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[AfricaRealities.com] Fwd: UN DAILY NEWS DIGEST - 14 August

 



UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE

14 August, 2015

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UN AGENCY ASSISTS NIGERIA'S NEIGHBOURS AS ESCALATING VIOLENCE SPARKS WAVES OF REFUGEES

The United Nations refugee agency today expressed concern about the escalating violence in and around Nigeria and its impact on the situation of Nigerian refugees in surrounding host countries, including a shrinking humanitarian space in which they can seek asylum.

"We salute the generosity and humanitarian spirit of Cameroon, Chad and Niger in opening their doors to tens of thousands of people fleeing conflict in their home areas in north-east Nigeria over the past two years," stated the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a press release.

Sharing these countries' commitment to ensuring the safety and protection of the refugees while at the same time ensuring the security of their own citizens and border areas, UNHCR has, for example, encouraged refugees to move away from front line border areas to camps deeper inland, where they can receive aid and protection.

But amid the fluid military situation in border areas since Nigerian militants widened their campaign earlier this year, thousands of people have been deported or returned to Nigeria from Cameroon and Chad in July and August.

These include 925 Nigerians sent home from Cameroon and Chad from July 9 to 11 and 50 Nigerians being screened by UNHCR at the Gourounguel transit camp on August 3, stressed the press release.

Unaware at this time if they include refugees who may have gone back involuntarily, the agency has been in contact with the relevant governments, expressing concern at the way these returns were conducted.

"UNHCR fears that such deportations lead to shrinking of the protection and humanitarian space and the agency reminds governments of their duty to protect asylum-seekers fleeing human rights violations and to respect the principle of non-refoulement (non-return)."

The Office of the High Commissioner reiterated that principles and international standards should be respected, even in the face of serious security concerns, including the right to apply for asylum and the need for joint screening with UNHCR for people in need of international protection, as well as evacuation for those willing to go back after making an informed decision about the situation in areas of return.

Encouraged by the assurances given by Cameroon to take the necessary measures to comply with international standards, UNHCR added that it will continue to monitor the situation of refugees and returnees, while noting that protection and humanitarian assistance for returnees is becoming "increasingly difficult" due to security and access difficulties.


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BAN APPOINTS EXPERIENCED UN OFFICIAL AS ACTING HEAD OF MISSION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Parfait Onanga-Anyanga of Gabon as his Acting Special Representative for the Central African Republic and Head of the United Nations stabilization mission in the country, known as MINUSCA.

Mr. Onanga-Anyanga succeeds Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye of Senegal, who resigned on 12 August amid allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation against peacekeepers at MINUSCA.

The Secretary-General is grateful for Lieutenant General Gaye's long and distinguished record of public service in the United Nations, most recently, over the past two years, during a critical period in the Central African Republic.

Mr. Onanga-Anyanga brings with him several years of experience with the UN in conflict-affected areas, including as Head of the UN Office in Burundi (BNUB), having served most recently as the Assistant-Secretary-General, System-Wide Senior Coordinator on Burundi in addition to his role as the Coordinator of UN Headquarters Response to the Boko Haram crisis.

From 2007 to 2012 he was the Director of the Office of the UN Deputy Secretary-General. Previously, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga was Special Adviser to the President of the sixtieth and sixty-first sessions of the General Assembly (2005-2007). Prior to that, he was Chef de Cabinet to the President of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly.

From 1998-2004, he held a variety of political and managerial positions at the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna and New York. Earlier in his career, he was acting Secretary of the UN Standing Advisory Committee for Security Questions in Central Africa, and served as First Counsellor for Disarmament and Political Affairs at the Permanent Mission of Gabon to the UN in New York.


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UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE WARNS BURUNDI CRISIS 'SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL'

The situation in Burundi continues to deteriorate amid ongoing killings, arrests and detentions in the latest post-election turmoil to afflict the country, the United Nations human rights office has reported.

"We urge all sides to resume dialogue before the situation spirals completely out of control," warned Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as she addressed reporters today in Geneva.

