Protests Continue in Sudan Despite Deadly Crackdown: Daily Brief
Protests continue in Sudan despite deadly crackdown; blow to political freedom in Hong Kong; China’s human rights record under scrutiny at EU-China summit; residents and refugees fear for their lives in Libya; Egypt tries to get Washington's green light for more repression; ending autocratic rule in Algeria; banning demonstrations in Cameroon; and the worrying threats to Ethiopia's progress.
Protests outside of Sudan’s army headquarters calling for President Omar al-Bashir to step down have entered their fourth day. At least eight people have been killed in the past few says and dozens injured as security forces have been using live ammunition, teargas, and stun grenades to disperse peaceful protesters. The United Nations secretary-general has called for restraint.
Nine Hong Kong democracy campaigners have been convicted over their leadership of nonviolent “umbrella movement” rallies in Hong Kong in 2014. The verdict has prompted renewed alarm about the city’s political freedom.
EU leaders should use today’s EU-China summit in Brussels to press their Chinese counterparts on the deteriorating human rights situation in the country and call on Chinese authorities to close “political education” camps in Xinjiang and free imprisoned dissidents. At previous EU-China Summits, the EU’s top leadership has given little more than token lip service to urgent human rights concerns.
As clashes between Libyan government forces and troops loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, a commander from the east who is trying to seize the capital Tripoli, intensify, residents as well as thousands of refugees and migrants locked up in detention centres fear for their lives.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be in Washington today to obtain a green light for proposed constitutional amendments that grant Egypt’s military highly abusive powers. Given US President Donald Trump’s silence, Congress should step up and condemn this initiative.
The resignation of Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is at most a first step in ending autocratic rule.
In a crackdown on both the opposition and the right to assemble, Cameroonian authorities have banned a week of demonstrations planned by the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) party.
A year ago, Dr. Abiy Ahmed was sworn in as prime minister of Ethiopia. His first few months in office saw many positive human rights reforms. But the progress made so far threatens to be undone.