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March 8, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government has renewed its accusations against the neighbouring South Sudan, saying its continual harbouring of rebel groups remains the "biggest obstacle" to regional and international efforts for peace in Sudan.

During the past months, South Sudanese officials including the Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk repeated that all the Sudanese armed groups had left the country. However, Sudanese officials continue to claim that the South Sudanese army (SPLA) and its top command continues to protect them and provide support.

"One of the biggest obstacles to peace (in Sudan) is the presence of rebel movements in the Republic of South Sudan, where they find shelter and continuous support from the government there," said Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Nai'm in a statement released on Wednesday.

Al-Nai'm made his remark after a meeting with UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Christopher Trott, who seeks to facilitate the African Union-led process to end the armed conflicts in Sudan.

Khartoum and Juba trade regularly accusations of support to rebel groups despite the signing of a security agreement between the two countries in September 2012 and the several implementation deals in this respect.

The Sudanese diplomat further asked the British envoy to persuade the Sudan People's Liberation Movement to accept an American humanitarian proposal, sign a cessation of hostilities and to negotiate a peace agreement with the government.

Last February, the Troika countries: Norway, U.K. and U.S. urged the (SPLM-N) “to swiftly accept this proposal and facilitate the delivery of life-saving assistance to those in need in the Two Areas”. However, the SPLM-N says they are awaiting the appointment of a new U.S. special envoy to discuss a number of counterproposals they made.

(ST)

If there is any EU country where stability is taken for granted and future perspectives are optimistic, this surely will be Germany. After 12 years at the helm as chancellor by conservative leader Angela Merkel, however, some Germans are no longer averse to political change. The next election (“Bundestagwahl”) has been set for September 24. Until recently the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister Christian Social Union (CSU) had been seen as favorites to continue their political dominance. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) – although part of a grand coalition in the last four years – had been regarded as obsolete to offer an effective challenge.

Former leader of SPD, and current Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, acknowledged the risk of another lost election, hence, he decided to step down in favor of Martin Schulz, former president of the European Parliament, who has brought about a wave of enthusiasm among disenchanted voters of the center-left political spectrum, who, for the moment, like what they see. Current opinion polls indicate Schulz is more popular than Angela Merkel. More importantly, the SPD has gone beyond 30 percent threshold for potential votes in all surveys while its percentage under Gabriel had been less than 25 percent. All of this suggests, the result of the September 24 election is more open than in the pre-Schulz period.

Hence, a growing number of analysts and journalists are beginning to talk of a “Schulz effect” in German politics. Traditionally, German politicians holding top EU jobs are considered “politically dead” in their own country. Indeed, this had also been the case with Schulz in the past. In the European election of May 2014, he faced Jean Claude Juncker for the position of president of the European Commission. Yet, he failed to inspire German citizens despite their common nationality.

Although it’s the same Schulz, the situation three years later differs for one main reason. Chancellor Merkel has caused some unhappiness with her “open door” policy on refugees. Recent terrorist attacks in some German cities – especially the Christmas market attack in Berlin – has increased a sense of unsafety and xenophobia. As a result, Merkel is no longer portrayed as the incomparable national leader. Her image, indeed, is slipping. The general criticism of her, starting from her management of the refugee crisis, is also expanding into other aspects of politics so that some voters are keen to find an alternative. This explains the rise of small parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AFD) and the Liberals (FDP) irrespective of their political orientation or extreme character. And it now explains the rise of SPD, boosted by the leadership change.

Martin Schulz is a very experienced and smart politician. He knows that SPD will not preserve its current high percentage if he does not persuade public opinion that he can implement a new political program. Supporting the grand coalition, the party has agreed with the CDU and CSU on almost all of critical political decision. So, it now needs to find some departure points. As President of the European Parliament, Schulz stood beside Merkel on various fronts, including the refugee crisis! His only disagreement was on dealing with the European economic crisis, where he is more open to the “mutualization of debt” proposal, which is an anathema to conservatives.

