By Paul Ndiho
March 29, 2012
Hungry for information technology, but with a limited capacity to manufacture it, Africa has increasingly become the world's latest destination for obsolete electronic equipment. Several African nations and a bevy of groups have agreed on a set of actions to better manage the electronic waste.
Old mobile phones, televisions, computers and refrigerators are among the most common kinds of e-waste worldwide-- and in Africa the waste is piling up fast. Thousands of vendors are crowding into bustling markets across the continent where imported used electronics like computers, fax machines, cell phones are repaired and sold. But beyond the thriving storefronts and the mounds of refurbished wares, a darker picture is emerging. Up to 75 percent of the old electronics shipped to Africa are beyond repair.
Nigerian environmentalist Miranda Amachree says, Africans are increasingly responsible for a large amount of this waste, which can release harmful substances such as mercury and lead into the environment that damage human health.
"Electronic-waste is one of the highest volumes of waste streams we have in Nigeria because of the high use of telephone handsets, so many people have more than one handset."
Many African countries also import e-waste. Together with rising domestic demand this means that the continent could generate more e-waste than Europe by 2017.
"Nigeria allows importation of used electrical and electronic equipment. Some of them they come and they are almost at the end of their life, so it becomes a problem for us in the country."
To address the problems of e-waste, many experts and nations are focusing on the economic potential of e-waste to the African economy. Katharina Kummer Peiry, executive secretary of the Basel convention, UNEP observes that old electronics contain precious materials such as gold, silver and other rare earth metals.
"One tone of mobile phones, obsolete mobile phones that tone of mobile phones contains roughly 350 grams of gold… "If you consider the value of these materials, there you have the economic opportunities."
During the first-ever pan-African forum on e-waste, held in Nairobi, Kenya last week, a call for action on Electronic-waste was issued underlining the possible economic benefits of e-waste.
"We at UNEP would like to see in this partnership that has been involving with more and more representatives from governments, but also from the private sector, from the manufacturers but also those who perhaps can be pioneers in bringing new technologies to processing that waste - really being a partnership that speaks to this notion of green economy where you turn a problem into an opportunity."
The agreement also prioritized need to improve the collection, transport and storage of e-waste in Africa, since most it currently takes place informally at dumpsites or landfills.
A move towards a formalized sector, using international standards would limit risks to the environment and the health of people working at the dumpsites.
"Let's start to see e-waste move away from informal recycling practices and to proper remanufacturing and to proper methodologies for recycling with the right kind of standards which is obviously protecting health and protecting the environment."
Representatives from 18 African states, and multiple stakeholders issued a "call to action" that outlines 8 priority areas to improve the environmentally-sound management of this waste stream in Africa. They recognized that safe and sustainable recycling of e-waste provides an opportunity for green jobs and poverty reduction. Forum participants also noted the importance of having awareness-raising activities on environmental and health hazards linked to the unsound management of Electronic-waste.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Boko Haram A Threat To U.S National Security
By Paul Ndiho
March 19, 2012
Insecurity in Nigeria’s Oil-producing Niger Delta region has long dominated American concerns about the stability of the West African nation. Now, the emergence of the Al-Qaeda linked Islamic militant group Boko Haram, in the predominantly Muslim North, is sparking even more concern in Washington.
Since 2009, the Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has escalated its attacks across Nigeria, targeting the country's security forces, politicians and civilians - both Muslims and Christians.
Initially, Boko Haram was not taken seriously by some in the international community even though U.S intelligence and the United Nations confirmed their links to Al-Qaeda. When Boko Haram bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja last august, Washington began to pay more attention to this emerging threat to U.S. national security. In November 2011, the sub-committee on counterterrorism and intelligence of the house homeland security committee, chaired by Congressman Patrick Meehan, released a report on Boko Haram's threat to America.
"Boko Haram's repeated displays of brutality, their intent to committee terror attacks against lists of targets and their expanding relationships with Al-Qaeda affiliates in the country are of strategic significance to the United States and are an enormous counter terrorism and intelligence challenge."
Meehan says Boko Haram has evolved from a locally focused group with machetes-- to a transitional and trans-national organization capable of conducting coordinated truck bombings against western targets.
"Their ambition, body counts, and targets continue to expand and I’m deeply concerned that Boko Haram maybe targeting American interests in Nigeria at some time in the near future."
Over the last three years, areas in northern Nigeria have endured sustained attacks by Boko Haram-- prompting the government to deploy its military-- and institute curfews. Both critics and sympathizers have accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to halt the violence and initiate a development strategy for the region. Ricardo Rene larémont, professor of political science and sociology, at the state university of new York-Binghamton, believes that the government needs to do more for the people in the north.