"Burundi has been slipping closer to the edge with every high-profile attack and killing, and we call on leaders on all sides to take concrete steps to renounce the use of violence and to resolve differences peacefully," she continued. "Where violations and abuses have occurred, there need to be prompt investigations with a view to bringing the perpetrators to account and justice for victims."

According to the UN, civil unrest erupted on 26 April in Bujumbura, Burundi's capital, after the ruling Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie-Forces pour la défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD) party elected President Pierre Nkurunziza on 25 April as its candidate for the then-scheduled 26 June presidential election.

Mr. Nkurunziza has been in office for two terms since 2005, and a broad array of actors warned that an attempt to seek a third term was unconstitutional and contrary to the spirit of the 2000 Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi that ended a decade of civil war in the country.

The OHCHR spokesperson observed that since the outbreak of violence in April, at least 96 people have been killed, mostly among opposition supporters, while some 600 people have been arrested and detained. Among those detained, there have been at least 60 cases of torture and many more cases of ill-treatment, she added.

"So far, no trials have taken place in relation to the violence, killings, torture and ill-treatment since April, although the authorities have repeatedly indicated that investigations are under way and that some police elements have been arrested," Ms. Shamdasani said, noting that the actual numbers of persons killed, detained or tortured may be much higher than initially thought.

"We understand that in very few cases have investigations actually been initiated. Continuing impunity in Burundi can only fuel cycles of violence."

Along with the increasing human rights violations, the mounting violence across Burundi has also provoked a widespread humanitarian crisis as refugees have spilled across the country's borders and fanned throughout the region.

Indeed, the most recent data state that over 200,000 people have sought refuge in neighbouring countries with 85,200 Burundian refugees in Tanzania, 71,600 in Rwanda, 28,300 in Uganda, 14,322 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 7,000 in Kenya, and 3,000 in southern Africa.


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SYRIA: UN SPECIAL ENVOY CONDEMNS INDISCRIMINATE SHELLING IN CIVILIAN AREAS

Condemning the continued use of indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas of Syria, the United Nations special envoy for the country has today renewed his call on the warring parties to immediately cease such attacks and focus on finding a political solution to the "unacceptable situation" in their homeland.

"The shelling of Damascus neighbourhoods and suburbs, as well as other areas in Syria, which continues to indiscriminately kill and injure civilians, has no justification, but only further terrorizes the population," Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura stressed in a statement released in Geneva by his spokesperson.

His comments come as news agencies report that dozens of civilians have been killed in recent heavy shelling of populated areas in and around the Syrian capital.

Through the statement, Mr. de Mistura expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and wishes speedy recovery to the injured.

He renews his call on all the warring parties in Syria to immediately cease attacks affecting any civilian. "Instead, all Syrian efforts should now be focused on finding a political solution to the unacceptable situation in their homeland," he added.

In a recent interview with the UN News Centre, Mr. de Mistura, who has been tasked with reinvigorating the Geneva Communiqué towards ending the conflict, said that in his 42 years of service with the UN, he has never seen such a cynical series of reasons for which a conflict like this one, which could have been solved, has been going on for five years, with 220,000-240,000 killed, one million wounded and four million refugees.

"But, at the same time, I'm also realizing that if there's one institution that cannot abandon the Syrians, it's the UN," he said, adding: "We have had many attempts, and we'll continue pushing, because at the end of the day, what is happening at the moment, is that we are having a whole generation of Syrians, young kids, who have seen only war…There is no military solution. Everybody knows it, the Government and the opposition, and everybody who is involved on both sides."


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MONTH-LONG BLOCKADE OF AID ROUTES LIFTED IN SOUTH SUDAN, ALLOWING UN TO ACCESS CONFLICT-TORN AREAS

The United Nations humanitarian wing has reported that the month-long restrictions on the movement of goods by air and river routes in South Sudan have been lifted, allowing delivery of aid supplies in crisis-torn Malakal, and has warned of a "dire situation" as fighting continues.

