Month: September 2018

EU Envisions New Joint Border Force

Posted on by SeeEU

An ambitious plan for a European Union Border and Coast Guard force was unveiled at a special meeting of the European Council in Austria this week.

European Commission officials have told VOA that they want the project approved before European elections next May, in which immigration is expected to be a central issue.

The project is being pushed by the EU’s current rotating president, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who used the summit to criticize southern European countries for failing to fully register immigrants entering through their borders. He said that EU officials who didn’t work directly for any state might be less susceptible to “distractions.”    

While officials meeting in Austria doubt that the border force plan will go into effect with the speed and reach suggested by the European Commission, a senior Spanish diplomat says that EU leaders “have to give the impression of advancing on immigration control and that some steps will be taken towards creating of a joint border force as long as it’s flexible and complimentary to member states.” 

Long-standing suggestions for a joint border force have gained urgency recently as differences on dealing with the ongoing influx of immigrants threatens to divide the EU and generate support for populist and nationalist politicians running on anti-immigrant planks.

Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell said this week that the future of European integration rests on developing a joint policy on immigration. Forming a border force to give teeth to the EU’s understaffed and underfunded border control agency would further the goal, according to European Commission president Jean Claude Junker.

He has asked for $1.5 billion to be budgeted over the next two years to reinforce Europe’s main border control agency FRONTEX with a standing force of 10,000 guards capable of responding to new emergencies. 

Based in the Polish capital Warsaw, FRONTEX has until now operated as a coordinating and information exchange mechanism between European security services. Its capacity to engage in prolonged field operations is limited by its dependence on voluntary contributions from individual government.

Junker has warned of growing migration pressures from Africa, which, he said, could soon hold 25 percent of the planet’s population. EU analysts also fear a new flood of refugees from Syria as the Assad regime threatens an offensive against the last major rebel stronghold bordering Turkey.

“I want a standing corps of 10,000 in place by 2020 ready to support the over 100,000 national border guards in their difficult tasks. We need to establish a genuine, efficient EU border guard — in the true sense of the word. For this to happen, we also need equipment. We need more planes, more vessels, more vehicles,” Junker recently told the European parliament.

A legislative proposal issued on Sept. 12 by the European Commission projects an eventual budget of $15 billion over seven years beginning in 2021, to establish a network of surveillance centers, frontier check points as well as permanent sea, air and land patrols which would be armed and equipped with latest technology. 

The plan contemplates “dynamic” border protection by which the EU force would be deployed and moved around “hot spots” as requested by member states, as well as exercising a degree of “executive powers” in responding to emergencies “autonomously.”

The force would also be tasked with the removal of migrants who do not qualify for EU protection under existing international treaties, according to the European Commission briefing presented at this week’s summit.

Some EU governments such as Italy have been seeking the creation of “regional platforms” in third countries for returning migrants. 

Officials tell VOA that while setting up such facilities is not contemplated as a border force mission, the return of immigrants to countries outside Europe is the type of task which an EU unit might perform more effectively than single governments.

Pressures for a border force follow a series of immigration crises over the past year which have seriously tested European unity. In his speech before the European parliament last week, Junker referred to an episode in which Italy defied the EU by refusing entry to a ship ferrying African migrants.

He blamed the incident on a lack of mutual “solidarity” which could have been resolved with a common coast guard to direct the ship.

Spain expelled 166 African migrants who forced their way through border fences with Morocco over the protests by EU officials while Austria and Hungary have similarly engaged in unilateral expulsions and closed their borders in defiance of the EU Shengen treaty.

Distrust of Europe’s ability to police frontiers was also a factor in Britain’s decision to “Brexit” from the EU through a referendum two years ago.

An EU immigration expert working in Spain’s foreign ministry has told the VOA that creation of an EU Border and Coast Guard will probably gain support in a series of meetings between interior and justice ministers over the next few months.

But the proposal put forward by Junker is likely to undergo major changes before it goes up for a vote before the European parliament, according to the source.

A summit between EU, Arab and African governments to further cooperation on immigration is being held in February according to European Commissions’ high representative for foreign affairs and security, Federica Mogherini.

An EU force composed of security units from different member states is already operating in the Sahel region of northern Africa. 
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Marine Le Pen Ordered to Take Psychiatric Evaluation

Posted on by SeeEU

French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has been ordered to undergo psychiatric testing after tweeting graphic images of Islamic State executions, the leader of France’s National Rally party revealed Thursday.

“I thought I had experienced everything, but no! For having denounced the horrors of Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the terror organization), the court has ordered me to undergo a psychiatric evaluation,” Le Pen wrote on Twitter.

The court order, which Le Pen also tweeted, was dated to Sept. 11. The images that led to to the order were originally posted in December 2015, weeks after coordinated terrorist attacks killed 130 across Paris on Nov. 13. 

Le Pen said she originally tweeted the images after a journalist compared her National Rally party, then called the National Front, to the Islamic State. Among them were photos of the body of James Foley, an American journalist who was beheaded by the Islamic State in 2014 after being captured in Syria. Le Pen later deleted that tweet at the request of Foley’s family.

Le Pen was charged by authorities for spreading messages that “incite terrorism or pornography or seriously harm human dignity,” and had her parliamentary immunity stripped in 2017 after an investigation. If Le Pen is found guilty, she could face up to three years in prison and fine of roughly $87,000.

Le Pen later said she would skip the test. “I’d like to see how the judge would try and force me do it,” she told reporters.

Le Pen’s National Rally is noted for its populist policies and anti-immigration sentiment. She lost the French presidential election to Emmanuel Macron last year.
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Marine Le Pen Ordered to Take Psychiatric Evaluation

Posted on by SeeEU

French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has been ordered to undergo psychiatric testing after tweeting graphic images of Islamic State executions, the leader of France’s National Rally party revealed Thursday.

“I thought I had experienced everything, but no! For having denounced the horrors of Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the terror organization), the court has ordered me to undergo a psychiatric evaluation,” Le Pen wrote on Twitter.

The court order, which Le Pen also tweeted, was dated to Sept. 11. The images that led to to the order were originally posted in December 2015, weeks after coordinated terrorist attacks killed 130 across Paris on Nov. 13. 

Le Pen said she originally tweeted the images after a journalist compared her National Rally party, then called the National Front, to the Islamic State. Among them were photos of the body of James Foley, an American journalist who was beheaded by the Islamic State in 2014 after being captured in Syria. Le Pen later deleted that tweet at the request of Foley’s family.

