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Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a surprise choice after Colombians voted "No" to an agreement he signed with Marxist rebels to end 52 years of war.

Santos has promised to revive the peace plan even though Colombians, in a referendum on Sunday, narrowly rejected the accord. Many voters believed it was too lenient on the FARC guerrillas.

"The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people," committee leader Kaci Kullmann Five said when announcing the prize.

Voters did not say "No" to peace but to the agreement, she said.

The award pointedly excluded FARC guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, who signed the deal with Santos.

Some Nobel watchers had taken Colombia off their lists of favorites after the referendum "No".

"The fact that a majority of the voters said "No" to the peace accord does not necessarily mean that the peace process is dead," the committee said.

"This makes it even more important that the parties, headed by President Santos and FARC guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londoño, continue to respect the ceasefire," the committee said.

Reuters

 

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Rita Akana

07.Oct.2016

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A new  digital screening security system was installed by the police chief on Thursday, 6.October 2016 at the Nsimalen International Airport in Yaoundé
The new security system  aims to stop the illegal trafficking observed at the Cameroonian airports.
Inaugurated barely 43 days to the start of the African Female Nations Cup which starts on 19 of November 2016, the new  system will gradually expand the Douala, Garoua and Maroua airports respectively.

The new  digital screening security system will connect Cameroonian airports to the largest in the world, so that anti trafficking cells could have access to international Database of suspected drug traffickers.

Mixed review teams will be composed of customs, police,  immigration authorities, the airport staff, intelligence agents and Cameroon's anti narcotic units.

These cells will carry out more targeted controls, through the screening devices that will be provided to them on suspected individuals, baggages, cargo, parcels and couriers etc.

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Rita Akana

07.Oct.2016

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Antonio Guterres said during his campaign that if he got the job his aim would be to work with all countries to help solve the myriad problems on the global agenda.

Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres, who was formally approved on Thursday to be the next UN secretary-general, said he faces “huge challenges” and hopes to see unity and consensus during his term. Security Council President Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s UN ambassador, said Guterres was approved by acclamation for a 5-year term during a closed-door meeting on Thursday.

The Security Council’s recommendation now goes to the UN’s 193-member General Assembly, which is expected to vote on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s successor next week. Ban’s second 5-year term ends December 31.

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Rita Akana

07.Oct.2016

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Brash statements from the president of the Philippines have raised questions about the country's "ironclad" alliance with the US. They could also mark the start of a downturn for a key partnership in the Asia Pacific.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is continuing with his series of tirades against the US and his statements are injecting uncertainty into a longstanding strategic partnership between the two countries. 

In his most recent statements on Tuesday in the capital Manila, Duterte said that US President Barack Obama could "go to hell" and that the Philippines would be willing to acquire arms from China and Russia if the US was unwilling to provide them. "Eventually I might, in my time; I will break up with America… I would rather go to Russia and to China," he said. 

On Sunday, October 2, Duterte amped up his rhetoric, saying that the US "better think twice" or he would ask that the Americans "leave the Philippines altogether." He continued saying, "The Americans, I don't like them... they are reprimanding me in public. So I say: 'Screw you, fuck you'." 

Last week, during a speech in Vietnam, Duterte said that an eight-day joint military exercise currently taking place between a combined 1,500 US and Philippine troops would be the last during his term. Although his foreign secretary says no final decision has been made, Duterte's remarks raised questions if other annual US-Philippine military exercises would be called off. Duterte has also threatened to evict US special forces from bases in the southern Philippines. 

All talk and no action? 

Duterte's rhetoric has yet to be translated into changes in policy, but the uncertainty surrounding his willingness to follow through on his statements is cause for concern. 

No one knows what exactly Duterte's intentions are, says Gregory Poling, Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "And this is a big part of the problem. Alliance management thrives on consistency, which is desperately lacking under Duterte," he told DW.

"His alternative strategy seems to hinge on hoping that China will cut a fair deal in the South China Sea - but there has been no indication that Beijing is actually willing to negotiate any of the core issues in the South China Sea," said Poling. 

This week's Philippine Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) is part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which the US and Philippines signed in 2014. The agreement was partially in response to Chinese territorial aggression and the recognition that building mutual capacity was necessary. 

Leverage vis-à-vis Beijing 

Despite Duterte's tough talk, he has assured that he would not absolve the Mutual Defense Treaty in place with the US since 1951. But even if the Philippines were to maintain this longstanding framework, hands-on exercises between troops like PHIBLEX would be necessary to sustain alliances.

