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WORLD NEWS Monday 14 SepteMber 2020
Former UK leaders unite to slam Boris Johnson on Brexit plan

By PAN PYLAS years of discussions it took
Associated Press to get a Brexit deal done,
LONDON (AP) — Two for- as the border between
mer British prime ministers Northern Ireland and Ire-
who played crucial roles in land is the only land link be-
bringing peace to Northern tween the U.K. and the EU.
Ireland joined forces Sun- The EU wanted assurances
day to urge lawmakers to the border would not be
reject government plans used as a back route for
to override the Brexit deal unlicensed goods arriving
with the European Union, in Ireland from the rest of
arguing that it imperils that the U.K. — England, Scot-
peace and damages the land and Wales. As a result,
U.K.'s reputation. the two sides agreed there
In an article in The Sunday would be some kind of
Times, John Major and regulatory border between
Tony Blair slammed the cur- mainland Britain and North-
rent British government for ern Ireland.
"shaming" the country with Major and Blair, who both
legislation that, in places, vociferously opposed Brex-
goes against the very deal it, said the planned legisla-
it signed to allow for the In this Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 file photo, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair, left and John Major tion puts the 1998 Good Fri-
U.K.'s smooth departure attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in London. day agreement that end-
from the EU earlier this year. Associated Press ed decades of violence in
Major, a Conservative Northern Ireland at risk.
prime minister from 1990 to tion would break interna- EU leaders have furiously 2021. The pair said the bill "ne-
1997, and Blair, his Labour tional law, but argues that rejected Johnson's charge The U.K. left the EU on Jan. gates the predictability,
successor for a decade, it's an insurance policy for that the bloc is planning a 31, but it is in a transition pe- political stability and legal
said Prime Minister Boris that potential 'no-deal' major disruption to normal riod that effectively sees it clarity that are integral to
Johnson's Internal Market scenario. Johnson has said trade between mainland benefit from the bloc's tar- the delicate balance be-
Bill "questions the very in- the legislation is needed to Britain and Northern Ire- iff-free trade until the end tween the north and south
tegrity" of the U.K. end EU threats to impose a land. of the year while a future of Ireland that is at the core
"This government's action is "blockade" in the Irish Sea Irish Foreign Minister Simon relationship is negotiated. of the peace process."
shaming itself and embar- that the prime minister as- Coveney told the BBC that Even before the latest It's unclear whether the
rassing our nation," they serted could "carve up our the "kind of inflammatory standoff, discussions be- planned legislation will get
said. country." language" coming from tween the EU's chief nego- through the British Parlia-
The planned legislation, Britain's Justice Secretary the British government was tiator, Michel Barnier, and ment, with a number of
which will be debated by Robert Buckland told the "spin and not the truth." his U.K. counterpart, David Johnson's fellow Conserva-
British lawmakers this week, BBC on Sunday that the Still, with the British govern- Frost, had made very little tives uneasy at the pros-
has led to a furious outcry legislation was a "break the ment showing no sign of progress. pect of the government
within the EU as it would di- glass in emergency provi- changing course, there One major element of the breaching international

minish the bloc's previously sion," if needed, and that are real concerns that the Brexit withdrawal agree- law.
agreed oversight of trade he would resign if he be- talks on a future trade deal ment is the section related Tobias Ellwood is one law-
between mainland Britain lieved the rule of law was between the U.K. and the to ensuring an open border maker who has said he
and Northern Ireland if a broken in an "unaccept- EU could collapse within on the island of Ireland to could not accept the leg-
U.K.-EU trade agreement able" way. weeks. If that happens, tar- protect the peace process islation, arguing that the bill
isn't secured. "I don't believe we're go- iffs and other impediments in Northern Ireland. diminishes "our role-model
The British government has ing to get to that stage," he to trade will be imposed The issue proved thorny status as defender of glob-
admitted that the legisla- said. by both sides at the start of during the more than two al standards."q

Uganda, Tanzania agree to build long heated oil pipeline

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA details about the agreement were released, in- The French rights group known as FIDH cited at-
Associated Press cluding who will build the pipeline or how it will tacks on human rights defenders opposed to
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The leaders of Ugan- be financed. the project, a climate of fear, and a slow, inac-
da and Tanzania have signed an agreement French oil giant Total, a major investor in Ugan- cessible justice system out of reach for vulnera-
for the construction of what they say will be da's oil industry, announced last wek that it ble people. Total is also criticized for digging oil
the world's longest heated oil pipeline, linking had reached a deal with Ugandan authorities wells in Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park,
Uganda's planned oil fields in the country's west governing the crude oil export pipeline that a protected area popular with tourists.
to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga. will cross sensitive protected areas, rivers, and Total and its development partner in Uganda's
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Presi- farmland. oil fields — the China National Offshore Oil
dent John Magufuli of Tanzania signed the "host "The conditions are set for the ramp-up of proj- Corporation — must "take urgent measures to
and implementation agreement" Sunday in the ect activities and in particular, we will resume avoid what could be a disaster waiting to hap-
remote Tanzanian town of Chato. the land acquisition activities in Uganda while pen," FIDH's Sacha Feierabend said in a state-
Construction of the 897-mile pipeline is expect- respecting the highest human rights standards," ment to The Associated Press. It remains unclear
ed to begin in 2021 and will cost an estimated Total's Uganda office said in a statement. precisely when Uganda will become an oil
$3.5 billion, according to Ugandan authorities Despite the assurances, local and outside producer following administrative delays and
who expressed optimism that money Uganda watchdog groups have warned that the rights tax disagreements with oil companies such as
will earn from its oil deposits will finance ambi- of local communities are at risk because of the Tullow, which discovered Uganda's oil reserves
tious infrastructure projects and launch the pipeline project, which could displace over in 2006 but later sold its entire stake to Total for
country into middle-income status. No further 12,000 families and endanger vital ecosystems. $575 million.q