QUOTES

‘Peace in our region is a priority for Rwanda yet it has been lacking, particularly in eastern DRC.’

– Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who was yesterday sworn in for a fourth term, says regional peace is a ‘priority’ in the face of ongoing conflict in the neighbouring DRC. 

 ‘Lesotho is not embroiled in a war, nor is it facing extremism akin to that which plagues Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique. Such inflammatory rhetoric is both baseless and dangerous, as it fosters an environment of fear and instability. The Prime Minister must uphold peace through lawful and democratic means, not through militaristic and authoritarian threats.’

– Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution, which condemned Prime Minister Sam Matekane and Major-General Matela Matobakele of the Lesotho Defence Force for threatening to unleash the military to conduct policing duties

‘Since 2009, the Tanzanian authorities have resorted to ill-treatment, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and detentions to forcibly evict the Maasai while leasing their land to private companies. It is particularly disturbing that they have carried out these evictions under the pretext of conservation, while in reality, they have allowed OBC (Ortello Business Corporation) to do improper or illegal trophy hunting activities, in clear violation of Tanzania's Wildlife Conservation laws.’

– Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. Amnesty said the Tanzanian authorities must conduct a prompt, impartial, independent, effective and transparent investigation into corporate complicity in the forced evictions of Maasai communities in Loliondo – and the suspected perpetrators of these human rights violations must be brought to justice.

‘Despite police clarifying that the suspect was born in Britain and media reports stating his family is Christian, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups continue to spread misinformation, falsely claiming the attacker was an immigrant and a radical Islamist. This disinformation fuelled violent protests in cities like Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester, as well as online agitators spreading hateful and xenophobic rhetoric. These far-right protesters are a disgraceful display of hatred and ignorance that have no place in any society.’

– Leigh-Ann Mathys, spokesperson for South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters. She said the protests were racist and prejudicial to non-white citizens of the UK.