‘Crisis Only Exists in Minds of Opposition’

19 SEP, 2020 - 00:09 

Zanu-PF First Secretary and President Cde Mnangagwa addresses the party's 113th session of the Central Committee at the party headquarters in Harare yesterday. - Picture: Believe Nyakudjara

Farirai Machivenyika and Joseph Madzimure

Zimbabwe Herald

President Mnangagwa has shot down claims of a crisis in the country, thanking Zimbabweans for remaining resolute in defiance of machinations by opposition elements bent on fomenting political instability.

In his opening remarks during the 113th Ordinary Session of Zanu PF’s Central Committee in Harare yesterday, the ruling party’s President and First Secretary said the so-called crisis only existed in the minds of the opposition.

Like any other country, Zimbabwe was facing challenges which the Government was tackling.

President Mnangagwa said the Central Committee meeting was taking place at a time of failed machinations by Zanu PF’s detractors on social media to reverse and destabilise the unity, peace, security and development milestones that the ruling party had achieved.

“I applaud the people of Zimbabwe and the leadership of the party for remaining resolute in defiance of the opposition’s regime change agenda and worrying levels of self-hate through a sustained call to make our country ungovernable saying there was a crisis in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The crisis exists in their minds, the crisis exists in their parties, the crisis exists in their bedrooms but not in the country. We have challenges like any other country in the region has and we are resolved to face these challenges head on. We will not seek outside mediation to deal with challenges which they themselves have.”

He said the solidarity existing between Zanu PF and other leaders of sister liberation movement parties in the region like the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa remained strong and would not be shaken by social media.

“We have elements peddling falsehoods that there is misunderstanding between Zanu PF and the ANC. Hakuna (there is nothing like that),” he said.

The President said he was in constant communication with his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, and other leaders of sister political parties.

He urged Zimbabweans not to be side-tracked by elements bent on causing disharmony in the country but focus on the development agenda being pursued by Government.

“We must therefore maintain total control of our party’s legacy ideals mounted on the struggle for broad-based economic emancipation, patriotism, loyalty, discipline and forever be masters of our own destiny,” President Mnangagwa said.

He exhorted party cadres to work towards fulfilment of the 2018 harmonised elections manifesto and resolutions passed at the 2019 Annual People’s Conference held in Goromonzi.

Mobilisation and increasing the party’s membership remained a critical function of all structures and organs while the District Coordinating Committees that were being re-established would play an important part in grassroots membership.

President Mnangagwa said his Government believed in servant leadership that had sought the betterment of people’s livelihoods even in times of crises like droughts, cyclones, illegal sanctions and the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic.

“Through my Government’s unequivocal and direct intervention, the macro-economic environment is stabilising and volatility of the foreign exchange rate and in the prices of goods and services has been reduced,” he said.

He added that key sectors of the economy like mining, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, ICT’s and infrastructure development had seen notable investments and creation of jobs with NSSA reporting that 214 000 new jobs had been created.

On the land reform, the President reiterated that the historic programme was irreversible as it formed the basis of the liberation struggle.

He however, urged beneficiaries to fully utilise their land for local and export markets.

Turning to the forthcoming cropping season, the President said farmers should adequately prepare and commended the overwhelming response to the Presidential Climate Proofed Pfumvudza Programme across the country.

“Government will continue to facilitate irrigation development, mechanisation and extension services. Party members are urged to harness all these initiatives towards the achievement of a US$8,2 billion agriculture sector by 2025,” President Mnangagwa said.

Other notable investments were being made in road construction, the energy sector and dam construction.

“The devolution programme has become and must continue to be an effective mechanism through which we speedily uplift the quality of life for our people in all parts of the country, especially in previously marginalised communities. Our nation building and development agenda must be propelled by the party.”

He said Government would remain resolute in fighting corruption and urged party members to adhere to a culture of hard work and accountability.

Following his tour of the Zion Christian Church Mbungo Agro-Industrial Park on Thursday, President Mnangagwa urged other churches to emulate such projects.

“I call on churches in our country and the nation as a whole, to shift our mindset and re-orient our discourse towards economic productivity.

“We need productivity. The development of a country is productivity based that’s the only way we can develop this country, that’s the only way we can better the lives of our people.

“No country develops out of violent demonstrations and social media. Let us shun divisive and evil concoctions by merchants of doom and their handlers who are bent on keeping our country stuck in a cycle of disunity and confusion. Let us continue to preach unity, peace, love and harmony so that we develop our nation,” he said.

Before the commencement of proceedings, Central Committee members congratulated President Mnangagwa for turning 78 on Tuesday.

The Central Committee also observed a minute of silence in honour of the 234 senior party cadres who have died since January this year.

Out of the 234, four were declared national heroes, 183 liberation war heroes, 44 liberation heroes while three received State assisted funerals. Yesterday’s meeting was attended by only 100 out of 300 members to enable observance of social distancing protocols.

First Lady Opens Doors for People with Disabilities

19 SEP, 2020 - 00:09  

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over a hamper to Ms Chipo Manyuka during her interaction with men and women with disabilities in Harare yesterday. Picture: John Manzongo

Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter

Zimbabwe Herald

People living with disabilities have come out in full support of empowerment initiatives being rolled out by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to unlock their potential and ensure they lead better lives while contributing meaningfully to the country’s economic development.

This is contrary to the current state of affairs where some people with disabilities live as beggars. The Angel of Hope Foundation’s patron wants to change that perception.

The foundation is the First Lady’s empowerment vehicle.

She has partnered various organisations to economically empower disabled persons by imparting pertinent skills, including financial literacy and how to fend for themselves and their children.

Yesterday, Amai Mnangagwa convened an interface with disabled persons who shared their experiences.

Cde Joshua Malinga, the special advisor in the Office of the President and Cabinet on disability issues, came out in full support of the programme, saying most challenges faced by disabled persons were not made by God, but by society.

“Disability is not the condition of my body,” said Cde Malinga. “I have no problem with my body, nzou hairemerwe nenyanga dzayo. Disability is the way I am treated by society. Society thinks we can’t be like any other people.

“They think we can’t have normal lives or even families. Our legs are not an issue, but the way society looks at us disempowers us. Disability does not prevent anyone from realising their goal. We want to thank the First Lady for giving hope to people with disabilities.”

Mr Givemore Mututsi, a survivor of a 1979 landmine blast, praised Amai Mnangagwa, saying such an interface was the first of its kind.

He quoted Isaiah 6 verse 8 and said the First Lady was God-sent, hence her interventions to assist those in need.

“Disability does not mean inability,” Mr Mututsi. “We are able to do things like any other people. However, if you visit a bank you can’t even get a loan because of lack of collateral. Amai has come with a noble initiative to impart us with financial knowledge and giving us ideas on how to start projects.

“Vakaremera tinoonekwa sevanhu vasina tariro, but Amai is giving us hope. We are happy Amai has come to be with us and to speak to us. Since 1980, this is the first of its kind, a First Lady interacting with us. We are grateful and we will treasure this. She has come to empower us, to open doors for us.”

Kudzaishe Kusekwa (17), who is physically impaired, said she did a sewing course and appealed for machines to realise her dream of establishing a tailoring business.

She was grateful that the First Lady came to her rescue through the Women’s Bank, which is among organisations working with Amai Mnangagwa in assisting vulnerable groups.

The bank’s chief executive officer, Dr Mandas Marikanda, took Kudzaishe and other participants through the process of opening an account and explained how the financial institution assists through projects.

“As Women’s Bank we are saying at your homesteads use your small fields productively,” she said. “Even the First Lady is growing vegetables behind her offices, utilising a small garden and dries them to help those in need.

“In Rusape, vulnerable groups with our assistance, are now in castor bean farming. Nothing is impossible whenever there is a will. Those into tailoring please come through and we will give you sewing machines.”

Addressing the interface, Amai Mnangagwa spelt the need for people to come together to open doors of economic empowerment for persons with disabilities.

She said according to the United Nations (UN), about 15 percent of the world’s population comprised persons with disabilities.

“If we take the same measure, we can estimate that about 15 percent of the population of Zimbabwe is made up of persons with disabilities, that is, about 2 250 000 people,” said the First Lady.

