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A30 world news
Diamars 21 Juni 2022

China's 1st Horn of Africa envoy offers to mediate in region

Tigray region. Prime Min- was Eritrea, which teamed Russia, has stressed its lack of
ister Abiy Ahmed last week up with Ethiopia's forces in colonial activities in Africa to
said the government doesn't the Tigray conflict and was contrast with several Euro-
want war anymore. He de- among the African countries pean nations.
nied reports that negotiations visited by China's foreign
were taking place with rival minister early this year. Er- "Let us take our own share
Tigray leaders but said a gov- itrea's information minister of responsibility for the fail-
ernment committee would didn't immediately respond ure (of regional peace) and
soon present a road map on when asked about the ab- commit ourselves to take the
the issue. sence. destiny of our region into our
hands," Redwan Hussein,
Ethiopian government China's interests in the Ethiopia's national security
spokesman Legesse Tulu Horn of Africa include its adviser, told the conference,
didn't immediately respond first overseas military base, noting the interest in avoid-
Monday when asked if the in Djibouti; oil investments ing "unwarranted external
government would take in Sudan and South Sudan; interference and undue pres-
up China's mediation of- manufacturing in Ethiopia; sure." That was a theme of
(AP) — China's first spe- the peaceful settlement of fer. Other mediation efforts and a range of infrastructure Ethiopia's pushback against
cial envoy to the Horn of disputes based on the will of have been pursued in re- projects. criticism from some in the
Africa on Monday offered countries in this region," Xue cent months by the African West over the Tigray conflict.
to mediate in disputes in Bing told a China-led peace Union, the United States and The Chinese envoy in his
the region as Beijing seeks conference in Ethiopia's capi- Kenya. speech noted "complicated Ethiopia also has been at odds
to strengthen its influence tal, Addis Ababa. Others attending the China- and intertwined ethnicity, re- with neighboring Sudan over
and protect its invest- led peace conference were ligion and boundary issues" disputed land and Addis Aba-
ments from conflict. The strategic Horn of Africa foreign ministers or deputies in the region and noted they ba's construction of a huge
region is anchored by Ethio- from Sudan, Somalia, South can be "difficult to handle, as and controversial Blue Nile
"I myself am ready to pro- pia, recently shaken by war Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and many of them date back to dam that will be Africa's larg-
vide mediation efforts for that spread from its northern Djibouti. Notably absent colonial times." China, like est hydroelectric power plant.

Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsizes at sea

(AP) — Hong Kong's icon- capsized on Sunday. pandemic and laid off all its
ic Jumbo Floating Restau- "As the water depth at the staff. Aberdeen Restaurant
rant has capsized in the scene is over 1,000 meters, (it Enterprises said the res-
South China Sea less than makes it) extremely difficult taurant became a financial
a week after it was towed to carry out salvage works," it burden to its shareholders,
away from the city, its par- said in a statement. with millions of Hong Kong
ent company said Monday. It said the company "is very dollars spent on its inspec-
saddened by this accident." tion and maintenance even
The restaurant encountered though it was not in opera-
"adverse conditions" on Sat- The Jumbo Floating Restau- tion.
urday as it was passing the Xi- rant, almost 80 meters (260
sha Islands, also known as the feet) in length, had been a The restaurant was towed
Paracel Islands, in the South landmark in Hong Kong for away last Tuesday. The com-
China Sea, and water entered over four decades, serving pany said it planned to move
the vessel and it began to tip, Cantonese cuisine to over it to a lower-cost site where
according to Aberdeen Res- 3 million guests including maintenance could be carried
taurant Enterprises Ltd. Queen Elizabeth II and Tom out. rine engineers and hoardings further details of the accident
The company said no one Cruise. It said that prior to its de- were installed, and all rele- from the towing company,"
was injured, but that efforts parture, the vessel had been vant approvals were obtained. the statement said.
to save the vessel failed and it It closed in 2020 due to the thoroughly inspected by ma- "The company is now getting

Lawyers call on intl court to investigate Uyghur treatment

(AP) — Lawyers on Mon- ment of Uyghurs and oth- prosecutors. and alleges that he and others Myanmar's Rohingya minor-
day renewed calls for the er predominantly Muslim were tortured and forced to ity, despite Myanmar not be-
International Criminal groups in China's Xinjiang Activists and lawyers accuse undergo medical procedures ing a member of the court,
Court to open an investi- region as they presented Beijing of crimes against hu- including "being injected because thousands of Ro-
gation into China's treat- a dossier of evidence to manity and genocide against with unknown substances." hingyas were force to flee to
the groups. China's ruling Bangladesh, which is an ICC
Communist Party has vehe- The latest dossier also seeks member.
mently denied all reports of to support their assertion that
human rights violations and ICC prosecutors have ju- British lawyer Rodney Dixon
genocide in Xinjiang. risdiction despite China not said evidence presented to
being a member of the court the court's prosecutor's office
Monday's filing is the latest by arguing that Uyghurs and uncovers "a pervasive plan to
attempt to have the global others are being rounded up round up Uyghurs in neigh-
court open an investigation on the territory of an ICC boring countries, including
into widespread allegations member state and transferred an ICC member State, and
of abuse against Uyghurs by to China. elsewhere, to force them
Chinese authorities. back into China."
That assertion seeks to use
The group that submitted the a precedent set when the The filing comes a year after
evidence said it includes tes- court's judges ruled that lawyers called on the ICC to
timony from a witness who the ICC has jurisdiction to open an investigation.
escaped from a camp in 2018 investigate abuses against