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.
…
Month: September 2018
Trump’s Trade Spat With China Gets Limited Support from Lawmakers
The Trump administration’s latest tariffs on Chinese imports have been welcomed by some in Washington who have advocated a tougher stance on China’s trade practices. But as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports, some are also questioning whether the White House is using the right strategy in its trade war with the world’s second largest economy.
…
Trump’s Trade Spat With China Gets Limited Support from Lawmakers
The Trump administration’s latest tariffs on Chinese imports have been welcomed by some in Washington who have advocated a tougher stance on China’s trade practices. But as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports, some are also questioning whether the White House is using the right strategy in its trade war with the world’s second largest economy.
…
US Catholic Church Plans Hotline for Complaints of Abuse by Bishops
Catholic bishops in the United States plan to set up a hotline to field complaints about bishops who have sexually abused or harassed children or adults, in response to a growing sexual misconduct scandal in the church’s highest ranks.
The hotline was one of several moves unveiled on Wednesday by bishops to try to rebuild trust in the U.S. church hierarchy after recent allegations that bishops had abused children and covered up decades of sex crimes by priests.
“Some bishops, by their actions or their failures to act, have caused great harm to both individuals and the Church,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) administrative committee said in a statement.
“They have used their authority and power to manipulate and sexually abuse others. They have allowed the fear of scandal to replace genuine concern and care for those who have been victimized by abusers.”
The Catholic Church faces crises worldwide involving sexual abuse of minors. In the United States, the scandal has focused on church leaders after former Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick stepped down as a cardinal in July following sexual abuse allegations.
A Pennsylvania grand jury report in August alleged bishops tried to hide accusations that about 1,000 children and adults were abused by 301 priests over 70 years.
Last week, Pope Francis ordered an investigation into a West Virginia bishop accused of sexually harassing adults.
The “third-party” hotline will allow people to report sexual abuse of a minor or adult by a bishop and direct those complaints to civil authorities and the “appropriate” church authorities, the USCCB statement said.
The bishops’ conference will develop a code of conduct specifically for bishops, and establish policies “addressing restrictions on bishops who were removed or resigned because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors or sexual harassment of or misconduct with adults, including seminarians and priests,” the statement said.
New York’s attorney general issued civil subpoenas last week to all eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state as part of a sex abuse investigation.
In one of the largest settlements stemming from a sexual abuse case in the Catholic Church, the Brooklyn Diocese said on Tuesday it agreed to pay $27.5 million to four men abused by a catechism teacher when they were children.
…
US Catholic Church Plans Hotline for Complaints of Abuse by Bishops
Catholic bishops in the United States plan to set up a hotline to field complaints about bishops who have sexually abused or harassed children or adults, in response to a growing sexual misconduct scandal in the church’s highest ranks.
The hotline was one of several moves unveiled on Wednesday by bishops to try to rebuild trust in the U.S. church hierarchy after recent allegations that bishops had abused children and covered up decades of sex crimes by priests.
“Some bishops, by their actions or their failures to act, have caused great harm to both individuals and the Church,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) administrative committee said in a statement.
“They have used their authority and power to manipulate and sexually abuse others. They have allowed the fear of scandal to replace genuine concern and care for those who have been victimized by abusers.”
The Catholic Church faces crises worldwide involving sexual abuse of minors. In the United States, the scandal has focused on church leaders after former Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick stepped down as a cardinal in July following sexual abuse allegations.
A Pennsylvania grand jury report in August alleged bishops tried to hide accusations that about 1,000 children and adults were abused by 301 priests over 70 years.
Last week, Pope Francis ordered an investigation into a West Virginia bishop accused of sexually harassing adults.
The “third-party” hotline will allow people to report sexual abuse of a minor or adult by a bishop and direct those complaints to civil authorities and the “appropriate” church authorities, the USCCB statement said.
The bishops’ conference will develop a code of conduct specifically for bishops, and establish policies “addressing restrictions on bishops who were removed or resigned because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors or sexual harassment of or misconduct with adults, including seminarians and priests,” the statement said.
New York’s attorney general issued civil subpoenas last week to all eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state as part of a sex abuse investigation.
