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Cet emprunt de 98 milliards de F CFA (environ 150 millions d'euros) a une maturité de 5 ans pour un taux d'intérêt annuel de 6,5 %. L'opération – la troisième du Gabon sur le marché sous-régional – servira à financer des projets à Libreville, Port-Gentil, Franceville, Oyem et Bitam.

Cet article Le Gabon lance un emprunt obligataire de 98 milliards de F CFA est apparu en premier sur JeuneAfrique.com.

Article 3 of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children defines trafficking in human beings as: “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or the use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation for prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Human trafficking has acquired a new dimension in the context of globalisation and most of the victims in Europe are women and girls that come from and outside Europe, with sexual exploitation being the main reason. On Thursday 12 May, at the Strasbourg Plenary Session, MEPs assessed the current European legislation to fight against human trafficking and to protect its victims, coming up with new suggestions and improvements. Among the other propositions, Catherine BEARDER report on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings was taken into consideration and the resulting resolution on the Implementation of the Directive 2011/36/EU of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims from a gender perspective (2015/2118(INI)) adopted.

Human trafficking is considered a serious crime and a flagrant violation of human rights as recognised by the international community. Even if it is not a new phenomenon, in recent years the increasing mobility all around Europe and the development of new technologies have contributed to the rise of human trafficking, which generally involves low risks and brings high profit to traffickers. Forced labour, sexual exploitation, forced begging, the selling of children and forced marriage are the main purposes of human trafficking. In the EU, these forms of exploitation happen largely within its borders: 65% of victims are EU citizens, as reported by Eurostat, mostly from eastern and central Europe such as Romania and Bulgaria. However, Western Europe is also the destination for victims from Africa, Asia and South America.

In 2012, according to the International Labour Office, almost 21 million persons globally, including 11.4 million women and girls, were trapped in the so-called modern-day slavery. At the global level, 70% of victims are represented by women and girls and in the EU, as presented by Eurostat, the situation is even worse where the proportion of “registered or presumed” female victims are around 80% for the period 2010-2012. In effect, because of their vulnerability and the demand for sexual services the majority of victims of human trafficking are women and girls.

Sexual exploitation is the main scope of human trafficking at the global and European level where women and girls are generally targeted victims. This happens because there is a real and considerable demand for sexual services in Europe from which traffickers can profit and not just because women victims are vulnerable. Tackling this demand requires addressing prostitution; around 1 million women seemed to be engaged in transactional sex in Europe, as presented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report.

This kind of sexual exploitation can take on different forms: ones that are more visible (such as in the situation of street prostitution) but primarily in a clandestine way (such as in brothels, private houses, strip clubs and massage parlours). Traffickers to prevent victims from escaping and control them often use violence, coercion, drugs and alcohol. However, to reduce demand for services of trafficked people, EU Member States have adopted three different legal approaches to prostitution: criminalisation, decriminalisation and legalisation. Each one clearly present limits and offer solutions to this phenomenon at different levels.

Many women are also victims of forced labour and subjected to psychological and physical violence. At the global level 35% of victims of forced labour are women against 27% in the EU for the period 2010-2012. Even if it is primarily men who do forced labour in the agricultural, construction or manufacturing sectors, women and girls are exploited for the purpose of domestic servitude. These victims often live in inhumane conditions, working for long hours for no salary, suffering physical and psychological violence, abuse, punishment and humiliation. As domestic work is often hidden and part of the informal economy, it is extremely hard to detect it to punish those responsible.

Data on human trafficking tends to demonstrate that human trafficking has a clear gender dimension, as women and men are not trafficked in the same way or for the same purpose. Arguably, the trafficking cycle is highly gendered from the root causes that make women and girls more vulnerable. These root causes can be distinguished in « push and pull » factors. Push factors includes poverty, gender inequality, unemployment, lack of social security and conflicts. Pull factors, on the contrary, are represented by mere promises of better living condition, a stable employment and demand for cheap and unskilled labour. All these factors create an exploitation chain from which it is very difficult to escape.

The recruitment of victims is an important step of the trafficking process. Coercion, force and deception are the mainly channels of recruitment through which traffickers operate exploiting the poor economic situation of women. Trust in traffickers is another key element. Offering a new life, they are able to conquer victims and even their family members. An important role is also played by internet and new technology, as most criminal activities have gone online. Social media, websites and internet are in fact the first channel of recruitment of victims, to the point that Europol qualified these practices “cyber slavery”.

