Military commanders asking Biden to station commandos in Somalia as Militant Threat Worsens 

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Source The Wall Street Journal, By Michael M. Phillips
Friday March 11, 2022

U.S. soldiers were withdrawn from bases in Somalia toward the end of President Trump’s term in office. PHOTO: TECH. SGT. CHRISTOPHER RUANO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Pentagon wants President Biden sign off on sending several hundred special operations troops into Somalia to help stop the spread of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab terrorist group, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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Defense leaders want Biden to reverse orders made by then-President Trump in his final days in office, when he directed roughly 700 Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Marine Raiders to withdraw from bases in Somalia, administration officials told the Journal.  

The commandos, who had been training local fighters to defend against al-Shabaab, were mostly moved to nearby Djibouti and Kenya. Now the U.S. military wants to White House to move those forces back to Somalia, the officials said.

“Since U.S. forces have come out of Somalia last January, we assess there is an uptick in al-Shabaab activities,” as the group faces no current pressures and has “freedom of movement,” a senior U.S. intelligence official told the outlet.

“If there continues to be no pressure on [al-Shabaab], the concern would be that they would become a threat to the homeland.”

U.S. military counterterrorism operations have spread across the globe in the 20 years since the United States invaded Afghanistan, with troops targeting al Qaeda, its affiliates and, later, ISIS everywhere from Iraq and Syria to Libya to Yemen to Somalia to the Philippines.  

advertisementsBut the Pentagon considers al-Shabaab to be al Qaeda’s most powerful offshoot, with an estimated strength of 5,000 to 7,000 fighters. To counter the group’s spread, the Defense Department since 2007 has conducted a largely secret special operations war against it.  

That special operations war was largely delegated to the skies after Trump’s last-minute order, with airstrikes becoming the de facto way to beat back al-Shabaab.

But after Biden took office, the administration quickly reduced the number of U.S. drone strikes against al-Shabaab and put Trump’s decision under review. During the assessment, which was part of a larger look at where to redistribute U.S. forces overseas, U.S. commandos were allowed to visit Somalia to train the local elite fighters unit.  

But senior defense officers argue it would be more effective to have local soldiers fight and train alongside U.S. special operations troops in Somalia. It would also be easier to coordinate air attacks with troops on the ground.
Though Biden hasn’t announced his decision, it seems likely the military will get most or all of the troops it wants in the country, the officials said.  

“I believe we will be given permission in the near term to be able to have a more persistent presence in Somalia,” a senior military official told the Journal.  

The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon and White House National Security Council for comment.

Source: UN, UN observance of International Women’s Day 2022

• The United Nations observance of International Women’s Day will be held virtually on 8 March, 10 – 11.30AM UTC–5 (New York time).
• The year 2022 is pivotal for achieving gender equality in the context of climate change, and environmental and disaster risk reduction, which are some of the greatest global challenges of the twenty-first century. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach.This year’s IWD observance is in recognition and celebration of the women and girls who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation and response, and to honour their leadership and contribution towards a sustainable future.
• Senior UN officials will be speaking at the event, including Secretary-General António Guterres, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, and Abudallah Shahid, the President of the General Assembly.

Majority of African States Vote to Condemn Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

 Sources, Axios published on 2 March 2022 the vote of each UN member nation on the resolution to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

There are 193 UN member nations.  On March 2, 141 voted in favor of condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, 35 abstained, and 5 (Russia, Democratic Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Syria, and Belarus) supported Russia. 

African countries that abstained were: Algeria, Angola, Burundi, CAR, Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

African countries that failed to vote were: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, and Togo.   

Comment:  Eritrea was the only African country to totally embarrass itself.  From my optic, surprise abstentions included Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania.  It was also surprising that Eswatini, Ethiopia, and Morocco failed to vote.  

Labels: Africa, condemnation, Eritrea, eSwatini, Ethiopia, invasion, Morocco, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, UN General Assembly, vote

Call for Targeted Sanctions in Sudan

Source:  Foreign Policy published on 28 February 2022 a commentary titled “Targeted Sanctions Can Help Restore Democracy in Sudan” by Senator Chris Coons and John Prendergast.

