Protests in Guinea over new PM , 8 Killed

CONAKRY (Reuters) - Protests erupted in towns across Guinea on Saturday, killing at least eight people, as union leaders vowed to resume a crippling general strike after President Lansana Conte named an old ally as prime minister.
Conte's opponents said Eugene Camara, a senior member of the ruling party named prime minister on Friday, was too close to the presidential clan to be a trustworthy head of government.
Demonstrators erected burning barricades and tried to attack local government offices in towns from the oceanside capital, Conakry, to Nzerekore, some 500 km away in the remote southeast, clashing with security forces as they did so.
"We risk having to declare a state of emergency because the situation has virtually turned into an insurrection," a senior government official told Reuters, asking not to be named.
Unions, who say Conte is no longer fit to rule after 23 years in power, had given the president until Monday to name a new premier, as he agreed to do in a deal struck two weeks ago to end an 18-day nation-wide stoppage.
"We cannot go against the will of the people. The president has made a choice which suits him but does not suit the people," said Boubacar Biro Barry, one of the unions' main negotiators.
"We contest this choice and the strike order launched as of Monday is maintained," he told Reuters. Residents in the Bonfi suburb of Conakry said the security forces had killed a civilian and injured another when they opened fire on youths who started stoning a passing convoy they believed to be the presidential cortege.
Looters smashed their way into shops in some parts of the sprawling oceanside city while rocks and the charred remains of barricades littered main streets in the suburbs.
At least two people were killed in Kankan, an opposition stronghold more than 450 km east of Conakry, when a volunteer military police officer opened fire on demonstrators before himself being beaten and burnt to death, residents said.
Two people were killed in Faranah, 300 km east of Conakry, while a local government official in Kindia, 100 km north-east of the capital, said between three and five civilians had been shot dead when they tried to storm a prison

U.S. Lawyers Want Charges Against "Chuckie" Charles Taylor''s Son Dismissed

Torture charges against the son of former Liberian president Charles Taylor should be dismissed because US prosecutors refuse to disclose the identity of the alleged victim, a defence lawyer said on Monday.Emmanuel, 29, also known as Chuckie Taylor, is a Boston-born US citizen accused of torturing a man in Liberia in 2002 while head of a paramilitary Anti-Terrorist Unit in his father's government.Emmanuel is the first person ever charged under a US law making it a crime for a citizen to commit torture overseas.
Withheld for his own protection"The very core of this crime is that it happened to a human being, and we need to know who that person is," said Miguel Caridad, attorney for Charles McArthur Emmanuel. "We can't preparefor trial without the name of this victim."

He was taken into U.S. custody on March 30 when he attempted to enter the United States at Miami International Airport. “'Chuckie' Taylor headed a military unit that allegedly committed egregious abuses such as burning Liberian civilians alive,” said Richard Dicker, International Justice director at Human Rights Watch. “Federal law allows for investigation and prosecution of such crimes. We look to the Justice Department to do just that.” According to information and research by Human Rights Watch and other international human rights organizations, “Chuckie” Taylor was involved in committing serious crimes from approximately 1997 through at least 2002, most notably while he headed the notorious Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), a unit of the Liberian government security forces. Although the younger Taylor lived in Liberia, he is a U.S. citizen who was born in the United States. It is a crime under federal law for a U.S. citizen to commit torture and war crimes abroad. “Federal laws on torture and war crimes committed abroad have been on the books for years, but we don’t know of a single person who has been prosecuted for them,” said Dicker. “How serious can the U.S. be about justice when these laws have never been used to hold our own citizens to account? With ‘Chuckie’ Taylor in custody, this is an ideal moment to wield this authority.” Recently, the U.N. Committee against Torture expressed concern that there have been no prosecutions under the U.S. criminal torture statute. According to information and research available to Human Rights Watch, during “Chuckie” Taylor’s tenure as head of the ATU, the unit committed torture, including various violent assaults, beating people to death, rape, and burning civilians alive. This information suggests that the ATU also committed war crimes during Liberia’s armed conflict from 1999 to 2003 – including extrajudicial killing of civilians and prisoners, rape and other torture, abduction, and child soldier recruitment – while “Chuckie” Taylor headed the ATU. To underscore the need for investigation and prosecution of Taylor, Jr. on torture and war crimes under federal law (18 USC sections 2340A and 2441), Human Rights Watch submitted a memorandum to the Department of Justice on serious abuses in which “Chuckie” Taylor is implicated. The memorandum includes Human Rights Watch’s research and information from other human rights organizations, along with other open source material documenting the evidence against him to date. Background on ATU Shortly after his inauguration as Liberia’s president in 1997, Charles Taylor created the ATU. The ATU was initially used in Liberia to protect government buildings, the Executive Mansion, the international airport, and to provide security for some foreign embassies. According to Human Rights Watch interviews with former Liberian combatants, the ATU’s responsibilities were expanded in 1999 to include combat and other war-related duties, after rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy began operating in Liberian territory.

