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Local News:

African Youth Forum Update:
The African Youth Forum on Saturday, March 31, brought together African and African -American youth between the ages of 13-25, as well as other immigrant and native-born young people in Chicago to dialogue around issues and challenges in their communities.

The Forum focused on three themes: Immigration, Education, and Incarceration. Through dialogue, those who attended built understanding of each others’ points of view, and in the process found common ground. We hope that the forum will be a catalyst for sustained youth dialogue and organizing in Chicago, with committed and open engagement from African youth. The forum was an all day affair and included talks, discussions, music and performances (one of the most remarkable musical performances was a collaboration between Nigerian drumming group Ndi Akporo Dike and the Chicago Bucket Boys)

1. Lybia: Lybia rules out ICC trial for Saif al-Islam-
1. Libya will not send Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the country’s justice minister has said.
2. Saif al-Islam, the most prominent son of the country’s former leader, will instead be put on trial in his own country by Libyan judges, on charges of financial corruption, murder and rape, Ali Ashour told Reuters news agency on Sunday.
3. The ICC had earlier given Libya until January 10 to say whether and when it would surrender Saif al-Islam and to provide information about his health, then extended the deadline to February.
4. However, Ashour said on Sunday that “there is no intention to hand him [Saif al-Islam] over to the ICC, and Libyan law is the right system to be used to try Saif Gaddafi”
5. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/2012499216767703.html

1. Mali: People trapped, Aid Stalled, Refugees waiting-
1. Bamako — One week after the regions of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu in northern Mali were captured by rebel and Islamist groups, many Malians are trapped and have limited access to food and other basic necessities, while aid operations remain largely suspended.
2. “Everything is running out here – water, electricity, food, medicine. The rebels have continued to loot, now they are breaking into people’s houses to take their animals. We are stuck here. We cannot leave because there is no way out,” said Noumoussa Traoré, who works with an agricultural producers association in Gao.
3. People in Gao do not feel safe. Most aid agencies have suspended their operations due to insecurity and because in many cases their equipment, vehicles and stocks have been stolen. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) alon  e lost 14 vehicles. Only Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which recently started working in Mali, is still providing medical care to people who need it.
4. https://allafrica.com/stories/201204111237.html
2. South Sudan Leader says Sudan has “declared war”
1. Salva Kiir, the South Sudanese president, has said his northern neighbour Sudan has “declared war” on his country, as fighter jets from the north reportedly launched more strikes overnight in a border region.
2. Although there has yet to be a formal declaration of war by either of the Sudans, Kiir’s comments, made on Tuesday during talks on a visit to China, will likely stoke tensions between the rival nations.
3. While meeting his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, the South Sudanese leader said the visit “comes at a very critical moment for the Republic of South Sudan because our neighbour in Khartoum has declared war on the Republic of South Sudan”.
4. A spokesman for the South Sudan military said Sudanese Antonov airplanes dropped eight bombs between 11pm and 1am in Panakuac, where he said ground fighting had been ongoing since Sunday.
5. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/2012424104134497871.html

1. Sierre Leone/ Liberia- Charles Taylor judgement is a victory for gender justice
2. Thursday groundbreaking judgment in the case of the former Liberian president Charles Taylor represents a milestone for both international justice and gender justice. The former president of Liberia was convicted by the special court for sierra Leone of 11 counts of aiding and abettingwar crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape and sexual slavery.

1. He was also convicted of the charge of enabling “outrages upon personal dignity”, arising from incidents in which women and girls were forced to undress in public and then raped and sexually abused, “sometimes in full view of the public, and in full view of family members”. In the conviction for terrorism too, the judges found that the raping of women and girls in public was part of the campaign of the campaign aimed at terrorising the civilian population.
2. This verdict represents the first time that an international court has convicted a former head of state of responsibility for various forms of sexual violence. Taylor was found to have aided and abetted in the commission of the crimes by providing logistical, financial, technical, medical, and other forms of support to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and other rebel groups, providing practical assistance, encouragement and moral support. He substantially contributed to the crimes by supplying arms and ammunition, military personnel, operational support, and other forms of assistance.
3. https://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/apr/27/charles-taylor-judgment-victory-gender-justice?newsfeed=true

African Sports:

1. Kenya: Rudisha begins Olympic preparations-
1. Kenyan track star David Rudisha is aiming to add Olympic gold to his world 800m title from Daegu, with three Diamond League outings likely before the London Games, starting in Doha next month.
2. “I feel good and my preparations are going well,” said the 23-year-old, who twice lowered the world record in the two-lap event for a best of 1min 41.01sec in 2010.
3. Rudisha is also seeking to bag a third consecutive Diamond Trophy after starring on the Diamond League circuit over the last two seasons, and says competing at such a high level of competition was essential for him ahead of the Olympics.
4. https://www.aljazeera.com/sport/olympics/2012/04/201241118514574558.html

UAO hosts its next Leadership Workshop on:

Saturday, 28 April, 2012
9am-1pm

6th Floor – University Room
IIT Tower Building
10 West 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60616

The workshop will focus on ‘Effective Communication: How to Translate Community Concerns into Clear Messages and Policy Recommendations’.

Learn how to:

• Write press releases
• Build your organization’s relationship with the media
• Talk to the media

The workshop is FREE but you must register to attend. To register, email: training@uniteafricans.org

Saturday, 28 April, 2012
9am-12pm

Truman College

1145 W Wilson Ave

Chicago IL

~Free assistance with naturalization

~Free legal consultation with an immigration attorney

~Free information on how to apply for fee waiver

~Study materials to prepare for the test and interview

A Kenyan dish recipe for Mtuzi Wa Samaki

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds (1 1/2 kilograms) fish filets
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste or lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the fish in serving portions and chop the onion, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes in small pieces.

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Sear the fish fillets shortly and put them on a separate plate. Do not cook through.

1. Reduce the heat to minimum and add the pepper and onion. Sauté until the onion is semitransparent.

1. Add the garlic and sauté for two more minutes.

1. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

1. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

1. Add salt and pepper to taste.

1. Add the fish filets. Cover the pot and simmer until the fish is cooked through, which should take up to 10 minutes. Serve with rice, boiled potatoes, chapatti, or boiled cassava.