Central African Republic Sports
Central African Republic (06/05)
The Central African Republic is an active member in several Central African organizations, including the Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) Central African Peace and Security Council (COPAX--still under formation), and the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC). Standardization of tax, customs, and security arrangements between the Central African states is a major foreign policy objective of the C.A.R. Government. The C.A.R. is a participant in the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), and the Organization of African Unity (OAU--now the African Union). Libya and, to a lesser degree, Sudan have shown increased interest in cooperation with the C.A.R. over the last year. ... [Read More]
Senegal (06/05)
Senegal enjoys an excellent relationship with the United States. The Government of Senegal is known and respected for its able diplomats and has often supported the U.S. in the United Nations, including with troop contributions for peacekeeping activities. The United States maintains friendly relations with Senegal and provides considerable economic and technical assistance. About 300 Senegalese students come to the United States each year for study. President Diouf paid his first official visit to Washington, DC, in August 1983 and traveled several times to the U.S. thereafter. Senegal was President George W. Bush’s first stop in his July 2003 visit to Africa. In June 2001, President Wade met President Bush at the White House. Senegal hosted the Second African-African American Summit in 1995. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton began her trip to Africa in March 1997 with a visit to Senegal, and President Bill Clinton visited Senegal in 1998. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Walte ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The Central African Republic, formerly known as the territory of Oubangui-Chari, was one of four territories of French Equatorial Africa. It became an autonomous republic within the newly established French Community on December 1, 1958, and was renamed the Central African Republic 2 years later. It transformed itself into the Central African Empire on December 4, 1976, and again became a republic (Republique Centrafricaine) on September 20, 1979. ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries Q through Z
The union of Serbia and Montenegro is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls trafficked internally and internationally for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Internal trafficking of ethnic Roma children for forced begging continues to be a problem. Victims identified in Serbia and Montenegro came from Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, and from the former Yugoslavia. In Serbia, more than half of victims that are trafficked internally originate in the northern province of Vojvodina. Foreign destinations for victims from Serbia and Montenegro include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Western Europe (principally Italy), as well as the UN-administered province of Kosovo. The Governments of constituent republics Serbia and Montenegro, to which most authority has devolved, do not fully comply with the minimum st ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Countries with diplomatic missions here include Algeria, Angola, Belgium, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and Russia. There is a Papal Nuncio representing the Pope and the Vatican. The following countries have honorary consuls: Cuba, Great Britain, and Mauritania. Many international organizations are also represented, such as the Central African Regional Development Bank, UNDP, the European Community, WHO, UNICEF, the IMF, the World Bank, FAO, UNESCO, UNIC, and the African Union of Post and Telecommunications. A number of other countries are represented by their embassies in Kinshasa. ... [Read More]
Europe and Central Asia
AlbaniaI. Summary Drug trafficking is a significant problem in Albania, which is a major transit country for heroin from Afghanistan and Turkey destined for markets throughout Europe. Organized crime groups use Albania as a transit point for drug and other types of smuggling due to the country’s strategic location, weak police and judicial systems, and porous borders. The most common illegal drugs are heroin, marijuana, and to a lesser extent, cocaine. Heroin is typically transported through the "Balkans Route" of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania, and on to Italy, Greece and the Netherlands. Cocaine is smuggled from South America, via the United States, Italy, Spain, Greece or the Netherlands, and ... [Read More]
J) Europe and Central Asia
Heroin from the south (mostly Turkey, moving north via the Balkans) transits the Czech Republic en route to Northern and Western Europe. Czech authorities attribute most of this activity to Kosovar-Albanian drug mafias, some of which maintain warehouse operations in the Czech Republic. Some heroin is also sold in the Czech Republic. Cocaine and marijuana also reach the Czech Republic, mostly in transit to Northern and Western Europe, although some is sold to Czech residents and tourists visiting Prague. MDMA (ecstasy) use has increased in recent years, and police are concerned that PMA (an ecstasy-like "club drug") and GHB have begun to appear on the Czech market. Pervatine is produced in the Czech Republic, primarily for local consumption. Czech counternarcotics police believe Russian-speaking and Asian gangs now control about half of the pervatine market and that increasing amounts of the drug are now being exported to neighboring countries (e.g., Germany and Poland). ... [Read More]
Benin (07/05)
Political parties (partial listing of major parties): La Renaissance du Bénin (RB), Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Social-Democrat Party (PSD), African Movement for Development and Progress (MADEP), Party of Democratic Renewal-Rainbow (PRD-Arc-en-ciel), Alliance Etoile, Action Front for Democratic Renewal (FARD-ALAFIA), African Congress for Renewal (CAR-DUNYA), Impulse for Progress and Democracy (IPD), Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), New Generation for the Republic (NGR), Our Common Cause (NCC), Ensemble, National Rally for Democracy (RND), Rally for Progress and Renewal (RPR), Movement for the People Alternative (MAP), National Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUND), Congress of African Democrat (CAD), Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening (MERCI), Democratic Union for Economic and Social Development (UDES), Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Communist Party of Benin (PCB). ... [Read More]
Europe and Central Asia
Corruption. Corruption has been the most significant problem within Georgia's law enforcement agencies. Georgia's anti- corruption efforts continue to be hampered by the widespread tolerance of corruption within Georgian society. During 2001 the Government of Georgia formed a commission to reform the law enforcement agencies (so-called "power ministries"). The commission developed a strategy for reorganization that was forwarded to the Georgian National Security Council; however, no significant changes were made. In any case, none of these proposed measures can truly ameliorate the situation given the low wages of officials and poor standard of behavior from those in charge that nourish wide-scale, low level corruption. The new hope of eradicating corruption within the system emerged with the appointment of a new Minister of Internal Affairs, who has publicly and repeatedly announced his commitment to combating corruption and the trafficking ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Cameroon has abundant natural resources, but it is a poor country whose estimated per capita income in 1999 was about $590. Cameroon is in the African Financial Community along with six central African and eight west-African countries and France. Through special arrangement, these African countries have as their currency, the African Franc, which provides for unlimited convertibility into the French Franc at a fixed rate (currently, 1 French Franc equals 100 African Francs). Cameroon is the largest economy in central Africa, and Yaounde hosts the regional central bank for the six central African countries that use the African Franc. ... [Read More]
|