• Un #rapport de l’ONU s’inquiète de l’augmentation des #violences_sexuelles liées aux #conflits

    Malgré une décennie de lutte, l’#ONU constate que les violences sexuelles restent une #arme_de_guerre dans de nombreux conflits et qu’elles continuent d’augmenter sur toute la planète. L’ONU analyse dans son dernier rapport (https://news.un.org/fr/story/2020/07/1073341) les violations constatées dans 19 pays, principalement contre des jeunes #filles et des #femmes.

    Les violences sexuelles augmentent dans la plupart des #conflits_armés. C’est ce qui ressort du dernier rapport de l’ONU sur les violences sexuelles liées aux conflits publié en juillet dernier.

    Le rapport insiste sur le fait que ce type de violence a un impact direct sur les déplacements en masse de populations, la montée de l’extrémisme, des inégalités et des discriminations entre les hommes et les femmes. Par ailleurs, selon l’ONU, les violences sexuelles sont particulièrement répandues dans des contextes de détention, de captivité et de migration.

    Fin 2019, plus de 79 millions de personnes se trouvaient déplacées dans le monde. Cela signifie que près d’un pourcent de la population mondiale a dû abandonner son domicile à cause d’un conflit ou de persécutiosn. L’an denier, le nombre de déplacés a augmenté, tout comme le niveau de violences sexuelles se produisant sur des sites accueillant des déplacés.

    Ces violences ont notamment lieu quand des femmes et des filles mineures fuient des attaques. Ce 11ème rapport du Secrétaire général de l’ONU (en anglais) sur ce sujet se penche particulièrement sur les violences sexuelles utilisées comme tactiques de guerre ou comme une arme utilisée par les réseaux terroristes.

    Il dresse la situation dans 19 pays, entre janvier et décembre 2019, et se base sur des cas documentés par les Nations unies.

    En tout, 2 838 cas de violences sexuelles ont été rapportés dans ces 19 pays. Dans 110 cas, soit environ 4 % des cas, les victimes sont des hommes ou des garçons.

    #Afghanistan

    En 2019, la Mission d’assistance des Nations unies en Afghanistan (MANUA) a documenté 102 cas de violences sexuelles : 27 étaient liées au conflit qui oppose le pouvoir aux rebelles Talibans, touchant 7 femmes, 7 filles et 13 garçons.

    Alors que la plupart des agressions sont attribuées aux Talibans, les forces de sécurité et des milices pro-gouvernementales ont également été impliquées.

    #Centrafrique

    La Mission des Nations unies en Centrafrique (MINUSCA) a confirmé 322 incidents de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, affectant 187 femmes, 124 filles, 3 hommes, 2 garçons, et 6 femmes d’âge inconnu. Parmi ces cas, 174 sont des viols ou tentatives de viol et 15 cas sont des mariages forcés.

    Le gouvernement de Bangui a signé avec les groupes armés, en février 2019, un accord de paix qui appelle à la fin de toutes formes de violences liées au sexe. Mais les signataires continuent d’utiliser la violence sexuelle comme moyen de terroriser les civils, conclut le rapport de l’ONU.

    #Colombie

    En 2019, un organisme de l’État venant en aide aux victimes a recensé 356 victimes de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits dans un pays où sévissent de nombreux groupes criminels et armés. Dans quasiment 90 % des cas, il s’agissait de femmes et de filles. Près de la moitié des victimes avaient des origines africaines.

    51 cas d’abus ont été commis sur des enfants (31 filles et 20 garçons). Dans au moins une dizaine de cas, les agresseurs présumés appartenaient au groupe rebelle de l’Armée de libération nationale ou à d’autres groupes armés et organisations criminelles.

    #RDC

    En 2019, la mission de l’ONU en #République_démocratique_du_Congo (MONUSCO), a documenté 1 409 cas de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, ce qui représente une hausse de 34 % depuis 2018.

    Parmi ces cas, 955 sont attribués à des groupes armés. Mais des membres de l’armée congolaise sont eux aussi impliqués dans 383 agressions. Enfin, la police nationale est responsable dans 62 cas.

    #Irak

    Au cours de l’année 2019, des civils qui étaient détenus par l’organisation de l’État islamique (OEI) en Syrie ont continué à retourner en Irak. Certains sont des survivants de violences sexuelles.

    En novembre dernier, le gouvernement régional du Kurdistan irakien a publié des statistiques sur les cas de disparition dans la communauté des Yazidis depuis 2014. Plus de 6 400 Yazidis ont ainsi été enlevés. Parmi eux près de 3 500 ont été libérés, en grande partie des femmes et des filles.

    Une commission crée en 2014 par les autorités régionales kurdes pour faire la lumière sur les crimes commis par l’OEI a enregistré plus de 1 000 cas de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits. Ces abus ont en grande partie touché les femmes et filles yazidies.

    #Libye

    La mission de l’ONU en Libye (MANUL) n’a pu vérifier que 7 cas de violences sexuelles qui ont touché 4 femmes, deux filles et un homme activiste pour les droits des LGBTQ.

    D’après le rapport, les femmes retenues dans le centre de détention très controversé de #Mitiga n’ont aucune possibilité de contester la légalité de leur détention. Ce centre est contrôlé par la « Force de dissuasion » qui est placée sous la responsabilité du ministère libyen de l’Intérieur.

    Quatre prisonnières ont été violées et forcées de se montrer nues. L’activiste pour les droits des LGBTQ a été victime d’un viol en groupe perpétré par des gardiens de la Force de dissuasion.

    La MANUL a aussi rapporté des schémas de violences et d’exploitation sexuelles, d’extorsion et de trafic de migrants dans des centres de détention de #Zaouïa, #Tadjourah, #Garian, #Tariq_al_Sikka à #Tripoli et #Khoms qui sont liés aux autorités chargées de la lutte contre la migration illégale.

    Certaines femmes et filles migrants sont exposées au risque d’être vendues pour des travaux forcés ou être exploitées sexuellement dans des réseaux criminels internationaux, dont certains sont liés aux groupes armées présents en Libye. A Tariq al-Sikka, deux filles, frappées en public, ont été victimes d’abus sexuels.

    #Mali

    En 2019, la force onusienne au Mali (MINUSMA) a enquêté sur 27 cas de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, commis contre 15 femmes, 11 filles et un homme. Des accusations d’esclavage sexuel, de mariages forcés, de castration et de grossesses forcées ont également été rapportées.

    #Birmanie (#Myanmar)

    L’absence de responsabilité pour des violences sexuelles perpétrées contre la minorité musulmane #Rohingyas reste de mise.

    Une mission d’enquête sur les violences sexuelles en Birmanie a montré que ce genre d’agressions étaient une marque de fabrique de l’armée birmane lors des opérations qu’elle a menées en 2016 et 2017.

    De plus, comme le rappelle le rapport de l’ONU, les abus sexuels commis contre les femmes et filles Rohingyas étaient une #tactique_de_guerre qui avait pour objectif d’intimider, de terroriser et de punir les populations civiles.

    #Somalie

    La mission de l’ONU en Somalie (ONUSOM) a confirmé près de 240 cas de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, dont l’immense majorité contre des mineures. Elles sont en majorité attribuées à des hommes armés non identifiés, au groupe des #Shebabs somaliens, mais aussi à des forces de #police locales et à l’armée somalienne. Près de la moitié de ces abus ont été commis dans l’État de #Jubaland, dans le sud-ouest du pays.

    #Soudan_du_Sud

    La mission onusienne de maintien de la paix au Soudan du Sud (MINUSS) a documenté 224 cas de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, touchant 133 femmes, 66 filles, 19 hommes et 6 garçons.
    Soudan

    En 2019, l’opération de l’ONU au #Darfour (MINUAD) a constaté 191 cas de violences sexuelles contre des femmes et des filles. Les viols et tentatives de viol ont constitué près de 80 % des cas.

    Les agressions ont été attribuées à des nomades armés, des membres de l’#Armée_de_libération_du_Soudan et à des miliciens. Les forces de sécurité du gouvernement, dont les forces armés soudanaises et la police ont également été impliquées.

    #Nigeria

    En 2019, l’ONU a recensé 826 allégations de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, dont des viols et des #mariages_forcés.

    La quasi-totalité de ces cas sont attribués à des #groupes_armés, dont #Boko_Haram et la #Civilian_Joint_Task_Force, une #milice d’autodéfense. Les forces de sécurité de l’État sont impliquées dans 12% des cas.

    Les efforts de l’ONU restent vains

    En avril 2019, une résolution (https://www.un.org/press/fr/2019/cs13790.doc.htm) adoptée par le Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies reconnait le besoin d’une approche centrée sur les survivants pour informer et mettre en place des mesures pour lutter contre les violences sexuelles liées aux conflits.

    La #résolution ne peut que constater que « malgré le condamnation répétées des violences, dont les violences sexuelles contre des femmes et des enfants dans des situations de conflit, et malgré l’appel à toutes les parties prenantes dans les conflits armés pour qu’elles cessent ce genre d’actes, ces derniers continuent de se produire. »

    Le rapport conclut en rappelant que l’#impunité accompagne souvent les #abus et que les efforts des parties impliquées dans un conflit à suivre les résolutions de l’ONU restent très faibles.

    https://www.infomigrants.net/fr/post/26635/un-rapport-de-l-onu-s-inquiete-de-l-augmentation-des-violences-sexuell
    #guerres #guerre #viols

    ping @odilon

    • Violence sexuelle liée aux conflits : l’ONU plaide pour une nouvelle décennie d’action

      Il faut continuer à garder les crimes de violence sexuelle dans les conflits et leurs auteurs sous les projecteurs de la communauté internationale, a plaidé vendredi Pramilla Patten, la Représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général de l’ONU sur la violence sexuelle dans les conflits.

      « Comme le dit la célèbre maxime juridique : justice doit être rendue et être vue comme étant rendue. Les survivantes doivent être considérées par leur société comme les détentrices de droits qui seront, en fin de compte, respectés et appliqués », a déclaré Mme Patten lors d’un débat du Conseil de sécurité sur ce thème.

      Outre Mme Patten, l’Envoyée spéciale du Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, Angelina Jolie et deux responsables d’ONG, Khin Omar, fondatrice et présidente de Progressive Voice s’exprimant au nom du groupe de travail des ONG sur les femmes, la paix et la sécurité, et Nadia Carine Thérèse Fornel-Poutou, présidente de l’Association des femmes juristes de la République centrafricaine, ont pris la parole devant le Conseil.

      Selon la Représentante spéciale, le débat au Conseil de sécurité ouvre la voie à une nouvelle décennie d’action décisive, selon trois axes :

      Premièrement, l’autonomisation des survivantes et des personnes à risque grâce à des ressources accrues et à une prestation de services de qualité, afin de favoriser et de créer un environnement propice dans lequel elles peuvent signaler les violations en toute sécurité et demander réparation.

      Deuxièmement, agir sur la base des rapports et des informations reçus pour faire en sorte que les parties prenantes respectent les normes internationales.

      Troisièmement, le renforcement de la responsabilité en tant que pilier essentiel de la prévention et de la dissuasion, garantissant que lorsque les parties prenantes ne respectent pas leurs engagements, elles sont dûment tenues de rendre des comptes.

      « La prévention est la meilleure réponse. Pourtant, nous avons du mal à mesurer - ou même à définir - les progrès du pilier prévention de ce programme. Le respect est un exemple concret : la violence sexuelle persiste non pas parce que les cadres et obligations existants sont inadéquats, mais parce qu’ils sont mal appliqués », a souligné Mme Patten.

      « La résolution 1820 de 2008 ne demandait rien de moins que ‘la cessation immédiate et complète par toutes les parties aux conflits armés de tous les actes de violence sexuelle contre les civils’. Cette résolution a écrit une nouvelle norme et a tracé une ligne rouge. Maintenant, nous devons démontrer clairement quelles sont les conséquences quand elle est franchie », a-t-elle ajouté.
      Aller au-delà de la rhétorique

      De son côté, Angelina Jolie a rappelé la résolution 2467 adoptée par le Conseil de sécurité l’an dernier.

