U.N. human rights experts warn that peace in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region will not last unless violations committed during more than two years of armed conflict are investigated and perpetrators held to account.

The three-member U.N. International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, which presented its latest report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Tuesday, welcomed the November 2 peace agreement that ended hostilities between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF.

Since the peace agreement was signed, “the region has witnessed a significant and so far, sustained reduction in conflict,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the commission.

He said the two-year war adversely affected the lives of millions of people in the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions of northern Ethiopia.

“We especially welcome commitments to human rights, protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access and accountability,” he said.

Despite these positive developments, Othman told the Human Rights Council the gravity and scale of violations committed in Ethiopia since the war’s outbreak in November 2020 must not be forgotten.

“Our 2022 September report found reasonable grounds to believe that all parties to the conflict had committed war crimes and violations and abuses of human rights since fighting erupted in November 2020,” he said.

This view was echoed Tuesday in the U.S. State Department’s annual report on human rights violations around the world. The Ethiopian government rejected the U.S. assertion that all sides in the two-year Tigray war committed war crimes, calling the statement “inflammatory.”

The U.N. commission has continued to investigate these allegations in addition to accusations of serious violations and abuses committed since the signing of the peace agreement.

The commission has documented serious offenses allegedly committed by all parties including Eritrean forces operating on Ethiopian territory, and forces from the Tigray, Afar, Amhara and Oromia regions.

They include attacks on civilians, sexual and gender-based violence, denial of humanitarian assistance, arbitrary detention, violations of children’s rights and hate speech.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports conflict and displacement have left 9.4 million people across Tigray, Afar and Amhara in dire need of humanitarian aid. The World Food Program reports 5.5 million people in these regions are facing severe hunger.

Othman said independent investigations and accountability for grave violations are essential to ensure justice for survivors and “deter the commission of future violations and abuses.”

He noted that information for this report has been gathered from victims, survivors and witnesses remotely because the Ethiopian government has refused the commission’s investigation team access to the country.

“We strongly urge the government to reconsider its decision not to cooperate with the commission,” he said. “Under international law, the federal government has the primary responsibility to ensure accountability for crimes committed during the conflict.”

Tsegab Kebebew Daka, Ethiopian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, cautioned the commission against using “inflammatory information,” which he said had the potential to undermine the peace agreement.

He said his government was firmly committed to investigating all cases of human rights violations and ensuring that victims received redress.

He noted that the peace agreement also provided transitional measures, “which include adopting transitional justice policy, to ensure accountability, truth-telling, redress for victims, healing and reconciliation.”

Daniel Bekele, chief commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Ethiopia, called on the U.N. council and international community to support the implementation of “a genuine human rights, victim-centered transitional justice policy for Ethiopia.”

He said the Ethiopian commission spoke to more than 700 victims of human rights violations who indicated that their primary needs were “to live without fear, to have peace and security and reparations to get their lives back.”

Steve Ratner, a member of the U.N. commission, said the panel would support whatever mechanism for transitional justice the Ethiopian people and government choose, provided it contained “accountability and justice for those who committed international crimes, truth and acknowledgement for the victims, remedies and redress for them and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure non-repetition of these abuses in the future.”
…

your ad here

Flintlock, the United States-led annual joint military exercises in West Africa, is introducing maritime training for troops in the Gulf of Guinea. In this report from Sogakope, Ghana, reporter Henry Wilkins explores whether oil piracy is prompting the new training as he joins forces practicing a hostage rescue at sea.
…

your ad here

Nigeria’s two main opposition leaders on Tuesday filed petitions seeking to cancel results from last month’s disputed presidential election, court papers showed, to begin what could be a legal battle lasting several months. 

There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of previous Nigerian presidential elections, but none has succeeded. 

Atiku Abubakar from the biggest opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party’s Peter Obi asked the Appeals Court to invalidate the election won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Party. 

The opposition leaders said in separate affidavits the election was fraught with irregularities and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of breaching the law by failing to use electronic machines to upload polling station results, among other criticisms. 

Atiku and Obi asked for an order “canceling the presidential election” and for the INEC to conduct a fresh vote. 

Tinubu has defended the election as credible. 

Obi campaigned as an outsider, galvanized young and first-time voters and had appeared to throw the contest wide open, raising some voters’ hopes for change after years of hardship and violence under outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, 80, a former army general. 

But Obi came third behind Tinubu and Atiku, both of whom had powerful political machines and decades of networking behind them.  

The APC and PDP have between them governed Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999. 

Election observers from the European Union, the Commonwealth and other groups reported a range of problems, among them failures in systems designed to prevent vote manipulation. 

The observers criticized the INEC for poor planning and voting delays, but they did not allege fraud. The commission itself apologized for the technical problems during the count. 

