EGYPT WATCH

Egypt’s First Vote

2011-03-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

From: The New York Review of Books
www.nybooks.com
Author: Yasmine El Rashidi
Date: March 24, 2011 11:30 a.m.
Title: Egypt’s First Vote

PHOTO by Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images: People lining up to vote in the constitutional referendum, Cairo, March 19, 2011

To judge by the streets of Cairo on the morning of March 19, it seemed that a good chunk of my city’s 19 million residents were taking part in the constitutional referendum. The roaring old school buses that rattle my windows when they pass in the morning were not to be heard, there were hardly any cars on the usually clogged streets, and the daily flood of people making their way through the dense web of thoroughfares and alleyways was absent. The only signs of traffic or crowds were around the hundreds of designated polling stations. It had been nearly five weeks since protesters in Tahrir Square had brought down President Hosni Mubarak, and Egyptians all over the country were voting on an all-or-nothing package of nine constitutional amendments. A win for the Yes votes promised to lead to parliamentary elections as early as June, returning power to a civilian government following the military’s temporary takeover. If the No votes prevailed, it might start the process of political reform over again, or it might cause the military to pursue a different strategy.

After decades of oppressive rule, in which elections had been pro-forma exercises marked by violence and fraud, Egyptians were elated that their ballots would finally count. Many were voting for the first time in their lives. When the results were announced the next day, they seemed unambiguous: 77.2 percent had voted for the amendments—ostensibly an endorsement for reform—and just 22 percent had voted against them. The reality, as I had discovered in the days leading up to March 19, was far more complicated. Only 18 million of Egypt’s eligible 45 million voters participated. In fact, most of the activists who had had a leading part in the revolution dismissed the referendum as cosmetic, when what was needed, they felt, was an entirely new constitution. Moreover, many who voted Yes had little sense how these amendments were going to change the country’s political life.

The referendum had been conceived by the Egyptian Armed Forces as part of its response to the youth protesters, who were pressing for sweeping reforms to the political system that had sustained Mubarak in power. After it formally assumed power on February 11, the day Mubarak stepped down, the military had suspended the 1971 constitution and appointed a constitutional committee to address these demands. Instructed by the military to “get this over with” as soon as possible, the eight members of the committee—among them a Muslim Brother, two professors of law, and a respected judge—had been given a free hand to redraft any of the constitution’s 211 articles and select a referendum date. Key priorities for the protesters were the abolishment of the emergency law; the revision of all articles concerning presidential elections and executive power; and a redrafting of Article Two concerning the state and religion, as well as of other articles concerning the rights of citizens.

Despite pressure by activists for a complete overhaul of the constitution, however, the commission’s recommendations—arrived at seemingly in a matter of days—were far narrower: on February 26, the military announced only nine proposed amendments, to be voted on three weeks later. From the start it was clear where the emphasis lay. While leaving many of the protesters’ demands—such as the electoral process—unaddressed, the proposed changes revealed some of the recurring concerns of the military, such as the fear of “foreign” interference in the country’s affairs.

The most significant of the amendments would limit presidents to two four-year terms, allow independent candidates to campaign, and bar from office anyone who holds a foreign passport or, oddly, has a “foreign” spouse (Mubarak’s wife, and President Anwar Sadat’s wife before her, both had “foreign” lineage). It also would establish new legislative powers, providing for a subsequent revision of the constitution by a committee chosen by the new parliament.

PHOTO by Yasmine El Rashidi: An empty ballot box being taken to a downtown voting station, Cairo, March 18

Although military leaders had met privately with activists before the announcement of the referendum, protest leaders were quick to denounce the amendments as inadequate. “To us, the regime was a failed one, which means that its constitution too is failed,” the activist Esraa Abdel Fattah told me. Esraa, who had been jailed under Mubarak’s regime for organizing a nation-wide protest on April 6, 2008, in solidarity with striking laborers, was one of the planners of the January 25 protest that started the revolution. She had been meeting with the military and interim cabinet on a regular basis, and was among those who proposed appointing Essam Sharaf, a civil engineer who had participated in the Tahrir uprising, as interim prime minster, which the military leadership did following the resignation of old-regime holdover Ahmed Shafiq on March 3.

Esraa was also one of the handful of activists and policy-makers who were invited to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her visit to Cairo on March 15. The weekend before, I found her in her office at the Egyptian Democratic Academy, an organization that uses social media to promote democracy and human rights, flipping through her recently recovered State Security file. She told me that Clinton

“has to understand the proposed amendments are completely inadequate. We are not ready for elections. We need a transitional three-person Presidential council, comprised of two civilian leaders and an army one. We need at least a year to raise awareness and prepare the people for elections. Political awareness and engagement is currently lacking. If the United States wants to help, there needs to be a balance between military aid and that to civil society. We need help with this coming phase. Talk is not enough.”

(After the meeting, Esraa called me. “Hillary responded positively to what I had to say,” she said. “Although she didn’t have firm responses, she took general criticism well.”)

In the weeks leading up to the referendum, there had been a few further victory moments for the revolution. On March 5, crowds of activists overran state security bureaus across the country, including the state security headquarters in Cairo. For many, the Amn Dawla, or State Security Investigation Service, had been one of the darkest forces behind the Mubarak regime—known for its random arrests and the torture of activists, and for keeping surveillance files on millions of people—and its sacking seemed to consummate the defeat of the old order.

Yet at the same time, the protest movement had fragmented. There were widespread reports of robberies and lawlessness, tensions between Muslims and Copts had reignited, the army had released Islamist political prisoners, including those accused of assassinating Sadat in 1981, and stories of detentions and torture were continuing to surface. At a women’s rights demonstration on March 8, thugs stormed the crowd in an attack reminiscent of the pro-Mubarak violence against the Tahrir uprising a month earlier. The police, meanwhile, were still largely absent from the streets, while the army and its tanks seemed to be just standing by. Amid this growing sense of unease, many who had taken part in the uprising thought the referendum was hasty and ill-conceived, and activists like Esraa drew on all their political connections to try to pressure the military to postpone it.

Meanwhile, the debate on how to vote in the referendum intensified, on social network sites and TV talk shows. Even the popular youth radio channel 104.2 Nile FM—whose young hosts spin popular Western tunes and invite guests to talk about dating, love and movies—was discussing the constitution. Yes and No camps swiftly took shape. Activists and the upper-middle class were calling for No; they wanted a new constitution and more time to raise political awareness among the nation’s 80 million people. Those who felt the referendum was taking place too soon—a group of reformists that included presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei—hinged their argument on readiness. None of the opposition coalitions and movements had secured the resources or organization to mobilize large numbers in an effective way, and their supporters worried that a Yes victory would result in a parliament divided between the Muslim Brotherhood and members of Mubarak’s old patronage network. Moreover, such a parliament would then be free to redraft the constitution to its liking. “Bad news,” one activist told me. “We’ll all be dead.”

PHOTO by Yasmine El Rashidi: A man supporting a Yes vote (left) argues with a man advocating No, Cairo, March 19

But the limited Cairo- and Alexandria-based campaigns of the No advocates had little chance of winning over the broader public. The Muslim Brotherhood, the ultra-conservative Salafis, and groups affiliated with the former party of Mubarak, the National Democratic Party (NDP), were endorsing the amendments and targeting their efforts at the working classes, laborers, and farmers. The Muslim Brotherhood—the largest and most organised movement apart, perhaps, from the remaining political network of the former regime itself—initially distributed flyers urging the Yes vote as a religious obligation. But activists and the media quickly got wind of this strategy—stirring up long-standing suspicions about an underlying Brotherhood agenda to turn Egypt into an Islamist state—and it adopted the more palatable slogan, “Yes is a vote for stability.” The day before the referendum, around noon, I could hear from my desk the distant sound of an Imam promoting Yes-for-stability in his Friday sermon; there were reports that the same was taking place at mosques across the country.

When Saturday came, there was only one place to vote in my neighborhood, a public school, and by the time the polls opened at 8 AM, the lines of voters—parallel ones for men and women—ran down a narrow side-street, past the post office and an art gallery, around a corner by a flower shop, and all the way down to the Bahraini and Algerian embassies a mile away. My mother, who is in her sixties and had never voted, woke up at 6 AM, eager to make it to the voting station early. By 8:05 AM, tweets were already coming in from those who had cast the first ballots, and from others standing by as election monitors. “I went to vote in Zamalek,” tweeted the telecom tycoon Naguib Sawiris, who had been an active mediator between the youth and the regime during the revolt. “At 8 o’clock the line was endless. My body shivered of happiness.” Many seemed hopeful, if not for the immediate results, than certainly for the future.

After an hour, I decided to head to a polling station by parliament, a few minutes from Tahrir Square, where Amr Moussa—the departing secretary general of the Arab League who had taken an active part in the protests and was considered a leading candidate for president—had earlier voted No. (Moussa said that the proposed amendments were not in line with the democratic ambitions of the Egyptian people, arguing that a temporary constitution should be created instead to provide for presidential elections followed by a more full-scale, independent redrafting of the constitution in the coming year.) When I got there, I saw Cairo’s Governor, Abdel Azim Wazeer, jump the line with a large entourage, and cast his ballot. One man watching, furious, screamed “some things never change,” and several hundred voters erupted into the familiar chant, “Irhal” (depart). “What does he know about order and standing in lines,” a woman beside me said. “He’s part of the old regime. We can’t expect anything better from him.”

