist Additional 1.6 Million People in Northern Ethiopia

IOM Ethiopia Appeals for USD 40 Million to Assist Additional 1.6 Million People in Northern Ethiopia

AFRICA, ETHIOPIA, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, iom, UN Human RiGHTS
Addis Ababa – Nearly two million people affected by the crisis in northern Ethiopia desperately need life-saving assistance, including water, medicine and shelter, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today as it issued an urgent appeal for USD 40 million to help internally displaced men, women and children, including newborn babies.  Since the outbreak of the conflict eight months ago in Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, millions of people are enduring unimaginable suffering, including forced displacement, hunger, death, and destruction of private and public property.   In Tigray, IOM has been providing support to more than half a million people, including displaced children, women, men, and vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and persons...
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Jul62021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Israel looks to renew law that keeps out Palestinian spouses

Israel looks to renew law that keeps out Palestinian spouses

HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, Israel, Middle East, PALESTINE, UN Human RiGHTS, WOMEN
Benny Gantz, centrist Blue and White leader, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's partner in his new unity government, speaks during a swearing in ceremony of the new government, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem May 17, 2020. Israel’s parliament is set to vote Monday on whether to renew a temporary law first enacted in 2003 that bars Arab citizens of Israel from extending citizenship or even residency to spouses from the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Critics, including many left-wing and Arab lawmakers, say it’s a racist measure aimed at restricting the growth of Israel’s Arab minority, while supporters say it’s needed for security purposes and to preserve Israel’s Jewish character. The law creates an array of difficulties for Palestinian families that ...
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Jun142021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Aung San Suu Kyi trial begins in Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi trial begins in Myanmar

Asia, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, MYANNMAR, POLITICS, PRESIDENT, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UN Women, UNHCR, WOMEN, Women Emamanicipation
The trial of the ousted leader is hearing its first testimony in a junta court. Suu Kyi faces a widening array of charges such as flouting coronavirus rules and "illegally" importing walkie-talkies. The trial of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi got underway on Monday in the capital Naypyidaw, more than four months after a military coup. Criminal convictions would bar Suu Kyi from running for office. Suu Kyi's prosecution prevented her National League for Democracy (NLD) party from serving a second five-year term following last year's landslide election victory. Army officials have also threatened to dissolve the NLD for alleged involvement in election fraud. hat charges does Suu Kyi face? The 75-year-old stands accused of violating cor...
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Jun102021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi faces new corruption charge

Asia, CRIME, CRISIS, INTERNATIONAL, MYANNMAR, POLITICS, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UN Women, UNHCR, UNICEF, WOMEN, WORLD
Myanmar's deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been charged with corruption by the country's military junta, state media reported Thursday, adding to a raft of legal cases against the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.The new charge follows an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission into several accusations leveled at Suu Kyi. It found her "guilty of committing corruption using her rank," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said. She was charged under the Anti-Corruption Law section 55, and if found guilty could face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.Suu Kyi was overthrown from her position of state counselor and de facto leader of the country when the military seized power in a February 1 coup. She has been held in detention since then and charged with a series of ...
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Jun92021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments

Marginalised girls in India fighting child marriage

Asia, CHILDREN, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INDIA, INTERNATIONAL, UN Human RiGHTS, UNICEF, WORLD
More than 1,000 girls in Rajasthan start a movement against child marriages, which saw a spike during the COVID pandemic. Rajasthan, India – “I want to study at least up to 12th standard (grade)” was Saira Bano’s heartfelt cry when her parents started looking for a groom for her in October 2020. It had been a tough year for her parents in their remote northwestern Indian village. Since a nationwide lockdown to check coronavirus was imposed in March 2020, Saira’s father has not been able to find much work. He earned about 1,200 rupees ($17) a week as a labourer in pre-COVID times, which barely kept the family afloat. And when that stopped too, he thought it was better to marry Saira off instead of spending the family’s limited resources on her education. Saira is 17. “We are...
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Jun92021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Mass deaths in Myanmar after 100,000 flee fighting – UN Warns

