Showing posts with label United Nations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Nations. Show all posts

Monday, March 14, 2011

The United Nations and Loots from African Rulers

The United Nations and Loots from African Rulers


What Kept me guessing is how the Western world, including Australia and some Asian countries keep on being the custodians of the ill-gotten loots of many African rulers (both current and past). We Africans will only know about the loots when there is political crisis such as the uprisings in North Africa, if one of them is overthrown or suddenly died.



Muammar Gaddafi speaking at the United Nations Assembly


Though we still see the loots with our very eyes; having oil wells, private universities, 5 star hotels, directors of many corporate organizations where they invested their loots. One other thing is that the Muslim heads of state of the troubled countries are more corrupt than ever; stealing in the name of Allah, deceiving their people or are they just kleptomaniacs?



President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe


How on earth can an Africa ruler be the richest man in the world by just being the President of his country and stashing away his country’s wealth worth $70 billion; and the United Nations is aware of this wickedness meant to his country and they condoned this loots and continue to dine and wine with him. If Mubarak is worth this, what about others?



Hosni Mubarak of Egypt


Now Gaddafi of Libya is another monster that must be stopped by all means. Since I came into this world all I know about Libyan history from my secondary to university education is Gaddafi and because of this crisis we now know the loot he has acquired over the years. What is left to do is change the name Libya to Gaddafi. There is this adage that says “he who protects and hides a thief is also a thief”. Since these countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and the Middle East in the United Nations and members of the Commonwealth are part of this conspiracy of keeping the loots, they should use their tongue to count their teeth. No wonder the late Afro Beat King Fela Anikulapo Kuti call it "Disunited Nations". Can United States of America be honest to African Countries by telling us who and who is having our African money dumped in the banks in their country. In my country we know that banks look for deposits, with $70 billion in America banks including others yet to be mentioned why America economy won’t recover fast after the financial crisis. International Monetary Fund IMF will continue to tell African Countries to devalue her currencies I think the IMF is lending to African Countries the loots of our rulers most of the banks are hiding especially the notorious “Swiss banks. “Why will United Nation and Common Wealth not address this man’s inhumanity to man. Suspend them from league of civilized people and isolate them, and return the loots back to Africa instead of enslaving us more with borrowed funds from IMF.



Demonstrators trampling on the poster of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi


In African countries after being an ex this or that they will become multi millionaires and receive awards of best looters and diversion of public funds, this have been the bane of African development over the years. United Nation, don’t wait to give us relief fund, no fly zones and humanitarian activities but refuse and impose sanctions on any bank that indulge in keeping this loots



Nelson Mandela


We have had leaders in Africa like Julius Nyerere of Tanzania of blessed memory, Joaquin Chissano of Mozambique and Madiba Nelson Mandela, I don’t know about others.



~ By Hope Obioma Opara



Monday, December 27, 2010

ECOWAS Give a Final Warning to Mr. Laurent Gbabgo

Laurent Gbagbo

26 Dec 2010 15:30 Africa/Lagos



Cote d'Ivoire / ECOWAS give a final warning to Mr. Laurent Gbabgo

ABUJA, December 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Following a press statement isssued by ECOWAS on 20th December, 2010 which urges Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, the former President of Cote D'Ivoire to hand over power to Mr. Allassan Outarra, a request which Mr. Gbagbo has refused to adhere to caused ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to convene an extra-ordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria to find ways by which Mr. Gbagbo can be forced out of office.


11 Heads of State assembled in Abuja on Friday on the invitation of the Chairman of ECOWAS, H.E Goodluck Egbele Jonathan and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Victor Gbeho to give a final warning to Mr. Laurent Gbabgo with the firm position that if Mr. Gbagbo continues to hold on to power illegally, ECOWAS will have no choice but to remove him forcefully, in an effort to allow the winner of the elections Mr.Allassan Outarra to assume office.


Sierra Leone's delegation to the Abuja extra-ordinary meeting on Cote D'Ivoire was led by President Ernest Bai Koroma and was accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Mr. J.B Dauda and the Information and Communication Minister, I.B Kargbo.


The Christmas eve meeting on Cote D'Ivoire was treated by the Heads of State seriously, because according to the Chairman Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the international community expects ECOWAS to provide leadership in resolving the political impasse in Cote D'Ivoire.


The ECOWAS Heads of State believe that it is unacceptable for a country within the sub region to be ruled by two Presidents and two Prime Ministers.The same ECOWAS Authority also believes that Mr. Laaurent Gbagbo lost the elections and should therefore allow Mr. Allassan Outarra to take over power.


the United Nations Secuirty Council earlier in a Press Statement of 20th December, 2010 condemned in the strongest possible terms President Laurent Gbagbo's attempt to usurp the will of the people and undermine the integrity of the electoral process and any progress in the peace process in Cote D'Ivoire.


The Chairman of the African Union on 6th December, 2010 circulated a Press Release from the African Union to support the United Nations by suspending the participation of Cote D'Ivoire from all African Union activities untill the democratically elected President, Allassan Outarra effectively assume State Power.