"The lifting of the restrictions has allowed humanitarian partners to start resupplying critical medicines, fuel, food and water treatment chemicals in Malakal in Upper Nile state," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Partners are working to ensure supplies continue to be delivered to Upper Nile to avert a further deterioration of the already dire situation, according to an updateissued Thursday.

Restrictions on the movement of barges on the River Nile, as well as clearances to use the Malakal airstrip had affected the delivery of life-saving assistance to vulnerable people in Upper Nile state. No barges arrived in Malakal during July and no flights were able to land at the airstrip from the end of June until 7 August.

Humanitarian partners continue to negotiate with all parties on the ground to access Wau Shilluk to be able to restock water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, including fuel for water system, which are exhausted there.

More than 10,000 people, mainly from Wau Shilluk, have arrived to the Malakal civilian protection site since 1 August, bringing the total number of displaced people seeking refuge at the site to 46,500 and causing a severe congestion and stretching the capacity of aid agencies to provide humanitarian services.

OCHA says that relief agencies are racing to cope with the influx as the rainy season creates increasingly desperate living conditions. Although partners undertook an extensive operation to expand the protection site in 2014 and 2015, it was designed to accommodate only 18,000 people.


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UN EXPERTS CALL ON IRAN TO RELEASE JOURNALIST JASON REZAIAN AS HE AWAITS VERDICT

United Nations human rights experts today urged the Iranian Government to immediately release the Washington Post's correspondent in Tehran, Jason Rezaian, who now awaits verdict after his fourth and possible final hearing earlier this week.

"We urge the Iranian Government to release Mr. Rezaian as well as all those exercising their rights to expression who have been arbitrarily arrested, detained and prosecuted," the human rights experts in a press release.

"The arrest, detention and secret trial of Mr. Rezaian violate his rights and intimidate all those working in the media in Iran," said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye. "His continued detention violates basic rules that not only aim to protect journalists, bloggers, human rights activists and others but to guarantee everyone's right to information."

Iranian authorities detained Mr. Rezaian and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, over a year ago, though she was subsequently released. In secret proceedings, he has reportedly been accused of espionage, collaboration with hostile governments, gathering classified information and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Mr. Rezaian seems to have been detained for the simple fact of having exercised his rights to freedom of expression, association and political participation," noted Seong-Phil Hong, who currently heads the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. "His rights to legal counsel of his choice and to due process of law seem to have been forgotten."

Mr. Rezaian's trial has been held closed to the public and even his close relatives and he was deprived of his right to consular visitation. The journalist has had no opportunity to present witnesses or evidence in his defence, or to examine and challenge witnesses and evidence against him.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, reminded the Iranian Government of its responsibility to ensure that journalists do not face prosecution for exercising their professional activities. "Mr. Rezaian's case is part of a broader crackdown on freedom of expression in Iran. Journalists must be protected, not harassed, detained or prosecuted," he stressed.

Mr. Rezaian, who is being held at Evin Prison in Tehran, was placed in solitary confinement for five months and subjected to full-day interrogation sessions that caused significant physical and psychological strain. These conditions have resulted in Rezaian's dramatic weight loss, respiratory problems, and chronic infections.

Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.


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HELPED BY FLOATING ROBOTS, UN-BACKED RESEARCH SHIP SCOURS INDIAN OCEAN FOR PLASTIC WASTE

The United Nations is supporting a project aiming to chart the impact of plastic waste, including garbage like plastic bags, and 'microplastics' used in products such as cosmetics and shower gels, in the Indian Ocean, underscoring the risk of dramatic upheavals in marine ecosystems even in one of the world's least-known and least-visited environments.

An estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently float in the world's oceans, up from none in 1950 and posing a question about their potential impact on a food supply chain that stretches from plankton – which have been filmed eating plastic pellets – up through shellfish, salmon, tuna and eventually humans, not to mention whales.

