Africa Report

PROJECT ON BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD

AFRICA REPORT

First Quarterly Report on Africa

January to March 2009

Volume: 1

Reports for the period January to February 2009

Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Ijaz Shafi Gilani

Contributors

Abbas S Lamptey Snr Research Associate Reports on Sub-Saharan AFrica

Abdirisak Ismail Research Assistant Reports on East Africa

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD

AFRICA REPORT

First Quarterly Report on Africa

January to March 2009

Volume: 1

Reports for the period January to February 2009

Department of Politics and International Relations International Islamic University Islamabad

BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD

AFRICA REPORT

First Quarterly Report on Africa 2009

Table of contents

Reports for the month of February

Week-1 February 04, 2009 05 Week-2 February 11, 2009 79 Week-3 February 18, 2009 225 Week-4 February 25, 2009 367

Country profiles Sources

BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD Weekly Presentation: February 4, 2008 (Africa Protests the Israeli Invasion of Gaza) Africa Abbas S Lamptey Period: From January 1st to February 1st S, 2009

Africa Protests the Israeli Invasion of Gaza

The headlines

AFRICA

• AU Calls for Urgent Reconstructing of Gaza • Ethiopia: Seyoum to Visit Palestine - Official State of Palestine Seeks Support From African Countries • AU urges Israel to halt attacks on Palestine

NORTH AFRICA

• Tunisia: Red Crescent Condemns Blatant Violations of Humanitarian Law in Gaza • Tunisia: Country Condemns Dangerous Escalation in the Gaza Strip • Tunisia: Country Sends Third Plane Load of Rescue Aid for Gaza Population • Algeria to help unify Palestinians • Hundreds Protest Closed Egypt-Gaza Border

WEST AFRICA

• Gaza: NSCIA wants UN to take action against Israel • Nigeria: Activists Hold Vigil for Gaza Victims: • Nigeria: FCT Police Avert Anti-Gaza War Demonstration • Nigeria: Senate Urges Israel, Palestine to Sheath Swords • Nigeria: Group Chides UN, US Over Israeli Attacks • Nigeria: U.S. and Britain Must Stop Israeli Aggression on Gaza -Muric • Nigeria: Forum Urges FG to State Position on Gaza Genocide • Nigeria: Gaza Genocide, a Disgrace to UN - Nacomyo • Nigeria: Nirec Wants UN to Stop Gaza War • Nigeria: Shi'ites Demonstrate in Kaduna Over Attack on Gaza • Dakar, Senegal: Jammeh decries "Palestine holocaust” • Gambia: Religious Leaders on Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza • Sierra Leone: Gaza Fever Grips Country • MALI: Bamako residents protest against Gaza bombings • Mauritanian journalists protest Israeli attacks on Gaza

SOUTHERN AFRICA

• South Africa: Gaza-Bound Doctor Released After Being Held in Cairo • South Africa: Motlanthe Meets With Jewish Board Over Gaza: • South Africa: Mission to Deliver Medics, Supplies to Gaza • South Africa: Storm Over Deputy Minister's 'Anti-Semitic' Gibe • South Africa: Christians Rally for End to Gaza Violence, Join Muslims On Aid • Botswana Muslim Association condemns Israeli Apartheid state • BNF condemns Israeli attacks on Gaza • Namibia slams Israeli onslaught on Gaza

EAST AFRICA/HORN OF AFRICA

• TANZANIA: Stop killing Palestinians, Dar Muslims tell Israel • Uganda: Muslims Protest Israeli Bombing of Palestine • Uganda: Muslims Demand Action On Israel • Somalia: Demonstration Against Israel in Mogadishu

COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS AND ANALYSES

NORTH AFRICA

• Egypt: Kinship With Fatah Hampers Mediation • NO GOING BACK NOW : Khaled Amayreh: Al-Ahram • MORE THAN CHALLENGE : Dina Ezzat:Al-Ahram

WEST AFRICA

• Nigeria: The Bloodbath in Gaza (1) • The bloodbath in Gaza (2) • Nigeria: The Bloodbath in Gaza (3) • Nigeria: Gaza - Finding the Voice of Protest • A million bombs cannot make israel right

SOUTHERN AFRICA

• Why Israel's Moral Argument Bombs • Israel invades Palestine, what has Botswana to say? • Gaza war: clergy, Odinga hypocrisy exposed • Time for south africa to boycott apartheid israel • Israel defeating itself in gaza

EAST AFRICA/HORN OF AFRICA

• Israel may be motivated by domestic politics • Israel has chosen to hoodwink the world, us over this war • Why israel is no better than the african wife-beater • Israel's bombs might cause opposite, negative results • I couldn't sleep a wink

AFRICANS IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS

• Reflections on African Responses to Israeli Gaza Invasion • Black American Politicians Vote for War On Gaza • Hold israel to the same standard of civilised conduct as other lands

The report in detail

AFRICA

AU Calls for Urgent Reconstructing of Gaza

BuaNews (Tshwane) :1 February 2009.

The African Union has called on the international community to provide urgent and appropriate assistance to enable the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.The 53-member AU has also urged the United Nations to investigate human rights violations during Israel's war against Hamas militants in Gaza which it described as "massive, indiscriminate and disproportionate."

In a statement issued on Friday, the AU welcomed the ceasefire following the adoption of the resolution and urged them to observe it in "order to create conditions that were most conductive to a lasting solution to the conflict.""The AU renews its support for and solidarity with the Palestine people in their struggle to regain their fundamental rights, including the right to existence as an independent state with Jerusalem."It also urged Israel to put an end to its aggression against the Palestine people, lift the embargo it had imposed on them and open without delay all their border crossings to allow for the free movement of goods and persons and most importantly humanitarian aid.The operation ended about 11 days ago but a deep humanitarian crisis persists.The UN Relief and Works Agency expanded food aid in recent days. About 900 000 Gaza residents are now receiving rations of flour, oil and sugar.Meanwhile, the second Africa-Arab Summit aimed at boosting cooperation between Africa and the Arab world is set to take place before the end of this year in a country yet to be specified, the AU's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Julia Dolly Joiner announced on Friday."The African Union and the League of Arab States are carrying out consultations for the 2nd Africa-Arab Summit to take place on a date yet to be determined," Ms Joiner said at a news conference after a meeting of the 12th ordinary session of the AU Executive Board. "It is time that the second edition of that summit takes place after the one held in 1977 in Cairo," she added, underscoring that the secretariats of the two institutions were commissioned to prepare and monitor the organisation of that summit.The Commissioner for Political Affairs also urged for the diversification of trade between Africa and the Arab world.

Ethiopia: Seyoum to Visit Palestine - Official State of Palestine Seeks Support From African Countries

1 February 2009; DAILY MONITOR

Addis Abeba — Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyoum Mesfin will visit the state of Palestine in the coming two months as part of efforts to bolster ties with the African nation, a high ranking Palestinian official said on Thursday.

The planned visit comes from the recent desire from the two governments to strengthen their relationship, which explicitly will be shown in a document to be signed by either party soon," Nimer Hamad,State Minister for Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry and political advisor to President Mohmed Abbas, told reporters at a press conference held in Addis Ababa.The state minister said the document will pave the way to further strengthen the political, cultural and economical relations between the peoples and governments of the two countries.Hamad said following the visit, President of the National Authority of Palestinian State will visit Ethiopia for a similar mission.

Ethiopia will also have a kind of representation (embassy) in the Palestinian State, he siad.The then Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) opened its office in Addis Aaba in 1975, which is now the embassy of the state of Palestine, since 1988.The state minister, who is here for the 12th ordinary summit of African Heads of State and Government said he would loby for support from African countries with respect to the ongoing conflict between the state and Israel."We are still in need of support from African countries very much...as they can push the matter to be resolved through peaceful resolution," he said.Nimer Hamad said he would formally apeal to the Pan African body to "use its position to stop Israeli forces from illegal killings in Gaza."

AU urges Israel to halt attacks on Palestine

Addis Ababa - 30/01/2009: PANA Correspondent

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The African Union (AU) called here Friday for an immediate end to Israeli attacks against Palestinians and urged it to open its border-crossings to allow for movement of goods, people and humanitarian relief. In a statement, the 14th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council that is meeting in the Ethiopian capital said that the AU was dismayed by the aerial bombardment of Palestinian territory.The executive council appealed to "the international community to provide urgent and appropriate assistance for the reconstruction of Gaza." "The Executive Council is dismayed and shocked by the recent air, ground and sea aggression launched by the Israeli forces on the Palestinian territory of Gaza, which cost the lives of more than a thousand people and accounted for thousands wounded among them innocent civilian populations…" the statement said.It also appealed to the UN Security Council to launch investigations into "the serious violations of human rights and war crimes observed during the said aggression and use of banned weapons in order that the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished''.

The AU foreign ministers, who constitute the executive council of the AU, hailed the UN Security Council for adopting resolution 1860 that commits Israel to "immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza." The statement coincided with the arrival in Gaza of new US envoy to the Middle East, Mr George Mitchell, to restart mediation in a conflict that spans more than six decades. US President Barack Obama, barely two weeks in office, has pledged to give priority to the Middle East peace.

NORTH AFRICA

Tunisia: Red Crescent Condemns Blatant Violations of Humanitarian Law in Gaza

9 January 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — The Tunisian Red Crescent Committee has issued a statement condemning the blatant violations in Gaza, of international humanitarian law, as well as of the Geneva conventions and Human Rights covenants, and calls for the respect by Israel of these laws.It also voices its concern for the degradation of the humanitarian situation and denounces the Israeli military attacks which have caused hundreds of casualties and left thousands of families in a state of utter destitution.The Tunisian Red Crescent pays tribute to Tunisians for their unfailing solidarity with the Palestinian people, in line with the initiatives taken by President Ben Ali in view of coming in aid to the inhabitants of Gaza through blood donation campaigns, financial aid, as well as food and basic items shipment.

Tunisia: Country Condemns Dangerous Escalation in the Gaza Strip

30 December 2008: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released the following communiqué: "Tunisia expresses its deep concern following the Israeli air raids in the Gaza strip which have caused scores of victims among the brotherly Palestinian people.Tunisia condemns this dangerous escalation and reaffirms its call to the international community, and notably the influential powers, for an urgent and energetic intervention, to stop the Israeli aggression, offer the necessary protection to the Palestinian people and put an end to its suffering.Tunisia also stresses that these acts, are likely to increase the tension, aggravate the situation and endanger all the efforts exerted to establish peace, security and stability in the region." Tunisia: Country Sends Third Plane Load of Rescue Aid for Gaza Population

23 January 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — A third Tunisian cargo plane carrying emergency aid for the victims of the Israeli aggression in Gaza, landed on Friday at the El Arich Airport in Egypt.The aid which includes 16 tons of medicine and medical equipment, was forwarded to the Rafah crossing to be handed over to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Four surgeons and reanimation specialists, as well as two male nurses were on board the plane.The Tunisian Ambassador in Egypt, the delegate of the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo and the president of the Egyptian Red Crescent committee for North Sinai, attended the plane's unloading.In implementation of President Ben Ali's instructions, two previous plane loads of emergency rescue aid also been despatched to Palestinian victims in the Gaza strip.

Algeria to help unify Palestinians

ALGIERS - Algeria will try to help unify Palestinians ahead of a possible Arab summit to support conflict-torn Gaza, Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said.Should an Arab summit take place, "Algiers first must consolidate unity among Palestinians," Medelci told Algerian radio as cited by the APS news agency.They are divided notably between supporters of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Fatah movement of president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank.

Medelci suggested a possible summit, an idea floated by the emir of Qatar, could lead to those Arab states with diplomatic ties with Israel suspending or even breaking them off.But, he added, "it is up to these Arab countries to take these decisions" individually.Mauritania, Jordan and Egypt have full diplomatic ties with Israel, while other Arab states have less formal relations.Yesterday, Mauritania withdrew its ambassador in Israel to protest its Gaza offensive, a foreign ministry source in Nouakchott said.

"Algeria has never had relations with Israel...because it believes in its principles and it defends them," Medelci said.Arab states were holding discussions on the Gaza crisis with United Nations officials and members of the UN Security Council, he added.The emir of Qatar, the only Gulf Arab monarchy to have trade relations with Israel, accused Israel yesterday of committing a "war crime" in Gaza and renewed his call for an extraordinary Arab summit.

Hundreds Protest Closed Egypt-Gaza Border

Cairo: 03 January 2009: VOA NEWS

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood opposition group called for mass protests against the government's response to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza but police moved to quell street protests over the issue. Fights between police officers and protesters broke out in Cairo, Friday, and dozens of arrests were reported. In Egypt, about 400 people gathered near the Al Fatah Mosque in Cairo to protest the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and to get the Egyptian government to open the border between Gaza and Egypt.

With tears in his eyes, one demonstrator says Egypt should open its border to help its Palestinian brothers, the injured, the sick. He says he cannot watching television reports of the violence and remain calm. He asks to remain anonymous to protect himself from possible Egyptian government reprisal. Security officials say Egyptian police arrested at least 40 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood as they prepared for the demonstrations Friday against Israel's actions in Gaza.So far more, than 400 Palestinians have been killed in the assault, which Israel launched in response to a series of rocket attacks by Hamas militants in Gaza.

The demonstrations in Cairo were just one of the many protests in the Muslim world from the Philippines to Jordan. But in Cairo, the government moved in quickly to restrict the demonstrations. Fights erupted between police and protesters, but the security forces quickly prevailed. Officers in civilian clothing loaded protesters on to large police trucks and hauled them away. Police also prevented demonstrations near Cairo's historic Al- Azhar mosque. One Cairo taxi driver says his passengers have been complaining all week about the government's position concerning the Gaza violence. He says the Egyptian government should do more to help the Palestinian struggle. He said if all the Islamic countries united, they would would achieve something. Palestinians should be Palestinians! Not Hamas Palestinians or Fatah Palestinians. With Israel still continuing air strikes into Gaza, and Hamas sending rockets into Israel, the tension in Egypt isn't likely to simmer down any time soon.

WEST AFRICA

Gaza: NSCIA wants UN to take action against Israel

THURSDAY, 08 JANUARY 2009

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called on the United Nations to take decisive actions against Israel as was done against Yugoslavia in the case of Kosovo.A statement issued yesterday by the Secretary-General of the council Dr Abdulateef Adegbite said a Palestinian Relief Appeal Fund would be set up by the council.The statement reads in part: “We condemn in the strongest terms Israel’s dastardly attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza. The time has come for the United Nations to take decisive actions against the State of Israel as was done in Kosovo. “It is a big shame that the Western World has remained indifferent or at best lukewarm since Israel began the massacre of innocent civilians mainly women and children over ten days ago: first through indiscriminate air raids and lately by ground bombardments, destroying all structures and killing any Palestinian they could sight.” The statement also called on governments and individuals worldwide to send relief materials to the Palestinians to ease their lingering sufferings. “We appeal to all who cherish justice and humanity to shun Israel, isolate the lawless state and boycott its goods and services. They should also come to the aid of the suffering Palestinians by sending reliefs to the victims of the insane massacre,” the statement said.

Nigeria: Activists Hold Vigil for Gaza Victims:

Leadership (Abuja):20 January 2009

Kaduna — Over one thousand human rights activists across northern Nigeria Sunday held a night vigil, lighting 1,250 candles in solidarity with the affected Palestinian victims in the ongoing face-off between the Israeli military forces and Hamas.

Justifying the rationale behind the vigil, which took place at the Gamji Park Kaduna, Comrade Shehu Sani, who is the leader of the coalition, said, "This gathering is a demonstration of support for the people of Palestine, since the state of Israel used its military might to massacre over 1,250 Palestinians in Gaza. The state of Israel has violated all norms of decency and humanity. The state of Israel has violated all laws and international conventions that have to do with war, violence, and conflict. The state of Israel acted in defiance of all reasons and common sense."We are here today to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Palestine and with the people of Gaza. The senseless, cruel, and barbaric killing of women, children, and the elderly in Gaza is a violation of the international law."It is unfortunate, it is unbecoming, and disdainful for the state of Israel to act with impunity. It is equally hopeless for the world to fold their arms and see the state of Israel commit this act of gross human rights violation with impunity.

"We assemble here today to light up 1,250 candles, each candle represents a victim of the Israeli bombing. We believe that there can never be peace without justice in the Middle East".Sani also stated that Nigerians should come out and showcase their concern. "We in Nigeria are also equally concerned because injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.What is happening in Gaza is capable of happening in Nigeria. The atrocities of the state of Israel is worse than the ones committed by Slobodan Milosevic in Yugoslavia; it is also worse than the ones committed by Charles Taylor in Sierra Leone and Liberia; and the ones committed by Sadiq Al-Bashir in Darfur.

Nigeria: FCT Police Avert Anti-Gaza War Demonstration

Daily Independent (Lagos):17 January 2009 Abuja — The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command on Friday foiled plans by some groups to undertake demonstrations in Abuja against the Israeli onslaught on Hamas in the Gaza Strip of Palestine.As early as 10 a.m. rumours had spread in Abuja that violent protests would commence after afternoon religious prayers, which left many residents apprehensive.But the FCT Commissioner of Police, John Haruna, told newsmen later in the day that he had quickly summoned religious leaders in the city to a meeting where they were made to undertake to keep the peace.Among those summoned were leaders of an unnamed group that had applied for police permit to organise a protest march on the streets of Abuja against the war in Gaza.

Haruna said the group was advised to shelve their planned protests as the day and time was not particularly auspicious for such a demonstration and there was no immediate guarantee that it would not eventually turn out violent and disrupt the peace of the city."We advised them that today is not ideal for a protest march, but we assured them that we shall provide adequate police protection should they still wish to go ahead with the march at a later date."We also got an undertaking that should they go ahead, they must restrict their protest to only areas where we can closely monitor them," said the police boss.Haruna explained that the police would not allow the protesters target or picket religious institutions, diplomatic missions or international agencies, as he pointed out that residents and the diplomatic community on the city had been assured of adequate security protection."The Inspector General of Police and officers and men of the FCT Police Command are fully prepared to ensure peace and tranquility in the Federal Capital Territory. All residents are assured of adequate security and they can count on us," he stressed.A detachment of soldiers and armed mobile policemen was last week deployed to Jos, the Plateau State capital to checkmate some Muslim youths who wanted to stage a demonstration over the Israeli bombing of the Gaza strip.Security men also paraded the streets of Kaduna and Zaria to thwart similar demonstration in the two major cities of Kaduna State.

Nigeria: Senate Urges Israel, Palestine to Sheath Swords

15 January 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — Worried by the continuous loss of lives by the unabating hostilities between the state of Israel and Palestine, the President of Senate, Senator David Mark has urged both sides to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue.The President of the Senate while responding to the briefs by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria , Moshe Ram on the situation, stressed that only a round table discussion would end the war.

According to Senator Mark, "We are worried about the casualties on both sides, we must learn to give peace a chance. War has never solved a problem, both sides must end the hostilities and embrace peace."We know that every citizen has a right to be defended, but a cease fire has become imminent at the moment, so that the international community could wade in and find last solution to the Middle East crisis".Nigeria as a nation, he said is in the fore-front of peace in Africa and in the world predicated on the fact that only peace could bring progress and development. He said Nigeria recognises Israel as a super power in the Middle East, but counselled that such influence should be deployed for the good of all.The President of the Senate appreciated the good diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Israel and urged for its sustenance.Earlier, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria , Moshe Ram told the Senators that the operation in Gaza is not against Palestinians but war against terrorism.Ram stated that almost 10, 000 rockets have been unleashed on Israel since 2001, a situation he said compelled Israel to defend themselves."We have told them that enough is enough. They refused. We had to defend ourselves, we have no apology in defending our people, we have the might to defend ourselves and fight terrorism."Israel stands for peace, but we are against terrorism, extremism and we shall win the war against terrorism. Ram said.

Nigeria: Group Chides UN, US Over Israeli Attacks

12 January 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Kaduna — Coalition of Northern Human Rights and Civil Societies has cast aspersions on the United Nations, United States and the other nations for its failure to clamp down a heavy sanction on the Israeli authorities following the attacks of Israeli forces in Hamas- led Gaza Strip.This is against the backdrop of total abuse of various international conventions and treaties.In a press release made available to LEADERSHIP in Kaduna and signed by Suleiman Ahmed it said "The recent happening in the Middle East Israeli and Hamas is a source of concern to every right thinking person in the world. We are expressing our disappointment with the UN, USA, and many of the super powers considering the way and manner they are handling the issue as it continues to become genocide against the Palestinians."The monstrous atrocities, war crime and genocide against the people of Gazza in the past 15 days which has led to the killing of over 700 people and injuring of over 3000 stand condemned. We consider Israeli's act as a crime against humanity and their leaders must be brought to justice in strong terms because of these barbaric and evil acts".

The Coalition also appealed to African nations to act positively against the lukewarm position of the powerful nations supporting the Israeli government, and to also cut diplomatic ties with its government bearing in mind the devastating situation she has put innocent people including children, women and the humanitarian needs in the Gaza strip.They also called for Nigeria's expatriate of Israeli to Nigeria as his presence in Nigeria cannot be justified by the barbaric act of the Israelis, they concluded by calling on both Akwa Ibom and Abia states to suspend the agricultural partnership they had signed with the Israeli government.

Nigeria: U.S. and Britain Must Stop Israeli Aggression on Gaza -Muric

6 January 2009: DAILY TRUST The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to both the Unites States and Britain to stop the on-going massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza by Israeli forces.statement yesterday by the group's Director, Dr. Is-haq Akintola warned that the Israeli aggression would only serve as fuel for terrorism.MURIC said: "Israel has been bombarding Gaza for the past seven days. The aggressive state rolled its deadly tools of massacre into Gaza yesterday for a ground invasion. More than five hundred Palestinians have been killed. Majority of them are civilians. Emboldened by its monopoly of the paraphernalia of destruction and mass killing, Israel has so far rejected all calls for a truce.

"The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is disturbed by Israeli intransigence. We recall past atrocities of the Zionist regime which took heavy tolls on its neighbours. In particular, we are reminded of the assassination of many Palestinian leaders via guided rockets fired from Israel . We warn that this type of attitude can only serve as fuel for terrorism. By aiding and abetting Zionist aggression, the West has become a major recruitment sergeant for terrorists. By vetoing United Nations (UN) resolutions which condemn Israel 's criminal propensities, terrorists are strengthened morally and psychologically," it added.MURIC affirmed that neither the United States nor the United Kingdom lacked the wherewithal to stop Israel , saying what they lack is the political will.It added: "It is this weakness in political resolve when the aggressor is Israel and the paradoxical possession and extraordinary manifestation of political and military overzealousness when it comes to action against the Arabs that is responsible for the West's inability to defeat terrorism."

The group said "by aiding and abetting Zionist aggression, the West has become a major recruitment sergeant for terrorists."It charged the Federal Government, not only to speak out against Israel's war-mongering mentality but also to take action against the aggressor noting that Nigeria's strategic position in Africa as well as in the comity of nations.

Nigeria: Forum Urges FG to State Position on Gaza Genocide

17 January 2009: DAILY TRUST

The Islamic Forum of Nigeria, Kano State chapter, said that the Nigerian government should make its stand known in what the Forum called the genocide taking place in Palestine by the Israeli army.The Forum made this known in a press statement made available to Pyramid Trust in Kano, saying that it is time for Nigerian Muslims to boycott all products coming from the countries believed to be responsible for the Gaza killings.

The statement signed by the Forum's Secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar Aminu, said: "Islamic Forum of Nigeria, Kano state chapter, has viewed the recent happenings in the Gaza region critically and sympathises with the situation, most especially where innocent children, women and non military personnel are killed, mutilated and their houses destroyed. This wanton destruction is highly inhuman which no right thinking society will support. Muslims are requested to also engage in prayers for Allah to bring an end to this inhuman acts."The Forum also called on the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria to spearhead the collection of donation of all kinds from the Nigerian Muslims and other well meaning Nigerians to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinians.

Nigeria: Gaza Genocide, a Disgrace to UN - Nacomyo

13 January 2009; DAILY TRUST

The Kaduna State chapter of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organizations (NACOMYO) has said it has keenly followed the genocide taking place in Gaza, describing it as "a total disgrace to the so-called United Nations".A statement jointly signed by the president and secretary of the council, Abdulmalik S. Aliyu and Abdulkareem Mustapha, who also described the situation as disheartening, called on the Arab League to critically look into the issue with a view to taking a decisive action on the situation.According to the council, the refusal of the United States lead the United Nations to intervene in the massive killing further strengthened the evil invasion, adding that Bush also gave a word of encouragement which led to the massacring of hundreds of innocent Palestinians by the Israelis.

"Worst still is the refusal of the United States led United Nations to intervene in the massive killing. Instead, Bush gave a word of encouragement to strengthen the evil invasion", it said. NACOMYO also alleged in the statement that, "It also seems to be a pre-planned Jewish Masonic mission on Muslims. No doubt, this is a total disgrace to the so called United Nations". "We call on the Arab league to look critically into this issue and take a decisive action on the devilish operations of the United States and its Allies in the entire Middle East and world over", it appealed.

Nigeria: Nirec Wants UN to Stop Gaza War

15 January 2009: DAILY TRUST

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) has called on the United Nations Security Council to order for a cease-fire in the ongoing Gaza war which had entered the 20th day.A statement jointly signed by the Sultan of Sokoto and President of Supreme Council for Islamic affairs (NSCIA) Alhaji Mohammed Saad Abubakar and the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Reverend John Onaiyekan described the situation as "horror and tragedy in Gaza".

The statement reads in part: "On Thursday January 8th 2009, after ten days and nights of continuous violent atrocities in the Gaza strip, the UNSC finally agreed on a resolution to call for a ceasefire that would grant the people of Gaza some relief from their inhuman ordeals. This was a belated action, but it was better late than never."More than two days afterwards, the bombs of the Israeli Defence Forces have continued to fall on Gaza in a most unbalanced combat that amounts to a one-sided massacre of hundreds of innocent civilians, including women, the aged and children."Nothing can justify the scale of killings that we have been witnessing, the prevention of adequate medical attention to the thousands injured, the starving and slow strangulation of a whole people. The UNSC resolution for a ceasefire is the least that must be expected from the 'international community.' That resolution should be translated into effective action as soon as possible.

"On its own part, Hamas and their largely futile rockets are not only wrong but counterproductive, supplying an excuse for actions of violent aggression that can only be justified on the basis of a most cynical immoral judgement."The statement said that the people of Gaza are human being, creature of God, as much as the people of Israel, United States of America, Nigeria or any other nation. No true God can be expected to condone, less still bless such wanton attack on the sanctity of human life."NIREC in the name of Christians and Muslims in Nigeria expresses its horror at the tragedy of Gaza. We cannot forget that the bombs falling on Gaza are hitting all Palestinians Arabs, Muslims and Christians, our fellow human beings and brothers and sisters in faith. Mosques and Churches are in danger. We cannot be silent."

Nigeria: Shi'ites Demonstrate in Kaduna Over Attack on Gaza

10 January 2009; VANGUARD

Members of the Islamic Brotherhood Movement otherwise known as Shi'ites fundamentalists yesterday demonstrated in Kaduna and Zaria cities of Kaduna State over attack by Israel on the Gaza strip.The demonstration in Zaria was said to have turned bloody as at least one person was confirmed dead while several others were injured.

The Shi'ites led by Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky said that they were unhappy over what they described as the unwarranted killings of Palestinians even as they denounced the United States of America and Arab countries for being insensitive to the plight of the Palestinians.However, the police have beefed up security in Zaria city as reports indicated that one person was killed and others hospitalised during a renewed clash between the Shi'ites and another Muslim group.Yesterday's skirmishes may not be unconnected with the incident on Tuesday when the Emir of Zazzau's convoy was attacked by unidentified persons believed to be members of the Shi'ite movement.The Shi'ites have, however, debunked the allegation that they carried out the attack which led to the burning of the house of their deputy leader and publisher of Almizan, a Hausa language newspaper, Alhaji Danlami.

The denial came against the backdrop of criticisms against the Emir, Alhaji Shehu Idris, over his alleged poor handling of the incident just as the opposing group reportedly launched a fresh attack on the Shi'ites.The Shi'ites had said in a statement that the Ashura day which it marked on Tuesday was in commemoration of the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar when the grandson of the noble Prophet Mohammed was martyred."This year's programme was not supposed to be different from the previous ones but alas the devilish hands of some mischievous fifth-columnists were bent on changing the orderly and peaceful tradition that all our processions are known for.

"But as the last segment of the procession was about passing Babban Dodo area, some hired thugs who camouflaged as part of the mourning procession uncovered their evil plan by attacking scores of vehicles in the convoy of Emir of Zaria, which incident at that same time happened to be passing."The intruding thugs attacked the convoy by smashing their windscreen, side and rear glasses of the cars thereby damaging them."Our stance over the unfortunate incident is that we condemn all those who committed such evil acts and they must be made to account for their crimes," the group stated.However, reacting to the procession in Kaduna metropolis, the state government urged the indigenes to go about their normal duties as the protesters were exercising their fundamental human rights of expression.In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the governor, on Media and Public Affairs, Umar Sani, the government said that the demonstration was in conformity with the law adding that, "the attempt to cause civil unrest in Zaria by some overzealous elements has been nipped in the bud by the combined efforts of our Operation Yaki operatives."There was tension in Kaduna as the protesters, including women and children marched through Sardauna Crescent and Abuja road and among other major roads, followed by truckloads of anti-riot policemen.

According to the demonstrators who chanted anti-Israel slogans and carried placards some of which read, "Death to Israel" "Shame on the Arab nations," "It's the worst atrocity against humanity," the United Nations has failed to caution Israel in its attack on Palestinians.Speaking to newsmen after the demonstration, the leader of the group, Malam Muktar Sahabi, said, "this is the worst ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian innocent souls, while the United Nations, from its inception to date, is designed to protect and promote Zionism against the world population."We ask Muslims and all the defenders of human rights to realize the dangers of the on-going killings of Palestinians as it is a direct threat to all mankind."Our hearts and prayers go to the Palestinians who are made the sacrificial lamb of the world Zionist movement and we implore all mankind irrespective of faith, sentiment or geographical location, to equally condemn the acts, and offer assistance to them, no matter how little."

Dakar, Senegal: Jammeh decries "Palestine holocaust”

Dakar - 02/01/2009

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has called on "civilized members of the human race" to rise up against "this holocaust that has been unleashed on the helpless Palestinians, whose lands, human dignity and right to peaceful and dignified existence in their own country are being blatantly violated with impunity."

In his new year message, President Jammeh said between 1939 and 1945, the whole world waged a war against Nazi Germany to free Jews from the holocaust being perpetrated against them.Jammeh said, however, that if Israel is carrying out similar "genocide/holocaust" against Palestinians on their soil, the international community must not allow that. “The whole world is watching with indifference while Palestinians fall victims of a brutal and inhuman occupying power that is bent on wiping them out," the controversial Gambian President remarked. “This world would be a very dangerous and violent place if such blatant barbaric and genocidal behaviour is condoned by the world community," he added. Israel has defended the ongoing aerial bombing of the Hamas- ruled Gaza, saying it was aimed at stopping the launching of missiles into southern Israel and protecting its citizens.More than 400 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more injured since the bombing started on Saturday, and all efforts to secure a cease-fire have so far failed.

Gambia: Religious Leaders on Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

15 January 2009: The Daily Observer (Banjul) :

Some of the top muslim and Christian religious leaders of The Gambia are the latest to raise serious concerns over the current humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip of Palestine.The war, which started twenty days ago, has since caused disastrous consequences in claiming the lives of 1000 Palestinians, with over 300 of the dead being innocent young children, and over 5,000 wounded, while some uncounted citizens being displaced.The religious leaders remarks came at a time when there is growing anger around the world over the disheartening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They called on both sides to accept an immediate cease fire in order to avert the unacceptable death toll. The religious leaders were speaking to the Daily Observer, yesterday at their various offices.

Imam Momodou Lamin Touray, president of The Gambia Supreme Islamic has strongly denounced the carte blanche that was given to Israel by the international community to kill innocent civilians. Killing innocent citizens through bombardments is something unacceptable. Human lives should be safeguarded against any sort of brutalities," he noted.

The erudite Imam described the war in Gaza, as Palestinian's inability to effectively defend its position, reiterating that this should therefore not be seen as an advantage by the Israeli.While calling on the religious community of the world to come to term and explore ways and means in ensuring a lasting solution in Gaza, Imam Touray revealed that his council has asked for prayers to be held in all mosques today for the people of Palestine.For the Anglican Church of the Gambia, the Right Reverend Bishop Telewa Johnson, pointed that wars have never really solved any conflict or differences. Negotiations, he insisted, constitute the only alternative for solving problems. "There are clear instances of gross violation of innocent people's human rights, pain and grief". he said. He then called on networks and regional groupings that have good rapport with waring factions to endeavour to bring both sides around the negotiation table without further delay.Bishop Johnson seized the opportunity to pray that peace and tranquillity that the great God of nations endowed us in The Gambia, be the experience of the people of Gaza and civilians in the boarder town of Southern Israel.

For his part, Oustass Banding Drammeh, former president of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, vehemently stigmatised the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stressing that innocent lives should not be destroyed.The veteran muslim scholar blamed the Arabs for the war, pointing out their failure to unite against such barbaric operations. He called on the Arab world to put aside their differences and consider the destruction of innocent lives of Gazans.In addition, Oustass Drammeh extended his blame to Americans, noting that they have contributed immensely to the intensification of Gaza war. While echoing the prayers of the afore-mentioned religious leaders, the former GSIC president called for urgent and pragmatic resolutions to the crisis.For Robert P. Ellison, Catholic Bishop of Banjul, the current war is perhaps the most tragic one. To him, the word tragic sounds so empty in the context of what is being witnessed on our television screens for the past 20 days. One of the reasons for saying this, he said, is the fact that both sides are loosing, noting that ultimately there will be no winner.

"The Israeli people want and deserves to live in peace. However I do not believe that when they have finished this war that they will be able to enjoy that peace will last. You cannot beat your enemy or opponent unto submission by the weight of military power. Such aggression simply fuels the spirit of resistance of those oppressed," he noted.

He pointed out that discussing the wrongs and rights of what has been happening in recent years between the two parties is somewhat futile unless they go back to the root cause of the conflict. In the late 1947 where agreements were made concerning the resettlement of the Israelis in Palestine."But even since, it seems to me that the Israelis began to encroach or annex for themselves lands belonging to the Palestinians. I believe that this had been a serious injustice to the Palestinians", he vehemently denounced.While calling for intense prayers for affected people, Bishop Ellison called on both parties to sit down so as to find an acceptable solution to the crisis.

Sierra Leone: Gaza Fever Grips Country

15 January 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

Freetown — Development in the Gaza strip seems to have attracted attention in the country following the Spiritual leader of the united council of imams and director-general of the Ahlul-Bait world assembly Sierra Leone chapter's call for President Ernest Bai Koroma to intervene in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Sheik Ahmed Tejan Sillah told Concord Times that president Koroma should use his office and talk to other African leaders to find lasting solution to the crisis."Koroma should use his presidential powers to demand peaceful solutions to the conflict in Gaza. It is wrong for Israel to kill innocent people in Gaza," he said.

Israel invaded Gaza on 27 December 2008. Since then, 952 people in Gaza have been killed, one-third of them children, medical officials report. Israeli defense minister Ehud Barack has said its attack is meant to stop rocket attacks on the country and arms smuggling into Gaza. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, have been killed by rocket attacks since the fighting started.Sillah said the Muslims Ummah was preparing to stage a peaceful demonstration to the office of the president for him to make a strong statement on the crisis but they were stopped by the police."The demonstration is still on course. When the police give us the go ahead, we will do it," he said.He said the fighting raises concerns on what constitutes the right to life when innocent unarmed civilians were bombarded without any remorse.Sillah said the Muslim Ummah in Sierra Leone have been disturbed by the silence of the world leaders on this gross violation of human rights, which are contrary to the rules of engagement in any warfare.National president of the Sierra Leone/Israel friendship society, Sirajin Rollings-Kamara, said his organization was in full support of the stands taken by Israel to fight Hamas."Israel has the right to defend itself as long as they are provoked. The Iranian president has continuously stated that Israel must be wiped out of the face of the earth," he said.He said that war would not be the lasting solution to the conflict but the two parties should find ways to solve it peacefully.Rollings-Kamara said Israel was a long credible partner to Sierra Leone, adding that they assisted in building the Bank of Sierra Leone, post office, parliament and part of Fourah Bay College.

"Israel gave out grant scholarships to Sierra Leoneans to study in their country. Shortly, they will be donating thousands of cows to the country," he said.When contacted, press secretary to the president, Sheka Tarawallie, told Concord Times that it would be difficult for Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to come out and make a strong statement condemning the crisis in Gaza."It is difficult for the president to condemn the attack by Israel on Gaza. This is something that needs to be looked at carefully. It should be handled at the highest level," he said.

MALI: Bamako residents protest against Gaza bombings

02/01/2009

Israel-Palestine - Several hundred Muslims Thursday took to the streets of Bamako, the Malian capital, to protest against the Israeli bombings in the Gaza strip and show support for the Palestinian people.The protesters condemned the "savage" bombings of the Gaza strip and deplored the "indifference" of the international community in the face of the tragedy.The march ended with a prayer for the memory of the Palestinian victims. The Israeli bombings in Gaza, which started last week, have so far killed more than 400 Palestinians and wounded thousands more. Demonstrations are going on around the world to demand an end to the attacks.

Mauritanian journalists protest Israeli attacks on Gaza

Nouakchott - 07/01/2009: Pana

Nouakchott, Mauritania - The Mauritanian Press Association (RPM), Wednesday organised a sit-in, in front of the United Nations' country office in Nouakchott, Mauritania's capital, to protest against Israeli attacks and massacre on Gaza, in Palestine.

Several dozens of journalists from the public and private media joined in the protest, during which RPM General Secretary, Ahmed Ould Cheikh, demanded the "immediate and unconditional" breach of diplomatic relations between Mauritania and Israel to reject the "barbarous invasion and spoliation policy of the Zionist State . "

Another protester, Ba Adama Moussa, denounced the "paradox of the UN policy, which advocates a double standards approach by accepting an Israeli action based on violence and brutality, while rejecting coups in Africa, even though overthrown presidents would take their countries downhill, as it was the case in Mauritania.”Moussa said UN's silence to the massacre of children and women in Gaza were "unacceptable".

SOUTHERN AFRICA

South Africa: Gaza-Bound Doctor Released After Being Held in Cairo

27 January 2009:BUSINESS DAY

Gaza City — A South African doctor accompanying a humanitarian relief mission on its way to war-torn Gaza and who was detained by Egyptian secret police at an unknown location in Cairo was released last night.

Sonto Kudjo, SA's ambassador in Egypt, said consular officials were due to meet Feroze Ganchi at Cairo airport last night, and that he would arrive in Johannesburg this morning.

Ganchi, who specialises in emergency care at a state hospital in Upington in Northern Cape, was arrested at the Egyptian-controlled Raf-fa border post on Friday night and taken to Cairo. He was among 26 doctors being trans-ported to Gaza by KwaZulu-Natal- based charity Gift of the Givers to provide emergency medical aid to Gazans wounded in Israel's 21-day offensive which has left more than 1300 dead and 5400 wounded, many of them civilians.

The doctors began work in several hospitals in Gaza City yesterday. They expect to perform six to 15 operations a day, which includes helping reduce a backlog of elective surgery that has built up because of Israel's blockade.Many operations involve burns and fractures. Most of the most severe trauma victims have either died or been evacuated to Egypt.The fighting ended a week ago, although F-16 fighter planes flew overhead yesterday.

Ganchi is on an international terror watch list after his arrest in Pakistan in 2004 along with al-Qaeda suspects, but was never charged. He was questioned at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport when the group left SA last week and detained briefly at Cairo airport but was released after questioning.Gift of the Givers chairman Imtiaz Sooliman said, "Before we left SA we applied to enter Gaza with a letter on foreign affairs letterhead, with everyone's names and passport numbers. Why didn't they refuse Firoz permission then? Why wait until he gets to Raffa?"Meanwhile, Malik Mahmoud, a Saudi-Arabian member of the group co-ordinating transportation of 84 tons of Gazan relief aid Gift of the Givers had funded from South African donations, has also disappeared in Cairo.His organisation, Saudi-based Partners International for Medical Aid, lost contact with him on Saturday. Both his cellphones no longer work. It is unclear if the incidents are related.

South Africa: Mantashe Urges Counrty to Give Aid to Palestine 7 January 2009: BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — THE African National Congress (ANC) yesterday called on South Africans to donate humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza as Israeli forces continue their attacks there.The Israelis launched their assault on the Gaza Strip 11 days ago. At least one-fifth of the estimated 600 victims are children and a large number of women are among the dead."Surely Israel is in violation of international laws governing retaliatory engagements and is creating a deep humanitarian crisis," ANC secretary- general Gwede Mantashe said .

The ANC condemned Israel for using brute force against unarmed civilians in a bid to root out Hamas insurgents in Gaza, describing the war as horrendous. It said it was time for the Israeli government to accept that there would be no peace or a lasting solution in the region as long as it continued to occupy land that rightfully belonged to the Palestinians .Mantashe urged South Africans to show solidarity with destitute Palestinians who had lost everything in the past few days, by helping with donations . He also urged the government to co-ordinate the resources and find ways to distribute them to deserving families.

Asked about the sentiments expressed by local activists, who described SA's reaction to Israel as weak and said the government should be recalling SA's ambassador, Mantashe said the ANC's reaction had not differed from that expressed by the international community and the United Nations."We are condemning the collective punishment of hundreds of civilians who are paying with their lives and thousands more who have been injured because we do not believe this will resolve the enmity between Palestine and Israel," Mantashe said. "What will move the peace process forward is addressing the root cause of the conflict."He also said that only the government had the right to recall the ambassadors and it would do so within proper protocol and guidelines.Speaking at the same press conference, Ali Halimeh, Palestinian ambassador in SA, said Israel's action had brought together Palestinians from various political backgrounds. They were all condemning the attacks and calling for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Asked why he was serving the president of the Palestinian National Authority , Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah movement, instead of the ruling Hamas, he said at this point in Palestine's history, all parties in his country were serving one agenda - that of standing up against Israeli .

South Africa: Motlanthe Meets With Jewish Board Over Gaza: BuaNews (Tshwane):16 January 2009

Pretoria — President Kgalema Motlanthe is on Friday meeting the Jewish Board of Deputies at the Union Buildings to discuss the situation in the Middle East that has left hundreds dead.The Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs will also meet the Israeli Ambassador, Dov Segev-Steinberg on Friday to discuss the Gaza conflict. South Africa on Thursday called on Israel to stop the military offensive in Gaza and immediately and unconditionally pull its forces out of the territory, which Israel invaded in its ground operation two weeks ago.The appeal came as Baso Sangqu, South Africa's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, was speaking at an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly, which opened in New York on Thursday.

"The South African government has expressed its view that Israeli air strikes are a violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law," he said.South Africa has begun talks with civil society organisations on ways it can provide humanitarian assistance to the troubled region.A plane carrying aid was expected to depart for the Middle East on 22 January."The South African government has called on the Israeli government to stop military onslaught in Gaza and to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its forces."These Israeli air strikes also represent an excessive and disproportionate use of force by Israel."In excess of 1 000 deaths, including approximately 350 children, and thousands more injured are unjustifiable."We join the (UN) secretary-general in reiterating Israel's obligation to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law and condemn its excessive use of force leading to the killing and injuring of civilians," said Mr Sangqu.Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Yang Jeichi on Friday paid a courtesy call on President Motlanthe at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The meeting was held within the context of the Strategic Partnership between the South Africa and the People's Republic of China which was launched on 7 January 2008. On Saturday, the President will also meet with South African Football Legends at the Presidential Guest House.

Among the legends are Trott Moloto, Gardner Seale, Shakes Mashaba, Brian Tlale, Phil Venter, Tebogo Moloi, Zero Johnson, Eugene Zwane, Themba Dlamini, Patson Banda, Muzi Khumalo, Chris Ncgobo.

South Africa: Mission to Deliver Medics, Supplies to Gaza

20 January 2009: BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — A SOUTH African humanitarian relief mission worth R15m departs for Gaza tomorrow with a team of 30 medics and emergency medical supplies.Hostilities have ceased for now, following a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel that came into effect on Sunday.

"This has made our job easier because we are allowed freer access," mission organiser Imtiaz Sooliman said yesterday.

"But there is an urgent need for medical personnel and emergency drugs."

Last night his charity, The Gift of the Givers Foundation, which raised the funds, was given clearance by South African authorities for a Boeing 747 to transport a further 84 tons of relief supplies to Gaza this week.Its cargo will include more drugs and medical equipment, 34 generators, an ambulance, powdered milk and blankets.The majority of funds were raised from South Africans "of all races and religions", with some donations coming from neighbouring countries, Sooliman said.

The volunteer medical team, which consists of several surgeons, anaesthetists, theatre nurses, paramedics and trauma counsellors, is expected to have its hands full performing emergency operations.It will cross into Gaza at Rafa on the Israel-Egypt border and be deployed where it is needed most by Gazan medical authorities. It will remain in the war- ravaged Palestinian territory for at least a week.Palestine's central statistics bureau yesterday declared Gaza a disaster area. Israel's three-week offensive has destroyed 4100 buildings and made another 17000, including schools and hospitals, unfit for use, its report said.Initial losses to the economy and infrastructure are estimated at $1,9bn (R20bn). Agriculture was hardest hit, with 80% of farmland destroyed, the report said.

The Gift of the Givers Foundation has an impressive record of providing humanitarian aid to the world's hotspots and has also provided aid during natural disasters, including floods in Mozambique and tsunami damage in Somalia and Sri Lanka. It also funds development work in SA, Mozambique and other southern African countries.Its mission to Gaza is supported by the South African Council of Churches, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference and the foreign affairs department.

South Africa: Storm Over Deputy Minister's 'Anti-Semitic' Gibe

Franny Rabkin:29 January 2009: BUSINEDD DAY

Johannesburg — THE South African Jewish Board of Deputies yesterday laid a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission against Deputy Foreign Minister Fatima Hajaig for "anti-Semitic hate speech".According to the board, Hajaig told a pro-Palestinian rally this month that Jews "in fact control (America), no matter which government comes into power, whether Republican or Democratic, whether Barack Obama or George Bush"."The control of America, just like the control of most western countries, is in the hands of Jewish money and if Jewish money controls their country then you cannot expect anything else."

The associate director of the board, David Saks, said the statement was anti-Semitic because it alleged "that Jews are a scheming, manipulative, behind-the-scenes influence in their host societies, who control the affairs of the societies for their own selfish, usually evil, gains".Saks said the idea of "a Jew who uses his money to undermine the wellbeing of the human race" was "a classic anti-Semitic stereotype".In its complaint, the board said the statement demonstrated "a clear intention to be hurtful, be harmful or incite harm and especially to promote or propagate hatred against the Jewish people".

Foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said the department was "not au fait with the contents of the alleged statement made by the deputy minister", and that Hajaig was in Japan on official business.Mamoepa said, "However, the South African government, to which the deputy minister belongs, has committed itself to fighting all forms of racism in all its manifestations -- including anti-Semitism."But political analyst Steven Friedman said that while the statement by Hajaig was "ill- advised", the complaint was a red herring and the board was diverting attention from the real issue."What we should really be talking about is the aggressive campaign to camouflage the attempt by the Israelis to cower the Palestinians into submission."

He said the real human rights issue was that Israel was "destroying what may be the only democratically elected government in the Middle East with the exception of Lebanon"."If the South African Jewish Board of Deputies was as concerned about the deaths of more than 1000 innocent Palestinians as they are over the foolish remark of a junior minister, I would take their claims about concern for human rights more seriously."Responding, Saks said the two issues were entirely separate. "Whatever happens in a foreign conflict cannot justify racist attacks against Jews, especially by a government representative."Mr Friedman is frankly being wilfully blind to the shocking extent of Jew hatred masquerading as concern for Palestinian rights."He said the board's position on the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict was that "the blame could be squarely laid at the door of the Hamas movement that provoked it".

The commission could not be reached for comment but, according its complaints manual, the next step would be for the commission to either reject the complaint or accept it - - if it constitutes a "prima facie violation of, or threat to, a fundamental right". The commission would then decide on a procedure to deal with the complaint.

South Africa: Christians Rally for End to Gaza Violence, Join Muslims On Aid

Hans Pienaar: 14 January 2009: Ecumenical News International (Geneva)

Johannesburg/Geneva — Three mobile health clinics, supported by DanChurchAid, a Danish aid and development group, were destroyed in a night-time Israeli air strike on 5 January. Israel says the aim of its campaign is to halt the continuous firing of rockets into its territory from Gaza.

DanChurchAid along with individuals, groups, churches and councils of churches from Kenya to Sweden to the United States to Australia are carrying out hundreds of advocacy actions involving Christians concerned about the Gaza crisis.The World Council of Churches described the Israeli actions as "collective punishment of the people of Gaza", and said there is a "need for a just and lasting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples".The Roman Catholic Church in South Africa and the country's council of churches have offered support to a local Muslim charity's mercy mission to Gaza, "to show the South African people's sympathy with our brothers and sisters in Gaza".

The Gift of the Givers charity, based in South Africa's east coast city of Durban, is negotiating with the governments of Jordan, Egypt and Israel for safe passage of medical supplies and equipment, bottled water, food, baby milk, high-energy and protein bars, mattresses and blankets. Organizers said a Being 747 airliner is standing by to take the cargo to either Jordan or Egypt on a flight scheduled for 19 January.The South African Council of Churches and the country's Catholic bishops conference, which is part of the church grouping, have met with the charity, the foreign ministry, and Cosatu, the largest trade union grouping in the country, to coordinate the mission.

"The GG has the capacity and we would gather the support, in order to show that the whole of South Africa supports the mission," Eddie Makue, general secretary of the SACC, told Ecumenical News International. He said the charity has shown it can organize "gigantic" missions to conflict stricken areas.

Makue stressed that the cooperation was on a humanitarian level, and that the various partners would continue to engage separately on a political level with governments and other organisations to help resolve the conflict.

GG's Imtiaz Sooliman said on the aid airlift, "This is the largest plane ever used by Gift of the Givers in its 16 years of disaster operations." He said he did not find the war zone strictures daunting. "I've been in Bosnia, Iraq and other places, with bombs falling around us."

Sooliman said that in a previous mission, during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, GG succeeded in getting provisions through to Maronite communities cut off by the war.

In Geneva, Action by Churches Together International said in a statement on 14 January that three truckloads of food, milk and medical supplies had reached Gazans in desperate need of assistance and the agency planned to send more."Medical supplies have replenished scarce stocks at the Ah Ahli Arab Hospital and high-protein biscuits are being distributed to highly vulnerable children and nursing mothers who have sought refuge in UN schools and shelters," ACT said in a statement. "Dr Suhaila Tarazi at the Al Ahli hospital says the deliveries will help a lot of people; especially kids and breast feeding mothers, they have had nothing. The medical supplies will also help numerous injured people."The WCC, the world's largest grouping of Christians with more than 500 million church members, said it has received reports of advocacy action in about 20 countries. These included statements, public demonstrations and letter campaigns addressed to government officials and parliament members. The actions are often accompanied by vigils and prayer services and collection of funds to support humanitarian relief work.

Their goals include an immediate cease-fire that ends violence against civilians on both sides of the border, free access for humanitarian aid, lifting of the blockade on Gaza, and internationally sponsored negotiations under the framework of international law as the basis for peace.Officials in the health services run by Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, in Gaza said on 14 January the death toll from nearly three weeks of military action had exceeded 1000 people, of which two thirds were civilians.The International Committee of the Red Cross said the Israel Defense Forces were failing to fulfil their obligation under international law to help wounded civilians in Gaza. A U.N. relief agency suspended aid operations in Gaza after some of their facilities were targeted and two of its local staff killed.

Botswana Muslim Association condemns Israeli Apartheid state From Mmegi Online: Sunday, January 11, 2009

"For the Botswana Muslim Association (BMA), "Israel is an apartheid state" and "Israel's occupation of Palestine is a very sad situation," said its Deputy Chairman Bawood Khonat.He said it was ironic that "Zionists", who were victims of horrible atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, should become perpetrators of similar horrors themselves."What happened to them is what they are doing to the Palestinian people," Khonat said."

BNF condemns Israeli attacks on Gaza by Moeti Mohwasa: 18.01.2009

Dear Editor,

The Botswana National Front would like to add its voice to those calling for the immediate cease-fire in Gaza. After 19 days of ceaseless carnage and terror unleashed by Israel against the people of Gaza and its illegal occupation thereof, over 900 human lives have been lost. What this means is that for every day that passes, 50 lives are lost. About half of those who have lost their lives are innocent children and women. It is further reported that a third are children under the age of 15. Over 4 500 have been injured. The trauma that the Palestinians are subjected to will leave permanent scars in their lives and breed hatred, anger and lead to more violence. All this is happening in the backdrop of Israel assertion that it is targeting terrorist infrastructure and Hamas, but pictures from the ground show wounded and dead children. While Israel’s right to defend itself cannot be denied, evidence on the ground does not suggest that it is exercising that right properly.

Israel’s argument that it has been provoked stands on thin ice. Its response to Hamas’ rocket attacks has been disproportionate. Once more, the civilians continue to bear the brunt of the indiscriminate bombings and ruthless shootings by Israel. We share the view that the Israeli military campaign is criminal and disregards international human rights law. It should refrain from imposing collective punishment on Palestine civilians (as per the UN Human Rights Council declaration issued on July 6th 2006). It is regrettable that Israel continues to blatantly disregard this and other UN resolutions with the full support of the United States of America.

Israel has disregarded the UN resolution calling for a truce in favour of continued massacres of innocent people in the name of war against terror. The alleged use of dangerous chemicals against the people of Gaza shows that the senseless onslaught has reached genocide proportions. These chemicals have long-term repercussions. This was the case when the US used them against the Vietnamese and Latin American peoples in imperial conquest wars. The humanitarian conditions in Gaza are terrifying and it is regrettable that Israeli army is continuing to indiscriminately punish the Gaza people. The actions by the Israeli leadership should be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. If Israel is not tried for war crimes, then the law will be applied selectively. It is also worrisome that there have been media restrictions in the coverage of this brutal attack on Gaza. Our position at the BNF is that Israel should recognise the Palestine people’s right to sovereignty and self-determination. We agree with those who say, “As it is right now Palestine is bleeding! Lamenting is a luxury and action is long overdue”.

We call upon the government to speak louder than it has and reconsider our country’s relationship with Israel. The same kind of vigour that we have displayed against Zimbabwe should also be noticeable in our dealings with Israel. It is also our hope that the incoming Obama administration will live up to its Change trademark and deal with Israel differently from its predecessors who were baby-sitting it. Unless and until we speak loudly against this type of behaviour, the Palestinians will never see peace in their lifetime. The BNF wants to repeat its firmly held view that the only lasting solution to the Middle East Crisis is for Israel to abide by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967 which called on Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders and for all the countries in the Middle East, including Israel to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries free from threats of force.

Thanking you. Yours, Information and Publicity Secretary

Namibia slams Israeli onslaught on Gaza: Thursday, 08 January 2009

THE Namibian Government has joined the ranks of countries condemning the Israeli incursion on Gaza, describing the operation as a “disproportionate use of force” and calling on Israel to withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week, the Government expressed concern over the war between Israel and Hamas militants, which has claimed 600 lives in 11 days and left 3,000 others wounded.“The Government of Namibia condemns the Israeli bombardments and ground assault on the Gaza Strip. This naked aggression and disproportionate use of force by Israel is unfortunate and only leads to further escalation of violence,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Hausiku.“The Government of Namibia calls on the Government of Israel to withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip.”Namibia called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility under the UN Charter and bring to an immediate end the ongoing violence, which it said threatens peace and security in the Middle East. “The Government of Namibia appeals for calm and urges the two sides to stop the bloodbath in order to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict,” said Hausiku.The Government called on Israel to respect its mandate under international humanitarian law to protect civilians caught up in the conflict.Israel’s air and ground assault on Gaza has been largely indiscriminate, with Israeli government officials claiming that Hamas was using civilians as human shields in the war. Israeli tanks poured into Gaza at the beginning of last week, shelling homes, schools and clinics and killing hundreds of civilians in the process.Hamas, a hard-line political organisation formed two decades ago, has been on the forefront of resisting Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Israel has used Hamas’s firing of rockets into its southern territory as an excuse to launch an all out incursion, which so far has been urged on by the United States government.“Namibia further calls on the Government of Israel to allow the people of Palestine to exercise their right to self-determination, including the right to their land and the creation of a Palestinian State. This is the only viable path which could lead to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” Hausiku said.

EAST AFRICA/HORN OF AFRICA

TANZANIA: Stop killing Palestinians, Dar Muslims tell Israel

Hundreds of Muslims demonstrated in Dar es Salaam yesterday to protest indiscriminate killings of Palestinians in Israeli air strikes in Gaza. The demonstration started at the Mnazi Mmoja grounds to the Kidongo Chekundu grounds. The demonstrators carried placards, some terming Israel as "the real axis of evil".

Speaking at the Kidongo Chekundu rally, Prof Haroub Othman of the University of Dar es Salaam said: "We condemn the killings not because of the colour of skin of the Israelis, but we demand peaceful existence between the Palestinians and Israelis."

He said for the past 60 years, Israel had enjoyed massive economic and military support from the West, mainly the US to facilitate aggression against Palestinians. He called for the prosecution of Israeli leaders for genocide before the International Criminal Court.He urged the Tanzania Government to ban the importation of Israel commodities.

Speaking during the same event, Prof Issa Shivji, who taught law at the University of Dar es Salaam, called on people from other religious denominations to support Palestinians. "The attacks in Gaza are not different from killings taking place in Somalia and the DRC," he said.

He urged Africans to rally behind Palestinians.He added: "Africa should be on the frontline in condemning the killings in Palestine."He called on President Jakaya Kikwete, who is also chairman of the African Union, to urge African leaders to condemn Israeli atrocities in Palestine. "The Palestinians struggle is an Africa's struggle. Let's condemn Israel," he said. Sheikh Ali Basaleh had earlier appealed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to dispatch peacekeepers to help stop Israeli aggression in Palestine.

During the rally, over Sh900,000 was raised and would be handed over the UN to help finance burials of some of the victims of the air raids. Sheikh Basaleh said over 400 innocent people to had been killed over 2,000 others injured in the bombings so far. "Schools, mosques and hospitals are inaccessible because of the destruction caused by the bombing," he said.

Uganda: Muslims Protest Israeli Bombing of Palestine

18 January 2009: THE NEW VISION

Kampala — A section of Muslims on Friday held a protest in Kampala against the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.During the prayers at Kololo airstrip, the Muslims, led by Sheikh Nooh Muzata, condemned the atrocities committed by the Israeli Defence Forces against the people of Gaza.

At least 1,203 Palestinians, including 410 children, have been killed and 5,300 wounded in the three-week- offensive.Israel says the offensive is meant to put a halt to rocket attacks on southern Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza enclave.After the prayers, a delegation led by Prof. Abasi Kiyimba, marched to the foreign affairs ministry to present a petition condemning Israel.The foreign affairs state minister, Henry Oryem Okello, said the Government does not support any kind of terrorism.Other delegates were Sheikh Obeid Kamulegeya, Sheikh Hassan Kirya, Hajji Ahamed Lubega and Sheikh Muhammad Katuramu.Muslim clerics called upon the international community to step up pressure towards Israel to halt its "campaign of murder and destruction".

They urged world leaders to boost efforts to maintain a strong Palestinian state, so as to bring an end to 60 years of anguish.

Kiyimba said: "Muslims should stop buying products from companies that are against Palestine, because by using such products you are supporting your enemies to kill your brothers."Prince Badru Nakibinge Kakungulu, Prince Khalifan Kakungulu, the Amir Ummah Sheikh Abdul Hakim Ssekimpi, Muslim MPs Erias Lukwago, Latif Ssebagala and Lule Mawiya attended.Mawiya urged the NRM Government to make its stand on the conflict known. Uganda: Muslims Demand Action On Israel

10 January 2009: THE NEW VISION

Kampala — A section of Uganda's Muslim leaders has called upon the Government to cut off all formal relations with Israel over the atrocities the country is committing against the people of the Gaza Strip.In a statement issued on Friday, three Muslim clerics condemned the use of violence by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) against the population of Gaza."The Muslims of Uganda condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities of IDF against the innocent civilian of Gaza," it reads in part.The statement was signed by Suleiman Kakeeto, the leader of the Tabliq community; Obed Kamulegeya, the chairman National Assembly of Imams and Duats of Uganda and Muhammad Lunanoba, the president general of the Juma and Zukuri Muslim group.

The sheikhs asked the Government to issue a statement condemning the Israel attacks against the Palestinians and urged it to join efforts aimed at ending the violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people.For two weeks now Israel has been carrying out an offensive, which it says is intended to end rocket fire from Gaza.Health officials in Gaza say about 800 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict started on December 27. hirteen Israelis had died by Thursday, according to the Israeli military.

Somalia: Demonstration Against Israel in Mogadishu

9 January 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Mogadishu — Hundreds of Somali demonstrators protested after Friday prayers in Mogadishu and a number of other towns in the war-torn Somalia against the Israeli raids on Gaza Strip in the Middle East.People chanted slogans against the Israeli bombing in Gaza calling for an immediate halt to the bombing which they say cause the death of innocent children, women and the elderly.Hundreds of people gathered outside the main Sheik Ali Sufi Mosque in Mogadishu, as religious leaders spoke about the suffering of the Palestinian people, saying the current situation in Somalia will never bar them from expressing their anger at what is happing in Gaza and sharing the pain with the people of Palestine.

Sheik Ibrahim Suley, one of the most prominent Islamic scholars in Mogadishu, spoke to the protesters outside the main mosque."We are against the killing of innocent people and we share the pain and suffering with the people of Gaza, because as Muslims we are as one body - if one part feels pains the whole body feels the pain," Suley told the protesters who burned the Israeli flag.In Beledweyne, the provincial capital of Hiran in central Somalia, people also took to the streets and condemned the attacks on Gaza calling the international community to intervene.Abdirahman Ibrahim Maow, senior local official in Beledweyne, spoke with the protestors and urged the people of Gaza be saved.In Jawhar, hundreds of people gathered in the local stadium and chanted anti-Israeli slogans and called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza were killed while nearly three thousand others were wounded including women and children in raids by Israeli fighter planes for nearly two weeks.Israel says it wants to stop fighters of Hamas from firing rockets into settlement posts close to the Gaza strip.

COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS AND ANALYSES

NORTH AFRICA

Egypt: Kinship With Fatah Hampers Mediation

Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani: 25 August 2008: INTER PRESS SERVICES NEWS AGENCY

Cairo — Following renewed fighting between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, Egypt has stepped up calls for dialogue and reconciliation. But critics say Cairo's partiality to Fatah -- which is backed, like the Egyptian regime itself, by the U.S. -- prevents it from mediating fairly in the crisis."The Egyptian government is very sympathetic to Fatah," Magdi Hussein, political analyst and secretary-general of Egypt's frozen Labour Party, told IPS. "For that reason, any new Egyptian attempt to mediate the dispute is doomed to failure."

On Jul. 25, five members of Hamas's military wing were killed when a bomb exploded on a crowded beach in Gaza. Hamas, currently party to a fragile truce between Israel and resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, blamed elements of the U.S.-backed Fatah movement for the attack.In the first days of August, Gaza City's al-Shejaeya district became the scene of open conflict between Hamas security forces and Fatah partisans suspected of involvement in the bombing. Dozens were arrested after a 48-hour battle involving the use of heavy weapons, while scores of Fatah supporters fled to the West Bank by way of Israel.Ever since, the rival factions have engaged in harsh crackdowns on suspected opponents throughout their respective territories.In the Gaza Strip, Hamas has arrested scores of Fatah personnel suspected of attempting to destabilise the territory. The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA), meanwhile, has retaliated in the West Bank by launching wide-ranging arrest campaigns targeting Hamas supporters, opposition figures and journalists.PA security agencies have also used the occasion to close down a number of Islamic-oriented schools, cultural centres and charitable institutions throughout the West Bank.In an effort to contain the crisis, Egypt, a traditional mediator of Palestinian infighting, has reiterated calls for reconciliation. Earlier this month, head of general intelligence Omar Suleiman -- Cairo's usual point man for Israel-Palestine security affairs -- reportedly invited leaders of both Fatah and Hamas to hold reconciliation talks under Egyptian supervision.

Despite rumours that both groups would soon dispatch delegations to Cairo to discuss their differences, however, these were soon dispelled. "Until now, we haven't received any invitation from Cairo," Hamas spokesman Sallah al-Bardawi was quoted as saying. Commentators, meanwhile, point out that Egyptian mediation attempts will be sorely undermined by Cairo's relative closeness to Fatah. "Egypt openly supports Fatah," Gamal Zahran, political science professor at Suez Canal University and independent member of parliament, told IPS. "This is primarily due to the fact that Cairo doesn't want to see Hamas become a successful example of Islamic governance in the region."According to Hussein, Egyptian attempts to arbitrate fairly in the dispute "cannot possibly succeed" until Egypt assumes the role of a genuinely impartial mediator."As it now stands, Egypt is completely biased towards Fatah, which itself has a close relationship with Israel," he said. Noting that "both Hamas and (PA President Mahmoud) Abbas were elected by the Palestinian people in 2006," Hussein added that "Egypt's national interest requires neutrality and the avoidance of taking sides."Critics point to the government's refusal to open Egypt's 14 km border with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip as further proof of official bias against the resistance group.Since its 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Israel has kept its borders with the enclave hermetically sealed. And for more than one year, the Egyptian government, citing the lack of a formal treaty regulating border protocol, has completed the strip's isolation by sealing its own border with the territory.

Often described by the western media as an "embargo", the de facto siege -- which enjoys the support of the both the U.S. and the EU -- has destroyed the Gaza Strip's economy and deprived many of its roughly 1.5 million residents of food and medicine."The Egyptian government is taking part in the siege and forbidding the entry of material aid into the starving territory," Hamdi Hassan, prominent MP for the Muslim Brotherhood opposition movement told IPS. Hassan went on to question how Egypt could pose as a neutral mediator in the dispute between Fatah and Hamas while at the same time being "utterly beholden to U.S. and Zionist dictates."Hamas has repeatedly offered to jointly reopen the Egypt-Gaza Rafah border crossing, but Cairo has consistently refused, saying it would deal only with "official and legitimate" authorities of the PA. Although the two- month-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas calls for the gradual reopening of the Gaza Strip's borders, this stipulation has yet to be implemented.One Hamas official has attributed the ongoing closure of the Rafah crossing to Egypt's "unmasked sympathy for the Fatah-run PA."But according to Zahran, official partiality towards Fatah is not the only thing hindering effective mediation by Egypt. "The Egyptian regime itself is facing domestic instability, and this has an impact on the effectiveness of its foreign policy," he said. "All things considered, Cairo's call for inter-Palestinian dialogue will most likely fail."

NO GOING BACK NOW : Khaled Amayreh: Al-Ahram

Israel may be seeking to destroy Hamas, but what it is actually doing is destroying any possibility for peace, writes Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah .

Despite official denials from the Israeli government, the central goal of the Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip may well be the elimination of the elected Hamas government and the reinstallation in power of the Western- backed Palestinian Authority (PA). From a purely military point of view, the removal of the Hamas authority in Gaza is not a particularly difficult task, given the immense superiority of Israeli firepower in comparison to the primitive means of defence that Hamas and all other Palestinian resistance factions possess. In fact, the ongoing Israeli blitz has already seriously weakened the government in Gaza, especially its ability to re-establish a semblance of normal life in the bombed-out coastal enclave and meet the basic needs of its thoroughly ravaged inhabitants.Indeed, with Gaza looking very much like Dresden in the closing months of World War II, reverting to the "status quo ante", which by no means was rosy given the harsh Israeli siege, will be too formidable a task for Hamas to tackle alone. In short, the horrific bombing of basic civilian infrastructure, including nearly all public buildings and basic facilities, will make the task of rehabilitating life in Gaza nearly impossible for any normal government, let alone a beaten organisation, strangled by Israel and hated by many in the international community.However, while a brief reoccupation of Gaza by the Israeli army would effectively spell the end of the Islamist government, Hamas would continue nonetheless to play a pivotal role in the Palestinian arena, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Some Israeli commentators have argued justifiably that Israel's real problems would begin the day after the Israeli army reoccupied Gaza. Israel, then, would be obliged to deal with and meet the basic needs of a hostile and embittered population. This task, these commentators say, will be anything but easy. Israel is likely then to face costly guerrilla warfare that could prompt the Israeli government to withdraw. Another possibility is that Israel might wait a few weeks until an "alternative" Palestinian authority could be installed in Gaza to replace Hamas. Such an authority would probably be backed and enforced by international or Arab (eg. Egyptian) troops that would help the new authority overcome any potential resistance from the populace, especially the numerous Hamas supporters.

Should Israel decide to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army would likely launch a witch-hunt campaign against Hamas's political and resistance leaders. And in order to give the Israeli public a clear sense of victory, the Israeli army might resort to publicly humiliating some of Hamas's leaders. Needless to say, such behaviour, despicable as it may be, would enormously boost the chances of Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni of winning a larger number of parliament seats in Israeli elections in February. This notwithstanding, Israel realises well that Hamas is not only armed resistance, homemade rockets and bearded ideologues delivering fiery speeches exhorting the Palestinian masses to keep up the struggle against their Israeli occupiers. Hamas has hundreds of thousands of supporters and followers in the occupied Palestinian territories and millions of sympathisers across the Arab and Muslim worlds. These supporters and sympathisers are already thoroughly incensed by the "holocaust" unfolding in Gaza.

Their frustration, one can safely argue, is likely to reach boiling point if Israel goes further in achieving its declared and undeclared goals in Gaza. Hence, should Israel bring the Hamas government down, Hamas would be forced, under pressure from its rank and file, to undergo a radical transformation that wouldn't auger well, neither for Israel nor for the PA, nor for the peace process.

According to some Islamist leaders who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly recently, Hamas, brutalised by the Israeli war machine and betrayed and abandoned by Arab regimes, may move politically and ideologically towards Al-Qaeda. This potential development could be justified on the grounds that the US-dominated international community won't allow home-grown Islamic political movements to flourish, and that the only alternative available to Islamic movements and Muslims in general would be a revolution that would topple existing regimes in the Muslim world that are at America's beck and call.

The predicted radicalisation of Hamas could also take the form of an early return to suicide bomb attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, not only in the Israeli- Palestinian theatre, but also all over the world. Manifest failure to reach a genuine peace settlement acceptable to a majority of the Palestinian people could very well reinforce and accelerate such a trend, also taking in other Palestinian factions such as the Islamic Jihad and some non-conformist elements within Fatah as well. Another scenario is the restoration of national unity, or a semblance of it, with Fatah. However, this possibility is largely predicated on how coherent and intact Hamas will be when the current Israeli campaign is over. That aside, there remain obstacles.

First, there are many within Hamas who view the PA leadership as a key accomplice in the Israeli campaign against Gaza. Hence, the thought of entering into a government of national unity with the PA would be bitterly rejected by many Islamist leaders, furious with the PA's alleged "treachery". Second, the PA itself, weak and dependent on foreign aid, is likely to come under strong Israeli and Western pressure to exclude Hamas from any prospective government until at least the Islamist group recognises Israel, which is unthinkable, all the more so now.Moreover, the inclusion of Hamas in a new national unity government would ensure that the PLO wouldn't reach a peace agreement with Israel, at least one that meets the minimum of Palestinian aspirations, including full Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967, agreement on Jerusalem and a just solution of the plight of Palestinian refugees.

Some commentators argue that one of the key aims of the Israeli blitz against Gaza is to neutralise any Palestinian position vis-à-vis any prospective Israeli-drafted settlement imposed on the weak and vulnerable PA leadership -- i.e. one that would be viewed as a shameful surrender by Hamas and a majority of Palestinians both at home and abroad.

Hamas, one can say, is unlikely to remain silent in the face of such a possibility.

MORE THAN CHALLENGE : Dina Ezzat:Al-Ahram

As the aggression on Gaza intensifies, Cairo -- for right or wrong -- has come under fire for its crisis management. But can the recent Egyptian-French initiative limit the damage, asks Dina Ezzat.

The past 48 hours were certainly ones for shuttle diplomacy on the Middle East. In two days, French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Sharm El-Sheikh, Ramallah, West Jerusalem, Damascus and Sharm El-Sheikh again. The objective that the French head of state has been trying to meet is all but identical with the Egyptian target: suspend the war on Gaza, if only for a few days.

The guidelines involved in the joint Egyptian- French initiative declared in Sharm El- Sheikh on Tuesday night by President Hosni Mubarak and his French counterpart are designed to give the Palestinians -- and not to the disadvantage of Israel -- a break: an immediate ceasefire to allow for the safe transfer of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, to be followed by talks leading to a truce. The ultimate objective is to resume the peace process. But when it comes to the peace process the devil is always in the details. For both the aggressor and the oppressed the details of the joint initiative are not exactly satisfactory. On Wednesday both Israeli President Shimon Peres and Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouq said they will study the initiative despite initial reservations.Israel does not feel that the initiative offers a horizon for the ultimate containment of Hamas. Hamas fears that a temporary ceasefire that might entail no more than a down-scale of hostilities for a few days would be used by Israel to expand the aggression. What Hamas wanted is a UN Security Council resolution that would bring about a permanent ceasefire and put an end to the siege. This is precisely what Israel does not want. As Al-Ahram Weekly goes to print, both Hamas and Israel are expected to offer a response to the Egyptian and French sponsors of the initiative. And as President Mubarak declared on Tuesday evening in Sharm El-Sheikh, an agreement by both sides would allow for Cairo to host representatives of both sides, along with those of the Palestinian Authority and may be other Arab and Quartet partners to start talks on a permanent truce. Whatever comes out of this initiative, for Egypt it was a clear sign of an attempt to end the Israeli aggression on Gaza. The aggression, Egyptian officials assess, has cost Egypt too much political damage and has in many ways left it with serious national security threats.

The challenge that Egypt is facing over the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza goes far beyond the containment of the situation on Egypt's border with Gaza or for that matter legal and efficient humanitarian management of the Rafah Crossing. As Israel's war on Gaza gets more brutal, Egypt is faced with harder challenges. Egyptian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, admit that the toughest concern is direct national security. The situation in Gaza is explosive, they say. Unanimously they add that when it explodes it will "explode in our face".

One obvious way for this "explosion" to occur is for the Rafah border to be breached, either as a side effect to Israeli air strikes on alleged tunnels in the area or as a result of deliberate Palestinian action to allow civilians to flee the air, sea and ground attacks that Israel is conducting against the densely populated and extremely impoverished Strip. It happened in January 2008, Egyptian officials acknowledge, and it could happen again, especially if ongoing diplomatic efforts -- to which Egypt is contributing all its strength -- fail to get Israel to agree to a ceasefire within the coming days. "Egyptian border guards could not have targeted Palestinians with bullets in January [2008] when they were escaping the harsh siege and it would be impossible for them to do this in a scenario whereby the Palestinian women and children would be escaping Israeli hell," commented one official who asked for his name to be withheld. Nonetheless, Egypt has been taking the necessary steps on the ground to prevent a new outbreak, though it knows that there are no guarantees. Concerning a possible influx from Gaza, officials have serious concerns over a prolonged stay of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. There are also concerns about the smuggling of arms into Egypt and the possible use of such weaponry to launch retaliatory attacks against national or foreign targets. Security has been stepped up and the zone nearing Rafah is continuously combed and monitored. Security, in its narrow sense, is not the only concern. There are also concerns in relation to stability. Demonstrations have taken place in Arish, near Rafah, to express frustration at the ongoing Israeli attacks. And there are concerns that such demonstrations could reoccur and expand. "As the war on Gaza prolongs, anger expands among Egyptians; and it is only predictable for a nation that has always associated itself with the Palestinian cause," commented the same official.

The prolonged Israeli war on Gaza, coming on the back of an 18-month siege that John Holmes, UN emergency relief coordinator, said has created a humanitarian disaster in the Strip, is also causing Egypt problems with Hamas. Since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007, Cairo has not been particularly subtle in its criticism of Hamas, or in its support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who is portrayed by Hamas as a sworn foe. For its contacts with Hamas to be severed by the Islamic resistance movement's open blaming of Egypt for its stance on the war on Gaza would have been, however, the last thing Egypt would have wanted. Egypt has been working hard to keep in touch with Hamas. So far, the Islamic movement has responded. Indeed, on Monday evening a small Hamas delegation was expected to arrive to discuss with Egyptian security and political officials the prospects and conditions for a ceasefire, a subsequent reopening of the Rafah Crossing, and the resumption of Palestinian national reconciliation dialogue that Egypt has been hoping to mediate between Hamas, Fatah and other secular and Islamist Palestinian factions.

However, while Cairo was preparing to receive this delegation, and while it has pressured Abbas to bow to Hamas demands for the Palestinian Authority to release Hamas elements arrested in the West Bank, which is under the control of Fatah, Hamas spokesman Mohamed Nizal publicly announced that it was the wish of Hamas for Turkey to be the mediator between the Islamic resistance movement, the rest of the world and Fatah. "In Turkey we have trust," Nizal said shortly after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced his commitment to convey Hamas's views to the UN Security Council and with regard to further political tasks.

If Egypt were to see Turkey taking over the Palestinian file it would not be amused. This would be a clear political loss for Cairo, which has been trying very hard since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression -- and before on many occasions -- to deny allegations of failure. Egyptian officials insist that the country's political value for many influential world quarters relates to a great deal to its stake in the Arab-Israeli struggle. The last thing Egypt wishes to see on the eve of the inauguration of a new US administration is a deterioration of its regional role, especially in relation to the Palestinian issue. "This is not coming round. There are challenges posed here and there, but Egypt is still on top of things," argued an Egyptian diplomat who simultaneously acknowledged the attempts of others, "Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey", to take the driver's seat on the Palestinian issue. For Egypt to ward off these security and political challenges it will need, officials admit, to act on two tracks simultaneously and promptly. The first is to speed up prospects of a ceasefire to days rather than weeks. In Sharm El-Sheikh Monday, President Hosni Mubarak pressed French President Nicolas Sarkozy and a European ministerial delegation to secure an immediate ceasefire putting an end to Palestinian bloodshed, and to prevent a looming humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Meanwhile, Egyptian diplomacy has been hard at work on the Arab and international levels to promote the renewal of a long-term "calm" between Israel and Hamas.

Egypt, however, is not willing to allow the presence of international observers on its side of the border with Gaza as part of any ceasefire package. Nor is it willing to allow for the operation of Rafah Crossing absent "some sort of presence" of the Palestinian Authority and European monitors on the Palestinian side of the border. Meanwhile, it is not planning to pull its ambassador from Tel Aviv or to expel Israel's ambassador in Cairo.

Yet intense diplomacy and scaled-up security may not prove sufficient, at least in the long term. Cairo is already faced with considerable Arab criticism. This week, the emir of Qatar indirectly criticised Egypt for its failure to open Rafah for the population of Gaza and for its failure to respond positively to his call for an emergency Arab summit. Syria boycotted an emergency meeting of the Arab parliament that convened at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League. On the home front, the Egyptian opposition is expressing disappointment over the refusal of Cairo to recall its ambassador to Israel, as Mauritania did Monday.

According to officials who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly, Cairo does not expect another front of confrontation to open, such as the south of Lebanon with Hizbullah, at this time. It does not, however, categorically exclude such a scenario transpiring, especially if Israel chooses to extend its war on Gaza for a few weeks. The economic consequences of such a development alone would be catastrophic for Egypt, which fears a further decline in its foreign currency revenues generated from tourism and the Suez Canal. "The focus now is to capitalise on the sense of interest that Hamas is clearly demonstrating in a ceasefire, and to offer Hamas and Israel a face-saving exit," commented an Egyptian source.

In this, Egypt is seeking all possible help. On Monday, Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister Hussein Haridi agreed to receive the Iranian charge d'affaires, Husseini Ragab. This meeting was green-lighted at a very high level, despite Egyptian frustration with Iran's open and harsh criticism of Egypt's management of the crisis in Gaza. Egypt is also accommodating US technical "assistance" in blocking "all" tunnels allegedly dug between Egypt and Gaza by Palestinians and sympathising Egyptians.

Meanwhile, on a ceasefire, progress appears slow. "Israel is determined to keep its war, at least for a while. This is the shared international assessment," commented an Egyptian source. "We all believe that there has to be a ceasefire, but so far we have not been able to get to that," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner following talks in Egypt with top officials. French President Sarkozy said that he is working with President Mubarak on a joint initiative that he will promote in Syria before taking it to the UN. The crux of this initiative is a ceasefire with guarantees that Hamas will not be in a position to fire rockets at Israel in the future, and that Israel would end its devastating siege of 18 months on Gaza.

WEST AFRICA

Nigeria: The Bloodbath in Gaza (1)

Douglas Anele: 11 January 2009

TEARS came thumbing down my cheeks as I watched the devastation of Gaza strip. In one instant an entire family was wiped out when their home was flattened by Israel's bombs. I thought to myself : when will the insanity between Arabs and Israelis in the Middle East stop, for goodness'sake? bitter animosity between Israel and her Arab neighbours intensified since the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967, which ended in Israel's favour. Thus, the conflict in the Middle East has continued for more than four decades. Its tap roots lie in remote antiquity and can be ultimately traced to fundamental differences in religious ideology.

On the present situation in Gaza, it can be argued that the current conflict between Hamas and Israel is a phase in the Middle East conundrum. The scope and ferocity of Israel's bombardment of Gaza is profoundly disturbing, and television pictures of death and destruction heart rending. As with all wars, the current one in Gaza has both remote and immediate causes. Seen within the broader context of the Middle East, the remote cause of the war can be traced to 1948 when the state of Israel was created. As a result, a lot of lands belonging to the Palestinians were ceded to Israel. Since its creation, Israel, staunchly backed by the United States, has fought several wars with Arab countries, and annexed more Palestinian territory to itself.

The immediate cause of the war was Hamas' refusal to renew a six-month ceasefire with Israel. The militant Islamic organization followed up its refusal by firing about 300 rudimentary rockets and mortar bombs to areas in southern Israel. It would be recalled that Hamas won legislative elections in 2006 with a landslide victory against the Fatah party, the moderate, relatively secular party of the late Yasser Arafat. Most Patestinians in Gaza do not necessarily accept the fundamentalist dogmas of Hamas. But they were disillusioned with Fatah, after a decade of failed peace negotiations with Israel and five years of bloody intifada (uprising).

They were also fed up with corruption by Fatah's party officials and their failure to coax Israel to a just settlement of the Palestinian conflict. Not to be forgotten is the fact that Hamas, before the elections, had provided some basic needs of the Palestinian people: it built schools and hospitals and gave some hope to the oppressed. But despite Hamas'legitimate victory at the polls, both Israel and the US refused to recognize the movement which they labelled a terrorist organization.

When Hamas took over Gaza from Fatah in 2007, Israel blockaded the tiny enclave. Israel's siege on Gaza was very strangulating; it made life there very difficult for Palestinians. Hamas, meanwhile, continued its repudiation of Israel. As the blockade of Gaza intensified, Hamas vented its frustrations by firing rockets at Israel. Israel retaliated by tightening its stranglehold, and attacked Hamas intermittently.

In November, 2008, even while the six-month truce brokered by Egypt between Israel and Hamas was in force, Israeli forces killed six Hamas gunmen accused by Israel of digging tunnels to launch attacks on it (Israel) and for smuggling arms into Gaza.

As usual, Hamas responded by launching a barrage of rockets. The scale and detailed execution of Israel's onslaught against Gaza suggest that Israel had planned "Operation Cast Lead" for months, long before the expiration of the shaky ceasefire with Hamas.

Israeli intelligence had identified scores of Hamas targets in the densely populated Gaza strip, where

1.5 million Palestinians, majority of who are refuges or their descendants, were crammed into the sandy territory about 40km long. Israel's officials claim that the current military operations in Gaza are aimed at liquidating Hamas in order to end, or drastically reduce, its attacks on southern Israel. To some extent this claim is justified, considering the fact that although the casualty figure from Hamas' attacks is low, the attacks have disrupted normal life in Israeli towns and villages in the south. However, there is legitimate concern that Israel, because of its superpower status in the Middle East, is using excessive violence and force in countering Hamas'largely ineffectual rocket and mortar attacks. Also, given that Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas of the world; civilian casualty is bound to escalate.

Hamas' rocket attacks are embarrassing to Israel. Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, defence minister, Ehud Barak, and foreign minister Tzipi Livini, are very economical with the truth when they claim that Israel's only desire with respect to Gaza is for quiet along the border. If the claim is true, why attack Gaza with such an overwhelming force? The truth of the matter is that Israel,backed by America, is committed to liquidating Hamas for good. For about three years, Israel had allowed only a trickle of humanitarian aid to enter the strip.

The situation in that area even before "Operation Cast Lead" was quite desperate for Palestinians. Israel's leaders failed to understand that its vastly superior military capability entails that it has a moral obligation to seek nonviolent peaceful resolution of its quarrels with a considerably weaker foe, Hamas. Israel could have ended the blockade of Gaza, and softened its hardline stance against Hamas to encourage moderate Palestinians for peace.

Of course, Hamas was wrong in hastily resuming full scale rocket attacks on Israel instead of looking for ways of extending the ceasefire. Nevertheless, Israel's government concentrated too much on the narrow negative enterprise of stamping out Hamas, rather than focusing attention on how to alleviate the sufferings of Gazans in order to promote a more clement atmosphere for constructing durable peace with Israel's Palestinian neighbours.

After all, as one analyst argued, the Palestinians Israel is bombing at the moment will be its neighbour when peace is restored. Peace and security for Israel can never be achieved by violent means. Indeed, as with Hizbullah in 2006, Hamas'resistance to Israel's unnecessary escalation of the conflict has the potential of radicalizing the region and undermining moderates who are opposed to Islamic fundamentalism.

Justice and fairness are the basic conditions of peaceful coexistence between individuals and countries. If the new American president, Barack Obama puts Israeli and Palestinian interests on equal pedestal in his attempt to resolve the Middle East problem, he is likely to achieve better results than his predecessor. Certainly, the powerful pro-Jewish lobby groups in America would oppose such a move.

Yet, I cannot see any reasonable chance of achieving sustainable peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours if Arabs continue to believe that America, the only country in the world that can influence Israel's foreign policy, is always ready to support Israel, no matter how wrong Israel's policies towards Arab countries might be. Obama has the charisma and character to bring a new lease of life to the Middle East peace process. He needs to study the situation very carefully and take pragmatic decisions based on justice, equity, sincerity of purpose and good conscience I am shocked by the unfeeling manner Israeli officials talk about the bloodbath in Gaza. It is as if the loss of Palestinian lives does not really matter - the most important thing is to destroy Hamas, no matter the number of Palestinian women, men and children killed in the process.

Any time I think of the unperturbed countenance of Tzipi Livni whenever she justifies the carnage in Gaza, I wonder whether she has forgotten the ugliness of the holocaust against her people by the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. On the basis of that abominable chapter in human history, Israel, of all nations, should be the country leading the world in campaigns for non-violent approach to conflict resolution in international relations, in campaigns for beating "swords into ploughshares." How can Israeli leaders authorize the disproportionate use of violence in Gaza, when the wounds inflicted on Jews by the the mentally deranged Nazis have not healed completely in many Jewish families?

Both Hamas and Israel can justify their actions. But justification for violence is ultimately futile, as the history of armed conflicts manifestly demonstrates. Jews pride themselves as God's chosen people. Millions of people all over the world believe it too. Israelites should urge their government to stop its unreasonable attitude to Hamas and open up Gaza for supplies to reach the people. Hamas should accept the reality of Israel's statehood, close ranks with other Palestinian groups and work for durable peace with Israel.

The "blame game" and lies by both sides are counter productive. It is a shame that descendants of the founders of the worlds most dominant religions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-cannot live peacefully with one another. The current crisis in Gaza is a wonderful opportunity for in Israelis and Arabs to put the doctrine of peace and love espoused by their religions into practice.

Comments by a reader:

While we condemn the massive loss of life especially of women and children in Gaza, it is important to point out that the real obstacle to peace in the region is fundamental Islamic extremists groups like Hamas and Hezbollah backed by Iran whose dogma is the destruction of Israel. Once these groups accept Israel's right to exist, the problem is almost solved. No nation, except Nigeria, stands by and watches while its citizens are terrorized by other countries. In this regard you will agree with me that what is happening in Gaza is a necessary evil. It is left for Gazans to do away with Hamas which has brought this untold hardship to them.

The bloodbath in Gaza (2)

Sunday, 18 January 2009

AS I argued last week, it is disappointing that the descendants of the founders of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have failed for decades to live in peace with one another. They have not practiced the supreme moral principle of forgiveness, which is recommended by the three religions. The Torah, Bible and Koran, in various ways recommend and extol the virtue of mercy, the spiritual value of “turning the other cheek.” However, both Palestinians and Israelis conveniently ignore this aspect of their religions, and consider it worthwhile to retaliate violently against each other. One of the reasons why there is world-wide justified condemnation of Israel in its bombardment of Gaza, is Israel’s disproportionate use of force.

Each country, including Israel, has a right to self defense, a right founded ultimately on the principle of self preservation. But to what extent should a particular country go in pursuit of this objective? It most be admitted that proportionality is a slippery concept, and is closely connected with the notions of just war. The idea is enshrined in treaties regulating the conduct of wars since the Hague Convention of 1907. Proportionality has two different meanings. On the reasons for going to war, jus ad bellum, the cause must be important enough to justify force; any good effect concomitant with the war must outweigh the inevitable pain and destruction.

In the actual conduct of war, jus in bello, any action must weigh the military advantage against the likely harm to civilians. Over the years, human rights law has evolved mostly in terms of jus in bello. Thus, the Geneva Conventions of 1949, set up four years after World War II, dealt mainly with the protection of non-combatants in wars between countries. In 1977, they were updated to include conflicts within countries. Sadly, Israel and its staunch ally, the United States, have not ratified the later protocols, although both countries tacitly accept the underlying principle that soldiers must avoid attacks which are likely to destroy or damage civilians and property, and which would be disproportionate to the concrete and direct military advantage expected. Violation of these principles, especially on a large scale as Israel has done, constitutes a war crime.

Any objective observer would easily realize that the Geneva Conventions have been breached by Israel in its present war on Gaza. Israeli leaders insist that its army tries all it can to avoid civilian deaths and that the use of overwhelming force against Hamas is legitimate and necessary for the deterrent effect. But the realities on ground in Gaza are disturbing.

Israeli forces are increasingly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. A typical example is the destruction of a school managed by the United Nations where people had taken refuge from Israel’s bombs. In addition, the scale and ferocity of Israel’s attacks on Gaza go far beyond what can be rationally defended as just retaliation for the crude, largely ineffectual, rockets Hamas has been firing into Israel. Indeed, there is evidence that Israel is abusing the use of white phosphorus, a substance that should be restricted purely for military targets, according to international law.

Hamas rockets

Therefore, although Hamas rocket attacks on Israel, no matter how justified for the militant organization, must be condemned, Israel deserves greater condemnation because its arrogant and rampant display of military power against a considerably weaker adversary is tantamount to crimes against humanity. It must be observed that proportionality in the justification for, and actual conduct of, war are closely interwoven. Israel’s apparent indiscriminate killing of civilians is beginning to rankle people all over the world, fueling skepticism as to whether Israel’s conduct of the war is really justified. Historically speaking, the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 led to the dispossession of Palestinians.

Through wars, Israel has stretched its boundary beyond what it was then. It follows that the Jewish nation is an occupying power in Palestine. The United States has played a very partial, pro-Israel role in the Middle East. Even, the latest effort by the Security Council to make the warring parties accept a truce did not receive the full backing of America, simply because out-going President G.W. Bush wanted Israel to demolish Hamas and achieve a regime change in Gaza before any ceasefire can come into effect. Israel and America have been accusing Iran of supplying arms illegally to Hamas.

Therefore, it appears that Israel is pummeling Hamas so hard in order to drag Iran into the conflict and use it as pretext to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the Jewish nation dreads so much. As I watched America’s Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, on television explaining why the United States' abstained from voting in favour of the ceasefire agreement crafted by the UN Security Council, I wondered about the unreasonable extent American leaders are willing to go in their blind support of Israel. The way I see it, a peaceful and just settlement of the intractable Middle East problem is impossible so long as America continues its fundamentalist support for Israel. Again, as long as the Arabs and Israelis believe that war is a viable option, death and destruction would continue in that troubled region.

Sometimes I wonder why the Middle East peace negotiations have achieved very little results thus far. I believe that the major problem is the atmosphere in which the negotiations are conducted. In most cases, both the Palestinian and Israeli representatives and negotiators discuss in the spirit of an athletic contest. What each side considers important is, not arriving at a just agreement in good faith, but its victory either in a propaganda performance for the rest of the world or in securing from the opposing side concessions which tilt the balance of power in what might seem a favourable direction.

The negotiators and mediators forget that the future of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis is at stake. The chief mediator, the United States, has repeatedly failed to be even-handed in its approach to the problem. Take for example what happened during the tenure of former president, Bill Clinton. Clinton invested a lot of effort in creating a road map for peace in the Middle East. In the Camp David summit of 2000, the weaknesses in peace negotiations for the region were noticeable. Although Yitzhak Rabin, the late prime minister of Israel, and the late Yasser Arafat leader of Palestinian Liberation Organization, were willing to make concessions, both were constrained by hastiness and desire to wrest favourable concessions from each other and claim victory.

Hence, they could not achieve tangible results during and after the summit. It is instructive to note that the members of Clinton’s peace team were Jewish, thereby putting a valid question mark on their neutrality on the issues at stake. For people worldwide who are motivated by humanitarian spirit, the bloodbath in Gaza has gone on for too long.

None of the feuding parties is absolutely right or absolutely wrong although, as I argued earlier, Israel, having the superior fire power in this unequal fight, has a higher moral burden to sincerely accept non-violent method for resolving its disputes with Palestinians. I also believe that the leadership of Hamas should come to terms with the fact of Arab disunity and Israel’s America-backed military superiority over Arab countries, and realize that the military option is counter productive. Given this scenario, Hamas should renounce violence and do whatever it can to be at peace with Israel. It would be nice if Israel for once makes genuine concessions to Palestinians by renouncing all territories it annexed since its confrontations with Arabs.

One of the psychological motivations for the intransigence of Israel and Palestinians is revenge mentality, especially by extremists on both sides. For instance, Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister, boasted that her country would retaliate if Hamas fires a single rocket to Israel after peace has been restored. This kind of attitude is completely reprehensible, because it means that even if a crude rocket from Hamas falls on a barren land in Israel without injuring anyone or damaging anything, Israel would be willing to kill Palestinians.

Comments by a reader:

• The need for peace in the middle east is one issue the world powers should address with all seriousness it deserved. Playing an ostrich mentality or extending blind support to ones allies would do the world no good as far as resolution of the crisis is concerned...

Nigeria: The Bloodbath in Gaza (3)

Douglas Anele: 25 January 2009: opinion

I REPEAT, going by what Israelis went through in the hands of the Nazis, Israel should be at the forefront in campaigns against war, against violence as a strategy for conflict resolution.

But with leaders like Livni, Olmert and Barak, Israel has not learnt any positive lesson from the holocaust. Killing Palestinians all over again may boost the egos of Israeli rulers.

However, it will help create and sustain future generations of Palestinians with deadly extremist views against the Jewish nation. There is no way a Palestinian child, when grown up, would feel kindly or have a loving attitude to Israelis, because they were responsible for the deaths of many Palestinians and the destruction of their property. One of the aftermaths of wars, any war, is the exacerbation of hatred among the warring groups, especially by the weaker side that lost out. Hence, although in the short run Israel may enjoy to some extent the deterrent effects of its bombardment of Gaza, it has to reckon with the probability that it has created more potential recruits to Hamas and other organizations which espouse Islamic fundamentalist views against Israel. This implies that no one knows the long-term consequences of Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

It is evident, from television pictures, that Gaza has been devastated. Some analysts put the figure for rebuilding the city at about two billion dollars. I suspect that when more facts about the destruction are unearthed, the cost would be higher. The most painful aspect is that over one thousand three hundred Palestinian and thirteen Israeli lives were lost in the conflict. These lives are utterly irreplaceable. The news of unilateral ceasefire declared by Israel, followed later by Hamas' own declaration, is a welcome development.

The immediate beneficiaries, by far, are hapless Gazans who are now living under conditions dangerously close to the Hobbesian state of nature. The Israelis living in the southern borders of Israel would also have some respite from Hamas'rocket and mortar fire. I sincerely hope that the tenuous ceasefire now in place would endure, and provide both warring parties with a good opportunity to work very hard for peace.

This time around, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators must learn from past mistakes and genuinely work for real rapprochement. History teaches that past peace negotiations carried out in the spirit of sports competition cannot lead to durable peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The problem now is that Israel's excessive use of force has reinforced Islamic fundamentalism in Arab countries and Palestine, and simultaneously weakened moderates among Arabs who are willing to accommodate Israel for peace.

Most people do not realize that the level of technological development of war has rendered war obsolete as a means of settling disputes between nations. History records the military exploits of Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Mai Idris Alooma, Napoleon Bonaparte etc. But the sum total of the deaths and destruction caused by these outstanding military personages and others before the 20th century are mere smithereens when compared with the damage weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arsenal, developed since the end of World War 1, can cause to human lives, property and the environment.

Military aircraft

In fact, a 25 year old pilot of the latest and most sophisticated military aircraft, by merely pressing buttons, can cause more destruction than Alexander the Great did in his heydays. Pilots of military aircraft should visit war zones after peace has been restored in order to have a first-hand appreciation of the damage they have caused by depressing or twisting those deadly buttons in the fighter jets they flew during wars. This takes me to the question of the legitimacy and morality of using war as a sensible means of setting disputes between countries. In the present system of things, with the nations of the world (led by the United States) spending more than a trillion dollars annually on arms and defense, any suggestion that war, given our globalized technological civilization is outdated, would sound very unrealistic. However, I do not see any other way humankind can ensure continuous unfolding of its potentials here on earth. Over the years visionaries have called for the cessation of war as a necessary precondition for optimum human development. In the 20th century, for instance, world renowned scholars and statesmen such as Arnold Toynbee, Bertrand Russell, Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein had espoused the philosophy of non-violence as the best weltanschauung for humanity. I wholeheartedly support humanists who see war as an evil that must be eradicated.

The loss of human life is tragic, and whatever can be done to stop senseless killings must be supported by those who cherish the continuation of our species on this chequered planet. Homo sapiens is the only species known to regularly kill its own kind on a massive scale without good reason. Of course animals, especially carnivores, kill other animals mainly for food. They rarely kill for killing sake, let alone members of their own variety, except in self-defense.

Human beings slaughter one another in larger numbers most often for very bad reasons - greed, megalomania, necrophila etc. I am a staunch believer in the notion that only a World Government with unequalled power over arms and basic natural resources can save humankind from ultimate perdition. I am painfully aware of the very difficult challenges of creating such a government. In a future essay, I will discuss the issue indepth. But Bertrand Russell, in Has Man a Future? provided useful insights into the subject. He argues that as presently constituted, the United Nations is defective in maintaining world peace principally because of the veto power exercised by powerful countries in the Security Council and the fact that individual countries still maintain the control of their armies.

Also, it is difficult for the UN to effectively enforce sanctions against powerful countries that ignore its resolutions. The most important reason why I support the idea of a World Government is that if such a body is properly founded, it can prevent war, especially amongst countries with highly developed armed forces. I believe that the technical problems of creating such a government are not more difficult than the scientific and engineering problems of building the Large Hadron Collider or cloning of humans. One of the arguments against the idea of one World Government is based on the sentiment of nationalism.

Those who argue on the basis of "pride in one's nation" forget the dangers of unrestricted freedom. Indeed, the reasons usually presented to justify unrestricted national freedom would exactly justify unrestricted individual freedom. Powerful states like America, Russia and Israel have rendered the United Nations impotent, because they possess vast armaments, and choose when to obey or disregard UN resolutions.

Thus, these countries, at present, have the privilege of killing people from other countries whenever they feel so disposed, although this liberty, according to Russell, is disguised as the heroic privilege of dying in defense of what is right and just. G.W. Bush's idea of "pre-emptive strike" against countries he unilaterally labeled "axis of evil" is a case in point. All over the world we hear of patriots who talk about dying for their country; they never talk of killing for their country.

The most important task facing humanity today is to create a World Government that would initiate and enforce a programme of "turning swords into ploughshares". If the task is accomplished, then the paradise which prophets, seers and preachers have dreamed about for ages would be truly realized here on earth. Concluded

Nigeria: Gaza - Finding the Voice of Protest

Is'haq Modibbo Kawu:15 January 2009:opinion: DAILY TRUST

"The bombs are hitting Palestinian Arabs, Muslims and Christians, our fellow human beings as well as brothers and sisters in the faith; mosques and churches are in danger....Nothing can justify the scale of killings that we have been witnessing, the prevention of adequate medical attention to the thousands injured, the starving and slow strangulation of a whole people"- NIREC

This week, Nigeria witnessed one of the most important statements in recent times about the impact of a crisis in the international system and its reverberations into Nigeria's own fractured political life. The reason for this statement from the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) is the frankly criminal and deliberate massacre and collective punishment of the Palestinian people by the racist, Zionist state of Israel. It is significant that the body led by the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will for the first time, jointly present a view, which reflects the genuine indignation of people around the world.

It is significant because some of the most steadfast supporters of the Zionist state have been Nigerian Christian groups who have a very literal reading of the bible which is now extrapolated to the Zionist state. I have received several texts in the past, whenever I have had cause to criticise the policies of the Zionist state, in respect of the plight of the Palestinian people. Often acerbic and couched in fundamentalist religious language, the Nigerian Christian supporters of Israel would interrogate why I thought a state which drew its "legitimacy" from the bible should ever be criticised. So the spectacle of massacre, collective punishment of Christian Palestinians and their Muslim cousins never bothers their Nigerian co-religionists who erroneously believe that every Arab is Muslim, and he extrapolates Nigerian religious politics into a support for the crimes of the Israeli state. This has been ruthlessly exploited by the Zionists for years in Nigeria, as indeed in other parts of the world. So by jointly issuing a denunciation of the crimes that Israel is daily perpetrating in Gaza, our religious leaders have provided us the opportunity to claim our humanity in a profound manner, including the religious/spiritual dimension of that humanity. Contrary to the propaganda of Zionist Israel and the unconditional backing which it receives from the leading imperialist countries and their media, it is the Palestinians that are at the receiving end of injustice and the inhuman viciousness of the Israeli war machine. The world is expected to acquiesce in crimes that recall the barbarity of the Nazis in the Jewish ghettoes of Warsaw during the Second World War with the carpet bombing of city blocks, the killing of women and children and the same line of justification that they brought the suffering upon themselves for supporting resistance! We should also note that Israel for the umpteenth time chose to ignore relevant United Nations Resolutions as it has always done; of course, with the backing of the only hyper- power, US imperialism, it will not even get a mild rap on the knuckle. This is the pattern that we are likely to see under the coming Obama presidency, as many analysts have pointed out in recent weeks. It is not a surprise that Obama suddenly became a deaf mute, when it was time to denounce Zionist crimes against Gaza!

Another issue of interrogation for me in this narrative is the need to begin to nurture the culture of democratic dissent in Nigeria. In the wake of the Gaza killings, I have received many SMS texts asking us to recite certain verses of the Qur'an in aid of the Palestinian resistance. That might serve useful spiritual ends without question; but beyond that, we have to begin to build campaigns of boycott of goods and also the exercise of the right to demonstrate on our streets against all forms of injustice. During the anti-apartheid struggle, a massive movement of boycott of the economy of the racist state helped to hasten its end. So why have we not been talking of boycotting Israel if it continues in its ways? There have also been such demonstrations in England, France, the USA, the Muslim world, Kenya and even within the state of Israel itself! These manifestations are the hallmark of democratic dissent which constitutions, including the Nigerian, guarantee the citizenry. It is also true that it is one right which the state in Nigeria has been loath to accept as legitimate, using the Public Order laws to curtail or brutally suppress. If we want to deepen democracy in this land, then citizens should organise to actively construct platforms of dissent which assist us to build coalitions which go beyond primordial issues that more often than not, end up being used for very reactionary, anti-people ends.

By coming together to denounce the Israeli crimes in Gaza, our religious leaders have done a remarkable service for all of us which could open new possibilities for our collective understanding of the world we live in; they are opening apertures on how our humanity can be enhanced when we learn that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere! What religious difference can deaden any soul to the suffering of the children and mothers and old men of Palestine? What sentimental affinity can excuse or justify or support the death of almost 1000 people and the injury of about 5000 others in 17days of brutal attacks by one of the strongest armies in the world; a defenceless people really, who have no army, no armour, no anti-aircraft batteries; nothing! I feel truly proud and happy that Sultan Sa'ad Abubakar and Bishop John Onayekan spoke on my behalf and expressed my disgust at the crimes being committed in Gaza by the Zionist state of Israel. That is the way it should be; we must be able to feel and denounce injustice visited on any human on the surface of the earth!

Two interrogations for President Yar'adua At the weekend, a newspaper reported an ethnic community organisation as requesting the president to resign; the reason it gave was that up till now, Yar'adua has not visited Jos, despite the killing of hundreds of Nigerians in the recent tragic episode. It is also true, that President Umaru Yar'adua has not visited the Niger Delta, even as a symbolic gesture, to see for himself, what the people there are going through, and learn firsthand, the root of the rebellion, as one would expect of our servant leader. What puzzles me, is that the outings our president has attended with so much effusiveness are when some governor crosses over into the PDP, as happened in Zamfara recently; or when a re- election will take place and the PDP/INEC Siamese of electoral malpractices, needs the public imprimatur of the president. It's a trend that I have noticed over a period.

The second interrogation is related to a point of law and in that matter I am a lay man. The point is even subjudice, but I have been worried sufficiently to raise the interrogation. It is about the ongoing court case between mister president and LEADERSHIP newspaper. The media reported earlier this week, that the president told the court, that notwithstanding Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, the law permits him, the president, to sue in his personal capacity. The reader might remember that LEADERSHIP newspaper is facing a criminal case instituted by the president. Now if we accept that our president can sue in his PERSONAL capacity, and we must, then he will have to answer a few questions for rank and file citizens of Nigeria, like this reporter. One, if he can sue in his PERSONAL capacity, why did he use the SSS and other security outfits to harass the LEADERSHIP newspaper team? Similarly, why is an action in his PERSONAL capacity being pursued by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice?

Curiouser and curiouser still, you will admit with me. In the undeveloped world, it seems an impossible task to separate the state from the whims of the leader; that is why state institutions remain in a pathetic state of deformity and underdevelopment. The state is unable to develop that critical autonomy which helps the legitimacy of ruling class projects. That conflating of the state into the personal preferences of the ruling elite or the individual heading the regime alienates the state from the people and opens the state to forms of crime that dog the state in most parts of the underdeveloped world. The state and its institutions are used to facilitate theft, corruption and the cheapening of the lives of the citizenry. In turn, citizens find all ways possible to survive the privatization and criminalization of the institutions of the state by a lumpen ruling class. This is a serious problem which can undermine the state in the long run. It is also one of the sure routes to the emergence of tendencies of a failed state in many of our countries. Now, you know where my interrogations are sourced from!

A MILLION BOMBS CANNOT MAKE ISRAEL RIGHT: Dr. Tajudeen Abdulraheem :Daily Trust

All lovers of freedom must SAY NO TO ISRAEL'S massacre of Palestinians. On Saturday 3rd January 2009, defying the atrocious cold weather ravaging Britain at the moment I joined several thousand other protesters marching from Embankment to Trafalgar Square in London to protest the massacre of Gaza Palestinians by the mighty merciless Israeli Army armed and actively supported by the US/NATO with the supine collaboration of Arab Leaders including the so called moderate Palestinian leadership under the main Fatah organisation from its Bantustan enclaves in the West Bank.

There were initial fears that the cold will deter many from turning up but so deep is the outrage of many that they poured out in thousands in all the major cities of Britain calling for immediate ceasefire and an end to the blockade and finding a lasting peaceful solution that recognise the right of both Palestinians and Israelis to exist in viable states with dignity. Neither the organisers nor the wider protesters thought that their marches will produce an immediate result or that the powers that be in their own government or Israel will take note of their demands. Over a million British people protested against Blair paying cheer leader to Bush in the unlawful invasion (based on blatant lies) of Iraq but it did not stop the poodle from standing shoulder to shoulder with the Texan cowboy. The point is that protests need not have immediate impact; they could have a cumulative effect in changing public view and causing political changes. Think of the many marches, demonstrations, one man strikes, hunger strikes, work to rule , etc across South Africa and outside in support of the liberation of the country from apartheid at a time when many including Africans thought the system was impregnable. But the will, determination, sacrifice by the peoples of South Africa and Pan African and international solidarity tore down the apartheid dungeons. No force on earth can defeat a people's yearning for liberty and freedom. The protests against the Gaza massacre are an expression of solidarity. They are individual actions stating that the powerful countries may be backing Israel as indeed they supported apartheid South Africa and other countries may have been silenced by Zionist censorship. The protesters are saying: Not in my name. While I may not be able to do much to stop the bombs from raining down on innocent children, women and men at least in my heart I know it is wrong and on my lips and limbs I protest the injustice. Israel has successfully intimidated even the most powerful countries and leaders with its propaganda that the crimes against humanity that it is committing have been forced on to it because Hamas has been throwing rockets at Israeli cities. From Bush to Brown, every Western Leader who has spoken out has blamed Hamas for causing the massacre. While every unlawful loss of life whether Palestinian or Israeli is unjustifiable, but all the same why can we not compare like with like? How many Israelis have these crude rockets killed? And how many Palestinians have so far been murdered en mass by Israel? How can it be fair that Israel uses caterpillar to kill flies? By the time we folded our banners in Trafalgar Square Israel had invaded with ground troops and its army has been on rampage since Saturday. The images of murderous and blood thirsty politicians like the Foreign Minister of Israel, Livini, well dressed and even with smiles are inflicted on our TV screens justifying the massacre of children and women while her rival politicians including Netanyahu and Ehud Barak who, if there is justice should have been declared war criminals based on their bloody career are ecstatic at the huge number of casualties in Gaza and threatening more. Meanwhile the UN secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon called for immediate ceasefire and suggested that Israeli response was disproportionate but who is listening? All Bush will say is that Hamas should stop sending it's largely symbolic rockets and dare not ask for Israeli restraint. In the midst of the Israeli military political, diplomatic and propaganda hegemony it is so easy to forget that Hamas won a parliamentary election and defeated Al Fatah. You may not like them but it is up to the Palestinians to change them, not Israel, not the Arab leaders, the US or anybody else. They had been hoping that the blockade will strangle Hamas but instead their support has grown. When would Israel and US learn that you cannot help a people through strangulation? You cannot bomb your way to the hearts and mind of your victims. To paraphrase Mahatma Ghandi, Israel will have many Palestinian dead bodies to add to those it had killed since 1948 but it will never have their obedience. It is not enough for us to just look on and say to ourselves that what is going on is bad and change the channels. You can join the protest or organise one wherever you may be, write letters to newspapers and utilise feedback sessions in the media. You can also boycott Israeli goods in the shops like Jaffa orange. Even if our governments like their Arab counterparts are too compromised and cowardly to stand up to Israel what about you and me? There are many Africans who are confusing themselves about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict believing it to be Islam vs. Judaism or Arab vs. Jew.

As a people who have known slavery and colonialism/apartheid how can we be so complacent about the right of others to a life of dignity and sovereignty over their own affairs. Palestinians are not dangerous but they are endangered by their powerful neighbour supported by the most powerful nations on earth and the collaboration of other leaders in the Arab world and outside.

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Why Israel's Moral Argument Bombs

Eusebius McKaiser: 16 January 2009: opinion: BUSINESS DAY Johannesburg — Israel’s claim that it is acceptable to bomb schools and mosques because they are used by Hamas to store and launch rockets betrays sloppy moral thinking.

Given the inherently emotive and divisive nature of this conflict, an important qualification is critical. My aim is not to adjudicate between the antagonists, Israel and Hamas. The moral criticism I develop targets, instead, a very specific element of the conflict - Israeli officials' publicly articulated argument for targeting schools, mosques and other civic buildings. These officials persistently claim that it is obviously morally acceptable to attack civic structures.

Why? Because Hamas uses them for storing and launching rockets.

As yet, I am agnostic on whether in fact such tactics by the Israelis are, ultimately, morally justified. But what should be crystal clear to any reflective moral agent is that Israel is waspishly - and wrongly - dismissing the moral complexities involved in choosing military tactics that will foreseeably lead to civilian deaths. Here is why.

First, it is morally relevant to recognise the lack of consensus on the facts. Some of the medical personnel who have attended to the wounded in schools and mosques have denied coming across stored rockets or Hamas militia. Israel claims otherwise. We can only surmise, therefore, that the Israeli decision to attack these civic structures is based on unverified claims about what lurks behind their walls. When we mix the fact of this imperfect information with the certainty that innocent people will be killed if one attacks civic structures, the moral calculus counts against the claim that it is obvious that one should bomb the schools and mosques.

Second, let us assume for the sake of argument that Israel's suspicions are right. Assume that Hamas is, in fact, hiding rockets in every single school and mosque and university residence and police barracks in Gaza. For good measure, also assume that Hamas is relying on the potent propaganda effect that the death of the human shields -- innocent civilians, that is -- would have on international opinion. Do these assumptions obviously change the moral calculus in favour of Israel's military tactics? No .

Consider two analogies, one remote to the conflict and another more demonstratively similar. They give us ethical clarity from different directions. Imagine a mad man enters a shopping mall and randomly starts shooting people. He holds two kids under his arm as a shield. You have a gun but you are not a sniper who could guarantee only injuring the mad man if you shot at him. There is a real chance the kids could be hurt, fatally even. Is there an obvious moral intuition that kicks in that says, "The mad man is immorally using the kids as a shield. Tough luck, kids, I have to protect myself and other shoppers"? The reasonable reaction, surely, is to despair because of the moral complexity that the situation forces on you. You should experience deep moral anguish about what to do, regardless of how you decide to act, in the end. Consider a real, but trickier, analogous case. There are imperfect, but not unreasonable, claims that al-Qaeda leaders such as Osama bin Laden are lurking somewhere in Afghanistan. We know that they have killed innocent Americans, and other citizens, through their unjustified terror acts. They are also likely to strike again. Is it morally obvious that the US should flatten the entire country, regardless of the "collateral damage", just because the actions of al-Qaeda are inherently unethical? No.

In fact, the US itself (often carelessly, of course) tries to spin a complex justification for the Afghanistan offensive, and at least pretends to grapple with the morality of its military tactics in Afghanistan. This is not to say that the US succeeds in these efforts (in fact, it probably fails). But, the US at least pretends to recognise the normative, moral work that must be done to justify tactics that guarantee the deaths of innocents.Israel, by comparison, is exemplary of a vicious moral agent. It refuses to experience the moral anguish of the shopper with the gun. It refuses to at least mimic a virtuous moral agent by pretending to be seeking military tactics that will minimise civilian losses.Put bluntly, Israel is too arrogant to engage the moral complexities of the stark choices it faces. It helps, of course, that a powerful Israeli lobby in the US is able to diminish the moral consequences of Israel's actions. Ironically, Israel would be more likely turn around at least some of the continued international condemnation it faces if it demonstrated greater moral self-examination of its military tactics.

This analysis does not imply that Hamas's rocket launches are, in their turn, morally defensible. All acts of terror are unethical. Nor, in fact, does the analysis offered here prove that there can be no convincing moral argument constructed in favour of Israel's tactics. Just-war theorists, and other moral philosophers, might be able to cook a more convincing ethical stew than Israeli politicians and civil servants. The conclusion of this analysis is, nonetheless, critical and thus far absent in the unfolding public discourse about this conflict.It is this: the unreflective assertion by Israel that its military tactics are ethically self-evident is mistaken and callous in its glibness. We need more convincing moral argument (if indeed that is possible) to get us to Israel's conclusion. Virtuous moral agents show anguish at the prospect of killing innocents. Israel, by contrast, is clearly vicious.

McKaiser, a political and social analyst at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, is a moral philosophy graduate.

Israel invades Palestine, what has Botswana to say?

EDGAR TSIMANE: Mmegi Online

Today (Tuesday) marks the 11th day of Israel's bloody disproportionate attack on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The world watches in horror at television footage that shows a genocide unfolding as Israel bombards some 1.5 million Palestinians daily in the densely populated Gaza Strip with bombs, rockets, mortars and other imaginable warfare. Over 500 people including more than 80 children have been killed and just under 3,000 others have been wounded. Norwegian doctors are reported as having said that the bombs dropped in Gaza had traces of depleted uranium, a chemical with long- term health effects on humans.

Many countries of the world have refused to buy the unconvincing story by Israel, which sought to justify its invasion. Israel claims civilian casualties could have been avoidable had Palestinian civilians heeded warnings to leave their homes. She claims her attack on Hamas is a retaliatory act. How depressing!

The biggest unanswered question perhaps is: Where on Gaza soil are maimed civilians supposed to run to when the Palestinians are already in Israeli captivity as it is? Children were pounded while they played in their homes. Shopping complexes and Mosques have been bombed and so were ambulances carrying those whose lives were held on a thread. Muslims in the Middle East have condemned Israel's incursion on Palestinian land. Away from the Middle East though, Senegal and South Africa are some of the African countries that have openly condemned Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip and they have called for the immediate withdrawal of Israel from Gaza. Notable too is that, at last, countries such as France as well as the Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Norway have joined the chorus of world leaders and civil organisations that are disgusted by the recent actions of Israel's despicable act of terror to withdraw from Gaza.

Sadly, the United States, an ally of Israel has, rather predictably, blocked the United Nations (UN)'s Security Council statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza. The US secretary of state, Condolezza Rice has blamed the humanitarian crisis on Hamas. There she was, standing tall, as she repeated the tired US line that Israel has the right to defend herself.

Sadly too, Rice failed to acknowledge that equally, Palestinians have the right to self- determination and the right to put an end to an Israeli occupation in their territory by any means necessary.

At any rate, the UN and not the US declared apartheid as a crime against humanity. Isn't the sorry sight that we see in Gaza and the West Bank a crime against humanity? Why must different strokes be applied on different folks? If the out-going US President George W.Bush is really human enough, how does he feel when he sees the sight of the grisly footage of dying women and children in Gaza? Does he see the faces of dying women and children with blood oozing from their bodies inflicted by war machines?

The US and the UK have with much vigour condemned Zimbabwean despot, Robert Mugabe for atrocities he continues to commit against the people of Zimbabwe. Shouldn't the same apply to Israel? The peoples of the world are angry that the UN has become the tool of the US. However, the question we should be asking ourselves here at home is: What does this mean for our continuous silence? Even as a country we have diplomatic ties with countries with this disproportionate attack on the Palestinians which is clearly in breach of international law? Botswana has before invoked the services of the Israelis in the recent past. For instance, the NAMPAAD was inspired by our interaction with Israelis in our futile efforts to maximise food production in the country. Botswana has - and probably still does - buy military hardware from Israel. President Ian Khama ought to come out clearly and spell out his position regarding Botswana's ties with Israel. Surely, if he subscribes to world peace, democracy, development and dignity, he cannot allow our country to be counted among states which support a rogue state, which has no religious and racial tolerance. We cannot support a state, which wants to wipe out other citizens of the world from the earth on the basis of the colour of their skin. The least Khama can do is to at least categorically condemn the recent act by the Israeli military. Khama's silence in condemning Israel over her latest atrocities on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will further put the president under scrutiny. The likely question is: Is the president with other African leaders and the rest of the world who have condemned Israel or is he with the US and her allies in the West?

Surely what happens outside our country in this age of globalisation and all the ills that go with it has both a direct and indirect bearing on our lives.

Gaza war: clergy, Odinga hypocrisy exposed

Philip Murombedzi :Thu, 08 Jan 2009 :THE ZIMBABWE GUARDIAN

THE war in the Middle East, in Gaza to be precise has been spared by many critics whom we have seen raise their heads in the Zimbabwean situation. The silence from the men of cloth: Archbishops John Sentamu and Desmond Tutu is almost deafening. We have also not heard any comments from many of those people who called for armed invasion in Zimbabwe; including Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

It is ironic that the Archbishop of York, Sentamu in February 2003, while thousands marched in London, led church-wide protests in Birmingham against the invasion of Iraq. “There is no moral basis for a military invasion of Iraq,” he said at the time. In his eyes Saddam Hussein was a Santa type figure for Iraqis, but he fails to call for such protests against the wanton killing of innocent civilians in Gaza. Even the UN has spoken against the shelling of its school where 400 innocent civilians perished overnight. In 2007, Archbishop Sentamu led Easter Prayers for the safety of BBC's Alan Johnston from captivity in Gaza. When Johnston was released alive, Sentamu pounded an African drum to celebrate Johnson’s release. “I just wanted to say ‘Alleluia!’… This is the best news we’ve had for a long time,” he declared then. Note he said: "We have heard". Who is "we"?Last year, Archbishop Desmond Tutu undeterred, made a forced rare crossing into Gaza from Egypt where he had been sent by the UN council to investigate the Israeli shelling of a house in Gaza, despite Israel's attempts at gagging him.

He emerged from his interviews in what he described as a state of shock and called for an end to the "abominable" Israeli blockade of Gaza. He later reported to the UN there was a "possibility" that the shelling was a war crime.After calling for a military invasion of Zimbabwe, just a few weeks ago, it would be out of place for the Archbishop to repeat such a feat; otherwise it would be hypocritical.Surely Archbishop Tutu finds it difficult to now call the current illegal Gaza offensive a war crime, because of his hardline position on Zimbabwe. He has lost his independence to make informed commentaries. The statement from the Botswana Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Phandu Skelemani, in response to Israel's disproportionate attack on Gaza, left a lot to be desired. He said: "The Botswana position is that we don't need war." “War has never brought any solution to problems. The downside about war is that it affects innocent elderly people, women and children, not those who initiate it".

This was an immediate turnaround from a country that only a few weeks ago was on BBC’s Hard Talk programme calling for military action against, and economic isolation of Zimbabwe.The minister, even interrupted his holiday in his native North East District, to emphasize Botswana's view that both parties "must learn to talk" to resolve their differences – something he desires for the Middle East, not his own African continent.

"If people have mouths and brains but decide to fight, then there is real poverty in their thinking," he said in an ironical twist on his own suggestion of war against Zimbabwe. "Neither Israel nor Gaza will disappear if both parties engage in dialogue, as opposed to war," he said.Kenyan Prime Minister, Odinga was caught napping after making noises about the need for war in Zimbabwe.Hundreds of protestors gathered outside Nairobi's Jamia Mosque after Friday prayers, calling Prime Minister Odinga to cut ties with Israel as a sign of Kenya's commitment to human rights. "Over 400 Gazans were killed. Where is our ... prime minister? Why are they not speaking about what is happening to Palestinians in Gaza?" said Sheikh Al Amin Kimathi, the chairman of Kenya's Muslim Human Rights Commission."Kenya must denounce its relationship with Israel. We call upon the government of Kenya to close Israel's embassy in Nairobi," he added.

Odinga failed to issue a single statement against Israeli attacks. This would have put in direct confrontation with President George W. Bush who blames Hamas for the conflict in the Gaza area. Odinga's lack of response was, therefore, not surprising.Maybe it is important to remind our leaders that the societies they try to please will never fully accept them and they should start to get realistic about how to solve African problems.Archbishop Sentamu should know better. Many times he has encountered Britain's uglier, racist face. The very first time he took a funeral, the son of the deceased asked: "What has my father done to be buried by a black monkey?" In the 1980s, the National Front tried to burn down his house. When he lived in London, he was stopped by the Metropolitan Police six times in eight years under their stop-and-search policy. Yet, he still tries hard to use arguments against his own people to advance Western interests.

TIME FOR SOUTH AFRICA TO BOYCOTT APARTHEID ISRAEL : Bilal Randeree : The Mail & Guardian

President Kgalema Motlanthe, in his New Year's message to the nation, joined the UN Secretary General in calling for the immediate stop to the Gaza attacks. He added, "The sheer savagery of the attacks launched by Israel against the residents of Gaza serves to conceal the fact that underlying this conflict is the reasonable demand for both peoples (Palestinians and Israeli's) to live together in peace and prosperity within their internationally recognised homelands.""It's the most terrifying place I've ever been in," the late Edward Said once said of Gaza. "It's a horrifyingly sad place because of the desperation and misery of the way people live. I was unprepared for camps that are much worse than anything I saw in South Africa."

Gaza is said to be the world's largest open-air prison, with one and a half million people squashed into an area 45km long and 10km wide, and Israeli military controlling its air space and borders. Over 80% of the population are refugees denied their legal right to return to the homes and lands from which they were expelled in 1948. This is the history of the story of Gaza: that the people who ended up on the beaches of Gaza don't come from Gaza, but come from the very land whose more recent owners have now bombed them to death.

Watching Western news reports, one could not be blamed for thinking that history began yesterday, when a bunch of bearded anti-Semitic Islamist lunatics suddenly popped up in Gaza and began firing missiles into peace-loving, democratic Israel, only to be met with the defensive actions of the Israeli army, the fourth most powerful military in the world.

"Sometimes also civilians pay the price," said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and now with the land offensive in full force, we hear that almost 600 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli attacks, including more than 200 children & 60 women. Since 2001, fewer than 20 Israelis have been killed by Qassam rockets. But as a Zionist supporter, defending the outrageous Palestinian death toll, said it was "pointless to play the numbers game".

In January 2008, UN Special Rapporteur John Dugard stated, "a distinction must be drawn between acts of mindless terror, such as acts committed by Al Qaeda, and acts committed in the course of a war of national liberation against colonialism, apartheid or military occupation. While such acts cannot be justified, they must be understood as being a painful but inevitable consequence of colonialism, apartheid or occupation."

Israeli and Palestinian violence can in no way be viewed as symmetrical - individual Palestinians have chosen to resist their occupiers with largely ineffective home-made rockets, while the Israeli state has responded by collectively punishing the captive population that it illegally occupies. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, collective punishment is a war crime. As the occupier, the burden is on Israel to end its state violence.

President Kgalema Motlanthe went on to add, "The current Israeli aggression proves the folly of the notion of ‘waging the war to end all wars'. War begets war. The UN Security Council must act now to save lives and to create peace. Peace means more than absence of war ... peace means the right of self-determination, it means eradication of hunger and poverty, it means free trade. It means the right to life."

South Africa must sever diplomatic ties with Israel and implement sanctions against it until Israel complies with international law.

ISRAEL DEFEATING ITSELF IN GAZA : Gideon Rachman :Business Day

BY SENDING ground troops into the Gaza Strip, Israel has crossed a line that brings it perilously close to strategic failure. Just as with the Lebanon war of 2006, an air bombardment has failed to stop rocket fire into Israel - and has been followed by a ground invasion. The Israeli government says it has learnt the lessons of its stalemated war with Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia. Gaza is more hospitable terrain than southern Lebanon; Hamas is militarily weaker than Hezbollah; Israel is better prepared and is using new tactics.

Maybe so. But what are Israel's strategic needs? The first is the protection of Israeli citizens; the second is the re-establishment of Israel's deterrent power; the third is the preservation of international support; and the fourth some prospect of durable peace. Each one of these objectives is now in peril.By sending the army into Gaza, Israel has ensured that it will lose many more lives than the four killed by Hamas rockets in the year before the conflict started. It is, of course, the job of the military to take casualties to protect civilians. But Israel's is a citizen army. The point has not been lost on the Israeli public. A poll that was taken early in the conflict found more than 70% support for bombing Gaza - but just 20% support for a ground invasion.The Israeli government may feel that the loss of life, on both sides, is justified if it can stop the rockets and restore the deterrent power that was damaged in Lebanon. But this is a gamble that could easily backfire. As Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, put it a couple of days ago: "Let's say we unilaterally stopped and four days from now a barrage fell on Ashkelon.... Do you understand the consequences for Israeli deterrence?" But that means that a battered Hamas just has to find a way to keep firing rockets into Israel to claim some sort of victory. And even if Israel succeeds in stopping the rockets for now, any future regional enemy now knows how best to taunt Israel and delight its enemies: rockets.

Then, there is international opinion. In the early stages of the campaign, Israel got a relatively easy ride. Among western governments there was widespread acceptance of the argument that no state can tolerate regular assaults of the sort that peppered southern Israel. And Hamas has few friends among Arab governments.But international sympathy is predictably crumbling away as the death toll mounts. Arguments about what is a "proportional" response to Hamas's rockets seem legalistic, next to the simple fact that more than 700 Palestinians have died so far, compared with five Israelis. The European Union is now demanding a cease-fire. Israel has so far been able to rely on the usual rock-solid support from the US government. But even that could eventually change. A recent opinion poll showed that Democratic Party voters were opposed to the Israeli attack on Gaza by a margin of 22%. It is not inevitable that president-elect Barack Obama will reflect the views of the rank and file of his party. But neither is it inevitable that he will ignore them.Then there are the Palestinians - who will still be Israel's neighbours after the bloodletting has stopped. Israeli official rhetoric suggests that the government hopes a massive attack on Gaza will turn the population against Hamas. But violence against Israelis has always made public opinion there more hawkish. Why should the Palestinians be any different? The Israelis sometimes suggest that their ultimate goal is in fact to displace Hamas, rather than simply to stop the rockets. But any new Palestinian government that rode to power on the back of Israeli tanks would be maimed from the start.The Israeli government may acknowledge the force of some of these objections. But its response is that it had no alternative. Hamas is a terrorist organisation that forced Israel's hand.In fact, there was an alternative that was never tried: relax the blockade of Gaza in return for a renewal of the cease-fire that ran out in December. Israel appears to have done the opposite. In November the blockade became harsher, putting serious pressure on the supply of food and fuel into Gaza.Ending the blockade of Gaza in return for a cease-fire remains the best option - for both humanitarian and strategic reasons. But the longer the bloodshed goes on, the more both sides in the conflict will be sucked into a logic of revenge and retaliation.

EAST AFRICA/HORN OF AFRICA

ISRAEL MAY BE MOTIVATED BY DOMESTIC POLITICS : Makau Mutua : The Daily Nation

No human being who understands history can fail to sympathise with the Palestinians in Gaza. In the last two weeks, they have been subjected to the most horrific attacks by the Israeli armed forces. In that time, the Israeli attacks have killed over 800 Palestinians, a large number of them defenceless women and children. The question on most minds is why now. The Israelis claim the brutal military action is necessary to destroy the capability of Hamas to rocket Israel.

But Hamas has often fired rockets before without provoking such a catastrophic response. The Israeli reaction probably lies in a confluence of domestic politics and the incoming American Administration under President Barack Obama.

One cannot understand current israeli military psychology without resorting to the 2006 war with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite military organisation. In that conflict, Israel reduced Lebanon into a wasteland with one of the most barbaric air campaigns in decades. Yet the mighty Israeli military failed to defeat Hezbollah on the ground. Israel was deeply humiliated because Hezbollah, a non-state actor, emerged victorious in the eyes of many in the Muslim world and beyond. To most Arabs, Hezbollah became the first Arab force to take on and defeat Israel - a feat that Arab states led by Egypt, Syria, and Jordan could not accomplish in 1967 and 1973.

