IGIHE

Category: Politics

  • France to recognise Palestine if talks fail

    France to recognise Palestine if talks fail

    {Foreign minister says Israeli “colonisation continues” and if renewed efforts collapse, France will recognise Palestine.}

    France intends to make another push at trying to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has warned that if its efforts failed, it would recognise a Palestinian State.

    “France will engage in the coming weeks in the preparation of an international conference bringing together the parties and their main partners, American, European, Arab, notably to preserve and make happen the two-state solution,” French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius said on Friday.

    If this last attempt at finding a solution hits a wall, “well … in this case, we need to face our responsibilities by recognising the Palestinian state,” said the minister.

    As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Fabius added that France had a responsibility to try to keep up efforts to find a solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

    “We see that unfortunately colonisation continues and that recently, the Israeli Prime Minister went so far as to reproach the UN Secretary General for encouraging terrorism on the basis that he had reminded of colonisation’s illegality and asked that it cease,” Fabius said.

    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday described Israel’s settlements as “provocative acts” that raised questions about its commitment to a two-state solution, nearly 50 years after occupying lands the Palestinians seek for a state.

    In recent months, Israel has become increasingly isolated as the United States, European Union and the United Nations have issued unusually stern criticism of Israel, provoking sharp responses from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    The Israeli leader described Ban’s comments as “encouraging terror”.

    Protests against Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip have become increasingly violent in recent months.

    Since October 1, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 165 Palestinians, including bystanders, unarmed demonstrators and attackers. At least 25 Israelis have also been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians.

    Source:Al Jazeera:[France to recognise Palestine if talks fail->http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/france-recognise-palestine-talks-fail-160129200230335.html]

  • Syria opposition en route to crunch Geneva peace talks

    Syria opposition en route to crunch Geneva peace talks

    {Main opposition group travelling to Switzerland but wants humanitarian issues addressed before it will talk politics.}

    A delegation representing Syria’s main opposition bloc was travelling to Geneva to assess the intentions of the Syrian government in implementing humanitarian measures that could allow it to join peace settlement negotiations, an opposition representative said.

    A 17-strong team including the head of the the Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC) Riad Hijab and lead negotiator Asaad al-Zoubi would depart from the Saudi capital, the Reuters news agency reported.

    The delegation was expected to arrive in Switzerland late on Saturday.

    On Friday, HNC member Farah Atassi said the delegation was coming “not to negotiate” with the government yet, but to talk to UN officials after receiving reassurances from the organisation.

    Atassi spoke at a Geneva hotel not far from the UN offices where UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura and Syria’s UN ambassador Bashar Jaafari were meeting.

    HNC spokesman Monzer Makhous said that the opposition had not changed a previous position that it would not travel to Switzerland if specific conditions for talking were not met.

    “Yes, we will go to Geneva to be present but we will not attend the talks at all unless the regime fulfils our humanitarian demands, which specify stoppage to bombings and starvation of civilians in besieged areas as a condition,” Makhous said.

    “Today we received guarantees that these issues will be addressed in addition to political transition of power. We will not accept anything else unless we see these demands met on the ground.”

    250,000 dead

    Mistura said he believed he would be able to meet the HNC on Sunday.

    The talks are the first since two rounds of negotiations collapsed in 2014. Syria’s conflict has killed more than 250,000 people, displaced millions and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing as refugees to Europe.

    The meetings are part of a process outlined in a UN resolution last month that envisages an 18-month timetable for a political transition, including the drafting of a new constitution and elections.

    Disputes are ongoing over which opposition parties should attend, with the HNC bloc facing criticism from the Syrian government and Russia for including the Army of Islam group, which controls wide territory near the capital.

    Earlier on Friday, UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi reflected the sense of chaos and confusion surrounding the beginning of the negotiations when he told reporters at a briefing: “I don’t have a time, I don’t have the exact location, and I can’t tell you anything about the delegation.”

    Source:Al Jazeera:[Syria opposition en route to crunch Geneva peace talks->http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/syria-main-opposition-group-join-talks-geneva-160129182452541.html]

  • Uganda:Museveni will go this time, Besigye reassures Masaka

    Uganda:Museveni will go this time, Besigye reassures Masaka

    {The Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, has reassured his supporters in Masaka District that he is a few days away from accomplishing his mission of ending President Museveni’s rule, a pledge he made in his first presidential contest in 2001. }

    “Today, I want to reassure you that its high time you prepared for that opportune moment (of Museveni’s exit) which is only not too distant,” Dr Besigye told a cheering crowd on Friday.

    Dr Besigye was addressing a rally at Masaka Golf Course Grounds, the same venue where he made a similar pronouncement 15 years ago.

