Libya « The Muffin Post

May 17 2011

Africa, The Rift

Libya: ICC prosecutor seeks warrant for Gaddafi

The leaders of Western democracies have bombed and killed more civilians in the last decade than the regime of Muammar Gaddafi but ICC prosecutors will not issue arrest warrants for those that are ensconced in the position of leadership and protected by a legacy to dictate the course of the UN. One wonders if the lives the UN has mandated to protect in Misrata are more important than the many Libyans that reside in Tripoli – Gaddafi’s stronghold. Further, why is the court so silent to the atrocities that are committed against innocent civilians in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan? Justice for our world is not only selective but the communication that supports it is absurd. We are told that a bomb delivered by a suicide bomber that kills civilians is an act of terrorism but a Tomahawk missile or Drone that kills the innocent serves to end terrorism. Such communication is foolish, lacks credibility, and is seen in the eyes of the independent public for what it is -- rubbish!

BBC

The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor is seeking the arrest of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and two others for crimes against humanity.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Col Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi bore the greatest responsibility for “widespread and systematic attacks” on civilians.

ICC judges must still decide whether or not to issue warrants for their arrest.

The Libyan government has already said it will ignore the announcement.

Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Kaim said the court was a “baby of the European Union designed for African politicians and leaders” and its practices were “questionable”.

Libya did not recognise its jurisdiction, like a few other African countries and the United States, he added.

New Islamic cultural center to be constructed in Warsaw

Rafal Kiepuszewski

DW-WORLD.DE

Warsaw's main mosque houses the Muslim Religious Union in Poland

An Islamic cultural center is being built in the Polish capital, Warsaw, next to the city’s new mosque. Its construction initially sparked protests, but now some are hoping it could be a sign of integration for Muslims.

Poland, like many other European countries, is trying to find ways of integrating, or co-existing with, its immigrant population. The country has a growing Muslim community, fed by immigrants from Syria, Iraq and Libya, who are attracted by Poland’s membership of the European Union.

Polish authorities have begun granting permission to construct several mosques in the country. In Warsaw, a project to build a cultural center initially proved controversial, and was opposed by traditional Roman Catholic groups. But others were more supportive. Liberal Christian, Jewish and lay groups expressed solidarity for the rights of Muslims to practice their religion.

The Islamic cultural center being built in Warsaw has been designed to fit in with Polish architectural tradition. Salim Ismail of The Polish Islamic League stressed that care was taken to avoid symbols that Poland’s Roman Catholic majority might find offensive.

Swaziland holds African Heads of Government Summit and Common Market

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) 28th Policy Organs meetings and the 14th Heads of State and Government Summit is taking place this week in Mbabane, Swaziland. The Summit which runs from August 31st-September 1st 2010 was preceded by other Policy Organ meetings at technical, senior officials and Ministerial level, including a Business Forum. The 28th meeting of the Council of Ministers is on going from August 25th-27th, 2010.

The COMESA Summit will examine, among other things, developments in the regional integration agenda, including progress towards the full implementation of the COMESA Customs Union, the tripartite cooperation between COMESA-EAC and SADC, and how the region can enhance the utilization of science and technology for the betterment of its people. All the 19 COMESA Member States are expected to be represented, which include the African nations of Burundi, Comoros, S.R. Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

During this Summit, the Kingdom of Swaziland will take over the Chairmanship of COMESA from the Republic of Zimbabwe. His Majesty King Mswati III will Chair the COMESA Authority until the next Summit to be held in 2011 at a date to be agreed upon.

The Summit will also be held around important national events on the Swaziland calendar such as the Annual Reed Dance locally known as Umhlanga which will be held on August 30th.

The dates for the Policy Organs meetings and Summit were established:

• August 18 – 20: Administrative and Budgetary Committee meetings.
• August 21 – 23 August: Intergovernmental Committee meetings.
• August 27: The Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Ministers meeting on Economic Partnership Agreements.
• August 27 – 28: The Business Forum.
• August 28 – 29: Ministers of Foreign Affairs round table.
• August 31: The sixth First Ladies Roundtable; the Heads of States Summit.

The Heads of States meeting will be held at Swaziland’s Lozitha Palace, while other meetings were scheduled at the Royal Swazi Sun and the Esibayeni Lodge.

COMESA began in December 1994. It was established ‘as an organization of free independent sovereign states which have agreed to co-operate in developing their natural and human resources for the good of all their people, and a free trade mechanism, including necessary priorities, such as the promotion of peace and security in the African region. With its 19 member states, population of over 389 million, an annual import bill of around US$32 billion, and an export bill of US$82 billion, COMESA forms a major market place for both internal and external trading. Its area of cooperation on the African Continent covers a geographical area of 12 Million sq km.

Tagged Africa's common market, African Heads of State and Government Summit, Burundi, COMESA, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, politics, Rwanda, S.R. Congo, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Mar 02 2010

Upcoming US-Africa Seminar set for Washington, DC

Africa Tourism Association (ATA) 3rd Annual US-Africa Tourism Seminar will be held March 4-5th at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, Washington, DC, 20001 in Room 204 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Representatives from the more than a dozen African countries — Angola, Kenya, Gambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Congo, Namibia, South Africa, Libya, Lesotho, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda — will attend the event.

Ambassador Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, US Department of State, will speak about tourism policy choices in Africa for the administration.

For more information, and registration, visit here.

Tagged Africa Tourism Association, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, and Uganda, Angola, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, The Caribbean, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, The United States-Africa Tourism Policy, Travel Industry, United States Africa relations, Washinton Convention Center, Zimbabwe

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Tagged with Libya …

Libya: ICC prosecutor seeks warrant for Gaddafi

New Islamic cultural center to be constructed in Warsaw

Swaziland holds African Heads of Government Summit and Common Market

Upcoming US-Africa Seminar set for Washington, DC

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