DRC women living in France appeals for an International Criminal Court

Paris (France) Dozens of DR Congolese women living in France on Thursday, appealed to the French president to help support the setting up of a special International Criminal Court (ICC) to judge those accused of war crimes and sexual abuses committed in the country over the last decade.

These Congolese ladies under the umbrella of the Alliance of Patriots for the Reform of DR Congo (APARECO) justified their call by the fact that the French President considers human rights as core of the cooperation between his country and the African continent.

” We call on France’s support because, as a country sitting at the United Nations Security Council, we think that it can use its power to help set up a special International Criminal Court for DR Congo”, APARECO’s Public Relations Officer Candide OKEKE told a press conference Thursday in Paris.

“Our appeal is a feedback to your various messages on the kind of relationships you wish to establish between France and Africa”, they said alluding to Nicolas Sarkozy, and reminded him of his commitment to protect human rights everywhere.

They said the court should be tailored after the one trying the genocide case in Rwanda, and war criminals of former erstwhile Yugoslavia.

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UK authorities summons Sudanese envoy

London (United Kingdom) Authorities in London on Thursday summoned Sudanese ambassador Omer Mohammed Ahmed Siddig to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as diplomatic pressure mounted on Britain and Sudan over the British teacher charged with blasphemy for allowing her school pupils to name a teddy bear “Mohammed”.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown got personally involved in the affair of the 54-year-old teacher, Gillian Gibbons, who appeared in a Khartoum court on Thursday under threat of punishment under sharia law, which would include 40 lashes, a prison sentence and a fine if convicted.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the Sudanese envoy that the UK “wants to make clear to the Sudanese authorities that Ms Gibbons has not shown any lack of respect for Islam.\”

Gibbons is charged with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.

London said it was “unfortunate that despite all the diplomatic interventions and other proceedings, Gibbons was still taken to the Sudanese court where conservative leaders have to decide her fate.”

Authorities and Gibbons’ family have expressed fears the teddy bear row might snowball into an international clash-of-civilizations crisis similar to the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet of Islam.

Miliband firmly declared: “We hope common sense would prevail on Khartoum and its hard-line leader President Omar Bashir”.

While Britain intensifies pressure on Khartoum, UK officials alleged that Sudan’s top clerics are calling for the full measure of the law to be used against Gibbons “because her actions were part of a Western plot against Islam”.

\”We are worried because even some sections of Sudanese academia insisted that Gibbons had been wrong to name the bear Mohammed because the animal does not exist in Sudanese folklore; ‘if you call someone a bear they will be angry.’”

Miliband said the issue has to be resolved on time to avoid an explosive diplomatic row and escalation among “angry Sudanese who are threatening large street protests after Friday prayers to call for the Briton to be lashed in public or even hanged.\”

\”We want to see her freed as soon as possible. This is a human story, no malice is involved. Her security and welfare are absolutely at the forefront of our concerns…this is not a political dispute.\”

The Liverpool-born Gibbons, a mother of two, taught at an elite British-run Unity School in Khartoum until the outbreak of the teddy bear row.

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Disarming of o rebels to resume on 22 December in Cote d’Ivoire

By Lassima Serme 

Korhogo (Cote d’Ivoire) The disarming process of the former Ivorian rebels and the militia dismantlement will resume “at the latest” on 22 December, as recommended by the new Ouagadougou complementary accord released Thursday in Korhogo by the delegation led by the Foreign and Cooperation Minister Djibril Bassolé, APA learnt here in northern Cote d’Ivoire.

“The former rebels’ reassembling and the storage of weapons are expected to start at the latest on 22 December”, the new accord signed by the Ivorian head of state, Laurent Gbagbo, and his Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, also New Forces’ former leader, said.

The new accord read by the Executive Assistant to the Ivorian Foreign and Cooperation Minister, Zakaria Zakané, underscored that “the operations will be conducted by the Integrated Command Centre (CCI) under the supervision of neutral forces, such as the United Nations peacekeeping forces and the French Licorne Forces”.

According to the complementary accord’s signatories, the country’s presidential polls could be held “at the latest” in mid-2008.

According to the Burkinabe authorities, the choice of the French company Sagem as technical operator to provide a design for the country’s identification cards was also confirmed.

Both Gbagbo and Soro on Tuesday jetted off to Ouagadougou not only to discuss the new time table relating to the implementation of the 4 March Ouagadougou accord, but also to confirm the choice of the French technical operator SAGEM to provide national identification cards and voters’ cards to the Ivorian population.

