jeudi 13 septembre 2018

Yemen & peace ?

  •      Territoire contrôlé par les loyalistes.
  •      Territoire contrôlé par les Houthis.
  •      Territoire contrôlé par les djihadistes d'AQPA et de l'EI au Yémen.
  •      Territoire contrôlé par le Conseil de transition du Sud.
  • Carte pour indication, vu les conflits en cours...

Par Ali Zifan — The map image is based on Template:Yemeni Civil War detailed map. Used blank map :Yemen location map.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47087541


An independent international commission of inquiry is also being called for to establish the truth about the murder of 7 sisters of Mother Teresa in Yemen...

On demande aussi une commission d'enquête internationale indépendante pour établir la vérité sur le meurtre de 7 soeurs de Mère Teresa au Yemen...


International conference media and humanitarian situation in Yemen at Paris University 8
12/09/2018
12/09/2018
.
Program, tentative, to be confirmed.
Location displaced to the Château Form

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-p0lmjLtiXzUUExNW5lZHY4Y1I3LUVhblZYNE5CdGttNTJn/view?usp=sharing

Under the Patronage of H.E. Dr Mohammed Mohsen Askar , Minister for Human Rights in the Yemen 

Date and Place of Birth: 11.10.1981 Aden- Yemen WORK EXPERIENCE: January 2017 Acting Minister for Human Rights November 2016 Vice Minister for Human Rights July 2016 Adviser to the Prime Minister May 2014 – 2016 political advice to the Minister for Human Rights Nov 2013 - May 2014 Head of Business and Human Rights Unit, Ministry for Human Rights (MHR) Sep 2010 - Nov 2013 Head of International cooperation- MHR Aug 2008 - Sep 2010 Specialist in Public Administration of International Organizations and Reports-MHR EDUCATION: Sep 2012 Cairo, Egypt Political Theory, Master degree Jun 2006 Cairo, Egypt Law, Bachelor degree OTHER CERTIFICATES: 2014 Strategic Planning Course UNDP- Yemen 2010 Social Construction of Gender Difference (Concepts and Policies) UNDP - Yemen 2010 Diploma in the Preparation and Writing of International Reports in English AMIDEAST, Yemen 2008 TOEFL Ain- Shams University, Egypt 2006 Cultural Education Dialogue of Civilization Programmer-Faculty of Economics & Political Science-Cairo University, Egypt 2005 18th Future Advising & Career Education (FACE) Cooperation & Development Association for Egyptian & European Youth (CDAEEY), Egypt LANGUAGES: Arabic English
International Conference media and humanitarian situation in Yemen
Our Speakers.
10.am
Registration and Morning Tea (Foyer)
Welcome and Introduction
Conference Opening Speech - High Level Segment
Short Break for Coffee
First Session The role of International Media in Yemeni conflict.
- Moderator of the whole day: François de Siebenthal:

International Journalist Speaker: Michael Bührer Expert and President of Association of Swiss Professionals Journalist. Geneva Global Media’s Consultant.
Interactive dialogue.
lunch
2nd Session The role of the United-Nations and International Organizations and NGOs in Yemen Conflict.

Ronaldo Buyers UN American Expert Speaker: Gianfranco Fattorini UN Expert, and representative of American Jurist Association to the UN, Geneva Office. Interactive dialogue.
Coffee Break
- M. François de Siebenthal
An Expert - (born 1955 in Lausanne, Switzerland), - has worked for the newspaper "www.Versdemain.org " - and for an institution called Louis Even "based in Canada
3rd Session The Humanitarian Situation in Yemen and the role of International Humanitarian Organizations.
Caroline Lucet , International Journalist
- Speaker: Mr. Micheal Isakason, UN Expert
- Dr Abdullah Saleh Amsalem Consultant paediatrician
MBBS DCH Ireland CSBP AB MRCPCH uk CPHHA usa
- Helen Kidan
Human Rights Activist Topic: Women, human rights & Conflict nteractive dialogue. Coffee Break
4th Session
- Ana María De Luis Deputy Editor on Periodistas en Español Newspaper PhD. Communication and Journalism Recruitment of the Children in Yemen
- Moderator: Ronaldo Buyers, UN American Expert

- Dr. Hessa Alghadeer Advisor to the Supervisor General Director of Training and Capacity Building Department Associate Professor of English Language Literature Interactive dialogue.

Journalist Feras Alyafie, redactor in chief of the Truth

.................................................................................................... Recommendations Closing of the Conference.



YEMEN: THE FORGOTTEN WAR

text prepared by the moderator of the whole day, François de Siebenthal

Summary:

All parties involved should cooperate for a serious commission looking and establshing the real facts about the death of the 7 nuns of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, invited in Yemen by the former Président, nuns killed in Yemen with 12 collaborators !

 We need the truth to have a real peace !

