22042019 - ACUTE HUNGER: Outrage as IDP children feed on onion leaves

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36 — VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019 Crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb bl<strong>as</strong>t inside a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka on E<strong>as</strong>ter Sunday, the first major attack on the Indian Ocean Island since the end of a civil war 10 years ago. REUTERS/Stringer Bombs kill more than 200 in Sri Lankan churches, hotels *Buhari, Pope, others mourn MORE than 200 people were killed and at le<strong>as</strong>t 450 injured in bomb bl<strong>as</strong>ts that ripped through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on E<strong>as</strong>ter Sunday, the first major attack on the Indian Ocean island since the end of a civil war 10 years ago. The government declared a curfew in Colombo and blocked access to social media and messaging sites, including Facebook and WhatsApp. It w<strong>as</strong> unclear when the curfew would be lifted. But in a sign that the attacks on three churches and four hotels could lead to communal violence, police reported on Sunday night that there had been a petrol bomb attack on a mosque in the northwestern district of Puttalum and arson attacks on two shops owned by Muslims in the western district of Kalutara. Local Islamist The government h<strong>as</strong> acknowledged that it had “prior information” of attacks on churches involving a little known local Islamist group but didn’t do enough about it Ȯut of Sri Lanka’s total population of around 22 million, 70 percent are Buddhist, 12.6 percent Hindu, 9.7 percent Muslim and 7.6 percent Christian, according to the country’s 2012 census. On Sunday afternoon, three police officers were killed during a security forces raid on a house in the Sri Lankan capital several hours after the attacks, many of which officials said were suicide bomb explosions. Police reported an explosion at the house. Thirteen arrests have been made, all of whom are Sri Lankans, police said. “Altogether, we have information of 207 dead from all hospitals. According to the information <strong>as</strong> of now we have 450 injured people admitted to hospitals,” police spokesman Ruwan Gun<strong>as</strong>ekera told reporters. Government officials said that 32 foreigners were killed and 30 injured in the explosions that tore through congregations and gatherings in hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa. They included five British people, two of whom had dual U.S. citizenship, and three Indians, according to officials in those countries. Also among the fatalities were three people from Denmark, two from Turkey, and one from Portugal, Sri Lankan officials said. There were also Chinese and Dutch among the dead, according to media reports. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. nationals were among those killed, but did not give details. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks in a country which w<strong>as</strong> at war for decades with Tamil separatists until 2009, a time when bomb bl<strong>as</strong>ts in the capital were common. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe acknowledged that the government had some “prior information of the attack”, though ministers were not told. He said there w<strong>as</strong>n’t an adequate response and there needed to be an inquiry into how the information w<strong>as</strong> used. He also said the government needs to look at the international links of a local militant group. Suicide bombers Agence France Presse reported that it had seen documents showing that Sri Lanka’s police chief Pujuth Jay<strong>as</strong>undara issued an intelligence alert to top officers 10 days ago, warning that suicide bombers planned to hit “prominent churches”. He cited a foreign intelligence service <strong>as</strong> reporting that a little-known Islamist group w<strong>as</strong> involved. A Sri Lanka police spokesman said he w<strong>as</strong> not aware of the intelligence report. Dozens were killed in one of the bl<strong>as</strong>ts at St. Seb<strong>as</strong>tian’s Gothic-style Catholic church in Katuwapitiya, north of Colombo. Gun<strong>as</strong>ekera said the police suspected a suicide attack there. Pictures from the site showed bodies on the ground, blood on the church pews and a destroyed roof. Local media reported 25 people were also killed in an attack on an evangelical church in Batticaloa in E<strong>as</strong>tern Province. The hotels hit in Colombo were the Shangri- La, the Kingsbury, the Cinnamon Grand and the Tropical Inn near the national zoo. There w<strong>as</strong> no word on c<strong>as</strong>ualties in the hotels, but a witness told local TV he saw some body parts, including a severed head, lying on the ground beside the Tropical Inn. The first six explosions were all reported within a short period in the morning just <strong>as</strong> church services were starting. One of the explosions w<strong>as</strong> at St. Anthony’s Shrine, a Catholic church in Kochcikade, Colombo, a tourist landmark. The explosion at the Tropical Inn