VOA标准英语2010年-AU Summit Approves Tougher Anti-Coup M

An African Union summit has given the organization more authority to act against unconstitutional changes of power.  Coups¹ and conflicts are dominating the summit agenda.

African leaders broadened the definition of  "unconstitutional power change" and approved tougher measures to punish violators.  The past couple of years have seen a rise in the number of coups and power grabs, raising fears of a return to the era of dictatorial² rule.

African Union policy opposes power grabs in Africa, but loopholes have left the organization powerless in cases like Niger, where President Mamadou Tandja last year extended his mandate³ in a controversial referendum.  As a result, while last year's coups in Madagascar and Guinea led to suspension from the organization, Niger remains⁴ a member in good standing⁵.

AU Peace and Security Commissioner⁶ Ramtane Lamamra says the new rules will make anyone think twice before taking or holding power illegally.

"The recommendations by the Commission have been endorsed⁷ fully," said Lamamra.  "[Those include] how to enhance prevention and how to enhance the capacities of the organization to strive to eliminate unconstitutional changes of government, stronger sanctions in case diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring constitutional order fail or get stuck - so I think we have received the kind of strong support we needed to make a difference in 2010."

The political deadlock⁸ in Madagascar also commanded attention at a closed-door heads-of-state meeting.  AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping went to Antananarivo last week in an attempt to push rival factions⁹ to honor two agreements reached last year.

Commissioner Lamamra said it is up to transitional leader Andre Rajoelina to respond to an A.U. deadline for making his views known.

"We need to see it move, and we expect from the Rajoelina mouvance [response], and we will be reporting to the Peace and Security Council whatever contents that may contain," he said.

Sudan and Somalia were also high on the summit security agenda.

Amid fresh reports of deadly battles between Somalia government forces and insurgents¹⁰ in Mogadishu, some describe the Horn of Africa nation as being as big a threat to global security as Afghanistan.  But U.N. special envoy¹¹ to Somalia Ahmedou Ould Abdallah says President Sheikh Sharif's one-year-old government is winning the war against extremists linked to al-Qaida.

"When they were put in place by their parliament one year ago, no one bet they would stay one year, and they are here and we would like a fresh look.  Those extremists are going nowhere," said Ahmedou Ould Abdallah.

Somalia's Foreign Minister Ali Jama Jangeli expressed disappointment with the U.N. Security Council's continued refusal to send a peacekeeping mission to his country.  But he says pledges from African states to bring the A.U. peacekeeping mission AMISOM up to its full strength of 8,000 are giving hope the government may soon have the strength to control Mogadishu.

"We are closer to getting the 8,000 force than ever before," he noted¹².  "More countries are coming to the idea of sending more troops in the very near future to secure Mogadishu and the other surrounding areas."

The session also approved the controversial selection of Zimbabwe to a seat on the most powerful A.U. body, the Peace and Security Council.  Zimbabwe had been nominated for the seat by the southern African regional group SADC.

Zimbabwe was elected to a three-year term, along with Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya and Nigeria.  Others elected to two-year terms were Burundi, Chad, Djibouti, Rwanda, Mauritania, Namibia, South Africa, Benin, Ivory Coast and Mali.

 

1 coups   

n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 )；政变；努力办到难办的事

参考例句：

• China has seen many political coups within the ruling class. 中国统治阶级内部发生过很多政变。 来自互联网
• Thailand has had eighteen coups or coup attendance since nineteen thirty-two. 泰国1932年以来有18次政变或参加政变。 来自互联网

2 dictatorial   

adj. 独裁的，专断的

参考例句：

• Her father is very dictatorial.她父亲很专横。
• For years the nation had been under the heel of a dictatorial regime.多年来这个国家一直在独裁政权的铁蹄下。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

7 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

9 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

10 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

11 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。