In one of the largest settlements stemming from a sexual abuse case in the Catholic Church, the Brooklyn Diocese said on Tuesday it agreed to pay $27.5 million to four men abused by a catechism teacher when they were children.
…
EU Leaders Seek to Overcome Stumbling Blocks to Brexit Deal
European Union leaders have gathered in Salzburg, Austria, for an informal discussion of key issues, including the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc. Britain’s conservative government has lost a majority and with it the mandate for a so-called “hard Brexit,” in which Britain would leave the EU’s single market and customs union. It is now seeking a compromise. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports.
…
EU Leaders Seek to Overcome Stumbling Blocks to Brexit Deal
European Union leaders have gathered in Salzburg, Austria, for an informal discussion of key issues, including the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc. Britain’s conservative government has lost a majority and with it the mandate for a so-called “hard Brexit,” in which Britain would leave the EU’s single market and customs union. It is now seeking a compromise. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke reports.
…
Report: Extreme Poverty Declining Worldwide
The world is making progress in its efforts to lift people out of extreme poverty, but the global aspiration of eliminating such poverty by 2030 is unattainable, a new report found.
A World Bank report released Wednesday says the number of people living on less than $1.90 per day fell to a record low of 736 million, or 10 percent of the world’s population, in 2015, the latest year for which data is available.
The figure was less than the 11 percent recorded in 2013, showing slow but steady progress.
“Over the last 25 years, more than a billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty, and the global poverty rate is now lower than it has ever been in recorded history. This is one of the greatest human achievements of our time,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said.
“But if we are going to end poverty by 2030, we need much more investment, particularly in building human capital, to help promote the inclusive growth it will take to reach the remaining poor,” he warned. “For their sake, we cannot fail.”
Poverty levels dropped across the world, except in the Middle East and North Africa, where civil wars spiked the extreme poverty rate from 9.5 million people in 2013 to 18.6 million in 2015.
The highest concentration of extreme poverty remained in sub-Saharan Africa, with 41.1 percent, down from 42.5 percent. South Asia showed the greatest progress with poverty levels dropping to 12.4 percent from 16.2 percent two years earlier.
The World Bank’s preliminary forecast is that extreme poverty has declined to 8.6 percent in 2018.
About half the nations now have extreme poverty rates of less than 3 percent, which is the target set for 2030. But the report said that goal is unlikely to be met.
…
Report: Extreme Poverty Declining Worldwide
The world is making progress in its efforts to lift people out of extreme poverty, but the global aspiration of eliminating such poverty by 2030 is unattainable, a new report found.
A World Bank report released Wednesday says the number of people living on less than $1.90 per day fell to a record low of 736 million, or 10 percent of the world’s population, in 2015, the latest year for which data is available.
The figure was less than the 11 percent recorded in 2013, showing slow but steady progress.
“Over the last 25 years, more than a billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty, and the global poverty rate is now lower than it has ever been in recorded history. This is one of the greatest human achievements of our time,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said.
“But if we are going to end poverty by 2030, we need much more investment, particularly in building human capital, to help promote the inclusive growth it will take to reach the remaining poor,” he warned. “For their sake, we cannot fail.”
Poverty levels dropped across the world, except in the Middle East and North Africa, where civil wars spiked the extreme poverty rate from 9.5 million people in 2013 to 18.6 million in 2015.
The highest concentration of extreme poverty remained in sub-Saharan Africa, with 41.1 percent, down from 42.5 percent. South Asia showed the greatest progress with poverty levels dropping to 12.4 percent from 16.2 percent two years earlier.
The World Bank’s preliminary forecast is that extreme poverty has declined to 8.6 percent in 2018.
About half the nations now have extreme poverty rates of less than 3 percent, which is the target set for 2030. But the report said that goal is unlikely to be met.
…
Russia to Study Israeli Data Related to Downed Plane
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Israel’s offer to share detailed information on the Israeli airstrike in Syria that triggered fire by Syrian forces which downed a Russian reconnaissance plane, the Kremlin said Wednesday.