With these troubling facts in mind, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is supporting the efforts of the Dr Fridtjof Nansen, which is plying the waves of the southern Indian Ocean, trawling for trash.

The research vessel, operated by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in collaboration with FAO, has since 1975 plied the world's oceans to collect information on marine resources and the health of the marine ecosystems and to help train scientists from around the world.

Some 18 scientists from eight countries and crew are aboard now, in the second of two seasonal missions. Researchers typically measure ocean temperatures, oxygen levels, chlorophyll and biological processes like plankton production and fish distribution, but there are two particular additional goals this year: to assess the scale and nature of industrial rubbish in remote parts of the southern Indian Ocean, and to study how the local Gyre, a cyclical vortex of currents, operates to spread plankton and tiny fish.

"We have found some plastic particles in almost all the stations we sampled," said Reidar Toresen of IMR, cruise leader of the first leg. IMR is providing scientific services to the FAO EAF-Nansen Project financed by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

Ocean-borne plastic trash can be ingested by wildlife – some sea creatures have even been seen to prefer beads of a particular colour – causing harm. Even tiny plankton have also been observed consuming plastic beads. Such menu choices can have tragic outcomes; sea turtles that eat plastic bags, for example, often die of dehydration and sunburn as their digestion is paralyzed and decomposing food turns into gas that forces the animals to float.

According to FAO, huge floating islands of trash twice the size of Texas have recently been located in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but the southern Indian Ocean is relatively unexplored. The Trans-Indian Ocean Survey will yield critical information to scientists concerned about the extent and impact of so-called plastic beads in the ocean.

On the current mission, the crew is also launching new, high-technology sinking sensors to measure levels of a range of deepwater biological elements. Provided by Australia with help from India, these robotic sensors are a step beyond the floating robots already in use to monitor ocean temperatures and salinity, as they are programmed to dive down as deep as 2,000 meters to sample oceanic health indicators.

When they resurface, these diving devices gather data at various depths, then resurface and transmit the data to scientists by satellite. The sensors will collect data on levels of chlorophyll, an indicator both of trends in the ocean's carbon storage capacity as well as in the basic food supply that plankton and the fish that eat them can rely on.

Promoting sustainable oceans and fishing practices is a priority for FAO as capture fishery production is the source of 80 million tonnes of nutritious food each year. Together with aquaculture, the world's capture fisheries provide nearly 3 billion people with 20 percent of their protein intake, as well as almost 60 million jobs.


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MALI: SENIOR UN OFFICIAL URGES SUSTAINED SUPPORT FOR RELIEF EFFORTS AMID ONGOING CRISIS

Food insecurity in Mali will only grow if national parties fail to commit to peace and stability in the country, the United Nations relief official dealing with Africa's Sahel region warned today as he urged the international community to remain engaged with the country's urgent humanitarian needs.

In a press release issued following his completion of a five-day visit to the country, UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, Toby Lanzer, emphasized the necessity for the international community to sustain its engagement to meet the vital needs of Mali's most vulnerable communities, whilst supporting ongoing efforts toward peace and development.

"I am inspired by the resilience of Malian communities and a vibrant civil society that strives to uphold values of tolerance and social cohesion," Mr. Lanzer declared. "Together with the Government and development partners, we must stand by the people to address their aspirations to a dignified life, development and security."

As Mali enters a gruelling lean season, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that some 3.1 million Malians continue to suffer from food insecurity, of whom 410,000 require immediate assistance.

In addition, across the country the lives of an estimated 15,000 children are threatened by acute malnutrition. The situation is of particular concern in the Timbuktu region, where malnutrition rates exceed the emergency threshold, according to OCHA.

The dire humanitarian situation in the country is only further exacerbated by Mali's ongoing political instability and insecurity.

"The insecurity that prevails in parts of the country hinders humanitarian access, precisely to some of the most vulnerable communities where it is generating new needs," warned Mbaranga Gasarabwe, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Mali.

