XINHUA NEWS SERVICE REPORTS FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

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Mali: Human rights abuses in
are now ‘more systematic’ - U.N.

More than 200,000 refugees and 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been registered by the UN Refugee office
 

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) -- A senior UN official said here Wednesday that the pattern of human rights violations in Mali is now “more systematic,” and called for the government to re- take control of the rebel-held northern part of the West African country.

“The pattern of human rights violations is changing,” Ivan Simonovic, the UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, said at a press conference here. “What is new now is that humans rights violations are becoming more systematic.”

The press conference took place following Simonovic’s four-day visit to Mali to assess the human rights situation there.

Simonovic, a Croatian diplomat and former Croatian justice minister, was appointed in May 2010 the UN assistant secretary- general for human rights

Islamic militants have established a strict Sharia law in the north following an unplanned coup in April, and the “population is suffering a number of human rights violations, particularly targeted at women,” said Simonovic.

Under the strict laws, women are facing restrictions in the ability to work, an increase in forced marriages and drastic punishments, he said.

Children are also quite vulnerable in this situation, he said, “there is reliable evidence of many children being enlisted” as child soldiers.

Simonovic said that two-thirds of the country is now under the control of Islamic militants, or roughly the size of France.

“When speaking about the situation in the north, the best illustration is that over one third of the population in the north have fled,” he said.

More than 200,000 refugees and 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been registered by the UN Refugee office thus far.

The situation is so tenuous that UN officials and agencies, including those bearing humanitarian assistance, have been barred from entering the north of the country.

Simonovic explained that the underlying instability of the West African country, which caused the coup, is due to widespread poverty, with more than half of the country living under the global poverty line of 1.25 U.S. dollars a day.

“What is quite needed is for the government to take control over rebel-controlled area and the organization of a credible election,” he said. “The sooner those processes are over, the better for the country.”

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Security Council to focus on
Mali in October: president

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council is to focus on the situation in Mali and world peace and security in October, Guatemalan UN Ambassador Gert Rosenthal, who holds the Security Council rotating presidency for this month, told reporters here Tuesday.

Human rights abuses, human trafficking, smuggling of arms and devastating levels of poverty in Mali has been “disturbing” in the last few weeks, said Rosenthal.

The first Malian consultation will convene Thursday as a preliminary review of how the Security Council would like to react to the challenges faced by Mali.

Guatemala, a non-permanent Council member, took over the rotating Council presidency from Germany, also a non-permanent member, from Oct. 1.

The Council is also expected to hold three open debates in October on world peace and security, centering around the Middle East, the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as women and peace.

The Council is also going to discuss the situation in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan this month.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told reporters here Tuesday morning that the situation in Sudan and South Sudan have improved due to recent bilateral agreement on borders and oil following years of war.

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France’s Hollande says to vote
for military intervention in Mali

PARIS (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday expressed his readiness to give green light to the launching of a military operation to end crisis in northern Mali.

“France has once again confirmed its readiness not only to vote for this resolution, but to support the logistical and political the initiative taken by Africans,” Hollande said.

“The goal is to eradicate terrorism for the interest of Mali, Africa and also the stability of the world,” he stressed.

Speaking during a joint press conference with visiting United Nations Secretary General Ban Kimoon, French leader added that “all the elements will be gatherd to vote a resolution within a reasonable time, which means a brief (delay).”

Paris has announced that it will soon present to the Security Council a draft resolution aimed at preparing the ground for UN green light to oust Islamists insurgents from Mali’s northern region.

As violence in Syria escalates, Hollande and Ban Kimoon called for a political transition in the violence-ridden country “so that the regime gives ground, Bashar al-Assad quits office and political transition exists.”

The UN Secretary General urged an end “the militarization of the conflict.”

“The militarization of the conflict will only worsen the situation of the Syrians. The only option is the political resolution of the conflict via a political dialogue by Syrian people,” he said.

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Gambia and Mali set to stop
Gambian migrants to Libya

BANJUL (Xinhua) -- The government of Gambia has approached Mali to repatriate Gambian migrants who are planning their trip to Libya for greener pasture searching for better life, officials told Xunhua on Tuesday.

Many Gambian youths are “traveling to the Sahara region voyaging to Libya via Niger searching for greener pasture,” immigration source said, “the government of Gambia is currently discussing with Malian authority to send back any Gambian who wants to cross the border to Niger to Libya.”

The journey cost each migrant almost 500 U.S. dollars.

On Sept. 19, 2012, immigration officers at Kerr Ayub Village Border Post intercepted 40 Gambians based on the fact that they had the intention of travelling to African countries and finally to Europe.

“On their arrival, our officers called on the passengers to get down from the bus for screening, during which the officers established that their intention was to travel through the illegal journey,” he said.

According to the immigration spokesman, seven of the would-be migrants are from the West Coast Region, eight are from North Bank Region, 14 from the Lower River Region, 10 from Central River Region and one from the Upper River Region.

He said some of them openly admitted that their intention was to travel to Europe, with their first stopping point to have been Mali, from where they will proceed to Niger, then to Libya, where they will work to gather some money before finally leaving for Europe.

“Investigation is ongoing and if we establish that there is an agent on the issue, we will prosecute the person,” immigration spokeperson Ba Ensa Jawara said.