Photo : REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
European Court prevents the first batch of asylum seekers to be flown to Rwanda
On 14 June, the UK’s first flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda was halted after the European Court of Human Rights granted last-minute injunctions to stop the deportations. The court’s decision came after an Iraqi man said they should not be deported until a three weeks period expires after a judicial review’s final decision. The judicial review by the High Court in London is scheduled for July. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government should not be discouraged and should schedule the next flight. Patel said she had always known the policy would face challenges but was surprised that the ECHR intervened despite successful decisions in domestic courts. (Andrew Macaskill and Michael Holden, “UK migrant flight to Rwanda grounded as European Court steps in,” Reuters, 14 June 2022)
South Sudan: Funding crises forces WFP to cut down food aid
On 14 June, the WFP acting country director in South Sudan said owing to a funding shortage, the agency was suspending part of its food aid for the country. The WFP official said an estimated USD 426 million was required to sustain its operations for six months. The development comes despite the WFP’s decision to reduce the rations by half in 2021. (“WFP suspends part of its food aid in South Sudan as funds dry up,” Al Jazeera, 14 June 2022)
Namibia: Carcasses of 11 rhinos raise concerns of poaching
On 14 June, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said since June, 11 rhino carcasses have been found in Etosha National Park. Investigations indicate that the carcasses could be three weeks old or more and imply that poaching remains a challenge. The Ministry said since the beginning of 2022, as many as 22 rhinos have been poached. (“Poachers kill 11 rhinos in two weeks at Namibian park,” BBC, 14 June 2022)