However, he will possibly bury this issue during the pre-election campaign due to its sensitivity for the German audience and a possible political cost for himself. Instead, he seeks to draw a line between himself and his predecessor by moving the SPD more towards the Left. In a recent important speech, he distanced “himself” from Gerhard Schroeder’s “Agenda 2010.” This concept set the basis for the reform of the German social security system and the labor market and, ultimately, the country’s economic progress and growth.

By promising “social justice,” Schulz can certainly give a new political direction to his party. He has also showing willing on a future political coalition between the SPD, the Greens and the Left, as is currently happening at the regional level in Berlin and Thuringia, even if the CDU and CSU win the September election. Nevertheless, a problem for Schulz is that September 24 is a long way off. His economic agenda may sound attractive, but is already being picked apart by serious scholars as a threat to the national economy.

And Germany is a country where the rational elements in economics and politics have so far not given way to the populism and the illusions seen in other European countries. It is the efficiency and sustainability that matter more than mere words or pre-election promises.

Source: china.org.cn

The question should be reversed: Can the EU have any kind of meaningful role without being strategic? The EU has not fared very well in comparison with its main competitors in terms of protecting its members and its citizens’ interests. Nor has the EU risen to the challenge of stabilizing its neighborhood. Furthermore, various crises have exposed a lack of geopolitical reflexes. And the EU is paying a price for those failures. Britain’s vote to leave the bloc has dealt a heavy blow to the EU’s unity and its capabilities in the spheres of foreign policy and defense.

Ironically, however, and in combination with the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, Brexit has also created a brief window of opportunity for the EU to reconsider its options and launch a new effort in various sectors of European politics, including defense and security. Acting collectively, the EU has the necessary economic weight but lacks the diplomatic and military weight to be a global actor. Both problems can be addressed, as the human, technological, and financial capabilities do exist. What is seriously questioned is the necessary political will—given that individually, no member state is sufficiently strong to flourish in this brave new world. The last wake-up call for Europe, perhaps.

By Thanos Dokos

Source: Carnegie Europe

Since the early spring of 2016, the number of people migrating across the Mediterranean has stabilised, to about 200,000 people. This is largely due to the closure of the Western Balkan route and the EU- Turkey Statement of March 2016, which sought to end irregular migration from Turkey to the European Union.

Underlying both actions is the new-found willingness of key European governments ‒ Austria, Germany and Sweden, among others ‒ to ensure orderly procedures and ‘reasonable’ levels of openness. The resulting policy ‘recalibration’ has gradually changed both the terms under which asylum-seekers are received, and the expectations of them; it has led to an increasing determination (albeit still mostly rhetorical) to remove both failed asylum applicants and outright economic migrants. The message to would-be migrants and each country’s general public is that illegal migration will no longer be tolerated.

Of course, people are still trying to reach Europe, both by land and by sea. Land routes include travelling to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, while the sea routes mean continuous small-craft traffic toward Spanish shores, large numbers of crossings through the Central Mediterranean, and a small (but incessant) number of journeys across the Aegean.

It is clear that while the chaos of 2015 and 2016 has abated, neither the conditions that fuelled it nor the demands for entry into Europe have changed. Considering reports about large numbers of potential migrants gathered across much of North Africa waiting for an opportunity to get to Europe, the pressure for crossing by any means will continue to grow geometrically, and if circumstances align, exponentially.

“The message to would-be migrants and each country’s general public is that illegal migration will no longer be tolerated”

Unending European crises spill over and fuel others: Greece’s economic and social woes; Brexit; terrorism; the rise of left- and right-wing populist politics; the never-ending story about the performance of the European institutions; the various challenges to Brussels by several central and eastern European member states. But the unresolved migration crisis continues to influence all of them.

At the heart of that crisis is a simple fact: Europe faces a fundamental governance test that is undermining the legitimacy of both national and European institutions and, more directly, the integrity of management structures of those member states most directly affected by spontaneous migration.

