Do you want free education? If yes, take a step and study in Norway

African Press International - API has decided to join in and fight poverty in Africa. The way to do this is through education.

We take upon ourselves to assist you to get a place in Norwegian Universities and university colleges, High schools and Technical institutions.

Education in Norway is free. It is the cost of living that you and ourselves will have to work on.

API will contact the insitutions of higher learning, the immigration authorities and other relevant authorities on your behalf, the moment we approve you as the one we will assist, in order to enable smooth entry to education opportunity in Norway.

The condition that the Norwegian government will demand is that you are willing to return to your home country on completion of your studies.

Student residence permit

All students who plan to stay in Norway for more than three months will need a student residence permit. Visas are only issued for stays up to 90 days (e.g. for certain Summer School programmes). The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is the public agency processing all applications for a student residence permit.

“A student residence permit to Norway is granted under the precondition that the student will return to his/her country of legal permanent residence upon completion of the studies.”

Practical guide

It will always be a challenge arriving in a new country to live and study. There are many practicalities to take care of. Fortunately, Norway is a transparent and well organised society. Also, the Norwegian institutions will do their best to ease the transition for you to become a student in Norway.

Student welfare organisations
All institutions have a student welfare organisation. You normally become a member upon payment of the compulsory semester fee (usually between NOK 300-600), which is also required in order to register for exams. Depending on the size of the institution they offer a wide variety of services. Among other things they organise nursery schools, counselling, a mental health service, canteens, student accommodation and sports facilities/activities.

Before arriving in Norway you may need the services of the student welfare organisation at the institution to which you are applying when transferring money to Norway for the first time. If you don’t have a bank account in a Norwegian bank you can transfer money to special accounts established for foreign students. In turn, they will send you an official statement confirming the amount transferred, and you can use this as documentation when applying for a student residence permit. This is generally done free of charge. When you come to Norway and have opened your private bank account, you can transfer the money to this account.

Norwegian identity number
If you are going to stay in Norway for more than six months you should register with the National Registry so that you can be awarded an 11 digit identity number (your date of birth plus a 5 digit personal number). This is done at the local tax assessment office (”Likningskontor”). The number is required for opening a bank account, obtaining a student card, and applying for a loan from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund.

Students from the Nordic countries, and students who are going to stay in Norway for less than six months, may apply for a D-number (dummy number). This number may be used to open a bank account. To apply for this number, contact your local tax assessment office, or the Office of the National Registrar in Oslo if you are located abroad.

Money and banking
In order to open a bank account in a Norwegian bank you will need a Norwegian identity number. You can choose between local or regional banks, or banks with branches all over Norway. Some banks are also pure online banks, with no physical branches. Norwegian banks have advanced solutions for online banking so you can administrate your accounts, pay bills and transfer money online.

Foreign credit cards are widely accepted in Norway and cash machines are easily available. However, please note that most grocery stores and supermarkets do not accept foreign credit cards.

Health insurance

Health services in Norway are of high standards. As a student in Norway you are ensured professional medical treatment no matter which part of the country you are living in. In most cases the treatment is free of charge if certain prerequisites are met. These prerequisites vary depending on your current nationality and length of stay in Norway. Please study the regulations below carefully.

Students from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
If the duration of your stay in Norway is more than one year you automatically become insured under the National Insurance Scheme when you register as a student at a Norwegian institution of higher education and as a resident in Norway.

If the duration of your stay in Norway is between 3 and 12 months you should fill in a special form entitling you to social security coverage with regard to health services in accordance with the National Insurance Scheme. The form must be sent to the insurance office in the municipality in which you are staying.

Students who do not fill in this form or students who stay in Norway less than three months must have a social security coverage from their home country.

All students
Some institutions provide on campus health services. The semester card which you receive by semester registration may entitle you free medical treatment at the institution’s student health services.

This treatment usually does not apply to medicines or to medical tests taken off campus. The cost of medicines is only covered if you are hospitalised, or suffer from a serious disease, and are member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, or have a European Health Insurance Card or another form of social security which covers these costs

Helping you to get education is helping your country to develop in the right direction. Helping you will be our pride in helping build the African Continent.

Tuition/Scholarships

Completing a university degree is often considered to be an expensive endeavour and tuition fees are usually making up the bulk part of the cost. Norwegian universities and state university colleges as a rule do not charge tuition fees for international students. However, you should take into consideration that living expenses in Norway are higher than in many other countries.