The Muslim Brotherhood had been campaigning hard all week, and by 10 AM, I was getting reports that their followers were congregating outside voting stations around the country to press for Yes votes. They had already distributed thousands of bags of sugar and other staple goods off the back of trucks—a strategy they use throughout the year to win supporters—and some of their members were reportedly preventing ‘No’ people from entering polling stations. I was curious about this, and along with a friend—the artist and photographer Lara Baladi—hailed a cab and headed to Shubra, a largely working-class and Coptic area. Our taxi driver, a man in his forties, said he was voting Yes. “This won’t do anymore. We need a parliament. We need a president. We need life to get back to normal and for business to pick up again.”

I had spent much time with Coptic protesters downtown following the destruction of a church by thugs on March 5, and expected to find many of them in Shubra, voting No for fear of an Islamist takeover. But they were no where to be seen and we were met instead by Muslim Brothers—bearded men and women covered in black from head to toe, with only small eye-slits revealing slivers of skin.

PHOTO by Lara Baladi: Voters in Shubra

At the first polling station we entered, we were followed by guards—familiar State Security types—and the police, soldiers, and even the judges overseeing the ballots did little to calm things when dozens of voters started screaming at us to get out. As we left, we tried to speak to some people at the exit, asking them “why Yes?” Their arguments were all the same: “stability.”

Around the corner, at another Shubra polling station, we were met with even more hostility. A Muslim Brother manning the door took our IDs and walked away. When we asked for them back, saying we would leave, he refused, gripping them harder, refusing to explain why. When we vigorously protested, the crowd started yelling that we were “No people.” We finally grabbed our IDs from the man’s hand and quickly left.

In the week leading up to the referendum, pro-democracy activists and supporters had accused the military of cutting a power-sharing deal with the Brotherhood to preserve its hold on power. The armed forces had not explicitly taken a position on the amendments, but they sent text messages telling people that participation in the referendum was a vote for “democracy.” And while they left Brotherhood members to freely campaign for Yes, they harassed youth activists who were calling on people to reject the proposed amendments, arresting several the day before the vote.

PHOTO by Yasmine El Rashidi: Egyptian soldiers keeping close watch on a "No" campaign rally, Cairo, March 18

Still, the former MP Mona Makram Ebeid—who served on the council designated to negotiate between the youth and the military—was skeptical about claims of military collusion with the Islamists. “They are keen to get back to the barracks,” she told me when I saw her at a downtown polling station the morning of the referendum. Former army generals, pointing to the ominous state of the region and the threat of instability along Egypt’s border with Libya, had also told me that the military needed to return to its normal job. Even the widely disliked Army Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi seemed reluctant to meddle for long in Egypt’s daily affairs. (A December 2009 diplomatic cable disclosed by Wikileaks, described Tantawi as saying “that any country where the military became engaged in ‘internal affairs’ was ‘doomed to have lots of problems.’”)

More plausibly, military leaders view the Brotherhood as the devil they know; even in the event of a large Islamist representation in parliament, they would understand what they were getting and how to deal with it. A parliament of young revolutionaries, on the other hand, could threaten the army’s position. “You have to understand,” the activist Basem had told me earlier, “The military is not a radical institution—why would they support us? They only responded to our demands when we were a critical mass.” At the time, that mass included the Brotherhood, the working class, and laborers.

I visited several other ballot stations on Saturday, and nowhere else did I experience the hostility we found in Shubra. But a report had come in that thugs had prevented ElBaradei from entering a polling station, and a picture was circulating that showed his car window smashed, splintered glass covering the seats. Contacts in the Coptic community were also reporting that Copts were being harassed into voting Yes by polling station staff, or simply prevented from voting at all. A Coptic priest in the southern town of Naga Hammadi—where gunmen killed eight Copts as they were exiting Church following Christmas prayers last year—said Christian voters were being obstructed. In some towns with large Coptic communities, there were reports that election officials, or their minders in the military and police, had apparently left voting stations closed.

Despite such reports, however, the referendum was perhaps the most legitimate poll the country has seen. “They were clean,” the law professor Amr Shalakany told Al-Jazeera. “But they weren’t fair.” Amr was right—few people I had spoken to in the streets had a firm grasp of what a Yes or No vote really meant. Yes, most people thought, meant a quick solution to the country’s economic woes. Even the design of the ballot seemed to encourage the notion: the Yes circle was a bright, promising green color; the No circle was black.

PHOTO by Lara Baladi: A referendum ballot, marked with a No vote (left circle), Cairo, March 19

By Sunday morning, preliminary returns suggested that 65 percent of the estimated 20 million voters had voted Yes. Among those who cast votes were the former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and many of the former president’s much hated men, including former Speaker of Parliament Fathy Sorour. According to reports, the presidential family voted too—in the seaside resort of Sharm El Sheikh. Later, when the official results came in with even more in the Yes tally, reactions varied. In some neighborhoods people celebrated with fireworks. In others, they were simply celebrating the right to vote democratically. It was mainly on Facebook and Twitter that disgruntled voices were airing grievances: about reports of fraud, about the “dirty tricks” of the Islamists, and about the “absolute insanity” of the military. “This is crazy,” one wrote. “We’re going to have another NDP government, this time filled with Islamists too.”

By Monday, the Brotherhood had already begun preparing its parliamentary campaign, and a video of hip-looking young Brothers—each featured answering the question “why are you with the Brotherhood?”—was circulating on Facebook. A prominent Salafi Sheikh announced that religion had won the Yes vote, saying people had effectively declared “Yes to religion.” In response, activists and friends started making an urgent appeal to regroup their supporters and ponder their next steps. A widely-circulated post by the blogger Sandmonkey advised, “Start organizing yourselves into an offline grassroots movement, Zenga Zenga style; … Start reaching out to Imams and Priests now; … Know thy enemy.”

With parliamentary elections around the corner—the military leadership is now saying they will take place no later than September—many political hopefuls are talking about forming parties, though just how easy that will be remains unclear. Even the Brotherhood doesn’t yet know if their previously announced “Freedom and Justice” party will be legalized, since the constitutional amendments left untouched controversial Article 5, which bars any political activity “with a religious frame of reference.” Still, they can campaign as independents regardless of their party’s status, and they already have the support of a considerable swath of Egyptian society. Esraa told me last week that she had planned to campaign for a parliament seat herself, but now, with just a couple of months to prepare and much other work to be done, it’s looking less likely.

Elsewhere, Mubarak loyalists are busy planning their next steps too—few doubt that many familiar faces will emerge when parliamentary campaigning gets underway. There are already rumours that some of Mubarak’s closest associates will run themselves, and while there isn’t much apparent popular support for the NDP, the party has pockets of strength and many loyalists are businessmen with huge stakes in the national economy. Even some of those now in jail continue to employ tens of thousands of people in factories and industries, and could wield outsize influence in a future election.

No one seems to know what a parliament dominated by former NDP members and Islamists might mean, what will become of the youth activists and their movement for change, what will happen to sometime leading figures in the uprising like Amr Moussa and the Google executive Wael Ghonim, or whether—as some fear—the army will be provoked in the coming months to crackdown on more radical calls for change. The battle for Egypt, and the increasingly divergent groups taking part in it, will continue for months, and probably years, to come. The very possibility of such a battle even taking place, though, is more than anyone—as recently as three months ago—could have imagined.

Hat tip: Twitter / SirSocks
25/03/2011 18:43
SirSocks: http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2011/mar/24/egypts-first-vote/ Compulsory reading for those wondering where the Arab Spring will lead.

SirSocks is Sir Christopher Meyer in London, former British ambassador in Washington, former Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, and author of Getting Our Way and DC Confidential.

Global Voices Syria: Internet Users Race to Support Egyptian Protesters

2011-01-27T17:57:00.000-08:00

Click here for Global Voices special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

Sudan: Registration in Egypt to begin on 25th November

2010-11-24T06:38:00.000-08:00

Registration In Egypt To Begin On 25th November
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: 24 November 2010

(Cairo) – The referendum registration exercise in Egypt will officially start on the 25th of November 2010.

A member of the registration committee in Egypt Madam Mary Isaac Daniel spoke to SRS in Cairo

[Mary Isaac]: “We have been officially told by the commission to start the registration exercise here in Cairo. It will start on the 25th of November in three centers located at Mahadi, Ein Shams and Madinat Nasr.”

Madam Mary also revealed that the referendum committee in Egypt has sent an official letter to the commission requesting the extension of the registration period until the 11th of December.

Voter registration started on the 15th of November but the exercise was delayed in Australia, the United States of America and Egypt due to belated protocol and diplomatic arrangements.

The exercise is expected to end on the 1st of December.

News from SRS

24-Nov-2010

23-Nov-2010

22-Nov-2010

19-Nov-2010

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12-Nov-2010

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08-Nov-2010

Abul Gheit: Egypt seeks prevention of violence between north and south Sudan

2010-10-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Abul Gheit: Egypt seeks to prevent Sudanese civil war
Source: www.almasryalyoum.com - Arabic Edition
Date: Sunday, 31 October 2010 - 12:05

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Abul Gheit on Saturday said Egypt seeks prevention of violence between north and south Sudan, as well as adherence to the south Sudan succession referendum, “whatever the result is, either separation or unity.”

In a joint press statement with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Karti, Abul Gheit said the referendum is indispensable in procuring widespread rights in Sudan. The foreign minister also emphasized the need to resolve outstanding issues.

“It’s important now to focus on the referendum procedures, so it will be held on time,” said Abul Gheit. “The referendum should be postponed, if the two parties are convinced that the public interest requires so.”

In response to whether Egypt is partial to separation or unity, Abul Gheit said, “Certainly there’s a chance for unity, but the right of self-determination became a clear concept among the north and south.”

Karti said there’s a growing need for the Sudanese to inform the Egyptian government of internal developments. He argued this will help to enable international and regional awareness.

