Category: APO-OPA

OTTAWA, Canada, February 10, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, today issued the following statement:

“Canada strongly condemns the upsurge of violence in the Central African Republic that reportedly claimed the lives of 75 people in the town of Boda during sectarian clashes that took place in the week of January 27. Canada also condemns the brutal February 5 lynching of an onlooker at the end of the official ceremony marking the reinstatement of the country’s armed forces.

“Canada condemns these reprehensible acts and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice quickly.

“While the international community is rallying to improve the humanitarian situation and security in the Central African Republic, Canada urges all the parties involved in this conflict to exercise restraint to end the cycle of violence undermining the country. The people of the Central African Republic, anxious to rebuild their country, will be able to do so only in a context of peace and security.”

In 2013, Canada contributed $6.95 million to address the urgent needs of people affected by the conflict in the Central African Republic. Through international and Canadian humanitarian organizations and other partners, Canada has provided clean water, food, basic health care and protection to those most affected by this crisis.

On Wednesday, February 12, the House of Commons will hold a take-note debate on the situation in the Central African Republic.

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Mashood Adebayo Baderin, will visit the Sudan from 11 to 20 February 2014 to follow-up on his previous recommendations*, and identify areas of technical assistance and capacity building which will help the country fulfil its human rights obligations.

“The Government of the Sudan has made some progress in developing policies as well as legislative and institutional mechanisms necessary for improving the human rights situation in the country,” Mr. Baderin said, announcing his fourth mission to the Country.

“Sudan now needs to concentrate on implementing these policies through the adoption of a results-oriented culture that promotes the tangible realization of the adopted human rights policies across the relevant institutions in the country,” he stressed.

During his nine-day mission, the human rights expert will travel to Khartoum, North, Central and East Darfur, as well as South Kordofan states, where he will meet with Government officials, civil society actors, humanitarian organisations and UN agencies.

At the conclusion of his visit on Wednesday 19 February, the Independent Expert will hold a press conference at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Office in Khartoum at 1:30 pm

Mr. Baderin will present his findings and recommendations in a comprehensive report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2014.

(*) Check the latest reports by the Independent Expert: http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?m=95&m=172

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The humanitarian medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Saturday launched a vaccination campaign against measles in an attempt to control the epidemic that was declared by the government of that country on January 14. 1105 suspected cases, with 68 confirmed, have already been recorded, causing the fear of a rapid explosion in the number of infections.

“Measles is one of the most highly contagious diseases and it can spread like wildfire. It affects primarily children, and can involve severe medical complications so it is critical that action be taken in order to avoid the catastrophe that occurred in 2009, when ten children lost their lives,” explained Corinne Benazech, MSF’s Head of Mission in Conakry.

Working in co-operation with the Ministry of Health, MSF has deployed 32 teams throughout the Matam, Matoto and Ratoma neighbourhoods of Conakry. Placed strategically close to the people who need it, in areas such as community centres, private homes and public spaces, the MSF teams expect to vaccinate 394,000 children, ages six months to ten years. 400 personnel from MSF and the Ministry of Health will be working for three weeks to orchestrate this emergency operation requiring powerful logistics. There is no charge to those who receive the vaccine.

MSF estimates that during this epidemic some fifty children infected with measles will be at risk of developing serious, and potentially fatal, complications, so it will be supporting targeted health structures, primarily by providing medical treatment to children infected with measles.

“Measles and its complications can be fatal, so it is critical that we vaccinate all children in order to protect them, now and for several decades to come,” explained Gemma Dominguez, MSF Medical Coordinator in Conakry.

Measles can be avoided with a safe and effective vaccine which, when it is part of a routine vaccination program, is given to all children, starting from the age of 9 months. But overall, just 37% of the country’s children have received both the vaccine doses that are needed to provide them with full protection. Even in Conakry, the vaccination coverage remains insufficient, because just 80% of the population has been vaccinated.

