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Belgium Launches Syria Violations Probe, Detains War Crimes Suspect

The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo
The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo
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Belgium Launches Syria Violations Probe, Detains War Crimes Suspect

The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo
The trial of former Syrian intelligence officers Iyad al-Ghareeb and Anwar Raslan in Koblenz, Germany. AFP file photo

Belgium has joined other European nations in pursuing perpetrators of war crimes in Syria since 2011.

Belgian police arrested Hussein A. based on a warrant charging him with committing crimes against humanity.

He has been remanded in custody awaiting the issuance of formal charges, a process that may take several months.

Hussein A. served as a commander in a militia affiliated with the “National Defense Committees” in the Syrian Salamiyah region near Hama.

He was responsible for the arrest and handover of detainees to branches of the military security apparatus of the Syrian army in Hama.

Syrian lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni has prepared the case against Hussein A. and submitted it to the Belgian prosecutor general.

Al-Bunni stated that the accused delivered detainees to centers, knowing that they would be subjected to torture.

Moreover, Al-Bunni added that the case of Hussein A. is linked to another case involving an individual arrested two months ago in the Netherlands.

This individual was also a commander in a militia affiliated with the National Defense Committees and remains in custody awaiting formal charges and trial.

Al-Bunni clarified that the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research has managed to gather more than 10 witnesses in the case of Hussein A., all of whom are victims who have experienced arrest and torture.

In 2015, Hussein A. came to Belgium for a family reunion and applied for Belgian citizenship, but the decision is still pending.

This case is Belgium’s first against individuals accused of war crimes in Syria. It’s part of a broader effort led by al-Bunni, who is compiling cases against those fleeing Syria for Europe.

Al-Bunni relies on the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing Western countries to prosecute criminals for crimes committed abroad.

Germany, followed by France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and now Belgium, all have initiated legal proceedings against former Syrian officers.

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World

Iran’s Nuclear File Returns to the Forefront

Rafael Grossi speaking on May 7 at Vienna Airport after his return from Tehran. (EPA)
Rafael Grossi speaking on May 7 at Vienna Airport after his return from Tehran. (EPA)
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Iran’s Nuclear File Returns to the Forefront

Rafael Grossi speaking on May 7 at Vienna Airport after his return from Tehran. (EPA)
Rafael Grossi speaking on May 7 at Vienna Airport after his return from Tehran. (EPA)

Iran’s nuclear file has returned to the forefront, with the approaching regular meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's governors, next month, in Vienna.
Neither Iran nor the agency deviated from the pre-written scenario, which is being implemented and consists of several stages. The first is for the agency’s director, Rafael Grossi, to take the initiative, several weeks before the meeting, to attract attention to the aforementioned file through heated statements, saying that Iran is not cooperating satisfactorily with his inspectors.
This stage paves the way for Grossi’s visit to Tehran and lengthy meetings with senior officials, usually followed by two press conferences: the first in Iran, alongside Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, or Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and the second upon his landing at Vienna Airport.
What is often striking is that Grossi’s tone varies depending on the place. His rhetoric is diplomatic in Tehran, and direct, even sharp, in Vienna.
However, the last scenario takes place amidst very important transformations, the first of which is the entry of Israel directly into the line after the bombing of the Iranian consulate headquarters in Damascus and the killing of senior leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and the subsequent Iranian response inside Israel and the Israeli response inside Iran.
If a group of countries, led by the United States, intervened, directly or through mediation, to prevent sliding into open war in the Middle East region, this factor has a direct impact on the future of the Iranian nuclear program. Tehran has in fact always kept its nuclear program out of its general policy and within its “technical” limits.
But today, the situation has changed. After a senior Revolutionary Guard threatened that Iran can abandon its nuclear doctrine, which was determined by the Supreme Leader in a famous fatwa, here is his advisor, Kamal Kharazi, coming out to wave the nuclear card.
The Iranian Students News Agency quoted Kharazi as saying: “We have not yet taken a decision to make a nuclear bomb, but if Iran’s existence becomes threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine.”
It is clear today that Tehran has begun to view its nuclear program, and even present it as a “weapon of deterrence.”
Western capitals, led by Washington, were keen, in recent meetings, to avoid taking any measures against Tehran, in order to encourage it to calm tensions in the Middle East, as it has the ability to influence and stop supplying Russia with drones.

