MAY 13

Inside May 10, 2019.qxp_Layout 1 10/05/2019 7:20 PM Page 3
Arab pro-democracy activis
Syria war: UN alarm at escalation of hostilities in Idlib
THE UN has called for an urgent
de-escalation in northwestern
Syria, after fighting
between government and opposition
forces reportedly left
dozens of civilians dead or injured.
Secretary General António
Guterres urged all parties to
recommit to a truce covering
opposition-held parts of Idlib,
Aleppo and Hama provinces.
Rescuers said at least 20
civilians were killed in air
strikes on Tuesday.
On Monday, two medical
facilities were reportedly targeted
by warplanes.
Idlib, northern Hama and
western Aleppo make up the
last opposition stronghold remaining
in Syria after eight
years of civil war.
The region is covered by
truce brokered in September
by Russia, which backs President
Bashar al-Assad, and
Turkey, which supports the opposition,
that has spared the
2.7 million civilians living there
from a major government offensive.
BBC
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
More than 40 million
displaced globally
ANEW REPORT says 41
million people have been
displaced worldwide in
the last year, with conflicts
in some African
countries contributing
significantly to that number.
The Global Report on Internal Displacement
says this is the highest number
of internally displaced people the
world has ever seen.
The report says conflict, violence and
disasters witnessed around the world last
year have forced 28 million people to
flee their homes to other parts of their
own country.
This is an increase of more than a
million since the end of 2017 and twothirds
more than the global number of
refugees.
The highest numbers recorded are in
the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Syria where conflicts have been raging
for years.
Ethiopia also tops the list of countries
with nearly three million newly displaced
people in the last year - most
fleeing ethnically-fuelled violence.
Globally, natural disasters like tropical
cyclones, monsoon floods, wildfires and
drought have also triggered the displacement
of millions in countries like China,
India and Philippines.
“The findings of this report are a
wake-up call to world leaders. Millions of
people forced to flee their homes last
year are being failed by ineffective national
governance and insufficient international
diplomacy," said Jan Egeland,
secretary-general of the Norwegian
Refugee Council.
"Because they haven't crossed a border,
they receive pitiful global attention.
All displaced people have a right to protection
and the international community
has a duty to ensure it,” added Mr Egeland.
BBC
•Maternity leave is a
right for working
• President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has
• Conflict has forced many to flee their homes in mothers in many
led Algeria since 1999
Ethiopia and the • Democratic countries
Riek Machar Republic (l) and of Salva Congo Kiir shook hands in their "final final" peace deal last year
World news in 4 stories
Mugabe's tractors and
vehicles to be auctioned
•Robert Mugabe was
pushed out of office in 2017
after a brief military
takeover
VEHICLES AND farm
equipment belonging to
Zimbabwe's former President
Robert Mugabe, 95, are
set to be auctioned on Saturday,
in a possible sign that
his family's business empire
could be in financial trouble,
the state-run Herald
newspaper reports.
The daily quotes an advertisement
by a local auction
firm, announcing plans
to sell off about 30 vehicles,
including a Mercedes Benz
C-class limousine and Ford
Rangers.
Horse trucks, tractors,
motor cycles and disc harrows
from the Mugabe family's
Gushungo Dairy farm
would also be auctioned.
The Herald reported that
it was not immediately clear
why the family was auctioning
the items but its business
empire, built during
Mr Mugabe's 37 years in
power, has been facing lawsuits
over unpaid debts.
Mr Mugabe was ousted
in 2017 after a military
takeover and was succeeded
by his former deputy, Emmerson
Mnangagwa.
Last week, Mr Mnangagwa
said Mr Mugabe was
in Singapore for medical
treatment. BBC
Ramaphosa set to make changes as ANC sails to victory
SOUTH AFRICA'S President
Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to
make significant cabinet changes
in the coming days, after his governing
African National Congress
(ANC) secured a reduced, but
comfortable majority in this
week’s general election.
With three quarters of votes
counted, it’s now clear the main
opposition failed to capitalise on
years of government corruption
and economic stagnation.
The political landscape has
shifted only slightly with these
elections, with the ANC slipping
from 62% to 57% nationally.
That’s still quite an achievement
for a party that has presided
over a decade of economic stagnation
and entrenched corruption.
President Cyril Ramaphosa can
now claim a mandate to trim a
bloated cabinet, see off his rivals,
and watch a revived justice system
bring an end to a culture of impunity.
This has been a bad election
for the opposition Democratic Alliance
which lost votes, and failed
to capitalise on the government’s
mistakes. BBC
President Cyril
Ramaphosa can
now claim a mandate
to trim a
bloated cabinet,
see off his rivals,
and watch a revived
justice system
bring an end to
a culture of impunity.
• President Cyril
Ramaphosa has promised to
step up the fight against
corruption