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  • Malawi Must Arrest Sudan’s al-Bashir During Visit

    Malawi should arrest wanted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and surrender him to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Amnesty International said today.

    Al-Bashir is due in Malawi tomorrow to attend a regional trade summit, despite two international warrants for his arrest on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in the Darfur conflict.

    Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika said this March that African leaders should only ever be tried domestically for their crimes, not by the ICC.

    “President Mutharika’s public reluctance to back the ICC is unacceptable,” said Marek Marczynski, Research, Policy and Campaign Manager of Amnesty International’s Campaign for International Justice.

    “The authorities have legal obligations to provide real justice for victims of crimes against humanity and other crimes under international law in Darfur, and should not be welcoming international fugitives.”

    If Malawi fails to arrest President Omar al-Bashir, it would be in violation of its obligations under the Rome Statute of the ICC, which it ratified on 19 September 2002.

    Since the Darfur conflict started in 2003, more than 300,000 people have been killed, thousands raped, and millions forcibly displaced.

    An arrest warrant for President Bashir was issued by the ICC in March 2009 on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes. A further arrest warrant with three charges of genocide in Darfur was issued in July 2010.

    Amnesty International has called on all members of the international community to assist the ICC in executing its arrest warrants in the Sudan situation.

    For more about the Amnesty International, refer to www.amnesty.org.

    To view other NGO press releases, refer to www.ngopulse.org/group/home-page/pressreleases.

    Date published: 
    13/10/2011
    Organisation: 
    Amnesty International

  • CSOs: Arson Attacks Target Rights Activists

    Civil society groups in Malawi have accused President Bingu wa Mutharika's administration of muzzling freedom of expression following an alleged arson attack on a house belonging to a rights activist.

    The house, which belongs to McDonald Sembereka, the acting national coordinator of a group of human rights organisations, the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), was allegedly petrol bombed earlier this month by unknown arsonists.

    There is widespread speculation and claims from civil society groups that these barbaric acts are being engineered by extremist supporters of President Bingu wa Mutharika's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), following his call for the party's youth to protect him and the DPP.

    To read the article titled, “Arson attacks target rights activists,” click here.

    Source: 
    All Africa

  • CSOs Plan New Protests in Malawi

    Malawi Civil Society organisations have notified the police and city councils across the country of their intentions to carry out protests against President Bingu wa Mutharika's government on 21 September 2011.

    However, cracks have developed within the civil society organisations as one organisation, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), announced its withdrawal from participation in the protests.

    CCJP's disclosure comes amid allegations of division of opinion in the civil society ranks whether to go ahead with the protests immediately after the collapse of the United Nations mediated talks between government and the civil society organisations.

    To read the article titled, “Civil society finalise protest plans amid doubts,” click here.

    Source: 
    All Africa

  • Bingu Given Up to Mid-September

    Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has been given up to mid-September 2011 to address seven issues in the 20-point July 20 civil society petition - as matters deserving immediate action.

    According to sources close to the United Nations-facilitated civil society-government dialogue process, the seven points include drug shortages in hospitals, the university impasse and the repealing of Section 46 of the Penal Code.

    Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi (CONGOMA) chairperson, Voice Mhone, who is leading the NGOs in the dialogue process, declined to disclose the isolated seven issues for immediate action, stating that once the seven issues are addressed by mid of this month, the civil society would be confident that the dialogue process is on course.

    To read the article titled, “Bingu given up to mid-September,” click here.

    Source: 
    The Nation

  • African Youth Day Conference 2011

    The Organisation of African Youth (OAYouth) is the youth platform for information exchange, forum for debate on African issues and a network of future political, corporate, academic, literary, religious and traditional leaders in all African contexts.

    The African Youth Day was declared and adopted by the African Union (AU) in 2006 to be commemorated on 1 November each year. It has since evolved as the most powerful platform of young people of Africa.

    OAYouth, in collaboration with Phelps Stokes and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is hosting the ‘African Youth Day Conference 2011 (AYDAC'11)’ on 1 November 2011 in Johannesburg.

    The youth of Africa will convene at AYDAC’11 to celebrate the African Youth Day. The conference will pave way for youth to examine workable methods to improve youth unity as well as strengthen youth economic empowerment through leadership development, entrepreneurship support and agricultural transformation.

    Conference Objectives:

    • Echo the voice of ordinary young people of Africa;
    • Share information and best practices in promoting opportunities for youth encouraging youth to start new entrepreneurship initiatives;
    • Establish suitable structures for meeting the unique needs for youth business start-ups in developing economies in Africa;
    • Build lasting relationships between youth and business institutions;
    • Infuse a gender perspective and rights-based approach to policies and programs for youth;
    • Cultivate in the youth the spirit of accountability, transparency and integrity (ATI).
    Only young people of between 15 and 35 who are of nationality of any African State will qualify to apply.

