The Arab League said Saturday it is suspending activities by its observer mission in Syria, as the Damascus governments crackdown against dissent intensifies.
The decision to freeze the Arab League observer mission came in the midst of a broad government offensive on areas surrounding the capital, Damascus, and other major cities including Homs, Hama, Idlib and Deir ez Zor. Opposition videos showed government artillery shelling at least half a dozen towns and cities.
Around 100 people are believed to have been killed in Syria in recent days
The Arab Leagues deputy secretary-general said the move to suspend the observer mission was forced by the critical and worsening situation in Syria
The League official, Ahmed Ben Helli, said the observers are not officially being withdrawn from Syria now, but will remain in Damascus. However, the Arab Leagues own report on the observer mission, seen at the United Nations Saturday, said more than 20 of the original 166 observers have already left Syria.
Arab League ambassadors are to meet next Saturday to make final decisions about the mission
Syrian government analyst George Jabbour told al Hurra TV that Syria agreed to a one-month extension of the observer mission and deplores the decision to suspend it.
The Arab League asked Syria to extend the observers time in Syria, and the government agreed, said Jabbour. The situation on the ground makes it necessary to have observers present, and he added authorities in Damascus feel any decision to withdraw the Arab League team would be unjustified
Across Syria Saturday, an oil pipeline exploded and caught fire near the desert town of Deir ez Zor. The government and the opposition blamed each other for the blast.
Scattered reports of a Syrian government military escalation were accompanied by a warning on state television that interior ministry is adamant about purging the country of all outlaws.
The Syrian opposition, meanwhile, meeting in Turkey, accused Iran of helping Syria try to suppress the uprising, which has been growing since March
Opposition Syrian National Council member Samir Najjar urged Iran to stop. The council condemns the Iranian regime for helping to kill Syrian citizens demanding freedom, he said, calling on Tehran to end such actions
Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut, said the decision to freeze the Arab League observer mission indicates the Assad governments crackdown is going to intensify further. There has been a dramatic escalation in violence in Syria and, I believe that the termination of the mission of the Arab League observers in Syria indicates that the Syrian Army is about to launch a major offensive. The regime is about to do something dramatic, said Khashan.
He suggested Syrian authorities are responding to the current trip to the United Nations by Arab League leaders. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al Arabi and Qatars foreign minister Hamad Ben Jassem are in New York for talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the Arab Leagues plan for resolving the Syrian crisis.
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Top Pakistan Diplomat to Meet Afghan Leaders in Kabul
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:05:53 GMT)
Pakistan says its foreign minister is expected to travel Wednesday to neighboring Afghanistan to discuss the war against terrorism and political reconciliation efforts aimed at ending the Afghan armed conflict. The visit comes amid reports of fresh contacts between Taliban insurgents and U.S. officials
Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will hold talks with her Afghan counterpart Zalmai Rassoul and is scheduled to make a courtesy call on President Hamid Karzai
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai gave details of the visit while speaking to reporters Sunday in Kabul.
We hope that this will mark a new phase in relations of the cooperation between our two neighboring and brotherly countries, he said. We hope the visit will be an opportunity for Afghanistan and Pakistan to focus on issues that are truly important to our governments and to our people; the fight against terrorism and Pakistans essential support for the success of the Afghan peace process
The Pakistani foreign ministers visit to Kabul comes amid fresh reports of contacts between the Afghan Taliban and American officials in the Gulf state of Qatar.
The Taliban disclosed early this month that its representatives have had initial contacts with U.S officials as part of reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan. Moreover, the insurgents also said they are opening a Taliban political office in Qatar to further the peace process
Pakistani officials have declined to directly comment on their countrys role in contacts between the Taliban and U.S negotiators. But Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Basit has reiterated that Pakistan will continue making its contributions toward achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan
Reconciliation in Afghanistan has always been our top-most priority and Pakistan has all along categorically said that we would be supporting Afghan-led and Afghan-owned [peace] efforts, he said. And we will support any effort that leads to reconciliation and political stability in Afghanistan
The efforts aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation suffered major setbacks in recent months
The assassination of Afghanistans top peace negotiator, former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, in September led to Afghan allegations that neighboring Pakistan was behind it. While the two sides were engaged in a war of words over the issue, the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a cross-border U.S. airstrike in late November dealt another blow to joint counter-terrorism efforts and political reconciliation in Afghanistan
The deadly raid led to suspension of Pakistans cooperation with the United States and NATO forces, and Islamabad says the restoration of the ties is contingent on approval by the countrys parliament, which is due to meet early next month.
UN Chief Urges Africa to Respect Gay Rights
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:01:29 GMT)
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on African leaders to respect gay rights, and to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court
On a continent where homosexuality is outlawed in many places, the U.N. chief told Africas leaders to end discrimination against gays and lesbians. He said laws against homosexuality violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Let me mention one form of discrimination that has been ignored or even sanctioned by many states for far too long, discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals, he said. Confronting this discrimination is a challenge. But we must live up to the ideals of the Universal Declaration.
The more than 30 African heads of state and government sat silently during Bans speech. But more than one speaker at the opening summit session expressed irritation at what many perceive as outside interference in African affairs
Homosexuals face severe discrimination in most African societies. Gays are often ostracized. South Africa is the only African country where gay rights are officially recognized.
An international AIDS conference in Addis Ababa last month was nearly derailed when the leaders of Ethiopias main religious denominations scheduled a joint news conference to express outrage at a planned meeting of gay-rights activists. The clergymen called off their protest only after the gay-rights meeting was moved from a local hotel to the United Nations compound.
Many of those same religious leaders met reporters in 2008 to urge passage of a constitutional amendment against homosexuality.
Secretary General Ban also used his speech to urge respect for the International Criminal Court. Several African leaders have accused the court of an anti-African bias
Outgoing AU chairman, Equatorial Guineas President Teodoro Obiang Nguema told the summit Africa should establish its own court to put an end to what he called unjust and discriminatory actions by international tribunals.
But Secretary General Ban pointed out the new chief prosecutor of the ICC is an African woman, Fatou Bensouda of Gambia.
Polls Show Romney Leading Gingrich in Crucial Florida Primary Showdown
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:51:23 GMT)
Voters in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida go to the polls Tuesday in a primary election that could prove pivotal in the battle for the Republican Partys presidential nomination. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich are the top two candidates left in the Republican race, with former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul also on the ballot.
The latest polls show Mitt Romney with a big lead in Florida, and the former Massachusetts governor is focusing his attacks on President Barack Obama. People are hurting out there and you know what This president needs to connect with the American people and understand just how tough things are. And I will tell the American people the truth and the fact that he has not made things better, he has made them worse, he said
Romney is even getting help from the man who beat him four years ago, Arizona Senator John McCain. He believes that businesses create jobs, not like Obama who believes that government creates jobs, he said
Romney supporters, like Aleshia George, are ready to deliver their votes in Florida in Tuesdays primary. I think he has got the intelligence, the economy background, the business background and just common sense approach that we are missing in Washington.
