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'The coup in Mali was not pre-meditated'
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- Created on Monday, 26 March 2012 14:17
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'The coup in Mali was not pre-meditated'
Tuareg rebels are fighting the government in Mali, the military has staged a coup and the people are facing food shortages. DW spoke to German expert Henner Papendieck about the complicated situation in the country.
For 17 years, Henner Papendieck led the North of Mali Program of the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ, formerly GTZ). Now he works as a freelance development policy consultant.
Deutsche Welle: Many people were surprised by the military coup, because Mali would have elected a new president in five weeks' time anyway. So why did it happen now?
Henner Papendieck: As far as the rebellion is concerned, we need to distinguish its root causes, the circumstances that led to it, and the immediate trigger. The coup on Wednesday, March 21, was triggered by the visit of the defense minister to Kati. He was supposed to make it clear to the soldiers then that troops would move towards the north. For the soldiers, however, that was the last straw, because the Malian army has no chance against Tuareg rebels in the north. The soldiers did not want to go there because they do not understand why they are supposed to risk their lives.
The root cause is that the whole system under President Amadou Toumani Toure was breaking down, because after the overthrow of the Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the influx of money into Mali stopped. Admittedly, the elections were announced - but they would not take place in the north because of the crisis in that part of the country. The parties would have protested against that after the first election round, there would have been riots, and that would have led to an impasse. So, for many the coup seemed more like a way out. But that it happened within a few hours was something of a surprise.
Even the military is partly acting surprised that their action lead to a coup d'état. They sometimes seem unprofessional.
Indeed. One thing is clear: This coup was not prepared in advance. You could tell that from the way rebels acted in their public appearances. This is evident even in the complicated name of their committee, which their spokesman can barely pronounce: "The National Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and Restoration of the State" (CNRDR).
The coup was almost a product of chance: the mutineers had already protested the day before, and their demonstration was dispersed by the president with the help of the National Guard and tear gas. On Wednesday, they came back - and when they realized that they were encountering no resistance, they marched through to the presidential palace. Fighting took place only once they reached the palace. And now, one has the impression that the rebels do not quite know how to deal with the power that they so suddenly acquired.
What chances do you give them now, considering they are practically isolated after the African and international communities condemned the coup?
Mali's democracy has always been an arrangement. I think this will be the case with the rebels as well.
The rebels accuse the president of not resolving the conflict in the north, of being incompetent and cowardly...
He acted consistently but wrongly. The conflict in the north had been unresolved for years, even under Toure's predecessor Alpha Oumar Konare. But while Konare tried to reach a compromise with the Tuareg, Toumani Toure put up obstacles to these negotiations. This backfired.
What is the background of the Tuareg rebellion in the north?
The north is a very difficult region with poor prospects for development. Additionally, the colonial demarcation left the Tuareg dispersed in many different states. They had hoped to get their own state. But the negotiations failed. Throughout the two great Sahelian droughts of the 1970s and early 1980s, the living conditions of the Tuareg were severely limited. Before those events, you could have pasture lands 150 km (90 miles) away from the river and raise camels or sheep. After the drought, everything focused on the river itself and you could only make a living within 30 km away from it. This destroyed their livelihood and their social structure. In addition to cattle breeders, there were also blacksmiths and craftsmen. The whole system crumbled.
Then came the first US attack on Gadhafi, who had tied many young Tuareg fighters to himself. Because of the strong international pressure, Gadhafi dismissed many of these fighters - and when they returned to their homeland and found that the state had done nothing for the north, they launched their rebellion (1989). With the fall of Gadhafi, we are currently seeing a new version of this story, but one in which the fighters are now equipped with money, weapons and vehicles, which makes it possible for them to wage a war against the state at a much higher level.
So are they better equipped than the government army?
Much better. Otherwise they would have never been able to take the large military base of Tessalit, a base with proper barracks and a four-kilometer-long runway for large military aircraft. That was the ultimate bastion of the state. Without it, the Malian government can't fight a war in the north. And other cities will fall into the hands of the rebels.
How do you assess the situation for the population in the disputed territories in the north?
The latest UNHCR statistics speak of about 200,000 refugees, of whom at least 100,000 have fled across the border to Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger. The situation is desperate: a very bad harvest year led to a hunger crisis. People already had nothing left to eat - and from now on it will only get harder: The hot months of April, May and June are coming, the rainy season begins in July, and the first harvest comes only in October. The next few months would have been difficult in any case. Should there now be a negotiated settlement, there is still some chance that people could come back before the rain. Then they could still grow something which they could provide the basis of their subsistence for the coming winter.
What can Germany do?
The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) should continue its work in the inland delta of the Niger. And a negotiated solution should be reached as soon as possible. Both sides must agree on a ceasefire and then seriously think about how to proceed. The deposed President Amadou Toumani Toure has lost the confidence of the people and for the rebels, he was not a negotiating partner because he was unreliable: promises were broken, contracts not honored, people said one thing and did something else. Tuareg leaders would not accept that. And we have seen what that led to.
