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[afrocarpus] UN DAILY NEWS from the UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE /20 June, 2016

 

UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE

20 June, 2016

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UN EMERGENCY FUND ALLOCATES $15 MILLION TO SUPPORT PEOPLE FLEEING FALLUJAH

The top United Nations relief official chief today released $15 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide urgent life-saving assistance for people affected by the recent fighting and military operations in Fallujah.

"People escaping Fallujah are in desperate need of assistance now, this minute. We must act fast before this situation becomes a humanitarian catastrophe. These funds are time critical; however they only offer a small portion of what is urgently needed," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, in a statement issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"I call on donors to immediately support our humanitarian response and leverage this CERF allocation with additional resources so that together we can effectively address the growing humanitarian needs throughout Iraq," he added.

Since this past month, more than 85,000 people have been forced to flee the city, displacing families from their homes, communities and livelihoods. Those remaining in the city face dire shortages of food, medicine, electricity and safe drinking water, OCHA said.

"The families who have managed to flee Fallujah have escaped with nothing: they need everything," warned Lise Grande, Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq.

"Humanitarian partners are working around the clock to provide shelter, water, health care, household kits and specialized support for the victims of gender and sexual-based violence. This CERF grant will allow us to rapidly scale up our efforts, so it could not be more timely," she added.

Temperatures in the region are averaging 115 degrees Fahrenheit and rising. Many people are unable to access clean drinking water, and shade is limited, while already vulnerable communities are more susceptible to outbreaks of communicable diseases and there is a real risk of a cholera outbreak, OCHA said.

Response efforts will include improvements to hygiene and sanitation in order to help prevent the spread of disease.

OCHA indicated that the CERF funds will enable the UN humanitarian agencies in Iraq, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to quickly assist the newly displaced people.

OCHA is working with the Government of Iraq to quickly set up camps to provide additional shelters. Humanitarian partners will also focus on relief efforts to assist women and children who are particularly vulnerable in the conflict.

In addition, mobile psychological support teams are being established to provide specialized care for victims of the violence. The CERF funding will also enable health teams to provide critical care for newborn babies and children who have had limited health support and who have not yet been immunized.

The UN Humanitarian Response Plan in Iraq has called for $861 million to address the needs of people affected by the current crisis. To date, the appeal is only 36 per cent funded, OCHA said.

A further $65 million will be needed to respond to the current situation in Fallujah. This is expected to further strain already stretched resources and force humanitarian partners to reprioritize existing relief supplies and services, OCHA noted.

Contingency stocks are nearly depleted, which could leave other communities in the country potentially vulnerable. While agencies have been preparing for the Fallujah situation for some time, the number of displaced people and the scope of their needs have outpaced humanitarian capacity, OCHA emphasized.

Humanitarian update on Fallujah

In a humanitarian update released earlier today, OCHA reported that more than 83,000 people have fled the besieged city of Fallujah and surrounding areas as of this past Saturday, and thousands more could still be on the move amid ongoing fighting.

OCHA highlighted that since military operations led by Iraqi security forces to retake Fallujah in Anbar from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) began on 22 May, people have fled Fallujah in rapidly increasing numbers.

Most people initially fled outlying areas of Fallujah, but on 7 June, reports were received of some families leaving Fallujah city itself, as military operations began to enter the city centre. In the past few days, tens of thousands of people have been allowed to leave the centre of town, OCHA said.

"The sudden increase in displacement in early June follows both increased opportunities for families to flee as well as hundreds of other families demonstrating a willingness to take extremely high risks to try to escape, sometimes with grave consequences," OCHA noted in the bulletin.

There are reports of people drowning as they tried to escape, or being injured or killed by snipers or improvised explosive devices. Many families are separated during their escape, with men and teenage boys being separated from their families for security screening, OCHA said.

The families still trapped inside Fallujah are thought to have only limited, if any, food, and there appear to be few sources of safe drinking water. The risk for disease outbreaks is high, OCHA noted.

While it is not clear how many civilians remain in the city, OCHA said that UN estimates indicate there could still be thousands of families.

"Nothing is more important than ensuring that civilians are protected and have access to life-saving assistance. The UN and partners continue to call on all parties to the conflict to do everything possible to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law," OCHA said in the update.

