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A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 March 2019
Rights group: EU complicit in violence against migrants

By DARKO BANDIC ter the Republic of Croatia
Associated Press the next time they try," he
BIHAC, Bosnia-Herzegovi- said in a statement.
na (AP) — A leading rights In Brussels, European Com-
group has accused Euro- mission spokeswoman
pean Union states of com- Mina Andreeva said that
placency in the "systemat- the EU's executive body is
ic, unlawful and frequently concerned about the alle-
violent pushbacks" by gations made in the report
Croatian border guards of and is taking them very seri-
thousands of asylum-seek- ously.
ers to squalid and unsafe "Any form of violence
refugee camps in Bosnia. against or abuse of mi-
Amnesty International grants and refugees is
said in a report released unacceptable," she told
Wednesday that "Europe- reporters, adding that EU
an governments are not is contacting Croatian au-
just turning a blind eye to thorities about the matter.
vicious assaults by the Cro- "The commission expects
atian police, but also fund- Croatia to follow up
ing their activities." promptly on these specif-
The report said that "in do- ic allegations and we will
ing so, they are fueling a In this Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, a group of migrants moves through a forest in the Pljesevica Moun- continue to closely moni-
growing humanitarian crisis tain in a attempt to illegally cross the border into Croatia. tor the situation," Andreeva
on the edge of the Europe- Associated Press said. Thousands of migrants
an Union." have been stuck in Bosnia
Croatian authorities have on Wednesday, Croatian ternational rights groups of single case. as they seek to move on to-
repeatedly denied such re- Interior Minister Davor Bozi- alleged illegal and violent "Migrants in most cases ward Western Europe. Mi-
ports in the past. novic said that the ministry pushbacks of migrants, but falsely accuse police of- grants mostly travel illegally
In a response to the Am- has received more than that after investigations no ficials of violence, hoping with the help of people
nesty International report 200 complaints issued by in- foul play was detected in a that this will help them en- smugglers.q

Algeria: Opposition meets, key govt figures appeal for calm

By AOMAR OUALI economic institutions func-
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — tion normally."
Algerian opposition lead- "We want the transition (to
ers called for continued new elections) to be as
mass protests Wednesday short as possible," he add-
against President Abdelaziz ed.
Bouteflika as key figures in Former foreign minister
his new government at- Lakhdar Brahimi, who is
tempted to appeal for close to Bouteflika, said,
calm. "we want to organize suc-
The opposition accuses cessful elections in a cli-
the 82-year-old president mate of serenity to preserve
of flouting the constitu- the stability of Algeria."
tion to cling to power. This Brahimi denied reports that
week he abandoned plans he would chair a confer-
to seek a fifth term, but he ence planning Algeria's
also canceled next month's future, adding: "I say to the
presidential election with- young Algerians who pro-
out setting a new date test, do not destroy Algeria,
and replaced key ministe- like Iraq and Syria."
rial posts, including that of Algerians have barely seen
prime minister, with loyalists. their president since he suf-
Teachers took to the streets fered a stroke in 2013, and
to keep up pressure on question his fitness for of-
the longtime president, as fice. Protesters are also an-
political uncertainty grips gry about corruption and
this gas-rich North African Teachers hold placards reading, on the left, "You have millions. We are millions of teachers" and secrecy in Algeria's power
country. in the center "I dream of a democratic Algeria", during a protest in Algiers, Algeria, Wednesday, structure.
A broad swath of opposi- March 13, 2019. Wednesday's opposition
tion figures met Wednes- Associated Press gathering included promi-
day at the headquarters of nent Islamists and rival
the Islamist party El Adala They called the election decisive protests are ex- ister, Ramtane Lamamra, secular parties, two former
and issued a statement delay unconstitutional, and pected Friday, after millions tried to appeal for calm on prime ministers and others
saying: "At this historic, de- appealed for the unprec- have come to the streets in Public Radio Wednesday, who have served in Boute-
cisive moment, the Alge- edented revolt against the recent weeks. saying the new govern- flika's governments but
rian opposition is at the side ailing Bouteflika to contin- Algeria's new deputy prime ment is "fully fledged" and have since turned against
of the people." ue. Nationwide, potentially minister and foreign min- "will ensure political and the country's leadership.q