By Guyson Nanagayi – New York – AFP- The Sudanese government promised to inject almost $2bn into conflict-stricken Darfur, but again demanded war crimes charges against its president be dropped. About $1.9bn will be spent over four years as part of a new strategy to bring peace to the western region where hundreds of thousands have been killed over the past decade ,Vice President Ali Osman Taha told the UN General Assembly on monday. The United Nations has imposed sanctions against Sudan aiming to halt the flow of arms into the region and President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the... Continue Reading
By Novell Zwange – The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping, has today met with the new Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ms. Valerie Amos, in New York on the margins of the General Assembly. This was their first bilateral meeting since Ms. Amos assumed her new role as USG for Humanitarian Affairs. Dr. Ping and Ms. Amos discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the African Union and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, particularly in light of the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two Organizations on 25... Continue Reading
Shout-Africa News/ Al Jazeera – Zimbabwe’s president has demanded that Africa get permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council. Robert Mugabe told the UN General Assembly on Friday that the continent should be given two permanent seats, which bring the power of veto over resolutions, on the body. “It is completely unacceptable that Africa remains the only continent without permanent representation in the council. That historical injustice must be corrected,” he said. “We therefore urge member states, including those that have vested interests in maintaining the status quo, to give due and fair consideration to Africa’s legitimate demand for... Continue Reading
By Novell Zwange – United States of America’s Congressional leaders Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, (R-FL) and Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting US action to secure the immediate release of Mustapha Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud, the outspoken Sahrawi police chief arrested by the Polisario Front last week as he tried to rejoin his wife and children in Algeria’s Tindouf refugee camps. The letter joins an outcry from international human rights advocacy groups criticizing the Polisario’s arrest of its own Chief Police Inspector for alleged “treason” and “espionage” simply for voicing his support of... Continue Reading
By Novell Zwange – KAMPALA – Ugandan authorities should either release a Kenyan human rights activist who is being held on terrorism charges or provide details of the charges, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today in a joint letter to the Ugandan government. Al-Amin Kimathi was arrested, along with Kenyan lawyer Mbugua Mureithi, on September 15 after the two travelled from Kenya to Uganda to observe a hearing of six Kenyans charged with terrorism in connection with the July bomb attacks in Kampala, which killed over 76 people who were watching the World Cup final. Mureithi was released... Continue Reading