Nigeria Protest CNN Report on Militants

Abuja - Nigeria on Friday protested a report by US broadcaster Cable News Network (CNN) on the activities of militant abductors in the Niger Delta and demanded an apology for the broadcast. The report, which featured some Filipino workers allegedly held by members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), was described as a stage-managed with hired miscreants, vandals and criminals.
Information and Communications Minister Frank Nweke said the report was purportedly aired to create unnecessary panic, foster the feeling of insecurity and to portray Nigeria as a nation in crisis. The report is to wrongfully denigrate Nigeria and her people and send the wrong signals to the international community about the state of affairs in the country, Nweke said. Nweke said that the Nigerian government had a response from MEND stating that those shown in the report were not its members.
The minister said CNN had aired several features and reports in the last eight months depicting Nigeria as a country in perpetual crisss, in spite of the fact that its correspondents had unrestricted access to government officials. The Nigerian government and its people have protested to CNN demanding an apology and right of reply, which should be given the same prominence and repetitive airing, he said.
The minister said the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo had demonstrated great commitment, more than any other administration, in tackling the recurring challenges of development in the Niger Delta. The CNN report indicated that militant groups in the Niger Delta that had been abducting expatriate oil workers in the region were a law unto themselves. The groups had been abducting expatriate oil workers to press their demand that the Nigerian government give them a greater say in the exploitation of oil and gas endowments of the region. Dozens of foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in the region over the past few months, though they are later released unharmed.
Abuja - Nigeria on Friday protested a report by US broadcaster Cable News Network (CNN) on the activities of militant abductors in the Niger Delta and demanded an apology for the broadcast.
The report is to wrongfully denigrate Nigeria and her people and send the wrong signals to the international community about the state of affairs in the country,' Nweke said.
Nweke said that the Nigerian government had a response from MEND stating that those shown in the report were not its members. The minister said CNN had aired several features and reports in the last eight months depicting Nigeria as a country in perpetual crisss, in spite of the fact that its correspondents had unrestricted access to government officials.
The Nigerian government and its people have protested to CNN demanding an apology and right of reply, which should be given the same prominence and repetitive airing,' he said.
The minister said the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo had demonstrated great commitment, more than any other administration, in tackling the recurring challenges of development in the Niger Delta.
The CNN report indicated that militant groups in the Niger Delta that had been abducting expatriate oil workers in the region were a law unto themselves.
The groups had been abducting expatriate oil workers to press their demand that the Nigerian government give them a greater say in the exploitation of oil and gas endowments of the region.
Dozens of foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in the region over the past few months, though they are later released unharmed.

PRESIDENT SIRLEAF ARRIVES IN U.S THIS WEEKEND FOR INVESTMENT FORUM

TWO PRESIDENTS: BUSH & SIRLEAF

President Bush will welcome President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Republic of Liberia to the White House on February 14, 2007. President Johnson-Sirleaf's visit will mark the President's 100th meeting with an African Head of State during his six years in office. The visit will be an opportunity for the President to hear from President Johnson-Sirleaf on the progress being achieved in rebuilding the social, political, and economic life of Liberia. The President will use the opportunity to reiterate the United States' long-standing commitment to the establishment of stability and democracy in Liberia. The two leaders will also discuss continuing cooperation in the areas of reconstruction, economic development, trade and investment, security sector reform, and debt relief. Source: White House
Meanwhile, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is leading a high level Liberian government delegation to the United States to attend one-day forum that will bring together Liberians and International Investors in Washington, DC next Thursday. The event, “Liberia Private Sector Investment Forum,” is to showcase trade and investment opportunities in several vital sectors in the country. The forum will discuss investment possibilities in the areas of Agriculture, mining and natural resources, power generation and electricity, construction and infrastructure development, transportation, and tourism and hospitality. The forum will also provide an opportunity for potential investors to hear success stories of companies currently engaged in business in Liberia.
A Press release from the Liberian Embassy in Washington D.C. said President Sirleaf will serve as keynote speaker at the Luncheon for the Liberia Private sector investment Forum. The Forum follows two days of intensive government-only Donor Conference for Liberia, on February 13 and 14, 2007, also in Washington DC. The outcome of the donor conference will also be highlighted during the Private Sector Forum.
The Liberian Private Sector Investment forum is being organized in cooperation and co-sponsorship with the Government of Liberia, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA).
The Forum comes nearly one moth after the first anniversary of the historic inauguration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female Head of State, who has made great strides towards the establishment of good governance and an opportunistic environment for business in sub Sahara Africa. Her presence at the forum is another signal to the American and other International corporate business community the new Liberia is committed to private sector investment ventures.

