The ISS weblog is intended to be a resource of newsworthy items related to the activities of the ISS and research conducted by the Institute. Information is published with due consideration to the 'fair use' doctrine in terms of copyrighted material. [Disclaimer] [ISS Home Page]
06 July 2006
ISS Today: DRC: 670 EUFOR Soldiers Already Deployed in Kinshasa
The European Union Force for the DR Congo (EUFOR) has already deployed 670 soldiers in Kinshasa, of the 1,200 contingent which will compose the force, said Franz Josef Jung, German Defence Minister, at a press conference held at the German embassy in the capital on Tuesday July 4, 2006. EUFOR will support MONUC in securing the elections. Mr. Jung, who is on an official visit to Kinshasa, has met with several Congolese government representatives, notably with President Joseph Kabila, the minister for Defence and the minister for Foreign Affairs. He also met with Jean-Pierre Bemba, Azarias Ruberwa and Rémi Massamba, the Secretary General of the UDPS, as well as Abbé Malu Malu, the head of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
05 July 2006
Foreigners committing crime nothing new: Gastrow
Peter Gastrow of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says the Sunday Times headline suggesting that Zimbabwean soldiers were behind a wave of heists is newsworthy but nothing new. Gastrow says Mozambicans, Zimbabweans and Chinese are among other nationalities that have been actively involved in organised crime in South Africa for many years.
ISS Programme Highlights: 5 July
All Researchers from the Arms Management Programme are attending the UN Review Conference on small arms in New York this week. They are participating as one of the lead organisations in driving the NGO process at the Review Conference. The programme (in collaboration with IANSA) was instrumental in arranging a meeting between the Africa Group and representatives from African civil society organisations to discuss the way forward for the Review Conference. The programme has also been approached by the Mozambican delegation to assist them in the compilation of their response to the President of the Review Conference’s ‘Non-Paper’, and co-hosted the Panel Discussion on the Review Conference with Ceasefire Campaign and the United Nations Information Centre at the Goethe Institute on 3 July.
The African Security Analysis Programme held a briefing for Dr Krause, Head: Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Africa, Great Lakes at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador and delegates from the German Embassy. Programme members gave briefings to the Dutch Staff Course on South African Peacekeeping and briefed a delegation from the Botswana Defence Force on the DRC. Programme staff also met with a delegation from the Sudanese Embassy to discuss the latest rejection of UN troops in that country and attended the launching of the Eastern African Chapter of the African Security Sector Network (ASSN) in Kampala.
The Crime and Justice Programme met with Max du Plessis and Howard Varney about the ICC symposium and will be organising and speaking at the launch seminar for the latest edition of the South African Crime Quarterly on Thursday this week. The seminar will focus on “Abuse of a Different Kind: Adults Using Children to Commit Crime”.
Last week the Defence Sector Programme presented a paper on Emerging Evidence: HIV & Armed Forces in Southern Africa, motivating for an integrated regional approach. The programme is also busy with a Zimbabwean and South African HIV & AIDS and Corruption focused research project. Staff attended the African Security Sector Network (ASSN) meeting in Kampala and hosted the Head of the African Affairs Bureau and Director of Strategic Affairs in the French Ministry of Defence for a briefing. The programme will this week host a delegation from the Netherlands Embassy
The Training for Peace Programme provided technical support to the IGAD, AU and International Partners Planning Meeting Towards the Assessment and Reconnaissance Mission to Somalia, and will this week participate in the IGAD/AU Assessment and Reconnaissance Mission to Somalia. The programme, at the invitation of the UN (DPKO), also attended a review of gender and peacekeeping materials workshop in Windhoek.
Staff members of the ISS Cape Town Office met with SARPCCO head Vilio Hifindaka and his colleagues in Harare and briefed them on Organised Crime in SADC and also met with the SAHRIT Executive Director. Staff had a meeting with Development Research Africa (DRA) to discuss a service delivery survey and continue to be busy conducting research on corruption in social development.
The ICPAT Programme at the ISS Addis Ababa Office hosted a meeting between the Heads of ICPAT and CEWARN. Contact was made with Steering Committee members from Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. This will be followed by visits to Sudan and Eritrea. In the meanwhile, the programme has received a proposal for detailed cooperation from UNODC. The programme has also made contact with EAPCCO, CSIS (USA), UNODC and the Commonwealth Secretariat in preparation for first tasks.
The ISS Nairobi Office had a meeting with EAPCCO and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force and also met with the Director of Community Policing.
The E-Projects component will this week make a presentation on the new ISS website to the EU Ambassador as part of a briefing of CAGE grantees.
04 July 2006
Sudan rejects UN peacekeepers for Darfur
... 'For the people of Darfur this is not good news,' said Mohamed Guyo, acting director of the Institute for Security Studies thinktank in Nairobi. 'The humanitarian situation is worsening and they know that the AU troops cannot control the situation or enforce the peace deal.'
DA wants Jeppestown shooting probed
... Jankielsohn said Nqakula should set up an independent investigation task team consisting of experts from civil society such as the Institute for Security Studies and other such organisations.
