“When journalists are targeted, societies as a whole pay a price”, added the UN chief. “Without the ability to protect journalists, our ability to remain informed and contribute to decision-making, is severely hampered”.

Killings and attacks on the rise

A new study from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, underscores the risks that journalists face, showing that almost 90 per cent of those found responsible for the deaths of more than 1,100 of them, between 2006 and 2018, have not been convicted.

The report, “Intensified Attacks, New Defences”, also notes that killings of journalists have risen by some 18 per cent in the past five years (2014-2018), compared to the previous five-year period.

The deadliest countries for journalists, according to the statistics, are Arab States, where almost a third of the killings took place. The Latin American and Caribbean region (26 per cent), and Asian and Pacific States (24 per cent) are the next most dangerous.

Journalists are ofen murdered for their reporting on politics, crime and corruption, and this is reflected in the study, which reveals that, in the past two years (2017-2018), more than half of journalist fatalities were in non-conflict zones.

In his statement, the Secretary-General noted the rise in the scale and number of attacks on journalists and media workers, as well as incidents that make their work much harder, including “threats of prosecution, arrest, imprisonment, denial of journalistic access and failures to investigate and prosecute crimes against them”.

A high-profile example is the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017. The case is being followed by independent UN human rights expert Agnès Callamard, among others, who has suggested that too little has been done by the Maltese authorities to investigate the killing.

On Friday, as Haiti continued to face a protracted, violent crisis that has led to the deaths of some 42 people, and 86 injured, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on all of those involved in the violence to refrain from targeting journalists, and respect the freedom of the media to do its job: at least one journalist is among those killed, and nine other reporters have been injured, according to Ms. Bachelet’s Office (OHCHR).

Keep Truth Alive

This year UNESCO has launched the #KeepTruthAlive social media campaign, which draws attention to the dangers faced by journalists close to their homes, highlighting the fact that 93% of those killed work locally, and featuring an interactive map created for the campaign, which provides a vivid demonstration of the scale and breadth of the dangers faced by journalists worldwide.

The Day is being commemorated with a flagship event in Mexico City next week on 7 November – an international seminar entitled “Strengthening regional cooperation to end impunity for crimes and attacks against journalists in Latin America” – and events are also taking place in 15 other countries, including an exhibition of press cartoons, under the headline: “Draw so as not to write them off”, at UN HQ in New York, which honours the memories of French journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, murdered in Mali on 2 November 2013.

This article is from the UN website

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The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, has lauded the professionalism of Ugandan police officers serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Mulongo, on Wednesday, met the Director of Peace Support Operations in the Uganda Police Force, AIGP Grace Turyagumanawe, who was on a visit to assess the status of equipment and welfare of personnel.

He noted that the Uganda police contingent, which includes Formed Police personnel and Individual Police Officers, continue to be instrumental in AMISOM’s gains against terrorism.

“We are satisfied with Uganda Police’s contribution to peacebuilding, especially their contribution to maintain law and order and enhancing the capabilities of the Somali Police,” Mulongo told Turyagumanawe.

During the visit, Turyagumanawe inspected the condition of the contingent-owned equipment at the Jazeera Forward Operating Base outside Mogadishu.

Under the Somalia Transition Plan, AMISOM Police ensure that the Somali Police Force is adequately capacitated in preparation to assume full responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country when AMISOM leaves in 2021.

The UN Security Council authorised AMISOM to deploy up to 1,040 police personnel under the police component, which includes Individual Police Officers and five Formed Police Units (FPUs).

The Formed Police Unit (FPU) personnel provide operational support such as VIP escort and protection, while the Individual Police Officers (IPOs) train, mentor, and advise the Somali Police officers.

Uganda is one of AMISOM Police contributing countries. The other countries include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.

Additionally, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda have deployed FPU contingents. Recently, Ghana agreed to deploy an FPU contingent under AMISOM.

Turyagumanawe also revealed that plans are underway for Uganda to deploy more police personnel to serve under the AMISOM Formed Police Unit.

“Preparations are underway to ensure that we deploy a second formed unit as was agreed on recently. We are working on acquiring the necessary equipment,” added Turygumanawe.

Turyagumanawe led a delegation that included the Police Deputy Director of Fleet Management, Eng. Franklin Kugonza, Police Accountant, Richard Katongole, and Staff Officer for Peace Support Operations, Herbert Wondo.

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The East African Community (EAC) in collaboration with the US Agency for International Development Kenya/East Africa (USAID/KEA) have launched a new programme for the conservation and sustainable use of East Africa’s natural capital.

