Note: This is a periodic series of blog entries highlighting selected stories from FOG's Twitter feed recently. This is for the benefit of blog readers who do not subscribe to Twitter. However those that are interested are encouraged to subscribe our Twitter feed to get all stories by going to Twitter.com/friendsofguinea and clicking 'follow'.
-Moussa Dadis Camara and the elections in Guinea (via The New Yorker)
- Sierra Leone to host West Africa health confab (via Africanews)
-Voici ce que dit la nouvelle Constitution de la Guinée à adopter! (via Guinéenews)
- Peace Corps Devs Win Web Award for Remix Site (Read Write Web)
- Half of People Killed on Roads are Not in Cars (via VOA Africa)
(National) Peace Corps Association Launches 'Africa Rural Connect' to Help Farmers (via VOA Africa)
Peace Corps Promotes Health via Mobile Phone (via America.gov)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
PC service opportunity in Guinea
I received the following message from Peace Corps Response (formerly Crisis Corps), a program of the Peace Corps.
Peace Corps Response is currently looking for RPCVs to serve a nine-month tour in Guinea as secondary-school teachers for math, chemistry and physics. The Peace Corps program was suspended in 2009 due to civil unrest, but is now in the first phase of re-establishing a presence in Guinea. Response Volunteers are being asked to support the initial re-entry by filling a vital gap between the start of the academic year and the re-introduction of two-year Peace Corps Volunteers.
As a former Guinea Volunteer, we would like to encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and apply for one of these positions. PCRVs will teach classes ranging in size from 25-100 students, prepare lessons, proctor exams, and participate in school administrative activities. Applicants must have a degree in a related field, advanced French proficiency and familiarity with developing instructional materials.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Peace Corps Response is currently looking for RPCVs to serve a nine-month tour in Guinea as secondary-school teachers for math, chemistry and physics. The Peace Corps program was suspended in 2009 due to civil unrest, but is now in the first phase of re-establishing a presence in Guinea. Response Volunteers are being asked to support the initial re-entry by filling a vital gap between the start of the academic year and the re-introduction of two-year Peace Corps Volunteers.
As a former Guinea Volunteer, we would like to encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and apply for one of these positions. PCRVs will teach classes ranging in size from 25-100 students, prepare lessons, proctor exams, and participate in school administrative activities. Applicants must have a degree in a related field, advanced French proficiency and familiarity with developing instructional materials.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
[Guinean news] Junta hires ex-war crimes prosecutor for PR campaign
Africa Confidential is a subscription-only news service but a free preview to a recent article began:
Blamed for the massacre of over 100 civilians last September, the junta in Conakry is trying to improve its image via a United States-based public relations company run by two former Department of Defense (DOD) officials. David Crane, who was the first Chief Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone before his departure in 2005, has made a surprise return to West Africa as a consultant to Guinea’s embattled military junta, the Conseil National pour la Démocratie et le Développement (CNDD).
Foreign Policy also has a piece (the full of which is available for free) on the controversial work of the CW Group, which includes former Sierra Leone war crimes tribunal prosecutor David Crane.
Blamed for the massacre of over 100 civilians last September, the junta in Conakry is trying to improve its image via a United States-based public relations company run by two former Department of Defense (DOD) officials. David Crane, who was the first Chief Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone before his departure in 2005, has made a surprise return to West Africa as a consultant to Guinea’s embattled military junta, the Conseil National pour la Démocratie et le Développement (CNDD).
Foreign Policy also has a piece (the full of which is available for free) on the controversial work of the CW Group, which includes former Sierra Leone war crimes tribunal prosecutor David Crane.
Monday, March 08, 2010
[Guinean news] Presidential election set for June 27
Yesterday, acting head of state Gen. Sékouba Konaté signed a decree setting June 27 as the date for the first round of the presidential election. The decree fixed July 18 as the run off date, if no candidate gets a majority of the vote in the first round. It is not clear when legislative elections will be held.
