[sunnykerr]

Is Peace on the Horizon for Darfur?

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[sunnykerr]

UN Urges Probe Into Kenya Murders A UN investigator of extra-judicial killings in Kenya has called for an international inquiry into the murder of two human rights activists. Oscar Kamau Kingara and John Paul Oulo were shot dead on Thursday, hours after a government spokesman accused their group of aiding a criminal gang. Kenyan human rights groups say they hold the government responsible for the deaths - a claim denied by police. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odina also condemned the killings. "I fear we are flirting with lawlessness in the name of keeping law and order. In the process, we are hurtling towards failure as a state," said Mr Odinga, who joined a coalition government last year. The police denied any government involvement in the killings. But UN investigator Philip Alston said that in the circumstances, suspicion was bound to fall on the Kenyan police. "It is extremely troubling when those working to defend human rights in Kenya can be assassinated in broad daylight in the middle of Nairobi," said Mr Alston, who last week released a report accusing Kenya's police of involvement in extra-judicial killings. Mr Kingara is one of those who gave evidence to Mr Alston. "This constitutes a major threat to the rule of law, regardless of who might be responsible for the killings," said the UN investigator. Mr Alston's report called for Kenya's top policeman and the attorney general to resign for failing to address police impunity. Mr Kingara and Mr Oulu were shot dead in their car near State House, the official residence of the Kenyan president. Afterwards a student was shot dead in a riot sparked by the killings. Police Commissioner Hussein Ali says three policemen have been arrested in connection with the student's death. He said he would make a statement about Mr Kingara's shooting in a couple of weeks after a comprehensive investigation. Point-blank range But Mr Alston says only an independent investigation will do. "It is imperative, if the Kenya police are to be exonerated, for an independent team called from somewhere like Scotland Yard or the South African police to investigate," he said. US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger said Washington was offering the services of the FBI to catch the perpetrators. "The murders are a serious attack on human rights in Kenya," Mr Ranneberger said in a statement. According to Mr Alston, the two human rights defenders were on their way to a meeting with a senior officer of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights when they were shot at point-blank range whilst sitting in heavy traffic. The killings have outraged the human rights community. "The human rights community in Kenya holds the government fully and wholly responsible for the assassinations," Cyprian Nyamwamu of the Kenya Human Rights Consortium told the BBC's Network Africa programme. "These two colleagues, members of the Oscar Foundation, are genuine, established, renowned human rights defenders," he said. Mr Nyamwamu said there had been no attempt to save the men. "The eyewitnesses on the scene saw the two vehicles create a jam, stop the traffic until they came out, gunned down these two human rights officers and paraded and ensured that nobody took these two to hospital until they were dead." 'Front' He said the police only arrived on the scene two hours later. "This is just one kilometre away from the central police station in Nairobi. It's not in the bush," he said. Mr Kingara's Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic published a report last year, which said that 8,040 young Kenyans have been executed or tortured to death since 2002 in a police crackdown on a gang known as the Mungiki. "It is a front so they can be able to carry out their activities," Alfred Mutua said. Mainly drawn from President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu ethnic group, the Mungiki run transport rackets in the capital and are seen by some as a Kenyan version of the mafia. Mr Mutua spoke as members of the sect led protests against police violence in the capital Nairobi and other towns. They were calling for Mr Alston's recommendations to be implemented.

BBC NEWS | Africa | UN urges probe into Kenya murders

I love how we're supposed to take police's word that police are not involved. If they're not, and I don't know that they are but..., why not allow an independent investigation? Two civil rights leaders are killed in broad daylight a short distance away from the official presidential resident on their way to meeting with the president and that's not suspicious to anyone? Please!!! Have an indenpendent investigation. Show some transparency here.

