Lord Malloch-Brown, KCMG, PC is a Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth ... 
ayoub mzee
Lord Malloch-Brown, KCMG, PC is a Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth ...
Picket SERCO Headquarters 22 Hand Court, Holborn, WC1V 6JF
Friday 19 June 12.30-2pm
Nearest Tubes: Holborn or Chancery Lane
Women, children and men in the Family Unit at Yarl’s Wood IRC [1] are in the third day of a hunger strike and sit-in to protest against their “degrading and dehumanising” detention and in support of their urgent demands to be released (see below). Together they have been able to resist attempts to remove two families. At least 90% of the families are taking part in the actions including upwards of 20 older children who decided to strike.
Beatrice and Soloman Ojeheomon, two of the protesters told us:
“Everyone is very traumatised including by being snatched during dawn raids. We don’t believe that British people condone such brutal treatment by the immigration authorities. Pregnant women, babies, and children are going without vital healthcare. Many are sick with a virus and cannot eat or sleep. Our family is due to be deported but we never had the right to appeal against the Home Office’s decision – even though we have very compelling reasons to be allowed to stay”.
While we were getting more news from Mrs Ojeheomon’s, she began screaming for help because guards began to attack Mr Ojeheomon. Within seconds of the attack their mobile phone went dead. We fear that Mr Ojeheomon has been targeted by the immigration authorities for taking a stand against the brutal treatment of children and other vulnerable people. Like others who have protested SERCO’s [2] draconian treatment he and his family are being denied justice and face violent removal.
Previous protests against conditions in Yarl’s Wood include: May 2005 when over thirty women went on hunger strike to protest against being returned to Uganda; May 2007 when over 100 women demonstrated and went on hunger strike against deteriorating conditions when Yarl’s Wood was taken over by SERCO.
Please bring placards, whistles, instruments and banners to show support for the people resisting imprisonment within the UK's immigration prison system, and demand the immediate release of the hunger strikers from the Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. (See below for other action if you can’t make it).
Organised by: Detainee Solidarity London - a coalition of groups who work with migrants and asylum seekers in London and the South East. Groups include: All African Women’s Group, Black Women’s Rape Action Project [3], Fight Racism Fight Imperialism, London Coalition Against Poverty, Haringey Solidarity Group, London Detainee Support Group, No Borders Brighton, No Borders London and various church groups from across the capital.
Statement from Yarl’s Wood Mothers & Fathers on Hunger Strike
“Children in this detention centre, some as young as five months old, are sick. Most were struck down with a virus. They are not eating properly since they are not used to the food here. They are not sleeping properly and are restless and suffering other psychological manifestations including constant crying, nightmares, bedwetting, screaming at night, violent behaviour, and other emotional outbursts.”
“A woman recently miscarried twins and suffered the death of another child. The children were buried at Everton cemetery a month ago. The family was detained and given removal directions without even a chance to visit the grave.”
“Pregnant women, some with complications, are detained with total disregard of their well-being, including a pregnant lady, who is also suffering from depression and anxiety.”
“A lady recently went through a major life-threatening operation for ectopic pregnancy a couple of months ago, and is now detained without sufficient time to recover.”
“A lady who suffers from multiple epileptic seizures -- up to six times in a twenty-four hour period -- is detained with only her 14-year-old son to look after her. Other detainees try to assist in times of crisis.”
“Families in considerable distress are being plucked out of their beds early in the morning, and transported in mobile prisons for long hours to the airport.”
“The continuing detention has placed enormous stress on families and as such we have decided to rise with a single voice and say no to detention of innocent people.”
“Hence, this is the second day of a continuing hunger-strike. Also, tonight (Tuesday evening), all occupants here, with the children, have decided to spend the night protesting outside in the courtyard.”
“We will appreciate any help and advice we can get from you.”
Other action:
Write pressing for:
an immediate independent investigation into the conditions in the Family Unit
an end to the detention of pregnant women, babies, children, survivors of rape and other torture, and other vulnerable people.
Please send letters:
Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for the Home Office http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=johnsona@parliament.uk
Fax: 020 7035 3262
Anne Owers CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 1st Floor Ashley House 2 Mouck Street, London SW1P 2BQ Fax: 020 7035 2141
Stephen Shaw, Prisons Ombudsman Fax 020 7035 2860, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mail@ppo.gsi.gov.uk
Human Rights Complaints, HRC against Torture http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=tb-petitions@ohchr.org
Sir Al Aynsley Green, Children’s Commissioner, http://uk.mc274.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=info.request@11MILLION.org.uk, 11 MILLION, 1 London Bridge LONDON SE1 9BG
Notes
[1] Yarl's Wood Immigration Detention Centre at Clapham near Bedford was built to hold up to 900 male detainees, making it the largest immigration detention centre in Europe when it opened on 19th November 2001. It burnt to the ground in February 2002 following protests and a hunger strike against the appalling conditions there. It was subsequently rebuilt to house 405 women and families with children held in detention as so-called failed asylum seekers and those the government deem to be illegal immigrants and awaiting deportation. Since reopening, the long list of abuses and protest has continued to grow. These include an unannounced visit by the Inspector of Prisons that found significant concerns about safety, record keeping at the prison and more the length of time children were being held there. There have been several women-led hunger strikes and other protests.
