Ethiopia
As mentioned in many previous newsletters, the brutal war in Ethiopia is the most unjustifiably underreported story in the world right now. Britain’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Rita French, today had strong words for the UN Human Rights Council: “If the situation does not improve, Ethiopia will be the scene of a human tragedy on a scale unparalleled this century,” she said. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet told the Council that a much-vaunted joint investigation into human rights abuses it conducted alongside the Ethiopian government-created Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was unable to deploy personnel to several key areas, including the site of an alleged massacre of several hundred civilians carried out by government forces.
More from AP here.
Colombia
Some 65 environmental activists were murdered in Colombia last year, according to environmental rights group Global Witness, making it the deadliest country in the world for those devoted to defending nature. The group found that a record 227 environmentalists were killed worldwide in 2020, three-quarters of them in South America. After Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines had the most killings. "Land and environmental defenders that have stood up to powerful interests have paid a heavy price - with their freedom, livelihoods and even their lives," the report said.
More from France 24 here.
Afghanistan
Afghan women have started an online campaign to showcase colorful traditional women’s clothes in response to images of women rallying in support of the Taliban dressed head-to-toe in fully-veiled black abayas covering their faces and hands. The women used hashtags such as #DoNotTouchMyClothes and #AfghanistanCulture.
More from BBC here.