AFRICA
NEWS BULLETIN @ 20h00
22
March, 2016
Radio XYZ93.1FM
Lead Producer:
E.K.Bensah Jr
Assistant
Producer/Presenter: Joshua Quodjo-Mensah
STORIES
- FOCUS: Brussels-Based Ghanaian International Relations Analyst Believes Double Bombings in Brussels Likely-Linked to Capture of Abdeslam
- WEST AFRICA: *FLASHBACK:*> West & Central Africa Met Over Terrorism
- CENTRAL AFRICA: *FLASHBACK:*> UNODC Sahel Progress Report: Sahel Strategy Against Crime & Terrorism
- EAST AFRICA: FLASHBACK:> African Union Tells UN General Assembly Terrorism & Violent Extremism are Serious Threats to Peace & Security
FOCUS:
After the recent attacks in
Cote d'Ivoire and Niger last week, Ghanaians were, once again,
confronted with the prospect of terror today when they got to work
hearing news from Brussels that the capital that hosts the European
institutions had been rocked by explosions.
The attacks have left at
least 14 killed and 80 injured in the Zaventem (Brussels airport)
blasts; and 20 dead and injured in a metro station blast.
Around 3.35pm, reports from
the wires stated that Islamic State was responsible for the attacks.
We are dedicating tonight's
special edition to terrorism, by reviewing some of the stories that
have headlined this Bulletin since it debuted in January 2016.
We first start off, however,
with an interview of a Ghanaian International Relations Analyst who
works at the Embassy of South Sudan in Brussels.
Speaking exclusively to my
producer E.K.Bensah earlier today, she explained the proximity of her
workplace being quite close to where the bombings took place. She
went further to paint a picture of what Brussels was looking like
almost five hours after the bombing [cue AUDIO 1].
She explained how police had
asked people to stay indoors, with public transport, including
international rail, shutting down completely. As expected, there was
much traffic in town. AT the time of the interview, she said while
there had been no information as to who might have been responsible,
it was “very likely linked to the capture of [terrorist-fugitive]
Abdeslam”.
When asked what lessons Ghana,
and West Africa by extension, can learn from how Belgium has handled
the terror attacks since November 2015, Dodd explained that even as
ECOWAS has been sharing information through its Early-Warning System,
it can continue to use this to warn Member States about potential
attacks and risks, including “how to apprehend suspects when they
do happen.”
Pressed on whether in the light
of the recent attacks in West Africa & the Sahel, Ghana was, in
her view, prepared to respond, this is what she said [cue AUDIO
2].
That was
Betty Dodd, a Ghanaian International Relations Analyst working at the
Embassy of South
Sudan in Brussels, Belgium, in an exclusive
interview with my producer Emmanuel Bensah.
WEST AFRICA:
On
the 2 February Bulletin, we reported how...
Reeling from terrorist attacks in
the Sahel, and fearful of his country being one of the next targets,
Senegalese President Macky Sall disclosed to Xinhua news agency that
a regional summit will soon bring together ECOWAS States and those of
the Economic Community of Central African States(ECCAS).
This meeting was supposed be
followed by a tripartite meeting between Africa, China and France to
consolidate efforts in the fight against terrorism. Sall disclosed
this in an interview on the sidelines of the AU Summit that ended
January-ending.
CENTRAL AFRICA:
We reported in the 3 March
Bulletin how...
We would be dedicating the
month of March to offer listeners digests of the UN Office on Drugs &
Crime’s Sahel Report. As part of the series unpacking that Progress
report, we started off with the Sahel explaining...
The
Sahel is one of the poorest regions of the world. It faces challenges
such as extreme poverty, the effects of climate change, frequent food
crises, rapid population growth, fragile governance, corruption,
illicit trafficking and terrorist-linked security threats. The
Sahel-Saharan region has always been a trade and migration route.
However, factors such as the lack of state authority, weak justice
systems, the collapse of the traditional pastoral economy, corruption
and the presence of firearms have created an ideal environment for
illicit trafficking, organized crime, corruption, money laundering,
and terrorism.
EAST AFRICA:
We reported in the
Bulletin of 18 February that...
The African Union
had stated at a UN General Assembly meeting that in Africa, terrorism
and violent extremism remain “the most serious threat to peace and
security.”
Speaking
at the General Assembly meeting on 16 February on the theme of links
between Extreme Poverty, Violent Extremism, Job-Creation and Reducing
Inequalities, the AU’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Tete
Antonio, stated among his peers that, there was a need to “address
high unemployment, especially among youth.” On insecurity, he said
that “the phenomenon continued to expand geographically, and
brazenly-displayed unprecedented levels of violence in parts of the
continent.”
Ambassador
Antonio explained that the Union had
responded to these threats. These included “a number of security
cooperation mechanisms” – namely “the Nouakchott Process; the
Sahel Fusion and Liaison Unit and the Djibouti Process for Eastern
Africa.” The AU had further “developed and implemented
programmes to counter radicalization and violent extremism in prisons
and detention centres; facilitated open discussions between State
authorities and civil society; engaged the media in countering
terrorist narratives; and provided a platform for victims.”
ENDs
Our thoughts and
prayers go to all those who have lost loved ones in terrorist attacks
over throughout the sub-region, rest of the world; and today, in
Brussels.
ALL
editions of XYZ Africa News Bulletin@8 can be downloaded from
soundcloud.com. Just search for “XYZ
Africa News”.
We
are on twitter on @xyzafricanews8
Find
us on facebook.com by searching for “XYZAfricaNewsBulletin”
No comments:
Post a Comment