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Over 4,500 security forces mobilized for Ivorian President’s visit to the north

Korhogo (Cote d’Ivoire) Over 4,500 soldiers from the UN and French missions in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI and Licorne), the Ivorian defence and security forces (FDS) and the armed forces of the New Forces (FAFN, former rebels) were deployed to ensure the security of President Laurent Gbagbo during his visit on Wednesday to the north of the country, APA has noted.

The leaders of these four forces met on Tuesday to put the final touches to the security operation.

The UN and French peacekeeping forces are jointly taking part in the security services of President Gbagbo’s visit to the north of the country on request of the Ivorian authorities, Lt-Colonel Jacques Combalieu of the French forces explained.

“The mission of the French forces in Cote d’Ivoire is to be ready to help the UNOCI which, in turn, backs the local forces,” the French senior officer said.

“We come as third cordon because President Gbagbo’s security is first ensured by the Defence and Security Forces (FDS), the Armed forces of the New Forces (FAFN) and then UNOCI troops”, Lt-Colonel Combalieu said.

According to him, “the French troops have mobilised technical communication facilities between the units and we pre-positioned certain facilities in Korhogo, particularly a transmission system which would enable us to back the UN soldiers, if necessary”.

For the accommodation, there are no more rooms in the hotels, the private homes and other houses were rented out on the occasion at inflated prices.

The enthusiasm has reached the bars, the restaurants, and the markets on the occasion of President Gbagbo’s visit to the country’s northern region, the stronghold of the former rebellion which is now committed to the peace process after five years of a fratricide and divisive war.

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AU to pay compensation for deceased Rwandan peacekeepers

Kigali (Rwanda) The Africa Union ‘AU) is in the final stages of releasing the $600,000 payment for deceased Rwanda Defense Force peacekeepers that were serving in the Darfur region of Sudan , the Defense ministry has confirmed.

Rwanda has lost about eight soldiers in the Darfur peacekeeping mission but the AU had so far paid compensation costs for only one of them.

“The compensation for other RDF soldiers who also died on duty in Darfur is in advanced stages,” the RDF spokesperson Maj. Jill Rutaremara announced here Tuesday.

He said that the ministry of Defense is following up the matter closely with the AU.

“So far, many procedures have been accomplished. The $600,000 will be released very soon,” Rutaremara told APA.

But he was not certain about actual dates when the cash would reach the defense coffers for subsequent disbursement to the beneficiaries (families of the fallen troops).

The dead RDF soldiers were serving under the African Union flag. In the Rwanda-AU agreement, each soldier who dies on duty in this war ravaged part of Sudan is entitled to $10,000.

The package will increase in the new AU-United Nations hybrid mission.

This development however comes at the heels of the recent death of two more RDF soldiers in Sudan. That brings the number of dead RDF troops in the war-torn region to eight, since the first deployment in 2004. The first four died in August this year, when they were gunned down in an ambush, while escorting a fuel convoy.

The RDF has over 2000 troops serving under the African Union banner in the Darfur region, with its contingent being the first to feature in the peace keeping mission in the troubled area. Rwanda has deployed more 800 troops in the newly approved AU-UN hybrid mission.

Having flared up in February 2003, the conflict in Darfur has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left large numbers displaced.

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After Pervez comes Pervez! The profile of the new Prevez, Pakistani Army Chief General Pervez Kayani

The rise of Pakistan’s ”Quiet man” 

By Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Islamabad

<Gen Kiani has a ‘can-do’ reputation

The rise of Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani through the ranks of the Pakistani military has been rapid if not extraordinary.The man nominated by Gen Musharraf to be his replacement as army chief is noted for his patience, diligence, intelligence and sheer determination.

Another contributing factor has been his ability to keep a low profile when necessary while also being able to take decisive action when it’s needed.

Gen Kayani’s clan is one of the largest and most powerful in the northern Jhelum area of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab.

The harsh and arid region is famed throughout the subcontinent for only one product - soldiers.

So in many ways Gen Kayani was born to the job.

Passion for golf

He initially studied at the local cadet college in Jhelum, and was subsequently accepted at the army’s military academy in the northern town of Kakul.

In August 1971 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and joined the famed Baloch regiment.

The general is respected within the army

He joined up in time to experience the military defeat to India of the same year.

His first taste of politics came when he served as deputy military secretary to Benazir Bhutto in her first government in 1988.

Since then he has served at various levels of command.

He is a graduate of army colleges in Quetta and Islamabad, and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in the US.

Married with two children, Gen Kayani is president of the Pakistan Golf Association and an avid golfer.

He is respected in the army as a professional soldier who deliberately keeps a low profile.

Crisis management

This is in sharp contrast to the man he has been chosen to replace - Pervez Musharraf.