[sunnykerr]

Car-Truck Crash Kills Zimbabwe Prime Minister's Wife, Injures Him HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was in stable condition and recovering from head injuries Friday night after a car wreck that killed his wife, Susan, medical sources told CNN. The crash, on a busy two-lane highway between Tsvangirai's hometown of Buhera and the capital city of Harare, comes just weeks after the start of a power-sharing agreement between Tsvangirai and his political rival, President Robert Mugabe. Analysts say the crash is bound to raise suspicion of foul play, with one former U.S. diplomat calling for an outside investigation, saying it is not the first time that a political foe of Mugabe has been killed or injured in a car crash. Members of Tsvangirai's political party, the Movement for Democratic Change, said Friday that it was too early to tell whether the crash is anything other than an accident. Tsvangirai's aide and driver also were injured in the head-on collision with a large truck, according to his spokesman, James Maridadi. Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa said he spoke to Tsvangirai at the hospital, and the party leader was in "relatively stable" condition. Sources at The Avenues Clinic in Harare said that Tsvangirai was in stable condition with minor head injuries and that the prime minister was alert and talking. One source said the attending doctor had told him of his wife's death. Another said that doctors were planning to keep Tsvangirai overnight for observation and that specialists were checking his condition. Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, took office last month under a power-sharing deal with Mugabe after a contentious election. Tsvangirai's MDC reached the power-sharing agreement with Mugabe in September after months of angry dispute that included violence. More than 200 deaths, mainly those of opposition supporters, were reported leading up to and in the aftermath of the election. "I'm skeptical about any motor vehicle accident in Zimbabwe involving an opposition figure," said Tom McDonald, the U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe from 1997 to 2001. "President Mugabe has a history of strange car accidents when someone lo and behold dies -- it's sort of his M.O. of how they get rid of people they don't like." McDonald cited the 2001 death of Defense Minister Moven Mahachi, Employment Minister Border Gezi's death in 1999 and the death last year of Elliot Manyika, a government minister and former regional governor. All three died in car crashes. "This is several," McDonald said. "So, when I hear that Tsvangirai was in an accident, it gives me pause." McDonald, now an attorney with the Washington law firm Baker Hostetler, urged a full investigation by outside authorities. One analyst who studies the region said the collision could "exacerbate" the fragile unity government. "There will undoubtedly be suspicions about the cause of the crash and whether there was foul play involved," said Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "At a time when there needs to be confidence-building measures, this incident potentially raises suspicions and undermines the potential for greater cohesion of the government. [There is] huge potential for the agreement to be manipulated by Mugabe." McDonald, however, was quick to say that traffic accidents are common in Zimbabwe. The highway on which Tsvangirai was traveling is a two-lane road where tractor-trailers are common, vehicles in the country are often in bad shape and drivers often are inexperienced, he said. "It's certainly plausible that this was just one of those tragic things," he said. The collision occurred on the Harare-Masvingo Road as Tsvangirai and his wife headed to his hometown of Buhera, south of the capital, Harare, his spokesman said. The couple, who were married in 1978, have six children, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. Last month, Susan Tsvangirai told a BBC affiliate that the past decade had been an "endurance test" for her husband and his MDC colleagues. "People went through hell, but they stuck to their ideals to seek change through democratic means," she said. "This was a struggle that we endured with MDC cadres, activists, supporters and peace-loving Zimbabweans. "To them I say thank you so much for the support they gave the MDC to reach this momentous period." A former miner and union organizer, Morgan Tsvangirai first ran for president in 2002 against Mugabe, who has been the country's leader since it gained independence from Great Britain in 1980. Since then, Tsvangirai has been charged with treason twice and accused of plotting to assassinate Mugabe. Tsvangirai was arrested and allegedly beaten in 2007. The criminal charges against him were dropped.

Car-truck crash kills Zimbabwe prime minister's wife, injures him - CNN.com

Well, of course, this was bound to raise suspicions. Mugabe is forced to share power and the next thing you know, Tsvangirai's car is involved in a collision? Because that's not suspicious at all... Traffic accidents may happen as frequently in Zimbabwe as they do in every country on this planet, but there's just no way this wasn't gonna raise suspicions. Mugabe's already had gthe man jailed, for petes' sakes.

I think it is incredibly sad that Mrs Tsvangirai passed away, though. Her six children are in my thoughts.

