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The riots and looting that bloodied South Africa have left 276 dead, the government announced on Wednesday (July 21), revising upwards a previous death toll of 215.
?Since the unrest broke out, 234 related deaths have been recorded in Kwazulu-Natal [est] nowadays “Presidential Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said in a statement, reporting 42 deaths in Gauteng province, which includes the country’s two main cities, Johannesburg and Pretoria, the capital.
The police opened 168 murder investigations. Some of the deaths are due to jostling, falling objects and building fires.
“Mop-up operations”
The unrest erupted in Kwazulu-Natal on July 9, initially taking the form of riots following the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of justice. They then spread, against a background of endemic unemployment and new restrictions against the Covid-19, reaching Johannesburg, to calm down at the beginning of the week.
The “Stability” returned to the two affected provinces, assured the minister, specifying that the police were carrying out “Sweeping operations to prevent any opportunistic action”. Six people, including a former public radio presenter, were arrested and prosecuted for inciting violence. Thousands more have been arrested for looting.
Economically, the government estimates that the violence will cost the economy 50 billion rand, or $ 3.4 billion, with the two affected regions accounting for half of the national GDP (gross domestic product).
To stay up to date with African news, subscribe to the ?Monde Afrique? newsletter from this link. Every Saturday at 6 am, find a week of current events and debates treated by the editorial staff of “Monde Afrique”.
The riots and looting that bloodied South Africa have left 276 dead, the government announced on Wednesday (July 21), revising upwards a previous death toll of 215.
?Since the unrest broke out, 234 related deaths have been recorded in Kwazulu-Natal [est] nowadays “Presidential Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said in a statement, reporting 42 deaths in Gauteng province, which includes the country’s two main cities, Johannesburg and Pretoria, the capital.
The police opened 168 murder investigations. Some of the deaths are due to jostling, falling objects and building fires.
“Mop-up operations”
The unrest erupted in Kwazulu-Natal on July 9, initially taking the form of riots following the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of justice. They then spread, against a background of endemic unemployment and new restrictions against the Covid-19, reaching Johannesburg, to calm down at the beginning of the week.
The “Stability” returned to the two affected provinces, assured the minister, specifying that the police were carrying out “Sweeping operations to prevent any opportunistic action”. Six people, including a former public radio presenter, were arrested and prosecuted for inciting violence. Thousands more have been arrested for looting.
Economically, the government estimates that the violence will cost the economy 50 billion rand, or $ 3.4 billion, with the two affected regions accounting for half of the national GDP (gross domestic product).
The Madagascan prosecutor’s office announced that it had foiled an assassination attempt on the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, and arrested several people “Foreign and Malagasy”. Among these arrested people are two French, according to diplomatic sources.
“Several foreign and Malagasy nationals were arrested Tuesday as part of an investigation for endangering state security”, declared Wednesday evening to the press the Attorney General, Berthine Razafiarivony, who did not give further details, for the time being, concerning the motivations.
“According to the material evidence in our possession, these individuals have devised a plan to eliminate and neutralize various Malagasy personalities including the head of state, said the prosecutor. At this stage of the investigation, which continues, the general prosecutor’s office ensures that all light will be shed on this case. “
The Malagasy Taratra agency, under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication, informed that the two French arrested, Philippe F. and Paul R., would be retired former officers.
During the celebration of Madagascar’s independence day on June 26, the gendarmerie had already announced that it had foiled an assassination attempt on the Secretary of State in charge of the gendarmerie, the president’s right-hand man, General Richard Ravalomanana .
One of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar has experienced many serious political crises for twenty years. The big island has been virtually locked down since the Covid-19 pandemic, and famine is raging in a region in the south of the country.
The Madagascan prosecutor’s office announced that it had foiled an assassination attempt on the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, and arrested several people “Foreign and Malagasy”. Among these arrested people are two French, according to diplomatic sources.
“Several foreign and Malagasy nationals were arrested Tuesday as part of an investigation for endangering state security”, declared Wednesday evening to the press the Attorney General, Berthine Razafiarivony, who did not give further details, for the time being, concerning the motivations.
“According to the material evidence in our possession, these individuals have devised a plan to eliminate and neutralize various Malagasy personalities including the head of state, said the prosecutor. At this stage of the investigation, which continues, the general prosecutor’s office ensures that all light will be shed on this case. “
The Malagasy Taratra agency, under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication, informed that the two French arrested, Philippe F. and Paul R., would be retired former officers.
During the celebration of Madagascar’s independence day on June 26, the gendarmerie had already announced that it had foiled an assassination attempt on the Secretary of State in charge of the gendarmerie, the president’s right-hand man, General Richard Ravalomanana .
One of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar has experienced many serious political crises for twenty years. The big island has been virtually locked down since the Covid-19 pandemic, and famine is raging in a region in the south of the country.
To stay up to date with African news, subscribe to the ?Monde Afrique? newsletter from this link. Every Saturday at 6 am, find a week of current events and debates treated by the editorial staff of “Monde Afrique”.
Tribune. During the summit on the financing of African economies held in Paris on May 18, for the first time, heads of state and heads of international organizations made support for the African economy a top priority. African entrepreneurship as an engine for stronger and more inclusive growth.
Actors on the ground in Africa, as company founder and investor respectively, we are delighted with this recognition at the highest level. In order for these declarations to lead to concrete support for young African companies, we propose that the alliance for entrepreneurship in Africa, announced at the end of the summit, be supplemented by the establishment of a fund to finance priming.
