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Conflict In Ethiopia Against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed; COP26 Pledges Could Limit Warming to 1.8 Degrees Celsius; Environmental Defenders Threaten; U.K. And France's Fishing Fight; Rising Fuel Costs Hitting Mexico's Vulnerable; Benin Bronzes Coming Home; Diwali, Festival Of Lights in India; Ethiopia Anticipates Rebel Group to Attack; Ethnic Group Divided in Ethiopia; Europe Seeing Rise in COVID Cases; ICC to Investigate the Maduro Government. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired November 05, 2021 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Hello, and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, fear grows in Ethiopia over an all-out war as rebel forces close in on the capitol, an armed opposition groups are poised to join together against the government.
Plus, with recent spikes of COVID and the spluttering vaccine rollout a dire prediction from the WHO, more than 500,000 people could die across Europe this winter.
And, investigations of alleged crimes against humanity by the Venezuelan government over protests against President Maduro.
UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We begin in Ethiopia where nine armed opposition groups say they are going to form an alliance later today against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It comes as joint rebel forces advance towards the capital saying they could be marching on Addis Ababa within weeks.
Prime Minister Abe isn't backing down, the legislature has approved a national state of emergency that allows the military to enlist anyone aged 18 years or older who owns a firearm and arrest anyone deem cooperating with terrorist groups.
Meanwhile, the U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa is in the country to try to defuse tensions. And the State Department is calling to de-escalate on all sides.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: We call on the TPLF, we call upon the Oromo Liberation Army, the OLA, to halt their stance towards Addis, and we call on all parties to engage in dialogue on a cessation of hostilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CNN's David McKenzie is following the story from Johannesburg. So David, what's the latest?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the TPLF, Kim, and the OLA have both told CNN that they don't plan on marching on the capital just yet. It's unclear whether they even have the military capability to do so in short order. But they certainly they made their point, I think.
Given their moves closer to Addis Ababa, and the fact that this alliance which will be signed most likely later today, as you say, it shows that both very large regional ethnic groups and more minor ones are looking to have a show of force politically to try to persuade Abiy to leave.
Something that he is certainly not doing, and as you mentioned the emergency, state of emergency in play allowing the government to have very little due process to take on any perceived opponents, especially in the capital of Addis Ababa.
We are at a point where this is a very dangerous moment for Ethiopia, a country that could fall further into chaos.
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MCKENZIE (voice over): Through a year of bloody conflict Ethiopia's crisis was centered mostly here in Tigray the far north. That's changing fast. Tigray defense force rebels shown in Desi (Ph) this week just 250 miles from Addis Ababa. They are threatening to move on the capitol. And in an unlikely alliance, they have joined up with Oromo Liberation Army that has links to the country's largest ethnic group.
ABIY AHMED, ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER (onscreen text): The enemy is digging a deep pit.
MCKENZIE: United against this man, Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed, promised the conflict would be swift. Now he is asking citizens to take up arms to defend Addis and the nation is in a state of emergency.
AHMED (onscreen text): This enemy we will fight with our bones and with our blood and we will rise. We will embarrass our enemies. Ethiopia, we will raise our flag. Ethiopia will not be embarrassed.
MCKENZIE: But this conflict has embarrassed Abiy, and threatens the very makeup of Ethiopia, a key U.S. ally in the region. The U.S. has sent a senior diplomat to try and stave off a collapse.
PRICE: We are gravely concerned by the escalating violence, by the expansion of the fighting that we've seen in northern Ethiopia and in regions throughout the country. We are concerned with the growing risk to the unity and the integrity of the Ethiopian state.
[03:04:57]
MCKENZIE: The conflict has been marked by allegations of awful human rights atrocities and indiscriminate killings highlighted by CNN's reporting. And the government has accused of withholding food aid to desperate Tigrayans facing famine. Something that they deny.
MICHELLE BACHELET, HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, UNITED NATIONS: We have reasonable grounds to believe that during this period all parties to the Tigray conflict have committed violations of international human rights humanitarian and refugee law. Some of this may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
MCKENZIE: Abiy came into power promising to unite Ethiopians under a new national identity. He squeezed the Tigrayans out of political power, but Ethiopia is a fragile collection of regions often with their own ethnic loyalties and militias.
And Abiy's military strike on Tigray after their attempt to break away from federal control set up this titanic struggle. On Wednesday, the capital was calm. People going about their business as usual. An Ethiopian government official blamed the international media for an alarmist narrative.