With over 20 million in need of aid, Yemen is the world's single largest humanitarian crisis. ICRC is working tirelessly to provide food, clean water and essential household items.
Hodeidah, Red Sea coast. CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ralph Elhage
A statement from Robert Mardini, the regional director for the Near and Middle East for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on the situation in Hodeida, Yemen.
The most recent push for Hodeida is likely to exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen. The population has already been weakened to extreme levels.
Lifelines to the outside world must be maintained, including the Hodeida port and the Sana'a airport. Real people, real families, will suffer if no food is getting in, and we are concerned that ongoing military operations continue to hamper the arrival of essential goods.
The ICRC has prepositioned food, medical supplies, water purification systems and sanitation supplies in Hodeida. But these life-saving items cannot be given to those in need while fighting is ongoing.
We are concerned about Hodeida's essential infrastructure, including its water and electricity networks, which are vital to the civilian population's survival.
The ICRC, working in line with international humanitarian law, urges all parties to the conflict to respect civilian life by taking every possible measure to protect civilians, and to allow safe passage for those who want to escape the fighting. All persons captured in relation to the ongoing hostilities must be treated humanely, and the ICRC should be given access to detention facilities holding them.
Sana'a (ICRC): The International Committee of the Red Cross condemns Thursday's hits in the coastal city of Hodeida which resulted in the killing and wounding of scores of civilians.
"The scenes coming from Hodeida are horrific. The disregard of international humanitarian law in Yemen cannot be tolerated. While the exact circumstances around the ground explosions are still unknown, this lack of respect for civilian life and civilian property is reprehensible," said Johannes Bruwer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen.
Fifty-five civilians were killed and 170 injured when a series of explosions rocked densely populated districts of the coastal city, including a fish market and the area around Al-Thawra Hospital, an ICRC-supported facility that is one of the biggest and busiest in Hodeida. Two ambulances were also destroyed.
"Under International humanitarian law (IHL), the civilian population, medical personnel, ambulances and medical facilities must be respected and protected in all circumstances, and the work of medical personnel must be facilitated," Bruwer said. The ICRC provided surgical material to assist severely wounded people as well as body bags to Al-Thawra Hospital after the neighborhood was targeted. This assistance follows regular support from the ICRC to hospitals in Hodeida in order to increase capacity to deal with wounded over the last 18 months.
Yemen: 71 ICRC staff pulled out of Yemen amid security incidents, threats
News release   07 JUNE 2018
Statement from ICRC's Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart
Geneva (ICRC) – Due to a series of incidents and threats, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has pulled 71 staff members out of Yemen, crippling its humanitarian activities such as surgical services, visits to detainees, clean water initiatives and food assistance activities.
The ICRC has been present in Yemen since 1962, but we are now seeing dangerous trends. Our current activities have been blocked, threatened and directly targeted in recent weeks, and we see a vigorous attempt to instrumentalize our organization as a pawn in the conflict. The ICRC holds all parties responsible for the security of its staff.
While the Yemen delegation has received numerous threats in the past, we cannot now accept additional risk less than two months after a gunman killed a staff member. The security of our staff, who are being intimidated by parties to the conflict, is a non-negotiable prerequisite for our presence and work in Yemen and an absolute priority.
The ICRC is calling on all parties to the conflict to provide it with concrete, solid and actionable guarantees so that it can continue working in Yemen. The ICRC hopes to continue preventing and alleviating the suffering of people caught in the conflict, but we must have the full agreement of all parties to the conflict based on solid guarantees.
ICRC's work in Yemen for more than five decades has assisted victims of armed conflict and violence including displaced people, families of the missing, detainees, mine victims, and those in need of health care in Sana'a, Aden, Taiz, Saada and Hodeida. The ICRC's activities are based on the principles of neutrality and impartiality, focusing on victims' needs and applying the same approach to all victims.Sanaa (CICR) – 
Sa’ada, Yemen (October 2017): The neighbourhood of Rahban, a World Heritage site, was severely damaged by airstrikes.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) awarded the Humanitarian Visa d'Or yesterday to French photojournalist Véronique De Viguerie for her report on the impact of the conflict in Yemen on its people. This year's theme was urban war and the consequences for people forced to hide or flee, fearing for their safety and enduring shortages of food, water, health care and shelter.
Entitled "Yemen: The war they're hiding from us", Véronique de Viguerie's photo-reportage focuses in particular on Yemeni women, paying tribute to their struggle for survival in urban areas. These women have stepped up to fill many of the places left by men, becoming the heads of their household and caretakers for the community.
"It's gratifying to have my work recognized by a jury of respected professionals. But more than that, I hope this award will draw attention to the hidden conflict in Yemen and the terrible humanitarian situation there," said Véronique de Viguerie. "It was quite an ordeal reaching the north of the country, but once my reporting partner, Manon Querouil, and I got there, we forgot all the obstacles in the face of people's suffering. I just wanted to tell the story of their daily struggle to survive.".

Yemen, according to the World Church, Stephanie Dupasquier, they are more than 10,000 dead, 2 million displaced, 22 million people dependent on humanitarian aid! Yemen is shaken by a civil war that broke out in 2004 when the large Shia minority stood up against the central government. Saudi Arabia and its allies in the United Arab Emirates are part of this absurd conflict. Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman, recently received by President Emmanuel Macron, tried to round out the angles by paying $950 million for the victims. This did not prevent the NGO CARE from denouncing "one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world". What can Christians do in this country where, despite the past that testifies to it, there is no longer any indigenous church left? Their small numbers do not protect them, however, from jihadists who take advantage of the chaos to spread. In March 2016 four sisters of Mother Teresa had been murdered in Aden and an Indian priest kidnapped. What is the outcome, what is the future in this region, which is prey to ethnic and religious violence and where the Good News cannot be heard?
They killed 7 sisters of Saint Mother Teresa and their 12 collaborators...
They kill children, women, the weakest ones
It's a barbarism without limits!

Solutions !

Nicholas of Flüe (German: Niklaus von Flüe; 1417 – 21 March 1487)[1] was a Swiss hermit and ascetic who is the patron saint of Switzerland and of the world peace. He is sometimes invoked as Brother Klaus. A farmer, military leader, member of the assembly, councillor, judge and mystic, he was respected as a man of complete moral integrity. Brother Klaus's counsel to the Diet of Stans (1481) helped to prevent war between the Swiss cantons.
Earlier life
He was born in 1417, in the canton of Unterwalden, the oldest son of wealthy peasants. At the age of 21 he entered the army and took part in the battle of Ragaz in 1446,[1] and distinguished himself as a soldier in action against the canton of Zurich, which had rebelled against the confederation. He later took up arms again in the so-called Thurgau war against Archduke Sigismund of Austria in 1460. It was due to his influence that the Dominican convent St. Katharinental, whither many Austrians had fled after the capture of Diessenhofen, was not destroyed by the Swiss confederates.[1] At around the age of 30, he married Dorothea Wyss, a farmer's daughter. They farmed in the municipality of Flüeli in the alpine foothills, above Sachseln on the Lake Sarnen. He also continued in the military to the age of 37, rising to the position of captain, reportedly fighting with a sword in one hand and a rosary in the other. After serving in the military, he became a councillor and judge for his canton in 1459 and served as a judge for nine years. He declined the opportunity to serve as Landamman (governor) of his canton.
Political mystic
After receiving a mystical vision of a lily eaten by a horse,[2] which he recognized as indicating that the cares of his worldly life (the draft horse pulling a plough) were swallowing up his spiritual life (the lily, a symbol of purity), he decided to devote himself entirely to the contemplative life. In 1467, he left his wife and his ten children with her consent and set himself up as a hermit[1] in the Ranft chine in Switzerland, establishing a chantry for a priest from his own funds so that he could assist at mass daily. According to legend, he survived for nineteen years with no food except for the eucharist. Symbolic visions continued to be a feature of his contemplation, and he became a spiritual guide whose advice was widely sought and followed.[3] His reputation for wisdom and piety was such that figures from across Europe came to seek advice from him, and he was known to all as "Brother Klaus." In 1470, Pope Paul II granted the first indulgence to the sanctuary at Ranft and it became a place of pilgrimage, since it lay on the Jakobsweg (English: Way of St. James),[4] the road pilgrims travelled on to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. His counsel prevented a civil war between the cantons meeting at the Diet of Stans in 1481, when their antagonism grew.[3] Despite being illiterate and having limited experience with the world, he is honored among both Protestants and Catholics with the permanent national unity of Switzerland. Letters of thanks to him from Berne and Soleure still survive. When he died, on 21 March 1487, he was surrounded by his wife and children.
Visionary images
Of the many spiritual insights Nicholas received in his visions, one in particular is reproduced often in a reduced logographic format, as a mystical wheel.[7] Nicholas described his vision of the Holy Face at the center of a circle with the tips of three swords touching the two eyes and mouth, while three others radiate outwards in a sixfold symmetry reminiscent of the Seal of Solomon. A cloth painted with the image, known as the meditation prayer cloth[8] associates the symbol with six episodes from the life of Christ: the mouth of God at the Annunciation, the eyes spying Creation both in its prelapsarian innocence and redemption from the Fall at Calvary, while in the inward direction the betrayal by his disciple Judas in the Garden of Gethsamene points to the crown of the Pantocrator sitting in the judgment seat, the glad tidings of the Nativity scene's "Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to his people on Earth" echoes in the ear on the right of the head, while the memorial of the Lord's Supper "This is my body, which will be given for you" at the prayers of consecration in the Divine Liturgy of the Mass echoes to the ear on the left of the head.

Prayer citation
The new Catechism of the Catholic Church cites a brief personal prayer of St. Nicholas of Flue in paragraph #226[5] of Chapter 1 of Part 1, Section 2 "The Profession of the Christian Faith" under subheading IV "The implications of faith in one God", an aspect of which is making good use of created things.

My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you. 
Veneration
He was beatified in 1669. After his beatification, the municipality of Sachseln built a church in his honour, where his body was interred. He was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. His feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is 21 March, except in Switzerland and Germany, where it is 25 September.

As a layman with family responsibilities who took his civic duties as an ancestral landowner seriously, Brother Klaus is a model of heroic manhood for many concerned with the flourishing of local communities and sustainable use of open land. He is the patron saint of the German-language association KLB (Katholischen Landvolkbewegung), the Catholic Rural Communities Movement.[6]


A plate from the Amtliche Luzerner Chronik of 1513 of Diebold Schilling the Younger, illustrating the events of the Tagsatzung at Stans in 1481. Top: A priest named Heini am Grund visits Niklaus von Flüe to ask him for his advice to save the failing Tagsatzung at Stans, where the delegates of the rural and urban cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy could not agree and threatened civil war. Bottom: Am Grund returned to the Tagsatzung and related Niklaus' advice, whereupon the delegates compromised. Am Grund is shown holding back a bailiff who wants to go and spread the good news already: Niklaus' advice remains secret to this day.

