Cairo

Bank of Americasucks

New year

Dance for Southern Sudan

 

 

SUD SOUDAN

J’ai couvert en 1990 le conflit opposant le Sud au Nord Soudan. J’avais à l’epoque croisé briévement John Garang, leader du SPLA, la rebellion chrétienne sudiste. Grace à Paris Match, j’ai découvert récemment la tombe de celui qu’on appelle désormais le « docteur », mort en héros dans un étrange accident d’avion. Je reviens de plusieurs semaines de reportage dans cette région reculée et primitive, dans la perspective du réferendum du 9 janvier 2011 au terme duquel ses natifs devront se déterminer en faveur ou non de l’indépendence. Selon les sondages à 86% ils y sont favorables.
Grand comme trois fois la France, le territoire est formé de dix états où vivent quatre grandes tribus – Dinka, Shilluk, Nuer, Nuba – et plus de 50 clans… La guerre civile avec le Nord l’a laissé exangue, avec moins de 50 kilomètres de routes goudronnées reliant ses villes principales. La seule voie de transport viable est le Nil. Autrefois l’un des plus grands marchè d’esclaves en partance pour l’Europe et l’empire Ottoman, on y échangeait de l’or et de l’ivoire. Aujourd’hui du pétrole et de l’aide humanitaire. Economiquement retardé par rapport au Nord, majoritairement musulman, sans reel pouvoir politique et économique, le Sud, majoritairement Chrétien et animiste, est sous son joug depuis le temps des pharaons.
Il fallait et il faut encore au Soudan, un passeport et un permis de voyage pour passer du Nord au Sud, et vice versa. Plusieurs fois dans son histoire, il a tenté de s’en libérer. Sans succés, jusqu’alors.
Les accords de paix signés le 9 janvier 2005 lui ont offert une relative autonomie, sa propre constitution ainsi que le droit d’organiser ce referendum pour l’indépendance prévu le 9 janvier 2011. Malgré cette perspective, le Sud Soudan traverse sans doute la période la plus critique de son histoire récente. Le SPLM qui gouverne le Sud depuis maintenant cinq annéess n’a pratiquement rien fait. Pas la moindre trace de développement malgrè les milliards de l’aide internationale et des revenus pétroliers. 90% du budget est dépensé à Juba, capitale et siège de ses institutions, contre 10% pour le reste de la région. Aucune opposition politique n’a émergé. L’insécurité régne. Les tribus s’y disputent le bétail et les terres, les seigneurs de la guerre veulent imposer leur loi. Selon les représentants de l’ONU tout report du referendum ne ferait qu’accroître ces violences. Entre huit et dix zones, parmi lesquelles les champs petrolifères d’Abyei, sont contestées par le Nord et pourraient servir de prétexte à une nouvelle confrontation militaire entre les deux regions. Chacun a d’ailleurs commencé d’y masser ses troupes armées.
La Chine allié du Nord renoncera-t-elle a l’exploitation des champs de pétrole que lui a concédé le Nord ? Jusqu’où iront les Américains et l’Occident rallies aux Chrétiens du Sud pour mettre la main sur ces concessions ? Quelle sera la position de l’Egypte, musulmane et arabisante, qui ne considère qu’une richesse, celle de garder sans reel partage le contrôle des eaux du Nil ?

War Zone

UN Human Rights Council calls for independent inquiry into Gaza conflict

25 March 2010 – The United Nations Human Rights Council today, echoing the General Assembly, called on the Israeli Government and the Palestinian side to carry out independent and credible investigations into the deadly conflict in the Gaza Strip that ended early last year.

Those inquiries, the Council said in Geneva, must look into the serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law reported by the fact-finding mission into the Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive starting at the end of 2008 that had the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by militants operating in the area.

The fighting left more than 1,400 people dead, injured 5,000 others and reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.

The Goldstone Report, as it has become known, found that both Israeli forces and Palestinian militants were guilty of serious human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict, which began in late December 2008. The General Assembly has endorsed the mission’s findings.

The four-member fact-finding team headed by former UN war crimes prosecutor Justice Richard Goldstone, set up at the request of the Human Rights Council, called on the two sides to carry out independent investigations into their actions during the conflict.

The Human Rights Council today also called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to look into setting up an escrow fund to provide reparations to Palestinians who suffered losses as a result of unlawful Israeli actions during the conflict.

It also decided to establish a committee of independent experts to monitor the independence, effective and genuineness of the investigations and their conformity with international standards.

Earlier this month, the General Assembly also appealed for independent investigations by Israel and the Palestinians, reiterating a call by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a follow-up report to the Goldstone Report that they must conform with “international standards into the serious violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law reported by the fact-finding mission, towards ensuring accountability and justice.”

KALANDIA, occupied West Bank.

Tens of hundreds of Palestinians of all political persuasions took to the streets, alleys and sidewalks as widespread rioting and protests spread across occupied East Jerusalem, the rest of the West Bank.
At the Qalandiya refugee camp and checkpoint, situated between Jerusalem and Ramallah, hundreds of school boys and young men, continually approached the Israeli checkpoint in waves, hurling stones and bottles.
he Israeli military tried to disperse the rioters with rubber-coated metal bullets and teargas. But just as soon as the protestors were driven back they would advance again on the checkpoint. Scores were injured and a number arrested.
There has been a palpable atmosphere of suppressed anger amongst Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank for the last few weeks due to Israel’s accelerated Judaization of East Jerusalem.

Bmw

Beautiful bike…

Thousands in Paris protest Gaza violence

Scores of marches were held across France, the biggest of them in the capital, where policeestimated 30,000 people took part. Paris police scuffled with a small group toward the end.

Gaza UN

JERUSALEM – The U.N. suspended food deliveries to Gaza and the Red Cross accused Israel of blocking medical assistance after forces fired on aid workers, killing two, as the threat of a wider conflict emerged with Lebanon. With violence unabated in Gaza, key Arab nations and Western powers reached an agreement Thursday on a proposed U.N. resolution calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire between the two sides and moved for a vote late Thursday night.
Israel and Hamas are not party to the agreement and it will be up to them to stop their military activities. But the resolution — which would allow for the opening of border crossings to Gaza — was supported by the United States, Israel’s closest ally, and Arab nations with close ties to Hamas.

AP