Somaliland authorities shut down independent newspapers

NAIROBI, Kenya – Police in the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland on Thursday raided the Hargeisa offices of the independent Somali-language paper Haatuf and its sister English-language weekly, Somaliland Times, and suspended them indefinitely, according to local journalists and news reports.

The police cited a court order that said the papers should be shut down for publishing false news and insulting officials, according to the same sources.

Haatuf publishes six days a week. Local journalists and news reports suggested the shutdown was linked to a series of critical reports in the publications that alleged government corruption and the mishandling of finances.

Court authorities did not provide an appeal process for the papers’ shutdown, local journalists told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

By Somaliland law, court decisions are subject to appeal, according to Guleid Ahmed, a lawyer and chairman of Somaliland’s Human Rights Center, a human rights advocacy group based in Hargeisa.

Article 28 obliges the Somaliland constitution to give parties equal opportunity before the judiciary, according to a statement by the Human Rights Center. Article 32 of the constitution forbids acts that suppress the media, the statement said.

The steps follow the shutting down of other news outlets. In February, authorities banned indefinitely the private U.K.-based broadcaster Universal TV from airing in Somaliland after it broadcast a comedy program that ridiculed the president, according to local journalists and reports.

On Dec. 13, police raided and closed indefinitely the daily Hubaal citing a court order that claimed the publication promoted insecurity in the nation. The court did not allow for an appeal process, according to local journalists. Both outlets are still shut down.

“Judging by these steps to close several news outlets, the Somaliland government is headed toward one of the worst crackdowns on the press since independence,” said CPJ East Africa Representative Tom Rhodes. “We call on authorities to allow Haatuf and the Somaliland Times to resume publishing immediately.”

Source: Committee to Protect Journalist; distributed: by African Press Organization

UN Security Council issues statement on killing of staffers in Somalia

NEW YORK – The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned the killing of two UN personnel in Somalia, and called on the Somali authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

U. Joy Ogwu of Nigeria, president of the United Nations Security Council, issued a statement on the shooting death of the UN consultants.

The two UN staffers, one British and a French working with the UN anti-drug agency in Somalia, had reportedly flown into Galkayo to meet with Somali officials to discuss regulating the money transfer services that replace a formal banking system in Somalia.

“The members of the Security Council are outraged by the killing today of two UN personnel in Galkayo, Somalia,” Ogwu said in a statement distributed by the African Press Organization.

The members of the Council condemned the killings in the strongest terms, he said, and they have extended their condolences to the families of the victims.

“Council members further offered their condolences to the United Nations and the governments of the Republic of France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

“The members are appalled that individuals working to support the people of Somalia have been killed as they sought to help Somalia progress toward peace and prosperity.

“The members of the Council called on the Somali authorities to bring the perpetrators of this act to justice,” Ogwu said. “They reiterated that their determination to support the people of Somalia would not be reduced as a result of this or any other such act.”

Statement from President Obama on 20th anniversary of Rwandan massacre

WASHINGTON -- We join with the people of Rwanda in marking twenty years since the beginning of the genocide that took the lives of so many innocents and which shook the conscience of the world. We honor the memory of the more than 800,000 men, women and children who were senselessly slaughtered simply because of who they were or what they believed. We stand in awe of their families, who have summoned the courage to carry on, and the survivors, who have worked through their wounds to rebuild their lives. And we salute the determination of the Rwandans who have made important progress toward healing old wounds, unleashing the economic growth that lifts people from poverty, and contributing to peacekeeping missions around the world to spare others the pain they have known.

At this moment of reflection, we also remember that the Rwandan genocide was neither an accident nor unavoidable. It was a deliberate and systematic effort by human beings to destroy other human beings. The horrific events of those 100 days—when friend turned against friend, and neighbor against neighbor—compel us to resist our worst instincts, just as the courage of those who risked their lives to save others reminds us of our obligations to our fellow man. The genocide we remember today—and the world’s failure to respond more quickly—reminds us that we always have a choice. In the face of hatred, we must remember the humanity we share. In the face of cruelty, we must choose compassion. In the face of intolerance and suffering, we must never be indifferent. Embracing this spirit, as nations and as individuals, is how we can honor all those who were lost two decades ago and build a future worthy of their lives.

Distributed by African Press Organization

Central African Republic: Massacres in Remote Villages / Attacks Show Urgent Need to Protect Civilians

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Anti-balaka fighters killed at least 72 Muslim men and boys, some as young as nine, in two recent attacks in southwestern Central African Republic, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

The assaults on Feb.1 and 5 were in the village of Guen, in a region where abuses have been rampant, but not widely reported. Human Rights Watch interviewed survivors who had fled to a nearby village.

In a separate attack in the southwest, armed Seleka fighters, supported by Peuhl cattle herders, killed 19 people on Feb. 22 in the village of Yakongo, 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Guen. Both villages are near a main road between the larger towns of Boda and Carnot.

A cycle of tit-for-tat religious killing rages between a Séléka rebel alliance, made up largely of Muslims, and so-called anti-balaka forces, composed of local vigilantes, Christian defence militias and soldiers loyal to the regime toppled by Séléka rebels.

Although French and African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces are deployed in those larger towns, they do not regularly patrol the road between them. Minimal help is being sent to villages in the region to prevent attacks on civilians.

“These horrendous killings show that the French and AU peacekeeping deployment is not protecting villages from these deadly attacks,” Lewis Mudge, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a report distributed by the African Press Organization.

“The Security Council shouldn’t waste another minute in authorizing a United Nations peacekeeping mission with the troops and capacity to protect the country’s vulnerable people.”

A Human Rights Watch researcher spent several days in Djomo, east of Carnot, where he spoke at a Catholic mission with survivors of the Guen attacks. Lacking any humanitarian support, these victims – all Muslims, and mostly the elderly, women, and children – had sought refuge at the mission, where, even there, the anti-balaka continued to assault them.

The anti-balaka militias rose up across the country to fight the Seleka, a predominantly Muslim coalition that took control of the capital, Bangui, on March 24, 2013.

The anti-balaka quickly began to target Muslim civilians, particularly in the west, equating them with Seleka or the coalition’s sympathizers. While some anti-balaka possess heavy arms, the majority of the fighters in the southwest are poorly armed with either homemade hunting shotguns or machetes. The anti-balaka often kill their victims with machetes.

Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that anti-balaka forces from the north entered Guen in the early morning of Feb 1. They set upon the Muslim neighborhood of the town and immediately started to shoot people as they fled.

A widow in Guen told Human Rights Watch: “My husband ran away with our four-and-a-half year old son … but he [the husband] was shot in the stomach. I ran and took our child, and the anti-balaka fell upon him [my husband] with their machetes. I wanted to stay with my husband, but my brother pulled me away into the bush.” The child survived.

The anti-balaka did not spare children in the Feb. 1 attack. The father of 10-year-old Oumarou Bouba told Human Rights Watch: “I took my son when the anti-balaka attacked. As we were running away, he was shot by the anti-balaka. He was shot in the right leg and he fell down, but they finished him off with a machete. I had no choice but to run on. I had been shot too. I later went to see his body and he had been struck in his head and in the neck.”

On Feb. 5, after looting Guen’s Muslim neighborhoods, the anti-balaka attacked a property where hundreds of Muslims had sought refuge. In this attack, the anti-balaka divided approximately 45 men into two groups, led them out of the compound, forced them to lie on the ground, and executed them. The anti-balaka spared women, small children, and the wounded.

One man who had managed to hide among the wounded told Human Rights Watch: “They divided the men into two groups and shot them. Then they cut them with machetes. There was nothing the victims could do; they were killed like wild dogs. They lay there and they were shot.”

The attack on Guen occurred in a context of widespread insecurity in the southwest, particularly on the road between Boda and Carnot, where the Seleka and allied Peuhl fighters attacked the village of Yakongo on Feb. 22.

“The massacres in the southwest demonstrate the utter lawlessness of both the anti-balaka and the Seleka,” Mudge said. “Both the government and the peacekeepers need to act quickly and effectively to protect civilians, promote security, and enforce the rule of law.”

The transitional government of President Catherine Samba-Panza should investigate these killings and hold to account the attackers and those orchestrating the violence. The international community should also improve the protection for civilians and fast-track the authorization and deployment of a UN peacekeeping force.

On April 1, the European Union confirmed it would send 1,000 peacekeepers to the Central African Republic to provide support to the AU and an eventual UN mission. These peacekeepers should be deployed as soon as possible.

- By Gary Rawlins

Central African Republic: Persistent, widespread violence exacerbates major humanitarian crisis

A day doesn't pass without news about the Central African Republic and the violence, instability and insecurity crippling a nation that has had little to celebrate since achieving independence in 1962. 

Friday, two aid agencies – the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Office of Migration (IOM) – gave more evidence of the misery facing natives fleeing the violence and inter-communal hatred.

“Every day, the plight of the Central African people gets worse,” said Peter Maurer, president of the ICRC, following a three-day visit to the country.

“Their suffering is compounded by repeated acts of violence against civilians, pillaging, killings and sexual violence,”  Maurer said in a statement distributed by the African Press Organization.

“With poverty widespread and state institutions crippled by years of instability and crisis, the country’s existing dependence on humanitarian aid will only grow unless efforts are stepped up to restore security.”

With the situation in the Central Africcan Repubic (CAR) in a downward spiral, the IOM on Friday appealed for $56.5 million to bring life-saving assistance to the country and region.

The scope of IOM’s appeal has been broadened from CAR to Chad and Cameroon, which are carrying a heavy burden of an influx of migrants and returnees fleeing this terrible conflict.

“Security is deteriorating,” said Giuseppe Loprete, chief of mission for the IOM in the country. “Attacks against the Muslim population in Bangui and outside are continuing and road movements are not safe for anyone, including aid workers. Muslim colleagues are particularly at risk, due to the numerous check points set by anti-Balaka armed groups.”

The situation today appears to be spinning out of control. Despite the presence of thousands of international peacekeeping forces, deadly attacks continue across the region. Thousands have been killed in the last year.

A cycle of tit-for-tat religious killing rages between a Séléka rebel alliance, made up largely of Muslims, and so-called anti-balaka forces, made up of local vigilantes, Christian defence militias and soldiers loyal to the regime toppled by Séléka rebels.

In the course of his visit, Maurer was able to see for himself the situation in the capital Bangui and in Kaga Bandoro and in Ndélé in the north of the country.

Displaced people and local residents are living in extremely difficult conditions, at the mercy of indiscriminate attacks against men and women of all ages, including very young children.

Since December 2013, the violence has been at an unprecedented level, with fighting particularly intense in certain parts of Bangui and in the west of the country.

About 1 million out of a population of  4.5 million have fled their homes to seek refuge elsewhere in the country or in neighboring countries, leaving everything behind and enduring extreme hardship.

They are completely dependent on humanitarian aid. In M’Poko, where the biggest settlement of displaced people has sprung up near Bangui airport, water is supplied by the ICRC, while other humanitarian organizations provide food and medical care.

- By Gary Rawlins

A Millennial in Budapest Part One

The city of Eger was created as a byproduct of early Christian and Muslim rule. It is the 19th largest city in Hungary and located along the Eger Stream and on the hills of the Bukk Mountains. This city is known for its medieval castles and historic Turkish architecture. The first recorded Christian King of Hungary was St. Stephen who ruled from 997-1038 A.D. This city was an extension of his power. 

Eger Skyline

Castle construction is underway 

-Photos by Gaby Lebo

Visit the Atlantic Post Blog daily for more blog posts on international perspectives.

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost.
Like our page on Facebook

A Southern Metropolis

Atlanta, Georgia is one of the south's most beautiful cities but it is not as beloved as Miami. It has a storied history of racial segregation, racial progress, and cultural rebirth that other cities in the southern part of the U.S does not have. It is home to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN, and The world of Coke-Cola.

CNN Center

Centennial Olympic Park 

Manga/Anime Convention Bus

Underground Atlanta entertainment complex

-Photos by Ricky Riley

Visit the Atlantic Post Blog daily for more blog posts on international perspectives.

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost.
Like our page on Facebook

Sundance's miniseries 'The Red Road:' why you should watch | TheCelebrityCafe.com

Sundance's miniseries 'The Red Road:' why you should watch | TheCelebrityCafe.com

"It's not only what you know, it's who you know"

Louay With an Indian Guru in the Himalayas

There are some people you sort of bumped into in the course of your life that, often without noticing, change your route... Like a strong wind redressing the shape of a tree. They take you for a ride in their own path and make you see the world from a different seat... You feel so comfortable that you see no good in wearing a seat belt and there you are taken to discover the wonders of the world. It's not only what you know, it's who you know. I am not talking here about what we usually call "Daddy's friend, or Dad knows somebody influential"; It's about people you surround yourself with, it's a matter of who you go out to see every afternoon, who you hang out with or, better, who you invest time with and why.. in order to get something from them? Or simply for their company, for their joy of life, for their positive attitude, for their secret hidden magnificent energy that gets into you and makes you (feel) better. So it's up to you. You don't often just bump into them at the end. You wish it was that easy!

I hear a lot of people saying, "Well, you know it's hard to find nice/interesting people these days." "Oh what are you talking about, do they even exist?" Then they sit and wait for them to appear, for their guardian angel to show up from the skies and bring blessings to them. Hello, easy come easy go. Now, if diamonds were to sort of dig their way out of the ground in Africa, people wouldn't spend time, half of the body in the mud looking for them, aching their backs and brain in the process. But they know where they are, they know where to look and what they are looking for. Do you know where to look for people? In bars? Buses? Restaurants? Facebook? It's really about where you put yourself, the opportunity to meet this kind of incredible people is out there, and you only need to book your rendezvous.

I have been myself putting several experiences as a priority, digging for such people who challenge everything and are challenge, who question the mere existence of the least noticeable phenomena, which would, one way or another, shape my personality. I have done quite a lot of travelling around, social work, volunteering... and during certain trips in the most deprived regions in Morocco for instance, I have met diamond people. During these experiences you meet people who have developed certain sensitivity, and this, for me, is a key word.

When we're sensitive in the sense that something or somebody triggers a certain feeling inside, we are more likely to take action. So violence makes us sensitive, injustice makes us sensitive, poverty makes us sensitive, sensitive enough to counter-attack, to fight against poverty, to offer help, to speak about injustice, to serve a cause; also sensitive towards positive things, people like that see the beauty in every aspect of life. Everything triggers a certain emotion, because they are aware of its impermanence and transience. They embrace nature, they say what they think, they say thank you, sorry and they mean it. They look at the cup "fully full". 

They flip a tragedy into a moral story, a mistake into a lesson, pain and suffering into humility and tolerance. Many people hide their emotions and their sensitivity, as a means most probably to "protect themselves" from the outside world they usually refrain from doing stuff, new stuff, from being involved in things outside their comfort zone.

Be with people who defy conventionality, who are courageous to talk about the unsaid, to raise questions, to make mistakes, to dare doing new stuff every time, those crazy enough to see life as a set of opportunities  and moments to grab and grasp.

Be with people who are careless to fit in, who are weird enough not to cope with the conventional life path, not to consider  everybody's opinion, those who instead of wondering when their next holiday would be in order to escape their realities, build a life they don't have to run away from, a life that suits their aspirations and dreams, be with people who know how to appreciate themselves, want to discover more of who they are by experiencing new, weird, risky, challenging stuff every time, who redefine their limits by continuously stretching them, be with people who make jokes about themselves, who laugh about their own downfalls and take the challenge to work on them, be with those wonderful people who challenge the status-quo, who do not wish to fit into boxes. Be with people who know why they do what they do, those who want to serve a cause, to solve a problem, to help a community, those who share a lot even if (especially when) they don't have much, be with people who see life as an adventure, a happy adventure, an orgasmic release of positive energy.

