Metro

Egypt pardons jailed Chadian rebel ahead of dialogue

Published

2 years ago

September 15, 2022

Egyptian authorities have pardoned and released a jailed Chadian rebel leader, Tom Erdimi, following a presidential decree by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi which also saw over 45 other detainees released from prison.

The release of Erdimi on Thursday on the recommendation of the Presidential Pardon Committee set up by al-Sisi, is coming on the heels of a pre-negotiation parley held in Doha by the Qatari Emirate with Chad’s envoys and more than 300 rebel groups.

Erdimi, the twin brother of another top rebel leader and leader of the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) Timan Erdimi, was in Egyptian prison for several months after he was arrested last year.

The release of the rebel leader from prison was one of the key conditions for the UFR joining a national dialogue in N’Djamena between civil society, opposition parties, trade unions, rebel groups and the military government of Mahamat Idriss Deby.

The deal was reached in August after a deadlock and many rebel groups pulling out of talks over the perceived insincerity of N’djamena, including Chad’s main rebel group, The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT).

The Erdimi brothers who are nephews of former Chadian President Idriss Deby who was killed during a military operation in 2021, were key government figures in the 1990s when their uncle was in power.

While Tom Erdimi was a director of Deby’s cabinet in 1991, and in charge of certain oil-related activities in the central African state, Timan was a ‘shadow’ minister in the cabinet as well.

But in 2005, the twin brothers rebelled against Deby and launched several offensives aimed at overthrowing the government, including one that earned them a death sentence in absentia while they were in exile overseas.

Timan himself who had been living in exile in Qatar in the last decade, returned to the West African country last month to be part of the dialogue called by their cousin, Mahamat Deby, who took over power after the death of his father.

Related Topics:#CHAD Dialogue Egypt Featured rebel leader Tom Erdimi

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Metro

Sign language interpreter, Kunda, seeks inclusivity in media rights agenda

Published

1 hour ago

April 23, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

An inclusive society is crucial for a nation’s human and economic development in the modern era.

In this edition of Project Aliyense, we feature Paul Kunda, widely recognized as the face of sign language interpretation on national television, serving the deaf community.

Kunda, a dedicated sign language interpreter and educator with over four years of experience, sheds light on the significance of media freedom.

“As a sign language interpreter at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and a teacher by profession, I advocate for media freedom,” he said.

Kunda emphasised the importance of the Access to Information (ATI) Act, recently assented to by President Hakainde Hichilema, which empowered citizens to demand information freely.

He stressed the need for unhindered access to information to foster a civil and prosperous society.

Regarding digital rights, Kunda highlighted their critical role for the deaf community, given the transformative impact of digital platforms, especially when mainstream media access is limited.

“As a representative of the deaf community, I believe digital rights should be inclusive. Everyone, including persons with disabilities, should enjoy these rights through various devices to express themselves and participate in national discourse,” he asserted.

He also called for the recognition of sign language as the eighth national language, aligning with United Nations conventions that mandate sign language interpreters at all events to promote inclusivity.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Sign language interpreter, Kunda, seeks inclusivity in media rights agenda (video)

Published

3 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

An inclusive society is crucial for a nation’s human and economic development in the modern era.

In this edition of Project Aliyense, we feature Paul Kunda, widely recognized as the face of sign language interpretation on national television, serving the deaf community.

Kunda, a dedicated sign language interpreter and educator with over four years of experience, sheds light on the significance of media freedom.

“As a sign language interpreter at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and a teacher by profession, I advocate for media freedom,” he said.

Kunda emphasised the importance of the Access to Information (ATI) Act, recently assented to by President Hakainde Hichilema, which empowered citizens to demand information freely.

He stressed the need for unhindered access to information to foster a civil and prosperous society.

Regarding digital rights, Kunda highlighted their critical role for the deaf community, given the transformative impact of digital platforms, especially when mainstream media access is limited.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.