 

 

World

Small Pro-Palestinian Protests Held Saturday During College Commencements

Graduate students walk out of commencement in protest against the war in Gaza at the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)
Graduate students walk out of commencement in protest against the war in Gaza at the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Small Pro-Palestinian Protests Held Saturday During College Commencements

Graduate students walk out of commencement in protest against the war in Gaza at the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)
Graduate students walk out of commencement in protest against the war in Gaza at the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)

Small pro-Palestinian protests popped up sporadically Saturday as colleges and universities from North Carolina to California held commencement ceremonies, including dozens of graduating students at Virginia Commonwealth University who walked out on an address by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

While some of the estimated 100 students and family members who left during the Republican governor's speech showed support for Palestinians, others held signs signaling opposition to Youngkin's policies on education, according to WRIC-TV.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a small group of demonstrators staged what appeared to be a silent protest during commencement at Camp Randall Stadium. A photo posted by the Wisconsin State Journal showed about six people walking through the rear of the stadium, with two carrying a Palestinian flag.

Marc Lovicott, a spokesperson for campus police, said the group, which he believed were students because they were wearing caps and gowns, “was kind of guided out but they left on their own.” No arrests were made.

The demonstration came after pro-Palestinian protesters at the campus agreed Friday to permanently dismantle their two-week-old encampment and not disrupt graduation ceremonies in return for the opportunity to connect with “decision-makers” who control university investments by July 1. The university agreed to increase support for scholars and students affected by wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

At the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, pro-Palestinian demonstrators splattered red paint on the steps of a building hours ahead of the school’s commencement ceremony and chanted on campus while students wearing light blue graduation gowns posed for photos, the News & Observer reported.

At the University of Texas, Austin, a student held up a Palestinian flag during a commencement ceremony and refused to leave the stage briefly before being escorted away by security.

And at the University of California, Berkeley, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators began waving flags and chanting during commencement and were escorted to the back of the stadium, where they were joined by others, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. There were no major counterprotests, but some attendees voiced frustration.

“I feel like they’re ruining it for those of us who paid for tickets and came to show our pride for our graduates,” said Annie Ramos, whose daughter is a student. “There’s a time and a place, and this is not it.”

Saturday's events were less dramatic than what happened on other campuses Friday, when police made dozens of arrests as pro-Palestinian protest encampments were dismantled at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Those actions came hours after police tear-gassed demonstrators and took down a similar camp at the University of Arizona.

The Associated Press has recorded at least 75 instances since April 18 in which arrests were made at US campus protests. Nearly 2,900 people have been arrested at 57 colleges and universities. The figures are based on AP reporting and statements from schools and law enforcement agencies.

At Virginia Commonwealth University, Youngkin, who also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at Saturday's commencement, did not appear to address the students who left the event.

“The world needs your music,” Youngkin said during his speech. “You, all of you, will be the symphony. Make it a masterpiece.”

World

Ukrainian Shelling Kills 7 in Russian Apartment Block Collapse, Russia Says

A view shows damaged vehicles at the site of a recent military strike, what local authorities called a Ukrainian air attack, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in a location given as Belgorod, Russia, in this handout image released on May 11, 2024. (Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)
A view shows damaged vehicles at the site of a recent military strike, what local authorities called a Ukrainian air attack, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in a location given as Belgorod, Russia, in this handout image released on May 11, 2024. (Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)
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Ukrainian Shelling Kills 7 in Russian Apartment Block Collapse, Russia Says

A view shows damaged vehicles at the site of a recent military strike, what local authorities called a Ukrainian air attack, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in a location given as Belgorod, Russia, in this handout image released on May 11, 2024. (Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)
A view shows damaged vehicles at the site of a recent military strike, what local authorities called a Ukrainian air attack, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in a location given as Belgorod, Russia, in this handout image released on May 11, 2024. (Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)

At least seven people were killed and 15 injured when a whole section of a multi-storey apartment block collapsed after a Ukrainian missile strike in the Russian city of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, Russian officials said.

Footage from the scene posted by Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the region, showed at least 10 storeys of the building collapsing.

"The city of Belgorod and the Belgorod region were subjected to massive shelling by the armed forces of Ukraine," Gladkov said.

"As the result of a direct hit by a shell into an apartment building, the entire entrance from the tenth to the first floor collapsed."

Russia's Mash Telegram news channel said that at least seven people were killed and 15 injured. It was not immediately clear what weapons were used in the attack - or if they were supplied by the West.

A witness at the scene said that there were many ambulances and fire engines at the site.

"A whole section of a 10-storey building collapsed," the witness told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "I see several victims. Firefighters are sorting through the rubble."

