Central Europe

An in-depth look at Manchester United's goalkeeping situation as Andre Onana prepares to leave on loan.

France face Ireland next Sunday in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, sealing top spot in Pool D by hammering South Africa in Northampton.

Budapest, 2025. szeptember 5. - A következő napokban két vállalati innovációs pályázat indul, összesen 182 milliárd forint értékben a GINOP Pluszban - mondta a Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium (KIM) innovációért felelős helyettes államtitkára pénteken sajtótájékoztatón Budapesten.

Romuald Wadagni sera le candidat de la mouvance présidentielle à la prochaine élection d'avril 2026. L'actuel ministre d'État chargé de l'Économie et des Finances a été désigné à l'issue d'un conclave tenu ces derniers jours par les partis de la majorité, l'Union Progressiste pour le Renouveau (UPR) et le Bloc Républicain (BR).

Le choix de la coalition au pouvoir, validé par le président Patrice Talon, met fin aux spéculations qui entouraient sa succession. Romuald Wadagni apparaît ainsi comme le profil retenu pour incarner la continuité des réformes engagées depuis 2016, tout en apportant l'image d'une relève générationnelle.

Selon les acteurs de la majorité, cette désignation traduit la volonté de concilier jeunesse, compétence et expérience gouvernementale. Ministre des Finances depuis 2016, Romuald Wadagni s'est imposé comme l'un des piliers de la politique économique du régime de la Rupture.

Si ce choix venait à être confirmé par les urnes, il constituerait une première dans l'histoire du renouveau démocratique béninois : pour la première fois, un candidat officiellement investi par une coalition politique accéderait à la magistrature suprême.

Judicaël ZOHOUN

« Pour un programme politique porté par une vision de stabilité et de continuité constructive du système éducatif béninois »

Le 15 septembre, comme à chaque année, de milliers d'élèves et d'enseignants reprendront le chemin des classes. Occasion de nous rappeler que l'éducation nationale est un projet de souveraineté, un tremplin par excellence au travers duquel chaque citoyen réalise l'importance de bâtir ensemble l'avenir de notre pays.

Occasion toute aussi belle de réfléchir à notre système éducatif, miroir de notre société, révélateur des forces et des fragilités de notre vision de l'avenir national, de celui du Bénin.

Occasion ultime de souligner que le Bénin a fait de l'école, l'un des piliers de sa construction :

• Des investissements significatifs

En 2023, 19,04% des dépenses publiques étaient dédiées au secteur éducatif, bien au-dessus de la moyenne mondiale de 13,95% (voir The GlobalEconomy). Entre 2016 et 2021, le taux de couverture électrique est passé de 20% à 35% dans les écoles primaires. Ce taux est de 78% pour les écoles secondaires en 2021 (Voir Fonds Monétaire International).

• Des progrès notables dans l'accès à l'éducation

En 2022, le taux net de scolarisation au primaire est de 90,39% (Voir UNESCO). Quant à lui, le taux d'inscription au secondaire a progressé en passant d'environ 59% en 2000 en 77% en 2023 (Voir Banque Mondiale). Le nombre d'enseignants formés dans les écoles primaires est passé de 70 % à 75 % entre 2016 et 2021 et a doublé pour les enseignants du premier cycle du secondaire, passant de 18 % à 36 % (Voir Fonds Monétaire International). Le ratio élèves/enseignant qualifié dans les écoles primaires a considérablement diminué, passant de près de 60 élèves par enseignant qualifié en 2016 à environ 49 élèves par enseignant qualifié en 2021 (Voir Fonds Monétaire International). Par ailleurs, grâce à un programme financé par le Global Partnership for Education (GPE) et la Banque mondiale (2020-2023), le Bénin a formé plus de 46 000 enseignants pour améliorer les capacités des élèves en lecture et en mathématiques en début de primaire (Voir Global Partnership for Education).

• Des améliorations conséquentes dans l'apprentissage

Par exemple, en 2014, seulement 10 % des élèves du cours préparatoire (CP) avaient dépassé le niveau minimal de compétence en lecture, mais en 2019, cette proportion était passée à 38 % (Voir PASEC 2019). En mathématiques, 34 % de ces élèves avaient un niveau de compétences supérieur au niveau minimal en 2014, comparativement à 62 % en 2019 (Voir PASEC 2019). Le taux de passage au primaire est passé de 68% en 2017 à environ 78% en 2023 (Voir Global Partnership for Education).
Ces progrès en appellent à redoubler d'efforts pour maintenir le cap de la transformation du système éducatif béninois. Nul ne se voilerait la face sur les immenses défis qui persistent en termes d'effectifs dans les classes, d'infrastructures, de personnel enseignant qualifié, d'inadéquation entre les programmes de formation et les besoins réels de l'économie et de la société béninoises, de disparités régionales, etc.

Des défis qui nous invitent à des réflexions profondes et méthodiques pour repenser notre système éducatif.

Car l'éducation est bien plus qu'un service public : elle est une question de souveraineté nationale. Elle est une cause nationale qui nous concerne tous, sans distinction de région, de condition sociale ou de parti politique.

