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He replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday. 

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party.

The \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize.

\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report.

Amnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\"

The dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts.

Witnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\".

It nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\".

Abiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies.

The region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground.

Abiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray.

Thousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"Ethiopia on Friday appointed a new head of Tigray region, one week after parliament voted to remove the executive Addis Ababa deems rebellious. \n\nMulu Nega's appointment was announced by PM Abiy Ahmed via Twitter. \n\nOn the basis of the decision of the House of Federation and the Council of Ministers Regulation "Concerning the Provisional Administration of the Tigray National Regional State", Dr. Mulu Nega has been appointed as the Chief Executive of the Tigray Regional State. 1/2\r\n— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) November 13, 2020 \n\n\nHe replaces Debretsion Gebremichael, whose immunity from prosecution was removed Thursday.  \n\nMeanwhile, Amnesty International said Thursday that scores of civilians were killed in a \"massacre\" in the Tigray region, that witnesses blamed on forces backing the local ruling party. \n\nThe \"massacre\" is the first reported incident of large-scale civilian fatalities in a week-old conflict between the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize. \n\n\"Amnesty International can today confirm... that scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra (May Cadera) town in the southwest of Ethiopia's Tigray Region on the night of 9 November,\" the rights group said in a report. \n\nAmnesty said it had \"digitally verified gruesome photographs and videos of bodies strewn across the town or being carried away on stretchers.\" \n\nThe dead \"had gaping wounds that appear to have been inflicted by sharp weapons such as knives and machetes,\" Amnesty said, citing witness accounts. \n\nWitnesses said the attack was carried out by TPLF-aligned forces after a defeat at the hands of the Ethiopian military, though Amnesty said it \"has not been able to confirm who was responsible for the killings\". \n\nIt nonetheless called on TPLF commanders and officials to \"make clear to their forces and their supporters that deliberate attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and constitute war crimes\". \n\nAbiy ordered military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were prompted by a TPLF attack on federal military camps -- a claim the party denies. \n\nThe region has been under a communications blackout ever since, making it difficult to verify competing claims on the ground. \n\nAbiy said Thursday his army had made major gains in western Tigray. \n\nThousands of Ethiopians have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan, and the UN is sounding the alarm about a humanitarian crisis in Tigray.","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/7a80f706-fe54-49d6-8c13-d4b2073a5e52.jpg","ImageHeight":538,"ImageWidth":1024,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"42C8FAC1-E2C7-4A09-8CA5-16C843DEC99E","SourceName":"Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.africanews.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-11-13T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Nov","FormattedDate":"November 13, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":11,"Day":13,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-11-13T10:51:11Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":191203,"FactUId":"4341C812-FCDC-466A-8748-98BC92AE7D2C","Slug":"ethiopia-names-new-leader-of-tigray-region-africanews","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Ethiopia names new leader of Tigray region | Africanews","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/ethiopia-names-new-leader-of-tigray-region-africanews","ResultCount":199,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":false,"SponsorRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/Sponsor/9e1feea4-572c-4dd2-8f95-e6c7481f3050/8eba9c32-fab6-4f0c-9406-3aa219125ae8/http%3A%2F%2Fcriticalracedigitalstudies.com","SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/d527c4ab-5451-447a-8704-6d3e5f994beb/8eba9c32-fab6-4f0c-9406-3aa219125ae8/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bet.com","DisplayText":"

She released her first EP in December

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If completed, the sale would be the first American transfer of lethal drones and stealth aircraft to any Arab country.

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KKW Beauty reportedly has a new stockholder.

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":" KKW Beauty reportedly has a new stockholder.","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2021/01/d178b66c-6bb3-4108-b11f-5c7c14222f0d.jpg","ImageHeight":600,"ImageWidth":1200,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"D527C4AB-5451-447A-8704-6D3E5F994BEB","SourceName":"Celebrities, Music, News, Entertainment, TV Shows & Videos | BET","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.bet.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2021-01-06T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Jan","FormattedDate":"January 06, 2021","Year":2021,"Month":1,"Day":6,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2021-01-06T15:55:48Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":220141,"FactUId":"3626D639-09B1-4A32-9543-B5FE91044B90","Slug":"kim-kardashian-kickstarts-the-new-year-with-a-serious-money-move-that-will-make-her-200m-richer","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Kim Kardashian Kickstarts The New Year With A Serious Money Move That Will Make Her $200M Richer","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/kim-kardashian-kickstarts-the-new-year-with-a-serious-money-move-that-will-make-her-200m-richer","ResultCount":199,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":true,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/42c8fac1-e2c7-4a09-8ca5-16c843dec99e/8eba9c32-fab6-4f0c-9406-3aa219125ae8/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.africanews.com","DisplayText":"

Amnesty International said late Tuesday there was “credible but disturbing evidence” that security forces in the megacity of Lagos had fatally shot protesters who were demonstrating against police brutality despite a new curfew going into effect.