"Stabilization and security are essential to ensure people's access to critical services and livelihoods," she added. "Together with the national authorities, we are working towards this goal."

In response to the humanitarian crisis facing Mali's population, the UN this year launched a $377 million to address the most pressing needs throughout the country. OCHA has noted that it is the second highest appeal of the nine countries of the Sahel region but, to date, only 33 percent of its financial requirements have been met.

"The international community shall remain engaged to ensure aid agencies have the resources they need to save lives and boost self-reliance of the most vulnerable communities," Mr. Lanzer concluded.


* * *

UN HEALTH AGENCY KICKS-OFF CAMPAIGN HONOURING WORLD'S HEALTH WORKERS

The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to launch a campaign aimed at honouring the sacrifices and efforts of thousands of international health workers deployed to the frontlines of the world's most pressing crises, the United Nations agency has announced.

The online campaign – to be known by its social-media friendly moniker #ThanksHealthHero – will seek to draw attention to the growing threats faced by health workers and the need for intensified action to protect them ahead of next week's World Humanitarian Day to be observed by the UN system on 19 August.

In a press release, WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan noted that the agency remains committed to saving lives and reducing suffering in times of crisis despite an uptick in targeted attacks against health workers.

"Attacks against health care workers and facilities are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law," Dr. Chan declared. "Health workers have an obligation to treat the sick and injured without discrimination. All parties to conflict must respect that obligation."

According to the WHO, in 2014 alone there were 372 attacks in 32 countries on health staff, resulting in 603 deaths and 958 injuries, while similar incidents have been recorded this year.

Ongoing attacks on health facilities have also been increasingly reported, the agency added. In Yemen alone, 190 health facilities are non-functional and another 183 partly functional as result of the ongoing conflict, including 26 health facilities that have been attacked since May 2015.

Similarly, in Iraq, more than 180 front line health services in 10 governorates have been suspended, leaving millions of refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities without access to health care.

The WHO's latest campaign will now seek to draw attention to the health workers' plight and solicit messages of thanks from around the world via social media.


* * *

UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS WELCOME RELEASE OF SYRIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

Welcoming recent release of three human rights defenders from Syrian Government custody, the head of a United Nations-appointed human rights panel today urged the authorities to grant an independent organization regular access to those allegedly detained.

"The release of the three human rights defenders is something to be welcomed," said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chair of the stressing stressing that "in Syria, where a culture of impunity has taken hold, such good news is all too rare."

Hussein Ghrer, Hani Al-Zaytani and Mazen Darwish, former employees at the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, had been arrested and imprisoned by the Syrian Government since February 2012.

According to the Commission, the three men were charged with "publicizing terrorist acts" and "promoting terrorist activities" in March 2014.

"Many of these detainees have been held for long periods without charge or without trial, and are often not permitted contact with their families or their lawyers," said Mr. Pinheiro.

Like many other human rights defenders and peace activists, these three advocates were charged under Article 8 of the Syria's 2012 Counter-Terrorism legislation, which prescribes imprisonment and forced labour for a variety of vaguely defined terrorism-related offenses that include distributing written materials or information.

"We repeat our call upon the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to allow an impartial, neutral and independent organization regular access to the thousands of persons reportedly in detention in the country," underscored the UN rights expert.

The Commission, which also comprises Karen Koning AbuZayd, Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn, was established by the UN Human Rights Council in August 2011 to investigate and record all violations of international human rights law during the Syria conflict.


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BRAZIL MUST ADDRESS PRISON OVERCROWDING AND IMPLEMENT MEASURES AGAINST TORTURE – UN EXPERT

A United Nations human rights expert today called on Brazilian Federal and State authorities to urgently address the issue of prison overcrowding in the country and show genuine commitment to implement measures against torture.

"Many of the facilities visited are severely overcrowded – in some instances close to three times their actual capacity," said the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez.

"This leads to chaotic conditions inside the facilities, and greatly impacts on the living conditions of inmates and their access to legal defence, health care, psycho-social support, work and education opportunities, as well as sun, fresh air and recreation."

