Chad’s military is responsible for the deaths in custody of several detainees en route to and at Koro Toro prison following the October 2022 protests over the extension of the transition government; Chadian military officials oversee a prison in which abuse runs rampant and are responsible for the deaths of protesters detained in the wake of the October 20, 2022 protests; The Chadian government should close one Koro Toro building and repair the other. Anyone held there without charge should be freed immediately. International partners should evaluate their support.

Chad’s military is responsible for the deaths in custody of several detainees en route to and at Koro Toro prison in October 2022, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The prisoners were unlawfully detained, mistreated, and denied basic supplies during the two to three days transit from the capital city to the prison.

The 77-page report, “‘Worse Than Hell’: Death and Torture at Chad’s Koro Toro Prison,” documents in detail the detention of 72 people, several of whom were tortured or ill-treated at Koro Toro following the October 20 protests in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, and in several other towns, to protest the two years extension of the transitional government. Security forces fired live ammunition at protesters. Hundreds were then taken to Koro Toro, a high security prison about 600 kilometers away. The transition ended in May 2024 with the election of Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby.

“Chadian military officials oversee a prison in which abuse runs rampant and are responsible for deaths of protesters detained in the wake of the October 20, 2022 protests,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should act to address the impunity for these abuses that has led many victims to give up all hope for justice.”

The remains of those who died should be returned to their families for burial, and one of the main buildings at Koro Toro should be closed as it is unfit to be used as a detention center, Human Rights Watch said. Chadian authorities, the African Union, and United Nations bodies should immediately investigate unlawful detention and ill-treatment at Koro Toro and all deaths in custody.

Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 150 people during 2023 and 2024, including 72 former detainees, family members of detainees who died en route to or at Koro Toro, government officials, and members of civil society. Human Rights Watch matched geographic features seen and verified from images obtained from former detainees with satellite imagery to locate the prison site. It used this material, along with sketches provided by victims, to construct diagrammatic models of the prison.

Koro Toro is comprised principally of two prisons, known as Koro Toro 1, or Koro Toro Habré, and Koro Toro 2, or Koro Toro Déby, located about one kilometer apart. Koro Toro 1 is older than Koro Toro 2 and is in decrepit condition. Human Rights Watch found that it lacks even the most basic standards of care. Both compounds house suspects who have yet to be charged with a crime, pretrial detainees, and convicted prisoners.

The prison, which was designed to house “violent extremists,” is hundreds of kilometers from major urban centers and cut off from the outside world with no cell phone reception, making it practically impossible for family members and lawyers to visit.

En route to Koro Toro, most detainees were denied food and – more important – water, over two to three days. One former detainee said that when it was clear the trucks would not stop for water, he and other detainees started to drink their own urine. “We had a few small bottles, and we passed them around to share urine to drink,” he said.

Some detainees died in transit, presumably from delirium and hunger. Former detainees said the guards told them to throw the bodies out of the trucks. Human Rights Watch documented the deaths of at least four people en route to the prison, six others at the prison, and of one man whose death occurred in either of those places, although the real number of dead is most likely much higher. Relatives were not officially informed of the deaths, although some were told informally. Almost two years on, none of the remains have been released to their families.

Former detainees said that, while soldiers from the national army guarded the prison, day-to-day administration was managed by prisoners suspected of having links to the Islamist armed group Boko Haram. They punished and beat other detainees, oversaw food distribution, and ran a small market. Former detainees said that the soldiers gave these prisoners de facto authority to ill-treat and beat others.

At least hundreds of people detained at Koro Toro in connection with the October 20 protests were “chained up” with iron rods around their ankles and attached to another iron rod for up to several weeks. Some were subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, a form of torture, and forced labor.

Judicial proceedings for the detainees were held in the prison by the Tribunal of N’Djamena. Based on interviews with former detainees, the interrogations and judicial proceedings were hurried and fell far short of fair trial standards. Most of the accused were convicted and then pardoned.

