Day: April 23, 2023

Residents of Uasin Gishu seeking legal representation from advocates from different law firms across the country are now enlightened on the right mechanism to access better services in regards to access to justice. This is after the Advocates’ Complaints Commission (ACC) conducted a public sensitisation forum in Eldoret to educate members of the public to know their rights in the advocate-client relationship, on the steps required when lodging complaints to the commission’s disciplinary committee whenever one feels his advocate is not acting in line with the professional code of conduct when serving him among other key things. The members of the public were also taken through the nature of complaints handled by the commission like withholding money of the client by the advocate after the case has been ruled by the court and compensation is paid to the advocate who in turn pays the client less amount or at a time fails to pay completely. Other complaints include failing to account to the client on usage of his or her money, failing to report or inform the client on the status of his case, giving invalid cheques, delaying cases, overcharging the client, failing to appear in court during hearing among others. The citizens were educated on how to identify a suitable advocate for their cases by searching their particulars in the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) website search engine to determine whether the said advocates are active, inactive, suspended, struck off or dead. In an interview with KNA, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ACC, Mr George Nyakundi said that they intend to sensitise Kenyans about the mandate of the Advocates’ Complaints Commission and on how to relate with the advocates. ‘The Advocates’ Complaints Commission is a department under the office of the Attorney General with a mandate to receive complaints of professional misconduct against advocates and upon the inquiry into the complains we try to bring the client and the advocate together to try to promote reconciliation and in the event that some of the cases are so serious to refer such complaints to the Advocates disciplinary committee for purposes of discipline or sanctions to those advocates,’ he said. The CEO pointed out that the reason why they are going around the country is that the complaints commission is only based in Nairobi and yet all Kenyans require the services of the commission and there was need to inform them about the commission’s services in particular and how to lodge the complaints in order to inspire greater public confidence in the legal profession and promote provision of efficient and effective services in the handling of complaints of professional misconduct against advocates. He indicated that citizens can easily access the complaints report form from the commission’s website www.acc.go.ke fill it, sign and email it back to the commission via email acc@ag.go.ke Upon receiving the complaint, the commission reviews it, evaluates and proceeds further to either charge an advocate or reconcile the client with the advocate through the In-house Dispute Resolution (IHDR). He further noted that the citizens can alternatively seek guidance from the nearby Office of the Attorney General on how to launch complaints. Mr Nyakundi affirmed that the commission has received many complaints from the members of the public, most cases being on advocates withholding money from clients. ‘In the last financial year 2021/2022, we received about 1003 complaints against advocates. On average about 84 complaints every month. Between July 2022 and March 2023 we have received about 670 complaints,’ he said. ‘For those complaints we have resolved a good number, like last year we resolved about 670 either by rejecting those which are not under our mandate and forwarding others to the commissions disciplinary committee for action,’ said Mr. Nyakundi. He said the IHDR which is a form the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the commission has yielded a lot of success in settling disputes which has helped clients get back their money and documents which were withheld by advocates. ‘Last year we submitted challenges to complaints against advocates withholding money from the clients and in the process, we got about Sh 23 billion paid out by the advocates who had withheld it unjustifiably,’ he said. ‘We also had clients whose advocates had withheld some of their documents like title deeds or files and we resolved these complaints, those are some of the successes for the commission,’ he added. Additionally, between July last year to March this year the commission subjugated about 242 complaints to IHDR and has received about Sh5 billion so far and is still following up on some of the payments. For serious cases in the last financial year 2021/2022, the commission filed 212 fresh charges against advocates in the advisory committee and this year 114 charges out of which the advocates were either suspended, fined, or abolished. Among the suspended, 5 advocates were struck off the advocacy and 3 suspended. By March this financial year, 5 advocates were suspended and 2 struck off the roll of advocacy. In his remarks, Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Dr Eddyson Nyale lauded the commission’s move to sensitise the members of the public across the country noting that it will help enlighten citizens in terms of accessing proficient legal services whenever they are not satisfied with the manner in which their advocates serve them in various cases like land, accidents and others.