Former des citoyens éclairés, créatifs, et capables de répondre aux enjeux du XXIe siècle, voilà le vrai projet politique pour les prochaines années.

Offrir aux enfants de ce pays une éducation de qualité, c'est poser les bases d'une société béninoise plus juste, plus prospère et plus unie.

Le Bénin a déjà montré sa capacité à relever de grands défis, à les transformer en opportunités. La volonté politique est là, les programmes montrent leur efficacité, et les résultats sont tangibles.

Il nous appartient de poursuivre les efforts collectifs pour bâtir une école béninoise plus inclusive, plus adaptée aux besoins de notre temps et plus ouverte sur le monde. Une école béninoise, véritable levier d'émancipation et de transformation sociale.

Poursuivre notre engagement collectif en termes :

• d'investissement dans les infrastructures scolaires, pour offrir à chaque enfant un cadre d'apprentissage digne. Nous devons augmenter les dépenses dans le secteur de l'éducation à 7% du Produit Intérieur Brut (PIB) d'ici 2030 pour atteindre les Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD) en mutualisant ressources publiques et privées.

• de valorisation des enseignants sur les plans de la formation et de la qualification, de la rémunération etc., car il n'y a pas d'école de qualité sans des enseignants bien formés et motivés. Nous devons continuer à former et soutenir les enseignants, en investissant davantage dans les instituts de formation, en les accompagnant avec des outils et évaluations régulières.

• de modernisation des programmes pour les adapter aux réalités et aux défis du pays : emploi, numérique, démocratie, aménagement du territoire, développement humain durable, etc. Nous devons accentuer la mise en œuvre de programmes de pédagogie structurée et le maillage formation-métier en fédérant tous les acteurs (États, collectivités, secteur privé, partenaires internationaux, société civile).

• d'égalité des chances et d'équité pour que chaque enfant de ce pays puisse avoir accès à une éducation de qualité. Nous devrons réduire les écarts, en ciblant davantage les filles et les zones rurales en renforçant les programmes de bourses, de cantines scolaires, d'infrastructures socio-sanitaires.

Ainsi, le 15 septembre, lorsque les cloches de la rentrée retentiront, rappelons-nous qu'elles ne sonnent pas seulement pour marquer le début d'une année scolaire. Elles résonnent comme un appel à la responsabilité collective : celle de donner à nos enfants les clés de leur avenir et de celui du Bénin.

L'école béninoise est un trésor collectif. Elle est le lieu où se forgent la curiosité, le savoir, les valeurs citoyennes qui font vivre notre démocratie. Chaque enfant qu'elle forme et accompagne vers la connaissance constitue une pierre posée dans l'édifice de notre avenir national.

En ce sens, en cette veille des échéances électorales de 2026, cette rentrée du 15 septembre doit marquer un nouveau tournant dans notre engagement à bâtir une école performante et inclusive.

Elle doit être le début et le symbole de notre adhésion à un programme politique d'une école béninoise au service de l'ambition d'un Bénin uni et prospère.

Un programme politique porté par la stabilité du système éducatif, inscrivant son action dans une continuité constructive, fondée sur des objectifs partagés.

Un programme politique ancré dans des réformes éducatives de long terme, offrant le temps au monde de l'éducation de les discuter, de les approprier et de les assimiler.

Un programme politique fondé sur la concertation avec les acteurs autour des questions de revalorisation du métier d'enseignant (avec une politique claire et durable de rémunération et d'évolution de carrière), de gestion des effectifs et des infrastructures (avec une meilleure planification et un dialogue étroit avec les communautés locales).

Un programme politique mettant l'école béninoise au service des défis du 21e siècle : valorisation des compétences psychosociales (en préparant les élèves à coopérer, s'adapter aux changements et à développer leur esprit critique), intégration du numérique et de l'intelligence artificielle (en développant une stratégie numérique ambitieuse au service de l'éducation et de la réduction des inégalités).

Seule trajectoire à notre sens pour faire de l'écol béninoise, un espace d'apprentissage, d'espérance et de progrès partagé.

Dr Chedrak Chembessi

Professeur des Universités

Co-fondateur du Collectif AGORA 229

‎Odile Ahouanwanou ne participera pas aux 20ᵉ championnats du monde d'athlétisme, prévus du 13 au 21 septembre à Tokyo.

‎Qualifiée grâce à son titre de championne d'Afrique aux 20ᵉ championnats du monde d'athlétisme, prévus du 13 au 21 septembre au Japon, Odile Ahouanwanou ne participera pas à la compétition.

‎L'athlète a expliqué, vendredi 29 août, qu'elle n'était « pas prête physiquement » pour représenter le Bénin. « Je continue mes efforts », a-t-elle écrit sur Facebook, remerciant ses soutiens.

‎Plus de 2 000 athlètes de près de 200 pays sont attendus au Japan National Stadium. Au programme : 49 épreuves, dans la plus grande compétition d'athlétisme après les Jeux olympiques.

