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THE women’s arm of the United National Congress (UNC) says Government is taking the country along a dangerous path from which there may be no return.
It is accusing the Prime Minister of oppressing and provoking citizens.
In a statement to the media on Sunday, the group said no one elected the Prime Minister to tear-gas them.
Referring to the Push Back event on January 16 at the Queen’s Park Savannah where several participants were tear-gassed by police after refusing instructions to disperse, the women’s arm said the scenes resembled something happening in Venezuela.
“The UNC had been in government twice – 1995 – 2001. The Basdeo Panday administration faced many demonstrations, some led by Errol McLeod, former president-general of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU), and Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, former president of the Public Services Association (PSA) who famously said she would hot up the place ‘hotter than ah chulha.’
“Likewise, Mrs Persad-Bissessar’s administration (from) 2010 – 2015 faced many demonstrations, some led by Keith Rowley himself: they dragged mannequins, blocked roads, burned tyres, led a hunger strike in front of the PM’s office for months, demonstrated in front of Mrs Persad- Bissessar’s home. You name it, they did it, and at no point in time (was) tear gas used against protesters.”
The group also referred to a video clip of a crying woman who spoke about how her family was affected by the tear gas which seeped into her car as she was driving around the Savannah going about her private business. It said another video clip showed a young woman walking on the pavement with her two children when they also came in the line of fire of the tear gas.
“What is even more frightening is the callous response by PM Keith Rowley when asked about the authorisation and use of tear gas. PM Rowley chooses to blame parents rather than caution the (police service).
The post UNC women’s arm: Rowley not elected to tear-gas citizens appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
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.
[Monitor] By Agencies
It's a tale of two formidable forces as Diana and Margaret Thatcher dominate season four of the award-winning historical drama.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Deputy President William Ruto has insisted on the need to bring everyone on board in discussions surrounding Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) constitution review process saying the document should focus on building bridges towards consensus and not build walls.
ATLANTA (AP) - Election officials in Georgia's 159 counties started counting ballots yesterday morning for a hand tally of the presidential race that stems from an audit required by state law.The law requires that one race be audited by hand to check that the machines counted the ballots accurately, not because of any suspected problems with the results.
[Monitor] By Simon Peter Emwamu
The Trump administration Friday recognized the November 5 general elections in St Vincent and the Grenadines while refusing to accept the resounding victory for US President-elect Joe Biden two days earlier.
The Holness administration is sticking to its decision to permit mining in the ecologically sensitive Puerto Bueno Mountains, also called the Dry Harbour Mountains in St Ann, the tourism-dependent parish on Jamaica's northern coast. Prime...
WHILE promising to advise the country on measures for Christmas, the Government yesterday extended a number of the steps implemented to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.'Cabinet is currently assessing and reviewing the situation and will advise on the measures applicable for December 2020, and in particular the Christmas period, in another two weeks,' the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said in a release.
(FILES) On this file photograph taken on July 19, 2020 Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the EU summit on a coronavirus restoration package deal on the European Council…
The Ethiopian government said on Monday it had not asked any country to mediate in a conflict in its northern region as the federal air force bombed the Tigrayan capital Mekelle, according to diplomatic and military sources.
Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni had tweeted a call for the conflict to stop. Mr Museveni's tweet would later be deleted.
Kenya and Djibouti urged a peaceful resolution and the opening of humanitarian corridors while former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo went to Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Tuesday that the ongoing military operation in the breakaway region of Tigray (North) will enter its \"final\" phase in the \"coming days\".
On November 4, Abiy sent the federal army to attack the northern region after months of tensions with the regional authorities of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
The fighting has left several hundred people dead, according to Addis Ababa, and has forced more than 25,000 people to flee to neighboring Sudan.
Civilians Hit by Political Feud
As of Friday evening, at least 21,000 Ethiopians had crossed into eastern Sudan, according to the regional head of Sudan's refugee agency, Alsir Khaled.
Many are in fear of having lost their homes and livelihoods and some are even separated from their families as they fled the intense and traumatising fighting between the Ethiopian army and authorities of the Tigray region.
The Northern region — still under am officially declared state of emergency, continues to be under curfew and is currently seeing a communication blackout. Hence, the information provided by the exhausted and terrified refugees crossing the border into the neighbouring country is some of the first eyewitness accounts of the conflict which is now spanning around a week.
Fear, Trauma and Desperation
One Ethiopian shared his experience, \"I left with seven people, four of them are my nephews. Now I have no idea where my brother, his children and his wife are. Are they alive or dead? I don't know. But those who were with me brought them here, and when we arrived here, we could sometimes eat. The first time we saw water was when we arrived here. This is all because of the war.\"
Another Ethiopian woman seems devasted, \"They are abusing us, we came with five to six children on our backs. The children don’t have anything to drink and eat. All of us are suffering, we don't have clothes of our own, what clothes we have worn were borrowed from neighbours. We want the Tigray region and the federal government to look after us.\"
Inter-ethnic Political Conflict
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered military operations in Tigray last week in response to attacks on two federal military camps by Tigrayan regional authorities — whose political party once dominated the nation's politics and claim the ethnic group has been sidelined and unfairly targeted under the Ahmed administration.
Many in the international community have cautioned against all-out civil war and have made appeals on behalf of the civilians in the Tigray region.
Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations Rights Chief issued a warning on Friday of possible war crimes in Tigray. The UN's Special Adviser on the prevention of genocide, Pramila Patten, also \"condemned reports of targeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnicity or religion.\"
Afro Solidarity at Home and Abroad
Journalists on the ground have reported the kind gestures of solidarity by the Sudanese villagers to help the Ethiopian refugees. However, as many Ethiopians continue to arrive many are concerned about the strain their already very limited resources and more aid will most likely be necessary from governments, organisations or charities.
[DW] Two cities in the Amhara region have been struck by rockets fired by forces from the neighboring Tigray region, the government has claimed. Hundreds of people have been killed so far this month in a spiraling conflict.
Dear Mr Brown,I heard that immigration is down this year and that there were a lot of refusals for study permits. I am wondering if things will get back to normal, as several of my friends have migrated to Canada through studies, with your assistance.- PHDear PH:
Hundreds of people have been killed and some 25 000 have fled to Sudan since fighting began.
Residents of Harbour Heights in east Kingston are collectively breathing a sigh of relief that the torrential rains which battered the island for weeks, leaving in its wake a trail of disaster, have abated. They are demanding urgent attention to...
ADDIS ABABA, Nov 15 - The leader of Ethiopia's Tigray region told Reuters on Sunday that his forces bombed the airport in Eritrea's capital Asmara on Saturday evening, confirming earlier reports from diplomats of a major escalation in a 12-day old c
By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO and CHRISTINE ARMARIO Associated Press LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru's interim president resigned Sunday as the nation plunged into its worst constitutional crisis in two decades following massive protests unleashed when Congress ousted the nation's popular leader. In a short televised address, Manuel Merino said Congress acted within the law when he was sworn into office as chief of state Tuesday, despite protesters' allegations that legislators had staged a parliamentary coup. 'I, like everyone, want what's best for our country,' he said. The politician agreed to step down after night of unrest in which two young protesters […]
The post Peru's interim president resigns as chaos embroils nation appeared first on Black News Channel.
[CPJ] Nairobi -- Today the Committee to Protect Journalists called on Ethiopian authorities to immediately release broadcast journalist Bekalu Alamrew, who was arrested on November 4 and has not been formally charged.
‘Stand-up Hill’, the section of the Gordon Town main road destroyed by recent landslides in St Andrew, has been turned into a transportation hub where hundreds of residents for the past week have been staring down a 263-foot death drop on their way...
Western Bureau: DR Marcia Johnson-Campbell, St James’ medical officer of health, has said the community of Cornwall Courts, which was recently placed under a special area curfew in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases, is currently experiencing a...
HONG KONG-Hong Kong native Tommy Fung has made a splash in the art world with his photographic, computer-manipulated pieces that address everyday situations, as well as serious social issues. He delivers a whimsical, surreal spin [...]