Source: Kenya News Agency

“Hiwar’na” is a cycle of debates on international news, accessible to the Arabic-speaking and French-speaking public, which has been established by the Embassy of France to Tunisia. It is a monthly meeting whose purpose is to bring together specialists from the French-speaking world and Tunisian personalities, to develop an original vision of major global challenges. The first conference-debate will be on the theme “Ukraine-Russia, other voices resonate in the war”, on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:00 pm at the French Institute of Tunisia (IFT). Take part in this gathering Anna Colin Lebedev, lecturer at the University of Nanterre, author of a book in 2022 on Russian and Ukrainian societies (Never brothers? Ukraine and Russia: a post-Soviet tragedy), Ahmed Ounaies, diplomat and former Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, now Vice President of the Tunisian Council on International Relations and Zyed Krichen, editor of the daily Al Maghreb. Through the presentation of the work of Anna Colin Lebedev on the Ukrainian and Russian societies and the exchange of views with Ahmed Ounaies and Zyed Krichen, the idea is to decentralize the look, to questio n our perceptions and ultimately to reflect, together, on this major crisis, informs the French Embassy.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

In all, 1285 activities are scheduled throughout the 24 governorates of Tunisia on the occasion of Heritage Month 2023 ( April 18 – May 18) placed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in its 32nd edition under the sign “Our heritage, a legacy of civilizations, an economic resource. The majority of workshops, musical, theatrical and poetic meetings, conferences, exhibitions and various shows will take place in cultural centers, art complexes and public spaces. As for archaeological sites numbering 14 open to the public in Tunisia, and besides “Thuburbo Majus” (Governorate of Zaghouan), where was launched the 2023 version of Heritage Month, is the archaeological site of Oudhna (Governorate of Ben Arous) which will host a varied share of activities for two days. Also on the programme are the sites “Neapolis” in Nabeul, “Mustis” in El Krib (governorate of Siliana) and Thapsus / Bekalta (governorate of Monastir), the latter subject of a major scientific research project started in 2020 and has been supported in March 2023 by the sub-committee of the excavations Europe-Maghreb of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, as part of its four-year archaeological projects 2023-2026. Oudhna: 6th project of its kind, supported by AFCP “Oudhna” is one of the places of memory that symbolises the rich history of Tunisia housing many cultural treasures – from Roman archaeological ruins to ancient medinas, through musical traditions … as the stambeli and other references. Its venues will vibrate April 29 and 30 to the rhythm of a series of Workshops on “The technique of knitting, “The traditional Tunisian textile” and “History, techniques and role of textiles in the economic dynamics. Music, popular poetry and a scientific conference on the economic prospects of traditional Tunisian weaving and the role of women in the preservation of this industry are also on the menu in addition to an exhibition “Mergoum” and a fashion show “Women of Carthage. The site of Oudhna was visited last April 18 on the occasion of the International Day of Monuments and Sites coinciding with the launch of Heritage Month by U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia Joey Hood who had the opportunity to learn about the progress of the project to redevelop the old tanks of the site and their transformation into an archaeological reserve, in its final phase, initiated in 2019 and funded by the U.S. Embassy through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The goal of the restoration undertaken is to preserve the remains and transform the site into a major point of attraction within the framework of an archaeological park. With a cost of nearly 330 000 TND, this sixth project of its kind, supported by the AFCP, has experienced, according to old data of the INP, efforts of development, between 1996 and the end of 2003, having focused on the major public monuments of the site: the capitol, the amphitheater and the baths. The heritage month will also be an opportunity within the framework of activities scheduled to become more familiar with other places of memory including Cap Bon, namely the ancient site of Neapolis, now integrated into the urban fabric of the city of Nabeul, the side of the tourist area. This site was fortuitously discovered in 1965 during earthworks. Rescue excavations have uncovered a unique complex: a real industrial installation of the Roman period for the manufacture of garum and salting of fish. The archaeological site Musti or Mustis in the region of El Krib (governorate of Siliana), is an ancient site of Tunisia, located at a distance of 120 km