01/25/2013 23:54 GMT

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 25, 2013 (AFP) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir called for the immediate implementation of a series of agreements signed with rival Sudan, and criticised Khartoum for stalling talks.

"If there is to be progress, the cycle of negotiation cannot continue indefinitely. We must shift from rhetoric to action," Kiir said at a high level security meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Kiir and his Northern counterpart Omar al-Bashir met earlier Friday for face-to-face talks in the latest push to implement stalled economic, oil and security deals signed in September after a bloody border conflict broke out last year.

Other key issues left unresolved after South Sudan claimed independence in July 2011 include the contested flashpoint Abyei region.

The AU mediating panel, AUHIP, has put forward a resolution on Abyei, which includes a referendum giving members of the Dinka -- a dominant South Sudanese tribe who live in the Abyei area -- the right to vote along with Sudanese.

Kiir urged Sudan to adopt the AU proposal on Abyei in order to settle the long-standing dispute.

"We have exhausted the issue of Abyei for seven years. This issue does not require further negotiation but rather swift adoption and implementation of the AUHIP proposal," he said.

Sudan and South Sudan have also been at loggerheads over the demarcation of the oil-rich border and pipeline costs to export the South's crude via the north, a dispute that not only led to Juba halting oil production last January, but also weeks of border conflict.

Asked whether progress had been made at his meeting with Bashir, Kiir simply said: "We are not finished yet."

AU peace and security commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said the AU was concerned that "significant differences remain" between the two rivals. He encouraged Sudan and South Sudan to push for progress on the stalled deals.

The security meeting took place ahead of Sunday's AU summit, where the crisis in Mali is expected to top the agenda.

The AU sought to bolster the strength of the African-led force in Mali. It gave member states one week to commit troops to the mission.

"We definitely know, based on the first assumptions... that the force size will have to be significantly augmented," Lamamra told reporters late Friday.

He also said the AU would seek urgent "temporary" logistical support from the UN to offer transport, medicine and field hospitals.

But political solutions to the crisis should not be ignored, he added.

"During and after the use of legitimate military intervention, there is a need to talk about politics, there is a need to lay the groundwork for a political settlement," he told AFP.

France swept to the aid of the weakened Malian army on January 11 as Islamist rebels controlling large swathes of the country's north pushed south towards the capital Bamako.

The rebels swept through northern Mali - taking over the key towns Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal -- following a coup last year.

Mali's Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly agreed that a rapid mobilization of resources was needed.

"Everyone has seen that there may have been an underestimation of the enemy and everyone saw that the ultimate goal of these terrorists was to expand their criminal enterprise within Mali and eventually to other countries," he told reporters.

The West African bloc ECOWAS has set out plans to deploy 3,300 troops to help Mali retake the occupied north, but the deployment has been delayed by financing concerns.

An additional 2,000 soldiers from Chad, not a member of ECOWAS, are also to be deployed.

The French-led offensive entered its third week Friday with a strong push into the vast semi-arid zone, as aid agencies expressed concern over the food crisis in the region.

African leaders are set to meet Tuesday for a donors conference to drum up further funds for operations in Mali. The meeting will include representatives from the European Union and the UN Security Council.

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© 1994-2013 Agence France-Presse

Prefacio del Director Ejecutivo

Acción Humanitaria para la Infancia 2013

A primera vista, Fatima aparentaba tener unos 4 o 5 meses. Pero, en realidad, acababa de cumplir su primer año de vida. Estaba entre los 126.000 niños con desnutrición aguda grave tratados en uno de los 425 centros nutricionales establecidos por el Ministerio de Salud de Chad en 2012 como parte de la expansión de la atención en todo el Sahel. Se llegó a cientos de miles de niños con la atención necesaria para salvar sus vidas. Tristemente, no se pudo llegar a otros muchos.

Cada día que pasaba, crecía la sonrisa de Rabab Mohammed Saleh, de 14 meses, y su cuerpo se hacía un poco más fuerte. Estuvo en el centro de alimentación terapéutica del Hospital Al-Sabaeen en Sana’a, Yemen, donde recibió tratamiento contra la desnutrición. Rabab vive con su madre soltera y sus 10 hermanos supervivientes. Otros cuatro murieron. En Yemen, casi un millón de niños sufren desnutrición aguda; más de 250.000 padecen desnutrición aguda grave y viven, cada día, con el fantasma de la muerte.

En el destartalado campo de refugiados de Za’atari, cerca de la frontera entre Jordania y la República Árabe Siria, Tabark, de 12 años, retomó sus clases en una nueva escuela de emergencia. Su sueño es ser profesora de árabe. Más de 47.000 niños sirios refugiados en países vecinos y 23.000 dentro de la República

Árabe Siria se han beneficiado de los programas de educación en emergencias, mientras que las iniciativas para proteger su bienestar psicológico han llegado a 32.000 niños en la República Árabe Siria y a 42.000 en países vecinos. No obstante, para muchos niños la educación y la protección se convierten en víctimas de la crisis.

Estos son sólo algunos de los cientos de niños valientes que he conocido durante viajes a terreno en los últimos 12 meses.

Acción Humanitaria para la Infancia 2013 pone de relieve los retos que afrontan niños como Fatima,
Rabab y Tabark en situaciones humanitarias de todo el mundo. El documento identifica el apoyo que es necesario para ayudar a estos niños a sobrevivir y salir adelante. Y lo que más importante, muestra los resultados que nuestros aliados y nosotros hemos logrado, y debemos esforzarnos por lograr, para los niños más necesitados.