happened later and there w<strong>as</strong> an eighth explosion at the house that w<strong>as</strong> the subject of the police raid in Colombo. “I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong,” said Sri Lanka’s prime minister in a Tweet. Top Democrats leave open option of Trump impeachment after Mueller report TOP congressional Democrats left the door open on Sunday to the impeachment of U.S. President Donald Trump, but said they would first need to complete their own investigations into whether he obstructed justice in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Some party leaders have cautioned against impeachment just 18 months before the 2020 presidential election, although prominent liberals have demanded the start of proceedings to remove Trump from office since the rele<strong>as</strong>e on Thursday of Mueller’s report. U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, whose panel would spearhead any impeachment proceedings, said Democrats would press ahead with investigations of Trump in Congress and “see where the facts lead us.””Obstruction of justice, if proven, would be impeachable,” Nadler said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” A redacted version of Mueller’s long-awaited report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, the product of a 22-month investigation, outlined multiple instances where Trump tried to thwart the probe. While it stopped short of concluding Trump had committed a crime, it did not exonerate him. Mueller noted that Congress h<strong>as</strong> the power to address whether Trump violated the law, and Democrats said it would be a matter of discussion in the coming weeks. “That’s going to be a very consequential decision and one I’m going to reserve judgement on until we have a chance to fully deliberate on it,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said on “Fox News Sunday.” Comedian wins Ukrainian presidential election U KRAINIAN comedian Volodymyr Zelensky h<strong>as</strong> won a run-off election to become the country’s next president by a landslide, exit polls suggest. The polls give him more than 70% support. He dominated the first round of voting three weeks ago when 39 candidates were on the ticket. Mr Zelensky challenged incumbent president Petro Poroshenko. Mr Poroshenko h<strong>as</strong> admitted defeat but told supporters gathered in Kiev that he will not leave politics. “I will never let you down,” Mr Zelensky told supporters on Sunday. He added: “While I am not formally president yet, <strong>as</strong> a citizen of Ukraine I can tell all post-Soviet countries: ‘Look at us! Everything is possible!’” If polls are correct, he will be elected for a five-year term. Ukraine’s president holds significant powers over the security, defence and foreign policy of the country. Polls gave Mr Poroshenko, who h<strong>as</strong> been in power since 2014, 25% of the vote. The billionaire w<strong>as</strong> elected after an uprising overthrew the country’s previous, pro-Russian government. “The outcome of the election leaves us with uncertainty and unpredictability,” he said after exit polls were rele<strong>as</strong>ed. “I will leave office but I want to firmly stress - I will not quit politics,” he added. Mr Zelensky, 41, is best known for starring in a political satirical drama called Servant of the People in which his character accidentally becomes Ukrainian president. He ran under a political party with the same name <strong>as</strong> his show. United and strong “Ple<strong>as</strong>e avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.” President Maithripala Sirisena said he had ordered the police special t<strong>as</strong>k force and military to investigate who w<strong>as</strong> behind the attacks and their agenda. The military w<strong>as</strong> deployed, a military spokesman said, and security stepped up at Colombo’s international airport. Schools, universities and the Colombo Stock Exchange will be closed on Monday <strong>as</strong> the island state tries to recover from the attacks. Meanwhile, President Muhamadu Buhari, and Pope Francis were among the world leaders, who condoled with the country over the incident. In a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, President Buhari condemned the attacks, stressing that the Federal Government and Nigerians are standing with the country during this trying period. “We stand with victims of terrorism all over the world because we know and understand this harrowing inhuman activity”. The United Nations secretary-general said he is “outraged by the terrorist attacks” in Sri Lanka. A statement by the spokesman for Antonio Guterres noted the “sanctity of all places of worship” adding he hoped the perpetrators will be quickly brought to justice. President Donald Trump condemned the “horrible terrorist attacks” and said the US offered “heartfelt condolences” to the Sri Lankan people and stood ready to help. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the “horrific bl<strong>as</strong>ts” and said his country stands with the people of Sri Lanka. “Strongly condemn the horrific bl<strong>as</strong>ts in Sri Lanka.''