“The Sudanese government is committed to holding the referendum on its scheduled time," said Karti. “The postponing issue is proposed by foreign parties that visited Sudan and then got to know complications that face holding the referendum on time."

In related news, Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Nassr Eddin Allam is scheduled to visit the region on Monday to meet with south Sudan government spokesman, Paul Mayom, in order to discuss a number of projects initiated and funded by Egypt.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

IAEA visits Khartoum - Egypt and Sudan move forward on "peaceful" nuclear plans

2010-08-23T02:09:00.000-07:00

Technicians load the Bushehr nuclear plant this week in Iran. (ISNA)
Hat tip: gatewaypundit.firstthings.com - Sunday, August 22, 2010. Check out comments.

Sudan plans nuclear program
Report by JPOST.COM STAFF (via Jerusalem Post)
Sunday, 22 August 2010 - excerpt:

Sudan plans to build a nuclear reactor for peaceful purposes by 2020, the SUNA state news agency reported Sunday.

Sudan has noted economic and political ties with Iran, which has been facing increasing sanctions and international pressure over its nuclear program.

Like Iran, Sudan is under US sanctions, and has been since 1997.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is planning to travel to Sudan on August 23 to discuss importing a nuclear reactor for “research purposes.”

SUNA said Sudan began plans to develop a nuclear program early this year.

Although Sudan has built dams along the Blue and White Nile Rivers, large parts of the country do not have regular electricity, Reuters reported.

Muhammad Ahmed Hassan el-Tayeb, director-general of the Sudanese Atomic Energy Agency, was quoted as saying “The Ministry of Electricity and Dams has already started preparing for the project to produce power from nuclear energy in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and is expected to build the first nuclear power plant in the year 2020.”

- - -

News from The New York Times -

Headlines Around the Web

What's This?

GATEWAY PUNDIT

AUGUST 22, 2010

It's Onâ€¦ Egypt and Sudan Move Forward

on "Peaceful" Nuclear Plans

SUDAN: THE PASSION OF THE PRESENT

AUGUST 22, 2010

Another New Update on RSS Feeds--Plus

Additional Odds 'n' Ends

SUDAN WATCH

AUGUST 22, 2010

S. Sudan Rhino City photo - Bileel area and

southern areas of Nyala selected to be the

alternative IDP camps instead of Kalma

camp, S. Darfur

AFP

AUGUST 22, 2010

LRA spreading reign of terror in south

Sudan

CNN

AUGUST 20, 2010

Southern Sudan unveils plans to build

animal

More at Blogrunner »

- - -

News from Google's Sudan newsreel
Monday, 23 August 2010 at 09.40 AM GMT UK

Sudan plans nuclear program

Jerusalem Post - ‎14 hours ago‎

Report: Sudan plans to build nuclear reactor

Ha'aretz - ‎15 hours ago‎

Sudan to build 1st nuclear plant

Press TV - ‎1 hour ago‎

Sudan Moves Forward on 'Peaceful' Nuclear Reactor
Arutz Sheva - Maayana Miskin - ‎13 hours ago‎

IAEA delegation to visit Sudan this week to
assess plans to import nuclear reactor
Sudan Tribune - ‎Aug 21, 2010‎

Rotary: Bill Gates signs football in Nigeria to support final push to kick polio out of Africa

2010-06-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Rotary clubs in Nigeria and across the continent unite as ball’s 4-month journey comes to a close in Egypt...

Here is the full story in a press release from Rotary International (via APO) - Monday, 7 June 2010:

ABUJA, Nigeria (June 7, 2010) – Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, gave the Kick Polio Out of Africa (KPOA) campaign a boost today by signing the football which is traveling from Cape Town to Egypt ahead of the 2010 World Cup. During the ball’s epic journey through 22 polio-affected and high-risk countries, Rotary clubs throughout Africa are mobilizing the public for massive immunizations and raising awareness for polio eradication. Gates lauded Rotary’s efforts to help kick polio out the continent -- and eventually out of the world.

Gates also commended Nigeria for making significant gains in the fight against polio and urged them to finish the job. He joins Nigerian officials in bringing attention to the current immunization rounds throughout Africa targeting more than 100 million children under the age of five.

Since Rotary and its partners began their fight against polio in 1988, the incidence of the disease has been reduced by 99 percent. In Africa, only Nigeria remains polio-endemic, but the disease still affects children in many other high-risk countries, emphasizing the importance of protecting all African children from polio. According to the World Health Organization, only three cases of polio were reported in Nigeria through 25 May this year, compared with 276 cases reported during the same time period in 2009.

“Nigeria’s recent progress against polio is an achievement that all Nigerians should be proud of,” said Gates. “Thanks to political and traditional leaders, dedicated health workers, and loving parents who want to protect their children, Nigeria is on a path toward eliminating polio.”

After traveling for almost four months across the continent, the football is close to reaching it final destination in Alexandria, Egypt. The grand campaign finale will be held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, on 12 June, under the auspices of First Lady Suzanne Mubarak. African Cup of the Nation champions will kick the ball -- symbolically kicking polio out the continent and into the Mediterranean Sea. Also attending the event will be film star and polio goodwill ambassador Hany Salama, polio-infected children, government officials, and dignitaries.

Says Bibliotheca Alexandrina Director Dr. Ismael Serageldin, “Polio still exists, but polio can be eradicated. We cannot let forgetfulness or disinterest keep so many unfortunate victims in misery. We are so close. Let us all together give the final push.”

On 23 February, Rotary launched its “Kick Polio out of Africa” awareness campaign in Cape Town, one of the host cities to the 2010 World Cup, with the symbolic kicking of a ball signed by Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Afflicted with polio as a child, Tutu joined the campaign as goodwill ambassador. From Egypt, the ball will travel to Montréal, Canada, to be presented at the Rotary International Convention later this month. The ball’s journey is being underwritten by DHL Express.

In support of the campaign, Rotary launched a virtual ball inviting football fans and supporters around the world to sign the ball. With a few simple clicks of a mouse, one can sign the online ball at www.kickpoliooutofafrica.org and join the global movement of solidarity to save all children from this crippling and sometimes fatal disease. The signatures will be formally presented to the spearheading partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative after the 2010 World Cup.

“We are calling on the continent's football players to bring their enormous influence to this campaign. Only unified efforts which galvanise whole societies towards these goals will succeed in kicking this virus, that looks so much like a football, out of Africa and eventually, out of the world,” declared former South African President Nelson Mandela, in his 1996 address at the Organization for African Unity Summit as he formally kicked off the “Kick Polio out of Africa” campaign.

“As the volunteer arm and private-sector partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has contributed $388 million for polio eradication efforts in Africa,” says June Webber, Rotary’s South African campaign organizer. “As we celebrate the first World Cup on African soil and the 20th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, Rotarians and our global partners are determined to provide Madiba (Mandela’s Xhosa title) with a lasting legacy.”

Nigerian national team captain Nwankwo Kanu joined the campaign announcing that he has two goals for 2010: Kanu wants Nigeria to shine at the upcoming World Cup and also wants to eradicate polio from Africa.

Polio eradication has been Rotary’s top priority for more than two decades. The international humanitarian service organization has contributed more than US$900 million toward a polio-free world, and is a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.

Rotary recently pledged to raise US$200 million to match $355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All of the resulting $555 million will be spent in support of eradication activities.

Great progress has been made, and the incidence of polio infection has plunged from about 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2009. More than two billion children have been immunized in 122 countries, preventing five million cases of paralysis and 250,000 paediatric deaths.

The football’s journey can be followed on http://kickpoliooutofafrica.wordpress.com
To sign and kick the virtual ball, go to www.kickpoliooutofafrica.org.
For video and still photos, go to: www.thenewsmarket.com/rotaryinternational

# # #

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. It is comprised of 1.2 million members working in over 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary members initiate community projects that address many of today’s most critical issues, such as poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Rotary International / Distribué par l’Organisation de la Presse Africaine au nom de Rotary International

CONTACT: Sandra Prufer, + 1 847 866-3208 sandra.prufer@rotary.org
Kiki Melonides, +1 847 866-3134 kiki.melonides@rotary.org

Media Contact: +1 847 866-3237
e-mail: pr@rotary.org
www.rotary.org

A refugee from Darfur in Sudan, explains how he risked everything trying to move to Israel

2010-06-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

Increasingly Sudanese, Ethiopians and Eritreans travel directly to Israel's border after arriving in Egypt.

Israel says the arrival of almost 15,000 refugees and asylum-seekers has put strain on security and welfare systems.

Israel always accuses Egypt of not playing an active role to prevent smuggling and illegal immigrants entering Israeli land.

The Africans risking all on the Egypt-Israel border
Report from BBC News online at 10:10 GMT, Sunday, 6 June 2010 11:10 UK
By Yolande Knell, BBC News, Cairo:

Motorised rickshaws wind their way through the crowded alleyways of Ard al-Lawa as street vendors call out their wares.

This poor Cairo neighbourhood is home to an increasing number of African migrants and refugees, but many do not want to stay.

In his sparsely decorated apartment, Yahya Mohamed Idris, a refugee from Darfur in Sudan, explains how he risked everything trying to move to Israel.

"I decided to go to Israel because people who went before told me the situation was much better over there," he says.

"I left my country looking for safety and security but in Egypt I found harassment and more problems.

"Work here is difficult and they throw stones and tomatoes at me on the street. They curse at me and call me 'the black'."

Quickly spotted

Like hundreds of others each month, Idris, 31, paid Bedouin people-smugglers to take him and his family on the risky journey to the Egypt-Israel border.

