Just Africa

Spotlight on Ugandan Pregnant Women

Maternity in Uganda

In Uganda, there is a saying that goes, “Every pregnant woman has one foot in the grave”. Citizens say this because according to the statistics:

• Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio is 435 deaths per 100,000 live births
• Uganda loses 16 mothers to pregnancy and childbirth everyday; that’s 6,000 deaths annually
• 47% of pregnant Ugandan women go for antenatal check-ups
• 24% of women in their reproductive age use contraceptives
• The four leading causes of maternal death are: bleeding, sepsis, obstructed labor, and abortion.
• For every woman every woman who dies from childbirth and pregnancy, six women survive but with injuries such as obstetric fistula and chronic health problems.

The situation has gotten so bad that the country will not be able to reach two of the MDGs goals which are to reduce the maternal morality rate by three quarters and reduce the mortality rate among children under five by two thirds by 2015.

 These statistics are so high because of several issues:

• Women live very long distances from hospitals and have no access to transportation to take them there.
• Women cannot afford to pay for health-care to get the adequate medical attention they need while pregnant. 
• Some women are afraid/uninformed about hospitals, medical procedures and their benefits. 
• Women and their husbands are not aware of contraceptives and their benefits and how to use them properly.

 What is being done to improve this situation?

§         Poor expectant mothers are now being offered an option to obtain "baby vouchers" Provided through the German Development Bank and the Global Partnership on Output Based Aid (managed trust fund by the World Bank), the “baby voucher” is part of a three-year Reproductive Health Voucher project that is aimed improving the management of STIs and providing safe deliveries in the Ugandan districts of Mbarara, Kiruhura, Isingiro, and Ibanda. This voucher costs sh35, 000 – sh50, 000 and gives the expectant mother access to four antenatal visits, STI and HIV testing, delivery (includes C-section), screenings for malaria and prophylaxis, transportation for referral in case of emergency, and post-natal care (up to six weeks after delivery).

§         The Ugandan Ministry of Health has implemented pilot projects that use the drug, Misoprostol to reduce maternal deaths.

§         The Ugandan Ministry of Health has also acknowledged the need for more trained midwives especially in the rural areas of the country.

 

The Irony:

§         Most poor women can not afford the sh35, 000-sh50, 000 fee for the “baby voucher”

§         The drug, Misoprostol that the Ugandan Minister of Health is suggesting to use because it is “effective and relatively cheap” is, according to the FDA, very unsafe for pregnant women. The FDA states, “Misoprostol administration to women who are pregnant can cause abortion, premature birth, or birth defects. Uterine rupture has been reported when Misoprostol was administered in pregnant women to induce labor or to induce abortion beyond the eighth week of pregnancy.”

§         Women still live far away from hospitals and because they can not afford the health card, they will become part of the statistics

§         Men do not want their wives utilizing contraceptives or talking about family planning

 

What SHOULD BE done:

§         There is an urgent need to train more midwives and place them within rural areas

§         Poor pregnant women need access to health care; the “baby voucher” is a great idea and has had a positive effect with the women who are ABLE to obtain the card. Therefore, the rate for the card should either be reduced or given to these women for free. When this is done, more women will be able to obtain transportation to the hospital where they will receive the adequate care they need to have a safe delivery.

§         Both women and men need to be educated about contraceptives and their benefits and how to use them properly.

§         Women need to be educated about the different forms of delivery possible, such as C-sections. This type of education will help prevent cases such as an expectant mother who was already the mother of 12, came into the hospital for a delivery but left after she was referred for a C-section out of fear of being operated on. When she came back to the hospital, it was an emergency patient; she ended up losing one of the twins she was carrying.

 

2010 World Cup and the Ubuntu Culture

For the past few days I’ve been visiting good friends in Pimville, a township in Soweto, South Africa.  Yesterday my South African mother and I went to the next street over to get airtime for her phone and for the phone of her mother.

When we arrived, we went around to the back door, which is the culturally correct way to approach someone’s house here in Pimville.  There was a large shack back there, and inside was our friend.  We greeted her and sat with her while she was drinking a beer. 

