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SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 28 ceasefire violations, including seven explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 149 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 14 ceasefire violations, including four explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 76 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission observed damage to a civilian property in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district, Donetsk region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Syhnalne, Donetsk region.*
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and maintenance of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM visited two border crossing points in Donetsk region and monitored areas near the border with the Russian Federation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission observed a religious procession in Kyiv.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at three checkpoints of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region.*

Le nombre de contaminations au Covid-19 en Algérie a enregistré hier un nouveau record historique pour frôler la barre des 2000 cas en 24H, au bilan d’aujourd’hui 29 juillet l’Algérie a enregistré une légère baisse dans le nombre de contaminations au coronavirus, selon le dernier bilan rendu public en fin de journée par le ministère […]

L’article Covid-19 en Algérie : les chiffres du bilan du 29 juillet est apparu en premier sur .

Le président de l’Agence nationale de la sécurité sanitaire (ANSS), le Pr Kamel Senhadji revient sur la situation épidémiologique liée au coronavirus et propose des solutions à même de parvenir à en endiguer la propagation, dont un éventuel retour au confinement total. Dans un entretien accordé au quotidien arabophone Echaâb, le président de l’ANSS rappelle que son agence, qui […]

L’article Covid-19 en Algérie : Pr Senhadji n’écarte pas « un confinement total » est apparu en premier sur .

Les frontières Algériennes sont partiellement ouvertes depuis le premier juin dernier. Au début de cette semaine, et compte tenu de l’évolution de la situation sanitaire dans le pays, une réunion des conseils des ministres a été tenue, à l’issue de laquelle il a été décidé de lever le confinement obligatoire pour les voyageurs qui entrent […]

L’article Conditions d’entrée : Air Algérie apporte une nouvelle mise à jour est apparu en premier sur .

Obwohl er in Italien nicht mehr Fussball spielen darf, ist Christian Eriksen zurück in Mailand. Dort hofft er, den Grund seines plötzlichen Herzstillstands herauszufinden.

Rapper DaBaby hat sich selbst ins Aus katapultiert. Nach seinen homophoben Aussagen am Rolling Loud Festival in Miami wenden sich seine Kolleginnen und und Kollegen aus der Musikbranche von ihm ab.

Gut 400 Obdachlose haben auf dem schicken Pariser Place des Vosges Zelte aufgeschlagen und dauerhafte Wohnmöglichkeiten gefordert.

In Österreich sind 215 Corona-Infektionen unter Reiserückkehrern nach einem Festival in Kroatien registriert worden. Die Veranstaltung «Austria goes Zrce» fand vorige Woche auf der Insel Pag statt.

Nach achttägiger Reise ist ein russisches Forschungsmodul an der Internationalen Raumstation ISS angekommen. Am Donnerstag dockte «Nauka» (Wissenschaft) wie geplant an dem Aussenposten der Menschheit in rund 400 Kilometern Höhe an.

A magas hőmérséklet miatt elsőfokú figyelmeztetést adtak ki a meteorológusok. Péntek délután akár 33 fok is lehet.

Die EU will den Ausstoß von Treibhausgasen bis 2030 um 55 Prozent senken. Da sind viele Mitgliedsstaaten verunsichert, wenn es um die Kernenergie geht. Denn diese taucht in den jüngsten Klimavorschlägen der Kommission praktisch nicht auf. #BrusselsBureau

Vier Winzer keltern unter dem Dach von Weinbau Schwarzenbach in Meilen am Zürichsee. Der Traditionsbetrieb steht für Beständigkeit, präsentiert sich dank einem Generationenwechsel in neuem Kleid. Und am 31. Juli und 1. August öffnen die Weinkeller ihre Tore.

Auch im Mehrkampf wird Giulia Steingruber hart bewertet. «Ich bin hässig», sagt sie nach Schlussrang 15. Noch hofft sie auf einen versöhnlichen Olympia-Abschluss.

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The Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the six OSCE field operations in South-Eastern Europe and the Shortest Path Training Company, launched a set of online training courses focused on utilizing IBM’s i2 software packages Analyst’s Notebook and iBase in criminal intelligence analysis.