Syrian forces mistook the Russian Il-20 for Israeli aircraft, killing all 15 people aboard Monday night. Russia’s Defense Ministry blamed the plane’s loss on Israel, but Putin sought to defuse tensions, pointing at “a chain of tragic accidental circumstances.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Putin on Tuesday to express sorrow over the death of the plane’s crew and blamed Syria. Syrian President Bashar Assad sent Putin a telegram Wednesday offering his condolences and putting the blame on Israeli “aggression,” the official SANA news agency said.
Israel’s air force chief is scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Thursday to provide details. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that Russian experts will carefully study the data that the air force chief will deliver.
The Israeli military said its fighter jets were targeting a Syrian military facility involved in providing weapons for Iran’s proxy Hezbollah militia and insisted it warned Russia of the coming raid in accordance with de-confliction agreements. It said the Syrian army fired the missiles that hit the Russian plane when the Israeli jets had already returned to Israeli airspace.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Israeli warning came less than a minute before the strike, leaving the Russian aircraft in the line of fire. It accused the Israeli military of deliberately using the Russian plane as a cover to dodge Syrian defenses and threatened to retaliate.
While Putin took a cautious stance on the incident, he warned that Russia will respond by “taking additional steps to protect our servicemen and assets in Syria.”
Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said Wednesday that those will include deploying automated protection systems at Russia’s air and naval bases in Syria.
Business daily Kommersant reported that Russia also may respond to the downing of its plane by becoming more reluctant to engage Iran and its proxy Hezbollah militia, to help assuage Israeli worries.
Moscow has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly ties with both Israel and Iran. In July, Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli security concerns.
…
Russia to Study Israeli Data Related to Downed Plane
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Israel’s offer to share detailed information on the Israeli airstrike in Syria that triggered fire by Syrian forces which downed a Russian reconnaissance plane, the Kremlin said Wednesday.
Syrian forces mistook the Russian Il-20 for Israeli aircraft, killing all 15 people aboard Monday night. Russia’s Defense Ministry blamed the plane’s loss on Israel, but Putin sought to defuse tensions, pointing at “a chain of tragic accidental circumstances.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Putin on Tuesday to express sorrow over the death of the plane’s crew and blamed Syria. Syrian President Bashar Assad sent Putin a telegram Wednesday offering his condolences and putting the blame on Israeli “aggression,” the official SANA news agency said.
Israel’s air force chief is scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Thursday to provide details. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that Russian experts will carefully study the data that the air force chief will deliver.
The Israeli military said its fighter jets were targeting a Syrian military facility involved in providing weapons for Iran’s proxy Hezbollah militia and insisted it warned Russia of the coming raid in accordance with de-confliction agreements. It said the Syrian army fired the missiles that hit the Russian plane when the Israeli jets had already returned to Israeli airspace.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Israeli warning came less than a minute before the strike, leaving the Russian aircraft in the line of fire. It accused the Israeli military of deliberately using the Russian plane as a cover to dodge Syrian defenses and threatened to retaliate.
While Putin took a cautious stance on the incident, he warned that Russia will respond by “taking additional steps to protect our servicemen and assets in Syria.”
Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said Wednesday that those will include deploying automated protection systems at Russia’s air and naval bases in Syria.
Business daily Kommersant reported that Russia also may respond to the downing of its plane by becoming more reluctant to engage Iran and its proxy Hezbollah militia, to help assuage Israeli worries.
Moscow has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly ties with both Israel and Iran. In July, Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli security concerns.
…
Pussy Riot Links Member’s ‘Poisoning’ to African Murder Probe
Russian punk group Pussy Riot on Wednesday linked the suspected poisoning of member Pyotr Verzilov with his attempt to investigate the deaths of three Russian journalists in Africa.
The journalists were shot dead on July 30 in the Central African Republic (CAR) while probing a shadowy Russian mercenary group for a project founded by Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Verzilov’s estranged wife, told the independent channel TV Dozhd that he received a report on the killings a day before falling ill last week.
“We think that (Verzilov’s involvement in the inquiry) is one of the possible scenarios because Petya could be of interest to Russian secret services or state structures including in the Central African Republic,” she said, using a shorter version of his name.
