tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45580405558567821462024-03-13T12:09:48.961-07:00Hamish In AucklandH Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.comBlogger911125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-46470152519163374202015-08-01T05:03:00.000-07:002015-08-01T05:03:50.329-07:00Swaziland:Witchcraft and More. Wikileaks needs to do better.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201507310839.html"><span style="color: red;">All Africa</span></a> reports</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Swaziland: US Cable Says Swazi King 'Imbalanced'</i></b></span><div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall greet King Mswati III of Swaziland and wife Inkhosikati LaMbikiza of Swaziland</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably not the way I would have captioned the above photograph. I have a great deal of sympathy for the inhabitants of Swaziland... that sympathy is some what tempered by the realisation that I might soon be in the same boat as them. Trust me when I say " Long Live The Queen " I mean it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The US Embassy in Swaziland said King Mswati III was 'not intellectually well developed' and 'is not a reader'. It also called him 'imbalanced'.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The comments about the Swazi King came from Earl Irvine in February 2010, when he was the US Ambassador to Swaziland.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In a confidential cable to Washington released by Wikileaks, Irvine said King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, had a 'lack of wisdom'.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My forays into the politics of Swaziland are usually brought about by my love of the absurd. Swaziland is perhaps after North Korea the most absurd place in the world and a hell of a lot less dangerous in an international context. That Mswati is lacking in wisdom should come as no surprise, in many ways I am surprised Wikileaks even bothered to release this. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Quoting an informant, Irvine wrote the king was 'not a reader, and would not review documents left for him. [The informant] called the king 'not intellectually well-developed,' and contrasted his poor educational background with his father Sobhuza II, who was educated at Lovedale College in South Africa alongside future leaders of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC).</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.25px;">He is a fucking fool. What sort of idiot comes up with a plan to build an <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201507311790.html"><span style="color: red;">international airport 70 km from anywhere.</span></a> It would be funny except it cost $250 million and Swaziland is a desperately poor nation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;">" King Mswati III of Swaziland has so little faith in the new international airport that has his name that he does not use it. Instead, he travels in his private jet from Matsapha, the airport that closed to make way for the King Mswati III International Airport (KM111) that was built in a wilderness about 70 km from any major town."</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Irvine wrote, 'Essentially a bastard outsider to the royal family, King Mswati III was plucked from relative obscurity when members of the royal family could not come to an agreement on a successor to King Sobhuza II.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.25px;">I am not criticising Irvine, I just wish he had tried to convey less meaning and left it at " Essentially a bastard.."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>'After Mswati III was selected to be the next king, a posthumous marriage of Sobhuza II to Ntombi [the Queen Mother] was quickly arranged, according to our interlocutor.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope King Sobhuza II was not subjected to the physical aspects of consummation also without his consent.</span><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); border: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Irvine wrote, 'Unlike in his early years, the king now identifies and pushes specific projects, and will look to replace ministers or employees who are unable to provide progress on those projects.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the people of Swaziland have an international airport in the middle of nowhere. Seriously you couldn't make this shit up nobody would believe you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Irvine quoted his informant calling King Mswati 'imbalanced'. He gave an anecdote to illustrate this. 'The king, [the informant] said, invited about 40 officials and advisors to a basement in one of his palaces, where they all sat on the floor to attend to him. King Mswati III turned up the heater, which warmed the floor first, until the temperature in the room reached about 40 degrees Celsius, and told inconsequential stories to those gathered while they sweated, merely to show them he was in power.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"...merely to show them he was in power.'</i> " ? I suspect this is wrong. He was more likely trying to impress them with the fact he had power. This act was probably a generous sharing of electricity. One should always keep an open mind. </span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Irvine also reported that the king's mother had a sexual affair with Lutfo Dlamini, Swaziland's former Foreign Minister.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well good on her. For " fucks " sake they made her marry the corpse of <span style="background-color: transparent;">King Sobhuza II. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And the Queen Mother Ntombi's 'associations with men' had undermined the power she had to influence King Mswati's decision-making.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Queen Mother Ntombi of Swaziland</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just let her have sex with who she wants to have sex with. It isn't anyones business but hers</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Irvine called the cable he wrote to Washington 'Witchcraft and More: A Portrait of Influences on King Mswati III'.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In the cable Irvine said, 'traditional leaders, superstition, and members of the royal family' were the major influences on the king. His ministers, however, 'remain his servants'.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well I do think <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/swaziland-mswati-another-regicide.html"><span style="color: red;">regicide has its place.</span></a></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Irvine wrote, 'The king's wives' opinions matter to the king, especially his third wife, LaMbikisa, who has an advanced degree and is the only wife to whom the king proposed.'</i></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">LaMbikisa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She is beautiful. She is probably very smart. Irvine should have come up with a way to put her in charge of Swaziland and then we might actually have seen some improvements.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Irvine goes on, 'King Mswati III believes in muti (traditional medicine used to cast spells or curses), and attempts to use muti to attack the king are taken seriously'.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>He wrote, 'In 1989 Prince Mfana Sibili was accused of high treason when he allegedly used muti to try to take away the king's powers. When a foreign judge, brought in to hear the case, dismissed it after hearing the charges, a traditional court was installed to convict the prince.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>He said that 'muti people' hold great sway within the royal family, and that the king must eat and drink whatever they give him during traditional ceremonies, particularly when in seclusion. 'If they are unhappy with the direction the king is taking the country, then the king has cause to worry.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Insanity ? Kill the bastard now. The rest of this story is more insanity. Trust me you won't believe it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Irvine went on 'Although Queen Mother Ntombi is considered by many observers to be a powerful figure within the royal family, [name of informant] indicated that her authority has been undermined by her "associations with men," including the then Foreign Minister Lutfo Dlamini.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Irvine wrote, 'Mswati III uses the investment company African Alliance to move his money around internationally.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The informant indicated that 'the king has become more decisive during his years in office, especially where his interests are at issue, and he views ministers and officials who tell him he cannot do something as cowards'.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Swazi Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini is the king's loyal 'hangman,' Irvine wrote, an assertion that suggests that the king placed absolute trust in Barnabas.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>'Instead of looking to influence the king, the Prime Minister acts as the king's steadfast servant, a relationship that dates back to a suicide attempt by Barnabas in 1990 or 1991.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>'According to [informants] in an unsuccessful attempt kept secret from the public, Barnabas tried to commit suicide after his involvement in a corruption scandal during his tenure as Minister of Finance became known.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>'As part of making amends to the king, Barnabas reportedly prostrated himself before the king, giving himself over as the king's servant.'</i></span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-64129087127330796972015-07-31T05:01:00.001-07:002015-07-31T05:01:36.916-07:00Dr Congo: " He isn't very honest but he's obvious at least.....Let it stay forever now "<h1 class="title--huge" id="page-title" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.25em; margin: 1rem 0px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/28/joseph-kabila-forever-dangers-extended-presidency-democratic-republic-congo"><span style="color: red;">Human Rights Watch</span></a> </span>reports</span></h1>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Joseph Kabila Forever: The dangers of an extended presidency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</i></span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.0000247955322px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> Joseph Kabila Kabange, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – Joseph Kabila, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faces a historic choice: Does he step down when his constitutionally limited two terms in office come to an end in December 2016, or does he succumb to the delusion of indispensability that is making the rounds in parts of Africa and try to cling to power?</i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He will try to stay on and he won't succeed. I have no doubt that Kabila is just as deluded as Museveni, Kagame, Mugabe and the latest fool to join that particular club </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nkurunziza.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The issue is the subject of intense debate in Congo. When we met with Kabila last week in Kinshasa, he pointed out — correctly — that he has not yet publicly stated his position about what he will do in 2016. “Let’s wait and see what will happen,” he cautioned. But he has done little to stem intense speculation about his possible reluctance to relinquish office.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27px;">The reason that he hasn't stated his position is that he intendeds to stand again and publically stating so would effectively end any possibility of that happening. For Kabila to have any hope of a third term a major crisis would need to unfold that would effectively prevent a general election. The problem is that the DR Congo is an ongoing major crisis and the Congolese have adapted to that reality.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>If Kabila chooses to abide by the constitution, he would become the first Congolese president to step down voluntarily for another elected president — arguably making him the “father of democracy” in Congo. That would be a major step forward for a nation that suffered brutal colonial rule under King Leopold II of Belgium, decades of post-colonial dictatorship under Mobutu Sese Seko, and then years of deadly war in which a constellation of rebel groups and armies from nine African states battled on Congolese soil.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;"> <i>"... arguably making him the “father of democracy” in Congo."</i> That is just bloody stupid as Kabila himself points out below the Congolese have a <i>" father of democracy " </i>President Lumumba, he is revered throughout the Congolese community. My daughters are Congolese and consequently I attend the annual Congolese Independence celebrations, I have never heard Kabila's name mentioned yet every speaker, every year, talks of the father of the DR Congo, </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumba"><span style="color: red;">Patrice Émery Lumumba</span></a> . </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Lumumba is in many ways Mandela's predecessor, that Kabila might opt for the </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Museveni, Kagame, Mugabe, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Nkurunziza etc. club rather than the Lumumba / Mandela club astonishes me. I guess accepting that your most politically significant act would be to obey the law and stand down is difficult. Lumumba gave his life for the DR Congo.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Kabila came to power in 2001 at the age of 29, following the assassination of his father, Laurent Désiré Kabila. He is not without his accomplishments in office. Under his leadership, Congo has emerged from the dark years of war, and he led a transitional government that in 2006 brought about the country’s first democratic elections in more than 40 years, which he won. With mixed success, he has sought to stabilize the eastern part of the country, which has been plagued by armed groups that continue to kill, rape, and pillage, and he has sought to end the impunity that underwrites these atrocities. His government asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the crimes committed in Congo and has surrendered more suspects to that court than any other government in the world.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you taking the piss ? Kabila's accomplishments were all accomplished by the international community, which also explains why they are so limited. <i>"...stabilize the eastern part of the country "</i> Actually the UN funded Africa Brigade. <i> "... International Criminal Court to investigate the crimes committed in Congo and has surrendered more suspects to that court than any other government in the world." </i> The price of aid money.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>His “zero tolerance” policy toward sexual violence by security forces — announced two days after we encouraged him to take this step at a meeting in the eastern Congolese city of Goma in 2009 — has led to a spate of domestic prosecutions and a notable reduction in complaints about rape by government soldiers. And in late 2013, he succeeded in ridding eastern Congo of the last of a succession of abusive Rwandan-sponsored rebel groups that operated in the region for 15 years.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); line-height: 20.25px; orphans: 1;"><a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/dr-congo-i-trust-you-trust-in-me-to.html" style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">Excuse me</span></a> ?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 20.25px; orphans: 1;">“</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.1999998092651px; line-height: 20.25px; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>...equating to 1,150 rapes per day.”</i> and you have convicted six military personnel and this is a success ? It is an appalling failure. "</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yet if Kabila chooses to try to hang on to power, his reputation will be tarnished not only by the failure to respect the unamendable constitutional two-term limit but also by the likelihood of a violent and abusive chain reaction. To envision how a downward spiral of protest and violent repression might unfold in Congo over a disputed extended presidential term, one need look no further than neighboring Burundi, where President Pierre Nkurunziza’s insistence on a constitutionally questionable third term has yielded the deadly suppression of mass protests.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27px;">I would have thought that Human Rights Watch might have thought about the differences between the DR Congo and Burundi and also have factored in Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe before coming out with idiocies such as this.<i> "</i></span><i style="line-height: 27px;"> one need look no further than neighboring Burundi, ". </i><span style="line-height: 27px;">Epic fail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In January, when Kabila’s government attempted to change the electoral law to enable extending his time in office, thousands of people took to the streets of Congo’s major cities to protest. Government security forces responded with violence and repression, killing at least 38 protesters in Kinshasa and five in Goma, and jailing — and sometimes beating and torturing — politicians and activists who were seen to challenge the idea of an extended presidency.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27px;">Never underestimate the Congolese. Kabila would like another term but he won't get it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Why might Kabila want to stay past his mandate? Beyond the perks of power, many assume that he fears for himself and his family. For example, in our meeting, he raised the specter of Congo’s first democratically elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, who was executed after an apparently Western-backed coup. “Have I been successful? I don’t know. Lumumba is the real father of democracy, and he was assassinated.”</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Moreover, according to political insiders and investigative journalists, the Kabila family has amassed a considerable fortune, which could make them vulnerable to future investigations . Plus, Kabila in 2016 would be only 45 years old; those close to him say he has no desire to leave Congo, but there is no Congolese precedent of a former president assuming an elder statesman role of the sort played by South Africa’s Nelson Mandela or Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo.</i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe we should establish an island where we can accommodate corrupt political leaders to prevent them inflicting more corruption on the people they are supposed to serve. New Zealand might offer up the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Islands"><span style="color: red;">Auckland Islands</span></a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yet Kabila has little room to maneuver. A broad consensus has emerged in the country that a formal third presidential term is constitutionally impossible, so Congolese speak instead of a possible “glissement” — the use of some pretext to allow the prescribed limits for his second term to “slide.” The pretext might be intensifying armed conflict in the east, making the prospect of genuinely national elections difficult. It might be the seemingly deliberate lack of preparations for elections: little of the budget has been funded, and no steps have been taken to register more than 5 million youth who have come of age since the last national election in 2011. Or it might be the government’s insistence on proceeding with complicated plans to subdivide the country’s 11 provinces into 26 and then hold local and provincial elections before national ones — a sequencing that could lead to significant glissement.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other word a crisis.. and as I say above when crisis is the norm that isn't going to work.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it’s hard to imagine how any of these scenarios would buy Kabila more than another year or two in office. That would accomplish little for him, while significantly undermining his interests. Prosecutors, for example, would be far less likely to proceed against a former president who is respected for having reinforced the foundation of Congolese democracy by handing power to a newly elected leader in timely fashion, than one who oversaw intensifying rounds of brutality against a public that seemed clearly to want a constitutionally mandated handover of power. A tumultuous period of repression would also make it less likely that Kabila’s endorsement of a friendly successor would succeed — another option that might help Kabila safeguard his interests.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lumumba / Mandela club might just prove to be a better option.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>We made these arguments to him directly in our meeting last week, but the president was coy in answering them: “Why are you trying to anticipate what will happen?”</i></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You arrogant bastard. Kabila that is a fair question. A few weeks ago my brother in law and I took my just turned 18 year old daughter to a licensed ( Alcohol serving ) premise for her birthday. She surprised me when she said an African would never do what we were doing. Africans who make it don't according to her bother with those who are still on the road to success. It is an arrogance that would not survive a minute in New Zealand.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>He was more responsive when we stressed the importance of allowing people to protest and criticize the government, especially in an electoral period, though he hedged his commitment to democratic principles: “People want to hold demonstrations and protests, good enough. But if the idea is to go beyond free protests and create mayhem and anarchy, that’s completely unacceptable.” We noted that democracy can be messy yet, short of violence, shouldn’t be equated with anarchy. He let the point hang.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27px;"><i>"..He let the point hang</i>. " No surprises there it occur's to me that another President once pointed out if we don't hang together we will hang apart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Kabila put a special stress on the need to ensure stability. “The issue in Congo is about stability. Stepping down — anyone can step down.” But, again, it’s far from clear how a contested extension of his term in office coupled with likely protest and repression would contribute to Congo’s stability.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>" The issue in Congo is about stability. Stepping down — anyone can step down.”</i> You will. One way or the other.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kabila has proposed a national dialogue to iron out electoral questions. If he were to state clearly his intention to relinquish office at the appointed time and indicate that the dialogue would discuss only the modalities for the next round of elections consistent with the constitution, Congolese would most likely welcome the opportunity. But in his typically cryptic fashion, he has left people speculating that dialogue might be just another ploy forglissement.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>That we left our meeting with Kabila cordially suggests that the arguments we made are not beyond the pale. He listened politely and even joked: “You say ‘father of democracy.’ You’re not the first one to say this and you won’t be the last.” But he gave no indication that he accepted or rejected our suggestions. He simply asked: “As for my future, continue to pray for me.” For the sake of democracy’s future in Congo, we can only hope Kabila understands that his personal interest, not to mention his country’s, lies in accepting, rather than abusively fighting, the limits that the Congolese constitution so clearly impose.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“As for my future, continue to pray for me.”</i> I doubt even God would pray for you. I certainly won't. Mind you I won't pray for anyone. Even myself.</span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-46291878918919324972015-07-25T05:02:00.002-07:002015-07-25T05:02:44.655-07:00DR Congo: I trust you trust in me to mistrust you.<h1 style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); border: 0px; clear: both; line-height: 24.2000007629395px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 8px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00037733.html"><span style="color: red;">All Africa</span></a> reports</span></h1>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Congo-Kinshasa: Mobile Courts Tackle Sexual Violence in DRC</i></b></span><br />
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<cite class="byline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 20.25px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By Daveon Coleman</span></cite><cite class="byline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial, 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20.25px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></cite><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJVF6_-rqCo/VbIAj4L6tRI/AAAAAAAAIg4/lwP5WzHnyr4/s1600/DR%2BCongo%2BMobile%2Bcourts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJVF6_-rqCo/VbIAj4L6tRI/AAAAAAAAIg4/lwP5WzHnyr4/s400/DR%2BCongo%2BMobile%2Bcourts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<cite class="byline" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20.25px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: #f4f4f4; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Madam Jeanine Mabunda,Advisor on Sexual Violence and Child Recruitment to DRC President Joseph Kabila, addressing reporters outside of Bunia City Hall</span></span></cite><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most dangerous
places in the world to be a woman. According to a 2011 American
Journal of Public Health report, more than 400,000 women surveyed in
2007 reported having been raped in the previous 12 months - equating
to 1,150 rapes per day.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"> </span>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There
is aside from the horror of this statistic the companion horror of
HIV not to mention lesser sexually transmitted diseases and of course
pregnancies that are not only unplanned but unwanted.</span></span><i>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
high incidence of sexual violence against women and children in the
region has been attributed to a systematic tactic of war used by
members of the Congolese army, rebel groups, militias and others to
destroy community and family bonds.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No
argument...but what about other African nations that have inflicted
their armed forces upon the Eastern DR Congo. Let's remember Uganda,
Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe the list goes on.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
DRC is one of Africa's largest countries by population and land area
with an estimated 71 million residents. With parts of the country,
especially in the east, mired in conflict for decades, its criminal
justice system is overburdened and often paralysed by administrative
dysfunction and endemic corruption.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Easy
to say mired in conflict for decades. The hard question is why?The
answer is of course unpalatable. Neo-colonalism the ongoing theft of
the DR Congo's mineral wealth. Don't assume it is just the West is
involved. Africa is all about exploitation and Africans are just as
guilty today as the western multi-nationals.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>For
those living in regions such as Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Orientale,
where reaching a formal courthouse could take more than a week's
journey, finding justice for victims of violent sexual crimes has
been next to impossible -- until recently.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Since
2008, judges, magistrates and prosecutors in the DRC have been
traveling to remote areas as part of new initiative: to take
specialized military and civilian courts, many of them mobile courts,
to the people. The courts, funded and organised by a range of local
and international agencies, focus on prosecuting cases of rape and
gender-based sexual violence.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>..finding
justice for victims of violent sexual crimes has been next to
impossible -- until recently.” </i> and the next paragraph begins “
Since 2008..” Just fuck off. Has <i>“ recently “ </i>been
redefined ? This isn't journalism this is bullshit. This is part of
the problem. The truth is again unpalatable... nobody has done a
bloody thing..they have pretended too. This story is part of that
pretense.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mobile
military courts have had significant successes, most notably the
conviction of Lieutenant Colonel Matuara Kabibi and five soldiers
under his command for crimes against humanity. In retaliation for the
killing of one of his men, Kabibi ordered the rape and pillage of the
town of Fizi in a horrific night of violence on New Year's Day 2011.