Indeed, any entrepreneurial project is initiated by a form of financing that the entrepreneur brings together quickly to bring his business to life. It is generally his own money, that of his relatives or, in mature economies, that which comes from actors dedicated to these very early phases of the life of the company (business angels, incubator grants, etc.).
Because of the maturity stage of African economies, these seed resources are lacking, which explains the stagnation of many viable projects that could have given rise to prosperous businesses that create lasting jobs. This is why we are calling for the creation of a fund to support very young companies which have started to prove themselves and to demonstrate their potential, even if they are still very risky.
Public utility
It is difficult to overstate the multiple benefits of the African entrepreneurial revolution. For twenty years, a whole generation of start-ups, VSEs and SMEs has emerged which have demonstrated their public utility. A large number of these companies, because they meet the essential needs of their customers (food, accommodation, treatment, training, etc.), contribute to the resolution of social or societal issues.
Whether it is agrifood units structuring supply chains with farmers and running small factories to bring processed local products to urban customers (yoghurts, bread, rice, fruit juices, etc.), private clinics , companies offering access to electricity in rural areas, construction companies or private schools, these companies, while pursuing their commercial objectives, create jobs, opportunities for their suppliers and a supply of reliable local products.
In addition, entrepreneurs play an essential role in the great African transformation underway, this long cycle of economic progress, sometimes chaotic, and demographic transition, often atypical, which gives rise to the emergence of a working middle class. The African entrepreneurial revolution is a long-term phenomenon, on which heads of state are right to bet.
Of course, African and international public actors did not wait for this summit to implement measures to support African entrepreneurship, on essential levels: vocational training policy, investment in infrastructure, facilitation and digitization of procedures. administrative …
A unique opportunity
But much remains to be done, including the fight against fiscal arbitrariness and against late payments … from the administrations themselves. For the past ten years, the public authorities have also provided support for private initiatives to finance African SMEs.
The alliance for entrepreneurship in Africa represents a unique opportunity to go further, particularly in terms of business financing, a brake constantly cited by entrepreneurs. In particular, the seed financing fund that we are calling for would be inspired by the successful experience of a few actors in the field and would set itself the objective of financing, in five years, 500 companies in at least 20 African countries. (including fragile countries that are often neglected, especially in the Sahel), for amounts per company of between 20,000 and 100,000 euros.
This fund would target both technological start-ups and more ?traditional? companies in the upstream phase (agrifood processing, services to individuals and companies, transport, training, medical practices, light manufacturing, pharmacy, etc. .).
It would also affect many talented women entrepreneurs, as it is true that, unfortunately, they are seldom found in the small circle of large companies. Funding could take the form of honor loans.
Business leaders would be selected and supported by specialized teams independent of public administrations, ill-equipped to interact with very small structures. Over a three-year horizon, we can expect that half of the companies supported will have reached an initial maturity, which can then be part of a long-term development trajectory, and use other financing and development tools. support such as the SME funds already mentioned.
The economic upheavals linked to the pandemic invite us to reinvent our development support strategies. On paper, political and economic leaders have taken the measure of the urgency to support entrepreneurs. Solutions are known, all that remains is to bring them to life, on a large scale.
Bagore Bathily is founder and CEO of Laiterie du berger (Senegalese SME in the fresh dairy products sector) and president of Enablis Senegal (network of entrepreneurs).
Jérémy Hajdenberg is DGA of Investisseurs et Partenaires (a company specializing in the financing and support of African entrepreneurs) and author, with Jean-Michel Severino, ofEntrepreneurial Africa (ed. Odile Jacob, 2016).
To stay up to date with African news, subscribe to the ?Monde Afrique? newsletter from this link. Every Saturday at 6 am, find a week of current events and debates treated by the editorial staff of “Monde Afrique”.
Tribune. During the summit on the financing of African economies held in Paris on May 18, for the first time, heads of state and heads of international organizations made support for the African economy a top priority. African entrepreneurship as an engine for stronger and more inclusive growth.
Actors on the ground in Africa, as company founder and investor respectively, we are delighted with this recognition at the highest level. In order for these declarations to lead to concrete support for young African companies, we propose that the alliance for entrepreneurship in Africa, announced at the end of the summit, be supplemented by the establishment of a fund to finance priming.
Indeed, any entrepreneurial project is initiated by a form of financing that the entrepreneur brings together quickly to bring his business to life. It is generally his own money, that of his relatives or, in mature economies, that which comes from actors dedicated to these very early phases of the life of the company (business angels, incubator grants, etc.).
Because of the maturity stage of African economies, these seed resources are lacking, which explains the stagnation of many viable projects that could have given rise to prosperous businesses that create lasting jobs. This is why we are calling for the creation of a fund to support very young companies which have started to prove themselves and to demonstrate their potential, even if they are still very risky.
Public utility
It is difficult to overstate the multiple benefits of the African entrepreneurial revolution. For twenty years, a whole generation of start-ups, VSEs and SMEs has emerged which have demonstrated their public utility. A large number of these companies, because they meet the essential needs of their customers (food, accommodation, treatment, training, etc.), contribute to the resolution of social or societal issues.
Whether it is agrifood units structuring supply chains with farmers and running small factories to bring processed local products to urban customers (yoghurts, bread, rice, fruit juices, etc.), private clinics , companies offering access to electricity in rural areas, construction companies or private schools, these companies, while pursuing their commercial objectives, create jobs, opportunities for their suppliers and a supply of reliable local products.
