Feed aggregator

May 23, 2015 (JUBA/ADDIS ABABA) - South Sudanese army (SPLA) has been accused of killing based on ethnicity a senior official in Western Equatoria state after soldiers loyal to the administration under president Salva Kiir came under fire from alleged attack by rebel forces on Thursday.

W. Equatoria State (WES) Speaker Bukulu Edward Mandeson (left), Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, WES Governor (center) and Samson Arabi, Commissioner Mundri West (right) campaign for separation in Southern Sudan's independence referendum. Dec. 16, 2010 (ST)

John Cleopa, executive director of Mundri West county, was shot dead on Friday while accompanying the county commissioner to a spot where two SPLA soldiers were killed and several others wounded on Thursday night.

Opposition forces led by former vice-president, Riek Machar, claimed the SPLA forces fell into ambush they laid while trying to reinforce their troops in Mundri which allegedly came under the control of the rebels later on Friday.

But Western Equatoria state officials described attackers as unknown gunmen and admitted that incidents of fighting were taking place around Mundri.

However, they blamed the death of one of their officials on their own army (SPLA) which they accused of assassinating the county executive director.

“Who says John [Cleopa] was killed by people not known? This is a bad politics and it will backfire. Our people know the truth. I was there when John was killed. I accompanied him to the scene after hearing that some SPLA forces came under fire and that two soldiers were killed.”

“He was talking on the telephone when one of the soldiers who complained why the local authorities did not intervene left the scene and in the matter of one minute, he opened fire on John. He did not kill other people. This was a clear assassination because of his ethnicity,” an official who claimed to have accompanied the former executive director for Mundri West county told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

He said he, John and county commissioner were visiting the area as county authorities to investigate what happened and how it happened. It however seemed the soldiers were frustrated because no local fighters from the area came to their rescue when they were under attack.

“When we got the information, John then decided to call authorities in Yambio and in Juba to provide information about the incident so that he could hear from them how to go about it. He talked to some members of parliament in Juba and in Yambio,” he further explained.

But Mundri West county commissioner, Hassan Bakheit, told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that the official was killed by unidentified gunmen from a distance.

“I did not see the people. It just happened that some people opened fire from a distance and the bullets hit John. I was driven away and until now we are not able to identify the people who shot him. It was a random shooting coming from different directions. So it is difficult to say who opened fire,” Bakheit said.

He denied that the town had fallen under the control of the opposition forces operating in the area, saying a reinforcement by the South Sudanese army from Maridi restored the situation in Mundri town.

“I am speaking to you from Mundri town. The situation today is calm and under control. The SPLA forces have come from Maridi and we are working with them and the police and other security forces to restore law and order,” said the returning commissioner.

He called on civilians who fled the town on Friday to come back, saying the situation went back to normalcy.

The top county official did not deny or confirm the presence of the armed opposition in the area, although he denied that the town was under their control.

South Sudan rebels said they captured Mundri town on Friday, adding that the county executive director was occidentally killed while trying to escape from the town. They also claimed to have dispersed an SPLA reinforcement coming from Lakes state.

Rebel sources told Sudan Tribune that their forces began to evacuate vulnerable groups from Mundri town on Saturday in anticipation of government's attack to recapture the town. It was not however clear whether their forces who allegedly captured the town also withdrew.

The operation that captured Mundri, they claimed, was led by Colonel Wesley Welebe and under the overall command of Major General Elias Lako Jada.

Mundri is some 200km west of the country's capital, Juba. A significant presence of the rebels in the area would pose threat to the national capital.

(ST)

Szakmai konferencián ismertette a Kukkonia polgári társulás területfejlesztési programját, a Kukkonia projektet, amelynek célja, hogy attraktív idegenforgalmi régióvá változtassák Csallóközt.

Malgré la signature d'un accord de paix le 15 mai dernier à Bamako, sans les principaux groupes armés opposés au gouvernement malien, la situation sécuritaire se dégrade dans le nord du Mali. Près d'une dizaine d'accrochages, d'attaques, se sont déroulés depuis faisant plusieurs victimes.