Migrant smuggling, especially during the current “refugee and migrant crisis”, has been related to human trafficking as one of the main channel of recruitment. In fact, mass migration has increased people’s risk of ending up as victims of trafficking. Cumbersome and complex migration procedures and lack of legal migration opportunities force people to use facilitators or intermediaries; this will result, in most cases, in exploitation phenomena and abuses. Women and children are especially likely to become victims of traffickers and smugglers.

From a juridical point of view, the EU and the international community have adopted key instruments to tackle trafficking in human beings. In 2000, the UN Trafficking Protocol was ratified as part of the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and it represents a milestone in redefining the problem of human trafficking. Indeed, before this Protocol, the concept of trafficking in persons was only equated with the exploitation for commercial sex. On the contrary, from 2000, the scope of trafficking was extended to various non-sexual forms of exploitation, such as the aforementioned forced labour. However, it still took a crime-based approach towards trafficking. This has only changed in recent years when the focus was shifted towards victims’ human rights. The 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings is an example, as it places the victims’ human rights at its heart demanding States to offer a satisfactory protection and services to victims.

At the European level, the main legislative instrument for fighting trafficking in human beings is the Directive 2011/36/EU. Referring to the two international instrument above-mentioned, this directive adopts a more victims’ centred approach, addressing prevention and supporting a gender-specific focus without neglecting the prosecution of offenders. It recognises the different purposes for which women and man are trafficked and, thus, different needs and assistance required by men and women. This directive aims at tackling the demand for services of the victims of trafficking, particularly those engaged in sex industry, agriculture, tourism and construction. Moreover, Directive 2009/52/EC already tackles the demand for labour of trafficked persons at the EU level. It mainly focuses on sanctions and measures against employers who know that the worker is a victim of trafficking in human beings.

Concerning the protection of victims, according to EU law, victims of this kind of trafficking possess a number of rights, such as assistance, medical care, labour rights, legal defence and access to justice. Directive 2012/29/EU affirms that Member States have to ensure that victims of crimes receive appropriate support, protection and information. Furthermore, concerning victims of trafficking from third country, Directive 2004/81/EC defines standards for granting residence permits to these victims cooperating with the competent authority.

The issue of trafficking in human beings is basically a task primarily down to the Member States. However, the European Commission, with a view to creating a more comprehensive EU anti-trafficking policy, introduced the role of an EU anti-trafficking coordinator, currently held by Myria VASSILIADOU. Her mainly duty is to improve coordination and coherence among EU institutions, EU agencies, Member States and international actors and, to develop existing and new policies to address trafficking in human beings. The role of EU agencies is also important, as they contribute to the fight against human trafficking according to their area of competence: from gathering intelligence and facilitating the prosecution of traffickers, to coordinating EU countries’ effort to support victims and prevent victimisation. Among the others, seven agencies are directly involved: Europol, Eurojust, CEPOL, EASO, EIGE, FRA and Frontex. Furthermore, the European Commission has adopted a strategy for the 2012-2016 period (EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings) providing standards and guidelines on how to implement and put into practice Directive 2011/36/EU, even if, without achieving a very great deal.

The European Parliament (EP) is another institution that played and still plays an active role in developing anti-trafficking policies at the EU level. Referring to Directive 2011/36/EU, in June 2015, the EP adopted a Resolution on EU Strategy for equality between women and men, calling on Member States to fully implement this directive. Moreover, the European Commission was requested (in vain) to evaluate and monitor its implementation in order to adopt a new strategy against human trafficking as the current one expires in 2016.

Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), through its deputy Catherine BEARDER (ALDE, UK), proposed an own-initiative report on the implementation of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking of human beings and protecting its victims from a gender-perspective. Drawn up in close cooperation with the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the text points out that EU legislation to protect victims of trafficking has not being properly enforced and call Member States and the European Commission to action. “EU-wide measures to tackle this vile trade must be fully implemented by national governments, including the proper collection of statistics and identifications of victims to give us a clearer view of the real picture” said the rapporteur. The resolution, approved during the last Plenary session in Strasbourg by 391 votes to 43, with 53 abstentions, also stresses that the European Commission has failed to keep to the timetable of assessment report required by the directive.

