Category: Rubrique

{The UN says it has reports of three mass graves in South Sudan, amid “palpable fear” among civilians they will be killed for their ethnicity.}

There has been a week of fighting amid a power struggle between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and ex-deputy Riek Machar, of the Nuer.

The UN said 34 bodies had been found in Bentiu in the north, with two more sites reported in the capital, Juba.

One man in Juba said he was rounded up with 250 men and only 12 survived.

The fighting first erupted in the capital last week and has spread throughout South Sudan.

The growing number of allegations of ethnically motivated killings is deeply concerning. It’s important to remember that this crisis is at its heart a political struggle, in a militarized, and, yes, ethnically divided society.

The strength of politicians often comes from their ethnic base, so the power struggle is exacerbating ethnic cleavages.

It is wrong to paint this as an “ethnic war”, though – it is far more complicated than this. It is also unclear to what extent the military commanders can control the many armed civilians fighting in different parts of the country.

With all that said, international concern about ethnically driven violence is high. Ban Ki-moon has warned that anyone responsible for human rights violations will be held to account.

It is to be hoped that these are not empty words.

UN officials say at least 80,000 people have been displaced by the crisis – about half of them seeking shelter at UN bases – with fighting now having spread to half of the 10 states.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has urged both sides to do all they can to protect civilians.

She said “Mass extrajudicial killings, the targeting of individuals on the basis of their ethnicity and arbitrary detentions have been documented in recent days.”

UNHCR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said a UN official had seen 14 bodies in the grave in Bentiu and another 20 at a riverside nearby.

But she said 75 Sudan People’s Liberation Army soldiers, all Dinka, were unaccounted for there and were feared dead.

Ms Shamdasani said: “As for the other two reported graves in Juba, we are still working to verify but it is very difficult, and there are reports that some bodies may have already been burned.”

The two sites are at Jebel-Kujur and New side, near Eden.

Ms Pillay added: “There is a palpable fear among civilians of both Dinka and Nuer backgrounds that they will be killed on the basis of their ethnicity.”

BBC Africa analyst James Copnall says the fighting in South Sudan is not an exclusively ethnic conflict – it is a military combat propelled by political ambitions.

But he says South Sudan does have deep ethnic divisions and they are being exacerbated by the fighting.

Salva Kiir has agreed to talks “without preconditions”
Riek Machar says he has formed a delegation for talks in Ethiopia

President Kiir and Mr Machar have both said they are willing to talk to try to end the conflict.

However, Mr Machar has said his detained political allies must first be freed, while Mr Kiir says there should be no preconditions.

Mr Machar told Radio France Internationale he had spoken to US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday. Mr Machar said he had formed a delegation for talks and that they would probably be held in Ethiopia.

He said: “We want a democratic nation. We want democratic free and fair elections. We want Salva Kiir to call it a day.”

‘Rounded up’
Rebels supporting Mr Machar have seized the major towns of Bor and Bentiu, the capital of the oil-producing Unity State.

Ban: “The world is watching all sides in South Sudan”
Troops loyal to Mr Kiir are advancing on Bor. Army spokesman Col Philip Aguer said: “We expect that we [will] retake Bor within 72 hours.”

Mr Kiir has accused Mr Machar, who he sacked in July, of plotting a coup. Mr Machar denies he is trying to seize power.

Hannah McNeish, a journalist in Juba, told the BBC she had interviewed a man called Simon, living at a UN camp, who said he had been shot four times but managed to survive a mass killing by hiding under dead bodies.

“He tells of being rounded up with about 250 other men, driven to a police station in one of Juba’s busiest suburbs. He describes an ordeal whereby over the course of two days, forces outside the windows fired into this room, killing all but 12 men,” she said.

The official death toll in the week of fighting stands at 500, but aid agencies say the true figure is likely to be much higher.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an increase in the UN’s peacekeepers from 6,800 to about 11,800. A Security Council vote on the resolution is expected later on Tuesday.

Sudan suffered a 22-year civil war that left more than a million people dead before the South became independent in 2011.

Fighting erupted in the South Sudan capital, Juba, in mid-December. It followed a power struggle between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and his Nuer ex-deputy Riek Machar. The fear is that the rivalry will spark a widespread ethnic conflict. According to OCHA, 81,000 people have been forced from their homes.