The three of us sat and talked. At first we talked about language.  Most Sowetans I’ve met normally speak several languages.  We also talked about culture, and how when someone comes to a new country they must adopt the culture of that place.  Eventually, the conversation turned to one of the main topics in South Africa today:  2010.

As most people know, the FIFA World Cup is coming to South Africa in June 2010.  A huge influx of people is expected for the event.  Out conversation concerned one of the housing ideas for the coming soccer fans.  As it turned out, the woman who we met is going to be hosting some soccer fans at her home here in the township. 

While I listened to the woman talk, I began to imagine a scenario when a soccer fan comes to South Africa for the very first time and is staying in Pimville.  The person will need to be able to get from the township to the stadium in Town (Johannesburg).  There could be problems because the taxi system can be quite confusing.  I’ve been in South Africa several times but I still don’t understand how to get from Soweto to a specific location in Town.  There is also a new bus system called Rea Vaya, but I’ve never used it so I can’t comment on it.  With these things in mind, I imagined that this soccer fan would really need to get good information about how to get around while in South Africa.

Also there will be increased security during the World Cup.  The South African Police now have what people have described as a “shoot-to-kill” mandate.  In the local paper, The Sowetan, Police Commissioner Bheke Cele has said he has told his police that if they encounter, “. . . anybody who has a gun in his hand and is threatening you with a gun then you must use yours.”  That article appeared on Thursday, November 12, 2009.  The very night before, on the TV news there was a story about a three-year old who had been shot dead by police because they thought they saw a gun and ended up firing.  Both SA police and private security will be increased at taxi ranks and in the streets during the World Cup.

Now, I tend to feel relatively safe in Pimville, although I know I could get robbed or even beat up or killed.  But there are good people here who know me and who I know. I’ve become part of a family here.  I listen to them and heed their advice as well as that of other people who have accepted me into their families and lives.

Back to the aforementioned soccer fan . . . when that person arrives, he or she will be a stranger in a strange land.  I can see such a person, out of carelessness, getting involved in a situation they might regret.  If this person is staying in a township like the one I am staying in, the very best thing this soccer fan could do to have a good time in South Africa is to make friends with people in the community where he or she is staying.  They must bua le boahisane ba hao, which is Sesotho for “talk with their neighbours.”  They must also be humble and very respectful to people, especially elders.  You need to learn the basics of the culture.  Period.  And be careful who you trust.

I have experienced unfathomable lover and spiritual growth because of the ubuntu culture of my dear friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers in South Africa.  I’ve also heard gunshots in a residential area as my friends and I walked one night from one township to another, gunshots that probably put bullets into somebody’s body. 

If you come to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, make friends with the good people in the community where you might be staying.  This will not only increase your safety but you will really experience much more than a few soccer matches.  In fact, you might find that the matches end up being among your least significant memories, thoroughly overshadowed by the interaction with South Africa’s beautiful diverse people and cultures.  Don’t come just for the soccer.  Come with your heart open to South Africa and . . . well, if you’re like me, you’ll never want to leave!

Author: Nicholas Carl

Guinea : A Month and a Day Later

It has been a month and a day since the brutal stadium attacks in Conakry claimed the lives of a reported 157 people and injured 1,253 more. Only 3,000 of a 97,000 labor force reported to work yesterday with thousands staying at home to memorialize the violence experienced and to make a stand for stability in the nation. A Human Rights Watch report published recently claimed that the violence perpetrated by the “Red Beret” elite Presidential Guard of current President Captain Moussa Dadis Camara was premeditated, rather than spontaneous.

The extent of the violence that occurred on the 28th and continues to occur daily today in Guinea is still unknown, though the effects of these gross human rights infractions will be felt by the country in the years to come. A Human Rights Watch report has claimed that the stadium attacks were premeditated. They might also have possibly been fueled by ethnic tensions against the Peuhl people according to firsthand accounts. Soldiers were reported to have shouted, “You say you don’t want us, that you prefer Cellou [the leading Peuhl opposition candidate, Cellou Dalein Diallo]… we’re going to kill all of you. We will stay in power.”

