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Congo-Kinshasa: Mixed-Race Children Taken From Belgian Congo Mothers Sue for Crimes Against Humanity
by VOA on 22/10/2021 at 08:52
[VOA] A group of mixed race women who were abducted as children by state officials in what was then Belgian Congo is suing the Belgian state for crimes against humanity. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the case comes as Belgium struggles to reconcile with its brutal colonial past.
Liberia: UK Looks Forward to Welcoming Liberia's Delegation to COP26
by New Dawn on 22/10/2021 at 08:27
[New Dawn] Unveils Presidency Program to drive global climate ambition at the Glasgow Summit
Tunisia: European Parliament Adopts Resolution On Tunisia
by Tunis Afrique Presse on 22/10/2021 at 08:13
[Tunis Afrique Presse] Tunis/Tunisia -- The European Parliament adopted Thursday afternoon, the resolution on the situation in Tunisia by 534 votes for, 45 against and 106 abstentions.
Gambia: VP Touray Receives Queen's Baton
by The Point on 22/10/2021 at 08:06
[The Point] Vice President Dr Isatou Touray yesterday received the Queen's Barton at States House on behalf of President Adama Barrow.
Tanzania: Tanzania, France Pledge Stronger Ties in Key Areas
by Citizen on 22/10/2021 at 07:07
[Citizen] Dar es Salaam -- Tanzania and France yesterday expressed their commitment to cementing trade and economic ties on a win-win basis.
Egypt: Egypt, Slovenia Discuss Reinforcing Ties
by Egypt Online on 21/10/2021 at 13:13
[Egypt Online] Egypt and Slovenia's top diplomats held Wednesday a new round of political consultations at the Foreign Ministry headquarters that touched on boosting bilateral ties.
Nigeria: Minister, Naccima Woo Turkish Investors to Nigeria
by This Day on 21/10/2021 at 12:16
[This Day] Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo and the Nigerian Association of Chambers Of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) have called on Turkish nationals and business owners to increase their investments in the country.
Nigeria: Security, Trade Take Centre Stage in Nigeria, Turkey Agreements
by This Day on 21/10/2021 at 12:15
[This Day] Abuja -- The need to improve security and trade between Nigeria and Turkey formed the highlight of the bilateral agreements signed yesterday in Abuja between President Muhammadu Buhari and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ghana: GTP, B5 Plus Support Queen's Baton Relay Committee
by Ghanaian Times on 21/10/2021 at 11:56
[Ghanaian Times] Two companies - GTP and B5 Plus Limited have made cash donations to the Ghana Queen's Baton Relay Planning Committee, to support the organization of the Queen's Baton Relay event scheduled for October 25-26.
Egypt: The 9th Trilateral Summit Between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus in Athens
by Egypt Online on 21/10/2021 at 08:32
[Egypt Online] President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived on Tuesday morning 19/10/2021 in the Greek capital, Athens, to participate in the 9th Trilateral Summit between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, within the framework of tripartite cooperation mechanism that was launched in 2014.
Eritrea: Seminar to Nationals in Scandinavian Countries and Switzerland
by Shabait on 21/10/2021 at 08:27
[Shabait] Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, conducted a seminar on 16 October in Stockholm to Eritrean nationals in the Scandinavian countries focusing on the objective situation in the homeland as well as diplomatic engagements with neighboring countries and beyond.
Gambia: Top London MET. Officers Recognise Role of Senegambians
by The Point on 21/10/2021 at 08:22
[The Point] Top members of the London Metropolitan Police have once again acknowledged the role of Senegambians for their "positive input and constructive participation" in various networking and interacting projects organised by the force.
Gambia: Jallow, Barrow Score for Respective European Clubs
by The Point on 21/10/2021 at 08:22
[The Point] Some of the Gambian players that are playing their trades in Europe over the weekend scored for their respective European topflight clubs.
Tanzania: France Launches New Direct Flight From Paris to Zanzibar
by Citizen on 20/10/2021 at 16:12
[Citizen] Dar es Salaam -- France yesterday launched a new flight that will see passengers travel direct from the French capital Paris to Tanzania's archipelago Zanzibar.
Somalia: Somalia And Serbia to Sign Trade Pact
by Dalsan Radio on 20/10/2021 at 13:38
[Dalsan Radio] The Minister of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia Ms.Tatjana Matić receive her in Belgrade the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hon. Khalifa Abdi Omar.