You will recall that the 2006 war - like the Gaza attacks - started when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. The use of disproportionate force against Lebanon coupled with military incompetence and massive civilian Lebanese casualties drew widespread international condemnation. Although Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been forced to resign because of corruption, he never recovered from the war with Hezbollah. That war shattered the armour of security that Israelis had come to expect from their military, the mightiest in the Middle East. In a sense, Israel's deterrence was no more. The Israeli military and political classes vowed never to repeat the mistakes of the Hezbollah war. But are they in Gaza? The Hezbollah war is one of the explanations for the Gaza attacks. In fact, Hamas does not have anywhere near the military capacity of Hezbollah. Whereas Hezbollah rockets were sophisticated and could reach deep into Israel, the ones by Hamas have been described as "primitive" and incapable of inflicting substantial damage.

Although Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, virtually all of them have missed their targets. The one exception was a single hit that claimed four lives. In contrast, Israeli missiles and ground troops have killed hundreds of Palestinians, including many civilians, and completely destroyed most vital infrastructure and housing. From a purely international legal point of view, Israel has used disproportionate force against an enemy of limited means. While Israel has a duty to protect its citizens from attack, the force used must be proportionate to the threat and harm posed; otherwise it is a gross violation of international law. Nor should one lose sight of the cause of Palestinian fury and despair.

The illegal occupation of Palestine - both in Gaza and the West Bank - is the root cause of the conflict. Although Israel had pulled its troops out of Gaza in 2005 before the reoccupation this week, it has imposed economic blockades and closures that completely suffocated life in Gaza. Gaza is nothing but an Israeli prison where there is no hope or the means to make a livelihood. Now Gaza lies in complete ruins.

To complicate matters, Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Fatah, which rules the West Bank, have failed to unite the Palestinian people against Israeli occupation. It is not a secret that President Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, would not mind if Israel obliterated Hamas in Gaza so that he can reclaim the territory. But it is the fury and timing of the Israeli assault on Gaza that is intriguing. My view is that the attacks are motivated more by domestic politics than by the threat posed by Hamas rockets. Mr Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defence Minister - and the man calling the shots on the attacks - is a candidate for prime minister in the Israeli elections in February 2009. But Mr Barak, the leader of the Labour Party, is currently third in the polls behind Ms Tzipi Livni, the Foreign Minister and leader of Kadima. Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish former prime minister and leader of the Likud, is ahead of both in the polls.

An Israeli victory in Gaza - whatever that means - without the incompetence of the Hezbollah war - would most likely give Mr Barak a bounce in the polls. It has been remarkable to watch the three leading candidates out-do each other on who is more hawkish. It does not matter that pitting the Israeli military against the hapless Hamas is like shooting fish in a barrel. The point is that a victory in Gaza would restore Israeli pride by mitigating the Hezbollah defeat.

Lost in this are the dead and wounded, especially women and children. But this vicious cycle of attack and retaliation which has defined the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is fruitless and catastrophic for both. The Israeli attacks in Gaza are also related to the change of administration in Washington. President George Bush is a lame duck, and so the Israelis are not thinking about him. Even if they were, it would not make a difference because he has not held them accountable. In the last eight years under his watch, Israelis have expanded settlements in the West Bank, carried out assassinations, engaged in home demolitions, and done nothing to advance plans for a two-state solution.

Mr Bush has forcefully supported the recent assault, even though it is clear that it was disproportionate. I think the Israelis have conducted these operations in Gaza to teach Hamas a lesson and change facts on the ground because they do not know how President Obama will approach the Arab-Israeli conflict.

ISRAEL HAS CHOSEN TO HOODWINK THE WORLD, US OVER THIS WAR : Gitau Warigi :The Daily Nation

It is all very well to say Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip. But a few things must be put into perspective.One, Israel has had a blockade in place around Gaza since Hamas was elected two years ago, allowing only a trickle of essential supplies into the Strip. The net result is that Gaza has been turned into something resembling a giant prison camp.Two, all over the world, a blockade is understood to mean an act of war. One is therefore free to draw the conclusion about who began the hostilities - the Israelis and their blockade, or the Hamas rockets that were fired as a result.

Three, nobody is making the crucial distinction that the rickety Hamas rockets are not being fired at Israel proper, but in the slices of land such as around Ashkelon and Sderot that had been annexed from the Palestinians.Four, neither is anybody telling the world that Hamas was democratically elected, defeating the West's preferred negotiating partner, the Fatah organisation led by Mahmoud Abbas. His fief has since been left in the West Bank, but even here Hamas would most likely prevail in a straight election. In other words, Hamas is not the illegitimate entity the Israelis are claiming it is.Five, much has been said about Hamas refusing to recognise Israel. According to Israel and her chief backer the United States, all Hamas needs to do is to extend recognition to her enemy and all will be fine.

This position fails to take account of some painful truths in the history of Israeli- Palestinian negotiations. The late Yasser Arafat was arm-twisted into giving this recognition and nothing good so far has come out of it for his people. Israel only got encouraged to become more intransigent. It accelerated the annexation of Palestinian land and the building of Israeli settlements on it. The Palestinians have nothing to show for the 1994 Oslo accords and subsequent agreements they have been rail-roaded to sign.

Any Palestinian child knows that the Israeli strategy is to string out negotiations indefinitely as they continue to concretise their position in occupied Arab land. The strategic goal is to push the possibility of Palestinian statehood into the distant future.

Why, Hamas wonders, should they go the same route only to end up in a diplomatic cul- de-sac?Israel has perfected the art of manipulating America's political system and media brilliantly, for her own ends. Important American leaders including presidents-to-be are given aerial helicopter tours whenever they make the obligatory political pilgrimage to Israel. When he did the tour before becoming president, a conditioned George W. Bush remarked how Israel was such a small country surrounded by countries "who have sworn to destroy it."

This is humbug. There are many more tiny countries all over the world whose small size does not give them licence to steal others' land. Singapore is very small, and more crowded than Israel. Hong Kong is no different. Closer home we have Swaziland and Lesotho, and Rwanda and Burundi. Why should anybody else think their country is special?I fear that the Palestinians who are investing too much hope in US President-elect Barack Obama will get disappointed. The Jewish lobby in the US, represented by the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is so powerful that no Administration has ever been able to contain it. Obama will find the going rougher because he will have people in key positions in his Administration such as VP-designate Joe Biden and Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton who hold extreme positions on the question of Israeli security. I suspect Obama's true instincts about the Israeli- Palestinian conflict are quite different. Still, the fawning address he gave at AIPAC's conference last year was a pointer he will be no different.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is supposed to be at centre of the Middle East peace-making process as the envoy of the so-called ‘Quartet:' the UN, the EU, Russia and the US. Yet who hears of him anywhere? He has been thoroughly eclipsed by the Americans. Israel is gearing for elections next month. There is every indication that it launched its barrage against Gaza with this in mind, to make its leaders appear "tough" to the voters. This habit of starting wars for cynical electoral purposes is inexcusable.

WHY ISRAEL IS NO BETTER THAN THE AFRICAN WIFE-BEATER :Charles Omyango-Obbo : The Daily Nation

Watching the might of the Israeli army pounding hapless Gaza into the Stone Age in retaliation for the radical Hamas group's rocket attacks on civilians inside Israel, reminded me of the contradictions of life in the village donkey's years ago.

When we were little, whenever we visited our grandparents, we were struck by how widespread and public wife-beating in the village was. A "real man" in Africa was the one who put his woman in her place with a jolly good whacking whenever she "stepped out of line". Something puzzled us, though. Some of the wives seemed fearless, because sometimes they would publicly provoke and goad their husbands into a temper. The sight of someone "looking for a beating" was incomprehensible to us.

When we grew older and wiser in the ways of the world, it all made sense. For while wife-beating was tolerated as a legitimate tool for disciplining an errant spouse, at the same time, there was no man more despised than a wife-beater. At the beer pot, a man who was dismissed as a "weakling who can only beat his poor wife" would be so humiliated, he would have to walk away.

We understood that, in a bizarre way, in societies where women were powerless, provoking men into beating them was a strategy. They suffered, but the husband lost more by having his standing in society diminish, because he was seen as a bully who preyed on the weak. In this way, the women could be "helpless" victims of domestic abuse, provocateurs, and heroic casualties of war all wrapped in one. Which brings us back to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. My own view of Israel is a messy bundle of mixed feelings. When I was much younger, I was pro-Israel. Then I grew older, more knowledgeable, and became an idealist, hoping to make a small contribution to save the world. Then what Israel was doing to the Palestinians became unpalatable.

The genocide by the Nazis in which more than six million Jews were killed, remains one of the most difficult bouts of hate and murderousness to come to terms with. It therefore hasn't been easy to be critical of Israel, a State founded partly to give Jews a sanctuary in which they could defend themselves.So here we are, after 12 days of air strikes and a ground offensive, Israel has killed more than 600 Palestinians in the Gaza, many of them women, and children blown up while they were in their school building. On the Israel side, Hamas' rockets have killed five people.Hamas is just one of many radical Palestinian organisations. That Israel needed to lay siege to Gaza for 18 months and starve its population into submission, and now deploy its vast army to deal with this threat, is actually a failure. It is a war that, in the end, Israel cannot win.

Many supporters of Israel partly side with it because radical groups in the Middle East are determined to wipe it off the face of the Earth. That would mean a repeat of the Nazi- type genocide against Jews, and that is unacceptable. Hamas probably understands that, and its success has been in provoking Israel to act with disproportionate and raging vengefulness. Over the years, Israel's treatment of Palestinians has sometimes had uncanny parallels with the Nazi's treatment of Jews.The result is that Israel is close to establishing some kind of equivalence of evil, in which its excesses against Palestinians assume the level of abomination of that of the Nazis against Jews. Israel's right to exist is based on a powerful moral imperative that derives, in large part, from the Holocaust. If it loses that through its severity against the Palestinians, it loses the argument about its existence. If that happens, even if it had the strongest army in the world, it would no longer be able to defend something that no longer exists.Increasingly, there are many thoughtful Jews to whom Israel's militarism has become unbearable. Writing in the Christian Science Monitor a few days ago, Sara Roy, a senior research scholar at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, and the author, of Failing Peace: Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, said: "In nearly 25 years of involvement with Gaza and Palestinians, I have not had to confront the horrific image of burned children - until today", she wrote."Why have we been unable to accept the fundamental humanity of Palestinians and include them within our moral boundaries?... Ultimately, our goal is to tribalise pain, narrowing the scope of human suffering to ourselves alone. "Our rejection of "the other" will undo us. Israel's victories are pyrrhic and reveal the limits of Israeli power and our own limitations as a people: our inability to live a life without barriers... As Jews in a post-Holocaust world empowered by a Jewish state, how do we as a people emerge from atrocity and abjection, empowered and also humane?"

ISRAEL'S BOMBS MIGHT CAUSE OPPOSITE, NEGATIVE RESULTS! By Opiyo Oloya:The New Vision

Kampala - The Israeli invasion of Gaza is a case of a school-yard bully going after the little guy, pummeling him bloody just because he can.He knows that the onlookers will mostly do nothing about it, if not actively cheer the violence.

But whether it is the building of the so-called security wall, Jewish settlements or naked aggression, Israeli policies are designed to keep Palestinians forever off-balance, divided, weak and in perpetual subjugation.

In his book, Palestine: Peace not Apartheid, former US president Jimmy Carter makes the case against this policy of conquer-and-rule toward Palestine. That is not to downplay militant rocket attacks on Israel which have increased in frequency against Israeli settlements, and Israel has every right to hunt down the perpetrators and eliminate them- something it has done with great accuracy.

But the current invasion does not target only the militants who fire rockets but the entire population of Gaza, women, children and innocent Palestinian men.Viewed from this perspective, the destruction of Gaza in the past week by Israeli planes and subsequent invasion should be seen as another drive to weaken the Palestinians, soften them up a bit. Yet, in the dance of the oppressed and the oppressor, you must wonder why the timing was now, given that Hamas has fired rockets at Israel with clockwork regularity for the past several years mostly with little to no effect on the other side.Two things to think about here as the bloodletting in Gaza unfolds. First, Israel's action in Gaza is born from internal Israeli political wrangling pitting hawkish Likud against left-leaning Labour and centrist Kadima parties- to show who has guts.The cracking of skulls in Gaza, in other words, will show Israeli electorate that Tzipi Livni of Kadima Party who is the prime- ministerial candidate for Kadima-Labour coalition, as a woman with the nerve to wage a war, and win it too. Livni is facing a three-way election race against Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud and Ehud Barak of Labour. With elections scheduled for February 10, the ambitious former foreign minister is battling the insinuation that she is weak on security matters. Meanwhile, current defence minister Ehud Barak, who was prime minister in 1999-2001 is trying to show that he has the right stuff to lead again. But Barak and Netanyahu, both former prime ministers have little to prove by way of being macho.On the other hand, Livni's security credentials became a going concern in light of the embarrassing retreat of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in the hands of the Hezbollah army three summers ago in Lebanon. Then Israel suffered the worst deflating and demoralising blow to its military ego since the surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian armies during Yom Kippur in 1973. The never-say-die nation founded by the steely Golda Meir in 1948 needed to feel good, virile and capable by beating up on somebody soon, and that somebody was in Gaza.

The second possible reason for the Gaza invasion is keeping with Israel's standing policy to keep Palestine forever weak and on its knees. To that point, Israel took full advantage of the current leadership vacuum in Washington, knowing well that lame-duck President George Bush was too pre-occupied with leaving office in 15 days and could care less.Obama, meanwhile, is waiting to be sworn in as the next US president. In the intervening period, Israel felt it could hammer Gaza without waking up Washington. Furthermore, by invading Gaza now, Israel has betrayed its anxiety about the politics of the incoming Obama administration. Barack Obama is a staunch supporter of Israel and will never do anything to weaken it, but he has also shown independence in thinking about America's standing in the world. One could imagine that, philosophically, Obama may no longer support carte blanche Israeli aggression toward the Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank.

Essentially, on the Israeli-Palestinian question, Obama could reverse the last eight years of President George Bush which was very successful in destabilising Palestinian unity, effectively creating a schism between those termed 'moderates' and the so-called 'hardliners'; the hapless Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was encouraged by the West as a reformer while Hamas which was duly elected by Palestinians was summarily dismissed as a terrorist outfit.The reality is that Israel's military might cannot break the Palestinian spirit, the one it has pummeled time and again, razing to the ground, but which, like the fabled phoenix, rises from its ashes to keep fighting. Instead, with the Israeli incursion into Gaza, look not at Gaza but at the West Bank where, instead of feeling smug that it had been spared the Israeli bombs, the population will likely become angry, hostile, and even defiant toward Abbas, and move toward the hardliners. In other words, Israel may have just successfully reversed what was otherwise a fairly effective policy of divide-and-rule by uniting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank into one again, a united Palestine. If so, look at Mr. Abbas becoming the first political casualty in the wake of the invasion. In the short run, the invasion is good for Israel's internal political show, and perhaps for Israeli politicians jockeying for power in the February election. But in the long run, the invasion may be the catalyst many Palestinians were waiting for, a banner to rally around and unite again.Yes, there will be many deaths and destruction in Gaza, but watch the Palestinians rise again-you can beat the body, but it is hard to kill the spirit.

I COULDN'T SLEEP A WINK: John Nagenda:New Vision

The night in question was Tuesday into Wednesday, during Israel's pounding of Gazans, whose feature was the bombing of two UN schools. It had to be seen to be believed, especially when the UN announced it had given a full tally of its facilities (including GPS positions) to the marauding Israelis. Since Israel had disallowed the media from entering Gaza while it went about its business, thank God the Aljazeera TV Channel was already inside and in position. The whole butchery was seen in what used to be called Glorious Technicolor, mostly in the colour red. So many dead and dying victims, by the look of them civilians, including civilian children! A shaggy white-haired old man shook his head as if to shatter the brains inside. A small dead child, pale, lay in its own red blood; it later transpired by a marksman's bullet.

It was terrifying, disgusting; and would have been equally so if the victims were Israeli, and the murderers Arab. (Please save us from the refrain that all this was the fault of Hamas, as brain-challenged outgoing Bush of the US said into camera; and his replacer, Obama, had hinted before his golf in Hawaii!) Were, God forbid, the shoe to be on the other foot, and Hamas be the unmitigated slaughterer of Israelis, the woe and the cries would be the same; although currently the killing ratios are 5 to Hamas and 750 (3500 injured) to Israel. Who is the better terminator then? I asked last week: where were the remembered voices of the Israel Doves? They are present and correct, especially as their country's blood-lust becomes more maniacal, learnt perhaps, from the master of the art, Herr Adolf Hitler! Taking only two of the Doves: a past Israeli war pilot cried out in anguish to his country to "stop the crime it was committing" in Gaza; that its intensity was far in excess of the Hamas rockets. A rabbi, Lerner, said he "was ashamed by the extent of Israeli stupidity" which ultimately would bring greater danger to itself while solving nothing. As I tossed and turned Tuesday/Wednesday night and morning, sweatingly unable to sleep, the murdered floated by me, the words of Sinatra pleading in his song: "I couldn't sleep a wink last night/Because we had that silly fight..."; the irony of it was inescapable.

Governments down the ages seem frequently unable to resist knee-jerk bouts of madness, sometimes Israel to the fore. Their Palestinian foes are unable, because of the dictates of the world, predominantly America, to answer in kind and degree because of lack of equipment. Should they ever achieve parity, would they then equal the viciousness of their neighbour? It is a sobering thought, most of all to Israel. But surely parity would prove a strong deterrent, to both, and peace might break out. Think of this, China and Russia, for the world's overall good! Thursday, the UN passed a motion of immediate cessation of war, America abstaining. In Gaza meantime the bodies continue to mount.

With some relief I dive back from Gaza into the muddied but by comparison calmer waters of the huge expansion of the number of Districts in Uganda....

AFRICANS IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Reflections on African Responses to Israeli Gaza Invasion

Mukoma Wa Ngugi: 9 January 2009: opinion: PAMBAZUKA NEWS

Mukoma Wa Ngugi reflects on the absence of action by African governments against the Israeli invasion of Gaza and lambasts the divide between African Muslim and non- Muslim populations, calling for a solidarity of action.

In rounding up and reflecting on the various responses coming from Africa on the now widely condemned Israeli Gaza invasion that has left 700 Palestinians and 12 Israelis dead, it is best to begin with Desmond Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate, an Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, and an anti-apartheid activist who in December of 2006 was blocked by the Israeli government from "investigating the killing of nineteen Palestinians in Gaza.Tutu does not mince words when in a statement he notes that "in the context of total aerial supremacy, in which one side in the conflict deploys lethal aircraft against opponents with no means of defending themselves, the bombardment bears all the hallmarks of war crimes."

Sherine Bahaa, in Criminals vs cowards, might as well be writing about Africans and African governments when he speaks to the disconnect between rhetoric and action from Arab governments. He writes that "Judging by past summits, Arab heads of state are unlikely to fulfil popular aspirations, especially if that would put them in conflict with Israel and Washington." This is the plight of African governments. They are too dependent on Western and Israeli foreign aid to do more than express indignation where what is needed is action.

So when the African Union "strongly condemns the ongoing air raids on the Gaza Strip by Israel, since 27 December 2008" and notes that the "massive and disproportionate attack constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law and will further aggravate the suffering of the civilian population," one can only praise the words as strong and beautiful, then ask - Where is the action? If the AU truly believes that "international humanitarian law" has been broken, isn't it morally beholden to take a collective action against the invasion?

Phandu Skelemani, Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has a watered down condemnation however: "The Botswana position is that we don't need war...War has never brought any solution to problems. The downside about war is that it affects innocent elderly people, women and children, not those who initiate it." Can one imagine a more general and useless statement?

So in Botswana it has been left to Bawood Khonat, Deputy Chairman of the Botswana Muslim Association, to put things in perspective: For the Botswana Muslim Association (BMA), "Israel is an apartheid state" and it is "ironic that 'Zionists,' who were victims of horrible atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, should become perpetrators of similar horrors themselves."Scouring the news, it is immediately evident that African Muslims are more vocal than non-Muslims. From Nigeria, one reads that "the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is disturbed by Israeli intransigence." MURIC goes on to warn that "this type of attitude can only serve as fuel for terrorism," noting that "by aiding and abetting Zionist aggression, the West has become a major recruitment sergeant for terrorists."Kenya's largest newspaper, the Daily Nation, describes Muslims marching, protesting and urging "President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to cut ties with Israel as a show of Kenya's commitment to human rights."

That African Muslims are more vocal than non-Muslims is a huge problem in a continent that has so many divides along ethnicity, religion, colonial monikers of Anglophone, Lusophone and Francophone, and along the so called Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa divide that in practice demarcates a racialized line between Arabs and Non-Arabs.

This difference in response captures a larger problem when it comes to Africans and other peoples' struggles. Africans have come to believe they have the monopoly of suffering and as a consequence expect others to struggle on their behalf, without Africans showing the same solidarity to others. For example, we expect African Americans to struggle on our behalf but not we for them. We expect them to rally around our political prisoners, yet Mumia Abu Jamal, who has been a political prisoner since 1981, has more support in France than in most African countries.In the same vein, where are the Palestinian solidarity movements and campaigns? Is Middle Eastern geography, history or literature taught in African schools? South Africa is an exception. The ANC, both as a liberation movement and as a ruling party, is an exception perhaps because the anti-apartheid movement was a national and also a truly international struggle. One needs only to recall Mandela's refusal to disown Cuba at the insistence of the United States and his response that no one would dictate to South Africa whom its friends are going to be.So one also reads in Business Day that in addition to condemning the Gaza killings, the ANC has also "said it was time for the Israeli government to accept that there would be no peace or a lasting solution in the region as long as it continued to occupy land that rightfully belonged to the Palestinians." In South Africa one finds officially sanctioned fact finding missions to Gaza, and the organization Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

The South African Communist Party, in a statement that calls the invasion genocidal, goes further than the ANC and "condemns the criminal complicity of the US administration, the major backer and arms supplier to the Zionist state, and the hypocrisy of all major western governments."In the same statement quoted previously, Bishop Tutu goes on to say that the plight of Palestine in the face of Israeli aggression is "a blight not only on the Middle East, but on the entire world - and particularly world leaders who have consistently failed the people of Palestine and Israel over the past 60 years."What we need as Africans is a re-examination of the term solidarity. Solidarity should not be measured against future military and economic aid - or even simply making common cause against a common enemy. Solidarity should be about, collectively, doing what is morally right when, as the AU puts its, international humanitarian law is violated. Solidarity is making common cause with a common humanity. Solidarity is a revolutionary act.Recently, solidarity and action have come from a rather unexpected source. Mauritania has recalled its ambassador to Israel. If it takes a government installed through a coup and led by a military junta to do the right thing, it is indeed a blight on the entire continent.

*Mukoma Wa Ngugi is a political columnist for the BBC Focus on Africa Magazine and Assistant Editor of Pambazuka News

COMMENTS BY A READER:

• Oh and don't forget about the millions of South African who are dying due to government denial all of problems like AIDS, crime and poverty. What about the fact that Hamas have rejected the UN proposed truce and still continue to fire rockets at Israeli civilians. They are happy with the invasion. A government’s first responsibility is for its own citizens and their well being. Israel has no other choice but to go in and weed out these atheistic animals who masquerade as Islamic fanatics. African governments have the same responsibilities to solve their own problems. It is clear that these groups are writing their condemnations in order to score political points and have no real concern for human suffering. • Maybe you are upset because African leaders do not support your point of view. in terms of international law, Israel is quite legitimately responding to its enemy. in terms of morality, Israel has not targeted non-combatants and has been at pains to avoid so-called collateral casualties. Perhaps you should focus on Africa’s own back garden and apply the pressure on Darfur, Drc, Zim, etc where Africans are slaughtering Africans. Perhaps it is okay for Africans to get away with murder?

Black American Politicians Vote for War On Gaza

Glen Ford: 16 January 2009: opinion: PAMBAZUKA NEWS

Only two members of the Congressional Black Caucus mustered the courage to oppose a House Resolution in support of Israel's savage assault on Gaza, last week. An additional seven CBC members sought cover by voting "present." The remaining 30 Black lawmakers (the delegates from Washington, DC and the Virgin Islands cannot vote on the House floor) gave their assent to a statement that could have been written by the Israeli government - and probably was.

The Resolution, similar to one passed by the Senate on a voice vote, is a blanket condemnation of Hamas, the political party that won Palestinian Authority elections three years ago, and which Israeli leaders vow to "destroy" before leaving Gaza. The destruction of a mass political party requires massive civilian deaths. Destroying Hamas in Gaza is like stamping out Democrats in The Bronx - with 1.4 million people, about the same size as the Palestinian enclave. The document blames Hamas for "the breaking of the 'calm' and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza." In other words, Israel is absolved for all the men, women and children it has burned, eviscerated, blasted into dust, sliced in pieces or melted like wax.In addition to the usual nonsense about the U.S. maintaining an "unwavering commitment to the...State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state (as if a settler state based on race-ethnicity can be democratic) with secure borders (Israel is the only state in the world that refuses to say where its borders are), the Resolution invokes the United Nations and its Charter (Israel is the unchallenged world champion violator of UN Resolutions, dating from shortly after its declaration of independence, in 1948).

"Israel was racist South Africa's closest ally, godfather to its nuclear bomb project."

Could it be that Los Angeles Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Milwaukee's Gwen Moore are the only Black Caucus members who remember that Israel was racist South Africa's closest ally, the apartheid regime's hi-tech weapons quartermaster and godfather to its nuclear bomb project? Do the seven members that voted "present" - Donna Edwards (MD), Keith Ellison (MN), Hank Johnson (GA), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI), Barbara Lee (CA), Donald Payne (NJ), Diane Watson (CA) - believe that by refusing to take a position on Israeli crimes against humanity in Gaza, they somehow salvage the Caucus's claim to be the "conscience of the Congress?"

Where has John Conyers' conscience disappeared to? In July of 2006, when the House passed an equally noxious Resolution in support of Israel's systematic destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure, killing over 1,000 people and displacing one million, Conyers and fellow Detroiter Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick were the solitary CBC members to vote "Nay." (Oakland's Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters voted "present.") Then came the Democratic victory in the midterm congressional elections and Conyers' chance to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee - at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's pleasure. Conyers picked a fight with Jimmy Carter over the former president's book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Conyers objected to Carter's use of the term "apartheid" in the book's title, saying it "does not serve the cause of peace, and the use of it against the Jewish people in particular, who have been victims of the worst kind of discrimination, discrimination resulting in death, is offensive and wrong." Translation: Not just Israel, but Jews are off limits to criticism.

It appears the old John Conyers has left the scene without those of us who used to know him having had a chance to say goodbye. The Israeli lobby has that kind of effect on erstwhile progressives and anti-war folks. The Zionist ideology, and especially the chilling effect of Zionist power, is probably the second-greatest impediment to creation of a sustained American peace movement - the first obstacle being the ideology of American Manifest Destiny, which is in practice quite compatible with Zionism.

"The Congressional Black Caucus is terrified of offending Israel's innumerable political hit men."

However, African Americans are least susceptible to the Manifest Destiny/Zionist Mythology combo. Both ideologies wreak of racism, and most Black people know it. The Congressional Black Caucus knows it, too, but they are terrified of offending Israel's innumerable political hit men.Zionist power helped knock off two CBC members who refused to tow Tel Aviv's line, in 2002. Georgia's Cynthia McKinney and Alabama's Earl Hilliard found themselves heavily outspent and ultimately unseated by otherwise puny challengers in Democratic primary contests. AIPAC bragged of its ability to shut down independent-minded Black politicians who fail to understand that U.S. foreign policy is shaped by whatever is deemed good for Israel. Bullying works, especially against the meek. Except for Maxine Waters and Gwen Moore, the Congressional Black Caucus is out of the anti-war business.That also goes for the Congressional Progressive Caucus which, with 71 members, claims to be the "single largest partisan caucus" in the U.S. House, but whose members voted overwhelmingly in support of Israeli barbarity. About two-thirds of the voting members of the Black Caucus also belong to the Progressive Caucus - meaning, they are members of two defunct organizations, and doubly useless to the cause of peace.

Glen Ford is the executive editor of Black Agenda Report (www.blackagendareport.com) where this article first appeared.

HOLD ISRAEL TO THE SAME STANDARD OF CIVILISED CONDUCT AS OTHER LANDS : Mondli Makhanya : The Times

As we hugged, kissed, shook hands and made merry on Wednesday night, Gaza was bleeding. About 400 of the Palestinian territory's people had been killed, and more than 2000 had been severely injured during what must rank as one of the most heartless military operations in recent years.

A further 1.5 million were in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the attacks and an ongoing blockade by Israel.Since last Saturday, the people of Gaza have been subjected to non-stop bombardment by the Israeli military, ostensibly in retaliation for rocket attacks by Hamas militants.

Israel's response to the "provocation" amounted to a steroid-pumped heavyweight boxer arriving to fight an anaemic midget armed with steel-lined boxing gloves.Israel's response to these attacks was, as always, wanton destruction of everything that lay before it. Civilians, including children, were not spared, as the indiscriminate airborne attacks intensified.

The Israeli government claimed it was just targeting Hamas bases and strategic installations, but in reality it was sowing terror among all Gaza's inhabitants.It's part of the "collective punishment" that Israel has meted out to Palestinians in response to attacks.

This "collective punishment" often takes the form of bulldozing the homes of bombers, razing entire neighbourhoods, cutting a city off from the world (never mind all the attendant humanitarian risks) and indiscriminately blasting suburbs. Should we have been surprised by this week's events? Of course not.

This story has been playing out like this for decades. It's just the brutishness and the brazen arrogance with which Israel carries out its terror that has become worse. And Israel has every right to be brazen and arrogant about the inhumane manner in which it treats Palestinians.

It knows it has the world powers on its side and, no matter how low it sinks in its immorality, it will always be protected by the major powers. I was unfortunate (it's definitely not fortunate to witness horror) to have seen the raw work of the Israeli state first hand during a visit to the region during the middle of 2008. The group that I was part of visited many parts of the country and saw advanced apartheid at work. I remember thinking then that not in their worst hour of depravity could the Nats have been so vile. So vile that it has traumatised and disgusted many of those military conscripts and officers who are meant to enforce Israel's authority over the Palestinians. One of these young men, Yehuda Shaul, was a commander in the Israeli Defence Forces until he could no longer stomach the cruelty he himself was meting out and co-founded Breaking the Silence, a group that gives voice to serving and former soldiers who wanted to share their experiences of the conflict. He became part of a growing brigade of Israelis who are dissociating themselves from the injustices being perpetrated by their government. But they are a voice the world powers do not want to hear. They are a voice not even Barack Obama will want to hear, despite his great mantra of "CHANGE". Obama will look the other way and find all manner of justifications for Israel's brutality.

The victim will continue to be seen as the aggressor.

The Western world's unquestioning loyalty to the state of Israel will ensure that the world's most oppressive state will continue to behave in an inhumane manner for decades to come.For only when the powers that really matter tell Israel in unequivocal terms that the evil that it perpetrates is unacceptable will Tel Aviv wake up and realise that it has to behave in a manner expected of those who live in this century. Israel is part of the global community and is a signatory to many of the conventions that govern human conduct in the modern era. We should abhor what it does in exactly the same way that we abhor Russia's terrorism in Chechnya and its aggression in Georgia, Robert Mugabe's violation of human rights and his deliberate starvation of his people, China's jackboot treatment of Tibetans, and the Burmese junta's oppression of that country's people.In our country, we have many apologists for the Israeli state who treat any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic diatribe.That it certainly isn't.

It's about expecting a modern state in the modern era to behave in a civilised manner. The state of Israel has every right to defend itself against aggression and to secure its citizens. But no state has the right to do that at the expense of the human rights and right to life of innocent civilians.Unless we are prepared to see Israel's brutal oppression for what it is, and say something about it, we have no right to say anything about any human-rights violators in other parts of the world. Not even about the mad despot next door.

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BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD Weekly Presentation: February 11 2008 Sub-Saharan Africa Abbas S Lamptey Period: From January 1 to February 7, 2009 THE HEADLINES

1. CHINA‐AFRICA RELATIONS West Africa

o Liberia: Vice President Boakai Wants Relations With China Strengthened:4 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia) o Nigeria: $8 Billion Rail Contract - FG Orders Project Review::4 February 2009:THIS DAY o Nigeria: Nigeria, China to Strengthen Economic Ties:2 February 2009:DIALY TRUST o Nigeria: Country, China Strategic Partners – Minister: 26 January 2009: DAILY TRUST • Southern Africa o Botswana: Chinese Shops a Relief, But They Must Behave: 30 January 2009: Mmegi o Botswana: Government Moves to Ban Chinese Trade in Clothes: 27 January 2009:Mmegi o Botswana: Chinese Risk All to Complete Airport On Time:: 26 January 2009: Mmegi o Namibia: Chinese Traders Threatened:30 January 2009: NAMIBIA ECONOMIST. o South Africa: TAC Slams China for Deporting HIV+ Musician:20 January 2009: CAPE ARGUS o Angola: China Reiterates Support to Reconstruction Programme:18 January 2009: ANGOLAPRESS • Central Africa o Rwanda: Rwandatel to Send 50 Engineers to China for Training;25 January 2009: THE NEW TIMES o Rwanda: China, Rwanda Vow to Boost Trade Relations:19 January 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala) • PAN AFRICA • North Africa o Gaddafi Invites SCNC:9 February 2009 :THE POSTONLINE.COM • West Africa o 12th African Union Summit Opens in Ethiopia:2 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia) o Gaddafi Vows to Push for UN Permanent Seat for Africa:8 February 2009: DAILY TRUST(NIGERIA) o Nigeria Supports 'United States of Africa' – Maduekwe:7 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) o African Union Ends Summit: 5 February 2009: DAILY TRUST o Africa: IFC to Invest $30 Billion in Continent: 5 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) • Southern Africa o AU Summit to Find Lasting Solutions to Conflicts:27 January 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) o AU to Be Transformed Into New African Union Authority:1 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) o Libyan President Elected As New AU Chairman:2 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) o AU Summit Closes With Victory of Gradual Thesis:5 February 2009:ANGOLAPRESS o Leaders Deliberate on Establishing AU Authority:4 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) o Exporting Inside Africa As Expensive As Exporting to Asia:21 January 2009: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY o Africa's Soils to Be Digitally Mapped:20 January 2009:THE NAMIBIAN o Regional Groups to Establish Contact Group for Guinea: 1 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Spain Provides 10 Million Euros to Support AU:5 February 2009: DAILY MONITOR • Central Africa o Rwanda: Kagame Speaks on Changing Global Political Economy:21 January 2009:THE NEW TIMES • HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND SOCIAL ISSUES

• West Africa o West Africa: Female Genital Mutilation Knows No Borders: 6 February 2009: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY o Nigeria: Same Sex Marriage - Human Rights Watch Urges Rejection of Bill:27 January 2009:THIS DAY o Sierra Leone: 'Political Will Delays Reparations':5 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown) • Southern Africa o Madagascar: Minister Resigns Over Killings:9 February 2009:ALLAFRICA • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Uganda: Migration Agency Agrees to Help LRA Leader Surrender:4 February 2009:THE NEW VISION o Sudan: African Union Against Indictment of Al-Bashir:30 January 2009: INTER PESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY o Sudan: Government Rejects ICC Warrants On Darfur:3 May 2009:INTR PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY o Uganda: Tackle the Root Cause of FGM:5 February 2009:Editorial: THE NEW VISION • Central Africa o Rwanda: U.S. Plans to Deport Genocide Suspect:7 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES o Rwanda: Gacaca - Ex-Rebel Leader Gets Life Jail for 1994 Genocide:13 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne) o Cameroon: Government Refutes Poor Human Rights Report:6 February 2009: THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM o Congo-Kinshasa: Monuc Deploys Civilian Teams to Reinforce the Protection of Populations:6 February 2009: press release: United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) • REFUGEES, IDPs AND MIGRATION

• West Africa o Nigeria: 'UN Has Abandoned Displaced Bakassi Indigenes':7 February 2009:THIS DAY o Mauritania: New Identity Cards for Repatriated Refugees:2 February 2009:IRIN • Southern Africa o South Africa: Allow Asylum-Seeking Teachers to Work in Local Schools, Says Refugee Body:6 February 2009: BUSINESSDAY • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Somalia: More Than 3 Million Will Need Humanitarian Aid in 2009, UN Reports:6 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE o Somalia: Thousands of Somalis Fleeing to Ethiopia:4 February 2009:IRIN o Sudan: Conditions Getting Worse for Darfur Civilians:4 February 2009:IRIN • Central Africa o Congo-Kinshasa: Facing Shortfall, Ban Appeals for More Peacekeepers:3 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE o Chad: Fresh Wave of CAR Refugees Await Aid:5 February 2009:IRIN

• HEALTH (HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA etc) • West Africa o Nigeria: 3.5 Million Citizens Infected With HIV:8 February 2009:DAILY TRUST o Nigeria: PSN Skeptical Over Diabetes Cure Claim:5 February 2009:THIS DAY o Nigeria: Cancer Cases on the Increase, Says Expert:5 February 2009:DAILY TRUST o Nigeria: Gates Tasks Media on Polio Eradication, Immunization:5 February 2009: DAILY TRUST o Nigeria: Malaria Responsible for 60 Percent of Hospital Cases in Cross River:5 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos) • Southern Africa o Botswana: Fifty People Get Infected with HIV Daily – Botusa:6 February 2009:Mmegi o Zimbabwe: Cholera Infections to Double, Predicts WHO:6 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Uganda: Govt Attacked Over Foot-And-Mouth Disease:5 February 2009: NEW VISION • Central Africa o Cameroon: Gov't, Partners Mobilise Against Avian Influenza:9 February 2009:THE POST NEWSLINE.COM • ENVIRONMENT

• West Africa o Nigeria: Odey Craves Japan's Assistance in Tackling Gas Flares:12 January 2009:VANGUARD o Nigeria: Our Disappearing Forests:9 February 2009: editorial: DAILY TRUST o Nigeria: Harmful Proliferation of Generators:4 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos): Editorial: • Southern Africa o Climate Change Threatens Food Security:19 January 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY o South Africa: The Quiet Water Crisis:4 February 2009:IRIN • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Ethiopia: Desertification Reversed in North:6 February 2009: SciDev.Net (London) • Central Africa o Cameroon: Cameroonians Urged to Protect Wetlands:6 February 2009: THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM o Cameroon: World Leader in Tree Domestication:9 February 2009: CAMEROON TRIBUNE • ECONOMY AND ENERGY • West Africa o West Africa: Ecowas Vows to Remove Obstacles to Free Movement:7 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) o West Africa: EU Predicts Trade Boost for Region:7 February 2009: THIS DAY o Nigeria: Sliding Oil Price, Naira Value - Labour Warns of Imminent Inflation:9 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos) o Nigeria: Drop in U.S. Oil Demand Hurts Country's Economy:6 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos) o Sierra Leone: Freetown-Conakry Highway Soon:9 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown) o Nigeria: U.S. Charges Halliburton Officials Over N27 Billion Bribe to Citizens:8 February 2009: DAILY TRUST • Southern Africa o Zimbabwe: International Bankers Lay Groundwork for Investors' Conference:7 February 2009:THE STANDARD o Botswana: 'Botswana Was Never Hit Harder,' Says Ibrahim:6 February 2009: Mmegi o South Africa: State Considers Help for Ailing Firms to Save Jobs:9 February 2009: BUSINESSDAY o South Africa: Govt Acts to Combat Global Crisis:6 February 2009:allafrica. • East Africa/Horn of Africa o East Africa: Undersea Fibre-Optic Cable Nears East African Coast:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala) o East Africa: Inside EAC:31 January 2009: column: THE ARUSHA TIMES o Uganda: Country Won't Export Uranium:2 February 2009: THE NEW VISION • Central Africa o Cameroon: Country to Design Own Economic Programme:9 February 2009: THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM o Rwanda: Oil Exploration Takes New Shape:2 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES • POLITICS • West Africa o Côte d'Ivoire: Number of Ivorian Voters Identified So Far Passes 4 Million Mark, Says UN Mission:29 January 2009: UN NEW SERVICE • Southern Africa o Southern Africa: SADC Recommends Formation of Unity Government in Zimbabwe:27 January 2009: ANGOLAPRESS o Zimbabwe: Underwhelming Confidence in Power-Sharing Deal:2 February 2009:IRIN o Zimbabwe: Power-Sharing Deal Not Enough to Solve Crisis:4 February 2009:press release: Freedom House (Washington, DC) o Zimbabwe: MDC Calls for Mengistu to Be Extradited Back to Ethiopia:5 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Somalia: Islamist Leader Elected President:31 January 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) o Somalia: Opposition Leader Leading the Election:30 January 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) • PEACEKEEPING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SECURITY MATTERS

• West Africa o Nigeria: Daukoru's Wife Regains Freedom: 7 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos) • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Somalia: Islamists Urge Holy War On AU Troops:3 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) o Somalia: AU Peacekeepers Accused of Civilian Killings:2 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) o Somalia: Armed Groups Attack AU Peacekeepers:8 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) o Uganda: Army Brands Karamoja Cattle:8 February 2009:NEW VISION • Central Africa o Rwanda: Government to Hand Over General Nkunda:8 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES o Rwanda: 500 Former FDLR Hostages, Families Arrive From DRC:3 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES • MILITANCY ,REBELS,TERRORISM AND THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’ • West Africa o Nigeria: JTF Kills 3 Militants, 2 Shell Staff Injured:8 February 2009:THIS DAY • Southern Africa o Madagascar: Ban Urges Restraint As Protests Turn Deadly:8 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE • East Africa/Horn of Africa o Somalia: Islamic Party Insurgents Declare War On New Govt:7 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) o Somalia: Mortars Welcome New President to Mogadishu:7 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) o Somalia: Islamists Seize Baidoa for the First Time:26 January 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) o Somalia: Ukraine Weapons Ship Freed, Pirate Kingpin Killed:5 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) • Central Africa o Congo-Kinshasa: Nkunda's 'Arrest' and Rwanda's Response to International Pressure:6 February 2009 :press release:PAMBAZUKA • NORTH AFRICA o Eritrea: President Isaias Holds Talks With Visiting Libyan Leader in Massawa:7 February 2009: Shabait.com (Asmara) o The Foibles of Muammar Gaddaffi:4 February 2009: Editorial: Mmegi o Tunisia: Country to Celebrate Chinese New Year in Style:27 January 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS o Tunisia: New Incentives for Using Solar Energy in Households and Farms:2 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS o Tunisia: African Union Summit - Country Calls for Promoting Inter- African Partnership:2 February 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS o Ghana: Libya Government to Help Boost Agriculture in the North:2 February 2009: DAILY MALL (ACCRA) o Tunisia: ICT's Contribution to GDP to Reach 13 Percent in 2011:2 February 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NES o Nigeria: Egypt Solicits FG's Support for Unesco:27 January 2009: DAILY TRUST o Algeria, Holland, Shell in $13 Billion Gas Project Deal:17 January 2009:THIS DAY • NEWS COMMENTARIES,OPINIONS AND ANALYSES • West Africa o Afrikan History Month - Why Egypt Matters:Dr. Kwame Osei: 6 February 2009: opinion: Public Agenda (Accra) o AU Or United States of Africa?1 February 2009:column: THIS DAY • Southern Africa o Madagascar: The New Land Grab:Glenn Ashton: 21 January 2009: opinion: The South African Civil Society Information Service (Johannesburg) • East Africa/Horn of Africa o How Will Gadaffi Fare At the Helm of the AU?Jerry Okungu:5 February 2009:opinion:THE NEW VISION o Anti-Christian Gaddafi Takes Over as AU Chair:3 February 2009:opinion: Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi) o Can Gadaffi Rule the Continent?Gwynne Dyer: 8 February 2009:column:THE NEW VISION • Central Africa o United States of Africa Still a Dream:Kelvin Odoobo:7 February 2009: opinion: THE NEW TIMES o Africa: Tribal Politics Ruilng Continent:Kelvin Odoobo:27 January 2009:columnl THE NEW TIMES • The International Press o Africa Action Releases 'Africa Policy Outlook 2009':28 January 2009: press release: Africa Action (Washington, DC) o Africa Progress Panel Report States That Africa Must be Part of the Solution to Reboot the Global Economy:30 January 2009: press release: Africa Progress Panel (Geneva) o Internet Growth Accelerating:4 February 2009: Analysis: AFRICAFOCUS o The People's Health Movement - Progress on the Continent:Claudio Schuftan, Laura Turiano and Abhay Shukla:6 February 2009:opinion o Kenya: One Year On:Shailja Patel:29 January 2009:opinion: pambazuka. o Kenya: Get the Planes Ready for the Hague:Ndung'u Wainaina and Haron Ndubi:30 January 2009:opinion: pambazuka o Kenya: The Truth, Justice And Reconciliation Commission - A Flawed Law:Ndung'u Wainaina:30 January 2009:opinion: pambazuka o Nigeria: Niger Delta Crisis Continues - Can Hope Be Restored?:Chioma Oruh:6 February 2009:opinion: pambazuka

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THE DETAILS

2. CHINA-AFRICA RELATIONS

West Africa

Liberia: Vice President Boakai Wants Relations With China Strengthened

4 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia)

Monrovia — Liberia's Vice President Joseph Boakai says the Unity Party-led government is committed to relations between Liberia and China and wants to see it further strengthened.He observed that within a relatively short time, the friendship between Liberia and China has grown faster than many other in recent memory.Vice President Boakai made the statement Wednesday when a four-member delegation from the China Henan International Cooperation Group Company Limited (CHICO), accompanied by Deputy Public Works Ministers Togba Ngangana and Roderick G. Smith, paid a courtesy call on him at his Capitol Building office.Vice President Boakai commended CHICO, which is engaged in the reconstruction of roads around Monrovia, for the quality work they were doing, saying, "Lot of Liberians appreciate you".He added that Liberians also appreciate the flexibility and understanding of workers of CHICO who have demonstrated unparalleled commitment to duty, despite provocation from some members of the public.

The Liberian Vice President called on CHICO to take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities in Liberia, saying, "I would like to see CHICO engage in agriculture. Liberians stand to benefit from your skills and expertise".He said Liberia has vast agricultural land, and that he would like to see Chinese companies engage not only in food production, but also in food processing and packaging.Speaking earlier, the Vice President of CHICO, Mr. Shao Zhengzhong who headed the delegation, said he was in the country on a weeklong visit to assess road construction work being undertaken by the company.Other members of the Chinese delegation were Liu Shanliang, Vice Director, CHICO, Hu Bingwei, Project Manager, CHICO Liberia.

Nigeria: $8 Billion Rail Contract - FG Orders Project Review

Onyebuchi Ezigbo:4 February 2009:THIS DAY Abuja — The Chinese firm handling the implementation of the $8.3billion railway modernisation project, China Construction Engineering Company (CCEC), said the Federal Government directed it to scale down the project in view of the present financial limitations.The Nigerian Consultant to CCECC, Chief Chike Udenze, told THISDAY that the company and Federal Government were working closely to see to the actualisation of the railway project."Federal Government has asked us to prepare a proposal and advise it on how the rail modernisation can be scaled down without having to lose money", he said.

He said government urged the company to prepare detailed over-view of the project, highlighting achievable milestones based on the present state of paucity of funds.According to him, government wants the company to prepare and submit a comprehensive work plan for the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan and Minna-Abuja- Kaduna railway line.He said the company was also to give a detailed bill of quantity with all the relevant back-up information on the actual cost of the project as against the provision sum contained in the contract agreement.As part of the efforts to refocus the project, government said the Chinese firm should compile a technical report supporting the work plan and a detailed master programme including the resources required to complete the project on time, he said.When THISDAY visited the CCECC headquarters in Abuja, the Vice President of the company, Mr. Chen Xiaoxing, was said to have flown into the country to consult with the project team and to see how to meet with government's demands.

Udenze, however, said the details would take a reasonable length of time because it was a very rigorous process that involves every aspect of the entire project design from start to finish.Regarding the competence or otherwise of the Chinese firm to deliver on the project, he said CCECC had proven capability in the area of railway construction. "We have been commended by government committees which evaluated the job done so far as being of good standard and we are determined to ensure the completion of the survey and design which is now at about 91% completion stage," he said."If we are not good and can deliver quality job the two federal government committees report world not have certified our work. What we agreed with government is that we will all sit down and try to scale down the project so that it can be executed in stages in such a way that Nigeria will not loose money", he said.Udenze said the company had only received $250m out of the $1.3bn stipulated in the contract agreement as take-off amount for project.According, to the consultant, the company is requesting government to try and utilise the $500m loan from the Chinese Exim-Bank to implement the project to a certain level and then make further request for additional fund from the bank.Minister of Transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, while receiving the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Xu Jianguo, in his office in Abuja, said the planned reactivation of the abandoned multi-billion dollar railway modernisation project may take a long time to materialise because of the current financial crunch.He said federal government has asked the contractor, Chinese Construction and Engineering Company (CCEC) to consider reviewing the terms of the contract to accommodate the exigencies of the moment. " We have met with company to plan how to scale-down the project to be able to execute it in view of the financial crunch. The way forward is that we have told the company our position and asked them to go back to their home government to work out a new programme, if it is acceptable to us then fine", he said.

Nigeria: Nigeria, China to Strengthen Economic Ties

Shehu Abubakar:2 February 2009:DIALY TRUST

Nigeria and China have agreed to work together in the interest of the development of the economy of the two countries especially in the execution of projects in Nigeria by Chinese firms, minister of transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, said in Abuja at the weekend.The minister, who was receiving in audience the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Xu Jianguo in his office,, said China is a strategic partner in the economic development of Nigeria in view of the numerous contracts being executed by Chinese companies in the country.In a one page statement by the head of press and public relations of the federal ministry of transport, Mr. Kingsley Agha, the minister was quoted as commending Chinese companies in Nigeria for qualitative projects.

Bio, specifically commended a Chinese company, CCECC, for its professional and timely execution of the rehabilitation and construction work on existing and new railway lines in the country.

The minister told the visiting ambassador that Nigerian government is willing to rehabilitate all the existing railway lines in the country and construct new ones with a view to improving the transport sector of the country. He, however, said in view of the depreciating world economy and the fall in the oil price in the world which affects Nigeria's economy, the minister said the government is finding it difficult to fulfill its own side of the funding agreement. "The product was initially conceptualized for funding from government revenue from oil but based on current realities in the international market today, and in view of the global economic meltdown, the expected source of funding will be insufficient which gives rise to the search for alternative source of funding," the statement said.In his remarks during the visit, the Chinese Ambassador, Mr. Jianguo said his country is aware of the importance Nigeria attached to the rehabilitation of its railway system and assured that his country is willing to assist the government actualise its dream."The ambassador said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to bilateral cooperation with Nigeria and therefore encourages Chinese companies to take active part in the implementation of President Yar'adua's seven-point agenda especially by improving transportation network and employment generation," the statement added.

Nigeria: Country, China Strategic Partners - Minister

Adelanwa Bamgboye:26 January 2009: DAILY TRUST Minister of Transport Alhaji Ibrahim Bio has said that considering the enormity of the projects being undertaken by Chinese companies in Nigeria, China remains a strategic partner in the economic development of the country.Bio stated this when Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Mr. Xu Jianguo paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja yesterday. He said Nigerian government and the CCECC were trying to work out an alternative way of funding to move the railway project forward.

This, he said, was because the project was initially conceptualized for funding from government's oil revenue, but that based on current realities in the international market today, and in view of the global economic meltdown, the expected source of funding would be insufficient which gives rise to the search for alternative sources of funding.Earlier on, the Ambassador said the Chinese government attached great importance to bilateral cooperation with Nigeria and therefore encourages Chinese companies to take active part in the implementation of President Yar'adua's Seven point Agenda especially by improving transportation network and employment generation.Mr. Xu also stated that though the Chinese government was aware that the railway modernization project was currently being faced with some difficulties, the Chinese embassy hoped that the best solution would be worked out through negotiations between the company and the Ministry of Transport.

Southern Africa

Botswana: Chinese Shops a Relief, But They Must Behave

Ephraim Keoreng: 30 January 2009: Mmegi

Government's decision to close foreign owned clothing shops looks set to negatively affect the ordinary Motswana, especially those grappling with the cruel hand of poverty.They used to struggle trying to make ends meet, especially when it came to buying household goods and clothes. However, when the Chinese and other foreign nationals opened clothing shops they were happy that finally they too, would be in a position to afford clothes at a reasonable price.One can by a pair of slippers for as little as P10, a large travelling bag for P100 and a puffed up jacket for P90.At the cattle posts, farmers buy herdsmen clothes - trousers, shoes and jackets - at affordable prices.

In the Western Sadndveldt, Bathusi Letlhare, who owns Xaro Jenaa Farm says that he sometimes buys clothes for his farmhands. They used to spend most of their pay drinking alcohol, but "nowadays they even ask me to take them to Letlhakane to buy clothes and shoes for themselves and their kids," he says.In Jamataka, a livestock owner in his mid- fifties says he has been able to increase the number of his livestock.

He bartered clothes for goats with Basarwa farmers. He buys a lot of clothes and goes around the cattle posts exchanging them for goats and sheep.He says that he is shocked that government intends to close down Chinese owned shops. He says he wonders what will become of poor people who depend on these cheap clothes."Before the advent of Chinese shops in Botswana, life was quite a challenge. As a parent, I had a tough time especially during the festive season, where I had to buy clothes for my five children.I would spend up to P2,000 and eat into my husband's salary in a big way. So when they came with their low prices, I was happy that we would save our money, buying cheaper clothes. It has been good buying their clothes, as some of them are of high quality.But now I hear through the media that government is closing them. It would hit us hard," says Magaret Keromilwe in Francistown.Most workers in Botswana are low-income earners who bring home barely enough cash to buy bread and pay rent.They are not in a position to afford clothes, as their meagre pay dries out quickly after paying the rent and grocery bills.

To buy clothes, Richard Mogomotsi says, "I have to save for two months or three. I really have to plan before buying. I earn P600 and the rent is P350, whilst I have to buy food with P200.This means I don't even have money for transport. I have to walk to work. But because the clothes from Chinese shops are not that expensive I am able to either save or just lay-by something which costs say P100 and pay it in three months.I think government should think about us before closing these shops because they are really helping us," he said.Letlhare, who says though he is impressed by the effect that the cheap clothes has had on his farmhands who now spend the better part of their wages buying clothes instead of alcohol, he is supportive of government's move to close these shops to create space for Batswana clothing shop owners."I appreciate these people are selling at affordable prices, but they have the advantage of the fact that their merchandise is made in China where the textile is also produced at cheaper prices.Even the labour there is cheaper. "Unfortunately for Batswana traders, they buy the material from China and transport them here at a huge cost.The other thing is that the labour used for manufacturing the clothes is expensive here, hence Batswana clothes shops are expensive.

But if government were to ensure only Batswana trade in clothing, we would see a surge in Batswana owned shops and consequently competition which would see their prices also going down and everyone would be able to afford them," he observed.Kgalalelo Mosimanegape, who works in a Gaborone clothing shop owned by a Chinese businessman says there is total disregard for labour laws by some foreign business owners.She says that at the workplace they are not allowed to go on leave or off.They are expected to work from eight o'clock to half past seven at night, from Sunday to Sunday."When you complain or go on and take leave, even for a day, the next day you come you might find someone new hired in your position," she said.Molebi Keaketswe, who has been working in a Chinese clothing shop for a year, is concerned that though they are sometimes ill treated by their employers, the possibility of being jobless is scary.The fact that people are Batswana, she argues, does not mean that they do not subject workers to "unfair labour treatment. For people like me who are uneducated, it can be terrible working for a Motswana.Stories are often told by Zimbabweans of how their Batswana employers treat them like filth. I don't see any need to close Chinese shops," she said.

Botswana: Government Moves to Ban Chinese Trade in Clothes Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe: 27 January 2009:Mmegi

Government has moved to put in place trade laws that will ban Chinese traders from dealing in clothes.The Chinese traders were given 24 months from May last year to rearrange their businesses or face being sent back to China.

The government's decision to bar non-citizens - especially the Chinese traders - from dealing in clothing comes at a time when the Chinese traders are found at every corner of the country, selling all types of clothes, mainly fake overseas clothing brands.The clothes include jerseys for popular soccer clubs like Manchester United, which are selling for P30 or three Pounds Sterling. The Chinese shops are also awash with Botswana national football team jerseys, which are also selling for about P40.Director of Trade in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, John Matsheng, says that the likes of Chinese traders exploited a loophole in the specialised licences to trade in various goods which they would then sell in the same shop.

Initially, the licencing department believed that the specialised licences would protect local traders because the non-citizen investors engage in specialised trade, but the Chinese knew how to beat the law by applying for licences for almost anything that can sell, something that forced the licensing department to abolish the so-called specialised licence last year as the number of Chinese shop owners reached 654.Matsheng says they have written to their licensced Chinese traders informing them that they need to rearrange their business and stop posturing like general dealers as that type of business is reserved for citizens. Matsheng says after 24 months, if the Chinese traders do not rearrange their business the department will refuse to award them the licences. It is as simple as that," Matsheng explained.

"The Chinese were up to May 2008, issued with the specialised dealer's licences. After May 2008, when the specialised dealer's licence was abolished, they were then required to apply for a miscellaneous licence. The Minister of Trade and Industry directed that operators that sell goods that are unrelated, that is those that are essentially general dealers, should be licenced on condition that they re-arrange their operations, within a period of 24 months, to sell related goods. This is in recognition of the fact that certain non-citizens previously circumvented the reservation policy and used the specialised dealer's licence to operate essentially as general dealers," Matsheng wrote.Last year the department of trade updated a new list of businesses reserved for locals. The list of 13 includes licences for general clothing, general dealer's, car wash, auctioneers, fresh produce, funeral parlour, hairdresser, laundromat, petrol filling station and take away. Others are the cleaning services licence, and curio shop. The list was updated in accordance with the new trade law of 2003, which began operation in May last year, Matsheng said.Before the updated list, reserved businesses for citizens were hawkers and street vending, butchery and fresh produce, petrol filling stations, bottle stores and bars, Chibuku, village type restaurant, take away and super market, excluding chain stores, simple operation such as boutique fashion and foot wear.Matsheng said his department after abolishing the specialised licence last year now issues the likes of Chinese traders miscellaneous licences while the traders re-arrange their businesses to ensure that it does not eat into the citizen only reserves.

Botswana: Chinese Risk All to Complete Airport On Time

: 26 January 2009: Mmegi

Sino Hydro Corporation official Zheng Xiyu speaks with a broad smile that lights up his face as he discusses the huge project he is overseeing - Botswana's first world class international airport.Indeed, the look on the face of the site manager at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport expansion project betrays his difficult experiences in Gaborone over the last few months.Zheng went through hell not long ago at the hands of immigration officials because he did not possess the requisite work permit. He has actually been to prison for one day and one night. His construction site has been frequently visited by the Immigration Department as they sniff around for illegal Chinese workers at the over P400 million project in the nation's capital city. The immigration officials' visit often results in workers downing tools, as the host country wants to ensure that there are no illegal immigrants at the site which has employed up to 300 people.

Despite its size, the airport project has been given just 23 months to complete in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa to enable Botswana to host international flights, and to lure national teams with a huge following to set up base in Botswana.The first phase of the project is expected to be complete in November, while the second phase will be completed in May 2010, according to the site manager. However, any reputed Chinese hard worker would admit 23 months for the project completion is no joke. As the commercial manager at the site Yang Cheng Fei tells the Monitor, "23 months is a very short time, but we are capable of fulfilling the promise we made," he says with a smile and the humility of a typical Chinese.

Before it took off in May last year, the airport project ran the risk of starting operation late, as the Immigration Department took more than three months to process the site manager's, as well as other Chinese workers' papers.It was a near false start until the Chinese workers rescued the situation by playing into the hands of the law, starting the project without the work permits. It was not until three months after Zheng had started the airport project that the immigration officials started sniffing around for illegal migrants, the operation that also nabbed Zheng, who doubles as production manager and site manager.Chinese ambassador to Botswana Ding Xiaowen says he is happy that the project promises to be completed on schedule. "They need to complete on time, but if you delay or refuse issuing work permits, the project won't finish on time. It is understandable that government should encourage companies to employ local people, and to encourage foreign companies to sub-contract their projects - projects mean new opportunities to the local people, and I have been encouraging Chinese companies to hire more locals, but sometimes they cannot find the skills they are looking for. The airport project is a good example."The ambassador says it took more than seven months to get all the necessary papers for the Chinese workers on the project. He had to intervene at the last minute to rescue the site manager, who was sent to prison. That raid happened at the same time with other raids that were targeted at Chinese run projects, such as the Serowe primary schools, the Oriental Plaza, and Dikgathong dam where a sizeable number of Chinese workers were jailed for lack of work permits.

Asked about his prison ordeal, Zheng, gave his trademark broad smile, before saying: " It was hard to get permits, and we needed to mobilise staff. We know this is a very big and important project that has to be completed on schedule, for the World Cup 2010. After I was released from prison after one day and one night, I had to come straight here and push the project, because I understand what it means to the government of this country," the manager told the Monitor.A visit to the construction site on Saturday gives the impression that things have taken off smoothly. The steel structures for the new terminals are up; a huge crane lifting construction material 90m high is visible, as employees work busily atop the towering structures. Everything is running full throttle and Zheng tells the Monitor team the project (Phase I) will be complete by November this year, exactly a month ahead of schedule. His team is literally working day and night to be able to beat the tight deadline they have set themselves.Sino Hydro is hailed in China for projects of this magnitude, after it designed, and built China's biggest international airport in Beijing. The Beijing airport, according to Chinese ambassador Ding, is one of the few highly sophisticated international airports in the world, with tight security, and the latest technology. "The same company that designed the Beijing airport has designed a wonderful project for the image of Botswana, you should see its design." ambassador Ding added.The commercial manager Yang tells the Monitor that more than half of the project's total value of P430 million is remaining in Botswana and in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Contrary to assumptions that the Chinese company might be pocketing huge amounts and leaving little in the country, the commercial manager says they have procured material in Botswana and in the region worth P200 million, which is half the total project value.Yang says the P200 million that remains here does not include millions paid to sub-contractors and other expenses paid out as wages.He told the Monitor that that they have been sourcing material such as bricks, from Pan Africa, sand from HuaTswana, concrete from Kgale Quarries, cement from PPCB, concrete pipes from Kwena Rocla, steel structures from Steel Base, PVC pipes from Pipex, Steel bars from Steel Base, JCB from BH, amongst others. He revealed that they sourced steel bars and steel structures from a local company for P15 million. "Some of the material have not arrived yet but they all add up to P200 million," he added.Perhaps, one interesting aspect of this airport project is that it is being managed by a relatively young team. The commercial manager and the production manager are both in their mid 20s. They have already undertaken six other big projects between themselves in China, and some parts of Africa.

Namibia: Chinese Traders Threatened

30 January 2009: NAMIBIA ECONOMIST.

Windhoek — Mmegi reported this week that the government in Botswana has moved to establish trade laws that will ban Chinese trade in clothes.The Chinese traders were given 24 months from May 2008 to rearrange their businesses or face being sent back to China, the Botswanan newspaper said.The decision to bar non-citizens from dealing in clothes, particularly Chinese traders, comes at a time when they are found in every corner of the country, selling all types of clothing, it said.Mmegi quotes the Botswana Director of Trade in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, John Matsheng, as saying that Chinese traders, among others, exploited a loophole in specialised licences issued to non- Batswana to trade in various goods which they would then sell in the same shop.The department has written to licensed Chinese traders informing them that they need to rearrange their businesses and stop posturing like general dealers as that type of business is reserved for citizens of the country.Matsheng is quoted as saying that if the Chinese traders do not comply after the two-year period, they will sent back home.

South Africa: TAC Slams China for Deporting HIV+ Musician

20 January 2009: CAPE ARGUS

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has condemned the deportation of a Cape Town musician who was kicked out of China due to Her HIV-positive status.The woman, who refused to be named, has since returned to the city after she was allegedly ordered by the Chinese authorities to leave that country after her blood tests showed she was HIV- positive.

She and her band colleagues had reportedly gone to Beijing at the beginning of the month to start a six-month contract to perform at a well-known hotel.According to that country's laws, foreigners have to go through an extensive medical examination, including blood tests, before they can get a work permit.After her blood results came back positive, she was allegedly told by a doctor to leave the country within 48 hours.Government authorities also ordered the hotel to kick her out, saying she could not longer stay in the country or perform as there was something wrong with her blood.The TAC has since labelled the singer's deportation a "gross human rights violation" and a "setback" to the prevention and anti-stigmatisation campaigning made by Aids activists.

Regis Mtutu, the TAC's international solidarity co-ordinator said the TAC condemned such action unreservedly."This approach is not helping towards the work that we've been doing and such an attitude encourages people not to test."What makes this case even more violating is the fact that she was never counselled or informed about her HIV test.

"That was a retrogressive step by the Chinese authorities."With other progressive organisations and action groups we will discuss the matter and see how we can put pressure on governments, including America, that put a general ban on HIV foreigners from entering their countries," he said.Mtutu said the TAC was also keeping an eye on America's review of its laws pertaining to HIV-positive workers, and "we hope the new Obama administration will accelerate that review", he said.

Angola: China Reiterates Support to Reconstruction Programme 18 January 2009: ANGOLAPRESS

Luanda — China will continue supporting ongoing Angola's reconstruction and development projects, despite the world financial crisis also affecting that Asian nation.This was said Sunday in Luanda by the visiting Chinese Commerce minister, Chen Deminz, who arrived Saturday in the country for a two-day mission.The Chinese minister was speaking to the press at the end of an audience granted to him by Angolan Finance minister, Severim de Morais.He said on the occasion his country will assist Angola with projects helping diversify the country's exports, with a view to the development of its economy.

Regardless of the world financial crisis, he said, China will increment cooperation with Angola, by reinforcing cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, education and health, including the fields of light industry and telecommunications.The Chinese minister pledged as well that his country will encourage its businesses into investing in Angola and supporting initiatives of Angolan counterparts who show interest to do business in the Chinese territory.

In his turn, Severim de Morais said the memorandum of understanding subscribed in November 2003 by the then Finance minister, José Pedro de Morais, led to the establishment of a strong cooperation between the two countries.The Finance minister recalled that the memorandum was implemented with the signing of three deals of loan from the Eximbank of China.

The first such accord was estimated at Usd 2.5 billion, whereas the second was of Usd 500 million, and the third covered another two billion, totalling 4.5 billion.As the minister added, the said financial accords funded 125 contracts that permitted the reconstruction of infrastructures destroyed during the war, with the resulting relaunch of the Angolan economy.Meanwhile, the Angolan Finance minister and his Chinese Commerce colleague are co-presidents of the joint working team, within the framework of the China Credit Line to Angola.The meeting served for the two parties to assess the state of cooperation between the two nations.In addition to meeting with the Finance minister, the visiting Chinese official was received in audience by his Angolan counterpart, Idalina Valente.

Central Africa

Rwanda: Rwandatel to Send 50 Engineers to China for Training

Eddie Mukaaya: 25 January 2009: THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — Rwandatel, Rwanda's oldest telecommunications company will soon send 50 of its engineers to China for training. The company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patrick Kariningufu said that the training scheduled for March is intended to increase on the expertise of their technical staff. Without divulging into details of the length of the training, he said, "The training will cover all technical areas of modern telecommunication such as software development and installation."Kariningufu added that the training is also intended to bolster the Rwandatel's service provision as it positions itself towards meeting its 1.2 million clientele base this year.

According to management, the training is part of the company's capacity building efforts for increasing on staff efficiency in service provision, which satisfies customers.The move comes at time when the company is increasing its coverage in the country having switched to using GSM technology, after its acquisition by LAP Green networks a subsidiary of Libyan African Portfolio.Prior to switching over to 3G technology, it was operating under its CDMA technology. Currently, Rwandatel that is jointly owned by Social Security Fund of Rwanda (SSFR) is rolling out 86 masts expected to be complete by the end of February.

These will supplement the existing 76 masts in increasing network coverage in rural Rwanda, thereby contributing to mobile phone penetration in Rwanda.Mobile phone penetration is estimated at about 11 percent with MTN-Rwandacell having the lion's share estimated slightly above 1 million.However government targets about 6 million of its population to access mobile phones by 2012 under its ICT drive as a tool for economic development.A third telecom operator, Millicom, which was recently awarded a licence, is also expected to play its part in helping government hit its target.Meanwhile, just as its competitors have launched the Blackberry service, Rwandatel is also planning to offer the service soon this year.

Recently, the company also started its roaming services with Uganda Telecom (UTL) while technical testing in Tanzania and Kenya are also ongoing.This competition is expected to benefit Rwandan telecom subscribers with more, better and reliable services.

Rwanda: China, Rwanda Vow to Boost Trade Relations

19 January 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

Kigali, Rwanda — Rwanda and China have pledged to further boost trade and economic relations between them following Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's visit to Rwanda last week.Jiechi said his visit to Rwanda was intended to cement mutual understanding and extend cooperation between the two countries.He signed a trade and economic agreement with Rwanda's Foreign affairs and Cooperation Minister, Rosemary Museminali and met President Kagame (pictured right).

The official vowed to sensitize and mobilize Chinese firms to invest in Rwanda."We regard Rwanda as a true partner and a true friend in Africa," he said after signing the agreement."The agreement we have just signed is the support that China is going to be giving Rwanda. It is a continuation of the ongoing China-Rwanda cooperation," Museminali said.In his two-day visit, Yang Jiechi officially opened the new Chinese embassy in Kigali and talked to the Chinese business community in the country.He also opened the new building to house the Rwanda ministry of foreign affairs whose construction was sponsored by the Chinese government to the tune of US$8.9 million.China supports Rwanda in agriculture, infrastructural development, health and scholarships in higher learning.

3. PAN AFRICA North Africa

Gaddafi Invites SCNC

Peterkins Manyong:9 February 2009 :THE POSTONLINE.COM

The new African Union, AU, Chairman, Muammar Gaddafi, has invited Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, leaders to Addis Ababa in connection to their case at the African Commission for Human and People's Rights, ACHPR.The leaders are Augustine Feh Ndangam for SCAPO, Chief Ette Otun Ayamba for SCNC and Mola Njoh Lithumbe for Southern Cameroons Restoration Government.Meanwhile, the SCNC has hailed the AU for deleting Bakassi from the agenda of its recent Addis Ababa meeting.

In a press release dated February 2, SCNC Vice Chairman, Nfor Ngala Nfor, derides "expansionist La République du Cameroun for sponsoring an agenda item titled "Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Africa, Model of the Bakassi Crisis."The release says the Yaounde regime which "danced itself lame before the real dance" wanted to use its Bakassi "victory" to divert both national and international opinion from the real problem on the ground, namely, her annexation and occupation of Southern Cameroons.

Nfor Nfor claims that La République has no maritime boundary between Nigeria and its territory.Besides diversion, Nfor Nfor attributes the sponsorship of the Bakassi item to attempts by Biya to portray himself as a hero.Nfor Nfor sees the rejection of the Bakassi item as recognition by the AU of a maritime boundary between La République and Nigeria. He castigates La République for going to equity with "bloodstained hands" with her underground cellars filled with skulls of innocent Southern Cameroonians and even Nigerians in Bakassi.The release calls on ACHPR to honour its pledge and take judicious cognizance of Yaounde's diabolic efforts to manipulate and violate the African Charter, and make its final ruling on the case between La République and the Southern Cameroons.The release further calls on the AU to act expeditiously and in conformity with its Charter, admit Southern Cameroons as a member just as it did to the Western Sahara when it was declared a non-integral part of Morocco.It ends with a call on the UN to apply preventive diplomacy; the best means of avoiding wars and suffering to end the annexation of Southern Cameroons.Southern Cameroonians at home and abroad are equally called upon to rededicate themselves to the struggle for self-determination and not be part of Biya's 2011 agenda.

West Africa

Africa: 12th African Union Summit Opens in Ethiopia 2 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia)

Addis Ababa — President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on February 2 joined other African Heads of State at the opening session of the 12th Annual Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Summit is being held under the theme 'Infrastructure Development in Africa.'

In his statement declaring the Summit officially opened, African Union Chairman and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete spoke of the modest progress made on the continent, but stressed that much more needed to be done. He remembered fallen leaders Lansana Conte of Guinea and Patrick Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia as he recounted some of the tragedies which befell the continent during the past year.For his part, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Jean Ping, said the global recession has the propensity to deeply affect all efforts made by African states to fight poverty and called for more support for the AU Commission. Mr. Ping sounded a clarion call to all member states of the need to denounce coup d'etats, which Africa has witnessed in recent times. 'This,' he noted, 'shows regression.' To this end, he challenged all African Union member states to join efforts to resist unconstitutional rule.'The arrest of General Laurent Nkunda and the resumption of dialogue between conflicting parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo are welcomed developments,' Mr. Ping further declared. The African Union chairperson also recognized President Sheikh Ahmed of Somalia, who was elected last week and made his first appearance at the African Union. Mr. Ping also spoke of the need for Africa to strengthen itself to promote continental food security.

Serving as a guest speaker, United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, pledged U.N.'s support for Africa's progress. He observed that the recent conflict in Gaza, Palestine, teaches a lesson that prevention is better than cure. Mr. Ban stressed that recent developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken a turn for the better. However, he called on MONUC (the UN Peacekeeping force in D.R. Congo) to protect lives and property. The U.N. Secretary General also expressed his pleasure that both parties to the political crisis in Zimbabwe have pledged to work together.The 12th Annual A.U. Summit continues on February 3 with leaders expected to speak during a closed session.

Gaddafi Vows to Push for UN Permanent Seat for Africa

8 February 2009: DAILY TRUST(NIGERIA)

The AU Chairman, Maummar Gaddafi has vowed to push for a permanent seat for Africa in the UN Security Council during his year-long tenure.

The AU does not have a seat at the UN Security Council and currently, African states are elected to the 15-member Security Council but their stay is temporary. Uganda is currently a member of the UN Security Council.Gaddafi vowed to take President Kikwete's appeal to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that African deserved a standing seat at the UN.Gaddafi, who insisted that Africans would only impose themselves on the global arena if they remained united, said he would pursue his vision of a United States of Africa during his tenure.The Libyan leader was elected to the post on Monday during the 12th session of the AU Heads of State.The leadership of the AU rotates across the continent. Each region is allowed to provide a chairman for one to two years. This year, it is the chance for North Africa to lead.

Nigeria Supports 'United States of Africa' - Maduekwe

Nwakpa O. Nwakpo:7 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — The minister of foreign affairs, Dr. Ojo Maduekwe, has said that Nigeria supports the formation of the United States of Africa.However, he said that the Nigerian position during the recently concluded summit is that there should be "a gradual approach to the creation of a United States of Africa."The ministry said that "in principle no one is opposed to having a United States of Africa some day but it is dangerous to jump into it now."Maduekwe said that Nigeria does not want to cut corners rather, all should work gradually and systematically to achieve the union in the shortest possible time.He reasoned that "there is no reason why Africans should not feel free to do business anywhere in Africa without restrictions."

The minister explained that the formation of this unity government entails the ceding of member states' sovereignty to a certain extent which, he said, portends danger if done in a haste. He then advocated adequate sensitisation for the people to understand the meaning while they work towards the harmonisation of forms of government, electoral processes and cycles, constitutional amendments to enable some member states to get ready before entering into the unity government.He also noted that there is need to work only the shared values and interests of member states that will form the foundation of the unity government.

On the global financial and economic crisis, the minister said that the AU took the crisis serious and thus, formed a ten-man committee of ministers and central bank governors, with Nigeria as a member, to advise the body on how to solve the crisis in the region.He noted that the positive developments in Zimbabwe were welcomed by the assembly, in particular, the outcome of negotiation for a coalition government with the prime minister's post going to the opposition party.At this juncture, we also said that the firm commitment of the AU to unconstitutional changes of government remains very important" saying that "the heads of states were resolute in their stand against military coups".

African Union Ends Summit

Charles Onunaiju With Agency Report: 5 February 2009: DAILY TRUST

Abuja — African Union leaders wound up a summit in Addis Ababa yesterday with the continent beset by conflict and divided over new chairman Moamer Kadhafi's plans for unifying its 53 member states.Closing speeches hailed an agreement to change the name of the body's main executive arm but the Libyan leader's election as the organisation's rotating chairman sparked a debate that led to the summit's extension by a day.

"After earnest efforts toward Africa's unity, we were able to agree on transforming the AU Commission into the AU Authority, which is a very significant step," Kadhafi said."We Africans have only unity to gain strength. We live in a ruthless world, where the strong live and the weak are enslaved... I want to tell Africa's youth that the power is theirs and that they should push for African unity."

The veteran Libyan leader's vision for a more aggressive integration of the continent into what he calls the "United States of Africa" was met by deep reservations from some key nations.Yesterday's closing speeches came after late night drama at the AU's Addis Ababa headquarters, when the Libyan leader walked out on discussions over the future of the organisation.South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said in a joint interview with AFP and his nation's SABC television on Tuesday that proposals for strengthening the AU would be considered only over the next three months.

"The aim is to strengthen and expand a bit on the functions and responsibilities of the Authority," he said.During the summit, the tensions with Kadhafi were palpable. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni proposed turning the AU leadership into a troika, which would mitigate Kadhafi's influence in a role that already has little real power."Africans are polite, but deserve respect," Museveni told him, according to one participant in the talks.Yet, differences remain over how the new system would be implemented. Countries such as Libya advocate immediate unification, a position Kadhafi says is the only way forward for the war-ravaged and drought-stricken continent. On the other hand Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya seek gradual integration - and seem to have the upper hand at the moment.

Africa: IFC to Invest $30 Billion in Continent

Justus Nduwugwe: 5 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

The World Bank President, Mr. Robert B. Zoellick, has said that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group is to invest $30bn in Africa for a period of three years.Zoellick also observed that the global financial crisis that grew into an economic crisis is now becoming an employment crisis, and in the coming months, for some, may become a human crisis.

A statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday by the Head of Media in the bank's Abuja office, Obadiah Tohomdet, stated that the World Bank President made this known while addressing African leaders at the just concluded 12th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Addressing African leaders, Zoellick said: "Many of you have already seen the danger signs, on top of the poverty, hunger, and malnutrition we saw last year as a result of soaring food and fuel prices".On a positive note, he stated that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the bank group's private-sector arm, is launching four initiatives for: helping recapitalise banks in poor countries, infrastructure financing, trade financing, and refocused advisory services. "We are expecting IFC's private sector investments to total about $30 billion over the next three years. And we want to use these investments to mobilise resources from others."Today, confronting Africa's challenges and ensuring that African voices are heard take on an even greater importance, as we face a global crisis. Africa will not escape it.

"Far from being insulated from these events, developing countries are feeling the effects and Africa is no exception."The first effects will be concentrated in sectors that are integrated with the global economy."African exports are expected to fall by 2 per cent in 2008, relative to the previous year, with some countries experiencing significant declines - a 30 per cent decline in Angola."FDI flows have dropped from 2.1 per cent of GDP to 1.5 per cent in developing countries, and drop-offs are particularly severe in African countries."Remittances are drying up. In Kenya, which already cut its growth rate of remittances in half last year, the projected growth in 2009 is zero", he stressed.

Southern Africa

AU Summit to Find Lasting Solutions to Conflicts

Bathandwa Mbola:27 January 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

Addis Ababa — Indications are that delegates attending the upcoming African Union Summit in Ethiopia will spend much time deliberating on finding lasting solutions to the continent's conflicts as there is a general view that conflicts are standing in the way of a unified Africa."There is a general trend towards a more peaceful, stable Africa, deeply committed to tackling peace and security," said AU Commission chairperson Jean Ping.Briefing the media on Tuesday, Mr Ping said the AU planned to play a stronger role in negotiating a lasting solution to the political deadlock in Zimbabwe during the summit.Recalling from a statement he made earlier on, Mr Ping said the AU summit would empower the organisation to take further measures to strengthen its involvement.Monday's SADC Summit gave Zimbabwe's political leaders until 5 February to pass Constitutional Amendment 19.The summit further agreed that Zimbabwe's prime minister and deputy ministers be sworn in on 13 February 2009, which will conclude the process of the formation of an inclusive government.

Mr Ping indicated that during the past six months, the continent witnessed coup d'état in two of the 53 member states (Mauritania and Guinea) while making progress with democratic elections in Ghana."The AU is made up of 53 nations and yes we have problems, however we are addressing them," he said, believing that the union was moving in the right direction to address them.On the situation in the Sudan-Dafur region, he said hundred more troops will arrive in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region within the next two months in an effort to boost protection of civilians.Additional troops are expected to arrive by March from Egypt, South Africa, Senegal and Bangladesh, and later this year, further troops will arrive from Nepal, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia, said Mr Ping.He said Tanzania had also announced it would send an entire infantry battalion of about 900 personnel and an advance party, including engineers crucial to UNAMID's plan to expedite its deployment target.

The hybrid force is set up by the Security Council to protect civilians on the western flank of Sudan, where an estimated 300 000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.

AU to Be Transformed Into New African Union Authority

Bathandwa Mbola:1 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

African leaders agreed on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital to transform the African Union (AU) Commission into the African Union Authority (AUA).This will be done as a compromise step toward eventually forming a continent-wide government.Briefing journalists, AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping said the new authority would have a broader mandate than the existing commission. "We are creating an institution with a bigger mandate, with bigger capacities, which moves us toward the goal of the union government," Mr Ping said although details of the change were still under discussion.He said, however, governments will still retain their sovereignty under the existing system."The body will be headed by a president and a vice-president, and the commissioners will become secretaries charged with portfolios," Mr Ping said.The 53- nation African Union said it would agree by Wednesday on reforms to the organisation.The idea of creating a future union government for Africa, which is believed would boost Africa's international standing, has been discussed for several years among the region's leaders. It has been supported strongly by Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.However, many African leaders were reluctant to relinquish any of their sovereignty to a new government, while some favour strengthening regional institutions before creating a continent-wide system.

The establishing of a unified Africa to give Africa stronger bargaining power at international forums has been a dream of several generations of pan-Africanists.

The South African government since 2007 has embarked on an intensive countrywide campaign to gather the views of its citizens on the envisioned African Union Authority. The representatives all showed support for the position which was eventually adopted, namely that of a gradual process of integration, strengthening of multilateral institutions as well as the strengthening and integration of Regional Economic Communities (RECs). South Africa falls under the 14 member SADC REC, whose other member states include Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Timelines and the method for Africa's integration are to be set out according to the Accra Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the three-day summit. The approach will entail strengthening AU organs, including the AU Commission, as well as speeding up the integration of RECs, with the final objective being the creation of a union government. The Accra Declaration expresses the AU leaders' conviction that the ultimate objective of the AU is the United States of Africa, with a Union Government, as envisaged by the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity and, in particular, the late visionary leader, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, former President of Ghana.

Africa: Libyan President Elected As New AU Chairman

Bathandwa Mbola:2 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

Addis Ababa — The African Union (AU) has elected Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as the new AU Chairman to head the continental organisation.According to AU spokesman Habiba Mejri-Sheikh, President Gaddafi's election occurred in a closed-door session at the AU Summit on Monday.The Libyan leader, who will be chair for a year, has replaced Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete.

As part of its principle of geographical rotation, the leadership of the AU had to go to a North African country, said Mr Mejri-Sheikh.Mr Gaddafi is a staunch supporter of a union government for Africa, a project which has so far met with a great deal of resistance from many of the continent's other leaders.At the Addis Ababa conference, which is to come to close on Wednesday, the decision was made to change the name of the current AU Commission to "Authority", but without transforming it into a true government of the union.In his farewell speech as the AU Chairman, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete on Monday appealed to African leaders to restrain from seeking greater political power and influence for themselves, while urging them to focus on improving Africa's economic status."The efforts to remove from power the democratically elected governments are unacceptable," Mr Kikwete told the delegates.

He called on all "those who are using violence to respect democratic principles." Mr Kikwete said African leaders should put more priority on tackling economic issues and poverty to rid Africa of its global shame as the poorest continent. He said African leaders should set aside more time to discuss a global solution to Africa's under-development and make greater use of the existing global cooperation. He further stressed the need for Africans to seek a greater voice on global affairs and called on Africa to establish better working ties with European and Asian leaders. "Africa must also be included in the search for global solutions to the current financial crisis, he said, adding that Africa was part of the world and must not be ignored during this period.

He also made a proposal that the AU should immediately establish a budget for the AU Heads of State chair to enable him to tackle the various challenges facing the continent.Later in the day, African leaders paid tribute to their departed colleagues, among them the late Guinean President Lansana Conte and the late Zambian leader Levy Mwanawasa, who took ill while attending the last summit in July in Egypt.The AU also sent condolences to the people and the government of Kenya after two fatal fires left hundreds dead.

AU Summit Closes With Victory of Gradual Thesis 5 February 2009:ANGOLAPRESS

Addis Ababa — The 12nd ordinary summit of heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) closed Wednesday in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), with the victory of the position that defends the gradual establishment of the Union's Government.

According to observer who spoke to Angop, one can not say there has been a defeat to those who defend the immediate setting up of the Union's Government, adding however that the gradualist thesis prevailed.Angolan Foreign minister, Assunção dos Anjos, told press that the institutionalisation of the United States of Africa is a consensual matter, but the intention has to agree with the state of development of Africa at the moment, so that this immediate unity does not translate into conflicts and blockage to the development of some already poor economies of the African states.He stated that the creation of the Union's Government must be preceded by conditions that lead to a balance among the states, to the clarification of the process and as to how it will be compatible with the sovereignty of existing sovereign organs.Despite all these questions, the 12nd summit, at which the various currents existing in all economic regions were in collision route, prompting the postponement of the meeting, the election of the Libyan leader, Muammar Kadhafi, to lead the continental organisation was consensual, as he was the only candidate to the post.

Leaders Deliberate on Establishing AU Authority

Bathandwa Mbola:4 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

Addis Ababa — African leaders have decided to extend the 12th African Union Heads of State and Government Summit by a day to ensure all important matters receive attention and declarations can be made on the establishment of the AU Authority.The summit being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was due to end on Tuesday but will now end on Wednesday.African leaders on Monday agreed on transforming the African Union (AU) Commission into the AU Authority as a compromise step toward eventually forming a continent-wide government.Briefing journalists earlier this week AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping said the new authority would have a broader mandate than the existing commission. "We are creating an institution with a bigger mandate, with bigger capacities, which moves us toward the goal of the union government.However, a marathon closed door meeting ended at 3am on Wednesday after leaders failed to agree on its establishment.A unified continent, which would give Africa stronger bargaining power at international forums, has been a dream of several generations of pan- Africanists. However, many African leaders were reluctant to relinquish any of their sovereignty to a new government, while some favour strengthening regional institutions before creating a continent-wide system.

The idea of creating a future union government for Africa, which is believed would boost Africa's international standing, has been discussed for several years among the region's leaders.Elected as the Chairperson of the AU at the beginning of the week, President Muammar Gaddafi made it clear he would pursue his vision of a union government for Africa, despite reluctance from many members. He told fellow summit leaders that his project to create a united continental government would be approved at the next meeting in July unless there was a majority against it. He had paraded seven traditional kings from all over Africa, who he claimed supported his plans for a union government for Africa.However, President Gaddafi walked out of the closed door meetings in the early hours of Wednesday.

Asked to comment on the decision of the meeting, AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping said: "We could not reach a decision on government of unity."Launched in July 2007, at the 9th AU Summit in Accra, Ghana, the concept has followed a tortuous path punctuated by adjustments, redefinitions and compromises before reaching a consensus on the rational integration of the geographical zones of the continent.The review of the proposed union government initiative has been postponed several times, as African leaders agreed each time on an additional period of reflection in order to better hone the project and "reduce the uncertainty angles."The audit report indicates that differences have emerged on its feasibility, including the areas of competence, the role of the RECs and the impact of the union government on the respective sovereignty of the 53 member states. not whether one should be put in place, but how and when it should happen and what is necessary to clarify the concept and content of such a government.South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, however, will not be staying for further deliberations on Wednesday due to commitments, including his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Friday.Presidential spokesperson Thabo Masebe told BuaNews that South Africa would be represented by South African Ambassador to Ethiopia Major-General Lungile C Pepani.

Exporting Inside Africa As Expensive As Exporting to Asia

Moses Magadza:21 January 2009: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Windhoek — Despite the new free trade agreement linking southern African states, it still costs as much to move goods between African states as it costs to move goods from Asia to Africa, according to an economist.In August 2008, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) launched a free trade area (FTA). This means that goods entering any part of SADC from within the region will no longer attract import tax. While the SADC FTA is an important milestone, economists who spoke to IPS pointed to various hurdles that still litter the road to regional integration and increased trade among SADC countries."It was a good start but reducing tariffs is just one aspect of regional integration," economist Klaus Schade, acting director at the think tank called the Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU), told IPS.

He argued that, for the SADC FTA to achieve its objectives, non-tariff barriers need to be removed. These include cumbersome customs procedures, lack of transport infrastructure and delays at border crossing points. "If these issues are not addressed we won't see strong growth in intra-regional trade."Schade recalled an observation he made while on a recent trip to Tanzania: "The cost of moving a container from Tanzania to Uganda or Rwanda is the same as that of transporting a container from China to Tanzania because of the high transport costs."Working towards common customs documents and harmonising other systems may draw the region closer to its integration objectives.He also pointed out that "SACU (Southern African Customs Union) had already removed tariffs for SADC imports about three years ago. Therefore, imports to Namibia from SADC countries are not going to become cheaper because SADC has launched a FTA."While admitting that the SADC FTA could increase access to the wider SADC market for SACU member states like Namibia, Schade said the relatively low purchasing power of SADC citizens leads to low demand for goods in the region.Save for South Africa, Botswana and Mauritius, the rest of the 15 SADC countries is classified as either poor or developing.

"We produce almost the same products and raw materials. There is no trade in manufacturing products, hence the scope for increased intra-regional trade currently is very limited," he explained.He is optimistic that the launch of the SADC FTA would create awareness of the SADC market and its potential. But, while "that might provide momentum for addressing non-tariff barrier issues, the SADC FTA alone will not solve all our problems."These problems are not new. Towards the end of 2007 a meeting was held as part of efforts to develop the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi trade corridor to link Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

There businesspeople from DRC expressed concern over the lack of return trip loads, should they use the corridor. They said driving back empty trucks doubled their transport costs.Another perennial concern has been SADC states' multiple memberships to different trade blocs, according to University of Namibia economist Dr Joel Eita."Consider this: Zambia is a member of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) and also hosts the COMESA secretariat. At the same time it is a member of SADC."Now we have a SADC FTA. South Africa is a chairing member of SADC but is not a member of COMESA. By virtue of being a member of SADC, Zambia should not impose tariffs on goods entering it from South Africa."Yet as a member of COMESA, Zambia must charge tariffs on goods coming from outside COMESA. How does Zambia deal with South Africa? This presents a policy headache," Eita expounded.Other trade blocs to which some SADC members are affiliated to include the East African Community and the Economic Community for West African States.

Turning to attempts by African states to launch an Africa-wide FTA early this year before the success or otherwise of the SADC FTA has been ascertained, Eita said such moves are "over-ambitious"."My view is that we should start integrating regional trading blocs before we can hope to integrate the whole continent," he argued.Eita also said there was need for SADC economies to diversify, saying only South Africa was sufficiently diversified to benefit meaningfully from a SADC FTA. "Zimbabwe also has a very strong industrial base. It is actually a sleeping giant because of the things happening there.

"Other SADC countries must develop their manufacturing sectors and add value to their products. Botswana, for instance, cannot sell diamonds to Namibia or Angola," he said.He warned that unless SADC economies diversified, the direction of trade would remain as it was before the SADC FTA: from South Africa to smaller SADC economies while raw materials would continue to flow to the West and Asia.Takawira Musavengana, a senior researcher with the Institute of Security Studies in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa, said peace and stability are important for trade to flourish."Plural politics has come to southern Africa and I think in spite of some problems in parts of the region, southern Africa has been a model of peace and stability on the continent, certainly when you consider what is happening in West Africa; the horn of Africa and other hot spots, for example."That must not, however, make us complacent. There are pockets of instability that need attention: DRC, Angola, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Trade can not grow in an environment that is pregnant with uncertainty," Musavengana said.

Africa's Soils to Be Digitally Mapped

Berber Rouwé:20 January 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

A DIGITAL map of the state of Africa's soils is to be put together in an initiative launched last week.The African Soil Information Service, launched in Nairobi, Kenya, will produce a digital map of 42 African countries revealing soil type and its component nutrients.

This information will guide farmers and policy makers on efforts to improve the fertility of Africa's soils, some of which are the most depleted in the world. The project will be coordinated by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture.The coverage and detail of existing soil maps are poor, particularly in large, scarcely populated countries in Africa, says Alfred Hartemink, soil scientist at ISRIC - World Soil Information, part of Wageningen University in the Netherlands."The maps that do exist are 10-30 years old. That poses a problem, because the soil properties of interest - like pH, carbon or phosphorus content - change over time."The project, funded with a US$18 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, will gather existing local soil maps and combine them with new measurements to produce the digital map, which will be freely accessible on the web in a user-friendly format.The new measurements will include those derived from remote sensing, which involves analysing the features of satellite images - such as colour and radiation - to infer the characteristics of the soil. These calculations are then calibrated against actual soil samples from the particular region.

The African map is the first stage of an initiative, GlobalSoilMap.net, to map all the globe's soils to help informed decisions not only about agriculture, but also to monitor the effects of climate change, environmental pollution and deforestation.

Hartemink says the plan is to have 70 per cent of the world mapped within five years, with a full map completed within 10-15 years."The first step, the collection of existing soil and map data and the calibration of our satellite images, will be hard. After that, updating the maps will be easy," he says.The project will be coordinated by Hartemink and his colleagues from ISRIC - World Soil Information in the Netherlands, who will ensure the same techniques and standards are used by the coordinating centre in each continent.Over 50 soil scientists will be involved in the mapping effort. - SciDev Net

Regional Groups to Establish Contact Group for Guinea

Bathandwa Mbola: 1 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

Regional and international organisations have agreed to establish a contact group to follow up on the political situation in Guinea.The decision was made by the African Union, the United Nations, the International Organisation of la Francophonie (OIF), the European Union (EU), the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).

These organisations held a consultative meeting on Friday in Addis Ababa ahead of the AU summit on Sunday."Given the fragile and fluid situation on the ground and the concerns expressed by many actors in Guinea on the need to ensure transparency in the transition process, the participants agreed to establish an International Contact Group on Guinea to monitor the situation very carefully and continue to coordinate their efforts for the speedy restoration of constitutional order, on the basis of the relevant elements of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)," the meeting agreed.

The participants also expressed their concern over the recent developments in Guinea and their possible impact on the smooth conduct of the transition and its outcome through the effective and genuine restoration of constitutional order.

The Contact Group will be co-chaired by the ECOWAS and the AU Commission and will comprise CEN-SAD, the EU, the Mano River Union, OIC, OIF, the UN, the Chair of the PSC and the Chair of ECOWAS, as well as the African members and the permanent members of the UN Security Council.The Group will meet as often as necessary, at least once every two months. It will also hold its first meeting in Conakry on 16 February.Meanwhile, the AU will soon have a new flag, the Executive Board meeting as part of the preparatory sessions of the 12th Summit of the Organisation decided on Friday.The decision to have a new flag surfaced over a year ago, but the process was speeded-up under the aegis of the current Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Ping, who referred his detailed report on the period from July to December 2008 to the approval of the Executive Board.The Commission received 116 proposals, five of which were eventually selected with an eye to redesigning the colours of the pan-African flag.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Spain Provides 10 Million Euros to Support AU

5 February 2009: DAILY MONITOR Addis Abeba — Spain has disbursed 10 million Euros as first part of a 30 million Euros pledge to support African Union's efforts to address peace and security issues and strengthening the Pan African body's structures and capacities.

This was announced by Spanish Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, Angel Lossada, during a meeting with Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mr. Jean Ping, in the context of the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.This donation constitutes the first part of a 30 million euro commitment for the next three years that was announced by the Minister during his visit to Addis Ababa in January 2008, according to a press statement from embassy of Spain in Addis Ababa.The Spanish contribution aims to support the African Union in the achievement of its objectives and priorities, focusing on the African Peace and Security Agenda and the strengthening of the African Union structures and capacities.The Secretary of State has conveyed an invitation to Chairman Ping to visit Spain and to hold consultations and sign the MoU that regulate the Spanish contribution to the African Union.

Central Africa

Rwanda: Kagame Speaks on Changing Global Political Economy

James Karuhanga:21 January 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — President Paul Kagame yesterday spoke on the subject of the "changing global political economy" and its implications for Africa.The President expressed his views on the matter in a speech delivered at the famed Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) as he wound up his two-day Indian trip, which started Monday."I wish to make the case that the changes in the international arena, especially the broadening of economic powers beyond the dominant Western Axis of North America, Western Europe and Japan are positive for Africa," he stressed on the on-set.

But Kagame was quick to point out that for Africa to significantly benefit from the changes, this would depend on the continent's ability to own and execute a focused development agenda hinged on creating effective markets for greater trade and investment.Taking time to recount on the shifts, he noted that the "changing global configuration" has coincided with significant reforms in Africa and that the global reach of new economic powers known as the BRIC economies - Brazil, Russia, India, and China has already had a considerable impact in Africa.

"You are well aware of various initiatives by China, India and other countries at forging partnerships with African leaders individually and collectively," he said, stressing that he had visited India to engage with business and political leaders to strengthen business relationships.Kagame also brought to light and took to task Western tendencies to upset this new partnership."In this context," he said, "there are concerns about these relationships, in the West - where they are often described as "exploitative" and "the New Scramble for Africa. "To those analysts, institutions or countries with such a mindset we should say - "wait a minute here, the West divided and scrambled for Africa, colonized it, exploited its natural resources for centuries; changed and installed governments of its own choice, imposed policies, provided hundreds of billions of dollars of tied aid whose result in terms of improving lives was dismal; and now that there are competitors for doing business with Africa, you cry foul, instead of seeing opportunities?"

"We should further ask: And what is wrong with attracting more Foreign Direct Investment into Africa?""What we really need is to broaden FDI beyond the extraction of natural resources into value-addition for sectors with maximum spin off capabilities into local economies," he said.His final question on the issues was - "Why are Western investments into Chinese and Indian markets or the two countries' investments into Western economies desirable, but inappropriate for Africa?"Kagame thus stressed how Africa and its partners can engage in more productive relationships to significantly benefit its people, an issue he considers, "very simple.""With responsible governments and good corporate citizenship, we must ensure that the agreements we enter into are fair, equitable and indeed able to endure the test of time," he said, further explaining that this depends, "most importantly", on African countries having comprehensive strategies for the future that shape domestic as well as external partnerships, and in which all players have a stake."This is the basis for any successful socioeconomic transformation endeavour," he said, adding that "clearly," global economic management systems and processes designed at the end of the Second World War are no longer in keeping with contemporary socio-economic realities.

"The fact that new key players have emerged - and are actively engaging Africa, is both timely and welcome. Such countries bring more to Africa than trade and investment - they constitute role models as they have made admirable socioeconomic breakthroughs," he said.

4. HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND SOCIAL ISSUES

West Africa

West Africa: Female Genital Mutilation Knows No Borders

Mercedes Sayagues: 6 February 2009: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Pretoria — Laws against female genital mutilation are driving the practice underground and across borders, says UNIFEM.A study released in 2008 looked at the flow of girls traveling to be excised between Burkina Faso and its neighbours Mali, Niger, Ghana and Cote d' Ivoire. Except Mali, all four countries in the study have laws against female genital mutilation (FGM), although enforcement varies widely. Outlawing the practice has "deeply biased the discourse on female excision", says the study. In surveys, interviews and informal conversations, people deny that the practice continues. Group excisions are no longer announced in the market. But it still happens, and it travels wherever people think it will not be punished or noted. "We think it is getting worse," said Francis Bogie Boogere, a specialist in sexual violence with UNIFEM in Burkina Faso.The study notes that in addition to anti-FGM legislation, ethnic ties across frontiers underpin social and cultural networks that help cross-border excision. The Peul move between the borders of Burkina Faso and Niger, the Gourmantche between Burkina and Niger, the Dagara and Lobi between Burkina and Ghana, while Burkinabe workers in Cote d' Ivoire go home to excise the girls and return. When northern Cote d' Ivoire turned lawless during the civil war, female cutting flourished there.

Mossi and Yagse communities from Burkina Faso find in Mali "the ideal situation to excise their daughters in plain view" says the study. Between July and November, when thousands of young Burkinabe cross on foot, by ox cart, bicycle or minibus to pick cotton in Mali, and during school holidays, girls melt into the flux.Boogere has picked up anecdotal evidence of trafficking in cut clitorides for witchcraft in Cote d' Ivoire. "Excisers in Benin and Togo know traditional doctors who know rich men in Cote d' Ivoire who believe these fetishes will make them richer," he told IPS. This trade could sap efforts to end the harmful practice inflicted on thousands of girls in West Africa every year, he worries.Since West African nationals don't need passports and visas to travel in the region, the families can easily take the girls across the border. Some excisers run rudimentary guesthouses for their visitors. Or the exciser travels to do a mass circumcision, or families and exciser meet across the border.Excisers of the Mossi ethnic group are reputed to be the best. The study describes how Mossi migrant communities secretly organize the travel of famous excisers into Ghana and, through a complex system of coded information and alerts, hide them and get them out if they risk arrest.

Boomerang effect

Anti-FGM laws help make people aware of the harm of excision but also cause "a negative mutation into a clandestine phenomenon", says the study. Secrecy makes estimates harder, but it seems girls are getting cut at a younger age, according to Boogere.In Burkina Faso, which banned genital cutting in 1996, "clandestinity is an unpredicted consequence of the law," said Alice Tiendrebeogo, a Burkinabe historian, teacher, and a former minister of education.This is one reason why Mali, where some 80 per cent of girls are excised, is taking "la voie douce" (the soft way) of convincing people to abandon the practice through community campaigns, explained Diarra Affusatou Thiero, a Supreme Court judge and former minister for the promotion of women, children and the family between 1997-2002.

"We don't want to pass a law just to say we have one if it will not be respected and applied," she told IPS."Our mothers-in-law, our grandmothers and mothers take our children to be excised while we are at work or traveling. How can I take my mother-in- law to court? I'd lose my husband, my family. I'd be disgraced. It's complicated. It is better to sensitize to bring change", she added.Yet precisely because Mali "does not have repressive mechanisms around excision it remains an El Dorado for Burkinabe practitioners," says the study.The region has no mechanisms to deal with cross-border FGM. Only Ghana's law allows prosecution if the cutting is performed outside the country. Elsewhere, lawmakers did not foresee the cross-border strategy of people resisting change.In November, at a meeting with First Ladies of seven West African countries, Unifem and governments launched a regional action plan in the border regions involving governors, police and NGOs."The key issue is that both sides of the border must be vigilant", said Tiendrebeogo. Nevertheless, says the study, the solution does not lie in repression, but in convincing people to abandon the practice. Community radio stations are key to this approach, as they reach people in their own language and broadcast across borders.Also essential is greater public commitment from political, religious and traditional leaders, WHICH the study deems "feeble". So far, campaigns remain sporadic, non-participatory and poorly adapted to their target. "Cross border excision is an unexpected and perverse consequence... and proof of the inefficacy of approaches and strategies used," concludes the study.

Nigeria: Same Sex Marriage - Human Rights Watch Urges Rejection of Bill

27 January 2009:THIS DAY

Lagos — A group, Human Rights Watch, yesterday urged the National Assembly to disregard a bill before it seeking to ban "same gender marriage" which it said would expand Nigeria's already draconian punishments for homosexual conduct and threaten Nigerians' rights to privacy, free expression, and association.In a letter to President Umaru Yar'Adua, National Assembly, the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, and other national, regional, and international bodies, the group urged legislators and the president to reject the bill. The letter urged the country's leaders to combat an environment of stigma and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Nigerians.According to the group, on January 15, 2009, the Nigerian House of Representatives voted favorably on the second reading of a bill "to prohibit marriage between persons of same gender." The bill would punish people of the same sex who live together "as husband and wife or for other purposes of same sexual relationship" with up to three years of imprisonment. Anyone who "witnesses, abet(s) and aids" such a relationship could be imprisoned for up to five years.

"This bill masquerades as a law on marriage, but in fact it violates the privacy of anyone even suspected of an intimate relationship with a person of the same sex," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. "It also threatens basic freedoms by punishing human rights defenders who speak out for unpopular causes."The House of Representatives referred the bill to its Committees on Human Rights, Justice, and Women Affairs, which will hold a joint public hearing on it.If the House approves the bill on a third reading, it must then be approved by the Senate and President Yar'Adua.

Sierra Leone: 'Political Will Delays Reparations'

Ibrahim Tarawallie:5 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

Freetown — The chief of human rights section, United Nations integrated peace building office in Sierra Lone (UNIPSIL), has said in Freetown that the lack of political will has been the reason for the delay in the implementation of the reparations programme.Benedict Sannoh told his audience at the official launch of the reparations programme by the national commission for social action (NaCSA) that political will has to transcend public pronouncements and translated into concrete policies, legislative actions and appropriate budgetary support."While funding is crucial to the implementation of the reparations process, lack of political will has been the delay to implement it," he said.

According to Sannoh, without an effective strategy by the government to sustain this momentum, the programme will collapse in 12 months when the peace building funds run out, noting that the country cannot afford to have a sizeable number of its citizenry dehumanized and reduced to beggars across the length and breath of the city."It is an affront not only on their dignity as individuals but also to the collective dignity of the country and people. While some significant political actions have been taken in this regard, such as the amendments of the act creating NaCSA, we encourage the government to establish a trust fund for victims of the conflict," he urged.Chairman of the amputees and war-wounded association, Alhaji Jusu Jaka, said the launch of the reparations programme was important especially to victims of human rights abuses.

"We the victims are exposed to all forms of human rights violations. We hope the programme will be implemented honestly and judiciously by NaCSA," he said.Deputy minister of foreign affairs, Vandy Minah, observed that those who suffered during the country's civil war were the most disadvantaged in the society, adding that the truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) reports, findings and recommendations are the road map directing the way the country should go.Vice president Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana, in his brief statement, pledged his government's commitment and determination to ensuring the successful implementation of reparations programme."The programme is a sensitive one; we would closely monitor the entire process because the 11-year conflict has brought untold sufferings to our people," he said.Former NaCSA commissioner Kanja Sesay told Concord Times that the last SLPP government negotiated for the reparations programme, and that it also sourced the funds from the UN peace building fund."I cannot challenge this statement but all I will say is that there was strong political will from the last government," he said.

Southern Africa

Madagascar: Minister Resigns Over Killings

9 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

Madagascar's defence minister, Cecile Manorohanta, resigned on Monday after police reportedly killed at least 25 people when they fired upon a demonstration in the capital, Antananarivo, at the weekend.The BBC reported that Manorohanta said she could not accept that the blood of her compatriots be spilled, and that her resignation was likely to be interpreted as an indication that the army was losing confidence in President Marc Ravalomanana.Agence France-Presse quoted the minister as saying that "As a mother, I do not tolerate this violence. It was agreed at government level that the security forces were meant to protect the population and its property."

East Africa/Horn o Africa

Uganda: Migration Agency Agrees to Help LRA Leader Surrender

4 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — The International Organisation for Migration said it had agreed to act as an observer if the number two of the Ugandan rebel group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) turns himself in.Okot Odhiambo, deputy to LRA leader Joseph Kony, last week said from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, that he had asked for safe passage and was ready to defect after suffering a serious gunshot wound.The rebel commander insisted at the time that his surrender must be mediated by the IOM, and negotiations with the Ugandan army were being conducted through the international agency.The IOM said in statement Tuesday that it had "agreed with interested parties to act as an observer should Lords Resistance Army (LRA) second-in-command Okot Odhiambo surrender to Ugandan forces."

"Contrary to recent reports that Odhiambo, an indictee of the International Criminal Court (ICC), was to be transferred to Uganda by IOM and handed over to the Ugandan authorities, Odhiambo has in fact agreed to surrender to Ugandan forces with IOM as an observer.""From that moment, Ugandan authorities will be responsible for Odhiambo," the IOM added.The Geneva-based governmental agency would provide assistance to an estimated 85 kidnap victims and LRA soldiers accompanying Odhiambo, including child and female soldiers.The IOM has a mandate to help the reintegration of former LRA combatants.

Sudan: African Union Against Indictment of Al-Bashir

Michael Chebud:30 January 2009: INTER PESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Addis Ababa — African governments have rallied behind Sudanese President Omar Al- Bashir in rejecting a possible international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court on charges of orchestrating genocide in Sudan's volatile western region of Darfur."The continent, through the African Union, has requested the UN Peace and Security Council to suspend the indictment of President Omar Al-Bashir," chairperson of the African Union Commission Jean Ping told IPS on the sidelines of a high-level meeting of African foreign ministers in Addis Ababa on Jan. 29.Following a three-year investigation at the behest of the U.N. Security Council, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe that Bashir bears criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Moreno-Ocampo alleges that Bashir masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy in substantive part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups in Sudan, on account of their ethnicity."His motives were largely political. His alibi was a 'counterinsurgency.' His intent was genocide," the prosecutor said the prosecutor in its evidence presented to Pre-Trial Chamber on Jul. 14, 2008.The UN estimates the Darfur conflict has cost 300,000 lives in five years while over 2.7 million people have been displaced.Deployment of a joint U.N./AU peace-making force has not gone according to plan. Little more than half of the authorized 26,000-member African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is in Sudan at present. By March, more troops are expected to arrive by March from Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Bangladesh and other U.N. member states.

Chairperson Ping says things are moving in the right direction regarding UNAMID. Eighty percent of the full troop deployment target will be reached in the next three months, he said.An analysis published by Foreign Policy in Focus, a U.S. based think tank on Jan. 27 is not so optimistic."This will be a critical year for Sudan's future. The crisis in Darfur has grown and now affects the entire region's stability. The joint UN- African Union peacekeeping force (UNAMID) authorised in July 2007 remains too understaffed and under-equipped to be effective," reads the report. "Civilian displacements and killings in Darfur continued throughout 2008 as UNAMID was reduced to bystanders because of acute shortages of troops, road transport, and helicopters."Khartoum says the West is exaggerating the severity of the situation, putting the total death toll at around 10,000. The country's authorities are pleased by the backing of the AU."The move by the ICC distracts [from] the peace process. We are glad that the African Union Commission reflected the united stand of Africa against the court," Molieldin Salim, Sudanese ambassador to Ethiopia, told IPS in Addis Ababa.Human Rights Watch's London director, Tom Porteous, rejects the assertion that Bashir's indictment would harm the peace process.

"There hasn't been much progress on Darfur in terms of a peace process. In our view, sustainable peace in Darfur and the region can only be achieved if those responsible for human rights abuses are brought to justice. We don't think that any peace process that depends on people against whom there is credible evidence of responsibilty for serious crimes is going to be a fruitful peace process in the long term."Speaking to IPS on the phone from London, he said HRW hoped the pre-trial judges at the ICC will issue the arrest warrant in the next few weeks."Obviously, Human Rights Watch was one of the first to document human rights abuses in Darfur, and we have been consistently calling for accountability for those who bear the greatest responsibility to be brought to justice. We hope that a warrant for the arrest of al-Bashir will be issued as we feel this would be an important step forward for justice for the victims of Darfur and accountability for the perpetrator of the crimes that have been committed."

Sudan is just one of many urgent issues tabled for discussion at the AU summit of heads of state beginning Feb. 1. The summit's theme is "Infrastructure Development in Africa", but other matters of concern include continued conflict in Somalia and the DRC, coups in Mauritania and Guinea-Conakry within the last six months and the humanitarian crisis and political deadlock in Zimbabwe.

Sudan: Government Rejects ICC Warrants On Darfur Mithre J. Sandrasagra:3 May 2009:INTR PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

New York — The International Criminal Court (ICC), based in the Netherlands, issued its first warrants Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region. "The ICC judges ruled that there is sufficient evidence on the merits of the prosecutor's case and reasonable grounds to believe that the two individuals are responsible for murder, rape, torture, the forced displacement of entire villages, and other war crimes against humanity," Marie Okabe, deputy spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, told reporters.The warrants -- which list 51 counts -- give Khartoum responsibility for the arrest of Ahmad Muhammad Harun, a former interior minister and currently minister for humanitarian affairs, and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb."The government of the Sudan has a legal duty to arrest Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb," said ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. "This is the International Criminal Court's decision and the government has to respect it."In response, Khartoum argued that like the United States, Sudan is not a party to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC in 2002, and is therefore not bound by its decisions.Sudan has signed the Rome Statute, but not ratified it.

Sudan said Thursday that it has found no evidence to support the charges of the ICC, and it would not hand over suspects accused of war crimes in Darfur.Sudanese Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Al-Mardi said a probe into the activities of Harun found he had no direct link to any military operations in Darfur.But Okabe stressed that the case "not only highlights the connection between a senior minister in the Sudanese government and a militia leader, it also shows the underlying operational system that enabled massive crimes against innocent civilians in Darfur." Since the fighting began in February 2003, when members of the region's ethnic African tribes took up arms against what they saw as decades of neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, violence sponsored by the Sudanese government and perpetrated by its Janjaweed militias has claimed at least 400,000 lives, displaced 2.5 million people and left more than 3.5 million men, women and children struggling to survive amid violence and starvation, according to the U.N.

The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Janjaweed militia, acting together as part of a counter-insurgency campaign, carried out several attacks on the towns of Kodoom, Bindisi, Mukjar, Arawala and surrounding areas in 2003 and 2004.According to allegations made public in the warrants, criminal acts were committed against civilians in these towns, primarily from the Fur, Zaghawa and Masalit populations.Ahmad Harun served from 2003 to 2005 as Sudan's interior minister and was in charge of the management of the "Darfur Security desk." In this capacity, he coordinated the different bodies of the government involved in the counter-insurgency, including the Police, the Armed Forces, the National Security and Intelligence Service and the Janjaweed.Ali Kushayb was one of the most senior leaders in the Janjaweed. He was perceived as the "mediator" between the leaders of the Janjaweed and the government of Sudan."In his public speeches Ahmad Harun not only demonstrated that he knew that the Militia/Janjaweed were attacking civilians and pillaging towns and villages, but also personally encouraging the commission of such illegal acts," according to the ICC.The ICC also concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Ali Kushayb enlisted fighters, armed, funded and provided supplies to the Janjaweed under his command and personally participated in some of the attacks against civilians.

The Security Council first referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC in March 2005, through Resolution 1593, "determining that the situation in Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security."

"The Security Council has obligated Sudan to cooperate with the ICC, and Sudanese officials should stop flouting their responsibility to comply," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Programme at Human Rights Watch.Ali Kushayb is thought to be currently in detention in Darfur, awaiting trial.But there is no confidence that the Sudanese government is able or willing to prosecute him effectively in this case, according to Amnesty International."The U.N. Security Council must now demand that Sudan -- or any other state in whose territory the two suspects are found -- arrest and surrender them immediately," said Erwin van der Borght, director of Amnesty's Africa Programme.

"The U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) should also be requested and equipped to arrest and surrender them," van der Borght stressed.Amnesty urged the African Union to press the Sudanese government to arrest and surrender the two men, and to direct their forces currently in Darfur to do the same if they are found within their sphere of operations."Today's decision by the ICC indicates an important step forward in how the international community will deal with Sudan over the gross human rights violations taking place in Darfur," said van der Borght Wednesday.It is no longer seen to be enough to just conduct political negotiations over strengthening the current peacekeeping force in Darfur and try to further peace talks, he said."Concrete steps must also be taken immediately to hold people to account for the crimes being perpetrated against the people of Darfur," said van der Borght. "Seeking justice for the people of Darfur now will not hinder the continuing search for a political solution -- it will only serve to make that solution, when it is found, more durable."

The U.N. Security Council, which first discussed Darfur almost one year into the crisis in April 2004, authorised 22,500 U.N. peacekeepers for Darfur by Resolution 1706.Khartoum refused to consent to the deployment, and the U.N. has continued to push for a political solution involving all stakeholders.Khartoum has made a habit of going back on its word to the international community regarding U.N. peacekeepers, but after the negotiations with Ban in April, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir confirmed that Sudan has no objections to a 3,000-strong peacekeeping force.The Security Council has begun the likely months-long process of securing funding for and deploying the 3,000 peacekeepers Khartoum has approved.

Uganda: Tackle the Root Cause of FGM

5 February 2009:Editorial: THE NEW VISION Kampala — Uganda today joins the rest of the world to commemorate the international day for the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This practice, which has no place in the modern world, is still endemic in many countries and locally in the districts of Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Nakapiripirit.Several interventions have been made in Uganda to stamp out the tradition, but with limited success. The big question is; why?In last year's State of the World Population Report, the United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA documented how partnerships with governments and activists proved critical in strengthening efforts to replace the archaic practice with more progressive traditional practices that treat girls with dignity. UNFPA says in countries where the practice occurs, multi-sector initiatives that bring together education, health, justice, police and community service, have brought change through the adoption of alternative rites of passage by communities.However, although UNFPA has supported programmes that denounce FGM in Kapchorwa for the past 10 years, the number of girls who braved the knife in Bukwo last year more than doubled from the previous circumcision season. This means the current interventions could have lost steam and need refocusing.We should be cognisant of the fact that interventions that have succeeded elsewhere may not necessarily succeed here due to some unique factors. In Uganda, for instance, poverty and an entrenched culture of ignorance are believed to perpetuate the practice. Therefore, while legislating against FGM may help, the underlying factors fuelling the practice must also be addressed.

Interventions that target the elders and opinion leaders should be intensified alongside those for the youth. Luring the girls with scholarships and encouraging them to escape from their homes is an unsustainable strategy.FGM is a selfish practice that is not only unconstitutional because it degrades women, but also harmful as it exposes them to the risk of infections and complications during childbirth. The practice must, therefore, be routed in totality by tackling the root cause rather than addressing the symptoms.

Central Africa

Rwanda: U.S. Plans to Deport Genocide Suspect

Edwin Musoni:7 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — A Rwandan Genocide fugitive may soon be extradited to Rwanda by the United States immigration authorities, news agencies have reported.Léopold Munyakazi, 59, is alleged to have taken part in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis in the former Gitarama, now in the Southern Province, and has long been wanted by Rwandan authorities.He was recently suspended from his teaching position at Goucher College in Baltimore, to pave way for investigations and was arrested on Tuesday afternoon at his home in Towson.

Munyakazi who is on an Interpol Red Notice is accused of seven counts which include Genocide, Complicity to Genocide, conspiracy to commit Genocide, negation of the Genocide and creation and association of a criminal gang.The US media has reported that the immigration authorities have begun deportation proceedings against him."We appreciate the development and ask authorities to send him to Rwanda where he will face justice," agencies quoted Andrew Tusabe, the Second Counsellor in the Rwandan Embassy in Washington as saying.The spokesman of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Brandon A. Montgomery yesterday told reporters in the US that "officials in his office are taking steps to deport Munyakazi, who was arrested Tuesday at his home for overstaying his visa."Munyakazi, who for a short time after 1994 worked as a lecturer at Kigali Institute of Education (KIE), later fled to the US after information emerged that he had participated in the Genocide especially in his home area of the former Gitarama Prefecture.Though he features on Interpol's Red Notice, strangely enough, he had never been bothered by law enforcement officers.

Munyakazi, who has been teaching French at the US College, is on record denying that there was Genocide in Rwanda.Rwanda issued Munyakazi's arrest warrant in 2006 and sent it to the US, since then officials from the National Public Prosecutions Authority have been working with their US counterparts for possible arrest and extradition to Rwanda.

Rwanda: Gacaca - Ex-Rebel Leader Gets Life Jail for 1994 Genocide

13 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

Arusha — A former officer of the rebel Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), has been sentenced to life in prison in isolation by the semi-traditional Gacaca court after being found guilty of having played a part in the 1994 genocide, reports Hirondelle Agency.The gacaca court of the Nyagatare sector, East Province, ruled that Brigadier General Seraphin Bizimungu, alias Amani Mahoro, had been implicated in February 1994 massacres of ethnic Tutsis in the east of the country, where he had been deployed.At that time, Bizimungu was a young officer in Rwandan army, then fighting with the rebels of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), currently in power. Whereas the International community considers the Genocide to have started on 1994, April 6, Rwandan authorities claim that massacres of Tutsis that took place between October 1990 and July 1994 were part of the Genocide Plan.

"He [Bizimungu] has appealed over the ruling which will be heard on Thursday", according to Rwandan League for the Promotion and the Defence of Human Right (LIPRODHOR).

A native of former prefecture of Gisenyi, northern Rwanda, Bizimungu (no relation with the former Rwandan President Pastor Bizimungu), belonged to the military command of FDLR based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Entered in dissidence, he had returned to Rwanda in December 2005 with several dozen combatants.He was integrated into the new Rwandan army, and worked at the interior intelligence services.The Gacaca courts (pronounced gatchatcha) are charged with trying people suspected of having taking part in the genocide in 1994. The courts are presided by high esteem persons from the society and not professional judges

Cameroon: Government Refutes Poor Human Rights Report Chris Mbunwe:6 February 2009: THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM

The government of Cameroon has expressed reservation for the recently published report by Amnesty International (AI) on poor Human Rights situation in the country.The Vice Prime Minister in charge of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Amadou Ali, Tuesday, February 3, in a communiqué read on the CRTV National Station, debunked some of the issues raised on the AI Report as baseless and refuted allegations that the government of Cameroon has barred AI officials from visiting Cameroon.

The Post learnt that government officials are more disturbed by the report because it downplays their efforts. Contrary to the AI report, which flays Cameroon's governance and democratisation process, Amadou Ali said government has made considerable progress in that regard.However, Godfred Byarohanga, who was guest on BBC Network Africa Studio, Thursday, January 29, said: "If you are an opposition member or a journalist in Cameroon, life is probably tough for you. You could be arrested and put through a rigorous or an unfair trial; intimidated and even have death threats made against you."Cameroon's Amnesty Report that has been summarized in the last years, talks of extra-judicial killings carried out by government forces, many prison inmates waiting trial dying in custody, while others are killed by warders and forces of law and order.The report says there are cases of journalists who have been arrested and detained or imprisoned for years for simply doing their job of reporting on political and economic situations."Last February, more than 100 people were killed by the forces of law and order because they demonstrated against the high cost of living and government attempts that succeeded in changing the constitution to allow President Paul Biya to stand for another election in 2011," Byarohanga noted.

He says Amnesty International has been refused entry to Cameroon to investigate the rampant violation of human rights by the Biya regime. Despite the frustration, AI has still been able to get many reports from its intelligent sources in the country.The report also states that journalists in Cameroon have not been allowed to exercise the rights and freedom of expression and of assembly.Many times when the opposition or students demonstrate when it is their right to do so, they are arrested, beaten up and imprisoned.For example, the report says, in 2006, more than 30 members of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, were arrested, beaten up and imprisoned. AI described Cameroon's prison conditions as horrific, overcrowded, lack of food, morbid toilet systems and so on."Very often, the detainees are reported to have died in custody because of lack of food, water and because of lack of sanitation and, of course, many are tortured in custody," Byarohanga opined.Asked by BBC where he gets his evidence, Byarohanga says they have built up a network of contacts within Cameroon made up of human rights and civil society organisations. He says the groups give them information at their own personal risk and there are friends or relatives of the people who are suffering human rights violations, who contact Amnesty International, which they verify.

Congo-Kinshasa: Monuc Deploys Civilian Teams to Reinforce the Protection of Populations 6 February 2009: press release: United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)

North Kivu — Joint civilian protection teams have been deployed alongside Blue Helmets in several MONUC strategic bases in North Kivu.Early this week MONUC started deploying civilian protection teams in several strategic bases of its peacekeeping forces in North Kivu, notably in the areas of Masisi, Walikale, Kanyabayonga, Nyamilima and Pinga.With this deployment, the UN Mission chiefly aims to reinforce effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate, at the heart of which lies the protection civilian populations.These teams are made up of personnel from the various sections of MONUC, including Civil Affairs, Child Protection, Human Rights and Political Affairs. They are tasked to provide the Blue Helmets with support and expertise with respect to the protection of civilians, as well as assist the peacekeepers in their daily protection activities. The civilian teams are also tasked with reinforcing interactions with civilian populations on the ground, in order to boost MONUC's capacity for preventive/dissuasive action in the event of security threats to the civilians.

The first teams were deployed to Walikale, Masisi and Kanyabayonga on Tuesday.These joint protection teams will be deployed on a temporary basis. They can, at any time, within a short notice and as necessary, be redeployed in other bases.During this mission, representatives of the DDRRR Section, also deployed alongside the peacekeepers in the above-mentioned bases, will be encouraging FDLR combatants and their dependents to join the disarmament process.

5. REFUGEES, IDPs AND MIGRATION West Africa

Nigeria: 'UN Has Abandoned Displaced Bakassi Indigenes'

Ernest Chinwo:7 February 2009:THIS DAY

Calabar — Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has accused the United Nations (UN) and other donor agencies of abandoning the welfare of people displaced by the handing over of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.He said the United Nations and other donor agencies have not made any financial contribution to resettle the displaced persons despite encouraging Nigeria to hand over the Peninsula to Cameroon.Imoke made the remark while receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties led by its Chairman, Mr. Samson Osagie in Calabar. He noted that although the handing over of Bakassi received international attention, the Green Tree Agreement did not make provision for the resettlement of those who opted to remain in Nigeria.He added that the UN did not design the Green Tree Agreement for the displaced persons but for handing over the territory to Cameroon.

He expressed regret that even though the plight of the displaced persons is a national problem, Cross River State has been bearing the brunt of the resettlement.He said the state has gone through a lot of difficulties to resettle the people and assured that his administration would strive to resettle the people irrespective of their states of origin.The governor restated that the resettlement of the people is a national issue that needs the attention of concerned Nigerians and international donor agencies.He said emphasis should be placed on how the people could be given means of livelihood rather than on how much has been spent on providing infrastructure. He called on the House committee to appreciate the challenges posed by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the plight of the people as reflected in the Green Tree Agreement.

Imoke said he met a grievous situation on ground when he assumed office after the initial N1 billion funding had been made, and being aware that the handing over date was fast approaching, he started the first phase based on what had been arrived at by the previous government to create new local government area coupled with the new challenges rising from militancy, piracy, social and other related issues.He stated that he set up a Bakassi Resettlement Account which can be audited by those who are interested while commending the significant support from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to attend to the needs of the women and fishermen from the area.In his response, Osagie said they were in the state on oversight functions to address the boundary disputes between Cross River and Ebonyi states as well as to ascertain the level of preparations for the resettlement of the displaced people of Bakassi.Osagie said the Committee has been mandated to ascertain how the two billion Naira funds released by the Federal Government for the resettlement project has been utilized including challenges and prospects, adding that the lingering boundary disputes between the two States over farm land is one which the Federal Government desires to find a lasting solution to.Meanwhile, Imoke on Friday formally handed over keys of 208 units of houses to the displaced persons.

Mauritania: New Identity Cards for Repatriated Refugees

2 February 2009:IRIN

Rosso — One year after the first convoy of Mauritanian refugees departed Senegal for Mauritania more than 7,000 people have returned, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), but many still lack citizenship papers.Mauritania's post-coup government has pledged to speed up identity card distribution, which began in November.Government officials recently estimated that it would finish distribution to returnees by the end of 2008, but head of the governmental Human Rights Commission Lemine Dadde - appointed after the 6 August coup - told IRIN on 2 February that the process is ongoing.A tripartite agreement signed by Senegal, Mauritania and UNHCR in November 2007 stated that repatriated Mauritanians should have their citizenship papers within three months of their arrival. Returnees have told IRIN that without their papers they are unable to leave their tent communities with ease.

Returnee Benta Yero Sow, 37, living on the outskirts of Rosso, a town on the Senegalese border, told IRIN she was relieved to receive her identity papers in December."I do not regret coming back to raise my children in their father's land. Now, I have no problem."But her neighbour and fellow returnee Alien Yero Diallo told IRIN his wait has not ended. "Four members of my family registered and applied on 13 March [2008] and we are still waiting for our papers, without which we cannot travel. We have only receipts that confirm our applications."The head of the government's National Agency to Assist and Integrate Refugees (ANAIR), Madine Ba, told IRIN the agency is trying to accelerate distribution by sending staff to each of the 37 returnee sites. "We can do it better and we are trying to decentralise and speed up the process."

Samba Alien Diallo told IRIN paperwork and housing are his main worries. "I have no place to live. The government told me land could only be given to a family of four persons. We are three people [and we have] no shelter at all. My child, my wife and I have to spend the day in a friend's room and the night in another friend's cottage."But ANAIR's Ba dismissed Diallo's account and told IRIN that each returning family, regardless of size, is given 400sqm of land and support from UNHCR to get settled. "In the coming months, in addition, the government will begin land distribution, based on family size, to those wishing to plant for the next harvest."The Human Rights Commission, which oversees ANAIR, has submitted to the military government a budget of US$8 million for 2009, which includes agro-pastoral support for 2,000 families, director Dadde told IRIN.The UNHCR-assisted return is scheduled to end on 30 June. ANAIR director Ba told IRIN the agency expects some 11,000 more refugees to return by that time, bringing the total to 18,000 returnees.In the late 1980s, a deadly border ethnic conflict forced out tens of thousands of mostly black Mauritanians, most of whom resettled in tent communities in neighbouring Senegal. The now-deposed President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi had made it a campaign promise to bring home the refugees.Nine months after his first day in office the first UN-led convoy of returnees arrived.

Southern Africa

South Africa: Allow Asylum-Seeking Teachers to Work in Local Schools, Says Refugee Body

Wilson Johwa:6 February 2009: BUSINESSDAY

Johannesburg — THE Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in SA (Cormsa) is to lobby for qualified asylum seekers to be allowed to work as teachers, arguing that there were many qualified teachers in their ranks.At present, only confirmed refugees are considered for teaching work in SA. The lack of teachers mainly affects rural schools. The lengthy wait for determination of refugee status and the small number of successful applicants ensure that few make it through the system.Cormsa advocacy officer Sicel'mpilo Shange- Buthane said a campaign to get asylum seekers considered for teaching positions was one of the organisation's priorities this year."They are the majority and many of them do have the skills to teach," she said.

Education department guidelines say that job offers to asylum seekers will not be endorsed until the applicants had secured formal recognition of their refugee status. "This is to prevent any legitimate expectations that a longstanding relationship in SA may be entered into," the policy says.The guidelines were aimed at regulating the employment of foreign teachers in "underserved" areas of SA, while also protecting available opportunities for South Africans and permanent residents. It rules out support for a foreign teacher wishing to migrate to another province or to an urban area.Under the regulations, individual applications from developing countries, especially the Southern African Development Community , should not be supported.But Jon Lewis, spokesman for the South African Democratic Teachers' Union , said the organisation had no objection to foreign teachers, especially from Zimbabwe, being employed to cover the immediate shortage. But there was nothing to be gained regionally "if SA simply creamed off the best", accentuating the brain drain just like countries in the developed north. "Ultimately, SA should simply train more teachers," Lewis said.Nick Taylor, CEO of Jet Education Services, said the crisis in education was less about numbers and more to do with how to make existing teachers work more effectively.