The composition of the army and its link to Captain Camara remains unclear. It has been speculated that some soldiers were speaking English during the attacks, indicating that the Red Beret force might not solely be composed of Guineans, but have been gradually joined by soldiers from the surrounding nations of Liberia and Sierra Leone. In the weeks following the stadium attacks, probes into Captain Camara’s involvement orchestrating the terror at the stadium has brought the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Haile Menkerios, to Conakry. Though Captain Camara was not physically present at the protest, the head of his personal bodyguard, Lieutenant Abubakar “Toumba” Diakité, was. Mr. Menkerios and Mr. Ban Ki-Moon will be setting up trials to bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice, supporting efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The assembled crowd at the stadium attempted to use nonviolent means to pressure Captain Camara to announce that he would not be running in scheduled fair and free elections next year. The violence experienced, particularly by the women, in response to nonviolence was shocking to survivors of the attacks. Rapes have started to be reported by victims and witnesses and their stories indicate a despicable level of brutality seen in the light of day. A report by NPR on October 20th cited Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher with Human Rights Watch, saying,  "What was new about the sexual violence on Sept. 28 and in the days after has been the public nature of it — the stripping of women, raping them, putting the barrels of guns inside their vaginas. This type of thing has been extremely shocking to Guineans — a very, very conservative society that have simply never seen this type of thing before." Many women were captured by the Red Beret and gang raped over a period of several days before being released. With peace  and stability still not restored in the country, there is no way of telling the extent to which HIV/AIDS has spread as a result of the rapes

This savage brutality came two days before Secretary Clinton’s signing of a UN resolution protecting women against sexual violence in conflict. The timing of the legislation seemed fortunate in focusing the world’s attention on the situation in Guinea. However, the call for humanitarian action was largely ignored by the international community and continues to be a second priority to securing political stability and launching judicial hearings to find those responsible. Though those imperatives are important for the healing of Guinean society, the immediate health of the population cannot be overlooked. More must be done for the victims of the massacre and for the victims of ongoing crime still perpetrated by the Red Berets daily in frequent car jacking and theft.
By Martine Randolph

What's in a day?

    This blog hits the web just after last week’s International day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the weekend’s U.N. day, and World development information day. But in case you are worried about having missed October’s other gems including World Animal day (Oct 4), World Post day (Oct 9) and World Food Day, (Oct 16), November offers some important U.N. recognized days: World Freedom Day (Nov 9), International Day for Tolerance (Nov 16), Africa Industrialization Day (Nov 20), World Television Day (Nov 21).
    The number of International and World days of is wide and varied. Once the realm of witty agendas and planners, the internet has provided an explosion of quirky calendars with everything from days of World Peace, to International talk like a Pirate Day. I admit to being a skeptic, and in this vein I’ve often looked at the innumerable number of days of this or that as a kind of white noise, water cooler talk for those seeking to add additional meaning to the everyday. Even those “important” days on topics like international peace, or refugees seemed an all too convenient podium for rhetoric, like a nice easy lob over the plate in the world press softball league so that anyone can get a hit and look good. Simply put, they represented more words and talk, when what is always needed is more action.
Since beginning my internship my views on the matter have changed radically.
    The world of international news and the District especially is always a flutter with memos, documents, and press releases. In the deluge of competing interests and headline news these days provide they are both a small podium above the fray and an important incentive with which to pressure administrations to take positions. Words may be just words, but in the advocacy world they are fodder for accountability campaigns. Many organizations took advantage of World Food Day to mobilize letter-writing campaigns to Senators and Congressman regarding Congresses’ Global Food Security Act of 2009, introduced to the Senate last spring by Senators Lugar and Casey.
    This is another important aspect of the international days of awareness. They offer the opportunity to carve out time to discuss, educate, inform and reflect on the issues they represent. After all, in our busy world, what’s in the agenda is law right?
So if the weekend’s international U.N. day remains at the very least the subject of water cooler talk, this week, this is still a good thing. The U.N. needs to be discussed. What of its role in Africa? How effective are its missions in Sudan and the DRC? What is the U.S.’s role as chair of the Security Council? If you do find an interested audience or an opportunity to debate these important issues, be sure to take advantage of the resources available on the web. Just as important as taking advantage of the opportunities to educate and advocate provided by these days is the responsibility to be informed in order to act. Africa Action’s L.E.A.D. campaign follows this very premise by providing a number of resources and opportunities to take action in learning, educating, and acting daily. These resources are available at http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/index.php. So when the next day of whatever comes across, let it be more than that day’s trivia fact. When someone asks you “What’s in a day?” take time to L.E.A.D.