{President Kagame on Sunday, 15th Dec. 2013, chaired the 12th RPF ordinary Congress held at Petit Stade, Remera. During the biannual Congress, President Kagame was re-elected as RPF Chairman by 99.5%, during elections that saw the RPF vice Chairman, Christopher Bazivamo and the Secretary General, Francois Ngarambe also retain their posts.}

In his remarks, President Kagame cautioned RPF leaders against complacency, discouragement and living in deceit:

“Our citizens have trusted us with the responsibility to lead, which makes it our duty to serve them. What I ask of you as leaders, RPF members and Rwandans, is to never give up when you are on the side of the truth. If you give up, who will take over the responsibilities of nation building? We cannot give up on our goals, we are not doing it for anyone but ourselves, no one will do it for us. By the magnitude of the challenges we face, we cannot afford to work in shifts, we have to be on watch all the time for us to get where we want to be. Rwanda as a nation has ambitions of a better future for all and we cannot afford to give up.”

President Kagame cautioned RPF leaders against shying away from telling each other the truth, because this was not in the interest of the country. He said a good leader must cultivate the value of courage to give credit where it is due, but also be able to tell each other the bitter truth when they think their peers were not doing things right for the sake of their country.

“Let us be defined by humility. Humility is not weakness; on the contrary, it is strength. Let us work hard and let our accomplishments speak for us. Leadership should not be about taking credit for the accomplishments that result from the hard work of others.”

While opening the Congress which was also attended by leaders from other political parties operating in Rwanda, President Kagame said the meeting was a time to reflect on where the country and Rwandans have come from, where they are and where they are going and who they should be.

Speaking on Nd’Umunyarwanda program, President Kagame said:

“It is not about being Tutsi, Hutu or Twa. It is about being a Rwandan with dignity and self respect. It is not just about being Rwandan, it is about asking ourselves what kind of Rwandan you want to be. You may derive pride in feeling you are Tutsi, Hutu or Twa, but beyond that, what kind of person are you? What qualities do you have on top of being what you are?” Our goal is dignity for all and there is no other way.”

Thanking other political parties for understanding that working together for the common good of the country is the best way to go about the challenges facing Rwanda; President Kagame said that divergence in opinion should only contribute towards seeking various solutions to the problems facing the country.

President Kagame cautioned leaders that challenges are reminder that nothing will come easily and therefore they must fight hard to ensure Rwanda does not die a second time.

“The security, development you want for yourself is what everyone deserves. Our accomplishments should not make us complacent, they must be the reason we strive to achieve more for the next generation. Congress is time we come together to evaluate our work and forge way forward that will benefit all Rwandans.”

President Kagame took the opportunity to wish RPF members and all Rwandans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

More than 20 lawmakers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi—countries that make up the Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)—have recommended that the three countries’ leaders meet.

The parliamentarians who met this week in Rubavu, Western Rwanda, said the Heads of State summit would help fast-track the bloc’s development projects.

Leading the Rwandan team was Senator Jean-Damascène Bizimana, Chairperson of the Senate’s standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security.

He said in an interview yesterday that the parliamentarians have already recommended that Congolese President Joseph Kabila call a Heads of State meeting.

The CEPGL leaders’ summit, which normally sets the guidelines for undertaking activities that benefit the bloc’s members, was last held way back in 1992.

After various phases of turmoil in the region, including the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the community was revived in 2007 with the Congolese president as Chairperson of the leaders’ summit, but CEPGL presidents have never met to provide the required leadership.

“From 2007 up to now, president Kabila has not called for a meeting and we as MPs have agreed to advocate for this meeting to revive and bolster everything we discussed including our numerous development projects,” Bizimana said.

The implementation of joint regional projects in areas that range from peace, security and good governance to energy, communications infrastructure, economic development and agriculture and food security have stalled due to political disagreements and poor coordination.

“The meeting has already realised that this first meeting by CEPGL lawmakers is a very good step in enhancing cooperation and we have noted that such meetings must be held in the future,” Bizimana added.

On Friday morning, Herman Tuyaga, the Executive Secretary of CEPGL, highlighted the status of the joint projects, challenges and solutions as well as potential future projects, and how the meeting could help reinvigorate some of the bloc’s projects that have stalled.

“He indicated that the CEPGL Secretariat indeed has very good projects in all sectors and everyone in the meeting approved them,” Bizimana said.

The lawmakers also examined challenges that the bloc’s current projects face and discussed how to boost joint cross-border development projects that include restoration of hydro power generation on Rusizi falls and building the Burundi-DRC-Rwanda road network.

The New Times

Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights 65 years ago. This year’s observance also marks 20 years since another bold step was taken to make rights a reality for all: the adoption by the World Conference on Human Rights of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.

Member States adopted a far-reaching vision and created the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

For the UN, promotion of human rights for all is not only a justice issue for all human beings, but it is also essential for conflict prevention.

