Focus on Africa Activists block foreigners from South African hospitals
The African Union sends a delegation to South Sudan to encourage the warring sides in the country to revive a 2018 peace deal and pave the way for elections. Can they bring both sides back to the table?
And as Africa Fashion Week London comes to an end, how can African fashion leverage its global appeal?
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Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
UN chief puts Israel, Russia 'on notice' over conflict-related sexual violence accusations
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel and Russia on Tuesday that he has significant concerns about patterns of certain forms of sexual violence by their armed and security forces, according to a report seen by Reuters. The alleged crimes included incidents of genital violence, prolonged forced nudity of captives, and abusive and degrading strip searches aimed at humiliation and interrogation. In his annual report to the Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence, Guterres put Israel and Russia "on notice" that they could be listed next year among parties "credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence." The warning resulted from "significant concerns regarding patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented by the United Nations," he wrote. Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon described the concerns as baseless accusations. "The U.N. must focus on the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas and the release of all hostages. Israel will not shy away from protecting its citizens and will continue to act in accordance with international law," Danon said in a statement. Palestinian militants Hamas - whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel triggered the current war in Gaza - were listed in Guterres' report on Tuesday as a group "credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence" in armed conflict. 'We categorically reject all these allegations," senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters, adding in reference to Israeli remarks: 'These are certainly new attempts to use lies to divert attention from the ongoing brutal crimes committed by this fascist government and its army against our people in Gaza." In his warning to Israel, Guterres said he was "gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces" against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention center and a military base. "Cases documented by the United Nations indicate patterns of sexual violence such as genital violence, prolonged forced nudity and repeated strip searches conducted in an abusive and degrading manner," he wrote in the report. While Israeli authorities had engaged with his special envoy on sexual violence in conflict over the past year, Guterres said "limited information has been provided on accountability measures undertaken in relation to alleged incidents of sexual violence, despite witness testimony and digital evidence of Israeli soldiers committing such violations." Russia's mission to the U.N. in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Guterres said Russian authorities have not engaged with his special envoy. Guterres wrote that he was "gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Russian armed and security forces and affiliated armed groups" primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war, in 50 official and 22 unofficial detention facilities in Ukraine and Russia. "These cases comprised a significant number of documented incidents of genital violence, including electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information," he said. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
France acknowledges role in Cameroon's struggle for independence
PARIS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron formally acknowledged France's role in violent repression during Cameroon's struggle for independence in a letter signed on July 30 but only disclosed on Tuesday. The letter, addressed to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, follows the findings of a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission that investigated France's role and involvement against the fight for independence between 1945 and 1971. The Cameroon government did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. Cameroon was a German colony until it was split between Britain and France after World War One. Under United Nations trusteeship, the French-administered area gained independence in 1960 while the southern British Cameroons voted to join French Cameroon in a federation in 1961. "The commission's historians clearly established that a war took place in Cameroon, during which French colonial authorities and military forces committed various forms of violent repression in several regions of the country, a war that continued beyond 1960 with France's support for actions taken by the independent Cameroonian authorities," Macron said in the letter. Macron also acknowledged France's responsibility in the deaths of independence leaders Ruben Um Nyobè, Paul Momo, Isaac Nyobè Pandjock and Jérémie Ndéléné, who were killed between 1958 and 1960 during military operations conducted under French command. The French president pledged to open archives, support historical initiatives, and create a joint working group to implement the commission's recommendations, aiming to reconcile historical memory and strengthen Franco-Cameroonian ties. Starting with 17th-century outposts and expanding in the 19th century, France built a vast colonial empire, notably in Africa, lasting until the 1960s decolonization. The letter follows previous steps by Macron to confront France's colonial legacy, including acknowledgments of French responsibility in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the Algerian War. These gestures come amid shifting dynamics in France's relationships with African nations, at a time when its presence in parts of the continent, particularly the Sahel, is being increasingly contested.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
If stopping the boats were simple, it would have happened by now
Given the unusually fine weather – coupled with the world's many conflicts, and regions of endemic poverty – it should not come as a great surprise that yet another small boats record has been broken. New Home Office figures show that, since Labour came to power after the general election, more than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK via the English Channel. A few weeks ago, the numbers of refugees and economic migrants arriving via the English Channel reached a record rate for the time of year – 25,000 by the end of July, and, thus, the fastest flow since 2018, when such movements were first monitored. The new headline figure is different, and even more 'political'. At this rate, 2025 will set a new record for a calendar year. The political reaction has been predictable. Labour says it is 'unacceptable', while the Tories accuse the government of having 'surrendered our borders'. A little over a year ago, it was the Conservative government admitting the flows were unacceptable, and the Labour opposition laying the charge that the Sunak government had surrendered our borders. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage and Reform UK continue to pretend that solving this complex and intractable problem is simply a matter of willpower and a willingness to break international law and start a naval conflict with France. To borrow a recently fashionable phrase, the Reformists are the least serious people in British politics since… well, they persuaded the nation that Brexit was a good idea. Of course, in some ways, taking the Guinness Book of Records approach to the immigration statistics is playing the old immigration numbers game in an even more unhelpful way. The numbers may be large by recent trends, but they are rarely placed in context. Even a figure of 50,000-plus would, for example, only represent about 4 to 5 per cent of the total of gross, entirely lawful immigration into the UK on work and study visas. Not all will be able to make a successful claim for asylum. If any commit a criminal offence, they are liable to be deported – and much more rapidly under the latest proposals from the home secretary, Yvette Cooper. Contrary to some lurid and confused headlines, asylum seekers are neither responsible for most sexual offences in Britain, nor the same as those predators of Pakistani heritage who inflicted their appalling crimes on young girls for most of the last two decades. They were not responsible for the Southport murders; and they are mostly quite anxious to go to work, even if it is illegal for them to do so. The economic case for migration also stands. Despite an uptick in unemployment, there is a labour shortage in many parts of the UK, and it is almost as bad as it has ever been since Brexit in agriculture and the hospitality, health, social care and leisure sectors. A policy of 'net zero' migration, as advocated by Reform UK, would cause chaos in care homes, on farms and elsewhere, and inflict grievous damage to the economy. Those who want to reduce regular, lawful, documented and visa-based migration, such as Mr Farage, need to come up with some better ideas about how the demographically challenged and ageing British nation can undergo the renaissance they so cynically promise. Ministers have a duty to take on the myths and legends of irregular migration. But they are also under an obligation to 'stop the boats', something all parties actually agree about: this trade in human misery is dangerous and, indeed, unacceptable. Politically, Labour may have given the impression before the last general election, analogous to the way it approached economic policy, that fixing the problem of irregular migration would be easier than it has turned out to be. That is not to decry its efforts. Sir Keir Starmer was perfectly sincere in his belief, based on past experience as director of public prosecutions, that the criminal gangs engaged in human trafficking are susceptible to the same methods as gangs involved in terrorism and drug peddling. He was also right to rebuild cooperation with European neighbours, as with the 'one in, one out' deal with France and changes in German law to make obtaining and running the boats more difficult. Yvette Cooper seems fully aware of the need to stop using so-called 'migrant hotels', and to clear the huge backlog of cases left behind by the Sunak administration – people supposedly destined for Rwanda who were never going to get there because the Rwanda scheme was so small. Without condoning the ugly violence and vicious Islamophobia that disfigures too many local demonstrations, it is plain that the public is impatient with the lack of tangible progress. It is unfortunately not yet clear that Labour is making the requisite moves to 'smash the gangs' and 'turn the page and restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly'. The best thing that Sir Keir and Ms Cooper can do in these circumstances is to level with the electorate and explain why this intractable challenge will have to take time, and that they will do whatever is necessary to get the numbers radically lower. If stopping the boats were as easy as some claim, it would have happened by now. Nonetheless, the government needs to provide more evidence of progress, if only to counter the propaganda and misinformation so widespread on social media. In short, the public would like to hear about record-low numbers of small boat arrivals.