The Chadian government maintains that the October 20, 2022 protests amounted to an insurrection and that, given the seriousness of this crime, detention at Koro Toro was not extreme. In a July 2023 letter to Human Rights Watch, Chad’s justice minister stated that there was “no evidence relating to the violation of human rights related to [the] transfer or detention in Koro-Toro prison.”

The Chadian government should immediately close Koro Toro 1 and ensure urgent repairs at Koro Toro 2 to make it adequate for holding prisoners, including installing a means for detainees to communicate with their families and lawyers. No one should be detained at Koro Toro prison without charges, and anyone currently so held should be released immediately, Human Rights Watch said.

Failing a serious effort by the Chadian government to confront ill-treatment and torture at Koro Toro, Chad’s international partners should evaluate financial and other support, including training and capacity-building to institutions directly involved in these violations.

“Mahamat Idriss Déby’s government should demonstrate its respect for the rule of law by closing down Koro Toro 1 and bringing conditions at Koro Toro 2 up to human rights standards,” Mudge said. “The authorities should immediately investigate detainee deaths both en route to and at Koro Toro and prosecute those responsible for this and other abuses in detention.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

At a government-run dispensary located in Nairobi’s Kware informal settlement, 26-year-old nurse Steven Ngang’a attends to young mothers holding their babies. The girls, all aged between 15-19 years are here to access family planning and HIV services, after enrolling on Tiko, a digital platform that connects adolescents to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services. “On our busiest days, we serve up to 270 girls. Today we have served 150 girls, and most of them are here to access short-term family planning methods,” says Nurse Nganga.

About 200 meters away at the St Clare Health Center, a private facility,18-year-old Jennifer has come to access services for the first time using the Tiko card. ‘I moved to Nairobi a month ago after completing my high school education in Siaya County,” she says. “My mum cannot afford to send me to college or vocational training so right now I am looking for ways to earn a living in the city.” Jennifer was enrolled on the Tiko platform by a community mobilizer who recognized her as a new arrival to the densely populated Kware neighborhood. On this particular day, she visits the health center for a counseling session on contraception and prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. “Girls like Jennifer are extremely vulnerable due to their dire economic situation. Having moved here from conservative rural communities, they often have little knowledge about their sexual and reproductive health ” says Tiko mobilizer Anjeline Otieno.

Services offered through the Tiko Platform are provided free of charge through funding from the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Development Impact Bond. The first-of-its-kind program was launched in Kenya in 2023 to improve access to sexual and reproductive health information and services for adolescent girls. Since its roll-out in July 2023, the program has reached more than 227,000 girls with HIV and family planning information and services. 136 public sector facilities, 147 private sector facilities, and 45 pharmacies have been onboarded onto the Tiko platform, bringing services closer to adolescent girls in 10 counties experiencing the highest burden of teen pregnancy and HIV infections among the youth.

“In this new phase of implementation, we have also been able to enroll more than 129,000 new young people onto the Tiko platform through our network of community mobilizers and peer-to-peer referrals,” says Tiko Africa Program Lead Lucy Kaigutha. By using their mobile phones, girls can see nearby health facilities offering free services, which helps them decide where and when to access services. They also receive notifications and reminders on their next appointments and can rate the quality of services provided.

Demand for Tiko services is high at both St Clare’s Health Center and Kware Dispensary. “I attend to more than 20 girls daily through the Tiko platform, and most of them will return monthly for a refill on short-term contraceptives or HIV testing and counseling,” says Lilian Mogaka, a nurse at St Clare’s. The two facilities serve a catchment area of 52,000 residents living in the Kware locality, in addition to clients from the nearby Mukuru kwa Ruben and Mukuru kwa Njenga informal settlements, Tassia, and Donholm neighborhoods. “More than half of the girls we serve fall under the 16-17 year age group. Most of them are single mothers who have dropped out of school and are struggling to provide for their children,” says Nurse Ngang’a.