Por ejemplo, en 2012, en colaboración con gobiernos nacionales, organizaciones de la sociedad civil y otras agencias de Naciones Unidas, se planificó que UNICEF tratara a 850.000 niños (de un total estimado de 1.100.000) menores de 5 años con desnutrición aguda grave en el Sahel, a pesar de que el conflicto en Malí empeoraba y provocó una crisis de refugiados en los países limítrofes.

Cada vez más, tratamos de hacerlo con un ‘reflejo de resiliencia’, en el sentido de fortalecer la capacidad de los centros de salud y de las comunidades y familias de cara al futuro. Por otro lado, en Pakistán, 109.000 niños y mujeres afectados por las inundaciones y la inseguridad pudieron acceder a servicios de protección, rehabilitación y ocio, así como a una educación en habilidades para la vida cotidiana, a través de los Servicios Comunitarios de Emergencia y Aprendizaje para la Protección. (PLaCES en sus siglas en inglés)

La respuesta humanitaria no es menos importante en aquellas partes del mundo que no captan la atención de los medios de comunicación. En los estados del Nilo Azul y Kordofán del Sur, en Sudán, el conflicto ha llevado a más de 210.000 personas, de las cuales más de la mitad son niños, al otro lado de la frontera, a los vecinos Sudán del Sur y Etiopía, mientras que alrededor de 695.000 se han desplazado dentro del propio país o se han visto gravemente afectadas. En la República Democrática del Congo, donde hay 2,4 millones de personas desplazadas, el número de niños gravemente desnutridos llega al millón.

A nivel mundial, seguimos mejorando nuestra capacidad de respuesta a las emergencias humanitarias. Hemos establecido nuevos estándares en los procedimientos operativos para orientar los esfuerzos de UNICEF en los casos de emergencias a gran escala, así como procesos para un mejor cumplimiento de nuestras responsabilidades de coordinación de grupos sectoriales (clusteres) y sectores en el amplio sistema humanitario. Además, hemos prestado apoyo al desarrollo de la Agenda Trasformadora del Comité Permanente Inter-Agencias.

A la vez que nos esforzamos por conseguir mejores resultados para aquellos con necesidades urgentes, también somos conscientes de la importancia de medir esos resultados y de identificar los cuellos de botella para alcanzar un mayor progreso.

Estos resultados son posibles gracias a las generosas contribuciones de los donantes que siguen apoyando la acción humanitaria de UNICEF incluso en tiempos de austeridad fiscal.

La financiación previsible y flexible sostiene programas como los descritos anteriormente y nos permite actuar de manera rápida en el lugar y el momento en que se produce una crisis.

Podemos conseguir resultados para los niños que se encuentran en entornos difíciles y en emergencias complicadas. Fatima puede recuperarse de la desnutrición aguda grave; la salud de Rabab mejorará; Tabark puede seguir yendo a la escuela. Juntos, podemos dar a todos los niños en situaciones humanitarias no sólo los instrumentos necesarios para recuperarse sino también para desarrollar su potencial, alimentar sus talentos y contribuir al crecimiento de sus naciones.

Anthony Lake
Director Ejecutivo de UNICEF

Descargue el llamado de Acción humanitaria de la página de UNICEF

(RUMBEK) – At least two people died Thursday when forces from South Sudan’s army (SPLA) clashed with a group of armed pastoralists at a cattle camp in Lakes state, eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune.

Violence reportedly erupted on grazing land in Toch, located within the Marial-bek cattle camp, when SPLA forces and police surrounded the cattle camp and allegedly ordered a group of youth to vacate the area.

Eyewitnesses said the directive did not go down well with the youth and it was their failure to comply that sparked the gunfight, as armed pastoralists moved outside the cattle camp.

“Heavy and well equipped SPLA [soldiers] and police are being deployed around the cattle camp and youth are now deserting the camp, walking deep into the forest ready to fight the SPLA,” an eyewitness said by phone on Thursday morning.

Lakes state, has in recent weeks, been marred by series of violent cattle-related attacks, leaving many dead and scores injured.

On Monday, South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir sacked the Lakes state governor, Chol Tong Mayay, but gave no reason for issuing the decree. Kiir also appointed Major Matur Chut as acting governor of Lakes state.

However, critics claim the Lakes state administration failed to contain the violence in the region, saying this may have led to the removal of the governor, who was elected in 2010.

Youth leaders in cattle camps have already voiced their concerns over the newly-appointed caretaker governor, describing him as a military leader likely to rule the state with “an iron fist.”

Lakes state information minister Charles Mayen said the situation had returned to normal by Thursday evening.

“[The] state is [now] normal and efforts are being done to bring [the] situation to complete normal,” said Mayen in a separate interview.

Also underway is a move by state authorities to forcefully disarm the civilian population, after sectional clashes erupted in Rumbek central county for the first time, he told Sudan Tribune in an earlier interview,.

On 18 January, Amothnhom and Panyon inter-clans clashes in the state left more than 25 people dead and about 30 with gunshot wounds.

27 January 2013 – Speaking at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the continent's leaders to boost efforts to lift millions out of poverty and end recurrent cycles of violence to accelerate development in the region.

“Africa has the experience to forge solutions to its own challenges and contribute to our global goals of inclusive growth, social justice and protecting our environment,” Mr. Ban said in his address to the Summit's opening session.

He noted that many countries have made important gains to achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a 'Global Partnership for Development.'

“More African children are in schools, especially girls. More clinics are helping more women survive childbirth. More African women sit in Government and key decision-making positions,” Mr. Ban said, adding that in spite of this progress, he is still concerned about hundreds of millions of Africans living in poverty.

