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A30 world news
Diamars 11 Januari 2022

Uganda’s schools reopen, ending world’s longest lockdown

The country’s schools cannot sisting that infected students ing up.”
“wait forever” for the pan- were a danger to their parents
demic’s end, he warned. and others. It remains to be seen how
long Uganda’s schools will
The protracted school lock- “There are many things remain open, with an alarm-
down proved controversial which can’t be predicted right ing rise in virus cases in re-
in a country where mea- now. The turnout of students cent days. In the past week
sures aimed at stemming the is unpredictable, the turnout health authorities have been
spread of the virus were ig- of teachers is unpredictable,” reporting a daily positivity
nored by many. Vaccine skep- said Fagil Mandy, a former rate in excess of 10%, up from
ticism, even among health government inspector of virtually zero in December.
workers, remains a problem, schools now working as an Museveni has warned of a
with growing reports of fake independent consultant. “I possible new lockdown if in-
COVID-19 vaccination cards am more worried that many tensive care units reach 50%
sold in downtown Kampala. children will not return to occupancy.
school for various reasons,
(AP) — Uganda’s schools Many students returning to including school fees.” Hoping for a smooth re-
reopened to students The East African country of school are believed to have turn to school, authorities
on Monday, ending the 44 million people first shut had no help during the lock- Mandy also noted concern waived any COVID test re-
world’s longest school dis- down its schools in March down. Most public schools, that a virus outbreak “will quirements for students. An
ruption due to the COV- 2020, shortly after the first which serve the vast major- spread very fast” in crowded abridged curriculum also has
ID-19 pandemic. coronavirus case was con- ity of children in Uganda, schools, urging close moni- been approved under an ar-
firmed on the African con- were unable to offer virtual toring by school administra- rangement to automatically
The reopening caused traf- tinent. Some classes were schooling. The Associated tors. promote all students to the
fic congestion in some areas reopened to students in Feb- Press reported in Novem- next class.
of the capital, Kampala, and ruary 2021, but a total lock- ber on students in a remote Welcoming the reopening of
students can be seen carrying down was imposed again in Ugandan town where weeds Uganda’s schools, Save the Uganda has received foreign
their mattresses in the streets, June as the country faced its grew in classrooms and some Children warned that “lost support toward the reopen-
a back-to-boarding school first major surge. students worked in a swamp learning may lead to high ing of schools.
phenomenon not witnessed as gold miners. dropout rates in the coming
here for nearly two years. For many parents, the re- weeks without urgent ac- The U.N. children’s agency
opening was long overdue. Some critics pointed out that tion,” including what it de- and the governments of the
Uganda’s schools have been the government of Presi- scribed as catch-up clubs. U.K. and Ireland announced
fully or partially shut for “Inevitably, we have to open dent Yoweri Museveni — an financial support focusing
more than 83 weeks, the up schools,” said Felix Okot, authoritarian who has held The aid group warned in on virus surveillance and the
world’s longest disruption, the father of a 6-year-old kin- power for 36 years and whose a statement Monday of a mental health of students and
according to figures from the dergartner. “The future of wife is the education minister wave of dropouts “as return- teachers in 40,000 schools.
U.N. cultural agency. The our kids, the future of our — did little to support home- ing students who have fallen They said their support was
shutdown affected more than nation, is at stake.” based learning. Museveni behind in their learning fear key for Uganda’s school sys-
10 million learners. justified the lockdown by in- they have no chance of catch- tem to remain open.

Amid tensions, Bosnian Serbs celebrate outlawed holiday

(AP) — Amid Bosnia’s elect me to fulfil Americans’ terms of the U.S.-brokered thodox Christian) faith for visive holiday continue each
greatest political crisis wishes but to fulfil the wishes Dayton peace agreement, dinner.” year despite it being outlawed
since the end of its 1992-95 of Serb people,” he added. Bosnia was divided into two by the top court, and have
interethnic war, the coun- semi-autonomous governing Earlier Sunday, as part of been consistently criticized
try’s Serbs celebrated an The Jan. 9 holiday commem- entities — Republika Srpska holiday celebrations, Bosnian by the U.S. and the European
outlawed holiday Sunday orates the date in 1992 when and one dominated by Bos- Serb officials participated in Union.
with a provocative parade Bosnian Serbs declared the niaks and Croats. Serb Christian Orthodox
showcasing armored ve- creation of their own state in ceremonies, broadcast live on However, the parade and
hicles, police helicopters Bosnia, igniting the multi- Each part has its own govern- local television, in the city’s other ceremonies on Sunday,
and law enforcement offi- ethnic country’s devastating, ment, parliament and police, main church, while a spe- were attended by the top of-
cers with rifles, marching nearly 4-year-long war that but the two are linked by cial police unit sang, while ficials of neighboring Serbia,
in lockstep and singing a became a byname for ethnic shared, state-wide institu- marching in the parade, a including prime minister
nationalist song. cleansing and genocide. tions, including the judiciary, song about defending the Ana Brnabic and parliament
army, security agencies and Orthodox Christian cross speaker Ivica Dacic; Russian
Addressing several thou- The holiday was banned in tax administration. All ac- and “the shiny new Serb Re- and Chinese diplomats in
sand spectators gathered in 2015 by Bosnia’s top court tions at a national level re- public.” Bosnia; and several officials
Banja Luka, the de-facto which ruled that the date, quire consensus from all of France’s far-right National
capital of the Serb-run part which falls on a Serb Chris- three ethnic groups. The celebrations of the di- Rally party.
of the country, Bosnian Serb tian Orthodox religious holi-
nationalist leader Milorad day, discriminates against Dodik has for years been ad-
Dodik disparaged sanctions the country’s other ethnic vocating the separation of
Washington slapped on him groups — Muslim Bosniaks the Bosnian Serb mini-state
last week over his alleged and Catholic Croats. from the rest of the country
corrupt activities and threats and making it part of neigh-
to tear the country apart. During the war that killed boring Serbia.
100,000 people and turned
“This gathering is the best half of the country’s popula- This winter, he intensified his
response to those who deny tion into refugees, Bosniaks secessionist campaign, pledg-
us our rights, … who keep and Croats were persecuted ing to form an exclusively
imposing sanctions on us,” and almost completely ex- Serb army, judiciary and tax
Dodik said. pelled from the now Serb- system. He described Bos-
administered half of Bosnia. niaks as “second-rate people”
“It proves to me that I must and “treacherous converts”
listen to you, that you did not After the war, under the who sold their “original (Or-