But it has not been an easy journey. In the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon : “Promoting human rights is one of the core purposes of the United Nations, and the Organization has pursued this mission since its founding. Then, as now, the key to success is the political will of Member States. It is States, in the first instance, that are obliged to protect human rights and prevent violations at a national level, and to stand up when other States fail to live up to their commitments.

This is not always easy, and over the past 20 years we have seen genocide and many other appalling and large-scale violations of international human rights and humanitarian law “.

Nevertheless, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights has had a truly important and lasting impact on the world as a whole as a general philosophy and as guidance. To date, it has been translated into 416 national and local languages in the world, including Kinyarwanda, illustrating its global appeal.

In Rwanda, the rights included in the Rwandan Constitution have been inspired to a large extent by this Declaration, even though it is firmly grounded on Rwanda core values. In particular, it is noteworthy, according to the constitution, that international human rights law provisions supersede national legislation.

One of the main pillars of the UN’s work in Rwanda is based on access to justice and the protection of human rights. It is our wish to ensure that the population is well informed about all their rights.

In Rwanda, the Government, with support from the United Nations and other development partners, has further integrated these rights and principles into national laws and policies. The process of decentralization in Rwanda is an outstanding example on how to build a society premised on the participation of all, and participation as we know is key to the attainment of human rights.

Rwanda’s commitment to human right is also illustrated by the country’s willingness to implement the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Over the last few years, we at the United Nations in Rwanda have made significant contribution to promote human rights through support to the Government in the ratification of virtually all the important human rights conventions.

The citizens of Rwanda were educated about their rights and preserved these rights through a continued dialogue between the justice sector, the districts levels and citizens. The country targeted and ratified all the eight key human rights instruments and most of their additional protocols. Most importantly, Rwanda has made tremendous progress in ensuring the basic rights of all of its citizens: the right to education, to good health, to human security, protection of the rights of children, gender equity etc.

Under the new United Nations Development Plan (UNDAP), 2013 – 2018, for Rwanda, there is a new flagship programme called “Access to Justice, Human Rights and Peace Consolidation” under which the UN System in Rwanda commits itself to working even more closely with Rwandan authorities and other development partners to consolidate the gains already made in the protection and promotion of human rights.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to one of the great symbols of human rights of our time: Nelson Mandela, whose lifelong commitment to human dignity, equality, justice and compassion will forever remain an inspiration as we continue to build a world of all human rights for all. Although he has passed, his spirit will remain an inspiration for generations to come.

{In recent weeks, government affiliated armed groups and independent “self-defense” militias have committed shocking and horrific atrocities against innocent civilians in the Central African Republic. }

The United States is actively supporting the international community’s efforts to end the violence, protect civilians, prevent atrocities, provide humanitarian assistance, and help create an environment that allows constitutional and democratic governance to be restored.

In an audio message taped in Dakar, Senegal, today, President Obama sent a clear and important message to the people of the Central African Republic: that they should reject the violence currently threatening their country, and move together toward a future of security, dignity, and peace.

{{Transcript}}:

Mbi bala ala kouè. This is President Barack Obama, and today I want to speak directly to you—the people of the Central African Republic.

I know that in your lives you have faced great hardship. But I also know that you’ve lived together in peace—as diverse and vibrant communities, Christian and Muslim. Together, you celebrate a proud history and a land of extraordinary beauty. Together, you emerged from colonialism and achieved independence. Together, you realize that we are all children of God and that—whatever our faith—we all deserve to live in peace and dignity.

But the awful violence of recent days threatens the country you love. Innocent men, women and children have been killed. Families have fled their homes. And we know from the bitter experience of other countries what happens when societies descend into violence and retribution. Today, my message to you is simple: it doesn’t have to be this way. You—the proud citizens of the Central African Republic—have the power to choose a different path.

Respected leaders in your communities—Muslim and Christian—are calling for calm and peace. I call on the transitional government to join these voices and to arrest those who are committing crimes. Individuals who are engaging in violence must be held accountable—in accordance with the law. Meanwhile, as forces from other African countries and France work to restore security, the United States will support their efforts to protect civilians.

Most of all, every citizen of the Central African Republic can show the courage that’s needed right now. You can show your love for your country by rejecting the violence that would tear it apart. You can choose peace. You can choose to live up to the rule that is at the heart of all great faiths— that we treat other people the way we want to be treated ourselves.

That is how we honor our faiths. That is how reconciliation occurs. That’s how the Central African Republic can move forward—and return to a better path, toward a future where you and your fellow citizens can seek the security and dignity and peace you deserve.

Singuila.