Activists hope 25 January protest will be start of 'something big'

Heba Afify

Mon, 24/01/2011 - 11:20

Photographed by Al-Masry Al-Youm Staff

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Over 80,000 Egyptian Facebook users have confirmed they will be attending nation-wide protests on 25 January.

The event is associated in the minds of many with the Tunisian revolution that toppled an authoritarian regime.

Protest organizers in Egypt are demanding the dismissal of the Minister of Interior, who is seen as representing consistent human rights violations, including torture. The conduct of the police has been increasingly questioned since the Alexandria church bombing that claimed the lives of more than 20 people on New Year's Eve.

Egyptian activists have a further three demands: the restoration of a fair minimum wage, the end of Emergency Law, and the limitation of the presidency to two terms.

Although administrative courts issued two rulings in 2010 in favor of a new minimum wage, judicial authorities have failed to specify what the wage should be.

And although political activism has been increasing in Egypt since 2005, activists and experts say the Tunisian uprising has given Egyptians the hope and courage to move from a phase of talking to a phase of action, which some predict will start on 25 January. Some believe that Tunisia's uprising will change the face of political activism in Egypt.

Mohamed Adel, spokesperson for the April 6 movement, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Tunisian activists have been in touch to offer encouragement, solidarity and inspiration.

He said he expects 25 January to be different from any previous protests because of the number of people participating. “It will be the start of something big.”

Hamdein Sabahy, founder of the Karama Party--which plans to participate in the protests although not yet an official entity--told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the Tunisia uprising was a turning point in Arab history and has inspired Egyptians with the hope of achieving change.

“Now political powers will feel that they’re not doing their duty if they don’t move: Our regime is not less corrupt than the regime in Tunisia and our people are not less capable than the Tunisians,” said Sabahy.

“We started saying 'enough' in Egypt six years ago, but we didn’t go very far with the slogan. Tunisia has inspired us to take it to the next level,” said Amar Ali Hassan, a political analyst.

Hassan added that the Egyptian regime is very similar to the former Tunisian regime, and the recent events demonstrate that an illegitimate regime that antagonizes its people has no chance of staying in power.

“There is a systematic venting-out operation in Egypt which has delayed the explosion, but it will not prevent it.”

With the Tunisian revolution in mind, many wonder what will happen on Tuesday and whether the protest will trigger massive change.

But skepticism also looms.

Emad Gad, a political analyst with Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said it’s very difficult to predict what the outcome of Tuesday's protests will be, as it depends on the number of participants and police response.

The 25 January protests have already prompted reactions from authorities. Some shops announced that they have been instructed by the government to close for the day because of potential riots.

Activists are complaining of unjustified arrests and interrogations by the police, which they say are attempts to keep them from participating. The National Association for Change (NAC) issued a statement claiming that police used force to take activists to police stations for investigation and detained the parents of some who refused to go.

“All these events won’t make us back up or refrain from fulfilling our national duties. We have broken the wall of fear and given ourselves to this nation and we have nothing to lose. We will continue our journey towards freedom, justice and dignity,” announced the group in their statement.

Many political movements will join the protest initiated by the April 6 movement, including Youth for Justice and Freedom, the Popular Democratic Movement for Change (HASHD) and the NAC.

Political parties including the Ghad, Karama, Wafd and Democratic Front parties also announced their participation. A number of public figures say they will participate--such as novelist Alaa El Aswany, writer Belal Fadl and actors Amr Waked and Khaled Aboul Naga--in addition to members of the shadow parliament launched by former MPs and public figures to delegitimize the current parliament.

However, the Muslim Brotherhood and the leftist Tagammu Party chose to distance themselves from the protest.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, initially said late last week that it would not take part, but one of the its leaders, Mohamed al-Beltagui, yesterday informed the press that it would.

Tagammu's President, Refaat al-Saeed, announced his refusal to participate, saying it is inappropriate to ruin the celebrations of the police force.

“This is a heroic day meant for the celebration of the important role of the police forces, who exert every effort to defend the nation and the people,” said Saeed in a statement on Saturday.

Coptic Church authorities also rejected the call for protests and urged Christians to stay home and pray for their nation's safety.

