Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
29 September 2017
Burma
- Number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence reaches 500,000 – There may now be, in fact, 1 million Rohingya in bangladesh, including those displaced from previous military crackdowns.
- U.S. says countries should suspend providing weapons to Burma – “We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be – a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority,” Haley told the U.N. Security Council. The measure would also be beneficial in reducing the army’s abuses against other ethnic minorities.
Nagorno-Karabakh
- U.S. state of Michigan recognizes Karabakh independence – Michigan became the 8th U.S. state to recognize the independent Republic of Artsakh. “The Michigan Senate vote for Artsakh independence represents a resounding reaffirmation of our enduring American commitment to democratic self-determination and an equally powerful blow against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s ongoing aggression against this peaceful republic,” said ANC of Michigan Chair Lara Nercessian.
Nigeria
- Boko Haram continue to threaten the lives and safety of civilians in northeast Nigeria. This week Boko Haram killed three people and set fire to scores of homes in a raid targeting vulnerable rural communities in Borno State. Amid ongoing violence from Boko Haram, it was reported this week that the Nigerian government continues to run its program to de-radicalize former Boko Haram fighters and assimilate them into society.
- Nigeria’s next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on February 16 2019, the Independent National Electoral Commission said on its official Twitter account on Thursday. The date will mark the end of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term. He has not said if he will run again.
South Sudan
- Internally displaced persons living within the United Nation protection of civilian sites in Bentiu have expressed disappointment over the continued insecurity situation in one of South Sudan largest civilians’ protection camp in Unity State. One person was killed and four others were critically injured when a group of unidentified attackers stormed the UN camp at around 12 am on Friday morning.
- South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has vowed to end military confrontations between government forces and rebels across the country. In a speech aired by state-owned television, President Kiir admitted that he was well informed about the torment people were undergoing in South Sudan. He also acknowledged that dialogue was the best option to ending the South Sudan crisis, as opposed to military action.
Sudan
- UN Rights Body Should Strengthen Scrutiny of Situation in Sudan – In the conflict zones of Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile the Rapid Support Forces and other government aligned forces continued to carry out attacks on civilians.
- Bashir says US sanctions caused immense hardship – His comments came just two weeks before US President Donald Trump is to decide whether to permanently lift the embargo that Washington first imposed two decades ago over Khartoum’s alleged backing for Islamist militant groups.
Timor Leste
- Our HART Blog this week looks at the Moringa plant – an internationally recognised agent in alleviating problems of malnutrition. The nutritious plant has already helped to combat malnutrition in Haiti and Zambia, and there are hopes it can be introduced in Timor Leste. Timor Leste still has the third highest levels of stunting and wasting in children, and 70% of the population are living at subsistence level.
- Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the United Nations, addressed the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-second session and hailed Timor Leste as a great success of UN peacebuilding missions and “living proof of the United Nations’ ability to save lives and help make the world a safe place”.
Uganda
- In a new initiative to reduce to spread of HIV, The Ugandan Ministry of Health has agreed to allow the Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN) and Community Health Alliance Uganda (CHAU) to pilot the country’s first legal needle-syringe programme (NSP) in the country. NSPs are a harm reduction initiative whereby sterile needles and syringes are provided to people who inject heroin and other drugs.