Verzilov, who has both Canadian and Russian citizenship, was admitted to a Moscow clinic on Sept. 11 following a court hearing, with symptoms including vison loss and disorientation.
He was flown to Germany on Saturday by the Cinema for Peace Foundation NGO. Doctors say he is now out of danger.
Tolokonnikova has already commented that Verzilov’s illness was probably the result of an “assassination attempt.”
Verzilov, who works for the Mediazona news site that focuses on courts and prisons, was making a film with one of those killed in Africa, acclaimed documentary director Alexander Rastorguyev.
Tolokonnikova told Dozhd that Verzilov’s cell phone showed he had received a report on Sept. 10 from a CAR contact who was investigating the journalists’ deaths.
Tolokonnikova said Verzilov had told her he expected “sensational information.”
Only Verzilov knew the password to access the report, and he was still “in a quite unstable condition,” she said.
A doctor treating Verzilov at Berlin’s Charite hospital said Tuesday it was “highly plausible that it was a case of poisoning.”
Tolokonnikova told Dozhd that she and other people close to Verzilov thought he might also have been poisoned for taking part in a pitch invasion at the World Cup final in Moscow to protest against police abuses.
That action “possibly upset many” people, she said.
…
Pussy Riot Links Member’s ‘Poisoning’ to African Murder Probe
Russian punk group Pussy Riot on Wednesday linked the suspected poisoning of member Pyotr Verzilov with his attempt to investigate the deaths of three Russian journalists in Africa.
The journalists were shot dead on July 30 in the Central African Republic (CAR) while probing a shadowy Russian mercenary group for a project founded by Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Verzilov’s estranged wife, told the independent channel TV Dozhd that he received a report on the killings a day before falling ill last week.
“We think that (Verzilov’s involvement in the inquiry) is one of the possible scenarios because Petya could be of interest to Russian secret services or state structures including in the Central African Republic,” she said, using a shorter version of his name.
Verzilov, who has both Canadian and Russian citizenship, was admitted to a Moscow clinic on Sept. 11 following a court hearing, with symptoms including vison loss and disorientation.
He was flown to Germany on Saturday by the Cinema for Peace Foundation NGO. Doctors say he is now out of danger.
Tolokonnikova has already commented that Verzilov’s illness was probably the result of an “assassination attempt.”
Verzilov, who works for the Mediazona news site that focuses on courts and prisons, was making a film with one of those killed in Africa, acclaimed documentary director Alexander Rastorguyev.
Tolokonnikova told Dozhd that Verzilov’s cell phone showed he had received a report on Sept. 10 from a CAR contact who was investigating the journalists’ deaths.
Tolokonnikova said Verzilov had told her he expected “sensational information.”
Only Verzilov knew the password to access the report, and he was still “in a quite unstable condition,” she said.
A doctor treating Verzilov at Berlin’s Charite hospital said Tuesday it was “highly plausible that it was a case of poisoning.”
Tolokonnikova told Dozhd that she and other people close to Verzilov thought he might also have been poisoned for taking part in a pitch invasion at the World Cup final in Moscow to protest against police abuses.
That action “possibly upset many” people, she said.
…
US Army Head: Poland May Not Be Ready for ‘Fort Trump’
Poland might not yet be ready for a permanent US military base, the head of the US Army said Wednesday, the day after Polish President Andrzej Duda offered to host “Fort Trump.”
Duda went to the White House on Tuesday to reiterate Poland’s long-standing desire for a permanent US troop deployment to the eastern European country — a contentious move some worry would anger Russia and draw US troops away from long-established bases in Germany.
But US Army Secretary Mark Esper told AFP when he visited Poland in January, it appeared there was not enough space on offer to fulfill the training requirements for US soldiers.
“It was not sufficient in terms of size and what we could do in the maneuver space and certainly on the ranges,” Esper said. “You need a lot of range space to do tank gunnery, for example.”
He added that, in many cases, the terrain was “maybe not robust enough to really allow us to maintain the level of readiness we would like to maintain.”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday expressed similar concerns, saying there was a “host of details” that need to be studied alongside the Poles before any decision is made.