Mass deaths in Myanmar after 100,000 flee fighting – UN Warns

CRIME, CRISIS, INTERNATIONAL, POLITICS, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WORLD
UN says people fleeing military’s ‘brutal, indiscriminate attacks’ in eastern Kayah are in dire need of food and water. A United Nations rights expert has warned of “mass deaths from starvation, disease and exposure” in eastern Myanmar after “brutal, indiscriminate attacks” by the military forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in Kayah State. In a statement on Wednesday, Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur for Myanmar, called for urgent international action, saying attacks by the military – which took power after a February coup – were “threatening the lives of many thousands of men, women and children” in Kayah or Karenni state. “Let me blunt,” Andrews said. “Mass deaths from starvation, disease, and exposure, on a scale we have not yet seen since the Feb...
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Jun82021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
U.S. imposes visa restrictions on perpetrators of violence in Cameroon

U.S. imposes visa restrictions on perpetrators of violence in Cameroon

AFRICA, Cameroon, DIPLOMACY, Diplomats, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, POLITICS, TRAVEL, UN Human RiGHTS, USA, West Africa
The United States announced on Monday visa restrictions against "leaders" and "accomplices" of violence in western Cameroon, the scene of a four-year bloody conflict between armed Anglophone groups and the army. The sanctions are aimed at "those who undermine the peaceful resolution of the crisis," the U.S. State Department said in a statement, without naming those targeted by the ban. "We condemn those who undermine the peace by provoking or inciting violence, human rights violations and threats to peacekeepers and humanitarian workers," the U.S. diplomacy added. The statement further read "Washington is deeply concerned about the continuing violence and continues to call on the Cameroonian government and armed separatist groups to end the violence and engage in dialogue wit...
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Jun72021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Civil works begin for an SRTF health intervention in Deir Ez-Zor

Civil works begin for an SRTF health intervention in Deir Ez-Zor

Asia, HEALTH, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, Middle East, SYRIA, UN Human RiGHTS, World Health Organization
Deir Ez-Zor – Sunday, June 6, 2021 – Civil works began for the SRTF’s health intervention, “Provision of Primary and Specialised Medical Services in Deir Ez-Zor Governorate” today. These civil works include the rehabilitation and expansion of two buildings that will be turned into a primary healthcare center (PHCC), in addition to electricity and sewer works. This health intervention addresses critical health issues through five main activities: the provision of primary healthcare services, supporting a blood bank, medical laboratory, and Thalassemia center, and distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to schools. With a budget of EUR 2.5 million, this eight-month intervention is expected to benefit 202,124 people, in addition to over one million indirect beneficiaries. ...
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Jun72021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
North Korea: Kim Jong-un waging war on slang, jeans, foreign films

North Korea: Kim Jong-un waging war on slang, jeans, foreign films

Asia, BREAKING NEWS, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, NORTH KOREA, PRESIDENT, UN Human RiGHTS, WORLD
Kim Jong-Un admitted recently that North Korea was going through its "worst situation" thanks in part to the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: AFP / KCNA via KNS North Korea has recently introduced a sweeping new law which seeks to stamp out any kind of foreign influence - harshly punishing anyone caught with foreign films, clothing or even using slang. But why? Yoon Mi-so said that she was 11 when she first saw a man executed for being caught with a South Korean drama. His entire neighbourhood was ordered to watch the execution. "If you didn't, it would be classed as treason," she told the BBC from her home in Seoul. The North Korean guards were making sure everyone knew the penalty for smuggling illicit videos was death. "I have a strong memory of the man who was blindfolded, ...
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Jun42021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
China’s silencing of Tiananmen tributes now extends to Hong Kong

China’s silencing of Tiananmen tributes now extends to Hong Kong

Asia, China, CRIME, CRISIS, HONG KONG, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, POLITICS, UN Human RiGHTS, WORLD
Dissent increasingly smothered as China cracks down on public commemorations HONG KONG — For years, China has quashed any discussion on the mainland of its bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, nearly erasing what happened from the collective consciousness. Now it may be Hong Kong’s turn, as China’s ruling Communist Party pulls the city more directly into its orbit. The semi-autonomous territories of Hong Kong and nearby Macao were for years the last places on Chinese soil allowed to publicly mark the events of June 4, 1989, when the People’s Liberation Army opened fire on student-led protesters in a crackdown that left hundreds, if not thousands, dead. Before last year, tens of thousands gathered annually in Hong Kong’s Victoria Par...
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Jun22021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Mali suspended from African Union, threatened with sanctions

