12.2.17
Bissau: As Lagoas de Cufada
Guineenses radicados em Portugal exigem fim das obras que colocam em risco biodiversidade das Lagoas de Cufada, a maior reserva de água doce do país. Governo diz que construção vai avançar.
Parque Natural das Lagoas de Cufada abrange ecossistemas de zonas húmidas e de florestas.
A maioria dos guineenses radicados em Portugal não quer ver erguida uma projetada central termoelétrica dentro da área protegida do Parque Natural das Lagoas de Cufada, situado na região de Quinará, no sul da Guiné-Bissau.
O sentimento é de "muita indignação", como constatou a DW África durante uma conferência realizada na sexta-feira (10.02), na Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, em Lisboa, para debater alternativas e travar a construção, que viola, entre outras, as leis de proteção das áreas protegidas e da terra.
Ouvir o áudio 05:52
Parque natural guineense é ameaçado por central elétrica
O parque que concentra a maior reserva de água doce da Guiné-Bissau abrange ecossistemas de zonas húmidas e de florestas de interesse patrimonial excecional, além de ter uma zona de pesca como único meio de subsistência da população.
Segundo o ativista e sociólogo guineense, Miguel de Barros, os prejuízos ambientais serão enormes se o investimento avançar. O projeto patrocinado pelo Governo tinha de obedecer à realização de estudos prévios de impacto ambiental, e de viabilidade económica e financeira, mas nada disso foi feito.
"Sobretudo, era necessário transparência em termos do que é o investimento em si e como obedece, por exemplo, o código de investimento público, a lei da terra, a lei de avaliação de impacto ambiental e o decreto da criação de área protegida, que salvaguarda a não concessão de terras no interior do Parque de Lagoas de Cufada", explica.
Miguel de Barros, que também é diretor-executivo da ONG Tiniguena, ressalta que o investimento tem interesses obscuros e não traz vantagens para a população.
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Ativista Miguel de Barros: "É necessário transparência sobre os investimentos"
"Como é que uma central a gasóleo para um país que não é produtor de petróleo tem capacidade de fornecer energia, independentemente do tipo de impacto – emissão de gases, do barulho e do impacto no lençol freático? Qual é a capacidade de compra de energia que as populações têm em relação ao preço e nível de investimento feito ao repôr a oferta que depois vão fazer?", questiona.
A construção da central financiada pela Índia e orçada em 18,7 milhões de euros prevê a desflorestação de mais de nove hectares de terra. Especialistas advertem que a intervenção humana pode contaminar a água e o solo e afetar a rica biodiversidade da região.
"Para além de chimpazés, existem outros mamíferos. Existem outros grandes animais, mas que já vão desaparecendo. Ocasionalmente, ainda se observa um búfalo, um elefante, mas esses animais já são muito ameaçados", explica o biológo português, Paulo Catry, investigador do ISPA – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa.
Governo diz que obras vão avançar
Em declarações recentes à agência Lusa, o ministro da Energia, Florentino Pereira, garantiu que a construção da central é para avançar, mesmo não tendo sido feito estudos de impacto ambiental. Ele disse que se as obras que vão garantir fornecimento de energia no sul do país pararem os custos serão "incalculáveis". Pereira, no entanto, afirmou que o lençol freático não será afetado e que não houve grande desmatação.
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Paulo Catry: "População e biodiversidade serão prejudicados"
Um dos opositores à ideia da central térmica, o economista guineense Eduardo Fernandes, considera, por sua vez, que conservar a natureza traz ganhos.
"Não desaparece um determinado número de espécies, vamos ter a garantia de água doce na região e as populações vão continuar a ter alimentos e uma fauna diversificada. Portanto, há ganhos a longo prazo maior do que o imediatismo de uma central elétrica", argumentou.