The authors argue that the United States should invest in Sudan’s resistance committees and other grassroots organizations with technical support and capacity-building resources, and by ensuring they are at the negotiating table during any political processes.  In addition, Washington should implement a modern, comprehensive set of sanctions on leaders of the 25 October 2021 military coup and their financial networks such as the Defense Industries System to disrupt their revenue streams and their grip on power.  

Labels: China, coup d’etat, Defense Industries System, democracy, human rights, kleptocracy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Rapid Support Forces, Russia, sanctions, Sudan, US

Somalia enters transition as Amisom gives way to ATMIS 16 Shares

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Source: EastAfrican, Monday March 7, 2022

It is assumed that the current troop-contributing countries will retain their soldiers, albeit in reduced numbers. The new mission is then expected to tap technocrats from the African Union members

After one and a half-decade of operation, the African Union Mission in Somalia, Amisom, will, starting end of this month, transition to the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

ATMIS, which still needs approval from the United Nations Security Council, will in the next two years be charged with stabilising Somalia with a clear end goal of transferring full responsibilities of national security to the Federal Government of Somalia, according to the Africa Union Security said.

The time frame and Concept of Operations (CONOPs) for the new mission will be adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council later this month, and by the UN Security Council before March 31, 2022, which is the definitive end date of Amisom’s mandate in Somalia.

At a meeting attended by African Union diplomats and top officials of the Federal Government of Somalia held in Mogadishu this week, Somalia and the African Union emerged finally reading from the same script, on the country’s future security arrangement.

The top agenda, to which both parties agreed to was that the next two years should be focused on rebuilding the country’s ground and air forces, the intelligence and security-related institutions in preparation for their takeover of the country’s overall security.
In Mogadishu, the impression was that both the AU and the FGS initially at loggerheads on the future of Amisom, have now resolved to work together on the transition.

Nigerian diplomat Bankole Adeoye who is the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, told a news conference on Monday that ATMIS will be different from Amisom because although it will retain combat active troops, it will also have a significant team of technocrats to draw up the country’s recovery from years of war.

“ATMIS is 100 percent aligned with the Somalia Transition Plan. This means that the strategy of the government of Somalia and the objective of ATMIS will be aligned. This is the number one factor that will make a difference,” Mr Adeoye said, referring to the need to prevent a vacuum in the fight against terrorists, even as the partners build a full transition by end of 2023.

This common vision by the AU and Somalia eliminates the one hurdle that had emerged last year, forcing the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of Amisom by three months to the end of this March.

At that time, Somalia and the AU had disagreed on whether to extend the mandate of Amisom or simply pull the plug on the Mission leaving behind a vacuum. Somalia had always insisted on a transitional mission, which will also be less focused on military components and more on institutional building.

Amisom, created in 2007 to support the fragile government in Mogadishu and secure the country from al-Shabaab terror attacks, has been crucial in Somalia’s relative security, but it was also criticised for failing to defeat the terror group because it had no way of totally dissuading the Somali population from joining the extremists. That effort needs better institutions and economic opportunities.

On Thursday, Mr Adeoye met with President Mohamed Farmaajo where they both agreed that extremism remains a major problem in Somalia, but which should be dealt with in a multi-prong approach.

A brief report released by Villa Somalia after the meeting shows a preliminary agreement had been reached by the Somali leader and the AU official on the transfer of duties from Amisom to ATMIS.
Somalia’s forces

“We trust Somalia’s own forces will assume full responsibility of their country’s security as ATMIS assures transition,” the AU envoy said after the meeting which was also attended by Francisco Madeira, the Special Representative of the chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of Amisom.

The details of who will contribute troops or personnel remain undeclared but it is assumed the current force contributors will retain their soldiers, albeit reduced numbers. The new Mission will then tap into AU members for technocrats, a Somalia government source told The EastAfrican.

Brig Jattani Gula, the new Kenyan troops commander in Somalia will spearhead Kenyan troops transition to ATMIS.

Brig Gula succeeds Brig Jeff Nyagah whose term saw increased collaboration between the Somali National Army (SNA) and Amisom during joint military operations against Al-Shabaab, in training and in restoring peace and normalcy in the region in line with the Amisom mandate.

