African Countries Call for Urgent UN Debate over Racism

54 African countries called upon the United Nation's Human Rights Council to open an "urgent" debate on racism and security violence, amid ongoing global protests sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd when a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, May 25th.

In a letter written on behalf of the 54 countries of the African Group, of which he is coordinator for human rights questions, the ambassador of Burkina Faso to the United Nations in Geneva, Dieudonné Désiré Sougouri, asked the body to the U.N. to organize an "urgent debate on the current racially-inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality against people of African descent and violence against peaceful demonstrations."

The Ambassador of Burkina Faso added:"The tragic events of May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, USA, which resulted in the death of George Floyd, sparked worldwide protests over the injustice and brutality faced by people of African descent daily in many regions of the world,” wrote the ambassador."

He regarded that the death of George Floyd "is unfortunately not an isolated incident," adding that he was speaking on behalf of the representatives and ambassadors of the African Group.

The letter, addressed to the President of the Human Rights Council, Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger of Austria, requests that this debate take place next week, at the resumption of the 43rd session of the Council, interrupted in March due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Mean while, thousands across Australia participated in protests titled "Black Lives matter" this morning, despite appeals from state leaders to cancel the event for fear of a second wave of infection with the Coronavirus.

The demonstrations were almost peaceful, but there was extensive police presence. Protesters marched through the streets in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and others gathered in public parks and held up signs saying "No justice, no peace" and "We apologize for the inconvenience, for trying to change the world."

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the violence of the federal police against indigenous people.

Trudeau said a video showing the forceful arrest of an Indigenous leader is "shocking" and raises serious questions, pledging to conduct an independent investigation at the height of a debate on racism within the law enforcement forces.

The newly released dashcam video sheds light on an incident that comes after global Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of last month's death of George Floyd in police custody in the US.

Chief Allan Adam of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation alleged last week that Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) beat him in March after being questioned about an expired licence plate.

This week, Mr Adam's lawyer filed RCMP dashboard video in a court application to stay legal proceedings for resisting arrest and assaulting police.

In the 12-minute video, Mr Adam approaches a police car parked behind him outside am Alberta casino to complain of harassment.

Trudeau expressed his shock at the brutality of the video, saying: "We all saw the video of the harsh arrest of leader Alan Adam and we have to shed light on this issue."

He added: "We know that it is not an isolated incident and that a large number of black Canadians or the indigenous population do not feel safe in the face of the police," stressing that this is unacceptable and as a government we have to change that.