from Tunis. This city has known a proliferation especially during the Roman period. It is located on the Roman way between Carthage and Tébessa. It became a municipality under the reign of Julius Caesar or Augustus. We also find Byzantine traces which confirm that the site was occupied later. The site of Musti was partially excavated in the sixties. It covers several tens of hectares. Today one can see several Roman buildings there: religious, domestic, public buildings but also a Byzantine citadel. The latest excavations conducted by a team of Polish researchers from Warsaw with the INP have revealed in November 2019, more than 130 Roman epigraphs, real archaeological wonders that can only make this place a new tourist destination denoting the extent of the wealth of Tunisia. “Thapsus: Ancient Mediterranean port city” pending to deliver its secrets The data on the site of Thapsus/Bekalta in Monastir, reveal that few excavations have been conducted in the ancient coastal city as in its hinterland. Most of the monuments and other remains identified are the result of prospecting or chance discoveries. The vast majority of the remains are still underground. The most recent research project has been conducted since December 2020 under a scientific partnership agreement between the Casa de Velázquez (Madrid, Spain) and the Institut National du Patrimoine (Tunisia), on the site of Thapsus and as part of an international cooperation programme bringing together several Tunisian and French researchers (historians, archaeologists, geographers, geophysicists, biologists, …) representing three institutions: INP (Tunisia), the laboratory Littoral Environment and Societies -LIENSs- (La Rochelle University, France) and the Centre Camille-Jullian (CCJ of the University of Aix-Marseille) and which constitutes a laboratory of history and archaeology that conducts archaeological research and ancient history on the Mediterranean rim and in North Africa. Entitled “Thapsus (Rass Dimass): ancient Mediterranean port city”, this archaeological-environmental study project carried out by the Casa de Velázquez and the École Française de Rome, has set itself the task of drawing up an inventory of the remains thanks to geophysical prospection and the transmission of this know-how to local teams. In addition to its major contribution to archaeological research, this study will contribute to the implementation of measures to protect a non-visible heritage, threatened with disappearance, to orient the development of research programmes by determining priority sectors for archaeological interventions and to identify sensitive areas to be protected. The current environmental transformations marked by a strong natural erosion, as well as the demographic, agricultural and tourist development of the region threaten, according to the experts, the knowledge and the conservation of this archaeological heritage. A part of the structures installed on the coast was also carried away by the littoral erosion. Many remains still visible in the nineteenth century have subsequently disappeared (the enclosure, the mole, the docks, etc.). The few buildings still standing are undergoing accelerated degradation. Urban and agricultural nibbling encroaches on the archaeological sites and rapidly causes the buried remains to disappear. Faced with these threats, Tunisian and French researchers have set up this research project to record, study and preserve the endangered remains of the ancient city (data taken from the international platform for scientific blogs “Hypotheses”, and from the Casa de Velazquez website). The work of the first operation of geophysical prospecting and archaeological excavations carried out in May 2022 revealed the richness of this site and the interest of continuing the recording of data in a context of accelerated urbanization in order to obtain a tool for monitoring and preserving the heritage. The next campaigns will be conducted on the structures discovered by the geophysical prospections and particularly the monumental and littoral buildings in order to better understand the nature of this city and the relations it maintained with the sea. The data collected during these surveys, which are still being analyzed, must be verified by archaeological surveys. Concerned about the development and use of new technologies in archaeological practice, the scientific council of the Arpamed Endowment Fund “Archaeology and Heritage in the Mediterranean” , (the first fund dedicated to French archaeology in the Mediterranean and which finances excavations in the Mediterranean basin) decided in 2021 to support the Thapsus project through the development of geophysical research conducted on the site to quickly identify the extent of the remains of the ancient city, to delimit the main buried buildings and to work on the inventory of the heritage and its conservation. Most recently, on March 23, 2023, the Europe-Maghreb excavation sub-commission of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (France), decided to support the Thapsus project as part of its 2023-2026 quadrennial archaeological projects. This support considered as a recognition of the preliminary work done since 2019 by the Thapsus project team, will allow the project to take a new momentum and take shape of a new tourist destination. Translated by Mohamed Neji Ben Gamra

