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A30 world news
Diahuebs 24 December 2020

Fire breaks out at squalid migrant camp in Bosnia

head toward richer EU na- fire was under control, but ing set on fire in a chain ac-
tions. Most are stuck in Bos- that most of the camp was tion, and I think we are talk-
nia’s northwestern Krajina either destroyed or damaged. ing about vandalism,” she
region as other areas in the He said most camp residents was quoted as saying. “The
ethnically divided nation were still around the area be- migrants are upset and angry,
have refused to accept them. cause “there’s no alternative we can hear them cursing the
The Lipa camp was to be accommodation available” in state.”
closed on Wednesday and Bosnia for them. The Lipa camp was only set
moved to another location, He said some migrants up as a temporary shelter
but officials said that since its planned to head to Croatia as during the summer to cope
tents and other facilities were “quickly as they could,” some with the coronavirus pan-
almost entirely destroyed in were aiming to travel to the demic.
the fire it cannot immediately Bosnian capital of Sarajevo The EU has warned Bosnia
be moved to another spot. while others intended to stay that thousands of migrants
“As far as we know now, a in the Bihac area through the face a freezing winter with-
group of former residents winter in squatter’s camps. out shelter, and it urged the
put three tents and contain- Witnesses said the fire ap- country’s bickering politi-
(AP) — A huge fire broke the Lipa tent camp near the ers on fire after most of the peared to have started in a cians to set aside their differ-
out Wednesday at a tem- Croatian border that once migrants had left the camp,” fuel storage facility and then ences and take action. Thou-
porary migrant camp in housed 1,200 migrants. Resi- said the International Orga- quickly spread to the tents sands of people have been
northwestern Bosnia that dents were seen running nization for Migration’s chief where the migrants lived. sleeping outdoors in make-
has been strongly criti- away in panic from the fire of mission in Bosnia, Peter Natasa Omerovic, the camp shift tent camps or aban-
cized by rights groups as but no injuries were immedi- Van Der Auweraert. director, told the Bosnian doned houses with no facili-
unsuitable due to its lack ately reported. “Luckily, no casualties to our Klix.ba. news portal that the ties in the area, which saw the
of resources. Officials said Bosnia has become a bottle- knowledge at this point but arson started because the first snow earlier this month.
former residents started neck for thousands of mi- disaster nevertheless,” Van planned closure of the camp Many migrants in Bosnia
the blaze. grants hoping to reach neigh- Der Auweraert said on Twit- had triggered anger among have also alleged pushbacks
boring European Union ter. migrants. and violence at the hands of
Thick black smoke rose from member Croatia and then He later told reporters the “As we see, the tents are be- Croatian border police.

Labor Party head resigns as Israel lurches to new elections

(AP) — The head of Is- led the already troubled party pears on the verge of collapse.
rael’s Labor Party said to lose many of its remaining Netanyahu’s biggest chal-
Wednesday he will not supporters. “At this time the lenge, meanwhile, appears to
seek re-election as leader Labor Party needs to undergo be coming from ideologically
of the former ruling party renewal and choose a new similar right-wing rivals who
as the country enters its chairman and new leadership have broken away from Likud
fourth election campaign for itself,” Peretz wrote on his due to personal differences
in two years. Facebook page. with the prime minister. On
Recent polls have projected Wednesday, junior Likud
The Knesset, Israel’s parlia- that Labor will not break the lawmaker Sharren Haskel
ment, dissolved at midnight electoral threshold required resigned from parliament
after the government failed to win seats in the Knesset, to link up with the nascent
to pass a national budget for a stunning downfall for the party formed by Gideon Saar
2020 amid bitter coalition once mighty party. — a former Netanyahu ally
disputes between its two a prime minister on trial for that he would step down as The Labor Party shake-up is who bolted Likud earlier this
main partners, the Likud and corruption. New elections party leader. just the beginning of what month to form his own party.
Blue and White parties. will take place on March 23. Despite repeated campaign is likely to be a shakeup of Haskel is just one of a grow-
Israel now heads to its fourth Amir Peretz, head of the pledges not to do so, Peretz the Israeli political landscape ing number of breakaway Li-
national election since March once-mighty Labor Party, joined Prime Minister Benja- ahead of the March elections. kud lawmakers joining forces
2019 while facing a runaway which helped found the state min Netanyahu’s unity gov- Defense Minister Benny with Saar as he seeks to oust
coronavirus outbreak, a dev- of Israel and ruled in its first ernment in May and served as Gantz’s Blue and White par- the long-serving prime min-
astating economic crisis, and three decades, announced economy minister. The move ty, riven with infighting, ap- ister from office.

Turkey’s president slams European court for Demirtas ruling

(AP) — Turkey’s president tas of links to outlawed besieged the Syrian Kurdish Strasbourg ruled that Demir- said the court cannot rule in
on Wednesday accused the Kurdish insurgents. The town of Kobani, across the tas’ four years in prison vio- a way that bypasses the Turk-
European Court of Hu- Kurdish politician faces up border. Turkish authorities lated his rights on five fun- ish judiciary and the Turkish
man Rights of “defending to 142 years in prison on ter- say the Kurdish fighters in damental rights categories, courts would “only” evaluate
a terrorist” after it ruled ror charges but denies any Kobani and along northern including the freedom of ex- ECHR decisions.
that Turkey must immedi- wrongdoing. Syria are linked to a decades- pression. “These steps are politically
ately release from prison a Demirtas co-led the second- long insurgency by the Kurd- The court said Demirtas’ motivated,” Erdogan said,
prominent Kurdish politi- largest opposition Peoples’ istan Workers’ Party, or PKK. long detention, during two adding that the court em-
cian. Democratic Party, or HDP, Dozens of elected HDP important elections, showed ployed “double standards.”
before his arrest in Novem- lawmakers and mayors, as Turkey “had pursued the ul- Meanwhile, the ECHR an-
Speaking to his ruling party’s ber 2016. He ran for presi- well as thousands of activists terior purpose of stifling plu- nounced that its website
lawmakers, President Recep dent twice against Erdogan members have been arrested ralism and limiting freedom came under a “large-scale”
Tayyip Erdogan called im- — once while incarcerated in a crackdown on the party of political debate.” cyberattack after its Demirtas
prisoned politician Selahattin — and is a vocal critic of the for alleged links to the PKK. Erdogan said the European ruling, making the site inac-
Demirtas a “terrorist” who government. Erdogan’s nationalist ally re- court had ruled in an “un- cessible for several hours.
was responsible for dozens of The 2015 demonstrations in cently called for the party to common” way, saying do- “The Court strongly deplores
deaths during violent protests the mostly Kurdish southeast be closed down. mestic legal avenues had this serious incident,” a state-
five years ago. accused Turkey of inaction On Tuesday, the Grand not yet been exhausted by ment said. It’s unclear who
Erdogan also accuses Demir- as the Islamic State group Chamber of the ECHR in Demirtas and his lawyers. He was behind the attack.