[2] SERCO Home Affairs run Yarl's Wood on behalf of the UK Border Agency.
[3] With the All African Women’s Group, Legal Action Women and Women Against Rape, Black Women’s Rape Action Project helps co-ordinate a daily rota taking calls from women in detention. The Yarl’s Wood authorities often try to sabotage our efforts to provide help; confiscating the Self-Help Guide we send in and again last week, obstructing us speaking to women inside by refusing to call them to the phone when we call.
President Omar Bongo of Gabon, Africa's longest-serving despotic-dictator since 1967, has at last, eventually died! He was just 73 years? What an end to an era, which everybody cannot wait to see come to pass? He was a mean midget dictator and absolutely corrupt according to his own people.May his soul rest in peace
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The 13th Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government
The 13th Summit of Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government took place in Victoria Falls , Zimbabwe , from 7th to 8th June 2009. The theme of the Summit was "Consolidating Regional Economic Integration through Value Addition, Trade and Food Security". One of the main events of the Summit was the launching of the COMESA Customs Union.
The launching of the Customs Union is considered to be another significant step in realizing deeper regional integration. It was reported by the secretariat that the Regional Economic Community has experienced a dramatic increase in the volume of intra-COMESA trade from US$ 3.2 billion in 2000 to US$ 15.2 billion in 2008. This trade, however, mainly comprises of primary agricultural products, signifying the importance of designing policies and programmes geared towards value addition. A number of industry associations, established by COMESA, would spearhead the process of value addition. Obviously, value addition would in turn boost intra-COMESA trade.
Consistent with the theme of the Summit , it was highlighted that modernization of agriculture and the improvement of agricultural productivity were also highlighted as important factors for the social and economic transformation of COMESA member states. In this regard, it is noteworthy that while the COMESA region has vast agricultural land and abundant water resources, the region spends on average, US$ 19 billion on food imports annually. It was, therefore, noted that this situation must be reversed by, among other things, expanding infrastructure to facilitate trade and supporting farmers to access and utilize appropriate technologies. In this connection, the objectives set for the next three years for COMESA member states, in collaboration with their development partners, include: doubling agricultural productivity of staple crops, sourcing food supplies from within the region, and meeting all food deficits through intra-COMESA trade.
The Summit noted with regret the unconstitutional change of Government that has occurred in Madagascar and unconditionally rejected and condemned it in the strongest terms and called for a return to constitutional rule. It further welcomed and agreed, as pronounced by the AU, to support SADC as they take a lead in their efforts to restore constitutional order in Madagascar by examining all options including the possibility of military intervention and pronounced its full support and backing to SADC in all options to resolve the matter.
Prior to the Summit the COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs met on the 5th and 6th of June 2009 to consider the peace and security situation in the region. The secretariat reported that this forum of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which was created some nine years ago, has created conditions for dialogue to address conflicts and that the reduction in the number of conflicts, though not exclusively a result of the COMESA's programme, is testimony to the importance of the much needed dialogue. The signing of the comprehensive peace agreement that has brought FNL-PALIPEHUTU of Burundi into government and the cooperation arrangement involving DRC, Sudan , Uganda and Rwanda to address the issue of negative forces in Eastern DRC , were among the recent positive developments mentioned in this regard.
With respect to the conflict between Eritrea and Djibouti , the COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs had recommended to the Authority that it "call upon Eritrea and Djibouti to exercise restraint and engage actively in dialogue so as to defuse the tension, and find a peaceful and mutually acceptable settlement". However, Eritrea , as usual, denied that there is tension or dispute between the two countries, that it is a fabrication by the United States and France in collaboration with Ethiopia . Eritrea further claimed that it is in its own territory, and that it would not withdraw from its own sovereign land, therefore, there is no need for dialogue. Of course, the recommendation was milder than what is contained in the main part of the report which includes the provisions of the resolution of the United Nations Security Council in which it demanded Eritrea to withdraw its forces to the status quo ante, acknowledge its border dispute with Djibouti, engage actively in dialogue to defuse the tension as well as in diplomatic efforts leading to a mutually acceptable settlement and abide by its obligation as a member of the United Nations.
Regarding the situation in Somalia , the COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs had recommended to the Authority that it express appreciation to Ethiopia for its commitment to the search for a lasting solution to the conflict in Somalia . True to form, Eritrea requested that its reservation be recorded on that paragraph. COMESA's collective position on the matter is, of course, retained. The Ethiopian delegation requested that the recommendations on Somalia include a provision for COMESA to welcome the recent Communiqué issued by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on Somalia which contains, among other things, the request for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against all those foreign actors, both within and outside the region, especially Eritrea, that are providing support to the armed groups engaged in destabilization activities in Somalia, attacks against the TFG, the civilian population and AMISOM. Eritrea , of course, objected to this formulation and insisted that it not be included in the report. However, COMESA has taken note of Ethiopia 's request to welcome the decision of the AU Peace and Security Council together with Eritrea 's objection.