The Conservation and Management of the Region’s Natural Capital Programme is an initiative that seeks to improve the collaborative management and conservation of trans-boundary natural resources, reduce wildlife poaching and trafficking, and increase the perceived value of living wildlife.

The three-year project, which runs from June 2019 to June 2022 and has a budget component of approximately US $2.3 million from USAID/KEA, was launched in Nairobi, Kenya.

The EAC Secretariat will lead the programme implementation process with technical and analytical support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Environment Incentives. This will be done through a new working approach requiring the active involvement of host communities of natural protected biodiversity species areas.

In East Africa, biodiversity-rich areas are critical to the region’s nature-based tourism industry, which contributes 7.5-10 percent of East Africa’s gross domestic product. At the local level, rural communities across the region depend on wildlife and wildlife habitats for their livelihoods. Iconic wildlife, and the landscapes on which it roams, has significant value.

Also in response to rapid economic development and population growth, East Africa’s infrastructure is expanding. This expansion is putting pressure on East Africa’s “natural capital” — resources that are essential for socio-economic growth and development of East African countries and people. The new Conservation and Management of Natural Capital Programme will help strengthen the EAC’s capacity to protect this vital resource.

Speaking at the launch, Christophe Bazivamo, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, said that the programme was crucial as it would, among other things, enhance collaborative management and conservation of transboundary natural resources in the region, increase perceived value of wildlife and reduce wildlife poaching and trafficking.

“This sustained support will go a long way to strengthen national and regional efforts in conservation and management of East Africa’s rich biodiversity and natural resources,” said Bazivamo.

Representing USAID KEA at the event was Ms. Aurelia Micko, the Director of the Environment Office.

Under the EAC Treaty, in particular Chapters 19 and 20, EAC Partner States agree amongst other things, to take concerted measures to foster co-operation in the joint and efficient management and sustainable utilization of natural resources within the community for their mutual benefit. Partner States also recognize that conserving natural capital across boundaries requires strong collaboration and harmonization of national and regional plans and policies to support transboundary management.

In this line, EAC and USAID designed a three years Programme on Improving Collaborative Conservation and Management of Transboundary Natural Resources in EAC.

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Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) scientists are recommending the use of more environmentally sustainable biological controls, as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, to fight the fall armyworm (FAW) instead of favouring more harmful pesticides.

In a new paper published in the International Journal of Pest Management, Dr Justice Tambo led a team of researchers who suggest that policy should be geared towards educating farmers about the pest and appropriate control practices that do not over rely on synthetic products.

Tambo, who used survey data from 123 farm households in Ghana and 342 in Zambia that had experienced a FAW attack on their maize plots during the 2016/2017 cropping season, said farmers need to be advised on the rational use of pesticides – where they need to be used as part of IPM – including their impacts on human health and the environment.

However, ultimately, Dr Tambo and the scientists, recommend that other control options using biological agents should be explored to fight the pest which is threatening the food security of more than 200 million people worldwide.

Tambo said, “Our study showed that 51 percent of households sampled in Ghana and 49 percent in Zambia, respectively, used pesticides to control fall armyworm. However, chemical pesticides are costly and their effectiveness and impact on human health and the environment requires further research.

“Furthermore, while 39 percent and 42 percent of households, respectively, received information on FAW from neighbours and extension officers, we recommend that policy efforts should focus on widespread communication campaigns and training programmes with a stronger focus on biological controls.”

Dr Tambo added that more farmers also need to be educated and advised on other IPM techniques to managed FAW including constant weeding to remove alternative host plants; rotation and intercropping of maize with non-host plants; and uprooting and burning of infected plants to destroy larvae and pupae.

“In order to convince farmers that IPM strategies which lean more towards more sustainable biological controls are a viable option, we must demonstrate that the cost is less than the value of the yield saved,” he said.

Last year CABI scientist Dr Melanie Bateman published a paper in the Journal of Applied Entomology, ‘Assessment of potential biopesticide options for managing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Africa’ – the first major study of 50 potential biological controls that could be used to fight FAW.

Current CABI research on a variety of safe non-toxic FAW management techniques are ongoing. These include the possibility of the parasitoid Telenomus remus – which was recently confirmed in Africa – could be employed to fight FAW.

Dr Marc Kenis, who is leading the research on Telenomus remus, said, “In Latin America, field releases of Telenomus remus in maize can result in 80-100 percent parasitism, providing full control of fall armyworm.

“The main challenge for a wider utilisation is to provide a product that is financially affordable for African farmers. Mass production on its natural hosts is costly but rearing systems on factitious hosts can be developed.”

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