It costs more than $600 (£414) travelling by bus and then hidden on a lorry. Finally, they were left in the Sinai desert late at night.

Egyptian forces quickly spotted them.

"While we were crossing the border they opened fire," Idris recalls.

"We surrendered and sat on the ground and they started beating us and shooting all around. My wife fainted and the kids were screaming."

Idris was arrested and imprisoned for a year. Since his release several months ago, he has been unable to find his wife and two children.

For others, the situation is even worse.

At least 16 sub-Saharan African refugees and migrants have been shot dead at the border this year. Many others suffered injuries.

Warnings ignored

"This is a common problem. When people try to cross the border to Israel, the Egyptian security shoot and kill them," comments Abdalla Hanzal, who works with a refugee support group.

"Sometimes when they do not shoot them, they arrest them and deport them. Our centre tries to report when someone's deported or put in prison."

Egyptian officials insist they only shoot at the border after those crossing ignore repeated orders to stop and point out that human-trafficking gangs carry guns.

However, the United Nations and human rights groups have asked Egypt to stop excessive force being used.

There was also criticism of a recent statement by Egypt's Foreign Ministry which pointed out that the fatalities "did not exceed 2% in 2008 and 4% in 2009 of the total number of illegal crossers".

The regional representative of the UN refugee agency, Mohamed Dayri, is hoping new policies are in the works.

"We have recently initiated a discussion with the government to provide Egypt with a set of measures and concrete proposals on humanitarian grounds how to manage this issue of the illegal crossing to Israel from Egypt," he states.

'Hot return'

For now though the problem seems to be growing.

A deal struck between Libya and Italy in 2009 has cut off a popular sea route to Europe for illegal African migrants and helped direct the flow towards Israel, which is seen as offering better work opportunities and more Western standards.

Increasingly Sudanese, Ethiopians and Eritreans travel directly to the border after arriving in Egypt.

Israel says the arrival of almost 15,000 refugees and asylum-seekers has put strain on security and welfare systems.

It introduced a controversial policy of "hot-returns", immediately returning migrants back across the border.

"Israel always accuses Egypt of not playing an active role to prevent smuggling and illegal immigrants entering Israeli land," says Emad Gad, an expert on Israel at the Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo.

He points out that forces are limited in this politically sensitive area under the terms of the 1979 peace deal with Israel.

"According to the peace treaty Egypt is allowed to deploy only 450 soldiers. After 2007, they increased the number to 750," he says.

"But if we speak about a border of over 240km (149 miles), it's not enough to secure it."

In January, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans to erect a barrier along part of the border and install surveillance equipment to keep out illegal migrants and militants.

However, back in the busy market of Ard al-Lawa, Idris remains undeterred. He has not stopped dreaming of a new beginning in Israel.

"If I had my wife and kids, I would go through this nightmare again. When I'm older, I want to have a good life."

"If I could find a way to Italy or Canada I would go there but as far as I know this is the closest border we can reach. I only know how to get to Israel."

Egypt asserts right to block upstream Nile dams

2010-05-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Egypt asserts right to block upstream Nile dams
Report by Reuters published by Nation Daily - Tuesday, 18 May 2010:

(CAIRO, Tuesday) - Egypt insisted today it can block dams and other projects upstream on the Nile, challenging a new deal among African nations seeking to alter historic water sharing arrangements and secure more water for farms and growth.

Four African countries signed the agreement in Uganda last week in a bid to access a greater share of water from the Nile, despite colonial-era pacts that give Egypt the lion’s share of the water and allow it to veto upstream projects such as dams.

“Any project that takes away from the river’s flow has to be approved by Egypt and Sudan in accordance with international treaties,” Egypt’s Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam said.

“Egypt is closely watching energy generation projects in the (Nile) basin,” he said.

Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia signed the deal on May 14, creating a permanent commission to manage the Nile’s waters that did not include Egypt or Sudan. Kenya, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to sign within a year.

The new commission would ostensibly have the power to veto energy and irrigation projects in signatory states.

Egypt, almost totally dependent on the Nile and already threatened by climate change, is closely watching hydro-electric dams in East Africa it fears may restrict the river’s flow.

Egypt has already warned that the new agreement lacked legitimacy and plans to press donors for support.

Yet upstream countries say they need more water too. Power shortages have hindered investment in Africa even though alternative sources to hydroelectric power exist. (Reuters)

Egypt: Headlines Around the Web from NYT Blogrunner

2010-05-10T00:25:00.000-07:00

Khaled El-Fiqi/EPA

Source: The New York Times

Headlines Around The Web

What's This?

THE NEW YORKER

MAY 10, 2010

Nathan Englander: "Free Fruit for Young Widows."

SUDAN WATCH

MAY 9, 2010

High level Egyptian officials visit Khartoum and Juba - Egypt urges Sudan unity ahead of referendum

SUNNET BESKERMING

MAY 9, 2010

New Top Level Domains Open a Broader Internet for All

3QUARKSDAILY

MAY 9, 2010

The Arabs have their gulags too

NETSCAPE

MAY 8, 2010

The chariot in Egypt

More at Blogrunner »

Topic Blog

Analysis and links about Egypt from experts and Times staffers.

Saddam's Nephew Blogging

February 18, 2009 5:16pm

More Activists and Bloggers Arrested

February 18, 2009 5:11pm

Cairo's Architectural Future

December 15, 2008 5:03pm

Egypt's First Female Mayor

December 15, 2008 4:59pm

Go to the topics blog »

Egypt urges Sudan unity ahead of referendum

2010-05-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit pressed for the unity of Sudan on Sunday, ahead of a referendum on independence which could call into question current Nile Basin water-sharing agreements.

"Egypt is in favour of the unity of Sudan as a part of Africa and a member of the African Union. We will do everything in our power to save the unity of Sudan," Abul Gheit told reporters in Khartoum after talks with President Omar al-Beshir.

Abul Gheit and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman are also due in the south Sudan capital Juba later on Sunday where they will meet Salva Kiir, the head of the semi-autonomous region.

If the southern Sudanese vote for independence in next January's referendum, this could have an impact on the disputed sharing of Nile waters.

Further details below.

Aboul Gheit and Omar Suleiman are visiting both Khartoum and Juba
From Arab Republic of Egypt Press Office - Minister's Cabinet
Saturday, 08 May 2010:

The Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry stated that Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Minister Omar Suleiman will go on a visit on May 9, 2010, to both Khartoum and Juba, and are expected to meet with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and congratulate him on the occasion of winning the Presidential elections held in Sudan last month, and to congratulate General Salva Kiir First Vice President of Sudan on the occasion of assuming the Presidency of the Government of the South.

The Spokesman added that the visit comes within the framework of underlining Egypt's interest in the security, unity and stability of Sudan whose issues are of a strategic priority to Egypt, in addition to Egypt's interest in the future of southern Sudan, in light of the strong ties binding Egypt and the various powers of Sudan, which is reflected by the Egyptian support for the efforts of the Sudanese government in maintaining stability in various parts of the country.

Photo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit arrives to meet Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum Sunday, 09 May 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

High level Egyptian officials visit Sudan
From Radio Miraya - Sunday, 09 May 2010 14:05:

The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Ghait and the Egyptian Intelligence Chief, Omar Suleiman arrived to Khartoum today. Speaking to Miraya, the Egyptian Ambassador to Khartoum, Mohammed Abdel Munaim Al Chazali, said that Abul Gait and Omar Suleiman will meet President-elect Omar Al Bashir and the Vice President Ali Osman Taha.

The two officials will also travel to Juba to meet with First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Photo: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks to the press after meeting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum Sunday, 09 May 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Egypt urges Sudan unity ahead of referendum
AFP - Sunday, 09 May 2010:

KHARTOUM - Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit pressed for the unity of Sudan on Sunday, ahead of a referendum on independence which could call into question current Nile Basin water-sharing agreements.

"Egypt is in favour of the unity of Sudan as a part of Africa and a member of the African Union. We will do everything in our power to save the unity of Sudan," Abul Gheit told reporters in Khartoum after talks with President Omar al-Beshir.

Abul Gheit and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman are also due in the south Sudan capital Juba later on Sunday where they will meet Salva Kiir, the head of the semi-autonomous region.

If the southern Sudanese vote for independence in next January's referendum, this could have an impact on the disputed sharing of Nile waters.

A 1959 accord between Cairo and Khartoum reserves 55.5 billion cubic metres a year for Egypt and 18.5 billion cubic metres for Sudan, a combined total of 87 percent of the river's water, leaving just 13 percent for other Nile Basin states.

Some of these, which include Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, say past treaties are unfair and they want an equitable water-sharing agreement that would allow for more irrigation and power projects.

"While Egyptian officials try to downplay the water concerns, some worry an independent South would soon join the groundswell of states objecting to the standing agreements," said a report by the International Crisis Group released on Thursday.

Last month, Egypt rejected any new plans for Nile water allocation, stressing that its share in the river was a "historic right" with Sudan considered a strong ally.

"Sudan and Egypt agree completely on the question of Nile waters. We are ready to continue discussions with other countries and to cooperate to build a bridge and reach a final agreement that will satisfy all the Nile Basin Initiative countries," Abul Gheit said.

Egyptian FM and spy chief start visit to Sudan on Sunday
Sudan Tribune - Sunday 09 May 2010 - excerpt:

May 8, 2010 (KHARTOUM) - [...] Egypt is stepping up its involvement on Sudan affairs ahead of the 2011 self determination referendum in the South which is widely expected to result in Africa’s newest state.

Earlier this year, Mubarak has reportedly criticized Khartoum for lacking the will to preserve the unity and warning that there are regional powers wanting to fuel conflict in the area which he described as “vital to Egypt”.

