News highlights: Plan for floating barrier Greece, Italy continues migration deal with Libya, Malnutrition in Sudanese refugee camps

by Shelly De Groote
Posted on February 7, 2020February 7, 2020
Africa

In this week’s news highlights: EU visits road construction project in Eritrea, reports Eritrean state news; Criticism on plans for a barrier between Greece and Turkey; Italy convicted of breaching the non-refoulement principle in 2009; Tear gas used by police at migrants and refugees in Lesbos; Sea Watch has no access to Frontex alerts; French police removes last refugee tent camp in Paris; Criticism on extension of Italian deal with Libyan coast guard; Libyan peace talks continue; Refugees in GDF in distress; The story of Mohammed who feels abandoned by the UN; Eritrea is not happy with American travel ban; Malnutrition is a big problem in Sudanese refugee camps; Reporters Without Borders urges Eritrean President to free Dawit Isaak and others; And discussion about Horn of Africa borders.

News Highlights: Sudan’s civilians and military reach agreement, airstrike kills 44 migrants and refugees in Libya, Captain Sea-Watch freed

In this week’s news highlights: Sudan’s military and civilian groups reach agreement, Snipers opened fire during a civilian protest march; Ethiopia and Eritrea to connect naval infrastructure; Eritrea is chairing the UNHRC despite human rights abuses; Eritrean protest symbols features by Italian draughtsman; Migrants detained in a Libyan hangar died of hunger, thirst and diseases; Libyan military strikes killed and injured hundreds of migrants; Canadian firm’s contract with Sudan denounced by Amnesty International; Arrested German captain of the rescue ship finally freed by Italian court; The court rules out the transfer under the Dublin regulation; the US and China are in feud over influence in Africa.

NGO search and rescue missions face increasing challenges on the Mediterranean Sea – Sea Watch 3 vessel still blocked

Twenty days after entering the port of Catania in Italy, the Sea Watch 3 rescue ship remains in one of the Sicily’s ports, as the inspection of the Dutch authorities requested further maintenance of the ship in order to ensure “the ship’s conformity to regulations in force”. The ship has been kept in the port by the Italian Coast Guard since the first inspection on 31 January 2019. Kim Heaton-Heather, who is responsible for the search-and-rescue operations of the Sea Watch 3, says that by blocking the vessel, the Dutch authorities fuel the anti-migrant sentiment that has been spreading among EU’s political powers, which intensifies the anxiety of refugees aiming to reach a safe country.