This week, the United States signed a new Declaration on Women’s Participation. Next year, we should each announce the steps we are taking to break down economic and political barriers that stand in the way of women and girls. That is what our commitment to human progress demands. -President Obama’s Address to the United Nations General Assembly, September 21, 2011 (White House)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Equal Futures Partnership on behalf of the United States along with 12 other founding members (Australia, Benin, Bangladesh, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, Tunisia, and the EU). Multilateral stakeholders including U.N. Women and the World Bank and leading businesses and non-profit institutions have also pledged support for the partnership.

Additionally, global health issues affecting children were at the top of the international agenda. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated that eradicating polio is at the top of his second-term goals, and he expressed optimism about achieving it in the next few years:

“We have reduced polio by 99% worldwide,” Ban said during the UN General Assembly, and he called on leaders to help Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan eliminate the last remaining cases. Timothy E. Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, called it “the most important international meeting on polio eradication in the last 20 years.” (Google/The Associated Press)

Another important task before the General Assembly was coming up with a strategy for creating a new set of international development goals once the MDGs expire.  The MDGs were a set of eight global health and poverty eradication goals world leaders agreed to at the U.N. in 2000; however, they expire in 2015. The international community has begun to nail down the details of a post-MDGs global development agenda. “We need a clear post-2015 development agenda — an agenda with shared responsibilities for all countries, with the fight against poverty at the fore and sustainable development at the core,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (AlertNet).

In his address titled,  “A Call to Ambition,” to the 67th session of the U.N. General Assembly, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated,

“Still, we must raise our levels of ambition.  Poverty and inequality remain rampant.  Ecosystems are reaching the breaking point.  The world’s best science is irrefutable:  we must change course.  That is why I have urged world leaders to press ahead with initiatives on sustainable energy, education, nutrition and women’s and children’s health. The economic crisis should not be an excuse to default on commitments to the basics that all people need.”

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

The grant, awarded by Sida, will be directly channeled to the African Agribusiness Window of African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), a fund hosted by AGRA. Administered by the AECF, the grant will enable Africa-based entrepreneurs to submit new and innovative business solutions to accelerate the development of the agricultural sector in Africa.

Between 10-12 winners will be selected and provided with funding to develop their ideas into practical projects that are both commercially viable and will have a broad developmental impact on the rural poor. The projects will have a significant focus on the empowerment of women and environmental sustainability.

The grant is part of SIDA’s program area focused on inclusive business and pro-poor economic growth, with investments that must significantly contribute to poverty reduction and rural development. The grant is expected to benefit at least an additional 60,000 households (300,000 people) with extra income, employment, market access and transfer of know-how.

“We know that a more effective and professional agriculture sector can make a real difference for millions of people living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, “said Henrik Riby, SIDA. “By sharing the financial risks of private investments in agribusiness, we hope to encourage new sustainable ways of raising rural incomes.”

“The African Enterprise Challenge Fund is an important contributor to AGRA’s goals and strategy, and its impact will be enhanced with this grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency,” said Jane Karuku. “These projects benefit millions of Africa’s rural poor in very practical ways such as jobs, increased income, knowledge transfer and market access.”

Henrik Riby, Representative, Sida and Jane Karuku, President of AGRA formalized the agreement this week in a signing ceremony at the African Green Revolution Forum in Arusha.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

Addressing participants at the ongoing Alliance of Religions and Conservation conference in Nairobi, Mr Goumandakoye said “the responsibility taken by the faith groups and their long-term commitments for a living planet will help shape the beliefs, behavior and actions for a greener and better Africa and the world”.

He said this commitment by the faith groups in environment conservation for human well-being are among the driving forces for positive change as humanity is grappling with challenges of colossal consequences.

Mr Goumandakoye disclosed that many scientists now agree that the world has entered a new geologic time, the anthropocene era that is characterized by human deep alteration of earth, by massive impact on the planet.

“What science is telling us is that collectively, we have crossed several of the most prominent bio-physical tripping points at the planetary level,” he said.

He added that resources exploitation already exceeds the earth biological capacity by 25 per cent and that humanity increased its global ecological footprint from 0.5 earth planet in 1950 to 1.25 now. “If the trends continue, very soon we will need two planet earths to satisfy our needs,” he added.

For example, he said, the challenge of climate change alone continues to grow with an increase of carbon dioxide of about 40 per cent above pre-industrial levels.

