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African Media Coverage
October 16-31, 2008
Rwanda: The New Times
“The path to peace in Darfur”
Published: October 31, 2008
It is pretty clear that the raging war will never bring peace to Darfurians at all, no matter the might used or the type of weapons.
It is also true that Sudanese as well as the regional and international communities are fed up with the Darfur war that has claimed over 500,000 lives and 2.5 million displaced or forced to flee their homes into exile.
Can we say enough is enough now and the current steps taken by the Arab and African leaders to try and broker a peace deal to end the five years bloody war in Darfur must be the best initiative so far since the war erupted?
Although most of the opposition parties rejected the initiative and some of the rebel groups call it a Khartoum trick to gain international attention, it is really good to start from a point somewhere and follows the steps till success is achieved.
What must be done is an immediate ceasefire, disarmament of the Janjaweed and all those militia involved in killing Darfurians.
An acknowledgement that Darfurians are really mistreated may also change events, as those who are directly and indirectly affected by the war would be convinced that the government and its allies really mean to bring peace.
Read the article here.
South Africa: News 24
“Too little too late?”
Published: October 30, 2008
Khartoum - Facing genocide charges from an international tribunal, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has taken several recent steps to shore up his image, including holding a high-profile Darfur peace conference.
But, his opponents have called the meeting a farce, and others say the gestures are "too little too late".
Al-Bashir's latest moves include speeding up deployment of international peacekeepers in Darfur and arresting an Arab militia leader charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court - the same court that charged al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur.
The government says the militia leader will be tried in a domestic court but hasn't set a date or outlined the charges.
Many are dubious al-Bashir's latest moves are more than an attempt to head off an ICC arrest warrant. The head prosecutor requested the warrant in July, and judges are expected to make a decision within weeks.
"The regime is battling for time," said Sudanese analyst Haidar Ibrahim. "It is now time for decisions not discussions."
Read the article here.
Ghana: Graphic Online
“Take 2nd Look at Accord, Prez Urges ACP, EU”
Published: October 16, 2008
President J.A. Kufuor has criticised the partnership agreements between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Union, saying the agreements have the potential to undermine regional integration efforts and split the ranks of ACP countries.
What was even more disturbing, he said, was that World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements which could have given fairer trading systems to ACP member countries continued to be frustrated by the resistance of developed countries to the removal of subsidies on their agricultural produce, thereby compromising the very basis of fair trade.
Opening the sixth ACP Summit in Accra yesterday, President Kufuor called on ACP countries and the EU to take a second look at the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and make them mutually beneficial to the two regional entities.
President Kufuor was speaking shortly after assuming the Presidency of the ACP Summit.
The four-day summit, which is being attended by representatives of all the 79-member countries of the ACP, is on the theme, "Promoting Human Security and Development".
Read the article here.
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