Category: Central Africa

The Russia – Africa Summit: what Moscow has to say

The Russia-Africa Summit, to be held on July 27-28 in St. Petersburg, is supposed to follow the agenda of the previous meeting in 2019 and promote a global dialogue between the countries of the African continent and Moscow. However, the conflict in Ukraine and recent events around it have shifted the focus of the agenda. Apart from plans to look at prospective areas for cooperation, African politicians have prepared a number of questions for the Kremlin. Among them is how long the Russia’s military operation is going to keep affecting the well-being of their countries which are already far enough from being prosperous. Moscow promises to give its partners the necessary clarifications, and in some cases even compensate for the costs.

By holding the first Russia – Africa Summit in 2019, Moscow expected to start long-term and systemic relations with the continent and encouraged African leaders to discuss cooperation in various fields. However, with the international mainstream media accusing Moscow of inspiring the global food crisis and a number of countries breaking the trade and economic relations with Russia, this year the Summit’s main card will be played around the grain deal.

Meanwhile, prior to the meeting in St. Petersburg, Ali al-Moselhi, the Egyptian Minister of Internal Trade and Supply said that Cairo was dissatisfied with Russia’s withdrawal from the deal with the UN on the grain export. Zambian Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo also expressed concerns, saying that the grain deal was “a lifeline for the most countries in need”, and its termination would result in serious consequences. The Summit participants will likely try to convince Moscow to reconsider its decision and release Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports. After all, regardless of potential recipients and volumes of the Ukrainian grain supply, it is important that its presence on the world market contributed to decreasing prices for this product. Russian President Vladimir Putin on his turn assured his African partners that Moscow is able to replace Ukrainian grain either on favorable terms or even at no charge at all since a record high harvest is again expected this year in Russia.

Should Russia keep its promise, this gesture will be far beyond generous. Unprecedented sanctions that have been imposed on Moscow since the start of the military operation in Ukraine and are being tightened with each new package, have also a negative impact not only on Moscow, but on other countries, including Africa. Common trade routes are being frozen, so are most of international transactions which keeps many regions away from lifesaving supplies of food and resources.

One of the decisions could be the case of China. Having built a sustainable economy, Beijing has switched to non-dollar transactions with many countries including Russia. The Russian economy has also demonstrated sustainability and a relative growth despite harsh sanctions and the military operation that requires big costs. By staying independent from external resources and goods it is high time for Moscow to develop new paths for international partnerships.

July 27, 2023
British Airways to be sued over child abuse claim

Simon Wood was a pilot for British Airways

British Airways is to be sued for damages over claims one of its pilots sexually abused children in African schools and orphanages.

According to Press Association, lawyers representing 16 young girls and women who claim First Officer Simon Wood assaulted them said the airline bears responsibility because he carried out the alleged attacks while on stopovers.

An inquest is due to be held into the death of Wood, 54, who was struck by a train in August while awaiting a court appearance accused of indecently assaulting a young girl and making indecent images of children.

Law firm Leigh Day said Wood allegedly molested youngsters during stopovers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania while flying for British Airways. Some of their clients are aged just eight.

Lawyer Nichola Marshall said: “We allege that Wood was able to abuse the victims, by reason of his employment with the airline, in particular through his involvement with the airlines’ community relations work.

“The schools and orphanages that our clients attended were all in receipt of charitable donations from the airline, and Wood played a key role in administering those donations, on behalf of British Airways.

“Our team will be travelling overseas over the coming weeks to meet with other potential victims in Nairobi and Uganda that have come forward more recently.”

Wood, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, died after being hit by a train near Potters Bar station on August 18. He had been due to appear at Southwark Crown Court in London on August 30 charged with one count of indecent assault of a girl under 16, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one count of possessing indecent images of a child, Scotland Yard said at the time.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Wood was first arrested over an indecent assault allegation in November 2001 but prosecutors ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

It reconsidered the case in July after receiving new details of similar alleged offences committed overseas and apparent evidence of indecent images.

At Easter 2002, Wood was among 20 crew members from two BA flights who volunteered to spend the holiday period with the Kenyan youngsters, showering the orphanage with presents, medicines and donations raised at home.

He told the Press Association, which covered the trip: “We play, sing, organise activities and generally entertain them. We become very close to the children.”

A British Airways spokesman said: “We were shocked and horrified to hear the allegations against Simon Wood, which appear to relate to his involvement in child-related activities entirely outside the scope of his employment with British Airways.

“Our sympathies are with the victims and it is disappointing that the conduct of one person has caused so much distress to the many thousands of decent people who engage in charitable works on a regular basis.”

The inquest into Wood’s death is due to be held at Hertfordshire Coroner’s Court.

July 30, 2014
FM: Turkey against unilateral intervention in Mali

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that Ankara is against the unilateral intervention in Mali, adding that all efforts to restore Mali’s territorial integrity should be carried out under the United Nations umbrella.

French ground troops last Wednesday pressed northward in Mali toward territory occupied for months by militants in the start of a land assault that came after five days of air strikes that did little to erode rebel gains.

Speaking as a guest speaker of the semi-official Anatolia news agency Editorial Desk on Friday, Davutoglu assessed current topics from Turkey’s foreign policy, including the Syrian crisis, to the French military intervention in Mali, the latest developments from Iraq as well as Turkish-Israeli relations.

Davutoglu’s remarks regarding the intervention in Mali were the first comments by a Turkish official since the French-led military operation in Mali, aided by the country’s African neighbors and Western powers to fight against rebels who occupied the northern provinces, began eight days ago.

Northern Mali fell under rebel control after a March military coup in Bamako triggered a Tuareg-led rebel offensive that seized the north and split the West African nation in two.

The minister’s Mali remarks came a day after the Foreign Affairs Ministry released a diplomatically written statement with no clear position on Ankara’s stance on the issue.

Turkey on Thursday said Ankara is closely monitoring the developments in Mali and it will continue supporting international efforts to restore national reconciliation and democracy through free elections as fighting raged on the eighth day of the French-led military intervention to wrest back

via FM: Turkey against unilateral intervention in Mali – Trend.Az.

January 19, 2013
Turkey sets its sights on Africa

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Gabon, Niger and Senegal as part of an African tour. China, India and Brazil have all increased their presence on the continent. Now Turkey is in the mix.

First stop Gabon. This is where Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday (06.01.2012) began his official visit to Africa. His itinerary also includes stops in Niger and Senegal.

Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Gabon is one of the resource-rich countries in Africa, and when measured by gross domestic product, it is one of the richest countries on the continent.

In contrast, Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries, according to the 2011 United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hospital. (Foto:AU-UN IST, Stuart Price/AP/dapd) Erdogan visited Somalia in August 2011to highlight the need for famine relief

The Index is used to measure poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy and other development factors. However, the landlocked country plays an important role as an exporter of raw materials, especially uranium.

Senegal is one of the most politically and economically stable countries in West Africa, with a relatively well-functioning administrative structure. Nonetheless, the country’s economic growth still lags behind other countries in the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS). According to the 2011 United Nations HDI, Senegal occupies position 155 out of 187countries. This is where Erdogan’s six-day African trip is set to end.

Spreading tentacles

Under the leadership of Erdogan’s AK Party, Turkey has been developing the African market. The first signal of this diplomatic offensive came in 1998 with the formulation of a new policy towards Africa.

Turkey declared 2005 as the official “Year of Africa”. This was followed by the first state visit by a Turkish prime minister to South Africa and Ethiopia. Later the African Union honored Turkey by granting it observer status.

Gero Erdmann, an expert on Africa from the Leibnitz Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), told DW that Ankara’s interest in Africa started even earlier. In his opinion, Turkey’s move was “made necessary by the reorientation of Turkish politics after the end of the Cold War.”

Currently Turkey has 17 embassies in sub-Saharan Africa and is planning to open more diplomatic missions on the African continent.

According to a study by Erdmann, the Turkish State Administration on Religious Affairs ( known as the Diyanet) has opened many private schools and vocational training opportunities for African imams with the aim of providing an enlightened form of Islam.

A Turkish Airlines plane in the sky. Foto by dpa +++(c) dpa Turkish Airlines has increased flights to Africa

Africa has become a top priority in Ankara.

