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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 12 december 2023

Leaders of Guyana and Venezuela to meet this week as region

worries over their territorial dispute

GEORGETOWN, Guyana When asked if the U.S. has
(AP) — As the leaders of committed any military
Guyana and Venezuela aid, Ali said he signed an
prepare to meet this week advanced defense agree-
to address an escalating ment with the U.S. to ensure
dispute over a region rich in that “major training pro-
oil and minerals, Guyana’s grams and exercises” will
president said he is coming continue.
with “goodwill’ but insisted “We also are talking to
that his country be respect- many other partners,” he
ed and the case be heard said, without details. “We
at the International Court don’t want any conflict.
of Justice. We don’t want any war.”
President Irfaan Ali spoke to Venezuelan Foreign Minis-
reporters late Sunday, while ter Yvan Gil told reporters
his security detail wore shirts Monday that “any deci-
reading “ESSEQUIBO BE- sion must be mutual” and
LONGS TO GUYANA.” asserted that the dispute
The dispute over Essequibo, cannot be settled by the
which represents two-thirds world’s court. He char-
of Guyana and borders acterized the scheduled
Venezuela, worsened after meeting as a “profound
Venezuela held a referen- National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, left, and Chairman of the Special Commission for success” for Maduro, argu-
dum earlier this month on the Defense of Guyana Essequibo Hermann Escarra, shake hands after unveiling Venezuela’s ing that the Venezuelan
whether to claim sover- new map that includes the Essequibo territory, a swath of land that is administered and president has long insisted
eignty over the region lo- controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. on the need for dialogue
cated near massive oil de- Associated Press between the countries.
posits. In a video posted Sunday
Venezuela maintains that ana was under British rule. talks are leaders including will not negotiate with on social media, Gil said
Essequibo was within its Guyana’s president is Brazilian President Inacio Venezuela, insisting that he met with his counter-
boundaries during the scheduled to meet Thurs- Lula da Silva. the case be heard by the part in Guyana and not-
Spanish colonial period, day with Venezuelan Presi- “We are very confident that International Court of Jus- ed, “We are always in fa-
and it rejects the border dent Nicolás Maduro be- good sense will prevail,” Ali tice in the Netherlands as vor of dialogue between
drawn by international ar- hind closed doors on the said. “We want peace, but planned. both countries to solve this
bitrators in 1899 when Guy- eastern Caribbean island we must be respected.” “The world is behind us,” he controversy.”q
of St. Vincent. Invited to the He stressed that Guyana said.

Rescuers have recovered 11 bodies after landslides at a Zambia

mine

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — buried them in tunnels they weeks after the disaster. families to report missing to have been digging for
Eleven informal miners have were digging last month. Rescuers announced the relatives and fears were copper ore illegally without
been confirmed dead and One survivor has been latest death toll late on Sun- growing that the death toll the knowledge of the mine
their bodies retrieved from found but up to 26 oth- day. The survivor, a 49-year- could rise to more than 30. owner, making it difficult for
an open-pit copper mine ers remain missing and are old man, was pulled out “Efforts to recover the re- authorities to know exactly
in Zambia after landslides feared dead nearly two from underneath the debris maining accident victims how many were trapped
last week and is recover- are ongoing,” the Disaster underground.
ing in the hospital, said the Management and Mitiga- Zambia is among the top
Disaster Management and tion Unit said in a state- 10 copper producers in the
Mitigation Unit, which is ment. world. Chingola, which is
overseeing the rescue op- The disaster happened around 400 kilometers (250
eration. Nov. 30 when heavy rain miles) north of the capital,
Rescuers also retrieved the caused landslides and the Lusaka, has large open-
first two bodies last week. miners were buried in three pit mines, some of them
Nine more were recovered separate tunnels while stretching for kilometers
this weekend, the disaster working in them late at (miles).
management unit said. night. They are surrounded by
Government officials say The rain also caused the huge waste piles of rocks
as many as 38 miners might area around the tunnels and earth that have been
have been buried under to be flooded and rescu- dug out of the mines.
the landslides at the mine ers have had to pump out The government said de-
near the city of Chingola, water from the site as well bris from one of the waste
Zambian Army special forces officers follow the rescue on Zambia’s copper belt, as clear rocks and earth. piles is thought to have col-
operation of miners on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023 in Chingola, although they aren’t cer- The army has been helping lapsed on the miners’ tun-
around 400 kilometres (248 miles) north of the capital Lusaka,
Zambia. tain of the exact number. with the rescue operation. nels in the heavy rain. q
Associated Press They have been relying on The miners are believed