Prosecutors presented evidence, along with the testimony of 49 women
who recounted to the court the sexual violence they were subjected
to.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>...equating
to 1,150 rapes per day.”</i> and you have convicted six military
personnel and this is a success ? It is an appalling failure.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
tribunal resulted in the conviction and sentencing of Kabibi and his
men to prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years. As they were led
away, the president of the Military Court of South Kivu Colonel
Freddie Mukendi declared, "Justice is not impossible to achieve
in the DRC."</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Colonel
Freddie Mukendi is clearly a man without much cognitive function.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>On
June 10 this year another major victory for victims of gender-based
sexual violence was claimed. The Grand Tribunal of Bunia, in Eastern
DRC, handed down 46 convictions in 65 cases it tried. This court was
based in the capital of the Ituri District, and services an area of
25,000 square miles. It has dramatically expedited a sluggish
judicial process that previously allowed ample time for perpetrators
to flee prosecution.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;">“…<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>.
a major victory “</i> . Think about it, it is a resounding failure.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Grand Tribunal of Bunia was co-funded by the DRC government and the
United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, with financial
support also from the Japanese government.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
are all useless.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
court in Bunia seeks to improve on advances made by mobile military
courts and extend the same access to justice in civilian cases.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Jeanine
Mabunda Lioko, presidential adviser on Sexual Violence and Child
Recruitment says, "Not all victims of sexual violence in the DRC
are able to easily access the court system, so we are bringing the
courts to the people. These mobile courts are helping to restore
faith in the justice system, and demonstrate that the DRC will not be
complicit."</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
isn't journalism. It is fucking stupidity masquerading as journalism.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-61327087525819067932015-07-25T03:49:00.000-07:002015-07-25T03:49:01.414-07:00America: Welcome back to the circus.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/donald-trump-americas-muammar-gaddafi-125108954"><span style="color: red;">Middle East Eye</span></a> reports</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Donald Trump: America's Muammar Gaddafi</b></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGWGErNqZT0/VbIDuIyU8YI/AAAAAAAAIhE/qMPviXcZQtE/s1600/TrumpAFP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGWGErNqZT0/VbIDuIyU8YI/AAAAAAAAIhE/qMPviXcZQtE/s400/TrumpAFP.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;">Trump's outbursts are full of enough half-truths, banalities and nuttiness to make the late Libyan dictator high-five the devil</span><br />
<br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">US
presidential primaries are a circus, and this year Donald Trump is
its clown. You know this and I know this. This is why I apologise for
wasting my column on Donald Trump. But here’s the thing - Trump,
according to the latest polls, now has a double-digit lead over
his Republican rivals, which means the clown has been promoted to
lion tamer.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">The
question then becomes what lions is Trump taming, is it other
Republican nominees for the presidency or the toothless largely
geriatric remnants of the Tea Party. If it is the former then Trump
hasn't the intellect to go up against any of the serious contenders
with a chance of claiming the nomination and if it is the feral
remnants of the Tea Party they are already his support base.
Collectively they have in the past had the ability to influence the
policy positions of the Republican candidates, to their detriment and
have ensured President Obama both his first and second terms as
President.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">We
can all go on continuing to pretend Trump 2016 isn’t a thing, but
it is a thing. It’s a thing that is happening. It’s a thing that
is growing.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Yes
but what sort of thing ? The Tea Party was a thing... in the end the
Tea Party thing was actually a costly distraction thing for the
Republicans. The Tea Party would have us believe it was a grass roots
thing without leadership. An idiotic fiction to be sure, Trump is
merely attempting to capitalise on that and establish himself as the
leader of the Tea Party element of the Republican Party. </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">A
number of media outlets, including the Huffington Post, have
made the decision to starve the Trump campaign of the oxygen it needs
to continue to grow. When CNN, MSNBC or Fox News gives coverage to
Trump, they predictably include at least one overpaid political
commentator forecasting: “This is the beginning of the end.”</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">But
to borrow a Winston Churchill-ism: “This isn’t the beginning of
the end but the end of the beginning” for Trump.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
am quite prepared to accept that “ Churchill-ism “ mainly because
I can see no end. I would love to see Trump win the Grand Old Party's
nomination but that isn't going to happen, however stupid I think the
Republican's are, they are not that stupid. That begs the question,
what is Trump's end game ? In a Westminster Parliamentary democracy
one could suppose a desire to become the “ kingmaker “ but the US
primaries don't really work that way. Winning your party's nomination
is a long way from winning the Presidency and the <strike>golden</strike>
<strike><span style="text-decoration: none;">shower</span></strike>
box of gold at the end of that rainbow. Or more plainly there is no
end of beginning or beginning of end, this is all about Trump and his
ego.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">In
2012, the Republican primary was replete with clowns that included
Michele Bachmann (“HPV vaccine causes retardation”), Herman Cain
(“I don’t know the President of Uzbeki-beki-beki-stan”), and
Rick Perry (“Oops”), but the more Republican voters got to know
the pretenders, the worse they did in the polls. This is not what is
happening to Trump in 2016. The more Trump goes on to say outlandish
things, the more conservative voters are drawn to him.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">You
could of course go back to Sarah Palin, the Republicans have backed
clowns before to the extent even of including them on the Oval Office
ticket. That particular clown didn't work out so well for them.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">So
it’s about time we consider what a Trump presidency, as unlikely
that reality remains, actually means for the Middle East.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">A
Trump presidency would be America’s Muammar Gaddafi moment. Yes, a
President Donald Trump would rule like an American-accented Muammar
Gaddafi. The similarities in temperament are too hard (and fun) to
ignore.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Except
that Gaddafi actually occasionally and I suspect quite
unintentionally did some good.</span></span><i> </i></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">While
Trump is yet to parade around in a comic-opera uniform, both have/had
comically styled hair; both believe/believed their entire respective
nations were drawn to their irresistible charms; both flaunt/flaunted
their wealth; both are/were as narcissistic as a bodybuilder who
could outstare a mirror; and both are/were attracted to buxom
beauties half their age.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Well
<i>“ attracted to buxom beauties half their age.”</i> isn't so
unusual in the global political culture.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Trump
is always telling audiences that everyone loves him. In the past two
weeks alone, he has proclaimed: “Mexicans love me,” “America
loves me,” “China loves me,” and even “my ex-wife loves me”.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Gaddafi
was as equally disconnected from reality. In the midst of the civil
war that would eventually kill him, the Libyan dictator told
television reporters: “Everyone in Libya loves me, except the
ones on drugs.”</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">If
Trump was to win I would hope the Democrats had the brains to ditch
Hilary Clinton in favour of Michele Obama and while she is a “
buxom Beauty “ she is not half my age. If the Republicans were
serious and I suspect they aren't this time round they might consider
Condalizza Rice.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">It
was Gaddafi’s eccentricity and charisma that initially won him
overwhelming Libyan support, which are the same two qualities that
are winning over Republican primary voters. Gaddafi’s readiness to
take on the West earned him a measurable level of support among
ordinary Libyans, even while he ruined the country. Trump’s
readiness to take </span></i><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">(
on )</span></span></span><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
</span><i>illegal immigrants, China, the Islamic State (IS)
group and Iran is earning him a measurable level of support among
mostly white southern voters, even while he ruined his father’s
fortune and Atlantic City.</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
problem Trump faces is that “ a measurable level of support among
mostly white southern voters,...” is probably not much more than
measurable. Confederate </span></span><span style="color: black;"><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">flags</span></strike></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
rags are being hauled down. Yet another problem for Trump is whilst
it takes considerable genius to make a fortune it requires monumental
stupidity to lose that fortune something Trump is well on the road to
achieving.</span></span><i> </i></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Interestingly,
the lives of Gaddafi and Trump crossed paths. During Trump’s 2012
presidential campaign that never happened, the real-estate mogul
boasted that among Republican candidates, he had the strongest track
record of dealing with foreign leaders. “I sell them real
estate for tremendous amounts of money. I mean, I’ve dealt
with everybody,” Trump told Fox News in 2011.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Trump
said he was particularly proud of the fact he </span></i></span></span></span><a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/21/trump-i-screwed-gaddafi/"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">“screwed”</span></i></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;"> Gaddafi
on a real estate deal. "I rented him a piece of land. He paid me
more for one night than the land was worth for two years, and then I
didn't let him use the land," Trump boasted. "That's what
we should be doing. I don't want to use the word 'screwed,' but I
screwed him."</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">How
ironic. President Obama is trying to make friends as I type in Africa
and Trump advocates a continuation of the neo-colonial stupidity that
has characterised western policy with regard to the developing world
too date. Trump isn't yesterdays man, he isn't even last centuries
man, his time has gone I just wish he would bugger off after it. </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">A
US President Trump would also aim to screw the Middle East, much in
the same way tin pot despots Saddam and Gaddafi screwed their
respective states in the Middle East. In a 2011 interview with
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Trump said he would recoup America’s
costs for the war on terror by effectively taking Iraqi oil. “So,
we steal an oil field?” Stephanopoulus asked incredulously. Trump
replied, “Excuse me. You're not stealing anything. You're taking -
we're reimbursing ourselves."</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">The
other problem being that as far as I can recollect the reason for
taking out Saddam had nothing to do with the war on terror but rather
the last Republican President's fantasy that they were developing
nuclear weapons. This is of course a man who would describe taxation
as theft yet views theft as reimbursement. Go figure. </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">In
the same interview, Trump said he would strong-arm OPEC and Saudi
Arabia into lowering oil prices for the United States. “I’m going
to look ’em in the eye and say, 'Fellas, you’ve had your fun. The
fun is over,'” Trump promised.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">And
bugger the free market. Trump might want to think about communism
because essentially that is what he is advocating. </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">More
recently, and during his 90-minute-long 2016 campaign launch,
Trump gave a rambling speech, which not only included an outline of
his Middle East policy, but contained enough non-sequiturs,
half-truths, banalities and nuttiness to make the late Libyan
dictator high-five the devil.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">A
cartoon please.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">“<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Take
a look at the deal he’s [Obama] making with Iran. He makes that
deal; Israel maybe won’t exist very long. It’s a disaster and we
have to protect Israel,” thundered Trump.</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Trump
didn’t say how a 10-year freeze on Iran’s nuclear ambitions would
ensure Israel wouldn’t exist very long, but none of his Republican
colleagues have explained that either. Trump also claims no US
President has been a greater enemy of Israel than Obama. In
a recent piece, I argued that no US president has been a greater
friend to Israel than Obama. You can make up your own mind on Obama
and Israel. But while you’re doing that, know Trump hopes to
build a golf resort adjacent to the Nitzanim Nature Reserve
along the Mediterranean coast in Israel.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
guess Trump would prefer to invade Iran. Clearly a man who learned
nothing from Iraq.</span></span><i> </i></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">All
in all, when it comes to Israel and Iran, Trump’s views are very
much in line with GOP orthodoxy.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">An
orthodoxy that will prevent the GOP ( Republicans ) regaining the
Oval Office unless the Democrats do something very stupid.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Where
Trump diverges from the conservative mainstream is on Saudi Arabia.
