Al Jazeera’s exclusive interview with Riek Machar in South Sudan (Youtube-Clip)

Press Release: Switzerland Responds to New Humanitarian Needs in South Sudan (27.07.2016)

WFP South Sudan 2016

Switzerland has decided to provide an additional CHF 2 million to alleviate the suffering of the local population.

BERN, Switzerland, July 27, 2016 – In South Sudan thousands of people have fled the recent hostilities between rival political factions. These new outbreaks of violence have compounded the already considerable humanitarian needs in the country. Switzerland has decided to provide an additional CHF 2 million to alleviate the suffering of the local population.

Switzerland is concerned about the fate of the civilian population of South Sudan following the outbreak of hostilities at the beginning of July 2016 in the capital Juba and other parts of the country. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) will release CHF 2 million to help the victims of this new wave of violence.

Half of this amount will be channelled to the South Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund, to which Switzerland has been contributing since 2014. The funds will help finance the operations in the SDC’s three priority sectors in this country: food security, water and the protection of civilians. The other million will be allotted to the World Food Programme (WFP) to assist efforts to fight food insecurity, which is affecting over four million people in the country.

This new outbreak of violence is exacerbating the already dramatic humanitarian situation. South Sudan suffers from extreme poverty and a civil war, which has been undermining it since December 2013.

South Sudan, which is the world’s youngest state, is one of the priority intervention zones of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, whose budget for this country in 2016 amounted to approximately CHF 18 million before this new contribution.

South Sudan is also a priority country of the FDFA’s Human Security Division (HSD), which has been working to implement the peace agreement concluded in August 2015. The HSD is also involved in the reconciliation efforts and in strengthening local government in collaboration with the traditional authorities. The budget for its peace promotion activities totals about CHF 1 million per year.

Zimbabwe – Woza Moya: Citizen’s Voices on the State of the Nation

Woza Moyo July 2016

Taban Deng Gai sworn in as South Sudan vice president (Youtube-Clip)

“General Taban Deng Gai, has been sworn in as the new South Sudanese first vice president after president Salva Kiir replaced Riek Machar, following a sharp surge in violence between the government and opposition fighters. Taban was a chief negotiator on behalf of Machar’s SPLM-IO group in the talks that led to last year’s peace deal” (Kenya NTV, 2016).

Opinion: PM May cannot play second fiddle with Brexit; She cannot carry dissidents in her own Union; While drinking tea on the continent!

EU UK Flags

Let it be clear the race for leaving the European Union will not be an easy on for the United Kingdom and their noblest of men. They need to be calm, steady and hope that none of the other in their Union abandoned the ship called the UK. If they do so… it is not a United Kingdom, but British Isles. And that is a downer being the PM when the mainland got chopped in half and 300 year old Union went bonkers.

Not only Nicola Sturgeon in the SNP that doesn’t want to be disfranchised from the European Union and its graces; as the Scottish people are people who export their trade of either salmon, oil or something else. Not only getting Trident in their backyard as the defence with nuclear weapons happens to be there… I am sure Theresa May doesn’t want a backhanded slap and feel snubbed by a fellow British politician. Since Sturgeon has her loyalty in Glasgow and Edinburgh, not in the City of London, therefore the struggle for PM May to understand that she doesn’t get votes from Norfolk or Suffolk, but from Scottish constituency.

Gerry Adams

The same issue she has with the Republic of Ireland and their leadership as they don’t want to leave other Irish people behind, as the Northern Ireland and their leader Gerry Adams is not interested in losing the greener pastures of EU, than being even more controlled by London. So that him speaking of possibility of leaving UK, is even more worrying of PM May as she doesn’t only has disregard from Edinburgh, but now from Belfast as they are courted by Dublin and get into the European Union by unification of the Irish people and the whole Irish island. From a split and divide island into one united Irish Republic, something that must boggle the post-colonial British and minds of Boris Johnson.

It is so weird to see Boris Johnson trying to have tact and bravado after disgracing the British public and addressing fellow human beings wrong on the African Continent and disregarding the European Union, but he is not the only partner in softening the relationship with the world. As PM May also appointed Brexit Minister David Davis. David Davis must work slowly nowadays as the Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, gives ability for a country to disembark from the European Union as the Membership. So as long as that is put on the back-burner and trying to negotiate with fellow allies. The UK PM May have not a lesser hard road, as she cannot bully her own as she done with Jeremy Corbyn; while trying to win sympathy around the island.

Sadiq Khan

The PM May might been a hard an stubborn Minister in the PM Cameron’s cabinet, but as PM she should be careful as the Scottish and Northern Irish counterparts that has another play might not give in to the treats of London. The Treats of London lost their value when they accepted to willingly while getting free-trade and open borders with the Schengen-Treaty. While she has not even tried to discuss with new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who wants more autonomy from the United Kingdom as they voted like Northern Ireland and Scotland. Secondly City of London, the business and bank trading is based with investors from abroad and with more closed borders. With more closed border equals less investors who aren’t really welcome since they are foreigners now and not as welcomed as before. They rather invest in Madrid or Paris instead of London.

