As Sudan, Chad Open A New Page On Peace

By Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor
Independent Newspapers Limited.


The two ‘Horns of Africa’ countries which hitherto are torn on each others’ flesh have decided this week to let by-gone be by-gone, and turn a new page.
Chadian president Idriss Deby made a surprise visit to Khartoum last Monday, after each country has laid several accusations and counter accusations of sponsoring rebels to fight the other’s government. Deby’s visit no doubt has really laid a path for peace, as Sudan’s president Omar Hassan al-Bashir the following day issued a statement saying his country has completely turned the page in the conflict with Chad. In his words: “I say to our people in Sudan and in Chad, we have completely turned the page on problems between us,". “This visit has put an end to the problems between Chad and Sudan,” He added. Bashir has even accepted an invitation from Deby to pay a return visit to N’djamena.

This present peaceful meeting won’t be the first time the two oil-producing neighbouring countries are trying to put aside the rancour distorting their peaceful cohabitation.
In March 2008, the two countries entered an accord in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, but it crumbled months later when a major faction of Darfur insurgents, the Justice and Equality Movement, launched an unprecedented attack on Khartoum. The reprisal on Ndjamena, which came as a surprise assault came close to overthrowing Deby’s government before his military troops managed to rally and rout the rebels.

Mid January this year, Sudan and Chad okay the deployment of a joint force on their borders, in order to end the presence of rebels on each other's territory and halt their activities as part of normalisation efforts.

As Deby was brokering the peace, he stated “…a calm is not enough. Agreements and protocols alone cannot bring back confidence if politics are not included. It is time to outdo ourselves in order to seal this peace.” "If I am with you today, it's not purely for an accolade, I have come so that we can transform the current calm into definitive peace," he added.
Even Sudan leader has been flabbergasted by his core enemy’s surprise visit. "When we were told that President Deby was coming to Khartoum it was a surprise, but a pleasant surprise," Bashir said.
Bashir said joint projects would be set up in the border area between both countries in order to help those affected by the Darfur conflict.
The two countries have agreed to prevent armed groups from using the territory of either state against the interests of the other and to establish mechanisms to monitor their common border.
Analysts are of the view that al-Bashir is seeking cheap popularity, especially as he is standing to run this April for Sudan’s first democratic elections in 24 years. Al-Bashir is trying to douse tension in his conflict-devastated state ahead of the April elections. According to Roland Marchal, a senior research fellow and an expert on Chad-Sudan at France CERI international research institute, “Bashir will need to get an international community that is not too critical. It makes sense, especially as Chad has committed itself to not supply equipment to the Darfur rebels."

According to United Nations’ estimate, about 300,000 deaths were recorded when non-Arab insurgents took up arms against Darfur people in early 2003. But President al-Bashir put the death toll at 10,000. About 2.7 million people have fled their homes and been displaced in eastern Chad and western Sudan because of bloodletting clashes with these areas.
The war broke out when Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) began attacking government targets and installations. The rebels were accusing Sudan of oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs Janjaweed militia - who are accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Sudan government following the attacks then mobilised a self-defence militias. The government denies any links to the Arab. Al-Bashir has called the Janjaweed "thieves and gangsters".
But refugees have refuted Sudan’s government stance, saying air raids by government aircraft would be followed by attacks from the Janjaweed, who would ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they could find.
The international community has blamed President Bashir on the crisis, and issue an arrest warrant on him last year. Even, last week another fresh charge was approved by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, Africa Union (AU) has refused to honour ICC warrant on the sitting president.

The international community has welcomed this new initiative towards peace in these Horn of Africa countries.
No doubt, the new peace deal with not only be a relief to the people within this war-torn zone, but an economic benefits to other Africa countries, and international organisations who spend their resources in sending military peace-keeping force and relief materials.
The United States has congratulated the Governments of Chad and Sudan on the signing of the January 15 agreements in N’Djamena to normalize relations.
We believe that the normalization of Chad-Sudan relations provides an important opportunity to advance ongoing international efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the situation in Darfur, and we call on the Governments of Chad and Sudan to contribute actively and appropriately to these peace efforts. This agreement will also enhance regional stability and promote economic growth.
The UN has lauded the “positive step” between the Sudan and Chad governments in securing their common borders and joining resource to combating rebels.
The Assistant-Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Dmitry Titov, told the Security Council that “While the challenges in Darfur remain enormous, there is a hope and an opportunity that the coming year will bring positive changes for the region”.