Somalia: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Receives Copy of the Credentials of Sweden Ambassador to Somalia
by Dalsan Radio on 20/10/2021 at 09:10
[Dalsan Radio] The State Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Balal Mohamed Osman, received on Monday in the capital Mogadishu a copy of the credentials of Mr Per Lindgärde, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Egypt: Address By President Sisi During Press Conference of Tripartite Cooperation Mechanism Summit
by Egypt Online on 20/10/2021 at 08:25
[Egypt Online] In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Tunisia: Jerandi, Minister of State At German Federal Foreign Office Discuss Political Developments in Tunisiasie
by Tunis Afrique Presse on 20/10/2021 at 08:24
[Tunis Afrique Presse] Tunis/Tunisia -- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Othman Jerandi and Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen discussed, Tuesday, prospects for cooperation and partnership between the two countries and developments in Tunisia and the region.
Egypt: Sisi Back Home After Participating in Tripartite Summit in Athens
by Egypt Online on 20/10/2021 at 08:06
[Egypt Online] President Abdel Fattah El Sisi returned home after participating in a tripartite summit in Athens, which brought together the leaders of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.
Egypt: Sisi Lauds Progress in Tripartite Cooperation Mechanism With Cyprus, Greece
by Egypt Online on 20/10/2021 at 08:06
[Egypt Online] The Egyptian-Greek-Cypriot summit discussed on Tuesday 19/10/2021 aspects of cooperation between the three countries within the framework of the tripartite cooperation mechanism, with a special focus on its success in periodical consultations and close coordination regarding regional and international files of impact on all peoples in the region.
Egypt: President El-Sisi Meets With Greek PM
by Egypt Online on 20/10/2021 at 08:06
[Egypt Online] The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency stated that President El-Sisi began his visit to Greece by meeting Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Egypt: President El-Sisi's Speech At the Joint Press Conference With Greek PM and Cypriot President
by Egypt Online on 20/10/2021 at 07:41
[Egypt Online] The President's Speeches
Cameroon: Cameroon-Serbia - Reinforcing Cooperation Ties
by Cameroon Tribune on 20/10/2021 at 07:39
[Cameroon Tribune] An audience between the two Ministers of External Relations held recently focused on enhancing bilateral relations as concerns developmental projects between the two parties.
Kenya: Nandi Seek Koitalel Samoei's Skull, Artefacts
by Nation on 20/10/2021 at 06:28
[Nation] A petition for the British to return the skull of legendary Nandi leader Koitalel Samoei and the quest for Sh20 billion compensation for atrocities committed when colonialists crushed the Nandi resistance will feature in today's anniversary celebrations.
Africa: Turkey Frees Ugandan Blogger Who Had 'Killed' President Museveni
by East African on 19/10/2021 at 13:44
[East African] Turkish authorities have released a Ugandan opposition supporter suspected of spreading rumours that President Yoweri Museveni had died earlier this year.
Tunisia: Germany's Niels Annen On Visit to Tunisia On October 19-20
by Tunis Afrique Presse on 19/10/2021 at 13:27
[Tunis Afrique Presse] Tunis/Tunisia -- Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen is paying an official visit to Tunisia on October 19-20.
Egypt: Sisi Arrives in Athens for Summit With Greek, Cypriot Leaders
by Egypt Online on 19/10/2021 at 13:22
[Egypt Online] President Abdel Fattah El Sisi arrived in Athens Tuesday to attend a trilateral summit with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus.
Egypt: Sisi Arrives At Venue of Summit With Greek, Cypriot Leaders
by Egypt Online on 19/10/2021 at 13:22
[Egypt Online] President Abdel Fattah El Sisi arrived at the venue of a trilateral summit to be held with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus Tuesday.
Rwanda: Rwandan Players Abroad - Rwatubyaye Nets Winner as Bizimana, Mukunzi Shine
by New Times on 19/10/2021 at 08:44
[New Times] Clubs around the globe returned to action after last week's international break. A host of Rwandan players who ply their trade outside the country featured for their respective teams whereas some were not involved at all.