      « C’était la première à placer les survivantes, leurs besoins et leurs droits au centre de toutes les mesures. Mais les résolutions, les mots sur papier, ne sont que des promesses. Ce qui compte, c’est de savoir si les promesses sont tenues », a dit l’actrice américaine devant les membres du Conseil de sécurité.

      Celle qui est également réalisatrice de films a noté que la résolution 2467 a promis des sanctions, la justice et des réparations pour les victimes et la reconnaissance des enfants nés de viol.

      « Ce sont toutes des promesses qui doivent être tenues. Je vous exhorte donc tous à vous réengager aujourd’hui à tenir ces promesses : aller au-delà de la rhétorique et mettre en œuvre vos décisions », a dit Angelina Jolie.

      « Je vous prie de demander des comptes aux auteurs, d’aborder les causes profondes et structurelles de la violence et de la discrimination sexistes dans vos pays. Et s’il vous plaît, augmentez d’urgence le financement des programmes qui répondent aux besoins de tous les survivants, et en particulier des victimes invisibles - les enfants », a ajouté la star du cinéma qui a fait preuve ces 20 dernière années d’un engagement pour les causes humanitaires, notamment en faveur des réfugiés et des droits des femmes et enfants.

      https://www.infomigrants.net/fr/post/26635/un-rapport-de-l-onu-s-inquiete-de-l-augmentation-des-violences-sexuell

  • Diaspora in Despair: Darfurian Mobility at a Time of International Disengagement

    Darfur’s fade-out from international headlines and Western interests over the past several years has fostered a false narrative that the conflict there is over, despite stark evidence to the contrary. Linked to this narrative, the paralysis of internal and international engagement on Darfur has compelled Darfurians—civilians and combatants alike—to increase their outward mobility in search of safety and livelihood opportunities in neighbouring African countries or further afield into Europe.


    http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/fileadmin/docs/reports/HSBA-Report-Darfur-mobility.pdf
    #diaspora #Darfour #migrations #réfugiés #asile #rapport #Soudan #Tchad #Soudan_du_Sud #Janjawid #or #mines #extractivisme #Libye #Niger

    ping @albertocampiphoto

    ping @isskein @karine4

  • New pact paves way for innovative solutions to disaster and climate change displacement in Africa

    People fleeing disasters and climate change will be able to seek safety in neighbouring countries under the pioneering deal.

    A breakthrough agreement to assist people fleeing natural hazards, disasters and climate change in eastern Africa was concluded this week. The deal not only allows those forced to flee disaster-affected countries to seek safety in neighbouring countries, but also ensures they will not be sent home until it safe and reasonable to return.

    The new agreement – the #IGAD_Free_Movement_Protocol – was endorsed by all seven Member States of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Khartoum on 26 February. The Protocol follows years of negotiations and consultations. It marks a significant step in addressing the protection gap for growing numbers of people worldwide displaced by disasters, who often do not qualify for refugee status or other forms of international protection.

    It is all the more poignant that the IGAD Free Movement Protocol takes in a region that includes some of the countries worst affected by drought, flooding and environmental degradation, including Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The combination of natural hazards and disasters with other challenges – including conflict, poverty and weak governance – makes dealing with displacement in this region a complex and multifaceted issue.

    The IGAD Protocol’s protection for people affected by disasters and climate change is broad. It facilitates entry and lawful stay for those who have been displaced. It also allows those at risk of displacement to move pre-emptively as a way of avoiding, or mitigating, the impacts of a disaster.

    It specifically provides for citizens of IGAD Member States to cross borders ‘in anticipation of, during or in the aftermath of disaster’, and enables disaster-affected people to remain in another country as long as return to their country of origin ‘is not possible or reasonable’.

    The IGAD Protocol could provide inspiration and impetus for the use of free movement elsewhere in Africa as well. In the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC), free movement agreements are already in place. But it is not yet clear how disaster-affected communities in these regions will access free movement arrangements, or be protected from rejection or return when crossing an international border.

    The need for African governments to further consider the role of free movement in addressing disaster and climate change displacement in Africa was the subject of a regional meeting in South Africa last year. Policymakers and experts agreed that free movement could provide some of the communities most vulnerable to climate change access to safety and opportunities for more sustainable livelihoods.

    One of the advantages of using free movement arrangements to address displacement is that it obviates the need to impose specific, and sometimes artificial, distinctions between those who move. While refugee protection depends on a person meeting the technical, legal criteria of a refugee, free movement is generally available to all citizens of Member States of the same region. In some cases, a passport is not even required – possession of a national identity card may be enough to facilitate entry and stay elsewhere.

    The progressive realisation of free movement is a continent-wide goal in Africa. The African Union (AU) ‘Agenda 2063’ sets out a vision of an integrated Africa, where people and goods move freely between countries. In 2018, the AU adopted the continent-wide Protocol Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment. The IGAD Protocol could provide a first step in supporting the other African regions and countries to develop specific frameworks and guidelines for the use of free movement in the context of disaster and climate change.

    For the potential of the IGAD Free Movement Protocol to be realised in reality, implementation is key. At present, regional and sub-regional free movement agreements across Africa’s various RECs may be undermined by restrictive laws and policies at the national level, or by onerous documentation requirements for those who move. The IGAD Roadmap to Implementation, adopted together with the Protocol, sets out specific measures to be taken by IGAD Member States when putting free movement arrangements into practice.

    The adoption of the IGAD Protocol presents a cause for celebration. It also presents a timely opportunity to further consider how countries in Africa can provide avenues to safety and security for the large, and increasing, numbers of people who move in the context of natural hazards, disasters and climate change. Action taken now could ensure the benefits of free movement for vulnerable communities well into the future.

    https://news.trust.org/item/20200228175003-4k8dq

    #réfugiés #réfugiés_climatiques #réfugiés_environnementaux #asile #migrations #changement_climatique #climat #pacte #accord #Afrique #sécheresse #inondations #dégradations_environnementales #Somalie #Ethiopie #Soudan_du_Sud #liberté_de_mouvement #liberté_de_circulation

    ping @karine4

  • Africa: povertà e denutrizione in aumento nonostante la crescita economica e l’aumento dell’import di prodotti agro-industriali

    L’Africa nel suo insieme, nonostante i progressi intrapresi a partire dall’inizio del nuovo millennio, si presenta tutt’oggi, sia dal punto di vista economico che sociale, come il continente meno sviluppato.

    Sotto il primo aspetto, benché la ricchezza prodotta dall’intero continente, secondo l’Ocse, sia triplicata fra il 2000 e il 2016,[1], il pil pro capite medio africano risulta ancora di soli 2.000 $ annui[2]. Un valore che uniforma differenze anche marcate, non solo macroregionali fra la parte Mediterranea, più sviluppata, e quella sub-sahariana, più arretrata in assoluto su scala globale, ma anche fra i vari stati all’interno delle stesse, dove, ad esempio, entro quest’ultima, nel 2017[3], troviamo il Burundi con un pil pro capite di soli 312 $ a fronte della Guinea Equatoriale che invece raggiunge i 12.727 $. Avallando la definizione di alcuni analisti che preferiscono utilizzare il termine Afriche per indicare appunto una situazione di relativa differenziazione interna al continente.

    Il quadro sociale

    Anche sotto l’aspetto dello sviluppo sociale complessivamente l’Africa evidenzia una marcata arretratezza: nonostante la speranza di vita media alla nascita sia cresciuta fra il 2015 e il 2018 di ben 3 anni (da 50,8 a 53,9)[4], risulta ancora inferiore rispetto agli altri continenti e la mortalità infantile, benché scesa solo negli ultimi anni al di sotto della soglia del 100 per 1.000, vede gli stati della parte sub-sahariana situati in blocco nelle ultime posizioni nell’apposita graduatoria dell’Unicef relativa al 2018 (tab. 1).

    Tabella 1: mortalità infantile nel primo anno di vita. Fonte (Unicef 2018)[5]

    Un quadro sociale generale ancora indubbiamente critico come certificato dai valori della povertà assoluta dichiarati dalla presidente della Banca africana di sviluppo Celestine Monga[1], con addirittura oltre il 40% della popolazione continentale, a fronte di una media mondiale dell’10%, che cerca di sopravvivere con meno di 1,90 $ al giorno e la sottoalimentazione che nel 2018, secondo la Fao[2], colpiva il 20% degli africani. Una drammatica situazione che vede concentrarsi, nel continente che accoglie solo il 17% della popolazione mondiale, circa un terzo del totale dei denutriti sulla Terra (con meno di 2.000 calorie al giorno), confermando che il binomio fame-povertà, lungi dall’essere sradicato, presenta addirittura un inquietante trend in fase di aggravamento.

    [1] studio americano del Brookings Institution (classifica dei paesi più poveri al mondo)

    [2] http://www.fao.org/news/story/it/item/1180461/icode

    A fronte di un tendenza globale di lungo periodo di riduzione della povertà estrema dai 1,850 miliardi (35%) del 1990 ai 735 milioni (10%) del 2015, nel periodo compreso fra il 2013 e il 2015, al cospetto di una contrazione mondiale di 68 milioni di unità, in Africa sub-sahariana, secondo la Banca Mondiale si è registrato invece un aumento di 8 milioni e addirittura 9 milioni in Nord Africa e Medio Oriente (Tab. 2). In quest’ultima area la situazione è risultata peggiore visto che i poveri sono quasi raddoppiati da 9,5 a 18,6 milioni a causa delle cosiddette Primavere arabe in Tunisia ed Egitto e delle guerre in Libia e in Siria che hanno destabilizzato dal punto di vista politico ed economico la macroregione.

    Tabella 2: povertà assoluta in percentuale e in valore assoluto 2013-2015. Fonte: Banca Mondiale[8]

    La gravità della situazione è testimoniata dallo studio realizzato dai ricercatori del World Poverty Clock con il sostegno delle Nazioni Unite e del governo tedesco concluso nel 2018 dal quale emerge che si trovano in Africa sub-shariana 12 dei 14 paesi dove la povertà estrema risulta in aumento in valore assoluto: Nigeria, Niger, Ciad, Repubblica Centrafricana, Somalia, Repubblica Democratica del Congo, Repubblica del Congo, Angola, Zambia, Madagascar, Burundi e Sud Sudan, sul quale ci soffermeremo in seguito.

    Caso paradigmatico è rappresentato, ad esempio, dalla Nigeria, stato più popoloso del continente con circa 195 milioni di abitanti, che in base alle proiezioni del World Poverty Clock 2018 del World Data Lab di Vienna[10], ad inizio 2018, risultava, nonostante le ingenti riserve petrolifere, il paese con il più elevato numero di persone in condizione di povertà assoluta, stimate a fine maggio 2018 in ben 87 milioni scalzando l’India (73 milioni) dal vertice della poco gratificante graduatoria mondiale (grafico 1). La reale gravità della situazione tuttavia emerge dal rapporto fra la consistenza demografica dei due paesi che nel 2018 risultava di ben 7:1 a favore del colosso asiatico.

    Grafico 1: stati per numero di persone in povertà assoluta. Fonte: World Poverty Clock

    Una situazione molto critica in Nigeria, al cui interno convive il 44,2%[11] della popolazione in situazione di estrema povertà (tab. 3) e al contempo è il Paese d’origine del miliardario più ricco del continente, l’uomo d’affari Aliko Dangote, e quello dove cresce un’elite di benestanti sempre più abbienti. Povertà e disuguaglianza, fenomeno che in Europa dopo la crisi del 2008 è andato sempre consolidandosi.

    Tabella 3: primi 4 paesi africani per numero di abitanti in povertà assoluta. Fonte: World Poverty Clock

    Riguardo alla sottoalimentazione rileviamo una situazione ancora più critica rispetto a quella della povertà: infatti, in base al report dell’Unicef 2018[12], dopo aver toccato, a livello mondiale, il minimo storico nel 2015 a 785 milioni di persone è risalita nel 2017 a 821, dato confermato anche nel 2018[13], con l’Africa che assorbe la quasi totalità dell’aumento: ben 34,5 su 36 milioni di aumento globale. Il numero di persone sottoalimentate in Africa sale così nel 2017 a 257 milioni di unità, suddivise fra i 20 milioni nella parte Mediterranea ed i 237 in quella sub-sahariana. Quasi la metà dell‘incremento è dovuta all’aumento del numero di persone denutrite nell’Africa occidentale, mentre un altro terzo proviene dall’Africa orientale.

