Dubief,+André


 * UN Fighting Force Failing to Disarm Hutu Fighters**

A peace keeping force of 25,000 soldiers that the UN sent into the eastern DRC failed to disarm Rwandan Hutu fighters. The commanders believe that they have done a good job but FLDR continually gets new recruits from Rwandan and Congolese Hutus, and they continue to gain money from mineral sales. So the killing continues while the military leaders of the FLDR give there orders safely from Europe.

AlJazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/11/2009112512426135762.html France 24: http://www.france24.com/en/20091125-un-forces-disarm-rwandan-rebels-hutu-dr-congo-africa

The AlJazeera article contained more background information on the event while the France 24 article contained more about the actual event more quotes about what happened there while the Aljazeera article talked more of how they got the money what is happening to the regioin and those affected. For example on of the section in the Aljazeera Article is "Unstable Region" and in the France 24 article most of the information is from the leaked UN report on the operation.

I think that the Peace Keeping force did well for what they were assigned to do. The best way to kill something is to cut off the head, but unfortunantely the head is safe tucked away somewhere in Germany. I don't think they can totally get rid of the group until tjhey get rid of the leaders and because of this they're going about this the wrong way, but even then the chances of the ideal dying are slim to none.


 * Zimbabwe's Soldiers Withdrawing from Diamond Mines**

At the Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe troops were sent in and took over the mine. No Zimbabwe's government says that they will be withdrawing from the mine due to "90% of demands made by trade watchdog the Kimberley Process group this month" and activist groups wanting to suspend Zimbabwe for killing of 200 people at the Marange mine.

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8368103.stm Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSLJ308759

The BBC article is more of a one sided article whereas it only tells of what the Zimbabwe troops did and doesn't include their explanation for moving in the the mine. While in the Reuters article it says that they occupied the mine to reduce illegal mining. Though the Reuters article doesn't state what happened after Zimbabwe was kicked from the mine, and the BBC article mentions the fact the the Zimbabwe government denies the whole thing.

I feel that this event ties in nicely to what we're studying and show how much influence even just a processing group can have over a country. Also how a lot of papaers might not want to write a bout this because its something that the government might want to continue, i say this because it was rather hard to find these articles, and because of how little detail they contain.


 * UN Torture Investigator in Zimbabwe Detained**

On October 29th Manfred Nowak was sent to Zimbabwe to investigate accounts of torture from earlier that month. After being told he could not do it because the minister couldn't meet with him because there was a conference in Harare that day. He received a letter from the Prime Minister telling him to meet with him, but while he was on his way out of the Harare airport he was "detained" by immigration services saying that his clearance into the country had not yet been cleared by the minister of foreign affairs. After showing the officer

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8334044.stm Global Post: http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/zimbabwe/091028/zimbabwe-detains-un-torture-expert

The BBC page contains a video with a video of an interview with Mr. Nowak, which added some extra insight into how it all really happened. For instance Global Post said that he was detained while he himself said that he was taken aside. Global Post seemed to word it a little more aggressively. Global Post also neglected to post much more information besides the event, while the BBC page had about half a page explaining how this was handled and slightly exceptable because "it does not want a new crisis in Zimbabwe to spoil the party."The party meaning the World Cup that is to be hosted in South Africa next year. A crisis in Zimbabwe would affect a World Cup in the past "Zimbabwe's neighbor South Africa will be keen to see coalition partners find a way of working together".

Personally I think that these articles really show where they power is in this country when they prime minister cant even get someone in to meet with him you know that pecking order has been messed up some where along the line. I believe that it was in the best interests for the ministers not to have the torture investigation happen, yet at least. He did say that the minsters said they couldn't meet with him, and that the minister of foreign affairs hadn't given him clearance yet.