[Guinea news] US State Dept. statement
The US State Department issued the following the statement regarding the transitional government in Guinea:
The United States welcomes Prime Minister Jean-Marie Dore’s appointment of a transition government in Guinea. The 34-member cabinet includes 24 civilians, and represents an important step towards restoring civilian control of the Guinean Government and the country’s transition process. With the January 15 signing of the Ouagadougou Accords, the subsequent appointment of a civilian prime minister, and now a civilian transition government, interim President General Sekouba Konate and the Guinean Government continue to demonstrate their commitment to a peaceful transition to a democratically elected civilian government. Under the Accords, the government is slated to hold elections within six months.
With the transition government in place, the United States looks forward to working with Guinea -- in collaboration with our international partners -- to help facilitate the establishment of a democratically-elected government, restore economic and political development programs and assist the Guinean Armed Forces in their goal of security sector reform.
The United States welcomes Prime Minister Jean-Marie Dore’s appointment of a transition government in Guinea. The 34-member cabinet includes 24 civilians, and represents an important step towards restoring civilian control of the Guinean Government and the country’s transition process. With the January 15 signing of the Ouagadougou Accords, the subsequent appointment of a civilian prime minister, and now a civilian transition government, interim President General Sekouba Konate and the Guinean Government continue to demonstrate their commitment to a peaceful transition to a democratically elected civilian government. Under the Accords, the government is slated to hold elections within six months.
With the transition government in place, the United States looks forward to working with Guinea -- in collaboration with our international partners -- to help facilitate the establishment of a democratically-elected government, restore economic and political development programs and assist the Guinean Armed Forces in their goal of security sector reform.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
[Advocacy news] Alliance Guinea to meet with State Dept. officials
I received the following message from our colleagues at the advocacy group Alliance Guinea:
We have been invited by the State Department, to a special briefing for representatives of Nongovernmental Organizations, on the Current Situation in Guinea. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, William Fitzgerald, will discuss ways that the United States can help facilitate the establishment of a democratically-elected government, restore economic and political development programs in Guinea this Friday, March 5, 2010 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.at the State Department.
Alliance Guinea will be represented and we would like to make sure that we are representing your voices, so we are reaching out to all Alliance Guinea members to gather your message for the State Department.
What would you like to see the State Department doing to support the transition to democracy, and help bring justice for the victims of crimes against humanity committed during last year dreadful events, in Guinea? Any questions or concerns that you would like the State Department to address?
Please take a moment to write few lines addressing the questions above and send us your reply no later than Thursday March, 4th.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Thank you,
Alliance Guinea
We have been invited by the State Department, to a special briefing for representatives of Nongovernmental Organizations, on the Current Situation in Guinea. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, William Fitzgerald, will discuss ways that the United States can help facilitate the establishment of a democratically-elected government, restore economic and political development programs in Guinea this Friday, March 5, 2010 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.at the State Department.
Alliance Guinea will be represented and we would like to make sure that we are representing your voices, so we are reaching out to all Alliance Guinea members to gather your message for the State Department.
What would you like to see the State Department doing to support the transition to democracy, and help bring justice for the victims of crimes against humanity committed during last year dreadful events, in Guinea? Any questions or concerns that you would like the State Department to address?
Please take a moment to write few lines addressing the questions above and send us your reply no later than Thursday March, 4th.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Thank you,
Alliance Guinea
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
[Advocacy news] Advocate for Guinea!
A message from our colleagues at Alliance Guinea:
Congressional outreach is off to a fast start, but it’s not too late to join up! Americans and Guineans are already teaming up in North Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Minnesota to convince their Congresspersons to commit real, tangible support to the democracy movement in Guinea . If you live in NJ, DC, or MN, contact Brian (brian_d_b@yahoo.com) or Mackenzie (mackpfeifer@yahoo.com) ASAP to get connected with the teams there. We also have volunteers looking to partner in other locales across the U.S. , so send us an email no matter where you live and we’ll get you started.
Obama promised hope for Guinea in his Address last week. Help make sure that America follows through on that promise.
- The Alliance Guinea Congressional Outreach Team
Congressional outreach is off to a fast start, but it’s not too late to join up! Americans and Guineans are already teaming up in North Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Minnesota to convince their Congresspersons to commit real, tangible support to the democracy movement in Guinea . If you live in NJ, DC, or MN, contact Brian (brian_d_b@yahoo.com) or Mackenzie (mackpfeifer@yahoo.com) ASAP to get connected with the teams there. We also have volunteers looking to partner in other locales across the U.S. , so send us an email no matter where you live and we’ll get you started.
