Can carbon removal help meet world's climate targets?

Martin Kuebler | Gero Rueter

DW
01/19/2023

To prevent further global heating, humans need to stop burning fossil fuels. But that's not enough — experts now say we also need to remove billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. What are our options?

Humans must now start removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere alongside deep, rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to keep global temperature change to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and prevent the worst effects of climate change.

"It isn't either/or," said Jan Minx of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change in Berlin, and one of the authors of a new global overview of carbon dioxide removal projects, released Thursday.

Governments around the world will need to rely on widespread deployment of established and future carbon removal technology to achieve net-zero targets by mid-century, said Minx. They will also need redouble efforts in the following decades to bring atmospheric CO2 back to climate-safe levels.

By 2100, carbon dioxide removal technology will need to extract between 450 billion and 1.1 trillion metric tons of CO2 — depending on how quickly we cut emissions over the next few decades, said the report.

"Innovation takes time, upscaling takes time, and if we don't start building these plants now and develop policy plans accordingly, then we won't get there," said Minx.

But few governments have included carbon removal projects as part of their plans to hit emissions targets, even though advances in the field have been picking up speed over the last decade, said the report, which is the first to focus on carbon removal efforts worldwide.
'Next decade is crucial' for carbon removal tech

Since 1990, we have emitted more than 924 billion metric ton of CO2 equivalent into the planet's atmosphere — more than 37 billion in 2021 alone — largely from burning climate-wrecking fossil fuels. That's more CO2 emitted in three decades than in all human history before that time.

Nearly all the world's current carbon dioxide removal — estimated at roughly 2 billion metric tons of emissions yearly — is achieved using conventional methods on managed land. This includes established methods like peatland and wetland restoration, reforestation and fixing carbon in croplands and grasslands.

A tiny fraction of 0.1% comes from new technologies like biochar, direct air carbon capture and storage, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.

According to the report, "the next decade is crucial" for the growth of new carbon removal technologies, comparing it to the strides made in the renewable energy sector over the last 20 years.

Biochar could help with farming

One of those developing technologies is biochar, which involves capturing the carbon absorbed by crop and forestry residue — husks, roots, bark, branches and sawdust — and other organic waste.

That waste is heated under pressure in a zero or very low oxygen environment and converted into a black powder of carbon and ash. This process fixes and stores the CO2 in a stable, solid form, preventing it from decaying naturally and releasing that carbon back into the atmosphere.

When mixed with soil, biochar can act as a fertilizer and help to increase crop yields, while also improving water retention.

Biochar: Good for climate and soil?

07:02

Biochar has been the focus of roughly half of all research into carbon removal methods in recent years, especially in China. By 2050, global application of this technology could help remove between 0.3 and 6.6 billion metric tons of CO2 every year.

Production of biochar can, however, contribute to particulate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions through the initial heating process.
Storing CO2 underground could be key

Carbon dioxide can also be captured and stored in underground reservoirs, an expensive process that has been in limited use on Norway's oil fields since the late 20th century.

Chemical processes are used to extract the gas from the ambient air, in what's known as direct air carbon capture and storage, or DACCS. It's then compressed and stored in liquid form in vast underground reservoirs.

Swiss company Climeworks recently announced that it had successfully sequestered CO2 in basalt rock formations, where natural processes will convert it into solid carbonate rocks in roughly two years.

The world's largest direct air capture and storage plant recently opened in Iceland

Other DACCS pilot projects are also being developed in Canada and the United States.

Since there is no limit to the amount of CO2 that can be captured and stored, DACCS is seen as having great potential. However, the process is still controversial, as storing CO2 underground can lead to earthquakes and leakage in the long-term.

Both methods are still far from widespread use. A big disadvantage is the cost — currently anywhere between $250 and $600 (around €550) per ton, according to a recent estimate by global research non-profit, the World Resources Institute. But the WRI estimates that mass production of DACCS systems could bring prices down to between $150 and $200 per ton in the next 10 years.

Storing carbon under the sea

05:11

Using carbon as bioenergy

Another way of removing carbon from the air involves collecting biomass — cropping and forestry leftovers, organic waste or plants grown specifically for that purpose — and burning it in a power plant to produce bioenergy. CO2 is then extracted from the exhaust gas of the power plant and stored underground. This method helps to phase out fossil fuels, while at the same time sequestering CO2.

The big problem with this technology, known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), is the huge amount of space required. BECCS crops could end up competing with food crops for land and water and contribute to a loss of biodiversity and soil fertility, said the carbon removal report.

Binding CO2 to crushed rocks

In this process, called enhanced rock weathering, carbonate and silicate rocks are mined, ground and scattered on agricultural land or on the surface of the ocean. There, they mimic the natural erosion process of rain — which has absorbed CO2 as it passes through the atmosphere — and lock it away as bicarbonate. Adding the ground rocks in ocean water will theoretically increase alkalinity, increasing CO2 uptake.

Recent research suggests that by 2050, this technique could capture between 2 to 4 billion metric tons of CO2 every year. The main challenges are the destructive impact of the mining facilities, and the potential for heavy metal contamination from some rock types.

Restoring trees, soil also boosts carbon storage

Trees are a powerful natural solution to capture carbon, and if protected they can fix carbon for decades, or even centuries.

A 2019 study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich found that if trees were planted around the world on an additional area of 0.9 billion hectares, they would store some 205 billion metric tons of carbon once they reach maturity.

But that's the catch — it can take many years before a tree is mature enough to absorb that much carbon. And the land area required is roughly the size of the continental US. The carbon reduction capacity of our forests could also be reduced as the effects of climate change increase, leading to more wildfires, diseases and pests.

Good news about reforestation efforts

Forests cover about one-third of the world's land area — an expanse that has been dwindling for decades. But many countries are undertaking ambitious efforts to bring back the trees.

China
Beijing has intensified decades long efforts to plant billions of trees across the country, especially in northern areas threatened by growing deserts. Every year, it plants seedlings over an area equal to Ireland. The state has pledged to boost forest coverage to 30% by 2050. Today, World Bank data say it's about 22%. But critics say non-native species and monocultures threaten water resources.

Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Xinhua News Agency

Iraq
China has also taken its expertise abroad. In Iraq, limited rain, dropping water levels, increasingly high temperatures and the volatile security situation have exacerbated desertification. Inspired by Chinese techniques, like one that uses a grid of straw squares to hold the ground together and provide a base for grasses and eventually, larger plants, experts hope to hold back the dunes.


Niger
In Africa's Sahel region, south of the Sahara, they've taken a different approach. With a variety of local vegetation and a technique that grows trees from existing root systems, local farmers have helped regreen 50,000 square kilometers (19,300 square miles) in Niger alone. This technique, developed by Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo, was recognized with the Right Livelihood Award in 2018.I


Burkina Faso
In neighboring Burkina Faso, the UN program REDD+ helps farmers launch a large-scale tree planting effort of over 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres) to help mitigate desertification. Forests here are threatened due to expanding farms and a growing population, one of Africa's fastest. REDD+, launched in 2008, works with indigenous peoples in 65 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.


India
In a country where nearly 30% of the land is degraded — by farming, urbanization and deforestation —tree planting efforts are major events. In recent years millions of Indians have joined record-breaking campaigns, planting hundreds of millions of seedling. About 40% succumb to disease or lack of water. The Modi government has pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.


Peru
The Amazon rainforest is under threat from cattle ranching and resource extraction, not to mention the devastating fires in 2019. Deforestation in Brazil rose to its highest level in over a decade last year. In neighboring Peru, reforestation efforts have targeted fields damaged by illegal gold mining, as well as the Machu Picchu archaeological site, which is at risk of mudslides and forest fires.


Australia
Australia has been ravaged by bushfires, which wiped out more than a fifth of its forests and killed some 1 billion animals. In December, the World Wide Fund for Nature launched a plan to "save and grow" 2 billion trees by 2030. "This natural climate solution can be achieved by protecting existing trees, allowing cleared forests to regenerate and planting new trees," said WWF — a boon for koalas.

Image: picture-alliance/dpa/All Canada Photos

Canada
A tree planting veteran, Canada has been reforesting for decades — on private and public land,where laws require the forestry industry to replant following clearcutting. In his 2019 election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to adding 2 billion trees over the next decade. A wide range of biomes, from Arctic tundra to temperate rainforest, makes tree selection important.


England
In northern England, trees cover just 7.6% of the countryside. But a new Northern Forest is set to take shape from western Liverpool to eastern Hull over the next 25 years. It follows the success of the National Forest further south, which saw its first saplings in 1995. It's hoped more trees will help ease climate change, reduce flooding and create jobs. But critics say it's mere greenwashing


Germany
The forests that inspired legends and fairy tales aren't doing so well. At a national forest summit last September, Berlin devoted €800 million ($878 million) to help care for and replenish the country's trees, which have suffered from several years of hot, dry weather and bark beetle attacks. Forestry experts are searching for hardy, native species which can adapt to Europe's changing climate.


Romania
Widespread illegal logging — some sourced to timber firms and furniture makers in Western Europe — is devastating some of Europe's last remaining virgin forests. Romania loses about 3-9 hectares (7-22 acres) of forest per hour to dishonest timber firms, according to Greenpeace. In early 2020, the Environment Ministry announced plans to replant more than 1,000 hectares of these affected forests.

9/11 PHOTOS

Another natural solution is humus — the dark, rich organic matter in soil formed by the decomposition of plants and animals. It also holds plenty of carbon. By planting carbon-fixing crops and adapting farming methods to leave crop residue in the soil, we can also increase the amount of CO2 stored in the ground.

In an analysis of the EU's climate policy, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs found that between 2 and 5 billion metric tons of CO2 could be sequestered by building up the world's humus.

This article was based in part on a 2020 article on carbon removal technology.

Edited by: Jennifer Collins

Lebanon's middle class vanishes as economy collapses



Jennifer Holleis

DW
01/19/2023

Following years of political and economic crises, Lebanon's population structure has changed, and not for the better. Experts believe that the structural inequality will only widen in future.

Lebanon's capital Beirut has turned into a city of contrasts. Expensive cars park before popular restaurants and bars, while people of all ages rummage through bins for something edible.

"Also, more and more people are begging in the streets, mainly children but also elderly people," Anna Fleischer, head of the German Heinrich Böll Foundation's office in Beirut, told DW. While it is hard to tell the nationality, "it can be assumed that there are many Syrian refugees, but also Lebanese," she added.

Years of political instability in combination with an ongoing economic crisis — exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Port of Beirut blast in August 2020 — have brought the country close to collapse.

Lebanon ranks not only "among the most severe crises globally since the mid-19th century," according to the World Bank, but it is also likely that "an unprecedented institutional vacuum will further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and critical reform ratification, deepening the woes of the Lebanese people," the World Bank report says.

Vanishing middle class, rising hunger

Following years of massive economic contraction, in combination with a 95% devalution of its currency, the Lebanese middle class has practically vanished. In March 2020, the World Bank devalued Lebanon to a lower-middle income country.

"A person that is earning 1,500,000 Lebanese pounds used to have an equivalent of $1,000 before the crisis, and now it is equivalent to less than $200," Hussein Cheaito, a development economist at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based research center, told DW.

In a recent publication on rising hunger and poverty in Lebanonby Human Rights Watch (HRW), Lena Simet stated that "millions of people in Lebanon have been pushed into poverty and have cut back on food." The senior economic justice researcher at HRW pointed to worrying trends of food insecurity in the lowest bracket of earners.

More and more people find it hard to make ends meet and have to skip meals

 JOSEPH EID/AFP

Similarly, a September report on food insecurity in the Middle East by the indepedent research network Arab Barometer found that nearly half of all citizens in Lebanon stated that they ran out of food before they had money to buy more.
Extreme wealth inequality

Meanwhile, there are no indications for change, and the tax system is not helping the overall situation in Lebanon.