Directive 2011/36/EU was due to be transposed into Member States’ national laws by 6th April 2013 and the report underlines that, currently, all Member States, except one, have notified the Commission of the transposition of this directive into national law. The EP asks Member States to speed up the correct and full enforcement of the directive. MEPs put the focus on the gender dimension of trafficking in human beings emphasizing that prevention, support and assistance measures must be gender-specific.

In particular, MEPs stress the need for a new approach to trafficking in human beings based on four key issues:

1. Prevention: MEPs call on Member States’ preventive actions such as information and awareness campaigns, educational activities in schools to promote gender equality and gender-based violence but they also stress that it is important to create safe legal migration channels for women and children;
2. Criminal prosecution: MEPs call on Member States to combat impunity, criminalise trafficking, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice and that sanctions are strengthened intensifying their investigations and persecutions:
3. Victim protection: MEPs call on the EU to pay attention to new forms of exploitation such as trafficking in new-born children and reproductive exploitation. Gender-specific measures to assist and support victims and their protection are fundamental. According to MEPs, victims do not have enough information to have access directly to services. Victims need specialised services including access to a safe accommodation (in the short or long term), translators and interpreters, rehabilitation programs, medical care and psychological support.
4. Multi-level partnership: MEPs call on Member States to increase cross-border collaboration and cooperation with the relevant EU agencies. In this context, they call on EU agencies (Europol, Frontex, FRA, EASO etc.) to develop a sustained programme of improving gender balance in decision-making relevant to trafficking.

Therefore, the resolution asks the Commission to ensure Member States compliance with Directive 2011/36/EU and to develop guidelines based on best practices to develop and mainstream gender expertise into the activities of law enforcement authorities across the EU. It also notes that the current EU Strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings ends in 2016 and calls on the Commission to evaluate this strategy and to introduce a new one that follows a human-rights-based approach, includes a clear gender dimension and, contains concrete actions in this regard. This strategy should address prevention and discourage the demand that fosters all forms of trafficking.

Member States, for their part, are asked to take some measures, including put in place some hotlines to help victims, grant legal assistance not only in criminal proceedings but also in civil or migration and asylum procedures and, offer psychological and medical support. The resolution calls on Members States to collect more detailed and up-to-date data by compiling reliable statistical information gathered from all the main actors involved, by ensuring that the data is homogeneous and disaggregated by gender, age, type of exploitation, country of origin and destination, and, by including internally trafficked people to better identify potential victims and prevent crime. EU countries should also increase data sharing in order to better assess the gender dimension and recent trends in trafficking in human beings and combat it more effectively.

As the rapporteur, Catherine BEARDER, underlines “we made huge progress five years ago when we came in with the directive on human trafficking. But still we are not getting the data; we are not as joined up”. Another time it seems that we got something, the EU have its legislation against human trafficking but it is just on paper. It is necessary to going more in practice now and this resolution should give renewed impetus to the work on the anti-trafficking directive.

Adele Cornaglia

 

For further information:

• European Parliament, articles’ section: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160509STO26419/Human-trafficking-Like-any-market-there-must-be-a-demand-that-drives-it
• Directive 2011/36/EU : http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/581412/EPRS_STU(2016)581412_EN.pdf
• Resolution European Parliament, 12 May 2016 : http://statewatch.org/news/2016/may/ep-human-trafficking-resolution-12-5-16.pdf
• Procedure File : http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=&reference=2015/2118%28INI%29#documentGateway
• European Parliament, Think Tank : http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2016/581987/EPRS_ATA(2016)581987_EN.pd

Classé dans:Dignité humaine, Droit à l'intégrité de la personne, Droit à la liberté et à la sûreté, Droits de l'enfant, DROITS FONDAMENTAUX, Egalité entre hommes et femmes, Interdiction de la torture et des traitements inhumains et dégradants, Liberté de circulation des personnes, Lutte contre la criminalité organisée, MIGRATIONS ET ASILE, Non-discrimination, Protection des minorités

The European Commission has set up an independent expert mission to address media freedom issues in the country, focusing on control of the public broadcaster RTCG.

