The responsibility to earn money and send it back home is a heavy burden for African migrants in Europe to carry, driving some of them to the dark underworld of drugs and prostitution.
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt is holding the latest round of its first democratic parliamentary election on Thursday in relative calm after five days of protests in Cairo that prompted a brutal response from security forces.
The latest confrontations, in which 15 people were killed, redoubled the determination of many pro-democracy protesters to see the military council that took over from ousted president Hosni Mubarak hand power to civilians immediately.
But the wider political landscape is changing away from Cairo's Tahrir Square, centre of the protests, as the long-banned moderate Islamist Muslim Brotherhood looks to extend its election lead on Thursday.
Polling finishes on January 11. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the military council, said the lower house of parliament would convene on January 23, two days before the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Mubarak.
Tahrir and surrounding streets were quiet on Wednesday for the first time in a week, not least because the authorities had erected concrete walls to bar access from the square to roads leading to parliament, the cabinet office and the Interior Ministry, where violence has been the most fierce.
A night earlier, police and soldiers had used tear gas and batons to chase protesters out of the square.
Nine provinces, mostly outside the capital, held run-off votes on Wednesday and Thursday in the second round of an election that is being held in stages over six weeks.
The army council has said it will not let the transition be derailed and has pledged to hand power to an elected president by July.
Activists plan a million-man march to Tahrir Square on December 23 to protest against army rule and the latest violence.
A few hundred hardy protesters were still in and around the square on Wednesday, surrounded by streets strewn with rocks exchanged between them and security forces. Some protesters held up bullets and cartridge cases that they said had been used against them. Traffic passed through other parts of the square.
The clashes have driven a wedge between those determined to stay on the streets and other Egyptians desperate for a return to order after turmoil that has damaged the economy and scared off foreign tourists. Many still see the army as the only institution capable of achieving this.
“All demonstrations should stop to end this violence until we finish elections and elect a president, then all the demonstrators can voice their concerns through members of parliament,” said Erian Saleeb, 64, who works in the floundering tourist industry.
But many have been shocked by images of police and soldiers hitting protesters with batons even after they fell to the ground and, in one case, dragging a prone woman by her black robe, exposing her bra, and then kicking her.
STRONG U.S. RESPONSE
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week responded with some of the strongest U.S. criticism of Egypt's new rulers, citing cases of women protesters being sexually assaulted.
“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonors the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people,” she said.
The United States, for which Egypt under Mubarak was a crucial ally, gives Cairo $1.3 billion a year in military aid.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said on Wednesday that Egypt would not accept meddling in its affairs, and did not take comments such as Clinton's lightly.
In a statement, the army council apologized, saying it “respects and appreciates Egyptian women and their right to protest and fully participate in political life.”
But other generals and their advisers have condemned the pro-democracy demonstrators, whom they accuse of wreaking havoc.
The credit rating agency Moody's downgraded Egypt's debt on Wednesday and said it might knock it down another notch because political uncertainty was undermining investor confidence – a fresh blow to an economy already reeling from months of unrest.
Moody's said that, without financial support, Egypt's central bank might find it difficult to maintain adequate liquidity in the months or year ahead.
One opposition group that has lowered its profile in the protests is the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party now leads the election results after the first round, followed by ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists.
A large percentage of the individual – rather than party list – seats up for grabs in the run-offs were being contested between Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi candidates. Egypt's system involves a mixture of party lists and individual candidates.
Analysts say the Brotherhood has kept a low profile as it is determined to see the vote completed, putting it in a commanding position in the new assembly and securing its place in mainstream politics for the first time in its 83-year history.
(Additional reporting by Dina Zayed and Sherine El Madany; Writing by Edmund Blair and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Africa Day 2010 – Iveagh Gardens
Image by infomatique
Africa Day Dublin took in the Iveagh Gardens Sunday 16th May from 12 noon to 7pm and the organizers gave me access to all areas.
Irish Aid has chosen a food-related theme for its Africa Day celebrations in 2010, with a particular focus on issues such as food security and hunger.
Upon arrival at the Iveagh Gardens, visitors were greeted by the sights, sounds and smells of Africa. As expected the African Bazaar proved to be a hub of activity, showcasing the food, music and unique cultures of over 20 different African countries.
Music was the key feature of Africa Day 2010, with performances from high-profile African and Irish acts on the Main Stage. A new feature this year was the Music Tent, which featured interactive workshops over the course of the day.
