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page 37 S/AFRICA S/Africa loses appeal over failure to arrest Bashir South Africa’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by the government against a ruling that the state had made an error in letting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir leave the country despite a court order barring him from doing so. Bashir, who was […]

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S/AFRICA

S/Africa loses appeal over failure to arrest Bashir

South Africa’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by the government against a ruling that the state had made an error in letting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir leave the country despite a court order barring him from doing so.

Bashir, who was in South Africa for an African Union summit last June, was allowed to go even though the court had issued an order banning him from leaving until the end of a hearing on whether he should be detained under a global arrest warrant.

The court said he should have been arrested to face genocide charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) because as an ICC signatory, Pretoria is obliged to implement arrest warrants.

The ICC has issued a warrant for Bashir on charges of masterminding genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region. Bashir denies the charges.

The government had asked the court to overturn the ruling, with its lawyers arguing that a gazzette notice granted diplomatic immunity to all delegates at the summit.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the government’s failure to arrest Bashir “was inconsistent with South Africa’s obligations in terms of the Rome Statute…and unlawful”.

SYRIA

Syria conflict: Russia to continue air strikes after withdrawal

Russia will continue air strikes in Syria despite the withdrawal of most of its forces, a senior official has said.

Deputy Defence Minister Nikolay Pankov said it was too early to speak of defeating terrorism, after a campaign that has bolstered Syria’s government.

Russian forces started leaving Syria on Tuesday after Monday’s surprise announcement by President Vladimir Putin. Some have now landed in Russia.

A second day of peace talks is being held aimed at resolving the conflict.

UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, who is mediating in the talks, welcomed the Russian decision.

“The announcement by President Putin on the very day of the beginning of this round of Intra-Syrian Talks in Geneva is a significant development, which we hope will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations,” he said.

BURUNDI

Burundi disappointed in new EU sanctions

Burundi said it is disappointed in the European Union’s decision to suspend some aid to the Burundian government.

The EU Monday postponed direct financial support for the Burundian government for not doing enough to find a political solution to the continuing conflict that has claimed more than 400 lives since April last year.

The EU said it blames President Pierre Nkurunziza’s government for the surge in violence and failure to protect human rights. European Union aid to Burundi from 2014 to 2020 is estimated at $480 million.

Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe said while his country needs assistance, the EU decision is a wakeup call to all developing countries to be self-reliant rather than depend on foreign aid.

“I believe that decision is in some way not too negative, but of course as a government we were not happy because we believe we are addressing the situation on the ground using the minimum means at our disposal and we believe that all we needed was more of an encouragement because our aim is to protect and safeguard the interest of the people of Burundi,” he said.

BRAZIL

Former Brazil president Lula to become minister

Former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to accept a key ministerial role in President Dilma Rousseff’s government, media reports say.

Members of the governing Workers’ Party say his appointment will strengthen her beleaguered administration.

In becoming a minister, Lula will also have some legal protection.

Last week, prosecutors requested his arrest in a money laundering inquiry over a luxury sea-front penthouse.

The popular former president has denied any wrongdoing and says the claims are politically motivated.

As a minister, Lula could only be tried by the Supreme Court, placing him out of the reach of the judge in the southern city of Curitiba responsible for the inquiry.

Lula was briefly detained earlier this month after investigators said they had evidence he received illicit benefits from a kickback scheme involving state-oil company Petrobras.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe hunger may spiral out of control, UN warns

Malnutrition rates in Zimbabwe are at risk of “spiralling out of control” if more is not done to prevent the crisis, the UN has warned.

The country has endured two years of failed rains, with this year’s problems linked to the El Nino weather pattern.

Last month, President Robert Mugabe declared a state of disaster in rural parts of the country hit by a drought.

In January, nearly three million Zimbabweans needed food aid, but that figure may have risen.

The UN’s children’s agency, Unicef, said nearly 33,000 children were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and they were in urgent need of treatment.

“We have not seen these levels of malnutrition in more than 15 years,” Unicef’s Zimbabwe representative Jane Muita said.

MYANMAR

Myanmar elects Htin Kyaw as first civilian president in decades

Myanmar’s parliament has elected Htin Kyaw as the country’s next president, the first civilian leader after more than 50 years of military rule.

Htin Kyaw is a close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept to victory in historic elections in November.

He said his appointment was “Aung San Suu Kyi’s victory”.

Ms Suu Kyi is barred from the post by the constitution, but has said she will lead the country anyway.

Htin Kyaw won with 360 of the 652 votes cast in the two houses of parliament, with MPs erupting into applause when the result was announced.

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh bank boss Atiur Rahman quits over $100m cyber-fraud

The head of Bangladesh’s central bank, Atiur Rahman, has resigned after cyber-thieves stole more than $100m from the country’s foreign currency reserves.

Mr Rahman submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after it emerged that unknown hackers had stolen the money from the bank’s account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The theft happened in February, but Mr Rahman did not tell the government.

Finance Minister A M A Muhith said he had learnt of it from press reports.

According to media reports quoting banking officials, the gang behind the raid used stolen credentials to make requests to transfer cash look legitimate.

If all the requests had gone unchallenged, the gang would have got away with about $1bn.

However, the transfers were stopped when the volume of requests raised suspicions at other banks.

ISRAEL

Israel seizes 234 hectares of West Bank land

Israel has declared 234 hectares of West Bank territory as state land, officials said Tuesday, leading a watchdog to warn of possible settlement expansion that could increase tensions with Palestinians.

COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for implementing government policies in the Palestinian territories, said the move was taken “in accordance with the decision of the political level”.

It gave no further explanation nor more details, but settlement watchdog Peace Now said the land involved is south of the Palestinian city of Jericho and close to the Dead Sea.

Palestinians who claim ownership of the land can appeal the decision within 45 days.

YEMEN

Dozens killed in air strike on Yemen market

At least 41 civilians have been killed and 75 others wounded in an air strike by Saudi-led coalition warplanes in northern Yemen, medics say.

Witnesses said at least two missiles hit a busy market in the Mustaba district of Hajjah province at midday.

Video footage purportedly of the aftermath showed what appeared to be the bodies of several children.

Hajjah is controlled by Houthi rebels, who the coalition is battling on behalf of Yemen’s government.

TANZANIA

Tanzania arrests 500 ‘sex workers’

Tanzania is holding about 500 suspected sex workers and nearly 300 of their alleged customers in detention as part of a crackdown on prostitution.

The first suspects will start appearing in court on Wednesday, Dar es Salaam’s deputy police commissioner said, confirming the arrests.

Rights groups have condemned the arrests, which started a week ago, urging police not to hold suspects beyond the legal 48-hour limit.

Prostitution is illegal in Tanzania.

Tanzania’s new President John Magufuli, who came to power on an anti-corruption platform, has previously criticised prostitution in the country.