A survey of 250 foreign entrepreneurs in Kosovo suggests that while most of their businesses are doing well, they want reforms to strengthen the rule of law as well as political stability.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/9d407128-83cd-11e5-b786-bc764e08d9b2_185.89_thumb_169_1463654453_1463654453_129_97shar_c1.jpg

EU Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs meet in Brussels on 24 May 2016 to prepare the June European Council and hold its annual rule of law dialogue.

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L'augmentation d'attaques djihadistes, le profil des terroristes, le rôle particulier des femmes au sein de l'État islamique (EI), le recrutement des jeunes sur les médias sociaux, les stratégies de communication de l'EI, le lien entre le terrorisme et la criminalité, et l'équilibre entre la vie privée et le cryptage ont été parmi les sujets débattus par les membres de la commission des libertés civiles et le chef du Centre contre le terrorisme d'Europol, M. Navarrete Paniagua, lundi après-midi.
Commission des libertés civiles, de la justice et des affaires intérieures

Source : © Union européenne, 2016 - PE

Welcome to Monday’s edition of our daily Brussels Briefing. To receive it every morning in your email in-box, sign up here.

By Mehreen Khan

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Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Gérer une crise sur le territoire national, c’est appréhender un environnement bien spécifique, différent du milieu des opérations extérieures. Dans un contexte d’engagement accru de nos forces militaires en métropole, il est essentiel de développer notre coordination avec les acteurs locaux (sécurité civile, préfecture, …) et notre connaissance de cet espace d’intervention. C’est dans ce cadre que les officiers servant dans la chaîne OTIAD* (délégations militaires départementales, zones de défense, etc.) sont dernièrement venus se former dans l’armée de Terre, à l’école du génie d’Angers. Objectif : leur préciser les capacités et les moyens du génie dans le cadre d’un engagement sur le territoire national. Entretien avec le colonel Jean-Christophe, directeur général de la formation.

Eritrea celebrates independence war tactics 25 years on

May 23, 2016 (JUBA) – Military spokesperson of a co-national army in South Sudan, the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), has refuted allegations that their forces had attacked locations of their partners, the SPLA under the command of President Salva Kiir.

Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, the chief of staff of the SPLA-IO, talks to the press at a rebel military site in Juba on April 25, 2016 (Photo AFP/Charles Lomodong)

Colonel William Gatjiath Deng, in a statement he circulated on social media on Monday, said their forces had become co-national army of the transitional government of national unity and would have no reason to attack their colleagues, the SPLA.

“Now SPLA-IO has become a part of the current government and completely there would be no genuine reason for SPLA-IO to fight the SPLA, IG at all,” said Col. Deng.

On Friday, the spokesperson of the SPLA of the former government, Brig. Lul Ruai Koang, lashed at the SPLA-IO leadership, accusing it of attacking their positions near Bentiu, capital of Unity state.

General Koang also described SPLA-IO commanders as “idiots” in his press statement, prompting the response from his counter-part, Col Deng.

“I am sure SPLA-IO generals are not idiots as you [Koang] put it on your naïve press release issued on Friday at Bilpham, we are here to implement this agreement as it is in the book, and they are professional generals that is why they have delivered you this lasting peace,” he said.

He also said SPLA-IO has forces in Equatoria and Bahr el Ghazal regions, contrary to what the SPLA spokesperson refused to recognize.

General Koang, who was SPLA-IO's spokesperson for nearly two years before rejoining President Salva Kiir's government in a dubious deal in 2015, once argued that SPLA-IO had forces in Equatoria region, indicated by his previous infamous press statement entitled, “It has exploded in Equatoria” which he circulated to the media last year.

His former colleague, but currently opponent, Col Deng, said it was better to “ignore” Brig. Koang's statement, although he also said it needed analysis.

“I would like to inform the general public that, such incited and abusive language always used by the then Spokesman, needs to be analyzed and ignored as the country is ready to live in peace rather than to use antagonistic and horrible speeches,” he added.

He said it was the government forces which attacked positions of opposition forces in Rubkotni county in Unity state, or the newly created Northern Liech state.

(ST)

May 23, 2016 (BOR/JUBA) – Thousands of Ethiopian troops who have crossed into South Sudan have entered Pibor county of the newly created Buma state in search of abducted children from the Ethiopian Nuer community by the South Sudan's Murle ethnic group.