“It’s not just about a base,” Mattis told reporters. “It’s about training ranges, it’s about maintenance facilities at the base, all these kinds of things.”
Trump said Poland is offering to pay Washington at least $2 billion to help meet the costs of the base, which Duda said could be called “Fort Trump,” and that the US is “looking at it very seriously.”
Duda said Russian military expansion, starting with a takeover of rebel areas of neighboring Georgia and more recently the annexation of Ukraine’s Black Sea Crimea region, was part of “constant violation of international law.”
Poland has been angling for a permanent US troop presence since at least a decade ago, when it was in talks with president George W. Bush’s administration to host a missile-defense complex.
That deal eventually fell through under president Barack Obama, but Poland in March signed a $4.75 billion contract to purchase a US-made Patriot anti-missile system.
NATO last year opened a counter-espionage hub in Poland aimed at expanding the alliance’s intelligence-gathering capabilities amid tensions with Russia.
The US-led alliance has also bolstered its forces in eastern Europe with four international battalions acting as tripwires against possible Russian adventurism in the region.
Esper is set to visit Europe next weekend, traveling to Germany, Bulgaria and France, where he will attend the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery for a commemoration 100 years after World War I.
…
US Army Head: Poland May Not Be Ready for ‘Fort Trump’
Poland might not yet be ready for a permanent US military base, the head of the US Army said Wednesday, the day after Polish President Andrzej Duda offered to host “Fort Trump.”
Duda went to the White House on Tuesday to reiterate Poland’s long-standing desire for a permanent US troop deployment to the eastern European country — a contentious move some worry would anger Russia and draw US troops away from long-established bases in Germany.
But US Army Secretary Mark Esper told AFP when he visited Poland in January, it appeared there was not enough space on offer to fulfill the training requirements for US soldiers.
“It was not sufficient in terms of size and what we could do in the maneuver space and certainly on the ranges,” Esper said. “You need a lot of range space to do tank gunnery, for example.”
He added that, in many cases, the terrain was “maybe not robust enough to really allow us to maintain the level of readiness we would like to maintain.”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday expressed similar concerns, saying there was a “host of details” that need to be studied alongside the Poles before any decision is made.
“It’s not just about a base,” Mattis told reporters. “It’s about training ranges, it’s about maintenance facilities at the base, all these kinds of things.”
Trump said Poland is offering to pay Washington at least $2 billion to help meet the costs of the base, which Duda said could be called “Fort Trump,” and that the US is “looking at it very seriously.”
Duda said Russian military expansion, starting with a takeover of rebel areas of neighboring Georgia and more recently the annexation of Ukraine’s Black Sea Crimea region, was part of “constant violation of international law.”
Poland has been angling for a permanent US troop presence since at least a decade ago, when it was in talks with president George W. Bush’s administration to host a missile-defense complex.
That deal eventually fell through under president Barack Obama, but Poland in March signed a $4.75 billion contract to purchase a US-made Patriot anti-missile system.
NATO last year opened a counter-espionage hub in Poland aimed at expanding the alliance’s intelligence-gathering capabilities amid tensions with Russia.
The US-led alliance has also bolstered its forces in eastern Europe with four international battalions acting as tripwires against possible Russian adventurism in the region.
Esper is set to visit Europe next weekend, traveling to Germany, Bulgaria and France, where he will attend the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery for a commemoration 100 years after World War I.
…
Africa 54
We are live. Join us and let us know from what part of the world you are watching us.
…
Africa 54
We are live. Join us and let us know from what part of the world you are watching us.
…
Tanzanian Opposition Boycotts Elections
Tanzania’s main opposition party on Wednesday said it would boycott the electoral process until further notice after by-elections that it said had been wrecked by “militarization” by the authorities.
Freeman Mbowe, president of the Chadema party, told a press conference, “We can no longer take part in elections of this kind. Democracy is being taken hostage.
“There is an excessive militarization of the electoral process. Going to vote these days is like going to war,” he said.
The by-elections last Sunday took place in constituencies for two parliamentary seats and for 40 local officials.
The vote took place amid a massive presence by armed police and turnout was a record low.
