African-European Plan to End the Plight of Refugees in Libya

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front right, speaks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, front left, during a group photo at an EU Africa summit in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front right, speaks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, front left, during a group photo at an EU Africa summit in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
TT

African-European Plan to End the Plight of Refugees in Libya

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front right, speaks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, front left, during a group photo at an EU Africa summit in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front right, speaks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, front left, during a group photo at an EU Africa summit in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

The Africa-European Union Summit concluded in the Ivorian capital on Thursday with the announcement of an urgent plan to end the plight of the refugees of Libya.

Leaders of more than 80 countries agreed in the summit’s final statement to strengthen cooperation in four areas, including migration, security, investment in education and sustainable development.

They also expressed their strong commitment to combat illegal immigration and the resulting slavery trade in Libya.

“There must be urgent humanitarian action in Libya,” said Alassane Ouattara, president of Cote d'Ivoire, during the closing session. He underlined the need to “end the networks of smugglers and open an international investigation.”

Alpha Conde, President of Guinea, which holds the rotating presidency of the African Union, requested that the Commission of Inquiry be under the supervision of the AU Commission on Human Rights and called for “special forces” to fight human traffickers.

The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Fakih Mohamed, announced on Thursday that around 3,800 African migrants in Libya must be urgently evacuated, pointing out that the total number of migrants in this country ranged from “400,000 to 700,000”.

The Abidjan Summit adopted a series of urgent measures to end the practices of slavery of migrants in Libya.

French President Emmanuel Macron said after a meeting on Wednesday in the Ivorian capital that the European Union, the African Union and the United Nations have agreed to conduct “emergency evacuations in the coming days or weeks” of migrants, who are victims of human trafficking in Libya.

He added that the EU, the AU and the UN have decided to provide greater support to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in order to assist the return of Africans wishing to return to their home country, which would be carried out in the coming days, in cooperation with the concerned countries.

In addition to the urgent evacuation of Africans, Macron announced the formation of an “intervention force” of police and intelligence, as well as an awareness campaign to discourage young people from emigrating.



Pakistan Military Court Jails 25 over 2023 Attacks

Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan hold his posters during a gathering by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to observe Martyrs' Day to honor those who allegedly died during last month's protest, in Peshawar on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP)
Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan hold his posters during a gathering by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to observe Martyrs' Day to honor those who allegedly died during last month's protest, in Peshawar on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP)
TT

Pakistan Military Court Jails 25 over 2023 Attacks

Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan hold his posters during a gathering by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to observe Martyrs' Day to honor those who allegedly died during last month's protest, in Peshawar on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP)
Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan hold his posters during a gathering by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to observe Martyrs' Day to honor those who allegedly died during last month's protest, in Peshawar on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP)

Twenty-five civilians were sentenced by a Pakistani military court to periods of two to 10 years of "rigorous imprisonment" in connection with attacks on military facilities in 2023, the armed forces' media wing said on Saturday.
The ruling underscores concerns among supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan that military courts are going to play a bigger role in cases involving the 72-year-old, who is facing multiple charges including allegedly inciting attacks against the armed forces.
Thousands of Khan supporters stormed military installations and torched a general's house on May 9, 2023 to protest against the former premier's arrest by paramilitary soldiers. At least eight people were killed in the violence.
The military's Inter-Services Public Relations office said the sentences handed down on Saturday were an "important milestone in dispensation of justice to the nation,” Reuters reported.
"It is also a stark reminder to all those who are exploited by the vested interests and fall prey to their political propaganda and intoxicating lies, to never take law in own hands," it added in a statement.
Others charged over the violence were being tried in anti-terrorism courts but justice would only be fully served "once the mastermind and planners ... are punished as per the Constitution and laws of the land," the military said.
The ruling comes days after Khan was indicted by an anti-terrorism court on charges of inciting attacks against the military. An army general who served under him as his spy chief, Faiz Hamid, is facing a military investigation on the same charges.
Pakistan's Supreme Court last week allowed military courts to announce verdicts in concluded trials of nearly 85 supporters of Khan on charges of attacking army installations, however it made such verdicts conditional on the outcome of appeals against the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians.
The court last year provisionally allowed military courts to try civilians.