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Namibian activists insist on direct negotiations with the German government over the genocide of 1904. The government says no - now the activists want to go to court. Their move is a sign that frustrations are growing.

Bob Kandetu is a man who has clearly run out of patience. Herero leaders had resolved to "take the bull by the horns", the spokesman for the Ovaherero Traditional Authority grumbled. The activists want to take the German government to court. "Germany must now face the real threat of a long drawn out arbitration process," Kandetu said.

If the Ovaherero Traditional Authority gets its way, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague could soon become involved in the dispute over how to deal with a dark chapter of German history in Africa.

After a failed uprising by members of the Herero and Nama ethnic groups in the then colony of German Southwest Africa, German troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Lothar von Trotha brutally massacred more than 80,000 people between 1904 and 1908. For decades, different German governments refused to recognize the mass killings as genocide.

Only last year, the speaker of Germany's parliament, Norbert Lammert, called the atrocities "genocide". To date, Germany has not formally apologized for the crimes.

Namibia and Germany are currently negotiating recognition of the genocide and a possible apology at government level. The talks are set to conclude by the end of the year. If both parliaments agree, Germany would apologize for the crimes committed. Germany and Namibia are also set to agree on a number of measures focusing on raising awareness of the genocide in both countries.

'No confidence in either government'

"The talks between the federal government and the democratically elected government of Namibia are progressing in a constructive manner and an atmosphere of mutual trust," Germany's Foreign Ministry told DW in a statement.

But Herero and Nama activists, like the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, are a lot less enthusiastic.

"We do not have any confidence in the German or the Namibian government anymore. They simply ignore us," Herero activist Israel Kaunatjike told DW.

Kaunatjike supports the Ovaherero Traditional Authority's demand for direct negotiations with the German government.

"We are the people concerned, the descendants of the victims," Kaunatjike said. He wants the Namibian government to act only as a "referee".

While the German and the Namibian governments have ruled out direct negotiations with the activists, the opposition Left party has called for the involvement of civil society in the talks.

"The important question is: Are the descendants of the Herero and Nama victims going to be included in the agreement between the two governments? They have made clear that they are not going to accept an apology that was agreed without them. That would be a disaster," Left party member of parliament Niema Movassat told DW in March.

A matter of money

One reason why the Herero activists are now becoming more aggressive in their push for direct negotiations with the German government is the fact that one of their most important demands does not seem to be on the table of the official negotiations.

"We're certainly going to get an apology, but what about reparations?" Kanautjike asked.

Germany has ruled out direct payments to Hereros and Namas.

"There is no basis for compensation claims under international law," Germany's Foreign Ministry insists. Instead, Germany has chosen an indirect form of compensation - development aid to Namibia is considerably higher per capita than to most other countries in Africa.

Now Herero representatives want to take their demand for direct negotiations to the next level. They want to take their case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The court provides a variety of dispute solving services to the international community. But so far, lawyers for the Hereros have not filed their case - and when they do, it is also not certain whether the court will agree to examine it.

DW

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Rita Akana

25.May.2016

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Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the African Union) in 1963. The day aims at celebrating African unity.

What is good for Africa is good for the world.” That was UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon’s message on Tuesday ahead of Africa Day on Wednesday.

 As celebrations have been lined up across the world for this year’s Africa Day, Ban said the continent’s economic prospects were looking positive despite the uncertain global economic landscape.

“Growth is projected to increase to 4.4% in 2016 from 3.7% in 2015,” said Ban.

“I urge Africa’s leaders to use these gains to address rising social and economic inequalities and ensure that no African is left behind.”

The annual international event offers the continent an opportunity to reflect on its history, liberation struggle, economic and social development, and a celebration of its rich and diverse cultures.

This year’s Africa Day is themed “Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the Rights of Women”.

Ban said it was crucial to tackle the root causes of conflict, terrorism and violent extremism, and foster peace and stability.

“I commend Africa’s bold initiative on ‘Silencing the Guns by 2020’, which is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063’s First 10-Year Implementation Plan.”

He said the private sector had a key role to play in creating jobs, promoting innovation in technologies and services, and supporting the infrastructure transition needed to fulfil Africa’s sustainable development objectives.

Ban said Africa had the opportunity to pursue industrialisation in a more environmentally sustainable manner through climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy and arresting deforestation.

“I encourage African nations and their partners to spare no effort in advancing these priorities. The UN is committed in its support,” he said.

African Union (AU) chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said while the AU had created many frameworks and normative instruments to achieve an inclusive, democratic and prosperous continent, there were many challenges ahead regarding effectively ensuring that critical norms and laws became a reality for African people.

“This cannot happen without the collaborative efforts of the government, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

“Malawi is a recent example, having established a body whose sole responsibility is to ensure that all African Union protocols, charters and treaties are ratified and domesticated,” said Dlamini Zuma.

She said this year the AU wanted to place its focus on women’s rights as it was a fundamental obligation and because it made economic sense.

“Investing in our women is a guarantee for sustainable peace, community stability and cohesion,” she said.