But the site of this rebels calmly walking through a major city far from Tigray leaves no doubt that Abiy is under threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: So, before the U.S. has sent a senior diplomat to help, but what leverage does the U.S. have, is there hope of a diplomatic settlement here?
MCKENZIE: I think the U.S., Kim, does have considerable leverage on paper, that is. They have already threatened to withdraw the AGOA agreement which allows Ethiopia to send textiles to the U.S. without tariffs. That's an important economic and depending or part of the economy there.
They also have given over the years billions in aid, foreign aid and military assistance. The census I think from the Americans and the international community that Ethiopia is too big to fail. They don't want to see it fracturing to these ethnic zones without the kind of national power.
Now, who is the person to make that happen? Both the rebel groupings and is the prime minister say they are ones to keep Ethiopia intact. And Abiy is the elected prime minister of the country despite their questions about the last election.
And so, there isn't really a constitutional way for him to get out of office unless he were to flee. I don't think we are anywhere near that point yet but they will be hoping I think to get them to a negotiating table.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll keep following this important story. David McKenzie, thank you so much.
Now last hour, I spoke with Etana Dinka, a political analyst and assistant professor of history at James Madison University. And I asked him how significant is the merger of the various rebel groups in Ethiopia. Here he is.
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ETANA HABTE DINKA, POLITICAL ANALYST: The country is now plunging into a chaos and this (Inaudible) is needed to keep the country together. For the last three years it did not see a single day when a civilian did not die or people were uprooted from their lives.
So, this oppression alliance between political groups will give hope to the country and show a direction to keep the country together and to restore peace in the country.
BRUNHUBER: So, you expect us to be a unifying force then. Explain that?
DINKA: Yes, it should be a unifying force. Particularly if you look at the name that includes Oromo political parties, Tigray political party, Somali, all of these people are people who won a larger and considerable autonomy in their regions in Ethiopia.
One important point about the ongoing war and conflict in Ethiopia is that this war that began to redefine or reconfigures the identity of the Ethiopian state. It's important to have in mind that Ethiopia began as a modern state in the 19th century. It began its life as an empire. It's a country of nations like any empire, it brought together many nations by force together.
That is why the modern history of Ethiopia was fought by the rising conflict and nationalism of ethnic groups including Oromo, Tigray, Somali and many other nations. So, this coalition of groups would confirm the peace of the country if it goes forward, and it is also secures the stability of the country because it presents the interest of the majority in the country.
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BRUNHUBER: You mentioned earlier that, you know, we see the country is plunging into chaos, do you referenced the impact on civilians. Obviously, they're all, as always caught in the middle and pay the heaviest price. I mean, we've seen further displacement of so many people. What effect is this having on the ground right now?
DINKA: The effect is very large throughout the country. Not just in the north. Tigray suffered the most. Oromia was in a similar situation for the last three years. It has been similar situations. (Inaudible) region is in the west is in a similar situation.
So, hundreds of thousands of people were dislocated from their lives, lost their lives in many parts of the country. So, the wall is going on a steel are people are suffering quite a lot in their daily lives. And ending this war is very important to secure people's lives. One important problem that we can see despite what happened in 1991 when in a similar fashion the regime was forced the doubt of power of rebels. This time there were considerable number of rebels in many parts of the country.
And these groups, the significance of these group is that it can bring together rebels for many other parts of the nations. Because it's important to remember the rebellion in many other parts of the Ethiopia is the more enforce (Ph) self-rule.
And these groups could come together much easily than any other group, for example. Political groups are start organizing their parties or political groups from the center looking at the past of Ethiopia that suppresses identities or regional autonomy in the country.
So, if the war ends very soon it secures peace of the country, it secures peace of nations and nationalities in the country. But the challenge is that the war may not end with the fall of Addis Ababa. There is a factor of Eritrea there is a factor of Amara region which is quite unhappy with advancing rebels.
BRUNHUBER: Etana Dinka, we'll have to leave it there but thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Now to the COVID pandemic and a chilling warning from the World Health Organization. It says Europe and Central Asia could see a half million new deaths by February. The organization says the region now accounts for 59 percent of all COVID cases worldwide. and almost half of all deaths.
A current surge in cases are being blamed on the relaxation of health measures and low vaccination rates in some areas. On Thursday, the number of new cases reached new records in Germany and Greece. Experts are concerned health systems could be strained this winter when the seasonal flu comes on top of the COVID surge.
