África, berço da Humanidade

As for Africa, scientists have formerly concluded that it is the birthplace of mankind, as large numbers of human-like fossils (discovered no where else) were found on the continent, some dating back 3.5 million years. About 1.75 million years ago, early man spread throughout parts of Africa. They became aggressive hunters, lived in caves and used fire and their ability to create stone tools just to survive. The Neanderthals arose some 200,000 years ago and inhabited regions in northern Africa and across parts of southern Europe. There is also clear evidence that they had control of fire, lived in caves, as well as open-air structures of stone and vegetation. One of the most important developments of primitive man was the creation of stone tools. By 5000 BC farming was somewhat common in the northern areas of Africa, as people were growing crops and herding livestock. During that time the Sahara Desert was a fertile area. In 3200 BC the Egyptian culture emerged along the lower reaches of the Nile River; it was among the earliest civilizations and their tools and weapons were made of bronze. They also pioneered the building of massive pyramids and temples. Egyptians also developed mathematics, an innovative system of medicine, irrigation and agricultural production techniques, writing and the first ships. In short, the Egyptians left a lasting legacy upon the world. Around 600 BC the use of metal tools spread across small population bases and farming groups in North Africa, and their use gradually spread south into what is now called South Africa. The Phoenicians were an enterprising maritime trading culture from Lebanon who spread across the Mediterranean from 1550 BC to 300 BC. In 814 BC, they founded the city of Carthage in what is now Tunisia in north Africa; only to be destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. Meanwhile, the Egyptians continued to spread their culture across Northern Africa, and kingdoms were created in Ethiopia and Sudan. The then-growing Roman Empire continued to expand its influence, and in 30 BC Egypt became a province of Rome; Morocco the same in 42 AD. Before the Middle Ages began, the Roman Empire collapsed and the Arabs quickly took their place on the continent. In 698-700 they invaded Tunis and Carthage and soon controlled all of coastal North Africa. The Arabs were Muslims, and most of North Africa converted to Islam; Ethiopia was the exception. Soon kingdoms emerged in Africa; they traded with the Arabs using gold plus a valuable commodity - slaves. One of the first kingdoms was Ghana, located in what is now southeastern Mauritania and western Mali. The empire grew rich from the trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt, but then lost its power in the 11th century. Additional kingdoms developed across the continent, including those in Benin and Mali. Both became rich by trading in gold, horse salt, and of course, slaves. And like most kingdoms before them on any continent, they were invaded and in the end destroyed. Mogadishu, the now largest city in Somalia, was settled by Arabs who traveled and traded on the east coast of Africa. The Arabs' reach extended to Zanzibar, which was used as a base for voyages between the Middle East and India. As other organized kingdoms were formed in central and southern Africa, the Portuguese began to explore the western coast of Africa. By 1445 they reached the Cape Verde Islands and the coast of Senegal, and the mouth of the River Congo in 1482. They even sailed around the Cape of Good Hope. africa The continent-changing 16th Century began with Europeans transporting African slaves to the Americas for profit. A slave purchased on the African coast for the equivalent of 14 English pounds in bartered goods could sell for 45 pounds in the American market. The best-known method of commerce at the time was called the Triangular Trading System. It involved British and other European countries' manufactured goods which were shipped to Africa, then slaves from there to the West Indies and then sugar and other products back to Europe. At the same time, Barbary pirates along the North African coast captured thousands of ships. From the 16th to 19th century, an estimated 800,000 to 1.25 million people were taken captive as slaves. The pirates' impact on the continent, however, peaked in the early to mid-17th century. As tales of African riches spread north, the Europeans founded their first real colonies in the early 16th century, when the Portuguese settled in what is now Angola. Later, the Dutch founded a colony in what is now South Africa. Strong movements to end slavery began in the late 18th century. France became one of the first countries to abolish slavery in 1794. Britain banned slave trade in 1807, but it was not officially abolished for good until 1848. In some parts of Africa, slave-like practices continue to this day and have proven difficult to eliminate. Wholesale colonization of Africa by European countries began in 1814 when the British snatched the Dutch Colony of South Africa. Carved up like a large pie, the Brits, Dutch, French, Germans and Portuguese grabbed all of the available pieces. By the end of the 19th century, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, and from Botswana to Niger, the continent was now all but controlled by European powers. In the early 20th century the land grab continued as the British took control of Egypt. By 1920, the forced occupation of African lands began to sour in Europe, and change was in the wind. Africans were also driven by their passionate desire for independence and the movement for same became unstoppable. By mid-century most of the continent was independent, with Angola finally free in 1975. Self-government brought more than its share of civil wars, coup d'états and ethnic conflicts to the newly emerged countries. Add to that mix some horrible genocides, along with famines and out-of-control disease (HIV/AIDS), and Africa was teetering on the edge, and in many areas still does today. Although Africa remains the world's poorest inhabited continent, there are many bright spots in this land of over one billion people and its 2,000 + languages. Significant economic and social gains have taken place over the last few years, with South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt leading the way. The largest segments of modern Africa's economies are agriculture and mining, with tourism growing in some areas. Manufacturing industries have grown large enough to ship products across the planet, and the oil export revenues of Angola, Libya and Nigeria have the potential to change the lives of millions. Today the 54 countries of Africa have great potential, but this question must be asked: "Can it change soon enough to meet the needs of its people?" We can only hope so. WorldAtlas.com