"We have a lot of teachers but how effective are they? It's a leadership and management question at every level," he said.Last year a Zimbabwean school teacher, Zwelani Ncube, won the right to work in SA after he took the home affairs department to court for denying him a work permit.However, the department has since appealed against the judgment of the Grahamstown High Court, which ruled that Ncube be given a work permit.Ncube, who arrived in SA on a visitor's visa, applied for a job at the Molteno High School in Eastern Cape in November 2007 as there was no qualified South African applicant to fill the post.Ncube had not worked for seven of the 10 months he had been in SA.Students at Molteno High School, including matriculants, had been without an English teacher for most of the ir classes last year.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: More Than 3 Million Will Need Humanitarian Aid in 2009, UN Reports:6 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

More than three million people in Somalia, a third or more of the total population, will remain dependent on humanitarian assistance this year, according to a United Nations analysis.So far this year, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has handed out 34,000 tons of food to some 3.4 million people every month, according to the assessment by the UN Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) on the strife-torn country, which has been riven by factional fighting and has not had a functioning central government since 1991.There is new hope amid the recent election of the new President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who is expected to appoint a prime minister and form a government of national unity in the coming days, in a bid to bring stability to the country.The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), for its part, is working to create a permanent sustainable water system. UNICEF and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) are helping to protect some 1.5 million children aged five and under against preventable and water-borne diseases.Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that only 18 per cent of funds needed for humanitarian work in the Horn of Africa country has been disbursed.Providing consistent aid to Somalia will remain a major challenge, a situation certain to worsen now that the European Commission has pulled out from among the top donors, it added.

Somalia: Thousands of Somalis Fleeing to Ethiopia:4 February 2009:IRIN

Addis Ababa — An estimated 10,000 Somalis fleeing instability in their home country have reached Dollo Ado, in the Somali Region of southern Ethiopia, and more are expected in the next few weeks, Save the Children (US) has said.The NGO, which has set up assistance, emergency education activities and psychosocial support for the refugees, said most of them were women and children."It is critical to act quickly to mitigate further suffering of the refugee children and women who have endured years of fighting and humanitarian catastrophe, and to avert undue pressure on the host country Ethiopia, which is recovering from a recent drought," said Margaret Schuler, Save the Children's country director in Ethiopia.

The refugees, it said in a 3 February statement, were fleeing instability in Somalia in the wake of the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops. Their number was expected to reach 25,000 with more arrivals in the next few weeks.Responding to an Ethiopian government appeal for additional support for the refugees, the NGO said it would spearhead the emergency education response as well as emergency nutrition interventions.Somali children have borne the brunt of years of conflict and violence and traditional support networks have crumbled under enormous economic and security pressures in the country.

Drought in Somali Region of Ethiopia

Yet the adjacent Somali Region of Ethiopia has 1.5 million people who also need emergency assistance this year. The region, Save the Children noted, has suffered the loss of livestock/assets and faces increased malnutrition following consecutive failures of seasonal rains.According to the UN World Food Programme, a succession of poor or failed rains has led to the loss of so many animals in the Somali Region that families can often no longer support themselves.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has hailed the election of new Somali President Sheik Sharif Ahmed as an "encouraging development" and a "great opportunity" for the war-torn country.

Ban, who was attending the African Union heads of state summit in Addis Ababa, told reporters: "I am quite hopeful and optimistic that we are now entering a new stage with a direct intervention of the United Nations in managing peace and stability there."Ahmed, the former chairman of the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS), was elected president by the Somali parliament in Djibouti on 31 January. He has promised to ensure that hundreds of thousands displaced Somalis return to their homes.

Sudan: Conditions Getting Worse for Darfur Civilians:4 February 2009:IRIN Nairobi — Conditions for civilians caught up in fighting between the Sudanese government and rebels in the South Darfur town of Muhajiriya are getting worse, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned."I am extremely concerned at the impact the fighting is having on the already dire humanitarian situation in Muhajiriya," High Commissioner Navi Pillay said on 3 February.

The fighting, which started on 15 January, has claimed at least 30 lives and uprooted some 30,000 people from their homes. It pits government forces and the Sudanese Liberation Army/Mini Minnawi faction (SLA/MM) against the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).The SLA/MM faction is led by Mini Minnawi, who became a presidential adviser after signing a peace deal with the government in 2006.In recent days, about 5,000 of the displaced civilians have sought refuge around the African Union-UN Mission (UNAMID) compound in Muhajiriya, about 80km east of the state capital, Nyala. Others have fled to seek shelter in the outskirts of the town.Pillay urged the government and both armed groups involved to allow access to humanitarian workers to prevent a further deterioration of the situation.

Aerial bombardments

"The fighting is reported to have involved ground offensives and indiscriminate aerial bombardment by government forces which failed to distinguish between civilian communities and military targets, Pillay said."JEM forces are also reported to have deliberately placed themselves in areas heavily populated by civilians, thereby jeopardising their safety."

AU appeal

In Addis Ababa, the African Union urged the parties to the conflict to "give peace a chance and instead utilise the mediation of Djibril Bassole, the AU-UN Joint Mediator, and the ongoing Afro-Arab Initiative as an avenue towards bringing a peaceful and lasting settlement to the Darfur".The AU appeal came after the Sudanese authorities told UNAMID to withdraw its forces from Muhajiriya by the beginning of February "to prevent casualties among UNAMID troops and citizens during the operation" to restore control over the town, according to a government statement published on the official Sudan News Agency.

UNAMID has since engaged in high-level diplomatic and political consultations to ensure that it maintains its presence in Muhajiriya, saying this would allow the mission to "carry out its mandated tasks of providing protection to the civilian population and secure the provision of humanitarian assistance to those who need it".On 4 February, JEM offered to withdraw from the town, on condition that it be administered by UNAMID as a "non-military" zone, according to UN Radio Miraya. The army rejected JEM's condition.The fighting began after Muhajiriya was taken over by JEM from the SLA/MM. Vowing to recapture the town, the army bombed the area and sent ground troops to fight JEM, arguing that it was acting in self-defence to maintain security and stability in Darfur and to protect aid convoys from bandits. According to Sudan expert Alex de Waal, the situation has escalated ahead of a possible decision by the International Criminal Court on charges related to war crimes in Darfur against President Omar al-Bashir.

Central Africa

Congo-Kinshasa: Facing Shortfall, Ban Appeals for More Peacekeepers

3 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

Member States have so far failed to provide nearly enough troops to reinforce the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the Security Council called in November for 3,000 additional peacekeepers in the face of mounting violence in the east of the vast country.Voicing regret at the results in a letter to the Council's President, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon renewed his appeal to troop- and police-contributing countries to come forward with essential offers.He noted that of the 49 troop-contributing countries and 12 potential troop contributors approached, until now only Bangladesh has come forward with one infantry battalion, one engineer company and one formed police unit.

Belgium has also offered a C-130 aircraft, while five other Member States will send the required intelligence experts for the UN mission, known by its French acronym MONUC. There are also several indications of offers by other Member States, Mr. Ban said.The extra 2,785 troops and 300 police officers that the Council requested are to buttress the more than 17,000 uniformed personnel already in the DRC, the largest UN force currently deployed worldwide but one faced with the task of quelling unrest and protecting civilians in one of Africa's largest countries.Eastern DRC has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent months between the Congolese army and various rebel militia groups that has displaced some 250,000 civilians since August, on top of 800,000 uprooted in earlier outbreaks of violence.The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported today that it had helped secure the release of 85 children aged between 7 and 17, including five girls, who had been recruited by the Mayi Mayi ethnic militias in the east. The agency is now attempting to find their families, spokesperson Veronique Taveau told a news briefing in Geneva.

It is estimated that there were still some 2,000 child soldiers with armed militias in North Kivu province, she said.

Chad: Fresh Wave of CAR Refugees Await Aid

5 February 2009:IRIN

N'djamena — Some 10,000 people from the Central African Republic (CAR) - mostly women and children - are stranded in a remote area of southern Chad, having fled renewed fighting in northern CAR, local authorities have told the UN.Trucks loaded with food aid as well as plastic sheeting and other emergency supplies are to leave for the site on 6 February from the main eastern Chadian town and humanitarian hub of Abéché, according to Annette Rehrl, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Chad. UNHCR, which is organising the convoy, is sending eight staff.The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is sending 82.5 metric tons of food - enough to cover 10,000 people for 15 days, according to Gon Myers of WFP in Chad.

It is not clear how long the 720-km trek will take. Roads are poor and this would be the first UN humanitarian convoy to the area, as it is the first time in several years that CAR refugees have crossed the border at this point, according to Rehrl.On 28 January a joint UN mission to the area (near the village of Daha some 280km from the nearest town Am Timan) recorded 4,500 people at the site. Most of them had arrived on 16-17 January.But the UN deputy humanitarian coordinator in Abéché, Fatma Diouf Samoura, told IRIN the local authorities said there were around 10,000 as of 4 February.Neither Rehrl nor Samoura could confirm the higher number."This is a huge number of people to arrive in one go," UNHCR's Rehrl told IRIN referring to the confirmed 4,500. "The local Chadians have been very generous and offered food but we are worried now there is nothing left." UNHCR said the local food market was empty.

"Very complicated"

The situation is "very complicated", Rehrl said, because of the distance, road conditions and the lack of information on people's needs."We have received reports of people drinking water from the river untreated," she said. "We are obviously worried about disease."Rehrl said: "Our main concern is that the village of Daha [population about 4,000] is only one kilometre from the border. Given that fighting is continuing, UNHCR will have to determine how to set up longer-term assistance for the refugees, she said.

It took about three hours for the UN team to reach the area from Abéché by helicopter (lent by the UN mission for CAR and Chad - MINURCAT) on 28 January.UNHCR said in a 30 January statement the refugees appeared to be in good health. Twelve had given birth during the last two weeks of January.This refugee influx is the largest from CAR into southern Chad in nearly a year. Some 56,000 Central Africans have fled to southern Chad since 2003 and are living in five camps.Since late 2008, some 100 Central Africans had been arriving monthly, according to UNHCR.

6. HEALTH (HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA etc)

West Africa

Nigeria: 3.5 Million Citizens Infected With HIV

8 February 2009:DAILY TRUST Mrs Bimbo Jide-Aremo, the Executive Director, Kingfield Training Consulting Ltd., on Friday in Abuja said more than 3.5 million Nigerians were infected with the HIV pandemic.

Jide-Aremo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the large number of Nigerians being infected with the virus was because of poor acceptance of condoms by both male and female folks in the county.She said more than one million orphans in Nigeria live with the virus, which they got from one of their parents before they were abandoned.According to her, certain factors such as social-cultural perception also contributes to the rapid spread of the infection in Nigeria."This is because of the deep moral and social beliefs of the people in the subjection and subordination of women in our society."Stigma and discrimination against People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) are also factors responsible for the spread of the infection," she said.Jide- Aremo said public denial, unwillingness to acknowledge infection and stigmatisation of people living with HIV and AIDS were additional factors underlying the spread of the virus in the country.She explained that HIV and AIDS related stigma drove the epidemic underground and that was one of the main reasons why people did not know their HIV status.She added that the most effective strategy against the HIV and AIDS pandemic was behavioral change to address the lifestyles that are spreading the infection.

Nigeria: PSN Skeptical Over Diabetes Cure Claim

Steve Dada:5 February 2009:THIS DAY

Lagos — Following the report by some national dailies yesterday, claiming that a Nigerian Scientist, Dr Louis Obyo Nelson, has discovered a cure for Diabetes Mellitus, said to be number six killer disease in the world, Pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (PSN) yesterday, expressed reservations abou 4 the claim.The reports noted that Nelson had been granted a United States of America's (USA) patent entitled "Medicament for the Treatment of Diabetes," and that in 2003, there was a confirmation from the USA Patent Office that indeed a patent had been made out to the Nigerian scientist.The report further claimed that an agreement had been signed between Nelson and GDPAU, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, for the commercialisation of an Antidiabetic Phaytopharmaceutical in Abuja, that the drug would contribute to the quality of health care all over the world and boost the economy of Nigeria.The drug the report claimed had been administered on many diabetic victims and found to be safe and effective by correcting the erectile dysfunction noticed in the victims.National President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mr Anthony Akhimiem, has expressed reservation over any claim that a cure has been finally secured for the treatment of diabetes.Akhimiem, while speaking on phone, expressed doubt over such claim, saying medicine is still battling with solution to the disease and the condition can only be managed but not cured.He said, "diabetes occur due to excess sugar in the system which the body cannot make use of, diabetes develops due to diminished production of insulin, diabetes has been managed through insulin injection, but there is no cure for the disease." When reminded that an American company had already indicated interest to partner with Nelson for commercial production of the drug, Akhimiem said, it had not been proven that the drug is capable of curing diabetes, insisting that the drug had to go through clinical trial in which it would be first administered on animals and then human beings.

According to him, after the clinical trial, if it was found that the drug does not have any side effect by destroying the kidney or liver and other body organs, it is then one could claim that the drug is potent.According to reports, the drug had received the nods of WHO and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), over which the final licence is to be issued after the final rounds of clinical trials were concluded.A representative of GDPAU, Professor Ramesh Pandey, described the drug as one of the greatest to come out of Africa and would go a long way in helping to launder the image of Nigeria. He commended researchers in the country, describing them as one of the best in the world.While commenting on the new discovery, Minister of State for Health, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong, said the drug would expand the landscape of medicine in the world and also encourage more researchers to go into herbal drugs.

Nigeria: Cancer Cases on the Increase, Says Expert

Abbas Jimoh:5 February 2009:DAILY TRUST

Abuja — A medical expert in pathology and morbid anatomy at the College of Medicine of University of Lagos Dr Fatima Abdulkareem, said reported cases of cancer diseases in the country is on the increase. Dr. Abdulkareem, who is the national ameerah of The Criterion, a Muslim non-governmental organisation, disclosed this at the celebration of this year's World Cancer Day.

She therefore called for aggressive actions aimed at reducing the risk by individuals, families and communities at large. "Today (yesterday) is World Cancer Day as declared by the International Union against cancer (UICC). The aim is to increase awareness about cancer and to disseminate information about risk factors, prevention and control. "In Nigeria, data has shown that almost half of cancer cases affect women with cancers of the breast and cervix being the 1st and 2nd respectively in both males and females put together, the 3rd being prostate cancer. There should be aggressive action towards reducing the risk by individuals, families and the community. "The following tips may help: Watch your weight, diet and do not indulge in alcohol or cigarette. Do 'pap smear' at least once in 2 years; be breast aware by doing regular self breast examination and then mammogram if you are above 40 years. "Men should do 'Psa test' for prostate cancer, maintain a smoke free environment at home and at work, remember that silent smokers are equally at risk; be familiar with your body so that any abnormal change can be reported to medical personnel for early detection; eat vegetables and fruits and exercise regularly," she said.

Nigeria: Gates Tasks Media on Polio Eradication, Immunization

5 February 2009: DAILY TRUST Abuja — Owner of Microsoft and founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, has challenged Nigerian media to wake up to its duty as public watchdog in order to effectively stamp out polio and other child killer diseases from Nigeria and world.

Gates, whose foundation has committed over $7billion since 2000 to global fight against polio, malaria, respiratory problems, meningitis, diarrhea, measles and other child killer diseases as well as water, immunization, agriculture and environment, said the new partnership with the Nigerian governments was aimed at eradicating the disease in the country in line with his belief that the disease can be eradicated in Nigeria and Africa.

He however urged the Nigerian media to monitor and supervise the implementation of the immunization plus days (IPD) as well as other immunization activities to ensure that whatever effort is put into eradicating the debilitating disease is fully implemented and not wasted.Gates also commended Journalists Initiatives Against Polio for Immunization for its efforts in ensuring the eradication of polio and other killer diseases worldwide as well as its support for routine immunization, which he noted, is the solution to the health problem facing children in third world countries.Addressing a meeting with members of the Journalists Initiatives Against Polio for Immunization in Kaduna, Program Officer Global Health Advocacy under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ms Melissa Derry, said the Gates foundation has been working with UNICEF, WHO and Rotary International since 2000, adding that they are in Nigeria to take the fight directly to the scourge in order to achieve complete success of eradicating it of the face of the earth.

Nigeria: Malaria Responsible for 60 Percent of Hospital Cases in Cross River:Bassey Inyang:5 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos)

As the fight against the scourge of malaria fever continues, about 60 per cent of ailments recorded in hospitals in Cross River State have been linked to the disease.

Malaria is also said to be responsible for 25 per cent of infant mortality, 30 per cent of all childhood deaths and 11 per cent of maternal mortality in the state.State Coordinator of the Roll Back Malaria Programme Dr. Iyam Ugot, gave these statistics at a press conference in Calabar while highlighting the activities of his department.However, Ugot expressed hope that the battle at reducing the scourge was on as the state was poised to reduce the spread of malaria by 80 per cent in 2010 and 100 per cent in 2013.Ugot said the strategic framework of the state Roll Back Malaria Programme which was launched in 2000 provided the immediate platform from where the scourge of malaria was tackled.He said the framework aimed to reduce drastically, if not eliminate malaria completely from the state.He added that it would also ensure an increase in the social and economic activities in malaria-free environment.

According to him, government was seeking partnership with the private sector for the cultivation of atimicilin plant in commercial quantity.Ugot, who is Governor Liyel Imoke's Special Assistant on Roll Back Malaria, said when cultivated in large quantity, the plant would help to reduce the price of malaria drugs in the market and by implication reduce the prevalence rate of malaria in the state.To facilitate the cultivation of the plant, he said the state government had acquired 50 hectares of land in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state.

Southern Africa

Botswana: Fifty People Get Infected Daily - Botusa

Mosah Mokganedi:6 February 2009:Mmegi

Molepolole — An estimated 50 people in Botswana are getting infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, everyday, a doctor has revealed.Speaking at a BOTUSA workshop under the theme "New Directions in HIV/AIDS," Dr Poloko Kebaabetswe of BOTUSA said yesterday that of this number the most affected are people aged between 18 and 39 years.Dr Kebaabetswe expressed concern that the number is too high, considering Botswana's small population of about 1.8 million people. "We cannot be talking about 50 people getting infected everyday when we have such a small population.We desperately need new ways of addressing the HIV issue in Botswana," she said. Dr Kebaabetswe said in one of their many efforts to fight the scourge BOTUSA is currently carrying out a TDF2 study to determine if the pill Truvada can be used as a pre- exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV.

She stated that the study has been split into two categories and that other participants are given placebo while others are given the real pill (Truvada).She added that pre-exposure prophylaxis has been found to be effective in cases of malaria.The study that started in 2007 in Gaborone and Francistown was initially scheduled to run up to next year but Dr Kebaabetswe said because of hiccups the study will be extended to 2011.The organisation is looking at recruiting 1,200 people for the study but that has not been possible.

Dr Kebaabetswe said so far they have only managed to recruit about half of the number so BOTUSA is appealing to Batswana to volunteer to take part in the study.People wishing to participate should be sexually active, be Batswana aged between 18-39 years, and be HIV negative.Dr Kebaabetswe said they are faced with a lot of challenges in conducting the study.She said they are dealing with young people who are highly mobile because of other commitments of life.That has resulted in some participants dropping out along the way. Truvada is said to be more effective in preventing infections similar to HIV in animals. The TDF 2 study is also currently underway in the United States of America (US), Thailand, Kenya and Uganda.

Zimbabwe: Cholera Infections to Double, Predicts WHO

Alex Bell:6 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) The cholera epidemic that has continued to rage out of control across the country is expected to keep getting worse in coming months, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reportedly predicted that up to 55 000 more people will be infected by May.

The infection rate has soared beyond the 'worst-case-scenario' of 60 000 cases, and the figure is rapidly approaching the 70 000 mark, with more than 8 000 new cases reported in the last week. At the same time, the death toll has continued to climb and new figures released by WHO officials on Friday show the number has reached almost 3400 official deaths, although there is still no way on determining the actual figure, with thousands more Zimbabweans believed to be dying in their homes.The skyrocketing infection rate prompted a senior WHO official to call for 'drastic action' last week to combat the spread of the disease and it's understood private predictions made by the UN organisation show that the toll from the epidemic will almost double by May. According to the UK based The Times newspaper, a recent memorandum from WHO officials details that between 32 000 and 55 000 new cases are expected in the next three months.More than 70 per cent of Zimbabwe's victims are now believed to be dying in their communities, unable to reach help at cholera treatment centres, while fatalities are running at an estimated five percent - a number that is shocking given the treatable nature of the disease in a functioning society. But the regime of Robert Mugabe has remained unconcerned about the tragedy, with Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono this week saying that the disease 'is under control'. Gono was speaking during his monetary policy announcement on Monday and said: "Every year there is a cholera outbreak in southern Africa. The epicentre of the disease just happened to be in Zimbabwe this year."

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Uganda: Govt Attacked Over Foot-And-Mouth Disease:Milton Olupot, Anthony Bugembe and C. Bekunda:5 February 2009: NEW VISION

Kampala — MEMBERS of Parliament from the north have accused the Government of failing to curb the foot-and-mouth disease that has ravaged north and north-eastern Uganda. "Since the quarantine was imposed, the Government has done nothing. We do not have animals for slaughter. We are now only feeding on vegetables. Parents have failed to send their children to school because they cannot sell their animals," Erute South MP John Odit told Parliament on Tuesday.

Odit challenged the state minister for animal husbandry, Maj. Bright Rwamirama, to tell the House what the Government had done to contain the outbreak."When the epidemic was detected in the districts of Isingiro, Rakai and Masaka, the Government moved in fast and controlled it. Why not the north?" Odit asked.Rwamirama, however, dismissed the claim.He said veterinary officers had been dispatched to take samples from the affected animals to determine the kind of vaccines needed."Now we are in the process of acquiring vaccines and soon we shall be treating the animals," Rwamirama said.

There were outbreaks in other areas in the country like Buliisa district, he said.The disease is caused by a virus and affects hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It is fatal especially to calves and drastically reduces the milk output of affected cows.People who consume the meat of the affected animals may experience flu-like symptoms which clear within two to seven days.Kassiano Wadri, the opposition chief whip and Terego county MP, warned: "If your vaccines come a month or two from now, you will not find any animals to vaccinate. This is a matter of urgency and should be treated so. This business of red-tape should be avoided."

Central Africa

Cameroon: Gov't, Partners Mobilise Against Avian Influenza

Edith Wirdze:9 February 2009:THE POST NEWSLINE.COM

Avian Influenza, AI, a virus that has been a threat to poultry and wild birds is forecast by scientists to become a serious threat in human health.An influenza pandemic could be devastating if sustained virus transmission occurs because there is little or no immune protection in the human population.Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, HPAI, A-H5NI virus, is influenza "A" virus subtype, popularly known as "bird flu" that occurs mainly in birds and is highly contagious among birds, causing high mortality among domestic poultry.

Currently, there are two different groups of H5NI viruses; clade 1 and clade 2 viruses circulating among poultry. Presently, at least three subclades of the clade 2 H5NI viruses have infected humans.Human infection of the virus is rare and most cases have been associated with direct poultry contact during outbreaks. However, when infection in human occurs, it is very serious as more than half of the people reported infected die of the disease.

There is no evidence of sustained human to human transmission, but, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are worried that H5NI viruses could be able to infect humans more easily and spread easily from one person to another.Since the H5NI HPAI crisis started in Asia in 2004, it has killed large numbers of poultry and ducks. 150 million poultry have been destroyed as part of the disease control measures, according to reports.The World Health Organisation has confirmed 320 human cases of the disease in 12 countries, out of which 193 have proved fatal. The disease is spreading and currently, 64 countries have reported its outbreak. In Egypt, during the first wave of outbreak, over 30 million birds died whereas over 700,000 were reported in Nigeria.Moreover, according to WHO, in Africa, 52 human cases of HPAI infection were reported amongst which 50 were from Egypt and two from Djibouti and Nigeria. As of October 2008, 23 were reported dead and others critical.The discovery of the disease in Central Africa in January 2006, calls for much concern. In Cameroon, the H5NI virus was confirmed in domestic ducks in Maroua in the far North Region of Cameroon.With limited health infrastructures in most Central African countries an AI outbreak could go undetected for many months, which could be catastrophic to human populations who have little or no immune protection.It is in this context that a team of experts met in Yaounde on February 5 in an inter-ministerial and needs assessment workshop organised by the University of California Center for Tropical Research, in collaboration with the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, to diagnose how wildlife personnel could conduct surveillance and response to potential AI outbreaks can be increased as well as improving on local animal health, in the Central African region.

Moderating the workshop, a scholar of the University of California Center for Tropical Research, Dr. Kevin Yana Njabo, explained that his institution works in collaboration with the government of Cameroon. He said the government makes the policy and they collect data, which is treated and results analysed if they are good or bad for the country.To help improve on the situation, he said, the Ministry of Livestock controls border activities (imports and exports) to limit the AI spread. He lamented the fact that there is not enough capacity or resources. That is why, he said, one of the goals of the workshop is to build capacity in order to help in the struggle.He urged the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Scientific Research, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Forestry, and the Ministry of Communication to come together and coordinate the various research organs. To him, the intention is to train African scientists on the AI technology for use in the country.Presiding over the ceremony, the Inspector General of the Ministry of Livestock, Dr Oumarou Dawa, lauded the initiative of the organisers and expressed the necessity for close collaboration between the different stakeholders to address the public health risk of AI.He also highlighted the issue of limited capacity in terms of infrastructure, human and financial resources of the governments of the Central African region to design and implement programs of surveillance and control for AI.

Workshop participants included experts from the four ministries, representatives from UNDP, WHO, FAO, UNICEF, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, GVFI, WWF and Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Society.Panellists, who included Dr. Thomas Dietsch, Dr. Roger Fotso, Dr. Damien Anong, Dr. Vincent Tanya, Dr. Oumarou Dawa, Prof. Gervais Andobo, Dr. Noah Noah, Dr. Mathew Lebreton and Dr. Inrombe threw light on the threat of AI pandemic, the human and animal disease' surveillance, it detection, diagnostics and reporting.

7. ENVIRONMENT

West Africa

Nigeria: Odey Craves Japan's Assistance in Tackling Gas Flares

12 January 2009:VANGUARD

The Minister of Environment, Mr John Odey has called for the assistance of Japan in tackling the problem of gas flaring and other issues of environmental degradation in Nigeria. The Minister made the call in Abuja when he received the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Toshitsugu Uesawa in his office at the weekend.According to the Minister, the issues of environment have gained such urgency that nations of the world must collaborate in order to find sustainable solutions.He noted that the issues of environment had been ignored all along in the developmental planning of the developing countries including Nigeria.He however pointed out that the ouster of the problems of environment could be blamed on paucity of fund for development among the countries."I hope we can cooperate and collaborate here to create safe and better environment. The plank of this government as you are aware is the 7-Point Agenda and Vision 2020 through which we are to put Nigeria among the industrialised nations of the world.""We shall be willing to open up discussions on environmental development between your country and relevant department here. Whatever assistance we can get will be welcome especially in the area of gas flaring."Earlier, the Japanese Ambassador stated that his team had come to intimate the Minister about the environmental development initiative of the government of JapanThe initiative, known as Cool Earth Initiative estimated to cost about $10billion, is to collaborate with the developing countries to tackle the problems of environmental degradation.The Ambassador said that the initiatives will be comprehensive enough to cover several sectors including the agricultural and industrial sectors.He noted that the through the initiative, Japan would also deliver technical assistance to the recipient nations to gain technology for tackling environmental problems.

Nigeria: Our Disappearing Forests:9 February 2009: editorial: DAILY TRUST

Two seemingly innocuous news stories about the rising cost and shortage of fire wood, at different times, in Katsina and Kaduna states should be of concern to all those who think that our well being is tied up to that of the environment in which we live. The gist of the stories is that an acute shortage of firewood in the two cities is affecting most families who rely on it for use in cooking.

In the Kaduna story, firewood sellers are also blamed for its rising cost. To underline the nature of this growing problem, it is worth quoting the Kaduna State Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Bature who said "We discovered that people from neighbouring Katsina , Kano and Plateau states, who are a little disadvantaged in forestry, are coming to Kaduna State to exploit our resources without regard for law and order." What the commissioner's remark suggests is that as sources of firewood continue to disappear, where they are available, those who have them see them as a scarce resource. It may not be far-fetched to say that there may well be clashes over fire wood in future, in the same way that there have been predictions of wars over water resources.

The problem here is the way our forests are fast-disappearing because of the indiscriminate felling of trees for use as firewood or charcoal, both of which are the means of cooking for most families. It is obvious that with no alternative means of cooking and heating, most families in Nigeria can only afford firewood instead of kerosene or gas for their cooking. In the not-so-distant past, many parts of the neighbouring states the commissioner was referring to also had lush forests with a variety of trees that supported many animals as well. Those forests have since fallen to the relentless and indiscriminate practice of tree-felling in order to produce firewood. Such activity has now led to the disappearance of forests and also grazing reserves giving rise to more friction between farmers and animal rearers who have seen many lush savannah turn into empty barren land. It should worry us all that the problem is not regional thereby limited to those states close to the Sahara desert. Already many thick and previously impenetrable forests in Southern Nigeria are also disappearing because of the activities of loggers, charcoal merchants etc. It is sad that a country like Nigeria with huge oil and gas resources and which actually flares millions of cubic metres of gas, has not developed a way to use that resource as fuel for domestic purposes, thereby saving its forests for other uses.

Daily Trust believes that it is not too late to do something about the situation. Nigerian authorities need to fashion out and promote an affordable and sustainable alternative to the use of firewood. Our oil and gas could easily come to the rescue here. There is a lot to be gained if an appropriate policy that delivers gas and kerosene to end users for domestic use, at affordable prices is fashioned out. As things stand now, the pricing of gas and kerosene does not encourage their use by low-income families in Nigeria.This raises the need to find more alternatives to the use of firewood for cooking. Along this line, the use of efficient cooking stoves should be encouraged. Similarly more enlightenment campaign should be mounted to make people understand the implication of indiscriminate felling of trees on the environment. A more aggressive tree-planting campaign that ensures that the trees planted are nurtured should also be done. In addition, a moratorium on tree-felling in some areas could give some of the disappearing forests the chance to regenerate themselves naturally.

Nigeria: Harmful Proliferation of Generators

4 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos): Editorial:

Last week's sad declaration by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that about 60 million Nigerians are now owners of power generating sets may eventually prove to be an understatement, but it serves to indicate the depth of the seemingly intractable crises in the power sector - a sector gradually distinguishing itself as this nation's most resilient trauma.Making the disclosure, the Chairman of MAN, Imo and Abia branch, Dr. Frank S.U. Jacobs, added that "in the last one year, average residential expenditure in fuelling power generators (has) climbed to an all-time high of N1.56 trillion, or about $13.35 billion per annum." According to him, a "similar level of expenditure on private power generation has (also) characterised the affairs of the industrial and commercial power consumers." This is very unfortunate.

Most Nigerians are disturbed that although President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua will soon be two years in office, and has since assuming office continually restated his strong resolve to ensure that Nigerians have stable power supply, the country's energy problems have become even worse. Like the MAN Chairman observed, "Nigeria experienced the worst electricity crises among its contemporaries, which underscores the nightmarish generation, distribution and supply in the country."Apart from the outrageous capital flight being encouraged by the mass importation of generators, the atmosphere is increasingly becoming toxic as a result of constant emission of generator fumes, a situation that has led to serial tragedies across the nation. Last year, in Isiala Ngwa, Abia State, thirteen people had reportedly lost their lives due to their continued inhalation of deadly fumes from a generator that had been kept nearby to supply electricity to a hall in which they were having a lengthy meeting. Almost at the same time, about 12 people were reportedly killed in Akwa Ibom State in similar circumstances. The power generating set supplying them electricity following the plunging of their area into darkness by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), had fed them with enough deadly fumes that snuffed out their lives. A particular incident that caused a lot of stir and sorrow across Akwa Ibom was the case of a family of seven in Ekeibong Enwang, Mbo Local Government Area, who had died because deadly smoke from their generator had found its way into their rooms. The list is endless.

Hardly any week passes now without reports of persons killed in this same chilling circumstance across the nation. There have, in fact, been cases of whole families being wiped out because they had been forced to use generators to escape the perennial darkness or killing heat. Besides, lives and property are being lost regularly across the nation in fire disasters linked to generators and the storage of fuel in homes.How many of these tragedies will occur before the government is roused from its slumber to see that a clear and present danger is staring the nation in the face? What of those who appear to have been spared by the killer smoke, but who are quietly dying of several terminal ailments traced to generator fumes? Experts have warned, for example, that smoke from the leaded fuel we import and use in this country contributes to brain retardation in children. Now, who is concerned enough to halt the multiplier effect of this looming calamity that might explode here in the next couple of years? The majority of Nigerians live in crowed, stuffy environments, and in mostly poorly ventilated rooming apartments. According to reports, many inhabitants of these areas are being forced by the unbearable heat and pitch darkness to acquire generators in droves. And many unreported deaths are occurring in these areas daily.

What of noise pollution? How many Nigerians are already slowly losing their sanity, developing hearing problems, or suffering from nervous breakdown as a result of the deafening noise interminably supplied by countless roaring generators?There is, undeniably, a strong link between this most unfortunate situation and failure of leadership that has remained this nation's bane. To underscore the pitiable helplessness in the face of this fatal generator-dependency syndrome and the unqualified selfishness of those in authority, the sum of two billion naira has been allocated in the 2009 federal budget for the maintenance of generators that supply uninterrupted electricity to the Presidency, National Assembly and federal ministries, departments and agencies. This is so sad. Instead of finding a credible and workable solution to the worsening energy crisis, the nation's leaders are legitimizing the generator culture and seeking to insulate themselves from the pains associated with the problem.Nigeria remains the only country today, in Africa and elsewhere, that is yet grappling with chronic epileptic power supply. President Yar'Adua must rise to the challenge and deploy genuine and realistic efforts to save this nation from the clear and present danger of an epidemic constituted by the continued saturation of its environment by these lethal fumes. Surely, the "Servant-Leader" can no longer afford the luxury of a delay.

Southern Africa

Climate Change Threatens Food Security

Miriam Mannak:19 January 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Cape Town — Climate change will have a significant impact on southern Africa's already compromised food security, environmental experts warned at the fifth Alexander von Humboldt International Conference at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa.The meeting, held Jan. 11-16, drew climate change experts and environmental scientists from around the world.According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, one in three people living in Sub-Saharan Africa were chronically hungry in 2007. The region is also hardest hit by extreme poverty, harbouring 75 percent of people worldwide that live on less then a dollar a day.Since 2007, erratic rainfall has led to increased food shortages in southern Africa where droughts damaged and destroyed maize crops in Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

As a result, southern Africa faced a shortfall of 2.18 million metric tonnes of maize in 2006 and, according to researchers of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), people in southern Africa lacked more than 4 million metric tonnes of maize in 2007/2008.Increasing food shortages have become a trend, cautioned Sepo Hachigonta of the Climate Systems Analysis Group (CSAG), a climatology research group based at UCT."We estimate that the maize yields in, for instance, Zimbabwe and South Africa's Limpopo province will decrease by approximately nine percent between now and 2045," he told IPS. "This predicted decline will pose a major problem, as maize is the region's main staple food."The CSAG recently investigated the long-term effects of climate change on rain-fed agriculture in southern Africa where the majority of farmers depend on rainfall as a main water source for their crops as they cannot afford irrigation systems.

"When rainfall is low, late or early, these people and their dependents are the first ones to be in trouble," Hachigonta said.According to the CSAG, there is a direct link between the projected decrease of maize yields and climatological changes."Firstly, the region is expected to get hotter," Hachigonta reckoned. "As a result of increasing temperatures, more water will evaporate from the soil at a higher pace. This places stress on crops. Secondly, we predict changes in rain patterns."Hachigonta explained further: "We do not predict an increase or decrease of annual rain fall as such, but our data shows that the there could be changes in when the rain season starts and ends."

Declining yields

Based on scientific research including interviews with farmers in the region, the CSAG predicts that within the next three decades, the rain season in Zimbabwe and Limpopo province will start more than a month later, in December instead of in late October.A potential solution to declining maize yields could be for farmers to grow different crops that are more resilient to weather changes and need less water."Maize requires large amounts of water, so theoretically, farmers in southern Africa should rather plant crops like sorghum or millet," Hachigonta said. "They need less water."Sorghum and millet are staple foods in many western African countries, such as Mali, where farmers have to find ways to grow crops despite severe water shortages."The problem is tradition and habit. People living in southern Africa have been eating maize for centuries. They will not easily switch to sorghum," Hachigonta continued.

Rain patterns have also started to change in western African countries, experts predict."The wet season in Cameroon used to start in March, but over the past years, the rain has only come in April," said Medard Djatou, anthropoligist at the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon, who has researched the impact of climate change on the lives of the Bamileke, Cameroon's largest ethnic group who strongly depends on small-scale and rain-fed agriculture."We asked older farmers how they perceive today's climate and rainfall patterns and what the situation was like when they started farming in their late teens and early twenties," Djatou explained. "The vast majority of the people we interviewed complained about higher temperatures, rain retardation and failing crops."

Farming practices

The problem, according to Djatou, is that most people in developing countries do not realise that some of their actions are part of the problem of climate change.For example, the burning of grassland is used by farmers in many parts of Africa to remove crop stubble and return nutrients to the soil. However, the burnings release large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.He said governments throughout the continent should make a bigger effort to educate their populations about climate change and environmentally friendly farming practices. "Policy makers should involve local communities in the debate around climate change," Djatou recommended.

Urias Goll, researcher at the Liberia Reconstruction and Development Committee, which oversees the implementation of poverty reduction and reconstruction strategies in the country, shares Djatou's opinion."It is crucial that data dealing with the implications of climate change on farming is made available to those who will be first affected," he said, adding that "many farmers still explain low yields, droughts or floods as a sanction of the gods. Communities need to know what is going on, why the rains are late, why crops are failing and what they can do about it."According to Goll, education of farmers should take place as a joint initiative by scientists, NGOs and governments.He further stressed the fact that data also needed to be localised, he stressed, so that farmers receive information relevant to their living situation because "the impact of climate change differs from region to region."

South Africa: The Quiet Water Crisis:4 February 2009:IRIN Johannesburg — Concerned with a cholera threat from its northern neighbour, Zimbabwe, South Africa could be overlooking a creeping water crisis of its own, as ageing infrastructure and rising demand spew potentially deadly bacteria into its water systems.When apartheid crumbled in 1994, an estimated 14 million South Africans lacked access to a formal water supply, and about half the country - 21 million people - had no formal sanitation, according to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF).Since then, access to water has increased dramatically, but backlogs persist: in 2008, about 5 million people were still in need of adequate supplies, while three times more - 15 million people - lacked basic sanitation.

The quality of municipal drinking water is monitored monthly, with nearly all municipalities reporting an acceptable standard of water. However, outdated infrastructure and problems in retaining skilled staff have contributed to what DWAF admits are unacceptably high levels of pollution in some rivers and dams.South Africa's tap water is among the best in the world, according to DWAF spokesperson Linda Page. But with millions still lacking access to flush toilets and piped water, the threat of waterborne diseases cannot be ignored, she said.In 2008, half of the municipal water supplies surveyed in Western Cape Province, on the country's south coast, had high levels of the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, according to a study released by the provincial DWAF.In impoverished districts like Ukhahlamba, in neighbouring Eastern Cape Province, the problem is even more extreme. In 2008, Ukhahlamba reported levels of E. coli and other bacteria that were so high in some parts of its water supply it had been forced to issue "boil alerts" and supply water to severely affected communities by tanker trucks, according to presentations made to parliament in June.

Though E. coli can sometimes be traced back to certain industries, it is often taken as an indication that water supplies were recently contaminated with human or animal waste. That problem is being exacerbated by the first heavy rains of the 2009 season, which can wash contaminants into water systems.Municipalities across the country have blamed poor water quality on a lack of resources and capacity that has put far too much strain on ageing water treatment plants. In 2004 South Africa had just 15,000 civil engineers, with the bulk in the private sector and only 11 percent working for local government.

A river runs through it

With its source high in the Drakensberg Mountains, the Vaal River stretches more than 1,000km to become the main tributary to South Africa's longest waterway, the Orange River. It feeds large portions of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan area, the country's economic heartland, as well as most of the northern Free State Province.It has also, in some areas, registered high enough levels of faecal matter to warrant Rand Water, South Africa's largest bulk water utility, to warn that contact with the river may put people at risk of serious infection.One of the major problems is that our system is very old - our pump station is giving us problems, almost everything is giving us problemsEvery year thousands of tourists flock to the towns that dot the banks of the Vaal. In sleepy Parys, visitors make up a vital part of the local economy, but in December, when the extent of the pollution became known, the town lost about US$180,000 a week in cancellations. According to businessman Carl Cilliers, who runs a resort on the river's edge, a repeat performance could put him and his family out of business.Local wildlife is also struggling to cope with the environmental impact. Recently, court-ordered contractors removed 20 tonnes of dead fish after a local NGO, Save the Vaal River Environment (SAVE), took the local Emfuleni municipality to court for leaking millions of litres of raw sewage into the river. SAVE said the pollution had contributed to stomach and intestinal disorders among nearby residents.

In its defence, Emfuleni municipality - well aware of its failing pumps and ageing infrastructure - argues that it lacks the finances and capacity to correct the situation.

"One of the major problems is that our system is very old - our pump station is giving us problems, almost everything is giving us problems," said Mojalefa Radebe, media relations officer at the municipality's Water Service Unit. In 2007, the municipality ran an operational deficit of about US$4 million, with an outstanding US$2 million debt to Rand Water.

Solving the water puzzle

Dr Roman Tandlich, a lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Rhodes University, in Eastern Cape, and former fellow of the university's Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality, said surface streams and rivers like the Vaal were the sole source of water for many people living in informal settlements, as well as rural and peri-urban areas.While Tandlich admits there are backlogs in the provision of drinking water and sanitation, and that mistakes have been made, he also stresses the complex environment in which post-apartheid service provision operates.For instance, standard sanitation systems are problematic in townships, and systems based on ventilated pit latrines, where an additional ventilation shaft is dug alongside the main hole to reduce odour and the presence of flies and mosquitoes, are being explored.Studies from Ghana have shown that extremely high levels of government subsidy are needed to fund conventional sewage systems, while ventilated pit latrines have proven to be a cost-effective alternative."[The] backlog in service delivery is huge in South Africa," Tandlich said. "Mistakes have been made in the past, but it also has to be stated that some challenges are so unique that no easy answers or parallels to draw on exist."

DWAF's Page said funds have been put aside to address problems in infrastructure, as well as the issues of budget management and skills shortages.

South Africa: New Wildfire Threat

Murray Williams and Henri Du Plessis:5 February 2009: CAPE ARGUS

The Weather Bureau issued a dire warning on Thursday that the heat and high winds predicted for Thursday will create perfect conditions for runaway fires in the Western Cape.The Cape metropole, south-west coast and Winelands areas are under severe threat after several fires, including a raging mountain blaze in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve at Stellenbosch, threatened properties yesterday.The fire chief for the City of Cape Town, Ian Schnettler, said his teams had fought 77 fires across the city on Wednesday, as well as assisting neighbouring municipalities, such as Stellenbosch.The most powerful south- easter of the year continued to wreak havoc today by fanning huge fires on Stellenbosch's doorstep and outside Hermanus, matched by scorching temperatures expected to last into the weekend.Wind speeds peaked at at 120km/h at Cape Point at 4am today. The wind has battered Cape Town and outlying towns since on Wednesday.

Dawn broke with temperatures of up to 32°C forecast in the city and 36°C in Paarl - the mix of extremely hot and dry conditions most conducive to runaway fires.

The wind was expected to remain strong in the city today and fresh to strong along the coastal areas, forecaster Luthando Masimini said.In the interior, it was expected to be moderate to fresh.In Stellenbosch, a fire which began deep in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve surged towards the university town late on Wednesday afternoon, scorching the edges of the sprawling Coetzenburg sports complex.Several smallholdings and homes were evacuated as the fire swept along on the southern bank of the Eerste River, a stone's-throw from hundreds of multimillion-rand homes downstream from the five-star Lanzerac hotel.Late on Wednesday night, Stellenbosch's streets were filled by throngs of students who had made their way to Coetzenberg, many offering to help quell the flames.At one stage, the roof of a large gymnasium caught fire, but this was extinguished before the flames could spread to the building's rafters and gut the centre.Students were breathing through wet T-shirts to protect their eyes and airways.The entire side of the 1 167m Stellenbosch mountain above the town burned throughout the night.Thick, choking smoke engulfed the town, leaving thousands of residents in discomfort throughout the night.

A planned international hockey match between South Africa and Germany, which was to have been played on Astroturf at Coetzenberg, was hastily postponed.At dawn on Thursday, four helicopters took to the skies to water-bomb the flames, which still burned high on the Stellenbosch mountain and in the direction of Blaauwklippen road towards Somerset West.

"It is going a lot better today than it did yesterday (Wednesday)," said Stellenbosch fire chief Lizaan Morta on Thursday morning."We were terribly stretched yesterday. When this fire broke out, we had three other big fires to contend with and the Cape Winelands fire department had four."Further north on the R44, a fire burned in the vicinity of the N1 near the tourist attraction Butterfly World.And in Hermanus, Overberg fire chief Reinhard Geldenhuys reported that teams were still fighting the six-day-old fire in the mountains towards Stanford.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Ethiopia: Desertification Reversed in North:Katherine Nightingale:6 February 2009: SciDev.Net (London) Some of the most severe cases of land degradation in semi-desert areas could be reversed with the right policies, researchers in Ethiopia have concluded.A study of a dry region in the north of the country, whose population had increased ten-fold and whose land had become highly degraded, found that local people have nevertheless managed to coax it back into recovery.Key to the study was a collection of sepia photographs taken during Great Britain's military expedition to Abyssinia in 1868, which researchers were able to compare with more recent images - building up a story of the semi-arid landscape spanning 140 years.

The scientists, from Belgium and Ethiopia, used the photographs - which covered a 10,000 kilometre square area of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia in the dry seasons of 1868 and 2008 - to compare levels of vegetation and other indicators of land health. They combined this information with field research and ratings from land management experts.The climate in the region is temperate, making it suitable for agriculture, said Jan Nyssen, a professor in the department of geography at the University of Ghent, Belgium, and lead author of the study.But the land is also made up of steep hillsides. With no land management practices in place, and a soaring population, the land had severely eroded and the vegetation decreased to a fraction of what it was.However, after the famine in the 1980s, "people became conscious both within and outside Ethiopia that [the land degradation] could not continue", says Nyssen.Starting in the 1980s, the government terraced the steep slopes with 'stone bunds', built stone walls that follow the contours of hills to prevent erosion and flooding; closed extremely degraded areas to grazing, crop cultivation and tree-felling; and replanted forests.

The authors show that there has been a "remarkable recovery of vegetation and also improved soil protection". This, they say, "invalidates hypotheses of the irreversibility of land degradation in semi-arid areas".Crucially, while the recovery began as a top-down approach initiated by the government, local communities came to recognise the value of such conservation work because they could see for themselves its benefits - such as reduced flooding, says Nyssen. In fact, they had no option but to improve their land husbandry, say the researchers."What we've tried to show is that whatever small amount of support can be given by government in terms of policies and budgetary provision, our land which has been degraded can respond positively," said Mitiku Haile, president of Ethiopia's Mekelle University and a co-author of the study."The government in Ethiopia has been encouraged by such studies and now they are carrying out massive areas closure, reforestation programmes and also wise use of these resources."Ced Hesse, director of the dryland programme at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, UK, said that the phenomenon of "more people, less erosion" has arisen elsewhere when a combination of rising populations and favourable markets have led to investment in land preservation.But Andrew Warren, a professor at the department of geography at the UK-based University College London was more pessimistic. "The findings should not be extrapolated outside their study area," he told SciDev.Net. "There are lots of reports of things getting better, but also lots saying they're getting worse."Researchers have concluded that, with the right policies in place, coaxing a severely degraded region back into recovery is possible. Central Africa

Cameroon: Cameroonians Urged to Protect Wetlands

Kini Nsom:6 February 2009: THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM

Cameroonians have been called upon to protect wetlands for the preservation of the environment and the sustenance of their livelihoods.Officials of the Ministry of the Environment and Nature Protection, MINEP, and the World Wild Fund for Nature, WWF, made the call in Yaounde, February 2, as stakeholders commemorated this year's World Wetland Day.The occasion was in tandem with the Ramsar Convention of February 1971 in which the various governments took commitment to protect wetlands. Each year since 1997, government agencies, NGOs and civil society groups meet to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits.It was in this perspective that WWF and MINEP cautioned each Cameroonian to ensure that wetlands are preserved in his or her area. Speaking at the occasion, the Secretary General of MINEP, Patrick Akwa Kum Bong, said the government of Cameroon demonstrated its political will to manage wetlands by ratifying the Ramsar Convention on wetlands on January 13, 2006.He said by so doing government demonstrated its commitment to take care of the population's wellbeing, by ensuring biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of the environment.

While harping on the importance of wetlands, the MINEP scribe remarked: "Our country is full of wetlands and many local communities depend on them for subsistence, generating income and the fulfilment of socio-cultural activities. The importance of fish and energy in dams such as the Lagdo, Songloulou, Mbakaou and Bamendjin are well known."

The government official said the theme of this year's wetland day "Upstream Downstream: Wetlands connect us all," reflects the fact that wetland managers and watershed managers must work together at all levels."I wish to particularly rekindle the awareness of citizens in the new environmental governance and also the various business people and persons whose activities are dependent on catchment areas, in order that they take measures to avoid causing greater degradation of these fragile ecosystems on which both the development of their activities, their health and quality of their environment depends," the scribe enjoined.While presenting a paper on wetlands, a WWF senior official, Bertin Chikangwa, said wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peat land on water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporal, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salty, including areas of marine water the depth of which, at low tide, does not exceed six metres.He outlined the importance and values of wetlands, saying that if well managed, they could be a wonderful weapon for the fight against poverty. The occasion that took place at the Mvog Betsi Zoological Garden, brought together a cream of journalists who debated on the management of wetlands and ways of mapping out of new strategies to create awareness among citizens.Senior officials of WWF, including its interim Regional Representative, Basile Yapo, said they needed to have partnership with the media so as to accelerate the sensitisation on the importance of wetlands and their protection.

Cameroon: World Leader in Tree Domestication

Fred Vubem:9 February 2009: CAMEROON TRIBUNE

Cameroon is leading the world in matters of tree domestication. The information was made public by the World Agroforestry centre, ICRAF, during the second national tree domestication day organised by ICRAF at the Hilton hotel in Yaounde last Wednesday, February 4, under the theme; "Better Trees for Healthier and Wealthier world". In the first of three presentations at the opening ceremony of the meeting which brought together research institutions involved in the agro industry, Professor Roger Leakey of ICRAF said tree domestication is a powerful tool in reducing poverty, desertification and climate change.

Opening the meeting, the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuinte, said the tree domestication effort of ICRAF falls in line with President Paul Biya's fight against poverty. She said Cameroon pays much importance to the preservation of the environment, reason why the president of the republic created two ministries to take care of environmental issues and also created an Observatory on climate change.The ceremony equally served as an opportunity for the Minister of Scientific Research and innovation to installed Zac Tchoundjeu as the new Regional director for West and Central Africa. The World Agro-forestry Centre equally took the opportunity to launch two new projects; "Promoting Rural Innovation through participatory tree domestication", and Increasing small scale farmer benefits from agroforestry tree products in West and Central Africa.The first project on promoting rural innovation through participatory tree domestication, is funded by the international Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, and will be carried out in three countries; Nigeria, D.R. Congo and Cameroon. It will last for three years. The second that has to do with increasing small scale farmer benefits from agro-forestry tree products in West and Central Africa. Will last four years and is funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation.Prominent among those present at the ceremony was the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jean Claude Akouafane, the directors general of IRAD, ICRAF and CBD.

8. ECONOMY AND ENERGY

West Africa

West Africa: Ecowas Vows to Remove Obstacles to Free Movement

Nwakpa O. Nwakpo:7 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) Abuja — The Economic Community of West Africa, ECOWAS, has reinterated its determination to ensure that the much talked-about free movement of people, good and services within the sub-African region is actualised.This declaration was made by the president of the ECOWAS commission, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, during a consultation meeting with the minister of foreign affairs at the commission's secretariat at the weekend.

The commission's president also enumerated challenges facing the commission. They include consolidation of peace and security, promotion of the principle of good governance and democracy.He said that the commission is working seriously toward the integration of ECOWAS into the global economy through the establishment of ECOWAS common market and improved regional competitiveness.

To face up to these challenges, the commission hopes to face a six-point priority, including the achievement of the customs union, conclusion of the economic partnership agreement, EPA, development of regional infrastructure, peace and security.Chambas noted that the commission "relies on Nigeria's leadership to encourage the implementation of activities in the priority areas" as well as maintain the direction and guideline given by the heads of state and government for 2009.He emphasised that the commission is committed to having an effective and functional free trade area, ETA, removing obstacles to the free movement of persons and goods, removing non- tariff business (NTBs) and establishing a development conducive, CET.

Other areas of interests that the commission's president emphasised include regional infrastructural development.This, he said, will be achieved through the implementation of facilitation actions enumerated in the transport and road transit facilitation programme as adopted in 2003.The commission hopes to bring new dynamism to the railway projects, placing the Abidja-Lagos link at the forefront.

Responding to ECOWAS president's address, the ministry of foreign affairs, delegates led by the minister of state II, Hon Bagudu Hirse, assured the commission that Nigeria is committed to providing focused on leadership in the sub-region under the chairmanship of president Yar'Adua.Hirse made it clear that the Nigerian government is also committed to solving problems highlighted by the ECOWAS president.He commended the Lagos State government for initiating private partnership programme, PPP.Hirse, however acknowledged that the free movement of people and goods across member states border is problematic owing to the fact that this is being abused by some people who use the free borders for smuggling of small arms.He said that the Nigeria government will ensure proper scrutiny.

West Africa: EU Predicts Trade Boost for Region:7 February 2009: THIS DAY

Lagos — The European Union (EU) has expressed optimism that trade in infrastructure services among ECOWAS member states would boost economic growth and development in West Africa.Pauline Weinzieri of the EU Trade Department stated this at a two-day seminar on Trade in Services and Investments in the Framework of the EC- West Africa EPA in Dakar, Senegal.In her paper entitled "The Economics of Trade in Services", Weinzieri said trade in other services, including transport, logistics, energy distribution and telecommunications, would also promote West Africa's development.She said this would further attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to the region."It will also attract transfer of expertise and of know-how of foreign services suppliers," she added.Weinzieri noted that the development would also create local jobs, better quality services, cheaper services, more choices for consumers, while reducing the cost of doing business for local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Also speaking, Mr Abdoulaye Ndiaye, an expert in trade and services, said ECOWAS should establish a regional database on services."ECOWAS should put in place accompanying measures, aimed at raising the competiveness of the services sector in member states," he said."Member states should undertake reforms for the progressive and regulated liberalisation of various service sectors with high export potential.This is relevant for the competitiveness of their economies," Ndiaye said.

Nigeria: Sliding Oil Price, Naira Value - Labour Warns of Imminent Inflation

Gbenga Faturoti and Adeola Yusuf:9 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos)

Osogbo/Lagos — Nigeria is about to be hit by mega inflation, caused by the sliding price of oil, its major source of revenue, and the depreciation of Naira, its currency, Labour alerted at the weekend.The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) declared that Nigeria "is not a producing country and, so, the prices of products will soon be expensive in the markets" unless the government takes measures against banks and other financial institutions abusing the system.TUC President General, Peter Esele, insisted in an interview that if "there are no sanctions, banks would always do what they have to do.

"It is unfortunate that in the last couple of days, the exchange rate is almost N160 to $1. What that means is that there would be a high inflation."He said this is what is expected in a mono economy like Nigeria which depends on the international price of oil."The volatility of the price of oil on the international market will also affect the Naira. That was why initially, when I heard that our economy will not be affected by the global recession, and that the economy is robust, I wondered where they got the idea from."Esele noted that things would have been easier if the government had diversified the economy."Right now, our earnings are going down, as the price of crude oil ranges between $35 and $39 per barrel, and so foreign reserves are also going down.

"The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would have normally used the huge foreign reserves to shore up the Naira as it had done previously, but there is difficulty in taking some of these decisions."And with the way the economy is being affected, the banks are back in their old ways before consolidation. That is why the CBN is trying to clampdown on the banks."Esele said he would give the Presidential Steering Committee the benefit of the doubt to turn the economy around within the one year period given to it."My only concern is that at all times, the individuals chosen by the President are always in the economic team. What surprises me is that the brilliant brains in academics that would have made positive impact are always left out."The higher institutions of learning have professors with years of experience that could have been tapped, yet the government cannot use them to turn around the economy. One will like to ask why we have faculties of economics and management in the universities, or the Lagos Business School? The government needs to proffer answers to these questions."

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) also spoke out that the government cannot sustain its financial and economic policies.ICAN Third Western District Accountants Conference Chairman, Afolabi Igbaroola, noted that successive governments abandon policies of previous governments thus making it very difficult to sustain the economy.Igbaroola, who made the point ahead of the ICAN conference which holds in Osogbo on Tuesday, said for the country to move forward, the government must sustain its policies and ensure that those devised by previous administrations are also implemented.

However, Senate President, David Mark, countered that the government has a robust scheme to sustain the economy in the face of the global financial melt down.He told journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja on Sunday that "the government has a back up plan; but if you don't have a problem now, you don't begin to bail out, unless the problem comes."There is no problem and so, there is no bail out yet, but I'm sure that the government is fully prepared for it, just in case it happens."Mark said Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, and other members of the economic team have assured the Senate that things would be well.Besides, he stressed, "we have a comparative advantage in this country. We have the soil and we can farm all days. What we just need to do is improve on our agricultural system and encourage the farmers."If they produce, the government should buy up any excess so that the farmers are encouraged. The government should also subsidise."

Nigeria: Drop in U.S. Oil Demand Hurts Country's Economy

Adeola Yusuf:6 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos)

Lagos — America's oil demand continues to drop, presenting another challenge for Nigeria, a major supplier to that country.The fall in patronage of oil from Nigeria and other suppliers came just as prices have failed to climb above $40.Nigeria has benchmarked $45 as oil price to finance the 2009 budget, which execution is based mainly on proceeds from oil.Fuel demand in the United States in the past four weeks, a report issued by the Energy Information Administartion (EIA) showed, averaged 19.5 million barrels per day (bpd), down 2.8 per cent from a year earlier.As a result of the global meltdown, unemployment in the U.S., has, according to the median estimate of experts ahead of Labor Department figures, climbed to 7.5 per cent.The payrolls fell by 530,000, the 13th consecutive decrease.

Nigeria is the world's eighth largest exporter of crude and is a key exporter to the U.S.Although the country's export capacity is now about two million bpd, its total exports in 2006 reached an estimated 2.15 million bpd, with approximately one million bpd or 42 per cent shipped to the U.S.Additional importers of Nigerian crude include Europe (19 per cent), South America (7.6 per cent), Asia, and the Caribbean.Despite shut-in production, major importers of Nigerian crude have experienced little to no decrease in imports over the past 15 months.The steady exports suggest that the new production capacity additions (approximately 545,000 bpd) have mostly offset shut-in production.Nigeria has six export terminals, including Forcados and Bonny (operated by Shell); Escravos and Pennington (Chevron); Qua Iboe (ExxonMobil), and Brass (Agip).

According to the International Crude Oil Market Handbook, Nigeria's export blends are light, sweet crudes, with gravities ranging from API 29 - 36 degrees and low sulfur contents of 0.05 - 0.2 per cent.Forcados Blend is considered one of the best gasoline- producing blends.

Despite the enormity of the country's export base, it has been exerting more efforts to expand its production level.Deepwater projects may represent the future of Nigerian oil production by allowing multinational operators to avoid security risks in the Niger Delta.In a licensing round held in March 2005, Nigeria offered a total 77 deepwater and inland blocks.Beginning on April 3, 2007, the government opened a licensing round in which 44 blocks are being offered. A number of the blocks in that round were also offered in 2005.Because of the continuous fall in the price of oil, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided on December 17 last year to trim production by nine per cent beginning on Janaury 1, 2009.The 12-member group pumped an average 28.565 million bpd last month, down 1.05 million from December, according to a Bloomberg News survey of oil companies, producers and analysts."The market is stuck in a sideways range as the impact of the OPEC production cuts conflicts with high stock levels and weak demand," said Christopher Bellew, senior broker with Bache Commodities in London.

Sierra Leone: Freetown-Conakry Highway Soon

9 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

Freetown. — The contract to ensure the construction of a modern motor highway joining Sierra Leone and Guinea within two years has been signed by the government and the contractors, Compagnie Sahelienne d'Entreprises (CSE).The process was witnessed by a delegation from the European Commission, funding the project.Finance minister David Carew, who signed on behalf of government, said the project was in line with President Koroma's priority on infrastructural development; and the fact that the contract was being signed at State House underlined the importance government attached to it.Minister of Works John Saad reflected with dismay that the first phase of the project had to be terminated because of mismanagement and maladministration; and now enjoined CSE to finish the project on time.The head of the EC delegation, Hans Allden, said the reactivation of the project demonstrated the strong commitment of the European Union and its people to reduce poverty in this sub-region, enhance regional integration, and facilitate better trade relations, while he hoped that the implementation would be smooth and transparent.Oumar Sow, the Administrator Director-General of CSE, who signed on behalf of his company, thanked the government for the confidence reposed on them and the European Commission for attaching great importance to the project.

He said they would ensure that the project is completed within the 24-month time-frame and with the highest international standards.Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) boss Munda Rogers, while giving the vote of thanks, promised that the country would not be disappointed as he has confidence in CSE.After the signing ceremony, the team paid a courtesy call on President Koroma who said, "It is a very happy moment for me that the contract has been signed for the implementation of the second phase of this project."He underlined the importance of the road as a way of enhancing economic activities not only in the Mano River Union but also beyond. He expressed thanks to the EC for the continued support and resilience.In unequivocal terms, the President said what happened in phase 1, through corrupt practices, was completely unacceptable "and we'll not leave that matter lying, we will pursue it to a logical conclusion, and we'll ensure that this does not happen again."He said he would hold both SLRA and the contractors responsible for the project, while stating that he would personally be supervising it and visiting the site, while requiring quarterly reports from the National Authorising Office and SLRA: "Any official found undermining the project will be dealt with, with the full authority of government."The President said the contractors (CSE) have been in the country for a long time and should ensure that they meet the deadline and the road specifications: "We are not going to compromise and we will not allow any sub-standard work."

The Head of State also used the occasion to appeal to the European Commission for the maintenance of the Bo-Bandajuma and the Makeni-Kabala roads.Other government officials present were the deputy minister of Works Babagaleh Barrie, National Authorising Office Director Soriba Kanu, and National Commission on Privatization Chairman Abu Bangura.The European Commission delegation included Sigvard Bjorck, Head of Infrastructure, and Sergio Josa Oliette, Project Officer. On CSE's part, there were Mamadou Demba Sow (Overseas Manager) and Alhaji Hamidou Diop. Others were John Tarawalie and Robert Ganda, both of whom are project engineers at the National Authorising Office.

Nigeria: U.S. Charges Halliburton Officials Over N27 Billion Bribe to Citizens:8 February 2009: DAILY TRUST

The United State government on Friday formally charged engineering company KBR Inc in a $180 million (N27m), decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian officials to secure $6 billion in contracts.But former KBR parent Halliburton Co said last month it would pay $559 million to end the investigation if the government approved the settlement, which was the largest penalty against a U.S. company for bribery charges under federal law.

The bribes were paid between 1994 and 2004 to secure four contracts for a KBR joint venture to build and expand Nigeria's Bonny Island liquefied natural gas terminal, according to the government.KBR Inc was charged with five counts, including conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).A truly multinational scheme, it involved partner companies from Italy, France and Japan, and huge sums of money wired through banks in Amsterdam and New York to accounts in Monaco and Switzerland.KBR also used shell companies in Portugal, referred to by the government as Madeira Companies 1, 2 and 3, in an effort to avoid breaking the FCPA law, the government said."KBR avoided placing U.S. citizens on the board of managers of Madeira Company 3 as a further part of KBR's intentional effort to insulate itself from FCPA liability," according to the government prosecutors' filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.The TSKJ consortium that built the LNG facility included KBR, France's Technip SA, Italy's Snamprogetti and Japan's JGC Corp.Albert "Jack" Stanley, a former KBR chief executive, pleaded guilty last September to charges stemming from the Nigeria bribes and agreed to cooperate with investigators.KBR declined to make any further comment late on Friday.

Southern Africa

Zimbabwe: International Bankers Lay Groundwork for Investors' Conference

Ndamu Sandu:7 February 2009:THE STANDARD

A TEAM of international bankers arrived in the country last week to prepare a road map for an investors' conference to be held in the country in April.The interest by the international bankers in the country signals the renewed optimism among investors brought about by prospects of a new inclusive government by Friday.Last week, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to join Zanu PF's Robert Mugabe in forming a unity government after almost seven months of power-sharing talks, re-igniting hopes of a return of investors.Standardbusiness is reliably informed that Dr Michael Gondwe, President of the Eastern and Southern Africa Trade and Development (PTA) Bank is leading a six-member team from the Nairobi headquartered regional bank.The identities of other bankers accompanying him could not be established last week as officials from both the central bank and Ministry of Finance said they were bound by a confidentiality clause not to disclose their names.

The bankers attended Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono's Monetary Policy Presentation on Monday.Gono confirmed the hosting of the investors' conference and interest shown by international bankers."Global capital is looking for quality and it is not surprising that we will be host to many international bankers and those scouting for new opportunities," he said.The investors' indaba -- modelled along the post independence Zimbabwe Conference on Reconstruction and Development (ZIMCORD) held in 1981 -- will market the country as the best investment destination.ZIMCORD mobilised over US$2.3 billion in external assistance to help repair the country's infrastructure destroyed during the war of liberation.The ZIMCORD funds assisted in the repatriation and reintegration of refugees and displaced persons, rehabilitation and reconstruction, resettlement and rural development and training and technical assistance.The investors' conference will seek to raise resources to reinvigorate all sectors of the economy that have virtually collapsed following years of neglect.Infrastructure such as roads, clinics, hospitals and schools has virtually collapsed.Analysts say while interest in Zimbabwe is not as huge as it was in 1981, the country will get something to repair the battered infrastructure."Under ZIMCORD, Zimbabwe had all the goodwill, now there is partial goodwill," said Daniel Ndlela, an independent economist.He said there were institutions that were still willing to assist Zimbabwe who will mobilise other financial institutions to pour money into the country to address the humanitarian situation and repair the collapsing infrastructure.

However, analysts are wary that the country's "bad boy" tag will militate against attracting investors.

Property rights in Zimbabwe have become an alien concept while agreements signed with regional and international partners have been trampled on at will.

On Monday Gono ploughed into the emotive property rights debate insisting Zimbabwe should respect Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs) signed with regional and international partners.

"Given the centrality on protection of investment capital in economic growth, the government should champion the respect of BIPPAs and other strategic agreements with regional and international business partners in order to promote further investments," Gono said.

There are fears that without amendments to Zimbabwe's indigenisation legislation, attracting investors will be a tough hurdle.

Under the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, locals will have 51% percent shareholding in all foreign owned companies operating in Zimbabwe.

Botswana: 'Botswana Was Never Hit Harder,' Says Ibrahim

Ryder Gabathuse:6 February 2009: Mmegi

Francistown — Former Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) president Iqbal Ibrahim says agriculture has the potential to save Batswana from the effects of the credit crunch.

"Although agriculture was overtaken by diamonds as a revenue earner from Independence, a good number of Batswana relied on it," Ibrahim said in his opening remarks at the BOCCIM budget review session at the Marang Hotel here Tuesday evening.

He said to a lot of people, "agriculture means rearing cattle when infact it means far more than that." Ibrahim said the country has the potential to set up agro-based industries to feed the nation and create jobs."Now is the time for Batswana to work very hard to feed themselves through such endeavours as setting up backyard horticultural projects and desist from the over-dependence on imported vegetables and other crops," he said.

With the global economic recession impacting negatively on the mining sector, Ibrahim said "now is the time to look up to agriculture to sustain the vulnerable economy which has been anchored on a single commodity - diamonds".

Although the Zimbabwe economy is battered, the people of that neighbouring country are keen horticulturalists who grow a lot of crops in the backyard for their immediate needs and the sale of surpluses. "That is the reason why whether you are in Gaborone or Francistown, whenever there are plots in the backyard green with a variety of vegetables, people will always ask: 'Who is this Zimbabwean residing Here?'"

Ibrahim said the 2009-2010 budget is a very challenging one as it came at a very tough time. "Although Botswana is not integrated into the world economy, we are not immune to the goings-on in the global economy," he said, before warning that it was already evident that many Batswana were going to lose their jobs because mines are not doing well due to a fall in the metal prices."Botswana has never been hit harder by economic forces," he said.On the foreign reserves, which the government will use to partly finance the P13.40 billion deficit, Ibrahim said it is "opportune for us to see how much will be injected into the development expenditure".

Gaolathe has promised that he will look into constraints that affect doing business. "Botswana has not fared too good in the way of doing business and any endeavours geared at improving the situation will be most welcome."

Ibrahim warned that people should not rest on their laurels because the country has enjoyed positive credit ratings. "A company was given an A-rating, but as we speak, it is in liquidation," he noted.

On the SADC free trade area, Ibrahim cast doubt on its ability to deliver because of certain "bothersome" formalities that are unlikely to be done away with soon. "I am a farmer and I buy the seeds and plants in South Africa. But I always face difficulties with their formalities as I am often referred to Pretoria, which often takes a long time before I can get help," he said. "Let's not get excited about the free trade." He also wondered what Botswana was going to trade under the free trade arrangement when already the region was crowded with goods from such countries like South Africa, which is already playing the 'big brother' role with its delaying policies.

A director of international accounting firm, Grant Thornton, made a short presentation on the highlights of the budget. Girish Ramakrishna said the Botswana economy has enjoyed positive reviews with 'A' ratings by renowned institutions, adding that the economy is well managed and growing. Ramakrishna also recognised the growth of the non-mining sector from 5.7 percent during the 2006/07 financial year to eight percent in the 2007/08 financial year. Some of the highlights were the SADC free trade area, real growth in the non-mining sector, investment growth, sovereign credit rating, privatisation of the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) which is expected to be completed in 2009- 2010, the changing of the out-of-school grant programme into a youth grant fund and the development fund which stands at P10.56 billion.On taxation, Ramakrishna hailed the government for appointing a consultant to simplify the structures of income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT).

While the budget review session was informative, a lot of questions went unanswered, among them one by Phenyo Butale of Broadcasting Services about whether Botswana was actually in a recession or not.

Businessman and opposition politician Smuts Shabani said he doubted that the budget could benefit the small man in Francistown and its environs: "I find it totally unfair that the government's major projects are in the hands of companies run by Asians who rarely employ locals," Shabani said. "The budget will only be beneficial if Batswana reap the direct benefits intended," he lamented and added that year after year, the trickle down effects from the budget goes the way of the Chinese and other lucky foreign bodies.Tebogo Rapitsenyane was worried that after a robust launch of the Botswana brand, Minister Gaolathe did not brief the nation about progress made so far. "This should be an on-going exercise if Botswana wants to be known externally and appeal to the potential investor," he said.

He said the brand could die a natural death if it was not taken to another level. An unidentified commentator said he was disturbed by 'fly-by-night' foreign investors who set up in Botswana and shortly closed shop, leaving their Batswana employees stranded.

South Africa: State Considers Help for Ailing Firms to Save Jobs

Wyndham Hartley:9 February 2009: BUSINESSDAY

Cape Town — Jobs at risk from the global economic meltdown could not be saved if the companies at risk were not saved, President Kgalema Motlanthe said yesterday, giving the clearest sign yet that the government will devise a strategy to rescue businesses in trouble.In an unprecedented move, Motlanthe held a free-ranging news conference, fielding questions on the content of Friday's state of the nation address.In the past, the president has given an interview only to the national broadcaster.Taking pains to stress that the task team of representatives of the government, business and labour was still working on the plan, Motlanthe said there would be no specific fund to bail out companies or sectors at risk, but the team would look at ways to save companies and jobs.

The task team's report was expected late this month or early next month.Motlanthe said that if a company was lost, then clearly the jobs it offered would also be lost.There has already been a request from the motor vehicle industry for a R10bn package to save jobs and companies as domestic sales and international order books shrink.In his state of the nation address, Motlanthe reassured the nation that the government had not been idle on the effects of the global economic crisis, and a task team was already in operation, considering options for mitigating the fallout.Among issues being looked at were maintaining the level of state spending in public infrastructure, longer leave, short time, and accessing development funds from pension funds.

Motlanthe said SA would not simply follow the US and the UK in dealing with the crisis by making large amounts available to bring liquidity back to the markets. As a developing country, SA would reposition itself to build infrastructure and keep people in their jobs so that the country could take advantage of the upswing when it came.On the accessing of pension funds and concern expressed about putting retirement benefits of workers at risk, he pointed out that all pension funds were run by boards of trustees comprising half of employers and half of representatives of organised labour.He said, however, that if a particular sector was at risk of going under, an "injection" could help it to survive, implying that a pension fund serving workers in a particular sector could approve such an injection in the interests of saving the sector and jobs.Asked if his speech contained a warning that political parties' election manifestos were unaffordable, he said he was merely saying that the full extent of the meltdown had not been quantified, and "when confronted by such uncertainty, it is better to be conservative and prudent".On speculation about African National Congress president Jacob Zuma's former defence team member, Muzi Mkhize, being appointed national director of public prosecutions, Motlanthe said: "I don't know about this person."

He did, however, take aim at the way the national director of public prosecutions is appointed. The current procedure of the national director being put in office by the president made it a political appointment, and he expressed his support for an appointment procedure similar to that of judges, in which a body such as the Judicial Service Commission made recommendations to the president.

On Zimbabwe, Motlanthe said that whether President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai "like it or not ... they are going to have to work together to lift the country from its present road to destruction"."I am optimistic that they can manage the transition period until they are ready to hold fresh elections," he said.

South Africa: Govt Acts to Combat Global Crisis:6 February 2009:allafrica.

Cape Town — South Africa will combat the effects of the global financial crisis by maintaining high public spending, creating new jobs in the social sector and helping private enterprise to counteract a slowdown in new investment, President Kgalema Motlanthe told Parliament in Cape Town.

Delivering the "state of the nation" address at the annual opening of Parliament, Motlanthe said South Africa was less severely affected by the crisis than many countries: "Indeed, in a period in which others are experiencing or projecting recessions, South Africa and the rest of the continent are still poised for growth, even if at a slower rate..."But," he added, "we are all too aware that, because we are strongly integrated into the world economy, demand for our exports has declined; access to finance and inflows of capital have turned for the worse; lower demand has precipitated a scaling down of production; the creation of jobs is negatively affected and in some sectors retrenchment has become a reality."hese developments had forced the government to lower its forecasts for growth and job creation. He said the government will take action in four areas to minimise the impact of global developments:

• It will continue the massive public investment projects in which it plans to spend R690 billion (U.S. $70 billion) on infrastructure and other projects; • It will boost public sector job creation in areas such as health, social work, education and law-enforcement; • It will help mitigate "an excessive investment slowdown and unnecessary closures of production lines or plants" in the private sector, and explore giving workers longer holidays and extended training, or placing them on "short-time" and encouraging job-sharing as alternatives to retrenchment. • It will expand social spending, for example by extending a child support grant to cover children up to 18 years old, and by expanding old-age pensions through making them available to men at a younger age.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

East Africa: Undersea Fibre-Optic Cable Nears East African Coast

Cedric Lumiti:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

The cable is 76 percent African owned and is expected to boost bandwidth and communication between the region and the rest of the world.The cable has been laid from the edge of the South African waters to Mozambique and cable laying is also proceeding in the Red Sea from Egypt towards the coast of Yemen. A third ship is currently being loaded with the remainder of SEACOM's deepwater cable which will be deployed from India towards Africa, where these three cable segments will be joined.In parallel to the marine installation, SEACOM has made significant strides in land-based construction. The high-performance optical transmission equipment which connects customers to inland terrestrial networks has been installed in the Maputo, Mumbai and Djibouti cable landing stations.Construction of the cable station in Kenya will be complete early February followed shortly by the Tanzanian and South African stations. Equipment installation in these locations and in Egypt will be complete in April. At each station, SEACOM has taken special precautions to assure the construction April. At each station, SEACOM has taken special precautions to assure the construction activity is consistent with environmental policy and regulations. As an example, in South Africa, SEACOM recently transferred protected plant species from the cable station site to the Umlalazi National Park with the help of KwaZulu Natal Wildlife Rangers.

SEACOM has also been preparing to provide services to customers by June and recruited over ten experienced local telecommunications professionals from India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania to operate and maintain the cable stations. They have already been trained at the SEACOM Network Operations Centre in India and are now participating in the testing of the system as it is being installed. A complementary set of personnel is being recruited and will start training in March. These teams will also work with the landing partners' operators in Egypt and Djibouti.Brian Herlihy, SEACOM President, said: "We have made tremendous progress since our groundbreaking in Mozambique last November and we can now sense a real level of excitement for SEACOM's arrival. Through my travels, I continuously meet people who speak about the many ways they intend to exploit the world of broadband which is about to reach Africa.

East Africa: Inside EAC:31 January 2009: column: THE ARUSHA TIMES

Arusha — The "India-Africa Business Partnership Summit" was held on January 19-20 and was aimed at jointly promoting at investment and trade opportunities in Africa. President Kagame, Chairman of the East African Community and President of the Republic of Rwanda who officially inaugurated the two-day India-Africa Business PartnershipSummit in New Delhi, India on Monday, 19 January 2009, said with a population of about 130 million, East Africa provides a conducive and virgin area for trade and investment.He said East Africa has enormous economic potential and, with its experience and expertise in identified sectors as a fast growing developing the economy, India and East African Community have a lot to share and learn from each other.The President hailed the cordial and warm relations that exist between India and Africa.

The business partnership summit, which brought together more than 250 delegates and 25 African countries, was jointly organized by India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).President Paul Kagame stressed the need to have a comprehensive strategy on Africa's development challenges and urged the African business community to utilize financial support for effective strengthening of economic relations.The External Affairs Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee called for increased cooperation and dialogue with African nations on crucial global issues, including terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, health, marine piracy and democratization of financial institutions.

Uganda: Country Won't Export Uranium

2 February 2009: THE NEW VISION

Kampala — UGANDA will not export its uranium until it develops its capacity to produce nuclear energy, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed. Addressing the 12th ordinary summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa yesterday, Museveni said even if the whole of Africa's hydro potential was developed, this would create only 300,000 megawatts. He said the US with‚ a population of 300 million people is using one million megawatts.The African leaders, development partners and financial institutions were discussing infrastructure development in Africa, the theme of the summit.Museveni said: "Unless science has proved that Africans do not need electricity, which I guess they do, our hydro potential is not enough for Africa's needs."

He, therefore, called for investment in nuclear energy, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Press Secretary, Tamale Mirundi. "In Uganda, we discovered oil recently and uranium. I have allowed foreign companies to exploit the uranium but not to export it to Europe. I am not stupid to allow other people to take away my energy when my people need it." "Nobody," he added, "will export uranium as long as I am still in charge of Uganda's affairs."He said if countries with high hydro potential such as Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea are helped to maximise this potential, other countries will buy from them.Instead of having ambitious plans that cannot be implemented with the available resources, the African countries can start with what they can manage. "In my language, a hen pecks what it can chew, let us chew what is chewable."Addressing the summit, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon pledged to help the continent resolve its challenges.He said infrastructure was key to creating jobs.

Central Africa

Cameroon: Country to Design Own Economic Programme

Leocadia Bongben:9 February 2009: THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM

Following the end of the government's triennial economic programme with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, signed in 2005, government has decided to design its own programme.

During a press conference at the Finance Ministry on February 4, attended by the IMF officials, the Finance Minister, Essimi Menye, stated that Cameroon would continue to work with the IMF and other donors.He said a new programme does not mean severing links with the IMF, adding that the IMF would remain as a guide to orientate the government and give its opinion on economic issues and provide a backing to its economic programme.The relationship, he stressed, would be that of surveillance with regular consultations and technical assistance.The new economic regime, whose duration has not yet been determined, would be different in that Cameroon would not be linked to the IMF financially, but with the IMF signature it would be able to get finances for its programme.He said government would define its objectives and key areas and would only need the IMF to accompany the government in the new venture. In line with Article 4 of the IMF statute, there is still a level of cooperation between Cameroon and the IMF, and Cameroon has the right to request for technical assistance in certain domains and remain a partner.In an earlier statement on the last review of the IMF for Cameroon on January 9, it was observed that much still had to be done to attain the desired level of growth needed to fight poverty.

It was also observed that the challenges for Cameroon are to attain results in the area of public finance, the business climate, the cost of production, ameliorate access to small and medium-size enterprises and ensure follow-up of reforms.Cameroon, therefore, has to consolidate the results achieved in structural reforms that led to the attainment of the completion point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, HIPC-I whereby her debts were alleviated.

Rwanda: Oil Exploration Takes New Shape

Edwin Musoni:2 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — Vangold Resources Ltd, a Canadian firm and New Resolution Geophysics (NRG), recently signed an agreement to carry out an aero-exploration exercise to search for oil.This was revealed yesterday by the State Minister for Energy, Albert Butare."The aerial survey was not entirely perfect because of the scope of our landscape which has many hills. We have alternatively decided to use state-of-the-art boats, to conduct the oil exploration on Lake Kivu," Butare told The New Times.

He however stressed that such exotic boats are very few in the world and it will take about two months for the boats to arrive in the country.So far, Vangold Resources Ltd is exploring the existence of oil reserves in the Albertine belt, which stretches from Uganda via the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Rwandan Western Province.

NRG was also sub-contracted by Vangold to carry out the airborne survey.Although it failed, the gravity and aeromagnetic survey (research about the depth and shallow crustal structure) was estimated to cost US$1.2m (approx. Rwf 700m) and results were expected to be released in December last year.According to Butare, previous studies have indicated sedimentary layers of oil in Rwanda, which implies that there is existence of oil in the Rwandan soils.The area in the Kivu Graben where oil reserves are suspected to exist is dubbed the 'White Elephant,' a part of the great western East African Rift System.

Experts attest that, Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil have already made major oil discoveries in the same Graben. The 'White Elephant' area had previously been curved to 2,708 sq kms in area representing 11percent of the land mass of Rwanda.Other experts also interpret that presence of Methane Gas in the deep waters of Kivu, which also originates partly from the earth crust, is an indication of probable oil presence below the Lake sediments.If all the indications for petroleum potential remain positive, several companies will storm Rwanda to carry out the extraction but officials are keen not to raise hopes among the population who believe oil would solve all the problems the country faces.

9. POLITICS West Africa Côte d'Ivoire: Number of Ivorian Voters Identified So Far Passes 4 Million Mark, Says UN Mission:29 January 2009: UN NEW SERVICE

Preparations for the much-delayed elections in Côte d'Ivoire is making headway, the United Nations mission there said today, announcing that the number of voters identified so far in the West African nation has surpassed the four million mark."This is an important step, particularly given the delays and difficulties that beset the identification and census that are currently taking place," Hamadoun Touré, spokesperson for the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), told reporters in Abidjan.

Mr. Touré encouraged further efforts to deploy teams to identify more people around the country, which has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and a northern area dominated by the rebel Forces Nouvelles.In that regard, he said UNOCI would strengthen its logistical support through special operations that began on Tuesday by air and river and to the interior of the country. The Operation is also supporting the identification process with over 200 vehicles. "The goal is to help the national structures to attain an optimal enrolment of the target population," said Mr. Touré.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire and head of UNOCI, Y. J. Choi, is continuing his contacts with the Ivorian political leaders.Last week, Mr. Choi told the Security Council in New York that the Ivorian parties agreed that the holding of the elections, last scheduled for 30 November 2008, would now await the completion of the identification process and the disarmament of ex-combatants.In a resolution adopted this week, the Council urged all political actors in Côte d'Ivoire to agree as soon as possible on a "realistic" time frame for the polls, as it extended UNOCI's mandate for another six months.

Southern Africa

Southern Africa: SADC Recommends Formation of Unity Government in Zimbabwe:27 January 2009: ANGOLAPRESS

Luanda — The Extraordinary Summit of the Southern Africa Development Community SADC, held Monday in Pretoria, South Africa, to analyse the situation in Zimbabwe, recommended the formation of a Government of National Unity in that country on February 13 this year.

In its final communique, SADC underlines that the designated prime minister and vice prime ministers should take office on February 11 this year, and the ministers and vice ministers on February 13.With this resolution, SADC expects to end the process of formation of an inclusive government in the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Angola's delegation to the meeting was led by the Foreign minister, Assunção Afonso dos Anjos, representing the head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos.The summit was attended by the presidents of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, Mozambique, Armando Guebuza, Namibia, Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, Zambia, Rupiah Banda, Tanzania, Jakaia Kikwete, Botswana, Seretse Khama Ian Khama Malawi, Bingu Wa Mutharika, the prime minister of Lesotho Kingdom, Pakalitha Mosisili and the king of Swaziland, Mswati III.

Other states were represented at the meeting by Foreign ministers.In Pretoria, the SADC heads of State and Government met for 14 hours, to discuss the implementation of a global political accord signed in September last year, by the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, and the opposition leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.The accord made provisions for president Robert Mugabe to remain the head of State, while his opponent would be the prime minister of a national unity government. But disagreement over key portfolios deadlocked the deal.

Zimbabwe: Underwhelming Confidence in Power-Sharing Deal

2 February 2009:IRIN

Harare — The jury is still out in Zimbabwe about how effective the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, will be in the role of prime minister.

The beleaguered country, which is experiencing a cholera pandemic that has claimed the lives of well over 3,000 people and has 7 million people receiving emergency food aid, is divided about whether Tsvangirai will have any meaningful power.According to the power-sharing deal signed on 15 September 2008, which will begin to be implemented on 11 February 2009, when Tsvangirai is inaugurated as prime minister, Robert Mugabe will remain president, as he has been for the past 29 years.In terms of the deal, executive powers and authority will be shared by the president, prime minister and cabinet. Wellington Chibhebhe, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), told IRIN that a casual glance at the power-sharing pact only gave the MDC "administrative work".

"There will be no power-sharing and the deal only seeks to confer a winning status on a loser, and a losing status on a winner. The policy and executive authority will be with Mugabe, while Tsvangirai will be an administrator," he said."There is no period, according to the agreement, that Tsvangirai will act as president in the absence of Mugabe, as that would be done by one of the two vice-presidents. If there was power in the office of the prime minister, ZANU-PF would have insisted on having a representative in that office."There will be no power-sharing and the deal only seeks to confer a winning status on a loser, and a losing status on a winnerChibhebhe said the fact that there would be an acting president during Mugabe's absences meant that Tsvangirai would not chair any cabinet meetings.However, political analyst Raymond Majongwe said Tsvangirai's decision to go into government could turn out to be strategic. "Power does not lie in a piece of a document, but depends on how Tsvangirai will deliver - based on the needs of the people - using charisma, intellect and hard work," he noted."I think he will be pleasantly surprised that he will be welcomed by ZANU-PF supporters, who are clamouring for relief after almost a decade of hardships.The most strategic way to neutralise Mugabe could be for the MDC to get into his kitchen," he said.According to the deal, power will be exercised in the following manner:

The President:

• chairs cabinet and exercises executive authority • chairs the National Security Council - a committee comprised of security force chiefs • allocates ministerial portfolios after consultation with the vice presidents, the prime minister and deputy prime ministers • acting in consultation with the prime minister, may dissolve parliament.

However, the parties to the inclusive government are already arguing over the small print. The MDC allege that sections of the power-sharing deal were altered to dilute Morgan Tsvangirai's powers on the eve of the signing ceremony.Patrick Chinamasa, chief negotiator for the ruling ZANU-PF party, attributed the changes to "typographical errors".

The MDC claim the original power-sharing document made provisions for the president and prime minister to implement policy "after agreement" and not "in consultation", as later reflected in the signed document.

The Prime Minister:

• chairs the Council of Ministers and is deputy chairperson of the cabinet. (The Council of Ministers comprises cabinet ministers to ensure the implementation of cabinet decisions) • oversees the formulation of government policies by the cabinet • ensures ministers develop appropriate implementation plans to give effect to the policies decided by cabinet • ensures legislation necessary to enable the government to carry out its functions is in place • ensures policies so formulated are implemented by government • is a member of the National Security Council • exercises executive authority • may be assigned such additional functions as are necessary • is assisted by deputy prime ministers to ensure the effective execution of these tasks • reports regularly to the president and parliament.

Monitoring body

To ensure full and fair implementation of the 15 September agreement, a Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) will be established with representatives from the deal's three signatories (ZANU-PF, MDC and the MDC section of the party led by Arthur Mutumbura), with the facilitator of the deal, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, ensuring compliance to the agreement.

Although the agreement states: "The president and prime minister will agree on the allocation of ministries," Mugabe has already allocated key ministries to himself. He has also appointed a new attorney-general, who told the state controlled newspaper, The Herald, that he was "a proud ZANU-PF supporter".

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono, also known as Mugabe's personal banker, has been given another five-year term of office, despite a monetary policy that has led to hyperinflation estimated in the trillions of percent by independent economists.

Mugabe has refused to relent on his position not to reappoint provincial governors, even in those provinces won by the MDC during the March 2008 elections.However, while all the political parties have drafted their negotiators into JOMIC, the chief negotiator for Tsvangirai's MDC, Tendai Biti, has chosen to stay out in the cold.Biti was one of the "hardliners" opposed to the formation of an inclusive government because Mugabe had reportedly flouted many of the terms of the power-sharing agreement.

Zimbabwe: Power-Sharing Deal Not Enough to Solve Crisis

4 February 2009:press release: Freedom House (Washington, DC)

Washington, DC — Freedom House is deeply concerned that the power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe falls far short of the reforms needed to solve the country’s dire humanitarian and economic crises. This deal can only lead to Zimbabwe’s recovery if the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, actively ensures that the needed reforms are carried out.Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed Friday to join a unity government with the ruling ZANU-PF party in accordance with the stalled Global Political Agreement signed in September. That agreement is based on elections last March in which nearly 48 percent of voters chose Tsvangirai and just over 43 percent voted for President Robert Mugabe. Before the June run-off, security forces loyal to Mugabe violently disrupted the opposition campaign, killing more than 100 people and leading Tsvangirai to withdraw his candidacy two days before the vote. Friday's deal essentially divides the government between Tsvangirai, the first round winner who will become prime minister, and the loser Mugabe, who retains the presidency.

"This new agreement does not reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people and is unlikely to produce a viable political solution unless the behavior of ZANU-PF changes dramatically," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House executive director. "As guarantor of the agreement, SADC must insist that the agreement pave the way to genuine reforms.”The political deadlock has come at a high price for Zimbabweans. Cholera has killed more than 3,000 people and infected an additional 60,000. The World Food Program estimates that at least half of the country will need food aid in February and March. Record hyperinflation has rendered the country's currency nearly worthless, with the government now allowing people to use foreign currency alongside Zimbabwe's dollar.Urgent reforms are needed to avoid state failure and reverse Zimbabwe's deterioration. Freedom House urges Zimbabwe's leadership to immediately put an end to gross human rights abuses and prosecute those responsible. This includes the prompt release of all political prisoners, including civil society leader Jestina Mukoko. Priority should also be given to stabilizing the economy, repealing repressive laws and the institutions that enforce them and starting a people-driven process to write a new constitution. “Calls for lifting sanctions on Mugabe and his cronies are premature,” said Windsor. “What is holding Zimbabwe back are not the targeted sanctions from the U.S. and Europe, but rather the old guard that led Zimbabwe into crisis and that remain in place. The crisis cannot be overcome without genuine reform, and reform requires strong support from SADC under South Africa’s leadership.”

Zimbabwe is ranked Not Free in the 2008 edition of Freedom in the World, Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and Not Free in the 2008 version of Freedom of the Press.

Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Zimbabwe since 1972

Zimbabwe: MDC Calls for Mengistu to Be Extradited Back to Ethiopia

Tichaona Sibanda:5 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London)

Former Ethiopian dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam's long escape from justice seems to be coming to an end following renewed and intense calls by the MDC that his extradition to Ethiopia is 'high on the agenda' of the new unity government.As one of Africa's worst murderers, Mengistu fled Addis Ababa almost two decades ago after overseeing what has been described as one of the bloodiest terror campaigns to be inflicted on political opponents by a head of state. He killed opponents on a genocidal scale and last year, a High court in Addis Ababa sentenced him to death in absentia.He has been living in the luxury north Harare suburb of Gunhill under the protection of Robert Mugabe's regime. But, according to press reports, Mengistu's future in the capital looks less assured, especially in light of of the all inclusive government that is set to be in place by the end of next week.MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa is quoted saying the country should not be a safe haven or resting place for serial human rights violators like Mengistu, adding 'we can't shelter purveyors of injustice.'Jonathan Chawora, a former assistant commissioner with the Zimbabwe Republic Police said he fully supports Chamisa's call, saying it will deter African leaders from committing serious crimes in the future, who then hope to seek refugee status in friendly countries.

"What I don't know at the moment is, do we have an extradiction treaty between Zimbabwe and Ethiopia? The other thing that could hinder sending back this monster quickly," Chawora said. Even after Mengistu was given a death sentence for his crimes by the Ethiopian government last year, Mugabe flatly refused to extradite the man who helped to arm his ZANLA guerrillas during the country's 1970's liberation war. Mengistu is also said to have been one of Mugabe's main advisors during the 2006 Operation Murambatsvina, the governments widely condemned 'clean-up' operation that saw over 700 000 people displaced.Mengistu seized power after a military coup in 1974 that ended Emperor Haile Selassie's 44-year rule and ushered in one of the bloodiest regimes Africa has known.

In 1976 he mounted the 'Red Terror' campaign against dissent, and over a period of ten years more than half a million people were thought to have been killed in what observers called 'one of the most systematic uses of mass murder ever witnessed in Africa.' He fled to Harare in 1991 when Mugabe sent a charter plane to pick him up from Addis Ababa after guerrilla forces led by the current Ethiopian president Meles Zenawi toppled his regime.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: Islamist Leader Elected President

Ahmednor Mohamed Farah:31 January 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Djibouti — The chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia Sheik Sharif Ahmed won the Somali presidential election in neighbouring Djibouti, officials said on Saturday.Legislators applauded, and Sharif Sheik Ahmed smiled and rose his arms aloft, after winning the election around 4 a.m. local time during a run-off vote in an all-night parliament session.Parliament speaker Sheik Adan Mohamed Nor announced the results.

"Candidate Masalah Mohamed Siad got 126 votes out of 421 and Sharif Sheik Ahmed found 293, so Sharif Sheik Ahmed won the election and he is the legitimate Somali president," said Sheik Adan Mohamed Nor.Sheik Sharif, who headed the Islamic Courts Union that ruled Mogadishu and most of south Somalia in 2006 before an Ethiopian military intervention, defeated Maslah Mohamed Siad, son of late Dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, in the second round of voting got."Somalia a place where poor people who need a helping hand live, but it is not a place where the world is invaded," said the elected president Sharif Sheik Ahmed minutes after his election.

Analysts say that Sheik Sahrif Sheik Ahmed will have the best chance to unite Somalis, given his Islamist roots and acceptability to other sides. Reconciling Somalia's 10 million people and stopping 18 years of bloodshed in the Horn of Africa nation would, however,

The new Somali leader is expected to make his debut at Sunday's opening of a continental summit in Addis Ababa, the African Union headquarters .U.N. envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, hailed Saturday's vote and called for a spirit of reconciliation."I hope and I am sure that the international community will lend its cooperation to the new authorities provided they demonstrate their determination to promote a stable and tolerant Somalia," he said minutes after the election Somalia: Opposition Leader Leading the Election

Ahmednor Mohamed Farah:30 January 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Djibouti — The chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia Sheik Sharif Ahmed is leading the Somali presidential election which is underway in neighbouring Djibouti.He has 215 votes out of 420, the second is Maslah Mohamed Siad, the son of the late Somali president Mohamed Siad Barre who has 60, Nor Hassan Hussein the current prime minister has 59 votes.The selection process is being watched closely at African Union headquarters, where the new Somali leader is expected to make his debut at Sunday's opening of a continental summit.

Four hundred and twenty Somali lawmakers are voting in a secret ballot for a new, Somali president in the People's House of Djibouti, after Somali president Abdulahi Yusuf resigned last Month.The UN top envoy to Somalia Ahmadou Ould Abdalla addressed to the parliamentarians before the voting began and urged the candidates to accept the victory.

Representatives from the International Community are attending in the election ceremony.

10. PEACEKEEPING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SECURITY MATTERS

West Africa

Nigeria: Daukoru's Wife Regains Freedom

Emma Gbemudu: 7 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos)

Yenagoa — Wife of the former Petroleum Resources Minister, Gladys Iniette-Daukoru, regained her freedom in the wee hours of Friday, three days after unknown gunmen kidnapped her from her shop.It is unclear if any ransom was paid to secure her release, but Gladys told security operatives she was dropped off by the armed gang along an undisclosed street in Borikiri area of Port Harcourt around 2.30am.She has since reunited with her family.

Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) Commander in Bayelsa state, Lt. Col. Nkana Efik, announced the release, but stopped short of revealing the identity of the abductors. He only said operatives are on their trail.Gladys was left off the hook on the day Edwin Clark pressured Aso Rock to withdraw soldiers from the Niger Delta, warning that military occupation would be resisted in the oil-rich region.

Clark, an Ijaw leader, insisted that only the withdrawal of JTF would bring peace to the area and warned that the Ijaw ethnic group would no longer tolerate a situation where their homes have become a military occupation.He accused the JTF of mounting roadblocks on the streets of Warri, Yenagoa and Port Harcourt, thereby causing tension across the region.The practice is not the same in other parts of the country, Clark said.He spoke in Yenagoa at a one-day summit organised by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on the economic development and security in Bayelsa State.At the event were Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva; Deputy Governor, Peremobowei Ebebi; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Uffot Ekaette; and Coach Samson Siasia; IYC former Presidents, Felix Tuodolo and Oyinfie Jonjon; and Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF) leader, Asari Dokubo.Clark lamented that the Ijaw sit on top of water, but are thirsty owing to environment degradation occasioned by oil dredging and failure of successive governments.

The Ijaw leader criticised what he termed the politicisation of the Niger Delta states, where Owerri (Imo) and Umuahia (Abia) were grouped under coastal areas by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo."Niger Delta is a geographical and not a political expression," he said.Clark threatened that the Ijaw would go to court if the Federal Government does not review the recent appointments in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).He expressed dissatisfaction at the appointment of Rilwanu Lukman as the Minister of Petroleum, 20 years after he had served in a similar capacity in the Ibrahim Babangida military administration."We must fight our case legitimately. I know the oil companies such as Shell, Chevron and other oil firms have become arrogant to the oil bearing communities, due to the support they are getting from the apex government," Clark insisted.The Ijaw leader insisted that the Ijaw would not accept the budget allocation of the Niger Delta Ministry because it was too meagre to meet the demands of the people.

He alleged that most of the kidnapping in the Niger Delta are perpetrated by people from the inland communities and appealed to the elements to give peace a chance.Ekaette said it was incontestable that Ijawland and other parts of the Niger Delta have been devastated by oil production and the people have not been properly compensated for the loss of their means of livelihood.

His words: "It is also true that many of our qualified youths are not gainfully employed, by the oil companies doing business in the Niger Delta. The government is not happy with this situation and has responded by creating the Niger Delta Ministry and appointing two sons of the Niger Delta to coordinate the development of the region and create meaningful jobs for the youths."Sylva lamented that some communities have been taken over by militant camps, thereby causing obstruction in academic activities as teachers have had to relocate from such areas.He cautioned the people against finger pointing on the problems befuddling the region, and urged instead that solution be proffered to move the region out of the socio-economic doldrums.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: Islamists Urge Holy War On AU Troops

3 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) Mogadishu — The Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab Tuesday urged its fighters and Somalis to intensify a holy war against African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Mogadishu.

Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansoor, the spokesman of al-Shabaab, held a press conference in Baidoa, the ex-seat of parliament a day after AMISOM troops were accused of killing about 40 civilians in Mogadishu."I call on the Somali people and the insurgents to attack the African Union troops, who massacred our people," said Abu Mansoor."You are not peacekeepers, you are peace destroyers and you came to our country to massacre our innocent civilians as you did yesterday. I call to the African Union troops to pull out our country immediately or they will face strong resistance," he added.Abdirahin Isse Adow, the spokesman of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) said they would not tolerate "any more brutal actions" against the civilians.According to Somali government officials, AU peacekeepers sprayed gunfire in a busy road on Monday after one of their vehicles was targeted by a roadside bomb blast.The deputy mayor of Mogadishu said at least 39 civilians were killed by AU fire while other sources put the figure about 42.Major Bahuko Baridgye, the spokesman of the AU forces, denied the allegations and said that the roadside bomb explosion had killed three civilians and wounded one of their soldiers.The AU force comprises around 3,500 Ugandan and Burundian troops.

Somalia: AU Peacekeepers Accused of Civilian Killings

2 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

African peacekeepers serving in the Somali capital Mogadishu have been accused of fatally shooting civilians by a local government official, Radio Garowe reports.Mr. Abdifatah Shaweye, Mogadishu's deputy mayor, told reporters Monday that African Union peacekeepers, known as AMISOM, opened gunfire indiscriminately after being targeted with a roadside bomb earlier during the day."I saw more than 20 dead bodies, all of them civilians who were riding on four passenger buses at the time of the explosion," Mr. Shaweye told a Mogadishu-based radio station.But AMISOM spokesman Maj. Bahoku Barigye denied the charges, saying: "None of our soldiers were hurt in the explosion, which killed three civilians. None of our soldiers opened fire."An eyewitness on Maka al Mukarama Road in Mogadishu reported seeing three dead civilians, but other witnesses reported a higher death toll."A bus carrying civilians was caught in the crossfire for sure," the witness told Radio Garowe, adding that wounded persons were transported by a new ambulance service to nearby hospitals.The roadside explosion marks the first attack in Mogadishu targeting AMISOM peacekeepers since Islamist politician Sheikh Sharif Ahmed was elected Somali president over the weekend.Islamist hardliners, namely Al Shabaab and the Eritrea-based ARS faction, have refused to recognize Sheikh Sharif's presidency, labeling him a puppet of the West.Mogadishu has been relatively quiet in recent days, with local reporting a break from the daily shootings and explosions that were normal when Ethiopian troops were present.

Somalia: Armed Groups Attack AU Peacekeepers 8 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Mogadishu — Armed groups have attacked AU peace keepers and government soldiers in Mogadishu early on Sunday, witnesses told Radio Shabelle.Locals say armed groups attacked Jalle Siad Academy, a base of Burundian forces and Digfer Hospital, where Somalia government soldiers are based.No group has claimed the responsibility of the attacks yet, but Islamist insurgents have vowed fighting against AU peace keepers and government soldiers.Mortars were fired to the presidential palace yesterday, but presidential spokesman Abdullahi Khadar said the president ordered the security forces and AU peacekeepers not to return fire.The sound of heavy gunfire could be heard around Mogadishu and its suburbs.

Uganda: Army Brands Karamoja Cattle

Daniel Edyegu:8 February 2009:NEW VISION

Kampala — THE UPDF has branded over 10,000 cattle in Nakapiripirit district since starting the exercise in Karamoja region in January.The 407 brigade commander, Lt. Col. Michael Ondoga, explained that the exercise is intended to curb cattle rustling and theft among the ethnic tribes in the region and the Pokot in Kenya.

"The hot-iron brands bear letters and codes indicating the country of origin, the district code and a letter at the end of the tribe where the animal belongs. This eases our work in tracing the animal even if it is sold across the border," Ondoga said.He said in Loro sub- county where the exercise began, 10,478 cattle were branded and the work would continue in Amudat and Karita sub-counties before it rolls out to Chekwi county."We are currently targeting only animals in the 14 UPDF protected kraals in the district. Those in the unprotected kraals will be handled thereafter. Each animal that is branded is also vaccinated and dewormed," Ondoga said.The 3rd Division spokesman, Lt. Caesar Olweny, said about 50,000 cattle have been branded in Karamoja.

Central Africa

Rwanda: Government to Hand Over General Nkunda

Martin Tindiwensi:8 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — The Rwandan government has agreed to hand over the former head of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) General Laurent Nkunda to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).This was one of the resolutions of a meeting of both countries which took place Friday at Serena Kivu Sun Hotel in Gisenyi.

Nkunda was arrested last month by Rwandan authorities. Although the actual date for handing over Nkunda was not set, Rwandan foreign Minister Rosemary Museminari told reporters that a technical team will be set up to discus modalities of the transfer."You all know that Nkunda is Congolese, he will have by all means to go back to his country, when and how he will be delivered to the Kinshasa authorities will be determined by the committee which will be set up soon by both parties to discuss the issue" she explained.

Asked if the DRC government will not persecute General Nkunda for his rebellious action in North Kivu region since 2004, DRC foreign affairs minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said Nkunda will not be mistreated unless if he is victimized by law," he promised.During the two days meeting, a report of the current DRC- Rwanda military joint operation was presented to both Foreign Affairs Ministers."According to the report presented to us, a lot has been achieved by the joint operation, many of FDLR bases were destroyed, some of the rebels were arrested, others killed and many have already returned back to Rwanda together with their families" Museminari told reporters after the two-day closed meeting.A joint communiqué signed at the end of the meeting welcomed the role of the UN peacekeeping force known by its French acronym MONUC.

"The meeting was briefed by the MONUC Force Commander, who was satisfied by the disciplined nature of the joint operations and carried out in total conformity with international humanitarian law. The meeting took note of the role of MONUC in supporting the humanitarian activities in North Kivu and the provision of logistical support to the joint operations," the communiqué reads."The two delegations agreed on voluntary and forced disarmament and repatriation of ex-FAR/Interahamwe as opposed to relocation within the DRC," it continues.

Strengthening of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) was also one of the resolutions and DRC agreed to fully participate in its activities as well as sending its representatives to the organisation whose headquarters are in Gisenyi town.The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been reluctant to send its three representatives to the Secretariat of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) like the other member countries Burundi and Rwanda, neither has it submitted its annual contributions to the organization for over two years.It was also agreed in the meeting that Embassies reopen before the end of March in both capitals in order to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.Also in attendance was the Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Amb. Liberata Mulamula.

Rwanda: 500 Former FDLR Hostages, Families Arrive From DRC

Eugene Kwibuka:3 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — Over 500 Rwandans who have been living behind FDLR rebels' lines have been rescued and returned home since last week as the joint military operation by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intensifies.The operation that was launched towards the end of last month is aimed at routing the rebels grouped under what they call the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).According to government officials the people who returned were both family members and others formerly held hostage by the rebels and had all been living in the Congolese jungles.

The Chairman of the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), Jean Sayinzoga, told The New Times yesterday that those arriving in Rwanda since last week are wives and children of FDLR rebels or just former captives."Some are coming back home because they are scared of being caught in the crossfire of the ongoing operation while others are happy that they are no longer under Interahamwe's captivity," he said in a telephone interview.Sayinzoga added that more Rwandans were arriving in the country through the Bukavu-Rusizi border in South-Western Rwanda while others had arrived through Goma-Rubavu in the North-West.

"Most of them are women and children and they said that they are afraid of the war," he revealed.The Rwandan government treats the refugees differently depending on whether they are ex-combatants or civilians.Those who were identified as ex-combatants are kept in Mutobo rehabilitation camp, in Musanze District, for education or demobilization process while the civilians are directly sent to their homes after transiting in the camps of Nkamira and Nyagatare in Rubavu and Rusizi districts respectively."We provide for what can sustain them for two months when they rejoin their homes. We find plots for those who don't have any property," said Minister Protais Musoni whose ministry is partly charged with social welfare.The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Refugees which is under the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), Innocent Ngango, said that 141 Rwandans arrived in Nyagatare camp in Rusizi District yesterday after crossing from the DRC."They are generally hungry and destitute but we have an emergency plan to help them," Innocent Ngango said. He revealed that government had already sent 264 other civilians to their homes after they had crossed to Rwanda last week.The operation to flush FDLR out of DRC was a result of a series of meetings between officials from both countries following frustration by DRC authorities over atrocities the rebels have committed for the last 15 years.

11. MILITANCY ,REBELS,TERRORISM AND THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’

West Africa

Nigeria: JTF Kills 3 Militants, 2 Shell Staff Injured

Omon-Julius Onabu:8 February 2009:THIS DAY

Warri — The Joint Task Force (JTF), a military outfit in the Niger Delta, said yesterday it killed three militants during an operation to repel attack on the Utorogun Gas Plant in Delta State, which is operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).Two staff of the SPDC were however injured by the militants and have been hospitalised in Warri, Delta State, according to JTF spokesman, Colonel Rabe Abubakar.Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for the initial attack which led to the JTF's counter attack at about 4 am. MEND also warned of more attacks.The latest attack followed last week's decision by MEND to call off its five- month long ceasefire. It said the poor in the Niger Delta are yet to benefit from the region's huge oil resources despite promises by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.The SPDC's Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Precious Okolobo, also confirmed the attack on the facility run by Europe's second-largest oil company but did not disclose if the attack affected the company's production.Nigeria, Africa's biggest producer of crude oil, has suffered production cuts and huge revenue loss since the start of armed resistance in the region about four years ago. The country produced an average 2.13 million barrels per day in 2007 and was listed as 13th biggest oil producer in the world.

Escalation of attacks on oil facilities has led to closure of about a-fifth of the region's crude oil production over the past three years, pushing production down to around 1.8 million barrels per day.SPDC announced last year that it had implemented a force majeure on its oil shipments due to rise in attacks on its terminals.The force majeure (declaration of uncontrollable events) means that the company will not be responsible for failure to fulfill contractual obligations to its clients from its Niger Delta facilities.Reacting to the situation, Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Oma Djebah, played down the seriousness of the attack."The peace and security programme of the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is fully on track such that the prevailing peace and sustainable atmosphere of security is as a result of the innovative and practical peace-building strategy put in place by the administration, " he said."So, what happened today (yesterday) is just an isolated case, which does not in any way affect the prevailing peace and security in the state. The incident was effectively dealt with and we believe that like every human society, there are one or two isolated cases of criminality."

Southern Africa

Madagascar: Ban Urges Restraint As Protests Turn Deadly

8 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged all parties in Madagascar to resolve their differences peacefully, while condemning the violence that erupted in the island nation's capital yesterday reportedly killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens."He deplores the violence and lack of restraint on all sides that led to this tragedy," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a statement."The Secretary-General calls upon all concerned parties to resolve their differences through peaceful and democratic means and through the exercise of responsible leadership," the statement added.Prior to Saturday's events, at least 68 people died in riots that erupted a week ago amid a dispute between the country's President, Marc Ravalomanana, and Andry Rajoelina, the Mayor of its capital and largest city, Anatananarivo.

In the wake of the crisis, Mr. Ban dispatched senior United Nations political aide Haile Menkerios to assess the situation in the country and explore what the world body could do to help avert further violence and contribute towards peace and stability.Mr. Menkerios is scheduled to meet with Government officials and others concerned during his 7 to 10 February visit.Mr. Ban urged the Malagasy authorities to urgently initiate a fair process by which those responsible for the violence will be brought to justice."The Secretary-General stands ready to provide all the necessary support for the rapid and peaceful resolution of this crisis," according to today's statement.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: Islamic Party Insurgents Declare War On New Govt

7 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

The newly appointed chairman of the Islamic Party, Dr. Omar Iman, has declared war on Somalia's new 'unity government' led by Islamist politician Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Radio Garowe reports."The jihad is not over until we confirm that the country [Somalia] is liberated from enemy forces and their collaborators," said Dr. Iman, a high-ranking member of the Eritrea-based Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS).

He compared President Sheikh Sharif's new government to that of ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf, who resigned in December under international pressure for refusing to negotiate with the Islamist-led opposition."Sheikh Sharif has joined the government (TFG) that brought Ethiopian troops [to Somalia] and he adopted their [TFG] constitution and we oppose this," Dr. Iman added.The Islamic Party was formed last week after four insurgent groups - ARS-Eritrea, Jabhatul Islamiya, Mu'askar Ras Kamboni and Anole - joined forces to battle against President Sheikh Sharif and the anticipated 'unity government' he will build.This group, and others like Al Shabaab, have rejected the UN-backed Djibouti peace process that began in June 2008 and resulted with Sheikh Sharif being elected Somali president late last month.On Saturday, President Sheikh Sharif landed in the capital Mogadishu for the first time since being elected. His new residence, the Villa Somalia presidential compound, came under mortar attack later today.Somalia has been mired in endless conflict since the early 1990s. The Horn of Africa country is facing one of the worst security and humanitarian crises in the world.

Somalia: Mortars Welcome New President to Mogadishu

7 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

In a disturbing sign of things to come, the home of Somalia's new president was targeted with mortars Saturday, Radio Garowe reports.There were no reports of casualties after several mortars targeted the Villa Somalia compound in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. Locals said no retaliatory fire came from Villa Somalia, which was often the case when ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf lived there.Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the new president of the country's 'unity government,' had arrived at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu hours earlier, where he was welcomed by cheering supporters and African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM).The Somali president's 19-member delegation flew in from Djibouti, a neighboring country that hosted the months-long peace process that heralded a new era for Somalia by electing an Islamist politician as president.President Sheikh Sharif said he came to Mogadishu to hold consultative talks with supporters and called for open talks with Islamist factions who oppose his presidency.Security in Mogadishu was extra tight, especially along the Maka al Mukarama Road where joint security forces composed of AMISOM peacekeepers, TFG soldiers and ICU fighters stood guard as the new president was ushered to the Villa Somalia presidential compound.

Prominent ICU officials, including Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar and group spokesman Sheikh Abdirahim Isse Addow, held private discussions with President Sheikh Sharif at Villa Somalia, sources said.Somalia's new president is expected to appoint a Prime Minister in the coming days, with some reports saying Prof. Ali Khalif Galayr is a leading candidate for PM.Some ICU hardliners, like Al Shabaab and the Eritrea-based ICU faction, have condemned Sheikh Sharif's government as a puppet of Ethiopia and the West and vowed to continue the anti-government war.

Somalia: Islamists Seize Baidoa for the First Time

26 January 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

A notorious Islamist faction has violently captured an important government town in southern Somalia for the first time since the rise of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in 2006, Radio Garowe reports.Witnesses said a group of rag-tag clan militias attempted to stop the Al Shabaab advance on Baidoa, a southwestern town that serves as the country's seat of parliament.A brief gunfight forced the clan militias to flee, allowing Al Shabaab to immediately seize control of government centers, like the parliament hall, the police station and a small airstrip in the outskirts of town.It is the first time Islamist militia have captured Baidoa, one of the government's few strongholds. Al Shabaab fighters now control of the Jubba regions, including Kismayo, Lower Shabelle region and its vital port facilities, and now Baidoa and its environs.Ethiopian troops withdrew from Baidoa a day earlier, ending a two-year intervention in Somalia that has sparked an Islamist-led rebellion. READ: Parliament to elect next leader as Ethiopia finalizes pullout

Unconfirmed reports said Al Shabaab fighters captured a number of lawmakers, including ex-Baidoa warlord Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade.Al Shabaab, a breakaway ICU faction, has refused to engage in peace talks that has included other ICU factions in an attempt to form a government of national unity for Somalia.The UN-brokered talks are currently underway in the neighboring Republic of Djibouti, where ICU executive head Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is a leading contender to win the Somali presidency.

Somalia: Ukraine Weapons Ship Freed, Pirate Kingpin Killed

5 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) Somali pirates who seized a Ukrainian vessel with controversial cargo in September have released the ship after cashing in a ransom payment, three days after a pirate kingpin was killed in Puntland, Radio Garowe reports.The MV Faina was being held hostage off the coast of central Somalia for more than four months, making it the longest period of time a ship has been held hostage by the pirates.A source close the ship's owners said a US$3.2 million ransom payment was given to the pirates, who had previously demanded a whopping US$25 million ransom payment when they first seized the ship.A pirate source in the coastal town of Harardhere, central Somalia, told Radio Garowe that most armed men have gotten off the MV Faina and that the remaining few pirates would get off later Wednesday.

The MV Faina's cargo, which includes 33 Soviet-era tanks, has been the source of diplomatic and media speculation after Kenyan authorities announced that the ship was destined for the Kenyan port of Mombassa.But other reports said the ship was ultimately destined for South Sudan, a semi-independent territory preparing for independence from Khartoum.

Pirate killed

One of the most notorious pirates in Somalia was killed Monday in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, a self-governing region in northeastern Somalia.Bi'ir Abdi, described as a pirate master, was killed alongside a fellow pirate named Khame Mohamud Arale after two gunmen opened fire on their vehicle, officials said.Garowe police commander Ahmed Dheere told Radio Garowe that the suspected killers were apprehended moments after the fatal shooting.Abdulkadir Osman "Food-Adde," Garowe's city mayor, congratulated the local police force for capturing the killers, who are being kept under police protection to prevent possible retaliation.Some reports said the group of pirates disagreed over financial shares, forcing one group to prepare a sneak attack on the other.Pirate gangs have turned against each other several times in recent months, but this marks the first time a well-known pirate was killed.Inside sources said the late Bi'ir was involved in numerous ship hijackings ever since pirate attacks surged in 2007.Puntland's new president, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," has pledged that his government's top priorities include improving security and fighting piracy.

Central Africa

Congo-Kinshasa: Nkunda's 'Arrest' and Rwanda's Response to International Pressure:Friends of the Congo:6 February 2009 :press release:PAMBAZUKA

With events in the central African region unfolding at a dizzying pace over the last week, Friends of Congo (FOTC) responds to questions posed to them in the aim of enhancing readers' understanding of developments on the ground. Casting doubt on the nature of Laurent Nkunda's reported arrest and highlighting the persistently extra-parliamentary and undemocratic nature of negotiations between Joseph Kabila and Paul Kagame around Rwandan troops entering the DR Congo, Friends of Congo discuss some of the limitations around recent efforts to achieve greater stability in the troubled eastern region of the country.

Is Laurent Nkunda's arrest a positive development?

We have reasons to doubt that Laurent Nkunda has been arrested. Rwandan Maj. Jill Rutaremara said that Nkunda was in Rwanda but 'not in jail'. If Nkunda has in fact been arrested it would be a positive development but not a massive change as some analysts would like you to believe. A true marker of the veracity of Rwanda's claims of arresting Nkunda will be the extradition of Nkunda to the Congo where he committed the crimes against the Congolese people. If Nkunda is not extradited to Congo in short order then that will be a clear sign that this is part of the shell game that Rwanda has been playing for the past 12 years, a period during which they replaced one proxy leader with another while they continued to occupy eastern Congo. Even if Nkunda were to be arrested, it would be a fundamental flaw in one's reasoning to believe that Nkunda was the primary cause of the conflict in the east. In essence, what has happened is that Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence of the People has been replaced by thousands of Rwandan troops. The problem is Rwanda's and Uganda's aggression against the Congo [has been] backed primarily by the United States and British governments and corporate interests since 1996.

If Rwanda did in fact arrest Nkunda, doesn't this mean that they never supported him as the 12 December UN report documented?

No, to the contrary, over the past 12 years Rwanda has shuffled different rebel leaders according to its interests. It is in part for this reason there were so many versions of the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD, former rebel militia backed by Rwanda), which Nkunda was a part of in 1998-2002 war. Nkunda's apparent replacement, Jean-Bosco Ntaganda, also has an arrest warrant out for him issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC); one human rights offender has been replaced by another as Ntaganda now proclaims to head the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP).

A systemic and historical analysis is warranted in order to demystify current events in the Congo and arrive at prescriptions that will lead to lasting peace and stability. Unfortunately, the majority of Great Lakes analysts offer Rwanda-friendly analysis and prescriptions as Rwanda represents US and British foreign policy interests in central Africa. The job of these analysts is to provide intellectual and advocacy cover for the otherwise disastrous policy currently pushed by both the US and British administrations, a policy that has led to the deaths of millions of Congolese and the systematic looting of Congo's wealth to the benefit of US allies Rwanda and Uganda, as well as Western corporations.Isn't the new collaboration between Congo and Rwanda a good sign on the road to peace and stability in the region?On 5 December 2008, Rwanda and Congo signed a secret pact in Goma that the Congolese people know nothing about (President Kabila is scheduled to speak to his nation on this issue on 31 January 2009). James Kabarebe, chief of general staff of the Rwandan defence forces and former private secretary and aide-de-camp of Rwanda's president Paul Kagame, was later dispatched to Kinshasa to seal a deal with President Kabila. Thus, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, James Kabarebe, and President Kabila worked out a deal that resulted in over 5,000 Rwandan soldiers entering Congo. These are the same characters that collaborated in 1996 when Congo was first invaded by Rwanda during the Clinton administration. During that period they traversed the Congo slaughtering Hutu men, women and children and anyone else who was in the way. The United Nations says that the killings were so massive and systematic that they can be considered crimes against humanity and possibly genocide. The UN investigation into these crimes against humanity by the Rwandan army, Kabarebe and Kabila was blocked and still remains unresolved (see the UN investigations). Once a responsible and credible government is in place in Congo, all these crimes must be investigated and justice must be delivered so that the Congolese people can be made whole. Find out more about the Kagame-Kabarebe-Kabila connection, see our 20 January blog. In the final analysis, more troops and further militarisation of the region is not the answer. A robust political path must be established in order to lead to peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.So are you saying that President Kabila allowing Rwandan troops on Congolese soil to hunt down those responsible for the 1994 genocide is not a good thing?

The logic that allowing Rwandan soldiers on Congolese territory to hunt down Hutu rebels will bring about peace is fundamentally flawed. Below are some factors to consider:

1. The deal allowing Rwandan soldiers on Congolese soil was not between the Congolese government and the Rwandan government. It was between the Congolese president Joseph Kabila, whom many suspect is not even Congolese and the Kagame regime in Kigali. Neither the Congolese parliament nor the Congolese people were either consulted or addressed regarding Rwandan troops entering Congolese territory. In fact some Congolese are calling for the impeachment of Kabila. When it comes to matters in Africa, we tend to drop all critical faculties and common sense. Can you imagine troops entering US territory without the US Congress knowing about it and the president not even addressing the population to explain why? What is even more farcical is that some Congolese government officials are trying to convince the world that thousands of Rwandan soldiers are coming into the Congo as advisers to the Congolese troops. It has even been stated that the Rwandan troops will be under Congolese command. Will they be under the same compromised command that Nkunda chased out of North Kivu?

2. It is beyond imagination that Rwanda is going to do in a few weeks what it was not able to do or interested in doing when it occupied the Congo from 1996-2002. During this period of the occupation of eastern Congo they did not wipe out the so-called Hutu militia. In fact, the biggest battle they had was with their ally Uganda over mining concessions. Also, during this time they systematically looted Congo of its wealth. (See UN Reports from 2001 to 2003). It is this looting of Congo's wealth that spurred the economic miracle that President Clinton and other Western officials wax eloquently about in Rwanda. You will notice that they never mention the degree to which ill-gotten wealth from the Congo contributed to Rwanda's 'economic miracle'. Former Secretary of State for African Affairs Herman Cohen says it best when he notes 'Having controlled the Kivu provinces for 12 years, Rwanda will not relinquish access to resources that constitute a significant percentage of its gross national product'.

3. What is almost certain is that Rwandan troops on Congolese soil will lead to more suffering of the people of the Congo. Analysts in the West have not fully appreciated the enmity that the average Congolese holds toward Rwanda. Remember, it was the US- and British-backed Rwandan and Ugandan invasions of 1996 and 1998 that unleashed the deaths of estimated millions of Congolese. So, for one to say that Rwandan soldiers are now going to make things better for the people of the Congo does not take history into account. One merely has to look at the Congo-Ugandan action against Ugandan rebels inside Congolese territory to see where this latest action is heading. Over 600 Congolese civilians lost their lives as a result of military action against the Lord's Resistance Army in Congo, which began over a month ago. Moreover, that operation was supposed to take a few weeks and now Uganda is requesting more time on Congo's soil, while Congo's gold and timber continue to find its way into Uganda.

What role are the great powers playing in what is unfolding in the Congo?

It is key to understand how the game is played to keep Africa dependent and impoverished. Because the West is more powerful than the divided and weak African nations, they have been able to assassinate or systematically sideline leaders who truly serve the interests of the people. They facilitate the ascension to power of those who demonstrate a proclivity for killing their fellow Africans. Once these feckless leaders are in power and predictably incapable of governing, Western diplomats condescendingly intervene on the premise that those they have assisted in acquiring power either through elections or otherwise cannot in fact justly govern. This narrative is buttressed by superficial media coverage of African society, intellectuals for hire by Western powers and the humanitarian industry. It is in this context that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Herman Cohen have proposed the balkanisation and economic neutering of the Congo. They have made proposals to reward Rwanda and their Western support structure for the systematic looting of the Congo, which has resulted in unmatched death and terror for the Congolese people. Nearly 125 years since Europe gave Congo to King Leopold II of Belgium as his own personal property, the situation is fundamentally the same whereby the affairs of the Congolese people are not determined by themselves, but rather by external forces.

So what can be positively drawn from recent events?

Several things can be looked at positively:

1. It is clear that international pressure works. It has moved Rwanda to at least announce the arrest of Nkunda. As was said, the litmus test for whether Nkunda has actually been arrested is his extradition to Kinshasa, otherwise for all intents and purposes he is vacationing in Rwanda at the behest of Kagame while Rwandan troops roam the hillsides of the eastern Congo with the blessing of Joseph Kabila. The US is finding it increasingly difficult to defend its proxy, Rwanda, as both French and Spanish courts (the same Spanish court that ruled against Pinochet of Chile) have arrest warrants out on President Kagame's top officials for commission of war crimes, one of whom, Rose Kabuye, was arrested in Germany in November 2008. Despite such repeated damning evidence against the Kagame regime, under the auspices of Donald Rumsfeld's AFRICOM programme, the US sent a shipment of military equipment to Rwanda for peacekeeping purposes in western Sudan in early January 2009, coinciding with Rwandan troops' intervention in Congo. The military shipment is supposed to be used for peacekeeping in western Sudan. Both Sweden and the Netherlands suspended aid to Rwanda and of course the damning 12 December UN report has made it difficult for anyone to defend Rwanda except for some ideologically-driven humanitarian institutions. Even The New York Times editorial board continues to call for international pressure on Rwanda.

2. Kagame felt it necessart to adjust to the new realities in Washington. He could not necessarily count on President Obama to give him the same carte blanche he received from Presidents Clinton and Bush. Rwanda is certainly still a staunch ally of the US. However, Kagame cannot be certain that President Obama will fully support him in spite of some of the old guards (Susan Rice at the UN and Hillary Clinton as secretary of state) being in the administration. The Obama administration can hardly present itself as an administration of change with an old policy for the Great Lakes in particular and Africa in general. The new administration would be best served to implement policies that serve the people and not strongmen like Kagame and Kabila.

3. The US- and British-backed resource war of aggression is being disrobed on a daily basis. The hunt for the Hutu rebels is an attempt to recast the conflict in an ethnic context. The Hutu rebels, otherwise know as the Interahamwe or Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR in French) need to be dealt with, but not in the manner currently underway. Remember, it has been the Congolese people who have been the primary victims of the presence of the Hutu rebels in the Congo. Nonetheless, what is happening in Central Africa is a high stakes geopolitical battle for precious and strategic resources that are vital to the world's military, aeronautics, electronics and technology industries. This interview with British Foreign Minister David Miliband provides some insight and perspective on corporate interests in Central Africa.

4. The average person is becoming better informed and more engaged about the root causes of the deadliest conflict in the world since the Second World War. They are better equipped to demand action from their elected officials and challenge humanitarian institutions that come to their communities peddling warmed-over ethnic explanations for the suffering of the people of Congo.

We are confident that with persistent education, organisation and mobilisation, the people of the Congo will be free from the forces that have her sons and daughters living in absolute misery while we in the West benefit from her riches.

Join the global movement in support of the people of the Congo and strike a blow for justice and human dignity. * Based in Washington, D.C., the Friends of Congo (FOTC) was established in 2004 to work towards bringing about peaceful and lasting change in the DR Congo.

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

12. NORTH AFRICA

Eritrea: President Isaias Holds Talks With Visiting Libyan Leader in Massawa:7 February 2009: Shabait.com (Asmara)

Massawa — President Isaias Afwerki received and held talks yesterday in Massawa city with Brother Muammar Al-Khadafi, Libyan leader and current Chairman of the African Union.In the meeting at Gurgusum, the two leaders conducted discussion on bilateral relations and its development, as well as regional and international issues.During his stay, the Libyan President would conduct visit to different parts of the Northern Red Sea region. The high-level Libyan delegation headed by Brother Muammar Al-Khadafi arrived last night in Massawa on a working visit. On arrival at the port city, the Libyan leader was accorded warm welcome by President Isaias and government officials. The Libyan leader is conducting a working visit in Eritrea for the second time.

Meanwhile, Brother Muammar Al-Khadafi, accompanied by President Isaias, conducted a visit in different zones of Massawa in the morning hours today. In the course of the visit, he was accorded warm welcome by thousands of city residents, including religious leaders, village elders, mothers and students. Both leaders responded with hand shake.

The Foibles of Muammar Gaddaffi:4 February 2009: Editorial: Mmegi

Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi is a determined man.Unlike the disgraced former US president George W Bush, Gaddafi appears to have stayed the course.

After his quest to be the man in the Arab world was frustrated, he turned his attention to Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve his ambitions as a grandiloquent puppet-master.The past few months have undoubtedly brought Gaddafi closer than ever to his cherished dream of being United States of Africa's first president. Last August, Gaddafi pulled a coup against fellow African political leaders when he managed to convene and sponsor a gathering of more than 200 African kings and traditional leaders in Benghazi. The obviously cash- flush kings thanked the Libyan leader by crowning him Africa's King of Kings. Interestingly, His Royal Highness Gaddafi attended last week's AU summit in Ethiopia in that capacity.Having managed to become the top bull of African kings, Gaddafi had his sights set on the continental body, the African Union. He forced his proposal on the AU agenda for the establishment of a single government, the United States of Africa.

This would comprise a single military force, a single currency and a single passport. At some point, he came closer to getting an all-Africa parliament to be established at his desert city of Sirte, his birth-place. In fact, His Royal Highness has for years resolutely pursued this route with passion. His single-mindedness has seen him extracting significant concessions from his presidential colleagues over the years. He is solely credited with changing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the current AU, at Lome (Togo) summit in 2000.This time around, in addition to getting leaders of the 53- nation AU to elect him chairman, the AU Commission was transformed into an AU Authority with attendant broader mandate. It is amazing how the colonel manages to get things moving in Africa!However, the massive petro-dollar at his personal disposal has allegedly played a big role in persuading greedy African leaders to dance along with him. The Libyan leader is known to have often paid-off indebted African states' subscriptions and arrears to the AU. Gaddafi has perfected the time-tested principles of carrot-and-stick approach to his dealings with fellow African leaders.His cheque-book diplomacy has won him crucial support in important African capitals despite clear evidence that a few nuts might be loose in his head. As one of the world's longest serving heads of state, Gadaffi is an old hand in international diplomacy and this perhaps allows him to mesmerise and bamboozle younger leaders with his money, power and influence. He is power-hungry, if not power-drunk, and his desire to rule Africa as the supreme lord master has never been in doubt.

That is why it is an indictment on African diplomacy that he has always been given a hearing at AU forums despite his wayward ideas and eccentric behaviour bordering on the crazy.

Tunisia: Country to Celebrate Chinese New Year in Style

27 January 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — On February 9, 2009, the El Menzah VI cultural and sports centre in Tunis, is organizing in partnership with the Embassy of China in Tunis a cultural program to celebrate the Chinese New Year, known this year as the year of the ox.The celebration which is line with the recent celebration of the 45 th anniversary of the setting up of diplomatic relations between both countries, will witness the participation of Chinese volunteers living in Tunis, as well as students from the Tunis Higher Language Institute, studying Chinese.