Os defensores do Parque Natural das Lagoas de Cufada querem alternativas sustentáveis e pedem ao Governo para parar as obras, fazer estudos de impacto e tornar público o acordo estabelecido com a empresa indiana. Além disso, querem que a produção energética seja de energia limpa fotovoltáica, para evitar o desbravamento da floresta.
A diáspora, na opinião de Miguel de Barros, pode desempenhar um papel importante de alerta aos atores políticos e da própria comunidade internacional, na lógica de exigir responsabilidades ao Estado guineense relativamente à preservação de espaços e de recursos produtivos indispensáveis à estratégia de desenvolvimento sustentável da Guiné-Bissau.
11.2.17
Nigéria: Estranhas profecias
The founder and primate of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh Worldwide, Theophilus Olabayo, has said that time has come for a new president to emerge in Nigeria.
In a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday night, Mr. Olabayo said “a man of destiny is going to take over in another dimension.”
“God told me that the president has done well but his time is up, Aso Rock is vacant, nobody is there. And God told me that he will raise up a man who loves Nigeria to take over,” said Mr. Olabayo.
“It’s not going to be business as usual, God is taking over this country, what happened in America is going to happen in Nigeria. New Nigeria will be born. Most of those people who stole our wealth, God told me that they will be exposed wherever they are.
“What God revealed to me is that enemies of this country, enemies that are always putting wrong people there to punish us… God said he has put a lion there, on the seat of the leader of this country, nobody is sitting there.
“And anybody that doesn’t love this country, that they want to go all out to fix people there, God will consume them.”
Mr. Olabayo’s prophecy comes one week after he called for a three-day national fasting and prayer to avert an impending “darkness” hovering over Nigeria.
In a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday night, Mr. Olabayo said “a man of destiny is going to take over in another dimension.”
“God told me that the president has done well but his time is up, Aso Rock is vacant, nobody is there. And God told me that he will raise up a man who loves Nigeria to take over,” said Mr. Olabayo.
“It’s not going to be business as usual, God is taking over this country, what happened in America is going to happen in Nigeria. New Nigeria will be born. Most of those people who stole our wealth, God told me that they will be exposed wherever they are.
“What God revealed to me is that enemies of this country, enemies that are always putting wrong people there to punish us… God said he has put a lion there, on the seat of the leader of this country, nobody is sitting there.
“And anybody that doesn’t love this country, that they want to go all out to fix people there, God will consume them.”
Mr. Olabayo’s prophecy comes one week after he called for a three-day national fasting and prayer to avert an impending “darkness” hovering over Nigeria.
Nigéria: Mulher insatisfeita
A 36-year-old seamstress, Sherifat Adetunji, on Friday pleaded at a Lagos Island Customary Court that her marriage should be dissolved on ground that her husband was longer ejaculating inside her during sex.
The mother of two said that her 10-year-old marriage was blissful until five years ago when things started changing.
She lamented that her husband could go a year or more without making love to her and that when he did he would not ejaculate inside her.
“My husband has been starving me sexually, sometimes he will not touch me for a whole year and when he did, he would not release inside me.
“I have complained severally about my dissatisfaction over his attitude towards our sexual life, but has refused to change,” she said.
She told the court that her husband once brought a strange man into their house to perform some rituals in the middle of the night and since then she started emaciating.
The husband brought a man to pass the night in our house and that in the middle of the night they performed some rituals since then I have been growing lean.
“He did not show any concern about my state of health or why I was growing lean everyday,” Sherifat said.
She, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and give her the custody of their two children, Alia, 8, and Kismat, 5.
Her husband, Monsuru, 38, a trader, told the court that he thought his wife was happy in their marriage because they hardly quarreled.
He said he was surprised when she packed out of the house and brought him to court for the dissolution of their marriage.
He admitted his sexual behaviour, saying that it was due to the current economic recession so as to prevent his wife from getting pregnant.
“I stopped making love to her regularly and releasing in her because of the present economic situation in the country so that she does not get pregnant.
“The man she said I brought home was a distant relation who had no place to pass the night.