Mr. Ban urged African leaders to accelerate efforts to achieve the MDGs before their 2015 deadline, and stressed that success will depend on ownership by governments and civil society.

“Our destination is clear: A future where Africa's wealth enriches all of Africa's people. Where misrule is only found in history books. Where Africa's goods get a fair price on the global market. Where global partnerships mean shared prosperity.”

Young people and women will be key to drive peace and development in the continent, Mr. Ban said, underlining the importance of investing in their health and education, and providing them with a secure environment.

“We especially need to speak out against rape and sexual violence in conflict. Governments must support victims and end the culture of impunity,” he said.

Mr. Ban underscored that peace is essential for development, and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to work with countries in the region to address conflict and violence.

Regarding the crisis in Mali, Mr. Ban said the UN is determined to do all it can to help the people in the country, with humanitarian agencies currently assisting civilians in need. “The United Nations has also sent specialists on the military and political tracks. This is a moral imperative for all in the international community,” he said.

Fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels broke out in northern Mali last January, after which radical Islamists seized control of the area. The renewed clashes in the north, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region, drought and political instability in the wake of a military coup d'état in March have uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Last month, the Security Council authorized the deployment of an African-led International Support Mission in Mali, known as AFISMA, for an initial period of one year to assist the authorities in recovering rebel-held regions in the north and restoring the unity of the country.

Mr. Ban called on Malian authorities to embrace a comprehensive political process, and agree on a roadmap leading to full restoration of constitutional order. In addition, he reiterated his full commitment to ensure that the UN stands read to undertake major peacebuilding efforts as well as security sector reform, reconstruction and regional cooperation once the combat operations come to an end.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mr. Ban said the UN Stabilization Mission in the country (MONUSCO) is doing everything it can to protect civilians, and encouraged regional leaders to endorse a peace, security and cooperation framework to address the causes of violence in the country.

During the Summit, Mr. Ban also addressed a special event on the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), where he pledged the UN's support to expand the campaign so that pregnant and nursing mothers in the continent have access to nutrition and healthcare.

The Secretary-General also met with various African leaders on the margins of the Summit, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, with whom he discussed the situation in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, Mali and DRC. Mr. Ban also met with the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, and commended the progress in the country, while stressing the need for reconciliation and disarmament to ensure stability.

In a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mr. Ban reiterated his strong support for the Palestinian people and discussed the need for renewed momentum on the peace process. In addition, Mr. Ban met with the Chairperson of the AU Summit, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, with whom he exchanged views on collective efforts to address the situation in the DRC and Mali.

January 26, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan is still faced with challenges of assuring food and drug quality control as the 18-month old country has not yet established facilities to certify the quality of consumable goods.

Tons of expired food commodities or with less quality ingredients as well as fake human and animal drugs are believed to have been finding their ways into the country every year without being detected by the authorities.

The government however on Friday announced seriousness to embark on ways and means of resolving the matter by establishing a standard laboratory for testing of food and drugs and avoid the health risks involved in the status quo.

This came in a meeting on Friday between the Vice President, Riek Machar Teny, and the senior management of Cometa Scientific Company which is based in the United Kingdom and expressed readiness to install a state-of-the-art laboratory.

He and the General Manager of Cometa Scientific Company, Glen Griffiths, who was also accompanied by an official from the ministry of Health, discussed the urgent need to establish a central laboratory in the capital with branches in the ten states of the country.

(ST)

INTRODUCTION

When conflict erupted in Blue Nile State in September 2011, thousands of people began fleeing their homes. Indiscriminate bombing targeted a vulnerable civilian population and members of the southern-aligned political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), were harassed, detained and, in some cases, killed. The influx of more than 30,000 people across the border into South Sudan created a humanitarian crisis and prompted a massive international emergency response. The crisis beset population of Blue Nile found relative stability and a local population willing to embrace them in Maban County, Upper Nile State. However, as time has passed, the refugee population has swelled to a staggering 110,000 people and perceived inequalities and competition for resources has started causing tensions between the host and refugee populations.

Based on desk research, consultations in Maban among refugee and host communities and months of working in the area, this paper brings together a historical, socio-economic and political perspective on the communities present in Maban. The paper also provides an outline of areas of tension and potential conflict mitigation responses.

January 28, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and South Sudan presidents commited themselves to implement the cooperation agreement they signed in September of last year following a meeting held with several African leaders in Addis Ababa on Sunday.

Presidents Omer Al-Bashir and Salva Kiir took part in a meeting organised by the Ethiopian prime minister on the sidelines of the African union summit in Addis Ababa attended by presidents of South Africa, Cote d’Ivore, Nigeria on Sunday 27 January four months after the signing of the Cooperation Agreement.

The meeting was organized following the failure of the two parties to reach a compromise in the implementation of a security arrangement deal in a meeting they held last week in Addis Ababa. Further, the two sides failed to establish Abyei local bodies.

Before their African counterparts, the two leaders vowed to seek seriously to implement cooperation agreement and to observe the outcome of the AU Peace and Sceurity Coucil (AUPSC) meeting held on Friday 25 January at the level of heads of states and governments.

The meeting aimed to put pressure on the two sides, as the AUSPC opted to not refer the issue of Abyei to the U.N. Security Council and preferred to maintain it at the African Union.

The regional security body, in a statement release on Saturday, expressed concern over the persistence of differences in the implementation of the cooperation agreement, and underscored the different interpretations of the signed deals.

Besides the constant difference over Abyei, and relation of the South Sudanese government with the repel SPLM-N, the two countries showed recently divergent points of view over the troop withdrawal of Mile 14 , a disputed area on the common border.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in a speech at the opening session of the African Union meeting said the two neighbours " have taken positive steps to resolve outstanding issues. But they should make more progress in meeting their agreements".