At a recent African Ministers of Environment meeting in Arusha, Tanzania noted with concern that developed countries continue to increase their emissions.

The ministers expressed concern that the current inadequate mitigation pledges by developed countries are likely to lead to an increase of the global average temperature of greater than 2 degrees celsius and possibly 5. This, said Mr Goumandakoye will have a global impact and more so Africa due to its high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and low adaptive capacity.

Kenya’s Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Mr Ali Mohamed said in a speech read on his behalf by Richard Mwendandu that environmental conservation is usually about moral values.

He said understanding the inter-dependence of the planetary systems, inter-dependence between living organisms and between living and no-living organisms are essential in maintaining the natural balances.

Mr Mohamed however said that this balance has over the years been affected through human action with the resultant effects manifesting in diverse ways that are yet to be fully understood.

“While governments around the world continue to respond to these challenges through policy, law and regulatory measures, the size and the complexity of the challenges continue to grow,” he noted.

He cited the destabilizing climatic systems, the loss of biological diversity, depletion of oceanic stocks and pollution of water systems as challenges that continue to baffle the global community.

“The problem, says Martin Palmer, Secretary General, Alliance for Religion Conservation, the UN and global governments’ approach to these problems is way out of touch. He adds that despite the many Conferences of Parties by the UN and many resolutions by governments, “no agreement is on sight”.

“Yet the religious groups have the answer,” he said adding that the religious groups have practical steps that can be emulated across many villages, regions and countries with action-oriented grassroots projects and programmes whose impacts are seen. “They are also more trusted by their local communities in ways that governments are not,” he added.

“With 90 per cent of Africa’s population being either Christian or Muslim, the way to the heart of Africa is through faith. And faith is at the heart of these plans,” said Mr Palmer.

He said faith groups all around Africa are rediscovering how the mandate to protect the richness of God’s Creation is clearly set out in their holy texts and this is leading to profound practical action – everything from restoring habitats and planting trees to reducing energy use and training young people in environmental care and protection.

He said many COPs are attended by people who do not believe in the processes they are involved in. “many of those delegations are either attending these COPs to help save their governments from paying money or make sure that their governments do nothing about climate change and conservation.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

Iran Human Rights welcomes the the statement by the UN Special Rapporteurs. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of the IHR said: ” This is a very important statement and we hope that the UN and the member countries take practical steps to stop the execution machine in Iran”.

The Statement:

GENEVA (28 June 2012) – Three United Nations Special Rapporteurs* on Iran, summary executions and torture condemned the recent execution of four members of the Ahwazi Arab minority in Ahwaz’s Karoun Prison in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Following a reportedly unfair trial, they were sentenced to death and executed on or around 19 June 2012.

“Given the lack of transparency in court proceedings, major concerns remain about due process and fairness of trials in cases involving the death penalty in Iran,” said the independent human rights experts, recalling the execution of Abdul Rahman Heidarian, Abbas Heidarian, Taha Heidarian and Ali Sharif. The four men, three of whom are brothers, were reportedly arrested in April 2011 during a protest in Khuzestan and convicted of Moharebeh (enmity against God) and Fasad-fil Arz (corruption on earth).

“Under international law, the death penalty is the most extreme form of punishment, which, if it is used at all, should be imposed only for the most serious crimes,” they said. “Defendants in death penalty cases should also receive fair trial guarantees stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iran in 1975.”

“Any death sentence undertaken in contravention of those international obligations is tantamount to an arbitrary execution,” the three UN Special Rapporteurs stressed.

The rights experts noted with concern the high numbers of executions carried out in public, despite a circular issued in January 2008 by the Iranian Chief Justice that banned public executions. At least 25 executions have been carried out in public this year.

“Executions in public add to the already cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of the death penalty and can only have a dehumanizing effect on the victim and a brutalizing effect on those who witness the execution,” the independent experts underscored.

The Special Rapporteurs regretted that the authorities continue to apply the death penalty with alarming frequency, despite numerous calls to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish a moratorium on executions. At least 140 executions are known to have been carried out since the beginning of 2012, with some sources indicating the figure to be as high as 220. The majority of these are for drug-related offences, which the experts do not believe constitute the “most serious crimes” as required by international law.

