GEM Sites Bi-Weekly Updates
October 11th to October 25th, 2023
Lebanon
The United Nations declared on Monday evening that six UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) employees have been killed in Gaza within a span of 24 hours. According o the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the total death toll among UNRWA staff since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on October 7 has now reached 35. In a statement shared on X , the UN expressed deep sorrow over this loss, saying, "Words fail us."
UNRWA, in response to the tragic news, emphasized that these 35 casualties were not just numbers but individuals who were colleagues and friends. Many of them were teachers in UNRWA schools. The agency grieves this profound loss. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, also conveyed his condolences in an Arabic post on the UN News page on X.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned on Tuesday that it would be forced to stop operating in all parts of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday if it is not supplied with fuel. UNRWA also stated on its website, "If we do not obtain fuel urgently, we will have to cease our operations in the Gaza Strip starting from tomorrow night."
Almost 20,000 people have been internally displaced in south Lebanon and elsewhere since early October, a U.N. agency said on Monday, as violence escalates on the Lebanese-Israeli border following the eruption of the Gaza war. The International Organization for Migration said 19,646 people had been displaced inside Lebanon since it began tracking movements on Oct. 8, the day after an assault on Israel by Hamas militants and an Israeli counteroffensive on Gaza. It said the movements were mostly by those fleeing the south of Lebanon, while some people have also moved from other areas. Israeli authorities have also been evacuating dozens of towns and communities from the north of Israel. Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group and Israel have been exchanging fire on an increasingly frequent basis along the border in the worst escalation since the two sides fought a war in 2006.
French President Emmanuel Macron who visited Israel on Tuesday said Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran itself and the Houtis in Yemen, among others, must not take the risk of opening a new front. Macron said he warned “potential terrorist groups" to stay out of the fight, and “clearly warned Hezbollah with direct messages.” The French president aims to continue efforts “to avoid a dangerous escalation in the region,” the Elysee said, amid border tension between Israel and Hezbollah. During his meeting with Macron, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that Israel warned Iran is "playing with fire" in Lebanon. "If Hezbollah will drag us into war, it should be clear that Lebanon will pay the price. Lebanon cannot be a sovereign member of the international community, its citizens carrying a Lebanese passport, but when it comes to attacking Israel, they are not responsible," Herzog said.
Malawi
Youth and Society (YAS) has called on the Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons, and Migrants in Africa to conduct a fact-finding mission to Malawi and investigate the refugee human rights situation.
YAS executive director Charles Kajoloweka made the call at the 77th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights recently held in Arusha, Tanzania. The organisation has also urged the government to revoke the refugee relocation exercise and adhere to its human rights obligations under the Constitution and international human rights law.
Said Kajoloweka in a statement: “The government’s implementation of the refugee encampment policy and the ongoing relocation exercise have been marred by systematic violations, including the rape of women, loss of property, unlawful detention of children and women, forced and unlawful deportations, extortions, xenophobic attacks by authorities, corruption, and robberies targeting refugees and asylum seekers.”
University of Malawi (Unima) Students Law Society (SLS) on Monday lobbied government to urgently amend the Legal Education and Legal Practitioner’s Act to address existing anomalies. According to a member of the SLS, Khama Maere, they met Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo and Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda over the issue of fairness and effectiveness in legal education and legal practice.
Ministry of Justice public relations officer Frank Namangale confirmed in an interview on Tuesday that the meeting took place at Capital Hill in Lilongwe. He said the minister and the AG have acknowledged the concerns made a commitment to push for the amendment of the Act.
He said: “The SLS team requested government to pass the amended Act in the November sitting of Parliament this year.” The SLS team was led by its patron Professor Garton Kamchedzera. According to Namangale, the law students said some of the anomalies are that the Act combines supervisory and oversight functions of the Council for Malawi Institute of Legal Education, with the delivery of legal education.
Karonga District Council chairperson Misheck Mwaijengo has urged youths in the district to be innovative and create jobs for others. He said this on Friday during the graduation of 83 youths who underwent training in End User Computing and Graphic Design jointly organised by Mzuzu Entrepreneur Hub (E-Hub) and Karonga based Foundation for Community Support Services (Focus).
Mwaijengo encouraged the youth to be innovative by utilizing the knowledge and skills acquired to create jobs for their fellow youths to develop the district.
He said: “I commend the two institutions for imparting these skills in our youths. I urge them to utilize their knowledge and skills to establish their own businesses that can also create jobs for other youths.
“I also ask them to be in contact with their local leaders so that they have access to 25 percent Constituency Development Fund allocation for the youth.” Innocent Kazingo from Malopa Village in Senior Chief Kilupula hailed Focus and E-Hub for the training.
