Police brutality and the death of schoolboy Damilola Taylor are among the unflinching themes tackled by contenders for 2021’s Brunel International African Poetry Prize.
The world’s biggest cash prize for African poetry is sponsored by Brunel University London to develop, highlight and inspire emerging African writers.
More than 1,000 people from the continent and its diaspora each submitted a collection of 10 poems to enter the £3000 competition, now in its 8th year.
“This year’s shortlist share diverse concerns,” said Karen McCarthy Woolf leading the judging panel. “From Yomi Sode’s memorial to Damilola Taylor to Kweku Abimbola’s meditation on Ashanti naming traditions that also commemorates victims of police brutality.
“Their poems express a sense of urgency and a spirit of witness leavened by a capacity to address complex scenarios amongst the political wreckage that has characterised this specific moment in the early 21st century,” said the award-winning British Jamaican poet.
“We find them now, on the brink of what promises to be notable and enduring literary careers.”
South African poets Rustum Kozain and Makhosazana Xaba form the rest of the panel.
“The future looks very bright and African poetry is staking its claim as a major force in world literature,” said competition founder, Professor Bernardine Evaristo, the 2019 Booker Prize winner who teaches creative writing at Brunel University London.
Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth, has said that Rwanda has demonstrated enthusiasm and ability to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Ahmad made the remarks while on a three-day visit to Rwanda which ended on Friday, April 30.
The visit aimed at among others inspecting the preparations in place as the UK gets ready to hand over the role of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office to Rwanda in June.
“The warmth of the reception I have received from the people of Rwanda, the engagements I have had demonstrate the real motivation, the enthusiasm to host the heads of government meeting,” he said during an interview he had with the national broadcaster.
Asked about whether the summit will explore virtual conferencing options in some of the meetings that comprise it, Ahmad said such decisions are to be made by Rwanda.
“How the CHOGM is organized in terms of the format it takes - the physical against the virtual, that ultimately is very much of a decision for Rwanda. What I can assure you of is that whatever decision on how the CHOGM is moved forward by Rwanda, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them and are very supportive,” he said.
On his visit, Ahmad met with President Kagame, among other dignitaries from the Rwandan government including Vincent Biruta, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, the Environment Minister, with whom he discussed preparations to hold a safe and successful CHOGM.
“This was a thoroughly productive visit, as Rwanda prepares to host Commonwealth leaders in June. I thanked President Kagame and the Government of Rwanda for their work to prepare for this important summit,” read a statement by Ahmad.
“CHOGM 2021 is a key opportunity to boost momentum towards COP26 (the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference). We hope that Commonwealth leaders will agree a strong statement on climate and use CHOGM to demonstrate greater ambition in climate change commitments,” he added.
The UK minister also delivered a lecture at the African Leadership University. - Hudson Kuteesa, The New Times
Inmates serving their sentences in Wanyijok Prison in Aweil East county, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, can finally look forward to more humane treatment due to an UNMISS-facilitated construction of a brand-new prison facility. Photo by Emmanuel Kele/UNMISS
Till recently, inmates of Wanyijok Prison, Aweil East county, located in Northern Bahr El Ghazal state, were chained in the open air.
When it rains, they were soaked to the skin; during the dry season, they spent hours in the burning sun till dusk fell providing some relief.
“We had no choice but to shackle offenders in an uncovered area, where they didn’t have any shelter from the elements,” admits Kiir Yor, the County Commissioner.
Human Rights officers from UNMISS corroborate Mr. Yor’s statement—the prison consisted of three meagre tukuls (grass huts), which could probably house only 50 inmates. Meanwhile, the number of prisoners currently serving their sentences is 175.
Clean water for drinking and hygiene purposes was almost non-existent, as were beds for a decent night’s sleep and perimeter security in the form of a fence.
Perhaps the most powerful account of these horrific conditions, though, comes from William Garang, an inmate. “I have been chained outdoors for almost two years now,” he reveals. “My leg has become progressively weaker; despite this, I walk every day as far as my restraints permit to the single water point. You cannot live without water.”
To help ease this suffering, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has recently completed the construction of a new prison facility here. “The new facility is built in accordance with the international standards for holding persons in custody,” states Alfred Zulu, a Human Rights Officer serving with the peacekeeping mission. “It is a much larger, properly ventilated space which is airy and receives sunlight,” he adds.
Mr. Zulu’s words are echoed by Commissioner Yor. “When I toured the building and saw the way it’s designed, I was immensely relieved,” states the Commissioner. “All cell blocks have self-contained toilets, and we now have separate prison wings for male and female offenders. This is a massive step forward in enabling us, as prison officers, to treat inmates humanely and uphold their dignity.”
The construction was facilitated under the mission’s Quick Impact Projects programme which uses local implementing partners to action small-scale, low-cost projects aimed at benefiting host communities. These are completed within a short timeframe.
The newly constructed building for Wanyijok Prison took a mere three months to complete and cost 50,000 US dollars.
The project was overseen by local partner Pan Aweil Developments and had its fair share of challenges.
“COVID-19 proved to be a spanner in the works; we had to make sure construction workers were safe, masked and physically distanced. Buying masks increased the cost while we had to reduce our labour force to comply with the pandemic mitigation measures. This slowed us down,” said William Kolong, executive director of the implementing partner organization.
“Additionally, construction needs a lot of water and we were working in a place which didn’t have access to it; my builders had to walk long distances to make sure we had enough water to finish this project. It all came together at the end though,” he added.
It is hoped that the newly constructed prison will be a secure location for offenders, reduce overcrowding among detainees and benefit their eventual reintegration into society after they serve their sentences. - Emmanuel Kele, UNITED NATIONS
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