Investigation: In Ethiopia, a secret committee retained by PM Abiy Ahmed orders killings and arrest of rivals

Investigation: In Ethiopia, a secret committee retained by PM Abiy Ahmed orders killings and arrest of rivals

During Haile Selassie’s four-decade rule last century, the emperor created a network of spies known colloquially as the “joro tabi,” or listeners, to hunt his opponents. The communist Derg military junta that toppled Selassie in 1974 set up a vast new security system to eliminate threats to the regime.

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‘Sudanese war is horror I’m personally caught up in, no longer as a journalist and impartial witness but a victim’

‘Sudanese war is horror I’m personally caught up in, no longer as a journalist and impartial witness but a victim’

My inability to cover this conflict has left me silent and tearful. This is not the first civil war Sudan has experienced, but it is the worst. It’s a conflict that has challenged all taboos, where everyone stands to lose – and yet we still have no idea when it may end.

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New UN report says rape and sexual violence in Sudan’s ongoing conflict are war crimes

New UN report says rape and sexual violence in Sudan’s ongoing conflict are war crimes

The report, which covers a period from the outbreak of the fighting up to December 15, documents abuses in a country that has been largely inaccessible to aid groups and rights monitors recently, clouding the impact of a conflict that been overshadowed by wars in places like Gaza and Ukraine.

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Moon landing in 50 years: Spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based private company lands near moon’s south pole

Moon landing in 50 years: Spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based private company lands near moon’s south pole

The uncrewed six-legged robot lander, dubbed Odysseus, touched down at about 2323 GMT, the company and NASA commentators said in a joint webcast of the landing from Intuitive Machines’ opens new tab mission operations centre in Houston.

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MSF boss shocks UN, US with revelations that children as young as five in Gaza prefer to die

MSF boss shocks UN, US with revelations that children as young as five in Gaza prefer to die

The US has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions since the start of the current fighting on October 7, most recently blocking on Tuesday a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as it instead pushes council to call for a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas.

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Senegal President Sall pledges to leave office in April, but that’s likely to create a power vacuum

Senegal President Sall pledges to leave office in April, but that’s likely to create a power vacuum

Senegal has been seen as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies, but disputes over the election have plunged the country into a political crisis that has sparked deadly protests. At least three people have been killed by security forces and dozens injured.

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Financial pledge for Kenya-led multinational security mission in Haiti nears $300 million

Financial pledge for Kenya-led multinational security mission in Haiti nears $300 million

A US statement said Canada, Benin, France and Jamaica “announced financial, personnel, and in-kind commitments to the mission” during Thursday’s meeting. Blinken later said countries committed at least another $120 million to the initiative during the meeting.

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Thy kingdom come: Revisiting political, cultural contests at the heart and soul of Busoga ‘Kyabazingaship’ in Uganda

Thy kingdom come: Revisiting political, cultural contests at the heart and soul of Busoga ‘Kyabazingaship’ in Uganda

The Kyabazinga is also called Isebantu, which means “father of the people”. This name was a symbol of unity derived from the expression and recognition by the people of Busoga that their leader was the “father of all people who brings all of them together”, and who also serves as their cultural leader. The wife of a Kyabazinga is called Inyhebantu or the mother of all Basoga.

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