UN says Taliban committing ‘rights violations' against Afghan returnees
'People returning to the country who were at particular risk of reprisals and other human rights violations by the de facto (Taliban) authorities were women and girls, individuals affiliated with the former government and its security forces, media workers and civil society,' the UN said in a statement accompanying the release of the report.
'These violations have included torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and threats to personal security.'
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Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
‘Bandits' kidnap more than 50 people in northwest Nigeria: Security source
Gunmen kidnapped more than 50 people in northwest Nigeria in a mass abduction, according to a private conflict monitoring report created for the United Nations and seen by AFP on Sunday. 'Armed bandits' targeted the village of Sabon Garin Damri in Zamfara state Friday, the report said, the latest attack in a region where residents in rural hinterlands have long suffered from gangs who kidnap for ransom, loot villages and demand taxes. The report said this was the first 'mass capture' incident in the Bakura local government area this year, 'the recent trend of mass captures in Zamfara has been concerning,' noting 'a shift in bandit strategy toward more large-scale attacks in northern Zamfara.' A Zamfara police spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Nigeria's 'banditry' crisis originated in conflict over land and water rights between herders and farmers but has morphed into organized crime, with gangs preying on rural communities that have long had little or no government presence. The conflict is worsening a malnutrition crisis in the northwest as attacks drive people away from their farms, in a situation that has been complicated by climate change and western aid cuts. Last month, bandits in Zamfara killed 33 people they had kidnapped in February despite receiving a $33,700 ransom, while three babies died in captivity, officials and residents told AFP. Bandit-extremist cooperation Since 2011, as arms trafficking increased and the wider Sahel fell into turmoil, organized armed gangs formed in northwest Nigeria, with cattle rustling and kidnapping becoming huge moneymakers in the largely impoverished countryside. Groups also levy taxes on farmers and artisanal miners. Violence has spread in recent years from the northwest into north-central Nigeria. Two weeks ago, Nigerian troops killed at least 95 members of an armed gang in a shootout and airstrikes in the northwest state of Niger. But the military is overstretched. While improved cooperation between the army and air force has aided the fight, analysts say, airstrikes have also killed hundreds of civilians over the years. Bandits, who are primarily motivated by money, have also increased their cooperation with Nigeria's extremist groups, who are waging a separate, 16-year-old armed insurrection in the northeast. The recent emergence of the Lakurawa group in the northwest has worsened violence in the region. Governments of affected states have been forced to recruit anti-extremist militias fighting the militants in the northeast to assist in countering the bandits.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan, Iran sign agreements eyeing $10 billion trade, stress cooperation to eliminate militancy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran have signed agreements in the fields of politics, economy, culture and other vital sectors, Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, as Tehran and Islamabad eye raising their bilateral trade to $10 billion. Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan's capital on Saturday on a two-day state visit to increase bilateral trade and strengthen relations between the two countries. Pakistan and Iran have remained at odds over instability along their shared, porous border that even led to a missile exchange between them last year. Both countries, however, were quick to move to ease tensions. Iran and Pakistan have attempted to forge closer economic and investment ties through border markets and trade links in recent years. 'My deep belief is that we can easily, in a short time, increase the volume of our trade relations from the current $3 billion to the projected goal of $10 billion,' Pezeshkian told reporters during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and high-level delegations from both countries in attendance. 'We reached good agreements in the political, economic, commercial, and cultural fields during this visit,' he said. The Iranian president said Islamabad and Tehran had signed 'important documents' that would facilitate and promote bilateral ties in commercial, cultural, tourism, transportation and scientific and educational exchanges between the two nations. 'The development of transit routes, railroad and sea routes, the development and equipping of border markets facilitating trade and the establishment of joint free economic zones, are serious needs in the relations between the two countries,' Pezeshkian noted. 'And we had constructive discussions on those issues.' Pakistan and Iran routinely trade blame for not tackling militancy in their shared border areas. The Iranian president said the issue had come up in talks between both sides. 'Also, given the threats from terrorist groups in border areas, increasing cooperation between the two countries to ensure border security and the peace and comfort of citizens in border cities was emphasized,' he said. The Iranian president condemned Israel for its military operations in Palestine, Syria and other areas of the Middle East, calling for the cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Sharif welcomed the Iranian president to Pakistan and said the two sides held fruitful discussions on culture, religion, history and geography. He condemned Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in June, saying there was no justification for the attacks. Both leaders also called for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The Pakistani prime minister hoped the memoranda of understanding signed between Pakistan and Iran would 'soon' convert into agreements. 'Mr. President, today we have signed many MoUs and it is my prayer and your wish that these MoUs become agreements very soon,' Sharif said. 'And it is your wish and mine too that we achieve the target of $10 billion in trade as soon as possible,' he added. He said Iran and Pakistan had the same stance when it came to 'terrorism,' adding that both countries were opposed to it. Sharif vowed that Pakistan and Iran, through partnership and cooperation, would take steps against militants to ensure peace in their border areas.
Leaders
3 hours ago
- Leaders
Aid Entering Gaza Remains 'Very Insufficient': Germany
The German government said on Saturday despite a limited improvement, the amount of aid entering Gaza is still 'very insufficient,' according to AFP. These remarks followed the Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's visit to the region on Thursday and Friday and the airdropping of Germany's first food airdrops into Gaza. The government spokesman Stefan Kornelius stated that his country 'notes limited initial progress in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which, however, remains very insufficient to alleviate the emergency situation.' Kornelius also underscored that 'Israel remains obligated to ensure the full delivery of aid.' Diplomatic Isolation On Thursday, Wadephul stated that Israel is facing growing diplomatic isolation over the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and mounting international support for Palestinian statehood, according to Al Arabiya. He also noted that that the recent UN conference on a two-state solution to the I sraeli-Palestinian conflict — boycotted by the US and Israel — showed that 'Israel is finding itself increasingly in the minority.' Several European countries have recently announced their plans to recognize a state of Palestine without previous negotiations. However, Germany , one of Israel's staunchest diplomatic allies, is not planning to recognize the Palestinian state in the short term, according to Reuters. A German government spokesperson said on Friday that his country's top priority now is to make 'long-overdue progress' towards a two-state solution. Germany's position on Israel in the context of the Gaza war is deeply shaped by its sense of special responsibility to atone for the Holocaust, during which six million European Jews were killed under Hitler's regime between 1933 and 1945. Wadephul also repeated Berlin's position that 'the recognition of a Palestinian state should come at the end of the process' of negotiations. However, he sharpened his tone slightly by insisting that 'this process must begin now' and that 'Germany will also be forced to react to unilateral moves.' Related Topics: Spain Airdrops 12 Tons of Food Aid into Famine-Hit Gaza Trump's Envoy Visits GHF Aid Site as Gaza Starvation Crisis Deepens Italy Launches Critical Gaza Aid Drops as Famine Threat Looms Short link : Post Views: 96
