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UN agency surveys almost 2,000 people from Africa in Europe to pin down their motivation for migration.
Tragedy struck in the south-western Mbanza-Ngugu area of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday when a bus carrying about a 100 passengers was involved in an accident.
At least 31 people were killed on Sunday and 16 others injured in a bus accident near the city of Mbanza-Ngungu in south-western Democratic Republic of Congo, UN-backed Radio Okapi reports.
The administrator of Mbanza-Ngungu, Didier Nsimba, said the bus’ brakes may have failed, causing the accident.
He said some of the victims’ bodies have been taken to the Sonankulu General Hospital.
Some Kenyans have taken to Twitter to express their anger following a report in the Standard newspaper
that soldiers harassed residents of the coastal city of Mombasa during Sunday’s celebration of Heroes Day.
There was an intensified security operation in Mombasa as the country marked the holiday at an event attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta and other senior government officials.
The Standard reports that some residents were forced to swim in sewer water, while others were forced to sit in muddy puddles.
Some residents stayed indoors for fear of being “manhandled” by the army, the paper reports.
The army has not yet commented on the allegations.
A 23-year-old man identified as Chikore told the paper he was on his way to the venue marking the holiday when he was stopped by soldiers who said he looked suspicious.
“They wrestled me to the ground and later forced me to swim inside a filthy sewage. I tried to run but they hit me with the butt of a gun,” he said.
Tweeters called the treatment of “shameful” and “despicable”:
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday (local time) termed terrorism as one of the major challenges confronting the world today and said nations which aid and abet terror should be isolated.
“Terrorism is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. All the nations must intensify their collective efforts and strive to eliminate the menace of terrorism and also isolate nations which aid and abet terrorism. India has borne the brunt of cross border terrorism over decades,” the Vice President said in a press statement during his visit to Sierra Leone.
The Vice President made the remarks after his delegation-level meeting with President of Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio.
Naidu while thanking President Bio for Sierra Leone’s support to India’s candidatures in various International organisations, also called for reform in UNSC saying, “We agreed that both sides need to continue pushing for these reforms so that one-third of mankind residing in Africa and India occupy their rightful place at the high table in decision making bodies of the United Nations.”
The Vice President also expressed his happiness at Sierra Leone joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in order to enable rapid deployment of solar energy globally and to facilitate the transfer of technology.
Terming the vibrant Indian community in Sierra Leone as an organic bridge between the two nations, Naidu thanked President Bio for ‘taking care of their welfare’.
Elizabeth II has finished delivering her Queen’s Speech, in which she announced plans for 26 bills — most of which focused on domestic policies.
She has now left the throne in the House of Lords, alongside her son, the Prince of Wales.
MEANWHILE; Lawmakers return to House of Commons
MPs are filing back into the House of Commons, where they will spend days debating the contents of Boris Johnson’s Queen’s Speech.
There is plenty in there to discuss — including bills on important issues such as domestic abuse, pensions, healthcare, the environment and animal welfare.
Several bills were also dedicated to criminal justice, as Johnson continues to make law and order a central plank of his pitch to the public.
But it’s fairly unlikely that none of these bills will see the light of day in this Parliament, thanks to the very first part of the agenda — Brexit — which is expected to force a general election in the coming weeks.
The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who made peace last year with bitter foe Eritrea.
He was awarded the prize for his efforts to “achieve peace and international cooperation”.
Mr Abiy’s peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.
He was named as the winner of the 100th Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, where he will receive the award in December. It is worth some nine million Swedish crowns (about £730,000; $900,000)
There had been great speculation over who would win the prize, with climate activist Greta Thunberg widely tipped as the favorite. Under the Nobel Foundation’s rules, nomination shortlists are not allowed to be published for 50 years, and the organisation says any speculation ahead of the announcement is “sheer guesswork”.
The government of The Gambia Monday announced the endorsement of D50 million to the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) Victim Fund.
“Today, almost one year into the TRRC public hearing, the government is fulfilling its promise to grant reparation for the victims of human rights violations and abuses within the mandates of the TRRC. On behalf of President Barrow, it is with great pleasure that I announce to you the decision of the government to contribute to the TRRC Victim Trust Fund an initial amount of D50 million dalasis with immediate effect,” Abubacarr B. Tambadou, the attorney general and minister of Justice said.
Mr. Tambadou was speaking on Monday during a press conference in Banjul.
He said: “In order to underscore the importance the government attaches to these objectives, the word ‘reparation’ was included in the title of our truth commission, making it the first of its kind anywhere in the world.”
The D50 million, he said, is paid out from the proceeds of sales of the former president’s assets which were currently sold in accordance with the recommendations of the Janneh Commission.
The Justice minister thanked Gambians based in the country and those in diaspora for their individual and collective act of generosity towards the welfare of the victims.
He called on private business enterprises to become so generous and donate to the TRRC Victim Trust Fund “so that we can together make reparations meaningful for the victims who deserve our individual and collective support to rebuild lives.
“Let us demonstrate to the world our true Gambian characters of benevolence, compassion, selflessness and humanity,” he said, while thanking the victims for their continuous understanding and forbearance.
The government, he added, also reiterated its support and firm commitment and gratitude to the TRRC commissioners and staff for their contribution towards establishing the truth about our dark past and encouraging national reconciliation in the process.
Lamin J. Sise, the chairman of the TRRC said: “We at the TRRC are very grateful about the announcement made by the Justice minister. Fifty million is a splendid contribution by the government to the reparation funds that we established and announced few weeks ago.”
The gesture, he added, will assist the healing, the reconciliation and hopefully, bring justice to the process. “The victims deserve this kind of attention. They are the ones who really suffered enormously in the 22 years of dictatorship. Those victims cannot be forgotten. Therefore, looking at the nature of the people and our country, that is not going to happen.”
Dr. Sise said: “Every Gambian was a victim under the brutal regime that ruled the country for 22 years. Our role is to try to establish record of these atrocities of these gross violations of human rights and abuses for healing and reconciliation.”
The victims, he went on, need this kind of attention and this kind of help. “The gesture is a first step of bringing about healing and bringing about reconciliation and to certain extents of justice. Your contribution will help us move the process of paying reparation or handing reparation the way we are doing it in a very unique of Gambian way.”
The findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on the public land grants by the State and District Authorities (general) were accepted by the government that the “leases issued to former President Jammeh be cancelled and/or rescinded.
This was revealed in a government White Paper, an excerpt of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the financial activities of public bodies, enterprises and offices as regards their dealings with former president, Yahya Jammeh and connected matters.
It was noted in the report that former President Jammeh was engaged in a land grab and he abused his authority as president to do so. He as well acquired several leased lands in the tourism development area (TDA), which are public lands leased to him by the State and local communities with the approval of the minister responsible for lands, without payment of any form of consideration.
Among these several other lands according to the Commission’s report including forests, lagoons, reserves and parks, islands and these are public lands leased to him by the State directly or by district authorities.
As per the recommendation it was noted that “it would be unconscionable and contrary to public policy if former President Jammeh were allowed to keep gifts of community lands needed for the livelihoods and development of entire communities.”
It continued that, since the government accepts these findings, in so far as they relate to lands allocated by local communities to former President Jammeh and accordingly that the government accepts the recommendations of the Commission that the said lands be confiscated by the State and properly planned to serve the most urgent public needs of local communities “the said land are (were) hereby confiscated.”
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