[sunnykerr]

Botswana Diamond Firm Shuts Mines Debswana, a diamond producing firm jointly owned by Botswana's government and De Beers, will close two mines for the rest of the year as demand falls. Debswana's four diamond mines will close on 25 February, but two of them will resume work on 14 April. Its Damtshaa mine and Orapa No 2 Plants will be closed till the end of 2009, directly affecting 580 employees. These workers will be redeployed within the company or offered voluntary early retirement and other incentives. "These actions are being taken to mitigate the effects of the global downturn by reducing production during 2009 to align with demand, conserving cash for the company, protecting employment and maintaining readiness for an eventual upturn in the market," said De Beers. Diamond giant De Beers, the world's largest diamond producer by value, said in a statement last week that it produced 48.1 million carats in 2008, of which Debswana produced 32.3 million carats, down 4% from 33.6 million carats in 2007. The global financial and economic crisis forced even wealthy consumers to cut their spending on luxury goods, including jewellery. Luxury-jewellery retailer Tiffany said in January its same-store sales for the holiday season fell by 24%.

BBC NEWS | Business | Botswana diamond firm shuts mines

I wonder what they mean by "offering early retirement." Do they have retirement plans for their diamond mine workers? Because, I have to say, that would kinda run counter to the reputation these places have.

[sunnykerr]

White House Meets Aid Groups Over Darfur WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Obama administration officials huddled at the White House Thursday night with non-governmental organizations currently operating in Darfur, after the Sudanese president announced that 13 aid groups must leave the country. "U.S. officials listened to the concerns of the NGOs, particularly regarding humanitarian needs that will go unmet in the wake of the expulsion of aid groups," acting State Department Spokesman Gordon Dugiid told reporters. The move by the Sudanese government to throw out several aid groups comes a day after the International Criminal Court at The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur. The Sudanese government expelled 13 aid agencies that deliver more than half of the humanitarian assistance provided in Sudan. Roughly 70 other agencies continue to operate in Sudan, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Duguid said that at Thursday's meeting administration officials explained U.S. efforts to get the government of Sudan to reconsider its decision. "The officials expressed deep concern that if carried out, the Sudanese threat could prompt a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions in Sudan," Duguid said. Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday warned that the Sudanese move could cause "irrevocable damage to humanitarian operations" in the country. "The operations of these agencies are key to maintaining a lifeline to 4.7 million Sudanese people who receive aid in Darfur," a statement issued by the U.N. said. "These organizations provide humanitarian assistance to those who need it in a neutral and impartial manner." Both the United Nations and the United States, along with the rest of the international community, are urging the Sudanese government to reconsider the decision.

White House meets aid groups over Darfur - CNN.com

There is financially a warrant out for al-Bashir's arrest for crimes against humanity. Why does he get a say? We'll invade countries on the most specious of reasonings, but we'll allow some demagogue to dictate the terms of our involvement in aiding his victims? What the heck is wrong with this picture?????

[sunnykerr]

Madagascar Army's Crisis Deadline The army chief has given Madagascar's rival leaders 72 hours to solve the island nation's political crisis, which has left more than 100 people dead. "We promise to remain neutral," said General Edmond Rasolomahandry. He was speaking after a group of soldiers apparently forced the defence minister to resign. President Marc Ravalomanana has also appealed for an end to the violence and admitted making mistakes during the turmoil that has lasted several weeks. "We implore all political players, civil society organisations and other parties to reunite immediately to find a solution within the next 72 hours to help the nation out of the current crisis," said Gen Rasolomahandry. But military spokesman Colonel Henri Michel Marcellin told the BBC the army was not trying to seize power. "We're just going to put everything in order. Everybody is behind us, the politicians, the army and other members of the security forces, they're all with us," he said. "It is us, the army, who are in control of the situation." In a television and radio address on Tuesday, Mr Ravalomanana said he had made mistakes and knew some people were "furious" with him. "I understand them. I am ready to listen to you. I promise to take steps to find a solution," he said. Mr Ravalomanana has confirmed he will attend a national conference beginning on Thursday at which he is expected to hold discussions with opposition leader Andry Rajoelina. Protests The army's ultimatum followed the resignation of Defence Minister Vice-Admiral Mamy Ranaivoniarivo earlier on Tuesday. He read out a brief letter of resignation to reporters, but later suggested he may have been under pressure to leave his post. "Perhaps I resigned under threat. I do not like it that Malagasy people are killing each other," he said. AFP also reported that clashes had broken out between rival factions on the streets of the capital Antananarivo, injuring 19 people. The whereabouts of Mr Rajoelina are unclear after a French foreign ministry spokesman said he had left the French embassy in Antananarivo. Frederic Desagneaux told AFP that Mr Rajoelina, a 34-year-old former DJ, was no longer in the French embassy. He refused to give further details, directing enquiries to the United Nations. Earlier, hundreds of government supporters had gathered outside the French embassy, demanding that the opposition leader be handed over. The BBC's Louvassou Rabari in Madagascar says looting has continued for a second day in Antananarivo. The head of the emergency services, Cornell Rafolohanitrarivo, told AFP that two people were shot dead and 30 injured during fighting and looting in the capital on Monday.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Madagascar army's crisis deadline

