Bring Back Our Girls Movement challenges a ban on their rallies in the Nigerian Capital
Just a day after the Nigerian police banned all protests in the capital, organized by the supporters of the more 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on security grounds, the protesters have moved to court to overturn the ban terming it illegal and unconstitutional. More than 200 girls abducted on April 14 are still missing to date. Bring Back Our Girls Movement was born out of a social media campaign which fuelled global outrage at the abductions and sparked worldwide protests.
International efforts to locate and rescue the girls are ongoing but the families and supporters of the girls have constantly criticized President Jonathan Goodluck’s government for its slow reaction to the abduction.
Gay Groups Protest the election of Ugandan Minister as the head of UN General Assembly
Gay rights advocates are protesting the likely election of Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa as the president of the United Nations General Assembly which is expected to take place on June 11. This comes on the backdrop of the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in February this year which imposes criminal penalties on persons engaged in same sex reationships. However, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General reiterated on Monday 2nd June that it is up to the General Assembly to choose its leaders.
Top envoys voice fears over Burundi tensions
Top international envoys working on Africa’s Great Lakes region have warned over what they term as deterioration of civil liberties in Burundi ahead of next year’s presidential elections.
A statement from UN envoy Mary Robinson, US special envoy Russ Feingold, AU’s Boubacar Diarra and EU’s Koen Vervaeke expressed their concern about the constraints on political space and civil liberties which were hindering the efforts and operations of the opposition, civil society and the media thereby undermining the electoral process and preventing full participation of all stakeholders ahead of the 2015 polls.