World

Guterres’s Aide Raises Grave Concern On Ethiopia

Published

3 years ago

November 9, 2021

News Net Global

Guterres’s Aide Raises Grave Concern On Ethiopia

By: Michael Mike, Abuja

The Special Adviser of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General (António Guterres) on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu has raised grave concern over the deterioration situation of Ethiopia, warning that the situation poses a great threat to the unity of the country and the East Africa sub region.

Nderitu, in a statement on Tuesday on the situation in Ethiopia, said she is gravely concerned at the deterioration of the situation of Ethiopia, where escalation of violence, increased incidence of ethnically and religiously motivated hate speech, displacement of populations and destruction of property display serious indicators of risk of commission of atrocity crimes.

She echoed calls for de-escalation and dialogue to address the current crises, including by the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union.

She said: “It is essential that all parties take serious and urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and take active measures to mitigate the risk of commission of wide-spread and systematic violence, including along ethnic lines. This risk is real and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.”

She noted that the decentralized nature of the country and the strengthening of ethnic-based allegiances, especially at the community level, enhances the possibility of such violence.

She said “further deterioration can have very serious consequences not only for the future of the country but for the overall region, including cross-border conflicts. It is therefore vital that regional actors take any possible initiative to strengthen dialogue and put an end to the armed conflict, including by supporting ongoing regional mediation efforts, and that the international community remains engaged in supporting such efforts and in contributing to open further options for peace.

“This includes the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) both of which have a key role to play.”

She noted that only through genuine and inclusive dialogue can Ethiopians address the root causes of their divergences and preserve their country’s unity and stability, which includes at the community level, where strategies to reduce conflict, division, distrust and hostility are especially paramount.

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She noted that: “Unfortunately, dynamics conducive to legitimizing violence for political and ethnic nationalism purposes precede the current conflict, and the current conflict is likely to build upon this negative legacy. This cycle needs to be broken for sustainable peace to emerge. Through dialogue, Ethiopians can find solutions based on shared needs and interests and build a common sense of belonging through constant interaction and shared experiences. In short, they can see once more that they have more commonalities than differences, as their kinship ties across ethnicities go back centuries.”

The Special Adviser reiterates concerns expressed in her 5 February and 30 July statements on the situation in this country, and notes that current developments occur in a context of history of inter-ethnic conflict; ongoing human rights violations and absence of accountability; increased politicization of identity and past grievances; increased inflammatory rhetoric, propaganda campaigns or hate speech; sexual and gender-based violence and creation of, or increased support to, militia or paramilitary groups.

The Special Adviser also noted that the country continues witnessing inter-group tensions and patterns of discrimination against specific groups, including ethnic profiling, incitement to violence and allegations of systematic attacks against specific populations.

She said: “These all constitute risk factors for atrocity crimes. Given their potential impact in triggering large-scale violence, allegations of hate speech by ethnic and religious leaders are particularly concerning.”

She however acknowledged the serious violations by all parties between November 2020 and August 2021 documented in the Joint Investigation into Alleged Violations of International Human Rights, Humanitarian and Refugee Law Committed by all Parties, issued by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights this week.

The Special Adviser joined the High Commissioner for Human Rights in urging national and international national actors to take steps for accountability for the serious violations documented in the period covered by the report, as well as for the alleged violations committed since. In this direction.

She welcomed the establishment of a high level inter-ministerial task force in response to the Joint Investigation and encouraged this body to take urgent steps, stressing that: “Accountability constitutes an essential prerequisite for prevention and must be prioritized as such.”

The Special Adviser also called on all non-State actors in a position of leverage to do their utmost to contribute to mitigating risks of further deterioration, noting that: “This includes tech and social media companies, to which I am grateful for their efforts to limit the reach of inflammatory statements by political actors,” while also calling on religious leaders and actors “to contribute to counter the seeds of division and to bring communities together.”