“Nothing is for free” is a saying that is true in many cases, but in Norway it is possible to get quality education without having to pay tuition fees. If certain prerequisites are met you could also be eligible for financial support that can pay for your living expenses. Through various fellowship programmes, scholarship schemes or student loans, international students can receive funding for a full degree or a limited number of semesters.

You want to study in Norway but need financial support. What do you do?
How you can financially support your stay in Norway will depend on several factors:
- your current country of legal residency
- your current home institution
- your previous education
- what institution/degree/subject area you are seeking admission to

We recommend that you contact us so that we may find out to see if institutional agreements between your country and a Norwegian institution exist . At the same time we will check for you if you are eligible for support through any programmes or schemes in Norway.

What can I study?

Whether you are just standing on the doorstep to higher education or are a higher level student looking to specialise within a subject area, Norwegian institutions can offer courses and programmes tailored to most needs.

Quality assurance
Accessibility should not compromise with quality. Thus, in Norway they have a rigorous system for quality assurance in higher education. In order for Norwegian institutions to offer accredited programmes they either need an institutional accreditation or receive accreditation for individual courses based on a set of quality criteria. The accreditation is granted by an independent agency that performs a thorough evaluation prior to granting an accreditation.

Norway - in compliance with the principles of the Bologna process
When studying in Norway you are also studying in a country that has fully implemented many of the principles of the Bologna process. This includes a 3+2+3 degree system, diploma supplements and the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). So when you have finished a degree or course(s) at a Norwegian institution, you hold papers that are transferable to many other countries.

You can choose to undertake:

1. Undergraduate studies:

Today most students entering an institution of higher education for the first time are pursuing a Bachelor’s degree, or a professional degree programme like engineering, law or medical studies. As a foreign student you also have the possibility of obtaining an undergraduate level degree from a Norwegian institution if you meet the application requirements. Foreign students may also apply for a number of undergraduate courses not leading to a degree.

Bachelor’s degree
A Bachelor’s degree is awarded by all the state universities, specialised university institutions, university colleges and several of the private institutions. It is normally obtained after three years of study.

The two national university colleges of the arts offer a Bachelor’s degree of four years’ duration.

Currently there are very few Bachelor’s programmes that are offered in English at Norwegian institutions.

The “Hřgskolekandidat” degree
(”University college candidat degree”)
The “Hřgskolekandidat” degree is obtained after two years of study. This degree may be built upon to obtain a Bachelors degree. The degree is offered at some state university colleges and a few private institutions. Please note that the number of subject areas that are available under this degree is limited.

Currently there are no “Hřgskolekandidat” degrees offered in English.

2. Masters programmes

More and more students are pursuing a Masters degree. Norwegian institutions are constantly working to design Masters programmes that will give students in-depth knowledge, research experience and an attractive degree for future employers.

A Masters degree is awarded by the universities, specialised university institutions, several university colleges and some private institutions. The degree is normally obtained after 1 ˝ -2 years of study and typically consists of 120 “studiepoeng”/ECTS.

An important part of this degree is independent research work of between 30-60 “studiepoeng”/ECTS credits leading to a Thesis.

Admission to a Masters degree programme is usually based on a completed Bachelor’s degree. However, in special cases admission may granted based on other criterias. The basic admission requirements may vary depending on institution and course.

An increasing number of Norwegian institutions are offering Masters programmes where the language of instruction is English. Currently there are over 170 courses available.

Professional degree programmes
Various professional qualifications are awarded by all the state higher education institutions and a number of the private higher education institutions. These programmes/degrees are of four to six years’ duration and cover both regulated and non-regulated professions.

3. PhD programmes

The Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) is awarded after three years of study following completion of a Masters degree or a professional degree/programme. Doctoral programmes, which are essentially research programmes, are offered by all university-level institutions, some state university colleges and a few private institutions.

The degree is made up of a training component equivalent to no less than 30 “studiepoeng”/ECTS (1 semester of full-time study) and a dissertation. The dissertation is an independent piece of scientific work that meets international standards within its subject area. If the dissertation is approved, it has to be defended at a public disputation.

The formal entrance qualification for the Ph.D. study is a Master-degree (2 years research master), or a corresponding degree from professional training schools (e.g. psychology, dentistry, medicine, law), or equivalent qualifications.

A number of Ph.D. programmes are designed as a four-year programme where 25 per cent of the time is reserved for teaching at lower level courses.