Author: Dirke Köpp / tt Editor: Ben Knight
Source: Deutsche Welle
No commentsSenegal votes in new president
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- Created on Monday, 26 March 2012 11:05
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Senegal votes in new president
Macky Sall wins as incumbent Abdoulaye Wade conceded after preliminary results showed a landslide for opposition
Associated Press in Dakar
President Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat to his former protege Macky Sall after preliminary results showed the opposition candidate had trounced the 85-year-old incumbent. The move alleviated fears that Wade, in power for 12 years, would try to stay in office or would challenge the runoff results.
Wade, who first took office in 2000, has seen his popularity suffer amid soaring living costs and unemployment.
His decision to seek re-election had infuriated many voters. Violent protests left at least six people dead, and analysts had warned of further unrest if Wade won.
Marieme Ousmane Wele, 55, said she had voted for Sall because the rising prices of basic goods have made her life increasingly difficult.
"I sell cereal made from corn but the price of corn has really gone up. Now, I don't have many customers and it's becoming difficult to feed my own family," she said.
On the streets of Senegal's capital, Dakar, images of Wade on campaign posters had their eyes scratched out. And his convoy was hit by rocks in the final days of the runoff campaign.
Sall, 50, is a geologist by training who worked for years under Wade. The two, however, had a subsequent falling out and Wade has been describing Sall as an apprentice who has not yet taken in "the lessons of his mentor."
Wade's image began to suffer after he started giving an increasing share of power to his son Karim, who was derisively called "the minister of the sky and the earth" after he was handed control of multiple ministries including infrastructure and energy.
The president also tried to rush a law through parliament that would have reduced the percentage a candidate needed to win on the first round from 50 to around 25%. He was forced to scrap the proposal after riots immobilized the capital.
Dr Johny Assane said he voted for Wade in 2000 but has since become disillusioned. While he says he is financially secure, he has seen how others have failed to benefit from Wade's leadership.
"The situation of my patients who come to get medicine in my office has really deteriorated," he said. "Everywhere there are children whose parents are finding it difficult to pay for their treatment and that shows me that the country is not working."
Source: The Guardian UK
High hopes for Pope's Cuba visit
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- Created on Monday, 26 March 2012 00:00
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The Pope heads to Cuba this Monday, a country where the potential for change is reflected in the hopes of the religious faithful and the political opposition. But it is unlikely Benedict can meet all the expectations.
Many Cubans still remember the visit of Pope John Paul II who, on a trip to the island in 1998, officially restored Christmas as a non-working public holiday, making it the country's only religious holiday.
{sidebar id=11 align=right}As he strengthened the renewed relationship between church and state, the Polish pope also condemned the American economic embargo on Cuba and met with then-President Fidel Castro on behalf of about 100 political prisoners.
He also met with Cuba's intellectuals, members of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths and named the Virgin of Charity in El Cobre as the country's patron saint, the "mother of all Cubans, regardless of race, political affiliation or ideology."
His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, will travel to Cuba next week as a "pilgrim of mercy" to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the patron saint. On his trip, the German pope will meet the country's new head of state, and will, according to Arturo Lopez Levy, Cuban-American political scientist at the University of Denver, find "improved relations" with the national church hierarchy since his predecessor's visit.
The new President Raul Castro is seen as less charismatic than his older brother Fidel, but more in control of institutional order, with Cuba in the midst of an overhaul of its economic and political systems. Castro's supporters and moderate critics have described it as an "update," as "reforms" and a "transition." His opponents, however, have disparagingly referred to it as "recycling."
Religious melting pot
In the middle of all this is the Cuban church, aiming to make advances in key areas. For decades it was denied any change, but now it is slowly making headway with a more tolerant government.
It is gaining more religious freedom, developing an educational and media network parallel to that of the state - with summer schools, digital publications and occasional media appearances - and a state mediator role on issues of national and international importance, such as the recent release of political prisoners.
The Pope's visit has stirred up enthusiasm and curiosity in a Cuban population that, according to Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, the general vicar of the archdiocese of Havana, is "very religious" but generally non-practising.
Catholic authorities say about 60 percent of Cuba's 11.2 million people are baptized, but only 5 percent attend church regularly. In daily life, an estimated 75 - 85 percent of the population come into contact with people from many different religions: Catholics with Protestants, Jews with those of the Orthodox faith, and even some Muslims and followers of African faiths such as Santeria.
Although none of these religions are so institutionalized and internationally powerful as the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict is planning ecumenical meetings with followers of these faiths on his trip.
Anticipation and criticism
The government is planning to make the island's public transportation available for the two papal masses on March 26 and 28. Government employees who wish to attend in Santiago and Havana will be given the day off.
There has been less criticism of the Pope ahead of this visit in Cuba – even though liberal critics outside the official Communist Party have condemned the Church's stance on contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage.