These seven medallions below contain additional symbols of acts of Christian kindness:


two crutches suggest Visiting the sick as a work of mercy
hiker's walking stick with travel pouch suggests Hospitality to strangers
a loaf of bread, fish and a pitcher of water and wine represent Feed the hungry, quench the thirsty
chains indicate Care for the incarcerated
Christ's garments evoke Clothe the naked
a coffin reminds us to Bury the dead

As conclusion, I repeat 

All parties involved should cooperate for a serious commission looking and establshing the real facts about the death of the 7 nuns of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, invited in Yemen by the former Président, nuns killed in Yemen with 12 collaborators !

 We need the truth to have a real peace !

More data:
Michel Buehrer Free lance journalist and photographer with a swiss press card since 1979, Michel Buehrer has contributed to the main newspapers and magazines in Switzerland, where he is based. He travelled extensively, covering long format stories in Europe, MiddleEast, Asia, Africa. And New York.
Anne Bellavance Professional Résumé On a volunteer basis, I am national president of an international NGO and sit on the international board as the IVP representing the region of Oceania. My payed profession as an established teacher has given me a wide range of professional practice in classroom teaching; of which I now do part-time. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Community work is a passion and before teaching I served community and international organisations on a volunteer basis while raising my children. I undertook this work in Australia as well as in the U.S. and Canada. In the early years, an important component was applying my skills in counselling as a youth pastor as well as helping these organisations with their outreach, personnel training and fundraising activities. 2012 – present President Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Australia & VP WFWP International, Oceania region, (UN ECSOC/DPI/NGO General Consultative Status) 2012 – 2017 Board member of Africa day Australia for two years and committee member for three years (Melbourne, Australia). 2011 – present President WFWP, Vic. (UN ECSOC/DPI/NGO General Consultative Status) 2010 – 2011 Secretary of WFWP, Vic. (UN ECSOC/DPI/NGO General Consultative Status) 2005 – present Secretary of UPF Vic. (United Nations NGO organisation) 2009 – present Co-founder of Voices for Peace www.voicesforpeace.info 2008 – present State secretary of UPF Vic. (United Nations NGO organisation) 2000 - 2008 Active volunteer worker for UPF. (United Nations NGO organisation) Counselling & Youth leader for teenagers in Belgrave South. Member of the Cardinia Hills Ragwort & Land Care Group. Active member of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (Vic. Branch) 1995 – 1996 Member of the parent committee for the primary school, Jonathan Wilson, (Montreal, Canada). 1989 –1996 Active member of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (Quebec branch). This included anti-drug educational programs and presentations, lectures and talks with the general public. Counselling members. 1984 – 1989 Community worker with the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace (Kansas, U.S.A). This involved a number of committees to develop educational programs for the youth, including the Citizens Task Force on Drug Abuse Education Committee (organised by the Kansas City public schools board). These activities were recognised by a letter from the White House, Washington, D.C. 2 Counselling members. Managing the staffing and financial operations of the local organization in Wichita, Kansas. Active member of the Women’s Federation for World Peace. 1976 – 1984 Volunteer community worker with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Australia). Youth worker; including organising, leading, teaching and lecturing during ‘camp workshops’. Leading and organising a fundraising team. Managing the staffing and financial operations of the local organi 3 SOFTWARE COMPONENTS: o Excellent working knowledge of the Windows environment, storage, access and backup of data files. o Excellent working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Internet use. o Program removal and installation. o Scanning and photo editing. IT AND TEACHING: o Using the T1-89 Titanium CAS calculator for delivery of Mathematics at Year Nine. o Teaching year 11 General Mathematics included excel use to demonstrate ‘series & sequences’. o Teaching the CAS, TI-89 Titanium graphics calculator to Year Nine students. o Teaching year 9/10 General Science, VCE Biology and Environmental Science included research skills on Internet use and Excel, for the write up of practical exercises and assignments. o Teaching year 7 Mathematics included the use of Excel in ‘comparison of advertising times for different TV stations. o Teaching Science and Technology included students building a computer model and presenting a class PowerPoint presentation on computer hardware. o Continuous use of computers by students in the learning of Math and Science. 3. Business The following skills have been acquired during the period of working for private companies as well as personal businesses. MANAGEMENT SKILLS o While working in business, responsible for personnel well-being. o Responsible for implementing marketing strategies in Australia, Canada and the United States for a flower and jewellery business. o Responsible for decision making in the fields of: marketing strategies, budgets (cash flow, expenses and planning), insurance, vehicles, property management, legal affairs and corporate law. SALES AND MARKETING SKILLS o Dealt with customer relations. o Proven sales record as a result of increased sales for a health food wholesaler (One World Enterprise) in Victoria. Responsible for developing country retail outlets company. As manager, responsible for developing part of the Kansas market in the U.S. o Aided in))
Dr. Hessa Alghadeer is advisor to the Supervisor General and Director of Training and Capacity Building Department. She introduced several initiatives including Saudi Women empowerment in the humanitarian sector, voluntary work, the roles and responsibilities of women in the humanitarian sector, working currently on innovative protection projects during the time of the crisis among others. Alghadeer has participated in the standing committee of reports of Saudi Arabia on human rights conventions. She represented KSrelief Center in the delegation of Saudi Arabia; The Consideration of SA – 158nd meeting 69th Session Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 2018. She also presented “Humanitarian Contributions of KSrelief Center and Humanitarian Principles” at the Experts’ Meeting conference in Paris; Situation in Yemen: Relief and Protection -Measures (2018) and presented a working paper on the Center’s protection projects for women and children in Yemen at a symposium titled; “ How to Save and Protect Women and Children in Yemeni Crisis?“ organized by the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights in Geneva (2018).
Alghadeer who is an Associate Professor of English Language, Literature and culture, and former Dean of the College of Languages and Translation (CL) at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman (PNU) in Riyadh has many scholarly research papers on humanitarian issues including identity and discrimination, the impact of trauma and war among many others. She has more than two decades of executive leadership and academic experience, during which she established several innovative academic programs and administrative projects. In addition to the Deanship, she held key leadership positions at PNU, including Associate Vice Rector for Academic Affair.
In her different leadership and administrative roles, she always focused on effective capacity building plans for the humanitarian workers and volunteers at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to maintain a high level of impact in times of natural disasters and man-made conflicts. In collaboration with many strategic international partners, Alghadeer has worked on providing an ongoing training programs for staff and volunteers according to international standards of accreditation in humanitarian field. Dr. Hessa Alghadeer who received PNU’s Excellence in Academic Research from PNU, has published many scholarly articles in refereed international journals and presented papers at local and international conferences on humanitarian issues, efforts, and initiatives.
Mr. Gianfranco Fattorini:
Human rights consultant. Former co-president of the Movement contra le racism et pour l'amitié entre les peuples (MRAP).
Legal Advisor Of Geneva Global Media, Representative of American Jurist to the UN, Geneva Office
H Helen Kidan
started her work on human rights in 1998, and co-founded Horn Human rights. Helen co-founded Eritrean Youth in the,UK aimed at supporting young Eritreans in 2003. In 2014, she joined Network of Eritrean Women and in empowering Eritrean women. The participation of women in the social, economic and political sphere is important and work to develop this. The work involves working with other women's organisationselen Kidan Human Rights Activist
DrAbdullah saleh almoallem
Consultant pediatrician MBBS DCH ireland CSBP ABP MRCPCH uk CPHHA usa Former director general of aljouf health affairs Assistant professor of pediatrics at aljouf university. Former director general of makkah health affairs Head of health and environmental aid department at ksrelief.