“If we further reflect, we can actually say that more than 2 250 000 people are affected because disability does not only affect the individual with the bodily impairment, but the lives of his or her family members are also affected.

“It is, therefore, not surprising that the world health survey data shows that households with persons with at least one family member with disability often have fewer assets and lower levels of income.

“That is so, because whilst for example, the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and some of the SDGs clearly state that persons with disabilities have a right to work and to establish their own self-help economic projects, the reality is that persons with disabilities are commonly marginalised in most spheres of life, including unemployment and economic empowerment programmes.”

The mother of the nation said it was generally difficult for persons with disabilities to either enter the formal labour market or to be included in economic empowerment programmes.

The reasons for such a scenario, she said, were many and included facts that most people still held fallacious beliefs that disability meant that a person was not capable of doing anything, yet the reverse may be true.

“Angel of Hope Foundation, therefore, seeks to complement Government efforts by forging partnerships that seek to enhance the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities so that just like everyone else, they can be able to live independent lives and not to just passively wait to receive donations,” said the First Lady.

“We are, therefore, gathered here today, as we together explore opportunities that may be available to persons with disabilities through the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank, and beyond.

“The reality is that whilst a vision is meant to last for some time, it is not cast in iron and stone. A vision is, therefore, dynamic and it can be altered, as we pay attention to circumstances in the forever changing world, so that we attend to the needs and concerns of all vulnerable people, regardless of their gender affiliation.

“That is why today you see that again we have also invited men with disabilities to this event, so that the men can also partake in the financial literacy skills that are being offered by the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank, as well as enter the doors of economic empowerment opportunities that we are together opening today.

“In any case, poverty knows no boundaries and as articulated by the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, we can only say we have transformed the world when we have left no one behind. We, therefore, all have to strive to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities of all gender affiliations, in all economic empowerment programmes.”

A reflection on the basic cause of poverty among persons with disabilities, she said, would note that they were generally left out of most social and economic programmes.

“The strong focus of international development targets on poverty reduction is positive, but it may also have its own dangers if we just focus on those who are easier to bring out of poverty, without making an effort to reach those who are furthest behind first,” she said.

“Persons with disabilities are excluded from all facets of life, including economic empowerment programmes, to the extent that it is not easy to find current reliable statistics on disability, let alone data that shows the extent of poverty among persons with disabilities.

“Nonetheless, the scanty research that has been undertaken on disability in Zimbabwe reveals that persons with disabilities are among the poorest of the poor.”

The First Lady called for collaboration in efforts to create and strengthen economic empowerment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

“If we work in silos, we will not accomplish much, but if we work in unity, including with persons with disabilities themselves, we will go far,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa donated foodstuffs and toiletries to the gathering.

Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Deputy Minister, Jennipher Mhlanga, thanked the First Lady for her “relentless efforts and personal interest in supporting initiatives targeting disabled persons”.

Unesco regional director for Southern Africa, Professor Hubert Gijzen, said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits to “leave no one behind” towards a peaceful and prosperous world where dignity of an individual person and equality among all was applied as a fundamental principle.

“The commitment to leave no one behind won’t be achieved if we do not ensure the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society,” he said.

Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province, Oliver Chidau, also attended the occasion.

 Poverty and Inequality in Namibia

STAFF REPORTER

NEW ERA

Poverty in Namibia still bears a distinct rural face, with the poorest regions being those in which the majority of the population live in rural areas of the country. Namibia is one of just nine countries in Africa categorized by the World Bank as “upper middle income”. Poverty in Namibia, however, is still prevalent, and the country is rife with extreme wealth imbalances which are terrifying indeed.

And the Namibian population continues to be susceptible to poverty. Rated as a high middle income country, Namibia’s poverty and inequality levels are among the highest in the world. The poverty line strikes the Namibian population from poor to extremely poor since over 10% of the Namibian population live in abject poverty yet the country is rich in mineral resources which are supposed to be shared to alleviate poverty.

The apparent imbalance between Namibia’s high income and the simultaneous extreme prevalence of poverty can be traced to enduring income inequalities in the country as the gap between the rich and poor remains wide. Globally, Namibia has the third highest levels of income inequality, according to the World Bank. One study by the National Bureau of Economic Research showed Namibia as having the highest levels of wealth inequality in the world in 2000; this is very disturbing in a rich country but with poor nationals.

Namibia is known for its extreme inequality when it comes to income and wealth distribution, which is one of the highest societal inequalities in the world despite the country’s endowment with abundant natural resources, excellent if not good infrastructure, a vibrant democracy that gives autonomy to its people for self-governance, and peace and stability which is prevailing to date. It is thus disheartening in this democratic country, with a painful feeling of humiliation or distress, to see Namibians plunged in abject poverty and still living with a huge gap of inequality.

In March 2015, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Namibia “declared war” on poverty, with his first focus on the problem of hunger. The President pledged to create a food bank with branches across the entire country to eradicate poverty. The question is, will the food bank be able to sustain itself in the long term or is it a temporary programme to do damage control. Namibia is one of the countries with vast land for agricultural projects which can indeed replace the food bank. These projects will create employment and produce adequate food for the country and for export and by so doing the cost of purchasing food from shelves and imports is reduced drastically.

A large number of Namibian households rely on wages and salaries as their main source of income. In rural areas Namibian households depend on subsistence farming as the main source of income. These figures indicate the critical importance that wages and salaries have for the survival of Namibian households. This is further emphasised by the fact that most Namibian households lack a secondary source of income. In rural areas most of the households have no secondary source of income. Yet we have the national need to explore ways to foster economic growth and development.

The Basic Income Grant (BIG) of N$100 per person per month, without any conditions attached, was proposed. The high levels of inequality and poverty are economically unsustainable and that was deemed the best method of addressing poverty and inequality as a universal income grant, but this was regarded by some as an unaffordable welfare measure which was also discouraged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from being implemented. 

There is clearly a need for targeted interventions in terms of resource allocation. It is important that, as a long-term strategy, investment in education is used to reduce poverty, while short-term service delivery is also crucial for poverty reduction. 

It is widely conceded that a negative relationship between education and poverty clearly exists in the country. Therefore, the national policies and a national agenda for poverty reduction need to be localised in order to make a notable impact in the lives of every Namibian. 

It is also imperative to gain a better understanding of the sectors, projects and programmes, as well as the institutional factors driving the reported reductions in the poverty headcount. It requires a concerted effort from individual to government and the private sector to alleviate poverty and dismantle the inequality system to accommodate full shares of the economy and build Namibia to be a better country with an equity system.

Air Namibia’s N$193 Million Restart Plan

KUZEEKO TJITEMISA

Air Namibia will require at least N$193 million to restart operations after months of huge losses and the grounding of commercial passenger flights due to the Covid-19 outbreak. 

Airlines worldwide are battling for survival after lockdowns and travel bans brought the sector to a virtual standstill. 

In its proposal submitted to government and seen by New Era, the national airline management is asking a N$193 million bailout to help repay debt and resume operations after the lifting of Covid-19 travel bans.  The airline management said its major objectives include optimally utilising the six aircraft, comprising two A319 Airbus planes as well as four Embraer ERJ 135 jets. 

“Restart will be focused on viable routes and will gradually grow to the full schedule as aircraft and crew become available,” reads the proposal. The plan will also include rightsizing the workforce to meet schedule demand. 

“In partnership with the shareholder, stakeholders and foreign missions aggressively promoting Namibia as a safe and tourist destination,” the company said in a 32-page slide presentation. 

The presentation titled ‘Air Namibia Covid Revised Business Plan’, says it also includes implementing corporate and departmental scorecards according to business plan initiatives. 

According to the draft plan, the airline owes N$707 million to suppliers, which include about N$49 million to local suppliers, N$56 million to South African suppliers, N$21 million to regional suppliers, N$110 million in outstanding settlement payments to foreign suppliers and a reminder of N$214 million settlement payment to foreign service providers. 

To resume operations after the lifting of Covid-19 travel bans, the airline said it needs at least N$49 million to pay local suppliers, which include Engen, Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Namibia Airports Company (NAC) and Welwitschia Nammic Insurance, among others. 

