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Nine genocides around the world

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This photo taken on September 16, 2022, shows a tourist taking picture of skulls of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Choeung Ek killing fields memorial in Phnom Penh. (Photo by TANG CHHIN Sothy / AFP)

The UN-backed court set up to try Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge leaders over the country’s genocidal 1970s regime issued its last verdict on Thursday, when it upheld the genocide conviction of the regime’s last leader.

Here is a summary of other genocides recognised by the international community and courts or individual states:

Namibia: first genocide

Germany in 2021 acknowledged it had committed genocide in colonial-era Namibia in southwest Africa.

German settlers killed tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908, a massacre historians called the 20th century’s first genocide.

Armenia

Armenia says Ottoman Turk forces killed up to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1917, during World War I.

It has long sought international recognition of this as genocide, backed by around 30 countries.

The charge is vehemently rejected by Turkey, which admits nonetheless that up to 500,000 Armenians were killed in fighting, massacres or by starvation during mass deportations from eastern Anatolia.

Cambodia

During a four-year reign of terror by the Maoist Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979, some two million people died from starvation, mass executions and overwork.

In 2018, a UN-sponsored tribunal in Cambodia convicted the two top surviving leaders of the regime, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, of genocide.

Nuon Chea has since died and 91-year-old Samphan appealed but on Thursday the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) upheld his conviction.

The ruling will be the last given by the tribunal, winding up a 16-year-process dogged by criticisms for costliness, slowness, and bringing limited solace to survivors.

Rwanda

The Rwandan genocide began in early April 1994, shortly after the ethnic Hutu president was killed when his plane was shot down in an attack blamed by the government on Tutsi rebels.

At least 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis and some moderate Hutus, were slaughtered over the following 100 days, according to the United Nations.

The UN set up the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the Tanzanian city of Arusha. It issued the world’s first genocide conviction in 1998.

Since then, courts in the United States, Canada and several European countries have also convicted Rwandan fugitives over their role in the bloodshed.

Srebrenica

The 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces was recognised as a genocide by the International Court of Justice, the UN’s top legal body, in 2007.

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and military chief Ratko Mladic were handed life sentences for genocide by a special UN court.

Sudan

In 2021, Sudan said it planned to hand over to the International Criminal Court ex-president Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for genocide over fighting that erupted in the western Darfur region in 2003.

The UN estimates that the Darfur conflict left 300,000 people dead.

Yazidis in Iraq

Islamic State jihadists in 2014 carried out a massacre of Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking community in northwestern Iraq.

In 2021, a German court convicted an Iraqi jihadist of “genocide”.

The parliaments of several Western states have also termed the crimes “genocide”.

Rohingya in Myanmar

Around one million members of Myanmar’s mostly Muslim Rohingya community fled the Buddhist-majority country for Bangladesh since August 2017, amid reports of rape, murder and arson.

Myanmar has been accused of “genocide” by The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The International Criminal Court has also opened a probe, and in March the US declared the violence against the Rohingya constituted genocide.

Uyghurs in China

Lawmakers in several western countries have denounced a “genocide” by China of the Uyghur minority in western Xinjiang province.

Rights groups say at least one million people from mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in “re-education camps” in Xinjiang.

A UN report earlier this month said the abuses could constitute “crimes against humanity” but avoided the term genocide.

China has denied any wrondoing, saying it is running vocational training centres to counter extremism.

 

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Oyo South APC Candidate, Oseni, Takes Delivery of 20 New Transformers for Distribution

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Oseni, has taken delivery of 20 additional transformers for distribution to communities across the district as part of efforts to address electricity challenges and strengthen local infrastructure.

The latest consignment is expected to provide relief to communities grappling with inadequate power supply, particularly households, traders, artisans and small-scale business owners whose economic activities are often hampered by unreliable electricity.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Saturday, Oseni, who currently represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), described electricity as a critical driver of economic growth, community development and improved living standards.

He said the intervention was informed by the need to respond to the everyday challenges confronting residents, noting that access to reliable electricity remained essential to both domestic and commercial activities.

“We recognise the difficulties our people face as a result of inadequate electricity supply. For traders, artisans, small business owners and families, reliable power is not a luxury but an important part of their daily lives. The arrival of these 20 additional transformers is another practical step towards responding to those concerns and supporting our communities,” he said.

The lawmaker explained that the transformers would be distributed to identified communities based on their electricity needs, adding that care would be taken to ensure the equipment served its intended purpose and delivered tangible benefits to residents.

He further stressed that effective representation should go beyond political promises and public pronouncements, noting that elected leaders must demonstrate their commitment through practical interventions that address the needs of their constituents.

“Our people deserve more than promises. They deserve leadership that pays attention to their challenges and is committed to finding practical ways to address them. We will continue to support initiatives that improve living conditions, strengthen local businesses and bring development closer to our communities,” he added.

The latest delivery adds to Oseni’s infrastructure support efforts across Oyo South, with electricity supply remaining a major concern for many communities in the senatorial district.

The intervention is also expected to complement his earlier efforts to improve electricity distribution and service delivery across the affected communities.

Oseni reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of residents and promoting sustainable development across Oyo South.

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‎Oseni Hails Folarin’s Political Experience, Contributions at 63

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‎The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, on his 63rd birthday, acknowledging his years of political experience and contributions to public service.

Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, conveyed his felicitations in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, on Friday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He described Folarin’s birthday as an occasion to reflect on a career marked by years of involvement in legislative affairs and the political development of Oyo State and Nigeria.

‎The federal lawmaker noted that Folarin had established himself as a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape, having served in different legislative and political capacities, particularly as Senate Leader.

He said the former Senate leader’s experience in the legislature had given him valuable insight into governance, public service and the responsibilities of political leadership.

The APC chieftain added that Oyo State needed the collective wisdom and contributions of its political leaders, irrespective of their political affiliations, to sustain peace, stability and development.

He said, “Senator Teslim Folarin is a man whose years in public service have given him considerable experience in the political and legislative affairs of our country. His contributions to Oyo State and his commitment to public life are worthy of acknowledgement.

“On this special occasion, I celebrate him and wish him many more years of good health, wisdom and fulfilment.”

Oseni further wished the former Senate Leader renewed strength and greater opportunities to contribute to the development of his community, Oyo State and the country.

‎He also prayed for God’s continued protection, sound health and guidance for Folarin, expressing hope that his new year would bring him peace, happiness and greater accomplishments.

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Oyo South: Oseni releases N110m for ICT, water, solar streetlights in Ibarapa East

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The Oyo South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has released N110m for youth digital training, boreholes and solar-powered streetlights across the 10 wards of Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to a statement by the lawmaker’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, the intervention comprises N10m for equipping the Eruwa Youth Movement (EYM) Secretariat’s Information and Communication Technology Centre (ICT) and N100m for the provision of boreholes and solar-powered streetlights in Eruwa, Lanlate and other communities across the local government.

Oseni, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the ICT centre allocation was intended to provide modern equipment to strengthen digital training and equip young people with practical skills relevant to employment and entrepreneurship.

He said the investment was driven by the need to prepare young people for the demands of an increasingly technology-driven economy.

“Our young people have talents and ambitions, but they need access to the right tools and opportunities. Equipping the Eruwa Youth Movement (EYM) ICT Centre is a practical step towards helping them develop useful skills, become more self-reliant and compete for opportunities in the digital economy,” he was quoted as saying.

The lawmaker explained that the larger allocation of N100m would support the provision of boreholes and solar-powered streetlights across the 10 wards of Ibarapa East.

He said the boreholes would improve access to water for households, while the streetlights would enhance security, improve visibility and make community roads and public spaces safer after dark.

Idowu said the latest intervention was in addition to the lawmaker’s earlier constituency development efforts in Ido and Ibarapa East local government areas, particularly in basic infrastructure and youth development.

He added that distributing the projects across the 10 wards was aimed at ensuring that communities across the local government benefited from the intervention.

“Our responsibility is to support projects that respond to the real needs of our people. Access to water, safer public spaces and opportunities for our young people are important to the well-being of our communities,” Oseni was further quoted as saying.

The APC senatorial candidate reaffirmed his commitment to effective representation and sustained grassroots engagement, assuring residents that he would continue to support initiatives addressing the needs of communities across the district.

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