Vital Voices: Civil Society in Guinea

In the mid 1950s, Martin Luther King, Jr. pushed for a substitution of  “tired feet for tired souls” to spur the Montgomery boycotts. With the brutality of the September 28th attacks in Guinea already behind us, it is difficult to take the focus off of the exhaustion of our souls in the fight for peace and fair governance.

Though the public health facilities reported the death toll at 56, official reports cite that 151 people were killed and at least another 1,200 were injured in stadium protests in Conakry led by the opposition. Brewing ethnic tensions may be keeping many away from hospitals, leaving additional wounded still uncounted. Women who have been victims of rape are in most need of counseling, which is currently underprovided. The renewed global commitment to protecting these women was made tangible by a unanimous vote on a UN resolution on sexual violence in conflict zones that occurred two days after the stadium attacks. The urgency for the implementation of this resolution is clear.

International schools in Conakry closed their doors on the 27th of September and most non-essential personnel of the diplomatic corps and international organizations have left Conkry. Guinean schools were re-scheduled to begin their academic year on October 15th, though it is not likely that they will open their doors in such a political climate

Yesterday marked the end of a two-day strike in the country called by trade unions to protest Camara’s leadership and successfully and nonviolently brought Conakry to a standstill as citizens stayed indoors and brought mining production, a major source of income, to a halt.

Politically, the situation continues to be difficult to navigate. Celou Dalein Diallo is the leader of the main opposition party and is currently in France recovering from injuries sustained at the stadium protests. Sidya Toure, a former prime minister, is the head of another opposition party, the Union of Republic Forces. The URF rejected Camara’s call for unity at the beginning of the month. Camara continues to express that though he is uncertain of whether he will stand for re-election, that his natural rights as a Guinean citizen should not obstruct such a decision. Given the outbreak of violence on the 28th, Toure and Guinean civil society find this to be an unacceptable possibility.

Pressure from the international community, though slightly late on the uptake, needs to grow from here with only four days left before the opposition’s deadline for Camara to announce his commitment to not be involved in the upcoming election cycle in January 2010. The EU’s development commissioner, Karel de Gucht has already begun calls for Camara to be held accountable for crimes against humanity.

My soul’s exhaustion is mostly caused by the anxiety of what may happen if actions taken to secure Guineans’ right to freely choose their own representation do not begin to gain more decisive momentum before Saturday. With my mother poised behind blue helmets but with little concern for self when faced with others’ suffering, the anxiety is heightened. With the prospect of the breakout of ethnic tensions—though quite unlikely—given how her Tutsi features translate in an environment hostile to the Fulani, my mind is all the more occupied. But the call for stable governance precedes this. The argument for civil society’s right to hold leaders accountable to promises made as they ascended to power is worth fighting for. After his successful coup in December, Camara promised to not stand for re-election stating, "We are patriots, not hungry for power. We don't intend to stay in power forever." The international community must show its respect for Guinean civil society through “tired feet” supporting humanitarian efforts in the country and by looking towards Saturday as a strict deadline.

By Martine Randolph, Africa Action

A Step in the Right Direction for Sudan?