“At many ballot stations, our representatives were prevented from observing voting, others were arrested or beaten,” Mbowe said.
“These days, the outcome of elections is decided by the president and the security forces, in violation of our laws and constitution. It’s as if there were no more laws,” he said.
Mbowe vowed that Chadema would not stand by passively, announcing that it would petition the court of the justice of the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc of six Great Lakes nations, and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
It will ask the courts to set up an independent election commission, he said.
In August, the United States criticized “violence and irregularities” that had marred 70 by-elections in Tanzania, in a statement that sparked an angry rebuttal by the ruling CCM party.
Since his election in 2015, President John Magufuli has also closed several critical newspapers and rights groups have protested against the imposition of restrictive laws on freedom of expression.
your ad here
Tanzanian Opposition Boycotts Elections
Tanzania’s main opposition party on Wednesday said it would boycott the electoral process until further notice after by-elections that it said had been wrecked by “militarization” by the authorities.
Freeman Mbowe, president of the Chadema party, told a press conference, “We can no longer take part in elections of this kind. Democracy is being taken hostage.
“There is an excessive militarization of the electoral process. Going to vote these days is like going to war,” he said.
The by-elections last Sunday took place in constituencies for two parliamentary seats and for 40 local officials.
The vote took place amid a massive presence by armed police and turnout was a record low.
“At many ballot stations, our representatives were prevented from observing voting, others were arrested or beaten,” Mbowe said.
“These days, the outcome of elections is decided by the president and the security forces, in violation of our laws and constitution. It’s as if there were no more laws,” he said.
Mbowe vowed that Chadema would not stand by passively, announcing that it would petition the court of the justice of the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc of six Great Lakes nations, and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
It will ask the courts to set up an independent election commission, he said.
In August, the United States criticized “violence and irregularities” that had marred 70 by-elections in Tanzania, in a statement that sparked an angry rebuttal by the ruling CCM party.
Since his election in 2015, President John Magufuli has also closed several critical newspapers and rights groups have protested against the imposition of restrictive laws on freedom of expression.
your ad here
Candidates Absent from Cameroon’s English-Speaking Regions
Candidates for Cameroon’s October 7th presidential election have largely avoided traveling to the restive English-speaking regions where armed separatists have vowed the vote will not take place. But all of them are proposing solutions to the problems that have crippled the English-speaking regions for two years now, leaving at least 300 dead.
The only presidential candidate in Cameroon who has visited an English-speaking town is Frankline Ndifor Afanwi, the flag-bearer of the Cameroon National Citizenship Movement. Afanwi said he mustered the courage to visit Mutengene when his supporters assured him there was calm after the military chased armed separatists from the southwestern town last week.
Afanwi said he is pleading with fighters to drop their guns.
“Let all those who are fighting stop the fighting. The insecurity is coming up because many people are acting out of grievances. Let them not be filled with grievances anymore. We are going to bring in what will satisfy the hearts of Cameroonians,” he said.
Although the eight other candidates, including incumbent Paul Biya, have not been to the restive regions, they are proposing solutions to the crisis.
Main opposition candidate Joshua Osih, of the SDF, who is from the English-speaking southwest region, wants to adopt a federal republic granting each region greater autonomy.
“The problem is not the secession. The problem is the marginalization and injustices that led to that secession. Guess what, the secession will not necessarily solve that problem. When you have a president of the republic who understands these issue, the first thing that has to happen is to solve the problem of marginalization,” said Osih.
Candidate Garga Haman Adji of the ADD party is from the French speaking far north region. He also thinks it is worth considering a more decentralized government and wants to see more English speakers appointed to ministerial positions.
“What is remaining is a joint commission to discuss the anglophone problem. They are my brothers and sisters. I want this problem to be solved,” he said.
The candidates say their security is not assured in the English-speaking regions, where kidnappings, killings and burning of public property have occurred.
President Paul Biya is running to extend his 36 years in power. He said he is ready for dialogue, but opposes any discussion on changing the form of the state.
There are doubts the election will be held in Anglophone regions, where two years ago, residents began to press for more autonomy, complaining of the dominant use of the French language in the bilingual country.