The issue of South Sudan secession is sensitive one to Cairo largely due to its impact on the Nile water agreement and the possible reallocation of share with the new state even though legal experts say that the water agreements are still binding to the new state.

Sudan and Egypt have joined hands last month against other Nile basin which are fiercely pushing for a new agreement fueling tensions and anger on all sides.

Further reading
UNAMID: 2 Egyptian peacekeepers killed, 3 injured nr Katila, south of Edd al Fursan, S. Darfur, W. Sudan (Update 1)
Sudan Watch - Friday, 07 May 2010

Sudanese president meets his Egyptian counterpart

2010-04-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Sudanese president meets his Egyptian counterpart
From Sudan Tribune, Wednesday 28 April 2010:

April 27, 2010 (CAIRO) – Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir returned to Khartoum after a brief visit to Egypt where he met President Hosni Mubarak who is convalescing after surgery in Germany last month.

The visit took place twenty four hours after the announcement of his re-election with 68% of vote by the National Elections Commission following five days of polling earlier this month.

President Mubarak congratulated Bahsir on his winning a new presidential term in the election.

The official news agency SUNA said Bashir and Mubarak held talks on bilateral relations and issue of common concern. He was accompanied by Bakri Hassan Saleh, minister at the presidency and Ali Karti, state minister of foreign affairs.

But the Egyptian MENA said the two leaders discussed Southern Sudan referendum and Darfur peace process. Mubarak told Al-Bashir that Egypt was anxious to see Sudan’s internal conflicts resolved, while maintaining the territorial integrity of the country.

Egypt expressed concern several times on the possible secession of southern Sudan after a referendum scheduled to be held next January. Cairo hosted last February talks between the two peace partners but failed to broker common grounds on the disputed issues. (ST)

King Tut's dad's toe back in Egypt

2010-04-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

King Tut's dad's toe back in Egypt
From correspondents in Cairo (AFP) Herald Sun, April 15, 2010:

A TOE belonging to the father of famed boy pharaoh Tutankhamun has been returned to Egypt nearly a century after it was stolen, the Supreme Council of Antiquities says.

The toe of King Akhenaton, which was stolen in 1907 during an examination of the pharaoh's bones, was returned during a signing ceremony for an agreement with Switzerland over the return of ancient artefacts, the council said today.

"The toe is now back in Egypt and will be displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo," said the statement, which confirmed that it was from the skeleton of the pharaoh, which had been found in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

The toe's movements since 1907 were not disclosed.

Frank Ruehli, a scientist at the University of Zurich and a specialist in mummies, obtained it "thanks to his personal contacts" in "another European country", a diplomat said without elaborating.

The return was thanks to the Ruehli's "private initiative" and not carried out by the Swiss government, which is the 16th country to sign the accord on stolen antiquities, the diplomat said.

Antiquities council chief Zaki Hawass said Switzerland's signature was particularly important as it had been a major transit point in the trade in smuggled artefacts in the past.

Earlier this month, Egypt hosted a conference of 25 countries that want stolen antiquities returned from abroad.

Akhenaton was a ruler of the 13th Dynasty. In February, Egypt announced that DNA tests had confirmed him to be the father of Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19.

The antiquities council also announced that Egyptian archaeologists had discovered the tomb of a 19th Dynasty scribe, Qin Amin, in the Nile delta location of Tell El-Mashkouta.

Mr Hawass said the more than 3300-year-old tomb was the first from the 19th Dynasty found in the delta. It contained a limestone plaque inscribed with hieroglyphics of the Hyksos people, who invaded Egypt around 1640 BC.

On a level above the scribe's tomb, the archaeologists also discovered 35 tombs dating from Roman times.

Related Coverage

Hamas denies Al Qaeda militants entering Egypt from Gaza

2010-01-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak defended the building of the barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip, saying it is necessary for the country's security.

Hamas denies al-Qaida militants entering Egypt from Gaza
Report by Xinhua via People's Daily Online 12:23, January 30, 2010:

Deposed Prime Minister of Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haneya denied on Friday that extremist militants affiliated to al-Qaida had entered Egypt through the Gaza Strip.

During Friday's prayers in a refugee camp mosque in northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalia, Haneya denied reports published on Thursday that some members of al-Qaida had entered Egypt from the Gaza Strip.

"Such reports are full of lies," Haneya said, adding that "the Islamic movements in Gaza are moderate movements and we don't have any other radical or fanatic Islamic groups as it was published."

However, Haneya did not deny that some young men in Gaza began to believe in extremism and fanatic thoughts, adding "but we had treated this phenomena through meetings and dialogues."

Gaza-based news websites quoted Arab media reports as saying that Egypt decided to build a barrier along its borders with the Gaza Strip after extremists linked to al-Qaida entered Egypt from Gaza.

"I doubt that such kind of danger exists as the reports said," Haneya said, "the aim of publishing such reports is to destroy the good ties between Hamas and Egypt, but I tell them our enemy is not Egypt, it is Israel."

On Sunday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak defended the building of the barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip, saying it is necessary for the country's security.

Source: Xinhua

Pass this on: Missing Persons Registry - Haitian Earthquake January 2010

2010-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Copy of message today on Twitter from Ushahidi's Erik Hersman:

Pass this on. Missing persons registry for #haiti is http://www.haitianquake.com
about 4 hours ago from twhirl
ushahidi

Further reading

Patrick Meier's report at Ushahidi's blog, 13 January 2010: Our Efforts in Response to Haiti’s Earthquake - We’ve launched Haiti.Ushahidi.com

Ethan Zuckerman's blog post at My Heart's in Accra, 13 January 2010: Following the Haitian earthquake online

Israel to build wall along Egyptian border to keep out African migrants

2010-01-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

Israel to build wall along Egyptian border
From Ma'an News Agency 11/01/2010 (updated) 12/01/2010 10:48:

(Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies) – Israel approved on Sunday the construction of a barrier along its border with Egypt, Israeli media reported on Monday.

"I took the decision to close Israel's southern border to infiltrators and terrorists. This is a strategic decision to secure Israel's Jewish and democratic character," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement.

In recent weeks, the number of African migrants detained by Egypt whilst trying to enter Israel has increased. On Sunday, Egyptian security sources revealed that security forces thwarted two attempts by African migrants to enter Israel through Egypt's Sinai border. Many have been shot dead at the border by Egypt.

"We cannot let tens of thousands of illegal workers infiltrate into Israel through the southern border and inundate our country with illegal aliens,” Netanyahu added.

Israel’s border with Egypt spans approximately 266 kilometers and the new wall is tipped to cost Israel more than 270 million US dollars, taking two years to complete. The new wall will be accompanied by advanced security and monitoring installations.

Egypt’s steel wall

Meanwhile, Egypt began constructing a steel wall along the border that will extend underground in an attempt to cut off a network of smuggling tunnels. The tunnels are a lifeline for Palestinians living under an Israeli-led blockade.

In December, Egyptian government workers constructing the massive metal barrier along the Egypt-Gaza border came under fire from Palestinian gunmen according to Egyptian security sources.

The presence of Gaza’s smuggling tunnels, which were constructed to attempt to ease the ongoing siege, is deemed a focal security concern for both Israel and Egypt.

In part, Israel’s Operation Cast Lead last winter aimed at collapsing and destroying the industry, which the Israeli army has termed “terror tunnels.”

Egyptian authorities regularly report shutting down smuggling efforts which include the transfer of cigarettes, bottled water, and fuel into Gaza.

On Friday, following an airstrike, the Israeli army dropped leaflets across southern and northern Gaza, warning residents to “take responsibility for their future.”

"Terrorists, tunnel owners, and the smugglers of military equipment know for certain that the continuation of terrorist attacks, the smuggling of military equipment, and the digging of tunnels will be targeted by the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], but they continue to work in your residential areas and seek refuge among you," according to the flier, which was written in Arabic.

Israeli airstrikes on the rise in Gaza

Meanwhile, three Palestinians affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement were killed in Israeli airstrikes overnight in central Gaza. Islamic Jihad leader Khalid Al-Bashta has warned that all signs point to a new Israeli operation in the besieged coastal strip. Israel is seeking international support for such an operation, he claimed.

Netanyahu said in his weekly cabinet meeting that "Last week 20 rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. I regard this very seriously.”

“The IDF responded immediately; it attacked missile producing factories in the Gaza Strip and tunnels through which Iran smuggles missiles and rockets into the Strip. The Government's policy is clear: Any firing at our territory will be responded to strongly and immediately.”

- - -

Israel orders new fence to keep out African migrants

Photo: A Sudanese refugee family are surrounded by Israeli army soldiers after crossing illegally from Egypt into Israel. Photo credit: ARIEL SCHALIT/AP. Source: The Independent, by Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem Tuesday, 12 January 2010 - Israel orders new fence to keep out African migrants

Egypt: Darkness at noon clouds Cairo skies

2009-12-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

From Norwegian Council for Africa, 10 December 2009:
Egypt: Darkness at noon clouds Cairo skies
Inter Press Service (IPS)/International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ)

Cairo (Egypt) — For the last decade, the autumn skies over Egypt - especially over capital Cairo, have been overshadowed by a thick haze people call "the black cloud".

The black cloud first appeared in 1998, ironically after the creation of Egypt's ministry of environment. Three environment ministers since then have failed to solve the problem, which manifests itself in an ugly pall of haze from dusk until dawn between mid-October and December.

This year has been no exception.