    L’ampia porzione di Africa posta sud del Sahara si conferma così come la macroregione in stato di maggior sofferenza a livello mondiale, con la speranza di vita media più bassa, la più elevata mortalità infantile e con le maggior percentuali di persone sottoalimentate e in condizioni di povertà assoluta.

    Le previsioni

    Dal rapporto del World Poverty Clock pubblicato il 7 settembre 2018[14] fuoriesce, del continente africano, una situazione a luci e ombre: se da un lato, nell’Africa sub-sahariana, la povertà assoluta è prevista in riduzione dal 39% del 2018 al 27% del 2030, lo stesso problema sta invece assumendo, per alcuni paesi, i connotati di una piaga sociale endemica per la quale non si intravedono prospettive di risoluzione nemmeno a medio termine. Infatti, in base alle stime dello stesso report del World Poverty Clock pubblicato il 5 maggio 2018, è previsto che nel Continente Nero nel 2030 si troveranno sia i 13 dei 15 paesi in cui la povertà avrà registrato un aumento in valore assoluto che i primi 4, fra i soli 5, che vedranno aumentare il tasso di povertà assoluta a livello mondiale (tab. 4). Per il 2018 invece è stato calcolato un ulteriore aumento di 3 milioni di unità a livello continentale.

    Tabella 4: stati africani col più elevato tasso di povertà assoluta in percentuale: stime 2018-previsioni 2030. Fonte: World Poverty Clock

    Sud Sudan: l’ultimo nato in peggiori condizioni

    Particolarmente drammatica risulta, dal report del Word Poverty Clock pubblicato il 1 agosto 2018[15], la situazione del Sud Sudan, paese di più recente formazione della Terra (2011), che vedrà aumentare il numero di poveri assoluti dagli 11,5 milioni del 2018 ai 14 del 2030, con una incidenza sulla popolazione che passerà dall’85,1% al 95,8% (tab. 4). Il conflitto per la leadership politica fra il presidente, Salva Kiir di etnia Dinka, e il suo vice, Riek Machar leader dei Nuer, il secondo gruppo etnico nazionale, ha insanguinato e destabilizzato il Paese per quasi 5 anni sino al luglio 2018 minandone lo sviluppo e la diversificazione economica: ancora oggi circa l’85% della popolazione attiva risulta impegnata in attività non salariate, principalmente agricoltura di sussistenza e allevamento (circa il 78% degli attivi)[16]. La sostanziale assenza dell’industria manifatturiera costringe all’importazione di quasi tutti i beni sia di consumo che intermedi; l’unico settore industriale moderno risulta quello petrolifero, nel quale dominano gli investimenti stranieri, in particolare cinesi, indiani e malesi[17]. Ricco di risorse del sottosuolo, il Sud Sudan, detiene, oltre ai pozzi petroliferi, giacimenti di oro, argento, ferro e rame.

    Ricoprendo il 99% dell’export e il 60% della ricchezza nazionale, il settore petrolifero risulta di gran lunga dominante, causando tuttavia fragilità alla struttura economica nazionale a seguito della dipendenza della stessa dall’andamento delle quotazioni borsistiche: il pil pro capite secondo la Banca Mondiale è infatti crollato, insieme al valore del petrolio, dai 1.111 $ del 2014 ai meno di 228 $ del 2017[18]. Il conseguente deficit fiscale ha causato un’ondata inflazionistica e gravissime carenze alimentari: nel Paese ben 7 milioni di persone (pari al 63%) sono stati colpiti da carestia e vengono assistite tramite gli aiuti umanitari del World Food Programme (Wfp), mentre quasi 2 milioni sono gli sfollati interni e altri 2,5 milioni sono fuggiti dal Paese, dando vita alla più grave crisi dei rifugiati in Africa dopo quella del Ruanda di metà anni ’90.

    A prescindere dalla grave crisi alimentare in atto, nel complesso il Sud Sudan presenta un quadro strutturale disastroso caratterizzato dall’83% di popolazione rurale, da un elevato analfabetismo (73% maschile e l’84% femminile), da una carenza di servizi pubblici che esclude il 75% della popolazione dall’assistenza sanitaria e dalla maggior percentuale di popolazione in povertà assoluta (85%) a livello mondiale, ai quali si aggiungono carenze infrastrutturali, debolezza delle istituzioni politiche, corruzione al pari del resto del continente, frammentazione etnica (ben 64 gruppi) e dispute di confine[19].

    Fame in aumento e boom dell’import di prodotti agricoli: un’apparente contraddizione

    Dal report del Dipartimento dell’Agricoltura degli Stati Uniti (Usda) del 2 novembre 2015[20] emerge che nel ventennio 1995-2014 le importazioni di cibo e prodotti agricoli intermedi e primari ha subito in Africa sub-sahariana un incremento medio del 13% annuo come effetto combinato della sostenuta crescita economica (60% di incremento del pil totale nei 10 anni precedenti) e del consistente incremento demografico (dai 720 del 1995 ai 1.156 milioni del 2014)[21]. Le importazioni agricole totali hanno raggiunto nel 2014 un controvalore pari a 48,5 miliardi $, secondo solo al 2013, ripartito fra i 11,7 miliardi proveniente da altri Paesi della macroregione e i 36,8 da fuori del continente. Emerge tuttavia un aspetto incoraggiante per il progetto di integrazione panafricano riconducibile alla crescita del commercio agricolo intra-africano, che fra il 2009 e il 2014, ha superato quello proveniente dall’esterno: 100% contro 60% (grafico 2).

    Grafico 2: importazioni agricole in Africa sub-sahariana in miliardi $ 1994-2014

    Per individuare le cause della contraddizione sottoalimentazione/aumento dell’import agroalimentare è opportuno sovrapporre alla dinamica demografica quella sociale: in Africa sub-sahariana infatti nel decennio 2005-2014 si è registrata un’espansione della classe media addirittura del 90%, ceto sociale che, al pari di quello di altre aree emergenti del Sud del mondo, persegue consumi di tipologia e livello occidentale, alimentando una sensibile crescita della domanda di tali prodotti. Infatti, dall’analisi merceologica del comparto rileviamo come le principali importazioni agroalimentari dell’Africa sub-sahariana siano prodotti orientati al consumatore: alimenti preparati, latticini, pollame, vino/birra e verdure. Tali prodotti diretti al consumo finale hanno registrato nel quinquennio 2010-2014 addirittura un incremento del 70% arrivando, in quell’anno, a rappresentare oltre il 40% delle importazioni totali della macroregione.

    Al pari le importazioni di prodotti intermedi, principalmente olio di palma e zucchero, utilizzati come materie prime dall’industria agroalimentare, sono cresciute anch’esse rapidamente, mentre quelle di merci sfuse, prodotti primari destinati all’alimentazione di base, sono state invece più contenute, tant’è che l’import di cereali, in un sub-continente “affamato” rappresentavano solo il 21% nel 2014: grano 9% e riso 12% (grafico 3).

    Grafico 3: paniere merceologico dell’import agroalimentare in Africa sub-sahariana 2014

    Lo stesso report prospetta un futuro addirittura prosperoso per l’export agricolo statunitense verso l’Africa sub-sahariana teso al recupero delle quote perse, scese nel ventennio 1994-2005 dal 15 al 5%, in quanto la classe media della macroregione dovrebbe crescere di un ulteriore 90% nel successivo decennio 2014-2024 (grafico 4) determinando un incremento della domanda di prodotti orientati al consumatore di un altro 60%. Un business plan che, tuttavia, non mostra particolare attenzione alle fasce sociali in sofferenza.

    Grafico 4: crescita in % della classe media nelle principali macroregioni terrestri 2014 – 2024

    Un modello agroalimentare contraddittorio

    La critica situazione alimentare del Continente Nero, e in particolare della parte sub-sahariana, è riconducibile alle distorsioni del modello agroalimentare mondiale, sempre più caratterizzato dall’Agrobusiness e dalle sue perverse dinamiche. Un settore, definito dal dizionario curato da Aldo Gabrielli come “il complesso di attività e mezzi connessi allo sviluppo capitalistico dell’agricoltura”, nel quale le finalità esulano dalla funzione primaria di soddisfacimento del fabbisogno alimentare per perseguire invece la massimizzazione del profitto in linea con le logiche capitalistiche.

    Basato sull’integrazione fra agricoltura e industria, al suo interno operano poche grandi imprese multinazionali che controllano l’intera filiera: dalla produzione alla trasformazione industriale sino alla commercializzazione dei prodotti finiti. Le produzioni agricole avvengono in ogni area del pianeta, sia del Nord che del Sud, mentre i prodotti finiti vengono indirizzati dove esiste facoltà di spesa, la famosa domanda, quindi principalmente nei paesi sviluppati e verso i ceti sociali emergenti (nuovi ricchi e classi medie) di quelli in via di sviluppo (Cina, India ecc.) e addirittura di quelli ad economia meno sviluppata, come nel caso africano.

    L’agricoltura costituisce l’asse portante del sistema in quanto produttrice delle indispensabili materie prime ma l’attività industriale economicamente ha la preminenza poiché gran parte del valore aggiunto deriva dalla trasformazione dei prodotti agricoli. Negli Stati Uniti, ad esempio, il sistema agroalimentare industriale assorbe il 20% della popolazione attiva ma soltanto l’1% è impiegato nel settore primario. A rimanere schiacciati da questo sistema sono i produttori locali, soprattutto quelli piccoli, del Sud del mondo ai quali vengono dettate le scelte colturali, a discapito della sovranità alimentare quindi dei prodotti di sussistenza, e imposto prezzi di acquisto molto bassi, a causa dell’asimmetria contrattuale fra le parti contraenti. Emblematico risulta a tal proposito il caso del caffè che, contrariamente ad altri prodotti di piantagione, è coltivato da una moltitudine di piccoli contadini che si trovano in condizione di subalternità rispetto alle multinazionali che acquistano la materia prima per la trasformazione e la commercializzazione.

    In base al rapporto “Scopri il marchio“ di Oxfan le 10 più grandi aziende agroalimentari vale a dire Associated British Foods (Abf), Coca-Cola, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Mars, Mondelez International (ex Kraft Foods), Nestlé, PepsiCo e Unilever generano collettivamente entrate superiori a 1,1 miliardi di dollari al giorno[22] 1 con un volume d’affari stimato intorno ai 7.000 miliardi annui, addirittura 18 volte superiore al settore dell’energia, rappresentando circa il 10% dell’economia globale. Nei vari comparti in cui operano tendono a crearsi oligopoli egemonizzati da queste imprese di enormi proporzioni, come nel comparto del cacao in cui tre aziende controllano il 30% del mercato mondiale[23] o quello della frutta tropicale dove cinque multinazionali ne coprono addirittura l’80%[24] .