A top Ethiopian diplomat, Ambassador Fesseha Shawel Gebre, has revealed that the troops will continue to pursue the Murle criminals until all the children abducted have been recovered and returned to their parents back in Ethiopia.

Last month, thousands of armed members of the Murle ethnic group crossed into Ethiopia and simultaneously attacked 13 villages belong to the Nuer community in Ethiopia, killing at least 200 people, abducting over 100 kids and took away also with over 2,000 heads of cattle.

Ethiopia responded by deploying troops to rescue the children, threatening to attack suspected targets within South Sudan should the Murle community not hand over all the kids.

Ambassador Gebre said the deployment of the Ethiopian troops inside South Sudan has been approved by the South Sudanese government, stressing that the move was important in order not to strain relations between the two neighbouring countries.

He said no order has been issued by the Ethiopian government to begin the attack as two governors of Gambella region in Ethiopia, Gatluak Tut Khot, and governor of Boma state in South Sudan, Baba Bedan, have been peacefully trying to recover the children.

“The Ethiopian troops are in the soil of South Sudan with the permission of the government of South Sudan to facilitate work for the governors on the two sides," Ambassador Gebre told a local newspaper on Monday in Juba.

He said the Ethiopian troops may shoulder the operations as South Sudanese troops were not capable for the joint operations given the difficulty of the terrain in Boma state.

"That area is very remote and access is difficult including crossing the rivers. It is the army of Ethiopia that is best placed and equipped with the infrastructure to rescue the children,” he said.

56 children have been rescued and returned to Ethiopia so far. That is about half of the number of people abducted following the raid.

But Ambassador Gebre said the raiders should be brought to books. He said Ethiopia expected "cooperation from Juba" to avoid the cross border military incursion.

PUNISH THE CRIMINALS

Meanwhile, Boma state administration announced a plan to persecute the raiders, and child abductors belonging to the Murle ethnic group, saying at least 50 criminals have been identified and awaiting prosecution.

Boma state governor, Baba Medan, made the remarks after he visited the Ethiopian region of Gambella to normalize security tensions between his state and Gambella region.

“On the 15th of April, a group of criminals from my state went and attacked people of Gambella. According to the reports, over 100 children were abducted and 2,000 cattle stolen,” he said.

“We, the government of South Sudan and government of Boma state are committed to bring these children. The directive from the president [Salva Kiir] was very clear that we have to work out this issue of children so that we hand them over to their parents,” he said.

Governor Bedan revealed that he had asked the governor of Gambella region, Gatluak Tut Khot, to give him time to recover all the abducted kids.

“I went to meet the President of Gambella region to give us another time for us to collect cattle and the remaining children. I hope very soon, we will be able to collect and hand over these children to their government,” he said.

Although no arrest has been made, possible majors of bringing them to justice would be drafted after Ethiopian children and cattle have all been returned.

“These criminals made a mistake to cross the border and steal cattle and children from Ethiopia. It is our mistake; we will ask the criminal to pay these numbers of cattle according to the report. Even if the number of cattle is 1,000 and they are claiming for 2,000 heads of cattle, we have to collect two 2,000 from these criminals,” lamented the governor.

The Ethiopian troops had again entered Raat, seeking approval from Boma state to allow them to pass through to Lamurnyang state, pursuing the cattle.

According to Medan, he denied to grant passage of Ethiopian troops to former Eastern Equartoria state, particularly the current Namurnyang state in an attempt to pursue their stolen heads of cattle.

However, the Ethiopian troops may act unilaterally should there be no cooperation or success in recovering all the human and animals raided from their country.

(ST)

‘Greece currently has its hands full with a twin crisis − continuing economic turmoil and an escalating influx of refugees. Despite such intractable problems at home, however, the prospect of Britain’s exit from the EU attracts considerable interest and is a frequent topic of discussions between decision-makers and academics.

There are several reasons for this, not least the important historical, political and cultural ties between Greece and the UK. There is also the concern from the Greek perspective that Britain’s exit would break an entrenched European taboo.