He also called on the Sudan and South Sudan to engage talks on the "dangerous" humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States and to agree on ways to ways to reach the affected civilians in the two states.

Sudan refuses to provide the SPLM-N held areas in the two regions with humanitarian assistance from South Sudan or Ethiopian as the rebels have proposed.

On Sunday also President Bashir discussed the on goning process between Sudan and South Sudan with the chief mediator Thabo Mbeki who works since 2009 to finalise peaceful settlement of the differences between Khartoum and Juba.

In a statement to the official SUNA, Mbeki said that the meeting was part of the continued consultations with the two presidents Bashir and Kiir over the implementation of the agreements the two countries signed.

The mediator met also with the South Sudanese president to discuss the same issues.

In Khartoum, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) reiterated that Juba has to cut its ties with the Sudanese rebels before to allow the exportation of its oil through its territory.

However, it stressed Sudanese government commitment to continue talks on the disputed issues within the African framework and reaffirmed its rejection of foreign pressures to allow the exportation of the South Sudanese oil.

NCP spokesperson Badr Al-Deen Ahmed Ibrahim expressed hopes that the six-month period given to the mediation by the AUSPC would be enough to overcome the obstacles hampering the implementation of the cooperation agreement.

Ibrahim also rejected British conditions to write off it debts to Sudan. He said Khartoum signed deals with Juba without "dictates or blackmailing", adding that those who appreciate his government’s efforts should support Sudan without conditions.

The NCP official was reacting to statements by Brithish minister for International Development, Lynne Featherstone, who was in Sudan last week. Before to leave the country on on 23 January, she urged Sudan to enforce the signed agreements with South Sudan, to end harassment of civil society groups and alow more freedoms in the country.

28 January 2013 – Fleeing clashes that erupted in Jonglei State’s Pibor town yesterday, residents have been taking refugee at two UNMISS county support bases (CSBs) in the area.

Some 2,000 civilians arrived at the new UNMISS CSB yesterday, and 1,000 remained there this morning. Another 400 went to an older CSB the mission had recently transferred from.

UNMISS is providing water and medical treatment for the civilians, and troops are guarding the area where they are staying. UNMISS military is also conducting patrols in and around Pibor town.

The mission is following up with local authorities to determine exact details of the fighting.

In Syria the conflict continues to affect large parts of the country with escalating tensions in Homs, Aleppo, Idlib and Damascus provinces. Increased fighting has led to record high levels of new arrivals of refugees in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, where more than 10,000 people arrived between 20 and 24 January alone.

The French-led ground offensive against Islamist rebels in Mali continued on 28 January with armed forces driving Islamic insurgents out of the northern towns of Gao and Timbuktu.

In Pakistan, the World Health Organization has reported 94 measles outbreaks throughout the country in the first three weeks of January alone, describing the situation in Pakistan as alarming due to a steady increase in measles cases and deaths.

Rain and the tail-end of the cold front which affected Asia in the previous weeks have affected more than 507,000 people in Davao del Norte province, Philippines.

Last Updated: 28/01/2013 Next Update: 04/02/2013

Global Emergency Overview web interface

28 January 2013 – The United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan is sheltering around 2,500 people who fled an outbreak of violence over the weekend in the eastern town of Pibor, a spokesperson for the world body said today.

“The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) confirms that on Sunday, fighting erupted in Pibor market between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and unidentified armed elements,” UN spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey told a news briefing in New York.

The Mission is providing medical help to the injured and helped to evacuate two people from Pibor in Jonglei state to Juba, South Sudan’s capital.

The spokesperson added that the Mission “is in contact with the SPLA and authorities to defuse the situation and ascertain facts.”

South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July 2011. That same month, the Security Council established UNMISS with the purpose of consolidating peace and security and to help establish conditions for development.

“UNMISS remains committed to protecting civilians, but underscores that the Government of South Sudan is primarily responsible for the maintenance of security and the protection of civilians,” said Mr. Del Buey.

“The Mission reiterates its call to all parties in Pibor to avoid further violence and urges the authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure security.”

The fighting comes as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He called on the continent’s leaders to boost efforts to lift millions out of poverty and end recurrent cycles of violence to accelerate development in the region.

In late December, UNMISS sheltered some 5,000 people seeking safety at its base in Wau amidst violence and protests that began after officials said they would move the seat of local government out of Wau.

Australia has committed $5 million to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to provide food, medical assistance, water, shelter and protection for up to 245,000 refugees fleeing Sudan due to ongoing violence.

Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Richard Marles announced the assistance while visiting villages along the border between Sudan and South Sudan.

"Many of those who have fled are arriving in refugee camps suffering from dehydration and malnourishment and without the most basic possessions," Mr Marles said.

"Our funds will be used by UNHCR where it is needed most, to assist these most vulnerable people.

"Part of Australia's assistance will support UNHCR in four refugee camps in South Sudan and three refugee camps in Ethiopia, where around 140,000 refugees are temporarily settled."

Mr Marles said Australia condemned the violence affecting civilians in Blue Nile, South Kordofan and elsewhere in border regions between Sudan and South Sudan.

"Australia recognises that unresolved disputes between Sudan and South Sudan are exacerbating tension in border regions, including in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. We commend the two countries for reaching important agreements in September last year, under the auspices of the African Union's High Level Implementation Panel. We now call on both sides to implement these agreements as a matter of urgency, as agreed by President Al Bashir and President Kiir in early January 2013.

"As a member of the UN Security Council in 2013 and 2014, Australia will work with our partners on the Council and remain closely engaged on the challenges facing Sudan and South Sudan."