The UN independent experts urged the Iranian authorities “to halt immediately the imposition of the death penalty for crimes which do not constitute the most serious crimes, as well as ensure stringent respect for fair trial guarantees.”

(*) The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmed Shaheed; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns; and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez.

AUTHOR: Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
URL: http://iranhr.net/
E-MAIL: amirymoghaddam [at] gmail.com

• Child Protection
• Education and Gender Equality
• Child Survival and Development
• HIV and AIDS
• Immunization
• Malaria
• Measles
• Nutrition
• Polio
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

The report placed heavy focus on the implementation of their equity agenda in order to ensure that the rights of those children who are the most marginalized and most in need assistance are given precedence. Research shows that the most sustainable and effective solution for the global welfare of the child is to ensure that those most marginalized–primarily girls–are placed at the top of the agenda. In 2011, UNICEF was faced with many challenges to their goals, yet the needs of these children were adequately met in the wake of such natural disasters as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, extreme flooding in Pakistan, and the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa.

In addition to the release of the 2011 Annual report this month, UNICEF held their 2012 Annual session where the the executive board reviews UNICEF activities and approves its policies, country programs, and budget. It comprises 36 members, representing the five regional groups of member states at the United Nations. The executive board opened the first meeting of the session by focusing on achieving sustainable development for children and closed the day emphasizing stronger partnerships and increased innovations to make sure that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are met by 2015.

“We have much to be proud of in the achievement of both national and international goals and targets, especially the Millennium Development Goals. However, meeting goals will not be enough in many cases,” said His Excellency John W. Ashe, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and President of the UNICEF Executive Board, during his opening remarks. “In order to have lasting value, they must be achieved with equity, especially for the most disadvantaged.”

Other meetings during the Annual Session focused on the organization’s recent efforts to promote gender equality through all of its humanitarian and development programs. Noting their their strong partnerships with UN-Women and other UN agencies, Ms. Malhortra said: “The sum of our work in the last year has produced notable achievements and progress.”  She also noted that considerable strides have been made toward achieving gender equality in young children’s access to education, health care, and other essential services, but significant inequalities arise as children reach adolescence.

During the final day of the Annual Session, the executive board reviewed the discussions to address key issues affecting children and adopted a number of decisions regarding the work of the organization, including making all UNICEF audit reports publicly available on the Internet, starting later this year.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

Vice President Namadi Sambo and his South African counterpart, Kgalema Motlanthe signed the documents on behalf of the two countries with Motlanthe bluntly recalling that the two countries have been having a difficult time relating with each other recently.

“Both of us need a heart-to-heart talk inspired by the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood as Africans with a shared destiny, so that we surface(sic) home truths as a prerequisite to clear up any irritants that may be currently serving as a wedge between us,” said Motlanthe. He was, no doubt, referring to this year’s incident whereby some overzealous South African customs officials deported a planeload of Nigerians for what they termed as having the wrong yellow fever vaccination documentation which drew the ire of Nigeria which equally started deporting South Africans.

Sambo said Nigeria was open to greater involvement of South-African investors in the areas of infrastructure development, mining and solid mineral exploration, value chain in agriculture, oil and gas as part of efforts towards the objectives of vision Nigeria’s 20:2020.

His words “the outcome of our work today including the signing of MoUs and agreements would hardly yield the desired result without the political will to implement our decisions. That is why we must follow up on the signed agreements to facilitate the desired economic and technical cooperation to stimulate growth, job creation and development of our industries and economies”

The March deportation incidence amongst other issues underscores the cold rivalry between the two countries and the rancorous way a small misunderstanding could trigger a bigger diplomatic confusion.

Another issue at stake which was highlighted by some subtler incidents on the sidelines of the summit in Cape Town is the race to lead the African Union Commission where Nigeria is the biggest backer of the incumbent Gabonese chairman, Jean Ping. Nigeria is also mobilising other West African countries to vote for him for a second term. But South Africa has its own candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who is the country’s home affairs ministers.

For this position, a stalemate is expected during the next AU meeting in July because the suspicion between the two countries is very pronounced. Whereas South Africa feels that Nigeria lacks the will power to reform the AU Commission, Nigeria is afraid that South Africa would use the position to consolidate its power over the entire continent.

Curious enough, the two Vice Presidents avoided discussions pertaining to this issue but Sambo could not escape an inquisitive journalist who pushed the question to him after the meeting.