    Le dimensioni economiche di queste macroaziende superano talvolta quelle di stati del Sud del mondo consentendo loro di esercitare pressioni sui governi tese ad influenzarne le scelte politiche a proprio vantaggio, ma che finiscono per concretizzarsi in dinamiche vessatorie per le popolazioni locali quali: l’espansione dei latifondi, delle monocolture da esportazione e del land grabbing (l’accaparramento delle terre). Quest’ultimo fenomeno, attuato sia da imprese che da stati, affligge Sud America, Sud-est asiatico, Asia centrale e, soprattutto, l’Africa, nella quale quasi 30 milioni di ettari di terreni coltivabili, di cui ben il 64% per colture non alimentari (carta 1), sono controllati attraverso due forme contrattualistiche: acquisizioni e leasing. In particolare, principali vittime risultano i piccoli contadini che vengono schiacciati dal potere soverchiante delle grandi aziende che ne provoca un impoverimento sino a costringerli a vendere loro i terreni; in altri casi vengono addirittura espulsi con la violenza, da eserciti o paramilitari, dalle proprie terre trasformandoli in profughi, spesso costretto a fuggire all’estero. Il Centro Studi Internazionali, riporta alcuni casi emblematici relativi all’Africa come quello della regione di Gambella in Etiopia dove, dal 2010 l’esercito ha costretto molti abitanti ad abbandonare le terre e a spostarsi in altre aree a vantaggio delle imprese straniere fra le quali spicca l’impresa Saudi Star (Arabia Saudita) che è riuscita ad impossessarsi di ben 15.000 ettari di territorio per la coltivazione di canna da zucchero e riso[25]

    Carta tematica 1: i principali attori attivi e passivi del land grabbing. Fonte: land matrix 2018[26]

    Crescita senza redistribuzione

    Un continente che, dopo la lunga recessione del ventennio 1980-2000, causata dalla contrazione delle quotazioni delle commodities, ha finalmente imboccato col nuovo millennio il percorso di sviluppo economico, triplicando, in base ai dati Ocse[27], la ricchezza prodotta tra il 2000 e il 2016 con una crescita media annua del 4,6% (tab. 5), la seconda più elevata a livello mondiale dopo i paesi asiatici in via di sviluppo

    Tabella 5: crescita economica media annua nelle principali macroregioni del Sud del mondo fra 2.000 e 2016 in base ai dati Ocse 2018[28]

    Parallelamente, l’Africa nel suo complesso è risultato l’unico continente a registrare un aumento della povertà assoluta da 405 a 413 milioni fra il 2013 e il 2015 (tab. 2) ed ha assorbito nel 2017 la quasi totalità dell’incremento mondiale della sottoalimentazione, 34,5 su 36 milioni, facendo salire il numero di coloro che soffrono la fame a 257 milioni, paradossalmente in contemporanea all’aumento dell’import di prodotti agroalimentari che, fra il 1995 e il 2014, si è attestato su un valore medio annuo del +13%. Indubbiamente la rapida crescita demografica che sta interessando il continente, quasi 60 milioni fra il 2013 e il 2015 (tab. 6), ha creato problemi sociali aggiuntivi ma non è stata determinante visto che la povertà al contempo ha registrato un incremento di 8 milioni nella parte sub-sahariana e altrettanti in Nord Africa e Medio Oriente.

    Tabella 6: crescita della popolazione in Africa fra il 2013 e il 2010. Fonte: population pyramid [29]

    Causa principale della situazione è un modello economico non inclusivo che evidentemente va a beneficio dei ricchi e del ceto medio, quest’ultimo in espansione nell’Africa sub-sahariana fra il 2005 e il 2015 addirittura del 90%, al quale vanno aggiunti problemi economici strutturali quali un’eccessiva dipendenza dall’export di prodotti primari grezzi e una massiccia penetrazione delle multinazionali, tipica dei rapporti di subordinazione neocoloniale, che fanno incetta delle abbondanti risorse minerarie, energetiche, agricole e naturali drenando ingenti profitti.

    Conclusioni

    Sullo sfondo di questo quadro economico e sociale resta la questione delle disparità sociali, che seppur ridottesi a livello continentale fra il 1998 e il 2013, nella parte sub-sahariana rimangono ancora le più elevate a livello mondiale dopo l’America Latina (tab. 7).

    Tabella 7: riduzione dell’indice Gini nelle principali macroregioni nel breve periodo 2008-2013

    La situazione risulta critica soprattutto nell’Africa australe, dove si trovano, a parte Haiti, 4 fra i 5 paesi con il più alto livello di disuguaglianza nella graduatoria mondiale nella distribuzione del reddito fra le fasce sociali, calcolata in base all’Indice Gini: Sudafrica, Botswana, Namibia e Zambia, seguiti dalla Repubblica Centrafricana nell’area equatoriale (tab. 8).

    Tabella 8: stati per indice indice Gini più elevato. Fonte: World Population Rewiew 24/10/2019[30]

    Ed è lo stesso Ocse a confermare il rapporto disparità sociali/povertà: “Se l’Africa abbassasse ulteriormente il proprio coefficiente di Gini, da 41 a 35 (il livello dei Paesi asiatici in via di sviluppo), ciascun punto percentuale di crescita del PIL ridurrebbe i dati sulla povertà di un altro mezzo punto percentuale l’anno. Un tale calo nelle disuguaglianze diminuirebbe il numero di persone che vivono in povertà di 130 milioni. I progressi compiuti per ridurre la povertà estrema sono troppo lenti: nel periodo 2009-16, il 36% della popolazione africana (circa 400 milioni di persone) viveva con 1,90 dollari USA al giorno o meno, rispetto al 49% degli anni ‘90. Per una più rapida lotta alla povertà, la crescita deve diventare più inclusiva e le disuguaglianze devono essere ridotte“[31].

    Rileviamo, a conforto della nostra analisi, la coincidenza di conclusioni con il Rapporto regionale 2018 sulla sicurezza alimentare e la nutrizionedella Fao[32], il quale testualmente riporta che “È interessante notare come le economie africane siano cresciute a ritmi impressionanti, spesso superiori al 5% negli ultimi dieci anni, dal 2004 al 2014. Tuttavia, la povertà e la fame sono ancora in sospeso poiché una crescita economica significativa non è risultata né integrata e né inclusiva“ aggiungendo che “L’insicurezza alimentare in alcuni paesi dell’Africa è stata aggravata dai conflitti, spesso in combinazione con condizioni meteorologiche avverse (riconducibili ai cambiamenti climatici ndr.)” e che è necessario “Orientare le politiche nazionali di sicurezza alimentare verso una maggiore autosufficienza alimentare interna“, vale a dire eliminare il land grabbing, ridurre i latifondi ed estromettere le monocolture da esportazione e riacquisire la sovranità alimentare.

    Una sfida impegnativa per il Continente nero quella dello sviluppo autonomo, integrato ed inclusivo che passa attraverso un processo di integrazione continentale (un passo significativo in tal senso è rappresentato dall’entrata in vigore dell’Area di Libero Scambio dell’Africa – Afcfta – il 30 maggio 2019 che secondo la Commissione economica Onu per l’Africa potrebbe incrementare del 53% il commercio intra-africano[33]) e per il superamento della subordinazione neocoloniale, imposta dalle potenze Occidentali e in forme diverse, recentemente, anche dalla Cina.

    Un percorso, come tutti i processi emancipatori, che non può prescindere da una rottura della storica subalternità politica dei Paesi africani e la riscrittura di un nuovo ordine economico, commerciale e finanziario che può essere implementato solo da una nuova classe dirigente preparata, non corrotta e con un efficace progetto panafricano. In pratica l’effettiva indipendenza, 60 anni dopo quella formale.

    http://www.pisorno.it/africa-poverta-e-denutrizione-in-aumento-nonostante-la-crescita-economica-e-

    #Afrique #pauvreté #économie #croissance_économique #exportation #importation #industrie_agro-alimentaire #sous-alimentation #alimentation #mortalité_enfantile #pauvreté_absolue #Nigeria #RDC #République_démocratique_du_congo #statistiques #chiffres #Sud_Soudan #Soudan_du_Sud #land_grabbing #accaparement_des_terrres

  • Return : voluntary, safe, dignified and durable ?

    Voluntary return in safety and with dignity has long been a core tenet of the international refugee regime. In the 23 articles on ‘Return’ in this issue of FMR, authors explore various obstacles to achieving sustainable return, discuss the need to guard against premature or forced return, and debate the assumptions and perceptions that influence policy and practice. This issue also includes a mini-feature on ‘Towards understanding and addressing the root causes of displacement’.


    https://www.fmreview.org/return

    #revue #retours_volontaires #dignité #retour #retour_au_pays
    #Soudan_du_Sud #réfugiés_sud-soudanais #réfugiés_Rohingya #Rohingya #Inde #Sri_Lanka #réfugiés_sri-lankais #réfugiés_syriens #Syrie #Allemagne #Erythrée #Liban #Turquie #Jordanie #Kenya #réfugiés_Somaliens #Somalie #Dadaab #Myanmar #Birmanie #Darfour #réintégration_économique #réintégration

    ping @isskein @karine4 @_kg_

  • South Sudanese Refugees Transform a Camp Into a City in Uganda

    #Bidi_Bidi refugee camp is home to nearly a quarter-million South Sudanese who fled the violence of civil war in their home country. Its progressive policies allow refugees to live, farm and work together while they wait to return to their home country. But, as conditions are slow to improve in South Sudan, many refugees are opting to stay.

    U.S. Democratic Senators Chris Coons and Chris Van Hollen visited the camp recently. The two lawmakers were touring several refugee settlements throughout Uganda last month, including Bidi Bidi — one of the world’s largest.

    Speaking by phone, Senator Van Hollen called the settlements an “important model” that other countries should consider when housing the displaced.

    “Obviously a key ingredient to the success of that model has been significant international support,” he said.

    When Bidi Bidi was opened in 2016, it was a rural piece of land in northern Uganda, where South Sudanese refugees, mostly women and children, fled to avoid violence during their country’s civil war.

    As is often the case, tensions are common between refugees and the local population, who feel that the refugees are taking resources that might have been available for them.

    But, Uganda decided to do something different, earmarking a percentage of the country’s international funding to go toward local amenities. Refugee families were given plots of land to build family-style clusters of homes with room to grow their own fruits and vegetables. As a result, a small-scale economy began to flourish in the camp, with some refugees starting their own businesses.

    Last year, following a peace deal between warring South Sudan leaders, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said he hoped the refugees would begin returning home.

    But, that’s not the case.

    According to a new report published this week by several humanitarian agencies, including Oxfam, refugees — especially women — are hesitant to return home. They fear the peace won’t last.

    As a result, settlement official Michael Joelle says Bidi Bidi has reached capacity, and refugees are being turned away and settlements are feeling the strain.

    “Before the 2016 emergency, we were offering a plot of 50 by 100, so the number has been decreasing as the number of refugees increase,” said Joelle.

    The situation has become more dire after international donors suspended their funding earlier this year after it was reported that funds for refugees in Uganda had been mismanaged.

    Grace, a refugee at Bidi Bidi, fled her home country with her children four years ago. Her husband finally joined the family last year.

    The former teacher said she doesn’t see herself moving back to South Sudan anytime soon.

    “Even we’re receiving bad news, so and so has been killed, so and so has been raped, so many things are happening.”

    https://www.voanews.com/africa/south-sudanese-refugees-transform-camp-city-uganda

    #Soudan_du_Sud #Ouganda #camps_de_réfugiés #réfugiés #asile #migrations #ville

    Et commentaire de Jeff Crisp sur twitter :

    It’s not a question of whether a camp looks like a city or not. It’s a question of what rights the refugees are able to exercise.

    https://twitter.com/JFCrisp/status/1170460384513466368

  • South Sudan displacement crisis still desperate, one year after peace deal

    One year on from the signing of the peace agreement, millions of South Sudanese remain displaced as the country continues to face a humanitarian crisis and people fear that peace may not last, according to a new report published today.

    Women, who lead the vast majority of displaced households, may be especially vulnerable, including facing the threat of sexual violence. While some women have begun returning to South Sudan, many are not going back to their homes but seeking a safer and better place to live.

    The report, No Simple Solutions: Women, Displacement and Durable Solutions in South Sudan, is by Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Care Foundation, Danish Refugee Council, and South Sudanese organizations, Nile Hope and Titi Foundation. It highlights the experiences of women in transit and the conditions they need in order to return home.

    After five years of brutal conflict, more than seven million South Sudanese – over half the country’s population - are in need of humanitarian assistance. Homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed and it will take years for essential infrastructure and services to recover.

    The conflict created the largest displacement crisis in Africa with over 4.3 million people forced to flee their homes; 1.8 million people are internally displaced and there are 2.3 million refugees in the region.

    Elysia Buchanan, South Sudan policy lead, Oxfam said: “Since the signing of the revitalized peace deal, armed clashes between parties have reduced, bringing tentative hope to many. But because of the slow implementation of the deal, many women told us they are still not sure if lasting peace is at hand.”