According to Dr. Gülistan Gürbey, lecturer at the Otto Suhr Institute in Berlin, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu takes a personal interest in developing the country’s policy towards Africa. It was Davutoglu who, while working at university in the 90s, developed a policy paper. The concept of “strategic depth”, according to Gürbey, is a return to the Ottoman past and a religious-cultural muslim identity.

“Modern Turkey sees itself as a key country from multiple continents,” the lecturer said.

The bigger picture

Turkey’s new interest in Africa is reflected in trade statistics. Its economic interest in the continent is currently not based on the need for raw materials and energy resources, but rather in seeking a market for Turkish products.

Trade between Ankara and Africa has increased five times since 2002 when Turkey steadily began to do business with Africa. Turkish investors are mainly keen on infrastructure and building projects such as in Ethiopia and Sudan, or textiles and food processing in South Africa.

Unlike other competitors, who at first pursue a resource policy, Turkey has a strategic interest in Africa, says Gero Erdmann from the GIGA Institute in Leibnitz.

Gero Erdmann and Gülistan Gürbey at a GIGA conference on Turkey in Africa Autor/Copyright: Yilma Hinz, DW, Gero Erdmann(left) and Gülistan Gürbey (right) at a GIGA conference on Turkey in Africa

“Turkey wants to garner UN votes in Africa for itself because it would like to have a permanent seat on the Security Council,” Erdmann said.

Ankara’s strategy is to win the support of African countries in international forums in a highly visible development policy. One example is the drought in Somalia.

‘The Ottoman syndrome’

Turkey’s relationship with Africa, as in the Middle East has been met with criticism both at home and in parts of Europe.

Liberal politicians and scholars have hinted at a supposedly pro-Arab, Islamist orientation and are wary of neo-Ottoman intentions. Other observers question how a country that is in the course of applying for EU membership, can be associated with human rights abuses, repression of religious freedom and disregard for the rule of law.

In Africa, Turkey sees itself as a defender of human rights, as witnessed in the 2011 4th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries which was hosted by Istanbul.

According to Erdmann, the lack of a colonial history link to Africa makes Turkey an attractive partner for African governments and not so much a player in the new scramble for African resources.

via Turkey sets its sights on Africa | Africa | DW.DE | 08.01.2013.

January 9, 2013
It Can Happen to Me. Guess what? It Will ! Chapter 17 Breaking Up the Banks

IT CAN NOT HAPPEN TO ME. GUESS WHAT? IT WILL !!
Chapter 17 Breaking Up the Banks.

“A GREEDY MAN BRINGS TROUBLE TO HIS FAMILY, BUT HE WHO HATES BRIBES WILL LIVE.” PROVERBS 15:27 When an industry is at the top or number one it has no place to go but down. This has been my observation for over 55 years. In the US Army it is called OJT (On the Job Training). WE as citizens going into our local bank should be warned WATCH OUT- THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE LUNCH.

Albert Einstein said man’s greatest invention is compound interest. Banks love it when they can put it to use to an unsuspecting public. Any funds one gets to work down the principal will find that it has expanded. At some point one will not be able to pay that principal or off.

A funny thing happen on the way to the bank. They did it to themselves. Easy credit will kill the goose every time. You see in order to gain more wealth , banks had to issue more debt in order to lend more. GREED – it is a killer. Once one starts making and spending money; one needs more. It is at the very top that one takes chances in order to gain more. Usually these chances are at the detriment of us the average citizen trying to provide for a family.

The names of Corzine, LIBOR, JP Morgan-Chase; Dimon and Weill mean little to the average citizen-until they want to pay off debt. This is when the “Rule of 72” comes into play. It is very simple. Just divide the interest rate you are paying into 72. Your answer is how many years the bank is doubling its money on you. So if you are paying an 8% mortgage for 30 years divided by 72 is every 9 years. To me that seems fair because you are using the banks money. Credit cards can work on a monthly basis and now one is “going where no man has gone before”-STAR TREK. Once a debt is in outer space it is up to the courts (and the courts have to follow the law) the debtor is a pawn to spineless attorneys who seek a quick reward for returning a pittance to the lender. This is legal larceny and a USURY law supported by all nations would halt this practice and create more jobs and distribute more wealth over a wider area.