“Investing in women contributes to the prosperity of families, communities and the continent.”

President Jacob Zuma said: “Many countries on the continent provided refuge to many South Africans who went into exile and provided material, social, political and military support.

“Africa Day thus provides an opportunity to celebrate that African solidarity and to continue expressing it through the ongoing support for many on the continent who are caught up in conflict.”

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Rita Akana

25.May.2016

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Bill Cosby appeared in Pennsylvania court Tuesday morning for a key hearing in his criminal sex-assault case.

The preliminary hearing will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send the 78-year-old entertainer to trial.

Cosby is accused of drugging and molesting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. Prosecutors said Constand was not only impaired, but unconscious after Cosby gave her three unidentified blue pills. Cosby said they engaged in consensual sexual activities, and that he was a friend and mentor to her.

Prosecutors reopened the criminal case last year after dozens of women raised similar claims, and Cosby’s deposition in Constand’s lawsuit surfaced.

Constand had gone to him for career advice. Cosby said he gave her the pills to address her stress.

He settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2006, after giving four days of testimony about his extramarital affairs, his pursuit of quaaludes to seduce women and his efforts to hide payments to former lovers from his wife.

The confidential settlement bound both sides to secrecy, but a federal judge last year unsealed portions of Cosby’s deposition on a petition from The Associated Press. The full deposition was later released by a court reporting service.

Montgomery County prosecutors then reopened Constand’s decade-old complaint last summer, after realizing the 12-year window for felony sexual assault had not yet run out.

Cosby has not entered a plea since his Dec. 30 arrest. He would do so at a formal arraignment if the case is held for trial. He is being held on $1 million bail.

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Rita Akana

24.May.2016

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Human remains retrieved from the EgyptAir 804 crash site point to an explosion on board, an Egyptian forensic official said today.

The official is part of the investigation team that has personally examined the body parts taken to a Cairo morgue.

He said all 80 pieces brought to the capital so far were small and that 'there isn't even a whole body part, like an arm or a head.'

The official, who declined to be named, added that 'the logical explanation is that it was an explosion' that may have brought down the jet in the Mediterranean.    

The revelation came after the head of Egypt's state-run provider of air navigation services said the doomed jet did not swerve or lose altitude before it disappeared off radar

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Rita Akana

24.May.2016

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Nigeria’s central bank governors are meeting amid a gloomy financial outlook for Africa’s largest economy. Numbers released last week show the country's economy contracting. Economists blame a shortage of fuel, persistent power outages and a fall in the production of Nigeria’s top moneymaker, oil.
 
Nigeria is heading for a recession.
 
That’s what analysts say after the National Bureau of Statistics announced the economy contracted by about four-tenths of a percent in the first quarter of this year.
 
Africa economist at London-based Capital Economics John Asbhourne said a shortage of fuel and shortage of dollars to pay for imported goods stymied economic growth. He doesn’t expect the second quarter to be much better.
 
“It’s very, very likely the economy will shrink again this quarter, and then we’re in a recession,” said Asbhourne.Oil is Nigeria’s top export and the primary funder of the government's budget. The global drop in the price of crude has cut revenue and harmed the economy.

Also, oil production has dropped by a half-million barrels per day because militants blew up several key pipelines in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

Foreign exchange control

Ashbourne said the government hasn’t helped things by imposing controls on foreign exchange, leading to a shortage of dollars in the country.

The shortage of dollars has ripple effects, including the shortage of gasoline, because Nigeria imports most of its fuel.
 
Growth in manufacturing also shrunk in the first quarter. Ashbourne said manufacturers who rely on imported components can’t get them.
 
“One of the reasons why a lot of manufacturing firms did really badly, as in food processing and so on, was that it was hard for them to buy inputs like glass to put tomato paste into,” he said.
 
Many have called on the central bank to devalue the currency in order to spur growth and end the shortage of dollars. President Muhammadu Buhari has said he’s against doing that.

It remains to be seen if central bank officials will take any action after they conclude their meeting in Abuja tomorrow.

VOA

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Rita Akana

24.May.2016

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Cameroon’s quest to attain economic emergence by the year 2035 should also take into consideration contributions by vulnerable groups, minorities and women. This was part of the message delivered by the visiting Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, to the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, at the Star Building on May 19, 2015.  

“I came from Geneva to express my solidarity with government and to state clearly how much it is important for us to see that the future of development is formally anchored in growing entrepreneurship, particularly entrepreneurship among the vulnerable and women,” he told the press after the audience. The Kenyan-born UN official, who was also the Head of State’s special guest during the celebration of the National Day on May 20, 2016, was in the country for the commissioning of the EMPETREC Programme in Yaounde.

The programme is which promoted by the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Entreprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, aims at grooming young entrepreneurs in efficiency and competitiveness. Since September 1, 2013, Dr. Mukhisa has been the Secretary General of UNCTAD, which is the United Nations body responsible for dealing with development issues, particularly international trade.

Cameroon Tribune

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Rita Akana

24.May.2016

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