Human rights ‘inescapable and powerful’: Guterres

Source: UN, 28 February 2022Human Rights

The answers to some of the world’s most pressing problems are rooted in human rights, UN Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed on Monday. 

UN Environment Assembly opens, sets sites on ending plastic pollution

Source: UN, 28 February 2022Climate and Environment

Delegates were looking to advance a global agreement on plastic pollution, among a series of draft resolutions on biodiversity and health, green economy, and circularity, as the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday.

South Sudan’s Splintered Opposition

 Source: The International Crisis Group published on 25 February 2022 an analysis titled “South Sudan’s Splintered Opposition: Preventing More Conflict.”

President Salva Kiir reached deals in January with major opposition commanders who broke away from his main rival Vice President Riek Machar.  They open space for resolving differences over the city of Malakal but increase odds of wider infighting among opposition ex-comrades.

By carving out separate agreements with dissident opposition commanders, South Sudan is careening toward more crisis.  Kiir has weakened Machar, but in so doing he also ensured that the peace process would continue to flounder.  

Labels: conflict, national dialogue, Riek Machar, Salva Kiir, South Sudan, Upper Nile State

Impact of Putin’s War on African Economies

 Source: Ventures published on 28 February 2022 a commentary titled “How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Can Impact African Economies” by Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe.  

African students have been stranded in Ukraine.  African countries import $4 billion annually of agricultural products from Russia and $2.9 billion from Ukraine, with prices likely going higher and supply possibly disrupted.  Energy and fertilizer importing countries will face higher prices while energy exporters may get a revenue boost.  

Labels: Africa, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, energy, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, sanctions, Senegal, South Africa, students, Sudan, Tanzania, trade, Ukraine, war, wheat

US Sanctions Somali Officials for Undermining the Democratic Process

 Source: The State Department issued on 25 February 2022 a statement titled “Visa Restrictions on Individuals Responsible for Undermining the Democratic Process in Somalia.”

The State Department announced that it is imposing vias restrictions on a number of unnamed Somali officials and other individuals for their role in undermining the scheduled completion of parliamentary elections on 25 February and failing to provide a clear plan to conclude the process.  

Labels: Antony Blinken, democracy, elections, sanctions, Somalia, visas

African Position on Urgent Ukraine Debate in UN Human Rights Council

 Source: Ukraine requested and obtained permission on 28 February 2022 to hold an urgent debate in the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation stemming from the Russian invasion.  The vote was 29 in favor, 5 against, and 13 abstentions.

The 5 countries opposing the debate were Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, and Eritrea.

The 29 favoring the debate included Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Libya, and Malawi.  

The 13 abstentions included Cameroon, Gabon, Mauritania, Namibia, Senegal, Somalia, and Sudan.  

Labels: Benin, Cameroon, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, human rights, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine, UN Human Rights Council, war crimes

Germany grants €20m to drought response in Horn of Africa 

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IPP Media
Source: IPP, Tuesday March 1, 2022

Following a historic drought, the United Nations estimates that around 13 million people are at risk from hunger.

Ethiopia is experiencing a prolonged drought after three consecutive failed rainy seasons since late 2020.

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It affected 6.8 million people living in Oromia, SNNP, Southwest and Somali regional state, several areas in southern and southeastern Ethiopia, including in the regions of Somali (10 zones), Oromia (8 zones), Southwest (1 zone) and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples – SNNP (7 zones).

People living in these same areas have barely managed to recuperate from the severe drought in 2017 to witness again such harsh conditions, the first signs of which started appearing towards the end of 2020.

In Somalia, an estimated 1.4 million people could be displaced due to the current drought and 7.7 million, half the population, is in need of humanitarian assistance. Scarcely any rain has fallen in several regions in the Horn of Africa since late 2020.

Germany is extending the support to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to ensure that people in areas of particular risk from hunger can receive swift assistance.

These funds are to be used, among other things, to provide more than 50,000 people in Somalia with feed for their livestock.

In Ethiopia, 26 dried-up watering holes are to be restored. In Kenya, 15,000 families are to receive humanitarian cash transfers.