“They make a billion dollars a day, a billion dollars a day. I love
the Saudis, many are in this building. They make a billion dollars a
day. Whenever they have problems, we send over the ships. We send,
we’re going to protect - what are we doing? They got nothing but
money. If the right person asked them, they’d pay a fortune. They
wouldn’t be there except for us,” Trump rambled.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">In
simpler terms, what Trump is saying is that he’d charge Saudi
Arabia for hosting US military bases in the kingdom, clearly
overlooking the fact that Saudi Arabia guarantees the jobs of
thousands of American workers via procuring billions of
dollars’ worth of weapons every year.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Somehow
the idea of billions of dollars of weapons every year offends me.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">In
keeping with the Gaddafi-Trump analogy, Gaddafi also once gave an
equally incoherent diatribe against Saudi Arabia, by reminding the
monarchy that they existed only as a result of US patronage. “You
were created by Britain and are protected by America,” teased
Gaddafi.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">On IS,
Trump said he would pursue the terrorist group more aggressively than
President Obama. Why? Trump explained that IS had built a hotel in
Mosul, Iraq, and he wouldn’t stand for any competitors moving into
his hotel-building business. It’s easy to imagine Gaddafi going
after IS because he believed al-Baghdadi’s gown to be too drab.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">As
I argue above this is ego, ego that is so self centered it is
comical.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Yes,
like Gaddafi, Trump is both a comedy and a tragedy.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: #ffffff;">Will
Trump become the 45th president of the United States? Not
likely. Will Trump win the GOP nomination? Not likely. So, thankfully
for the Middle East, Trump is a comedy minus the tragedy. Enjoy the
laughs.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Agreed.</span></span></span></span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-66767298352565871912015-07-19T06:02:00.000-07:002015-07-19T06:02:28.517-07:00Burundi: We've played this scene before.<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A statement from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.</span></span><br />
<br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>UN experts call for determined Security Council action to prevent mass violence in the Great Lakes region </i></b></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>GENEVA (16 July 2015) – A group of United Nations human rights experts* today urged the Security Council to take immediate action to prevent Burundi from sliding back into violent conflict ahead of presidential elections, a crisis which will not leave the other countries in the region, including Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, unaffected. Thus far, 145,000 persons have fled to neighbouring countries in fear for their lives.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is something that should scare the shit out of the whole world. Once again we are seeing the Great Lakes Region of Africa descend into chaos and once again the world is looking away. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War"><span style="color: red;">Six million lives have been lost</span></a> in the DR Congo since 1998 and lets not forget the genocide in Rwanda and a further 800,000 lives. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“The world is witnessing an escalating pattern of politically motivated violence in Burundi, enabled by the country’s decades-long tradition of impunity,” the experts warned. “The international community must not simply stand by and wait for mass atrocities to unfold, thereby risking a major conflict of regional proportions before it finally decides to act,” the Special Rapporteurs added, pointing to repeated cycles of mass violations that Burundi and the Great Lakes region have witnessed in recent history.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Zealand is the currently president of the Security Council as we were when the Rwandan Genocide occurred and once again the Security Council is dithering. The difference being the last time we held the presidency <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2014/01/new-zealand-rwandan-genocide-and.html"><span style="color: red;">we acted with honour.</span></a></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">" As the death count grew, our Ambassador, Colin Keating, pressed hard for the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda to be strengthened, and for the Council to declare this atrocity as genocide.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">As the Council’s President in April 1994, we even had to threaten to hold a public debate to shame certain countries for their refusal to acknowledge what was happening.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">In the end, mainly because of the unwillingness of some of the Council’s permanent members, those efforts were unsuccessful and 800,000 innocent people were butchered – many with jungle knives."</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">For fucks sake our ( NZ ) official position is that we oppose the great power Security Council veto. Yes we failed Rwanda but we tried. We may fail again...we will certainly fail if we don't try. The world voted us onto the Security Council not the vested interests of the west.</span></span></div>
<br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The situation in Burundi has already involved serious human rights violations. “It is accumulating the well-known and visible marks of a society which previously suffered divisions leading to grave violence. This can escalate into major conflict through the use of outright repression against, and intimidation of, the population at large, the instrumentalization of the police, the closure of independent media, as well as the detention of the opposition and other civic leaders. We also witness efforts to coerce the judiciary, some of whose highest members have fled the country claiming their lives were at risk. In the meantime, armed militias, with the collaboration of authorities, exercise violence against civilians. In these circumstances, it is not surprising that the results of the 29 June elections have generally not been endorsed,” the experts raised alarm. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short we have all the ingredients for another ethnic conflict that like the rest will engulf the the Great Lakes Region with potential consequences that don't bare thinking about except that we will have to do a lot more than think about them <strike>if </strike> when they come to pass.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“The absence of independent media and a climate of repression and fear to exercise civil rights and express opinions, notably by peacefully taking to the streets, have marred the recent elections and will also be defining the forthcoming presidential elections, now scheduled for 21 July. The postponement by six days of the presidential elections does not remedy this blatant deficiency,” the mandate-holders stated.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It might be time for the world as represented by the Security Council to remind certain African dictators of a supposedly African proverb popularised by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Stick_ideology"><span style="color: red;">American President Roosevelt.</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far," </i></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“If the government persists in holding presidential elections under the current circumstances – something even the former first Vice-President objected to after also having fled the country – they will in no way confer any legitimacy on the to-be-elected authorities. On the contrary, the elections are highly likely to result in major instability and confrontations in Burundi, with the potential to spread to the region,” the experts warned.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big and forever unanswered question being who will benefit from the instability ? Oh of course the West, instability is opportunity.... just look at the illegal exploitation of resources multi-nationals have achieved in the DR Congo....and the cost... six million Congolese lives.</span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </i><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>On 9 July, the situation on Burundi was most recently discussed by the Security Council. The seven independent experts strongly echoed the call made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to immediately disarm the youth militia Imbonerakure which is spreading major violence and intimidation among the population. The experts join the High Commissioner in recalling that the people of Burundi “have a right to go about their lives peacefully, in freedom, equality and dignity; without fear, and with equitable access to their country's many resources and opportunities.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Imbonerakure are targeting Tutsi communities and it would seem are predominantly a Hutu organisation.To quote Marrilion's Fish <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S01SuU4aiKk"><span style="color: red;">" You've played this scene before ".</span></a> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“The Security Council has a unique role for peace and security and for preventing conflicts worldwide. This is a crisis that is eminently preventable – everyone can see the risks. What is lacking is action,” underscored the independent experts. “Given the painful history of Burundi and the region, the long engagement of the United Nations in the country to re-build peace, the Security Council must be all the more alerted to the increasing potential of an escalation of massive violence,” the experts added.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And New Zealand as the current the president of the Security Council have failed enormously. We have failed our own legacy... even worse we have failed the trust the world mandated us with. </span><br /><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Burundians, who live in the world’s third poorest country must be spared another cycle of violence, with the misery and destruction that violence always leave on its wake. They look to the Security Council to live up to its unique role in the prevention of mass atrocities,” the experts urged.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am ashamed to be a New Zealander today. John Key a new flag will not disassociate us from a genocide we did nothing to prevent. If our old brand has more honour than our new brand it would be better to abandon the exercise.</span><br /><span class="lblnewsfulltext" id="ctl00_PlaceHolderMain_DisplayNewsID_lblNewsFullText" style="background-color: white; display: inline-block; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.1999998092651px; width: 3411px;"></span><br /></div>
H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-44357355770045349932015-07-16T07:31:00.001-07:002015-07-16T07:31:35.770-07:00DR Congo: Examining the shadows on the other side of mourning.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A UN Press release: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Meeting Mission Mandate for Democratic Republic of Congo Hinges on ‘Persistent Engagement’ with Government, Top Official Tells Security Council</i></span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 23px;">The fulfillment of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) rested on “persistent engagement” with the Government on the security situation in the East, the electoral process and the ongoing strategic dialogue, the Security Council heard today during its periodic briefing on the subject.</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">Astounding. MONUSCO has been on the ground in the DR Congo from 1999 and today they have reached the conclusion that they need to talk with the Government of the DR Congo with regard to the security situation in the East. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 23px;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>On the security situation, there was “a ray of hope on one of the front lines”, Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the Mission said, describing ongoing military cordon and search operations conducted by the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) supported by MONUSCO forces against the Force de résistance patriotique en Ituri (FPRI). While the priority was to ensure that the group disarmed voluntarily, the use of force proved inevitable after the lapse of three consecutive deadlines.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">Kill the bastards. They kill civilians, you are a military force mandated by the world to stop civilians being killed. Do your fucking job or piss off. And that is it in a nut shell. MONUSCO are about as effective as the most ineffective thing you can imagine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>However, Mr. Kobler said, joint operations against the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) in North Kivu, South Kivu and Katanda had been at a standstill for five months. While the Congolese Government had made great strides in the past decade in restoring security, the population in East lived at the mercy of a number of armed groups. The suspension of joint cooperation by the FARDC went beyond the original question over human rights, as the Mission revised its Due Diligence Policy in that regard and was looking for ways to resume cooperation within the framework of the commitments from both sides.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">Kill the FDLR pricks. They are genocidal wankers who killed about a million Tutsi in Rwanda. Just fucking kill them. They have had two fucking years to surrender and they have not. They keep promising to surrender but don't. Kill them.... they don't hesitate to kill innocent civilians....fuck them and fuck the horse they rode into the DR Congo from Rwanda. We have tried to reason with them it is now time to stop them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Despite the progress in dislodging the FDLR from some of its strongholds, the FARDC was finding it difficult to consolidate its hold in liberated areas, he said, adding that paralysis had cascaded into other fields of operation. “Waiting is not an option,” he said.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">Sack FARDC commanders who can't or won't ( Corruption ) do their jobs. Actually I would say it is not FARDC inability but FARDC corruption. Solve it. Shoot the corrupt bastards. 6 million people have died in the Congo in my life time, judicially killing a few hundred corrupt Congolese officers is not a big problem.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The country would hold presidential and legislative elections in November 2016, which under the imperatives of resolution 2211 (2015) must be transparent, credible and respectful of the Constitution and the electoral calendar. The responsibility for such elections, however, ultimately rested with the Government and a number of actions were required. Urgent needs included a budget and a realistic electoral calendar. The voters’ registry needed to be updated and political space must be given to the opposition and civil society. Welcoming President Joseph Kabila’s initiative to reach out to a wide range of stakeholders to ensure consensus, he said such consultations should not delay the elections.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hold Kabila to that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The strategic dialogue between MONUSCO and the Government began in March, with a view to setting in motion a gradual, mutually agreeable exit strategy and reinvigorating sincere collaboration on security, elections, human rights and communications. In May, joint missions were conducted in 29 territories across 4 conflict-affected territories to obtain first-hand understanding of the security situation prevailing in the east. The findings were now being discussed with the Government and were serving as a basis to jointly draw conclusions on how and when MONUSCO would eventually leave. The timeline for departure should depend on the progress on the ground.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">You are fucking joking ? The UN ( the world ) has invested billions in the DR Congo and the job isn't half done. Exit stratagem ? When we have done the job, we owe the Congolese people that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>While there had been progress in the fight against sexual violence in the country, violence against women and girls remained endemic. “We must ensure that the women’s bodies are not used as battlegrounds in never-ending wars,” he said, stressing the need to ensure victims had access to justice. The fight against armed groups in the country could not be successful unless the questions of economic development and employment were addressed.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stop raping women. It is often, actually usually soldiers who are the rapists. Apply the Geneva conventions. They fucking are gaoled or shot I don't care which.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Briefing the Council on her recent visit to the region, Dina Kawar, representative of Jordan and Chair of the 1533 Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Committee, highlighted the paradox between the country’s extensive natural resources and its difficult path towards governance. On a number of occasions, she was reminded of the Government’s assertions of neighbouring States’ complicity in smuggling networks. The Minister for the Interior had voiced the readiness of his Government to work with the Group of Experts to provide suggested names for designations. When the Group had held a follow-up meeting, however, no such names were provided.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes well that would be Rwanda and Uganda.</span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-71153831458358521912015-07-16T05:00:00.002-07:002015-07-16T05:41:15.383-07:00Burundi: More Bat shit crazy and New Zealand is once again chairing the Security Council. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet another African President who can't read the writing on the wall and thinks the presidency is a job for life.</span><br />
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AA / Bujumbura / Jean Bosco / Rénovat Ndabashinze</i></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>After two days of consultations, conducted under the aegis of the new mediator of the crisis in Burundi, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the Burundian parties agreed Wednesday to continue the dialogue that no compromise has yet been reached on the issue of the controversial third term of Pierre Nkurunziza.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That would have to be the stupidest mediator appointment in the history of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9477930.stm"><span style="color: red;">stupid mediator appointments.</span></a> </span>A bit like putting a rabbit in charge of a lettuce patch.</span></span><br />
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<span class=""><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In it, the author says, back in 1986: "The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power."</span></i></span></div>
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<span class=""><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And who wrote it? The current president, Yoweri Museveni, who has been in the job for 25 years</span></i></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The presidential camp, always hostile to the idea of further postpone the date of the presidential elections (as advocated by the East African Community (EAC)), proposed to resume dialogue after the elections.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the Presidents plan is to discuss with the opposition his third term in office after the election that he will corruptly win giving him a third term in office. Bat shit crazy springs to mind.</span></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> <span style="color: #666666;">"The government agrees on the principle of dialogue, but now the urgency is to organize the presidential election to avoid an institutional vacuum," said Alain-Aimé plenary Nyamitwe, Burundian Minister External relations.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You couldn't make this shit up nobody would believe you. </span></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ugandan President had presented a set of proposals capable of resolving the crisis in the country since April 26, when the Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza was invested by its candidate in the next presidential party, ruled unconstitutional by a candidacy civil society and the opposition.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only Museveni could achieve a set of " proposals capable of resolving " such a crisis... even Rwanda's Kagame has recognised that you need to actually change the constitution first. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class=""><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the opposition leaders told Anadolu on condition of anonymity that "Yoweri Museveni, in particular, proposed the opposition to go to the presidential elections, to accept the results, let Nkurunziza still govern the country for two years with a transitional parliament and a national unity government even organize elections at the end of this period. "</span></i></span></div>
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hilarious..the election hasn't actually happened yet but the result is clearly in and Nkurunziza has won.</span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A scenario that excludes the presidential clan. Willy Nyamitwe, Nkurunziza adviser, in charge of communication, notes in this in a press statement that "it is inconceivable that Burundi has already held elections in 2005 and 2010 to return to a transitional government, we are agree to a national unity government after the elections, and this is also recommended by our Constitution, "he has said Wednesday.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Coast of civil society is a mixture of satisfaction and anxiety prevailing at the corresponding Anadolu, present at the plenary meeting thereof held on Wednesday. </i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you can figure out what that means you are doing better than me although my guess is nothing at all.</span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, president of the association for human rights and the protection of detained persons (APRODH) said rather "reassured" about the outcome of the dialogue.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>On the side of the opposition, Charles Nditije, the Coalition of Independents "Amizero y'Abarundi" (Hope Burundians), also said "confident".</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am pleased to hear that all are " reassured " and " confident ".<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/burundi-genocide-fear-government-youth-militia-imbonerakure-threaten-kill-tutsi-refugees-1501869"><span style="color: red;">I am not.</span></a></span></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" In scenes reminiscent of Rwanda's 1994 genocide in which at least 800,000 people (mainly Tutsi and moderate Hutu) were killed, Burundian Tutsi refugees say local security forces have prevented a massacre after they dispersed members of the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the country's ruling party, who had threatened to kill them in their refugee camp, IBTimes UK has learned.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Burundi: Scenes of violent clashes between police and protesters in Bujumbura</span></i></span><br />
<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Under Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza's CNDD-FDD party umbrella, the Imbonerakure (the Kirundi word for "those that see far") have been waging a campaign of intimidation and violence to help Nkurunziza win a controversial third term in the 26 June elections."</i></span></span><br />
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<span class="" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a very volatile situation..</span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"The findings made in the presence of the facilitator provide a solid foundation on which we can resume dialogue which had been suspended moult times in the past," he said, recalling that two UN facilitators were dispatched to Burundi since the outbreak of this crisis, before being disqualified, respectively, the power and the opposition.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words they don't give a shit about the UN and international opinion is irrelevant. The irony from a New Zealand perspective being that we currently chair the Security Council. The last time we ( New Zealand ) chaired the Security Council the Rwandan genocide occurred and despite our best efforts the Security Council refused to act. I hope someone is awake in New York.</span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Since his arrival on Tuesday, Burundi, Yoweri Museveni, was, by turns, talks with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, representatives of opposition parties, the presidential party and movement, civil society, different faiths and with media and former Heads of State.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/150715143042921.html"><span style="color: red;">Museveni has failed</span></a> to bring about a resolution.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">" Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has left crisis talks between Burundi's rival political factions without a deal, but last-ditch efforts to end months of violence continue. "</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Following these exchanges, the Ugandan president proposed Wednesday during a plenary session in Bujumbura, the various parties to immediately put around the negotiating table to find a compromise.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Dialogue must resume immediately, under the facilitation of my defense minister" for his part urged the Ugandan mediator, announcing that it was his defense minister Crispus Kiyonga expected in Bujumbura on Thursday, which will relay the in the dialogue.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Museveni is no fool. He knows that there will be no glory for him here and has opted to get out of " Dodge ".</span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>More than 100 people have been killed since the party in power has formalized Nkurunziza's candidacy in the presidential election of 2015, according to the main advocacy group Human Rights and Detained Persons.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Meeting on 6 July in Dar Essalalm, the Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) had asked to postpone the presidential "in order to give time to the new Ombudsman, Yoweri Museveni, to conduct a dialogue with various parties ". The government then announced the postponement of the presidential election on July 15 to 21.</i></span></span><br />
