MALI: A shrine desecrated by fighters of Ansar Dine in Timbuktu

 

REUTERS – fighters of the Islamist group Ansar Dine Malian attacked and burned the mausoleum of one of the most venerated saints of Timbuktu, a World Heritage of Unesco, reported Saturday residents and a regional manager.

The militants of Ansar Dine, linked to Al Qaeda, swept with other armed groups in March and April in northern Mali, seizing the cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.

Friday they broke windows and the wooden gate of the tomb of the scholar Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar, before setting it on fire, witnesses said. This is the first such attack in Mali.

"What you do is haram! (Forbidden). Ask directly to God rather than death, "said one of the gunmen to the inhabitants, who tried to visit the grave, reported Ahmed Ibrahim, witness of the scene. "Having uttered these words, three of them entered the mausoleum. They tore and burned the eyes of all pieces of white cloth that covered the mausoleum of the saint, "he added.

The armed men, who regard the veneration of the holy Muslim as contrary to Islam, have announced that they would return to destroy other mausoleums. Unesco did not react immediately.

"There is a risk that people will revolt because it is an event that affects the dignity of people. This tomb is sacred, it's too hard to bear, "said El Hadj Baba Haider, elected representative in parliament born in Timbuktu.

The Malian government has strongly condemned the desecration in a statement read on national television. "The government condemns in the strongest terms this act perpetrated unspeakable in the name of Islam, a religion of tolerance and respect for human dignity."

Ansar Dine, led by Iyad Ag Ghaly Tuareg, rejected independence in the north proclaimed by Tuareg rebels of the MNLA, and wishes to impose Islamic law across Mali.

Noncommissioned officers overthrew March 22 Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure, plunging the country into chaos with Tuareg rebels backed by Islamist fighters took the opportunity to seize the northern Mali.

Timbuktu, nicknamed "the city of 333 saints", is listed as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1988. It is home to 333 tombs of saints of which 16 are classified as World Heritage of Unesco, the mosques of Sankore and Sidi Yahia Djingarei-ber, and the famous libraries and dozens of thousands of ancient manuscripts.

MALI: The former junta claims to have foiled a coup against in Bamako

 

The former ruling junta in Mali said Tuesday at dawn "control the situation" in Bamako and its surroundings after several hours of clashes with forces loyal to former pre ; President Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT), reversed on March 22, which left several people dead.

Tuesday, shortly after 3:30 (GMT), a representative of the former junta, unidentified, appeared on television to "reassure" the public, saying that the situation was "secure" in Bamako after the "attacks" aimed, he says, to "destabilize the process of restoring constitutional order". 

Accusing him of "ill-intentioned people" supported by "foreign elements" of having "attacked the airport, ORTM (radio-TV ; vision Mali) and the barracks of Kati (headquarters of the former junta) ", he assured that these three strategic areas were now" secure " ;.

Surrounded by a handful of soldiers, the representative of the junta has reported "arrests", and promised that all those involved "will be actively sought and prosecuted ". 

Some time before this televised statement the head of the former junta, Captain Amadou Sanogo Haya, had said in a written message broadcast by television, "control the situation" in Bamako, which seemed extremely confused.

Corroborating sources and witnesses testified in the late evening that the Board of Radio and Television of Mali (ORTM), but also the Bamako airport, had passed under the control of the presidential guard, the "red berets", loyal to former President ATT. 

In the evening, a private radio station, Radio Kayira, had broadcast several times a statement attributed to Captain Sanogo, denouncing the presence of "mercenaries" and " ; foreign soldiers "alongside the" red berets ".

The intervention of the supporters of the former junta on television seems to confirm that the fighting against loyalist forces have turned in favor of former coup leaders.

By all accounts, the fighting seemed to have concentrated in the middle of the night around the military camp of the garrison town of Kati, headquarters of the former ruling junta located 15 km from the capital. 

The road between Bamako and Kati camp was closed to traffic by elements of the loyalist forces, which diplomatic sources said regional surrounded the city.

Disturbances erupted in Bamako when the "Red Berets" were opposed to the arrest of Abidine Guindo, former Chief of Staff of the President by ATT elements of the former junta.