On September 29th, 2009, the Associated Press reported that women and girls who escaped from the fighting in Darfur have become victims of rape within refugee camps, a disturbing trend found in countries torn apart by war. Refugee camps that should symbolized hope, freedom, and peace have become Darfari women’s nightmare. Getting water and firewood outside of the refugee camps in Chad is a known risk factor for women. When confronted with reports of rape within the Chad refugee camps, U.N. officials refused to comment. The next day, UN officials, led by Secretary of State Clinton, signed a resolution that condemned sexual violence in war zones.

Clinton stated,  “The United Nations had a special obligation to protect women and children, war's most vulnerable and violated victims." Yet, officials still refuse to acknowledge incidents in the Chad refugee camps.   The UN is not only to blame. The government spokesperson for Chad, Mahmat Hissene, stated, "Before the refugees came, we did not have rape cases in Chad; rape cases started when the Sudanese came. If there are cases of rape in the camps we cannot prevent them. The government is not responsible for security in the camps."  

In addition, through a lack of UN support, the United States is also complicit.

Therefore, the UN is posed with a difficult situation:  The Chadian government, the host of the majority of refugees in the region, blames the victims of violence. And while it is noble the U.S. signed a resolution that condemns sexual violence, more actual action is necessary to provide security for women in the region. Rape should not be an expected occurrence in one’s daily routine. 

The U.S. should take decisive action against sexual violence in refugee camps and support UNAMID so that the peacekeeping force can fulfill its mandate and those perpetrators of violence are held accountable. It is imperative that the United States keeps its promise, and protects these women.

W.A. Flooding and Climate Change in Africa

      It has been a wet summer in West Africa as severe flooding has taken a huge toll on the region. The Horn of Africa underwent a similar situation in 2006 when extreme droughts through the end of 2005 were followed by unseasonably heavy rains, which resulted in widespread flooding. At the time, Simon Mechale, the head of Ethiopia’s disaster agency, characterized the devastating flood problem as "the worst that has been observed in a generation." 1 This year, U.N. officials estimate some 600,000 people across West Africa have been hit by heavy flooding, killing at least 25 in Ghana and seven in Burkina Faso. Africa is already infamous for its natural flood and drought cycles 2. The effects and degree of these natural disasters has grown over the decades due largely to the effects of global warming and continued poor land use. This imbalance will make subsistence farming, upon which millions of Africans depend, even more precarious. It will also exacerbate famine and disease.  Oxfam and Christian Aid relief estimate climate change is increasingly hampering the efforts of millions to escape poverty and that 182 million people in Africa are at risk of dying as a consequence of climate change by the end of the century 3.
    Although a number of relief organizations have brought to the fore the effects of global warming and climate change on Africa, the dire situation has largely been ignored. This cannot continue. World leaders should not only work to address the underlying causes (as demonstrated in the G-20’s commitment to end Fossil-Fuel subsidies by 2020) 4 but continue working toward helping poor countries that are struggling to mitigate the effects of global warming. African Governments face difficult decisions regarding balancing job creation with environmental conservation. The international debate over conservation is often a touchy one for developing nations, largely because they feel that the developed world benefited from a time of unbridled carbon-fueled industrial development. As the world’s leading nations and the U.N. work to fight global warming, they must reach out to include leaders of the developing world, especially Africa which is suffering the harshest consequences with the least ability to withstand it. Embracing the input of third-world leaders offers not only a more consolidated approach to the issue but offers a much stronger chance of actual reform.
    Unfortunately Africa’s problems with global warming cannot only be attributed to the actions and attitudes of the West. The overwhelming numbers of those affected are unfortunately part of the problem itself. According to the UN the continent is losing forest twice as fast as the rest of the world. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, only 7.5% of the rural population has access to electricity.5 The overwhelming alternative is charcoal. In fact an enormous and often lucrative charcoal industry has emerged. Roads throughout the countryside all over Africa are replete with makeshift lean-tos holding charcoal cut and burned from the local forests and bagged for sale to the city. Where Africa once boasted seven million square kilometers of forest, a third of that has been lost - most of it to charcoal. Wood and its by-product charcoal, unless radical steps are taken, are likely to remain the primary energy source for decades.
    What is needed are comprehensive education plans. Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan Nobel peace laureate, has worked hard to educate and engage citizens in her homeland through the Greenbelt movement. "One adaptation option for Africa is to keep her forests standing so that they provide essential environmental services such as carbon sinks," she said. The Greenbelt movement works to promote the planting of indigenous trees in forest catchment areas, private farms and public spaces so as to preserve local biological diversity, enhance natural beauty, and prevent soil erosion. Sensitization and mobilization seminars are held to disseminate information on the importance of tree planting6.
    Despite the success of the Greenbelt movement and others, the argument is a notoriously tough sell. For years many efforts to stall the growth of the Sahara by planting trees at its edges have been undercut (literally) by people seeking fuel for food and shelter. The long-term solutions to Africa’s plight are difficult in a region of the world where today’s considerations are of paramount importance over next year’s or even next week’s.
    The untold cost of the devastating floods in West Africa remains to be seen. Beyond the loss of property and the cases of loss of life, the flooding has ruined large amounts of food crops and land, risking food shortages and even starvation. Furthermore, flooding severely damages infrastructure in the areas affected, spoiling clean water supplies and inviting disease. Unfortunately the desperate times risk inviting more desperate measures and the cycle of extremes will continue.