Le Pen was charged by authorities for spreading messages that “incite terrorism or pornography or seriously harm human dignity,” and had her parliamentary immunity stripped in 2017 after an investigation. If Le Pen is found guilty, she could face up to three years in prison and fine of roughly $87,000.

Le Pen later said she would skip the test. “I’d like to see how the judge would try and force me do it,” she told reporters.

Le Pen’s National Rally is noted for its populist policies and anti-immigration sentiment. She lost the French presidential election to Emmanuel Macron last year.
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Analysts: Poor Economy, Unemployment Lure Tunisians to Extremism

Posted on by SeeEA

Seven years after the Arab Spring, little has been done to address youth unemployment in Tunisia, a key factor in extremist groups’ ability to recruit marginalized youth, rights groups and experts warn.

“Someone who is marginalized with nothing to lose, no stability in life, no vision of the future, no hope for change, can become a very easy target for terrorist groups,” Amna Guellali, director of Human Rights Watch’s Tunisia office, told VOA.

The Arab Spring was ignited in Tunisia, in part because of deteriorating economic conditions. A frustrated street vendor set himself on fire outside a local municipal office in Sidi Bouzid to protest repeated harassment from authorities, who often confiscated his goods or fined him for selling without a permit. 

Although economic conditions that force people to eke out a living on society’s margins play a big role in the unrest, Guellali said that unemployment is the central issue in Tunisia.

 “Unemployment stands at 15 percent, rising to 36 percent for Tunisians under 24 years old. Unemployed youths with diplomas are 25 percent, according to the last statistic of 2017,” Guellali added.

The World Bank, which has been helping Tunisia in its development, has also warned that unemployment among young people is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

Economic growth 

The World Bank says Tunisia has made progress in its transition to democracy and good governance practices, compared with other countries in the Middle East, but still grapples with growing its economy and providing economic opportunities. 

Tunisia’s economic growth in the post-Arab Spring era remains weak despite a modest increase in 2017. According to World Bank data, the economy grew by 1.9 percent in 2017 compared with 1.0 percent in 2016. Since the revolution, the economy has been growing by an average 1.5 percent annually, lower than previous years.

“Tunisian youth don’t see improvement; they actually see that the economic conditions have worsened more than the previous regime,” Darine El Hage, a regional program manager at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), told VOA. 

El Hage added that the institute’s field research indicates that Tunisian youth are both frustrated and feel hopeless, with some appreciating the previous government of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali for its relative stability. 

Mohamed Malouche, founder of the Tunisian American Young Professionals organization, agrees. He believes that ordinary Tunisians feel betrayed by the country’s politicians.

“The Tunisian public has been very patient, but they are not seeing that democracy is paying off. They all feel that they have been cheated by politicians,” Malouche said. 

Ripe for extremism

Terror groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida have large numbers of Tunisians among their ranks and are active in various countries in the region.

Youssef Cherif, an independent Tunisian analyst, believes that when young people join militant groups, it is not due to ideological or religious preferences.

“Tunisian youth are trying to find a space where they can feel that they are important and feel a sense of identity and sense of belonging,” Cherif said.

Malouche agrees. “The lack of economic opportunities, the feeling of injustice and the lack of trust in the government institutions force Tunisian youth to take the extremism route,” he said. 

“Tunisia is becoming a fertile ground to extremism recruiters who are taking advantage of vulnerable young men by offering them money and promises,” he added.

Malouche said lack of political representation is also a factor.

“The Tunisian youth are not [seeing] themselves in the political process. They don’t feel that they are truly represented by the current people in power,” he said.

Root causes

Since the toppling of autocrat Ben Ali in 2011, nine Cabinets have been elected, none of which fully addressed high inflation and unemployment.

“The government has not addressed the root causes of the situation. They haven’t adopted comprehensive policies. They only adopted some cosmetic measures,” Human Rights Watch’s Guellali said.

The government is trying to encourage foreign investment, but continued instability has deterred investors, she said. 

Political division

Political differences between President Beji Caid Essebsi and Prime Minister Youssef Chahed further complicate efforts to bring about reforms.

In July, Essebsi urged the prime minister to step down, citing the country’s political and economic problems. Chahed ignored the call.

“A change of government will shake the confidence of Tunisia’s international partners … as economic data will begin to improve by the end of this year [2018],” Chahed told state news agency TAP, responding to the president’s call for his resignation.

The Tunisian government has taken a number of steps to try to address  inflation and unemployment, including efforts to strengthen small businesses in the country and exemption of foreign companies from taxation to encourage more foreign investment. But analysts, like USIP’s El Hage, believe that these solutions are at best easy fixes.

“There are some mobilizations at the level of the government. However, these mobilizations are short-lived and don’t reflect long-term and comprehensive economic reform policy,” El Hage said. 

Some of the information in this report came from Reuters.
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Analysts: Poor Economy, Unemployment Lure Tunisians to Extremism

Posted on by SeeEA

Seven years after the Arab Spring, little has been done to address youth unemployment in Tunisia, a key factor in extremist groups’ ability to recruit marginalized youth, rights groups and experts warn.

“Someone who is marginalized with nothing to lose, no stability in life, no vision of the future, no hope for change, can become a very easy target for terrorist groups,” Amna Guellali, director of Human Rights Watch’s Tunisia office, told VOA.

The Arab Spring was ignited in Tunisia, in part because of deteriorating economic conditions. A frustrated street vendor set himself on fire outside a local municipal office in Sidi Bouzid to protest repeated harassment from authorities, who often confiscated his goods or fined him for selling without a permit. 

Although economic conditions that force people to eke out a living on society’s margins play a big role in the unrest, Guellali said that unemployment is the central issue in Tunisia.

 “Unemployment stands at 15 percent, rising to 36 percent for Tunisians under 24 years old. Unemployed youths with diplomas are 25 percent, according to the last statistic of 2017,” Guellali added.

The World Bank, which has been helping Tunisia in its development, has also warned that unemployment among young people is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

Economic growth 

The World Bank says Tunisia has made progress in its transition to democracy and good governance practices, compared with other countries in the Middle East, but still grapples with growing its economy and providing economic opportunities. 

Tunisia’s economic growth in the post-Arab Spring era remains weak despite a modest increase in 2017. According to World Bank data, the economy grew by 1.9 percent in 2017 compared with 1.0 percent in 2016. Since the revolution, the economy has been growing by an average 1.5 percent annually, lower than previous years.

“Tunisian youth don’t see improvement; they actually see that the economic conditions have worsened more than the previous regime,” Darine El Hage, a regional program manager at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), told VOA. 

