AFRICA/ CARRIBEAN NEWS
SOUTH AFRICAN FIRST LADY VISITS SHAW
UNIVERSITY; RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE
U.S. SKEPTICAL ON NIGERIA'S CLAIM OF
LOCATING KIDNAPPED SCHOOLGIRLS
NIGERIA - The United States has expressed skepticism that more than 200 schoolgirls held by
Boko Haram militants had been located by the military, stating that it had no "independent
information" on the matter.
The military had said on May
26th that it had located the
missing teenagers, kidnapped
mid-April by the armed
militant group. According
to AFP report, US State
Department Spokeswoman,
Jen Psaki, told journalists that
there was no "independent
information from the United
States to support these
reports." Asked whether she
found it "smart" of Nigerian
officials to announce they had
found the girls -- in the event that they had been located -- Psaki responded that "for the girls'
safety and wellbeing, we certainly would not discuss publicly this sort of information." With 80 US
military personnel sent to neighboring Chad for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance,
the United States is the biggest foreign participant in the effort against Boko Haram.
Washington has also deployed surveillance drones, spy planes and about 30 civilian and
military specialists to support Nigeria's security forces.
U.S. UNVEILS NEW VISA RENEWAL PROCESS
RALEIGH, NC – South African First Lady Madame Gloria Bongi Ngema Zuma was greeted
by a group of Shaw University staff and international students as she arrived in Raleigh, NC on
May 8th. During her time in Raleigh, Madame Zuma visited a diabetes center, addressed the Shaw
University Board of Trustees, delivered the University’s commencement address and received an
honorary doctorate.
While at the Duke Raleigh Hospital Lifestyle and Disease Management Center, Madame
Zuma met with Dr. Stephen Robinson, Center Director Andrea Layton and Registered Nurse Mary
Beth Gallo to discuss how the Center assists patients with diabetes management by providing
support, nutritional information and exercise programs. Madame Zuma shared with the group
the work of the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation, and organization she founded in 2010, and what
the organization has done to assist South Africans living with diabetes. The Foundation has taken
a leading role in increasing awareness of the condition among South Africans and providing
educational campaigns on how to manage diabetes with proper exercise and eating habits.
During her meeting with the Shaw University Board of Trustees, Madame Zuma brought
greetings on behalf of the Republic of South Africa and expressed a desire to partner with
universities such as Shaw to increase healthcare knowledge in South Africa. At the conclusion of
her remarks, Madame Zuma presented African artwork as a gift to the University.
After the trustees meeting, Madame gave an interview with the University’s WSHA-FM radio
station. During the interview, Madame Zuma discussed her work with increasing healthcare
knowledge and education in South Africa; empowering South African women; and the work of the
Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation.
On Saturday, May 10th, Madame Zuma received an honorary Doctorate of Humane
Letters from Shaw during the University’s commencement ceremony. She received the degree
for her “service to South Africa and the global population especially in the field of healthcare.”
Additionally, she was heralded as a “healthcare trailblazer, visionary and global leader.”
Following the recognition, Madame Zuma delivered a passionate commencement speech
to more than 300 graduates of the University. During her remarks, she discussed the importance
of increasing healthcare access to not only South Africans, but to all Africans, particularly in the
area of diabetes. Madame Zuma cited the pandemic numbers of South Africans currently living
with diabetes and encouraged the graduates to use their education to solve healthcare issues
worldwide.
NIGERIA - The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has announced
a new visa renewal process, tagged Expanded DHL
Drop Box Visa programme. It will take effect from
June 2, 2014. This program allows certain visa
applicants who have previously been issued U.S. visas
to renew their visas without attending an interview.
The program now covers B1/B2 visas that have
expired not more than two years prior to re-issuance
and F, L and H visas that have expired not more than
one year prior to re-issuance. Applicants should visit
the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria's website for information on the needed criteria for renewals.
WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR APOSTASY
GIVES BIRTH
KHARTOUM - A 27-year-old Christian Sudanese woman
sentenced to death for her religious views has given birth to
a baby girl in prison. Meriam Yehya Ibrahim's husband and
legal team have reportedly been denied access to the new
mum, who gave birth in May at Omdurman Women's Prison,
where she is being held in custody with her 20-month-old
son. Amnesty International said it had no information on her
condition as yet.
Ibrahim was convicted of apostasy (renunciation of a
religion) and adultery on May 11th, with a Khartoum court
sentencing her to death by hanging at a hearing four days
later after she refused to recant her faith and return to Islam.
She was also sentenced to 100 lashes for committing adultery as her 2012 marriage to husband
Daniel Wani - a South Sudanese-born Christian man - is considered invalid under Sudan's Islamic
Shari'a law. It's expected that Ibrahim will be allowed to nurse her child for two years before the
sentence is carried out.
Amnesty said Ibrahim's lawyers have confirmed that an appeal has been lodged against the
conviction and have indicated that they are prepared to take the case to Sudan's Supreme Court
and Constitutional Cour Ё