The United Nations has begun actively addressing the abuse of refugees along Central Mediterranean routes from Africa to Europe, including the treatment of refugees as slaves in Libya.

The chiefs of two UN agencies briefed the Security Council on Tuesday on specific work that had begun to address the issue.

The international body stepped up action against the abuse of refugees after a report revealed how refugees were being sold as slaves at an auction in Libya.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi informed the Security Council about the grave abuses perpetrated against asylum seekers and suggested reception and protection mechanisms to stop the rights violations.

“The grave abuses perpetrated against migrants and refugees along the Central Mediterranean routes can no longer be ignored,” Grandi said. “Compelled to flee, but without legal pathways to safety, refugees are exposed to appalling harm, together with migrants, including torture, rape, sexual exploitation, slavery and other forms of forced labour.”

He said there was a need for “a comprehensive approach encompassing countries of origin, transit, and destination.”

Grandi said his agency was stepping up its work but was grappling with “dramatic” funding gaps, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

William Lacy Swing, the director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), also told the Security Council that slave trade was an enormous problem that could nevertheless be stopped.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres instructed relevant UN authorities to investigate the matter and take measures against it.

“Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity,” Guterres said.

Guterres said he had advised the authorities to act urgently.

On Thursday, the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, said it had arrested more than 40 people involved in enslaving refugees.

Interpol said 500 people, including 236 minors, had been rescued in simultaneous operations across Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

France calls for targeted sanctions on traffickers in Libya

At the Tuesday Security Council meeting, French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre suggested that sanctions be used to help stop human trafficking in Libya.

He urged the Council members to consider imposing targeted sanctions on the human traffickers operating in the North African country.

During the meeting, Delattre requested that footage of a slave auction broadcast earlier this month by the CNN be shown. In the video, slaves are seen being sold to Libyan buyers as farmhands for $400 each. Several members of the 15-member Security Council expressed horror viewing it.

Libya plunged into chaos after the overthrow and killing of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Source: Presstv

Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya, arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, with a huge delegation for the 5^th AU-EU Summit which opened today, November 29, 2017, in the Ivorian capital. The Cameroonian president who hardly attends international events organized on the continent was received by his Ivorian counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, who is expected to step down from office in 2020. The Summit of Heads of States and Governments traditionally takes place every three years alternately in Africa and Europe with the aim of taking stock of the progress made in the implementation of commitments and providing political guidance for further work.

The Summit is being held on the theme: “Investing in youth for a sustainable future,” and is being attended by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the President of the African Union and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The event holds against the backdrop of Africans being sold in Libya as slaves. Images of Africans being sold as livestock in Libyan cities have shocked the world, with many experts blaming African leaders for not doing enough to create an enabling environment for their citizens. They blame this unfortunate event on corruption and poor governance which have become the hallmarks of African countries.

The issue of security will also be on the table, as the continent is facing a huge security challenge. Libya is today a magnet for many jihadists groups following the killing of Qaddafi, Somalia is yet to be back on its feet, Boko Haram is making its presence felt in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, while the Malian situation is far from being addressed. The Anglophone crisis in Cameroon will also be discussed when Mr. Biya meets his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, as French business interests in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions are under threat.

Though the continent has made some impressive strides towards modern-day democracy, there is still a long way to go for some countries such as Cameroon where Mr. Biya has been presiding over the country’s destiny for thirty-five years, with no impressive economic and political outcomes; a situation that has resulted in unemployment and massive exodus of the country’s youths to other parts of the world.

The two-day event in Abidjan is also being attended by heads of multilateral institutions such as the African Development Bank whose president, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has launched a Youth Advisory Group.

The Jobs for Youth in Africa initiative aims to create 25 million jobs and benefit 50 million youth over the next 10 years by equipping them with the right skills to get decent and meaningful jobs. It is currently the largest effort for youth employment in Africa today.

The advisory group, inaugurated on the sidelines of the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum in Abidjan on Monday, November 27, will work with the Bank to create jobs for Africa’s youth.

“This is a huge opportunity for Africa. If we fix the youth unemployment challenge, Africa will gain 10-20% annual growth. That means Africa’s GDP will grow by $500 billion per year for the next 30 years. Africa’s per capita income will rise by 55% every year to the year 2050,” Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said at the inauguration of the Group.

Dr. Adesina, who identified Africa’s greatest asset as its youth, observed that out of the 13 million youths that enter the labour market each year, only 3 million (about 33% of African youth) are in wage employment, while the rest are underemployed or in vulnerable employment. The annual gap of more than 8 million jobs is going to worsen, with the number of youth expected to double to more than 800 million in the next decades.

The AU-EU Summit will end on Thursday with resolutions and recommendations on the way forward on how both continents can work together to create opportunities for African youths.

By Kingsley Betek in Abidjan

North Korea has confirmed that it has now achieved full nuclear statehood after successfully launching a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it said is capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.

Pyongyang launched a new type of ICBM, called the “Hwasong-15,” which flew high into space for 53 minutes before landing near Japan in the early hours of Wednesday morning local time, according to a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

It said the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers, higher than any previous missile fired by Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the test a success, the statement said.

After overseeing the launch, Kim “declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force,” read the statement.

“The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with [a] super-large heavy warhead, which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US,” the statement added.

In the statement, Pyongyang described itself as a “responsible nuclear power,” saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from “the US imperialists’ nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat.”

Meanwhile, the latest missile test, the first one in almost two months, has prompted strong condemnations, including from the United Nations (UN)’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called on North Korea to “desist taking any further destabilizing steps.”

“This is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community,” Guterres said in a statement.

Shortly after the test, the US, Japan, and South Korea all called for the holding of an emergency UN Security Council meeting for Wednesday.

Rattled by the early morning missile launch, South Korea almost immediately launched three missiles in a show of force. The South’s military said it had conducted missile drills on Wednesday in response to Pyongyang’s latest launch.

An Air Force KF-16 fighter jet and a Navy Aegis ship as well as an army missile unit took part in the war games, according to the military.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said at an emergency meeting in the capital, Seoul, “If North Korea completes a ballistic missile that could reach from one continent to another, the situation can spiral out of control.”

According to his office, Moon said, “We must stop a situation where North Korea miscalculates and threatens us with nuclear weapons or where the United States considers a pre-emptive strike.”

He also said that there was no choice but for countries to keep applying pressure and sanctions against Pyongyang.

Moon has said the US would have to obtain his country’s approval before potentially launching any military invasion of North Korea to stop its missile and nuclear programs. The South fears that any US attack on the North would trigger massive reprisal against South Korea, which is well within North Korean range.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said that officials in the US, South Korea, and Japan, all agreed the missile did not pose a threat to the US, its territories, or allies.

The US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, however, said the missile was capable of reaching Washington DC. It explained that, based on its trajectory and distance, the new missile would have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers — more than enough to reach the US capital.

Source: Presstv