The assumption has been for many years that the EU and its institutions would grow ever larger. A Brexit would show it was possible for the EU to actually shrink, establishing a dangerous precedent for a country still haunted by the threat of an imposed Grexit. Greece is also aware of the wider significance of losing Britain from the European club. Athens has always been among the strongest supporters of a common European foreign and security policy. To stabilize its neighborhood and to be taken seriously at the global level, the EU needs, in addition to its soft power, some hard power capabilities.

Britain and France are the only European countries with the capability to project such power. In addition, the UK carries along a first-rate diplomatic tradition and influence in various ‘interesting’ parts of the globe. In some of these places, other EU countries lack sufficient influence. A Brexit would strip the EU of important military and diplomatic capabilities and would weaken its ability to eventually develop a meaningful and effective foreign and security policy.

Britain’s departure would just be the first step in a long and complicated process of disengagement from the EU and its institutions. Its relationship with the rest of the Union would need to be redefined and that process would be neither easy nor quick. Scottish plans to leave the UK and join the EU would further complicate matters.

All this will be taking place at a time when the rest of the world, and especially powers such as Russia and China, but also the new US Administration, will not only be watching the EU’s performance but testing its cohesion and willingness to remain an influential regional and global player. This will serve the interests of neither the EU, nor the UK. Finally, ‘losing’ its second largest economy will not be in any way beneficial for the EU.

Even if the UK decides to stay, Eurosceptics will still be influential and its relationship with the EU will probably remain problematic. Facing serious challenges and with enough Eurosceptics already in Central and Eastern Europe, the Union hardly needs another one. Greece is also concerned that too many exemptions for any member state will weaken the Union.

At the end of the day, however, the thinking in Athens is that the EU would be better off fighting its battles and sorting out its differences with a difficult member state such as Britain inside the EU institutions rather than outside the Union’

Source: Chatham House

Les ministres des Finances de la zone euro se retrouvent ce mardi 24 mai à Bruxelles pour évoquer à nouveau le cas de la Grèce. Ils devraient décider de débloquer une nouvelle tranche de prêts pour le pays. Le plan d'aide de 86 milliards d'euros, voté en juillet dernier, était suspendu depuis plusieurs mois dans l'attente de l'adoption par Athènes de nouvelles mesures de rigueur. La Grèce a besoin de cet argent car elle doit rembourser 2,2 milliards d'euros à la Banque centrale européenne en juillet prochain. L'Eurogroupe devrait également se pencher sur un éventuel allègement de la dette du pays qui se monte à 180% de son PIB.

May 23, 2016 (YEI) - A leading civil society entity in South Sudan's Yei River state has expressed concerns over the increasing presence of soldiers who move with guns among the civil population in Yei town.

South Sudanese SPLA soldiers are pictured in Pageri in Eastern Equatoria state on August 20, 2015 (Photo AFP/Samir Bol)

Centre for Democracy and Development raised the matter this week.

Felix Dara, the organisation's program manager said the presence of the army in town largely explains the rampant cases of insecurity, lootings, harassment, intimidation and even killing of innocent civilians.

Last week, a soldier shot and wounded an international medical doctor in Yei. Sr. Veronica Rackova later died at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.

"It is very unfortunate to see that our SPLA [Sudan People's Liberation Army] soldiers who are meant to protect the lives of the people turned the guns on to civilians is very pain full, ” Dara told Sudan Tribune.

He demanded that the army be relocated out of Yei town to enable the authorities track down those criminals intimidating and killing civilians.

"We equally demand that the army except the joint patrol force must be relocated outside the town. They are really causing a security threat to the people of this town. We have a number of cases of people being arrested, intimidated and time has come for all these forces to be out of the town”, stressed Dara.

The officials further urged the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) to speed up allocation of cantonment areas for all the armed forces to enable smooth implementation of the peace accord.

"We equally demand that the security arrangement within the provision of the compromise peace agreement needed to be operationalized especially the issue of cantonment sites and this will enable the authorities to identify who these bandits are,” said Dara.

Meanwhile the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yei, Erkolano Ladu Tombe urged the government, especially the army commanders, to ensure that soldiers under their command are controlled and guided.

“We need security. Security of lives, not security of things, animals, goats, trees and land. And we are telling the security to arrest those people who go out of hand, otherwise you security will be failing in your service to the people and the nation in securing the lives of the people”, he said.