Witnesses said the gunfire was then exchanged by the seat of ORTM, occupied by supporters of Captain Sanogo since the coup.

Employees of television told AFP he saw "dead" without being able to specify the number or the camp. 

These disorders occur on the eve of a meeting in Ouagadougou between former coup leaders and Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré, mediator in the crisis in Mali that was canceled.

Captain Sanogo, who had accepted April 6 to return power by signing an agreement with the ECOWAS (Economic Community of African States West), Saturday had finally rejected the decisions taken on April 26 in Abidjan during a summit of heads of state in West Africa, particularly the sending of troops to his country to secure the transition after the coup of March 22.

He also rejected the decision of ECOWAS to set the transition period to twelve months, until the holding of presidential and legislative elections. 

Analysts said the former coup leaders refuse to be marginalized by the organs of the transition, led by Dioncounda Traore and his prime minister, Cheick Modibo Diarra, who formed a government consisting of three soldiers near the former -junta.

March 22, the coup leaders had justified their coup by "incompetence" of the regime ATT in the fight against armed groups Toureg, Islamists and criminals in northern Mali.

These groups have used the coup to strengthen their positions in the north they now occupy completely.

SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN: War, an option "against-productive" for both countries

 

Both Sudans are on the brink of war. In recent weeks, Khartoum and Juba multiply coups on their common border, the delimitation always contested. After initial clashes at the end of March, the southern Sudanese troops crossed the border, April 10, and seized Heglig, its main oil field adjacent to the north.

In retaliation, aviation bombed Khartoum, Sunday, April 15, a camp of UN peacekeepers in southern Sudan, killing 10 people and wounded 14 civilians who were around . In the process, the Sudanese parliament adopted on Monday 16 April, a resolution with the government of South Sudan as an "enemy".

"A war would destabilize the entire region"

If they are not officially at war, both countries through the most serious crisis since the Southern Sudan seceded in January 2011. Researcher at the Center for International Studies and Research (CERI), Sudan specialist, Roland Marchal, however, refuses to yield to alarmism. "The situation is serious, but we must see that it hits the border areas, he tempers. Despite having the means, aviation Khartoum has not bombed military barracks. "

He said neither state has an interest in going to war, because open conflict would have consequences "disastrous" and "totally against-productive" for both sides. "Southern Sudan is in danger of losing the sympathy of much of the international community, while the regime of Omar al-Bashir to isolate a little more on the diplomatic [ Sudan's president since 2009 is described by an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ed], "he analyzes.

Especially, Roland Marchal wonders if Sudan and Southern Sudan take full extent of their actions. "It makes you wonder if both sides realize they do not point to an internal conflict but to a real war, which would destabilize the entire region." .. ……

Disbelief shared by the anthropologist and researcher at the Centre for the Study of African worlds (CEMAF), Christian Delmet. On the antenna of RFI, the latter described as "incomprehensible" Sudan's decision to seize South Heglig. "Why Salva Kiir [President of South Sudan, Ed] he decided to take over these wells when he does not need this oil, he had begun ; negotiations and he was ready to receive Bashir? "asked he.

Concern of the international community

The clashes, for now, because few victims, but they have rekindled the specter of civil war, which claimed two million lives between 1983 and 2005. The great powers are also a dim view of this renewed tension in the region, less than a year after the independence of South Sudan, in which the international community é ; silent heavily involved.

"We did not exhaust all the solutions. The great powers, the United States, China, but also the Russians, Qatar and regional powers will put pressure on both sides to cease provocations, "says Roland Marchal.

The United States also condemned Monday, April 16th, the shelling of the UN in Southern Sudan, urging both countries to cease "immediately and unconditionally" to hostilities resume talks.

The researcher hopes that the tension will eventually fall in the two capitals, "where there are reasonable people, one side or the other." "Hopefully they can be heard, because we are destroying everything that was built between 2005 and 2011."

Egypt: The Coptic Patriarch Shenouda III has died at age 88

The head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, Patriarch Shenouda III, died Saturday at age 88, leaving behind a worried face community the thrust in the Islamic country after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

Egyptian state media announced the death of the head of the largest Christian church in the East. According to news agency MENA, he suffered from liver and lung tumors.