"The taxation system in Lebanon is highly regressive, which means that there is no wealth tax code, and corporate taxes are amongst the lowest in the world compared to all OECD averages," Hussein Cheaito told DW.

The beneficiaries of the taxation system are those of the "political class and their business connections, because this 1% owns more than 70% of the national income," Cheaito said. This, in turn, leaves a very small percentage of wealth to the rest of the society," he claims.

Furthermore, those who earn their wages in Lebanese pounds, or receive support via charity organizations, suffer from another disadvantage. Banks only offer limited cash withdrawals in US dollars to those who have US dollars in their accounts.

Some Lebanese took to the streets in August 2022 to denounce the depreciation of the Lebanese currency due to the country's political and economic crisis.

Dario Sabaghi/DW

Also, for the past 20 years, Lebanese banks have kept the pegged exchange rate of $1 to 1,500 Lebanese pounds. This, however, will be updated to $1 to 15,000 pounds on February 1. Even though this is 10 times more than before, it is still far from the actually used exchange rate on the black market. The current rate ist 50,000 pounds to the dollar.

On the other hand, for those, who work for international companies or have other means of accessing dollars, life has become relatively cheap, which also explains the thriving cocktail bars and fully booked restaurants.

Dollarization of the economy

"The reality today is that one of the most important sources of income for families are remittances from family members who live abroad," Lynn Zovighian, the co-founder and managing director of The Zovighian Partnership, a family-owned social investment platform that develops research-led socio-economic interventions, told DW.

"The collapsed private sector, and expected contraction of the public sector, is driving rising unemployment numbers," she said, adding that "Lebanon is also going through a de facto dollarization of its economy, but not by law or policy. This is happening with no price controls or penalties against financial abuse," the Beirut-based Zovighian said.

Fuel shortages and soaring prices make a full tank of gas a luxury only few can afford.

Mohamed Azakir/REUTERS

Meanwhile, talks between the Lebanese government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have led to a staff-level agreement for a program worth about $3 billion over the next 46 months. However, a financial recovery plan to protect the most vulnerable in society, was not included.

"Three billion dollars will be barely enough to get the country back on its feet, given the size of the losses in the financial sector, which are at least $70 billion," Chaeito said.

Moreover, the IMF agreement highlighted that, given the weak state of the Lebanese government and the public sector, Lebanon should focus on state-owned enterprises and the privatization of social and public services, Chaeito told DW.
Macro-economic stabilization

"What are the guarantees that private companies won't actually engage in price hikes and further inflation, which we've seen in Latin America? This could mean that only the ultra-rich will be able to access services," the analyst said.

He regards macroeconomic stabilization as the only solution to save the country from collapse and with it, the majority of the population.

"I refer to the redistribution of losses in the financial sector, ensuring that we have a clear financial recovery plan that primarily protects the smallest of depositors and people who have a middle or low income," Hussein Chaeito said, adding that "their wealth has to be recapitalized, without this it will be impossible to really see the income gap being reduced."

Lebanese desperate over bank crisis

01:43

Mohammed Chreyteh in Beirut contributed to this article.
Edited by: Nicole Goebel

Germany's organic farmers are in despair

Oliver Pieper

DW
1/19/2023

Germany is restructuring its agriculture to make one-third of all farms organic by 2030. But as inflation rises, farmers are demanding more government support. They are set to flock to Berlin to make their voices heard.

Bernd Schmitz owns a small organic farmer in western Germany. He is upset at the government's new regulations for making agriculture more sustainable, which come at a time of rising inflation.

So Schmitz will hit the road this weekend to protest with thousands of other farmers driving their tractors to a major demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. They want more support for the government's plans to make agriculture more ecologically sustainable.

"We are demanding a change in agricultural policy that rewards quality production," Schmitz told DW. The rallying cry #WirHabenEsSatt, or "We are fed up," has been planned for weeks by 60 activist groups.




Six farms close down in Germany on average every day, mainly because of skyrocketing production costs. Currently, there are over 250,000 farms across the country, but the numbers are falling steadily.

Schmitz produces milk from black-and-white spotted Holstein cows on his "Hanfer Farm," which has existed since at least 1850 and which the Schmitz family has been running for five generations. It is now the smallest farm in the area; all the other small farms have given up. If you ask Schmitz how many more years like 2022 he can hold out for, he says: "One."

"I had to pay 50% more for fuel and electricity than the year before. We can't absorb that in the long run," he said. "Together with my daughters, who want to take over the farm, I'll have to think about whether there's still a future for this."

Climate change brings drought

And then there is climate change, which is taking its toll on the meadows. Last year, three months went by without any rain. So Schmitz had to reduce his herd from 48 to 35 because his drought-struck pastures simply could not feed all the animals. A vicious circle: no water from above, no growth of grass, fewer animals, and less milk.

Organic farmers gaining ground

04:07

Some 35,000 farms in Germany are organically run. But they have been hit particularly hard by record inflation as a fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For the first time in history, Germany's market for organic produce has shrunk, with sales down 4.1% by the end of October, according to the German Farmers' Association (DBV).

Consumers have to pay substantially more for organic produce due to the more labor-intensive production and the requirements of animal-friendly and environmentally-friendly farming. But they have been cutting back for months, giving organic supermarkets a wide berth. Sustainably produced foodstuffs are now mostly bought from discount supermarkets. That is where Schmitz now has to sell his milk, too.

The 57-year-old says the retail sector, which obviously prioritizes its own profits, is partly to blame for the current crisis: "It can't be that we see only a moderate price increase for our dairy products but consumer prices go up multiple times."

The organic farmer gets 56 cents ($0.61) for a liter of milk from the processing dairy; he would need 14 cents more per liter for things to add up.

The German government wants to increase the proportion of organic farms to 30% by 2030. But critics say this ambitious plan is illusory. They point to changes in consumer preferences, the sluggish progress in converting cultivation areas to organic production, and the lack of support from politicians.

"If society really wants a conversion, then that's where money must be put," says Bernd Schmitz. "If that doesn't happen, the restructuring can't take place."