So, for more on the COVID crisis in Europe, Nina dos Santos joins us from London. So, Nina, how bad is the situation overall? And what are the worst hotspots?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so the worst hotspots from the Baltic countries to the Netherlands having to reintroduce things like masks restrictions and stuff like that. But really, it's places like Germany that people are getting increasingly worried about, Kim.
The German health minister Jens Spahn, recently said that they were facing a potential massive fourth wave of the virus particularly among people who aren't fully vaccinated against the coronavirus especially elderly people.
And there is a concern in Germany that this could start to overwhelm the health system as we head into the colder months of the year where as you said there is that possibility of the pandemic coming up against the seasonal flu virus as well. And in Greece, which is a country among E.U. nations that appear to
have managed to keep the pandemic at bay in the early stages, well, that is facing three days in a row of a new case load of 6,000 cases per day. Right up to record levels, and this is what is really concerning the World Health Organization.
As you said, they monitor countries across Europe and Central Asia inside one block or about 53 nations. They say that recently there's been 1.8 million new cases across this region, 24,000 new deaths.
And the caseload in Europe is accounting for about 59 to 60 percent of all new COVID-19 cases. And surprise, surprise the Delta variant is particularly prevalent around this type of infection in this fourth wave that's spreading in this part of the world, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Very troubling. All right. Thank you so much, Nina dos Santos in London.
[03:14:57]
So, for more perspective on the COVID crisis on the continent we're joined by Catherine Smallwood. She is the World Health Organization's COVID incident manager for Europe, and she's speaking to us from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thank you for joining us. I really appreciate it.
So, Europe find yourself at the epicenter of the pandemic according to your colleague, Hans Kluge at the WHO. So how do we get here again?
CATHERINE SMALLWOOD, COVID-19 INCIDENT MANAGER, WHO EUROPE: Yes. Good morning. And as you said we are at the epicenter once again and it probably won't be the last time than what we've seen in previous waves that Europe since a little bit ahead of other region, so the warning to the whole world in fact that we might be seeing a difficult winter.
BRUNHUBER: So, is it just the case that we opened up too soon without reaching that status of heard immunity by getting more people vaccinated?
SMALLWOOD: It's really a mix of these regions. We are seeing a very high transmission rate in both countries that have achieved high vaccination uptake and other countries across the region particularly in central and eastern Europe where vaccination rates are really not where they should be.
And countries which have achieved high vaccination uptake were not seeing the numbers of deaths and hospitalization that we're seeing in countries that have low vaccine uptake. And those are really the countries that we are most worried about. But of course, transition anywhere spreads.
And when we have high levels of transmission even in countries like the United Kingdom where vaccination rates are quite high, we still have a lot of people ending up in hospital. Because there are a lot of people who are not quite vaccinated. BRUNHUBER: Yes. And then the other problem is the age groups. Right?
I mean, as I saw the cases have increased in all age levels and that's including older people. So, the projections in terms of the deaths if things don't change are pretty horrific. Exactly how bad could things get?
SMALLWOOD: Well, as you've seen in WHO's statement yesterday there are several projections for up to close to 500,000 new deaths between October and February 27th. But of course, that is something we want to avoid and we can avoid it because we have the tools with vaccines and the other preventive measures that we can put in place.
Measures that present -- prevent COVID that don't prevent us from going about our daily lives. We do have the tools available to us to bring those infections down.
(CROSSTALK)
BRUNHUBER: And obviously -- yes. And obviously vaccinations are key and with younger people. I mean, here in the U.S. we just are starting this week to vaccinate kids under 12. COVID in schools is a huge factor and will continue to be as we go from autumn to winter and as Europeans live more and more of their lives indoors. So, there should be a bigger push to get young people vaccinated.
SMALLWOOD: Certainly, there is a push and a movement of the infections to those younger age groups that are less vaccinated and that group is seen in Europe as well with the highest population that rate the highest in these younger age group.
So absolutely the vaccination of younger groups is really important. Because as we've seen in Europe those infections tend to trickle through the different age groups. And then can move into the older age groups. And that combined with a certain amount of waning immunity from the vaccine for infection can contribute to more cases in those older age groups that we're particularly worried about.