Romneys main competitor remains Newt Gingrich.
Gingrich is carrying on despite bad poll numbers and small crowds like this one at a church in a Hispanic suburb of Orlando. I have a very simple case. We nominated a moderate in 1996 and we lost. We nominated a moderate in 2008 and we lost. I believe only a solid conservative can debate Barack Obama and win, he said
Gingrich retains loyal conservative supporters like Nancy Acevedo. He is a very strong character. He has his own way of doing things. But what you see is what you get, she said
Gingrich got a boost with the endorsement of former rival Herman Cain.
But in Orlando, Quinnipiac University pollster Peter Brown says the Florida race favors Romney. I think Republican voters in Florida are looking for the same thing they are looking for in other states. They are looking for someone whose views and values they share who they think can beat Barack Obama, he said
That issue of electability was crucial for two Republicans who took advantage of Floridas early voting law, Brandon and Michelle Crossland. I am hoping that people like us understand electability and that at the end of the day the top priority is to get Obama out of office, said Michelle
Pollster Peter Brown says Florida is shaping up as the key test so far in the Republican race. For Romney and Gingrich, Florida is almost the whole ballgame. If Romney wins in Florida, it is going to be hard to deny him the Republican nomination, he said
And so for now, on the eve of the Florida primary, the polls and momentum appear to favor Mitt Romney in what has been at times a chaotic and unpredictable battle for the Republican nomination.
Senegalese Decry Pre-Election Violence
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:58:15 GMT)
The Senegalese capital, Dakar, is relatively calm Sunday, after another night of protests in the city sparked by a court decision allowing President Abdoulaye Wade to stand for re-election. Roads remain closed to stem the violence, and many Senegalese are saying enough is enough
An atmosphere of calm reigns over Dakar today as its population recovers from two days of protests that rocked the capital.
More young people gathered Saturday night in the Medina district of Dakar to voice their disapproval of the decision by Senegals highest court that President Abdoulaye Wade can run for re-election.
Fires were lit in the Mamelles district and the road to the airport remains shut down
But while the military remains on high alert, many breathed a sigh of relief that the violent demonstrations that left a policeman dead and many injured on Friday night were not repeated.
The trouble started almost immediately Friday following the announcement that 85-year-old incumbent President Abdoulaye Wades bid to stand for a third term had been approved by the Constitutional Court. The opposition says an amendment to the Senegalese constitution sets a limit of two terms for a president. But Wade says his first term pre-dated the constitutional amendment.
Fires were lit in Medina on Saturday night after the leaders of the M23 coalition, representing all the major opposition candidates running in the election, rallied people to stand up to the decision and fight - saying that Wade had declared war on the people.
Amath Dansakho, head of the Independence and Work Party and a member of M23, spoke to the press on Saturday
Dansakho says we invite the whole population to organize and mobilize to confront Wade. The fight has only just begun. He says we launch a demand to all the political organizations and to civil society to take part in this resistance and we reiterate our appeal to the security forces to stay on the side of the people.
But many Senegalese are openly critical of the kind of violence fomented by a few young people who declared their intention to bring Arab Spring-like unrest to Dakars central Place dObelisque.
Student Moctar Ba says the opposition is irresponsible to incite young people to riot.
Here in Senegal we do nt have a good, mature opposition, he explains. Because a good opposition should never call on young people to go out into the streets to make trouble. We need an opposition who calls for calm and who gets everyone fired up to go to the election and vote against Abdoulaye Wade.
Ba says M23 should be encouraging Senegals youth to build for the future - not destroy.
For me, a young people who love their country should not be burning it down or killing people because of Abdoulaye Wade. Wade, even if he is the president, is really small in the face of 12 million people, Ba says. It is all of us who share this country and the youth who should share it and lead it into a healthy future. If we break our country now, it is us who will have the hard task of rebuilding it tomorrow.
One thing is clear however, the Senegalese almost unanimously want Mr. Wade to go. No one who spoke to VOA believed Wade should be president for a third term, and many blame him directly for causing the violence.
Today, invalidated opposition candidate Youssou NDour waits to see whether his appeal will be accepted by the Constitutional Court.
Validated candidate Macky Sall said he is not surprised that Mr. Wades candidature was accepted. Now he believes it is a question of going forward despite the presidents claims that the opposition is afraid of him.
It is not a question of being afraid or not afraid, he says. It is a question of respect for the constitution and the law. If he had respected that, we would not be in this position, Sall says. OK, he is the strongest and the most handsome and all that - but he does not have the right to be a candidate.
Senegalese will go to the polls on February 26.
Burma Democracy Leader Begins Political Campaigning
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:07:44 GMT)
Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi hit the campaign trail Sunday ahead of by-elections seen as a key test of the military-backed governments commitment to reform.
Thousands of cheering supporters lined the roads of several towns in the southern district of Dawei, as the Nobel Peace laureate made her first political trip outside Rangoon since her National League for Democracy party registered to run in the April 1 election.
As huge crowds screamed Long Live Daw Aung San Suu Kyi! and others held banners saying You Are Our Heart, she promised to work to bring democracy to Burma and repeal repressive laws. She told the crowds, There is a lot to be done. To build the country that we all want.
Aung San Suu Kyi is campaigning in the coastal district to garner support for another NLD candidate running for parliament. She will make similar trips to other areas before campaigning for her own seat as a representative of the poor district of Kawhmu, just south of Rangoon. It will be the first time the 66-year-old opposition leader has been able to directly participate in a Burmese election.
The democracy activist spent 15 of the last 20 years as a political prisoner. The NLD won an election in 1990 by a landslide while Aung San Suu Kyi remained under house arrest, but the ruling generals ignored the result.
She was finally released from house arrest in late 2010, just days after the country held elections that were widely viewed as neither free nor fair.
Police Kill 4 in Bangladeshi Protests
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:03:45 GMT)
Police in Bangladesh fired guns and used tear gas on protesters at opposition rallies in the southeast, killing at least four and injuring more than 200 others.
Authorities say the shootings took place Sunday in two towns -- Chandpur and Laksmipur -- where Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists were demonstrating for the reinstatement of a caretaker voting system.
Authorities say the protesters pelted officers with stones and attempted to break through police barricades, prompting officers to open fire.
Similar clashes were reported in towns across the country as BNP activists and their Islamist allies gathered to demand a voting system under which independent caretaker governments oversee national elections
The system was scrapped by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Bangladeshi police had earlier banned rallies planned for Sunday in the capital city of Dhaka over fears of violent clashes between the BNP and the ruling Awami League party
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
French President Outlines New Economic Plans
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:30:56 GMT)
The embattled president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is outlining new economic proposals during a broadcast Sunday that observers say is aimed at boosting his poor standing with voters ahead of Aprils general election.
Though Sarkozy has yet to announce his candidacy, he is widely expected to face Socialist Francois Hollande, who is polling ahead in public opinion surveys, as he seeks a second six-year term
Sarkozys plan calls for an increase in the value-added tax on goods and services while employers payroll contributions would be cut. The French leaders proposals are aimed at addressing the countrys rampant unemployment with nearly three million people are out of work.