Well, it would be refreshing to see a country where the military isn't trying to seize power when it's telling the government what to do, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm not entirely sure I quite believe General Rasolomahandry as yet.

[sunnykerr]

Riots Break Out in Kenyan Capital Riots have broken out in Kenya's capital Nairobi at a rally involving hundreds of students against alleged extra-judicial killings by police. Police used tear gas to disperse university protesters who were hurling stones and looting shops. The rally was held to protest against last week's killing of a student by police and also alleged shootings of two human rights activists. Police deny any involvement in the killings of the two activists. Oscar Kamau Kingara and John Paul Oulo were shot dead in their car in central Nairobi last Thursday. They were attacked just hours after a government spokesman accused their group of aiding the Mungiki criminal gang. 'Assassinations' Kenyan human rights groups have blamed the government for the "assassinations" of the two rights activists. The twin killings sparked a riot in which a student was shot dead. Three policemen were later arrested in connection with the student's death. Protesters on Tuesday carried banners and chanted slogans demanding the resignation of the police commissioner, Hussein Ali, because of what they described as excessive police force. UN investigator Philip Alston, who has also called on Mr Hussein to quit, said after the shootings that suspicion was bound to fall on Kenya's police in the circumstances. "It is extremely troubling when those working to defend human rights in Kenya can be assassinated in broad daylight in the middle of Nairobi," said Mr Alston, who last month released a report accusing Kenya's police of running death squads. Last year, Mr Kingara's Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic published a report, which said that 8,040 young Kenyans have been executed or tortured to death since 2002 in a police crackdown on the Mungiki gang.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Riots break out in Kenyan capital

This is gonna get worse before it gets better. Over eight thousand dead in seven years?!?!?! That is insane. You can just see how people have been seething for a long time and this last incident was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Such a shame, too.

[sunnykerr]

'Civil War Looms' in Madagascar The US ambassador to Madagascar has warned the country is heading for civil war after pro-opposition soldiers forced the army chief to resign. Niels Marquardt said he was concerned and saddened by the Indian Ocean island's six-week political crisis. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has now offered to host peace talks. Army chief Edmond Rasolofomahandry had on Tuesday given the country's political rivals 72 hours to end a dispute which has paralysed Madagascar. But dissident soldiers took over the army HQ and forced him to resign. "I note with a great deal of concern and a great deal of sadness that Madagascar is - nearly - on the verge of civil war," said Mr Marquardt. President Marc Ravalomanana has been involved in a power struggle with opposition leader Andry Rajoelina since mid-January. At least 100 people have died during opposition protests. Plans for mediators from a church council to start negotiations on Thursday between the rivals were cancelled. Mr Rajoelina had earlier said he would boycott the discussions. His spokesman added that the church leaders lacked credibility and the time was not right for talks. A statement from Senegal's presidency said Mr Wade had asked Mr Ravalomanana and Mr Rajoelina to come to Dakar after receiving requests from both sides to mediate. The Senegalese leader stepped in during a previous political crisis in 2002, from which Mr Ravalomanana emerged as president. President's 'mistakes' Andre Andriarijaona has now been sworn in as the new army chief, and he indicated his predecessor had been removed to preserve the cohesion of the army. "Negotiations with the general were completed in the fraternity worthy of the army. Now all the corps in Madagascar are behind me, and our cohesion has not been affected," he said. The AFP news agency reports that only the president would normally appoint an army chief of staff. On Tuesday, dissident soldiers also forced the defence minister to resign. President Ravalomanana on Tuesday gave a rare national address, in which he admitted to making mistakes and called for an end to violence after two days of looting in the capital Antananarivo. The whereabouts of Mr Rajoelina are unclear after a French foreign ministry spokesman said he had left the French embassy in the capital, Antananarivo. Frederic Desagneaux told AFP that Mr Rajoelina was no longer in the French embassy. He refused to give further details, directing inquiries to the United Nations. The UN had said it would offer protection to the opposition leader. Earlier, hundreds of government supporters had gathered outside the French embassy, demanding that the opposition leader be handed over. Mr Rajoelina, a 34-year-old former DJ and Antananarivo mayor, went into hiding last week after the security forces tried to arrest him.