So, we also need to be aware that there are other utmost group that are not necessarily those older age group. And in Europe we've seen far too many pregnant women end up with COVID-19 and hospitalized in the critical care. And those age -- those population groups as well need to really think about the benefit of the vaccination.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. We've seen that same phenomenon here in the U.S. with pregnant women not getting vaccinated. Of course, there is the specter of the twindemic. right? The COVID and seasonal flu. I mean, we seem to have largely escape it last year but that was attributed to all the distancing and other COVID mitigation measures. So how big of a threat do you expect to see in Europe in the coming months?
SMALLWOOD: Starting in threat and we're seeing an increase speculation of various respiratory diseases and respiratory viruses that are taking advantage of the fact that people are coming together more and that (Inaudible) in what's in Europe and some of the country, the European countries. The restrictions on gathering have been significantly lifted. So, things like RSD have resulted in a much higher hospitalizations
among children and that has happened actually asymptomatically and atypically with quite severe cases. And we are worried about the same thing happening with flu. So, we are looking very, very closely.
[03:20:00]
And we've seen some initial signs but flu is circulating more than it did last year. Still at low levels but we're early in the season and so it's something that we have to be very careful of.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, we're keeping an eye on it. It's a warning for the rest of the world as you said.
Catherine Smallwood, thank you very much for your expertise. We really appreciate it.
SMALLWOOD: You're welcome.
BRUNHUBER: Commitments to phase out fossil fuels could head off to a-- could head off a global catastrophe but only if countries do what they say they will. We have the latest from Glasgow just ahead.
Plus, the International Criminal Court says it will investigate alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela. Now families of those killed or detained in anti-government protests are hoping they will finally get justice. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER (on camera): Chants of justice and liberty are ringing out in Venezuela after the International Criminal Court announce it will investigate alleged crimes against humanity by the Maduro government. It's the first probe of its kind in Latin America. And families of those killed are detained during anti-government protests are welcoming the decision.
CNN's Isa Soares reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For families mourning their lost loved ones this moment couldn't come soon enough.
UNKNOWN (through translator): We hoped that he will make room to listen to the victims. That he will receive the hundreds of relevant complaints that exist in Venezuela. And I insist that is why we are here. Appealing to his good faith and asking him to meet with the victims.
SOARES: On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court announce it was opening an investigation into whether crimes against humanity were committed in Venezuela in 2017. When the U.N. Human Right office says security forces used excessive force to crack down on people protesting the government of President Nicolas Maduro. The U.N. says that more than 120 died and thousands more people were
arbitrarily detained. Claim CNN hasn't been able to verify. Andreyina (Ph) Baduel's father, a former defense minister and retired general was jailed for allegedly conspiring against Maduro. Raul Baduel died last month of complications from COVID-19 in a Caracas prison.
The U.N. Human Right office called for an independent investigation and the release of prisoners who had been arbitrarily detained. Wednesday BICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan signed a memorandum of understanding with Maduro, and said the ICC would establish the truth.
KARIM KHAN, CHIEF PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: I am fully aware of the fault lines that exist in Venezuela, the geopolitical divisions that exist. We are not political. We are guided by the principles of legality and the rule of law.
[03:25:01]
SOARES: The ICC opened a preliminary examination into the Maduro government in February of 2018. And Khan says this moves that investigation into the next phase.
Meanwhile, Maduro says he respects the next step.
NICOLAS MADURO. PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): We respect your decision as a state, though we have made it clear we do not share it. We have signed an agreement that guarantees in an effective way, cooperation, positive complementarity, mutual support, and constructive dialogue to reach truth and justice between Venezuela with its institutions and the International Criminal Court prosecutors office. Thank you very much, prosecutor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES (on camera): This is the International Criminal Court's first full investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Latin America. And even if it drags on for years the family say the investigation is a step in the right direction to bring justice for their loved ones.
Isa Soares, CNN.
BRUNHUBER: The head of the United Nations says a recent attack in Central African Republic could amount to a war crime. The U.N. mission in the war-torn countries the presidential guard fired on a group of unarmed Egyptian peacekeepers Monday while they were on a bus in the capital city. Ten people were wounded. The attack came just over two weeks before the U.N.'s mission mandate ends in the country.
Ethiopia's prime minister has been praised in the past for prioritizing peace and for ending a war. But now his country is at war with itself.
Plus, we'll bring you up to date on efforts to calm the waters between France and the United Kingdom over fishing rights and the continuing fallout over Brexit. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: More now on our top story. As nine armed opposition groups say they are forming an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. There are growing calls from international leaders for de-escalation in Ethiopia.