Emergency response is ongoing in multiple locations

Most displaced people from Fallujah have been taken to Ameriyat al Falluja, a town located about 30 kilometres south of the city, where the Government of Iraq and partners had previously prepared tents as well as water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

These camps are now full, although the Government and humanitarian partners are working to quickly set up others, including in the nearby towns of Khalidiyah and Habbaniyah Tourist City, OCHA said.

People are also fleeing areas north of Fallujah towards the east, and are being hosted in local schools and in the Al Ahal camp.

OCHA said that major efforts are being made to provide emergency assistance to the newly displaced, including shelter, water, food, basic household items and health care. Specialized activities for children and women are being established and mobile teams are providing psychological support.

The UN has not been able to access Fallujah since it came under the control of armed opposition groups in January 2014. Humanitarian partners have worked with about 50,000 civilians remaining in Fallujah, although OCHA stressed that the number of displaced people is well above that planning figure and that the scope of the crisis has outpaced humanitarian capacity.

"Contingency stocks are nearly depleted, every agency requires funds and there are few frontline partners," OCHA stressed. "With rising temperatures and lack of shade and clean drinking water, outbreaks of communicable diseases are likely."

OCHA also emphasized that there is only limited support for newborn babies, and nearly all of the children who have been outside Government control have not yet been immunized. The low level of antigens, coupled with poor hygiene and substandard sanitation, raises the risk of disease outbreaks further.

Prior to the most recent military operation, more than 75,000 displaced people from other locations within Anbar were already residing in camps near Fallujah in Khalidiyah, Habbaniyah and Ameriyat al Falluja.

Humanitarian partners also continue to provide emergency assistance to other conflict-affected people, including in the transit sites Al Wafaa and Kilo 18 in western Anbar, OCHA said.

* * *

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR 'OUTRAGED' AT ATTACKS ON AID VEHICLES

The interim United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Central African Republic (CAR), Dr. Michel Yao strongly condemned an armed attack on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) convoy transporting medicines and fuel from the capital, Bangui, to the south-eastern city of Bangassou on 17 June.

According to a statement issued by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordinator (OCHA) in the Central African Republic, the head of the convoy was killed.

Dr. Yao underscored the highly precarious nature of relief work in the country and noted that the humanitarian workers provide life-saving assistance to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the crisis.

Moreover, such events hinder aid delivery to those in urgent need, and prove the crucial need to ensure the protection of civilians and to respect and protect humanitarian workers in compliance with International Humanitarian Law.

On 18 May, a driver employed by MSF was killed in another attack near Bossangoa, located in the north-west of the country.

Dr. Yao expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, and called for an investigation into the attacks and for the perpetrators to be held accountable. Dr. Yao added that the humanitarian community in the country remains fully committed to deliver vital assistance to all those in need.


* * *

BAN UNDERLINES PROGRESS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING RESPONSES TO GLOBAL HEALTH CRISES

With the continued increase in the number and gravity of health emergencies globally, the international community must continue to work towards charting a path for how nations and communities can proactively prepare for and respond to such challenges in the future, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized today.

"Given the tragic suffering that can be caused by outbreaks of global health emergencies, I am grateful for the strong engagement by the General Assembly in health crises," the Secretary-General said at the opening of an informal meeting of the Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, during which he briefed on his report, Strengthening the global health architecture: implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises.

In his briefing, Mr. Ban highlighted that he commissioned the high-level panel in April 2015 to make recommendations on how to strengthen national and international systems to prevent and manage future health crises.
In its report released this past February, the panel set out 27 recommendations for national, regional and international action, which stressed that making health systems stronger and being better prepared for health emergencies needs innovative research and development, adequate financing and support through development programming, the UN chief said.

"The panel has given us concrete and sensible recommendations that chart a clear path forward for how communities, nations and the international system can better prepare for and respond to health crises in the future," Mr. Ban said.

"I intend to be fully engaged in the implementation of the panel's recommendations as they relate to the UN system," he added.

For that reason, Mr. Ban said he had established a Global Health Crises Task Force to monitor, coordinate and support the follow-up and implementation of the panel's recommendations.

The task force is being led by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who will be supported by Dr. David Nabarro, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and climate change. The task force's co-leads are Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group.