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-48707994561195750382015-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:002015-07-15T06:01:53.021-07:00Rwanda: President Gas is President Gas again<a href="http://www.aa.com.tr/fr/afrique/556307--rwanda-le-parlement-se-prononce-en-faveur-d-une-reforme-constitutionnelle-au-sujet-des-mandats-presidentiels"><span style="color: red;">Anadolu Agency</span></a> reports<br />
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<i>AA / Kigali / Henri Demarie</i></div>
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<span class="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Rwanda: Parliament is in favor of a constitutional reform on presidential term</i></span></h1>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">" The Rwandan Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of a constitutional amendment that would allow President Paul Kagame to stand in the 2017 presidential election."</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely not, from <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/10/paul-kagame-rwanda-success-authoritarian"><span style="color: red;">The Guardian</span></a></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/10/paul-kagame-rwanda-success-authoritarian"> </a> </span></i><br />
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">" Kagame has pledged to step down in 2017, the end of his second term. But Twagirimana is doubtful. "Maybe they will change the constitution so he can continue. I think he would like to rule for 20, 30, 50 years like Robert Mugabe."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Hilariously Bill Clinton believed him.I think the comparison with Mugabe is probably a little bit harsh. Kagame is more than just a common thief come criminal who's only goal is personal enrichment. Kagame wants the Kivus. His vision for Rwanda includes the Eastern DR Congo. It is I suspect no coincidence that the remnants of his Congolese militia movement M23 have come out today all over </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/congodrcnews" style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: red;">Facebook</span></a><span style="line-height: 24px;"> pushing the WEF propaganda on the Rwandan miracle. I am confident the WEF would have approved of Hitler who did a lot initially to raise German economic performance last century. Yes I am aware of the Rwandan genocide...I have four Congolese daughters of Tutsi descent, I despise the FDLR and the Hutu extremists. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" According to the world economic forum, Rwanda is the African country where the government is the most effective. Kigali ranks 7 th globally in front of Mauritius (26 th) and South Africa (32 e)."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">It is interesting to note that Kigali has made it a point of pride to piss off South Africa whilst Kinshasa has </span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">chosen to ally themselves economically with South Africa. The M23 thugs despite being supplied, trained and all the evidence points to Rwandan army personnel reinforcing M23 were comprehensively defeated by the Africa Brigade made up of a significant number of South African troops. Does Kagame really believe South Africa is going to stand by and let the DR Congo be dismembered by him ? Is pissing off the most powerful military nation on the African continent a sensible foreign policy objective ?</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span></span><br />
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<i style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During a plenary session, 79 of 80 deputies and 24 senators out of 26 voted for the amendment of Article 101 of the Constitution which limits to two the number of presidential terms, Anadolu learned from informed sources.</span></i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well no surprises there. Again from<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/10/paul-kagame-rwanda-success-authoritarian"><span style="color: red;">The Guardian.</span></a></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 24px;">" When Kagame won the 2010 election with 93% of the vote, for example, </span>three major opposition parties were excluded from the ballot<span style="line-height: 24px;">. Two of their leaders were jailed and still languish there today."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">93% ? Rwanda is a democracy ?</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We must pick up the pace to give Kagame chance to further develop our country," said Tuesday Anadolu MP Juvenal Nkusi, the Social Democratic Party "PSD" one of the allies of the RPF "RPF", the party in power.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Abundant in the same direction, the Joan of Arc Nyinawase RPF MP said: "Economic progress and security in our country, are to be credited to Paul Kagame and the views of foreign countries are less important than the majority of Rwandans. "</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vast majority of Rwandans are Hutu, from <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Rwanda"><span style="color: red;">Wikipedia</span></a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">"The largest ethnic groups in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Rwanda">Rwanda</a><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> are the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutu" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Hutu">Hutus</a><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (about 85% of the population), the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutsi" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Tutsi">Tutsis</a><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (14%), and the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Twa" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Great Lakes Twa">Twa</a><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (1%)."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Opposition leader <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/rwanda-victoire-ingabire-crocodile-comes.html"><span style="color: red;">Victoire Ingabire,</span></a> currently rotting in a Rwandan geol is a Hutu a woman who </span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">genuinely</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> wants Hutu Tutsi </span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">reconciliation. Her crime of course was to oppose Kagame. </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The opposition, however, denounced the plenary, calling on people to abstain from participating in the referendum that has the power to perform.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We knew that the idea of revising the constitution will be a letter in the mail at a parliament subservient to the ruling party. We will continue the fight by legal means, either by winning the trial at the Supreme Court or by mobilizing people to vote no in a referendum that the "RPF" is gradually trying to impose on Rwandans "said Bernard Ntaganda, leader of the Social Imberakuri Party (opposition).</span></i><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bernard Ntaganda is clearly a very brave man. He might want to reflect on the importance of a independent judiciary I suspect he will have time to do so soon when the Rwandan regime lock him up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Green Party appealed to the Supreme Court in June to end the inclination to change the constitution.The case is still under investigation in the highest court in the country of a thousand hills. A session is scheduled for July 29, 2015 a final decision on this dispute. The </span></span></i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">opposition remains confident and has won the duel against President Paul Kagame, head of state since 2000.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrong. Sorry but just wrong. Dictatorships just don't work that way.</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Section 101 of the Rwandan constitution limited to two the number of presidential seven-year terms. <span class="">But Article 193 of the Constitution provides for a mechanism for amendment to Article 101. The 3 quarters of the bicameral parliament must agree before a referendum, the final stage for a revision of the constitution.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">Remember the voting figures above.</span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-39688517021282843352014-09-12T03:25:00.000-07:002014-09-12T03:25:37.306-07:00Africa: " Dream coins for the fountain or to cover your eyes "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/09/378229/us-uses-ebola-to-advance-imperialist-agenda/"><span style="color: red;">Press TV</span></a> reports</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br /><br />The United States is using the epidemic of the Ebola virus to advance its imperialist agenda in West Africa, a civil rights activist and journalist in Detroit says.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Azikiwe is talking shit. I would suggest the so called "civil rights activist " is using the Ebola nightmare occurring in West Africa to advance his personal agenda, quite how denying the Ebola victims and those at risk of becoming victims assistance from America does that is beyond me on a moral level. Clearly Azikiwe has a domestic USA goal and doesn't give a shit how many African lives are lost due to his political gamesmanship. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Tuesday while commenting on President Barack Obama’s announcement that the US military will be involved in tackling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, arguing that it represents a serious national security concern.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The US military are probably the best organisation in the world to react to this. No they are not doctors but they understand bio-warfare in a way no other military or civilian organisation does. Sure lets get as many health professionals as we can on the ground but that is an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. We stop Ebola by stopping human interactions. It is brutal and without humanity it is also the only way.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />"I believe this is just another means for the United States military intelligence’s deeper penetration of the African continent. Already the United States has military presence in Libya, in Sierra Leone, as well in the west African state of Nigeria, all of which have been... impacted by the epidemic of the Ebola virus,” Azikiwe said.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That statement is worthy of a <a href="http://www.darwinawards.com/"><span style="color: red;">Darwin Award</span></a>, next the fool will be arguing that the USA perpetrated the Ebola outbreak. Idiots like this often forget the logistics. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />"The only way in which this disease can be tackled is through the proliferation of medical personnel, trained doctors, nurses, the development of the field hospitals and clinics, and it’s through this process that the disease can be arrested," he added.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best way of tackling it is to reduce to a minimum human interactions. Bodies of the dead need to be disposed of in such a way that the dead can't infect the living. Doctors and nurses are not trained in this way.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />"The reason why this disease is having such a traumatic impact on Africa... is the fact that there are not adequate healthcare facilities in these various countries -- adequate research facilities -- so this disease can be tackled both through research as well as through medical treatment," the civil rights activist noted.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reason this virus is killing is that it is a virus we have no immunity too. If it escaped into the population in New Zealand it would kill at the same levels it does in Africa. Has this fool never heard of AIDS ? Research by all means, there is no proven medical treatment available therefor you isolate. I hate the TINA ( There Is No Alternative ) theory but it is our best option and AFRICOM is probably the best placed outfit to oirganise this.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />"This treatment will be designed to contain a virus and also to eliminate it. But it's not a military solution, it's a medical solution, and the medical solution is definitely related to the lack of the development, the lack of resources inside the region," he stated.</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>...and the medical solution is definitely related to the lack of the development, the lack of resources inside the region,"</i> I am not arguing with the fact that third world health is a bloody disaster it is. I just don't see that that is a reason to sign up to a suicide pact. This clown reminds me of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown"><span style="color: red;">Jim Jones</span></a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Jonestown" was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project formed by the Peoples Temple, an American religious organization under the leadership of Jim Jones, in northwestern Guyana. It became internationally notorious when on November 18, 1978, 918 people died in the settlement, at the nearby airstrip in Port Kaituma, and in Georgetown, Guyana's capital city. </i></span><div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br /> "The Ebola cases that have been sent to the Unites States for treatment have gotten very positive results. That is directly related to the level of medical facilities and healthcare professionals [in the US] that can address this issue," Azikiwe said. "But it's not a military issue, it's a medical issue, and the medical issue is definitely related to the question of development in West Africa."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bullshit. Just watch the footage. The Ebola victim got out of the ambulance and walked into the clinic. He was not suffering from Ebola.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />"[T]his is the only way of which there will be a long-term solution for this crisis. The disease at this point is a threat for West Africa; but it's also an international threat because there's no way it can be contained strictly in the West African region," he emphasized.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh please save me from fucking stupid people. You contain it by using draconian measures. We are not signing up to a suicide pact.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />He added that “there have been some cases in the northern region of Democratic Republic of Congo. Although they are claiming the outbreak is unrelated to the outbreak in West Africa, still we go back to the question of adequate medical facilities and adequate medical personnel.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well he clearly doesn't read this blog. Yes there have and isolation is and remains the only cure.</span><span style="color: #666666;"><i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“So this is the real solution and [regarding] AFRICOM - the United States Army Command for the Africa Region - these military intuitions are not established for the purposes of healthcare. They are established for the purpose of carrying out the United States' imperialist foreign policy in Africa and this is just another mechanism for Barack Obama to move in that direction,” Azikiwe concluded.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I might suggest he has a look at AFRICOM a serious look. Then he might understand why I am laughing at him. </span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-57772572816903229462014-09-12T01:07:00.003-07:002014-09-12T01:07:48.477-07:00Tanzania: " This is the dead land ....... Here the stone images Are raised "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-alkaline-african-lake-turns-animals-into-stone-445359/?no-ist"><span style="color: red;">The Smithsonian</span></a> reports</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>This Alkaline African Lake Turns Animals into Stone</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> A Calcified Fish Eagle </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />Photographer Nick Brandt captures haunting images of calcified animals, preserved by the extreme waters of Tanzania's Lake Natron<br /><br />In 2011, when he was traveling to shoot photos for a new book on the disappearing wildlife of East Africa, Across the Ravaged Land, photographer Nick Brandt came across a truly astounding place: A natural lake that seemingly turns all sorts of animals into stone.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the photos are of birds. However it would seem all animals including mammals have this option of immortality. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> A Calcified Buffalo </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“When I saw those creatures for the first time alongside the lake, I was completely blown away,” says Brandt. “The idea for me, instantly, was to take portraits of them as if they were alive.”</i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCyJsuNNYaw/VBKgA2M3ysI/AAAAAAAAIcw/0w7udRE7E9Q/s1600/Calcified-Dove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCyJsuNNYaw/VBKgA2M3ysI/AAAAAAAAIcw/0w7udRE7E9Q/s1600/Calcified-Dove.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> A Calcified Dove </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />The ghastly Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, is a salt lake—meaning that water flows in, but doesn’t flow out, so it can only escape by evaporation. Over time, as water evaporates, it leaves behind high concentrations of salt and other minerals, like at the Dead Sea and Utah’s Great Salt Lake.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do minerals and Africa all ways seem to <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/great-lakes-region-remembering-millions.html"><span style="color: red;">result in death.</span></a></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" The Western world has for centuries nicked everything we could get our thieving hands on in Africa, including at our worst its people. From slavery in the past to Coltan today we have been complicit in the deaths of millions of Africans."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess we are off the hook for these deaths.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Unlike those other lakes, though, Lake Natron is extremely alkaline, due to high amounts of the chemical natron (a mix of sodium carbonate and baking soda) in the water. The water’s pH has been measured as high as 10.5—nearly as high as ammonia. “It’s so high that it would strip the ink off my Kodak film boxes within a few seconds,” Brandt says.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">As you might expect, few creatures live in the harsh waters, which can reach 140 degrees Fahreinheit—they’re home to just a single fish species (Alcolapia latilabris), some algae and a colony of flamingos that feeds on the algae and breeds on the shore.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Smithsonian should really know better than to <a href="http://news.discovery.com/earth/photographer-rick-brandt-lake-natron-131003.htm"><span style="color: red;">publish such rubbish.</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #e69138;">" In fact, Lake Natron's alkaline waters support a thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, flamingos and other wetland birds, tilapia and the algae on which large flocks of flamingos feed."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Frequently, though, migrating birds crash into the lake’s surface. Brandt theorizes that the highly-reflective, chemical dense waters act like a glass door, fooling birds into thinking they’re flying through empty space (not long ago, a helicopter pilot tragically fell victim to the same illusion, and his crashed aircraft was rapidly corroded by the lake’s waters). During dry season, Brandt discovered, when the water recedes, the birds’ desiccated, chemically-preserved carcasses wash up along the coastline.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">“It was amazing. I saw entire flocks of dead birds all washed ashore together, lemming-like,” he says. “You’d literally get, say, a hundred finches washed ashore in a 50-yard stretch.”</span><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the risk of sounding really gruesome, I would love to have a specimen. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> A Calcified Bat</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Over the course of about three weeks, Brandt worked with locals to collect some of the most finely-preserved specimens. “They thought I was absolutely insane—some crazy white guy, coming along offering money for people to basically go on a treasure hunt around the lake for dead birds,” he says. “When, one time, someone showed up with an entire, well-preserved fish eagle, it was extraordinary.”</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect that there would be a market for such curios I hope that Brandt pointed out the possible economic opportunities to the local people.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Just coming into contact with the water was dangerous. “It’s so caustic, that even if you’ve got the tiniest cut, it’s very painful,” he says. “Nobody would ever swim in this—it’d be complete madness.”</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A very narrow perspective of an ecosystem. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">For the series of photos, titled “The Calcified” and featured in this month’s issue of New Scientist, Brandt posed the carcasses in life-like positions. “But the bodies themselves are exactly the way the birds were found,” he insists. “All I did was position them on the branches, feeding them through their stiff talons.”</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey it is his art and he can do what he wants. It is also bloody interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hard part:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hat Tip : <a href="http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/09/photo-day-377/"><span style="color: red;">Whaleoil</span></a></span></div>
H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-66583622064356933802014-08-29T02:04:00.002-07:002014-08-29T02:04:49.403-07:00Africa: " Count the hours 'til dawn and bring out your dead "<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2014/ebola-roadmap/en/" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">The World Health Organization</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4;">( WHO ) advises</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>WHO issues roadmap to scale up international response to the Ebola outbreak in west Africa</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 14px;"> Colorised transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of ebola virus </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The aim is to stop ongoing Ebola transmission worldwide within 6–9 months, while rapidly managing the consequences of any further international spread. It also recognizes the need to address, in parallel, the outbreak’s broader socioeconomic impact.<br /><br />It responds to the urgent need to dramatically scale up the international response. Nearly 40% of the total number of reported cases have occurred within the past three weeks.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Interestingly this report gilds the lily but <a href="http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/131596/1/EbolaResponseRoadmap.pdf?ua=1" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">the roadmap</span></a> pulls no punches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;">" This Roadmap assumes that in many areas of intense transmission the actual number of cases may <i></i></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;">be 2-4 fold higher than that currently reported. It acknowledges that the aggregate case load of EVD </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;">could exceed 20,000 over the course of this emergency. "</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The roadmap was informed by comments received from a large number of partners, including health officials in the affected countries, the African Union, development banks, other UN agencies, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and countries providing direct financial support.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">It will serve as a framework for updating detailed operational plans. Priority is being given to needs for treatment and management centres, social mobilization, and safe burials. These plans will be based on site-specific data that are being set out in regular situation reports, which will begin this week.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It should be a useful tool. But its utility will be compromised I would suggest to the point of being useless if the scale of underreporting continues. The count to date is cases have risen to 3,069, with 1,552 deaths, that may of course be just the tip of the iceberg. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The situation reports map the hotspots and hot zones, present epidemiological data showing how the outbreak is evolving over time, and communicate what is known about the location of treatment facilities and laboratories, together with data needed to support other elements of the roadmap.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/world/africa/ebola-outbreak.html?_r=0" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">New York Times</span></a> points out one logistical problem:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;">" Mr. Aylward, picking out details of the road map, said it would take at least 750 international and 12,000 local health workers. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;"><br />“That is very difficult in the current environment,” he added, alluding to fears arising from the high number of medical workers — 250 as of Monday — who had contracted the disease. Recruiting international staff may be harder than finding local personnel, he added, debunking the notion that locals were running away from the crisis.<br /><br />Health workers were getting infected because they were exhausted from working extraordinary hours, Mr. Aylward said. "</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666;">The roadmap covers the health dimensions of the international response. These dimensions include key potential bottlenecks requiring international coordination, such as the supply of personal protective equipment, disinfectants, and body bags.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">The WHO roadmap will be complemented by the development of a separate UN-wide operational platform that brings in the skills and capacities of other agencies, including assets in the areas of logistics and transportation. The UN-wide platform aims to facilitate the delivery of essential services, such as food and other provisions, water supply and sanitation, and primary health care.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This situation was <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/tvnz-reports-outbreak-of-deadly-ebola.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">entirely predictable ( and predicted )</span></a> yet only now is the International Community starting to get a grip on it. Obviously it will get worse before it starts to improve but now is the critical time. If we screw up now the consequences will be horrendous.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" That is very good news isolation is the key to beating this. If it gets to a major city or population area well it doesn't bear thinking about. But one day it will. "</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;">Resource flows to implement the roadmap will be tracked separately, with support from the World Bank.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">As <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/tvnz-reports-outbreak-of-deadly-ebola.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">I observed nearly two years ago $2 million was chicken feed</span></a>, I have no idea what this epidemic will cost but it is irrelevant, the lowest price tag I have seen is in the region of half a billion dollars and I very much doubt it will be that low. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"If nothing is done now, the disease will reach other places, and even major towns will be threatened," he said, adding that an estimated $US2 million had to be urgently found to pay for measures to tackle the disease.</i></span></div>