"Black cloud covers Cairo-Alexandria highway...resulting in an increase in the number of road accidents owing to decreased visibility," independent daily Al-Dustour reports. A headline in independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reads: "The black cloud covers Cairo, (as well as urban governorates) Qalioubiya and Helwan."

The cloud has direct health effects. In mid-October, independent weekly Youm Al-Sabaa reported some 300 daily cases of respiratory problems in the Nile delta province Gharbiya as a result of the cloud.

The weekly quoted Mohamed Ibrahim, member of the government-run National Councils of Specialists as saying that the appearance of the black cloud had become "a seasonal phenomenon."

Ever since it first appeared, the government has blamed it on widespread burning of rice straw on the outskirts of Cairo and in the countryside. This is an annual practice among farmers during the autumn rice harvesting season.

Minister of state for environmental affairs Maged George says the burning of rice straw accounts for more than 50 percent of all air pollution in Egypt.

"Farmers aren't adhering to established quotas for rice burning every year," George said. He stressed the need for to financial penalties and even arrest in order to deter anyone who threatened the environment through agricultural or industrial practices.

The governor of Gharbiya province says 1,031 farmers have so far been charged by the authorities with burning excess rice straw. Each faces fines ranging between 5,000 and 100,000 Egyptian pounds (930 to 18,600 dollars) each.

A handful of public-private projects, some in cooperation with international development agencies, have sought to eliminate the practice by encouraging farmers to recycle straw for other uses. Under one such initiative, farmers are paid roughly 45 Egyptian pounds (8.40 dollars) per ton of straw they turn in at designated collection centres. The straw, along with other forms of agricultural waste, is then recycled into fertiliser.

But many experts say such initiatives - while a step in the right direction - are far from adequate.

"There's far more rice straw than can be processed by these recycling facilities, which are only available in three or four provinces," Ahmed Abdel- Wahab, professor of environment at Benha University told IPS. "Meanwhile, the cost of transporting the straw to recycling centres usually ends up being more than what farmers receive for it."

What's more, while environmentalists laud the notion of recycling, they point out that the government tends to focus - unfairly, they say - on the rice- straw burning while overlooking other causes of the cloud.

"The cloud will continue as long as the government insists on ignoring its real causes and concentrates solely on rice farmers as the usual suspects," Ibrahim said. "In greater Cairo at least, vehicle exhaust emissions, garbage burning and industrial pollution constitute the main causes of the phenomenon."

"The government is only focusing on the margins of the problem," Mohamed Nagi, head of the Cairo-based Hapi Centre for Environmental Rights tells IPS. "Most experts agree that the burning of rice straw represents only 12 percent of the cause of the cloud."

Abdel-Wahab agrees that automobile exhaust emissions and industrial pollution from factories are prime causes for the cloud.

"Every day, some two million cars hit the streets of greater Cairo, which is also surrounded by industrial factories, and both of these represent bigger pollutants than the straw burning," he said. "While straw burning certainly contributes to a rising carbon content in the air, vehicle emissions are just as much - if not more - to blame."

"The only reason that the cloud appears in the fall is the natural drop in temperature, which tends to trap accumulated air pollution close to the ground and make it visible to the eye," Abdel-Wahab added. "But the pollution is still there - just not as visible - during the rest of the year."

Nagi says that the rice farmers are being "unfairly accused of responsibility" for the cloud. "The environment ministry has taken some measures against straw burning, but it has failed to address any of the other root causes of the phenomenon."

Nagi pointed to two earlier government decisions - one to seize or fine automobiles with high exhaust emissions, and another to withdraw polluting factories from the capital. "Both of these decisions have yet to be implemented," he said.

Nagi says several government ministries - not just the one for the environment - are responsible for the lapses.

"It's not only the environment ministry that's to blame," he said. "The interior ministry is responsible for automobile emissions, the industry ministry for factories, and the agriculture ministry for farmers."

"The government lacks a consistent policy to fight air pollution in general, not just the black cloud," Nagi added. "Unfortunately, civil society - which should pressure Egyptian officialdom to lay out a clear plan to combat air pollution - has been no less negligent than the government in this regard."

Under such circumstances, local experts fear that the cloud is set to remain a seasonal occurrence for a long time to come.
"The black cloud, which represents a clear violation of the citizen's right to a healthy environment, is likely to stay with us for several more years," said Nagi.

Abdel-Wahab said that without a more effective environmental policy, "the black cloud will be around for at least another 20 years."

Sudanese stabbed in Cairo football dispute

2009-12-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

Photos: Algeria v Egypt football match held in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan. Algeria beat Egypt 1-0. (Posted at Flickr by Andrew Heavens, Nov 20, 2009)

There is still tension between Egyptian and Sudanese soccer fans following Egypt’s defeat by Algeria in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan two weeks ago.

The Egyptians claimed that they were attacked by Algerian fans after the match and that the Sudanese authorities did nothing to protect them.

Source: Report by SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 8 December 2009:
Sudanese Stabbed in Cairo Soccer Dispute

(Khartoum) – There is still tension between Egyptian and Sudanese soccer fans following Egypt’s defeat by Algeria in Omdurman two weeks ago.

Egyptian fans claim that Sudanese police failed to protect them when fighting broke out between rival supporters after the match.

A Sudanese living in Egypt, Mahir Musa, was attacked on Monday following an argument about the match. He spoke to SRS in Cairo.

[Mahir Musa]:"I had gone to visit my relatives in Alashir. At night I went to buy cigarettes from the kiosk. I politely asked the owner of the shop to hand me a cigarette. He then noticed from the way I spoke that I was from Sudan.

He then started talking to me about the football match. From there I said I was not interested in the cigarettes anymore and that he should give me back my money so I could leave. when I said I didn’t want anything from him, I just wanted my money, he started insulting me, I got annoyed and when I responded suddenly he came out from the kiosk carrying a knife and he and his friend started attacking me by stabbing me. My relatives had to take me to the hospital. This is just one of many the incidents happening to Sudanese in Cairo.”

The Egyptians claimed that they were attacked by Algerian fans after the match and that the Sudanese authorities did nothing to protect them.

Photos: Algeria v Egypt football match held in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan, posted at Flickr by Andrew Heavens, Nov 20, 2009.

Photo: Algeria v Egypt football match held in Omdurman, near Khartoum, Sudan. Source: Sudan Tribune report November 18, 2009 (KHARTOUM) - Egypt dispatching troops to evacuate soccer fans in Sudan: official

Cross posted to Sudan Watch.

Cat travels from Egypt to Britain in container ship

2009-11-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

A stowaway cat survived a trip from Egypt after it became trapped in a container ship.

From The Daily Telegraph
Cat travels from Egypt to Britain in container ship
Nov 23, 2009

Pharoah the cat has been put into quarantine Photo: ARCHANT

The male ginger and white cat, named Pharaoh by his rescuers, was shut in a container which was brought to the Port of Felixstowe, a Suffolk County Council spokeswoman said.

She said the hungry animal was found in a freight depot a month after it left Port Said in Egypt.

RSPCA officers collected Pharaoh and he is now being looked after a quarantine cattery near Colchester, Essex.

''He was not in a very good state and at first it was thought he might not survive,'' said the council spokeswoman.

''He has been taken to a quarantine centre at Colchester, checked for rabies and other problems, fed and been looked after and now looks much better.

''Pharaoh will have to stay in quarantine and then he will be re-homed here.''

Egypt angered by football violence

2009-11-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

From The Financial Times
By Heba Saleh in Cairo
November 18 2009 02:00
Egypt angered by football violence

Algeria's ambassador to Cairo has been summoned to the foreign ministry after a series of attacks on Egyptian workers and companies by crowds of angry Algerian football fans furious at being beaten 2-0 by Egypt in a World Cup qualifier in Cairo.

The envoy was called in to explain the violence in Algeria, which Egyptian businesses say has intensified ahead of a play-off between the teams today on neutral territory in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. The match will determine which of the sides attends South Africa 2010.

Egypt is the largest investor in Algeria outside the oil and gas sector.

The two countries are traditional football rivals and their games have often been marked by violence. A World Cup qualifier in 1989 is best remembered for rioting and the issuing of an international arrest warrant against one of the Algerian players.

The violence started after reports the Algerian team had been attacked in Cairo before Saturday's match. Images broadcast on the internet showed Algerian players with blood on their faces and the team coach with broken windows.

Naguib Sawiris, the Egyptian executive chairman of Orascom Telecom Holding, said mobs had ransacked the headquarters of Djezzy, Orascom's Algerian subsidiary, and destroyed its factory and 15 of its shops.

He said that with the destruction of crucial equipment there was a danger the company's network, which serves 15m subscribers, could stop functioning, and that the cost of the damage could run into "tens of millions" of dollars.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

IMPORTANT NEWS: Some Sudanese living abroad may vote in elections - Ten arrested for impersonating registration officials in Rumbek, Southern Sudan

2009-11-13T01:16:00.000-08:00

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, November 12, 2009:
Some Sudanese Living Abroad May Vote in Elections

(Nairobi) - Sudanese living in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Malaysia will now be able to register for the elections scheduled for 2010.

The National Election Commission had earlier exempted some countries from participating in the voter registration exercise which started on November 1.

The Sudanese Ambassador to Kenya, Majok Guandong, told Sudan Radio Service in Nairobi on Thursday that he had received a circular from the NEC instructing him to start the voter registration. exercise in Kenya.

[Majok Guandong]: “Yes it is true, the news came yesterday morning (Wednesday) that the NEC has allowed us to establish voter registration centers in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Malaysia. So since yesterday we have been informing the Sudanese who are residing here, starting from tomorrow (Friday). The registration process will start at the Embassy and the GOSS liaison office. This is good news, because it is a constitutional right for the Sudanese to vote in the elections.”