Les ONG ne cessent d'alerter sur les conditions de vie impossibles de la population sud-soudanaise, soumise aux violences extrêmes des combattants du gouvernement et de la rébellion.

May 22, 2015 (WAU) – A team of 12 Egyptian doctors are in South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal state to conduct multiple operations for a week.

The doctors, led by Dr. Hisham Labib, are in the Western Bahr el Ghazal capital, Wau to conduct operations, targeting 600 patients.

“This is a part of the cooperation between the Egypt government and the government of south Sudan in health sector,” said Labib.

“Our services are open to every citizen in the state starting from tomorrow [Saturday] up to the 28th of this month,” he added.

The North African country was one of the first nations to recognise South Sudan's independence when it seceded from Sudan in 2011.

In February, the Egyptian government earmarked $2 billion for the construction of a multi-purpose hydro electricity power project on Jur River in Western Bahr el Ghazal.

(ST)

A svéd Måns Zelmerlöw győzelmével ért véget a Bécsben megrendezett 60. Eurovíziós Dalfesztivál döntője, amelyben 27 ország előadója lépett színpadra. A svéd énekes Heroes (Hősök) című dala 365 pontot kapott.

A 28 éves éves svéd győztes nagy fölénnyel győzött, az orosz Polina Gagarina lett a második A Million Voices-zal (303 pont), az olasz Il Volo trió és a Grande Amore (292 pont) a harmadik. A végeredmény a nemzeti zsűrik és a tévénézők szavazatainak kombinációjaként alakult ki. A dalfesztivál történetében hatodszor született svéd győzelem.
A Magyarországot képviselő Csemer Boglárka Boggie, aki a keddi első elődöntőből jutott a fináléba, 19 ponttal a 20. helyen végzett Wars For Nothing című dalával. A Szerbiát képviselő Bojana Stamenov, aki szintén a keddi elődöntőből jutott a fináléba, a tizedik lett.

May 23, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir will fly to Doha on Sunday for talks with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (L) and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha on 8 July 2014 (QNA)

Qatar news agency (QNA) said the two leaders will discuss bilateral ties but did not say how long the visit will last.

Senior diplomatic sources told Sudan Tribune that the crisis in Yemen will Syria will be part of the discussions.

They noted Sudan's participation in the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Bashir's recent assertions that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad need to be part of the political solution.

Bashir could also renew his invitation to the Qatari Emir to participate in his swearing-in ceremony scheduled June 2nd, the sources said.

The Sudanese leader today returned home from a previously unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia in which he met with King Salman Bin Abdel-Aziz and other senior officials.

He also held talks with Yemeni president Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi who has resided in Riyadh shortly before the military campaign started in March.

Today, Bashir phoned King Salman to condemn the suicide bombing that targeted a Shiite mosque in East Saudi Arabia province of Qatif. He conveyed his condolences and that of the Sudanese people over the victims.

The Saudi monarch expressed his gratitude to Bashir for his phone call.

Sudan's foreign ministry issued a separate statement saying that Khartoum would continue to support the security of Saudi Arabia and expressed confidence in the ability of Riyadh's security bodies to nab the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.

The relations between two countries appear to have warmed up after years of tense relations. Hours after Bashir's visit to Riyadh last March, it was announced that Sudan has joined the military coalition in Yemen.

Khartoum's close ties with Tehran was the main cause of cool relations with Riyadh. Last year, Sudan closed Iranian cultural centers in the country which was seen as a gesture of goodwill towards Arab Gulf states.

Sudanese officials have expressed strong hope that Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf states would generously reward Khartoum for shifting alliances away from Iran.

But a Gulf diplomat speaking to Reuters last month downplayed these hopes.

"There is no trust in the Gulf for Omer al-Bashir...The leaders in the Gulf think that Bashir can betray them at any time, so they won't give him aid until he shows he is serious about joining them and leaving Iran," the diplomat said.

In April, the Saudi ambassador in Sudan denied local media reports that his country provided any cash assistance to Khartoum.