Sudan: Protesters cut ties with military council PROTEST leaders in Sudan have said they have broken off contacts with the ruling military council that replaced ousted leader Omar al- B<strong>as</strong>hir. They accused it of being composed of “remnants” of Mr B<strong>as</strong>hir’s regime. Thousands of protesters have gathered outside army HQ in Khartoum for a meeting to announce a civilian council they now want to take power. The military says it is committed to handing over power and will consider a joint military-civilian council. However, protest movement spokesman Mohamed al-Amin said they now considered the military council an “extension of the regime” and vowed to escalate the protests. The campaign to remove Mr B<strong>as</strong>hir had been spearheaded by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA). It is behind the announcement of the council. The SPA held talks with the military on Saturday. Senior SPA member Ahmed al-Rabia initially indicated this might delay the naming of the council but on Sunday he confirmed that the announcement would go ahead at the Khartoum protest site. The protesters want the council to form a transitional government, leading to elections. On Sunday it said it would respond to the call for civilian rule within a week, and indicated it might favour a joint council. It h<strong>as</strong>, however, rele<strong>as</strong>ed political prisoners and on Saturday arrested a number of top members of Mr B<strong>as</strong>hir’s former ruling party. While the military h<strong>as</strong> promised not to remove protesters from their sit-in, it h<strong>as</strong> also called on them to “let normal life resume”. *Catholic priests stand inside a church after a bomb bl<strong>as</strong>t in Negombo, Siri Lanka yesterday. At E<strong>as</strong>ter m<strong>as</strong>s, Parisians pray for Notre-Dame’s swift restoration WITH no cathedral to go to, hundreds of Parisians gathered for E<strong>as</strong>ter Sunday m<strong>as</strong>s at the smaller Saint- Eustache catholic church on the city’s right bank, and prayed for the swift restoration of Notre- Dame after its dev<strong>as</strong>tating fire. The archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, began the service by drawing a parallel between the planned reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, celebrated every year by Christians at E<strong>as</strong>ter. “We will rise up again and our cathedral will rise up again,” he told the congregation, which included the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and the head of the Paris fire service, General Jean- Claude Gallet. The m<strong>as</strong>s had originally been scheduled to be held at Notre-Dame, whose spire w<strong>as</strong> destroyed and its roof gutted in Monday’s blaze <strong>as</strong> rescuers put their lives at risk to salvage the rest of the centuries-old cathedral and its priceless artifacts. Half way through the m<strong>as</strong>s, Gallet received a minute’s applause from the congregation in tribute to the 400 firefighters who extinguished the blaze, and w<strong>as</strong> then handed a bible that survived the fire. “We wish to reunite with the faithful, to pray together, hoping that Notre-Dame of Paris is revived <strong>as</strong> quickly <strong>as</strong> possible,” said Annie le Bourvellec, a charity worker, <strong>as</strong> hundreds of worshippers queued outside Saint-Eustache, one of Paris’s biggest church. US to clean up toxic Vietnam War air b<strong>as</strong>e THE US h<strong>as</strong> launched a multi-million dollar clean-up operation at an air b<strong>as</strong>e in Vietnam it used to store the notorious chemical Agent Orange. The ten-year programme, unveiled more than four decades after the end of the Vietnam War, will cost $183m (£141m). The site at Bien Hoa airport, outside Ho Chi Minh City, is considered the most contaminated in the country Ȧgent Orange w<strong>as</strong> a defoliant sprayed by US forces to destroy jungles and uncover the enemy’s hiding places. It contained dioxin, which is one of the most toxic chemicals known to man and h<strong>as</strong> been linked to incre<strong>as</strong>ed rates of cancers and birth defects. Vietnam says several million people have been affected by Agent Orange, including 150,000 <strong>children</strong> born with severe birth defects. At Bien