News Round-Up 20/05/16

News from HART

See our latest blog on Burma, accompanied with an infographic.

Burma

• Myanmar nationalists announced Wednesday that a series of protests were planned across major cities to demand that the government declare that there is no Rohingya ethnicity in the country. Hardliners in the country would rather the Rohingya are seen as Bengalis, rather than a separate ethnicity.

India

• India is experiencing one of its worst droughts yet. According to the BBC, “At least 330 million people are affected by drought in India.”
• It has also been reported that “Five villagers in a drought-hit part of northern India have died while trying to restore a disused drinking well.”
• As a result of such devastating consequences, a contested solution has been brought to the forefront by Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti. This solution consists of, “transferring water, including from major rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Ganges, to drought-prone areas” and Minister Uma Bharti has referred to this as “her government’s top priority”.

Nigeria 

• The BBC has reported that “one of the missing Chibok schoolgirls has been found in Nigeria”. She is the first to be rescued of the 219 girls taken my Boko Haram two years ago. It is claimed that all of the Chibok girls are alive, except for six. CNN, The Guardian and Reuters have also reported on this.

• The return of this one girl has been spreading hope that the others will also be reunited with their families, a sentiment which is especially visible on social media. From the tag #BringBackOurGirls to now #HopeEndures, “Many people welcomed the news, and hoped that the other girls abducted by Boko Haram militants would be found soon.”

One girl has come back – but over 200 girls remain in the hands of Boko Haram. #BringBackOurGirls:https://t.co/aH65DSa5BJ

— Fusion (@Fusion) 19 May 2016

South Sudan

• Sudanese rebels of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), backed by government forces in Western Bahr el Ghazal region, have clashed with armed men allegedly allied to the opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM-IO), capturing a military site previously held by the opposition forces in Deim Zubeir area.

• The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has said that said that the Transitional Government of National Unity must respect the peace deal and implement it accordingly. They expressed concerns over a lack of transparency on progress in demilitarising Juba and over disagreements over cantonment sites. The SPLA-IO has frequently charged the government of attacking its cantonment sites in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal. However, the government rejected the existence of opposition troops in the region. The Executive Director of CEPO said, “Execution of the cantonment areas establishment is too much politicised has contributed in an increase of insecurity/Bandit activities among the communities in locations such as Wau, Yei, Morobo, Kajo-kaji and Juba-Bor road”

Sudan

• The South Kordofan Blue Nile Coordination Unit (SKBNCU) reported that,‘16 bombs were dropped on Kauda town on Tuesday [17^th May]. Some of the bombs landed in the Kauda market, three injured civilians were rushed to the Gidel hospital. Reports from the National Human Rights Monitoring Organisation confirmed this and added that two goats, one pig and one sheep were killed as a result of the bombing. Casualties may have been more severe if it weren’t for local knowledge and protection measures taken including the preparation of foxholes for civilians in public places such as the markets and schools. The attack comes during continued intense frontline fighting in the Al Azraq area of Heiban County.’

For more information, please download the full SKBNCU update from the bottom of this page.

Uganda

• Kizza Besiyge, Uganda’s frequently arrested opposition leader, has appeared in court on treason charges after he allegedly took part in a fake presidential swearing-in ceremony which was filmed and circulated online. When the opposition announced a day of defiance over the swearing in of the incumbent, newspaper editors were summoned by the cabinet and told not to give the protest coverage.