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Uganda: Oil pipeline “devastates livelihoods”

Uganda: Oil pipeline “devastates livelihoods”

A planned oil pipeline to help Uganda export its crude to international markets has "devastated" the lives of thousands of people who have experienced delayed or inadequate compensation for their land, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. The rights group also said the project, in which TotalEnergies has a 62% stake, is a disaster for the planet as it will add emissions that exacerbate climate change. France's TotalEnergies rejected HRW's accusations, saying it was respecting all the rights of affected people. Planned to cost $3.5 billion, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) will carry crude from the oilfields in Uganda's west…
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Rights group urges Tunisia to halt collective expulsions of African migrants

Rights group urges Tunisia to halt collective expulsions of African migrants

TUNISIA should halt collective expulsions of sub-Saharan African migrants and urgently enable access to humanitarian services for those the government sent to a dangerous area of the Tunisia-Libya border, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. Tunisia has removed hundreds of the migrants to a desolate area along the border, a Tunisian rights group and a lawmaker said on Wednesday, with witnesses reporting dozens more put on outbound trains following days of violence. Disturbances between migrants and residents went on for a week in the port of Sfax, and one Tunisian was killed. Residents complained of disorderly behaviour by migrants and migrants complained of racist…
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Mass graves found in east Congo village after M23 rebel retreat, HRW says

Mass graves found in east Congo village after M23 rebel retreat, HRW says

DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo's M23 rebels allegedly executed scores of villagers and militia members between November and April and buried their bodies in mass graves, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, accusing Rwanda of backing the group. The Tutsi-led M23 staged a major offensive in Congo's restive east last year, triggering an armed response from local and regional forces. Hundreds of thousands have fled fighting near the borders with Rwanda and Uganda. Last year, the United Nations accused the group of executing at least 131 people in November in retaliation for clashes between M23 and rival armed groups. The U.N.'s human rights office…
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Uganda passes tough anti-gay law

Uganda passes tough anti-gay law

UGANDA'S parliament passed a law that criminalises identifying as LGBTQ, handing authorities broad powers to target Ugandans who already face legal discrimination and mob violence. More than 30 African countries, including Uganda, already ban same-sex relations. The new law appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), according to the rights group Human Rights Watch. Supporters of the new law say it is needed to punish a broader array of LGBTQ activities, which they say threaten traditional values in the conservative and religious East African nation. In addition to same-sex intercourse, the law…
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Egypt withholding identity papers from dissidents abroad- rights group

Egypt withholding identity papers from dissidents abroad- rights group

EGYPTIAN authorities have been systematically refusing to provide or renew identity documents to dissidents, journalists and activists abroad in a crackdown on opposition that extends beyond Egypt's borders, Human Rights Watch said. The U.S.-based group said it had interviewed 26 Egyptians living in countries including Turkey, Germany, Malaysia and Qatar last year, and had reviewed documents relating to nine of them. Egypt's state press centre and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "By arbitrarily depriving its citizens abroad from obtaining valid passports and other identity documents, the Egyptian authorities are violating both the constitution and international…
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Human Rights Watch urges Morocco not to extradite Saudi Shi’ite

Human Rights Watch urges Morocco not to extradite Saudi Shi’ite

A human rights watchdog called on Morocco not to extradite a Shi'ite Muslim to his homeland of Saudi Arabia, citing fears he could face torture and an unfair trial there. Hassan Al Rabea, who has been in Morocco since last summer, has been held in a prison near Rabat after being arrested at Marrakech airport on Jan. 14, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. Saudi prosecutors accuse Rabea of leaving the kingdom illegally with the help of terrorists, the campaign group added. Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has denied previous accusations that…
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“Qatar detains, mistreats LGBT people ahead of World Cup”

“Qatar detains, mistreats LGBT people ahead of World Cup”

SECURITY forces in Qatar arbitrarily arrested and abused LGBT Qataris as recently as last month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday, in the run-up to hosting soccer's World Cup which has put a spotlight on human rights issues in the Gulf Arab state. Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim country, and some soccer stars have raised concerns over the rights of fans travelling for the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against. A Qatari official said in a statement that HRW's allegations "contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false," without…
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Malian and foreign soldiers believed to have killed hundreds in town siege, Human Rights Watch says

Malian and foreign soldiers believed to have killed hundreds in town siege, Human Rights Watch says

MALIAN troops and suspected Russian mercenaries allegedly executed around 300 civilian men over five days during a military operation in a central town, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report on Tuesday. The killings took place between March 27 and 31 in Moura, a rural town of around 10,000 inhabitants in the Mopti region, a hotspot of jihadist activity that has intensified and spread to neighbouring countries in the Sahel region. "The incident is the worst single atrocity reported in Mali's decade-long armed conflict," HRW said. The reported executions sparked condemnation from the United States, the European Union, France…
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Uganda recognizes pregnant teens’ right to education, but religion, stigma lock out most

Uganda recognizes pregnant teens’ right to education, but religion, stigma lock out most

WAMBI MICHAEL WHEN schools reopened in Uganda in January, Atim’s baby was 3 months old. The 17-year-old wished to go back to classes but she faced a dilemma—whether to disclose to her teachers that she was a lactating mother. Atim chose to open up to some of the teachers who offered to help her return. The school made a provision to allow her to secretly breastfeed the baby within its premises. The first two weeks were challenging for the young mother. “It wasn’t easy but I’m now getting used to the students and teachers. The teachers have really been helpful,”…
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As Taliban threats grow, LGBT+ Afghans struggle for work and food

As Taliban threats grow, LGBT+ Afghans struggle for work and food

ANNIE BANERJI LGBT+ Afghans face increasing threats and violence five months since the Taliban seized power, with many forced into hiding and unable to earn a living amid a worsening economic crisis, researchers said. Sixty LGBT+ Afghans who were interviewed by rights groups said the community was being targeted by members of the hardline Islamist movement and their supporters, making it too risky for them to work or even leave the house. Two gay men said they had been raped by Taliban fighters, while many others said they had been threatened or attacked, found the report by Human Rights Watch…
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