UN concerned about situation in Suriname following violent protests

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

United Nations Secretary General Ant?nio Guterres says he is “concerned” about the violent protests that occurred in Suriname last Friday where more than 100 people were detained after protesters stormed the National Assembly and looted businesses.

Several persons were injured in the protests.

“The Secretary-General stresses that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights that must be respected at all times, but protests must be carried out without resorting to violence,” according to a brief statement issued by St?phane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

“The Secretary-General urges all relevant actors in Suriname to show restraint and engage in inclusive dialogue to address constructively the challenges facing the country,” the statement added.

Over the weekend, the United States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) condemned the attack on Suriname’s parliament with Washington saying while it supports the right to peaceful protest and respect for the rule of law, it “remains committed to helping Suriname strengthen its democratic institutions”.

In a statement issued following its 44th summit in the Bahamas, CARICOM said it reaffirms its support for the democratically-elected government in the Dutch-speaking CARICOM country under the leadership of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and “strongly condemned the violent attacks on people as well as private and public facilities including the parliament.

“CARICOM stands in solidarity with all law-abiding citizens of Suriname and urges all concerned to make every effort to maintain public safety. All efforts must be made to restore calm as a matter of urgency.”

Santokhi warned that his government would not tolerate any indiscipline after police used teargas to disperse the demonstrators who gathered outside the Parliament building demanding his administration reverse its policies that have led to the removal of subsidies on a number of items, including fuel.

Justice and Police Minister, Kenneth Amoksi, told a news conference on Sunday night that more than 140 people had been arrested for their involvement in the vandalism and looting that occurred last Friday.

He told reporters that the authorities would continue their search for the organisers of the protests as the authorities detained Stephano ‘Pakittow’ Biervliet, the political activist who was among the main organisers.

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One year of war against Ukraine: acting together to ensure international law will prevail

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Caribbean News Service

By Josep Borrell – EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

February 24, 2022 will forever be recalled as the day when Russia started its brutal, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. This was and remains a case of pure aggression and a clear-cut breach of the UN Charter.

This war is neither ‘just a European issue’, nor is it about the ‘West versus the rest’. It is about the kind of world we all want to live in: no one is safe in a world where the illegal use of force – by a nuclear power and permanent member of the Security Council – would somehow be ‘normalised’. That is why international law must be enforced everywhere to protect everyone from power politics, blackmail and military attack.

One year on, there is a risk that people become inured to the images of war crimes and atrocities that they see – because there are so many; that the words we use start to lose their significance – because we have to repeat them so often; that we get tired and weaken our resolve – because time is passing and the task at hand is hard.

This we cannot do. Because every day, Russia keeps violating the UN charter, creating a dangerous precedent for the whole world with its imperialist policy. Every day, Russia keeps killing innocent Ukrainian women, men and children, raining down its missiles on cities and civilian infrastructure. Every day, Russia keeps spreading lies and fabrications.

For the European Union and our partners, there is no alternative to staying the course of our ‘triple strategy’: supporting Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia to stop its illegal aggression and helping the rest of the world cope with the fallout.

This is what we have been doing for one year now – and successfully so. We have adopted unprecedented sanctions; cut our dependency on Russian fossil fuels; and in close collaboration with key partners reduced by 50% the energy revenues the Kremlin gets to finance its aggression. Working together, we have also mitigated the global ripple effects with food and energy prices declining, partly thanks to our Solidarity Lanes and to the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

It is not enough to say that we want Ukraine to be able to defend itself – it needs the means to do so. So, for the first time ever, the EU has supplied weapons to a country under attack. Indeed, the EU is now the leading provider of military training for Ukrainian personnel so they can defend their country. We are also offering significant macro-financial and humanitarian aid to support the Ukrainian people. And we have decided to respond positively to Ukraine’s request to join the EU. Finally, we are working to ensure accountability for the war crimes that Russia has committed.

Ukraine has shown its remarkable resilience, partly thanks to this support. And Russia has grown more isolated, thanks to global sanctions and the international condemnation by the overwhelming majority of states in the UN General Assembly. Our collective goal is and remains a democratic Ukraine that prevails; pushing out the invader, restoring its full sovereignty and, with that, restoring international legality.

Above all, we want peace in Ukraine, a comprehensive and lasting peace that is in line with the UN Charter and international law. Supporting Ukraine and working for peace go hand in hand

Russia’s actions are a frontal attack on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and international law. If Russia were to succeed, the repercussions would spread globally, as this aggression is indeed a textbook example of an imperialist mindset. The support of Caribbean countries at the UN and elsewhere is, therefore, crucial.

We need to be clear that Russian actions are responsible for the economic shockwaves being experienced. The EU is working with the region to address economic needs and we have increased our funding, including for the most-affected countries in the Caribbean.

The Russian invasion has underlined the need for both Europe and the Caribbean to avoid excessive dependencies. We have common interests in forging a modern partnership to build more resilient and inclusive economies, to protect our democracies and to strengthen social cohesion. We need to deliver practical progress in our ambitious agenda for cooperation ahead of the EU-CELAC Summit later this year.

History and justice are on the side of Ukraine. But to accelerate history and to achieve justice, we need to amplify our ‘triple strategy’. We know this is a collective task. That is why the EU is counting on all its partners, to act in a spirit of joint responsibility and solidarity: to ensure that aggression fails and international law prevails.

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Dipsey Rapper Cam’ron Thank Fans While Mourning Late Mother

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Rapper Cam’ron shared with the hip-hop community that his mother, Fredericka Giles, passed away.

Giles was 67 at the time but appeared to have been hospitalized due to illness. Cam’ron hinted in a lengthy post honoring his mother and expressing shock at her untimely passing. On Saturday (February 18), the rapper shared that he was speechless with grief at losing his mother, who fought for good health since 2007 when she experienced a stroke at an early age.

“In 2007 my mom had a stroke leaving her partially paralyzed on her left side and a speech impediment, but if you followed her or was her friend on social media you would never know any of that,” Cam’ron wrote. “She was witty, funny, intelligent, sarcastic and outspoken,” the rapper said in the lengthy post.

“People would say ‘cam I know you’re writing ya moms captions’ and I wasn’t. I would see my moms captions and say ‘where are you learning this?’ (Lingo) she’s [sic] tell me “be easy lil homie’ lol. So I’m so sad to inform you guys of her passing,” he reminisced.

Cam’ron shared that his mother’s nickname was Virgie, and she was well-known, where she had a community of people that supported her. The rapper said he had not wanted to speak on her death but wanted to inform her community.

“I wasn’t going to share this because I’m in a lot of pain and Didn’t think it was anyones business,” the Dipset rapper. “But thinking about it, I really wanted to thank you all for making my moms days and nights for the last decade or so. Social media was her go-to for, entertainment, news, general gossip etc. She would send me anything she thought I should know, about me or not, good or bad.”

“She also had friends on here she fight me about,” Cam added about his mom’s presence on social media. “If I had a show anywhere (Boston, cali, texas etc) and she’d say ‘yo my friend is gonna be at the show get him/her in!’ And I’d say ‘mom you don’t know these people’ she’d say ‘yes I do that’s my friend’ (me) ‘you never even met them’ (her) ‘I SAID GET THEM IN!!!’ Lol and I would.”

The Dipset rapper’s mother is also well-known to fans after making a guest appearance on the song “Me, My Moms & Jimmy” on her son’s album, ‘Confessions Of Fire’ released in 1998.

Cam’ron shared that his mother was hospitalized the past week as he recollected their conversations about her missing his birthday post and them spending her last moments together.

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Rotimi In Jamaica For First Time For ‘Lovers & Friends’ With Mya & Bobby V

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Urban Islandz

Rotimi and Mya have arrived in Jamaica as he prepares for the post-Valentine’s Day concert ‘Lovers and Friends’ event to be held on February 18 at Priory, St. Ann.

Rotimi arrived on Friday through the Sangster International airport, and he shared that he was excited to be in Jamaica after hearing good things about the country for a while now. This is the first time that the singer/actor is setting foot on Jamaican soil.

“I’m so mad at myself for not being here sooner you know cause this would be my first time,” he says before adding, “I heard it’s amazing and the fact that Bob Marley is my favourite artist ever, it’s embarrassing this is my first time.”

The artist said that he was advised to try everything before leaving. “The food, I need to see everything, I’ve been told to see everything that I can,” he said.

The concert will feature a list of celebrities, including American artist Mya and R&B giant Bobby V, while a raft of local acts will complement the night of love.

These artists include Chris Martin, Sizzla, Alaine, J Written, and British Geeza, and hosted by Mc Blazze with Kurt Riley and ZJ Sparks juggling.

Mya also arrived on Friday at Sangster airport, where she was spotted meeting and greeting fans.

The artist revealed that she was happy to be visiting Jamaica, especially as she was celebrating a career milestone- the 25th anniversary of her first single being released. That song, “It’s All About Me,” was released on February 14, 1998.

The artist who previously collaborated with Beenie Man on “Girls Dem Sugar” said she felt “right at home” in Jamaica. She also shared that fans can expect her to perform as well as dance during her set, and she will be bringing slow jams for the lovers in the audience.

The event is being hosted by Good Vibrations Entertainment. Tickets for the event are VIP $20,000 and general admission $10,000.

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