'Orangutan' slur highlights open racism in Italian politics

15 July 2013 Last updated at 18:12 GMT By Alan Johnston BBC News, Italy Cecile Kyenge says she has accepted Roberto Calderoli's apology When Cecile Kyenge agreed to become a minister in Italy's latest government she was well aware that she would have to break new and difficult ground.

Not only was she taking on the controversial immigration brief, she was also about to become Italy's first black minister.

But perhaps even Ms Kyenge has been surprised by the ferocity of the backlash.

She has been repeatedly subjected to racist slurs of the crudest kind.

The latest came over the weekend from a vice-president of Italy's the Senate, Roberto Calderoli, a prominent member of the anti-immigration Northern League party.

Addressing its supporters he said; "I love animals… but when I see pictures of Kyenge I cannot but think of - even if I'm not saying she is one - the features of an orangutan."

Roberto Calderoli said Ms Kyenge was attracting illegal immigrants to Italy

He went on to say that Ms Kyenge was attracting illegal immigrants to Italy, and that she should be a minister in her "own country".

This is fairly typical of the kind of abuse that has been directed at the minister by Northern League activists.

One accused her of wanting to impose "tribal traditions" on Italy.

And another actually went so far as to call for Ms Kyenge to be raped so that she would understand what someone who might be raped by an immigrant might go through.

Ms Kyenge, the one prominent black figure in parliament, seems to have become the focus of a very large amount of the openly racist sentiment in the Italian political arena.

So far she has coped with considerable dignity.

Amid the furore over his "orangutan" remark, Mr Calderoli was forced to apologise.

Social change

Ms Kyenge accepted this but said that if Mr Calderoli could not translate his views into proper political discourse he should perhaps step aside as the Senate's vice-president.

In the background to all this lies some quite profound social change.

Italy is now having to absorb larger numbers of immigrants.

Back in 2000 there were only about one million of them here. Today there are about five million - about 8% of the population.

And right now, with so many Italian families of all backgrounds finding it difficult to cope economically, perhaps tensions are inevitable.

Silvio Berlusconi famously described US President Barack Obama as "tanned"

As Ms Kyenge herself put it: "Some people are struggling to accept that the country has changed."

Professor James Walston of the American University in Rome, who analyses Italian attitudes towards race, wrote recently in his blog: "To these people a woman like Cecile Kyenge would be acceptable if she was a docile house servant on the lines of the 30s Hollywood stereotype.

"The fact that she is a successful eye surgeon and now a self-assured cabinet minister is threatening for them."

The Northern League has set itself against what it calls an "uncontrollable influx of immigrants".

This is an important part of its electoral platform.

And a long-time observer of the party, Professor Roberto Biorcio, of Milan's Bicocca University, sees Mr Calderoli's remarks as part of a calculated effort to focus more on this emotive area.

"I'm under the impression that Calderoli and certain sectors of the league want to draw attention back to the issue of immigration," he said.

"As usual, they do it in the most provocative manner - but it has helped them in the past."

Away from the party political fray, casual racism surfaces in many areas of Italian life.

Among the gaffes of Silvio Berlusconi during his time as prime minister was a reference to US President Barack Obama as being "sun tanned".

He dismissed anyone who did not think that this was funny as a "humourless imbecile".

'Racist mentality'

And racism has repeatedly manifested itself in Italian football.

Earlier this year the whole of the AC Milan team walked off the pitch in support of one of their black colleagues who was being subjected to abusive chanting from the stands.

But far from the headlines, in the course of everyday life, immigrants talk of being surrounded by racism.

"You hear comments on the bus, in the markets, in schools," said Pape Diaw, a leader of the Senegalese community in Florence.

"To think that the Italian people are racist is wrong. But there is... a type of racist mentality. "

He said that politicians were reluctant to tackle the issue, and that with tensions building there was a risk of a social explosion.

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Montenegro country profile

9 April 2013 Last updated at 15:01 GMT Montenegro emerged as a sovereign state after just over 55% of the population opted for independence in a May 2006 referendum.