    Since 2001, Dr Besigye has told voters in Masaka that they will have a golden opportunity of seeing Museveni driving back to his home in Rwakitura in Kiruhura District after getting defeated in the elections.

    However, the FDC founding president has not delivered on his pledge. He said his promise still stands and will be fulfilled soon.

    Dr Besigye told the voters that defeating a ‘dictator’ was a hard task, equating it to uprooting a huge tree, which according to him, has this time lost its strength and awaits a slight push to fall off.

    “Over these years, I have been shaking this aging tree. The roots have weakened; its branches have already started breaking off and simply needs a small push, and it is a matter of days,” Dr Besigye told the cheering crowd that donated cash as facilitation funding for his campaigns.

    The cash donations have been common practice in many other districts he has been to on the campaign trail.

    Earlier in day, Dr Besigye held rallies in Kawoko before proceeding to Butenga Town in Bukomansimbi District where he addressed more crowds.

    He promised to improve healthcare and education services in the country, which he said have been messed up by the NRM government.

    “This is the reason they are deploying at these facilities to prevent us from exposing the rot in there. But this time, Ugandans have proved ready to claim their rights through a transitional election,” he said .

    Kampala Lord mayor Erias Lukwago told the voters to be fearless and turn up in big numbers on polling day and cast their votes.

    “Despite all the harassments meted out on us on instructions of President Museveni, our government will pardon him and instead accord him a decent retirement,” Mr Lukwago said.

    Meanwhile, copies of Dr Besigye’s recorded speeches at his rallies has become hot selling items at video and CD booths that are playing around Masaka Town.

    On his arrival in the town, businesses momentarily came to a standstill as wild celebrations rocked the streets with FDC supporters dancing to Besigye’s campaign songs which were played in his campaign fleet trucks.

    Shops closed and the verandahs and streets filled. Most streets were decorated with banana stems, banners with Dr Besigye’s portrait and those of other FDC candidates.

    Source:Daily Monitor:[Museveni will go this time, Besigye reassures Masaka->http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Museveni-time-Besigye-reassures-Masaka/-/859108/3054334/-/78mxsf/-/index.html]

  • Sudan’s Bashir orders border with South Sudan to reopen

    Sudan’s Bashir orders border with South Sudan to reopen

    {Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has ordered the opening of his country’s border with South Sudan for the first time since the latter seceded in 2011.}

    The move comes days after reports that South Sudan had ordered its troops to withdraw a short way from the border.

    Disputes over the border remain unresolved and the two countries fought over the Heglig oilfield in 2012.

    South Sudan gained independence as the outcome of a 2005 agreement that ended a 22-year civil war.

    Mr Bashir has asked the Sudanese authorities to “take all measures” for the reopening, state news agency Suna reported.

    Last week Mr Bashir also agreed to consider lowering the fees paid by South Sudan for the use of Sudanese infrastructure to export oil.

    South Sudan contains most of the oilfields that belonged to Sudan before 2011.
    The new country descended into civil war in 2013 when fighting broke out between forces loyal to Mr Kiir and his then deputy Riek Machar, splitting the country down ethnic lines.

    Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries including Sudan.

    Source:BBC:[Sudan’s Bashir orders border with South Sudan to reopen->http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35425558]

  • I want to start a new chapter of peace, Machar assures Museveni

    I want to start a new chapter of peace, Machar assures Museveni

    {President Yoweri Museveni and South Sudan’s Opposition leader, Riek Machar have held a meeting to discuss peace in South Sudan.}

    “I want to start a new chapter of peace and friendship,” Machar assured President Museveni who responded that he was available to support any peace initiatives to stabilize South Sudan.

    The two leaders at Masindi State Lodge in Masindi municipality on Tuesday. The President is camped in Masindi and Hoima where he is campaigning as NRM Presidential flag bearer in the up coming national elections next month.

    Dr. Machar who arrived in the country with his 15 member delegation that included Ms. Angelina Teny, the Chairperson of SPLM national committee for Security and Defense, Ambassador Ezekeil Lol Gatkuoth the SPLM chairperson for the national committee on foreign affairs and Dr. Peter Odwok the SPLM national chairperson for the committee for training and research among other, briefed Museveni on the progress and steps so far taken to fully implement the negotiated peace process in South Sudan.

    Museveni and his guest also discussed a number of issues pertaining to the political, economic, security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan as well as the role and mandate of the Inter-Governmental Authority on development in bringing about lasting peace in South Sudan.

    He commended the progress so far made in bringing about peace and stability in South Sudan and the positive response of the two sides. He pledged the Ugandan government support to ensure that lasting peace returns to South Sudan.