As part of its campaign, MSF will be able to provide no-charge diagnosis of those children that are sick, so that they can be treated. “Children showing symptoms that begin with a high fever need to be seen by a physician. This can save their lives,” explained Dr Daloka Delamou, Medical Coordinator with MSF. Follow-up in cases involving complications will also be provided at no charge.

The Guinean government announced that the vaccine stock used for routine vaccinations will be exhausted by February 15, and so it has asked for MSF support in organizing the emergency vaccination campaign in the three communities where an epidemic has been declared.

MSF has been working in Guinea for the past 25 years. In addition to its regular projects involving the provision of treatment to AIDS patients, it provides regular support to the government of Guinea in response to emergencies and epidemics.

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Russell D. Feingold, US Ambassador to the DRC James Swan, and senior officials from the US Mission in Kinshasa have visited an IOM maritime training programme for the National Congolese Police (PNC) in the east of the country.

The US diplomats observed a speedboat training of ten PNC trainers organized by IOM and the Uruguayan Riverine Patrol Company (URPAC) in Bukavu-South Kivu province, supported by the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

“This is an important initiative towards improving the security along DRC’s frontier with its eastern neighbors, and I am supportive of INL’s involvement,” said Special Envoy Feingold.

In addition to funding the training, INL has also paid for repairs to PNC boats used on the rivers and lakes that form the eastern DRC’s borders.

IOM has expressed its readiness to widen the scope of the project to build the capacity and equip 12 PNC river units comprising 280 trained marine police. The force would be deployed along all DRC river and lake frontiers as part of the DRC’s border management strategy for 2014-2017.

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Yesterday (6/2/14), as part of its migration health programme to improve the health conditions of migrants and mobile populations in Somalia, IOM and the Somali Women Development Centre (SWDC) marked the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Aiming to raise awareness on FGM on this day, IOM and SWDC reached approximately 400 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Al-cadaala and Walalo Biyole settlements in Mogadishu through community-based social mobilization.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that FGM is widely practiced in Somalia and there is an urgent need to increase awareness of the impact of the harmful practice on the health of women and girls. According to a 2012 joint programme report by UNICEF and UNFPA, an estimated 98 per cent of women have undergone FGM in Somalia.

Reports from IOM partners in 2013 indicate that most FGM survivors are girls between the ages of 9 and 12 who were mutilated with the consent of their mothers. The prevalence of the practice predisposes Somali women of child bearing age to various complications and in some instances puts their lives at risk during child birth.

“FGM is against Islamic religion as well as international law. A huge number of women suffer during childbirth and some of them even die due to complications caused by FGM.” said SWDC Legal Advisor Zahra Mohamed Ahmed, calling for international agencies and NGOs to organize campaigns to combat the practice.

“IOM has been working against gender-based violence (GBV) in Somalia by strengthening referral systems with partners, providing psychosocial first-aid and counselling to survivors of GBV, building capacity of relevant institutions, providing protection for vulnerable women, and improving security in IDP settlements by providing solar lanterns,” said IOM Somalia’s Ruth Mbugua.

In 2013 alone, IOM also provided primary healthcare services to over 12,000 IDPs throughout Somalia, with financial support from various donors such as the Government of Japan and the Government of France.

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has provided emergency transport assistance to over 15,000 Rwandan returnees from Tanzania over the past six months.

The returnees were expelled from Tanzania following a July 2013 presidential directive requiring all undocumented migrants in the country’s Kagera region to leave by 11th August 2013 or be forcibly removed by the security forces.

“We assume that the vast majority of Rwandans without the required “valid residential documents” have now been expelled, as the number of expellees arriving at the border is very small now,” said IOM Rwanda Chief of Mission, Catherine Northing.

By 21st January, 14,461 Rwandans, nearly a third of them women, many of them pregnant, had arrived at Tanzania’s border with Rwanda.

Many were in bad physical and mental condition after sustaining injuries in the expulsion process. Most arrived at the border without any belongings. Returnees included people who had been married to Tanzanians and been separated. Others had been born in Tanzania, had never lived in Rwanda and had no family links.

