Cotonou (Benin) Beninese armed forces and civil society activists are being trained, since Monday in Cotonou, on the legal aspects of the anti-terrorism fight, APA has observed.

This drill on the legal aspects of the fight against terrorism should enable the different squads of the Beninese army to better absorb anti-terrorism legislation through various subjects relating to international law and to treaties on terrorism and the resort to force and military operations as a repression method, Paulin Djakpo, representative of the Foreign Affairs ministry, said.

There is no single method to retaliate against terrorism. However, it is now evident to recognize that terrorism, notwithstanding its geographic extent, threatens security in Africa and across the world, Djakpo underscored.

Considering this real threat, the African Union signed several agreements on terrorism and adopted an action plan on the phenomenon, the Foreign Affairs representative said.

“This plan of action details the specific strategies set for the implementation of the international instruments as well as the commitments of African states towards anti-terrorism efforts,” Djakpo stressed.

Besides this action plan, he said, the members of the Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) have, on their part, taken strategic measures in terms of cooperation on security and anti-terrorism.

ECOWAS countries adopted, among others, the 1992 Convention on extraction, the 1999 Protocol for peace and security, the creation of the inter-government group against money laundering, and the 2003 Accord for police cooperation.

“Benin, which signed the bulk of these accords and conventions, has taken national measures to face this multiform phenomenon which is gaining a threatening ground,” Djakpo added.

Organised by the Beninese government in collaboration with the Defence Institute for international legal studies of the US defence department, this anti-terrorism training ends on next Friday.

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Khartoum (Sudan) The Sudanese government is opposed to all attempts and activities of Taiwan to become a member of the United Nations.

\”The Sudanese government has been sticking to a clear and definite position on the Taiwan issue since the diplomatic relations were established between Sudan and the People\’s Republic of China,\” a spokesman of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry Ali al-Sadig told reporters in Khartoum on Monday.

He said Taiwan is planning to send troops as part of the United Nations-African Union force in Darfur without elaborating how many troops she would like to send.

Al-Sadig said the Sudanese government is only dealing with the Chinese government concerning any developments in the country.

\”We recognize that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is inalienable part of China,\” he said.

\”The Sudanese government considers it as legitimate for the Chinese government to take any step and action to maintain the unity of the country and prevent any attempts of separation,\” he added.

He said that \”the Sudanese government is firmly standing on the side of China on this issue.

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Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Sudan is unlikely to see lasting peace unless widespread and rapidly accelerating environmental degradation is urgently addressed, the United Nations Environment programme (UNEP) urged on Monday.

Launching a post-conflict environmental assessment research in Addis Ababa, UNEP urged the government to take strong action on desertification and asked the government to invest $120 million in the exercise.

UNEP said most serious concerns are land degradation, desertification and the spread of deserts southwards by an average of 100 km over the past four decades.

“These are linked with factors including overgrazing of fragile soils by a livestock population that has exploded from close to 27 million animals to around 135 million now,” UNEP said in a report.

The report asked the Sudan government to invest urgently $120 million to tackle the desertification problem the country is facing currently.

“The total cost of this report\’s recommendations is estimated at approximately $120 million over three to five years. These are not large when compared to the Sudanese GDP in 2005 of $85.5 billion,” UNEP said.

The assessment, which was requested and carried out in cooperation with the government of Sudan, also asked the government to invest in environmental management including climate adaptation measures, capacity building of national and local government in environmental affairs and the integration of environmental factors in all UN relief and development projects.

“Indeed, historical data in Darfur indicates that rainfall declines between 16% and over 30% have occurred, turning millions of hectares of marginal semi-desert grazing land into desert.

“The impact on agriculture is likely to be disastrous in some areas. For example, sorghum production could decline by 70%,” the report stated.

The report said by 2020 the level of failed harvests in Darfur could be between 5% to 20%.

“Investment in environmental management, financed by the international community and from the country\’s emerging boom oil and gas exports, will be a vital part of the peace building efforts,” UNEP executive director Achim Steiner said.

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Nouakchott (Mauritania) The Mauritanian ministerial committee in charge of arranging the return of refugees on Monday held consultations with the Mauritanian Red Crescent, the national human rights committee and the Mauritanian bar association.

Opening the meeting, Interior Minister Yall Zakariya Alassane said that the meeting was meant to listen to the opinions and suggestions that will help organise the return of Mauritanian refugees.

In their remarks, participants hailed the presidents’ decision and stressed the need to address all the issues to ensure a smooth return.

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Niamey (Niger) Niger’s opposition leader Issoufou Mahamadou, on Monday urged citizens to support the peaceful resolution of the armed conflict in the north of the country in spite of their different shades of opinion.

Issoufou Mahamadou made the statement following an audience at the weekend with President Mamadou Tandja, concering the armed rebellion in northern Niger.

Since last February, the Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ, Niger Movement for Justice) have been fighting the country’s army and sites belonging to foreign mining companies in the Agadez region.

The opposition in Niger has 25 MPs against 88 for the ruling party, but is not actively involved in administrative activities of the country.

Issoufou Mahamadou is member of the International Socialist organisation and is an MP under the Nigerien pour le démocratie et le socialisme ( PNDS-TARRAYA, Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism).

He lost the presidential poll in 1999 and in 2004.

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