BLADE

Focus on Guatemala

Jan Speed and Amila de Saram Larssen

Lars Vaagen, Norway's ambassador to Guatemala, speaks about Norway's development cooperation with Guatemala, and in particular, about projects supporting the Maya people.

High drama in Zambia in the days preceding President Mwanasawa's death

By Benedict Tembo, reporting from Lusaka, Zambia

President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa is dead.

Mwanasawa, 59, died on Tuesday at 10:30 hours at the Percy Military Hospital in Paris, France.

“Fellow countrymen, with immense grief and sorrow, I inform the nation that our President Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa has passed away this morning,” Zambian Vice-President, Rupiah Banda, announced on Tuesday afternoon in a national address on both radio and television of the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation.

Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, President of Zambia, died early yesterday

(Photo: Nebert Mulenga/IRIN)

President Mwanawaswa (on the right) died early yesterday at the Percy Military Hospital in Paris.  A seven-day period of mourning has been declared in the country. He suffered a stroke two months prior to his death. 

President Mwanawasa was chairman of the South African Development Community (Sadc) when he was taken ill in June.

Maoist leader is republican Nepal’s first Prime Minister

By Navin Singh Khadka

The leader of a Maoist party that championed a republican Nepal has become the first elected prime minister after the country became the world’s youngest republic.

Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Prachanda was voted to the top executive position on Friday (15 August)  after his party managed to secure support from two other major parties in the constituent assembly.

Donors challenge Tanzania government

By Kizito Makoye, Dar es Salaam

The government of Tanzania is under intense pressure to address the theft of  several million dollars from the External Payment Arrears (EPA) account  as donors withhold the disbursement of over Tsh. 812 billion (over US $677million) promised for general budget support for 2008/9.

The group of 14 development partners providing General Budget Support (GBS) to Tanzania has apparently made a bold decision to demand serious answers from the government on what it is doing about the looting of public money from the Bank of Tanzania.

New report on Preventing Corruption in Humanitarian Assistance

This report presents research on the problem of corruption in humanitarian assistance, carried out in 2007 and 2008 by the Feinstein International Center of Tufts University (FIC) in collaboration with the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute in London (ODI) and the sponsoring organization, Transparency International (TI).  Seven case studies were conducted at the field and headquarters levels and highlight the risks, challenges and consequences of corruption in development aid.  To read the full report, click here: Download Humanitarian_Assistance_Report-1.pdf

UN HIV targets: a waste of time?

By Phyllis Kachere

Promises made and never fulfilled? Are commitments made at the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV and Aids a waste of time?

These were the questions on the lips of almost everyone who attended a session on  'Where Are We In Achieving UNGASS Targets?'. Delegates debated the effectiveness of the UN's targets on universal access to treatment.

Sudan exports crops while Darfur left hungry

By Amila de Saram Larssen

In a recent article in the New York Times entitled,  “The Food Chain”, Jeffrey Gettleman talks about an under reported and outrageous fact: Sudan grows and exports large amounts of its own crops while receiving a billion pounds of free food from international donors.

To illustrate his point, Gettleman uses the example of sorghum, a mainstay of the Sudanese diet.  Last year, the US government exported 283,000 tons of the crop to Darfur, at great cost, from as far away as Houston.  This was approximately the same amount of sorghum that Sudan itself exported that year, according to UN officials.

Norway in the Development Headlines This Week (Week 32)

Compiled by Amila de Saram Larssen, Marte Lid and Marianne Hauge

Oil for Development

Rasmus Hansson and Svein Erik Harklau state that “Norway could shortly become a major contributor to the destruction of the most biologically diverse regions of Africa.  The basis for the livelihoods of poor people and their unique natural resources may be sacrificed on the alter of the oil- and gas industry, facilitated by Norwegian tax money.” The subject of the Dagbladet article is Oil for Development’s work in Uganda.  A response from Norad was sent on 6^th August, but has not yet been published.

 

HIV/AIDS

Norwegian participants at the International HIV/AIDS conference  in Mexico City state that even if fewer are been infected by HIV, there is no reason to reduce efforts.  More people continue to be infected by HIV everyday than those who gain access to treatment and medicines, says Norad adviser, Helene Aall Henriksen, in an article in Vart Land on Aug. 5 (not available online).  Anne Skjelmerud was also interviewed about the conference and the HIV/AIDS issue by NRK Radio. This will be aired Sat. Aug. 9  on the programme, “Verden pa lordag.” 

Former African Leaders Launch Regional Campaign To Pressure Politicians on HIV/AIDS

Former leaders of Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, as well as other well-known African figures, launched an initiative Tuesday at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City to put pressure on politicians whom they believe have not done enough to fight HIV/AIDS.

The campaign is called "Champions for an HIV-Free Generation." Its founding members include former Botswanan President Festus Mogae; Joaquim Chissano, former president of Mozambique; former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda; South African Archbishop and Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu; and Miriam Were, head of the Kenyan National AIDS Control Council.