Le 26 août dernier, l'athlète s'est engagée en politique. Elle a annoncé son adhésion au Mouvement des Élites engagées pour l'émancipation du Bénin (Moele-Bénin).

‎M. M.
‎

African Global Health et Diplomatic Courier organisent, les 4 et 5 septembre 2025, un symposium de haut niveau à l'Hôtel Four Seasons de Casablanca (Maroc). Un nouveau Manifeste sera lancé au cours de cette rencontre qui va réunir des leaders africains et internationaux pour explorer l'innovation en matière de gouvernance et la coopération Sud–Sud.

La rencontre qui se déroule à casablanca, les 4 et 5 septembre, va explorer l'approche émergente de l'Afrique en matière de gouvernance par la réduction des risques, un modèle pragmatique fondé sur la solidarité, l'inclusivité et la résilience.

L'événement qui se déroule sous la houlette de Maroc Newspaper, marquera le lancement officiel de « Harm Reduction – The Manifesto 2025 », un nouvel ouvrage aux éditions ORION qui marque la voix de l'Afrique et du global South créant des ponts de travail en connexion avec le monde. Cet ouvrage amplifie les voix d'experts africains et internationaux appelant à des systèmes de gouvernance plus justes, plus efficaces et fondés sur des données probantes.

Dans un contexte de crises mondiales qui se chevauchent — du changement climatique aux urgences sanitaires en passant par les migrations massives — l'Afrique propose un modèle tourné vers l'avenir, ancré dans les principes de la réduction des risques.

Initialement née dans le champ de la santé publique, cette approche est aujourd'hui réinventée pour orienter les politiques, les institutions et la coopération internationale.

Le symposium réunira des responsables gouvernementaux, des leaders de la santé publique, des diplomates et des acteurs du changement afin d'examiner comment ce prisme de gouvernance peut inspirer de nouvelles formes de coopération Sud–Sud et des systèmes publics plus résilients.

Le symposium va aborder plusieurs thèmes dont Le financement innovant et les alliances pragmatiques ; La diplomatie culturelle et les partenariats internationaux ; et Des solutions de gouvernance face aux défis mondiaux.

« L'Afrique ne se contente pas de réagir aux crises ; elle propose un modèle capable d'inspirer le monde. La réduction des risques appliquée à la gouvernance est notre réponse concrète aux défis d'aujourd'hui et de demain », a déclaré Dr. Imane Kendili, Présidente d'African Global Health et hôte de la rencontre.

« Nous parlons souvent de réinventer les systèmes, mais ce manifeste fait plus qu'imaginer : il trace un cadre audacieux et concret qui place la dignité humaine et la coopération au centre de la gouvernance », a déclaré Ana C. Rold, Fondatrice et PDG de Diplomatic Courier et co-organisatrice de l'événement.

Le symposium est organisé par AGH et Diplomatic Courier.
African Global Health (AGH) est une organisation non gouvernementale basée au Maroc qui promeut les pratiques de réduction des risques, la gouvernance inclusive et la coopération Sud–Sud à travers l'Afrique.
Diplomatic Courier est une organisation médiatique mondiale spécialisée dans les affaires internationales et une plateforme de rencontres mettant en lumière l'innovation, la diplomatie et les solutions aux défis les plus pressants du monde.

Les contrôles le long de la frontière de 1,2 km qui sépare l’Espagne et Gibraltar devraient cesser en janvier 2026 pour les 15 000 travailleurs frontaliers qui la traversent chaque jour depuis l’Espagne, rapporte le quotidien espagnol El País.

The post Frontière Gibraltar-Espagne : « le dernier mur d’Europe occidentale » disparaîtra en 2026 appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Dimanche 24 août, des centaines de coups de feu ont été tirés depuis un bateau des garde-côtes libyens en direction de l’Ocean Viking, un navire de l’ONG SOS Méditerrannée, dans les eaux internationales. Aucun mort ou blessé n’est à déplorer, mais le navire a été lourdement endommagé.

The post L’Ocean Viking visé par des tirs des garde-côtes libyens appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Plusieurs villes dans le monde sont citées comme lieux possibles pour une éventuelle rencontre entre Donald Trump, Vladimir Poutine et Volodymyr Zelensky. Mais des obstacles de taille, notamment le mandat d’arrêt international lancé contre le président russe, compliquent la situation.

The post Où se tiendrait un éventuel sommet Poutine-Zelensky ? appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Jusqu’à la semaine dernière, la plateforme Kick n’avait pas désigné de représentant légal dans l’UE — une obligation essentielle dans le cadre du règlement européen sur les services numériques (Digital Services Act, DSA) destinée à mieux faire appliquer la loi aux entités basées en dehors de l’Union.

The post La mort en direct du streameur Jean Pormanove révèle les failles du DSA  appeared first on Euractiv FR.

La présidente de la Commission européenne a défendu l’accord conclu avec Donald Trump, estimant qu’il s’agit d’une décision « délibérée » qui a permis d’éviter une guerre commerciale totale entre l’UE et les États-Unis.

The post « Un choix délibéré » qui a permis d’éviter une guerre commerciale : Ursula von der Leyen défend son accord avec Donald Trump appeared first on Euractiv FR.