In addition, entrepreneurs play an essential role in the great African transformation underway, this long cycle of economic progress, sometimes chaotic, and demographic transition, often atypical, which gives rise to the emergence of a working middle class. The African entrepreneurial revolution is a long-term phenomenon, on which heads of state are right to bet.
Of course, African and international public actors did not wait for this summit to implement measures to support African entrepreneurship, on essential levels: vocational training policy, investment in infrastructure, facilitation and digitization of procedures. administrative …
A unique opportunity
But much remains to be done, including the fight against fiscal arbitrariness and against late payments … from the administrations themselves. For the past ten years, the public authorities have also provided support for private initiatives to finance African SMEs.
The alliance for entrepreneurship in Africa represents a unique opportunity to go further, particularly in terms of business financing, a brake constantly cited by entrepreneurs. In particular, the seed financing fund that we are calling for would be inspired by the successful experience of a few actors in the field and would set itself the objective of financing, in five years, 500 companies in at least 20 African countries. (including fragile countries that are often neglected, especially in the Sahel), for amounts per company of between 20,000 and 100,000 euros.
This fund would target both technological start-ups and more ?traditional? companies in the upstream phase (agrifood processing, services to individuals and companies, transport, training, medical practices, light manufacturing, pharmacy, etc. .).
It would also affect many talented women entrepreneurs, as it is true that, unfortunately, they are seldom found in the small circle of large companies. Funding could take the form of honor loans.
Business leaders would be selected and supported by specialized teams independent of public administrations, ill-equipped to interact with very small structures. Over a three-year horizon, we can expect that half of the companies supported will have reached an initial maturity, which can then be part of a long-term development trajectory, and use other financing and development tools. support such as the SME funds already mentioned.
The economic upheavals linked to the pandemic invite us to reinvent our development support strategies. On paper, political and economic leaders have taken the measure of the urgency to support entrepreneurs. Solutions are known, all that remains is to bring them to life, on a large scale.
Bagore Bathily is founder and CEO of Laiterie du berger (Senegalese SME in the fresh dairy products sector) and president of Enablis Senegal (network of entrepreneurs).
Jérémy Hajdenberg is DGA of Investisseurs et Partenaires (a company specializing in the financing and support of African entrepreneurs) and author, with Jean-Michel Severino, ofEntrepreneurial Africa (ed. Odile Jacob, 2016).
InvestigationThe company behind the spyware Pegasus and the Israeli government are working hand in hand to forge new alliances and serve their interests on the international stage.
Browsing the list of targets for Pegasus surveillance software, a service provided by the Israeli company NSO Group to a dozen states in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia, is to follow a story of Israeli diplomacy. These data, vast but still partial, shared by the organization Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International with seventeen media, including The world, have accompanied the all-out expansion of Israeli ?soft power? for a decade. They constitute a dark side, discreet but assumed.
Founded in 2009, when former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came back to power (2009-2021), NSO benefited from Israel’s expansion of diplomatic relations. One moment is emblematic: July 2017. Mr. Netanyahu welcomes Narendra Modi to Tel Aviv. This is the first time that a head of the Indian government has visited the country in twenty-five years of diplomatic relations. Mr. Modi is a choice catch in Mr. Netanyahu’s effort to diversify Israel’s alliances.
Powerful, ultranationalist, authoritarian and populist, the Indian signifies the opening to Israel of a booming market, and does not seek to dwell on the occupation of the Palestinian territories or on the question of human rights. man. Shortly after the two men posed for photographers with their feet in the water in the Mediterranean, India tested Pegasus spyware for the first time. Since then, it has continued to use it, less against potential terrorists than against opponents, journalists and human rights defenders.
The service provided by NSO weighs little against the traditional arms contracts that Israel and India negotiate in 2017, covering missiles and air defense systems, and valued at 1.7 billion euros. But Mr. Netanyahu says so, he who sought in 2009 to promote research and teaching in cybersecurity, and to better integrate it into the defense organs: ?Cyber ??is a serious threat and a very lucrative business. “
Globally, “Of the 5 to 7 billion euros that the military exports of Israeli companies represent annually [comme IAI, Elbit et Rafael], cyber occupies only a modest portion: barely 3% to 4% “, says Eitay Mack, lawyer and expert on Israeli arms exports, who is campaigning for more transparency in this area.
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InvestigationThe company behind the spyware Pegasus and the Israeli government are working hand in hand to forge new alliances and serve their interests on the international stage.
Browsing the list of targets for Pegasus surveillance software, a service provided by the Israeli company NSO Group to a dozen states in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia, is to follow a story of Israeli diplomacy. These data, vast but still partial, shared by the organization Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International with seventeen media, including The world, have accompanied the all-out expansion of Israeli ?soft power? for a decade. They constitute a dark side, discreet but assumed.
Founded in 2009, when former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came back to power (2009-2021), NSO benefited from Israel’s expansion of diplomatic relations. One moment is emblematic: July 2017. Mr. Netanyahu welcomes Narendra Modi to Tel Aviv. This is the first time that a head of the Indian government has visited the country in twenty-five years of diplomatic relations. Mr. Modi is a choice catch in Mr. Netanyahu’s effort to diversify Israel’s alliances.
Powerful, ultranationalist, authoritarian and populist, the Indian signifies the opening to Israel of a booming market, and does not seek to dwell on the occupation of the Palestinian territories or on the question of human rights. man. Shortly after the two men posed for photographers with their feet in the water in the Mediterranean, India tested Pegasus spyware for the first time. Since then, it has continued to use it, less against potential terrorists than against opponents, journalists and human rights defenders.