In parts of the three countries, precipitation has decreased by up to 70 per cent. Some regions have even suffered their lowest rainfall of all time.

Nomadic herders and stockbreeders are facing increasing difficulties. Countless families have lost their sole source of income.

As the lack of rain also causes pastureland to dry up, nomadic herders and their animals are increasingly turning to arable land. Agriculturally-viable land is decreasing. Wells and irrigation systems are drying up.

New conflicts are arising as a result of the competition for the shrinking number of fields, grazing land and watering holes.

The consequences of armed conflicts in Ethiopia and Somalia as well as a locust plague in 2020 have aggravated the situation further.

“This funding demonstrates the German Government’s fundamental approach to humanitarian assistance. Its aim is to provide help as fast and as anticipatory as possible in order to avoid or minimize damage. The German Government has expanded its humanitarian assistance in Africa in the last few years. In 2021, it made available a total of 564 million Euros for assistance on the African continent,” a statement from the German embassy here said.

Russia launches full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Source: Reuters, Thursday February 24, 2022
By Andrew Osborn

Tanks move into the city, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Mariupol, February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

MOSCOW/KYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two and confirmation of the worst fears of the West.

Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders into the eastern Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, and landing by sea at the cities of Odessa and Mariupol in the south.

Explosions could be heard before dawn in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Gunfire rattled out near the main airport and sirens blared across the city.

A resident of Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv, the closest big city to the Russian border, said windows in apartment blocks were shaking from constant blasts. The city was gripped by panic as people tried to flee, said the resident, who asked not to be identified.

Ukraine’s President Volodymur Zelenskiy said Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s aim was to destroy his state.

“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

“This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”

advertisementsAt least eight people had been killed and nine were wounded by the Russian shelling, an advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairsaid.

Putin declared in a televised address that he had ordered “a special military operation” to protect people, including Russian citizens who had been subjected to “genocide” in Ukraine, an accusation the West has long described as absurd propaganda.

“And for this we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine,” Putin said. “Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine…All responsibility for bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine.”

Ukraine, a democratic country of 44 million people with more than 1,000 years of history, is the biggest country in Europe by area after Russia itself. It voted overwhelmingly for independence from Moscow after the fall of the Soviet Union and says it aims to join NATO and the European Union.

Putin, who denied for months that he was planning an invasion, has called Ukraine an artificial creation carved from Russia by enemies, a characterisation Ukrainians call shocking and false.

U.S. President Joe Biden said his prayers were with the people of Ukraine “as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack”, while promising tough sanctions in response.

He would be meeting with G7 leaders, he said.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell also promised the toughest financial sanctions the bloc had ever imposed.

“These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War,” Borrell said.

The full scope of the Russian military operation was not immediately clear but Putin said: “Our plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything by force.”

Speaking as the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York, Putin said he had ordered Russian forces to protect the people and appealed to the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms.

Zelenskiy appealed to world leaders to impose all possible sanctions on Russia, including on Putin.

Three hours after Putin gave his order, Russia’s defence ministry said it had taken out military infrastructure at Ukrainian air bases and degraded its air defences, Russian media reported.

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that military command centres in Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv in the northeast had been struck by missiles, while Russian troops had landed in the southern port cities of Odessa and Mariupol.

A Reuters witness later heard three loud blasts in Mariupol. Russian-backed separatists in the east later said they had captured two towns, the RIA news agency reported. There was no immediate comment by authorities in Ukraine.

Russia announced it was shutting all shipping in the Azov Sea. Russia controls the strait leading into the sea where Ukraine has ports including Mariupol.

Hours before the invasion began, the separatists issued a plea to Moscow for help to stop alleged Ukrainian aggression – claims the United States dismissed as Russian propaganda.

Global stocks and U.S. bond yields dived, while the dollar and gold rocketed higher after Putin’s address. Brent oil surged past $100/barrel for the first time since 2014.

‘DECISIVE WAY’

Queues of people waited to withdraw money and buy supplies of food and water in Kyiv. Traffic was jammed going west out of the city towards the Polish border. Western countries have been preparing for the likelihood of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing an assault.