The vote heralded the end of the former Union of Serbia and Montenegro - itself created only three years earlier out of the remnant of the former Yugoslavia.

The EU-brokered deal forming it was intended to stabilise the region by settling Montenegrin demands for independence from Serbia and preventing further changes to Balkan borders.

The same deal also contained the seeds of the union's dissolution. It stipulated that after three years the two republics could hold referendums on whether to keep or scrap it. Montenegro opted for the latter.

A narrow majority voted to dissolve the union with Serbia

Montenegro last experienced independence nearly 90 years earlier. It was absorbed into the newly-formed Yugoslavia at the end of World War I.

There were fears that the 2006 independence vote could lead to unrest in the areas of Montenegro where ethnic Serbs, who make up roughly a third of the population, formed the majority and strongly opposed separation from Serbia. There was backing for independence from most ethnic Montenegrins and ethnic Albanians living in Montenegro.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Montenegro opted for independence in a 2006 referendumEconomy: The tourism and real estate sectors have been gaining in importanceInternational: Candidate for EU membership - entry talks hinge on progress in fighting crime, corruption

Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

The pro-independence camp led by Prime Minister Djukanovic argued that the association with Serbia was holding the republic back, not least with its bid for EU membership.

As the successor state to the union, Serbia inherited its seat at the UN and other international organisations. The newly-independent Montenegro has since been admitted to the UN in its own right.

The country officially applied to join the EU on 15 December 2008.

Striving for EU membership

Another important milestone on Montenegro's path to EU membership was reached towards the end of 2009, when Montenegrin citizens were granted the right to visa-free travel within the Schengen zone. Formal EU accession talks began in June 2012.

Only a few months earlier, Montenegro had taken another major step forward in full membership of the international community when it became a member of the World Trade Organisation in April 2012. It had applied for WTO membership in December 2004.

Montenegro, which means "Black Mountain", borders Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo and Albania. About half of it is covered in thick forest. The tiny republic encompasses an Adriatic coastline, lowlands and high mountain ranges. The Tara River canyon is the deepest and longest in Europe.

Montenegro includes a coastline, mountain ranges and thick forests

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Cyprus profile

2 April 2013 Last updated at 14:40 GMT By legend the birthplace of the ancient Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, Cyprus's modern history has, in contrast, been dominated by enmity between its Greek and Turkish inhabitants.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government.

In 1974 the island was effectively partitioned with the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. The UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher.

The UN Buffer Zone, commonly called the "Green Line", dividing the two parts from Morphou through Nicosia to Famagusta, is patrolled by United Nations troops.

The UN drew up the Green Line as a ceasefire demarcation line in 1963 after intervening to end communal tension. It became impassable after the Turkish invasion of 1974, except for designated crossing points.

UN troops man a border crossing point in the divided city of Nicosia Continue reading the main story Politics: Nicos Anastasiades won the presidency in 2013 promising to secure a financial bailout. Pro-independence Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu came to power in 2010 Economy: Cyprus has one of the eurozone's smallest economies. Its large banking sector has suffered from exposure to Greek debtInternational: Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 as a divided island. The status of Northern Cyprus as a separate entity is recognised only by Turkey

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

North declares independence

In 1983 the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The status of Northern Cyprus as a separate entity is recognised only by Turkey, which keeps around 30,000 troops in the north of the island.

The prospect of EU enlargement concentrated minds in the search for a settlement. UN-sponsored negotiations continued throughout 2002 and a peace plan was tabled. Soon afterwards the EU invited Cyprus to become a member.

But hopes that the island could join united were dashed when leaders of the Turkish and Greek communities failed to agree to the UN plan by the March 2003 deadline.

In the months that followed travel restrictions were eased, enabling people to cross the border for the first time in nearly 30 years. But hopes of larger progress continued to be disappointed.

Hopes on hold

A revised UN reunification plan was put to both communities in April 2004. Turkish Cypriots endorsed the plan but Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected it, and so the island remained divided as it joined the EU in May.

Hopes rose again briefly after the election of leftwing Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who agreed to talks on reunification with the new Communist president of Cyprus, Demetris Christophas, in 2008. The victory of nationalists at parliamentary and later presidential elections in the north over the following two years brought talks to an end.