It is unproductive to enumerate and critique the mistakes made by ‘frontline’ states (the southern European countries through which virtually all migrants enter Europe) and the prosperous central and northern European states that the overwhelming majority of migrants want to reach. And it is even more unproductive to criticise the Brussels institutions because they are playing a supporting role at most on this issue; the initiative has always rested with key member states and the Western Balkan states that are aspiring to become EU members (and which are therefore very compliant).

It is more productive to focus on and understand the behaviour of the protagonists on this story: the migrants themselves. Would-be migrants have learned to ignore the rhetoric of political leaders ‒ whether about values and rights or the importance of the rule of law ‒ in favour of the experiences of those who have reached their destination in Europe and have managed to stay there.

To be sure, the activist and humanitarian ‘industry’ does its best to portray all migration as a humanitarian and protection issue ‒ as it should – and many citizens subscribe to that perspective. But responsible governments know that when crises get out of control, their principal duty is to make policy for and govern on behalf of all their people; to observe legal obligations strictly but narrowly; and to allow values to define only what is purely unacceptable behaviour.

This is not only a European issue. Democratic governments everywhere struggle with squaring the circle of rights and legal obligations with the responsibility to protect borders, to remove those who don’t meet protection standards, and to invest deeply and smartly in the integration of successful applicants. But there are a number of measures that can make what appears like a classic Hobson’s choice in migration management easier.

“The true challenge for Europe in the decades ahead will be mass migration from Africa”

First and foremost, offer refugees adequate humanitarian assistance and real opportunities to resume their lives in first-asylum countries. Educate their children so as to prevent the creation of a ‘lost generation’, and support job creation. Both efforts require the cooperation of the host government and the commitment of very large investments. And all such services must flow both to refugees and the communities that host them, or they risk creating tensions that can undermine the entire effort.

Second, the manner in which people seek protection in desirable destinations must be redirected. Refugees requiring resettlement (because of special needs and/or as a means to relieve pressures on first asylum countries) must be vetted and selected before they reach a destination country. States that resettle refugees must create large numbers of new resettlement places while also working hard to expand the number of wealthy and middle-income countries participating in resettlement programmes, thereby sharing the burden more equitably.

Last, states that receive large spontaneous flows must believe in borders and watch them assiduously. They must institute and execute internal controls responsibly and remove quickly (both voluntarily and not) those without robust legal grounds for protection.

Pursuing the integrated set of policies outlined above will only produce the desired result if each European government embraces them and if there is thoughtful coordination at the European level.

Everyone needs to understand that while the immediate test of leadership is dealing with the causes and consequences of the 2015-16 migration crisis, the true challenge for Europe in the decades ahead will be mass migration from Africa. Much larger public and private resources must be invested in creating opportunities for Africans to stay and build lives in their own countries. Otherwise Europe will find itself taking more extreme steps to protect itself, with less success. Leadership, imagination and patience will be the key ingredients.

Will Europe be up to that task?

IMAGE CREDIT: Anjo Kan/Bigstock.com

The post The migration crisis is over: long live the migration crisis appeared first on Europe’s World.

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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Length of video : 142'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.6Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

You can read here the article on future perspectives for Turkey, which was written by Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos. This commentary was published in the Greek daily Kathimerini on 8 March  2017 [in Greek].

Az Európai Unió Tanácsa jóváhagyta a vízumkényszer eltörlését a grúz állampolgárokkal szemben, így Grúzia állampolgárai legfeljebb 90 napig vízum nélkül tartózkodhatnak az Európai Unió területén.

Az Európai Unió Tanácsa sajtószolgálatának tájékoztatása szerint az ülésen elfogadott megállapodás értelmében a vízummentesség azokra a grúz állampolgárokra vonatkozik, akik biometrikus útlevéllel rendelkeznek. Munkavállalásra nem jogosít a dokumentum.

A könnyített uniós beutazást segítő vízummentesség értelmében a 3,7 millió lakosú posztszovjet állam polgárai az Európai Unió bármely tagállamában 90 napig tartózkodhatnak bármely 180 napos időszakban.