The service provided by NSO weighs little against the traditional arms contracts that Israel and India negotiate in 2017, covering missiles and air defense systems, and valued at 1.7 billion euros. But Mr. Netanyahu says so, he who sought in 2009 to promote research and teaching in cybersecurity, and to better integrate it into the defense organs: ?Cyber ??is a serious threat and a very lucrative business. “
Globally, “Of the 5 to 7 billion euros that the military exports of Israeli companies represent annually [comme IAI, Elbit et Rafael], cyber occupies only a modest portion: barely 3% to 4% “, says Eitay Mack, lawyer and expert on Israeli arms exports, who is campaigning for more transparency in this area.
You have 70.11% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
InvestigationNew Delhi has targeted the phones of several relatives of the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile in northern India through NSO Group spyware, amid mounting tensions with China.
Much to the despair of intelligence agencies, the Dalai Lama has still not given in to the temptation to buy a smartphone. Which makes the 86-year-old man particularly difficult to spy on. But those close to him, including his emissary in New Delhi Tempa Tsering, his private secretary Tenzin Taklha or his advisers Tenzin Taklha and Chhimey Rigzen can be watched very closely. In all, nearly twenty Tibetan activists, politicians and religious in exile appear in the list of numbers selected by an Indian security service, user of the Pegasus spyware, for potential piracy. They are part of a database of 50,000 issues, consulted by the organization Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International before being shared with seventeen media, including The world, united within the “Pegasus Project”.
According to our investigation, certain relatives of the Dalai Lama were first selected for possible surveillance from the end of November 2017, when former US President Barack Obama, who had just arrived from China, meets the Tibetan spiritual leader in New Delhi. Lobsang Sangay appeared on the list later, in mid-2018, when he was president of the Tibetan administration in exile and increased trips to India and abroad. Two other candidates for this post are also included, including Penpa Tsering, finally elected in May 2021.
Without being able to examine their phones, it is not possible to say whether they were indeed infected by this spyware, one of the most sophisticated on the planet, capable of sucking all the contents of a phone. – e-mails, secure messaging, photos, address books, diary? and to recover geolocation data without anything indicating that the device has been hacked. This selection suggests, however, that the cordial understanding between New Delhi and the Tibetan community, which has taken refuge on Indian soil for over sixty years, is imbued with mistrust.
Dharamsala, nid d’espions
It reveals, as never before, the suspicion of the Indian state vis-à-vis the Tibetan community, suspected of being infiltrated by Chinese spies, as well as its strategic importance at a time when the tension between the two countries the most populous in Asia continues to climb.
New Delhi believes it has reason to be wary. As recently as August 2020, a Chinese national suspected of being a spy paying Buddhist monks for information about the Dalai Lama’s bodyguard was arrested in India. The first breach in the relationship between India and the Tibetan community opened in 2011, when the XVIIe karmapa, the third highest dignitary in the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, had been suspected by New Delhi of being a Chinese spy. A suspicion that was officially lifted a year later, the dignitary having been cleared by Indian justice, but that did not remove all doubts. The karmapa obtained a passport from Dominica in 2018 and regularly experiences difficulties in obtaining Indian visas.
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InvestigationNew Delhi has targeted the phones of several relatives of the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile in northern India through NSO Group spyware, amid mounting tensions with China.
Much to the despair of intelligence agencies, the Dalai Lama has still not given in to the temptation to buy a smartphone. Which makes the 86-year-old man particularly difficult to spy on. But those close to him, including his emissary in New Delhi Tempa Tsering, his private secretary Tenzin Taklha or his advisers Tenzin Taklha and Chhimey Rigzen can be watched very closely. In all, nearly twenty Tibetan activists, politicians and religious in exile appear in the list of numbers selected by an Indian security service, user of the Pegasus spyware, for potential piracy. They are part of a database of 50,000 issues, consulted by the organization Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International before being shared with seventeen media, including The world, united within the “Pegasus Project”.
According to our investigation, certain relatives of the Dalai Lama were first selected for possible surveillance from the end of November 2017, when former US President Barack Obama, who had just arrived from China, meets the Tibetan spiritual leader in New Delhi. Lobsang Sangay appeared on the list later, in mid-2018, when he was president of the Tibetan administration in exile and increased trips to India and abroad. Two other candidates for this post are also included, including Penpa Tsering, finally elected in May 2021.
Without being able to examine their phones, it is not possible to say whether they were indeed infected by this spyware, one of the most sophisticated on the planet, capable of sucking all the contents of a phone. – e-mails, secure messaging, photos, address books, diary? and to recover geolocation data without anything indicating that the device has been hacked. This selection suggests, however, that the cordial understanding between New Delhi and the Tibetan community, which has taken refuge on Indian soil for over sixty years, is imbued with mistrust.
Dharamsala, nid d’espions
It reveals, as never before, the suspicion of the Indian state vis-à-vis the Tibetan community, suspected of being infiltrated by Chinese spies, as well as its strategic importance at a time when the tension between the two countries the most populous in Asia continues to climb.