Mr. Méndez call comes at the end of 12-day official visit to Brazil, where he conducted unannounced visits to places of detention such as police stations, pre-trial facilities, penitentiaries, juvenile detention centres, as well as mental health institutions, points out a press release.

Through these visits, the independent expert saw how severe overcrowding generates tension and a violent atmosphere, in which physical and psychological ill-treatment of inmates becomes the norm.

"The use of pepper spray, tear gas, noise bombs and rubber bullets by the prison personnel is frequent, as are severe beatings and kicking," he said, noting that prison personnel serving inside the penitentiaries are often heavily armed, including with assault rifles, shotguns and hand guns.

The expert noted with concern "the absence of a robust policy to deal with occurrences of torture, the lack of accountability for them, and the likelihood that this state of affairs will perpetuate, and even exacerbate this practice, both in number and severity."

The Special Rapporteur welcomed the measures taken so far, or envisioned, to fight torture and ill-treatment, such as the establishment of the National Preventive Mechanism following Brazil's ratification of the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture, the National Committee to Prevent and Combat Torture.

"However," he stressed, "more efforts are needed to ensure a nationwide implementation of the safeguards offered by these institutions and procedures."

Among other measures, the expert recommended the competent Brazilian authorities to immediately expand the application of custody hearings to the entire country, and re-design them to encourage victims to speak up and to allow for effective documentation of torture or ill-treatment. Custody hearings have the benefit of reducing the disproportionately high number of pre-trial inmates – currently 40 per cent – and to prevent torture and ill-treatment.

The Special Rapporteur furthermore expressed concern at the proposed constitutional amendment, currently pending in Congress, to lower the age of criminal responsibility of children to 16 years instead of 18, as well as another proposal to extend the maximum length of detention in a socio-educational facility, from the current three years to up to 10 years.

"Prosecuting adolescent offenders as adults would violate Brazil's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child," the expert said. "In addition, approval of these proposals would worsen the currently already seriously overcrowded penitentiaries throughout Brazil."


* * *

IRAQ: UN RIGHTS OFFICE HAILS REFORM PACKAGE FOLLOWING COUNTRYWIDE PROTESTS

The United Nations human rights office has welcomed the Government of Iraq's response to mass protests against corruption and social inequality which crippled the country's capital earlier this month.

Addressing a press briefing in Geneva this morning, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), lauded the Government's adoption of a reform package aimed at advancing "concrete steps" to reinforce the rule of law, improve governance and respect for human rights.

According to reports, several thousand people protested against rampant government corruption, social inequality, poor social services and lack of accountability for officials in a series of recent demonstrations that swept across the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and other cities.

"We are encouraged by these reforms and we call on the authorities to ensure that human rights are at the core of implementation," Ms. Shamdasani told reporters. "We continue to follow developments and our office stands ready to continue supporting efforts to this end."


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The FDLR Myth: How Rwanda Weaponises a Diminished Threat to Justify Occupation Investigation Exposes Contradictions in Rwanda's Security Narrative For over a decade, Rwanda has justified its military presence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by citing threats from the FDLR, a Hutu militia group linked to the 1994 genocide. But an investigation into FDLR's actual capabilities, Rwanda's military operations, and patterns of violence reveals a narrative that does not match reality. The FDLR threat, whilst real, has been systematically exaggerated and manipulated to justify objectives that have nothing to do with the militia group. Introduction The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) occupies a central position in Rwanda's justification for military intervention in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. For more than two decades, Rwandan authorities have portrayed the militia group as an existential threat requiring sustaine...