“To the army commanders”, he added, “Don't let soldiers just go about robbing and killing people on the road. You our commanders command our soldiers and please control and punish them when they abuse civilians whom they are supposed to keep safe. Our government should keep the nation in peace; don't let the nation go into pieces [again]”.

The deputy governor of Yei River state, Abraham Wani vowed to ensure that soldiers who undermine the laws are brought to face books of law.

"Yei River County with a team of lawers have started the investigation and these soldiers will face the law accordingly”, he said.

Les Championnats d’Europe de natation de Londres ont été placés sous les couleurs hongroises.

Car en remportant dix médailles d’or, quatre médailles d’argent et cinq de bronze, la Hongrie a largement dominé les débats dans les bassins londoniens. Devant la Grande-Bretagne, l’Italie, les Pays-Bas…et la France.

Ont répondu présents les incontournables de la natation hongroise, Dávid Verrasztó et Lászlo Cseh qui a remporté quatre médailles dont l’or sur 100m et 200m papillon.

Mais la grande surprise vient de Boglárka Kapás, jeune nageuse de 23 ans, qui a effectué une véritable razzia sur la compétition. A tel point qu’elle a fait de l’ombre à la “dame de fer“, Katinka Hosszú. Elle s’est adjugé quatre médailles d’or : le 800m, le 4x200m, le 1 500m et le 400m nage libre.

Enfin on va pouvoir reparler de natation en Hongrie et pas de cette sordide histoire de viol vieille d’un demi-siècle qui a tenu le pays en haleine ces dernières semaines !

Source : london2016

May 24, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and China signed, Monday, an agreement to construct the first nuclear powerhouse in the east African country.

Members of the Chinese delegation for the first meeting of the joint energy cooperation commission in Khartoum on 23 May 2016 (Photo SUNA)

The framework agreement to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Sudan was inked following the first meeting of the China-Sudan Joint Energy Cooperation Commission in Khartoum.

In December 2012, Sudan announced an agreement with China to build a research nuclear reactor, with the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

According to a government official at that time, the reactor aimed to conduct research and scientific applications, and to encourage the use of atomic energy. Sudan carries out 10 projects with the help of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency.

The Sudanese Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity has started the actual preparations for producing power using the nuclear energy in cooperation with the Sudanese Atomic Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, as the first nuclear plant is expected to be built in 2020.

The visiting Chinese delegation for the joint energy cooperation meetings is chaired by Nur Bekri, Director of the Chinese National Energy Administration, while the Sudanese side is chaired by the Minister of Finance Badr al-Din Mahmoud.

Speaking after the signing of the framework agreement, Mahmoud said the two sides agreed to discuss the problems that energy production is facing in Sudan and to reach effective solutions.

He added that they will also work to solve challenges facing the new projects, especially Al-Foula electricity plan and the transmission network in South Kordofan.

The government says the lack of funds and economic sanctions impede its efforts to extend electricity service and cover areas in Darfur and South Kordofan.

President Omer al-Bashir met the Chinese delegation on Monday, and discussed bilateral ties and means of bolstering them further.

Al-Bashir directed following the meeting to develop cooperation with China in areas of economy and trade, and expand it in fields of oil, gas, renewed energy, agricultural and industrial investment and infrastructure, said a statement issued following the meeting.

China has invested more than $20 billion in Sudan mostly in the oil sector during the past two decades. Beijing provides low-interest loans and weapons transfers in return for oil.

Minister Mahmoud said they reached an agreement with China to strengthen oil capabilities, to build new facilities and additional oil exportation ports on Red Sea.

Also, they agreed that Chinese companies will explore oil in new blocks, and increase the production of existing fields, besides an agreement for gas exploration and production.

The minister announced that the Chinese oil investments in Sudan have reached 17 billion dollars.

Speaking at the joint meeting; the Minister of Oil and Gas, Mohamed Zayed Aw, said that Sudan exploited only small amounts of its oil reserves, and called on China to increase its investment in the oil sector.

On his part, the Minister of Water Resources, Irrigation and Electricity, Mutaz Musa, pointed out that the ministry is implementing 155 electricity projects with china at a cost of 10 billion dollars.

He said that his government will fund the $10 billion projects from multiple sources, adding that the five-year plan includes power plants and dams.

(ST)

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