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| July 31, 2010 |
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Almost 90,000 people have fled fighting in eastern Congo in the past month, aid agencies said, underscoring a worsening security situation Conflicts between rebel groups, former militias and army troops simmer in Democratic Republic of Congo, and more than 1.9 million people are still displaced, up from 1.6 million in 2009.
"The displaced are in need of protection, food, water, shelters, medicine and non-food items," OCHA, the United Nations aid coordination body, said in a statement Friday.
The aid agency said nearly 90,000 people have fled their homes in Beni territory in the north of Congo's North Kivu province in the past month as a result of the army launching an attack on Islamic Ugandan rebels.
Uganda's Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-NALU), formed in 1996 and named on the U.S. Terrorist Exclusion List, has settled in Congo over the past few years, with their numbers thought to be about 600.
Humanitarian agencies said chaos and disorder prevented them from fully accessing the affected areas, and that many people who have fled are sheltering in schools and churches.
| July 30, 2010 |
"We are alarmed," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said after hearing the report. "This deteriorating security situation is unacceptable and it needs to be effectively addressed."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointed out in his latest report that incidents of violence over recent months have surpassed bloodshed in the same time period last year by far.
| July 29, 2010 |
Forward this to your friends and make a world of difference.
| July 24, 2010 |
My water-the water kids were drinking in eastern Chad
Water point at Oure Cassone Camp for Darfuri Refugees.
Nice video piece on the Unicef Dirty Water campaign... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtOQda0aKIc&feature=player_embedded
There will be a dog eradication exercise within UNAMID premises in El Fasher from 21/7/2010 to 31/7/2010 in the following sites: 1. AMIS compound
2. Super camp
3. Arc compound
4. Guest house 10 area
The mode of eradication is by poisoning. All UNAMID staff in these premises are advised to take necessary precaution. We also appeal to staff members to support the exercise.
In case of emergency, please contact:
Telephone: +249 (0)912501994 or Dect: 3915
Telephone: +249 (0)925328175 or Dect: 6131
Thank you
| July 22, 2010 |
| July 21, 2010 |
Associated Press
N'DJAMENA, Chad: Sudan's president, who faced charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, traveled to neighboring, Chad on Wednesday, the first time he has risked arrest by traveling to a member state of the International Criminal Court.
Omar al-Bashir has traveled abroad only to countries that are not ICC members since he was first charged in connection with violence in Sudan's Darfur region in 2009. The ICC has no police force and depends on member states to enforce its orders.
Chadian officials said they would not detain al-Bashir.
"Bashir will not be arrested in Chad," said Chadian Interior Minister Ahmat Mahamat Bachir.
The mayor of N'djamena also gave the president a warm welcome by presenting him with a key to the city upon his arrival.
Sudan's government spokesman, Rabie Abdel Attie, said Sudan-Chad relations were more important than the fact Chad is a party to the ICC."I don't think Chad will do anything to harm the president. There is an agreement to end hostilities," he said.
Human Rights Watch urged Chad to arrest al-Bashir. "Chad risks the shameful distinction of being the first ICC member state to harbor a suspected war criminal from the court," said HRW's Elise Keppler. "Chad should not flout its obligations to arrest al-Bashir if he enters Chad."
Chad is a member state to the Rome Statute that created the ICC in 1998. The ICC has no police force and depends on member states to enforce its orders. Keppler said the political deal between Chad and Sudan was "no justification for shielding alleged war criminals."
| July 12, 2010 |
It has long been obvious that his crimes against the people of Darfur meet the definition of genocide.
Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, such as:
- (a) Killing members of the group;
- (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
- (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
- (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Three synchronized explosions tore through two restaurants and a rugby club in Kampala, Uganda's Capitol killing at least 64 people who were watching Sundays soccer match. with about 10 minutes remaining in Sunday night's match. According to the BBC, at both scenes chairs lay overturned, with blood and pieces of flesh on the floor
Many - if not most - of those killed and injured in the restaurants and were foreign nationals. One was an American aid worker from California. The crowd at the rugby club was a mix of Ugandans and foreigners.
There were reports that a severed head was found at one of the scenes, leading investigators to suggest that the attacks could have been the work of suicide bombers. Somalia's militant group al-Shabab could be behind Sunday evening's attacks. In particular, the attack on the Ethiopian-owned restaurant raised suspicions of al-Shabab involvement: Addis Ababa backs Somalia's government against the rebels.
Somali militants have been involved in terror attacks across East Africa in the past, but - if proven - this would be the first time the current group has struck outside Somalia.
In Mogadishu, a militant commander Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa reported he was "happy" with the attacks in Uganda. While he would not confirm or deny that al-Shabab was responsible he told the Associated Press "Uganda is one of our enemies. Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah's anger be upon those who are against us."
My UNICEF trip to Uganda has long been scheduled for tomorrow. We have not canceled it. From Kampala I will be flying to northern Uganda to visit villagers who have been attacked by the Lords Resistance Army. I will try to blog from there
| July 8, 2010 |
Now enduring their eighth year in the camps, the refugees are deeply upset that there are no schools beyond fourth or seventh grades for their children.
They express concern that the meager rations of food distributed by the UN are insufficient to meet daily needs, particularly those of the children.
This confirmation of overwhelming support for genocide-free investing should be very significant to financial advisers well as to consumers of financial products. Click http://investorsagainstgenocide.net/IAGRequestWhitepaper.htm to check out Investor Against Genocide's "white paper". It highlights the high level of consumer interest in genocide-free investing and the genocide-free options that are now available.
This whitepaper on genocide-free investing includes sections on:
- The growing interest in genocide-free investing
- The market opportunity
- How investments are tied to the genocide in Darfur
- Problem mutual fund companies vs. genocide-free alternatives
- Suggestions for financial advisors
Some highlights of public opinion surveys demonstrate:
- 84% of respondents say they will withdraw their investments from American companies that do business with companies that directly or indirectly support genocide.
- 88% would like their mutual funds to be genocide-free.
- 95% of those earning $50,000 or more would like their mutual funds to be genocide-free.
- 82% say they would advise friends, family and co-workers against buying products or services, or investing in American companies that invest in a foreign company that directly or indirectly provides revenue to a government that perpetrates genocide.
The white paper details how the investment landscape changed dramatically during the last year as leading mutual fund companies, after engagement with IAG, decided to offer clear, mainstream alternatives for Americans who wish to keep their savings genocide-free. The positive steps taken by American Funds and TIAA-CREF stand in stark contrast to Vanguard, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton for making no commitment to genocide-free investing and continuing to hold large investments in companies, such as PetroChina, linked to genocide.
TAKE ACTION
There are new ways to support the movement toward genocide-free investing:
If you have a financial adviser, please tell them about the white paper. Consider setting up a meeting to discuss whether genocide-free investment options may be right for you.
Help spread the word via your social media profiles.
If you haven't volunteered to submit a shareholder proposal and you own at least $2,000 worth of a mutual fund that has not yet committed to genocide-free investing, you can now help to force the companies to address this issue.
| July 6, 2010 |