Global Voices Online

Bana Congo [Fr] and Wronging Rights report that Jean-Pierre Bemba's confirmation of charges hearing began at the International Criminal Court on January 12. Bemba is alleged to be criminally responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Central African Republic (CAR) between October 25, 2002 and March 15, 2003.

Alliance pour la democratie et le progres [Fr]: Police in Central African Republic have announced they plan to go on strike.  They are demanding the government sign a law that would raise salaries and improve work conditions for police officers.

Brock Boddie at HPDT CAR, a blog by the humanitarian and development organizations in the Central African Republic, writes about Prime Minister Faustin Touadera's emergency appeal for international support after a failure of the country’s power system, as “without electricity, cleaning water, providing minimal health care and maintaining security would all become virtually impossible”. On a different post he speaks about the Dzanga-Sangha nature reserve (including some photos), which “offers some of the most beautiful and pristine wildlife that can be found in Africa and, indeed, the world”.

Cédric Kalonji blogs the arrest of Jean-Pierre Bemba [Fr], Congolese president Joseph Kabila's main rival, in Belgium last weekend. The Central African Republic brought charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Bemba, who will be tried by the International Criminal Court.

HDPT blog reports from the Central African Republic: “More than 2,700 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently living on a site near Kabo, Central African Republic, and new people are arriving every day. Returning from the site, a joint evaluation mission, including staff from OCHA and BONUCA, as well as donor representatives, described the humanitarian situation as very precarious.”

HDPT Central African Republic blog on the challenges faced by Central African Republic farmers: “Affected by years of relentless fighting in the North West, Central African farmers now face great difficulties to maintain their livelihood. Their seeds and tools have been destroyed by the repeated assaults of bandits, rebels and armed forces, turning the former bread basket of Central Africa into a disaster zone.”

HDPT Central African Republic blog writes about investigations of extra-judicial executions: “Professor Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions visited the Central African Republic to inquire into extra-judicial executions in the recent past.”

HDPT blog reports: “Prime Minister Elie Doté of the Central African Republic resigned, together with his government, on Friday 18 January 2008, following two weeks of strikes by unions and government workers over salary arrears.”

Six Chinese engineers have arrived in Central African Republic to install two new turbines at the Boali electric plant, a US$117 million project [Fr] financed by the Chinese government. ENERCA, the state-owned power company, has not made any major machinery replacements since its creation in 1965.