South Africa says Israel “dismally failed” in its defence before the ICJ
- On the final day of the ICJ’s preliminary hearings on Israel’s genocide case, the Israeli defense focused on the brutality of the Oct. 7 attacks.
- Even when acting in self-defence, countries are required by international law to follow international humanitarian laws of war, South Africa argued.
Source: Africa News | Link: https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/12/south-africa-says-israel-dismally-failed-in-its-defence-before-the-icj/
Can the Gaza conflict be resolved by South Africa's legal action against Israel?
According to South Africa, Israel's authorities are the primary instigators of the genocide occurring in Gaza.
Israel is under international scrutiny as it faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
Israel's army has killed over 23,500 Palestinians in Gaza, and it is being held accountable for its acts.
Ethiopia- Somaliland deal: A pivotal move for sea access and regional relations (Business Africa)
- This move is pivotal for Ethiopia, leasing a 20-kilometre stretch coastline that will allow diversification beyond Djibouti.
- Ethiopia currently relies on a single corridor for 95% of its imports and exports, raising crucial questions about its potential impact on global maritime trade.
Source: Africa News | Link: https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/11/ethiopia-somaliland-deal-a-pivotal-move-for-sea-access-and-regional-relations-business-afr/
Kenyan legal community opposes Ruto's criticism of the judiciary
In Kenya, a struggle is intensifying between the executive and judicial arms of government.
This comes after President William Ruto stated that a group of lawyers had given him the duty of identifying the judges, despite the fact that he claimed the judiciary was collaborating with some anonymous individuals to use court decisions to undermine his government programmes.
In response to the president's remarks that they believe go beyond his authority to enforce the law, the Law Society of Kenya planned a nonviolent demonstration. William Ruto's comments, according to the president of the Law Society of Kenya, might plunge the nation into chaos.
Link: https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/12/kenya-law-society-protests-rutos-judiciary-critique/
A former minister from Kenya was arrested in Uganda on suspicion of smuggling gold.
Stephen Tarus, a former Kenyan assistant minister for internal security, is being held by Ugandan officials on suspicion of smuggling gold into the nation using forged passports.
Arrested last week, Mr. Tarus was brought before a Ugandan anti-corruption court on Wednesday to face accusations of falsifying export documents, as stated by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The URA revealed that the use of fraudulent trade documentation resulted in significant financial losses for the Ugandan government.
In the newest dispute in East Africa, Burundi blocks its border with Rwanda.
Burundi's decision to close its border with Rwanda, according to the Rwandan government, came weeks after the country's president accused Kigali of harbouring a rebel group.
Evariste Ndayishimiye, the president of Burundi, charged in late December that Rwanda was harbouring and training the Red Tabara rebel group, which took credit for an offensive close to Burundi's western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Rwanda has denied his claims.
President Assoumani of Comoros is running for a fourth term on January 13.
On Sunday, Comoros will cast ballots in an election that is anticipated to give President Azali Assoumani, a former military officer accused by his detractors of stifling dissent in the nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, a fourth term in office.
There are about 340,000 voters in this less than a million person nation.
The 65-year-old Assoumani, who served as the African Union's rotating chairperson for the previous year, will go up against five opponents. Calling for a boycott, other opposition leaders claim the electoral commission is biassed in favour of the ruling party.
Pregnant women in Nigeria's camps for refugees face significant health hazards, even in the absence of floods or the fear of Islamist violence.
Four of Aisha Aliyu's children are arranged about her feet as she lies spread out on a mat in front of her home, eight months pregnant.
Hauwa, age two, and Abba, age five, are both sobbing and pulling at their mother's coffee-colored headscarf. She snaps her tongue and rolls her eyes at them in return. She appears worn out.
Aliyu is expecting her tenth kid. The final four were delivered in the Durumi Camp, where she and an estimated 3,000 other internally displaced people reside in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.
Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/29/africa/nigeria-women-health-risks-as-equals-intl-cmda/index.html
IMF EXPECTS “RESILIENT GLOBAL ECONOMY” IN 2024 DESPITE LOWER AVERAGE GROWTH RATES
Chaos in Kinshasa as river rises to near-record level
In Sudan, aid workers face danger with killings and looting of supplies.
News bits compiled by:
Afifa Iqbal (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Alithia Clemency Paul (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Drafted by:
Poulina Banerjee (B.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Bhanu Vishwas (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Published by:
