New
Age Islam News Bureau
14
December 2020
• Tanzania: Teen Pregnancy, Early Marriage Crushes Dreams of Girls
•
Saudi Arabia: Activists Want Solutions for Problems Faced By Women Drivers
•
Over A Million Women Perform Umrah and Pray At Grand Mosque
•
First Woman Official Guiding Ships Passing Through Istanbul Strait
•
Urban Female Farmers Defeat Hunger In Zimbabwe
•
Katerina Hatzidaki Becomes The First Foreign Coach In Iran
•
Meet Jara, The Artist Taking Saudi Arabia’s Rap Scene By Storm
•
Adhari’s Dream Is to Open Exclusive Falconry School for Saudi Women
•
Indian Woman, 69, Leaves UAE after 42 Years of Cherished Service In Health
Sector
•
Turkey Supports Women’s Empowerment In South Sudan
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-sentences-rights-activists-hoda/d/123754
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Iran
Sentences Rights Activists, Hoda Amid And Najmeh Vahedi, To Total Of 15 Years
In Prison
Yaghoub
Fazeli
13
December 2020
Najmeh Vahedi, left, and Hoda Amid, right, were
sentenced to prison in Iran. (Twitter)
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Iran
has sentenced two women’s rights activists to a total of 15 years in prison,
Iranian media reported.
A
court in Tehran charged Hoda Amid and Najmeh Vahedi, who were both arrested in
2018, with “collaborating with the US government against the Islamic Republic
on the issue of women and the family,” Iranian news website Emteded reported on
Saturday.
Amid,
a lawyer, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and banned from
practicing law for two years. Vahedi, a sociologist, has been sentenced to
seven years in prison.
Amid
and Vahedi had organized “marriage workshops” aimed at educating women about
their rights in marriage, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency
(HRANA), a news site run by a collective of Iranian human rights advocates.
Judicial
authorities have accused the two activists of trying to overthrow the regime by
weakening the Iranian family.
On
Saturday, Iran executed dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, drawing condemnation
from rights groups and the European Union.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/13/Iran-sentences-two-women-s-rights-activists-to-total-of-15-years-in-prison-
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Tanzania:
Teen Pregnancy, Early Marriage Crushes Dreams of Girls
Kizito
Makoye
13.12.2020
File Photo
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As
rain drizzles, Teddy Meshack,18, is lazily lying on a mat in a shack in
Tanzania’s Mbarika village, breastfeeding her baby. She is trying to protect
the baby from cold, as the leaky roof gives way to rainwater, which is filling
the floor.
Two
years ago, Meshack was expelled from school, after she became pregnant. She was
also forcibly married to a man 35 years older than her.
“I
got pregnant by accident. But my father saw that as an excuse to marry me off,”
she said.
Once
a bright student at Mbwela secondary school, Meshack was dreaming to become a
doctor. She is distraught but hopes to return to school when her baby is old
enough.
While
adolescent pregnancy is a worldwide problem, in Tanzania an increasing number
of girls are becoming mothers by the age of 18, ending prospects of their
education.
According
to experts under the prevailing traditional customs in Tanzania, girls are
viewed as a source of wealth. Their fathers expect to receive cattle in
exchange for arranging daughters’ marriage.
Meshack,
who now lives with her aunt at Mbarika village of Misungwi district in
Tanzania’s northern Mwanza region, had escaped from a secretly-arranged
marriage barely months after she was taken by a man who impregnated her.
As
the only daughter in the impoverished family of six, Meshack’s father had
considered her as a valuable asset for the family.
But
all the dreams were crushed when the school expelled her after discovering her
pregnancy. As punishment, her father married her off to the man who had
impregnated her.
“My
mother was opposed to the idea of early marriage, but she could not prevent
it,” said Meshack.
To
her, the incident was a stunning blow that destroyed her future.