The French leader is also proposing a tax on financial transactions in France that he wants other European Union (EU) nations to adopt
Sarkozys television appearance comes two weeks after France lost its top triple-A credit rating and just a week after Hollande launched his presidential campaign with a speech attacking what he termed the world of high finance.
Also Sunday, in Athens, the Greek Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos, met with the leaders of the countrys three main political parties and later in a statement said there was complete agreement on the austerity measures needed to reduce Greeces debt and save it from bankruptcy
The deal, due to be finalized later in the week, would qualify Greece for a new bailout from the EU and the International Monetary Fund
Greece must secure a new $169 billion loan package within the next few weeks to avoid defaulting on financial obligations due in March.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
Taliban, US Negotiators Meet in Qatar
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:57:58 GMT)
Afghan Taliban negotiators are meeting with U.S. officials in Qatar for a series of discussions aimed at building trust between the two sides ahead of the upcoming peace talks.
Maulavi Qalamuddin, who once led the groups religious police, said Sunday the delegation includes several former officials, as well as a former secretary to the Talibans leader Mullah Omar.
Qalamuddin said the talks include the possible release of Taliban prisoners from the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He added the delegation traveled to Qatar from Pakistan, a possible sign that Islamabad might support the peace process.
Pakistani officials have declined to comment on the countrys role in contacts between the Taliban and the United States. But a Foreign Ministry spokesman ((Abdul Basit)) has reiterated that Islamabad will continue to make contributions toward achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Also on Sunday, Pakistan said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will travel to Afghanistan on Wednesday to discuss the war on terror and political reconciliation efforts aimed at ending the 10-year armed conflict.
Khar is expected to meet with her Pakistani counterpart, Zalmai Rassoul, and make a courtesy call on President Hamid Karzai.
The efforts aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation suffered major setbacks recently
Last September, Afghanistans top peace negotiator and former President, Burhanuddin Rabbani, was killed in his home in Kabul by a suicide bomber posing as a Taliban envoy. Afghan officials said the attack was planned in Pakistan and carried out by a Pakistani citizen. Islamabad has denied any involvement in the killing
In November, the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a cross-border U.S. airstrike near the Afghan border dealt another blow to reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan
Following the raid, Pakistan suspended cooperation with U.S. and NATO forces, which led to shutting down NATO supply lines through its territory to Afghanistan and ordering the United States to vacate an air base in southwestern Baluchistan province
Islamabad said the restoration of the ties is contingent on approval by Pakistans parliament, which is due to meet early next month.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Sudanese Rebels Claim Capture of Chinese Workers
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:45:45 GMT)
Sudanese rebels say they are holding nearly 30 Chinese workers following a battle with Sudans army in the state of South Kordofan, which borders newly independent South Sudan.
A rebel spokesman for the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North says 29 Chinese are being held for their own safety and are in good health.
The rebels say they captured the Chinese workers on Saturday after a battle with Sudanese government troops.
The two sides have been fighting since June.
The Sudanese army has not commented on the reported incident.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
IAEA Team in Iran to Ask About Nuclear Weapon Allegations
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:29:37 GMT)
U.N. nuclear inspectors have begun a mission to Iran to investigate allegations of secret military dimensions to the Iranian nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency team led by Herman Nackaerts arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a three-day visit. Before Nackaerts left the agencys headquarters in Vienna, he said he wants Iran to engage his team on the accusations that Iranian authorities are trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a peaceful energy program
Iran has repeatedly denied the allegations and refused to discuss them with the IAEA or world powers. Nackaerts, a Belgian who serves as IAEA deputy director general, said his teams planned dialogue with Iran on issues of concern to the agency is long overdue.
It is not clear which sites the U.N. nuclear inspectors will visit in Iran or which Iranian officials they will meet
The IAEA issued a report last November saying it has evidence that Iran engaged in nuclear activities related to developing nuclear weapons. Iran dismissed that report as based on fabricated intelligence from Western powers
The United States and European Union have tightened economic sanctions on the Iranian central bank and oil industry in recent weeks to pressure Iran into stopping uranium enrichment - a process that has military and civilian applications. Earlier this month, Iran said it started enriching uranium at its underground Fordo complex, which has the capacity to speed up the production of weapons-grade material.
Iran has threatened to respond to Western sanctions by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital pathway for global oil supplies. Iranian officials also have warned that an embargo on Iranian crude exports will raise oil prices and hurt the West more than Iran
On Sunday, Iranian state media quote the head of Irans state oil company Ahmad Qalehbani as saying he expects an increase in oil prices to a range of $120 to $150 a barrel. He did not give a timeframe for the prediction. U.S. oil futures closed at $99.56 a barrel on Friday.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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AU Summit Highlights Africas Tilt Toward the East
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:47:01 GMT)
An African Union summit has opened with the selection of Benins President Thomas Boni Yayi as AU chairman for the coming year. The opening speeches reflected Africas increasing shift toward the East
China is the honored guest at this summit, and the opening session was filled expressions of gratitude for Beijings gift of a new $200-million AU headquarters.
Speakers referred to Chinas rising influence in Africa, and to the continents growing resentment at what is widely perceived as Western interference in African affairs.
AFP
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping, speaks during a meeting of African economic blocs at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, January 25, 2012.
AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping described 2011 as a year of trials and hardship, as Western institutions imposed solutions to crises in Libya and Ivory Coast, rejecting or ignoring African proposals
The events of 2011 have greatly strained some of our instruments and consequently our capacity to anticipate, he said.Sometimes they tested the strength of our unity and our ability to have our views prevail in some issues of vital interest to the continent.
The outgoing AU Chairman, Equatorial Guineas President Teodoro Obiang Nguema accused Western institutions such as the International Criminal Court of anti-African bias. Speaking in Spanish, and heard through an interpreter, Obiang said African leaders must not remain indifferent to what he called external interference.
The African Union should study the creation of its own African criminal court to put an end to all of these unjust and discriminatory actions we have seen in the international justice, said Nguema. Africa needs actions of great solidarity and coordination in order to avoid that others disempower us on their behalf and do whatever they wish to do regarding our countries.
The keynote speaker, Chinas top political strategist Jia Qinglin contrasted Beijings foreign policy with that of the West. Speaking in Chinese through an interpreter, he said China had never attached strings to its offers of assistance
China will firmly support African countries in their efforts to uphold sovereignty and independence, and resolve African issues on their own, said Ginglin. We maintain all countries big or small are equal, and we are opposed to the big, strong and rich bullying the weak, small and poor.
The opening session saw Benins President Thomas Boni Yayi elected to a one-year term as AU chairman. The post rotates according to region, and Boni Yayi was the choice of the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS. He is an economist who has led the small West African nation for six years.
As chairman, Boni Yayi will preside over the fierce contest for the African Union Commission chairmanship. That battle between the incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon and the South African challenger Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is to be settled Monday in a secret ballot of heads of state
The race is considered tight. One usually well-informed AU observer, when asked who he thought would win, replied, If I were a betting man, I would not bet more than a penny.
