标签： Africa

A series of devastating landslides has struck the mountainous border region between Kenya and Uganda, claiming the lives of over 40 people and leaving many more missing. The tragedy has left communities in shock, with survivors recounting harrowing experiences of loss and destruction. Felix Kemboi, a 30-year-old from Kenya, lost six relatives, including his grandmother, aunt, uncle, two sisters, and a cousin, who were all residing in Kaptul village. The emotional toll on survivors like Felix is immense, as they struggle to articulate their grief. On both sides of the border, search and rescue operations are underway, though the risk of further landslides remains high due to ongoing heavy rainfall. Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen has issued warnings about the heightened risk in the Kerio Valley region and urged residents to remain vigilant. In Uganda, the Red Cross Society reports at least 18 fatalities, with 20 people still unaccounted for in the districts of Kapchorwa, Bukwo, and Kween. Survivors like Helda Narunga Masai from Kween village have shared terrifying accounts of the disaster, which destroyed her home and claimed the lives of her niece and brother. The Ugandan government has announced compensation for bereaved families and survivors, while Kenya has yet to make a similar declaration. The landslides have also disrupted access to some areas, complicating rescue efforts. This disaster echoes the 2010 Bududa landslide in Uganda, which killed approximately 300 people, highlighting the recurring nature of such tragedies in the region.

An appeal hearing commenced on Monday in South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, addressing whether a subsidiary of British mining giant Anglo American PLC bears responsibility for decades-long lead poisoning that allegedly affected approximately 140,000 individuals in Zambia. The class action lawsuit, brought by women and children, seeks to overturn a 2023 lower court ruling that dismissed their case against Anglo American South Africa. The plaintiffs argue that a mine in Kabwe, Zambia, which Anglo American South Africa was involved with from 1925 to 1974, caused severe environmental and health damage, poisoning generations of local residents. The lower court had dismissed the case, citing insufficient initial evidence and deeming it ‘an unmanageable class action’ due to the need for each of the 140,000 claimants to individually prove illness caused by lead poisoning. The judge estimated that consulting all claimants could take up to a decade. Kabwe, one of the world’s most polluted areas, was highlighted in a 2022 UN report as a region permanently scarred by mining activities. A 2023 Human Rights Watch report revealed soil lead contamination levels of 60,000 milligrams per kilogram in Kabwe, far exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s hazardous threshold of 200 milligrams per kilogram. Medical studies supported by Amnesty International indicate that Kabwe’s children exhibit record-high lead levels in their blood, which can cause irreversible damage to internal organs, including the brain. While Anglo American acknowledges severe contamination in Kabwe, it denies liability, stating it only held a minority stake in the Zambian company operating the mine and attributes the pollution to other parties. This case follows another recent mining disaster in Zambia, where a Chinese company was accused of concealing a toxic spill that contaminated a major river, impacting millions reliant on it for drinking water and irrigation.

A Libyan delegation in Lebanon made significant strides in discussions with Lebanese judicial officials on Monday regarding the potential release of Hannibal Gadhafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Gadhafi has been detained in Lebanon without trial since 2015. The five-member delegation, led by senior judicial officials including prosecutor Jamal Hajar, engaged in talks to address the conditions of Gadhafi’s release. Lebanese judicial sources, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the discussions focused on reducing the $11 million bail imposed on Gadhafi and lifting his travel ban. The Libyan delegation also presented a detailed report on the investigation into the disappearance of Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr, who vanished during a trip to Libya in 1978. Gadhafi, who was less than three years old at the time of al-Sadr’s disappearance, has been accused of withholding information about the cleric’s fate. The case has been a contentious issue in Lebanon, with al-Sadr’s family believing he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, while most Lebanese presume he is deceased. The Libyan delegation’s visit also included a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, where they emphasized Tripoli’s desire to reactivate bilateral relations with Beirut and resolve pending issues. Gadhafi, who had been living in exile in Syria before his abduction in 2015, is expected to relocate to Qatar if released. The Hostage Aid Worldwide organization has long advocated for his release, citing concerns over his prolonged detention without due process. The case remains a complex and sensitive matter, intertwined with the histories of both Libya and Lebanon.