Majok Guandong said that the registration period will be extended to compensate for the late start. He emphasized that the exercise will take 30 days, as required by NEC.

[Guandong]: “If we start tomorrow (Friday), we will be counting the days we have missed since the official start day, because it should be 30 days as scheduled. Secondly, all the documents are available at the Sudanese Embassy, and all Sudanese have the right. Since 1997, more than 5000 Sudanese have managed to get official documents, the passport, identity cards etc. The process is still on. So they have the right, if they need any official documents, there is no problem at all.”

Earlier, the deputy chairman of the NEC, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, told Sudan Radio Service that NEC was only concentrating on the countries with large Sudanese populations.

The countrywide voter registration exercise is scheduled to finish at the end of November.

- - -

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, November 12, 2009:
Ten Arrested for Impersonating Registration Officials in Rumbek

(Rumbek) - Ten people posing as registration officers have been arrested in Rumbek, Lakes state.

The 10 are under police custody as investigations are going on. They are being held for registering voters, collecting people’s identification and convincing people not to register at the official registration centers set up by the state High Elections Commission.

Our correspondent in Rumbek, Mageng Wade, sent this report.

[Mageng Wade]: “These people said that they were being sent and given money by the NCP to come and register people locally in order to prevent them from registering for the elections next year. So that is the agenda behind the registration of people in their houses.”

Rumbek Central county commissioner Abraham Akol Bol also spoke to Sudan Radio Service.

[Abraham Akol] “They have been arrested by the police and they are now under police investigation and we have not yet received information from the police whether this group belongs to a political party. They were trying to register people and were telling them not to go to the registration centers because they had already been registered. They also took ID cards from the citizens, those who tried to register but the culprits were found by police and they are now under investigation.”

The deputy governor of Lakes state, David Ngok, said that the people are trying to sabotage both the voter registration exercise and the elections.

[David Ngok]: “If there are some people who are trying to sabotage the voter registration process then they are also sabotaging the elections. We will not tolerate this as the government because this is government policy and it’s part of the CPA and the constitution so we will not allow them to do it.”

The deputy governor of Lakes state, David Ngok, spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday

Click on 'Election' label (here below at Sudan Watch) to read news report Nov. 10, 2009, entitled "SSDF to sue NEC for denying Sudanese in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia a chance to register as voters in the general elections"

Cross-posted to Sudan Watch and Uganda Watch and Kenya Watch and Ethiopia Watchand Congo Watch.
- - -

UPDATE: From Sudan Tribune by Ngor Arol Garang, Friday, Nov. 13, 2009:
National election board accepts additional countries for Sudanese Diasporas

November 12, 2009 (MALAKAL) — The National Election Commission (NEC) of Sudan today confirmed acceptance of additional countries to the previous list for registration and voting to enable Sudanese abroad to participate in the upcoming elections next year.

Following the publication of a list of countries comprised mostly the Golf countries where the members of the Sudanese Diaspora are from northern Sudan, the SPLM asked to take in consideration African countries where Southerners reside massively.

The initial list includes Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain, the UK, Belgium (for all Western Europe) and Washington, New York, Los Angles for the USA.

"We have allocated more registration and voting centers in Africa and Asia, said Abel Alier, NEC chairman at Malakal airport as he was en route to Khartoum after inspecting southern states voter registration centers.

Countries newly agreed upon for inclusion by the two parties in Africa includes Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa as well as and Malaysia, he said adding discussions are underway to add other neighboring countries.

Therefore, as commission, "we request Sudanese people residing in those countries to immediately establish contacts with the Sudanese embassies and other designated offices for registration," he emphasized.

Asked why being selective with countries hosting number of Sudanese people abroad to participate in the ongoing voter registration, he said, national election commission gets approval of countries to be included in the registration process from the presidency.

"The Presidency is the highest authority which decides on issues pertaining to country affairs such as voter registration," he commented expressing wishes all Sudanese people abroad open registration centers.

However, he was quick to say the Commission tries its best to ensure inclusion of more centers so that every Sudanese participates in the upcoming elections.

He said constitution allows participation of legally registered citizens to elect their leaders in the upcoming April 2010 elections.

"If you are not registered, it will be hard to vote for the person one sees as leader," he said adding voter registration remains opened to the last day of November 2009.

Alier also requested local authorities to give logistical supports to voter registration teams. He also acknowledged assistance being rendered by United Nation Mission in Sudan in transportation of voter registration materials and teams in where government supports is required.

"UNMIS is greatly supporting registration process in water zones and areas without good roads mostly in the southern part of the country and transitional areas," he stressed.

Meme: Joe Trippi's Eleven-Eleven 1111Campaign - America's and Britain's Veterans have given so much. Now, you can give back.

2009-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

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November 11, 2009

AGI: Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative

2009-11-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

From The Office of Tony Blair
November 05, 2009
Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative to create development through good governance becomes charity

The Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative has become a registered UK charity after creating a unique 'hands-on' approach to development and poverty eradication over the past eighteen months.

The Charity Commission approved the application from this relatively new organisation, which is underpinned by the belief that good governance and sustainable development are key to poverty eradication in the long term.

Tony Blair, founder of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI), said:

"I'm extremely proud of our excellent project teams who are working in partnership with the governments of Rwanda and Sierra Leone to reduce poverty and develop new opportunities for growth.

"It is a privilege to work with leaders as talented and as committed to their people as President Koroma and President Kagame who represent a new generation of leaders in Africa with a commitment to building a new future for their people.

"The developed world needs to keep up its commitment to Africa expressed at the 2005 G8 Summit in Gleneagles. But lasting change in Africa will only come in the end from African solutions. By building the capacity to create sustainable long-term development through good governance and providing high level advice, we have already started to help deliver that change.

"And it won't stop here. Whilst developing our work in Sierra Leone and Rwanda, we want to launch new projects with other countries, sharing our knowledge, experience and expertise. We want more countries to develop sustainably, paving the way to a prosperous future.

"This work has reinforced my optimism about Africa's future, as well as my conviction that governance and growth are the key ingredients to effectively reduce poverty across the continent."

Commenting on Tony Blair and the work of the Africa Governance Initiative, Ernest Koroma, President of Sierra Leone, said:

"Mr. Blair has demonstrated an enduring commitment to Sierra Leone and its people. The work comes at a critical stage in Sierra Leone's development. I believe together we have an opportunity to ensure that Sierra Leone puts in place the policies, people and institutions to achieve real and lasting change."

Commenting on the work of AGI, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda said:

"What I would like people to know is that the type of partnership we have with Tony Blair is totally different from the type of consultancy people are used to. We work in very strong partnerships whereby not only gaps are filled where they exist, but there's also the notion of transfer of skills, mentoring, actually doing things that are measurable such that over a period of time, we will be able to know what kind of impact was made."

Cross-posted to:
China Tibet Watch
Congo Watch
Ethiopia Watch
Kenya Watch
Niger Watch
Sudan Watch
Uganda Watch
Africa Oil Watch

FOCA: China, Africa hold summit to reinforce bilateral trade

2009-11-06T01:42:00.000-08:00

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao can expect a warm welcome from Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and finance and foreign ministers from 50 countries when the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCA) starts in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Sunday.

Ever-eager for raw materials and markets to sell its products, China has said the new meeting will lay down a “road map” to further boost cooperation between 2010 and 2012.

Direct Chinese investment in Africa leapt from $491 million in 2003 to $7.8 billion in 2008. Trade between the two has increased tenfold since the start of the decade.

Last year, China-Africa trade reached $106.8 billion - a rise of 45 percent in one year and on a par with with the United States, which estimated its two-way trade with sub-Saharan Africa at $104 billion for 2008.

Chinese imports from Africa last year were worth $56 billion, dominated by oil ($39 billion) and raw materials.

Its $56 billion of exports in 2008 consisted mainly of machinery, electrical goods, cars, motorbikes and bicycles.

FOCAC is held every three years and this will be the fourth since it started in 2000.

Source: AFP report via Saudi GazetteFriday 06 November 2009. Copy:
China, Africa hold summit to reinforce bilateral trade

CAIRO - Leaders from China and Africa start a three day summit on Sunday that will again throw the spotlight on Beijing’s strategic sweep for energy, minerals and political influence in the continent.

China has over the past decade paid for dams, power stations, football stadiums across Africa and scooped up copper, oil and other fuel for its breakneck economic expansion from Algeria to Zimbabwe.

It has invested billions of dollars while raising eyebrows in the United States and its allies by pursuing the hunt for oil and other resources in Sudan, Somalia and other nations that the West has shunned.

Many African leaders praise China however for not preaching about rights and corruption. So despite neo-colonialist qualms, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao can expect a warm welcome from Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and finance and foreign ministers from 50 countries when the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation starts in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Sunday.

FOCAC is held every three years and this will be the fourth since it started in 2000.

Ever-eager for raw materials and markets to sell its products, China has said the new meeting will lay down a “road map” to further boost cooperation between 2010 and 2012.

Direct Chinese investment in Africa leapt from $491 million in 2003 to $7.8 billion in 2008. Trade between the two has increased tenfold since the start of the decade.

Last year, China-Africa trade reached $106.8 billion - a rise of 45 percent in one year and on a par with with the United States, which estimated its two-way trade with sub-Saharan Africa at $104 billion for 2008.

Chinese imports from Africa last year were worth $56 billion, dominated by oil ($39 billion) and raw materials.

Its $56 billion of exports in 2008 consisted mainly of machinery, electrical goods, cars, motorbikes and bicycles.