Joint rebel forces are advancing towards the capital and say they could enter Addis Ababa within weeks. Ethiopian lawmakers have approved a six-month state of emergency which allows the military to enlist civilians 18 years or older who own firearms. And according to a diplomatic source the U.N. Security Council will discuss the ongoing crisis later today.
Now Ethiopia's prime minister who many once believed could unite the country has now vowed to burn the enemy.
CNN's Melissa Bell has a closer look at his rise to power.
[03:29:58]
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Abiy Ahmed was elected prime minister of Ethiopia in 2018. The charismatic 41-year-old promised to bring about change and heal divisions. Initially, many of his promises were back up with action. Abiy announced plans to relax Ethiopia's terrorism law and he released thousands of political prisoners. He was seen doing pushups with members of the military after their march to his office demanding better pay. He signed a peace deal with Eritrea ending a two decade long war. And in 2019, Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending that war.
ABIY AHMED, ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER: This is a labor of love. Sustaining peace is hard work. Yet, we must cherish and nurture it. It takes a few to make war, but takes a village and the nation to build peace.
BELL: But making peace with Eritrea angered the people of Tigray in the country's north. The TPLF, the Tigray People of Liberation Front had long-standing tensions with the Eritrean government. Abiy had already spark anger when he rearrange the ruling coalition founded by the TPLF into a single new party.
He promised to hold Democratic elections in 2020 but postponed them because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But in a show of strength, Tigray held its own regional elections and won. The Prime Minister call those elections invalid. Ethiopian lawmakers voted to cut funding to the region in October 2020 which incensed Tigray leaders.
A month later, TPLF allegedly attacked an Ethiopian military base. Abiy retaliated, ordering a military offensive into Tigray with help from neighboring Eritrea igniting a deadly conflict. Abiy's party won most of the seats in the country's June parliamentary elections, assuring him another term in office. But the elections were overshadowed by an opposition boycott and logistical problems. Abiy deemed them free and fair.
AHMED: You can't see how it is a free and fair election. Everybody is here for free, and I hope it will the best election in our history.
BELL: The fighting continues to escalate. Neither side is backing down.
AHMED (through translator): This pit which is dug very deep will be where the enemy will be buried not where Ethiopia disintegrates. We will bury this enemy with our blood and bones and make the glory of Ethiopia high up again.
BELL: It seems the Prime Minister who was once celebrated for bringing peace is now speaking the language of war.
Melissa Bell, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): International agreements reached so far the COP26 climate conference could keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels and avoid the worst impact of climate change, if all of those pledges are actually kept.
The head of the International Energy Agency says, 1.8 degrees is within reach under the agreements. But activists where the Arctic is already nearing the tipping point. A four ton chunk of Greenland's ice sheet was brought to Glasgow to dramatize how rapidly the earth's glaciers are melting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GAIL WHITEMAN, FOUNDER, ARCTIC BASECAMP: Studies are showing that if we lose the snow and ice in the Arctic, we will amplify global warming by 25 percent to 40 percent. So it is one eco region that packs a big punch. And we felt that negotiators here had to actually come face to face with the Arctic, so we brought the iceberg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Phil Black is covering the COP26 conference and joins us from Glasgow. So, Phil, some big announcements made yesterday on energy, take us through the highlights.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, Kim. So, it was energy day yesterday and we did see some significant announcements made regarding coal and fossil fuels. Crucially there was a commitment by some 20 countries to stop funding fossil fuel projects abroad. The caveat there is that they are still allowed to do so within their own borders. But it is seen as something of an advance on recent similar commitments which just targeted coal, because this targets all fossil fuels. It will apply to oil and gas projects as well.
And we did see -- say about two dozen new countries committing to phasing out coal in the relatively near future. But we are still talking decades here. This was not perhaps as grand as ambitious, as I think many activist would have hoped because the timeframe was still quite loose. And it doesn't include crucially the world's biggest users of coal like China, India, and the U.S.
But tempered against that there is certainly a sense of progress here. Which as you point out, the International Energy Agency has boiled down to a number, an analysis which suggests that the world if it keeps these new commitments that have been made here could now potentially be on track to limit global warming to 1.8 degrees.
[03:35:13]
They say this is a landmark moment because it is the first credible analysis that suggest that individual commitments by the countries collectively add up with sufficient boldness and ambitions to keep it below 2 degrees.
