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  • SOMALIA: Prime Minister welcomes the opening of the new UN office in Somalia

    SOMALIA: Prime Minister welcomes the opening of the new UN office in Somalia

    {Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon today welcomes Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, to Somalia. He congratulated for the launch of UNSOM and its new mandate supporting government’s agenda of peace, security and nation-building.}

    “Somalia’s relationship with the UN is never stronger and we will take maximum advantage of the new UNSOM mandate,” Prime Minister said.

    “Somalia has had no better friend than the UN in recent years. You have been stuck with us through good years and bad. And now we are making a new beginning. An effective partnership with the UN is essential for the new Somalia”.

    Prime Minister stated that the Somali government is very pleased with the UN response to government’s call for a streamlined organization to deal with.

    We asked for “a single UN door to knock on, and you have provided it,” Prime Minister said, before announcing the establishment of the International Aid Coordination mechanism, one way of making the most of the UN support.

    “We have established an Aid Coordination Unit – this will help you help us”. Prime Minister said. “We are committed to the principles of Aid Effectiveness, from aid ownership and mutual accountability, to coordination and alignment with government priorities”.

    Prime Minister informed Jan Eliasson that the government is now in the process of operationalizing the new deal compact, which was signed in Brussels Conference on 16th of September.

    “The New Deal is going to change the landscape for all of us with regard to how we conduct our partnership and collaboration,” Prime Minister said.

    Prime Minister pointed out that a significant progress is made in a short period of time on security, governance, reconciliation and human rights protection. He also stated that there are still significant challenges as Somalia continues to stabilize. He urged international partners to support enhance Somali National Security Forces capabilities to defeat Al-Shabab.

    “We believe that Somalia’s peace and stability can only be ensured by our own security forces.

    We have requested the Security Council to provide our National Army Forces with non-lethal force enablers, including food, fuel and medical assistance”.

    Prime Minister said, hoping that international community will step up to support Somalia to secure its borders and head to a much better future.

    raxanreeb.com

  • Abyei People to Vote on Sudan-South Sudan Choice

    Abyei People to Vote on Sudan-South Sudan Choice

    {Residents in the disputed border region of Abyei jubilated on the eve of the upcoming referendum in which they will choose between Sudan and South Sudan, a local leader said Saturday, despite concern the exercise could spark violence.}

    Abyei’s Ngok Dinka people have been “singing and dancing” ahead of the “people’s referendum” on Sunday, according to Luka Biong, spokesman for a civic group that is organizing the vote. The Sudan-allied Misseriya nomads, who come to Abyei to find pasture for their cattle, will not be allowed to participate, he added.

    Both Sudan and South Sudan claim ownership of Abyei, whose status was unresolved after South Sudan became independent from its northern neighbor in 2011. The region’s majority Ngok Dinka people are believed to be in favor of joining South Sudan.

    “People are in a celebratory mood here. Last night they were singing and dancing as they wait for Sunday to cast their vote,” said Biong, spokesman for the Abyei Referendum High Committee, which has been mobilizing people for the referendum.

    Up to 100,000 people are expected to participate in the vote despite repeated warnings that such an event might trigger violence in the border region, said Biong. A local commission that will supervise the vote is expected to announce results on Oct. 31, he said, insisting the exercise would proceed without the official involvement of Sudan or South Sudan.

    The African Union has warned against holding a referendum, saying such action could increase the risk of violence between the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya. The Misseriya have warned that a referendum in which they are not participants cannot take place.

    The Abyei region is rich in oil, one of the reasons both Sudans are reluctant to give it up. An African Union panel mediating talks between the countries last year proposed a referendum to be held in Abyei this month to determine which country the region would join. The AU proposal said only the permanent residents of Abyei would be allowed to vote in the referendum. That proposal was rejected by Sudan, which does not agree with South Sudan over who should be eligible to vote.

    While South Sudan says only the Ngok Dinka should vote, Sudan insists the Misseriya —nomads who spend up to six months in the area — should also participate. Khartoum has argued against any unilateral action in Abyei, with Foreign Minister Ali Karti saying the dispute can only be resolved through negotiations between the two countries.

    According to a cooperation agreement signed last year, both Sudans were expected to set up an interim administrative body in Abyei comprised of representatives from the Dinka Ngok and Misseriya ethnic groups. They were also expected to set up a police force and a legislative council, with the Ngok Dinka taking 60 percent of the seats and the rest going to the Misseriya. However, that plan has stalled amid disagreement over who should chair the council.

    South Sudan President Salva Kiir wrote to the African Union recently urging it to do more to end the deadlock over Abyei, saying he saw no possibility of reaching an accord with Sudan anytime soon.