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptians returned to the polls on Wednesday in a phased parliamentary election after five days of violence in Cairo that has cast a pall over the transition to democracy and drawn a U.S. rebuke of Egypt's security forces.
Tahrir Square and surrounding streets were quiet through the night for the first time in a week. A night earlier, police and soldiers had used tear gas and batons to chase protesters demanding an end to army rule out of the square.
The latest confrontations, in which 13 people have been killed, made for a turbulent backdrop to Egypt's first election since Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. Even before the vote got under way in November, a flare-up in Tahrir killed 42.
Nine provinces, mostly outside the capital, held run-off votes on Wednesday and Thursday in the election that is being held in stages over six weeks and ends on January 11.
The ruling army council, which took over from Mubarak, has said it will not let the transition be derailed and has pledged to hand power to an elected president by July. But protesters in the square want the army to return to barracks far sooner.
“God willing, we will complete the revolution by January 25 by bringing down the army council,” said 25-year-old protester Mahmoud, who declined to give his full name. The uprising against Mubarak began on January 25, 2011 and lasted 18 days.
Near where he spoke, the authorities have erected walls of concrete blocks, barring access from the square on roads leading to the parliament, the cabinet and Interior Ministry where violence has been the most fierce.
A few hundred hardy protesters were still in and around the square on Wednesday, surrounded by streets strewn with rocks exchanged between them and security forces. Some protesters held up bullets and cartridge cases they say were used against them.
Traffic passed through other parts of the big square.
The clashes have driven a wedge between those determined to stay on the streets and other Egyptians frustrated by the turmoil, which has damaged the economy and scared off foreign tourists, and now desperate for a return of order. Many still see the army as the only institution capable of achieving this.
SHOCKED BY IMAGES
“All demonstrations should stop to end this violence until we finish elections and elect a president then all the demonstrators can voice their concerns through members of parliament,” said Erian Saleeb, 64, who works in the floundering tourist industry.
But many have been shocked by images of police and soldiers hitting protesters with batons even after they fell to the ground and, in one case, dragging a prone woman by her black robe, exposing her bra, and then kicking her.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week referred to that incident of the beaten woman as “particularly shocking” and cited other cases of women protesters sexually assaulted.
“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonors the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people,” she said, in some of the strongest U.S. criticism of Egypt's new rulers.
The United States, for which Egypt under Mubarak was a crucial ally, gives Cairo $1.3 billion a year in military aid.
The Egyptian foreign minister responded on Wednesday that Egypt would not accept any meddling in its own affairs.
“Egypt does not accept any interference in its internal affairs and conducts communications and clarifications concerning statements made by foreign officials,” the state news agency quoted Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr as saying.
“Matters like that are not taken lightly,” he was quoted as saying, in his response to a question about Clinton's remarks.
STRIPPED AND DRAGGED
Thousands of women marched to Tahrir on Tuesday dressed in black and flanked by male protesters who vowed to protect them from harassment chanting “the women of Egypt are a red line!”
“What happened to the girl who was stripped and dragged was sheer savagery. We cannot be silent about this. I want someone from the military council to admit responsibility,” said Sarah Rifaat, a 27-year-old environmentalist.
In a statement, the army council apologized, saying it “respects and appreciates Egyptian women and their right to protest and fully participate in political life.” An army general said it was an isolated case and under investigation.
But other generals and their advisers have condemned the pro-democracy demonstrators, who they accuse of wreaking havoc.
The financial ratings agency Moody's downgraded Egypt on Wednesday and said it might consider knocking it down another notch because the unsettled political situation was continuing to undermine investor confidence – a further blow to an economy already reeling from months of unrest.
Moody's said that without financial support, the country's central bank may find it difficult to maintain adequate liquidity in the months or year ahead.
One opposition group that has lowered its profile in the protests is the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party now leads the election results after the first round, followed by ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists.
A large percentage of the individual – rather than party list – seats up for grabs in the run-offs will be contested between Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi candidates. Egypt's system involves a mixture of party lists and individual candidates.
Analysts say the Brotherhood has kept a low profile as it is determined to see the vote completed, putting it in a commanding position in the new assembly and securing its place in mainstream politics for the first time in its 83-year history.