“We urge all Coptic youths not to participate in the 25 January protests because problems will not be solved by protests and high voices but rather by objective confrontation through the legitimate channels,” said the priest of Cairo's Virgin Mary Church, Abdel Masih Basit, in a statement.

Egyptians living abroad are planning parallel protests on the same day in Canada, the US and the UK.

Meanwhile in Egypt, simultaneous counter protests are being planned under the slogan “Mubarak: Egypt’s security.” The organizers announced on social networking sites that they are planning many protests to express their rejection of any destruction of state institutions by the opposition.

FM: Kidnapped Egyptian in Nigeria released

MENA

Mon, 24/01/2011 - 13:04

Egyptian Foreign

Photographed by AP

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An Egyptian kidnapped by an armed group in Nigeria was released on Thursday, Egypt announced on Monday.

Ambassador Mohamed Abdel Hakam, Egypt's deputy foreign minister, said the Egyptian consulate in Lagos had cooperated with Nigerian authorities to have engineer Mohamed al-Sahli released.

The consulate contacted al-Sahli, who works at a Nigerian petroleum company, once he was released and reassured his family in Alexandria, said Abdel Hakam. He warned Egyptians who work in the Niger Delta, where armed groups have spread, to take necessary precautions for their own safety.

Egypt officially requests Nefertiti bust

Arabic Edition

Mon, 24/01/2011 - 12:30

Photographed by other

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Egypt has submitted an official request to Germany to return a bust of Nefertiti displayed in a Berlin Museum, following a series of meetings between Egyptian culture officials, international law experts and archeologists who said Egypt may rightfully request the bust.

A statement published by the Culture Ministry on Monday said that the government submitted the request after Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni and Supreme Council of Antiquities chief Zahi Hawass agreed to retrieve the bust.

Hawass said that Egypt is keen to recover all ancient artifacts that have been illegally smuggled out of the country, especially rare ones.

The 3300-year-old Nefertiti bust tops the list of artifacts that Egypt hopes to retrieve as part of a campaign to retrieve thousands of antiquities taken during and since the colonial era.

The bust is one of six rare artifacts that Egypt wants sent back from international museums.

The official request is based on a UNESCO agreement that bans the illegal export, import and transport of cultural properties. It calls on all parties to cooperate in order to facilitate the return of such items to their lawful owners as quickly as possible.

Germany has declined Egypt's previous requests for the bust's return, saying it is in Germany legally and is too fragile to move. Egypt, meanwhile, says it was taken out of the country using fraudulent documents

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

N. Korean leader meets Egypt telecoms chief

AFP

Mon, 24/01/2011 - 13:35

Photographed by Hossam Fadl

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Seoul--North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has met the head of an Egyptian company that provides a mobile phone service in the impoverished communist nation, state media reported Monday.

Naguib Sawiris, chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom Holding, has been visiting the North since Friday. His company has provided a mobile phone service in the North jointly with a local firm since late 2008.

Kim "warmly welcomed his DPRK [North Korea] visit taking place at a time when Orascom's investment is making successful progress in different fields of the DPRK, including telecommunications," the North's state news agency KCNA said.

Kim had "a cordial talk" with Sawiris and hosted a dinner for him, it added.

Orascom said last year that mobile phone subscriptions in North Korea had more than quadrupled in the space of a year--to 301,199 by the end of September 2010 from 69,261 a year earlier.

However, it said overall "mobile penetration" remains at one percent in the country, which has an estimated per-capita GDP of US$1700 and a population of 24 million.

North Korea strictly controls access to outside information and fixes the tuning controls of radios and televisions to official stations.

It began a mobile phone service in November 2002 but shut it down without explanation 18 months later and began recalling handsets.

But in December 2008 the country introduced a 3G mobile phone network in a joint venture with the Egyptian firm.

The Egyptian group in 2007 sealed a US$115 million deal to invest in a North Korean cement plant. It is also reportedly involved in completing construction of the 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel in the capital.

