IGIHE

Author: Publisher

  • EU Peacekeeping Troops Deploy in CAR

    EU Peacekeeping Troops Deploy in CAR

    {{The first EU troops have arrived in the Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui, a French army spokesman told media Wednesday.

    The Eufor troops aim to help stabilise the country, which has been torn apart by months of inter-religious violence.}}

    François Guillermet said 55 Eufor troops were conducting their first patrols in the city, with the aim of “maintaining security and training local officers”.

    The EU military operation, which has been approved by the UN Security Council, will be based out of Bangui and will consist of a force of up to 1,000 troops.

    A statement released by the EU said the operation’s main objective will be to reinforce international efforts to protect populations most at risk by the fighting, as well as to facilitate humanitarian aid to the country.

    “The launch of this operation demonstrates the EU’s determination to take full part in international efforts to restore stability and security in Bangui and right across the Central African Republic,” the EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said earlier this month.

    “It is vital that there is a return to public order as soon as possible, so that the political transition process can be put back on track,” she said.

    The country slipped into chaos after the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels deposed president François Bozizé in a March coup.

    Seleka leader Michel Djotodia officially disbanded the group after he seized power, but some of its former members launched a campaign of killing, raping and looting, prompting communities in the Christian-majority nation to form vigilante “anti-Balaka” (“anti-machete”) militias.

    The anti-balaka have since begun launching revenge attacks on the country’s Muslim minority.

    {{Eufor in, Chad out}}

    France has deployed 2,000 troops to the country since December in an attempt to stem the violence.

    Chad, which was France’s main partner in the military operation, began withdrawing its 850 troops last Friday after clashes in Bangui almost a week earlier left more than 30 civilians dead.

    The Chadian forces maintain they were returning fire, while a UN preliminary investigation found that they shot indiscriminately into a crowd of civilians.

    But the departure of Chadian soldiers could inflame the situation on the ground, Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko, head of the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), told media.

    “The Muslim population are worried and saw the Chadian contingent as their protectors,” Mokoko explained. “Their leaving, especially in the [central] region of Bossangoa, will be difficult for the Muslims.”

    Forces from Chad, a predominantly Muslim country, have helped to evacuate tens of thousands of Muslims fleeing the violence in Central African Republic.

    The UN Security Council is due to approve a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping force for the former French colony, which will take over authority from MISCA troops.

    But the UN peacekeepers are not expected to arrive until September, stoking fears of a security vacuum as the country’s interim government struggles to control inter-religious violence that has killed more than 2,000 people since December.

    {france24}

  • UN Accused of ‘indifference’ in South Sudan

    UN Accused of ‘indifference’ in South Sudan

    {{A medical charity has accused the UN in South Sudan of showing “shocking indifference” towards displaced people sheltering at one of its compounds.}}

    About 21,000 people were “living in flood water contaminated with faecal matter” at the UN’s Tromping base in the capital, Juba, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said.

    The UN has not yet reacted.

    The group sought refuge at the compound after fighting broke out between government and rebels in December.

    More than one million people have fled their homes since the conflict began.

    Of these, 803,200 have been displaced within the country, and another 254,000 have fled to neighbouring countries, according to a UN report released last month.

    The UN has around 8,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan, the world’s newest state.

    ‘Horrific and fatal’
    Diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections and skin diseases had broken out among displaced people at the compound, MSF said in a statement.

    The UN’s failure to improve conditions was “shameful” , it added.

    “In the first rainfall of the season 150 latrines collapsed, mixing with floodwater. People are living in natural drainage channels as there is no other space and there are 65 people per latrine,” said Carolina Lopez, MSF’s emergency coordinator.

    “The rains, which will last the best part of six months, are getting heavier and if nothing is done right now, the consequences, already horrific, could become fatal,” she added.

    The violence which caused the displaced people to flee erupted on 15 December between pro-government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and soldiers backing Riek Machar, his former vice-president.

    President Kiir accused Mr Machar of plotting a coup, an allegation he denied.

    A ceasefire was agreed between the two sides towards the end of January, but they have accused each other of violating it.

    South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a long and bloody conflict, to become the world’s newest state.

    {wirestory}

  • Most Bee Deaths Reported in Northern Europe

    Most Bee Deaths Reported in Northern Europe

    {{A new study covering 17 EU countries says that far more honeybees are dying in the UK and other parts of northern Europe than in Mediterranean countries.}}

    The European Commission says it is Europe’s most comprehensive study so far of bee colony deaths.

    Winter mortality was especially high for bees in Belgium (33.6%) and the UK (29%) in 2012-13. But in spring-summer 2013 France was highest with 13.6%.

    Bumblebees and other wild bees were not studied, nor were pesticide impacts.

    The study, called Epilobee, described 10% as an acceptable threshold for bee colony mortality – and Greece, Italy and Spain were among the countries with rates below that threshold.

    The mortality percentages are national estimates based on representative samples. All 17 countries applied the same data collection standards, the report says.

    The survey covered almost 32,000 bee colonies.

    But there is also much concern about death rates among wild bees, which are vital pollinators too.