“The reason why my wife is reducing in size is because she does not give herself rest of mind, she is always worried about one thing or the other,” he said.
He urged the court to dissolve the marriage as he was no longer interested in the marriage because she had packed out of their matrimonial home.
The Court President, Mr Awos Awosola, said that marriage institution could only work if the two were in agreement.
“Marriage is for two people, not one; your wife should also have a say in the home.
“Since she has complained severally that you are starving her sexually, you should have made amends.
“If you do not want to get her pregnant you can always use condom,” he said.
Awosola urged the two parties to maintain the peace and adjourned the case to Feb. 16 for further hearing.
(NAN)
The mother of two said that her 10-year-old marriage was blissful until five years ago when things started changing.
“My husband has been starving me sexually, sometimes he will not touch me for a whole year and when he did, he would not release inside me.
“I have complained severally about my dissatisfaction over his attitude towards our sexual life, but has refused to change,” she said.
She told the court that her husband once brought a strange man into their house to perform some rituals in the middle of the night and since then she started emaciating.
“He did not show any concern about my state of health or why I was growing lean everyday,” Sherifat said.
She, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and give her the custody of their two children, Alia, 8, and Kismat, 5.
Her husband, Monsuru, 38, a trader, told the court that he thought his wife was happy in their marriage because they hardly quarreled.
He admitted his sexual behaviour, saying that it was due to the current economic recession so as to prevent his wife from getting pregnant.
“I stopped making love to her regularly and releasing in her because of the present economic situation in the country so that she does not get pregnant.
“The man she said I brought home was a distant relation who had no place to pass the night.
“The reason why my wife is reducing in size is because she does not give herself rest of mind, she is always worried about one thing or the other,” he said.
He urged the court to dissolve the marriage as he was no longer interested in the marriage because she had packed out of their matrimonial home.
The Court President, Mr Awos Awosola, said that marriage institution could only work if the two were in agreement.
“Marriage is for two people, not one; your wife should also have a say in the home.
“Since she has complained severally that you are starving her sexually, you should have made amends.
“If you do not want to get her pregnant you can always use condom,” he said.
Awosola urged the two parties to maintain the peace and adjourned the case to Feb. 16 for further hearing.
(NAN)
Gâmbia fica no TPI
New Gambian President Adama Barrow has confirmed through a top EU official that The Gambia will remain in the International Criminal Court (ICC). Neven Mimica, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, was in The Gambia to announce a package of financial support for the country and reported the decision after meeting with Barrow. Last October then-president Yahya Jammeh had stated that the country intended to leave the international court dedicated to trying instances of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity because the court had allegedly been disproportionately scrutinizing African leaders. Jammeh referred to the court through Information Minister Sheriff Bojang as the "International Caucasian Court."
The Gambia was the third country that had announced plans to leave the ICC or had actually done so within the last several years. In October South Africa and Burundi [JURIST reports] similarly announced their withdrawal from the ICC. The South African government originally expressed [Reuters report] such intentions in 2015 when the nation refused to act on the ICC's arrest warrant for visiting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. The nation's Justice Minister stated that the country's ICC membership conflicts with South Africa's Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act (DIPA). Vice President Gaston Sindimwo of Burundi previously announced the country's decision to withdraw from the ICC amid criticism the court only prosecutes African nationals.
The Gambia was the third country that had announced plans to leave the ICC or had actually done so within the last several years. In October South Africa and Burundi [JURIST reports] similarly announced their withdrawal from the ICC. The South African government originally expressed [Reuters report] such intentions in 2015 when the nation refused to act on the ICC's arrest warrant for visiting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. The nation's Justice Minister stated that the country's ICC membership conflicts with South Africa's Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act (DIPA). Vice President Gaston Sindimwo of Burundi previously announced the country's decision to withdraw from the ICC amid criticism the court only prosecutes African nationals.