IOM responded to the crisis by providing transport from the Rusumo and Ndego border crossing points to reception and transit centres. To relieve pressure on the centres, it also provided onward transportation to districts of origin and relocation, and transfer between centres, in a programme funded by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

During the process, returnees stayed at three locations in Kirehe and Kayonza districts. IOM assistance included provision of transport and support for Rwanda’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) to rehabilitate emergency shelters and manage camps, including the provision of necessities such as housing materials and firewood.

All returnees have now been moved back to their districts of origin or to relocation sites. But many have no homes to go back to and are staying in small district camps in 30 different locations.

District officials are providing them with land and other assistance, but lack adequate resources to provide reintegration assistance, including shelter.

“The humanitarian emergency phase is now over, but the returnees are still in desperate need of reintegration assistance in their districts of origin or relocation. IOM can help, but it needs funding from international donors,” said Northing.

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM Director General William Lacy Swing is in the Central African Republic (CAR) to review IOM operations in the country and highlight spiraling humanitarian needs. Widespread violence continues and over 800,000 people in the CAR have been displaced.

Ambassador Swing met with newly appointed interim President Catherine Samba-Panza and the Foreign Affairs Minister Kongo Doudou. “The CAR government recognizes that the greatest needs are security and humanitarian assistance. They aim to initiate a process leading to national reconciliation and co-existence – key requirements for national unity,” said Ambassador Swing.

“The humanitarian community needs to come together to provide immediate aid and to assist with peace building in CAR. IOM will continue to expand its efforts to provide support,” he added.

The Director General discussed the country’s humanitarian needs with UN partners, NGOs and the diplomatic community. He then visited some of the 70 displacement sites where IOM is providing assistance, including the Central Mosque, the Military Airport and a Catholic church. He also met with representatives of displaced communities.

On Thursday Ambassador Swing witnessed the number of Muslims taking refuge at the Bangui Military Airport increase from a few hundred to over 1,500, following the arrival of a convoy from outside the city. As of today there are 6,000 people at the site. Those taking shelter at the site include migrants from Chad, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Senegal, South Sudan and Sudan, as well as CAR nationals.

Originally designed as a transit site, the Military Airport has become a safe-haven for the Muslim community and longer-term assistance and enhanced services will be required. IOM is leading the effort of UN agencies and NGOs to provide water, health services, and basic relief items. The population does not feel safe in surrounding areas and is heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance.

IOM is currently running a site facilitator programme. Through the site facilitators, seconded to IOM by five national and two international NGOs, IOM facilitates the collection of relevant data to inform the activities of the humanitarian community. The 47 site facilitators visit 77 IDP sites throughout Bangui daily.

IOM has appealed for USD 17.5 million for CAR, but has only received USD 2.8 million. It has already spent USD 4.4 million, digging deep into emergency reserves to support it CAR assistance programme.

To date IOM has evacuated 4,792 third country nationals from CAR, the vast majority to Chad. The Organization still urgently needs contributions to increase its humanitarian aid and to evacuate third country national in dire need of protection.

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire and head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou, on Thursday, 6 February 2014, received the United States Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, His Excellency Mr. Terence P. McCulley at the UN Mission’s headquarters in Abidjan.

Speaking after the encounter, Mr. McCulley told journalists:”First of all I congratulated her on the presentation of her report on the evolution of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire to the Security Council. We then discussed our analysis of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire and I assured her of the continued support of the United States Government and our embassy here in Côte d’Ivoire “.

Ambassador McCulley said he has regular meetings with the Special Representative, Mrs Mindaoudou to discuss joint efforts to accompany the Ivorian Government in promoting national reconciliation, equitable justice and preparing elections.

PARIS, France, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Over the past weeks the extreme violence in the Central African Republic has reached intolerable and unprecedented levels, said the international medical-humanitarian organization, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The whole civilian population is trapped within extreme polarised violence, and each day, civilians are paying the price of abuses committed by the two main armed groups – the ex-Seleka and the opposing anti-Balaka.

