Congolese physician Mukwege awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Congolese physician Mukwege awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Congolese physician Dr. Denis Mukwege has been named the recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he shares with Nadia Murad for their work in ending sexual violence in the context of conflict. “This year’s Peace Laureate Denis Mukwege has repeatedly condemned impunity for mass rape and criticized…

UN report points to South Sudan war crimes

A United Nations report on human rights violations in South Sudan released Friday concludes that some violations against civilian populations may constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, established by the Human Rights Council in March 2016, said it has identified at least 40…

Botswana helps to fund investigation into Syria war crimes

Botswana is the only African nation among the 26 countries so far making financial contributions to support an investigation into serious crimes committed during the Syrian conflict. The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) will be led by Catherine Marchi-Uhel, a French judge appointed this week to lead the IIIM….

HRW: Habré case advances fight against impunity

The decision to uphold the 2016 life-sentence conviction of Hissène Habré, the former president of Chad, for crimes against humanity committed during the 1980s was welcomed by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization on Thursday. The ruling by the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal “vindicates the persistence of the victims’ struggle…

UN agencies advance protection of antiquities, cultural heritage

The United Nations Security Council has moved to strengthen protections against the destruction and trafficking of priceless antiquities and humanity’s shared cultural heritage. Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO – the United Nations entity that helps to protect cultural sites across the globe – hailed the adoption of a new…