El Hage added that the institute’s field research indicates that Tunisian youth are both frustrated and feel hopeless, with some appreciating the previous government of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali for its relative stability. 

Mohamed Malouche, founder of the Tunisian American Young Professionals organization, agrees. He believes that ordinary Tunisians feel betrayed by the country’s politicians.

“The Tunisian public has been very patient, but they are not seeing that democracy is paying off. They all feel that they have been cheated by politicians,” Malouche said. 

Ripe for extremism

Terror groups such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida have large numbers of Tunisians among their ranks and are active in various countries in the region.

Youssef Cherif, an independent Tunisian analyst, believes that when young people join militant groups, it is not due to ideological or religious preferences.

“Tunisian youth are trying to find a space where they can feel that they are important and feel a sense of identity and sense of belonging,” Cherif said.

Malouche agrees. “The lack of economic opportunities, the feeling of injustice and the lack of trust in the government institutions force Tunisian youth to take the extremism route,” he said. 

“Tunisia is becoming a fertile ground to extremism recruiters who are taking advantage of vulnerable young men by offering them money and promises,” he added.

Malouche said lack of political representation is also a factor.

“The Tunisian youth are not [seeing] themselves in the political process. They don’t feel that they are truly represented by the current people in power,” he said.

Root causes

Since the toppling of autocrat Ben Ali in 2011, nine Cabinets have been elected, none of which fully addressed high inflation and unemployment.

“The government has not addressed the root causes of the situation. They haven’t adopted comprehensive policies. They only adopted some cosmetic measures,” Human Rights Watch’s Guellali said.

The government is trying to encourage foreign investment, but continued instability has deterred investors, she said. 

Political division

Political differences between President Beji Caid Essebsi and Prime Minister Youssef Chahed further complicate efforts to bring about reforms.

In July, Essebsi urged the prime minister to step down, citing the country’s political and economic problems. Chahed ignored the call.

“A change of government will shake the confidence of Tunisia’s international partners … as economic data will begin to improve by the end of this year [2018],” Chahed told state news agency TAP, responding to the president’s call for his resignation.

The Tunisian government has taken a number of steps to try to address  inflation and unemployment, including efforts to strengthen small businesses in the country and exemption of foreign companies from taxation to encourage more foreign investment. But analysts, like USIP’s El Hage, believe that these solutions are at best easy fixes.

“There are some mobilizations at the level of the government. However, these mobilizations are short-lived and don’t reflect long-term and comprehensive economic reform policy,” El Hage said. 

Some of the information in this report came from Reuters.
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Pakistan: Saudi Arabia to Join China-Funded Development Project

Posted on by SeeEA

Pakistan announced Thursday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to join and invest “heavily” in its ongoing China-funded bilateral infrastructure and industrial development projects.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s extensive meetings with the Saudi leadership during this week’s official visit to Riyadh resulted in the landmark development, the Pakistani information minister said.

As part of President Xi Jinping’s global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing is investing billions of dollars in Pakistan to help the close ally build and upgrade the transportation network, power plants, expand the deep-water port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, establish industrial zones to enhance Pakistan’s capacity as a manufacturing hub in the region.

The bilateral program, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is the fastest-moving part of BRI and regarded as the flagship piece.

“Saudi Arabia is the first country that we have invited to become a third partner in CPEC. They will be our third strategic economic partner in CPEC, and Saudi Arabia is expected to bring massive direct investments to the project,” Minister Fawad Chaudhry told a news conference in Islamabad.

A high-level advisory committee, proposed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, has been constituted to work out details of the initiative, he said.

Chaudhry added that Saudi Arabia plans to send a senior-level delegation, including their ministers of finance and energy, to Pakistan in the first week of October. The two sides during the visit will “lay the foundation of a major economic partnership” between the two countries. The move is likely to cement traditional close relations between Islamabad and Riyadh.

Historic investment

CPEC already has brought an unprecedented $19 billion in Chinese investment to Pakistan over the past five years, creating more than 70,000 local jobs and adding thousands of megawatts of much-need electricity to the national gird. In the next 15 years, China plans to invest an estimated $62 billion in Pakistan.

The corridor ultimately aims to provide access to the landlocked western Chinese region of Xinjiang for international markets via the Pakistani Gwadar port.

Saudi partnership in CPEC is being viewed as a major boost for cash-strapped Pakistan facing an economic crisis and critical balance of payments pressure. Foreign debt repayments have left the country with less than two months of imports worth of foreign exchange reserves, Pakistani finance minister Asad Umar informed the parliament this week.

“Saudi Arabia’s active participation in CPEC is a welcome development as it shows the success of CPEC,” said Senator Mushahid Hussain, head of the foreign affairs committee of the upper house of the Pakistani parliament.

“It will help counter negativism about CPEC emanating from India and the United States, and it also highlights the importance of Pakistan as the pivotal player in regional economic cooperation,” Hussain told VOA.

BRI criticism

New Delhi and Washington both have been critical of CPEC and BRI in general. India suspects the project has hidden security objectives and says a portion of it is being built on the disputed Kashmir territory. Pakistani and Chinese officials dismiss those objections as politically motivated and maintain CPEC is “purely an economic initiative.”

Beijing also rejects criticism that CPEC is burdening Pakistan with expansive loans and it is pushing the country into a debt trap.

Only four of the 22 early harvest projects that have been or are being completed are using Chinese concessional loans of about $6 billion, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his visit to Islamabad earlier this month. The rest of the projects, he said, are being constructed with direct Chinese investment or with the Chinese assistance.

“CPEC has not inflicted a debt burden on Pakistan, rather when these projects get completed and enter into operation, they will unleash huge economic benefits … and these will bring considerable returns to the Pakistani economy,” Wang said.

While Islamabad’s ties with Washington have deteriorated, Beijing has deepened bilateral economic and military relations with its South Asian partner. Russia also has stepped in and is rapidly reviving bilateral ties in all fields with old rival Pakistan.

Pakistan’s tensions with the U.S. stem from allegations the country is harboring terrorist sanctuaries used for attacks against American and local forces in neighboring Afghanistan — charges Pakistani officials reject.

Beijing and Moscow both have praised Islamabad’s efforts against terrorism, saying they have contributed to regional peace and stability.
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Pakistan: Saudi Arabia to Join China-Funded Development Project

Posted on by SeeEA

Pakistan announced Thursday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to join and invest “heavily” in its ongoing China-funded bilateral infrastructure and industrial development projects.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s extensive meetings with the Saudi leadership during this week’s official visit to Riyadh resulted in the landmark development, the Pakistani information minister said.