For adolescent girls living in multi-dimensional poverty in Kware and the surrounding areas, having access to quality sexual and reproductive health information and services offered at no cost can alter the course of their lives. “Programs like the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Development Impact Bond are pivotal in breaking the cycle of poverty and vulnerability that many of these young girls face,” says UNFPA Kenya Sexual and Reproductive Health and Youth Programmes Advisor Kigen Korir. “By providing them with the knowledge and resources to make informed choices, these services empower girls to pursue their education and life aspirations without the interruption of unplanned pregnancies or health issues.”

Backed by investments from the UN Joint SDG Fund and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) DIB is an initiative that brings together a joint United Nations team comprising UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, the UN Resident Coordinator Office, and the UN SDG Partnership Platform (SDG PP) and TIKO Africa, a non-profit implementing organization to mobilize private and public sector funding to tackle the challenge of teen pregnancy, new HIV infections, and AIDS-related deaths among adolescent girls. The two-year program aims to reach 300,000 vulnerable girls with high-quality, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health and HIV services while improving service delivery in 150 public primary health facilities across the focus counties.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA – East and Southern Africa.

Liberian Foreign Minister, H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, extended a warm welcome to the newly accredited Ambassador-designate of the United States of America to Liberia, Mr. Mark Toner, on behalf of His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., and the government and people of Liberia. During the ceremony, Minister Nyanti praised the United States for its continuous bilateral assistance to Liberia. She expressed gratitude for the ongoing support provided by the US to the Liberian government and its citizens.

The event took place on Monday, August 5, 2024, as part of the diplomatic protocol ahead of his formal presentation of letter of credence to His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia. In her remarks, Foreign Minister Nyanti conveyed the sincere appreciation and best wishes of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., to Ambassador-designate Toner. She acknowledged the significant role the United States has played in Liberia’s crisis management, stability, and the sustenance of peace and harmony in the sub-region.

Foreign Minister Nyanti and Ambassador-designate Toner engaged in a nearly hour-long discussion covering bilateral, multilateral, and global issues. Their talks focused on further strengthening the longstanding relations between the United States and Liberia and enhancing cooperation at the United Nations and other international bodies. Key topics included human rights, terrorism, climate change, democracy, corruption, and good governance.

Foreign Minister Nyanti assured Ambassador-designate Toner of her Ministry’s commitment to supporting his mission in Liberia, aiming to make his tenure fruitful and rewarding. Both officials pledged to work closely to realize the shared values and principles of the United States and Liberia, benefiting both nations and contributing to global peace and development. Ambassador-designate Toner expressed his appreciation for the warm reception from Minister Nyanti and reaffirmed the United States’ determination to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with Liberia, particularly in trade and other areas aimed at enhancing relations.

The meeting concluded with mutual expressions of thanks and appreciation, setting a positive tone for the future collaboration between the United States and Liberia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.

Indonesian Ambassador to Sudan Sunarko on Monday (5/8) visited and met with Sudanese Minister of Health Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim and his staff at the Office of the Minister of Health in Port Sudan.

In the meeting, Ambassador Sunarko directly conveyed an invitation from the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Sudanese Minister of Health to participate in the 2nd Indonesia Africa Forum (IAF) and as a speaker at a panel discussion on the theme of health.

In addition, the Indonesian Ambassador also informed about the trade exhibition activities on the sidelines of the 2nd IAF. For this reason, there are opportunities for entrepreneurs or importers of medicines, fashion, cosmetics and medical devices from Sudan who participated in the 2nd IAF.

On that occasion, Sudanese Minister of Health Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim expressed his gratitude for the visit of the Indonesian Ambassador in improving bilateral relations between Indonesia and Sudan, especially in the health sector.

Minister of Health Haitham welcomed the invitation of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs to participate in the 2nd IAF, which is an important forum within the framework of cooperation between Indonesia and African countries. The Minister of Health expressed his readiness to attend with the Sudanese delegation and participate in the 2nd IAF in Bali.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Khartoum, Sudan.