Mali suspended from African Union, threatened with sanctions

ADVOCACY, AFRICA, African Union, DIPLOMACY, Diplomats, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, PAN AFRICA, UN Human RiGHTS, West Africa
AU calls on military to ‘urgently and unconditionally return to barracks’ and to refrain from further interference in Mali’s political process. Colonel Goita, the Malian military leader, was at the ECOWAS crisis summit in Ghana on Sunday to argue the military's case but has now returned to Mali [File: Francis Kokoroko/Reuters] Mali’s membership with the African Union has been suspended with immediate effect and the impoverished country threatened with sanctions following a second military coup in nine months. The AU “decides … to immediately suspend the Republic of Mali from participation in all activities of the African Union, its organs and institutions, until normal constitutional order has been restored in the country”, the body’s Peace and Security Council said in a statemen...
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Jun22021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Ex-Myanmar police officers reveal how they were told to shoot protesters – and why they defected

Ex-Myanmar police officers reveal how they were told to shoot protesters – and why they defected

EUROPEAN UNION, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UN Women, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WORLD
Myanmar's security forces have been accused by Amnesty International of "premeditated" attacks on peaceful protesters. In a safe house in Myanmar, resistance is growing. Quietly, in the gloomy light, a group of men raise their hands in a three-finger salute. Traditionally a sign of defiance and support for pro-democracy protesters, for these men it symbolises so much more. Once police or soldiers, they now plan to fight the forces they used to serve. Just talking to us is a huge risk; if caught the defectors could be killed. https://2fc4f8702eda46552746395c0d5f4dbe.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html Advertisement So in hiding, faces and voices disguised for protection, they explain why they decided to defy the junta. Image: Sky Ne...
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Jun12021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
What would bring stability after the death of Chad’s president?

What would bring stability after the death of Chad’s president?

ADVOCACY, AFRICA, CHAD, DIPLOMACY, Diplomats, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, PAN AFRICA, PRESIDENT, Security, UN, UN Human RiGHTS
Neighboring countries have successfully managed political change without the military stepping in In April, Gen. Azem Bermendao Agouna announced that Chadian President Idriss Déby had died on the battlefield fighting rebels. During the same broadcast, Agouna declared the establishment of a transitional military council, and dissolved the executive and legislature, replacing the constitution with a transitional charter. In effect, analysts including myself argue, he announced a military coup. Idriss Déby’s son, Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby, sits at the head of the transitional council, which is a military junta composed of 14 other generals. Under the transitional charter, the junta functions as the executive with Mahamat Déby as head of state. He has appointed an interim government ...
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May312021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
SOUTH AFRICA: From The Desk of The President

SOUTH AFRICA: From The Desk of The President

AFRICA, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, INTERNATIONAL, PAN AFRICA, South Africa, South African Parliament, UN Human RiGHTS
Dear Fellow South African,Today is the anniversary of an event in our history that most South Africans would rather not remember.Sixty years ago, on 31 May 1961, apartheid South Africa become a republic, cutting its ties with the British Empire. But while a ‘republic’ is generally defined as state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, this was not the case in South Africa. The Constitution of the apartheid republic pledged allegiance to God, “who gathered our forebears together from many lands and gave them this as their own.”It was a Constitution written by and for a racial minority, and it used faith to justify tyranny. It outlined the administration of government, providing that only white people were eligible to vote and serve as publ...
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May312021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
China announces three-child policy, in major policy shift

China announces three-child policy, in major policy shift

ADVOCACY, Asia, China, HEALTH, HUMAN INTEREST STORIES, UN Human RiGHTS, UNICEF, World Health Organization
BEIJING, China China announced on Monday that each couple would be permitted to have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two children after recent data showed a dramatic decline in births in the world's most populous country. The change was approved during a politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping, the official news agency Xinhua reported. In 2016, China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy - initially imposed to halt a population explosion - with a two-child limit, which failed to result in a sustained surge in births as the high cost of raising children in Chinese cities deterred many couples from starting families. Early this month, China's once-in-a-decade census showed that the population grew at its slowest rate during...
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May312021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
South Sudan sanctions renewed by UN Security Council

