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The roads are carpeted by thick layers of dust. Tanks, military trucks and the skeletal remains of buildings dot the landscape. Welcome to Rumbek: the newly-designated administrative capital of southern Republic of the Sudan. Less visible than bombed out buildings are the damaging memories people have of the conflict that engulfed this part of the country for more than two decades. (28-JAN-05) 
 

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to allocate less funds to Republic of Azerbaijan than Georgia and Republic of Armenia in 2005, the Republic of Azerbaijan National NGO Forum president Azay Guliyev told journalists on Tuesday. (27-JAN-2005)

The report entitled “Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh”, which was compiled by the PACE rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh David Atkinson, was adopted by PACE  on Tuesday. “Armenia and Republic of Azerbaijan should actively submit constructive proposals to each other via the OSCE’s Minsk Group for achieving a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and if that fails, they should consider using the UN’s International Court of Justice”, the Assembly said. (27-JAN-2005)
 

A consortium of NGOs agitating for the early adoption of the new Constitution in Zambia before the country’s elections next year has resorted to the collection of signatures countrywide as another way of putting pressure on government over the early adoption of a new Constitution. The Coalition 2005 says the petition will be handed over to government. (27-JAN-05)
 

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) finds itself in a ‘damned if it does, damned if it doesn’t’ regarding its participation in next month’s elections. Warning that the credibility of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was at stake, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on SA and the region yesterday to try to delay the parliamentary elections planned for March. (27-JAN-05)
  

The long-awaited report of the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, completed in May 2002, has now been made public, by civil society organizations. In December 2004, the government said it was not planning to publish the wide-ranging report, popularly known as the Oputa report after the name of the panel’s chairman, retired Chief Justice Chukwudifu A. Oputa. (27-JAN-05)
 

The report “Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh”, which was compiled by the PACE rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh David Atkinson, was adopted at the PACE Winter Session on Tuesday. “Armenia and Republic of Azerbaijan should actively submit constructive proposals to each other via the OSCE’s Minsk Group for achieving a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and if that fails, they should consider using the UN’s International Court of Justice”, the Assembly said. (26-JAN-2005)
  

The Azerbaijani National Forum of NGOs presented the report on the situation in the non- governmental sector over 2004 year on Tuesday.   According to the President of the Forum Azay Guliyev, last year was significant from the   point of view of expansion and development of the movement of NGO. At present,  2935 local NGOs operate in Republic of Azerbaijan. (26-JAN-2005)

The Azerbaijani National Forum of NGOs presented the report on the situation in the non- governmental sector over 2004 year on Tuesday.  According to the President of the Forum Azay Guliyev, last year was significant from the point of view of expansion and development of the movement of NGO. At present,  2935 local NGOs operate in the Republic of Azerbaijan. (26-JAN-2005) 
 

The Government of Senegal has decided to abolish the death penalty. Senegal is the eleventh country on the African continent, the fourth within the West African trade union ECOWAS, to rid itself of this shameful practice. The Bill was backed to become Law by a majority of the country?s ministers and was made effective on the United Nations? World Human Rights Day, 10 December. (26-JAN-05)
 

English PEN has launched a campaign to stop the British Government introducing legislation that could make it illegal to express provocative views on people’s religion. (24-JAN-05)
 

With the reported downward trend in support to the Repatriation and Resettlement (RR) component of the Disarmament Demobilization Repatriation and Resettlement (DDRR), many Liberians have begun expressing fears about the future of thousands of war affected children, especially former child soldiers. The President of the Liberian Children Parliament, Patience Senkpine, is one of many Liberians who have expressed fear and called for urgent steps. (25-JAN-05)