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<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/TtddUGZFguk?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/TtddUGZFguk?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-44665502564981133792014-08-28T22:44:00.004-07:002014-08-28T22:44:46.355-07:00DR Congo: " Hey you, you've survived. Now you've arrived "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://esthy1.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/kitchanga-les-populations-vulnerables.html?spref=fb"><span style="color: red;">Esther Nsapu blogs at Rafika</span></a>, this has been translated by the Rafika translation service from French and then been cleaned up a bit by me. All errors are mine. I have avoided making any comments.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><i>Kitchanga: the vulnerable populations living through farming activities</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxk5Q4NRaJ8/VAAFcSbcokI/AAAAAAAAIbM/90I1oxwgNig/s1600/Masisi%2BTerritory%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxk5Q4NRaJ8/VAAFcSbcokI/AAAAAAAAIbM/90I1oxwgNig/s1600/Masisi%2BTerritory%2B1.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>We are in Masisi territory specifically in the Kibumbu </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">marsh</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 85 km from Goma; before me dozens of vulnerable people are carrying out work on community fields, repair farms and deserted schools. Others are working on storage facilities or in community granaries. Here men and women work together regardless of language or tribes.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />The WFP ( World Food Programme ) is supporting developments </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in collaboration with</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> PADEC Food Programme, a local NGO is implementing a program called " Living for Travai " for over 48,000 vulnerable households among them Internally Displaced Persons ( IDP ), returnees and householders to combat food insecurity in Kitchanga part of the Masisi territory. </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />Kitchanga Marsh operation has arranged small plots of eight hectares per household. Each household operates its plot free for a period of 5 years.<br /><br />The objective of this project is to restore livelihoods as well as the social and economic reintegration of vulnerable people, says Mr. Djaounsede from the WFP.<br /><br />In this environment, it is not easy for poor families to rebuild their lives after a natural disaster or armed conflict. Many of them are displaced persons from Kahira, Nyabiondo, Pinga, Walikale, Bugini, Rutchuru, Bibwe and other places.<br /><br />" I am from Bibwe, and I am a mother of 7 children. Through this project live to work , I can provide for my family; I managed to get a plot of land and I started to grow sprouts and sweet potatoes ". Says Ms. Ndondoli who is cultivating the marsh. <br /><br />Since 2013, vulnerable families have regained their independence because this project, it has allowed many displaced returned and to improve their standard of living. </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wY35hDYzkUU/VAAFw563EJI/AAAAAAAAIbU/TH9jZpoT6Zs/s1600/Masisi%2BTerritory%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wY35hDYzkUU/VAAFw563EJI/AAAAAAAAIbU/TH9jZpoT6Zs/s1600/Masisi%2BTerritory%2B2.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />For Mr Simon Bitahwa of PADEC the WFP in conjunction with the Programme for Community Support has assisted PADEC developments since 2013. More than 800 vulnerable households have benefitted from the development of acres of the Marsh for vegetable production and this has built social cohesion between conflict-torn communities. From the second year, each household operates its land independently.<br /><br />The role of this project is to provide food and allow the displaced to have enough to eat and to devote their energies full time to the implementation this programme. <br /><br />It is worth noting that the activities of " work for food " is taking place in areas affected by armed groups such as the North and South Kivu, Provinces Orientale, Katanga and Equateur but problems continue to arise in conflict zones, those of insecurity and access to land.</i></span><br />
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<object height="315" width="420"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/hVwgI-IscLo?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/hVwgI-IscLo?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-2690050769006598802014-08-28T06:02:00.003-07:002014-08-28T06:03:56.202-07:00DR Congo: " You've finished playing hangman, you've cast the fateful dice"<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2014/sc11533.doc.htm"><span style="color: red;">The Security Council</span></a> </span>has announced<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, GREAT LAKES REGION</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gDve93QwWg/UqgtpIyK_XI/AAAAAAAAHuE/ymY7FIzapWE/s1600/fdlr-soldat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gDve93QwWg/UqgtpIyK_XI/AAAAAAAAHuE/ymY7FIzapWE/s1600/fdlr-soldat.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">FDLR criminals</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Mark Lyall Grant ( United Kingdom):<br /><br />On 7 August, the members of the Security Council heard briefings by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Martin Kobler, the outgoing Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, and the Minister for Defence of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, in his capacity as representative of the Chair of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The members of the Security Council welcomed the nomination of Said Djinnit as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the only thing worth noting from that is that Said Djinnit is / is to be / might be / the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General. Somewhat at odds with his bio. in Wikipedia.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" Said Djinnit (Arabic: سعيد جينيت) (born June 7, 1954) is an Algerian diplomat who has been Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region in Africa since 2014. Previously he served as the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA)."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the whole I think Wikipedia is more likely to be correct than Mark Lyall Grant, who either clearly can't read or has the ability to alter the decisions of the UN Secretary General <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Mary%20Robinson"><span style="color: red;">from this blog July 20.</span></a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" To continue building on her work, the UN Secretary General recently announced the appointment of Said Djinnit, former Special Representative of the Secretary General for West Africa, to succeed Robinson. Ambassador Djinnit's appointment is a reassuring and welcomed sign of the UN's sustained commitment to the Great Lakes."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog has long argued for Security Council reform, this whilst minor is yet another example of an organisation that is out of all touch with reality.</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666;">The members of the Security Council welcomed the progress against armed groups, including the military defeat of the 23 March Movement (M23), the signing of the Nairobi Declarations by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government and M23, and the significant weakening of the Allied Democratic Forces—National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-NALU), but regretted that no significant progress was made towards the neutralization of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR). They noted the initial efforts made by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government and the Governments of the region towards fulfilling the commitments made under the Peace Security and Cooperation Framework, including the development of national and regional benchmarks. The members of the Security Council welcomed the efforts of regional organizations, in particular the role of the ICGLR, including that of President José Eduardo dos Santos as Chair, as subsequently demonstrated by the holding of two Heads of State and Government Mini-Summits in Luanda ( Angola) on 25 March and on 14 August.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For fucks sake M23 were defeated last year. The Nairobi Declarations signed by the Congolese Government were not the same declarations that were signed by M23 and for some reason Mark Lyall Grant seems unaware that there was in fact a third declaration signed in Nairobi. <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/dr-congo-batshit-crazy-in-nairobi.html"><span style="color: red;">All had different text and all are totally meaningless.</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" So we have three documents; according to the United Nations, Banda and Museveni signed one set, we appear to have photographic evidence to back this up. <br /><br />Then we have Bertrand Bisimwa signing something that that says M23 is finished as a military force, something I would have thought was fairly self evident. At the same time the government of the DR Congo is signing a third set of papers that seem to bear no relationship with the previous two sets of documents and making matters even worse this is all just speculation on my part as I have not been able to track down the text of any of the documents."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the weakening of the Ugandan rebels ADF that is progress. Bloody slow progress but progress. The FDLR, my gut feeling is that they will not comply with the six month time frame to disarm. If MONUSCO and its component part the Intervention ( Africa ) Brigade want to maintain credibility they should be preparing a devastating response to be visited on the FDLR the day they go over the deadline. Genocidal killers deserve no respect. In the interests of avoiding unnecessary deaths, the FDLR have had ample time to demobilise. </span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their support for the swift neutralization of FDLR, as a top priority in bringing stability to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region. They recalled that leaders and members of FDLR were among the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed, and recalled that FDLR is a group under United Nations sanctions, operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and which has continued to promote and commit ethnically based and other killings in Rwanda and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They expressed deep concern regarding the sustained domestic and regional threat posed by FDLR, including recent reports of continued human rights abuses by members of FDLR and continued recruiting and training of combatants, including children, and stressed the importance of disarming and ending the threat caused by this illegal armed group.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said above if the FDLR think they can play games with the world it is time they reflected upon the fallacy of that position and if they do so from the perspective of watching the grass grow above them so be it.</span><i><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The members of the Security Council took note of ongoing ICGLR and Southern African Development Community (SADC) diplomatic efforts to harmonize views and approaches on the neutralisation and unconditional disarmament of FDLR. They further took note of the six-month timeframe for the voluntary surrender of FDLR from 2 July and the review of progress after three months, as set out by the joint ICGLR-SADC meeting of Ministers of Defence on 2 July. They expressed concern about reports by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo that FDLR has interpreted this six-month timeframe as a call to stall previously scheduled demobilizations. They noted that the disarmament process should be concluded swiftly, have a clearly defined end state and be supported by credible military action. Meanwhile, they encouraged the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government, in coordination with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), to actively pursue military action against those leaders and members of FDLR who do not engage in the demobilization process or who continue to carry out human rights abuses. They underlined MONUSCO’s mandate to neutralize all armed groups, in line with resolutions 2098 (2013) and 2147 (2014), and further underlined their support for an effective disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration and resettlement programme, paying a particular attention to women and children, as part of the demobilization process.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is a Security Council authorisation for MONUSCO to <strike>neutralise</strike> kill the bastards. They deserve it.</span><i><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The members of the Security Council took note of the technical missions carried out by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government-led delegations to Uganda and Rwanda in April and July, respectively, to assess and process amnesty requests for former M23 combatants, in preparation for the repatriation of those eligible for reintegration, and underlined the need to fast-track and conclude their return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in accordance with an agreed timetable. In this regard, they encouraged the parties to speed up the implementation of the Kampala Dialogue/Nairobi Declarations in order to ensure the permanent demobilization of M23.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What fucking dreamland are the Security Council living in ? Security Council President Mark Lyall Grant is a bloody fool. <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/dr-congo-venomous-verbs-of-ruthless.html"><span style="color: red;">M23 have not gone away and will not go away</span></a> <i>" ...the permanent demobilization of M23."</i> As I said we need Security Council reform. Mark Lyall Grant is an idiot. </span><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The members of the Security Council called for the full and swift implementation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s national commitments under the Peace and Security Council Framework, including the restoration of State authority and the wider governance, economic and security sector reforms needed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to consolidate the progress made so far. They noted in this context the particular importance of security sector reform, including the establishment of a rapid reaction force. They stressed that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo bears primary responsibility for security, protection of civilians, national reconciliation, peacebuilding and development in the country.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing unreasonable there, other than how ? Easy let's repatriate to the DR Congo all the receipts of all the wealth stolen from them... yup billions upon billions of dollars. America you are fucked and the UK with you your economies just failed due to debt failure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or we could do what we are doing now and a lot more... not just leave the DR Congo to spend another century in hell.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">The members of the Security Council commended the work of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Kobler and outgoing Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Robinson, and underlined the continuing crucial role of MONUSCO in protecting civilians and promoting peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They stressed the importance of the troop-contributing countries’ role in the implementation of the Mission’s full mandate, including the neutralization of all armed groups through its Intervention Brigade, in support of the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, either unilaterally or jointly with the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), and in cooperation with the whole of MONUSCO. They further emphasized the importance for MONUSCO to support and work with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to arrest and bring to justice those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. They also stressed the need to continue to increase the effectiveness of the Mission, and looked forward to the outcome of the forthcoming Strategic Review of MONUSCO and the wider United Nations presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gobbledygook at its best. </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /><br />The members of the Security Council encouraged the United Nations, the African Union, ICGLR, SADC and other relevant international and regional organizations to continue to work together to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Governments of the region towards the full implementation of the national and regional commitments under the Peace and Security Council Framework.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Zealand is running for a seat on the Security Council and I think we might get it. I hope we don't. <a href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/anglo-saxon-fist.html"><span style="color: red;">The last thing the world needs right now is us.</span></a></span></div>
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/5Xo4VXQ5ufk?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-75268614309272337802014-08-25T04:32:00.001-07:002014-08-25T04:32:53.112-07:00DR Congo: " Earth rim walker seeks his meals Prepare the funeral pyres "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/DEPAFP20140823120420/sante-ebola-sante-rdc-la-fievre-hemorragique-d-origine-indeterminee-sous-controle.html"><span style="color: red;">Jeune Afrique</span></a> reports. ( Translated from French by Jeune Afrique's web translation service and cleaned up by me. All errors are mine ).</span><br />
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><i>DRC: hemorrhagic fever of unknown origin "under control"</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Ebola DR Congo</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> File photo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Congolese Minister of Health, Dr. Felix Kabange Numbi, announced Friday that the hemorrhagic fever of unknown origin that has thirteen deaths since August 11 in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo was "under control."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is a huge statement but I am inclined to believe it given that the DR Congo has some experience at dealing with this.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />The situation "is under control at Boende, especially in the area down to Lokolia. Until now the disease has been contained in areas Lokolia and Watsikengo" he told reporters on returning back from these regions in the province of Ecuador. He recalled that 13 people - including a pregnant woman, five health workers and a baby a month old - had died since August 11 after suffering a hemorrhagic fever "of unknown origin" which, after three or four days, causes in patients vomiting and diarrhea with "black blood."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It can take <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_disease"><span style="color: red;">up to 20 days to present after infection</span></a> </span>according to some reports I have seen. That is a large margin for error.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches. Typically, vomiting, diarrhea and rash follow, along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. Around this time, affected people may begin to bleed both within the body and externally."</i></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><i>Lokolia and Watsikengo, thirty miles apart, are the epicenters of the disease. The minister said the fever transmission risk remain low because of the natural barriers to reaching these very remote areas, transport is by plane, road, boat and motorcycle. About 80 people who had contact with the deceased patients were tracked from their homes in Boende Moke, Lokolia, Watsikengo and Lokula. Of the 80 contacts, "there are eleven who presented with fever and diarrhea and they were already isolated," said the minister.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The infrastructure in the DR Congo is poor and that is the reason that previous outbreaks have been contained relativity easily but it certainly isn't grounds for complacency something that all to often seems to be the <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/dr-congo-lurker-at-threshold-he-cares.html"><span style="color: red;">standard governmental response of Kinshasa.</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Some people who live between Goma in DRC and Gisenyi in Rwanda confirm these control measures but judge them as fairly rudimentary.</i></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The authorities have established commissions of patient monitoring, hygiene, sanitation and safe burials. Laser thermometers, protective gear (masks, hats, gloves ...) and sanitation equipment were distributed. Free health care has been authorised to limit contamination, residents are aware to greet with the elbow.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Better I would think to avoid any physical contact including elbows.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><b style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Too early to talk of "hemorrhagic fever"</b><br /><br /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Friday morning, an official of the World Health Organization (WHO) which has sent experts to the affected area during the minister's visit and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has personnel on-site, felt that it was still too early to speak of "hemorrhagic fever". We just have the 8 samples taken in the province of Ecuador that were deposited at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), announced the Minister of Health. "We hope that in seven to eight days to come, we will have the diagnosis," said he added.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It isn't too early at all <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national"><span style="color: red;">Radio NZ News</span></a> confirmed two cases in the DR Congo less than an hour ago. I can't ( unusual ) open their web page at the moment. <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRNlxI9OpyU"><span style="color: red;">The fucking insane American Republican Christian right</span></a> </span>AKA The Stupid People<span style="color: red;"> </span>are<span style="color: red;"> </span>criticising the Obama administration over repatriation of 22 US citizens with Ebola. I doubt the figure and as far as I am aware it is only two people at this stage. I actually agree with the halfwits that it is a bad move but I suspect legally by virtue of American citizenship they have an absolute right to return. My reasoning is significantly different, the resources expended on returning said Americans would have been far better utilised in containing the outbreak. I guess we still place a higher value on the lives of white Americans than we do on black Africans.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The then unknown disease that was discovered in the DRC in 1976 epidemic has caused since the beginning of the year in West Africa at least 1,350 deaths, including 576 in Liberia, </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">396 </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guinea and 374 in Sierra Leone, according to a latest report of WHO, dated 18 August. In late July, the DRC increased its alert threshold including tougher screening of passengers coming from affected countries and prepositioned personnel for protection and diagnostics.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The news reports are assuring the world that it difficult to catch Ebola despite the figures above. They are all reporting that it is not an airborne disease, Ebola is a virus and like all viruses it can and will mutate. It may combine with other viruses. It may have become capable of airborne transmission, we don't know and " don't know " mean just that. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />"If we are told that [the unconfirmed hemorrhagic fever in Ecuador] is Ebola, we will not be late because we will have already set up facilities that will allow us to contain the disease," said the minister. Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in the Congolese province of Ecuador. Since then, the DRC has experienced several deadly epidemics. I the last outbreak 36 was officially death count between August and November 2012 in the Northeast.</i></span><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch this space.</span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-54117940475148453662014-08-23T03:43:00.000-07:002014-08-23T03:59:07.621-07:00Rwanda: The batshit crazy country.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/DEPAFP20140816105028/medias-victoire-ingabire-opposition-rwandaise-medias-rwanda-des-medias-sommes-de-s-excuser-pour-avoir-accuse-l-opposante-ingabire-de-sorcellerie.html"><span style="color: red;">Jeune Afrique</span></a> reports ( I have used Jeune Afrique's translation service and cleaned up the copy ).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Rwandan media regulatory authority has ordered three newspapers to publish an apology and offer a right of reply for accusing </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingabire</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> of witchcraft. Ingabire is imprisoned for "terrorism."</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two aspects are worth noting here, first it is no surprise that the media organisation felt they had carte blanche to make such fucking ridiculous accusations. <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/rwandavictoire-ingabire-eyes-of-world.html"><span style="color: red;">Victoire Ingabire has been the victim of an incredible miscarriage of justice</span></a> and one that could only have been orchestrated by Kagame. The second and from this blogs perspective far more important aspect is that the Rwandan Media Commission has had the balls to go into bat for Ingabire. Kagame has not yet managed to strangle all independent thought from non governmental officials.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />A website, Rwandapaparazzi.net and Umusingi newspaper had published a photograph of Ms. Ingabire carrying a child in her arms, accusing her of trying to cast a spell, according to information relayed by Radio One in its press release.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which I would suggest speaks volumes for the state of the media in Rwanda again something that can be laid at the feet of Kagame.</span><br />
