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UN and Africa: focus on Somalia elections, New Urban Agenda and CAR

UN and Africa: focus on Somalia elections, New Urban Agenda and CAR

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Somalia electoral season begins

What’s been described as a “complicated” electoral process is now underway in Somalia. The indirect elections are being held to choose a parliament and president, with hopes that one-person, one-vote elections will take place in 2020. Michael Keating is the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia and head of the UN mission in the country, UNSOM. Dianne Penn asked him about the complexity and significance of the electoral process.

Amadou Oumarou. UN Photo/Matt Wells

900 million more Africans will be living in cities by 2050

Around 900 million people will move to cities in Africa over the next 35 years, according to a director of the African Development Bank, who is attending the UN’s Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador. Amadou Oumarou, who hails from Cameroon, said that the “future of society” across the continent will be based on steadily-growing cities. Habitat III has brought national and local leaders from around the world together to re-think how cities can become more sustainable, inclusive and resilient in the years ahead. Matthew Wells asked Mr Oumarou how important the conference and the adoption of a New Urban Agenda is, for African cities.

Anton Katz, UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

CAR urged to take action on foreign fighters

International human rights experts are urging authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) to tackle the threat of mercenaries and foreign fighters who have joined armed groups in the country. More than 1,000 foreign combatants, mostly from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Sudan, are in the CAR, according to the UN Working Group on mercenaries which on Wednesday ended a 10-day visit to the country. The CAR has experienced a three-year long political crisis, with deadly clashes between rival groups. More than 5,000 people have been killed while hundreds of thousands of citizens have been displaced both within and outside the country. Jean-Pierre Ramazani asked the head of the Working Group, Anton Katz, about their mission.

Presenter: Jocelyne Sambira

Production Assistant: Sandra Guy

Duration: 10'00″

Audio
10'
Photo Credit
UN Photo/Cia Pak