The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement Tuesday night only that “there have been reports of shooting at the Lekki Toll Plaza following the 24-hour curfew imposed on Lagos.”

“The state government has ordered an investigation into the incident,” he said.

Video shown on Nigeria’s Channels Television appeared to capture audio of live rounds being fired at the scene.

“While we continue to investigate the killings, Amnesty International wishes to remind the authorities that under international law, security forces may only resort to the use of lethal force when strictly unavoidable to protect against imminent threat of death or serious injury,” Amnesty tweeted.

The development came just hours after Lagos state Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu warned on Twitter that the growing protests against police brutality in Nigeria had “degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society.”

A police statement also had warned that security forces would now “exercise the full powers of the law to prevent any further attempt on lives and property of citizens.”

The reports of fatal shootings in Lekki come after two chaotic weeks of mounting protests leading to more widespread social unrest. On Tuesday, authorities said nearly 2,000 inmates had broken out of jail after crowds attacked two correctional facilities a day earlier.

The Inspector-General of Police said it was deploying anti-riot police across Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation, and ordered forces to strengthen security around correctional facilities.

The governor of Lagos state said the new curfew would cover the entire city of some 14 million people and surrounding areas. The announcement came after a police station was burned down in the city and two people were shot dead by police.

“Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state,” the governor said.

Lagos has been the epicenter of the protests, with demonstrators at times blocking access to the airport and barricading roads leading to the country’s main ports.

A curfew also went into effect in Benin City after a pair of attacks on correctional facilities that left 1,993 inmates missing. Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Manga said large, armed crowds had attacked the two prisons, subduing the guards on duty. It was unclear what the prisons’ exact populations had been before the attack.

“Most of the inmates held at the centers are convicted criminals serving terms for various criminal offenses, awaiting execution or standing trial for violent crimes,” he said in a statement.

The protests began two weeks ago after a video circulated showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"Amnesty International said late Tuesday there was “credible but disturbing evidence” that security forces in the megacity of Lagos had fatally shot protesters who were demonstrating against police brutality despite a new curfew going into effect. \n\nThe Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement Tuesday night only that “there have been reports of shooting at the Lekki Toll Plaza following the 24-hour curfew imposed on Lagos.” \n\n“The state government has ordered an investigation into the incident,” he said. \n\nVideo shown on Nigeria’s Channels Television appeared to capture audio of live rounds being fired at the scene. \n\n“While we continue to investigate the killings, Amnesty International wishes to remind the authorities that under international law, security forces may only resort to the use of lethal force when strictly unavoidable to protect against imminent threat of death or serious injury,” Amnesty tweeted. \n\nThe development came just hours after Lagos state Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu warned on Twitter that the growing protests against police brutality in Nigeria had “degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society.” \n\nA police statement also had warned that security forces would now “exercise the full powers of the law to prevent any further attempt on lives and property of citizens.” \n\nThe reports of fatal shootings in Lekki come after two chaotic weeks of mounting protests leading to more widespread social unrest. On Tuesday, authorities said nearly 2,000 inmates had broken out of jail after crowds attacked two correctional facilities a day earlier. \n\nThe Inspector-General of Police said it was deploying anti-riot police across Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation, and ordered forces to strengthen security around correctional facilities. \n\nThe governor of Lagos state said the new curfew would cover the entire city of some 14 million people and surrounding areas. The announcement came after a police station was burned down in the city and two people were shot dead by police. \n\n“Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state,” the governor said. \n\nLagos has been the epicenter of the protests, with demonstrators at times blocking access to the airport and barricading roads leading to the country’s main ports. \n\nA curfew also went into effect in Benin City after a pair of attacks on correctional facilities that left 1,993 inmates missing. Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Manga said large, armed crowds had attacked the two prisons, subduing the guards on duty. It was unclear what the prisons’ exact populations had been before the attack. \n\n“Most of the inmates held at the centers are convicted criminals serving terms for various criminal offenses, awaiting execution or standing trial for violent crimes,” he said in a statement. \n\nThe protests began two weeks ago after a video circulated showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/2020/11/e3714dc6-117a-461c-8e63-d1b2e6af51e3.jpg","ImageHeight":538,"ImageWidth":1024,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"42C8FAC1-E2C7-4A09-8CA5-16C843DEC99E","SourceName":"Africanews | Latest breaking news, daily news and African news from Africa","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.africanews.com","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"2020-10-20T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Oct","FormattedDate":"October 20, 2020","Year":2020,"Month":10,"Day":20,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":null,"IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":"{\"date\":\"2020-10-20T23:32:17Z\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":179540,"FactUId":"33AF3F2D-35B0-4BCA-9E73-501723151F4F","Slug":"protesters-reportedly-shot-dead-in-nigeria-africanews-0","FactType":"News","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Protesters reportedly shot dead in Nigeria | Africanews","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/protesters-reportedly-shot-dead-in-nigeria-africanews-0","ResultCount":199,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":true,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/6982ddb9-33e1-469e-8344-2e6290cc3f69/8eba9c32-fab6-4f0c-9406-3aa219125ae8/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thoughtco.com%2Fafrican-american-history-4133344","DisplayText":"

Liberia /l aɪ ˈ b ɪər i ə/  (  listen), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and Ivory Coast to its east. It covers an area of 111,369 square kilometers (43,000 sq mi) and has a population of 4,503,000 people.[3] English is the official language and over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous tribes who make up more than 95% of the population. The countrys capital and largest city is Monrovia.

Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the May–October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. It was an important producer of rubber in the early 20th century.

The Republic of Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), who believed blacks would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the United States.[7] The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberias independence.[8] The U.S. did not recognize Liberias independence until during the American Civil War on February 5, 1862. Between January 7, 1822 and the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born blacks, who faced legislated limits in the U.S., and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to the settlement.[9] The black settlers carried their culture and tradition with them to Liberia. The Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U.S. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born African American from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected

","ShowFullContent":false,"FactText":null,"FactUrl":null,"RelatedIds":null,"OGImageUrl":null,"OGImageWidth":null,"OGImageHeight":null,"FavIconUrl":null,"FavIconWidth":null,"FavIconHeight":null,"IsLocal":false,"Type":null,"SummaryText":"Liberia /l aɪ ˈ b ɪər i ə/  (  listen), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and Ivory Coast to its east. It covers an area of 111,369 square kilometers (43,000 sq mi) and has a population of 4,503,000 people.[3] English is the official language and over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous tribes who make up more than 95% of the population. The countrys capital and largest city is Monrovia.\nForests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is equatorial, with significant rainfall during the May–October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest. It was an important producer of rubber in the early 20th century.\nThe Republic of Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), who believed blacks would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the United States.[7] The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberias independence.[8] The U.S. did not recognize Liberias independence until during the American Civil War on February 5, 1862. Between January 7, 1822 and the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born blacks, who faced legislated limits in the U.S., and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to the settlement.[9] The black settlers carried their culture and tradition with them to Liberia. The Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U.S. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born African American from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected","MaxDetailCharacters":300,"ImageUrl":"https://cdn.blackfacts.net/uploads/blackfacts/facts/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/flag_of_liberia-svg/1200px-flag_of_liberia.svg.png","ImageHeight":632,"ImageWidth":1200,"ImageOrientation":"landscape","HasImage":true,"CssClass":"","Layout":"","Rowspan":1,"Colspan":1,"Likes":0,"Shares":0,"ContentSourceId":"6982DDB9-33E1-469E-8344-2E6290CC3F69","SourceName":"ThoughtCo","ContentSourceRootUrl":"https://www.thoughtco.com/african-american-history-4133344","ContentSourceIcon":null,"SponsorId":null,"IsSponsored":false,"SponsorName":null,"SmallSponsorLogoUrl":null,"SponsorUrl":null,"HasSmallSponsorLogo":false,"EffectiveDate":"1847-07-26T00:00:00","HasEffectiveDate":true,"MonthAbbrevName":"Jul","FormattedDate":"July 26, 1847","Year":1847,"Month":7,"Day":26,"LastUpdatedDate":"2023-11-25T05:14:39.027","LastUpdatedBy":"ExtractionBotHub","IsEditable":false,"InsertAd":false,"JSONFactData":" {\"Date\":\"1847-07-26T00:00:00\"}","JsonExtData":{"date":{"ValueKind":3}},"Html":null,"Css":null,"Script":null,"ScriptHash":null,"Id":9489,"FactUId":"A1B9E5A7-EAE9-4963-9AAB-374C2597BC53","Slug":"liberia-0","FactType":"Event","VirtualSiteSlug":"blackfacts","Title":"Liberia","LocalFactUrl":"/fact/liberia-0","ResultCount":199,"SearchType":"OmniSearch.RelatedId"},{"FadeSummary":true,"SponsorRedirectUrl":null,"SourceRedirectUrl":"https://ai.blackfacts.com/redirect/ContentSource/719b652c-f056-4cc5-945c-203c2a3d7550/8eba9c32-fab6-4f0c-9406-3aa219125ae8/https%3A%2F%2Fchicagocrusader.com","DisplayText":"

By Ryan Grenoble, Huff Post Police in Aurora, Colorado, detained and handcuffed a Black mother and four children at gunpoint Sunday after mistakenly identifying the SUV she was driving as a stolen motorcycle. Video of the incident shared by witness Jenni Wurtz shows Brittany Gilliam and four children, including her sister, two nieces and 6-year-old […]

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A young Tunisian woman was sentenced to six months in jail by a Tunis court over a parody posted on Facebook linking the Q'uran and Covid-19.

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A 26-year-old man arrested for fraud for allegedly masquerading as an advocate, who represented accused in at least 12 criminal cases, will be applying for bail on Thursday.

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The National Democratic Movement (NDM)  is calling on Prime Minister-designate Andrew Holness to arrange a quick and low-key swearing-in ceremony so that he can \"attend to some of the more urgent business of the country.\"\tThe NDM...

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