M. Francois de Siebenthal An Expert (born 1955 in Lausanne, Switzerland), has worked for the newspaper "www.Versdemain.org " and for an institution called Louis Even "based in Canada



Conference Organisers Partners and Supporters
Geneva Global Media Center is an independent non-governmental institution and thrives to achieve effective
and lasting improvements in the quality of Media through awareness-raising campaigns, capacity building and training sessions and Seminars and Conferences, in close cooperation with International Organizations and Institutions and with Non-Governmental Organizations.
INFORMAITION CONTACT Geneva Global Media Centre Avenue de la Paix 8 Geneve 1202 Switzerland cн Tel: +33628042081 +41 79 830 42 95 - +41 22 917 32 56 contact@genevaglobalmedia.com Web: www.genevaglobalmedia.com Av. De la Paix 8 1202 Genève

On demande aussi une commission d'enquête sur le meurtre de 7 soeurs de Mère Teresa au Yemen...

mercredi 29 août 2018

ARCHÉOLOGUES SUISSES À KERMA (SOUDAN)

Un fabuleux royaume africain, rival de ceux des pharaons

Maquette de Kerma
Maquette de la ville de Kerma. Au centre, le temple principal ou «deffufa» est une masse de briques avec un unique escalier intérieur. On reconnaît la grande hutte d’apparat du roi et les maisons rectangulaires avec cour intérieure, modèle encore courant de nos jours.
(Marc Juillard)
En plus d’un demi-siècle de fouilles, le royaume de Kerma (2500 à 1500 avant J.C.), au nord du Soudan, n’a pas encore livré tous ses secrets. L’hiver dernier, les archéologues suisses y ont mis au jour la tombe du premier souverain qui fit trembler l’Egypte des pharaons.
Était-il le premier grand monarque d’Afrique noire? Tout semble l’indiquer. On ne connaît ni son nom ni son âge. Son peuple n’écrivait pas et sa tombe a été totalement pillée. Mais ce qu’il en reste plus de 4000 ans après suffit à montrer l’importance du personnage.
Ruines de Kerma
Vue de la partie occidentale de Kerma, depuis le sommet de la deffufa. Les murs ont été reconstruits à partir des traces trouvées dans les fouilles.
(Mathieu Honegger)
Nous sommes en 2050 avant notre ère, en plein âge du Bronze. En Europe continentale, les villes n’existent pas. Au pied des Alpes, les gens vivent dans des maisons en bois en bordure des lacs, qui donneront naissance au mythe des lacustres. Sur l’île de Crète, les somptueux palais-labyrinthes de la civilisation minoenne sortent de terre. Fragmentée en cités-états, la Mésopotamie (Irak actuel) voit naître à cette époque le prophète Abraham – du moins si l’on en croit la Bible.
Mais la grande puissance du moment, c’est l’Egypte. A Gizeh, les pyramides pointent orgueilleusement vers le ciel depuis plus de cinq siècles. Le pharaon Montouhotep II vient de réunifier l’empire après une période de troubles. Son autorité s’étend du delta à la deuxième cataracte du Nil, sur plus de 1400 kilomètres.