As part of President Xi Jinping’s global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing is investing billions of dollars in Pakistan to help the close ally build and upgrade the transportation network, power plants, expand the deep-water port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, establish industrial zones to enhance Pakistan’s capacity as a manufacturing hub in the region.

The bilateral program, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is the fastest-moving part of BRI and regarded as the flagship piece.

“Saudi Arabia is the first country that we have invited to become a third partner in CPEC. They will be our third strategic economic partner in CPEC, and Saudi Arabia is expected to bring massive direct investments to the project,” Minister Fawad Chaudhry told a news conference in Islamabad.

A high-level advisory committee, proposed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, has been constituted to work out details of the initiative, he said.

Chaudhry added that Saudi Arabia plans to send a senior-level delegation, including their ministers of finance and energy, to Pakistan in the first week of October. The two sides during the visit will “lay the foundation of a major economic partnership” between the two countries. The move is likely to cement traditional close relations between Islamabad and Riyadh.

Historic investment

CPEC already has brought an unprecedented $19 billion in Chinese investment to Pakistan over the past five years, creating more than 70,000 local jobs and adding thousands of megawatts of much-need electricity to the national gird. In the next 15 years, China plans to invest an estimated $62 billion in Pakistan.

The corridor ultimately aims to provide access to the landlocked western Chinese region of Xinjiang for international markets via the Pakistani Gwadar port.

Saudi partnership in CPEC is being viewed as a major boost for cash-strapped Pakistan facing an economic crisis and critical balance of payments pressure. Foreign debt repayments have left the country with less than two months of imports worth of foreign exchange reserves, Pakistani finance minister Asad Umar informed the parliament this week.

“Saudi Arabia’s active participation in CPEC is a welcome development as it shows the success of CPEC,” said Senator Mushahid Hussain, head of the foreign affairs committee of the upper house of the Pakistani parliament.

“It will help counter negativism about CPEC emanating from India and the United States, and it also highlights the importance of Pakistan as the pivotal player in regional economic cooperation,” Hussain told VOA.

BRI criticism

New Delhi and Washington both have been critical of CPEC and BRI in general. India suspects the project has hidden security objectives and says a portion of it is being built on the disputed Kashmir territory. Pakistani and Chinese officials dismiss those objections as politically motivated and maintain CPEC is “purely an economic initiative.”

Beijing also rejects criticism that CPEC is burdening Pakistan with expansive loans and it is pushing the country into a debt trap.

Only four of the 22 early harvest projects that have been or are being completed are using Chinese concessional loans of about $6 billion, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his visit to Islamabad earlier this month. The rest of the projects, he said, are being constructed with direct Chinese investment or with the Chinese assistance.

“CPEC has not inflicted a debt burden on Pakistan, rather when these projects get completed and enter into operation, they will unleash huge economic benefits … and these will bring considerable returns to the Pakistani economy,” Wang said.

While Islamabad’s ties with Washington have deteriorated, Beijing has deepened bilateral economic and military relations with its South Asian partner. Russia also has stepped in and is rapidly reviving bilateral ties in all fields with old rival Pakistan.

Pakistan’s tensions with the U.S. stem from allegations the country is harboring terrorist sanctuaries used for attacks against American and local forces in neighboring Afghanistan — charges Pakistani officials reject.

Beijing and Moscow both have praised Islamabad’s efforts against terrorism, saying they have contributed to regional peace and stability.
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UN Official: Buffer Zone in Syria’s Idlib Province Averts War for Now

Posted on by SeeEU

A Russian-Turkish agreement to create a demilitarized buffer zone between the Syrian army and rebels inside Syria’s northern Idlib province has averted a war for now, according to a senior United Nations official.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to set aside a large area along the border between Turkey and Idlib to potentially protect some 3 million civilians from attack. Turkey already shelters more than 3 million Syrian refugees and fears a massive exodus into its territory if Idlib were under attack.

Jan Egeland, a senior adviser of the U.N. special envoy for Syria, says he was informed of the agreement’s details during a meeting of a U.N.-backed task force on humanitarian access in Syria. Egeland says he feels relieved the countdown to war was stopped at the “11th hour.”

Egeland says the threatened military onslaught by Syrian and Russian forces to retake Idlib, the last rebel-held enclave in Syria, would have risked the lives of the civilians, including one million children. 

He says the Russian-Turkish agreement bought more time for diplomats and politicians to protect civilians inside the buffer zone and avert a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.

“What I understand is that the so-called war on terror is not called off,” Egeland said. “On the contrary, there will be in the future, air raids against the listed organizations. There will also be fighting between armed groups, armed actors and the so-called terrorists, the so-called radicals.” 

Under the deal, Egeland says only al-Nusra and other U.N.-listed terrorist groups can be attacked. These groups, which number about 10,000, will be moved outside the buffer zone, he says, adding that other “more moderate fighters” supported by Turkey will not be attacked.

Egeland warns that the terrorist groups will be scattered in different parts of Idlib, which is cause for alarm. Many of the groups vow to fight to the end, he says, but efforts will be made to reach out to them to try to get them not to fight to the last fighter and not to fight to the last civilian in their areas.
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UN Official: Buffer Zone in Syria’s Idlib Province Averts War for Now

Posted on by SeeEU

A Russian-Turkish agreement to create a demilitarized buffer zone between the Syrian army and rebels inside Syria’s northern Idlib province has averted a war for now, according to a senior United Nations official.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to set aside a large area along the border between Turkey and Idlib to potentially protect some 3 million civilians from attack. Turkey already shelters more than 3 million Syrian refugees and fears a massive exodus into its territory if Idlib were under attack.

Jan Egeland, a senior adviser of the U.N. special envoy for Syria, says he was informed of the agreement’s details during a meeting of a U.N.-backed task force on humanitarian access in Syria. Egeland says he feels relieved the countdown to war was stopped at the “11th hour.”

Egeland says the threatened military onslaught by Syrian and Russian forces to retake Idlib, the last rebel-held enclave in Syria, would have risked the lives of the civilians, including one million children. 

He says the Russian-Turkish agreement bought more time for diplomats and politicians to protect civilians inside the buffer zone and avert a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.

“What I understand is that the so-called war on terror is not called off,” Egeland said. “On the contrary, there will be in the future, air raids against the listed organizations. There will also be fighting between armed groups, armed actors and the so-called terrorists, the so-called radicals.” 

Under the deal, Egeland says only al-Nusra and other U.N.-listed terrorist groups can be attacked. These groups, which number about 10,000, will be moved outside the buffer zone, he says, adding that other “more moderate fighters” supported by Turkey will not be attacked.

Egeland warns that the terrorist groups will be scattered in different parts of Idlib, which is cause for alarm. Many of the groups vow to fight to the end, he says, but efforts will be made to reach out to them to try to get them not to fight to the last fighter and not to fight to the last civilian in their areas.
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Turkey Looks to Germany for Help on Deepening Financial Distress

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Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak heads to Berlin Friday to meet with his German counterpart, Olaf Scholz, as Ankara struggles against an emerging financial crisis.  Turkey’s currency fell 40 percent this year and discussions on potential financial support from Berlin are expected to be on the agenda.

Albayrak, speaking in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace Thursday, unveiled his much-vaunted medium-term economic plan. He promised to curb debt-fueled growth, enforce financial austerity and undergo a reshaping into the “value-added” economy investors have been clamoring for for years.

The Turkish lira surged before Albayrak’s speech, fueled by rising expectations. However, once delivered, the currency fell sharply with investors criticizing the plan for lack of details, along with concerns over the exposure of Turkish banks to foreign debt.

 

The Turkish corporate sector is estimated to owe over $100 billion in foreign denominated debt in the next 12 months.

“We are talking of a five or six percent drop in the economy, to pay off debt by contracting imports and expanding exports at any cost,” analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said. “It’s going to be extremely painful, really painful. The IMF(International Monetary Fund) can take some of the pain.”

During Turkey’s economic crises in the 1990s through to the early 2000s the country depended on bailouts from the IMF. However Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly ruled out IMF support.

“There is a stigma attached to the IMF given that the government has repeatedly said that one of its biggest achievements was to end Turkey’s dependence on the IMF, “ said Sinan Ulgen, head of the Istanbul-based research group Edam.  “So for these reasons Erdogan does not want to return to the IMF for support. “

The IMF might be unwilling to provide funds to Turkey given the current animosity between Ankara and Washington, warns international relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul.

 

“The bill that was passed in (the U.S.) Congress to ask American agencies to block multi-international economic institutions, to actually block any kind of loans or favorable terms for Turkey was a very significant and very hostile move,” Ozel said.

The bill Congress passed was in response to the ongoing detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is on trial in Turkey on terrorism charges. Washington claims the allegations are baseless.  

Analysts point out while the United States does not have a veto on IMF funding decisions, Washington could delay or complicate any deal with Ankara.

 

The European Union and in particular Berlin, observers suggest, is seen by Ankara as a politically acceptable source of international financial support. “…That is certainly an idea that is being openly discussed in some of the European capitals, analyst Ulgen said.

“The EU could be an alternative to the IMF, but that is an open-ended question,” he added, “because we don’t have examples of the EU acting unilaterally. Even in past cases related to Greece, for instance, the EU was part of a consortium that also included the IMF.”

Analysts suggest Ankara is likely to be banking on its strategic importance. “Turkey plays an important role in keeping the refugee flow outside the EU. That is a starting point,” former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen said.

Two years ago Ankara and Belgium signed a migration agreement that resulted in a big reduction in the hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants a year that once entered the EU.

The continuation of the migrant deal, analyst Ulgen argues, is viewed as a necessity by Berlin.  “From the German perspective, there seems to be a fear that the economic instability in Turkey could end up affecting the overall political stability of the country so possible jeopardize Turkey’s ability to stand by its commitments on the refugee deal,” Ulgen said.

However, given any financial assistance to Turkey would likely be in the tens of billions of dollars, there is skepticism about whether Berlin and the rest of the EU would be prepared to act alone.

“Regarding the European funding, the indications are so far they would want an IMF involvement,” chief economist Inan Demir of financial services company Nomura International said.

“Even if there is no IMF involvement in the (financial support) package,” he added, “that funding would come with conditions similar to those that would come from the IMF.  I am very skeptical that those conditions would be acceptable to the Turkish government.”

Analysts suggest measures including ending Erdogan’s prestige mega-construction projects would likely be demanded in any financial assistance deal, along with calls for reform to ensure an independent judiciary, a concern of many foreign investors. The Turkish president has until now resisted such reforms.

 
…

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Turkey Looks to Germany for Help on Deepening Financial Distress

Posted on by SeeEU

Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak heads to Berlin Friday to meet with his German counterpart, Olaf Scholz, as Ankara struggles against an emerging financial crisis.  Turkey’s currency fell 40 percent this year and discussions on potential financial support from Berlin are expected to be on the agenda.

Albayrak, speaking in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace Thursday, unveiled his much-vaunted medium-term economic plan. He promised to curb debt-fueled growth, enforce financial austerity and undergo a reshaping into the “value-added” economy investors have been clamoring for for years.

The Turkish lira surged before Albayrak’s speech, fueled by rising expectations. However, once delivered, the currency fell sharply with investors criticizing the plan for lack of details, along with concerns over the exposure of Turkish banks to foreign debt.

 

The Turkish corporate sector is estimated to owe over $100 billion in foreign denominated debt in the next 12 months.

“We are talking of a five or six percent drop in the economy, to pay off debt by contracting imports and expanding exports at any cost,” analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said. “It’s going to be extremely painful, really painful. The IMF(International Monetary Fund) can take some of the pain.”

During Turkey’s economic crises in the 1990s through to the early 2000s the country depended on bailouts from the IMF. However Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly ruled out IMF support.

“There is a stigma attached to the IMF given that the government has repeatedly said that one of its biggest achievements was to end Turkey’s dependence on the IMF, “ said Sinan Ulgen, head of the Istanbul-based research group Edam.  “So for these reasons Erdogan does not want to return to the IMF for support. “

The IMF might be unwilling to provide funds to Turkey given the current animosity between Ankara and Washington, warns international relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul.

 

“The bill that was passed in (the U.S.) Congress to ask American agencies to block multi-international economic institutions, to actually block any kind of loans or favorable terms for Turkey was a very significant and very hostile move,” Ozel said.

The bill Congress passed was in response to the ongoing detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is on trial in Turkey on terrorism charges. Washington claims the allegations are baseless.  

Analysts point out while the United States does not have a veto on IMF funding decisions, Washington could delay or complicate any deal with Ankara.

 

The European Union and in particular Berlin, observers suggest, is seen by Ankara as a politically acceptable source of international financial support. “…That is certainly an idea that is being openly discussed in some of the European capitals, analyst Ulgen said.

