Monday 25 October 2010
Monifa from Toronga Zoo
It is very rare pygmy hippo, called Monifa, born in 2008 in Toronga Zoo.
Pygmy hippo aren't closely related to their giant cousins. They have two subspecies. One living in Liberia/Sierra Leone/Cote d'Ivore and one in Nigeria. They live in the wild in several small colonies.
They are very shy and nocturnal, so they wouldn't make great pets.
More about Monifa:
About Darfur
UNAMID (African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur) is probably largest military operation in history of African Union with 20 000 soldiers and 6 000 policemen stationing in Darfur currently.
About Sub-Saharan Africa
There is unprecedented widespread peace in Sub-Saharan Africa. There is War in Somalia, clashes in South Sudan, some other border conflicts in East Africa, clashes in Central Africa and riots and insurgencies elsewhere. Nonetheless hundreds killed made War in Somalia probably most bloody conflict in Africa this year. 240 or more raped one week in North Kivu are something different than 16 000 in three days in the same region in 2004.
Most murders in Africa are common crimes and there may be half of number you are describing.
Number of victims of road accidents is more than twice as high.
Thursday 7 October 2010
About Congo DR
With creation of Transitional Government of Congo Africa's Great War was ended in 2003.
After the war Kivu conflict lasted for 5 years, but it isn't active as for year 2010.
There is lot of violence in Congo DR, but most of this is mobster activities:
human trafficking (forced labour and forced prostitution)
robbery,
kidnapping for ransom,
political assassinations,
There is unprecedented widespread peace in Sub-Saharan Africa. There is War in Somalia, clashes in South Sudan, some other border conflicts in East Africa, clashes in Central Africa and riots and insurgencies elsewhere.
Nonetheless hundreds killed made War in Somalia probably most bloody conflict in Africa this year. 240 or more raped one week in North Kivu are something different than 16 000 in three days in the same region in 2004.
Number of victims of road accidents is more than twice as high. In this time Sub-Saharan Africa have changed. I don't know exactly how.
Mai-Mai:
The Mai Mai militia groups are local defense groups often organized on an ethnic basis who have traditionally fought alongside the government army against “foreign invaders,” including the CNDP (National Congress for the Defense of the People ) and other Rwandan-backed rebel groups. In 2009 there were over 22 Mai Mai groups, ranging greatly in size and effectiveness, in both North and South Kivu. Some joined the Congolese army as part of the rapid integration process, while others refused, angry at the perceived preferential treatment given to the CNDP and unwilling to join the army unless they were able to stay in their communities.
Sudan
About incoming referendum:
* Insist upon, and provide technical assistance for, urgent reform of the GNU’s national security, criminal, and media laws in conformity with the Interim National Constitution, and for reforms to ensure a transparent and impartial national elections commission in the future.
* Consistently and publicly condemn further abuses by the national and Southern Sudanese authorities, such as arbitrary arrests and detentions of political opponents, activists, journalists; repression of assembly and speech; and any other acts of political repression.
* Call on the Government of National Unity to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, and for al-Bashir and other Sudanese ICC suspects to appear in The Hague to respond to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, as required by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593. Ensure that all interaction with the Sudanese government is consistent with Sudan’s obligation to cooperate with the ICC by avoiding meeting with ICC suspects unless absolutely essential.
* The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) should increase human rights monitoring and promotion and protection activities in the lead-up to the referendum. The missions’ human rights units and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) should increase th e frequency of public reporting on human rights concerns in Sudan and, when necessary, issue statements pressing Sudanese authorities to end specific abuses.
UNAMID (African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur) is probably largest military operation in history of African Union with 20 000 soldiers and 6 000 policemen stationing in Darfur currently.
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