    Last year the EU introduced a ban on four chemicals called neonicotinoids which are used in pesticides.

    They are believed to be linked to the collapse of bee colonies across Europe, though there is a heated scientific debate over the chemicals’ impact and many experts say further studies are needed.

    The Commission wanted pesticide impacts to be included in the Epilobee study, but it was overruled by member states’ governments.

    {agencies}

  • Public Urged to Reset all Passwords

    Public Urged to Reset all Passwords

    {{Several tech firms are urging people to change all their passwords after the discovery of a major security flaw.}}

    The Yahoo blogging platform Tumblr has advised the public to “change your passwords everywhere – especially your high-security services like email, file storage and banking”.

    Security advisers have given similar warnings about the Heartbleed Bug.

    It follows news that a product used to safeguard data could be compromised to allow eavesdropping.

    OpenSSL is a popular cryptographic library used to digitally scramble sensitive data as it passes to and from computer servers so that only the service provider and the intended recipients can make sense of it.

    If an organisation employs OpenSSL, users see a padlock icon in their web browser – although this can also be triggered by rival products.

    Those affected include Canada’s tax collecting agency, which halted online services “to safeguard the integrity of the information we hold”.

    {{Copied keys}}

    Google Security and Codenomicon – a Finnish security company – revealed on Monday that a flaw had existed in OpenSSL for more than two years that could be used to expose the secret keys that identify service providers employing the code.

    They said that if attackers made copies of these keys they could steal the names and passwords of people using the services, as well as take copies of their data and set up spoof sites that would appear legitimate because they used the stolen credentials.

    It is not known whether the exploit had been used before the revelation, since doing so would not leave a trail – unless the hackers published their haul online.

    “If people have logged into a service during the window of vulnerability then there is a chance that the password is already harvested,” said Ari Takanen, Codenomicon’s chief technology officer.

    “In that sense it’s a good idea to change the passwords on all the updated web portals.”

    Other security experts have been shocked by the revelation

    “Catastrophic is the right word. On the scale of one to 10, this is an 11,” blogged Bruce Schneier.

  • Hong Kong Police Seek Painting Worth $3.7m

    Hong Kong Police Seek Painting Worth $3.7m

    {{Hong Kong police are investigating the disappearance of a painting worth $3.7m (£2.2m) from a hotel, amid reports it may have been accidentally thrown away.}}

    The painting is believed to be a Chinese ink work by artist Cui Ruzhuo entitled Snowy Mountain.

    It was reported missing by auctioneers Poly Auction on Tuesday, having been successfully sold on Monday.

    Several local media reports suggest cleaners at the Grand Hyatt could have thrown the painting out as rubbish.

    According to the South China Morning Post, CCTV footage showed a security guard kick the packaged painting over to a pile of rubbish.

    Citing a police source, the paper said that cleaners were then seen throwing the rubbish away, with the rubbish taken to landfill.

    In a statement, the hotel said it was working with investigators.

    “As the organiser has rented our event venue for this auction, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is doing its best to offer assistance to Poly Auction including letting the police view the CCTV footage along with our security team,” it said.

    The hotel said the auctioneers were responsible for items they sold.

    Police have found no trace of the painting, which could now be one of the most expensive pieces of rubbish ever.

    {wirestory}

  • Greece to Issue Five-Year Bond

    Greece to Issue Five-Year Bond

    {{Greece is to sell five-year bonds in the country’s first long-term debt sale since its international bailout started four years ago.}}

    The news came as thousands of striking Greeks marched on parliament to protest against job and spending cuts.

    “The Hellenic Republic announces today it has mandated international banks for an imminent five-year benchmark bond issue,” the finance ministry said.

    The bond would be priced in “the immediate future”, it said.

    {{Merkel visit}}

    More than 20,000 people marched peacefully through the streets of Athens chanting: “EU, IMF take the bailout and get out of here!”

    The 24-hour strike left schools and pharmacies shut, ships docked at ports and hospitals operating with only emergency staff.

    Greeks have lost about a third of their disposable income since the debt crisis started and unemployment has soared, leaving more than one in four without a job.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in Athens on Friday. Germany has insisted on spending cuts and tax increases in return for loans.

    Turnout at the march, which lasted two hours, was similar to protests held during the last nationwide strike in November.

  • Iran ‘Won’t Give up Nuclear Plans’

    Iran ‘Won’t Give up Nuclear Plans’

    {{Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has backed talks with world powers but warned Tehran will never give up its nuclear programme.}}

    He said Iran had agreed to the talks to “break the hostile atmosphere” with the international community.

    Iran and six world powers are working to agree a deal to replace an interim accord that expires in July.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the two sides were up to 60% in agreement after latest talks in Vienna.

    A senior US official was less upbeat but said all sides were committed to keep trying.

    The US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany want to see Iran scale back its enrichment of uranium, which they fear could be used to make a nuclear bomb.

    Tehran says its nuclear work is purely peaceful and hopes to agree a deal in return for a permanent lifting of sanctions.