Obama promised hope for Guinea in his Address last week. Help make sure that America follows through on that promise.
- The Alliance Guinea Congressional Outreach Team
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
[Guinean news] Civilian opposition leader named prime minister
Long-time opposition leader Jean-Marie Doré, head of the UPG party, has been named the country's prime minister by the ruling military junta. Trade union leader Hadja Rabiatou Sera Diallo, who came to prominence during the 2007 general strike, was named one of two vice prime ministers. A high-ranking military man will become the other vice prime minister.
In addition to organizing upcoming elections, the prime minister-designate indicated that his other priority was "to start the restructuring of the armed forces."
A spokesman said that the new cabinet would consist of 30 members - 10 from the ruling junta, 10 from the opposition, and 10 representatives from the regions.
Reminder: FOG's Twitter feed is updated several times daily with links to news and current events. It can be found at: www.twitter.com/friendsofguinea or if you're on Twitter, just follow @friendsofguinea
In addition to organizing upcoming elections, the prime minister-designate indicated that his other priority was "to start the restructuring of the armed forces."
A spokesman said that the new cabinet would consist of 30 members - 10 from the ruling junta, 10 from the opposition, and 10 representatives from the regions.
Reminder: FOG's Twitter feed is updated several times daily with links to news and current events. It can be found at: www.twitter.com/friendsofguinea or if you're on Twitter, just follow @friendsofguinea
Friday, January 15, 2010
[Guinean news] Power sharing accord reportedly to be signed but Guinea remains tense and military split
Note: Events have been moving quickly in Guinea in recent weeks. You are encouraged to subscribe (follow) our Twitter feed, which is updated several times a day. It can be found at @friendsofguinea on Twitter or http://twitter.com/friendsofguinea
The head of Guinea's military junta Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara was flown from Morocco to Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou. Dadis had spent a month in hospital in the North African country after being wounded in an assassination attempt. Reports indicate that Dadis thought he was being flown directly to Conakry and was furious when he realized otherwise. Supporters of the junta leader have demanded he be returned to Guinea.
The International Criminal Court is investigating Dadis' alleged role in the September 28, 2009 massacres in Conakry; the report of a UN inquiry into the killings is available here.
Morocco is not a part of the ICC while Burkina Faso is. Additional, Burkina Faso's leader Blaise Compaore is mediating in the Guinean crisis on behalf of the West African regional grouping ECOWAS. Speculation is that these reasons played a role in Morocco's decision to send Dadis to Ouagadougou.
In the absence of Capt. Dadis, Guinea's acting leader has been the more moderate defense minister Gen. Sekouba Konate. Konate threatened to resign if Dadis did not compromise on terms to a transition to civilian rule.
Splits in the army remain, with supporters of Dadis wanting the charismatic captain to remain in power indefinitely while Gen. Konate and others want to return civilian constitutional order as quickly as possible. A spokesman for Konate said, "The general has made it very clear that he is not interested in staying in power. He made it very clear that he is there to restore discipline within the army and create conditions for a transition.
Meanwhile, Guinea's southern neighbors are worried about the effects of any civil strife on their country. A member of Sierra Leone's parliament warned that if the Republic of Guinea should explode, Sierra Leone would be consumed in less than a week; and if the situation in Guinea is not treated seriously, Sierra Leone's survival and livelihood as a state would be affected.
Today, Radio France Internationale reports that an accord was signed in Burkina Faso, between Dadis and Konate, whereby Dadis would remain in 'convalescence' and elections would be scheduled in six months. The AP has this as well. The BBC added that the accord stated that Dadis would support the transition to civilian rule.
Alliance Guinea reported that Dadis had accepted the principle of a prime minister from the opposition and that Saratou Sara Diallo and long time opposition figure Jean-Marie Dore were the two names it had proposed.
Update: al-Jazeera adds that the accord bans members of the junta as well as any active military serviceman from standing in the elections.
The head of Guinea's military junta Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara was flown from Morocco to Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou. Dadis had spent a month in hospital in the North African country after being wounded in an assassination attempt. Reports indicate that Dadis thought he was being flown directly to Conakry and was furious when he realized otherwise. Supporters of the junta leader have demanded he be returned to Guinea.