Quake: Is U.S. Invading Or Relieving Devastated Haitians?

Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor



The U.S. role in administering aids and relief effort to the millions left devastated in the massive January 12 quake has been criticised many as a moved to invade the poor Latin American country. Critics slight Pentagon’s despatch of 15,000 troops (comprising those troops on ground and those who are on high sea) to Port-au-Prince as signalling invasion, other than providing relief aids.
France and Brazil were the first to let out their voices against U.S. move, when America soldiers refused landing permit to their medic teams sent to help the millions injured and those traumatised.
Though, U.S. government is claiming it intends to maintain peace and security in the state that is fast growing into a ‘state of nature’ as described in the Hobbessian cannibalised and uncivilised early stage of human society.

Last week, six helicopters pack full with American soldiers landed in Haiti’s presidential palace. This move alone would openly signify a new version of takeover, maybe a new pattern of conquering new kingdom as witnessed in the early years culminating into human civilization.

The Italian government official who led the country's response to the L'Aquila earthquake has condemned relief efforts in Haiti as a disorganised "vanity parade", ahead of an international conference on rebuilding the devastated country.

Guido Bertolaso, the head of Italy's civil protection service, said there had been a fundamental lack of leadership thus far in foreign aid missions to Haiti, warning also that the large US military mission in the country was not entirely helpful.

Also the Venezuelan and Bolivian presidents vent their anti-U.S. invective, claiming Washington was using a relief operation in Haiti to mask a military takeover of the impoverished country.

"The empire," said Mr. Chavez using his favourite epithet for the United States, "is taking Haiti over the bodies and tears of its people."

"They started with the airport," he said, referring to Port-au-Prince's single runway airfield, which U.S. forces have operated since last week, assisting hundreds of aid planes in landing”.

"If you want to go inside the destroyed presidential palace, you'll find US Marines standing in your way," Chavez added.

"They brazenly occupied Haiti without consulting the UN or the OAS (Organization of American States)," said Mr. Chavez, who on Sunday made similar accusations about the U.S. relief effort in Haiti.

Meanwhile, Bolivian President Evo Morales, one of Mr. Chavez's closest allies in the region, said he would request an emergency UN meeting "to repudiate and reject this military occupation of the United States in Haiti."

"It's not right the United States should use this natural disaster to invade and militarily occupy Haiti," he told a press conference.

"If you have all these problems with the injured and the dead from the earthquake, you have to go there to save lives, and you don't do that from a military standpoint," he added.

The U.S. tight grip on the relief efforts have stalled and slowed the rate of administration of food in the devastated poor country. Many prominent individuals including Jean Saint-Vil, Canada Haiti Action Network, Pierre Labossiere, Haiti Action Committee, USA , Noam Chomsky, MIT, Niraj Joshi, Toronto Haiti Action Committee, Roger Annis, Canada Haiti Action Network, Brian Concannon Jr., Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, BC Holmes, Toronto Haiti Action Committee, Yves Engler, Canada Haiti Action Network, Peter Hallward, Middlesex University, Kevin Pina, journalist and film-maker, and Kevin Skerrett, Canada Haiti Action Network, recently took to undersigning an open letter to protest the increasing death toll that is mounting in Haiti over U.S. tight grip on the emergency relief.
According to them, “Since the US Air Force seized unilateral control of the airport in Port-au-Prince, it has privileged military over civilian humanitarian flights. As a result, untold numbers of people have died needlessly in the rubble of Port-au-Prince, Leogane and other abandoned towns”.

“If aid continues to be withheld, many more preventable deaths will follow. We demand that US commanders immediately restore executive control of the relief effort to Haiti's leaders, and to help rather than replace the local officials they claim to support”.

The open letter further stated that “We note that obsessive foreign concerns with 'security' and 'looting' are largely refuted by actual levels of patience and solidarity on the streets of Port-au-Prince. The decision to avoid what US commanders have called "another Somalia-type situation" by prioritizing security and military control is likely to succeed only in provoking the very kinds of unrest they condemn”.

“In keeping with a longstanding pattern, US and UN officials continue to treat the Haitian people and their representatives with wholly misplaced fear and suspicion”.

The U.S. government has rushed in its own military to re-establish a repressive force under cover of a “humanitarian” mission needed to bring aid to people who are injured, hungry and thirsty, and without shelter.