Although the conflict is complex and all communities are affected by the violence, one of the latest developments is taking place in the form of collective reprisals against the minority Muslim community. In many towns, Muslim groups are currently isolated and threatened by anti-Balaka forces while tens of thousands have already left the country into exile in Chad or Cameroon.

“Civilians remain in constant fear for their lives, and have been largely left to fend for themselves.” says Martine Flokstra, MSF’s emergency coordinator. “In the northwest and in Bangui, we are currently witnessing a direct retaliation against the Muslim minority. We are concerned about the fate of these communities trapped in their villages, surrounded by Anti-Balaka groups and also about the fact that many Muslim families are being forced into exile to survive.”

In Bangui, fighting and looting continues unabated. In January alone, MSF treated over 1650 wounded patients from both communities as a direct result of the violence. At the Castor Health Centre, MSF has admitted 91 patients with machete or bullet wounds in the last week. At the airport camp, where 100.000 Christian civilians are taking shelter, teams have provided medical care to 265 patients wounded in the violence in January, 100 in the past week alone. MSF teams have treated wounded patients in at least eight different towns in the northwest.

Fighting in the northwestern towns of Bouca, Bossangoa, Carnot, Berberati and Baoro has forced the Muslim population to leave. In Bozoum, the community of 2.500 members left

the village on Wednesday. In Bouar, more than 8000 people remain effectively imprisoned, unable to flee the violence to which they have been subjected. Armed groups are preventing their departure, and access to healthcare is almost impossible.

Thirty thousand refugees have already crossed the border to Chad while 10,000 have reached Cameroon. In Bangui, Muslim families are gathering in a separate camp at the airport, in the great Mosque or in isolated displacement sites like the one at PK12, waiting for a possible departure or hoping for some protection.

The majority Christian population also remains affected and thousands are still living in panic. The conflict has caused massive displacement and hundreds of thousands of people are currently seeking refuge at religious centres in towns or at the airport in Bangui living in appalling conditions, too scared to return to their homes.

“The effect of the violence on the entire civilian population has reached shocking levels,” continued Flokstra. “The indiscriminate and seemingly unstoppable violence has continued to reach new heights over the last months. Past actions and current efforts are insufficient in the face of the ongoing crisis.”

MSF has been working in Central African Republic since 1997, and now runs seven regular projects in Batangafo, Boguila, Carnot, Kabo, Ndéle, Paoua and Zémio, and seven emergency projects in Bangui, Bouar, Bozoum, Bossangoa, Bouca, Bria and Berberati. MSF has more than 200 international staff and 1800 local staff working in the country.

NEW YORK, February 7, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following are Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Opening Session of the High‑level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, in New York, 6 February:

I am delighted to introduce His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, my friend and the former President of South Africa who is leading this important High-level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa.

I have been engaged with the positive transformation of Africa for decades and I appreciate the urgent need to address this debilitating problem. Illicit financial outflows from the continent are estimated at $50 billion — a staggering figure that represents damage to individuals and Africa’s development and governance agenda as a whole.

The sum of $50 billion has been lost each year since the beginning of the millennium. This far outweighs the amount of official development assistance (ODA) that Africa has received over the same period. And even this large amount may be an underestimation since figures are so difficult to measure.

I appreciate the Panel’s work to address this problem. If we can stop Africa from losing resources in illicit outflows, then these funds can be directed to meeting the needs of the continent’s people and allowing them to build a better future.

The United Nations is looking at this issue globally. We are examining how our post-2015 development agenda can address illicit flows and tax evasion while increasing the recovery of stolen assets. In this regard, I thank the UN Economic Commission for Africa for the technical support it is providing the Panel.

I also commend the Panel for reaching out to officials from the United States Government, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and others in Washington, D.C. I look forward to the distinguished Panel members sharing their insights and having an exchange views on this important issue.

I am pleased to now give the floor to His Excellency President Mbeki.