Ban
Ki-Moon visits African countries as new head of the
United Nations
Secretary-General Ban in his first official trip to
Africa visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Ethiopia and Kenya. In Addis Ababa, he addressed the
African Union Summit. High on his agenda was the crisis
in the Darfur region of Sudan which he discussed with
Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. "There
were many commitments made by the Sudanese government,
including this deployment UN/AU hybrid operation in
Darfur. The international community cannot just ignore
and delay, prolong the situation where millions of people
are suffering from humanitarian difficulties. Many international
humanitarian workers do not have access to the area."
Tanzanian Foregin Minister
says Peacekeepers are Needed in Sudan and Somalia
Bernard
Membe, Tanzania's new foreign minister, who has replaced
Dr. Asha Rose Migiro, the recently appointed Deputy
Secretary-General of the United Nations, comments on
a range of issues discussed at the African Union Summit.
Among those issues: African leaders want Sudan to allow
the international community to deploy peacekeepers in
Sudan; and on Somalia, Minister Membe says that African
leaders expect African troops to replace the departing
Ethiopian forces.
UN-backed Sierra Leone Court
is ready to try Charles Taylor in June
Stephen Rapp, the lead prosecutor in the UN-backed
Special Court for Sierra 
Leone
says the former Liberian President Charles Taylor will
stand trial in The Hague on June 4, for crimes committed
during the conflict in Sierra Leone.
"There's an eleven-count indictment charging Mr.
Taylor with crimes against humanity and war crimes,
specifically for murder, for other violence, including
mutilation, rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage,
and finally the utilization of child soldiers."
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Sierra
Leonean Women Prepare to Play Role in Society
Women
in Sierra Leone are still suffering the effects of the
devastating ten year conflict in their country. Susan
Sesay who deals with gender issues in the Eastern Province
of the country says efforts are being made to empower
Sierra Leonean women to take their rightful place in
society. "Before the war, during the war
and even after the war, the situation of women has not
improved. Women suffered a lot in the war. They were
abused and misused. They are now heading househol11ds.
They are catering for their children. They are paying
school fees. They have assumed the part that previously
was ascribed to men."
Africa Leads Fight Against
Measles
Africa is leading the battle against measles which
has long killed, sickened and disabled African children.
UN agencies involved in a campaign against the disease
say that while the number of people dying from the disease
worldwide has dropped by 60 per cent, in Africa it went
down by 75 per cent.
Nigerian Women Are Trafficked
for Sex in Europe
Nigerian
women continue to leave their country by choice or coercion
to satisfy the markets for prostitution in Europe. According
to Silke Albert, a UN expert in fighting trafficking
in women, when the women arrive in Europe, they become
sex slaves. She says Nigeria is taking measures to criminalize
trafficking.
PILOT EDITION Real Audio
Tenth anniversary of the Rwandan
genocide: Why did the genocide happen? Why was the
UN unable to prevent the killings or stop the massacres?
What lessons have been learned? Transcript