Although Mr. Laurent Gbagbo still attempts to perform Presidential duties by usurping the State radio and television, bribing the military to support him and import mercenaries into Cote D'Ivoire to help him stay in office, the international community including ECOWAS believes that he should not continue to stay in office which lead to the imposition of sanctions and travel ban on him and his close allies.


The Heads of State of ECOWAS at their meeting in Abuja on Friday said that Mr. Gbagbo be given one final chance to make up his mind to vacate office.


In the spirit of brotherliness in Africa, three Presidents have been nominated by their colleagues to confront Mr. Gbagbo in Abidjan to encourage him to leave office without delay. The three Presidents can fly back with Mr. Gbagbo, as all ECOWAS countries are prepared to grant him assylum.


Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma who played a pivotal role in the discussions supports the ECOWAS,United Nations and Europpean Union positions that Mr. Laurent Gbagbo should hand over power to the man who actually won the elections, Mr. Allassan Outarra.



Source: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)



Friday, February 26, 2010

UN and Africa to Discuss Mercenaries and Private Military and Security Companies

25 Feb 2010 21:15 Africa/Lagos

UN and Africa to discuss mercenaries and private military and security companies


ADDIS ABABA, February 25, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Representatives of some 25 from African States will meet on 3 and 4 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries* to discuss the presence and activities of mercenaries and private military and security companies (PMSCs) on the continent.


“This regional consultation in Africa is of particular importance given that the region is becoming a key market for the security industry”, said Shaista Shameem, who currently heads the Working Group. "However, PMSCs have remained largely unregulated, insufficiently monitored and rarely held accountable for the international crimes and human rights abuses they have committed.”


This meeting is the fourth of a series of five regional consultations which will end with the consultation with the Western European and Others Group in Geneva in April 2010. “This mandate was created in 1987 in a context in which the right of peoples to self-determination in Africa was often threatened by mercenary activities”, said Ms. Shameem.


State representatives will exchange good practices and lessons learned on the monitoring and regulation of the activities of private military and security companies and in particular on the adoption of a possible draft convention regulating their activities.


The Working Group said it “welcomes this opportunity to build on national experience in the continent to discuss general guidelines and principles for national and international regulation and oversight of the activities of private companies with the aim of encouraging the protection of human rights.”


(*) The Working Group is composed of five independent experts serving in their personal capacities: Ms. Shaista Shameem (Chairperson-Rapporteur, Fiji), Ms. Najat al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), Ms. Amada Benavides de Pérez (Colombia), Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado (Spain), and Mr. Alexander Nikitin (Russian Federation).


Source: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
25 Feb 2010
21:20
African Union / Press statement of the 217th meeting of the Peace and Security Council


21:15
UN and Africa to discuss mercenaries and private military and security companies
21:15
The African Union Commision and UNESCO discus ways to strengthen cooperation ties
21:14
South Africa / Media body wants legislation to protect journalists' sources
21:13
Côte d'Ivoire / UNOCI chief attends 18th meeting of heads of UN peace missions in west Africa
18:30
African Union commemorates eighth Africa Environment Day


Thursday, October 15, 2009

Children International Stands Up & Takes Action with the United Nations to Help Fight Poverty



Children International Stands Up & Takes Action with the United Nations to Help Fight Poverty

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 15, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — Children International joins the United Nations’ campaign to fight poverty one child at a time!

The U.S.-based humanitarian organization, which helps poor children around the world, invites you to observe the fourth annual “Stand Up & Take Action” event October 16-18 by supporting the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals to end hunger and poverty.

Nearly 300,000 Children International contributors have stood up and taken action every month by pledging their constant financial and emotional support of one child living in desperate poverty. In 2008, 116 million people took part in United Nations’ Stand Up & Take Action events around the world.

In response to the global food crisis and skyrocketing food prices, Children International has established a new Emergency Lifeline Food Program in 2008 which provides badly-needed food to poor children and their families whose constant fight against poverty leaves them hungry and malnourished. The Emergency Lifeline Food Program provides vitamins, enriched food and nutrition education to children and their parents in local community centers in 11 countries around the world. In the first half of this year, Children International provided food and nutrients to more than 17,000 children through their nutritional rehabilitation program.

This year, millions of participants plan to commemorate the event by organizing tree-plantings, music vigils and blood drives.

Children International’s President and CEO Jim Cook said, “Children International works every day to support the United Nations’ goals to end global poverty by lifting poor children out of crushing poverty. By partnering with Stand Up & Take Action, we will make a difference in the lives of poor children around the world.”

To learn more about how to help relieve poverty one child at a time, visit Children International.

To learn more about other events taking place around the world, visit Stand Against Poverty.

About Children International:
Established in 1936, Children International is a nonprofit organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International’s programs benefit more than 325,000 sponsored children and their families in 11 countries around the world including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Zambia, Honduras, India, the Philippines and the United States. For more information about Children International, visit http://www.children.org.



Press Contact:
Dolores Quinn Kitchin
Public Relations
Children International
Direct: (816) 943-3730
Cell: (816) 718-0711
http://twitter.com/ChildrenInt




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