Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 21 February 2017
Famine declared in part of South North Korean envoy blasts Malaysian probe

Sudan by government and UN EILEEN NG found with Kim Jong Nam. tained by Japan’s Fuji

Associated Press Malaysia Prime Minister TV and often grainy and
JUSTIN LYNCH If food aid does not reach KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Najib Razak told reporters blurred, seems to show the
Associated Press children urgently “many
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) of them will die,” said Jer- (AP) — North Korea’s am- later Monday that he had two women approaching
bassador to Malaysia on
confidence in the objectiv-
Kim Jong Nam from differ-
— Famine has been de- emy Hopkins, head of the Monday denounced the ity of his country’s police ent directions that morn-
clared in two counties of U.N children’s agency in country’s investigation into and doctors. ing. One comes up behind
South Sudan, according South Sudan. the death of the exiled half Malaysia had no reason to him and appears to hold
to an announcement by Over 250,000 children are brother of North Korea’s rul- “paint the North Koreans in something over his mouth
the South Sudan gov- severely malnourished er, calling it politically mo-
ernment and three U.N. Hopkins said, meaning tivated and demanding a
agencies, which says the they are at risk of death. joint probe amid increas-
calamity is the result of It is not the first time South ingly bitter exchanges be-
prolonged civil war and Sudan has experienced tween the once-friendly
an entrenched econom- starvation. When it fought nations.
ic crisis that has devas- for independence from Malaysia responded with
tated the war-torn East Sudan in 1998, the territo- its own accusations, with a
African nation. ry suffered from a famine foreign ministry statement
The official classification spurred by civil war. Any- saying the ambassador’s
of famine highlights the where from 70,000 to sev- comments were “culled
human suffering caused eral hundred thousand from delusions, lies and
by South Sudan’s three- people died during that half-truths.” Earlier Mon-
year civil war and even famine. But Monday’s day, Malaysia said it was
as it is declared President declaration of starvation recalling its ambassador to
Salva Kiir’s government is solely South Sudan’s Pyongyang.
is blocking food aid to creation, and a U.N. offi- The diplomatic spat comes
some areas, according to cial blamed the country’s in the wake of the death North Korea’s Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol speaks to
U.N. officials. politicians for the humani- last week of Kim Jong Nam, the media outside the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur,
More than 100,000 peo- tarian crisis. who died after apparently Malaysia, Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. Security camera footage ob-
ple in two counties of “This famine is man- being poisoned in the Kua- tained by Japanese television appears to show a careful and
Unity state are experienc- made,”said Joyce Luma, la Lumpur airport. deliberate attack last week on the exiled half brother of North
Korea’s ruler, while Malaysia said Monday it had recalled its
ing famine and there are head of the World Food The attack spiraled into dip- ambassador to North Korea amid rising tensions between the
fears that the famine will Program in South Sudan. lomatic fury when Malaysia nations.
spread as an additional “There is only so much refused to hand over Kim’s (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
1 million South Sudanese that humanitarian assis- corpse to North Korean
are on the brink of starva- tance can achieve in the diplomats and proceeded a bad light,” he said, add- for a few seconds.
tion, said the announce- absence of meaningful with at least one autopsy ing, “We expect them to Then the women turn
ment. peace and security.” over the diplomats’ objec- understand that we apply and calmly walk off in dif-
“Our worst fears have Perhaps nowhere else tions. the rule of law in Malaysia.” ferent directions. More
been realized,” said has civil war caused such “The investigation by the Over the weekend, Kang video shows Kim, a long-
Serge Tissot, head of the a drastic decline in South Malaysian police is not said Malaysia may be “try- estranged half-brother of
Food and Agriculture Or- Sudan’s food security for the clarification of the ing to conceal something,” North Korea’s ruler, walking
ganization in South Su- than in Central Equatoria cause of the death and an accusation that led the up to airport workers and
dan. He said the war has state, according to the search for the suspect, but Malaysian foreign ministry security officials, gesturing
disrupted the otherwise report. it is out of the political aim,” to recall its ambassador to at his eyes and seemingly
fertile country, causing Traditionally South Su- North Korean Ambassador Pyongyang “for consulta- asking for help. He then
civilians to rely on “what- dan’s breadbasket, Cen- Kang Chol told reporters tions” and summon Kang walks alongside as they
ever plants they can find tral Equatoria has been Monday, saying Malaysia to a meeting. lead him to the airport clin-
and fish they can catch.” hit by fighting and ethni- was in collusion with South Police have so far arrested ic.
Roughly 5.5 million peo- cally targeted killings that Korea, as Seoul tries to de- four people carrying iden- Fuji TV has not revealed
ple, or about 50 percent began in July 2016 and flect attention from its own tity documents from North how it acquired the video,
of South Sudan’s popu- have displaced over half months-long political crisis. Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia which was taken by a se-
lation, are expected to a million residents and Police “pinned the suspi- and Vietnam. Those ar- ries of security cameras as
be severely food inse- disrupted agricultural pro- cion on us, and targeted rested include two women Kim arrived for a flight to
cure and at risk of death duction. the investigation against who were allegedly seen Macau, where he had a
in the coming months, As a result, more than a us,” Kang said, calling on approaching Kim on Feb. home.
said the report. It added third of Central Equato- Malaysia to work with North 13 as he stood at a ticket- Kim, who was in his mid-
that nearly three-quarters ria’s population is now Korea in a joint investiga- ing kiosk at the budget ter- 40s, died shortly after the
of all households in the facing crisis or emergen- tion. Kang referred to the minal of the Kuala Lumpur attack, en route to a hospi-
country suffer from inad- cy levels of hunger, ac- dead man as “Kim Chol,” airport. tal after suffering a seizure,
equate food. cording to the report.q
the name on the passport Surveillance video, ob- Malaysian officials say.q