For a long time, 2 degrees was the goal, it was thought that if you could achieve that then you would have avoid the worst impacts of climate change. But with an improvement of science and understanding, it became pretty clear over time that the 2 degrees wasn't going to cut it. That is why, the Paris Agreement talks about well-below 2 degrees and while the accepted goal here is 1.5.
So, in that context for all the progress that has been made here, it is good but still is not good enough. And crucially 1.5 is still beyond reach. Because as the International Energy Agency and many others point out in order to keep that dream alive you need to make much more progress drastically, cutting emissions in the near term.
This decade, by 2030. The IEA estimates that there is currently a 70 percent gap in the amount of emissions needed by 2030 in order to achieve 1.5. Otherwise the goal simply slips away, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Now, Phil, so many less developed and smaller nations have been pushing for climate reparations, that's been a big theme at COP and one of the most contentious ones. Are they going to come away empty-handed here?
BLACK: It doesn't look good. You have to say. The thing to remember is that at the heart of this process isn't understanding that rich countries, which have burned pretty much all the carbon got very wealthy doing so and caused this problem. They are largely responsible.
And so therefore they understand that they need to step up and help poor developing countries financially in order to grow economically in a low carbon way. But also to help them financially deal with the impacts of climate change that are happening and will happen.
The target for that financial commitment if you'd like is $100 billion a year from wealthy countries to developing countries. That is already in a motive subject because that payment has missed its deadline which was 2020. That it looks like it will get there in the next few years, but even still that has eroded trust between developing and developed countries.
In addition to that, you now have some of the developing countries calling for lawsuit damage payments, reparations, compensation which implies as a legal liability almost. This is in addition to those other payments, it's a much more fraught issue. And it seems that the developed countries are at much less likely to sign on to that at the moment. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Alright. Thanks so much, Phil Black in Glasgow, we appreciate it.
A disturbing report shows that 2020 was the deadliest year on record for people who would be called environmental defenders, 227 people were killed for protecting the earth's natural resources last year, 65 of them were in Columbia.
Now local people in the country who call themselves indigenous guards are training next generation to take up the fight to protect their lands.
CNN's Stefano Pozzebon has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (voice over): The indigenous guards in the reservation of (inaudible), in Columbia's North Cauca region are installing a checkpoint to control their territory. Armed with only sticks and machetes they are the first line in defense of the environment. It is a dangerous deadly job. Because of their activism their leader, (inaudible), has received multiple threats from organized crime groups in Garigras (ph) who are trying to penetrate the reservation.
Today we are following her and the indigenous guards on a patrol.
This full arc represents the indigenous guard. These two colors represent green's nature which is what they are defending and red is the blood of the comrades who had fallen in the past.
POZZEBON: The Garias don't control Taquinas' reservation but repeating the closest town shows who's in charge. Former rebels, who rejected the landmark peace accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia or FARC and who hold sway over the lucrative production of cocaine.
The indigenous fight is in defense of water sources along the Cordillera Mountain Range, had over 10,000 feet above sea level. The top of the mountain is a strategic location for drug trafficking groups who use it for smuggling routes, or shelter in the fight against the state. Security forces are rarely seen here. The indigenous guards are often the only institution denouncing and standing up to their traffickers.
[03:40:07]
The ground itself feel like a giant sponge here. It is full of water. This water is what gives water to the rivers of Columbia.
NORA TAQUINAS, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDER (through translator): If there was no water here Colombia would be a desert. There would be no life in the country.
POZZEBON: Taquinas fight for the environment mixes with social issues for indigenous community. She oversees projects of sustainable development of water sources like this fish farm to create jobs and prevent more people from joining the Garigas. This puts Taquinas in direct conflict with the criminal groups. In 2018 her name was added to a list of (inaudible) leaders with a bounty on their head from one of the largest paramilitary groups in Columbia.
Now the single mother of (inaudible) under protection but still hasn't left from (inaudible).
TAQUINAS (through translator): Some people when they see this amount of nature, see profit and money. With that point of view the environmentalists becomes an enemy.
POZZEBON: According to international NGO Global Witness, last year 65 environmental leaders were murdered in Columbia. The world's most dangerous country to be a defender. The office of U.N. High Commission for Human Rights reported recently that 69 indigenous leaders who are killed in the country between 2016 and 2020.
Global Witness says the majority of the victims were killed by crime cartels with interest in drugs, logging, and illegal mining. International organizations and Columbia's partners like the U.S. had urged the state to a further protection for leaders like Taquinas. Something President Ivan Duque pledged resolutely.