Australia has provided more than $198 million in humanitarian and development assistance in Sudan and South Sudan since 2004. Australia has committed up to 25 Australian Defence Force personnel and 10 Australian Federal Police to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

28 janvier 2013 – Lors du Sommet de l'Union africaine, qui s'est tenu ce weekend à Addis-Abeba, en Éthiopie, le Secrétaire général Ban Ki-moon a appelé les dirigeants du continent à redoubler d'efforts en vue de faire sortir l'Afrique de la pauvreté et des violences récurrentes et d'accélérer son développement.

« L'Afrique a l'expérience nécessaire pour trouver des solutions aux défis qui se posent à elle et contribuer à nos objectifs communs de croissance inclusive, de justice sociale et de protection de l'environnement », a assuré M. Ban lors de son allocution d'ouverture au Sommet.

Il a noté que de nombreux pays africains avaient réalisé des gains considérables vers la réalisation des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement (OMD), qui fixent des cibles spécifiques à atteindre d'ici à 2015 en matière d'éradication de la pauvreté, d'éducation, d'égalité entre les sexes, de santé maternelle et infantile, de respect de l'environnement, de lutte contre la pandémie de VIH/sida, sans compter la mise en place d'un « partenariat mondial pour le développement ».

« De plus en plus d'enfants africains sont scolarisés, en particulier des filles. De plus en plus de cliniques aident davantage de femmes à survivre à l'accouchement. De plus en plus de femmes siègent dans des gouvernement et occupent des postes décisionnaires », s'est félicité M. Ban, qui a cependant ajouté qu'en dépit de ces avancées, des centaines de millions d'Africains vivaient toujours dans la pauvreté.

Aussi le patron de l'ONU a-t-il exhorté les dirigeants africains à se mobiliser à l'approche de la date-butoir, soulignant que le succès dépendrait avant tout de l'appropriation par les gouvernements et la société civile.

« Notre destination est claire : un avenir où les richesses de l'Afrique profiteront à tous les Africains. Où la mauvaise gouvernance sera reléguée aux livres d'histoire. Où les biens en provenance de l'Afrique se vendront à un prix équitable sur le marché mondial. Où les partenariats mondiaux seront synonymes de prospérité partagée. »

Jeunes et femmes seront déterminants dans l'avènement de la paix et du développement sur le continent, a poursuivi le Secrétaire général, qui a insisté sur l'importance cruciale d'investir dans la santé et l'éducation et de garantir un environnement sûr.

« Nous avons tout particulièrement besoin de nous élever contre le viol et les violences sexuelles. Les gouvernements doivent soutenir les victimes et mettre fin à la culture d'impunité », a-t-il enjoint.

Pour M. Ban, la paix reste le facteur premier du développement et les Nations Unies continueront de s'engager auprès de tous les pays de la région afin d'y répondre à la question des conflits et des violences, a-t-il assuré.

Evoquant la crise au Mali, le Secrétaire général a déclaré que l'Organisation était déterminée à faire tout son possible pour venir en aide aux populations en détresse dans le pays, comme en témoignent les efforts déployés par les agences humanitaires onusiennes sur le terrain. « Les Nations Unies ont également dépêché des spécialistes militaires et politiques. C'est un impératif moral pour l'ensemble de la communauté internationale », a-t-il lancé.

Des combats entre forces gouvernementales et rebelles Touaregs ont éclaté dans le nord du Mali en janvier 2012, à l'issue desquels les islamistes radicaux ont pris le contrôle de la région. La recrudescence des hostilités dans le nord, ainsi que la prolifération de groupes armés dans la région, mais aussi la sècheresse et l'instabilité politique dans le pays après le coup d'état de mars dernier, ont déraciné des centaines de milliers de civils.

Le mois dernier, le Conseil de sécurité avait autorisé le déploiement de la Mission internationale de soutien au Mali sous conduite africaine (MISMA), chargée d'aider les autorités maliennes à reprendre le nord du pays.

M. Ban a appelé les autorités maliennes à adhérer à un processus politique inclusif et à élaborer une feuille de route visant au rétablissement de l'ordre constitutionnel du pays. Il a renouvelé le soutien sans réserves de l'Organisation aux efforts de consolidation de la paix et de réforme du secteur de la sécurité, à la reconstruction et à la coopération régionales après la fin de l'offensive militaire.

Abordant ensuite la situation en République démocratique du Congo (RDC), M. Ban a déclaré que la Mission de stabilisation déployée dans ce pays, la MONUSCO, faisait tout ce qui était en son pouvoir pour protéger les civils. Il a encouragé les dirigeants régionaux à conclure un accord-cadre sur les questions de paix, de sécurité et de coopération en vue de répondre aux causes sous-jacentes à la violence qui sévit dans l'est de ce pays.

Toujours lors de ce Sommet, le Secrétaire général a pris part à une manifestation parallèle sur la Campagne pour l'accélération de la réduction de la mortalité maternelle en Afrique (CARMMA), au cours de laquelle il a annoncé le soutien des Nations Unies à l'élargissement de cette initiative, afin de veiller à ce que les femmes enceintes et allaitantes du continent puissent avoir accès à une nutrition équilibrée et à des soins de santé adaptés.

Le Secrétaire général s'est également entretenu avec des dirigeants africains en marge du Sommet, notamment avec le Premier Ministre du pays, Hailemariam Desalegn, avec qui il a discuté des situations en Somalie, au Soudan et au Soudan du Sud, au Mali et en RDC. M. Ban s'est également entretenu avec le Président de la Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara. Il a salué à cette occasion les progrès accomplis par le pays, tout en soulignant le besoin de réconciliation et de désarmement afin de garantir une paix durable dans cette nation de l'Afrique de l'Ouest.