    Javad Zarif and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said in a joint statement on Wednesday that their third round of talks since November had included “substantive and detailed discussions covering all the issues which will need to be part of a Comprehensive Agreement”.

    They will meet again in May for a fourth round of talks to “bridge the gaps in all the key areas and work on the concrete elements of a possible” agreement, the statement said.

    BBC

  • African Auditors Urged on Competence

    African Auditors Urged on Competence

    Audit professionals have been challenged to adhere to the principles of integrity, objectivity, confidentiality and competence.

    This will enhance their performance, reduce corruption, fraud and an unethical behavior, Uganda’s Vice President Edward Ssekandi has said.

    He made the remarks on Wednesday while presiding over the inaugural African Federation of the Institute of Internal Auditors (AFIIA) conference at Commonwealth Resort at Munyonyo in Kampala.

    Ssekandi said that studies conducted show that good corporate governance is linked to good performance and increasing in shareholder returns as well as making significant impact in wooing investors.

    He said that the African continent is yearning for people of integrity who can assist their respective governments to provide services to their people at affordable prices.

    Ssekandi called upon the professionals to ensure that the evils impacting negatively on service delivery are fought in both public and private sector institutions.

    The Chairperson African Federation of Institute of Internal Auditors, Lesedi Lesetedi said that the conference that has also attracted six Auditor Generals from Africa will offer participants a forum to network, learn and share with fellow professional peers and practitioners their experiences and examples from their own countries.

    The Chairman of the Institute of Internal Auditors Uganda Chapter Timothy Etoori said that internal auditing has becoming essential to daily life since it pivots along the tenets of the millennium development goals like good governance and accountability.

    The 3-day conference that is convening under the theme “Unity in Diversity, one continent, one Internal Auditing Profession” has attracted about 500 delegates from 25 countries across the world.

    NV

  • France Calls Genocide Complict Claims ‘Disgraceful’

    France Calls Genocide Complict Claims ‘Disgraceful’

    {{The French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (pictured above) said on Tuesday accusations by Rwanda government that France was complicit in the genocide that killed a million people were “disgraceful”, the firmest rebuttal since a row broke out between the countries.}}

    France was a principal ally of the Rwanda’s genocidal government.

    “I cannot accept these disgraceful accusations that suggest France could have been complicit in a genocide in Rwanda when its honour is to always separate fighting factions,” Valls said in a speech to parliament presenting his new government’s policies.

    While Paris has acknowledged mistakes in its dealings with Rwanda, it has repeatedly dismissed accusations it trained militias to take part in the 1994 massacres.

    French President Francois Hollande, who had met Kagame in Brussels last week, avoided reference to the row on Monday saying in a statement that Paris stood by Rwandans to honour the memory of the victims.

    French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said: “There was a warm meeting between president (Hollande) and Kagame in Brussels which is why we were extremely surprised by these statements.

    “France did what was possible to save populations and avoid this genocide. Sadly there was a collective failure of the international community, but at the heart of this, France was exemplary.”

    Nadal said France hoped to continue its existing cooperation and dialogue with Rwanda, but there had to be “mutual respect”, which was not the case with Kagame’s comments.

    {additional reporting–Reuters}

  • U.S. Warns Burundi Against ‘Dark Days’

    U.S. Warns Burundi Against ‘Dark Days’

    {{The United States urged Burundi’s president on Tuesday to drop planned constitutional changes that could upset a delicate ethnic power balance, warning that the country risked a return to the “dark days” of civil war.}}

    Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations met President Pierre Nkurunziza – who might be allowed to run for a third term under a new constitution – and told him he should leave the current system in place.

    “What we stressed was that the president has a tremendous legacy and he has built with the people of Burundi some great successes from 2005 until the very present,” Power told a news conference in Bujumbura after her meeting.

    “We believe that his legacy should be one of respect of the constitution, thus we urge again that the constitution, the rule of law and human rights be respected.”

    The proposed constitutional amendments have stirred the worst political crisis in the east African country since the 12-year civil war ended in 2005, and raised fears of new turmoil.

    The plan would mean a single powerful prime minister from the ruling party replaces two vice president posts currently shared between the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi ethnic groups.

    In March, the ruling CNDD-FDD party failed to win parliamentary approval for the constitutional changes, but the government said they might be put to the people in a referendum instead.

    On her Twitter account, Power called for international intervention to prevent matters deteriorating in Burundi.

    “Burundi needs international attention now to ensure that it doesn’t return to the dark days of its past. (We) must engage early and persistently,” she wrote.

    In a previous tweet, she said Burundi’s post-civil war progress had begun to unravel as the “government moves to strip political freedoms and stifle dissent”.

    Power said the United States would provide $7.5 million to support Burundi’s efforts to hold elections in 2015.

    The constitutional dispute has driven a wedge between the Hutu-dominated CNDD-FDD and its junior governing partner, the Tutsi-led Uprona party whose leadership believes Nkurunziza is maneuvering to stand for a third term, beyond the prescribed two elected terms.

    Burundi’s political stand-off has raised the risk of another explosion in a volatile region already grappling with unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic.