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Ethiopia says Eritrean troops killed civilians in Tigray

Ethiopia for the first time accused troops from neighbouring Eritrea of killing 110 civilians in a massacre in the war-hit Tigray region.

The attorney general’s office sharply contradicted law enforcement officials who claimed earlier this month that the “great majority” of those killed in the city of Axum were fighters, not civilians.

The killings in Axum in late November represent one of the deadliest incidents of the six-month-old war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

The Tigray conflict erupted in early November when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops to detain and disarm leaders of the regional ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Abiy said the move came in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps.

In earlier reports on what happened in Axum, both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty blamed Eritrean troops fighting in Tigray and said the dead were mostly civilians.

Amnesty said the Eritreans “went on a rampage and systematically killed hundreds of civilians in cold blood.”

In Friday’s statement, the attorney general’s office said the Eritreans engaged in reprisal killings after pro-TPLF forces attacked them.

“The investigation indicates that 110 civilians have been killed on these dates by Eritrean troops,” the statement said, referring to Nov 27-28.

“The investigation shows that 70 civilians have been killed in the city while they were outdoors. On the other hand, 40 civilians seem to have been taken out of their homes and killed in home-to-home raids conducted by Eritrean troops,” it said.

Eritrea’s information minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Eritrean troops, who teamed up with the Ethiopian military, have been implicated in multiple massacres and other atrocities during the Tigray conflict, allegations Asmara denies.

The US and EU have repeatedly called for the Eritreans to withdraw.

“The continued presence of Eritrean forces in Tigray further undermines Ethiopia’s stability and national unity,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement last week.

“We again call upon the Government of Eritrea to remove its forces from Tigray.”

Ethiopia has said it is committed to investigating human rights abuses committed during the conflict.

Friday’s statement said that while Ethiopian troops had tried to minimise civilian casualties, “several allegations concerning the killing of civilians, sexual violence, [and] the looting and destruction of property have since been reported.”

It said the government takes those allegations “seriously” and has begun prosecuting suspects.

Military prosecutors have pressed charges against 28 soldiers “suspected of killing civilians in a situation where there was no military necessity,” it said.

“The trials of these suspects are underway and the verdicts are also expected to be handed down shortly.”

An additional 25 soldiers have been charged with “committing acts of sexual violence and rape.”

Three soldiers have already been convicted and sentenced for rape, while one soldier has been convicted and sentenced for killing a civilian, the statement said, without providing details. — NNN-AGENCIES

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Nigerians React to Loss of Nation’s Military Chief

Nigerians reacted Saturday to the sudden death of the country’s military chief and other officers in a plane crash Friday in central Kaduna state.

The military Beechcraft 350 aircraft was carrying Ibrahim Attahiru on official duty when it crashed near Kaduna international airport.

Ten others, including the military intelligence chief, provost marshal and crew members, were also on board. No one survived.

At least 17 military officers have died in plane crashes in the last three months, but Attahiru’s death marked the first time Nigeria had lost an active-duty military chief. He and the other officers were buried Saturday at the military cemetery in Abuja.

Many Nigerians reacted to the losses. President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted, “All of them are heroes who paid the ultimate price for peace and security in the land.”

‘I feel terrible’

Abuja resident Enimobong Edoho was still in disbelief.

“I feel terrible,” he said. “Opening my phone to see the news of the chief of army staff is rather devastating.”

Authorities said they thought the aircraft crashed as a result of bad weather.

Attahiru, 54, was appointed as military chief in late January to lead the army’s fight against Nigeria’s decadelong insurgency after Buhari retired his predecessor over growing security concerns.

Security analyst Senator Iroegbu said Attahiru’s death was a huge strike to the counterinsurgency effort.

“His death came at a time the country is grappling with so much insecurity,” Iroegbu said. “Every part of the country is facing one form of insecurity or the other. [The] majority of his focus has been towards the northeast, trying to reinvigorate the fight against terrorism.”