[RwandaLibre] Re: Itangazo ry'inama yahuje amashyaka i Buruseli kuwa 01/02/2014 -

  @Mbera. Urakoze gutanga ibisobanuro birambuye kuri iyi ngingo. Ndagirango cyokora nkosore aho wafifitse nkana ugamije kujijisha rubanda.   Uragira uti: 1- [Hari ]urubuga rwa internet rw'umwimerere rwashyizweho muri 2007 http://www.fdu-rwanda.org/  n'urundi rubuga rwashinzwe n'abasigaye bakorera mu nzego bashyizeho bo nyuma y'aho Présidente agiriye mu Rwanda, arirwo http://www.fdu-rwanda.com/  rwashinzwe muri 2011. Nk'umuntu wamye uba Umunyamabanga mukuru wa FDU-Inkingi ukaba n'umuvugizi wayo kandi ukaba igikomeje kubyiyuta n'ubwo zahinduye imirishyo, wagombye kuba uzi ko Original website ya FDU-Inkingi yari  www.fdu-udf.org nk'uko bigararara muri iri tangazo ryo kuwa 23 Kamena 2010 umbere y'amakimbirane yatangiye muri january 2011: Nta kandida wigenga uzava muri FDU http://www.victoire2010.com/uploads/media/UMUKANDIDA_WA__FDU_01.pdf Kuba ruriya rubuga rundi rwaragiyeho nyuma byo ntawe utabizi kandi byar...

The Aggressor’s Complaint: Why Rwanda’s “Biased” US Sanctions Argument Echoes Russia

Kigali wants Washington to punish Congo too. But a ceasefire that leaves the occupier in place is not peace; it is occupation without noise. African lives are not worth less. African deaths are not normal. Western interests must never become a licence to kill African people. Introduction: A Familiar Complaint On 29 June 2026, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, sat before the cameras of France 24 and declared that his country was “disappointed by the increasingly biased US mediation” in the conflict with the Democratic Republic of Congo. He asked why sanctions had targeted only Rwanda. He called the measures unfair, one-sided and counterproductive. Weeks earlier, President Paul Kagame had told Jeune Afrique that sanctions and threats were insults thrown at Rwanda, and accused Washington of exerting heavy pressure on Rwanda while treating the DRC more delicately. The grievance sounds reasonable until you remember where you have heard it before. Since 2022, the Kr...

Analyse de l'audition de M Dacian Cioloș, candidat au poste de Secrétaire général de la Francophonie

  Le 30 juin 2026, pour la première fois en cinquante-six ans d'existence de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, les candidats au poste de Secrétaire général ont été auditionnés publiquement devant les ministres des Affaires étrangères des 53 États membres de plein droit, réunis en Conférence ministérielle extraordinaire à Paris. Parmi les quatre prétendants au mandat 2027-2030, qui sera attribué par les chefs d'État au XXe Sommet de la Francophonie à Phnom Penh les 15 et 16 novembre 2026, figure un profil inédit : Dacian Cioloș, ancien Premier ministre de Roumanie, ancien commissaire européen à l'Agriculture et ancien président du groupe Renew au Parlement européen, seul candidat non africain de la course. Cet article, premier d'une série de cinq consacrée aux auditions, analyse la prestation de M. Cioloș sur huit axes : la vision, l'innovation, le développement des communautés locales, la promotion de la langue française, les conflits et la s...

THE DUCLERT REPORT: A Comprehensive Critical Analysis

  Political Bias — Archival Failures — Racial Framing — Neocolonialist Process — Historical Distortion June 2026 Note on citations: In-text references in blue italics indicate page numbers from the Duclert Report (vie-publique.fr/files/rapport/pdf/284672.pdf, 2021 English summary). Introduction The Duclert Report, formally titled France, Rwanda and the Tutsi Genocide (1990–1994) , was submitted to President Emmanuel Macron on 26 March 2021 by the Research Commission on French Archives Relating to Rwanda and the Tutsi Genocide, chaired by Professor Vincent Duclert. Produced after two years of archival work and running to nearly 1,000 pages, it was presented as a landmark in historical transparency: the first time France had opened its state archives to systematic scholarly examination of its role in one of the worst genocides of the twentieth century. The commission examined archives from the Presidency of the Republic, the Prime Minister’s office, the Ministry of Europe a...

