Metro

Mali denies UN’s accusations of human rights abuses

Published

2 years ago

September 4, 2022

Mali has responded to accusations by the United Nations that its security forces were engaged in human rights abuses, saying the reports were false.

The Malian foreign ministry on Saturday, said the country is denying the accusations in its entirety as its forces have never been found to indulge in human rights violations.

The UN mission to Mali, MINUSMA, had, on Friday. released its quarterly note on human rights, and while accounting for the period between April 1 and June 30 of this year, said it had recorded several cases of human rights abuses and violations in the West African country.

The UN report said during that period in review, the violations were committed both by Islamist militant groups and state security forces.

It added that it has documented “serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law” by government forces.

In the report, the UN said tensions between Malian forces and MINUSMA in recent months have led to the country’s security forces clashing with members of the mission including the arrest of 49 soldiers from Ivory Coast who had arrived as support for a UN contingent on their arrival at Bamako’s airport, after accusing them of being mercenaries, in July.

A fallout of the arrest saw the MINUSMA’s spokesperson expelled from the country after he made comments on Twitter claiming the UN had notified the Malian government of the soldiers’ arrival.

The Malian government also denied the UN’s access to the Moura region in April, where it wanted to carry out a human rights investigation into an alleged massacre committed by Malian forces working with Russian mercenaries, the report noted.

But the country’s foreign ministry, in a statement on Saturday, called the allegations against the state security forces biased and made without “tangible proof and under the threat of terrorist groups, with an objective to tarnish the image of state security forces.”

In an 11-page statement posted on the website of Mali’s foreign ministry, the country denied all allegations leveled in the UN note that implicated Malian state security forces.

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Metro

EU launches initiative to reintegrate over 417,661 out-of-school children in Nigeria

Published

17 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The European Union (EU) has launched an initiative to reintegrate over 417,661 out-of-school children in Nigeria, particularly in the northwestern parts of the country.

Mrs. Tobi Ransomed, who is the consortium lead, disclosed this during the launching of the “Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in North West Nigeria Program” (ABEP), held in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, on Thursday.

While declaring the event open, Ransomed noted that the high rate of out-of-school children in the region required a holistic approach from all relevant stakeholders to ensure these children reached their potential.

Speaking further, she said the ABEP three-year pilot program would be implemented through Save the Children International, PLAN, and Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAG) across twelve local government areas in Kano, Jigawa, and Sokoto States.

“Data from Save the Children International (SCI), has shown that 10% of the world’s out-of-school children are in Nigeria, with over 10 million primary school-age children not in school. Approximately 25% of girls and 10% of boys in the country have been victims of sexual violence,” she stated.

“The program aims to increase access to safe, quality, and inclusive alternative and accelerated education programs for 324,000 young girls and boys, as well as 32,400 persons with disabilities, supporting their transition into formal or non-formal education.

“This project plans to increase access to livelihood opportunities, vocational education, and green job opportunities for 60,000 youths and 6,000 persons with disabilities, with 20,000 beneficiaries in each participating state.

“The overall objective is to contribute to the empowerment of the poorest, underserved, and most marginalized population groups, including women, girls, and youth, by providing access to quality, inclusive, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive education in northwestern Nigeria with a special focus on Kano, Jigawa, and Sokoto States,” she stated.

Metro

World Bank pledges $3b to support Zambia’s development goals

Published

2 days ago

November 14, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The World Bank Group has pledged to avail Zambia with approximately $3 billion to support the country’s development goals under the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2025-2029, with nearly half of the funds already disbursed.

World Bank Country Manager, Achim Fock, who made this known at the CPF launch at the Mulungushi Conference Centre in Lusaka on Wednesday, outlined the global lender’s focus areas, which included enhancing jobs, human capital, and climate resilience.

Fock highlighted that $200 million had been approved to strengthen Zambia’s social protection programs, including the Refugee and Host Community Project.

He also expressed optimism for upcoming approvals, including the Climate and Economic Resilience Financing and the Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector.

Zambia’s Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, who also spoke at the event, noted that 2.3 million Zambian households have so far benefited from social protection interventions such as the Cash for Work Programme, emphasizing the government’s commitment to safeguarding lives amid crises like the recent drought.

Musokotwane further reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting lives during times of crises such as the recent drought.

“More than two thirds of the Zambian population was affected by the drought. It was the government’s view that the first priority was to save lives,” Musokotwane stated.