Afghanistan, Fiji, DR Congo.

Today's three stories you should know.

Dec 22, 2022

Afghanistan

Countries are lining up to slam the Taliban’s sickening ban on women attending university. In a statement, Saudi Arabia expressed “astonishment and regret” and said the move was “astonishing in all Islamic countries.” Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said today that the ban was “neither Islamic nor humane.” Qatar and the US have also strongly criticised the ban, which came into effect yesterday when armed Taliban members physically blocked women from entering university campuses. Heartbreaking footage spread on social media of women in tears, comforting each other at the gates. The decision is just the latest in a long line of Taliban attacks on the rights of women and girls since it came to power in August of last year.

Fiji

Fiji’s military has been called in to back up the police after an election resulted in a hung parliament that has caused tension between political parties. The development is particularly worrying because Fiji has gone through four military coups over the last 35 years, with two of the main contenders for prime minister being former coup leaders themselves. The party of current Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has refused to concede despite three opposition parties, including that of his main rival, saying they had enough parliamentary seats to form a coalition government.

DR Congo

The UN has apparently confirmed what the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been saying for months: Rwanda is backing rebels in DRC and has supplied them with weapons, ammunition and uniforms. A report by a group of independent United Nations experts, seen by the AFP news agency, also made the explosive allegation that Rwanda’s army had itself "engaged in military operations" against the military of DRC. The group Rwanda is accused of supporting, M23, briefly held territory in 2011 - 2012 before retreating to the countryside for almost a decade. It took everybody by surprise by blistering back out of bush in recent months, claiming the government reneged on a deal to integrate its fighters into the army.