    The civil war also fueled the rise of sexual violence, including rape as a weapon of war, and the abduction of women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery.

    With the sheer scale of the crisis, and endemic levels of sexual and gender-based violence, a South Sudanese woman activist quoted in the report warned humanitarian agencies against rushing to support people to return home. “This would be like throwing people from one frying pan to another. Humanitarian actors should take things slow, until refugees and internally displaced people can move themselves.”

    Due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, people returning from neighboring countries often find themselves in more difficult conditions than when they were displaced, including struggling to find somewhere to live.

    Connolly Butterfield, Protection and Gender Specialist of NRC, said: “Time and again, women spoke to us of the challenges they face in returning to their homes. They make the journey back, only to find that their houses and properties were completely destroyed, or had already been occupied by strangers, sometimes soldiers. Some of the women said that if they try to reclaim their properties, they have no means of support. They are more likely to be threatened or exposed to physical or sexual assault,” said

    Because the context still poses risks, all actors should take a long-term, community-driven vision around supporting the conditions required to deliver a lasting end to the displacement crisis, to mitigate the risk of people falling into an endless cycle of movement. It is estimated some 60 percent of displaced South Sudanese have been displaced more than once, and one in 10 have been displaced more than five times.

    Buchanan said: “Helping people return to their homes and rebuild their lives is our goal. But by ignoring or downplaying the issues that make returning dangerous, or not ensuring people have adequate information on what they are coming home to, humanitarian agencies could inadvertently endanger people or make their lives worse.

    The international community must only support the return of internally displaced people if conditions are safe and dignified, and the decision to return is informed and voluntary. The humanitarian response must be sensitive to the needs of women and girls, taking into consideration the country’s harmful gender norms.

    Martha Nyakueka, Gender and Protection Coordinatior of the national NGO Nile Hope, said: “After years of conflict, it will take time for the country to recover. . The warring parties who signed the peace deal must ensure that the agreement leads to lasting changes on the ground, not just in terms of security, but also in terms of improving the lives of the South Sudanese people.”


    https://www.nrc.no/news/2019/september/south-sudan-displacement-crisis-still-desperate-one-year-after-peace-deal
    #Soudan_du_sud #asile #migrations #IDPs #déplacés_internes #réfugiés #paix #accord_de_paix

  • What it means to be a ‘refugee’ in South Sudan and Uganda

    After decades of armed conflict in South Sudan and Uganda, labels of ‘refugee’ and ‘internally displaced person’ fail to reflect the complex realities of the people they refer to. Leben Moro examines the history of movement across the region’s borders, and argues refugees are not the passive recipients of aid as often presented by humanitarian initiatives.

    Since independence from British colonial rule, large numbers of South Sudanese and Ugandans have repeatedly crossed the shared border to escape civil wars. These forced movements of large populations have created shifting labels of ‘refugees’ and ‘internally displaced persons’ (IDPs), with tremendous social, economic and political repercussions for the persons to which these labels are applied.

    In August 1955, months before Sudan’s independence, the largely Christian Southern Sudanese took up arms against Muslim rulers in the North to achieve a vision of greater regional autonomy, which sparked a mass flight of people from their homes. By the end of the First Sudanese Civil War in 1972, the Sudanese government estimated that 500,000 people had hidden in the bush, and another 180,000 had crossed into neighbouring countries, with 74,000 settling in four official camps (Onigo, Agago, Acholpii and Nakapiripirit) in northern Uganda. Many of the displaced persons, including my own family members, self-settled in other parts of Uganda, mainly near cotton ginning mills and other businesses operated by Ugandans of Indian origin, who employed them as casual labourers.

    My own family members settled near Gulu, the largest town in northern Uganda, among the Acholi ethnic group. Some South Sudanese journeyed southwards to Bwelye in the centre of Uganda, where there was plentiful fertile land and jobs in Indian enterprises. Others travelled further south into the heartland of the Baganda, the largest tribe in the country, to work in sugar plantations and different enterprises, including fields where locals grew coffee, bananas and other crops.

    Over time, many newcomers acquired land with their earnings and became poll taxpayers. Their receipt documentation allowed them to move across land in relative safety. In general, however, life was hard as they lacked citizenship and were vulnerable to exploitation and harassment.

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) coordinated a programme of official repatriation, supported by public authorities in Sudan and Uganda, including a mandate that supported Sudan’s IDPs. Many people, however, chose not to leave.

    In 1979, Uganda became embroiled in a bitter civil war following the overthrow of President Idi Amin Dada, forcing Southern Sudanese, including my own family members, and many Ugandans from the north of the country, to flee into the relatively peaceful Southern Sudan. The UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations as well as public authorities in Sudan helped settle many refugees in camps, but some Ugandans settled among local people, initially without external support.

    The relative peace in Southern Sudan was disrupted in 1983 when the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) was founded to lead another armed struggle against Sudan’s newly declared Islamic state under President Gaafar Nimeiry – which came to be known as the Second Sudanese Civil War. The violence forced Ugandan peoples living in Southern Sudan back into Uganda and many Southern Sudanese also made the crossing. Some of the refugees returned to locations they had lived in during the first civil war or joined relatives or friends who had remained in Uganda. People used their established networks.

    The new wave of refugees received generous assistance from the UNHCR and the Ugandan government, whose policy was the settlement of refugees in camps and dedicated areas. Effectively, the policy redefined a refugee as ‘someone receiving assistance and living in a camp’. Many displaced Southern Sudanese avoided encampment, with its associated restrictions of movement, by self-settling among locals or dividing their family members or time between camps and outside locations.

    As in the first civil war, many displaced persons in Southern Sudan did not cross international borders, but remained behind in dire circumstances. Their plight forced the United Nations to launch another initiative, Operation Lifeline Sudan, in the 1980s to assist those trapped in the war zone. This suffering formally ceased in 2005 with the conclusion of the much-lauded Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A, enabling the return of the IDPs to their original homes and refugees back to the country.

    In 2011, Southern Sudan seceded from Sudan. About two years later, the world’s newest country relapsed into a vicious civil war. Sparked by divisions among the country’s key leaders, ethnic identities were subsequently exploited to mobilise fighters with devastating consequences for national unity and the wellbeing of civilians.

    During the conflict, many Nuer people, an ethnic group primarily inhabiting South Sudan’s Nile Valley, fled into areas created on UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases, called Protection of Civilians Sites (PoCs), to escape killing by members of the Dinka, the largest ethnic group, who had effectively taken over the country with the support of Ugandan soldiers. Nuer fighters retaliated against Dinka civilians, forcing many to flee to the Uganda border and other locations.

    Many South Sudanese headed north into the new Republic of Sudan, where public authorities labelled them ’arrivals’, a new term with no precedent in refugee policy or literature, and confined them to ‘waiting stations’. Uganda also received a large number of displaced persons, among them refugees placed in settlements with international assistance. Many displaced persons settled among locals without external assistance, thus avoiding the label of ‘refugee’.

    What it means to be ‘refugees’ in Uganda

    The 1951 Refugee Convention states a person becomes a refugee after crossing an internationally recognised border in search of protection, recognition and status by public authorities in the asylum country or the UNHCR. When the circumstances that forced the person to seek refuge cease to exist, the refugee re-avails themselves of the country’s protection they had fled. Thus defined concrete international borders are characterised as integral to becoming a refugee or ending refuge.

    For South Sudanese displaced persons, the border between their country and Uganda is not a clearly defined line separating two jurisdictions. Many parts of the border are contested by ordinary people and public authorities on both sides. Consequently, people inhabiting locations along these contested areas are not always on peaceful terms despite often belonging to the same ethnic groups, such as the Acholi of South Sudan and Uganda.

    Different ethnic groups that have seen clashes over contested territories have also been forced into settling in areas of close proximity following unrest in their respective homelands. My own research reveals the Kuku of Kajokeji in South Sudan were so suspicious of the Madi in the Ugandan Moyo district that, when they settled in the latter’s region, they avoided treatment in the Moyo hospital for fear of maltreatment by Madi medical personnel. The history of conflict over certain borders has a direct bearing on the welfare of refugees in the present.

    Armed groups and criminals also operate along the border, posing serious security problems, with some people losing their lives at the hands of unknown gunmen. Despite this danger, refugees and other South Sudanese cross in and out of South Sudan for matters of family and livelihoods, such as to harvest crops in their old fields due to food shortages in their new home. Others return their deceased kin to bury them decently on their old compounds and, further, trips are made to the national capital, Juba, to visit relatives or deal with administrative issues.

    These movements defy the legal meaning of ‘refugee’, who is supposed to return home when the threat of persecution that caused the flight is over. They demonstrate that refugees are not the passive and docile recipients of aid, as often presented, but active individuals who exercise agency. Studies remind us that were refugees only to eat the ‘food which is distributed to them, they would die’.

    What it means to stay behind as an IDP

    Because IDPs are citizens living in their native county they are entitled to the same rights and legal protections as fellow citizens as stipulated by the constitution. In reality, IDPs do not always enjoy citizenship rights because those in power consider them enemies or supporters of enemies.

    During the second civil war, the Sudanese government branded IDPs as rebel supporters and subjected them to all kinds of punitive measures, including starvation and denial of basic services. Many IDPs consequently starved to death or died due to deadly diseases, such as kala azar, as the already rudimentary healthcare system in pre-war Southern Sudan was destroyed by repeated military bombardments as well as frequent obstructions of international humanitarian access.

    When South Sudan gained independence and descended into civil war, IDPs did not fare any better. Following shocking atrocities and the continued risk of further violence, many Nuer civilians remain in PoCs on UNMISS bases under the protection of peacekeepers in refugee-like situations. Deprived of state protection, their situation has become worse than most refugees in South Sudan, deprioritised over the dominant Dinka.

    The labels of ‘refugee’ and ‘internally displaced person’ do not reflect the experiences of most South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, and IDPs within South Sudan. These terms present refugees and IDPs as powerless recipients of aid when, in reality, refugees and IDPs are active agents in efforts to improve their situation. In some cases, they creatively manipulate borders and the systems in place to satisfy their basic needs.

    It has been expressed that South Sudanese refugees have shown an extraordinary creativity and resourcefulness that can form a blueprint for future refugee assistance programmes. When ‘official legal categories rarely match realities on the ground’, aid workers should now appreciate and encourage the active involvement of refugees and IDPs to address the challenges that confront them.

    https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2019/05/28/what-it-means-to-be-a-refugee-in-south-sudan-and-uganda
    #réfugiés #IDPs #déplacés_internes #Soudan_du_Sud #Ouganda #histoire #histoire

  • South Sudan hires U.S. lobbyists to help block war #crimes court - contract - Reuters
    https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-southsudan-justice-idUKKCN1S51YW

    #Soudan_du_Sud : un contrat de #lobbying qui risque de promouvoir l’#impunité - RFI
    http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20190429-soudan-sud-contrat-lobbying-bloquer-creation-cour-justice-impunite

    C’est un contrat de deux ans signé le 18 avril entre Juba et Gainful Solutions. Pour 3,7 millions de dollars, cette société américaine de lobbying est chargée d’aider à améliorer les relations entre le pays et l’administration Trump. Mais aussi de persuader Washington d’annuler les #sanctions en vigueur contre Juba et de bloquer des sanctions potentielles.

    Or, l’accord va plus loin. L’entreprise californienne doit également « retarder et au final bloquer la mise en place d’une cour hybride » au Soudan du Sud. Une institution cruciale prévue par l’accord de #paix de septembre.

    Nyagoah Tut Pur, la chercheuse qui a révélé l’existence du document, explique que « cette cour est un pilier pour la paix et une exigence de la population essentielle à la stabilité ».

    #Etats-Unis #leadership

  • In an orderly Ethiopian camp, South Sudanese refugees face malnutrition, trauma

    Out of a population of about 12 million, 1.9 million South Sudanese are currently displaced within the country and more than two million are living in camps like these in neighbouring countries.