    Cost: R2 430 per delegate.

    For sponsorships, exhibitions and applications, write to: info@oayouth.org.

    Enquiries: Tel: +27 73 445 4355.

    For more about The Organisation of African Youth, refer to www.oayouth.org.

    Event type: 
    Conference
    Event venue: 
    Ingwenya Country Escape, Lanseria, Johannesburg
    Event start date: 
    01/11/2011

  • Malawi Activists Warn of More Protests

    Malawian activists who organised the July 20 deadly protests say there will be more demonstrations unless President Bingu wa Mutharika addresses their grievances.

    Protest organiser, Rafiq Hajat, says that Mutharika has until 16 August to resolve persistent fuel and foreign exchange shortages, adding that if not, the protests will begin the next day.

    Mutharika has since reshuffled the country's military leadership following anti-government protests in three major cities. At least 19 people were killed in Malawi during demonstrations against the government.

    To read the article titled, “Malawi activists warn of more protests,” click here.

    Source: 
    SABC News

  • March Against Repressive Media Laws

    In a rare show of unity, Malawi's opposition parties and a coalition of civil society groups will be protesting against the country’s repressive media laws recently passed by Parliament, fuel shortages and bad economic governance.

    The media law, endorsed by President Bingu wa Mutharika and the government concerns the amendment of Section 46 of the Penal Code, which will allow the information minister to ban publications deemed contrary to public interest.

    Civil society groups, among them the influential Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) have closed ranks with opposition groups including the country's oldest party, the Malawi Congress Party led by opposition Member of Parliament, John Tembo, to call for nationwide demonstrations.

    To read the article titled, “Protests Scheduled for 20 July,” click here.

    Source: 
    All Africa

  • Tell Mutharika to Respect Rights – OSISA

    The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) has asked the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) to tell Malawi President, Bingu wa Mutharika to respect human rights and various freedoms.

    OSISA, which campaigns for freedoms and other rights in the region, says it had petitioned the 49th Ordinary Session of the Commission taking place in Gambia on this issue.

    OSISA is quoted as saying that recent events in Malawi indicate that the country is fast sliding towards undemocratic rule.

    To read the article titled, “Tell Mutharika to respect rights, OSISA tells AC,” click here.
    Source: 
    Maravi Post

  • Contestations Over Culture in a Time of AIDS in Malawi

    The Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) is a leading research and teaching centre with an international reputation for high quality applied research and critical scholarship. PLAAS was founded in 1995 as a specialist unit in the School of Government, in the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty at the University of the Western Cape.

    PLAAS is hosting a seminar titled ‘Contestations Over Culture in a Time of AIDS in Malawi’ on 19 April 2011 in Bellville, Cape Town.

    In Malawi, the distress and unease caused by rising numbers of deaths and chronic illness due to HIV infection have led people to search for explanations.

    In this seminar Dr Pauline Peters, Senior Research Fellow in the Center for International Development at Harvard University and currently a Fellow at the Stellenbosch University Institute for Advanced Studies, will describe two particular ‘turns to culture’. Zomba villagers over two decades have come  to link AIDS with kanyera, an indigenous illness syndrome. In contrast, the public media, government and donors blame ‘promiscuity’ and ‘cultural practices’ for HIV infection.

    The resulting stigmatisation causes people to avoid naming AIDS, and both turns to culture tend to link blame and stigma to women.

    Time: 14h00 to 15h30

    To attend, register your interest with rpointer@uwc.ac.za.

    For more information, refer to www.plaas.org.za/newsevents/seminar-contestations-over-culture-in-a-time-of-aids-in-malawi.

    For more about PLAAS, refer to www.plaas.org.za.
    Event type: 
    Seminar
    Event venue: 
    Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, Bellville
    Event start date: 
    19/04/2011
    Event end date: 
    19/04/2011

  • International NGO Slams Mutharika’s Remarks

    An international human rights body, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OBS), has condemned remarks by Malawi President, Bingu wa Mutharika, that a group of 15 people was roaming in Europe to dent the record of Malawi.
     
    The OBS has also condemned Mutharika for saying he is waiting for the rights activists to return home.
     
    The President is also condemned for saying that NGOs are working against national interests by informing the international community on human rights abuses in Malawi.
     
    Mutharika singled out Undule Mwakasungula, executive director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and chairperson of the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), as leading the civil society in ‘telling lies’ to donors on human rights and governance in Malawi.
     
    To read the article titled, “International NGO condemns Bingu’s remarks,” click here.
    Source: 
    The Nation
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