Progress on high-level panel's recommendations

The Secretary-General indicated that there has already been progress on some of the high-level panel's key recommendations.

In that regard, he noted that the panel affirmed WHO's role as a global health leader, at all times and especially during public health emergencies. In addition, the panel recommended that WHO's capacity to respond to health emergencies must be consolidated and strengthened.

Mr. Ban highlighted that in the past year, WHO has been working to change how it works in health crises, including by, among other actions, creating a new Health Emergencies Programme, which now gives WHO an operational arm to respond effectively and immediately to outbreaks and emergencies.

"This new programme changes the fundamental nature of WHO, which up until now has primarily seen itself as having technical and normative roles," the Secretary-General said.

"I applaud the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, for having the vision, the dedication and the tenacity to implement this transformation," he added.

Mr. Ban said that the panel also highlighted the importance of strengthening UN system coordination during health crises, and affirmed the critical role of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).

"These recommendations on how the UN system needs to do better have been taken very seriously," the Secretary-General stressed.

He noted that in the case of the ongoing Zika outbreak, the Deputy Secretary-General has been convening monthly coordination meetings of the principals of the UN system to ensure that there is a senior-level forum for coordination and information-sharing.

In addition, he recalled that earlier this month, the IASC endorsed a proposal prepared jointly by WHO and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to extend and adapt existing IASC mechanisms to facilitate the coordination of support for large-scale outbreaks and public health emergencies.

For their part, WHO and OCHA will work to finalize standard operating procedures for infectious hazards.

The Secretary-General also said that he is pleased that the World Bank launched its Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility this past month.

"This will be an innovative fast-disbursing global financing mechanism designed to protect the world against pandemics. It will create the first-ever insurance market for pandemic risk," Mr. Ban said, noting that the facility will be implemented in close cooperation with WHO.

Recalling that this past March, Dr. Chan had declared that the Ebola outbreak no longer constituted a public health emergency of international concern, the Secretary-General said that by then, 2016 had already seen a new health emergency with the clusters of neonatal malformations and neurological disorders related to the Zika virus.

"These reports on global health crises address one of the most urgent and intractable challenges of our time," the Secretary-General said.

* * *

'UNPRECEDENTED' 65 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED BY WAR AND PERSECUTION IN 2015 – UN

The number of people displaced from their homes due to conflict and persecution last year exceeded 60 million for the first time in United Nations history, a tally greater than the population of the United Kingdom, or of Canada, Australia and New Zealand combined, says a new report released on World Refugee Day today.

The Global Trends 2015 compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) notes that 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015, an increase of more than 5 million from 59.5 million a year earlier.

The tally comprises 21.3 million refugees, 3.2 million asylum seekers, and 40.8 million people internally displaced within their own countries.

Measured against the world's population of 7.4 billion people, one in every 113 people globally is now either a refugee, an asylum-seeker or internally displaced – putting them at a level of risk for which UNHCR knows no precedent.

On average, 24 people were forced to flee each minute in 2015, four times more than a decade earlier, when six people fled every 60 seconds.

Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia produce half the world's refugees, at 4.9 million, 2.7 million and 1.1 million, respectively.

Colombia had the largest numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs), at 6.9 million, followed by Syria's 6.6 million and Iraq's 4.4 million.

While the spotlight last year was on Europe's challenge to manage more than one million refugees and migrants who arrived via the Mediterranean, the report shows that the vast majority of the world's refugees were in developing countries in the global south.

In all, 86 per cent of the refugees under UNHCR's mandate in 2015 were in low- and middle-income countries close to situations of conflict.

Worldwide, Turkey was the largest host country, with 2.5 million refugees. In terms of the refugee-to-population ratio, Lebanon has the highest proportion, with nearly one refugee for every five citizens.

Distressingly, children made up an astonishing 51 per cent of the world's refugees in 2015, with many separated from their parents or travelling alone, UNHCR said.

With anti-refugee rhetoric so loud, it is sometimes difficult to hear the voices of welcome. But these do exist, all around the world.

"Our responses to refugees must be grounded in our shared values of responsibility sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights and in international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement," UN Secretary-General said in his message on the Day.