BBC NEWS | Africa | 'Civil war looms' in Madagascar

Oh, man. I had high hopes under the previous military leadership, but this looks indeed like the beginnings of not only a civil war, but of a military dictatorship as well.

[sunnykerr]

Seized Darfur Aid Workers Freed Three foreign aid workers abducted in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur three days ago have been released. The Medecins Sans Frontieres staff - a French administrator, a Canadian nurse and an Italian doctor - were safely back in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. They were freed on Saturday along with a Sudanese national, having been abducted at gunpoint on Wednesday. "We are incredibly relieved that our colleagues are safe," said Christopher Stokes, a senior MSF official. His statement followed disputed reports the hostages had been freed on Friday. The group was taken to the town of El-Fasher in North Darfur by government helicopter before being transported to Khartoum on Saturday night. Mr Stokes, general director of MSF's Belgian section, expressed his outrage at the abduction, which prompted MSF to evacuate almost all international staff from its Darfur projects. He said the future of those projects remained uncertain because of the security situation in the area. 'Bashir's Eagles' Laura Archer, Mauro D'Ascanio and Raphael Meunier were abducted on Wednesday evening from their office at Saraf Umra, an area under government control about 230km (143 miles) west of El Fasher. One of two Sudanese MSF employees seized at the same time was later freed. The other, watchman Sharif Mohamadin, was released at the same time as the three foreigners. MSF had run the only health clinic for the Saraf Umra area's 60,000 residents. The clinic is run by MSF's Belgian branch, which is not among more than a dozen aid groups expelled from Sudan after an international indictment was issued this month against President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in Darfur. Khartoum has accused the groups of spying - a charge they strongly deny. The Sudanese authorities initially said the gang responsible for the latest abductions were bandits seeking a cash ransom. Both the local Sudanese governor and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini insisted no ransom had been paid to secure the release of the hostages. North Darfur Governor Osman Yusuf Kibir said the kidnappers were from a group calling themselves the Eagles of Bashir, which was protesting against the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against Mr Bashir. "They released them for the country's sake and they kidnapped them for the sake of the country," he said. Although banditry is common in parts of the region, the latest kidnapping is thought to have been the first of Western aid workers since two Britons were briefly detained by Darfur rebels in 2005. The UN has said Sudan's decision to order out the aid groups has placed more than one million lives at risk. The UN estimates that 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million been displaced since black African rebels took up arms in 2003 against the Arab-dominated regime demanding a greater share of resources and power.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Seized Darfur aid workers freed

Well, this is such a relief! Laura Archer is from Montreal, so we'd had this story all over the news. Kinda made me ashamed, too, that I wasn't more aware of the high risks to foreign aid officers before this happened. When Bashir expelled all aid agencies from the country last week, I totally didn't stop to think of what would happen in the immediate circumstances to the aid workers.

Of course, the larger concern, ie the genocide, remains.