SA's Commitment to Stamp Out Illicit Trade of Small Arms Praised
... In Johannesburg today, the Ceasefire Campaign, United Nations Information Centre and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) met in a panel discussion to debate issues in this regard. The lobby groups' aim is to reduce arms proliferation, misuse and to convince governments to introduce global principles regarding weapons transfers and the binding arms trade treaty.
ISS Today: A Somali Taliban?
Events are going from bad to worse in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The Islamists now running the country have also seized control of much of southern Somalia, made public their intention to declare Shariah law, and named as their leader a cleric on the U.S. watchlist for suspected links to al-Qaeda. So it goes in the failed state in northern Africa that is beginning to look like Afghanistan under the Taliban. The world can�t afford another radical Islamic state that shelters terrorists. And while it would be nice to think that Somalia�s neighbors or the United Nations or NATO might do something about all this, the reality is the task will be left to the U.S.
Scorpions decision has a sting in the tail
... Institute for Security Studies (ISS) analyst Prince Mashele said on Thursday there were three clear problems with the arrangement.
03 July 2006
Probe into Sasol-linked unit may widen
... Punishment under the act would theoretically render Sasol unable to secure government contracts for up to 10 years, said Hennie van Vuuren, head of the institute's corruption and governance programme.
Staring down the barrel of gun trade
By Guy Lamb
At the entrance to the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York stands a bronze sculpture: that of a .45 calibre revolver with its barrel twisted into a knot. This sculpture aptly symbolises the vision of the UN: 'To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.'
Behind the shootout
... AK-47s are not used by the South African Police or the South African National Defence Force, except for familiarisation purposes, and their presence in South Africa is illegal under firearms law, said Ben Coetzee, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
Sudan And Zimbabwe Overshadow AU Summit
... The only possible guarantee al-Bashir could be given is that most or all of the troops in the mission will remain African, says Jakkie Cilliers, executive director of the Institute for Security Studies.
ISS Today: Kenya's sex tourism 'slowly blossoming' and remains unabated
Unscrupulous Kenyan travel agents are said to be using lax anti-sex tourism legislation to woo paedophiles from Europe and other destinations for sex holidays in the country.
Archives
07 November 2004 14 November 2004 21 November 2004 28 November 2004 05 December 2004 12 December 2004 02 January 2005 09 January 2005 16 January 2005 23 January 2005 30 January 2005 06 February 2005 13 February 2005 20 February 2005 27 February 2005 06 March 2005 13 March 2005 27 March 2005 03 April 2005 10 April 2005 17 April 2005 24 April 2005 01 May 2005 08 May 2005 15 May 2005 22 May 2005 29 May 2005 05 June 2005 12 June 2005 19 June 2005 26 June 2005 03 July 2005 10 July 2005 24 July 2005 31 July 2005 07 August 2005 14 August 2005 21 August 2005 28 August 2005 04 September 2005 11 September 2005 18 September 2005 25 September 2005 02 October 2005 09 October 2005 16 October 2005 23 October 2005 30 October 2005 06 November 2005 13 November 2005 20 November 2005 27 November 2005 01 January 2006 08 January 2006 15 January 2006 22 January 2006 29 January 2006 05 February 2006 12 February 2006 19 February 2006 26 February 2006 05 March 2006 12 March 2006 19 March 2006 26 March 2006 02 April 2006 09 April 2006 16 April 2006 23 April 2006 30 April 2006 07 May 2006 14 May 2006 21 May 2006 28 May 2006 04 June 2006 11 June 2006 18 June 2006 02 July 2006 09 July 2006 16 July 2006 23 July 2006 30 July 2006 06 August 2006 13 August 2006 20 August 2006 27 August 2006 03 September 2006 10 September 2006 17 September 2006 01 October 2006 08 October 2006 15 October 2006 22 October 2006 29 October 2006 05 November 2006 12 November 2006 19 November 2006 26 November 2006 03 December 2006 07 January 2007 14 January 2007 21 January 2007 28 January 2007 04 February 2007 11 February 2007 18 February 2007 25 February 2007 04 March 2007 11 March 2007 18 March 2007 25 March 2007 01 April 2007 08 April 2007 15 April 2007 22 April 2007 29 April 2007 06 May 2007 13 May 2007 20 May 2007 27 May 2007 03 June 2007 10 June 2007 17 June 2007 24 June 2007 01 July 2007 08 July 2007 15 July 2007 22 July 2007 29 July 2007 05 August 2007 12 August 2007 19 August 2007 26 August 2007 02 September 2007 09 September 2007 16 September 2007 23 September 2007 30 September 2007 07 October 2007 14 October 2007 21 October 2007 28 October 2007 04 November 2007 11 November 2007 18 November 2007 25 November 2007 02 December 2007 09 December 2007 06 January 2008 13 January 2008 20 January 2008 27 January 2008 03 February 2008 10 February 2008 17 February 2008 24 February 2008 02 March 2008 09 March 2008 16 March 2008 23 March 2008 30 March 2008 06 April 2008 13 April 2008 20 April 2008 04 May 2008 11 May 2008 18 May 2008 25 May 2008 01 June 2008 08 June 2008 15 June 2008 22 June 2008 29 June 2008 06 July 2008 13 July 2008 20 July 2008 27 July 2008