So who do you want to be with? Who would you look up to be around? Who do you invest time and energy being around?

It's up to you!

-By Louay Benaabdelaali

Visit the Atlantic Post Blog daily for more blog posts on international perspectives.

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost.
Like our page on Facebook

The Shadow Game Part Two: Mr. Meiyappan

This is President Gurunath Meiyappan

Indian Cricket has been rife with nepotism in recent times and we fans tolerated this as long as the team was being improved and the emphasis was on development, but as with any case of favoritism in such matters, this has come back to bite the BCCI. Mr. Srinivasan, the head of CSK’s parent company-India Cements, installed his son-in-law Mr. Meiyappan as CSK’s team principal and when he was arrested, denied that Meiyappan was the head of CSK and insinuated instead that he was simply a highly enthusiastic Cricket fan who travelled with the team. This was proved false by the Mudgal Report, compiled by an independent, Indian Supreme Court directed panel, which reaffirms what we fans already knew- that Meiyappan was indeed the principal of CSK and that he was definitely involved in betting and passing over confidential team information to bookies.

A known, yet, disheartening confirmation, this threatens the credibility of CSK’s performances over IPL’s 6 year history and recent reports surfacing in the press threaten to compound the misery being piled on CSK, its supporters and the Indian Cricket community as a whole. There have been murmurings in the smaller press circles that the initial investigator of the scandal, IPS officer Sampath Kumar, has named the Indian Cricket team Captain M S Dhoni and several other players as being involved in the scandal and has submitted a report to that nature to the SC panel investigating the case. If Dhoni’s alleged connections happen to be proven true, then the reputation of the national team and the BCCI will take a huge hit and India’s most successful captain would face a permanent ban from the sport and will have to bow out of the game in disgrace.

However, a twist in the story appeared last week when Officer Kumar was suspended following directions from Crime Branch- Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) of the Indian Police. The reason for the suspension appears to be a case of accepting a Rs. 5.3 million ($ 88,000 approx.) bribe from a bookie to not name him in his report. CB-CID sources have said that Officer Kumar has since turned over Rs. 3 million ($ 50,000 approx.) to the CID. While this puts his report’s credibility into question, it should not be forgotten that it was this report that exposed the entire scandal in the first place and investigations based on this report led to the arrests of a number of bookies culminating in Meiyappan’s arrest.

As a fan of Indian Cricket and CSK, I hope that Dhoni is not involved and that CSK would not be dismissed from the league due to the avarice of one man. It very well maybe the case that come next year’s World Cup and IPL, we will see the absence of India’s most successful captain and its most successful franchise.

-By Ajay Venkataraman 

For more blog posts on international perspectives visit the Atlantic Post Blog daily.

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost.
Like our page on Facebook 

The Shadow Game: Match fixing and Betting Scandals rock Indian Cricket

As a fan of the Indian Cricket team and the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise, I was extremely surprised (and, a little angry) when news broke, in 2013, about CSK’s owner being potentially involved in betting and match fixing. For those of you unaware, betting is illegal in India and carries heavy fines and imprisonment if you are caught indulging. So, it does not stretch one’s imagination that something like match fixing would go hand in hand with betting.

Indian police arrested Gurunath Meiyappan, CSK’s team principal, in May 2013 following the conclusion of the sixth edition of the IPL, after investigating his links to previously arrested bookies. For me, this came out of nowhere and made no sense, mainly because of CSK’s on field success since the IPL’s inception till date. CSK is arguably the IPL’s best performing franchise having been crowned champions twice in 5 finals appearances and fielding Indian Cricket’s most popular player (and national team Captain) in M S Dhoni. The arrest of CSK’s owner came following the arrest of three players (including a national team player) from the Rajastan Royals franchise.