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The picture was taken on March 8 during the celebrations of the International Women's Day in Kigali prison where Ingabire, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for "conspiracy against the government by terrorism and war" and for " minimizing the genocide " of 1994 in Rwanda has been incarcerated since 2010. These media " have not submitted facts " to support their accusations and " admitted defaming Ingabire," said Fred Muvunyi Friday, President of the of the Rwandan Media </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commission.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will be interesting to see if there are any further developments in this story. I suspect not, this ruling will probably get overturned by some sort of insane defence as " freedom of speech ". I can't imagine Kigali allowing Ingabire a platform to speak to the Rwandan people on this or any issue. <a href="http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/08/labour_party_candidate_calls_john_key_shylock.html"><span style="color: red;">David Farrar of Kiwiblog</span></a> made an interesting observation on free speech on his blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" Some people here are fucking idiots. Free speech is not speech free of consequences."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although unrelated to this issue Farrar is spot on the media in this case are fucking idiots and even if they avoid the sanction of the RMC they will discover there are consequences, journalists without credibility are a waste of space.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><b>Defamation</b><br /><br />"The articles published by the media and reported on air by Radio One in its press review are defamatory of </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Victoire Ingabire ",</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> said the RMC in its decision.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think deformation would have to be proved in court and that will never happen for Ingabire in Rwanda.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />They were ordered to write a letter of apology to Ms. Ingabire, to apologize to their readers or listeners admitting their mistake and to publish or read an on-air response from Ingabire.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said above I would be very surprised if Kagali allowed that to happen.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /><br />Victoire Ingabire, 45, is president of the Unified Democratic Forces (UDF) opposition party, not legally recognized. She was arrested in October 2010, two months after a presidential poll in which she could not participate as she had intended, against President Paul Kagame, who was re-elected. Rwandan justice has asserted Ingabire has links with the Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the sworn enemy of the Kigali authorities who accused the FDLR of being led by former executives of the Hutu regime responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no doubt at all the FDLR leadership are amongst those responsible for the 1994 genocide. There is no evidence whatsoever to link Ingabire to those genocidal bastards. Ingabire is a prisoner of conscience and a worthy successor to the mantle of Madiba. </span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-90058882466920938292014-08-23T00:52:00.001-07:002014-08-23T00:59:31.494-07:00DR Congo: " Lurker at the threshold, he cares not for the brave, he cares not for the brave "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://actudukivu.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/loin-du-virus-goma-met-en-place-des.html"><span style="color: red;">Charly Kasereka</span></a> blogs. ( Translated via a translation service and cleaned up by me. All mistakes are mine alone, I have refained from any comments ). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Far from the virus, Goma implements safeguards to block Ebola.</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMOt79o_t90/U_gsn-DgcMI/AAAAAAAAIaM/LQvCY10X54k/s1600/Charley%2Bat%2Bthe%2BGoma%2BBoarder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMOt79o_t90/U_gsn-DgcMI/AAAAAAAAIaM/LQvCY10X54k/s1600/Charley%2Bat%2Bthe%2BGoma%2BBoarder.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> Charley Kasereka at </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Hygiene Service</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> fever control, Congolese and Rwandan barrier </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"> (Pacheko Kavundama Photo)</span><span style="background-color: #c9d7f1; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The local media have launched a campaign to educate residents about the ebola risk. The provincial Ministry of Health, WHO ( World Health Organisation ) and MSF ( Doctors Without Borders ) have already announced measures to prevent the Ebola virus reaching Goma. "The virus has not yet arrived in Goma " insisted Mutete Mundenge the provincial health minister in North Kivu on Wednesday at a press conference.<br /><br />After a suspected case was discovered and quarantined in Kigali, Rwanda . Goma has the right to be afraid. </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since this virus has swept across West Africa i</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>n Goma and around the world </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">everyone talks about </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Ebola"</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>. In Goma, I talked with those who say to me:</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />" For myself, no longer the collective helmet for the bike! "<br /><br />Others say to me: "As if Goma ever misses such occasions</i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">!."</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> This time the authorities are preparing for any eventuality.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />All doors are locked against the arrival of the virus in Goma. The virus nor even a suspect cases have been reported in the city. "Prevention is better than cure" they say. At the Rwanda-Congo border and Goma airport, hygiene teams have already set up. An infrared temperature sensor, new technology has come to Goma.<br /><br />Already at the Goma border gangs of workers have begun hygiene </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">controls to prevent against Ebola's arrival</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Some people who live between Goma in DRC and Gisenyi in Rwanda confirm these control measures but judge them as fairly rudimentary.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />Provincial Medical Inspector of Orientale Province, Jean-Marc Mambidi Kolodoro who has led the fight against Ebola since 1997, calls on the government to impose preventive measures. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />Handwashing, chlorinated water, people should avoid crowds and avoid hugs when they greet each other: " We must avoid crowds, physical greetings, use chlorinated water to wash our hands There are the concrete steps it takes. Use them. They will be the reason if we are lucky that we will avoid this disease that has a death rate of 90%. That's our problem. " he stated on Radio 1 Kivu Goma on Thursday.<br /><br />The DRC is the country where the virus was first detected in 1976 in the eastern province near the "Ebola" river. Ebola was named for the river passing near the town of Yambuku, in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo , then called Zaire . It was at the hospital in this town that the first case of Ebola hemorrhagic fever was identified in September 1976, the first epidemic was then and it infected 318 people killing 280.<br /><br />In Goma, the provincial capital, the Ministry of Health and its partners are preparing a contingency plan with provision for any suspect cases that could be discovered.</i></span></div>
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<object height="315" width="420"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/Rxp5KJOHqmI?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/Rxp5KJOHqmI?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-47278094282366322832014-08-18T07:01:00.000-07:002014-08-18T07:33:50.664-07:00DR Congo: " Venomous verbs of ruthless candour plagiarise assassins fervour "<div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/congodrcnews?fref=nf"><span style="color: red;">Congo DRC News</span></a> alleges </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have translated this from French using Google Translate and then attempted to clean up the result ( against what most people would call good <br />judgement ). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congo DRC News is an M23 Facebook page. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">All translation mistakes are mine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Official Statement of </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Management of the Movement of March 23. </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>We are totally distressed, dismayed, frustrated after </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">new reports of </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>summary execution of prisoners of war by the department </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">military Intelligence </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>DRC in Kinshasa. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are serious allegations. The problem is that they are being made by Bertrand Bisiimwa who is the head of what remains of M23. To call the management of M23 pathological lairs would be being generous. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>The executions occurred between the months of July and August 2014. T</i></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>hose executed were </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">soldiers from the National Congress for the Defense of the People, </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Acronym CNDP, which were </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">integrated into the Government Army to seal the Peace Agreement </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>signed March 23, 2009 </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">between the CNDP and the DRC Government. They were part of the </i><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">hundred military personnel </span></span></i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">who were arrested in Goma, Masisi and Beni between May 2012 and August </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">2013 for the </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">suspicion of belonging to the Movement of March 23. </i></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The CNDP was the predecessor organisation to M23. The M23 acronym comes from the failure of the integration of the CNDP in the Congolese army ( FARDC ). I don't think it would be unreasonable for the Government of the DR Congo to hold suspicions about former CNDP rebels having connections with M23. Acting on those suspicions without proof and one must assume without judicial process would fall into the category of war crimes. The question remains did it actually happen ?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i><span style="color: #666666;">There are soldiers whose situation remains unknown. They were sent to Kinshasa and kept in different jails with no accessible services under the jurisdiction of FARDC Military Intelligence and subjected to atrocious torture and constant degrading treatment seriously damaging their health.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">None of those fitting this category appear to be named. The dead can wait if there are soldiers fitting this designation they should be named, that they haven't been makes me very suspicious.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Ten of them were summarily executed between the months of </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>July and August 2014, They are</i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">: </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>2 Mahoro Faustin </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>3 Nzirasanaho Emmanuel </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>4 Hakizimana Richard </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>5 BISENGIMANA Martin </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>9 Aliete Ndibindela, </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>10 Molisho Safari. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Under international criminal law, the execution of prisoners War is described as<br />war crime. Nations committing war crimes are liable to appropriate jurisdictions. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have had to clean up this a lot to make any sense of it. I assume the point Bisiimwa is trying to make is that the DR Congo government may be accountable to the Hague for these executions if they happened, or they happened without due process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">Therefore, we are strongly concerned about the fate of other Prisoners of war on the list submitted to the Government for release. Their fate remains unanswered, eight months after signing. ( Nairobi agreement )</span></i></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the <i><a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/dr-congo-batshit-crazy-in-nairobi.html"><span style="color: red;">" signing " </span></a></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">" So we have three documents; according to the United Nations, Banda and Museveni signed one set, we appear to have photographic evidence to back this up. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Then we have </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Bertrand Bisimwa signing something that that says M23 is finished as a military force, something I would have thought was fairly self evident. At the same time the government of the DR Congo is signing a third set of papers that seem to bear no relationship with the previous two sets of documents and making matters even worse this is all just speculation on my part as I have not been able to track down the text of any of the documents."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have as far as I can see no mutually agreed document signed by M23 and Kinshasa. Those who are alleged to have been executed do not fall into the prisoners of war category they according to this article are former CNDP members who had joined the Congolese Army. The failure of Bisiimwa to distinguish again adds huge credibility questions to this report.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><br /></span></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i><b>Statements of Nairobi.</b> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>It is the same with respect to members </i></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Movement of 23 </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">March who returned to the country in response to the many messages </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">initiated by </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">DR Congo. Despite the Government </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">commitment to the amnesty. those who returned</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> have been arrested in their homes by the security services</i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> and placed in </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">detention without any judicial process. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as I am aware the Congolese Government hasn't encouraged any of the M23 rebels to return. Bisiimwa's credibility as usual is stretched beyond breaking point. The Nairobi agreement is meaningless. M23 have in effect accepted an unconditional surrender and unconditional means just that. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>In the city of Goma, we were able to identify 19 cases </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">including 14 at the Central Prison </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Munzenze: NDAMWENGE BYENDA Daniel KAMBALE MBUSA </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Felix KAKULE TASI Mark </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Rwamanywa HABIPFURA, BIAITU FESTO, SEMPEZWE on, </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">SENGIYUMVA Samuel BAHATI </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Bahari Roger Kalimunda Gerard Kazimoto Desire hamuli </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">RWAMAKUBA Kaigo, </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Bonane BINEY, BAKUNZI Steve KAYEMBE Ally; 5 to Dungeon </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">the National Agency for </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Information, ANR acronym Kabasha Olivier Bwira Eugene, </i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Murhula Patrick jeanjacques </i><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="color: lime;">PRINCE Andrew</span></i><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> and SIBOMANA. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think we in New Zealand can assume our future head of state is not in gaol in Goma. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>We recall that about 100 prisoners of war from CNDP, beneficiaries of the Amnesty agreement of 2009 that the DRC government had asserted to have released and transported in planes to the East are so far still missing. The subject was discussed at the talks in Kampala without agreement. Kinshasa has been criticized for not having delivered the prisoners to the Leadership of the CNDP as stipulated in the agreement.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Five years is a long time.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>We denounce and condemn these acts of murder. We just </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">to request from the </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>ICGLR and SADC international inquiry to get to some </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">light on this issue </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>with similar facts have always legitimized specifications </i></span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">movements </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>insurgency. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allegations without evidence sums this up. M23 need to provide some hard evidence. I think it reasonable that should the DR Congo government face ICC action over these allegations of war crimes then the M23 should also be held to account for the many Crimes Against Humanity that they are accused of.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Made in Kampala, August 17, 2014 </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>The President of the Movement of March 23.</i></span></span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-45624550472959571232014-08-16T05:29:00.000-07:002014-08-16T05:29:37.007-07:00DR Congo: " A companion in my madness in the mirror the one with the silvery hair "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.949999809265137px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://actudukivu.blogspot.co.nz/"><span style="color: red;">Charly Kasereka</span></a><span style="color: #333333;"> reports at </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://observers.france24.com/fr/content/20140813-malades-mentaux-congo-goma-sante-violence-psychiatrie-guerre"><span style="color: red;">France 24</span></a>.</span> </span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.949999809265137px; text-align: justify;"> have translated from French into English using a translation service and then cleaned up the copy. Any mistakes are mine. I have not commented other than at the conclusion of the article.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The mentally ill, ghosts of the city of Goma</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> A person with a mental disorder in the streets of Goma. Photo Charly Kasereka.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>There has been no recent count there but experts agree that people with mental disorders are more likely to roam the streets of Goma. Men and women, but also children all denied even rudimentary </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">care</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> in a city ravaged by war.<br /><br />They are close to markets, at a street corner sitting behind a low wall, eating what they can find on their way. Some have traveled the same areas for years, sometimes barefoot. Others, traumatized by war, are joining the ranks of those left behind after the last armed conflict that ended in autumn of 2013.<br /><br />Charly Kasereka, photojournalist and blogger in Goma went to meet several of them.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Looking at them, I wondered how they managed to survive. They spend all their time in the same corner, day and night. I photographed a little boy on the shoulders of a man visibly affected by mental disorder. It is the child who told me that it was his father. After his episodes occurred, he was kicked out by his wife. Looking at them, I wondered how they managed to survive.<br /><br />There is also an old gentleman who lugs around piles of garbage bags. He picks constantly rocks on the ground. He told me he wanted to throw them all to the bottom of Lake Kivu in the hope that one day the body of water disappears. This one I had already met in 2012, but others arrived with the recent events. Some are former soldiers, two of them that I met repeatedly are particularly aggressive.<br /><br />For Anicet Murwani Kibweke, center coordinator for Tulizo Letu, the only psychiatric facility in Goma, some factors have been instrumental in increasing incidence of mental illness which he has observed in Goma in recent years. He cites the natural disasters that the city experienced, extreme poverty, but also the suffering of war that pushes people into the abuse of psychoactive substances like hemp or corn alcohol, which has long-term destructive effects.</i></span></div>
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<span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Young living in the street in Goma smoke hemp. Photo Alain Wandimoyi.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Victims of local beliefs</b><br /><br />Most often, those who find themselves on the street have been abandoned by their families. This is particularly true of children, when they show the first signs of trouble are treated as witches and ostracized from society says Fakage Baganda specialist psychosocial issues in Goma for the CIF Health.<br /><br />The prejudice that exists in our society means the mentally ill are viewed with contempt. Most ignore them but others throw stones when they become aggressive. Regularly, there are mentally ill people tied to trees because passersby could think of nothing better to control them. They remain there until a good soul comes and releases them.<br /><br />Many do not realize that no one is immune to such diseases and especially in an area that has seen much violence. These disorders can occur just after the violence but also manifest much later.<br /><br />Convinced that their relatives are possed by a demonic spirit, families prefer to turn to pastors or priests, thinking they can exorcise the sick. Thus, people with mental disorders are sometimes sequestered in prayer rooms, an action that only delays the recovery of the patient, the doctor </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anicet Murwani Kibweke</i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> is concerned<br /><br />To counter these reactions and bring patients modern medicine, our center in Goma decided to work with a parish. We have educated the priest to help convince families: he explains, that it is important to continue to pray but in parallel, it is essential that the patient takes medication.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> A patient wanders the streets of Goma.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>The cost barrier to treatment </b><br /><br />In 2013, Anicet Murwani Kibweke said they followed nearly 6,000 people through the Center for Mental Health Tulizo Letu or "quiet place" patients who had received medication. Meanwhile, nearly 700 mental patients were hospitalised for periods ranging from several weeks to several months.<br /><br />We were helped by the organisation Fracarita based in Belgium. They provide us medicines but for the rest, we rely on the payment from family caregivers. Now, when a patient receives several successive treatments, the family pays first but does not take long. The first consultation costs a significant $ 6.50 [€ 5] payment. Then the family must pay $ 1 [0.75 euros] per visit, plus medicine. So we do what we can to continue despite the problems but inevitably there is a lack of resources and this is contributing to relapse of patients.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />The doctor recalls that the family structure is also an essential element for the success of treatment. <br /><br />It is requires that the patient be supported because when released, the family must take over. So, when some are collected in the street by residents or the police bring them in, we do everything we can to reconnect with relatives of the patients. Care of patients living in the street, without any connection to their loved ones are more difficult to treat relates the specialist. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Lawlessness:</i></b><i><b> difficult to fight against discrimination </b><br /><br />Professionals agree that the current Congolese legislation does not ensure the protection of persons with mental disorders when they are victims of violence, or deal with them appropriately when they are the perpetrators. For the patients who manifest aggressively from the disease and who are not treated often have no ability to avoid committing acts of violence.<br /><br />No specific treatments exist. We draw on medical ethics and the Belgian and French experiences, particularly in terms of criminal responsibility of the mentally ill, said Dr. Sala.<br /><br />When a patient has committed a crime, doctors work with the police in the investigation which may help to establish that the patient was not aware at the time of his act. It is then for the magistrate to determine liability.But this system is obviously not enough. We need legislation that would protect the patient, the victim, and also the medical staff.<br /><br />In 2011, the World Health Organization recorded 44 psychiatrists and 10 psychologists in the Congolese population of 68 million. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think about that last statistic. That is less than one mental healthcare professional per million people. When you bitch about the foreign <strike>aid, </strike> reparations for stolen wealth remember it.</span></div>
H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-65397214340539787732014-08-11T07:59:00.000-07:002014-08-11T07:59:42.515-07:00New Zealand: " With the jester on the sidelines in a cast " <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/tweet-of-day-11-august-2014.html"><span style="color: red;">Keeping Stock</span></a> blogs .</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">David Cunliffe has a bit of a dilemma here. Labour has clearly selected a candidate for Rangitata who has extreme views about the Prime Minister, which he is not shy in putting into the public domain. That in itself is a recipe for catastrophe.</span><br style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><br style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">But by pledging a campaign focusing on policies rather than personalities, David Cunliffe has painted himself into a corner here. Either he throws the Sledge Pledge out the window and endorses a candidate with clear anti-Semitic views, or he is forced to order that the candidate be deselected. Whichever path he chooses, it's yet another distraction Labour could do without.</span><br style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">Yesterday Labour's Big Red Positive Bus was rolled out in downtown Auckland. Today however, a wheel has fallen of the Bus of Positivity.</span><br style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;" /><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">FOOTNOTE: If you don't get the anti-Semitism here, <a href="http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/08/vote-positive-stuff-nasty-party/" style="text-decoration: none;">this may help you</a>.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">If Gibson is still a Labour candidate when the sun that will soon rise over NZ set's again I will be astonished. It matters not, tonight Labour lost the election. There is no way I will cast a party vote for a party that fields such a candidate. </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1223434177897935580&postID=1913200663260981688"><span style="color: red;">Keeping Stock further reports in the comments </span></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.19999885559082px;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.19999885559082px;">Quite so QH - he's apologised for the "Shylock" reference, claiming ignorance of Shylock being derogatory and anti-Semitic. But interestingly, he hasn't apologised for any of the rest of his angry rant.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.19999885559082px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.19999885559082px;">David Cunliffe has every right to be incandescent with anger; Steve Gibson has taken the gloss of Labour's campaign launch yesterday."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.19999885559082px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"...claiming ignorance of Shylock being derogatory..." </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.19999885559082px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes well one of course look at the ... sorry is this clown really the candidate ? "</span></span></div>
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-464476950471695132014-08-08T06:25:00.003-07:002014-08-08T06:32:02.081-07:00Israel & America: " And I think of all the good things That we have left undone "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brian Eno writes at <a href="http://www.popularresistance.org/today-i-saw-a-weeping-palestinian-man-holding-a-plastic-bag-of-meat-it-was-his-son/"><span style="color: red;">Popular Resistance</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Today I Saw A Weeping Palestinian Man Holding A Plastic Bag Of Meat: It Was His Son</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Brian Eno’s letter to America: WHY? I just don’t get it<br /><br />Brian Eno is an artist, musical innovator, record producer for artists ranging from David Bowie to U2 and Coldplay. He has been a consistent supporter of Stop the War Coalition since it was first founded.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Dear All of You:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I sense I’m breaking an unspoken rule with this letter, but I can’t keep quiet any more.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not quite sure what rule Eno is breaking. From the perspective of this blog I am a little off reservation insofar as I avoid Middle Eastern politics but I do not avoid issues such as genocide and there is no other description for the activities of Israel in Gaza. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Today I saw a picture of a weeping Palestinian man holding a plastic carrier bag of meat. It was his son. He’d been shredded (the hospital’s word) by an Israeli missile attack – apparently using their fab new weapon, flechette bombs. You probably know what those are – hundreds of small steel darts packed around explosive which tear the flesh off humans. The boy was Mohammed Khalaf al-Nawasra. He was 4 years old.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This act by Israel is in my opinion a crime against humanity. The most favorable interpretation possible is that it is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_crime"><span style="color: red;">a war crime.</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A war crime is a serious violation of the laws and customs of war (also known as international humanitarian law) giving rise to individual criminal responsibility. Examples of war crimes such as:<br /> Murdering, mistreating, or deporting civilian residents of an occupied territory to slave labor camps<br /> Murdering or mistreating prisoners of war or civilian internees<br /> Forcing protected persons to serve in the forces of a hostile power<br /> Killing hostages<br /> Killing or punishing spies or other persons convicted of war crimes without a fair trial<br /> Wantonly destroying cities, towns, villages, or any object not warranted by military necessity</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I suddenly found myself thinking that it could have been one of my kids in that bag, and that thought upset me more than anything has for a long time.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Then I read that the UN had said that Israel might be guilty of war crimes in Gaza, and they wanted to launch a commission into that. America won’t sign up to it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.719999313354492px;">There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Israel is guilty of war crimes. America is aware of this and is using its influence to silence western criticism of Israel and it will use its Security Council Veto to prevent this issue being considered by the UN. America has a tradition of preventing those who have committed the worst crime possible... genocide.... facing justice. Be it the Nazi scientists saved at conclusion of WWII or the Rwandan Hutu genocidairs given carte blanche by the Americans and French to kill around a million Tutsi over the course of 3 months in 1994. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.719999313354492px;">The terrible reality of America's behaviour is that further crimes against humanity are then facilitated by the survivors of such atrocities due to American guilt. Be it Israel in Gaza or Rwanda in the DR Congo today.</span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.719999313354492px;">What is going on in America? I know from my own experience how slanted your news is, and how little you get to hear about the other side of this story. But – for Christ’s sake! – it’s not that hard to find out. Why does America continue its blind support of this one-sided exercise in ethnic cleansing? WHY? I just don’t get it. I really hate to think its just the power of AIPAC… for if that’s the case, then your government really is fundamentally corrupt. No, I don’t think that’s the reason… but I have no idea what it could be.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eno needs to cut out the bullshit. This is not ethnic cleansing it is genocide. The term " ethnic cleansing " is a manifestation of just how fucking useless the media are. With regard to the Israel lobby ( AIPAC ) and American corruption Eno has perhaps unwittingly answered that question with his observation on the American medias complicity in keeping the truth from the public, mind you the US public have bought into this deception.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The America I know and like is compassionate, broadminded, creative, eclectic, tolerant and generous. You, my close American friends, symbolise those things for me. But which America is backing this horrible one-sided colonialist war? I can’t work it out: I know you’re not the only people like you, so how come all those voices aren’t heard or registered?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Americans I know fit Eno's description but America collectively does not. That should not come as a surprise the Americans the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2329298/More-half-Americans-NEVER-traveled-outside-country--passport.html"><span style="color: red;">world meets are the minority. </span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" More than half of Americans - 54per cent - have never traveled outside the U.S., and 35per cent admit that they do not even own a passport.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>According to a survey of 2,105 Americans, conducted by CouponCodes4u, 41per cent of travelers who have never been abroad feel that everything worth visiting is in the U.S.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Only 15per cent of respondents said they planned on vacationing abroad this year.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Of those who said they would remain in their own state, 22per cent admitted that they had never ventured outside its borders before. "</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know if the statistics include military deployments by US personnel but I suspect they do and that would exasperate the situation. </span><br />
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<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.719999313354492px;">How come it isn’t your spirit that most of the world now thinks of when it hears the word ‘America’? How bad does it look when the one country which more than any other grounds its identity in notions of Liberty and Democracy then goes and puts its money exactly where its mouth isn’t and supports a ragingly racist theocracy?</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the America Eno alludes too ever existed I have no idea when it was. Ask native or black Americans about that. America isn't so far from a theocracy and the ability of the majority of Americans to look critically at Americas behaviour as an international citizen is a joke. When the Global Financial Crisis hit the world was shown pictures of Americans who had lost their homes in trailer parks with the stars and stripes flying prominently. In most of the world the flags would have been burning but not in brainwashed batshit crazy America.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I was in Israel last year with Mary. Her sister works for UNWRA in Jerusalem. Showing us round were a Palestinian – Shadi, who is her sister’s husband and a professional guide – and Oren Jacobovitch, an Israeli Jew, an ex-major from the IDF who left the service under a cloud for refusing to beat up Palestinians. Between the two of them we got to see some harrowing things – Palestinian houses hemmed in by wire mesh and boards to prevent settlers throwing shit and piss and used sanitary towels at the inhabitants; Palestinian kids on their way to school being beaten by Israeli kids with baseball bats to parental applause and laughter; a whole village evicted and living in caves while three settler families moved onto their land; an Israeli settlement on top of a hill diverting its sewage directly down onto Palestinian farmland below; The Wall; the checkpoints… and all the endless daily humiliations. I kept thinking, “Do Americans really condone this? Do they really think this is OK? Or do they just not know about it?”.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They don't know, they don't want to known and worse they don't care that they don't know. <a href="http://simple.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Fellowship_of_the_Ring"><span style="color: red;">That will however change.</span></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out. "</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>As for the Peace Process: Israel wants the Process but not the Peace. While ‘the process’ is going on the settlers continue grabbing land and building their settlements… and then when the Palestinians finally erupt with their pathetic fireworks they get hammered and shredded with state-of-the-art missiles and depleted uranium shells because Israel ‘has a right to defend itself’ ( whereas Palestine clearly doesn’t). And the settler militias are always happy to lend a fist or rip up someone’s olive grove while the army looks the other way.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is a very astute observation. The process is useful from an Israeli perspective, it has destroyed any possibility of a two state solution. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in case you are unaware of the scale of this theft be prepared to be shocked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that the map is now 14 years out of date. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-state_solution"><span style="color: red;">And the reason ?</span></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" The two-state solution refers to a solution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict currently under discussion, which calls for "two states for two peoples." The two-state solution envisages an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River.<br /><br />The framework of the solution is set out in UN resolutions on the "Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine", going back to 1974. The resolution calls for "two States, Israel and Palestine ... side by side within secure and recognized borders" together with "a just resolution of the refugee question in conformity with UN resolution 194". The borders of the state of Palestine are "based on the pre-1967 borders". The latest resolution in November 2013 was passed 165 to 6, with 6 abstentions. The countries voting against were Canada, Israel, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau and the United States.<br /><br />The Palestinians have "shown serious interest" in a two-state solution since the mid-1970s, and its mainstream leadership has embraced the concept since the 1982 Arab Summit in Fez.<br /><br />Over the years, polls have consistently shown "respectable Israeli and Palestinian majorities in favor of a negotiated two-state settlement."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will not happen. As Eno points out above <i>" a whole village evicted and living in caves while three settler families moved onto their land "</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>By the way, most of them are not ethnic Israelis – they’re ‘right of return’ Jews from Russia and Ukraine and Moravia and South Africa and Brooklyn who came to Israel recently with the notion that they had an inviolable (God-given!) right to the land, and that ‘Arab’ equates with ‘vermin’ – straightforward old-school racism delivered with the same arrogant, shameless swagger that the good ole boys of Louisiana used to affect. That is the culture our taxes are defending. It’s like sending money to the Klan.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regular readers of this blog will be aware that my partner's sister and three of my four daughters arrived in New Zealand in March this year. Much to my annoyance they had to go through the six week residential orientation programme required by immigration NZ for refugees ( I was totally wrong to oppose this and Immigration NZ were right to insist on it ). I met a family who arrived at the same time from Syria ( mum was fluent in English, actually an English teacher ) while my family were on the course. The family were Palestinians who had been evicted by Israel and tried their luck in Baghdad, America wrecked that relocation, so they tried Syria. We all know what is happening there ( unless of course we are Americans ). Dad is business man he had owned retail operations, he had employed people he wants to be a productive participant here. He belongs to us now and he will I am sure for the forth time in his life set up a business and contribute to the NZ community. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Israel and America think of him as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermin"><span style="color: red;">vermin:</span></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">" The term describes farm pests which raid farms as opposed to infest farms—mainly predators such as... "</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Israel are far worse than vermin they raid and infest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for giving the <strike>Klan</strike> Israel tax money Eno is correct the only difference being that the Klan saw a value in property and didn't always kill. </span></div>
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<i style="background-color: #f9f7e7; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.719999313354492px;">But beyond this, what really troubles me is the bigger picture. Like it or not, in the eyes of most of the world, America represents ‘The West’. So it is The West that is seen as supporting this war, despite all our high-handed talk about morality and democracy. I fear that all the civilisational achievements of The Enlightenment and Western Culture are being discredited – to the great glee of the mad Mullahs – by this flagrant hypocrisy. The war has no moral justification that I can see - but it doesn’t even have any pragmatic value either. It doesn’t make Kissingerian ‘Realpolitik’ sense; it just makes us look bad.</i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually I disagree. New Zealand under previous administrations has disassociated its self from the " West " I am sure we will again. The West needs to disassociate from America. If America wishes to remain a nation caught in the amber of the 20th century so be it. Empires fall when they become irrelevant, ask Britain. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I’m sorry to burden you all with this. I know you’re busy and in varying degrees allergic to politics, but this is beyond politics. It’s us squandering the civilisational capital that we’ve built over generations. None of the questions in this letter are rhetorical: I really don’t get it and I wish that I did.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get it Brian. I am just far more objective than you.</span></div>
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<object height="315" width="420"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/me_WNSiUFd0?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param>
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/me_WNSiUFd0?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-26213147267383878832014-08-06T02:36:00.001-07:002014-08-06T02:36:16.049-07:00New Zealand: For my daughter Christelle.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.oneil.com.au/footrot/ch_dog.shtml"><span style="color: red;">This place</span></a> relates: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">( Over the last few days my youngest daughter Christelle and I have engaged in a sticker war conducted over Facebook messenger. The Dog and Footrot Flats are as about as Kiwi as you can get, Christelle is unaware of The Iron Paw, Horse, Wal, Stephen Hall-Jones etc. I am unsure if it is inter generational warfare or cultural differences but hell I am enjoying it.</span><div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
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<i style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">The Dog</i><div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Name/s :The dog, The Iron Paw, The Scarlet Manuka, The Grey Ghost, <img border="0" src="http://www.oneil.com.au/footrot/pics/scribble.gif" /> who put that there!SpeciesDogBackgroundThe real star of Footrot Flats, owned by Wal Footrot. The Dog was raised by Wal's Aunt Dolly in her cat home with some help from a foster mother half-persian cat named Ninky Pooh. While he was there, Aunt Dolly gave the dog a name that he has never forgiven her for - and has never allowed to be printed. That's why he's known simply as "The Dog".<br /><br />Author Murray ball had planned on revealing the Dog's name but eventully decided against it. There are some strips where it may appear that someone (such as Ninky Pooh) is referring to the Dog by his real name but none of them actually are his name. After all, what name could have been as bad as the ones millions of readers had anticipated over the years.<br />According to a visitor to this site from Sweden (thanks Karl), the Swedish translation of Footrot Flats refers to the Dog as "flippen".<br />(Note - the scene on the right never really hapenned. Dogs can daydream too you know)</i></span>