(Additional reporting by Dina Zayed and Sherine El Madany; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
MOGADISHU, Somalia – A Somali government minister says 200 troops from Djibouti have arrived in Somalia’s capital to join the African Union force that helps protect the government and fight Islamist insurgents.
Interior Minister Abdishakur Sheik Hassan said Djiboutian troops landed at Mogadishu’s main airport Tuesday.
The arrival of troops from the tiny East African nation gives a boost to the 10,000-strong African Union force, which is comprised mostly of troops from Uganda and Burundi. The AU force this year succeeded in driving out most Islamist fighters from the capital, Mogadishu.
Kenya recently pledged to commit troops to the AU force, though the offer must be approved by the U.N. Kenyan troops moved into southern Somalia in October.
Saif al-Islam's physical condition was good, according to Mr Abrahams
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Libya Crisis
'Cleansed' Libyan town spills its terrible secrets
Heroes of the Tripoli underground
Going home to the new Libya
Libya's rebels without a cause
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the deposed Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, has not seen a lawyer since his arrest, a human rights campaigner has told the BBC.
However, Saif al-Islam had no complaints of maltreatment, according to Fred Abrahams of Human Rights Watch.
Mr Abrahams called on Libyan authorities to give him access to a lawyer “as soon as possible”.
Saif al-Islam was arrested last month while apparently trying to flee Libya.
He is the most high profile captive from the previous regime.
Mr Abrahams said Libyan authorities had allowed him to spend half an hour alone with Saif al-Islam in the town of Zintan, where he is being held.
Saif al-Islam's physical condition was “good” and he had an operation around three weeks ago to treat a hand injury, Mr Abrahams said.
Libyan prosecutors said that Saif al-Islam will have access to a lawyer as soon as he is transferred to a secure facility in the capital Tripoli, he added.
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Saif al-Islam: ICC charges
Indirect co-perpetrator of murder and persecution as crimes against humanity
Between 15 February and 28 February, Gaddafi security forces carried out systematic attacks against civilians
Saif al-Islam “assumed essential tasks” to make sure plan worked
ICC warrant
In pictures: Saif's rise and fall
Profile: Saif al-Islam
How Saif al-Islam was captured
Saif al-Islam complained to Mr Abrahams of what he described as his “isolation”, saying that while officials had been to visit him, he had not been allowed to see anyone of his own choosing.
Mr Abrahams said he had the impression from the meeting that Saif al-Islam “doesn't fully understand that he is no longer one of the most powerful people in the country”.
Saif al-Islam is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity.
The ICC has agreed that he will be tried within Libya, under terms laid out by the ruling National Transitional Council.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim al-Keib has promised Saif al-Islam will receive a fair trial.
Situated on the equator on Africa's east coast, Kenya has been described as “the cradle of humanity”.
In the Great Rift Valley palaeontologists have discovered some of the earliest evidence of man's ancestors.
In the present day, Kenya's ethnic diversity has produced a vibrant culture but is also a source of conflict.
After independence from Britain in 1963, politics was dominated by the charismatic Jomo Kenyatta. He was succeeded in 1978 by Daniel arap Moi, who remained in power for 24 years. The ruling Kenya African National Union, Kanu, was the only legal political party for much of the 1980s.
Violent unrest – and international pressure – led to the restoration of multi-party politics in the early 1990s. But it was to be another decade before opposition candidate Mwai Kibaki ended nearly 40 years of Kanu rule with his landslide victory in 2002's general election.
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At a glance
Politics: Presidential elections in 2007 led to widespread unrest, denting the country's reputation for stability. A power-sharing government was eventually formed. A referendum on a new constitution in August 2010 produced a resounding “yes” vote
Economy: The economy has been recovering over recent years
International: Kenya has mediated in conflicts in Somalia and Sudan
Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring
Despite President Kibaki's pledge to tackle corruption, some donors estimated that up to $1bn had been lost to graft between 2002 and 2005.
Other pressing challenges include high unemployment, crime and poverty; most Kenyans live below the poverty level of $1 a day. Droughts frequently put millions of people at risk.
Kenya has been a leading light in the Somali and Sudanese peace processes.
With its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife, Kenya is one of Africa's major safari destinations.
