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Reacting to the death of a teenage girl and the clashes between police and residents in the Ngor neighbourhood of Dakar, Ousmane Diallo, researcher at Amnesty International's regional office for West and Central Africa, said:

“Amnesty International denounces the excessive use of force by the gendarmerie in Ngor on 9 May, and during previous demonstrations in the area. Amnesty International recalls that, under international law, the use of force in policing must be strictly necessary and proportional, and that the use of firearms is prohibited except in cases of imminent danger of death or serious injury.”

Since mid-April, residents of Ngor have been protesting about the use of a plot of land. Amnesty International has seen several videos and images of gendarmes using excessive force against demonstrators, firing bullets in their direction, and firing tear gas in enclosed spaces. In some videos, gendarmes can be seen beating arrested and handcuffed people, or using individuals as human shields to advance through a neighbourhood where mobility has been impeded by several barricades.

We call on the authorities to investigate the use of lethal weapons by the police in Ngor on 9 May and in previous incidents. In particular, the authorities must bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of 14 people, 12 of whom were killed by gunfire from security forces during demonstrations in March 2021. 

Ousmane Diallo, researcher at Amnesty International's regional office for West and Central Africa

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

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The UAE has welcomed the announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States that representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah have signed a Declaration of Commitment in order to protect civilians in Sudan, in accordance with international humanitarian law, to facilitate relief work and meet the urgent needs of civilians.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) commended the efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States to facilitate the signing of this Declaration, which provides for a ten-day ceasefire to enable the delivery of relief supplies and humanitarian aid, and advances efforts to end the conflict between the parties and spare the Sudanese people from further suffering.

The Ministry expressed the hope that this step would contribute to facilitating the arrival of relief and humanitarian aid to affected areas, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, including the sick, children, the elderly and women, and to securing a permanent ceasefire in order to serve the interests of the Sudanese people, to reach the desired political stability and security in Sudan.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation.

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Experts in the prevention and management of Tuberculosis (TB) and representatives of health ministries from 18 countries in southern and eastern Africa have established a new regional network.

The newly established "South and Eastern African Regional TB Network (SEARN-TB) aims to improve the coordination and harmonization of TB control strategies, focusing on encouraging implementation and operational research and the effective use of research outcomes to strengthen TB control throughout the region.

Representatives from Botswana, Comoros, Djibouti, Uganda, Ethiopia, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Somaliland, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Zambia, Somalia Republic formed the network.

Addressing participants of the workshop with a keynote speech, the Acting Representative of WHO-Ethiopia, Dr. Nonhlanhla Dlamini, said, "The network will play an essential role in strengthening coordination and harmonization of TB control approaches among countries with a particular focus on promoting the implementation of operational research and the efficient use of research outcomes to strengthen TB control efforts in countries.

"TB research networks are essential to boost national capacities for TB research and innovation and generate quality evidence for TB patient-centered prevention, treatment, and care. It is also an important opportunity for us in the region to work collaboratively towards achieving the End TB goals", Dr. Dlamini Said.

She added that the network would facilitate greater communication and cooperation between National TB Programs (NTPs) and partners, promote sharing of best practices for TB control across the member states, and enhance advocacy and resource mobilization to support national efforts.

The network will further promote operational research, harmonize strategies and best practices for TB control across the region, and support advocacy and resource mobilization efforts.

The Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) at the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global TB Department of WHO (GTB), the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), and the WHO Regional Office for East Mediterranean Region (EMRO) as well as WHO-Ethiopia Country Office (WHO-Ethiopia), Damien Foundation, are all collaborating with key international partners towards the formation of the network.

Officially opening the workshop, Dr. Abera Bekele, Senior Advisor with the Ministry of Health Ethiopia, said that collaboration among African countries to achieve the end of TB is critical as each NTP in Africa has a unique strength and best practice that can be successfully adopted and implemented by neighboring countries.

"Established in 2001, the TB Research Advisory Council (TRAC) of Ethiopia has significantly helped the country in bringing together the academia, research institutes, regional health bureaus, the National TB Control Program, and international partners in the fight against TB, thereby registering an encouraging evidence-based intervention in improving the TB management' The advisor said.

He added that similar structures and networks at regional and sub-regional levels would help amplify the successes achieved at national levels.

TDR will provide financial support via internal funding and a recently awarded grant from the German Ministry of Health through TDR's partnership with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Ethiopia.