Biden, who has ruled out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine, said Putin had chosen a premeditated war that would bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way,” said Biden, who spoke to Zelenskiy by telephone.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia’s action while NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO allies would meet to tackle the consequences of Russia’s “reckless and unprovoked attack”.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking after the Security Council meeting, made a last-minute plea to Putin to stop the war “in the name of humanity”.

China, which signed a friendship treaty with Russia three weeks ago, reiterated a call for all parties to exercise restraint and rejected a description of Russia’s action as an invasion.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Putin had chosen “the path of bloodshed and destruction”.

Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian flights citing a high risk to safety, while Europe’s aviation regulator warned against the hazards to flying in bordering areas of Russia and Belarus. 

Ethiopia starts generating power at Nile mega-dam

Source: AFP, by Robbie Corey-Boulet

Ethiopia began generating electricity from its mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday, a milestone in the controversial multi-billion dollar project.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by high-ranking officials, toured the power station and pressed a series of buttons on an electronic screen, a move that officials said initiated production.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is set to be the largest hydroelectric scheme in Africa but has been at the centre of a dispute with downstream nations Egypt and Sudan ever since work first began in 2011.

Abiy described Sunday’s development as “the birth of a new era”.

“This is a good news for our continent & the downstream countries with whom we aspire to work together,” he said on Twitter.

Addis Ababa deems the project essential for the electrification and development of Africa’s second most populous country, but Cairo and Khartoum fear it could threaten their access to vital Nile waters.

Abiy dismissed those concerns.

“As you can see this water will generate energy while flowing as it previously flowed to Sudan and Egypt, unlike the rumours that say the Ethiopian people and government are damming the water to starve Egypt and Sudan,” he said as water rushed through the concrete colossus behind him.

But Cairo denounced Sunday’s start-up, saying Addis Ababa was “persisting in its violations” of a 2015 declaration of principles on the project.

‘Resisting external pressure’

The $4.2-billion (3.7-billion-euro) dam is ultimately expected to produce more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity, more than doubling Ethiopia’s current output.

Only one of 13 turbines is currently operational, with a capacity of 375 megawatts.

A second will come online within a few months, project manager Kifle Horo told AFP, adding that the dam is currently expected to be fully completed in 2024.

The 145-metre (475-foot) high structure straddles the Blue Nile in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of western Ethiopia, near the border with Sudan.

Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees it as an existential threat.

Sudan hopes the project will regulate annual flooding, but fears its own dams could be harmed without agreement on the GERD’s operation.

Both have long been pushing for a binding deal over the filling and operation of the massive dam, but African Union-sponsored talks have failed to achieve a breakthrough.

William Davison, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the GERD is seen domestically “as a symbol of Ethiopia resisting external pressure”.

“The government has propagated the idea that foreign actors are trying to undermine Ethiopia’s sovereignty, so I think this will be cast as showing they are still making progress despite a hostile environment.”

Addisu Lashitew of the Brookings Institution in Washington described the GERD’s commissioning as a “rare positive development that can unite a deeply fractured country” after 15 months of brutal conflict with Tigrayan rebels.

“The newly-generated electricity from the GERD could help revive an economy that has been devastated by the combined forces of a deadly war, rising fuel prices and the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Project delays

The dam was initiated under former prime minister Meles Zenawi, the Tigrayan leader who ruled Ethiopia for more than two decades until his death in 2012.

Civil servants contributed one month’s salary towards the project in the year it launched, and the government has since issued dam bonds targeting Ethiopians at home and abroad.

Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front that has been at war with government forces since November 2020, said Abiy was taking credit for a project launched under a Tigrayan-led government.

“Today #AbiyAhmed is trying to cash in on a project that he once publicly downplayed as a meaningless publicity stunt,” he tweeted.

But officials on Sunday credited Abiy with reviving the dam after delays they claim were caused by mismanagement.

• Project manager Kifle Horo said the dam is currently expected to be fully completed in 2024.
• Workers at the site of Ethiopia’s mega-dam project.
• Project manager Kifle Horo said the dam is currently expected to be fully completed in 2024.
• Workers at the site of Ethiopia’s mega-dam project.