Once a bank has you in their indebtedness you lose your freedom. The more debt you take on; the deeper the hole you are in. If you are a lawmaker, one should open their safe deposit boxes. IN the days of yesteryear, politicians would accept tax free municipal bonds, but today they have to be registered. Now one finds cash that has been unreported?

So Nothing big can happen until elections are held, because it is more likely that the legislators involved with any kind of finances are on the take. So our votes are very important. We must elect enough new members that a group can control any committee. This has to be done in a bipartisan spirit.

So to break up the banks in a meaningful term we must have a majority turnover in world wide elections. WE must enforce a strong Usury Law for the protection of us all.

When JP Morgan has outrageous short positions in Gold and Silver futures on the COMEX and the CFTC is powerless to enforce them against this giant bank. The CFTC entire budget is around $200-$300 million while JP Morgan could spend $5 billion defending their illegal position. When a giant bank can out maneuver their government of laws – the bank should be broken up rather quickly.

My next chapters will have to do with the brokerage and financial management part of the break up.

August 9, 2012
WE THE PEOPLE……..

WE THE PEOPLE…

CHAPTER 15

IT CAN NOT HAPPEN TO ME. GUESS WHAT? IT WILL!!!

The following message is for every citizen of every country that has the right to choose their own elected officials.

Come July 1, 2012 the world is in financial agony. A tsunami of easy credit has flooded our shores. The blame game has erupted with all its fury as nations pockmark each other with vicious language to placate their voters.

The real culprit is us – the voter. We voted them into office. We are to blame. There have been and will be many important elections this year and WE THE PEOPLE must take control of our destinies. Elected officials fear us and have been buying us off with various entitlements for decades. If it did not work, then they just, made it larger. So today, as our bankers joyfully watch and estimate their future net worth, we are slowly falling into an abyss with a stench of sulfur.

Considering these elections, one’s party affiliations do not matter, because it is the candidate’s beliefs that are of the utmost importance now.

Which candidate favors reinstating the USURY LAW where the maximum interest rate should be limited to 8%. The Rule of 72 is what bankers live by. All one has to do is to take 72 and divide it by 8 the answer is how many years it will take the bank to double its investment in you. The Usury law was dropped in the mid 1970’s because interest rates were 14% and everyone was maxing out their credit cards (that is borrowing the most they could) and buying a US Government bond at 14%. Then they would pay of the credit card and net 6%. This is called disintermediation and not very healthy long term. So congress was forced to drop the law. But they also failed to reinstate it when the danger expired. It is my suspicion that some members on key committees received special favors.

If you have a 30 year mortgage on your home and you are paying 8% to the bank; the bank will make 3.33 times on helping you on your mortgage by providing the necessary funds. This is where they provide an important function in your community. The higher rate you pay the quicker they double their money. This is why past legislators legalized as max rate – to protect you from unscrupulous bankers. Remember bankers have the moral obligation to protect our deposits for our advantage not theirs. Dividends should come from earnings before bonuses are distributed. Public trust comes before employees looting.

Credit cards are a bastard. They are figured in months not years. This is legalized extortion. Pure and simple.

Enacting or reinstating the USURY LAW will benefit the individual and corporations while reducing the bankers’ bonuses.

A candidate must be willing to petition the Federal Reserve to raise margin rates across the board to 100% for 3 to 6 months worldwide. This will stop all the abuses going on in the market place and make it safe for honest investors. This will halt high frequency trades that are computer driven and benefit a few while harming millions. Hedge funds that use easy credit to skirt regulations will be halted. Best of all derivatives and collateralized debt instruments will go the way of the dinosaur.

Stop Quantitative Easing (QE) dead in its tracks. Go for Quantitative Giving (QG). QE goes to the largest corporation and unions where the money trickles down through the officers and union leaders before long term good is completed.

With QG the Fed must raise fed funds to the 1-2% range so banks restart increasing their savings account rates. This will encourage investors to increase their debt from short term to longer term because they have more confidence in the future.

QG is giving a large stipend to everyUScitizen over the age of 21($50,000 -$100,000) to use as he or she sees fit. Pay down debts etc. with the proviso that at least 10% should be used to purchase a new product. This will getAmericagoing again create jobs and new businesses. The public knows best- not bureaucrats inWashingtonD.C.

July 3, 2012