(ST)

Chinese FAW MV3 General Utility Truck

A Moholt képviselő Szerbák Zoltán ért be elsőnek szombaton a harmadik alkalommal megrendezett Vajdasági Vágtán Perun nevű lovával a Topolya melletti Andrásnépe (Zobnatica) településen - számolt be honlapján az eredményről a Pannon RTV.

Második a kishegyesi Cékus Árpád lett Gádzsóval, harmadikként pedig Dudás József ért célba Oromhegyes színeiben Cézárral. A három lovas képviseli majd a Vajdaságot a budapesti Nemzeti Vágtán szeptemberben.
A Nemzeti Vágta délvidéki előfutamára huszonegy délvidéki település nevezte be lovát és lovasát. A helyszíni jelentések szerint a rossz idő ellenére több ezren látogattak ki a lovas ünnepre, amelyen a futamok mellett lovasbemutatót, huszárbemutatót, lovasíjász bemutatót, fogathajtó-versenyt, valamint különböző szórakoztató programokat tartottak. A szervezők becslése szerint első alkalommal 8 ezer, tavaly pedig kicsivel több, mint 10 ezer látogatója volt az eseménynek.
Idén először Kishuszár Vágtát is szerveztek, amelyen a 10-16 éves gyerekek vettek részt kisebb növésű, maximum 138 centiméter magas lovakon.
A Vajdaságban elsősorban az ügetősportnak van hagyománya, de egyre népszerűbb a fogathajtás és az akadályugratás is.

Az előkelő második helyen végzett az Oroszországot képviselő Polina Gagarina "Million Voices" című dalával a bécsi Eurovíziós Dalsfesztivál döntőjében. Az élen a svéd Måns Zelmerlöw végzett.

Selon les informations du quotidien national L’Essor, les forces armées maliennes (FAMas) ont repris Tessit aux rebelles ce samedi, sans donner de bilan.   Plus d'informations

May 23, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government said that it aborted a move by the European states within the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Crime Commission) to give the International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction over crimes against women and children.

In its 24th session concluded on Friday, the Crime Commission passed nine resolutions including one on the UN standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners (known as the "Mandela rules").

The commission brought together as many as 1,000 delegates from member states, non-governmental organizations and civil society, including several high-level speakers.

Several participants from poor nations in South America, Africa and Asia, stressed importance of the punitive measures included in the Mandela rules but voiced reservation over lack of necessary financial capabilities to build prisons.

The UN for its part vowed to provide financial assistance to enable those countries to apply the rules in the future.

Sudan's permanent representative before UN agencies, Mohamed Zaroug, said his country already applies those rules.

He pointed that his country, in coordination with several non-member states of the ICC, managed to prevent attempts by the European countries to consider the crime against women and children a war crime and give the ICC jurisdiction over it.

Zaroug told the Turkish news agency Andolu Saturday that violence against women is usually committed under normal conditions and not necessarily linked to wars, noting that ICC non-member states could not be forced to become parties to the Rome statute.

According to western diplomats the European bloc withdrew their request in order to avoid a vote that could lead to its rejection by at the plenary session of the commission.

The Mandela rules include extensive revisions and additions to the UN's Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners‚ which date back to 1955.

They contain an expanded section of basic principles‚ including the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel‚ inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The rules also provides clear and detailed instructions on issues such as cell and body searches‚ registration and record keeping‚ investigations into deaths and complaints of torture and other ill-treatment‚ the needs of specific groups‚ independent inspections of prisons‚ the right to legal representation and more.

Resolutions of the Crime Commission are expected to be adopted by the UN General Assembly during its 70th regular session in September.

(ST)

May 23, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – Spokesman for the opposition leader, Riek Machar, said a video clip played on South Sudan TV (SSTV) on Thursday which alleged recorded defeat of the rebels in Melut town, near Paloch oilfields in Upper Nile state, was misleading.

SPLA soldiers sit at the back of a pick-up truck in Malakal, Upper Nile state January 12, 2014. (Photo Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

“A video clip played on SSTV alleging recorded defeat of our forces in Melut town by pro-Salva Kiir's soldiers is laughable. It was misleading,” said Machar's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak.