After independence from Britain in 1960, Cyprus successfully diversified its largely agrarian economy into one based on services - including a large tourism sector - and light manufacturing. More recently it has also developed into an important financial hub, especially for investors from Russia and Eastern Europe.

But in 2012, Cyprus' economy was badly hit by its extensive exposure to recession-hit economy of Greece, and the country was forced to seek emergency help from international lenders.

Greek-Cypriots look across at deserted hotels in part of Turkish-controlled Famagusta fenced off by the Turkish Army since 1974. The island remains divided, although border restrictions have been eased

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Azerbaijan country profile

24 May 2013 Last updated at 09:29 GMT Oil-rich Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 amid political turmoil and against a backdrop of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It has been famed for its oil springs and natural gas sources since ancient times, when Zoroastrians, for whom fire is an important symbol, erected temples around burning gas vents in the ground.

In the 19th century this part of the Russian empire experienced an unprecedented oil boom which attracted international investment. By the beginning of the 20th century Azerbaijan was supplying almost half of the world's oil.

In 1994 Azerbaijan signed an oil contract worth $7.4bn with a Western consortium. Since then Western companies have invested millions in the development of the country's oil and gas reserves. However, the economy as a whole has not benefited as much as it might have done.

Continue reading the main story Politics: President Ilham Aliyev came to power in 2003, succeeding his father Heydar, and was re-elected in 2008. A two-term presidential limit was abolished in 2009. Critics accuse Mr Aliyev of heading an authoritarian regime which suppresses oppositionEconomy: Huge oil export revenues have funded infrastructure projects and boosted living standardsInternational: Azerbaijan and Armenia fought in the 1990s over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh; a fragile ceasefire is in place. Azerbaijan is a key transit route to Afghanistan. Relations with Iran are fractious

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Caspian oil is now flowing through a pipeline running from Baku through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, providing western countries with ready access to a vast new source of supply. Environmental groups have protested that the cost of this benefit is unacceptable.

Azerbaijan has large gas reserves too.

Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe in 2001. Often accused of rampant corruption and election-rigging, ruling circles walk a tightrope between Russian and Western regional geo-strategic interests.

As the Soviet Union collapsed, the predominantly Armenian population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region stated their intention to secede from Azerbaijan. War broke out. Backed by troops and resources from Armenia proper, the Armenians of Karabakh took control of the region and surrounding territory.

In 1994 a ceasefire was signed. About one-seventh of Azerbaijan's territory remains occupied, while 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons are scattered around the country.

Azerbaijan was in the media spotlight in June 2007 when Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the US the use of the Gabala radar station for missile defence as an alternative to using bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.

At one time Azerbaijan supplied almost half of the world's oil, pumped up by oil derricks such as these in Baku on the Caspian Sea

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Malta country profile

12 March 2013 Last updated at 09:33 GMT The Maltese archipelago includes the islands of Malta, Gozo, Comino, Comminotto and Filfla.

It has a history of colonial control spanning centuries.

Located south of the Italian island of Sicily between Europe and North Africa, it has been occupied by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and latterly France and Britain.

Independence from Britain was achieved in 1964, after the Maltese people were awarded the George Cross for defending the island during World War II.

Malta is a destination for Europe-bound migrants Continue reading the main story Politics: The Labour Party won elections in March 2013Economy: Financial services, tourism and manufacturing are key sectorsInternational: Malta pursues a policy of neutrality, while keeping close ties with Europe and the US

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Forty years on Malta was the smallest of the 10 countries to join the EU in May 2004. It joined the eurozone in 2008.

Since becoming an EU member, the tiny island has reported an increasing problem with immigration from north Africa and has requested more help to deal with it.

The UN refugee agency has criticised the island's policy of keeping asylum seekers in detention for 18 months.

Over the centuries, Malta's strategic position fostered its development as an important trading post and it remains a leading centre for container and freight transhipment.

Malta is a popular holiday destination and tourism is the nation's main source of income.