“I
wouldn’t say that I didn’t know the consequences of getting pregnant. As I said
it was an accident,” she said.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tanzania-teen-pregnancy-early-marriage-crushes-dreams-of-girls/2075113
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Saudi
Arabia: Activists want solutions for problems faced by women drivers
December
14, 2020
Samir
Salama
Abu
Dhabi: Saudi activists have presented a number of proposals and solutions to
problems women face as they attempt to obtain driver’s licenses in the kingdom.
They
said these issues varied between high fees, shortage of driving schools, and
the lengthy period of appointments for obtaining driver’s licenses.
Writer
Asma Al Abd Al Latif suggested, during her interview with the Ya Hala talk show
on the Rotana Khalijia TV, to efficiently train instructors, to increase the
success rate among candidates.
She
also stressed the need to revise the driving school fees. “The number of
driving schools for women should be increased, especially as this would allow
many women to apply for a driver’s license,” she said.
Abdul
Rahman Al Ajimi, a consumer rights activist, also suggested to increase driving
schools so as to reduce the waiting time to complete the procedures for
obtaining the license.
Al
Ajimi added: “It is not reasonable that the fees for women’s driving learning
reach from 1,200 riyals to 3,000 riyals. In contrast, driving lessons for men
is only 500 riyals,” he said.
He
added his wife holds a driver’s license from the UAE, owns a car, and drives,
and despite that she must wait for two years to be evaluated!
“My
daughters have been waiting for the evaluation appointment for 25 months,” he
added.
Al
Ajimi pointed out that increasing the number of driving schools for women was
necessary, and suggested that priority be given to women who already have cars.
Activists
also suggested driving schools in Saudi Arabia make use of artificial
intelligence (AI) technology, which is expected to make cars so smart that
they’ll be able to drive on their own, while motorists relax in the back seat
and watch their favourite TV shows.
They
said though we are still some way off from this future, AI and other
technologies are already impacting how we drive and how we learn to drive, so
driving schools and instructors should leverage them to improve the driving
test experience and turn candidates into a better drivers.
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-activists-want-solutions-for-problems-faced-by-women-drivers-1.75883113
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Over
a million women perform Umrah and pray at Grand Mosque
December
13, 2020
MAKKAH
— The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, represented
by the Agency for the Women’s Development Affairs, has managed to facilitate
performance of Umrah and prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah for more than a
million women during the period since the gradual resumption of Umrah service
and visit to the Two Holy Mosques on Oct. 4.
Dr.
Camellia Bint Muhammad Al-Daadi, assistant undersecretary for women’s
administrative and service affairs at the agency, said that the presidency received
26,209 women Umrah pilgrims in the first phase of the resumption of Umrah
service between Oct. 4 and 18.
She
added the number of women pilgrims in the second phase from Oct. 18 to Oct. 31,
and in the current third phase that started on Nov. 1 reached 326,603 pilgrims.
The number of women worshipers who were granted permit to perform prayers at
the Grand Mosque during these phases reached 669,818.
Al-Daadi
said the presidency has been successful in effecting smooth crowd control and
facilitating performance of the rituals in ease and comfort, and that is
strictly in line with compliance of the precautionary measures and preventive
protocols to stem the spread of coronavirus.
“This
was made possible in line with the continuous follow-up of Sheikh Abdul Rahman
Al-Sudais, head of the presidency, and under the supervision of Dr. Al-Anoud
Bint Khalid Al-Aboud deputy head of the presidency for women’s development
affairs.
“All
these three phases have been successful, in accordance with the aspirations of
the rulers, to provide the best services and facilities so as to ensure the
safety and comfort of the pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque,” she
added.
https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/601365
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First
Woman Official Guiding Ships Passing Through Istanbul Strait
December
14 2020
Gizem
Turan, 31, has become the first woman official to serve in the Directorate
General of Coastal Safety assigned with the duty to guide and assist vessels of
250-meters-long or more that pass the Istanbul Strait.