The airline said at least N$55 million is needed to pay South African suppliers, such as South African Airways Technical (SAAT), the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Bidair Services, and Swissport. 

Other international service providers owed by Air Namibia include Rolls Royce, Embraer, Camps, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Dunlop. 

A further N$47 million is needed for refunds, crew training, the 2015 KPMG audit, the 2016 PKF initial audit, restoration of ground equipment and Challenge Air. 

Air Namibia last year announced it has reached an out-of-court settlement in a N$400 million legal dispute with Challenge Air. 

Namibian Sun reported at the time that in accordance with the settlement agreement, all attachment orders of Air Namibia›s assets, in line with a German court directive, were suspended, which would allow it to trade normally. 

The newspaper attributed comments to Air Namibia spokesperson Paul Nakawa, who said the settlement was the outcome of consultations with all parties and has been duly executed by both Air Namibia and Challenge Air. 

In cost reduction, the airline says it will reduce its Frankfurt routes to four per week in the next financial year and increase it to seven in the 2021/22 financial year. 

The airline says it will also return the leased A319, extent V5-ANK at reduced leased rates and use reserves to clear all outstanding invoices for engines. 

“This will reduce the cash flow projections significantly. A319 lease extended at reduced lease rate of USD 125 000 and settlement of first aircraft redelivery engine shop invoices, amounting to 12 million USD,” the airline said. 

Furthermore, the airline said it will revive the fuel efficiency gap analysis (FEGA) programme, started in 2008. 

“The FEGA program was instated in 2008 and fuel conversation measures implemented gains are not available at present. Discussions are at an advanced stage with suppliers at Eros, which will see a N$2 reduction per litre,” the document reads. 

Similarly, the airline said, it will engage NAC for a 50% reduction on airport charges for the next six months and renegotiate a payment plan on historical invoices that shall eliminate the interest charges. 

The airline will further look at engaging NCAA for a 50% reduction on aeronautical and safety charges for the next six months, reducing food offering, reducing staff medical benefits, replacing airline offices with GSA, introducing booking fee to recuperate GDS cost and revisiting and re-negotiate all arrangements and contracts where possible. 

The national airline recently proposed a 50% salary reduction for staff that has been grounded due to the pandemic. 

In a letter to trade unions representing airline staff, Air Namibia’s interim CEO Theo Mberirua explained the fixed operational costs were making it difficult for management to conceive ways to guarantee the survival of the beleaguered airline.

- ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na 

Sudan’s al-Burhan Travels to UAE for Talks on Normalization with Israel

MBZ Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi receives Sudan's TMC al-Burhan up on his arrival to Abu Dhabi on 26 May 2019 (Photo WAM)

September 20, 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - Barely, the Transitional Sovereign Council announced the departure of its head to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) on Sunday, press reports disclosed that his delegation will discuss normalization with Israel.

Earlier in Khartoum, it was announced that Abdel Fattah al-Burhan would travel to the UAE flanked by a delegation including Justice Minister Nasr al-Din Abdel-Bari and a team of Sudanese expert for talks on Sudan removal from the terror list, needed support for the transition, Sudan’s exemption of U.S. debt.

The Sovereign Council in its statement said the Sudanese delegation will hold talks with a U.S. delegation in Abu Dhabi while al-Burhan will meet the Emirati leaders.

However, AXIOS news website disclosed that Abu Dubai meetings will discuss the normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel.

The U.S. based media further said that the U.S. delegation will be led by the White House National Security Council’s senior director for Gulf Affairs, Middle Eastern Affairs Directorate, Brig. Gen. Miguel Correa.

The UAE side will be represented security adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed, while the Sudanese delegation will include the powerful chief of staff to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Abdel-Bari.

Sudan besides its delisting from the terror blacklist is asking for more than $3 billion in humanitarian assistance and direct budgetary aid in order to deal with the difficult economic crisis the country is experiencing.

Further, Sudan demands "A commitment by the U.S. and the UAE to providing Sudan with economic aid over the next three years," added Axios.

Following the failure of its plan for peace in the Middle East, Trump administration is working actively to encourage Arab countries to normalize with Israel.

The UAE and Bahrain recently normalized relations with Israel.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo was in Khartoum on 25 August to press Hamdok and al-Burhan to normalize with Israel.

Officially, Hamdok said he has no mandate to take such a decision as ahead of the transitional government.

However, reports indicated that both the head of the Sovereign Council and the prime minister requested significant financial and economic support and the rescission of Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation.

Last February, al-Burhan had already met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

(ST)

Court Sentence on Artists Raises Questions About Needed Reforms of Justice in Sudan

Minister Elboushi (2d L) meets imprisoned artists including Duaa and Hajooj besides her at Omdurman prison on 19 September 2020 (ST photo) 

September 19, 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - The ruling of a Khartoum court imprisoning young artists has sparked widespread controversy on social media and among youth groups about the need for swift reforms to the legal system inherited from the former Islamist regime and the police apparatus in Sudan.

Last Thursday, the Khartoum Central Criminal Court imposed a two-month prison sentence and a fine of 5 thousand pounds for 5 members of the (Civic Lab) art centre, on the grounds of public disturbance and public safety violation last August.

Among the sentenced artists known for their support for the revolution Hajooj Kuka who a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars in the United States of America.

The prison sentence which has become a "political affair" in Khartoum has been condemned by several Resistance Committees groups, Sudanese Women Union, the Sudanese Professional Association and the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa among others.

According to the supporters of democratic change in Sudan, the case shows that the same old laws that were made during the past 30 years by the former regime to oppress Sudanese are still in place, said the SPA.

In the same vein, SIHA said pointed out to the "absence of an objective and fair justice system, and demonstrates that the legal frameworks and institutions of Sudan are designed to criminalise civilians in order to maintain the dominance of the militant Islamist ideology (...)".

Among the convicts Duaa Tariq, a Sudanese female artist who accused the Public Prosecution of refusing to file a case against a police officer for slapping her after she refused to photograph her in a police detention centre.

The head of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front advance delegation in Khartoum, Yasir Arman called for a swift legal solution for the case.

"There is a need for a legal solution that complies with the requirements of the prevailing democratic climate in the country," said Araman in a statement to Sudan Tribune after expressing their solidarity with "Duaa and Hajooj as well as their colleagues".

The case goes back to last August when a group of artists were rehearsing a play and a group of neighbours asked the artists to stop the noise caused that night. The issue could have been settled instantly as the artists made their excuses and reduced the sound.

The developments of the case and mistreatment of the artists are detailed in a statement SIHA issued on Friday, available at the press statements section at this link. Performing arts is not a Crime - Assaulting women and artists is!

On Saturday, Youth and Culture Minister Walaa Isam Elboushi met with the sentenced artists in Omdurman Prison to show her solidarity with them.

In a statement released after the visit, the youth affirmed their rejection of any mediation, violation of laws, or petition for their release.

They stressed they will follow the legal procedures and appeal the sentences "in a manner that achieves justice for them and contribute to the process of legal and institutional reforms".

They also expressed their determination to take legal action towards those who committed violations against them, stressed the statement alluding to the police officers.

International support

International film industry professionals have issued a statement calling for the release of five Sudanese artists, including prize-winning filmmaker Hajooj Kuka, after they were sentenced to two months in prison for causing a "public nuisance."

The solidarity statement was signed by Mike Downey and Marion Döring, President and Director European Film Academy, Orwa Nyrabia and Cees van‘t Hullenaar, Artistic Director and Executive Director International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

Also among the signatories, Alberto Barbera, Artistic Director Venice International Film Festival, Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente, Artistic Director and Executive Director Toronto International Film Festival, Tricia Tuttle Director BFI London Film Festival, Jihan El-Tahri, General Director DOX BOX and Julie Trébault, Director Artists at Risk Connection, PEN America.

(ST)

Pompeo Says Sudan Could Be Off Terror List in October if Senators Back Negotiated Deal

September 19, 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - U.S. Secretary of State urged the Senate to endorse legislation to restore Sudan’s sovereign immunities adding that its removal from the terror list could intervene next October after the signing of a claims agreement with the East African country.