No child born to die

Save the Children's call to mobilise global vaccinations provides hope to millions of children, but obstacles remain. Davinder Kumar Last Modified: 24 Jan 2011 09:34 GMT

Almost nine million children die each year before their fifth birthday [Credit: Anna Kari/Save the Children] Tayitu's eyes well up with tears each time she gazes helplessly at her son Siham as he struggles to draw breath. She is still grieving over the loss of Siham's twin-brother Redwan, who died only a few months ago due to pneumonia. Tayitu now fears the fatal disease may have returned, this time to claim Siham - who has just turned one. She is losing hope fast. The nearest district hospital from her village in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia is a four hour drive away, and the last time she took Redwan there, she had to wait for more than a day to see a doctor. Redwan received intensive treatment for 12 days but died soon after he returned home. "Now Siham has also started with breathing problems. It's as if his breathing is obstructed. I've taken him to the health centre but I'm afraid that even if I take him to the hospital, like I did with Redwan, it will not make a difference," says Tayitu. Child killers Tayitu with Siham at home in Amhara Region, Ethiopia [Credit: Caroline Trutmann/Save the Children] Her fears for the life of her son are not misplaced. Pneumonia accounts for nearly one in three child deaths in Ethiopia, other major killers being diarrhoea and malaria. Globally, the picture is not much different in most of the poorest countries. Pneumonia and diarrhoea kill more children under the age of five than any other illnesses, accounting for three times more deaths than malaria and HIV combined. Annually, 1.6 million children under five die of pneumonia and 1.3 million succumb to diarrhoeal diseases. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries. "For every child who dies from pneumonia - the most common form of serious pneumococcal disease - in rich countries, 2,000 die from pneumonia in developing countries. This is not acceptable," says Helen Evans, the interim CEO of GAVI Alliance (formerly known as Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) - a public-private global health partnership created in 2000 to save children's lives and protect people's health by increasing access to immunisation in the world's poorest countries. But there is a new glimmer of hope. Experts believe the scandalous scale of child mortality can be drastically reduced through adequate health care interventions, including immunisations. In what could be described as the biggest global fight against pneumonia and diarrhoea to date, GAVI has started providing the most advanced vaccines ever to the world's poorest countries which could potentially save millions of children's lives. Initially the pneumonia vaccines are being rolled out and GAVI intends to follow the release with rotaviral diarrhoea vaccines in the near future. For pneumonia, this is the first time that variants of a vaccine are being made available that specifically target the strains of the disease prevalent in a region. The rotavirus vaccine, on the other hand, is targeted at saving children from rotaviral diarrhoea which is highly communicable; just clean water, sanitation and hygiene will not prevent babies from contracting it, and virtually every child on the planet will have at least one infection by their third birthday. In the most severe cases infants will quickly become dehydrated, putting their lives in danger. In wealthy countries, few children die from rotaviral diarrhoea because of ready access to health care services and over-the-counter treatment, and because well-nourished children are less susceptible in the first place. In developing countries, however, rotavirus can be lethal - especially if children have a weakened immune system because they are malnourished. The problem is further compounded if they have limited or no access to health care. The new immunisation drive - which will see infants in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Yemen and Guyana immunised against pneumonia through their public health service for the first time this year - means the poorest countries can access the benefits of the vaccine within months of it being rolled out in the West. This is a significant departure from what has happened in the past, where developing countries had to wait for years before the same vaccines were released in their markets at a price affordable to them. In an innovative co-financing scheme, the developing countries will share the cost of these vaccines starting at only a few cents, depending on their per capita income. The rest of the cost will be borne by the funds pooled by GAVI, donated by rich nations and other donors. An important part of the arrangement involves pharmaceutical companies supplying the latest vaccines for distribution at a significantly reduced cost to what they charge in developed markets. In return, they get a