The Russian defense ministry said on Sunday that its air defense forces had destroyed two Soviet-era conventional ballistic missiles launched overnight by Ukrainian forces over the Belgorod region.

Both Ukraine and Russia say they do not target civilians, although many civilians have been killed by both sides in the war. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine's armed forces.

About 14,000 people were killed there between 2014 and the end of 2021, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), including 3,106 civilians.

Russian forces earlier this month opened a new front in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, which neighbors Russia's Belgorod region which has come under repeated attack from Ukraine by drones, artillery and Ukrainian proxies.

President Vladimir Putin suggested in March that Moscow could try to establish a buffer zone inside Ukrainian territory due to the attacks on Belgorod.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield accounts from either side.

World

Indonesia Floods, Landslides Kill 28, Four Missing

People inspect an area affected by flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)
People inspect an area affected by flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)
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Indonesia Floods, Landslides Kill 28, Four Missing

People inspect an area affected by flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)
People inspect an area affected by flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP)

Heavy rain brought floods and landslides to Indonesia's province of West Sumatra, killing at least 28, with four still missing, authorities said on Sunday.

"There are 28 people killed, and we are still searching for four others who are missing," Abdul Malik, the chief of the provincial rescue team, told Reuters.

The national disaster management agency BNPB said in a statement that flooding since Saturday night had brought mud to the Tanah Datar regency, affecting five sub-districts.

BNPB said its latest assessment showed 84 housing units and 16 bridges were affected by the disaster, adding that heavy equipment had been deployed to speed up the clearing of road access.

World

Wildfire in Canada's British Columbia Forces Thousands to Evacuate. Winds Push Smoke into Alberta

Representation photo: A firefighter sprays water on smoke grenades during a disaster risk training exercise to effectively deal with wildfires, in Athens, Greece, April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Representation photo: A firefighter sprays water on smoke grenades during a disaster risk training exercise to effectively deal with wildfires, in Athens, Greece, April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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Wildfire in Canada's British Columbia Forces Thousands to Evacuate. Winds Push Smoke into Alberta

Representation photo: A firefighter sprays water on smoke grenades during a disaster risk training exercise to effectively deal with wildfires, in Athens, Greece, April 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Representation photo: A firefighter sprays water on smoke grenades during a disaster risk training exercise to effectively deal with wildfires, in Athens, Greece, April 4, 2024. (Reuters)

Canadian authorities are urging all remaining residents in the northeastern part of the province of British Columbia to leave immediately, despite improving weather conditions, after thousands have already been evacuated due to a fast-growing wildfire.
The blaze, which started Friday, almost doubled in size the following day, reaching about 17 square kilometers (4,200 acres). BC Wildfire Service maps showed the fire burning just a few kilometers (miles) west of Fort Nelson´s city limits, The Associated Press said.
Online footage shared by locals showed thick plumes of smoke rising high into the sky with houses in the foreground. In some photos, haze seemed to cover wide areas.
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation issued a joint statement warning people staying behind that "emergency medical services are not available, nor are groceries or other amenities."
The municipality mayor, Rob Fraser, said most of the 3,500 residents in and around Fort Nelson, B.C., have been evacuated, adding that police were going door to door to ensure everyone got out.
He said the Parker Lake fire is one of three major wildfires near Fort Nelson, located in the far northeastern corner of British Columbia, about 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from Vancouver.
Health authorities said Fort Nelson General Hospital has been safely evacuated and closed until further notice.
Resident Bud Streeper posted a video update from the area on Saturday, saying that the winds that had whipped the Parker Lake wildfire into exponential growth on Friday night diminished overnight, reducing fire activity around the town.
The high winds pushed smoke from the blaze into parts of neighboring Alberta on Saturday, putting the city of Edmonton under an air quality advisory with hazard levels rated at 10-plus - or "very high risk" - forecast.
Meteorologists are not anticipating rain and have advised people to stay indoors.
Authorities in Alberta also issued an alert about a wildfire nearly 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) southwest of the oil sands city of Fort McMurray that can impact visibility on highways in some areas. No evacuation order has been given so far.
In 2023, Canada witnessed a record number of wildfires that have also caused choking smoke in parts of the U and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate across British Columbia.