"The alliance will continue to exist on paper, but would be badly degraded," said Poling about the possible discontinuation of military exercises. "You can't maintain an effective military alliance if your two militaries can't work together."

The relationship with the Philippines is a key component of the current US administration's "pivot to Asia" or a rebalancing of US foreign policy goals to the region from the Middle East. The Philippines are currently the third-largest recipient of US military aid after Afghanistan and Pakistan, with $120 million allotted so far in 2016. Deterioration of military cooperation would have consequences for both sides, observers warn. 

"China will certainly cheer," said Poling. "The threat of US intervention has been the only real deterrent to China using force against the Philippines in the South China Sea; it is why there are still Filipino marines stationed aboard a naval vessel at Second Thomas Shoal and why there is not a Chinese artificial island at Scarborough Shoal. Without the alliance, Manila has little or no leverage vis-à-vis Beijing." 

"Sometimes you have to hold your nose about the individuals and deal with the countries," Frank Jannuzi, a former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Asia specialist, told Reuters news agency. "The United States doesn't have the luxury of writing off the Philippines, so we have to find a way to deal with this extraordinarily distasteful leader while still conveying our opposition to his human rights policies." 

Domestic consequences 

If Duterte breaks the EDCA agreement or moves away from cooperation with the US, it could put his popularity at home in jeopardy. Along with military aid, humanitarian relief was a large part of the agreement.  

"What really made EDCA possible was the US response to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, which reminded Filipino citizens of the public goods that the US, and only the US, can deliver during an emergency," said Poling. "That is why humanitarian assistance and disaster relief remain such a big part of EDCA planning, despite all the media focus on the South China Sea."

"What is clear is that when it comes to foreign policy, Duterte is out of step with his own cabinet officials, the Philippine military brass, and the vast majority of Filipinos according to polls," added Poling.

A diplomatic tightrope

Recent US criticism of the drug war in the Philippines has irritated Duterte, who took office in June 2016 and began a nationwide vigilante campaign against drug dealers and users with an estimated 3,100 people having been killed in 10 weeks.  In recent weeks, Duterte has made vulgar statements toward US President Obama and made favorable comparisons with Hitler. And although there have been no official notices issued by the Philippine government, US officials are walking a diplomatic tightrope in order to avoid further agitating the Philippine firebrand. 

"US officials continue to keep calm, respond to each of Duterte's tirades in a measured way, and reiterate the US commitment to the alliance," said Poling. "But none of that seems to be calming Duterte."

DW

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Rita Akana

06.Oct.2016

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Founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has lauded Godwin Benson, a Nigerian tech inventor, whose award winning invention is connecting people.

Zuckerberg used a post on his facebook page to speak highly about how Benson’s Tuteria Nigeria platform that was contributing to education and economic advancement on the continent.

‘‘Last month in Abuja, Nigeria, I met Godwin Benson. Godwin founded Tuteria Nigeria, an online platform that connects people seeking to learn with people nearby who can teach them.

Tuteria Nigeria won one of six awards for the Internet.org Innovation Challenge for services that provide education and economic development opportunities across the African continent.

He congratulated all winners for their efforts aimed at the advancement of the continent. ‘‘These services are all examples of the great work being done by entrepreneurs across the African continent to strengthen their communities and create opportunity. Congratulations to the winners and all the other entrepreneurs who are doing this important work!’‘ he concluded.

Other winners in the contest that shot Tuteria to the limelight were Esoko, Hyperion Development, MPedigree Goldkeys, SaferMom, and mPharma Mutti. Zuckerberg recently embarked on his first visit to sub Saharan Africa, Nigeria and Kenya were his two destinations. He met with tech people in both countries.

In the case of Nigeria, his second visit saw him meet with President Muhammadu Buhari and other top government officials at the presidency.

Zuckerberg has in the past celebrated an 11-year-old Nigerian boy, Tayo, who recently built a game called ‘Spike Rush.’

‘‘I got my first computer when I was Tayo’s age, and just like him I started out coding games. I’ve always thought building simple games was the gateway to building more complex apps. My first games were simpler than Tayo’s, but no matter your level, there’s nothing like playing something you built yourself,’‘

His post of September 16 reads.

African News

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Rita Akana

06.Oct.2016

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Africa’s first modern electrified railway line linking Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa and Red Sea state of Djibouti was inaugurated on Wednesday morning in Lebu railway station of Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe attended the launch ceremony. Xu Shaoshi, the Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission was invited to make a speech in the ceremony as the special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Rita Akana

06.Oct.2016

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