Separatists took over the movement. Last year, they declared a new English-speaking state called Ambazonia had been born in Cameroon. The government responded by declaring war on them.
The separatists have vowed on social media that no election will take place and intensified attacks on towns and villages, provoking an exodus of people.
The country’s elections management body ELECAM says it has adopted security measures so the vote can take place.
The United Nations says 200,000 Cameroonians have been internally displaced and 40,000 have sought refuge in Nigeria.
…
Candidates Absent from Cameroon’s English-Speaking Regions
Candidates for Cameroon’s October 7th presidential election have largely avoided traveling to the restive English-speaking regions where armed separatists have vowed the vote will not take place. But all of them are proposing solutions to the problems that have crippled the English-speaking regions for two years now, leaving at least 300 dead.
The only presidential candidate in Cameroon who has visited an English-speaking town is Frankline Ndifor Afanwi, the flag-bearer of the Cameroon National Citizenship Movement. Afanwi said he mustered the courage to visit Mutengene when his supporters assured him there was calm after the military chased armed separatists from the southwestern town last week.
Afanwi said he is pleading with fighters to drop their guns.
“Let all those who are fighting stop the fighting. The insecurity is coming up because many people are acting out of grievances. Let them not be filled with grievances anymore. We are going to bring in what will satisfy the hearts of Cameroonians,” he said.
Although the eight other candidates, including incumbent Paul Biya, have not been to the restive regions, they are proposing solutions to the crisis.
Main opposition candidate Joshua Osih, of the SDF, who is from the English-speaking southwest region, wants to adopt a federal republic granting each region greater autonomy.
“The problem is not the secession. The problem is the marginalization and injustices that led to that secession. Guess what, the secession will not necessarily solve that problem. When you have a president of the republic who understands these issue, the first thing that has to happen is to solve the problem of marginalization,” said Osih.
Candidate Garga Haman Adji of the ADD party is from the French speaking far north region. He also thinks it is worth considering a more decentralized government and wants to see more English speakers appointed to ministerial positions.
“What is remaining is a joint commission to discuss the anglophone problem. They are my brothers and sisters. I want this problem to be solved,” he said.
The candidates say their security is not assured in the English-speaking regions, where kidnappings, killings and burning of public property have occurred.
President Paul Biya is running to extend his 36 years in power. He said he is ready for dialogue, but opposes any discussion on changing the form of the state.
There are doubts the election will be held in Anglophone regions, where two years ago, residents began to press for more autonomy, complaining of the dominant use of the French language in the bilingual country.
Separatists took over the movement. Last year, they declared a new English-speaking state called Ambazonia had been born in Cameroon. The government responded by declaring war on them.
The separatists have vowed on social media that no election will take place and intensified attacks on towns and villages, provoking an exodus of people.
The country’s elections management body ELECAM says it has adopted security measures so the vote can take place.
The United Nations says 200,000 Cameroonians have been internally displaced and 40,000 have sought refuge in Nigeria.
…
Zambia Fires Minister Over Graft Scandal
Zambia sacked its development minister on Wednesday a day after Britain suspended aid payments to the country over a mounting row about alleged corruption in President Edgar Lungu’s government.
Community Development Minister Emerine Kabanshi, who was in charge of a social payments program which Britain said had been abused, was fired for alleged misuse of funds, government spokeswoman Dora Siliya said in a tweet.
On Tuesday, Britain’s ambassador to Lusaka, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, tweeted that Britain had frozen “all bilateral funding to Zambian government”, adding that “UK Aid takes zero-tolerance approach to fraud”.
Britain’s development ministry says on its website it earmarked 48 million pounds ($63.1 million, 54 million euros) in aid for Zambia in the 2017-18 fiscal year.
“His excellency, President Edgar Lungu has acted swiftly, relieving Hon E Kabanshi as minister of community development following misuse of funds allegations in her ministry,” wrote Siliya.
Last week, the London-based Africa Confidential publication said misuse of donor funds had pushed Finland and Sweden to freeze aid, while Britain was demanding the return of $4 million that was allegedly embezzled.
In response to Britain’s move, Lungu called for an investigation into misuse of funds launched four months ago to submit its findings.