Pompeo speaks to the media in August 2019 (Reuters photo)In a strongly worded letter to the Senate Majority Leader Mitchell McConnell on 16 September disclosed by The Foreign Policy on Friday, Michael Pompeo sought to mobilise support to rescind Sudan’s state sponsor of terrorism designation.

"I m asking for your help to partner with the Department to seize these opportunities by including the bipartisan Sudan legal peace legislation drafted by Senator Chris Coons in the upcoming Continuing Resolution," he said.

He further asked them to enact legal peace legislation restoring Sudan’s sovereign immunities "no later than mid-October in order to ensure that payment of compensation to victims can occur as soon as Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation is rescinded".

The decision to remove Sudan from the blacklist will be issued by the president, but Sudan’s sovereign immunity before the U.S. courts should be restored by the Congress.

On Friday, the Sept. 11 attacks’ 19th anniversary, Senator Robert Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voiced his opposition to the deal reached by the Sudanese government with the victims of embassies bombing.

"I have urged the State Department to reconsider its deal and to do better," he said and announced that he would not endorse the agreement because it ignores the claims of the victims of September 11 attacks.

According to the Wall Street Journal of Wednesday, the draft peace legislation restoring Sudan’s sovereign immunities, prepared by Senator Coons who is also a Democrat, will allow the 9/11 victims to sue Sudan under the same legislation they are using to sue Saudi Arabia for backing the attacks. Also, it extends past 2030 a federal program, the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, that provides compensation to them and other terrorism victims.

In his letter to the Senate, Pompeo said that the victims will not receive the money, $335 million, before the adoption of the legislation by the Congress.

Also, he recalled the U.S. national security interests require to avoid the failure of the fragile transition in Sudan stressing that could easily result in the emergence of anther Islamist regime and the eruption of war again.

"I strongly encourage (the) inclusion of Sudan legal peace legislation in the Continuing Resolution. The Administration also supports this legislation as an anomaly," he stressed.

The U.S. top diplomat said the signing of the bilateral claims agreement and rescission of Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation "could be met by the end of October".

He confirmed that Sudan now has collected the needed money to pay agreed-upon compensation to the victims of the terror attacks and the murder in Khartoum of USAID employee John Granville on 1 January 2008.

The WSJ said the Sudanese transitional government got a loan from a regional African bank to pay the proposed settlement.

(ST)

Sudanese FM, German Officials Discuss Implementation of Berlin Conference

September 19, 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - Sudanese acting Foreign Minister Omer Gamar Eldin discussed with German officials the implementation of Sudan partnership meeting hosted by the government of Angela Merkl last June.

The donor pledged $1.8 billion to support the transitional government in Khartoum in the implementation of its economic reforms to reintegrate the international financial system.

In a statement released on Saturday, the official news agency reported that Gamar Eldin met with Martin Jaeger State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"The meeting reviewed the progress of implementing the outcomes of the Berlin Conference in accordance with the mechanisms agreed upon at the conference," said the agency.

For his part, Jaeger affirmed that his country will continue to support Sudan politically and economically, to ensure the success of the transitional period and to overcome the challenges facing Sudan, said the agency.

The visiting Sudanese top diplomat also met with Miguel Berger German Secretary of State at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.

In a tweet posted after the meeting, Berger expressed his pleasure to meet the visiting Sudanese top diplomat.

"Your work on building a democratic and peaceful Sudan in spite of the huge economic and social challenges is admirable," he said.

The Sudanese government is facing tough economic challenges and count on the EU support for the country.

Last February German Chancellor Merkel voiced her support to the Sudanese transitional government and pledged to back it economically.

"You need partners. Germany wants to be such a partner," the chancellor said.

"We want to do everything possible to use this historic window of opportunity. We want to support Sudan with everything that we can together with our partners," she further emphasized.

(ST)

First Sudanese Ambassador to US in 23 Years Formally Accredited

September 17 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - The designated Sudanese ambassador to the United States Noureldin Satti formally presented his credentials to President Trump on Thursday.

Sudanese ambassador to US Noureldin Satti The veteran diplomat who was picked last May, made history by becoming the first Sudanese ambassador in 23 years since the diplomatic relations were upgraded late last year.

The two countries had for more than 25 years appointed only charges d’affaires to run their missions in Washington and Khartoum.

However, the US has yet to name its ambassador to Sudan and it is not clear what is causing the delay.

The Trump administration is currently deliberating over removing Sudan from the list of states that sponsor terrorism, a designation which was made since 1993.

A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Senate majority and minority leaders this week urging them to work on a resolution that would approve a settlement of claims between Sudan and families of 1998 twin embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Satti said that his country is seeking "normal relations with its regional environment and to re-track its relations with the countries of the world" pointing out that there is close cooperation with Washington to remove Sudan from the terror list.

"There is a major shift in the US policy towards Sudan," Sati said. "There are great efforts and close cooperation with Washington to remove Sudan from the list of terrorism."

(ST)

SRF Rejects Calls to Exclude Military from Sudan’s Transition

September 17, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The head of the advance delegation of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front called for concerted efforts to make the transitional period a success and voiced their rejection of the calls for the exclusion of the military.

Yasir Arman also stressed that peace will strengthen the unity of the Forces for Freedom and Change.

The SRF delegation led by Arman arrived in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Thursday where they were widely welcomed by government officials and the leaders of the ruling coalition as well as their supporters.

The Sudanese government, the SRF and SLM of Minni Minnawi initialled a peace agreement in Juba on August 31, as the final signing is expected on October 3. The advance delegation will explain the peace agreement to the Sudanese and prepare for the implementation of the peace agreement.

In a press conference held after their arrival, Arman appealed to the unity of the Sudanese for the successful implementation of the peace agreement and the completion of the tasks of democratic transition in the country.

"We want a clear partnership between the civilian and military, and we are not with the exclusion of the military from the transition period, as we are not with their control of it," he said.

The SRF wants a balanced transition which requires great responsibility, including "a full understanding between those who carried out the revolution and those who contributed to its success," he added.

Arman went further to wonder why until now there is no joint public meetings or forums gathering civilian and military leaders saying it would contribute to ending the political polarization "with or against the military".

There is a big gap between the youth who carried out the revolution and the military as a result of the gross violations of human rights and killing of peaceful protesters during the six months before the collapse of the former regime and first three months of the transitional military council.

Also, a crisis erupted recently between the civilian government and the military component of the Sovereign Council about the economic activities of the army.

Arman said that peace should serve to remedy the shortcomings that marred the transitional period, adding that they would share with the government "its joys and sorrows".

"We are aware that there are diseases in the transitional period, which are diseases of teething rather than ageing and we are able to treat them," he said alluding to the huge economic challenges the government of Hamdok is facing.

Wide welcome

The SRF delegation was received at Khartoum Airport, by the Minister of the Federal Government Youssef Al-Dhai, Minister of Guidance and Endowments Nasr al-Din Mufreh, Chairman of the Peace Commission Suleiman al-Dobilo, besides several FFC leaders.

Also, hundreds of Sudanese gathered to welcome the advance delegation.

Addressing the crowds that received the delegation at the airport, Al-Dobilo said that the arrival of the SRF delegation to the country marks the beginning of a new phase in the peace and stability process in Sudan.

He pointed out that Sudan for thirty years has been suffering from injustice and marginalization, and that the environment has become conducive to the fulfilment of the aspirations of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace and justice after the revolution.

He noted that efforts will continue to enhance the peace, security and stability march in the country.

For his part, FFC leading figure Ibrahim Al-Sheikh welcomed the arrival of the SRF delegation in Khartoum and stressed that the most important now is the implementation of the deal.

"The biggest challenge facing the peace process is the implementation of the provisions and clauses of the peace agreements.

He pointed out that previous governments signed peace agreements that had been revoked, "but the peace of the revolution is neither an apostasy nor a regression," he stressed.

Further, he called on the government to provide all the needed requirements to ensure its implementation including financial resources and a firm commitment to all the agreements concluded in Juba.

(ST)

Air Zimbabwe to Resume Flights

16 SEP, 2020 - 19:09 

Harmony Agere

Zimbabwe Sunday Mail

Air Zimbabwe says it will resume both domestic and regional flights beginning next week following further relaxation of national lockdown rules by the Government on Tuesday.

In a statement, the national airline said domestic and regional flight operations will resume with effect from September 23 and October 3 respectively.

“The domestic flight schedule features Harare/Bulawayo/Victoria Fall/Harare morning schedule and Harare/Victoria Fall/Bulawayo/Harare evening schedule every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” reads part of the statement.

“The regional Harare/Dar es Salaam/Harare schedule shall initially operate every Tuesday and Saturday with an additional frequency expected towards the end of the year.”

According to the statement, Air Zimbabwe is still waiting for confirmation of the opening of South African airspace and airports before announcing dates for resumption of flights into Johannesburg.

The decision by the Government to allow domestic and international flights to resume, with the proviso passengers are tested for Covid-19 within 48 hours before they travel, has been welcomed by hospitality group, Africa Albida Tourism.

Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) chief executive, Ross Kennedy, said the hospitality group  was very pleased domestic air services on commercial and charter aircraft, would soon be active in our skies once more.

“Whilst there are some operational protocols to introduce and all necessary Statutory Instrument regulations to be published, it is a welcome and very positive decision by Cabinet and the Ministry,” Mr Kennedy said.

“We are collaborating with our air partners in Zimbabwe to get passengers into the skies and enjoying the wonderful and diverse destinations and experiences as soon as possible,” he said.

AAT had created fly-in packages for its Victoria Falls properties and was looking forward to welcoming guests stepping onto the tarmac at Victoria Falls airport very soon, Kennedy said.

“We are hopeful that borders will open soon to also allow self-drive traffic, with Victoria Falls and Livingstone being an obvious travel bubble over the Victoria Falls Bridge,” he said.

“It is also very good news to see Emirates announce that effective October 1 they will fly into Harare twice per week on their initial schedule,” he added.

“Getting other loyal and supportive African carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways to return to Victoria Falls airport will also be a huge boost for tourism in the region.”

Meanwhile, Wallace Ruzvidzo reports that the National Union of Tourism, Wildlife, Leisure and Allied Works (NUTWLAW) has applauded Government for re-opening the tourism sector.

This comes following Government’s directive to relax restrictions for the tourism and hospitality industry as well as the aviation sector.

Speaking to Sunday Mail Online, the secretary-general of NUTWLAW, Mr Farayi Chitsinde said the opening up of the sector would safeguard jobs in the while also promoting investment.

“We applaud Government and especially our Minister of Tourism, Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu, we would like to thank him very much for taking a bold step that will make sure households survive.

“As the secretary-general of the National Union of Tourism, Wildlife, Leisure and Allied Works, I am very happy that the tourism industry is opening. That is great news to the workers,” he said.

 Correcting the Colonial Wrongs

20 SEP, 2020 - 00:09 

Major Allan Wilson (third from left) and some of the men of his patrol (Shangani Patrol).

Garikai Mazara

Zimbabwe Sunday Mail 

CHRONICLES from the 2nd Chimurenga

IT has been 130 years since the so-called Pioneer Column arrived and raised the Union Jack in present-day Harare, which they re-christened Salisbury.

Lord Salisbury was the sitting British Prime Minister when the white settlers arrived.

This they did on September 12, 1890.

The Union Jack was raised where the Africa Unity Square presently sits.

Building a city around the square, they immortalised their “victory” by ensuring that the design of the Africa Unity Square, which used to be called Cecil Square, after Cecil John Rhodes, took the form of the Union Jack.

If you take an aerial picture of the square, all the footpaths in the square form the stripes of the Union Jack.

That was a tattoo on our national psyche, and over a century later we are still stuck with that symbol.

Not content with what they had achieved by raising the Union Jack and etching it onto our sacred ground, they went on to make sure the architecture of most of the buildings represented those from back home, hence you find the Anglican Cathedral and Parliament lie not so far away from the Square.

Because they wanted leisure as well, Harare Club was built to the east and Thomas Meikles, with a little bit of help from cattle looted from the “uncivilised” Shonas, built the hotel to the south.

But this was not the first time the settlers were naming and re-christening places in Zimbabwe after their “icons”.

Roughly some 35 years earlier, on November 17, 1855, David Livingstone had arrived and “discovered” the Mosi-oa-Tunya, which he immediately changed to Victoria Falls, after his reigning queen.

The name has stuck with us for all these years.

Having satisfied themselves that Harari was not good enough as a name but good enough to settle, what with the expansive swathes of “unoccupied” land, they sought to “conquer” all territory that “had no roads, farms, mines or industries”.

To them, the Shona, occupying much of the north of the country, and the Ndebele, concentrated to the south, were so backward, uncivilised and “without any form of government”.

As Cecil John Rhodes led the “all-conquering” column that then occupied the land north of the Limpopo, they found it in their wisdom to christen it Rhodesia, a name that would be stuck with the country till independence in 1980.

There is a joke, widely circulated within the white settler community soon after independence, that if all what the blacks wanted was to change the names of streets, buildings, towns and cities, then the blacks should have just said so.

“What’s in a name, after all?” they seemed to ask.

Truth is, there is everything in a name.

That is why after settling, the first thing they did was change our names — they were erasing our history, our culture, our norms.

There was a pattern to everything the settlers did when they arrived.

Either they were renaming our natural features (Victoria Falls), were corrupting the existing names to suit their pronunciation (Sabi River, Umtali, Gatooma, etcetera) or were honouring their icons (Queen Elizabeth, Prince Edward, Allan Wilson — in fact, this list is rather endless).

The Tonga called it the Mosi-oa-Tunya.

And, as if re-naming it was not just enough, for years they went on to teach us in schools that Livingstone “discovered” the falls — how can one “discover” something that lies within a community?

Just like they taught us that Christopher Columbus “discovered” America.

Like, really?

What about the Red Indians who were indigenous to the land?

They called Rhodes’ men “Pioneer Column” — how can you pioneer where there are people already resident?

By definition, a pioneer is a person who is among the first to settle in a new country or area.

But the area these people claimed to have “pioneered” already had settlers.

The time is now to correct all those historical imbalances, those colonial hang-overs.

President Mnangagwa, speaking in Gweru last weekend, announced the conferment of National Hero status on General Mtshana Khumalo, a fighter of note during the annihilation of Allan Wilson and his troops in the Battle of Shangani.

Leading a grouping of 34 men, Allan Wilson faced a battalion led by General Khumalo and all the 34 were killed in that battle.

But if you visit Matopos today, Allan Wilson and his men have been immortalised into our history by a sky-high cenotaph.

And not only that, Rhodes and Leander Starr Jameson lie nearby.

Despite losing that battle, right up today, Allan Wilson’s name is immortalised in our memory through not just the cenotaph but through a prominent school.

In fact, two years after that defeat, the white settlers declared December 4, the day they were annihilated, a public holiday, until 1920.

But for most readers, the name Gen Khumalo does not ring a bell, neither has he been immortalised.

Speaking at the same event, President Mnangagwa said going forward, we should celebrate, honour and immortalise our heroes, especially those from the First and Second Chimurenga.

He cited the glaring disparities between the grave of King Mzilikazi and that of Cecil John Rhodes. Whereas King Mzilikazi lies in what would pass for an unmarked grave, Rhodes lies at the top of the World’s View and every visitor to Matopos gets a chance to visit his grave.

The debate on whether to exhume his remains for burial elsewhere is a discussion for another day, but that Rhodes lies immortalised whereas the resting places for Mzilikazi and Lobengula have been trivialised by history are some of the colonial injustices that need correcting.

Because Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi were beheaded and where their remains lie is still unknown, it is thus befitting that their roles are immortalised through efforts such as the construction of statues, as is being done in Harare.

If anything, there is more work that needs to be done to ensure that our history is entrenched in our almost everyday facets of life, the same manner we are hit by David Livingstone, Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth, Allan Wilson, Roosevelt, Admiral Tait, Cecil John Rhodes, et al.

While the white settlers had the advantage of documenting their history, thus have ease of reference, we have to rely mostly on oral history, especially for the recollection of events of the First Chimurenga, which places the onus of historians and writers to keep the nation, and the world, informed and educated of where we came from, our heritage, our culture, our norms and our history.

It is only a people who are not informed that mock their own history.

The site of Mbuya Nehanda statue was chosen because she used to stop over by the stream that runs down present-day Julius Nyerere Way to quench her thirst.

Very few know that Julius Nyerere Way, as it stands today, was built over a stream, which runs into Mukuvisi.

As much as very few people know the significance of Dzvivaresekwa in our political history — that it is the place where Mbuya Nehanda, seeing that her troops were being over-powered, surrendered to the white settlers.

Writing and documenting such places and people is not just enough, their places in history should be immortalised through ensuring that almost every day we encounter their names — be it a school, hospital, road, building, street or statue.

Ethiopia’s Banknote Change Implementation Runs Into a Bump

Ethiopian banknote changes intended to fight corruption bringing challenges in unforeseen way

Governor of National Bank of Ethiopia, Yinager Dessie (Photo : FBC)

Borkena

September 19, 2020

Last week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government announced banknote changes for three denominations and the introduction of one new (and bigger) denomination.

The purpose, as described by the government, was to combat corruption and control illicit trade in the country. A large reserve of cash outside of the banking system and in the hands of individuals, some believed to be with links to the counter-reform political forces, was among the targets of the policy change. The monetary cost of introducing new banknotes was colossal. The government said that it has made available 2.9 billion birr of the new money for which 3.7 billion birr was spent.

The government announced the old banknotes need to be changed within three months of time, and that people with more than 1.5 million birr reserves outside of the banking system would be confiscated. A new policy was introduced in August 2020 requiring individuals with more than the stated amount of cash reserve to deposit it in banks.

There was another hurdle for those who hoarded a large reserve of cash. They need to produce I.D. when they bring cash to the banks for exchange. It means that the government, if implemented diligently, can have the opportunity to scrutinize questionable large reserves of money. 

The reaction to the policy change was affirmative except that some politicians and activists said that it came so late. For the opposition political parties including the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party, the introduced change would bring about economic and political stability, as reported by state media on Friday.

Challenges to the implementation

The purpose of banknotes changes, which is to a great extent related to fighting corruption, is seemingly experiencing challenges. Security and law enforcement forces are given the power to enforce the policy of confiscating more than 1.5 million birr of reserve from individuals. 

However, there are reports that security forces are seizing cash below the stated amount, especially in the capital Addis Ababa, and not reporting it to the relevant authorities.

Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia Yinager Dessie and Ethiopia’s Minister for Finance Ahmed Shide had a press statement on Friday. “There is confusion in connection with banknote changes,” they said, in a way depicting law enforcement behavior as something that emanated from “confusion.”

They said that police should not detain people who are holding less than 1.5 million Ethiopia birr. In fact, they pointed out that there are exceptions even to that rule. Businesses with high cash transactions like gas stations are exempt from the above rule. The government, however, warned that such businesses should not attempt to fraudulently deposit money of those individuals who hoarded above the limit. To close the loophole, the government intends to verify the sales history of businesses like gas stations.

THE UN MARKS 75TH ANNIVERSARY FACING WORLD SPLIT BY COVID-19

With COVID-19 still limiting global movement, just one representative from each of the 193 UN members will be allowed, and only someone already in the United State

AFP 

The United Nations will mark its 75th anniversary Monday, celebrating the mantra that "multilateralism is not an option but a necessity," even as the coronavirus underscores the fragility of international cooperation.

The anniversary will kick off the global body's annual General Assembly, when normally the leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries gather en masse to sound off about the world's problems and offer myriad solutions.

But this year, a part of Manhattan will not be sealed off for the "UNGA"; there will be no endless limousine convoys, and no busy beehive of diplomats, journalists and translators in the halls of the UN.

Instead, with COVID-19 still limiting global movement, just one representative from each of the 193 UN members will be allowed, and only someone already in the United States.

Everyone else will have to appear by videoconference, including some 160-170 heads of state and government planning addresses.

Appearing by video on Tuesday will be Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, who in the past have let their top diplomats speak for them; and US leader Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, who much of the world sees as illegitimate, will address the assembly by video. Missing as speakers are the leaders of Syria and North Korea.

"Diplomacy, to be effective, requires personal contacts, and I am very sorry that we are not going to have the opportunity to bring together leaders of countries," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Even so, he said, there would be "many virtual meetings" on the sidelines of the assembly, convening by teleconference on subjects such as climate change, biodiversity and the conflicts in Libya and Lebanon.

More Migrant Women Say They Didn’t OK Surgery in Detention

By NOMAAN MERCHANT

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, file photo, Dawn Wooten, left, a nurse at Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia, speaks at a news conference in Atlanta protesting conditions at the immigration jail. An Associated Press review of medical records for four detained immigrant women at the detention center and interviews with lawyers have revealed growing allegations that a gynecologist performed surgeries that the women never sought or didn’t fully understand. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)

HOUSTON (AP) — Sitting across from her lawyer at an immigration detention center in rural Georgia, Mileidy Cardentey Fernandez unbuttoned her jail jumpsuit to show the scars on her abdomen. There were three small, circular marks.

The 39-year-old woman from Cuba was told only that she would undergo an operation to treat her ovarian cysts, but a month later, she’s still not sure what procedure she got. After Cardentey repeatedly requested her medical records to find out, Irwin County Detention Center gave her more than 100 pages showing a diagnosis of cysts but nothing from the day of the surgery.

“The only thing they told me was: ‘You’re going to go to sleep and when you wake up, we will have finished,’” Cardentey said this week in a phone interview.

Cardentey kept her hospital bracelet. It has the date, Aug. 14, and part of the doctor’s name, Dr. Mahendra Amin, a gynecologist linked this week to allegations of unwanted hysterectomies and other procedures done on detained immigrant women that jeopardize their ability to have children.

An Associated Press review of medical records for four women and interviews with lawyers revealed growing allegations that Amin performed surgeries and other procedures on detained immigrants that they never sought or didn’t fully understand. Although some procedures could be justified based on problems documented in the records, the women’s lack of consent or knowledge raises severe legal and ethical issues, lawyers and medical experts said.

Amin has performed surgery or other gynecological treatment on at least eight women detained at Irwin County Detention Center since 2017, including one hysterectomy, said Andrew Free, an immigration and civil rights lawyer working with other attorneys to investigate medical treatment at the jail. Doctors are helping the attorneys examine new records and more women are coming forward to report their treatment by Amin, Free said.

“The indication is there’s a systemic lack of truly informed and legally valid consent to perform procedures that could ultimately result — intentionally or unintentionally — in sterilization,” he said.

The AP’s review did not find evidence of mass hysterectomies as alleged in a widely shared complaint filed by a nurse at the detention center. Dawn Wooten alleged that many detained women were taken to an unnamed gynecologist whom she labeled the “uterus collector” because of how many hysterectomies he performed.

The complaint sparked a furious reaction from congressional Democrats and an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general. It also evoked comparisons to previous government-sanctioned efforts in the U.S. to sterilize people to supposedly improve society — victims who were disproportionately poor, mentally disabled, American Indian, Black or other people of color. Thirty-three states had forced sterilization programs in the 20th century.

But a lawyer who helped file the complaint said she never spoke to any women who had hysterectomies. Priyanka Bhatt, staff attorney at the advocacy group Project South, told The Washington Post that she included the hysterectomy allegations because she wanted to trigger an investigation to determine if they were true.

“I have a responsibility to listen to the women I’ve spoken with,” Bhatt told the AP on Friday. She said one woman alleged that she was repeatedly pressured to have a hysterectomy and that authorities said they would not pay for her to get a second opinion.

Amin told The Intercept, which first reported Wooten’s complaint, that he has only performed one or two hysterectomies in the past three years. His attorney, Scott Grubman, said in a statement: “We look forward to all of the facts coming out, and are confident that once they do, Dr. Amin will be cleared of any wrongdoing.”

Grubman did not respond to new questions Thursday.

In a statement Friday, ICE Acting Director Tony Pham said: “If there is any truth to these allegations, it is my commitment to make the corrections necessary to ensure we continue to prioritize the health, welfare and safety of ICE detainees.”

LaSalle Corrections, which operates the jail, said in a statement that it “strongly refutes these allegations and any implications of misconduct.”

Women housed at Irwin County Detention Center who needed a gynecologist were typically taken to Amin, according to medical records provided to the AP by Free and lawyer Alexis Ruiz, who represents Cardentey. Interviews with detainees and their lawyers suggest some women came to fear the doctor.

Records reviewed by the AP show one woman was given a psychiatric evaluation the same day she refused to undergo a surgical procedure known as dilation and curettage. Commonly known as a D&C, it removes tissue from the uterus and can be used as a treatment for excessive bleeding. A note written on letterhead from Amin’s office said the woman was concerned.

According to a written summary of her psychiatric evaluation, the woman said, “I am nervous about my upcoming procedure.”

The summary says she denied needing mental health care and added: “I am worried because I saw someone else after they had surgery and what I saw scared me.”

The AP also reviewed records for a woman who was given a hysterectomy. She reported irregular bleeding and was taken to see Amin for a D&C. A lab study of the tissue found signs of early cancer, called carcinoma. Amin’s notes indicate the woman agreed 11 days later to the hysterectomy.

Free, who spoke to the woman, said she felt pressured by Amin and “didn’t have the opportunity to say no” or speak to her family before the procedure.

Doctors told the AP that a hysterectomy could have been appropriate due to the carcinoma, though there may have been less intrusive options available.

Lawyers for both women asked that their names be withheld for fear of retaliation by immigration authorities.

In another case, Pauline Binam, a 30-year-old woman who was brought to the U.S. from Cameroon when she was 2, saw Amin after experiencing an irregular menstrual cycle and was told to have a D&C, said her attorney, Van Huynh.

When she woke up from the surgery, Huynh said, she was told Amin had removed one of her two fallopian tubes, which connect the uterus to the ovaries and are necessary to conceive a child. Binam’s medical records indicate that the doctor discovered the tube was swollen.

“She was shocked and sort of confronted him on that — that she hadn’t given her consent for him to proceed with that,” Huynh said. “The reply that he gave was they were in there anyway and found there was this problem.”

While women can potentially still conceive with one intact tube and ovary, doctors who spoke to the AP said removal of the tube was likely unnecessary and should never have happened without Binam’s consent.

The doctors also questioned how Amin discovered the swollen tube because performing a D&C would not normally involve exploring a woman’s fallopian tubes.

Dr. Julie Graves, a family medicine and public health physician in Florida, called the process “absolutely abhorrent.”

“It’s established U.S. law that you don’t operate on everything that you find,” she said. “If you’re in a teaching hospital and an attending physician does something like that, it’s a scandal and they are fired.”

Binam was on the verge of deportation Wednesday, but ICE delayed it after calls from members of Congress and a request for an emergency stay by her lawyer.

Grubman, Amin’s lawyer, said in a statement that the doctor “has dedicated his adult life to treating a high-risk, underserved population in rural Georgia.”

Amin completed medical school in India in 1978 and his residency in gynecology in New Jersey. He has practiced in rural Georgia for at least three decades, according to court filings. State corporate records also show Amin is the executive of a company that manages Irwin County Hospital.

In 2013, state and federal investigators sued Amin, the hospital authority of Irwin County and a group of other doctors over allegations they falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid.

The lawsuit alleged that nurses at Irwin County Hospital were trained to follow a doctor’s “standing orders” — described as “scripted procedures based on the nurse’s diagnosis.” That meant nurses often decided treatment plans, but they were billed to Medicaid and Medicare as if they doctor did, the lawsuit said.

Investigators linked a standing order to Amin, alleging he required “certain tests always be run on pregnant patients, without any medical evaluation and regardless of her condition.”

The lawsuit was settled in 2015 with no known sanctions against Amin. The hospital paid a $520,000 settlement, saying no doctor paid any of it and had been “released from any and all liability.”

The Georgia Composite Medical Board lists Amin as a doctor in good standing with no public disciplinary action. Board executive director LaSharn Hughes said records of investigations were confidential under state law.

State prosecutors didn’t refer Amin to the medical board after the billing lawsuit because it didn’t involve specific allegations of patient harm, said Katie Byrd, a spokeswoman for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.

___

Associated Press journalist Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Underwater and on Fire: US Climate Change Magnifies Extremes

By SETH BORENSTEIN

This combination of photos shows a firefighter at the North Complex Fire in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, left, and a person using a flashlight on flooded streets in search of their vehicle, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, in Pensacola, Fla. In the past week, swaths of the country have been burning and flooding in devastating extreme weather disasters. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, Gerald Herbert)

America’s worsening climate change problem is as polarized as its politics. Some parts of the country have been burning this month while others were underwater in extreme weather disasters.

The already parched West is getting drier and suffering deadly wildfires because of it, while the much wetter East keeps getting drenched in mega-rainfall events, some hurricane related and others not. Climate change is magnifying both extremes, but it may not be the only factor, several scientists told The Associated Press.

“The story in the West is really going to be ... these hot dry summers getting worse and the fire compounded by decreasing precipitation,” said Columbia University climate scientist Richard Seager. “But in the eastern part more of the climate change impact story is going to be more intense precipitation. We see it in Sally.”

North Carolina State climatologist Kathie Dello, a former deputy state climatologist in Oregon, this week was talking with friends abut the massive Oregon fires while she was huddled under a tent, dodging 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain falling on the North Carolina mountains.

“The things I worry about are completely different now,” Dello said. “We know the West has had fires and droughts. It’s hot and dry. We know the East has had hurricanes and it’s typically more wet. But we’re amping up both of those.”

In the federal government’s 2017 National Climate Assessment, scientists wrote a special chapter warning of surprises due to global warming from burning of coal, oil and natural gas. And one of the first ones mentioned was “compound extreme events.”

“We certainly are getting extremes at the same time with climate change,” said University of Illinois climate scientist Donald Wuebbles, one of the main authors.

Since 1980, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked billion-dollar disasters, adjusting for inflation, with four happening in August including the western wildfires. NOAA applied meteorologist Adam Smith said that this year, with at least 14 already, has a high likelihood of being a record.

Fifteen of the 22 billion-dollar droughts in the past 30 years hit states west of the Rockies, while 23 of the 28 billion-dollar non-hurricane flooding events were to the east.

For more than a century scientists have looked at a divide — at the 100th meridian — that splits the country with dry and brown conditions to the west and wet and green ones to the east.

Seager found that the wet-dry line has moved about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east — from western Kansas to eastern Kansas — since 1980.

And it’s getting more extreme.

Nearly three-quarters of the West is now in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Scientists say the West is in about the 20th year of what they call a “megadrought,” the only one since Europeans came to North America.

Meager summer rains are down 26% in the last 30 years west of the Rockies. California’s anemic summer rain has dropped 41% in the past 30 years. In the past three years, California hasn’t received more than a third of an inch (0.8 centimeters) of rain in June, July and August, according to NOAA records.

California also is suffering its worst fire year on record, with more than 5,300 square miles (13,760 square kilometers) burned. That’s more than double the area of the previous record set in 2018. People have been fleeing unprecedented and deadly fires in Oregon and Washington with Colorado also burning this month.

“Climate change is a major factor behind the increase in western U.S. wildfires,” said A. Park Williams, a Columbia University scientist who studies fires and climate.

“Since the early 1970s, California’s annual wildfire extent increased fivefold, punctuated by extremely large and destructive wildfires in 2017 and 2018,” a 2019 study headed by Williams said, attributing it mostly to “drying of fuels promoted by human‐induced warming.”

During the western wildfires, more than a foot rain fell on Alabama and Florida as Hurricane Sally parked on the Gulf Coast, dropping as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain at Orange Beach, Alabama. Studies say hurricanes are slowing down, allowing them to deposit more rain.

The week before Sally hit, a non-tropical storm dumped half a foot of rain on a Washington, D.C., suburb in just a few hours. Bigger downpours are becoming more common in the East, where the summer has gotten 16% wetter in the last 30 years.