    #Nguenyyiel, the newest and biggest camp in the Gambella region, is home to more than 75,000 South Sudanese refugees. It was opened in 2016 following flare-ups between opposing South Sudanese factions to accommodate a new influx of refugees to this sparsely populated, low-lying and remote corner in southwest Ethiopia. The region currently hosts more than 360,000 refugees from South Sudan.

    Unlike most refugee camps, Nguenyyiel at first appears calm, clean and orderly. Neat rows of tukuls, the cone-shaped mud huts with thatched roofs common to this region, give the appearance of a genuine local village.

    As we drive through the wide and tidy streets, I watch teenagers playing soccer, goats foraging for food, and youngsters dodging small dust whirls as they wander arm in arm among spotless latrines made of shiny corrugated metal.

    But behind this hygienic order is a tenuousness that continues to threaten those living here. Outside the camp, the crisis has destabilized the region, where clashes between different ethnic groups are common. Women, children and youth make up the majority of residents in the camp — 62 per cent are younger than 18 — because many men remain behind in South Sudan to guard homes and farmland. Several women and children who left the safety of Nguenyyiel to collect firewood in the nearby forests have been sexually assaulted and killed.

    https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2019/03/24/in-an-orderly-ethiopian-camp-south-sudanese-refugees-face-malnutrition-trau
    #camps #camps_de_réfugiés #réfugiés_sud-soudanais #Ethiopie #réfugiés #asile #migrations #malnutrition #alimentation #trauma #traumatisme #Soudan_du_Sud #IDPs #déplacés_internes #viol #meurtres #femmes

  • UNFPA urges concerted efforts to address refugee needs in Ethiopia

    The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Saturday called for concerted efforts to address humanitarian needs of refugees in Ethiopia’s Gambella regional state.

    UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Dereje Wordofa and a team of UNFPA regional directors and country representatives visited Ethiopia’s Gambella regional state, which alone hosts more than 423,000 refugees from neighboring countries, mainly the civil-war ravaged South Sudan.

    According to UNFPA figures, about 64 percent of the refugees in camps across Gambella region are younger than 18 and some 88 percent are said to be women and children.

    “In addition to the humanitarian response in the region, the increase in demand for social services among both host communities and displaced people remains a challenge to be addressed, as this is creating tension among refugees,” the UNFPA said in a statement.

    The UNFPA also called for swift efforts in addressing health-sector needs of refugees in Gambella region, with particularly emphasis given to the existing “poor maternal health services.”

    It said the region has only one referral hospital and that “a relatively high proportion” of women still give birth at home, with the assistance of “traditional birth attendants.”

    “There has been increasing concern for the safety of vulnerable groups, especially women and girls traveling long distances to collect firewood, food and water,” the statement said.

    http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-10/21/c_137547252.htm
    #camp_de_réfugiés #réfugiés #asile #migrations #Gambella #Ethiopie #Sud_Soudan #Soudan_du_Sud #réfugiés_sud-soudanais

  • Le #Soudan_du_Sud : la plus grande crise de déplacements en #Afrique | IFRI - Institut français des relations internationales
    https://www.ifri.org/fr/debats/soudan-sud-plus-grande-crise-de-deplacements-afrique

    Depuis 2013, le conflit au Soudan du Sud a contraint près de 2,5 millions de personnes à fuir dans les six pays limitrophes de la sous-région qui sont eux-mêmes en proie à des défis socio-économiques colossaux. De plus, près de 2 millions de Sud-Soudanais sont déplacés à l’intérieur du pays. Ces déplacements forcés impactent plus d’un tiers de la population totale du Soudan du Sud. Alors que la violence persiste dans le pays, les réfugiés et déplacés internes font face à de nombreux défis, tandis que les perspectives de retour dans un futur proche sont très limitées. Il est à craindre une dégradation de la situation des personnes déplacées et de la réponse humanitaire apportée par les différents acteurs.

    #migrations #réfugiés #asile

  • Google Maps is Different in Other Countries
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ZMub2UrKU

    George Orwell? Nein, Ayn Rand war hier.
    http://www.klaus-meier.de/67

    „Bestandsdaten“ (die Lage von Straßen, Gebäuden, Parks. Schienenwegen usw.) „Verkehrsdaten“ (wer bewgt sich wie von wo nach wo), Personen- und Metadaten (wie ist das alles miteinander verbunden) sind heute die Grundlage für Macht über uns alle. Wer diese Daten kontrolliert, kontrolliert potentiell unsere Bewegungen, also unsere Freiheit dorthin zu gehen, wo wir es wünschen.

    Er kann aus den Metagdaten schlußfolgern, was wir tun und sagen. Wenn ich und viele andere, die sich im Netz zu gewerkschaftlichen Themen äußern, an einem Ort zusammentreffen, so ist das eine Demo/Streik/o.ä. . Wenn das Zusammentreffen draußen stattfindet, ist das eine Kundgebung, wenn es in Innenräumen passiert, und die Teilnehmerzahl nicht größer als X ist, ein Organisationstreffen. Gleichzeitig ergibt sich daraus, wer als Rädelsführer / Influencer markiert / getagt wird.

    Über diese Daten verfügen Google, Facebook, Twitter und in geringerem Maße Apple und Microsoft. Nicht zu vergessen sind spezialisierte Ortungsanbieter wie Foursquare und viele kleine Startups und ältere Unternehmen, die unsere Daten sammeln.

    Für gefährlich halte ich zur Zeit nur die Unternehmen, die sehr groß und direkt mit staatlichen Stellen verbunden sind, was auf alle US-Firmen und auf die aus China zutrifft.

    Das Besondere an diesem Video ist, dass es aufzeigt, wie Google von einem Beobachter zu einem Akteur auf zwischen- bzw. überstaatlicher Ebene wird.

    Die schmutzigen Fantasien einer Ayn Rand werden unter Führern und Staatsfeinden wie Peter Thiel, dem Facebook Investor der ersten Stunde, Jobs, Gates und ihren vielen weniger bekannten Mitverschwörern zu unseren Albtäumen. Wir sind uns ihrer nur nicht bewußt, es sei den wir lernen im Tagtraum die kommenden Auseinandersetzungen durchzukämpfen. Auch davon hängt ab, ob der dystopische Atlas in unsere Welt einbrechen kann. Es arbeiten genug Reiche und Mächtige, die sich als die neuen Übermenschen fühlen, an diesem Projekt.

    #cartographie #politique #google

    • Google Maps is Different in Other Countries
      By “Human Interests” / Tom Blatherwick / @tomblatherwick
      https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaPRCWnFAzeI3_tr--Qw5qg
      https://www.patreon.com/humaninterests

      Text:

      In 2010 Nicaragua invaded Costa Rica When asked why they’d seized territory they claimed it belong to them on Google Maps.

      Who did Costa Rica turned to first? Nicaragua? The United Nations? No they went straight to Google because in the eyes of the world Google Maps has become the de facto world map.

      Despite having non legal authority over international borders Google has become the world’s most powerful player.

      Borders are a uniquely human concept and in most of the world the only tangible legitimacy they have is through maps. But the cost and resources required to make a map a staggering. Until recently countries were the only ones who could afford it. Cartography was a nationalized industry, which meant no map was without bias or influence.

      Historically if you wanted to seize territory from a less powerful nation, you just really redrew the map. When questioned by locals you showed them the map., ignored their claims of already living there and held up the only piece of real evidence that exists. This is basically how colonialism worked, but with more genocide.

      Probably the most extreme example is Africa. In 1884 10 per cent of Africa was under European control. Just 30 years later this has risen to 90 per cent. Land was negotiated from thousands of miles away and countries redrawn with little consideration for local or cultural boundaries, yet the map drawn then remains largely unchanged today.

      Most would argue that today’s map of African is correct. There is some objective truth to it. But 130 years ago it was nothing of the sort. Over time the existence of a map is self legitimizing. While countries were the sole map makers it was fine if two states disagreed over a border. Each produced their own map and their citizens would rarely have a chance to see any other version. But as the internet arrived nationalized mapping decreased and companies like Google started to fill the gap.

      An international company creating an international map for all? Not quite.

      Google still relies on the approval of nation states. It’s all too easy to censor a website. Google only has to annoy one government to lose a country’s worth of users. Any errors along the China-India border could lose them 1/3 of the world’s customers.

      The region of a one-child Pradesh borders India China Bhutan and Myanmar. Administrated as a state of India they keep a hundred thousand troops in the region but China also claims ownership calling it South Tibet. Each country has laws to stop map makers drawing the border in the others favor or even acknowledging the region is disputed. So Google creates three different maps.

      This is what two thirds of the world will see on Google Maps. The dotted line indicates disputed territory, but if you view the area from a Chinese domain it shows it belongs to China and as a part of India from an Indian domain. No mapmaker previously had the ability to do this.

      Historically you had to pick sides. The average Chinese or Indian citizen would be unaware of any dispute or at least there would have been until Google accidentally switched the borders in 2007. This caused outrage in both countries. Many in China were unaware that most of the world didn’t recognize China’s legitimacy over the region and members of the Indian Parliament accused Google of purposefully derailing an upcoming summit between the two nations.

      There are similar disputes all along the India China border. All are heavily militarized with regular standoffs backed by two of the largest armies in the world both with nuclear weapons.

      So just in case nobody noticed the first time around, Google managed to make the same mistake again in 2009. But the advantage of online maps is the speed they can be changed. A mistake of that magnitude 20 years ago would have taken years to correct instead of ours Google can react to political events quicker than any other map maker.

      When Russian troops arrived in Crimea in February 2014 it was less than a month until Google showed the territory as disputed. This was despite the United Nations asking nobody to recognize any alteration of the status of Crimea. Google Maps in Russia shows Crimea as Russian territory and Ukrainian were interviewed from Ukraine the father.

      The fact that Google is willing to ignore UN resolutions is a big deal. Countries do it all the time they protect their own interests and alliances above other nations, but Google is a company who now has the power and influence of a state. They’re big enough to survive any confrontation with the UN and probably see Russia as the worst enemy to make.

      The UN moves slowly. The United Nations regional cartographic conference only meets every three or four years. Google has to make border and naming decisions daily. Those decisions may not have any legal weight, but everyone uses Google Maps, so in reality they’re the most important.

      When South Sudan became an country in 2011 the vote didn’t specify the exact placement of the border leaving some towns and villages unsure whether they would be in Sudan or South Sudan. Each country naturally claimed ownership, but no official map would be made for a while It was left to Google to organize South Sudan community mapping events. They encouraged local people to create detailed maps of an area that was lackin any accurate data, and for a semi democratic process an almost precise border was decided.

      There are still contested areas today and not without their bloodshed, but Google did more to help local territorial disputes than then UN or any state.

      This isn’t the only example of Google using local input as the basis for their Maps. They publish a program called Google Map Maker, which allows anyone to make changes and suggestions. This is useful for new roads and public footpaths, but also helps Google decide what to call things. It’s strictly moderated and Google has the final say over the public version, but llike in Wikipedia things inevitably slip through the cracks. For obvious reasons you can’t edit the border of a country. There were hundreds of disputes in the world - imagine the chaos. So Google doesn’t get involved with most of them, but here and there throughout the world map it does change slightly based on where you’re stood.

      This may not necessarily be a bad thing. Historically the larger power would just stamp out the smaller one, but with Google Maps as the unofficial official adjudicator borders could remain disputed forever, both sides constantly pointing guns at the other but rarely firing.

      Is a long cold war better than an short hot one? That’s a philosophical question best left for the Commons, but for better or worse. Google is making edits all decisions on something most people view as an objective truth.

      No political map can ever be a hundred percent accurate in the scientific sense of the word. At best they can be an diplomatic compromise and at worse they can be a propaganda tool.

      Maps and especially Google Maps are amazing, but there should be treaty. Like any other media. They are subject to the motives and influences of the humans that made them.

  • South Sudan close to famine, facing “toughest year” - aid ...
    http://news.trust.org/item/20180226105540-wcwwf

    South Sudan is close to another famine, aid officials said on Monday, after more than four years of civil war and failed ceasefires in the world’s youngest nation.

    Almost two-thirds of the population will need food aid this year to stave off starvation and malnutrition as aid groups prepare for the “toughest year on record”, members of a working group including South Sudanese and U.N. officials said.