committed investment from donors for long-term supply. It is like ordering a large stock of supplies from a wholesaler and getting a massive discount in return for making advance payments. This enables governments to budget and plan for their long term immunisation programmes. As more pharmaceuticals join in the advance payment scheme, the discounts they offer are likely to get more competitive reducing the price of vaccines even further. Insufficient funding Nurse Mohammed Abbas gives Hashim an antibiotic to treat pneumonia [Credit: Colin Crowley/Save the Children] GAVI's immunisation scheme is highly ambitious. It plans to immunise 240 million additional children in the next five years, saving four million lives. However, a funding crisis is looming. Out of $6.8bn earmarked for the global programme, only $3.1bn has been committed so far and this goal can only be achieved if GAVI is able to secure another $3.7bn. As the world's leading immunisation coordinating agency struggles to cope with a big cash deficit, the effects are beginning to appear. Out of over 45 countries which have been identified for the roll-out of pneumonia and diarrhoea vaccines, only 19 have had funding secured. "Just when we are on the brink of a breakthrough against these two major child killers, the cash is running out. Without it children will continue to die on a scale, and from causes, that would be unimaginable in the developed world," warns Justin Forsyth, the chief executive of Save the Children. The aid agency has launched a global "No Child Born To Die" campaign to save millions of children's lives around the world and is calling for G8 countries and other rich nations to pledge more cash for vaccines at a special conference to be hosted by the UK government in June. Forsyth adds: "Without the specially subsidised rates, many developing world governments won't be able to afford to pay for the pneumonia and diarrhoea vaccines. That's why GAVI needs to be properly resourced over the next five years if the UN target for reducing child mortality is to be reached." Forsyth's argument is based on harsh realities faced by poorer countries struggling to keep their health care systems on track. Even at a discounted price, the vaccines are expensive to roll out for many countries. Imagine the scenario for countries like Burundi where the total per capita government health expenditure is just one US dollar, or in Sierra Leone where it stands at four US dollars. This makes the cost of pneumonia vaccine look phenomenal in context - even at its lowest subsidised price of 10 cents - and a costly purchase to countries already grappling with deep-rooted poverty. Preventing prevention In addition to the funding issue, countries are already restricted by their ability to distribute the vaccines; there is no point having new vaccines without the sufficient trained health workers to administer them, or the facilities to store them. For this reason, in order to qualify for GAVI-supported pneumonia and diarrhoea vaccine introductions, countries must have above 50 per cent coverage of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Whooping cough vaccine as per WHO/UNICEF estimates. Having this level of existing vaccine coverage suggests a country may be able to cope with the distribution and correct administration of the new vaccines. Therefore the countries with some of the poorest health distribution infrastructures - and who arguably need the vaccines most - still have a long way to go before they can become eligible to roll-out highly subsidised vaccines. According to WHO estimates there is a critical shortage of 3.5 million health workers in the poorest countries, without whom millions of children will face illness and early death. Doctors, midwives, nurses and community health workers form the vital backbone of the health services and without them, life-saving measures cannot be put in place. Without them, essential vaccines cannot be delivered. Even more critically, the children that are served worst by this lack of health provision are - as Save the Children points out - the poorest and most marginalised children; in other words, the children who need help most. Despite the obvious challenges, the global immunisation campaign against pneumonia and diarrhoea offers great hope for the millions of people who die from these diseases around the world. The vaccine roll-out scheme this year heralds a defining moment in global collaboration to reduce child mortality. It also puts to test the commitment of the rich nations to fund the ambitious project which promises to potentially save millions of children's lives and costs a fraction of what was spent on bailing out the world's financial system. Ask Tayitu what a pneumonia vaccine would mean to her child. Davinder Kumar is a London-based development journalist and a Chevening Human Rights Scholar. He is currently supporting Save the Children's media operations. To learn more about the 'No Child Born To Die' campaign, you can visit their website.

