BY MIESHA MOSS ’19 & SAUMYA SUDHIR ’17
Democratic Republic of Congo
Following gunshots, 13 people died in a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The stampede began when an intoxicated soldier fired multiple shots. The country has been in a state of panic recently.
On Sept. 19 during a march protesting President Joseph Kabila’s proposal to extend his mandate, 14 civilians and three policemen were killed in Kinshasa, Congo. The protesters believe that the mandate, which would extend his tenure, is preceded by delayed elections, according to the New York Times. Kabila is currently serving his second term as president until December 2016.
“This wasn’t a demonstration at all, but an attempt to unleash civil war in the city of Kinshasa,” said government spokesman Lambert Mende according to San Francisco Chronicle, “The authorities decided to put an end to the protest and disperse it.”
As reported by Reuters, many people died in protests against the president last year.
India
Recently, armed militants entered an Indian army base in Uri — a garrison town near the border with Pakistan in the region of Kashmir — and killed 17 Indian soldiers. According to the New York Times, several soldiers had been stationed at this base in temporary shelters, which caught fire after a blast occurred.
The identity of the attackers has yet to be revealed. As stated by Al-Jazeera, there have been speculations by Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh that the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed was behind the attacks.
The Indian Express reports that Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, has stated that the Uri police has taken into custody two men who had been working as guides for terrorists in the area.
According to the New York Times, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished.”
Haiti
The U.S. Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) has decided to enforce deportation policy on the Haitian nationals attempting to cross the southwestern border from Mexico into California.
“The United States has recently witnessed a sharp increase in the number of Haitian nationals taking dangerous smuggling routes to apply for admission to our country in the San Diego, Calif. area without advance authorization,” said an official with DHS, according to the Miami Herald.
The reason for the change in its policy regarding Haitian nationals and deportation is due to the recent increase in the living conditions in the U.S. Those immediately affected by the change include people who have been trying to enter the country illegally, convicted felons and, as reported by the Miami Herald, 2,000 people who have received deportation notices. However, Haitians who came to the States with Temporary Protected Status, which allowed thousands to migrant following the 2010 earthquake, will not be affected.