“Our country has lost so much because the dam was delayed, especially financially,” project manager Kifle said.

The process of filling the vast reservoir began in 2020, with Ethiopia announcing in July of that year it had hit its target of 4.9 billion cubic metres.

The reservoir’s total capacity is 74 billion cubic metres, and the target for 2021 was to add 13.5 billion.

Last July Ethiopia said it had hit that target, meaning there was enough water to begin producing energy, although some experts had cast doubt on the claims.

Kifle declined to reveal how much water was collected last year or what the target is for the coming rainy season.

Explore furtherEthiopia hits second-year target for filling Nile mega-dam

© 2022 AFP

Drought Compounds Problems in Horn of Africa

Source:  Foreign Policy published on 18 February 2022 an article titled “‘Brink of Catastrophe’: Drought Worsens Humanitarian Crisis in East Africa” by Robbie Gramer and Christina Liu.

The Horn of Africa is facing a severe drought that is compounding ongoing humanitarian crises, especially in Ethiopia.  

Labels: Abiy Ahmed, aid, climate change, drought, Egypt, Ethiopia, FAO, GERD, Horn of Africa, humanitarian crisis, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan

World must ‘change track’ to protect oceans from climate crisis: Guterres

Source: UN News cEnter, WMO/Awangku NazrulddinThe ocean drives global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind.    11 February 2022Climate and Environment

The planet is facing the triple crises of climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution, Secretary-General António Guterres told the One Ocean Summit on Friday, warning that “the ocean shoulders much of the burden”.

As the ocean serves as a giant carbon and heat sink, it is growing warmer and more acidic, causing its ecosystems to suffer.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=UN_News_Centre&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1491962704181051396&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.un.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2022%2F02%2F1111772&sessionId=c613ce2c883e2e1ea4780579ead2f40ff609ac09&siteScreenName=UN_News_Centre&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2582c61%3A1645036219416&width=550px

“Polar ice is melting and global weather patterns are changing”, the UN chief said in his video message to the conference, taking place this week in the northern French coastal city of Brest.

Ripple effect

The communities who rely on the ocean are hurting as well, he added: “More than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods”. 

He painted a grim picture of dwindling marine species; dying coral reefs; coastal ecosystems turned into “vast dead zones” as they serve as dumping grounds for sewage; and nutrients and seas choked by plastic waste.

Moreover, fish stocks are being threatened by over and destructive fishing practices, along with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. 

“We must change tack”, underscored the Secretary-General.

Adhering to the law

It is 40 years since the signing of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. “The importance of legal certainty in the ocean is paramount”, said Mr. Guterres.

He upheld that the second UN Ocean Conference, which will be held in Lisbon from 27 June to 1 July this year, is “an opportunity to cement the role of the ocean” in global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change. 

Blue economy

The UN chief stressed that intensified efforts must be made to protect the ocean, saying that a “sustainable blue economy can drive economic progress and job creation”, while protecting climate.

“We need more, and more effective partnerships, to address land-based sources of marine pollution…urgency in the deployment of offshore renewable energy, which can provide clean power and employment, and…[less] fossil fuels in the ocean economy”, he said. 

Mr. Guterres welcomed “encouraging steps” taken by some countries, including France, to end single-use plastics and urged others to follow suit.

Nature-based solutions

With some 90 per cent of world trade transported by sea, he said that shipping accounts for nearly three per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

“The shipping sector needs to contribute to the necessary 45 per cent cut in emissions needed by 2030, and zero emissions by 2050, in the effort to keep alive our hopes of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius”, spelled out the UN chief. 

A breakthrough on adaptation and resilience for coastal communities whose lives, homes and livelihoods are at risk is also imperative. 

“We must capitalize on the opportunities that nature-based solutions, such as mangroves and seagrasses, provide”, he added.WMO/Hwang SeonyoungWarmer temperatures mean melting sea ice, increasing ocean temperatures, and warmer water – affecting ecosystems and global weather patterns.

Viable ocean economy 

To promote a sustainable ocean economy, the Secretary-General highlighted the need for global partnerships and investment along with increased support to ocean science “so our actions are based on knowledge and understanding of the ocean”.