"The problem is that the north does not have any development whatsoever. Either educationally, or because of the luck of an electrical greed you know… when i was spending time in Kano, there was no power. You have the national power company called northern electric power administration (NEPA) - or locally known as (no electric power anytime). In the north everyone is off the electrical power greed. But there are parts of Nigeria that have particularly made considerable progress over the last ten years but the north has not been part of that."
Some analysts say the bombing campaign has raised fears that Boko haram is trying to ignite a sectarian conflict in Nigeria-- which is evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. Elders from Nigeria’s north met in Abuja earlier this month, to discuss the regional insecurity that has claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth millions of dollars.
March 19, 2012
Insecurity in Nigeria’s Oil-producing Niger Delta region has long dominated American concerns about the stability of the West African nation. Now, the emergence of the Al-Qaeda linked Islamic militant group Boko Haram, in the predominantly Muslim North, is sparking even more concern in Washington.
Since 2009, the Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has escalated its attacks across Nigeria, targeting the country's security forces, politicians and civilians - both Muslims and Christians.
Initially, Boko Haram was not taken seriously by some in the international community even though U.S intelligence and the United Nations confirmed their links to Al-Qaeda. When Boko Haram bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja last august, Washington began to pay more attention to this emerging threat to U.S. national security. In November 2011, the sub-committee on counterterrorism and intelligence of the house homeland security committee, chaired by Congressman Patrick Meehan, released a report on Boko Haram's threat to America.
"Boko Haram's repeated displays of brutality, their intent to committee terror attacks against lists of targets and their expanding relationships with Al-Qaeda affiliates in the country are of strategic significance to the United States and are an enormous counter terrorism and intelligence challenge."
Meehan says Boko Haram has evolved from a locally focused group with machetes-- to a transitional and trans-national organization capable of conducting coordinated truck bombings against western targets.
"Their ambition, body counts, and targets continue to expand and I’m deeply concerned that Boko Haram maybe targeting American interests in Nigeria at some time in the near future."
Over the last three years, areas in northern Nigeria have endured sustained attacks by Boko Haram-- prompting the government to deploy its military-- and institute curfews. Both critics and sympathizers have accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to halt the violence and initiate a development strategy for the region. Ricardo Rene larémont, professor of political science and sociology, at the state university of new York-Binghamton, believes that the government needs to do more for the people in the north.
"The problem is that the north does not have any development whatsoever. Either educationally, or because of the luck of an electrical greed you know… when i was spending time in Kano, there was no power. You have the national power company called northern electric power administration (NEPA) - or locally known as (no electric power anytime). In the north everyone is off the electrical power greed. But there are parts of Nigeria that have particularly made considerable progress over the last ten years but the north has not been part of that."
Some analysts say the bombing campaign has raised fears that Boko haram is trying to ignite a sectarian conflict in Nigeria-- which is evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. Elders from Nigeria’s north met in Abuja earlier this month, to discuss the regional insecurity that has claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth millions of dollars.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Paul Ndiho Speaks Out Against The "Kony 2012" Youtube Video
An international aid group called "Invisible Children" is defending a video it produced that vividly documents the crimes of Ugandan fugitive warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army, responsible for decades of atrocities and the use of child soldiers. Will the "Kony 2012" campaign help or hurt efforts to improve life in Northern Uganda?
Paul Ndiho, VOA 's TV to Africa and Catherine Bond, a Nairobi based Journalist; Writing a book on the origins of the Lord's Resistance Army analyze the plusses and minuses of "Kony 2012" style activism.
Paul Ndiho, VOA 's TV to Africa and Catherine Bond, a Nairobi based Journalist; Writing a book on the origins of the Lord's Resistance Army analyze the plusses and minuses of "Kony 2012" style activism.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Lubanga Found Guilty Of Use Of Child Soldiers In The D.R.Congo
By Paul Ndiho
March 15, 2012
The international war crimes court found former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo guilty on Wednesday of recruiting and deploying child soldiers during the War in Eastern Congo. More than a decade ago, I was a reporter embedded with rebel groups supported by Uganda-- and I witnessed the recruitment of child soldiers and killings that took place in some parts of Eastern Congo. Here is my account of events that happened.
A Three judge panel of the International Criminal Court found that Thomas Lubanga was the president of the militia group known as the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during an armed conflict that has lasted for over a decade.
"The Chamber spent a considerable amount of time, investigating the circumstances of a substantial number of individuals, whose evidence was at least in part, inaccurate or dishonest. Prosecution's negligence in failing to verify and scrutinize this material sufficiently, before it was introduced, led to significant expenditure on the part of the court."