Bissau: Impunidade e violação dos direitos humanos

Guiné Equatorial vive sem liberdade e sob a ameaça de homicídios arbitrários, tortura e uso de força praticados pelas autoridades, sem que haja punições, diz o relatório anual do Departamento de Estado dos EUA sobre direitos humanos. A Guiné-Bissau também não é poupada pelo relatório de 2013 do 'MNE' americano, que denuncia atos de violação dos direitos humanos pelas forças de segurança no país, praticados impunemente. A agência Lusa refere - citando o relatório do Departamento de Estado - que, na Guiné-Bissau, as "mais graves violações de direitos humanos incluíram detenções arbitrárias, corrupção agravada pela impunidade dos funcionários do governo e pelas suspeitas de envolvimento no tráfico de drogas e uma falta de respeito para com o direito dos cidadãos de eleger o seu governo". As autoridades de Bissau "não conseguiram ter controlo efetivo sobre as forças de segurança" e estas "cometeram abusos", refere o documento ciatado pela Lusa. Recorde-se que houve eleições gerais marcadas para 24 de novembro, que não se realizaram. Governos acusados de laxismo O relatório diz que o Governo de Bissau "não tomou medidas para processar ou punir os oficiais ou outros indivíduos que cometeram abusos, seja nas forças de segurança ou em outras estruturas governamentais". O relatório faz acusações semelhantes ao governantes da Guiné-Equatorial: "o governo não tomou medidas para processar ou punir quem cometeu abusos, seja nas forças de segurança ou noutras estruturas governamentais". Na Guiné-Bissau, os casos de violação de direitos humanos passam pela falta de condições nas prisões, falta de independência e capacidade de funcionamento da justiça, trabalho forçado, discriminação e violência contra as mulheres, bem como a prática da mutilação genital feminina e tráfico de crianças. No caso da Guiné-Equatorial o relatório do departamento de Estado dos EUA diz são negadas liberdades básicas: liberdade de expressão, de imprensa, de reunião, de atividade política. Há restrições à privacidade, movimentação de pessoas e aos direitos dos trabalhadores impostas pelas autoridades de Malabo. Até mesmo as organizações não-governamentais, sejam do país ou estrangeiras, têm restrições à atividade, acrescenta o documento. Recorde-se que a CPLP já aprovou a candidatura da Guiné Equatorial a membro da Comunidade de Países de Língua Portuguesa, e que a União Europeia não convidou a Guiné-Bissau, Madagáscar e a República Centro-Africana para participarem na Cimeira União Europeia - África, que se realiza em Bruxelas, a 2 e 3 de abril, porque estes países estão suspensos pela União Africana. Bruxelas não reconhece" os Governos que atualmente estão no poder, disse ao Expresso fonte da União Europeia . Ler mais: http://expresso.sapo.pt/washington-acusa-guine-bissau-e-equatorial-de-desrespeitar-direitos-humanos=f858437#ixzz2ucIMR6vh