In general, the majority of Cubans, the opposition and the Cuban diaspora are looking forward to the visit, says Lopez Levy. Around 400 pilgrims are expected from abroad. The Pope stands for greater religious freedom and the promise of greater political pluralism, he adds. Reconciliation, dialogue, moderation, a gradual opening – these are the keywords of the church authorities, according to the political scientist adds.
Nevertheless, the church does not take kindly to surprise acts of civil disobedience, such as the recent occupation of a Havana church by opposition members, or the planned march by the "Damas de Blanco," the dissident Ladies in White group, along a different route in order to force a meeting with the pope.
Church with an agenda
The Vatican is pursuing its own themes on the trip. It sees the Cuban Church as an advocate for "responsible nationalism" in thought and action, both inside and outside the country's government.
This, at least, is the view of Lopez Levy and Lenier Gonzalez, publishers of the Cuban magazine Espacio Laical. The moderate Cuban Church is backing a "more pluralistic political system and an economy with a greater market participation," but at the same time important advances for education and health.
It rejects the foreign interference of the United States and the European Union, as well as the "radical proposals of a totalitarian state and neoliberal capitalism" – a mission, and a major challenge for Pope Benedict.
Author: Rosa Munoz Lima, Violeta Campos / cmk Editor: Ben Knight
Source: Deutsche Welle
Current judicial appointments system is 'not fit for purpose', says report
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- Created on Monday, 26 March 2012 00:00
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Current judicial appointments system is 'not fit for purpose', says report
According to new report, concept of 'merit' should be redefined to reward candidate of greatest benefit to judiciary
Joshua Rozenberg
New arrangements for appointing senior judges are needed to ensure a more diverse judiciary, according to a report published on Monday. It calls for the concept of "merit" to be redefined and raises concerns that one branch of government risks becoming a self-perpetuating oligarchy.
{sidebar id=11 align=right}The report's authors are Chris Paterson from the liberal think-tank CentreForum and Professor Alan Paterson from the centre for professional legal studies at Strathclyde university.
The two authors regard the current system of appointing senior judges in the United Kingdom as "manifestly untenable" and "not fit for purpose". Their report is published two days ahead of major recommendations from the House of Lords constitution committee on reforming the system of judicial appointments.
Monday's report takes issue with the commonly-accepted definition of merit, the sole criterion for judicial appointment. Lawyers have understood this to mean that appointments should go to the cleverest candidate, effectively the best or most brilliant lawyer available.
The authors argue that this encourages selectors to choose people in their own image: generally, white males with similar educational backgrounds. Instead, they say, each post should go to the candidate who would be of greatest benefit to the judiciary.
Their paper casts doubt on the so-called tie-breaker provision in the Equality Act which allows a candidate from an under-represented minority to be selected when that candidate and another are of equal merit. Since the new appointments system was introduced more than five years ago, selectors have never found two candidates of equal merit.
And the authors point out that the system is interpreted so rigidly that it prevents candidates for appointment to the supreme court from being selected from those with experience of the main work that the court now does: around half its time is now spent on cases involving public law. This can be compared to a football manager who signs only top-scoring centre-forwards.
The report recommends that the most senior judicial appointments should be made by a panel of nine people — three senior judges, three parliamentary members and three lay people, one of whom would chair the panel.
This would preserve judicial involvement and add democratic legitimacy without allowing one section of interests to dominate. The lord chancellor would retain his long-stop veto.
The authors point out that those who predicted 20 years ago that the senior UK judiciary would become more diverse through the "trickle-up" process have been proved wrong.
Canada, by contrast, is held up as an example of a country that has achieved a more representative judiciary by redefining merit. It has parliamentary hearings in which judges are questioned about their judicial philosophy, but only after they have already been selected for appointment.
In the UK, the appointment of a supreme court judge requires the direct input of up to 26 individuals, 21 of whom are judges themselves. This, say the authors, shows the "potential danger for this branch of government to become a self-perpetuating oligarchy".
They quote Lord Justice Etherton, a strong supporter of judicial diversity, as arguing that the dominant extent to which the senior judiciary is involved in the selection of the senior judiciary as "quite unacceptable … for constitutional legitimacy".
All this matters, the authors argue, because the supreme court, in particular, is increasingly required to take what can be regarded as policy or political decisions. That requires constitutional legitimacy which in turn requires an appointments system that enjoys public confidence.
Though today's report is likely to raise eyebrows among more conservative members of the judiciary, it is likely to be well received in government circles. Ministers are well aware that the new system for judicial appointments introduced by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 has failed to change the face of the judiciary.
Indeed, by removing the flexibility inherent in the wide discretion formerly exercised by the lord chancellor, the reforms have actually made diversity harder to achieve.
Source: The Guardian UK, 26 March 2012
Sall and Wade head-to-head in Senegal runoff
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- Created on Sunday, 25 March 2012 00:00
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25 March 2012