1 http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=87&art_id=qw1156502520623A162

2
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/09/08/west.africa.flooding/

3 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8272603.stm

4 http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1678

5 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8272603.stm

6 http://gbmna.org/w.php?id=13

Worry over Women’s Dress or sense of Empowerment?

It seems like every time you open the paper to the world section there is Sudan; another speculation of the south Sudanese war uprising once again, and my favorite, the war in Darfur is over. Imagine my surprise when I opened the New York Times on the 6th September, it read “Sudan Court to Define Indecent Dress for Women”. In the article, journalist and ex-employee at the United Nations Mission in Sudan, Lubna Hussein was arrested in Sudan for violating the dress code. According to the article, Hussein was arrested because her clothes were in violation of Article 152 of Sudan’s penal code that states, if caught wearing clothing deemed to be “indecent,” the perpetrator faces a fine and 40 lashes.

One of the witnesses stated, “[Hussein] was wearing pants and a blouse and the pants were tight and flashy and shows from underneath it the thighs and the outline and the form of the underwear and the color of her panties that can clearly be seen which is beige in color and short shirt with sleeves up to her elbow and it is transparent and light reflecting everything inside it within such as the shape and form of the bra and that the start of her chest is showing because the blouse opening and it also has two holes on the side lengthwise from top to bottom, and there is a gap between the confluence of the shirt so that they appear able to view the navel and the underwear of the accused.”

This incident is an example of a strong-willed woman undeterred by Sudanese Government officials who consistently try to repress the freedom of expression by limiting fundamental individual rights. Women in Sudan can no longer be invisible. Any efforts to create a sustainable peace in Sudan must include women. The absence of sufficient participation by women leaders was one major flaw in the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).

It is not exclusively Sudan where women because victims of sex crimes, or gross violations of human rights. Everyday there are undocumented cases of repression, like Hussein and yet the international community is still far from taking the necessary steps to protect women. This is not about clothing alone; this is the need for people in power, most often men, to restrict the movement of women by silencing them. Violence against women can take the form of silencing them by telling them to dress a certain way, or by physical violence such as rape, torture, abduction, or even psychological violence- making them feel ashamed of being a woman, making them outlaws to their families because they have “dishonored” them when they were raped or have become victims of human trafficking.

One positive step in stopping gender-based-violence was the August 18th announcement made by the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).  The UNAMID has set up a seven-member unit as a response to the alarming high rates of sexual and gender-based violence reported in Darfur over the last two years. This unit also seeks to encourage victims of violence to report incidents, reduce the stigmatization of sexual abuse victims and help to rehabilitate victims. This is a step in the right direction for the women of Darfur and all of Sudan, as they will investigate crimes against women such as child abuse, child abandonment, prostitution, human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual harassment. These women are the face and the future of Africa.