    “The situation is extremely fragile, and we are close to seeing another famine. The projections are stark. If we ignore them, we’ll be faced with a growing tragedy,” said Serge Tissot, from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in South Sudan.

    A total of 5.3 million people, 48 percent of the population, are already in “crisis” or “emergency” - stages three and four on a five point scale, according to a survey published by the working group.

    #Soudan_du_sud #famine #indifférence

  • Il budget oscuro tra cooperazione e migrazione

    I fondi sulla carta destinati a promuovere lo sviluppo di paesi poveri in realtà rimangono in Italia, destinati all’accoglienza migranti. Parte delle spese utilizzate anche per l’esternalizzazione delle frontiere. La denuncia di Oxfam e Openpolis

    http://www.redattoresociale.it/Notiziario/Articolo/562311/Il-budget-oscuro-tra-cooperazione-e-migrazione-Se-i-fondi-restano-i
    #Italie #aide_au_développement #développement #asile #migrations #réfugiés #coopération_au_développement #externalisation #accueil #fermeture_des_frontières #frontières

    • Il budget oscuro tra cooperazione e migrazione

      Accoglierli, come accoglierli, salvarli in mare, respingerli, rimpatriarli, fermare i flussi o governarli. Parole ed espressioni già ricorrenti nel dibattito pubblico che sicuramente saranno temi centrali della campagna elettorale. A maggior ragione diventa imprescindibile la sempre valida domanda: con quali costi? Seguire i soldi in questo caso vuol dire accostare due settori apparentemente distanti: la cooperazione internazionale allo sviluppo e la gestione del fenomeno migratorio.


      https://cooperazione.openpolis.it/minidossier/perche-confrontiamo-soldi-cooperazione-migranti

    • Coopération UE-Afrique sur les migrations. Chronique d’un chantage

      Alors que la communauté internationale fait mine de s’offusquer de la situation dramatique des personnes en migration en Libye, la Cimade, le collectif Loujna-Tounkaranké et le réseau Migreurop publient le rapport conjoint Coopération UE–Afrique, chronique d’un chantage. Outil de décryptage critique des mécanismes financiers et politiques de la coopération européenne sur les migrations avec les pays tiers, l’ouvrage appuie son analyse sur quatre pays africains : le Maroc, le Mali, le Sénégal et le Niger.

      http://www.lacimade.org/presse/cooperation-ue-afrique-migrations-chronique-dun-chantage
      #fonds_fiduciaire #fonds_fiduciaire_d’urgence #trust_fund

    • Aide au développement : les ONG réfutent le lien migration/développement

      « Nous, ONG, réfutons le lien entre #APD et politiques migratoires. L’APD doit réduire la pauvreté, c’est ça son objectif » a martelé avec conviction Bernard Pinaud du CCFD solidaire, suscitant de vifs applaudissements de l’ensemble des ONGs présentes.

      https://blogs.mediapart.fr/aide-et-action/blog/230218/aide-au-developpement-les-ong-refutent-le-lien-migrationdeveloppemen

    • Respect des engagements : adoption de nouveaux programmes sur la protection des migrants et l’aide au retour et à la réintégration en Afrique, d’un montant de 150 millions d’euros

      L’Union européenne adopte ce jour trois nouveaux programmes, d’une valeur supérieure à 150 millions d’euros, au titre du fonds fiduciaire d’urgence de l’Union européenne pour l’Afrique, faisant suite directement aux engagements pris par le groupe de travail commun Union africaine-Union européenne-Nations unies en vue de remédier à la situation des migrants en #Libye.

      http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-1143_fr.htm

    • Aid and Migration : externalisation of Europe’s responsibilities

      European countries have seen over 3.8 million people seeking asylum in its territories between 2013 and 2016. In response, Europe has developed several plans, agreements and policy Frameworks on Migration. The EU has also established a number of cooperation agreements with third countries, highlighting the importance of “addressing the root causes behind irregular migration to non-EU countries”. On top, we notice EU Aid budgets being increasingly spent in favour of “migration management”.

      Development cooperation is more and more perceived by EU leaders as a tool to “control migration”, “manage migration” or “tackle the root causes of migration”. Why is that?


      https://concordeurope.org/2018/03/19/aid-migration-aidwatch-paper

      Pour télécharger le #rapport :
      https://concordeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CONCORD_AidWatchPaper_Aid_Migration_2018_online.pdf?7c2b17&7c2b17

    • Les partenariats entre l’Union européenne et les pays africains sur les migrations. Un enjeu commun, des intérêts contradictoires

      Pour atteindre ses objectifs, l’UE s’est dotée d’un instrument financier qui s’est rapidement imposé comme l’outil le plus visible de la politique de partenariat en matière de migration. Le #Fonds_fiduciaire_d’urgence_pour_l’Afrique (#FFU), adopté au cours du sommet de #la_Valette de novembre 2015, est devenu le signe d’une synergie renforcée, voire d’un alignement, entre les objectifs des politiques migratoires, de #sécurité et de #développement. Cependant, loin de répondre aux principes de partenariat et de responsabilité partagée, le FFU, comme les autres cadres de dialogue, reste entre les mains des Européens qui imposent leurs objectifs et contrôlent leur mise en œuvre. Les pays africains y trouvent peu d’espace dans lequel ils pourraient participer à la définition des objectifs et des moyens d’action.


      https://www.ifri.org/fr/publications/notes-de-lifri/partenariats-entre-lunion-europeenne-pays-africains-migrations-un-enjeu

    • The 2017 Annual Report of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa is available

      The 2017 Annual report of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa has been adopted by the Operational Comittee on 2 March 2018. It outlines the current state of affairs and the achievements of the Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (the EUTF for Africa) up to December 2017.

      The Report provides an overview of the strategic orientations, implementation and results achieved in each of the three regions of the EUTF for Africa.

      In 2017, the EUTF for Africa focused on deploying activities at country and regional level to address the compelling needs of African partner countries while further translating the Trust Fund’s strategic priorities into action. During the year, 40 new programmes have been approved in the three regions, bringing the total of approved programmes at the end of 2017 to 143 including three which operate across several regions. With EUR 900 million contracted, the implementation pace of the EUTF for Africa has significantly improved in 2017 bringing the overall amount of signed contracts to EUR 1.5 billion with implementing partners since the inception of the Trust Fund.

      Two years after its inception at the Valletta Summit on Migration, held in November 2015, the EUTF for Africa has further demonstrated its added value as a quick and effective implementing tool that facilitates political dialogue with partner countries, covers new sectors, allows innovative approaches, produces results, and pulls and attracts funding, expertise and experience from a variety of stakeholders and partners.

      Through its activities, the EUTF for Africa has been working actively in the three regions to limit the combined effects of worsened security conditions and long-lasting challenges such as demographic pressure, institutional weaknesses and extreme poverty.

      https://ec.europa.eu/trustfundforafrica/all-news-and-stories/2017-annual-report_en
      #rapport

    • Protecting and supporting migrants and refugees: new actions worth €467 million under the EU Trust Fund for Africa

      European Commission - Press release

      Brussels, 29 May 2018

      The EU continues to deliver on its commitments to assist vulnerable migrants and refugees and address root causes of irregular migration. The new support measures in the Sahel/ Lake Chad region and the Horn of Africa will foster stability, jobs and growth, especially for young people and vulnerable groups.

      They complement ongoing bilateral and multilateral efforts, such as through the Joint African Union – European Union – United Nations Task Force. Today’s additional funds will allow for live-saving assistance to be taken forward, including accelerating resettlements of refugees from Niger as a priority.

      High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini said: "We continue working to save lives, provide safe and dignified returns and legal avenues, and tackle the root causes of migration, by creating jobs and growth. With the UNHCR, we have evacuated 1,287 refugees from Libya to Niger, who need to be resettled swiftly now. With the IOM, we helped 22,000 people to return home and provide reintegration assistance. Today’s additional commitments will further consolidate our work towards managing human mobility - in a humane, secure and dignified way together with our partners.”

      Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, said: “The majority of today’s €467 million assistance package will be dedicated towards improving employment opportunities, especially for young people. But challenges remain, and the Trust Fund’s resources are running out. If we want to continue our live-saving assistance, additional contributions by EU member states’ and other donors will be crucial.”

      Measures adopted today focus on the following areas:

      Protection and assistance for people on the move

      The European Union’s work with the UNHCR has so far allowed for 1,287 refugees to be evacuated from Libya to Niger through the Emergency Transit Mechanism, with 108 people having been further resettled to Europe. In parallel, together with the International Organisation for Migration, 22,000 migrants stranded along the routes have been assisted to voluntarily return home, where they receive reintegration support. Today, the EU mobilises an additional €70 million, of which €10 million will support accelerating resettlements under the UNHCR’s Emergency Transit Mechanism and €60 million ensure that voluntary return and reintegration assistance can be continuously provided by the IOM. In Kenya, an innovative approach to piloting private sector development will promote better economic integration of refugees and supports the implementation of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. Additional €20 million in regional support will help countries in the Horn of Africa, in developing and implementing sustainable and rights-based return and reintegration policies.

      Increase stability, resilience of local populations and improve migration management

      Increasing stability and supporting the resilience of local populations is one of the pillars of the EU’s integrated approach. In central Mali, activities worth €10 million will address the rapidly degrading security situation, to increase trust between Malian security forces and local populations. Further new activities will promote conflict prevention, foster food security in South Sudan or improve knowledge on malnutrition in Sudan. In Sudan, support will also enable humanitarian and development actors to access hard-to-reach areas. In Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau new measureswill help to set up a reliable civil identification registration and document issuance system, to allow the population to benefit from enhanced mobility, document security and better access to rights.

      Economic opportunities for young people

      Providing sustainable employment opportunities for young people is key to tackle the root causes of irregular migration. New actions will support the skills development and vocational training of young people to help create better employment opportunities, for example in Ethiopia, Nigeria or The Gambia. In Sudan, a new support project, will strengthen the job skills of young people and support them through training to establish and grow businesses. This project will target disadvantaged groups, such as refugees and internally displaced people and, like all EU assistance in Sudan, will be realised through trusted implementing partners.

      In order to ensure continuous monitoring of the effectiveness of Trust Fund for Africa programmes, the funding of the dedicated monitoring and learning system has been doubled from €2 million to €4 million.

      Background

      The EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa was established in 2015 in order to address the root causes of instability, irregular migration and forced displacement. Resources currently allocated to this Trust Fund are €3.4 billion from EU institutions, European Member States and other donors.

      Today’s assistance adds to the 147 programmes that were already previously approved across the three regions (North of Africa, Sahel and Lake Chad region and Horn of Africa) worth a total of €2,594 million, which was divided as follows: Sahel/Lake Chad €1,293 million (79 programmes), Horn of Africa €820.3 million (50 programmes), North of Africa €335 million (14 programmes). This amount also includes 4 cross-region programmes (€145.1 million).

      https://reliefweb.int/report/world/protecting-and-supporting-migrants-and-refugees-new-actions-worth-467-mil

    • Protection et aide pour les migrants et les réfugiés : nouvelles mesures d’un montant de 467 millions d’euros au titre du fonds fiduciaire de l’UE pour l’Afrique

      L’Union européenne adopte ce jour des nouveaux programmes et projets pour un montant total de 467 millions d’euros au titre du fonds fiduciaire d’urgence pour l’Afrique.

      L’UE continue de tenir les engagements qu’elle a pris de venir en aide aux migrants et réfugiés vulnérables et de lutter contre les causes profondes de la migration irrégulière. Les nouvelles mesures d’aide en faveur de la région du Sahel/du bassin du Lac Tchad et de la Corne de l’Afrique favoriseront la stabilité, l’emploi et la croissance, en particulier pour les jeunes et les groupes vulnérables.

      Ces mesures viennent compléter les efforts actuellement déployés dans des cadres bilatéraux et multilatéraux, notamment par l’intermédiaire du groupe de travail conjoint de l’Union africaine, de l’Union européenne et des Nations unies. Les ressources financières supplémentaires débloquées ce jour permettront de poursuivre l’aide vitale, y compris d’accélérer en priorité les réinstallations de réfugiés en provenance du Niger.