Gâmbia: Diminui o número de soldados estrangeiros
Thousands of soldiers from the West African bloc ECOWAS will start returning home this month from The Gambia, from where long-time leader Yahya Jammeh was forced to flee last month, paving the way for new President Adama Barrow to take office, Euronews reported.
The multinational force will be cut to 500 troops from the 7,000 sent into Gambia after Jammeh, who had ruled since seizing power in a 1994 coup, have refused to accept Barrow’s victory in a Dec. 1 election.
Force's mission will include protecting Barrow and other government members and institutions as trust is established between the new authorities and Gambia’s military, which was a pillar of Jammeh’s authoritarian regime.
The multinational force will be cut to 500 troops from the 7,000 sent into Gambia after Jammeh, who had ruled since seizing power in a 1994 coup, have refused to accept Barrow’s victory in a Dec. 1 election.
Force's mission will include protecting Barrow and other government members and institutions as trust is established between the new authorities and Gambia’s military, which was a pillar of Jammeh’s authoritarian regime.
10.2.17
Gâmbia: O apoio da União Europeia
Une aide européenne de 225 millions d’euros sera allouée à la Gambie, afin de soutenir son économie exsangue, selon son nouveau président Adama Barrow.
Banjul devrait dans un premier temps bénéficier d’une aide financière immédiate de 75 millions d’euros, destinée à combattre l’insécurité alimentaire, le chômage et le mauvais état du réseau routier, si l’on en croit un communiqué de l’Union européenne daté du jeudi 9 février. À cela s’ajouterai un second programme d’aide, d’un montant de 150 millions, mais dont les modalités sont actuellement en discussions.
L’annonce a été faite dans la capitale gambienne par le commissaire européen à la Coopération internationale et au Développement Neven Mimica. Elle survient alors que l’UE avait gelé son aide à la Gambie en décembre 2014, en raison de la mauvaise situation des droits de l’Homme dans le pays, et des exactions commises par les services du régime de l’ex-président Yahya Jammeh.
Une aide bienvenue
Le commissaire européen a salué le « changement pacifique et démocratique » représenté par l’accession au pouvoir d’Adama Barrow, vainqueur de l’élection du 1er décembre face à Yahya Jammeh. Il lui a assuré que l’UE était « pleinement engagée [dans] la coopération avec le président Barrow et son gouvernement ».
Lors de la cérémonie de signature, le président Barrow a pour sa part affirmé que la Gambie ne disposait que de deux mois de réserves de changes, avec « une économie quasiment en faillite et en besoin de secours immédiat ». Jeune Afrique
Banjul devrait dans un premier temps bénéficier d’une aide financière immédiate de 75 millions d’euros, destinée à combattre l’insécurité alimentaire, le chômage et le mauvais état du réseau routier, si l’on en croit un communiqué de l’Union européenne daté du jeudi 9 février. À cela s’ajouterai un second programme d’aide, d’un montant de 150 millions, mais dont les modalités sont actuellement en discussions.
L’annonce a été faite dans la capitale gambienne par le commissaire européen à la Coopération internationale et au Développement Neven Mimica. Elle survient alors que l’UE avait gelé son aide à la Gambie en décembre 2014, en raison de la mauvaise situation des droits de l’Homme dans le pays, et des exactions commises par les services du régime de l’ex-président Yahya Jammeh.
Une aide bienvenue
Le commissaire européen a salué le « changement pacifique et démocratique » représenté par l’accession au pouvoir d’Adama Barrow, vainqueur de l’élection du 1er décembre face à Yahya Jammeh. Il lui a assuré que l’UE était « pleinement engagée [dans] la coopération avec le président Barrow et son gouvernement ».
Lors de la cérémonie de signature, le président Barrow a pour sa part affirmé que la Gambie ne disposait que de deux mois de réserves de changes, avec « une économie quasiment en faillite et en besoin de secours immédiat ». Jeune Afrique
9.2.17
África: O lirismo de António Guterres
Bissau,09 Fev 17 (ANG) - O Secretário-Geral da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), António Guterres, disse quarta-feir que África é “um continente de esperança, promessa e vasto potencial”, preferindo esta abordagem em vez de olhar para a região “pelo prisma dos problemas”.