The mind-set of sweet-talking of future plans with Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Francois Hollande can speak for themselves. But having a PM trip around Europe to be smiling and looking like she takes it seriously, while downplaying the terms of Article 50; seems more like play for the façade than actual actions to honour the pledge of the British Referendum vote of 2016.

Stansted to the World

The business that went down right after the Vote have come back, but the corporations and such are in worry of the signs of the future. What will bring and how long with the negotiations and how far the taxations will, the exports and the limitations be between United Kingdom and the European Union. Certainly, the problems are coming as even Michael O’Leary of Ryanair have today said he would less flights from Standsted (London Airport) to Europe in relation to the Brexit. Even if the Bank of England agents said to the Guardian yesterday that they had resumed to ‘Business as Usual’. The reality is that for a time being there will be limbo between the vacuum of being an EU Member State and becoming maybe part of the European Economic Community or the European Free Trade Association. With this they will maybe secure more their borders, but the trade-off will not be cheap.

The reason I say so is that European Parliament that have been under fire from Nigel Farage and UKIP. An all the other nationalists in Europe as they want to see France, Netherlands and other nations also out of the Union; still with that in mind EU Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg might become more diplomatic and act more of statesman. Since the Brexit blunder and the promised leave the Union the acts from him as been measly and worrying.

If the clause of possible leaves we’re only made in the Lisbon Treaty to be there as fulfilled agreement; then the Lisbon Treaty we’re a compromised to fit the bill of the Member State without seriously considering anybody actually would leave. To be frank: if you have a clause in an agreement, than one party who agreed to ratify the agreement, might eventually use and write upon it to the collective. That is what will happen when the UK initiate the Article 50. Than the negotiations are there to retract the place in Parliament, Commission and all the forums of the European Union; as they will be an outsider.

Theresa-May-Nicola-Sturgeon-600x400

PM May better act upon the vote and not be too proud and giant politician that she has acted as in recent week or so. As she trying to disenfranchise Labour Corby and the backbenchers, while trying to silence the wish for a another Scottish Referendum against the will of Holyrod; the real will of Northern Ireland and their Irish people as the Dublin government trying to reunite the lost brothers on the island.

I got nothing against Theresa May, but her ways are more in the spotlight and her actions will be described by pundits like me, if she likes it or not. I will never forgive her for appointing Boris “Doughnut” Johnson as Foreign Secretary in her cabinet. To show humility for the campaigners for the Brexit; if not it was to go and punch Michael Gove for his dagger against the opportunity for Prime Minister Johnson, which would be even more worrying for Europe and for the United Kingdom. The Northern Irish and Scottish would suffer in his reign, as he has the baboon traits and not noble statesman over him.

With this there are only one thing too, not sweet talk, but actually act and prove to business and people that being outside European Union goes well. I am not a fan of European Union, but I don’t like lying to the public for political gain by smooching princes and parliamentarians on the continent. The reality is that the Article 50 better be a focus and making sure a real team of negotiation are ready to make agreement between British and rest of Europe. Peace.

South Sudan Republican Decree No. 280/2016: “Appointment of the First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai replacement for Dr. Riek Machar (25.07.2016)

Taban Deng Decree 25.07.2016 P1Taban Deng Decree 25.07.2016 P2

Letter: SPLM/A-IO Members of National Liberation Council, Political Bureau and State Governors Reject Replacement of Dr. Riek Machar from posisiton of First Vice President of Republic of South Sudan (23.07.2016)

SPLA-M IO Letter 23.07.2016 P1SPLA-M IO Letter 23.07.2016 P2

Kiir has received the letter of nominating Taban Deng Gai from the SPLM IO in Juba as the First Vice (Youtube-Clip)

“Kiir has received the letter of nominating Taban Deng Gai from the SPLM-IO in Juba as the First Vice President acting in place of Machar who fled Juba following the fighting of July 07th-11th 2016.
Machar was last week appealed to by President Kiir to come to Juba within the expired 48 hours weekend so that they continue with the peace agreement implementation” (Peter Louis, 2016)

RDC: Communique de Presse du G 7 (25.07.2016)

G7 25.07.2016 P1

G7 25.07.2016 P2

Opinion: Indifference from the public is a gift to the Political Sphere!

news-media-standards

We live in a day and age where the content of information is accessible at any time of the day on all kind of formats. It isn’t only pamphlets, posters, newspapers and books. But there are blogs like this; it is digital videos, cable-TV, social-media and all the other ways of gaining information with or without membership pay-walls for the content. In that world of constant ability to gain this, it can either feed the hunger for knowledge or become tiring for the people as the constant newsflashes and breaking news can make your mind boggle and wonder what is really important.  Therefore before I continue let see a main definitions of Indifference!

Definitions of the Word:

“lack of interest in or concern about something: an indifferent attitude or feeling” (…)” 1:  the quality, state, or fact of being indifferent

2a archaic :  lack of difference or distinction between two or more things b :  absence of compulsion to or toward one thing or another” (Meriam Webster Dictionary).