U.N. Secretary General Makes New Senior Management Appointments

New York, UN (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of four new Under Secretaries-General to man some departments in the organisation.The appointment were made known Friday by Ban's Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar at a news conference.Those appointed were Mr Sha Zukang (China) for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Lynn Pascoe (US) for department of political affairs, Mr Kiyotaka Akasaka (Japan) for department of public information and Mr Muhammed Shaaban (Egypt) for department of General Assembly and Conference Management."Other senior appointments not announced, including those posts subject to ongoing discussion with the Member States, will be made in due course through a consultative process," Nambiar said."In making this decision, the Secretary-General has taken into account various factors, including the need to change with continuity, ongoing discussion on the restructuring plan and the need to promote mobility at all levels," Nambiar added.He also disclosed that the secretary-general has accepted the resignation of former Under Secretaries-General.Those who retired at the end of their contract were Nigeria's Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who is the former Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Jose Ocampo (Economic and Social Affairs).Among those retained from the former administration of Secretary-General Kofi Annan were Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno, Under Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel, Under Secretary-General for Safety and Security David Veness and Under Secretary-General at the UN Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) Inga-Britt Ahlenius.

New York - 10/02/2007

U.S. Congresswoman, Rep. Maxine Waters Want Debt Cancellation For Liberia

CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Maxine Waters (D­CA) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, urging him to support immediate and complete cancellation of Liberia's debts and arrears during the Liberia Partners' Forum in Washington, DC, February 13-15, 2007. The letter was signed by the following members of the House of Representatives: Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the Financial Services Committee; Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee; Donald Payne (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health; Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health; Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology; and Tom Lantos (D-CA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The text of the letter follows:
We appreciate your past support of debt cancellation for impoverished countries. We now urge you to support immediate and complete cancellation of Liberia's debts and arrears during the Liberia Partners' Forum in Washington, DC, February 13-15, 2007. The election of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made her the first woman head of state in Africa and marked the end of a 14-year civil war that killed 270,000 people and displaced almost one million. The country continues to suffer from grave poverty: 75 percent of its population lives on less than $1 per day while the unemployment rate is 85 percent. President Sirleaf's election was also a sign of hope for the people of Liberia who have suffered tremendously from both poverty and conflict. However, the new government requires the support and assistance of the international community to ensure national reconciliation and sustainable development for the Liberian people. Debt cancellation is essential to this process. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Liberia's total debt stands at $3.7 billion, $1.6 billion of which is owed to multilateral financial institutions, including $740 million to the IMF, $530 million to the World Bank, and $255 million to the African Development Bank. A total of $358 million is owed to the United States. Much of Liberia's debt burden was accumulated during the oppressive and undemocratic regimes of Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor, who did not use the loan funds for the benefit of the Liberian people. We are especially concerned that Liberia may be expected to pay off its arrears to multilateral financial institutions prior to obtaining new assistance in the form of grants, loans, or debt relief from the international community. This nation cannot afford additional delays and cannot reasonably be expected to drain such large amounts of money from its already fragile economy. The cancellation of Liberia's debts and arrears would enable the newly elected government to reduce poverty; improve health care, education and other essential government services; invest in critical infrastructure; and improve the lives of the Liberian people. The experience of partial debt relief and full debt cancellation in other impoverished countries has been successful. For example, the Ghanaian government has used the money saved through debt relief for basic infrastructure, including rural feeder roads, as well as increased expenditures on education and health care. In Zambia, 4,500 new teachers have been hired and fees for rural healthcare have been abolished. Therefore, we urge you to use your influence at the Liberia Partners' Forum to ensure that Liberia obtains complete cancellation of its debts and arrears without further delays. Your efforts to assist Liberia in its development are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to your response and to working with you to free Liberia from the tremendous burden of international debt.