The Appeals Court has 180 days to hear and make a ruling on Obi’s challenge.  

If a candidate is not satisfied with the outcome of the tribunal, they can approach the supreme court, which will deliberate on an appeal within 60 days. 

Nigeria’s next president will be sworn in on May 29.  

Violence and voter intimidation marred last month’s presidential vote as well as last weekend’s governorship polls. Turnout was low, despite the highest number of registered voters, at 93 million. 
…

your ad here

Ukraine is supporting artists painting murals in Europe and Africa to counter Russian disinformation about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Dubbed ”The Wall,” a nod to the album by British rock band Pink Floyd, the project was recently launched in Kenya’s capital and also employs local artists. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. Kenya footage by Jimmy Makhulo.
…

your ad here

Burkina Faso’s struggle against Islamist militants has raised security concerns in neighboring Ghana. Observers say illegal weapons are being smuggled into Ghana via the porous border. Senanu Tord reports from Paga, Ghana.
…

your ad here

Droughts in Somalia may have killed an estimated 43,000 people last year, a new report by the Somali government and United Nations said.

The report released Monday said half of the drought-related deaths may have occurred among children under the age of 5.

The highest death rates were estimated to have occurred in south central Somalia, including the Bay, Bakool and Banadir regions — the current epicenter of the drought according to the report — which presents retrospective estimates of mortality across Somalia from January to December 2022.

Somalia’s Ministry of Health, and two U.N. organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released the report.

“This report has clearly indicated that the impact of the drought that is unprecedented in this country, had a severe impact on the lives of the people of Somalia,” WHO Somalia told VOA Somali.

“This report has clearly indicated that the impact of the drought that is unprecedented in this country had a severe impact on the lives of the people of Somalia,” WHO Somali Representative Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik told VOA Somali.

Malik said because of the droughts the estimated number of deaths in 2022 is 208,000. In the absence of droughts, the number of deaths expected was estimated to be 165,000 people.

“The difference is 43,000, and this is what we are calling ‘excess deaths’ meaning that these 43,000 deaths would not have happened if there was no drought or food hunger-like situation in 2022 in Somalia. So that’s the interpretation we are giving.”

Malik said due to hunger in Somalia, immunity to diseases has gone down, which caused the deaths.

“Some of the diseases, which are easily preventable like measles, diarrhea diseases, cholera have killed these 43,000 people, excess in number compared to the usual number,” he said.

“I think it was [an] inability to provide health care during that period that claimed the lives of these people, some of these deaths are preventable and this is the learning that we are doing. We need to bring health care and health services closer to the people where they are.”

The report warns that although famine has been averted, the drought situation is not over. The report estimates that from January to June this year, 135 people might also die each day due to the hunger crisis, with total deaths projected to fall between 18,100 and 34,200 during this period.

“We continue to be concerned about the level and scale of the public health impact of this deepening and protracted food crisis in Somalia,” said Somali Minister of Health Dr. Ali Haji Adam.

He said he is optimistic that the risk of famine can be pushed back if ongoing health and nutrition efforts are sustained and scaled.

“We, therefore, urge all our partners and donors to continue to support the health sector in building a resilient health system that works for everyone and not for the few,” he said.

“Building a healthier and happier world for all Somalis remains at the heart of our government.”

Humanitarian agencies in Somalia said droughts in the country have affected 7.8 million people and are blamed for 3.5 million livestock deaths.

The International Rescue Committee said it’s “deeply concerned” by the report.

“These deaths are absolutely preventable,” Shashwat Saraf, IRC’s Regional Emergency Director of East Africa, said in a statement.

Saraf urged the U.N. to prioritize countries at the highest risk, such as Somalia, and urged donors to support a national effort to extend lifesaving malnutrition treatment to children in need.
…

your ad here

The United States has determined that members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), Eritrean Defense Forces, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces and Amhara forces committed war crimes during the conflict in northern Ethiopia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.  

Members of the ENDF, Eritrean forces, and Amhara forces also committed crimes against humanity, Blinken told reporters, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence and persecution. 

Members of the Amhara forces committed the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer and committed ethnic cleansing through their treatment of Tigrayans in the western Tigray, Blinken said. 

The determination comes after the top U.S. diplomat’s trip to Ethiopia last week, where he praised progress in implementing a peace deal in the country but stopped short of re-admitting it to a U.S. trade program.  

The Ethiopian government and forces from Tigray signed a cease-fire in November, ending a conflict that killed tens of thousands of people, left hundreds of thousands facing hunger and displaced millions. 

Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Blinken’s remarks. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokesperson Billene Seyoum also did not respond to requests for comment. 

Additionally, Ethiopian Army spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel, TPLF official Getachew Reda, and Amhara regional government spokesperson Gizachew Muluneh did not respond to requests for comment. 

Blinken, in his meeting with Abiy last week, discussed “the importance of accountability for the atrocities perpetrated by all parties during the conflict, as well as the need for an inclusive and comprehensive process of transitional justice,” the State Department said. 

The United States was outspoken in its criticism of alleged atrocities by Ethiopian forces and their allies from Eritrea and the Amhara region during the Tigray war. 

Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation and traditionally a U.S. ally in East Africa, accused Washington of meddling in its internal affairs and threatened to reassess the bilateral relationship. 

It has denied the most serious allegations of human rights violations during the war. 
…

your ad here

“Africa is facing a water catastrophe,” UNICEF Director of Programs Sanjay Wijesekera said in a statement Monday.  

A new UNICEF report says 190 million children in 10 African countries are “at the highest risk” from three water-related threats and climate hazards.

The three threats, known collectively as WASH, are: inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene.  

Many children in the affected countries do not have access to basic sanitation, according to the UNICEF analysis, whose findings are being released just days ahead of the U.N. 2023 Water Conference.  

Water in the home is not available to nearly one-third of the children, while two-thirds do not have basic sanitation service. A quarter of the children lack an alternative to open defecation. Three quarters of the children cannot wash their hands because there is no soap and water in the home.  

The countries affected by the water nightmare are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Somalia.   

In addition, some of the countries and consequently their children, face yet another threat – instability and armed conflict.  

“The loss of a child’s life is shattering for families. But the pain is intensified when it is preventable and caused by the lack of basic necessities many take for granted like safe drinking water, toilets, and soap,” said Wijesekera.
…

your ad here

Kenyan riot police fired tear gas Monday to disperse demonstrators gathered in Nairobi for a day of action called by the opposition to protest the country’s punishing cost of living crisis, AFP correspondents said.  

The government of President William Ruto has vowed to take a tough stance over the demonstrations, which opposition leader Raila Odinga vowed would go ahead despite not receiving police authorization. 

Demonstrators also hurled rocks at anti-riot police outside government offices in the capital, while about two dozen people were arrested, including two opposition MPs, correspondents at the scene said. 

“We will be here until they run out of tear gas,” said one protester, Markings Nyamweya, 27.  

In one part of Nairobi’s biggest slum Kibera, demonstrators also set tires alight, AFP journalists said. 

“I want Kenyans to come out in large numbers and show the displeasure of what is happening in our country,” Odinga, who narrowly lost last year’s election to Ruto, told supporters on Sunday. 

Kenyans are suffering from surging prices for basic necessities, as well as a sharp drop in the local shilling against the U.S. dollar and a record drought that has left millions hungry. 

“We came here peacefully but they tear gassed us,” said Charles Oduor, 21. “They lie to us every day. Where is the cheap maize flour they promised? Where are the jobs for the youth they promised? All they do is hire their friends.” 

Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei said Sunday that police received requests to hold two demonstrations only late Saturday and early Sunday, when normally three days’ notice is required for public rallies. 

“For public safety, neither has been granted,” he said. 

‘Skyrocketing’ cost of living 

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki warned Sunday that anyone inciting public disorder or disturbing the peace would be prosecuted. 

“Day of showdown,” was the headline in Kenya’s The Standard newspaper on Monday. 

Many businesses in Nairobi were shut ahead of the demonstrations, with some employers telling their staff to work from home. 

Odinga said he called the demonstrations to protest the “skyrocketing” cost of living and the “stolen” election last August. 

“Since Mr Ruto was sworn in six months ago, he has continued to run the country with a lot of contempt,” he said, highlighting the high cost of basics such as fuel, cooking oil, school fees and electricity. 

Odinga, leader of the Azimio la Umoja party, has long protested that the August election was fraudulent and denounced Ruto’s government as “illegitimate”. 

According to official results, Odinga — who was making his fifth bid for the presidency — lost to Ruto by around 233,000 votes, one of the closest margins in the country’s history. 

The Supreme Court dismissed his appeals, with its judges giving a unanimous ruling in favor of Ruto, finding there was no evidence for Odinga’s accusations. 

Ruto for his part declared that he would not be intimidated by the opposition demonstrations, saying: “You are not going to threaten us with ultimatums and chaos and impunity.” 

“We will not allow that,” he said, calling on Odinga to act in a “legal and constitutional manner”. 
…

your ad here

Somalia’s federal and regional leaders have agreed to increase the number of armed forces and police officers to meet security demands as African Union forces leave the country by the end of next year.  

The leaders have agreed the number of national armed forces to be at least 30,000 soldiers and at least 40,000 police personnel, according to the agreement obtained by VOA Somali.

