Usually, when people talk about Saudi Arabia and its hegemonic policies, we tend to relate to the well-known rivalry between the monarchy and Iran, two capillary actors in the Middle East, who compete for the leadership in the region. Keep Reading
BANGUI – At least 135 people have been injured in the worst outbreak of violence in years in the Central African Republic’s capital, aid agencies said on Friday, straining hospital trauma centres. At least 21 people died in clashes this week when United Nations peacekeepers and local security forces battled armed groups in Bangui’s PK5 neighbourhood – a Muslim enclave of the majority Christian city – over three days, a local official said.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had treated 83 people since the weekend at a hospital and a health centre, while the Red Cross said 52 injured had arrived at another hospital.It is the worst violence seen in the capital since 2015, said MSF’s operational manager William Hennequin.”We are worried to see such level of violence and the impact it could have outside Bangui,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The head of U.N. peacekeeping said civilians killed were young people who had been “manipulated” and armed by criminal gangs to confront the peacekeepers and Central African Republic forces.
BRIA – In Bria, in the Prefecture of Haute-Kotto (east), eight members of a mission of awareness on peace and social cohesion would be held in hostage by an ex-Seleka group since April 11, in reaction to the disorders which have broken out in Bangui.
The information gathered by RNL state that the sub-prefect of Yalinga, Edmond Sacko, and the two major responsible for Bria’s town hall would be among the victims of this abduction. Other sources state that there are also agents of the international ONG Oxfam working in the region among the hostages.
When the mission was returning to Bria, 12 members have been abducted by a general ex-seleka and its group; of these, 4 would have been released on April 12. In Bangui, neither Minusca neither the authorities have still reacted to this abduction.
BANGUI – Gabon has announced, on Thursday 8 March, his intention to withdraw his 450 soldiers from the mission of the United Nations in Central African Republic, Minusca, according to what brought by a relationship of the Council of ministers. Gabon, that has 444 soldiers unfolded in the Minusca, has participated in the strengths U.N. in CAR since 2014.
The soldiers of Gabon in CAR has been quoted in cases of accusations of sexual abuses. At the end of 2016, the gabonese government has announced the opening of investigations after the identification from the United Nations of fifteen soldiers suspected to have committed sexual violences in 2014 and in the 2015.
On Monday, the president of central Africa, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, has come to Libreville to discuss of the “bilateral cooperation” among the two countries.
“The United Nations respect the choice of the government of the Gabon; we have held some discussions on the withdrawal within a reasonable term” answered to AFP Herve Verhoosel manager of the communication of the mission of the United Nations in Bangui. Verhoosel has remembered that the appointment of States members in an operation of maintenance of the peace it is “a voluntary exercise” and that the contribution of the Gabon has been “very appreciated.”
The Trump administration announced today that a new session on Hizbullah will be held in Africa and the Middle East; in particular, the Treasury Department has announced that it has seen a network of companies and individuals in Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and other countries connected to the Hezbollah financier, Adham Tabaja. Difficulties block US activities and prevent Americans from doing business with one of the people and seven companies. According to one of the officials, with this move Trump aims not only to limit the operations of the terrorist group, but also a pressure on Iran by hindering the increase in its influence in the region.
The Chinese authorities have reinforced the gas supplies in sight of expected heating spike over the holidays, to avoid a repeat of December’s chaos, which saw serious supply shortages. To ensure supplies before the longest holiday in the Chinese calendar, some 60 ships carrying more than 4 million tonnes of LNG are on their way to China this month, the third highest total behind December’s 5.1 million and November’s 4.36 million tonnes. The shipments are coming from unusual origins, Equatorial Guinea and Angola in Africa, Peru in South America, and Trinidad and Tobago, and several are also coming from the United States. Domestic producers are also churning out more gas. China’s December gas output was the highest since at least 2014. The urgency for gas has lifted Chinese prices by 15-18 per cent within a week to 6,650 yuan (US$1,039.87) per tonne.
According to the article in few years the African continent will start an economic revival and Macron, who knows the continent because he has lived and worked there, has announced that he will start his tour in Africa on November 28, when he will speak to students in Ouagadougou. The aim is to involve them in a new process that will be focused in four main pillars. The first one is about the possibility of a rapid growth for Africa, the second regards France and the importance to take in consideration all the continent and not only francophone Countries, the third is about a development in the French institution. It will be achieved through a provision with which the affairs regarding African issue will be included in the activity of all ministers. The last one is about Europe and Africa and the need for the EU to open its own borders to the other continent.
The African Summit for Combating Heart Diseases in Africa will start tomorrow at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum. The summit will be chaired by the world heart association in order to design policies and plans related to these problems in the African continent and will be attended by the African health ministers, the services providers and the World Health Organization.
Adama Dieng, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide for the UN, arrived today in Bangui and will analyze the situation of CAR for a week to fully understand if we can talk about genocide in CAR. Then, UN Secretary-General will be in Bangui from 24 to 27 October to intervene as a promoter of human dignity.
Last night, the inhabitants of Baboua (100 km far from Bouar) were woken up by gunfire. It seems that an Anti-Balaka group assaulted the police station of the city and that the population fled in the direction of bushes.