PROFILE FOF REPRESENTATIVE MAXINE WATERS

Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor.

Elected in November 2004 to her eighth term in the House of Representatives with an overwhelming 80 percent of the votes in the 35th District of California, Congresswoman Maxine Waters represents a large part of South Central Los Angeles, the communities of Westchester and Playa Del Ray as well as the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lawndale.
Formerly the Chair of the 39-member Congressional Black Caucus (1997-98), Rep. Waters has held the influential leadership position of Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Party since the 106th Congress and was named Co-Chair of the powerful House Democratic Steering Committee.
She continues to be a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and the ranking member of its Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. She also serves on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, Technology.
She also continues to serve on the Committee on the Judiciary and its subcommittees on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property; on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security; and on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.
Following the 2000 Presidential election fiasco in Florida and elsewhere, Rep. Waters was named by Minority Leader Richard Gephardt to chair the Democratic Caucus Special Committee on Election Reform which held hearings throughout the country to prepare for Congressional consideration of minimum federal standards for elections practices.
Legislative Leadership
Throughout her 29 years of public service, Maxine Waters has been on the cutting edge, tackling difficult and often controversial issues. She has combined her strong legislative and public policy acumen and high visibility in Democratic Party activities with an unusual ability to do grassroots organizing.
Prior to her election to the House of Representatives in 1990, Congresswoman Waters had already attracted national attention for her no-nonsense, no-holds-barred style of politics. During 14 years in the California State Assembly, she rose to the powerful position of Democratic Caucus Chair. She was responsible for some of the boldest legislation California has ever seen: the largest divestment of state pension funds from South Africa; landmark affirmative action legislation; the nation’s first statewide Child Abuse Prevention Training Program; the prohibition of police strip searches for nonviolent misdemeanors; and the introduction of the nation’s first plant closure law.
As a national Democratic Party leader, Congresswoman Waters has long been highly visible in Democratic Party politics and has served on the Democratic National Committee since 1980. She was a key leader in five presidential campaigns: Sen. Edward Kennedy (1980), Rev. Jesse Jackson (1984 & 1988), and President Bill Clinton (1992 & 1996). In 2001, she was instrumental in the DNC’s creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute and the appointment of Mayor Maynard Jackson as its chair.
Following the Los Angeles civil unrest in 1992, Congresswoman Waters faced the nation’s media and public to interpret the hopelessness and despair in cities across America. Over the years, she has brought many government officials and policy makers to her South Central L.A. district to appeal for more re­sources. They included President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Secretaries of Housing & Urban Development Henry Cisneros and Andrew Cuomo, and Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve System. Following the unrest, she founded Community Build, the city’s grassroots rebuilding project.
She has used her skill to shape public policy and deliver the goods: $10 billion in Section 108 loan guarantees to cities for economic and infrastructure development, housing and small business expansion; $50 million appropriation for “Youth Fair Chance” program which established an intensive job and life skills training program for unskilled, unemployed youth; expanded U.S. debt relief for Africa and other developing nations; creating a “Center for Women Veterans,” among others.
Rep. Waters continues to be an active leader in a broad coalition of residential communities, environmental activists and elected officials that aggressively advocate for the mitigation of harmful impacts of the expansion plan for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Furthermore, she continues initiatives to preserve the unique environmental qualities of the Ballona wetlands and bluffs, treasures of her district.
She is a co-founder of Black Women’s Forum, a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 African American women in the Los Angeles area. In the mid-80s, she also founded Project Build, working with young people in Los Angeles housing developments on job training and placement.
As she confronts the Republican-controlled Congress on issues such as poverty, economic development, equal justice under the law and other issues of concern to people of color, women, children, and poor people, Rep. Waters enjoys a broad cross section of support from diverse communities across the nation.
Throughout her career, Congresswoman Waters has been an advocate for international peace, justice, and human rights. Before her election to Congress, she was a leader in the movement to end Apartheid and establish democracy in South Africa. She opposed the 2004 Haitian coup d’etat, which overthrew the democratically-elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti, and defends the rights of political prisoners in Haiti’s prisons. She leads congressional efforts to cancel the debts that poor countries in Africa and Latin America owe to wealthy institutions like the World Bank and free poor countries from the burden of international debts.
Congresswoman Waters is the founding member and Chair of the ‘Out of Iraq’ Congressional Caucus. Formed in June 2005, the ‘Out of Iraq’ Congressional Caucus is established to bring to the Congress an on-going debate about the war in Iraq and the Administration’s justifications for the decision to go to war, to urge the return of US service members to their families as soon as possible. The Caucus has more than 70 members.
Expanding access to health care services is another of Congresswoman Waters’ priorities. She spearheaded the development of the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998 to address the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS among African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. Under her continuing leadership, funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative has increased from the initial appropriation of $156 million in fiscal year 1999 to approximately $400 million per year today. She is also the author of legislation to expand health services for patients with diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
She is lauded by African American entrepreneurs for her work to expand contracting and procurement opportunities and to strengthen businesses. Long active in the women’s movement, Rep. Waters has given encouragement and financial support to women seeking public office. Many young people, including those in the hip-hop music community, praise her for her support and understanding of young people and their efforts at self-expression. One testament to her work is the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, a multimillion dollar campus providing education and employment opportunities to residents of the Watts area.
Personal Background
Maxine Waters was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the fifth of 13 children reared by a single mother. She began working at age 13 in factories and segregated restaurants. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked in garment factories and at the telephone company. She attended California State University at Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She began her career in public service as a teacher and a volunteer coordinator in the Head Start program.
She is married to Sidney Williams, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. She is the mother of two adult children, Edward and Karen, and has two grandchildren.