[sunnykerr]

Madagascar President Forced Out Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana has said he is standing down and handing power to the military. Meanwhile military leaders said they were conferring full powers on 34-year-old opposition leader Andry Rajoelina. Mr Rajoelina has installed himself in the president's offices, seized on Monday by pro-opposition troops. The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Madagascar says that while it seems clear Mr Ravalomanana is ceding power, there is confusion about who is now in charge. Navy admiral Hyppolite Ramaroson told journalists in the capital, Antananarivo, that the military was giving full powers to Mr Rajoelina "to become president of the high transitional authority". "We have categorically rejected the [military] authority that [Mr] Ravalomanana asked us to set up after his resignation," he said. However, it is not clear whether the decision to transfer power to Mr Rajoelina is backed by the whole army. Dramatic victory The crisis on the Indian Ocean island has left 100 people dead since January. The African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) have condemned any direct seizure of power by Mr Rajoelina. "We don't think anybody has the right to unseat an elected government by force," Botswanan Foreign Minister Phando Skelemani told the BBC, speaking on behalf of SADC. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed grave concern at the unrest in Madagascar, appealing to all parties to ensure a "smooth transition". In a radio address announcing his resignation Mr Ravalomanana said he had decided to give up power after "deep reflection". "This decision was very difficult and very hard, but it had to be made. We need calm and peace to develop our country," he said. Mr Ravalomanana's resignation marks a dramatic victory for Mr Rajoelina, who was sacked as mayor of the capital in February. Relief The former disc jockey took up office at the presidential residence in central Antananarivo on Tuesday before emerging triumphantly to parade among thousands of supporters. He has announced there will be a new constitution and elections within 24 months. The current constitution sets a minimum age of 40 for presidential candidates. Mr Rajoelina is 34. Earlier, a number of government ministers quit, as power ebbed away from the president. Our correspondent says the mood on the streets was one of relief following fears of a bloody last stand if Mr Ravalomanana had continued to cling to power. Mr Ravalomanana had said he was ready to fight to the death at the Iavoloha palace, about 15km (nine miles) from the city centre. On Monday, Mr Rajoelina, who has declared himself president, rejected Mr Ravalomanana's offer of a referendum to solve the crisis and called for his arrest. Later that day, troops stormed the presidential residence in the centre of the capital and also seized the central bank. Mr Ravalomanana was re-elected for a second term in office in 2006 and under him, Madagascar's economy has opened up to foreign investment, particularly in mining. But 70% of the 20 million population still lives on less than $1 (£0.7) a day and correspondents say the opposition has tapped into popular frustration at the failure of this new wealth to trickle down. Mr Rajoelina had said the president has been a tyrant who misspent public money but Mr Ravalomanana's supporters said his rival is a young troublemaker who has not offered any policy alternatives.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Madagascar president forced out

[Callace]

:eek. I wonder where this will lead. A coup d'etat rarely ends good

[4N6 DNA]

Banner and related threads for the OP.

Is Peace on the Horizon for Darfur?

[sunnykerr]

Originally Posted by callace (View Post) :eek. I wonder where this will lead. A coup d'etat rarely ends good

Oh, I agree. And I personally find it ever so scary how no one seems to be noticing what's going on.

[sunnykerr]

Pirates Seize British Cargo Ship in Gulf of Aden (CNN) -- A British-owned cargo ship on Monday became the latest vessel to be seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The 32,000-tonne Malaspina Castle was taken early on Monday and was believed to be heading towards Somalia's pirate-infested coast, the European Union's Horn of Africa maritime security center said. "Few details are known at this stage, but the mixed-nationality crew is believed to be safe," a statement on the London-based organization's Web site said. The vessel, which is operated by an Italian company, carried a crew of 24, from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia and the Philippines, Britain's Telegraph newspaper reported. "There have not yet been communications from the Malaspina Castle that we are aware of, so information is limited," said Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers' Assistance Program in quotes carried by the Telegraph. He added: "It is likely to be taken towards the Somali coast and negotiations will begin soon." Meanwhile, the BBC reported that a Taiwanese fishing boat, with a crew of 29, was also hijacked Monday approximately 260km (160 miles) from the Seychelles. The latest attacks follow a string of incidents in the pirate-plagued waterway off Somalia at the weekend, with a French yacht, a Yemeni tugboat and a German ship also reported to have been seized. Last year, pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau. In response, a number of countries have deployed warships from their navies to the region, including the United States, China and Japan. Monday's seizure of the Malaspina Castle was immediately condemned by the UK ship masters' union Nautilus, which has long urged governments to take stronger action to deter piracy. Nautilus assistant general secretary Mark Dickinson told the British Press Association: "Over the last 10 years, most governments have not really done very much about this. "More recently they have been motivated to act and there is an EU naval coordination force patrolling off the Gulf of Aden." He added: "I'm not sure that this is going to be a long-term thing and I'm also worried that the pirates will start seizing ships well away from the areas being patrolled. "In Somalia, piracy is like a big, successful industry and the authorities there need to act. The pirates are treated like local heroes. People look up to them and girls want to marry them. They are seen by some locals as good people but they are ruthless."

Pirates seize British cargo ship in Gulf of Aden - CNN.com

Pirates in the 21st century....

This isn't the first time (obviously) that I've heard of this, but it still feels totally bizarre every time something else happens. Pirates. In the 21st century. What the heck?

[sunnykerr]

Rwanda Marks Genocide With Vigil Rwanda has held a candlelit vigil at the start of a week of national mourning to mark 15 years since the genocide which killed 800,000 people. Ceremonies were held in the capital Kigali, and in Nyanza, where more than 5,000 people were slaughtered. At a stadium in Kigali, thousands of candles spelt out the word "hope" in three languages. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that preventing future genocide was "a collective responsibility". "Only by meeting this challenge can we match the resolve of the survivors and truly honour the memory of those who died in Rwanda 15 years ago," he said. "The resounding voices of survivors touch us in ways that no other words could. Yet the silence of the more 800,000 innocent victims still haunts our collective conscience." US President Barack Obama said the genocide was "so enormous, so daunting, that it runs the risk of becoming a statistic". He said it was important to remember that each person who died had "their own story, their own family, and their own dreams" and that remembering such events deepened the commitment to prevent "future atrocities". Mr Obama also praised the "courageous" survivors who he said had "demonstrated remarkable strength and generosity in forgiving those who committed these heinous acts". "These individuals inspire us daily by working to restore trust and rebuild hope in Rwanda," he said. 'Cowardice' The BBC's Karen Allen, in the Kigali stadium, said the ceremony was very emotional, with several people overcome by grief and having to be carried out. Dignitaries and ordinary Rwandans, led by Mr Kagame, queued up to light candles. "We must remember, but life must go on," Mr Kagame told the crowd. "We must continue to build a better future." But Mr Kagame has also used the occasion to accuse the international community of cowardice and of abandoning Rwandans to their deaths. He laid a wreath and lit a torch at the scene of a massacre in Nyanza, seen by many as a symbol of the UN's failure 15 years ago. The killings there took place after Belgian troops withdrew following a Rwandan militia attack that claimed the lives of 10 peacekeepers on 7 April that year. Mr Kagame said the people of Rwanda had been "abandoned in their time of need" by the UN troops sent to protect them. "They left them to be murdered. Aren't they guilty?", AFP quoted him as saying. "They left even before any shot was fired." He said the international community was "part of that history and the root causes of the genocide," but that Rwandans were "not like those who abandoned people they had come to protect". Tribunals The genocide in Rwanda began when President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane was shot down on 6 April 1994. Within 100 days of the president's death, ethnic Hutu militia had killed some 800,000 people across Rwanda. The killings came to an end when Tutsi-led rebels under the current president took control. Rwanda has taken many practical steps to build bridges between the Tutsi and Hutu communities, says our correspondent. Some of the most senior perpetrators of the violence have faced a special tribunal in Tanzania although scores of key suspects remain at large. Although the younger generation is spear-heading efforts at reconciliation, many older people are finding in harder to forgive, she says.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Rwanda marks genocide with vigil

Yeah, I don't think the lessons of history were learned at all here. Because it's happening right now in Darfur and no one's doing anything about it. Now we know better and we'll prevent future genocide? Please. It's happening right now.

And the world did abandon Rwanda. Lt.-Gen. Dallaire tried to help. He tried to prevent the massacre of innocent people, but he did leave when ordered to. I happen to believe that he did the best he could, but the truth is that no one, whether an organization or a government, back him up. So we abandoned Rwanda.