"World Refugee Day is a moment for taking stock of the devastating impact of war and persecution on the lives of those forced to flee, and honouring their courage and resilience," he said, noting that it is also a moment for paying tribute to the communities and States that receive and host them, often in remote border regions affected by poverty, instability and underdevelopment, and beyond the gaze of international attention.

Last year, more than one million refugees and migrants arrived in Europe across the Mediterranean, in unseaworthy dinghies and flimsy boats. "Thousands did not make it – tragic testimony to our collective failure to properly address their plight," Mr. Ban said.

He stressed that meanwhile, divisive political rhetoric on asylum and migration issues, rising xenophobia, and restrictions on access to asylum have become increasingly visible in certain regions, and the spirit of shared responsibility has been replaced by a hate-filled narrative of intolerance.

"With anti-refugee rhetoric so loud, it is sometimes difficult to hear the voices of welcome. But these do exist, all around the world," he said, acknowledging an extraordinary outpouring of compassion and solidarity shown by host communities.

The UN chief drew attention to the General Assembly's High-Level Meeting on addressing large population movements on 19 September, which he said will offer an historic opportunity to agree a global compact, with a commitment towards collective action and greater shared responsibility for refugees at its core.

This year, hopeful signs are hard to find

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said that each year, UNHCR seeks to find a glimmer of hope in the global statistics, but "this year the hopeful signs are hard to find."

He warned that instead of burden sharing, nations are closing their borders and that instead of political will, there is political paralysis. And humanitarian organizations like his are left to deal with the consequences, while at the same time struggling to save lives on limited budgets.

Yet, there is cause for hope. Citing host communities, individuals, and families opening their homes, he said "these ordinary people see refugees not as beggars, competitors for jobs, or terrorists – but as people like you or me whose lives have been disrupted by war."

"UNHCR sees 2016 as a watershed moment for the refugee cause," he stressed. As wars spiral out of control, this must be a year to take collective responsibility and action to end the conflicts which force people to flee and also a year to help the millions of people whose lives have been destroyed by violence.

"World leaders can no longer watch passively as so many lives are needlessly lost," he said, also noting that the upcoming General Assembly meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants will put all to the test.

For its part, UNHCR launched last week the #WithRefugees initiative to generate momentum towards that meeting, he added.

Numbers do not capture hardship of displaced

Mogens Lykketoft, UN General Assembly President, said the numbers do little justice to the pain and trauma that this crisis is causing for individual women, men and children across our world.

"They fail to capture the hardship of those who flee and the fear of those who wait anxiously behind. They fail to capture the hopelessness of those held in detention centres or the final thoughts of those lost at sea without even a whisper," he said.

The numbers do little justice to the pain and trauma that this crisis is causing for individual women, men and children across our world
He highlighted several points, including that the international community must intensify its efforts to find political solutions to conflicts, as they are the main drivers of humanitarian need. The UN and other institutions and agencies must be provided with sufficient and predictable resources needed to fulfil their mandates and respond to the incredible levels of need.

In 2014, children constituted 51 per cent of the refugee population, with half of these missing out on primary education, he said. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind has placed a new obligation on all to reach those in situations of conflict, disasters, vulnerability and risk.

Citing that almost nine out of every 10 refugees, 86 per cent, are in regions and countries considered economically less developed, he urged the international community to enhance its solidarity with refugee hosting countries.

Given the scale of the crisis, current levels of third-country resettlement need to be reviewed, he pointed out. In 2014, only 15 per cent of the global resettlement needs were met. At least fifty thousand persons, including thousands of children died in the past two decades while seeking to cross international borders. Governments must create safe, orderly and regular pathways for refugees to move to other countries.

Violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are of grave concern. All must speak out in the face of serious violations of international law. Xenophobic and racist rhetoric seems not only to be on the rise, but also to be becoming more socially and politically acceptable. This needs to change, he said.

* * *

UN STRONGLY CONDEMNS SERIES OF ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today expressed grave concern about a series of deadly attacks across Afghanistan, reiterating its call for anti-Government elements, including the Taliban, to immediately cease all attacks in civilian-populated areas and stop targeting civilians, including diplomatic facilities and personnel.

"UNAMA condemns in the strongest terms the detonation of an improvised explosive device in a bazaar in Kishem district, Badakhshan province that killed 10 civilians including five children, and injured 36 others, mostly children," a statement issued by the mission said.