“The EU could be an alternative to the IMF, but that is an open-ended question,” he added, “because we don’t have examples of the EU acting unilaterally. Even in past cases related to Greece, for instance, the EU was part of a consortium that also included the IMF.”

Analysts suggest Ankara is likely to be banking on its strategic importance. “Turkey plays an important role in keeping the refugee flow outside the EU. That is a starting point,” former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen said.

Two years ago Ankara and Belgium signed a migration agreement that resulted in a big reduction in the hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants a year that once entered the EU.

The continuation of the migrant deal, analyst Ulgen argues, is viewed as a necessity by Berlin.  “From the German perspective, there seems to be a fear that the economic instability in Turkey could end up affecting the overall political stability of the country so possible jeopardize Turkey’s ability to stand by its commitments on the refugee deal,” Ulgen said.

However, given any financial assistance to Turkey would likely be in the tens of billions of dollars, there is skepticism about whether Berlin and the rest of the EU would be prepared to act alone.

“Regarding the European funding, the indications are so far they would want an IMF involvement,” chief economist Inan Demir of financial services company Nomura International said.

“Even if there is no IMF involvement in the (financial support) package,” he added, “that funding would come with conditions similar to those that would come from the IMF.  I am very skeptical that those conditions would be acceptable to the Turkish government.”

Analysts suggest measures including ending Erdogan’s prestige mega-construction projects would likely be demanded in any financial assistance deal, along with calls for reform to ensure an independent judiciary, a concern of many foreign investors. The Turkish president has until now resisted such reforms.

 
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Egypt’s Ancient Temples Rescued From the Nile 50 Years ago

Posted on by SeeEA

One of the world’s biggest archaeological rescue operations was successfully concluded 50 years ago after a massive ancient Egyptian temple complex was dismantled and hoisted to higher ground to prevent its flooding by the damming of the Nile River.

The groundbreaking UNESCO-led project to relocate around 20 gigantic monuments in Abu Simbel complex was officially concluded on September 22, 1968, after an eight-year international effort involving hundreds of workers.

Here is a look back at the remarkable feat.

More than 2,500 years old

The two Abu Simbel temples — named after their village location — were carved out of cliffs overlooking the Nile in the time of Ramses II, the ruler of Egypt from 1298 to 1235 BC.

The larger has four colossal statues of a seated Ramses II at the entrance, through which there are succession of rooms and galleries stretching back 63 metres (207 feet).

The temples are among the jewels of the ancient Nubia region that extended down the Nile from Aswan in southern Egypt into present-day Sudan.

Threatened by Nile dam

In the 1950s, Egypt’s president Gamal Abdel Nasser launched a project to dam the mighty Nile at Aswan in order to generate electricity for the region, increase cultivable land and reduce flooding.

The construction would create a huge artificial lake behind the dam wall, requiring the resettlement of tens of thousands of indigenous Nubians from villages in the area and also threatening monuments.

Pharaonic and Greco-Roman temples including those of Abu Simbel risked being submerged.

Technical feat

In 1960, UNESCO, the UN organisation dedicated to preservation of culture, launched an appeal to save the temples. Several projects were put on the table but, too costly, they were quickly put aside.

Eventually a Swedish-Egyptian proposal was selected.

Work was launched on April 1, 1964 with the construction of a temporary dam to protect the site and the excavation of the cliff around the two temples.

The Abu Simbel temples were cut into 1,035 blocks each weighing between 20 and 30 tonnes. The four seated statues of Ramses II and six others of the king standing up were sawn into pieces.

Jacks, cranes and powerful winches hoisted the enormous stone weights to the top of the cliff, 64 metres (210 feet) from their original location.

There the blocks were reassembled to reconstitute the two temples exactly as they were.

Artificial hills were then created around the site as a protective barrier against the river.

For four years about 800 labourers and 100 technicians worked in the desert under a red-hot sun to complete the project, which cost 36 millions dollars.

An international effort

At a ceremony on September 22, 1968 to mark the completion, UNESCO director general Rene Maheu said it was “the first time that we have seen international cooperation in action on such a scale in the sphere of culture.”

It was an “unparallelled undertaking, in which over fifty countries… have combined their efforts to save the artistic and historical treasures of the temples of Abu Simbel.”

The original site is today completely submerged by Lake Nasser.

Follow-up rescue

An operation – also part of UNESCO’s Nubia Campaign – to save the temple complex on Philae island, around dozen kilometres upstream from Aswan, started in 1972.

Involving 40 archaeological missions from around the world, it ran for eight years and cost more than 30 million dollars.

About 20 temples, statues and monuments known as “the jewel of the Nile” were dismantled and transported, stone-by-stone, to the nearby Agilkia island, on higher ground.

UNESCO director general Amadou Mahtar M’Bow praised the “wealth of talent, energy, experience and capital” mobilised to save the Nubia monuments.

“Nowhere, perhaps, has the sacred art of Egypt defied time so majestically as in Nubia, part of which is vanishing before our eyes today,” he said.

 
…

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Egypt’s Ancient Temples Rescued From the Nile 50 Years ago

Posted on by SeeEA

One of the world’s biggest archaeological rescue operations was successfully concluded 50 years ago after a massive ancient Egyptian temple complex was dismantled and hoisted to higher ground to prevent its flooding by the damming of the Nile River.

The groundbreaking UNESCO-led project to relocate around 20 gigantic monuments in Abu Simbel complex was officially concluded on September 22, 1968, after an eight-year international effort involving hundreds of workers.

Here is a look back at the remarkable feat.

More than 2,500 years old

The two Abu Simbel temples — named after their village location — were carved out of cliffs overlooking the Nile in the time of Ramses II, the ruler of Egypt from 1298 to 1235 BC.

The larger has four colossal statues of a seated Ramses II at the entrance, through which there are succession of rooms and galleries stretching back 63 metres (207 feet).

The temples are among the jewels of the ancient Nubia region that extended down the Nile from Aswan in southern Egypt into present-day Sudan.

Threatened by Nile dam

In the 1950s, Egypt’s president Gamal Abdel Nasser launched a project to dam the mighty Nile at Aswan in order to generate electricity for the region, increase cultivable land and reduce flooding.

The construction would create a huge artificial lake behind the dam wall, requiring the resettlement of tens of thousands of indigenous Nubians from villages in the area and also threatening monuments.

Pharaonic and Greco-Roman temples including those of Abu Simbel risked being submerged.