Congo-Kinshasa: Congo Métis - 'Children of Sin' Confront the Belgian State
by JusticeInfo.net on 18/10/2021 at 12:45
[JusticeInfo.net] Léa, Monique, Noëlle, Simone and Marie-José were victims of systematic segregation, as were 15,000 other mixed-race children, when Congo was a Belgian colony. The five women living in Belgium and France who were born in the Congo are demanding reparations from the Belgian state, and the recognition of a "crime against humanity".

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Official: Dozens of Inmates Free in Latest Nigeria Jailbreak
Gunmen have attacked a prison in southwest Nigeria, freeing dozens of inmates, an official told The Associated Press Saturday. The third jailbreak in Africa's most populous country this year raises more concerns about how safe detention facilities are in the West African nation where authorities have struggled to stem rising violence. A handful of security facilities, especially police stations, have been attacked in a similar manner in the past year. Olanrewaju Anjorin, a spokesman of the Oyo correctional center in Oyo state, told the AP that the gunmen attacked the facility late Friday night and an investigation into the incident which will reveal the extent of damage has begun. “I can't ascertain the number of people that escaped or that were recaptured but I am telling you that the security has been beefed up around the custodial center and the town,” he told AP in a phone interview. Francis Enobore of the Nigerian Prisons Service also confirmed the incident and said he was on his way to the attacked facility. Friday's attack is the third this year in Nigeria, where jailbreaks are becoming more frequent and police only capture a fraction of those who escape. Lagos-based online newspaper TheCable reported in July this year that at least 4,307 inmates had escaped from prisons since 2017, based on compiled media reports. In 2021 alone, more than 2,000 inmates were freed in two earlier jailbreaks: on Sept. 13 when 240 inmates were freed after gunmen attacked a detention facility in north-central Kogi state with explosives and on April 5 when at least 1,800 were freed in the southeast Imo state when another facility was also blown up. Most of the recent jailbreaks in Nigeria seem not to be connected although the attacks are carried out in a similar manner with the use of explosives. Authorities have managed to rearrest some escaped inmates, sometimes in neighboring states, while others return willingly. A good number of those who have escaped in such attacks are yet to be convicted and still awaiting trial. Nigerian prisons hold 70,000 inmates but only about 20,000, or 27%, have been convicted, according to government data.
UN Recap: October 17-22, 2021
Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch: Airstrikes target Mekelle The Ethiopian government launched a series of airstrikes this week on Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, one of which forced a U.N. aid flight to turn around midair. New provocations from DPRK North Korea has continued to test-fire missiles, spurring the United States, Britain and France to call a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday. Africa hardest hit by climate change A new U.N. climate report says the African continent is warming faster and to a higher temperature than other parts of the world, despite being responsible for less than 4% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Human rights discussions The U.N. General Assembly’s third committee had its annual briefings Friday from the special rapporteurs on the human rights situations in North Korea and Myanmar. News in brief — UNICEF said Tuesday that 10,000 children have been killed or maimed in Yemen since fighting started in March 2015. That is the equivalent of four children every day. And that is the number of cases the U.N. children’s agency has been able to verify; the real number is likely higher. — UNICEF said the numbers of women (71) and children (30) kidnapped for ransom in Haiti in the first eight months of 2021 have surpassed the totals for all of 2020. The overwhelming majority of abductees are Haitians and are taken in the capital, Port-au-Prince. — The U.N. Security Council has set off on its first field mission since before the pandemic. The 15 members are heading to Mali and Niger through Tuesday. They are checking on Mali’s transition and discussing terrorism, the effects of climate change in the Sahel and other issues with leaders, civil society and U.N. country teams. — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the U.N. Security Council separately welcomed the declaration of a unilateral cease-fire on October 15 by President Faustin Archange Touadéra in the Central African Republic. That country has been trying to restore state authority after years of intercommunal violence and territory grabs by armed groups. Some good news The United Nations said a national house-to-house polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan will resume November 8, after a three-year halt, with the support of the Taliban authorities. Quote of note “Today, women’s leadership is a cause. Tomorrow, it must be the norm,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday on the 21st anniversary of Resolution 1325, which demands the full and equal participation of women in conflict resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction. Next week The G-20 meets in Rome ahead of a critical U.N. climate conference in Scotland in early November. On Tuesday, the U.N. General Assembly will hold its own pre-conference high-level session on delivering climate action. Did you know? U.N. peacekeepers are called “blue helmets” because of the color of their berets and helmets. There are more than 87,000 peacekeepers from 121 countries currently deployed in a dozen missions. Their missions are authorized by U.N. Security Council resolutions to protect civilians and strengthen security in post-conflict and fragile states.
