Author: Dee Paul
More than six decades after Patrice Lumumba was executed, a Belgian court has ruled that a former diplomat can stand trial in connection with his killing — a decision his family is calling a long-overdue moment of historical reckoning. Etienne Davignon, now 93, is accused of involvement in the unlawful detention and transfer of Lumumba and of his degrading treatment. He was a trainee diplomat at the time of the killing and went on to become a vice-president of the European Commission. He is the only surviving member of ten Belgians named in a criminal case that Lumumba’s family brought…
A judge has temporarily stopped the deportation of four Chagossian men who travelled to the Chagos Islands to protest against a proposed agreement that would transfer control of the territory from the UK to Mauritius. The four men arrived on a remote part of the archipelago on Monday after sailing from Sri Lanka. Their intention, according to their lawyers, was to re-establish a permanent presence on what they describe as their ancestral homeland. Soon after their arrival, British authorities issued the men with eviction notices, warning that failure to leave could result in fines or imprisonment. However, legal representatives acting…
A woman convicted of murdering a 14-year-old girl has been executed in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, in a rare case where the death penalty has been carried out against a woman. Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, was executed by firing squad on Tuesday in the city of Galkayo after a court found her guilty of beating a teenage girl to death. The victim had been working as a domestic helper in Diiriye’s household. The killing of Saabirin Saylaan in November triggered public outrage and protests in Galkayo, alongside renewed calls for stronger protections for children. The case struck a…
Eighty worshippers kidnapped by gunmen in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state have returned home weeks after their abduction, police have confirmed. The group was among 177 people seized last month during coordinated raids on three churches in the remote village of Kurmin Wali. According to police, the 80 managed to escape on the same day they were taken but went into hiding in nearby villages for nearly two weeks out of fear of being recaptured. Kaduna state police spokesman Mansur Hassan told the BBC that the escapees only resurfaced after believing it was safe to return home. Efforts are continuing to…
