Welcome to the Development Diaries weekly roundup of top Nigerian and African stories for Sunday, 02 July, 2023.
We reported the running over of a handcuffed man by police officers in Edo State, Nigeria; Tinubu’s appointment of only four women out of 20 as special advisors; the suffering of at least 2,420 children from violations in Congo Kinshasa; continued extrajudicial killings in Cameroon; advocacy against the trafficking and use of illicit drugs in Liberia among other top stories.
Horror as Policemen Drive SUV over Cuffed Man
A disturbing video of some officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) running over a handcuffed man with a Sienna vehicle in Ekpoma, Edo State, went viral online. The man in the video clip was handcuffed by some police officers attached to the Ekpoma division over his refusal to allow them to go through his mobile phones. Read more
Tinubu Makes 20 Appointments, Includes Only Four Women
Since he assumed office as Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has made 20 key appointments, including service chiefs, but only four women made the cut. The Nigerian leader had promised to feature women and youths ‘prominently’ in his administration. Read more
Congo: ‘2,420 Children Suffer from Violations’
At least 2,420 children suffer from violations such as killing, maiming, abductions, and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Save the Children has reported. The central African country had the highest number of grave violations against children in armed conflict in the world in 2022. Read more
Cameroon: More Extrajudicial Killings Recorded
Activists decried the extent of extrajudicial killings committed by military forces and armed groups in Cameroon. There are claims people have been arrested and killed by armed forces without passing through regular court trials. Read more
Nigeria: PWDs Still Face Unjustifiable Discrimination
As Muslims in Nigeria celebrate Eid al-Adha, Women Rights Initiative (WORI) lamented the plight of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the country. Nigeria is one of the major countries in Africa where little or no attention is paid to the plight of PWDs. Read more
South Africa: SA Harvest Raises Malnutrition Concerns
SA Harvest highlighted the problem of malnutrition faced by children in South Africa due to a lack of balanced meals. Founder of SA Harvest, Alan Browde, said he had come up with a solution to ensure quality food is given to children and the elderly among vulnerable groups. Read more
Tunisia: Human Rights Council Urged to Address Violations
Four human rights organisations urged the Human Rights Council to urgently address the deterioration of the human rights situation in Tunisia. The four human rights organisations – International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) – said this on Tuesday ahead of the 53rd council’s session. Read more
Liberia: YMCA Seeks Action against Drug Abuse
The Young Men Christian Association (YMCA Liberia) called on the Liberian Senate to take decisive measures in enacting laws to fight against the trafficking and use of illicit drugs in the country. YMCA-Liberia made the call as part of its activity commemorating International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Read more
Uganda: NGOs Drag TotalEnergies to Court
A group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Uganda launched legal action against TotalEnergies for alleged damage caused by its controversial oil mega projects in the country. The NGOs, which include Friends of the Earth Uganda, the African Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), Survive, and TASHA Research Institute, filed the lawsuit in France. Read more
Algeria: Group Demands Release of People Held after Activist Fled
Human Rights Watch (HRW), Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and EuroMed Rights reported the detention of at least four people for more than four months in Algeria. They were arrested for allegedly helping an activist to leave the country in February 2023. Read more
That is the roundup of some stories that made headlines last week. More headlines are available on Development Diaries.
Photo source: Save the Children