L’égal de pharaon

Au sud, c’est la Nubie, que les Egyptiens nomment royaume de Koush, ou Ta-Sety (pays des archers). Son territoire va jusqu’à la 5e cataracte, près de 1000 kilomètres de plaine alluviale, au long du vaste «S» que décrit le fleuve entre Khartoum et son entrée en Egypte.
Depuis 500 ans, la capitale de la Nubie est à Kerma, un peu au sud de la 3e cataracte. Une vraie ville, avec un temple monumental et ses dépendances et des maisons rectangulaires. Il y a aussi des enclos pour le bétail, symbole de prestige, et des huttes, dont une immense, de 14 mètres de diamètre sur la place centrale, qui sert de salle de réception au roi. On vient lui présenter les marchandises d’Egypte, échangées contre de l'encens, des peaux de félins et d'autres richesses provenant des profondeurs de l'Afrique.
Outarde en ivoire de Kerma
Cette silhouette d’outarde en ivoire ornait probablement un lit funéraire. Nécropole de Kerma, vers 1500 avant J.C.
(Musée égyptien de Leipzig)
Kerma commerce surtout avec le voisin du nord. A cette époque déjà, l’Egypte produit en série des céramiques, des bijoux et toutes sortes de pacotilles destinées à l’exportation. Et si pharaon craint ce nouveau roi au point de faire construire d’énormes forteresses défensives à sa frontière sud, il voit aussi l’intérêt à échanger des marchandises avec lui. La Nubie est le pays des immenses troupeaux, des mines d’or – et probablement encore en ces temps de l’ébène et de l’ivoire.
C’est que le climat est bien différent de celui d’aujourd’hui. Le temps du Sahara vert est déjà loin (c’était 4000 ans plus tôt), mais les vents de mousson remontent encore jusqu’à la Nubie, qui connaît deux mois de saison des pluies. La plaine du Nil est luxuriante. Autour de Kerma, les zones cultivables s’étendent sur 15 kilomètres de largeur. L’antilope, l’autruche et l’éléphant y vivent en liberté.
La société des humains, elle, est bien hiérarchisée. La ville en témoigne. Au centre vivent environ 5000 personnes sur 20 hectares – l’équivalent d’une trentaine de terrains de football. Mais ce quartier des temples, du palais, des résidences des grandes familles et des guerriers est certainement entouré de faubourgs où vivent les artisans et paysans, petites mains de la prospérité du royaume. De construction plus légère, leurs habitations n’ont guère laissé de trace et l’empreinte même en a été emportée dans le flot des millénaires.
Kerma au Laténium

Une cathédrale dans le désert

Mais au fait, comment sait-on tout cela? Depuis plus de 50 ans, un homme a voué sa vie aux fouilles dans la région de Kerma: Charles Bonnet. L’archéologue genevois commence à travailler en Egypte et au Soudan dès 1965. Il revient en Nubie chaque année et fouillera la ville de manière très détaillée. En 2002 naît la Mission archéologique suisse à KermaLien externe, dirigée par Mathieu HoneggerLien externe, de l’Université de Neuchâtel. Charles Bonnet quant à lui continue à travailler dans la région, principalement sur le site de Doukki Gel, la ville égyptienne qui a succédé à Kerma.
Mais la Nubie n’a pas attendu les Suisses pour révéler les richesses de son passé. Au centre de l’ancienne capitale, une structure monumentale de briques crues attire immédiatement le regard. Même en ruines, la «deffufa», comme la nomment les habitants du lieu, reste une masse imposante, haute comme un immeuble de cinq étages.
La deffufa de Kerma
40 siècles après son édification, la deffufa domine encore de sa masse les palmeraies qui l’entourent.
(Mathieu Honegger)
Le site de Kerma est mentionné dans des récits de voyages dès 1820. L’Américain Georges ReisnerLien externe est le premier à le fouiller entre 1913 et 1916. Il se concentre surtout sur la nécropole, située à 4 kilomètres de la ville et surmontée elle aussi d’une deffufa, un peu moins imposante que l’autre, mais qui culmine tout de même à 12 mètres de hauteur.
Reisner fouille tout le sud de la nécropole, près de 1000 tombes, sur les 30'000 que compte ce cimetière plus grand que la ville elle-même. Les objets sont rares, les tombes ont presque toutes été pillées, souvent dès l’Antiquité. L’archéologue n’en livre pas moins la première description de la nécropole de Kerma. Et il en conclut que la ville est une colonie égyptienne.

Aveuglés par la splendeur de l’Egypte

Grossière erreur? Aujourd’hui, Mathieu Honegger a beaucoup de respect pour le précurseur qu’est Reisner et comprend bien ce qui a pu l’amener à cette fausse interprétation. «C’est le grand-père de l’archéologie nubienne, un des premiers à insister sur le fait qu’il faut tout documenter. Il fait des dessins de toutes les tombes qu’il fouille, avec la localisation des trouvailles. A l’époque, la méthode de datation par le carbone 14 est encore inconnue, mais Reisner a quand même compris que la nécropole est organisée selon un axe chronologique».
Sauf qu’en réalité, elle s’est développée du nord au sud et non du sud au nord, comme le croit Reisner. Pour l’Américain, les tombes les plus grandes sont les plus anciennes. Il y trouve quelques statues égyptiennes, dont il ne peut pas imaginer qu’elles sont le produit de razzias nubiennes chez les voisins. Il pense que la ville a connu un âge d’or égyptien, puis elle a décliné. «Il oublie que les Egyptiens ne se font généralement pas enterrer ailleurs qu’en terre d’Egypte et autrement que selon les rites égyptiens», précise Mathieu Honegger.
Et quand il voit les deffufas, il se dit que jamais des Nubiens n’auraient pu construire ça. C’est que Reisner, pour génial qu’il soit, n’en est pas moins empreint des préjugés de son temps. «On considérait qu’à l’époque, il y avait une grande civilisation en Afrique, et c’était l’Egypte, explique l’archéologue neuchâtelois. L'Afrique subsaharienne - qui a connu la colonisation et la traite des esclaves - était vue comme un continent qui ne pouvait pas générer par lui-même une véritable civilisation. Dans une vision diffusionniste, toute trace de société élaborée ne pouvait découler que d'une influence venant de la Méditerranée ou de l'Egypte».

Naissance d’un royaume

Aujourd’hui, on sait que tout cela est faux. Sur la base des travaux de la mission suisse, mais aussi de ceux de tous les archéologues qui fouillent en Nubie depuis des décennies, on a une image assez précise de l’émergence d’une civilisation, depuis l’époque où les premiers chasseurs-cueilleurs décident de s’installer sur les rives du Nil à celle où leurs descendants se lancent à la conquête de la puissante Egypte.
Agglomération pré-Kerma
Avant Kerma. Reconstitution d’une partie de l’agglomération vers 3000 avant J.C., avec ses huttes, bâtiments rectangulaires, enclos à bétail et fosses-greniers.
(Dessin: Alain Honegger)
Et pas mal des pièces qui constituent ce puzzle ont été trouvées au royaume des morts, dans les nombreux cimetières fouillés le long du Nil. «Vers 2500 avant J.C., les premières tombes de la nécropole montrent que la société est relativement égalitaire, explique Mathieu Honegger. Il y a probablement des chefs de lignage, mais à cette époque, leurs tombes ne se distinguent pas vraiment des celles des autres membres de la société. Et tout d’un coup, vers 2500-2300 avant J.C., les tombes deviennent plus grandes, l'armement apparaît, les importations depuis l’Egypte deviennent plus nombreuses, tout le monde a un miroir en bronze, objet de grand luxe, il y a de l'or, des animaux sacrifiés, des morts d'accompagnement, et une vaisselle d'une richesse extraordinaire, avec des motifs très fins».
Vase en forme de hutte
Récipient peint en forme de hutte. Nécropole de Kerma. Vers 1500 avant J.C.
(Musée national de Khartoum)
La puissance de Kerma s’affirme, et le commerce se développe. Pour autant, il ne semble pas encore y avoir de roi, on trouve plusieurs tombes riches de la même époque, comme si on avait des lignages en compétition.

Et tout d’un coup apparaît le premier roi

«La tombe découverte l’hiver dernier montre que la société franchit une étape décisive, poursuit l’archéologue. Alors que les plus grandes tombes jusqu’ici faisaient 5 mètres de diamètre, tout d’un coup, nous trouvons une fosse de 9 mètres. Alors que jusqu’ici, les crânes de bétail sacrifié déposés au sud des tombes étaient au plus au nombre de 50, cette première tombe royale en présente plus de 1400!»
L’analyse de la céramique a établi que nous sommes vers 2050 avant J.C., époque où l’Egypte commence à craindre son voisin du sud, mais aussi où les échanges entre les deux Etats explosent, comme le montrent les quantités encore plus grandes d’objets importés.
«Cette dimension du commerce va stimuler l'émergence d'une société très hiérarchisée, poursuit Mathieu Honegger. Et probablement que sur le modèle égyptien, il y a un homme fort qui s’impose. L'abondance des armes montre qu'il a dû lutter pour devenir l'interlocuteur de l'Egypte et contrôler le commerce, source de prestige et de richesse».
Tombe royale de Kerma
La tombe de celui qui devrait être le premier roi de Kerma, telle que mise au jour par les archéologues
(Mathieu Honegger)
Tombe d'un archer de Kerma
A proximité de celle du roi, cette tombe d’un jeune archer n’a par chance pas été pillée. Ce jeune homme de 18 ans a été enterré habillé et paré, avec son armement et un mouton sacrifié.
(Mathieu Honegger)
Prestige et richesse qui se retrouvent dans la tombe. Si les objets et le corps du premier roi ont disparu, les trous au sol indiquent que le centre de la tombe était occupé par une vaste hutte, réplique de celle qui occupait la place centrale de la ville. Mais elle n’était construite qu’à moitié, pour abriter la dépouille du roi, probablement momifiée naturellement par exposition à l'air libre (les Nubiens n’embaumaient pas leurs morts, contrairement aux Egyptiens). Les traces de pluie au sol sur la partie non couverte par la hutte montrent que la tombe est restée ouverte plusieurs mois, le temps pour tous les dignitaires du royaume, de venir, de la 2e à la 5e cataracte, rendre hommage et apporter leurs offrandes au défunt. On imagine les banquets funéraires qui ont dû se tenir à cette occasion, les têtes des animaux sacrifiés étant ensuite fichées dans le sol. 1400 crânes, cela fait pas mal de viande!
Et pour refermer l’arc de cercle formé par les crânes, on a érigé une fois la tombe recouverte de son tumulus une triple palissade de bois au nord, sans équivalent jusqu’ici dans la nécropole. Le tout formait un enclos funéraire de forme ovale, rappelant les enclos à bétail, autre signe de puissance et de prestige de ce premier grand roi d’Afrique noire, qui régnait sur une société profondément marquée par ses traditions pastorales.
Musée de Kerma
Le Musée de Kerma, une initiative soudanaise, soutenue par la Suisse et désormais aussi par le Qatar. Construit dans un style qui rappelle la tradition nubienne, il a accueilli 35’000 visiteurs l’an dernier, dont seulement 1200 touristes étrangers. Les Soudanais y viennent volontiers en famille, pour découvrir leur histoire et leur patrimoine.
(Mathieu Honegger)