Following the lunar calendar, the year of the ox is a symbol of China's hard working character and vigorous development.For this portentous event, which is also celebrated throughout the world, the organizers have set up a rich program which includes music, dancing, martial arts, a fashion show and food sampling.The event's pinnacle will undoubtedly be the fashion show which will showcase the beauty of traditional Chinese dressing among the country's 56 ethnic groups and minorities. A reading of Chinese poetry is also planned.To top it all, guests will be invited to a sampling of the 'Yuanxiao', a delicatessen consisting of small rice balls traditionally served on the 15 th day of the first lunar month which is fittingly planned for February 9.

Tunisia: New Incentives for Using Solar Energy in Households and Farms 2 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — The Ministry of industry, energy, and small and medium enterprises is preparing a revision of the legislation relative to incentives given to owners of households who use solar energy, said Mr Abdelaziz Rassaa, the Secretary of State in charge of renewable energies and food industries, in Tunis, on Sunday.

He said that the new amendment will grant bonuses worth 30% of the investment cost of solar heaters (with a ceiling of 15,000 dinars) to household owners and of up to 40% of bonuses will be available to farm owners(at a maximum investment cost of 20,000 dinars).The announcement was made at the opening of a seminar organized by the El Manar Rotary club at the Tunis Planetarium. The seminar which discussed the feasibility of a pilot project dubbed "Soleil de Nefta" (Sunny Nefta), aims at generalizing the use of solar energy in the 25,000- inhabitant southern town, as well as using solar power for the pumping of water for its 500,000 tree palm grove.Mr Rassaa reminded participants that Tunisia has doubled its solar energy capacity in 2008; noting that the country's solar energy capacity increased from 8,000 square meters of solar panels in 2004 to 80,000 square meters in 2008.The aim of the next four year plan is to reach global energy savings of 2 million tons of petrol equivalent in 2011 and to boost the use of renewable energies from 12% in 2007 to 16% in 2020, he added.Tunisia invests 1,2% of its GNP in environmental programs

Tunisia: African Union Summit - Country Calls for Promoting Inter-African Partnership

2 February 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — In an address read in his name by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the 12 th ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa on Monday, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali called for "promoting inter-African partnership by creating common projects".He also said that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is likely to help the continent implement development projects.

"The challenges confronting us in achieving our objectives are not, in fact, insurmountable as long as we are equipped will political will, sincere determination and have a strong confidence in our peoples' capacity, and their ability to meet these challenges", said President Ben Ali, calling for increased investment in Africa.President Ben Ali also stressed the importance of carrying out what had been agreed upon , especially "the adoption of the integrated plan of action concerning land, air and sea transport, and the Sirte Summit decision calling for the inclusion of transport indicators within the Millennium Development Goals" and the establishment of an African Energy Commission.

He also said that Africa was called upon to join efforts to "limit the adverse effects of the crisis which has started to affect our economies."Based on the success of Tunisia's initiative to organize a National Youth Pact in 2008, President Ben Ali said that Tunisia has called for "proclaiming 2010 as an International Youth Year during which a comprehensive dialogue will be held, under the auspices of the United Nations".

He expressed the hope that "the African Union, as well as sisterly and friendly countries will support the initiative which falls in line with the guidelines, we have set in the African Youth Pact."President Ben Ali also reaffirmed Tunisia's position calling for settling the Palestinian problem through "a fair, lasting and comprehensive solution that enables the Palestinian people to recover their legitimate rights to self determination and the establishment of an independent state on their homeland."

Ghana: Libya Government to Help Boost Agriculture in the North

2 February 2009: DAILY MALL (ACCRA)

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), in collaboration with the Libyan Government, is providing free tractor services to farmers in the Northern Region to help boost agricultural production.The project was initiated by President Muamar Gaddafi of Libya, in fulfilment of a promise he made in Cotonou, Benin in July last year that he would help ensure food security in Africa.

Mr. Adel Alkish, Project Coordinator of the "Green Programme", who briefed the press in Tamale on Wednesday about the initiative, said the programme was to be replicated in all African countries.He said "This is to lessen the dependency of Africa on the developed countries for food and also to reduce the continent's food importation".Mr. Adel Alkish said the Libyan government had provided 10 tractors for the project, which had already commenced with ploughing services at Golinga in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of the Northern Region and expected to cover the whole country.He explained that the Northern Regional Agriculture Directorate was responsible for the selection of beneficiaries adding that the cost of fuel and maintenance of the tractors would be borne by the Libyan government.Mr. Alkish said that more tractors were expected into the country to augment the existing ones.The Regional Representative of the programme, Mr. Ahmed Dawud said a committee was formed to ensure that more farmers benefited from the assistance and urged farmers to register with the Regional Directorate of Agriculture.

Tunisia: ICT's Contribution to GDP to Reach 13 Percent in 2011

2 February 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NES

Tunis — The ICT sector's contribution to the country's GDP, will grow from 10% in 2008 to 13%, at the end of the 11 th development plan, in 2011, said the Minister of communication technologies, Mr El Hadj Gley during a seminar on technological innovation and content production, recently organized by the Democratic Constitutional Rally in Tunis. The Minister said that Tunisia was striving to boost the sector to enable to become one of the country's most dynamic sectors with a strong employability capacity, especially insofar as university graduates are concerned.He also said that recent presidential decisions, aim at creating 10,000 ICT related jobs per year, adding that these decisions also aim at promoting Tunisia as one of the top African and Mediterranean ICT destinations.Foreign investors unanimously stress Tunisia's preferential advantages over other countries, he said all the moiré so as the country is endowed with skilled human resources, a modern infrastructure and a social political, and institutional environment favourable to investment, said Mr Gley.The Minister also remarked that telephone line and satellite specialized international connections would be reduced by 25% and that a decrease of 30% is already in use for both mobile and fixed lines telephone costs for call centres based in Tunis.

Nigeria: Egypt Solicits FG's Support for Unesco

Mohammed S. Shehu:27 January 2009: DAILY TRUST

The Arab Republic of Egypt has appealed to Nigeria to support its candidate contesting for the office of the Director-general of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).The Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Sheriff Naguib made the appeal yesterday when he visited the Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Senator Bello Jibril Gada in his office.Haguib said the appeal was necessary because of the importance of Nigeria in deciding the next person to fill the post in an election billed for this year.

He said the Egyptian candidate, Dr. Farouk Hosni, is contesting along alongside candidates from across the world. Nigeria has no candidate in the election."We are trying to see how Nigeria can provide support for Egyptian candidature for the UNESCO as the Director-General. This year, there is going to be an African occupying the position and we are soliciting the support of Nigeria at the election," he said.While pledging to continue with the sponsorship of Nigerian artists in exhibiting abroad, Haguib disclosed that Egypt is also making arrangement to partner with Nigeria in the area of education.In his response, Gada pledged his support and encouragement in any way possible.He also agreed that the two countries have lots to share in the promotion of bi-cultural relationship and promised to continue to strengthen the relationships.

Africa: Algeria, Holland, Shell in $13 Billion Gas Project Deal

Ndubuisi Ugah With Agency Reports:17 January 2009:THIS DAY

Lagos — Algeria and the Netherlands have begun discussion on a possible partnership involving Nigeria and Royal Dutch Shell in a project aimed as exporting Nigeria's gas to Europe across the Sahara.Algerian Energy and Mines Minister, Chakib Khelil said the issue was part of the issues which he discussed with Dutch Economic Affairs Minister, Maria van der Hoeven.The APS was quoted as saying that, "The Energy Minister indicated that the two parties had raised the possibility of a partnership between Sonatrach, the Nigerian hydrocarbon company NNPC and the Ango-Dutch Shell company to develop the mega-project of the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline linking Nigeria to Europe via Algeria".

The Saharan project, with capital costs estimated at $10 billion for the pipeline and $3 billion for the gathering centres, would send up to 30 billion cubic metres a year of gas to Europe via a 4,128 km (2,580 mile) pipeline from Nigeria, via Niger and Algeria, starting in 2015.It would be recalled that the NNPC is the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, while Sonatrach is Algeria's state owned oil and gas conglomerate.However, the European Union (EU) Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has welcomed the venture as being in the interests of European energy security and the environment and of Africa's development. Piebalgs has also said the EU might help finance it.The project is looking for support from European governments and gas consumers, which are concerned about falling domestic supplies and reliance on gas piped in from Russia. Russian gas monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) said last year it was holding preliminary talks with Nigeria about participating in the venture.The gas would cross the Mediterranean via a growing network of pipelines that now takes Algeria's gas to increasingly gas-dependent customers in Europe.

13. NEWS COMMENTARIES,OPINIONS AND ANALYSES

West Africa

Afrikan History Month - Why Egypt Matters

Dr. Kwame Osei: 6 February 2009: opinion: Public Agenda (Accra)

Many Ghanaians would have some time ago watched the final of the Afrikan Cup of Nations with Egypt winning the title.Many if not ALL Ghanaians would wrongly assume that the light (fair) skinned team that represented Egypt in that final are the original people of Egypt.Also many Ghanaian people would not normally associate Egypt with Afrika but with the so-called Middle East or Arab world.All of the above assumptions are WRONG, as the original people of Egypt are and still are dark in complexion like the average Ghanaian and secondly that Egypt has always been on the continent of Afrika and nowhere else.The main reason why many Ghanaians cannot associate Egypt with Afrika is that there has been a deliberate and systematic attempt by European and Arab historians to falsify the true history of Egypt by implying that Afrikan people did not have the intellectual ability or the intellectual capacity to cultivate the classic high culture or civilization that was Egypt.

Furthermore European and Arab historians claim that the people who developed that great civilization were either European people with sun-tanned skin or Arab people with brown skin. These two assertions of course are absolute rubbish!It is important at this juncture for the reader to recognize that the Arab people are not a race of people. The Arab is in FACT a mixed Afrikan whose mother was an Afrikan Ethiopian woman named Hagar.It is also important to note also that the light skinned people who now occupy and rule Egypt ARE NOT the original Egyptians just as the White people who occupy and rule the United States of America ARE NOT the original Americans.They are the descendants of imperialists who invaded Egypt and are the products of inter-marriage.

It is interesting to point out that when the Europeans and Arabs invaded Egypt starting from about 525 BC with the Assyrians, they began replacing the Afrikan names and inscriptions on the buildings, monuments and temples that were ALL built by Afrikans with European and Arab names adding to the confusion and then taking the credit for the achievement.

As we can see today, the names Egypt, Luxor, Aswan, Giza etc are all Arab and European names used in order to conceal the deception, but all these places had original Afrikan names.It is important too, to inform the readership that civilization or culture DID NOT begin in Egypt. It has been well established and documented by historians, theologians and anthropologists that civilization began way up the Nile Valley in present day Uganda.Furthermore Ethiopia is often referred to as the mother of Egypt meaning that Ethiopia predated Egypt and had a civilization and a culture at least 2000 years before Egypt.In fact the concept of Christianity began in Ethiopia and that Jesus or his REAL name Yeshua Ben Yosef was born in Ethiopia and not Bethlehem as many Ghanaians have been led to believe.

The reason why Egypt is an important and integral part of Afrikan history is that it is this classic civilization that was responsible for producing the principles of Mathematics, Religion, Physics, Chemistry, Astrology, Technology, Communication, Writing, Commerce, Architecture and many other elements we take for granted - All these were started in Egypt by Afrikan people.

Another main reason why Egypt is essential is that people have tried to take Egypt out of Afrika and that Egypt has no connection with Afrika whatsoever and have tried to place Egypt some where else.This special feature is to inform Ghanaians that the people who were responsible for the great civilization of Egypt including the building of great feats of architecture like the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, The Sphinx, the monuments, temples, libraries etc were BLACK/AFRIKAN people and that THE original people of EgyptAncient Egypt WAS a BLACK AFRIKAN civilization. The word EGYPT itself means Black. The ancient Egyptians called themselves Kam or Kam-Au meaning Black people or Black God People, (Black symbolizing Godliness) and called their country KEMET meaning the land of the Blacks.

In Afrikan culture names are very significant and have deep spiritual meaning - so if the Ancient Egyptians were not Black , why would they name themselves as Black people and their country the land of the Blacks?The word Egypt is English that was derived from the Greek word Aegyptos which means Black or burnt people and when the British invaded Kemet they named it Egypt. Europe's first historian Herodotus said "the Egyptians, Colchians and Ethiopians have thick lips and broad nose, wooly hair and they are of burnt skin" - signifying their obvious Afrikan features.Even what is referred to as the bible equates Ham (Afrikans) with Egypt. (Psalms 78.51, 105: 23-27, 106:21-22)

Therefore there is no doubt that the Egyptians who were responsible for building that great civilization and culture were Afrikan/Black people.To further buttress the point, at a symposium organized by the United Nations cultural section UNESCO in 1978 to establish the racial origins of Ancient Egypt two great Afrikan historians Cheikh Anta Diop and I. Obenga gave in-depth, measured and comprehensive presentations to demonstrate that the people of Ancient Egypt were Black Afrikans.Diop in particular gave an awesome presentation using anthropology, iconography, melanin dosage tests, osteological measurements, blood groupings, the testimony of classical writers, self- descriptive Egyptian hieroglyphs, divine epithets, Biblical eyewitnesses, linguistics and other cultural data in support of his opinion that the Ancient Egyptians were Afrikan/Black.

This symposium proved beyond all doubt that the Ancient Egyptians and their great civilization was an Afrikan/Black one.Now that it has been established that the Ancient Egyptian civilization was Afrikan, what is it about this civilization and culture that is so important and why Egypt matters.This Afrikan civilization is important in our understanding and overstanding of the world we live in today. For what is wrongly referred to as Western civilization is in actual fact stolen Afrikan civilization.

Two pointers to this - First is the classic book called Stolen Legacy written by great Afrikan scholar George G. M. James.

In it he states, through thorough investigation, that Greek civilization which Western civilization is based upon in fact plagiarized Afrikan civilization and that ALL the so- called Greek scholars like Plato, Socrates, Galen, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Pythagoras and so forth all came to Ancient Egypt and studied the principles of Mathematics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Religion, Science, Physics, the rule of law, Democracy, Commerce and the like and were taught by Afrikan scribes and sages.Second when one looks at what is regarded as the most powerful and important country in the Western world- the United States of America, it is important to recognize that the United States of America was built on an Afrikan Egyptian model.These examples explain the Afrikan Egyptian connection with the United States:

· The 'founding' fathers of the United States including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were all Freemasons who held Ancient Egypt in high regard. Freemasonry had its origins in Afrika.

· The American constitution was written in secret code language only understood by freemasons. This secret code language is a derivative of the Ancient Egyptian medu-neter or hieroglyphs. · The United States $1 bill has Afrikan Egyptian symbols on it. For example the 13 stars of King Solomon, the Eagle, the Pyramid and the eye of Heru which symbolizes the all seeing eye, the omnipotent God.

· The Capital of the United States, Washington DC is modeled after an Ancient Egyptian city and that Washington DC itself was designed by a Black man named Benjamin Banneker. Banneker was commissioned by President George Washington to design Washington DC, again symbolizing the fact that the Afrikan/Black man was THE original master builder/planner/architect/designer.

· Amongst the most famous buildings in Washington DC is the Washington monument which is in actual fact a copy of the Ancient Egyptian Tekhen/Obelisk.

· All of the buildings in Washington DC, including Capitol Hill where Barack Obama made his inaugural speech and the White House where he lives were all built by Afrikan labor signifying that fact that the Black/Afrikan man was THE first builder/mason.The above just highlights to the reader the immense influence ancient Egypt has had on the formation of the United States politically, economically and in the design and construction of some of its most famous buildings.The Ancient Egyptian influence is also evident in many countries in Europe. For example one of the most prominent images from Ancient Egypt that appears throughout Europe is that which represents the resurrection of the Afrikan, God Ausar who the Greeks called Osiris.This powerful symbol was called a Tekhen in Ancient Egypt. However it was re-named by the Greeks who called it an Obelisk. Currently there are obelisks in London, Rome, Paris, Istanbul and many other cities throughout Europe.

The very first obelisk to be erected in Europe was in Rome in 10 BC to commemorate Augustus' conquest of Egypt. A second obelisk was removed from Egypt and erected in Rome in 357 AD/CE after the establishment of Christianity.There are now a total of 13 obelisks in Rome alone. The most famous obelisk in Italy stands in the centre of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (the Piazza di San Pietro).Very few people realize that on Easter Sunday as the Pope stands on his balcony overlooking the congregation and delivers his sermon praising the resurrection of the son of God, Jesus Christ, he faces a 6,000-year-old symbol that represents the resurrection of the Afrikan Egyptian God Ausar.To buttress the contribution of the Afrikan race in general and the Ancient Egyptian civilization in particular has had on humanity a French aristocrat Count C F Volney made a profound statement in one of his books.This book was called "Ruins of Empire", a highly controversial book at the time and banned in the United States. This was written after Count Volney made numerous trips to Egypt to study the history and culture and legacy of the Ancient Egyptians.Count C F Volney stated "There a People Now Forgotten Discovered While Others Were Yet Barbarians, The elements of the Arts and Sciences. A Race Of men now rejected for their Black Skin and Woolly Hair, founded on the Study of the laws of Nature, those Civil and religious systems which still govern the universe". Ancient Egypt was a colossal and classic civilization that resulted in the Afrikan creating feats that have not been surpassed even in today's high tech world and this is why many European and Arab historians call some of these feats wonders of the world because they have not been able to conceptualize how a people who are called inferior were able to achieve such outstanding and breath taking accomplishments.

These great Afrikans were able to accomplish these great feats because they had a high degree of spirituality that enabled them to be in tune and perfect harmony with the cosmos and feed off its vibrations.Other notable achievements of the Ancient Afrikan Egyptians that have had a profound effect on the world we live in include:

1. Mathematics - this is one of the fundamental principles that conceived the structures such as the pyramids that were invented by these great Afrikans. They created more than 80 mathematic principles such as Pythagoras theorem, algebra and logarithms that are taught today in schools across the world. These principles are found in a text called the Rhind mathematical papyrus written by Ahmose in 1900 BC.

2. Calendar - The invention of the precise calendar in 10,000 BC of which the modern day Roman calendar is based on.

3. Astronomy - The zodiac and the symbols that relate to it originated out of the Kemetic/Egyptian thought processes in their deep understanding of the solar system - this is the basis for European astronomy that we see today.

4. Architecture and masonry - the structures and designs of the pyramids, sphinx and temples were conceived via a high understanding and wisdom of using mathematical, geographical, spiritual and other practices. It is the ancient Egyptian concept of architecture and masonry that is the foundation of Western construction and design.

5. Education - The ancient Egyptian system of high learning (wrongly called Egyptian mystery by European scholars) was the highest seat of learning in the world and the lodge of Waset (Luxor) was the largest University in the Ancient world with over 80,000 people studying various principles and enlightenment. So-called Greek scholars like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Herodotus, Hippocrates and so forth were all taught by Afrikans such as Imhotep and other sages and scribes in these universities

Medicine - Medicine originated in Afrika but its development was fast tracked in Ancient Egypt. The oldest medical treaty in the world is called the Edwin smith papyri. This treaty was written over 4,000 years ago and every facet of medicine is entreated in this document. From natural cures for ailments like cancer and heart disease through to the genetic code for the human body.

Imhotep, the REAL father of medicine is accredited for writing this treaty and this document is noted for its accuracy and high scientific standards. Included in this medical treaty is the medical oath which newly qualified doctors swear an allegiance to, to adhere to the standards and ethics of the medical profession.The oath is wrongly called the Hippocratic oath - in actual fact this is Imhotep's oath and all newly qualified doctor's who pronounce this oath are actually paying great homage to this Afrikan multi-genius who was also the architect of the highest order designing the first step pyramid at Sakkara and was also a Prime minister during the reign of king Zjoser in the 3rd Dynasty.The above shows you the reader that the great Afrikan civilization of Ancient Egypt has had a profound influence on modern society and shaped modern concepts in relation to medicine, science, education, architecture and so forth.This is why Egypt matters because it was this Black/Afrikan civilization that is the foundation of the world we live in today and although others want to discredit the Afrikan origin of Egypt and the Afrikan origins of civilization, this special feature clearly shows that the truth will come out and that the origins of Ancient Egypt is Afrikan, that the root of what is defined as Western civilization is Afrikan and that civilization itself began in Afrika. LONG LIVE AFRIKA!!

AU Or United States of Africa?:1 February 2009:column: THIS DAY

Paul Ohia — Whenever the president of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi starts touting his idea of a United States of Africa just like he did yesterday at African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia, this writer starts wondering what AU stands for in the first place.Despite the fact that Gaddafi is the most vocal advocate of a union government in recent times, the former leader of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah originated the idea during his fight for the independence of Ghana and some say the present European Union copied from this idea and made the best of it.The truth remains that the continent that is in dire need of a union government is Africa bearing in mind its vulnerability in the global arena.The major aim of founding the AU is to promote political and economic integration among its 53 member nations. It aims to enhance growth, eliminate poverty and bring Africa into the global economy. The AU succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002. The AU like its predecessor is fast becoming a mere talking shop.

Yes, a mere talking shop because the economies of Africa have not grown, poverty is still seen everywhere and the continent is yet to be absolved into the global economy.This is actually because, its leaders are the same people who presided over the OAU, an organisation that became known as the "dictators' club". And since these dictators are still here, the AU can also acquire the same alias.Money to fund most of the ambitious projects of the AU could be another sour point that hinders the progress of this union. The union, eager to see its activities bankrolled by member countries, has eschewed the aide request attitude. But in 2004 the commission cautioned that the body needed the kind of financial support that the US gave to post-war Europe and where this would come from is still a question begging for answer.Under a voluntary peer review mechanism scheme, AU members are expected to ensure that each other's governments adhere to democratic principles and sound economic practice. But most AU members are run by autocrats and in some countries like Nigeria, kleptocracy and government by selfish and uncouth few remains like a big setback to the wheel of progress.However, that does not mean that there are no giants strides recorded by the union.When the president of Togo, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, died on February 5, 2005, AU leaders saw the naming of his son Faure Gnassingbé the successor as a military coup and Faure was forced to hold elections.

Mauritania was forced to hold elections two years after a coup overthrew its leader on August 3, 2005.The 2007 polls was the first time the country had held elections that were generally agreed to be of an acceptable standard.Though lack of fund is an impediment, the AU has deployed 7,000 peacekeepers, many from Rwanda and Nigeria, to Darfur.A peace pact aimed at ending the Somali civil war that started as a result of the fall of the regime of Siad Barre, was signed in 2006 after many years of peace talks. However, the new administration was immediately threatened by further violence.These achievements not withstanding, observers seem to judge the progress of the union on the speed of integration and some wonder why high level of this has not been attained till now. This underscores why Gadaffi is still preaching the United States of Africa gospel as if it is one utopian goal that can be achieved in a state of eldorado.The deputy chairman of the African Union Commission, Erastus Mwencha said yesterday that the integration is important to Gadaffi and that is why it is being discussed adding that the problem is when and how it would be attained.The statement subjects this issue to the Libyan leader and makes its attainment more far away than envisaged. Better union government is important to every African and its attainment should not be differed by lack of political will.And the issue is not helped by South Africa that urges a cautious approach or rather slow move towards this unification.The European citizens are already benefiting from a union government that is being championed by more purposeful and resolute leaders and it is very appalling that such are lacking on our beloved continent. One sees nothing onerous in building institutions that are strong and evolving a charter that is practicable and then summoning up the vision to work towards what the continent needs in this century.We do not have to bring in Asians, Europeans nor Americans to come and build a better place where our children would be seen looking healthy rather than the picture we often see of cholera, HIV/AIDS or hunger stricken citizens.In the past, we blamed colonialism for our backwardness but in recent times debts have been written off and level playing ground has been created, therefore leaders and policy makers on the continent should not be proud of backwardness.Every pestilence that befalls the continent and relayed on the international media, as is usually the case, should be a challenge to the leadership capability of those who find themselves sitting on the stage called African Union. It may not make much difference if the name is something else and the nation of Africa managed by the same people.

Southern Africa

Madagascar: The New Land Grab:Glenn Ashton: 21 January 2009: opinion: The South African Civil Society Information Service (Johannesburg)

Just when colonialism was considered dead and buried, along comes neo-colonialism in its latest guise. Allied with its close relatives globalisation, free marketeering and lack of transparency, it is currently launching a new offensive on the disempowered population of this continent.Kwame Nkrumah, along with others in the post-colonial Pan Africanist movement, coined the term 'neo-colonialism' to describe continued access to the resources of less developed nations, by both national and private interests allied to wealthy nations. He warned against the continued impacts of colonialism if the risks inherent to neo-colonialism were neither addressed nor dealt with.The early thrust of neo- colonialism was primarily associated with cold war interests wishing to maintain their sphere of influence, coupled to the so-called 'Washington Consensus'. This was where international finance instruments run by the then G5 (now expanded to the G8), such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund used aid and so-called development finance instruments to further their interests.

Neo-colonialism is now garbed in new clothes. Powerful interests are presently seeking and gaining access to land in government-to-government deals as well as through private capital. These arrangements ostensibly offer to manage land that is not being economically utilised in order to improve food security. But for whom?

This new trend is being driven mainly by recent rises in the prices of major food commodities such as maize, wheat, rice and soybeans, as well as pandering to the rising interest in agricultural crop based biofuels. While a certain amount of the food price increases were driven by shortages triggered by natural causes, the role of speculators in driving up costs in order to profit from perceived shortages and seek shelter from other risky instruments like junk bonds has also played a significant part.

The global food security focussed NGO, GRAIN, issued a report on this phenomenon in October 2008, where they cited more than 100 examples of this new neo-colonial land grab. These land grabs are primarily by nations that have insufficient natural capital or space – such as the desert-bound nations of the Middle East and overpopulated nations such as China and South Korea. They seek to improve the food security of those nations while undermining the ability of host nations to access similar benefits, through the alienation of prime agricultural land. The ecological impacts can also be significant.Since the GRAIN report was published, the land grab has continued apace. The recent acquisition of a reported 1.3 million hectares (ha) of land in Madagascar by the South Korean company Daewoo Logistics Corporation on 99-year lease has raised eyebrows around the world. This land represents around half of that island nation's arable land.

In Madagascar a reported 70% of the population suffer from food shortages and malnutrition. Nearly 4% are fed through aid programmes. Besides this, more than 50% of the population is below the age of 18. What hope is there for local youth when South African farmers are reportedly being recruited to run the highly mechanised and automated farms under the Daewoo lease? The benefits to the Malagasy people appear chimeral at best. Fortunately, media reports in Madagascar have raised the profile of this case, creating national disquiet about the matter. Meanwhile, Daewoo seeks to insulate itself from criticism.This land grab is in the main driven by a new wave of colonial interests seeking to gain food security. Many of the oil rich Gulf States are involved as they have little access to arable land or water. GRAIN reports that the Kuwaiti government is actively pursuing land in Sudan, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Burma, Thailand and Laos. Qatar also is investigating options in Sudan, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. The Saudi government is seeking agreements with Brazil, Sudan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Pakistan, while the Saudi Bin Laden group (a private interest) has secured access to a reported 500,000 ha of land in Indonesia to put into rice production. The United Arab Emirates is on the hunt for land in Sudan and many other parts of the world, as is Bahrain.

This new thrust by the Gulf states is driven not only by issues of food security but clearly is influenced by the wish to diversify their extensive financial resources from recent oil price windfalls, to areas where they are able to generate sustainable profit and influence.China is also actively seeking new land. Given its massive population and constrained access to farmland, China has moved aggressively into Africa with land interests in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon and Tanzania. Closer to home it has similar interests in Burma, Laos, Russia and Kazakhstan, both through direct government deals and private sector finance.Besides these examples of ostensibly pursuing the national interest, there is perhaps a more worrying side to the new neo- colonial land grab. This is where corporate and financial groups and collectives seek similar opportunities for purely profit seeking motives. For instance, the Danish company Trigon Agri controls 100,000 hectares of land in Russia. Morgan Stanley, despite its liquidity problems, owns 40,000 ha in Brazil.Lonrho, the UK financial house seeks land in Angola and elsewhere in Africa in order to profit from food. Swedish interests Black Earth Farming and Alpcot Agro already control around 400,000 hectares of Russian farmland, while actively pursuing further acquisitions there and in the Ukraine. Brazilian land is sought for the harvest of agricultural based biofuels like sugar cane. Using land to grow fuel further undermines food security, ecological diversity and perhaps most crucially, access to land by locals.Even the World Bank is continuing its role as a neo- colonial consensus agent by actively pursuing and financing access to 'under-utilised land' around the world through its International Finance Corporation.

Perhaps more sinister is the recent news of leasehold rights being acquired for approximately 400,000 hectares of land in the Southern Sudan from the family of former warlord Gabriel Matip. In a deal struck by US financier Philippe Heilberg, who has used a British Virgin Islands subsidiary of his Jarch Group to facilitate the deal, private interests have intervened directly in disputed territories. Co-directors of the group reportedly include ex-CIA operatives. Given the ongoing instability in that nation and the forced eviction of millions in the neighbouring Darfur region, this sort of land acquisition is perhaps a harbinger of an unsavoury trend in who gets to control the land in disputed territories.Given that the concept of neo-colonialism has African origins, it would be reasonable to assume that there would be awareness of these issues within Africa. However, corruption, limited democratic participation by civil society, non transparent bi- and multilateral deals, all coupled to the lack of transparency within many African governments themselves, evidently undermines beneficial outcomes for citizens.Clearly those accessing land aim to accrue benefits. But Africa has not yet fully addressed many issues from its colonial heritage such as arbitrary borders, land dispossession by corporations and warlords or through internal and external political interference. These issues, coupled to the generally poor state of farming and infrastructure in Africa, show how little Africa has progressed in this important area of development. Recognition of the problem and talking about it is not the same as dealing with the problem.NEPAD, the New Partnership for African Development, has actively sought corporate and private capital-friendly solutions. The wooing of powerful interests includes interventions at G8 meetings by the suave former South African president Mbeki, not to mention numerous jaw-jaw sessions at the World Economic Forum. This is why so many progressive commentators have been leery of endorsing NEPAD and its structures, criticising them as pandering to vested interests.

Activities to increase agricultural growth in Africa have also been severely compromised by questionable alliances. For instance AGRA, the African Union endorsed 'Association for a Green Revolution in Africa,' has seen the undemocratic and unsolicited intervention of supposedly neutral funders such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. The relationship between these funders and pro-genetically modified food interests (in what is now termed bio-colonialism) has served to actively undermine local agricultural collectives, NGOs and projects that aim to promote and share proven solutions to food insecurity and malnutrition.This is perhaps the most dangerous manifestation of neo- colonialism as it operates behind a veil of philanthropy while (wittingly or unwittingly) undermining democratic structures and interests. The obscene profits accrued by capital over recent decades, instead of being taxed and distributed by state organs, are now in the hands of ill-informed and often ideologically biased do-gooders. For instance, given the technocratic origins of the Gates fortune, it is logical that undue emphasis will be placed on similar technocratic agricultural solutions.These 'solutions' are imposed through slick public relations and the support of corporate aligned agri-business interests such as Africa-Bio and A New Harvest, both of which are linked to GM corporations such as Monsanto, the worlds biggest seed company and genetically modified seed distributor.There is an urgent need to examine these new neo-colonial thrusts. Careful and objective analysis must be undertaken as to how food and land sovereignty is being compromised through naïve interaction with the new global powers of finance and trade. The interests of global capital need to be tempered by intervention and through more pragmatic approaches that take account of the historical relationships between land, community, food security and economic development.

It is ironic that while Africans have fought to cast aside colonial oppression and its concomitant heritage, we have instead opened gates (pun intended) to a new wave of colonial interests that threaten, yet again, to bypass the marginalised whilst enriching a well-connected minority.It would be tragic to cast aside Africa's recently won freedom for a yoke of a different design.

This article by Glenn Ashton, a writer and researcher working in civil society, was distributed by the South African Civil Society Information Service (sacsis.org.za).

East Africa/Horn of Africa

How Will Gadaffi Fare At the Helm of the AU?

Jerry Okungu:5 February 2009:opinion:THE NEW VISION Kampala — Fellow Africans, Another ritual for the African Union ended in Addis Ababa early this week. As expected, outgoing Chairman, Jakaya Kikwete handed over the baton to the incoming Chair, Muammar Gadaffi of Libya.

As usual, Gadaffi's flamboyance and showmanship almost overshadowed the main event; what with traditional rulers from a few countries in the continent hanging on his coattails chanting, "King of Kings! Hail the Chief! Hail Gadaffi"!

Like him or hate him; Gaddafi makes more sense in Africa than a myriad of despots who hardly manage to run the affairs of their countries in the interest of their nationals. At least in Gadaffi's empire; there are no rampant reports of corruption and oil is actually benefitting Libyan nationals even if Gaddafi may be the main beneficiary.Compared to countries like Nigeria, Sudan and other oil- producing countries in Africa, Gadaffi can be considered a lesser devil when it comes to distribution of national resources. And yes, his generosity transcends Libyan territories. If you are in doubt, ask his disciples in 22 African countries together with his new-found friends in traditional rulers. They have benefitted financially from Gadaffi's humanitarian good neighbourliness.However, now that Kikwete is out of the AU hot seat, how will Africa judge his performance? Has he moved the continent an inch from where John Kufuor left? Or was his, merely a play- safe-be-good-to-everybody then leave the office? It must be remembered that Kikwete took over the AU chairmanship at a very trying moment in Eastern Africa.

Kenya was immersed in unprecedented political crisis. Darfur in Sudan was still burning despite the AU and UN interventions. Somalia was volatile as usual with a besieged president unable even to use a handful of Ugandan and Ethiopian soldiers to sustain him in power.Down South, the kleptocratic Bob Mugabe was still clinging to power despite losing the elections. Attempts to force him to share power failed for the better part of Kikwete's chairmanship despite prodding by the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations General Assembly not to mention the United States.

To tell you the truth, there is not much that Africa will remember Jakaya Kikwete for apart from being at the Peace Accord-signing ceremony in Nairobi in April last year following the election fiasco that Kenya went through. Even then, he came more or less as a messenger of super powers to coerce belligerent opponents into striking a deal because time was running out.Kikwete has left Africa largely as he found it. He ruffled no feathers in Zimbabwe, Sudan or Mauritania. He turned a blind eye to the two coups that took place during his chairmanship. In other words, he was a perfect diplomat at the continental chair.But perhaps the reason Kikwete behaved the way he did was because he had too many distractions back home in Tanzania. With spiraling corruption scandals popping up now and then; he became a besieged president at home trying to salvage his discredited regime. In so doing, he lost the entire cabinet, his prime minister and central bank governor to corruption.For this reason, he spent the better part of 2008 not in Dar- es-Salaam running the government but in the regions mending fences with Tanzania's rural communities. Now that Gadaffi has taken over, what should Africa expect in the next 12 months? I think Africa has reason to be optimistic and expect a lot. If for no other reason except that Gadaffi comes to the office with a clearly stated mission and vision for the continent. He has the vision to obtain a union government for the continent. His dream is to see Africa competing on equal footing with the European Union, the United States , India and China; the four super economic powers when it comes to domestic market self- sustainability.Gadaffi, like all of us, knows that of the 53 states in Africa the majority of them are not self-sustaining. These banana republics need to merge together to share resources and responsibilities to compete on the global arena.Gadaffi knows that for 53 African states to sustain 53 missions in major world capitals is a waste of scarce resources they hardly have. Yes, one year is too short for Gadaffi to realise his goals but we know in that one year, he will push a defined agendum that he has unveiled to us

Anti-Christian Gaddafi Takes Over as AU Chair:P3 February 2009:opinion: Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)

President Muammar Gaddafi whose public statements have had the potential of worsening the delicate Muslim-Christian relations in Africa was on Monday elected chairman of the African Union (AU).The Libyan leader replaces Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete in the one-year-term position that is held on a rotational basis by a head of state from Africa's four regions. His pet subject is greater African unity."I shall continue to insist that our sovereign countries work to achieve the United States of Africa," Gaddafi said in his inaugural speech, but admitted that African leaders were "not near to a settlement" on the issue.

Gaddafi, on his 40th year in power, has for the past decade pushed the unity agenda, but without sensitivity to the continent's religious reality. Christianity and Islam are Africa's main religions.The man who has previously dismissed the Bible as a forgery and Christianity as a religion not meant for Africans will for the next year be the spokesman for a continent where religious tensions have sometimes erupted into violent confrontations.

On the other hand, Christian minorities, especially in North Africa, do not enjoy freedom of worship and continue to suffer official discrimination.In the past two years, Gaddafi has used celebrations to mark the birthday of Prophet Mohammed to disparage Christianity. Last year while visiting Uganda, he delivered a tirade against the Bible, dismissing it as a forgery."The Bible we have now is not the one that was revealed to Issa [Jesus], and the Old Testament is not the one that was revealed to Musa. Mohammed is mentioned in both (original versions), but in the Torah and Bible we have now, there is no mention of him," he said."It means that it (Bible) has been forged. Prophet Mohammed was sent to mankind. Allah wanted mankind to have one religion. The Koran that we have is the only book that was sent by Allah."

In 2007, the Libyan leader said it was a mistake to believe that Jesus had been crucified and killed. "It is not correct to say that. Another man resembling Jesus was crucified in his place," Gaddafi told a mass prayer meeting in Niger to mark the birth of Prophet Mohammed.Christianity, he added, was not a universal faith alongside Islam. "There are serious mistakes - among them the one saying that Jesus came as a messenger for other people other than the sons of Israel," he said."Christianity is not a faith for people in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Other people who are not sons of Israel have nothing to do with that religion.""All those believers who do not follow Islam are losers," Gaddafi said. "We are here to correct the mistakes in the light of the teachings of the Koran."The Libyan leader seized power in a military coup d'état in 1969, deposing the monarchy and imposing socialism and Islamic orthodoxy on the country.

Can Gadaffi Rule the Continent?:Gwynne Dyer: 8 February 2009:column:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — HOW could they tell him no? Muammar Gadaffi, resplendent in the gold brocade robes that he probably made from his mother's curtains and wearing his usual bug-eye sunglasses, was urging all the other African leaders to join him in creating the United States of Africa.The world's oldest teenager had just been made chairman of the African Union, and this was his Big Idea.The African presidents and prime ministers heard him out patiently - which took some time, for Gadaffi, who has ruled Libya for the past forty years, is used to people hearing him out patiently at quite some length. If they are Libyans, they then say "Yes, sir. Excellent idea," so his expectations in this department have also grown over the years.

The other African leaders were not going to say that, and indeed some of them had been reluctant to let Gaddafi become the head of the African Union. It was North Africa's turn this year, so it was awkward to say no, but on the other hand Gadaffi is so eccentric and downright bizarre.Last August, for example, he invited some 200 traditional kings, princes, sultans, sheikhs and chiefs from all over Africa to come to Libya.Most of these tribal leaders are not wealthy men, and joining his "forum of traditional leaders" meant free trips and lots of gifts, so they came to Benghazi - and dutifully declared that Gadaffi was Africa's "king of kings." His usual egomania, certainly, but Gadaffi (who wore the purple curtains on that occasion) was also trying to build support for his "United States of Africa" project.Few of the other African Union leaders who met in Addis Ababa last week approve of Gadaffi's forum of traditional rulers or think that a "United States of Africa" is a good idea. (Uganda even banned a meeting of Gaddafi's forum last year, on the grounds that unelected "leaders" should not claim a political role.) But in the end, despite all their misgivings, Gaddafi got the job of AU chair anyway.Once in the chair, Gaddafi lived up to his reputation: the summit went into an unscheduled fourth day because he simply would not stop haranguing the other leaders about the "United States of Africa." They tried to escape by setting up a committee to consider the idea and report back in three months, but he was not so easily diverted.

At the final evening's session, Gadaffi rambled on for hours about his great idea. It was well after midnight when Uganda's Yoweri Museveni walked over to him and whispered in his ear that it was past everybody else's bedtime.As they departed, Gadaffi remarked that "silence gives consent" so unless they openly oppose him at the next summit, the United States of Africa will then automatically come into existence.It will not. The African Union works by consensus and almost all of its 53 presidents and prime ministers think the US of A is a terrible idea.Cynics might say that is just because their own jobs would vanish in an Africa with a single army, a single currency and a single passport. But the men and women in that room probably had close to a thousand years of political experience as African leaders between them, and they were not all cynics.Gadaffi obviously sees himself as the first president of the United States of Africa. He has always felt that Libya is too small a stage for his talents, and once his early attempts to become the leader of the Arab world failed, he turned his attention to Africa instead. But that is only his private ambition, and the other AU leaders do not have to make him the president of the US of A. What is wrong with the idea in principle?It was Gadaffi himself who pointed to the fundamental problem when he said, at the same summit, that Africa is essentially tribal. Multi-party democracy leads to bloodshed because the parties get tribalised, Gadaffi explained, and therefore the right model for Africa is his own country, Libya, where there are no parties and no elections.

It is a crude formulation of the problem, but he is right that Africa's biggest problem is too many small ethnic groups and few big ones. Almost every country is a mosaic of rival ethnic groups. The political turmoil that has caused is probably the main reason why African countries, most of which were richer than comparable Asian countries in the same empire when they got their independence forty or fifty years ago, are now far poorer.One African friend long ago suggested to me that the only solution was a pan- African dictator, a Stalin who would kill off all the ethnic demagogues and unify the continent under a single "African" identity. But even Stalin did not succeed, as the Chechens, the Ukrainians, the Georgians and dozens of other post-Soviet ethnic groups demonstrate.The alternative approach, which is to build a national identity slowly while trying to maintain a non-tribalised democracy, is hard work, but it kills fewer people and it can succeed in the end.The model for the African Union is the European Union, a relatively loose association of democracies with long separate histories, not the US of America with its single shared identity. It is probably the right model.The writer is a London-based independent journalist

Central Africa

United States of Africa Still a Dream:Kelvin Odoobo:7 February 2009: opinion: THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — At the just concluded African Union summit, once again, the romanticised idea of a United States of Africa, trumpeted by the Libya's strongman Muammar al-Gaddhafi, now AU chairman, got some valuable airtime. It is not a new idea.

Kwame Nkrumah, at the attainment of Ghanaian independence championed the idea of the "USA" as a restoration of Africa's might against the colonial demarcation of the continent into artificial bits and pieces.He himself did not rule long enough before he fell to Africa's chronic political problem of military coups which in some circles was said to be partly a result of western powers' unease of his pan-African ideologies. In the wake of European integration, the economic might of China, a fast developing India, the Russian attempts to exercise control over independent territories formerly in the Soviet Union, and the dwindling economic means of the world's super power, the real USA- a United States of Africa would appear to balance the global political and economic equation for Africa.

The truth however is that Africa is further from being united in a political confederation than anyone may suppose. The common denominator of sub-Saharan Africa is colonialism and the quest to exploit Africa's resources alongside its poverty to satisfy foreign interests.The cold war is a perfect example of how foreign powers attempted to set up offshore command posts for western proxies in Africa.In Angola's long and bitter civil war, the cold war was played out in the battlefields long after it had officially ended.Many of Africa's young nations have very challenging internal political issues that originate from colonial mistakes and require a long time before we can even think about integrating into a pan-African political federation.

In Europe, the distinct national identities can withstand Europeanisation. What about Africa's young and struggling national identities?Even so, the recent referendum on EU policies have faced such challenges in countries like Ireland and France so much so that were it not for the unwavering commitment of political leaders, the EU would have been in doldrums.In the interest of pan-Africanism, a form of economic union initially is necessary for Africa to compete favourably with other economic powers of the world and to avoid economic bullying by these powers as is the case with the current unfair rules of trade under the world trade organisation.

The East Africa Community (EAC), the South African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) are such good initiatives.I believe that those initiates at African integration will eventually grow into each other to result in a powerful pan-Africa bloc that may eventually evolve on the lines of the European Economic Community to the European Union.For all its good intentions, the current push for our own USA is bound to run into dangerous waters.

First, Gaddhafi interests in this union are very suspect. It is not long ago that he was hobnobbing with Arab colleagues and claiming that North Africa was more into the Arab world than in Africa. He strongly championed pan-Arabism and pan-Islamism until when it was clear that it was simply not going to happen.This new comradeship which he has developed for black African nations indicates that perhaps he has seen the light.He talks pan-africanism at the AU summit while he is smooching with traditional African leaders who in various nations present potential political complications to their elected governments.It should also raise eyebrows that the king of Benin is already refereeing to him as the "King of Kings."Gaddhafi, for all his long respected statesmanship and wise guidance of Libya, is not famous for his democratic ideals.Africa shouldn't be the excuse for Gaddhafi's project to repatriate his international image.

We need to make a united stand as Africa in face of globalisation in order to survive the vicious cycle of poverty, and conflicting foreign interests that are apart from our own interests.But hastily planned and executed United States of Africa will have similar or worse consequences than the partition of Africa.

Africa: Tribal Politics Ruilng Continent

Kelvin Odoobo:27 January 2009:columnl THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — In many fora, the case of tribalism in Africa has been portrayed as the Achilles heel of genuine issue-driven political competition and growth.

This malaise has been severally blamed on the haphazard geographical demarcations that colonialists, in a haste to mark out new territories for varied reasons as mineral wealth or expansionist grandeur, bunched up ethnic different communities.At times these communities had no historical joint administration and usually the existing traditional forms of government had been suppressed.In most cases the colonialists, forced by political implications of colonialism to free their occupied territories, abandoned newborn countries, some of which did not have any real national identity.More importantly they made sure that the newly independent countries took over the government style of the colonizing countries as a form of neocolonialism.Is tribalism really the blight of African politics? To begin with the diversity of African society makes our continent unique. Within the different languages and cultural interactions therein, lies a wealth of rich customs, envied world over.From local folklore, to traditional craft, music and dance, precise traditions of marriage and burial and the culture as a whole is something we should preserve.The flipside is that all this cultural wealth is directly tied to tribes or ethnic groups. In most cases, this loathed African unit called the tribe is the first identity that a person has and which eventually links him to a nation, or nations.Also, before colonialism, the traditional administrative systems were based on the same tribe and it is those units based on the tribe that the white men dismantled in order to impose their own administration.Therefore, the idea of supplanting tribalism in Africa entirely for the idea of the unified nation is a bloated one.

For a country like Rwanda, the idea of the nation and the tribe can be easily maneuvered, because Rwanda is linked to Banyarwanda, although it poses another complication.

What about the Banyarwanda who are geographically located outside the Rwanda nation, who hence may not be Rwandans?For multi-tribal nation like Uganda and Kenya, the conflict of tribe verses nation is the greatest political challenge that these countries will face for decades.It has never helped matters that politicians, however educated, or intellectually bred they are, often resort to easiest tool of politicking, which is the tribe.In many multi-ethnic African countries, tribes have learnt to overlook their tribal differences and focus on their individual capacities in their day to day lives.Politicians instead have leant to invoke tribal animosity as an easy way of vote seeking. They have furthered the "if I eat, the tribe eats" mentality.If Africans in schools, offices, bars and other public fora are able to engage each other on the level of individual character and abilities, why does tribalism always become the standard during political contests?In the future of issue- based political dispensation, the tribe should be placed in the background of the real issues affecting members of that tribe.

In America, where there are no tribes, there are Hispanics, Irish Americans, African- Americans, Arab Americans, and Jewish Americans etc who all have their interest.These interests are not just, if he eats, we eat kind of interests. They are interests catering for specific difficulties that any group may face in advancement or in pursuit of equal opportunity.How we move our tribes to learn to demand for clean water, good roads, proper infrastructure to whoever stands for office irrespective of tribe may be a good starting place.

We do not have to kill the tribe, to advance in non-tribal political thinking, but we have to eliminate the links between having your own in power in order to benefit, because that is essentially corrupt and is the problem.If the tribe can be used as a rallying point to demand good services as deserved by any other national citizen, not as a preference over other tribes, then the cycle of eating with your tribe as soon as you get political power will never stop.The movement of the African American from the slave farms to the highest echelons of political power in America, a good example of how "tribes" can unite to promote meaningful political advancement.In America, minorities do not necessarily vote for someone from their group, but instead vote for someone who will advance their interests.

The International Press

Africa Action Releases 'Africa Policy Outlook 2009'

28 January 2009: press release: Africa Action (Washington, DC)

Washington, DC — Today Africa Action released its Africa Policy Outlook for 2009. This annual publication was released one week after the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama and as millions across the African continent celebrate the new opportunities his presidency offers. The Outlook identifies several large-scale challenges facing the Obama Administration, including humanitarian disasters in Somalia, the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It suggests that the unilateral and militarized U.S. policy towards Africa has made African people more vulnerable over the last 7 years."Instead of dividing Africa up between friends and enemies, Outlook urges an inclusive and multilateral approach, designed to increase voluntary cooperation, bolster UN and hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping operations, and project long term solutions to the greatest challenge to security and stability in Africa, poverty.” said Gerald LeMelle, Executive Director of Africa Action.

“We recognize that the expectations for the new Administration are formidable. However President Obama can take a very first constructive step by initiating more collaborative models of policy design and implementation. By engaging a broad spectrum of civil society organizations, and most importantly, taking into consideration the concerns of African people, U.S. policy in Africa could be much more successful and effective, particularly with regard to long term interest in promoting human rights, democracy and development,” added LeMelle.The Outlook also cites the recurrent failed policies of international financial institutions and the need for responsible development finance and better coordination of foreign aid. It recognizes the dire importance of investments in health infrastructure and projects climate change as an urgent and unfair crisis looming over many African nations. “The new Obama administration must have renewed commitment to effective foreign assistance that will address global challenges such as food insecurity, unfair trade and other barriers to Africa's integration into the world economy,” cited Michael Stulman, Africa Action’s Associate Director for Policy and Communications. “Through sustained engagement, vision and better coordination of foreign assistance policy, President Obama can promote U.S. policies that support African struggles for sustainable peace and development.”

Africa Progress Panel Report States That Africa Must be Part of the Solution to Reboot the Global Economy:30 January 2009: press release: Africa Progress Panel (Geneva)

Davos — A new report being launched today by Kofi Annan, Chair of the Africa Progress Panel, states that "Africa can be an important part in a global economic stimulus plan", stating that "the scope for investment in Africa is vast". Documenting the economic growth and positive political trends of the last few years, the report states that "Africa's medium to long term prospects are better now than at any time since independence".

However, the report also warns that "the global crisis could arrest and even reverse steady, and in some cases dramatic, gains that have been made over the last decade." For Africa to both mitigate the worst affects of the crisis and become a driver of global economic recovery and stability, the report states that:

• "Rich country governments and institutions must lend strong support to address the problems of climate change, by investing in adaptation and in the prevention of deforestation, and by increasing funding for renewable energy in Africa. • "Africa's own potential for a green revolution in food production must be realised… technical and financial support is required as well as additional investments in rural infrastructure to insure farmers' access to inputs and market outlets. • "There has been no progress on multilateral trade negotiations… while pressing for the impasse post-Doha to be broken, an early harvesting of gains in trade liberalization for Africa is needed. • "It is more important than ever that Africa's partners honour their commitments… aid is not the main driver of growth in Africa, but it is needed to lubricate the continent's economic development".

Critically, the report says that "a real partnership between Africa and her supporters is the only way for progress to be achieved", requiring global governance reforms to "include means by which Africans are represented in a legitimate and effective manner."

Kofi Annan launched the report at Davos at a session focusing on the state of Africa with leaders from across the continent. Speaking at the session, he said:"Economic recovery in industrialised countries is needed for Africa - for trade, remittance flows, investment and aid levels. However, Africa is also integral to immediate efforts to reboot global growth. World leaders must grasp the opportunity to support African development as a means of driving their own economic recovery".

Internet Growth Accelerating:4 February 2009: Analysis: AFRICAFOCUS

Washington, DC — "Until recently, the experience of the internet in Africa has been like having to eat a three-course meal by sucking it through a straw: time-consuming, unreliable and expensive. .. [but prices are dropping] and cheap international bandwidth is an essential component for any developing country to remain competitive in a changing world." - Russell Southwood, in Global Information Society Watch 2008

Southwood goes on to note that new undersea cables, two of them due to be completed this year, are predicted to cut international bandwidth prices for some African countries by as much as 90%, and that there will be strong pressure for reducing costs inside countries as well, as well as for finding new ways to bring cheaper connections to neglected rural areas.Although Africa still remains last among world regions in estimated internet penetration (5.4% of the population as compared to the world average of 23.4%, according to end-2008 figures from Internet World Stats - see article below), it also features a growth rate of over 1,000% between 2000 and mid-2008, with an estimated 19.8% growth rate between end 2007 and end 2008. Internet World Stats now estimates more than 51 million internet users in Africa, while leading expert Southwood estimates an even higher user/population rate, if usage at internet cafes is fully taken into account.

This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains excerpts from two recent articles on global internet usage, the first from the commercial firm ComScore (http://www.comscore.com) and the second from the web site Internet World States (http://www.internetworldstats.com), which also provides more detailed estimates by country. The Bulletin also contains excerpts from Russell Southwood's article on Trends in Technology, from the Global Information Society Watch 2008 report, released in December. Additional articles from GISW 2008 are available for download at http://giswatch.org, and a press release on the report is at http://www.apc.org/en/node/7558.Of particular interest among the other GISW reports is that on Africa, by Abiodun Jagun at http://www.giswatch.org/gisw2008/regional/Africa.html Internet statistics for individual African countries, as of mid- 2008, are given at http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm

For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on internet and related issues, as well as a custom search of recommended sites on Africa & ICT, visit http://www.africafocus.org/ictexp.php

Announcement: MysteryPlaces.Net

For that fraction of AfricaFocus readers who also happen to be readers of mystery novels (a significant number based on my unscientific sample of AfricaFocus readers I know), I am pleased to announce a new website that I am also running: http://www.mysteryplaces.netThe site focuses on mystery novels with a sense of place, and is organized by country, state (in the United States), and author.There are not too many from Africa, to start with, but hopefully that will grow; among African authors that may be less familiar, who have written in the genre, are Moussa Konaté (http://www.mysteryplaces.net/countries/mali.php), Yasmina Khadra (http://www.mysteryplaces.net/countries/algeria.php), and Michael Stanley, who joins the better-known Alexander McCall Smith with another series set in Botswana (http://www.mysteryplaces.net/countries/botswana.php). And of course there are a few from South Africa ( http://www.mysteryplaces.net/countries/south_africa.php - a couple are old enough not to have covers in Amazon, so you need to use the links at the bottom of the page.)

I've put in links for the authors to Amazon (using book covers, similar to those on http://www.africafocus.org/books/afbooks.php, and also added links to background on the authors and to the international book exchange site BookMooch (http://www.bookmooch.com). On Bookmooch you can give away books, gaining points, and receive books, spending points - unlike some other such sites, it operates internationally as well as in the United States. And if you have a points surplus, you can offer it to be used by charities, such as libraries in Madagascar and the Philippines.

I'm doing the site partly for fun, and because it was easy to set it up and maintain it with minimal time input, using the same programming tools used for AfricaFocus Bookshop (http://www.africafocus.org/books/afbooks.php). In addition, any small proceeds coming from Amazon commissions help to support the work of AfricaFocus. So, if you like to read such books, I hope you'll visit often. If not, I'm sure you have friends who do; I would appreciate it if you pass this link on to them: http://www.mysteryplaces.net

Global Internet Audience Surpasses 1 billion Visitors, According to comScore

Asia-Pacific Region Accounts for 41 Percent of Internet Users

China Ranks as Largest Internet Population in the World http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2698

LONDON, U.K., January 23, 2009 - comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported that total global Internet audience (age 15 and older from home and work computers) has surpassed 1 billion visitors in December 2008, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service.

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the highest share of global Internet users at 41 percent, followed by Europe (28 percent share), North America (18 percent share), Latin- America (7 percent share), and the Middle East & Africa (5 percent share).[for table see web link above - note that Comscore estimates do not include traffic from public computers such as internet cafes, or users under 15 years old]

Chinese Internet Audience Outranks U.S.China represented the largest online audience in the world in December 2008 with 180 million Internet users, representing nearly 18 percent of the total worldwide Internet audience, followed by the U.S. (16.2 percent share), Japan (6.0 percent share), Germany (3.7 percent share) and the U.K. (3.6 percent share).

[Others in the top 15 countries included France and India, each with over 3% of the world audience; Russia, Brazil, South Korea, Canada, and Italy, each with over 2% of the world audience; and Mexico and the Netherlands, each with 1.2% of the world audience.][Internet World Stats says internet users number over 1.5 billion]Internet World Stats News.January 25, 2009.Note that these are early figures, and that breakdowns by country are not yet available in this database for end-2008. More complete data is available for mid-2008 at http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm]

Internet users in the world already hit one and a half billion persons approximately in July of 2008. The current estimates of Internet users for 2008 year-end (2008Q4) according to our database, which includes ALL the Internet users universe, comprises over 1,573,269,743 persons worldwide. The Internet Penetration Rate is 23.4%, considering a global population of 6,708,755,756 persons according to the U.S. Census Bureau data.2008Q4 World Internet Stats

The following table, displayed for the first time, gives the yearly growth rate (2007 vs. 2008) for each region of the world, based on the Internet World Stats database figures, the estimated number of users and the penetration rates.

Internet World Users Report - Year-end 2008 by World Regions

Region; 2008; 2007; Growth; P.R. Africa 53,136,930; 44,361,940; 19.8%; 5.4%

America, Caribbean 7,994,300; 5,985,209; 33.6%; 19.8%

America, Central 28,814,000; 25,997,600; 10.8%; 19.0%

Region; 2008; 2007; Growth; P.R.

America, North 246,328,977; 238,015,529; 3.5%; 73.0%

America, South 127,296,284; 77,978,800; 63.2%; 32.7%

Asia 647,168,227; 510,478,743; 26.8%; 17.1%

Europe 396,834,928; 348,125,847; 14.0%; 49.4%

Middle East 45,101,346; 33,510,500; 34.6%; 22.9%

Oceania, Australia 20,594,751; 19,175,836; 7.4%; 59.9%

Total World 1,573,269,743; 1,319,872,109; 19.2%; 23.4%

Source: Internet World Stats Database, accessed on December 31, 2008. Comparison figures are 2007 and 2008 year-end data. Please Note: Mexico is included in Central America, and Turkey is included in Europe. P.R. is the Penetration Rate. Copyright 2009, Miniwatts Marketing Group.[Criteria used for deriving these estimates are given at http://www.internetworldstats.com/surfing.htm].Bandwidth, the petrol of the new global economy by Russell Southwood

Editor, Balancing Act.http://www.balancingact-africa.com.[Excerpts: for full text with more technical detail, references, and links to other articles from Global Information Society Watch 2008 see http://www.giswatch.org/gisw2008/thematic/TrendsInTechnology.html].Put simply, bandwidth is what carries voice and data from one place to another. Bandwidth is the petrol of the new global economy; and cheap international bandwidth is an essential component for any developing country to remain competitive in a changing world.

...Cheap and accessible bandwidth encourages information, ideas and money to flow quickly within a country and between countries.

Despite the best efforts of backward-looking governments, it allows a country's citizens to know what is happening in the world and what the world thinks about what is happening in their country. The world's tyrants may still be able to dominate their citizens, but they are that bit more vulnerable when faced with a freer flow of information about their deeds. Recent crises in places as diverse as Burma, Tibet and Zimbabwe attest to the power of information to influence those in power, even if it does not necessarily change who is in power.

There is a connection between the social and the economic. If it costs your country USD 7,000-10,000 per megabit per second (Mbps ) per month - one of the units used to price bandwidth - to communicate with the rest of the world, you are likely to do less of it than another country where the same bandwidth sells for below USD 1,000 per Mbps per month. Those developing countries that have access to cheap bandwidth have some chance of staying ahead in the "dog eat dog" world of the new global economy. They can respond to new needs in the global economy and not simply rely on the changeable fortunes of selling agricultural produce, minerals and tourism.

Used strategically, bandwidth can create new "think work" industries like business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centres. For example, a single company in Ghana, ACS, employs 1,200 people doing data processing. The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius employs between 4,000 and 5,000 people in a combination of BPO and call centres. Over 10,000 people in the South African city of Cape Town work in these sectors.

If communications costs are not lowered, then the cost of financing trade and ultimately the price of the goods themselves will be higher than necessary for everyone. Many African countries rely on goods traded between themselves and nearby neighbours. The goods traded are not simply luxury goods, but also essential foodstuffs that make up the daily diet of all citizens. Cheap and accessible bandwidth encourages regional trade integration that helps reduce air miles: the product grown to meet local demand is not one that needs to be imported or exported half way round the world.

But perhaps the most crucial impact cheap bandwidth - taken together with competition - may have is on the cost of transferring money. There is considerable movement of people both between neighbouring countries and internationally. Take the example of West Africa. According to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC), there are three waves of population movement. Since the early 1960s, 80 million people have moved to the cities from rural areas. Populations also move from one country to another in West Africa, and this represents 90% of inter-regional migration.

Finally, West Africans represent 3% of immigrants from non-OECD countries living in Europe.

Each of these people needs to be able to communicate with their family. The son who has gone overseas rings his mother back in West Africa. That same mother rings her grandmother in the village.

Financial remittances flow all the way down this chain of communication and, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in 2006 these were worth USD 10 billion to West African countries. These remittances exceed the amount of money spent by international donors. But the cost of sending that money is around 12% of the total, whereas elsewhere in the world, such as Latin America, it has fallen to 6%. Cheaper communications and competition can bring cheaper transaction costs, and more of this money will arrive in developing countries.

The first wave of the communications revolution in Africa was the spread of mobile phones, which are now within reach of 60-70% of the continent's population. By contrast, the internet is only accessed by 12-15% of the population. Until recently, the experience of the internet in Africa has been like having to eat a three-course meal by sucking it through a straw: time-consuming, unreliable and expensive.

While new mobile interfaces will increasingly allow mobile internet access, the second wave of the communications revolution will be the spread of relatively cheap internet use. For developing countries, particularly in Africa, the internet has been the poor cousin of much more widely distributed technologies like mobile phones and radio. However, despite the limitations of speed and cost, a surprisingly large number of people use it.

Based on national survey samples from a range of twelve African countries of different income levels, between 2-15% of the population use the internet (except in the two poorest countries) and 1-8% use it on a daily basis (except for the four poorest countries). On this basis, there might easily be tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of broadband subscribers depending on the size of country. Literacy plays a part, but probably not as big a part as price.

There is a clear link between the price of international bandwidth and the retail price of voice and internet services to the consumer. However, this link is not just a result of the price of international bandwidth, but also a reflection of both its cost and availability within a country. Cheaper international bandwidth means that there should be cheaper national bandwidth. Indeed, without this occurring, anomalies are found, such as where it costs more to communicate between neighbouring countries or two cities within a country than it does to link the capital and a European or North American destination.

Except with widely distributed rural populations where satellite is more appropriate, the cheapest bandwidth can be delivered using fibre.

International bandwidth prices in Africa have come down for a number of reasons. There has been an extended discussion about how to ensure open and competitive access to new international fibre-optic cables currently being built. As part of this process, national internet service provider (ISP) associations have lobbied the telecoms companies selling bandwidth and achieved price reductions. At the same time, the presence of two to three cable projects on either side of the continent ensures that each offers competitive pricing.

Through a combination of these factors, the price of bandwidth has gone from USD 7,000-10,000 per Mbps per month to USD 500-1,000 per Mbps per month due to two new cables (called SEACOM and TEAMS) that will be completed in mid-2009. These low international prices will put pressure on national operators to lower national prices, as it will be difficult to charge more for taking traffic between cities in an African country than for going all the way from that country to Europe.

Although market pressure has done a lot of the work in lowering prices, international organisations and African governments have also played their part. The World Bank's involvement in financing one of the cables (called EASSy) in a way that ensured open and fair access set the terms of the debate and also helped shape the market. In addition, the South African government declared a landing station for the SAT-3 cable, over which it has a monopoly, an "essential national facility". This has enabled the country's regulator to insist on co-location for a new competitor company, Neotel. The Mauritius regulator ICTA instituted a price determination against the monopoly fibre operator Mauritius Telecom that enabled much cheaper prices to be put in place.

Once a fibre cable has reached the coast of a country, the key problem is then getting a truly national backbone in place. On the evidence so far, the private sector will only deliver national backbone capacity to a relatively small percentage of the population. Understandably, operators have to have a sufficient return to justify investing in relatively expensive capital projects like infrastructure. Except in the markets of larger countries or in the wealthier segments of national markets, there has been little incentive to invest. The effect of this is that traditionally there has only been one infrastructure operator, or "one and a half" infrastructure operators - the latter case being where competitors spring up in metro areas and on routes between main metro cities. So the issue is: how does one incentivise wider national roll-out without simply returning to the uncompetitive, monopoly position that was in place before liberalisation, and which resulted in high national rates?

While infrastructure competition does produce some level of price competition, its impact is limited. Two competitors on national backbone prices - even over busy national routes - rarely produce more than a 10-20% difference in price over the mid to long term.

For example, in Uganda, where there are two infrastructure operators, the reduction in prices over three years has been 13%.

Africa's policy-makers and regulators have adopted a range of different approaches to creating infrastructure competition, not all of which are coherent, but will affect national backbone prices. ...

But whether the policy route taken is to create a national fibre network or simply "in-fill" those places the market will not reach, these different approaches may all go some significant way to extending cheap bandwidth to nearly all of a developing country's citizens.

...AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at [email protected]. Please write to this address to subscribe or unsubscribe to the bulletin, or to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org

The People's Health Movement - Progress on the Continent

Claudio Schuftan, Laura Turiano and Abhay Shukla:6 February 2009:opinion

Over the last two years, the People's Health Movement (PHM) campaign has advanced significantly in Africa. It now has active, funded campaigns in the DR Congo, Congo- Brazzaville, Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo and Cameroon, with Zimbabwe and South Africa also involved (without receiving PHM funding), as well as advanced negotiations to launch the campaign in Senegal and Djibouti. Elsewhere, new PHM circles have been formed in the last three months in Mali, Kenya, Morocco and Uganda, where representatives will be submitting campaign proposals shortly. The countries that are on the verge of completing the assessment are now eligible for small, additional funding to hold national workshops through which to present the results to their respective governments, along with UN agencies, international and national NGOs and the media.

To put the People's Health Movement campaign in perspective, we wanted to share with Pambazuka readers the principle in which it is based. The progressive weakening of public health systems, the growing privatisation of healthcare and the erosion of universal access to healthcare are worldwide phenomena. The health sector globally is still dominated by vertical and technocentric approaches, often supported by 'public-private partnerships' active at several levels.There is therefore an urgent need to replace this dominant discourse with a process aimed at universally achieving the 'right to health and to healthcare' as the main objective. In this way, we can hope to achieve more equitable healthcare systems in both developing and developed countries. To counter and reverse the tide promoting 'healthcare as a commodity', there is a need to establish a global consensus on 'healthcare as a right'. Human rights violations are not accidents, they are not random in distribution or effect and are acutely linked to social conditions. It is the socio-political forces at work that determine the risk of most forms of human rights violations. Our understanding of human rights violations is thus based on broader analyses of power and social inequality and their social, economic and political determinants. The promotion of equity is the central ingredient for respecting human rights in health. It is mostly the poor who are the victims and they have too little voice and no influence, let alone rights. It is inequities of power that prevent the poor from accessing the opportunities they need to move out of poverty. Structures and not just individuals must be changed if this state of affairs is to change.

Since laws designed to protect human rights and the right to health are mostly not applied, what additional measures have to be taken? This is what the People's Health Movement's 'Right to Health and Health Care Campaign' (RTHHC) sets out to explore. It is not enough to improve the situation of the poor within existing social relationships. Rights are claimed through social action and the latter depends on how power is distributed and used to address health issues. Human rights legislation alone - without enforcement mechanisms - is not up to the task of relieving suffering already at hand. Rights are not equal to laws, they are realised through social action and by changing prevailing power relations. Rights cannot be advanced but through the organised efforts of the state and of civil society. To work on behalf of the victims of violations of the right to health invariably means becoming deeply involved in pressing for social and economic rights.Public health must be linked to a return to social justice. Denial of care to those who do not pay is simply legitimised in the free-market system. The commoditisation of healthcare changes people from citizens with rights to consumers with (or without) purchasing power. This leaves those who are economically marginalised also marginalised from accessing comprehensive healthcare. The global campaign proposed by the PHM is a step in the direction outlined above, seeking the social transformations indispensable to resolving the current inequities found in health.

THE RIGHT TO HEALTH: A HOLISTIC OVERVIEW

The right to health has been defined as the 'right to the enjoyment of a variety of facilities, goods, services and conditions necessary for the realization of the highest attainable standard of health'. This right includes both the right to all the underlying determinants of health (such as water, food security, housing, sanitation, education, and safe and healthy working and living environments), and the right to healthcare itself and the entire range of preventive, curative and rehabilitative services including education and activities around promoting good health.In practice, this suggests two types of tasks for the global health movement: tackling the right to all the underlying determinants of health, and strengthening the right to healthcare. Tackling the right to the underlying determinants of health includes supporting and even co-initiating campaigns or initiatives addressing key health determinants (for example, campaigns for water, for food security, and for housing). There are initiatives already underway on behalf of these rights, initiatives which are not necessarily spearheaded by health activists. We contend that the focal point for each of these initiatives should be the organisations with the most experience and commitment to a particular issue, be it water, food security, housing, or the environment.

This recognition places an obligation on health activists to actively support and strengthen such initiatives, though not necessarily to take up the responsibility of primary leadership of such groups. When liaising with these groups, PHM will bring the health perspective to their campaigns. An additional important role that has to be played by health activists is to help document violations of the right to the underlying determinants of health, for example, by showing how the denial of food security leads to worsening malnutrition, increased morbidity and mortality. Health-based arguments can significantly strengthen the demands of claim-holders to tackle these determinants from a right-to-health perspective.

STRENGTHENING THE RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE The global health movement has a primary and unquestionable responsibility to take the lead on the right to healthcare. We are all witnesses to the often catastrophic consequences of the lack of economic access to adequate healthcare and the poverty trap that leads to avoidable mortality.What then does the right to health imply and what is the added value of the human rights-based approach? In every development process, there are three types of actors: Claim-holders, duty bearers, and agents of accountability. When the state does not respect human rights, claim-holders have to demand their rights directly from the duty bearers in government, all the while interacting with agents of accountability in the form of human rights commissions, ombudsmen, and human-rights- oriented NGOs who oversee the procedures being put in place by government and make sure duty bearers fulfil their obligations, including remedies and restitutions.If claim- holders do not do this, they are partly responsible for their situation. One can thus say that it is also the duty of those of us who are aware of human rights to generate awareness about the bases of these rights, in partnership with the marginalised and underserved groups we work with. When the right to health is violated and when the poor, the marginalised and the discriminated, as claim-holders, do not have the capacity to effectively demand their rights, these rights themselves are also violated because duty bearers do not have the capacity or the will to fulfil their obligations (technically called 'correlative duties'). Therefore, in a human rights-based approach one has to carry out three types of analyses: 1) Situation analyses in which one determines the causes of the problems by placing them in a hierarchical causality-chain of immediate, underlying and basic causes or determinants; 2) Capacity analyses in which one determines who are the individuals and institutions that bear the duty to do something about the causes identified by calling on them to fulfil their duties (as per their country's obligations as signatories of the UN human rights convention); and 3) Analysis of and liaison with accountability agents.

Herein lies the call for human rights activists to carry out rights awareness work, for instance to educate and inform broader society about what these rights mean and what accountability mechanisms should be put in place and made to work. These three types of analyses have to be carried out in conjunction with representatives from local communities and the beneficiaries of the health system so that the rights being violated can be jointly identified and those responsible also be jointly confronted in order that problems be effectively tackled. Note that the rights activist's ultimate goal is not to look for health policies that favour the poor as such; what is sought is significant poverty reduction policies that directly address the social determinants of health. As rights activists, we are no longer going to go and beg for changes to be implemented; we are now going to demand them based on existing international law already in force in most of the countries where we work.Disseminating this concept is in itself empowering. We should note that people in countries that have not ratified these conventions have the same rights; their problem is simply that their governments have not made a commitment to honour them. PHM seeks to overcome the culture of silence and apathy about the human rights violations in health that we all know are happening, because human rights and the right to health will never be given to poor, marginalised, discriminated and indigenous persons. Rights are never given, they have to be fought for! Fighting for these rights is precisely what PHM's global RTHHC campaign is attempting to do. As regards the added value of adopting a human-rights-based framework, several advantages come to mind: 1) A RTHHC campaign possesses big potential for social mobilisation, and this is an indispensable part of any campaign; 2) The human rights approach is backed by international law; 3) The right-to-health approach demands - from a position of strength - that decision-makers take responsibility; 4) Human rights imply correlative duties that are universal and indivisible; and 5) The human rights approach is focused on processes that lead to specific outcomes, and not simply setting goals like those underpinning the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

WHAT MAY BE REALISTICALLY ACHIEVED?

PHM has no illusion that systematically raising the issue of the 'right to health' will, by itself, lead to the complete implementation of this right in countries across the globe. The universal provision of even basic healthcare services involves major budgetary, operational and systematic changes. In addition to shifting to a rights-based framework, major political and legal reorientations are needed, and such major changes cannot be expected to happen in full in the near future, given the political economy of healthcare in most countries of the world today. PHM expects, however, to be able work on a number of more achievable objectives, objectives which can take us towards a broader human rights goal. Some of these achievable objectives to be considered are: 1) The explicit recognition of the right to healthcare at country level; 2) The formation, in some countries, of health rights monitoring bodies (accountability agents) with PHM and civil society participation; 3) A clearer delineation of health rights at both global and country levels; 4) The shifting of the focus of the World Health Organization (WHO) towards health rights and universal access systems and the strengthening of groups within the WHO that will work along these lines; 5) Putting the right to healthcare firmly on the global agenda by making it a central reference point in global health discourse; and (6) Strengthening human rights activists' networks in as many countries as possible so that all their members work around a common and broad rallying point while continuing to build partnerships.

* The People's Health Movement (PHM) is firmly committed to expanding the Right to Health and Health Care Campaign (RTHHC) in Africa. Any country not mentioned within this article is welcome to inquire with us how they can get a PHM circle going. Please contact us at [email protected].* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/

Kenya: One Year On:Shailja Patel:29 January 2009:opinion: pambazuka.

2008 began for Kenyans with the murder of Kenya's democracy. It ended with the son of a Kenyan migrant winning the US presidential race. In editing this special issue of Pambazuka News, 'Kenya - one year on', our guest editor, Shailja Patel says the the questions that arise apply to both these historic events. How do we create genuine political, social and economic transformation, rather than just settling for symbolic change?How do we bring critical thinking and evidence-based analysis to hope and vision?How do we address the truth of mass crimes against entire populations, while remaining open to visionary possibility?Three pervasive myths still circulate about the Kenya Crisis.

First, that it is over. In May 2008, the host of NTV's breakfast show asked me, 'Shouldn't we just get over it and move on?' On 27 December, the one-year anniversary of the stolen election, the presenter of the BBC's The World Today programme struggled with irritation when I kept harking back to the civil coup. 'Hasn't the country moved on?', he demanded pointedly.The answers lie in Ndung'u Wainaina's exposure of the fundamental flaws of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Bill, and in Ann Njogu's stark description of the ongoing purgatory of hundreds of thousands of displaced Kenyan women and girls. We cannot move on because the post-election violence simply ripped the lid off deep historical chasms and inequities that have never been truly laid out for resolution.The second myth is the idea that 'It is impossible to know who really won the 2007 election.' Therefore, revert to myth one - get over it and move on. I am frequently challenged on my use of the term 'civil coup'. Anyone who accepts the deeply compromised Kriegler Report at face value must read the articles 'Unfinished business from Kriegler's IREC' and 'Truths missed and tasks dodged: Kriegler report is a half-baked job' to understand how Kenyans have still not received the truth they deserve about the election.The third myth has practically spawned its own genre: the stories of 'what saved Kenya'. My favourite among these so far was recounted to me, in all earnestness, by a Ugandan lawyer: 'It was Museveni who told Raila and Kibaki: Guys, you need to sort this out. Remember how he arrived in Kenya with that briefcase under his arm? The mediation agreement was inside.'

The lessons of how Kenya was pulled back from the brink of anarchy are vital for the rest of the continent. They highlight the unsung importance of skilled civil society professionals doing their jobs and doing them excellently. Of communities standing up for their rights, against poverty and marginalisation. Of pan-African progressive networks. Of building movements and alliances. Building institutions, infrastructure, and coalitions. So that in the moment when somebody needs to speak, the channels exist, and open, for them to be heard.On 3 January 2008, as bloodshed escalated across Kenya, all three daily newspapers agreed to run the same banner headline: 'Save our beloved country'. In the year since, Kenyans have moved from that supplicant pose to one of palpable, vocal outrage at the repeated betrayals of the political class. It is an outrage that has taken to the streets and will not be silenced.Where do we seek visionary possibility in this moment, when it seems that the ruling class will sell the very soil from under our feet? I find it in the heroes of Kenya's peoples' movement. In 'On the frontlines of the struggle', Patrick Kamotho Githinji sets out, with matter-of-fact simplicity, his extraordinary ability to transcend the horrors of Kenya's prisons to educate, empower and advocate for his fellow remandees.Save our beloved country. What does it mean to love a country when we shut our eyes to the brutality enacted daily on the majority of its inhabitants? How can we love our country if we haven't taken in the pain of our own history? If we haven't really looked at, or listened to, the schisms and jagged cracks in our own society? Claiming the truth, feeling everything it evokes in us, is vital political work. To love our country is to demand justice for all Kenyans over sentimental invocations of national unity. To choose truth, evidence-based analysis, and the enormity of the challenges before us over the fallacy of 'moving on'.* Shailja Patel is an award- winning Kenyan poet, writer, and political activist.* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

Kenya: Get the Planes Ready for the Hague

Ndung'u Wainaina and Haron Ndubi:30 January 2009:opinion: pambazuka

Criticising the Kenyan parliament's failure to push through legislation to create a special tribunal to bring those involved in the country's post-election violence to justice, Ndung'u Wainaina and Haron Ndubi argue that parliamentary stalling simply reflects politicians covering their backs. Highlighting the political class's efforts to escape punishment through defensive strategising, Wainaina and Ndubi reiterate that the tribunal was intended for justice for victims rather than allowing perpetrators to merely devise ways to forgive themselves.

Parliament's failure to rush through legislation creating the Special Tribunal to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of the post-election violence is a direct result of the conspiracy by the political class not to do the right thing.President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga waited until the last day to sign the agreement to set up the Special Tribunal as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the Post Election Violence. Their delay had a knock-on effect on the parliamentary calendar, ending in the rush to pass the law and constitutional amendment yesterday -- a move that would have excluded the victims of the violence from the processes of forming the Special Tribunal.Yet, the Special Tribunal proposed by the commission of inquiry, chaired by Justice Philip Waki, was meant to deliver justice for the victims. It was not meant to enable the planners and perpetrators of the violence to meet secretly in parliamentary caucuses to negotiate how to forgive themselves.

The rush in setting up the Special Tribunal concealed several shortcomings in the proposed law that would have hobbled its work.The most glaring loopholes lay in the opportunities the Constitution gives people bent on escaping from justice to frustrate the work of the Special Tribunal. At present, the Constitution only recognises the Judiciary -- consisting of the magistrates' courts, the High Court and the Court of Appeal -- as having the right to try suspects and convict them. Parliament has not insulated the Special Tribunal from constitutional challenges by making it a part of the Judiciary. Further, the Special Tribunal needed to be independent of the existing justice system so that its decisions could not be appealed.The Constitution also protects anyone from being charged with crimes that did not exist under Kenyan law at the time they were committed. In order to prevent suspects from arguing that the crimes they were accused of did not exist before the establishment of the Tribunal, Parliament needed to amend the Constitution to embrace crimes recognised in international law, and to which Kenya is a signatory.Additionally, Parliament had done little to protect the Special Tribunal from the powers of the Attorney General to take over and terminate any case. Nor had it limited the President's powers to grant clemency and pardons so that they do not apply to convictions by the Special Tribunal.Apart from these loopholes in the Constitution, the law creating the Special Tribunal had five key deficiencies:

2) There was no guarantee of protection for witnesses who would appear before the Special Tribunal. The law did not spell out how the Tribunal would protect the interests of witnesses. The current Witness Protection law concerns itself more with whistleblowers rather than witnesses.

3) There was no guarantee of oversight by Parliament, the international community or civil society to ensure that appointments to the Special Tribunal satisfy the criteria of competence and independence. The law did not provide specifically for the full participation of the victims either directly or through representation.

4) The questions of immunity and amnesty had not been addressed.

5) There was a potential clash between the Special Tribunal and the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission -- which ideally share a common objective. They both seek to promote accountability and end impunity in order to build a new society based upon respect for human dignity, democracy and the rule of law. The Tribunal and the TJRC are expected to work in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect, as equal partners. The potential for conflict needs to be diffused. For example, the power of the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission to grant amnesty can conflict with the Special Tribunal's ability to prosecute without interference.

Kenya's political leadership, aware of its culpability in this matter, had been reluctant to embrace the establishment of a Special Tribunal and continued to erect roadblocks in its path.

Overall, the process leading up to the debacle surrounding the establishment of the Special Tribunal did not meet the established thresholds for public consultation. It was shrouded in secrecy and was not accountable in any way. Kenyans had no knowledge whatsoever of the content of the law that was being tabled in Parliament or the Constitutional Amendment Bill that made that law possible.The effort to pass the amendments to the Constitution and the law within a day without giving Kenyans a chance to read and debate them smacked of an elaborate strategy by the political class to escape punishment.With the deadline for establishing a local tribunal elapsing today, Dr Kofi Annan and the Panel of Eminent of African Personalities should note the circumstances that have brought Kenya to this pass and forward the list of suspects to the International Criminal Court -- without delay.People who commit the kind of crimes witnessed in Kenya last year are increasingly ending up at the International Criminal Court if there is no reliable justice system in their country to prosecute them. Recent examples are the ongoing trial of Congo's Jean Pierre Bemba and Liberia's Charles Taylor. Kenyans should not be exempt.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga waited until the last day to sign the agreement to set up the Special Tribunal as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the Post Election Violence. Their delay had a knock-on effect on the parliamentary calendar, ending in the rush to pass the law and constitutional amendment yesterday -- a move that would have excluded the victims of the violence from the processes of forming the Special Tribunal.Yet, the Special Tribunal proposed by the commission of inquiry, chaired by Justice Philip Waki, was meant to deliver justice for the victims. It was not meant to enable the planners and perpetrators of the violence to meet secretly in parliamentary caucuses to negotiate how to forgive themselves.The rush in setting up the Special Tribunal concealed several shortcomings in the proposed law that would have hobbled its work.The most glaring loopholes lay in the opportunities the Constitution gives people bent on escaping from justice to frustrate the work of the Special Tribunal. At present, the Constitution only recognises the Judiciary -- consisting of the magistrates' courts, the High Court and the Court of Appeal -- as having the right to try suspects and convict them. Parliament has not insulated the Special Tribunal from constitutional challenges by making it a part of the Judiciary. Further, the Special Tribunal needed to be independent of the existing justice system so that its decisions could not be appealed.

The Constitution also protects anyone from being charged with crimes that did not exist under Kenyan law at the time they were committed. In order to prevent suspects from arguing that the crimes they were accused of did not exist before the establishment of the Tribunal, Parliament needed to amend the Constitution to embrace crimes recognised in international law, and to which Kenya is a signatory.Additionally, Parliament had done little to protect the Special Tribunal from the powers of the Attorney General to take over and terminate any case. Nor had it limited the President's powers to grant clemency and pardons so that they do not apply to convictions by the Special Tribunal.Apart from these loopholes in the Constitution, the law creating the Special Tribunal had five key deficiencies:

1) Its failure to require that any person being investigated steps aside from public office posed the danger of suspects interfering with evidence and investigations against them. The police, for example, were heavily indicted in the Waki Report. What would stop officers implicated from frustrating investigations if they continued in office? 2) There was no guarantee of protection for witnesses who would appear before the Special Tribunal. The law did not spell out how the Tribunal would protect the interests of witnesses. The current Witness Protection law concerns itself more with whistleblowers rather than witnesses.

4) The questions of immunity and amnesty had not been addressed.

Legal experts have proposed that Tribunal and the TJRC should enter a written, binding and enforceable agreement for the regulation of their relationship within 90 days of both bodies being established. No provision has been made for this in the current law.Kenya's political leadership, aware of its culpability in this matter, had been reluctant to embrace the establishment of a Special Tribunal and continued to erect roadblocks in its path.Overall, the process leading up to the debacle surrounding the establishment of the Special Tribunal did not meet the established thresholds for public consultation. It was shrouded in secrecy and was not accountable in any way. Kenyans had no knowledge whatsoever of the content of the law that was being tabled in Parliament or the Constitutional Amendment Bill that made that law possible.

The effort to pass the amendments to the Constitution and the law within a day without giving Kenyans a chance to read and debate them smacked of an elaborate strategy by the political class to escape punishment.With the deadline for establishing a local tribunal elapsing today, Dr Kofi Annan and the Panel of Eminent of African Personalities should note the circumstances that have brought Kenya to this pass and forward the list of suspects to the International Criminal Court -- without delay.

People who commit the kind of crimes witnessed in Kenya last year are increasingly ending up at the International Criminal Court if there is no reliable justice system in their country to prosecute them. Recent examples are the ongoing trial of Congo's Jean Pierre Bemba and Liberia's Charles Taylor. Kenyans should not be exempt. * Ndung'u Wainaina and Haron Ndubi are members of Kenyans for Peace, Truth and Justice (KPTJ).* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

Kenya: The Truth, Justice And Reconciliation Commission - A Flawed Law

Ndung'u Wainaina:30 January 2009:opinion: pambazuka

Following the creation of two commissions by the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation (KNDR) to address both post-election atrocities and historical human rights violations, Ndung'u Wainaina considers the limitations and weaknesses of an amnesty process likely to disadvantage victims in multiple ways. Signed into law with minimal public consultation, the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), Wainaina argues, possesses deep flaws that will ultimately block rather than facilitate the accountability and national healing the country so desperately needs.

Kenya is at a critical juncture in its 45-year history since independence, caught in a desperate attempt to secure sustainable peace, justice and reconciliation after the violence that followed the December 2007 elections. In pursuit of this goal, the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation (KNDR) signed two crucial agreements, creating:

1. A Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) to investigate historical gross human rights violations (2006 and earlier); and

2. The Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence (CIPEV) to address grave post-election atrocities (2007 onwards).

Both bodies are non-judicial.

It is worth noting that the KNDR process was negotiated and agreed between 'The Parties to the National Dialogue and Reconciliation, together with the Panel of Eminent African Personalities, with a view to promoting the greater interests of the nation as a whole.' This makes it mandatory that subsequent processes arising from the negotiation framework meet international standards. Accordingly, the KNDR process is an international, and not just a national, process.

Public participation in the TJRC process right from its inception is critical in order to guarantee legitimacy and ownership by the people. More importantly, it ensures that the truth, justice and reconciliation process is carried out in a manner beneficial to Kenyans. To the extent that Kenyans are well-informed and able to meaningfully engage in the process, it is insulated from political interference and special interests. These conditions ensure a people-centred, effective and credible truth, justice and reconciliation process.

The TJRC is a means and not an end to excavate Kenya's historical injustices and gross human rights violations, and also to address economic crimes and land grabbing. It plays a critical role in shaping future Kenyan society. The establishment of a truth commission must be seen as part of an overall strategy to address massive human rights and humanitarian law violations. Often serving as an initial component of a broader effort, a truth commission can play a vital role in setting the stage for additional efforts to overcome impunity and promote reconciliation.

No Kenyan wants the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission to be yet another empty commission. Kenya had seen several commissions of inquiry over the years. None of these commissions resulted in any meaningful changes or reforms. Their recommendations were largely ignored by government. To avoid this, the TJRC ought to have sharp teeth, just like the Waki-CIPEV commission. The TJRC should not rely heavily on historically discredited and state-weakened institutions to achieve its objectives.

Sadly, Kenya's Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission bill was signed into law by the president on 29 November 2008 with little public consultation, despite protests from civil society. It is deeply flawed; state driven, state-owned, and skewed to resemble an amnesty commission. It omits the best practice and international standards expected in a truth commission, particularly the necessity of independence.

The centrepiece of the law is an inappropriate and unnecessary amnesty mechanism for human rights violations, economic crimes and even international law violations. The amnesty provisions facilitate impunity for perpetrators in several ways:

1. The legislation says that the TJRC will make its recommendations for amnesty to the attorney general. The attorney general has no constitutional or legal power to grant amnesty. This figure can ignore those recommendations or simply refuse to prosecute.

2. The law has been left open-ended as to whether the attorney general is obliged or even legally authorised to cease prosecution for a crime on the basis of a TJRC recommendation.

3. Further, the law empowers the TJRC to recommend to the attorney general amnesty in cases of civil proceedings and where persons have already been convicted, despite the fact that the attorney general has no legal authority to act.

4. The law talks of 'conditional amnesty' without stating at any point what criteria the amnesty will be 'conditional' upon.

Hence, the amnesty provisions as presently formulated are likely to invite protracted legal challenges.

Victims are at a significant disadvantage in the amnesty recommending process. The commission will not recommend amnesty until it 'has considered any reasonable objection from victims', but it is unclear how far victims will be notified and involved, or have the opportunity to submit such reasonable objections, if a hearing into the case is not held. This is especially likely in the case of economic crimes, offering an escape clause to the powerful and the corrupt through the TJRC process.

Major obstacles are placed in the path of the women, marginalised communities, and poor Kenyans in securing reparations. The TJRC is required to assess and make recommendations on individual applications for reparations from victims of gross human rights violations. The application process is cumbersome and likely to raise unrealistic expectations. How can such reparations be processed without an upfront decision on the scope of those human rights violations and the principles of reparation? In essence, the primary objective of reparations - a guarantee that the crime won't be repeated - is completely obscured.

The TJRC may recommend the 'mechanism and framework' for the implementation of its recommendations. The law requires the government to establish whatever body has been recommended by the commission 'to monitor the implementation of the recommendations and to facilitate their implementation'. These requirements are manifestly unconstitutional, contravening the separation and allocation of executive powers as established by Kenya's constitution. There is no requirement for the National Assembly to consider and debate the commission's findings and recommendations; nor is there any requirement for the government to present its strategy for the implementation of the recommendations to the National Assembly.

Two kinds of justice are called for in Kenya at this moment. The first is retributive justice: a full implementation of the recommendations made in the Waki report on post- election violence, particularly through the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute leading instigators, and a radical overhaul of state institutions. The second kind is reparative, for the historic crimes and human rights violations committed before 2007. An effective and credible Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) would pick up from where the Waki recommendations stop.

Tragically, the deep flaws outlined above in the TJRC law makes it virtually impossible to deliver the accountability, genuine national healing and reconciliation that Kenyans are so hungry for.

* Ndung'u Wainaina is executive director of the International Center for Policy and Conflict, Kenya.

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

Nigeria: Niger Delta Crisis Continues - Can Hope Be Restored? Chioma Oruh:6 February 2009:opinion: pambazuka

In the wake of the death of alleged militant Tubotamuno 'Boy Chiki' Angolia at the hands of Nigeria's Joint Task Force (JTF), Chioma Oruh considers the consequences of the Nigerian state's crackdown on the militant efforts of organisations such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). While much of the mainstream international press lauds the state for the stability (and enhanced official access to oil resources) achieved under the watch of the JTF, Oruh contemplates the inequity behind a system that will happily find funds to enforce order yet comes up empty in the face of local people's abject poverty.

In July 2008, President Umaru Yar'Adua set forth Operation Restore Hope in Nigeria and, consequently, unleashed the military might of the Joint Task Force (JTF). Since last summer, the JTF has reportedly shut down over 300 illegal refineries and promises to be yet more effective in 2009. A major focus of the JTF has also been its concentration on nullifying militant efforts, with a particular focus on suspending the activities of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). Many MEND leaders and other militant organisations have been under the surveillance of the JTF, and operations have been intercepted and attacked by this collaborative effort of various legs of the Nigerian armed forces. Although Nigeria declared a ceasefire with Niger Delta militants following brokered peace talks last summer, many recent activities of the JTF since December 2008 have created more tension in the region. For example, on 25 December 2008, the JTF was noted for killing three militants and injuring four others at an Agip- operated Tebidaba flow station in Bayelsa State. Shortly after news broke of the Agip attack, Nigerian military spokesperson Lt. Col. Rabe Abubakar issued a statement that accused the MEND of provoking the events in Bayelsa. The MEND denied participation in this attack. Tensions continued to rise in the region and, most recently, the MEND called off the ceasefire due to a JTF report of the capture and provoked killing of alleged militant Tubotamuno 'Boy Chiki' Angolia. The JTF pronounced Boy Chiki's death a consequence of his attempt to escape military custody, but MEND-spokesperson Jomo Gbomo made several public statements accusing the JTF of unlawful murder.

Is this the final straw that will break the back of the oil pipes in Nigeria? Most importantly, what impact will the potential firearm free-for-all have on the indigenous population of the Niger Delta? It is hard to tell at this point, but one thing is for certain that whatever comes out of Nigeria can never be said to be unanticipated.

Without the need to recount the history of Nigeria since the discovery of oil in 1956 at Oloibiri by Shell-BP, it has been obvious that Africa's top oil-producing nation has been on the verge of warfare for several decades. With blood on all hands, the noted crisis has earned its name with corruption coming from the side of the government, militants and their mutual sponsors in the shape of foreign interests. Many have accused the Nigerian government of failed leadership on the national and local levels due to their inability to regulate oil companies for bad environmental behaviour as well as their refusal to properly address the needs of the masses of disenfranchised citizens. What continues to go unaccounted, however, is the impact that protecting the interests of transnational corporations has had on the region. For example, even though much of mainstream international press has praised the JTF for its efforts at restoring stability in the Niger Delta, very little has been reported as to how Nigeria (one of the poorest economies in the world) can afford such an elaborate military project while its citizens live in abject poverty. The JTF's protection of the interests of Shell, BP, Julius Berger and host of other companies from Europe, Asia and North America is a direct mockery of Nigeria's professed democracy. This failed democracy has its citizens wishing for the 'good ole days' of military dictatorship, where marginalisation was a more honest and straightforward affair. Now, Nigeria enjoys elections with questionable results while being seduced by US training and equipping programmes under the new military project of AFRICOM. So while MEND gets a CNN special, the Nigerian leaders visited by a delegation of US congressmen pleading the case for an AFRICOM base conveniently goes under the radar.

It is safe to say that Operation Restore Hope has failed, but all is not lost (hopefully). Perhaps this is the moment for an African internationalist remedy, one that connects the dots of the oppression of the indigenous population of Niger Delta to the 500 hundred- year old story that gave birth to the military might protecting the transnational corporations that did the legwork for the slave trade and that sustained both slavery and colonialism. And as the world waits for the other shoe to drop in Nigeria, perhaps Africans everywhere can seize this moment to finally unify. What more needs to happen to Africa's children before their fate is changed? The time is ripe for reconsideration and it is Africa's duty to reconsider everything. And if this be the moment that Africa begins to re-examine its role in history, deconstruct capitalism, pick back up the discourse of unity without borders and finally have its renaissance, let that be the hope restored.

* Chioma Oruh is a graduate student at Howard University in the African Studies Department with a focus on music and liberation movements. She is also a member of the African People's Socialist Party and is one of many organisers for the upcoming African Socialist International North American Conference.

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

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BUSINES AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD Weekly Presentation: February 18 2008 Sub-Saharan Africa Abbas S Lamptey Period: From January 8 to February 14, 2009 THE HEADLINES

14. CHINA‐AFRICA RELATIONS Southern Africa

a. South Africa: Tiens Plans to Grow Local Market:Nicola Mawson:13 February 2009: BUSINESS DAY b. Namibia: China Gives N$65 Million Grant:Brigitte Weidlich:10 February 2009;THE NAMIBIAN c. Botswana: Country Must Exploit Chinese Market – Envoy:Brian Benza:10 February 2009:Mmegi 15. PAN AFRICA West Africa

a. Continent Gets Additional World Bank Seat:Emma Ujah:13 February 2009:VANGUARD

Southern Africa b. SOUTH AFRICA: Beef Up Budget Allocations to Achieve MDGs:Moyiga Nduru:12 April 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY c. SOUTH AFRICA: United African Govt to Carry Greater International Influence:Michael Appel:9 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) d. NAMIBIA: Continent Needs 'Green Revolution':Absalom Shigwedha:10 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

East Africa/Horn of Africa

e. KENYA: Overtaxation Impedes Growth of Continent's Telecoms – Report:Cedric Lumiti:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala) f. UGANDA:Peer Review Project Gets Sh2 Trillion:Joyce Namutebi:10 February 2009:THE NEW VISION g. TANZANIA: Kikwete Exemplary at AU:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

Central Africa

h. RWANDA:Obasanjo Supports Rwanda-DRC Joint Operation:Edmund Kagire:13 February 2009; THE NEW TIMES 16. HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND SOCIAL ISSUES West Africa

a. Sierra Leone: Handbooks On Gender Laws, Child Rights Act Launched:Ibrahim Tarawallie:13 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown) b. Nigeria: Immigrations Nabs Human Traffickers, Rescues 17 Victims in Ogun:Segun Adeleye:9 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos) c. Liberia: Sirleaf Testifies to Truth Commission:Boakai Fofana:13 February 2009:ALLAFRICA d. Nigeria: We've No Gay Nor Lesbian Group, Says Chief Ojo Madueke:Chioma Gabriel:14 February 2009: VANGUARD e. NIGERIA:Five Country Films for Screening At Fespaco 2009:Al-Amin Ciroma:13 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Southern Africa

f. Zimbabwe: Roy Bennett Charged With Treason:Mandisa Mundawarara:14 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) g. Zimbabwe: Lawyers in Three-Day Jail Stakeout:Peta Thornycroft:14 February 2009:CAPE ARGUS h. Zimbabwe: 100 WOZA And MOZA Arrested in Byo:Reporter:14 February 2009:press release: SW Radio Africa (London) East Africa/Horn of Africa

i. Kenya: A Faulty Legislative Process to Combat Impunity:13 February 2009:press release: International Center for Transitional Justice (New York)

Central Africa

j. Congo-Kinshasa: FDLR Spokesman Surrenders:James Karuhanga:13 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES k. Congo-Kinshasa: Mass Child Soldier Release:13 February 2009:press release: Save the Children UK (London) l. Rwanda: Last Chance for Rwandan General Sentenced to Life Imprisonment:21 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne) m. Rwanda: Gacaca Trials to End in June:19 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

17. REFUGEES, IDPs AND MIGRATION West Africa

a. Liberia: Government Engages U.S. Administration on Status of Citizens Facing Deportation:11 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia) b. Nigeria: Govt Worried Over Rural-Urban Migration:11 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) c. Nigeria: Nigerians in Dispora Will Be Forced Out of Jobs – FG:Moses John:9 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Southern Africa

d. South Africa: Civil Violence Will Rise Again, Warns Report:8 February 2009:CAPE ARGUS e. South Africa: UK Demands Visas as Country Fails Safe Passport Test:Julius Baumann:10 February 2009: BUSINESS DAY

East Africa/Horn of Africa

f. UGANDA: Thousands Flee Latest Attack By Ugandan Rebel Group, UN Says:10 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE g. Somalia: U.S. Advised to Back Reconciliation Efforts:Jim Lobe:11 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY h. Kenya: Official Camps Closed But IDPs Still Struggling:11 February 2009: IRIN i. Sudan: Influx of IDPs At Zam Zam Camp in North Darfur:10 February 2009: United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (El Fasher)

Central Africa

j. Chad: UN Expert Urges Country to Step Up Efforts to Protect Internally Displaced:11 February 2009; UN NEWS SERVICE k. Rwanda: Refugees in DRC Opting to Go Back Home:13 February 2009:IRIN l. Central African Republic: UN Aid Reaches Refugees in South-Eastern Chad:13 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE 18. HEALTH (HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA etc) West Africa

a. WEST AFRICA: Scientists Trace HIV Origins to 1924 in West And Central Africa:Sola Ogundipe:10 February 2009:VANGUARD b. Nigeria: CSM Imminent in 26 States:Emeka Mamah:13 February 2009:ANGUARD c. Nigeria: Manufacturer Accuses Govt of Killing Local Drug Industry:Zakariyya Adaramola:9 February 2009;DAILY TRUST d. HIV, Malaria, TB Cost the World Over $2.0 Billion in 2007 – Study:Sola Ogundipe:10 February 2009: VANGUARD e. Ghana: Doctors Alarmed At Spate of Kidney Failures:Charles Takyi- Boadu:12 February 2009: THE CHRONICLE f. Ghana: President Mills Reminded of His Promise On Water:Ebenezer Hanson:9 February 2009: Public Agenda (Accra)

Southern Africa

g. Southern Africa: Cholera in Region Could Be Linked to Zimbabwe, Says UN Health Agency:13 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE h. Zimbabwe: Cholera Cases Rise Beyond 70 000:Alex Bell:12 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) i. South Africa: Microbicide Against HIV is 'Promising':Tamar Kahn:10 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY j. Mozambique: 'Champions for an HIV-Free Generation' Visit:9 February 2009:IRIN k. Southern Africa: Mozambique And Swaziland Cooperate in Health:10 February 2009:IRIN

East Africa/Horn of Africa

l. Kenya: Cholera Outbreak Hits Overcrowded Refugee Camp, UN Reports:13 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE m. Somalia: A New Hospital for Puntland Capital As Security Improves:9 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) Central Africa

n. Rwanda: Global Health Experts Raise Alarm On Chronic Diseases:Berna Namata in Kampala:9 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES 19. ENVIRONMENT West Africa

a. Nigeria: Reps Propose Deadline on Gas Flaring:Osunde Adesuwa:11 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) b. Senegal: Coastal Erosion Research Goes Unfunded:10 February 2009:IRIN c. Liberia: President Sirleaf Signs Forest Management Contract:11 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia)

Southern Africa

d. Southern Africa: SADC Falls in Love With Cross-Border Conservation:Absalom Shigwedha:13 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN e. Namibia: North Under Water:Oswald Shivute:13 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN f. Zimbabwe: Climate Change Programme Launched:10 February 2009:THE HERALD

East Africa/Horn of Africa

g. Uganda: 'Lake Vic Forests Must Be Protected':Henry Mukasa:11 February 2009:THE NEW VISION h. KENYA: People on Front Lines of Climate Change Forced to Face Facts, Find Solutions:12 February 2009:press release: Care (Atlanta) :IRIN i. Uganda: Suspects Arrested Over Wetland:Ismael Kasooha:11 February 2009:THE NEW VISION j. Uganda: 300 Karimojong Settle in Former Wildlife Reserve:11 February 2009: THE NEW VISION

Central Africa

k. Cameroon: Fructifying Trees in Three Years:Fred Vubem:10 February 2009:CAMEROON TRIBUNE l. Rwanda: Partnerships Key to Addressing Global Challenges - Commonwealth Deputy SG:Our Reporter:12 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES 20. ECONOMY AND ENERGY West Africa

a. Burkina Faso: Food Vouchers Newest Tool in UN Arsenal to Combat Hunger:13 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE b. Ghana: Our Wish List for the President:9 February 2009:editorial: Public Agenda (Accra) c. Nigeria: That CNN Report On Niger Delta:Jones Nnanna Ike:10 February 2009:DAILY TRUST d. Nigeria: Oil Companies Withdraw Expatriates From Niger Delta:Chika Amanze-Nwachuku:13 February 2009:THIS DAY e. Nigeria: Abuja, Lagos Airports Pass Continent's First ICAO's Evaluation:Kingsley Alu:13 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja) f. Nigeria: Yar'Adua to Open Timex Summit:Muideen Olaniyi:10 February 2009:DAILY TRUST

Southern Africa

g. Namibia: Govt Holds Its Line On Iran And Uranium:Nangula Shejavali:3 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN h. South Africa: Eskom to Issue Bonds to Help Fund Growth:Siseko Njobeni:13 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY i. Angola: Council of Republic Calls for Economy Diversification:12 February 2009:ANGOLA PRESS j. Mozambique: Zimbabwean Electricity Debt Still 'Unsatisfactory':13 February 2009:IRIN k. Zimbabwe: Properties, a Solid Investment:Paul Nyakazeya:12 February 2009:ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT

East Africa/Horn of Africa

l. East Africa: Long-Term Plan Vital to Combat Crisis Engulfing Horn of Africa - UN Official:12 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE m. East Africa: Undersea Fibre-Optic Cable Nears East African Coast:Cedric Lumiti:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

Central Africa

n. Chad: Cameroon, Chad Energy Inter-Connection Project - Inter-State Technical Committee Unit Created:Lukong Pius Nyuylime:12 February 2009:CAMEROON TRIBUNE o. Rwanda: Regional Fine Coffees Conference Opens:Eddie Mukaaya:13 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES p. Congo-Kinshasa: Joblessness Rises as Global Crisis Hits Mining:Miriam Mannak:12 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICES NEWS AGENCY 21. POLITICS West Africa

a. Nigeria: Obasanjo-Atiku Parley is Marriage Made in Hell – Soyinka:Chioma Gabriel, Uduma Kalu and Taye Obateru in Jos:14 February 2009:interview:VANGUARD

Southern Africa

b. Zimbabwe: Question Marks As Tsvangirai Sworn In:Mafaro Shoko:14 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY c. Zimbabwe: New Cabinet Appointed:14 February 2009: THE HERALD d. Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai's Cabinet Appointments Raise Eyebrows:Constantine Chimakure and Loughty Dube:12 February 2009:ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT e. Zimbabwe: Military Intelligence Behind Roy Bennett Arrest.:14 February 2009:press release: SW Radio Africa (London) f. Botswana: Race for Speaker Hots Up:Ryder Gabathuse:13 February 2009:Mmegi g. South Africa: President 'Creating Confusion' Over Poll:Amy Musgrave:13 February 2009:BUSINESSDAY

East Africa/Horn of Africa

h. Somalia: Islamist President Appoints Western-Educated PM:13 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) 22. PEACEKEEPING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SECURITY MATTERS West Africa

a. Côte d'Ivoire: UN Calls On Government to Push for Presidential Elections in Late 2009:12 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE b. Sierra Leone: UN Peace Building Shows Progress:Crystal G. Ofori:12 February 2009: America.gov (Washington, DC)

East Africa/Horn of Africa

c. Tanzania: Country to Deploy in Darfur:Edwin Musoni:11 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES d. Sudan: Joint UN, African Union Mediator Convenes Darfur Peace Talks in Doha:10 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE e. Sudan: Sorry Tale of Darfur's Helicopters:John Allen:13 February 2009:ALLAFRICA f. Sudan: Ban Calls On Member States to Make Up Critical Shortfalls in Darfur Mission:11 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE g. Somalia: Al Shabaab Vow War Against New Govt, Port Attacked:12 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) Central Africa

h. Congo-Kinshasa: Nairobi Dialogue Expected to Resume Soon:12 February 2009: United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) 23. MILITANCY ,REBELS,TERRORISM AND THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’ East Africa/Horn of Africa

a. Somalia: Somaliland Cabinet Approves Anti-Terror Law:29 January 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) b. Somalia: Pirates Try to Seize Another Six Ships:13 February 2009:ALLAFRICA c. Kenya: Weapons Ship Freed by Somali Pirates Heads for Port:11 February 2009:ALLAFRICA 24. NORTH AFRICA a. Uganda: Muammar Gadaffi Speaks Out on Best:Conan Businge:13 February 2009; THE NEW VISION b. Tunisia: To Meet Growing Demand of Tertiary Institutions, University Professors Will Retire At 65:5 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS c. Tunisia: Broadband Connections Expected to Reach 400,000 by End of 2009:4 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS d. Tunisia: 21 Additional Wetlands Added to 'Ramsar' Convention List:3 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS e. Nigeria: King of Morocco Condoles Country Over Sheikh Lawal's Death:Abbas Jimoh:3 February 2009: DAILY TRUST 25. NEWS COMMENTARIES,OPINIONS AND ANALYSES China In Africa Project

a. Uganda: Country Can Reap From China's Success:Edgar Tabaro;11 February 2009:opinion: The Weekly Observer (Kampala)

West Africa

b. Nigeria: Ghadafi - African God With His Message:Sunny Igboanugo Dan Kanu Austin Oboh And Rafiu Ajakaye:11 February 2009:opinion: Daily Independent (Lagos) c. Nigeria: Why They're Afraid of Ghaddafi:Owei Lakemfa:13 February 2009:opinion:VANGUARD d. Nigeria: Gaddafi - What Manner of Model for Africa?:Atu Ikot:11 February 2009:opinion: Daily Independent (Lagos) e. Nigeria: Gitmo - in From the Cold?:Sam Amadi:26 January 2009:opinion:THIS DAY

Southern Africa f. Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai-Should One Stay in Or Out?:Sunny Ntayombya:13 February 2009:column:THE NEW TIMES(RWANDA) g. SOUTH AFRICA: United African Govt Can Not Be Reached Overnight:Vivian Warby:10 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) h. Time to Build Zim the Zim Way:Reason Wafawarova:13 February 2009:opinion:THE HERALD(GOVT NEWSPAPER)

East Africa/Horn of Africa

i. Madagascar: The Madagascar Scandal:11 February 2009 :editorial:DAILY TRUST j. UGANDA:Continent Needs a Firebrand Like Muammar Gadaffi:Jerry Okungu:12 February 2009:column:THE NEW VISION k. UGANDA:Polygamy Not to Blame for South Africa HIV:Kintu Nyago:11 February 2009:analysis: The Weekly Observer (Kampala) l. UGANDA: Continent Will Miss America's George Bush:Kintu Nyago:9 February 2009:opinion:THE NEW VISION

Africa in the International Press

m. Pan-Africanism and Palestine Solidarity - A History of Anti-Imperialist Struggle:Abayomi Azikiwe:12 February 2009:opinion:PAMBAZUKA n. Obama Offers New Approach to Counterterrorism:David McKeeby:23 January 2009:analysis: America.gov (Washington, DC) o. ZIMBABWE: Making a Bad Deal Work?:10 February 2009:analysis:AFRICAFOCUS p. Nigeria: Climate Change - Britain Predicts Global Catastrophe:Onwuka Nzeshi:11 February 2009:THIS DAY

------THE REPORT IN DETAIL

26. CHINA‐AFRICA RELATIONS

Southern Africa

South Africa: Tiens Plans to Grow Local Market:Nicola Mawson:13 February 2009; BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — CHINESE group Tiens will expand its penetration of the South African market when it opens two branches this year, in Cape Town and Durban respectively.Tiens Southern Africa GM Kevin Hou said last week this was part of the group's plan to expand into the white market .The company, which sells health supplements to members who on-sell the products, opened its first outlet in Randburg, Johannebsurg, last year.Hou said last week that the company had grown tremendously since its arrival in SA in 1998 and now had 30000 members who distributed its products.Hou said Tiens had earmarked SA and southern Africa as growth area s . It will open a branch in Madagascar and another in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year.The Randburg office controlled 12 offices in Africa, he said. The store, which stocks between 30 and 40 health supplements, also sells products such as washing powder.Tiens has a turnover of about R4,54m in SA and had invested more than R10m in the country, H ou said. Tiens started in China in 1995 and has a presence in 190 countries .

Namibia: China Gives N$65 Million Grant:Brigitte Weidlich:10 February 2009;THE NAMIBIAN

THE Peoples' Republic of China signed another grant agreement with the Namibian Government yesterday, this time for 50 million Yuan (N$65 million).It brings the total funding from China since Independence in 1990 past the one billion Namibia dollar mark.More aid is in the pipeline, such as the upgrading and expansion of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) military school to a full-fledged Defence Academy for around N$65 million and the construction of a youth training centre for about N$130 million.According to Chinese Ambassador Ren Xiaoping, the use of the new grant will still be decided on.

"The projects to be funded by this new grant will be negotiated between our two countries," Xiaoping said.She added that China was fully paying for the construction of the presidential residence at the new State House."This is a pure grant and construction will be completed by September this year."China is about to build a school at Omuthiya and a hospital for the Namibian Government. Two more schools will be built at Tsumkwe, while an aquaculture research centre was recently completed near Divundu close to the Okavango River.Since Independence China has given Namibia two grants of 30 and 50 million Yuan, an interest-free loan of 30 million Yuan and one billion Yuan as a concessional loan.

The Director General of the National Planning Commission, Dr Peter Katjavivi, yesterday said that Government launched its third five-year national development plan (NDP3) last November which required some N$76 billion."While a large part could be secured, it still leaves a gap of N$11 billion in potential resources that need to be mobilised."Asked what happened to the US$100 million (N$1 billion) credit line offered by Chinese premier Hu Jintao during his state visit to Namibia in February 2007, Katjavivi replied that this had not yet been utilised.

Ambassador Xiaoping said the credit line might possibly be used to upgrade and expand the port of Walvis Bay, which will cost approximately N$1,3 billion.In response to a question about complaints of low wages by Namibian workers employed by Chinese construction companies, and northern businesses worried about being pushed out of business by Chinese retailers, Katjavivi said this "issue is being shared with our Chinese friends and addressed by our line ministries"."I am aware of a recent report on a survey about this issue but I am not in the full picture," he said.Last week, Works and Transport Minister Helmut Angula told a meeting at Keetmanshoop that the Chinese government was pushing for Chinese workers to do construction work in Namibia."They cannot work with African workers since they have a different culture," Angula said.According to him, the Chinese government believes that Namibian construction companies do not have the capacity to take on large projects like the rehabilitation of the final 47 kilometres of the Aus-Lüderitz railway line.Namibia has no money left for that project, which will cost N$70 million, and is negotiating another soft loan to complete the rail link upgrade."The bone of contention is whether to allocate the tender to a Chinese or Namibian company," Minister Angula said.

Botswana: Country Must Exploit Chinese Market – Envoy:Brian Benza:10 February 2009:Mmegi

Botswana's troubled diamond industry could find solace in the Chinese market where prices and demand are expected to remain relatively stable, Chinese ambassador to Botswana Ding Xiaowen has said.

Speaking in an interview with Business Today, the Chinese envoy said on Friday that Botswana should actively try and penetrate the Chinese market as the traditional markets such as United States of America (US), Europe and Japan are wilting in the wake of the global recession.Because of the economic downturn, diamond exports are expected to drop by over 50 percent, leaving a huge hole in the national treasury, which has been heavily dependent on diamond revenues for a long time.Ambassador Ding says that that although China has been affected by the crunch, the impact has been minimal compared to other developed countries. As a result, the demand for commodities like diamonds has not plummeted that much."In as much as the economic crisis is a global phenomenon, which China cannot be immune to, the impact of the crunch on the economy is very low. Although we have been affected by the same bug that most people are suffering from, we have not been infected.

"Young couples in China are still getting married and I do not see them postponing their weddings for too long because of the recession."The diamond industry should seize this opportunity and open up more trade channels."It is estimated about 10 million people get married annually in China, and they spend an astonishing 250 billion Yuan (about 25 billion euros) in the process.The ambassador, who would be leaving his post this month and heading back to Beijing, also expressed his optimism about the Botswana economy, saying the impact of the credit crunch on Botswana was being exaggerated."It is not that there has been a total collapse in the demand for diamonds from the end-buyers, couples can wait may be a few months for their wedding ceremony, but they cannot postpone for two or three years."The future may seem bleak at the moment only because the market players have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. The diamond dealers are waiting for the miners to cut their prices and the producers are also not willing to sell at the low prices and are stockpiling or slowing down production until prices improve. The consumer, on the other hand, cannot wait forever and a compromise will have to be reached some where along the chain. This is why I believe the diamond industry will rejuvenate soon and the future is not so bad for Botswana," said Ding.He said that the only problem is that Botswana is a small economy and therefore chances of catching the global bug are slightly higher though the country is sitting on a healthy amount of foreign exchange reserves, which per capita, are among the highest in the world.Last Monday, Finance and Development Planning minister Baledzi Gaolathe told Parliament in his Budget Speech that that Botswana has over P72 billion in foreign reserves, which translate to a 28-month import bill cover.

Gaolathe shrugged off orthodox textbook economics and announced an expansionary budget, which will release at least P10 billion into the economy as part of a stimulus package to tackle the global economic crisis.Last November, the Chinese government availed a US$586 billion stimulus package, which includes massive expenditures on the infrastructure development, China's Xinhua news agency said.The money will be spent over the next two years to partly finance low-income housing, and technological innovation.

27. PAN AFRICA

West Africa

Continent Gets Additional World Bank Seat:Emma Ujah:13 February 2009:VANGUARD

Abuja — The World Bank's Board of Governors has approved a first phase of reforms to increase the influence of developing countries within the World Bank Group. It has also added a seat for Sub-Saharan Africa.The step would allow developing countries a majority of seats on the Executive Board which translates to expanding their voting powers, as well as capital shares.A statement from the bank's headquarters in Washington, yesterday, quoted the President, Mr. Robert Zoellick, as saying, "Expanding the developing world's voice was central to delivering effective aid and promoting shared prosperity and development within a 21st Century economic reality.

Adding another seat for Africa, reaching developing country majority on the Board, expandingdeveloping country shares and laying the groundwork for further reforms represent real change.I am pleased our reform process is on track. I encourage shareholders to take action now on governmental approvals of the voting share changes, and to continue their efforts at further, more ambitious reforms."These reforms were initially agreed at the World Bank Group's Annual Meetings in October 2008, ahead of the Spring 2009 target.With the Governors' approval, the amendment to the Bank's Articles of Agreement to increase basic votes, which benefit smaller shareholders, now moves to the 185 member countries for final approval. In order to take effect the amendment must be approved by 3/5 of member countries with 85% of votes.Besides creating additional chair at the Board for Sub-Sahara Africa, the reform package has brought the share of developing countries in Bank voting power to 44%, aimed in particular at adding voice for the low income countries. As a second step, shareholders have agreed that the Bank should undertake a comprehensive and intensive work program to realign bank shareholdings, moving towards an equitable voting power between developed and developing countries.Such a work program would also include voice reforms at the Bank's affiliated member organization, the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Work on the second phase is already underway, the group said.Participation of developing countries' nationals in the staff and management of the World Bank plays an important role in the voice reform.Already, nearly two thirds of Bank staff and 42 % of all Bank managers are from developing countries.Since Zoellick became World Bank Group President, seven of his nine senior appointments have been from developing countries.

Southern Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: Beef Up Budget Allocations to Achieve MDGs:Moyiga Nduru:12 April 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Johannesburg — African states should put in place sufficient budget allocations and the right policies if the continent is to meet the global and regional health care targets that governments have committed themselves to, say campaigners.In 2000 African states, along with most of the world, agreed to meet the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. African heads of state also committed their countries to improving health care across the continent by 2010 at a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2001.

Of the eight MDGs, three relate directly to health. One calls for reducing child mortality, the other for improving maternal health and the last one is aimed at combating HIV/AIDS and malaria. Campaigners are concerned that the majority of African nations will not achieve these MDGs.Therefore, representatives from 143 member organisations of the African Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS and Allies came together in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week (Apr 9-13) to lobby African health ministers who were meeting at the same time to draft the Africa Health Strategy 2007-2015.

The coalition urged African governments to allocate 15 percent of national budgets to health care, as per the Abuja commitment of 2001. It also urged governments to engage civil society and line ministries in mobilising resources for tuberculosis (TB).Member states should work towards closing the TB funding gap of nearly 11 billion US dollars over the next decade, the coalition demanded. It organised a demonstration on 11 April. About 1,000 people participated.

"Eight million Africans are dying from HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria every year. We want to stop this," Regis Mtutu of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) told IPS in an interview. TAC is a pressure group based in Cape Town, South Africa, which seeks access to drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS."We cannot meet the MDGs at this pace. We need to double up our efforts through some extraordinary work, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria," said Mtutu. Regarding the commitment to put aside 15 percent of national budgets for health services, "only Botswana and The Gambia have met this promise", Mtutu said.Following the demonstration in Johannesburg, the coalition presented its petition to the African Union (AU) commission for health. "We hope that they will listen to us. We are not fighting them. We are sending our message robustly," Mtutu said.Part of the African health ministers' discussions included a plan to set up pharmaceutical plants for producing life- prolonging anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). Mtutu pointed out that "the ministers for finance and industry were not part of the discussion. To succeed, the health ministers need mandates from their finance and industry counterparts."If we are to achieve the MDGs, the key ministerial clusters need to meet in the next six to 12 months," Mtutu said.

Some campaigners say meeting the health MDGs cuts across other areas such as combating poverty, improving sanitation and infrastructure. Eve Edete, policy officer at Oxfam Kenya office, told IPS that "'MDGs' is just a label. It is a brand."HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other diseases are really the issue. It is about systems to deliver health care. This should be the starting point to meeting the MDGs," said Edete.

Although governments have committed themselves to the MDGs and the Abuja target, some prefer to move at their own pace. Kenya's government, for example, says it will commit 12 percent of its national budget to health by 2008, according to Ruth Charo of Kenya's Health Nongovernmental Organizations Network based in the capital Nairobi."It should be a step-by-step approach. Each country has its own strategy. If you set a time frame it might not work. For example, you cannot expect (strife-torn) countries like Somalia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo to reach the 15 percent target. It is not practical," she told IPS.

The coalition said in a statement that "the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe deserves special mention as it is also a health crisis for Africa. People living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe cannot obtain the care they need and the climate of violence is perpetuating the epidemics of HIV and TB."The shockwaves from the crisis in Zimbabwe are reverberating throughout the continent as refugees seek health care and other services in neighbouring countries. Our health ministers must speak out on Zimbabwe on health and humanitarian grounds," the coalition argued.

Civil society groups put the number of Zimbabweans who have fled their country since the crisis began in 2000 to 5 million, with 2.5 million of them believed to be living in South Africa. Others have fled to Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Britain and the United States.In a new report, "Paying for People", published this month (April), Oxfam estimates that 13.7 billion US dollars must be invested every year to appoint an additional 1 million teachers and 2.1 million health care workers urgently needed to break the cycle of poverty in Africa.Oxfam is an international charity which is part of the coalition which lobbied African health ministers in Johannesburg,"Today in too many of the world's poorest countries health and education services are dependent on a handful of workers struggling heroically to do their jobs on pitiful wages and in appalling conditions. Becoming a doctor, nurse or teacher is like signing a contract with poverty," Oxfam's Elizabeth Stuart wrote in the report.According to the report, "Africa has 13 percent of the global population and 25 percent of the global burden of disease but only 1.3 percent of the global workforce."The report cites Tanzania as an example. This southern African country produces 640 doctors, nurses and midwives each year. But to reach the World Health Organisation's recommended staffing levels within 10 years it would need to produce 3,500 such health workers each year.

Another example is Malawi where only nine percent of health facilities have adequate staff to provide basic health care. The country loses around 100 nurses each year "who emigrate in search of a better wage", according to the Oxfam report.Charo told IPS that Kenyan health workers are not only moving overseas but are also seeking opportunities in the private sector for better pay. "If you work for government, you get 12,000 Kenya shillings (about 172 US dollars) but in the NGO or private sector you earn 40,000 shillings (nearly 572 US dollars) a month. People are tempted to move on."

SOUTH AFRICA: United African Govt to Carry Greater International Influence:Michael Appel:9 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

A single African Union (AU) government would give Africa greater influence on the international stage, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma told Parliament on Monday."A united Africa speaking with a single voice would also be more influential in global affairs. Furthermore the benefits of political and economic integration are evident when we look at the experience of other regions of the world [such as the European Union]," the minister said.She was speaking during a debate on President Kgalema Motlanthe's State of the Nation Address.

The idea of creating a future union government for Africa, which is believed would boost Africa's international standing, has been discussed for several years among the region's leaders.However, many African leaders are reluctant to relinquish any of their sovereignty to a new government, while some favour strengthening regional institutions before creating a continent-wide system.The establishing of a unified Africa to give Africa stronger bargaining power at international forums has been a dream of several generations of pan-AfricanistsIt was also a topic which received much attention at the 12th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week. Leaders had agreed on transforming the African Union Commission into the AU Authority as a compromise step toward eventually forming a continent-wide government. "We have just come from Addis Ababa where it was decided that the African Union Commission should be transformed into the African Union Authority in an effort to strengthen it. However, the details are still to be worked out," she said

Minister Dlamini Zuma said that economic regional and continental integration was not optional but a must due to the current global financial crisis as well as in the wake of some of the destructive conflicts Africa has been experiencing."There can be no doubt that a better Africa requires that we accelerate investments in some critical sectors like energy, infrastructure such as roads, ports and telecommunications, facilitating easier intra and inter-regional trade, especially because Africa has most of the landlocked countries," said the minister. NAMIBIA: Continent Needs 'Green Revolution':Absalom Shigwedha:10 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

IF Africa does not take decisive action now to produce enough food for its people and boost food security, African nations will not be truly independent, a renowned Kenyan agricultural scientists said yesterday.Akinwumi Adesina, Vice President of the Nairobi- based Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is calling for an African green revolution, which he wants to start now.He said many Africans are in need of food because the continent does not produce enough food for its people."It's time to invest in agriculture to boost food security. We must try something new, a uniquely African green revolution," Adesina told a two-day meeting on sustainable development in agriculture, which started in Windhoek yesterday.

Adesina said while Africa has addressed many challenges and made enormous progress, many challenges still remain and the main one is the need to transform African smallholder agriculture from a trap to an opportunity for prosperity."Our generation must rise to the challenge of ending hunger and poverty, once and for all," he said.Adesina said the global prices of major staple foods had quadrupled in the last few years before starting to decline recently, and none of this has benefited African farmers or consumers.The rise in prices, he said, drove more people into poverty and hunger and increased malnutrition."Today, 300 million Africans face chronic hunger while net-food- importing countries suffered as prices rose. The high food prices more than doubled Africa's import bill over US$15 billion in 2008," he said.He called on the African continent not be caught by surprise by the next food crisis."Conventional thinking has it that the solution to hunger lies not in the ability to produce food but to have access to food. In Africa, the food crisis tested that theory and proved it wrong," Adesina argued.

He said even when food-deficit developing countries wanted to buy food, there was none as some major exporters had placed bans on food exports, which worsened price volatility.African countries, he said, need to move away from reliance on food imports, to securing their food supplies through rapid, sustainable increase in food production."No nation can be said to be truly independent and sovereign if it is unable to secure its own food supplies. Africa must start to view food security with the same priority given to national security. After all, no nation farms out its national defence to the market," Adesina added.

He said African farmers should be financially assisted by governments and financial institutions to increase production and priority should be given to smallholder farmers, who form the majority of the farming population."The Green Revolution in Africa must focus on the specific needs of women farmers, who make up 70 per cent of farmers and 80 per cent of food processors, yet they lack equitable access to finances, to education and land," Adesina said.

East Africa/Horn of Africa KENYA: Overtaxation Impedes Growth of Continent's Telecoms – Report:Cedric Lumiti:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

Nairobi — A cruel taxation system and high cost of doing business are key impediments in the growth of the telecommunications sector in Africa.A report by Ernst and Young has indicted African governments' over taxation and poor infrastructure as making investors in telecommunications bear huge costs while others have been turned away.Releasing the report in Nairobi, Julia Lamberth of the Global Telecommunications Centre for Africa said though Africa is the fastest growing market in telecommunications, this growth is threatened unless governments address these inherent concerns.

As a result of the high business costs, a paltry three percent of the total foreign direct investment in the sector ends up in Africa.The report however says even with the current world economic downturn, the telecommunications sector in Africa will still grow faster than in other continents for the next three to five years.According to the report, voice services will still dominate the growth to operators' revenues in the medium term though data could start to play a more important role.The catalyst of all this growth however the report says will be the arrival of the fibre optic cable.

The report also indicates that corruption in African governments has seen a shift in investment as most companies fear the cost implication this would pose for their prospective ventures.The report also highlights poor infrastructure as one of the factors that have driven up the cost of investing in telecommunications on the continent.As a result, most communications companies have had to do with wireless technology as opposed to the fibre optic which is more reliable and poses numerous opportunities for investments.The report says despite the recent influx of investors especially in the mobile telephony sub-sector, several opportunities still prevail and with a prudent regulatory framework the sector could grow further.

These were sentiments shared by mobile service provider Safaricom's CEO Michael Joseph who said taxation remains the most serious challenge for player in the telecommunication sector in Kenya.Currently, the government charges a 26 percent VAT (value added tax) on airtime, a fact players in the industry blame for the slow penetration of communication services in the country. Only one third of the 36 million Kenyans have access to a mobile phone.The report indicates that most of the growth in the sector is concentrated in urban areas but advises the government to give incentives for investment in the rural areas.

UGANDA:Peer Review Project Gets Sh2 Trillion:Joyce Namutebi:10 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — THE Government has provided $1b (about sh2trillion) for the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) National Programme of Action (POA).Finance state minister Fred Omach said $4.9b was needed for the programme.He was speaking to participants at the opening of a three-day New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) workshop at Speke Resort Munyonyo yesterday.

The APRM, a NEPAD initiative, is a mutually agreed instrument by member states of the African Union (AU), as a continental self-monitoring mechanism. Its objective is to promote good governance in member states. During the peer review of Uganda at the AU summit in Egypt in June 2008, President Yoweri Museveni made a commitment to implement the APRM.The $1b, provided for in the 2008/2009 budget, is meant to support political governance and democracy, social and economic governance and corporate governance, according to Bishop Zac Niringiye, the vice-chairperson of Uganda's APRM national commission. The workshop is meant to build consensus among partners.The participating institutions include Parliament, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the Uganda Law Reform Commission, the Institute of Corporate Governance, Makerere University and the Uganda Manufacturers Association.In attendance are the staff of the National Planning Authority (NPA), a body mandated to handle national capacity development, NEPAD officials, experts from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Lesotho and academics.Niringiye said the APRM national commission report would soon be launched. He said he hoped the placement of NPA under the Ministry of Finance would be one of the issues to be discussed.

TANZANIA: Kikwete Exemplary at AU:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

LAST week, President Jakaya Kikwete completed his one-year term of office as African Union (AU) Chair. He was appointed to the top job in Africa with only two years in office as President of Tanzania. For him and Tanzania in particular, this was a great feat. During his tenure Kikwete combined the two responsibilities, the presidency and the AU chairmanship remarkably.Some of the challenges he faced were the Comoros, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) apart from inside the AU Secretariat where he pressed for staff matters including better salaries that matched their responsibilities.Kikwete also represented Africa at international fora as spokesperson of the organization and consulted several world leaders and international organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Upon his appointment, Kikwete promised to give priority to five areas during his one- year tenure. These included defence and security; looking after Africa's political and economic interests; exploring opportunities that stimulate the development and prosperity of the continent; addressing social and cultural issues; and strengthening the Africa Union and its institutions.Today, after one year, the AU's assessment of how he tackled the issues tells it all.In consultations with other African leaders, he intelligently and bravely solved some of the problems facing the continent.On conflict resolution in Kenya, Congo, the Comoros and Burundi peace processes, he made positive strides in bringing peace and security in those areas.

Although the continent still continues to face longstanding as well as emerging conflicts in some countries, there have been quite a number of leaps in political and social areas.On economic achievements, last year saw Africa's economy growing by an average of 5.8% despite the end of year international finasncial crunch.Kikwete also promoted African Union affairs and pushed development with other governments and international organizations. He also addressed universal jurisdiction and strengthened African Union institutions. East Africa as a region gained from his tenure as he constantly promoted regional integration and the East African Community gained prominence as a result.