“Too much remains unmapped, unobserved and unexplored”, he said.

Throughout the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, Mr. Guterres encouraged concerned citizens everywhere to “deliver on our collective promise of a healthy blue planet for future generations”.

South Sudan: Sharp decline in violence against civilians

Source: UNMISSDisplaced families who fled violence take shelter in Tambura in South Sudan.    17 February 2022Peace and Security

Reported incidents of violence against civilians fell by around 42 per cent in 2021 compared with the previous year, according to a new report released by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday.

The UNMISS Human Rights Division’s annual brief on violence affecting civilians, documented 3,414 civilian victims subjected to killing, injury, abduction, and conflict-related sexual violence, out of 982 recorded cases.

Mostly male victims

Some 75 per cent of the victims were men, while 14 per cent of cases involved women, and 11 per cent, children.

This compares with 5,850 civilian victims documented in 2020. Cases of conflict-related sexual violence declined slightly from 211 in 2020, to 194 in 2021, but remained “unacceptably high”, said UNMISS in its press release.

Subnational conflict accounted for most victims in 2021. Warrap remained the state with the highest number of reported incidents, accounting for 24 per cent, followed by Western Equatoria (19 per cent), and Jonglei and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) (17 per cent each).UNMISS/Isaac BillyAn UNMISS officer discusses water scarcity with farmers to help prevent conflict between with the crop farming community in Kworijik, South Sudan.

Militia attacks

Many of the victims were killed or injured during attacks by armed community-based militias across Jonglei and the GPPA.

In May last year, violence surged with at least 230 killed, 120 injured, 178 abducted, and 14 women subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.

A concerning surge of fighting was also documented in Tambura, Western Equatoria, between ethnic militias who are allegedly affiliated with conventional parties to the conflict, said the report.

Such violence resulted in 440 deaths, 18 injured, 74 abductions, 64 victims of sexual violence and an estimated 80,000 people displaced.

UNMISS deployed peacekeepers proactively as well as pre-emptively, to conflict hotspots and conflict areas throughout the year.© UNOCHA/Dan De LorenzoDisplaced people flee violence in Abyei, South Sudan. (file)

Abuses must be investigated

The Mission established 116 temporary operating bases last year which enhanced the protection of civilians through sustained long and short distance patrols.

At the same time, UNMISS engaged in political and community consultations at the local, state and national level, adopting a Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus approach.

UNMISS is urging the Government of South Sudan to investigate human rights violations and abuses wherever they are taking place, and to hold all perpetrators accountable, particularly as violence continues to surge in several parts of the country.

Egypt and the Horn of Africa

 Source: Eurasia Review published on 9 February 2022 a commentary titled “The Horn of Africa States and Egypt” by Suleiman Walhad.

As the most important source of water for the Nile River and location of countries that form the west bank of the Red Sea south of the Suez Canal, the Horn of Africa is vitally important to Egypt.  The author warns that Egypt, the Horn of Africa countries, and the Gulf States need to focus on achieving mutually good relations rather than undermining each other.  

Labels: Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gulf of Aden, Gulf States, Horn of Africa, Nile River, Red Sea, Somalia, Sudan, Suez Canal

Ethiopia Ends State of Emergency

 Source: Reuters published on 15 February 2022 an article titled “Ethiopia’s Parliament Lifts State of Emergency Early” by Dawit Endeshaw.  

Ethiopia’s parliament, with some dissent, agreed to lift the country’s state of emergency.  This may improve the chances for a negotiated solution to Ethiopia’s internal conflict.  

Labels: Abiy Ahmed, Afar Region, civil war, Ethiopia, human rights, parliament, peace, state of emergency, Tigray Region, TPLF

Status of Talks on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

 Source: Source: Al-Monitor published on 16 February 2022 an article titled “Ethiopia’s Accusations against Egypt, Sudan Dispel Hopes for Renaissance Dam Crisis” by Mohamed Saied.  

The article reviews the current status of discussion by Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Labels: Abiy Ahmed, AU, civil war, Egypt, Ethiopia, GERD, Nile waters, Sudan, TPLF, UNSC