World

A Parliamentary Election Runoff Puts Hard-liners Firmly in Charge of Iran's Parliament

Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran March 3, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran March 3, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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A Parliamentary Election Runoff Puts Hard-liners Firmly in Charge of Iran's Parliament

Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran March 3, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iranians walk in a street in Tehran, Iran March 3, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iran's hard-liners won most of the remaining seats in an election run-off to give them full control over the country's parliament, authorities said Saturday, while not sharing any details on the turnout.
The result, and that of the previous vote in March, gives hard-liners 233 of the 290 seats in Iran's parliament, according to an Associated Press tally.
Hard-liners seek more cultural and social restrictions, they also express enmity toward the West, particularly the United States.
Those politicians calling for change in the country’s government, known broadly as reformists, were generally barred from running in the election. Those calling for radical reforms or for abandoning Iran’s theocratic system were also banned or didn’t bother to register as candidates.
Vote counting began after the ballots closed late Friday, with the election authority publishing the names of the winners the day after.
Interior minister Ahmad Vahidi said Saturday the election saw “good participation,” without elaborating.
“All elected people have had a relatively good and acceptable" number of votes, he said.
The result requires approval by a constitutional watchdog. It is expected next week. The new parliament will begin its job on May 27.
The parliament in Iran plays a secondary role in governing the country though it can intensify pressure on the administration when deciding on the annual budget and other important bills. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has the final say in all important state matters.
In March, a total of 25 million ballots were cast, for a turnout of just under 41%, the lowest since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

World

Afghanistan Floods Devastate Villages, Killing 315

An Afghan man carries his belongings as he walks through a mud covered street following a flash flood after a heavy rainfall in Laqiha village of Baghlan-i-Markazi district in Baghlan province on May 11, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
An Afghan man carries his belongings as he walks through a mud covered street following a flash flood after a heavy rainfall in Laqiha village of Baghlan-i-Markazi district in Baghlan province on May 11, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
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Afghanistan Floods Devastate Villages, Killing 315

An Afghan man carries his belongings as he walks through a mud covered street following a flash flood after a heavy rainfall in Laqiha village of Baghlan-i-Markazi district in Baghlan province on May 11, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
An Afghan man carries his belongings as he walks through a mud covered street following a flash flood after a heavy rainfall in Laqiha village of Baghlan-i-Markazi district in Baghlan province on May 11, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Flash floods caused by heavy rains have devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 people and injuring more than 1,600, authorities said on Sunday, as villagers buried their dead and aid agencies warned of widening havoc.
Thousands of homes were damaged and livestock wiped out, the Taliban-run refugee ministry said, while aid groups warned of damage to health care facilities and vital infrastructure, such as water supply, with streets left coated in mud, Reuters said.
In the Nahrin district of Baghlan province, people carried their shrouded dead to a gravesite.
"We have no food, no drinking water, no shelter, no blankets, nothing at all, floods have destroyed everything," said Muhammad Yahqoob, who has lost 13 members of his family, children among them.
The survivors were struggling to cope, he added.
"Out of 42 houses, only two or three remain, it has destroyed the entire valley."
In a statement, the Taliban's economy minister, Din Mohammad Hanif, urged the United Nations, humanitarian agencies and private business to provide support for those hit by the floods.
"Lives and livelihoods have been washed away," said Arshad Malik, the Afghanistan director for Save the Children. "The flash floods tore through villages, sweeping away homes and killing livestock."
He estimated that 310,000 children lived in the worst-hit districts, adding, "Children have lost everything."
The refugee ministry said Sunday's latest tally of dead and injured came from its Baghlan provincial office, according to a post on X. Earlier, the interior ministry had put the toll from Friday's floods at 153, but warned it could rise.
Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters and the United Nations considers it one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.
It has battled a shortfall in aid after the Taliban took over as foreign forces withdrew in 2021, since development aid that formed the backbone of government finances was cut.
That has worsened in subsequent years as foreign governments grapple with competing global crises and growing condemnation of the Taliban's curbs on Afghan women.
 

World

Mali National Dialogue Recommends Longer Military Rule

A major part of the opposition boycotted the dialogue, accusing the army officers of exploiting it to stay in power. - AFP
A major part of the opposition boycotted the dialogue, accusing the army officers of exploiting it to stay in power. - AFP
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Mali National Dialogue Recommends Longer Military Rule

A major part of the opposition boycotted the dialogue, accusing the army officers of exploiting it to stay in power. - AFP
A major part of the opposition boycotted the dialogue, accusing the army officers of exploiting it to stay in power. - AFP

Hundreds of participants in a Malian national dialogue mainly boycotted by the opposition recommended that military rulers, who took power in 2020, keep power for several more years.

They also said that when elections were eventually held junta chief Colonel Assimi Goita should be a candidate for the presidency, according to a statement read on state television, AFP reported.