IVAN DUQUE, COLUMBIAN PRESIDENT: And you can have the assurance from my administration that not only we have strengthen the legal system to be tougher on environmental crimes but also on dismantling these types of organizations.
POZZEBON: But the numbers tell a different story. Violence is on the rise in the countryside with over 75 massacres reported this year so far. Most of the indigenous guards in this group told us that they have either been threatened or approached for recruiting.
And in 2019, an attack by the Garigas left five of them killed. Taquinas latest project is a school to train the next generation of environmental leaders. I am fine if my time on this earth will be cut short, she says. But I want to be sure there is someone to take up the fight.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, (Inaudible).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: We have an update on the fishing fight between the U.K. and France. The British government says it believes France won't increase checks on British boats or block them from French ports. The announcement comes after Thursday's meeting between the U.K.'s Brexit minister and the French European affairs minister. The two didn't reach an agreement that vowed to hold more talks next week. The British fishing boat Francis last week is now back in the U.K. French authorities released the boat on Wednesday, fishing rights have been the key disputes since Britain left the European Union.
Alright, coming up on "CNN Newsroom." Fuel costs are rising everywhere and that's having a ripple effect. Now the president of Mexico's created a controversial new gas company. We'll have a report from Mexico City coming up. Stay with us.
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[03:45:00]
BRUNHUBER: The rising cost of fuel is affecting countries all over the world and that has a ripple effect as residents pay more for gas they also pay more for everything that depends on gas. So in an effort to lower prices, Mexico's president created a new and controversial government run oil company.
CNN's Rafael Romo has details.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice over): On a recent morning in Mexico City, people lined up for what has long been a monthly ritual, filling up their LP gas tanks
Like many Mexicans, Alejandra Navarrete complains about how expensive LP gas has become.
It affects all of us Mexicans, LP gas is very expensive but we still need to buy it she says.
I am spending twice as much as before this man says.
How far is this going to go this woman wonders?
According to figures by the Mexican government, LP gas increased by more than 20 percent from September of 2020 to the same month this year by comparison. Inflation went up by 6 percent. In fact analysts with the country central banks say, a typical price increases observed in some products maybe explain by global factors including the price hike in this fuel.
What are Mexican consumers doing to be able to come up with the money to pay for this new increased price in LP gas?
CARLOS LOPEZ JONES, FINANCE ANALYST: It's a very difficult situation for many Mexicans so they have to adjust. They have to reduce their consumption in other goods and services.
ROMO: President Andres Manuel Obrador acknowledged over the summer the price of LP gas has risen well above inflation which breaks a campaign promise. His solution has been controversial.
The president created Gas Bienestar or Welfare Gas. A new LP gas company under PEMEX, Mexico's government run oil company. He says there are only five big companies that supply LP gas to almost half the country. Companies that according to the president operate with very high profit margins. But analysts say the problem is not lack of competition but high global demand that has caused prices to spike everywhere.
UNKNOWN: Yes, absolutely. Just like every country in Latin America is experiencing the same thing. All of the increases is a consequence, a direct consequence of the global situation with supply and demand. There is no escaping about it. Even countries that are self-sufficient are also seeing this increases in prices.
ROMO: At the end of August, the Mexican government announced with great fanfare, the first Gas Bienestar truck had begun delivering the fuel in the lower middle class neighborhood in Mexico City. But as if to prove President Lopez Obrador wrong, LP gas sold by the government's company went up 11 percent in its first month of operation, even higher than some private providers.
Does the president's idea of (inaudible) gas company to lower prices makes sense?
LOPEZ JONES: No. It doesn't make sense because you are not going to impact global price.
ROMO: And the problem is the ripple effect that high LP gas prices are having throughout the Mexican economy. Even in staples like Tortillas.
Just think about it, tortillas went up and everything else went up but we can't increase our prices because our customers are not making more money, this food stand owner says.
We won't be able to make ends meet with food stand owner complains. It's not only gas that is going up, it's also tomatoes, rice, sugar, beans, everything is very expensive.
Back at the LP gas tank exchange depot, Alejandra Navarrete hopes the president's idea can make a difference but has a wait and see attitude.
There is a lot of talk but no results she says. As she puts the full tank in her car to go back home, she says all she hopes is that next month's trip for a refill won't leave her again with an empty pocket.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Mexico City.