He had to cancel his sermon last week.

Born in August 1923, Pope Shenouda III had many years of health problems and had been a neat time in the United States.

The news of his death is likely to cause consternation among the faithful of the Coptic Orthodox church he led for nearly four decades. The Copts are estimated between 6 and 10% of some 82 million Egyptians, the Coptic Church while talking about 10 million followers.

Thousands of worshipers were heading into Saturday night the great cathedral in Cairo, after the announcement of his death for which the leaders of the Muslim community in Egypt have expressed their sadness.

His death is "a serious calamity that afflicts the whole of Egypt and its noble people, Muslims and Christians," lamented the Mufti Ali Gomaa said in a statement.

The Party for Freedom and Justice, from the Muslim Brotherhood, has extended condolences to the Copts saluting the "big role" Shenouda III of Egypt. 

Shenouda III, whose community is one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches do not recognize the primacy of the papacy Catholic nor the Orthodox Patriarchate of the East, was at the Te you World Council of Churches and the Council of Churches of the Middle East.

His death will open within the hierarchy of this church a complex process of nominating his successor, for which no name has emerged in recent years.

Elected primate of the church in 1971, and the 117th successor to the founder and evangelist St. Mark, he drove an iron hand his community from confrontation to conciliation with power in Egypt, a country won by Islamism. 

Very conservative, he was particularly opposed strongly to any relaxation of rules banning divorce his followers.

In recent years he has faced an increase in violence against Copts-attacks or deadly clashes.

And the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in the early post-legislative Mubarak, as well as the breakthrough of ultra-conservative Salafist parties have caused renewed concern among the Copts. Although the Muslim Brotherhood have multiplied reassuring statements about it.

In December 2011, Shenouda III had said that "Egypt is going through a critical transitional period but we are sure we will do so in peace." He also praised the role of the armed forces, "who have made sacrifices for the good of Egypt and its people".

Yet, two months earlier by the military repression of a demonstration by Coptic activists in Cairo had killed 25 people, mostly Christians, reinforcing the sense of insecurity and widespread discrimination in this community.

And early 2011, when the mass of the Coptic New Year, an attack against a church of Alexandria (north) had a score of deaths among the faithful.

Many anti-Coptic violence have taken place since the fall of M. Mubarak.

Shenouda III was deposed and placed under house arrest by President Anwar Sadat, he criticized the rapprochement with Israel and opening towards the Islamists, before becoming a president's support Mubarak.

The uprising in January-February 2011 takes off guard while many of his followers are in the streets demanding the resignation of President.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Not surprisingly, Real Madrid qualified for the quarterfinals

 

Real Madrid qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League by winning (4-1) against CSKA Moscow thanks to a brace from Ronaldo in the second round back of the Champions League on Wednesday in Santiago Bernabeu.

After their 1-1 draw in the first leg in Moscow, Madrid will have alternating good phases of play with a release that could play tricks on them.

But Higuain, a favorite Benzema still under injury, gave the advantage to early Merengue (26th), Ronaldo (55th) and Benzema French, came into the game instead of Higuain (70th), then making the break before a late winner but brought unbridled two more goals, one for the Russians signed Tosic (77th) and the other Ronaldo (90 + 4). 

Wednesday, whites have been slow to return to the game, the Russians are showing far more incisive early in the game, but without benefit.

Limited initially to a minimum, Mourinho's men were missing and being surprised in the first moments. The attacker of Muscovites, Doumbia, spoiled indeed a great opportunity by sending a good service Dzagoev above goals Casillas (8th). The center forward of CSKA was then too short to intersect the trajectory of a center of Musa (13th).

Real took into account such warnings, however, gradually emerging from its torpor. While his approach to the cages Chepchugov had hitherto lacked conviction – Özil dropping into the surface instead of focusing – the White House shrugged gradually the tone.

And after a big occasion signed Kaka retrieving a ball badly cleared by the Russian defense, but finally hitting next (19th), whites were the fault quickly .

