World Watch: Congo’s crisis

* Congo: According to humanitarian groups the situation in Congo is dire as combat between rebels and the army has led to widespread violence and nearly 900,000 displaced people.

* China: Six men were sentenced to death over their involvement in last July’s ethnic riots between Muslim Uighurs and members of the Han Chinese majority.

* Iraq: A study from the Iraqi government concluded that over 85,000 Iraqis were killed between 2004 and 2008.

* Russia: Legislators from three political parties walked out of parliament in protest against President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Image- MSNBC (“Rwandan Hutu rebels stand watch outside a U.N. peacekeeping encampment in the heart of rebel territory, in the village of Kimua, eastern Congo, on Oct. 2.”)
Online Sources- CNN, Guardian UK, BBC News, Reuters

Cuba to U.S.: Return Gitmo to us

According to Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, the island’s government wants the return of the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo. Perez Roque’s comments were made nearly a week after U.S. president Barack Obama ordered the base’s jail to be closed within a year:

Perez Roque said that U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to close within a year the "war on terror" prison at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay was positive but insufficient.

Cuba expects that Obama's decision to close down the Guantanamo prison camp "is followed by the decision to close down the base and return that territory to the Cubans," a base that the United States "really does not need for its security and defense," Perez Roque said.

In addition, Perez Roque announced the planned visit of the U.N. special investigator on torture to visit Cuba and said that Cuba will soon sign the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Forced Disappearance.

The U.S. has permanently leased the land at Guantanamo for over a century and the contract can only be broken with expressed written consent from the U.S. and Cuban governments.

Meanwhile, Cuban President Raul Castro is visiting Moscow and meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.

Image- CBS News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Earthtimes, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Reuters, Calgary Herald

Argie prez talks politics, energy in Russia

Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez signed several agreements with her Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev earlier today.

As part of her official visit to Moscow, Kirchner was able to secure Russian support for Spanish-Argentine oil firm Repsol. In addition, both countries agreed to allow Russia’s largest private oil company- Lukoil- to invest in Argentine energy projects.

Medvedev and Kirchner also commented on their belief that the world cannot be dominated by “powerful states”:

Both leaders agreed that international financial institutions should be reformed so that they can act more promptly and efficiently, according to a joint statement issued after the talks…

"Both Argentina and Russia are convinced that the world should be built on the basis of multi-polarity. The unipolar world that emerged in 1989 did not lead many countries to positive solutions either in the economic or security areas," she said.

(Ironically, Medvedev ended his tour of Latin America last week where he tried to expand Russian influence in the region).

Both leaders also expressed their support of a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Argentina and the U.K. over the Falkland Islands. “The call said the resolution should take place "in accordance with a U.N. mandate" — referring to a 1965 U.N. resolution that called for negotiations between the two countries,” according to an AP report.

Image- AP (“Argentine President Cristina Fernandez wears a silver fox fur hat presented by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008.”)
Sources- The Latin Americanist, ITAR-TASS, AFP, IHT, Xinhua

Russian naval fleet arrives near Venezuela

Russian warships arrived off the Venezuelan coast yesterday in anticipation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the South American country.

Medvedev is expected to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart- President Hugo Chavez- later today. Both leaders will preside over military exercises next Monday with the Russian fleet consisting of ships like a nuclear-powered cruiser and submarine destroyer.

Venezuelan and Russian officials have rejected allegations that the war games are designed to anger the U.S. State department officials have tried to play down the affair:

Sean McCormack, the US state department spokesman, said: "I don't think there's any question about ... who the region looks to in terms of political, economic, diplomatic and as well as military power.

"If the Venezuelans and the Russians want to have a military exercise, that's fine. But we'll obviously be watching it very closely," he said.

Medvedev is in the midst of a four-nation tour of Latin America which included the signing of political and economic agreements with Peru and Brazil.

Some analysts interpret Russia’s actions as a security threat to Colombia- Venezuela’s neighbor and staunch U.S. ally. Yet Russia's foreign minister met President Alvaro Uribe last week and promised that the exercises will not go near disputed areas.

Image- BBC News
Sources- BBC News, AFP, AP, Reuters, Times Online, Al Jazeera English

Daily Headlines: November 17, 2008

* Latin America: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans to visit several Latin American countries later this month including Cuba and Venezuela.

* Dominican Republic: A pair of Cabinet officials rejected the misconception that Haitian migrants are all criminals.

* Peru: A lawyer representing former President Alberto Fujimori said that his client “plans to remain silent” if he’s called to testify at the trial of ex-intelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos.

* Chile: The country’s legislature passed a bill allocating funds for the construction of a Holocaust memorial.

Image- Javno
Sources- Xinhua, AP, IHT, Dominican Today, Voice of America