Earlier this morning, a Taliban suicide attack in a crowded area of Kabul city killed 13 Nepalese contractors and injured eight others, including five Nepalese diplomatic security guards and three Afghan civilians.

Following this incident, an improvised explosive device targeting a provincial council member detonated in Kabul city, injuring four civilians including the council member.

Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks in Kabul city but denied responsibility for the attack in Badakhshan province.

"UNAMA extends its condolences to the families of all of those killed and wishes a speedy recovery for those injured," the statement said.


* * *

UN EXPERT SEES VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN EFFORTS TO PROTECT RIGHT TO LIFE, END IMPUNITY IN MEXICO

A United Nations human rights expert today said that in Mexico, very little has changed regarding the protection of the right to life his 2013 fact-finding mission to the country.

"Extrajudicial killings and excessive use of force by security officers persist," said Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in his follow-up report to the UN Human Rights Council.

Protective measures remain insufficient and ineffective; impunity and the lack of accountability for violations of the right to life remain a serious challenge, as does the absence of reparations for the victims, he stressed.

While welcoming the steps taken by the Mexican Government, Mr. Heyns emphasised that "additional measures are still required and should be carried out in practice to fully implement my recommendations in order to better ensure the protection of the right to life."

Particularly, the expert urged the Mexican authorities to approve a general law on the use of force, and to create a national autonomous forensic services institution.

With regards to law enforcement, he recommended that all necessary steps be taken immediately to ensure that public security is upheld by civilian rather than military security forces.

The Special Rapporteur regretted the lack of progress in the implementation of his recommendation on this issue, and pointed to a series of tragic events that continue to place the armed forces at the centre of accusations of extrajudicial executions.

Mr. Heyns encouraged the Government to fully implement his recommendations and offered his technical assistance and cooperation.


* * *

MYANMAR MUST ADDRESS 'SERIOUS' HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST MINORITIES – UN RIGHTS CHIEF

Issuing a new report on the situation of minorities in Myanmar, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has urged the Government to take concrete steps to end the "systemic discrimination" and ongoing human rights violations against minority communities, particularly the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.

The report requested by the UN Human Rights Council in July 2015, documents a wide range of rights violations, including arbitrary deprivation of nationality, severe restrictions on freedom of movement, threats to life and security, denial of rights to health and education, forced labour, sexual violence, and limitations to political rights. It also notes that for those formally charged, fair trial guarantees are often not respected.

The report also raises the possibility that the pattern of violations against the Rohingya may amount to crimes against humanity.

Among the report's findings is that in northern Rakhine state, 'arbitrary arrest and detention of Rohingya remains widespread. Arrests are often carried out without grounds, formal processing or charges, until release is secured by payment of a bribe. For those formally charged, fair trial guarantees are often not respected.'

Rakhine has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country, and non-citizens, including Rohingya, are excluded from studying certain professions including medicine, economics and engineering. Some 30,000 Muslim children in IDP camps depend on temporary learning spaces supported by humanitarian organizations. "The consequences of lost years of education are devastating for future livelihood opportunities and the ability of Rohingya and Kaman youth to contribute to Myanmar's development," the report states.

According to a news release issued by the his Office (OHCHR), Mr. Zeid said Myanmar's new Government had inherited the situation where laws and policies are in place that are designed to deny fundamental rights to the minorities and where impunity for serious violations has encouraged further violence against them.

Noting that it will "not be easy to reverse such entrenched discrimination," he urged the Government to accord priority to halt ongoing violations and prevent further ones taking place.

Mr. Zeid further noted the signing of a nationwide ceasefire agreement last year as both a significant step and also a starting point. He called on the authorities to initiate a comprehensive programme of legal and policy measures to address the scope and pattern of violations against such communities. Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he added: "We stand ready to support the Government of Myanmar in ensuring a successful transition to a society based firmly on the rule of law and the protection of human rights for all."

The report outlines human rights violations and abuses against other minorities, including in the context of armed conflict. These include deliberate targeting of and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, use of child soldiers, forced labour, sexual and gender-based violence, violations of housing, land and property rights, and restrictions on freedom of religion or belief.