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared to the previous day. The Mission recorded a significant level of fighting during the night of 5-6 August in Donetsk region. The SMM analysed craters in Krasnohorivka, Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove) and Sakhanka. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas. The Mission noted the absence of 12 towed howitzers from permanent storage sites in “LPR”-controlled areas. It faced four freedom-of-movement restrictions, all in areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM received concrete responses to recent incidents by the Ukrainian Armed Forces representative at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination, but no such information regarding incidents that took place in areas not controlled by the Government.

The SMM noted fewer ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region compared to the previous reporting period.

On the evening of 4 August, while in Donetsk city centre the SMM heard in two minutes 14 undetermined explosions 6-8km north-north-west of its position. On the night of 5-6 August, the SMM heard 42 undetermined explosions, including 30 assessed as anti-aircraft cannon rounds, 7-10km north of its position.

On night of 4-5 August, whilst in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 8-10km north-west of its location. Earlier that evening, the SMM had heard in one minute 20 explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds, explosions assessed as automatic-grenade-launcher and recoilless-gun rounds as well as heavy-machine-gun bursts 700-1000m north of its position 7km north of Horlivka. While in Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard two explosions assessed as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds 4-5km south-east of its location.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) between 21:39 and 21:48 on 4 August recorded 11 rocket-assisted projectiles fired from west to east and one undetermined explosion at unknown distance north-west of its position. During the night of 5-6 August, in about three hours, the camera recorded 118 undetermined explosions as well as bursts of tracer fire (in sequence) from south-west to north-east, west to east and east to west.

Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard within 50 minutes in the afternoon 94 undetermined explosions assessed as rounds of different weapons (82mm and 120mm mortar, automatic grenade launcher), as well as heavy-machine-gun fire 4-6km south-east of its position. In the course of the day, whilst positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions at locations ranging from 2 to 6km west, west-north-west and north-north-west of its position.

In one hour in the morning, whilst in Svitlodarsk, the SMM heard 26 undetermined explosions 10-12km north-west, and four undetermined explosions 10-12km north-north-east of its position. In the night hours of 5-6 August, within just over two hours around midnight from the same location, the SMM heard 42 explosions, including 30, which it assessed as impacts of 120mm mortar rounds 4-5km south-east of its position. In Horlivka, on the same night, the SMM heard 43 explosions, including 27 it assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 7-9km north-west of its position.

In Luhansk region the SMM noted fewer ceasefire violations compared to the previous day, with no ceasefire violations recorded during the night of 4 August. Positioned 2km north of “LPR”-controlled Hannivka (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 5-15km west of its position. Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Veselohorivka (65km west of Luhansk), within about 20 minutes, the SMM heard over a dozen bursts of small arms 2km east of its position.

The SMM followed up on civilian casualties and conducted crater analysis. At the Kalinina hospital morgue in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, the SMM accompanied by Russian Federation Armed Forces officers at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), observed the body of a woman with extensive shrapnel injuries to her head, neck, limbs and torso. According to the autopsy report, she had succumbed to shrapnel injuries she had received due to triggering a booby trap while working in her garden in Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district on 4 August.

On 4 August, in “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM saw four fresh craters, all of which it assessed as caused by 120mm mortar rounds. The SMM assessed the first crater near an abandoned house as caused by a round fired from a westerly direction. The second crater was in the backyard of a house inhabited by an elderly woman and the SMM assessed that the round had been fired from a south-westerly direction. The last two craters were located near a road in the same area and the SMM assessed that one round had been fired from a north-north-westerly direction and the other – from a north-westerly direction. According to residents, the shelling had taken place between 06:00-06:35 on 3 August. No casualties were reported.

In Sakhanka (“DPR”-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw three fresh craters. The first crater was 20m away from an electricity sub-station and the SMM assessed it as caused by a projectile fired from a westerly direction. The SMM saw shrapnel damage to the sub-station. The SMM assessed the second crater, which was located in a field at the outskirts of the village, as caused by a 120mm mortar round fired from a north-westerly direction. The third crater was located in the backyard of a house inhabited by a middle-aged woman and the SMM saw two broken windows. The SMM assessed it as caused by a projectile fired from a north-north-westerly direction. Residents told the SMM that the shelling had occurred on 3 August at 22:30. No casualties were reported.

In Molodizhne (“DPR”-controlled, 20km south of Donetsk) the SMM saw nine fresh impact sites in a “detention” facility guarded by armed “DPR” members. One impact had caused the south-east part of the flat roof of an administrative building to partially collapse. The remainder of the impacts had struck the hard surface of the yard. The SMM assessed four of the craters as caused by 122mm or 152mm artillery rounds fired from a south or south-westerly direction, while a fifth had been caused by a projectile of unknown calibre fired from a northerly direction. The SMM was unable to analyse the remainder of the craters as they had been tampered with. According to the “head” of the facility, the shelling had occurred around midnight on 4 August. He also told the SMM that two “detainees” had sustained minor injuries. Medical personnel at the Dokuchaievsk hospital who treated them told the SMM that one had a shrapnel injury to his ankle and the other - to his chest and jaw. Both had been released back to the facility less than two hours after their arrival to the hospital. Near the facility, the SMM saw a two-storey house with a shattered window and spoke to a resident living in the house who stated that the window had been shattered by shrapnel around midnight on 4 August.