He gave a cryptic response that Nigeria would back South Africa in any quest to occupy international positions including at the United Nations and the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) interpreted the response out of context to mean that Nigeria has shifted its stance to support South Africa for AU Commission Chairmanship. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gbenga Ashiru swiftly clarified the position stating that Nigeria remains behind Jean Ping.

Nigeria and South Africa have been trying to occupy a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council and if the position becomes viable, only a country from Africa would be elected to the position.

Though the United Nations reform which would make this position possible is still a long way off, none of the two countries appears ready to give up the chance if it becomes available. Then Nigeria will argue that it is the most populous country but South Africa would also contend that it has more money and stable economy, But for now, the position is more of a theory a little far away from certainty.

At present, the most rancorous issue between the two African countries is the economic relations. Nigeria produces oil and has the potential to become an economic giant but all have been stalled by poor leadership and corruption. South Africa prides itself on being the biggest economy and beckons on foreign investors to take advantage of its stability. But South Africa’s growth is slowing drastically and it is predicted that it would be under 3 per cent by the end of the end of this year whereas Nigeria is looking at 7 per cent growth or more. In fact, it has been predicted that Nigeria’s economy should outperform South Africa’s by 2015.

However, one must not overlook some other common reservations by both countries. For Nigeria, the incursion of South African companies like DStv, Shoprite, MTN etc keeps profits moving out to South but for South Africa, the issue of immigrants both legal and illegal from Nigeria keeps it vigilant.

Nigeria tries to implement strict visa regimes for firms from South Africa while citizens of the former who go to the latter’s High Commission for travel documents face difficult hurdles.

The aforementioned notwithstanding, analysts believe that collaboration will be mutually beneficial.

According to Simon Allison of Daily Maverick, there was a promising hint of this kind of cooperation at this week’s meeting, with a deal for South African to start importing more Nigerian oil and liquid fuel. South Africa needs a new supplier as it is likely to observe American sanctions on Iran, and Nigeria is more than happy for a new customer – especially one that brings guarantees.

“This trust is a good start. If it could be extended to other areas – the AU race, for example, or a waiver of visa requirements – the two countries would be an unstoppable combination and a powerful driver of African development.” he said.

In his opinion, both countries are making mistakes. “While their calculations make sense, it’s only because they’re based on the wrong premise: that it’s a winner-takes-all, zero-sum game and that there can be only one African “superpower”. But it’s a big continent, and there’s plenty to go round.” he said.

AUTHOR: Paul Ohia
URL: www.paulohia.blog.com and www.paulohia.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: paulohia [at] yahoo.co.uk

On 17 February 2011, the ‘revolt’ erupted in Libya, and only ten days later the National Transitional Council was established, which France became the first nation to recognize as legitimate on 10 March 2011, followed by the Western-imposed no-fly zone on 19 March 2011. From March to October 2011, NATO operations in Libya helped to bring the end of Qaddafi, but not the end of turmoil, bloodshed any more than the formation of a democratic regime or social and economic justice. This remarkably rapid course of events – a matter of months for the Libyan revolt to be manufactured with Western help and carried out by Libyan dissidents – does not appear nearly as spontaneous in retrospect as it did while it was unfolding, especially now that there are numerous reports that a number of Western governments had been working covertly inside Libya to bring down the Qaddafi dictatorship before Arab Spring.

There are many reports indicating that US, French and British intelligence were working with Libyan rebels as early as October 2010 to overthrow Qaddafi, apparently at the same time that al-Qaeda was just as anxious to have Qaddafi removed from power. It is also known that colonel Qaddafi had secret dealings with many western governments from which Libya was purchasing weapons, including the US. The curious secret dealings notwithstanding, the question is why did the US, UK, and France believe it would be best to remove Qaddafi in order to secure greater integration of Libya with the West? And now that there is no Qaddafi dictatorship, and Libya has been moving toward greater integration with the West under more favorable terms for multinational corporations, has Libya achieved social peace and harmony?

On 9 June 2012, the minority Toubou tribe clashed with government forces in the south, just days after the government in Tripoli had announced that it was firmly in control of the country. The UN has reported ongoing tribal clashes in the south and failure of the government to contain deadly violence. A number of organizations have reported that militia groups that helped bring down the Qaddafi regime have been working in the framework of ‘War Lordism’ , carrying out executions, torture of prisoners, kidnappings, etc. Many disparate groups, in this otherwise tribally-divided land, have engaged in protests against the new regime. From Benghazi, the eastern city where the Western-backed rebel movement started to Tripoli where the nine-month revolt ended, popular protests have been seeking transparency from the transitional government that is very weak and unable to unify the country in the manner it had been in the last four decades.

