sexual violence and conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo

On Monday, United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa Mary Robinson said UN forces will be "more robust" in addressing osexual violence and conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo o(DRC). She added there is still much work to be done to build peace and security in the region.
Robinson, former president of Ireland and founder of the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice, spoke to the press after a morning mini-summit convened on the margins of the 68th General Assembly by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The meeting assessed the progress of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC.
African leaders, including six heads of state from the DRC, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, and Tanzania, as well as representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) attended what Robinson called a "very focused, very positive, very constructive meeting." Robinson told reporters that MONUSCO, the UN's stabilization force in the DRC, is currently the most effective tool to combat the over-prevalence of sexual violence in the country.
"I think MONUSCO is showing a more robust role across the board," Robinson said.
"Let's put it this way, I believe there is a much stricter sense of implementation and zero tolerance of gender based violence from now on and that would be part of tackling the armed groups."
The Framework was signed 24 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by 11 African nations. Just one month later, on 28 March, the UN Security Council authorized a specialized Intervention Brigade to operate within MONUSCO. As the first ever UN "offensive" combat force, the brigade was created to "neutralize and disarm" M23 and other rebel groups in the region in an effort to prevent further violence and human rights abuses.
Robinson praised the work of Special Representative for the Secretary-General Martin Kobler, who was appointed in August. Like me, she said, Kobler has no tolerance for gender-based violence or sexual violence against women by any military or rebel forces.
Robinson stressed that addressing these armed groups, which include M23, FDLR, ADF, and the Mayi Mayi, is on the agenda. They "will not be allowed to continue with this terrible situation where families live in fear. People are displaced. We visited countless displaced people, newly displaced. We heard of women raped and re-raped, this will not continue."

South Africa man 'chained children for years'

A South African man accused of keeping his children chained in a hostel room for eight years has been remanded in police custody.

The 50-year-old man appeared at a court in Alexandra, a township north of Johannesburg, on charges of child neglect.
The siblings, aged nine, 14, 18 and 24, all showed visible signs of injuries to their ankles and wrists, police say.
They were found after the 24-year-old, alleged to be mentally ill, escaped.
Shocked The father reportedly said he locked them up for their own safety.
The police reportedly had to hold back angry residents who wanted to attack the 50-year old and his wife after they children were discovered in Nobuhle hostel.
Neighbours described the living conditions in the two-roomed house as "appalling" reports say.
Mfihleni Ndaonde, who had lived at the hostel for nine years, said she was shocked when the story broke.
"I live right next door to them but I never saw or heard the kids. I see Emmanuel leaving for work. He makes sure his room is always locked," the Daily Sun newspaper quotes her as saying.
The man will appear in court on 6 June for a formal bail application.

The South Sudanese rebel leader, Riek Machar, believes a political settlement can be reached

ADDIS ABABA — The South Sudanese rebel leader, Riek Machar, believes a political settlement can be reached during the next round of peace talks with the South Sudanese government. 

Machar said that despite their differences, he thinks the issues between the sides can be resolved.

“Now there's a lull in fighting, and then it is hoped that if we got an agreement, a transitional government would form. So it’s a roadmap for handling the peace process,” said Machar.

Fighting broke out in mid-December after a political rift between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Machar, his former vice president, boiled over.

An agreement between the two leaders was signed in early May, which was largely based on the January agreement that included a ceasefire deal. The January agreement has been repeatedly violated by both sides.

Machar claimed President Kiir is still violating the Cessation of Hostilities agreement.

"Ugandan troops are still in South Sudan, they have not been withdrawn. They should have been withdrawn progressively by January the 23rd, when the Cessation of Hostilities agreement was signed. The other foreign troops are Sudanese rebels that were fighting alongside the government. The Sudanese rebels and the Ugandan forces should have been withdrawn. So this is a violation of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement,” said Machar.

It is said that opposition forces loyal to Machar are still fighting in the Upper Nile State, which would also be a violation of the ceasefire. But the rebel leader said he was not aware of any fighting by his troops in the Upper Nile State.

However, Machar did admit that not all anti-government fighters are under his control.

“Because some of them are volunteers. People who lost their [kin] in Juba, took up arms, they fight alongside us. Some we control, some we may not be able to control. And then the SPLM forces that sides with us, those we control. But we are working to ensure that the volunteers fighters are under control and command,” said Machar.

The next round of peace talks, led by the East African bloc IGAD, might see another high-level meeting between Machar and President Kiir in the coming week. During the signing ceremony in early May, they had committed to meet again within a month.

The conflict in South Sudan has left over 1.3 million people displaced and thousands dead. Aid organizations fear a humanitarian crisis as farmers did not plant their fields because of the fighting. A famine is looming, possibly affecting even more South Sudanese.

Libya fighting: 18 killed in Benghazi

Forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar carried out air strikes in Benghazi on Sunday

At least 18 people have been killed in intense fighting in eastern Libya, medics say.