From:Debayani Kar


Communications and Advocacy Coordinator


Jubilee USA Network


222 E Capitol St NE


Washington, DC 20003(202) 783-0215

Trouble In Guinea, Army Killed 7 Street Demonstrators

GUINEAN ARMY IN READINESS

BBCNEWS
Some question how long the army will back an unpopular presidentAt least seven people have been shot dead by the security forces in the West African state of Guinea during protests against the newly named prime minister.
Dozens more were seriously injured in the violence in the capital Conakry and several towns across the country.
President Lansana Conte named Eugene Camara as prime minister on Friday, meeting a deadline to avoid strikes.
However, the demonstrators say Mr Camara is too close to the president and are demanding a leadership change.
The violence erupted in the town of Kindia about 140km (87 miles) from the capital, Conakry. At least four of the deaths occurred there.
As well as the known seven civilian deaths, there are also unconfirmed reports that two soldiers were killed and their bodies burnt by protesters in the town of Kankan.
The BBC's Will Ross in Conakry says the capital is in chaos after protesters went on the rampage, ransacking government offices and the homes of government ministers.
Gunfire can be heard in several areas of the city, our correspondent says, and young demonstrators have blocked roads with rocks and burning tyres.
Mr Conte had agreed to hand over the running of the government by Sunday in order to avoid the resumption of an 18-day strike which unions ended last month.
But people are angry that Mr Conte has chosen a close ally for the post of prime minister.
Mr Camara has been in government for several years and worked as the minister for presidential affairs.
Our correspondent says unions fear Mr Camara will simply be the president's puppet, and are demanding a complete change of leadership instead.
President Conte has won three elections since seizing powerSome 60 people died during the recent strikes, called over falling living standards and alleged mismanagement.
Guinea is mineral rich but has also been described as the most corrupt country in the world, and most people live in abject poverty.
The president seized power in a 1984 coup but has since won three elections. Now in his seventies and suffering ill-health, there is an overwhelming desire for him to step down.
Our reporter says there is a fear that Mr Conte's reluctance to relinquish power could have dire consequences for Guinea's neighbours - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast - which have all been plagued by conflict.

HON. NYENPAN TO ADDRESS SINOE CITIZENS IN THE U.S.

PHOTOS:

Hon. Mobotu Nyenpan

Senior Senator, Sinoe County

Madam Carley Jegbadai

President of USAA


The Senior Senator of Sinoe County , Hon. Mobotu Nyenpan is expected to deliver the Keynote Address at the upcoming United Sarpo Association’s Leadership Conference slated to take place in North Carolina, the United States of America.
According to a dispatch published by the Liberian Media & Advertising Services, Senator Nyenpan will address the Startegic Leadership Conference which will run from MARCH 2 - 4, 2007 at DAYS INN 3460 HILLSBOROUGH ROAD DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA.