South Africa pursues further legal action to stop Israel

South Africa pursues further legal action to stop Israel

South Africa is pursuing further legal action on its genocide case against Israel if it continues its deadly attacks in Gaza. Department of International Relations and Cooperation Director-General Zane Dangor says they are writing to the ICJ to "consider additional provisional measures on Israel". Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for restraint in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city following reports of airstrikes in the area. Rafah is currently home to some […]

February 13, 2024 23

Africa

Kenya’s sex workers have solutions to their problems, but international NGOs aren’t hearing them

By Lise Woensdregt, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam In Kenya, rights organisations run by sex workers have gone into numerous partnerships with international organisations over the past decade. In recent research, I set out to understand whether these relationships worked in favour of the sex workers and their organisations. My research focused on an organisation in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, that supports male sex workers. Kenya’s laws punish activities related to […]

February 13, 2024 15

World

Haiti’s people suffer ‘deepening human rights catastrophe’

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk has issued an urgent warning about the deepening human rights catastrophe in Haiti, after figures showed that January was the most violent month in more than two years. At least 806 people, not involved in the violent exchanges taking place, were killed, injured, or kidnapped in January 2024.

February 12, 2024 24

World

Senegalese urged to turn out to oppose presidential election delay

By Alice CHANCELLOR and Soule DIA Dakar, Feb 9, 2024 (AFP) - Senegalese were urged on Friday to turn out and show their opposition to a last-minute delay of presidential polls, in a test of the balance of power between President Macky Sall and opponents. On Monday parliament backed Sall's sudden decision to postpone the February 25 election by 10 months, sparking a fierce opposition backlash and international concern. […]

February 9, 2024 9

Opinion Pieces

The zero draft to create a pact for the future has landed. The hard part begins.

By Florence Syevuo and Dan Perell The zero draft of the Pact for the Future — the agreement to seal September’s much-anticipated Summit of the Future — was introduced recently by the co-facilitators, Namibia and Germany, to fellow members at the United Nations. The draft is the fruition of careful consideration, balancing an array of diverse aspirations from all 193 member states. It is built on the proposals made in Secretary-General António Guterres’s Our Common Agenda and related […]

February 9, 2024 12

Africa

Zimbabwe scraps death penalty

Zimbabwe’s cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty for murder offences almost two decades after its last execution. Bloomberg News reports that the cabinet on Tuesday approved the Memorandum on the Private Member’s Death Penalty Abolition Bill introduced to parliament last year, bringing an end to the death penalty introduced in the southern African nation by British colonial administrators.

February 8, 2024 14

Namibia

SWANU condemns Israel’s actions in Gaza

The South West Africa National Union has condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, warning Germany against involvement in potential genocide, given its history. Following South Africa's appeal, the International Court of Justice instructed Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza. SWANU President, Charles Katjivirue is calling for global recognition of genocide as a serious offense. he US House of Representatives has rejected a Republican-led bill that would provide more than 331-billion-rand in […]

February 7, 2024 33

World

Indonesia’s Defense Minister seeks presidency

There was a time when Prabowo Subianto's name would have spooked most Indonesians. But now young voters appear to be charmed by the defence minister's slick makeover. The BBC reports that the ex-special forces commander dogged by allegations of human rights abuses and disappearances has become a cute grandfather made for memes. Now 72, Prabowo is running to succeed the popular Joko Widodo when the world's third-largest democracy votes on […]

February 7, 2024 19

Namibia

LGBTQ+ community reflects on Geingob’s position on same-sex bills

Local human rights activist, Linda Baumann has spoken to Future Media News about the protection and rights of the LGBTQ+ community under President Hage Geingob's leadership. President Geingob had expressed dissatisfaction with anti-same-sex marriage bills presented by Swapo parliamentarian Jerry Ekandjo in 2023, citing a lack of proper consultation within the party. Geingob assigned Minister Albert Kawana to clarify marriage laws in Namibia.

February 5, 2024 18