By Victor Omondi Ex-rapper, Shyne has begun his journey as a politician in his hometown of Belize. On November 11, the country people elected him to the Belize House of Representatives. Shyne will officially represent the Mesopotamia District in Belize City on behalf of the United Democratic Party. The former rap star, whose real name […]
WESTERN BUREAU: The divide-and-rule strategy outgoing US President Donald Trump was accused of using to win support for some policies from some Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, is an issue diaspora representatives say they hope the incoming...
It was twenty-five years ago when the first Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference was organized by CARIB NEWS and held at the Braco Resort in Trelawny, Jamaica.
Angolan police fired live ammunition and used tear gas against youths protesting against poverty Wednesday in Luanda.
Protests against the government, usually met with violence, have been going on for several weeks in Luanda, motivated by high unemployment, the cost of living, and state corruption.
Protesters, supported by UNITA, the main opposition party, also called for local elections, which had been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic to be held.
Demonstrations were rare when current President Joao Lourenco succeeded Jose Eduardo dos Santos in 2017, raising hopes for change after decades of corruption and nepotism.
But disenchantment has swelled in recent months with the government, which is seen as unable to deliver on its promises to rid itself of corruption and revive the economy.
Cuyler Community Improvement Association, Inc. (CCIA) has given a $1,000 scholarship to offset costs for GED testing at Savannah Technical College. The GED is made up of four tests with a cost of $40 per exam. The CCIA scholarship will support up to 25 students with GED exam fees. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, students must live … Continue reading \"Cuyler Community Improvement Association Grant Sponsors GED Testing\"
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday military operations in the northern Tigray region would enter a \"final\" phase, as global pressure mounted to bring the two-week-old conflict to a swift end.
Fresh air strikes hit the regional capital of Mekele on Monday as East African leaders called for an end to the conflict and for dialogue, which Ethiopia has so far resisted.
Abiy, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced a military campaign in the dissident region on November 4, saying it came in response to attacks by local ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), on federal military camps.
The fighting has left hundreds dead and prompted around 25,000 Ethiopians to flee across the border into Sudan, with many more refugees expected.
On Friday Abiy declared the TPLF was \"in the final throes of death\" and gave troops in the region three days to \"rise up\" and side with the national army.
In a Facebook post Tuesday morning, he said their time was up.
\"The three-day deadline for the Tigray regional special forces and militia to hand themselves over to national defence forces instead of being a tool for the greedy junta has expired. Those Tigray special forces and militia who used the three-day deadline are appreciated,\" he said.
\"Since the deadline has been completed, in the coming days the final law enforcement activities will be done.\"
A communications blackout in Tigray has made it difficult to assess how the fighting is going.
Federal forces claim to control Tigray's western zone, where fighting has been heavy, and over the weekend said they had seized the town of Alamata, 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of the regional capital, Mekele.
But Tigrayan leader Debretsion Gebremichael told AFP Tuesday that \"the government and people of Tigray\" would hold their ground.
\"This campaign cannot be finished. As long as the army of the invaders is in our land, the fight will continue. They cannot keep us silent by military force,\" he said.
Abiy has resisted calls by world leaders to cease hostilities and accept mediation.
On Monday, his deputy prime minister Demeke Mekonnen flew to Uganda and then to Kenya to meet with the presidents of the regional heavyweights.
\"A war in Ethiopia would give the entire continent a bad image,\" Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni wrote on Twitter after meeting Demeke.
\"There should be negotiations and the conflict stopped, lest it leads to unnecessary loss of lives and cripples the economy.\"
But Museveni later deleted the tweet, and an Ethiopian official said Demeke made clear negotiations were not an immediate possibility.
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta later called for a \"peaceful\" resolution of the crisis.
Abiy's government has said there can be no mediation until Tigray's leaders have been disarmed and brought to court.
The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for three decades before Abiy came to power in 2018, and a bitter feud has grown as they have been sidelined from politics, becoming ever more defiant towards the c
BY TIM DARNELL THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS ATLANTA — The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its Thanks giving coronavirus guidelines on Monday and Tuesday, warning against travel and recommending much smaller gatherings during the annual American tradition. Thanksgiving travel is typically the nation’s busiest transportation day of the year. “Staying home is the […]
The post CDC warns against Thanksgiving travel; urges small gatherings appeared first on Florida Courier.
[Monitor] It appears that the confrontation between security forces and National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, is not about to end.