Technical feat

In 1960, UNESCO, the UN organisation dedicated to preservation of culture, launched an appeal to save the temples. Several projects were put on the table but, too costly, they were quickly put aside.

Eventually a Swedish-Egyptian proposal was selected.

Work was launched on April 1, 1964 with the construction of a temporary dam to protect the site and the excavation of the cliff around the two temples.

The Abu Simbel temples were cut into 1,035 blocks each weighing between 20 and 30 tonnes. The four seated statues of Ramses II and six others of the king standing up were sawn into pieces.

Jacks, cranes and powerful winches hoisted the enormous stone weights to the top of the cliff, 64 metres (210 feet) from their original location.

There the blocks were reassembled to reconstitute the two temples exactly as they were.

Artificial hills were then created around the site as a protective barrier against the river.

For four years about 800 labourers and 100 technicians worked in the desert under a red-hot sun to complete the project, which cost 36 millions dollars.

An international effort

At a ceremony on September 22, 1968 to mark the completion, UNESCO director general Rene Maheu said it was “the first time that we have seen international cooperation in action on such a scale in the sphere of culture.”

It was an “unparallelled undertaking, in which over fifty countries… have combined their efforts to save the artistic and historical treasures of the temples of Abu Simbel.”

The original site is today completely submerged by Lake Nasser.

Follow-up rescue

An operation – also part of UNESCO’s Nubia Campaign – to save the temple complex on Philae island, around dozen kilometres upstream from Aswan, started in 1972.

Involving 40 archaeological missions from around the world, it ran for eight years and cost more than 30 million dollars.

About 20 temples, statues and monuments known as “the jewel of the Nile” were dismantled and transported, stone-by-stone, to the nearby Agilkia island, on higher ground.

UNESCO director general Amadou Mahtar M’Bow praised the “wealth of talent, energy, experience and capital” mobilised to save the Nubia monuments.

“Nowhere, perhaps, has the sacred art of Egypt defied time so majestically as in Nubia, part of which is vanishing before our eyes today,” he said.

 
…

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Reports: Ugandan Politician Bobi Wine Detained Upon Return Home

Posted on by SeeAF

Opposition Ugandan lawmaker and pop singer Bobi Wine was met by police Thursday afternoon when he landed at the airport in Kampala, and taken into custody.

Journalists were not allowed at the airport and security is tight around Kampala, with security forces deployed on the streets and controlling access to the airport. On Wednesday, police banned people from gathering at the airport or elsewhere to greet the 36-year-old Wine.

International and local media, as well as social media report that Wine’s brothers, members of his band and his manager were arrested before his arrival on a flight from Europe.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had been in the United States for the past few weeks, seeking treatment for injuries he said were from beatings he received after he was arrested August 14.

He has long been a critic of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power more than 30 years. Wine, four other members of parliament and about 30 supporters were arrested last month after a protest broke out during a campaign event for a by-election.

Wine has said he and others were tortured in custody. He was granted bail and allowed to leave the country for treatment. The government has denied the allegations of torture and mistreatment.

Museveni, who is 74, remains popular with a large segment of Ugandans, for having brought stability to the country. However, more than 70 percent of the population is under the age of 35 and many of these voters say they want younger leadership.
…

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Reports: Ugandan Politician Bobi Wine Detained Upon Return Home

Posted on by SeeAF

Opposition Ugandan lawmaker and pop singer Bobi Wine was met by police Thursday afternoon when he landed at the airport in Kampala, and taken into custody.

Journalists were not allowed at the airport and security is tight around Kampala, with security forces deployed on the streets and controlling access to the airport. On Wednesday, police banned people from gathering at the airport or elsewhere to greet the 36-year-old Wine.

International and local media, as well as social media report that Wine’s brothers, members of his band and his manager were arrested before his arrival on a flight from Europe.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had been in the United States for the past few weeks, seeking treatment for injuries he said were from beatings he received after he was arrested August 14.

He has long been a critic of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power more than 30 years. Wine, four other members of parliament and about 30 supporters were arrested last month after a protest broke out during a campaign event for a by-election.

Wine has said he and others were tortured in custody. He was granted bail and allowed to leave the country for treatment. The government has denied the allegations of torture and mistreatment.

Museveni, who is 74, remains popular with a large segment of Ugandans, for having brought stability to the country. However, more than 70 percent of the population is under the age of 35 and many of these voters say they want younger leadership.
…

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Shiites Mark Ashoura, Mourn Saint’s Death

Posted on by SeeEA

Shiites across the Middle East on Thursday marked Ashoura, an annual commemoration mourning the 7th century death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints.

For Shiites, who represent more than 10 percent of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims, the remembrance of Hussein is an emotional event that sees many believers weep over his death at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq. Some beat their backs with chains, flagellating themselves in a symbolic expression of regret for not being able to help Hussein before his martyrdom.

But the commemorations can prove tempting targets for Sunni extremist groups, who view Shiites as heretics.

Moment to fuel defiance

In Iran, the Mideast’s Shiite power, groups of men beat their backs with chains in Tehran. Other mourners beat their chests while carrying black, green and red flags. State television showed similar mourning ceremonies across the country.

For Iranians, this Ashoura comes as the United States is re-imposing sanctions on Iran previously lifted by its nuclear deal with world powers, despite Tehran’s compliance with the accord. While Iran’s national currency, the rial, plummets, Ashoura provides a moment to fuel mourners’ defiance with its message of sacrifice and dignity in the face of coercion.

​Heavy security

In neighboring Pakistan, paramilitary troops, police and intelligence agents fanned out to protect mourners’ processions. Authorities cut mobile phone services in major cities holding commemorations for fear of militant bombings. Motorbikes were stopped from carrying multiple passengers to prevent drive-by shootings. Some mourners there sliced their backs with knives to express their grief.

Battered by brazen and deadly attacks by an Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, minority Shiites stationed heavily armed guards at their mosques Thursday. Police also were on hand.

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul’s police chief, said large vehicles, including trucks and SUVs, were banned from streets where mosques are located to prevent car bombs.

Shiites in Iraq, Lebanon and other nations marked the day as well.
…

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Shiites Mark Ashoura, Mourn Saint’s Death

Posted on by SeeEA

Shiites across the Middle East on Thursday marked Ashoura, an annual commemoration mourning the 7th century death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints.

For Shiites, who represent more than 10 percent of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims, the remembrance of Hussein is an emotional event that sees many believers weep over his death at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq. Some beat their backs with chains, flagellating themselves in a symbolic expression of regret for not being able to help Hussein before his martyrdom.