Some institutions offer two types of doctoral degrees: The “organised” doctoral degree is called Ph.D. (philosophiae doctor). This degree includes obligatory formal training and supervision in addition to the dissertation which is the main focus of the Ph.D.

The second type is a “free” doctoral degree which is called Dr. philos. (doctor philosophiae). No formal training or supervision is included in this degree, and this is typically not part of the institutions’ formal Ph.D. programme or Research schools. The scientific status of the two degrees is the same.

4. Summer programmes

Several Norwegian institutions of higher education offer shorter programmes during the summer months. These programmes span a number of subject areas.

International Summer School in Oslo 2008 (June 21- August 1.)
The University of Oslo (UiO)
The ISS offers a variety of courses on undergraduate and graduate level, focusing on various aspects of Norwegian culture and society, and also on international issues. Participants attend daily classes, take examinations and/or write term papers, and receive a University of Oslo transcript. Credits will be certified, but accreditation can only be determined by the students’ home institution. The summer school takes place from late June till early August. Application deadline is February 1, 2008

Bergen Summer Research School
2009 Theme: Global Environmental and Climate Change: The second edition of the Bergen Summer Research School to be held during August 2009 will be dedicated to the theme of Global Environmental and Climate Change. Application deadline is April 15, 2008

BI Norwegian School of Management:

International Summer Programme, June 21 – July 11 2008
Intercultural Management – a Scandinavian perspective
The BI International Summer Programme is a three-week intensive programme focussing on Scandinavian management. The programme features lectures by highly qualified BI faculty, company meetings, classes on Norwegian Life and Society and social and cultural activities that will give students an unforgettable summer experience. Application deadline: April 1, 2008

Bodř International Summer University (BISU) 2008

Bodř University College, Bodř
A variety of seminars, courses and conferences are offered each summer. The main program is entitled “Managing Diversity”. This program provides a general overview into conflict at local, national and global levels, and participants can choose to address particular elements of interest in greater detail. The main themes addressed are conflict management, cross-cultural communication and minority issues. “Managing Diversity” runs from June 18 through July 7, 2008. Application deadline is May 1, 2008. Applicants from outside the EU/EEA are encouraged to apply before February 1, 2008.

Summer University
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Ĺs
The Summer University at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences at Ĺs offers the programme “Current Challenges in the Management of Norwegian Natural Resources” (2.-27. June) The programme includes both lectures and fieldwork and will provide students with a broad insight into Norwegian biomes and special attention will be given to wilderness areas and high mountain flora and fauna.  Application deadline is 1 March, 2008.

Summer Programme
Summer at Oslo University College (OUC), Oslo
The first international summer programme at OUC will be arranged from June 23rd to July 11th 2008. From our range of bachelor and master courses offered through the regular academic year we choose to offer 3 courses: Philosophy in school; LATINA: Learning and teaching in a digital world; and Oral tradition and storytelling.  Application deadline is 1 March, 2008.

External resources: The International Summer School (ISS) - The University of Oslo Every summer ISS welcomes some 500 students from all over the world to its wide variety of graduate and undergraduate courses. International Summer Programme - BI Norwegian School of Management, Oslo BI’s summer programme is three-week intensive programme starting June 21, 2008: Intercultural Management - a Scandinavian perspective. Bergen Summer Research School 2009 Theme: Global Environmental and Climate Change Bodř International Summer University (BISU) - Bodř University College, Bodř A variety of seminars, courses and conferences are offered each summer. The main programme is entitled “Managing Diversity”. Summer University - Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) A summer programme with special focus on wilderness areas. Summer at Oslo University College 2008 (OUC) Three courses are offered at the first international summer programme at OUC .

Living in Norway

Norway is one of the three Scandinavian countries in the Northern part of Europe. With a population of 4,6 million Norway is not among the most crowded places on the planet. But they very much enjoy the space and the country’s diverse nature, and visitors are often astonished by Norwegians’ active way of life. So don’t get surprised if your Norwegian friends insist on going hiking, even if the weather maybe is more suitable for staying in the sofa.

Explore the unknown and challenge your own limits - the people of Norway has never been afraid of going their own ways. A thousand years ago the Vikings sailed their ships south to the Mediterranian, east to the Black Sea and all the way west to Greenland, and many historians claim they even made it to New Foundland in North America.