    Source:The New Vision:[I want to start a new chapter of peace, Machar assures Museveni ->http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415674/start-chapter-peace-machar-assures-museveni]

  • DR Congo elections could be delayed till 2016 over update of voter lists 10 hours ago

    DR Congo elections could be delayed till 2016 over update of voter lists 10 hours ago

    {13 months is what could be required to revise the Democratic Republic of Congo voters lists.}

    This is according to sources who said that the estimates came from the country’s elections commission.

    A document dated January 14 purporting to be from the National Independent Elections Commission (CENI) and published on Twitter, said it would take 13 months and 10 days to carry out even a partial revision of the lists at a cost of $122 million.

    The document also indicated that it could take 16 months and $290 million to revise the full voters lists.

    According to the CENI, authentication of the document published by a UK-based political analyst Michael Tshibangu is difficult.

    Tshibangu is the president of the Association of Development and Democracy in the Congo. However, diplomatic sources in Kinshasa confirmed the document was genuine.

    Critics have accused president Joseph Kabila of manoeuvering to delay the elections by drawing out the electoral calendar in a bid to maintain his grip on power.

    The opposition and Kabila have called for polls to be held with updated voter registers that would include an estimated 7 million new voters.

    The mineral rich country has not had a peaceful transfer of power in the last 55 years since independence and there are fears that the ongoing dispute over the elections could spark violence in a nation that has faced instability over the years.

    Source:Africa News:[DR Congo elections could be delayed till 2016 over update of voter lists->http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/27/dr-congo-elections-could-be-delayed-till-2016-over-update-of-voters-lists/]

  • Somalia’s President Mohamud meets House team over attack on KDF soldiers

    Somalia’s President Mohamud meets House team over attack on KDF soldiers

    {Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday held a three-hour, closed door meeting with Kenya’s Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations in Eldoret.
    }
    Sources privy to the meeting told the Nation the meeting discussed the progress so far made in improving security in Somalia since the attack on the Kenyan troops in El-Adde on January 15.

    The Parliamentary team was headed by its chairman, Tetu MP James Gethenji.

    The meeting at Boma Inn Hotel was also attended by Somali Ambassador to Kenya Jamal Mohamed Hassan.

    {{ROLE IN AMISOM}}

    Mr Gethenji has said his team will launch investigations into the assault and interrogate Kenya’s role in the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).

    “We want to see debate brought to the floor of Parliament where we will discuss Kenya’s lead role in liberating Somalia,” said the MP.

    Mr Gethenji is on record saying the operation has achieved significant gains, but time has come to “rethink and re look at the challenges.”

    He added that they will run a parallel inquiry to the one being conducted by the Kenya Defence Forces.

    Mr Mohamud arrived at 11:30am, escorted by Deputy President William Ruto and other leaders including Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago.

    Mr Ruto later left the hotel for Eldoret International Airport to receive President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Security around the hotel was beefed up, with uniformed and plain clothes officers stationed inside and outside, to boost security teams accompanying the Somali head of State.

    Source:Daily Nation:[Somalia’s President Mohamud meets House team over attack on KDF soldiers->http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Somalia-President-meets-MPs-over-attack-on-Kenyan-soldiers/-/1056/3051876/-/s0r4yk/-/index.html]

  • UN invites warring parties to Syria talks

    UN invites warring parties to Syria talks

    {Kurdish PYD leader says his faction not yet invited to take part in negotiations scheduled to start on Friday.}

    The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has sent out invitations to the Syrian participants of the Geneva talks scheduled for Friday.

    Preparations for the talks have been beset by problems including a dispute over who should represent the opposition.

    The UN did not say on Tuesday who had been invited or how many groups might participate.

    De Mistura said in a news conference on Monday that the talks will take begin in Geneva on January 29 and are expected to last for six months.

    He said the talks will push for a nationwide ceasefire for all parties other than the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Nusra Front armed groups.

    After the invites were sent out, conflicting reports emerged of which groups and individuals had finally been invited.

    One contentious issue has been whether or not the powerful Kurdish faction that controls wide areas of northern Syria would be invited.

    Russia, an ally of Syria’s president, has sought to expand the opposition delegation to include the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), as well as other individuals it believes represents Syrian society.

    George Sabra: A unity government is unacceptable
    The Syrian opposition platform created in Saudi Arabia last month, who were meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday to decide whether to send their delegation to the talks, say the PYD should be part of the government delegation.

    Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from Geneva, said that the PYD leader was not invited to the talks.

    “We spoke to the PYD leader, Salem Muslim, who is in Switzerland but said he was not invited to the talks,” Bays said.

    Turkey said earlier on Tuesday that it opposes the involvement of the PYD or its armed wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), in the Geneva talks.

    Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said that Turkey will boycott the talks if the PYD are invited.

    The opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which was formed in Riyadh, said it would decide on Wednesday whether to take part.

    The committee said it is waiting for a response from the UN to a set of requestsand if their conditions are not met, the group will not attend the talks.