It also calls for a comprehensive inquiry into the situation of minorities in Myanmar, and independent investigations into all alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including those committed by law enforcement officers.

The report also notes that Government has taken some initial steps, including creating a Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, proposing a national peace conference, and establishing a central committee on the implementation of peace, stability and development of Rakhine state.


* * *

THAILAND: BAN REAFFIRMS UN'S READINESS TO SUPPORT COUNTRY'S RETURN TO DEMOCRACY

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reaffirmed the UN's readiness to support Thailand as the country prepares to vote on a final draft Constitution.

Mr. Ban spoke by telephone yesterday with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-O-Cha.

"The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN's readiness to support Thailand during this critical juncture to facilitate a swift return to democracy," said a statement released by Mr. Ban's spokesperson.

Referring to reports about restrictions on the freedoms of expression, opinion and assembly ahead of the 7 August referendum on the draft Constitution, the Secretary-General stressed that an open and inclusive debate would be essential to ensuring the legitimacy of the constitution and achieving national unity, according to the statement.


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    Résolution 2773, Conférence de Paris, doctrine macronienne du dialogue et pari de la Francophonie La politique de la France à l’égard de l’est de la RDC a produit un schéma constant : un langage public fort, une faible application des décisions, aucune pression visible fondée sur les sanctions, et des appels répétés au dialogue qui laissent largement intact le levier militaire et politique du Rwanda. La France ne peut pas rédiger des résolutions, organiser des conférences, rejeter les sanctions, appeler au dialogue, puis revendiquer la neutralité pendant que les civils restent sous occupation, déplacement et violence. Dans une guerre de cette ampleur, le silence et l’inaction ne sont pas neutres. Ce sont des actes politiques. Introduction La France se présente comme l’une des puissances occidentales les plus engagées dans la recherche de la paix dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo. Elle a parrainé la Résolution 2773 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies. Elle a organ...

    President Macron Against US Sanctions on Rwanda

    How France's Interests in Mozambique Obstruct Peace in the DRC A Critical Analysis of Emmanuel Macron's Interview with TV5 Monde, Africa Forward Summit, Nairobi, 12 May 2026 Published by The African Rights Campaign (ARC)   |   London, May 2026   1. Introduction This analysis is based on French President Emmanuel Macron's interview with TV5 Monde, conducted on 12 May 2026 during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. In that interview, Macron was asked a direct question: given that Rwanda's support for the M23 armed group has been documented by United Nations experts, and given that the United States has imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and several of its senior officers, why have France and the European Union declined to do the same? Macron's response was unconvincing, dishonest and analytically incoherent. It revealed not a carefully calibrated position of principled neutrality, but the operational logic of a government that has c...

    [AFRICAFORUM] Tr : [hinterland1] Tr : L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE

      ----- Mail transféré ----- De : Mpania Jean <drjeanmpania@yahoo.fr> À : Hinterland <hinterland1@yahoogroupes.fr> Envoyé le : Mercredi 26 février 2014 17h13 Objet : [hinterland1] Tr : L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE   Le Mercredi 26 février 2014 9h56, congokdp <congokdp@gmail.com> a écrit : L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE :   Voici comment les institutions et tout le système de sécurité de la RDC sont sous contrôle du Rwanda et les officiels congolais infiltrés par des «hirondelles» rwandaises! L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE :  Voici comment les institutions et tout le système de sécurité de la RDC sont sous contrôle du Rwanda et les officiels congolais infiltrés par des «hirondelles» rwandaises! Le processus d'occupation de la RDC par le lobby tutsi rwandais passe par le...

    The Kagame Myth: Western Power, Private Jets and Rwanda’s Controlled Reality

      ANALYSIS AND INVESTIGATION Introduction: The Myth and the Man Behind the Myth There is a version of Paul Kagame that exists in the conference halls of Davos, in the pages of Western magazines, in private hotel meetings in London, Paris and Washington, and on the sleeves of European football shirts. In this version, Kagame is a visionary. A builder. A disciplined African moderniser. A leader who pulled a broken country from the ashes of genocide and turned it into what admirers often call the “Singapore of Africa”. In this version, Rwanda is clean, efficient, safe, investment-friendly and orderly. Kagame is presented as the African leader the West wants to believe in: controlled, polished, pro-market, security-focused and comfortable in elite Western spaces. Then there is the Rwanda that many Rwandans, exiles, journalists, opposition figures and human rights organisations describe. In this Rwanda, YouTubers and online commentators are jailed for what they say. Critics die in custo...