Today, Norway is a modern country where the explorative mindset is geared towards technology, innovation and developing a knowledge based society. Norway also continues to further develop the oil & gas industry, fisheries and traditional industrial areas.

Thriving on the top of Europe
Norway is a European country even though it is not part of the European Union (EU). But through the EEA-agreement Norway is fully integrated with the large European community in regards to everything from trade and economy to education and research. And as a participant in the Schengen agreement, travel to and from Norway is easy for people with legal residency in another Schengen country.

For the last four years the United Nations (UN) has ranked Norway as having the highest standard of living in the world. This annual ranking is based largely on average levels of education and income, combined with expected length of lifetime, but also factors like human rights and cultural freedom. Norway is weighed high for its high literacy rate in addition to educational levels and material wealth.

Cold country? Warm people!
Ok, the cat is out of the box - there are no palm trees in Norway! But in the summer the people enjoy periods with warm weather, and due to the Gulf Stream the coastal areas are rather mild in the winter time. Nevertheless, you should bring warm clothing when visiting Norway in the winter.

Norwegians have a reputation of being somewhat introvert and difficult to get to know. But this should just be perceived as a first impression misunderstanding. Norwegians are generally both welcoming and open minded towards foreigners. If they don’t take the first step, don’t be afraid to approach them for a conversation. They have a direct way of communicating and often speak out their opinions.

If you are the one who needs the help or your neighbour, do not hesitate to contact us - on your own behalf or on behalf of someone you know needs education.

Education is the key to development.

“Education for all” is the basic principle of the Norwegian education system. Regardless of social background, ethnicity, age or religion, persons are to have equal opportunities to pursue a higher education degree.

To reach us, use the following email: education@getmail.no

African Press International - API 

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Update: 27. august 2008:

EDUCATION IN NORWAY:

Those who want to be assisted, and the many hundreds who have contacted us, we advice that you give us background information once again and ensure you channel it to education@getmail.no. We will thereafter communicate with you and supply you with the necessary requirements. We have started to look into all the requests and most of them lack details.

Details required:

1. Your Name,
2. Gender - Male or female
3. Your present status - Married or single
4. Tour present address
5. Telephone(s) - Moblie
6. Telephone(s) - Landline
7. Personal email
8. Family background
9. Passport size photograph of yourself
10. Why you think you deserve assistance
11. Country of origin
12. Present occupation
13. Level of education
14. What you want to study - Preference
15. What you can study if you cannot get your preference
16. And any other information that will help your case.

Welcome - We are interested in serious candidates and make sure you fulfill the above 16 requirements.

You may also click the link below and read more on how we operate:

http://rainbowfoundation.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/target-group-persons-who-want-to-get-free-education-in-norway/

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Published by African Press International - API

Ann Njogu: Born to fight - Helping the needy in society

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.standard.ke

Reading about Ann Njogu and the sacrifice she made by leaving a huge salaried job in preference to having one that will guide and help the needy, is amazing and one thing that those who love aiding others do not miss noticing and getting enticed to be partnered with one way or another. We congratulate her for the work she is doing for the Kenyans and hope many emulate her way of doing things that contribute in developing the people of Kenya. API

By Evelyne Ogutu

Human rights lawyer Ann Wairimu Njogu does not shy away from controversy. Her fighting spirit keeps her fighting until she achieves results.

On July 31, last year, Njogu was arrested together with other activists after a peaceful demonstration over Parliament’s proposal to introduce gratuity (golden handshake) to legislators.

Her arrest turned dramatic when the then Health Minister, Charity Ngilu, got her out of custody and took her to hospital for treatment. The Minister was summoned to CID headquarters for interrogation but was later released by a court order. “The minister rescued me from officers after they hurt me. They had kicked me on the head and I sustained injuries on my back as well. She came in when she heard me screaming,” Njogu explains.

After early education in Nakuru, Njogu joined Mugoiri Girls High School in Muranga and later the University of Nairobi. She graduated with a Bachelor in Law in 1989.

The following year, she graduated as an advocate from the Kenya School of Law and joined Akhaabi and Company Advocates as an associate.

The holder of a Certified Public Secretary (K) certificate joined Madison Insurance Company as legal officer in 1992 and rose through the ranks to become the chief legal officer.

She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, and has attended human rights and management seminars in Raul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden.