    The Syrian government has already said it will attend.
    {{
    Syrian army captures key town
    }}

    The latest diplomatic developments came as the Syrian army announced a major victory, capturing the key southern town of Sheikh Maskin from rebel forces after weeks of fierce fighting .

    The fall of Sheikh Maskin on Monday means that government forces will strengthen their hold on Deraa province, while cutting off rebel factions from key supply lines.

    Deraa, the scene of the earliest protests against the Syrian government in 2011, contains routes crucial to both the Syrian army and rebel fighters.

    Multiple bombings also targeted a government-run security checkpoint in the central Syrian city of Homs on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency and opposition activists reported.

    The attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

    The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists across Syria, said the death toll had climbed to 25, with 15 of the casualties being security personnel.

    The Syrian conflict has killed at least 250,000 people, according to the UN, and more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22.4 million has been internally displaced or have fled abroad.

    Source:Al Jazeera:[UN invites warring parties to Syria talks->http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/syria-talks-160126154340219.html]

  • Israel vows to restart law of return for Ethiopian Jews

    Israel vows to restart law of return for Ethiopian Jews

    {Ethiopians able to prove Jewish identity promised acceptance again, after thousands of families were split up.}

    Gondar, Ethiopia – The Israeli government says it plans to restart its law of return programme in Ethiopia.

    Under the “Aliyah” rule, anyone who can prove their Jewish identity can move to Israel.

    Israel stopped the programme for Ethiopians in 2013, saying there was no one left who met the criteria – a move that split up thousands of families.

    For example, the family of Werkenshe Akalu, an Ethiopian Jew, left for Israel in 2013 but she was unable to follow. “I feel lonely here because all my family are in Israel,” Akalu told Al Jazeera.

    Feleke Goba’s parents and grandparents were allowed to settle in Israel in 2003. He said he does not know why his application was not accepted.

    His mother passed away in Israel and he was unable to afford to travel and see her before she died.

    “Now I hope I can go to Israel before my father dies, even just for one day,” said Goba.

    However, in light of the government’s recent change of heart, critics say Israel arbitrarily makes changes to increase the Jewish population, and treats Ethiopian Jews as second-class citizens.

    Last year, Ethiopian Jews clashed with police in Tel Aviv during protests against institutionalised racism.

    In Hebrew, Aliyah means “the journey to Israel”.

    The Jewish Agency, which helps to organise the immigration of Jews to Israel, denies accusations that the government applies the law of return arbitrarily.

    “Ethiopian immigration to Israel is the only example of a Western democracy investing money to bring people from Africa to serve as full-fledged citizens of that country, and not for other purposes,” Avi Mayer, Jewish Agency spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

    “So I think it does speak to Israel’s reason for existing, Israel’s ideology of serving as a homeland for all Jews around the world.”

    About 135,500 Jewish Israelis of Ethiopian descent live in Israel; more than 50,000 of whom were born inside the country.

    Source:Al Jazeera:[Israel vows to restart law of return for Ethiopian Jews->http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/israel-ethiopian-jews-return-160126080927135.html]

  • Team of experts delayed from entering Burundi to investigate human rights abuses – UN

    Team of experts delayed from entering Burundi to investigate human rights abuses – UN

    {26 January 2016 – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported today that a team of independent experts mandated to probe violations and abuses in Burundi has not been able to enter the country.}

    “The experts have been mandated by the [UN Human Rights] Council to swiftly investigate violations and abuses of human rights in Burundi, make recommendations on the improvement of the human rights situation and to engage in a dialogue with the authorities and other relevant actors of the ongoing crisis,” Cécile Pouilly, an OHCHR spokesperson, told reporters in Geneva at a press briefing.

    Ten days ago UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein warned that deeply worrying new trends have been emerging in Burundi, including cases of sexual violence by security forces and a sharp increase in enforced disappearances and torture cases. The crisis erupted when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term last April.

    In December, a special session of the Council adopted a resolution requesting High Commissioner Zeid to “urgently organize and dispatch on the most expeditious basis possible a mission by independent existing experts.”

    His Office set up a team comprising three experts: two UN Special Rapporteurs specializing in extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, and in the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; and a third expert, who is a Member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

    Given the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Burundi and the request for an oral update to the Council at its next session in March, the High Commissioner requested the Government of Burundi to allow the team to start its first mission to the country yesterday.

    “The team was not able to deploy due to the lack of response to date from the Burundian authorities,” indicated Ms. Pouilly. “We hope the Burundian authorities will take all the necessary steps, including granting of visas, to allow for the prompt deployment of the experts on the ground.”

    In a statement issued today, OHCHR said it regrets this delay and fears that it might hamper the ability of the team to fulfil its mandate and report in an appropriate and timely manner to the Council.