New Mideast Talks Hit an Impasse
(Published on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:00:49 GMT)
The latest international effort to revive the Middle East peace process has run into trouble
Israeli and Palestinian leaders are blaming each other after five rounds of exploratory talks this month in Jordan hit an impasse. The aim of the talks is to revive direct peace negotiations that have been deadlocked for three years
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel did not offer detailed proposals on the future borders of a Palestinian state. In remarks published by the Palestinian news agency, Abbas accused Israel of defying international guidelines for peace and foiling the talks
His comments were echoed by Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. It is time to recognize the failings of this process. It has failed and the process is in bad need of serious direction, he said
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed a finger at the Palestinians. He told the Israeli Cabinet the Palestinians refused to even discuss Israels security needs
Netanyahu said the signs are not very good, but he hopes that the Palestinians will come to their senses and return to the negotiating table
The United States and European Union have also urged the Palestinians to continue the talks, saying negotiations with Israel are the only way to achieve a two-state solution and peace
President Abbas says he will make a final decision on whether or not to continue the exploratory talks after consulting with the Arab League later this week.
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UN Chief Rejects African Criticism of International Court
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:58 GMT)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says African criticism of the International Criminal Court is unfounded. Ban spoke to VOAs Peter Heinlein about the court and other issues, on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.
The U.N. secretary general takes exception to suggestions that the ICC record of prosecutions shows an anti-African bias. Critics point out that the seven active ICC investigations are all in Africa.
In comments to VOA, however, Ban rejected the bias charge, arguing that African governments have, in most cases, supported the ICC actions.
On many occasions when African people were indicted, they were indicted at the request of the African countries themselves. And, there were very few cases that investigations were instigated by ICC itself, said Ban.
The outgoing chairman of the Africa Union, Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, used his farewell speech at the summit to denounce the ICC and suggest that Africa should create its own criminal court.
Ban counters that the ICC has performed well recently in ending what he calls the era of impunity in Ivory Coast and Libya.
I think the examples and lessons we have seen in the case of Cote dIvoire and Libya was a very positive one in that everything was moving toward the right direction in terms of establishing international justice and putting an end to impunity and putting all these perpetrators to justice. Were now working very hard in these countries to establish transitional justice. Therefore, an era of impunity has come to an end, said Ban.
On other matters, Ban hailed as historic the recent relocation to Mogadishu of the United Nations Political Office on Somalia. The move marks an end to a 17-year period in which the world body had no permanent presence in the Somali capital. He called this moment when al Shabab insurgents are on the run a small window of opportunity for Somalis future stability. He said he will recommend that the Security Council approve an expansion of the African Unions AMISOM peacekeeping force from 10,000 to 17,000 troops before a major conference on Somalia in mid-February.
Im going to make a report to the Security Council very soon. I hope Security Council will have a favorable consideration on this increase in the strength of AMISOM before we meet in London for International Conference on Somalia, said Ban.
The secretary general also called Sudan President Omar al-Bashir an obstacle to peace, and said the Sudan-South Sudan dispute about oil is a threat to regional security. The comments come after regional leaders failed at meetings here in Addis Ababa to agree on transit fees and sharing oil revenues, prompting South Sudan to implement a total shutdown of oil production.
South Sudan controls more than 70 percent of the two countries oil output, but needs pipelines running through Sudan to get the oil to port.
China to Boost Police Presence in Restive Xinjiang Region
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:59:04 GMT)
China says it will boost the police presence in northwestern Xinjiang province, in a push to manage the areas huge migrant population and crack down on what Beijing calls illegal religious activities
The official Xinnhua news agency says an additional 8,000 police officers will begin patrolling villages in the northwestern region.
It quotes a regional Communist party official as saying the move is aimed at consolidating the lasting peace and [social] stability in the region.
Xinjiang is home to millions of traditionally Muslim, Turkic-speaking ethnic Uighers, many of whom oppose the ongoing migration of Chinas ethnic Han into the region.
Uighers rioted in 2009 against Han Chinese in the regional capital Urumqi. About 200 people were killed - most of them Han.
China has also dramatically boosted its police presence in southwestern Sichuan province, in a crackdown on ethnic Tibetans protesting Han migration into traditionally Tibetan areas. Witnesses and exile groups say at least 7 people have been killed and dozens of others injured in the province in the past two weeks.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Media Freedom Report Draws Mixed Reactions in Malawi
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:29:27 GMT)
Journalists and government officials in Malawi are reacting differently to the latest Worldwide Press Freedom Index showing the countrys poor standing. In its 2011-2012 media rankings, Reporters Without Borders says Malawi has plunged 67 places - the biggest fall of any country
Reporters Without Borders now ranks Malawi 146 out of 179 countries in terms of its press freedom. The Paris-based group says the 67-place drop was due primarily to the threats against and arrests of journalists during Julys anti-government democracy protests - which left at least 18 dead.
But presidential spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba defends Malawis record and calls the latest media ranking index unrealistic. Dropping 67 places would mean something catastrophic is happening. You know the newspapers here are full of so many insults against the president, against all of us, Ntaba said. I am convinced that journalists in Malawi enjoy a measure of freedom that is not found in many countries in the world.
Another factor in Malawis drop was new, tougher media legislation - criticized internationally and which caused some European countries to suspend aid. The move by parliament amended section 46 of the penal code - giving the minister of information the power to ban or close publications not deemed in the public interest.
But Ntaba says even this doesnt warrant Malawis drop in the index. I dont know why anybody would go and say basing on section 46 - which everybody is making lots of noises - therefore press freedom in Malawi must jump 67 places when that same section 46 was highly praised and recommended to the government by lawyers by religious leaders and by other eminent persons, Ntaba stated. So if somebody is going to scream that this law is very oppressive, that character has got to be an enemy of the government.
Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Indexis an annual report that uses more than 50 criteria to assess press freedom across the world. These include violations such as murder, assault, threats and censorship from governments, armed militias and other pressures.
Chairman of the National Media Institute for Southern Africa Anthony Kasunda says the new ranking should be an eye-opener for the government here to reconsider its position.
I think the bottom line is that Malawi should guarantee the freedom of the press and allow its journalists to exercise their freedom of the press. And we have seen some elements trying to stifle that freedom, Kasunda said. We still remain optimistic. Sometimes, in times like this, is when you get the positives. And we hope the authorities are looking into their shortfalls and will make things right.
Kasunda says reviewing section 46 would be a very good place for the government to start.
Washington DC Protesters Face Eviction From Parks
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:54:12 GMT)
Anti-Wall Street protesters are facing a deadline to stop camping at two public parks in Washington D.C. or risk arrest.
The National Park Service warned demonstrators they could be arrested and have their property seized if they fail to adhere to the rules after Noon, Monday.
Protesters have been sleeping in the two parks a short distance from the White House since October, as part of the global Occupy movement against social inequality.