Guterres’s Aide Raises Grave Concern On Ethiopia

World

UK Reaffirms Commitment to Building Strong Partnerships with Nigerian Universities

Published

4 weeks ago

November 27, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

UK Reaffirms Commitment to Building Strong Partnerships with Nigerian Universities

By: Michael Mike

The United Kingdom Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting international education in Nigeria by building strong partnerships with Nigerian universities.

This commitment was made at the Going Global Conference in Abuja themed, “Building sustainable and relevant tertiary education institutions and systems in Africa”.

The three-day conference, which is being hosted by the British Council, holds from the 26th to 28th of November 2024, and provides a platform for tertiary education senior leaders, policymakers and industry experts to debate the future of further and higher education.

The UK Government’s International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, in his opening remarks at the conference announced the commencement of three projects between UK and Nigeria universities.

He said: “I am pleased to confirm that starting in January 2025 three new projects with a focus on expanding partnerships between institutions in Nigeria and the UK will be supported through the British Council Transnational education (TNE) exploratory grants scheme.

“Such partnerships not only contribute to transforming local systems and strengthening institutional capabilities, but they also create pathways for cross-sector innovation, bringing academia and industry closer together.”

British High Commissioner, Dr. Richard Montgomery, in his speech at the conference said: “With over 60% of Africa’s population under 25, and projections that population will reach 2.5 billion by 2050, the continent needs to harness a demographic dividend. To do that, more and better-quality higher education is needed.

“Education partnerships in the continent need to evolve. And the focus must be on strengthening Africa’s domestic higher education systems.”

In attendance at the conference were the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Chris Maiyaki, and other notable education stakeholders.

According to a statement signed on Wednesday by the Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, British High Commission, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, Following the conference, Sir Steve Smith will lead a delegation of 11 UK universities to engage with their Nigerian counterparts. This will include a visit to Lagos to explore opportunities for sustainable, mutually beneficial TNE partnerships.

UK Reaffirms Commitment to Building Strong Partnerships with Nigerian Universities

News

Israeli Envoy Alleges Iran Behind Global

Published

2 months ago

November 7, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Israeli Envoy Alleges Iran Behind Global

By: Michael Mike

Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman has alleged that Iran is at the centre of global terrorism and political unrest, insisting that without a change in the present Iranian political leadership there may be no peace in Middle East and part of Africa.

Speaking in Abuja during the screening of the documentary “We Will Dance Again” directed by Yariv Mozer, shown to commemorate the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, noted that: “The source of this war and the source of the instability is Iran. Iran is responsible and Iran is the backer of Hamas.. Iran is the backer of Hezbollah, Hutus and all the instability in the Middle East.”

He further alleged that: “They are pumping millions of dollars, billions of dollars, expertise, weapons in order to disabilise the entire region. They know what they are doing,. Iran has also made attempt to disabilize Africa and West Africa and they are beginning their action also in Nigeria.

“Iran under a radical leader is a regime that is sponsoring terror, destruction and mysteries for millions not least for the Iranian people, and the quicker that the world takes action against Iran to remove the leadership and change the leadership the quicker the world will be a better place.

He said: “The world needs to stand together against terrorism . Terrorism in Israel will not stop in Israel. We have seen radical terrorism here in Nigeria like in Israel.

“We have learnt that when it starts in Israel it never finishes there. Countries that face terrorism needs to work together, United to stop it, because I promise you the terrorists are all working together, terrorists do not recognize borders, they do not recognize the states or any other thing.

“So we all need to come together, share our expertise and work together to stop terrorism.

“Israel is ready to share and work togehwr with anybody who wants to tackle and stop trrrorism.”

Freeman said: “Israel’s demand is very clear that the world understands terrorism, Nigeria has been the victim of terrorism, the particularly extremist terrorism and we will need to stand together, side by side all those countries who are fighting against terrorism to ensure that the world is a better place.

“We need to ensure that Hamas can never carry attack like we just saw again. I will say that what we just saw was one place that was attacked, we hadn’t looked at the villages and communities, we didn’t look at the other 900 people who were murdered and their children in their bedroom, killed and burnt alive, and raped.”

He noted that the ideology of Hamas has shown that there won’t be peace in the Middle East unless they are wiped off.

“Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and want the death of every Jew, that is the words of Hamas.

Anybody wants to see peace in the Middle East, Hamas must be destroyed.
There cannot be peace while Hamas is still existing.”

The envoy added that: “In 2005, Israel left the Gaza Strip, we withdrew all of our soldiers, all of our Jewish citizens, all of the communities, settlement. Since 2005 there haven’t been single Israeli inside the Gaza Strip, when we left there, we left communities, buildings, agriculture settlements, opportunities for people and for Palestinians in Gaza, to build a better future.

“But in 2007, when they elected Hamas and Hamas came into power, since then they have ran a brutal dictatorship and taken all international aids and used it to build terrorism, tunnels and build weapons, if the aids is going to the people, they have impoverished their own people, they created a dynamics where they cannot live, they cannot have decent lifestyle. So if anybody is responsible for what happens it is Hamas.

“Israel has stated clearly we want to have peace with our neighbours. The Palestinians say if you withdraw you will have peace. We withdrew and we received rockets and terrorism. So it is not a reality, the death of any innocent is an absolute tragedy.

“The death of an Israeli or Palestinian child is the same tragedy, the mother mourns, the father mourns, it doesn’t matter. The question is who would we put the blame on for those deaths.

“The Israeli death is clear Hamas murdered in cold bold. In Gaza Israel is doing all it can to avoid civilian casualties.

“Civilian casualties resulted in the fact that Hamas has imbedded itself inside civilian infrastructure, in Gaza. Hamas are inside the hospitals, they are inside the schools, the mosque. They use everything that they can as a structure.

“Hamas unfortunately comes from a wicked ideology that none of us can understand. Every death in Gaza is the fault of Hamas.

“On Oct. 6, there was a cease fire. We weren’t near. Hamas were the ones who started this, and launched this and we will make sure that jHamas will never be able to do that again.”

Israeli Envoy Alleges Iran Behind Global

News

UK Foreign Secretary Arrives Nigeria in First Trip to Africa

Published

2 months ago

November 3, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

UK Foreign Secretary Arrives Nigeria in First Trip to Africa

By: Michael Mike

United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy has arrived Nigeria in what is his first trip to the African continent

A statement signed on Sunday by the Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer | Comms Lead, Prosperity and Economic Development, Ndidiamaka Eze disclosed that: “Committing to a fresh approach to Africa that works productively from Morocco to Madagascar, the Foreign Secretary will announce the start of a five-month consultation process, to ensure African voices inform and sit at the very heart of the UK’s new approach to the continent.

“Accommodating the diverse needs and ambitions of 54 countries, the consultation will guarantee the UK’s relationships across Africa are based on mutual respect and partnership.”

 Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on his visit, that:  “Africa has huge growth potential, with the continent on track to make up 25% of the world’s population by 2050.  

“Our new approach will deliver respectful partnerships that listen rather than tell, deliver long term growth rather than short term solutions and build a freer, safer, more prosperous continent. I want to hear what our African partners need and foster relationships so that the UK and our friends and partners in Africa can grow together. 

“Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria and beyond. This will mean more jobs, more prosperity and more opportunities for Brits and Africans alike.” 

The Foreign Secretary is expected to advocate for further collaboration on mutual growth via the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership, signed earlier this year. This partnership is the key vehicle for driving trade and market access between the UK and Nigeria and plays a vital role in the UK’s growth mission.

He will also advocate for further trade and climate collaboration between Nigeria and the UK in high level meetings with President Tinubu, Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador. Yusuf Tuggar and Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. 

The statement said: “Building on President Tinubu’s macro-economic reforms, the Foreign Secretary will announce a diverse Technical Assistance package to the Nigerian Ministry of Finance, offering British expertise from the Bank of England, HMRC and others to help continue to modernise and diversify the Nigerian economy.”

The statement added that: “Catalysing reform across Nigeria will create further opportunities within the flourishing Nigerian economy for British businesses – generating growth, jobs and incomes for Brits and Nigerians.”

UK Foreign Secretary Arrives Nigeria in First Trip to Africa