Day: February 20, 2023

GENEVA (20 February 2023) — Despite the government’s efforts to redeploy defence and security forces over a large part of the national territory and continue the DDRR programme, the human rights situation in CAR was still gravely concerning, a UN expert said today.

Yao Agbetse, UN independent expert on the Central African Republic said that in the last quarter of 2022, the Human Rights Division of MINUSCA documented and verified 483 human rights and humanitarian law violations and abuses that affected 1,300 civilian victims.

Based on MINUSCA data, Internal Security Forces, FACA and allied bilateral forces were responsible for 58% of the violations resulting in 70% of the victims, while armed groups committed the rest of the violations.

“Government forces were responsible for arbitrary arrests and detentions, violations of the right to life, physical and mental integrity, and abuses at roadblocks,” Agbetse said in a statement at the end of a 10-day visit to the country.

The expert highlighted the attack on the Beloko customs post on the border with Cameroon by armed groups from the coalition of patriots on 21 January 2023 and FACA positions in Sikikédé in Vakaga on 14 February 2023 when several FACA elements were taken prisoner.

“I am calling for the treatment of captured soldiers in line with the Geneva Conventions,” Agbetse said referring to the incidents.

Russian bilateral forces including those engaged jointly with the Central African Armed Forces continue to inflict cruel, inhuman, humiliating and degrading treatment on the civilian population in the Central African Republic, Agbetse said.

“The obstruction of UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) operations by these forces are unacceptable and must stop,” the expert said.

“Allegations of abductions, kidnappings and summary executions of civilians are made against these forces, including in the Mambéré-Kadéï Prefecture,” Agbetse said. “Those in positions of State authority, in particular prefects, sub-prefects, mayors, as well as members of the police, gendarmerie and FACA forces, are also subjected to acts of torture and ill-treatment by the Russian bilateral forces,” he said.

“The Government of CAR must verify the allegation of human rights abuses and violations, dispatch teams to the scene and conduct impartial investigations,” the UN expert said. “Access to justice for victims and their protection, including while the case is being processed, must guide the State’s action,” he said.

The expert said hate messages and speech were blighting political and social life and relations between the Central African authorities and its technical and financial partners. “I urge the Government to respond promptly to these threats to social cohesion and to the ongoing peace and reconciliation process,” he said. “This is imperative in order to establish a peaceful climate before the organisation of local elections.”

Pointing out that the local elections in CAR had been postponed twice, Agbetse also urged the government to engage in genuine dialogue with opposition parties and other stakeholders, technical and financial partners, state institutions and civil society organisations to restore the confidence of stakeholders in the electoral process leading up to July’s municipal elections. Agbetse called for inclusive, free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful elections in CAR and urged all actors, including opposition parties to participate fully in the electoral process.

“They must consider local governance as a political response to the restoration of State authority throughout the national territory and the delivery of basic needs and access to justice for grassroots communities,” the expert said.

Source: UN Human Rights Council

Manama, Feb. 20 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.

The Cabinet highlighted the importance of the talks held between His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the President of Hungary, HE Katalin Novák, for furthering Bahrain-Hungary relations.

The Cabinet emphasised the importance of The Isa Award for Services to Humanity in promoting global humanitarian efforts in memory of the late Emir, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. In this regard, the Cabinet noted the high turnout of the Isa Award’s 5th edition.

The Cabinet also noted the importance of the Middle East Oil, Gas, and Geosciences Show (MEOS GEO), held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and commented that the conference provides a platform for innovative solutions in the sector.

The Cabinet commended the Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation for winning the world championship, which is further proof of the Kingdom’s wide-ranging achievements in sports.

The Cabinet extended its congratulations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the anniversary of its Founding Day and noted Saudi Arabia’s progress and development, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and supported by its Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The Cabinet congratulated the Leadership, government, and people of the State of Kuwait on its 62nd National Day and its 32nd Liberation Day. The Cabinet noted Kuwait’s progress and development, led by the Emir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and supported by its Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The Cabinet discussed several memorandums during the meeting with the following outcomes:

The approval of the following memorandums:

1. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding several draft laws aimed at advancing the Kingdom’s tourism and real estate sectors.

2. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding an MoU between the Ministry of Health and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in dentistry.

3. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft decision to establish and form a cooperation committee between the Capital Municipal Council, municipal councils, and government authorities.

4. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance regarding the continuation of initiatives implemented in 2021-2022 to enhance the Kingdom’s regional and global competitiveness in the aviation sector.

The Cabinet reviewed a memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance regarding the preliminary financial outcomes for the fiscal year 2022. The memorandum outlined an increase in total public revenues, in comparison to the financial outcomes for the fiscal year 2021, which is in line with the Kingdom’s commitment to implement economic and development priorities and programmes. The data further revealed compliance in actual expenditures with the levels in the state budget for the fiscal year 2022, which contributed to reducing the total fiscal deficit by 85% compared to the deficit estimated in the budget to BHD 178 million for the fiscal year 2022.

The Cabinet then took note of ministerial reports regarding:

The visit of the Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and United Nations at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to the Kingdom of Bahrain

Outcomes of the Kingdom’s participation in:

The Seventh Annual Arab Fiscal Forum

The 9th session of World Government Summit

The Al Quds conference

The Second edition of Arab Meeting for Young Leaders

Source: Bahrain News Agency

ADDIS ABABA, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, yesterday urged African countries, to turn difficulties into opportunities to transform Africa’s energy sector.

“The last three years have been difficult years in the whole world, with a series of crises that have brought several industries, several sectors and the lives of people around the world to disruptions in so many ways – the economies and the livelihoods,” Abou-Zeid told the press, on the sidelines of the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly.