Ronaldo made the break

On a beautiful three-movement, they déséquilibraient CSKA in two passes: Khedira right surface reversed left to Kaka who handed in the axis for Higuain. The Argentinian, waiting, opened the scoring with a right foot outside (1-0, 26th).

After this, the Real was playing with fire, Musa is very close to equalizing on a ball that Doumbia managed to send it to 18 meters. But the striking of the Russian winger was on his way Casillas (35th).

The second period began with a yellow card for Xabi Alonso, for a charge on Wernbloom, which will prevent him from playing the quarter-final (50th).

Ronaldo, a far nothing casual, then took matters in hand and took charge in person to make the break: the Portuguese and was fly a shot from 30 meters, although aided by the doorkeeper deceived Chepchugov by a rebound before the line (2-0, 55th).

But Madrid did not intend to stop there: Benzema, just came into play, weighed down by adding to it taking up to two times (3-0, 70th).

Qualification now well assured, Whites relaxed their grip. And 77th, the Russian winger Tosic, cons on, reduced the score of a splendid shot from the left under the crossbar. Real, wishing to put on a show through, then gave a kidney last shot, and Ronaldo was offered a brace in stoppage time, on a pass signed Benzema (90 +4).

SYRIA: The French journalist Edith Bouvier arrived in Lebanon

 

French journalist Edith Bouvier, severely wounded in the leg in a bombing on February 22 and held in Homs from the besieged city of central Syria, arrived in Lebanon Thursday night, according to his family contacted by FRANCE 24.

Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he spoke with the journalist, who should be repatriated by aircraft of the Republic, as well as the French photojournalist William Daniels, who was with her. "Edith Bouvier and William Daniels are now safe in Lebanese territory and will in a few moments under the protection of our embassy in Beirut," Sarkozy said during a brief press briefing on the sidelines the EU summit in Brussels. With photographer William Daniels

According Figaro.fr, Edith Bouvier "arrived in northern Lebanon with photographer William Daniels" and "is currently the way to Beirut." The site indicates that it is fit and that "there is currently no information on the state of his leg injury".

Freelance journalist on assignment for the Le Figaro newspaper in Syria, Edith Bouvier, 31, was injured in the bombing of the headquarters of Homs press which claimed the life of Mary Colvin, senior reporter of the "Sunday Times", and French Remi Ochlik, agency photographer IP3. Mougeotte, managing editor of Le Figaro, paid tribute to his courage and expressed relief: "It's a huge relief after the very difficult days", s' Is he pleased, commending "the strong commitment at all levels of the state" during the past week. A first attempt failed evacuation An evacuation operation journalists had already been attempted on the night of February 27 to 28 but it was unsuccessful. Ambushed by the Syrian army, the convoy of Syrian opponents of the Syrian Army free (ASL) and the NGO Avaaz finally had to turn around. Only the British photographer Paul Conroy had managed to reach Lebanon, followed Wednesday's Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa of El Mundo. Last week, on a video in which she requested her emergency exfiltration, Edith Bouvier appeared lying on a bed, his face drawn. The city of Homs, pounded relentlessly for 27 days, is now under the control of the Syrian army.

THE OBSERVERS: Observers Special Coverage of the presidential election in Senegal

 

The team of observers FRANCE 24 is relocated to Dakar to cover the election. With journalists in the Media workshop RFI and a team of ten observers, they go to meet Senegalese citizens to gather their impressions and expectations, before the presidential election on Sunday. Some of the tickets they have already published.

You can find all of their work: senegal.france24.com

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Latvians reject Russian as second official language

 

AFP – The Latvians Saturday overwhelmingly rejected the possibility of introducing Russian as a second official language of their country in a national referendum reflecting the unease of the Russian-speaking minority in this ex- Soviet republic.

According to results released by the electoral commission and on 95% of polling stations, 74.62% of voters were against the introduction of Russian as second official language, only 25.06% of voters who voted in favor.

Supporters of the "yes" wanted to end what they see as discrimination against Russian speakers. 

Composed mostly of former Russian immigrants from the Soviet era, Russian-speaking minority is about one third of the 2 million inhabitants of the Baltic country.