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[03:50:00]
BRUNHUBER: Well, historic artifacts stolen over a century ago. Some are now coming home but not everyone agrees that the looted treasures should be returned. A lot of details ahead, please do stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Two British universities this week marked the return of looted artifacts to their original homes in West Africa. Thousands have been in bronzes were stolen in the late 19th century. Now several European countries in the process are returning some but not all of them.
CNN's Scott Mclean has the details.
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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Though the tools are now modern in West Africa they've been casting bronze sculptures like this for centuries. But thousands of the region's oldest and most famous pieces of art are here. Well over a century they've been in museums across Europe.
But maybe not for much longer. French President Emmanuel Macron was there for the official handover of 26 artifacts that had been stolen from what is now the country of Benin in the 1890s. That government is still seeking thousands more. In the U.K., the University of Aberdeen and Cambridge are returning sculptures from the kingdom of Benin, now part of Nigeria.
SONITA ALLEYNE, MASTER OF JESUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY: When one sees a wrong that is so egregious, the only institutional question one can ask is how to write that wrong.
MCLEAN: They are called the Benin bronzes looted by British troops 124 years ago, then auctioned off in museums across Europe, 136 of them still sit inside of a museum at Cambridge University which is now trying to figure out how best to give them back.
NICHOLAS THOMAS, PROFESSOR, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY: It is been my very clear to us that members of the court, members of the public in that part of Nigeria do not forget about what happened in 1897. If it is right to return material that was looted by the Nazis to the descendants of people from whom it was taken. We should apply the same logic if the people from whom things were taken are in Africa or elsewhere.
MCLEAN: The German government also plans to hand back its Benin bronzes next year. But not everyone agrees on the principle of returning artifacts taken by foreign powers. Some argue they are safer in European museums. The British museum which still houses the famous (inaudible) marbles taken from Greece more than two centuries ago also has more than 900 Benin bronzes. It says it is happy to share but it has not committed to returning them.
Where do you draw the line on all of this? I mean, this happened more 120 years ago. If this happened 200 years ago or 500 years ago, would we've been having the same discussion today?
THOMAS: I think we make a case by case decisions. It is not about an arbitrary cut off point. One of the significant factors in the Benin case is that the court is still there. The people are still there. We have had members of the Benin royal family right in the space.
MCLEAN: In Nigeria, a brand new museum of West African art is opening which will house many of the returned artifacts.
UNKNOWN: It is a return of these objects. I was born into the struggle so we are happy about it.
MCLEAN: Scott Mclean, CNN, London.
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BRUNHUBER: Experts are reporting air quality in Delhi, India is at hazardous levels and the festival called the valley could be somewhat responsible.
The (inaudible) symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and expert say Delhi's smog was likely made worse by fireworks.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more.
[03:55:14]
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sounds of praying and chanting as India celebrates Diwali. The festival of lights that made the coronavirus pandemic.
UNKNOWN: This Diwali as you say is much joyous as it used to be pre- COVID. Last year we could not celebrate Diwali because of the COVID. But this year again the crowd is back on the streets. We are buying crackers for our kids. We do hope to enjoy the festival as we used to enjoy.
LU STOUT: After a quiet Diwali in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year Indians are celebrating in full force. Undeterred by the virus and the deadly second wave that grip the country earlier this year. Markets were crowded as people stepped out to buy fireworks, flowers, and new clothes ahead of the festival.
But with poor air quality in the capital of New Delhi and elsewhere some states and territories banned firecrackers to curb air pollution. And families mark the day by lighting earth and lamps and making colorful (inaudible) gathering together after being apart due to the pandemic.
In Kolkata, the streets were lit up with colored lights as Hindu celebrated both Diwali and Kali Puja marking the goddess Kali's victory over evil. And in Punjab, people gathered at the illuminated golden temple in (inaudible) to pray and watch the fireworks.
I'm feeling very happy after witnessing the fireworks here on Diwali. It is a heavenly feel. I pray that peace should prevail in the world.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with troops near the country's border in Kashmir, paying tribute to fallen soldiers. And although the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic is not yet lifted, Indians are praying this Diwali for better times ahead. UNKNOWN (through translator): It feels very good because people have
started stepping out. People who were scared earlier due to corona have stepped up now for shopping. It's very good. This Diwali is much better than last year.
LU STOUT: Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, I'm Kim Brunhuber and I will be back in a moment with "CNN Newsroom." Please do stay with us.
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