“I
am the chief officer of the towing boat called Kurtarma 8, and the only woman
working in a tugboat under the Directorate General of Coastal Safety,” Turan
said.
Turan
was one of the eight women graduates of the Maritime Transportation and
Management faculty of Istanbul Technical University during her term and has
been in the shipping business for about 10 years.
After
working in freighters for years, she decided to join the Directorate General of
Coastal Safety three months ago.
On
being asked about her job role, she replied, “I guide and assist the vessels,
which are 250-meters-long or more, that pass through the Istanbul Strait.”
She
highlighted that she has two important duties while patrolling the strait with
Kurtarma 8. The first is to help the vessels drifting out of control on the
sea, especially at night, and the second is to help maneuver the big ships that
are carrying tons of fuel to the new Istanbul airport.
She
calls herself and the captain of the rescue vessel, Ali Murat Yıldız, “an
emergency team.”
During
the time when she was being interviewed, she escorted a Liberian-flagged vessel
called Jupiter Sun, which was carrying dangerous goods, all the way from the
Black Sea entrance of the Istanbul Strait till it reached the Marmara Sea.
“Some
people in the ships we guide wave hands at us or take our photos or the people
on the shores see us while we pass with Kurtarma 8 close to them,” said Turan.
“Sometimes,
we see our photos on social media platforms. People who take our photos post
them online,” she added.
Her
name, Gizem, means “Mystery” in Turkish. So due to a wordplay, some call her
“Boğaz’ın Gizem’i,” meaning “Mystery of the Strait.”
Born
and raised in İzmir, some 480 kilometers away from Istanbul, she lives with
their parents in the western province.
Her
working shift includes alternate weekly schedules in which one week she works
in Istanbul followed by a week off that she prefers to spend in Izmir.
“When
I work in Istanbul, I live in my vessel. So, Kurtarma 8 is my workplace and my
home at the same time,” she said.
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/first-woman-official-guiding-ships-passing-through-istanbul-strait-160815
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Urban
Female Farmers Defeat Hunger In Zimbabwe
Jeffrey
Moyo
12.12.2020
Over
the past one decade female farmers in landlocked southern African country
Zimbabwe’s urban landscape are not only bridging gaps in food security but
bringing additional incomes to their families.
When
Denis Chihota, working as a messenger in one of the government departments in
the capital Harare, was unable to earn enough to attend to the family with six
children, his 47-year-old wife Madeline ventured into farming.
Even
as growing crops in the middle of cities remains illegal, Madeline has
harvested four tons of maize on the patches of land around her home, despite
rough weather and little rain this year. She says that her endeavor in farming
not only defeated hunger but has also supplemented the income of her family.
“I
earn 2,800, Zimbabwean dollars [$34]. I thank my wife for the job she is doing
by raising crops on the small fields. She is bringing much more food on the
table than I do,” her husband told Anadolu Agency.
According
to a report published by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee
(ZimVAC), over 2.2 million people in Zimbabwean cities and towns are facing
food insecurity. The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has scaled up its urban
assistance program to deliver monthly cash transfers to at least 550,000
Zimbabweans in 20 of the country’s most food-insecure urban areas.
In
June this year, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) extended
$10 million aid to families in urban areas struggling to meet their daily food
needs due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Even
as food aid trickles in for desperate city dwellers, Zimbabwe’s urban women
farmers like Madeline have become a big hit as they not only address food
deficits but have also contributed to the country’s comatose economy.
“It
is all because they see their men struggling to make both ends meet that women
in cities and towns here occupied available land spaces to plant crops to
supplement their domestic food needs,” said Bheki Dlodlo, an independent
development expert based in Harare.
-
Joblessness pushes women to farming
Catherine
Mukwapati, a noted women rights defender who heads the Youth Dialogue Action
Network, estimated that there are 230,000 women across the country’s towns and
cities involved in urban agriculture.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Claris Madhuku, a social activist, said that unemployment
has also pushed the country’s urban women to farming.