Malta has a colonial history spanning centuries

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Putin inspects massive war games

16 July 2013 Last updated at 11:06 GMT President Putin watched some of the drills today on Sakhalin Island in the Pacific Russian President Vladimir Putin has inspected the country's biggest military drills since Soviet times, involving around 160,000 troops.

The manoeuvres, in Russia's Far East, are part of efforts to boost military mobility and combat readiness.

Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov said that the exercise was not directed against any particular nation.

Mr Antonov said Russia warned its neighbours about the exercise and provided detailed information to China.

The two countries have an agreement that envisages a mutual exchange of data about military activities along their border.

Russia's army has been undergoing drills in its central and eastern military districts for several days.

State-owned daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta described the drills as "the most intensive combat readiness check in the modern history of the Russian army".

'Maximum openness'

President Putin watched some of the drills on Tuesday on Sakhalin Island in the Pacific, just north of Japan.

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The land part of the exercise is directed at China, while the sea and island part of it is aimed at Japan.”

End Quote Alexander Khramchikhin Moscow-based military analyst Konstantin Sivkov, a retired officer of the Russian military's General Staff, told the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta that "the Sakhalin part of the manoeuvres was intended to simulate a response to a hypothetical attack by Japanese and US forces."

Russia and Japan have a dispute over a group of Pacific islands, which Russia calls the Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories.

Deputy Defence Minister Antonov said "the large-scale military exercise by the Russian Armed Forces in the Far East is not a flexing of muscles, but work to enhance the army's combat readiness".

At a meeting with foreign military attaches accredited in Moscow, Mr Antonov explained why the exercise was necessary and said the drills were "not directed against other states' interests".

Mr Antonov also stressed that "the Russian side showed maximum openness" during the drills and that "extensive information about the exercise is being supplied to the media".

Concerns

However some experts voiced concerns that the massive exercise held in the areas along the border with China could be aimed at Beijing.

Alexander Khramchikhin, an independent Moscow-based military analyst, said that "the land part of the exercise is directed at China, while the sea and island part of it is aimed at Japan.''

Some experts voiced concerns that the massive exercise could be aimed at Beijing

Mr Khramchikhin said that the war games were intended to discourage China from harbouring expansionist plots.

The two Cold war-era rivals have forged what they described as a "strategic partnership'' since the 1991 Soviet collapse, developing close political, economic and military ties in a shared aspiration to counter US power around the world.

Russia has supplied sophisticated weapons to China, and the neighbours have conducted joint military drills, most recently a naval exercise in the Sea of Japan earlier this month.

But despite close economic ties and military cooperation, many in Russia have felt increasingly uneasy about the growing might of its giant eastern neighbour.

Russia and China had territorial disputes for centuries. Relations between Communist China and the Soviet Union ruptured in the 1960s, and the two giants fought a brief border conflict in 1969.

The Russian military drills are expected to continue in the country's Far East until 20 July.

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San Marino country profile

3 July 2013 Last updated at 10:45 GMT Landlocked San Marino is one of the world's smallest countries. Surrounded by Italy, it is an echo from an era when city-states proliferated across Europe.

Mount Titano, part of the Appennine range, dominates San Marino's landscape. Three defensive fortresses perch on Titano's slopes, looking out to the Adriatic coast.

San Marino is said to be the world's oldest surviving republic.

Tradition has it that the country was founded in the fourth century AD by a devout Christian stonemason called Marinus, who took refuge there and set up a small community. Its rugged isolation helped the enclave to develop and keep its independence.

San Marino - the world oldest surviving republic

An 1862 friendship and cooperation treaty with Italy, which has since been revised and expanded, reinforced San Marino's independence.

Tourism dominates the economy of the 61 square kilometre (23.6 square miles) republic, which plays host to more than three million visitors every year.

Postage stamps and coins - keenly sought by collectors - are important sources of revenue.

As one of Europe's tax havens, San Marino has traditionally attracted a large inflow of cash from non-residents, but in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008-9 this status has come increasingly under threat, and the republic has pledged to make its banking system more transparent.

Mount Titano dominates San Marino's landscape

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