Source: Al Jazeera

Philippine rebels kill 5 policemen

It is the first major assault since the government and communist rebels agreed to restart peace talks in Oslo. Last Modified: 24 Jan 2011 09:56 GMT

Some 120,000 people have been killed in one of the Asia's longest and deadliest rebellions [EPA] Communist rebels have shot and killed a police chief and four other officers in northern Philippines after detonating roadside bombs under their patrol car, officials said. Sunday's attack killed the Rizal town police chief, his brother, wife and two other officers. Two other police officials were also wounded in the ambush. It was the first major assault since the Philippine government and communist rebels agreed to restart talks, ending the 42-year rural-based insurgency. Some 120,000 people have been killed in the decades-long insurgency. Jose Francisco Villaroma, Cagayan provincial police director said that Antonio Rueco, the slain police chief, called for help using his mobile phone after he was shot by the rebels, but rescuers could not reach in time to save his life. "He was talking over the phone and suddenly, there was silence. It appears that the rebels finished him off," Villaroman said. "We are aghast by the brutality of the attack." He said three improvised bombs exploded along the road as the police vehicle was passing, then the attackers opened fire. The rebels later fled towards a mountain hide-out, Villaroman said. Peace negotiations The rebels and the government met last week in Norway and agreed to resume formal negotiations from February 15 to 21. The government said the two sides would likely observe a ceasefire during those negotiations but so far the rebels have rebuffed calls for a more permanent truce in the absence of a political agreement. Talks between the two sides were suspended in 2004 when the rebels, who have fought for a Marxist state since 1969, withdrew from negotiations. They have accused the government of instigating the inclusion of the Communist Party and its armed wing, the New People's Army, on US and European lists of terrorist organisations. After the apparent breakthrough in securing an agreement on February talks, President Benigno Aquino's government said it hoped to end the insurgency within three years. However, security analysts doubt that one of Asia's longest and deadliest rebellions would be over by 2014. Ideological differences They say that even though the rebels' manpower is down to an estimated 4,700 rebels, huge ideological differences remain between the communists and government that will prevent a permanent peace. Brigadier General Jose Mabanta, Military spokesman also said Sunday's attack was proof that rebels on the ground did not want to broker a peace and give up their arms. "While we continue our confidence-building efforts, on their part they are showing bad faith. I don't think the instructions of their leadership are being implemented at the lower level," he said. Government officials said that forthcoming discussions will likely include the group's demand for the release of Tirso Alcantara, a senior rebel commander who was arrested just after the two sides ended a 19-day Christmas truce. The rebels said that Alcantara should be released as a member of the negotiating panel. However, refusing to release him, presidential peace process adviser, Teresita Deles, said on Sunday that Alcantara’s name did not appear on a list of rebel negotiators covered by an agreement granting them immunity from prosecution. Alcantara is facing 23 warrants for murder.

Source: Agencies

Ouattara calls for cocoa export ban

Internationally recognised president of Cote d'Ivoire seeks ban to stem rival's funds, in effort to oust him from power. Last Modified: 24 Jan 2011 09:34 GMT

Laurent Gbagbo has appointed his own administration and remains in power despite pressure to step down [EPA] Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised president of the Cote d'Ivoire, has called for a month-long ban on cocoa exports, in an attempt to oust Laurent Gbagbo, who remains president despite being widely considered to have lost the disputed November poll. Anyone contravening the ban will be liable to sanctions, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the government nominated by Ouattara, who is holed up in a hotel guarded by UN troops. However, given Gbagbo's control of the main institutions, including the ports and armed forces, it is not clear how the trade will be affected, but cocoa prices may rise. Meanwhile, Associated Press news agency reported on Monday that Gbagbo has ordered police and military to stop and search all UN vehicles. Ahoua Don Mello, a spokesman for Gbagbo's government, said efforts to stem the flow of funds to his boss, who has been in power since 2000, would be futile as trade was no longer dominated by Europe, especially France. "Isolation cannot work ... Those who think that [Cote d'Ivoire] will be isolated are those who think that [we] have no choice but to operate with them," he said. Cocoa is the main source of income for the government of Cote d'Ivoire and any stoppage in exports would cut the funding Gbagbo relies on to pay loyal civil servants and the military. Sanctions Meanwhile, Don Mello said businesses were still paying taxes and revenues collected would be deposited in accounts elsewhere. He mentioned Asia, Latin America and emerging African nations as potential partners, but refused to name the countries. "We have long anticipated all possible decisions... The proof is that the salaries have already been paid," he added. Ouattara's camp estimates that Gbagbo had withdrawn about $200m from the regional central bank while the Gbagbo ally was at the helm despite ministers ordering a freeze. Ouattara's call for a ban on cocoa exports comes after the western nations imposed sanctions on individuals and institutions backing Gbagbo, and West African leaders forced a Gbagbo ally out of the regional central bank. Any reduction in supply is likely to push the price of the commodity used in chocolate towards a 33-year high as Cote d'Ivoire accounts for about 40 per cent of global cocoa exports. Use of force Sporadic violence has claimed the lives of dozens of people. The UN estimates 260 people have been killed in the crisis. Both Gbagbo and Ouattara took the oath as president following the disputed elections. West African regional body ECOWAS has threatened to oust Gbagbo by force if he does not step down but analysts say any such operation is some time off and squeezing the finances of Gbagbo's administration is the priority for now.

Source: Reuters