Hello everyone!
It’s another weekend, and time for a roundup of some top stories from last week.
The escape of Binance’s executive from detention in Nigeria and Senegal’s presidential election outcome were some of the top stories from last week.
Binance Executive’s Escape: Government Must Bring Anjawarlla Back to Face Law
The escape of an executive of Binance, Nadeem Anjarwalla, from custody in Nigeria, as confirmed by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) raises serious concerns regarding security, transparency, and accountability. The NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, should ensure thorough internal investigations and take disciplinary action. Read more
Kaduna Abduction: Need for Clarity over Release of Schoolchildren
While it is great news that 137 schoolchildren kidnapped from Kuriga area of Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, have been released, some clarifications from the government are needed. We commend the security operatives’ efforts in achieving the release of the students and also call on Governor Sani and the military authorities to provide answers on how the students were released, as well as the perpetrators, for clarity. Read more
VeryDarkMan’s Arrest: Prolonged Detention of Activist Illegal
The detention of controversial social media critic, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), raises some questions about his human rights. The Nigerian police must either file charges against him or release him on bail, in line with applicable laws. Read more
Senegal Election: Ba Congratulating Faye Before Official Declaration Commendable
Amadou Ba recognising Bassirou Faye’s win in the first-round of Senegal’s presidential election vote and offering his congratulations is a victory for democracy. We call on other African politicians to commit to upholding democratic principles above personal or party interests and be united in their commitment to serve the interests of all citizens. Read more
Lesotho: Government Must Investigate Torture of Detainees
The alleged acts of torture and abuse inflicted upon detainees at the Maseru Correctional Centre Institution (MCCI) in Lesotho reflect human rights abuse and are a cause for concern. We call on the Lesotho government to launch a rapid, unbiased, independent, transparent, and efficient investigation into the claims of mistreatment and torture meted out to detainees. Read more
Congo: Ituri Humanitarian Crisis Demands Urgent Attention
The humanitarian situation in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) demands urgent attention. The government of DRC has to look into the needs of the conflict-affected Itruri region and provide needed attention to the internally displaced persons. Read more
Mali: Killing of Civilians in Drone Strike Must Be Investigated
The recent military drone strike that killed civilians in Mali is a reprehensible and tragic event that underscores the dire consequences of unchecked military actions. The Mali government must ensure that thorough investigations are conducted to determine the circumstances leading to the drone strikes and hold responsible parties accountable for their actions. Read more
Egypt: Release Anti-Torture Protester Hussein
The detention of an anti-torture protester in Egypt for simply wearing an anti-torture t-shirt is a blatant violation of his freedom of expression rights. The Egyptian government must abide by its international rights obligations, unconditionally release Hussein, and dismiss all of the accusations against him. Read more
Somalia: Protecting Children from Cholera
There are fears that Somalia could fall into a health crisis if immediate action is not taken to curb the spread of the cholera outbreak in the country. The government of Somalia has to strengthen its efforts to provide access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities for its citizens to mitigate the spread of the outbreak and avoid the emergence of new outbreaks in the future. Read more
Tunisia: Targeting of Lawyers Creates Climate of Fear
The targeted harassment and repression of lawyers by Tunisian authorities is a grave violation of their human rights and is condemnable. The government has to take urgent action to safeguard the independence of lawyers and ensure that they can fulfil their essential role in upholding justice and defending human rights without fear of reprisal. Read more
That is the roundup of some stories that made headlines last week. More headlines are available on Development Diaries or dev_diaries on IG and X, and development diaries on Facebook.