The lucrative tourist industry has bounced back following the slump that followed bomb attacks in Nairobi in 1998 and Mombasa in 2002. And in 2006 tourism was the country's best hard currency earner, ahead of horticulture and tea.
www.www.davidduke.com suitable for all viewers. This video concerns Genocide against the White farmers, Graphic scenes have been sanitized so it is no more graphic than a typical TV news broadcast. How White people are facing an ongoing genocide in South Africa and the vital need for people all over the world to raise their voice to stop this Genocide. The world was told that the White Government in South Africa was evil. Yet, the White people made a great nation and Black people thrived and prospered there. Far from genocide, Blacks came from all over Africa to enjoy the prosperity, medical care, education, and relative freedom that the White people created there. If the world could boycott South Africa for having separate racial development should it not boycott the South African Government for the genocide going on against White people in that country today. Boycott the World Cup
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Johan Persson (L) and Martin Schibbye (R) could face up to 15 years in prison
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Related Stories
Ethiopia 'using aid as weapon of oppression'
'Why I took up arms against Ethiopia'
In the shadow of Ethiopia's rebels
An Ethiopian court has convicted two Swedish journalists of supporting terrorism.
Ethiopian troops captured Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye six months ago during a clash with rebels in the East African state's Somali region.
The court ruled it was “very unlikely” that they had only entered Ethiopia illegally to gather news.
Ethiopia regards the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebel group as a terrorist organisation.
Judge Shemsu Sirgaga said the group arranged the Swedes' journey from London to Ethiopia, with stop-overs in Kenya and Somalia, the AP news agency reports.
‘Expressionless’
“Guilty as charged, period, unanimous vote,” the judge is quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
“They have shown that they are esteemed journalists, but we cannot conclude that someone with a good reputation doesn't engage in criminal acts.”
Persson and Schibbye were charged under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism law and could be jailed for up to 15 years.
Both reporters appeared expressionless at the verdict and it was not clear whether they understood the judge since they had no translator, AFP reports.
During their trial, they admitted entering Ethiopia illegally with the ONLF but denied terrorism charges.
The court will sentence the two next week.
Since the 1970s, the ONLF has been fighting for the rights of Somali-speaking Ethiopians, who they say have been marginalised by the government in Addis Ababa.
One ONLF faction signed a peace deal with the government last year, but another splinter group has continued to fight the army.
Human rights groups have repeatedly accused the government of widespread atrocities in the Somali-speaking region, where journalists need permission to travel.
Liberia is Africa's oldest republic, but it became better known in the 1990s for its long-running, ruinous civil war and its role in a rebellion in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
Although founded by freed American and Caribbean slaves, Liberia is mostly made up of indigenous Africans, with the slaves' descendants comprising 5% of the population.
The West African nation was relatively calm until 1980 when William Tolbert was overthrown by Sergeant Samuel Doe after food price riots. The coup marked the end of dominance by the minority Americo-Liberians, who had ruled since independence, but heralded a period of instability.
By the late 1980s, arbitrary rule and economic collapse culminated in civil war when Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) militia overran much of the countryside, entering the capital in 1990. Mr Doe was executed.
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At a glance
Politics: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became president in 2006 after the first polls since the end of the civil war
Economy: The infrastructure is in ruins. The UN voted to lift a ban on diamond exports, which fuelled the civil war, in April 2007. A ban on timber exports was lifted in 2006
International: 15,000 UN peacekeepers are in place; ex-president Charles Taylor is on trial in The Hague for alleged war crimes for supporting rebels in Sierra Leone; Liberian refugees are scattered across the region
Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring
Fighting intensified as the rebels splintered and battled each other, the Liberian army and West African peacekeepers. In 1995 a peace agreement was signed, leading to the election of Mr Taylor as president.
The respite was brief, with anti-government fighting breaking out in the north in 1999. Mr Taylor accused Guinea of supporting the rebellion. Meanwhile Ghana, Nigeria and others accused Mr Taylor of backing rebels in Sierra Leone.
Matters came to a head in 2003 when Mr Taylor – under international pressure to quit and hemmed in by rebels – stepped down and went into exile in Nigeria. A transitional government steered the country towards elections in 2005.
Around 250,000 people were killed in Liberia's civil war and many thousands more fled the fighting. The conflict left the country in economic ruin and overrun with weapons. The capital remains without mains electricity and running water. Corruption is rife and unemployment and illiteracy are endemic.
The UN maintains some 15,000 soldiers in Liberia. It is one of the organisation's most expensive peacekeeping operations.