UN Radio

UN and Africa
Programme Number: 185
Week of: Sunday, 30th December, 2007
Recording Date: Thursday, 3 January, 2008
Topical Issue(s):

" Kenya ends 2007 and starts the New Year with fire and deaths. Since the announcement of the results of the general elections in the country, scores of people have been killed as riot police clamp down on protests, and violence flares among Kenyans.

" Libya, which faced diplomatic isolation by the West for many years, starts the year by presiding over the Security Council. Libyan Ambassador Jadallah Azoz Talhi talks about some of the issues he expects the Council to discuss in January.

" The Director of the News and Media Division in the UN Department of Public Information Ahmad Fawzi takes us through some of the important developments on the African continent in 2007.

Producer/presenter: Derrick Mbatha
Editor: Diane Bailey
Production Assistant: Florence Poblete-Enriquez
Studio Engineer: Zach Prewitt
Duration: 15'00"

PRESENTER: This is United Nations Radio in New York.

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PRESENTER:

Hello, Happy New Year, and welcome to UN and Africa. I am Derrick Mbatha.

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PRESENTER: In today's programme, violence ruins the end and beginning of the year in Kenya.

CLIP 1: Michelle Montas
"The Secretary-General is shocked by reports that dozens of civilians were burned to death in a church in Eldoret, and that three hundred people have now been reported killed in this deplorable outburst of violence."

PRESENTER: You will hear more on that in a moment. Also in this edition, the New Year starts with Libya presiding over the Security Council for the first time. And for the rest of the programme, we look back at 2007.
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CLIP 2: Ahmad Fawzi
"It was a year of fires and a year of melting ice, 2007, the year when the world acknowledged that climate change is man-made and poses the biggest threat to the future of our planet."

So, stay tuned to UN and Africa.

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The UN Is Concerned About Violence in Kenya

PRESENTER: The New Year did not start well for Kenyans as their country continues to be engulfed in violence following the disputed general election results announced last Sunday. Since that announcement, angry Kenyans have engaged in running battles with riot police. There are fears that this violence is taking on an ugly turn of people attacking others based on ethnic affiliation. At issue is the announcement that incumbent President Mwai Kibaki won the presidential contest, defeating his rival Raila Odinga. On the very last day of 2007 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour reacted to the unfolding developments in Kenya, as reported by UN Radio's Dianne Penn

CUT 1: Dianne Penn

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour called on the Kenyan government to abide by its international human rights obligations in responding to demonstrations. She said this includes holding police accountable for their actions. The High Commissioner stressed that it was essential for the organizers of the demonstrations and their followers to employ only peaceful means of protest.

PRESENTER: Kenya hosts the headquarters of the United Nations in Africa. The United Nations Office in Nairobi has expressed concern about the ongoing crisis in the country. UN Radio's Diane Bailey has more.

CUT 2: Diane Bailey
The Office says its Director-General, Anna Tibaijuka and the entire United Nations family in Kenya have been following the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country. The UN has appealed for calm, restraint and dialogue as the only means to find a durable solution to the current situation in Kenya.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed the need for urgently resolving this problem. UN spokesperson Michelle Montas, says the Secretary-General is concerned about the plight of large numbers of people who have been displaced by violence.

CUT 3: Michelle Montas
The Secretary-General is shocked by reports that dozens of civilians were burned to death in a church in Eldoret, and that three hundred people have now been reported killed in this deplorable outburst of violence. The Secretary-General reminds the Government, as well as the political and religious leaders of Kenya of their legal and moral responsibility to protect the innocent lives of people, regardless of their racial, religious or ethnic origin and he strongly urges them to do everything within their capacity to prevent any further violence.

PRESENTER: The Secretary-General says the crisis in Kenya should be resolved in a spirit of dialogue and by making full use of constitutional and legal rules and mechanisms.

STING UN AFRICA THEME MUSIC

Libya Assumes Presidency of the Security Council

PRESENTER: On a more positive development as the New Year begins, Libya, which for many years faced diplomatic isolation, is for the first time presiding over the affairs of the Security Council this month. UN Radio's Samir Amitair met with Libyan Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi to ask him about some of the issues he expects the Council to discuss.

ETTALHI: We have African issues as usual for this month like Ethiopia/Eritrea, like Chad, Central African Republic, like Cote d'Ivoire, like Darfur. We will have also other subjects, for instance, Nepal, Kosovo. We'll have Afghanistan, Iraq, so the agenda is quite rich, unfortunately. We are expecting other issues to come up during the month.

IMITAIR: About Sudan, the hybrid force still facing difficulties and challenges, we are talking about logistics, talking about the participation from other countries, what do you think about the challenge still facing this hybrid force?

ETTALHI: We hope that they will be overcome, but you see, there are real difficulties up to now. And I think it needs the understanding, cooperation and support of all parties. Some of the difficulties for instance, some of the equipment, there is not volunteers for that, for the helicopters for instance. But, again, for this issue, I think the Security Council should concentrate more and more on the political process.

IMITAIR: Somalia is another forgotten humanitarian cause on the African continent. How do you think this issue will be brought up to the Council and do you think that it's time for UN peacekeeping force to be sent to Somalia?

ETTALHI: Unfortunately it is not on the agenda for the month. It is, if I can say, on the footnote. It means that it could come up and it could not. But we do believe that it is very important that the Security Council should take the necessary measures to deal with the situation in Somalia because I think it is perhaps the worst in Africa for the time being.

