Category: Rubrique

{{Sudans President Omer Al-Bashir has warned protesters against his government saying they are ‘bubbles’ who will be dealt with”.

Bashir was making his first reponce to protesters that have been pressuring Khartoum government for eight years.}}

During a Sunday adress to students pro-ruling National Congress Party (NCP), President Bashir described the protesters as “aliens and bubbles” who failed to mobilize the streets.

Sudanese authorities reported Sunday that they had detected participation of “foreign elements” in the protests that have been spreading across the country.

The mayor of Khartoum locality, Lt-Gen Omer Ibrahim Nimir, told pro-government media Center (SMC), that foreigners from neighboring countries were seen participating in “the sabotage plot that is targeting the interests of citizens and the state.”

Protests erupted on Sunday, 17 June, as Khartoum government moved to lift fuel subsidies as part of what officials say is an austerity package that includes downsizing of the government’s bureaucracy as well as cuts in the salaries and perks of senior state officials in order to make up for a budget deficit of 2 billion US dollars.

The protests, which were initially started by students against worsening economic conditions, gained unprecedented momentum in the following days as demonstrations spread to several parts of the capital as well as other towns including Al-Obaiyd in north Kordofana, Madani in Al-Jazzera State, and Port Sudan in the east.

{{MONUSCO has yet again reaffirmed its support to the Congolese forces in their campaign to route M23 rebels who have since the past several weeks put up a tough resistance against the government forces.}}

The Deputy Special Representative of UN Secretary General in the DRC, Leila Zerougui (see photo), reiterated Sunday, June 24 in Goma, North Kivu, to support troops Monusco and Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC), engaged in the fight against the mutineers of the M23.

She also assured that Monusco was desperate to protect civilians. Meanwhile, in Beni, the FARDC confirm that about twenty soldiers, including officers above, joined the rebels of the M23.

The Deputy Special Representative of Secretary-General visited the combat zones between the FARDC and the mutineers, including Rumangabo, Rugari and Bunagana.

Zerougui says the rebels will soon be isolated and monitored using the FARDC if they receive no cooperation of the communities. Thus it has urged people to dissociate themselves from them.

“We need people to understand that peace is in their interest, and that the war serves the interests of the warlords,” she said.

The Deputy Representative has also expressed concern that the displaced families remain without assistance, humanitarian not acceding to these areas still exposed to the fighting.

Zerougui also states that the peacekeepers are present in major centers and sensitive areas to strengthen the protection of civilians.

{{About Seventeen soldiers including seven senior officers of the Congolese national army (FARDC) of units formerly based in the main town of Lubero territory have defected during the night of June 21 to join the M23 rebels.}}

Local Congolese media has reported that the defecting soldiers have all joined the rebellion led by the M23 in Rutshuru.

Col. Serushago, Commander of the Congolese National Police (PNC) / Lubero told local media that the seventeen deserters left their camp at about 22 hours (local time), Wednesday, June 20.

They took the direction of Kasuo, 45 km Southwest of Lubero.

These deserters assured custody of Lt.Col. Douglas, in charge of information within the FARDC to Lubero fifth sector, which is “also absent from his post last Monday,” the source said.

It is also reported that Kasuo locality is, since last May, under the control of Mai-Mai Kakule.

Since last weekend, another group of former soldiers of the National Congress for People’s Defense (CNDP), led by Lt.Col. Mboneza, arrived in kasuo village from the forest of Beni via Mangurejipa.

Col. Mboneza who was the commander of the 808th regiment second FARDC in Beni also defected last Sunday.

Presence of armed groups in the area has created panic among the local population most of whom have started fleeing to the towns of Lubero, Kitsombiro or Kirumba a source noted to local press.

{{As opposition forces in Sudan call for the overthrow of Field Marshal Bashir’s regime, the Sudanese Armed forces attacked a disputed border zone inside South Sudan killing four people.}}

The attacked which was repulsed by the SPLA troops, occurred Tuesday.

The Commissioner of Manyo County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, Mr Al-Taieb Okeij Ajang, said Sudanese troops attacked Kaka Al-Tijaria, one of the six disputed border zones.

Sudanese opposition forces slammed the recent austerity measures announced by Presient Omer Al-Bashir to overcome the severe economic and called to overthrow the regime.

In a call to topple the regime, the Sudanese Communist Party said the plans announced by Bashir last Monday are only “administrative measures” that do not bring true and radical solutions to end the economic collapse the country is witnessing.

The communist party called on the Sudanese “to take to the streets to overthrow the regime”, stressing the government did not leave any other alternative.

The opposition forces say the austerity plan announced by the government did not affect the huge budgets of the army, police, security apparatus, and sovereign sector which acquire 70% of wages and salaries line or 56% of the whole 2012 budget.