Quand les pharaons noirs régnaient sur l’Egypte
Les alentours de l’an 1500 avant J.C. voient arriver sur le trône d’Egypte la 18e dynastie, fondatrice du Nouvel Empire, qui va marquer l’apogée de la civilisation des bords du Nil. Après que leurs prédécesseurs ont étendu leur autorité jusqu’aux confins de la Turquie actuelle, les pharaons Ahmoses, puis Thoutmôsis I et III conquièrent la Nubie. La ville de Kerma est rasée, le site ne sera plus jamais occupé, si ce n'est pas des nécropoles plus tardives. Les Egyptiens érigent à un kilomètre plus au nord la ville de Doukki Gel.
700 ans plus tard, au terme d’une période sombre, sur laquelle vestiges et témoignages sont rares, le royaume de Koush renaît, avec pour capitale Napata, quelque 300 kilomètres en amont de Kerma. Ce déplacement obéit à des raisons politiques et militaires, mais certainement aussi climatiques: le nord se fait de plus en plus aride alors qu’au sud, il pleut encore en été. C’est de là que les nouveaux rois nubiens partent à l’assaut d’une Egypte désormais divisée et affaiblie.
Pharaons noirs
Les sept statues provenant de la cachette de Doukki Gel.
(Mathieu Honegger)
Vers 730 avant J.C., Piankhy, roi de Koush monte sur le trône de Thèbes, inaugurant la 25e dynastie égyptienne, dite des pharaons noirs. Ses descendants vont régner pendant une septantaine d’années sur un empire qui va du delta au confluent de Nil Bleu et du Nil Blanc, site de l’actuelle Khartoum. Ils sont coiffés de la tiare à deux cobras, symbole de l’union de l’Egypte et de la Nubie, et adoptent très largement les traditions égyptiennes. Après leur chute, la capitale de Koush se déplacera encore plus au sud, à Méroé, et les rois s’y feront ensevelir sous des pyramides.
En 2003, la mission archéologique suisse à Kerma a mis au jour à Doukki Gel les statues des sept pharaons noirs, cassées en morceaux et soigneusement enfouies dans une cache souterraine. Symbole de la puissance retrouvée de la civilisation nubienne, ils trônent désormais au centre du Musée de Kerma.

vendredi 6 juillet 2018

New conflicts ?




Relations between States are governed by international law, even during armed conflicts. International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the law of armed conflict as promulgated in the 1949 Geneva Conventions, provides protection to those affected by armed conflict without discrimination. The 1997 Additional Protocols of the Conventions provide rules relating to international armed conflicts, including rules on the conduct of hostilities and the protection of the civilian population. The application and respect of the protocols were the focus of the 40th Round Table on IHL, jointly organised by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Please join us for this book launch where IHL academics and specialists will examine issues regarding the application of the 1977 protocols in today’s international and internal armed conflicts.

A Discussion with 

Fausto Pocar
President, International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), @IIHL_Sanremo

Cynthia Petrigh
Director, Beyond Peace, @cynthiapetrigh

Anne Quintin
Head, Legal Advisory Service Unit (as of September 2018), International Committee of the Red Cross (@ICRC)



Moderated by 

Michel Veuthey 
Vice-President, International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), @MichelVeuthey


Please register at: https://reg.unog.ch/event/25852/
Library Events Room (B.135)
Palais des Nations, Building B, 1st Floor

Copies of the book will be available

vendredi 22 juin 2018

UN GENEVA, DIGNITY OF MIGRANTS,

H.E. Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, President of Caritas Internationalis and Archbishop of Manila
H.E. Evan P. Garcia, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN Geneva
Ms. Grainne O’Hara, Director of the Division of International Protection, UNHCR Ms. Pia Oberoi, Advisor on Migration and Human Rights, OHCHR Mr. Christian Wolff, Program Manager for Migration and Displacement, ACT Alliance
Mr. Hayat Akbari, Youth Ambassador Global Campaign to End Child Detention Ms. Mariane Quintao, Youth Ambassador Global Campaign to End Child Detention (video message)
are delighted to invite you to our side-event in conjunction with the 38th session of the Human Rights Council entitled: SHARE THE JOURNEY: PROMOTING THE DIGNITY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
With the support of:

Tuesday June 26th 11:30am-1pm Palais des Nations Room XXV

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-p0lmjLtiXzV0EtTXIzWVBfb3g1MkpvWFdNenE2U00yaTJz