But the commemorations can prove tempting targets for Sunni extremist groups, who view Shiites as heretics.

Moment to fuel defiance

In Iran, the Mideast’s Shiite power, groups of men beat their backs with chains in Tehran. Other mourners beat their chests while carrying black, green and red flags. State television showed similar mourning ceremonies across the country.

For Iranians, this Ashoura comes as the United States is re-imposing sanctions on Iran previously lifted by its nuclear deal with world powers, despite Tehran’s compliance with the accord. While Iran’s national currency, the rial, plummets, Ashoura provides a moment to fuel mourners’ defiance with its message of sacrifice and dignity in the face of coercion.

​Heavy security

In neighboring Pakistan, paramilitary troops, police and intelligence agents fanned out to protect mourners’ processions. Authorities cut mobile phone services in major cities holding commemorations for fear of militant bombings. Motorbikes were stopped from carrying multiple passengers to prevent drive-by shootings. Some mourners there sliced their backs with knives to express their grief.

Battered by brazen and deadly attacks by an Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, minority Shiites stationed heavily armed guards at their mosques Thursday. Police also were on hand.

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for Kabul’s police chief, said large vehicles, including trucks and SUVs, were banned from streets where mosques are located to prevent car bombs.

Shiites in Iraq, Lebanon and other nations marked the day as well.
…

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Heavy Security, Arrests as Ugandan Pop Star to Come Home

Posted on by SeeAF

Arrests began as Ugandan security forces deployed heavily before the return of pop star and opposition figure Bobi Wine from the United States on Thursday, enforcing a ban on rallies they said threaten public order.

Police detained the singer’s brother and at least two other people who were driving to the airport to welcome him home, said lawyer Asuman Basalirwa.

“They have not given any reasons for the arrests,” Basalirwa said, adding that he had been ordered to turn back. “We don’t know their intentions.”

Police have said only family members would be permitted to meet the singer, who was expected to arrive at Entebbe International Airport midday Thursday.

The singer, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, had sought treatment in the U.S. for injuries allegedly sustained during state torture, which Uganda’s government denies.

Ssentamu, who won a national assembly seat last year, faces treason charges over his alleged role in an incident last month in which the president’s convoy was pelted with stones. He denies wrongdoing. His next court appearance is Oct. 1.

The 36-year-old Ssentamu says he is fighting for freedom from oppression and wants longtime President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, to retire. Museveni in turn has accused opposition figures of trying to lure Uganda’s large youth population into rioting.

Ssentamu has a big following among poor, unemployed young people in urban areas. His arrest sparked riots by demonstrators demanding his release and security forces violently put down protests in the capital, Kampala.

Dozens of global musicians have condemned the treatment of the singer, and the European Union parliament and some U.S. senators have urged Ugandan authorities to respect basic human rights.

Museveni, a key U.S. ally on regional security, took power by force and has since been elected five times. Although he has campaigned on his record of establishing peace and stability, some worry those gains are being eroded the longer he stays in power.
…

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Heavy Security, Arrests as Ugandan Pop Star to Come Home

Posted on by SeeAF

Arrests began as Ugandan security forces deployed heavily before the return of pop star and opposition figure Bobi Wine from the United States on Thursday, enforcing a ban on rallies they said threaten public order.

Police detained the singer’s brother and at least two other people who were driving to the airport to welcome him home, said lawyer Asuman Basalirwa.

“They have not given any reasons for the arrests,” Basalirwa said, adding that he had been ordered to turn back. “We don’t know their intentions.”

Police have said only family members would be permitted to meet the singer, who was expected to arrive at Entebbe International Airport midday Thursday.

The singer, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, had sought treatment in the U.S. for injuries allegedly sustained during state torture, which Uganda’s government denies.

Ssentamu, who won a national assembly seat last year, faces treason charges over his alleged role in an incident last month in which the president’s convoy was pelted with stones. He denies wrongdoing. His next court appearance is Oct. 1.

The 36-year-old Ssentamu says he is fighting for freedom from oppression and wants longtime President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, to retire. Museveni in turn has accused opposition figures of trying to lure Uganda’s large youth population into rioting.

Ssentamu has a big following among poor, unemployed young people in urban areas. His arrest sparked riots by demonstrators demanding his release and security forces violently put down protests in the capital, Kampala.

Dozens of global musicians have condemned the treatment of the singer, and the European Union parliament and some U.S. senators have urged Ugandan authorities to respect basic human rights.

Museveni, a key U.S. ally on regional security, took power by force and has since been elected five times. Although he has campaigned on his record of establishing peace and stability, some worry those gains are being eroded the longer he stays in power.
…

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A Year After Hurricane Maria Devastation, Puerto Ricans Working to Move On

Posted on by SeeUS

One year after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, killing nearly 3,000 people according to one independent study, many are still working to move on from the disaster. Among them are the residents of a small fishing community in the Humacao region, on the Caribbean island’s east coast. But even though electricity hasn’t been fully restored throughout the island since Maria struck, Sept. 20, 2017, Puerto Ricans are open for business. VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has more from San Juan.
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A Year After Hurricane Maria Devastation, Puerto Ricans Working to Move On

Posted on by SeeUS

One year after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, killing nearly 3,000 people according to one independent study, many are still working to move on from the disaster. Among them are the residents of a small fishing community in the Humacao region, on the Caribbean island’s east coast. But even though electricity hasn’t been fully restored throughout the island since Maria struck, Sept. 20, 2017, Puerto Ricans are open for business. VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has more from San Juan.
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NC Residents Wait for Water to Recede as Trump Pays Visit

Posted on by SeeUS

Evacuees up and down the coast remained stranded by significant flooding in the wake of Hurricane Florence Wednesday, as President Donald Trump traveled to the region to survey the damage. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson talked to local residents about the impact of the president’s visit.
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NC Residents Wait for Water to Recede as Trump Pays Visit

Posted on by SeeUS

Evacuees up and down the coast remained stranded by significant flooding in the wake of Hurricane Florence Wednesday, as President Donald Trump traveled to the region to survey the damage. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson talked to local residents about the impact of the president’s visit.
…

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Fate of Supreme Court Nominee Rests With a Divided Senate

Posted on by SeeUS

The U.S. Senate remains divided over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh has denied an allegation by Christine Blasey Ford that he sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers in the 1980s. Ford and Democrats are seeking an FBI investigation into the alleged assault before she would testify at the Senate Judiciary Committee, while President Donald Trump and Republicans are so far resisting. More on the battle over Kavanaugh’s nomination from VOA national correspondent Jim Malone.
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