She said, the AU, in collaboration with partners, has been working in order to put the African continent on a path of recovery from the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AU commissioner, however, said, since 2022, due to geo-political tensions and the Ukraine crisis, “the situation is getting more complex,” putting the energy sector into the spotlight across the world.

“These are not like any other times. The continent had problems before and these problems have been compounded by the crisis over the last three years,” Abou-Zeid said.

Noting Africa’s long-existing energy deficit that was further exacerbated, following recent global and continental phenomenon, the AU commissioner emphasised the need to exert concerted efforts to address the challenge.

“Since our continent suffers from energy poverty, we would like to use this situation – as difficult as it is – to accelerate access to energy, and to secure energy for all countries on this continent,” Abou-Zeid said.

“We are determined to turn these difficult times into opportunities for the continent,” she said.

She further emphasised the need to improve the development and use of green and sustainable energy across the African continent.

“I would like to reiterate the importance of energy, the importance of digitalisation when it comes to recovery, when it comes to building resilience within the continent,” the commissioner underscored.

The two-day summit, slated from Feb 18 to 19, at the headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa, was held under the theme of the year for 2023 – “The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.”

Source: Nam News Network

The U.N. General Assembly will vote this week on a resolution underscoring the urgency to find a lasting peace in Ukraine, one year after Moscow invaded its neighbor.

The text, drafted by Ukraine in consultation with allies and discussed with interested countries, will be put to a vote at the end of a special emergency session of the assembly that will start Wednesday afternoon and run into Thursday.

It underscores the urgency to find “a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” and calls on United Nations members and international organizations to support that effort.

“I think it is striking that it contains more language about the need for peace than some of the previous resolutions,” International Crisis Group’s U.N. Director Richard Gowan told VOA. “I think that is actually really reflecting a sort of an emerging push from countries in the global south, like Brazil and South Africa, which are arguing that there has to be some sort of peace effort.”

The resolution also demands a cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russia’s military forces from Ukrainian territory “within its internationally recognized borders,” in other words, including territories Russia claims to have annexed.

A European diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations said the choice of words — “cessation of hostilities” rather than a “cease-fire” — was deliberate.

“We feel that the term is one that is actually stronger,” the diplomat said. “A cease-fire could be a lull in the hostilities that allows one side to reorganize itself and ready itself for another onslaught.”

A cessation of hostilities refers to a more permanent arrangement that goes beyond just silencing the guns, which the diplomat said could lay the groundwork for an eventual diplomatic solution.

More than 60 countries have signed on to co-sponsor the resolution, which is not legally binding but carries the moral weight of the international community. Ukraine and its allies hope to get an overwhelming majority of the 193-member states’ votes. (Only 191 member states will be eligible to vote. Lebanon and Venezuela are in deep arrears on their dues to the organization and have temporarily lost their right to vote).

Resolutions over the past year condemning Russia’s invasion, and later its attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine, received strong support with 141 and 143 countries, respectively, condemning and rejecting these moves, and only a handful supporting Moscow. Diplomats say they hope to do as well with this text, signaling consistent international support for Kyiv.

But eventually getting Moscow to talk peace will be difficult.

Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called a meeting in the U.N. Security Council on Friday to discuss “lessons learned” from the Minsk agreements, which were intended to de-escalate tensions between the neighbors eight years ago, but obviously failed.

He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power on promises of peace and dialogue, but instead “created a neo-Nazi nationalist beehive at our borders.”

Nebenzia expressed no confidence in the U.N. secretary-general, who the General Assembly resolution expresses “strong support” for promoting an end to the conflict, accusing him of taking an “ostrich position” — echoing Western criticism of Moscow and never criticizing Kyiv.

“Today, many are saying that the U.N. must be an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine,” Nebenzia told the council. “Taking into account what I just said, do you think we can trust such mediation? What are the guarantees that the secretariat will behave differently this time?”

Crisis Group’s Gowan said Russia hopes some large, non-Western countries will call for talks without preconditions — a move that would favor Moscow.

“What the Russians want is for it to look like Ukraine is the country that is blocking these talks, even though there is not really much evidence that Moscow wants to talk in good faith,” Gowan said. “But again, I think the way the resolution has been designed is to sort of show that Ukraine is not ruling out peace talks, even if they are not very likely to come any time soon.”

Diplomats say it is important that the resolution conveys the cost of the war beyond Ukraine and includes language on energy and food security. Next month, the Black Sea Grain Initiative is due for renewal, something the developing world is eager to see continue.

The European diplomat said the resolution sets out “the principles and framework that will inspire our action in the coming months.”

The draft resolution includes language on the need for accountability for war crimes. Ukraine is considering whether to pursue a separate General Assembly resolution later this year on the setting up of a special international tribunal to hold Russia’s leadership accountable for its invasion — the crime of aggression.

The International Criminal Court at The Hague is already investigating potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on Ukrainian territory since Russia’s invasion. The U.N. Human Rights Council also created a commission of inquiry that has been mandated to investigate all human rights violations committed in the context of Russia’s invasion. Their second report is due in the coming months.

Wednesday morning, Ukraine’s foreign minister is expected to open a session focused on the human rights situation of prisoners of war and the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia.

On Friday, the actual one-year mark of Russia’s all-out invasion, several foreign ministers are expected to attend a Security Council meeting at which U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will hold a briefing.

The deadly conflict has displaced more than 6.5 million Ukrainians inside the country, sent nearly 8 million others to seek safety in other countries and left almost 18 million Ukrainians in need of humanitarian assistance.

Source: Voice of America