The International Criminal Court is investigating Dadis' alleged role in the September 28, 2009 massacres in Conakry; the report of a UN inquiry into the killings is available here.
Morocco is not a part of the ICC while Burkina Faso is. Additional, Burkina Faso's leader Blaise Compaore is mediating in the Guinean crisis on behalf of the West African regional grouping ECOWAS. Speculation is that these reasons played a role in Morocco's decision to send Dadis to Ouagadougou.
In the absence of Capt. Dadis, Guinea's acting leader has been the more moderate defense minister Gen. Sekouba Konate. Konate threatened to resign if Dadis did not compromise on terms to a transition to civilian rule.
Splits in the army remain, with supporters of Dadis wanting the charismatic captain to remain in power indefinitely while Gen. Konate and others want to return civilian constitutional order as quickly as possible. A spokesman for Konate said, "The general has made it very clear that he is not interested in staying in power. He made it very clear that he is there to restore discipline within the army and create conditions for a transition.
Meanwhile, Guinea's southern neighbors are worried about the effects of any civil strife on their country. A member of Sierra Leone's parliament warned that if the Republic of Guinea should explode, Sierra Leone would be consumed in less than a week; and if the situation in Guinea is not treated seriously, Sierra Leone's survival and livelihood as a state would be affected.
Today, Radio France Internationale reports that an accord was signed in Burkina Faso, between Dadis and Konate, whereby Dadis would remain in 'convalescence' and elections would be scheduled in six months. The AP has this as well. The BBC added that the accord stated that Dadis would support the transition to civilian rule.
Alliance Guinea reported that Dadis had accepted the principle of a prime minister from the opposition and that Saratou Sara Diallo and long time opposition figure Jean-Marie Dore were the two names it had proposed.
Update: al-Jazeera adds that the accord bans members of the junta as well as any active military serviceman from standing in the elections.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
[Guinean news] Sept. 28 massacre, rapes 'premeditated,' 'likely crimes against humanity': HRW
The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch has issued a report described the Sept. 28 killings in Conakry's main sports' stadium as 'premeditated' and 'likely crimes against humanity.'
HRW came to this conclusion after interviewing 240 victims, witnesses, military personnel, medical staff, humanitarian officials, diplomats, and journalists.
The NGO collected chilling witness accounts describing how members of Guinea's security forces burst into the stadium and opened fire on tens of thousands of opposition supporters who had gathered to demand a return to civilian rule... Witnesses described how bodies were strewn across the field, crushed against half-opened gates, and draped over walls. Others told how the panicked demonstrators were gunned down as they tried to scale the stadium walls; shot point blank after being caught hiding in tunnels, bathrooms, and under seats; and mowed down after being drawn out by soldiers who were pretending to offer safe passage.
"The serious abuses carried out in Guinea on September 28 were clearly not the actions of a group of rogue, undisciplined soldiers, as the Guinean government contends," said Peter Bouckaert, Emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "They were premeditated, and top-level leaders must at the very least have been aware of what was being planned, our investigation shows."
-The HRW summary is here
-The full report can be accessed here
HRW came to this conclusion after interviewing 240 victims, witnesses, military personnel, medical staff, humanitarian officials, diplomats, and journalists.
The NGO collected chilling witness accounts describing how members of Guinea's security forces burst into the stadium and opened fire on tens of thousands of opposition supporters who had gathered to demand a return to civilian rule... Witnesses described how bodies were strewn across the field, crushed against half-opened gates, and draped over walls. Others told how the panicked demonstrators were gunned down as they tried to scale the stadium walls; shot point blank after being caught hiding in tunnels, bathrooms, and under seats; and mowed down after being drawn out by soldiers who were pretending to offer safe passage.
"The serious abuses carried out in Guinea on September 28 were clearly not the actions of a group of rogue, undisciplined soldiers, as the Guinean government contends," said Peter Bouckaert, Emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. "They were premeditated, and top-level leaders must at the very least have been aware of what was being planned, our investigation shows."
-The HRW summary is here
-The full report can be accessed here
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