“Like
any other citizens, you would find that women also come to the cities with high
hopes of getting employment as they join their husbands or relatives. But they
do not get any and at the end of the day, some switch to farming. They sell
their products and even provide food for their families,” he said.
“There
is a food crisis in the cities. As women, we cannot just sit and watch whether
we are in town or the village. We just have to do what we can to make sure
there is food in our homes,” said Madeline, while walking away with a basket of
maize that she has grown around her home.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/urban-female-farmers-defeat-hunger-in-zimbabwe/2074423
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Katerina
Hatzidaki Becomes The First Foreign Coach In Iran
December
14, 2020
She
has most recently worked at Greek team Eleftheria Moschatou but will travel to
Tehran to work with Mahram, sportime.gr reported.
Hatzidaki
will join the Mahram coaching staff and also work in the club’s academy.
The
Greek coach worked five years in Turkey as Hatay coach and helped them win two
Super Cups and reached the semifinals of the Eurocup twice with the team.
Mahram
and Narsina are favorites to win Iran’s women league in the current season.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/455769/Katerina-Hatzidaki-becomes-the-first-foreign-coach-in-Iran
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Meet
Jara, The Artist Taking Saudi Arabia’s Rap Scene By Storm
KHAOULA
GHANEM
December
13, 2020
DUBAI:
To sum up her creative output, one simply needs to look at Saudi Arabia-based
musician Jara’s Instagram bio, which reads: “Mixed race shawty who raps.”
Don’t
even think of boxing her into a single category, though. “I don’t like labels,”
she tells Arab News matter-of-factly. “Sometimes, when I talk about music,
people will label me as a rapper. I’m like, ‘No, I’m not a rapper. I rap, but
I’m not a rapper,” she says.
Despite
only being in the music game for just two years, the 23-year-old is quickly
making a name for herself. She released her latest single “966” to instant
fanfare on Saudi National Day and was recently selected by streaming giant
Spotify for the platform’s latest initiative, Sawtik, which aims to celebrate
and support unsigned female artists from the Middle East and North Africa
region.
Her
decision to pursue music was born shortly after her move to Sweden a few years
ago. “I was alone most of the time, so writing was my only outlet. I was
writing all the time,” explains the young Jeddah-born musician, who is taking
Saudi Arabia’s rap scene by storm. The artist was only 19 when she left her
native country of Saudi Arabia for Sweden to study international relations and
psychology.
“Moving
to Sweden really just kick-started my passion for writing,” she said. “Being
exposed to different cultures and different types of people really helped me in
the way that I write music.
“When
I first moved there, I didn’t know the language, I didn’t have friends. All I
had were my notes,” she explained. “One day there was an instrument playing in
the background, and I just started reading aloud what I was writing. And then I
thought, ‘Oh, this kind of sounds cool.”
In
the four or five years since Jara’s arrival to the Nordic country, she has
already established herself as an unmistakable member of Arab rap music’s next
generation, joining the ranks of other trail-blazing female rappers, such as
Felukah, Khtek and N1yah, standing out in the male-dominated industry.
While
Jara recognizes that rap isn’t the easiest field to break into as a woman, she
does add that her gender is an asset. “Instead of looking at it like it’s
something that’s stopping me from getting where I want to be, I would say being
a woman is something that is going to help me to get there.”
Indeed,
it’s difficult to describe her as anything other than a woman on the ascent.
World, watch this space.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1776691/lifestyle
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Adhari’s
Dream Is to Open Exclusive Falconry School for Saudi Women
December
13, 2020
RIYADH
— Adhari Al-Khalidi, from the northern Saudi city of Sakaka, is the first Saudi
woman falconer participating in the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, which is
being held on the festival grounds of Mulham, located north of Riyadh.
The
third edition of the festival, organized by the Saudi Falcons Club, which
kicked off on Nov. 28, runs through Dec. 12.