Criminal analysts from law enforcement authorities in South-Eastern Europe who work with or are familiar with those software tools were the target group. The first set of training courses was held on 22 and 23 July 2021, with six participants from North Macedonia and Serbia. Further courses will take place on 29 and 30 July with participants from Albania and Kosovo[i], and from 11 to 13 August 2021 with participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

The training courses will refresh and update the knowledge of the analysts in using the software tools in their daily tasks related to criminal intelligence analysis. The same group of participants will also take part in a subsequent three-day advanced course, which is planned to take place in October 2021, where they will further expand their expertise.

These capacity-building training courses are organized in the framework of the OSCE project, “Building Intelligence-Led Policing capacities on regional and national levels in the OSCE area” under its component focused on operational intelligence analysis. The project aims to enhance the application of the mechanisms and tools of intelligence-led policing for the prevention and reduction of crime. It currently involves 20 countries from around the OSCE region, however all OSCE participating States or Partners for Co-operation can request its capacity-building support.

[i] All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text should be understood in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Elena Pasquini filming somewhere in the AKIgonze IDPs camp in the outskirts of Bunia in Ituri. Credit: Elena Pasquini

By Sania Farooqui
NEW DELHI, India, Jul 29 2021 (IPS)

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most hostile and dangerous regions for journalists. A complex conflict, deeply rooted in the country’s past, allows very little freedom, both movement and the press.

“There are multiple actors involved, and as a journalist, we have the duty of admitting this complexity,” says Elena Pasquini, founder and editor in chief of Degrees of Latitude, in an interview with IPS. “Be aware of the difficulties when it comes to understanding the issues, and be careful of every single word we use to portray this conflict.”

Pasquini, who reported from the DRC earlier this year, says the risk of reporting from such a conflict zone is not just physical, not just a question of safety, but also highlights the responsibility journalists have in their work and how they cover a story.

“For a journalist and a foreigner, it’s really important to understand when a situation is potentially risky and identify the threats at an early stage. I was worried while travelling along roads that I knew were home to armed groups. I was scared each time I was stopped at a checkpoint and while interacting with the police or even walking in areas where kidnappings occur frequently,” Pasquini says. “It’s important to learn from the local colleagues and adapt our behaviour according to the local environments.”

Elena Pasquini travelling with the UN peacekeeping mission, somewhere in Irumu territory, Ituri. Credit: Elena Pasquini

According to Journalists in Danger (JED), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) partner organisation in the DRC, at least 115 press freedom violations were logged in 2020. This report by RSF tells of how several journalists had been detained in response to complaints by provincial governors. A former minister sued one of RSF’s correspondents. Armed groups prevalent in the east of the country have attacked, threatened, or forced journalists into hiding. One journalist was killed.

“A journalist who has gone missing, his family members were informed by an armed group that he had been executed three days after abducting him,” the report says. “Journalists with many online followers have been the victims of smear campaigns.”

Women are often victims of abuse and violence, and in the DRC, rape is a weapon of war, says Pasquini. Crowded areas in the DRC are often chaotic and hotspots for fights, protests, and gatherings, which can turn deadly.

While covering a protest against an alleged extrajudicial execution, Pasquini had no choice but to trust the instinct of her local driver, who asked her to immediately stop filming, roll up the car windows and not make eye contact with anyone outside.

“At that point, I didn’t think about the weapons or the machetes the people surrounding our car could have had. I don’t know if I would have been a target or not, but I simply followed my driver’s instructions and got out safely. It’s truly the fixers, producers and the drivers who make the difference and can save your life in such situations,” Pasquini says.

Earlier in February this year, the Italian Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Luca Attanasio, was killed. According to this report, the United Nations convoy he was travelling in came under fire near Goma, killing him, an Italian military police officer and a Congolese driver.

Pasquini was amongst the few international journalists present in the DRC at the time and had travelled along the same route and with the same convoy just a few days before the attack on the Italian Ambassador.

“That road connects Goma to Uganda, and it’s as dangerous as any area would be in a conflict zone. It is very difficult to have an idea of what really happened, but from my experience, I can say kidnapping to get ransom is very common on that side.”