Trafficked to Europe for sex: A survivor’s story
Expecting to become a carer in Copenhagen, Jewel was forced into prostitution. But two chance meetings enabled her to get away.
Ethiopian Government Airstrike Hits Tigray Regional Capital
Ethiopian forces carried out an airstrike Friday on the city of Mekelle, their fifth on the Tigray regional capital since Monday. There were no immediate reports of casualties following Friday’s airstrike, which witnesses say hit a farmer’s field near a fenced off area on the eastern side of Mekelle University. A U.N. humanitarian flight bound for Mekelle had to turn back in mid-air to Addis Ababa Friday because of the airstrike, according to Gemma Connell, head of the regional office for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Connell said this week’s air strikes and recent fighting in Tigray have had major consequences because not a single aid truck has entered the embattled northern Ethiopian region since Monday. Ethiopia’s state-owned Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported Friday’s airstrike targeted military training spots used by Tigrayan forces. “Another one of the terrorist group TPLF’s [Tigray People’s Liberation Front] training sites has been the target of air strikes today,” said the report, which cited the website Ethiopia Current Issue Fact Check, a pro-government initiative. “This site was ENDF’s [Ethiopian National Defense Force’s] training center before being appropriated by TPLF for military training of illegal recruits. It is also serving as a battle network hub by the terrorist org.” TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said the airstrikes are a last ditch effort to turn the tide in the conflict between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government, which has raged on for nearly a year. “They are desperate on the war front,” he said, speaking to Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location. “My interpretation is they are bombing us because they are losing on the ground and it’s their reprisal. The fact that they are bombing shows they don’t care about Tigrayan civilians.” On Wednesday, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq confirmed that three children were among those killed in this week’s attacks. Haq said colleagues at the U.N. “are alarmed at the intensification of the conflict and once again reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.” Witnesses who spoke to VOA’s Tigrigna Service reported civilian injuries and deaths. The airstrike Thursday that targeted Mesfin Industrial Engineering, an equipment manufacturing company, injured 15 people, who are receiving medical help at Mekelle’s flagship Ayder Referral Hospital, according to Girmay Legas, the director of the emergency room at the hospital, who spoke to VOA’s Tigrigna Service. “There are many who were seriously injured, especially two of the people who had to go straight into the operating room right after they were admitted,” Girmay said. “We have a five-year-old child among the 15 injured and one of the injured was pregnant and she is receiving care to find out the condition of the child.” Girmay said most of those admitted to the hospital had “serious physical injuries,” and said the hospital did not have enough medical equipment and medicine to help the victims. Biniam Kassa was one of those injured. “Mesfin industrial’s work focuses on normal projects like transportation but I don’t know why and in what case it was targeted,” he said. “Only thing I can say at this moment is that only civilians were attacked but nothing else.” Filimone Yohannes was another person injured and underwent surgery on his right leg. He says the attack happened while they were in the middle of work. “I was injured on my knee and couldn’t stand up but pulled myself to move a bit further until people came and lifted me up and brought me here [Ayder hospital] in an ambulance. I am not sure how people will go back to work and might lose their jobs and won’t be able to feed themselves if they don’t have work, people will be displaced. If you are bombarded in your place of work, how would you go back to work? How can you work?” Ethiopian government spokesman Legesse Tulu said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the military is making precise aerial attacks and making every effort to avoid civilian casualties. “We confirm and assure these surgical operations have no any intended harm to civilians,” Legesse wrote. He added that Tigrayan forces have used civilian facilities for military purposes. “They have been adept at hiding munitions and heavy artillery in places of worship and using ordinary Tigrayans as a human shield,” he wrote. “The purpose of the air strikes was just to deter the damages and atrocities the TPLF terrorist group plan[n]ed to make on the social well-being of the country and citizens.” The Tigray conflict began almost a year ago between Ethiopian troops and the TPLF, which governed Ethiopia for three decades but now rules only the northern Tigray region. Mekelle has not seen large-scale fighting since June, when Ethiopian forces withdrew from the area and Tigray forces retook control of most of the region. Following that, the conflict continued to spill into the neighboring regions of Amhara and Afar. Last week, Tigray forces said the Ethiopian military had launched a ground offensive to push them out of the Amhara region and to recapture territory lost to them several months ago. VOA Tigrigna Service’s Mulugeta Atsbeha contributed to the report from Mekelle. VOA’s Margaret Besheer contributed to the report from the United Nations.