IMITAIR: Sir, as you assume the presidency of the Council being a member of the Security Council how do oversee the cooperation between the other members, especially the U.S., France, and U.K.?

ETTALHI: I must say I am very happy with their cooperation really. And really, they are very constructive. They have their own stand, that's for sure, but they are seeing to have consensus and this is a very positive thing.

PRESENTER: That was Ambassador Jadallah Azoz Al Talhi of Libya, the President of the Security Council for January.

STING UN AFRICA THEME MUSIC

A Look Back at the UN and Africa in 2007

PRESENTER: And now for the review of 2007, here is Ahmad Fawzi of UN Radio and TV.

NARRATION: It was a year of fires - and a year of melting ice… 2007 - the year when the world acknowledged that Climate Change is manmade - and poses the biggest threat to the future of our planet. Millions of people fled their homes - because of floods, cyclones and climate disasters - because of continued unrest in Darfur - or because of continued violence in Iraq. Amidst all these challenges, 2007 was the beginning of a new era for the United Nations as Ban Ki-moon took office as Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon was the first UN Secretary-General to visit Antarctica and see the icebergs melt before his very eyes. The temperature rises in Antarctica seven -times faster than the global average.

Ban Ki-moon: "I'd like to send out a strong message to the global community. My message is: We must act NOW."

NARRATION: Another priority - bringing peace to Sudan. .

Ban Ki-moon: "I am here to bring you a message of hope, peace and security and water."

NARRATION: Darfur is one of the biggest humanitarian emergencies of our time - 2 million people are displaced and 4 million need food aid in an ongoing conflict between rebels and the Sudanese government that is exacerbated by drought and extreme water shortage. In July, the Security Council agreed to establish the largest and most complex field operation the UN has ever undertaken: a hybrid UN and African Union mission with 26,000 peacekeepers and civilian police.

Ban Ki-moon: "I want to create the foundation of a lasting peace and security. My goal is to lock in the progress we have made so far"

NARRATION: To build a lasting peace, the UN is also working on a political solution to the conflict. Rebel groups met in Juba to find a unified position ahead of peace talks with the government. And the Darfur peace process continued in Libya, with representatives of the government of Sudan, rebel movements and civil society. UN and African Union mediators helped them find a negotiating platform.

The UN family is still mourning colleagues who were killed 4 years ago at the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Tragically, the UN was targeted again this year - this time in Algiers, when a suicide bomber attacked the offices of the UN Development Programme and the UN refugee agency.

In Liberia, an all-female police unit from India focuses on the prevention of violence against women.

Soundbite:
"The training was strenuous, tough - so my girls are mentally, emotionally and physically prepared."

NARRATION: After 14 years of war, Liberia is on a rocky road to recovery, with an 85% unemployment rate and three quarters of the population living below the poverty line. Now 50,000 local workers and ex-combatants are fixing the damaged road system. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN mission MONUC trained the national army with the goal of instilling professionalism and awareness of human rights. Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo is still very fragile. More than 100.000 people fled from fresh violence in Kivu province. Even a family of highly endangered mountain gorillas were murdered in the crossfire. In Somalia, after 25 years of conflict living conditions are worsening. Thousands of desperate Somalis try to make their way across the sea to Yemen - and hundreds are losing their lives in the process.

NARRATION: Climate Change is linked to human activity, concluded a report by 2000 scientists from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Greenhouse gases caused the temperature to increase - especially in the Arctic, where the ice is melting faster than ever before. Sea levels will rise and polar bears are in danger of extinction. A hundred a sixty world leaders gathered in New York for the worlds biggest Climate Change meeting to hear a wake-up call.
California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:

"The rich nations and the poor nations have different responsibilities - but one responsibility we all have and that is action. Action-Action-Action."

NARRATION: The Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions is due to expire in 2012. Before the year's end, world leaders met again in Bali to set a timetable to reach a follow-up accord. Climate Change can be reversed, but action has to be taken now. IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri:

"Investments in energy infrastructure have to be in a manner that is going to be climate-friendly because these investments will serve society for a long time to come."

NARRATION: Sustainable development is gaining momentum in many countries: 400 billion plastic bags litter the globe UN agencies in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso helped women here set up a factory to recycle the plastic bags into raw material - with the new plastic they make rulers! Climate Change also affects health. Mosquitoes are extending their reach and malaria is spreading wider than ever. UN agencies invest heavily in prevention - from distributing insecticide treated bed nets to training local volunteers to studying indigenous medicinal plants that might hold a new cure. Reducing child mortality is one of the Millennium Development goals - 2007 marked the crucial midpoint in reaching the goals to cut poverty in half by 2015. Many countries are well on track: Another goal: Sanitation. 2.6 billion people around the world do not have toilets. At a sanitation summit in India, countries pledged to provide facilities to at least half of them by 2015. Africa is lagging behind on most of the Millennium Development goals. Some African countries are catching up with economic growth rates of 5 % and more. Cell phones got cheaper and helped people to communicate and do business. Charging phones got easier too - with new projects, 250 million Africans were connected to electricity. 2007 ended on a positive note. The UN's IPCC and Al Gore were awarded the Nobel Peace Price for their work to put Climate Change on the global agenda.

PRESENTER: That was Ahmad Fawzi for UN TV and Radio wrapping up 2007 as we looked back at the year just ended.

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PRESENTER: And that's all for this edition of UN and Africa. Our Production Assistant was Florence Poblete-Enriquez and our sound engineer was Zach Prewitt. I am Derrick Mbatha once again wishing you a Happy New Year.

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