South Sudan sanctions renewed by UN Security Council

AFRICA, African Union, EAST AFRICA, Security, South Sudan, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UN Women, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF
UNITED NATIONS, The Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to renew for a year, till May 31, 2022, an arms embargo against South Sudan as well as targeted sanctions of travel ban and asset freeze against individuals and entities. Resolution 2577, which was adopted with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions, extends until July 1, 2022, the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which assists the work of the South Sudan Sanctions Committee. It expresses the Security Council's readiness to review the arms embargo, through modification, suspension, or progressive lifting of these measures, in the light of progress achieved on five key benchmarks. It requests the UN secretary-general to conduct, no later than April 15, 2022, an assessment of progress achieved on the key benchma...
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May312021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Security Council Report Monthly Forecast, June 2021

Security Council Report Monthly Forecast, June 2021

AFRICA, INTERNATIONAL, Security, Somalia, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UN Women, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WORLD, World Bank
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2021_06_forecast.pdf Overview In June, Estonia will have the presidency. The Council may hold meetings in the Security Council chamber this month, although high-level meetings will most likely continue to be held by videoconference (VTC). Estonia has chosen to hold three open debates: children and armed conflict, cybersecurity and working methods. The children and armed conflict open debate on the Secretary-General’s annual report will be at ministerial level and will be chaired by the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid. Briefings are expected from a senior Secretariat official,UNICEF and a civil society representative. The cybersecurity open debate will also be at ministerial level, with the Prime Minister of Eston...
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May312021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
UN Security Council welcomes Somali agreement on prompt and peaceful elections

UN Security Council welcomes Somali agreement on prompt and peaceful elections

AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, INTERNATIONAL, PAN AFRICA, Somalia, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UNDP
In a press statement released Friday night, the 15 members of the council commended the country’s leaders for putting first “Somalia’s stability, security and development, and the best interests of the Somali people”. The agreement,that would allow elections within 60 days, was an outcome of the summit convened by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, after months of escalating tension between the political factions in Somalia. The members of the Security Council welcomed the commitment to “hold peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible elections, which respect the agreed-upon minimum 30% women’s quota in parliament”. The peace and security body also encouraged Somalia’s leaders to maintain this positive momentum so that elections can take place as agreed. They also...
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May292021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
UN appeals for $95 million in Gaza aid for ‘immediate’ humanitarian needs

UN appeals for $95 million in Gaza aid for ‘immediate’ humanitarian needs

Asia, GAZA, INTERNATIONAL, Israel, UN, UN Human RiGHTS, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WORLD
Humanitarian coordinator in Strip says funds are needed to repair key facilities destroyed or damaged in 11 days of hostilities with Israel The United Nations launched an emergency appeal Thursday for $95 million for Gaza for the next three months to meet immediate humanitarian needs and repairs to key facilities. That includes hospitals, schools, water and sewage facilities and other infrastructure destroyed or damaged during the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza’s terrorist Hamas rulers. Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Gaza, urged donors to contribute generously at a virtual news conference launching the appeal, which she said will target one million people for assistance. “I’m calling for humanitarian assistance right now to meet the immediate needs...
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May292021 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Uganda’s Museveni: We are going to fight graft

Uganda’s Museveni: We are going to fight graft

EAST AFRICA, PRESIDENT, UGANDA, Uganda Law Society, UN Human RiGHTS
KAMPALA, Uganda Addressing MPs after the election of Parliament Speaker and Deputy Speaker on Monday, the President said the vice ‘has become a very big problem’.                                     “This kisanja [term] is for socio-economic transformation.Because we have already laid the foundation, the infrastructure is much better. We have got better roads. We have got enough electricity, the schools, the health centres. What is needed, through these, is to transform our people so that all of them get out of underdevelopment.In this kisanja, I want us to be very serious.  First of all, budget correctly. Make sure you budget correctly. During the campaign, I committed on your...
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