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The monthly cumulative rainfall (27 main stations) in February 2023, amounted to 832.7 millimeters, while the cumulative reference for the same stations was 914.8 millimeters, which represents 91% of the normal monthly rainfall reference (1991-2020), according to the National Institute of Meteorology (INM). February 2023 saw a decline in rainfall amounts over several regions. The percentage of the drop on the north has varied from 5% in Zaghouan to 86% in Beja, except for the region of Cap Bon where the monthly cumulative was higher than normal for the month and the rate of surplus reached 5% in Kélibia and 122% in Nabeul, according to the ” Monthly Climatological Bulletin February 2023 in Tunisia “, published by the National Institute of Meteorology. On the center of the country, the western regions have also, experienced a decline in rainfall amounts and the drop ranged from 52% in Kasserine to 72% in Sidi Bouzid, while the total rainfall was higher than the monthly cumulative reference in the Sahel and east of Kairouan, where the rate of excess varied from 32% in Sousse to 94% in Mahdia and reached 121% in Monastir. However, the cumulative rainfall was higher than normal on most of the southern regions, where the rate of exceedance varied from 53% in Tozeur to 77% in Remada. The rate of excess reached 230% in Sfax, 201% in Medenine, 170% in Tataouine and 160% in Gabes, while the total cumulative rainfall was below normal in Gafsa, Kebili and El Borma, where the percentage of deficit was respectively 45% in Gafsa and 21% in Kebili and El Borma. Snowfall was recorded on the highlands of western Tunisia on February 9 and 10 in Ghar El-Dama and Ain Draham (snow depth of 1 to 2 centimeters) in the governorate of Jendouba and on February 10, 2023 in Touirif and Sakiet Sidi Youssef in the governorate of Kef and Kesra, Makthar, Rouhia and Ain Bousadia in the governorate of Siliana, Thala in the governorate of Kasserine and Jebel Orbata in the governorate of Gafsa. Also, hail was also recorded in Medenine on February 13, 2023.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The global average temperature was 12.5 ° C, exceeding the average reference (11.9 ° C) with a slight difference of + 0.6 ° C, according to the “Monthly Climate Bulletin February 2023 in Tunisia,” published by the National Institute of Meteorology (INM). The national average maximum temperature reached 17.8 ° C, exceeding the average reference for the 27 main stations (17.1 ° C), with a difference of +0.7 ° C. Maximum temperatures were close to the reference normals (1991-2020) over most regions during the first half of the month, followed by a relative increase during the second half. Average maximum temperatures ranged from 12.6 ° C in Thala to 20.6 ° C in Medenine. Note that the absolute maximum temperature reached 28.8 ° C in Kairouan February 24, 2023. Average temperatures ranged from 8.2 ° C in Thala to 15.3 ° C in Medenine, and were above the reference rates (1991-2020) over most areas. //The absolute minimum temperature reached -2.0°C in Kasserine on February 13, 2023. As for the national average minimum temperature, it reached 7.1 °C, exceeding the reference average (6.8 °C) with a difference of +0.3 °C. Minimum temperatures ranged from 3.4°C in Kasserine to 10.7°C in Mahdia, and were higher than the reference averages in most regions with differences ranging from +0.3°C in Kasserine to +1.7°C in Mahdia, except in the far north and mountainous regions. The absolute minimum temperature reached -2.0°C in Kasserine on February 13, 2023. Winds were generally light to moderate and increased on February 5, 2023 over the central-western heights, reaching a maximum of 76 km/h in Kasserine. During the period from February 8 to 10, the winds were strong over most of our regions, and their maximum speed varied from 60 km/h in Zaghouan and Beja to 83 km/h in Mahdia, Sfax and Tataouine and a maximum of 112 km/h was recorded in Djerba on the 9th of the month. These strong winds caused sand phenomena in Tozeur and El Borma. Winds were also strong on February 25, 2023 over the regions of Nabeul and Kasserine. Their maximum speed varied between 60 km/h and 80 km/h, and reached a maximum of 108 km/h in Kasserine.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Seventeen undocumented sub-Saharan migrants were apprehended Saturday by national guards in Sidi Bourouis, Siliana, as they were crossing borders. Legal proceedings were initiated against them, official spokesperson for the National Guard said on Sunday.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse