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George Bright-Abu

Politicians, Public Figures Welcome New Pope

Several Egyptian politicians, officials and public figures welcomed on Sunday the appointment of Bishop Tawadros as the new Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
They praised the electoral process of the 118th Coptic Pope, adding that challenging responsibilities await him.
Prime Minister Hisham Kandil congratulated on Facebook all Copts for the election of Pope Tawadros.
Kandil pointed to the importance of the upcoming phase for the Orthodox Church.
"This is a reinforcement of the honorable national role of this church in the history of Egypt."
Army leaders, officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers all congratulate Copts for the election of the 118th Pope of the Orthodox Coptic Church, official spokesman of the army said, adding that they wish the Pope every success in the prelature to serve Egypt.
Mohamed Badea, General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, also congratulated the Pope on his election.
"His eminence Bishop Tawadros, Pope of the Alexandria Church and Patriarch of St. Mark Episcopate, I offer you my heartfelt congratulations and wish you success and prosperity for the benefit of the beloved Egypt and its people," Badea wrote on Facebook.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) "congratulates Bishop Tawadros for his election as the new Pope of the Orthodox Coptic Church," Mohamed Saad al-Katatni, head of the party, wrote on Facebook.
"We are optimistic with the fruitful cooperation with him as the spiritual leader of our Coptic brothers to spread morals and emphasize the values of freedom, justice and equality," al-Katatni added.
"This is a historic day in the national course," Ahmed Shafiq, former presidential candidate, wrote on Twitter, adding that we remember the good memory of the late Pope Shenouda III and wish the new Pope Tawadros success.
The process of electing the Pope "stresses the steadiness of the Egyptian Church," Shafiq added.
Mohamed ElBaradei also congratulated all Copts and the new Pope on his Twitter account.
Amr Moussa, former presidential candidate and head of the Conference Party, congratulated the Egyptian people and wished the new Pope a successful era "that sponsors and supports national unity."
"Big responsibilities await the Pope," Moussa stated.
He expressed his confidence in the new Pope, saying, "We believe he will be a true partner in rebuilding the authentic Egyptian spirit that has been lost."
Khaled Ali, former presidential candidate, congratulated the Egyptian people on Twitter for the election of Bishop Tawadros as the new Pope.
Political sciences professor and founder of Egypt Freedom Party Amr Hamzawi and novelist Alaa al-Aswany congratulated on their Twitter accounts all Egyptians for the election of the new Pope as well.
Pope Tawadros succeeds the late Pope Shenouda III who passed away last March.

Source: http://allafrica.com

Posted to the blog by George Bright-Abu

More People Displaced By Turmoil in Mali Than Previously Estimated – UN Refugee Agency

New data on the number of Malians who have left or been driven from their homes amid conflict and other threats show the total is almost 60 per cent higher than previously thought, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
There are now thought to be at least 203,845 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the land-locked West African country, up from a previous count of 118,795, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told a news briefing in Geneva.
The revised figure comes as the agency also highlighted a shortfall in funding it said it needed to help IDPs in Mali, as well as Malian refugees in surrounding countries.
“To date, we have received 41.7 per cent of the $153.7 million we required to assist the Malian refugees and IDPs,” the UNHCR spokesperson, Adrian Edwards, told reporters.
He added that one consequence of the funding shortfall is that UNHCR cannot provide many refugees with recreational and professional activities to ensure they are “meaningfully occupied,” noting that a lack of activities could lead to some refugees – especially the young – leaving the camps and returning to danger-spots.
“Schools have not started yet in the camps as school structures are still being built,” Mr. Edwards said. “UNHCR fears that without schooling, children and adolescents may return to Mali, where there is a risk of recruitment by various armed groups.”
Currently led by Interim President Dioncounda Traoré, Mali has been dealing with a range of security, political and humanitarian problems since the start of the year. Fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels broke out in the country’s north in January. Since then, radical Islamists have seized control of the north, where they have imposed an extremist version of Muslim Sharia law as well as restrictions that target women in particular.
The instability and insecurity resulting from the renewed clashes, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region, drought and political instability in the wake of a military coup d’état in March, have led over many Malians to flee, including some 250,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries in addition to those displaced internally.

Source:www.allafrica.com

Posted to the blog by George Bright-Abu