New Delhi believes it has reason to be wary. As recently as August 2020, a Chinese national suspected of being a spy paying Buddhist monks for information about the Dalai Lama’s bodyguard was arrested in India. The first breach in the relationship between India and the Tibetan community opened in 2011, when the XVIIe karmapa, the third highest dignitary in the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, had been suspected by New Delhi of being a Chinese spy. A suspicion that was officially lifted a year later, the dignitary having been cleared by Indian justice, but that did not remove all doubts. The karmapa obtained a passport from Dominica in 2018 and regularly experiences difficulties in obtaining Indian visas.
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Their life was hanging by a thread. After sixty-one days of hunger strike, some of the 475 undocumented migrants who occupy several places in Brussels, including the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-au-Béguinage church in the city center, have started to eat again, Wednesday July 21. “The hunger strike is suspended, but not over”, declares Tarik, one of the spokespersons for the union of undocumented migrants for regularization. Because the content of the agreement, negotiated between a delegation of personalities – lawyers, activists – chosen by undocumented migrants, and Sammy Mahdi, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration (CD&V, Flemish Christian Democrat) , is rather vague.
Moreover, the Secretary of State considers that there was no real agreement. “He remained on his line, no collective regularization, but an individual examination of the files”, explains Sieghild Lacoere, his spokesperson. According to Sammy Mahdi, undocumented migrants can simply submit an individual request and follow the usual route for regularization. The review would be expedited, but nothing more. “I am grateful that people have stopped their hunger strike”, did he declare. The Secretary of State considers that he has convinced the undocumented migrants that only “The existing procedures are human”.
So much for appearances. But behind the scenes, it seems that Sammy Mahdi has let loose a little more ballast. The satisfaction of some of the supporters of undocumented migrants is an indicator. Alexis Deswaef is a lawyer, he was a member of the delegation that met the Secretary of State on Wednesday morning. ?The discussion was very open with Sammy Mahdi, he said. This climate of confidence and the information received make it possible to put an end to this humanitarian crisis. “
Case-by-case assessment
What are these elements? At the moment, they are not public. Several sources evoke a treatment of the files of the hunger strikers by the administration without the preliminary examination of the admissibility of the request on which many undocumented migrants are breaking their teeth. Then the officials would assess the applicants’ situations on a case-by-case basis, with a certain leniency for those who have worked and lived in Belgium for a long time.
This “agreement” which does not speak its name does not win the unanimity of the strikers. If the occupants of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-au-Béguinage church suspended their hunger strike, those of the two free universities of Brussels, the French-speaking (ULB) and the Dutch-speaking (VUB), were more reluctant and no ‘had, Wednesday evening, not yet decided to stop their action. The undocumented migrants, since the beginning of their movement, demand that a real policy of regularization – with clear criteria – be put in place.
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Their life was hanging by a thread. After sixty-one days of hunger strike, some of the 475 undocumented migrants who occupy several places in Brussels, including the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-au-Béguinage church in the city center, have started to eat again, Wednesday July 21. “The hunger strike is suspended, but not over”, declares Tarik, one of the spokespersons for the union of undocumented migrants for regularization. Because the content of the agreement, negotiated between a delegation of personalities – lawyers, activists – chosen by undocumented migrants, and Sammy Mahdi, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration (CD&V, Flemish Christian Democrat) , is rather vague.
Moreover, the Secretary of State considers that there was no real agreement. “He remained on his line, no collective regularization, but an individual examination of the files”, explains Sieghild Lacoere, his spokesperson. According to Sammy Mahdi, undocumented migrants can simply submit an individual request and follow the usual route for regularization. The review would be expedited, but nothing more. “I am grateful that people have stopped their hunger strike”, did he declare. The Secretary of State considers that he has convinced the undocumented migrants that only “The existing procedures are human”.
So much for appearances. But behind the scenes, it seems that Sammy Mahdi has let loose a little more ballast. The satisfaction of some of the supporters of undocumented migrants is an indicator. Alexis Deswaef is a lawyer, he was a member of the delegation that met the Secretary of State on Wednesday morning. ?The discussion was very open with Sammy Mahdi, he said. This climate of confidence and the information received make it possible to put an end to this humanitarian crisis. “
Case-by-case assessment
What are these elements? At the moment, they are not public. Several sources evoke a treatment of the files of the hunger strikers by the administration without the preliminary examination of the admissibility of the request on which many undocumented migrants are breaking their teeth. Then the officials would assess the applicants’ situations on a case-by-case basis, with a certain leniency for those who have worked and lived in Belgium for a long time.
This “agreement” which does not speak its name does not win the unanimity of the strikers. If the occupants of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-au-Béguinage church suspended their hunger strike, those of the two free universities of Brussels, the French-speaking (ULB) and the Dutch-speaking (VUB), were more reluctant and no ‘had, Wednesday evening, not yet decided to stop their action. The undocumented migrants, since the beginning of their movement, demand that a real policy of regularization – with clear criteria – be put in place.
You have 35.01% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
On Wednesday, July 21, during a cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv, the head of the Israeli government, Naftali Bennett, did not have a single word for the Pegasus scandal. Since the start of the week, the country’s political leaders have been keeping a low profile; newspapers, except daily Haaretz, which is part of the consortium behind the revelations, quickly moved on.
Yet the NSO company, although private, does not act without the control of the Israeli government: to export its software, as with any sale of arms abroad, it must obtain the green light from the Ministry of Defense. Which made it known on Tuesday, through the voice of his minister, Benny Gantz, that he was ” studying “ the charges against the group based in Herzliya. “The State of Israel allows exports of cybertechnology products only to governments, only for lawful use, and only to prevent or investigate crimes and acts of terrorism.”, he defended himself. Israel claims to have “No access to information gathered by NSO clients”.
Behind the scenes, however, the government is said to have set up an inter-ministerial team, under the orders of the National Security Council, to seize the case – just to be ready, in case of diplomatic repercussions. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz of the left-wing Meretz party was to call for « clarifications » on the Benny Gantz case on Thursday; one of the deputies of his political formation demands the suspension of the export licenses of the NSO. But the rest of the politicians are largely silent, starting with the other minister (for the environment) from Meretz, Tamar Zandberg, who had nevertheless tried to lobby against the cybersurveillance company in court in 2017, after revelations about the use of Pegasus against human rights defenders, journalists and parliamentarians in Mexico.
An invisible weapon
Today at the head of the government, Naftali Bennett had thought, at the end of March 2020, of calling on the NSO to set up a system to assess, in real time, the probability, for each Israeli citizen, of be infected with Covid-19. He was then Minister of Defense and the idea was quickly abandoned. Haaretz had in the process revealed that Mr. Bennett was an acquaintance of the president of NSO, Shiri Dolev, also very close to his political ally, Ayelet Shaked, now Minister of the Interior. In 2017, on a television set, she was thus presented as her best friend, according to the daily.
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On Wednesday, July 21, during a cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv, the head of the Israeli government, Naftali Bennett, did not have a single word for the Pegasus scandal. Since the start of the week, the country’s political leaders have been keeping a low profile; newspapers, except daily Haaretz, which is part of the consortium behind the revelations, quickly moved on.
Yet the NSO company, although private, does not act without the control of the Israeli government: to export its software, as with any sale of arms abroad, it must obtain the green light from the Ministry of Defense. Which made it known on Tuesday, through the voice of his minister, Benny Gantz, that he was ” studying “ the charges against the group based in Herzliya. “The State of Israel allows exports of cybertechnology products only to governments, only for lawful use, and only to prevent or investigate crimes and acts of terrorism.”, he defended himself. Israel claims to have “No access to information gathered by NSO clients”.
Behind the scenes, however, the government is said to have set up an inter-ministerial team, under the orders of the National Security Council, to seize the case – just to be ready, in case of diplomatic repercussions. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz of the left-wing Meretz party was to call for « clarifications » on the Benny Gantz case on Thursday; one of the deputies of his political formation demands the suspension of the export licenses of the NSO. But the rest of the politicians are largely silent, starting with the other minister (for the environment) from Meretz, Tamar Zandberg, who had nevertheless tried to lobby against the cybersurveillance company in court in 2017, after revelations about the use of Pegasus against human rights defenders, journalists and parliamentarians in Mexico.
An invisible weapon
Today at the head of the government, Naftali Bennett had thought, at the end of March 2020, of calling on the NSO to set up a system to assess, in real time, the probability, for each Israeli citizen, of be infected with Covid-19. He was then Minister of Defense and the idea was quickly abandoned. Haaretz had in the process revealed that Mr. Bennett was an acquaintance of the president of NSO, Shiri Dolev, also very close to his political ally, Ayelet Shaked, now Minister of the Interior. In 2017, on a television set, she was thus presented as her best friend, according to the daily.
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It was one of the issues that most complicated relations between the United States and Germany in recent years. After several months of tough negotiations, Washington and Berlin announced, Wednesday, July 21, that they had reached an agreement on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is to transport Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
In practice, the agreement will allow the completion of the site, 98% complete, but delayed by the sanctions imposed by the United States against several companies involved in the project. In return for the lifting of sanctions, demanded by Germany, US President Joe Biden negotiated an agreement with Berlin to prevent Russia from using energy to harm Ukraine.
“Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit other aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level, and push for effective measures at the national level. European Union, including sanctions, to limit Russian export capacities to Europe in the energy sector ?, is it written in the press release.
In addition, Berlin and Washington pledge that Russian gas will continue to “Transit through Ukraine after 2024”, deadline currently provided for in an agreement with Moscow. “Germany undertakes to use all its means of pressure to facilitate an extension [de cet accord] up to ten additional years’, indicates the agreement, which specifies that Berlin will appoint a “Special envoy” responsible for these negotiations by 1is September. For Kiev, this is an important source of income: in 2019, 40% of the 199 billion cubic meters of natural gas supplied to Europe by the Russian giant Gazprom had passed through Ukrainian territory.
Finally, Germany undertakes to create a “Green fund” for “Supporting the energy transition” of Ukraine, to which she promises to contribute to the author of 150 million euros in order to “Promote and support investments for at least $ 1 billion [848 millions d?euros] ».
Diplomatic victory
Five days after Angela Merkel’s visit to Washington, this agreement looks like a diplomatic victory for the German Chancellor, who has always defended Nord Stream 2. “We are relieved to have found a constructive agreement with the United States on Nord Stream 2”, welcomed its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, on Twitter on Wednesday evening. “I am happy that transatlantic cooperation is once again in good shape”, also welcomed its Minister of the Economy, Peter Altmaier.
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It was one of the issues that most complicated relations between the United States and Germany in recent years. After several months of tough negotiations, Washington and Berlin announced, Wednesday, July 21, that they had reached an agreement on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is to transport Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
In practice, the agreement will allow the completion of the site, 98% complete, but delayed by the sanctions imposed by the United States against several companies involved in the project. In return for the lifting of sanctions, demanded by Germany, US President Joe Biden negotiated an agreement with Berlin to prevent Russia from using energy to harm Ukraine.
“Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit other aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level, and push for effective measures at the national level. European Union, including sanctions, to limit Russian export capacities to Europe in the energy sector ?, is it written in the press release.
In addition, Berlin and Washington pledge that Russian gas will continue to “Transit through Ukraine after 2024”, deadline currently provided for in an agreement with Moscow. “Germany undertakes to use all its means of pressure to facilitate an extension [de cet accord] up to ten additional years’, indicates the agreement, which specifies that Berlin will appoint a “Special envoy” responsible for these negotiations by 1is September. For Kiev, this is an important source of income: in 2019, 40% of the 199 billion cubic meters of natural gas supplied to Europe by the Russian giant Gazprom had passed through Ukrainian territory.
Finally, Germany undertakes to create a “Green fund” for “Supporting the energy transition” of Ukraine, to which she promises to contribute to the author of 150 million euros in order to “Promote and support investments for at least $ 1 billion [848 millions d?euros] ».
Diplomatic victory
Five days after Angela Merkel’s visit to Washington, this agreement looks like a diplomatic victory for the German Chancellor, who has always defended Nord Stream 2. “We are relieved to have found a constructive agreement with the United States on Nord Stream 2”, welcomed its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, on Twitter on Wednesday evening. “I am happy that transatlantic cooperation is once again in good shape”, also welcomed its Minister of the Economy, Peter Altmaier.
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A week after the floods that killed at least 174 people in the Rhineland, according to a new report published Wednesday, July 21, an estimate gives an idea of ??the scale of the disaster. We owe it to Jörg Asmussen, Managing Director of the German Federation of Insurance Companies (GDV). On Wednesday, the latter said that insured losses could reach 4 to 5 billion euros.
“Taking into account all the damage caused by precipitation, flooding or hailstorms, this year should be the most expensive since 2002 for our sector”, he added. In 2002, a year marked in particular by spectacular floods in eastern Germany, the overall amount of compensation paid to victims of bad weather was 13.9 billion euros.
For its part, the government has started to take out the checkbook. During the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, a first emergency aid of 200 million euros was adopted. Intended to secure the most damaged buildings and infrastructure, as well as to meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable victims, it will be supplemented by an envelope of the same amount, financed by the Länder. ?The money will be paid out quickly and in an unbureaucratic manner. And if it turns out that there is a need for more, we will give more ?, promised the Federal Minister of Finance, Olaf Scholz, specifying that this emergency plan would be followed by a reconstruction program of several billion euros.
The line of “whatever the cost”
These announcements are in line with the commitments made by Angela Merkel. “We will be by your side”, had assured the Chancellor, Sunday, in the small town of Adenau (Rhineland-Palatinate), in the heart of one of the most ravaged areas. ?We will do everything to ensure that the money arrives quickly. I hope it will only be a matter of days ?, she added on Tuesday during a further trip to the region, to Bad Münstereifel (North Rhine-Westphalia).
If the expression has not been used, that is the idea: in the aid they intend to bring to the victims of the floods, the German authorities have chosen the line of “whatever the cost”. Two months before the legislative elections, scheduled for September 26, this is not surprising. For Angela Merkel, who is preparing to leave power after sixteen years in the chancellery, showing generosity is an opportunity to celebrate – in hollow – her own record: “Fortunately, Germany is a country that can cope financially”, she congratulated herself on Sunday in Adenau.
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A week after the floods that killed at least 174 people in the Rhineland, according to a new report published Wednesday, July 21, an estimate gives an idea of ??the scale of the disaster. We owe it to Jörg Asmussen, Managing Director of the German Federation of Insurance Companies (GDV). On Wednesday, the latter said that insured losses could reach 4 to 5 billion euros.
“Taking into account all the damage caused by precipitation, flooding or hailstorms, this year should be the most expensive since 2002 for our sector”, he added. In 2002, a year marked in particular by spectacular floods in eastern Germany, the overall amount of compensation paid to victims of bad weather was 13.9 billion euros.
For its part, the government has started to take out the checkbook. During the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, a first emergency aid of 200 million euros was adopted. Intended to secure the most damaged buildings and infrastructure, as well as to meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable victims, it will be supplemented by an envelope of the same amount, financed by the Länder. ?The money will be paid out quickly and in an unbureaucratic manner. And if it turns out that there is a need for more, we will give more ?, promised the Federal Minister of Finance, Olaf Scholz, specifying that this emergency plan would be followed by a reconstruction program of several billion euros.
The line of “whatever the cost”
These announcements are in line with the commitments made by Angela Merkel. “We will be by your side”, had assured the Chancellor, Sunday, in the small town of Adenau (Rhineland-Palatinate), in the heart of one of the most ravaged areas. ?We will do everything to ensure that the money arrives quickly. I hope it will only be a matter of days ?, she added on Tuesday during a further trip to the region, to Bad Münstereifel (North Rhine-Westphalia).
If the expression has not been used, that is the idea: in the aid they intend to bring to the victims of the floods, the German authorities have chosen the line of “whatever the cost”. Two months before the legislative elections, scheduled for September 26, this is not surprising. For Angela Merkel, who is preparing to leave power after sixteen years in the chancellery, showing generosity is an opportunity to celebrate – in hollow – her own record: “Fortunately, Germany is a country that can cope financially”, she congratulated herself on Sunday in Adenau.
You have 45.01% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
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The Ivorian head of state Alassane Ouattara will meet his predecessor and former rival Laurent Gbagbo on July 27, a first since their face-to-face in the 2010 presidential election, which led to a serious post-electoral crisis.
