By Novell Zwange – KAMPALA – Ugandan authorities should either release a Kenyan human rights activist who is being held on terrorism charges or provide details of the charges, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today in a joint letter to the Ugandan government. Al-Amin Kimathi was arrested, along with Kenyan lawyer Mbugua Mureithi, on September 15 after the two travelled from Kenya to Uganda to observe a hearing of six Kenyans charged with terrorism in connection with the July bomb attacks in Kampala, which killed over 76 people who were watching the World Cup final. Mureithi was released... Continue Reading
By Guyson Nanagayi – LUSAKA (AFP) – Zambian government is planning to close two camps for refugees from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo over the next month which holds over 40,000 people , UN refugee agency said Thursday. Kala camp in north Zambia is scheduled to close on Tuesday while the nearby Mwange camp would be closed by the end of October, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. “A total of 40,000 Congolese refugees have been repatriated from Zambia since 2007,” UNHCR official Phillipe Creppy said. “UNHCR and other partners feel the milestone has been... Continue Reading
By Ron Murevererwi – The second anniversary of the coalition government coincides with this year’s commemorations of the UN International Day of peace. The legacy of the coalition government among other things was the call for humanity to breathe the air of peace from the degenerating crisis that had claimed innocent lives, caused deep seated suffering, loss of property and wide scale abuse of human rights by the Mugabe led government and political party during the reign of terror poll in 2008. In blunt terms, the purpose of the coalition government was to bring transformation to the national community from... Continue Reading
By Nanagayi Guyson – HARARE (AFP) – At arrested 83 women activists have been by Police in Zimbabwe over protests at parliament in the capital Harare without authorisation, a lawyer said Tuesday. “Police have arrested 83 women from WOZA and no charges have been laid against them as yet,” lawyer Belinda Chinowawa said. “Initially, police arrested 25 women and the other 58 handed themselves to the police in solidarity with their colleagues.” The members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were arrested on Monday after marching to highlight concerns around community safety and police behaviour. “These arbitrary arrests and unlawful... Continue Reading
By Phil Mercer – Asylum seekers hold a protest on the roof of the Villawood detention center in Australia as the country has been urged to end detention of Child Asylum Seekers. Eleven detainees at an Australian facility for illegal migrants have ended their rooftop protest after more 29 hours. The men had been threatening to kill themselves if Australian officials did not reconsider their applications for asylum. Australian authorities spent Tuesday negotiating with 11 detainees holding a protest on the roof of a building at the Villawood detention center in Sydney. They began the protest Monday after a Fijian... Continue Reading
