The Best of Amaliah Straight to Your Inbox

This Week in World News: Starting With Rohingya & Bosnia

by in World on 24th November, 2017

1. Bangladesh signs deal with Myanmar to return Rohingya refugees

The Bangladesh foreign ministry has released a statement saying that Rohingya refugees could start to return to Myanmar within two months. The exact details of the agreement are still unclear and many aid agencies have concerns over the safety of the refugees if they are forcibly returned. Many Rohingyas are terrified of being sent back.

2. Ratko Mladvic sentenced for life for Bosnia war crimes

Mladvic was the former army general led a brutal campaign against Bosniaks ( Bosnian Muslims) during the Bosnian war of the 1990’s. Along with political leader Radovan Karadzic, Mladic was responsible for leading his troops in the worst war crimes post war in Europe, ethnically cleansing Bosniaks, killing tens of thousands and displacing many more. He led an unrelenting three year seige on Sarajevo, and conducted the Srebrenica massacre where 7,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered and dumped in mass graves.

He appeared in court yesterday to hear the verdict against him, 22 years after he was first indicted. He disrupted the court for more than half an hour, purposefully trying to delay the proceedings and the judge and the entire court. He was forcibly removed from the courtroom where his verdicts were read in his absence and he was sentenced for life.

3. 50 people killed by suicide bomber in Nigeria

Police say that at least 50 people have been killed in a suicide bombing in Mubi, a town in the north eastern state Adamawa, in Nigeria. The attack took place at a mosque, as people congregated for morning prayers.

Police say the attack was carried out by a young man who was carrying explosives,which he detonated while mingling amongst the congregation.

4. Robert Mugabe finally Resigns & is granted immunity from persecution

On the 21 of November 2017, Robert Mugabe finally resigned as president. The surprise resignation came as an impeachment hearing had begun against him. The letter stated that his resignation was voluntary and that it would be a smooth transition of power. Previously he had refused to resign despite being detained by the military. It has now emerged that part of the deal was that if he resigns he would be granted diplomatic immunity from being persecuted against the crimes he has committed.

5. Libya’s slave trade

On Monday secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres, released a statement responding to the growing rage over the reported auctioning of African migrants as slaves in Libya.“I am horrified, slavery has no place on our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity,” Guterres said.

Tens of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict and economic migrants, cross Libyan borders to cross the Mediterranean to Europe to search for better opportunities. However due to a recent crackdown by the Libyan coastguard, many migrants and refugees are left stranded in Libya, falling victim to inhumane conditions of detention and frighteningly, the illegal slave trade. A CNN report from Tripoli revealed the auctioning of 12 African migrants. The video was shared with Libyan authorities who promised to investigate. The uproar comes as a part of an overall concern about the shocking conditions of detained migrants in Libya. 

6. Grenfell final death toll stands at 71

The Metropolitan police have issued a statement saying they believe that all the victims who had died in the Grenfell tower fire have now been formally identified and recovered. The final death toll stands at 71, including an unborn baby boy, Logan Gomes who was stillborn in hospital.

7. Yemeni crisis

Figures released from save the children show  that around 50,000 children in Yemen are expected to die by the end of the year. This means that every day 130 children will die from hunger and disease. The numbers are expected to rise following the Saudi military led airstrike and aid blockade; Yemen was importing 70% of its food from its ports, but the sea and and air routes are now blocked.

8. 15 Women killed in stampede in Morocco

Atleast 15 people have been killed and 10 others wounded in a stampede in the impoverished town of Sidi Boulaalam, in the province of Essaouira on Sunday 19th of November. The stampede occurred as a local private charity was distributing food aid at the local market. Local media reports that all of the causalities were women over the age of 40. From witness reports, it seems as though this year’s annual food aid distribution to the town of 8,000 people gathered a larger crowd than usual, and that there were ‘hundreds of people’, who were shoving and breaking down the barriers. The injured were evacuated to a hospital in Marrakesh.  King Mohammed has ordered that all of the victims families be given any assistance needed, and that he would personally cover funeral costs; the ministry also added in a statement that a criminal investigation had been launched.

Israa Abid

Israa Abid

Israa is a Creative writing and English literature graduate, and currently volunteers for a few charities. In between her routine of nerding out over Dungeons and Dragons, and obsessively eating strawberries, she spends her time writing as much as she can.