The communist party said only 30% of the budget is concerned with the drastic measures including the cut of 380 constitutional positions.

Students continue to protest against the government for the fourth day in Khartoum chanting “the people want to overthrow the regime” while the riot police use tear gas to break up the demonstration.

{{As part of ongoing dialogue between Rwanda and DR-Congo held from 18 to 19 June 2012 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in DRC hosted a bilateral meeting between Congolese and Rwandan delegations.}}

The delegations were respectively led by Their Excellencies Raymond Tshibanda Ntungamulongo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Republic of Congo, and Louise Mushikiwabo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda.

This meeting is the materialisation of the desire of both countries to restore and maintain an environment of peace, security and mutual understanding between the DRC and Rwanda, two neighbours and brothers.

The two delegations exchanged information on security problems in the region and considered the concerns of each Party in connection with the situation in eastern DRC.

Both delegations reaffirmed the commitment to continue working together for peace, stability and development in the sub region. They agree that their respective territories do not form the basis of destabilization of one or the other.

They also agreed to operationalise the Joint Verification Commission whose duties include investigating suspicions of outside support to the mutineers and other opportunists.

In the same vein, both sides reaffirmed the need to find lasting solutions to fundamental problems at the root of the prevailing insecurity.

They therefore, renewed their determination to continue efforts to complete eradication of the terrorist group FDLR and other armed groups all skimming the sub region.

A meeting for consultation and evaluation is provided for that purpose June 28, 2012 at GOMA between the defense ministers of both countries, which will be accompanied by the Chiefs of General Staff of the FARDC and RDF.

In addition, both Parties expressed their wish to continue and intensify the existing cooperation in revitalizing all existing bilateral mechanisms of cooperation.

The meeting took place in a constructive spirit of sincerity.

The Foreign Minister of Rwanda thanked her Congolese counterpart for the warm and fraternal welcome which was reserved for her and the Rwandan delegation.

Kinshasa, 19 June 2012

{{Rwanda’s Foreign affairs Minister Louise Mishikiwabo arrived Tuesday 19 June morning in Kinshasa the capital of DRCongo to discuss the current security situation in troubled KIVU province of Eastern DRC.}}

“I am officially in the DRC for a meeting of security and diplomatic institutions will on the support of Rwanda in resolving the crisis in the East,” she told Congolese Media after meeting with President Joseph Kabila.

Mushikiwabo and her DRC counterpart Raymond Tshibanda ({pictured below}) met today in Kinshasa, on the sidelines of security situation in eastern DRC.Local Congolese Media reported early today.

The two ministers discussed in front of their experts on defense and security.
The Congolese Head of State, Joseph Kabila, received Mushikiwabo today (Tuesday) morning.

Minister Mishikiwabo said, “the opinion must be educated and understood that Rwanda has long worked for the pacification of the Great Lakes Region,” she said while responding to questions on accusations against Rwanda for alleged support to Rebels.

She expressed Rwanda’s willingness to assist the DRC in its stabilization work.

Earlier the spokesperson for the Congolese government, Lambert Mende Omalanga, had accused Rwanda of “used in the preparation of a conspiracy that is evolving into a pattern of breaches of the peace between two countries in the Great Lakes region.”

Mushikiwabo had also responded describing the allegations by DRC’s Mende, as very unfortunate. “It is regrettable that DRC has chosen to make allegations in the media shortly before we were to sign the joint verification taskforce report, whose purpose is to sift through allegations and separate fact from fiction.”

{{Mexico, Greece and Panama have appointed their First Permanent observers to the African Union Commission.

The diplomats have already presented their credentials to the Chairperson of African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.}}

The permanent observers include; H.E. Nicolas Protonotarios of Greece, H.E. Rodrigo Chiari of Panama and H.E. Juan Alfredo Miranda Ortiz of Mexico.

Dr. Ping observed that many of the Greeks who fled to Africa during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) chose to settle in Africa and today constitute an important segment of the successful business community in many African countries.

He Added that Panama is interested in developing its relations with the African Union and AU Member States for several reasons, especially the fact that 15% of its population is comprised of people of African descent and that African culture is present in its society through food, music and other areas.

The new Permanent Observer briefed the Chairperson on Panama’s economy, which is heavily dependent on international trade.

He stated that Panama has the second largest Free Trade Zone in the world after Hong Kong and the biggest in the Western Hemisphere.

With a growth rate of 8 to 10% per annum, Panama’s economy is the fastest growing economy in Central America, despite the country’s small population of 3.3 million inhabitants.

Welcoming Ambassador Miranda, the Chairperson stated that the African Union is pleased to establish formal diplomatic relations with Mexico and commended Mexico for hosting the 7th Summit of the G-20, which is scheduled to take place in Los Cabos, Mexico, from 18-19 June 2012.

The Chairperson described Mexico as an emerging world power and invited Mexican entrepreneurs to invest in Africa.

“Africa is a market of over one billion inhabitants and we should work together to strengthen our ties of cooperation, especially in the areas of culture, trade and investment,” Dr. Ping stated.

The Chairperson briefed the Ambassadors on recent developments in Somalia, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Sudan/South Sudan, and thanked the Mexican Government for its expression of support for the AU’s peacekeeping efforts.

{{On Monday, 18 June, the ‘Gacaca’ or community courts in Rwanda were officially closed. The traditional justice system has been credited for easing tensions and promoting unity and reconciliation among Rwandans especially after the 1994 genocide against ethnic Tutsi.}}

Since being set up in 2001 the tribunals have tried nearly two million people, convicting 65% percent of them.

President Paul Kagame noted at the closing ceremony held in Kigali Capital, “This event is not simply to mark the closure of the courts, but also to recognise the enduring value of the process”.

An official statement from the office of the presidency said, “It is a celebration of the restoration of unity and trust among Rwandans, and reaffirmation of our ability to find our own answers to seemingly intractable questions”.

Some 12,100 grass-roots gacaca courts, inspired by onetime village gatherings in which elders would adjudicate disputes, have tried the vast majority of suspects in the 1994 genocide that killed a million ethnic Tutsis.

President kagame explained that, “We had three choices: first was the more dangerous path of revenge, or secondly, grant general amnesty, both of which would have led to further anarchy and destruction,” he said.

“But we chose the third and more difficult course of dealing with the matter decisively and restoring the unity and integrity of the nation.”

“It received criticism both from within and outside Rwanda, yet those criticizing offered no viable alternatives that could deliver the results we needed.”

The gacaca were introduced to reduce the backlog of genocide cases that threatened to swamp the country’s traditional court system after the weeks-long genocide. They were also meant to foster national reconciliation.

Reports from Kivu indicate that Julien Paluku(pictured) the Governor of North Kivu appointed, Saturday, June 15, Christopher Ndibeshe as new Provincial Minister of Justice, Rights and Community Rehabilitation.

Ndibeshe replaces Francois Ruchogoza who resigned two weeks ago to join the March 23 rebel Movement (M23), according to sources close to the governorate.

Prior to his appointment, Ndibeshe was the executive secretary of the provincial government.

Ruchogoza resigned following the defection of his political party of the Presidential Majority (MP).

He said on June 3, that his party had left the presidential majority to pressure the provincial government to restore peace in the provinces.

“This is in accordance with the decision of the political leadership of the CNDP including myself, who decided that we were leaving the province.

Last time there was the beginning of hostilities in North Kivu, we pressured the Congolese government to cease hostilities and virtually the Government replied in the negative.

That is why the political leadership of our party decided that I leave the government, “he said.

But he denied any desire to join the M23, indicating that his party, the Congolese government’s CNDP requires compliance with the agreements of 23 March 2009 which provided in particular the integration of former rebels of the CNDP in the police and the army and that of his senior civilian in the country’s political institutions.

These agreements also provided for the return of Congolese refugees living in Rwanda and Uganda.

These same claims are made by the M23, a politico-military movement created by mutineers from the Congolese army in May and who faces the Congolese soldiers in North Kivu.

{{The first lady of South Sudan Mary Ayen Mayardit (Photo above) has threatened to moblise women for military operations against the Northern neighbour-Sudan.}}

She said, “If the border is not demarcated this month, we the women of South Sudan will all put on military uniforms; and go the front lines to fight”.

A joint security and political mechanism meeting between Sudan and South Sudan failed last week to implement a buffer zone they agreed due to their difference over the disputed border areas.

Talks will resume on 19 June.

“We the women of South Sudan are ready to go to the frontline. Am ready to go to the front line to fight because we cannot leave our borders to others, this border issue cannot be left at all,” she said.

She said women of South Sudan currently have two battalions; the girls’ battalion and Shatta or red hot pepper, adding that the two divisions can join the front line when called upon any time.

Ayen made the remarks while handing over food items to members of the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) as part of efforts by the country’s citizens to individually or collectively give moral and financial support to the national army.

Reacting on the recent oil shut down, the first lady equated the matter to a situation whereby an outsider intentionally comes and takes a meal specifically prepared for people in a particular home.

“If you prepare meal for your people, others cannot come and take it by force; the oil in South Sudan is ours. It doesn’t belong to Jalaba (Mundukuru). Munduku have no right to take our oil, they have stolen enough,” she said in reference to the North Sudanese.

Meanwhile, the first lady further said she was no longer in good relations with her Sudanese counterpart, perhaps considering the current trend of events between Sudan and South Sudan.

“I was a friend to the wife of President Bashir [Omar Hassan] of Sudan, but now we are not friends anymore,” she said.