Curtailing the Bloody Business in Congo

Firms Seek Supply Route Around Conflict in Congo - WSJ.com: "A new U.S. law requires publicly traded companies to ensure key minerals in their products aren't coming from the Congo's rebel-controlled mines. A civil war in the Congo, the world's third-largest producer of tantalum, ended in 2003, but violence in the eastern part of the country continues.

The Dodd-Frank financial-regulation law, enacted last year, identifies four minerals—tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold—that are mined in the Congo and are blamed for helping to fund violent conflict there. Under the law, companies that use the four minerals must inform the Securities and Exchange Commission annually whether any of them in their supply chains originated in the Congo or nine neighboring countries. If they did, the companies must tell the SEC what efforts have been made to determine the source and custody chain of the minerals.

Rules implementing the law haven't been finalized. As it stands, the law doesn't punish companies that buy any of the four listed minerals from the Congo, though punitive measures may be added."

Bloody Business in Congo

Ryan Gosling Makes Charity Trip To Eastern Congo: "“Marie is a rape survivor twice over. She has overcome her suffering to found a women’s organization that helps others who have survived sexual crimes. We asked her what message she would have for electronics companies. “Please stop this bloody business,” she pleaded. “You are fueling conflict. Families are being torn apart. Women are being raped. Communities are being destroyed so armed groups can profit from mines. Companies should stop supporting this and do ethical business.”

“The conflict in Congo has left millions homeless, fleeing from their villages after they have been burnt to the ground or looted by armed groups. In a camp for internally displaced people, we met Mapendo, a young woman who survived an attack on her village in which members of an armed militia went door to door raping women and killing men. In reply to our questions, she said starkly, “There is no difference between the phone companies and the people doing the killing here in Congo.”"

Tibetan Women’s Group Fights for Justice

Tibetan Women’s Group Fights for Justice: "This appeal followed Monday’s launch of the Global Petitioning and Lobbying Week, an initiative aimed at using the organization’s 57 international chapters to elicit the intervention of international arbitrators. It implores organizations, governmental and public, to help with the following: immediate legal intervention and prevention of the brutal treatment of Tibetans in Ngaba Region; pressure the Chinese Government to loosen press restrictions inside Tibet and allow foreign media to enter the region; allow religious freedom; halt oppression and other travesties currently occurring in Tibet.

The organization’s actions come in the wake of two more violent deaths. Sixty-year-old Dongko and 65-year-old Sherkyi were reportedly beaten to death last week during their attempts to dissuade the Chinese Police from detaining another three hundred monks. Claims from eyewitnesses at the scene provided the following account: 'People had their arms and legs broken, one old woman had her leg broken in three places, and cloth was stuffed in their mouths to stifle their screams.'"

Africa optimism rising | Africa News blog

Africa optimism rising | Africa News blog: "When some of the most influential figures in emerging markets finance spoke to a group of Reuters editors, they were asked about top picks for growth beyond the so-called BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

One continent came up again and again – Africa – and one country in particular – Nigeria. Goldman Sachs global head of economic research, Jim O’Neill, highlighted the improvement in the growth-environment index of Africa’s giant over the past decade.

“If it were to show the same increase in its growth-environment score over the next decade, many investors will look back and say why the hell didn’t I invest in Nigeria,” said O’Neill, who coined the term BRICs."

Philippine Muslim rebels try to woo back rogue commander | News by Country | Reuters

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Philippines as filling the vacuum in helping to maintain Asia’s security and stability as Japan copes with the March 11 earthquake

Malaya | National: "WASHINGTON – The United States views the Philippines as filling the vacuum in helping to maintain Asia’s security and stability as Japan copes with the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, a source said recently.

'The US views the Philippines as a long-time trusted and treaty ally, and in Japan’s weakened state, so to speak, following the March 11 disaster and its preoccupation with relief and rebuilding – sure to be long-term – the resulting vacuum will be filled by the Philippines,' the source said as noted his concern over China’s increasing power in the region.

The source said the US 'policy on re-engagement in the Philippines' involves stepped-up efforts with the on-going modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

'Coastal watch of the Philippines is the top priority,' the source said, adding helicopters and watercraft purchased by the Philippines from the US need to be delivered 'before the rainy season begins.'

In related news, Victor Manhit, director of StratBase in Manila, wrote on April 17: 'Regionally, the AFP confronts the realities of possible military conflict in the South China Sea over territorial claims around the Spratly Islands.'"

249 Terrorist attacks in Europe during 2010 -Europol Terrorism Report « Infologue.com – Manned Security e-Zine

249 Terrorist attacks in Europe during 2010 -Europol Terrorism Report « Infologue.com – Manned Security e-Zine: "Terrorist groups are becoming more diverse and flexible in their methods of operating, with signs of increased collaboration between groups, increased use of the Internet, and a growing connection between organised crime and terrorism, especially in regard to financing activities. Separatist terrorist groups such as the PKK/KONGRA-GEL and LTTE are involved in the trafficking of drugs and human beings to raise funds for their terrorism activities. Meanwhile reported contacts between international drug trafficking groups and Islamist terrorist groups in West Africa raise the possibility that proceeds from organised crime are a source of funding for Islamist terrorist groups operating in the Sahel region. The rapidly developing situation of instability in North Africa is also a source of concern to the internal security of the EU, with new opportunities emerging for terrorist groups to move materiel and members to Europe.
“The economic recession has led to political and social tensions in a number of Member States and fuelled the conditions for terrorism and extremism. Although the number of attacks executed by separatist terrorist groups has decreased the threat from these and other groups remains substantial."