But maintaining a low profile has not meant that Gen Kayani has shied away from high-profile assignments.

He has a “can-do” image as a man who gets things done.

Gen Kayani has never been seen a part of President Musharraf’s inner circle. But the president has always turned to him when the going gets tough.

It was Gen Kayani who oversaw the investigation into attempts to assassinate President Musharraf in December 2003.

As one of the army’s senior most officers, Gen Kayani could confidently expect to take the top job

In his book, In the Line of Fire, President Musharraf writes how the investigations into the attacks initially ran into problems because of inter-agency rivalries.

“But these disappeared when I appointed Kayani in charge of investigations,” the president wrote.

Observers believe that it was from this time onwards that Gen Musharraf started to rely heavily on Gen Kayani for crisis management.

But insiders say it was actually the winter of 2001-2002 that showcased Gen Kayani’s abilities.

Stand-off

At that time he was serving as Director-General Military Operations (DGMO) - the army’s operational commander.

As Pakistan’s relations with India deteriorated, militants staged a deadly attack on the Indian parliament.

Delhi blamed it on the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, and mobilised its army to take action. Soon the two nuclear-armed neighbours were dug in opposite each other along their 1,500km border.

Gen Musharraf has come to rely on Gen Kiani

Tempers were running high and a single aggressive movement could have sparked conflict. During this time, Maj Gen Ashfaq Kayani was in charge of all troop movements.

Insiders say it was his expert handling of the situation, and his constant contact with the Indian command that kept the eight-month stand-off from becoming an outright war.

It also brought him to the attention of Gen Musharraf. Subsequently, Gen Kayani was promoted to command the army’s elite 10 Corps based in Rawalpindi.

When the attacks on President Musharraf took place in the city, Gen Kayani was the natural choice for the job of finding out who was behind them. The investigations led to a secret military tribunal convicting 11 men of planning and carrying out the attacks.

‘Own man’

Soon after, he was made the head of Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. In March 2007, he was part of the infamous “tribunal” of intelligence chiefs who met Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry the day before his suspension by President Musharraf.

Gen Kiani in his younger days

He was later named as the only one who sat silently through the entire episode.

Gen Kayani was also the only official at the meeting who did not submit an affidavit against the chief justice.

President Musharraf’s botched attempt to sack the judge triggered a political storm which led to deals with former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

Gen Kayani was instrumental in making both these deals possible .

But while helping his “mentor”, he has remained very much aloof from the increased political wrangling as elections approach.

As one of the army’s most senior officers, Gen Kayani could confidently expect to take the top job. But because he was head of the controversial and shadowy ISI, some felt that he had disqualified himself from further promotion.

No ISI chief has ever been appointed commander of Pakistan’s army. The agency’s dealings have often been at odds with the policy of the government of the day.

Some observers had also contended that Gen Kayani was too much “his own man” for Gen Musharraf to place faith in him.

But Gen Musharraf chose to ignore these doubters when naming his successor in early October.

Now, two months later, on 28 November 2007, Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani has assumed charge of what is the most powerful office in the country.

The 14th chief of Pakistan’s army has his work cut out, with militants challenging the power of his institution, whose morale is at an all time low.

How he, and his army, copes with the situation could well be a defining moment in Pakistan’s history.

Lifted and published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no source.bbc

Musharraf gives up army uniform: A step in the right direction

 Gen Musharraf (Right) said the army was the saviour of Pakistan

Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf has handed over the command of the military in a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

Gen Musharraf passed a ceremonial baton to Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani at the army’s headquarters.

In his farewell address, Gen Musharraf said the army was his “life” and he was proud to have been the commander of this “great force”.

He had been under huge pressure to quit as army chief and is due to be sworn in as civilian president on Thursday.

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto welcomed President Musharraf quitting his army post but said her party was in no hurry to accept him as a civilian leader.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said President Musharraf’s stepping down was a good first step but called for a state of emergency to be lifted ahead of January elections.

President Musharraf has led Pakistan’s military for nine turbulent years. As a civilian leader he will have to work out a relationship with a new army chief and an elected prime minister.

The BBC’s M Ilyas Khan in Karachi says President Musharraf has shown great resilience over the years, often bouncing back when seemingly on the ropes.

His legacy as a military leader on the front line of the “war on terror” is a country beset by militancy.

Despite his having preached “enlightened moderation”, President Musharraf is a reluctant democrat whose policies have provided political space for religious conservatives to the exclusion of moderates and liberals, our correspondent says.

‘Half a century’

Dressed in full military uniform, Gen Musharraf arrived at the ceremony with a baton under his left arm.

Genaral Ashfag Kayani

On his arrival, he was greeted by Gen Kayani and inspected a guard of honour.

