The European Union failed to fully consider the potential for surveillance-related human rights violations as it equipped African nations with technologies and surveillance training through its EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTFA). That’s the decision of the EU Commission Ombudsman, following a formal complaint filed by a group of…
Tunisian voters have approved a new constitution by referendum vote, one that further consolidates power for President Kaïs Saïed despite concerns from the political opposition over the future of the country’s democracy. The Tunisian government said that 94.6% of voters approved the measure, with turnout low in part because of…
Human rights and privacy advocates are closely following a decade-old case that’s led to this month’s indictments of four technology executives in France, on the grounds that the sale of their surveillance technology in Libya and Egypt leaves them complicit in torture and other rights violations. The four executives are…
Human rights organizations in France say two Ugandans are now in danger after they testified against oil major Total last month for alleged human rights and environmental violations linked to its Tilenga project. Fred Mwesigwa, a farmer who says he has faced numerous threats since May 2017 because of pressure…
The global human rights community was in mourning Sunday after hearing the news that Gaëtan Mootoo, a well-respected French Mauritanian researcher for Amnesty International in West Africa, has died. The 65-year-old Mootoo died at the weekend in Paris, according to Amnesty International Benin. His cause of death was not immediately…
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Paris Monday night, beginning a three-day state visit with French President Emmanuel Macron that’s drawn outcry from international human rights organizations over repression in Egypt. Macron and Sisi, who is traveling with key government ministers, are expected to meet at Élysée Palace Tuesday to discuss regional…
Burundi’s decision to shut down the activities of ITEKA, a respected human rights organization active for the last 25 years, has added to the mounting concern over escalating violence and repression under President Pierre Nkurunziza, who recently floated the possibility that he might seek a fourth term. An order that…
Just minutes into the new year, Burundi began 2017 with the same shattered peace it has known too often in the nearly two years since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he was seeking a third term. Emmanuel Niyonkuru, the Minister of Environment in Burundi, died in Bujumbura in what police officials…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Willy Nyamitwe, the head of communications for Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, was wounded in an attack Monday in Bujumbura, local media outlets report. At least one person died in the incident. Nyamitwe remained in the hospital after an armed attack described as an assassination attempt. He suffered injuries to his arms,…
In Burundi, a spokesman and senior advisor to President Pierre Nkurunziza has launched a series of social media messages condemning a global human rights organization’s unconventional campaign to warn against genocide. Willy Nyamitwe continued his Twitter storm early Wednesday against International Federation for Human Rights and the #Stopthismovie campaign. The…