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Zaida Catalán

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Zaida Catalán (6 October 1980 – March 2017) was a Swedish politician who was a member of the Green Party and leader of the Young Greens of Sweden between 2001 and 2005.[1] She was known for her work in animal rights, equality and the sex purchase law (which she supported); she was a passionate human rights and environmental activist.[2] She was killed while on a UN mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in March 2017.

Biography

Early life

Zaida Catalán was born in Stockholm but grew up in Högsby in Småland.[3] Her mother was Swedish while her father had come to Sweden as a political refugee from Chile in 1975.[4] She studied law at Stockholm University, obtaining a Master of Law degree.[5]

Political career

With a background as an animal rights activist she in 2001 became the leader of the Young Greens of Sweden. After two years as the leader of the organisation along with Gustav Fridolin and two years along with Einar Westergaard, she resigned as leader of the Young Greens in 2005.[4]

In late 2008 she announced her candidacy for the European Parliament for 2009.[6] After an internal voting within the party she came fifth in the party's list for the parliament. After her personal campaign she received 16,300 in the election, which wasn't enough to get a place in the European Parliament.[7][6] After the Swedish general election in 2006 she was part of the Stockholm City Council for the Green Party.[6]

In December 2010 Catalán announced that she was to leave her work as a lawyer for the Green Party's parliamentary group and she was to start work as an expert on sexual violence for the European Union police work EUPOL in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[8][9]

Kidnapping and death

On 12 March 2017, Catalán and another UN employee, American Michael Sharp, were kidnapped during a mission near the village Ngombe in the Kasai Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[10] They were both found dead on 27 March.[11] Catalán was found in a shallow grave [10], the body was beheaded presumably as some kind of ritual or statement from the executioners[12], and the head was not found despite the arresting of two primary suspects by Congolese authorities.[13]. The UN was reportedly horrified when a grisly video of the execution of the two UN experts surfaced in April, 2017.[14]

On 29 March, Swedish authorities launched an investigation into the murder of Zaida Catalán; the Minister for Education Gustav Fridolin and the Prime Minister Stefan Löfven both expressed their dismay and sadness over her death and offered their condolences to her family.[15] UN Secretary-General António Guterres also offered his condolences.[16]

Criticism of the U.N. has been expressed about the U.N.'s approach to the mission of their two experts.[17] They were sent into a remote and violence-torn area on motorbike taxis with only an interpreter at their side and without much training, safety equipment or even health insurance, an "astoundingly irresponsible approach by the United Nations to an obviously dangerous and hugely important task."[18]

References

  1. ^ "Two U.N. officials of U.S., Swedish nationality kidnapped in central Congo". Reuters. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017 – via Reuters.
  2. ^ UN Congo Killings
  3. ^ "Congo-Kinshasa: Two United Nations Workers Kidnapped in DRC". AllAfrica.com. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017 – via AllAfrica.
  4. ^ a b "Bodies of two UN investigators found in Congo - govt". RTE. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Catalán Zaida / Candidates / Sweden / EU map: who signed ILGA-Europe's Pledge / Be Bothered – European Parliament 2009-2014 / Working with the European Institutions / How we work / Home / ilga - ILGA Europe". Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Zaida Catalán: Getting the vote out for a greener Europe". The Local. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Rights Group: Congo Must Help Search for Missing UN Staff". VOA News. Associated Press. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  8. ^ "MONUSCO: Search continues for abducted UN experts in DR Congo". Africa Times. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Zaida Catalan - det blir svårt att uträtta något bra". Jusektidningen (in Swedish). 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Kasai unrest: UN experts found dead in DR Congo". BBC News. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Congo finds Caucasian bodies where U.N. experts disappeared". CBS News. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  12. ^ Meurtre de deux experts de l'ONU: la RDC présente une vidéo, Retrieved 05 August, 2017|(In French)
  13. ^ For 2 Experts Killed in Congo, U.N. Provided Little Training and No Protection, Retrieved 05 August, 2017
  14. ^ Experts kiiled in the Congo, Retrieved 21 May, 2017
  15. ^ "Wallström kräver att mordet på Catalán klaras upp - DN.SE". 29 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  16. ^ TT. "Krav på att mordet på Catalán klaras upp". Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  17. ^ U.N. criticized for dangerous mission Retrieved May 21, 2017
  18. ^ U.N. Congo murder Retrieved May 27, 2017
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