Latest news with #civil society
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Eswatini opposition attacks US deal as ‘human trafficking disguised as deportation'
Civil society and opposition groups in Eswatini have expressed outrage after the US deported five men to the country, with the largest opposition party calling it 'human trafficking disguised as a deportation deal'. The men, from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba, were flown to the small southern African country, an absolute monarchy, last week as the US stepped up deportations to 'third countries' after the supreme court cleared them last month. Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, is landlocked by South Africa and Mozambique and has a population of about 1.2 million. It is Africa's last absolute monarchy and has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. The government estimated the five men would be held for about 12 months, a spokesperson, Thabile Mdluli, said, adding: 'It could be slightly less or slightly more.' She said Eswatini was ready to receive more deportees, depending on the availability of facilities and negotiations with the US, which has also deported eight people to South Sudan after holding them for weeks in a shipping container in Djibouti, and more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador. Officials have said the men, who were put in solitary confinement, were safely imprisoned in Eswatini. However, they have refused to disclose the terms of the deal, other than to say the US was footing the costs of keeping the men locked up and that they would work with international organisations to deport them to their home countries. Many civil society organisations and politicians were not convinced. 'This action, carried out without public consultation, adequate preparation, or community engagement, raises urgent questions about legality, transparency, and the safety of both the deported individuals and the people of Eswatini, especially women and girls,' said a coalition of seven women's groups. The organisations delivered a petition to the US embassy on Monday calling for the US to take back the deportees, for the deportees' human rights to be respected, and for Eswatini not to become a 'dumping ground for unresolved problems from elsewhere'. The groups' leaders held a protest outside the US embassy on Friday, where they sang, danced and held up signs with messages including: 'Whose taxpayers?', 'Eswatini is not a prison for US rejects' and 'Take the five criminals back to the US!!' Eswatini's largest opposition party, the People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo), said in a statement: 'Pudemo vehemently condemns the treacherous and reckless decision by King Mswati III's regime to allow the United States of America to dump its most dangerous criminals on Swazi soil. 'This is not diplomacy but human trafficking disguised as a deportation deal. It is an insult to all Emaswati who value peace, security, and the sanctity of our homeland.' The coordinating assembly of NGOs, an umbrella group, said the situation was 'deeply alarming' and condemned the 'stigmatising and dehumanising language used by US officials'. It called for the Eswatini-US agreement to be made public and to be suspended pending 'genuine public consultation and transparent national dialogue'. Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, said in a post on X on 16 July that the men, who she said had been convicted of crimes including child rape, murder and burglary, were 'so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back'. She added: 'These depraved monsters have been terrorising American communities but … they are off of American soil.' Eswatini's prime minister, Russell Dlamini, told local media on Friday that the government was confident it would safely manage the prisoners. 'Eswatini is currently holding inmates who have committed more dangerous crimes than those attributed to the five deportees,' he said. A prison service spokesperson, Baphelele Kunene, said the country's citizens should not be afraid. 'We can confirm that the five inmates in question have been admitted to one of our high-security centres where they are responding very well to the new environment,' he said. 'Even though they come from the US, there is no preferential treatment for them as they are guided by the same prison regulations, eat the same food as others and are also expected to exhibit the same and equal amount of respect for prison protocols.' The US state department's most recent human rights report on Eswatini, in 2023, said there were 'credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; [and] political prisoners or detainees'. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections, which the system's advocates argue makes MPs more representative of their constituents. In September, Pudemo's leader, Mlungisi Makhanya, was allegedly poisoned in South Africa. The party said it was an assassination attempt, which Eswatini's government has denied. The Department of Homeland Security has been contacted for comment. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Senegal is going madd about the fruit
02:00 22/07/2025 Once a beacon of hope, Tunisia's civil society struggles to survive 22/07/2025 DRC and M23 rebels sign ceasefire deal in Doha 22/07/2025 Brazil's Bolsonaro risks arrest over breach of court restrictions in coup case 22/07/2025 Two Israelis questioned in Brussels over alleged Gaza war crimes 22/07/2025 Famine looms in Gaza amid mounting warnings 22/07/2025 Donald Trump releases Martin Luther King files 22/07/2025 Bangladesh plane crash kills at least 27, including 25 children Asia / Pacific 22/07/2025 Harvard fights Trump administration in court over $2.6 billion funding cut 22/07/2025 France, UK and 23 other countries issue joint plea for war in Gaza to 'end now'
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
DRC and M23 rebels sign ceasefire deal