“President Alassane Ouattara will receive Laurent Gbagbo on July 27, at the presidential palace”Ivorian government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly said at a press conference.
The two men, aged 79 and 76 respectively, had “A contact” telephone in early July, he added, confirming information fromAfrica Intelligence. This will be their first meeting since the 2010 presidential election when they were opponents in the second round.
At the time, Côte d’Ivoire had experienced a serious post-electoral crisis (2010-2011) resulting from the refusal of Mr. Gbagbo, in power since 2000, to recognize his defeat in the presidential election to Alassane Ouattara.
Again in the political arena
More than 3,000 people were killed during this period and Laurent Gbagbo was arrested in April 2011, before being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for crimes against humanity during this period.
But Laurent Gbagbo returned to Côte d’Ivoire on June 17 after being definitively acquitted by the ICC. ” Ten years [d?absence] it’s a lot “, he had notably launched during his return to his native village of Mama (west), at the end of June.
Very quickly, he again occupied the political field, notably by going to meet on July 10 another former president and ex-rival, Henri Konan Bédié. The two men displayed a certain unity for a weekend, posing as natural opponents to the head of state.
On this occasion, Laurent Gbagbo had also called Alassane Ouattara to “Respect the texts”, in reference to his re-election in 2020 for a controversial third term, during a presidential election boycotted by the opposition which deemed this new term unconstitutional.
“A reconciliation project”
A political message that had irritated the presidential party of the Rassemblement des houphouëtistes pour la democratie et la paix (RHDP), its number two Adama Bictogo believing that Mr. Gbagbo had “No lessons in democracy” to give. But the prospect of a meeting next Tuesday pleads in favor of appeasement between the two camps.
Laurent Gbagbo who affirmed with Mr. Bédié his desire to launch “A reconciliation project” had thus underlined “The urgent need to work for the return of a final and lasting peace in Côte d’Ivoire”.
A message that seems to share the current head of state: Tuesday, on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid el-Adha, known as Tabaski in West Africa, Alassane Ouattara played the appeasement by also calling for the pursuit of national reconciliation.
?May the steps that have been taken for social cohesion, for reconciliation, continue to grow stronger. May Côte d’Ivoire continue to live in peace! “, did he declare. He gave the green light for Laurent Gbagbo’s return a few days after his acquittal by the ICC.
Laurent Gbagbo remains under sentence in Côte d’Ivoire to twenty years in prison for the ” robbery “ of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) during the 2010-2011 crisis, but the government hinted that it would be abandoned.
To stay up to date with African news, subscribe to the ?Monde Afrique? newsletter from this link. Every Saturday at 6 am, find a week of current events and debates treated by the editorial staff of “Monde Afrique”.
The Ivorian head of state Alassane Ouattara will meet his predecessor and former rival Laurent Gbagbo on July 27, a first since their face-to-face in the 2010 presidential election, which led to a serious post-electoral crisis.
“President Alassane Ouattara will receive Laurent Gbagbo on July 27, at the presidential palace”Ivorian government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly said at a press conference.
The two men, aged 79 and 76 respectively, had “A contact” telephone in early July, he added, confirming information fromAfrica Intelligence. This will be their first meeting since the 2010 presidential election when they were opponents in the second round.
At the time, Côte d’Ivoire had experienced a serious post-electoral crisis (2010-2011) resulting from the refusal of Mr. Gbagbo, in power since 2000, to recognize his defeat in the presidential election to Alassane Ouattara.
Again in the political arena
More than 3,000 people were killed during this period and Laurent Gbagbo was arrested in April 2011, before being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for crimes against humanity during this period.
But Laurent Gbagbo returned to Côte d’Ivoire on June 17 after being definitively acquitted by the ICC. ” Ten years [d?absence] it’s a lot “, he had notably launched during his return to his native village of Mama (west), at the end of June.
Very quickly, he again occupied the political field, notably by going to meet on July 10 another former president and ex-rival, Henri Konan Bédié. The two men displayed a certain unity for a weekend, posing as natural opponents to the head of state.
On this occasion, Laurent Gbagbo had also called Alassane Ouattara to “Respect the texts”, in reference to his re-election in 2020 for a controversial third term, during a presidential election boycotted by the opposition which deemed this new term unconstitutional.
“A reconciliation project”
A political message that had irritated the presidential party of the Rassemblement des houphouëtistes pour la democratie et la paix (RHDP), its number two Adama Bictogo believing that Mr. Gbagbo had “No lessons in democracy” to give. But the prospect of a meeting next Tuesday pleads in favor of appeasement between the two camps.
Laurent Gbagbo who affirmed with Mr. Bédié his desire to launch “A reconciliation project” had thus underlined “The urgent need to work for the return of a final and lasting peace in Côte d’Ivoire”.
A message that seems to share the current head of state: Tuesday, on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid el-Adha, known as Tabaski in West Africa, Alassane Ouattara played the appeasement by also calling for the pursuit of national reconciliation.
?May the steps that have been taken for social cohesion, for reconciliation, continue to grow stronger. May Côte d’Ivoire continue to live in peace! “, did he declare. He gave the green light for Laurent Gbagbo’s return a few days after his acquittal by the ICC.
Laurent Gbagbo remains under sentence in Côte d’Ivoire to twenty years in prison for the ” robbery “ of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) during the 2010-2011 crisis, but the government hinted that it would be abandoned.