Iroegbu said a new chief must be appointed without delay.

The Nigerian army “can’t operate without a head, not even for a day,” he said. “There’s a big vacuum. If care is not taken, the enemies might take advantage of this.”

Source: Voice of America

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Independence Day celebrations in Northern Red Sea and Gash Barka

The 30th Independence Day anniversary has been colorfully celebrated in the Northern Red Sea and Gash Barka regions on 20 May under the theme “Resilient: As Ever”.

At the celebratory event held in the port city of Massawa, Ms. Asmeret Abraha, Governor of the Northern Red Sea Region, said that despite the unprecedented challenges encountered praiseworthy achievements have been registered through integrated efforts on the part of the Government, the people, and members of the National Defense Forces.

Ms. Asmeret went on to say that a strong foundation has been laid to ensure social justice and to develop the academic and skill capacity of citizens especially that of the youth.

The Chairperson of the Holidays Coordinating Committee in the region, Ms. Zeineb Omar on her part commending all that contributed to realize the colorful celebration event called for reinforced participation in the national development drives.

In related news, the 30th Independence Day anniversary was celebrated in Barentu on 20 May at the regional level.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Mahmud Ali Hiruy, Governor of the region, indicating that in the past 30 years the Eritrean people have emerged victorious by foiling the various hostilities and challenges called on every citizen to strengthen participation and contribution in the nation-building process. The Chairman of the Holidays Coordinating Committee in the region, Mr. Idris Saleh on his part said that the Independence Day celebrations have been conducted in all sub-zones respecting the guidelines issued to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and that attests to commitment and noble values of the Eritrean people.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Ethiopia Expels New York Times Reporter Who Covered Tigray War

Ethiopia has expelled a foreign correspondent working for The New York Times after earlier revoking his license over “unbalanced” reporting, a government official has confirmed.

The decision to kick out Simon Marks, an Irish journalist living in Ethiopia, drew swift condemnation from Reporters Without Borders, which said it was “the first time that a foreign journalist is expelled from the country” under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

In a story on Marks’ Friday expulsion, the Times said Ethiopian officials summoned him to a meeting Thursday and held him at the airport for eight hours before putting him on a flight early Friday.

“It is alarming that the government of Ethiopia treated the journalist, Simon Marks, like a criminal, expelling him from the country without even letting him go home to get a change of clothing or his passport,” said Michael Slackman, the paper’s assistant managing editor for international news, according to the Times.

Describing the experience on Twitter, Marks wrote: “Not only did Immigration officers prevent me from going home to collect my belongings but also from kissing goodbye to my beautiful 2-year-old son and two dogs, despite my polite requests. At least I could give my partner a kiss at the airport.”

No license, no job

Mohammed Idris, head of the Ethiopian Media Authority, told AFP on Friday that Marks had no business staying in the country without a media license.

“You are here for a job. If you have the license, you will stay here. If you don’t have the license, if we revoke the license, the responsible body will send you back,” Mohammed said.

Marks has filed a series of hard-hitting reports on the war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. His accreditation was canceled shortly after he returned from a trip to Tigray in March.

Ethiopia’s government has imposed tough restrictions on journalists covering the conflict.

A number of Ethiopian journalists and translators working for a range of international media organizations — including AFP, Reuters, the BBC and the Financial Times — have been detained while doing their jobs in recent months.

Journalists and human rights groups have nonetheless uncovered growing evidence of atrocities committed by armed groups in the region, including Ethiopian soldiers and Eritrean troops fighting on the government’s behalf.

The revelations have contributed to growing international diplomatic pressure on Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who will seek a new term in elections scheduled for June 21.

The government has said it is committed to investigating human rights abuses committed during its fight against troops loyal to the region’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Source: Voice of America

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Cameroon Hospitals Accused of Preventing Insolvent Patients from Leaving

Rosalie Dipoko, 43, a farmer and single mother of three children, says she has been prohibited from leaving the government’s Central Hospital in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, since March 25 because, like others in her situation, she can’t pay her bill.

