Metro

Death toll in Chadian protests estimated at 128

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2023

The death toll in last year’s bloody nationwide protests in Chad have been estimated to be around 128, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), said in a report submitted to the government on Thursday.

The deadly violence was sparked by a government crackdown on opposition protests against the extension of the transitional government.

The protests began on October 20, 2022, when opposition parties organised demonstrations against the continuation in power for two more years of the transitional president, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno

The peaceful demonstration in the capital N’Djamena, was to turn an orgy of blood when government forces shot many of the protesters, sparking off a series of attacks that spread to other cities of the country.

The authorities had initially announced that around fifty people had died, mainly young people shot dead in the capital by the forces of order, before re-evaluating the figure at 73 deaths.

But independent investigators have put the overall death toll at over 128.

“The official figures are different from those obtained after the investigations of the National Human Rights Commission,” says the CNDH.

“Our work mainly concerned the towns most affected by the repression, notably those of N’Djamena, Moundou, Doba, Koumra and Sarh. The figure could be more,” it added.

According to the investigators, 943 people were arrested, 435 detained, and 12 disappeared without trace.

“The CNDH attributes the main responsibility for all these human rights violations to agents invested with state authority, namely the FDS (security forces), who clearly failed in their tasks in the chain of events,” the report notes.

“On a day which has come to be known as Black Thursday, 621 people were arrested and taken to Koro Toro, a high-security prison in the middle of the desert 600 km north of N’Djamena. They were then tried in a mass trial, without lawyers or independent media, after a month and a half in detention.”

“Four lifeless bodies arrived in Koro-Toro, having died en route, and eight died as a result of ill-treatment” in this prison, the CNDH said.

Related Topics:#CHAD Death Toll Featured Protest

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Metro

Catholic bishops in Zambia decry ‘shrinking democratic space’, hounding of opposition parties

Published

19 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has decried what it describes as a shrinking and deteriorating democratic environment, marked by the arrests and prolonged detention of opposition leaders.

In a letter signed and issued by all 11 Catholic Bishops in Zambia in Lusaka on Sunday, the clerics lamented that at least six opposition leaders were currently facing charges linked to their political activities, highlighting what they termed as a significant restriction of democratic freedoms.

“We are gravely concerned by the shrinking democratic space in the country. For example, about six or more opposition leaders are facing the law simply because of their participation in political activism,” the letter stated.

The Catholic Bishops called on the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) to ensure fairness in the political landscape.

“We urge the government to tolerate divergent views and promote democracy in the country,” they said.

The Bishops also condemned the prolonged detention of political figures, journalists, and other individuals without trial, asserting that such practices undermine democratic principles.

“Of concern is the detention of individuals, journalists, and opposition political leaders for expressing their views on governance issues,” the letter read.

The pastoral letter also criticized the UPND government for its use of derogatory language against the Church, referencing UPND Secretary-General Batuke Imenda’s labelling of Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda as “Lucifer.”

“The Church expected Mr. Imenda to apologize for his remarks, as they were not only an insult to Archbishop Banda but to the entire Catholic Church,” the Bishops emphasized.

The letter further condemned the deployment of police officers to the Cathedral of the Child Jesus, viewing it as a form of intimidation.

Metro

Nigerian economy to grow in leaps and bounds in 2025, VP Shettima predicts

Published

23 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has predicted that the country’s economy will grow in leaps and bounds in 2025 due to the reforms put in place by President Bola Tinubu.

Shettima, who made the projection at a retreat organized for presidential aides in Abuja, gave reasons for his optimism, citing economic improvements recorded so far, including crude oil production reaching 1.8 million barrels per day.

Shettima emphasized that despite the challenges confronting Nigeria, the nation’s economy was on the path to growth due to Tinubu’s policies and determination to transform the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“President Bola Tinubu is determined to change the fortunes of the nation. We all want to bequeath to the younger generation a united and progressive country,” Shettima said.

He emphasized that though the Nigerian economy is facing challenges, the current government is doing everything possible to turn things around.

“Yes, the economy has faced and is still facing challenges, but we have turned the corner. As of now, we are producing 1.8 million barrels of oil per day. The economy is on an upward trajectory, and I believe that in the new year, the economy will grow in leaps and bounds.”

“The country is greater than all of us. I urge you all to work as a team and as a family.”