The
King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, the largest of its kind in the world,
includes Mazayen, a falcon beauty pageant, and Melwah, a falcon-calling contest
(over 400 meters).
Each
competition is open to Farkh (less than one-year-old) and Qurnass (more than
one-year-old) birds. Six types of falcons are participating in the Melwah
competition, which are: Al-Har, Al-Shaheen, Gir Shaheen, Taba Gir, Qarmousha
Gir, and Ger Pure.
Adhari
participated in the Melwah 400-meter competition, on its fourth day, with her
falcon Aneed in the round of Gir Shaheen Qurnass for Saudi owners.
Adhari
unveiled her dream of starting an exclusive falconry school or training center
for Saudi women. She put her falcon through the paces for more than two months
for the competition.
The
passion for falconry made her dedicate time and effort to engage in this sport
for over ten years. Her falcon Aneed was able to cross Qurnass 400 meters in 21
seconds.
Last
year, she participated in the festival with her falcon Sattam in the Farkh
category but did not win any prizes. But this year, she is confident of
emerging a winner.
Adhari
turned her dream and hobby into a reality on the festival grounds through
continuous and strenuous practice. She said that falconry is her passion that
she embraced since childhood and continued practicing this sport for over 10
years.
“I
got my first training of falconry in the company of my husband. It is just
enthusiastic to be among the participants, for which there must be strength and
the falconer must also be well versed in every details of this sport.”
“I
continued following this sport, reading all aspects of it and the best ways of
taking care of falcons. I found very good support from husband and bought one
falcon in the type of Shaheen last year, named it Aneed and started giving
training on Melwah round before proceeding to Riyadh to take part in the
competition.”
Adhari
emphasized that she faced many difficulties at the inception of practicing the
falconry hobby. But within a decade, the sport has strengthened her with
endurance, and is happy that she did not succumb to the difficult circumstances
that she had faced.
“The
sport of falconry enables people to have patience while facing any difficult
situations in life apart from strength and courage,” she said. She is also very
thankful to her supportive husband and family members for their total support
and help.
The
Saudi Falcons Club had announced earmarking of more than SR22.7 million in cash
prizes to the winners of Melwah and Al-Mazayen competitions held within the
festival’s activities.
The
festival, which brought together local and international falconers, is being
held in implementation of the directives of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman,
who is also the supervisor-general of the Saudi Falcons Club, to preserve the
cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia and to achieve one of Vision 2030 goals.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/601359
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Indian
Woman, 69, Leaves UAE after 42 Years of Cherished Service In Health Sector
December
14, 2020
Sajila
Saseendran
Dubai:
An Indian woman aged 69 is leaving the UAE today (December 14) after 42 years
of service in the health sector in Abu Dhabi.
Full
of cherished memories, Keralite Mary Mathews recalled how she had worked as a
medical secretary at government hospitals in Abu Dhabi since 1978, and upon her
retirement in 2012, had got a job with the same profile in the private sector
in 2013.
Sharing
her story with Gulf News, Mary said she landed in the UAE in 1977 with her
husband Kochupurackal Kochukunju Mathews, who was an employee at the Abu Dhabi
Water and Electricity Department. In keeping with her mother’s wish, Mary was
qualified to become a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in History and another
in Education. When she got the opportunity to work with a government hospital
as a medical secretary, however, she said her husband encouraged her to opt for
it.
“Hence,
I joined the Central Hospital, which eventually became Sheikh Khalifa Medical
City. In 1993, I was transferred to Al Mafraq Hospital (currently known as
Sheikh Shakbout Medical City).” It was after serving there for three decades
that Mary retired from government service. However, she got the same job with
Burjeel Hospital within a year. After seven years of service there, Mary has
finally called it a day and is flying back home for good.