Spokespeople from what is left of Haiti’s government estimate that some 200,000 people have died in the disaster, that hundreds of thousands have left the capital area to seek shelter in the North of the country, and there are still some 609,000 without shelter in the capital area itself. (Reuters, Jan. 25)

The U.S. Marines and Airborne forces have seized the destroyed presidential palace, the banks, the Port-au-Prince airport and the severely damaged seaport. The U.S. forces took control of air traffic at the airport on Jan. 14. Currently 120 planes can land daily on the one runway, but 1,400 planes are backed up waiting for U.S. permission to land.

Accompanying the U.S. troop surge, the U.N. forces that have occupied Haiti since 2004 have rebuilt their command, which was severely damaged by the earthquake, and are increasing the number of troops from 9,000 to 12,500. Canada, which invaded Haiti in 2004 along with the U.S. and France after the U.S. deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has doubled its contingent to 2,000 troops.

All reports on the ground from Haiti show that Washington gave first priority to the military buildup, while delaying emergency aid. Comments from officials engaged in aid and rescue missions — even from U.S. allies — show that by giving the military priority, Washington hampered the international humanitarian effort.

Terror Attack: Do Nigerians Deserve To Be Demonised?

By Paul Arhewe ,


The Christmas botched terror attack attempted by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, is not only a condemnable act but one that requires the maximum punishment that goes with such act.
Howbeit, last week, the American State Department in its bid to stiffen security watch on likely terror attack chose to include Nigeria in a watch-list of countries of interest (countries that should be closely monitored to assuage surprise attacks), alongside with 13 other known terrorists-sponsoring countries.
The implication of this measure is that while other countries, especially in the western world would begin to exercise extra caution in dealing with Nigerians travelling to their countries, foreign investors would be dissuaded as they would not want their reputation smeared in indulging with a country under a terror watch-list.
While the actions of U.S. is widely criticised, in this part of the world, many are of the view that the bulk of blame should rest with American government for its intelligence’s failure to avert the failed attack by not acting promptly on the information provided by AdulMutallab’s father two months before the attempt on the U.S. aircraft. The American securities failed to act on the vital information that would have seen AdulMutallab been placed on a no-fly watch list. Though, President Barack Obama has claimed responsibility for this security lapses, this is not enough as cooperation is required from other countries, including Nigeria, in nipping in the bud any future development of terrorist act.
One is tempted to believe that the inclusion of Nigeria in terrorist watch list by U.S. is not based only on the isolated AbdulMutallab botched attack. As a measure to save face, the blames for the terror attack should definitely be shared with others.
In 2001, the convicted Briton shoe bomber, Richard Reid, used the same PETN chemical explosives in a failed attempt to blow up a transatlantic airline. America failed to tag UK a terrorist state and put the country in its watch-list of country of interest; but for a black African state, this tag is well suited. The listing of Nigeria is no doubt an overreaction from the American government, and a delisting would go a long way in averting a show of diplomatic quagmire.
There are glaring facts that the suspect in question was not influenced within the Nigerian borders, but recruited in London, and got the suicide bomber-instinct from his association with an al-Qaida branch in Yemen, which has taken responsibility. The suspect associated with a notorious radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Awlaki has been linked to other attacks, including that carried out by an American army Major Nidal Malik Hasan at the Fort Hood army base in Texas in November 2009.
If AbdulMutallab’s natural parents were in support of his move, they wouldn’t have proceeded to thwart it months before its execution. This is a pointer that Abdulmutallab’s sponsors, as clearly seen, are outside his native country, not within, and a case to show U.S. placement of Nigeria on a watch-list is not a deal fair.
The Yemen government is also trying to save its face from shame as a terrorists- breeding state by claiming the explosives AbdulMutallab used were not from their country but from Nigeria. AbdulMutallab that spent only 23 minutes in Nigeria before embarking on the suicide mission may not have gone to any market in Lagos to buy PETN explosives. The PETN chemical is the basic ingredient in detonating cords used for industrial explosions and can be collected by scraping the insides of the wire, said James Crippin, a Colorado explosives expert. Used in military devices and readily found in blasting caps, the chemical is stable and safe to handle but requires a primary explosive to detonate it. The question is how would the suspect, acting alone, get these explosives within 23 minutes he was in Nigerian soil? Suppose he got it from Nigeria, the fact still remains that those directing his moves were from Yemen. They would surely have arranged the substance for him. While, Nigerian government should not foreclose the premise that collaborator(s) may have aided the suspect within the country, instead of passing blame the Yemeni government should proceed with the ongoing onslaught against terrorists groups that are fortifying their base in this middle-east country.
Nigeria, no doubts has some past experiences of deadly religious uprisings, such as the 1980s Maitatsine sect attack, 2009 Boko Haram bedlam, and the recent Kala-kato crisis in Bauchi. These religious strives may have attracted the attention of America and prompted the decision to tag Nigeria a terrorist sponsoring state, especially when hundreds are killed on a flimsy and baseless religious protest. While it is expected that Nigerian government should address security lapses that give room for nursing internal religious sect, which preaches anti-America and anti-western civilisation, the American government, no doubt should have a definition for international terrorism, which should be different from religious rankling, which is present in every country, especially in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state as Nigeria. Nigerians are lovers of longevity. Every normal Nigerians, outside those whose mindsets have been polluted and whitewashed by influences outside the shores of the country like AbdulMutallab, would daily pray to outlive the years their great grandfathers lived; it is unimaginable seeing a normal Nigerian fronting to be a suicide bomber. No wonder Nigerians are tagged the happiest people, despite the numerous factors that should make them every second sad.
It is a welcome development for countries, not only U.S., to tighten their airport securities, with newly introduced security measures such as full-body scanning and explosive detection technology, the use of “Puffer” machines, a simple frisk or bomb-sniffing dogs all would likely detect the chemical explosive PETN, as experts disclosed. With this in place, there is the need for countries to cooperate in ensuring a safer world than the move by American government to blacklist Nigeria. While, AbdulMutallab should be made to pay for his sins, as the outcome of a U.S. federal grand jury has indicted him last week on six charges, including one that could put him away for life, a peace- loving country like Nigeria should not be witch-hunted; rather seeking her cooperation in the fight against terror would be to the advantage of humanity.

Climate Change: Africa’s Demands And Its Challenges

By Paul Arhewe,

As world leaders gather for the next two weeks, starting Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark on a major UN climate change summit that would proffer solutions for combating the 21st century monster that is gradually changing the world’s natural habitat, the role of Africa countries in making this a huge success is invaluable. As the Kyoto Protocol’s requirements expire in 2012 world leaders in the summit would forge a new pact to tackle greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, which was negotiated in 1997 at the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Japan and ratified in early 2005, seeks to compel the 37 industrialised countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the five-year period of 2008-2012 to an average of five per cent against the 1990 levels.

Earlier this year African leaders threatened to boycott the Copenhagen summit unless huge aid is given to countries in continent to cope with climate change, arguing that highly industrialize countries in the west and Asia are major promoters of this destructive gas. Among their requests include aid for finance, technology and support for capacity building. Developing nations, also are calling on rich countries to cut their emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
Last month, in order to develop a united front, in an emergency summit, 10 members of Africa Union met and agreed on an undisclosed amount (expected to be in trillions of US dollars) to demand during the ongoing talks in Copenhagen.
Africa countries will suffer more from the impact from climate change, as some of the achieved progress and developments in the past decade would be reversed. Also, ecological shocks are predicted to feature in the continent, as an offshoot of the global warming. Estimation from UN Environment Program shows that between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa, as a result of climate change, may face water shortage by 2020. $50 billion annually is needed by the continent to cope with climate change and rising temperatures.

The summit is expected to propose annual fund of $10 billion for the next three years to aid poor countries create strategies to combat climate change. In addition, hundreds of billions of dollars would be needed yearly to set out new energy path and adapt to new climates.

Some African countries, like South Africa, are beginning to show efforts on how to contribute in making less future emissions of greenhouse gas. President Jacob Zuma announced on Monday his country’s plan to cut gas emissions by 42 percent by 2025, on the basis that rich countries meet the requests to provide aid to poor African countries.

Scientists opine that the continuation of climate change would result in grave consequences, with continual rise in temperatures that would lead to extinction of plant and animal species, the flooding of coastal areas, extreme weather conditions, drought and wide spread of pandemic diseases.
As Africa countries seek ways to increase their energy supplies, the challenge is to seek ways to develop clean energy sources. There is a need for collaboration between World Bank and Africa Development Bank to build up framework for the continent’s clean energy development. Also, private investment is required to promote efficient energy source for Africa.
The challenge of adapting to climate change, even after global carbon emissions are reduced, is one that requires a long-term programme, where Africa governments need to systematically integrate adaptation issues in their policies.
The preservation of continent’s vast forest is a major way it can contribute in protecting the global climate. Hence, the continual encouragement and campaigns to discourage deforestation is germane, and a task Africa leaders should champion.