She was involved in a fatal road accident in Bafia on the outskirts of Yaounde in December 2020. One of her legs has been amputated. Dipoko says she is tired of what she calls the physical and mental torture of being held against her will because she lacks $1,000 to settle her hospital bill.

Dipoko says it is very unhealthy for a hospital to prohibit poor people who cannot pay bills from returning to their homes. She says people visit hospitals to find relief, not to be tortured psychologically for the simple reason that they are poor and cannot afford to settle hospital bills. She says guards forcefully stop hungry patients from going out of hospital gates to look for food and that poor patients bathe in open spaces in front of passers-by.

This week, Dipoko and scores of other patients and their family members held protests at government-run hospitals. They blame the government for not being able to take care of poor patients and called on officials to settle their bills and grant them freedom to return to their houses.

Some of the patients forced their way out of hospitals. Others prohibited incoming patients from accessing medical staff as part of their demonstration.

No arrests

Police said they protected civilians visiting hospitals for treatment and made no arrests.

National health officials said that following the demonstrations, some patients who couldn’t pay for treatment were allowed to leave.

Manaouda Malachie, Cameroon’s health minister, visited the Central Hospital on Friday. He said he asked hospital officials to allow poor patients who cannot afford to pay bills after treatment to return to their homes — with exceptions. He said the health ministry would draw from its limited emergency budget to settle the unpaid bills.

Malachie said that if Cameroonians fail to pay hospital bills, claiming that they are poor, hospitals will not be able to offer treatment to the sick when they run short of funds to buy equipment and medication. He said well-to-do family members should, in solidarity, help sick relatives pay their bills.

Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics said 80 percent of the central African state’s 25 million people do not have health insurance. When they fall sick, they rely on their savings, family members and well-wishers to settle hospital bills. A study by the institute indicated that in 2019, 70 percent of the country’s total health expenditure was borne by households.

Traditional healers used

Daniel Bekolke, spokesperson for the Cameroon Association for Equal Access to Treatment, said Cameroon needed to improve access to health care for the poor. He said 70 percent of Cameroonians preferred visiting African traditional healers for treatment because health care is very expensive at conventional hospitals.

He said hospital treatment was still out of reach for millions of poor Cameroonians despite government promises to reduce costs by giving subsidies to the poor. He said the government could not rely on families to settle hospital bills of their sick relatives because nothing compels relatives to help. He said only a well-developed health policy could help poor patients.

Cameroon’s health ministry said many patients visit hospitals only when their situations have become critical. Hospitals treat them with the hope of having bills settled after treatment. Some patients started escaping after treatment, and hospitals began prohibiting them from leaving until bills are settled.

Malachie said Cameroon since August 2020 has been providing its universal health coverage plan, which will make it possible for the poor to pay less for treatment.

Source: Voice of America

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Ethiopia Convicts 3 Troops of Rape, Charges 28 For Killings

Ethiopia’s military prosecutors have convicted three soldiers of rape and pressed charges against 28 others suspected of killing civilians in the ongoing conflict in the northern Tigray region, the attorney general’s office announced Friday.

In addition, 25 other soldiers are charged with rape and other forms of sexual violence, the statement said.

The 6-month-old Tigray conflict is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people and atrocities including rape, extrajudicial killings, and forced evictions, according to local authorities and aid groups.

The statement by the attorney general’s office also confirmed reports of two massacres in Tigray. It said that 229 civilians were killed in the town of Mai Kadra at the beginning of November. And it said that 110 civilians were killed in the city of Axum on Nov. 27 and 28 “by Eritrean troops.”

“The investigation shows that 70 civilians have been killed in the city [of Axum] while they were outdoors,” said the report, adding that some of those killed might have been “irregular combatants.” “Forty civilians seem to have been taken out of their homes and killed in home-to-home raids conducted by Eritrean troops,” said the report.