One issue of concern was a draft election law regarding the selection of the 200-member constituent assembly, a process carried out dictatorially without any oversight of consultation, and a law that encouraged Libyans to vote for wealthy and prominent citizens along tribal boundaries. Another issue is the lawlessness, chaotic justice system, and human rights violations that are part of post-Qaddafi society. The interim government acknowledges the chaos and corruption that prevails, but accuses former Qaddafi loyalists for the problems. Libyan legal experts have expressed concern about hundreds of millions and perhaps billions of dollars ‘mysteriously missing’, while government officials complain that ‘there is no money’ to deal with all of the problems.

To find closure for both Libyan rebels and the West that was behind the manufactured revolution/military intervention that ended the Qaddafi dictatorship, there is the possible trial of the colonel’s son Saif Qaddafi by the ICC. As heir to the colonel, however, Saif probably knows about his father’s dirty dealings with former EU leaders like Tony Balir, Nikola Sarkozy, and Silvio Berlusconi. He also knows about dirty dealing of giant energy companies, and above all, he may reveal how the US used Libya in the case of Muslim political prisoners that were tortured and denied due process. The ICC trial may reveal a laundry list of dirty secrets that could expose a number of Western governments as hypocritical, given their extensive dealings with Qaddafi whom they overthrew. Beyond the legitimate merits of the case against Saif about crimes against humanity, beyond the debate about whether the Libyan uprising was in reality a NATO military operation, there is the issue of how the ICC can justify crimes against humanity committed by NATO forces in Afghanistan and by the US in Iraq.

Ultimately, the larger issue in Libya is society’s function today and its prospects for the future. Is Libya a society with relative functioning institutions, sociopolitical harmony and stability, and prospects for evolving into a more progressive society, or is it worse off today than it was under colonel Qaddafi and the prospects for the country much worse off, given that Western governments have been waiting in the wings for Qaddafi to fall so they can exploit Lybia’s energy resources?

On a number of occasions, I have written that the Arab Spring uprisings were necessary to remove corrupt and oppressive dictatorships. However, their removal will not alter the Islamic nations into oasis of freedom, democracy and social justice, and it seems that the reason for popular uprisings is to put an end to hopelessness and to start a new era of progress filled with optimism. While the jury is still out on hope and optimism for Libya, there are lessons to be learned here for Syria where Russia and China have not permitted Western intervention, owing to the delicate regional balance of power. The case of Libya demonstrated that Western military intervention was rewarded, but were the broad masses of the population? The Arab Spring legacy of Libya so far is that a dictatorship fell only to be replaced with a weak and relatively incompetent and corrupt regime whose fate rests in greater dependence on the West, thus less national sovereignty, freedom, democracy and social justice for the people of Libya.

AUTHOR: Jon Kofas
URL: http://jonkofas.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: jonkofas [at] yahoo.com

The USD1.5 million project ( a donation from the Government of Japan), tapping groundwater resources for emergency water supply is to build into the horn of African’s Groundwater Resources Investigation for Drought mitigation in Africa Programme and aims to map out groundwater resources in drought-prone areas of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, study hydrological make up of the areas and build capacity of local expertise.

According to Prod Joseph Massaqquoi, Director of UNESCO’s science and technology for Africa, Nairobi office, the project is a collaboration of among others ministries of Water in each of the countries, Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, USG among others.

Massaquoi said owing to the scarcity of rivers and lakes in the region, groundwater can be a source of hope and resilience. However, little is known about the precise location of clean groundwater and reaching it is often difficult and costly. Many of the region’s maps and information regarding groundwater are outdated and incomplete.

Often, aid missions searching for water to increase supplies in emergencies have often cited lack of tools to utilise groundwater in the areas effectively.

Dr Alain Gachet, CEO Radar Technologies International said the technology is taking advantage of satellite that orbits the earth daily. It shortens the time it takes to identify water resources as compared to the traditional hydrological methods.

Key activities of the eight-months-project are to use remote-sensing exploration technologies to assess groundwater resources, assess capacities and management, and undertake survey of ground water resources of the drought-prone areas.