German farmers held big demonstrations in Berlin in 2019 — making similar demands as today

Image: Reuters/A. Hilse

Schmitz is disappointed with the current center-left coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), and environmentalist Greens. He says they have not delivered on the promises made when they took office a year ago.

For Schmitz, this is clear on a small scale, as in the cafeteria of the federal parliament, the Bundestag, where few organic products are on the menu. And it goes all the way to free trade agreements that could be detrimental to small German farms: An EU alliance with the South American Mercosur states could come about this year, and a new attempt at a TTIP treaty with the US also seems possible again after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

For Schmitz, the new CETA agreement with Canada has already been a step in the wrong direction. "We want less meat consumption in Germany to protect the climate, and at the same time ratify a treaty that allows the import of 60,000 tons of beef from Canada?" he wonders.

When Schmitz joins hundreds of protesting farmers in Berlin this Sunday, they will be calling for a rethink. They demand more government support to ensure fair producer prices for sustainable GMO-free agriculture, facilitate a climate- and species-appropriate conversion of farming, promote fair trade and ban speculation in the food sector.

This article was originally written in German.

Why kidnappers in West Africa now target women

Isaac Kaledzi

DW

20/01/2023

Sixty-six women and children were released after being abducted in Burkina Faso. Kidnapping is nothing new in the region, but kidnapping women and kids has drawn attention to militants in Western Africa.

Dozens of women and children in two localities, north and west of the town of Arbinda, in Burkina Faso's northern region, were kidnapped by jihadis last week. On Friday, 66 women and children were freed, national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Television du Burkina and the government said.

The UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was shocked that women were becoming targets for these terrorists.

"I am alarmed that dozens of women out to search for food for their families were abducted in broad daylight, in what could be the first such attack deliberately targeting women in Burkina Faso," Turk said before the women and children were released Friday.

The president of Burkina Faso's transitional government, Captain Ibrahim Traore, also described the incident as a new strategy by the terrorists.

"On the military side, our men are determined to confront them, so they are starting to attack innocent civilian populations, humiliate them, kill them," Traore said when he addressed students at the University of Ouagadougou.

Signs of desperation from Islamist insurgents

Some security experts have said that the latest kidnappings by jihadis in parts of West Africa signify desperation to create regional chaos.

Daouda Diallo, secretary general of the Collective Against Impunity and Stigmatization of Communities in Burkina Faso civil society group, told DW that kidnapping women was unprecedented.

"This is the first time we have seen an abduction of several dozen women. Sometimes we have recorded isolated cases, but women were mostly able to move around more than men," Diallo said.

"But today the situation is worrying, and it is as if this is a new situation today in terms of security that we must take into account," Diallo added.

Such abductions of women and children are not new in the region. Countries in the Sahel region have suffered much from such attacks.

The 2014 mass abduction of Chibok girls in northern Nigeria shocked the world

Image: Olukayode Jaiyeola/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Easy targets

An African Union security expert who chose to remain anonymous told DW that women and children are becoming easy targets because they are vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.

"Civilians are easy targets because civilians are not armed. Young girls, and women are very vulnerable, they can be easily abducted, kidnapped, and all that because they know this will get international condemnation and uproar, they use those means," the expert said.

In its latest report on kidnappings in Nigeria for example, the African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Conflict (ACCORD), said "the continued payment of ransoms makes the criminal enterprise very lucrative, enticing private citizens and even security agents into joining the scheme," a lesson that terrorists, in other countries, could be picking up.

The report identified the connivance and complicity of state actors, such as military personnel, security agents, government officials, and local community leaders, in facilitating kidnapping operations.

Security experts have always questioned how these terrorists get logistical support and weapons with the trend leading to distrust between citizens and security forces and the collapse of intelligence gathering.

Daouda Diallo is one of Burkina Faso's most outspoken human rights defenders

Image: Sophie Garcia/AP/picture alliance

New ways of funding operations

According to ACCORD, terrorists are switching to abduction as a means of funding their activities.

The organization's researchers referred to Nigeria's main geopolitical intelligence platform, SBM Intelligence, which estimated that between 2011 and 2020, Nigerians paid at least $18 million (€16.6 million) in ransoms to kidnappers.

"In the first half of 2021, 2,371 people were kidnapped and the sum of about $23.84 million was demanded in ransoms in Nigeria," the report reads.

In several African countries where terrorists are wreaking havoc, money laundering has also been identified as one of the major ways by which they secure funding to run their operations.

The AU official explained to DW that because governments are tightening their laws to deal with money laundering, it is pushing militants to find new ways.

"Governments are also adopting means to address money laundering which has also been part of the way of financing their activities and if that is becoming effective and they are not getting the finance as they ought to which would affect their operation, they could also adopt this means as an alternative," the AU official said.

Exclusive Interview on conflict resolution in Africa

VIDEO 02:35 Seeking political attention

According to the AU official, the terrorists also seem to be craving political attention: "Their [jihadis] original intent is to cause instability in West Africa the whole idea is that they are not happy because they have issues which are not being addressed."

The concerns of these Islamist groups include governance issues and poverty.

"As a way of announcing their displeasure, they are using this rather unfortunate means. Perhaps they feel no body is listening," the AU official added.

Since 2015 when Burkina Faso started battling an insurgency led by jihadis affiliated with al-Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State," thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced.

The United Nations says that nearly 1 million people live in blockaded areas in Burkina Faso's north and east.

Burkina Faso's security challenges

When the new Burkinabe junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, seized power on September 30, 2022, he made security the regime's top priority. Traore toppled the previous coup leader for doing little to secure the country from the terrorists.

The AU security expert told DW that the jihadis seem to have been badly hit by recent operations by the government and its international partners hence the latest approach to create chaos.

"Because they are facing some form of resistance from government forces and also from other international partners, they then turn to adjust or adopt different forms of strategies to continue to pursue their acts," the official said.

In the past jihadist attacks have focused on gatherings, like those in churches, mosques, and strategic government installations.

Daouda Diallo said their latest tactics of targeting civilians for abduction pose a great challenge to deal with.

"These extremist armed groups are increasingly militarized, that is, well-motorized with vehicles, and often with actors who also wear uniforms to cover their tracks. So, these are extremist and well-militarized non-state armed groups that are endangering the lives of civilians."

Nigeria's scourge: Kidnapping more lucrative, more common

03:10

Sustaining anti-jihadi operations

Earlier this month, French Minister of State for Development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, vowed that her government would not stop supporting Burkina Faso in its fight against Islamist militants.

France wished to remain involved despite growing anti-French sentiment and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

"I was able to assure him [Traore] of our support in the fight against terrorist groups. We know the price that the Burkinabe armed forces and the civilian population have been paying for years in the face of groups that have decided to turn the country from a haven of peace into a war zone," Zacharopoulou said.

Daouda Diallo explained that the situation on human rights needs to be taken seriously not to allow for impunity to prevail if the terrorists are to be defeated.

Respect for human rights

"It must be said that there has been a lot of attention shone on human rights because recently there have been several cases of extra-judicial executions, kidnappings, and cases of mass killings," Diallo said.

In Nigeria, authorities sometimes resort to a peace deal or amnesty approach. According to ACCORD's report, these processes are "fraught with challenges, such as the absence of clear policy and legal frameworks to anchor the initiative, the lack of institutional platforms to facilitate sustainability, and the questions of inclusivity and transparency in the process."

The AU security expert however warned against any form of negotiation with these terrorists since it hasn't proven useful in the past.

"These people are only bent on causing mayhem and destruction, their intent is not to stop what they are doing, the only way and means of stopping it is a change in habit. A change in doctrine, a change in philosophy, a change in attitude," the official explained.

But poorly trained and ill-equipped armed forces in some West African countries have also paid a hefty toll in their years-long battle against the jihadists.

Countries like France and Germany have all offered help but in recent months stepped up the emphasis that this must be a partnership that is also wished by citizens of affected countries.

A tour of Bobo-Dioulasso

03:18

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu

Afghanistan: Top UN female officials meet the Taliban

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed led a delegation to Afghanistan this week and met Taliban rulers to convey a clear message — restore women's rights.

The two top-ranking female officials from the United Nations made some progress in engaging with the Taliban to have them reverse their crackdown on women's rights, a UN spokesman said.

What do we know about the trip?

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and the Executive Director of UN Women Sima Bahous spent four days in Afghanistan this week and their trip concluded on Friday.

Together with Khaled Khiari, the assistant secretary-general for UN political, peacebuilding and peace operations, the UN team met with the Taliban in capital city Kabul and in the southern city of Kandahar.

Amina Mohammed said in a statement her message to the defacto rulers of Afghanistan was clear — new restrictions on women's education and jobs "confines them in their own homes, violating their rights and depriving the communities of their services."

During her visit, Mohammed met with Deputy Governor Maulvi Hayatullah Mubarak in Kandahar, which is the Taliban's birthplace.

The Kandahar Information Office said in a statement that the deputy governor told Mohammed that the Taliban wanted a strong relationship with the world and the removal of sanctions on its leaders.

VIDEO Taliban admit bans targeting women 'counterproductive'

06:52

The Taliban banned aid groups from employing women on December 24 and banned women from going to universities before that.

Those decrees are on top of the Taliban slamming shut middle and high school for girls, breaking with their promises of running the country more moderately as compared with their first stint in power between 1996 and 2001.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai reportedly emphasized women's rights during his meeting with Amina Mohammed

Image: REUTERS

The UN officials this week also met with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has remained in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021.
Some signs of progress, says UN

The UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said the UN delegation that visited Afghanistan found some Taliban officials to have been "cooperative and they've received some signs of progress."

Haq said the "key thing is to reconcile the (Taliban) officials that they've met who've been more helpful with those who have not."

Haq specifically said there were many "different points of authority" among the Taliban and the UN team was trying to get them to "work together to advance the goals that we want, which include most crucially, bringing women and girls back to the full enjoyment of their rights."
Taliban shunned by international community

The UN and the international community broadly does not recognize the Taliban as legitimate rulers of the country and the UN General Assembly last year adopted a resolution accusing the Taliban of plunging the country into dire economic conditions.

The text was drafted by Germany, which hoped all 193 members of the General Assembly would adopt the resolution by consensus.

Ten countries, including China, Russia and Pakistan, abstained, while 67 countries didn't vote. General Assembly resolutions reflect world opinion, and aren't legally binding like Security Council resolutions.

VIDEO Taliban ban women from parks, gyms
02:05

January 19, 2023

DW (Reuters, AFP, AP)

US to designate Wagner as transnational criminal group

Russia's private military company, the Wagner Group, is also facing additional sanctions with the US saying it poses a "transcontinental threat."

The US on Friday said that it will, in the coming week, be imposing additional sanctions on the Russian private military company, Wagner Group.

"Wagner is a criminal organization that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses, and we will work relentlessly to identify, disrupt, expose, and target those assisting Wagner," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing.

Kirby said the designation will pave the way for tougher sanctions, and throttle its ability to do business globally.

The paramilitary group has been aiding Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine.
US releases images of arms shipment

The White House released images of Russia receiving a shipment of arms from North Korea, which US intelligence said was destined for Wagner forces in Ukraine. Pyongyang has denied giving assistance to Moscow.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that declassified satellite images back up US claims that North Korea delivered arms to Russia

Evan Vucci/AP Photo/picture alliance

"These actions recognize the transcontinental threat that Wagner poses, including through its ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity with these actions, and there'll be more to come,'' Kirby said.

Kirby also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been turning to Wagner for military support, leading to tensions in Moscow.

"We are seeing indications, including in intelligence, that tensions between Wagner and the Russian Defense Ministry are increasing," he said. "Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries," Kirby pointed out.
What is the Wagner Group?

The paramiltary group was first made up of elite, former Russian soldiers-turned-mercenaries.

Wagner has some 50,000 personnel fighting in Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts that it has recruited from prisons, according to a US assessment.

The company, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin — a close ally of Putin — is spending about $100 million (€94 million) a month in the fight, according to the US

The group has been accused of human rights abuses in Africa and Syria. It has faced US sanctions since 2017.

DW

January 19, 2023

Peru protests rage on despite president's plea for calm

Carlos MANDUJANO

Fri, 20 January 2023 


Stone-throwing protesters fought pitched battles with police at fresh demonstrations demanding the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Friday, while several hundred tourists were left stranded near Machu Picchu.

Civil unrest since the ouster of Boluarte's predecessor, Pedro Castillo, in early December has left 45 people dead and prompted the government to impose a state of emergency in violence-hit areas.

On Friday, security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators using slingshots in the flashpoint southern city of Arequipa.

Crowds tried for a second consecutive day to invade an airport runway that has been closed and put under the guard of security forces.

A mob burned down a district police station and set fire to a customs post in Desaguadero, a southern town on the border with Bolivia, local television reported.

Clashes also erupted in the northern region of La Libertad, despite a plea by Boluarte for calm.

In the capital Lima, thousands of protesters branded Boluarte a "murderer" and chanted "This democracy is not a democracy!" as they took to the streets again.

"We want Dina's resignation. If she doesn't resign, the people will not be at peace," said Olga Mamani, 50.

The airport in the popular tourist destination of Cusco reopened, prompting travelers to queue up for flights.

But rail services to the famed Machu Picchu remained suspended, leaving at least 300 people stranded in the town closest to the Inca citadel pleading to be evacuated.

"We're uncertain as to whether a train is going to come to pick us up," Alem Lopez, a visitor from Chile, told AFP.

In December, around 200 stranded tourists were flown out of the area by helicopter.

The protesters are trying to keep up pressure on the government, defying a state of emergency that now covers almost one-third of the country.

The violence has left 44 civilians and one police officer dead.

- Urban-rural divide -

On Thursday, thousands of people marched through the capital Lima in a large anti-government rally punctuated by clashes with police.

"Dina listen, the people disown you," they chanted, while others called for the president to be assassinated.

Castillo, a former rural school teacher, was removed from office and arrested on December 7 after attempting to dissolve the country's legislature and rule by decree, amid multiple corruption investigations.

The crisis also reflects the huge gap between the capital and the rural provinces, which supported Castillo and saw his election as revenge for Lima's contempt.

Rural villagers saw Castillo, who hails from the Andean region of Peru and has Indigenous roots, as one of their own running the country.

Boluarte, who was Castillo's vice president, succeeded him, but even though she is from the same left-wing party, Castillo supporters rejected her, even calling her a "traitor."

Boluarte appealed for dialogue in a message broadcast on state television.

"I will not tire" of seeking peaceful ways to move the country forward, she said late Thursday, adding that the "acts of violence generated throughout December and now in January will not go unpunished."

But her words fell on deaf ears.

"This government does not represent us," said Ricardo Mamani, 47, who said he traveled more than 40 hours to take part in the march in Lima.

"We're demanding once and for all that this lady (Boluarte) step aside so that the people are at peace," he said.

Mamani, who wore black to mourn those killed in the demonstrations, urged international human rights organizations to intervene.

"There's no one to defend us," he said.

DW PHOTOS 1/9

New Zealand: Chris Hipkins set to be new prime minister

The education minister is the only candidate in the race to replace Jacinda Ardern, but still needs the endorsement from his Labour Party colleagues.

New Zealand's Education Minister Chris Hipkins is set to become the country's new prime minister following the surprise resignation of Jacinda Ardern.

Hipkins was the only candidate to enter the race to replace Ardern on Saturday.

The Labour Party still needs to formally endorse Hipkins' nomination, which is expected to take place on Sunday.

"The Labour Party caucus will meet at 1pm on Sunday to endorse the nomination and confirm Chris Hipkins as Party Leader," said a statement by senior Labour Party member Duncan Webb.

As leader of the Labour Party, he will then go on to become the 41st prime minister.
Hipkins led New Zealand's COVID-19 response

The 44-year-old politician became a leading figure in New Zealand's response to the global pandemic, serving nearly two years as the COVID-19 response minister.

Hipkins, who was also serving as the country's police minister along with his responsibility as education and public service minister, will have around eight months in the PM role before contesting general elections due to take place in October.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern announces resignation

02:39

On Thursday, Ardern announced she would be stepping down from her role by February 7 after five and a half years, telling members of her Labour Party: "I just don't have enough in the tank for another four years."

Ardern was at the helm during natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the country's worst ever terror attack — the Christchurch mosque shooting — in which 50 people were gunned down by a right-wing extremist.

kb/rt (Reuters, AP)

New Zealand's next PM led Covid-19 crackdown

Fri, January 20, 2023 


Poised to be New Zealand's next prime minister, Chris Hipkins became a household name leading the nation's closed-border crackdown on Covid-19 and describes himself as a decisive, straight-talking politician.

The 44-year-old police and education minister emerged Saturday as his Labour Party's sole contender to replace Jacinda Ardern following her shock resignation barely 48 hours earlier. He is to be formally endorsed for the job Sunday.

"Hopefully New Zealanders know me as someone who is up front, doesn't mind admitting when they've made a mistake and can laugh at themselves," he told reporters after being selected.

The red-headed Hipkins won plaudits for his near two-year term as the Covid response minister in a country that shut its borders to keep the coronavirus out, only fully reopening to the outside world in August last year.

He later conceded that rolling lockdowns were "tough going" and said they had to be eased as people wearied of the restrictions.

Political commentator Josie Pagani has described Hipkins, with more than 14 years in opposition and government, as "sensible, likeable, tough and capable".

Hipkins has been police minister since June last year, a key role given criticism of the government's record on crime, in addition to serving more than five years as education minister and public service minister.

"I think I am relatively upfront, I'm relatively inclusive. People won't die wondering what I think," he told reporters outside parliament in Wellington.

"It's a big day for a boy from the Hutt," he said, referring to the Hutt Valley region near the capital Wellington.

"My parents came from relatively humble beginnings and worked really hard to provide a good life for my brother and I," Hipkins added, vowing to give New Zealanders the opportunities to improve their lives.

Justice Minister Kiri Allan, one of Labour's senior Maori MPs, who had been considered a potential prime minister herself, said Hipkins was decisive and would be an "incredibly strong" prime minister.

"He is extremely competent, with a track record of delivering for New Zealand as one of our most senior ministers over the past six years," she said.

- 'Garbage' -

Hipkins told journalists he liked cycling, gardening, DIY and being outdoors but conceded: "Maybe I don't have the best fashion sense in parliament."

Asked whether having a red-haired prime minister would be a historic moment for the country, he said: "I think it was about time we had a ginger at the top."

The incoming New Zealand leader studied politics and criminology at Victoria University and then worked in the industry training sector.

Before becoming an MP in 2008, he worked as a senior adviser to two education ministers and former prime minister Helen Clark.

Although known as a personable and laid-back operator, Hipkins was involved in some high-profile spats with Australia's former conservative government.

In 2021, he accused Australia of "exporting its garbage" to New Zealand -- a reference to Canberra's controversial policy of deporting criminals back to their country of birth.

Hipkins was admonished by Ardern in 2017 after he was accused of playing a role in a dual citizenship scandal in the Australian parliament.

Then-deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was forced to stand down after information released to Hipkins revealed Joyce was a dual citizen of both Australia and New Zealand.

Australia's constitution forbids federal politicians from sitting in parliament if they hold dual citizenship.

Troubleshooter Chris Hipkins faces a tough road as New Zealand PM


Chris Hipkins speaks outside New Zealand's parliament in Wellington

Fri, January 20, 2023 
By Lucy Craymer and Alasdair Pal

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Chris Hipkins, set to become New Zealand's prime minister, built a reputation for competence in tackling COVID-19, though he acknowledges some mistakes in handling the pandemic and faces a tough battle to retain power in an October general election.

Known as "Chippy", the former COVID minister is a close ally of Jacinda Ardern, who shocked the nation on Thursday by announcing she was resigning.

Hipkins, 44, expected to succeed Ardern as Labour leader on Sunday after no other candidates emerged, faces a stern test upon taking power, with Labour trailing the opposition in opinion polls and the country expected to fall into recession next quarter before a general election on Oct. 14.

Often brought in by Ardern when other cabinet colleagues were struggling with their portfolios, Hipkins pledged on Saturday to continue her governing style while putting his own stamp on running the country.

"Jacinda provided calm, stable, reassuring leadership, which I hope to continue to do. We are different people though, and I'm sure that people will see that," Hipkins told a news conference on Saturday after emerging as the only candidate to lead the ruling Labour Party.

First elected to parliament in 2008, Hipkins became a household name fronting the government's response to the pandemic. He was appointed health minister in July 2020 before becoming the COVID response minister at the end of the year.

Under Ardern's “go hard, go early” approach to COVID, the island nation of 5 million was among the first to close borders.

The policy was hailed around the world for keeping New Zealanders virus-free through the first half of 2021, but the public tired of the zero-tolerance strategy, which included a nationwide lockdown over a single infection.

Criticism over the strict lockdowns grew as officials struggled to control a Delta outbreak from August 2021. Hipkins later said quarantine measures should have been scaled back earlier.

'THE ODD MISTAKE'

"I've dealt with some challenging situations over the last five and a half years, the last couple of years particularly," Hipkins said on Saturday. "And, you know, I'm a human being. I'll make the odd mistake from time to time. I try and own the mistakes that I make."

He would not be drawn on his policy plans.

A 1News-Kantar poll released in December had Labour's support falling to 33% from 40% at the start of 2022. At that rate, Labour could not form a majority even with traditional coalition partner the Green Party at 9%. The opposition National Party has benefited from Labour's decline.

Hipkins is known around parliament for his sense of humour - including an ability to laugh at himself.

Meaning to tell COVID-cramped New Zealanders once that they should socially distance when they go out to stretch their legs, he mistakenly said “spread your legs”. After the faux pas went viral, he was seen drinking from a mug with the notorious phrase on it.

Hipkins, who grew up in the Hutt Valley north of the capital Wellington, said his "parents came from relatively humble beginnings and worked really hard to provide a good life" for him and his brother.

"My commitment and politics is to make sure that we provide opportunities for all Kiwis who want to work hard, to be able to work hard and get ahead and provide a better life for themselves and for their families."

Hipkins became minister for police in mid-2022 amid a crime wave. He is also minister for education and public service, as well as leader of the House.

Before joining parliament, he was senior adviser to two education ministers and served in the office of former Prime Minister Helen Clark.

An outdoor enthusiast and keen cyclist, Hipkins is known to commute to the capital Wellington by bicycle from his home in an adjoining city.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Lucy Craymer; Editing by William Mallard)

Stability is not in the cards for 2023: Divinations reveal a year of transitions

Using tarot, astrology, runes and countless other divinatory methods, practitioners offer a reading on the pulse of the year to come.

Image from Pixabay/Creative Commons

January 6, 2023

By 

Heather Greene

(RNS) — If there’s one thing pagans, witches, brujas and other spiritual folk agree on as they look ahead and make predictions for the year of 2023, it’s that change is coming.

“(This) will be a year of transition,” said Lorraine Anderson, an oracle deck author and spiritual teacher based in Los Angeles in an email. “I’m excited to welcome 2023, and despite some obstacles, the year ahead feels like (a) fantastic period of growth, evolution, and clarity.”

Annual divinations are a common practice in a number of spiritual traditions. Sometimes they are done privately for oneself or a small group, sometimes more broadly for anyone to reference or utilize. Practitioners use tarot, astrology, runes and countless other divinatory methods to take the pulse of the year to come, not promising specific eventualities but sketching the year’s character. 