The fighting started when Ansar al-Sharia militants attacked forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi, who hit back with airstrikes.
Benghazi is at the centre of a two-week long campaign by Gen Haftar's forces against Islamist armed groups.
The government in the capital Tripoli has condemned the campaign, calling it an "attempted coup".
It is not known whether the casualties from Sunday night's fighting are military or civilian, but both sides have accused the other of firing indiscriminately in residential areas.
Dozens were also reported injured in the neighbouring city of Al-Marj.
While Libya and in particular Benghazi has been plagued with violence since the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, the latest fighting has been particularly ferocious.
Combat helicopters have reportedly been used to carry out strikes against rival armed groups in the west of Benghazi.
Eyewitnesses said one of the rockets fired on Sunday missed its target and instead hit a university engineering faculty.

Fighting has raged in Benghazi ever since the overthrow of Col Gaddafi in 2011

Armed men loyal to General Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi have been involved in clashes on the ground following air strikes launched by his forces on Sunday

The groups being targeted by Gen Haftar's forces are the Ansar al-Sharia Islamist militia and the February 17 brigade, which fought against Gaddafi in 2011.
The groups are accused of being behind much of the violence and assassinations in Benghazi in recent years, but they deny this.
Libya has no functioning national army and has had to rely on armed groups to provide security.
However, the groups have clashed on many occasions over political and ideological issues.
Crisis government Gen Haftar wants the judiciary to appoint a crisis government to oversee new elections after accusing Libya's leaders of "fostering terrorism".

Unrest in Libya has worsened in recent weeks after Gen Haftar vowed to take on Islamist militants

Dozens of state bodies have already pledged their support to him.
But the government called his assaults an "attempted coup" and ordered the arrest of those taking part.

Former governor faces efcc

The trial of former governor of Nasarawa State, Aliyu Akwe Doma and two others before Justice A. A Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa State was today stalled as the defence sought adjournment pending the determination of its application for the transfer of the case to another judge.

The ex-governor is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside Timothy Anthony Anjide and Dauda Egwe on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering.
At the resumed hearing of the case June 2, 2014, the defence counsel, Charles Edosomwan, SAN who was represented by Olalekan Ojo, told the court that, he had a pending application before the Chief Judge requesting for the transfer of the case to another judge to ensure that justice is done to the parties in the case.

The defence, in seeking adjournment of the case, relied on Section 7(a) of the Practice Direction of the Federal High Court which allows any counsel who may wish to make a petition against a judge to inform the chief judge in writing of the allegations against the judge concerned. He urged the court to give effect to the rules of the practice direction and stand down the case pending the determination of the petition.

Responding, counsel to EFCC, Oluwakemi Pinheiro, SAN, said the application is a calculated attempt to delay and frustrate the case now that the prosecution is at the verge of closing its case.

He stated that, the judge has been fair and impartial in the conduct of the case. According to him, it is rather the defence that has all along tested beyond limits, “the patience of the learned trial judge by their incessant, unnecessary and, with profound respect, frivolous applications and indulgences sought from the court as well as other dilatory tactics trumped up to deliberately delay and frustrate expeditious trial in this charge”. 

Pinheiro who was visibly unhappy with the application urged the court to dismiss it saying, it is frivolous and pre-emptive.

After listening to the argument of counsel, Justice Okeke adjourned the case to June 30, 2014 for mention.

One of the counts in the charge against the accused persons reads:
“That you Aliyu Akwe Doma (former governor of Nasarawa State, Timothy Anthony Anjide and Dauda Egwe between January 2007 and December 2009 in lafia Nasarawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court converted the sum of N5,000,000,000.00 (five billion naira only) property of Nasarawa State Government being proceeds of an illicit act to wit: concealing its illicit origin and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering  (Prohibition) Act 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act”.

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house gets better

HOUSING prices are following the usual early-winter pattern - heading lower.
But for those hoping prices will recover from their usual lull, there are some positive signs that the low point is near.
Market analysis firm RP Data's monthly measure of prices, the RP Data-Rismark May Hedonic Home Value Index, fell by 1.9 per cent for the state and territory capitals in May.
A fall of that size is typical of the pattern for May seen in the past couple of years.
Annual growth remains strong, particularly in Sydney where prices in May were up by 16.6 per cent from a year earlier, and Melbourne with an annual gain of 9.9 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, prices in austerity-affected Canberra were up by only 2.6 per cent, while Hobart prices were up only 1.4 per cent through the year.
If the usual pattern is to be followed, by the end of June prices should be just about back up to where they were before the downturn through May.
The recovery hasn't started yet, but the descent does seem to be slowing.
RP Data's weekly measure of prices, limited to the five mainland state capitals, fell by 0.3 per cent in the week to Sunday.
In the week before that, prices fell by 0.6 per cent, and in the week before that the fall was 0.9 per cent.
That's the type of pattern seen this time last year and the year before - a slowing rate of decline.
Of course, there's no guarantee that the market will bounce back.
Consumer confidence is at a low ebb after the shock of the budget.
And building approvals - including both residential and non-residential - in April were running at a level $2.3 billion below the final quarter of 2013, according to data from the ABS on Monday.
Against the background of a fading mining investment boom, that suggests the economy could struggle to sustain enough growth to stop unemployment from rising further this year, further undermining confidence and sapping demand for housing.
But, so far, so good.
RP Data's weekly survey of auctions shows clearance rates averaging 68.1 per cent, the highest for a couple of months, rising in May as it normally does ahead of the June price recovery.
The apocalypse may be coming, and it's not hard to find people warning that it's nigh, but there's no real sign of it just yet.