According to john Rao Nyaoro, Director of Water Resources said although Kenyan is known to be a water-scarce country, yet recent studies have shown that the country has 60 billion cubic metres groundwater resource as opposed to 20 billion surface water. But the country does not know where this water is and the UNESCO-coordinated project like this might just provide the confirmatory test the country has been awaiting.

In Ethiopia, the country has no capacity to harness 40 billion cubic metres of groundwater resources but like her neighbor in the South, it does not know where this water is. Somalia estimates in 1990a before the collapse of the central government was 35 billion cubic metres.

The survey will use the WATEX system developed by Radar Technologies International that will enable rapid precise groundwater assessment for large areas.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

My analysis of RAF Trends that have emerged in recent years clearly indicate that the Moroccan military leadership has shifted its strategy to focus on developing core naval and air competencies and attaining regional sea and air superiority; its acquisition climbed 400% in the past five years. With regard to African Lion, RAF leadership would like the training to enable it to achieve rapid and decisive air mobility, to enhance the deployment and sustainment of forces and the ability to launch precise and selective force against targets while minimizing risk. It is most likely that in the next few years, General Abdelaziz Bennani, Inspector General of the RAF and Commander of the southern zone, will seek to expand the scope of African Lion by emphasizing to AFRICOM Commander General Ham the RAF’s need to interface with an integrated and synchronized DoD combined forces capabilities and requesting the inclusion of more advanced air mobility/assault training and equipment. Considering the fact that African Lion is a yearly iteration, US Navy Seabees have most likely been engaged in Exercise Related Construction in the Tan Tan region to support US Forces ongoing and future operations.

The end state of African Lion 12 is to strengthen security cooperation and improve military engagement and deterrence. It will allow RAF and the US Marines to share tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and establish a focused strategic operational support template and a more responsive tactical information exchange process that will deliver timely, relevant, and accurate intelligence on terrorist trends that might affect regional stability.

AUTHOR: Ahmed T. B. / Cabalamuse
URL: http://cabalamuse.wordpress.com/
E-MAIL: cabalafuse [at] hotmail.com

Ms. Rita Izsak, Independent Expert on Minority Issues

I wrote to Ms. Rita Izsák, Independent Expert on minority issues, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva; which brought a response from Graham Fox, Human Rights Officer, with the Mandate of the Independent Expert on minority issues; Special Procedures Branch, Groups in Focus Team. This is listed below, and below that original letter of appeal.

Dear Mr. Gomes,
Thank you for providing this information to the Independent Expert on minority issues, Ms. Rita Izsák, relating to the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh. Your information has been provided to Ms. Izsak and we shall return to you should we have questions or require any clarifications. I apologize for the delaying in providing this response.

Information received is given close consideration as the mandate seeks to engage with national governments on issues relevant to the rights of minorities and ensure implementation of international and national human rights standards including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Indeed Ms. Izsak has noted in her annual report to the Human Rights Council on 14 March that one of her priorities will be the rights and security of religious minorities and so your information is of particular relevance.

The tools available to thematic human rights mandate holders include to send communications directly to national governments seeking responses to issues of concern and your information may contribute to such action by the Independent Expert. This process is a confidential one and so we are unable to inform you about whether any such action has been taken until it is publicly reported to the Human Rights Council. Nevertheless, I would like to stress the importance of your information to this office and Special Procedures mandate holders and note that much information provided by non-governmental organizations is used as the basis for communications with national governments.

I thank you once again for providing us with this information which may also be shared with relevant colleagues at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.Best regards,

Graham Fox
Human Rights Officer
Mandate of the Independent Expert on minority issues
Special Procedures Branch, Groups in Focus Team

Here is the original letter that was sent by me :

February 12, 2012

Ms. Rita Izsák
Independent Expert on minority issues, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, minorityissues@ohchr.org

Re: BANGLADESH: Minorities became the victims of political game in absence of rule of law and democracy

Dear Ms. Rita Izsák,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent political victimization of the religious minorities of Hindu community at Chittagong in Bangladesh.