As a follower of Indian Cricket this back to back blow takes me back to the year 2000 when Indian Cricket was rocked by a match fixing scandal which resulted in the permanent ban of then India Captain Mohammed Azaruddin and a 5 year ban for popular batsman Ajay Jadeja, leaving the sport’s reputation in shambles, in India. Since then, I’ve watched (and, cheered) India recover admirably and become giants in the sport, culminating in their World Cup triumph in 2011, the pinnacle achievement in Cricket. This blow will surely bring back the uproar that was caused by the previous scandal, and at a time when the highest authority in world cricket has inducted the head of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI)- N Srinivasan (whose son-in-law is Mr. Meiyappan) to be its next President...

-By Ajay Venkataraman 

Read part two of The Shadow Game Monday on the Atlantic Post Blog.

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost.
Like our page on Facebook

Are You Religious?

The author in Dalai Lama Temple, Dharamsala, India

I have heard this question so many times in Morocco as well as during my travels from, often non-Muslims with whom I have lived or traveled, or had coffee, or just have spoken few words. Every time I have been asked this, I have had to stop and think about this quite tricky question and wonder about its meaning.

Once, I was flying back from a small break in Morocco to the UK as I was in the middle of writing my thesis. When at the airport, I was walking through the path already designed for my passport cursed by its colours. I was not as lucky as others who just scan their passport to go through.

I was aware that there were some people waiting for me for a warm welcome. I was ready for the quick Q&A with a big smile, as usual. I was questioned by a middle-aged woman. Where are you coming from? What is the purpose of your visit? Etc. I got a full mark answering all these questions, and then she asked me if I was Muslim. After hearing my confirmation, she said, “Are you a religious person?"

When I asked her about what she meant by this, she proceeded, "Do you go to the mosque? How often do you go?" I was utterly astonished by the way she defined religion, and Islam, more specifically. How limited I thought her conception of religion is and how bizarre is the cause/effect equation she has put between being religious and how frequently one goes to the mosque. I smiled. And that became my answer, quite straightforwardly.

Sarcasm would have been my ideal response but would not have done any good in this situation. She noticed my surprise about this not-so-comforting interview. Then, she apologized about asking too many sensitive questions, as she defined them, then the conversation took a rather informal turn.

We talked about the wedding she was invited to in Shishawa near Marrakesh and she expressed her excitement about it. We waved goodbye with smiles and that little good feeling about a pleasant conversation with a stranger hit me, yet not totally free from disappointment about how Islam is viewed and how religion is interpreted.

When I was in India, I lived with people who believe there is no God. Their belief was full of doubts and unanswered questions. They noticed that I was Muslim, so they did not wait more than two days after their arrival to show their curiosity and share their doubts. I was showing them around the neighbourhood, as I had spent quite a longer time in India.

I was showing them where to shop, where to take the bus, the price of this and that etc. Then, one asked me again the same question:" Are you religious?". The other one asked me, "Are you religious or open-minded"? Pretty intriguing questions. It is quite challenging to explain or debate religion with an atheist person. Here is how I broke down my answer to them, and now to you.

Religion has two main pillars, both equally important: The spiritual dimension and the behavioural dimension. The former is where religions differ, yet all of them have more or less a great similarity when it comes to the behavioural dimension, which provide an ethical framework that can govern peoples’ behaviours and way of life. The perfect balance in life, in my opinion, is to find balance between both spiritual and behavioural dimensions.

In The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama says, "In order for the religion to have an impact in making the world a better place, I think it's important for the individual practitioner to sincerely practice the teachings of that religion. One must integrate the religious teachings into one's life, wherever one is, so one can use them as a source of inner strength."

The spiritual aspect should inspire goodness, to oneself and towards others. It is only when religious teachings guide the lifestyle of the person and govern one's relationships with other people, that religion takes its full meaning.

It is important as well to respect other traditions and religions and understand that they have brought positive things to the humanity. In such a manner, one can increase compassion and tolerance towards others from different religious backgrounds. 

"I have only been sent to complete (perfect) good morals (manners)" The Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him)

Having said that, being religious therefore means being good and inspiring goodness. It is about constructing an ethical framework that is inspired from religious teachings which organizes relationships with other human-beings (our parents, children, cousins, neighbours, colleagues... strangers).

One practices religions when you smile to strangers, treat them with kindness not to get something from them but for genuine goodness, when you deprive yourself and give to the poor, when you respect, when you forgive, when you visit your family, respect your parents, listen to your brothers and sisters, when you visit an ill friend, when you make a child happy, when you help the one in need, when you respect women, and elder people, when you wish for others what you wish for yourself, when you are tolerant and compassionate, when you make a positive impact on someone's life... So, are you religious?

-By Louay Benaabdelaali

Contribute your own blog posts to blogs@theatlanticpost.com

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost

Like our page on Facebook

World Cup Weekly: Close Call, Curitiba! Donovan's Last? And, The Civil Unrest Juggernaut Rolls On..

Arena da Baixada Concept

A month ago, the city of Curitiba, Brazil was close to being stripped of its World Cup hosting rights because its stadium, the Arena da Baixada, was so far behind schedule that it was expected not to be ready in time. 

On Tuesday, those concerns were put to bed. Four group stage matches will take place in the south Brazilian city after FIFA assessor Charles Botta declared that sufficient progress had been made to give Curitiba the green light for hosting its allocated share of World Cup games. 

FIFA made the decision not to look for an alternative stadium - the venue at Porto Alegre was being touted as a replacement - after receiving financial guarantees for the work still to be done in Curitiba.

The stadium is 91 percent complete, according to its owners, the soccer club Atletico Paranaense. Hundreds of extra workers have been brought in to ensure that construction will conclude well in time for the first kick-off on June 16. 

The revised estimate provides a mid-May completion date. Ricardo Trade, the CEO of the local organizing committee, said that this estimate would leave enough time for proper testing of the stadium, but stressed that there is “no time to lose,” as Curitiba races towards its most important deadline.

The club’s president, Mario Celso Petraglia, admitted “they did not have a realistic view” of the time frames they would need to undertake a project of this magnitude when they commissioned the build. 

LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan

One player who is unlikely to see the Curitiba pitch is United States’ Landon Donovan. The 31 year-old striker and U.S.’s leading goal scorer said he expects the 2014 World Cup to be his last tournament. His team will not play in the city, which would mean Donavan is unlikely to have an opportunity to play at the Arena da Baixada. 

Donavan has indicated that his retirement from international football is not far off and has all but ruled out the possibility of playing in the 2018 edition in Russia. “It’s hard for me to imagine, sitting here, that I’ll be able to walk in four years, much less play soccer,” he said “If it is my last World Cup, I want to make sure I enjoy every minute.” 

Donavan’s career may have its cutoff date set, but there is nothing similar in sight for the civil unrest in Brazil with protests continuing steadily over the last week. Brasilia was the latest to play host to the wave of unrest sweeping the country, which saw 15,000 people from the Landless Worker Movement march from the Mane Garrincha football stadium to the office of President Dilma Rousseff. 

Protests outside the State Building, Brasilia

The workers held the demonstration in commemoration of 30 years of their union’s existence, which aims to campaign for agrarian reform. They want some of what they call “unproductive” land, owned by the state or big businesses, to be allocated to landless farmers and they are making a lot of noise about it. They erected a tent under the World Cup stadium and stayed there for four days before heading to the state building. 

Aggressive clashes ensued as protesters threatened to invade the building. They were dispersed by riot police, with injuries on both sides, ending with 30 police officers and 12 protesters needing medical treatment. 

-Firdose Moonda

Firdose Moonda is The Atlantic Post's South Africa Correspondent and covers sports news. She is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

For more news on all things World Cup, read The Atlantic Post.

Follow us on Twitter @TheAtlanticPost

Like our page on Facebook