Highlights
- Nearly 250 new Congolese refugees in Zémio
- Ali Bongo, the new head of state of Gabon on a working visit to Bangui
- "Ask the court," the new program of the International Criminal Court
- The University of Bangui has a reading room provided by the United Nations
Background and security
Refugees from the DRC in Zémio
According to the local authorities, 250 people from the town of Sukadji in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) arrived 25 October to Zémio in the southeastern of CAR.
With the arrival of this latest wave of Congolese refugees, there are now 400 in the city.
This influx of Congolese refugees into the city of Zémio began in 15 October. On this day, 158 escape the atrocities committed by elements of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
Ali Bongo in Bangui
On the 21 October the new Gabonese head of state, Ali Bongo, who succeeded to his late father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, has visited the CAR for a working visit. Omar Bongo used to mediate on behalf of the Central African Republic with regard to the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
Does he take over from his father and become involved in the peace process CAR? "I'll be at your side to continue the work of building peace in your country," said Ali Bongo at a press briefing in Bangui.
News
New program of the ICC
On 19 October, the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched its second outreach program, entitled "Ask the Court" in the Central African Republic. This program will be broadcast on national TV and on ICC radio partners, as well as by community radio stations throughout the country. This program consisting of 13 episodes will be aired for a week between October and January 2010.
The first radio program was entitled "Understanding the ICC." Broadcasted in Sango, CAR's national language, it was diffused widely from July through October 2009. It has reached about 700,000 people in the country and consisted of over 270 hours of broadcast information about the ICC in Sango.
In this second program, the floor will be given to Central Africans so they can ask their questions directly to senior officials of the Hague-based court. The President of the Court, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, the Clerk of Court Mrs. Silvana Arbia, the Director of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division in the Office of the Prosecutor, Ms Beatrice Le Fraper du Hellen have responded to questions from the Central African population.
Contact InfoRCA@icc-cpi.int for more information.
Find more information on http://www.hdptcar.net/blog/
