Category: APO-OPA

GENEVA, Switzerland, December 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ —

Egypt’s fight for democracy will have been in vain without putting in place a constitution that guarantees the rights of all of its people or one on which everyone can agree, says the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

“Democracy and strong democratic leadership is about listening to and representing the voice of all the people. A constitution needs to be built on that foundation if a country’s future is to be peaceful and assured,” says IPU President Abdelwahad Radi.

He deplored the violence and deaths of recent days and weeks and latest moves to use military force to maintain order. “The Egyptian people have shown time and time again that their democratic aspirations underpin their belief in the future. Many have even given their lives to this quest. It must not be for nothing.”

Citing IPU’s Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted by its membership in 1997, President Radi highlighted strengthening social cohesion and enhancing national tranquility as a principle objective of democracy. It is the only political system, the Declaration states, that has the capacity to self-correct.

“Egypt is at a critical juncture. It has the choice of asserting a real belief in democratic values by addressing the fears and concerns of all its people through a constitution agreed upon by concensus. IPU urges Egypt to take this unique opportunity to build a united country and not one that is riven by political, religious, gender differences and inequalities.”

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Testimony

Johnnie Carson

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs

As Prepared

Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights

Washington, DC

December 11, 2012

Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Bass, and members of the Committee. Thank you for the invitation to testify before the Subcommittee on the crisis unfolding in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, or D.R.C.

As you know, the security and humanitarian situation in the Congo is the most volatile in Africa today. An estimated five million people have died in the years since the second regional war began in 1998, and millions more have been forced to flee their homes. The D.R.C. is also the site of one of the world’s longest-running and most expensive peacekeeping operations, having hosted a UN peacekeeping presence for several years after its independence in 1960, in addition to the more recent UN missions starting in the late 1990s. The people of North and South Kivu provinces in particular have faced repeated cycles of conflict, atrocities, and displacement. An unthinkable number of women, men, and children have experienced sexual violence or rape at the hands of soldiers and armed groups.

The November 20 fall of Goma to the M23 rebel group provided a stark reminder that, even as the international community has made major investments in humanitarian aid and peacekeeping, the underlying causes of the recurring conflicts in eastern D.R.C. remain unresolved. The Congolese Government has failed to provide effective security, governance, and services in the eastern provinces, and political and economic tensions persist between the D.R.C. and its eastern neighbors, particularly Rwanda. The current crisis has been fueled and exacerbated by outside support to rebel groups operating in the Kivu provinces.

The M23 is one of many armed groups operating in the eastern D.R.C. Most of its officers were at one time nominally integrated into the Congolese army, a concession they extracted after nearly capturing Goma as part of a precursor insurgency in 2008. Once integrated, these officers operated in a parallel chain of command and enjoyed impunity for their human rights abuses and illegal exploitation of the country’s mineral wealth. When the Congolese Government appeared poised earlier this year to challenge these arrangements, several of these officers mutinied and constituted themselves under a new name, the M23. The commanders of the M23 represent a “who’s who” of notorious human rights abusers in the eastern D.R.C. They include Bosco Ntaganda, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for sexual violence and other crimes against humanity and continues to play an active role in the militia.

Since the M23 rebellion erupted last spring, the United States has worked closely with international and regional partners to mobilize a comprehensive response aimed at preventing a further deterioration of the situation, securing an end to hostilities, and maintaining humanitarian assistance. In September, Secretary Clinton met with Congolese President Kabila and Rwandan President Kagame at the UN General Assembly to urge them to engage in a more constructive dialogue. In the UN Security Council, we proposed and supported new actions to ensure that five of the M23’s top commanders are now under targeted sanctions. We have also stressed the need to hold accountable all of those who commit human rights abuses. Ambassador Rice has remained directly engaged with senior UN officials throughout the crisis, as we believe it is critical that the UN continue to play a key mediating role. In early November, Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman traveled to the region to meet with key heads of state to urge a rapid and peaceful resolution to this crisis.

In response to the M23’s offensive on Goma last month, I traveled to Kinshasa, Kigali, and Kampala between November 24 and 28 with my British and French counterparts. During meetings with senior Ugandan, Rwandan, and Congolese officials, we delivered a clear and common message: as agreed in the November 21 and 24 Kampala communiqués, there must be an immediate cessation of hostilities and M23 must withdraw from Goma; the Congolese, Rwandan, and Ugandan Governments should ensure the implementation of these commitments; and any outside support to the M23 is unacceptable and must stop. We also urged top officials in the Congolese, Rwandan, and Ugandan Governments to work together toward a sustainable resolution of underlying issues. All three governments reiterated to us their commitment to these goals. So far, the cessation of hostilities between Congolese forces and the M23 appears to be holding. Most M23 forces appear to have withdrawn from Goma, though many remain much closer to the city than the Kampala agreements called for.

We also stressed that, while the D.R.C. Government has agreed to hear the political grievances of the M23, there should be no impunity for senior M23 leaders who are under ICC indictment or international sanctions for human rights violations.

The M23 would not be the threat it is today without external support, and we will continue to discourage outside parties from providing any assistance to the M23. There is a credible body of evidence that corroborates key findings of the Group of Experts’ reports – including evidence of significant military and logistical support, as well as operational and political guidance, from the Rwandan government to the M23. The British Government has recently indicated that it shares this assessment. We do not have a similar body of evidence that Uganda has a government-wide policy of support to the M23.

Based on this evidence, we continue to press Rwanda to halt and prevent any and all forms of support to Congolese armed groups. As required by law, the Department suspended Foreign Military Financing funds to Rwanda this year. Looking forward, we expect all parties, including Rwanda, to cease any support to M23 and other armed groups, abide by the November 21 and 24 agreements, and to work constructively with neighbors and the international community and take affirmative steps to end impunity for M23 commanders responsible for human rights abuses in order to reach an acceptable political agreement. We ask the Government of Uganda to ensure that supplies to the M23 do not originate in or transit through Ugandan territory, including from individual officials that may be acting on their own. The Department continues to closely monitor reports of external support and we will continue to respond appropriately, including by reviewing our assistance, to deter this support as the situation develops.

We are taking a number of other steps, in concert with our international partners, as part of our comprehensive response to the current crisis.

First and foremost, we are monitoring humanitarian needs and mobilizing a response. The humanitarian situation in the eastern Congo remains deplorable, as it has been for years, with more than two million Congolese currently displaced internally or to neighboring countries. The recent attacks by M23 and other armed groups have displaced some 500,000 more. The reopening of the Goma airport on December 5 was an important step toward ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the emergency assistance they need. UN officials report that humanitarian organizations currently maintain sufficient capacity to respond to immediate humanitarian needs in and around Goma, but some areas of North and South Kivu are still not accessible to humanitarians because of insecurity. The United States provided more than $110 million in humanitarian assistance for Congolese refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict-affected civilians in Fiscal Year 2012, including a $5 million supplemental contribution for the increased needs in the D.R.C., Uganda, and Rwanda as a result of displacements caused by the M23 rebellion. At the UN, we have urged donors to respond to the UN’s consolidated appeal for the D.R.C.

Second, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, or ICGLR, the African Union, and the Security Council have all demanded that the M23 refrain from further offensives and stay out of Goma. In the ICGLR talks, the Congolese Government agreed to hear the grievances of the M23. We are calling on the D.R.C., neighboring governments, and the broader international community to ensure accountability for M23 leaders who have committed serious human rights abuses. And we will continue to speak out against the forcible recruitment of children and the other crimes the M23 continues to commit against Congolese civilians. We also call on governments to enforce the terms of the travel ban and asset freeze imposed by UN sanctions.

Third, we believe that Presidents Kabila, Kagame, and Museveni must continue to engage in direct talks to address the underlying causes of instability in the region. These include conflict over land, tensions in areas where refugees have returned or may seek to return, armed rebel groups and their support networks, and the illegal exploitation of natural resources. The Governments of the D.R.C., Rwanda, and Uganda also have opportunities to discuss potential drivers of progress, including new agreements and concrete initiatives on economic integration and peace and security issues. We encourage the UN Secretary-General to appoint a UN Special Envoy to engage on a sustained basis to facilitate ongoing discussions toward a long-term solution of these long-standing problems. We need such a high-level Special Envoy to be dedicated to the hard work of helping develop this long-term solution with all of the relevant stakeholders and to ensure that the solution is implemented over the long run, especially when the world’s attention turns to the next crisis. We intend to continue working with our European, African, and UN partners to support this dialogue. We will work to ensure that any agreement is transparent, sustainable, and enjoys the support and commitment of the region, including Congolese civil society and civilian communities.

Fourth, we appreciate the brave service of peacekeepers from several dozen countries operating in very difficult, often dangerous conditions. Yet more must be done to protect civilians in the eastern D.R.C. We and our fellow Security Council members and troop contributing countries are reviewing options for improving the UN’s ability to protect civilians and help implement defined aspects of a potential regional political settlement. We must remain realistic about what MONUSCO can be expected to achieve to protect civilians across a large expanse of D.R.C. territory. We are also following the regional Great Lakes proposal to develop an effective regional fighting force in the Kivus that would confront the M23 and other armed groups. We are strongly encouraging our partners to ensure these efforts are coordinated with, and perhaps even integrated into, UN peacekeeping efforts.

Fifth, the D.R.C. Government has the primary responsibility for protecting its territory and all its citizens. We are urging President Kabila to undertake a credible effort to professionalize and reform the Congolese security forces. This will take time, but the Congolese Government needs to take clear and bold measures to ensure that its soldiers are professionally trained, adequately paid and supported, and respectful of international human rights norms. We also find very disturbing, and recognize the need to address, the abuses committed by the Congolese military, including recent reports of rapes and looting in North Kivu. At the same time, we are making clear that the Congolese Government must accelerate its efforts to deploy and strengthen state institutions and provide needed public services in the Kivus. The extension of effective governance, combined with legitimate provincial elections, is necessary for a lasting peace.

We believe that the time has come for the region’s leaders and the international community to break the cycle of violence and impunity in the region. We, and most importantly, the region’s political leaders, must ensure that the national security and territorial integrity of the D.R.C., Rwanda, and Uganda are protected; must help build a future for people who have seen more conflict than peace over the last two decades that is rooted in strong and credible institutions, the transparent and legitimate use of the East’s vast mineral wealth for economic development and not personal gain, and respect for human rights; and must establish nonviolent means of addressing their differences. It is for this reason that even as we tackle the immediacy of the current crisis, we are also focused on the equally urgent need for a long-term and lasting solution.

As Secretary Clinton noted when she visited Goma in 2009, the Congolese people are courageous and resilient. There are reasons for hope in the D.R.C. The Congolese army has begun implementing a program to pay its soldiers through electronic and mobile banking and has committed to removing the last vestiges of the use of child soldiers. Thousands of combatants and dependents from the génocidaire militias have been demobilized and returned to civilian society. And for the first time, a horrific mass rape in January 2011 was followed with swift criminal justice for the perpetrators and the officers who directed them.

We need to build on these steps, which have been gravely set back by the M23 rebellion and the violence committed by other armed groups. The decisions taken now will set the trajectory of the next several years. Other abusive militias in the Kivus are watching to see if violent behavior is an effective path to power and influence. Reformers who are promoting a conflict-free trade in mineral resources are watching to see if insecurity will be allowed to continue and prolong the conditions favorable to illegal smuggling. The FDLR militia is still active in the Kivus. The vicious Lord’s Resistance Army of Joseph Kony, which operates hundreds of miles away on the D.R.C.’s northern borders, is watching to see if insecurity in the Kivus will undermine regional efforts to deny it a safe haven. And the world is watching to see whether the eastern Congo can transcend its history as a theater for proxy conflict and finally have the chance to move toward peace.

If we are to stop the recurring lethal violence, rape, humanitarian emergencies, and cross-border conflict in the eastern D.R.C. that have cost millions of lives and billions of dollars, we must move beyond short-term fixes. Today’s crisis is a tragedy, but it also offers a real opportunity to help the Congolese people set a more sustainable course toward peace. The framework for action at the national, regional, and international levels that I have outlined today could help enable the peoples of the region to escape the recurring cycles of conflict.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to answering your questions.

OTTAWA, Canada, December 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:

“Canada is deeply concerned by the recent developments in Mali.

“Canada wishes to see Mali take steps toward a return to constitutional rule; the events of the last hours are a step backward and deeply troubling.

“Free and fair presidential elections and a resolution of the major security challenges in the country’s north are essential to re-establish stability.

“Canada supports international efforts to preserve Mali’s territorial integrity and combat extremism, but our suspension of bilateral aid will continue given the events of today.”

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was to travel to Bamako this week but, due to recent events, will no longer be making the trip.

LONDON, United-Kingdom, December 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Office Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds has tonight underlined his concern over the situation in Mali and called for an immediate return to civilian rule. The Minister made his comments following the arrest late on 10 December of Malian Prime Minister Diarra in Bamako by armed men on behalf of the military junta and the subsequent forced resignation of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet earlier today. Mr Simmonds said:

“I am deeply concerned by the latest events in Bamako, and particularly by the intervention of the Malian military junta which has forced the resignation today of Prime Minister Diarra and his Cabinet.

“The United Kingdom calls for an immediate return to civilian rule in Mali. The rapid appointment of a new government of national unity to take forward the political roadmap towards democratic elections and the reunification of Mali is critical to further progress. These events underline the need for coordinated international action, particularly with the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS, to achieve stability in Mali.”

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 11, 2012

The United States condemns the arbitrary arrest and forced resigna…

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 11, 2012

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send bes…

LONDON, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Zambian government of President Michael Sata has violated local and international law with the December 10th arrest of opposition leader Nevers Mumba, according to a legal …

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ — Dr. Rongxiang Xu, the founder of “human body regenerative restoration science” and a renowned life scientist and medical scientist, addresses The Nobel Assembly at Karolin…

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Financial Times and Citi are pleased to announce that Community Cooker Foundation has been named global winner in the inaugural FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards: Urban Ideas in Action programme. A distinguished panel of judges selected the Kenyan not-for-profit organisation as the global winner for its development of an innovative and practical waste-burning stove, which holds tremendous potential for environmental, economic and social change in low resource environments.

In addition to the global award, winners were recognised in four categories — education, energy, healthcare and infrastructure — for demonstrating particular originality, efficiency and impact in meeting urban challenges in their respective fields. Winners included: College Possible (Education), Community Cooker Foundation (Energy), GlaxoSmithKline New Citizen (Healthcare) and JCDecaux – Velib’ (Infrastructure).

The FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards aim to recognise leaders, teams, organisations and community groups that have developed innovative solutions to benefit cities, citizens and urban communities. The awards, sponsored by Citi, were presented last week at an awards dinner in New York where Dame Zaha Hadid, DBE, Founder, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University, delivered keynote remarks.

“We are delighted to be celebrating so many innovative and creative ideas that have the ability to change urban life for the better, in ways both large and small,” said Martin Dickson, US Managing Editor of the Financial Times. “Now more than ever, cities around the globe face the tremendous challenge of providing basic services and infrastructure to booming populations, often with extremely limited resources. The inaugural winners of this award represent an impressive pool of organisations working to achieve that goal.”

“We are pleased to congratulate the winners, and all the finalists, for developing urban solutions that are innovative, scalable and replicable,” said Francesco Vanni d’Archirafi, CEO, Citi Transaction Services. “Enabling progress has been Citi’s central mission for 200 years. We are proud to recognize those who share our commitment to help cities thrive and strengthen the communities where we live and work.”

The judging panel included:

• David Adjaye, OBE, Principal Architect, Adjaye Architects

• Professor Abhijit Banerjee, Professor, MIT and Co-author, Poor Economics

• John Bowis, OBE, Honorary President, Health First Europe

• Sir Terry Farrell, CBE, International Architect & Design Champion and Director, Terry Farrell and Partners

• Reinier de Graaf, Partner, OMA

• Dame Zaha Hadid, DBE, Founder, Zaha Hadid Architects (Honorary President of the judging committee, non-voting)

• Edwin Heathcote, Architecture and Design Critic, Financial Times (co-chair)

• Bruno Lanvin, Executive Director, INSEAD eLab (co-chair)

• Professor Carlo Ratti, Professor, MIT and Founding Partner, Carlo Ratti Associati

• Luanne Zurlo, Founder and President, Worldfund

Submissions were received from 41 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Uganda, U.A.E., the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay.

For more details on the FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards, please visit www.ft.com/ingenuity.

Video and photos from the event will be available upon request.

2012 FT/Citi Ingenuity Award winners:

Community Cooker Foundation

The Community Cooker operates on a simple principle: young locals collect rubbish, which is burned in the cooker at high temperature levels. The heat generated is used for cooking, sterilizing and industrial purposes. The cooker has considerably improved the quality of life of slum dwellers by minimizing waste, reducing emissions from cooking, providing a cheaper alternative to wood fuel and creating youth employment.

Kenyan architects Planning Systems Service created the concept, which is now managed by the Community Cooker Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. The cooker currently has one prototype in operation in one of Nairobi’s largest slums but is already being replicated in other areas in Kenya and in Mombassa. The Foundation has received many enquiries from other countries which are keen to replicate this simple and effective concept.

College Possible

Creating a vital support network, College Possible helps ensure that low-income students achieve a post secondary degree and break the cycle of multi generational poverty, enabling them to have a positive impact on the success of their urban communities.

College Possible uses the national service model of AmeriCorps to provide five key services to low-income students who have the potential to go to college, but will struggle to do so without help. It provides intensive ACT/SAT preparation, assists college application, gives financial aid consulting, provides guidance in the transition to college and offers support towards completion of their college degree.

GlaxoSmithKline New Citizen

The GSK New Citizen Health Care Project is an innovative 100-square metre urban centre designed to integrate migrant populations into city life through the delivery of community health promotion, healthcare education and health services.

Launched in 2009 in Sanlin Town, Shanghai, the centre is largely operated by professionals and volunteers from migrant farming families. It was established as a long-term and sustainable platform to build community support networks, promote positive behaviour transformation, and improve targeted community health. The centre organizes training, workshops, family activities and on-site services to assist migrant workers to adapt to city life and become more involved in urban society.

JCDecaux – Velib’

The Velib’ project, launched by JCDecaux, put cycling at the heart of urban mobility, making self-service bicycle systems an important complement to public transport. The concept is based on three core principles; developing a system that is easy to use, available everywhere and affordable.

Velib’ enables individuals to hire a self-service bicycle for an indefinite time and leave it in the station of their choice at the end of their journey. The scale, quality and scope of Velib’ made it a showcase for bicycle hire schemes and has been replicated worldwide.

2012 FT/Citi Ingenuity Award category finalists:

Education:

Abhyas Trust – Power of Seeing, India

Asociacion Aprendo Contigo, Peru

City of Dubrovnik – Educational Vertical, Croatia

College Possible, United States

Sustainable Cities Initiative, United States

Energy:

City of Houston – Green Office Challenge, United States

Community Cooker Foundation, Kenya

Proterra, United States

The Energy and Resources Institute, India

Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan

Healthcare:

Child Eye Care Charitable Trust, India

GlaxoSmithKline New Citizen, China

Pro Mujer, Nicaragua

Protect Your Child, Egypt

Infrastructure:

Bitcarrier, Spain

Ikhayalami, South Africa

JCDecaux – Velib’, France

ORE Design + Technology, United States

For further information, please contact:

US:

Ryann Gastwirth

Financial Times

T: + 1 917 551 5094

E: ryann.gastwirth@ft.com

Liz Fogarty

Citi

T: +1 212 559 0486

UK/EMEA:

Kristina Eriksson

Financial Times

T: +44 (0)20 7873 4961

E: kristina.eriksson@ft.com

About the Financial Times:

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of more than 600,000 (Deloitte assured, Q3 2012) and a combined print and online average daily readership of 2.1 million people worldwide (PwC assured, May 2012). FT.com has more than 5 million registered users and over 312,000 paying digital subscribers. The newspaper has a global print circulation of 293,326 (ABCs, October 2012).

About Citi:

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

About Citi for Cities:

Citi for Cities is an initiative that harnesses the best of Citi across the globe to enable cities to become more efficient, by providing financing that facilitates commerce and modernization, and by empowering citizens to access services that enhance liveability and prosperity. Citi aims to help cities achieve their ambitions across the key ecosystems that power a city including administration, roads and transit, ports of entry, energy and utilities, workplace and education, health and safety and regeneration and development. Citi’s span of engagement with cities includes public and private sectors, the financial sector and citizens and the communities in which they live. For more information, please visit www.citiforcities.com.

About the FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities today, a number which is expected to rise in the decades ahead. As a result, cities have a pressing need to address the challenges of urbanisation and find solutions that modernise infrastructure, improve efficiency, enhance quality of life and foster sustainable growth and development.

The FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards: Urban Ideas in Action, a global programme sponsored by Citi, was developed to recognise leaders, teams, organisations and community groups that have developed groundbreaking solutions to urban challenges that benefit cities, citizens and urban communities in the fields of education, energy, healthcare and infrastructure.

Criteria and metrics for the Awards were developed by INSEAD, one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools. All entries were reviewed by the FT and INSEAD for qualification. As sponsor, Citi did not review or judge submissions.

Submissions were reviewed based on a range of criteria, including originality, impact, efficiency and outcomes.

SOURCE Citi

FONTANA, California, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ — Brush Buddies, the world’s leading brand of licensed manual toothbrushes, and Global Merchandising Services, a leader in international music merchandising, announc…