Argélia: Quase morto, Bouteflika candidata-se à reeleição

L'annonce de la candidature d'Abdelaziz Bouteflika à la présidentielle algérienne a choqué l'Algérie. À l'étranger, elle a surtout suscité des commentaires consternés et un brin moqueurs… Revue de presse. "Un président muet", écrit Le Monde. "Bouteflika, le fantôme d'Alger", ironise le quotidien Le Parisien. Hors des frontières algériennes, la candidature du président algérien à sa propre succession n'a pas laissé indifférent. "Il est candidat à la présidentielle. Mais le sait-il vraiment ?", écrit ainsi Le Canard Enchaîné qui titre en une, dans son édition de mercredi 26 février : "En Algérie, le jeune, c'est seulement durant le ramadan". "Comment envisager une campagne quand un homme ne peut prononcer deux phrases ni se déplacer dans le pays?", se questionne pour sa part Libération dans son édition du 24 février. Le quotidien de gauche cite en fin d'article un politologue, également repris dans le Canard Enchaîné : "Tout ce que l'on voit aujourd'hui en Algérie ressemble à la fin d'Eltsine en Russie. Le pouvoir à Alger s'est mis en tête de rechercher son Poutine, mais ne l'a pas trouvé. Il faut que Bouteflika-Eltsine tienne encore un peu." Quitte à frôler le ridicule, résumé en un tweet par un Algérien, cité dans le quotidien Le Monde : "Avant, on faisait voter les morts, maintenant, c'est eux qui nous demandent de voter". "C'est rarement le peuple qui décide mais le système" "Il semble bien que l'armée, immuable faiseur de rois, n'a pas trouvé de remplaçant, pour l'instant, à l'actuel président", renchérit Le Nouvel Observateur, qui rejoint ainsi The Guardian, décrivant les militaires comme, c'est un euphémisme, "des acteurs-clés" du futur scrutin. Le Monde cite pour sa part un cadre de la DRS, l'ex-Sécurité militaire : "En Algérie, depuis Massinissa, le premier roi numide, c'est rarement le peuple qui décide mais le système". Objectif réel, selon le quotidien de centre-droit : "la survie des clans au pouvoir et le partage de la rente". "Rien n'est en mesure d'affecter l'accord négocié au cœur du système, qui produit, depuis l'indépendance, des présidents à la place du vote populaire", ajoute Le Figaro. "La fracture entre le président, usé par le pouvoir et la maladie, et une population jeune, ne fait que s'aggraver", explique Le Monde, décrivant une population désabusée, qui espérait, sans trop d'espoir, le changement promis en 2012 lors du discours de Sétif, où le président avait évoqué sa génération comme "arrivée à son terme". Espoirs déçus "Jusqu'au bout, certains ont voulu croire à une alternative", note encore le quotidien. "Pourtant, le président avait montré de la ténacité pendant sa convalescence", explique de son côté le New York Times, décryptant une candidature finalement sans grande surprise. "Il a construit sa campagne (…) en remplaçant de nombreux membres de cabinets ministériels, des cadres régionaux ou des pontes des puissants services de renseignements", rappelle le quotidien américain. "La peur et le fatalisme figent pour l'instant le paysage", s'indigne Le Canard Enchaîné. "Mais la censure, la police (…) peuvent-ils longtemps maintenir le couvercle sur un pays tiraillé par les divisions régionales et l'islamisme, et où la moitié de la population a moins de 28 ans ?", s'interroge encore l'hebdomadaire satirique, qui conclut malicieusement : "Le printemps commence dans un mois". Aux Algériens de contredire, ou non, les anticipations du palmipède. _________________ Par Mathieu OLIVIER Lire l'article sur Jeuneafrique.com