In August 2016, a non-tropical storm dumped 31 inches (nearly 79 centimeters) of rain in parts of Louisiana, killing dozens of people and causing nearly $11 billion in damage. Louisiana and Texas had up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain in March of 2016. In June 2016, torrential rain caused a $1 billion in flood damage in West Virginia.

In the 1950s, areas east of the Rockies averaged 87 downpours of five inches or more a year. In the 2010s, that had soared to 149 a year, according to data from NOAA research meteorologist Ken Kunkel.

It’s simple physics. With each degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) that the air warms, it holds 7% more moisture that can come down as rain. The East has warmed that much since 1985, according to NOAA.

While climate change is a factor, Seager and Williams said what’s happening is more extreme than climate models predict and there must be other, possibly natural weather phenomenon also at work.

Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann said that La Nina — a temporary natural cooling of parts of the equatorial Pacific that changes weather worldwide — is partly responsible for some of the drought and hurricane issues this summer. But that’s on top of climate change, so together they make for “dual disasters playing out in the U.S.,” Mann said.

As for where you can go to escape climate disasters, Dello said, “I don’t know where you can go to outrun climate change anymore.”

“I’m thinking Vermont,” she said, then added Vermont had bad floods from 2011’s Hurricane Irene.

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Read stories on climate issues by The Associated Press at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

After Wildfire Smoke Clears, Protests Resume in Portland

Tear gas fills the air during protests, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, in Portland, Ore. The protests, which began over the killing of George Floyd, often result frequent clashes between protesters and law enforcement. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters returned to the streets of Portland, Oregon, following a dayslong pause largely due to poor air quality from wildfires on the West Coast.

Police declared an unlawful assembly Friday night in a neighborhood near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building where protesters had marched, according to a police statement.

Demonstrators participated in criminal activity and threw items at officers, police said, leading to 11 arrests.

Photos show that smoke was used to clear the crowd, and it appeared that tear gas was deployed. Police initially tweeted that tear gas was on the list of crowd control agents if people did not disperse, but the tweet was later deleted, KOIN-TV reported. Another tweet was issued that didn’t mention tear gas.

“No, we are required by law to make that warning,” Portland Sgt. Kevin Allen told the television station when asked about the initial tweet. “PPB is still prevented from using tear gas.”

Less than two weeks ago the mayor of Portland ordered police to stop using tear gas for crowd control during the frequently violent protests that racked the city for more than three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, was tear gassed when he went to a demonstration against the presence of federal authorities dispatched to the city to protect federal property.

He said he still wants police to respond aggressively to prevent violence and vandalism. Hundreds of people have been arrested since the protests started in May.

Demonstrators had not gathered in the city since at least Sept. 9, when police and protesters clashed near City Hall. Wildfires have spewed dangerously dirty air across Oregon, California and Washington state, and sent haze across the country.

The protesters in Portland want city officials to slash the police budget and reallocate that money to Black residents and businesses. Some demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of Wheeler, a white man and the scion of a timber company fortune.

In clashes with police, some protesters have broken windows, set small fires, punctured police car tires, shined lasers in officers’ eyes and pelted them with rocks and frozen water bottles.

Police criticized Wheeler’s move, saying in a statement that it could force them to employ potentially more dangerous crowd control measures to quell violent demonstrations.

Court Weighs Allowing Courtroom Cameras in George Floyd Case

By AMY FORLITI

FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, shows from left, former Minneapolis police officers Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. The trial of the four former officers charged in the death of George Floyd is expected to generate massive public interest when it begins in March. Supporters of audio and visual coverage of the trials say the high-profile nature of Floyd's death and recent courtroom restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic make this the right time to allow cameras in court.(Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death will generate massive public interest when it begins in March, but as it stands, most people who want to watch the proceedings will be out of luck.

The judge overseeing the case has yet to decide whether cameras will be allowed. Supporters of audio and visual coverage say the high-profile nature of Floyd’s death, the outrage that led to worldwide protests, and courtroom restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic make this the right time and case to allow cameras in court. But the state attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting the case, opposes them, saying cameras would only create more problems.

“I just can’t think of a situation where it’s more important than a case like this for the public to see what’s actually transpiring in the courtroom,” said Jane Kirtley, director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law.

“Justice that cannot be observed cannot really be considered justice. The public won’t believe what they can’t see,” she added.

In June, Judge Peter Cahill decided against allowing audio and visual coverage of pretrial proceedings because he said it would risk tainting the possible jury pool and the state opposed it. But Cahill, who is still weighing requests to try the defendants separately, said he would rule on trial audio and video coverage at a later date. It’s unclear when that ruling will come.

Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck even as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests around the world.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. All four officers were fired.

Unlike many other states, Minnesota does not allow cameras at criminal trials before sentencing unless the judge, prosecutors and defense attorneys agree to them. The former officers have consented to cameras, but prosecutors have resisted, saying they may revisit the issue as the trial nears.

Defense attorneys say cameras would help ensure the trial is fair and open during the pandemic, when courtroom attendance has been limited to allow for social distancing. They have asked Cahill to grant camera access regardless of whether prosecutors agree.

Prosecutor Matthew Frank wrote in July that the state was concerned that live audio and visual coverage “may create more problems than they will solve.” Among them, Frank wrote, broadcast coverage of the trial could alter the way lawyers present evidence, force participants to endure even more media scrutiny or intimidate witnesses.

Earl Gray, Lane’s attorney, said in a written response that it was “obvious” Frank and Attorney General Keith Ellison have never tried a televised high-profile case. “I have tried a handful in Wisconsin and there is absolutely no issue. You do not even know the cameras are there.”

A coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, has requested camera access, arguing that cameras would increase transparency, especially during the pandemic.

Kirtley, who is part of the coalition, said any concerns that cameras would be disruptive can be managed by the judge. Although overflow courtrooms can increase access, they are often small, their closed-circuit monitors may not provide the best quality and the experience is usually diminished. She said meaningful access is key, and there should be a presumption that the public has a right to see everything that happens in the courtroom.

Livestreaming proceedings to the court’s YouTube channel could be an option as well, she said. Other states have chosen to do that during the pandemic.

“It’s frankly time for us to move into the 21st century,” Kirtley said.

Raleigh Hannah Levine, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, said many states have used cameras in the courtroom for years and concerns raised by Ellison’s team have been largely non-issues.

Most of the concerns, she said, stemmed from the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial, where attorneys, the judge and witnesses were criticized for apparently performing for the camera. She said the world has come a long way since then and that the widespread use of social media, not to mention the increase in videoconferencing during the pandemic, has changed many people’s views about being captured on video.

Levine also said the Supreme Court — which made history in May by hearing arguments by phone and allowing the world to listen in for the first time — has long recognized that open proceedings can serve as a check on possible abuses and can prevent vigilantism.

“If people see how the trial is proceeding, they have less reason to take the matter into their own hands,” she said. If people can see how the judge handles a trial, how evidence is presented and hear witnesses for themselves, it can increase their confidence in the judicial system.

“Whichever way it comes out, people won’t be as outraged by a verdict that they dislike because they might understand how it was reached,” she said.

Minneapolis to Name Stretch of Street for George Floyd

FILE - In this June 25, 2020 file photo, Carter Sims, 3, of Pine Island, Minn., runs past a mural at the George Floyd memorial outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis. A stretch of a Minneapolis street that includes the place where Floyd was killed will soon be named in his honor. The City Council approved the naming Friday, Sept. 18, and Mayor Jacob Frey’s office said he would likely sign off on it as well. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A stretch of a Minneapolis street that includes the place where George Floyd was killed will soon be named in his honor.

Although the street will still be called Chicago Avenue, the city will refer to the blocks between 37th and 39th streets as George Perry Floyd Jr. Place, the Star Tribune reported.

The City Council approved the naming Friday, and Mayor Jacob Frey’s office said he would likely sign off on it as well.

Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck even as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests around the world.

Months after Floyd’s death, the intersection remains barricaded and now holds a memorial. A group of demonstrators has occupied the area, saying they will not leave until the city meets their demands, including funding for anti-racism training and a temporary property tax freeze for people within that zone.

The city had announced plans to reopen 38th Street this summer but backed off, avoiding a confrontation.

The city continues to work on a long-term plan for the intersection.