South Africa
There’s every indication that motorists will get some much-needed fuel price relief in November, with the latest data pointing to significant petrol and diesel price decreases. Although the official November fuel prices are only set to be announced early next week, before coming into effect on Wednesday, November 1, the latest daily snapshot from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) contains positive news. On Tuesday, 24 October, the average petrol over-recovery stood at R1.98 for 95 Unleaded and R1,93 for 93 ULP, but given the slight upward pressure on oil prices this week, the actual price decreases for next week are likely to fall between R1.90 and R1.95. Assuming the petrol price cut lands around the R1.95 mark, 95 Unleaded petrol will decrease to about R23 at the coast and R23.73 inland, with 93 ULP projected to cost in the region of R23.27.
Several thousand people marched through the streets of Salt River, Cape Town, on Sunday in a show of solidarity for the people of Palestine. The march was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Salt River Heritage Society. It was one of many pro-Palestine marches across the world this weekend.
The protesters demanded that the Israeli embassy be shut down and for an immediate ceasefire and support for humanitarian aid in Gaza. They called for South Africans who serve in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) to be prosecuted.
Reverend Allan Boesak called for the South African government to cut ties with Israel. ‘Palestinians can do nothing while their children die,’ he said. ‘Joe Biden cannot go to visit Israel and then say a few words about humanitarian aid and then give more billions to Israel just to keep the war going. That kind of hypocrisy must end now.’
The City of Cape Town took the decision to temporarily close Strand Beach after a collapsed sewer pipe led to the spillage of raw sewage. On Monday, Carl Punt, the ward councilor for Strand, informed News24 that the primary sewer line, known as the Trappies, had suffered a collapse, which the City promptly repaired the previous Thursday. Punt shared that City Health took preventive action by installing warning signs at Strand Beach. The sewage spill incident occurred while repairing the Trappies sewer line, mainly due to the substantial increase in sewage flow during rainy periods, particularly during peak hours over the past two months.
Kenya
Travelers journeying from Angola to Kenya will no longer be obligated to obtain visas for entry into Kenya. This was revealed by President William Ruto on Saturday, following bilateral discussions with Angolan President João Lourenço, who is currently on a three-day official visit to Kenya. The talks took place at State House, Nairobi, and included a ceremonial gesture of respect for President Lourenço, marked by a traditional 21-gun salute.
The move to scrap the visa requirement, President Ruto noted is anchored on spurring trade between the two countries. ”Our brothers and sisters in Angola with passports will now need no visa to come to Kenya. I am very happy that the president of Angola will also consider the same when he goes back home, “said President Ruto.
Senate orders recruitment agency to refund Sh1 billion paid by youths
The Senate has ordered First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited to refund Sh1 billion paid by thousands of youths in a month's time after failing to secure them jobs and colleges abroad. The Senate Labour Committee which has been investigating the alleged defrauding of over 8,000 youths from Uasin Gishu and neighbouring counties of more than Sh1 billion, in a report tabled before the House also recommended the disbandment and reconstitution of the National Employment Authority.
The Senate has ordered First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited to refund Sh1 billion paid by thousands of youths in a month's time after failing to secure them jobs and colleges abroad. The Senate Labour Committee which has been investigating the alleged defrauding of over 8,000 youths from Uasin Gishu and neighbouring counties of more than Sh1 billion, in a report tabled before the House also recommended the disbandment and reconstitution of the National Employment Authority.
The Committee Chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor recommended that Assets Recovery Agency repossess the property owned by First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency Limited Directors Judy Jepchirchir and Faith Wariga in the event that they do not refund the monies owed to the petitioners.
Rwanda
This event aligns with the 20th anniversary of Trace, the global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker, which has made significant contributions to the growth of Africa's music industry over the last two decades.
The government of Rwanda says it’s sent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in Gaza. In a brief written statement sent to BBC Great Lakes, the government’s deputy spokesman, Alain Mukuralinda, said the donation was sent to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and has arrived in the Jordanian capital, Amman. It was made "in support to the ongoing international rescue effort", Mr Mukuralinda wrote. The donation comprises 16 tonnes of food items, medicines and medical supplies, he said, adding "Rwanda reiterates the need for a de-escalation to protect the lives of innocent civilians".
Delegates at the preparatory conference for the 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial in Kigali, Rwanda, on Monday stressed the urgent need for a robust approach to addressing information challenges within peacekeeping missions.
The two-day conference brought together a diverse group of participants, including government officials, international peacekeeping and peacebuilding experts, civil society organizations, academia, think tanks, and senior representatives from the United Nations, regional organizations, and military and civilian sectors from Africa and beyond.
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