During the violence the Sri Sri Jagadeshwari Ma Temple and Jagannath Bigroho Temple at Nandirhat and Kalibari Temple at Sadar upazila was attacked. Sri Sri Jagadeshwari Ma Temple was burnt during the violence. Kazi Para Jame mousqe was attacked following the tension. On February 10th, authorities in Bangladesh clamped Section 144 banning public gathering at Hathazari amid mounting tensions after several Hindu temples were vandalised and torched there, according to the local media reports

Background
Clash on the procession of the founding anniversary of Loknath Sebasram:
On 9th February, morning Hindus in the area took out a procession to celebrate the founding anniversary of Loknath Sebasram
Hindus were using microphone and drums in the procession. When the procession was passing a mosque, Muslims in the mosque forbade the Hindus to drums because on that time Muslim people were worshiping in the mosque. While the Muslim asked the people in the procession to stop the drum at one stage, someone hurled a brick bat on the procession. An altercation took place at once which turned into chase and counter-chase when someone from the procession responded by throwing a brick bat. On the violence Aziziul Islam, Mohamaded Mamun and Mohammed Abul Kalam were severely hurted and later on they were admitted on a local hospital for treatment.

The incident was brought in notice to the local police and police organized a meeting between the two parties. A group of Muslims said that the meeting will be held in the mosque and the Hindus agreed. The meeting started in the evening. In the presence of police handful of miscreants vandalized a temple on the Loknath Sebasram premises when the meeting was underway.

Tensions that boiled over into violence
On 10th February 2012, the Tensions that boiled over into violence originated on 9th February morning, following rumors that a mosque had been attacked. Allegations have it that houses of Hindus in the area were also attacked, according to the media reports On 10th February 2012, morning, temples in the area were vandalized and shops owned by Hindus were torched and looted after madrasa students in the area gathered following an announcement through a PA system, according to the media reports. It was alleged that from 9th February evening to 10th February noon activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Chhatra Shibir incited the vandalism and arson of the temples, local people claimed to the media.

On 10th February, afternoon when the situation get worsen police had fired bullet and tortured protestors. Finally local police clamped Section 144 banning public gathering at Hathazari amid mounting tensions after several Hindu temples were vandalized and torched.

Inside Story
From reliable sources I have received information that the local police were directed by the top level of the government to allow the tension turned into violence. The whole mission was coordinate by the senior officials of Chittagong detachment of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). The Police were directed to let the tension turn into violence and keep silent until the tension turned into violence. The officials of Chittagong detachment of DGFI engineered the situations with the help of political activists of ruling government.

The incident shows that the policing in Bangladesh are highly politicized and far away from pro people and modern policing. Bangladesh police has notable records of practicing custodial torture, extrajudicial killings and other forms of human rights violations. In absence of democracy and rule of law police became the murders used by the ruling government.

The security of the people of Bangladesh, specially the security of the minorities is impossible by the highly politicized police. In absence of rule of law, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) became very powerful tools of practicing illegal activities. DGFI is frequently used by the high officials of the government that includes the Prime minister of Bangladesh.

I have received credible information that a core team had form comprising selected pro Awami League officials from different detachment of DGFI. Apart from officials of DGFI, there are members from the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and very pro government high police officials. The team has planned to spread the religious violence in different minorities populated areas to turn the anti government protest. The core team was directed by the Prime ministers of Bangladesh while the opposition party is preparing for the mass protest; the core team has to spread religious attacks on religious and ethnic minorities to keep the focus of the media and international community on attacks and violent attack on religious and ethnic minorities.

Dear Ms. Rita Izsák, I am recalling the General Assembly resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992, by which the Assembly adopted by consensus the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, and subsequent resolutions of the General Assembly and the Commission on the Declaration.

I am also recalling also its resolution 1995/24 of 3 March 1995 as well as Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/31 of 25 July 1995 and decision 1998/246 of 30 July 1998 on the mandate of the Working Group on Minorities of the Sub Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Along with that I am recalling Sub Commission resolution 2004/13 of 9 August 2004 on the rights of minorities and the recommendations.
I am Emphasizing the importance of the timely identification of human rights problems and situations involving national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in Bangladesh.

While there is no rule of law and in absence of democracy political parties are victimizing the minorities by spreading violence using its highly politicized police and intelligence agencies like DGFI And NSI.In this regard, I urge the urgent international intervention into the case to save the life and property of the minorities of Bangladesh.

AUTHOR: William Nicholas Gomes
URL: www.williamgomes.org
E-MAIL: williamgomes.org [at] gmail.com