Hoa the chemical h<strong>as</strong> contaminated the soil and seeped into nearby rivers. The amount of dioxin in the area is four times higher than that found at Danang airport where a similar operation w<strong>as</strong> completed in November. Egyptians vote for second day on constitutional changes EGYPTIANS voted on Sunday for a second day on whether to back constitutional amendments that could see President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stay in power until 2030. The three-day referendum w<strong>as</strong> called l<strong>as</strong>t week, a day after Egypt’s 596-member parliament endorsed the draft amendments by 531 to 22. If approved, the amendments would extend Sisi’s current termto six years from four and allow him to run again for a thirdsix-year term in 2024. VANGUARD, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019 — 37 The political calculations of Sudan’s military regime By Ahmed Adam *Omar al-B<strong>as</strong>hir As political ambitions cl<strong>as</strong>hed and outside forces intervened, General Ibn Auf took over with the intent of securing al-B<strong>as</strong>hir’s exit and maintaining the status quo within the regime es attacked the sit-in in front of the Army High Command headquarters in Khartoum, causing some soldiers to intervene and protect the protesters. The Sudanese president and other loyalists had planned to disperse the sitin with force, hoping that the violence would keep the protesters away. Fearing an insurrection within the lower army rank and file, the top br<strong>as</strong>s of the military could not go along with the plan. More importantly, there are speculations that General Gosh, the head of the NISS, also ON April 11, after 30 years in power, the longstanding dictator, General Omar al-B<strong>as</strong>hir, w<strong>as</strong> forced out of power by his right-hand man, defence minister and vice president, General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf. Al-B<strong>as</strong>hir’s ouster w<strong>as</strong> welcomed <strong>as</strong> a major victory by Sudanese protesters who had been out in the streets of Khartoum and other major cities since December. However, many remain wary of the dubious transition of power that Sudan’s military leadership h<strong>as</strong> undertaken. In his April 11 statement, with which he declared the removal of al-B<strong>as</strong>hir, Ibn Auf also announced the suspension of the Constitution, the imposition of a state of emergency and the formation of a transitional military council headed by him. But just two days later, after m<strong>as</strong>s protests continued to call for the whole regime to step down, Ibn Auf resigned along with his deputy, General Kamal Abdelmarouf al-Mahi. General Abdel Fattah al- Burhan w<strong>as</strong> appointed his place <strong>as</strong> the head of the council and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known <strong>as</strong> Hemedti, <strong>as</strong> the deputy chair. Meanwhile, General Salah Abdallah Saleh, also known <strong>as</strong> Gosh, resigned <strong>as</strong> the head of the notorious National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS). So what do all these reshuffles in the Sudanese regime mean and how will they affect the Sudanese struggle for democratic civilian rule? Over the p<strong>as</strong>t few years, it became incre<strong>as</strong>ingly clear that al-B<strong>as</strong>hir w<strong>as</strong> doing everything to consolidate his power and prevent any possible conspiracy against his presidency Ȯn the foreign policy front, he w<strong>as</strong> trying to reach out to anyone who could guarantee the security of his regime. When the US e<strong>as</strong>ed the sanctions in October 2017 but made it clear that they still demand that he step down, al-B<strong>as</strong>hir went on a visit to Russia to seek the backing of the Kremlin. He also continued to deal with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, on one side, and Qatar and Turkey, on the other, hoping to secure their support. On the home front, al- B<strong>as</strong>hir undertook a number of reshuffles in the p<strong>as</strong>t few years, plagued by suspicions of conspiracies against him. In the process, he managed to alienate a number of different factions within the Sudanese regime and important commanders within the security