Last week, Republican lawmakers at a House subcommittee hearing questioned the park service on why protesters had been allowed to camp on federal land for so many months.
Fears of potential clashes mounted after police used a stun gun Sunday on one protester, who was arrested on disorderly conduct charges
The deadline in Washington comes after police in Oakland, California, arrested some 200 anti-Wall Street protesters who attempted to occupy a vacant building.
The Occupy Wall Street movement began in September in New York. It says it represents the 99 percent, the people outside the top one percent of wealth holders.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
Cold Weather Kills 36 Across Europe
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:37:06 GMT)
Weather forecasters say there is no immediate relief in sight to the eastern European cold snap that has killed at least 36 people since Saturday.
Forecasters expect temperatures, which have been as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius in some places, to drop even more this week.
Police in Ukraine say 18 people, most of them homeless, froze to death, while 10 died in Poland.
Deaths also are reported in Bulgaria and Romania, where prison inmates dug through heavy snow and ice to rescue hundreds of stray dogs left behind in an animal shelter.
The freezing weather caught many eastern Europeans by surprise. This winter had been unusually mild with spring-like temperatures in many cities.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
EU Moves on Budget Rules, Works to Promote Growth
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:02:43 GMT)
All but two European Union member countries have agreed on new fiscal rules designed to ensure there is not another regional debt crisis, and to regain the confidence of the financial markets.
The 27 European Union heads of government came to Brussels to finalize what is called the fiscal compact to avoid future crises, and to find ways to promote economic growth to lift their countries out of the current one.
The accord, which sets strict rules for government budgets, was approved by 25 of the leaders and is to be signed in March. Britain and the Czech Republic did not join the accord. Britain says it would take away too many powers it has to regulate its own economy.
The European leaders have been the targets of much criticism for not doing enough quickly enough to address the debt crisis and accompanying economic downturn. But the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said the continents effort is on track.
We have a strategy, and we are staying the course, Barroso said.
His colleague, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, said he is not concerned that the two countries did not join the new agreement, saying the 17 that use the common euro currency and other interested countries must be able to work on their problems, even if the EU is not unanimous on the approach.
With this treaty we maintain as much as possible the unity of the union, taking into account that those who have a common currency have the possibility to deal with the problems linked to their currency, Van Rompuy said
The European leaders also took several steps designed to stimulate economic growth, launching programs to help small businesses and to create jobs, particularly for young people. But they acknowledge the effort is difficult at a time when most countries do not have enough money to directly create jobs or stimulate economic growth.
The head of the Brussels-based research organization Friends of Europe, Giles Merritt, says European leaders and their people still have not faced up to the fundamental challenge before them.
I dont think theyve got very good marks from anybody. We all know Europe has been living beyond its means. There has to be a complete sort of restructuring of European society. We all know that. What we dont know is how to do it, Merritt said.
Merritt says European countries can no longer afford the generous social programs they provide to their people, but spending cuts to reduce or eliminate those programs are hugely unpopular
Mondays summit coincided with a general strike in Belgium, called to protest that governments austerity plans. Merritt says more such actions, what he called social sulking, lie ahead as Europe faces a summer of slow growth or recession.
Meanwhile, one of Europes most troubled economies, Greece, moved closer to agreement with creditors to restructure its debt, and default on part of it. A deal is expected within days, although Greek leaders rejected calls for EU officials to be given veto power over their future budgeting decisions.
Health Funding Cuts Cause Worries in Nairobi
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:51:03 GMT)
Several-hundred people gathered in the Kenyan capital Monday to protest funding cuts made by the decade-old The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The cancellation of the so-called Round 11, which would have covered new grants for the prevention and treatment of the three diseases from 2011 to 2013, is being met with criticism and fear in Kenya, Uganda, and all over the world.
Youth counselor Geoffrey Ochieng is very worried about the future.
Prior to starting his anti-retroviral treatment, or ARVs, Ochieng suffered from meningitis and tuberculosis. But during the five years that he has been taking ARVs, he has had a clean bill of health.
We always counsel our fellow youths that when you take medication, you are able to live a more awesome life. But if the medication is not there, then now you think otherwise; what will happen if there is not medication So you get worried, he said. What am I going to do if the medics is stopped
Health promoter Siama Musini wonders how her low-income clients in the informal settlement of Kibera will survive in the face of no Round 11. They have people who we have already enrolled in the program, those who are in need of ARVs. They might miss the treatment, which will return us back to the 1990s where we used to have around 700 people dying daily in hospitals, Musini stated.
Musini and Ochieng participated. They were among hundreds of demonstrators in Nairobis Uhuru Park Monday calling for the resumption of Round 11.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, supported by donor governments, is among the worlds largest financiers of programs to prevent and treat the three diseases, saving an estimated 100,000 lives each month around the globe.
But some donor governments have not fulfilled their pledges, forcing The Global Funds board to cancel their next round of funding. This means that countries will receive no new money for the prevention or treatment of AIDS, TB, and malaria until 2014
The Fund has set up what it calls a transitional funding mechanism, which covers the continuation of essential services
Dr. Peter Mugenyi, an expert on AIDS treatment, says thanks to The Global Fund, AIDS has, in his words, stopped being a death sentence, but became a chronic infection. He says he fears a dramatic reversal in gains made in his country Uganda and elsewhere.
When treatment came to Uganda and other parts of Africa, we saw many people coming up to get tested for HIV. Many people shunned stigma, which was stopping people going for testing. The reason why they shunned stigma and why they came up in such big numbers to be tested was because, if they were found positive, they had hope, Mugenyi said.
He notes that Uganda had submitted a proposal to The Global Fund to implement prevention of mother to-child transmission programs that would put pregnant HIV-positive women on ARV treatment so that their babies can be born HIV free.
In Kenya, more than 400,000 people are taking ARVs, but some 500,000 still need the drugs, according to the Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium.
According to the medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders, nearly half of people in developing countries who need HIV treatment now have access, and treatment coverage increased by 30 percent in 2010 alone in sub-Saharan Africa. It says that a person put on treatment earlier is 96 percent less likely to transmit HIV.
The Global Fund dispersed $8-billion between 2008 and 2010. It got a substantial boost last week when the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it would contribute $750 million to the Fund above its current commitments.
Polls Suggest Romney Headed for Major Victory in Florida Primary
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:33:26 GMT)
Voters in Florida go to the polls Tuesday in a Republican primary election that could have a huge impact on the battle for the partys presidential nomination. Four contenders remain in the Republican race, but the Florida contest appears to be between two candidates.
Recent polls here show double-digit leads for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney over former congressman Newt Gingrich in what could be a pivotal contest in the race for the Republican nomination.
Gingrich was hoping to build off his strong victory in South Carolina, but Romney has performed well in two Florida debates and continues to pound him with negative ads on television.
Romney is campaigning in Florida with former rival John McCain, the man he lost to four years ago.
This time around Romney is sounding confident about his chances in Tuesdays primary.