Dak told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that the video clip was shot on Tuesday, 19 May the day the rebel forces captured the town, challenging how the government could claim that it defeated their forces on the same day.

The government-run SSTV on Thursday played a programme produced by Brigadier General Malaak Ayuen, the director of information and public relations in the headquarters of the South Sudanese army, which claimed how their troops forced out the rebel troops from Melut town two days after the rebels captured the town.

It showed a long convoy of soldiers arriving on Toyota pick-ups while others were shooting as they walked. The video clip also showed a burning town and ferry destroyed in the river mounted with heavy weapons.

Ayuen who was introducing what was being shown in the live pictures with songs of victory in the background said it was the fighting that flushed out the rebel forces from the area.

However Dak said watching the video clip it was clear that it was shot either before they attacked Melut or after their forces already withdrew from the town, saying the government was trying to appear as if they forcefully flushed out their forces from the town.

The rebel leader's spokesperson said their forces were not defeated but orderly withdrew after taking away all the arsenal the government stored in the town, explaining that government forces returned after learning that the town was empty.

He also said watching and examining the video clip carefully one would easily detect that there was no exchange of fire.

“They think they can deceive every citizen in South Sudan, which is not true. If you watch the video clip you will notice that there was no exchange of fire. Only the government forces were shooting in a very relaxed manner,” he said.

“Some were even shown sitting on the ground and chatting while others were randomly shooting bullets in a certain direction. There was no intensity in the shootings. It was random shooting.”

He further said even the video shots were taken in a seemingly calm environment in which the camera person was not disturbed.

Dak said the date on which the purported video was shot indicated it was 19 May on Tuesday the day the town was captured by the rebels, saying government “propagandists” should explain whether they wrongly set the date in the camera or they were recording their on defeat on that day.

The video named ‘The battle of Melut by SPLA' can be accessed by following this link on youtube. .

(ST)

L’Ethiopie, le deuxième pays le plus peuplé d’Afrique, vote ce dimanche 24 mai. Un scrutin sans beaucoup de suspense, car le parti hégémonique de l’homme fort disparu Meles Zenawi a verrouillé l’espace politique et social et a marginalisé l’opposition. Au pouvoir depuis 1991, l’EPRDF va donc vraisemblablement remporter ces élections, la seule inconnue concernerait l’ampleur de sa victoire.

May 23, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – As the horn of Africa country is preparing to conduct parliamentary elections, the Ethiopian government on Friday warned supporters of contesting parties against any act that could incite violence.

A man herds his animals near a billboard of Blue Party candidate Amlaku Fiseha Ishete on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, May 23, 2015. Reuters Photo)

Ethiopians will go to polls on Sunday, the country's fifth parliamentary election since the former dictatorial Marxist Derg regime was overthrown in 1991.

Nearly 37 million eligible electorates will cast their votes at over 45,000 polling stations nationwide.

The ruling Ethiopia People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has called on party supporters to maintain peace after casting votes.

The Ethiopian government repeatedly reiterated commitment to deliver in orderly manner a democratic, peaceful, free and fair election. But some opposition groups say that the election lacks a level playing field.

Addressing parliament on Thursday, EPRDF leader and prime minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, said his government will take actions against any individual or group who attempts to cause disturbances during the election days.

“There is no reason whatsoever for anybody to incite electoral violence in the current election,” Desalegn said.

“In the event of any election disturbances, the government is well prepared and stands unflinchingly determined to take measures” he added.

The premier also warned some opposition parties who he said are planning to incite violence in the pretext of vote rigging.

The African Union (AU) Election Observation Mission has also called on contesting political parties and supporters to exercise restraint so as the country remain peaceful and stable to conduct the polls.

Hifikepunye Pohamba, former Namibian president and head of the AU observers' mission told reporters that four teams of long-term observers have been deployed in eight regional states.

Some 6,000 parliamentary candidates fielded by 58 political parties will contest for the 547 seat parliament.

All parliament seats had been occupied by the ruling party except two.

The Ruling EPRDF party has won all the four previous held elections and it is also widely expected to secure landslide victory this weekend.