    ABCNews

  • Rwanda to host 84th Interpol General Assembly

    Rwanda to host 84th Interpol General Assembly

    {Rwanda was unanimously voted to host the 84th Interpol General Assembly slated for2015.}

    The decision was taken during the 82nd Interpol General Assembly held in Cartagena De Indias, Colombia late this month.

    According to Rwanda’s director of Interpol Nepo Mbonyumuvunyi, since its formation 100 years ago, Rwanda will be the 5th African Country to host Interpol General Assembly after Senegal in 1992, Egypt in 1998, Cameroun in 2002, and Morocco in 2007.

    Interpol is the second biggest world organization after the United Nations. It is composed of 190 countries with a mission to connect all Police Institutions worldwide for a safer world.

    “It’s expected that over 1, 000 delegates from all member states, private and public partners and other national and international organization will attend,” said Mbonyumuvunyi, in a statement.

    Rwanda was appointed to the Interpol Executive Committee in 2011 during the 80th Interpol General Assembly in Hanoi and Vietnam with a delegate to represent Africa at Interpol General Secretariat (IPSG).

  • Swahili to become East Africa’s official language

    Swahili to become East Africa’s official language

    {Swahili is set to become the official language for the East African Community (EAC) and the Uganda government has since ordered that all citizens must learn the language.}

    The EAC is made up of five countries, namely Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

    South Sudan’s application to join the community is still being considered by member states.

    Swahili is already an official language in Tanzania and Kenya where it is spoken by the majority of the population.

    It is also widely spoken in Rwanda and Burundi but very few speak the language in Uganda.

    Ugandans claim Swahili was used by harsh colonial officials as well as by former dictators, hence their dislike of the language.

    Uganda has experienced some of Africa’s harshest military dictatorships whose ruthless soldiers were trained in Swahili.

    However, the latest directive that the language should be vigorously used has shown that President Yoweri Museveni’s government’s determination to popularise the language.

    The government has instructed all relevant agencies to renew efforts to promote, teach and use Swahili and make it an alternative national language in in the East African country.

    Acting Information minister Barbra Nekesa said the rigorous introduction of the Swahili language was aimed at easing the country’s engagements with people from other states under the EAC.

    The language is also spoken in Africa’s largest state, Democratic Republic of Congo.

    ”Swahili will help Ugandan traders to easily communicate with traders from other parts of east Africa,” Nkesa said.

    “Currently there is a challenge of language barrier between out traders with their counterparts and consumers from other east African countries.”

    She said the government had always encouraged Ugandans to use Swahili but the efforts had not borne fruit because of the negativity caused by dicator Idi Amin’s regime whose security forces used the language.

    Swahili is a mixture of Arabic and local languages of east African coastal tribes.

    The language developed before Africa’s colonial era, when Arab traders camped on east African coasts and interacted with local people.

    In Tanzania and Kenya the language is taught in schools. In Uganda it has been on the school curriculum but very few schools have been teaching it.

    {{
    Theafricareport }}

  • FIFA sanction Liberia over suspended player

    FIFA sanction Liberia over suspended player

    {Liberia were on Thursday sanctioned by FIFA for fielding a suspended player during a World Cup qualifier, but the penalty had no impact as they had already failed to earn a berth in Brazil.
    }

    Football’s world governing said that Liberia were guilty of playing goalkeeper Nathaniel Sherman in their match against Angola on September 7.

    Sherman should have been sidelined because he had picked up two cautions in previous games, leading to an automatic one-match suspension, FIFA said.

    The decision to count the game as a 3-0 defeat for Liberia has no impact on the standings in Group J of the African qualifiers, given that Angola had won the match 4-1.

    Neither teams had a chance of advancing to round three of the qualifiers after Senegal finished four points clear of Uganda at the top of the group.

    FIFA also fined Liberia 6,000 Swiss francs (4,870 euros, $6,700).

    sowetanlive.co.za

  • Japan will stand up to China, says PM Shinzo Abe

    Japan will stand up to China, says PM Shinzo Abe

    {Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says other countries want Japan to adopt a more assertive leadership role in Asia to counter the growing power of China. }

    Mr Abe told the Wall Street Journal there were “concerns that China was trying to change the status quo by force, rather than by the rule of law”.

    Relations between China and Japan have been strained over recent years.

    China said on Saturday that if Japan shot down Chinese drones, this would be considered “an act of war” by Beijing.

    The statement was referring to reports that Mr Abe had approved defence plans that envisaged using air force planes to shoot down unmanned Chinese aircraft in Japanese airspace.

    Another contentious issue between the two countries is the dispute over a group of islands.

    The islands, in the East China Sea, are controlled by Tokyo, but claimed by Beijing.

    But analysts say the nations’ rivalry reflects the power shift created by China’s meteoric economic and diplomatic rise while Japan has been mired in a two-decade economic slump.

