Slaves of God: Nigeria’s traditional Osu slavery practice was stopped, but the suffering continues

By Michael E Odijie, UCL There are global efforts to fight modern slavery, but a few traditional systems still hold strong in west Africa. These include Osu, Ohu and Trokosi. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo spoke to Michael Odijie who has researched one of the systems – Osu – and what can be done to finally put a stop to it. What is Osu? Osu is a traditional […]

February 2, 2024 6

Africa

Kenya’s healthcare workers abuse a third of teen mums from informal settlements – study

By Anthony Idowu Ajayi, African Population and Health Research Center and Caroline W. Kabiru, African Population and Health Research Center Adolescent pregnancy is a global public health concern: in 2022, about 13% of girls and young women gave birth before the age of 18. Compared with women in their early 20s, adolescents are more susceptible to maternal deaths. Pregnancy-related complications are among the leading causes of death […]

January 30, 2024 42

World

How art can challenge election-time rhetoric about immigrants

By Lois Klassen, Simon Fraser University The coming year is expected to be one of unprecedented election activity worldwide. And as politicians gear up for the polls, immigrants are being pushed into the spotlight. In the United States, Donald Trump has vowed to expand his Muslim ban and bar Palestinian refugees from Gaza if he is re-elected. In Germany, anti-immigration rhetoric has been on the rise ahead of regional […]

January 29, 2024 4

South Africa

The World Court rescues international law from the Gaza rubble

At the International Court of Justice, Nadeli Pandor, left, South Africa’s foreign minister, and Vusimuzi Madonsela, who led South Africa’s delegation to the reading of the court’s order concerning their country’s case accusing Israel of genocide, Jan. 26, 2024. The court found the allegations of such acts “plausible.” UN Photo/ICJ-CIJ/Frank van Beek. Courtesy of the ICJ In a speech on Dec. 4, 1997, commemorating the International Day of […]

January 29, 2024 8

World

Europe’s top rights body blasts Serbia over police abuse

The Council of Europe on Thursday slammed Serbia for failing to rein in police abuse, saying in a report that alleged violence by officers could amount to torture. The new report comes less than a year following a visit to Serbia in March 2023 by a delegation from the council's anti-torture committee. During its research trip, representatives from the committee found individuals in police custody in Serbia run the […]

January 25, 2024 16

Opinion Pieces

South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is the country’s proudest foreign policy moment in three decades

By Peter Vale, University of Pretoria and Vineet Thakur On 11 January 2024, South Africa hauled Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the charge of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. This was for Israel’s indiscriminate bombing and siege of Gaza following the deadly 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas which claimed 1,200 Israeli lives. More than 25,000 Palestinians, at least half of them children, have […]

January 24, 2024 13

World

Israel now ranks among the world’s leading jailers of journalists. We don’t know why they’re behind bars

By Peter Greste, Macquarie University Israel has emerged as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists, according to a newly released census compiled by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Each year, the committee releases a snapshot of the number of journalists behind bars as of December 1 2023 was the second highest on record with 320 in detention around the world. In a small way, that […]

January 19, 2024 15

World

Senate votes against call for human rights report on Israel-Gaza conflict

The US Senate has rejected a resolution that would have required the State Department to report on human rights violations that possibly occurred, using American equipment in Israel’s war in Gaza. The resolution, which was rejected by 72 votes to eleven, was led by progressive independent Bernie Sanders who said that it was to limit the war’s devastation.

January 17, 2024 25

Africa

Former Gambian minister goes to trial in Switzerland

Gambia's former interior minister, Ousman Sonko is starting his trial in Switzerland after facing charges of crimes against humanity for nearly 6 years. Campaigners say the trial is a step forward towards seeking justice for people who suffered abuses under former president Yahya Jammeh's regime. Nabil Ahmed Rufai reports.

January 11, 2024 48