The U.S. government should support African efforts that address women’s empowerment and education. Secretary of State Clinton remarked in her New York Times interview on the empowerment of women in developing countries, “Democracy means nothing if half the people can’t vote, or if their vote doesn’t count, or if their literacy rate is so low that the exercise of their vote is in question. President Obama and I and the United States will not tolerate this continuation of wanton, senseless, brutal violence perpetrated against girls and women.”

While Clinton’s statement is encouraging and may attract people to become more interested in women’s rights in Africa, the Obama administration must fulfill these commitments and reflect more than just rhetoric.

Just Words: A Benefit Concert for Peace and Justice in Africa

Who: The Africa Action benefit concert, Just Words for Peace and Justice in Africa, will feature the 2008 Wammie Award Winners from The Washington Area Music Association Chopteeth, John Stone Reggae, Regg'go and some of the best socially conscious poets, spoken word and hip-hop artists in the nation.

When: Tuesday, September 29th. Doors open at 6:00pm. Concert begins at 7:00pm

Where: Rock N Roll Hotel 1353 H St NE Washington, DC 20002-4406 (202) 388-7625

Get Directions

*There is a free shuttle service courtesy of Rock & Roll Hotel. Click here to view the shuttle schedule.

Door Prizes will be drawn throughout the event

THREE WAYS TO BUY YOUR TICKETS:

$20 per ticket, $15 for students

1. ONLINE: Visit www.ticketalternative.com You will receive an e-mail confirming that you have made a reservation

2. BY PHONE: Call Africa Action at 202-546-7961 to purchase your tickets over the phone and pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express only)

3. AT THE DOOR:You may purchase tickets at the door the night of the performance. Cash or checks will be accepted

*Print news media, electronic media, web publication, freelancers & video production companies can receive media accreditation: Email michael.Stulman [at] africaaction.org

Click here to download the poster!

ALL AGES WELCOME are welcome in the main, music hall. The Hotel Bar, 2nd Floor bar & lounge, is limited to those 21+. If you are under the age of 18, we should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

About ChopTeeth

"Thunderous...potent. Chopteeth's debut CD takes the band from upbeat Swahili lyrics over a South African pulse one second, to spaghetti Western-inspired instrumentals the next. True to the political essence at the heart of Fela's music." —Billboard

"Hip-shaking debut album truly has a jazz-without-borders frame of mind." —Montreal Gazette

“Wonderfully fresh. With absolutely no reservations, this is an outright success." —Allmusic.com

"Raging guitars and rich, swaggering horns. Propulsive.” —The Boston Globe

"A hip-shakin, gotta-party, Afrofunk sensation. They cook. They dance. The organs are fat. The horn section is beastly. And the protest (”Struggle”) generally takes a backseat to the party ("Upendo”). Their LP is called Afrofunk Big Band. It’s great." —Washington City Paper

Sudan, "War is over" but where's the peace?

General Martin Luther Agwai’s recent comments regarding the situation on Darfur are not only controversial but grossly underestimate their potential consequence. Agwai made the remarks as the outgoing military commander of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in the region stating that:

"Since May until today, what have we had on the ground? The only thing I see is banditry taking place now: carjackings, breaking into people's homes to look for electronics and mobile telephones… What you have is security issues more now: banditry, localized issues, people trying to resolve issues over water and land at a local level. But real war as such, I think we are over that." Agwai said.

The outgoing General’s term was not without success. It is certainly important to praise those aspects of the UNAMID peacekeeping operation; the world’s biggest, where warranted. Take for instance the reopening of women’s centers in the Abu Shouk camp by UNAMID’s Gender Advisory Unit. These efforts will allow women to learn job skills and participate in educational programs focused on literacy, reproductive health, as wealth as important education regarding sexual and gender-based violence, which unfortunately remains a part of everyday life in the region. The General himself hopes to rest his laurels on the reduced number of deaths in the region stating: ''I have achieved results. The main result is the end of massacres in Darfur.''