In government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) the SMM visited two residential properties reportedly shelled on the night of 4-5 August. At the first, the SMM saw a crater in the asphalt surface on the yard of the house, and minor shrapnel damage to the nearby east-facing wall. The SMM saw the tail fin of an 82mm mortar round stuck in the asphalt and assessed that the round had been fired from an east-south-easterly direction. At the second location, a five-storey apartment building, the SMM saw a direct impact on the east-facing wall and assessed it as caused by an 82mm mortar round fired from an east-north-easterly direction. No casualties were reported at either location.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Minsk Memorandum.

In violation of the respective withdrawal line, the SMM observed in government-controlled areas: one surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa, 120mm) westbound on the M04 (E50) road near government-controlled Selidove (41km north-west of Donetsk), and two tanks of unknown type in “LPR”-controlled areas of Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk). 

Beyond the respective withdrawal line but outside assigned areas, the SMM observed 13 stationary tanks (T-64) at the training area near “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification. In a government-controlled area beyond the respective withdrawal lines the SMM saw 11 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM21 Grad 122mm). The SMM also observed that one area continued to be abandoned, as it had been since 26 February, with 12 MLRS (BM21 Grad 122mm) and two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) missing. In “DPR”-controlled areas, the SMM noted the presence of eight anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm).*

The SMM revisited permanent storage sites, whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines. At “LPR”-controlled sites the SMM noted that 12 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) were missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. In “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed one armoured personnel carrier (BTR-80) with 12 armed “LPR” members on board travelling west and one stationary combat engineering vehicle (IMR-2) on a tank (T-72) chassis.

The SMM continued to insist on accountability and responsibility for violations related to impediments to SMM monitoring and verification. The SMM continued to follow up on the incident of 2 August when SMM monitors were threatened at gunpoint at a known Ukrainian Armed Forces position near Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk) (see: SMM Spot Report, 3 August 2016). At the JCCC in government-controlled Soledar (79km north of Donetsk), the Ukrainian Armed Forces representative presented the SMM with details of the investigations and disciplinary measures taken against the perpetrators. With regard to the shots fired at the SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle near Lobacheve on 30 July (see SMM Daily Report 1 August 2016), the representative informed the SMM that the person responsible had been identified and he had disobeyed direct orders.

In relation to the violation near Lukove (72km south of Donetsk) (see: SMM Spot Report, 29 July 2016) in which armed individuals had threatened the SMM at gunpoint, Mr. Zakharchenko continued to refuse to meet the SMM in order to indicate effective steps taken in response.*

The SMM reminded the JCCC of continued restrictions and impediments to monitoring and verification, including in the areas near Zolote and Petrivske, and reminded the JCCC of its obligations under the Addendum to help ensure these and other violations were remedied as a matter of urgency. The SMM likewise reminded the JCCC that many of these restrictions were caused by mines, which the signatories of the Memorandum of September 2014 had insisted should be removed, and the Trilateral Contact Group's decision of 3 March, stipulating that the JCCC should be responsible for overall co-ordination of mine action, with the support of the SMM.

The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The SMM revisited an area in Debaltseve (“DPR”-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk) where it had seen UXO assessed as an MLRS round (BM27 Uragan, 220mm; see SMM Daily Report 5 August 2016). A local farmer stated that “emergency services” had visited the site on 4 August and declared the rocket safe. He also showed the SMM another UXO on a footpath in the area, which the SMM assessed to be a 122mm artillery shell. The SMM informed the JCCC of the location of both pieces of UXO.

The SMM observed a new mine hazard sign 2km west of government-controlled Lobacheve (18km north-west of Luhansk) on the side of the road, which connects Lobacheve to government-controlled Lopaskyne (24km north-west of Luhansk). The sign read “Mines” in Russian and was hand-written on white cloth, which was hung on a movable wooden barrier.

The SMM continued to observe queues of pedestrians at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. In the morning between 09:09 and 10:09 the SMM saw 203 people (mixed gender and age) leaving government-controlled areas through the government checkpoint. In the same time period, the SMM saw 265 people (mixed gender and age) entering government-controlled areas through the same checkpoint. At 10:22, the SMM saw some 450 people still queuing to leave government-controlled areas. The SMM saw no traffic in the opposite direction. Between 15:45 and 16:15 the SMM observed 115 people (mixed gender and age) enter government-controlled areas through the government checkpoint. Within the same time frame, the SMM saw 132 people (mixed gender and age) proceed in the opposite direction.

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate

 

The SMM’s monitoring is restrained by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, and by restrictions of its freedom of movement and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations.

Denial of access:

• An armed “DPR” member stopped the SMM east of Oleksandrivske (formerly Rozy Lyuksemburg, “DPR”-controlled, 82km south of Donetsk), and prevented the SMM from proceeding further east. The SMM took an alternative route to Novoazovsk (“DPR”-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Four armed “LPR” members in two vehicles stopped the SMM in “LPR”-controlled areas of Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk). An armed “LPR” member threatened one of SMM’s monitors with “arrest”, unless the SMM complied with their instruction not to stop at a pedestrian path leading to the railway tracks. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Conditional access:

• Armed men limited the SMM’s access to a weapons holding area. The gate was locked and the SMM was informed that the guard with the key was unavailable. The armed “DPR” members present only allowed two monitors and a language assistant to climb the wall (1.2m) in order to record the serial numbers of the designated weapons. The JCCC was informed.
• An armed “LPR” member stopped the SMM at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the bridge at government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk). He informed his superior and only allowed the SMM to proceed after noting down monitors’ names and IDs.

 

[1]  Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.

 

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This report is for media and the general public.

On 6 August at 07:51hrs the SMM heard an explosion approximately 3.9km east of its location in Luhansk city.

The SMM went to the site from where it had heard the explosion located at the intersection of Karpynsky and Vatutyn Street in Luhansk city, 500m north-east of SMM’s accommodation. The site was cordoned off, by so-called “LPR” “police” and the SMM could assess from a distance of approximately 15-30 meters, that an explosion had likely been caused by an improvised explosive device (assessed as approximately 1kg of high explosives) placed next to or in, a lamp post about two meters away from the vehicle, which was damaged and downed, at the side of the road. The SMM saw a black sport utility vehicle “Toyota Landcruiser Prado” severely damaged with windows shattered and front and side airbags deployed.

“LPR” “police” members at the site told the SMM that there were two casualties, without giving further details. Mr Vladislav Deynego, “LPR” member, told the SMM that Mr Plotnitsky was “in a bad condition and not able to receive visitors.”  At the time of writing, the SMM could not reach personnel at either of the two hospitals in Luhansk city for confirmation.

The SMM will continue following up to confirm the information, and observe further developments.

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WARSAW, 6 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today criticized the call by the Prosecutor General of Tajikistan for the reintroduction of the death penalty, and expressed concern over recent discussions related to removing the bans on capital punishment in some other OSCE participating States.

“Countries in the OSCE have committed themselves to consider the complete abolition of capital punishment, not to reconsider that abolition,” the ODIHR Director said. “Yesterday’s call by the Prosecutor General in Tajikistan for the reintroduction of capital punishment in that country is completely out of place in a region where most of the countries recognize the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of a punishment that fails to act as a deterrent and makes any miscarriage of justice irreversible.”

Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General, Yusuf Rahmon, told a press conference yesterday that perpetrators of premeditated murder, terrorists and traitors must be punished by death. His words followed similar statements by other leaders, among them President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Viktor Orban of Hungary, suggesting that the reinstitution of the death penalty should be opened for discussion.

Tajikistan suspended the application of the death penalty in 2004, while Turkey and Hungary completely abolished capital punishment, in 2004 and 1990, respectively.

“Rather than reversing its course, it is my hope that Tajikistan will take further steps toward the complete abolition of the death penalty,” he said. “It is also my hope that Turkey, remains with the vast majority of the OSCE participating States and will continue to  act as a strong advocate for the global abolition, as it has in recent years.”

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KYIV, 5 AUGUST 2016 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, on Friday concluded an official visit to Ukraine aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and the risks encountered by the most vulnerable groups as a consequence of the current crisis.

During her five-day visit, she met with representatives of the Donetsk Oblast state administration and female Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Kramatorsk. Ambassador Jarbussynova also travelled to Kharkiv to talk to relevant civil society representatives about the situation on the ground, how to prevent the expansion of the conflict-driven human trafficking phenomenon, and to evaluate existing mechanisms of identifying, referring and assisting victims of trafficking in human beings.

“More than one-and-a-half million citizens have been displaced – a vast number that demands a comprehensive response,” Jarbussynova said. “This vulnerable group can easily find itself in situations where human trafficking may occur.”

In Kyiv, the OSCE Special Representative met with Ukrainian authorities to discuss progress in anti-trafficking measures and review future plans.

“The Government of Ukraine has recently demonstrated a high level of commitment to addressing human trafficking, particularly in enhancing its victim identification efforts and in filing cases to relevant courts”, said Jarbussynova.

At the same time, she noted that there are still considerable gaps in the National Referral Mechanism for victims, and that long-term, sustainable measures should be sought.

The Special Representative travels regularly to Ukraine, engaging with high-level authorities and holding training sessions together with the Special Monitoring Mission and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator to strengthen the capacity of the Ukrainian institutions and OSCE monitors to spot human trafficking trends and to report on alleged cases.

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This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the day before including more than 520 explosions. In Luhansk region the SMM noted a decrease in recorded ceasefire violations compared to the previous day. On the night of 4 August, the SMM heard single shots of small-arms fire in close proximity to  its base in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov). The SMM analysed craters in Zaitseve, Luhanske and Novozvanivka. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line, and noted the absence of numerous weapons from permanent storage sites in government-controlled areas. The SMM followed up on reports of water and power supply cuts in areas of Avdiivka and Yasynuvata due to shelling. It faced four freedom-of-movement restrictions – two in government-controlled areas and two in areas not controlled by the Government.