Telltale sign of the importance that Latvians have attached to this referendum, the turnout was very high (69.23%).

"It's a question of national identity, which is why most people did not consider the referendum as a mere political game, and also participated massively," he Ivars told AFP Ijabs, political analyst at the University of Latvia. 

The turnout was particularly high in the capital Riga (77%) and in the regions of Vidzeme (northern, 72%) and Kurzeme (western, 70%) considered es as bastions of national sentiment.

During the campaign, supporters of the "no" recalled that thousands of ethnic Latvians were sent by the Soviets in camps in Siberia and the Russian language was ; imposed in public life while the country was dominated by Moscow for five decades.

The national consultation was organized in response to a petition of the pro-Russian "native language", signed by 10% of voters. 

"Our main objective was to initiate dialogue and that dialogue has just begun," said public television LTV1 the leader of this movement, Vladimirs Lindermans, after publication partial results.

"This has sometimes been rather emotional and hysterical, but the hysteria is even better than the silence of the past 20 years," he said.

Latvia regained its independence from Moscow in 1991, after 50 years of Soviet domination, and in 2004 joined the European Union and NATO.

After independence, the Russian immigrants who settled in the country had to seek Latvian citizenship by submitting to a language test to avoid becoming stateless. 

For Aleksei Vessoli, former star of skating Latvian of Russian origin who represented Latvia at international level, "yes" vote was a signal to the power.

"I voted for, hoping that the government realizes that many people feel abandoned, and to say that Russian is not a foreign language in Latvia" ;, he told AFP.

In the parliamentary elections of September, an opposition pro-Russian Centre of Harmony won a historic success with nearly a third of parliamentary seats. 

Supported by the Russian-speaking minority, the party has yet been able to fit into the government coalition, because it suffers from a low opinion with other political parties, particularly because of its cooperation agreement with the United Russia party of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

"This referendum is not the end, this is only the beginning … Of course, we will enforce the law, but we will take further action, "warned Mr. Lindermans.

DIPLOMACY: UN adopts resolution condemning repression in Syria

 

AFP – The UN General Assembly on Thursday approved by a large majority despite opposition from China and Russia, a resolution condemning the repression in Syria, a few days after blocking by Moscow and Beijing with a similar text to the Security Council.

The resolution, adopted by 137 votes in favor, 12 against and 17 abstentions, requires the Syrian government to end its attacks against the civilian population, supports the efforts of the Arab League to make the transition dice Democratic Damascus and recommends the appointment of a Special Envoy of the UN in Syria.

Besides Moscow and Beijing, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela and North Korea and voted against the text. Unlike the Security Council, there is no veto in the Assembly.  

The filing of the resolution was supported by more than 70 countries on 193 in the Assembly, including many Western and Arab countries that sought to emphasize the isolation of the regime of pre ; President Bashar Assad.

The text will be essentially symbolic, the General Assembly is a consultative body.

The Security Council, which has still not expressed since the crisis began in Syria in March 2011, was blocked for the second time on February 4 by a dual Russian and Chinese veto. The resolution adopted Thursday is similar to text blocked in Council.

The Assembly adopted on December 19 a previous resolution denouncing the situation of human rights in Syria, also by a large majority (133, 11 against, 43 abstentions, including Russia and China) but the text voted Thursday to a more political content.

Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, 66, within the scope of an arrest warrant the International Criminal Court (ICC), was imprisoned in the Netherlands where he arrived on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.

"He is there," he told AFP a source familiar with the matter, on condition of anonymity, while the ICC refused to comment since the announcement of the transfer of Mr. Gbagbo by one of its lawyers Tuesday afternoon. He was incarcerated at the detention center of the ICC in The Hague.

The plane carrying Mr. Gbagbo, chartered by the Ivorian authorities landed at Rotterdam airport (west of the Netherlands) just before 4:00 (3:00 GMT). Mr.Gbagbo was held in a home since April, to notify him, "in the presence of his lawyers," the arrest warrant issued by ICC judges on 23 November.

A procession of several vehicles, including Republican Forces (FRCI, new Ivorian army) and the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), led Tuesday night Mr.