Num artigo de opinião, António Guterres refere que “muitas vezes, o mundo vê a África pelo prisma dos problemas; quando olho para a África, vejo um continente de esperança, promessa e vasto potencial”.No texto, que surge na sequência da sua participação na cimeira de Chefes de Estado e de Governo da União Africana, que decorreu a 30 e 31 de Janeiro em Addis Abeba, António Guterres garante estar “empenhado em reforçar esses pontos fortes e estabelecer uma plataforma mais elevada de cooperação entre as Nações Unidas, os líderes e o povo da África” e diz que isso é “essencial para promover o desenvolvimento inclusivo e sustentável e aprofundar a cooperação para a paz e a segurança”.
O antigo primeiro-ministro português afirma no texto ter trazido da capital etíope um “espírito de profunda solidariedade e respeito”, mas também “um profundo sentimento de gratidão” pelo contributo africano para as forças de paz da ONU.
África “fornece a maioria das forças de paz das Nações Unidas no mundo; as nações africanas estão entre os maiores e mais generosos anfitriões de refugiados mundiais; em África estão algumas das economias com mais rápido crescimento do mundo”, salienta o antigo Alto-Comissário das Nações Unidas para os Refugiados.
“Deixei a cimeira mais convencido do que nunca de que toda a humanidade vai beneficiar-se ouvindo, aprendendo e trabalhando com o povo de África”, afirma Guterres, que sublinha que a prevenção é essencial para resolver os conflitos.
“Muitos dos conflitos de hoje são internos, desencadeados pela competição pelo poder e recursos, desigualdade, marginalização e divisões sectárias; muitas vezes, eles são inflamados pelo extremismo violento ou por ele alimentados”, lê-se no documento.
A prevenção, prossegue, “vai muito além de nos concentrarmos unicamente no conflito. O melhor meio de prevenção, e o caminho mais seguro para uma paz duradoura, é o desenvolvimento inclusivo e sustentável”, defende.
O Secretário-geral da ONU diz não ter dúvidas “de que podemos vencer a batalha pelo desenvolvimento sustentável e inclusivo, que são também as melhores armas para prevenir conflitos e sofrimentos, permitindo que a África brilhe ainda mais de forma vibrante e inspire o mundo”. António Guterres deixou a 28.ª Cimeira da União Africana com um forte apelo para a mudança na forma como o continente berço da humanidade é caracterizado pela comunidade internacional, e com a promessa de apoiá-lo na construção do desenvolvimento e da paz sustentáveis.
Na cimeira de Addis Abeba, lamentou a forma como África é descrita na Europa, Américas e Ásia, denunciou o que chamou de “uma visão parcial de África” e disse ser preciso mudar a narrativa sobre o continente na comunidade internacional e que este deve ser reconhecido “pelo seu enorme potencial”.
O líder da ONU elogiou a União Africana pelo “trabalho muito importante em nome do continente”, manifestou “disposição total da ONU em apoiar plenamente as suas actividades” e destacou “o entendimento integral entre a ONU, a União Africana e a Autoridade Intergovernamental para o Desenvolvimento sobre a necessidade de se trabalhar “numa só voz” para pacificar o Sudão do Sul."
O novo paradigma no relacionamento entre a ONU e os africanos implementado por António Guterres levou o Alpha Condé, o Presidente da Guiné-Conacri e líder em exercício da União Africana, a convidá-lo a participar anualmente num pequeno almoço com Chefes de Estado e de Governo africanos em Janeiro.
Para o Secretário Geral da ONU, estas ocasiões servem para interagir com líderes africanos e discutir “de forma muito significativa” as relações entre a União Africana e a Organização das Nações Unidas.
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