Central Africa

RWANDA:Obasanjo Supports Rwanda-DRC Joint Operation:Edmund Kagire:13 February 2009; THE NEW TIMES

Urugwiro Village — The Envoy to the United Nations Secretary General, Olusegun Obasanjo has hailed the progress of the Rwanda- Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) joint offensive against FDLR rebels in the Eastern part of DRC.Obasanjo who is currently facilitating Nairobi Peace talks between the Government of DRC and the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) rebels was in the country to present a progress report on the talks to President Paul Kagame yesterday.

Speaking to journalists shortly after a brief call on President Kagame at Urugwiro Village Wednesday evening, Obasanjo said that Nairobi talks have continued and have reached a satisfactory level, despite the successes scored by the joint operation.The former Nigerian Head of State said that the peace process will still go on to ensure that CNDP rebels are not only fully integrated into the National army but also ensure that they are fully involved in the day to day political running of the country.He however commended the two Presidents for having reached a vital stand of jointly working to flush out the rebel elements of FDLR made up of ex-FAR/Interahamwe militias who are a major concern to the peace process.Obasanjo, who had earlier called on President Joseph Kabila of DRC to deliver the progress report, expressed optimism that the joint offensive otherwise known as Operation Umoja Wetu would yield positive results by the time it ends.Meanwhile the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the mandate of the Joint Task Force will be extended by the two countries to completely wipe out the FDLR once and for all.She however added that the issue remains a subject of the two leaders and such an arrangement, if reached, should be only within the month of February.Museminali said that apart from the operation, a lot of work was still going on including the peace process which Obasanjo is overseeing and the full integration of CNDP forces which will require sometime.

Since the operation began, there has been an integration process of various DRC rebel groups including the CNDP, into the Congolese national army.Speculation has been rife on whether the mandate of the operation which began on the January 20 would be extended further to enable the joint forces to complete the offensive which has so far registered considerable successes.Since the operation began in mid January, 214 combatants and 2557 non combatants have surrendered to the Joint Task Force and have successfully been repatriated, while 89 FDLR insurgents have been killed. 28. HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND SOCIAL ISSUES

West Africa

Sierra Leone: Handbooks On Gender Laws, Child Rights Act Launched:Ibrahim Tarawallie:13 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

Freetown — The lawyers center for legal assistance (LAWCLA), in collaboration with the 50-50 group and the forum for Africa women educationalist (FAWE), have launched five simplified handbooks on the recently passed gender laws and child rights act, as well as training manuals.LAWCLA's director, Melron Nicol-Wilson, told his audience at Santano House in Freetown that the handbooks and training manuals would make it easier for people to understand the three gender laws and the child rights act, which were passed into law by parliament in 2007.He said the project for the simplification of the gender laws and the child rights act, which culminated in the production of five handbooks and three training manuals, started in 2008.Nicol-Wilson expressed optimism that the handbooks and the training manuals would serve their intended purposes.

"The purpose of the manuals is to guide human rights groups on their training. LAWCLA and its partners will soon be conducting public education and training programs on the content of the gender acts and the child rights act," he said.Acting national coordinator of FAWE, Eileen Hanciles said they found out that most people did not understand the laws because of the language used.She said it is very important for people to know the gender laws and the child rights act, so that they can protect their rights.Hanciles said her organization would continue to partner with LAWCLA in similar projects and called on all, especially women, to make good use of the handbooks.President of 50-50 group, Harietta Turay said her organization stands for the promotion of women's issues in the country.

She said the handbooks and manuals would help every Sierra Leonean to know more about the gender laws and child rights act.Minister of social welfare, gender and children's affairs, Haja Musu Kandeh said the gender act can make headway in protecting women's rights but that it would only be possible if implemented properly.She said all stakeholders have a key role to play in ensuring the gender laws and the child rights act are fully implemented."I hope the handbooks and training manuals would help all and sundry to understand the gender laws better," she said.Haja Kandeh, however, expressed disappointment that her ministry was not contacted before the handbooks were produced.

Nigeria: Immigrations Nabs Human Traffickers, Rescues 17 Victims in Ogun:Segun Adeleye:9 February 2009: Daily Independent (Lagos)

Abeokuta — Ogun State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested four suspected human traffickers; rescuing 17 of their victims.The suspects; two of them middle aged women, were paraded in Abeokuta on Friday, by the state Comptroller of Immigration, Ben Idu. Immigration officers in Ijoun/Tobolo Control Post intercepted Juliana Agesu (45) and Muyibat Busari (30) with two young male accomplices.Idu added that Agesu and Busari were intercepted with 17 children aged between seven and 16 years, on their way to Lagos; where the victims were allegedly meant to be distributed to various households as domestic servants.

The comptroller explained that the team commenced their journey from Amanze in Benin Republic, at about 4.45 a.m., and made their way through illegal routes before they were apprehended about two hours later.He stated that their accomplices, Ogungbeyi Oseni and Yinusa Kazeem, confessed that their movement to Lagos as houseboys had made them "local champions" in their Republic of Benin town."During interrogation, the boys confessed that since they were engaged as house helps in Lagos, they had become cynosures of all eyes in their towns.They said during the last Christmas/New Year celebrations, they impressed many youngsters in their town, because of the way they dressed and spent money," he said.Before handing over the suspects and the victims to relevant agencies, Idu urged parents and guardians to "stop trafficking their children on account of poverty.

"The place of children as leaders of tomorrow should be in the classrooms and not in the plantation, quarries sites or farms."We are ever ready to stamp out human trafficking in Ogun State, that is why it is necessary for members of the public to assist us with useful information that could lead to the arrest of traffickers, and to rescue of their victims," he said.

Liberia: Sirleaf Testifies to Truth Commission:Boakai Fofana:13 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

Monrovia — Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf testified before the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Thursday, where she denied being part of any rebel group during the 14-year civil war.Sirleaf's appearance came as a surprise to many as it was not previously announced by the commission. Local radio stations reported that the hearing took place under tight security at the commission's headquarters. Hearings normally take place at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia.

In her testimony, Sirleaf said she had endorsed former president Charles Taylor's rebellion against President Samuel Doe but had never been part of the rebel group. “If there's anything I need to apologize to this nation for is the fact I was fooled by Mr. Taylor,” local radio stations reported her as telling the commission.President Sirleaf admitted to being a part of a group of exiled Liberians who lent their support to Mr. Taylor without being aware of his true intentions. "I feel it in my conscience," Sirleaf said. "I feel it every day."Sirleaf, an opposition politician during Doe's rule, was kept under house arrest and incarcerated before fleeing the country into exile in the 1980s.Her appearance at the truth commission has been a source of debate for many. Many Liberians anxiously awaited her testimony on previous occasions when it was rumored she would appear. Nigeria: We've No Gay Nor Lesbian Group, Says Chief Ojo Madueke:Chioma Gabriel:14 February 2009: VANGUARD

NIGERIA appeared at the United Nations in Geneva before the UN Human Rights Council to defend its human rights record during the week.Under its universal periodic review mechanism proceedure, in a session lasting three hours Chief Ojo Madueke presented an overview of Nigeria's human rights situation, addressing issues raised by members of the Council on the rights of women, death penalty and Nigeria's criminal justice system, the Niger Delta, extra-judicial killing and the state of prisons in Nigeria.

His presentation caused a stir when he informed members of the council that the government of Nigeria had been unable to locate persons of gay and sexual orientation, despite concerted efforts by his ministry to include this category of persons in the consultations on the human rights situation in Nigeria.He further informed the audience that his ministry located only one woman of lesbian orientation and when invited to participate in a discussion on the rights of gay and lesbian persons, the lady informed his Ministry that she was pregnant.Also speaking at the review process, Chief Micheal Aondoaka, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice informed the audience that the government of |Nigeria does not condone torture as an official policy. He said the activities of the government of Nigeria is based in the rule of law and President Umaru Yar'Adua was committed to the observance of the rule of law in all it activities.Senator Eme Ekaete, Chairperson senate commitee on women in her contribution said that the government of Nigeria had made tremendous progress with respect to the rights of women and the ability of women to participate in public life. She cited the improvement in the number of women in the national assembly as well as in the executive.

Speaking on the Niger Delta she told members of the council to distinguish between criminality and the genuine aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta for better living. In his contribution Senator Umaru Dahiru, Chairman Senate Commitee on Human Rights, assured members of the council that the National Assembly was commited to ensuring the independence of the National Human Rights Council.He said that the enabling law of the Council is before the senate and will be passed into law as soon as possible.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new and unique mechanism of the United Nations which consists of the review of the human rights practices all States in the world, once every four years.The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an intergovernmental body within the United Nations System.Olawale Fapohunda leader of the Human Rights NGO delegation to the Council stated that the UPR process is a positive development for the promotion and protection of the rights of Nigerians. He said this is an additional protective mechanism to guarantee the rights of Nigerians.

A report on the state of human rights in Nigeria is expected to the adopted by the Human Rights council on Wednesday.The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly. Based in Geneva, the UNHRC's main purpose is to make recommendations to the General Assembly about situations in which human rights are violated. The UNHRC has no authority except to make recommendations to the General Assembly.The General Assembly has no authority except to advise the Security Council.

NIGERIA:Five Country Films for Screening At Fespaco 2009:Al-Amin Ciroma:13 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — With two weeks to the kick -off of the 21st edition of FESPACO, the biennial Pan African film fiesta in the West African sub-region, five Nigerian films have been selected for screening during the festival which begins on February 28 to March 7, 2009.The films are "Changing Faces" by Farouk Lasaki (Production supported by Nigerian Film Corporation), "Trapped Dream" by Ubaka Joseph Ugochwuku, "Oluronbi" by Buariu Adebayo Ogundimu. Others are "Arugba" and "Life in Slow Motion" both by Tunde Kelani.The films which have been accepted and certified to have met international standards by the organisers of FESPACO, will be screened in the African video format category according to a statement from FESPACO.Screening of the five films will further boost the development of the Nigerian motion picture whose producers have risen to the challenges of making films that can be globally accepted and screened at international film festivals.

The producers of the five films have also been commended for their works which has further upped the rating of African films.While all other films will be screened in the Panorama African TV-Video category, "Arugba", by Tunde Kelani has been selected for competition in the Features video/TV film category.Meanwhile, the French dubbed version of Faruk Lasaki's "Changing Faces" is expected to debut at the festival.The acceptable format for the Pan African film festival and Television festival are; the DV- Cam-Pal, DVD-Pal and the 35mm print.With the convergence of film makers in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital for one week, and with the five Nigerian film makers/ films slated for both the competitive and non-competitive sections of the festival; (an appearance unprecedented in the history of FESPACO), it is hoped that Nigeria's participation will further draw the world's attention to the nation's budding motion picture industry and encourage other film makers from around the African continent and beyond to partner film makers from Nigeria in developing production and co-production relationships that would promote world class excellence in motion picture.

Southern Africa

Zimbabwe: Roy Bennett Charged With Treason:Mandisa Mundawarara:14 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London)

Following his arrest on Friday, MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate Roy Bennett, was on Friday evening charged with treason for his part in an alleged 2006 plot to overthrow Robert Mugabe.Bennet was picked up just outside Harare at Charles Prince airport by police as he was about to fly to South Africa. He was briefly detained at Marondera police station before being taken to Mutare police station, where he was later charged. The MDC reported that police fired live ammunition in the air and brought in dogs to disperse the hundreds of MDC supporters who had surrounded Mutare police station to demand the release of Roy Bennett.Initially, police had charged Bennett with attempting to leave the country illegally, a charge that later changed to treason. These charges stem from an alleged plot in 2006 to assassinate Mugabe in which one of the alleged conspirators, Michael Peter Hitschmann, was jailed on weapons charges. The case was later thrown out by the state but Hitschmann remains jailed.The MDC has always said that plots such as this were clear attempts by ZANU PF to discredit them. The Minister of Finance and MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti was last year faced with similar charges of treason, charges that were dropped a week before his swearing-in.Hundreds of Bennet supporters spent a watchful Friday night outside the heavily guarded Mutare police station to ensure he was not removed and taken to one of the torture and interrogation bases in Marondera or Goromonzi, something police had attempted to do earlier in the day.

The MDC have now said that Bennett is being denied food, and that there was an intention to dump him in Chivero river.They also state that Bennett's abduction and arrest was planned and organised by Zimbabwe's military intelligence, led by a guy called Mzilikazi. They also say the SAS unit, the torture unit of the army, is involved under the direction of Manene. General Constantine Chiwenga is also involved.The MDC have said that Bennett must be released unconditionally and unharmed, immediately. And that all state institutions must respect the rule of law, human rights, the spirit and letter of the Global Political Agreement.Meanwhile, the MDC have been criticised for going ahead with Friday's swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet, while Bennett was being arrested, and without securing the release of scores of civic and political activists who are being tortured and are still behind bars at Chikurubi. Latest reports do say that human rights activist Jestina Mukoko has finally been hospitalised, after numerous court orders insisting on this had been ignored.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai has blamed Bennett's arrest on 'factions who want to destroy the country's coalition government' and it's believed Tsvangirai is trying to meet with Mugabe to discuss Bennett's arrest.Tsvangirai said Bennett's "safety was guaranteed by the South African and Zimbabwean governments and his arrest ... raises a lot of concerns as it undermines the spirit of the agreement."Meanwhile, nearly a 1 000 members of the human rights groups Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (MOZA) on Saturday took to the streets of Bulawayo in their annual Valentine's Day march.Once again the peaceful marchers were blocked by armed riot police. Some of the men and women were beaten, and an unknown number have been arrested and taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station. WOZA Co-ordinators Magodonga Mahlangu and Jenni William, who were preparing to take food to the detainees were not able to confirm the number of people arrested because lawyers were being denied access to them. But as many as 100 may have been picked up by police.Williams said what happened was a clear example that there was 'nothing in the unity deal.' She said, "We can't even march peacefully as we have done for the past six years handing out fliers and roses."

A statement from the group said: "The events in Bulawayo, together with the arrest of the 10 people after Tuesday's protest, the arrest of MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett on the day of the swearing in of Ministers and the continued incarceration of Jestina Mukoko and other abductees despite court orders instructing their release, are further evidence however that nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. More than ever Zimbabweans need to remain vigilant and participate in defending their rights and freedoms against a regime determined to cling to power despite the platitudes they mouth that they are prepared to share power."The WOZA march was also attended by three members of South African civil society, as a mark of solidarity. The observers have expressed their concerns at the police response and have vowed to go back to South Africa and report to their colleagues that 'repression is still taking place in Zimbabwe, in spite of the unity deal.'Solidarity events were also scheduled to take place on Saturday in London, Canada and South Africa.

Zimbabwe: Lawyers in Three-Day Jail Stakeout:Peta Thornycroft:14 February 2009:CAPE ARGUS

Members of Zimbabwean Lawyers for Human Rights have now spent three days parked outside Harare's Chikurubi's maximum-security prison, trying to get three seriously ill detainees to hospital for examination and treatment.Last week when the prison authorities finally obeyed a court order and sent them to hospital, Zimbabwe Prisons Service Commander General Paradzai Zimondi sent orders they be taken back to their cells instead of being admitted.

Yesterday the three most seriously ill, Fidelis Charamba, 72 with cardiac failure, Gandi Mudzingwa in his 50s, with "dangerously high" blood pressure, and human rights worker Jestina Mukoko, were taken to a Harare private hospital, where they were examined by a private doctor and one from the prisons department.Both doctors said the three should be taken to hospital. But before they could be admitted, Zimondi again ordered them back to prison.Today they are due in court with their medical certificates in their long struggle to be released as courts have ordered several times since they were kidnapped from October onwards."Gandi Mudzingwa is dangerously ill," a nurse who saw him in hospital said yesterday. "His blood pressure is through the roof."

The three and about 30 others were kidnapped from their homes and work places. About 16 remain in solitary confinement in Chikurubi Prison.When the three were on their way to hospital, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai arrived at Chikurubi Prison to see the detainees. Most of them are Movement for Democratic Change supporters and organisers.He said he would do all he could to speed up their release. All have been charged with plotting against President Robert Mugabe.

Tsvangirai had said several times he would not be sworn in until they were freed, but he was sworn in anyway on Wednesday.After two nights in inhumane conditions at the Harare Central Police station, two members of Zimbabwean Lawyers for Human Rights were released yesterday, along with six Women for Zimbabwe Arise members arrested as they held another peaceful Valentine's Day demonstration in Harare on Tuesday.New Deputy Agriculture Minister Roy Bennett was not sworn into office because he was arrested yesterday at a small airport outside Harare.The fragile unity government swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday was boycotted by all service chiefs from the police, army, and airforce.In 2002, they said they would never salute Tsvangirai if he was ever elected to senior office.Tsvangirai has already juggled his cabinet and kicked out the only white man, Eddie Cross, and brought in Sam Nkomo after there was revolt in the MDC at the lack of Ndebeles in the province.Tsvangirai has also dropped one of the smaller MDC party's most popular and successful members, Abdenico Bhebe, as water affairs minister.Mugabe is reported to have appointed six more ministers than the 16 he was allotted in last September's political agreement which created the framework for the unity government.

Zimbabwe: 100 WOZA And MOZA Arrested in Byo:Reporter:14 February 2009:press release: SW Radio Africa (London)

At least 800 members of WOZA and MOZA took to the streets of Bulawayo this morning, Valentine's Day, urging Zimbabweans to let love light the way. At the time of this release, at least a hundred women and men have been arrested by riot police.

It is not clear exactly how many people in total have been arrested as the large group that had been sitting under arrest was broken down into smaller groups by police and these smaller groups are still being taken in Bulawayo Central Police Station.The peaceful Valentine's protest had four different starting points - two beginning at opposite sides of Herbert Chitepo Street in central Bulawayo at 10am and two beginning at opposite sides of Fort Street at 10.05am. The plan was for all four groups to meet on 9th Avenue and process together to the office of the state-owned Chronicle newspaper.All four demonstrations started on time, despite a heavy police presence in the city centre. One of the first groups starting on Herbert Chitepo was stopped after one block by riot police however. A leader was arrested and the rest of the group told to disperse, which they did peacefully.The other three groups successfully met up with each other on the corner of 9th Avenue and Fort Street but were unable to process further as they were stopped by riot police. Hundreds of members were held under arrest at this point, including someone who was taking photographs. Due to the size of the group under arrest however, several people were able to slip away.As people slipped away, they met up with those that had avoided arrest and continued with spontaneous marches through town or else congregated as delegations at the Chronicle. Several groups of WOZA members were seen entering the Chronicle offices to deliver Valentine's cards, roses and flyers.Valentine's Day is traditionally an occasion that WOZA has used to urge Zimbabweans to choose love over hate and marks the 7th anniversary of WOZA's birth. Today's demonstration also marks the first public action in Bulawayo of the new WOZA campaign, Take the Step, which is designed to encourage Zimbabweans to continue with the civic participation that they demonstrated in March 2008.

This year the Valentine's Day protests take place at the dawn of a new unity government that was sworn in this week and follows the Harare chapter's Tuesday protest to Parliament that resulted in the arrest of eight members and two lawyers. All 10 were released from custody on bail on Thursday 12th after appearing in court.The events in Bulawayo today, together with the arrest of the 10 people after Tuesday's protest, the arrest of MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett on the day of the swearing in of Ministers and the continued incarceration of Jestina Mukoko and other abductees despite court orders instructing their release, are further evidence however that nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. More than ever Zimbabweans need to remain vigilant and participate in defending their rights and freedoms against a regime determined to cling to power despite the platitudes they mouth that they are prepared to share power.Solidarity events are also being held in London, Canada and South Africa today. WOZA invites any friends or supporters to join one of these events or to simply light a candle to show your solidarity with Zimbabweans who, despite remaining in the darkness, are trying their best to let love light the way forward.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Kenya: A Faulty Legislative Process to Combat Impunity:13 February 2009:press release: International Center for Transitional Justice (New York)

Nairobi — Kenya’s Ministry of Justice should hold public hearings as it drafts new legislation to create a Special Tribunal, in order to avoid the deeply flawed process the government used that lead to parliamentary defeat of the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Feb. 12, the International Center for Transitional Justice said today.“The government took the wrong approach, and the results are a major setback for justice and accountability in Kenya,” said Juan E. Méndez, president of ICTJ. “Parliament left no time for consultations or genuine debate on a Constitutional Amendment Bill.”

The bill would have protected the proposed Special Tribunal law from constitutional challenges. However, the bill was poorly drafted and itself susceptible to constitutional challenge. Early versions of the bill were classified secret and not distributed for comment. Both the Constitutional Amendment and Special Tribunal Bills were only published on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 29. The Constitutional Amendment Bill was then tabled the same afternoon for debate.Government and parliament ignored the call by Kenyan civil society to slow down the process so that public consultations and redrafting or amendment of the legislation could take place. The process chosen excluded public participation, flouted parliamentary procedure and ultimately undermines the rule of law.The parliamentary defeat means that the government is required to wait six months, as stipulated by Kenya’s parliamentary Standing Orders, before reintroducing the bill to amend the constitution.

ICTJ urges the Kenyan Government to use the next few months to work closely with civil society and the Annan Mediation Team to address the critical weaknesses in the Constitutional Amendment and Special Tribunal Bills to ensure that justice is done on Kenyan soil.A tribunal involving both domestic and international investigators, prosecutors and judges would be the best placed to end impunity and restore faith in the Kenyan judicial system. Parliament should be afforded the necessary time for debate and further public consultations. If, however, parliament does not rise to the occasion, Kenyan society will be entitled to look to the International Criminal Court to see that justice is done.The ICTJ calls upon the Kenyan government to take seriously the concerns of civil society in relation to the two bills. It is important to avoid a repeat of the legislative process for the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, during which the government ignored civil society submissions. As a result, the law on the commission is ill-suited to Kenya’s needs, promotes impunity and even facilitates amnesty for corruption.

The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved. For more information, visit www.ictj.org

Central Africa

Congo-Kinshasa: FDLR Spokesman Surrenders:James Karuhanga:13 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — Lt. Col. Michel Habimana, alias Edmond Ngarambe, the spokesman for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) gave himself up Wednesday, dealing a heavy blow to the ex-Far/Interahamwe elements in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Ngarambe is the latest of many other fighters of the FDLR who have surrendered recently in the wake of the ongoing joint military operations conducted by Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and the FARDC (Congolese army) against the group.

He is the highest ranking member of the rebel group so far to have turned himself in and was also one of the most vocal and virulent genocidal propagandist.Speaking to reporters after his surrender, the former rebel commander revealed that he has also served as FDLR special envoy to Belgium, Zimbabwe and Tanzania at various times.Col. Habimana has for a long time been the mouthpiece of FDLR, in which role he has articulated some of the most extremist and hate statements.He is on record declaring that he would never live in Rwanda as long as there is still any Tutsi population and was also one of the senior FDLR leaders responsible for indoctrinating young recruits with the Genocide ideology.Speaking to journalist Chris McGreal of the Guardian May last year in Sange, eastern DRC, Habimana was unapologetic about his genocidal views and the fact that children are being brainwashed with hate: "Schoolboys are coming to us... They come to us because they know who the enemy is. It doesn't matter how young they are if they don't have their freedom. They will not be free so long as the Tutsis control Rwanda," he was quoted as saying.

Chris Mcgreal observed that; "he (Habimana alias Ngarambe ) denies the genocide was planned, even though the international tribunal for Rwanda has established that there was an extensive conspiracy at the highest political and military levels of the Hutu regime to exterminate the entire Tutsi population.""Colonel Ngarambe has three children of his own now, the eldest just eight years old, all born in exile. He would like to see them settled in Rwanda but only on the terms he has in mind - a Rwanda where politics is defined by ethnic domination. If not, Ngarambe says his children will carry on the fight," wrote McGreal in his article 'We have to kill Tutsis wherever they are'.

The FDLR is made up of the architects of the Rwandan 1994 genocide against Tutsis. They have not only caused much suffering to the DRC population - raping and killing with impunity, but they also controlled and illegally exploited mineral deposits.But this scenario has recently changed and many have voluntary and forcefully been repatriated as the joint Rwanda-DRC forces hunt them down in the jungles of eastern Congo and Habimana admits as much: "Congo which has hosted us all this time has decided to collaborate with Rwanda in ending war in this region," Habimana emphasized, also noting that the Congolese population which formerly hosted them had turned against them.

He also revealed that the Rwanda-DRC alliance was an unexpected development that has virtually destroyed their organisation."It is self evident. The population distanced itself from us and they joined their army (FARDC) and the Rwandan army to hunt us down. Right now as I speak to you, FOCA leaders have been displaced from their bases in Masisi," he underscored, noting that the joint forces were also sweeping through another region - Walikale."I can also point out Lubero and Rutshuru. In all these places, our fighters have been removed from their bases and all soldiers have scattered into the jungles."

Habimana advised FDLR leaders, especially their German-based head - Ignace Murwanashyaka to give up their genocidal activities and return home."Let me especially request Ignace Murwanashyaka and Major General Silvestre Mudacumura and all the political and military leaders on the list of extremists to desist from stopping FDLR from returning home," he said.Maj. Gen. Silvestre Mudacumura is the rebels' military commander."If they really love their soldiers and the civilians in FDLR," he challenged, "they should not allow blood to be shed or for these people to wander in the bushes while their own families live comfortably in Europe and elsewhere."

Congo-Kinshasa: Mass Child Soldier Release:13 February 2009:press release: Save the Children UK (London)

Large numbers of child soldiers have been released and are now being looked after by Save the Children as thousands of fighters from armed groups integrate into the Congolese army.In the past week, Save the Children has helped secure the release of 109 child soldiers from armed groups in eastern DR Congo. More children are expected to be set free in the coming days. The aid agency is now supporting the boys and girls within foster families as aid workers start the search for the children’s parents so families can be reunited. Save the Children has also reunited 237 other ex-child soldiers with their families over the past two weeks.However as this release takes place, the numbers of children abducted to fight has rocketed further north in the country, with over 500 children kidnapped since October last year by Ugandan terror group, the Lord’s Resistance Army. Gilbert Hascoet, Save the Children’s country director in Democratic Republic of Congo, said: “High numbers of children have been found within the militia groups integrating into the Congolese army. It’s a huge relief for the boys and girls who have been released, many of whom have been forced to endure horrific conditions and abuse at the hands of militia fighters.“But these children are just a tiny part of the picture. There are more than a thousand children still trapped by armed groups in DR Congo, and the ongoing clashes and security restrictions make it harder for aid organisations to work towards their release.”“The situation is particularly grave in the north-east of the country, where fighters from the Lord’s Resistance Army are indiscriminately kidnapping children to use as sex slaves and to commit atrocities, sometimes against their own families and friends. Tens of thousands of other children across the region, as well as their families, are now living in fear that they too will be taken.”Save the Children is supporting 480,000 people in DR Congo, helping to release and rehabilitate child soldiers, delivering health care and helping children get back to school. The aid agency is warning that without a much stronger diplomatic response to the conflict, and without tackling illicit support for armed groups and the widespread impunity for abuses, the recruitment of children to fight will not stop.Mr Hascoet continued: “While we can celebrate the release of these children, there is still huge international pressure needed to stop the recruitment of children by both Congolese and Ugandan armed groups operating in DR Congo. Militia leaders must be made to understand the recruitment of children is a war crime for which they can be prosecuted and that they must release any children trapped in their ranks.”

Rwanda: Last Chance for Rwandan General Sentenced to Life Imprisonment:21 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

Arusha — After having lost his appeal, General Laurent Munyakazi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for participation in the 1994 genocide, will try one last defence on February 18, before the Supreme Court, reports Wednesday the tri-weekly newspaper Izuba Rirashe (Rising Sun).The hearing which should have taken place Monday this week, was deferred because of the absence of one of the judges, Sam Rugege, who is currently on a mission abroad, writes the pro-governmental newspaper.

As the army Colonel In 1994, Munyakazi, commanded "the mobile group" of the national police and at the time of his arrest in 2005, he was the commander of the second division of the Rwandan army.The convict was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2006 and the penalty was confirmed in April, 2007 by the Military High Court. He had then filed a final appeal to the Supreme Court.Exiled in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), later went to Kenya, Munyakazi had joined the new Rwandan authorities in 1995 and got integrated into the new army.In the court of first instance, he was prosecuted alongside a catholic priest, Abbot Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, who was also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia because he lives in exile in France.According to Rwandan law, civilians accused of complicity in a crime with a soldier are also tried alongside the latter by a military court.Nearly 300 witnesses had testified during the trial alleging that the former officer and the priest had agreed to deliver to the killers, Tutsis who had taken refuge in the Holy Family church in Kigali in April 1994.Abbot Munyeshyaka, who had been living in France since 1995, was also indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Rwanda: Gacaca Trials to End in June:19 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

The Gacaca courts (semi-traditional courts) are scheduled to end in June this year at all levels, according to official source in Kigali.Inspired by Rwandan tradition, the gacaca courts (pronounced gatchatchas) are charged with trying people in Rwanda suspected to have taken part in the 1994 killing spree against Tutsis.All trials before the gacaca, in appeal and revision, would be concluded by the end of June 2009, according to the schedule of the National Service of Gacaca Courts (SNJG).To respect this schedule, the department will conduct a new mobilization campaign of the population.In many places, the participation in the gacaca dropped whereas it was essential for the collection of evidence for the prosecution and the defence.The end will come, in each administrative sector progressively as it draws to the final stages and at the national level that is expected in December, with the presentation of general official report.The SNJG also plans to set up an Information centre on the gacaca and to undertake evaluation study of the system, this year.In addition, the "people with integrity" who set on these courts would be given a financial support by Rwandan government and other donors so that they might establish cooperatives to assist them as a form of reward for the good job done during those trials.During 2008, the gacaca courts tried 68,408 cases which were pending by 31 December 2007. The year was also marked by an amendment of the law which widened the jurisdiction of the gacaca to rape cases.According to SNJG by November 30 2008, nearly 5,000 cases remained un attended and it is expected that will be tried until June, 2009.

29. REFUGEES, IDPs AND MIGRATION

West Africa

Liberia: Government Engages U.S. Administration on Status of Citizens Facing Deportation:11 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia)

Monrovia — The Liberian Government says it is in discussions with US Government officials to address the threat of deportation hanging over Liberians residing in the United States of America.

Upon directives of President Johnson Sirleaf, and as a follow up on discussions last year between President Johnson Sirleaf and former US President George Bush on the issue, Liberia's ambassador to the United States, Mr. Nathaniel Barnes has continued discussions with US government officials, particularly members of the United States Congress as well as the incoming administration of President Barack Obama.In support of the continuing discussions between Liberian and US Government officials to consider an extension in the status of Liberians legally residing in the United States, more than 30 members of the United States Congress have signed a letter, requesting the administration of President Obama for an extension of the Temporary Protective Status for Liberians or grant Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). The request which has a bipartisan support was contained in a letter dated December 19, 2008, expressing deep concern that if TPS for Liberians in the United States were terminated, the country's recovery could be damaged severely and thousands of families separated and uprooted due to forced repatriation.The leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Congressional members noted, has put Liberia on a pathway to reform by rooting out corruption in the highest level of government, but pointed out, however, that the country's restoration remains a very difficult process. With high unemployment and an infrastructure that is still badly damaged, the US lawmakers argued, Liberia is in no place to welcome home its refugees. An influx of refugees the lawmakers agreed could have a destabilizing effect on the country's fledgling economic and social structures.

One of the unintended consequences of Temporary Protective Status, the lawmakers pointed out in their letter is that the designation never accounted for a protracted conflict. "Many Liberians have been living under TPS for atleast 15-years and in that time, have started families, bought homes and raised American-born children. Liberian-Americans have even answered the call to serve in the United States military," the US law-makers observed.The statement was signed by Congressmen Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, Jesse Jackson, Jr. of Chicago; New Jersey Congressman Donald Payne and Sheila Jackson Lee of California, among others. A similar letter was also addressed to the outgoing administration of President George W. Bush in December last year.Liberia's Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Nathaniel Barnes, has, meanwhile, indicated that in his meetings with several congressmen concerning the matter, they have expressed their commitment to finding a solution that will address the plight of Liberians affected by the threat of deportation.The Liberian Government, ambassador Barnes says, remains hopeful that a temporary or more permanent solution can be found to avert the threat of deportation hanging over Liberians who fall within the category.

Nigeria: Govt Worried Over Rural-Urban Migration:11 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — The Kano State Government is worried by the spate of rural-urban migration in the state, the Commissioner for Rural Development, Alhaji Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, has said.Kwankwaso told newsmen in Kano that government was not comfortable with the rate at which youths from the rural areas of the state were moving to the state capital.The development, he said, had compelled the state government to introduce a number of programmes to alleviate the menace.The programmes, he said, include among others the introduction of irrigation schemes in the rural areas.He said the N5 million was voted for the funding of the pilot irrigation scheme at Dawakin Tofa village, adding that more of such programmes would be introduced in other parts of the state.Kwankwaso said that people were also being trained on bee keeping in the rural areas, adding that the initiative would assist them to be gainfully employed.He also said that the 44 local governments in the state had been empowering people in their respective domain with skills-acquisition schemes and capital with which to set up small businesses.NAN reports that since the completion of the 2008 harvesting of crops in November 2008, thousands of youths had been trooping to Kano city in search of means of livelihood. (NAN)

Nigeria: Nigerians in Dispora Will Be Forced Out of Jobs – FG:Moses John:9 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — The Federal Government has hinted that the global economy meltdown will cause it citizens in other parts of the world to lose their jobs as it said it is "already preparing a buffer to receive the much expected influx of Nigerians that are living abroad home.This was made known by the Minister of Labour, Adetokumbo Kayode while speaking with members of the Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN), in Abuja,Prince Adetokunbo Kayode disclosed that a lot of Nigerians will be rushing home from abroad after losing their jobs, and declared that the Federal Government had envisaged this, and is already preparing to receive them back home.

He said a buffer was already being put in place to reduce the shock and difficulties their influx would have, adding that the government had, as a result, further taken the issue of job creation as a matter of priority.The minister, who commended LACAN members on their effective coverage of government activities, relating to labour and industrial issues, adding that "Some of the processes put in place to achieve this is to organise first a national summit on employment with a work plan, the budget implementation plan, social security network; to put in place institutional and productivity efficiency, ensure labour and industrial relations and others.""We want to take the issue of job creation as a matter of priority and development in Nigeria. There will be a national summit coming soon with a work plan. It is not just going to be a talk-show and just one of the programmes, especially now that the economic crunch is here."We know that a lot of Nigerians are going to be coming home from abroad because the foreign jobs they used to do are no longer there. With the new policy abroad, foreigners shall be forced to leave for the citizens to take over and when there is no job there, you are finished when you cannot pay your bills, your mortgages.

Southern Africa

South Africa: Civil Violence Will Rise Again, Warns Report:8 February 2009:CAPE ARGUS

A hard-hitting post-mortem report on xenophobic violence released this week, warns "civil violence will rise again".It is the result of the work of several NGOs and volunteers who probed the crisis that was sparked in May 2008. The report - titled "Humanitarian Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons in South Africa: Lessons Learned Following Attacks on Foreign Nationals in May 2008" - was penned by Wits University's Forced Migration Studies Programme.

It says civil violence is likely to rise again, whether against foreign nationals, or among South Africans, and neither the government nor civil society is ready to provide effective protection, or relief.During the violent attacks an estimated 20 000 foreigners were displaced in the province and more than 60 foreigners and locals were killed, mostly in Gauteng, where the violence started.The report said lack of experience and established systems, lack of government leadership, the fragmentation of civil society and confusion regarding foreigners' rights marked the humanitarian response to the violent attacks, .Nkosikhulule Nyembezi, advocacy programme manager for the Black Sash, was instrumental in helping establish and promote many institutional structures to address the xenophobic violence.He said: "This period was a critical one in the history of South Africa. What stood out is ordinary South Africans opened their hearts and wallets to assist foreign nationals fleeing from attacks - the many volunteers who prepared and served meals in the shelters, the ordinary residents who went door to door to recover looted property and return it to the owners.

"They stood out as a tangible message that the majority of South Africans denounced the attacks."Nyembezi said the integration of foreign nationals in communities would not be easy, given the competition for scarce resources due to poverty.Elroy Paulus believed it was imperative for the government and all relevant agencies to work together. "It cannot happen any other way. How it happens in the future, is the fundamental issue."He said it was important not only to "help out the foreign nationals" - but to have a more developmental approach.He recalled when the violence broke out in Du Noon, near Milnerton, they took down several affidavits from victims."One affidavit stood out for me and caused me great concern. One couple - the father a Mozambican and the mother a Xhosa woman - fled Du Noon with their baby, the clothes on their backs, a pram and a bottle of infant milk formula. When I asked the father what he had decided to do, he said: 'I just want to go home to Mozambique and I want nothing to do with them.'"When I enquired what he meant with "them" - he explained he was referring to his child and wife, not the community he fled from, as I had assumed. This was a chilling revelation."Jody Kollapen of the SA Human Rights Commission) also shared his concern that "we may have inadvertently exported xenophobia into Africa, especially when many people fled the violence in South Africa with no counselling or debriefing".Thandiwe Zulu, regional director of the Gauteng Black Sash Office, concured that in all instances the government came to the party very late. When she arrived at Ekhuruleni Town Hall in Germiston she saw an Anglican priest running around trying to assist with water, food and other basic needs, while local government officials just took down names. No government interventions were immediately apparent to provide material and urgent needs.

"In the future, the release of emergency resources and a rapid government response is critical. A dedicated fund needs to be made available and not taken from other resources set aside to help vulnerable South African communities."The South African Civil Society Information Service, an agency that promotes social justice, warned that South Africa needed to lobby against corrupt governments in Africa.Executive director Fazila Farouk said humanitarian assistance was a short-term solution and would not deal with the problem at a systemic level. Many people were here out of desperation, not out of choice."Local civil society must be strengthened to apply pressure on the South African government to use its position on platforms like the SADC, Nepad and the AU to lobby against corrupt governments, and promote good governance and developmental states across the board. Africa has the dubious honour of hosting most of the world's longest- serving presidents."It's unconscionable that the South African government has long been holding Robert Mugabe's hand while his corrupt policies drive people south."

South Africa: UK Demands Visas as Country Fails Safe Passport Test:Julius Baumann:10 February 2009: BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — THE British government is to finally clamp down on fake South African passports being used to enter the UK illegally by imposing a new visa requirement on all South African travellers from next month.Thousands will be affected. More than 420000 South Africans visited the UK last year.From next month, visitors without UK entry stamps in their passports will need visas. All visitors will require visas from the middle of this year. The new visa will cost Â£64.This follows years of warnings from the UK government that South African passports were not secure, and that SA's home affairs department must address the problem.The British high commission said yesterday that abuse of the South African passport was still a serious concern, and it was one of the most abused passports detected at UK border posts.

British high commission spokesman Russ Dixon said: "South Africans also feature prominently among passengers being refused entry on arrival in the UK. In the past two years there has also been a significant increase in the number of South African nationals detected working illegally or overstaying after their leave to remain in the UK has expired."

The UK government gave SA an ultimatum last July to clean up its act within six months or face the introduction of visas. Ten other countries received similar warnings, and five countries -- Bolivia, Lesotho, SA, Swaziland and Venezuela -- failed to meet the deadline.While the home affairs department has made some progress in implementing new immigration security measures -- including the introduction of new passports and ID cards next month -- it comes too late to stop the new visa requirement.Siobhan McCarthy, spokeswoman for the home affairs department, said yesterday that South African officials met UK officials in December to report back on progress made in meeting a range of security measures required by the UK to prevent identity fraud."We showed them that we had made huge strides in improving security around South African IDs, birth certificates and passports, but would not be able to implement them in time to meet the December deadline. While the UK welcomed the progress, they were not willing to extend their deadline," said McCarthy.The department will begin issuing the new South African passport, which will now comply with the international security standards set down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, from the middle of next month.The new passports will be followed by the introduction of a new smartcard ID. McCarthy said the department would also introduce new procedures preventing corruption among the department's own staff.Dixon said the UK authorities were aware of home affairs' turnaround plan, and recognised that if and when these plans were successfully implemented, the risks originating in SA may be significantly reduced.

"Further global reviews of our visa operations will be conducted and there will be an opportunity to assess SA's progress," said Dixon.The UK raised the visa issue in 2004 when syndicates were found to be using forged South African passports to gain illegal entry to the UK. "The government said it would get tough and we meant it ... The message is clear - we will not shy away from widening the visa net further wherever we think there's a risk to the UK," said British Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

UGANDA: Thousands Flee Latest Attack By Ugandan Rebel Group, UN Says:10 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

Thousands have fled to Southern Sudan after a notorious Ugandan rebel group rampaged through a town in the northeast region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency said today.

At least six people were killed and another 21 kidnapped Saturday night in an attack on the town of Aba in Orientale Province by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), who also plundered the local Protestant parish and hospital."According to our team in Southern Sudan, some 5,000 Congolese refugees from Alba arrived over the weekend in the town of Lasu, some 50 kms from the DRC border," Ron Redmond, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said today in Geneva. "They said thousands more are on the way."

The refugees told UNHCR staff in Lasu on Sunday that 90 per cent of Aba's 100,000 people had left the town and many more could be expected to arrive in Southern Sudan in the next few days. The new arrivals are occupying schools and church buildings along a main road into Lasu, they said.Oriental Province has been exposed to brutal and deadly attacks by the LRA, notorious for abducting children as soldiers and sex slaves, since last September, killing some 900 Congolese and displacing some 150,000 more.Relative calm, meanwhile, is returning to areas around Dungu, a regional centre in the Haut Uele territory heavily hit by the LRA in earlier attacks, and UNHCR's humanitarian partners report the first signs of return to a number of villages north of the town, Mr. Redmond said.Over the weekend a second convoy of 14 trucks brought more plastic sheeting, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets and soap to distribute to the displaced population in the villages south of Dungu, he added.The spokesperson noted that UNHCR teams trained 60 local Red Cross officials and others on conducting a re-registration exercise in the neighbouring villages around Dungu in order to obtain more accurate information about the displaced population and their intentions.

Somalia: U.S. Advised to Back Reconciliation Efforts:Jim Lobe:11 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Washington, DC — Two years after the administration of President George W. Bush backed Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia, President Barack Obama is being urged to pursue a much more flexible policy toward the East African nation than his predecessor and let Somalis, including Islamist leaders who were targeted by the invasion, sort things out for themselves.

Recent events in Somalia, notably Ethiopia's withdrawal and the installation as president of the former chairman of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, have created a major opportunity for patching together a government of national unity capable of restoring and maintaining stability for the first time since the overthrow of former President Siad Barre in 1991, according to experts here."There's a real opportunity for a positive breakthrough," according to David Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia who teaches at George Washington University here. "The chances for this happening are perhaps only fifty-fifty, but, in the Somali context, a fifty-fifty chance of achieving a positive breakthrough is brilliant."

Another regional specialist, Ken Menkhaus of Davidson College, is not quite so sanguine but nonetheless agrees that the new unity government headed by Sharif offers "the best hope" to end the violence and avert a takeover by Al-Shabaab, a radical group of armed Islamists, some of whose leaders are reportedly linked to al Qaeda.The Shabaab, a former ICU faction which the George W. Bush administration designated a terrorist group last year, currently controls much of southern Somalia, including the port city of Baidowa, where the transitional government had long been based, Kismaayo, and parts of the capital, Mogadishu."A period of armed clashes between the increasingly fragmented collection of Islamists, clan militias, and others is inevitable, but the departure of Ethiopian forces and the selection of a more-broad-based government create a much better context for the promotion of dialogue and negotiations," wrote Menkhaus in a new report released this week by ENOUGH, an Africa-centred project of the Centre for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank from which Obama is expected to recruit a number of senior foreign policy aides."A window of opportunity is opening in Somalia and must not be missed," he warned, urging Obama to make a "clean break" with Bush's policy by working for and supporting an "inclusive Somali government" that may well seek to engage and co-opt elements of the Shabaab as part of its effort to pacify the country.Indeed, there were unconfirmed reports Tuesday from Mogadishu, where Sharif arrived Saturday after his election in neighbouring Djibouti in late January by the Somali Parliament, that the new president has already met with a top Shabaab official, despite the group's rejection of the U.N.-backed "Djibouti peace process" that resulted in the replacement of the former hard-line president, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, by Sharif.Sharif was a key leader of the ICU in June 2006 when its forces routed a coalition of U.S.- backed warlords and took control of Mogadishu, initiating an unprecedented period of calm and stability in the violence-plagued capital.That calm ended six months later, however, when Ethiopian forces, which had been protecting the Baidowa-based Transitional Federal Government (TFG) headed by Yusuf, attacked the ICU and quickly captured Mogadishu.

The Bush administration, which had grown increasingly worried that more-radical ICU leaders had eclipsed "moderates" like Sharif, backed the Ethiopian intervention with intelligence and logistical support. It even deployed Special Forces on the ground and carried out several helicopter-gunship attacks against suspected al Qaeda associates in southern Somalia as the Ethiopian campaign wound down.The ICU subsequently splintered, with an increasingly radical Shabaab leading the insurgency against the Ethiopians and TFG security forces, while others set up camp in Eritrea where they formed the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS).The U.S. meanwhile carried out a series of cruise-missile attacks against Shabaab leaders believed to have links with al Qaeda, most notably a May 2008 strike that killed Aden Hashi Ayro who was rumoured to be group's leader.Those attacks, however, proved counter-productive, according to a report published last month by the Congressional Research Service's East Africa analyst, Ted Dagne, who noted that the insurgency only intensified after Ayro's death, which also led to the targeting by the Shabaab of western aid workers, virtually all of whom were withdrawn from the country."As conflict raged and humanitarian conditions spiraled, flawed U.S. policies only strengthened the Islamist Shabaab movement and its commitment to attack Ethiopian and western and United Nations interests, as well as regional governments collaborating with the United States," according to Menkhaus's report, 'Somalia After the Occupation: First Steps to End the Conflict and Combat Extremism'.Since the Ethiopian intervention, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed, while more than one million more were displaced, and nearly 500,000 fled to neighbouring countries, according to the CRS report.With Ethiopia's withdrawal, which was completed late last month, the greatest concern here has been that the Shabaab would move to take control of Mogadishu, an eventuality that the Bush administration used to press - albeit unsuccessfully - the U.N. Security Council to deploy a U.N. peacekeeping force at the last minute.In his report, Menkhaus argues that a radical Islamist takeover would "almost certainly set in motion some type of security responses from both Ethiopia and the United States, and ...usher in a new chapter of armed conflict and instability."But a number of clan and rival Islamist groups have so far resisted the Shabaab's advances, an indication, according to Menkhaus, that the group "was tolerated and enjoyed some support when it posed as the main resistance to Ethiopian occupation, but is not acceptable to most Somalis as a source of political leadership once that existential threat has been removed."Indeed, with the Ethiopians gone, latent differences within the Shabaab over clan and regional allegiances, as well as ideological divides over links to al Qaeda and other foreign groups, are likely to come to the surface, according to Shinn."The key now is how much support Sheikh Sharif really has in the country," he said. "That will probably determine the ability of him and whoever his prime minister will be to create a really viable government of national unity, and, if they do that, I see an opportunity to peel away support from the Shabaab."

"Much of that support is there because they pay well, they have weapons, and they are pretty well organised, but there is no particular ideological commitment among the rank and file, and if they see there's a new potential winner, and particularly one who can pay the bills, they will very seriously consider switching sides or becoming neutral or just going home," he added.In this context, the new Obama administration should support Sharif's efforts to reach out to individuals and groups that were stigmatised by the Bush administration as terrorists, according to both Menkhaus and Shinn."Let the Somalis talk with whomever they want to talk with," said Shinn. "Don't try to discourage them; if they can work these things out and create a broader base, that's in the long-term U.S. interest." "Though committed ideologues exist in Somalia, Somali political culture is fundamentally pragmatic in nature, privileging negotiations as the bedrock of politics," according to Menkhaus. "Policies which privilege Somali-driven processes, rely mainly on Somali interests and actors to drive outcomes, and respect Somali preferences will stand a much better chance of success than those imposed from the outside."

Kenya: Official Camps Closed But IDPs Still Struggling:11 February 2009: IRIN

Lodwar — A year after election-related violence rocked Kenya, hundreds of displaced families are still living in temporary shelters in small camps in Rift Valley province.The government sought to close all camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) by the end of last year, following operation "Rudi Nyumbani" [Go back home] in June.Some IDP families received resettlement packages and bought land. But others are waiting to return home or are still officially displaced.

Describing themselves as "self-help groups", the families in Naivasha, near Nairobi, for example, live in tented or wooden and iron-sheet-covered shelters, saying they lack sufficient money to build better homes.Njenga Miiri, District Commissioner in Nakuru, said after several relocation sites were set up and some displaced people helped to buy land, government efforts were directed at peace-building and reconciliation.The sites, which dot the province from Maai Mahiu, about 70km south of Nairobi, to the arid Turkana areas 700km north-west of the capital, still exist, despite efforts by the government and its humanitarian partners to resettle all the displaced in 2008.In the North Rift - covering the districts of Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia West, Nandi North, Nandi South, Kwanza, Turbo and Mt Elgon - two government-recognised IDP camps remain. There are 72 transit sites.Thirty of these are in Uasin Gishu, according to the Eldoret sub- office of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Kenya. The displaced who returned to Trans Nzoia East and Koibatek have, however, been fully integrated and transit sites closed.

Resource problems

Those trying to settle on land they have purchased complain of neglect. In Naivasha's Jikaze self-help site, water is a problem. Jikaze's 145 households comprise former IDPs who pooled their resettlement funds to purchase land away from their original homes.Spokesman Mohammed Ngugi said most of the families came from Naivasha showground camp. Each now owns a small plot in the new settlement."The major problem is a lack of water; we rely on hired donkeys to ferry water from distances up to 7km away, although we had been promised that water would be trucked to us regularly," Ngugi said.Local well-wishers have offered Jikaze at least 60 acres for farming, but the IDPs lack funds to hire a tractor for ploughing. "Some people have donated seeds but we are unable to plant," Ngugi said. "If we got a tractor, we would farm and sustain ourselves instead of relying on relief food."A group in Nakuru that had been living with relatives and friends but had now pitched camp near the district commissioner's office said they were waiting for government help."When we sought refuge at the Nakuru agricultural showground we found it already congested and the officials there said if we could stay with friends and relatives, our case would be considered later," Ann Nyambura, from Kipkelion in the South Rift, told IRIN.But now their relatives could no longer accommodate them, and the 150 families had clashed with the administration."These people did not stay in camps but they are now putting pressure on the government to consider their case," Miiri said. "We have undertaken a filtering process and have managed to remove some of the genuine cases but the number keeps increasing."At Eldoret showground, the IDP camp was still open on 7 February, with the government and partners making efforts to have it closed by March. OCHA-Kenya said 33 families had left the camp in recent weeks to return home.

Challenges

Shelter is just one problem. In Turkana, north-western Kenya, food is the key challenge. The area - comprising Turkana Central, Turkana East and Turkana South districts - is arid and gripped by severe food shortages.While election violence was not experienced in Turkana, hundreds of IDPs live in camps like Kanamkemer on the outskirts of Lodwar town."One year later, we are still in camps; here we are 2,987 people and there are other camps in the district," Joshua Ebei, Kanamkemer camp chairman, said. "We did not fight each other [so] we cannot talk of reconciliation among ourselves. We were working for those who were evicted [but] we cannot return there as our employers are not fully resettled."Government officials, he added, had in the meantime allocated them land to settle but the Kanamkemer area lacked water."In the face of the current food shortages, we would not survive in our new plots if we moved there," he told IRIN on 7 February. "For now we will remain under the generosity of the Reformed Church [the owners of the land], the Catholic Church and other agencies."The Reformed Church has, however, given the IDPs two months' notice. "When this period expires, what will happen to us?" Ebei asked. "If water was provided at the land allocated to us, we would move there tomorrow."

Sudan: Influx of IDPs At Zam Zam Camp in North Darfur:10 February 2009: United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (El Fasher)

More than 3,000 people have arrived at the Zam Zam camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) near El Fasher in North Darfur, in recent days. Many came from the area around the South Darfur town of Muhajeriya, the scene of recent fighting between Government forces and rebels.As of yesterday, the total number of new individuals who have arrived at Zam Zam Camp - either by truck or by donkey - stands at 3,054 from 878 households, with a particularly large influx on 8 and 9 February.The people arriving by donkey hail mostly from Abu Dangal, 30 km west of Shearia in South Darfur and other small villages, while people arriving on trucks are coming from Muhajeriya town, according to the leaders of the new arrivals.

Central Africa Chad: UN Expert Urges Country to Step Up Efforts to Protect Internally Displaced:11 February 2009; UN NEWS SERVICE

An independent United Nations human rights expert has called on the Government of Chad to boost its efforts in protecting the tens of thousands of civilians forced from their homes to escape the ongoing violence in the African nation.Eastern Chad is suffering from a spill-over from wars in neighbouring Sudan's Darfur region and the Central African Republic (CAR), as well as its own rebel conflict and crimes committed in the country by heavily armed bandits.The region faces an acute humanitarian challenge with over 290,000 Sudanese refugees and 10,000 refugees from CAR in the remote village of Daha, as well as over 160,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and a further 700,000 individuals sheltered by host communities, all in need of basic supplies for survival."Protecting the rights of displaced persons is primarily the responsibility of the Government of Chad," said Walter Kaelin, the Secretary-General's Representative on the human rights of IDPs, following a week-long visit to the country."It must engage vigorously to protect the human rights of thousands of Chadians who flee their homes in the east of the country, particularly their rights to security, food and water, health and education," added Mr. Kaelin.The Representative urged the Government to redouble its efforts to assist displaced populations, underscoring his concerns that "violations of human rights continue to be perpetrated against IDPs, including the recruitment of children by various armed groups and gender-based violence suffered by displaced girls and women."Mr. Kaelin also warned of the proliferation of weapons, the militarization of IDP sites, growing crime and the climate of impunity prevailing in the regions he visited, which affect the security of displaced populations and distracts attention from finding solutions to the building humanitarian crisis.Noting that some people had decided to return home despite the precarious security conditions and a lack of access to basic services, Mr. Kaelin stressed that it is up to national authorities, with the assistance of the international community, to create the conditions that enable IDPs to lead their lives whether returning home, integrating into a local shelter or moving to a safer part of the country.

Rwanda: Refugees in DRC Opting to Go Back Home:13 February 2009:IRIN

Kigali — Rwandans who have lived in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the early 1990s have started returning home following a joint military offensive against the rebels, officials said.In a 12 February communiqué, the DRC and Rwandan armies said the returnees had been held hostage by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). They had, however, distanced themselves from the rebel group, which is accused of war crimes.Some of the returnees, the Rwandan internal affairs ministry said, are believed to have been involved in the 1994 genocide and would be screened. Suspects would face trial in local Gacaca courts.The returnees said some feared retribution.Beatrice Bwemalo, who said she had lived in North Kivu province since 1995, said her husband had gone missing. "I do not know where he is being held," she said at Rubizi border post, where hundreds of returnees were being screened.Bwemalo spent the first three years at a refugee camp where she met her husband, Jeremy Kankiriho, an FDLR combatant. Later, she moved to Walikale district, where she has since lived in a rebel base with Kankiriho. Bwemalo, her three children and around 10 fighters were "rescued" by the joint forces. Her husband was captured.Rwanda's military spokesman, Jill Rutaremara, declined to comment on the fate of captured combatants in ongoing operations.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), hundreds of refugees have emerged from remote areas of eastern DRC seeking to be repatriated to Rwanda since the offensive started on 20 January."Rwandan civilians, mainly women and children, say that they are returning home willingly. Some say they were told by their leaders it is time to return home. They are generally in good health, although visibly tired after long walks and truck journeys from UNHCR assembly points to Bukavu," Ron Redmond, UNHCR spokesman told reporters on 6 February.Between 4 January and 3 February, the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) also repatriated 335 ex-FDLR combatants and their dependents to Rwanda and handed over 120 Rwandan civilians to UNHCR.Rwandan and Congolese military sources said more than 2,600 combatants and their dependents had surrendered and returned home. The returnees are accommodated at UNHCR temporary transit centres on Rwanda's border with DRC before being transferred to various camps.Here they await a final resettlement package before rejoining their former communities. The combatants are sent to rehabilitation centres in the Northern Province from where they are also resettled.An estimated 50,000 Rwandan refugees, mainly from urban centres, have remained in exile in DRC since 1994, according to UNHCR.Hundreds of Rwandan troops entered eastern DRC to back the DRC government operation against the FDLR.

Central African Republic: UN Aid Reaches Refugees in South-Eastern Chad;13 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

A team from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reached thousands of people who fled violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) to a remote area of south-eastern Chad.The UN has started registering the new arrivals and providing emergency aid, as some 6,000 civilians, mostly women and children from CAR's Rounga and Sara tribes, have taken refuge in Chad since December to escape rebel attacks and clashes between rebels and Government forces.Most of these refugees are sheltering in the village of Daha, roughly one kilometre from the Chad-CAR border, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.A convoy organized by UNHCR, the UN World Food Programme (< ahref="http://www.wfp.org/">WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other aid agencies, which left for Daha from a relief hub in the eastern Chadian town of Abéché last Friday, arrived earlier this week after traversing nearly 1,000 kilometres of rugged terrain.Meanwhile, a UNHCR emergency team from Geneva is expected to arrive in the village tomorrow.

On Tuesday, agency staff began registering the refugees and distributing crucial items, such as cooking utensils, shelter material and mosquito nets. They are also assessing the immediate needs of the new arrivals, with five children having died of unknown causes and two women having lost their lives while giving birth."We are awaiting a decision from the Chadian Government on proposals to move the new arrivals to a safer location with easier access for humanitarian agencies," Mr. Redmond said, adding that the most likely site for a new camp will be in Am Timan, almost 300 kilometres north of Daha.He added that many refugees interviewed by UNHCR are still traumatized by their experiences and are not ready to return to the CAR."One refugee woman who crossed into Chad about two weeks ago with her three daughters and only the clothes on their backs, said the rebels killed five of her family members and burned her village in the Ngarba area," the spokesperson said.Currently, the agency helps over 50,000 CAR refugees in five camps in southern Chad as well as 12 sites in eastern Chad housing 250,000 refugees from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. In addition, more than 160,000 Chadians are uprooted within their country's borders.

30. HEALTH (HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA etc)

West Africa

WEST AFRICA: Scientists Trace HIV Origins to 1924 in West And Central Africa:Sola Ogundipe:10 February 2009:VANGUARD

DID the HIV & AIDS pandemic begin about a century ago in Africa? This is the possibility an international team of scientists investigating African human tissue samples preserved for nearly at least half a century wants the world to accept. Based on their findings, they are saying the HIV & AIDS pandemic probably began at least 30 - 50 years earlier than currently envisaged, dating back to an era between 1884 and 1924, roughly the same time urbanization started growing in West and Central Africa.The intriguing report, published in the the October 2008 issue of the journal Nature was the work of a group of scientists led by Dr. Michael Worobey, an Assistant Professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and colleagues at research centres in Australia, Belgium, France, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark and the USA.In the report, it was suggested that "the growing urbanization of colonial Africa around the dawn of the 20th century, characterized by the growth of cities and a rise in high risk behaviours, set the stage for the HIV & AIDS pandemic and created the conditions that allowed the most pervasive strain of HIV, the HIV1 group M, to spread among humans.This is some 30 years before previous estimates, which suggested HIV started spreading around 1930.

Worobey and colleagues spent eight years screening endless quantities of tissue samples until they discovered a genetic sequence of HIV 1 group M, dating from 1960, this is the second oldest ever found. "It came from a lymph node tissue biopsy from a woman who lived in present day Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The oldest genetic fragment of HIV1 group M came from a 1959 blood sample from another Kinshasa resident, this time a man.First the researchers created a range of plausible family trees for the HIV 1 group M, using the 1960 sample and other known HIV1 genetic sequences. From this it was possible to make time estimates of when the strains diverged from their ancestors, and the rates at which the branches of the trees grew. By projecting backwards the researchers then estimated when the trees took root, that is when the HIV1 M strain began, which they put at around the beginning of the 20th century.They compared the same genetic region in the 1959 virus to the 1960 virus and found more evidence that their common ancestor existed around 1900; it took more than 40 years for the genetic divergence between them to evolveAccording to them, "Previous work on HIV sequencing had been done on frozen samples and there are only so many of those samples available.

The 1959 and 1960 samples are presently the oldest links to the HIV epidemic. From that point on, the next oldest sequences that anyone has recovered are from the late 1970s and 1980s, the era when we knew about AIDS. Now for the first time we have been able to compare two relatively ancient HIV strains."They said this discovery helped to calibrate how quickly the virus evolved and make some really robust inferences about when it crossed into humans, how quickly the epidemic grew from that time and what factors allowed the virus to enter and become a successful human pathogen. Previous research has shown that HIV started in chimps and spread to humans in southeastern Cameroon.The present day city of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was once Léopoldville, the centre of a Belgian colony that went through rapid urban growth at the turn of the 19th century, as did the neighbouring regions of Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. This coincides with the spread of HIV among humans.The belief is that the genetic diversity of the virus suggests that a lot of people in the area were already infected with HIV by 1960, and from there it spread to the rest of the world, until 1981 when it came to public awareness.The research team's next step will be to recover more samples, get more DNA and RNA fragments, and try to piece together more of the jigsaw of the history of HIV.

Nigeria: CSM Imminent in 26 States:Emeka Mamah:13 February 2009;VANGUARD

The Federal Government has warned that there will soon be an outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis [CSM] in about 26 states in the country.Minister of State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, who dropped the hint in Kaduna yesterday said that the Federal Government had already taken proactive measures by placing order for 1.6million doses of drugs for CSM apart from the N300 million set aside by the Federal Ministry of Health for procurement of other drugs to manage the outbreak of CSM in the areas prone to the disease.

The Minister spoke at an advocacy and sensitization meeting of commissioners of health from the 26 states prone to CSM.According to him, "the commitment of the state commissioners of health read now is a very strong word for the epidemic that we are likely going to witness."So, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder waiting to explode."It is really sad that we found ourselves in this position but it's better late than never. So, every functionary must start to prepare for the emergencies towards addressing this issue. You don't need to be told."It happened in 1986, it came around in 1996 and we have been expecting it since 2007 and we are seeing the graph going up. We are now at the verge of a major epidemic." Nigeria: Manufacturer Accuses Govt of Killing Local Drug Industry:Zakariyya Adaramola:9 February 2009;DAILY TRUST

Abuja — The Federal Government and 36 state governments have been accused of deliberately killing local pharmaceutical companies by buying drugs used in their hospitals from foreign companies.Accusing the governments for patronizing foreign drug firms in an interview with selected journalists in Lagos, Managing Director/CEO of Tyonex Nigeria Limited, Pharmacist Emmanuel Agba, said for refusing to abide by one of the provisions in the national drug policy which stipulates that governments must source most of their drug needs from indigenous pharmaceutical companies, government is deliberately killing the local drug companies.

According to Agba, indigenous drug manufacturers are neither benefiting from government patronage nor getting any form of assistance to help sell their products whether here in the country or abroad.Instead, he said, governments as the big buyers of drugs in the country keep buying from foreign companies in India, China and the United Kingdom to the detriment of the local firms, adding that what really helps industries in all these foreign countries is local patronage from their government and people.He said there is no need whatsoever for government to import drugs because, in his words, "indigenous companies could meet the drug needs of all the citizens."He said government kills this potential and pushes local drug manufacturers out of business by importing "70 per cent" of drugs used in the country

HIV, Malaria, TB Cost the World Over $2.0 Billion in 2007 – Study:Sola Ogundipe:10 February 2009: VANGUARD

The first comprehensive survey of global spending on neglected disease R&D, says just over $US 2.5 billion was invested into R&D of new products in 2007, with three diseases -HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria - receiving nearly 80 per cent of the total.But the the survey laments that neglected diseases, responsible for killing millions of people in developing countries, remained significantly underfunded.Nigeria had a total global fund (HIV & AIDS, malaria abd TB) contribution of $9,080,914 and total disbursement of $161,343,953 as of November 16, 2008, the health expenditure per capita was $45 for 2005, while total health expenditure was a paltry 3.9 per cent of the budget in the same year, which is latest year with available data. There were no records for R & D expenditure by the nation under the review.

The survey conducted by the George Institute for International Health, Sydney, Australia) and colleagues, commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, reports that while HIV & AIDS, TB and malaria collectively received the majority of R&D funding, other diseases and disease categories each received less than 5 per cent of global funding.Sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease collectively received 4.9 per cent of total global funding; the diarrhoeal illnesses surveyed collectively received 4.5 per cent of global funding; the helminth (worm) infections received 2 per cent; and bacterial pneumonia and meningitis received only 1.3 per cent. Five diseases - leprosy, Buruli ulcer, trachoma, rheumatic fever, and typhoid and paratyphoid fever - each received less than $10 million or 0.4 per cent of total global investment. For many of these diseases, funding was not enough to create even one new product.

From the survey, the need for R&D to develop new drugs and vaccines for preventing and treating neglected tropical infections in developing countries is widely accepted. For example, the creation of a vaccine for HIV& AIDS, more effective tools to diagnose TB, and better drug treatments for leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness would greatly improve health.Specific R&D investment data previously available for some neglected diseases, they were incomparable since each survey used different methodologies and covered different diseases, products, donors, and countries. The survey was designed to include all neglected diseases and all control tools of significance to developing countries, and to gather funding data as consistently and comprehensively as possible.It noted that public and philanthropic donors collectively invested $US 2.3 billion (about 90 per cent) of the total funding with nearly three quarters coming from the US government. The largest organisational donors were the US National Institutes of Health (42 per cent) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (18 per cent) of total funding). About a quarter of donor funding was routed to public-private product development partnerships such as the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Medicines for Malaria Venture.

Ghana: Doctors Alarmed At Spate of Kidney Failures;Charles Takyi-Boadu:12 February 2009: THE CHRONICLE

Doctors in the country are alarmed at the increasing spate of kidney-related cases, especially among the youth. They have thus advised Ghanaians to cultivate good eating habits, and exercise regularly to avoid catching kidney-related diseases.A Physician and Nephrologist (kidney expert) at the Department of Medicine, at the nation's premier Hospital, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr. Charlotte Osafo, stressed the urgent need for Ghanaians to put an end to eating fatty foods, which have the tendency of increasing one's susceptibility to risk.

Available statistics on renal cases (kidney related) at Korle-Bu, between the periods of January 2006 to July 2008, have it that there were 558 reported cases, with 143 being females and 415 males.Most doctors believe that most kidney-related cases are not reported to hospital, for reason that they are attributed to witchcraft, hence the majority of those who contract it resort to spiritual healing and herbal medicines for treatment.Unfortunately, only 38 people out of the total number of reported cases were able to afford treatment for the disease, while 123, who could not afford the treatment, died in the process.The huge cost involved in treating kidney-related diseases, be it acute or chronic, is what has compelled doctors to warn the populace on further complications.That notwithstanding, a person diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, must be subjected to three times of dialysis, between four to five hours a week, to sustain his or her life.

Dr. Osafo said treatments cannot cure kidney failure, but can improve health and prolong thhe life of the patient.When the kidneys are damaged, and are not able to fulfill the process of filtering the blood, action must be taken. The cost of running dialysis on each session, cost not less than GH¢140 (¢1.4 million old cedis).In that regard, the cost of sustaining a patient with chronic kidney-related diseases on dialysis, excludes his or her medications, and drugs.Meanwhile, the only way available for a kidney patient, is through a transplant, which costs almost GH¢100,000 (¢1 billion old cedis).At the moment, there are only five units in the country that can treat kidney-related ilnesses. They are, the Department of Medicine at Korle-Bu, National Cardiothoracic Centre, also at Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Peace and Love Hospital also in Kumasi, and the Central Regional Hospital in Cape Coast.According to Dr. Osafo, the commonest causes of kidney failure, are diabetes, high blood pressure and a painless inflammation of the kidneys called 'glomerulonephritis,' which involves a progressive loss of the filtering units (nephrons) in the kidney.She mentioned other common causes as including inherited condition of cycles in the kidneys (polycystic kidney disease), repeated kidney infections or kidney infections (pyelonephritis) in childhood, and obstruction to the urine flow, not forgetting excessive indulgence and use of drugs and alcohol.She, however, noted that renal failure (kidney failure) was not an infectious disease.

According to her, the nature of the disease was such that it could happen to anyone at any age, and any point in time.Available information has it that chronic kidney failure is a serious, long term medical condition.

Currently, kidney transplants are performed in the United Kingdom every year.Last year, 370,000 people in the United States were put on dialysis, with 15,000 receiving organ transplants, whilst 88,000 were waiting to receive organ transplant.In that country, eight people die everyday waiting for organ transplants.It is in this light that the National Kidney Foundation (NAKID) will be organising a free screening exercise, at the Makola market in Accra on March 12, this year, which is slated for the World Kidney Day celebration, for members of the public to check their status and susceptibility to kidney- related diseases.The foundation would also embark on a float, through the principal streets of Accra on the same day, to sensitise people to keep a healthy life and good eating habits.

Ghana: President Mills Reminded of His Promise On Water:Ebenezer Hanson:9 February 2009: Public Agenda (Accra)

Accra — The Essential Services Platform (ESP) has reminded Prof. John Evans Atta- Mills of his election promise to renationalize the provision of water supply to ensure quality, accessible and affordable water to all Ghanaians.The group says the crisis state of the water provision is a reflection of the monumental failure of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited, the management entity of Ghana Water Company Limited.The record of accomplishment of Aqua Vitens Rand in Ghana shows that they are not performing to the extent that the non-provision of water to the people has assumed a national crisis, observed the ESP."Their contract therefore should be abrogated and provision of water supply should be re-nationalized as promised by the NDC. We don't want the Mills government to be a hypocritical one by making promises on platforms and do otherwise when in power," Adam Alhassan, a member of the ESP said in answer to a question last Thursday.

It would be recalled that at a forum organised by the ESP for the political parties last year, Hannah Tetteh, Trade and Industry Minister designate and NDC Communications Director, espoused the views of the President saying that she did not see why the provision of water should be in private hands.Patrick Apoya, the Chairman for the event, found it unjustifiable that government only spends a mere 5% of its resources on such an indispensable public good like water, while donors put in 95%. "This is not the best for an essential service like water".The ESP cited a litany of statistics on the provision of essential services in general which indicated that Ghana was miles away from the benchmarks contained in documents such as UN Conference on Trade and Development, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.Aqua Vitens Rand's October 2008 Report suggests that "there are still no reagents and in some cases equipment to test for pesticides, lead, mercury and arsenic. This is of great concern to us since the presence of these metals in our water has health implications". Delays in the replacement of old pipelines are a major source of contamination. "The cause of the contamination problem at La which was reported last month is now known, to have been caused by damaged pipe lines," Ben Lartey, another member, quoted from the report.According to Ben Lartey since 2005 Ghana disbursed only $38.22 million out of a $103 million for the Urban Water Project leaving, a whopping sum of $ 88.55 million. "This is of great concern since this money was supposed to be used in replacement of old pipelines and machinery to improve water production. Rural water is also taking a dip, according to the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC), May 1, 2008," he lamented.He then shifted his attention to non-collection of waste. He observed that the rapid accumulation of solid waste by roadsides is an eye sore and a health hazard especially at a time when cholera outbreak is at a record high."The country is littered with plastic which chokes rivers and drains. The plastic suffocates the earth and kills animals that happen to eat it. Collection of waste is becoming problematic; citizens are adopting all kinds of tricks in getting rid of rubbish," he expatiated.Lartey regretted that although the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) stipulates that vulnerable people should be treated freely, Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) pay for anti-retroviral drugs and this should be reviewed of this arrangement.He stressed that, the debate on whether the senior high school should be three or four years is not what matters; "we are concerned to accommodate the extra one year the students will spend in schools. Extra teachers have not been employed to take care of them; there shall be stress on existing teachers.""Lack of social services such as water, good sanitation and road networks among others discourages the teachers from staying in the deprived communities".

Southern Africa Southern Africa: Cholera in Region Could Be Linked to Zimbabwe, Says UN Health Agency:13 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today it believes the outbreak of cholera in South Africa - and possibly those in Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia - is linked to Zimbabwe, where the disease has already claimed over 3,500 lives and is still not under control.Countries bordering Zimbabwe have all reported cholera cases, WHO's Fadela Chaib told a news conference in Geneva, noting that South Africa has reported some 4,800 cases and 34 deaths between 15 November 2008 and 20 January 2009.Mozambique is experiencing an outbreak in 10 out of its 11 provinces, with a total of some 3,600 cases and 25 deaths reported.Three of Angola's provinces are affected with 273 cases and one death reported so far, while some 3,000 cases and 43 deaths have been reported in Zambia between 10 September 2008 and 27 January 2009.

But it is hard to say whether all cases are linked to the Zimbabwe outbreak, as Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and parts of South Africa are endemic for the water-borne disease, Ms. Chaib noted. Botswana, which is not endemic for cholera, has eight cases.Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, some 73,000 cholera cases have been reported since the outbreak began last August, and the death toll now stands at 3,524.These figures show that the country's worst-ever cholera outbreak "is still not under control," said Ms. Chaib.

She added that efforts are continuing to help tackle the crisis, including the opening of more treatment centres across the country. There are currently some 360 treatment centres.At the same time, she noted that the lack of food and transportation and the fact that health workers are underpaid are posing challenges for the humanitarian community. In addition, possible flooding linked to the current rainy season can make areas difficult to access.A humanitarian mission, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will visit the southern African nation from 21 to 25 February. The team will also include the participation of WHO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Zimbabwe: Cholera Cases Rise Beyond 70 000:Alex Bell:12 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London)

The infection rate from the country's deadly cholera epidemic has gone beyond the 70 000 mark this week, with at least 2000 new cases reported since Monday. According to new figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, more than 71 000 cases have been reported since the outbreak of the disease last year. The figure is a dramatic indication of the true nature of the epidemic that has swept through all ten provinces in the country, and officially has left more than 3 500 people dead. The infection rate itself has soared far beyond the 'worst case scenario' of 60 000 cases, and WHO predictions suggest the worst is yet to come.There are fears the infection rate will double in the coming months, with at least 50 000 new cases expected by May, and as crucial foreign aid begins to dry up, the country is looking to the new government to take action to prevent more deaths. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday vowed to tackle the cholera crisis as a main priority of the new unity government that is being formed with ZANU PF. He was speaking during a rally at Glamis Stadium in Harare shortly after his inauguration, and said the government will, 'urgently reduce both the number of outbreaks and the unacceptably high mortality level by tackling the causes of the epidemic.'The cholera outbreak has flourished in the country with no functioning essential infrastructure, and Tsvangirai will need to tackle the crisis on a number of levels. The critical lack of clean water, medical supplies, medical staff and even food has made fighting the disease almost impossible. And with aid groups such as the Red Cross warning that their efforts will have to cease soon due to lack of funding, the crisis is set to worsen before the new Prime Minister's actions can make a positive impact.

South Africa: Microbicide Against HIV is 'Promising':Tamar Kahn:10 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY

Cape Town — A microbicide developed by US biotech firm Indevus Pharmaceuticals appears to offer women some protection against HIV, offering the first glimmer of hope in this research field in many years.Results from the HPTN 035 clinical trial released yesterday suggest the microbicide PRO 2000 is partially effective against HIV infection, but more research is needed to be sure.Microbicides are gels or creams that are placed in the vagina before sex in the hope of preventing male to female HIV infection. They can also be used rectally. Scientists hope microbicides will offer women a discreet way to reduce their risk of contracting HIV from an infected partner, particularly in situations where men are reluctant to use condoms.With good research infrastructure and more than 5,7-million people infected with HIV, SA is at the forefront of microbicide research.After years of disappointing clinical trials, scientists in the HPTN 035 trial said they were delighted to report some good news yesterday."For the first time in the history of microbicide research we've found a product that looks very promising," said the study's principal investigator, Prof Gita Ramjee, a scientist at the Medical Research Council (MRC). "It's a big plus for the prevention field as a whole, as trials have been falling like dominoes," she said.Recent failures include products that at best had no effect at all, such as Carraguard, or worse, appeared to do harm, such as Ushershell. There has also been bad news on the HIV vaccine development front, after the failure of Merck's candidate AIDS vaccine.The HPTN 035 phase 2 study involved 3099 women in SA, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and the US. It was funded by the US National Institutes of Health and tested the safety and efficacy of two candidate microbicides, PRO 2000 and BufferGel (developed by US firm ReProtect). Previous laboratory and animal tests showed PRO 2000 stopped HIV from entering the cells of the vagina, while BufferGel boosted the vagina's natural acidity to disactivate HIV and other pathogens.Women were randomly assigned to four groups and received BufferGel, PRO 2000, a dummy gel with no active ingredients, or no gel at all. They were counselled about safe sex and provided with free condoms.There were a total of 194 HIV infections among the women: 36 among women who used PRO 2000, 54 among those who used BufferGel, 51 among those who used the placebo, and 53 among participants who used no gel at all.Analysis of the data showed PRO 2000 was 30% effective against HIV infection, but the results were not statistically significant, said the study's protocol chair, Prof Salim Abdool Karim. This means it is possible the results were simply due to chance. However, scientists were fairly confident that the gel had provided some protection, as further analysis showed women who used it a lot were better protected than women who hardly used it, said Karim.

Mozambique: 'Champions for an HIV-Free Generation' Visit:9 February 2009:IRIN

Maputo — The former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, said on Monday in Maputo that Africans must not give up in the struggle against AIDS.Africa is the continent worst affected by AIDS, and it is believed that about 25 million Africans are HIV-positive. According to the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), Africa accounts for 60 per cent of HIV infections, and 75 per cent of AIDS deaths.Mogae was speaking to reporters shortly after he was received in audience by Mozambican President Armando Guebuza. Accompanying Mogae, were the former Mozambican head of state, Joaquim Chissano, and the director of the Kenyan National AIDS Council, Joyce Mhaville.

Mogae said that, despite the work against AIDS already done in Africa, much more was required. "We must not desist. We have already done a lot, but Africans need to do a lot more to finish this pandemic", he stressed. "Africa is the most affected continent, and we have to work on fighting HIV/AIDS. That is what has brought us here".Mogae warned against male promiscuity, "One of the factors that facilitates the spread of HIV/AIDS is that men have many partners, many girlfriends, and that's a problem", he said. "We can do a lot about this. We have to change our behaviour".The delegation led by Mogae is from "Champions for an HIV-Free Generation". He said the group is in Mozambique to swap impressions with members of the government and with civil society leaders "about what can be done to halt the spread of AIDS. We would like to advise, encourage and persuade leaders to pay more attention to campaigns against HIV/AIDS".The "Champions for an HIV-Free Generation" include former African presidents and other influential figures, who are now working on behalf of those infected and affected by the pandemic. The group plans to spend two days in Mozambique. It is on a tour that will also take it to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.This initiative has been endorsed by the major international bodies fighting AIDS, including UNAIDS, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank, the Global fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Southern Africa: Mozambique And Swaziland Cooperate in Health:10 February 2009:IRIN

Maputo — The governments of Mozambique and Swaziland signed in Maputo on Monday a memorandum of understanding to broaden their cooperation in health care..The memorandum, valid for five years renewable, envisages cooperation in technical and professional staff training, research and development, and the control and management of transmssible and non-transmissible diseases.The document was signed by Mozambican Health Minister Ivo Garrido and his Swazi counterpart Benedict Xaba.Addressing the ceremony, Garrido said "Selecting the areas of cooperation was based on the epidemiological profile of both countries".He added that Mozambique has a strong interest in offering Swaziland its wide-ranging experience in medical science where it is already developing specialties, such as haemodialyisis, and open heart surgery.Medical assistance for Mozambicans residing in Swaziland and for Swazi citizens living in Mozambique is a further item that was taken into account in the memorandum.A technical commission, involving health staff from both countries, is to organize meetings to discuss details and guidelines to implement the memorandum.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Kenya: Cholera Outbreak Hits Overcrowded Refugee Camp, UN Reports:13 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

Kenya's sprawling and overcrowded Dadaab refugee complex is grappling with a cholera outbreak that has infected 14 people so far, most of them children, and already claimed the life of a three-year-old boy, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today."Most of the other cases have recovered and been discharged. An 18-month-old boy is in stable condition at the Hagadera Hospital," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.The first case was identified on 29 January in Hagadera, the biggest of the three settlements at the Dadaab camp in northeastern KenAs a result of the overcrowding, some refugees are staying outside the parameters of the camp where there are no sanitation facilities at allya - one of the world's largest refugee camps, hosting nearly 250,000 people.There is a high risk of the outbreak spreading given the extreme overcrowding at Hagadera, which was designed for 30,000 people but now holds some 100,000 refugees, overstretching water and sanitation services.

A team of six medical specialists from the Kenya Ministry of Health, UNHCR, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies is supporting the doctors in the camp to deal with the outbreak.Mr. Redmond noted that UNHCR and its partners are finding it difficult to deliver services to refugees due to the congestion in the camp."Water supplies are insufficient to meet the needs of the new arrivals and there is not enough space for more latrines to meet the basic health requirement that they be located at least six meters from cooking areas."As a result of the overcrowding, some refugees are staying outside the parameters of the camp where there are no sanitation facilities at all," he stated.UNHCR has recently received a commitment from Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga that his Government will provide land to set up a new refugee camp in northeastern Kenya to take the pressure off the Dadaab complex.

Somalia: A New Hospital for Puntland Capital As Security Improves:9 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

A new hospital will be built in the regional capital of Puntland State, in northeastern Somalia, as security gradually improves following last month's peaceful presidential election, Radio Garowe reports.Puntland government officials were present in Garowe, the region's administrative capital, where Health Minister Dr. Bashir Ali Bihi laid the founding rocks for a new hospital nalongside Abdulkadir Osman "Food-Adde," Garowe's city mayor.The new hospital in Garowe will be constructed with aid from Manhal agency, whose local director Mohamed Hassan Isse remarked at the ceremony that the hospital will have many benefits for the people.Mr. Abdisalan Jama Salad, the chief project engineer, said the new hospital will occupy a space of 90x60 meters and construction will begin for the first floor where patient rooms and the administration will be located.Dr. Bihi, Puntland's new health minister, praised the efforts of locals who spearheaded the campaign to build a new hospital in Garowe and help improve health services in the region.Garowe Regional Hospital is currently the only major medical center in the city, although a number of smaller clinics also operate.

Improving security

Security is gradually improving in Garowe after consecutive months of crimes, including robberies and stabbings.Garowe police units are normally seen patrolling city streets day and night, with residents saying there is a big drop in crimes involving hoodlums forcefully taking people's mobile phones and other possessions, at times leading to injury or death.Security was the number issue in Garowe as Puntland prepared for its fourth election, which brought Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole" to power on Jan. 8.On Monday, a convicted murderer was executed in Garowe, marking the new government's first capital punishment case.The executed man, identified as Abdi-Dahir Abdullahi, was convicted of killing two men on Feb. 2, including a well-known pirate.A second man who was detained for the same crime was later released after the police could not find him guilty, officials said. READ: Ukraine weapons ship freed, pirate kingpin killedMeanwhile, Garowe Mayor Food-Adde has been heading a campaign to improve the city's image by removing khat sellers from major roads and destroying illegally built structures.

Central Africa

Rwanda: Global Health Experts Raise Alarm On Chronic Diseases:Berna Namata in Kampala:9 February 2009: THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — HEALTH experts have found that chronic diseases are wrecking more havoc in Africa and Asia, where they claim more lives than infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.Chronic diseases, also referred to as Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are currently the leading cause of death in these continents, accounting for 60 percent deaths globally in 2005, more than twice the number deaths caused by communicable diseases in the same period.

The 1st Africa - Asia summit on Chronic Disease, which took place in Kampala last week, was aimed at preparing communities in the developing world in dealing with such emerging epidemics.Addressing participants at the Summit on Friday, Dr. Fiona Adshead, the Director of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that her organization predicts that if preventive, control and surveillance measures are not undertaken now; the incidence of Non Communicable Diseases will reach epidemic proportions by the year 2025."The alarming rate of growth of the burden of both death and disability" from NCDs in Africa is ever more recognized," Adshead alerted the audience.

She added: "Hypertension, stroke, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and the consequence of tobacco use, alcohol abuse and illicit drugs, are growing as serious public health challenges."NCDs such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, various forms of cancer and other related diseases are now projected to be the largest cause of death world-wide."We now have the evidence and best practices that can make a difference in African and Asian countries. The option we have is to use the evidence to act now," she said.Adshead also urged governments to define, cost and implement a basic health care package that addresses the major part of its diseases burden through appropriate interventions using an integrated approach."The interventions would take care of the priority health problems communicable and non -communicable diseases," she said.

Speaking at the Summit, Prof Robert Beaglehole of University of Auckland also echoed alarm on the increasing burden of chronic diseases in the developing countries stating that presently, more people are increasingly dying of chronic diseases in these countries than the developed world."Prevention has been neglected yet cheap and cost effective interventions are available. There is need to act on the double burden of disease and align with other agendas (development and environment),"he said , citing salt reduction ,tobacco control ,exercising and reduction of the consumption of fats as part of the many cost -effective interventions available.According to the Professor, this would prevent 32 million deaths by 2015.The summit is organized by Aga Khan Development Network in collaboration with WHO and the government of Uganda.

31. ENVIRONMENT West Africa

Nigeria: Reps Propose Deadline on Gas Flaring:Osunde Adesuwa:11 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Dimeji Bankole, has disclosed that the House of Representatives will soon come with a definite deadline within which all multinational companies in Nigeria must end the flaring of gas.The speaker said this yesterday while inaugurating the newly created House Committee on Climate Change."This committee is expected to collaborate with other stakeholders to draw up a final deadline within which the multinational companies will stop flaring of gas in Nigeria ".Bankole expressed concern over the 1.5 million dollars captured in the 2009 budget for Ministry of Environment which he said would not be enough to address environmental issues.

He added that in the "Supplementary budget proposal, we may decide to take this even more seriously".The speaker said the House is currently working on a bill to establish a National Climate Change Commission to address the problem of environmental degradation in the country.Earlier, while presenting his welcome address, the chairman of the committee, Hon Eziuche Ubani said the "Committee would ensure legislative scrutiny and oversight over treaties and agreements that are likely to arise from the coordinated efforts under the United Nations framework on climate change".He warned that the issue of global change should not be treated with kid gloves as "The future of every country will depend on what it does now to address climate change, especially if we understand the nexus between climate change and energy use".

Ubani called for support from stakeholders in order to effectively execute the mandate of the committee and to embark on a "Massive advocacy drive to educate Nigerians on the reality and consequences of climate change and efforts necessary to mitigate or adapt to its effects".in their separate presentations, the counsellor of climate change to the government of Denmark , Peter Krogh Serenson and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria , Mr Bob Dewar, called for political will by the government to combat the effects of climate change in Nigeria .Meanwhile, the speaker of the House of Representatives had disclosed that it would amend the National Planning Act to make the commission more effective and responsive to the nation's needs and ensure that the process is done transparently by the relevant organisations.He said this while inaugurating the committee on international donors and civil society under the chairmanship of Hon. Nnenna Ukeje."We need to see the grassroots impact of development funds on our citizens. The practice where chunks of donor fund administrators go to service the pleasures of donor fund administrators or pay for excessively priced technical assistance will need to change."The people who make the decisions concerning projects and needs are too far removed from the people who should benefit from them and are powerless to make any contribution".

Senegal: Coastal Erosion Research Goes Unfunded:10 February 2009:IRIN

Saint-Louis — Environmental officials are calling for funds to document the deterioration of Senegal's coast and take action to save coastal communities."We need facts and figures about the sea to show people that [the threat of coastal erosion] is not just all talk," said Sory Diallo, the director of Hydrometeorology and Maritime Meteorology in Senegal's Ministry of Infrastructure.The government in 2008 released a strategy to fight coastal erosion, which includes 22 projects.As of February 2009 government officials are still seeking donor funding for 14 of the projects, including research, according to government reports.Researcher Isabelle Niang, a professor at Cheikh Anta Diop University in the capital Dakar, told IRIN there is no money for studies to identify vulnerable areas or the extent of coastal damage.

"There is no research budget at the university; we have to pay for field trips ourselves and it is not easy," said Niang. "If our scientists are asked for information, they cannot provide it because they cannot carry out the studies."She said she is worried the Senegalese government has been slow to look for such funding because it does not want to discourage investors from coastal areas, which are popular for tourism projects.

Disappearing act But government officials told IRIN it is in their best interest to halt coastal damage. "The country's economic and tourist centres and its main inhabited areas are all on the coast," said Eliman Ba, a government adviser on coastal erosion. "If we find no solution to coastal erosion, a good part of our country will just disappear."Senegal's Environment Ministry estimates that the sea is eroding the West African country's Atlantic coastline by at least one metre per year on average, but said erosion is up to 10 times worse in vulnerable areas like the coastal town of Saint-Louis, 266km north of Dakar.The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in 2008 named Saint-Louis as the African city most vulnerable to climate change damage due to its position between the Senegal River and Atlantic Ocean.Saint-Louis resident Mokhtar Gaye lives on Langue de Barbarie, a sandy tourist strip dotted with hotels.Every few days he puts up sand bags to protect his home from the advancing sea, Mokhtar told IRIN. "It is hard to work, to eat, even to sleep because you always think at the back of your mind that the sea can take everything away."Haïdar El Ali with the local environmental NGO l'Océanium said people hauling away sand to sell to construction companies has worsened erosion."People are taking literally thousands of tonnes of sand a day from the shore to use for building. They are...cutting down trees too," said Ali.

Poorly-planned and expanding coastal communities are another problem, said ministerial director Diallo. "People have built on low-lying land, where really they should not be. They have put themselves at risk."

Solution?

Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade has proposed building sea walls to divert waves. But Diallo said without funding researchers cannot conduct feasibility surveys.The Environment Ministry plans to develop a law to police the use of land next to the sea, according to the ministry.But university researcher Niang said she is concerned the law might not be enforced. "It would go against many government interests to do more to protect the environment."There is economic pressure to build on the coast, for hotels and the like. Is the government ready to think of the environment over the economy?"Without more research on coastal erosion, people do not understand the danger it poses, said l'Océanium's Ali. "We worry when it is too late. When we do get the figures showing how bad it is, the problem will have worsened."We need to worry now."

Liberia: President Sirleaf Signs Forest Management Contract:11 February 2009: Liberia Government (Monrovia)

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has signed a Forest Management Contract between the Liberian Government and Alpha Logging & Wood Processing Company.Speaking Tuesday when she signed the document, the Liberian President expressed satisfaction over the signing of the agreement which she noted, will create more employment opportunities for Liberians upon implementation and generate income for the country's Lift Liberia Initiative.Under the terms of the contract, Alpha Logging & Wood Processing Company will harvest commercial timber for 119-thousand, 240 hectares covering Gbarpolu and Lofa Counties.More than US $17.8-million is expected to be invested on machinery, road network and community development activities under the contract, while statutory community benefits will average half-a-million dollars per annum.

An initial direct employment is estimated at 250 persons which is expected to increase to about 5-hundred persons or more when wood processing factories are established, while about US $1.49 million is expected to be accrued in taxes and fees during the initial year of operations. The amount is expected to increase on an average of US $2.7-million per annum for the next five years.Tuesday's Forestry Management Contract is the third signed by President Johnson Sirleaf in recent weeks. The President recently signed two Forestry Management Agreements covering Rivercess county.The agreements are subject to ratification by the Liberian Senate.

Southern Africa

Southern Africa: SADC Falls in Love With Cross-Border Conservation:Absalom Shigwedha:13 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

"In a world where the environment and natural world and its wildlife are under increasing strain, there is fortunately an awareness that what remains of wilderness area have to be safeguarded now, if future generations are to know and experience them."

SADC countries - it seems - have fallen in love with the trans-boundary conservation concept and at the moment 14 transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) have been identified in the region as most viable for development.This is out of 22 TFCAs mentioned in a study by the Stellenbosch-based Peace Parks Foundation (PPF), the foundation's communications manager, Irma Engelbrecht, told The Namibian this week.She said the Foundation has been asked to assist governments in the development of 10 of these parks.So far, 10 agreements have been signed between SADC countries for the establishment TFCAs.Agreements have been signed between South Africa and Namibia for the establishment of the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and between Angola and Namibia for the Iona-Skeleton Coast TFCA. Engelbrecht said the Foundation is currently involved in the development of the Iona-Skeleton Coast TFCA.

The Kgalagadi TFCA between Botswana and South Africa opened in May 2000.The other seven agreements has been signed on the establishment of the Limpopo-Shashe TFCA (between Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe), the Maloti-Drakensberg TFCA and Development Area (between Lesotho and South Africa) and the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area (between Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland).The agreement signed between Mozambique and Zimbabwe is for the creation of the Chimanimani TFCA, the one between Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe is for the establishment of the Great Limpopo TFCA while the one penned by Malawi and Zambia is for the creation of the Malawi-Zambia TFCA.

The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KaZa-TFCA) between Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe is unique because five countries are involved.Engelbrecht was quick to add that this also complicates matters, as five partner countries have to agree on matters pertaining to its development.The KaZa-TFCA covers an area of 280 000 square kilometres, including 22 protected areas."Apart from government, there are also private-sector role players. In many of the TFCAs, it is not just a matter of just merging existing national parks, it could also mean the buying up of farmland to establish a national park or having private-sector landowners agree that their land will be part of a TFCA," Engelbrecht explained.She said a further four TFCAs in the SADC region are in various stages of development. These are the Liuwa Plain-Mussuma TFCA (between Angola and Zambia), the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools (Zambia and Zimbabwe), Niassa-Selous TFCA (Mozambique and Tanzania) and the Mnazi Nay- Quirimbas Marine TFCA (Mozambique and Tanzania).

Engelbrecht said the donor community has been tremendous in its support of TFCA development in the region."In a world where the environment and the natural world and its wildlife are under increasing strain, there is fortunately an awareness that what remains of wilderness areas have been safeguarded now, if the future generations are to know and experience them," she said.On what benefits TFCAs will bring to countries involved, Engelbrecht said sustainable economic growth, based on eco-tourism, which is the fastest growing industry in the world, gives people a reason to protect their natural assets.Engelbrecht added that TFCAs will also bring about biodiversity conservation and because technical committees and working groups - which become joint management boards once a TFCA is established - regularly meet and discus issues of mutual interest, it will also bring about good neighbourliness.Once all 22 existing or potential TFCAs in the region are established, it will bring the total area of peace parks in the SADC region to about 75 million hectares, roughly the size of Germany, Italy and Portugal combined.The world's first trans-boundary park was established in 1932 when the US and Canada merged the Waterton National Park and Glacier National Park. And today, the impact of that decision is still felt on every continent.

Namibia: North Under Water:Oswald Shivute:13 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

HEAVY rain that fell in Ongwediva on Wednesday morning flooded many houses in the town's New Reception Area.Residents are complaining that their houses are under water and their belongings and food stocks waterlogged.People in the area complain that the Town Council allocated them plots in a low-lying area.

"The Ongwediva Town Council gave us a plot that is in a pan that can be full of water during the rainy season. They promised us that they will fill up the area, but never did so, and now we are under water," Antonius Nuuyoma told The Namibian.Town Council spokesperson Andreas Uutoni says the council is doing its best to solve the flood problems in some areas, especially in the New Reception Area.He said his team is digging up a new canal to drain the water to a nearby oshana.Oshakati residents also fear that the arrival of the seasonal efundja flood will bring a repeat of last year's devastating floods.

Some people arriving from Angola on Wednesday told The Namibian that the efundja is on its way from southern Angola.People in Oshakati are angry with their Town Council, saying that nothing has come of last year's promises to relocate people in flood-prone informal settlements to higher ground.The areas that were badly flooded last year included Oneshila, Evululuko, Kandjengedi, Uupindi and Oshoopala."I think the Oshakati Town Council is sleeping because it has done nothing as far as the flood problem is concerned. All it has done is to suspend some of its senior officials, probably because they were not doing their work," said one of the Oneshila residents who fell victim to last year's floods.Approached for comment, Oshakati Mayor Katrina Shimbulu said she was going to assess the flood situation in the whole of Oshakati yesterday afternoon.She said after assessing the situation she would call an emergency meeting with the Town Council to come up with an acceptable solution.

Zimbabwe: Climate Change Programme Launched:10 February 2009:THE HERALD

Harare — The British Council and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation have launched a three-year programme designed to tackle causes of climate change.The initiative, being held under the theme "Our Climate, Our Future", will be conducted in three phases, namely awareness, implementation and lobbying.Speaking at a stakeholders' meeting held in Harare last week, Dr Prisca Mugabe, a climate change expert at the University of Zimbabwe, said there was need for behavioural change to tackle climate change."People need to move away from their habit of protecting their boundaries, unrealistic expectations and poor delivery," she said

Deputy Director of Environmental Health in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Mr Naboth Mawoyo said Government last year launched a national health strategy, which partly addresses climate change."The programme has evidence-based research, it has objectives, strategies and outcomes for each and every area. Emergency preparedness, response and recovery to climate change-related conditions are also addressed in the programmes to tackle health risks and hazards," he said. Participants who attended the meeting visited Mukuvisi Woodlands where they planted a tree.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Uganda: 'Lake Vic Forests Must Be Protected':Henry Mukasa:11 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — THE environment protection authorities and activists must be firm in the conservation of forests around Lake Victoria, President Yoweri Museveni has said."There used to be a forest reserve around Lake Victoria. When there is surface run- off and there is no forest, all the soil goes into the lake.If there is a belt of trees with undergrowth, those act as natural filters. We should stand firm and say, nobody should cut this forest," he said.

Centuries ago, the Ugandan side of the lake was surrounded by large forests stretching from West Bugwe in Busia district to Sango-bay in Rakai district.Over the years due to population pressure, commercial and human activity, the forests have been massively cut leaving patches of creeping plants and shrubs.Museveni was on Tuesday addressing journalists at State House, Nakasero on the clashes in south Busoga forest reserve that had pitted encroachers against National Forestry Authority (NFA) and Mayuge district leaders.The NFA board of trustees chairman, Baguma Isoke, attributed the problem to the presence of forests on private land and failure by the Government to survey, demarcate and name forest reserves.Encroachment, fires during dry seasons, absence of rangers and law enforcement officers are other reasons Isoke cited.Museveni asked NFA to spell out details for every forest in 2006.However, he said the report given to him was not detailed and he had asked for an elaborate one.

"We cannot allow a river to dry up for people to grow nakati (vegetables) and entula (egg plants)," Museveni said.

"My plan for the environment is not this Lukyamuzi nonsense. It is scientific, rational and impeccable."I can come and say, you are sitting where God did not want you to sit and you cannot resist," he added.The former Lubaga South MP, Ken Lukyamuzi, is a self-acclaimed environmentalist and opposes Government programmes, which he says, are detrimental to the environment.Museveni said Namanve Forest was conserved to provide firewood to run locomotives (trains) then, but it was turned into an industrial park because 'there were more urgent issues.'"This is how we are going to solve this issue of forest reserves," he said.

KENYA: People on Front Lines of Climate Change Forced to Face Facts, Find Solutions:12 February 2009:press release: Care (Atlanta) :IRIN

Washington, DC — High up the slopes around Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, malaria was all but unknown. That is now history as climate change warms the area and the most vulnerable in the area - the children, the elderly and the ill - are now falling victim to malaria. Despite the many problems brought on by climate change, Cynthia Awuor knows firsthand the positive strategies that can help people adapt.

Awuor spoke on a Capitol Hill panel yesterday in connection with the U.S. release of a joint report by CARE, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the research organization, Maplecroft. The report, "Humanitarian Implications of Climate Change, Mapping Emerging Trends and Risk Hotspots", documents how human-induced climate change is increasing extreme weather patterns. But Awuor points to the upside. "Things are beginning to happen and we are seeing positive results as people adapt to climate changes. With help from developing countries we can make even greater progress," she says, "but support is critical." The research documents that the world's poorest people are the hardest hit by climate change though they have contributed least to causing it. "We need to give the poor a voice in developing solutions," says Christina Chan, Senior Policy Analyst at CARE USA.Awuor notes solutions that work. "Many farmers in Kenya are switching to drought-tolerant maize crops as a response to climate change. Kenya could also greatly benefit from effective bio-engineering technology that can control floods."Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters, impacting livelihoods and natural resource supplies, and creating environmentally-induced migration.

Uganda: Suspects Arrested Over Wetland:Ismael Kasooha:11 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — THE Kibaale district natural resources department, in conjunction with the Police, has arrested eight people for allegedly encroaching on the Kabale wetland in Nalweyo sub-county.The men were also accused of depleting forests."We have asked them to vacate the reserves several times, but they refused to heed the warning. We were left with no option but to arrest them," said the acting district forest officer, Wilson Kyamuhondire."I hope this case will serve as an example to the others." Addressing journalists shortly after the arrest on Friday, Kyamuhondire said if not checked, encroachers would destroy all the forest and wetland reserves in the district.He urged residents who plan to do any activities in wetlands to carry out an environmental impact assessment.The suspects were Julius Byomuhangi, Alex Mayanja, Amosi Tiddiri and John Katabizi.Others were Okumu Gaagi, Jimmy Wumara, Ernest Kileo and Twinomujuni. They all hail from Nalweyo sub-county.

Uganda: 300 Karimojong Settle in Former Wildlife Reserve:11 February 2009: THE NEW VISION

Kampala — OVER 300 Karimojong families have settled on the 20sqkm piece of land at Moruajore in Namalu sub-county, Nakapiripirit district, that was initially part of Pian- Upe wildlife game reserve.The ethnic Pian Karimojong, the majority on the land, migrated from Amalera Prisons where they were squatters while others abandoned rented houses in the trading centre.Edyau Ecodu, the game reserve warden, said other settlers were the Karimojongs rounded up on Kampala streets between 2005 and 2007 by city enforcement officers and dumped in the game reserve."We recently handed over the land to the district. When the people realised there was free land in the area, they rushed to occupy it.""Our appeal to the district authorities is to regulate the settlement in the area to avert conflicts," Edyau said on Friday.The Nakapiripirit LC5 chairman, John Nangiro, said the delay by the Government to approve the district land board had created difficulties in regulating settlement in the former game reserve.Parliament in 2002 degazzetted part of the game reserve to create space for settlement and cultivation following the 1995 joint assessment study of the wildlife protected areas by the tourism ministry and district leaders. Peter Lokwany, a 68-year-old-Pian elder, said people started migrating to the area last December."More people arrive daily. Some of the challenges we have are starvation and shortage of clean water. There's only one borehole in this area.""The district promised to send us seeds and farm implements like hoes but we have not received them," Lokwang said.The elder said most of the new settlers survive on selling bundles of firewood that fetch between sh500 and sh2,000.But Nangiro said sh15m from the National Agricultural Advisory Services had been secured to buy the items."We plan to buy 1,500 hoes, 1,000kgs of maize and 500kgs of rice for the settlers.""It's only the formalities in the procurement exercise that are delaying the process," Nangiro said.

Central Africa

Cameroon: Fructifying Trees in Three Years:Fred Vubem:10 February 2009:CAMEROON TRIBUNE

The world Agro-forestry Centre has reduced the period for some trees to produce from 15 to 3 years.The world Agro-forestry Centre, ICRAF, has been carrying out research aimed at domestication some indigenous wild fruit trees by increasing their productivity and reducing the production cycle. The work carried out on over 20 indigenous trees species including the African nut popularly known as Njansang, prunus (an African medicinal plant), bush mangoes and the African plum.

The researchers use three techniques namely, propagation by cuttings, grafting and marcotting. Propagation by cutting consists in inducing rooting of a plant fragment taken from a selected tree and placed in a propagator to become an independent plantlet. It makes it possible to perpetuate species that do not easily bear fruit and whose seeds can thus not be easily obtained to produce a plant identical to the parent plant. The advantage of propagation by cuttings is that it leads to mass production and post harvest survival is 80 per cent and production is regular through out the year. Grafting is the reproduction of an independent plant by uniting the plant fragment of a first plant (scion), with another plant (the rootstock). The latter plant provides the rooting system of the new plant that emerges from the union. Grafting improves the vigour of the plant and suits all kinds of soil. With grafting it is possible to combine interesting characteristics of plants and equally enable large scale production. Marcotting is a form of vegetative reproduction that consists in inducing rooting of part of the tree branch. After rooting is induced, the branch is cut and put in a nursery to develop buds and become an independent plant. According to Dr Zac Tchoundjeu of ICRAF, marcotting allows for the reproduction of exact copies of the mother tree and for early fructification. It has the advantage that it doesn't demand much investment and the technique is easy to learn.The African plum known by the scientific name of burseracaee usually takes ten to 15 years to bear fruits. However with the new propagation techniques introduced by ICRAF, it is possible to have the plant produce within three years; this has encourage people to start planting trees that were hitherto found only in the wild and growing extinct due to heavy consumption and the long period of time it used to take to grow to maturity. It is probably because of this reason that Cameroon has been declared leader in tree domestication worldwide. Rwanda: Partnerships Key to Addressing Global Challenges - Commonwealth Deputy SG:Our Reporter:12 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba has said that strategic partnerships are key to addressing global challenges. Speaking while facilitating a session at the Retreat of the East Africa Community in Kigali on 10 February 2009, Mrs Masire-Mwamba said the trans-national and global nature of the challenges facing the world today, such as financial crises, food and energy crises and the effects of climate change call for greater collaboration."These crises compel us to pool our resources and ideas together in order to effectively tackle them, because no one country, government or institution can do so single-handedly," a statement by Commonwealth spokesperson for Africa, Julius Mucunguzi quoted her as having said.The Deputy Secretary-General cited a recent meeting hosted by Commonwealth Secretary-General in London on 'Realising the Development Dimensions of the Economic Partnership Agreements,' whose objective was to provide views, concerns and vision regarding the future of trade between Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Union."

The EAC was among the institutions that attended."Collaborations have of this nature have become the hallmark of our work with international and regional organisations. The objective is to enhance the global impact and reach of our activities in order to utilise resources in ways that avoid duplication," she said.

32. ECONOMY AND ENERGY

West Africa

Burkina Faso: Food Vouchers Newest Tool in UN Arsenal to Combat Hunger:13 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched its first food voucher programme in Africa, targeting 120,000 people in the capital of Burkina Faso who are suffering from the impact of high food prices in urban areas.Although food is available, it is beyond the reach of many in Ouagadougou, where the prices of basic staples such as millet and sorghum have risen more than 25 per cent in the past year, WFP said in a press release."Sometimes it makes more sense to give people vouchers than bags of food," said Annalisa Conte, WFP Country Director in Burkina Faso."This is an Sometimes it makes more sense to give people vouchers than bags of foodinnovative solution to hunger needs among people who live in a city where shops and market stalls may be full of produce, but prices are still too high for the poor and the vulnerable," she added.

Participants in the programme will receive a voucher worth 1,500 francs CFA, or about $3, which they can redeem in shops that have signed a contract with WFP for items such as maize, cooking oil, sugar, salt and soap. Each family will receive up to six vouchers per month for six months.The agency noted that distributing vouchers instead of food can be a more effective way of alleviating hunger in urban environments where markets are strong, because it cuts down on the cost to WFP of transporting and storing food assistance and helps to inject money into the local economy.WFP and its partners will also distribute food vouchers in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso for 60,000 people beginning next month.During the launch of the voucher operation in Burkina Faso, WFP will also hand out rations of Plumpy Doz, a ready-to-eat and highly nutritious peanut-based paste enriched with nutrients, to families with young children.The voucher operation is being made possible thanks to support from Burkina Faso and Saudi Arabia, as well as a grant from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

Ghana: Our Wish List for the President:9 February 2009:editorial: Public Agenda (Accra)

Accra — The United Nations (UN) estimates that more than four million of Ghana's estimated 22 million population are extremely poor, struggling to access basic social services like health, water and education.The government needs no reminder that health is wealth. One of the key promises of the NDC, going into election 2008 was "to rapidly pass the Mental Health Bill, sponsor training for doctors and nurses in psychiatry and train mental health care providers to address growing problems in drug addiction."At the close of the past week, BasicNeeds, an NGO that promotes the welfare of mental health patients worldwide reminded President John Evans Atta-Mills of his party's manifesto pledge of ensuring the passage of the bill.The group's call is in order, especially because the line between mental health and mental illness is thin. "For this reason, improvement in mental health care ought to engage everybody's attention."Despite efforts by previous governments in improving mental health in the country a lot remains to be done. Public Agenda supports the view that a Mental Health Law, together with other laws, would help to promote community-based mental health care.Perhaps, through such a law we could rid all parts of our major streets, towns and cities of the numerous people with mental problems.While making these calls, we are not forgetting some of the laudable initiatives of the past government like the free maternal care policy and the National Health Insurance Scheme.We expect the NDC government, which is a socially inclined administration to address the challenges facing these initiatives in order to better the lots of the people in accessing better, less expensive and hassle-free health care.Another area of concern is news that polio has resurfaced in Ghana. It is important for the government to see to the immediate implementation of the Ghana Health Service's policy on immunization against polio.We are also not forgetting the disturbing issue of the guinea worm disease. All efforts must be made to address the menace including providing potable and safe drinking water for the people in the affected areas, especially the three northern regions.Sanitation and good water impact greatly on the people's health. We should therefore provide enough places of convenience and allow the district assemblies to implement their varying sanitation policies to rid our cities and towns of filth.There is no denying the fact that the government has a mouthful of issues to address in relation to health. There should be no delay in tackling these issues head-on.

Nigeria: That CNN Report On Niger Delta:Jones Nnanna Ike:10 February 2009:DAILY TRUST Abuja — Between Sunday January 4 and Monday January 5, 2009, the CNN special report focus on Africa usually sponsored by Zenith Bank focused its attention on the Niger Delta region.To show the seriousness which the international media organ attached to that report, it was later aired as part of the news item on Tuesday January 6, 2009. The report was basically to highlight the plight of the oil rich region, the poverty of its people and the denigration of the environment. However such report as it is now usual with CNN and its report of events in Africa contained some half truths and fallacies which if left unchallenged will be taken as the truth.To start with, the report did not cover the entire states that make up the Niger Delta Region, rather it concentrated only on Rivers State and the efforts of Governor Chibuike Amaechi led regime to remedy the wrongs.Nothing is wrong with this, however the efforts of other governors of the Niger Delta region to develop their respective states especially the very hardworking ones like Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Delta states should equally have been highlighted. Again in the said report, Governor Amaechi was quoted as saying that before he came in it seemed as if there was no government in Rivers State. While not holding brief for former Governor Peter Odili and his team on their stewardship in the state, it smacks of mischief for somebody who was the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly for the entire period in which the Odili regime lasted to make that claim.As the Speaker for eight years, what oversights functions did Rivers State House of Assembly achieve within the period of which they were empowered constitutionally to do so? Why did the House continue to appropriate money to the executive arm if truly the government was inactive?Governor Amaechi should not continue to cast aspersions on a regime of which he played a central role. Amaechi is sufficiently doing well in the public rating. However he should be cautious about his utterances. Such aspersions do not in the real sense cast him in the mould of an honest and sincere politician. Governor Amaechi will be doing quite well if he concentrates on developing Rivers State and leave out criticisms of the past regime to neutral critics.CNN will also do better if the entire region is covered in their future reports. Efforts of hardworking governors of the area and institutions should equally be acknowledged. For now that is not quite the case.

Nigeria: Oil Companies Withdraw Expatriates From Niger Delta:Chika Amanze- Nwachuku:13 February 2009:THIS DAY

Lagos — Citing the heightened insecurity, coupled with the threat by the militant Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to declare "sweeping assault" on the Nigerian oil and gas industry, companies operating in the region may have suspended further deployment of expatriate workers in the area pending when normalcy returns.Also yesterday, Royal Dutch Shell said it had declared force majeure on its Nigerian Bonny oil shipments owing to insecurity in the oil-rich region.A top official of one of the major oil companies told THISDAY last night that companies had resolved to "suspend further deployment of expatriates to the area until they are satisfied that their security is guaranteed".He said the upsurge in criminal activities in the area has assumed a worrisome dimension and that no company is happy to see its workers abducted or even killed in the process.According to him, the cost of doing business has since this year tripled as companies now pay more to hire foreigners to work in the area, owing to the level of insecurity."The truth about the matter is that foreigners are now scared of going there to work no matter how much they are offered. On our own side, we are not happy about the development and would not want our staff harmed, so we have to monitor the situation for now," he said.

The source expressed regrets that investigation showed that those behind the dastardly act get the backing of some traditional rulers, who benefit from the ransoms paid by oil companies to free their workers."The militants even warn companies not to reveal that they pay to get their abducted workers freed. They threaten us that if we reveal it the next time will be bloody," he said, asking the government to take more drastic measures to stem the tide.It was learnt that intelligence report revealed that the militants may have resolved to "go bloody" this time around, following reports that government plans to execute those caught in the act.To make the state safer for oil and gas operators, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State had on Monday revealed that hostage taking would soon be made a capital offence, punishable by death.He disclosed that the state government planned to pass a bill into law which would make kidnapping a capital offence. The Criminal Code provides a two to 10 years imprisonment for kidnapping and false imprisonment.

Confirming the declaration of the force majeure on its Nigerian Bonny oil shipment, a Shell spokesman, Precious Okolobo, said the action was prompted by the company's inability to meet contractual obligation owing to the militancy in the area."It was declared with effect 1800 hours on Tuesday due to logistics challenges related to the security situation in the area. It will affect the remainder of February and perhaps March offtakes with some deferred to April," he said.The company said a previous force majeure covering liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from Bonny was still in force.The MEND, the main militant group in the region, had called off a five-month-old ceasefire almost two weeks ago and warned of a "sweeping assault" on the Nigerian oil and gas industry.Heavily armed militants had last month invaded the crude oil loading platform in Bonny, Rivers State, and shot at several vessels, which were carrying out businesses in the area.A security source said the gunmen, who came in speedboats, stormed the platform at about 10pm and opened fire on an oil tanker, "Front Chief", belonging to Total Oil Nigeria Limited.It was learnt that despite the gunfire that was unleashed on the vessel, the crewmen braved the situation and refused to allow the militants to come on board.

Apparently angry, the militants reportedly went on the rampage and shot at other vessels that were within the precincts of the loading bay.Some of the vessels and tugboats attacked within the loading terminal vicinity included Premier Njasi, MT Front Chief and two service boats: Wax Bill and MV Gabriel.It was learnt that some of the militants that were patrolling the area beyond the loading bay, intercepted a tugboat, which was towing a barge from Bonny to Calabar, Cross Rivers State.The militancy in the Niger Delta started in 2005 and has worsened since 2006. The development has robbed Nigeria of its position in oil production, as the country which had been producing about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day only produces about 2.2 million barrels owing to the violence in the area.Shell, the worse hit, had prior to attacks on its facilities had been producing about one million barrel per day. But the development has reduced its production to only about 400,000 barrels per day.Last November 27, the company had declared majeure on Liquefied Natural Gas, following an attack on its Soku gas plant.Okolobo confirmed last week that the force majeure had not been lifted as the repair of the damaged plant is still ongoing.

"In recent months the number of illegal connections on pipelines has increased significantly and they are encroaching on the Soku plant itself, increasing safety risks to an unacceptable level," Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) said.SPDC Managing Director Mutiu Sunmonu said the company had had to remove more than 50 illegal valves in August and September last year alone."Over the last few weeks, the situation has deteriorated rapidly and resulted in a situation where safety concerns dictated we had to shut in. We also approached a stage where we have questions regarding the integrity of the pipeline which we will check," Sunmonu said.SPDC is in a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Total's unit Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited and Italy's Agip.The Soku plant, located in the swamps of the southern Rivers State, supplies some 40 per cent of the gas feed to NLNG, a project in which Shell has a 26 per cent stake.The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) holds 49 per cent in NLNG. Other significant shareholders in the gas venture are Total and Agip. NLNG supplies liquefied natural gas to markets in Europe and the United States. LNG is natural gas that has been liquefied for easy transportation.

Abuja, Lagos Airports Pass Continent's First ICAO's Evaluation:Kingsley Alu:13 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

The Director-General,Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority,NCAA, Harold Demuren has described the series of airport evaluations conducted between the 9th -11th of February, 2008, by the International Civil Aviation Organisation,(ICAO) and the co-operative Arrangement for the Prevention of Spread of Communicable Disease by Air Travel(CAPSCA) in Lagos and Abuja Airports to ascertain the country's level of preparedness to checkmate the outbreak of communicable diseases by air travel, as the first in Africa.

Demuren, who disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday during the ICAO CAPSCA steering committee meeting in Abuja, said that the team had successfully assessed the level of preparedness of the two major Nigerian Airports in the prevention of communicable diseases by air travel .He said that the evaluation was carried out using checklists from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Health Regulations(IHR).A CAPSCA and ICAO statement issued at the meeting said Lagos and Abuja International Airports were evaluated for compliance with ICAO guidelines and the relevant articles of the World Health Organisation International Health Regulations(2005)on pandemic preparedness planning for the aviation sector.

The team therefore congratulated Nigeria for taking the initiative to have its airports pandemic preparedness plans evaluated, making it the first country in Africa to do so.'ICAO team is very pleased that Nigeria has initiated the airport evaluation process for CAPSCA Africa. ICAO CAPSCA project team acknowledges the co-ordinated and excellent effort being contributed by all agencies to develop effective aviation pandemic preparedness plans that are in concert with the state preparednesss plans for Nigeria,"the statement read.CAPSCA is an initiative of ICAO which aims at providing assistance to countries to enable them comply with Article 14 of the Convention On International Civil Aviation' Prevention of Spread of Diseases'; as well as ICAO annex 9,paragraph 8.16 that requires states to establish a national aviation plan in preparation for possible outbreak of serious communicable diseases.

NIGERIA: Yar'Adua to Open Timex Summit:Muideen Olaniyi:10 February 2009:DAILY TRUST

The second Timex Global Communication Summit scheduled for March 22 to 24, 2009 at Nicon Luxury Hotel Abuja is to be declared open by President Umaru Musa Yar'adua.A statement yesterday by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the communication outfit, Kabir Dangogo said the President has also accepted to present a keynote address at the occasion.The President has, however, directed the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili to represent him at the summit's opening ceremony on Monday, March 23.It is being organized by Timex Communications (Nig) Ltd in association with the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).The summit focuses on 'Legislative and Public Communication: The way forward for Africa.'The presidency, the National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications have also partnered with the public relations company to facilitate the summit which seeks to foster communication for democracy and national development.

Speakers invited to present papers at the summit are former senate president Chief Ken Nnamani, former minister of information Prince Tony Momoh and chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.Professor Ike Nwosu, president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Mr Wole Adamolekun, secretary general of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) will deliver welcome address and remarks during the opening ceremony.Topics slated for discussion include the legislature, the press and the public, communication between the Presidency and the National Assembly among others.

Southern Africa

Namibia: Govt Holds Its Line On Iran And Uranium:Nangula Shejavali:3 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

Namibia will not heed calls by individual countries on supplying uranium to Iran.Prime Minister Nahas Angula says Namibia's position on uranium supply is guided by international agreements, which it has to honour, and is not shaped by calls from individual nations. A number of countries - including the United States, Britain, Germany and France - believe that Iran is running out of raw uranium, and have started with intensive diplomatic campaigns to dissuade major uranium producers, including Namibia, from selling to Iran. They accuse the Middle Eastern nation of trying to acquire nuclear weapons under the pretext of a civilian nuclear energy programme, which Iran has denied repeatedly. It maintains it only wants nuclear power to generate electricity.

Angula yesterday told The Namibian that "unless an international agreement, such as with the United Nations Security Council, calls for countries not to supply to Iran, the Namibian Government treats Iran as any other country". ROSSING SAYS IT iS 'SAFE' But Iran isn't just any other country. The government of Iran has a 15 per cent shareholding in Rössing Uranium Limited, which last year supplied about 7,6 per cent of the world's mined uranium. Rössing says it does not currently supply Iran with uranium, nor would it do so if approached by Iran. "The government of Iran became a shareholder at the time when the mine started in the early 1970s, (but) Rössing's shareholders do not have any product take-off rights," says Jerome Mutumba, Rössing's Manager for External Affairs. Mutumba said Rössing Uranium was not in a position to comment on the accusations made against Iran by Western nations, or on their call to uranium-producing nations not to supply Iran with uranium.

"Rössing is a safe, significant and growing long-term supplier of uranium to the world nuclear power industry. The Government of Namibia is a signatory to the United Nations Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which stipulates that uranium is sold only to fellow NPT countries, and that the uranium is used for peaceful purposes," Mutumba said. Iran is also a signatory to the NPT, but has in the past been found non-compliant with the NPT's safeguards agreement.In 2006, it embarked on a uranium enrichment programme, defining it as part of its civilian nuclear energy programme, which is permitted under Article IV of the NPT. Inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to verify whether Iran has a secret plan for nuclear weapon development, as relations between the IAEA and Iran have been severed, with Iran having refused to provide any support for the IAEA's investigation on the nature of Iran's nuclear plans. In addition to supplying only to NPT signatories, Mutumba said Rössing's sales agreements also have to be approved by the Government of Namibia. He could not disclose new supply deals signed by Rössing. "In line with a very competitive uranium market, sales contracts between Rössing Uranium and its customers have confidentiality clauses, and thus cannot be revealed without permission from the customer," he said.

'UNDER PRESSURE'

But Angula said that while he is unaware of Iran having approached Namibia for uranium, "Rössing is under pressure from its clients, such as the US, not to supply Iran" - an awkward feat given Iran's shareholding, and Namibia's supply of uranium on a "commercial basis", and not directly by Government. The call of the Western nations comes with the belief that Iran is running out of raw uranium for its nuclear programme, with stockpiles expected to be depleted within months. "It's essential to dissuade Iran from progressing towards the technology for a nuclear bomb. This risks sparking off a regional nuclear arms race. In a region which already faces huge security and other challenges, nuclear proliferation would be disastrous for stability," a spokesperson from Britain's Foreign Office has been quoted as saying. Namibia is listed as one of the top 10 uranium producing nations, with Rössing Uranium Limited in 2008 producing 7,6 per cent of the world's uranium supply.

South Africa: Eskom to Issue Bonds to Help Fund Growth:Siseko Njobeni:13 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — POWER supplier Eskom said yesterday it planned to issue R150bn worth of bonds to help fund its multibillion-rand capital expansion programme.The bonds would be covered by government guarantees unveiled by the treasury earlier this week. The treasury said the government would provide R176bn in guarantees to Eskom over five years.

Eskom said it would sell R30bn of bonds a year until March 2014, of which 40% would be sold domestically, Caroline Henry, Eskom's head of treasury, said yesterday."The amount we can issue is informed by the market's capacity to absorb the sales as well as by Eskom's rating. We are constantly talking to a very broad investor base both internationally and locally," Henry said.Meanwhile, international rating agencies are yet to give an indication of the effect of this week's decision to offer the long-awaited guarantees on Eskom's credit ratings.

It is widely expected the guarantees would eventually lead to improved ratings and reduce the cost of borrowing for Eskom.Commenting on the government guarantees for Eskom, Standard & Poor's MD for SA and sub-Saharan Africa Konrad Reuss said the agency still had to look at the nature of the guarantees.Standard & Poor's has been calling for unconditional government guarantees to support Eskom's building programme.GM for Moody's SA Craig Jamieson said the guarantees were in line with the agency's expectation for increased government support for Eskom."Moody's ratings on Eskom already factor in a high degree of government support," he said.

"The actions by government in guaranteeing some of Eskom's debt underpin Moody's expectation of the actions of a supportive shareholder and are positive with respect to the individual debt issues receiving direct support during a time when the company will have substantial capital investment requirements."We continue to monitor other developments such as decisions with respect to tariffs and overall investment levels and requirements which will also have an impact on the medium term credit profile," Jamieson said.Moody's this week had to move swiftly to allay fears that the guarantees would negatively affect SA's country rating.T he rating agency said that the decision to provide the guarantees would "not explicitly" affect SA's sovereign rating.In a joint statement yesterday, the finance and public enterprises ministers and Eskom said the guarantees were in recognition of Eskom's role in the economy and the importance of the maintenance of a solid investment grade credit rating.

Angola: Council of Republic Calls for Economy Diversification:12 February 2009:ANGOLA PRESS Luanda — The Council of the Republic this Thursday, here, urged the government to work hard in order to reduce country's dependency on oil and diamond revenues, ANGOP learnt.Advisers of President José Eduardo dos Santos expressed concern over the social consequences of the world financial crisis, and defended more strictness, seriousness and discipline in carrying out public expenses, as well as identifying priorities and eliminating surplus.The conclusions of the meeting, read by the chairperson of the constitutional court, Rui Ferreira, stressed the need to boost domestic production and cooperation between the government and social partners on the social, financial and economic measures that should be taken.Members of the Council of the Republic praised the stand taken by the Head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, which was against the tendency that effects of the crisis shall not be felt in Angola, and underlined the need for sensitising the public on its extent.The 27th meeting of the Council of the Republic mainly aimed at analysing the international economic crisis and its effects on the Angolan economy.

Mozambique: Zimbabwean Electricity Debt Still 'Unsatisfactory':13 February 2009:IRIN

Songo — Despite promises to clear its debt, the Zimbabwean electricity company ZESA still owes large sums of money to Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), the company that operates the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi river, in the western Mozambican province of Tete."The payment of the debt is still not satisfactory", the chairperson of the HCB board, Paulo Muxanga, told AIM on Thursday at the dam town of Songo.In January 2008, HCB cut the supply of power to ZESA for 11 days because ZESA had accumulated a debt of 26 million US dollars over the previous year. HCB only resumed power supplies to Zimbabwe when ZESA paid 10 million dollars, and pledged to make further payments on a regular basis.That promises has been broken. According to Muxanga, the ZESA payments are neither regular nor for substantial amounts.Muxanga declined to give details on the current state of the debt. However, from a source in the HCB board, AIM has learnt that at the last updating of accounts ZESA still owed HCB more than five million dollars.Currently HCB supplies up to 200 megawatts to ZESA. HCB's other main clients are the South African electricity company Eskom, and Mozambique's own power utility, EDM, which receive 1,300 and 400 megawatts of Cahora Bassa power respectively There are a few smaller clients , notably Botswana which receives 40 megawatts.HCB's five turbines can generate a maximum of 2,075 megawatts, and the overwhelming bulk of this power now has committed buyers.

"Effectively, we are reaching the limit of our generating capacity", Muxanga said. "We may have some reserve energy, but that's not what countries want. They want firm energy that won't be interrupted at any time because of the level of consumption of other clients."He was speaking during a visit to the dam site by Swazi King Mswati III. Energy Minister Salvador Namburete confirmed to journalists that Swaziland is interested in obtaining electricity from Mozambique."This visit is an expression of interest in closer cooperation between our countries", said Namburete, "and I hope it will transform the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Energy and our Swazi counterpart into concrete projects".He confirmed that Swaziland has submitted a request to purchase Mozambican electricity. Some months ago, EDM chairperson Manuel Cuambe confirmed that negotiations were under way with Swaziland for the landlocked kingdom to purchase 30 to 40 megawatts from EDM.But if Mswati hoped that this power could come from HCB, he was clearly disappointed. Muxamnga warned that HCB did not have enough extra energy to sign any further contracts. "We have 50 to 60 megawatts", he said. "But it's not firm power and can be cut at any time".

Zimbabwe: Properties, a Solid Investment:Paul Nyakazeya:12 February 2009:ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT

LAND and buildings form a basic requirement for all human activity, hence the need for property investment in the economy.Historically, this investment has managed to retain its real value in the long-term. Apart from that, there is the assurance that the property owner has a greater proportion of control over the performance of the investment.

On the other hand, any worthwhile property requires a sizeable investment which in effect, concentrates the risk instead of spreading it. It also takes a while to dispose of this type of investment since property is not as liquid as money or equities.One should also not rule out the possibility of voids occurring within property investments, especially in the midst of economic instability.Property analysts this week said activity on the property market can be likened to a see-saw as evidenced by how it flourished during the third quarter of last year due to speculation and the money "burning" phenomenon.Prices of properties are said to have declined slightly since January."Demand was high last year as individuals were investing in houses for speculative purposes until their actions were put to an end by monetary authorities' measures of dollarising, controlling RTG's and the stock market," Real-Homes managing director Micheal Russell told Businessdigest.

Despite the economy being dollarised, exorbitant prices are still being quoted by estate agents with some houses in the low density being quoted above US$200 000. Properties in the low density are fetching between US$100 00 and US$40000.Over the past three years, confusion has arisen as to who exactly determines property prices since real estate agents now quote amounts which they regard to be competitive with other agents without the aid of valuers.By definition, real estate agents solely sell or lease properties on behalf of others. The Valuers Act ensures that people qualified to value property do so and not estate agents desiring to make a profit.There seems to be a halt in the construction industry owing to the cash squeeze that has hit hard on companies and individuals alike. The economic slowdown and the shortage of foreign currency has impacted on the construction of high rise buildings.Joina Centre in Harare which is hard to miss on the skyline has been under construction since 1999.Meanwhile the lowering of interest rates is likely to increase the demand for property and consequently give the property market a much-needed boost.Experts have predicted the recovery of the property market to take place in the latter half of 2009. For those who want to take advantage of the upturn, it is essential to be prepared.

East Africa/Horn of Africa East Africa: Long-Term Plan Vital to Combat Crisis Engulfing Horn of Africa - UN Official:12 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

Solutions to chronic food shortages in the Horn of Africa jeopardizing the lives of almost 20 million people in the region lie in long-term economic strategies as well as providing immediate emergency assistance, stressed a senior United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official. Despite near normal rainfall from October to December 2008, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda continue to suffer from high levels of food insecurity due to high and volatile food prices, market disruptions, significant losses to farmers' assets and regional conflicts among other factors.Livestock diseases and cattle rustling across the borders of Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda have also compounded the situation for an estimated 15 to 18 million pastoral farmers who are among the most vulnerable groups within the region.Although humanitarian efforts have shown some positive results in the short-term, a sustained recovery effort requires a development plan that restores and preserves livelihoods as well as reduces future risks, Tegegnework Gettu, UNDP Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, said in his closing remarks to a two-day High-Level Meeting on the Horn of Africa Crisis."The magnitude, complexity and urgency of the humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa - and the underlying structural causes - oblige actors across the humanitarian and development spectrum to move away from a 'business as usual' model towards a different business model," said Mr. Gettu, who chaired the meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya."This meeting has highlighted three elements of the current crisis: conflict and insecurity, drought and food insecurity and a socio-economic crisis," he told the meeting, attended by high-level representatives of ten UN agencies, 12 international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), donors and the World Bank."It has been made clear that the problems are structural, yet we are constantly responding in crisis mode," he added.Mr. Gettu underscored "the importance of strategic partnerships to bridge the divide between humanitarian relief and long-term, sustainable development by investing in capacity building and the strengthening of institutions."

East Africa: Undersea Fibre-Optic Cable Nears East African Coast:Cedric Lumiti:7 February 2009: East African Business Week (Kampala)

Nairobi — The wait for the landing of an undersea fibre-optic cable to boost communication in the region could be coming to fruition as indications point that one arm is almost at the East African coast.Officials at SEACOM, an undersea cable partly funded by East African countries, have announced that the first portions of the cable are now resting on the seabed of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.The 15, 000-kilometre Sea Cable System (SEACOM) is valued at US$650 million.The cable is 76 percent African owned and is expected to boost bandwidth and communication between the region and the rest of the world.The cable has been laid from the edge of the South African waters to Mozambique and cable laying is also proceeding in the Red Sea from Egypt towards the coast of Yemen. A third ship is currently being loaded with the remainder of SEACOM's deepwater cable which will be deployed from India towards Africa, where these three cable segments will be joined. In parallel to the marine installation, SEACOM has made significant strides in land-based construction. The high-performance optical transmission equipment which connects customers to inland terrestrial networks has been installed in the Maputo, Mumbai and Djibouti cable landing stations.Construction of the cable station in Kenya will be complete early February followed shortly by the Tanzanian and South African stations. Equipment installation in these locations and in Egypt will be complete in April. At each station, SEACOM has taken special precautions to assure the construction April. At each station, SEACOM has taken special precautions to assure the construction activity is consistent with environmental policy and regulations. As an example, in South Africa, SEACOM recently transferred protected plant species from the cable station site to the Umlalazi National Park with the help of KwaZulu Natal Wildlife Rangers.SEACOM has also been preparing to provide services to customers by June and recruited over ten experienced local telecommunications professionals from India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania to operate and maintain the cable stations. They have already been trained at the SEACOM Network Operations Centre in India and are now participating in the testing of the system as it is being installed. A complementary set of personnel is being recruited and will start training in March. These teams will also work with the landing partners' operators in Egypt and Djibouti.Brian Herlihy, SEACOM President, said: "We have made tremendous progress since our groundbreaking in Mozambique last November and we can now sense a real level of excitement for SEACOM's arrival. Through my travels, I continuously meet people who speak about the many ways they intend to exploit the world of broadband which is about to reach Africa.

Central Africa

Chad: Cameroon, Chad Energy Inter-Connection Project - Inter-State Technical Committee Unit Created:Lukong Pius Nyuylime:12 February 2009:CAMEROON TRIBUNE

The Cameroon-Chad Electric Inter-Connection project, a component of the Energy Inter- Connection and Electrification of Cross Border Localities Project agreed upon between the two countries on 23 October, 2007 through a protocol agreement, went into an important phase last Tuesday, 10 February, 2008, following the creation of an Inter-State Technical Committee Unit to pilot the project.

The technical committee created through an agreement between the governments of the two countries, represented by the Ministers in charge of energy, will have as arduous task to ensure the effective implementation of the project. According to the terms of the agreement, the technical committee unit will supervise activities leading to the electrical connection between the two countries, coordinate, follow up and ensure the execution of the project, and look for sources of financing. The committee is expected to meet at least once every quarter but can meet when it deems necessary.Piloted by Cameroon's Minister of Energy and Water, Jean Bernard Sindeu and the Chadian Minister of Mines and Energy, Yaya Dillo, the delegation of experts of the two countries discussed for two days running to arrive at certain decisions. All the discussions were of course guided by the umbrella terms of the October 2007 protocol agreement. In this light therefore, the experts touched on five major areas: Inter-connection line, guaranteed power to be supplied to Chad, Hydroelectric site from where to tap the energy, the tariffs to be put in place and the institutional framework on trade. From every indication, experts judged premature to talk about tariff. However, the trend of argument seemed to swing towards tariffs that are compatible with those in Cameroon.

The Cameroon-Chad Electric Inter-Connection project will enable Cameroon supply about 35 megawatts of energy to Chad. About ten of these will come in 2011 after the rehabilitation of the Lagdo Hydroelectric Dam. The rest will be tapped from a yet to be constructed Hydroelectric dam at Warack in Adamawa Region and is expected to be ready latest 2014/2015.

Rwanda: Regional Fine Coffees Conference Opens:Eddie Mukaaya:13 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — EAFCA is an association of coffee producers, processors, marketing people and organisations from 11 Eastern and Southern African countries.The 6th East African Fine Coffees Association(EAFCA) Conference and Exhibition has opened at the Kigali Serena hotel, attracting over 20 participating countries from all over the world.The three day forum that also attracted another 500 global coffee connoisseurs, is aimed at promoting and marketing the cash crop. About 52 companies dealing in coffee from all over the world are also exhibiting.

The event was graced by the Prime Minister, Bernard Makuza, who represented President Paul Kagame. At the opening of the conference, Makuza stressed that the government is optimistic that the function will be significant in developing the coffee sector in Rwanda and the region in general."It is an excellent opportunity to transfer knowledge and new technology into developing the coffee sector. This has proven fundamental to economic development. Rwanda produces about 25,000 tonnes of coffee, which contribute close to 20 percent of the country's foreign exchange revenue," he explained.Makuza continued that despite the developments in the sector, there are challenges that need to be tackled.Citing a challenge of low local coffee consumption in Rwanda and the region, Makuza said that there is need to increase consumption to serve as an alternative market during times of the global financial crisis.According to the Premier, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda consume about 1 percent of their locally grown coffee.Tanzania and Kenya consume about 2 percent, whereas Ethiopia, another EAFCA member consumes about 50 percent.Makuza therefore requested coffee stakeholders to look beyond in search for market while also increasing coffee consumption locally.

The hosting of the event is considered as one of the initiatives Rwanda will use to strength its marketing tools and expand its international market, as it strives to earn about this year. Some of the topics to be discussed by participates include, and value addition, consumption challenges and opportunities.EAFCA is an association of coffee producers, processors, marketing people and organisations from 11 Eastern and Southern African countries. They include Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.Other dignitaries present at the forum included, the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) President, the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretary General, US Ambassador to Rwanda and Rwanda's State Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources.

Congo-Kinshasa: Joblessness Rises as Global Crisis Hits Mining:Miriam Mannak:12 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICES NEWS AGENCY

Lubumbashi — It is busy at the gates of Bralima brewery in Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). About 60 men are waiting at the doors, hoping for them to open and someone to offer them work.Their numbers have grown since the global economic crisis which has caused the collapse of the local mining industry.The global economic crisis has hit the central African state hard. Especially the Katanga in the south eastern part of the sprawling country, a region that predominantly relies on the mining of copper and cobalt, has taken a big blow.Since September 2008, the global demand for natural resources dropped and prices of commodities like copper and cobalt plummeted to all-time lows.

While copper lost over 50 percent of its value, cobalt -- a mineral that is predominantly used to make rechargeable batteries and alloys -- fell from a peak price of 52 dollars a pound in March 2008 to approximately 18 dollars nine months later.As a result, over half of the 75 copper and cobalt mining companies operating in the Katanga province were forced to either fully suspend or slow down their production activities.Subsequently 300,000 people lost their jobs and 60,000 more mine workers face retrenchment in the months to come, as there is no sign that copper and cobalt prices will recover any time soon.One of the enterprises that suspended its production and processing activities in the Katanga is Anvil Mining. In December 2008, the Australian company, which is one of the leading copper producers in the DRC, announced that it would close its 90 percent- owned Dikulushi mine until further notice. Most of the 1,056 permanent and contract workers at the mine have been retrenched

Anvil Mining says that this decision will save the company around two million dollars per month."The Dikulushi mine is uneconomical at present," explains Bill Turner, president and CEO of Anvil Mining, in a statement. "This decision has not been an easy one to make and is regrettable to our employees, communities that surround the mine and our stakeholders but we believe that it is the best option to preserve our cash resources until market conditions improve."Anvil also halted a new development project at its Kanseveré site, which saw 550 jobs being shed. "Of course it is a sad situation," comments Charles Konya, the administrator of Anvil's office in Lubumbashi, the provincial capital of the Katanga."But the mining industry has to do something," he continues. "Since September last year, the global demand for copper and cobalt has plummeted. To survive, some companies have closed down completely until further notice. Others have postponed development projects. We hope that the copper price will recover and it will. The question is when this is going to happen."Meanwhile, the Congolese franc has lost almost half of its value. "Between October 2008 and early January 2009, the exchange rate dropped from 500 to almost 800 Francs for a dollar," according to Marijke Splinter, a Dutch expatriate who resides in Lubumbashi."This has a tremendous impact on people's lives, as many Congolese do not earn more than 100 dollars a month," she adds. "Food prices, charcoal and cooking oil have increased in price too. I also see more and more beggars and children on the streets, compared to a few months ago."Eric Meert, who runs Bakanja Ville - a facility in Lubumbashi for street children - confirms Splinter's observations."Up until recently, we knew every child that lived on the streets," Meert explains. "Over the past weeks, however, we have seen quite a few new faces. This is definitely linked to the economic situation and the retrenchments in the mining industry.""Before the crisis, families were already struggling to take care of their children but the current developments have worsened the situation," Meert states. "As a result, youngsters are sent onto the streets, either to work and to support their parents, or permanently."

Meanwhile, MONUC, the UN Mission in the DRC, is keeping a close eye on security situation in the province. "The economic crisis is so alarming that we are assessing the social and security related problems which could result from the situation," according to a MONUC press statement.The authorities and reports in the local media indicate that violent crime in the city is on the increase. During the last week of December 2008, 11 people were killed in Lubumbashi, including a Chinese and a Lebanese. Two were killed in the town of Likasi."This development seems to spring from the crisis hitting the Katanga," Lubumbashi's mayor Marie-Gregoire Tambila argues. "At least, this is what we assume, as the attacks follow the influx of miners to Lubumbashi after the closure of various mining companies in Katanga."The mining crisis is slowly but surely trickling down to other businesses in the Katanga. "It is much quieter than a couple of months ago as many people have lost their jobs and income," complains a woman who only gave her name as Sabine. She runs a small takeaway restaurant in Lubumbashi. "It seems that those who still have work are more careful with what they have, which is understandable. These are difficult times."

33. POLITICS West Africa

Nigeria: Obasanjo-Atiku Parley is Marriage Made in Hell – Soyinka:Chioma Gabriel, Uduma Kalu and Taye Obateru in Jos:14 February 2009:interview:VANGUARD

Lagos — Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka in this encounter takes a swipe at the regime of President Yar'Adua and dismisses it as a government on sabbatical. He describes OBJ/Atiku reconciliation as a marriage made in hell and a relationship that could finally destroy PDP which he calls an affliction on Nigerian people. He goes further to say that kidnapping is not new in Nigeria and traces it to the period of the cement bonanza of the Murtala Muhammed era when kidnapped victims were drown with bags of cement around their necks when their families didn't pay up. He attributes the entire Nigeria situation to the fact that Nigeria is a failing state and is fast disappearing before the people and urges that the people who destroyed Nigeria, including former President Obasanjo and his party PDP be brought to trial for betraying Nigeria and her people. Excerpts:

The recent leave embarked upon by President Yar'Adua generated controversy because he did not officially brief the National Assembly about it and in turn the legislators would not accept Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President. Should things continue to be that way in Nigeria?Really, I have not studied exactly what the Constitution said. But I think I have to now. These are little things in the Constitution that are not really clear but I would have to study them.

Okay, whatever the truth in the constitution, should there be a vacuum in government?Having a vacuum in government is nothing new. From the very beginning, Yar'Adua's government went on sabbatical. It's nothing new.

Is it good for a country?Even in a home, in a domestic setting, decisions are taken one way or the other. A family likes to know who is in charge, how to relate to authority. Who can do what? Who's in charge of food, cooking, purchases? Everybody does something to make sure that the household is running. Well, the people of Nigeria are mature individuals and they should know those who are in charge even when nothing is said.

In other words , you think Nigerians don't need to feel his absence?You misunderstood me. The question you asked has to do with whether the National Assembly should reject anything that does not have Presidential signature. I'm now saying that yes, there is a point in that because even in a domestic situation, people in that house would like to know just who has the ultimate authority to take decisions.That means that somebody has to be in charge at any given time...I'm saying that the nation is a nation of very politically sophisticated people and they deserve to know yes, just who is in charge. I think this is clear enough.

There is the issue of Constitutional Review which is generating some bickering in the National Assembly. Sir do you think we need this Constitutional review and is this bickering between the two chambers of the legislative arm necessary?The system we are running in this country is a disaster. It is too costly for our resources, for the kind of political intellectual manpower that is needed to run it. It is too demanding and according to the rules of the nations which we borrowed, the structure itself is flawed, dangerously flawed. So, you ask, do we need a Constitution review?On one hand, I like to say yes. On the other hand, I'd like to remind you that people have different ideas to review. If you ask Nigerians, say twelve Nigerians what they understand by review, you will likely get twelve different points of view. The Constitution that we have is a fraud. We need a completely new Constitution.The Constitution we have at the moment was imposed on us. It was not agreed upon in full freedom by free citizens of this nation. And so, we are in a situation where we are looking at the system that is not running. We continue to attempt to run it. So, we need a drastic review of the situation, an overhauling of the system that is not paying off and for which we are paying through the nose.

So, it is unnecessary for the two chambers of the national assembly to be bickering over the issue of OBJ/Atiku reconciliation superiority and not getting the job done?Like I said, the issue of superiority should not arise if the structure itself is not flawed. The structure itself is flawed from the very foundation of what we claim to be a nation.The Power Sector in Nigeria has failed woefully and the President thinks, the country should resort to importation of generators so that carbon monoxide should be used as an alternative to electricity . Should that be the way out of the power problem in the country?Those who were running this country when the system of generating power collapsed has a case to answer in the criminal court of justice of the people of this nation. It's a sin. It's a disgrace and former President Obasanjo should be tried for having betrayed this nation over the issue of power generation.If you remember, after having disgraced the former Minister of Mines and Power, Bola Ige who set to sanitize the power generation and power delivery system of this nation, he (Obasanjo) pushed him out and afterwards sabotized his reforms.And even after the man died, he had the nerve to tell this nation that he put somebody in charge who did not know his left from his right. He slandered a dead man! He then took over personally in a statement to the nation and said he was going to resolve the whole issue. Now, I'm asking you, did he?Personally, I know how much I'm spending on Diesel. I know how often my two standby generators break down and what it costs me to repair them because they are no longer standby generators. They are the main generators while the so-called NEPA or whatever it is called has become a complete opposite.It does not supply power. It is a complete nuisance. It is a disgrace and those who ran this country for so many years have a case to answer in the court of criminal justice.

Is the power problem it beyond repair?Well, it is not. But as long as we have the kind of leadership that we have at the moment, we are going to continue to suffer.The system break-down you talked about has become a global phenomenon. The so-called economic melt-down is taking its toll in all the countries of the world. In Nigeria, they told us initially that it would not affect us but now it is doing so even to the point that the Presidency is thinking of cutting down the remuneration of political appointees. The stock market has gone down and the devaluation of the naira has become the in-thing. There have been calls to sack the CBN Governor and really, one wonders how we will get out of it...I hope that Nigerians are too intelligent to believe that the earlier ridiculous statement that the global economic melt-down would not affect Nigeria. You see, those who came to lead this nation have a way of beating their chests over nothing or boasting about situations that they know nothing about. I remember that statements were made that Nigeria would not be affected. We laughed where we were.We said look at these clowns again, trying to lure the people of this country into a state of false security. And of course, we've being proved right and especially for a nation which depends on one solitary economic productive system, which was not even a productive system but one of just extracting from nature the resources of a nation.So, how can such a nation be affected by what is happening in the rest of the world which also depends on that one single commodity? All those who made this kind of statement wherever they are, no matter the positions they held in public or private sectors should be tried for deliberately misleading the nation.

Some people are agitating for the sack of the CBN governor for devaluing the naira and for other economic woes befalling Nigeria?I have never been in government and I will not make a comment for or against the sack of CBN governor. But anybody who thinks that the sack of the CBN governor will reverse things in Nigeria is living in a fool's paradise.I'm not saying they should or should not sack him. I'm not making comments on that. That is between Soludo and the government that employed him in the first place. What I find very annoying is the deceit Nigerians were subjected to on the matter of global economic melt-down.

The former Vice-President, Atiku Abubabar was in the news recently for having reconciled with his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo. There are insinuations that he could be returning to his former party, the PDP. What do you think about that?PDP as a party is a party of treachery and murder. I described PDP as a nest of killers and I uphold that position till today.There are individuals within the PDP who have tried to reform that party. Some have given up and moved out to form their own party. It is my belief that the PDP is irredeemable. The PDP is in power but it is in power fraudulently. You and I know that.The whole nation knows it. The whole world knows that the PDP was resoundingly rejected at the last election but was manipulated into power by the egomania of one desperate individual who still wanted to be controlling the affairs of this nation from the outside after he failed to enthrone himself through an unconstitutional third term agenda.And he has not yet given up. So, what happens between individuals in PDP is of no interest to me except to say that this is one of the most obscene incidents of reconciliation that I ever encountered in all my years of existence. It's an obscenity. It contradicts all laws of decency.So, the OBJ and Atiku so-called reconciliation is a marriage made in hell. In any case, I don't believe it for one moment?

So, you don't believe the reconciliation would work or move Nigeria forward?Please stop using that word reconciliation. Don't try to give it an air of recovery. That word should not even come up.

You talked about the global economic recession and in Nigeria, apart from the stock value and naira free-fall, the price of fuel has come down. Do you think this will still affect us?I have started stocking firewood in my house at Abeokuta and when the time comes and it would require my using firewood, I would revert to it. Those of you who are not ready, who think that it would not eventually come to that, be fooling yourselves there. Don't delude yourselves that the price of fuel has come down. But I would advise Nigerians to start stocking firewood. Go and get your cooking pots down and be prepared for the worse of it.

That means the end is not yet in sight?I have told you, I am ready to start cooking on firewood. What are you talking about? This is 2009, first decade of the 21st century and I cannot boast of an average of 30 minutes electric power in my house in Abeokuta, one of the first modernised cities in Nigeria and I cannot guarantee that I can have one hour of power supply per day in 2009! The firewood and cooking pots are ready.There are insinuations that the reason why Atiku Abubakar reconciled with Obasanjo was to return to PDP and recontest Presidential election in 2011 under that platform as the situation of health of President Yar'Adua may not allow him a second term in office...?I have told you earlier that anything that bears the mark of PDP signifies evil. I also want to remind people that there are individuals within that party who need to be encouraged to destroy the party from within.PDP is the most violent affliction on this nation and there is nothing positive to be used to qualify it. It is violent, illegitimate, filled with bribery, extortion and so on. This party is the greatest affliction on Nigeria and it stands in the way of progress of this nation. The people who are still honourable who still belong to that party should come out and decide whether to form a new party or join with the progressives of this nation and destroy that affliction called PDP which has continued to ruin the future of this nation.

Now one last question, you know this issue of kidnapping started as part of the struggle for resource control in the Niger Delta and now, it is escalating to other parts of Nigeria, to places that have nothing to do with Niger Delta. Criminals just kidnap people and demand for ransom. Is there really no way this menace could be tackled?I want to disagree with you that the issue of kidnapping began in Niger Delta or due to resource control. You are a young person and may not know some of the things that happened in the past. But I want to take you back to a period of the Cement bonanza.The kidnapping-for-ransom syndrome began with the cement bonanza in this nation. I want you to go and read my play To Zia with Love and do so very carefully.This book dealt with this problem and that book referred to a period in the life of this nation under the Murtala Muhammed.People were being kidnapped for ransom and those whose family did not pay up were drowned with cement bags around their necks. Kidnapping began at that time. Sudden overnight millionaires emerged at that time who were cement merchants and cement amalgams.At that period, there was an amalga of ships lined up even beyond our national waters, paying demurrage of millions of dollars and pounds Sterling as demurrage because they could not land.And people profited from that by ordering shiploads of cement and even when they had nothing on those ships, all they need to do was come to this place and anchor beyond the borders and Nigerian government was forced to pay demurrage. Later, General Adekunle was brought in to clear everything up.This began at the time of the regime of Murtala Muhammed and spilled over to the time of Obasanjo. So, it did not begin today. Some of the kinpins of that time even had albums in which they kept photographs of kidnapped people.

There are different gang leaders and if you were looking for somebody, they would direct you to them and they would bring out their albums and look through for the missing person. In those days, they used extermatic cameras.They would check their albums for a victim photograph. If the photo is there and has been crossed, it meant the relations of the victim did not pay up and he had been drowned. If they didn't have the person you were looking for, they would direct you to another gang .If your relation has been drowned, they would even direct you to another group to know how your relation was buried and if you could still retrieve the corpse for a fee.Many people didn't know about this. I know about it intimately because I too had to go into the nation's waters to help track down these gangsters.So, General Benjamin Adekunle was the one who quelled it but obviously, for it to crop up again means it didn't die down completely. It was at that period of cement bonanza that kidnapping people for ransom began and later, the Niger Delta region militants were to inculcate this despicable tradition.This attitude is despicable and should be stopped. We of the black continent have a memory of enslavement and therefore we should not repeat history of our own enslavement by afflicting ourselves with this menace.Other people are moving forward and we should not inhibit ourselves by enslaving ourselves after we suffered same centuries ago.

That means this government can still do something to stop?I told you earlier, Yar'Adua's government is on sabbatical. We are moving backwards. We are still depending on animalistic means of survival.This is a shame of this nation. It is deplorable and Nigerians should desist from that. And it tells you that this country is failing as a nation. I said it earlier, Nigeria is a failed state. All these things you see happening are signs of a failing state. There is suspicion everywhere.You don't trust anybody in Nigeria, not even your next door neighbour. These are signs of a failed state. Nigeria is fading away right under our very eyes. It is very sad and unless something is done quickly to arrest this situation, Nigeria is gone.

Southern Africa

Zimbabwe: Question Marks As Tsvangirai Sworn In:Mafaro Shoko:14 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Harare — His first days as prime minister of Zimbabwe's government of national unity have, as expected, thrown down several challenges to Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.His first days as prime minister of Zimbabwe's government of national unity have, as expected, thrown down several challenges to Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.His pledge to secure release of as many as 30 of his supporters being held by state security has not materialised, and his partners in government, the Zimbabwe African National Unity-Patriotic Front party (ZANU-PF), attempted to swear into office five more ministers than had been agreed.A three-hour meeting resolved the matter of ministerial posts, with ZANU-PF agreeing to honour the Global Political Agreement under which 15 ministerial posts are to be filled by Zanu-PF, 13 by MDC-Tsvangirai nominees, and three by the MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara.But the question of political detainees has only grown more complicated. Since his swearing in, activist Jestina Mukoko has been transferred from prison to a private clinic where she remains under guard. But more than 30 political prisoners are being held in the notorious Chikurubi Maximum Prison on charges ranging from attempting to destabilise Zimbabwe to seeking to oust President Mugabe using violent means.Alarmingly, MDC-T Treasurer General Roy Bennett - who was to be sworn in as Deputy Minister for Agriculture - was arrested at Harare's Prince Charles airport on Feb. 13 as he boarded a flight for South Africa. According to MDC statements, he was charged with attempting to leave the country illegally; the charge was later changed to treason and as of this writing he was being held at the Mutare police station. Several MDC officials and supporters were abducted from their homes by state security agents between October and December 2008. After the MDC faction led by Tsvangirai resolved to join a government of national unity, its leader categorically stated that he would not be joining the all-inclusive government unless and until all political prisoners were released."We (the MDC-T national council) resolved that all abductees be released unconditionally before the 11th of February," said Tsvangirai on Jan. 30.Tsvangirai was at pains to reassure about 30,000 supporters who turned up to hear his inaugural address that he would spring the detainees from jail within 24 hours. He also named stabilising the economy as his first priority and pledged to pay soldiers and public sector workers' salaries in foreign currency."I am aware there are political prisoners in prison," said Tsvangirai. "I am not happy that they are still locked up. I wanted them to be here celebrating with us. This has not been possible but I want to assure you all that they will not stay any day longer in prison," he said."Of the 30 political prisoners, 11 cannot be accounted for," said Irene Petras, the director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. "All the political prisoners urgently require medical treatment after being brutalized in custody by state security agents."Among those in prison is 72-year-old Fidelis Chiramba, the MDC-T district chairman for Zvimba South, President Mugabe's rural home. According to court documents lodged by lawyers, Chiramba, along with several others, was subjected to an enforced disappearance at around 3 am by six heavily armed men on Oct. 30."He was heavily assaulted and subjected to beatings on the soles of his feet. He was put into a deep freezer, and then removed, had his clothes taken off and hot water poured on his genitals. He was made to parade naked in front of female abductees and his physical build mocked by his captors. He was never given medical treatment for his injuries," reads the affidavit prepared by Petras.

Douglas Gwatidzo, president of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, has personally treated Chiramba and several other political prisoners."On 6 February, Mr. Chiramba was taken to the Avenue Clinic for treatment. He exhibited evidence of congestive cardiac failure secondary to severe hypertension. He still exhibits evidence of soft tissue injuries secondary to assault. His medical condition warrants admission and stabilisation in a functional and properly equipped hospital," said Gwatidzo, in a statement issued to the media on Feb. 7.He said Kisimusi Dlamini, MDC-T chief security officer, and Gandhi Mudzingwa, a former personal assistant to Tsvangirai, were also attended to on the same day and found to have serious medical conditions that needed hospitalisation.They are also still locked up in Chikurubi."We unreservedly condemn the continued denial of access to adequate medical treatment of persons detained at Chikurubi Maximum Prison following their alleged abduction and subsequent torture," said Gwatidzo.

Petras, whose ZLHR is coordinating the legal representation of all those languishing in prison, said political prisoners remained incarcerated while politicians congratulated themselves about progress made in moving towards the establishment of an inclusive government."We believe that the manner in which Mr. Chiramba and his fellow political prisoners are being treated is a reflection of the lack of sincerity of politicians in ensuring that the security of all persons in Zimbabwe remains paramount," she said. Speaking on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony, Ernest Mudzengi, a political analyst with the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), a non-governmental organization drumming up support for a new people-driven constitution said Tsvangirai would be in a fix if he proceeded to be sworn-in while his supporters remained locked up."The fact that political prisoners are still in makes the whole agreement of the inclusive government tricky and controversial," said Mudzengi."In all transitions usually there is a release of political prisoners before a major ceremony like tomorrow's swearing in ceremony of Tsvangirai. If the swearing in of Tsvangirai is to usher in a new historic epoch, the political prisoners should be released. It they are not released it will appear as if the country is continuing under the old political dispensation," he said.

Zimbabwe: New Cabinet Appointed:14 February 2009: THE HERALD

Harare — PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday swore in 35 Cabinet ministers, effectively puttting the seal on the inclusive Government in line with the broad-based agreement signed by Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC on September 15 last year.The ministers were advised to report to their respective offices on Monday for briefings and handover- takeover procedures.Monday's meetings will be followed by the inaugural session of the inclusive Cabinet on Tuesday.Sadc chairman and South African President Cde Kgalema Motlanthe, former South African president Cde Thabo Mbeki, Angolan External Affairs Minister A Dos Anjos and Sadc executive secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao graced the occasion.

Prime Minister Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputies -- Professor Arthur Mutambara and Ms Thokozani Khupe -- were also in attendance along with families and close relatives of the appointees. The ceremony, however, saw some prospective ministers on the original list of the Cabinet released on Thursday evening being dropped at the last minute.Among them were Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa, Cde John Nkomo, Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana, Cde Flora Bhuka and Cde Sylvester Nguni.MDC deputy president Mr Gibson Sibanda, who appeared on the initial list, was also not sworn in yesterday.The ceremony was delayed after MDC-T legislators queried the number of Zanu-PF appointees.Speaking to journalists, Dr Salomao said the ceremony had been delayed because of the issue of Ministers of State."According to the agreement, the Cabinet should have two Ministers of State in the President's Office and one for the Prime Minister's Office."Professor Mutambara had also requested that his office should have a Minister of State, but that arrangement could not work because that would mean another minister in Ms Khupe's office."We have, however, resolved to drop the issue of Ministers of State for the time being," he said.

Ministers of State sworn in yesterday are Cde Sydney Sekeramayi, the Minister of State for National Security in the President's Office and Cde Didymus Mutasa, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.Bulawayo civil society leader Mr Gordon Moyo was also sworn in as Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office.Addressing the newly- appointed ministers, Cde Mugabe urged them to pool their abilities to serve the people.He said Zimbabweans expected the inclusive Government to provide a leadership that produces results. President Mugabe said the new Government had a huge task that needed to be fulfilled."We have a lot to talk about and discuss when we meet next week We have a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. There are some of us who come into this Government without experience, but have better ideas."Let us know each other and more so that we have faith and great confidence in each other."We should vow never to let the people down as they see in us good and honest people who will work hard so that they, the region and continent are proud of us," he said.President Mugabe said the ministers should make sure that the new Government succeeds.Zimbabwe, he said, has abundant resources that have to be exploited.He said contracted growth across sectors had yielded less production and created poverty for the people.President Mugabe reiterated his and Zanu-PF's commitment to the broad-based agreement.

He said Cde Mbeki had proved his detractors wrong.

"There are others like the so-called 'Elders', G8 leaders who called for the issue to be referred to the Security Council that would have invoked Chapter 7, but thankfully there was South Africa and other countries like China who were also in the council."It so happened that some of these came forward and vetoed the call for Chapter 7, which could have called for a military remedy," he said.President Mugabe also paid tribute to Cde Motlanthe for playing an important role in complementing efforts by Cde Mbeki so that they would not go to waste.

Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai's Cabinet Appointments Raise Eyebrows:Constantine Chimakure and Loughty Dube:12 February 2009:ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT

FACTIONALISM and cronyism characterised MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's selection of his cabinet appointees that critics say lacked equity and national outlook.Tsvangirai nominated his ministers on Tuesday to join an inclusive cabinet tomorrow amid murmurs of disgruntlement from various quarters in his party.The former trade unionist on Wednesday took the oath of office as prime minister alongside his deputies -- Thokozani Khupe and Arthur Mutambara -- the leader of the smaller formation of the MDC.Out of the 14 ministers Tsvangirai nominated, eight hail from Masvingo and Manicaland provinces. The three Matabeleland provinces have two cabinet ministers, Midlands one and the Mashonaland provinces have three.Five of the ministers, Tendai Biti (Finance), Elton Mangoma (Economic development), Elias Mudzuri (Energy), Nelson Chamisa (Information and Communication Technology) and Theresa Makone (Public Works) came from the 12-member MDC-T national standing committee, which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party.Deputy secretary- general Tapiwa Mashakada, deputy organising secretary Morgan Komichi, and national youth secretary Thamsanga Mahlangu were the only members of the standing committee who failed to make it to the cabinet.The other members of the committee are Tsvangirai, Khupe and House of Assembly Speaker Lovemore Moyo.The exclusion of Mashakada, the fifth high-ranking MDC-T leader, party insiders said, came as a surprise to most party functionaries because the economist was one of its founding members and had worked with Tsvangirai for years in trade unionism.The sources said Mashakada could have fallen out with Tsvangirai after he opposed the controversial removal of Lucia Matibenga as the leader of the MDC-T women's assembly and replaced by Makone in 2007.The ouster of Matibenga nearly led to the second split of the MDC-T, with the majority of the party's national executive members accusing Tsvangirai of violating the constitution and imposing Makone - a family friend.Mashakada, the sources added, was also part of hardliners led by Biti who were against the participation of the MDC-T in the inclusive government before outstanding issues of last September's power-sharing pact were resolved.

Biti, Mashakada and the other hardliners who did not buy the unity government idea, the sources added, were bulldozed by Tsvangirai and his kitchen cabinet during the MDC-T's national council meeting a fortnight ago to endorse it.Biti, the sources said, agreed to be part of the cabinet after Tsvangirai said he wanted him to take charge of the powerful Finance ministry.The MDC-T secretary-general had confided to journalists that he would not join the cabinet and wanted to retain his position in the party to strengthen its structures. Realising that his party would be weakened in cabinet without Biti, the sources said, Tsvangirai at the weekend dispatched a three-member team to the secretary- general to change his mind."Tsvangirai dangled the Finance ministry carrot, which Biti accepted," one of the sources said.Questions were also raised over the cabinet nomination of Professor Heneri Dzinotyiweyi (Science and Technology Development) and Professor Elfas Mukonoweshuro (Public Service) ahead of some of the party's founding members.Dzinotyiweyi, the former president of the Zimbabwe Integrated Programme, contested against Biti for Harare East in 2000 and lost dismally and later joined the MDC-T after its split in October 2005, while Mukonoweshuro was at one stage a member of Tsvangirai's kitchen cabinet before his election to the post of secretary of international relations.

"Tsvangirai selected some of his ministers based on his closeness to them," a senior party member said. "People like (Fidelis) Mhashu (National Housing), Mukonoweshuro, Makone, Dzinotyiwei and Mudzuri were very close to him. He is paying them back for their loyalty to him."Makone's husband, Ian, the sources said, was tipped to be the chief secretary to the prime minister. The Makones, the sources said, financially supported the party in times of trouble and Tsvangirai wanted to reward them for that.Tsvangirai received his sharpest criticism within his party on his cabinet nominations for allegedly sidelining the Matabeleland region.The prime minister selected only two ministers from the region -- Eddie Cross (State Enterprises and Parastatals) and Abedinico Bhebhe (Water Resources). Bhebhe is from the Mutambara-led MDC and his appointment has caused fissures within his party and the MDC-T.Sources in the MDC-T said Tsvangirai had to convene an impromptu meeting on Tuesday after making public his ministers when party leaders from Matabeleland complained over his omission.The meeting, the sources said, then agreed to appoint Samuel Sipepa Nkomo as deputy Foreign Affairs minister and Thabitha Khumalo to the post of deputy Women, Gender and Community Development -- both legislators from Bulawayo -- to pacify the region.Reports yesterday were that Tsvangirai was considering appointing Bulawayo Agenda director Gordon Moyo as a Minister of State in his office.Bulawayo-based political analyst Max Mnkandla said Tsvangirai's appointments were a betrayal of the people of Matabeleland as more legislators from the region should have been appointed into cabinet."The fact that Tsvangirai only appointed Cross and Bhebhe from the region is worrying as it backed the MDC unreservedly since 2000," Mnkandla said.

He said Tsvangirai needed to review his strategy and the way he engages Matabeleland. However, sources told the Zimbabwe Independent that Nkomo was initially earmarked for the Home Affairs ministry, but was later dropped after consultations among the MDC-T leaders."Nkomo was on the list as Home Affairs minister, but there were consultations and it was felt that since he had unresolved business with the Mining Pension Fund matter it was not proper for him to accept the appointment and he accepted the decision," said the sources.Speculation was rife that the sidelining of Matabeleland would give impetus to the revival of PF Zapu.Justifying the cabinet appointments, Tsvangirai said he had selected technocrats to deal urgently with the country's crisis. He said he nominated Bhebhe in the spirit of inclusiveness."Minister Bhebhe has been appointed in the inclusive government," Tsvangirai said. "We are trying to promote inclusiveness. I do not know about (perceived) crossing the floor but all I know is that he is part of the inclusive government."However, sources said, Bhebhe was rewarded by Tsvangirai for persuading his fellow MPs from the Mutambara formation to vote for Lovemore Moyo to be House of Assembly Speaker last August. But Edwin Mushoriwa, spokesperson for the Mutambara formation, said Bhebhe risked having his seat declared vacant and a by-election called to replace him."We were taken aback when we heard that Honourable Bhebhe had been nominated among Tsvangirai's list of nominees for cabinet," Mushoriwa said. "We do not know the motive behind all this. It defies the spirit of the whole Global Political Agreement signed among the parties."

Zimbabwe: Military Intelligence Behind Roy Bennett Arrest.:14 February 2009:press release: SW Radio Africa (London)

The text of a news release from the Movement for Democratic Change:

It is understood that the abduction, arrest and charging of MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate Roy Bennett is being planned, directed and operationalised by the Zimbabwe Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), led by one Mzilikazi, and the Special Agency SAS, the torture unit of the army, led by one Manene.General Constantine Chiwenga is also party to it. These people are known for their declared passionate and fanatical hatred of Roy Bennett.We are also aware of an intent to dump Roy Bennett into Chivero river.It is futile and ill-considered for anyone to go against the very momentum of history. Change in Zimbabwe is inevitable. Bravado akin to ridding on top of a hungry lion in a time of unprecedented famine, hoping to remain in control of both lion and the natural process of weather is illogical. Any harm on Roy Bennett will be placed squarely on those responsible.We demand the unconditional release of Roy Bennett unharmed so that he can attend to his normal duties in the party, in government and to his family.The real issues are creating conditions for economic recovery and dismantling institutions of dictatorship. This is what all parties to the Inclusive government should be focusing on.Another vehicle which is part of the operation is a Toyota Hilax with registration number ABD1317. Botswana: Race for Speaker Hots Up:Ryder Gabathuse:13 February 2009:Mmegi

As politicians continue to slug it out ahead of the October general election, a fierce battle for the post of Speaker of the National Assembly has started, Mmegi has learnt.The race pits four Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) heavyweights in a battle that has all the ingredients of a thriller. Two Cabinet ministers, Dr Margaret Nasha (Local Government) and Gladys Kokorwe (Youth, Sports and Culture), and the incumbent Speaker, Patrick Balopi and his deputy, Thebe Mogami, are reportedly in the running.Speaking to Nasha yesterday, she confirmed that she is vying for the hot seat."It's an open secret that I am contesting for the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly. Come next October, the position will be vacant," declared Nasha yesterday.Unlike other political posts, the campaigns for the position of the Speaker are done quietly in the House. Interested parties talk to fellow MPs and duly submit their names for elections.Nasha would not say how she was conducting her campaigns, but emphasised that she was certainly selling herself for consideration after the elections.Nasha is not a newcomer to BDP politics having entered Parliament through special election in 1994 after her retirement from the civil service. In 1999, she ousted Michael Dingake of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) from the Gaborone Central constituency before the incumbent MP Dumelang Saleshando of the BCP avenged in 2004 and ousted Nasha.

Kokorwe, who was previously Nasha's deputy at Local Government and Balopi's deputy, confirmed yesterday that she is in the race. The former Gaborone City Clerk also needs no introduction to local politics."You will remember that in the past, I declared my interest for the position of Speaker through your newspaper. So, I am still in the race and I continue reminding fellow MPs about my interest," said Kokorwe yesterday.From 1999-2004, Kokorwe was appointed Assistant Minister at Local Government whilst from 2004-08 she was elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. In a Cabinet reshuffle last April she was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, replacing Moeng Pheto."I continue appealing to the MPs to vote for me because they are aware of my record at Cabinet level and as a Deputy Speaker I executed myself very well," she said. She says her record will be able to determine her fate, but on the ground she is satisfied that she is reaching out.

Contacted for comment, former Cabinet member and current Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Thebe Mogami was not forthcoming."At this stage, I don't want to confirm or deny my candidature. I prefer to leave it to your speculation," he said yesterday.Even with this response from Mogami, Mmegi is privy to some detail that the Tswapong North legislator has been soliciting the support of other MPs for the top post after October elections.Just like Mogami, Balopi preferred to play his cards very close to his chest. He simply said, nna ga ke itse rra (I am not sure)" when asked if he would be defending the position of Speaker after the elections.Balopi's name has cropped up many times amongst his colleagues who know that he is available for election. His strength lies in the fact that he is a great orator and a disciplinarian who has kept the business of Parliament running well. Even during his days as a Cabinet member, Balopi was widely respected.All the four contestants have served in Cabinet and are familiar with government operations. It is also common among all the candidates that after October elections they will be without constituencies, as Nasha and Kokorwe have opted not to contest the party primaries this time around. Balopi retired in 1999 whilst Mogami lost the party primaries last year to Prince Maele in the Tswapong North constituency.

Although speculation doing the rounds that another interested party could join the contest, as it remains open, there is currently a gender balance amongst the pacesetters as there are two men and two women. It is not yet known who will be available for the position of the Deputy Speaker.Nasha and Kokorwe use both Cabinet and parliamentary platforms to sell their candidatures whilst Balopi and Mogami use mainly Parliament as their launch pad for the important position.All the party meetings where many parliamentarians gather under one roof have become very important platforms for campaigning for Speaker position. Some reportedly have taken the campaign even to higher levels through the use of Short Message Service (SMS) to put their cases across.However, at the BDP secretariat, they would not say for certain as to who is running for the important position. BDP deputy executive secretary Kentse Ramidi said yesterday "anyone who is interested in the race for Speaker can lobby amongst the MPs but at the end of the day, it is the MPs who vote." He said they do not have to declare their interests with the party.

South Africa: President 'Creating Confusion' Over Poll:Amy Musgrave:13 February 2009:BUSINESSDAY

Johannesburg — PRESIDENT Kgalema Motlanthe has gone ahead and promulgated the election date - April 22 - even though the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) will ask the Constitutional Court to give South Africans working abroad the right to vote.The proclamation means that the voters' roll must close and the election date is final.Therefore, it is likely that more than 1-million South Africans working overseas will not be able to vote.FF+ leader Pieter Mulder said yesterday that the promulgation showed contempt of the Constitutional Court as SA's highest constitutional body."The FF+, out of respect for the Presidency, did not add the president to our original application but continuously kept him up to date with the developments."President Motlanthe's proclamation of the election is now creating confusion and uncertainty with the public and South African citizens living abroad who wish to vote. A confirmation by the Constitutional Court on March 4 that section 33 of the Electoral Act is unconstitutional and that South African citizens living overseas are allowed to vote will humiliate President Motlanthe and the Presidency's proclamation of today."

Mulder said Motlanthe should know that certain sections of the constitution made it possible for the Constitutional Court to still set the necessary steps in motion that would allow South African citizens living overseas to vote. This is what the party planned to ask the court to do.If the party is successful, it is likely that the election will have to be delayed.The Independent Electoral Commission confirmed the promulgation.Motlanthe's spokesman Thabo Masebe said that the president was not in contempt of court as there was no interdict stopping him from proclaiming the date.

East Africa/Horn of Africa Somalia: Islamist President Appoints Western-Educated PM:13 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

Somalia's newly elected President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed appointed a new Prime Minister for the war-torn country Friday, carefully picking a Western-educated politician whose family name resonates across Somali society, Radio Garowe reports.Mr. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake becomes the Prime Minister of Somalia's first UN-endorsed 'unity government,' which was created when the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) merged with the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) to save the country after Ethiopian troops pulled out last month.While Sheikh Sharif hails from the Hawiye clan, Prime Minister-elect Sharmake is a Darod clansman, giving the national leadership a clan balance that is fundamental in Somali politics.The new Prime Minister, if approved by parliament, inherits a Horn of Africa country that has been teetering on the edge since 1991, when Gen. Barre's 21-year military reign ended in an explosion of violence that began the enduring civil war.

Gen. Barre came to power through a bloodless coup on October 21, 1969, six days after democratically elected President Abdirashid Ali Sharmake was assassinated by a lone gunman while touring northern Somalia.Somalia's expanded parliament is widely expected to approve Mr. Sharmake as the Prime Minister who will establish a broad- based 'unity government' to lead the country for the next two years.Many challenges face Somalia's new leaders - Sheikh Sharif and Sharmake - both of whom are in their mid-40s and represent two powerful sub-cultures in Somali society: the Islamist community and the Diaspora, respectively.

Finding a new home for the 550-seat expanded parliament will be paramount, since Mogadishu remains unsafe and Baidoa recently fell under the control of Islamist hardliners, who have vowed to wage war against the new government.The creation of a 10,000-strong police force, drawn up from TFG and ARS recruits, is already underway as the new government seeks to bolster is security capacity.The government's main security threat is posed by al Shabaab, Islamist guerrillas who control key towns in southern Somalia, including Baidoa and the strategic port of Kismayo.But analysts say the new government is a break from warlord politics that characterized Somali national politics since the early 1990s, giving the new government with young leaders a unique opportunity to gain public confidence.

34. PEACEKEEPING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SECURITY MATTERS

West Africa

Côte d'Ivoire: UN Calls On Government to Push for Presidential Elections in Late 2009:12 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

United Nations officials today called on Côte d'Ivoire's leaders to set a timetable as soon as possible for much-delayed presidential elections so that the vote can take place in the divided West African country in the latter half of this year.The number of identified voters has passed the 4.6-million mark and the operation should be completed by spring if the current trend continues, the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) said in a news release."This timetable is crucial, not only in order to maintain the present momentum, but also to allow for national planning and thus avoid accumulating delays," it added, calling the identification and registration process, which has proceeded without any major incidents, "an historic advance" in a country that has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and a northern area dominated by the rebel Forces Nouvelles."Without a target, without a date, without a timeline, we cannot provide the support that the process deserves," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire Y. J. Choi told a news conference in Abidjan, the country's commercial capital.UNOCI set out a five-stage "rational" timetable: producing a provision voter list in the spring; issuing a definitive list after the three months allowed for resolving disputes; producing identity cards over a six-week period; distribution of cards and equipping 11,000 polling stations, for which a few weeks will be needed; and the presidential campaign itself, which on previous occasions has lasted two weeks."Naturally, it is understood that it is the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to set the new timetable," the mission said. "In the interests of the Ivorian people, as well as of the international community UNOCI is asking the IEC to publish a new electoral timetable without delay so as not to compromise the dynamic of the peace process.

"For their part, the international community and UNOCI will continue to provide their support in order to ensure the success of the peace process."The elections, a key part of the peace process that UNOCI has been fostering for the past five years, have been repeatedly postponed over the issue of voters, and were last scheduled for 30 November 2008.In a related development, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that displaced people returning home in the west of the country are facing shortages of food, water and medical facilities.UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Côte d'Ivoire Georg Charpentier has just completed a tour of the region, where village chiefs also cited the extremely high insecurity stemming from ongoing violence by ex- combatants and youths.In 2006, the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) was 750,000. By September, 2008, nearly 70,000 IDPs were identified as having returned home in the west, but the returns have been complicated by clashes with host communities over property rights, causing secondary displacements and ongoing ambushes and armed assaults against IDPs, including rape and murder.

Sierra Leone: UN Peace Building Shows Progress:Crystal G. Ofori:12 February 2009: America.gov (Washington, DC)

Washington, DC — America applauds progress by the United Nations and the government of Sierra Leone in building a durable peace in the once war-torn West African nation, says U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice."We've come a long way in the United Nations' ability to help countries and regions resolve, recover from and rebuild after conflict," Rice said February 9. She also commended the Sierra Leonean government for confronting corruption, enhancing respect for human rights and strengthening the rule of law.Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the international body, talked with reporters following a U.N. Security Council briefing from Germany's Michael von der Schulenburg, the secretary-general's executive representative for the U.N. Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL). Rice said the mission's success makes it "a new instrument for the United Nations to assist post-conflict countries as they make the critical transition from insecurity and violence to lasting peace."The road to peace and stability in Sierra Leone was never an easy one. Fighting between the Revolutionary United Front and the government from 1991 to 2002 claimed tens of thousands of lives, while thousands more were maimed by the rebel forces' practice of amputating limbs of innocent civilians. More than 2 million Sierra Leoneans -- one-third of the population -- fled the violence and were displaced during the conflict.Both sides in the civil war became infamous for their use of child soldiers, as depicted in Ishmael Beah's 2007 memoir A Long Way Gone. (See "Former Child Soldier a Beacon of Hope to Conflict Survivors")U.N. peacekeepers operated in the country until 2006. Today, the civilian UNIPSIL mission works with the U.N. Peacebuilding Commission and the Security Council to help consolidate the peace and restore democracy in Sierra Leone.

Rice praised Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma for taking steps to confront corruption, enhance respect for human rights, and strengthen the rule of law. She also cited the importance of the Peacebuilding Commission in supporting the government's reform efforts, as well as U.N. Radio, which helped connect Sierra Leoneans and inform them about elections, women's rights, health concerns and other issues."The type of office that UNIPSIL represents is a new instrument for the United Nations to assist post- conflict countries as they make the critical transition from insecurity and violence to lasting peace," Rice said. "We will need to follow its progress ... to ensure that as member states we give the necessary support to help its efforts succeed."Rice urged nations to join the United States in supporting the UNIPSIL mission. She cited concerns that youth unemployment, poverty and illicit drugs threaten to unravel progress in the country, which remains among the poorest in the world, according to the United Nations Development Programme."Sierra Leone reminds us not only of the difficulties of post- conflict transitions but also of the promise of the United Nations and the broader international community to assist a country and its people to build a better future," Rice said.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Tanzania: Country to Deploy in Darfur;Edwin Musoni:11 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — A four-man delegation from Tanzania led by Brig Gen. F.A Mohamed is in the country on a study tour to learn from Rwanda's experience in peacekeeping missions.The delegation arrived in the country yesterday and met with the Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Gen James Kabarebe.Speaking after his meeting with Kabarebe, Gen Mohamed who is the Commander of Operations in the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces said that his country will soon deploy its first peacekeeping contingent to the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan. "We are in the country to share experience with our counterparts on the peacekeeping mission in Darfur before we deploy our troops," said Mohamed, adding that so far the two forces of Rwanda and Tanzania have good relations.Rwanda has maintained a contingent of troops in Darfur since 2003.Tanzania is expected to deploy 1,000 troops to Darfur as part of the hybrid mission by the African Union and United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and its first contingent will leave for Sudan next month.According to Lt. Col Peter Kalimba who is in charge of support operations in the RDF, Rwanda demonstrated to the Tanzanian delegation how it prepares its forces and how to address both military and administrative challenges.Gen Mohamed had on his entourage Col. N.C Lumbaba who is also the Defence Advisor, Maj. M.J Kampinga and Capt. H.P Mshana.During their stay in the country they are expected to visit the two Military Academies of Nyakinama and Gako and later also visit Mutobo Reintegration Camp for ex-combatants.Tanzania's contribution top peacekeeping in Darfur is expected boost the mission with much needed troops.International experts estimate about 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes in the last five years in Darfur while hundreds of thousands have lost their lives in the internal conflict.

Sudan: Joint UN, African Union Mediator Convenes Darfur Peace Talks in Doha:10 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

Representatives of the Sudanese Government and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), meeting for the first time in two years, began peace talks in Doha today, under the auspices of the Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator tasked with resolving the conflict in Darfur.Djibril Yipènè Bassolé welcomed the parties to the Qatari capital for the preliminary discussions and congratulated them on this important step forward, according to the UN, which noted that this is the first time the two sides have met directly since the 2007 talks held in Abuja, Nigeria.Mr. Bassolé underlined the importance of developing an inclusive process involving all stakeholders moving forward, and expressed his hope for a cessation of hostilities.The talks are taking place amid the latest flare-up between Government forces and the JEM in the South Darfur town of Muhajeria, which has led to the widespread displacement of civilians.Figures have yet to be verified because of limited access, but significant numbers of people have arrived at villages and displaced persons camps in North and South Darfur since the clashes began on 15 January.Since his appointment in June 2008, Mr. Bassolé has consulted with all parties in a bid to revive efforts to resolve the conflict that has raged between rebels, Government forces and allied militiamen known as the Janjaweed over the past five years.

Around 300,000 people are estimated to have been killed, either through direct combat or a result of disease, malnutrition or reduced life expectancy, while 2.7 million others have had to flee their homes due to the conflict.Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has repeatedly called for the parties in Darfur to lay down their weapons and begin negotiations, stressing that peace in Darfur has an impact on both the successful implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending the north-south civil war in Sudan and wider regional stability. Sudan: Sorry Tale of Darfur's Helicopters:John Allen:13 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

More than a year after the deployment of the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID), the UN is still begging the international community for the helicopters the peacekeepers need to do their jobs.In an interview ahead of UNAMID's deployment, its commander, General Martin L. Agwai of Nigeria, said he needed a minimum of 18 utility helicopters to carry out his mission successfully.Speaking in November 2007, Agwai told AllAfrica: "As of today, there is no country in the world that has volunteered to give us that capability - zero."Nine months later, Agwai's force still had no helicopters. In response, an international coalition of activists published a report assessing which countries had the type of machine needed for Darfur.The report concluded that six countries were best placed to supply the mission. It said that, between them, India, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Italy, Romania and Spain could provide 70 helicopters.The report added that 14 nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) could come up with a total of 104 helicopters: among the bigger contributors, Italy might be able to supply 13, the Ukraine 14 and the United States 30.This week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reported to the UN Security Council that UNAMID's strength had grown to 12,541 military personnel, representing 64 percent of the 19,555 mandated by the UN.But with violence escalating in Darfur, he said the impact of the extra peacekeepers had been limited by "logistical constraints." Among them: the continued absence of the 18 medium utility helicopters the mission needed."The provision of outstanding equipment, in particular military helicopter assets, remains critical to increasing the mobility and operational impact of the mission," Ban told the Security Council. "I reiterate my appeal to member states who are in a position to provide these mission-critical capabilities to do so without further delay."Ban did note what he called a "welcome development" - one country had offered tactical helicopters. The country? Ethiopia. The number of helicopters? Five.

Sudan: Ban Calls On Member States to Make Up Critical Shortfalls in Darfur Mission;11 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

More than a year after it was set up, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) still lacks critical logistical equipment, especially air power, and is only at some 60 per cent of its mandated strength, even as security in the war-torn Sudanese region worsens dramatically, the United Nations reported today.

"The provision of outstanding equipment, in particular military helicopter assets, remains critical to increasing the mobility and operational impact of the mission," Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report to the Security Council, calling on Member States who are in a position to provide these vital resources to do so without further delay.Reviewing UNAMID's operations for the months of December and January in a region where more than six years of fighting between the Government, allied militia and rebel groups have led to over 300,000 deaths and uprooted over 2.7 million people, Mr. Ban puts the mission's current deployment at some 18,300 personnel out of a mandated 31,544.Military personnel numbered 12,541 (64 per cent of the mandated 19,555) as of 31 January, police 2,639 (41 per cent of its mandated 6,432), and civilian personnel 3,129 (56 per cent of the mandated 5,557), with Government cooperation aiding a recent increase in deployment.Despite significant improvement in moving equipment with the aid of five chartered planes and a United States airlift from Rwanda, Mr. Ban repeatedly stresses the logistical shortcomings at a time when Darfur is wracked by rebel offensives and Government counter-attacks, including aerial bombardments, inter-tribal fighting, increasing violence against civilians, attacks on humanitarian workers, and crimes and carjackings against UN personnel.

"The mission's actual operational impact has been limited by logistical constraints, inadequate supply of critical equipment and the continued absence of key military enabling units such as the medium transport units, an aerial reconnaissance unit, a level-II hospital and 18 medium utility helicopters," he writes."One area of particular concern relates to the readiness to deploy personnel by troop- and police-contributing countries," he adds, noting that a wide range of equipment still needs to be procured and personnel need to be adequately trained and prepared prior to deployment. "The state of maintenance of contingent-owned armoured personnel carriers is of particular concern and needs to be improved to provide robust mission force mobility."

Mr. Ban specifically calls on Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Senegal, Thailand and Tanzania to deploy quickly their infantry battalions, which "would constitute a significant increase in the mission's troop strength and thus its protection capability and ability to implement its core mandated tasks," and urges donor States to provide necessary support for such deployment.Summing up the overall security situation, he highlights the "dramatic deterioration" across Darfur, a region the size of France. "The escalation in the level of violence in Darfur signals an investment in conflict rather than a serious commitment to peaceful negotiations," he says, stressing the need for a concerted effort by all involved to reach a comprehensive settlement.

He notes that during the reporting period, political progress was impeded by the military action of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), resumption of Government air bombardments, and the general sense that all concerned were waiting for the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Prosecutor's application for an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes in Darfur.Some Sudanese officials have suggested that the Government may redefine its relationship with the mission should an arrest warrant be issued. "While recognizing the importance of both peace and justice to the search for a solution in Darfur, Member States have the responsibility to encourage the Government of the Sudan to react responsibly to the International Criminal Court decision, and to engage with the Sudan in a way that brings forward the possibility of a political solution to the conflict," Mr. Ban writes.Beyond the conflict, he highlights the difficulties already besetting UNAMID, with carjackings increasing despite measures taken to reduce the problem, patrols being blocked by both Government and rebel forces, and restrictions on air operations preventing the free movement of life-saving assistance by the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Figures for 2008 show an almost doubling of the number of violent attacks on humanitarian aid workers, with 277 vehicles hijacked (compared with 137 in 2007), 218 personnel abducted (147 in 2007), 192 premises attacked (93 in 2007) and 36 staff wounded (24 in 2007). In 2008, 11 staff were killed, with four still missing (13 died in 2007)."These statistics are a stark reminder of the risks taken and the bravery shown by the aid community working throughout Darfur," Mr. Ban declares, underscoring the positive role UNAMID has still managed to play."With limited capability at its disposal, over the reporting period UNAMID has nevertheless been able to make a difference on the ground. I applaud the efforts of UNAMID and troop-contributing countries in reaching 60 per cent of military deployment on 31 December 2008 in the face of enormous difficulties, including the volatile security situation in Darfur," he states."The sustained cooperation of the Government of the Sudan during the past few months has been important in achieving this level of deployment."

Somalia: Al Shabaab Vow War Against New Govt, Port Attacked:12 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

Islamist hardliners in Somalia have vowed more war against the country's new government Thursday, as suspected insurgents targeted Mogadishu's main seaport with mortars, Radio Garowe reports.Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," spokesman for al Shabaab, told a press conference at the former parliament hall in Baidoa that new Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is "far from the Mujahideen.""The Mujahideen have won and will continue the war against foreign troops in the country [Somalia] and the ones who will be coming," Abu Mansur said, while referring to a 3,500-strong African Union peacekeeping contingent serving in Mogadishu known as AMISOM.He rejected widespread media reports that he traveled to Mogadishu earlier this week to meet with President Sheikh Sharif in person, saying that such reports spread by people who want to divide al Shabaab."I did not meet with Sheikh Sharif nor will I meet with him and I urge the Mujahideen to unite and to fight the new government," Abu Mansur declared.Al Shabaab's spokesman expressed strong words for a group of self-appointed Somali Muslim scholars who have been leading efforts to mediate among Islamist factions.He accused the scholars, led by Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Salad, of being "allies" of new President Sheikh Sharif, while warning the scholars not to label al Shabaab as "Khawarij," a reference to an Islamic cult that spearheaded bloodshed among Muslims centuries ago.Abu Mansur also called on Somali government forces in Bakool region to "surrender and become citizens" or face war. READ: Tensions in SW Somalia between govt forces, al ShabaabHe said that a ship transporting new weapons for AMISOM peacekeepers is docked at Mogadishu's main port, giving al Shabaab enough reason to target the port with mortar bombs.

But AMISOM spokesman Maj. Bahoku Barigye said four Somali civilians were killed in the mortar attack, while categorically dismissing Abu Mansur's allegations."We are not unloading weapons at the port, but we received vehicles and food donated by the world," the AMISOM spokesman stated.He condemned Abu Mansur's armed group for killing "innocent Somalis as usual." At least seven other people were wounded in the attack.President Sheikh Sharif had told reporters after spending three days in Mogadishu that he met with leaders of the insurgency, including representatives from al Shabaab and the Islamic Party, a new Islamist coalition. READ: President claims to have spoken with anti-govt groupsSomalia's former president, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf, had advised the incoming leader to confront al Shabaab, which is listed as a terror organization by the U.S. government.

Central Africa

Congo-Kinshasa: Nairobi Dialogue Expected to Resume Soon:12 February 2009: United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)

The dialogue between the DRC Government and the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) is expected to resume in the near future, following various consultations between the Special Envoy of the UN General secretary for the Great Lakes Region, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the various parties involved in the process, which took place in Goma on Wednesday 12 February 2008.Upon arrival in the DRC on 11 February last, Mr. Obasanjo explained that his latest visit to the area was to evaluate the new developments on the ground, to better prepare the next stage of his mission of mediation and facilitation of the regional crisis.In Goma, he successively met MONUC officials, the CNDP delegation and representatives of the Congolese Government.

On the question of the political dialogue of Nairobi, all the protagonists said that they wanted the talks held on Congolese soil, but a date was not specified.Questioned on this subject by Radio Okapi, Mr. Obasanjo explained that it will be necessary "that we still meet in Nairobi before moving the process."Concerning the participation of armed groups in the process, he deplored the fact that certain Maï Maï and Pareco groups had already left.He invites them to return to the table of discussions, because, he said, they will not be excluded.The CNDP affirms for its part that they have already made a reconciliatory gesture which definitively puts an end to military operations, but does not exclude participation in the negotiations of the country.

35. MILITANCY ,REBELS,TERRORISM AND THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: Somaliland Cabinet Approves Anti-Terror Law:29 January 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

The Council of Ministers in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland unanimously approved an anti-terror law Thursday, Radio Garowe reports.Somaliland President Dahir Riyale chaired the extraordinary meeting, where Cabinet ministers debated the anti-terror law prepared by government officials.Mr. Said Adani, the president's spokesman, told journalists in the regional capital Hargeisa that terrorist attacks have been on the increase over the past decade around the world, and noted suicide bombings that killed 20 people in Hargeisa last year."The [anti-terror] law is intended to bring to a court of law people who commit acts of terrorism," Mr. Adani said, adding that the Cabinet ministers unanimously approved the law after hours-long debate.

He said the Riyale administration will present the anti-terror law to the Somaliland Parliament for ratification as soon as possible.Somaliland, located in Somalia's northwest, unilaterally declared independence in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.The separatist republic has a functioning government, a unique flag and currency, and is slated to hold popular elections for a new president on March 29, 2009.

Somalia: Pirates Try to Seize Another Six Ships

13 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

Pirates in the Gulf of Aden made six attempts to hijack merchant ships during this week, but all the attacks were successfully repelled, maritime shipping agencies have reported.The European Union’s Maritime Security Centre for the Horn of Africa attributed the “marked increase in pirate activity” in the region to improved weather conditions. It said both quick action by ships’ crews and the intervention by EU and United States naval forces had thwarted the pirates.The EU reported four attempts at piracy over a 24-hour period, and the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre said there had been a total of six incidents.In other news releases, the U.S. Navy reported that its guided missile cruiser, the USS Vella Gulf, had intercepted and seized nine suspected pirates on Thursday and seven on Wednesday after receiving distress calls from ships.In Thursday’s incident, the Indian Motor Vessel Premdivya reported that it had been fired upon from men in a small skiff, and suspected pirates were attempting to board.

Teams from the Vella Gulf and the guided missile destroyer USS Mahan boarded the skiff and found weapons after a helicopter dispatched from the Vella Gulf fired warning shots to force the suspected pirates to stop.On Wednesday, the navy said, the MV Polaris, sailing under a Marshall Island flag, sent a distress call saying that seven men on a skiff had tried to force their way on board using a ladder. The Vella Gulf intercepted the skiff, found weapons and seized the suspects.Reporting another attempt on Wednesday, the International Maritime Bureau said that “five pirates armed with RPG and assault guns in a light blue-coloured boat approached and attempted to board a bulk carrier under way. “They fired towards the accommodation. The master increased speed, took evasive manoeuvres and crew activated fire hoses. Pirates aborted the attempt. A Russian warship has been in contact with the ship.”The EU force said a Chinese fishing vessel, Tianyu No. 8, was freed last Sunday after being held by pirates for nearly three months. It was escorted to safety by Chinese warships. “This brings the total number of hijacked vessels down to six,” the EU said.

Kenya: Weapons Ship Freed by Somali Pirates Heads for Port:11 February 2009:ALLAFRICA The Ukrainian ship carrying heavy weapons and artillery which was freed by Somali pirates last week is expected to dock on the Kenyan coast Thursday.The Kenyan government has claimed that the weapons on board the MV Faina are for its armed forces.According to The Financial, a Ukrainian financial news web site, a delegation from Ukraine has already left in a special presidential plane for Kenya. The delegation, which is "headed by deputy president's Chief of Staff Andriy Honcharuk and head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Mykola Malomuzh" will work to relieve the freed crew members with a new crew.The Ukrainian government faces skepticism over the true destination of the ship's cargo. When the ship was hijacked in September 2008, some observers speculated the arms were headed to Sudan, in violation of a 2005 United Nations arms embargo.It is unclear how the ship was eventually released. The Associated Press reported that a U.S. Navy spokesperson, Lieutenant Nathan Christensen, said "we have all indications that ransom was paid regarding MV Faina." The Kenyan Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations condemned the alleged ransom payment, according to the East African Standard.

36. NORTH AFRICA

Uganda: Muammar Gadaffi Speaks Out on Best:Conan Businge:13 February 2009; THE NEW VISION

Kampala — THE Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gadaffi, has denied allegations that he is in love with Tooro queen Mother Best Kemigisa.Gadaffi, through his lawyers, has threatened to sue The Red Pepper for $1b (sh1,950b) over a series of page one stories that insinuated he was in a relationship with Kemigisa.The lawyers said the articles were false and had caused great embarrassment to Gadaffi, a pan-African leader and head of state."The said articles cumulatively construed in their ordinary meaning and context by any right thinking person can only inter alia mean that His Excellency, the Leader of the Revolution of the Great Lybian Arab Jamahiriya, is having an adulterous relationship with the Queen of Tooro," reads a statement published yesterday by Muwema & Mugerwa Advocates and Solicitors.On February 5, The Red Pepper ran a lead story titled "Gadaffi, Tooro Queen in love".During the seven days following this, the paper published five more stories under the headlines: "Tooro Queen Sex secrets revealed", "Gadaffi asks Tooro queen for baby boy", "Gadaffi Tooro Queen's first kiss", "Gadaffi- Museveni clash over Tooro queen" and "Col Gadaffi buys Tooro queen plane."The lawyers stated: "The articles are not only false, but are completely outside acceptable and known journalists' standards and ethics and were calculated to injure our client's international reputation and person."

Gadaffi is not only the leader of the Revolution and Sovereign State of Great Libyan and Arab Jamahiriya, but also the chairman of the African Union.He is also one of the renowned Pan Africanists.In retaliation, Gadaffi has instructed his lawyers to demand for an apology of all the allegations made against him in the media, "within 24 hours and on the front page of the newspaper."He also demanded, through his lawyers, that the newspaper ceases publishing materials that are defaming him.If the conditions set above are not "strictly complied with," the lawyers said, Gadaffi "will claim compensation of $1billion from the newspaper "for the damage so far caused by the defamatory articles."However, the Red Pepper said Friday morning that they had not yet received Gadaffi's notice."They (M&M Advocates and Solicitors) have not yet communicated to us. All our readers are free to respond to our reports," one of The Red Pepper's directors, Arinaitwe Rugyendo, said. "When we get an official communication, we shall respond," he added.

Tunisia: To Meet Growing Demand of Tertiary Institutions, University Professors Will Retire At 65:5 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — To meet the growing demand of tertiary institutions in terms of teaching load and supervision, a draft bill was recently examined by a cabinet meeting bringing the retirement age for university associate professors and professors to 65.The new draft bill is expected to help beef up the supervision of Masters and PhD students, whose number is on the increase. There are currently 33,000 students who have graduated in their Masters and 5000 PhD candidates who are completing their doctoral dissertations.

Tunisian universities have a student population of 370,000 students and within the next few years, that number is expected to reach 500,000.Only 16% of Tunisian academics and researchers are associate professors and professors. The draft bill also concerns the same category of academics in university hospitals and civilian and military research institutions.One of the bill's provisions makes it possible for associate professors and professors to exceptionally remain in activity till the age of 70.

Tunisia: Broadband Connections Expected to Reach 400,000 by End of 2009:4 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — Figures recently released by the Ministry of communication technologies show that ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) connections are expected to reach 400,000 by the end of 2009.According to observers, this is mainly due to the 25% reduction on broadband connections, recently decided by the government.The soaring rate of ADSL connections which has increased from 114,000 subscriptions in 2007 to 220,000 end of 2008 testifies to the boom the ICT sector is experiencing in the country.During a recent press conference the Minister of communication technologies said that the ICT sector's contribution to the GDP will grow from 10% in 2008 to 13% in 2011.The country aims at creating 10,000 ICT related jobs each year.

Tunisia: 21 Additional Wetlands Added to 'Ramsar' Convention List:3 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — Tunisia has classified an additional list of 21 of the country's wetlands among its marshes, lakes, rivers, dams, and 'sabkhats' (salt lakes), to be included on the "Ramsar" convention list.The news was announced by the Tunisia president of WWF (World Wide Fund for nature), Mr Faouzi Maamouri, during a sensitization meeting in Tunis. Tunisia has already classified 231 of its wetlands, which are inventoried in 11 categories. Their total surface covers 1 million 250 thousand hectares.Mr Maamouri said that the cost of the project which is due to be achieved over a 3 year period (2009-2011) will cost 500,000 dinars, to be jointly funded by the national forestry board and the Swiss environmental educational foundation (MAVA).He also noted that Tunisia is one of the first signatories of the convention which was signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971.The convention which groups 158 contracting parties, has a list of 1831 wetland sites , totalling 170 million hectares. Its mission is the conservation and wide use of wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.Wetlands and humid areas are an indispensable element of the earth's water cycle. These last 30 years, certain countries have lost 50 to 80% of their wetlands and along with them a number of animal and vegetal species have also disappeared or are in the process of disappearing.Photo shows flamingo population in Tunisia. Tunisia's wetlands host a population estimated at more than 250,000 flamingoes.

Nigeria: King of Morocco Condoles Country Over Sheikh Lawal's Death:Abbas Jimoh:3 February 2009: DAILY TRUST

King Muhammad VI of Morocco has condoled Nigeria Muslims on the death Sheikh Muhammad Al-Awwal, a Lagos-based Tijjaniya leader. In a condolence letter presented by the Moroccan Ambassador to Nigeria Mr Mustapha Cherqaui, to the deceased family in Lagos, King Muhammad expressed deep shock and sorrow over the death of the Islamic scholar.

In the letter, King Muhammad commiserated with the family of the diseased, Tijaniya followers and the Nigerian Nation in general on the sudden death of Sheikh Lawal. He also recalled the tremendous efforts exerted by the late Sheikh Lawal in strengthening the brotherly and spiritual relationships between Nigeria and Morocco. "We recall the good Islamic brotherhood and the sincere spiritual relationships that ties the great diseased with Morocco, as well as the excellent characteristics that distinguished the diseased," King Muhammad said. While praying for the repose of the soul of the late scholar, King Muhammad said his demise was not a loss to his family and Tijaniyya followers alone, but a great loss to Nigeria and Morocco. "The institution of scholarship has lost an outstanding scholar, a pious jurist who dedicated his whole life to the service of Islam and Muslims and preaching of its good and moderate teachings," he said. Sheikh Lawal died in Lagos and was buried at his home town in Kwara state last Thursday according to Islamic rites.

37. NEWS COMMENTARIES,OPINIONS AND ANALYSES

CHINA IN AFRICA PROJECT

Uganda: Country Can Reap From China's Success:Edgar Tabaro;11 February 2009:opinion: The Weekly Observer (Kampala) The success of China has baffled many analysts; in the 1960s when many of us were yet to be born China was never thought to have a chance of being in the league it is now.The Great Leap Forward had been launched, but unknown to many in the Western world, it was a monumental failure, followed by famine that engulfed China in 1962 as a direct consequence of failure of the Great Leap Forward as well as a break in the Sino-Soviet relations. China further experimented with The Cultural Revolution, but it too failed and it was declared closed with the passing of Mao Zedong. In 1978, Deng Xiaoping launched the Four Modernisations Movements which re-engaged China with the outside world.

The Four Modernisations Movement has been a stunning success. China's economy grew at an average of 9.6% per annum for the next 30 years- being the longest period of sustained growth in recorded human history. In the last year alone, the economy grew by 11%. By January this year, China became the world's third biggest economy with a GDP of USD $ 2.26 trillion, overtaking the "big boys" such as France, United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. And, if you adjusted both the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), as well as the unappreciated Chinese currency, predictions are it will soon overtake Japan to become the world's second biggest economy.

Four years back, China edged past the US as the biggest recipient of FDIs in the world- at USD 53.3 billion, outstripping the US's 40 billion. For the last 30 years China has absorbed FDI of close to $600 billion, and four years back China's exports to the world were standing at close to $0.5 trillion compared to the world GDP of $6.5 trillion. Furthermore, in 2004 China edged past Japan to become the world's third largest trading nation after the US and Germany, with $851 in foreign trade. China has accumulated over $819 billion of the world's foreign reserves out of a total of $3.5 trillion, including $175 billion in US treasuries.The amount of her foreign currency reserves is projected to hit 1.9 trillion in the first quarter of this year. This all is indicative of a prosperous country, which less than a generation ago had very similar conditions as Uganda's; big peasant population, food insecurity, reliance on natural resources (as opposed to the industrial and knowledge economy). So what has spurred China's success? What lessons can Uganda learn from China and what has to be done for us to learn?

Uganda needs to refocus her trade priorities. During the Clinton administration Uganda was at the helm of lobbying the US Government to accept imports into the US from Africa on certain agro-based commodities. The same strategy can be used to gain access to the Chinese market. In this regard Uganda might have to create an "AGOA-like" office manned by persons of Philip Idro's calibre who have worked and lived in China, with vast contacts in the Hu Jintao' administration (as a precaution to avoid the AGAO fiasco). Furthermore, Uganda will have to refocus its mission in Beijing and beef it up with more career diplomats with expertise in trade.The Trade Ministry would do better branding our coffee to suit Chinese taste. Imagine, if one half of the Chinese population consumed a cup of coffee a day, how much would that translate into possibilities of a market for our coffee? The education institutions too, would need to focus on creating institutes, centres or whatever nomenclature they adopt, for Chinese and Asiatic studies. There is much R&D as well as open equipment manufacture going on in China. The Beijing Genomics Institute has broken the genetic code for rice in record time and Microsoft with R&D campuses only in Washington (US), Cambridge (UK) and Beijing, with the Beijing one being the most coveted and elite.

Our core science institutions such as Kyambogo, Busitema, Gulu and Mbarara universities would do well in initiating collaboration with China for technology incubation, development and eventual marketing. No institution in East Africa appears to have attempted this save for Aga Khan University which has a proposal to set up one such facility at its Faculty of Arts and Science in Arusha.Civil society would do well creating a think tank that would engage stakeholders in intellectual debates so as to influence policy and provide direction in relation to Sino-Uganda partnership. This ought to be seen in light of the aggressiveness that China has launched in closing deals on the Africa continent. Africa lost out in the first scramble for its resources at Berlin, largely because of weak leadership and President Museveni has repeated this several times, including the occasion when Bill Clinton visited Uganda in 1998.History will even be harsher in judgment if we fail to harness this opportunity and let China have a free-rider benevolent acquisition of our resources, for we are presumed to be more enlightened than our forefathers.

Edgar Tabaro, The writer is a Policy Analyst with ACODE, a Kampala based Think Tank as well as Law Lecturer at UCU- Mukono.

West Africa

NIGERIA: Ghadafi - African God With His Message:Sunny Igboanugo Dan Kanu Austin Oboh And Rafiu Ajakaye:11 February 2009:opinion: Daily Independent (Lagos)

Pharaohs of ancient Egypt were reputed to have employed advisers, whose job was to continuously drum it in their ears: "Remember Pharaoh, you are but human." This constant refrain, was meant to restrain them from playing God in administering the affairs of their people. In years thereafter, and even today, this critical practice, appears to be missing in the lives of leaders, especially those who want to rule the world, or at least impact on it in their peculiar manner. History is replete with them. Adolph Hitler of Germany, Benito Mussolini of Italy, Ferdinand Marcos of Philippines, Jean-Claude Duvalier (Baby Doc) of Haiti, Augusto Pinochet of Chile, Abdul Nasser of Egypt, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Idi Amin Dada of Uganda.All these men, though in varying degrees, wielded influences within their countries at the time they were in power, that tapered towards playing God. Of course their styles were different, but the public understanding of their actions, was similar - they were men, who wanted to dominate the world, their world, some by raw display of power, others by sheer control and manipulation of the thought process of their people. Their actions not only resulted in most cases to outlandish and even bizarre outcomes, but profoundly shook the entire world. Some came with religion, while others came through politics or combined both. However the domino effect were same - the world listened.Though most of them are now history, even though the impacts and most times scars they created, still remain as reference points to confirm man's desire to control his environment, there is no doubt that the future would still have a lot of them to contend with willy-nilly, despite the influence of civilisation. This is the context many people are now looking at the renewed wave of activities within the African Union (AU), with the ascension of Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Ghadafi, to its leadership. But does the Libyan leader fit into the profile of these men of power and influence? No doubt. Would he succeed in seizing Africa as they seized their environments? Time will tell. But the fact remains, at least on the surface that he is working at it.

A Measured Emergence

What was the real reason why former President, Olusegun Obasanjo visited Libya recently. Has it got anything to do with the events that culminated in the current rumble within the AU, where his host Ghadafi is already in conflict with his colleagues, even before the ink, with which he etched his name on the vital documents as the new chairman of the organisation is yet to dry? Obasanjo was the guest of the Libyan leader during the last Muslim Sallah celebration, Eidel Kabir. Though the real reason, which not a few observers suspect may never be known, events of last week, may remain a reminder of that historic encounter. Though spruced with the drama that came with it when Obasanjo returned with his remarkable Sallah meat, and publicly fed Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel with it, the real intent and agenda have always remained quite suspect.No doubt, not a few observers may refer to it in times to come, as more chapters open in what is sure to rekindle the name of the Libyan leader in the minds of those who might have forgotten him so soon, but if the former Nigerian President lived up to his billing as a strong voice on such matters, then it is taken for granted that he must have discussed Ghadafi's pet project of uniting African leadership under one umbrella, with him. And the unfolding events thereafter, may not be out of place.Gadhafi was elected penultimate Monday as leader of the AU, a position long sought by the eccentric leader, who appears desirous of pushing his oil-rich nation into the international mainstream after years of isolation.Once ostracised by the West for sponsoring terrorism, he has been viewed through various prisms over the years. He has reportedly been trying to increase both Libya's global stature and its regional influence - mediating African conflicts, and allegedly sponsoring efforts to spread Islam on the continent. He has also been seen as a dictator, human rights abuser, a nationalist, who has done a lot for his country and an expansionist, who wants to extend his influence beyond his present frontiers. But his newest project at the moment is ostensibly that of pushing for the creation of a single African government.

Some African leaders have since offered what some see as tepid praise for the choice of the strongman who grabbed power 40 years ago, in a 1969 coup, and has become the longest serving African Head of State ever since. This is despite being described by rights groups as a poor model for Africa at a time when democratic gains are being reversed in countries such as Mauritania and Guinea. However, in other quarters the Libyan leader is hailed as a man who has led his country well, leading them to prosperity, hence, the little opposition to his authority back home. Master With His Pipers

Details of how Ghadafi climbed to his present position despite the misgivings of some of his contemporaries still remain hazy. But there is no doubt that his role as a master that pays his pipers well, remains one of the obvious factors. For instance, Ghadafi was said to have come to the AU event with 15 cars and two bags full of gold as a gift for his colleagues, who were in attendance, which observers see as helping him to get his present position with relative ease.His personal outing was no less been informing of the status he seems to believe should be accorded him. In fact, he was said to have attended the session dressed in a gold-embroidered green robe and flanked by seven extravagantly dressed men who said they were the "traditional kings of Africa" and reportedly told about 20 of his colleagues what he planned to do with the idea of 'the United States of Africa.'"I think the coming time will be a time of serious work and a time of action and not words," he had said shortly after the election.The chairmanship of the African Union is a rotating position held by Heads of State for one year and gives the holder some influence over the continent's politics but carries no real power.

Diplomats who attended the closed-door meetings in which he was chosen, said several countries vigorously opposed him, seeking alternatives from Lesotho and Sierra Leone. However, the AU's chairmanship rotates among Africa's regions, and a North African had not chaired the continental body since 2000, when Algeria held the chairmanship.Meetings to select the chairman are held in private. The leader is usually nominated and then chosen by consensus. AU officials would not give details of the proceedings, including which countries objected.Even in public the reception to his appointment - and the acceptance ceremony in which he invited two of the traditional kings to speak - was measured."I think his time has come," Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had told journalists at the event. "He's worked for it. I think it's up to us to make sure it comes out best."Still, Gadhafi appeared to cast his selection as a victory."Silence means approval," he said during his acceptance speech. "If we have something and we are silent about it at the next summit it means we've accepted it."

Implication For Africa

Gadhafi was handed the chairman's gavel by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, and outgoing AU leader, to applause from other leaders.Some members of the AU were, however, said to be uneasy with the man, who has long promoted stronger union within the organisation and previously outlined his vision for a continent-wide government.

Richard Dowden, director of the Royal African Society, said: "This says a lot about what African leaders think of the African Union. It was hoped that it would give great new leadership to Africa, create a sense of pan-Africanism even if they were not going to unite politically. Now it has got all these aspirations to be a club of democrats - and this is a man who has been a dictator for 40 years. I think it says something about what African leaders think about their own aspirations to create a continent of democracy and transparency and accountability, the sort of things that they would like to aspire to.But Ghadafi, insists that he has something to offer the continent within the period. "I hope my term will be a time of serious work and not just words. I shall continue to insist that our sovereign countries work to achieve the United States of Africa," he told his colleagues at the event.He admitted that African leaders were "not near to a settlement" on the issue. His words: "We are still independent states. It is your decision to respond to the call for unity, to push Africa forward towards the United States of Africa.But at the closed-door debate earlier on Monday, Ghadafi failed to receive full backing for the idea.Leaders reportedly decided instead to consider ways of expanding the mandate of the existing AU Commission, which would be renamed the AU Authority. Debate on the issue was said to have been so intense that the Libyan leader had to walk out on the meeting without saying anything, and was followed moments later by the other leaders, with an agreement to resume debate later in the day.

Even though details of the change of name for the AU appeared remains hazy, its modalities, reports say formed part of the focus of the dispute.South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, was quoted as telling reporters after the event that proposals for strengthening the union would be considered only over the next three months. "The aim is to strengthen and expand a bit on the functions and responsibilities of the Authority. The Executive Council tabled proposals and actually requested to be accorded three months within which to look at the exact nitty-gritty of this AU Authority. There is an acceptance that the end goal of the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity and the AU was that Africa would be united. The day will come where there will be a single authority in charge of Africa," Motlanthe said, adding that it was too early to tell how Ghadafi's leadership would affect the AU. "It's early days and early hours, so it's hard to say. We'll have to see as the year progresses," he reportedly said.In the palpable tension arising from the summit, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, was said to have proposed turning the body's leadership into a troika, which would mitigate Ghadafi's influence even though he was believed not to be enthused about the Libyan leader becoming the face of Africa in the international arena.Though Libya and its allies in the matter, comprising mostly some North African countries and other smaller ones in the continent are said to favour immediate unification, a position Gaddafi says is the only way forward for the war-ravaged and drought-stricken continent, others like Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya are believed to seek its gradual implementation.

It is indeed difficult to ascertain the direct impact of Nigeria, arguably one of the most influential voices in the region in the events that led to Ghadafi's emergence as the AU leader, even though it has clearly made its position known on the USA project. This became more so with the absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua at the meeting. In fact, there is the opinion that the Nigerian President deliberately stayed away from the event, in order not to be caught in the crossfire. His recent two-week vacation was said to be partly to avoid being part of the election.According to one of the sources, visas for the President and his aides had actually been obtained from Ethiopian authorities and in fact his advance party had left for the venue before the sudden change in plan."There had been a prior commitment by the President to attend the summit before the vacation issue came up. Although the President is on a working leave, he could still have attended the AU summit if not for the disagreement with Ghadafi," the source reportedly said. Yar'Adua was said to have feared Ghadafi would have had his way over the USA idea now former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, said to have ardently worked to keep the project and the Libyan leader's excesses in check, was out of the way. "The President felt that with Mbeki out of the equation, Ghadafi was most likely going to have a field day in Addis Ababa with regards to the issue of United States of Africa. Yar'Adua had believed United States of Africa could be decreed into existence by Ghadaffi without resistance from those who are taking his money and the President did not want to be part of that charade. Yar'Adua belongs to the group of African leaders who have consistently argued that as desirous as the United States of Africa proposition is, it can only evolve after a process and not something leaders can gather in one forum to pronounce, as Ghadafi seems to believe. Yar'Adua had argued at last year's meeting in Addis Ababa that he for instance has no power to come to cede Nigerian sovereignty away without the people of the country agreeing to such a proposal and the necessary amendment effected in the Constitution."He was also said to have posed the question to his colleagues whether any of them could cede the sovereignty of their country and it was learnt that only Senegalese President Wade responded that he could cede the sovereignty of his country because the constitution of Senegal grants him such power," recent reports stated. Matters were not helped, according to the report, when Ghadafi was said to have instigated the coup plot in Guinea at a time Yar'Adua, as ECOWAS Chairman had taken a hard-line posture against the military leaders.However, Yar'Adua's spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, debunked the allegation, saying his boss could live with Ghadafi's new position.He was however quoted as affirming Yar'Adau's position over the controversy. "I recall that it was in Ghana two years ago, during the heated debate on this same issue, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia put the matter very clearly. He said while all African leaders desire to have a United States of Africa, there are two schools of thought as to how such could happen."He said there is one school that believes a house should be built from foundation and another that believes you build a house from the roof. President Yar'Adua belongs to the first school because he is well aware that a United States of Africa is not something you achieve by the mere pronouncement of one man."But as I said, it will be incorrect to say President Yar'Adua went on vacation to avoid Ghadafi. He wishes the new AU Chairman well and looks forward to meeting him at the mid-year summit in June or July," Adeniyi was quoted as saying.

From Fiend To Friend

Before now, Ghadafi had remained the face of the African devil, in the eyes of Europe and America. Labelled a terrorist, the frosty relationship between him and the Western world got to a head with the bombing in 1988 of the Pan Am flight 103 plane over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 107 people, in which Ghadafi was held responsible. What followed was another decade-long of intense diplomatic row that saw the Libyan leader and his country virtually made a pariah in the international community. On the other side, Ghadafi remained defiant, even after barely escaping death by the whiskers, following the bombing of his palace in Benghazi, by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1985.But at a point when it appeared all hope was lost for redemption in the relationship, a truce was brokered, following Ghadafi's acceptance of responsibility for the bombing and agreement to pay compensations for the families of the victims of the disaster. In exchange for the arrangement, in Libya agreed to pay $10million compensation on each of the deceased, and dismantling of the nuclear programmes it was developing, the sanctions imposed on the country from the West would be lifted. The process has since been completed and exchange of high profile visits taken across board to underscore the new profile of Libyan-West relationship. Since then, Ghadafi, has remained the darling of the West, a relationship, said to have been boosted with the fresh discovery of high quality oil in the Mediterranean. All these seem to have counted in favour of the Libyan President and imbued him to explore new grounds, hence his renewed vigour in pursuit of the African project.

High Dream, Difficult Task

There is every belief that Ghadafi's new project may be with the blessing of the West. In fact, the thinking is that his attempt to become the head of the continental body, had always met the brick walls as a result of the intense pressure from the West, particularly America to scuttle it. That he has eventually triumphed, seems to imply that the situation, has changed. Though the deal with the U.S. was struck with the former President, George Bush, there is no reason to believe that much would change in that direction under the new President, Barack Obama. Indeed, if anything, it might well become more robust, given Obama's desire to extend American handshake to countries that unclench their fists. Ghadafi, had since done that, hailing Obama's emergence recently. "The black people's struggle has vanquished racism. It was God who created colour. Today Obama, a son of Kenya, a son of Africa, has made it in the United States of America," he was quoted as saying.Before turning his attention to the unification of Africa, Ghadafi, had focused his attention to doing same for the Arab world, a project he seems to have abandoned for the current one. But for Chinwizu, a critic and writer, the ascension of Ghadafi to leadership, may do more harm than good to Africa.In an article posted on the web way back in September 2006, Chinwenzu attacked Ghadafi over what he called an attempt to 'arabise' black Africa - a position informed by a statement credited to the Libyan leader at a meeting of the Arab League in 2001.The article entitled 'Why black Africa should resist Arab domination of AU' quoted Ghadafi as saying at the summit that "the third of the Arab community living outside Africa should move in with the two-thirds on the continent and join the AU 'which is the only space we have.'""I should like to point out that Gadhafi's invitation to his fellow Arabs is nothing but a declaration of race war on Africa. It is an invitation to more Arabs to invade and colonise Africa. Indeed, it is a call for the final phase of the 15 centuries old Arab lebensraum war on Afrikans - a war to Islamise and conquer all of Africa, from Cairo to the Cape and from Senegal to Somalia, and to then enslave or Arabise all the conquered Afrikans. In order to make that clear, it is necessary to first put his invitation in the context of the traditions of Arab melanophobia and negrophobia, and of Arab expansionist ambitions and conquests that go back to the time of their Arab prophet, Muhammed." With his present pre-occupation, this fear may have been assuaged.While rights agitators in Nigeria avoided making comments regarding the aggressive spread of Islam through Arabism, they agree with Dowden that Gadhafi's rights records are enough ground to deny him headship of the AU. They also argued that his election says a lot about other African leaders.Shina Loremikan, of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), says the Libyan leader heading the AU "is a strong indication that all is not well with the continental body, because we find it hard to explain why a ruler of Ghadafi standing should be elected leader of a body supposedly championing democracy and human rights on the troubled continent."Campaign for Democracy (CD) President, Joe Okei-odumakin, said "election of Ghadafi tells it all about the disposition of the so-called African leaders. If a man of such standing is heading the continental body, then we wait to see what moral right it would have to curb oppression and the resurfacing slide into autocracy and arbitrariness in some of the African countries," she said.To Dr Fred Aja Agwu an international relations expert with the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Lagos, told Daily Independent that there was nothing to cheer about Ghadafi's election. "this to suggest that Gaddafi being the chairman of the AU is not something to celebrate, it is not something to be enthusiastic about because Gaddafi doesn't generate any hope for Africa in terms of African nationalism. His African nationalism is tainted by Arabism so to that extent I don't think it is a big deal. It is not something to cheer about or celebrate; it's not something that will engender hope in terms of African regeneration," he said.The don dismissed the USA project, arguing that it would not be achieved under Ghadafi. His words: "You see the so-called United States of Africa is still part of the design of Gaddafi for a territorial space not in the literal sense of if anyway. Everybody knows that it will be difficult to have a United States of Africa (USA).

Lets begin from the democratic point of view. Africa is put asunder by conflicts over political succession, poverty and identity politics. Now Gaddafi since he came to power has not done anything to democratize his country. Gaddafi since he engineered the transformation of OAU to AU has never done anything remarkably different from his previous effort to see that the divisions in Africa - ethnic divisions, the religious divisions and cleavages - are closed or even narrowed. Take Dafur for instance, he is one of the trans-Saharan leaders that have frustrated the capacity for the international community, beginning from the African Union, to implement the responsibility to protecting Dafur. For him genocide does not exist in Dafur. For him no war crime has been committed against humanity.He is one of those who are into frequent denials of the obvious in Dafur. So, the question is if it is now possible for trans-Sahara African leadership, which Ghadafi is an influenced member, to make a difference in resolving many of this divisions that have afflicted Africa. I don't think that the whole idea of the United States of Africa will be possible under his vision. It is not something that is realisable at the moment because the continent is still far from modern political temperaments and socio- economic development, which are some of the necessary conditions for unity either politically or economically."

Dr. Adewale Aderemi, disagrees slightly. He argued that Ghadafi's new position could be the beginning of renewed efforts to rekindle the great dream of early pan-Africanists, who demanded a single government for the entire African continent long before Europeans achieved theirs.A Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Aderemi, however told Daily Independent, that though the Libyan leader might put the process in place, he might not realise his dream just yet as there were many hurdles on the way to achieving an African government.His words: "There has to be a total regional integration first. I suspect that Ghadafi is most interested in the realisation of a United States of Africa.In my opinion, he may not realise this just yet, because it is a very ambitious project; there are a lot of hurdles to overcome before a United States of Africa can come into being - it would involve a complete regional integration."Though the Political Science Teacher expressed support for the project, he noted that it could not happen in the next few years."Gaddafi's ambition is, at best, futuristic," he said.

Other analysts believe however that there are a lot of attractive options the Libyan President would be bringing to the table to entice his colleagues towards voting for the pet project. One, even though his democratic profile is not to be chaired, the manner he had handled his country's economy, giving prosperity to his people, seems to be a huge advantage, especially for those, who may be tempted to believe that he could do the same for the continent, if he eventually succeeds not only to achieve his dream, but to head it.

Why They're Afraid of Ghaddafi

Owei Lakemfa:13 February 2009:opinion; VANGUARD

SINCE Libyan leader, Muammar Ghaddafi took over the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) from Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, the international media has been awashed with negative reports about his so-called intentions.The Western media even name some ghost countries as being uncomfortable with his election. As was the case in the 1980s, they tell us that Ghaddafi is "unstable", "erratic" and "unpredictable".They try to portray the aspirations of Africans for a stronger union, as a "Ghaddafi Agenda" to conquer and control the continent.Although Ghaddafi can be melodramatic, but it cannot be denied that unlike most African leaders, he has principles, vision, commitment to African unity and the courage of his conviction.I do not agree with Ghaddafi's "Third Universal Theory" espoused in his Green Book in which he advocates an ideology that is neither capitalist nor communist, but his commitment to the Libyan people and upholding ideals of unity espoused by Gamal Abd al-Nasser and Kwame Nkrumah cannot be faulted.

This commitment, especially to a United States of Africa has been demonstrated since 1972 when his government attempted to form a union with Egypt, and in 1974 when a similar union with Tunisia was attempted.It is clear that those opposed to the unity of the African people are jittery about his election because they know that Ghaddafi could play a fundamental role in the process.Countries who need to exploit others do not want leaders capable of independent thought. So a man like Ghaddafi who has ideas, conviction, boldness and the ability to bridge the so-called Arab-African divide cannot be in their good books hence the campaign against him.Ghaddafi would have been OAU Chairman in 1982. To stop this, the developed countries went to work to ensure that the OAU meeting did not hold. Their plan was simple; they contacted pliant African leaders to stay away so a quorum will not be formed.As part of the plan, then Nigerian President, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari sat back in Lagos and said he would leave for the OAU meeting if a quorum is formed.A number of African leaders took a similar position knowing that unless they went, no quorum could be formed.That was how the OAU meeting was aborted and Ghaddafi denied its chairmanship. So it is to the eternal shame of the enemies of our continent that 27 years after that ignoble act, Ghaddafi is today chairman of a stronger, more purposeful AU.

Ghaddafi, in contrast to many African leaders, has utilized the oil wealth of his country to develop Libya and raise the living conditions of the people.While countries like Nigeria with abundant water resources cannot pipe it for the vast majority of its people, Ghaddafi's government went below the desert to get water for the Libyan people.Ghaddafi's strong views, independent - mindedness and refusal to allow the West exploit the Libyan resources, has meant that he is regarded as an enemy. For many years, he was presented by the West as a lunatic, then as a terrorist.On April 14, 1986 without declaring war, the United States under then President Ronald Reagan bombed theLibyan cities of Benghazi and Tripoli, the capital. Thirty seven Libyans including one of Ghaddafi's daughters were murdered in the strikes.There were also claims that he was involved in the 1988 downing of a Pan-Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland in which 259 people died. Sanctions were imposed, including a complete air ban.

But some African leaders were so angry that they threatened to burst the sanctions. Perhaps the angriest was Nelson Mandela who defied the sanctions by flying into Libya and daring the United States and its allies to shoot down his plane. But today, Ghaddafi's greatest enemies, the West, sit down at the dining table with him. Ghaddafi after many years of frontally fighting the West and America, decided to change tactics.Aware that he is dealing with capitalists whose primary motive is money and profit, he asked that they name the price for his alleged "crimes". They did, and Libya paid various countries and persons hefty sums of money.With that, his sins were forgiven, and they ended the open fight against him. But while they have changed their position and now regard him as a man they can do business with, Ghaddafi has not changed.There is doubtlessly some alarm that as chairman, Ghaddafi would move to actualise the dreams of our past leaders like Nkrumah.

Those against him know that he is neither trying to grab power, nor does Libya need the resources of other African countries; what is feared is the unity of the African people.It is an insult on the African people to claim that the movement towards a United States of Africa is a Ghaddafi agenda.This has been the agenda of the African peoples after colonialism tore us apart and created mainly, artificial states.Marcus Garvey led a movement for African unity back in the 1930s.

But by far the greatest champion of this cause is Kwame Nkrumah who far back in 1951 began a campaign to unite all Africa. He asked Africa to seek first the political kingdom (unity) and that economic development will be added.At the inauguration of the OAU, in 1963, Nkrumah told African countries:: "Unite we must without necessarily sacrificing our sovereignties, big or small. We can here and now forge a political union based on Defence, Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy, and a common citizenship, an African currency, an African Monetary Zone, and an African Central Bank.We must unite in order to achieve the full liberation of our continent. We need a common defence system with an African High Command to ensure the stability and security of Africa". These immortal words were uttered 46 years ago. So who says the African Union of States is a Ghaddafi agenda?

NIGERIA: Gaddafi - What Manner of Model for Africa?:Atu Ikot:11 February 2009:opinion: Daily Independent (Lagos)

When news of the election of Muammar Gaddafi as the new African Union (AU) chairman hit the airwaves, it was received with utmost skepticism.When it was confirmed over and over again, it became absolutely troubling that an organization set up to pursue the finest ideals of good governance on the continent would settle for a sit-tight tyrant as its leader in an era when all good-natured nations are embracing democracy and celebrating its ideals across the globe.His emergence nonetheless was not shocking. It could not have been, because the AU itself, as a body, is living out of time. It has become an assemblage of those who do not wish, even in their most sober moments, that democracy was ever considered a form of government.When the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was set up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1963, the direction and focus were well defined and articulated. Although it could not be said to have lived up to expectation in all spheres when it was rechristened and the original focus redefined, it succeeded nonetheless in integrating African countries and lending a helping hand to those who were engaged in liberation struggles.That was the era when nationalism was spreading like the harmattan haze across the continent. Some of the tyrants of today were the nationalists of yore, who were in the forefront of liberation struggles in their respective enclaves. When all the countries gained independence, some of the leaders thought it was time to refocus the organization, and that eventually resulted in the inauguration of the African Union (AU) on July 9, 2002 in Durban, South Africa.Although with lofty aims on paper, the AU today is no more than a congregation of those who forcefully, either by snatching the ballot box or through fire arms, seized power from their people and so would see nothing wrong with actions and developments that run contrary to good conscience and ethical governance. In the process, they not only enthrone but celebrate misdemeanors frowned at in normal countries and in decent climes.One of the major planks of the AU is ensconced in the instrument of peer review, a mechanism put in place to oversee member states' adherence to standards of good government, respect for human rights and financial transparency; but the leaders individually and collectively have become so corrupt physically, psychologically and morally that any attempt at a review would amount to exposing the decaying rump of fellow villains. That instrument (peer review), as of now, has suffered an almost permanent incapacitation, which is why a leader like Gaddafi of Libya would emerge as the chairman of such an otherwise revered body.

Given Gaddafi's well-known antecedents, what positive programme or project is expected in his one-year tenure as AU chairman? Is the position zoned or is it mandatory that everybody must occupy it in spite of the person's democratic credentials? In Gaddafi's dictionary, the word Democracy does not exist. It is not in his country's lexicon. In fact, it is a taboo to pronounce it correctly in Libya. So, what is Gaddafi doing on the chair of an organization which, in normal circumstances, is supposed to intervene in situations where leaders would want to take their citizens for a rough ride? It is common knowledge globally that Gaddafi is a roughrider. Apart from the slain Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Ghadafi is one of the most celebrated despots of the 21st century. And this is the kind of person being elevated by African leaders!That perhaps is why people like President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe would feel at home challenging the AU and its members to say a word or lift a finger regarding the atrocities and absurdities going on in his country, and risk indecent exposure.With the likes of Gaddafi in the AU, there is no way the organization can achieve its aim of good governance and integrated development for the continent. Someone who has always nursed and vigorously pursued an expansionist agenda and who is also a well known sponsor of terrorists and guerrilla activities cannot but tread familiar tracks in whatever endeavour he finds himself.Ghadafi cannot be, and in fact is not, in a position to proffer solutions to the problems of the continent for he has always been either the harbinger of, or catalyst for, those problems. He is known as the godfather of insurrection in Africa, an extreme Arab exponent; a man with dual personality, who presents himself as a champion of Arabian ideals and a Pan-Africanist in one foul breath - an absolute contradiction in terms.The pan-African paraphernalia Gaddafi is currently putting on is a deceptive decoration to hoodwink others into his expansionist cocoon. It should not be lost on anybody that Gaddafi is the sole proponent of a United States of Africa. From what is known of this 'life president' of Libya, his quest for a united African state necessarily does not stem from his desire for a better welfare for the diverse people of the continent, but most likely a prescription for his expansionist ego massage therapy.

In putting forward such an obnoxious suggestion, Gaddafi, in his usual mono-faculty approach, ignored the myriad anthropological complexities of the people of the continent. How, for heaven's sake, will that work? His reasoning and approach are simplistic and typical of the frame of reference of tyrants. He may have reasoned that because there is the United States of America (USA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), then there should be a United States of Africa. Just like that? Did he care to find out how the ones he is trying to copy evolved?It was little wonder, therefore, that the first ever general session of the AU presided over by Gaddafi ended in a deadlock recently. In spite of all the problems besetting the continent, including civil wars, poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, underdevelopment and unparallelled despotism, it was the issue of the United State of Africa that was top on his agenda at the meeting. That exposes early in the day his mind-set and the likely direction of his regime as AU chair.It doesn't really bother his egoistic mind that there can be no unity in a situation of widespread strife, desperation and deprivation. It equally does not occur to him that even the blocks in Europe and Asia which, for whatever reasons, were initially bonded together as a union, are breaking up because the level of incompatibility has consistently made governance and co-existence, on a mutual level, an uphill task.Those who doubt the unworkability of such incompatible conglomerations should look at the conceptual variable called Nigeria which, in spite of its relatively small size, has been having nightmares in its bonded state.So, away with this united states crap, please! Gaddafi is not, and cannot be presumed to be a model of an African leader to be showcased to the world! He may be all the world to Libya, but certainly not a word to be spoken of, on behalf of Africa.

Atu Ikot, a commentator on contemporary issues, lives in Akowonjo, Lagos. NIGERIA:Climate Change - Britain Predicts Global Catastrophe:Onwuka Nzeshi:11 February 2009:THIS DAY

Abuja — The British Government yesterday predicted that the world will witness a round of global catastophies arising from increased temperature of the earth by the year 2050, unless the international community agree to take concerted steps towards addressing the problem of global warming and climate change.The alarm came at the inauguration of the House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, but the Speaker of the House, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, laid the blame on the doorsteps of the Highly Industrialised Countries (HICs) of the West whom he accused of championing the concept of industrialisation for so long without taking pains to safeguard the earth, until it had become almost too late.Bankole said in almost everything, the West had continued to lead the rest of the world by the nose, adding that at some time it was industrial revolution and "now, they want us to go green." He observed that while it was right to go green and save the earth, those responsible for the despoilation should also be prepared to bear the burden, as poor countries may not have the financial muscle to shoulder responsibilities of growing green economy overnight.According to Bankole, Nigeria had proposed a paltry sum of $1.5million for climate change in the 2009 Appropriation Bill, adding that except there was a supplementary budget, Climate Change issues will not be effectively addressed.British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Bob Dewar, who spoke at the inuaguration of the House Committee said that the coming year will be critical in the global efforts to tackle climate change and countries must act collectively to reduce carbon emissions as failure to do so will bring upon the world "a human and economic catastrophy that will make today's crisis look small".

Apparently admitting guilt, Dewar said in tackling the challenge of global warming, developed countries who had contributed most to climate insecurity, should shoulder most of the burden. "But it is critical that all countries, including Nigeria, the leading country in West Africa and the giant of Sub-Saharan Africa, should be involved in finding a solution, if we are to find one that is truly sustainable."We are all connected. What we do in our own backyard in rural England or in rural Nigeria matters. We may think what we do, how we behave, how we plan and the decisions we take do not have impact. But they do. We are all responsible. We are all connected and our children need to know that we in this generation have the vision to act, ensuring that we leave behind us at least as good a world as the one we inherited," he said.Counsellor to the Government of Denmark on Climate Change, Mr Peter Krogh Sorensen, who was also at the event, said the issue of climate change would be the focus when the world gathers this year in Copenhagen, Denmark in December, under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.Sorensen said the focus on climate change has become necessary, given changes witnessed on the environment in different parts of the worlda nd urged countries to begin to articulate their positions and build international cooperation even before the Copenhagen Summit, as the world cannot afford not to reach an accord on the issue in Copenhagen.Chairman of the House Committee on Climate Change, Honourable Eziuche Ubani, said the future of every country depend on what they do to address climate change, as the issue was remotely connected to energy use across the world. Madagascar: The Madagascar Scandal:11 February 2009 :editorial:DAILY TRUST

Even before the current political crisis that rocked Madagascar and led to the killing of 28 opposition supporters at the weekend, a socio-economic one which has the potential to blossom into a huge political catastrophe was in the offing.News reports say that a South Korean company, Daewoo Logistics, has acquired a 99-year lease over a vast amount of land totaling 1.3 million hectares in the island country. The total amount of land suitable for farming in Madagascar is 2.3 million hectares.This means that Daewoo has got more than half of the country's arable land. The company also got the land without any payment to the country's treasury. Daewoo Logistics has announced that it will use 300,000 hectares for planting palm trees and one million hectares for growing maize meant mainly for export to South Korea and other markets outside Madagascar.

"We can either export the harvests to other countries or ship them back to Korea", Daewoo Logistics is quoted to have stated. The company has said that it is responding to the current food insecurity that is threatening the internal stability of many countries, including Egypt, Senegal, Kenya and Liberia, in Africa alone.The Madagascar story reads like fiction. That rich countries have got access to vast tracts of land in Africa, often at a pittance, has traditionally been a monopoly of Europeans and Americans.Their record was often also drenched with the blood of slaughtered African owners of such land. Over three decades after Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, the British government and commercial interests are still directing muscular blows at that country's rulers for insisting on seeking to get back lands expropriated by European settlers.It, however, comes as a matter of shock that an African government, located in a part of Africa where horrendous suffering had been inflicted on the people by those who have robbed them of their lands, would in 2008 give away vast tracts of land to a South Korean company for a lease as long as 99 years; and without a cent or franc being paid in exchange.There is no mention of the Malagasy local peasant producers who, as Africans, hold the land as communal property. The comment by Daewoo that the company will provide jobs to Madagascans seems to be a thinly- veiled plot to turn peasants into modern- day landless serfs, who would be forced to sell their labour with tools of coercion.

This should be familiar from the record of apartheid South Africa. Koreans have in their own history, terrible experiences of slave labour under Japanese colonial rule and may well be salivating to also exercise it over hapless Malagasies.The Democratic Republic of Congo and its peoples have suffered enormous abuses in the hands of foreign interests that hunger for and grab its vast resources. Between 1998 and 2003 alone, as many as 5 million rural Congolese died as foreign interests cynically created conditions of instability and violence, conducive to their easy access to rare minerals, without any checks, in the absence of a functioning local and national government structure.So far the African Union has been more concerned with military conflicts than with economic and social dislocations. In Zimbabwe it is President Robert Mugabe's insistence on economic violence rooted in lack of land that has forced the African Union to recognize its importance. The giving away of vast tracts of land by the government of Madagascar calls for urgent and rapid response by the African Union as a corrective measure against impending and certain economic and social violence against helpless peasants.The African Union has adopted the principle that it has a right to intervene in the internal affairs of a member state, if the rulers are grossly violating the human rights and well being of the people. There is no way that vast tracts of land can be given away to a foreign company without gross violations of the rights of peasant farmers and their inheritors.Failure to act in Madagascar will, furthermore, merely postpone the explosion of future violence as dispossessed peasants will surely rise to fight for rights to their land and means of livelihood.

Africa: Obama Offers New Approach to Counterterrorism:David McKeeby:23 January 2009:analysis: America.gov (Washington, DC)

President Obama plans to continue building robust global partnerships to confront terrorism, but he has already signaled in his first days in office a new American approach to facing extremist violence."Our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example," Obama said in his inaugural address. "Those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

In his speech, witnessed by more than 1 million people on Washington's National Mall and countless millions more worldwide, Obama confronted head-on one of the most controversial misperceptions among Muslims around the world about America's struggle against terrorism since September 11, 2001: the false view promoted by many extremist groups that the U.S. struggle against terrorism is a so-called "war on Islam."

America is "a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth," Obama said. "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.""The message that we are sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism," Obama said. "We are going to do so vigilantly, we are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals."Revitalized American diplomacy and development assistance will be essential ingredients in Obama's approach to counterterrorism, as seen by his joining Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 22 to name former Senator George Mitchell as his special envoy to the Middle East peace process and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as his special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, a region which Obama called "the central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism.""Earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions," Obama said. "We pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow, to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds."

Upon taking office, Obama also moved quickly to address a key campaign promise by issuing executive orders closing the detention center at the GuantÃƒÂ¡namo Bay U.S. naval base in Cuba within one year and placing new restrictions on the interrogation of terrorism suspects. "We intend to win this fight. We're going to win it on our terms," he said.While the detention center holds several top-level al-Qaida operatives, including admitted September 11 attack planner Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the prison complex has drawn widespread international criticism for what critics have argued is imprisonment outside conventional legal frameworks."Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man," Obama said. "Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake."Obama has frozen deliberations about detainees under the current military tribunal system, and each of the remaining 245 detainees will receive an immediate review. A new commission of top government, military and intelligence officials will weigh how best to unravel the complex legal issues surrounding the detentions.In a separate order, Obama called for an end to harsh interrogation methods for terrorism suspects, requiring that all counterterrorism and intelligence officials abide by the U.S. Army Field Manual on human interrogation methods. The Army manual was produced in 2006 in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. It explicitly prohibits torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment."I can say without exception or equivocation that the United States will not torture," Obama said. He later added that "America's moral example must be the bedrock and the beacon of our global leadership."

Nigeria: Gitmo - in From the Cold?:Sam Amadi:26 January 2009:opinion:THIS DAY

Lagos — 'Our power alone does not protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please' was President Barack Obama's candid admission in his inaugural address last Tuesday. Within his first three days in office, he matched his words with action and issued Executive Orders putting on hold for the next 120 days all trials of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and ensuring the closure of the infamous prison within the next 12 months. The United States, it seems, is ready to stop being an international outlaw. SAM AMADI analyses what this portends for the Obama presidency

True to promise, President Barack Obama has ordered the Guantanamo Bay closed. Yes, the infamous 'gulag' is still open. But in a year's time it will be history. By issuing three Executive Orders on Guantanamo Bay, President Obama has begun to walk the talk. He is also showing clear signs that his administration will restore the US to global leadership in promoting and protecting international law.It was obvious even before his inauguration that President Obama would shut down Gitmo. That detention center and all the violations that occur there has become the signature tune of President Bush thumbing down on international law and the opinion of the rest of the western world. It also defines Bush's reign of fury and insecurity. The Bush administration elevated fear and insecurity into a doctrine of state. President Obama is speedily unraveling Bush's domestic and foreign policies. The various executive orders stalling further trials of Gitmo prisoners, requesting agency review of arrest, detention and investigation practices, and practices, and effectuating sunshine laws, are targeted at reversing President Bush.What is Guantanamo Bay and how does it matter for international law and diplomacy? Guantanamo Bay has grown from a relatively unknown interdiction center in the shore of Cuba. It was formally used to detain Cubans trying to migrate into the United States. In 2001, after the terror attack on the World Trace Center and the beginning of the Afghanistan war, Bush upgraded the bay and shipped the 775 suspected terrorists off the Guantanamo Bay. 420 were later released without trial. Many of the detainees live in conditions of deprivations and abuse that constitute a violation of fundamental rights. Some of the Gitmo prisoners are being tried under military commissions.

Guantanamo Bay has pitted the United States against the rest of the world. Many editorialists, including those of US flagship newspapers like New York Times and the Washington Post, describe the operation of Guantanamo Bay as a scandal to human liberty and democratic tenets that define the US. Lord Steyn, an English judge, called it 'a monstrous failure of justice'. Lord Steyn summarised what the civilised world believes is wrong with trial of Guantanamo Bay detainees. In the judge's reasoning, the trial of the prisoners in military commission established under the Military Commissions Act of 2006 is wrong in international law because 'the military will act as interrogators, prosecutors, the defence counsel, judges, and if death sentences are imposed, as executioners. The trial will be held in private and none of the guarantees of safe trial will be observed'.The bone of contention on Guantanamo Bay is the insistence of Bush administration that prisoners in the detention center are not combatant soldiers so they are not deserving of the protection of article 4 of the Geneva Convention. The administration categorises the prisoners are illegal combatants; terrorists who can be prosecuted in military commissions and without the rights to a fair trial. One of the detainees, Salim Ahmed Hamdan from Yemen, has challenged the legality of trial of Guantanamo inmates. In his case, Justice James Robertson of the US District Court of DC held that the Military Commission is not a competent tribunal to make the finding whether the detainees were prisoners of war under Article 5 of the Geneva Convention. The Court of Appeal overruled the District Court and held that the Military Commission is competent to determine whether the detainees are prisoners of war. On further appeal, the US Supreme Court held that Bush had no powers under the US Constitution and the Geneva Convention to set up the Military Commission. The court side-stepped the issue whether Gitmo detainees are prisoners of war.The decision of the Supreme Court has been subject to various interpretations. Some critics have relied on the decision to carpet the commission and the detention at Gitmo as illegal and violation of international law. Former Secretary of States, Colin Powell, believes that the Guantanamo Bay scandal has essentially shaken 'the belief the world had in American justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open and creating things like military commission. We don't need it and it is causing us far more damage than any good we get from it.' Amnesty International writes in its 2005 report that 'Washington has ignored human rights standards in its treatment of terrorism suspects. It has refused to apply the Geneva Convention to prisoners of war from Afghanistan and has misused the designation of 'illegal combatants' to apply to criminal suspects on US soil'.The US has suffered much loss of face on account of stories of violation of human rights, especially torture of Gitmo inmates. Today with the scandal of the torture and humiliation of Iraqi citizens in Abu Ghraib prison and sexing up of security reports to justify the Iraqi war, the US has acquired the image of an outlaw. President Bush gave indication early in his administration that he would take on the world when he refused to sign the US onto the climate convention. Till date, the US has refused to sign the International Criminal Court protocols.The challenge before President Obama is to re-launch the US as the leader of the so-called free world, instead of its outlaw. He has started on a good note by issuing the executive order to stop further Guantanamo trials and calling for review of standards of arrest, interrogation and detention in Guantanamo. But, what is the legal status of these executive orders? How far do they affect executive agencies in their conducts?The issuing of Executive Orders by US Presidents began in 1789. Abraham Lincoln issued the first Executive Order to authorise military tribunals in Louisiana after the civil war on slavery. In the 1950s, Harry Truman issued Executive Order 10340 nationalising the steel industry in the US. The Supreme Court nullified the order in YOUNGSTOWN SHEET AND TUBE CO. v SAWYER 343 US 579 (1952) on the ground that the order was a legislative act which the President is not authorised by the constitution to make. This ruling sets out the legal effect of an Executive Order. Executive Orders are justified on the basis of Article 2 Section 1 which defines the executive power as residing in the President. Section 3 of the same article further empowers the President to act in a manner that fully executes the law.Agencies which an Executive Order applies are expected to obey such order. The order normally directs the agency on how to interpret its power and effectively apply the law. Executive Order can be made on security matters in which case they are usually not publicised. Otherwise, they are published in Federal Register and can become matters of advocacy. Executive Orders are not enforceable in court and do not become subsidiary legislations except they are expressly made pursuant to a statutory power.

By issuing Executive Orders suspending trials in Guantanamo Bay, reviewing detention and interrogation procedures and indicating that the detention center will be closed in a year's time, President Obama has brought the full weight of executive power to make the US once more a leader rather than an outlaw of international law. He has provided incontrovertible evidence that he intends to reverse President Bush's disregard for the decent opinion of the people of the world. Once again, the US can lead.Welcome to the Obama era.

Dr. Amadi, a lawyer and consultant, writes from Abuja

Southern Africa

Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai-Should One Stay in Or Out?:Sunny Ntayombya:13 February 2009:column:THE NEW TIMES(RWANDA)

Kigali — Wednesday was a quite a day in Harare. MDC supremo, Morgan Tsvangirai, was, hilariously, sworn in as Zimbabwe's prime minister.Why did I think it amusing- because, unlike in any other swearing-in ceremony, he didn't take the oath of office in the presence of the Chief Justice, as is done in most nations, but rather his own personal nemesis, Uncle Bob [Robert Mugabe).While I was laughing at the spectacle [Tsvangirai was forced to read the oath, ad verbatim, by a visibly un-amused Mugabe because he had read a part of it wrongly, as had Obama], a colleague of mine brought up a subject that I found extremely interesting.My colleague, while enjoying the sight of the newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Zimbabwe addressing thousands of cheering supporters, believed he, and the Movement for Democratic Change, had made a strategic error.She believed that being a part of the Zanu-Pf state machinery, and being the junior party on top of that, would blunt the MDC goal of bringing real change to Zimbabwe."The Labour Minister is MDC imagine if the trade unions strike because of poor working conditions the unions will strike against their own (MDC)". I could understand where she was coming from.

Here, was, and is, the Zimbabwe situation as I understand it. The head of state is a pariah; the national currency is literally not worth the paper it's printed on; the agricultural sector is limping; the public sector is crumbling and to top it all off, the country is spreading cholera in the entire region.In fact, the only good news that I've heard regarding Zimbabwe is the fact that its cricket team recently defeated Kenya in a series of ODI's (One Day Internationals). So, what sucker for punishment would make the decision to take a part in this farce? The MDC has.

At first glance, it seems a curious choice. I mean, why would one even consider trying to govern such a broken country-more especially when you have to govern in tandem with the same people who ran the country into the ground?It doesn't look like a smart move. It's far easier to stay on the outside looking in because, as everyone know, it's far easier to sit on the sidelines and criticise the participants than to be an active player in the game.I guess my thoughts on the subject are a tab bit too obvious but if you haven't caught on, let me. I think that the MDC leadership has shown political maturity in this instance.While it's easier to throw the toys out of the pram and refuse to play ball until you get your way (as some within the MDC organisation must have wished), I think that the time of un-bending principles had long gone.

The cold, hard facts were thus; Robert Mugabe wasn't going to ride peacefully off into the sunset, the country was going to the dogs and the international community was doing a lot of nothing.If the UNITED people of Zimbabwe weren't going to climb out of the hole they'd got themselves into, no one else was going to. It wasn't time for partisan differences but rather a time for an 'all hands on deck' approach to the crisis.

'Cutting of your nose to spite your face' is never a smart move. While it might have been politically easier to watch the Zanu-Pf government floundered about and made itself more and more unpopular, I find it rather admirable that MDC bent over backwards and made this coalition.In our own backyard, I remember the Arusha Peace Accords. While the MRND and RPF weren't the best of friends, they went out of their comfort zones to attempt to make a viable government that would represent all Rwandans.While things might have not gone to plan, the deal was the blueprint for the post-1994 government. Kenya's grand coalition is doing surprisingly well despite a few hiccups here and there.As Otto Von Bismarck once said, "politics is the art of the possible".MDC and Zanu-Pf have to make this coalition possible-too much rides on a good outcome; failure is not an option.

SOUTH AFRICA: United African Govt Can Not Be Reached Overnight:Vivian Warby:10 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) Cape Town — The establishment of single African Union (AU) government can not be achieved in one giant leap, but will take time.

Director General in the Department of Foreign Affairs Ayanda Ntsaluba on Tuesday gave media a report back following the 12th AU Heads of State and Government Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia recently."The establishment of a United States of Africa can not be achieved in one giant leap," said Mr Ntsaluba.While African leaders at the summit agreed that more regional integration was needed to boost Africa's international standing, they could not agree on the establishment of a single AU government as many were reluctant to relinquish any of their sovereignty to a new government.Many favoured strengthening regional institutions before creating a continent-wide system.The transformation of the African Union (AU) Commission into the AU Authority, made at the summit, was a step toward eventually forming a continent-wide government.Dr Ntsaluba said there had been robust debate on the establishment of unity government for Africa, but that the debate had not ended. He agreed that it was important to move in the direction of establishing regional economic communities and that greater integration of regional economic communities was first necessary.

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, who was elected as the Chairperson of the AU at the summit, said he would "continue to insist that our sovereign countries work to achieve the United States of Africa". This was despite some African leaders being weary of the concept.Concerns raised in this regard during the talks at the summit included its feasibility, the areas of competence, the role of the regional economic communities and the impact of the union government on the respective sovereignty of the 53 member states."If a continental government is formed, there would have to be a common understanding of democratic principles and governance and it would be important to clarify what values would govern the continent, amongst many other things," said the Director General. The review of the proposed union government initiative has been postponed several times, as African leaders agreed each time on an additional period of reflection in order to better hone the project and "reduce the uncertainty angles".On Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said a single AU government would give Africa greater influence on the international stage. "A united Africa speaking with a single voice would also be more influential in global affairs. Furthermore the benefits of political and economic integration are evident when we look at the experience of other regions of the world [such as the European Union]," the minister said.

Time to Build Zim the Zim Way:Reason Wafawarova:13 February 2009:opinion:THE HERALD(GOVT NEWSPAPER)

Harare — TO the African community at large and to Zimbabweans in particular, the swearing in of Prime Minister Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and the realisation of an inclusive Government is seen as a phenomenal achievement reflecting positively on the ability of African institutions to resolve problems and challenges facing the continent.In the West, we have had the United States and the United Kingdom openly declaring skepticism with the whole negotiated settlement between Zimbabwe's three major political parties.In fact, the West has generally reacted to the idea of the inclusive Government in a manner reminiscent to the way the 2006 Hamas election victory in Palestine was treated as ominous by Washington and the rest of the West.The West welcomed a similar power- sharing settlement in Kenya in early 2008, but they have just fallen short of condemning the Zimbabwean settlement, preferring instead to carry out a simultaneous counter effort of expanding the illegal sanctions just as the swearing-in ceremony was approaching.Unanimous calls for the lifting of these sanctions by the AU, Sadc and individual African countries have been met by a lukewarm response to the effect that the West would only consider lifting the sanctions if "Morgan Tsvangirai is given genuine power" or "if the (new) Government shows a commitment to genuine reforms".It is fair to describe the Zimbabwean situation as a pathetic crisis, citing hyperinflation, cholera, school closures and emigration.But it is equally crucial to consider the role of the ruinous sanctions in the developments that led to this crisis.In the same vein, it is only fair for people in the West to be told in a fair reporting manner that the Zimbabwe March 2008 election was inconclusive, unlike the Kenyan one where a winner was announced, and the loser went on a rampage until he was silenced by the anaesthesia of the power sharing negotiating table.

Former White House official Jendayi Frazer visited Kenya and helped facilitate an Odinga appeasement ritual that created a Prime Minister's office in a matter of days and when this arrangement was implemented there was no skepticism ever registered in the West.Neither was Kenya given political benchmarks to fulfil before the West could engage Kenya on a fair basis.As Frazer later reiterated on an end of term tour to South Africa in January this year, the difference between the Kenyan inclusive government and that of Zimbabwe was that "Mugabe is not Kibaki and Tsvangirai is not Odinga".She could as well have added that South Africa is not the United States and Thabo Mbeki is not Koffi Annan, or that Sadc and AU are not the EU or the Pentagon.Of course, (Cde) Mugabe is not Kibaki because the Kenyan colonial settler farmers are still sitting on the prime Kikuyu lands they occupied more than a century ago, while the generality of the Kenyan masses are still packed in unproductive pockets of land to which they were forcible relocated when colonialism took root in Africa.And Morgan Tsvangirai is not Odinga because he is not joining an inclusive government of a Kibaki and that makes the whole African project skeptical at best and unacceptable at the worst.

The standard in the West is a collective grand strategy of the imperial interest, itself driven by the crude resolve for global hegemony.This interest is what is permanent and all other truisms that are vociferously preached as a pretext for Western meddling can be dropped from time to time if they do not serve in promoting the Western interest.When Yasser Arafat was in power in Palestine, Washington's consistent position was that elections were to be on hold, much against their publicly avowed position of exporting democracy to the uncivilised parts of this planet.In Palestine, the general belief was that Arafat would be guaranteed of victory anyway. However, the Bush administration resisted national elections for Palestine because they thought the election would "make Yasser Arafat look better and would give him a fresher mandate, and might help give credibility and authority to Hamas", according to Steven Erlanger's New York Times article.In this scenario, both Arafat's Fatah and the militant Hamas were bad options for Washington and by the logic of Washington's elites, an election was irrelevant under these circumstances.Erlanger had earlier on written, "The post-Arafat era will be the latest test of a quintessential American article of faith: that elections provide legitimacy even to the frailest institutions."This "quintessential article of faith" will always deem elections to be fine, as long as they come out the right way for Washington.This is the problem that the inclusive Government of Zimbabwe is going to face. On the one hand, it "makes President Robert Mugabe look better and (gives) him a fresher mandate", and on the other hand, it "might help give credibility and authority to the African Union and Sadc".This negotiated inclusive Government would be fine according to America's "quintessential article of faith" if only it factored in American and Western influence as was the case with Kenya's deal.Another relatively recent counterpart to the Zimbabwean problem is the 2006 Iraq election. The Iraq mass non-violent resistance compelled Washington and London to permit an election they had sought to block by a series of clandestine schemes.The subsequent effort to subvert the unwanted elections by providing substantial advantages to the Bush administration's favourite candidate and expelling independent media did not work either, as the lesser of the two quislings won the election.In January 2006, the US resorted to the same modes of subversion in Palestine when the US Agency for International Development became an invisible conduit in an effort to increase the popularity of the Palestinian Authority on the eve of crucial elections in which the then governing party faced a serious challenge from Hamas.USAID spent 1,9 million of its yearly $400 million on this project but Hamas still won the election nevertheless.The US consulate in East Jerusalem defended the move by saying the money was "to enhance democratic institutions and support democratic actors, not just Fatah"."In the US, or in any Western country, even the slightest hint of such foreign interference would destroy a candidate, but deeply rooted imperial mentality legitimates such routine measures of subversion of elections elsewhere."These words were from Noam Chomsky, in response to the meddling of USAID in Palestine.The United States and Israel were arrogantly consistent in their rejectionist stand that there could be no "additional Palestinian state" outside Jordan, until a few years ago when they agreed to a "statelet" made up of fragments that may remain after Israeli takeover of whatever it wants in Palestine.Hamas are expected to agree to this and to gracefully call the fragments "a state" and the international consensus on the pre-1967 borders is to be totally forgotten.This grand imperial arrogance is what faces Zimbabwe today.

If the Iraqis and the Palestinians were not guided by Washington's benchmarks and wishes, there is nothing that can stop Zimbabweans from making the inclusive government work despite the skepticism and ill wishes from the West.What is needed here is not a windfall of Western aid but a national resolve to declare the wants and wishes of Zimbabwean people.With that national resolve, any attempt at subverting this historic achievement by the Zimbabwean people would always resoundingly fail.The opprobrious media attacks against the person of President Mugabe in some sections of the Western media are one way that has been used to subvert this national achievement of an inclusive government that actually represents almost every voter that took part in the March 2008 elections.It is incumbent upon Zimbabweans to realise that any further continuance of polarity is counterproductive and without the facilitation of our own people, outside forces would never ever have leeway to portray our own institutions and offices as primitive.The promises made by Prime Minister Tsvangirai might be ambitious but ambition is what Zimbabwe needs at the moment.If half his dreams were to come true "by the end of the month" then it is the role of Zimbabweans to urge him on instead of asking harshly where the other half is.It is not going to be about Mr Tsvangirai's ambitions or utterances but about a collective sense of belonging to the national project that has brought our political leaders in the context of one inclusive government that has neither a ruling party nor an opposition.Zimbabweans we are one and together we will overcome. Homeland or death!Reason Wafawarova is a political writer

East Africa/Horn of Africa

UGANDA:Continent Needs a Firebrand Like Muammar Gadaffi:Jerry Okungu:12 February 2009:column:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — THIS article is not meant to legitimise Col Muammar Gadaffi's African Union (AU) chairmanship.That was already taken care of by consensus at the last AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia early this month.Moreover, as an African head of state whose regime is recognised in Africa as well as at the United Nations, Gadaffi has every right to occupy the rotational AU chair from time to time just like any other African head of state; his style of leadership notwithstanding. After all, worse dictators such as Idi Amin of Uganda and Mobutu Sese Seko of the DR Congo once became Chairs of the OAU-the precursor to the present AU.

Gadaffi's chairmanship of the AU has elicited mixed reactions from Africans and non- Africans across the globe. Whereas some have praised it as long overdue; others have condemned it as a step backwards in Africa's democratisation process. Their argument is pretty plausible, considering that since Gadaffi overthrew Libya's feudal system 40 years ago, he has ruled that country with an iron fist.He abolished feudalism as well as ensured there was no room for multi-party democracy. Looked at another way, Gadaffi is a clear example of a leader for life; the more reason he has never seen anything wrong with African leaders who would love to stay in power forever. Those who support his new role in the continent see in him a forceful and decisive leader that can shake up the AU into asserting the African agenda on the global arena. His aggressive manner will definitely make other world leaders sit up and listen to the African agenda more attentively even if they don't do anything about them.But even more plausible is the fact that Gadaffi has brought his economic independence to the AU Chair. He will probably be among the very few heads of state in Africa that do not depend on aid from foreign governments. He has used oil revenue to gain economic independence for his country. We cannot say the same for equally oil-rich countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo and Cameroun.

It is this lack of dependence on powerful nations belonging to the G8 Club that will force them to listen to Muammar Gadaffi. It cannot be denied that Gadaffi is a strong and charismatic character that will not hesitate to show off his wealth and influence if need be.It is for this reason that he has been able to enlist the support of 22 African heads of state and a handful of traditional kings to help him push his agenda. It can also not be wished away that Gadaffi dreams of being the first Pan-African head of state. In this dream, he is not alone and neither is he the first African leader to harbour such grandiose ambitions. Kwame Nkrumah and Abdel Nasser beat him to it nearly half a century ago. Why does Gadaffi think the unification of the continent is a good idea?Without delving into his personal agenda, the African Peer Review Mechanism and the New Partnership for African Development are very clear in their stated objectives in what they have defined as the ailing African continent.Through these two initiatives, African heads of state have long recognised that the continent is underdeveloped due to poor infrastructure connectivity. Travel in the continent is a nightmare even for Africans in the continent. Africa needs well maintained roads, rail lines, air transport and telecommunications systems that work.Africa needs to remove movement and communication barriers to catalyse trade and cultural integration.There is need for a common language, a common currency and a common passport to ease travel and business in the continent if Africa has to catch up with the developed world. It needs its own expanded domestic market so that it can industrialise.On the APRM front, heads of state have recognised the need to overhaul our democratic and governance institutions in order to be in keeping with accepted international practices. Issues like the rule of law, democratic elections, respect for human rights and rights to basic human needs must be promoted vigorously in the continent. These are noble ideals that Africa cannot attain in its present fractured state. If Africa does not go the Gadaffi way; 50 years down the line, our children and grand- children will still be talking the same politics.Maybe Africa right now needs a mad man to push its agenda forward. That mad man is Muammar Gadaffi!

UGANDA:Polygamy Not to Blame for South Africa HIV:Kintu Nyago:11 February 2009:analysis: The Weekly Observer (Kampala)

Caroline Mbabazi's views on polygamy in the article 'Jacob Zuma; the charismatic polygamist' in The Sunday Monitor of January 18, 2008, though interesting to read, erred in a few critical aspects.She concluded that the practice of polygamy is the norm, rather than the exception amongst the Zulu people of South Africa. She seems to also suggest that polygamy leads to high HIV prevalence rates. And in her view this explains the extraordinarily high HIV and AIDS incidences in the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa, the main home area of the Zulu people.I resided, worked and studied in South Africa for a considerable period, mainly in the Eastern Cape Province, but interacted widely with a wide cross section of this very diverse and complex country's peoples. The fact of the matter is that the Zulu as a nationality, are some of the most urbanised, westernised, and indeed cosmopolitan Africans. In fact, the practice of polygamy for all its strengths and controversies is an exception, rather than the norm amongst the Zulu people.In South Africa, polygamy is not a preserve of the Zulu. It's widespread in the rural areas, and mainly so amongst the traditional chiefly class who constitute a tiny, but clearly influential section of society. However, even amongst these aristocrats, not all are polygamists. For instance, although Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini is a polygamist, Nelson Mandela, a first cousin to the Thembu king, of the Xhosa nationality, has been a life long monogamist.What explains the cosmopolitan aspects of the Zulu people is their locality. Durban, their main urban metropolis, is South Africa's second biggest city and industrial hub, and indeed the African continent's biggest and busiest port.Kwazulu Natal is also very close to the Gauteng Province where Johannesburg, South Africa's economic hub, with its industries, service sector and mines, is located. For more than a century, males from Kwazulu have migrated to work in the gold mines of Johannesburg.The argument that polygamy breeds HIV and AIDS is to say the least, unscientific. For instance in Uganda, our Muslim community is in the main polygamous. However, the rate of HIV prevalence in this same community is less than half of the national average!

Furthermore, most of the Islamic Middle East practices polygamy. This social system is the norm in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, etc, and yet they have the lowest incidence of HIV AIDS in the world.The following combination of factors could explain the high incidence of HIV and AIDS is Kwazulu Natal. Durban being South Africa's gateway to the world attracts all manner of transport workers, truck drivers and sailors.There is empirical evidence to show that in the main, these workers who spend considerable periods away from their homes widely engage in commercial extramarital affairs. Bearing also in mind its vibrant tourism sector, Durban is home to a booming sex industry.Apartheid also instituted a policy of labour migration. Young males without any other viable opportunities were encouraged to migrate to the mines of Johannesburg to eke a living. These young men regularly spent at least a year from their families. This also led to some of them engaging in homosexual practices in their single sex hostels, and commercial sex with prostitutes that flock the mining communities for a quick buck.The overwhelming majority in the South African mining community, Zulu and non Zulu, are from the peasantry strata of society with monogamous families. It's usually these male workers who transmitted HIV virus to their missed loved ones whenever they returned home, commonly around the Christmas and Easter festive seasons, in rural Kwazulu and elsewhere. This development can't surely be blamed on polygamy per se.

Also, the apartheid state never had the political will to combat the HIV and AIDS scourge as required. And unfortunately, both the Mandela and Mbeki administrations also failed to offer the required focus.Another contributory factor is the cultural practice amongst the Zulu of not circumcising their male children. Most other black South African communities, say the Xhosa, Sotho and Tswana, practice male circumcision. Medical research illustrates that circumcision of the male child substantially lowers chances to contract HIV.The debate on polygamy is likely to remain value laden and controversial. It's however appropriate to argue it out rationally and with empirical evidence. For instance, as I pointed out above, there is no proof that polygamy encourages the spread of HIV and AIDS amongst those faithful couples who practise it. This is not the case in Kwazulu, Uganda or the Middle East.

Furthermore, monogamy is neither an inherently superior practice nor Christian for that matter. For neither Jesus Christ nor his disciples who authored the New Testament, Mark, John, Luke and Paul ever, critiqued this social practice. On the contrary, it was widely practised by most of the revered patriarchs in the Old Testament; for instance Abraham, Jacob, David and his son Solomon, etc.

UGANDA: Continent Will Miss America's George Bush:Kintu Nyago:9 February 2009:opinion:THE NEW VISION Kampala — MY attention is drawn to George Bush's legacy in the White House.It is a contentious and controversial legacy. Most commentators can only be for or against Bush's legacy.

Locally many Luganda FM's fondly referred to him as salongo George Walker Bush (father of twins) whose legacy, I now present from an African perspective.Many would be shocked by my assertion that Bush was Africa's friend. Although he was most likely undermined by his brusque cow-boyish Texan style, evidence illustrates that Bush moved beyond rhetoric and mere public sympathy, regarding our dismal African situation.For he "walked the talk" of his stated generous policy objectives, that focused on addressing our continent's development challenges.

Bush's main contribution to Africa was through his initiative, US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). A five-year intervention that channeled $15b to fund HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programmes. Malaria kills more than two million Africans per year.This funding is directed to 15 countries, 12 of whom are African including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The non-African countries being Vietnam, Haiti and Guyana. These countries contain 50% of all HIV/AIDs cases in the world.Before Bush's PEPFAR intervention, only about 50,000 Africans accessed anti retroviral medication for HIV/AIDS.These were mainly the rich and mighty, as the cost of ARVs was way beyond the means of most Africans.

Then, it was only Botswana that offered free ARVs to its HIV patients. Otherwise, for many in Africa the contraction of HIV is equated to a death sentence! Bush's PEPFAR turned HIV/AIDS from being a death sentence into nearly any other disease. Revolutionary is what this intervention is, as it supplies the HIV/AIDS patients in Africa, Haiti and Vietnam with free ARV medication, enabling many ordinary people to live productive lives. Also arising out of the PEPFAR intervention is the fact that it encouraged wealthy American charities as the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation, to offer substantial funding, in billions of dollars, to the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria in Africa.Economically, the Bush administration more than doubled US aid to Africa and also introduced the less bureaucratic Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). This MCA competitively targets selected African countries, based on a 16-point indicator, an average of half a billion dollars for developmental purposes. Beneficiaries include Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania.Bush also renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, trade that offers African countries preferential access to the US market.From a security perspective, the Bush administration guaranteed Sudan's comprehensive Peace Agreement, between the supremacist Arab regime in Khartoum and the SPLM/A. Bush also steadfastly applied a "carrot-and-stick" policy in the attempt to resolve the tragic Darfur crisis.Less successful, but nontheless crucial, was the Bush initiated Immigration Bill.

Bearing in mind the significance of migrant (kyeyo) remittances to Africa, this Bill intended to give legal status to more than 12 million illegal migrants in America, many of whom are Africans.Bush was also friendly and respectful to President Museveni and Uganda. The writer is a political analyst

AFRICA IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Pan-Africanism and Palestine Solidarity - A History of Anti-Imperialist Struggle:Abayomi Azikiwe:12 February 2009:opinion:PAMBAZUKA

Following the recent attacks on Gaza, Abayomi Azikiwe examines the sentiment of the African-American population against Israeli aggression and the support of this violence by the US. Azikiwe argues that a direct correlation exists between the Palestinian and Arab struggle for independence, the plight for African liberation during colonialism, the Atlantic slave trade, apartheid, and African-American movements in the US.

By highlighting the connection between imperialism, colonialism, and Zionism, Azikiwe affirms the need for oppressed peoples worldwide to speak out against Israel's aggressive policies and actions, and for the media to disseminate accurate information concerning the impact of the Israeli occupation upon the people of Gaza.

Beginning on 27 December, Israeli warplanes pounded areas within the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. In the corporate and government-controlled media outlets, the case for supporting Israeli aggression and US administration was immediately made.\ccording to the political and military pundits who are recruited, financed and trained by the Pentagon, intelligence agencies and private military and security contractors, the root cause of the brute force exemplified by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is the firing of rockets by some elements within Gaza against Israeli-controlled border towns.

The fact that Palestine has been under an imperialist-backed occupation since 1948 receives no recognition by the big business news programmes and journals. In attempting to pass off their allegedly balanced approach in covering the region, they almost always equate bombings and ground assaults on Gaza with the relatively negligible impact of rockets being fired on Israeli towns from Gaza.In figures released by the Israeli government itself, the number of casualties was less than 20 people in the three weeks of air strikes and ground assaults by the IDF on Gaza. However, within Palestine, over 1,400 people have been officially reported killed and approximately 5,000 wounded and injured. The IDF used chemical weapons, such as white phosphorous, which have been documented to cause egregious permanent burns and other injuries to innocent people.

In addition, a considerable number of news and humanitarian reports were issued that cite the impact of the Dense Inert Metal Explosives (DIME). This weapon causes devastating damage to people in strikes, most of whom are innocent civilians. The most disconcerting implication made by Israeli governmental spokespersons was that Hamas used civilian populations as shields and are thus responsible for the hundreds of deaths of Palestinian children, women, and the elderly.Yet it is quite obvious that the long-range bombing of a densely-populated area like Gaza would automatically result in large-scale civilian casualties. The complicity of the Western-based multinational media outlets reminded many of the roles of the same firms in the invasion of Iraq. The notion of 'embedded journalism' was not discussed in the latest IDF attacks on Gaza, but the same method applied.The corporate media network tells its viewers that they are being prevented from reporting in Gaza, meaning reporters are forced to work from the Israeli side of the border. Nonetheless, footage is available from Arab and other independent television networks that reported from Gaza during the whole period of the Israeli siege between 27 December and 16 January. Sometimes this footage is used in the aftermath of telling viewers that the media are being kept out. More often than not, the corporate networks show very little of the actual effects of high-powered Israeli weaponry, weaponry which is largely manufactured and paid for by US taxpayers.The point of this article is to review the relationship between US foreign policy toward Palestine and the overall anti-colonial struggle in which the African continent and African peoples in the West have had an intricate political involvement. At the same time, those concerned with correcting the deliberate misrepresentations and distortions of the Palestinian question have an obligation to make as much information available related to the effect of Israeli occupation on the people of this region.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO IMPERIALISM, COLONIALISM AND ZIONISM

Beginning with the conclusion of the 19th century, the world Zionist movement has been allied with the system of Western imperialism. This phenomenon coincided with the consolidation of colonial rule in Africa and institutionalised segregation in the United States. Consequently, the struggle against Jim Crow, apartheid, and for genuine national liberation of oppressed peoples in Africa and the US, has inevitably clashed with efforts geared toward the building of support for the state of Israel as well as Zionist political aims and objectives.According to Ismael Zayid in his 1980 study entitled 'Zionism: The Myth and the Reality', 'Zionism, as a modern political creed, emanated in Europe, as a recognizable political ideology, at the end of nineteenth century with three main inherent and fundamental qualities. These three qualities have characterized the movement ever since, and have become inseparable from it. They are namely settler colonialism, racism and expansion.'These political and economic objectives worked in conjunction with the rise of colonialism in Africa and the institutionalisation of legalised racism in the US. These developments also occurred as a logical extension of the Atlantic slave trade between the mid-15th century to the end of the 19th century, when slavery was abolished in the United States as a result of the Civil War between 1861 and 1865. In the Caribbean and Latin America, slavery did not end in Cuba until 1878 after a long war for national independence, and in Brazil in 1888, after the collapse of the monarchy in the South American country.

ZIONISM, IMPERIALISM AND THE AFRICAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT

Examples of some of the crudest forms of colonialism in Africa occurred with the advent of Dutch and British settler intervention in southern Africa beginning in 1652 and continuing through the early 19th century. However, during the mid-15th century continuing into the early 16th century, the Portuguese and the Spanish engaged in exploration for mineral resources and eventually slaves. The purpose of these expeditions was to break into the world economic system, in which Europe had played a marginal role prior to the 15th century.Also, the onslaught of Portuguese colonialism in south- west, west and south-east Africa led to one of the most vicious and highly exploitative slave structures in history, lasting nearly five centuries. The colonies of Angola, SÃƒÂ£o Tomé & PrÃƒÂncipe, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and Mozambique suffered immensely under colonial rule, with Africans exploited under a slave system that relied on forced labour and mineral extraction, including oil exploration in Angola and SÃƒÂ£o Tomé & PrÃƒÂncipe in the 20th century.The most well-known connection between the world Zionist movement and European colonialism and apartheid took place in the former colonies of Rhodesia and South Africa. According to Zayid in the same referenced study, 'from its inception, the Zionist movement saw a natural systematic alliance with European imperialism. The rapid advances of aggressive and chauvinist nationalism in Europe stressed that the superior racial qualities were the basis for the exploitation and "civilisational mission", under the notion of the "white man's burden".'

Throughout the negotiations involving the Zionist proposals for white penetration into Africa and Asia, Theodore Herzl, in the manner of 19th century imperialist thinkers, spoke of imperialism and colonialisation as a 'noble activity destined to bring civilization to the "backward races".' Viewing the Jewish state with occidental white binoculars, he asserted that this state is designed to 'form a part of a wall of defense for Europe in Asia, an outpost of civilization against barbarism.'African territories were strongly considered as a 'homeland' for the Zionist state. This contradicts the proclaimed scriptural basis for the colonisation of Palestine. Zayid states that 'in their search for a location for the Zionist enclave, to be created, a variety of options were explored including Uganda (east Africa), Tripolitania in Libya (north Africa), Cyprus (Mediterranean), Madagascar (off the southeast African coast), Congo (in central Africa) and Palestine.'Joseph Chamberlain, the British racist theoretician told Herzl that 'I have seen a land for you on my recent travels, and that is Uganda. It is not on the coast but the climate of the interior is excellent for Europeans. Though Herzl strongly favored Uganda as the location for the Jewish state, the committee, appointed by the World Zionist Congress to explore the area, found it unsuitable.'

During the period of the First World War, Lord Balfour issued a declaration on 2 November 1917 utilised as the legal basis for Zionist settlement and the eventual creation of the State of Israel in 1948. The successor to Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, viewed a Jewish settlement in Palestine as a protector of British interests in the region, with specific emphasis placed on safeguarding the Suez Canal. Weizmann's letter to Churchill in 1921 discussed an 'identity of interests' as well as a 'natural alliance' between the British Empire and the Zionist outpost. 'If there were no Palestine it would, I believe, be necessary to create one in Imperial interests. It is a bastion to Egypt.' At the Nineteenth Zionist Congress in 1935, Labour Zionist Ben Guirion declared that 'whoever betrays Great Britain betrays Zionism'. He also stated that the Zionist enclave could maintain 'bases of defense on sea and on land' for British imperial interests.Zayid proposed that 'Herzl's efforts in England included soliciting the backing of major colonialist figures, foremost amongst whom was Cecil Rhodes, the founder of the British colonial outpost in Rhodesia during the late 19th century. In a letter explaining his interest, Herzl wrote that although his project did not involve Africa but a piece of Asia Minor, "had this been your path, you would have done it yourself by now." Why then did Herzl turn to him, the Zionist leader rhetorically asked? "Because it is something colonial was the answer". What Herzl sought was a Rhodes Certificate for colonial viability and desirability.'Weizmann later found an identity of interest with Jan Smuts of South Africa. Smuts addressed a meeting organised by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and the Zionist Federation in Johannesburg on 3 November 1919, stating 'I need not remind you that the white people of South Africa have been brought up almost entirely on Jewish tradition. The Old Testament has been the very matrix of Dutch culture, and it is the basis of your Jewish culture; and therefore we are standing together on a common platform.'By 1948, with the creation of the State of Israel and despite the virulent anti-Semitic ideology of the Afrikaner Nationalist Party, which came to power in the Union of South Africa that same year, the party shifted its position strongly in favour of Israel. It also changed its views in support of Jewish community interests in South Africa.

According to Richard P. Stevens in his study of Weizmann and Smuts, as it related to the apartheid system, 'not only did it perceive the necessity of white solidarity if a minority racial regime were to be maintained. Also Dr. Edwin S. Munger, a long-time observer of the South African scene, saw the post-war Jewish-Afrikaners rapprochement was also due to the feeling of highly influential Afrikaners that "the elimination of Jews from South Africa would shake the country to its foundation since it would lead to the withdrawal by wealthy Jews of sufficient capital to precipitate an economic slump".'During the period of apartheid in southern Africa, the State of Israel was a staunch supporter of the racist state. Consequently, and particularly after the 1967 alleged six-day war, the African National Congress (ANC), the liberation movement in South Africa, the South West African Peoples' Organization (SWAPO), in addition to other liberation movements in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea Bissau, as well as independent Algeria, were firm supporters of the Palestinian national liberation struggle. This fact was used by the former apartheid regime to gain propaganda points in the US under the guise of fighting terrorism and maintaining Western civilisation in Africa and the Middle East.This alliance between the national liberation struggle in Africa and Palestine, in addition to many other endeavours for independence and self-determination in the Arab world, continues today in the aftermath of apartheid and the independence of the former colonial nations of Africa. One of the strongest Palestinian support movements exists today in South Africa.

During the World Conference against Racism (WCAR) in 2001 in Durban, South Africa, the US government, under the Bush administration, attempted to sabotage the international gathering because it allowed Palestinians equal rights of expression and participation. Other issues including reparations for slavery and the right of self- determination for indigenous peoples drew the ire of the United States administration. Therefore, even today, the American administration and Israel stand on the wrong side of history.

ZIONISM AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIBERATION Africans in the United States have always taken an interest in international affairs. Moreover, the struggle of the African-American people is inherently international because most of them were brought to the US as a result of the Atlantic slave trade. Even after the Civil War, Africans from the Caribbean and Latin America immigrated to the US, often through labour contracts between colonial governments working on behalf of corporations with interests throughout the Americas.During the years of the Great Depression, 1929-41, the African-American people fought against the economic exploitation and impoverishment prevalent during this period. Blacks, in their millions, joined mass labour struggles aimed at pressuring the federal government and private companies to provide better wages and to end national discrimination in employment practices.One such organisation that sought to build a broad front of African-American organisations during the Depression was the National Negro Congress (NNC). The coalition brought together hundreds of groups from across the country in order to push for civil rights and labour reform. The NNC had liberals, socialists, and communists within its ranks. One leading activist in the NNC was the Detroit-born Ralphe Bunche, who was educated in political science at UCLA and Harvard, and worked as a faculty member at Howard University during the 1920s and 1930s.Bunche later broke with the NNC for political reasons. He joined the US military after working on international issues as a faculty member at Howard. During the Second World War, Bunche served as an agent within the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that was formed after the conclusion of the war.Having been noticed by top military officers and State Department officials during the Second World War for his work on African and colonial affairs, Bunche was appointed as associate chief of the Division of Dependent Area Affairs in 1944. Bunche was also involved with the initial planning for the creation of the United Nations at the Dumbarton Oaks Conversations in Washington, D.C., in August 1944.In 1945, as a member of the US delegation to the UN, Bunche was closely involved in the drafting of the charter. While attending the first session of the General Assembly in London during 1946, he was asked by Secretary-General Trygve Lie of Norway to join the UN Trusteeship Department.

Later, Bunche was asked to assist in the mediation of the first major international crisis during the formative years of the UN, the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. The failure of the implementation of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the UN partition plan of 1947, which called for the creation of two separate Arab and Jewish states, resulted in Israel declaring itself a state in 1948. The State of Israel was recognised by the UN amid the eruption of war throughout the region. It is important to note that during this period the UN was dominated by the US and European colonial states.Bunche was commissioned by the UN to serve as an assistant to the Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte as the first UN Mediator in Palestine, and the first mediator in UN history. After a ceasefire was achieved in the conflict, Bernadotte and Bunche travelled extensively in the region between Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, seeking to achieve an armistice agreement between the Arab nations and Israel.

However, on 17 September 1948, Bernadotte and a French UN Observer were assassinated by a Zionist group known as the 'Stern Gang'. Bunche then took over as the chief mediator in the conflict and was able to pressure all parties, with the backing of the UN and the US, to sign an armistice in 1949. Bunche was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1950 for this act, becoming the first person of African descent to achieve the recognition.Nonetheless, another major conflict would erupt in 1956 between Egypt, under Gamal Abdel Nassar, and the nations of Britain, Israel, and France. Nassar nationalised the Suez Canal after decades of control by the British and the French. The State of Israel saw this as an opportunity to attack Egypt under the aegis of the British.Consequently, Israel, Britain, and France invaded Egypt and attempted to destroy its military and economic infrastructure. Even though the US did not support the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, the Eisenhower administration viewed the attack on Egypt as an effort by the British and French imperialist states to regain some of their influence, lost as a result of the events of the Second World War. The US demanded a ceasefire within the United Nations and threatened the UK government with a withdrawal of credit which could have bankrupted the British state.The British accepted their subordinate status within the post-WWII international context, and withdrew their forces from Egypt along with Israel and France. The humiliation of Britain and Israel in this conflict of 1956 enhanced Nassar's status within the Arab world and throughout the African continent. Nassar would go on to become a co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement, which formed in 1961 and served as a forum for newly emerging post- colonial nations, as well as Yugoslavia.The Suez crisis, which prompted the Soviet Union to threaten to use force in Egypt, revealed growing Soviet efforts to gain greater involvement and influence in the Middle East. To counter this threat and to encourage stability and independence in the area, the US adopted what came to be known as the Eisenhower Doctrine. In January 1957, President Eisenhower asked Congress first for authorisation to use military force if requested by any Middle East nation to check aggression and, second, to set aside a sum of US$200 million to ostensibly help those Middle Eastern countries that desired aid from the US. Congress granted both requests.

In 1958, in response to revolutionary nationalist upheavals throughout the region, Eisenhower dispatched US marines to Lebanon in order to prevent the overthrow of a pro-Western government. This occurred after Egypt and Syria were accused of supporting revolutionary elements in Lebanon and Iraq, where a national democratic uprising occurred in 1958 against the monarchy had emerged. British troops were sent to Jordan to prevent the Iraqi uprising from spreading.With regard to the African-American movements in the United States, the Nation of Islam, which was growing during the mid- 1950s under the influence of Malcolm X, took a pro-Egyptian stance surrounding the 1956 Suez Canal conflict. This position would continue as a result of the changing consciousness among Africans in the US.According to Lewis Young in his article published in the Journal of Palestine Studies in Autumn 1972, 'The Nation of Islam, led by Elijah Muhammad, has since 1956 consistently taken an anti-Israeli stance through its publication Muhammad Speaks; it was, in fact, the only black organization prior to the 1960s, to manifest some concern for the Middle East conflict. This Muslim concern is quite logical given the common religious basis of the organization with most of the Arab world. It was due primarily, however, to the late Malcolm X, who left the Muslims in 1964, that the foundations for this pro-Arab attitude were laid, through his articulation of an anti-Israeli resentment while still serving as the organization's national spokesman.' During the civil rights movement there was a perception of mainstream Jewish-American support for the aims and objectives of Africans in the US who were demanding the abolition of legalised segregation, and advocating full voting rights. Jewish students and religious leaders made strong statements in support of civil rights and participated in marches and campaigns coordinated by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).However, other currents in the African movement, as represented by Malcolm X during and after his involvement with the Nation of Islam, maintained strong support for the Palestinian struggle as well as other Arab states that were attacked and threatened by the Israeli regime. Following his departure from the Nation of Islam in 1964, Malcolm X visited Egypt where he crossed over into Gaza and met with some of the founding members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).When the civil rights movement journeyed north in 1966, and with the advent of the Black Power movement initiated by SNCC in that same year, relations between the African-American struggle and white liberal sympathisers became strained. With the rapid outbreak of urban rebellions between 1964 and 1968, attention was focused on the role of Jewish businesspersons and landlords in African communities. However, it was after the so-called six-day war of June 1967 that the split between Jewish liberals and African-American radicalism became pronounced.The SNCC, in response to the six-day war between Israel and Egypt as well as other Arab nations in the region, began an internal discussion around taking a position against Israel and American foreign policy in the Middle East. Ethel Minor, a former member of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X's Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) and then of SNCC, wrote a draft discussion document which was leaked to the corporate press criticising the State of Israel and US foreign policy's favouring of the Zionist regime.

During the same period, James Forman, the then international affairs director for SNCC, held discussions with the Guinean ambassador to the UN, who made it clear that they would be in support of the Arab position in the region. These currents were bound to influence SNCC and its constituency with regard to coming out solidly in support of the Palestinians and other Arab states in conflict with Israel in the region.

Unfortunately, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the SCLC, refused to come out in support of the Palestinians at that time. King was under fire for his position against the US war in Vietnam, and probably felt he could not afford to take a stand against Zionism. However, if King had lived beyond 1968, being the honest leader that he was, he would have inevitably taken a stand against settler colonialism in Palestine and the Middle East.Later, the Black Panther Party, the League of Revolutionary Black Workers and the All-African Peoples Revolutionary Party took strong positions in support of the Palestinians and did considerable solidarity work on their behalf. All of these organisations, including the SNCC before, took a considerable amount of criticism and vilification in the corporate press because of their views on the Middle East. Nonetheless, because of the work of these organisations, the consciousness related to the plight of Palestinians in the African community in the US is far higher than it was during the 1960s and 1970s.Today even liberal and moderate groups such as Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition support the creation of a Palestinian state. Unfortunately some of these groups have not been prepared to call for the dismantling of the State of Israel as the only real possibility for the creation of genuine peace in the region. With the aggressive policies of the State of Israel since its inception in 1948, the regime has not proved its willingness to live in peace with neighbouring states in Asia Minor and North Africa. The only reasonable future option for the peoples of this region is the creation of a unitary secular state of Palestine where Jews, Arabs, Muslims and other groups can live equally within a democratic dispensation. The American government has always been opposed to the right of genuine self-determination and independence for Palestinians.

With the aggressive Israeli war on Lebanon during July and August of 2006, the role of US imperialism has been made crystal clear. While the American-made F-15 and F-16 fighter planes and dropped bombs on innocent Lebanese people, the Secretary of State under George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, stated that the administration would not support a ceasefire and that the genocidal actions of Israel represented the 'birth pains of a new Middle-East'. Such venomous rhetoric directed against the peoples of the region has exposed the American regime as the principal threat to peace in the Middle East.Both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions during the Israeli war on Lebanon in support of the carnage. Within the Senate, the vote was 97-0 endorsing the Zionist aggression. In the House of Representatives, a few congresspersons stood up and refused to endorse the slaughter, although the overwhelming majority sanctioned the massive destruction against the Lebanese state and its people.It was only the efforts of the resistance movement Hezbollah and its allies that successfully fought and deterred the Zionist aggressors. The defeat of Israel in the most recent war against Lebanon created a political crisis in the Zionist state. Its own military personnel complained of the logistical confusion, lack of food and water, and the fact that millions of Israelis were forced into bomb shelters for over a month.

With regard to public opinion in the US, more people are willing to speak out against Israel's aggressive military policies. During July and August 2006, mass demonstrations were held both inside and outside of the Arab-American community in support of the peoples of Lebanon and Palestine.In the Israeli siege of Gaza between 27 December 2008 and 16 January 2009, a similar pattern emerged among the American ruling class. The Senate voted completely to endorse the genocidal onslaught on Gaza. The House of Representatives had only five Congresspersons who voted against a resolution supporting the aerial bombardment and ground assault upon the 1.5 million Palestinians inhabiting Gaza. Among the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), there were only two members initially reported as voting against the pro-Israeli position.Yet among the masses of African-Americans and other segments of the US population, the overwhelming sentiment was against Israeli aggression. The utilisation of the war pundits through commercial media further alienated people from the anti-Gaza campaign. This entire episode was apparently designed to conclude the Bush administration and provide the incoming Obama presidency with a further polarised situation in the Middle East.

Obama immediately appointed an envoy to the region, former Senator George Mitchell, who had worked on the Northern Ireland agreement of the 1990s which suspended armed struggle inside this British-controlled nation. Obama made reference to the creation of a Palestinian state, but he did not say when this entity would come into existence and he was not specific to the character and location of this state.Since the 1993 Oslo Agreement, which created the Palestinian Authority, the people of this region have not realised an independent state that has real power and sovereignty. Ultimately it will be up to the Palestinians and Arab peoples of the region to decide the direction of their struggle for national liberation. However, it is instructive to note that when the Palestinian people were given the opportunity for democratic elections they chose Hamas. Since this decision was not in line with the hopes of the US and Israel, they have failed to recognise the legitimacy of the Palestinians' political right to select the form of government that best suits their interests.

In the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza, there were unprecedented demonstrations throughout the US and the world in solidarity with the Palestinian people. In the city of Detroit, the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), in conjunction with the Congress of Arab-American Organizations and the Palestine Office of Michigan, organised a mass demonstration through downtown Detroit on 8 January 2009 amid the Israeli onslaught on Gaza.During the annual Detroit Martin Luther King Day rally and march, the central focus of the event was the relationship among the ongoing siege of Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces, the deepening economic crisis inside the United States, and the need for solidarity around the issues of war and social justice. Despite the trip to Israel by the president of the Detroit City Council, there were thousands of people marching through the downtown area demanding the withdrawal of US taxpayer subsidies to the State of Israel.

The Black Coalition Against Genocide issued a statement in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza. This was done in New York City to coincide with a demonstration of thousands of people in America's largest municipality, whose mayor had expressed support for Israeli aggression.Despite the silence of Barack Obama during his transition period in relation to the growing deplorable humanitarian situation in Gaza, former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who was the Green Party candidate for president in the 2008 national elections, travelled on the 'Dignity' boat to provide aid to Gazans under Israeli bombardment. The 'Dignity' was prevented from carrying out its mission by the Israeli navy. The boat was forced to dock in Lebanon.Nonetheless, these actions carried out by MECAWI, the Black Coalition Against Genocide, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, and the countless solidarity coalitions, committees and networks throughout the country represent a historical tradition of anti-imperialist solidarity with the peoples of the Middle East in support of universal human rights and national liberation.

CONCLUSION

It is important that oppressed and working people in the United States support the liberation struggles of the Palestinians. There can be no peace in the Middle East without the resolution of the Palestinian question aimed at self-determination and statehood. In addition, the existence of the State of Israel and its security is utilised to justify aggressive policies against Syria, Iran, and Lebanon, as well as the continuation of the imperialist occupation of Iraq.One African-American clergyman in Detroit, who is heavily financed by the conservative Christian Zionist lobby in the US, has declared that he will seek to build support for Israel among blacks in America. This lonely effort will only result in a political dead end. The masses of Africans in the US see the direct link between their own oppression domestically and the role of the American state in suppressing the peoples of the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. It is only with the total liberation of the peoples of the world from racism, colonialism, neocolonialism and imperialism that the possibility of real peace in the Middle East and throughout the world will exist.

* The contents of this article were originally delivered in part at the 'African-Americans Speak Out For Palestine' public meeting in Detroit, sponsored by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI) on Saturday 31 January 2009.* Abayomi Azikiwe is the editor of the Pan-African News Wire, an international electronic press service established in 1998 to foster intelligent discussion on the affairs of African people throughout the continent and the world.* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

ZIMBABWE: Making a Bad Deal Work?:10 February 2009:analysis:AFRICAFOCUS

Washington, DC — "The reality is that they have been co-opted as junior partners on its margins." Zimbabwean journalist Tendai Dumbutshena wrote in Pambazuka News, referrring to the January 30 decision by the MDC-Tsvangirai to accept formation of an "inclusive government" with Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF.And, indeed, few analysts other than partisans of the incumbent regime were optimistic that ZANU PF would truly share power or cease the use of violence against political opponents and human rights activists. But some hoped that the new government might signal some small relief from the downward spiral in economic and social conditions.Zimbabwean activist Briggs Bomba, director of campaigns at Africa Action, in Washington, DC, told Inter Press Service that the deal was defective in many ways. "It shortchanges the people of Zimbabwe on the most basic aspirations that have defined democracy: human rights and social justice." But, he added, it may be "an opportunity for temporary relief of suffering that people are going through."Whatever their analysis of the agreement, activists inside Zimbabwe are calling for full implementation of provisions in the agreement such as an end to violence and a return to the rule of law, and for the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), established under the agreement by the three coalition partners, to deal with complaints promptly, Particularly urgent as a test of credibility of the agreement, human rights groups stress, is release of activists detained in December and still held in Maximum Security, including Jestina Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project.This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains the January 30 statement by Morgan Tsvangirai on the MDC decision, and an article from a Zimbabwe correspondent of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting on Zimbabwean church reaction to the agreement.AfricaFocus also recommends Sokwanele's Zimbabwe Inclusive Government Watch, with compiling detailed accounts of breeches of the unity agreement, as signed on September 15, 2008 (http://www.sokwanele.com/zigwatch). As of February 4, ZIG Watch had recorded 809 breaches of the agreement by ZANU PF, 11 breaches by MDC- MT, and 2 breaches of the agreement by MDC-AM.The commentary by Tendai Dumbutshena cited above is available at http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/418.For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Zimbabwe, and a wide range of other background links, visit. http://www.africafocus.org/country/zimbabwe.php:For extensive background analysis on the crisis in Zimbabwe, see the special issues of the Association of Concerned Africa Scholars Bulletin, as well as blog commentary, at:.MDC-T has resolved to form an inclusive government with Zanu PF and MDC-M - TsvangiraiSokwanele Newsletter:Jan 30, 2009:

Sokwanele - Enough is Enough - Zimbabwe Promoting Non-violent Principles to Achieve Democracy:Web: http://www.sokwanele.com:Email: [email protected] by Morgan Tsvangirai on the Resolutions made by the National Council Sokwanele : 30 January 2009

"Therefore, in accordance with the party's constitution, the political agreement we signed on September 15th 2008, and in the best interests of the welfare of all Zimbabweans, the MDC has resolved to form an inclusive government with Zanu PF and MDC-M" - Morgan Tsvangirai, 30 January 2009Today, the MDC's National Council met as we once again find ourselves at an historic crossroads in our decade-long struggle for democracy. Throughout this struggle, the MDC has been guided by the principles of democracy and by the will of the people. This campaign is neither easy nor straightforward and often we have had to change the fronts on which we wage the struggle in response to changing circumstances and conditions.The MDC was established to bring about change through the ballot box. This we achieved despite overwhelming odds, culminating in our historic victories in the March 29th Parliamentary, Presidential and local government elections.Then, the brutal campaign of violence unleashed against our supporters by Zanu PF, forced us to withdraw from the June 27th event. Thus it became obvious that we could no longer wage our struggle via the polling booth.We looked to the region to support our position and the will of the people by acknowledging the results of March 29th as the basis on which a new government should be formed. Subsequently, we succeeded in forcing Zanu PF to the negotiating table which became the new frontline in our quest for a democratic Zimbabwe. It was for this reason that we signed the Global Political Agreement on September 15th, 2008.

I know that you are very familiar with the events from that date.We in the MDC have abided by the letter and spirit of both the Memorandum of Understanding and the GPA. Sadly, Zanu PF was not the type of constructive and positive partner that we envisaged when we signed the GPA and therefore, the consummation of the agreement has been subject to unnecessary delays.

Nonetheless, we have consistently tabled our outstanding issues to SADC and we have remained committed to finding a negotiated settlement to the political crisis in Zimbabwe. This process culminated in the SADC summit on Monday 26th January, where the Southern African leaders made the following resolutions:

The parties shall endeavour to cause Parliament to pass the Constitutional Amendment 19 by 5 February 2009.The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers shall be sworn in by 11 February 2009:The Ministers and Deputy Ministers shall be sworn in on 13 February 2009, which will conclude the process of the formation of the inclusive government.The Joint-Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), provided for in the Global Political Agreement, shall be activated immediately. The first meeting of JOMIC shall be convened by the facilitator on 30 January 2009 and shall, among other things, elect the chairpersons;The allocation of ministerial portfolios endorsed by the SADC Extraordinary Summit held on 9 November 2008 shall be reviewed six (6) months after the inauguration of the inclusive government.The appointments of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General will be dealt with by the inclusive government after its formationThe negotiators of the parties shall meet immediately to consider the National Security Bill submitted by the MDC-T as well as the formula for the distribution of governors: While we felt that these resolutions do not represent an acknowledgement of all our issues, they do represent significant concessions on the part of Zanu PF and a recognition by SADC that our demands are justified as a first step towards a sustainable solution to the Zimbabwe crisis.Our National Council's meeting today was therefore convened to evaluate the party's position in relation to the inclusive government. The concessions made by Zanu PF incorporate four out of the five outstanding issues. These four issues are the allocation of Provincial Governors, the National Security Legislation, Constitutional Amendment 19 and the breaches to the Global Political Agreement.Thus, the parties have agreed on the sharing of Provincial Governors portfolios and have already met to begin negotiations on the allocation formula. Similarly, with regard to the National Security Legislation, the negotiators have met to discuss the draft bill submitted by the MDC.It is clear therefore that these two issues are subject to negotiation and therefore constitute work in progress. It is hoped that the work in progress will be concluded to the satisfaction of all the parties as soon as possible.The third issue relates to Constitutional Amendment 19. The MDC has insisted that Constitutional Amendment 19 is enacted by parliament and signed into law prior to the swearing in of the Prime Minister and this has been agreed to by the parties as reflected in the SADC communiqu‚.On the issue of the equitable allocation of ministerial portfolios, SADC reiterated its position from November 9th, 2008 and expanded its commitment to review the allocation of all ministries, not only Home Affairs, within six months of an inclusive government being formed.

On the breaches to the GPA and the MOU, SADC resolved that the Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee (JOMIC), is established to review and reverse these breaches. This committee comprises four members from MDC-T, four members from MDC-M and four members from Zanu PF.However, the MDC is concerned that the issue of the unwarranted and illegal abductions and detentions of MDC members and other democratic activists needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and to this effect, the MDC will ensure an end to the persecution of all Zimbabweans.In light of these resolutions, todays's debate centred around two issues:Firstly, what will allow us the best opportunity to continue to pursue our goal of achieving a free, democratic Zimbabwe in line with the roadmap from our Congress of March 2006? and;Secondly, what is the best way of alleviating the suffering of the Zimbabwean people, stabilising the economy and restoring and retaining some semblance of a normal society?Let us make no mistake, by joining an inclusive government, we are not saying that this is a solution to the Zimbabwe crisis, instead our participation signifies that we have chosen to continue the struggle for a democratic Zimbabwe in a new arena. This agreement is a significant milestone on our journey to democracy but it does not signify that we have arrived at our destination we are committed to establishing a democratic Zimbabwe regardless of how long that struggle takes us.We have the majority in parliament, we control all the main urban councils and many rural councils, we will have control of 13 ministries and a presence in the key decision-making bodies of the executive.

Throughout the course of our deliberations today we referred to, and were guided by, the road map that we established for ourselves in March 2006, namely - negotiations, a transitional authority, a people driven constitution and fresh, free and fair elections.In this respect, the National Council resolved that through joining an inclusive government in line with the GPA and the SADC resolutions the party will be able to achieve the following:To move towards a new, democratic Zimbabwe by ensuring that a people- driven constitution is crafted and adopted.That this inclusive government will serve as a transitional authority leading to free and fair elections.The restoration of the people's freedoms through creating democratic space, restoring the rule of law and basic human rights.The stabilisation and rebuilding of the economy and the provision of all essential services, in particular health care and education.To maintain the principles of the working people's convention established in 1999.To ensure that we begin a process of national healing and integration.Therefore, in accordance with the party's constitution, the political agreement we signed on September 15th 2008, and in the best interests of the welfare of all Zimbabweans the MDC has resolved to form an inclusive government with Zanu PF and MDC-M.The success of this inclusive government is dependent on many factors including the goodwill of the parties involved, the support of the people of Zimbabwe and the continued engagement and vigilance of SADC, AU and the broader international community in ensurinhg that all parties are bound by the letter and spirit of the GPA and the commitments made at the last SADC summit. In this respect, the party shall continue to monitor the implementation of the agreement, in particular in shall assess and review its position in the inclusive government after 6 months in line with the SADC resolutions.

Now is the time for us to put aside our political differences , to prioritise the welfare of the people in both our policies and our actions and to focus on stabilisation, development, progress and democratization. In this I know that we have the support of the vast majority of Zimbabweans, both in Zanu PF and the MDC, in the civil service,the workers and the business community and we look forward to working with you to rebuild our great nation.In conclusion, I would like to note that in this struggle we have not been alone. I wish to acknowledge the commitment and perseverance of SADC to finding a negotiated solution to the political crisis. In particular, we have had the unwavering support of our regional allies who have stood by us and our democratic ideals throughout this process and we are grateful for their solidarity.We would like to acknowledge the support and solidarity that we have had from trade unions, civil society and democratic peoples' and governments all over the world. We appreciate this support and know that we could not have come this far without them.Most importantly of all, we have had the support of the people. A people who have stood by their right to live in freedom, with access to jobs, health care, education and prosperity in such a principled and peaceful manner.I would like to appeal to all these forces to continue to support us in whatever decision we take because the struggle is not over, our commitment is not lessened, our vision is not dulled and our resolve has not been weakened.We will deliver a New Zimbabwe to the people.:The struggle continues.:I thank you

Zimbabwe: National Healing Process Urged:Chipo Sithole:7 February 2009

Institute for War & Peace Reporting (London):http://allafrica.com/stories/200902090284.html http://www.iwpr.net:[Chipo Sithole is the pseudonym of an IWPR reporter in Zimbabwe.]

Harare - Emmanuel Chiroto, an opposition councillor and mayor of Harare, is moved to tears as he recalls the abduction and brutal murder of his wife, Abigail, by armed militia loyal to President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party during the blood-soaked period preceding the June 27 presidential run-off election."Nothing will ever bring my wife back, but the perpetrators of this are still there roaming the streets," he told IWPR. "Justice must be served and if [the newly formed] inclusive government fails to deal with this issue there will never be national healing. How do I work with people who murdered my wife? They must tell me who sent them to kill my wife and how they did it. There has to be a way to secure justice. Our hearts are sore."In terms of the agreement signed in September by Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, and Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway MDC faction, which provided for a government of national unity, to which the MDC finally agreed on January 30, also calls for a process of national healing in Zimbabwe, but does not say what form this should take.

It also omits to mention whether senior members of ZANU-PF and the military, who are accused of masterminding the political violence, including the murder of more than 200 people in the run-up to the June vote, should face justice.According to prime minister- designate Tsvangirai, senior members of ZANU-PF should face trial for political violence, though he does not believe Mugabe himself should be tried. ZANU-PF, however, and Mutambara's faction of the MDC believe that any action taken should be aimed at "achieving national healing rather than punishment and retribution".Chiroto, one of 45 MDC councillors in Harare, is unequivocal on the issue - for him punishment of those who murdered his wife is the only acceptable option."I have problems forgetting and forgiving the people who killed my wife," he said. "Justice must one day be meted out to whoever organised the killing. What do I tell my son when he grows up?"A hit squad descended on Chiroto's Hatcliffe home on June 16 last year, the day after he was elected mayor, firebombing the house and reducing it to cinder. The attackers then seized 27-year-old Abigail and the couple's four-year-old son, Ashley, and bundled them into one of two double-cab trucks with no number plates. Some of the kidnappers wore military uniforms, said witnesses. Chiroto was not at home at the time.On June 18 the dreaded phone call came - Abigail's body had been discovered on a farm near Borrowdale - her head crushed, her tongue sliced off, probably to muffle her screams, and her eyes gouged out.Church leaders in Zimbabwe have called on parties to the inclusive government to establish a truth and reconciliation commission, TRC, similar to that set up in South Africa to expose apartheid-era crimes, to investigate the violence that followed the disputed March 29 general election which was won by the MDC but without a sufficient majority for Tsvangirai to become president without a run-off vote.

A 20-strong church delegation comprising representatives from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, ZCA, met Tsvangirai on February 2 and agreed to support the new government, but requested the establishment of a TRC.ZCA spokesman Raymond Motsi told IWPR that there was a need to resolve the divisions and injustices of the past. However, he said this would only be possible if there was full disclosure by perpetrators of human rights violations and other wrongs as well as some form of justice for victims."Churches are saying the truth, justice and reconciliation process should start once a new inclusive government is in place. That should mark the beginning of the transitional justice system," Motsi said. "This process should not be left to the political parties alone. It should not be elitist and should not be a political decision between ZANU-PF and the MDC."A spokesman for the civil society group the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition believes that "joint peace rallies should be convened by leaders of all parties to promote peace and reconciliation. True peace and lasting unity will only be achieved once past human rights abuses are fully addressed".The former archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel peace laureate, Desmond Tutu, who led South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and, in the past, has called for a military invasion of Zimbabwe to topple Mugabe, has now urged world leaders to back the inclusive government in the interests of reconstructing the shattered lives of the Zimbabwean people. He has also appealed for an end to the "totally unacceptable" violence."My heart aches for Zimbabwe. Your countrymen and women have suffered greatly," he said. "It is in your power to stop the violence if you act as one. You have an opportunity now to stand up for peace."

But a defiant Mugabe, who has denied orchestrating the election-related violence that killed and injured hundreds and displaced thousands, has demanded security guarantees for himself and his Joint Operations Command - a think tank of army generals who reportedly planned and executed the violence.Official sources say secret guarantees of immunity against prosecution were negotiated between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, facilitated by SADC-appointed broker, former South African president Thabo Mbeki, and include crimes committed as far back as the 1980s, when thousands of opponents of ZANU-PF were massacred in Matabeleland; the murders that took place during the land grab initiated in 2000; the brutal army-led Operation Drive Out Filth of 2005, which left more than 700 000 homeless after bulldozers moved into townships and flattened homes; and last year's election-related violence.AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter.AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at [email protected]. Please write to this address to subscribe or unsubscribe to the bulletin, or to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org.

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BUSINESS AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD Weekly Presentation: February 25, 2008 Sub-Saharan Africa Abbas S Lamptey Period: From 15 to February 21, 2009 THE HEADLINES

38. CHINA-AFRICA RELATIONS West Africa

a. Ghana: Gov't to Partner Auto Manufacturers to Set Up Vehicles Assemble Plant: Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh:19 February 2009:The chronicle b. Nigeria: Economic Meltdown - FG Begs China to Rescue Country:Henry Umoru:17 February 2009:VANGUARD c. Nigeria: China to Replace Nigcomsat 1:Onwuka Nzeshi:17 February 2009:THIS DAY

Southern Africa

d. South Africa: China Pledges Support Despite Economic Slowdown:Michael Appel:17 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane) e. Mozambique: Chinese Industries Invited to Invest:20 February 2009: f. South Africa: China Quotas Renewed 'Without Consultation':Mathabo Le Roux;18 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY g. South Africa: China Blocks Subsidy Challenge From Country;Mathabo Le Roux:16 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY h. Angola: Head of State, Chinese Ambassador Discuss Cooperation:17 February 2009:AngolaPress i. Botswana: Chinese Company Houses Poor Family:17 February 2009: The Voice (Francistown)

East Africa/Horn of Africa

j. Uganda: China Investors to Launch Group: David Muwanga:19 February 2009:THE NEW VISION 39. PAN AFRICA West Africa

a. Nigeria: Brown Wants More Africans At G20 Summit: Joseph Ushigiale with agency reports: 21 February 2009: This Day b. Ghana: IMF, World Bank Impoverishing Continent: Judith Achieng: 20 February 2009: Public Agenda (Accra)

Southern Africa

c. SOUTH AFRICA: Continent to Benefit From Turnaround, Says IDC: Hilary Joffe: 16 February 2009: BUSINESS DAY d. SOUTH AFRICA: How to Break the Cycle of 'Endless Philanthropy':20 February 2009: interview: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

East Africa/Horn of Africa

e. Africa: Cell Phones Could Transform North-South Cooperation: Cindy Shiner: 16 February 2009: ALLAFRICA f. KENYA: Food Crisis Under the Spotlight: Joyce Mulama:18 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY g. ETHIOPIA: African Nations Need to Better Utilize Emerging Technologies, Say UN Experts: 18 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

Central Africa

h. CAMEROON: Continent Remains Poor Despite Huge Money Transfers – Expert:Kini Nsom:15 February 2009:THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM i. RWANDA: Leaders Support Cellular Revolution:16 February 2009:ALLAFRICA j. RWANDA: What the Global Financial Crisis Means for Continent: Antoinette M. Sayeh:18 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES k. Commonwealth Writers' Prize Brings Regional Stories to the World: 18 February 2009: Commonwealth News and Information Service (London) 40. HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND SOCIAL ISSUES West Africa

a. LIBERIA: Accountability Key to Meeting National Gender Equality Goals, Says UN Report: 20 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE b. Sierra Leone: President Koroma Wants Speedy End to Special Court:Mohamed Massaquoi:18 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

Southern Africa

c. Zimbabwe: Amnesty Calls for UN And AU Human Rights Monitors: Alex Bell:17 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) d. Zimbabwe: Charges Against Woza Activists Dropped, But Harassment Continues: SW Radio Africa (London) :Alex Bell:19 February 2009 e. South Africa: Zim Youths Demo Over Political Detainees:Lance Guma:19 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London) f. Namibia: Police Deny Claim of Threats After New High Treason Arrest:Werner Menges:19 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

East Africa/Horn of Africa

g. Sudan: Darfur - UN Experts Are Shown Mass Graves After Recent Fighting:17 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE h. Somalia: Islamic Clerics Issue Prominent Articles in Mogadishu:19 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) i. Madagascar: Crisis Resolution Through Learning History's Lessons:Vondrona Miralenta ho an'ny Fampandrosoana:20 February 2009: PAMBAZUKA

Central Africa

j. Congo-Kinshasa: UN Mission Condemns 'Terror Tactics' Used By Rwandan Hutu Rebels:18 February 2009;UN NEWS SERVICE k. Rwanda: Kigali Lauds U.S.-College Suspension of Genocide-Accused Professor:5 February 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne) l. Rwanda: Kalimanzira Trial - Ex-Govt Officer Draws Negative Assessment of Multi-Party System Before Genocide:10 February 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne) 41. REFUGEES, IDPs AND MIGRATION Southern Africa

a. Zimbabwe: Farewell South Africa, But Not Just Yet;19 February 2009:IRIN East Africa/Horn of Africa

b. Somalia: Water Shortages Drive Hundreds of Families From Their Homes:19 February 2009:IRIN c. Uganda: Over 20,000 Wakiso Residents Face Displacement From Kabaka's Land:Chris Kiwawulo:15 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Central Africa

d. Rwanda: More Repatriated From DRC: Stevenson Mugisha:16 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES 42. HEALTH (HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA etc)

West Africa

a. SENEGAL: In Brief - Unleashing Mutated Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria:19 February 2009; IRIN b. Nigeria: Meningitis Ravages the North - Over 70 Reported Dead, Hundreds Infected: Damaturu: 21 February 2009: DAILY TRUST c. Ghana: Tobacco is Chief Preventable Cause of Death: Ama Achiaa Amankwah:20 February 2009: Public Agenda (Accra) d. NIGER: 'Pool-Filling' Could Control Malaria, Say Researchers: Wagdy Sawahel:20 February 2009: SciDev.Net (London)

Southern Africa

e. SOUTH AFRICA: Vaginal Gel Blocks HIV - But Not Enough to Be Scientific Success: Kerry Cullinan: 10 February 2009: Health-e (Cape Town)

East Africa/Horn of Africa

f. Eritrea: Inhabitants of Shekaito Administrative Area Becoming Beneficiaries of Improved Health Service: February 2009: Shabait.com (Asmara) g. East Africa: Warmer Climate Gives Malaria New Hunting Grounds: Stephen Leahy: 19 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Central Africa

h. Burundi: Ambitious Target to Cut Malaria Infections:19 February 2009: IRIN 43. ENVIRONMENT West Africa a. Nigeria: FG to Come Up With Legislation on Oil Spill:19 February 2009; VANGUARD b. Nigeria: Revealed - UK Toxic Wastes Traced to Alaba Market: Akinsanmi Gboyega With Agency Report:19 February 2009; THIS DAY c. SIERRA LEONE: Ministers to Define National Ocean And Sea Boundaries: 19 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown) d. NIGERIA: Unep Report Says Environment Investment to Spur Economic Growth;17 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Southern Africa

e. SOUTH AFRICA: Climate Change Threatens Livelihoods Along Continent's Coast: Miriam Mannak: 19 February 2009: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY f. Mozambique: Erosion Threatens to Destroy Island:19 February 2009:IRIN

East Africa/Horn of Africa

g. Uganda: 4,000 Farmers Plant Trees:Chris Ahimbisibwe:16 February 2009: THE NEW VISION h. KENYA: Join Climate Neutral Network, Continent Urged:20 February 2009:URIN i. KENYA: Ministers Say Yes to Mercury Treaty: Joyce Mulama:21 February 2009: INTER SERVICE NEWS AGENCY j. Eritrea: Soil and Water Conservation Activities Being Stepped Up in Central Region:18 February 2009: Shabait.com (Asmara) 44. ECONOMY AND ENERGY West Africa

a. Nigeria: Govt, Algeria Meet On N1.8 Trillion Saharan Gas Pipeline:Ese Awhotu:20 February 2009:Leadership (Abuja) b. West Africa: 'Recession Won't Affect Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline':Patrick Ugeh:20 February 2009: THIS DAY c. Ghana: Rice Farmers' Markets So Close And Yet Out of Reach:Francis Kokutse:21 February 2009;INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY d. Ghana: Oil "Hot Spot" - Ghana Urged to Proceed With Caution:Daniel Nonor:19 February 2009:THE CHRONICLE. e. Nigeria: Country Tops Africa Investment Index:Paul Ohia With Agency Report:20 February 2009;THIS DAY f. Gambia: Nigeria Contributed to Gambia's Economic Growth – Envoy:Nwakpa O. Nwakpa:20 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Southern Africa

g. South Africa: SAA Needs Big Bail-Out, Finance Chief Tells MPs:Linda Ensor:19 February 2009; BUSINESS DAY h. Zimbabwe: Remittances Saved the Country From Collapse:20 February 2009:RIN i. Zimbabwe: Our Situation is Dire, Tsvangirai Tells Region in Aid Appeal:Verna Rainers:21 February 2009:press conference: ALLAFRICA j. Botswana: Diamond Exports Plunge 90 Percent:Brian Benza:20 February 2009:Mmegi k. Zambia: KCM Retrenches 700 at Nkana:20 February 2009:TIMES OF ZAMBIA

East Africa/Horn of Africa

l. East Africa: SADC, Comesa Merger Poses No Threat to Revenue Earnings: 19 February 2009: THE HERALD (ZIMBABWE) m. East Africa: EAC to Review Development Plan:Mikaili Sseppuya:19 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Central Africa

n. Central Africa: African Telecom Cadres Acquire Regulation Skills:Martin Akuro Akwa:17 February 2009: CAMEROON TRIBUNE o. Cameroon: Biya Announces Imminent National Action Plan for Youth Employment:Ernest Sumelong:15 February 2009:THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM p. Rwanda:KCC Defaults On 10 Million Euro Payment to German Investors:12 February 2009:Focus Media (Kigali) q. RWANDA: Coffee Supply to Fall By Eight Million Bags This Year:George Kalisa:16 February 2009:THE NEW VISION(UGANDA) r. Rwanda: Anti-Corruption Experts Meet in Kigali:Edmund Kagire:17 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES 45. POLITICS West Africa

a. GHANA: Ghana's Maturing Democracy is Good Reference for Continent and the Commonwealth: 17 February 2009: Commonwealth News and Information Service (London)

Southern Africa

b. Zimbabwe: Unity Government May Need Up to U.S.$5 Billion:John Allen and Verna Rainers:20 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

Central Africa

c. Equatorial Guinea: Authorities Say Attack Was Not Coup Plot:Daniel Gwarbarah:20 February 2009:THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM 46. PEACEKEEPING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SECURITY MATTERS West Africa

a. Nigeria: Why Country Delays Sending Troops to Somalia – Minister:Kingsley Omonobi:20 February 2009:ANGUARD

East Africa/Horn of Africa

b. Somalia: President Sharif Calls for Arab Countries to Support Peace Process:20 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) c. Somalia: PM Calls for Talks With Al Shabaab as Ethiopia Troops Re- Enter:18 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) d. Somalia: 11 African Union Peacekeepers Killed:22 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) e. East Africa: Uganda, Kenya Clash Over Island: Cyprian Musoke and Reuben Olita:22 February 2009:the new vision f. Sudan: Darfur - Thousands Flee to African Union-UN Peacekeepers Base for Safety: 22 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE g. Sudan: African Union-UN Blue Helmets Beef Up Patrols Protecting Displaced:22 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE h. DR CONGO: Secretary-General Set to Travel Next Week:18 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

Central Africa

i. TANZANIA: Turkish, Madagascar Judges to Help Speed Up Trials at ICTR:23 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne) j. BURUNDI: Govt Complains as Burundi Expels Over 800 Rwandans:Eugene Kwibuka:19 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES(KIGALI) 47. MILITANCY ,REBELS,TERRORISM AND THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’ West Africa

a. West Africa: Ecowas Adopts Action Plans for Arms Control:Etim Imisin:19 February 2009: THIS DAY b. Nigeria: Giaba Tasks Reps on Anti-Terrorism Bill:Luka Binniyat:19 February 2009:VANGUARD c. Nigeria: JTF Rescues Two Russian Hostages: Vanguard: 19 February 2009 d. Nigeria: Rivers - Kidnappers to Face Life Imprisonment: Ahamefula Ogbu:18 February 2009: THIS DAY

East Africa/Horn of Africa

e. Somalia: 11 African Union Peacekeepers Killed:22 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe) 48. NORTH AFRICA a. Western Sahara: New UN Envoy Heads to Region for Consultations:17 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE b. WiMAX Makes its Debut in North Africa: THE NORTH AFRICA JOURNAL: 21 February 2009. c. Islamic Banking in the Maghreb: The north Africa journal:23 February 2009. d. Merger of Tunisian and Libyan Banks in the Offing: THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL: 14 February, 2009 e. Harassment of Ethnic Berbers on the Rise in North Africa: THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL: 14 February, 2009 f. Kaddafi the African: 14 February, 2009: THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL: Arezki Daoud g. Tunisia: Democratic Constitutional Rally 'Think Tank' Holds First Meeting in Tunis:20 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS h. Egypt Invites New President of Somalia: February 2009:Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) i. Tunisia: President Ben Ali says Maghreb Union 'Necessary, Strategic Choice':17 February 2009: TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS.

THE REPORT IN DETAIL

49. CHINA‐AFRICA RELATIONS

West Africa

Ghana: Gov't to Partner Auto Manufacturers to Set Up Vehicles Assemble Plant: Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh:19 February 2009:The chronicle

The government is collaborating with Modern Auto Services Limited and Silver Star Auto Limited to partner vehicle manufacturers in Asia to establish an assemble plant to assemble wide range of vehicles in the country. This would give real meaning and demonstrate a genuine transfer of technology in Ghana, to further strengthen the south- south co-operation.The establishment of the assemble plant sits well with the vision of government to create job opportunities to Ghanaians as enshrined in the government's strategic development programme.The new Minister of Transport Mr. Mike Hamma, disclosed this at this in a speech read for him at the launch of Foton Range of vehicles in Accra. He added that the government is also determined to make the country a transport hub in the West African sub-region, stressing that it is the desire of the government to provide the necessary enabling environment for both local and foreign entrepreneurs to enable them contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the country.

The acting Managing Director of the Modern Auto Services, Mr. Abdul Somad Musah indicated that the recent shift in the world economic dominance from the West to East has generated a rush by most investors in the developed economies like Britain and USA, among others, to focus their attention on the Chinese market in many aspects of businesses.Touching on the Foton range of vehicles, he explained that Foton vehicles have been built to meet the rough and rugged terrains. They have been equipped with fuel efficient engines, tough and robust body, rigid suspension and safety features.The vehicles also come in various forms which are affordable, quality, durable and convenient. These are essential ingredients in the automobile shopping list for a potential customer in Ghana, Mr. Musah emphasized.The Chief Executive Officer of the Silver Star Auto Ltd, Mr. Nouhad Kalmoni believed that the dominance of China as a world economic giant in the 21St century would bring good returns to customers' investment in the Foton vehicles.Mr. Kevin Gao, The Deputy Manager of Foton Light-Duty Company that Foton is one of China's largest producers in the commercial vehicle industry and acquires its technologies through joint ventures with the best know manufacturers in Europe and Japan.

Nigeria: Economic Meltdown - FG Begs China to Rescue Country:Henry Umoru:17 February 2009:VANGUARD

AMIDST fear the global economic recession may have on the country negatively, the Federal government today urged the Chinese government to come to its rescue.ccording to the government, if Nigeria must be among the top twenty economic nations of the world and the global economic crisis nipped in the bud especially encroaching into the third world countries, there was the urgent need for a holistic approach to the crisis by world leading economies especially China.Speaking in Abuja yesterday when he received in his office, the Commercial Chancellor, Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Rong Yansong, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA), Chief Chuka Odom however appealed to Chinese government to increase its interest in Nigeria especially against the backdrop that Nigeria is now being badly hit by the present dwindling crude oil exports and the continued drop in the price of the commodity in the international market.According to him, there was also the need for Chinese government to strengthen its bilateral relation with Nigeria in Commerce and Trade.

Nigeria: China to Replace Nigcomsat 1:Onwuka Nzeshi:17 February 2009:THIS DAY

Abuja — China Great Wall Industries Corporation, the firm that constructed Nigeria's first communication satellite, Nigcomsat1, would replace the failed satellite built at the cost of $200million.Managing Director, Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComsat), Mr Ahmed Rufai, said this yesterday, adding that under the contractual agreement signed between the Chinese firm and the Federal Government, the replacement will be at no cost to the Nigerian government.This came on the heels of a warning by experts against the proposed investment of additional $500 million into the building of NigcomSat II and NigcomSat III, until the viability of such gigantic projects were ascertained.Rufai said since the Chinese firm was responsible for management of the failed satellite when it crashed out of its orbit in November 2008, it was obliged to replace the facility.Rufai spoke at the investigative hearing on the failed satellite organised by the Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives in Abuja, adding that Chinese insurance firms involved in insuring the multi-million dollar satellite have already expressed their commitment to ensuring its replacement.He said management of the satellite insisted on extension of management of the satellite for a year, when it developed fault in the Orbit in April 2008, before it finally packed up in November 2009.He said the sum of N98 million and additional sum of $457,000 was generated within nine months (between February 2008 and November 2008) of commercialisation of the satellite, adding that the present value of the satellite was about $512 million.He said NigComSat had earlier recommended the divestment of 60 per cent of the Federal Government's equity, which could have generated about $300 million.

Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO), Mr Abraham Nwankwo, said the Federal Government has over the past two years, paid $9.9 million for the servicing of the interest on the loan obtained by Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) on behalf of Federal Government, for the execution of the project.He said government had earlier in September 2008, stopped servicing the loan when the satellite first developed fault, adding that the repayment period is nine years.

Southern Africa

South Africa: China Pledges Support Despite Economic Slowdown:Michael Appel:17 February 2009: BuaNews (Tshwane)

Pretoria — China's Ambassador to South Africa, Zhong Jianhua, has confirmed China will not reduce its investment in Africa, and is even considering expanding aid to the continent during the global recession."At present, almost all the countries of Africa including China are facing a financial storm. It is a challenge but also a test for us."China must and will stand by its friends and its African brothers during this financial storm," the ambassador said, at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) where the book, The Forum on China-Africa cooperation: A Strategic Opportunity, was launched on Tuesday.

Mr Jianhua said the launch of the book, detailing the history, effectiveness and opportunities presented by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), comes at a very important time as China prepares to meet African leaders from across the continent for the fourth FOCAC in Egypt in November 2009.The book is a wealth of knowledge on the history of relations, both economic and political between China and the African continent and will serve as a lasting testament to the cordial and robust relations that exist in Sino-Africa relations.The ambassador, highlighted that the Chinese government is confident that working together both Africa and China and overcome the difficulties presented by the global economic recession.

Last month, Mr Jianhua said, China's foreign minister held very successful talks with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.Testament to China's efforts to reassure Africa of its commitment to the continent during the economic slowdown is Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to four African countries at the moment, the ambassador said."China will continue with its promise to increase aid, reduce trading tariffs and increase investment on the African continent," the ambassador said.Co-author of the book and University of Witwatersrand Professor Garth Shelton said the main focus of the book is to examine Africa's perception of China's involvement and activities on the continent.There are a lot of foreign views on Sino- African relations, but Africa's perceptions have never really been explored, Prof Shelton explained."We ourselves need to investigate these perceptions Africa has on China.

"If you had to look at the speeches made by African leaders they are all very positive about China, and African leaders actually welcome China with an enormous positive energy," Prof Shelton said.The professor highlighted that certain key points his book focussed on included Africa as part of China's foreign policy; China's peaceful rise in Africa promoting economic development as it was key to commerce; and the fact that China seeks peace and stability in Africa.Africa needs to take advantage of these notions practiced by China's foreign policy and should not question the motives continually.Much of the positive work the Chinese government has done on the African continent like the building of schools, roads, railway lines, hospitals and clinics is often ignored by western media, the professor highlighted, adding China is only reported on when they are involved in an oil deal with an African country.China is the best in the world at poverty alleviation lifting some 150 million people out of poverty, Prof Shelton said."If there is one thing Africa can learn from the Chinese, how to alleviate poverty should be the continents biggest priority," Prof Shelton said

Mozambique: Chinese Industries Invited to Invest:20 February 2009:

Maputo — The Mozambican authorities are interested in Chinese companies setting up industries in Mozambique.URIN

According to the chairperson of the National Exports Promotion Institute (IPEX), Joao Macaringue, the relations between the two countries cannot be regarded only in terms of Chinese products entering the Mozambican market, but also in terms of Chinese industries being installed in the country.He believed that this would help Mozambique overcome some of its difficulties, through the transfer of technology and know- how."Trade relations with China are tending to grow", he said. "We think that these relations should be aimed at installing Chinese industries, and not merely at importing Chinese products into Mozambique".Macaringue was addressing reporters on Thursday, during an exhibition of Chinese products as part of the agenda of a business delegation from the central Chinese province of Hubei.

He explained that this delegation has come to Mozambique to learn first hand of the real potential of the country. It is holding discussions with Mozambican business people to discuss possible partnerships in order to enhance Mozambican production for export to China.At the opening of the exhibition, the Chinese Ambassador to Mozambique, Tian Guangfeng, said that trade relations between the two countries has been growing over the last two years. Trade between them reached 346 million US dollars in 2008."Trade relations between Mozambique and China went from 22 million US dollars in 2002 to 2007 million in 2007, and reached 346 million US dollars in the first 10 months of 2008", said Tian.Mozambican trade and industry authorities acknowledge that exports from Mozambique to China are still very insignificant. Mozambique has been exporting to China products such as soya, sesame, and timbers.This exhibition preceded a seminar on trade and investments, involving business people and government officials of the two countries, to take place in Maputo on Friday.

South Africa: China Quotas Renewed 'Without Consultation':Mathabo Le Roux;18 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — THE trade and industry department has formally asked China to extend import curbs on clothing and textiles from that country.The request was apparently made without consulting industry players, as none of the industry's representative bodies was aware of SA's bid to extend the quotas.

Moreover, the application preempts a study, planned by the department, into the effectiveness of the quotas. The study was originally put out to tender but the department then opted to do it in-house after its terms of reference were leaked. The findings are yet to be released.China's ambassador to Pretoria, Zhong Jianhua, told Business Day yesterday that SA had asked for the extension of the quotas at the end of last year and that China was considering the request."It is a complicated matter, because we have our own challenges with our obligations to the WTO (World Trade Organisation) around issues such as quotas," Zhong said.The application for the extension of quotas was met with disbelief by industry players yesterday. National Clothing Retailers' Federation director Michael Lawrence said the quota review warranted consultations, but there had been "absolutely none".

The quotas expired at the end of last year and Lawrence confirmed that quota checks at borders had been suspended according to that timeframe. But retailers were unaware that the reinstatement of the restriction is again on the cards."We repeatedly asked the department of trade and industry whether there was going to be a new application for quotas and simply never had a response from them. We also availed ourselves for discussions on matters involving the value chain of the industry, but we've had no invitation to any meetings since September last year," he said.The department did not consult the manufacturing sector either, in whose interest the quotas were implemented. Neither Jack Kipling nor Brian Brink, who respectively head the Textile Federation and Clotrade, two industry bodies, knew of SA's request.Referring to reports of a mooted state rescue package for the industry, Brink said: "We don't need money or the quotas. What we need is for the state to stop the underinvoicing of imports. I don't want to be ungrateful, but the quotas really didn't help much."

The department's chief director of industrial policy, Nimrod Zalk, hinted at the end of last year at the possible extension of the quotas after it emerged that underinvoicing of textiles and apparel imports was so endemic as to constitute "systemic fraud through the value chain".But Lawrence panned the suggestion, saying the issue of illegal imports was one of value and could not be fixed with a volume-based measure.Neither Zalk nor the department's spokesman, Vukani Mde, could be reached for comment yesterday.The application to extend the controversial quotas heeds none of the warnings from a number of academic studies done over two years. These showed that the quotas were flawed in principle and were hurting, rather than helping, manufacturers.

South Africa: China Blocks Subsidy Challenge From Country;Mathabo Le Roux:16 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — SA's first legal bid to protect itself against unfairly subsidised imports from China has been thwarted, under what appears to have been undue pressure from the Chinese government.South African manufacturing firms are already squeezed by heavily subsidised imports from China. The situation is set to get worse as the Chinese government increases payments to its manufacturers to keep exports competitive in the global economic downturn.

Chinese state support for industry has been notched up so aggressively that the US has challenged China's subsidy programmes at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).SA compromised its ability to probe dumping against China severely in granting that country market economy status two years ago.Now it has emerged that a South African maker of stainless steel kitchen sinks has hastily withdrawn a countervailing measure application -- brought to counter unfair subsidisation -- apparently because the Chinese government threatened the future success of its operations in China if it pressed on with the application.

The situation leaves local manufacturers vulnerable as China's action undermines SA's trade remedy tools, which means manufacturers have no recourse against unfair competition from Chinese imports.The application by Franke Kitchen Systems, a subsidiary of the Swiss-based Franke group, was the first countervailing application to be brought against China by a developing country.International Trade Administration Commission chief commissioner Siyabulela Tsengiwe said China told SA of its displeasure at the application.A countervailing measure is politically sensitive as it brings under scrutiny a country's industrial policy, and could alert other countries to potentially actionable subsidisation .China's actions raise questions about its adherence to fair trade obligations as a member of the WTO. However the WTO's hands are tied in the absence of a complaint.WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said: "Only members can initiate a case against another member. The WTO, or the DG (director-general Pascal Lamy) has no power of self-initiation."As to whether this case means that the Chinese are not in compliance with WTO rules, I don't know, and neither does anyone else because the only way to know for sure is through the dispute-settlement process."

Franke's initial bid was to bring an antidumping application after an import surge saw China's market share climb to 60% from zero three years before .However, fearing that its dumping complaint would fail, the company also applied for countervailing measures, alleging that the margin of subsidisation for Chinese kitchen sinks was as high as 47,7% of the value of the product.Franke's consultant, Jan Heukelman, told Business Day the company had a strong case. Franke listed 36 subsidies in 10 subsidy programmes from which Chinese manufacturers benefited, claiming kitchen sinks from China entered SA at below the cost of stainless steel, the raw material from which the sinks are made.However, at the end of last year Franke suddenly withdrew the application.Tsengiwe said the withdrawal came after "enterprise to enterprise engagement, facilitated by the Chinese government".

But Business Day has learnt that the Chinese government pressed Franke in Switzerland to withdraw the application to ensure the future of its substantial business interests in China.Approached for comment, the lawyer of the Franke holding company in Switzerland, Andreas Hauswirth, confirmed the high-level discussions between Franke and Chinese state officials.However, he said both parties had agreed to keep the content of the talks confidential.Repeated attempts to get comment from China's trade attache in Pretoria, Wang Jing Bo, were unsuccessful.Wang also refused to comment on the status of subsidy programmes in China.

Angola: Head of State, Chinese Ambassador Discuss Cooperation:17 February 2009:AngolaPress

Angolan head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, Tuesday in Luanda, discussed with the locally based ambassador of China, Zhang Bolun, issues related to existing bilateral cooperation."We discussed issues concerning bilateral cooperation, as to how best to execute current projects between the two countries and how we can together face the world financial and economic crisis," said the diplomat at the end of the audience.At the moment the world economic crisis is for sure affecting the two countries, he admitted, adding that being both developing countries, Angola and China must face together the situation.

"We are fully confident about overcoming the effects of this crisis as we have a big advantage; for example our economias are greatly complementar," the ambassador also said.According to him, China has a considerable capacity and experience in the construction of infrastructures.Zhang Bolun announced that his government will use all its potential to provide further financial assistance to Angola in the sector of construction of infrastructures and recovery of its economy.He also sated that existing projects will be properly implemented and protected from the world crisis.

Botswana: Chinese Company Houses Poor Family:17 February 2009: The Voice (Francistown)

Serowe — A Chinese construction company has pledged to build a P200 000 house for a destitute family here. China Civil Engineering and Construction has also promised to furnish the house, whose construction has commenced and is expected to take two weeks to build.The beneficiary of this gesture is a family of 16 who are crammed in a two- roomed house.Speaking at the commencement of the construction, Central District Council Chairperson, Mr Lesego Raditanka commended the company for its generosity.

The civic leader said he approached the company for assistance after realising that the conditions under which the family lived were way belo standard. "What concerned me most was that the mud hut that was used by the children is completely delapidated, forcing them to squeeze themselves into their grand mother's two-roomed house," he said. "Over crowding is unhygienic, but due to situations beyond the family's control, they had to live with condition," he further said. The company's spokesperson, Mr David Liu said the four roomed house will have a water system.In addition, the company will furnish the house with beds, tables, and wardrobes.Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Mpho Lepang thanked everybody who is involved in the project, saying the house would go a long way into bettering the lives of the beneficiaries.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Uganda: China Investors to Launch Group: David Muwanga:19 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — CHINESE investors in Uganda are to launch a chamber of commerce to promote trade between the two countries.So far, members of the China Enterprise Chamber of Commerce Uganda (CECCU) are Huawei Technologies, China 23rd Metallurgical Construction Corporation, Complant E and T and ZTE Corporation.Others are China Nanjing International, China Chonqiung International Construction Corporation, China Road and Bridge Corporation and China National Overseas Engineering Corporation."This new partnership opens numerous business and investment opportunities between the two countries and there are lots of opportunities for exporters in Uganda in China's markets," the chamber's chairman, Shao Ai Jun, said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

50. PAN AFRICA West Africa

Nigeria: Brown Wants More Africans At G20 Summit: Joseph Ushigiale with agency reports: 21 February 2009: This Day

Lagos — Ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit in London on April 12, British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has invited representatives from Africa and poorer Asian nations to be in attendance during which discussions on the current financial crisis would top the agenda.Brown has invited the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the Association of South East Asian Nations and the African Union Commission to send delegates to the summit.

The aim of the invitation is to give a voice at the meeting of leading developed and emerging economies, to less wealthy countries across Africa and Asia such as Nigeria, Cambodia and Vietnam.One of Brown's key aims for the summit is to make international institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund become more representative by giving more power to developing nations."The global economic challenges we face need to be met with decisive action if we are to secure jobs, restore confidence and reinvigorate growth," Brown said in a statement."To be effective in addressing this global crisis we have to bring in partners from across the world. Having this mix of countries and international organisations present not only reflects the new reality of the global economy but will also make any action we take more effective."

However, while most nations agree with the principle of giving more of a say in the governance of world finance to smaller economies, it is far from clear whether there is any appetite to make it a reality in April.Brown's office said it had also issued formal invitations to leaders from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, current European Union presidency holders Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the United States and the EU Commission.The April 2 summit is likely to mark Barack Obama's first trip to Europe as U.S. President.

GHANA: IMF, World Bank Impoverishing Continent: Judith Achieng: 20 February 2009: Public Agenda (Accra)

While praising the World Bank for calling on rich countries to open their markets for African imports, Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, has pointed an accusing finger at the Bretton Woods institutions for their hand in 'impoverishing' millions people in Africa .'The question is begged:" Has the World Bank and IMF perhaps unwittingly made Africa poorer through unwholesome policies? "wondered Obasanjo.

He told the plenary session of the Social Summit that it was pointless for developed nations and international financial institutions to demand eradication of poverty and promotion of social justice if they failed to address the issue of external debt, and protectionism in the north, which are marginalising the world's poor ."Developed countries must commit themselves to debt remission for developing countries, so as to provide these countries with the basis of economic renewal and social advancement," Obasanjo said .

Citing the latest World Bank report, which indicates that the heavy flow of aid to developing countries has done little to improve social development in the countries, Obasanjo, who also is president of the Group of 77 said, as a result of the discriminatory policies, some 48 African countries have a collective economic output that does not surpass that of Belgium .

The report, 'New Paths to Social Development : Community and Global Networks in Action' the World Bank notes that rich countries collectively spent $300 billion to subsidise and protect their markets against foreign competition, a figure which equals Africa's total annual output.He said poor governments are constrained by policies of fiscal and budgetary austerity which were imposed on them by the international financial institutions, leaving them without resources to initiate job creating programmes that will lead to gainful employment for their youths," he said .Sub-Saharan Africa whose population of 700 million people is most affected, he said, is suffering double jeopardy, first from the burden of debt which leaves them no resources for social renewal, and secondly, from the protectionist policies of the advanced countries against imports from developing countries . 'The world has a capacity to eradicate poverty, and this summit should give us the opportunity to reaffirm the commitments to give our peoples hope and assurance of enhanced quality of life," he said .The Nigerian head of state, supported UN secretary general Kofi Annan's proposal for a high level policy network on youth development, as part of a new initiative to combat unemployment .The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that some 60 million youths are searching for work and cannot find any, a situation, which Obasanjo says creates "ripples" into other areas such as crime, including cross border trafficking offences .'The world has a capacity to eradicate poverty, and this summit should give us the opportunity to reaffirm the commitments to give our peoples hope and assurance of enhanced quality of life," he said .

The Nigerian head of state, supported UN secretary general Koffi Annan's proposal for a high level policy network on youth development, as part of a new initiative to combat unemployment .The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that some 60 million youths are searching for work and cannot find any, a situation, which Obasanjo says creates "ripples" into other areas such as crime, including cross border trafficking offences .

Southern Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: Continent to Benefit From Turnaround, Says IDC:Hilary Joffe:16 February 2009:BUSINESS DAY

Johannesburg — THE global crisis has radically altered the outlook for Africa's economies, and growth forecasts for the continent are likely to be revised further downward, a new report by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) says.But the IDC, which has approved about $1bn of loans beyond SA's borders, says demand for Africa's resources - in the markets that pick up first once the global economy starts to recover - will benefit the continent."A significant part of the growth momentum in Africa in recent years has been driven exactly by the expansion of emerging markets such as China and India; when we start getting a recovery it will be earliest in those markets and Africa will benefit from being a partner in that," Jorge Maia, the head of the IDC's research and information department, says.

But Maia cautions that African governments will need to spend this time getting policies right and curbing wasteful public spending, and that international investors will be particularly sensitive if policy responses are inappropriate."The African economies that will contain the adversity of the current downturn are likely to be those that remain highly vigilant in managing the downside potential, those that are in a position to adopt countercyclical measures and that make an effort to seek new opportunities and competitive gains," the IDC report says.Commodities account for 78% of Africa's exports and the continent has grown strongly in recent years as a result of high international commodity prices, as well as domestic political and economic reforms.Growth averaged about 6% a year over the period 2003 to last year and this seemed set to continue until the global financial crisis set in. The International Monetary Fund last month forecast that world growth would reach only 0,5% this year, while Africa would grow 3,4%, down from 5,2% last year. The IDC report, however, says this is likely to be revised downwards as the economic environment deteriorates and the effect of the crisis spreads.Countries dependent on export trade, particularly those such as Angola or Botswana that are highly dependent on a single commodity, are likely to be hit hardest, as will those that are most reliant on capital inflows.As a continent, Africa has a low propensity to save and inflows, in the form of foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, remittances from migrant workers and trade credit, are critical for growth and development, the report says .

Remittances from the African diaspora, for example, have averaged $12bn a year in recent years while foreign direct investment reached almost $62bn last year and some countries tapped international bond markets for the first time. But the world has changed: portfolio flows to Africa are estimated to have declined to $5,9bn last year from $15,7bn in 2007."The weakening or even reversal of these flows, due to institutional deleveraging, pessimistic sentiment and the economic downturn in general, is having a significant impact on emerging markets and other developing economies, including African economies," the report says.The main effect is to delay infrastructure and other large projects, or make them more costly.

SOUTH AFRICA: How to Break the Cycle of 'Endless Philanthropy':20 February 2009: interview: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Cape Town — Dr Ramon E Daubon not only believes in democratising development but takes umbrage at the "cult of tangible results" in development assistance.

In a paper written for the non-governmental Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) he argued that aid will not generate sustainable socio-economic progress if the recipients are not in charge of what he calls "indigenous development".This is the opposite of what is happening. Presently, donors rely on advice from so-called experts and community elites. The result has been that recipient communities have been turned into dependent clients of endless philanthropy.To change this result, donors should move away from quick-fix aid and even face up to a shift in power relations between donors and recipients, wrote Daubon, who is president of the Esquel Group. Esquel is a non- profit organisation operating in North and South America, promoting social equity and sustainable development.

Stephanie Nieuwoudt picked his mind in search of lessons for Africa based on his experience in the Americas.

IPS: To critics it seems as if aid in Africa has yielded more failures than successes. Why are aid interventions on the continent seemingly less successful than elsewhere?Ramon Daubon: It is hard to define either "successes" or "failures", but from the outside it does appear that Africa tends to have more trouble than most other regions.Without going into long explanations, I'd say that the colonial and prior history has a lot to do with this, but I'd also put a lot of the blame on the development assistance failure to come up with a mode of intervention more appropriate to the African institutional reality.I'm only marginally familiar with the African experience but, if anything, development assistance may have encouraged strife and delayed development by fostering dependence on - and competition for the favours of - the outside "gods of development".

IPS: What is the solution? If not the "outside gods", what form of aid would be appropriate to the African institutional reality?RD: There are two kinds of aid: disaster relief and development assistance. The first one is unfortunately indispensable and unavoidable but should be short-term. Such is help after catastrophes, vaccination campaigns, et cetera. There is no stigma associated with that.The second one is for long- term results, some of which would mitigate the need for some of the first kind in the long run. As a country progresses it has less need of assistance with vaccination campaigns, for instance.This is where development assistance has failed. It has addressed the symptoms of nations' poverty - lack of income, schools - but failed to address the reasons behind the symptoms: their institutional incapacity to govern themselves well.If anything, having outsiders attending to the symptoms delays the indigenous development of that capacity.

IPS: In a paper for IDASA you wrote that private sector donors should see themselves as civic investors. What are civic investors? And why is it important that the donor community become civic investors?RD: Because otherwise they are not "doing development", they are just throwing money around. When the money runs out, everything stops. We've wasted 60 years of misconceived development assistance in this way.Development requires an institutional under-girth, which in turn requires good public governance, which in turn requires strong civic oversight over public life. Investing directly in "development" while assuming away all the other prerequisites produces what we have unfortunately come to see.The challenge for development assistance is how to promote by its interventions such civic ownership on the part of citizens. That is investing in civic capacities, or "civic investing". Donors should see themselves first and foremost as such investors.

IPS: This seems logical and laudable, but is it feasible? Building governance capacity, accountability, transparency and good governance in countries where humanitarian aid is required takes time. In the meantime, what does one do about the immediate suffering of people at grassroots level?

Also, would investing in capacity building not become a black hole - lots of workshops and conferences swallowing aid money without tangible results? Repressive governments would not allow even humanitarian aid if it came with strings attached, such as demands for good governance.RD: Again, outsiders can attend to those desperate needs immediately while at the same time supporting projects that engage people in learning to address their own needs in the longer run.And, by the way, I take umbrage at the cult of "tangible results". The race to generate them makes donors hurry to provide them directly rather than helping the beneficiaries learn to provide for themselves.We're not talking about holding conferences but rather supporting well-conceived projects that compel people to collectively learn how to make decisions, design plans, execute them and judge whether the are working. This way takes longer, for sure, but contrary to the quick-fix approach, the results are sustainable.And, by the way, "good governance" emerges very slowly and from below. Donors cannot demand it, but they can help beneficiaries design projects that in the course of their execution help people discover that they can indeed govern themselves well.

IPS: Is there not a danger that Western donors who want to become civic donors in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world would, by promoting good governance, be seen as patronising meddlers? How can the aim of civic development be achieved without being prescriptive?RD: Every society must develop its own style of good governance. However, donors can help them discover what their style is. I personally subscribe to some universal indispensable values, essentially contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.I strongly believe that citizens are indispensable to this discovery and that every person has the right to be an equal, full citizen.

IPS: There have been many critics of aid who say that aid makes beggars of the people who are supposed to be helped.RD: Yes, that is the biggest harm done by development assistance: it turns communities and whole countries into supplicants.

IPS: You have said that participation in the creation of public life is important if communities want to help themselves. Please explain.RD: The unit of analysis of development is the community. Sure, the policy environment is critical but the effective demand for and implementation of "good governance" measures happens in communities. For that, communities must learn to articulate and exercise their public voice; they have to learn to think, talk and act as communities.

IPS: Should aid be focused on a micro group in a certain region or should it be expanded to perhaps include all communities in that particular region? Or should aid be a national project?RD: Hard to tell. Countries should develop themselves. There are no "poor" countries, only mismanaged ones. I like to point out that one of the "poorest" countries in the world is Switzerland. God gave it practically nothing... except the Swiss and their capacity to govern themselves.Development assistance should provide replicable models of activities that communities and countries can carry out on their own.

IPS: What would be the "magic formula" for intervention by donors?RD: There is no magic formula. Each country must discover its own path. The Spanish poet Antonio Machado once said: "Wayfarer, there is no path. The path is made by walking." Development assistance could be very useful in helping countries make that discovery.Instead donors make external "needs assessments" and descend on the countries bearing gifts. Egad!

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Africa: Cell Phones Could Transform North-South Cooperation Cindy Shiner:16 February 2009: ALLAFRICA

The rollout of broadband Internet services and the rapid spread of cell phones is narrowing the digital divide between Africa and developed countries, and could potentially revolutionize how development assistance works, says Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He spoke to AllAfrica's Cindy Shiner.

You have said that the cell phone is the single most transformative technology for development. How would you define its importance in terms of what it has done and can do for Africa?I think it's a remarkable technology. It's incredibly powerful and it's quickly reaching the poor on a market basis. So we have something that... has tremendous power to support development...and the markets are really carrying the rapid scale-up. It's this combination that makes the phones so important. In terms of what they do it's a way to break economic isolation, indeed isolation of all sorts.Rural poverty has in the past been defined almost by its isolation.Communities that don't have motor transport, that lack basic roads, electricity -- these communities live by themselves in a state of subsistence. Making business in these settings, even getting very basic information about prices of food products in local markets, being able to make a transaction, being able to hire truck services, being able to call for an emergency, has been impossible until the cell phone. [Now] what we're seeing is cell phones spreading everywhere. Soon pretty much every village is going to have at least one because connectivity is spreading dramatically.It doesn't take more than a few phones to make a transformative difference in an area. We're seeing small businesses develop by virtue of people having phones, being able to find clients, make purchases, get supplies. There's e-banking or mobile banking, which has been pioneered in a few places, like Kenya, but I think it's just going to spread dramatically now. And more and more we're seeing new services added to the cell phones, and especially as we move from 2G to 3G [second- to third-generation] mobile standards I think we're going to see an incredible burst of new uses of the phones.

The International Telecommunications Union aims to connect African cities and villages by 2015. Is this a realistic goal and to what extent might this help the continent achieve the Millennium Development Goals?Mobile penetration is expanding dramatically. The number given for 2007 is about 250 million subscribers in Africa and the numbers are continuing to rise very, very rapidly. I would guess that the vast majority of those users have SMS available but generally not Internet connectivity by phone. But there is a lot of rapid upgrading of the mobile networks now so that in some of our areas of work, in the Millennium Villages, we have essentially 3G standards. So there's Internet connectivity coming with the mobile phone connectivity, and that's enabling clinics and schools and other local institutions and businesses to have wireless Internet on computers linked to the mobile networks. Now in addition, there will be a rollout of broadband, not only through wireless Internet, but a spread of fiber.But in a large part of East Africa there still is a lack of connection of African cities to the Internet backbone other than through satellite, and that's because the submarine cable, as far as I know, still has not been turned on for East Africa, although it's supposed to be happening soon. There is very little fiber connecting that submarine cable to interior cities. So there's a whole mix of problems here on moving from 2G to 3G standards on cell phone networks and connecting Africa in general, and especially East Africa, to the global Internet backbone.West Africa has made some more progress.In 2009 there should be the first East African submarine fiber available on a commercial basis and there are some other systems that are supposedly going to be completed in 2009 and 2010 as well. And then there's going to be a need for a dramatic increase in physical fiber, terrestrial fiber, which I think can happen partly commercially and partly through government and donor financing in future years. There will be a lot of progress, but whether every place is on broadband by 2015 one would tend to doubt. It depends a lot on how technologies evolve and the extent to which the phone networks, which will be pretty comprehensive, will carry broadband by then.

And how will broadband connectivity help in achieving the Millennium Development Goals?I think that broadband is going to be an incredibly powerful addition to just about every aspect of life -- as we're finding it is in countries that already have it. Certainly in business it's vital for linkages with customers, suppliers, with reducing transaction costs, with breaking monopolies, providing market information.It will enable schools and universities throughout Africa that have almost no books or libraries right now to have access to global libraries online -- an incredible wealth of information. And this will, I think, change education significantly from the primary school level up through universities and in research communities as well, which up until now have been tremendously hindered with a lack of timely access to cutting edge scientific information.It's going to change healthcare. We already know of the expansion of ambulance and other emergency medical services increasingly being carried on mobile networks. Broadband will enable a deeper integration of these emergency networks with the primary health system. Telemedicine will really play a role and there are some very good models in India for large-scale telemedicine based on broadband that will be transferred to Africa.Distance education can use broadband very effectively. We -- the Earth Institute of Columbia University -- are now in the process of partnering with a number of African universities for sharing online material for what we call global classrooms that are linked together through Skype or Internet-based video conferencing. So I think the education side will benefit tremendously.Financial services are supported both by mobile phones and by computers and so broadband will quickly bring financial services into communities that did not have them before.I actually think that we've turned the corner on the digital divide -- not that it's closed but that a gap that seemed to be widening pretty relentlessly is now going to be narrowing in the coming years and I think narrowing quite quickly. We'll find that it's in business, it's in emergency services, it's in public education, it's in primary healthcare, banking, distance learning, scientific communications, entertainment and all the rest, and this will make a very big difference.

For mobile phones and high-speed Internet to help Africa develop, this technology must be affordable. How can African governments help support this technological revolution to benefit their people?I think the first thing that we've seen is that deregulation has been essential -- taking away monopolies. That's happened in a lot of Africa but there still is a lot of deregulation to do because some countries are clinging to monopolies either on the Internet or on the mobile network. So I'd say regulatory policy is the first thing.The second is a long period of negotiation on the East African fiber. It was delayed by lack of agreement among the governments about tariffs and access and other management issues and I think this delay has been very, very costly.The third is the extent to which public finance can be used to increase access. Donor countries have promised for a long time to be supporting things like computers in schools or IT systems for public health and so on and some of that is finally starting. The private sector will carry some of this... African governments can do a bit but they can do much more if they get the kind of help to do these things that has been promised from the donor countries.

How about taxes?Taxes are also part of the regulatory environment. The phone companies have been cash cows traditionally both for governments and often for political parties. This has been one of the reasons for a reluctance in many places to deregulate, but it's a mistaken view and a very costly one. So reducing the taxes and essentially opening up these services for broad competition is really important and a [will bring] very good economic return.

What will an equally connected Africa mean for the developed world?All of this will be enormously beneficial for Africa's overall development and for its capacity as a partner in providing global public goods. I think that what we'll see is that Africa becomes a more reliable partner in trade, in becoming part of global production networks, in tourism, in cooperation on urgent [matters] such as disease surveillance and sharing meteorological data and other information that is extremely important for global information systems and global hazard management.Another thing that all of this can do is revolutionize how development assistance works. You can't very easily distribute aid to 10,000 communities separately and so we tended [in the past] to go through national governments. But now with IT systems one can actually have much more sophisticated aid delivery and monitoring systems with a lot more decentralization. And we know when aid reaches the local level it is far more effective and far better monitored. So I think we're going to see from a rich IT system a whole new platform for development cooperation as well.

Can you tell us about the ICT component of the Earth Institute's Millennium Villages Project in Africa?[The project] covers about half a million people in a dozen countries.We have a partnership with Ericsson where the company, with incredible generosity and effectiveness, is putting mobile connectivity in all the Millennium Villages. Wherever it's up to regulatory approvals and standards, and technologically possible, Ericsson is providing not only cell phone coverage with the local service providers but also wireless Internet connectivity.On that basis we're rolling out a large number of interventions in the villages, in public health, in schools, in mobile banking and agricultural finance that will be made a lot easier by the presence of the phones. We're doing some special initiatives with the use of the phones both for training and then empowering community health workers in public health delivery. This is quite a core part of the Millennium Village strategy at this point.

Recently Ericsson completed the connectivity to one of our most remote sites, which is a camel herder and sheep and goat herder village in Kenya, towards the Somali border in a very arid region. Nobody ever in history had made a phone call from this place. Now there is not only phone connectivity, but there is wireless Internet and already a number of small businesses that are being empowered or being enabled by the fact that there is this connectivity.

KENYA: Food Crisis Under the Spotlight: Joyce Mulama:18 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Nairobi — Worldwide demand for food is expected to grow steadily over the next 40 years, but 25 percent of the world's food production may be lost to 'environmental breakdowns' by 2050 unless urgent action is taken.This is the message in a document presented to environment ministers from more than 140 countries meeting in Nairobi, Kenya under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Programme Governing Council to discuss climate change and other environmental challenges. The document, titled "The Environmental Food Crisis: The Environment's Role in Averting Future Food Crises" calls for an increase in food production to meet the needs of an estimated 2.7 billion more people."Elevated food prices have had dramatic impact on the lives and livelihoods, including increased infant and child mortality, of those already undernourished or living in poverty and spending 70-80 percent of their daily income on food," it reads.The UNEP meeting comes as the host country Kenya is engulfed in a severe food crisis with up to 10 million people facing starvation due to poor rainfall and high fertiliser prices among other things.Kenya's policies were criticised for failing to address the problem by developing systems geared at improving food production. "Kenya should be one of the countries rethinking how agriculture production systems should be improved. Kenya should not be facing food shortage. It needs to be able to feed itself not only today but in years to come even when population increases," Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director said.

Maize flour, the staple food in Kenya, is now retailing at about 80 U.S. cents a kilogramme, way too high for a country where half the population lives on less than a dollar day. A year ago, maize cost the equivalent of 30 cents a kilo.Similarly steep price hikes led to riots in in Cameroon in February 2008, when protesters outraged by high food prices took to the streets demanding huge cuts in prices. The unrest was the worst in 15 years in the central African country."People could not understand how a country which was previously food sufficient could suddenly be food insufficient, with high prices on basic food commodities," Mary Fosi, a senior official in the country's environment ministry told the meeting."The main problem is that mechanised agriculture in the country is very small. There is need to focus on advanced agricultural systems that will increase food production," she noted.It emerges that lack of investment in agricultural development, including modern technology and machinery has played a role in reducing yields in Africa, where most farmers still use the hand hoe to till land. Critics contend that for the continent to achieve food security, it needs to move from the idea of carrying hoes and machetes to the farm and embrace a new era of technology-driven agriculture.But authorities are on the defensive, saying governments cannot afford to invest in new technologies and machinery just yet. "The technology is there; it is not that we do not want it, but our economies are poor," Bonaventure Baya, director of Tanzania's National Environment Management Council told IPS at the meeting.According to Baya, immediate measures to achieve food security must include educating farmers to diversify and plant alternative crops that are resistant to changing climatic conditions. This, he says, will also help conserve the environment. "Intensive land cultivation and growing of the same crop over a long period of time degrades the soil. Increasing food production and security must take into account protection of the environment, including the soil," he observed.

As the meeting considers ways of increasing food production, farmers think they have the answer - government subsidies.Peter Andenje is one such farmer. As chairman of the Association of Small Scale Maize Growers in Kitale, western Kenya, he says the government needs to subsidise fertilisers and high-yielding seeds which are critical in getting increased harvests."Many farmers cannot afford the high cost of fertilisers and seeds; some are now growing the plant without applying fertilisers. This has resulted in to very low yields. Some have abandoned growing the crop because of the high cost of inputs," he said in an interview with IPS.The UNEP document launched at the Nairobi meeting cites the issue of providing subsidies to farmers as a crucial safety net in achieving increased food production and security.But subsidies for African farmers have been vehemently opposed by donors and remain a contentious issue at international trade talks. "What we must not do is neglect the fact that we have an environmental crisis unfolding in the agricultural production sectors and we must tackle that alongside the trade agenda, not one after the other because we are running out of time for both," Steiner stated."This is a reasonable, fair and appropriate measure now that we are facing the challenge of sustainability in agriculture production."

ETHIOPIA: African Nations Need to Better Utilize Emerging Technologies, Say UN Experts: 18 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE are failing to take advantage of technological advances that can improve the delivery of services to their citizens despite the growth in mobile and information and communications technology (ICT) across the continent, United Nations experts told a meeting in Ethiopia."Such developments have not helped Africa to come to the forefront of e-government development," said Richard Kerby, Inter-regional adviser on E- government for the UN Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM).The "Electronic/Mobile Government in Africa" three-day workshop, which kicked off yesterday in Addis Ababa, aims to analyse how governments in the region have put various ICT and mobile applications to use, with a view to developing partnerships for capacity building.It is also an opportunity for the UN to further its thinking on the development of the UN Global Knowledge Repository, an online storeroom for local and national governments to access up-to-date information on electronic/mobile governance.For African Governments to make the most of emerging technologies, countries need to invest heavily in infrastructure, Aida Opoku-Mensah, Director of the ICT, Science and Technology Division of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) told participants in her opening remarks."We need to capitalize on M-applications for public service delivery in areas such as health and education services," she told the senior policymakers, practitioners and experts on electronic and mobile government initiatives attending the workshop.The workshop has been organized by UNECA in partnership with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Central Africa

CAMEROON: Continent Remains Poor Despite Huge Money Transfers – Expert:Kini Nsom:15 February 2009:THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM

Despite the huge sums of money Africa gets from international money transfers and other remittances, the continent's economic development has remained stunted over the years.The Executive Director of the Institute of Financial Development Studies, IFIDS, Simon Awanchiri, expressed this regret in a press conference on February 10 in Yaounde.While announcing that IFIDS would be charting different strategies to reverse this ailing economic paradox in Yaounde from November 23 to 25, Awanchiri said Africa only receives a circa seven percent of the global volume of remittance flow.The meeting dubbed Remittance International Conference will be organised by IFIDS in partnership with Cameroon's Ministry of Finance African.Quoting a World Bank study, Awanchiri said a staggering US 250 billion dollars came into developing countries in 2006.He expressed regret that Africa, which is the poorest continent, receives only seven percent.

"Even then, the absolute amount that Africa receives as remittance is not insignificant and is estimated at over US 20 billion that is equal to FCFA 10 trillion in 2006," he remarked.Even with such a huge amount of money, Awanchiri said Africa has not been able to systematically mobilise the resources for the continent's economic development.The bane of progress here, he emphasized, is that almost 90 percent of the remittances received by Africa are spent essentially on social needs. Hear him: "Remittances in our context, is the portion of migrant workers' earnings which he or she sends home. I guess some of us here have been direct or indirect beneficiaries of remittances.

It could be money sent home by a brother or sister who lives abroad for school fees or money to settle hospital bills, or funds for a family project or just money to help the family in essential daily expenses."According to the IFIDS boss, remittances now surpass overseas development aid and Foreign Direct Investment but have ironically brought no succour to Africa's economic development endeavours.That is why, he stated, the conference will not only focus on looking for ways of swelling Africa's remittances, but would mobilise stakeholders to make sure that such resources trickle down to ensure the development of the continent.Awanchiri disclosed that the Yaounde conference would bring together finance and development experts as well as actors of the money transfer sector from Africa, and the rest of the world to examine issues at stake.They would determine why Africa is not yet cashing in on this remittance opportunity. He said participants would be drawn from the public and private sectors. Equally briefing journalists, a senior economic consultant, Lockna Djaobele, said remittances constitute a very important economic factor in the world. Quoting statistics, he said 10 percent of the world's population benefit from money transfer, adding that of the world's 150 million migrants, 30 million are Africans.

Besides, he said the banks get 10 percent of the profit from money transfers. Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and South Africa were cited as countries that receive the bulk of remittances in Africa, with countries in the central African region tailing the list.The conference therefore will provide a forum for stakeholders to reflect and take decisions to increase remittances in Africa as well as ensure that they are used as a tool for Africa's economic growth.The stakeholders are expected to create an enabling environment for remittances to skyrocket from seven percent to 40 percent of global transactions in 2012. Going by another consultant, Fru Asanji, remittances will be of more economic value that the money migrants send to their families from abroad would be enough to be invested rather than just for consumption.

RWANDA: Leaders Support Cellular Revolution:16 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

Africa's information and communications technology (ICT) sector is vital to the continent's growth and development, says Sami Al-Basheer, director of the development bureau of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The ITU helped organize the Connect Africa Summit that was held in Kigali, Rwanda, in October 2007, and more recently, ITU Telecom Africa in Cairo, Egypt, last May.

Can you tell us about the ITU's strategy to accelerate the end of the digital divide in Africa?As you know the famous Millennium goals are set to be achieved by 2015.We believe that in order to achieve these development goals we must achieve our own goals a little bit earlier. So it was an initiative of the ITU last year to hold the Connect Africa Summit in Kigali, which was really a milestone, and following up the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process.

Could you elaborate on the information society summit? The World Summit on the Information Society was held in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis, where the world community on the highest level decided to implement plans of action in all fields to create and realize the information society we are all seeking to have.The ITU, a key player in this summit, was the organizer and we had many heads of state. We are following to implement this process by focusing on a regional basis. We are giving priority to Africa as most of the need is in Africa, although we have similar problems in the rest of the world.The idea of these regional summits is to attract investment and concentrate the efforts of all stakeholders, from governments, the private sector and civil society, to focus on the continent. We have managed to do that and we are now following to implement this. We have a commitment of 55 billion dollars for Africa... for the next five years.So you can see how impressive the investment in Africa is going to be.

Who are these investors? The great majority come from private industry, especially the mobile [telephone] sector. Some of them come from development agencies like the World Bank, the African Development Bank, other institutions, and also other private sector players around the world. How far have you come in reaching your goals?Of course connecting Africa is not an easy task. So we thought in the [Kigali] summit to have some tangibles, some reasonable goals to achieve. So the goals of the Connect Africa Summit were to interconnect all African capitals and major cities with ICT broadband infrastructure and strengthen connectivity to the rest of the world by 2012 and connect African villages with broadband and ICT services by 2015.We have already achieved some progress but we are at the beginning of our road. We have ITU projects with several partners to deploy a wireless broadband network in a number of countries because we managed to get some funds from foundations like the Macao Foundation. We are also working with Microsoft where they are not only committed to donate money and help Africa... but also what works really for these companies and for Africa is that Africa is ready for business on the highest level. African leaders have spoken out and said they are ready for business and they are willing to open their markets and welcome these investors to come and make a profit in Africa. It's really a mutual benefit for both sides.

What is the cost to Africa and to Africans if these connectivity goals are not achieved?The cost if this is not done is tremendous. The African economy, like any other economy around the world, is dependent on this kind of sector and the ICT sector is the basis for all other sectors to grow. We've seen the relationship between the penetration of these services in a country or in a region and the economic wellbeing of that region. Later on, probably, we'll talk about the great revolution in mobiles in Africa, in mobile voice, for example, in the last few years. Nobody could imagine that this would happen just five years ago. Now some African countries are doubling [subscribers] every year or so.The only way that Africa can really develop its economy and the wellbeing of African citizens is by concentrating on this sector, making the infrastructure needed, opening the market and having the regulatory framework to attract investment. That is what we are doing with our partners.And the fortunate thing and the thing we're very happy and proud of is the African decision-makers are ready to do that. These decisions cannot be made in Geneva or New York or Vienna or any other capital where the UN agencies are. These decisions are done in Africa by Africans. When they are ready the money will be coming. The investment will come and this is what we are realizing now and the ITU is simply helping in this regard.

And how about taxes? Are governments getting closer to lowering these to make connectivity more affordable?We have to admit that the cost of these services is still high in some African countries. But the good thing is by opening up, promoting competition, we're coming to what we call the new wave of regulation for the future that will lower these prices for sure. We're seeing examples of this every month. In the countries where they have more than one operator and they have introduced competition in a transparent way the prices are going down. But we still have a lot to do. We are working with African decision makers to help them achieve this.

And this is the second wave of regulatory reforms that the ITU speaks of?Absolutely. As Africans made this great story in the last five years in the mobile side, it is all due to the first wave of regulation. Many years ago, in the 90s and 80s, we were talking about a penetration rate of less than one percent in most African countries, simply because the regulatory framework was non-existent at that time; it was government controlled.As soon as the Africans were convinced -- and the ITU did a lot with that enabling environment -- we saw the boom in the mobile industry. We feel now in the second wave of regulation that... the same thing will happen to lower prices, to have the rural community connected and so on.

The ITU says Africa is at a crossroads and complacency risks dooming the continent to last place in the ICT race. Whose complacency and what can be done about it?The most important thing is the African decision-makers. We made sure that the highest level and also the ministerial level and the private sector and civil society in Africa are all aware of the importance of this. They are all working together with international community, with agencies like the ITU and other partners, regional organizations in Africa, to remedy the situation.We've seen the progress. People are seeing Africa lead the world in some indicators for the first time in history in this sector. We are proudly talking about now being the leading continent in adding numbers in mobile and fixed services. So Africa is making progress, and making progress in this sector means making progress in all other economic sectors.

How about the status of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and the role of old state-run telecommunications companies? Do you see VoIP as something that is going to gain more momentum?Oh, obviously. It's coming. This is a technology proven elsewhere. I think it will benefit society. We have a problem -- not only in Africa but in most developing countries -- in the number of users of the Internet simply because of the lack of broadband services. That is why the ITU, African agencies, African governments and the private sector are all working to try to remedy this situation, to encourage more fiber cables to connect Africa to the rest of the world, to nearby countries and continents and across the seas, and also within African countries.We need fiber within countries and between countries in order to increase the number of Internet users. As more people use the Internet, infrastructure improves because the technology is there, it's available.We just need to have innovation and ways and means to have the right infrastructure to use it and with affordable prices.

To what extent will the new cables being established off the African coast help to lower connectivity costs?This is the only way we can really encourage lower prices and increase the number of Internet users is by having more of these cables.Unfortunately, the African continent was late with this. It is good that we have many ambitious projects -- not only ambitious, they are achievable -- and they are coming soon. The one will go around the east coast of Africa. Another will go around the west coast of Africa. There are other links also with neighboring countries. There's a cable now linking Mombasa in Kenya with the Gulf. All this was missing before...I am very proud and happy to say that there is good development after the Connect Africa Summit because we put all these projects on the table and had the investors there. We had the policy makers, we had the governments and they all debated and discussed this. Everybody benefits and they realize now they have to go ahead with these cables.

How is the ITU supporting the development of indigenous software or young ICT entrepreneurs?In our big forums we have youth forums where we encourage young people to come and join us and meet with the decision makers in the public and private sectors and learn more about the new technologies and how it can improve their lives and their communities and their countries.In May we had one for Africa in Cairo and it was very successful. We encourage young people to come. Some of them showcase their experiences and their innovation and how they make use of this new technology to improve their, their family's or their community's lives. We are also doing that for our special initiatives and we work with the public and private sectors to encourage these kinds of experiments with young people.

RWANDA: What the Global Financial Crisis Means for Continent: Antoinette M. Sayeh:18 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — There is no question that the global financial crisis is having serious effects on sub-Saharan Africa.The IMF expects economic growth in the region to reach only 3.3 percent this year - only about one-half of the average growth rate over the past decade.As growth around the world has practically come to a halt, so has demand for Africa's products. Thus, for example, as consumers in the United States and Europe cut back, there is less demand for exports from the region. Moreover, the prices for commodities like oil and copper have plunged.

Investors around the world are re-assessing their plans. Investments in Africa's stock and bond markets have fallen already. Moreover, with weakening growth prospects and tight credit markets, it is likely that investors will cut back on their direct investments this year.Until now, the solid growth of these investments had been a welcome payoff to the continent's reform efforts. Meanwhile, Africans working abroad are facing worsening employment prospects so there is a serious risk that they will reduce remittances to their families back home.All these changes are putting pressure not only on the incomes of individual Africans but on the budgets of their governments as well.As demand for African exports falls, companies earn less, and governments take in less in taxes.

With the Government of Tanzania, we are calling a conference March 10-11th in Dar es Salaam where African countries can learn from each other's successes, talk about the best ways to respond to the effects of the global financial crisis, and advise us at the IMF how we can best help them meet their goals for their people.The good news is that many African economies are now much healthier than they were, say, 10 years ago. Many countries have built up comfortable levels of foreign exchange reserves that provide a cushion while these countries adjust to the new economic environment.

Low levels of public debt and high savings in recent years provides some countries with the scope to sustain or even increase government spending and widen deficits, without risking instability. In other cases, however, financing constraints limit this scope.The International Monetary Fund is working with its member countries in Africa to help them ensure that the global crisis does not wipe out the hard-won gains of recent years.To that end, the IMF provided increased financial support to countries that were hit hard by last year's surges in food and fuel prices, and recently introduced a new more flexible financing facility for countries hit by unexpected shocks.We are also providing technical assistance-sending in experts to help our African members strengthen their economic management capacity. We already have three Regional Technical Assistance Centers in the continent, and we plan to open two more.

And finally, we are providing policy advice, drawing on the experience of working with other countries, on how to meet the challenges of a global slowdown.We are encouraging countries to keep focused on their goals not just for this year but for the next several years, so that in responding to the present, governments do not impoverish themselves for the future.More broadly, the international community has a key role to play. In this challenging time for Africa, it is essential that the international community meet its commitments to provide financial support.Beyond that, it is critical that the region is able to benefit from an open trading system because, over time, this remains central to its economic development.Africa cannot avoid the problems facing the global economy, but working together, we can ensure that countries preserve the foundation of their recent success so that they can benefit when the global economy recovers.

ANTOINETTE M. SAYEH is the DIRECTOR, AFRICAN DEPARTMENT INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

Commonwealth Writers' Prize Brings Regional Stories to the World:18 February 2009: Commonwealth News and Information Service (London)

The regional shortlists for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize were announced today, 18 February, bringing Commonwealth tales to a global audienceThe Prize, run by the Commonwealth Foundation with the support of the Macquarie Group Foundation announced six winners per region for the category of Best Book and Best First Book. Regional winners were selected by a high profile panel of literary names from each region.

In the Canada and Caribbean region, Jacob Ross challenged Canadian domination, with the Grenadian's novel Pynter Bender being the only non-Canadian to be short-listed. With echoes of last year's winning Best Book, The Book of Negroes, Ross's novel tells the story of the birth of a modern West Indian island and the shaping of its people as they struggle to shake off the systems that have essentially kept them in slavery for centuries. In a fitting tribute to the scientific book of the same name, the Canada and Caribbean regional shortlist also features The Origin of the Species, where the main character, a graduate student in Montreal during the 1980s, contemplates Charles Darwin's voyage on the Beagle as one of the world's first backpacking journeys.In the Europe and South Asia regional grouping, well known authors Philip Hensher, David Lodge and Salman Rushdie go head-to-head for Best Book. Rushdie last won the regional Prize in 2000 for his novel, The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Former Pakistan pilot and journalist Mohammed Hanif claimed a place in the Best First Book category with his book A Case of Exploding Mangoes, a novel which takes readers inside the C-130 Hercules in which General Zia and the former US Ambassador to Pakistan died in a spectacular and still unexplained crash.South African authors go head-to-head for the awards in all but one of the Africa regional shortlists. Uwem Akpan whose novel, Say You're One of Them, claimed a Best First Book nomination is unique in mixing English, French and local dialects in its narrative, sharing Nigeria's unique mix of ethnicities with the Commonwealth.

In the South East Asia and the Pacific category Aravind Adiga claims a double nomination for Best Book and Best First Book, as the talented Indian author produced a second title in the same year after his already acclaimed novel, The White Tiger.The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, a much valued and sought-after award, aims to reward the best Commonwealth fiction written in English, by both established and new writers, and to take their works to a global audience.The regional winners that emerge from each of the shortlists will be announced on 11 March 2009. These winners will then enter the final phase of the competition and compete for the overall Best Book and Best First Book award. The two overall winners, chosen by an international panel of six judges coming together in New Zealand, will be announced on 16 May at the Auckland Writers' and Readers Festival.

51. HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND SOCIAL ISSUES West Africa

LIBERIA: Accountability Key to Meeting National Gender Equality Goals, Says UN Report: 20 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

Strengthening accountability for commitments made by governments will be vital to achieving gender equality and women's rights, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). "The actions of those in power need to be reviewed and made accountable to women," Hanny Cueva-Beteta, Data and Statistics Specialist with UNIFEM, stressed today at the launch in Monrovia, Liberia, of the agency's flagship publication, Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009.The report, entitled "Who Answers to Women? Gender and Accountability," pointed to vast gaps in accountability between men and women, which lead to weakened participation of women in the formal sector, according to a news release issued by UNIFEM.

Ms. Cueva-Beteta said that in areas such as conflict mediation, women's priorities are silenced and war crimes committed against them are often not prosecuted.In both national governments and multilateral organizations, accountability systems need to be changed and oriented to answer to women, if commitments to gender equality are to move from rhetoric to results, she stated."It is time to move from lip-service to real results," she said, adding that commitments made by governments should be accompanied by funding and planning.There is still a long way to go in that regard, she noted, given that women are outnumbered 4 to 1 in legislatures around the world; over 60 per cent of all unpaid family workers globally are women; and about one-third of women suffer gender-based violence during their lives.Also speaking at the launch, Liberia's President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, highlighted some of achievements made in her country towards women's empowerment. They include the establishment of a special "Criminal Court E," dedicated to gender- based violence crimes with an emphasis on rape, and an empowerment programme, funded by the Nike Foundation, for 1,500 adolescent girls.There is also the Sirleaf Market Women's Fund, which the President set up to support girls' education and improving markets for women.Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf thanked UNIFEM for its efforts in getting countries to make greater commitments towards the empowerment of women and implored those at the launch to "join hands at all levels and work together for the enhancement of women as a means of acting towards the development of society as a whole."

Sierra Leone: President Koroma Wants Speedy End to Special Court:Mohamed Massaquoi:18 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

Freetown — After gracing the Armed Forces Day celebrations, President Ernest Bai Koroma Wednesday said there was a great need for the activities of the Special Court, which is a chapter of the war, to be quickly concluded so that the nation can move on.Addressing members of the management committee of the Special Court who are visiting the country and called on the president at State House, Koroma said, "We are happy about the progress made so far and it's our desire that we bring to a conclusion the issues of the Special Court as soon as possible."

He noted that although the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor would have to continue, those within Sierra Leonean jurisdiction would soon be ended, hence the need for the Court to fold up: "When that happens, we will put the legacy of the war behind us and move on as a nation."The president said he has been very much involved in discussing the residual issues consequential to the Court's closure, and that government would soon come up with proposals to the effect. One thing he however took particular interest in was the issue of enforcing the prison sentences of convicted persons, proposing that it would be desirable to have some of them serve their terms in another country or countries "just as Charles Taylor has been accepted."He thanked the management committee and their respective countries for having seen Sierra Leone through her most difficult period.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the committee, Keith Morrill of Canada, said they were cognizant of the fact that the Special Court was jointly formed by the UN and the Sierra Leone government and would have to notify the president on any developments.He said the Court is now rounding up its activities but there are residual issues like setting up the archives, enforcement of sentences, and the question of new evidences that should be dealt with.He intimated that the treaty that set up the Court would therefore need to be modified by legislation. Mr. Morrill said it should be noted that the Court's sponsors would have to still make contributions because the work has not completely come to an end.Committee members (coming from the US, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Nigeria, and Sierra Leonean diplomats at the UN mission in New York - twelve in all) were introduced by Foreign Affairs minister, Zainab Bangura.

Southern Africa Zimbabwe: Amnesty Calls for UN And AU Human Rights Monitors: Alex Bell:17 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London)

Amnesty International has called on the African Union and the United Nations to send human rights monitors to investigate rights violations committed by Zimbabwe's security forces, after the recent arrests of human rights activists and MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett.On Saturday police in Bulawayo arrested 10 activists after they participated in a peaceful protest. Seven women from the activist organisation Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and three men from Radio Dialogue are being held at Bulawayo Central police station. They have not been charged and their lawyer has been denied access to them.The organisation's call also follows the arrest of Roy Bennett last Friday. According to Amnesty's Zimbabwe expert, Simeon Mawanza, Bennett's arrest "reveals the level of challenges facing the unity government and demonstrates the urgent need to have an international presence to oversee the transitional process.""Amnesty International considers all those arrested for exercising their internationally guaranteed rights to peaceful protest and freedom of association to be prisoners of conscience and therefore calls for their immediate and unconditional release," said Mawanza.

Zimbabwe: Charges Against Woza Activists Dropped, But Harassment Continues: SW Radio Africa (London) :Alex Bell:19 February 2009

The charges against four activists from the pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were finally dropped on Thursday after a prosecutor at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court refused to entertain the fresh charges of criminal nuisance that were brought against them this week.The four, who were arrested last Saturday, were finally brought to court on Thursday after several delaying tactics by police, including changing the charges laid against the group at the last minute on Wednesday. The group had been released from custody on Tuesday night after their refusal to pay 'admission of guilt' fines, and were told to present themselves to the Bulawayo Central Police Station on Wednesday morning to be taken to court. But on Wednesday they were informed by the investigating officer, Constable Masawi, that the charges against them were being changed and so the paperwork would need to be "prepared from the beginning."

The four had already spent four days in deplorable conditions behind bars at the police station, after being arrested along with another 6 members during a WOZA march in the city on Valentines Day last Saturday. The detained activists were all denied access to their lawyers earlier this week but on Tuesday six of the arrested group were released after paying the 'admission of guilt' fines. The remaining four were finally released on Tuesday night in what WOZA called a 'surprising twist' after the group had refused to bow to intimidation to pay the fines.All those released have spoken of the horrific conditions they endured, and explained that the cells were filthy with overflowing toilets and on the first night, they were severely overcrowded. The women were also subjected to invasive strip searches every day, while one woman on anti-retroviral treatment had to fight for access to her tablets every day as police tried to deny her access to her life- saving medication - on one occasion, she was actually denied her ARVs. Two of the women have had to seek medical treatment for bad rashes developed from the filthy conditions.

The harassment of WOZA members by police has continued this week, and even while the charges against the four detained activists were being dropped in court, police interrupted a closed meeting of WOZA members on Thursday. Officers from the Law and Order unit refused to leave the meeting that had been called to discuss the state of education in the country, forcing those present to end the meeting, saying their "freedoms of assembly and speech would be curtailed by the presence of police officers."WOZA leader Jenni Williams on Thursday told SW Radio Africa other forms of harassment have also continued, including so far unexplained police presences at both Williams and co- leader Magodonga Mahlangu's homes in recent days. Williams explained that more details about the harassment would be released on Friday. Meanwhile, Williams said the group's lawyers have compiled papers to pursue legal action against the police, and the individual officers, responsible for the arrest and wrongful detention of their members after Saturday's march.

South Africa: Zim Youths Demo Over Political Detainees:Lance Guma:19 February 2009: SW Radio Africa (London)

Over 150 youths from the Revolutionary Youth Movement of Zimbabwe demonstrated outside South Africa's Union Buildings Thursday, demanding the release of political prisoners held in Zimbabwe.The youths arrived in two hired buses and immediately broke into song and dance. A petition addressed to President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is also head of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), called on him to intervene and have the likes of Deputy Agriculture Minister Roy Bennett and former TV presenter Jestina Mukoko and 30 others released. The youths want an end to ongoing abductions and unlawful detention of activists in Zimbabwe.An official from Motlanthe's office came to receive the petition and he is said to have conveyed a message from the President that he will look into their concerns within the next 2 weeks. In the petition the movement expressed alarm that 'the abduction and unlawful detention of activists in Zimbabwe continues, despite the implementation of the Global Political Agreement which was signed by all parties. Conditions of the GPA have been continuously violated by Zanu PF, notably senior ministers, as well as state agents, notably the CIO, army and police.'

The youths have also reminded President Motlanthe that SADC pressurised the MDC into the coalition government, despite the fact that political prisoners had not been released. The MDC for months raised the issue of the prisoners and the youths feel SADC is not taking the matter seriously. Under the deal SADC and the African Union acted as guarantors of its implementation. So far the two bodies have been invisible, if not complicit, in helping Mugabe avoid censure.One of the youths, John Vincent Chikwari, told Newsreel that Tsvangirai pledged all prisoners would be released before he was sworn in, and they are looking to him to deliver on that promise, even though he went ahead and joined the government.Chikwari believes the return to the rule of law in Zimbabwe should not be treated as a 'process' but rather an 'event' and should happen immediately. 'The future of the inclusive government is in jeopardy because Mugabe and Zanu PF have, through their actions, demonstrated that they are not operating in good faith or honouring the agreement,' he said.

Namibia: Police Deny Claim of Threats After New High Treason Arrest:Werner Menges:19 February 2009:THE NAMIBIAN

THE Namibian Police have made another arrest in connection with the claimed activities of a separatist movement in the Caprivi Region, more than five years after the last arrests of people accused of involvement in an alleged plot to take up arms to secede the Caprivi Region.In a press statement on Monday, the National Society for Human Rights claimed that a resident of the Caprivi Region, Albius Moto Liseli, was arrested early last month on suspicion that he had taken part in the alleged plot.The NSHR also claimed that Police officers involved in the long-running - and still continuing - investigation have threatened Liseli's aged and illiterate mother and forced her to sign a document implicating her son in the alleged plot."We deny it in the strongest terms," Deputy Commissioner Abraham Maasdorp, Commanding Officer of the Police's High Treason Investigation Unit, told The Namibian yesterday.

"No-one was threatened or harassed in any form," Maasdorp said.He confirmed, though, that Liseli had been arrested at Katima Mulilo on January 6.According to records at the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court, Liseli (51), of the village of Kalumba about 10 kilometres south of Katima Mulilo, has been charged with a count of high treason.He made a first court appearance on January 9 and again appeared in court on February 2. According to the case record the court was informed that the Prosecutor General has instructed that further investigations should be done in his case, and the matter was postponed to March 4.Liseli remains in custody in the meantime.Maasdorp said according to information available to the Police Liseli had been staying in Zambia before his arrest.It is alleged that he had been part of a group of 92 people who left the Caprivi Region near the end of October 1998 to seek refuge in Botswana, Maasdorp said.The group of 92, led by exiled alleged separatist leader Mishake Muyongo, left the country after the killing of an alleged member of Muyongo's Caprivi Liberation Army who had escaped from a CLA training camp sparked fears that secret training camps that the separatist organisation had set up in the Caprivi Region were about to be discovered by the Namibian authorities.

Maasdorp said it is thought that Liseli had spent some time at the Dukwe refugee camp in Botswana after leaving Namibia.It is not suspected that he had taken part in the surprise attacks that members of the CLA are accused of having carried out against Government- linked targets at Katima Mulilo on August 2 1999, Maasdorp also said, adding that Liseli however had allegedly been in CLA training camps before leaving Caprivi in late 1998.Liseli's name also cropped up in the indictment that the 12 men who were charged in the second Caprivi high treason trial faced when they were tried in the High Court in Windhoek between March 2005 and July 2007.In that indictment it was alleged that Liseli joined a group of alleged CLA members who had returned to the Caprivi Region from Dukwe in April 2001 as part of a plan to regroup and reactivate the CLA in the region. By July that year, the group divided into five groups, with the group that Liseli was part of going to the Kalumba area, it was alleged.The only other mention of Liseli in the indictment was that he was claimed to have been part of a group of people, allegedly described as "Muyongo's fighters", who were said to be in need of water when one of the suspects in the second treason trial met with some co-accused and other people in the Caprivi Region in September 2001.Alleged to have been in a group with Liseli at that stage were three of the men who ended up being convicted and sentenced to 32 years' imprisonment each in the second high treason trial, two of the suspects who are still being tried in the stalled main Caprivi high treason trial, and also someone who later emerged as a State witness in the main treason trial.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Sudan: Darfur - UN Experts Are Shown Mass Graves After Recent Fighting:17 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

United Nations experts have been sent to the scene of recent fighting between Government forces and armed groups in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, where local residents showed them mass graves in which they said they had buried 45 people, while many others were still unaccounted for.An assessment team sent by the UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) to Wada'ah, 90 kilometres south of El- Fasher in North Darfur, which has been under the control of the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawi faction (SLA/MM) for the past few years, said the damage did not seem to have been caused by combat but rather deliberately inflicted.

"Numerous buildings and equipment - houses, shops, huts, generators - were burnt to the ground as well as the market place, which was allegedly looted and where granaries set on fire were still smouldering when the UNAMID team visited the place," the mission said in a news release, adding that residents indicated that a large number of people, many reported as having fled the fighting, were still unaccounted for."According to the local population, medical supplies at a local dispensary, water pump equipment, goods and food, were allegedly stolen, as well as more than 2,000 cattle herded out of the area."At the same time, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed an agreement of "goodwill and confidence-building" signed in Doha, Qatar, today by the Sudanese Government and one of the rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), for the settlement of the conflict in Darfur, where more than six years of fighting between the Government, allied militia and rebel groups have led to over 300,000 deaths and uprooted over 2.7 million people.

"The Agreement represents a constructive step in the ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful conclusion to this long-running conflict," a statement issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson said. "The Secretary-General underscores that until the parties renounce hostilities, the situation in Darfur cannot improve."Neither a precise casualty toll nor the number of possible wounded at Wada'ah could be obtained. Teams of UNAMID humanitarian, civil affairs and human rights experts have been sent to provide emergency aid, determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incidents, and stabilize the situation by engaging local leaders from all groups to resolve conflicts.UNAMID Force Commander General Martin Luther Agwai expressed grave concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation and for the lives and welfare of civilians there. He also strongly condemned the fighting and called on all parties to refrain from further violence and destruction, urging them to resolve their conflicts peacefully and protecting civilians.Meanwhile Mr. Ban has reported that grave violations continue to be perpetrated against children throughout Sudan by State and non-State parties, including child recruitment and systematic and widespread rape and sexual violence, with children and women in and around refugee and internally displaced persons' (IDP) camps especially vulnerable.In a report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict in Sudan, he calls on the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan, where a peace accord four years ago ended 20 years of civil war, as well as all armed groups in the country to end the recruitment and use of children in their forces and release to the UN those children already in their ranks.

He voices deep concern at the killing and maiming of children and other civilians in the course of military operations, including aerial bombardments, as well at the systematic sexual violence against girls and women that continues with impunity, especially in Darfur.

He also condemns the widespread targeting of humanitarian workers and facilities, which has resulted in the killing of humanitarian workers in Darfur and calls upon the Government to facilitate unhindered and safe access by humanitarian organizations working on child protection issues to affected populations in Darfur.The Secretary- General notes some limited progress in establishing child protection dialogue with parties and highlights important ongoing initiatives by the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan in areas such as adoption of national legislation for the protection of children, establishment of child protection modalities in the national police and a focus on children in the national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.

Somalia: Islamic Clerics Issue Prominent Articles in Mogadishu:19 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Islamic clerics who have been meeting in Mogadishu issued Thursday articles relating to the situation of the country.The clerics built an Islamic Council in their meeting and elected Sheik Bashir Ahmed Salad as the chairman of the Somali Clerics Council.They issued these articles.It is forbidden to kill deliberately to a Muslim person.It is forbidden to judge someone that he/she is an apostate with out religious verdicts.The Islamic clerics suggested to the government to practice Shari law and the Somali parliament has to officially announce with in 90 days from the first of March 2009 that the country would be ruled under the Sharia.

After the clerics read the charter of the transitional government, the council saw Articles against Islamic Sharia law, as article 8 reads, so it is compulsory to the government to change that article or remove it from the charter.The clerics said the government has to tell the foreign troops in the country to leave with in 120 days from the first of March 2009. Extra troops must not be sent to Somalia and the foreign troops can not be attacked with in the period mentioned above.

Islamist oppositions, who are against the government, have to create an environment to fulfill the above mentioned articles and fighting can not be launched.If these articles could not be fulfilled, the Somali Clerics Council would decide what to.

Madagascar: Crisis Resolution Through Learning History's Lessons:Vondrona Miralenta ho an'ny Fampandrosoana:20 February 2009: PAMBAZUKA

In the wake of Madagascar's political crisis, Vondrona Miralenta ho an'ny Fampandrosoana (VMLF) calls for a coalition of interests to transcend party differences for the greater good of the stability of the country and the livelihoods of its population. Pointing the finger of blame at all those fighting over previous weeks, the organisation calls upon political parties to renounce false, self-aggrandising declarations and work towards achieving the effective decentralisation of power and preparations for future municipal and presidential elections.

We, members of the Vondrona Miralenta ho an'ny Fampandrosoana (VMLF) association working to promote women's increased political participation in Madagascar, are outraged and grieving because our sons, daughters, sisters, brothers and friends have been slaughtered.We express our deepest sorrow and concern about the loss of human lives and the deadlock in the life of our nation. In the face of this tragic bloodshed, we affirm that it is utterly inappropriate to take sides with any particular force, and we call on all stakeholders to uphold the nation's interest over any party consideration.

Therefore, to the best of our knowledge and belief, and with as much serenity as possible, we declare that the forces which had been fighting over the last few weeks share the responsibility for the present disaster.The recent history of Madagascar has demonstrated that political practices characterised by power struggles among politicians, a democratic deficit, corrupted governance, social injustice, the protection of private interests at the expense of public interest, and the instrumentalisation of the population through demagogic propositions have led our country into successive crises. It is the same process which brought about the political crises of 1972, 1991, 2002, and the current crisis.

We are determined to contribute to change in political practices and governance in Madagascar, and we affirm that the following principles must be the minimum basis for the code of conduct of political leaders, whether they are in power or in the opposition:- Renounce declarations that provide false information and create confusion, fear or unreasoned hatred among the population

- Listen to the minority(ies), out of respect for the freedom of opinion, even if one has been elected by a majority (which always remains relative anyway)- Respect the separation between the management of public affairs and religious and private economic activities.The resolution of the present crisis requires the immediate creation of a totally neutral and independent body that will be tasked with the establishment of a transitional institution that will be in charge of:

- Undertaking the necessary reforms of the constitution and electoral code- Designing mechanisms that can guarantee the separation of the executive, legislative and judicial powers in order to prevent attempts to accumulate power in the hands of a single individual or party

- Ensuring the effectiveness of the decentralisation process, by sharing responsibilities with each and every decentralised entity and providing them with the means to discharge these responsibilities

- Preparing and organising elections, which will start as soon as feasible at the municipal level and end with the presidential elections

- Ensuring gender equality, that is an equitable and balanced representation of women and men in decision making at all levels, in order to compensate for our slow progress (Madagascar ranks at the bottom end of SADC figures in terms of the percentage of women in parliament).

For all these deaths not to have been in vain, we must adopt sound political practices and we must change in order to move towards a society that is more progressive, more tolerant and more equitable.

Central Africa

Congo-Kinshasa: UN Mission Condemns 'Terror Tactics' Used By Rwandan Hutu Rebels:18 February 2009;UN NEWS SERVICE

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today condemned the "cowardly terror tactics" employed by an armed militia from Rwanda, which has caused havoc in the eastern part of the vast African nation for years.The Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) is conducting a campaign of terror, systematically raping, murdering, looting and abducting civilians in an attempt to undermine the joint Rwanda/DRC military offensive aimed at ridding the group from the DRC, the mission - known by its French acronym MONUC - stated in an information note.

"MONUC condemns these cowardly terror tactics," the mission added, noting that the tactics used by the group are aimed at frustrating efforts at restoring State authority to its former strongholds.The mission has boosted its efforts to protect and reassure threatened populations, mostly in North Kivu province where some 250,000 civilians have been uprooted by fighting between Hutu groups, a mainly Tutsi militia known as the CNDP, the Government army and others since August.The blue helmets have intensified day and night patrols in a bid to prevent the FDLR from committing atrocities against the civilian populations.Congolese army troops (FARDC) have also been deployed in several sensitive zones where MONUC has operational bases: Pinga, Kashebere and Niabyondo (Masisi territory) and Kibua (Walikale) to further bolster the protection of civilians.Last month, in a move supported by MONUC, DRC and Rwanda launched a joint military offensive against the FDLR, which consists of Rwandan Hutus who fled after the Hutu extremist genocide of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994.MONUC has also reported that members of the FDLR are largely refusing an offer of repatriation through the peacekeeping operation's disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration (DDRRR) programme.