Under the rule of EPRDF, Ethiopia has a continuously managed to register double-digit economic growth making the East African nation one of the 10 fastest growing economies worldwide.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country has also been relatively stability compared to other countries in the volatile Horn of Africa's region.

However international human rights groups continuously accuse the Ethiopian government of gross human right violations including illegal detention against opposition members and journalists critical to government.

The Ethiopian government is accused of using the 2009 introduced anti-terrorism law as a pretext to silence dissent and punish members and leaders of opposition political parties.

The broadly defined counter terrorism law criminalizes any reporting considered to 'encourage' or 'provide moral support' to entities such as Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Ginbot-7 labelled by government as terrorist organizations.

(ST)

La justice espagnole a lancé un mandat d'arrêt vendredi 22 mai contre un ancien gardien de prison marocain accusé de torture entre 1975 et 1991. Cette période suit le retrait de l'Espagne de sa colonie, le Sahara occidental, et le cessez-le-feu encadré par l'ONU.

Les Espagnols votent ce dimanche 24 mai pour des élections régionales et municipales. Après trente ans d’alternance entre conservateurs et socialistes, le suspense est très élevé avec la présence de deux nouveaux partis, Podemos et Ciudadanos, auxquels les sondages prévoient de bons scores.

Le duel présidentiel en Pologne se joue sur le fil du rasoir entre le chef d'Etat sortant de centre-droit Bronislaw Komorowski, et son rival conservateur et populiste Andrzej Duda, lors du second tour du scrutin ce dimanche 24 mai. Les derniers sondages publiés vendredi indiquaient une légère différence, proche de la marge d’erreur.

Névnap Eszter – 1. – héber eredetű; jelentése: mirtusz;
2. – perzsa eredetű; jelentése: csillag, bájos fiatal lány

Eliza – az Erzsébet (Elisabeth) önállósult rövidülése. Idézet „Nem volt felelni valóm, hiszen nem mondott újat, ő nem fogta fel, hogy attól, hogy kölcsönösen szeretjük egymást, még úgy meg tud döfni, hogy térdre esem. Éppen azért, mert szeret, és mert én is szeretem. Csak az tud nekem fájdalmat okozni, akihez közöm van.”

Szabó Magda

• A nap aktualitása
• A nap igéje
• A nap liturgiája

NÉPI KALENDÁRIUM:

Pünkösd

Pünkösd neve a görög pentekosztész ’ötvenedik’ szóból származik, ugyanis ez az ünnep a húsvétot követő ötvenedik napon kezdődik. Pünkösd a húsvét függvényében mozgó ünnep, május 10-e és június 13-a között. A magyar pünkösdi szokások a keresztény ünnephez kapcsolódnak ugyan, de mint az alábbi tiltó rendelkezések is bizonyítják, számos olyan szokás és hiedelem őrződött meg, melyek legfeljebb csak az elnevezésükben köthetők pünkösdhöz, például a csetneki zsinat határozata 1594-ben tiltotta a pünkösdi királyválasztást, táncot és játékokat. Az 1692-ből származó csíkkozmási tiltás így szólt: „Eleitől fogva régi időben is mindenkor tilalma volt a sátoros ünnepeken való táncolásnak, királynéasszony ültetésnek, mely pogányoktól maradott szokás ezután is tilalmas.” 1770-ben Tessedik Sámuel arról számolt be, hogy megszüntették a májusi fák bevitelét a templomba pünkösdkor, mert a gazdák legszebb gyümölcsfáikat láthatták ott kivagdosva. A tiltások jellegzetes pünkösdi szokásokra vonatkoznak: pünkösdi királyválasztás, pünkösdi királynéjárás, pünkösdi zöldágazás, májusfa, valamint pünkösdi mulatságok, táncok, játékok.

Magyar Néprajz VII.

 MAGYARORSZÁG KULTÚRTÖRTÉNETÉBŐL:

- Mészáros Ági (1918) színésznő játékát könnyedség, humor és magával ragadó báj, valamint drámaiság jellemezte. 1956-os megnyilvánulásai miatt mellőzték.