The judge said that Lubanga was essential to a plan to conscript young girls and boys below the age of 15. Lubanga, 51, was detained six years ago and faced three counts of war crimes. He could face up to life imprisonment, although a sentence will not be passed immediately. An appeal can be filed within 30 days.
Two other Congolese warlords are on trial at the International Criminal Court on charges they instructed their subordinates to attack civilians, rape women and enlist child soldiers in what has been called "the greatest armed conflict" since World War II. Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo are charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
From 1999 - 2001, I was embedded with rebel factions in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But nothing prepared me for the violence I witnessed there in 2001
One morning I was caught in the middle of the Lendu militia attacks against the Hema in Bogoro a village near Bunia. In this and other villages, scores of people were killed and thousands were driven from their homes.
What started as a land dispute between two normally peaceful groups grew into a larger clash when Ugandan forces entered the region? The Ugandan forces sided with
The Hema and this favoritism caused a backlash from the Lendu, leading to the widespread killing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the Lendu attacked the Hema in Nyekunde at dawn, killing everyone they encountered, including women and children. A cloud of heavy smoke covered the village. The stench from the burning bodies was unbearable. That same night, the Lendu militia also invaded Nyekunde hospital, where hundreds of people were hiding and cut them into pieces. Scores of other nearby villages were burned to the ground. I saw several mass graves where a hundreds of people were being buried, and the Hema was armed with bow and arrows, ready to defend their village.
It was this kind of carnage, recruiting and deploying child soldiers that I witnessed in 2000 for which Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was found guilty of during the War in Eastern Congo.
March 15, 2012
The international war crimes court found former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo guilty on Wednesday of recruiting and deploying child soldiers during the War in Eastern Congo. More than a decade ago, I was a reporter embedded with rebel groups supported by Uganda-- and I witnessed the recruitment of child soldiers and killings that took place in some parts of Eastern Congo. Here is my account of events that happened.
A Three judge panel of the International Criminal Court found that Thomas Lubanga was the president of the militia group known as the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during an armed conflict that has lasted for over a decade.
"The Chamber spent a considerable amount of time, investigating the circumstances of a substantial number of individuals, whose evidence was at least in part, inaccurate or dishonest. Prosecution's negligence in failing to verify and scrutinize this material sufficiently, before it was introduced, led to significant expenditure on the part of the court."
The judge said that Lubanga was essential to a plan to conscript young girls and boys below the age of 15. Lubanga, 51, was detained six years ago and faced three counts of war crimes. He could face up to life imprisonment, although a sentence will not be passed immediately. An appeal can be filed within 30 days.
Two other Congolese warlords are on trial at the International Criminal Court on charges they instructed their subordinates to attack civilians, rape women and enlist child soldiers in what has been called "the greatest armed conflict" since World War II. Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo are charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
From 1999 - 2001, I was embedded with rebel factions in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But nothing prepared me for the violence I witnessed there in 2001
One morning I was caught in the middle of the Lendu militia attacks against the Hema in Bogoro a village near Bunia. In this and other villages, scores of people were killed and thousands were driven from their homes.
What started as a land dispute between two normally peaceful groups grew into a larger clash when Ugandan forces entered the region? The Ugandan forces sided with
The Hema and this favoritism caused a backlash from the Lendu, leading to the widespread killing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the Lendu attacked the Hema in Nyekunde at dawn, killing everyone they encountered, including women and children. A cloud of heavy smoke covered the village. The stench from the burning bodies was unbearable. That same night, the Lendu militia also invaded Nyekunde hospital, where hundreds of people were hiding and cut them into pieces. Scores of other nearby villages were burned to the ground. I saw several mass graves where a hundreds of people were being buried, and the Hema was armed with bow and arrows, ready to defend their village.
It was this kind of carnage, recruiting and deploying child soldiers that I witnessed in 2000 for which Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was found guilty of during the War in Eastern Congo.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Press Freedom in Africa
By Paul Ndiho
March 12, 2012
A study by nonprofit organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ says that in 2011 the Horn of Africa was one of the world’s worst places for the press. VOA's Paul Ndiho recently asked Mohamed Keita, an advocacy coordinator for CPJ’s Africa program about press freedoms in Africa.
March 12, 2012
A study by nonprofit organization, the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ says that in 2011 the Horn of Africa was one of the world’s worst places for the press. VOA's Paul Ndiho recently asked Mohamed Keita, an advocacy coordinator for CPJ’s Africa program about press freedoms in Africa.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sierra Leone's Opposition is making preparations for the country’s presidential election slated for November
By Paul Ndiho
March 6, 2011
The National Secretary-General of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) says his party is making preparations for the country’s presidential election slated for November this year.
However, Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie is concerned that the ruling party, All People’s Congress (APC) is bringing in people from outside the country into opposition strongholds. VOA’S Paul Ndiho recently talked to Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie about the upcoming elections and here is more.
