World Tour: King Charles visits Kenya

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

AUDIO: [Military parade]

King Charles III - Kenya — We start today in Kenya at the formal welcome ceremony for King Charles the Third and Queen Camilla.

The visit marks the British monarch’s first trip to Africa and to the Commonwealth of Nations since he ascended the throne last year.

The two countries’ shared colonial past has taken center stage during the visit. Kenya will mark six decades of independence from British rule in December.

The royal couple visited some memorial sites, including the Tomb of Unknown Warriors and the site of the declaration of independence.

But some Kenyan rights activists have asked the king to issue a formal apology for colonial actions.

Davis Malombe is the deputy executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission.

MALOMBE: They should apologize now because an apology is actually a public acknowledgment and affirmation that a wrong happened.

King Charles will also visit a national park to see the conservation efforts of the Kenya Wildlife Service.

AUDIO: [Protesters chanting]

Panama protests — In Panama, thousands of singing and chanting protesters have continued to march across the streets of the capital city.

The protests began more than a week ago over Panama’s copper mining contract with First Quantum Minerals, a Canadian-based company.

In late October, Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo signed off on a contract extending the mining operations of First Quantum’s local subsidiary by another 20 years.

AUDIO: [Protest]

Protesters accuse officials of rushing through the deal they say will threaten forested land and crucial groundwater.

Authorities have argued the deal over the largest copper mine in Central America marks Panama’s largest private investment ever, totaling $375 million a year.

WOMAN: [Speaking Spanish]

This lawyer and activist says the protesters want the contract abolished and declared unconstitutional.

The protests caused roadblocks and left shelves inside Panama City’s main wholesale market mostly empty.

President Cortizo announced a ban on new mining concessions, but it did little to quell the protests.

AUDIO: [Speaking Spanish]

He says here he will ask the Electoral Tribunal to call for a December referendum on whether or not to repeal the contract.

AUDIO: [Protest]

Spain protests — In Spain, tens of thousands of people are protesting a plan to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists.

The Sunday march in Madrid came after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez backed an amnesty deal for those involved in the 2017 failed independence push in the autonomous Catalonia region.

Sánchez needs the support of two Catalan parties to form a new government … after a national election this past July.

Santiago Abascal leads the far-right Vox party.

ABASCAL: [Speaking Spanish]

He says here that Sánchez threatens the unity and equality of Spanish citizens.

Sánchez has until November 27 to form a new government. Spain will face new elections if he fails to reach a deal.

AUDIO: [Centenary concert]

Turkey centenary — We close today with centenary celebrations in Turkey. Tens of thousands of concertgoers waved flags, sang, and watched a fireworks display on Sunday evening.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laid a customary wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ataturk proclaimed the Turkish Republic on Oct. 29, 1923 after leading a war for independence from occupying forces.

AUDIO: [Parade]

Erdogan also attended a military parade. But the celebrations did not include a state reception or planned television coverage.

Erdogan pointed to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. During his speech, he said Turkey has continued to help the people of Gaza. He pointed to a Saturday pro-Palestinian rally he said drew one-and-a-half million people, although other accounts reported hundreds of thousands of participants.

That’s it for today’s WORLD Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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