Lors d'une entrevue bilatérale avec le Président palestinien, Mahmoud Abbas, M. Ban a réitéré son soutien au peuple palestinien et parlé avec lui de la nécessité de relancer l'élan en faveur du processus de paix israélo-palestinien. Il s'est enfin entretenu avec le Président du Sommet de l'Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, des moyens de répondre collectivement aux crises en RDC et au Mali. La situation dans ce pays, et les moyens d'y remédier, a également fait l'objet d'une entrevue avec le Premier Ministre malien par intérim, Dioncounda Traoré.

Understanding the differing needs of women, girls, boys and men is the responsibility of all humanitarian workers. Without it, we will fail in our responsibility to the people we are seeking to help. Identifying and addressing these distinct needs enhances humanitarian programming. We cannot wait any longer to get this right.

Valerie Amos Emergency Relief Coordinator

The message that all humanitarian projects in Sudan must take into consideration the needs of women, girls, boys and men in order to be accepted into the 2013 Sudan UN and Partners Work Plan, was readily accepted by sector leads and partners. After 18 months of consolidated effort to roll out the IASC Gender Marker to measure and track gender, there is evidence of better gender equality programming.

All humanitarian interventions in Sudan are now required to prioritise gender and promote gender equality. The use of the Gender Marker saw a significant drop from 36 per cent gender blind projects in 2011 to only 2 per cent in 2012, while the number of 2a projects increased from 24 per cent in 2011 to 51 per cent in 2012.

In 2013, these results were further improved with zero code 0 projects, and a combined 74 per cent for code 2a/2b projects. The review of 364 projects in the 2013 Sudan Work Plan indicated a major improvement in how gender has been integrated.

The following have been identified as key gender improvements and gaps in the 2013 Sudan Work Plan process:

• Improved gender analysis, in particular examining the status and roles of women and men and the issues they face. However, there is still a need for more and deeper gender analysis.

• Improved consideration of gender concerns throughout all aspects of the projects with particular focus on increasing the participation of women and girls as well as men and boys in project activities.

• ƒƒMinimal use of cosmetic language such as ‘women and girls’. ƒƒ

• Increased use of sex and age disaggregated data (SADD). ƒƒ

• The need for further capacity reinforcement of some UN agencies as some were weak with mainstreaming gender in the project proposals while some INGOs were exceptionally strong. ƒƒ

• Local NGOs need additional support to undertake gender equality programming.

Afin de mettre en œuvre divers projets humanitaires d’urgence, dont certains ont été lancés en 2012, l’OIM adresse aux donateurs un appel de 303 millions de dollars E. U. pour des projets humanitaires en 2013.

L’OIM est l'agence chef de file pour le Groupe sectoriel sur la gestion des camps et la coordination des camps (CCCM) dans les catastrophes naturelles. Elle est également l’agence chef de file pour le groupe sectoriel des abris dans une demi-douzaine de pays, et est aussi un acteur majeur dans d’autres groupes sectoriels.

L’OIM, à travers son Répertoire des appels humanitaires 2013 (Humanitarian Compendium), sollicite ces fonds pour achever des projets d’urgence dans 16 pays, dont l’Afghanistan, Haïti, le Kenya, le Mali, le Pakistan, les Philippines, la République démocratique du Congo, la Somalie, le Soudan du Sud, la Syrie, le Tchad et le Yémen.

Parmi les principaux projets, 60 millions de dollars E. U. sont nécessaires pour aider au retour dans la sécurité et la dignité de 300 000 Sud-Soudanais qui se trouvent toujours en République du Soudan. Les fonds permettront aussi de dispenser des soins de santé primaires vitaux aux migrants de retour et aux communautés dans lesquelles ils rentrent.

Le Soudan du Sud est le pays qui affiche les plus mauvais indicateurs de santé au monde. Moins de 20 % de la population a accès aux services de santé primaire. Les fonds seront également utilisés pour fournir des abris et des articles de secours non alimentaires essentiels, ainsi que des services en matière d’eau, d’assainissement et d’hygiène (WASH.)

Au Yémen, l’OIM a besoin de 38 millions de dollars E. U. pour continuer à aider des milliers de migrants vulnérables originaires de la Corne de l'Afrique et bloqués dans ce pays à rentrer volontairement chez eux. La plupart sont arrivés au Yémen après une dangereuse traversée du golfe d'Aden. Les fonds serviront aussi à aider les plus vulnérables et à remettre sur pied des activités de subsistance dans les gouvernorats déchirés par la guerre d’Abyan et al-Jawf.

Au Kenya, l’Organisation cherche à obtenir 35 millions de dollars E. U. pour fournir un abri, des articles non alimentaires et une assistance sanitaire aux quelque 473 000 réfugiés somaliens vivant dans le camp de réfugiés de Daadab, le plus grand au monde. Ces fonds aideront également 300 000 autres Kényans déplacés internes à cause de catastrophes naturelles et d'un conflit interethnique.

Une partie de l'argent sera aussi affectée à des projets visant à renforcer la résilience des communautés pastorales et d’accueil dans le Nord du Kenya, dont les moyens de subsistance ont gravement pâti de l'afflux de réfugiés et de longues périodes de sécheresse.

Une autre tranche majeure de financement ira à l'apport d'une aide d'urgence aux civils pris dans la tourmente de la crise syrienne. L’OIM a besoin de 36 millions de dollars E. U. pour continuer à fournir des articles non alimentaires au nombre croissant de Syriens déplacés internes.