Lungu’s office said previously that preliminary findings suggest three million pounds was still owed to the intended beneficiaries of the British-backed social payments scheme across the aid-dependent country.
your ad hereZambia Fires Minister Over Graft Scandal
Zambia sacked its development minister on Wednesday a day after Britain suspended aid payments to the country over a mounting row about alleged corruption in President Edgar Lungu’s government.
Community Development Minister Emerine Kabanshi, who was in charge of a social payments program which Britain said had been abused, was fired for alleged misuse of funds, government spokeswoman Dora Siliya said in a tweet.
On Tuesday, Britain’s ambassador to Lusaka, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, tweeted that Britain had frozen “all bilateral funding to Zambian government”, adding that “UK Aid takes zero-tolerance approach to fraud”.
Britain’s development ministry says on its website it earmarked 48 million pounds ($63.1 million, 54 million euros) in aid for Zambia in the 2017-18 fiscal year.
“His excellency, President Edgar Lungu has acted swiftly, relieving Hon E Kabanshi as minister of community development following misuse of funds allegations in her ministry,” wrote Siliya.
Last week, the London-based Africa Confidential publication said misuse of donor funds had pushed Finland and Sweden to freeze aid, while Britain was demanding the return of $4 million that was allegedly embezzled.
In response to Britain’s move, Lungu called for an investigation into misuse of funds launched four months ago to submit its findings.
Lungu’s office said previously that preliminary findings suggest three million pounds was still owed to the intended beneficiaries of the British-backed social payments scheme across the aid-dependent country.
your ad hereKenya’s Finance Minister Cuts Spending, Money Transfer Taxes to Rise
Kenya’s Finance Minister Henry Rotich has cut the government’s spending budget by 55.1 billion shillings ($546.90 million), or 1.8 percent, for the fiscal year from July this year, a Treasury document showed on Wednesday.
The government is facing a tough balancing act after a public outcry over a new 16 percent value added tax on all petroleum products forced President Uhuru Kenyatta to suggest to parliament to keep the VAT and cut if by half.
In the document detailing the new spending estimates, Rotich said the budget had to be adjusted because of the amendments to tax measures brought by lawmakers when they first debated it and passed it last month.
The proposed halving of the VAT rate on fuel has left the government with a funding shortfall, hence the cuts in spending.
Parliament will vote on a raft of proposals, including the 1.8 percent cut on spending, in a special sitting on Thursday.
Kenya’s economy is expected to grow by 6 percent this year, recovering from a drought, slowdown in lending and election-related worries that cut growth in 2017, but investors and the IMF have expressed concerns over growing public debt.
While the next election is still four years away, the government’s economic policies are chafing with citizens angered by increasing costs of living. Fuel dealers protested when the VAT on fuel kicked in this month and citizen groups have gone to court to try to block new or higher taxes.
Separate documents sent by Kenyatta to parliament ahead of Thursday’s sitting underscored the debate in government over how to boost revenues without hurting the poor.
His government has to reduce a gaping fiscal deficit while boosting spending on priority areas such as healthcare and affordable housing.
In order to balance the government’s books after the reduction of the fuel tax, he is trying to reinstate several tax measures struck out by parliament, including a 2 percentage hike on excise duty for mobile phone money transfers to 12 percent.
Kenya’s biggest mobile phone operator Safaricom said in June it was opposed to any tax rise on mobile phone-based transfers, arguing that it would mainly hurt the poor, most of whom do not have bank accounts and rely on services such as its M-Pesa platform.
The president also asked parliament to double the excise duty on the fees charged by banks, money transfer services, and other financial institutions to 20 percent.
Parliament in August threw out an earlier version of proposed fees on bank transfers, a so-called “Robin Hood” tax of 0.05 percent on transfers of more than 500,000 shillings.
The president has not yet signed the budget due to the dispute over the planned tax hikes. Kenyatta’s Jubilee party and its allies have a comfortable majority in parliament.
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry this month said the government should widen the tax base. It also urged the state to cut expenditure, reduce wastage of public funds and deal with corruption, which some studies have found lose the government about a third of its annual budget.
your ad here