Some in the West have accuse China of worsening repression and human rights abuses in Africa by supporting countries such as Sudan and Zimbabwe.

US intelligence director Dennis Blair told a Congress committee in March that US agencies are keeping close tabs on China’s expanding influence in Africa, especially in oil-producing countries like Nigeria.

Cross-posted to:
China Tibet Watch
Congo Watch
Ethiopia Watch
Kenya Watch
Niger Watch
Sudan Watch
Uganda Watch
Africa Oil Watch

Africa is not poor. Africa is just poorly managed

2009-08-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day
"Africa is not poor, it is poorly managed." - President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, 2009.

The following report also tells us that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says she underestimated the problem of graft.

From BBC News, Monday, 24 August 2009:
Why is the African continent poor?
By Mark Doyle, BBC world affairs correspondent

The desolate, dusty town of Pibor on South Sudan's border with Ethiopia has no running water, no electricity and little but mud huts for the population to live in.

You would be hard put to find a poorer place anywhere on earth.

I went there as part of a journey across Africa to ask the question "Why is Africa poor?" for a BBC radio documentary series.

I was asked to investigate why it is that every single African country - with the exceptions of oil-rich Gabon and Algeria - is classified by the United Nations as having a "low" broadly defined Human Development Index - in other words an appalling standard of living for most of the people.

In Pibor, the answer to why the place is poor seems fairly obvious.

The people - most of whom are from the Murle ethnic group - are crippled by tribal conflicts related to disputes over cattle, the traditional store of wealth in South Sudan.

The Murle have recently had fights with the Lol Nuer group to the north of Pibor and with ethnic Bor Dinkas to the west.

In a spate of fighting with the Lol Nuer earlier this year several hundred people, many of them women and children, were killed in deliberate attacks on villages.

There has been a rash of similar clashes across South Sudan in the past year (although most were on a smaller scale than the fights between the Lol Nuer and the Murle).

And so the answer to why South Sudan is poor is surely a no-brainer: War makes you destitute.

Why is there so much war?

And yet South Sudan is potentially rich.

"It's bigger than Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi combined," the South Sudan Regional Co-operation Minister Barnaba Benjamin, enthused.

"Tremendous land! Very fertile, enormous rainfall, tremendous agricultural resources. Minerals! We have oil and many other minerals - go name it!"

The paradox of rich resources and poor people hints at another layer of explanation about why Africa is poor.

It is not just that there is war. The question should, perhaps be: "Why is there so much war?"

And the headline question is in fact misleading; Africans as a people may be poor, but Africa as a place is fantastically rich - in minerals, land, labour and sunshine.

That is why outsiders have been coming here for hundreds of years - to invade, occupy, convert, plunder and trade.

But the resources of South Sudan, for example, have never been properly developed.

During colonial rule South Sudan was used as little more than a reservoir of labour and raw materials.

Then independence was followed by 50 years of on-off war between the south and north - with northerners in Khartoum continuing the British tactic of divide and rule among the southern groups.

Some southerners believe this is still happening today.

Corruption

On my journey across the poorest, sub-Saharan swathe of the continent - that took in Liberia and Nigeria in the west, Sudan in the centre, and Kenya in the east - people explored the impact that both non-Africans and Africans had had on why Africa is poor.

Almost every African I met, who was not actually in government, blamed corrupt African leaders for their plight.

"The gap between the rich and the poor in Africa is still growing," said a fisherman on the shores of Lake Victoria.

"Our leaders, they just want to keep on being rich. And they don't want to pay taxes."

Even President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia came close to this when she told me she had underestimated the level of corruption in her country when she took office.

"Maybe I should have sacked the whole government when I came to power," she said.

"Africa is not poor," President Johnson-Sirleaf added, "it is poorly managed."

This theme was echoed by an architect in Kenya and a senior government official in Nigeria.

Both pointed out that the informal sector of most African economies is huge and almost completely unharnessed.

Marketplaces, and a million little lean-to repair shops and small-scale factories are what most urban Africans rely upon for a living.

But such is their distrust of government officials that most businesspeople in the informal sector avoid all contact with the authorities.

Kenyan architect and town planner Mumo Museva took me to the bustling Eastleigh area of Nairobi, where traders have created a booming economy despite the place being almost completely abandoned by the government.

Eastleigh is a filthy part of the city where rubbish lies uncollected, the potholes in the roads are the size of swimming pools, and the drains have collapsed.

But one indication of the success of the traders, Mr Museva said, was the high per-square-foot rents there.

"You'll be surprised to note that Eastleigh is the most expensive real estate in Nairobi."

He added that if Eastleigh traders trusted the government they might pay some taxes in return for decent services, so creating a "virtuous circle".

"It would lift people out of poverty," he said.

"Remember, poverty is related to quality of life, and the quality of life here is appalling, despite the huge amount of wealth flowing through these areas."

Then the young Kenyan architect echoed the Liberian president, some 5,000km (3,000 miles) away on the other side of the continent.

"Africa is not poor," he also said.

"Africa is just poorly managed."

See blog: Why is Africa poor? Have Your Say

CECAFA U-17 football tournament: Egypt v Burundi (Medani, Sudan 9.30pm on 22 Aug 2009)

2009-08-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

From Pana via Afrique en ligne, Wednesday, 12 August 2009:
Fixtures of Cecafa youth football tournament in Sudan

(Kenya) - Below are the fixtures for this month's Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) championships taking place in Sudan.

The regional event, known as the Cecafa U-17 tournament, is slated for 19-31 August in three Sudanese cities - Khartoum, Juba and Medani. It is being sponsored by Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir to the tune of US$ 700,000.

Aug. 19 - Ethiopia v Zanzibar (Juba 2.30pm); Kenya v Uganda (Juba 4.30pm).

Aug. 20 - Somalia v Nigeria (Khartoum 5.30pm); Sudan v Tanzania (Khartoum 9.30pm )

Aug. 21 - Zanzibar v Kenya (Juba 2.30pm); Uganda v Ethiopia (Juba 4.30pm).

Aug. 22 - Nigeria v Tanzania (Khartoum 5.30pm); Somalia v Sudan (Khartoum 9.30pm ),

Aug. 22 - Eritrea v Rwanda (Medani 5.30pm); Egypt v Burundi (Medani 9.30pm).

Aug. 23 - Kenya v Ethiopia (Juba 2.30pm); Zanzibar v Uganda (Juba 4.30pm).

Aug. 24 - Tanzania v Somalia (Khartoum 5.30pm); Sudan v Nigeria (Khartoum 9.30pm ).

Aug. 24 - Rwanda v Burundi (Medani 5.30pm); Eritrea v Egypt (Medani 9.30pm).

Aug. 25 - Rest Day.

Aug. 26 & 27 - Quarter finals

Aug. 28 & 29 - Semi finals (Khartoum).

Aug. 30 - Rest Day.

Aug. 31 - Third place play offs/Finals (Khartoum).

Cross posted from Sudan Watch on Wednesday 12 August 2009: Fixtures of CECAFA U-17 football tournament in Sudan 19-31 Aug 2009

Click on labels here below for related reports and updates.

Aboul Gheit heads the Egyptian delegation at the Fifth Meeting of EU-Egypt Association Council

2009-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Source: Government of Egypt Press Office - Minister's Cabinet
Published at: 27 April 2009

The Fifth Meeting of EU-Egypt Association Council was held in Luxemburg on April 27th, 2009. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit headed the Egyptian delegation that included the Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Aboul Naga and a number of Egyptian senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Industry, and Finance. The European delegation was headed by Foreign Minister of Czech, Karel Schwarzenberg as being the current EU Council President, and included Foreign Minister of Sweden (the upcoming EU Council President), Carl Bildt, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and a number of senior officials at the European Commission.

Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry and member of the Egyptian delegation, Ambassador Hossam Zaki stated that the meeting was positive and witnessed clear and constructive discussions between both sides, which showed the continuous progress of relations in all fields. The Egyptian and European side declared at the end of the meeting the establishment of a workgroup on the senior officials level to discuss means to execute the Egyptian proposals concerning the development of relations between both sides. It was agreed to start holding the workgroup meetings in the near future.

The Spokesman pointed out that, during the Council’s meeting, Aboul Gheit also headed a political dialogue session between both sides. The session witnessed exchange of viewpoints regarding several international, regional, economic and political issues of common concern, particularly the Middle East peace process, the situation in Sudan, the Union for the Mediterranean demarche developments and non-proliferation efforts. Aboul Gheit presented Egypt’s vision on the global financial crisis and means to support efforts aiming to solve its repercussions and avoid its repetition, including issues related to reforming the international financial and monetary system. Both sides reviewed the current political, economic and social developments in Egypt and the EU.

The Spokesman stated that the Association Council meeting witnessed a general session focused on discussing means to promote relations between Egypt and the EU in various political and economic fields, in addition to enhancing commercial ties and financial cooperation tools. The session also reviewed the positive outcomes resulted from the different sub-committees meetings emanating from the Association agreement, which reflects the ambitious steps that both sides carried out to boost relations between them.

Egypt raps Ethiopia, Sudan to increase share of Nile water

2008-10-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2008 - Egypt raps Ethiopia, Sudan to increase share of Nile water:

APA-Cairo (Egypt) Dr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Sunday said the country was seeking an understanding with Sudan and Egypt to increase its quota of the Nile water by about 11 billion cubic meters a year.

Zeid said such an increase was needed to meet the needs of population growth and agricultural projects in Egypt.

He made the statement in a press release on Saturday on the sidelines of a meeting of water ministers of the eastern Nile Basin countries.

The minister said a similar coordination was sought with his Ugandan counterpart. (MR/tjm/APA)

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