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<i><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You will never find such a noble creature as the mitey dog. Tuff like major but smarter. Classy like Charlie but better lookin'. Yep! He's got it all where it counts. Long live the dog. Yay!<br />The Dog <img border="0" src="http://www.oneil.com.au/footrot/pics/paw.gif" /><br />X X X</span></i><dd style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></dd><dd class="dog" style="background-color: white; font-family: Dog, Kids, 'Comic Sans MS', Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></dd><dd style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-68949890063344354612014-08-04T06:29:00.000-07:002014-08-04T06:31:08.991-07:00Uganda: " Are we trigger happy ? Russian roulette in the waiting room "<a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658344-police-to-recruit-over-5-000.html"><span style="color: red;">New Vision</span></a> reports<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Police to recruit over 5,000</i></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #d20000; font-family: Oswald; font-size: 21px; line-height: 23.46666717529297px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><strong style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">The Uganda Police Force is to recruit 5,000 officers in a one-week exercise starting September 1</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">The Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, Andrew Felix Kaweesi, said the recruitment drive is to bolster the Force to ensure effective policing of the 2016 general elections. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is hard to comment on this without knowing the size of the Ugandan Police Force ( UPF ) but the New Zealand police force has about 8000 officers for a population of a bit over four million extrapolating that figure out the Ugandan police force for a population of about 35 million would be about 70,000 officers, I suspect it is far higher. By New Zealand standards this is a huge increase in man power.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;"> </span></span></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If as Commander Kaweesi says this is to police a general election then the legitimacy of the Museveni regime has some serious question marks.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">“The last elections were marred with incidents of violence. And recently we have got information that the opposition with some civil society organizations are plotting to block the general elections through violence. The recruitment will enable us counter all those threats,” Kaweesi explained. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Violence is something the UPF seems to specialise in, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/21/uganda-street-children-homeless-police"><span style="color: red;">from the Guardian.</span></a> </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" The worst part of John's life is the punishment meted out to him and his friends by the very people whose duty it is to protect them. They are accused of being criminals and chokora (scavengers), and beaten. "They cane us, the police. Big boys cane us. They use sticks and they [punch] us," says John, who is about 15. This usually happens at weekends, he says. "</i></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">The Kampala Police chief made the revelation at the passing out of a total of 1,000 crime preventers from areas of Mukono, Kira Division, Nagalama, Jinja Road Police Station and Kira Road Police Station who had gathered at Kira Road Police Station play grounds on Sunday. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The police in Uganda get playgrounds ? Again from <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/21/uganda-street-children-homeless-police"><span style="color: red;">the Guardian</span></a></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.987144470214844px;">" We eat leftovers. I don't sleep very well – it's not very comfortable. We live badly," he says, before huddling together with about 30 </span>children<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.987144470214844px;"> on a shop verandah, opposite a nightclub. "</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Batshit crazy ? Cops get playgrounds and kids get... well apart from beatings from the police it would seem nothing.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="line-height: 18.987144470214844px;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span></span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">Kaweesi also noted that there is a group of people led by Kampala Retired Bishop Zac Niringiye planning to disrupt peace in the city in a demonstration dubbed ‘Walk To Freedom’. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2304771/"><span style="color: red;">" Walk To Freedom "</span> </a></span></i> Is it possible that Zac Niringiye is making a point ? Is it conceivable that Commander Kaweesi and the UPF has totally missed the point ? Yup.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /></span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">“A move to block the general elections is fighting the constitution, something our job does not allow, so we have to be prepared. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really ? Ignoring the constitution doesn't seem to bother your <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/uganda.html"><span style="color: red;">elected representatives. </span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i></span>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" A couple of points, one has to wounder why there was no quorum given this was an issue that is supported by all peoples on the African continent. Clearly Ugandan Parliamentarians can read even if their Speaker can't count. The other point that should be made is why President Museveni signed this bill into law if the President of Uganda has such a disregard for the constitution Uganda has some very dark days ahead."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">We allowed the opposition leaders and civil society organizations to go round the country over the electoral reforms; they are now planning to misuse that liberty to cause unrest. We are ready to suppress them, the way we did in their first attempts,” he said. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The UPF allowed people to exercise their democratic rights but an election is happening next year so those rights are now proscribed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">He said the recruitment will also help reduce rampant incidents of crime in the country and improve police to population ratio. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A ratio I would like to know but can't find.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /></span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">“We hope that the recruitment will help plug the attrition in the police force which stands at over 1000 annually as a result of death, retirement, desertion and dismissal of personnel,” he said. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hang on. <i>" 1,000 crime preventers "</i> just passed out according to this article and 1000 leave per year, it would seem Uganda is increasing its police numbers by far more than the attrition rate. Why ?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /></span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">Kaweesi said the applicants must be Ugandan citizens with the minimum qualification of Senior Six or its equivalent. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">Additionally, they must not have a criminal record and be ready to work long hours. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guess I am not going to qualify as a Ugandan police officer.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">“Application in triplicate filled in own handwriting and accompanied by photocopies of academic transcripts and certificates, curriculum vitae, three recent passport size photographs and recommendation letters from LC1, LC2, LC3 and RDC should be brought in person at the recruitment centers,” he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am screwed my handwriting might get me past the first hurdle but I have never met any of the LC's and I have no friends <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.rdc.govt.nz/"><span style="color: red;">at the RDC.</span></a> </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" /></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">He called upon the interested candidates to obtain application forms from secretaries to district service commissions or the public service commission adding that they should also fill in the Uganda Police recruitment bio-data forms from the offices of the district commanders. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">The regional centers are the Police Training School Kibuli, regional Police headquarters at Jinja, Wakiso, Masaka, Mpigi, Moroto, Gulu, Arua, Hoima, Fort Portal, Masaka, Mbarara, Mbale and Soroti.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Police states scare the shit out of me.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;"><br /></span>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-68992437361168543222014-08-03T04:13:00.000-07:002014-08-03T04:15:47.840-07:00DR Congo: " Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train "<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://actudukivu.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/un-cadre-permanent-de-dialogue-pour-la.html"><span style="color: red;">Charley Kasereka</span></a> blogs, as usual with Charly's blogs this has been translated by whoever blogger uses to translate and cleaned up by me. Any mistakes are mine alone. As per my policy I have refrained from making any comment on Charly's work. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>A permanent framework for dialogue for peace in North Kivu</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wXqvcDshu0/U94YyzgCSMI/AAAAAAAAIW8/-to6AsxgxKo/s1600/Father+Arseny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9wXqvcDshu0/U94YyzgCSMI/AAAAAAAAIW8/-to6AsxgxKo/s1600/Father+Arseny.JPG" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"> Father Arseny was Munembwe Rutshuru (Photo Charly Kasereka)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Peace Caravan, 150 kilometers with more than 500 people, men of God, the local communities in North Kivu want to establish a permanent framework for dialogue to build peace in their province.<br /><br />The caravan is part of the roundabout sign. Goma July 26, 9:30. A string of thirty vehicles. According to the organizers of the caravan it is to show that after eight months of total liberation of the territory Nyirangongo and Rutshuru, the road is safe. <br /><br />Thirty MPs elected from North Kivu have come for the occasion for them is part of their recess. The activity is also accompanied by some associations of civil society and international NGOs such as' 'Peace One Day 'which also preparing a major activity of Peace on 21 September in Goma.<br /><br />Peace, everybody talks about it. After peace in North Kivu, the restoration of the authority of the state is the next challenge. The state was weakened or has been absent for a long time in some areas of the province. Communities were divided. Reconciliation, development and peace building is the challenge of the future for the Congolese government.<br /><br /> After an address to the communities living in Bunagana, formerly the territory of the rebel group M23, a dialog happens on how to live another way without pointing the finger at each other. This is not my place but the Jomba community 150 km north Goma. <br /><br />For his part, Jason Luneno, elected in Walikale sought the involvement of provincial authorities for the effective return of stability and peace. Approximately 500 people attended the peace caravan to invite the citizens of North -Kivu to capitalize on the gains of peace and consolidate. The organizer of the event, Father Arsene Munembwe, said the peace caravan wants to create a framework to enable the people of North Kivu to launch the opportunities for development and peace after the defeat M23 rebels.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah I know, no comments on Charly's blog. An observation though on Cat Steven's peace train. New Zealand used to drive that train. New Zealand is hoping to be elected to the UN Security Council later this year. I can see no point in our election to that body if we are just replacing Australia as part of the </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/anglo-saxon-fist.html"><span style="color: red;">Anglo Saxon Fist.</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-86163908517246036792014-08-02T06:25:00.000-07:002014-08-02T07:08:40.180-07:00Uganda: " Interlocked through a missing piece "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Court-quashes-anti-gays-law/-/688334/2405446/-/rhg854z/-/index.html"><span style="color: red;">The Monitor</span></a> ( Uganda ) reports</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Court quashes anti-gays law</i></span></h1>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ1zoGCGgqo/U9zKQZAkR4I/AAAAAAAAIWs/2AE5QBuCGjA/s1600/Uganda+gay+rights+Andrew+Mwenda.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ1zoGCGgqo/U9zKQZAkR4I/AAAAAAAAIWs/2AE5QBuCGjA/s1600/Uganda+gay+rights+Andrew+Mwenda.gif" height="268" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16.21620750427246px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">One of the pro-gay petitioners Andrew Mwenda (L), renowned anti-gay activist Pastor Martin Ssempa (R) and others after the ruling at the Constitutional Court yesterday. PHOTO by Faiswal Kasirye </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>KAMPALA. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Constitutional Court yesterday nullified the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014 for having been passed by Parliament without the required quorum of at least one third of all legislators.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>In a unanimous ruling, the panel of five justices blamed the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga for acting illegally by abdicating her constitutional responsibility of ascertaining whether there was quorum in the House before the Bill was passed into law.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rebecca Kadaga is a bloody idiot at best. In 2012, again reported in The Monitor she <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/uganda-returns-to-idi-amin-dada-policies_4557.html"><span style="color: red;"><i>came out</i> with the following.</span></a> </span></span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;"><span style="color: #e69138;">“I was surprised when colleagues came and thanked me saying that’s what they have always wanted to say but they had never gotten the courage to. That when it came to me that I had spoken for the whole of Africa, for the Arab world and Asians,” she said.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If she wants to ally Uganda with the brutal theocratic regimes of the Arab world and progressive Asian states such as North Korea both of which inflict appalling brutality upon their citizens her revival in 2012 of this idiocy was the right move.<br /><br />What is really funny is however the fools stupidity. The Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament either can't count or is unaware of constitutional niceties such as having a quorum. Given the function of parliamentary speakers she should resign or be sacked. I doubt many governing parties in parliamentary democracies would tolerate such incompetence on the part of the speaker. </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </i></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The court panel was led by acting deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma. The other members were Justices Augustine Nshimye, Eldad Mwangusya, Solomy Balungi Bossa and Rubby Aweri Opio.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The judges held that at least three people, including Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, alerted Ms Kadaga about the lack of quorum in the House at the time of passing the Bill but she ignored their warning and went ahead to preside over the proceedings to pass the law on December 20, last year.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of points, one has to wounder why there was no quorum given this was an issue that is supported by all peoples on the African continent. Clearly <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/ubuntu-true-man-of-god.html"><span style="color: red;">Ugandan Parliamentarians can read</span></a> even if their Speaker can't count. The other point that should be made is why President Museveni signed this bill into law if the President of Uganda has such a disregard for the constitution Uganda has some very dark days ahead.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>To that effect, the justices observed that such an illegality by the Speaker of Parliament once brought to the attention of the court, cannot be overlooked.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“Rule 23 of Parliamentary Rules of Procedure requires the Speaker of Parliament even without being prompted by someone else, to ensure that quorum exists. We note that the Speaker was prompted three times that there was no quorum in the House, including the Prime minister, but ignored the same,” the judges ruled.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“We uphold that the act of the 9th Parliament in enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law without quorum is inconsistent with articles 88, 94 of the Constitution and Rule 23 of the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure. We come to a conclusion that she (Ms Kadaga) acted illegally and failure to obey the law makes the Act null and void,” the judges further stated.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A speaker who ignores the law. Just too funny for words. What I like most about this judgement is the demonstration of judicial independence. It may be that the Ugandan Judiciary is all that is preventing the emergence of another regime run by megalomaniacs such as Kim Jong Un.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The court also ordered the Attorney General, who represented the government as the respondent in this matter, to pay 50 per cent of the legal costs the pro-gay activists used in their petition. </i></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shortly after the ruling, pro-gay activists jumped in joy and jubilated over the victory.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for the moment that is where they should leave it. Don't get me wrong on this, gay, lesbian and transgender members of a community should have total equality with the heterosexual community, the court has given both time and space, Uganda has been given a get out of gaol card with the international community. Let this play out, it will probably die. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>City advocate John Francis Onyango, one of the lawyers who represented the pro-gay activists, described the ruling as a landmark decision and said it was victory for the rule of law.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“This is a victory for the rule of law and it’s an indictment on Parliament on the way it conducts its proceedings. The Speaker of Parliament is expected to know not only the Rules of Procedure in Parliament but also the legal requirements,” said Mr Onyango</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“She cannot impose certain rules and leave out others as she wants. It is not about what she wants but what the law wants.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup. Rebecca Kadaga is a joke. We have them as well and some of them are gay and <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/uganda-with-friends-like-nz-you-dont.html"><span style="color: red;">just as stupid as Kadaga.</span></a></span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20.328001022338867px; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #e69138;">" A couple of observations. Chauvel and Idiot / Savant are both grandstanding the legislation has been sitting on the Ugandan Parliaments inbox for ages. The Speaker who is a silly bitch picked it up and then went further and deeply offended the Canadian’s who suggested it was a bad idea. Incidently the bill as it now stands does not proscribe the death penalty it has been reduced to life in prison not much of a improvement. Ugandan President Museveni has made it very clear Uganda won’t be dictated to on this issue by the West and in the same breath said it was not a legislative priority. I think that it is safe to say Uganda has taken the view that aid money is more important than homophobic legislative stupidity."</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was wrong. but not completely. In other words just let this go for a while. Let the rest of the world work quietly in the background ( and maybe send Kadaga on a state visit to North Korea ) Behind all this stupidity is the American <i>" Christian "</i> Right, the Republican wankers who are advocating for Israel murdering Palestinian kids in much the same way their predecessors went on crusades against Muslims and ironically killed six million Jews in their Nazi guise.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Attorney General, represented by State Attorney Patricia Muteesi, had argued that the petitioners did not present evidence to prove that there was no quorum in the House on December 20, 2013, when the Bill was passed.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Ms Muteesi argued that they should have presented the register for MPs who attended the proceedings that day or a video footage to show that indeed the quorum was less than two-thirds majority. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>However, the ruling does not mean that the court nullified the content or substance of the law. The court nullified the law purely on procedural grounds because it was passed without a quorum as required by the rules.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The court recognised just how fucking stupid this law was and gave everyone a second chance. Sorry just about everyone Speaker Rebecca Kadaga really needs to go.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Bill can be easily returned to Parliament and passed again, this time with the required quorum of at least 125 out of the 365 MPs in the House. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>This petition involved a group of pro-gay activists who sued the government challenging the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law for lack of quorum.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really, just fucking think about that statement. This is far more and far more important than that. Human rights can be demolished ? This law failed because a parliamentary quorum couldn't be achieved the author of this is not asking the questions that need to be asked. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>They include; Prof Joe Oloka-Onyango, MP Fox Odoi-Oywelowo, journalist Andrew Mwenda, Prof Morris Latigo, Dr Paul Nsubuga Ssemugoma, Jacqueline Kasha Nabagesera, Julian Pepe Onziema, and Frank Mugisha, in March this year.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The other petitioners include the indigenous civil society organisations; Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum and the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>President Museveni on February 24 publically assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in a ceremony that was broadcast live on television. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>According to the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014, a person who purports to contract a marriage with another person of the same sex, commits the offence of homosexuality and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Museveni did something I am guessing <a href="http://hamishinauckland.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/uganda-goat-farming-with-president.html"><span style="color: red;">goat farming</span></a> is not working out so well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The passing of the anti-gay law attracted a lot of criticism from Western countries, with some cutting aid to Uganda on grounds that criminalising same sex relationships promotes stigma and discrimination against homosexuals. It equally drew widespread support among the local population which is opposed to homosexuali</i></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>ty.</i></span></div>
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<br />H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558040555856782146.post-3591632969775856332014-07-29T05:59:00.000-07:002014-07-29T06:48:44.210-07:00New Zealand: " Earth rim walker seeks his meals Prepare the funeral pyres "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/250915/therapist-faulted-over-spiritual-treatment"><span style="color: red;">Radio New Zealand National</span></a> </span>reports</span><br />
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S<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">tupid is as stupid does</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A massage therapist has been asked to review her practice and apologise to a 16-year-old patient who she did not properly inform about a Maori spiritual treatment she was referring her for.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excuse me <i>" ..review her practice ..."</i> Doctors, dentist's, optometrists or outside the medical field say architects have practices. Massage therapists... well I guess the honest ones offer extras that both parties understand at a mutually agreed rate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Theo Baker says the therapist should have been meticulous in the way she informed the girl.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner should have declined jurisdiction and referred the incident to the appropriate authorities who might have had the ability to sanction the <i>" therapist " </i>(a power The Health and Disability Commission doesn't have ) like the police who deal with fraud.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The girl, who is not Maori, went to the massage therapist for help with migraines, period pains and sport injuries.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A GP would I am guessing would have cost a lot less and would have additional advantages such as medical training and the ability to refer to specialists.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A report says the therapist told the girl she had problems with her aura and contacted an iwi healer.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An aura from a <a href="http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2395"><span style="color: red;">medical perspective is:</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>" Aura: A sensation perceived by a patient that precedes a condition affecting the brain. An aura often occurs before a migraine or seizure. It may consist of flashing lights, a gleam of light, blurred vision, an odor, the feeling of a breeze, numbness, weakness, or difficulty in speaking.."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or in other words a reason to call an ambulance and get the person to a hospital ASAP</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The healer diagnosed the girl as having six spiritual entities in her and recommend that she come immediately to a nearby river to be cleansed.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">I had no idea that </span><strike style="line-height: 1.3;">traditional Maori health providers</strike><span style="line-height: 1.3;"> fucking con men had the ability to diagnose what from this report would suggest such a complex medical condition and such a simple cure over the phone. This clown along with our " massage therapist " have </span><span style="line-height: 23.11111068725586px;">impugned</span><span style="line-height: 1.3;"> reputable Maori health providers and that is what really pisses me off.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The girl gave her consent and waded in the river, but reported feeling felt rushed and pressured. She has been having nightmares since the incident.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's have a real investigation. Invoices, payments and lets have a look at the financial arrangements of this " Massage therapist " particularly as they relate to the Iwi Healer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The therapist is not registered with any professional body and has not been named in the report.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said the The Health and Disability Commission has no place investigating this. This is the problem though... who does ? The police I am sure are the obvious authority but<i> " somebody got wet in a river and is having nightmares about it "</i> is probably not going to inspire any cop to turn on the siren and lights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sound stupid ?</span>H Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18154664107900294897noreply@blogger.com0