Brought up in a close-knit family of seven, the Executive Director of Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) was brought up in Nairobi’s Bahati estate, Eastleigh and Nyandarua. She says she began human rights activism as a small girl of only five when she demanded to know why her parents did not take her photographs while a toddler and yet everyone else in the family had photos.

Njogu, a mother of two, a daughter, Stephanie aged 15, and a 12-year-old son, Ted, says few people, especially women, know their basic human rights. Hence in 2000, she quit a high paying job as the chief legal officer at Madison Insurance Company, to devote herself to running the NGO.

Creaw, a non-profit making organisation was established for the purpose of transforming society by empowering women through helping them know their rights.

Ann Njogu: CREAW Director

“I needed new challenges. I had risen to the highest level in the company. Being young and energetic, I needed an occupation that could bring smiles to disadvantaged members of society.”

With her two colleagues, she had quietly founded Creaw in 1998, to give legal advice to women. They agreed they needed to give back to society part of their time and legal skills as appreciation “for nurturing and educating us.”

But the organisation founded to occupy her spare time was increasingly becoming her favourite. This led to her decision to quit her job.

However, her family was against the move and could not understand why she had to quit a well paying job for an organisation whose future could not be guaranteed.

Njogu, however, had made up her mind, and not even her husband could convince her otherwise.

Now eight years down the line, she is happy she followed her instincts.

The founders, who are members of the Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida), decided to form Creaw to supplement Fida’s efforts and to go “that extra legal assistance mile” she says.

Creaw is proud of many achievements. One of it is the campaign for creation of gender desks manned by women police officers where aggrieved women can report violence. This is intended to check the charade of insensitivity women are taken through by male officers who demand victims demonstrate their ordeal to the officers’ mirth.

The organisation has opened an office in Nakuru and also runs domestic violence sensitisation programmes in Ngong, Karatina, Garissa and Mwingi.

Her efforts in championing women’s cause have received the Community Awareness Award from the Rainbow House movement in Chicago, USA, where she had an opportunity to meet famous TV talk hostess Oprah Winfrey.

Despite initial challenges, Njogu has propelled Creaw to international recognition. The NGO now boasts of a lean workforce of 12 professionals and eight volunteers.

She cites cases of rape, which have in the past few years dramatically increased, despite the passing of the Sexual Offences Bill (2005), as some of the worst cases of human rights abuses.

Her move to alert city residents on Rape Red Spots saw her pick awards at home and abroad.

This strong woman was the force behind the controversial “Beware of Human Dogs and Beasts at this place” billboards, which were spread all over Nairobi and Kiambu district. The billboards, placed in places where cases of rape and defilement had been reported, elicited a lot of discussions, eventually making the law enforcers to take relevant action.

“Whenever one saw the alert message then the red colour signalling danger, they knew they were not on safe ground and thus we managed to reduce cases of rape in the danger spots,” Njogu says.

This led to the lighting of the Uhuru Park recreational facility, which had been ignored by the City Council.

She says that although rape is one of the second leading crimes in the country after assault, nobody takes it seriously. As a matter of fact, it was only after this campaign that an anti-rape squad and children’s desk in various police stations ware established. She says many sexual related crimes like rape, defilement and sodomy are never reported hence the need to sensitize people on their rights.

The lawyer notes that re-claiming the vulnerable Rape Red Spots through mobilisation of various stakeholders to provide essential services like the Nairobi city Council setting up lighting in the red spots whilst the police increasing surveillance is one of the achievements that she is proud of.

Her ceaseless search for justice on behalf of poor Kenyans by providing pro-bono services through the court process has resulted in real and actual gains for poor and marginalised women and has enhanced their access to justice.

“My organisation under the legal aid programme seeks to reclaim through the court, and/or alternative dispute resolution, women’s human rights in the areas of property rights violations including succession and inheritance, custody, maintenance, division of property and divorce,” she says.

Creaw has assisted women who cannot afford legal fees in their criminal cases including domestic violence, rape and defilement.

Under the Gender and Governance programme Creaw, recently drafted the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which shall seek to push for affirmative action within the Constitution whilst awaiting for the new Constitution.

“Creaw has been a key stakeholder and partner in the drafting and also lobbying for the Sexual Offences Bill that is now a law, as well as in stepping it down and we are happy that the offenders now are facing stiffer punishments.”

In partnership with groups from UK, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania, Creaw is working towards abolishment or regulation of the practice of bride price. Recent surveys conducted have linked human rights violations to bride price.