D’après le HCR, plus de deux millions de civils syriens ont actuellement un besoin urgent d'aide non alimentaire. L’OIM a intensifié sa distribution d'articles non alimentaires et de nécessaires pour faire face à l’hiver aux civils syriens se trouvant en Syrie et au Liban.

L’OIM a aussi besoin de fonds pour l'évacuation des travailleurs migrants vulnérables en Syrie. Depuis le début du conflit en mars 2011, l’Organisation a aidé quelque 3 300 migrants vulnérables originaires de 36 pays à rentrer chez eux en toute sécurité.

Les autres projets en cours liés à la crise syrienne comprennent une assistance au transport pour aider les réfugiés qui entrent en Jordanie à gagner le camp de réfugiés de Za’tri, ainsi qu’une aide pour la construction et la réhabilitation d'abris d'urgence, une assistance sanitaire et un appui psychosocial pour les réfugiés au Liban.

En Haïti, 18,5 millions de dollars E. U. sont nécessaires pour continuer à fournir des subventions à la location qui permettent aux familles déplacées à l'intérieur de quitter les camps surpeuplés et de s'installer dans des logements locatifs pour recommencer leur vie trois ans après le tremblement de terre dévastateur de janvier 2010.

Les fonds seront aussi utilisés pour fournir des services en matière d’eau, d’assainissement et d’hygiène afin d'éviter la propagation du choléra et d'autres épidémies.

Le Répertoire 2013 des appels de fonds humanitaires de l'OIM (Humanitarian Compendium) peut être téléchargé en anglais à l’adresse : http://www.iom.int/files/live/sites/iom/files/pbn/docs/IOM-Humanitarian-...

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter

la Division des relations avec les donateurs de l’OIM
Tél. : +41 22 717 9271
Courriel : drd@iom.int

By Blain Biset

ADDIS ABABA , Jan 29 2013 (IPS) - The African Union summit failed to provide a breakthrough in the ongoing negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan when it ended on Monday Jan. 28.

President Salva Kirr of South Sudan and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met on the sidelines of the summit, which was held in Addis Ababa from Jan. 27 to 28, to discuss the implementation of agreements the two countries signed in September 2012.

On Jan. 25 Kirr called for the immediate implementation of the deals after the bilateral meeting, telling journalists at the AU headquarters that the two countries should “shift from rhetoric to action.”

Kirr and Al-Bashir signed nine agreements on Sep. 27, 2012, following the continued fighting between the two countries along their borders, disputes over oil fees and claims over oil-rich border states, including the Abyei region.

At the time, the United Nations Security Council threatened both countries with sanctions if no agreement was reached.

Independent East Africa peace and security analyst Mehari Taddele Maru told IPS that U.N. sanctions might be helpful if the countries fail to implement the agreements. He said “sanctions have to be considered again, but then they should be well targeted so that (the sanctions) pressure officials and do not only effect the general public.”

However, AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) commissioner Ramtane Lamamra told IPS that sanctions are not needed: “I believe there is a clear expectation that failure should not be an option and patience is also part of the entire exercise.”

Chairperson of the AU Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told delegations from both countries that the South Sudanese/Sudanese conflict poses a set of challenges on “how to celebrate diversity while pursuing the goal of a united Africa.”

Negotiations between the two countries seem to be continuing indefinitely as the AUPSC extended the mandate of the mediation team, led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, till the end of July.

Mehari said that this was an issue for concern: “Every meeting comes with new conditions, new requests and even new documents that are tabled. The previous agreements are almost forgotten.”

South Sudan blamed its neighbour for the delay in implementing previous security agreements, which include implementing a buffer zone between the two nations, claiming that Sudan allegedly made new demands during the recent high-level security meeting.

The Sudanese delegation did not want to comment on the matter and told IPS on Sunday, Jan. 27, “we agreed with the South Sudanese delegation in the beginning that we would not speak to the media while discussions are ongoing.”

Mehari said that the ongoing negotiation process was used as an excuse to not focus on democratisation and delivering basic services to the citizens of both countries. He said that Sudan’s Al-Bashir could use the ongoing border conflict for his own political gain, and could claim that he is the only leader who can stand against the threat of South Sudan and the international community.

Mehari added that the border issues were also used by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, the leading political group in South Sudan, to shift the focus from their lack of delivery of services to their people as they are still trying to transform from a liberation movement into a democratic political party.

African civil society groups at the summit urged the AU to act on the worsening humanitarian situation in places such as disputed border states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. Both countries are engaged in armed conflict in civilian areas in both states. In 2012 Human Rights Watch accused the Sudanese government forces of being in violation of international humanitarian law.

Abozer Mohamed of the Sudanese NGO National Group for Human Rights, which has consultative status to the U.N., said that the current agreements between the governments are not about the people, but only about politics. He said that strategies between the two countries should be more about capacity building. “When you hear the politicians speak you will think a war will begin tomorrow between the two countries. That should be changed,” Mohamed told IPS.

Delegations from Sudan and South Sudan are expected to return to Ethiopia in February to continue negotiations on implementing existing agreements.

Oil-rich South Sudan shut down its oil production in January 2012 over disagreements about transport fees with Sudan. Oil revenues are essential to both economies and production is yet to resume.

Highlights

• Hepatitis E Surge Confirmed in South Sudanese Refugee Camps

• Refugee and host community leaders meet to discuss peaceful coexistence

29 January 2013 – Focusing on vital demining work and its benefits for continued peace in South Sudan, UNMISS held a Mine Action Open Day with partner organizations today in Juba.