As I tried to explain brief in this time and day, we’re all access to information and ability to download reports, getting brief headlines and watching reports on TV or tablets the clarity of what is important can sometimes not sink in. As we check the normal suspects for the commentary or the capability to get news and become reasonable updated on the matters at hand. Though there are stories lost and we can’t know what happens at every corner of the world, than we are stuck between all screens and behind every tweet dropped every hour of the day. We’ll live in a forever groundhog day and wish that we had comic talent of Bill Murray instead of trying to get up to date with current news.

tabloid-6

The fear is with the level of information, the different formats and the ability of entertainment and tabloid news. The simplistic and breaking is taking over for the hardcore policy discussions as the direct terror threats and artists dismissals seems more important than the issues of trading and health care policies. The indifference towards the reasons behind the migrations and the reasons for the crisis in Syria for instance are lost in the battle against terror. The devastating idea for why Tunisia, Libya and other states who was has been under fire since the Arab spring have been lost in tales of Clinton and British death, instead of the iconic and important support to build state institutions for the citizens. In countries that before this we’re built around grand dictators like Ben Ali and Gaddafi. Therefore the indifference to the solutions and the real deal behind the fragile state is worrying.

The worrying indifference to the abysmal understanding of the financial structure of Greece and Italy, as the banks of Italy are in limbo; while the state sales and economic liberation while drowning a debt-burden Greece in more greasy debt as they trying to cope with the level of migrations. We should ask ourselves if the European Union forgot counting people or building swimming-pools for the new rich investor elites that got ability to buy state-resources and key installations like Piraeus port harbor for few cents on the dollar. Therefore the indifference for the swallowing the pride and the reactions this might have for the Greek state.

Kagame Kabila Nkurunziza

The indifference for rigging elections and supporting peacekeeping armies on the African continent, while the UN Peacekeepers in C.A.R. are using their power to rape and destroy, not only generate peace, as the UN Mission in Western Sahara is more a luxurious club for diplomates than generating mediation and justice for the people under siege from Morocco. But the world is silent. That the DRC are planning to exile more opposition or even detain them before the General Election for a third term for President Kabila and nobody flick their eyes. While the opposition is under siege in Rwanda, but President Kagame is hailed for the economic recovery as the totalitarian leader are oppressive and using forces in the Kivu’s to still steal resources from the Congo. The world doesn’t care or tries to forget. While the Burundi are still in crisis as the third term of President Nkurunziza is bloody, friends and foes of the President vanish and assassinated, while the Inclusive Dialogue by EAC and AU under former Tanzanian President Mpaka are at a standstill. So the state of affairs is far from beautiful. The indifference to matters is staggering as the knowledge of these actions shouldn’t be forgotten.

I wonder if I feel alone on it, like so many didn’t notice the skirmishes and the recent battles from the militias in Beni, in Democratic Republic of Congo. If it was just the Congolese diaspora who wore the yellow color clothes on Sunday’s to remember the dead and spread awareness of the continuing warfare in the region. As the world have forgotten the violence and want to be rest assure that the cobalt and other resources need in the smartphones are exported to factories far away.

The ignorance and indifference are so big as the cable-news and grand media-houses focus on the click-bait and easy journalism instead of digging deep and having questions to the matters. Only following the money, the money always says how the ethical principles a man or woman has; as a person will only spend money on the things and people that they care about. That is a forgotten one, at one point of time with the PanamaPapers, the big media-houses followed it, but when the leaks when silent the interest dwindled as quickly as the importance of Blackburn in British football, which division are they now in?

niger-militants_BH

We can question if the world really want to care, as the violence, the single handily gun-men going on shooting spree and the endless bloodshed is sad to read about and would make your hard. The continuation of news on the freedom fighters or guerrilla of Niger Delta Avengers would be less interesting as long as they’re a giant force in Boko Haram that are steadily doing abductions, kidnaps and killings in Cameroon and Nigeria.

We can’t be able to be refreshed and know about all issues worldwide, but at least not care more about Pokemon Go, Donald Trump’s latest racist tweet or a Stephen Colbert skit. They might a moment of joy and laugh, but with the possible knowledge of destruction, lose forces and able information, we as people shouldn’t let this just go on without questioning the powers to be.

Because as long as the public is kept in the shadow and not knowing, the people will not be able to see what the government or civil society is doing. That gives leeway to do whatever. So with this in mind the people should be interested and question, wonder and check the resources and ability to gain information on the matters. Either if it by Youtube, library or on the newsstand; the government have it easier with ignorant public sphere and indifference to matters both domestic and international, as they don’t have to take a stand and change policy as long as the people doesn’t act upon the issue. Therefore the knowledge and questioning the businesses, government and NGO’s happens when the citizen’s acts upon what we know. Indifference is only earning the government and the ones that already are in power, the danger for them is if we already knows and can anticipate their moves. Because if so, then they can’t away with thieving, lying and deceit of public will. Indifference of this gives way and is a gift to political sphere. Peace.

Reference:

Meriam Webster – ‘Indifference’ link: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indifference