Guiné Equatorial: Noves fora, nada (de respeito pela democracia)

Com a entrada efectiva da Guiné Equatorial para membro de pleno direito da Comunidade de Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP), ficamos a ser nove. Isto assim dito, até parece que é bom, que ficamos a ganhar. Só que, pelo meio, sacrificam-se a decência e os mais elementares princípios humanitários. Jorge Heitor A Guiné Equatorial alcançou a sua independência no ano de 1968, depois de 190 anos de colonização espanhola, que se seguiu a alguma presença portuguesa, bastante associada à que se verificava em São Tomé e Príncipe. O pequeno país, composto por uma parte continental e por cinco ilhas habitadas, é um dos mais pequenos da África; e um dos mais polémicos, devido à sua gritante falta de democracia. O Presidente Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo dirige-o desde 1979, ano em que derrubou o tio, Francisco Macías, que já de si era um conhecido ditador. Se bem que no papel se apresente como uma democracia constitucional, as eleições têm sido uma completa farsa, tanto as presidenciais como as legislativas. O chefe do Estado exerce um controlo quase total sobre tudo o que ali se passa, sendo o Presidente africano há mais anos no poder; alguns meses mais do que o angolano José Eduardo dos Santos. A Guiné Equatorial tem conhecido um rápido crescimento económico, devido à descoberta de grandes reservas de petróleo no seu offshore, tendo-se tornado mesmo o terceiro exportador de petróleo na África Sub-Sariana, depois da Nigéria e de Angola. Mas a melhoria do nível de vida da população tem sido muito lenta. A pena de morte ainda nem sequer foi abolida, mas apenas suspensa, para que a CPLP aceitasse por fim, como membro pleno, um país que de há muito goza nela do estatuto de observador; e que formalmente adoptou o português como a sua terceira língua oficial, depois do castelhano e do francês. Ter assim, entre nós, um regime autocrático, onde nem sequer 10 por cento da população está em condições de se expressar em português, é claramente uma anomalia e uma vergonha, que em nada enobrece a nossa Comunidade. Portugal estava muito renitente, ainda há dois ou três anos, a que a Guiné Equatorial passasse de observador a membro de pleno direito da família lusófona; mas acabou por se vergar à vontade dos Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa (PALOP), de Timor-Leste e do Brasil. Ao contrário do que acontece com a Francofonia, por exemplo, onde Paris tem um papel determinante, sobrepondo-se a todos os países onde, em maior ou menor escala, se fala francês, na CPLP as autoridades de Lisboa acabam por ir a reboque das de Luanda e de outras capitais associadas. Vamos ser Nove, sim. Mas se tirarmos a prova a estes nove, em termos de democraticidade e de decência, fica praticamente nada. É esta a triste realidade. (Apontamento escrito a pedido do site LusoMonitor)

Timor-Leste: Ameaçada a liberdade de expressão

East Timor journalists and human rights groups are opposing a government-proposed media law which they believe would lead to possible media censorship and repression in the country. The draft legislation was approved by the Council of Ministers last August, but was introduced in the Parliament just two weeks ago. The Council of Ministers claims that the law is necessary since it seeks to guarantee the rights of media practitioners as well as encourage the media to do its job “objectively and impartially”: The Press Law aims to ensure the freedom of the press while at the same time promoting the necessary balance between the exercise of that freedom and other fundamental rights and values contained in the Constitution. Its purpose is primarily to regulate the activity of professionals adequately prepared and ethically responsible, so that they can inform the public objectively and impartially and encourage active and enlightened citizenship by the population, thus contributing to a democratic society. But several media groups have pointed out that the proposed law contains several provisions that directly undermine free speech. They highlighted Article 7 of the measure which mandates the registration of journalists to be supervised by a Press Council. Activist group La'o Hamutuk argued that the creation of a press council is unnecessary: As freedom of expression is already guaranteed by the Constitution, no Press Council is needed to regulate it. A Council of commercial media organizations and paid journalists can self-regulate their business, including with their Code of Ethics, but their processes cannot be imposed on everyone and should not involve the state, either through financial support or legal enforcement. Furthermore, no journalist should be required to join an organization in order to practice his or her Constitutional rights. The group also questioned a provision which would narrow the definition of journalists to those working for corporate media. It insisted that the media landscape has changed and that citizen journalists must also be recognized by the government: This law should respect every person’s right to free expression, including students, bloggers, web-posters, civil society organizations, free-lancers, part-time reporters, discussion groups, churches, political parties, columnists, researchers, community groups and ordinary people. It should not be monopolized or controlled by for-profit media. La'o Hamutuk concluded by asserting that the proposed law is not crucial in promoting the right to information, and worse, that it violates the constitution: Timor-Leste has already gone for more than a decade without a Media Law, and we have not had problems with media and information. During this time, Timorese people enjoyed their right to information and freedom of expression through various media, after nearly five hundred years of repression and censorship. Therefore, we conclude that this Media Law violates Timor-Leste Constitution Articles 40 and 41 about people’s rights and freedom to seek, collect, choose, analyze and disseminate information, as words and/or images, to everyone. Meanwhile, the Journalists Association of Timor-Leste thinks that the bill, if passed into law, would mean more regulation and not protection of the media: We want the law to reflect the realities of the modern media and to obey international standards. What we see in these laws is gives an impression that they intend to regulate the press rather than protect the rights of East Timorese journalists. Blogger David Robie concerns about transparency around the act, asking why the content of the document was only made public a few weeks ago: The proposed Timor-Leste media law is a draconian mixed bag. And it is ironical that such a document with lofty claims of protecting the freedom of the press should be shrouded in secrecy for the past six months. Alarming is the attempt to lock in the status and definition of journalists, effectively barring independent and freelance journalism and leaving the registration of journalists entirely to the whim of commercial media organisations. It would not have worked in any kind of democracy in the days of low-tech newspapers and media publishing. But in these days of digital media, citizen journalism and diversity of critical information online it is tantamount to censorship – the very thing the draft law states opposition to. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) supports East Timor journalists in calling for the review and even overhaul of the proposed legislation: Any legislation that would limit the capacity of local and international journalists reporting on East Timor, also limits the public’s right to know and is of great concern to the IFJ. We urge the government to ensure those reservations and perspectives are taken seriously and incorporated into the draft media law. In response, the government vowed to consider all comments of media organizations before further deliberating on the draft proposal. Written byMong Palatino/ Global Voices Advocacy

Bissau: Uma atmosfera de medo e de intimidação

26 February 2014 – The United Nations Security Council urged Guinea-Bissau and the international community to redouble efforts aimed at preparing for the long delayed elections which have been postponed yet again, and reiterated that they are willing to use targeted sanctions against civilian and military individuals who undermine efforts to restore the constitutional order. In a statement to the press after its discussions, the 15-member Council expressed concern at the continuing delays in the legislative and presidential elections, which have recently been postponed to 13 April from 16 March, according to a decree signed by interim President Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo. “Such delays have a negative impact on the country’s social and economic well-being, and on the already fragile security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Guinea-Bissau,” the Council said. Members also urged authorities in charge of the transitional period to create a conducive environment for the “safe, full and equal” participation of all actors, including women. In today’s statement, the Council condemned violence in Guinea-Bissau, which has “contributed to atmosphere of fear and intimidation among the population.” and reiterated its concern about the prevailing culture of impunity and lack of accountability in the country. They also called on all stakeholders, including political parties, defense and security forces, and civil society organizations and traditional leaders “to refrain from any action that could hamper the electoral process, to facilitate the conduct of peaceful and credible elections, and to respect the election results as an expression of the will of the people.” Specifically, the Council called on the military to respect the constitutional order, including the electoral process, and “to submit themselves fully to civilian control.” Constitutional order has still not been restored in Guinea-Bissau, which is recovering from an April 2012 coup in which soldiers loyal to General Antonio Injai, toppled the Government ahead of the days before a runoff election that was expected to go to then Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior. During the Security Council meeting earlier in the day, Jose Ramos-Horta, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau, urged the defense and security forces from interfering in the forthcoming elections and to protect the candidates. In a videoconference, Mr. Ramos-Horta, who is also head of the UN political mission in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), called for intensive international support for the country after the elections. Also briefing the Council, Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota of Brazil, the Chairperson of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, noted that the impact of the political instability on the country’s economy is “devastating”. He noted that there was “a widespread sense of weariness in the country” and that “people wanted to move on.” He echoed Mr. Ramos-Horta’s call for international support after the polls close, and also detailed a three-prong approach that includes modernizing the security sector. In his briefing, the Ambassador also warned that international crime and drug trafficking remain major concerns, with the emerging threat caused by irregular fishing and logging licenses. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Identificados mais de 1.000 planetas, em volta de 305 estrelas da Via Láctea

The science team sifting data from the US space agency's (Nasa) Kepler telescope says it has identified 715 new planets beyond our Solar System. This is a huge new haul. In the nearly two decades since the first so-called exoplanet was discovered, researchers had claimed the detection of just over 1,000 new worlds. Kepler's latest bounty orbit only 305 stars, meaning they are all in multi-planet systems. The vast majority, 95%, are smaller than our Neptune, which is four times the radius of the Earth. Four of the new planets are less than 2.5 times the radius of Earth, and they orbit their host suns in the "habitable zone" - the region around a star where water can keep a liquid state. Whether that is the case on these planets cannot be known for sure - Kepler's targets are hundreds of light-years in the distance, and this is too far away for very detailed investigation. The Kepler space telescope was launched in 2009 on a $600m (£360m) mission to assess the likely population of Earth-sized planets in our Milky Way Galaxy. Faulty pointing mechanisms eventually blunted its abilities last year, but not before it had identified thousands of possible, or "candidate", worlds in a patch of sky in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra. It did this by looking for transits - the periodic dips in light that occur when planets move across the faces of stars.

Before Wednesday, the Kepler spacecraft had confirmed the existence of 246 exoplanets. It has now pushed this number up to 961. That is more than half of all the discoveries made in the field over the past 20 years. "This is the largest windfall of planets that's ever been announced at one time," said Douglas Hudgins from Nasa's astrophysics division. "Second, these results establish that planetary systems with multiple planets around one star, like our own Solar System, are in fact common. "Third, we know that small planets - planets ranging from the size of Neptune down to the size of the Earth - make up the majority of planets in our galaxy." When Kepler first started its work, the number of confirmed planets came at a trickle. Scientists had to be sure that the variations in brightness being observed were indeed caused by transiting planets and not by a couple of stars orbiting and eclipsing each other. The follow-up work required to make this distinction - between candidate and confirmation - was laborious. But the sudden dump of new planets announced on Wednesday has exploited a new statistical approach referred to as "verification by multiplicity". This rests on the recognition that if a star displays multiple dips in light, it must be planets that are responsible because it is very difficult for several stars to orbit each other in a similar way and maintain a stable configuration. "This technique that we've introduced for wholesale planet validation will be productive in the future. These results are based on the first two years of Kepler observations and with each additional year, we'll be able to bring in a few hundred more planets," explained Jack Lissauer, a planetary scientist at Nasa's Ames Research Center. Sara Seager is a professor of planetary science and physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is not involved in the Kepler mission. She commented: "With hundreds of new validated planets, Kepler reinforces its major finding that small planets are extremely common in our galaxy. And I'm super-excited about this, being one of the people working on the next generation of space telescopes - we hope to put up direct imaging missions, and we need to be reassured that small planets are common." BBC ----- À espera do dia em que possamos localizar planetas habitáveis, com formas de vida equiparáveis às da Terra. Um velho sonho da Humanidade, que espera não se encontrar só no meio do Cosmos.