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Musings From Abroad

UK PM Boris Johnson plans to send migrants to Rwanda to be processed in secret deal worth millions to African country

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United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced plans to send thousands of migrants to Rwanda to be processed in a secret deal said to be worth millions of pounds for the African country.

The deal has been described as ‘secretive’ with ministers only allowed to refer to ‘country X’ during meetings.

The plan, if it sees the light of day. would see the UK government fly asylum seekers, irrespective of their nationality, out to Rwanda for processing while the UK pays the African country millions of pounds.

There had been similar attempts to send migrants to Ghana and Albania in the past but these plans fell due to international outcry.

The plan, which is still in the pipeline and not fully clear how it would be carried out, was to be announced last week following a new surge in the number of migrants crossing the channel into the UK in the past few weeks.

Officially, the number of migrants that have so far crossed the Channel this year have passed 4,500, according to statistics from the Home Office, prompting the plan by Johnson.

In 2021, a total of 28,526 people crossed the Channel, but the record is expected to be broken this year.

However, the bill has met resistance in the House of Commons where an MP, David Davis, tabled an amendment to scrap the measures.

Speaking during the debate, the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, was deeply critical of such a move, saying enabling the offshoring of asylum seekers to overseas processing centres was evil and should not be condoned.

“When people arrive on our shores seeking protection we have a responsibility to treat them as we would wish to be treated if we indeed had to flee for our lives.

“If we move them to other countries for the process of their asylum claims, I very much fear a blind eye will be turned to their treatment.

“The inhumanity of this part of the Bill is my primary concern. There are however significant practical and financial concerns,” Butler said.

However, supporters of the plan believe it was the only way to profile asylum seekers.

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford said: “Asylum processing overseas is one part of a system-wide reform designed to break the business model of people smugglers and disincentivise unwanted behaviours.”

Musings From Abroad

UN investigators concerned over likely ‘future atrocities’ in Ethiopia

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United Nations-appointed investigators in Ethiopia Thursday warned about the likelihood of further humanitarian crises in the country.

The UN chief called for continued scrutiny of Addis Ababa’s human rights record as their work faced termination amid strong African-led opposition.

The Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the northern region Tuesday agreed to a permanent truce to cease hostilities following the conclusion of a peace deal brokered by the African Union in South Africa.

Both sides accused one another of crimes against humanity, such as killings, rapes, and arbitrary detentions, but neither admitted to any systematic wrongdoing.

International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, in a report earlier in the week, said there had been attacks by the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) against civilians in Tigray that were “grave and ongoing.”

With the ongoing Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, its two-year term is up for renewal, but no proposal has been made thus far due to what diplomats describe as considerable resistance, particularly from African members

In light of continued violations in the region, Mohamed Chande Othman, the chair of the Commission, warned the 47-member council that it would be “premature” to conclude its work.

“Failure to do so would not only be an abdication of the Council’s responsibility, it would send a devastating message to the victims and survivors of this conflict,” he said.

He told the Council that “…the situation in Ethiopia exhibits most of the indicators for future atrocities…” and accused Ethiopia of conducting “a deliberate effort to evade regional and international scrutiny”.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s ambassador, Tsegab Kebebew stated the commission had “grossly mischaracterized the good and largely acclaimed democratic advances in Ethiopia”.

The Tigray Region is the northernmost regional state of Ethiopia. The region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people.

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Musings From Abroad

Mozambique: UK Supreme Court okays suit against Privinvest in London

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A United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has ruled that Mozambique can sue shipbuilder, Privinvest in Britain for alleged bribery connected to the $2 billion “tuna bond” scandal.

The ruling on Wednesday, just weeks after a London High Court ruled that the Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, cannot be sued in Britain for bribery in his country’s lawsuit against Credit Suisse and others over the $2 billion “tuna bond” scandal.

Mozambique is bringing a lawsuit against Privinvest, its owner, Iskandar Safa, Credit Suisse, and others for government-guaranteed loans raised in 2013 and 2014, hundreds of millions of dollars of which disappeared.

The scandal’s notoriety began with the borrowing of $2.2 billion by three newly formed firms in 2013 and 2014, the majority of which was done without the legislature’s knowledge or authorization. Mozambique alleges that Privinvest and Safa conspired against it and distributed more than $130 million in bribes to dishonest government officials and Credit Suisse employees.

Despite that,the Mozambican government served as a guarantee for the loans, ensuring that it would return the money in the event of a problem.

The “hidden debt” or tuna bond issue has sparked criminal investigations from Maputo to New York, as well as a string of related litigation in London involving Credit Suisse, shipbuilder Privinvest, its owner Iskandar Safa, and many other parties.

Privinvest has suggested that arbitration be used to resolve any disputes with Mozambique. A setback to Mozambique’s attempts to recover the funds it claims it lost came in 2021 when the Court of Appeal ruled in the company’s favour.

But on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously accepted Mozambique’s appeal against that decision, allowing the republic’s allegations against Privinvest to be heard in a trial that would last for months and begin on October 3.

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