VOA常速英语2007年-Pan-African Summit Aims to Improve Security

By Noel King
Kigali
05 November 2007

Security Chiefs from 21 African nations are in the Rwandan capital Kigali for a meeting of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa, knows by its acronym¹ CISSA. The summit will tackle a number of issues aimed at improving security in African nations. Noel King has more in this report from Kigali.

 

The Pan-African summit opened on Monday with delegates vowing² to work together to help stabilize³ African countries gripped by conflict, through the exchange of intelligence.

 

CISSA Executive Secretary Denis Dlomo of South Africa spoke⁴ to journalists at the opening of the conference.

 

"Our main objective is to develop genocide indicators⁵ which will serve as early warning to the African Union, to enable the African Union to take steps in preventing genocide on the African continent," said Dlomo.

 

Also on the agenda are the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region and the disarmament of Hutu militias⁶ in eastern Congo, who have links to the perpetrators of Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

 

Rwandan delegates stressed at the summit's opening, that they expect the conference to address concrete ways of disarming⁷ the militias, known as the FDLR.

 

Congo, which is a member of CISSA, did not send a representative to the conference.

 

Dlomo said disarmament of the FDLR is at the top of CISSA's agenda, but stressed that the group works only in an advisory⁸ capacity.

 

"All we do is to advise the African Union, provide them with intelligence and leave it up to the leaders of the continent to decide what steps should be taken.," said Dlomo.

 

Relations between Rwanda and Congo have been icy for years.

 

Rwanda wants the FDLR brought to justice for their role in the genocide and has twice invaded Congo to track down the militias.

 

Rwandan officials accuse Congo of failing to do enough to neutralize⁹ the FDLR, and in some instances collaborating¹⁰ with the militias to fight other rebel groups in eastern Congo.

 

Dlomo said the summit would also aim to provide recommendations for Sudan's Darfur region.

 

Darfur has been wracked by a four-year conflict between predominantly African rebels and government-backed Arab militias, in which an estimated 200,000 people have died.

 

The United States has labeled the Darfur killings¹¹ as genocide, citing the ethnic¹² component¹³ of the conflict and the systematic¹⁴ destruction of civilian¹⁵ villages.

 

CISSA Executive Secretary Denis Dlomo said the group does not identify the Darfur conflict as genocide, but did not elaborate. CISSA member Sudan is present at this week's summit.

 

The week-long summit is set to conclude on Saturday.

1 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

2 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

3 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

8 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

9 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

10 collaborating   

合作( collaborate的现在分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Joe is collaborating on the work with a friend. 乔正与一位朋友合作做那件工作。
• He was not only learning from but also collaborating with Joseph Thomson. 他不仅是在跟约瑟福？汤姆逊学习，而且也是在和他合作。

11 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

12 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

13 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

14 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

15 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。