    Dr Phil Clark ( SOAS University of London): A biased lecturer and researcher about African issues.

    Dr Phil Clark   was born in Sudan and   is currently   working at SOAS University of London. He is known to be   biased lecturer and researcher about African issues, particularly the Rwandan genocide.     With his poor judgement and analytical thinking, this man only talk about   the results   of events and forget the     root causes. He is a staunch supporter of the criminal, dictator and killer Paul Kagame , the President of   Rwanda. He is singing the song of the winner of the Rwandan  war. He is in the same boat with Linda Melvern, a biased British   freelancer who received a medal from the dictator Paul     Kagame. "> "> Dr.Phil Clark "> Linda Melvern I am asking Dr Phil Clark   one question:   Dear   Dr Phil Clark, What     was the   role of   Paul Kagame and RPF in the Rwandan  massacres and genocide in and outside Rwanda?   Based...

    Le Président Macron contre les sanctions américaines imposées au Rwanda

    Comment les intérêts français au Mozambique font obstacle à la paix en RDC Analyse critique de l'entretien d'Emmanuel Macron avec TV5 Monde, Africa Forward Summit, Nairobi, 12 mai 2026 Publié par The African Rights Campaign (ARC)   |   Londres, mai 2026     1. Introduction La présente analyse est fondée sur l'entretien accordé par le président français Emmanuel Macron à TV5 Monde, le 12 mai 2026, lors de l'Africa Forward Summit à Nairobi, au Kenya. Au cours de cet entretien, Macron s'est vu poser une question directe : étant donné que le soutien du Rwanda au groupe armé M23 est aujourd'hui documenté par les experts des Nations Unies, et étant donné que les États-Unis ont imposé des sanctions aux Forces de défense du Rwanda (FDR) ainsi qu'à plusieurs de leurs hauts responsables, pourquoi la France et l'Union européenne n'ont-elles pas fait de même ? La réponse de Macron s'est révélée peu convaincante, malhonnête et analytique...

    Kagame’s Image Machine: Who Profits While Rwanda Stays Poor

    I nvestigation:  Paying to Stay Poor: How Western PR Firms, Lobbyists, Sports Clubs and Media Outlets Profit from Rwanda’s Image Economy Introduction: An Ecosystem of Paid Influence Rwanda is often presented internationally as a model of discipline, security, investment promotion and post-genocide recovery. That image has been carefully built, repeatedly amplified and professionally protected. Behind it sits a costly international network of sports sponsorships, lobbying contracts, public relations firms, legal consultancy, political access, favourable media relationships and diplomatic narrative management. The moral problem is clear. Rwanda remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and external financing. According to World Bank-linked data, foreign aid received by Rwanda reached approximately 1.39 billion US dollars in 2023. UNDP’s 2025 Human Development Report gives Rwanda a Human Development Index value of 0.578 for 2023, placing it 159th out of 193 countries and territories. U...

    Justice ou théâtre politique ? Les procès français du génocide rwandais et le travail inachevé de la réconciliation entre Rwandais

    Introduction Depuis 2014, les tribunaux français ont poursuivi une série de ressortissants rwandais hutu pour leur rôle présumé dans le génocide de 1994 contre les Tutsi. Le premier procès, celui de l’ancien chef du renseignement Pascal Simbikangwa, a été suivi par les condamnations des anciens bourgmestres Octavien Ngenzi et Tito Barahira en 2016, puis par la condamnation, en 2023, de l’ancien officier de gendarmerie Philippe Hategekimana. Aucun accusé jugé en France, au titre de la compétence universelle, pour le génocide rwandais n’a été acquitté. D’autres poursuites devraient suivre. Ces procédures ont été largement saluées comme la preuve que la France affronte enfin son passé d’État ayant protégé des auteurs présumés du génocide sur son territoire. Des organisations internationales de défense des droits humains, des spécialistes du génocide et une partie de la société civile française les ont présentées comme une contribution tardive, mais bienvenue, à la lutte mondiale contre l’...

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