Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
23 September 2016
News from HART:
- We have had a brilliant blog post on internal conflict in South Sudan from Meg Kneafsey, if you would like to read it click here.
- We will also be arranging a HART Ambassador’s meet up soon, so stay tuned! If you would like to find out more about becoming an ambassador click here.
BurmaÂ
- Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing Karen State conflict. The fighting between an armed group and the Burmese Army has forced almost 4,000 civilians to flee, with many of the displaced being women and children.
- Aung Sang Suu Kyi dismissed human rights activists criticism of her country’s failure to address the problems faced by Burmese Rohingya Muslims. The State Counsellor insisted the government’s holistic approach would be a benefit to all and bring about social cohesion.
India
- A Dalit teen accused of stealing a buffalo in Agra has been whipped unconscious by a group of more than 15 upper caste men. A witness has stated police arrived more than three hours after the boy’s mother asked them to.
- In Ajmer 95 cases of atrocities against Dalits are lying in limbo. Between 2010 and 2015 about 1,592 cases of such atrocities were registered in the district and the police filled charge sheets on only 421 of these cases.
Nigeria
- A Nigerian blogger has been detained for five days for writing a controversial blog post. The man in question is a known critic of the current Katsina administration. The post was critical of the Governor’s move to buy 3000 metal coffins with public funds.
Jamil Mabai – a critic of the Katsina administration – was recently arrested by the Nigerian Police Force - Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has called on the UN to mediate talks with Boko Haram to secure the release of the Chibok schoolgirls. The president said he was prepared to trade militants in custody for the girls.
Uganda
- An archaic anti-gay bill prevents leader to hold parade in Kampala. Police threatened to arrest organizers and the ethics and integrity minister Simon Lokodo commented that the parade would be offending the country’s laws.
- A humanitarian crisis continues to affect Uganda as 300,000 people flee Burundi from violence, torture and persecution. UNHCR is also in talks of developing a fourth camp in the country.
Sudan
- 21 children have recently been released by the Sudanese government who were involved in a battle with the Justice and Equality Movement.
South Sudan
- Situations worsen in Wau, Raja and Juba in South Sudan, the newly elected Vice President Taban Deng Gai reached out to international institutions and donors. A funding shortage of 700 million dollars has made the situation more critical.
- After three years of a devastating civil war, world’s youngest nation embarks on a 100 days’ peace activism. South Sudan has been in conflict since December 2013 whereby almost 2.4 million people have been displaced from their homes.