Thursday, July 15, 2021

IN the NEWS - Unrest all over

 They have heard that I sigh: Lamentations 1:21
 
"Haiti has asked for foreign troops to be sent to the country to protect key infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

The request was sent by the government to the U.S. and the U.N.

Haitian police earlier said a group of 28 foreign mercenaries killed the president on Wednesday.

The killing has triggered some civil unrest in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas. A state of emergency remains in force across the country and it is unclear who is in effective charge of the country's government." BBC

"South Africa will deploy soldiers to quell violence that erupted in the wake of former president Jacob Zuma’s jailing, the military said on Monday, after days of riots and looting left at least six people

dead.

Disturbances worsened as Zuma challenged his 15-month prison term in the country’s top court after weekend unrest by pro-Zuma protesters in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng, where the country’s largest city Johannesburg is located.

Police said 219 arrests had been made, as opportunistic criminals appeared to take advantage of the anger some feel over Zuma’s incarceration to steal and cause destruction.

Any confrontation with soldiers risks fuelling claims by Zuma and his supporters that they are victims of a politically-motivated crackdown by his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The rand fell sharply after the military announced its deployment, extending losses to trade down 2% against the U.S. dollar by 12.30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT). Analysts said, however, that the slump was also partly driven by fears over the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zuma, 79, was sentenced late last month for defying a constitutional court order to give evidence at an inquiry investigating high-level corruption during his nine years in office until 2018.

The decision to jail him resulted from legal proceedings seen as a test of post-apartheid South Africa’s ability to enforce the rule of law, including against powerful politicians.

In the past seven days, South Africa has never come closer to becoming a failed state. The riotous looting has reduced Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the two provinces hit hard by the social unrest into what resembles warzones. The country quickly descended into what could be the beginning innings of a civil war, prompting the government to call up military reserves and seek deployment of up to 25,000 troops to quell the violence. " France24/ZeroHedge

"More than 50 people have died since a wave of protests started to sweep across Colombia at the end of April.

Protesters have blocked key roads leading to shortages of fuel and food in some areas and there have been violent clashes between the security forces and demonstrators.

The government has been holding talks with protest leaders but with more and more groups joining in the demonstrations, the demands of those who have taken to the streets have widened and a quick resolution seems unlikely. 

 The demonstrations started on 28 April and were initially in opposition to a proposed tax reform. The proposed reform would have lowered the threshold at which salaries are taxed, affecting anyone with a monthly income of 2.6m pesos ($684; £493) or more. It would also have eliminated many of the current exemptions enjoyed by individuals, as well as increasing taxes imposed on businesses.

 There have also been marches by Colombians who oppose the protests. On Sunday, thousands took to the

streets of major cities to demand an end to the roadblocks and violent clashes." BBC