A tájékoztatás szerint Tbiliszi a vízummentesség minden feltételét teljesítette, ugyanakkor azokat az Európai Bizottság folyamatosan ellenőrizni fogja, különös tekintettel a szervezett bűnözés elleni harcra. A grúz állampolgárok vízummentes beutazásának lehetősége a vízummentesség azonnali visszavonásának szabályozásával egy időben lép érvénybe.

Le Français Thomas Gallay, condamné à six ans de prison en première instance au Maroc pour appartenance présumée à une cellule terroriste, a été condamné à quatre ans de prison en appel, mercredi.

Le 1er régiment de parachutistes d'infanterie de marine va troquer son béret rouge pour le béret "amarante" porté par les paras SAS de la France libre.

Le général Brethous, le patron des FS terre, a pris cette décision "conformément aux directive du CEMAT".

Ce béret sera porté par tous les personnels d'active et de réserve à partir du 11 avril, date à laquelle aura lieu une cérémonie pour les 20 ans des FS Terre.

 

 

Év eleje óta jelentősen nőtt az amerikai first lady, Melania Trump népszerűsége az Egyesült Államokban - derült ki a CNN amerikai hírtelevízió és az ORC közvélemény-kutató intézet közös felméréséből.

Meghallgatták Angela Merkel német kancellárt szerdán Berlinben a Volkswagen német autóipari csoportnál 2015 szeptemberében kirobbant dízelbotrányt vizsgáló parlamenti (Bundestag-) bizottságban.

Mardi 7 mars, le Parlement hongrois a voté à une majorité écrasante un projet de loi rétablissant la détention systématique de tous les demandeurs d'asile présents sur le territoire. Une décision contraire au droit européen, qui alerte Bruxelles et les ONG.

Legalább 23 ember meghalt, miután szerdán két pokolgép robbant egy észak-iraki településen, írja az MTI a helyi kormánytisztviselő közleménye nyomán.

Szövetségi bűnügyi nyomozás kezdődött a WikiLeaks által közzétett, az állítólag a Központi Hírszerző Ügynökség, a CIA által használt kibernetikai hírszerző módszerekkel kapcsolatban.

Először ízlelgetik közösen az EU vezetői a többsebességes Európa ötletét a csütörtök-pénteki csúcstalálkozón.

Először ízlelgetik közösen az EU vezetői a többsebességes Európa ötletét a csütörtök-pénteki csúcstalálkozón.

Le ministre britannique des finances Philip Hammond a présenté devant les députés le premier projet de budget depuis le référendum sur le Brexit. Le gouvernement a nettement revu à la hausse sa prévision de croissance pour cette année. Elle devrait être de 2% contre 1,4% prévu en novembre. Et pour le moment, l’économie britannique résiste bien malgré la prochaine sortie de l'Union.

Les 9 et 10 mars, les Vingt-Huit se réunissent à Bruxelles pour un nouveau sommet européen. A l'ordre du jour, jeudi, la possible reconduction de Donald Tusk à la tête du Conseil européen. Soutenu par la majorité des dirigeants européens, l'ancien Premier ministre polonais est néanmoins contesté par les ultraconservateurs au pouvoir dans son pays. Un clivage est/ouest qui devrait également se ressentir au moment d'aborder, vendredi, la question de l'avenir de l'Europe à 27 Etats membres.

Le 8 mars a eu lieu la journée internationale des droits des femmes, l'occasion pour Toute l'Europe de dresser un bilan des avancées et des progrès qui attendent encore l'Union européenne pour faire face aux défis de l'égalité hommes-femmes. Rencontrée le 13 février lors de la session plénière du Parlement européen, Malin Björk, femme politique suédoise, députée européenne au sein de la GUE/NGL (gauche radicale) et membre de la commission parlementaire des droits de la femme et de l’égalité des genres, a répondu à nos questions sur la situation actuelle des droits des femmes dans l'UE.