Speaking while under house arrest, Zimbabwe’s embattled President Robert Mugabe has shocked the nation by making no mention of resignation despite a military takeover and a looming noon deadline set by his own party for him to cede power.

The 93-year old president delivered a 20-minute address Sunday on live television, hours after his Zanu-PF Party sacked him and urged the leader to step down by noon (1000 GMT) on Monday or face impeachment.

Zimbabweans, who widely expected Mugabe to announce his resignation in the address, had gathered in public places across the capital, Harare, to watch the speech.

However, much to their disbelief, Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades, offered no concessions to his opponents, and even pledged to preside over a special Zanu-PF congress scheduled for next month.

The president acknowledged criticism from Zanu-PF, the military and public, but said the events of last week were not “a challenge to my authority as head of state and government.”

“Whatever the pros and cons of how they [the army] went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns,” he said.

The long-running president stressed the need to return normality to the African state, but made no mention of demands from the public and from his own party, to resign as president.

Angered by the speech, Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the influential war veterans’ association, said plans to impeach Mugabe in parliament would now go ahead, and that there would be mass protests on Wednesday.

“That speech has nothing to do with realities,” he said, calling on people to go back to the streets.

Both houses of Zimbabwe’s parliament are due to convene on Tuesday for a debate over the impeachment bid, which would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers.

The political crisis began in the South African county after Mugabe sacked his vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, two weeks ago.

The sudden move angered army commanders and led to the military takeover last week. The commanders considered Mugabe’s sudden decision as an attempt to position his wife, Grace Mugabe, as his successor.

She has not been seen since the takeover.

It was thought that the army had managed to take power in a “bloodless transition” coup, but it insists that it has no intention of taking permanent control of government and that it is an operation to root out “criminals around (Mugabe) who are committing crimes.”

Mnangagwa, who was appointed interim leader of the Zanu-PF, is widely expected to take over from Mugabe as president.

Culled from Presstv

News of black men being put on sale at a Libyan “slave market” has drawn outrage from the African Union (AU) and triggered violent protests in Paris.

Guinean President Alpha Conde, who is also the chairman of the AU, demanded on Friday that the “despicable trade” be stopped, the slaves be set free, and the perpetrators be put on trial.

The outrage was sparked by a CNN report showing footage of a live auction in Libya where black youths were being sold for hundreds of dollars to buyers as farmhands.

“These modern slavery practices must end, and the African Union will use all the tools at its disposal,” Conde said.

The black youths on sale in Libya are generally African asylum seekers from nations such as Guinea, Senegal, the Gambia, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger. Media reports say many of the asylum seekers end up in the wrong places and lose their freedom to gangs that are either led or are in cahoots with human traffickers.

The asylum seekers-turned-slaves had sought to cross through the country and travel over the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, where they sought to ultimately settle.

Libya has opened an investigation into the slavery report, saying it would free the slaves, according to the CNN.

“A high-level committee has been convened encompassing representatives from all the security apparatus to oversee this investigation,” said Anes Alazabi, an official with the internationally-recognized government of Libya’s Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency.

“Priorities of the investigation are not only to convict those responsible for these inhumane acts, but also to identify the location of those who have been sold in order to bring them to safety and return them to their countries of origin,” said the Libyan official.

Libya has been in a state of near chaos since 2011, when its long-time dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, was ousted, and rival militia groups and factions started vying for power and territory.

Protest in Paris

In related news, protesters carrying signs reading “No to slavery in Libya,” gathered in front of the Libyan Embassy in Paris on Saturday to protest the practice of slavery.

Culled from Presstv

The Government of Cameroon must engage representatives of the Anglophone population in a meaningful political dialogue and halt renewed violence in the south-west and north-west, where the country’s English-speaking minority are reportedly suffering worsening human rights violations, a group of UN experts* has warned.

“We urge the Government to adopt all necessary measures consistent with Cameroon’s human rights obligations to end the cycle of violence,” the experts said in a joint statement. Up to 17 people have reportedly been killed, and dozens wounded and arrested in demonstrations in the country’s Anglophone regions since 1 October.