      Mme Federica Mogherini, haute représentante/vice-présidente, s’est exprimée dans les termes suivants : « Nous continuons à œuvrer pour sauver des vies, assurer le retour des réfugiés et des migrants en toute sécurité et dans la dignité, mettre en place des voies d’entrée légales et lutter contre les causes profondes de la migration en créant des emplois et de la croissance. Avec le HCR, nous avons procédé à l’évacuation de 1 287 réfugiés de la Libye vers le Niger, qu’il convient de réinstaller dans les plus brefs délais. Avec l’OIM, nous avons aidé 22 000 personnes à rentrer dans leur pays et avons fourni une aide à leur réintégration. Avec les nouveaux engagements pris ce jour, nous continuerons à consolider nos travaux pour gérer, conjointement avec nos partenaires, la mobilité des personnes de façon humaine, sûre et digne. »

      M. Neven Mimica, commissaire chargé de la coopération internationale et du développement a, quant à lui, fait la déclaration suivante : « La majeure partie du programme d’aide de 467 millions d’euros annoncé ce jour visera à améliorer les possibilités d’emploi, en particulier pour les jeunes. Mais des problèmes subsistent et les ressources du fonds fiduciaire s’épuisent. Il est essentiel que les États membres de l’UE et d’autres bailleurs de fonds fournissent des contributions supplémentaires si nous voulons continuer à apporter une aide vitale. »

      Les mesures adoptées aujourd’hui se concentrent sur les domaines suivants :

      Protection et assistance pour les populations en déplacement

      Grâce à la coopération entre l’Union européenne et le HCR, 1 287 réfugiés ont jusqu’à présent pu être évacués de Libye vers le Niger par l’intermédiaire du mécanisme de transit d’urgence ; 108 personnes ont en outre été réinstallées en Europe. En parallèle, 22 000 migrants bloqués le long des routes migratoires ont bénéficié d’une aide au retour volontaire vers leur pays d’origine, où ils ont reçu une aide à la réintégration, fournie conjointement avec l’Organisation internationale pour les migrations. L’UE mobilise ce jour un montant supplémentaire de 70 millions d’euros ; sur cette somme, 10 millions d’euros seront consacrés à accélérer les réinstallations dans le cadre du mécanisme de transit d’urgence du HCR et 60 millions d’euros permettront de garantir que la continuité de l’aide au retour volontaire et à la réintégration apportée par l’OIM. Au #Kenya, une approche innovante pour conduire le développement du secteur privé favorisera une meilleure intégration économique des réfugiés et soutiendra la mise en œuvre du cadre d’action global pour les réfugiés. Un soutien régional supplémentaire de 20 millions d’euros aidera les pays de la #Corne_de_l'Afrique à élaborer et à mettre en œuvre des #politiques_de_retour et de #réintégration durables et fondées sur les droits.

      Renforcement de la stabilité et de la résilience des populations locales et amélioration de la gestion de la migration

      Le renforcement de la stabilité et le soutien à la résilience des populations locales sont l’un des piliers de l’approche adoptée par l’UE. Dans le centre du #Mali, des mesures, dotées d’un budget de 10 millions d’euros, seront destinées à remédier à la situation en matière de sécurité, qui se détériore rapidement, afin d’accroître la confiance entre les forces de sécurité maliennes et les populations locales. En outre, des activités nouvelles favoriseront la prévention des conflits, encourageront la #sécurité_alimentaire au #Soudan_du_Sud ou amélioreront les connaissances sur la malnutrition au #Soudan. Au Soudan, l’aide permettra également aux acteurs de l’aide humanitaire et à ceux du développement de se rendre dans des zones difficiles d’accès. Au #Cap-Vert et en #Guinée-Bissau, les nouvelles mesures contribueront à mettre en place un système fiable d’état civil et de délivrance de documents pour permettre à la population de bénéficier d’une mobilité accrue, de la sécurité des documents et d’un meilleur accès aux droits.

      Des perspectives économiques pour les jeunes

      Il est essentiel d’offrir des possibilités d’emploi durable aux jeunes pour lutter contre les causes profondes de la migration irrégulière. Les nouvelles actions soutiendront le développement des compétences et la #formation_professionnelle des jeunes pour contribuer à améliorer les possibilités d’#emploi, par exemple en #Éthiopie, au #Nigeria ou en #Gambie. Au Soudan, un nouveau programme d’aide renforcera les compétences professionnelles des jeunes et les aidera à créer et à développer des entreprises grâce à des actions de #formation. Ce projet ciblera les groupes défavorisés, comme les réfugiés et les personnes déplacées à l’intérieur du pays et, à l’instar de tous les programmes d’assistance de l’UE au Soudan, sera mis en œuvre par des partenaires de confiance.

      Les ressources financières du système spécifique de suivi et d’apprentissage ont été doublées et sont passées de 2 millions à 4 millions d’euros afin de garantir le suivi permanent de l’efficacité des programmes financés par le fonds fiduciaire pour l’Afrique.

      Contexte

      Le fonds fiduciaire d’urgence de l’UE pour l’Afrique a été créé en 2015 en vue de remédier aux causes profondes de l’instabilité, de la migration irrégulière et des déplacements forcés. Ce fonds fiduciaire est actuellement doté d’un budget de 3,4 milliards d’euros provenant des institutions de l’UE, des États membres ainsi que d’autres bailleurs de fonds.

      L’aide annoncée ce jour vient s’ajouter aux 147 programmes approuvés précédemment en faveur de trois régions (Afrique du Nord, région du Sahel/bassin du lac Tchad et Corne de l’Afrique) pour un montant total de 2 594 millions d’euros, répartis de la façon suivante : 1 293 millions d’euros pour la région du Sahel/le bassin du Lac Tchad (79 programmes) ; 820,3 millions d’euros pour la Corne de l’Afrique (50 programmes) et 335 millions d’euros pour l’Afrique du Nord (14 programmes). Ce montant inclut également quatre programmes multi-volets (145,1 millions d’euros).

      http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-3968_fr.htm
      #développement

    • Instrumentalisation de l’aide publique au développement

      L’Union européenne utilise les financements de l’#Aide_publique_au_développement (#APD) pour contrôler les flux migratoires, comme avec le #Centre_d’Information_et_de_Gestion_des_Migrations (#CIGEM) inauguré en octobre 2008 à #Bamako au #Mali par exemple4. Ainsi, le 10e #Fonds_européen_de_développement (#FED) finance, en #Mauritanie, la #formation de la #police_aux_frontières. Pour atteindre les objectifs qu’ils se sont eux mêmes fixés (allouer 0,7 % du revenu national brut à l’APD), certains États membres de l’UE comptabilisent dans l’APD des dépenses qui n’en sont clairement pas. Malgré les réticences des États membres à harmoniser leurs politiques migratoires internes, ils arrivent à se coordonner pour leur gestion extérieure.

      https://www.lautrequotidien.fr/articles/lesprofiteurs

  • The price of water: South Sudan’s capital goes thirsty as costs soar

    But the eight-year-old’s death – and that of three other boys – could have been easily prevented, had it not been for the price of drinking water in South Sudan’s capital Juba – costing a third of a family’s monthly income.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southsudan-water/the-price-of-water-south-sudans-capital-goes-thirsty-as-costs-soar-idUSKCN1
    #eau #eau_potable #soif #Soudan_du_Sud #Juba #prix #coût

  • UNHCR - Sudanese mother joins her own children in class
    http://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2017/9/59b77fc54/sudanese-mother-joins-own-children-class.html

    The life of Hosna Idris Abdallah has been marked by violence, hunger and poverty. However, she has never given up on herself or her children, and has never lost her desire to keep learning.

    At home in the Darfur region of Sudan, Hosna’s family were farmers and herders. Like every other young woman she knew, she got married and had a family. Then war broke out and armed men raided her village. They killed five men from her family, including her husband.

    #réfugiés #soudan_du_su #éducation

  • Words matter: #Hate_speech and South Sudan

    “South Sudan terrorists need to be killed in order for peace to reign. Lawful killing has been practised by states since time immemorial.”
    These are the words of #Gordon_Buay, deputy chief of mission at South Sudan’s Washington embassy, as posted on his Facebook page. #Buay claims he’s simply defending his government, but some of those working for peace in South Sudan call it hate speech and accuse Buay and other prominent figures in the diaspora of fuelling the terrible conflict in this newborn nation.

    https://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2017/09/05/words-matter-hate-speech-and-south-sudan
    #terminologie #racisme #xénophobie #mots #Soudan_du_sud #Sud_Soudan

  • The U.S. wants to deport more Eritreans. Here’s what would happen if they were forced to return.

    “Our goal is to get countries to agree to accept the return of their nationals,” David Lapan, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman, told reporters Wednesday.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/24/the-us-wants-to-deport-more-eritreans-heres-what-would-happen-to-the

    #renvois #expulsions #asile #migrations #réfugiés #réfugiés_érythréens #Etats-Unis

    On y apprend ici (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/23/4-countries-sanctioned-because-of-refusal-to-accep) qu’il y a 12 pays considérés comme #récalcitrants par les USA:

    Twelve countries are currently on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s list of “recalcitrant” nations that seriously hinder deportations: China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Iran, Guinea, Cambodia, Eritrea, Myanmar, Morocco, Hong Kong and South Sudan.

    #Chine #Cuba #Vietnam #Laos #Iran #Guinée #Cambodge #Erythrée #Myanmar #Birmanie #Maroc #Hong_Kong #Soudan_du_Sud #Sud_Soudan

    Les possibles #sanctions?

    He wouldn’t name the four countries that will be hit with visa sanctions, saying it is up to the State Department to decide how severely to punish the countries, but under the law at least some of their citizens — if not all — could be denied the ability to obtain immigrant or visitor visas to travel to the U.S.

    #visas

  • Amnesty | Le grenier à blé du pays transformé en champ de la mort
    https://asile.ch/2017/08/01/amnesty-grenier-a-ble-pays-transforme-champ-de-mort

    La nouvelle ligne de front dans le conflit au Soudan du Sud a contraint des centaines de milliers de personnes à fuir la fertile région d’Équatoria au cours de l’année écoulée, et génère des atrocités, la famine et la peur.

  • Le grenier à #blé du pays transformé en champ de la mort

    La nouvelle ligne de front dans le conflit au Soudan du Sud a contraint des centaines de milliers de personnes à fuir la fertile région d’#Équatoria au cours de l’année écoulée, et génère des atrocités, la famine et la peur.

    https://www.amnesty.ch/fr/pays/afrique/sud-soudan/docs/2017/le-grenier-a-ble-du-pays-transforme-en-champ-de-la-mort/@@images/3c711c7d-a707-42aa-b028-719038d13022.jpeg
    https://www.amnesty.ch/fr/pays/afrique/sud-soudan/docs/2017/le-grenier-a-ble-du-pays-transforme-en-champ-de-la-mort

    #famine #agriculture #conflit #guerre #Soudan_du_Sud #Sud_Soudan #IDPs #déplacés_internes

  • #Homicides, déplacements de masse et #pillages contre les civils dans le #Haut-Nil

    Des dizaines de milliers de civils dans la région du Haut-Nil, au Soudan du Sud, ont été déplacés de force lorsque les forces du gouvernement ont incendié, bombardé et systématiquement pillé leurs villes et villages entre janvier et mai 2017.

    https://www.amnesty.ch/fr/pays/afrique/sud-soudan/docs/2017/homicides-deplacements-de-masse-et-pillages-contre-les-civils-dans-le-haut-n

    #soudan_du_sud #minorités #IDPs #déplacés_internes #Shilluks

  • How Women are Fighting Back in South Sudan’s Epicenter of Rape

    Once known as a pocket of peace in South Sudan, the small town of #Mundri now has a reputation for its high rate of sexual assaults on women. But one group is determined to help the community’s women take back their town.


    https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/06/16/how-women-are-fighting-back-in-south-sudans-epicenter-of-rape

    #viols #Soudan_du_sud #lutte #résistance #femmes