This impressive lady could go on and on for years about Creaw and her passion for women rights issues. She is determined it seems to spend her last breath on this course. As a woman taking leave of her office, I cannot help feeling proud and secure in the knowledge that one day, the Kenyan woman will tread the country without fear of oppression, assault or marginalisation.

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African Press International - api

 

 

 

Ethiopia frees eleven Kenyan Muslims

Publisher: Korir,africanpress@getmail.no source.standard.ke

By David Ochami

Eleven Muslims deported to Somalia from Kenya after the collapse of Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union (ICU) have been released from Ethiopian jails and taken to Somalia.

It is not known why they were freed without charges.

But 19 Kenyans deported and detained with this group remain in Ethiopia’s jails in Addis Ababa and Awasso cities.

An unnamed Kenyan among those released has not returned to the country for fear of persecution.

About 60 Kenyans and foreigners were deported to Somalia on January 27 after crossing from the war torn country in the wake of the collapse of the ICU spurred by an Ethiopian led invasion.

Kenyan and Ethiopian authorities accused them of links with the ICU and Al Qaeida. Most were taken to Ethiopia and some to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Reports in Somalia’s Dobley town and Daadab on Kenya’s border with Somalia indicate one of the deportees was Kenyan without identification papers. Relatives declined to divulge further details.

In Nairobi the Muslim Human Rights Forum that has fought against US led renditions said its officials have met some of the released former deportees on the Somalia border.

Al Amin Kimathi, head of the forum, said the eleven were set free from Awasso and taken to Baidoa in South Central Somalia in February, apparently after being cleared by a military tribunal.

The official said one Kenyan has become deaf because of inhuman detention conditions. Independent accounts from former deportees show two detainees are now paralysed and one has lost an eye.

“It shows the extent of torture and atrocities in these jails,” said Al Amin.

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African Press International - api

 

Sami al-Hajj hits out at US captors

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.aljazeera

Al-Hajj had an emotional reunion with his son, after six years of detention in Guantanamo

AlJazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj has hit out at the US treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison where he was held for nearly six and a half years.

 

Saying that “rats are treated with more humanity”, al-Hajj said inmates’ “human dignity was violated”.

 

 

 

Al-Hajj, who arrived in Sudan early on Friday, was carried off the US air force jet on a stretcher and immediately taken to hospital.

 

Later, he had an emotional reunion with his wife and son.

 

 

 

His brother, Asim al-Hajj, said he did not recognise the cameraman because he looked like a man in his 80s.

 

Still, al-Hajj said: “I was lucky because God allowed that I be released.”

 

But his attention soon turned to the 275 inmates he left behind in the US military prison.

 

‘Dignity violated’

“I’m very happy to be in Sudan, but I’m very sad because of the situation of our brothers who remain in Guantanamo. Conditions in Guantanamo are very, very bad and they get worse by the day,” he said from his hospital bed.

 

 

“Our human condition, our human dignity was violated, and the American administration went beyond all human values, all moral values, all religious values.

“In Guantanamo … rats are treated with more humanity. But we have people from more than 50 countries that are completely deprived of all rights and privileges.  

“And they will not give them the rights that they give animals,” he said.

Al-Hajj complained that “for more than seven years, [inmates] did not get a chance to be brought before a civil court to defend their just case”.

 

 

 

Free man

The US embassy in Khartoum issued a brief statement confirming that a “detainee transfer” to Sudan had taken place and saying it appreciated Sudan’s co-operation.

 

 

A senior US defence official in Washington speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that al-Hajj was “not being released [but] being transferred to the Sudanese government”. Sudan’s justice minister told Al Jazeera that al-Hajj was a free man and would not be arrested or face any charges. 

 

 

The two said they were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained to their seats during the flight home. The Reprieve organisation that represents some Guantanamo inmates said Moroccan detainee Said Boujaadia was also released and flown home on the same aircraft as the three Sudanese. According to a US defence department statement, five detainees were “transferred” to Afghanistan as well. It said that all those detainees, nine in total, had been “determined to be eligible for transfer following a comprehensive series of review proccesses”.

 

 

Al-Hajj was the only journalist from a major international news organisation held at Guantanamo and many of his supporters saw his detention as punishment for the network’s broadcasts.

Seized in 2001

 

He was seized by Pakistani intelligence officers while travelling near the Afghan border in December 2001.

Despite holding a legitimate visa to work for Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel in Afghanistan, he was handed to the US military in January 2002 and sent to Guantanamo Bay.

Al-Hajj, who is originally from Sudan, was held as an “enemy combatant” without ever facing trial or charges.

Al-Hajj was never prosecuted at Guantanamo so the US did not make public its full allegations against him.

But in a hearing that determined that he was an enemy combatant, US officials alleged that in the 1990s, al-Hajj was an executive assistant at a Qatar-based beverage company that provided support to Muslim fighters in Bosnia and Chechnya.

The US claimed he also travelled to Azerbaijan at least eight times to carry money on behalf of his employer to the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, a now defunct charity that US authorities say funded armed groups.

The US also clamed he met Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, allegedly a senior lieutenant to Osama bin Laden who was arrested in Germany in 1998 and extradited to the United States.

His lawyers have always denied the allegations.

 

‘Element of racism’

 

Al-Hajj had been on hunger strike since January 7, 2007.

David Remes, a lawyer for 17 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, told Al Jazeera that the treatment al-Hajj received “was more horrific than most” and that there was “an element of racism” in the way he was treated.

 

 

He said he had been in contact with the lawyer representing al-Hajj and it appeared the cameraman had been “psychologically damaged”.

 

 

“The Europeans would never receive this treatment,” Remes said.

About 275 detainees remain at Guantanamo and the lawyer said European detainees had all been returned to their country, leaving nationalities such as Yemenis - who now constitute one third of the inmate population. 

 

 

Aljazeera had been campaigning for al-Hajj’s
release since his capture in 2001 [EPA]

Remes said al-Hajj had been released because the Bush administration “wants to flush as many men out of Guantanamo as quickly as possible … as Guantanamo has become such an international badge of shame”. 

 

“Once the Supreme Court said the men could have lawyers the pressure increased [on the US] and condemnation isolated the US administration. Guantanamo was a PR disaster,” he said.

“Unfortunately Americans appreciate violations of rights but they have no sympathy for men held at Guantanamo as the [Bush] administration has done such a good job in portraying them as the worst of the worst and as evil doers.

“I’ve met many prisoners, gotten to appreciate their suffering … we know them as humans not as worst of worst, we’ve met their families.

“I’ve been to Guantanamo and the human dimension of Guantanamo is a story yet to be told,” Remes said.

 

 

Al Jazeera concerns

 

Al Jazeera had been campaigning for al-Hajj’s release since his capture nearly six and a half years ago.  

Wadah Khanfar, the network’s director-general who was in Khartoum to welcome al-Hajj, said “we are overwhelmed with joy”.

But he criticised the US military for urging al-Hajj to spy on his employers.

“We are concerned about the way the Americans dealt with Sami, and we are concerned about the way they could deal with others as well,” he said.

“Sami will continue with Al Jazeera, he will continue as a professional person who has done great jobs during his work with Al Jazeera.

“We congratulate his family and all those who knew Sami and loved Sami and worked for this moment.”

Two other Sudanese inmates at Guantanamo, Amir Yacoub al-Amir and Walid Ali, were freed along with al-Hajj.

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African Press International - api

 

 

 

 

Sudan minister among air crash dead - A sad day for the country

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.aljazeera

Twenty-three people, including the defence minister for south Sudan, have been killed in an aeroplane crash in the African state.

 

Dominic Dim, who was also minister of the Southern People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), died when the aircraft went down about 375km from the southern capital Juba, Diek Machar, south Sudan’s vice president, said. 

Officials said Justin Yak, a presidential adviser for local government affairs, was also on the aeroplane that crashed near Rumbek, in the remote Bahr Gazal region on Friday.

 

Yak’s wife was also killed in the crash, a government source said.

Machar gave no reason for the crash, but ruled out an attack.
 
“The plane had been rented from an charter company and was carrying a delegation of leaders from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement from Wau to the capital Juba,” he said.

 

He said an inquiry would be launched.

 

The former rebel SPLM signed an accord with the northern National Congress Party (NCP) in 2005, ending Africa’s longest civil war.

 

Friday’s crash comes a day after southern army officials said Sudan’s northern and southern forces had agreed to withdraw from an oil-rich border, where clashes killed dozens last month.

 

The UN said the plane was a Beachcraft 1900 operated by South Sudan Air Connection traveling from Wau to Juba.

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African Press International - api

 

Buying on the net - Getting your property through internet

Publisher: Korir,