Forrás: Magyarország kultúrtörténete napról napra, Honfoglalás Egyesület 2000.

ISTEN DICSŐÍTÉSENEK FONTOSSÁGA (1)

„… ha ezek elhallgatnak, a kövek fognak kiáltani.” (Lukács 19:40)

Azt mondják, hogy ha a tudósok egyszer majd megfejtik az univerzum titkát, és rájönnek, miből is áll az „ősanyag”, akkor zenét fognak benne találni. Amikor a farizeusok megpróbálták elhallgattatni azokat, akik dicsőítették az Urat, akkor mondta Jézus ezt: „ha ezek elhallgatnak, a kövek fognak kiáltani” (Lukács 19:40). A Bibliában azt is olvassuk, hogy a fák tapsolnak, a hegyek és tengerek magasztalják Istent. Az egész teremetett világ arra lett tervezve, hogy dicsőítse alkotóját. Ha te nem teszed ezt, akkor nem jön életre kapcsolat közted és Isten között, és egy űr marad benned, amit semmi más nem tud betölteni. Dávid azt mondta: „Jusson eléd imádságom, mint illatáldozat, imára emelt kezem, mint esti áldozat!” (Zsoltárok 141:2). Az a héber szó, amit itt imának fordítunk, „dicséret énekét” jelenti, és a Bibliában nem kevesebb, mint 72-szer fordul elő ilyen értelemben. Kezdj hát el dicséretet énekelni Istennek! A szövetség ládája három dolgot jelképezett: győzelmet, útmutatást és Isten jelenlétét. Nem csoda, hogy Izráel népe elveszettnek érezte magát nélküle. Figyeld meg, hogyan hozták vissza, amikor visszaszerezték ellenségeiktől, a filiszteusoktól: „Dávid pedig és egész Izráel szent táncot járt Isten szíve előtt teljes erővel, énekelve, citerák, lantok, dobok, cintányérok és harsonák kíséretében” (1Krónikák 13:8). Észrevetted a „teljes erővel” kifejezést? Félre a sápadt, szánalmas dicsőítéssel! Add bele szíved-lelked! A dicsőítés bensőséges kapcsolatot teremt Istennel. Jeruzsálem újjáépítésekor az énekesek ugyanolyan létfontosságú részei voltak a sikernek, mint a katonák és az építőmunkások. Sőt, szerepük annyira fontos volt, hogy fizetést is kaptak érte (ld. Nehémiás 11:22-23). Kezdd hát dicsőíteni Istent!

A fenti elmélkedés a Keresztyén Média UCB Hungary Alapítvány napi elmélkedése (honlap: maiige.hu), melynek írója Bob Gass. Magyar nyelven negyedévre szóló kiadvány formájában megrendelhető az említett honlapon, vagy a következő címen: Mai Ige, 6201 Kiskőrös, Pf. 33.

Szűz Mária

Szent V. Piusz pápa mindent megtett az egész keresztény világot végveszélybe tipró török birodalom ellen. Mohács után 1526-ban minden elveszni látszott. 1541-ben elesett Buda. 1568-ban már adott Miksa magyar királynak 30000 aranyat a végvárak védelmére, de a török előnyomulás feltartóztathatatlannak látszott. Szövetséget hozott létre a török tengeri haderő ellen Velencével és Spanyolországgal.

Az imában bízott azonban legjobban. A rózsafüzér imádkozását szorgalmazta, de ő maga is környezetével kitartóan imádkozta. Így volt ez az egyesült keresztény sereg és a túlerőben levő török hajóhad Lepantó melletti összecsapása idején is 1571. október 7-én. A rózsafüzért imádkozva a pápa sugallatban értesült a győzelemről, és elrendelte minden október 7-én “Mária, Rózsafüzér Királynője” ünnepének megünneplését. Ugyanakkor a “Keresztények Segítsége” megszólítást is a hívek imáiba ajánlotta. 1571 óta ez a megszólítás a lorettói litánia fohászai közt szerepel.

bacskaplebania.hu