Having
worked under doctors specialised in ophthalmology, ENT, anaesthesia and
long-term care, Mary’s job profile included typing medical reports of patients,
making store inventory requests and patient room inspections to ensure
everything was in place. She said she was happy to see the growth of the
health-care sector in the UAE and also how Emirati women have been empowered
through education.
“Hospitals
and clinics had modest facilities at the time when I first reached here. Now, I
have worked in a hospital that has five-star facilities, offering a high level
of patient care,” she observed. “I have seen this country’s astounding growth
in various fields and I am grateful for everything that I have received from
this country. Everyone loves to be here in peace and harmony and there is
safety for women and families.”
She
said she was thankful to her past and current employers, especially Dr
Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director, VPS Healthcare, for
employing her at Burjeel Hospital at the age of 60, post her retirement.
Mary
said she wished to spend her retired life doing farming and gardening in Kerala
to live a “self-sufficient” life. “I am looking forward to spending more time
with my relatives and in the church, doing social service.”
She
said her only regret was not being able to fulfil her mother’s dream of making
her a teacher. “I will see if I can give private tuition to children so that I
can do justice to my mother that way,” Mary said.
Words
of appreciation, gratitude
One
of the few Indian expatriate women with such a long official track record in
the UAE, the grandma of five has been showered with love and gratitude by her
family and colleagues.
In
a statement to Gulf News, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, who presented a farewell gift
to Mary, said she was “very dedicated, committed and diligent at work”.
“Her
long-time experience in the government sector had played a crucial role in
moulding her. She was bold, persevering and handled challenges and crises
deftly. She joined us in 2013 after retiring from the government sector and had
worked in my team.”
He
said Mary “was like a family” to all at the hospital. “We at VPS Healthcare and
Burjeel Hospital wish her all the very best. We will miss her and will always
be grateful to her for all the services,” he added.
“Everyone
in Burjeel loves her and has a lot of respect for her. We are going to miss her
a lot,” said another colleague.
Mary’s
Sharjah-based daughter Bindhu recollected how her mother supported the family
for decades, especially after she and her two siblings lost their father to
cancer in 2005. “That was a painful point for my mum. She struggled for the
betterment of us children. Though I was employed, I did not have a good pay
then, being only a starter. I had helplessly watched the tears in my mum’s eyes.
When I myself became a mother later, I could realise the value of the sacrifice
and pain she had suffered — all alone — for us children,” Bindhu said.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/indian-woman-69-leaves-uae-after-42-years-of-cherished-service-in-health-sector-1.75876376
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Turkey
Supports Women’s Empowerment In South Sudan
Benjamin
Takpiny
13.12.2020
JUBA,
South Sudan
Turkey’s
state-run aid agency on Saturday donated equipment to South Sudan to support
women’s empowerment in the North African country.
Items
donated by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) included 80
liters of Lulu oil, buckets, gloves, and measuring cylinders among others to be
used for making soap.
“Turkish
people are here, Turkish Embassy is here, TIKA is here to help you live a
better life by supporting you in this development project,” Turkey’s Ambassador
to Juba Tugrul Biltekin said at the donation drive.
He
said that they are supporting the soap-making project and they will bring up
another project of making sandals soon so that people could support themselves
financially.
Natasha
Malek, representative of Lulu Care, a women-led national NGO, said that they
are training women on how to make bar and liquid soap, so they can sell their
products in the market to sustain their families and generate income.
She
said that the women appreciated TIKA’s support.
Regina
Lullo, director general of gender and children welfare in the Ministry of
Gender, Child and Social Welfare, said that the priorities of the government is
to empower women to achieve gender equality.
“We
have to mobilize women to empower them and we use civil societies and women
groups to empower them economically and politically in the ministry at the
national level.”
“I
am happy that TIKA supports our women on generating income,” he added.
Turgut
Gazigil, deputy coordinator for TIKA in Juba, was also present at the occasion.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkey-supports-women-s-empowerment-in-south-sudan/2075227
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