A tarot card reading using the Moonchild Tarot deck. Photo courtesy of Lorraine Anderson

Anderson, like many professional readers, makes annual predictions meant for everyone. Her 2023 vision, crafted using both the Kuan Yin Oracle and Moonchild Tarot decks, shows the potential for real gains in our spiritual strength. Blessings, she said, will come in the form of “inspiration, expression and fresh perspectives.”

In her reading, the presence of the Judgement card highlights the importance of self-reflection and personal understanding. The three of cups, she said, warns us to “leave room for fun and connection to the people who mean the most.”

“The spirit of collaboration is your most important goal” for the year, she said, emphasizing the need for community.

Lorraine Anderson. Courtesy photo

Looking into the future in this way can be scary, knowing it might reveal obstacles or upsetting possibilities. It takes bravery, Anderson believes, to glance forward. Everyone wants to have “the best year ever.”

However, most readers take comfort in the warnings as much as they do in positive predictions.

Theresa Reed, best known as the Tarot Lady, is a “planner by nature” and loves year-ahead readings. “If I’m aware of what’s happening, I’m more likely to make better decisions,” she told RNS in an email interview. She has been doing readings for more than 40 years. 

Like Anderson’s, Reed’s predictions for 2023 are filled with momentum, but her reading speaks more specifically to current socio-political conditions, from war to public health. “The year is governed by the Chariot,” she said, “which is associated with the number 7.” Travel will return, but crises on the world stage will escalate, she noted. 

“This may seem frightening at first, but there is an end in sight. The will of the people is mightier than the iron fist,” Reed said. “Younger leaders will begin to take the reins, and the old way is coming to a close rapidly.”

Reed explained, “The Chariot gives everyone the ability to get back in the driver’s seat of their lives. You’ll have better options this year and more willpower at your disposal.” You don’t have to settle, she added. “Focus on what you want and go for it.”

A tarot reading by Theresa Reed. Photo courtesy of Theresa Reed

Reed combined her tarot reading with astrology, noting three major 2023 astrological events. “Jupiter moves into Taurus in May. Saturn moves into Pisces in March. And Pluto takes a dip in Aquarius in March,” she said. She drew a card from her Weiser Tarot for each of these planets.

According to her reading, the Hanged Man, drawn for Jupiter, suggests the patience and sacrifice of the past years, through the pandemic, will pay off in 2023. The Seven of Wands, drawn for Saturn, suggests “there are still struggles that need to be wrangled,” she said, such as social justice, equity and reproductive and identity rights. 

The High Priestess was drawn for Pluto, the planet of transformation. “The divine feminine is awakened, and the patriarchy will be undergoing massive changes,” she said. “People want peace.”

These three major astrological events also took center stage in Diotima Mantineia’s 2023 reading, which she makes publicly available annually. “We are in the middle of an era of massive social, political, and environmental upheaval,” she wrote. 

Mantineia is a professional astrologer and witch. She has been doing annual readings for decades. “I’ve been fascinated by prediction since I first started studying astrology way back in 1969,” she told RNS.

“The astrology of the upcoming year plants the seeds of a collective awakening to reality that the coming years will bring to fruition,” Mantineia wrote. In other words, prepare to change or be changed.

“The planetary patterns galvanize personal searches for truth and bring shifting power dynamics to the collective and in our personal lives,” she said. Mantineia, like the other readers, sees a call for community strength and unity.

Jupiter is the one to watch, she said: “Questions of truth, justice, law, and religion will demand answers from individuals, organizations, and governments, as well as artists and scientists.”

In her full reading, posted to her blog Urania’s Well, Mantineia provides a detailed month-to-month outlook, demonstrating how to personally navigate this year of transformation. “You may feel that you’d happily pass on the changes, and be fine with a bit of stability, maybe even boredom, back in your life after these last few years,” she said.

But that’s not what is in the cards or the stars.

Theresa Reed. Photo by Jessica Kaminski

Mantineia, Anderson and Reed all provide a similar general outlook: 2023 will be a year of transition, transformation and change — socially, politically, personally. Finding strength deep in yourself, embracing and even unleashing your talents and welcoming community is the way through the coming chaos as we ride the Chariot to 2024.

Their readings also aligned with the community-specific Letter of the Year, perhaps one of the most well-known annual divinatory predictions.

The letter is divined by Cuba’s senior-most priests of Lukumi, who are trained in the ancient divinatory system called Table of Ifá. Lukumi, often called Santeria, is also known as Regla de Ocha and is a Yoruba religious practice that finds its origins in Africa.

“The Letter of the Year is one of the most important ceremonies,” explained Olosha Afefe Omooya, and is not meant for the general public. Omooya is a priest and a professor living in Miami and, although he is not one of the leaders producing the letter, he pays attention.

The letter offers technical information such as suggested offerings, prayers and meditations, he explained. It also includes the year’s governing Orisha, the divine spirits, sometimes considered deity, or forces of nature, within the Yoruba religious practice. This year’s governing Orisha is Obatalá, one of the oldest of the orishas and creator of humankind, accompanied by Oshún, a river deity associated with femininity.

Omooya did add that, for 2023, the letter generally advises “an attention to health matters and the avoidance of excess of processed foods, greater education work against domestic violence,” particularly with respect to women, children and the elderly. It also called for “continued work for unity in the community,” he said.  

The letter, as Omooya explained, is determined by the Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba, an organization of priests sanctioned by the Cuban government. Some priests believe “the Letter should be specific to nations.” Today, many communities divine their own Letter of the Year, said Omooya.

In the U.S., that work is done by Miami-based priests. Their Letter of the Year, he explained, “concludes that 2023 will bring about social rebirth,” and “speaks to removing of obstacles and favorable changes.” The governing Orisha is Eleguá, a deity of roads or paths, also accompanied by Oshún.

While the letter’s predictions are meant only for the Yoruba community, Omooya welcomes the growing interest in it. “Many practitioners keep their faith and veneration private because of discrimination,” he said. “I hope that interest in the letter translates into an invitation to better understand the Yoruba faith,” as well as Cuba and the Cuban diaspora in the coming years.