The experts are disturbed by reports of a series of measures taken by the national authorities, including curfews, a ban on public meetings, and other restrictions aimed at preventing peaceful protests. Excessive use of force by the security services, injuries, mass arrests, arbitrary detentions, torture and other ill-treatment have also been reported.

Freedom of expression has been reportedly limited by the blocking of internet connections and of access to social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook, which a UN expert has previously condemned.

“These restrictions must stop immediately, and the Government must ensure a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into all allegations of human rights violations perpetrated during and after the events of 1 October. The Government must take effective measures to prosecute and sanction all those responsible for such violations.”

The appeal for action comes nearly a year after UN experts publicly urged the Government to halt violence against the English-speaking minority , following reports that Anglophone protesters in Buea and Bamenda had suffered undue force.

The experts also denounced any use of violence against members of the security forces, after reports that several were killed last week.

Since December 2016, the experts have repeatedly raised concerns directly with the Government of Cameroon and continue to monitor and seek clarification of the alleged human rights violations in the north-west and south-west of the country.

Source: Modern Ghana

The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have announced that they will join forces to promote stabilization efforts in the Lake Chad Basin. Under the proposed initiative, titled “Integrated Regional Stabilization of the Lake Chad Basin”, Germany will grant UNDP EUR 6,000,579 million for the implementation of a series of projects aimed at restoring livelihoods and stability to crisis-affected communities.

The grant represents Germany’s commitment to support efforts of countries in the Lake Chad Basin as they work across the humanitarian-development nexus, further sustainable recovery efforts, ensure the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stabilize communities ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency. The objectives of the project are in line with the priorities outlined in the first meeting of the “Oslo Consultative Group for Prevention and Stabilization” held in Berlin on 6th September 2017 with strong participation of Lake Chad riparian countries.

The Boko Haram insurgency in North East Nigeria and neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, has left over 10 million people displaced as of 2017 and resulted in massive destruction of basic infrastructure, health and educational facilities, commercial buildings, private houses and agricultural assets.

The multiyear project will target at least 20 communities in the Lake Chad region in Nigeria (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States); Niger (Diffa); Cameroon (Far north/ Logone and Chari and Mayo Tsanaga); and Chad (Lac, Kanem and Hadjer-Lamis).

The main objectives of the German-funded project are to develop and launch a common, regional approach to stabilization between the four countries of the Lake Chad Basin including on cross-border management processes, prevention of violent extremism; promotion of regional stabilization by strengthening community security, local governance and peacebuilding and reconciliation; and support to reintegration of civilian militia groups, vigilantes and former fighters and those associated with insurgent groups into crisis-affected communities. Cross-border cooperation will be crucial. Therefore the project will support the cross-border dialogue of decentralized authorities and decision makers in the Lake Chad Region.

Hailing the support of Germany as he spoke on behalf of UNDP Country Offices in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, Mr. Edward Kallon, UNDP Resident Representative for Nigeria stated that “UNDP will continue to work to across the humanitarian-development nexus, in line with the vision of the UN Secretary-General, and based on the commitments reached by the Lake Chad Basin countries, in order to promote sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and resilience of communities to both external and internal shocks.”

In its first phase of implementation, the project will provide immediate employment opportunities for 10,000 youth exposed to the risk of violent extremism and ensure the reintegration of 15,000 former Boko Haram fighters, vigilantes and persons associated with armed groups.

The project, which will be coordinated out of UNDP offices in Abuja and Maiduguri, Nigeria with presence in the other three countries, is also intended to benefit 3,000,000 persons through reconciliation activities; 80,000 direct beneficiaries from stabilization activities; 2,700 former militia and vigilantes; and help reinforce the capacities of 10 local government administrations.

Overall, it is estimated that about 4,800,000 persons will indirectly benefit from the implementation of the project.

Source:UNDP