Rwanda: Victoire Ingabire’s Speech and Quotes

http://www.victoire-ingabire.com/Eng/victoires-quotes/ Victoire Ingabire's Speech and Quotes I agree that there was a genocide by Hutu extremists against the Tutsis, that is the reality. The people who did this need to face justice. But there were also other crimes against humanity, including the killing of Hutus. I don't believe in violence and war is not the solution to the problems that face this country. People say there's stability in Rwanda but this stability is based on repression … We need stability based on freedom. I don't understand how democratic countries can remain friends with a government that doesn't allow democracy. The democratic UK is supporting a dictatorship. Shall I die or live, be detained or released what we have achieved will not go back. This movement is stronger than me. Remanding me in captivity or silencing my voice can only postpone the revolution. It cannot stop the movement. Unity and Reconciliation Speech at Gisozi Genocide Memori...

LE RAPPORT DUCLERT: Une analyse critique exhaustive

  B iais politique — Défaillances archivistiques — Cadrage racial — Processus néocolonial — Distorsion historique. Juin 2026 Note sur les citations : les références en italique bleu indiquent les numéros de pages du Rapport Duclert (vie-publique.fr/files/rapport/pdf/284672.pdf, résumé en anglais, 2021). Introduction Le Rapport Duclert, intitulé officiellement La France, le Rwanda et le génocide des Tutsi (1990–1994) , a été remis au président Emmanuel Macron le 26 mars 2021 par la Commission de recherche sur les archives françaises relatives au Rwanda et au génocide des Tutsi, présidée par le professeur Vincent Duclert. Produit après deux ans de travail archivistique et comptant près de mille pages, il a été présenté comme un moment fondateur de la transparence historique : la première fois que la France ouvrait ses archives d’État à un examen scientifique systématique de son rôle dans l’un des génocides les plus meurtriers du vingtième siècle. La comm...

Analyse de l'audition de Mme Juliana Lumumba, candidate au poste de Secrétaire général de la Francophonie

La refondation proclamée, l'architecture manquante Fille de Patrice Lumumba et ancienne ministre congolaise, Juliana Lumumba porte la candidature de la République démocratique du Congo au poste de Secrétaire général de la Francophonie, dont le titulaire du mandat 2027-2030 sera désigné par les chefs d'État au XXe Sommet de la Francophonie, prévu à Phnom Penh les 15 et 16 novembre 2026. Son audition publique du 30 juin 2026 à Paris, devant les ministres des Affaires étrangères des 53 États membres de plein droit, était particulièrement attendue : sa candidature incarne à la fois le rééquilibrage africain de l'organisation et le face-à-face diplomatique entre Kinshasa et Kigali, dont l'élection est devenue l'un des théâtres. Cet article, deuxième d'une série de cinq consacrée aux auditions, analyse sa prestation sur huit axes : la vision, l'innovation, le développement des communautés locales, la promotion de la langue française, les conflits et la sécurité en...

Auditions OIF 2026 : le désaveu de la méthode Macron et le troisième mandat contesté de Mushikiwabo

Une réforme tardive qui révèle l’injustice du système de consensus imposé à la Francophonie Introduction Le 30 juin 2026, à Paris, la Francophonie a vécu une première en cinquante-six ans d’existence : les candidats au poste de Secrétaire général de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) ont été auditionnés publiquement devant la Conférence ministérielle, chacun exposant sa vision devant les représentants des États et gouvernements membres. Louise Mushikiwabo, Juliana Lumumba, Coumba Bâ et Dacian Cioloş se sont prêtés à cet exercice inédit. Cette réforme est une bonne chose. Elle arrive cependant trop tard, et son existence même constitue un aveu : celui d’un système de désignation qui, depuis la création de l’organisation, a fonctionné sans transparence, sans compétition et sans équité. Africa Realities Media analyse ici ce que cette réforme dit du passé récent de la Francophonie, pourquoi elle constitue un désaveu implicite de la méthode employée par Emmanuel Ma...

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