The event aimed to bring together mine action partners, the public and civil society to show and share their experiences, said Lance Merlin, UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Programme Manager.

“(We are) inviting the families whose husbands, wives, daughters, sons, and relatives work for Mine Action to see how their people are contributing to the development of the country,” Mr. Merlin said.

The Day included demonstrations of dogs detecting explosive vapours, manual mine clearance road surveys, battle area clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and equipment used in demining activities.

National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) Deputy Chairman Nyang Chol Dhuor said the NMAA and contributing organizations had trained nearly two million people in mine risk education, removed over 50,000 landmines and UXOs, and cleared and released to communities more than 71 million square metres of land.

The NMAA oversees all mine action activities in South Sudan. Contributing partners include UNMAS, MECHEM demining company, Norwegian People’s Aid, South Sudan Integrated Mine Action Service, The Development Initiative, Danish Demining Group, DanChurchAid and Mine Tech. International.

The Day also featured mine victims, including six-year Stephen Gatwech, who lost his left leg to a landmine while traveling with his grandmother from Bentiu, Unity State, to his home village.

“Gatwech is no longer (as strong as) … he was before,” said his father Jacob Riek. “Children are our future. Parents should take care of young ones properly.” He told the attendees to heed the danger landmines and other unexploded ordnances posed, as they discriminated against neither age nor class.

Mr. Riek appealed to the government of South Sudan and the UN to eradicate landmines and make the earth a better place for human habitation.

Mine action achievements in South Sudan occurred through the support of donors, partners, UNMISS, UNMAS and others, according to UNMAS Programme Manager Merlin.

January 29, 2013 (JUBA) - The Governor of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state, Louis Lobong Lojore, has appealed to the national government to intervene and avert the looming hunger crisis in his state.

The governor, in a statement, he issued to the press on Tuesday while on a visit to the national capital, Juba, also called on the business people in other states where there is food surplus to trade with Eastern Equatoria state by transporting and marketing food items to the affected population.

Lobong, who met Vice-President, Riek Machar, on Tuesday also appealed to the country’s leadership to help the state find ways to avail food in the markets to the populations hard hit by hunger.

The governor, in particular cited counties occupied by the Toposa people as the area worst affected by lack of access to food commodities.

South Sudan largely depends on imported food commodities from the neighbouring countries, despite its huge potential in agriculture.

Most of the country’s land is arable but only 4% of it is cultivated, according to the official information from the ministry of agriculture and forestry.

Last year, as United Nations food security assessment, showed at least 4.7 millionSouth Sudanese remained food insecure, with nearly one million of them said to have been severely affected.

(ST)

In a bid to address recent insecurity in Jonglei State’s Pibor County, a South Sudanese delegation of government officials and local elders visited the affected area today.

The delegation, assisted with transport by UNMISS, were to assess security in the aftermath of violent clashes in Pibor town on 27 January between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and unidentified armed elements.

During their assessment, the delegation met with local leaders and civilians who are still taking refuge at a UNMISS county support base.

Some 2,500 civilians fled to the safety of two UNMISS bases when violence broke out. UNMISS provided water and medical treatment, and troops guarded the areas in which they were staying. The mission also evacuated two people from Pibor to the national capital Juba. Many have since left, but about 1,000 civilians are still at one of the bases.

UNMISS spokesperson Kouider Zerrouk said the mission “remains committed to protecting civilians, but underscores that the Government of South Sudan is primarily responsible for the maintenance of security and the protection of civilians”.

“The Mission reiterates its call to all parties in Pibor to avoid further violence and urges the authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure security,” said Mr. Zerrouk.

For photos of residents still sheltering at the UNMISS camp in Pibor, check the UNMISS Photo Gallery page.

Introduction

In the introduction to the first edition of the Scorecard, we wrote that in 2010 Europe had been distracted by the euro crisis. In the introduction to the second edition, we wrote that in 2011 Europe had been diminished by the crisis. By the end of 2012, the crisis had become less acute but still not been solved – far from it. In fact, for the third year in a row, European leaders continued to devote more time to worrying about Europe’s financial health than its geopolitical role. Europe’s image and soft power continued to fade around the world (though this is difficult to quantify), while its resources for defence and international affairs kept eroding. But European foreign policy did not unravel in 2012. In fact, the EU managed to preserve the essence of its acquis diplomatique as the EEAS, which did not even exist two years earlier, continued to develop and consolidate its role.

The Scorecard’s granular assessment of European foreign-policy performance in 2012 shows timid signs of stabilisation and resilience. Across the range of issues that the Scorecard assesses, Europeans generally performed better than the previous year (see Figure 1). Europe improved its score in relation to Russia (from C+ to B-) and to China (from C to C+), and continued to perform solidly in other areas (United States (B-) and Multilateral issues (B), and adequately in the Wider Europe (C+) and the Middle East and North Africa (C+). Thus, although the EU had no high-profile successes comparable to the military intervention in Libya in 2011, it put in a respectable performance in its external relations – especially given the deep crisis with which it continued to struggle. In particular, it seemed to perform better when it continued to implement policies for which the foundations had been laid in previous years.

Clearly, whether the EU can turn a positive year against the odds into an upward trend in foreign-policy performance will depend to a large extent on whether it can overcome the crisis and restore growth and therefore increase its economic power. In that sense, European leaders are right to focus on solving the crisis even at the expense of a focus on foreign-policy issues. But it will also depend on whether Europeans can overcome their internal divisions and improve coordination and coherence in foreign policy. In particular, it will depend on whether Europe can turn the EEAS into an effective diplomatic service as envisaged in the Lisbon Treaty that is able to convert the EU’s huge resources into power.