Nigeria Separatist Leader Pleads Not Guilty to Charges at Start of Trial
Nigerian separatist Nnamdi Kanu has pleaded not guilty to charges brought against him by authorities. The leader of secessionist group The Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, was captured in Kenya in June and repatriated to Nigeria to face trial. The start of the trial in Federal High Court on Thursday was the first time Kanu has been seen in public since he was captured in late June. Kanu was brought to an Abuja courtroom by state security agents in a heavily guarded convoy. The trial began shortly afterward but journalists, lawyers and supporters were denied access to the courtroom. Kanu is charged with terrorism, treason, involvement with a banned separatist movement, inciting public violence through radio broadcasts, and defamation of Nigerian authorities through broadcasts. Kanu denies the allegations, and his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told reporters the dismissal of charges is being sought. "We're challenging the seven-count amended charge." Ejiofor said. "Once the court hears it and rules in our favor, that's the end of the case and he'll walk out of court a free person." Justice Binta Nyako adjourned the trial to November 10 and declined an application by Kanu's counsel for the defendant to be transferred to a correctional facility in Abuja, where he'd be more accessible, instead of the state security custody. The IPOB, led by Kanu, wants the southeastern region of Biafra to break away from Nigeria. An attempt to separate in 1967 triggered a civil war that killed more than one million people, mostly Biafrans. Nigerian authorities consider the IPOB’s activities to be a threat and banned the group in 2017. But the IPOB continued to win supporters, especially in the southeastern region, where the movement is most active. The IPOB has launched a security arm, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, which authorities blame for unrest in the region and the killing of more than 120 people this year. The IPOB has denied the allegations. Public affairs analyst Abu Mohammed, a supporter of the separatist movement, said the Nigerian government's failures are motivating separatists. "Today they're calling for another system of government that may not work and that is why people are agitating," Mohammed said. "If we're supposed to get to so-so place and we haven't gotten there, definitely there should be separation for us to go because maybe we have our vision." Southeastern Nigeria was largely shut down on Thursday after the IPOB called for a “sit-at-home” strike to show solidarity with Kanu.
Malawi Authorities Take Steps to Protect Children From Sexual Exploitation
Malawi’s government has started a campaign to remove children from places like night clubs where they are being forced or tricked into prostitution. But rights activists say the campaign is targeting the wrong people because it does not target perpetrators. At the start of the campaign Wednesday, government authorities with help from police conducted daytime raids on lodges, clubs and bars in the capital Lilongwe. The operation rescued 10 children between the ages of 14 to 16 years who were being forced or lured into prostitution. The authorities say they plan to put the girls into rehabilitation centers before they are sent back to their homes. Patricia Kaliati is the minister of social welfare. She says the campaign is part of the government’s policy to protect children against all forms of exploitation. “We have been talking about sexual harassments and even a number of organizations are talking about the same sexual harassment programs and policies which we have. So, it’s really sad that some people are doing business out of other people’s children,” she expressed. One of the rescued girls says, someone had encouraged her come to Lilongwe from for domestic work but was eventually forced into commercial sex work. She says the proceeds of her work were surrendered to her purported master who is still at large. Victor Mhango is executive director for Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance. He lauded the campaign but says the problem is that the real culprits are left unpunished. “These children are being employed by people, the adults. Maybe they are used as pimps. So, they collect the money from the clients then they receive the money themselves and give something to the children, so to us that is a crime,” he notes. Human Rights lawyer Ruth Kaima points out that prostitution is legal in Malawi. “For these minors for them engaging in sex work on their own, they are not committing an offense, but It’s illegal because you are not supposed to harbor minors and engage them in sex work because [by doing so] you are exploiting them and because you are abusing them,” he says. However, Kaliati says the raid Wednesday serves as warning about the impending punishment for those who push minors into prostitution. “We will close all those rest houses that are keeping these toddlers because they know that we need to protect our children and we need to safeguard our children and we need also to respect the rights of our children that they have to live peacefully without being harassed sexually,” she adds. However, rights campaigners say the sexual exploitation of children in Malawi will only end if underlying factors like poverty are addressed.