sector and the militi<strong>as</strong>. He also angered members of his ruling National Congress Party (NCP) when he declared he w<strong>as</strong> a national figure that stood above all political parties in Sudan. Most importantly, al- B<strong>as</strong>hir alienated his own people. For a long time, he had been playing the ethnic card, trying to divide the Sudanese people and justify his destructive wars in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Fearing a coup, al-B<strong>as</strong>hir kept Ibn Auf, who is on a US sanctions list due to his involvement in the Darfur conflict, and former governor Ahmed Haroun, who is also indicted by the International Criminal Court, close, believing they would not hand him over to the international prosecution. When the Sudanese streets escalated the pressure, Ibn Auf w<strong>as</strong> appointed vice president and Haroun took over the chairmanship of the NCP. Al-B<strong>as</strong>hir’s fate w<strong>as</strong> sealed once the protesters managed to win over the sympathies of mid and lower-ranking military officers, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> soldiers. This became apparent when on April 8, NISS security forcswitched sides at that critical juncture and refused to unle<strong>as</strong>h a bloody crackdown. Gosh, who is widely despised by the Sudanese people, w<strong>as</strong> one of the people al-B<strong>as</strong>hir had alienated early on. In 2009, he w<strong>as</strong> removed from his position <strong>as</strong> head of the NISS and made presidential adviser, only to be sacked in 2011. The following year, Gosh, who had been a point of contact in Sudan for US intelligence agencies, w<strong>as</strong> accused of plotting a coup against the president and imprisoned for a year. Although he w<strong>as</strong> politically rehabilitated and reinstated to his former position in 2018, he surely continued to bear a grudge against al- B<strong>as</strong>hir. He, along with other generals, saw an opportunity to get rid of al-B<strong>as</strong>hir and seized it. Their consensus on ousting the president, however, did not mean that they were willing to give up power or that they actually agreed on a clear-cut plan of succession. As political ambitions cl<strong>as</strong>hed and outside forces intervened, General Ibn Auf took over with the intent of securing al-B<strong>as</strong>hir’s exit and maintaining the status quo within the regime. However, the general lacked charisma and w<strong>as</strong> not well-respected within the ranks of the army. He w<strong>as</strong> also tainted by the role he played in recruiting Janjaweed militia in Darfur and commanding armed forces that committed war crimes in 2007. It w<strong>as</strong> evident that he w<strong>as</strong> not going to be accepted <strong>as</strong> a transitional leader neither by the Sudanese people, nor by various international players. While his resignation could be seen <strong>as</strong> another victory for Sudan’s protest movement, the appointment of General al-Burhan <strong>as</strong> the head of the military council and General Hemedti <strong>as</strong> his deputy shows that the deep state and its foreign backers are by far not ready to give in to the demands of the protesters and allow for a smooth transition to civilian rule. No doubt, the overthrow of al-B<strong>as</strong>hir and his close corrupt and brutal clique out of power is a positive development, but what is currently going on is not a fullfledged revolution, like the ones in October 1964 and April 1985. There is yet to be a break with the old regime. It is true that General al- Burhan h<strong>as</strong> struck a conciliatory tone and seemingly accepted the popular demands for freedom, peace and justice. He also made some promises about moving away from the old regime by uprooting it, fighting corruption and pursuing justice and accountability. *Culled from Aljazeera
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Page 21 and 22: FINANCIAL Credit to economy rises t
Page 23 and 24: FINANCIAL VANGUARD Developing new b
Page 25 and 26: FINANCIAL VANGUARD MTN still in the
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Page 47 and 48: Ighalo scores goal No 6 of se<stron

22042019 - ACUTE HUNGER: Outrage as IDP children feed on onion leaves

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