A crucial time for democracy, peace building, climate solutions
November 2024 is becoming a crucial month to prevent further disasters in these realms...
Dear readers,
I know lots of people have the United States in mind when they think about democracy at this time of year, but if there is one point that the 2020s are proving it is that the US is not the centre of the world anymore.
Here we look at the world from other centres actually, so here are a few other elections with high stakes, important reports and a podcast episode on climate discussions.
Enjoy.
Senegal elections
Former rivals Sonko and Macky Sall face off again in Senegal’s parliamentary elections
In the upcoming parliamentary elections in Senegal scheduled for this weekend, former presidential rivals Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and former President Macky Sall will face off once more - this time aiming to secure a majority in Parliament. This follows their competition in the March 2024 presidential election.
Issued on: 12/11/2024
By: Melissa Chemam
Senegal, with a population of about 18 million, has nearly 7.4 million registered voters.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved Senegal's parliament in September and announced legislative elections for 17 November, saying the opposition-controlled parliament hindered his ability to execute his government’s plans at that time.
Senegal's president dissolves parliament, calls snap November election
Voters will have to select MPs for 165 parliamentary seats.
Forty lists of candidates are competing, but four major coalitions dominate, including the list from the current majority, and the one from the opposition, named Takku Wallu, supported by former president Macky Sall and his allies.
On election day, citizens vote directly for their chosen list and, upon counting the votes, the list that secures the most votes will garner all the seats in a district.
The ruling Pastef party is led by President Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
Read more from here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20241112-former-rivals-sonko-and-macky-sall-face-off-again-in-senegal-s-parliamentary-elections
Gabon votes on sweeping changes to its political future
Gabon is holding a constitutional referendum on Saturday that could reshape its political system – introducing a seven-year presidential term, renewable once, while abolishing the post of prime minister. It marks the first vote under the military-led transitional government since a coup ousted longtime leader Ali Bongo in August 2023.
Issued on: 15/11/2024
By: Melissa Chemam
"Gabonese women and men, I call on you to participate in this referendum, because our only enemy is abstention," said transitional president Brice Oligui Nguema.
The military sees the vote as the final step in their transition plan following Bongo's removal. Gabon's Council of Ministers passed a bill in October to organise the referendum.
"The Council of Ministers has expressed its satisfaction at the completion of the proposed new constitution," said Laurence Ndong, spokeswoman for the transitional government.
The whole story here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20241115-gabon-votes-on-sweeping-changes-to-its-political-future-constitution
Meanwhile, the NGO Human Rights Watch has published a crucial report on the war in Gaza:
HRW: Israel’s Crimes Against Humanity in Gaza
HRW finally has this key report out this week:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/14/israels-crimes-against-humanity-gaza
I had written this post on 30 October 2023, over a year ago:
Gaza: The crimes we're talking about
https://melissa.substack.com/p/gaza-the-crimes-were-talking-about
So, it is hard for me to understand why it takes so long to admit reality… and to intervene...?
Haaretz is writing about ethnic cleansing and genocide this week: https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-11-12/ty-article-opinion/.premium/maybe-israel-is-committing-genocide-after-all/00000193-1c92-de99-a9bb-ddb357c70000
Same with the Guardian…
We’re wasting so much time though.
Here are the main findings:
Mass Forced Displacement and Widespread Destruction
Israeli authorities have caused massive, deliberate forced displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza since October 2023 and are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
There is no plausible imperative military reason to justify Israel’s mass displacement of nearly all of Gaza’s population, often multiple times. Rather than ensuring civilians’ security, military “evacuation orders” have caused grave harm.
Governments should adopt targeted sanctions and other measures, and halt weapons sales to Israel. The International Criminal Court prosecutor should investigate Israel’s forced displacement and prevention of the right to return as a crime against humanity.
A UN special committee has also released a report showing that Israeli policies and practices in Gaza are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide”.
The committee, set up in 1968 to monitor the Israeli occupation, also said in its annual report that there were serious concerns that Israel was “using starvation as a weapon of war” in the 13-month-old conflict, and was running an “apartheid system” in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories
Summary:
The present report contains information regarding the efforts of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories to implement its mandate and documents human rights concerns in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan from October 2023 to July 2024.
The Special Committee was not able to conduct visits to the occupied territories, but did conduct its annual consultations in Geneva and undertook a visit to Amman, and met with government officials, United Nations organisations and mechanisms, representatives of civil society organisations, youth representatives, human rights defenders, and Palestinian families.
The report raises serious concerns of breaches of international humanitarian and human rights laws in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including starvation as a weapon of war, the possibility of genocide in Gaza and an apartheid system in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
It documents the impact of the conflict escalation since 7 October 2023 on Palestinians’ rights to food; to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; to physical integrity, liberty and security of persons; as well as the disproportionate effects on the rights of women, children, and future generations more broadly.
The report also highlights the ongoing attacks against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and refers to developments in the occupied Syrian Golan.
The report provides recommendations to the General Assembly and Member States; to the State of Israel; and to businesses operating with Israel, that in any way contribute to maintaining Israel’s unlawful presence in the occupied territories.
It can be read in its entirety from here: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/271/19/pdf/n2427119.pdf
Meanwhile, world leaders are supposed to be brainstorming to save us from complete climate disaster, but the richest countries are either not attending, or sending oil-loving representatives…
In my podcast, I discuss the issues at stake for the most vulnerable countries:
Africans push for climate justice at Cop29
Issued on: 15/11/2024
This week's Spotlight on Africa dives into Cop29’s critical discussions on climate change – focusing on food systems, green energy funding and who should pay for climate disasters. With talks underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, negotiators and experts are grappling with solutions to the growing crisis.
Zitouni Ould Dada, representing the FAIRR Initiative – a network raising awareness of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks in the food sector – underscores the need to transform global food systems.
“Since Cop15 in Paris and Cop26 in Glasgow, good progress has been made towards building sustainable and resilient agri-food systems,” he said. “Cop29 is a key moment to accelerate the transformation of food production.”
He calls on policymakers to strengthen climate commitments, integrate agriculture into national plans, and create policies to attract sustainable investment.
Financing green energy and addressing climate disasters are key issues at this year’s summit.
Seyni Nafo, spokesperson for the African negotiators group and chair of the Green Climate Fund, coordinates the African Union Adaptation Initiative. He shared his perspective with RFI’s Christophe Boisbouvier.
Speaking from Baku, Nafo explored the question of responsibility for funding climate recovery in the most affected regions.
The negotiations come during what is expected to be the hottest year on record, underscoring the urgency of Cop29’s agenda.
Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale.
By: Melissa Chemam
Listen here from our website: https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20241115-africans-push-food-systems-and-climate-justice-at-cop29
Or from Apple Podcast.
Thanks for reading (and maybe even listening.
If you do believe in spreading important news, feel free to do so.
best,
melissa
Melissa Chemam
Journalist, Audio Producer & Writer
Blog: https://melissa-on-the-road.blogspot.com/
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/melissachemam
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaChemam