Global Briefs: Genocide returns to Darfur?

Sudan

A paramilitary group operating in the country committed ethnic cleansing and possible genocide, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch on May 9. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed thousands of the Massalit people of El Geneina, a city in West Darfur, last year, according to the report. The alleged massacre came after a civil war broke out in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces. “Sudanese Red Crescent staff said that on June 13, they counted 2,000 bodies on the streets of El Geneina and then, overwhelmed by the numbers, stopped counting,” the report said. It called for “urgent action” from governments and international institutions. The International Criminal Court is investigating. —Emma Freire

Saudi Arabia

Authorities in the Gulf state are using lethal force to clear the way for a futuristic desert city, according to a former Saudi intelligence officer. In a BBC report released May 8, Col. Rabih Alenezi revealed that authorities shot Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, a member of the Huwaitat tribe, in 2020 after he denied the land registry committee access to his property. Authorities also arrested at least 47 other tribe members for resisting eviction, prosecuting several on terrorism charges. Most remain in detention, and five are currently on death row. Saudi authorities have bulldozed many villages to make way for “The Line,” an eco-friendly, car-free city planners say will be just over 600 feet wide and 106 miles long. The government project is the brainchild of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It has displaced around 6,000 people so far and hit repeated construction delays. —Elizabeth Russell

France

On May 1, President Emmanuel Macron gave his administration one month to examine a study of children’s screen use and translate its recommendations into law. The study found a “very clear consensus on the negative effects of screens” and urged regulators to ban screen exposure for children under age 3, prohibit smartphones under age 11, and allow smartphones with internet access only after 13. While noting certain benefits of technology, the study cited pervasive problems for children: sleep disruption, sedentary behavior, and the negative effects of social media. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal quickly called out the ubiquitous use of screens in schools, causing some to wonder if France will follow Sweden’s decision last year to return to paper textbooks. —Jenny Lind Schmitt

Costa Rica

The country’s electricity department ordered nationwide power cuts starting May 13 as drought continues to rage throughout Latin America. According to officials, this marks the worst drought in 50 years and the first time the nation has been forced to ration its energy supplies. The restrictions imposed by the government will directly hinder Costa Rica’s transportation system. Traffic lights dependent on electricity are expected to stop working for at least a week until the nation’s water reserves return to normal levels. More than 70 percent of Costa Rica depends on hydroelectric plants to generate power. It is one of the countries most affected by the El Niño weather pattern. —Carlos Páez

Hong Kong

The city’s Court of Appeal on May 8 granted the government’s request to ban the protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong.” It overturned a lower court ruling that rejected the ban because of its possible chilling effect on free speech. An anonymous composer wrote the song amid the city’s 2019 pro-democracy protests. According to the appeals court, the composer intended it to be a “weapon” to stoke anti-government sentiment. China’s Foreign Ministry called the ban ­necessary for national security. Days after the ruling, YouTube complied with a government request to block the song for Hong Kong users. —Erica Kwong

Fiji

The country’s high court sentenced its former prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, to one year in prison. The May 9 ruling overturned a lower court’s decision not to sentence Bainimarama and the former police commissioner for covering up an investigation into financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific. Bainimarama, then a military commander, seized control of Fiji in 2006 following a bloodless coup. He won democratic elections in 2014 and 2018. He narrowly lost in 2022 to current prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who led his own coup in 1987. Bainimarama was suspended from Parliament last year for criticizing the new government. He resigned as opposition leader in March 2023, and the government charged him the next day with abuse of office. —Amy Lewis