Feed items

In the past week, nearly two dozen attempted self-immolations have been reported across the Arab world, three of them fatal. The horrifying public suicide attempts echo the iconic act of Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian who set himself on fire in mid-December after police confiscated the produce cart he was using to make a living. Bouazizi died weeks later of his burns, but his desperate act triggered protests that eventually led Tunisian president Zine Al-Abdine Ben Ali to flee the North African country he had ruled with an iron fist for 23 years. On Jan. 15, one day after the fall of Ben Ali, a 37-year-old Algerian man died after setting himself alight. Since then, at least 22 attempted self- immolations have been reported in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes and can cause severe illness and death. Yellow Fever Outbreak Along Sudan-Uganda BorderSource: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.orgDate: Thursday, 30 December 2010. Full copy: 30 December 2010 – (Juba) - There is an outbreak of Yellow Fever at the southern Sudan–Uganda border areas which has hampered the transport system between the two regions. The number of people who are affected is not yet known. The Minister of Health in the Government of Southern Sudan Luka Monoja speaking to SRS in Juba on Thursday said the ministry is preparing to handle the outbreak.

NOTE to self. Re-read the below copied report written by Ann Garrison. The report was published yesterday at her blog titled Ann Garrison. According to Ms Garrison's blogger profile, she is located in San Francisco, California, USA. Also, copied here below is a map published Nov. 25 at this site's sister blog Congo Watch: "CAR: CPJP rebels kill 4 soldiers, hold Birao garrison town near border with Chad and Sudan".

FOR the record, here is a copy of an email received today from Paul Ronan, Director of Advocacy, Resolve (formerly Resolve Uganda), followed by a copy of a blog post and tweet published today by Sam Bell, Executive Director of the newly merged Save Darfur Coalition / Genocide Intervention Network. Please find attached President Obama's strategy on the Lord's Resistance Army, released on November 24th. Section 4 of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which passed US Congress in May, mandated that President Obama develop “a strategy to guide future United States support across the region for viable multilateral efforts to mitigate and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army.”