The SMM noted a higher number of ceasefire violations[1] recorded in Donetsk region compared to the previous reporting period, including more than 520 explosions.

On the evening of 3 August, while in Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 48 undetermined explosions 8-15km north-west of its position.

On the same night, whilst in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 104 undetermined explosions 7-10km north, and 12 explosions assessed as outgoing armoured personnel carrier (BMP-1, 73mm) cannon fire 5-8km north of its position.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) between 21:35 and 22:31 of 3 August, facing north-east, recorded 63 undetermined explosions and 30 bursts in the following sequence: five bursts of undetermined tracer fire and 25 bursts of direct tracer fire from east to west, north to south, south to north, north-west to northeast, north-east to north-west, east to north-west, north-east to west, south-east to north-west.

The following day, positioned at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of the city centre), the SMM heard 236 undetermined explosions all at locations 3-10km ranging from north-west to north-east of its position. The most intense violence was noted between 08:14 and 08:42, when the SMM recorded 100 undetermined explosions 4-6km north-north-east of its position. 

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions and 13 outgoing explosions assessed as caused by automatic-grenade-launcher fire 1-7km west-south-west, west, west-north-west, north, north-north-east and north-east of its position. Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions 3-5km east and south-east of its position.

In Luhansk region the SMM noted a decrease in recorded ceasefire violations compared to the previous day, with no ceasefire violations recorded during the night of 3 August. Whilst in government-controlled Trokhizbenka (33km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 32 undetermined explosions 5-6km south of its position. While positioned 1.5km north-west of “LPR”-controlled Hannivka (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard, within a half-hour period, more than 100 bursts of small-arms fire 1.5km east-south-east of its position – the location of a known shooting range – and assessed them as live-fire exercise – within the security zone – in violation of the ceasefire and of the Trilateral Contact Group decision on the prohibition of live-fire exercises within the security zone. Subsequently, while in the vicinity of a shooting range, the SMM saw five armed “LPR” members wearing ski masks with sniper rifles.

At 21:45 on 4 August, the SMM while at its base in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), heard 16 single shots of small-arms (pistol) fire at an undetermined location 100-150m away from the base. The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) and armed “LPR” members controlling area.

The SMM conducted crater analysis. In “DPR”-controlled parts of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw a fresh crater in a field 60m away from a house and assessed it as caused by a mortar (82 or 120mm) round fired from a north-westerly direction. Residents told the SMM that shelling had occurred during the night of 2-3 August. Across the street, the SMM also saw a completely burnt and destroyed house and two neighbouring houses with minor damage. No casualties were reported.

In government-controlled Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw four relatively fresh craters  with fragments of 120mm mortar rounds and 122mm artillery rounds in a garden of an inhabited house. The SMM was unable to determine the direction of fire due to contaminated craters after the recent heavy storms.

In government-controlled Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw four craters near an inhabited house and assessed two of them as caused by 82mm mortar and the other two as caused by 122m artillery rounds, all fired from an easterly direction. Two residents told the SMM that shelling had taken place during the night time two days prior.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Minsk Memorandum.

In violation of the respective withdrawal line, the SMM observed in government-controlled areas: five self-propelled howitzers (2S1Gvozdika, 122mm) in Tarasivka (43km north-west of Donetsk); four self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152 mm) in a military compound in Donske (57km south of Donetsk); one radio-guided anti-tank system (9K114 Shturm, 134mm) mounted on a stationary armoured tracked vehicle (MT- LB) in Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk). Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence on 3 August of 12 tanks together with other hardware including 19 armoured vehicles and 44 military-type trucks in an industrial complex in “DPR”-controlled Budonivskyi district of Donetsk city.

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification. In a government-controlled area beyond the respective withdrawal lines the SMM saw six towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm), while it noted as missing six towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) as first observed on 8 July. The SMM also observed that two areas continued to be abandoned, as they have been since 3 July, with 12 towed howitzers (D-30, 12mm) and six Addendum-regulated mortars (2B11, 120mm) missing.

The SMM revisited permanent storage sites, whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines. At Ukrainian Armed Forces sites, the SMM noted that 22 tanks (T-64) and seven mortars (five 2B9M, 82mm; and two BM-38, 82mm) remained missing. In addition, the SMM also observed missing for the first time 36 tanks (T-64) and seven mortars (BM-37, 82mm). The SMM noted that one of those sites continues to be abandoned and another site has been newly abandoned.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles (ACV) and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw: one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) near Lomakyne (15km north-east of Mariupol); one light-armoured vehicle (Kraz Cougar) mounted with a heavy machine-gun heading north near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk). In “LPR”-controlled areas, the SMM saw: one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) at an “LPR” checkpoint south-east of Shchastia across the contact line; one infantry fighting vehicle (BTR) heading north near Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk). Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence on 3 August of 33 armoured vehicles and 169 military-type trucks in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, in addition to aforementioned present in the same compound as the tanks (see above).