I believe that as we face these extraordinary challenges that we have that the Constitution and the Declaration [of Independence] remain our blueprint and that Americans should not be fundamentally transformed into something that President Obama wants to see, but instead we should return to the principles of greatness that made us who we are, said Romney.
Former House speaker Gingrich is continuing a punishing campaign schedule in Florida. Gingrich continues to draw enthusiastic crowds hoping he can mount one more political comeback in a chaotic Republican primary campaign.
If you will help me in the next two days we will win in Florida, and when we win in Florida we will win the nomination, and when we win the nomination we will beat Barack Obama and we will get America back on the right track! said Gingrich.
Gingrich got a boost when former rival Herman Cain decided to endorse his bid. Gingrich said he will stay in the Republican race for the long term, no matter what happens Tuesday in Florida.
But political experts here say what is fueling Romneys surge in the polls is a growing belief among Republicans that he would be the stronger candidate against President Barack Obama in the general election in November.
Peter Brown is with the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute and is based in Orlando.
I think Republican voters in Florida are looking for the same thing they are looking for in other states. They are looking for someone whose views and values they share who they think can beat Barack Obama, said Brown.
A VOA sampling of early voters in Florida appears to confirm that notion.
Brandon Crossland and his wife Michelle voted early in the Orlando suburb of Winter Park.
And I have concerns about Newts electability, said Brandon Crossland
I am hoping that people like us understand electability and that at the end of the day the top priority is to get Obama out of office, said Michelle Crossland.
The latest Quinnipiac Poll found Romney leading Gingrich, even among conservative supporters of the so called Tea Party movement
Pollster Brown says that if the polls are right, Romney would get a huge boost with a victory on Tuesday.
For Romney and Gingrich, Florida is almost the whole ball game. If Romney wins in Florida, it is going to be hard to deny him the Republican nomination.
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul also are on the ballot Tuesday, but are well behind in the polls here. Santorum had to break away from the campaign to care for a sick child, and Paul has focused his efforts on other states like Maine that will hold contests in the next few weeks.
VOA Interview with UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-moon
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:34:07 GMT)
Pete Heinlein: Whats happening, and why is there such a delay [in opening the U.N. Political Office in Somalia] Ban Ki-moon: First, the deployment of United Nations Political Office in Somalia [UNPOS] is a historic one, demonstrating our strong, determined will, to help transition the federal government of Somalia. This is the first time in 17 years that the U.N. Political Office is deployed permanently. I hope this will bring other international partners to Mogadishu.
The African Union Peace and Security Council has authorized the increase of strength of AMISOM [African peace-keeping force in Somalia] to 17,731. I welcome it. Im going to make a report to the Security Council very soon. I sincerely hope the Security Council will have a favorable consideration on this increase of the strength of AMISOM before we meet in London for the International Conference on Somalia. I need to see that whole international community address a comprehensive approach on Somalia, so that Somalia will maintain to gain this hard-fought stability at this time.
I met President Sheikh Sharif and also during my visit last December to Somalia, I urged that this is a very small window of opportunity for Somalia, to fully utilize this stability, fighting back al-Shabab, they should establish this administration in the liberated areas. They should also provide the social economic opportunities to their people. Pete Heinlein: Can you give us a little bit of a timeline When do you think more money is forthcoming Where is it coming from Ban Ki-moon: The first TFG, Transitional Federal Government, should implement a roadmap by the end of August. Further extension is not acceptable. That was my strong message. That is the message of the international community. Therefore, that this one good benchmark by which the international community will be ready to provide support.
With the strengthened AMISOM forces, I believe the TFG will be able to gain and maintain this momentum to support. The U.N. will work hard to provide the necessary livelihood, opportunities to the people, so that there will be less of a motivation of the young people to go out to sea for piracy. This is our comprehensive strategy.
Pete Heinlein: Lets switch to Sudan, where we hear oil field workers are being kidnapped. The meetings here have produced very little but acrimony, you say you met with the two sides and urged them to get together. The oil is cut off, and were in dire straits there. What is your prescription for getting things moving Ban Ki-moon: This is our common responsibility. To see the improved and harmonious relationship between Sudan and South Sudan. Their relationship should be maintain in a harmonious, neighborly relationship.
Now Sudans government, President Bashir, should fully cooperate with the United Nations, so that the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Darfur, UNAMID, and also UNISFA should be able to properly function in protecting civilian population in helping humanitarian workers to carry out their humanitarian assistance to many people. We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian plights in South Kordofan and Blue Miles, and this area is also controlled by different rebel groups. We hope that all these pending issues on comprehensive peace agreement, including the status of Abyei and oil sharing, should be resolved as soon as possible.
I have impressed upon very strongly to the leaders of South Sudan, Salva Kir, and also foreign minister of Sudan, to fully engage in a dialogue. Pete Heinlein: Yesterday we heard from the platform of the summit the Chinese representative suggesting if Africa turns to the East, they wont be faced with such unpleasant questions about human rights. We heard the outgoing AU chairman criticizing the ICC. What does that tell you the way Africa seems to be going off on its own path, away from the U.N. and the international community
Ban Ki-moon: Im aware of some concern expressed by some countries of African Union on the International Criminal Court. At the same time, Im very encouraged by the strong commitment by most of the African countries on the work and principles of the ICC. One third of the state parties to the Rome convention are African countries. International Criminal Court is an independent, international judiciary organization, whose mandate is distinctly different from that of the United Nations. Thus, it is important for state parties to this ICC will fully comply with all the decisions of the ICC.
Now, for the first time, this ICC is going to have an African prosecutor. [Fatou] Bensouda, former Gambian prosecutor general. She is now acting as deputy prosecutor of ICC. This means how much Africa is committed, how much Africa can contribute to the establishment and furthering the international justice system.
Pete Heinlein: But there is a chasm between Africa [and the international community]. You could hear the feelings of leaders, you could hear it out there, that they are a little angry about solutions imposed from the outside. Ban Ki-moon: Its not true. On many occasions, when the African people are indicted, they were indicted at the request of the African countries themselves. There were very few cases that the investigations were initiated by the ICC itself. Pete Heinlein: Im not talking so much about the ICC but the broader question of Africa seemingly wanting to go by itself, in Libya, Cote Divoire, places like that over the past year, where Africa has felt that its gotten pushed aside as the international community has taken its own course. Ban Ki-moon: I think the example and lessons we have seen, in Cote Divoire and Libya, was a very positive one in the sense that everything was moving toward the right direction in terms of establishing international justice and putting an end to impunity and putting all these perpetrators to justice. We are now working very hard in those countries to establish transitional justice. Therefore, Im again repeating that an era of impunity has come to an end.
Tibetan Exiles to Beijing: Violence Unsustainable
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:53:04 GMT)
Chinese state-run media are accusing Tibetan exiles and unnamed Western governments of pursuing an anti-Chinese agenda when describing recent violence in Tibetan areas under Beijings control.
The official China Daily newspaper is reporting that accounts of the violence from exiles and from Western officials distort the events.
Elected leaders of Tibets exile community say Chinese security forces fired into a crowd of peaceful protesters last Thursday in southwestern Sichuan province, killing at least six people and wounding more than 60 others. But Beijing acknowledges killing only one so-called rioter as mobs waged violence against Chinese police.
Spokeswoman and Cabinet Minister for the Tibetan administration in exile, Dekyi Chhoyang, dismisses suggestions they are colluding with Western governments and media to distort events.
Absolutely not, absolutely not, she says. The unrest that we are seeing now in the Tibetan region is really a reaction by the Tibetan people to the repressive policies of the Chinese government. And what we are saying to [China] is listen to the people.
At least 16 Tibetans, mainly Buddhist monks and nuns, have set themselves on fire to protest what they view as repressive policies in the region. Many of the protests have been spurred by police trying to arrest activists who were posting leaflets declaring self-immolations will continue until Tibet is free.
The Tibetan-exile administration says it never encourages fellow Tibetans under Chinese control to protest, but that it is sensitive to their concerns.
Cabinet Minister Chhoyang says there is a definite risk of escalation if the Chinese do not listen to Tibetan concerns, adding that many in the administration are concerned of a repeat of widespread that riots broke out in Chinas Tibetan autonomous region in 2008.
It is bound to resurface ... it is only going to increase, I think, she says. We are facing a younger generation who are more vocal, who are willing to make their grievances known.
China occupied Tibet in 1950. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, crossed into India in 1959 along with tens of thousands of supporters. Chhoyang says many of the current protesters have no personal memories of those historical episodes.
A lot of the people who have protested are in their 40s and younger, Tibetans who were born and grew up after China occupied the Tibetan plateau, she says. So, they have never known an independent Tibet. They grew up under the Chinese regime, so there is something seriously wrong that we need to listen to.
No foreigners are being allowed into Tibetan areas under Chinese control. Tibets exile Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay has called for the United Nations to send a fact-finding team to the region.
Attacks on Nigerian Police Stations Leave 2 Dead
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:38:43 GMT)
Police in northern Nigeria say gunmen have attacked two police stations in Kano, leaving two civilians dead.
Authorities say the civilians were killed late Sunday during a shootout between police and the gunmen. The attackers also threw bombs at the police station, damaging the building.
Gunmen launched a second attack early Monday on a station that was targeted last week, but there were no reports of any casualties.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The radical Islamist group Boko Haram has said it was responsible for 185 deaths in recent weeks in Kano, Nigerias second largest city.
Boko Haram says it is fighting to implement a strict interpretation of Sharia law across Nigeria.
The ongoing violence has raised concerns that Nigeria, Africas most populous country and its biggest oil producer, is sliding toward civil war.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
South Korean President Seeks Alternatives to Iranian Crude
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:23:15 GMT)
South Koreas president is to visit Saudi Arabia and two other Gulf oil producers in an attempt to secure stable sources of energy. The trip will come as Seoul is considering reducing imports from Iran in line with U.S.-led sanctions. But the government of South Korea, heavily dependent on energy supplies from abroad, is expressing caution about the international movement to punish Iran for its alleged nuclear weapons development
South Koreas presidential office says Lee Myung-bak will embark Saturday on a week-long visit to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The trip will come as South Korea seeks to secure alternative supplies to Iranian oil.
The European Union is to stop importing Iranian oil in July, to put pressure on Tehran to stop enriching uranium.
The United States is hoping other countries will follow, including its key allies in East Asia, South Korea and Japan.
South Korean Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan says Irans nuclear development poses a threat to humanity. But he says Seoul has made no decision on how much it will further cut crude imports from Iran.
The finance minister says there is still no consensus, even within the U.S. government, on what constitutes the mandated significant reductions in the sanctions package signed into law by President Barack Obama late last year.
Both South Korea, the worlds fifth largest oil importer, and Japan, number two in that category, are facing pressure from domestic interests worried about higher oil prices.
Officials in both capitals have been exploring with visiting American envoys whether they can be granted exemptions in the national security interest of the United States.
The price of Iranian crude was hovering near $100 a barrel in Asian trading Monday amid a warning from the head of Irans oil company that the embargo could send the price higher by as much as 50 percent.
Meanwhile, the finance minister of India, the worlds fourth largest oil consumer, has announced his country cannot do without crude from Iran and will not cut imports.
Iran says it might halt exports to some unspecified countries ahead of the implementation of the embargo on its oil.
The Islamic Republic rejects the accusations it is attempting to build a nuclear weapon. It says its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy and medical uses.
Ethiopia Opens New Front against Somalias al-Shabab
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:27:13 GMT)
Witnesses in Somalia say columns of Ethiopian troops have crossed into the country and are marching toward key al-Shabab strongholds, apparently opening a new military front against the Islamist militant group.
A government official, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the reports to VOA on Monday, saying the soldiers had reached the town of Luq in the southwest Gedo region.
United Nations
The location includes a major road leading to the Bay and Bakool regions, which are under al-Shababs control. The official says the Ethiopian convoy entered Somalia through the border town of Dolow.
Al-Shabab is facing pressure inside Somalia from Ethiopian forces already there, Kenyan troops who entered the country in October, and African Union troops in the capital, Mogadishu.
Last week, the al-Qaida-linked group said it killed 33 Ethiopian soldiers during a suicide attack on an army base in the town of Beledweyne. The Ethiopian military typically does not release casualty figures.
Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow Somalias U.N.-backed transitional government and impose strict Islamic law. The group controls large sections of southern and central Somalia but has lost ground in recent months. AU and Somali troops drove the group out of Mogadishu last year, while Ethiopian forces recently took control of Beledweyne.
Reuters
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives for the 18th African Union (AU) Summit in Ethiopias capital Addis Ababa, January 29, 2012
In an interview Monday with VOA correspondent Peter Heinlein, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Somali leaders to exploit al-Shababs retreat and make a push to assert greater control over the war-ravaged country.
I met President Sheikh Sharif and also during my visit last December to Somalia, I urged that this is a very small window of opportunity for Somalia, to fully utilize this stability, fighting back al-Shabab, they should establish this administration in the liberated areas, said the U.N. Secretary General. They should also provide the social economic opportunities to their people
Somalia has not had a stable central government since 1991.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
Taliban, US Begin Talks in Qatar
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:32:15 GMT)
Afghan Taliban negotiators are meeting with U.S. officials in Qatar for a series of discussions aimed at building trust between the two sides ahead of the upcoming peace talks.
Maulavi Qalamuddin, who once led the groups religious police, said Sunday the delegation includes several former officials, as well as a former secretary to the Talibans leader, Mullah Omar.
Qalamuddin said the talks include the possible release of Taliban prisoners from the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He said the delegation traveled to Qatar from Pakistan - a possible sign that Islamabad might support the peace process.
Meanwhile, Afghan officials said Sunday they will soon open a second front of negotiations with the Taliban, meeting in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to bring an end to the decade-long Afghan war.
AP
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen talks during the presentation of NATOs Annual Report 2011at NATO headquarters in Brussels, January 26, 2012.
In Brussels Monday, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance will adhere to its plans to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
Rasmussen said NATO expects the final transition of provinces and districts to lead Afghan responsibility by mid-2013. He said that, from that time on, the alliance can gradually change the role of its forces from combat to support.
Pakistani officials have declined to comment on the countrys role in contacts between the Taliban and the United States. But a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abdul Basit, has reiterated that Islamabad will continue to make contributions toward achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Also on Sunday, Pakistan said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will travel to Afghanistan Wednesday to discuss the war on terror and political reconciliation efforts. Khar is expected to meet with her Pakistani counterpart, Zalmai Rassoul, and make a courtesy call on President Hamid Karzai.
U.S. officials have yet to comment on the latest developments.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
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Bahrain Opposition Fears Effects of Iran-West Tensions
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:25:18 GMT)
Opposition supporters in Bahrain have expressed concern that escalating tensions between Iran and the West may further stifle their calls for democratic reform in the Persian Gulf kingdom
Bahrains majority Shiite Muslims took to the streets nearly a year ago demanding a new government and more rights from their Sunni leaders.
The country continues to crack down on pro-democracy demonstrations and blames Shiite-ruled Iran for inciting the civil unrest.
Last month, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa alleged that Syria, which is also ruled by Shiites, was training young Bahrainis to overthrow the ruling family.
Bahrains main opposition party, al-Wefaq disputes the claims
We would like to be isolated from the international conflicts, said Matar Matar,a spokesperson for the group. We are worried about those conflicts and their impact on our country.
Western nations have agreed on sanctions targeting Irans lucrative oil industry, hoping they will force the country to abandon its uranium enrichment program.
Tehran insists its nuclear work is for peaceful purposes and has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for world oil traffic, in response to the sanctions.
The United States says it will use force if necessary to keep the strategic waterway open, sparking fears of a confrontation in the Persian Gulf.
Al-Wefaq spokesman Matar says these tensions may provide an advantage for Bahraini authorities. It is easy for the regime here to utilize this conflict and blame Iran for everything happening here in Bahrain and such tone can be accepted in the United States, he said.
Bahrains opposition has criticized America and its allies for what it sees as a failure to press the Bahraini government to end its deadly assault on civilian demonstrators.
The U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain, adding to the complexity of the situation.
Theodore Karasik is director of research at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
Within the U.S. foreign policy establishment theres a split between those who believe that Iran is behind whats ongoing in Bahrain and those that do not. Because of the U.S.s relationship with the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), however, public officials have to go on-record saying that this looks like an Iranian plot, said Karasik.
The oil-producing monarchies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both wary of Irans nuclear ambitions, sent troops to Bahrain last year to help quell the anti-government uprising.
However, according to Julien Barnes-Dacey, senior policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, the efforts of Bahrains Gulf neighbors were propelled more by fears that the pro-democracy movement would spread to their shores than by fears of Iran gaining more influence in the region.
This is a domestic issue at the end of the day. Saudis are using, and the Bahraini regime are using this accusation of Iranian involvement to crack down on the protesters, but thats a false narrative and its been quite comprehensively shown that there hasnt been Iranian involvement, said Barnes-Dacey.
Rights groups say more than 50 Bahrainis have been killed since demonstrations began last February, including four last week. The government denies it was responsible for the latest deaths.
Most analysts like Barnes-Dacey say the situation in Bahrain is likely to continue unchanged unless outside nations intervene.
The international community really needs to be doing more there to exert pressure and to push the Bahraini government regime to lighten the repressive measures in place and to really give the segment of the population greater political and economic rights, said the analyst.
However, as Bahrain sits both geographically and politically at the center of a geostrategic struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, other experts say that increased international condemnation is unlikely to be heard anytime soon.
Its just a case of sometimes youre caught in a bad place and I think they may be, said Jason Naselli, managing editor at the Atlantic Community.
In a bid to improve the political situation in the country, Bahrains government recently announced a set of constitutional reforms, giving members of parliament more power to question ministers and more protection from dismissal by the king.
Opposition leaders say the changes will do little to stop the unrest.
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US: UN Must Stop Syrias Vicious Crackdown
(Published on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:15:22 GMT)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday the United Nations must act to end what she calls the Syrian governments violent and brutal attacks on its own people. Russia opposes U.N. action and says the government in Damascus has agreed to talks in Moscow.
In a written statement, Clinton said the U.N. Security Council must make clear to the Syrian regime that the world community views its actions as a threat to peace and security.
Clinton heads to the United Nations on Tuesday to back an Arab League resolution against President Bashar al-Assad because, she said, the longer his government stands in the way of a peaceful transition, the greater the concern that instability will escalate and spill over throughout the region.
State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Secretary Clinton is going to the United Nations for what she said will be a very strong opening conversation on the Syria resolution, where she will be joined by her French and British counterparts.
She is going to send a very clear message that we support the Syrian people. We stand with you. We stand with you in your hope and aspiration for a better, more democratic future. And first and foremost that the violence is going to end, said Nuland.
Syrian opposition activists say government troops have retaken control of several Damascus suburbs in heavy fighting with rebels engaged in a 10-month long uprising against President Assad.
Nuland said the withdrawal of Arab League monitors - who the government prevented from fully carrying out their mandate - has opened the way for more killing.
We are gravely concerned that as these Arab League monitors have pulled out, [and] the Syrian regime has taken this as an excuse to just let loose in horrific ways against innocents, said Nuland.
Russia and China oppose U.N. action on Syria, with Russia calling for national dialogue to end the political crisis. Russias foreign ministry on Monday said Damascus has agreed to send a delegation to Moscow for talks with opposition activists.
A foreign ministry statement says Russia hopes that opposition representatives also will agree to attend. Senior members of the opposition Syrian National Council reject the idea.
Analyst Marou Innocent of the Washington-based Cato Institute research group said Russias call for talks in Moscow is meant to weaken momentum for U.N. action.
This is sort of a way for Russia to have a stake in the game, but also sort of hedge against a lot of the criticism and backlash it has been having from the West, said Innocent.
Middle East expert Steve Heydemann of the United States Institute of Peace said there is deep concern in Moscow that the fall of the Damascus government would weaken Russias standing in the region.
If the regime were to change and Syria were to move in a more pro-Western direction, I think the Russians would view that as a blow to their strategic posture in the region. And so one of the things that the U.S. might do is offer reassurances to the Russians that even if a process of regime transition happens in Syria, they wont be left out, said Heydemann.
Asked about Russias plans for Syrian talks in Moscow, State Department Spokeswoman Nuland said the first priority must be an end to fighting.
Again, there have been plenty of talks outside Syria over the last few months. It is very difficult to see how you address the real dangers and the real concerns unless and until the violence comes to an end, said Nuland.
Facing the threat of a Russian veto over U.N. action on Syria, a senior U.S. diplomat said it is time for the Russians to decide whether they are going to continue to give cover to this kind of action, which the United Nations estimates has killed more than 5,000 people.
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