March 6, 2011
The National Secretary-General of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) says his party is making preparations for the country’s presidential election slated for November this year.
However, Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie is concerned that the ruling party, All People’s Congress (APC) is bringing in people from outside the country into opposition strongholds. VOA’S Paul Ndiho recently talked to Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie about the upcoming elections and here is more.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Child Trafficking in Benin
By Paul Ndiho
March 6, 2012
In Benin, child trafficking is a crime that is strongly punished, but child trafficking still is at all-time high. Young children are being sold into domestic servitude or the commercial sex trade in Cotonou.
Dossou concentrates hard on geometry exercise. He is only 12. But he knows what it's like not be able to go to school. After his parents split up, his father sold him. He spent three months alone and scared in Nigeria.
“One day my daddy said to me come, we're going somewhere. And we went to Nigeria. The place he took me to, there was a lady there. She was selling maize. He told me to stay with the lady. When he left I cried. The lady told me to be quiet and I was quiet.”
Dossou’s story is not unique in Benin, a small country with porous borders where thousands of children are trafficked every year. There are also about 600-child laborers in Benin. Boys are forced to work on farms, in construction, produce handicrafts, or hawk items on the street.
"Child trafficking is big issues in Benin so UNICEF is supporting the government to fight against this phenomenon to be able to save these children, recuperate them and get them back into their childhood and to train them."
UNICEF supports organizations such as Don Bosco and the Salesiane Sisters, which help children from the streets and victims of child trafficking like Dossou.
“With this type of child the first thing to do is reassure them, because he's a child who has been sold by his own father. So the first thing to do was to reassure him, to guarantee his protection and to tell him that in this place he will feel safe. That's the first thing. Then we had to motivate him so he would rediscover the joy of living, of going back to school.”
The Don Bosco Centre in Porto Novo touches the lives of vulnerable children in various ways. Some of them, like Dossou, live here. Others do fast-track schooling or learn a trade.
Three outreach centers have been opened in marketplaces for vulnerable children.
14 year-old bread seller Honorine started coming to this shelter in Cotonou’s market two years ago.
She didn't know how to tell her mother she was taking time off from work. So she gave her a necklace she had made at the outreach center.
“I have noticed that my daughter has changed since coming here. There have been great improvements in her upbringing. I have definitely noticed changes in Honorine’s behavior.”
“The barraques that you see behind me were put in place by NGOS and they are very important step for children in life because they give them a second chance to return to childhood and begin their livelihood like a child and to start on a new path on their lives.”
March 6, 2012
In Benin, child trafficking is a crime that is strongly punished, but child trafficking still is at all-time high. Young children are being sold into domestic servitude or the commercial sex trade in Cotonou.
Dossou concentrates hard on geometry exercise. He is only 12. But he knows what it's like not be able to go to school. After his parents split up, his father sold him. He spent three months alone and scared in Nigeria.
“One day my daddy said to me come, we're going somewhere. And we went to Nigeria. The place he took me to, there was a lady there. She was selling maize. He told me to stay with the lady. When he left I cried. The lady told me to be quiet and I was quiet.”
Dossou’s story is not unique in Benin, a small country with porous borders where thousands of children are trafficked every year. There are also about 600-child laborers in Benin. Boys are forced to work on farms, in construction, produce handicrafts, or hawk items on the street.
"Child trafficking is big issues in Benin so UNICEF is supporting the government to fight against this phenomenon to be able to save these children, recuperate them and get them back into their childhood and to train them."
UNICEF supports organizations such as Don Bosco and the Salesiane Sisters, which help children from the streets and victims of child trafficking like Dossou.
“With this type of child the first thing to do is reassure them, because he's a child who has been sold by his own father. So the first thing to do was to reassure him, to guarantee his protection and to tell him that in this place he will feel safe. That's the first thing. Then we had to motivate him so he would rediscover the joy of living, of going back to school.”
The Don Bosco Centre in Porto Novo touches the lives of vulnerable children in various ways. Some of them, like Dossou, live here. Others do fast-track schooling or learn a trade.
Three outreach centers have been opened in marketplaces for vulnerable children.
14 year-old bread seller Honorine started coming to this shelter in Cotonou’s market two years ago.
She didn't know how to tell her mother she was taking time off from work. So she gave her a necklace she had made at the outreach center.
“I have noticed that my daughter has changed since coming here. There have been great improvements in her upbringing. I have definitely noticed changes in Honorine’s behavior.”
“The barraques that you see behind me were put in place by NGOS and they are very important step for children in life because they give them a second chance to return to childhood and begin their livelihood like a child and to start on a new path on their lives.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)