“I hope the investigation will lead to the discovery of who is behind the attack of the Ambassador, it is hard, and impunity is common. Every day such crimes are committed, and it is very rare that someone is convicted for those crimes, or even just identified,” says Pasquini.

Over the years, multiple conflicts which escalated in the eastern part of the DRC forced almost 6000 people to flee their homes, making this crisis “the largest number of new displacements due to conflict in the world”.

“DR Congo is one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century. A lethal combination of spiralling violence, record hunger levels and total neglect has ignited a mega-crisis that warrants a mega-response. But instead, millions of families on the brink of the abyss seem to be forgotten by the outside world and are left shut off from any support lifeline,” the Secretary-General of Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said in a statement.

A residential area in Goma, North Kivu. Volcano Nyragongo seen in the background. Credit: Elena Pasquini

Human Rights Watch (HRW) estimates that there are 5.5 million internally displaced people in the country. Nearly 930,000 people from Congo were registered as refugees and asylum seekers in at least 20 countries worldwide. Numerous armed groups and, in some cases, government security forces attack civilians, killing and wounding many.

“Several thousand fighters from various armed groups surrendered throughout the year, but many have returned to armed groups as the authorities failed to take them through an effective Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program. In many instances, armed assailants were also responsible for sexual violence against women and girls, HRW said.

In May, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi proclaimed a “state of siege” in North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province to counter growing attacks and fights against armed groups.

Despite efforts by the government, violence and insecurity continue to threaten the safety of journalists in this region. JED & RSF have called out the DRC’s government to prioritise two major reforms to keep its promise to improve press freedom and create mechanisms designed to ensure rapid response to violations and follow up at the highest level. It also asked the government to establish a communication channel with press freedom groups and step up its protection for journalists, and combat impunity.

“The lack of legislation that can protect freedom of the press remains a challenge in the DRC. The level of violence is very high, so you have to put in place a lot of safety measures and do what you can to protect yourself,” says Pasquini.

“We need to keep the spotlight on the DRC and keep the attention on what’s happening in that country. Due to the ongoing conflict, it is already very dangerous to travel, to go to those places where stories are happening. It’s also very tough to verify information,” Pasquini says. “There are multiple threats from various armed groups, various checkpoints all over the region, institutional threats of defamation, they all make it very tough to tell the story, and that’s why we need to tell those stories even more.”

 

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A rendőrség szerint a Pozsony városközpontjában zajló tüntetés során nem történt jelentős rendbontás. Személyre irányuló támadásról sem tudnak. Egy autót megrongáltak, de a tettest a helyszínen letartóztatták. Ezt Róbert Bozalka rendőrfőkapitány-helyettes közölte a sajtótájékoztatóján. (tasr)

Moscow, Paris, Washington DC, 29 July 2021 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Stephane Visconti of France, Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, and Igor Khovaev of the Russian Federation) made the following statement:

The Co-Chairs view with concern recent incidents along the Armenia - Azerbaijan border, including reports of casualties and the loss of life. The Co-Chairs call upon Armenia and Azerbaijan to de-escalate the situation immediately, refrain from provocative rhetoric and actions, and implement fully their commitments under the November 9 statement and other jointly agreed ceasefire arrangements.  

The Co-Chairs reiterate the need for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining core substantive issues of the conflict and urge the parties to return to negotiations under the auspices of the Co-Chairs as soon as possible. They reiterate their proposal to organize direct bilateral consultations under their auspices, in order for the sides to review and agree jointly upon a structured agenda, reflecting their priorities, without preconditions.  

The Co-Chairs reconfirm their strong support for the ongoing efforts of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and his team.

Neben dem materiellen Schaden durch die Überschwemmungen haben die Betroffenen mit den psychischen Folgen zu kämpfen. #BrusselsBureau

Eduard Heger szerint az egyetlen dolog, amely segíthet „kivezetni” a világból az új típusú koronavírust, az a kollektív immunitás kialakítása az oltással. Mindezt a pozsonyi tüntetéssel kapcsolatban jelentette ki.

Das Enduro-Offroad-Rennen «Red Bull Romanics» geht für Ex-Ski-Ass Marcel Hirscher auf schmerzhafte Art und Weise vorzeitig zu Ende.