CAMBODIA: SHINAWATRA’S ADVICE AND DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH THAILAND

CAMBODIA: SHINAWATRA’S ADVICE AND DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH THAILAND

By Paul Arhewe,


The ousted Thailand Prime Minister is in news again. Thaksin Shinawatra, this time, is in news not on commentaries concerning his self imposed exile in lieu of corruption charges against him, but that Cambodia, a neighbouring country to Thailand, chooses to overlook his fugitive status and charges to appoint him economic adviser.
This appointment has already started causing diplomat strain between the two Asian nations. Already, both countries have retaliated in closing their embassies, cutting off any diplomatic ties.
Shinawatra, who is on the run following his ouster from premiership by a bloodless military coup in 2006, avoided his country’s request to face corruption charges levelled against his government. He fled Thai in August 2008 before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentence him to two years jail term for unlawfully breaking a conflict of interest law while in power.
The present Thai government in October announced that it would strip Shinawatra of his royal wards and his rank during his service as police officer.
Most of Shinawatra’s allies in government were all sent packing during the heat from the anti-Thaksin protesters who occupied Bangkok’s airport for days; grounding all economic and political activities in the country last year.

Thai government has officially written to Cambodia authorities demanding the extradition of Shinawatra; the latter turned down the request, saying Shinawatra is not a prisoner in its own soil. Cambodia government stated in a document that charges against Shinawatra is “politically motivated” and vowed not to extradite him if he decides to stay in Cambodia or to travel in and out to execute his advisory duties.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has gone as far as offering Shinawatra a residence whenever he chooses to assume his advisory post. The Cambodia leader is obviously intervening in Thai’s internal affairs, as his actions and words has confirmed that he will not comply with the extradition treaty with Thailand to make Shinawatra serve his jail term in Thailand.
Hun Sen’s remarks and choice for Shinawatra as economic adviser is seen as provocative and deemed unethical diplomacy towards Thailand. The media in the region are not taking it lightly with him, as it engaged in a face-off with the Prime Minister when he arrived in the venue to chair the 15th ASEAN summit
For appointing Shinawatra economic adviser, Hun Sen is not only meddling into Thai’s domestic affair and threatening its national security but also breaching the agreement reached by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community, which prohibits country members from intervening in other countries’ internal affairs. Hun Sen’s actions raises suspicion and to what ulterior motive he intend to achieve.
The Cambodian leader is obviously sacrificing cordial diplomatic ties between the two countries for favouritism to a friend. In his words: "Allowing Thaksin to stay in Cambodia is virtuous behaviour...good friends need to help each other in difficult circumstances,"

Thailand and Cambodia has suffered a strain relationship since June 2008 from the ongoing border conflict over land surrounding a 10th century temple.

The Thai government is not against the appointment as they see it as a private issue between Cambodian government and Shinawatra, but are pushing that he be extradited whenever he sets foot on Cambodia soil. Thai’s Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the appointment is a Cambodian matter. In his words: "We don't have to analyse anything, the appointment is a private relationship between Cambodia and Thaksin. It hasn't had any impact on us."
"It's not a surprise. Cambodia has previously hired other foreigners as advisers and it did not cause us any problems. We don't have to worry too much, but if Thaksin happens to be in Cambodia then we have to ask for his extradition." added Suthep.
In ordering the recall of Thai ambassador from Cambodia, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Cambodian government has implicated Thai’s judicial system and effects public sentiment in his country.
However, Vejjajiva insists that the action to recall its envoy is a mere reaction from Thailand and will not significantly affect the relationship of the two Asian countries.
Even thought cross border trade between the countries goes on as normal the Thai government intend to review its cooperation with Cambodia, and calls Cambodia government to explain its actions in relations to Thai’s judicial system.
By the weekend this threat from Thai government, after the recalling of its envoy, create a second blow to its already tensed relationship with Cambodia, where it revoke a memorandum of understanding between the two countries on developing an overlapping maritime area rich in oil and gas reserves in the Gulf Thailand.

Cambodia government sees the whole scenario as an overreaction over its own internal affair. Spokesperson for Cambodia foreign ministry said "The Thai government is trying to mix things up."
The irony of Cambodia’s government position is that it wants Thai to clarify the status of the two countries relationship. It also wants to have a good relationship with Thailand in spite of its glaring actions that is beginning to tear down the already tense relations the neighbouring Asian countries share.
As Obama kicks-off his Asian tour last weekend, this tension between Thailand and Cambodia is one that needs to be resolved, especially as United States and ASEAN seek to mark a milestone in their relationship.