The rapporteur of the steering committee for the consultations, Boubacar Sow, said they had recommended extending the transition "from two to five years".

They also recommended promoting "the candidacy of Colonel Assimi Goita in the next presidential election", he added.

That implies the colonels would stay in power for three more years from the end of March 2024 until 2027.

The dialogue also recommended "opening doctrinal dialogue with the so-called jihadist armed groups", said Sow.

A major part of the opposition boycotted the dialogue, accusing the army officers of exploiting it to stay in power.

The West African nation has been ruled by juntas since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, with the military promising to hand over power through the ballot box in February.

But they have postponed elections indefinitely, citing a precarious security situation aggravated by jihadist attacks.

In April, military authorities suspended all party political activities after muzzling opponents, journalists and human rights activists.

Goita has insisted the dialogue had been "entirely inclusive" in line with his wish for all Malians to "take part and express themselves freely".

World

Russia Claims Gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv Region

Russian drone attacks started blazes in Kharkiv - AFP
Russian drone attacks started blazes in Kharkiv - AFP
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Russia Claims Gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv Region

Russian drone attacks started blazes in Kharkiv - AFP
Russian drone attacks started blazes in Kharkiv - AFP

Russia on Saturday said it had captured five villages in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region during a surprise ground offensive that prompted mass evacuations, as President Volodymyr Zelensky made an urgent call for military aid.

Moscow's defense ministry said its troops had "liberated" five villages in Ukraine's Kharkiv region near the Russian border -- Borysivka, Ogirtseve, Pletenivka, Pylna and Strilecha -- as well as taking one village in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine's defense ministry said Friday Russia had launched a surprise attack on the Kharkiv region, making small advances into a border zone from where it had been pushed back nearly two years ago. Later Saturday, Ukraine's military command said that Russia's ground troops had had air support.

Zelensky said in his nightly address on Saturday that Ukrainian troops had been carrying out counterattacks in border villages in Kharkiv region.

"Disrupting Russian offensive plans is now our number one task," he said, AFP reported.

There has been "heavy fighting" in the border area and 1,775 people have been evacuated, Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on social media earlier Saturday.

Also Saturday, a missile strike killed three people when it hit a restaurant called Paradise in the Russian-held city of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.

The attack using US HIMARS precision rocket launchers killed two diners and a restaurant worker and wounded nine, officials from the Russian-backed administration said.

Officials in Kyiv had warned for weeks that Moscow might try to attack its northeastern border regions, pressing its advantage as Ukraine struggles with delays in Western aid and manpower shortages.

Military expert Olivier Kempf told AFP Saturday that Russia's ground operation was most likely aimed at creating a buffer zone near its Belgorod region, recently raided by pro-Ukrainian units, or diverting Ukraine's resources from the Donetsk region.

"Twenty-four hours after the launch of the operations, it doesn't look like a big offensive," said the associate fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research, a French think tank.

Washington announced a new $400 million military aid package for Kyiv hours after the offensive began, and said it was confident Ukraine could repel any fresh Russian campaign.

World

In Nigeria, Prince Harry Speaks of 'Brave Souls' Losing Lives in Conflict

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
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In Nigeria, Prince Harry Speaks of 'Brave Souls' Losing Lives in Conflict

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye

Prince Harry spoke in Nigeria on Saturday of the tragic loss of the "brave souls" in the country's military who had lost their lives in conflicts, and said he felt "goosebumps" after seeing plans for a new center to rehabilitate injured troops, Reuters reported.
Nigerian forces are fighting militants in the northeast of the country and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest.
Harry, the 39-year-old Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan arrived in Africa's most populous nation on Friday in a trip linked to the Invictus Games, an international sporting event that the Duke of Sussex started a decade ago for troops injured in action.
Nigeria first participated in the Games in 2023.
At a reception for military families in Abuja, Harry said he had on Friday met 50 wounded soldiers during a trip to northern Kaduna and could see that the injuries were defining their lives, but there were some who had smiles on their faces.
"What this proved to me, what this reminds me of, is the power of seeing what is possible post injury," said Harry, adding that "seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps."
Harry, the youngest son of King Charles, lives in the United States with Meghan and their two children after he gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020. He served as a military helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.
Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, brought wide smiles and claps from Meghan when she exclaimed: "Princess Meghan is a Nigerian."
She was referring to a podcast in which Meghan said she had Nigerian heritage.
Harry earlier played in a volleyball match as an animated Meghan clapped every point for both teams and broadly smiled and cheered when Harry's first point was notched up.