According to the agreement known as the “National Security Architecture” signed by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and the leaders of federal member states last week, the new number of armed forces do not include the navy, air force and special commando units trained by the United States and Turkey.  

The agreement revises a 2017 deal between Somali leaders, which specified the number of military and police to be at least 18,000 and 32,000 respectively. The earliest age to register for the army will be 18 and 62 is the new retirement age.  

According to the new agreement, the country’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) will continue to have special armed agents until current security conditions end. Federal member states, which currently have their own intelligence agencies and armed agents, will no longer have these agencies once the country is stabilized.   

The new agreement also allows the number of custodial corps to be 5,300 — comprised of 4,500 federal and 800 prison guards.  

Leaders of the Puntland semiautonomous region did not participate in the meeting held in the southwestern town of Baidoa between March 15 and 17. In January, Puntland leaders said they would govern their own affairs like an “independent government” until the federal constitution is completed.  

Somali government officials said the new agreement is intended to prepare the country’s forces to take over security responsibilities from AU forces.    

“The Somali government today is concentrating on transferring security responsibilities from ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) which have been in the country for not less than 15 years,” Kamal Dahir Hassan Gutale, national security adviser to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre told VOA Somali.  

“The target is that on December 2024 the last AU soldier will leave the country. This is important for Somalia meeting its security responsibilities.”  

Gutale said paramilitary forces belonging to the regions will be used as stabilization and holding forces in areas captured from al-Shabab militants.   

Immediately after the agreement was reached, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud flew to Uganda to attend the graduation of newly trained soldiers.

 

Somalia’s national security adviser Hussein Sheikh-Ali confirmed to VOA in January that the government is training 3,000 soldiers in Uganda.

Ali also recently confirmed that troops from neighboring countries will participate in the next phase of military operations against al-Shabab.  

Gutale told VOA that the new offensive will commence during Islam’s holiest month, Ramadan, which starts this Wednesday.  

“There is a rigorous preparation by the Somali national armed forces and all other forces for large operations during Ramadan,” he said.  

“God willing, we hope Somali forces will achieve [a] big victory.” 
…

your ad here

South Sudan’s National Security Service has released the remaining journalists who had been detained for weeks over a video apparently showing the country’s president urinating on himself during an event.

At least seven journalists with the state broadcaster were detained in January following the circulation of the video of President Salva Kiir during the inauguration of a road project.

In a statement on Friday, the Union of Journalists of South Sudan said the two remaining journalists had been freed. None of the journalists were charged.

The union “will continue to engage with all stakeholders in the country to ensure journalists work in a free and safe environment,” the journalists’ organization said.

The South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation footage aired in December and was widely shared online. It showed the 71-year-old Kiir standing during the national anthem and then looking down at what appeared to be a spreading stain, before the camera turned away.

One of the released journalists, Garang John, in a Facebook post said his health had been “totally compromised” by the 60 days of confinement.

“I am completely weak and tired, but it shall be well,” he said.
…

your ad here

Malawi rescue teams started using sniffer dogs Friday to locate the bodies of people trapped under rubble left after Cyclone Freddy destroyed their houses. The Malawi government announced that Zambia has sent two aircraft to help with rescue efforts and more nations are pledging to do so.

Authorities in Malawi are still coming to terms with the scale of Cyclone Freddy’s destruction.

Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya told VOA Friday about the challenges they face locating the remains of people trapped under muddy rubble, which is why sniffer dogs are an asset.

“Most of the dead bodies are under rubble and it is becoming difficult to find out where the bodies are. So, today we engaged these dogs from this morning,” Kalaya said.

Early this week, Malawi search and rescue teams — comprised of police, the Red Cross and the military — were deployed to rescue people trapped in trees and rooftops by the cyclone.

Lameck Kalenga is deputy chief of military operations in Malawi.

He told a news conference Thursday that the military team also faced significant challenges.

“Our boat capsized, and we had all occupants in that boat submerged in water,” Kalenga said. “They managed to swim, others to the shore but others … they swam on and held on to trees that were surrounded by water. So, we had like three officers who were surrounded by water, but by yesterday [Wednesday] all of them were rescued.”

Authorities in Malawi say there are still many areas that cannot be accessed by either vehicles or boats.

However, the Zambian government Friday sent two aircraft to help the search and rescue team in Malawi access those hard-to-reach areas.

“One of these aircrafts is a relief aid aircraft, which is bringing relief aid to Malawi,” Kalenga said. “And the other one is [an] MI8 helicopter, which will be used to gain access in those inaccessible areas. Mainly Mulanje, Phalombe and Nsanje.”

The Department of Disaster Preparedness in Malawi said search and rescue teams from South Africa, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom are expected to arrive soon.

In the meantime, Mozambique has also pledged to assist Malawi with an aircraft.   
…

your ad here