    China has warned against Japanese nationalism in a region where Japan’s colonial expansionism is still bitterly remembered.

    BBC

  • Top German spy chiefs to go to Washington for talks

    Top German spy chiefs to go to Washington for talks

    {Germany is to send its top intelligence chiefs to Washington to “push forward” an investigation into allegations the US spied on its leader Angela Merkel.}

    The heads of foreign and domestic intelligence would hold talks with the White House and the National Security Agency, a government spokesperson said.

    Earlier, Germany and France said they want the US to sign a no-spy deal by the end of the year.

    EU leaders have warned a lack of trust could harm the fight against terrorism.

    As well as the bugging of Mrs Merkel’s phone, there are claims the NSA has monitored millions of telephone calls by both German and French citizens.

    Source: BBC

  • US concerned by reports of fighting between the M23&FARDC

    US concerned by reports of fighting between the M23&FARDC

    {A Press statement of US Department of State said “the United States is deeply concerned by reports of renewed fighting between the M23 armed group and the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in eastern Congo, with reports of casualties and of hundreds of families forced to flee the area of the fighting.
    }

    Jen Psaki, Department Spokesperson noted that US is also troubled by reports that at least one round landed across the border in Rwanda.

    The fighting puts at risk the fragile peace negotiations in Kampala and risks undermining the concerted efforts earlier this week to reach a final agreement and peacefully resolve the conflict.

    US commend the actions of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) to protect civilians and urgently call on all parties to exercise restraint to prevent military escalation of the conflict.

    It calls on the M23 to commit to peacefully resolving the conflict by promptly signing a final agreement that provides for the disarmament and demobilization of the armed group and accountability for those responsible for the most serious human rights abuses.

    State Department commends the good faith efforts of the DRC government to negotiate a principled agreement and continue to call on all signatories of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework to support such an agreement and to end all support to armed groups.

    “We continue to believe that the best way forward for the Great Lakes region is to conclude the Kampala Talks in a manner that does not grant amnesty to the worst offenders and to utilize the Framework peace process to focus on the root causes of the crisis in the DRC, including through expanded dialogue among signatory states.”

    state.gov

  • President Kagame, First Lady join residents of Ndera for monthly Umuganda

    President Kagame, First Lady join residents of Ndera for monthly Umuganda

    {[{{Presidency Office}}]- President Kagame and First Lady Jeanette Kagame today joined residents of Ndera sector, Rudashya cell for the monthly Umuganda, where they participated in the construction of roadside water drainage for a new road that connects Ndera to other two sectors in Gasabo District.}

    Speaking to residents after the exercise, President Kagame said:

    “We can only achieve a better life for every Rwandan if we work to move each other forward, not to hold each other back. We know what is right for us, why should we expect others to do it for us? You have made working together to move our country forward part of our culture, so let us continue to look for solutions to our challenges within ourselves.”

    President Kagame assured the Ndera resident of Government support in order to move every Rwandan and the country forward. He said that although Rwandans were proud of accomplishments, they should not be satisfied until development reaches every Rwandan.

    “The work that Rwandans have put into their country has results that we can all see. We are here to join in your efforts and thank you for all the work you do to build your nation.”

    John Munana, the head of a farmers’ cooperative working in Ndera sector said the cooperative was registering impressive progress and thanked the President for his encouragement and inspiration to every member.

    {{
    Photo: Nkurunziza}}

  • Tens of thousands march for same-sex marriage in Taiwan

    Tens of thousands march for same-sex marriage in Taiwan

    {Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many displaying rainbows and glitter, thronged the center of Taiwan’s capital on Saturday to press demands to legalize same-sex marriage amid an increasingly tolerant environment on the island nation.}

    Organizers and participants said they were heartened by the prospect of same-sex marriage becoming a reality, despite enduring traditional attitudes among many residents.

    Taiwan’s legislature on Friday began a review of a gay marriage bill, which has the support of 53 percent of the public, according to a recent opinion poll, though acceptance of a gay family member remains low.

    “Chinese families are still very traditional,” said Jennifer Lu of the counseling group Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and one of the hosts on the center stage. “People still emphasize having an heir and passing on the family name.”

    On a cool autumn day, the 11th annual parade was marked by colorful costumes, plenty of exposed skin, musical performances and vendors lining the route to and from the city hall.

    Spokeswoman Meico Tsai praised the liberal attitudes that have put Taiwan far ahead of its neighbors in terms of tolerance of gays. “Compared to other Asian countries, we’re more open, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.

    Sexual-orientation education is a part of the primary school curriculum and LGBT individuals enjoy legal protection from hiring discrimination and other forms of prejudice.

    Reuters