World Tour - Starvation in Tigray

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

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: People starving to death in Tigray—We start today here in Africa.

The United States is threatening to impose sanctions on Ethiopian officials if they don’t resolve the conflict in Tigray soon. Linda Thomas-Greenfield is the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

THOMAS-GREENFIELD: If the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front take meaningful steps to enter into talks without preconditions and allow unhindered humanitarian assistance, the United States is prepared to mobilize assistance for Ethiopia to recover and revitalize its economy and build a future for its people. Otherwise, we will impose targeted sanctions against a range of responsible individuals and entities.

On Monday, the Associated Press reported that aid groups have logged the first deaths from starvation in the region. The United Nations has warned for months that Tigray was suffering from the world’s worst hunger crisis in a decade. It blamed the Ethiopian government for creating the famine with “a de facto humanitarian aid blockade” imposed in June.

The war in Tigray began in November as a political dispute between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigrayans who had long dominated Ethiopia’s government. Tigrayan fighters retook control of the area in June. Ethiopia declared a ceasefire but sealed off the region, preventing any aid from getting in.

‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero convicted of terrorism—Next we go to Rwanda.

AUDIO: [Man speaking Kinyarwanda]

Paul Rusesabagina, best known as the hero of Hotel Rwanda, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges Monday.

He was convicted of forming a rebel group blamed for deadly attacks in the country in 2018 and 2019. But his family called the trial a politically motivated attempt to silence him.

AUDIO: [Woman speaking French]

His daughter, Carine Kanimba, said the family intended to appeal to the international community to put pressure on Rwanda over human rights abuses.

Rusesabagina rose to international fame after he was credited with saving 1,200 people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide by hiding them in the hotel he managed. Since then, he has been a vocal critic of Rwandan leader Paul Kagame.

Rusesabagina is a Belgian citizen and holds a U.S. green card. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. U.S. and European officials have voiced concern over his arrest and trial.

Volcano destroys homes in Canary Islands—Next we go north, to the Canary Islands.

AUDIO: [Sound of flames, crackling]

A volcano erupted Sunday in the Spanish territory, belching thick black smoke and lava. The eruption destroyed about 100 homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate.

AUDIO: [Woman speaking Spanish]

These residents said they lost everything, just like many of their friends. Thankfully, officials reported no deaths after the eruption.

It was the first volcanic activity on the island in 50 years.

Putin’s party sweeps Russian election—And finally, we end today in Russia.

AUDIO: [People chanting in Russian]

Several hundred protesters gathered in Moscow Monday to denounce election results. President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party claimed a two-thirds majority in the lower house State Duma even though pre-election polls showed its popularity at a historic low.

Election officials said about 51 percent of voters participated in the election.

Allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny called the results “truly unbelievable.”

That’s this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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