Also, in Tunisia in may 2024, just two months after giving birth for the second time... the Tunisian activist Cherifa Ria-hi was detained for harbouring illegal immigrants. More than a year later, she remains behind bars without charge. She has now become a symbol of what rights groups say is increasing repression of civil society by President Kais Saied... who has been ruling with unchecked power since disolving pariliament four years ago. Laurent Berstecker has more details. Finally, in Senegal Tangy and rich in vitamin C, Madd is much more than just a wild fruit in southern Senegal. Eaten fresh or processed, it's a crucial source of income for thousands of families who live off its harvest in the region of Casamance. Thanks to a 2024 Protected Geographical Indication Madd is becoming more widely available. Backed by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation and The French Development Agency, this classification brings new hope to an entire community. In the village of Thiobon - a village over 450 kilometers south of Dakar - are those sustaining this sector.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Textile Exchange will share new standard's criteria pre-2026 launch
Textile Exchange said that following a successful International Working Group (IWG) vote it plans to launch the approved criteria for its new standard on 12 December 2025. In line with Textile Exchange's status as an ISEAL Code Compliant member, the principles and criteria for the new Materials Matter Standard were submitted to and approved by the IWG, which is an independent decision-making body. Textile Exchange explained this body represents a cross section of the textile manufacturing industry, including brands, raw material producers, and civil society organisations. The new Materials Matter Standard will be a voluntary sustainability standard for the production and initial processing of raw materials. Textile Exchange said it will establish what best practice looks like for different materials in various settings, from farms to recycling facilities. Plus, this new standard will mark an important step in the evolution of its current suite of standards to incentivise a system in which the materials in clothing and textiles support the climate, respect human rights and animal welfare, and drive beneficial outcomes for soil health, water, and biodiversity. When the standard becomes effective in 2026, organisations certified with Textile Exchange's existing standards can request audits by approved certification bodies. The mandatory date is expected to be in 2027, and organisations must complete their next audit to the new standard to maintain their certification from that date onwards. Textile Exchange said it will openly communicate exact effective and mandatory dates on 12 December alongside the publication of the standard criteria. The new criteria will outline the requirements that raw material producers must fulfill to achieve their certification. The accompanying Materials Matter Claims and Labeling Policy will set out how organisations, including producers, can make claims and label products as Materials Matter certified. The practices defined within the criteria are said to be grounded in decades of work within Textile Exchange's current standards and align with its sharpened focus. They reflect its new organisational mission, which is to transform how it produces, chooses, and reuses materials to benefit the people and places at the source. Textile Exchange will continue to operate its current standards until the completion of the transition period. It is taking a phased, hands-on approach to support both brands and suppliers through the transition to the Materials Matter System and targeted consultations on other supporting policies will follow ahead of the effective date. Last month, Textile Exchange unveiled a five-year plan to meet the climate and nature targets set for the fashion and textile sector by 2030. "Textile Exchange will share new standard's criteria pre-2026 launch" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Civil groups clarify Kelantan event was HIV outreach event not ‘gay sex party', slam police's conduct during raid
KOTA BHARU, July 19 — A coalition of civil society groups has urged Kelantan police to revise their statement on a June 2025 raid of an alleged 'gay sex party' here, which they claim was in fact a health outreach event. The groups, led by transgender rights advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said media reports following the raid resulted in harmful and stigmatising remarks that have intensified fear among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals seeking health services. 'Contrary to the allegation that the event was a 'gay sex party', it was actually a health event,' the groups said in a statement. 'In keeping with the goals of the event, it provided sexual health and HIV-related information, condoms, and voluntary testing to promote safer sexual health practices.' It said the event provided HIV-related information, condoms, voluntary testing, and health talks with doctors, running from 8pm until around midnight. The coalition said all attendees tested negative in police-conducted urine tests, and no evidence of sexual activity or promotional content on social media was found. Three individuals were arrested over personal intimate content on their phones, which the groups described as trumped-up charges. They highlighted that such events target hard-to-reach populations, as identified by the Ministry of Health, and are vital to national AIDS eradication goals. The coalition said the police's public statements were stigmatising, including unnecessary disclosure of HIV status and harmful suggestions about HIV medication. They also alleged human rights violations during the raid, including degrading treatment and privacy breaches, which have deterred victims from seeking redress. 'Justice for Sisters has documented a range of human rights violations by the police during the raid, including violations of privacy as well as degrading and humiliating treatment of the attendees. 'We are also deeply concerned by the lack of ability of the event organisers and the detainees to speak up and seek redress due to concerns over backlash by the police and the state government,' they said. Concern was also raised over the perceived regression in police practices, which previously avoided disrupting health services for marginalised groups. The statement was endorsed by over 25 organisations and individuals, including Amnesty International Malaysia, PT Foundation, Centre for Independent Journalism, Women's Aid Organisation, and medical professionals.