However, it is a mistake to suggest, as is implied the General’s comments, that the gravity of the conflict is best measured in numbers and the ability for violence to be dolled out through large, collective deployments. If anything the disorganized nature of the violence has further exacerbated the already tenuous foothold of peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance. Nevertheless, as the comments were made while still head of the hybrid peacekeeping mission, these personal opinions reportedly not shared by many within his staff, have received an unfortunate definitive perception.

It is in this light that General Agwai’s comments stand to do the most damage. As news organizations around the world picked up the story in the last week, headlines read “War in Darfur over, according to UN Peacekeeping Chief.”  In a media world dominated by Headlines on RSS feed Titles this message risks undermining much of the work to bring the situation in Darfur to international attention. With the threat of aid fatigue always a danger, overgeneralization such as those made by the General are severely detrimental to any international effort. Agwai’s “mission accomplished” attitude is not only largely misplaced but consequently irresponsible.

The authorized strength of UNAMID is 19,555 personnel. Despite more than two years of authorization there are currently less than 14,000 troops according to its website. The mission remains severely under funded with limited financial and logistical support. Furthermore it’s mandate (available here) remains largely unfulfilled.  Most notably lacking in its goals to:

·B (1)To promote the re-establishment of confidence, [and] deter violence

·(b) To contribute to the protection of civilian populations under imminent threat of physical violence and prevent attacks against civilians, within its capability and areas of deployment,

· C (v) To ensure an adequate human rights and gender presence capacity, and expertise in Darfur in order to contribute to efforts to protect and promote human rights in Darfur, with particular attention to vulnerable groups

· D (i) To facilitate the effective provision of humanitarian assistance and full access to people in need.

Largely underreported are the statements and opinions that serve to contextualize the comments for what they are: the opinions of one man seeking to bring a positive light to a difficult tenure over an arduous mission. Perhaps most telling is the lack of endorsement by other UNAMID or UN officials. Rather the response by UN assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping, Edmond Mulet, takes a decidedly more cautious approach the situation in Darfur stating:  'whether it is characterized as a war or not, the reality is that threats against civilians do remain''.

Who has been the largest proponent of the now former commander? Sudanese president Omar al-Beshir. Beshir granted the outgoing head of the UN peacekeeping force in the Darfur region one of the country's top honors. Beshir’s Khartoum government estimates the total deaths in the Darfur region since the beginning of the conflict to be some 10,000 at least 290,000 less than UN estimates.

Surprisingly, the most poignant response has come from JEM spokes man Tahir el-Faki stating that,   ‘‘the war is not over. The war is over when there is a comprehensive peace agreement. They [General Agwai and Mr Adada] have taken into consideration numerical data about the number of people who died directly from violence [but] they have not taken into consideration the [internally displaced people], the refugees, the people who want to go back home.''

The situation in Darfur is certainly complicated and at times confusing. Rebel groups in the region have fragment into an estimated 20 small groups further complicating the peace process. Government backed Janjaweed operate as a loose collective of militias throughout the region while a number of new skirmishes, 46 dead last week, have developed along the border with Southern Sudan further threatening the peace talks.

While the nature and scale of the violence in Darfur has changed over the years, violence still rages largely uncontested through the region. Days after the General’s statement, two foreign civilians working for the Darfur peacekeeping forces were kidnapped by armed men. It was the first time international staff members from UNAMID, had been abducted, according to a spokesman for the force. Aid workers and food convoys continue to be attacked while refugee camps continue to grow as “low-level” fighting produces a steady stream of refugees. Within camps and their surroundings violence against women remains high. The attitude of leaders such as General Agwai mistakenly suggests the lack of war as the presence of peace. At the moment peace has a much different definition for those victims of the violence above. UNAMID has failed to stem this violence, and as such has so far failed in its mandate.

To his previous comments Agwai added, "I think the real thing now is to speed up the political process. Militarily there is not much.” The General is certainly right about one thing: a lasting solution to the conflict not only in Darfur but in all of Sudan is to be found in an efficient and transparent political process. Even the full deployment of UNAMID’s authorized strength, only serves as a band-aid without the prospects of a fully implemented and Comprehensive Peace Agreement.