The deadly Tigray conflict started on Nov. 4 after Ethiopia accused former leaders of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, or TPLF, of ordering an attack on an Ethiopian army base in the region.

Ethiopia’s leader, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sent troops that quickly ousted the TPLF from Tigray’s major cities and towns, but a guerilla fight is widely reported to be continuing across the region.

Reports of atrocities have led U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to allege that “ethnic cleansing” is taking place in the western Tigray area.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution condemning “all violence against civilians” in Tigray and calling for the withdrawal of troops from neighboring Eritrea, which also sent troops to Tigray to support the Ethiopian government.

On Friday, some Ethiopians both at home and abroad staged a “Hands Off Ethiopia” social media campaign in which they urged foreign countries to stop “meddling in Ethiopia’s affairs.”

Abiy, who came to power in 2018 and introduced sweeping democratic reforms for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, has promised that the upcoming parliamentary elections on June 21 will be free and fair. His Prosperity Party must win a majority of seats in Ethiopia’s parliament for him to remain prime minister.

In addition to the Tigray conflict, Abiy’s government is struggling to contain ethnic violence in several regions of Ethiopia. The opposition Oromo Federalist Congress has pledged to boycott the vote, saying it is being harassed by the authorities. Several of its leaders are still in prison following a wave of violent unrest sparked last summer by the killing of an Oromo musician.

Source: Voice of America

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Eastern DRC Volcano Erupts; Thousands Flee Goma

Lava from a volcanic eruption approached the airport of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s main city of Goma late Saturday, and the government urged residents to evacuate.

As the red glow of Mount Nyiragongo tinged the night sky above the lakeside city of about 2 million, thousands of Goma residents carrying mattresses and other belongings fled the city on foot, many toward the frontier with Rwanda.

Nyiragongo’s last eruption in 2002 killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless. It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and is considered among the most dangerous.

Rwanda’s Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management said more than 3,500 Congolese had crossed the border. Rwandan state media said they would be lodged in schools and places of worship.

‘Goma is the target’

New fractures were opening in the volcano, letting lava flow south toward the city after initially flowing east toward Rwanda, said Dario Tedesco, a volcanologist based in Goma.

“Now Goma is the target,” Tedesco told Reuters. “It’s similar to 2002. I think that the lava is going towards the city center.

“It might stop before or go on. It’s difficult to forecast.”

Emmanuel de Merode, head of Virunga National Park, asked park employees in parts of Goma to evacuate, according to a note seen by Reuters. He said lava had reached the international airport on the eastern edge of the city but that it was not likely to reach other parts of Goma.

Celestin Kasereka, head of scientific research at the Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG), told reporters he did not think the lava was flowing fast enough to reach Goma.

A U.N. source said all U.N. aircraft had been evacuated to the city of Bukavu to the south and Entebbe in neighboring Uganda. The power was also out across much of Goma.

Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde convened an emergency meeting in the capital, Kinshasa, where the government activated an evacuation plan for Goma.

“We hope that the measures that have been taken this evening will allow the population to reach the points that were indicated to them in this plan,” government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in comments broadcast on national television.

President Felix Tshisekedi will cut short a trip to Europe to return to Congo on Sunday, the presidency said on Twitter.

In the grip of panic

On the streets of Goma, panic spread quickly.

“We are panicked because we have just seen the entire city covered by a light that is not electricity or lamps,” said John Kilosho. “We don’t know what to do. We don’t even know how to behave. There is no information.”

Others fled to the city center from villages and neighborhoods threatened by lava on the northern outskirts.

“We looked at the sky and saw the red color of the volcano,” said Richard Hazika Diouf from the Majengo neighborhood. “We have fled to seek shelter in town.”

Volcano watchers have been worried that the volcanic activity observed in the last five years at Nyiragongo mirrors that in the years preceding eruptions in 1977 and 2002.

Volcanologists at the OVG, which monitors Nyiragongo, have struggled to make regular, basic checks since the World Bank cut funding amid embezzlement allegations.

Source: Voice of America