A military band played Pakistan’s national anthem and the ceremony began with a recitation from the Koran.

The colourful ceremony was shown live on national television.

“I am bidding farewell to the army after having been in uniform for 46 years,” Gen Musharraf said in his address. He became army chief in October 1998.

“This army is my life, my passion. I love this army, and this relationship will continue, although I will not be in uniform,” he said.

Gen Musharraf added:

“I am fortunate to have commanded the best army in the world. This army is an integrating force, the saviour of Pakistan.

“Without this army, the entity of Pakistan cannot exist.”

‘Excellent soldier’

Gen Musharraf expressed full faith in the ability of his successor, Gen Kayani, to lead the force.

“He’s an excellent soldier and I can say with full confidence that under his command, the armed forces will achieve great heights,” Gen Musharraf said.

He had designated Gen Kayani, a former head of the intelligence services, as his successor in October.

The most serious pressure on the president to give up his uniform had come from the United States, his main international backer.

Washington has grown concerned in recent months at the army’s inability to rein in pro-Taleban militants and by Gen Musharraf’s growing unpopularity.

As a civilian leader, President Musharraf will still have considerable powers, including the ability to sack a civilian government.

He imposed emergency rule on 3 November in order, he said, to control an unruly judiciary and deal with the growing threat from Islamist militants.

General elections are to be held on 8 January. President Musharraf’s critics in Pakistan and allies in the West say they cannot be free and fair unless the emergency is lifted.

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ORENGO STAND NO CHANCE OF WINNING HIS OLD UGENYA SEAT

By Leo Odera Omolo

API/APN in Kisumu, Kenya -  27/11/07

James Aggrey Orengo (Nyatieng’) un-nominated ODM Parliamentary candidate for the Ugenya constituency in Siaya district chances of recapturing the seat, which he lost several years ago to his brother – in- law are said to be the remotest.

Orengo who was beaten hands down by the youthful populist and resourceful Steve Okoth Mwanga who was undemocratically and unceremoniously robbed his election victory by the chairman of the ODM election board the retired Justice Richard Otieno Kwach and his team.

The move has since sparked off discontent among the voters who have since vowed they would teach the ODM election board a lesson, which its member will live to regret by voting Mr. Mwanga on Dec 27 during the election proper..

The electorate have vowed to vote for Mr. Mwanga en-mass despite him having crossed to the Cyrus Jirongo KADDU party.

A group of people who fronted themselves as opinion leaders in Ugenya told this writer at Ugenya town this week that their allegiance to Raila Odinga, the ODM party presidential candidate remain unchanged. They will vote for Raila but for the parliamentary candidate. And they made it categorically clear that they would vote for the populist Mr. Mwanga.

The reasons they floated is that despite having represented Ugenya in parliament previously for close to 22 years Orengo has done nothing to his own credit in term of economic and educational development in the area.

‘’We agree the lawyer is a high profile politician and our most illustrious son. But he is not development conscious person. He had no development agenda in his vocabulary. We rejected his bid to be nominated as the ODM torchbearer in Ugenya and as such the clearance certificate should have been issued to Mr. Mwanga who was the legitimate winner of the nomination.’’

‘’We feel betrayed and cheated but we want to make it plainly clear that we shall still vote for Mwanga. He is our darling because his election could change this most backward constituency in Luo - Nyanza to higher heights of development,’’ said Mr. Ogutu an ODM operative in Ugenya.

In Ugenya, Orengo can only represent a classic society of certain elite, but not the move not simple poor rural folks because he is a very unproductive and mean leader, he added..

Despite being seasoned politician Orengo credibility as a leader is dented by his lukewarm and lackluster performance when he represented the area previously. He is said to be a very mean and a selfish person who care for his own self. But with negative attitude toward the older poor rural folks.

This class of people are the majority and Mwanga has fallen in love with them. It is also disgraceful to the DM as a party for having short-changed Mr. Mwanga and robbed him his victory. The party, the local political pundits say would pay dearly for its mistake.

In the previous incident that in the year 2002 Mr. Paul Nyamodi had won the LDP nomination in Ugenya. But, he too, was robbed off victory when the clearance nomination certificate was handed to the immediate former MP Archbishop Stephen Ondiek.

During the visit I discovered that many voters will vote for Raila Odinga in his presidential bid, but have settled on someone else’s to be their next MP decided to vote for the youthful Mwanga.

It was also learnt that all the ODM’s civic leaders have deserted Orengo and joined Mwanga campaign team. Jirongo’s KADDU party can now be rest assured of harvesting one parliamentary seat in Luo-Nyanza and this is the Ugenya seat.

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