The SMM followed up on reports about cuts to water and power supply in areas of Avdiivka and Yasynuvata due to shelling. In Avdiivka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) told the SMM that at around 23:00 on 3 August, water and power supply to the town had been interrupted as shelling had caused damage to power transmission lines and to the Donetsk water filtration station located between Avdiivka and Yasynuvata. At Yasynuvata railway station, an employee (a woman in her thirties), stated that at approximately 04:00 of the day the water supply had been interrupted affecting large parts of the town. She added that most residents currently used water from private wells and bottled water.

The SMM continued to follow up on the incident of 2 August when SMM monitors were threatened at gunpoint at a known Ukrainian Armed Forces position on the road from government-controlled Lopaskyne to Lobacheve (24 and 17km north-west of Luhansk, respectively) (see: SMM Spot Report, 3 August 2016). At the JCCC in government-controlled Soledar (79km north of Donetsk), the Ukrainian Armed Forces chief-of-staff told the SMM that the perpetrators had been identified. The SMM also requested the meeting with a senior “DPR” member to follow up on the incident of 29 July when SMM monitors were threatened at gunpoint by aggressive armed “DPR” members near Lukove (72km south of Donetsk) (see: SMM Spot Report, 30 July 2016). He subsequently  refused  the request.*

The SMM observed the presence of explosive remnants of war (ERW) in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk). The SMM for the first time saw a tailfin of a multiple-launch rocket system (BM-27 Uragan, 220mm) stuck in soil 30m away from an inhabited house and some 50 rusty shells of 82mm mortars (without fuses) scattered in a nearby field.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. Positioned on both sides of the contact line, the SMM monitored the cleaning and widening of canals that provide water to the Shchastia power plant, repair works to the Mykhailivka-Lysychansk high power line near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km north-west of Luhansk), repair works to gas pipelines in areas between “LPR”-controlled Slovianoserbsk and Pryshyb (28 and 34km north-west of Luhansk, respectively).

The SMM continued to observe queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. In the morning, at a checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed 132 cars waiting in a queue to cross into government-controlled areas and six cars in the opposite direction. A man in his forties told the SMM that he had been waiting for four hours since 06:00. A man in his early thirties with his wife and 8-year-old son stated that they were travelling to receive medical treatment for his son in government-controlled areas, expressing his concern as his son should not stay in the sun for a long time.  

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring is restrained by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, and by restrictions of its freedom of movement and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations.

Denial of access:

• In government-controlled Hranitne (25km north of Mariupol), armed Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel did not allow the SMM to enter a military compound. The JCCC was informed.
• Armed Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel denied the SMM access to a military compound in government-controlled Myrne (40km north-east of Mariupol), citing orders from their superior. The JCCC was informed. 
• A senior “DPR” member refused to meet with SMM, when it attempted to follow up on the incident 29 July near Lukove.

Conditional access:

• Armed “LPR” members at a checkpoint immediately south of the bridge at Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north of Luhansk) allowed the SMM to proceed only after taking the names and ID card numbers of SMM monitors.

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.

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MOSCOW, 5 August 2016 – On the occasion of the formal opening of the election observation mission (EOM) deployed by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the 18 September State Duma elections in the Russian Federation, the mission will hold a press conference in Moscow on Monday, 8 August 2016.

Jan Petersen, the head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission, will introduce the role of the EOM and its upcoming activities.

Journalists are invited to attend the press conference at 15:00, Monday, 8 August, at Interfax, 1-ya Tverskaya-Yamskaya ul., 2 Moscow, 127006.

For further information, please contact Inta Lase OSCE/ODIHR EOM Media Analyst, at +79166214710 (mobile) or Inta.Lase@odihr.ru

or

Thomas Rymer, OSCE/ODIHR Spokesperson, at +48 609 522 266 (Warsaw mobile) or at thomas.rymer@odihr.pl.

 

 

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257951 Communication and Media Relations Section

Representatives of relevant ministries and other state agencies of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan responsible for implementing provisions of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction met at an OSCE-supported peer review meeting in Minsk from 2 and 5 August 2016, to discuss progress in their work.

Experts from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and the UN Security Council’s 1540 Committee also attended the meeting, which was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, and is the second event of its kind to be held in the OSCE region and in the world, and the first to be held in trilateral format.

Opening the event, Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Valentin Rybakov said that the issues of non-proliferation are among his country’s priorities in the area of international security.

He noted that Belarus was the first state of the former Soviet Union to voluntarily refuse the opportunity to possess weapons of mass destruction, and that the withdrawal of such weapons from the country’s territory was completed in 1996. Rybakov added that his country also initiated the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution on prohibiting the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons.

Adriana Volenikova of the  OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre said regional co-operation on UNSCR 1540-related issues has become one of the most efficient means in bolstering national implementation and enhancing an open dialogue between countries that face similar challenges and benefit from close interaction in related areas.

The three States will work on a joint report on implementation and later submit it to the UNSC 1540 Committee and the UN Security Council.

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