Rwanda: Kigali Lauds U.S.-College Suspension of Genocide-Accused Professor:5 February 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

Rwanda welcomed Wednesday the suspension by an American College of a Rwandan Professor, Leopold Munyakazi, accused of having taken part in the 1994 genocide.Professor Munyakazi, who taught French since September at Goucher College in Baltimore, has been suspended pending investigations.The Prosecutor General of Rwanda, Martin Ngoga, told Hirondelle Agency from Kigali that his country would follow up the issue with the US authorities to ensure that the accused faces justice. Rwanda will engage in talks with the US so that the fugitive does not escape justice," he stressed.

Currently, there is no extradition agreement between Rwanda and the United States.According to the President of Goucher College, Sanford Ungar, the 59-year-old Professor Munyakazi, was subject of an indictment by Rwanda since 2006. Ungar, while being careful not to render judgment, explained that the charges were serious.

According to Andrew Dusabe, second Counseller at the Rwandan Embassy in Washington, Munyakazi was accused of having supervised road blocks where ethnic Tutsis were identified and killed during the 1994 genocide, reported the Associated Press (AP)."I never took part in the genocide", claimed the academic, quoted by the agency.Munyakazi was imprisoned in Rwanda from 1994 to 1999.After his provisional release , he left for a seminar in the United States, but he never returned to Rwanda.The Rwandan linguist initially taught at Montclair State College in New Jersey, before joining Goucher College in September.

Rwanda: Kalimanzira Trial - Ex-Govt Officer Draws Negative Assessment of Multi- Party System Before Genocide:10 February 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

At the first day of his testimony for his defence before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the former cabinet director of the ministry of the interior, Callixte Kalimanzira, drew Tuesday a negative assessment of the multi-party system from 1991 to 1994 in his country."What was said in the political meetings was regrettable; they were insults; some benefited to drive out by the force their administrative authorities", told the former Rwandan senior civil servant. "I wanted to change it but an orderly change, not a violent change (...) the multi-party system was a failure in Rwanda", affirmed Kalimanzira who testified in Kinyarwandan."The opposition parties did not have society projects nor political programs; it was a fight for power at all costs", alleged the agronomist by training who belonged to the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), the presidential party at the time.About his relationship with Tutsis, this Hutu who is a native of the Butare prefecture, southern Rwanda, denied ever having practiced ethnic discrimination in his professional or social life.

"I treated everyone in the same way. My father had a Tutsi wife; she was like a mother for us, and my youngest sister married a Tutsi", he declared.He also affirmed that the godfathers and godmothers of his children were Tutsis.His wife, Salome Mukantwali, who testified for him on Thursday, was present Monday in the public gallery.Kalimanzira was appointed cabinet director of the minister of the interior, Faustin Munyazesa, in September 1992.As the second-in-command of this department, he assured its direction in April and May 1994, Minister Munyazesa had chosen not to return from his mission to Tanzania after the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana.The prosecutor accuses Kalimanzira of having brought his support to the policies of the interim government, under which the genocide was perpetrated, and, especially, of having used, his influence, to incite the massacres of Tutsis in his native region of Butare.Kalimanzira, who claims his innocence, will continue his testimony on Wednesday.

52. REFUGEES, IDPs AND MIGRATION Southern Africa

Zimbabwe: Farewell South Africa, But Not Just Yet;19 February 2009:IRIN

Musina — The formation of Zimbabwe's unity government, although seen as a positive step, is not enough to entice Zimbabweans to return to their homeland.John Tinago, a supporter of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who fled to South Africa in November 2008, is adopting a wait-and-see attitude until there is "firm evidence that life has returned to normal", he told IRIN. In the past decade more than three million people are thought to have escaped Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, which has seen hyperinflation reach trillions of percent and unemployment rise to 94 percent.Zimbabweans call it the "Diaspora" - the flight of its citizens to neighbouring states and even further afield to such countries as Britain and Australia to escape their country's collapse.Money earned by those in the diaspora - estimated to be in excess each year of Zimbabwe's best ever annual tobacco harvest, once the primary foreign currency earner - has been remitted to relatives at home.A power-sharing political agreement holds out hope of expatriates returning home to begin the task of rebuilding a shattered country.IRIN spoke to Zimbabweans in three neighbouring countries - Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa - and asked: Is it time to go home?Many have sought greener pastures in neighbouring states, such as South Africa and Botswana, while others have sought economic refuge further afield in Britain and Australia. Tinago is living in a makeshift refugee site near the South African border town of Musina with hundreds of his compatriots who are either seeking or have obtained asylum status.The former primary school teacher said he fled his home town of Chegutu in Mashonaland West Province after word spread that the security forces were trying to arrest him on allegations that he had received military training in neighbouring Botswana.More than 20 people have been detained since late 2008 on allegations that Botswana, a staunch critic of Zimbabwe, was training an armed militia to overthrow President Robert Mugabe after 29 years in power. The allegation has been denied by Botswana and rejected by regional leaders."I have been staying in this camp as officials from the UN assess my application for political asylum," Tinago told IRIN.

On 11 February 2009 Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was installed as prime minister after a power-sharing agreement with Mugabe was signed on 15 September 2008."I am happy that Tsvangirai is now the prime minister and the home affairs ministry [which controls the police] is now shared between [Mugabe's] ZANU-PF and the MDC because that means it will not be easy for the police to arrest political opponents," Tinago said."However, I reckon it is just too early for me to go back home now. I will have to wait for at least six months to see whether the inclusive government will stick, and turn our fortunes around, before seriously considering returning."The early days of the unity government has seen political rivalries remain intact, with detained MDC activists still incarcerated on allegations of banditry and a deputy minister designate, Roy Bennett, arrested on sedition charges soon after returning from self-imposed exile in South Africa.

A leopard can't change its spots

"I hear that our tormentors in ZANU-PF have not changed their spots and still want to harass those that belong to the opposition, and that is one good reason to wait for a long enough period before one can judge wisely," Tinago said.Samukheliso Cele, 24, from Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, told IRIN she arrived at the refugee settlement in September 2008, after being raped by members of the ZANU-PF youth militia.

Her application for asylum was successful and she is allowed to work or study in South Africa. At the settlement she is provided with accommodation and one meal a day by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the South African government. A church organization about four kilometres from her temporary home provides a second daily meal."I don't like living in a refugee camp because that makes me feel like a second-class citizen. However, it is more comfortable here than in my country, where you don't know who will rape you next, and where people die of hunger or from cholera every day," Cele told IRIN."I am still scared of the people who raped me, and will return when the culprits have been arrested and it is safe for me to be back at home."During the day, Cele hawks vegetables and earns extra income by safeguarding the goods left in her custody by Zimbabweans coming to the town to shop for basic supplies.Musina almost felt like home, she said, because of the number of Zimbabweans either living there or coming to buy goods not available in their home country."For as long as business is booming here, and the future in Zimbabwe is not clear, I will hang around," she said. "[I will go home] when salaries mean something once again, and shops restore their glitter."According to a UNHCR report in November 2008, the refugee agency was offering legal and technical expertise to the refugee reception office, which was processing about 350 asylum applications a day, mostly by Zimbabweans.

Tom Sithole, 19, from Zimbabwe's eastern city of Mutare, illegally crossed into South Africa recently and is looking for work."I left my country when Tsvangirai was being sworn in as prime minister because I know it will take a long time before things normalise. I plan to work here up to the end of the year and only then will I return home," Sithole told IRIN. "Things cannot be good enough before that time."

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: Water Shortages Drive Hundreds of Families From Their Homes:19 February 2009:IRIN

Nairobi — Thousands of people in Somalia's south-western Gedo region could starve after acute shortages of water and food, local officials and elders said, appealing for urgent help."Thousands of families in the region are facing a lack of water and food and are on the brink of starvation," Ahmed Mohamed Burkuus, district commissioner of Bulo Hawo, said. "If help does not arrive soon, it may be too late for many."Burkuus said the drought was very severe and "will likely claim many lives if intervention does not arrive soon".

He said the worst-affected areas were in the western part of Gedo region near the Kenyan border. Many wells have dried up, forcing people to move "anywhere where they think they will find something".Burkuus said many destitute families who lost all their livestock were arriving in the town but not finding much help."Bulo Hawo was already hosting displaced from Mogadishu and now we have more than 1,000 drought-displaced. We really cannot cope and need help now."Many other families were heading towards the provincial capital Bardera, to be close to the Juba River, said a local journalist.

Hussein Ali Bihi, chairman of the elders' council in Bardera, told IRIN: "Close to 5,000 families are in the area and more seem to be coming every day."He said most were nomads who have lost their livestock or "come with what is left of them".Bihi warned that if help did not arrive soon, "there is no question that many people will die. This is the worst I have seen in years."He said that the rains in 2008 were poor: "We had some rains last year but not much and we had none the year before."

Bardera families were hosting two to three families each, he said. "These are not rich people and cannot sustain this burden for long. We have reached our limit and can no longer cope," he added.Thousands of families in the region are facing a lack of water and food and are on the brink of starvation

He said that trucking water and providing food assistance to the affected populations was "the most urgent priority".The journalist said that insecurity, due to fighting between Islamists and pro-government forces, had contributed to the problem.He said trading, which many locals depended on for a livelihood, had been disrupted."Many of the urban population depended on the trade and used to support their rural cousins and that has been severely disrupted by the fighting."The insecurity has also forced many aid agencies to leave the area, compounding the problem.

Uganda: Over 20,000 Wakiso Residents Face Displacement From Kabaka's Land:Chris Kiwawulo:15 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — WHEN Elphaz Katende heard that the Mengo establishment was about to force him off a piece of land he has lived on all his life, he got confused.Katende says he is torn between fighting for his land, where his forefathers also lived, and respecting the directive from his Kabaka - Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, to whom he is very loyal."But why would he want to chase us away? Where should we go? Look at me.I was born during Kabaka Chwa's reign. At this age, where can I go?" asked Katende, who relied on guesswork to tell me that he was around 95 years old.

The trouble stems from a signpost that officials from Buganda Land Board (BLB) erected in Busabala, telling Katende and some other residents in over 500 households in Makindye-Sabagabo sub-county, Wakiso district, not to trespass on the Kabaka's land.

Ironically, the signpost was put up without any prior communication to the residents, raising suspicion that 'some rich man could be using the Mengo cover to grab their plots of land'.Katende is among the over 20,000 residents of Kirinda, Buggu, Busabala and Ziranumbu villages who own plots (bibanja) on the Kabaka's 350 square miles of land that the central government returned to Buganda Kingdom."Buganda Land Board. No trespass on Kabaka's land," one of the residents remembers, were the wordings on both sides of the signpost, placed a few metres from the gate to Kaazi scouts ground in Busabala, last month.The panic and confusion the signpost caused forced the residents to remove it.

The signpost, the residents argued, was confusing to them as it was not clear whether it was meant to stop them from accessing their bibanja or otherwise.Like all the other residents, Katende supported the removal of the signpost on grounds that he was bitter that his own Kabaka had masterminded his eviction without any warning."We cannot disobey our Kabaka. We love him so much, but we had just paid sh82,000 to KK Property Consultants hired by Mengo to acquire certificates of occupancy.

Before some of us could even acquire the certificates, people just came and erected a signpost telling us not to trespass. What is the meaning of this?" asked Wasswa Galiwango, a resident of Busabala.The situation nearly turned violent when one of the residents, Fred Katongole, was arrested in connection with removing the signpost and the BLB officials threatened to arrest seven more residents.

The residents demanded that Katongole be released and the threats to arrest more of their fellow residents be rescinded or else they declare war against any Buganda official who dared to cross their area.The residents, who reported the matter to their political leaders, threatened to demonstrate and fight anyone who dared to evict them.They also demanded an explanation from Mengo about the signpost. A few days after his arrest, Katongole was released.On February 6, BLB officials travelled to Busabala playground on the shores of Lake Victoria, about 10 miles from the city centre and held a meeting with the residents of the affected villages.Over 200 of the residents turned up.During a peaceful but heated meeting at Busabala playground along the shores of Lake Victoria on February 6, BLB's estates manager John Kamoome explained that Busabala lies in Kabaka's reserve on his 350 square miles of land.

"Kabaka has never chased and will never chase you away from this land. But the fact is this is gazetted land and if he wants to do anything here, he might choose to resettle you somewhere else or compensate you," Kamoome explained.He revealed that the Kabaka hopes to utilise the Busabala land in the next five to 10 years.Joseph Mukasa Mulindwa, a BLB consultant, apologised to the residents for not giving them prior communication before erecting the signpost, adding: "It was not meant to be put at that place, but at some other unoccupied place." The signpost was erected at one of the residents' plots.Mulindwa, the former Rakai district chairperson, thanked the residents for being calm during the meeting. "We thought you were going to go physical and perhaps beat us, but thank you for being cool-headed."

Two armed Police officers kept an eye as the meeting went on. When the resident insisted that compensating or resettling them were not viable alternatives, Mulindwa said they would report back to the Mengo authorities about their views.In a memorandum read by the four villages' joint secretary, Ibrahim Mukova, the residents said they recognised the fact that they were squatters on Kabaka's land, but requested the Kabaka to consider putting his developments on other parts of his reserve land."We have lived here for over 50 years even before Kabaka (Ronald) Mutebi was born and have our burial grounds here, where shall we go?" asked George William Ssemukasa, the Buggu village vice- chairman.But Kamoome reiterated that the land was reserved and that the Kabaka reserves the right to do whatever he wants on it."What I am telling you is the reality. This land is reserve land for the Kabaka, whether you like it or not."

The residents tasked the BLB officials to convey their message to the Kabaka to look for alternative land, suggesting distant areas like Mubende.They also reported that some BLB officials were engaged in dubious land sales in their villages and that some come in the company of armed soldiers.Kamoome and Mulindwa reassured the residents that no one would grab their land.The BLB officials promised to report all the residents' complaints to the Kabaka and assured them that nobody would evict them.Mulindwa urged them to register their tenancy with Mengo and assured those who have already registered that nobody would evict them.

"We shall send people with BLB identity cards with whom you will register and get your certificates of occupancy," Mulindwa stated.Registration of tenants on Kabaka's land, he explained, would take place in all other areas of Buganda soon.Mengo will not hire K.K Property Consultants to do the registration on its behalf let alone any other private company, Mulindwa said although he was reluctant to give the reason why.Sources, however, reveal that K.K Property Consultants lost the deal after it failed to remit the percentage of funds that were supposed to be paid to Mengo out of the sh82,000 the residents were charged.

Central Africa

Rwanda: More Repatriated From DRC: Stevenson Mugisha:16 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has repatriated another batch of 258 Rwandans from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), immigration officials at Rusizi 1 border confirmed over the weekend.The officials said 51 at the border on Friday while 207 were repatriated on Saturday, among them 42 men, 43 women and 122 children.The former combatants and their families returned home as a result of the ongoing offensive against the Ex-FAR Interahamwe militias mounted by a joint operation between Rwandan and DRC forces.According to security officials, 43 of the returnees are former combatants from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), they include a Lieutenant and five Staff Sergeants.

Speaking to The New Times, the former rebels said they have been living in Kibuwa, Walungu, Masisi and Walikale in the north Kivu area of the eastern DRC.Staff Sergeant Sadiki Isirayiri, 43, a former EX-FAR and resident of former Gashora Commune now in the Eastern Province, said that previous attempts to return with their families had always been foiled by rebel commanders.The FDLR leaders dissuaded them from returning, saying they would be imprisoned or killed on return."I'm very happy to return to my country to reunite with my relatives and family friends whom I had left behind 15 years ago.I am no longer called a refugee," Immaculate Mukamana (62), a former resident of Rukondo in Nyamagabe District said,According to Alfred Safi Uwitonze, the coordinator of Munyagatare Refugee Transit camp, a total of 1,960 civilians have been repatriated from DRC via Rusizi 1 border since January 26.

53. HEALTH (HIV/AIDS, TB, MALARIA etc)

West Africa

SENEGAL: In Brief - Unleashing Mutated Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria:19 February 2009; IRIN

Dakar — Anopheles gambiae may meet its match in Medea.Scientists hope a synthetic gene known as Medea can wipe out the most common mosquito species that spreads malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists are trying to pinpoint the malaria-transmitting gene in mosquitoes and engineer genetically-modified mosquitoes (GMM) that lack the deadly gene. The hope is that GMM will prevail in a survival-of-the-fittest struggle between disease-carrying mosquitoes and the genetically-modified variety.Medea is an acronym for "maternal-effect dominant embryonic arrest", with reference to the Greek myth of a woman who murders her children.In a recently published analysis of GMM research, scientists from the University of California wrote that the creation of a gene that could reduce mosquitoes' ability to spread malaria "is not far away". But given some 400 million infections annually - mostly in sub-Saharan Africa - GMM cannot provide an "all-in-one" solution, according to the scientists.

Nigeria: Meningitis Ravages the North - Over 70 Reported Dead, Hundreds Infected:Damaturu:21 February 2009: DAILY TRUST

Aliyu M. Hamagam — Outbreaks of Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis continue to rear their ugly heads in Northern Nigeria, even as statistics revealed continue to raise concerns. In Kano State, the disease has led to the death of 21 persons out of the 278 cases reported in the state.The Deputy Director, Disease Control of the state's Ministry of Health Dr. Ashiru Rajab, said a total of 278 cases have been reported since the outbreak of the disease in November 2008. Then in Yobe State, many people, including children and women have been confirmed dead following an outbreak in about ten local government areas in the state.

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the state, Dr. Isa Adamu, confirmed this in Damaturu yesterday and stated that Gulani, Fune and Fika Local Government Areas have recorded more casualties. Dr. Isa said at present about 178 cases have been reported in the affected local government. "As for the deaths, I cannot give you figures now but we are trying to collate reports from the affected areas to come out with a comprehensive and up to date report on the disease," he said.Alarmingly, in Gombe State, the disease has claimed the lives 14 people with 224 infected patients undergoing treatment in various health facilities across the state. Speaking to newsmen in his office, Gombe's Commissioner of Health, Dr. Isa Umar, said the first suspected case of the epidemic was reported from Funakaye Local Government area, where it was identified that the outbreak started from a Qur'anic school of almajiri setting. He added that the ministry swooped into action by embarking into immunization of all the Qur'nic schools in the area, saying this had become necessary for subjecting the situation of the epidemic under control in the LGA which had help in only recording the death of a single individual. The North-East's coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hajiya Fatima Abdu Usman disclosed this to Weekly Trust in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Although Kaduna State heeded the warning of the impending epidemic, the outbreak in Ikara Local Government caught its officials napping. Dr. Everton Yarison, the Commissioner of Health, said: "Actually, we have been preparing since last year because there were warnings of an impending outbreak of Meningitis in the North. Before you embark on mass immunisation, especially when you have an epidemic, you have to determine the strain of the bacteria. There are many types of antigens, the seed of the disease. You have to be sure of the antigens that you are vaccinating against. Unfortunately, when the disease breaks out - and even when you know clinically that it is Meningitis - you have to have a laboratory back-up so as to know the antigen that you are dealing with so that you can be able to give effective vaccines. And there is only one of such laboratories in the country and it is in Lagos." Yarison said that is the main problem the healthcare officials fighting the disease are facing.According to Dr. Rajab in Kano, "since the outbreak of the disease last November to date, we have recorded a total of 278 cases in 28 of the 44 local governments areas of the state and out of this figure, 21 people did not survive". He added that the state's health ministry is not surprised at the outbreak of the disease. "The World Health Organization has already alerted states about the anticipated outbreak therefore we have taken all control measures. This happens every ten years or so". Dr Rajab further explained that the state has also embarked on reactive immunization where only people in affected areas are immunized as against the mass immunization saying, this is as a result of shortage in the supply of the vaccine from the Federal Ministry of Health. "[Kano] state has in stock oily chloramphenicol, which is one of the strongest drugs in treating the disease in all hospitals across the state," Dr. Rajab said.

Yarison, in Kaduna, cautioned against lackadaisical approach to signs of the disease. "This is an epidemic and it has the tendency of spreading rapidly. What we are doing is to prepare to go in for treatment in those areas where the cases have been reported, since the vaccines have not arrived. People should as much as possible stay in airy environments because Meningitis thrives where there is poor ventilation and over-crowding. Also, we should boil our water before drinking." In addition, he said, personal hygiene is of utmost importance. Curiously, Yarison mentioned that even states in the country which were not hitherto in the 'Meningitis zone', like Ebonyi, Cross River and Akwa Ibom, have recorded cases. "The Meningitis belt is growing, even in Africa. It used to stop around Equitorial Guinea but it has extended down."Gombe's Commissioner of Health, Dr. Umar said the disease was commonly found in Northern Nigeria because the region lies within what he described as the 'West African Meningitis belt'.

In Maiduguri, Usman said 824 cases of Meningitis were recorded in Jigawa and then out of this figure, 54 deaths were recorded. A laboratory analysis was carried out. Out of the analysis, 10 were negative while 25 were Positive Type A and one case was Positive Type B. Usman said even though Borno enjoys a calm weather at the moment, is very prone to attacks because there are lots of densely populated areas, while the state is famous for intense heat which is likely to be witnessed in a month to come.In Yobe, the people of Ngalda village in Fika Local Government Area expressed disappointment with poor response from the state Ministry of Health despite an outbreak reported some days ago in Bajoga Local Government area of neighbouring Gombe, which claimed several lives. A resident of Ngalda, Mallam Musa, said: "The state authorities have no explanation to give because this has been an annual occurrence, so they should have taken measures to save the people".Back in Borno, Usman said that NEMA has already began campaigning to sensitise people on preventive measures as she urged that especially authorities in boarding schools and residents of crowded areas on the need to adopt preventive measures which include avoidance of sleeping in congested rooms, leaving windows opened through out, reporting symptoms such as severe headache, fever and stiffness around the neck to hospitals while those affected should be isolated to avoid spread.With varying levels of treatment carried out across the states of the North - and the shocking inclusion of states not typically within the 'Meningitis Belt,' - varying results are bound to be recorded. But as the people of Ngalda village rightly raised alarm, will it be enough? That is the question on the lips of concerned Nigerians.

Ghana: Tobacco is Chief Preventable Cause of Death:Ama Achiaa Amankwah:20 February 2009: Public Agenda (Accra)

Tobacco use is regarded as the chief preventable cause of death around the world accounting for over five million deaths and related illness annually. The figure is expected to increase to over eight million by 2030 and 80% of these deaths will occur in developing countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) adopted in May 2003 and which contains evidence-based policies for reducing tobacco use describes the health impact of tobacco use and outlines a shared global commitment to action.The objective of the FCTC is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.Advocates of tobacco control in Sub-Sahara Africa are seriously pushing for the domestication of the FCTC treaty in their countries.At a workshop on Tobacco Control Policy and Advocacy in Accra the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action of Nigeria (ERA) Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, said it was sad that the African continent had become a major target of the tobacco industry and that there was the need to develop a homegrown strategy curb this threat.More than 85% of the world's 1.8 billion young people living in developing countries are aggressively targeted by tobacco companies following stricter regulations in Europe and North America.

"Africa has unfortunately been saddled with a number of diseases and we cannot afford a clearly avoidable addition manufactured by the tobacco industry," he stressed.The Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ACTRI), supported by the Cancer Research, UK and American Cancer Society (ACS) organised the workshop for civil society groups in Anglophone African countries.The objective was to strengthen the knowledge of the tobacco control advocates and empower them to initiate actions to push for effective control policies within their countries.

Tobacco shortens the lifespan of smokers by 25 years with about 70% of people who start smoking from their teens dying by 45.The Project Coordinator of ACTRI, Ms Sandra Moreira, noted the rise in the use of tobacco products among the youth and women is one of the most ominous developments of the tobacco epidemic in Africa.She said that since the continent had few resources for tobacco control, the challenge ahead was to put the FCTC in perspective.

"ACTRI is working to promote the adoption, implementation and enforcement of effective in-country tobacco control policies and legislation, by providing institutional support and capacity building among tobacco control advocates and public health experts from the continent."Currently, the FCTC has been signed by 42 and ratified by 35 African countries while national legislations are undergoing reviews in several African countries.In Ghana, the Ministry of Health is collaborating with other stakeholders to get the Tobacco Bill passed into law.

This will give more meaning to the ratification of the WHO FCTC and will constitute a legal framework for the enforcement of tobacco control activities in Ghana.The WHO is encouraging member states and policy-makers to introduce a law that provides for a ban on all forms of advertisiments, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.It is believed that a 100% smoke- free environment is the only means to protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.

NIGER: 'Pool-Filling' Could Control Malaria, Say Researchers: Wagdy Sawahel:20 February 2009: SciDev.Net (London)

The humble spade could be a major tool in the fight against malaria, according to a computer model that has found that simply filling in puddles of water could halt malaria- carrying mosquitoes in their tracks.The model, developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, is based on the interactions that take place between humans, mosquitoes and the environment - particularly bodies of water - for malaria infection to take place.

It could be used to evaluate the impact of anti-malaria interventions anywhere, provided the correct region-specific data is inputted, the authors say.Researchers created the model using field data from a region in Niger, where they looked at factors such as numbers of larval and adult mosquitoes, the type of malaria-carrying species of mosquito, and the characteristics of pools where the mosquitoes breed.They tested it in the village of Banizoumbou in southwestern Niger - where they found that a 16 per cent increase in rainfall increased mosquito numbers by 132 per cent, which it is assumed would then go on to affect malaria rates. This was backed-up by field data from Banizoumbou.

They also evaluated the impact of different interventions and found that eliminating pools of standing water by filling them in, or draining the land so pools don't last long enough for mosquitoes to mature, can be effective strategies.The authors also say that spreading seeds from the neem tree, which grows locally, in the pools twice a week can reduce the mosquito population by about 50 per cent. The seeds contain a chemical that kills mosquito larvae."This model is an appropriate tool for testing intervention strategies to limit malaria transmission even before implementing them, and for simulating the impact of climate change on malaria transmission," Elfatih Eltahir, professor of civil and environmental engineering who led the research project at MIT, told SciDev.Net.

He adds that the environmental management approaches indicated by the modelling - such as using neem as a larvicide - are low cost and effective for combating malaria in developing countries.Morad Ahmed Morad, a professor of medicine at Tanta University, Egypt, welcomed the model and called for the establishment of a database of simple technologies that could be used to prevent and treat malaria.This could be used as a guide for scientists and policymakers in formulating simple, applicable and cost-effective strategies for dealing with malaria in their regions, he said.The research was published in Water Resources Research in December.

Southern Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: Vaginal Gel Blocks HIV - But Not Enough to Be Scientific Success: Kerry Cullinan: 10 February 2009: Health-e (Cape Town)

Candidate microbicide PRO 2000 cuts HIV transmission by 30 percent, falling just short of the one-third required to be deemed a success. But scientists say this trial offers proof that the concept of a vaginal gel to block HIV is possible.For the first time in over a decade of research, a vaginal gel called PRO 2000 has been show to cut HIV transmission by 30 percent.Principal investigator Professor Gita Ramjee described this as "extremely hopeful" at the simultaneous launch of the results in Durban and Montreal, Canada, yesterday (9 Feb)."This is the first microbicide study in over a decade that shows promise. It suggests that we are on the right track and we will be able to develop a women-controlled product to prevent HIV in the future," said Ramjee, who heads HIV research at the Medical Research Council (MRC).In the past three years, four candidate microbicide have failed to have any effect on HIV transmission, leading to despondency amongst researchers.

PRO 2000 was tested on over 770 women in a huge three-year study involving over 3 000 women in southern Africa and the USA. Only 36 women using PRO 2000 became HIV positive in comparison with around 50 women in the other three groups, who were given either a gel called BufferGel, a water-based placebo gel or no gel at all.This translates into a success rate of 30 percent for PRO 2000 and a success rate of zero for the other microbicide candidate, BufferGel. But according to scientific rules, in order to be judged successful a new product has to be at least one-third effective."PRO 2000 falls short of this by three percent," said Ramjee. "But are waiting for the results of another study involving PRO 2000, which will be released in December, and this may push up the success rate of PRO 2000."Ramjee said she was "delighted" that the gel had a positive effect on HIV even if it fell short of the required one-third, "as it means that the concept of a microbicide is right"."For the millions of women at risk of acquiring HIV, especially young women in Africa, there is now a glimmer of hope," said the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Vice Chancellor, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who led the multi- centre study.Speaking at the Montreal launch, Abdool Karim said that "more research is needed as we can't yet say that we have an effective microbicide".While all women in the study, called HPTN 035, were encouraged to use condoms at all times, among those who tended to use the gel alone without condoms, the gel was found to have a protective effect of 78 percent. However, Ramjee said the numbers of women in this group were too small to draw any conclusions.PRO 2000 acts as an "entry inhibitor", binding to the HI virus and prevents it from effectively attaching itself to the body's T cells, according to Dr Ian McGowan from the Microbicide Trials Network, which co-ordinated the study.Desiree, a trial participant from Chatsworth in Durban who asked only to be identified by her first name, said she was "very glad" about the results."I am glad that there is some progress for the future generation of girls," said Desiree, who has a young daughter of her own.Mrs SM Hlabisa, who chaired the community committee that oversaw the trial in Hlabisa in northern KwaZulu-Natal, said she was "so excited about the result"."In our communities, many women are overpowered by men and can't use condoms. If women have a way of protecting themselves from HIV, it will be so much better," she said.

The women who participated in the trial were given extensive education about HIV/AIDS and monitored for 12 months. They were given vaginal applicators loaded with gel, and told to insert the gel up to an hour before they had sex.Two of the seven study sites were in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where the research was undertaken by the MRC. It was funded by US National Institutes of Health (NIH).The "next generation" of microbicide gels are based on antiretroviral drugs, aimed at preventing HIV from replicating once inside the cell, are also being tested at present, with results expected next year at the earliest.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Eritrea: Inhabitants of Shekaito Administrative Area Becoming Beneficiaries of Improved Health Service: February 2009: Shabait.com (Asmara)

Shekaito — In line with efforts to ensure public health in Southern Red Sea region, the inhabitants of Shekaito administrative area are becoming beneficiaries of improved health service.Report indicated that the health center in the area has introduced additional medical equipments and already began providing voluntary HIV/AIDS blood testing, pregnancy care and the like.The head of the center, Mr. Mohammed Neguse, explained that it is providing medical service to patients from Shekaito, Harsile, Gibdo, Debaisima, Mekaekae and Haili-Edi.

EAST AFRICA: Warmer Climate Gives Malaria New Hunting Grounds: Stephen Leahy:19 February 2009:INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Chicago — Climate change is bringing malaria to regions of Africa where the disease was previously unknown, researchers report from the conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago this week.Interestingly, the Arctic, where climate change is happening fastest, is the best place to study how warming temperatures are affecting infectious disease transmission.Insect-transmitted diseases, primarily malaria, kill 3,000 people in Africa each day, said Andy Dobson of Princeton University in the United States.

Understanding how global warming is altering temperatures and the ecology and ranges of the malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquito is crucial to understanding the dynamics of how insect-transmitted diseases like malaria will change, Dobson told IPS."Ironically, we're spending huge amounts of money on trying to develop vaccines for malaria but the best possible vaccine we could make wouldn't last for longer than two years," he said.That's because the natural lifetime of immunity to malaria is perhaps two years and to eradicate malaria using a vaccine would require vaccinating everyone every year because the malaria parasite evolves quickly, he explained."We're not going to be able to do that," Dobson added.

Instead scientists need to be able to understand and project how and where malaria outbreaks will occur under the altered conditions of climate change. However, there is very little data or research on disease transmission in the field. Rather, the focus has been on developing vaccines and genetic analysis of the malaria parasite and mosquito genome - and that "tells us nothing about transmission", he said."A sad testimony to how the (U.S.) National Institutes of Health and the Gates Foundation spend their money," Dobson told IPS.Malaria epidemics will likely be a new threat to tens of millions of Africans in previously malaria-free highland regions of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, and Rwanda and Burundi, warned Christopher Thomas of Aberystwyth University in Britain.

"This shift is projected to be already underway," Thomas said, based on new computer models of temperature increases. "Malaria is expected to respond quickly to a changed climate because mosquito populations will increase in regions previously too cold."There is little natural immunity to malaria in most of these regions, he added.That also means that some regions, like the Sahel, will see less malaria as they are projected to become too dry for mosquitoes. Still, it's hardly good news since drought conditions would undermine local food security, he said.Warming temperatures can explain the eight-fold increase in malaria in the highlands of western Kenya since the 1970s, said Mercedes Pascual, an ecologist at the University of Michigan, United States.

"Historically, people have settled in these regions to be protected from malaria, but this makes them more sensitive," said Pascual.The lack of previous exposure to the disease means local peoples' resistance is low and mortality is much higher than average. Measured temperature increases in some cases has only been 0.5 C degrees, but in combination with increased resistance to the anti-malaria drug chloroquine, that has been enough to fuel the substantial increases in the disease, she believes."Climate change is a concern right now," Pascual concluded.The lack of understanding of basic mosquito and parasite biology in the field is a serious knowledge gap in determining when and where malaria will strike in new regions, said Matthew Thomas, an entomologist at Penn State University in the U.S.

The female Anopheles mosquitoes spread malaria by biting infected humans and ingesting the malaria parasites along with the blood. The parasites grow very slowly in cooler temperatures and faster when it is warmer. Climate change is not only raising the average temperatures but making nighttime temperatures even warmer.According to Thomas's research, that that can make all the difference because during the first 12 hours of the parasite's incubation, it is very vulnerable to cooler temperatures. Since most mosquitoes bite in the evening or at night, warmer nights are good news for parasites, bad news for humans.

However, Thomas has also learned that if mosquitoes that feed in the morning face rapidly rising daytime temperatures then the malaria parasite development can be stopped. To project what will happen, "We need to understand the effects of temperature and environmental change through the eyes of the mosquito," he said.The best place to understand mosquito biology is the Arctic, suggests Andy Dobson, even if there are no malarial parasites. The primary reason is that climate change is already in fast-forward in the Arctic, well ahead of Africa. The life cycles of local parasites have accelerated with the warming temperatures by a factor of three or four, he said."Mosquito populations have boomed and the caribou are getting hammered," Dobson said.The Arctic also is simpler ecologically, with far less biodiversity than Africa, making it easier to tease out the details of host-parasite interactions. It is a kind of giant disease-transmission lab that could provide early insights into what may happen in the Mediterranean and tropical regions in the future, he explained.It is also important to remember that malaria is a disease of the poor. The southeastern U.S. and the northern portions of Australia have perfect conditions for the disease but are malaria-free, noted Matthew Thomas."We could make serious inroads in understanding the biology in three to five years, but lack funding," said Thomas.

Central Africa

Burundi: Ambitious Target to Cut Malaria Infections:19 February 2009: IRIN

Bujumbura — The government has set itself the challenge of reducing malaria cases by half by the end of 2010 and 80 percent two years later, the health ministry said.Malaria was responsible for 50 percent of all deaths among children under five and more than half of deaths among pregnant women in Burundi, the Minister of Public Health, Emmanuel Gikoro, said."These figures show that malaria is the first cause of mortality and morbidity in Burundi," Gikoro said at an occasion to mark the National Anti-Malaria Day on 18 February.

Between two million and 2.5 million malaria cases were reported annually. "Anaemia is a consequence in more than 77 percent cases of infection among children and in 73 percent of pregnant women," the minister added.To contain the situation, the government had decided to set itself targets, including an 80 percent reduction in cases by the end of 2010."This year, prevention and curative actions are being carried out, notably through the distribution of mosquito nets and a new anti-malaria cure taken in one tablet," Gikoro explained.Burundi's national anti-malaria programme has been adopted with a plan of action that focuses on prevention and treatment at community level. A significant budget allocation has been made to support the programme, alongside other donations.

Strike resolution

Meanwhile, Burundi's health workers and government have signed a protocol to resolve outstanding issues that led to a general strike late last year. However, the medical staff union, which had called the strike, agreed to resume work after a month, pending the outcome of mediation with the government."The signing of the protocol is a major step paving the way to better carry out the remaining work [mediation] scheduled for this week," said Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, former president and one of mediators in the conflict.Without going into details, Ntibantunganya said three areas of contention now remained, relating to possible exoneration from taxation of medical workers, non-salary allowances and retirement age.The workers, including clinical officers and nurses, went on strike to protest against poor pay and working conditions. Initially, the government said the workers' demands would be honoured after a total cancellation of Burundi's debt.Eventually, Ntibantunganya and Jean-Marie Vianney Kavumbagu, former head of the Iteka human rights group, were selected to mediate. Once the talks started in December, services resumed at public hospitals and health centres in the capital, Bujumbura.

54. ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE West Africa

Nigeria: FG to Come Up With Legislation on Oil Spill:19 February 2009; VANGUARD

The Minister for Environment, Mr John Odey, has said that Federal Government will soon come up with effective legislation on oil spill and other environmental degradation.The minister said the legislation would spell out liabilities, responses and compensation for damages caused on the environment.Odey made this known in Nairobi on Tuesday while addressing the 25th Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajayi in Abuja. The minister noted that the time had come for stringent measures to be taken in order to protect the environment and the means of livelihood of the people, particularly those in the Niger-Delta area."As I speak, environmental degradation, climate change, global economic downturn, food and energy crises are the multiple challenges steering us in the face.

"Environmental degradation has been worsened by the vagaries of climate change. Concern to us should be the fact that these challenges if not tackled head-on could weaken our efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," he said.Odey said oil spillage had posed serious environmental problems in Nigeria, particularly the un-ending threats to the marine or aquatic lives in theoil bearing area.He said the means of livelihood of the people had been endangered, adding thatNigeria was in full support of the Global Green Economy Initiative (the Global Green New Deal), which sought to reduce environmental degradation.Odey also said the Green Economy Initiative would channel investments into dynamic economic sectors with gains in conservation of critical ecological resources such as water, quality land and forest."Nigeria supports the initiative on the green economy as it presents opportunities for diversification of our economy that is dependent on oil,"he said. The minister urged his colleagues to form partnership that would see both the developed and the developing nations work together to realise the goal of the global green economy initiative.He said the situation in developing countries, especially African States, had worsened owing to lack of access to technology and inadequate financial resources for appropriate remedial measures.The minister further said Nigeria would continue to play leadership role to enhance the decisions taken by the ad-hoc working group on mercury and the issue of chemicals management.The UNEP meeting aimed at forming stronger multilateral position to tackle the problem of climate change and other environmental problems. Sixty six countries and major environmental groups as well as stakeholders attended the meeting.

Nigeria: Revealed - UK Toxic Wastes Traced to Alaba Market:Akinsanmi Gboyega With Agency Report:19 February 2009; THIS DAY

Lagos — Potentially dangerous toxic wastes from the United Kingdom (UK) have been traced to Alaba International Market and Apapa, all in Lagos state.The wastes, according to Sky News investigation, comprise abandoned TV set, computer and electrical appliances, which are ordinarily meant to be recycledThe report said the wastes "are traced to Lagos port inside the container. We finally managed to track the television down to a shipping container."

At Alaba Market, the report added that youngsters aged between 15 and 20 were seen scavenging for the valuable copper contained in the appliances.It stated: "Because of the toxic nature of some of the components, the appliances should be recycled under strict conditions here in the United Kingdom."Commenting on the development, a UK-based non-governmental organisation, Greenpeace, confirmed that the young people working on such dumps often break apart the electronic items for parts, but in doing so are exposed to poisonous chemicals like mercury, lead and cadmium.

"We basically managed to track a TV going from the UK allegedly as second-hand equipment to Nigeria. When in fact we knew, because we gutted it, this TV, before it left the UK, we took all the insides out and put in a tracker device, which enabled us to track this old TV from the UK, through the recycler to Nigeria.

"Tonnes of toxic waste from municipal dumps in the West are being dumped illegally in countries like Nigeria and Ghana. Hundreds of thousands of broken items like TVs and computers are being sold to dealers on the pretext of re-use. Under EU law, such household appliances must be dismantled or recycled," the charity group stated.But Sky News reported that after being informed that e-waste collected by Hampshire County Council is being sent to West Africa, it teamed up with Greenpeace to investigate the claim.According to Sky News : "Our team found an old television, noted its barcode and product number and, with the help of a qualified engineer, removed a vital working part, rendering it useless. We then inserted a satellite tracker into the television before taking it to the council's recycling centre."The idea was to follow every step of the TV's journey across the world via the internet before pinpointing the exact coordinates of its final destination. Filming undercover, we dropped our television off at a recycling site in Basingstoke which is managed for Hampshire County Council by a firm called Hopkins.

"They in turn sell appliances to a company called BJ Electronics. BJ bought our old television. We then followed the television to the BJ Electronics warehouse in Walthamstow, where BJ claim they test every appliance before selling them on to other companies for export."Our tracker showed our broken television was eventually loaded onto a shipping container at BJ's warehouse then taken to Tilbury where it was exported," the report said.Greenpeace Campaigner, Mr. Erik Albertson, told Sky News Online: "What you see around us could be the remains of one of your old computers or a TV set. The problem with things like this is every now and then, a couple of times a week, they set them on fire and the contents of the chemicals will cause dioxins to escape."Dioxins are well known as one of the toxic substances on earth. They're both carcinogenic and cause endocrine disruption." Back in the UK, we told Hampshire County Council, Hopkins and BJ Electronics of our findings.Hopkins refused to comment. BJ said they had done nothing wrong and were adamant they comply with all the necessary tests. Hampshire Council issued the following statement: "We are extremely disappointed to learn of the potential findings of the investigation.Hampshire Council issued the following statement: "We are extremely disappointed to learn of the potential findings of the investigation.

"Our primary aim has always been to ensure that waste electrical items are reused wherever possible, and that only functional TVs and monitors are sent abroad. We do not condone the exportation of televisions that cannot be reused."If, after our inquiry, it is found that our clear requirements are being compromised by inadequate controls... we will take immediate action and we will publish our findings," the Council stated.As Hampshire County Council carries out its own inquiry, Greenpeace has called on manufacturers of electronic goods to ensure they put in place take back schemes, so that the unwanted appliances are disposed of responsibly, instead of being dumped on poorer countries.

SIERRA LEONE: Ministers to Define National Ocean And Sea Boundaries: 19 February 2009: Concord Times (Freetown)

A Two-Day Ministerial Meeting On "The Outer Limits of the Continental Self", Otherwise Known As the National Area of the Sea Bed, has ended in Abuja With the Agreement to Define the National Ocean And Sea Boundaries of Ecowas Member States.

The meeting, the first to bring together regional ministers on issues related to the outer limits of coastal states, was to evaluate the technical needs of Member States, map out strategies for effective collaboration among neighbouring states as well as decide on the practical measures to be taken to respect the deadline of 13th May 2009 fixed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for the submission of reports by Member States who are seeking to define the outer limits of the continental shelf.As defined by the Convention, coastal States have sovereign rights in a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone with respect to natural resources and certain economic activities as well as exclusive jurisdiction over marine science research and environmental protection.Where States claim that their continental shelf extends beyond 200 nautical miles, submissions have to be made to the UNCLOS Commission before the deadline which expires on 13th May 2009 - except for Liberia which enjoys a special waiver till 2018.The meeting noted that due to certain constraints including poor technical and financial resources as well as relevant expertise and capacity, Member States are facing a great challenge in meeting the deadline.It was therefore agreed that Member States should prepare their preliminary reports and that those on the same level of preparation should make joint submissions.The ministers also recommended that issues relating to the limits of adjacent or opposite boundaries should continue to be discussed in a spirit of cooperation to arrive at a definite delimitation even after the presentation of the preliminary submission.In addition, the ministers recommended that all coastal Member States could, under the framework of the preparation of preliminary information dossier on the extension of the continental shelf, officially solicit the assistance of the Norwegian Government to present their preliminary information before the deadline.

They also agreed to hold a two-day workshop in Accra, Ghana from 25th February 2009 for five Member States - Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo - to consider technical issues regarding the preliminary submissions. The workshop, to be organized in collaboration with Norway, will help address some unresolved cases between Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana as well as between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.In attendance at the Abuja ministerial meeting were Benin, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Also present were the Deputy Minister for International Development of Norway, Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen and a delegation of Norwegian specialists on the Law of the Sea.

At the opening, Mr. Gulbrandsen reiterated the willingness of Norway to assist ECOWAS Member States in meeting the May deadline. He stated that the planned workshop in Accra would encourage regional cooperation on the issue as well help coastal States in presenting their submissions.The minister urged ECOWAS coastal States which have unresolved issues of maritime delimitation between them to make separate or joint submissions requesting the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to make its recommendations without regards to the delimitation of boundaries between those States.In his remarks, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, expressed gratitude to the Government of Norway for offering to assist Member States in meeting the deadline. He urged Member States to set aside all maritime boundary disputes and jointly face the onerous task of delineating the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles, through submissions to the CLCS.

The representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Ambassador Maria Laose who welcomed participants to the meeting, warned that the process of making submissions consists of complex scientific data gathering, analysis and interpretation and that it required huge financial and human resources.She called on Member States to be pragmatic and positive in their deliberations.

NIGERIA: Unep Report Says Environment Investment to Spur Economic Growth;17 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

A newly published report by the UN environmental agency underscores how environmental investments could get the global and national economies back to sustainable work. The report launched in Nairobi yesterday said one third of the around 2.5 trillion dollars (N385 trillion) worth of planned stimulus packages should be invested on 'greening' the world economy to assist in powering the global economy out of recession and onto a Green, 21st century path.The report, "A Global Green New Deal", commissioned on behalf of UNEP's Green Economy Initiative, was written by Prof. Edward B Barbier of the University of Wyoming.

Its findings, alongside those of the UNEP Year Book 2009, were presented to over 100 environment ministers attending UNEP's Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Nairobi."The 2.5 to three trillion dollars to be mobilised over the next 24 months to tackle the economic crisis are sums almost unthinkable just 12 months ago," said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director.

"Spent wisely and creatively they offer the chance to deal with the today's immediate crises and begin focusing and framing a response to those on the horizon from future food shortages, natural resource scarcity, energy security and climate change," he added.

The estimated 750 billion dollars (N11.5 trillion) of green investment, equal to about one per cent of current global GDP, could trigger significant, multiple and potentially transformational returns.Allied to innovative market mechanisms and fiscal policies, these include: stimulating clean tech innovation, stabilising and boosting employment in decent jobs and protecting vulnerable groups.Others include cutting carbon dependency and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing degradation of multi-trillion dollar ecosystems and their goods and services and tackling water scarcity"The Global Green New Deal report, part of the UNEP Green Economy initiative, is being presented to ministers from the North and the South as an anti-dote to the current economic woes.

"It represents an opportunity to accelerate towards innovation-led, low carbon, low waste Green Economy societies with decent employment prospects for many more millions of people."Several economies, such as the U.S.; China; the Republic of Korea; Japan; Germany, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom are already earmarking parts of their multi-billion dollar stimulus packages for environmental investments.This report is designed to inform a public debate and perhaps assist those who may be unsure how to proceed so they too can turn crisis into opportunity," said Steiner.The report said G20, comprising of the 20 largest developed and developing economies, who next meet in London in April, is the first opportunity to begin shaping a Global Green New Deal.Such a deal can also set the stage for a successful outcome to the crucial UN climate change meeting later in the year in Copenhagen, Denmark.

These are among the findings of the Global Green New Deal report, written in consultation with experts from over 25 UN bodies and external organisations including the OECD, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank."This agenda-- this locomotive for sustainable development-- is as relevant to developing and emerging economies as it is to industrialized ones," said Steiner."Greening the economy is as much about greening overseas development aid development; bilateral and multilateral assistance; south-south cooperation and direct foreign investment as it is about national investment," Steiner said.The 154-page Global Green New Deal report outlines a rich array of options and actions available to countries at different points in their economic and developmental paths some of which can be undertaken nationally and others cooperatively at the regional and global level.

Southern Africa

SOUTH AFRICA: Climate Change Threatens Livelihoods Along Continent's Coast: Miriam Mannak: 19 February 2009: INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Cape Town — Environmental experts warn that climate change will lead to oceanic acidification and increase surface water temperatures, especially around the African continent.This will affect fish stocks and, as a result, threaten the livelihoods of small- scale fishing communities."Acidity levels of our oceans predominantly affect fish larvae, which depend on calcium carbonate in the seawater to build their shells, skeletons and cell coverings," explained professor Geoff Brundritt, chairperson of the Global Ocean Observing System in Africa (GOOS Africa). "A higher acidity level hampers this process.""Fish larvae thus have a slimmer chance of reaching adulthood, which hampers the fish from reproducing and keeping the stocks in shape," he added. "This not only threatens the future of fish stocks, it also poses a threat to communities that depend on fishing for their survival."

Fishing communities in the developing world, including southern Africa, are already among the most vulnerable population groups in the world. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), their living conditions are characterised by overcrowding, low levels of education as well as lack of access to schools, health care facilities and infrastructure, such as roads or markets to sell their ware.Operating like enormous "vacuum cleaners", oceans naturally absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, said Brundritt. But because levels of this acidic gas in the air have increased due to climate change, oceans have been sucking up more CO2 than previously, which has contributed to oceanic acidification.The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported in 2007 that the oceans' pH - currently between 7.9 and 8.2 - will fall by a further 0.14 to 0.35 units before the turn of the century. The lower the pH, the more acidic the water; the ideal pH level in saltwater systems should lie between 7.6 and 8.4.

Rising temperatures

To make matters worse, rising temperatures of sea surface waters also negatively affect fish stocks."Higher sea surface temperatures do not kill fish as such, but they do seem to chase them away from their grounds, which has an impact on the communities who rely on these stocks," said Larry Hutchings, marine and coastal management researcher for the City of Cape Town in South Africa.As a result, small-scale fishermen will have to go further and further out to sea to cast their nets, but most of them cannot afford to invest in the necessary boats and technology to do so.Already in 2007, South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism deputy general, Monde Mayekiso, publicly warned about the averse effects climate change is likely to have in fishermen's livelihoods."Scientists have not categorically stated that migration of sardines, for example, is caused by climate change but we do note that the reduction of fish along the West Coast has been associated with extraordinarily warmer water," he told The Citizen newspaper. "This suggests that it could be [related to] climate change."

Mafaniso Hara, senior researcher at the South African Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) agrees: "We suspect that the migration of sardines to the South Coast, in the area of Mossel Bay, indeed has to do with rising sea surface temperatures. The catches have declined from 300,000 tons a few years ago to 100,000 tons per year."As a result, fishing communities along South Africa's West Coast are feeling the pinch, even though schools of another fish species, horse mackerel, have moved closer to shore. But these fish are less valuable on the market and harder to catch than sardines."Horse mackerels live at greater depths, where the water is cooler," Hutchings said. "As a result, these fish can only be caught with big trawlers and are therefore out of reach of small-scale fishermen."The migration of the sardines has already had a negative impact on employment along the West Coast, Hara said: "There is not enough fish for processing, so jobs have been cut and people retrenched. This has a big impact on communities along the West Coast, which already struggle with poverty."

Job cuts

According to PLAAS, many fishing communities along the West Coast fully depend on the fishing industry and government grants, like child support grants, for their survival. With the fishing industry declining, communities will rely more and more on being supported by the grant system."In Hondeklipbaai, a small fishing community on the West Coast, for instance, people are fully dependent on government grants for their survival, as the fishing industry there has almost vanished," said PLAAS researcher Moeniba Issacs. "If these grants would be pulled out for one reason or another, this community would be doomed."Fishing communities on the country's West Coast are also taking strain because rock lobsters, another major source of income, have started to migrate southwards.Figures by the South African department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) show that 30 years ago, 70 percent of rock lobster was caught along the West Coast. Today, 90 percent is caught about 300 kilometres further south, close to Cape Point.

But, Hutchings said, both the sardine and rock lobster migration are a two-edged sword: "While fishermen along the West Coast are struggling as a result of migrating fish and rock lobster, communities along the South Coast and around Mossel Bay have gained employment and are better off."Theoretically, one could suggest that fishing communities along the West Coast should move with the fish, but this is easier said than done, explains Hutchings, as the distance between for instance Hondeklipbaai and Mossel Bay is approximately 800 kilometres."As I pointed out, most West Coast fishermen are very poor," agreed Isaacs. "They can't pack their bags and leave, because they don't have the financial means to do so."Sustained livelihoods for more than 30,000 who live in fishing communities along South Africa's coast are also limited by quotas, which allocate the majority of allowable catches to the commercial fishing industry.

Mozambique: Erosion Threatens to Destroy Island:19 February 2009:IRIN

Maputo — The island of Xefina, in the Bay of Maputo, is gradually disappearing under the waves, thanks to coastal erosion caused largely by the self-destructive behaviour of the island's few inhabitants.Xefina was used under colonial rule as a leper colony, a military installation, and a jail for political prisoners. At independence in 1975, the prison was closed, and since then the old military installations have been slowly decaying,Thanks to coastal erosion, the sea has been making severe inroads into the north of the island, and threatens to engulf the old Portuguese cannons and walls. Part of a colonial airstrip has already disappeared.

On Wednesday, the governor of Maputo City, Rosa da Silva, visited the island, where about 60 people eke out a living from fishing. According to a report in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", she urged the population to take measures to halt the erosion, notably by planting trees.But there used to be plenty of trees on Xefina. The local people, however, have been cutting them down for firewood, thus hastening the day when they will have little option but to evacuate the island.

Xefina serves as a barrier, protecting coastal Maputo neighbourhoods such as Costa do Sol and Pescadores from the full force of the Indian Ocean. If the island disappears, those neighbourhoods, already under threat from erosion, will suffer much more severe batterings,Xefina also, despite its small size, has considerable plant diversity. But as the island shrinks, the number of plants it can support diminishes.Arnaldo Simango, a city architect who accompanied the governor, said a solution to the problem went beyond the powers of the city government. Since very large scale investment was required, it would need the involvement of the central authorities.There are no facilities on Xefina, and the government appears to have shelved plans to turn it into a tourist resort, which would involve building a bridge linking it to the mainland.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Uganda: 4,000 Farmers Plant Trees:Chris Ahimbisibwe:16 February 2009: THE NEW VISION

Kampala — OVER 2.4 million trees have been planted in Kanungu, Bushenyi and Kabale districts. The trees were planted by over 4,816 small hold farmers with support from The International Small Group and Tree Planting programme (TIST).TIST is a community-based tree planting programme developed to harness the economic potential of the green house gas carbon market to address deforestation and provide economic, health and environmental benefits.Andrew Dinsmore, the field officer of East Africa, said Uganda had benefited from the sh12b that had been donated. While addressing stakeholders at Katungu Mother's Union Centre in Bushenyi on Thursday, Dinsmore said farmers should to be supported in conserving the environment.Under the programme, the farmers are given trees to plant on their land. They then keep all tree products such as fruits, nuts and deadwood and receive sustainable development training from the sponsors.Dinsmore said farmers had been supported to plant fruit and indigenous trees other than pine and eucalyptus trees alone.Dinsmore said Africa needed to act quickly to conserve the environment.He said if the trend of deforestation continued, the continent would face floods, famine, drought, a low water table and fuel shortage.Dinsmore said farmers cut trees because they were not aware of the environmental dangers.

KENYA: Join Climate Neutral Network, Continent Urged:20 February 2009:URIN

Nairobi — African countries, despite being among the world's smallest contributors to carbon emissions, as well as businesses and institutions operating on the continent, should join the year-old Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), officials said on 19 February."Successful economies of the future will have to be carbon neutral and Africa and other developing countries must not be left behind," Roberto Dobles Mora, Costa Rica's minister for environment and energy, told a news conference during the 25th session of the Governing Council of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Kenyan capital."In order to become climate neutral, African countries have to become efficient, reduce costs and use renewable energy," Mora said. "Governments must strive to modernise their operations in order to mitigate their carbon emissions in areas such as transportation and generation of renewable energy."

He said Africa could benefit from CN Net by information-sharing, twinning with cities or organisations that are already climate neutral and replicating innovations that have been tried and tested by climate neutral entities.Mora was one of four officials at the news conference convened to announce the 100th participant of the CN Net, the city of Copenhagen, which will host the UN Climate Change Conference in December 2009.Under its vision of becoming the "climate capital of the world", Copenhagen has already cut its CO2 emissions by one-fifth since 1990 and has pledged another 20 percent cut by 2020, according to UNEP.In a tele-video message, Klaus Bondam, Copenhagen's mayor for technology and environment, said: "As the mayor of a city that has our common struggle against climate change at heart, I am pleased to see that so many cities around the world have committed themselves to strong CO2 reduction goals and joined the Climate Neutral Network."Fifty percent of the world's population live in cities, and cities worldwide are responsible for 75 percent of the global CO2 emissions. Hence, if nations truly want to combat climate change, cities and urban populations are their most important allies in the struggle."

Spread the word

CN Net, a UNEP-led initiative, aims to promote global action towards low-carbon economies and societies. It was launched in 2008 with four countries, four cities and five companies. The network brings together small and big countries, cities, international companies, UN agencies and NGOs."One year on, the unfolding financial environmental crises make the CN Net more relevant than ever before as a showcase of both the promise and viability of the low-carbon development model which goes hand-in-hand with the emerging Green Economy initiatives around the globe," Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, said.UNEP spokesman Nick Nuttall said the CN Net was part of efforts to stem growing pessimism on whether or not a deal for a climate-friendly planet would be delivered at the Copenhagen summit in December."We aim to see people living in zero- emission societies, and CN Net is delivering innovations as well, and people get to learn what the others are doing and getting empowered on the possibilities available," he said.

He said UNEP would strive to communicate better CN Net's efforts to Africa and other developing nations since it was not an initiative for the developed countries alone."The entire world must go green, become less dependent on fossil fuels; this is not targeted at developed economies only," he said.

KENYA: Ministers Say Yes to Mercury Treaty: Joyce Mulama:21 February 2009: INTER SERVICE NEWS AGENCY

Nairobi — Six thousand tonnes of mercury enter the environment every year, posing a threat to human and animal health. Environment ministers meeting in Kenya have agreed to negotiate a treaty to reduce the supply and use of mercury worldwide.The ministers from 140 countries, attending UNEP's Governing Council meeting in Nairobi Feb 16-20, reached consensus to begin negotiating a legally-binding instrument to control mercury pollution next year, leading to a treaty for signature in 2013.

Governments also agreed to increase the budget of UNEP, support renewable energy and energy efficiency, and underlined the importance of investment in a "green economy" as part of worldwide economic recovery.Mercury is found in thermometers and household products, and is used in plastic production and mining. UNEP says of the around 6,000 tonnes of mercury entering the environment annually, some 2000 tonnes comes from power plants and coal burned in homes. The dense and highly toxic metal stays in the environment once released, travelling across the globe on air and sea currents.

"This decision to develop a mercury treaty is the first step in addressing the global mercury crisis. Levels of mercury have increased two- to three-fold in the last 200 years, to the point where large fish such as tuna, swordfish, shark, are not safe [to eat]," mercury campaigner Michael Bender told IPS.Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that makes its way up to the food chain into humans. Even slight exposure to its most toxic form, methylmercury, causes irreversible damage to developing brain of children. In some countries, women of child-bearing age are advised not to eat certain types of fish with high mercury levels, particularly large predatory fish which have been established to contain high levels of mercury.

Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project, a U.S.-based organisation promoting policies to eliminate mercury use, said, "The main concern is that pregnant mothers and foetuses are at greater risk of developing complications from consuming mercury contaminated fish."While public awareness of poisoning from fish contamination is crucial, questions are being raised over the practicability of this dietary suggestion. "Such dietary restriction is terrible and impossible for many fisher communities in the world. For some people, because of the poverty level, fish is all they can afford because they can get it very fast straight from the water," said a statement by the Women's Major Group, comprising women present at the UNEP governing council meeting.Another source of mercury poisioning is the substantial amounts of mercury used in mineral processing, often in highly unsafe and environmentally hazardous conditions. It is estimated that in more than 50 developing countries across Asia, Africa and South America, there are about 15 million artisanal and small-scale miners.

Upwards of 100 million people may be affected, directly and indirectly, by mercury from this sector, according to a 2007 global mercury project undertaken jointly by the Global Environment Facility, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme."The workers are working in mines handling mercury like water; without gloves, barefoot and almost naked. They go back home with traces of mercury on their hands, putting the lives of those they live with in danger of inhaling mercury vapour," said Hemsing Hurrynag, the Africa coordinator Zero Mercury Campaign, an international coalition of 75 non-governmental organisations advocating for mercury reduction.He says there is little awareness of the dangers of mercury both to humans and the environment in communities surrounding mines, where extensive environmental degradation and ecosystem contamination has been recorded, going on for decades after mining activities have ceased.A UNEP 2008 publication, Mercury Use in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining, states that the rising price of gold - up from 260 dollars per ounce in March 2001 to over 1000 dollars per ounce in March 2008 - has seen a gold rush involving poverty-driven miners in many countries. Small-scale mining provides an important source of income in rural communities and regions where economic alternatives are limited.

Given that emissions from one country are transported through the air water, mercury emissions are a global issue. Earlier resistance to a legally-binding treaty came from countries that are heavily dependent on coal for power generation. India and China previously supported only voluntary cuts in emissions. The new government of the United States also reversed its position, clearing the way for negotiations to begin. Under the Bush administration, the U.S. opposed any international efforts to reach legally- binding agreements such as the one now proposed for mercury.The intended treaty is expected to reduce production of mercury, provide for safe storage of existing stockpiles and establish awareness creation mechanisms that will inform populations about the threats posed by this toxic substance.According to UNEP's executive director, Achim Steiner, the global nature of mercury pollution requires well-coordinated international efforts that compel countries to commit to each other. And his organisation is embarking straight away on action."We are not waiting until the legally binding instrument is ratified; we are enhancing partnerships around the world and the kind of activities that UNEP will undertake with many national governments, the private sector, civil society and indeed other organizations in the multilateral system to accelerate where possible, the reduction of mercury, and ultimately a phase-out on certain processes," he said. Eritrea: Soil and Water Conservation Activities Being Stepped Up in Central Region:18 February 2009: Shabait.com (Asmara)

Asmara — The Ministry of Agriculture branch in the Central region carried out effective soil and water conservation activities last year in 21 villages.Accordingly, about 338 km- long terracing has been put in place in which more than 52,000 people took part. Meanwhile, an interest-free loan amounting to over 7 million Nakfa has been extended to about 700 farmers in the sub-zones of Gala-Nefhi, Berikh and Serejeka that would be paid back within a year.As regards efforts to develop irrigation farming, the branch office disclosed that the water holding capacity of micro-dams in Adi-Nifas and Tseada Kristian have been upgraded double-fold as a result of the renovation task undertaken. A water reservoir with a capacity of holding over 30,000 cubic meters of water has also been constructed.

In addition, wells have been dug in Geremi, Shimanugus Laelai and Mesfinto, while a 4.5 km-long irrigation infrastructure has been put in place in Geshinashim. Encouraging tasks have been undertaken focusing on promoting reforestation, construction of embankments and terraces, among others.

55. ECONOMY AND ENERGY West Africa

Nigeria: Govt, Algeria Meet On N1.8 Trillion Saharan Gas Pipeline:Ese Awhotu:20 February 2009:Leadership (Abuja)

The Nigerian government yesterday held talks with the Algerian government on the 4,300km long, 48-56 inches diameter Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), which would connect the Niger Delta in Nigeria and Niger, to existing gas transmission hubs to the European Union at El Kala or Beni Saf in Algeria's Mediterranean coast. It is expected to cost $12 billion(about N1.87trillion naira).The Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),Alhaji Sanusi Barkindo, who led the Nigerian delegation to the meeting held at the NNPC towers Abuja, described the project as one that would have multiplier effect on the economies of the nation involved and the consumers of the product.

"The project has multiplier effects on our economies. It is a competitive project, a source of diversifying sources of energy and strengthening the global interdependency of both consumers and an avenue for producers," he notedBarkindo stated that the project, which is already attracting the interest of consumers, participants and financiers, is strategic to the European Union (EU) and should not be bedeviled with commercial and technical issues. He therefore called for the signatures of the governments concerned with the project in all commercial and technical issues relating to it."The immediate challenge is to clean up the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between our countries including Niger for the signatures of our three governments. All the commercial and technical issues relating to this project should be signed to the joint venture agreement," he offered.The NNPC boss said the MoU would be the umbrella document setting in broad terms, the objective of going into the project and would demonstrate to the international community, the preparedness of the respective countries involved to pursue it to a logical conclusion.

He declared that the Nigerian Gas Master Plan would be the blue print for both the development of domestic and export gas and would provide infinite flexibility to meet the market demand of consumers.Barkindo said the project is fully in tune with the gas master plan, seeking to balance domestic and export of gas for Nigeria.

Speaking at the meeting the leader of the Algerian delegation and Chief Executive of Sonatrac,Mohammed Meziane disclosed that the project would gulp $12billion and would be completed between 2015 and 2017.He said the project was very complex one and Algeria already agreed to accelerate its development.

West Africa: 'Recession Won't Affect Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline':Patrick Ugeh:20 February 2009: THIS DAY

Abuja — Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Mohammed Barkindo, had said that the economic recession will not affect on-going Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project.Barkindo said this yesterday in Abuja, when Chief Executive Officer of Sonatrac, the Algerian cement company, Mr Mohammed Meziane, led a delegation to his office.He said the project would not contradict the gas master plan as the latter requires a balancing of export demands with domestic gas obligations.

Meziane said they were in Nigeria for bilateral talks on how to put finishing touches to the Memorandum of Understanding earlier entered by both countries on the 4,000- kilometre Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project, estimated at $12 billion, and expected to supply gas to Europe through the Sahara Desert.Barkindo and Meziane contended that with the huge demand for gas in Europe and the quest to diversify supply, there was a guarantee that demand for gas from Nigeria would continue for a long time, possibly for 40 years.Barkindo said financing of the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline would not be jeopardised by the global recession, as the project has attracted sustained interest of financiers, in spite of the meltdown.According to him, a European Union representative was in Nigeria recently, during which he stressed the importance of the project, adding that the Trans-Saharan gas project had started receiving Expressions of Interest from international oil companies and other potential financiers.NNPC would participate in the entire process up to the marketing in Europe. "We fully intend to maximise value in the entire gas chain," he said

Ghana: Rice Farmers' Markets So Close And Yet Out of Reach:Francis Kokutse:21 February 2009;INTER PRESS SERVICE NEWS AGENCY Accra — Last year, rice farmers took to the streets of Ghana's capital of Accra and accused the government of allowing imports to destroy their livelihoods.Among those who have campaigned hard for the farmers over the past year is Edward Kareweh, presently deputy general secretary of the General Agricultural Workers' Union (GAWU) of the Ghana Trade Unions Congress.

Before his present position Kareweh was a rice farmer in the 1980s. He has suffered what farmers are today demonstrating about. "My 60 hectare rice farm in the Fumbisi Valley in the Upper East Region (in the north of the country) was destroyed because of the policies that the government pursued in the past. I lost everything," he laments.Kareweh blames the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for "the unbridled liberalisation policy that they made the government pursue and which resulted in the removal of subsidies to rice farmers", a move that favoured imports."The consequence has been that it helped to destroy the economy of the northern region which was built on rice farming," Kareweh says in an interview with IPS.The ministry of agriculture's data indicates that rice consumption in the country has been on the increase since the early 1990s. In 2005, total rice consumption amounted to between 450,000 and 500,000 metric tons.

In a survey conducted by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), it was estimated that local rice production was at about 290,000 metric tons by 2006. This clearly shows that there is a deficit in supply.The shortfall in supply has given a basis for some people to argue that rice imports have augmented domestic production. Kareweh disagrees: "the policy framework that exists today does not support farmers to strive to increase their outputs."Rice production is collapsing because the farmers do not have access to markets which have been taken over by cheap imports from abroad."Executive secretary for the local lobby group, Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB), Fedelis Avogo, answers "yes and no" when asked about the effects of imports on local rice production.He notes that "rapid population growth and consequent urbanisation, combined with changes in the way we live, has contributed hugely to the demand for rice in the country. This should have been matched by the appropriate policy frameworks to assist the local farmers."The lower prices of imported rice are as a result of the advantages that the foreign suppliers have over the local farmers. It makes it difficult for any serious competition. The other side is that our current production capacity is low and we have to find a way of addressing the problem."Accordingly, GRIB has suggested the establishment of a rice development fund by the government to help with land development, something that is capital intensive in rice production.

John Awuni, corporate affairs director of Finatrade, one of the leading rice importers in the country, argues in return that, "imports in the case of Ghana have not killed local rice production because the local rice sector has never been capable of producing enough to feed the population over the years."He admits that local rice production has been deficient in infrastructure, personnel and expertise. But, he asks, "should any government put a stop to rice importation? Local production would need over a decade of consistent planning to improve in order to fill the gap." Awuni claims rice farmers have always used the removal of subsidies as an excuse to "cover their deficiencies in production. Over the years, Ghana has relied on rainfall to support rice production with no intervention by the private sector".But, retorts Musah Iddris, a one-time farmer from Tamale in the north of the country, "this argument is what annoys us because the government has refused to support the sector with adequate extension services, the right technology and even in the matter of seeds, as they have done with cocoa for example".The reality of the north is that the large tracts of lowlands that people have used for rice farming is also vulnerable to the weather.Iddris describes it thus: "when it rains in the north, it turns into floods destroying farms and property and that is why we have called on the government to provide support in the form of irrigable lands away from the flood-prone areas, but this has not been forthcoming."It is, however, heartening to note that the government is not sleeping on the issue.

The northern regional director of agriculture, Sylvester Adongo, announced just before Christmas last year that 813 farmers have been assisted in the three northern regions with land preparation, the acquisition of certified rice seeds and the purchase of subsidised fertiliser to cultivate 10,000 hectares.Adongo said that there were about 400,000 hectares of lowlands in the three regions capable of producing about 200,000 tonnes of paddy rice a year. In addition to this, the government is trying to revive an abandoned rice irrigation project at Aveyime in the east of the country which, if it comes on board, would help improve rice production in the country.These moves make Iddris hopeful for the future but he poses the question: "what will I be doing until then?"

Ghana: Oil "Hot Spot" - Ghana Urged to Proceed With Caution:Daniel Nonor:19 February 2009:THE CHRONICLE.

The government of Ghana has been urged to implement pragmatic measures and proceed with caution to ensure a transparent, accountable and efficient development of the oil and gas industry and the revenue it will generate for the social good of the citizenry.

A statement jointly issued by the Integrated Social Development Center and Oxfam America and Ghana, indicate that whiles Ghana's oil discovery has generated enormous interest in the country's oil production potential, a sad story is told of how the exploitation of natural resources in Africa has led to the increase in poverty and conflicts on the continent.It said in too many countries oil booms have bred corruption, underdevelopment, social conflict and environmental damages. "Ghana's challenge as an "oil hot spot" will be to ensure that the right institutions and transparent policies are in place before production even begins".

The group said it was important that the government of Ghana enacts a moratorium on signing new licenses, so they can organize an open bidding and allow the country's legal and institutional frame work to catch up on the pace of oil development, whiles it strives to ensure a transparent revenue payment practice. "Whiles these steps are not by themselves a simple recipe for overcoming the threats posed by the oil boom, it is difficult to see Ghana succeed without them." the group reiterated. The group recounted that last year Africa produced 12.5 percent of the world's oil with great investment and exploration throughout the continent, but noted that this has yet to translate into tangible benefits for the continent's poor.It indicated further that as estimated, Ghana will be producing approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day, along with significant quantities of gas.The Jubilee field has 600 million barrels of proven reserves and 1.2 billion barrels of probable reserves and the International Monetary Fund has also predicted that government's revenue from oil and gas could reach a cumulative $20 billion over a production period of 2012-2030 in the jubilee field alone.

The group further contended that although mining law reforms and changes to investment rules in the last 20 years has led to a significant boom in mining investment in the country, gold mining has ironically led to small government revenues, increased conflict between companies and local communities, the removal of families from their lands, and increased environmental degradation. The group thus urged that while some progress has been made in the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, government should be fully committed to extend this work to the petroleum sector.

Nigeria: Country Tops Africa Investment Index:Paul Ohia With Agency Report:20 February 2009;THIS DAY

Lagos — A new index of African potential investor destination has rated Nigeria as the topmost country that qualifies as a reliable target for probable business men on the lookout for safe grounds to invest on the continent.The survey organisers, African Rainbow, also said the continent offers good potential growth even against the global economic crisis.Nigeria's laws and regulations make the country one of the best investment destination in the world because her legislations and regulations provide a very conducive environment for investors.

Unlike other countries where their laws permit remittance of certain percentage of profit, that of Nigeria permits repatriation of 100 per cent of the profit made by investors.Also, before the stock market meltdown which began in March 2008, Nigeria's stock market was one the most sought after by investors who needed high returns on their investments.

In 2007 for instance, the Nigeria Stock Exchange All Share Index appreciated by 74.7 per cent, while some individual stocks gave investors returns as high as 1,000 per cent.Africa, regarded as the world's poorest continent, had seen an investment boom in recent years but flows into the region are seen drying up as the global financial crisis and falling commodity prices take the shine off what were seen as promising frontier markets.Reuters news agency reported that business consultancy, African Rainbow's Star of Africa, index ranks 53 African countries in terms of their investment potential in various fields, with its creators arguing that potential growth in energy, water and communications consumption could amply reward investors taking the risk. Ethiopia came second.

"It is for investors to make sure they don't miss a trick by overlooking a country they would otherwise have missed," said Chief Executive of African Rainbow, Katharine Pulvermacher. "Africa is going to overtake the Middle East to become the second fastest growing region in the world after emerging Asia . It will be affected by the global financial crisis, but it is much less exposed than many places."

South Africa, Mauritius and Tanzania took third, fourth and fifth places respectively, she said.

But it said some countries still have a long way to go, with Somalia, Chad and Eritrea named the least appealing markets on the continent, particularly due to low ratings for corporate governance and social capital.Nigeria also scored poorly for corporate governance, but its potential for infrastructure expansion in electricity, water, information technology and communications as well as its status as Africa's most populous country were enough to propel it to the top of the list.Rising oil prices had made Nigeria a favoured investment destination, but as the oil price slumped in recent months, the government has imposed capital controls as the currency fell, leaving investors concerned that they might not get their money out.Pulvermacher said such events were covered under "corporate governance" and that different investors would have different tolerances for risk and reward."Some investors would view corporate governance as more important than others," she said. "They might be more drawn to somewhere like Tanzania which performs much better against those measures -- which they might not have realised."She said the index was mainly intended for medium scale investors such as private equity houses, making investments larger than those which would be covered by the micro credit sector.Private equity in Africa has soared in recent years, but its growth is seen faltering sharply as banks call in loans across the world and investor risk appetite slumps.Nevertheless, African Rain-bow says it believes the need is there. Some 497 million Africans have yet to connect to electricity grid, and only 6 per cent of Africans used the Internet, it said.

Ethiopia , perhaps a surprise second place given the chronic poverty and hunger within the country and sometimes volatile relations with neighbours, owed its position in the table to its potential for water and electricity service expansion.It had been cited as an increasingly appealing private equity destination before the global economic crash.

Gambia: Nigeria Contributed to Gambia's Economic Growth – Envoy:Nwakpa O. Nwakpa:20 February 2009: Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — The Gambian High Commission to Nigeria, Ms. Angela Colley, has acknowledged the immense contribution of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the stability and progress of "the smallest country on the African continent."This commendation was made on Wednesday as Gambia celebrated its 44th independence anniversary.

The commissioner noted that "Nigeria had been playing a cardinal role in the justice delivery of the Gambia through capacity building programmes for young legal professionals, some of who are currently serving in our mainstream judicial circle as high court judges and magistrates, as well as sending Nigerian judges to work in the Gambia.Nigeria is also playing prominent roles in Gambia's security sector. "To a great extent, giving training packages for personnel of the Gambian National Army, police, National Intelligence Agency, Immigration under the Technical Assistant Co-operation, (TAC). Also in the economic growth of Gambia, "The establishment of Nigerian banks, insurance companies, educational centres and the number of Nigerian nurses, teachers and hospitals and individual businessmen in the local markets play a vital role in the overall development of the Gambia.

In a speech presented by the commissioner mark the anniversary in Nigeria, she recalled that Gambia has made a tremendous progress since 1965 when independence was granted to the good people of Gambia.

She noted that there have been series of peaceful transition from one republic to another such as the one that brought Professor Dr. Yahaya A. J. J. Jammah to power in 1996.The country has made steady progress especially in the agricultural sector where the president is leading by example as according to her, "Last year, the harvest was so abundant that the whole nation had to join the president on his farm to harvest his crops."The commissioner, however, cautioned Gambia not to relent in striving to keep the progress so far made saying, "It is incumbent on us to complement this. We should not allow the gains that such peace and stability has brought us to slip carelessly through our fingers by being unwary of the dangers and threats posed by the enemies of progress.

The president of the Gambia, through a speech read by the high commissioner, advised Gambians not to panic "Especially at a time like this, when financial and economic crisis is rocking the world, the natural tendency is for people to loose hope and become agitated, and easily resort to vices that could be inimical to societal peace."The president further advised that "The trying times and difficulties of today should unite rather than divide us."

Southern Africa

South Africa: SAA Needs Big Bail-Out, Finance Chief Tells MPs:Linda Ensor:19 February 2009; BUSINESS DAY

Cape Town — Unprofitable South African Airways (SAA) could not keep going without a big state capital injection, the national airline's executives warned yesterday.SAA is expected to post a significant loss for the year to March for the third year running because of interest payments well in excess of R300m and losses from hedging against the volatility in the fuel price.Higher fuel costs and falling passenger numbers have also contributed to its troubles.SAA suffered a loss of R1bn last year, and its loss was R833m the year before.

SAA chief financial officer Kaushik Patel warned that the airline's precarious financial situation was likely to deteriorate even further as it was severely undercapitalised and burdened by debt, which exceeded its equity by 10%.No business could survive in the long term with such a load, Patel told Parliament's public enterprises portfolio committee during a briefing. It was just not sustainable.The economic meltdown would make the situation worse as passenger volumes and revenue slumped.Public enterprises deputy director-general in charge of transport Andrew Shaw also warned that SAA was "very inadequately positioned to deal with the recent turbulence in the aviation market. It remains very thinly capitalised."

The carrier's sustainability was threatened.SAA's level of indebtedness was among the highest in the world, and was even higher than those of American Airlines and Delta, which were placed under bankruptcy protection, Shaw said. He noted that 35 medium- sized network airlines were liquidated last year.Failure to get sufficient funding from the government meant that SAA had to pay more for its borrowings than would otherwise be the case. "The interest burden as a whole is so big that it wipes out all operational profits," Patel said.

About R300m in interest has been paid this year on loans taken out against government guarantees of R2,86bn, and even more for the airline's total debt book.SAA also has a liability of more than R1bn for its Voyager loyalty programme, which has still to be taken on to its books.The Treasury turned down an SAA request for a R5,2bn capital injection, which would have brought the percentage of debt to equity down to a more acceptable 60%-70%. Instead, SAA got only R1,6bn in the 2009-10 budget.Patel would not be drawn on SAA's estimated hedging loss, saying this would depend on the fuel price on the last day of the financial year.

But he stressed that after the R6bn hedging loss in 2004, which wiped out SAA's capital base, a conservative hedging policy was adopted. This limited hedging to 40% of SAA's total book compared with 80% at some international airlines.SAA head of restructuring Vera Kriel told the committee that cost savings of R2,3bn were achieved in the period to December, about 35% higher than the target of R1,7bn and equal to the total 2008-09 target.Acting CEO Chris Smyth emphasised that SAA was operationally sound and profitable. All of its domestic routes were profitable, as were all international routes last month, except for New York.Africa was still the most profitable market.

SAA grew its share of the market in southern Africa by 13% compared with market growth of 8%; west Africa 11% (2%); central Africa 48% (31%); north Africa 27% (17%); and east Africa 5% (4%).

However, until last month the flights to the leisure destinations of Mauritius and Victoria Falls were unprofitable, and would be in the red for the year as a whole.In Australasia, SAA grew 19% compared with market growth of 12%, capturing market share from Emirates and Qantas. South American traffic had fallen 7% and North America's 8% while the number of SAA passengers on Asian routes fell 12% as the market grew 6%. "Traffic from SA has declined by 2% overall," Smyth said.He conceded the drug trafficking incidents involving SAA crew had caused "horrendous" damage to SAA's image.The cabinet was also gravely concerned about this, it said in a statement after a meeting. Zimbabwe: Remittances Saved the Country From Collapse:20 February 2009:RIN

Harare — The official sanctioning of foreign currency as legal tender in Zimbabwe to tackle hyperinflation is bringing into sharp relief how remittances have staved off the country's complete collapse in recent years.Before Robert Mugabe's government officially endorsed foreign currency, long queues would form outside banking halls to exchange foreign bank notes for Zimbabwean dollars, but since the use of foreign currency has been permitted the queues have shifted to commercial banks, where money transfers are processed.

An executive at a commercial bank in the capital, Harare, who declined to be named, told IRIN that the bank had opened two additional counters specifically to deal with money transfers."We would not have survived these harsh times had it not been for our son and daughter in England," Zodwa Nyathi, 58, of Cowdray Park, a working-class city suburb, told IRIN as she waited in a queue outside a commercial bank. Both her son and daughter pursued tertiary education and decided to remain in the UK after they had completed their studies.

Money in the pocket

Foreign currency remittances from Zimbabweans living outside of the country - excluding hand-to-hand transfers - were expected to double in 2009 from an estimated US$361 million in 2008, according to projections by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a UN agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty.Other estimates have put all remittances from expatriates in Britain to Zimbabwe at about US$1 billion annually.

"If this is true, it puts a new dimension on this issue - it shows that the actual Zimbabwe- origin population in the UK is much bigger than estimated, and that they are sending much more money home than we ever imagined," Eddie Cross, a prominent member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told IRIN."This would explain where all the foreign currency that keeps this country going, is coming from; it explains why many more people are not actually dying from the present crisis in terms of hunger, malnutrition and neglect."This would explain where all the foreign currency that keeps this country going, is coming from; it explains why many more people are not actually dying from the present crisis in terms of hunger, malnutrition and neglectAbout seven million of Zimbabwe's official population of 12 million, or more than half the people, are receiving food aid, although this does not factor in the millions thought to have left the country in recent years.

Dollarizing

Cross said the remittances explained the government policy of printing money, which fuelled hyperinflation and enabled the ruling ZANU-PF elite to access hard currency and fund their lifestyle.Zimbabwe's central bank estimated in 2008 that locals were spending an estimated US$950 million annually on basic commodities in neighbouring states, a trend believed to have precipitated ZANU-PF's decision to dollarize after the local currency collapsed under the weight of hyperinflation, officially estimated in July 2008 at 231 million percent.

Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US, and hyperinflation specialist, estimated inflation in Zimbabwe at 89.7 sextillion percent in November 2008.It is thought that more than three million people - at least a quarter of the population - have left for neighbouring states and further afield to Britain, the US and Australia, to escape 94 percent unemployment, hyperinflation and a humanitarian crisis at home.

Zimbabwe: Our Situation is Dire, Tsvangirai Tells Region in Aid Appeal:Verna Rainers:21 February 2009:press conference: ALLAFRICA

Cape Town — The new Zimbabwean prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday to appeal for aid to South Africa and other countries in the Southern African Development Community. An edited transcript of comments made by President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa and Prime Minister Tsvangirai:

President Kgalema Motlanthe (KM): The Zimbabwe delegation, led by Prime Minister Tsvangirai, presented to us the reality of the challenges that they face as a country and as a people and with regards to matters mainly economic and matters related to the fiscus. They also presented to us their preliminary plan for responding to these challenges, which we have agreed to deal with and consider as the South African government and also in my capacity as the chairperson of SADC to direct the ministers of finance to sit down, buckle down, to develop the detail of how this challenge could best be dealt with.

So that is work in progress. We hope that by the end of next week we will be able to have clear, detailed action plans to respond to the requests of our Zimbabwean neighbours. We also received a briefing on how they are dealing with the issue of Mr. Roy Bennett [nominated by Tsvangirai as a deputy minister in the new unity government] and other detainees. We have been assured that they have been granted bail and that the matter would be resolved amicably by the inclusive government.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai (MT): I would like to thank and appreciate the fact that the president has responded to our request to engage on the situation, after the consummation of the inclusive government last Friday, our preliminary assessment of the crisis that we face. We had a very constructive and productive discussion but as you know this is a preliminary expose of our situation to the South African government. They have listened very carefully and we've agreed that the various officials in the Ministry of Finance should work at a detailed response and see how they can assist us. I also want to appreciate the fact that the president has undertaken as chairman of SADC to engage other SADC governments in this effort and of course to look at the broader international community to see whether they can also assist. Our situation is dire. We face key priority areas of food, of health and education and I am sure that these matters will be attended to.

As for the critical issues of confidence and credibility regarding abductees and Roy Bennett, I am sure that we are working slowly to deal with that matter and to make sure that it does not become the [focus of] attention. The real [focus of] attention is the plight of Zimbabweans and if we can focus on that, that will certainly lead to a more positive image of the inclusive government.

Tsvangirai was asked for more details about Roy Bennett and whether he had a birthday message for President Mugabe. MT: The situation of Roy Bennett is very straightforward. Roy Bennett was arrested 10 days after he had gone into the country, was taken to Mutare and the situation is that he is still being detained in custody following his application for bail. That is one issue, the due process of the law.There is another issue, which is political, and on the political side myself, President [Robert] Mugabe and Professor [Arthur] Mutambara [the deputy prime minister] have all agreed that everyone who is under detention must be given opportunity for bail, and I am sure that those detainees and Roy Bennett would be processed to be given bail in the shortest possible time. As for the birthday, everyone who is in this room, when you have got your birthday we wish you happy birthday.

Has the Zimbabwean government asked for 600 million U.S. dollars worth of aid from South Africa as was forecast in this morning's paper? KM: No, there are no figures to speak of. Those are going to be crunched by the technical people and will emerge-by the end of next week we will have a clearer picture of what their requirements are. The finance ministers will be meeting as well to look at that issue. So at this point in time there are no figures.

Is there a ballpark figure? KM: No, because there are current account issues and all of those issues. We can't adopt a sequential approach to the challenges there, so we have got the short-term, mid-term and long-term challenges that have got to be addressed simultaneously.

There's a lot of speculation of the Rand being incorporated [into the currency in Zimbabwe]. Have you discussed that? And also the matter of the Reserve Bank governor [Gideon Gono], is he going to survive your administration? MT: Well first of all I am sure you are aware that our currency has been devalued almost to the point of non-use, so we are using, we are proposing to use a multi-currency denominated approach. It's a short-term thing and as we proceed we will be able to see whether the Zimbabwean dollar can be re-used again. But at the moment there is no talk about "Randification" in the country. It is a multi-denomination facility that we are looking at, U.S. dollar, rand and all that, so we are not specifically focusing on the rand as a currency for Zimbabwe.

The issue of the Reserve Bank governor is a matter that we are attending to, and in due course we will of course evaluate his performance and his role, and I am sure that a decision will be made at an appropriate time once this is done. I have heard people who are trying to crucify him even before you have evaluated his work. Our approach is that it has to be in terms of the processes in government and at the appropriate time a decision will be made.

For how long do you plan paying civil servants in U.S. dollars and what is the correct figure for the number of civil servants employed? MT: At the moment we are doing what is called a status review of all ministries. There is a figure of over 230,000 public employees. We will have to evaluate how many really are at work because [...] there is a huge chunk of diaspora workers [living out of the country] from the civil service of Zimbabwe. But let me say that the issue of paying them in [foreign] currency was the first step to intervene to help them with an allowance in the first place. As we move forward [we will] create the necessary facility for payment in foreign currency for a while until the real value of the Zimbabwe dollar is established.

Could we get some indication as to the sort of aid discussed? Would it be direct aid? Or via an institution like the African Development Bank (AfDB)? What are the implications for the recently-tabled South African budget? KM: Well, yes indeed, the meeting next week of the finance ministers would also include the participation of Donald Kaberuka, who heads the African Development Bank, and this is really to ensure that the challenges of the economic recovery of Zimbabwe would be tackled with the participation of the international community. You will recall that to date many of the western countries, including the European Union, have imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe, so the idea really is to ensure that we unlock that so that Zimbabwe can be treated as a normal country with which trade can be conducted. So there are no implications for the budget that the minister announced last week.

PM Tsvangirai, could you put a number on the reconstruction needs of Zimbabwe? Could you also say which other multi-lateral or international, either governments or organisations you would be meeting with to discuss a plan for the rebuilding of Zimbabwe? MT: At the moment our real focus is to look at those short-term interventions - in the re-opening of schools, in the re-opening health facilities and in the food situation in the country. As for the medium- to long-term economic recovery programme, it has not been assessed at this time how much is needed, but I think it will run into billions of dollars - maybe as high as five billion dollars. But that's the medium- to long-term recovery programme. What we're looking for [now] is a short-term intervention to make sure that at least we are jump-starting those facilities or those sections that affect the people.

Besides short term measures, are you also looking to facilitate foreign direct investment? Regarding the indigenisation bill are you looking to scrap that? MT: That's a specific focus but I can say that obviously as a country that is emerging from such a dire situation, foreign direct investment is one of the areas of focus of this government. Specifically on the indigenisation bill, I cannot make a comment but it has to be reviewed, anything that is inhibitive for foreign direct investment, for any investment in the country, has to be reviewed and discussed and once a position is taken we create the enabling environment for that foreign direct investment.

The historical strength of Zimbabwe's economy was always agriculture. What are you contemplating in terms of land reform and agricultural reconstruction? MT: Well in the global political agreement one of the issues that was addressed was the issue of land reform; to give finality to an equitable land reform programme . What is entailed in that programme is that you have to set up a land commission that has to look at the tenure systems and the land rights. That's one aspect.As far as agriculture is concerned there are a number of interventions that may be necessary. One is the revitalisation, security of tenure, in the agricultural sector so that there is forward planning, training of the farmers, various assistance in the inputs, especially when it comes to the next agricultural season, starting with the winter crop. So there are a number of programmes that are already in place to ensure that our agricultural sector is revitalised.

Does South Africa believe that if it produces a good aid package it will put pressure on Europe and the United States to deliver money, will it hurry up the aid that has been promised? KM: I think we are really acting as good neighbours. Zimbabwe are our neighbours and in the spirit of good neighbourliness their first port of call happens to be us in South Africa. Therefore we've got to respond positively so that when we ask others to come to the party it should be that we ourselves are giving the lead.MT: To me SADC is the guarantor of the global political agreement. Their show of confidence in the process gives confidence in the international community, therefore, starting with SADC there must be a demonstrable show of confidence by SADC itself in the new government, otherwise no one is going to show confidence in the new government unless the region itself feels confident that this is a process that they are able to back and that they are able to endorse as a way forward.

Have you decided how much money is needed to deal with the cholera situation? What more could South Africa do to further assist Zimbabwe? KM: We as SADC have participated in establishing the framework, which is all-inclusive. It includes the broadest cross-section of distributors in Zimbabwe, ranging from NGOs, the World Health Organisation, grain growers. This is a structure that was established for the distribution of agricultural inputs, including chlorine to try and purify water and so on. That work has been unfolding for a while now. In fact I'm sure [the] prime minister will confirm now that it's a method that has worked - that is how the spread of cholera was contained in Zimbabwe.

MT: Our response to our health delivery system has to focus on a number of interventions and the causes. For instance [with] cholera you have to support the local authorities for them to deal with water reticulation and sewage reticulation facilities. You also have to deal with the drugs that are necessary for malaria, tuberculosis, for HIV/Aids, so our approach to health is both preventative as well as curative.I am sure that with the support that is already been there in responding to the outbreak of cholera, I think those interventions have produced very notable results. We continue to monitor the cholera spread but I think that we are in a position to talk of moving towards going to the root causes of this particular disease.

What is the stance of the unity government towards aid from the British government? MT: Well I want to make a reference to a Chinese president who once said: "I don't care whether the cat is brown or black as long as it catches mice." Aid is aid, we don't care where it comes from as long as we have it as Zimbabweans.

Will incentives be offered to Zimbabweans who have left the country to come back and help with the rebuilding process? MT: Well the issue of Zimbabweans in the diaspora for political and economic reasons is well known. We are aware of close to three to four million the figure fluctuates from the conservative to the progressive ones. All I can say is that it's now time for Zimbabweans to look positively at this new political dispensation and come back to reconstruct the country. There are no financial incentives. We'll create the environment for everyone to come back home. Anyone who wants to make a contribution is welcome, and I think as everyone sees this positive development I'm sure that Zimbabweans of all professions will come back to make that contribution.

Some reports say that the 30 people who have been held, and maybe even Roy Bennett, have been used as a kind of bargaining chip by the Joint Operations Command to secure amnesty for themselves. Are there indeed demands from elements within Zanu-PF for guarantees against prosecution? MT: No, there's no relation between the abductees and Roy Bennett-with regards to that speculative story, all I know is that there are people who are behind [bars] as inmates and they have to be released on bail.There are no negotiations with any other institution in government about swapping positions and negotiating positions of amnesty or whatever.Remember that in the global political agreement there is no provision for amnesty. Those who break the law will have to face the due process.That's all I know. There's no such thing as "let's swap for this in order for that," there's no bargain for that.

Botswana: Diamond Exports Plunge 90 Percent:Brian Benza:20 February 2009:Mmegi

Diamond exports plunged by close to 90 percent in the four months between August and November 2008 as the global recession hit demand for luxury goods, figures availed by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveal.According to the CSO, diamond exports which amounted to P3.3 billion in August, fell to P2.3 billion in November and to P821 million in October before plummeting to a mere P371 million in November as a result of falling demand and weakening prices.

Global demand for rough diamonds, which are the mainstay of the economy, is expected to drop by some 60 percent this year and the government has already estimated that revenues will be cut by over 50 percent.The latest figures call for serious belt-tightening measures.In the 2009/10 budget, the government announced that it will pump P10 billion into the economy for developmental projects in a bid to boost economic activity, a decision which has been labelled ambitious by some analysts in view of the global economic crisis. The irony is that Debswana was struggling to meet demand for diamonds barely six months ago. Factors militating against Botswana include the fact that the country is a net importer of goods, particularly fuel and food, is economically dependent on mineral exports, especially diamonds, and its growth prospects are largely built around investment in minerals.According to the latest trade figures from the CSO, a 55-percent plunge in diamond exports in November led to a P2 billion-trade deficit in the same month.

November 2008 registered a trade deficit of P2,001.7 million, being the fifth month to register a deficit during the first eleven months of last year. Deficits were also recorded in April, May, July and October with values of P113.4 million, P905.7 million and P393.3 million and P1, 525.5 million respectively. "Total exports were valued at P1,081.4 million during November 2008, giving a decline of 39.2 percent (P697.6 million) from P1,779.0 million recorded during the previous month (October 2008)," said the CSO report. The November 2008 total exports declined by 53.2 percent (P1, 229.8 million) as compared to the value of P2, 311.2 million recorded during November 2007. On the other hand, November 2008 total imports were valued at P3, 083.1 million, having decreased by 6.7 percent (P 221.4 million) from the October 2008 value of P3, 304.5 million. "Comparison of total imports value for November 2008 to the value recorded during the same month in 2007 shows an increase of 6.1 percent (P177.3 million), from P2,905.8 million recorded during November 2007 to P3, 083.1 million recorded during November 2008." The P2 billon deficit is certainly going to eat into Botswana's foreign exchange reserves, which were reported by the government to be standing at over P72 billion - the equivalent of 30 months' import cover.

While imports have consistently been around P3 billion, exports have drastically plunged from P4.2 billion in August to P1 billion in November, a development that will exert a significant amount of pressure on the forex reserves.According to the figures, the value of diamond exports has been consistently declining since September 2008, resulting in an increase in percentage contributions made by other major exports.As the contribution of diamonds fell from 46 percent to 34 percent between October and November and copper and nickel from 31 percent to 26 percent, textiles grew from 10 percent to 17 percent while machinery and equipment rose from 2.4 percent to 9.9 percent. owever, looking on the bright side, analysts say long-term fundamentals of the industry continue to hold considerable promise inspite of the current turmoil. "The diamond industry is now in a stabilising phase where stocks, prices and supply and demand have to find a new equilibrium," renowned Israeli diamond industry expert and journalist, Chaim Even-Zohar said in a recent article. "This may take 12-14 months. In that period, demand for rough diamonds will plunge by some 60 percent. This is inevitable. However, miners like DiamonEx - if they survive - are not losing revenues; they are merely delaying income to better times. "Unfortunately, in this restructuring and stabilising process, 'pain' will not be shared equally. Botswana will be hurting more than many other players - but we believe that demand for rough diamond will again grow in the second/third quarter of 2010. In an industry used to concepts like 'forever', this isn't too far ahead."

Zambia: KCM Retrenches 700 at Nkana:20 February 2009:TIMES OF ZAMBIA

KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has laid off 700 workers from Nkana Integrated Business Unit smelter in Kitwe, company spokesperson Raul Kharkar confirmed yesterday.He said the decision to shut down the smelter was purely technical.Mr Kharkar said the reason behind the shutting down of the Nkana smelter was that the company had started using its newly constructed smelter, which was put up at a cost of US $370 million."Yes I can confirm that the Nkana smelter has been shut down but right now I am in Lusaka so I don't have the exact figure of the affected employees although I know that it's between 600 and 700," Mr Kharkar said.

The KCM spokesperson said the company had, however, absorbed some of the miners that had lost their jobs at the Nkana smelter into the newly constructed one.And National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (Numaw) national secretary, Goodwell Kaluba said in a separate interview that a number of people at the smelter was given retrenchment letters.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

East Africa: SADC, Comesa Merger Poses No Threat to Revenue Earnings:19 February 2009:THE HERALD(ZIMBABWE)

Harare — The impending transformation of the Sadc and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa into customs unions poses no serious threat to Zimbabwe's revenue earnings, an official said on Tuesday.A senior Zimbabwe Revenue Authority official said although integration would reduce earnings from customs duty, increased economic activity would enable the Government to earn more from corporate and Value Added Tax.

Regional integration would eventually result in the zero rating of products, allowing free entry of imports into all countries participating in the customs unions.Various stakeholders have expressed concern on the threat this poses to the country's revenue earnings."When we open up the market, we are allowing economic activity to increase and when we allow activity to increase, we are creating sources of additional revenue for Government," he said.Comesa plans to launch its customs union this year while that of Sadc is expected next year"When one door is closed, another is opened," said the official, adding that Government had already carried out an impact assessment on revenue earnings before accenting to participation in the trading blocs. Sadc and Comesa are currently operating Free Trade Area regimes, which allow goods produced in participating countries to be traded without payment of customs duty.Each member state, however, maintains its own external tariffs on non-members.Customs Unions are a level deeper than FTAs.Countries adopt a common external tariff and are governed by the same legislation dealing with issues such as unfair trading practices, competition and investment. -- New Ziana.

East Africa: EAC to Review Development Plan:Mikaili Sseppuya:19 February 2009:THE NEW VISION

Kampala — THE East Africa Community Secretariat is to review its 2006-2010 development strategy."The review aims at undertaking a thorough, indepth analysis of all key priority programmes, projects and policies and assess whether the objectives and the expected results are being achieved," a notice on its www.eac.int, said.It will contribute to the re-orientation of the strategic interventions in the next two to three years.Particular attention will be put in defining the potential of further programmes in support of regional integration.

The EAC secretariat, therefore, wants competent consultants to undertake this review.

The EAC is made up of five countries; Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi.

The EAC secretariat is headed by Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, the secretary general.

The community aims at greater integration, which involves customs, free movement of labour and goods, monetary union, and eventually a political union. The political federation is being fast-tracked.

Central Africa

Central Africa: African Telecom Cadres Acquire Regulation Skills

Martin Akuro Akwa:17 February 2009: CAMEROON TRIBUNE

The training course participants are from nine Francophone African countries within the Central African Region. Thirty Telecommunication officials drawn from nine Francophone African countries being members of FRATEL ( Reseau Francophone de la Régulation des Télécommunications) are undergoing a week training course in telecommunication concepts of law and economic regulations at the Buea Posts and Telecommunications School .

The regulation knowledge to be acquired will enable them to be more efficient as referees between telecommunication operators and consumers with the influx of operators in telecommunications owing to its liberalization. Acquired knowledge will therefore enable them limit excesses.The liberalization of the telecommunication market in Cameroon has involved nationals and foreigners resulting to rapid growth of the sector thereby making the market more competitive. This should therefore promote harmonious development of network and services ensuring optimum contribution in national development thus satisfying the needs of the population, the South West Governor, Eyeya Zanga Louis , said while opening the training course recently.Separating regulations from telecommunications networks end monopoly - encouraging competition. The creation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (TRB) reinforces regulation, controls, follow up of exploiters and business men's activities. This gives room for equal treatment of operators and consumers.

The Governor lauded Cameroon regulators for the rapid increase in the number of subscribers, diversification of services and progress made in the reduction of prices in communication. The growth, he said, is due to impartiality of the regulator in discharging his duties. The General Manager of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board, Jean- Louis Beh Mengue said in Cameroon like else where, it was realized that TRB workers need to improve their skills on regulation to better interpret and analyze legal matters in the sector especially with rapid development.The training is necessary if there has to be a comprehensive understanding of the new concepts and procedures. This is the raison d'etre of the seminar. Operators and regulation administrators have to ensure equitable sharing of limited resources and the sanctioning of unreliable operators and regulators, control quality services and limit litigation cases with the technology becoming more and more complex. Other speakers included the Director of Buea Posts and Telecommunications School , Mr. Ngwang George and Laurent Gille, Director of Telcom. Paris Tech. France , also coordinator of the weeklong training.

Cameroon: Biya Announces Imminent National Action Plan for Youth Employment:Ernest Sumelong:15 February 2009:THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM

President Paul Biya has announced an imminent National Action Plan for Youth employment to be implemented beginning this fiscal year.He made the announcement, Tuesday, February 10, in his traditional address to the youth.According to the President, the action plan, prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment, will require financing of about FCFA 165 billion.Giving reason for the birth of such a plan, Biya said, "We need a veritable national youth policy that defines programmes to enable youths to acquire patriotic and democratic values and enter the production system."Meanwhile, Biya challenged youth to acquire the best possible qualifications in order to compete in the now very fast moving world.The President's unusually long message, which came prior to Youth Day celebrations on February 11, was pegged on tackling the effects of the world economic crunch and facing the challenges of integrating youth into national life.

"I think that we should transcend the crisis and prepare ourselves for the recovery which will inevitably follow. For you, dear young compatriots, there is no other way out, I repeat, than to acquire the best possible qualification in order to compete," the President said.President Biya claimed that the State is making enormous efforts for the youths and that it devotes nearly one-fifth of the national budget to youth-oriented activities in all sectors.Biya also prided himself as a prophet who had predicted the prevalent world difficulties, which, according to him, would not completely spare Cameroon.Hear him: "Last year at the same time, I urged you to wake up to the fundamental changes taking place in the world, changes which will shape the 21st century, and I encouraged you to prepare yourselves for them, in order to seize the opportunities that were bound to arise... I did not realise how right I was."

It is in this light that Biya urged youths to rise up to the challenges by earning the best qualifications. He reeled out a never-ending list of what government is doing to improve on the quality of education and to prepare youths for eventual employment. These, to him, include the creation of schools, the recruitment of thousands of teachers, the initiation of programmes for formal and informal education and the formulation of a veritable youth programme.

He, however, evasively refused to list government's achievements, since, according to him, it would be tedious to do so. The President's message comes at a time when most youth have lost confidence in government and are worried about their future due to poor governance, high level of unemployment, galloping corruption and a lack of any visible youth programme in the country.The issue of free primary education in government schools is still elusive while there is the continuous cry of schools without the necessary logistics to promote quality education.These have resulted in alarming emigration of the youths, poor morality and general lethargy.According to the Head of State, "to improve youth guidance for its full participation in development activities, there are plans to put in place in 2009, the National Youth and Mass Education Committee which will be responsible for coordinating activities in these two domains."Meanwhile, Biya said it would only be normal that in return for the sacrifices thus made by the Nation, youths should be strongly committed to the development of the country.

"Beyond your personal ambitions, which by the way are legitimate, you should be asking yourselves what you can do for your country," Biya said.Regrettably, Biya did not say concretely what the country had done for the youth. This year, like in the past, he made promises, just promises.

Rwanda:KCC Defaults On 10 Million Euro Payment to German Investors:12 February 2009:Focus Media (Kigali)

Kigali City Council owes a group of German investors-operating in Rwanda under the company name African Development Cooperation-10 million Euros (Frw seven billion and two hundred and fifty million) that they should have paid four months ago.This is according to a source within KCC who talked to us strictly on the condition of anonymity.According to our source, about 10 months ago KCC convinced the Germans to give them the money saying it was going to carry out an expropriation exercise in an unplanned low cost area of Nyamirambo, pay for the expropriations with the money, carry out civil works such as building streets and demarcating plots and then re-sell the plots at higher value.From the proceeds KCC would then reimburse the Germans their money, plus interest. The agreement was that since this was a quick-return investment, ADC would get its money back within six months. That did not happen.ADC already is well established in Rwanda and has bought majority shares in the Rwanda Development Bank. None of the ADC officials would talk to us, possibly fearing they would jeopardize their investments in the country.But our source told us they are very unhappy that the six months grace period they agreed upon with KCC came and went and they did not get their money.

The information Focus has is that the housing estate KCC was supposed to develop for which they borrowed the money from the Germans is in a sector called Akumunigo.

We dispatched one of our reporters to Akumunigo and he found not a single sign of civil works going on, and the baturage moved on with their lives - something that indicated no expropriations had taken place, or were about to.We raised Mayor Aisa Kirabo Kakira for more information on this issue, but when we informed her what we wanted to talk about she said nothing, and she did not get back to us. We repeated the attempt to talk to the mayor but got nowhere.

RWANDA: Coffee Supply to Fall By Eight Million Bags This Year:George Kalisa:16 February 2009:THE NEW VISION(UGANDA)

Kigali — World coffee supply is to reduce by about eight million bags this year, the International Coffee Organisation executive director, Nestor Osorio, has said.Osorio attributed the decrease in supply to a looming increase in demand.He projected that world coffee consumption would increase to 130 million bags this year against 128 million bags in 2007.He observed that coffee producers and administrators would find it hard to balance supply with demand during the year.

"The coffee industry will face a challenge of balancing supply with demand because of the deficit in supply of between six to eight million bags," Osorio said.He was addressing the 6th East African Fine Coffee Association (EAFCA)â-àconference at the Kigali Serena Hotel on Saturday.Osorio, however, said the trend was positive for coffee producing countries since it would lead to an increase in prices.

He called for interventions geared towards increasing consumption by improving quality.He said prices had increased by about 20% since September.Osorio observed that the high cost of shipment, labour, oil and freight had increased production costs.He said a reduction in the cost of fertilisers would bring hope to farmers.The delegates called on the different actors to direct more efforts towards the improvement of quality, saying it was the only way to increase domestic consumption.Currently, consumption in Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda stands at 1% of the coffee they produce.The 7th East African Fine Coffee conference will be held in Mombasa, Kenya next February and will coincide with the 10th anniversary of East African Fine Coffee Association.

Rwanda: Anti-Corruption Experts Meet in Kigali:Edmund Kagire:17 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES

Kigali — Anti-Graft Experts from different African countries have convened for a two- day meeting in Kigali aimed at assessing the efficiency and impact of Anti-Corruption institutions on the continent.The Ad-Hoc experts meeting organised by the United Nations Economic Commission on Africa (UNECA-ECA Regional Office) in conjunction with the UNDP that opened yesterday at Hotel des Mille Collines is intended to study comprehensively the causes and effects of corruption in the African context.Participants will also provide a comparative experience of Anti-corruption efforts in selected African Countries; underscore the strength and weaknesses as well as the challenges faced by National anti-corruption institutions, and how their capacity can be enhanced for effective performance in tackling the problem of corruption in Africa.A study conducted by UNECA indicates that Africa by far still remains the most corrupt region in the World. Additional studies done by the World Bank, UNDP and Transparency International also pin Africa for having failed to deal with the 'evil' that corruption is, especially on the side of the government arm of states.

A UNDP Report also reveals that some anti-corruption commissions and bodies on the African continent have 'disappointed' both the people and development partners especially in developing countries, the reason corruption remains among the topmost national problems, alongside poverty and unemployment in most African states.Speaking yesterday, Prof. Okey Onyejekewe, the Director of UNECA's Governance and Public Administration Division which organised the meeting said that the body has adopted a holistic approach that will help Africa counter corruption.The approach based on the pillars of knowledge and information sharing, technical capacity development and providing advisory services will target major stakeholders in the anti corruption war including national anti-corruption institutions, the Parliament, judiciary and Civil Society Organisations among others.

He commended the government of Rwanda and the Office of the Ombudsman in particular for the support rendered towards organising, despite the meeting coinciding with the National Retreat, missing the presence of top government officials.The Minister of Local Government Protais Musoni in a speech read on his behalf by Joseph Rurangwa, affirmed Rwanda's commitment towards maintaining a Zero-tolerance stance on corruption and vowed the country's determination to continue setting the pace as one of the leading African Countries where corruption is minimal.The meeting has attracted heads of anti-corruption institutions from 20 African countries, Leading anti-corruption activists, and representatives of Regional and international institutions including the AU Commission, African Development Bank, NEPAD Secretariat, World Bank as well as representatives from leading CSO from across the Continent.The outcome and recommendations of the high-level meeting are expected to be forwarded to all national anti-corruption institutions, CSO's and Regional Economic Communities in a bid to improve their technical capacities to deal with corruption effectively and efficiently on all fronts.

56. POLITICS West Africa

GHANA: Ghana's Maturing Democracy is Good Reference for Continent and the Commonwealth: 17 February 2009: Commonwealth News and Information Service (London) The Commonwealth Observer Group that was present at Ghana's 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections has issued its Final ReportGhana's maturing democracy has become a good reference point for the African continent and the Commonwealth as a whole, the Commonwealth Observer Group concluded.In its final report on the elections held on 7 December 2008 - with a run-off for the presidential election on 28 December - the Group stated: "These are positive developments and all point to the consolidation of Ghana's democracy."One area of concern for the Observer Group that posed challenges to these elections was due to problems encountered with the limited voter registration exercise, which resulted in an inflated voters' register."The Group hopes that lessons learnt from these experiences will inform preparations for future elections," they wrote.

Overall the Commonwealth Observer Group felt these elections were conducted in an open, transparent and inclusive manner.Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: "The Commonwealth Observer Group found that the Electoral Commission of Ghana managed the process in a professional and inclusive manner. The credible election has helped to further consolidate Ghana's democracy."

The Report was completed and signed by all members of the Commonwealth Observer Group prior to their departure from Ghana. It was presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General by the Chair of the Group, Baroness Valerie Amos.Before being made public, the Report was distributed to the Government of Ghana, political leaders, the Electoral Commission and all other Commonwealth governments.

Southern Africa

Zimbabwe: Unity Government May Need Up to U.S.$5 Billion:John Allen and Verna Rainers:20 February 2009:ALLAFRICA

Cape Town — Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Friday that rebuilding his shattered country would require an international aid package of up to five billion U.S. dollars.Addressing a news conference in Cape Town after talks with South Africa’s President Kgalema Motlanthe, Tsvangirai also signalled that he would not allow a dispute over detained opposition activists to derail efforts to secure immediate emergency assistance.“We are working slowly to deal with [detentions]… and to make sure that it doesn’t become the [focus of] attention. The real [focus]… is the plight of Zimbabweans,” he said.

Tsvangirai flew to Cape Town to appeal for help in meeting basic, short-term needs – as basic, according to a high-level South African source, as drugs for clinics and hospitals and money to pay for last year’s school examination papers to be marked.The new prime minister said he was appealing for help from member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) because they had guaranteed the agreement reached last September which laid the basis for the unity government.“Starting with SADC, there must be a demonstrable show of confidence… No one is going to show confidence in the new government unless the region itself feels confident that this a process that they are able to back,” Tsvangirai told journalists. Although a South African newspaper report suggested in advance of the meeting that Tsvangirai would ask South Africa for one billion U.S. dollars, Motlanthe asserted that “there are no figures to speak of – those are going to be crunched by the technical people by the end of next week.”But, he added, “we’ve got to respond positively so that when we ask others to come to the party it should be that we ourselves are giving the lead.”Tsvangirai said the unity government’s key priorities were to reopen schools, to get clinics and hospitals operating again and to feed Zimbabweans.“As for the medium- to long-term economic recovery programme, it has not been assessed at this time how much is needed but I think it will run into billions of dollars – maybe as high as five billion dollars.“But… what we are looking for [now] is a short-term intervention to make sure that at least we are jump-starting those facilities or those sections that affect the people.”Asked about the plight of opposition activists – including abducted human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko and prospective government minister Roy Bennett – who remained in detention, Tsvangirai said he, President Robert Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara all agreed that the detainees should have the opportunity to be bailed out of prison.

“I am sure that those detainees and Roy Bennett would be processed to be given bail in the shortest possible time,” he added.A decision on Zimbabwe’s controversial central banker, Gideon Gono, would be made “at an appropriate time” after his performance had been evaluated, he said. “I have heard people who are trying to crucify him even before you have evaluated his work.”Zimbabwe would adopt a “a multi-denomination facility” for its currency in the immediate future – including U.S. dollars and South African rands, Tsvangirai said. Civil servants would be paid first an allowance and then their salaries in foreign currency “until the real value of the Zimbabwe dollar is established.”

Central Africa

Equatorial Guinea: Authorities Say Attack Was Not Coup Plot:Daniel Gwarbarah:20 February 2009:THE POSTNEWSLINE.COM

Equato-Guinean officials and the spokesperson of the Spanish Foreign Ministry, have declared that the attack on the Equato-Guinean Presidency, in the early hours of February 17, was a not a coup plot.The close to four hours shoot-out between government forces and an armed gang believed to be members of the Nigerian Delta Rebels group that sneaked into Bata, according to the officials, was an armed robbery attempt and not a coup plot to topple Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Recalling the 2007 incident where an armed gang attacked and robbed banks of millions FCFA in Bata, defenders of the regime in Equatorial Guinea say the February 17 attack was geared towards the same aim.Other opinions hold that the attack might have been a desperate attempt to liberate Simon Mann, a British Secret Service Officer who was charged of involvement in a coup plot against Obiang Nguema in March 2004.He is presently detained at the Black Beach Prison in Bata. Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was also accused of involvement in the coup attempt that was aimed at bringing in Severo Moto Nsa, an Equato-Guinean living in exile to replace Obiang Nguema.However, reports monitored from Yaounde, indicate that by the time of the attack, Obiang Nguema had left the Presidential Palace after a tip-off.It is alleged that one of the Ministers under Obiang Nguema's government was killed in the attack.

Two of the assailants were also reportedly killed, one of the high speed boats destroyed and a score of its crew members suspected to be pirates that have been causing havoc in the Gulf of Guinea, drowned in the Atlantic Ocean.Since 2001 when massive extraction of petroleum started in Equatorial Guinea, the country has been a source of attraction both to Western nations thirsty for the black gold and job seekers.

According to the Ministry of Mines in Bata, Equatorial Guinea is one of the top 30 producers of petroleum in the world and the third richest country south of the Sahara in petroleum deposits.Going by statistics of the Bank of Central African States, BEAC, Equatorial Guinea registered 4.3 billion US dollars as income from the sale of petroleum in 2007 representing about 90 percent of its GDP.

57. PEACEKEEPING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SECURITY MATTERS West Africa

Nigeria: Why Country Delays Sending Troops to Somalia – Minister:Kingsley Omonobi:20 February 2009:ANGUARD

Defence Minister, Dr. Shettima Mustapha disclosed yesterday that the Nigerian government would only send troops to help quell the crisis in Somalia when the time and situation on ground in the war-torn country allowed it, saying going there now will mean fighting to enforce peace.The minister who paid a maiden visit to the Defence headquarters and the Services headquarters, made the disclosure just as the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike noted that a housing project to cater for 120 families of Non-Commissioned officers and another for 38 families of officers, is being undertaken through direct labour by defence headquarters as part of plans to improve the welfare of officers and men.

Speaking against the backdrop of the controversy over the deployment of Nigerian troops to Somalia, the minister said, "If you recall, when Nigeria committed herself to sending troops in 2006 or thereabout, it was for peacekeeping because the situation then could be handled.

"But over the years, the situation has changed. Today, what is needed in Somalia is the enforcement of peace because from our findings, there is no government on ground. What we have are various groups controlling several areas. It means you will fight to enforce peace there. So if you go there, you will be fighting several groups."Our duty is to advise Mr. President appropriately. So all I will say is the Ministry of defence is assessing the situation on ground to be able to advise the President because the situation has changed".On his expectation from the military, he said, "What the nation needs from its officers and men is dedication to duty, loyalty and discipline. There is never a 99. 9% loyalty. It is either there or it is never there. It has to be 100%.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: President Sharif Calls for Arab Countries to Support Peace Process:20 February 2009: Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Djibouti — The newly elected president of Somalia Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed has held a press conference in Djibouti on Thursday and called for the Arab countries to support the peace process in Somalia, officials said on Friday.President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed said that the Arab countries are required to play their role for supporting how Somali government would practice in the country and get necessary support from to the Arab world.

"We call for all the Arab countries to give us urgent support and we think that we shall achieve to solve the conflicts and differences between the Somali people if Allah says," the Somali president said.

The call of the Somali president Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed comes as most of the Arab countries and the international community supported the newly elected government of Somalia in Djibouti let by president Sheik Sharif.

Somalia: PM Calls for Talks With Al Shabaab as Ethiopia Troops Re-Enter:18 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

Djibouti — Somalia's newly appointed Prime Minister, Mr. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, has called for peace talks with Islamist hardliners, as Ethiopian troops re- entered parts of the country, Radio Garowe reports.

Prime Minister Sharmake told reporters in Djibouti City that he is "confident" that hardliners who have rejected the new government can be convinced to negotiate.

"I will sit down with Al Shabaab, because I don't see any reason for them to continue fighting," said the Prime Minister, who has pledged to form an inclusive and effective government to rescue Somalia from 18 years of civil war.

Al Shabaab hardliners have declared a new war against the 'unity government' led by moderate Islamist President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, accusing the new government of being a puppet of Western interests.

Prime Minister Sharmake, who is the son of a democratically elected president who was assassinated in 1969, has promised to improve security and restore the public's confidence in the new government. Ethiopian soldiers backed by armoured trucks re-entered parts of Somalia Wednesday, raising concerns about Ethiopia's continued incursions onto Somali soil.

Residents in Bakool region along the Somali-Ethiopian border have reported that Ethiopian troops had entered border villages where tensions have been growing recently between al Shabaab guerrillas and a pro-government militia.

It is not clear why the Ethiopian force re-entered parts of Somalia, but the move comes on the heels of public statements from Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who has repeatedly threatened to send soldiers back to Somalia if unspecified "threats" to Ethiopian security emerged.

Al Shabaab militants came to fame while leading a popular two-year insurgency against Ethiopia's invasion of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Somalia: 11 African Union Peacekeepers Killed:22 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

The African Union says eleven peacekeepers from Burundi were killed in Somalia Sunday in an "unprecedented" attack, Radio Garowe reports.

Witnesses near the compound of Somalia's old National University in the capital Mogadishu said two huge explosions occurred midday today, sending plumes of smoke into the air and terrifying residents weary of war and violence.

The old university campus is a base for AU peacekeepers from Burundi.

"These attacks have reached today an unprecedented level, resulting in the killing of 11 Burundian soldiers, while 15 others have sustained serious injuries," read the AU statement, as published by the Reuters news agency.

Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," the Al Shabaab spokesman, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings on Mogadishu radio stations.

Abu Mansur demanded that AU soldiers leave Somalia or continue to face more attacks.

He said Al Shabaab welcomes all groups who want to find a solution to the Somali crisis, but denied having knowledge of a group of Somali Muslim scholars who recently issued a declaration calling on the AU force to leave Somalia within 120 days.

The scholars also called on Islamist rebels to stop the insurgency and allow AU peacekeepers time to withdraw. Sunday's violence becomes the deadliest attack on AU soldiers since Ugandan soldiers deployed in Mogadishu in March 2007.

East Africa: Uganda, Kenya Clash Over Island: Cyprian Musoke and Reuben Olita

22 February 2009:the new vision

Kampala — THE tiny Island of Migingo in the middle of Lake Victoria has sparked off a row between Kenya and Uganda. The two governments have now set up a joint border committee to verify where the one-acre island falls.

Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the East African Community (EAC) minister, Amason Kingi, are expected in Uganda this week in a bid to find a solution to the ownership row.

Kingi told a press conference in Nairobi on Saturday that the conflict was threatening the EAC, hence the need to urgently address the issue.

The Kenyan minister said many fishermen on the island had fled for fear of being attacked by the Uganda People's Defence Forces, which he said had invaded the island.

Uganda's foreign affairs ministry permanent secretary Ambassador James Mugume yesterday said the two countries had decided to keep the status quo on the island until the verification exercise was over.

"East African affairs minister Eriya Kategaya met the Kenyan security minister last week and agreed that the status quo holds. We have set up a joint team of technicians and surveyors to look at the maps and establish the borderline," he said.A ministerial meeting, he said, had been scheduled for March 13-14 to iron out the issue.He said both countries had deployed security personnel to quell any "excitement" that may arise out of the confusion.There was tension last week after Uganda sent more security personnel to guard the island.Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba told the weekly press briefing in Kampala that marine officials and anti-riot police were dispatched to the island on Thursday."Kenyan police officers attacked Migingo and threatened to take over (the island). They came with guns and an assortment of items. We have, therefore, sent marine officials and anti-riot police there," she said.

Thursday's clash is the second in five months.

"It is no longer tenable to trust parties involved to get a solution on their own. To make sure the disputes are solved once and for all, the EAC should also arbitrate on the disputes involving the other four islands of Lolwe (Dolwe), Remba, Sigulu and Mayasi,"â-‚the Daily Nation said on Saturday.They quoted the Nyanza provincial commissioner, Paul Olando, as saying that Kenyan security personnel had gone to the island to "follow up on some intelligence information we had received and this was not the first time we were sending them there."He said Kenya had not posted the eight officers permanently since the ownership issue was still under discussion.Olando said the security personnel, who were later joined on the island by the Migori district commissioner, Julius Mutula, returned after a meeting with their Ugandan counterparts.He denied reports that Kenyans had been detained by Ugandan forces, adding that there was no tension between the two countries over the dispute.Kenya has formed a four-man inter-ministerial team led by lands minister James Orengo to address the issue.

Last year, Kenya and Uganda hired a mapping firm to survey the island. A report compiled by the company was last week debated by members of the East African Legislative Assembly in Rwanda.Kenyan internal security minister George Saitoti said presidents Mwai Kibaki and Museveni were in talks to resolve the dispute.

Sudan: Darfur - Thousands Flee to African Union-UN Peacekeepers Base for Safety: 22 February 2009: UN NEWS SERVICE

Aerial bombardments over the South Darfur town of Muhajeria, the scene of recent violent clashes between Sudanese Government forces and a rebel militia, have forced thousands to a United Nations peacekeepers base in search of safety, the joint African Union-UN mission to the region (UNAMID) reported today.

UNAMID estimated that about 5,000 people have fled to its base in search of safety for a second time since fighting broke out in the middle of last month between the Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels, exposing tens of thousands of civilians to the deadly violence.Earlier this week, the Deputy Governor of South Darfur gave assurances that the UN would receive continued access to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to around 100,000 people caught up in the latest outburst of hostilities on Sudan"s western flank.There was further hope for stability in the region when Government and JEM representatives met on Tuesday for the first time in two years to sign the "Agreement of Good Will and Confidence Building for the Settlement of the Problem in Darfur.ï¿½The hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force also reported that its police unit will conduct night patrols for the first time at a new community policing centre (CPC) constructed between two large camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

The move, which starts tonight, means that the interim CPC will provide continuous 24- hour operations as part of UNAMID"s efforts to enhance its protection of the tens of thousands of residents taking shelter at the Abu Shouk and El Salaam camps for IDPs.A delegation of IDPs from El Salaam camp has also thanked UNAMID Police for its help in securing the recent release of several IDPs from detention by Sudanese national intelligence officers. Construction will start within the next two weeks on another interim CPC near Zamzam, an IDP camp close to El Fasher, according to UNAMID.

The hybrid force was set up by the Security Council to protect civilians on the western flank of Sudan, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.

One year on from transferring the task of suppressing the violence to UNAMID from the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), some 12,374 blue helmets are now in place across Darfur, just over 60 per cent of the 19,555 military personnel authorized by the Security Council.

Sudan: African Union-UN Blue Helmets Beef Up Patrols Protecting Displaced:22 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur (UNAMID) reported today that its police unit will conduct the first night patrols at a new community policing centre (CPC) constructed between two large camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

The move, which starts tonight, means that UNAMID blue helmets will patrol the area in a continuous 24-hour operation as part of its efforts to step up the protection of the tens of thousands of residents taking shelter at the Abu Shouk and El Salaam camps for IDPs on the western flank of the Sudan.

A delegation of IDPs from El Salaam camp has also thanked UNAMID Police for its help in securing the recent release of several IDPs from detention by Sudanese national intelligence officers.Construction will start within the next two weeks on another interim CPC near Zamzam, a separate IDP camp close to El Fasher, according to UNAMID.The hybrid force was set up by the Security Council to protect civilians in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.

Central Africa

DR CONGO: Secretary-General Set to Travel Next Week:18 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

New York — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is slated to leave early next week for Africa where he will make his first official visits to South Africa and Tanzania, as well as stops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Egypt, his spokesperson announced today.

While in South Africa Mr. Ban will meet with President Kgalema Motlanthe, as well as the Ministers for Finance and Environment, Marie Okabe told reporters in New York. He is also expected to meet with former President Nelson Mandela.

In Tanzania, one of the pilot countries for the UN reform programme on "Delivering as One," the Secretary-General will hold discussions with President Jakaya Kikwete, as well as address the diplomatic and academic community in Dar es Salaam.In addition, Mr. Ban will inaugurate the One UN Office in Zanzibar which will house all UN agencies under a single roof. He is also due to fly over the receding ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro on his way to Arusha to visit the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.Following that, he will head to the DRC where he will meet with President Joseph Kabila, as well as with parliamentarians and members of civil society. He will then go to Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, to visit Panzi Hospital, where victims of sexual violence are cared for.

Then in the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma, he will meet with members of the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC) and with local authorities. He will also visit the Mugunga camp for people displaced by conflict before flying to Rwanda to meet with President Paul Kagame.Mr. Ban then plans to travel to the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he will participate in the 2 March "International Conference in support of the Palestinian Economy, for the reconstruction of Gaza," co-chaired by Egypt and Norway.

TANZANIA: Turkish, Madagascar Judges to Help Speed Up Trials at ICTR:23 January 2009: Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)

Arusha — The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has appointed two more ad litem (temporary) judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in a bid to support the Tribunal's completion strategy scheduled to end its mandate on December 31, 2009 as directed by the UN Security Council, reports Hirondelle Agency.

The judges are Turkish Aydin Sefa Akay, 59, whom until his new appointment was Legal Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Turkey and Rajohnson Mparany Richard, 61, of Madagascar, who was the acting Prosecutor of Court of Appeal of Antananarivo before his new appointment.The appointments are effective January. However, the judges have yet to arrive at the Tribunal's seat in Arusha, Tanzania.The two judges join their colleague Justice Joseph Masanche of Tanzania, 64, who has already started duty at the ICTR at similar capacity.

Meanwhile, both the Prosecutor of ICTR and defence team in the genocide case against, Protais Zigiranyirazo, former brother-in-law of Rwandan President, the late Juvenal Habyariaman, have appealed against the conviction and a 20-year jail sentence handed down to the accused last December.In two different notice of appeals filed by the prosecutor and defence on 15 and 19 of January, 2009 respectively, the parties claimed separately that the trial Chamber erred in it's determination of conviction and sentencing based on the events at Kiyovu roadblock in Kigali city and Kesho Hill in Gisenyi, North of Rwanda where several ethnic-Tutsis were slaughtered in April, 1994.

The Prosecutor stated that the Trial Chamber erred on the sentences imposed on Zigiranyirazo compelling him to serve them concurrently instead of consecutively.On December 18, 2008, the appellant was sentenced to 20 years in prison on genocide for his involvement at Kesho Hill killings, another 15 years for his acts at the Kiyovu roadblock and for extermination he was sentenced to 20 years, all of which were directed to be served concurrently.Next week, the trial of Idelphonce Hategekimana, former commander of Ngoma Camp, begins on Monday and Callixte Kalimanzira, former acting Minister of Interior, resumes after a month's recess. At the time of adjournment on December 4, 24 defence witnesses had already testified for the defendant

BURUNDI: Govt Complains as Burundi Expels Over 800 Rwandans:Eugene Kwibuka:19 February 2009:THE NEW TIMES(KIGALI)

Rusizi — The government has requested Burundi to suspend hasty expulsions of Rwandans who have been living in Burundi as the number of evictees nears 800.Burundi last week launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants and Rwanda had been 'unexpectedly' receiving hundreds of its citizens.The Executive Secretary of the National Council for Refugees, Innocent Ngango, revealed that as of yesterday, at least 776 Rwandans had already arrived in the country."The expulsions occurred unexpectedly some of the people driven out had established themselves in Burundi and had assets there while others were illegal immigrants," he said.

Those expelled include Rwandans who left their country in 1950s, 1970s and during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis. According to government officials, the country has requested Burundi to halt the expulsions of Rwandan until the two countries discuss their issue."Issues to do with refugees are normally discussed in joint commissions of the two countries we have written to Burundi and requested them to suspend the operations until a decision is taken by a joint commission," said Joseph Kabakeza in charge of bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Rwanda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MINAFFET).

Most of the returnees arrived in Rwanda via Ruhwa border post in Rusizi District of the Western Province. Both immigration officials at the border and the returnees said that the displaced were forcibly repatriated by Burundian military officials who handed them over to Rwandan officials at the border."We have been chased from Burundi by their military personnel without even prior notice and they never allowed us to pack our properties. We call upon the government of Rwanda to help us recover our property," said Christopher Habamenshi, one of the evictees.Most of them have been living in areas of Rugombo, Mugina and Mabaya communes of the North-Western Burundian Province of Cibitoke, near Rusizi District. Others were from the Burundian capital, Bujumbura.Kabakeza hopes there could be a solution to their worries after talks are held with Burundian officials. He said that one of the possible solutions will be giving them travel documents to Burundi so that they can claim their properties back."We will devise means to sort out those problems," he said in an interview yesterday.Burundian media have reported that whereas some Rwandans were willing to come back home, a bigger number wanted to stay in Burundi.

58. MILITANCY ,REBELS,TERRORISM AND THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’ West Africa

West Africa: Ecowas Adopts Action Plans for Arms Control:Etim Imisin:19 February 2009: THIS DAY

Abuja — Officials of ECOWAS Commission and member states met recently in Quagadougou, Burkina Faso, to enhance the level of implementation of regional programmes, particularly the control of small arms in the West African sub-region.The meeting recommended establishment of a consultative framework to improve coordination among various institutions involved using an agreeable mechanism to improve effective coordination and implementation of ECOWAS programmes.

It afforded participants the opportunity to call for clarification of mandates of national units and commissions responsible for control of small arms to eliminate the possibility of friction.To this end, it was agreed that regular meetings were necessary and be organised to facilitate exchange of perspectives between national units and other structures responsible for implementation of ECOWAS sectoral programmes.Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Jean de Dieu Somda, in a key note address underscored the importance of the inaugural meeting, noting that it was the first time that all structures responsible for implementation of ECOWAS programmes were meeting to define their collaboration and coordinate their efforts.He, therefore, urged the meeting to address various policies and issues ranging from understanding the mandates and functioning of the structures to defining efficient means of coordination.

Somda stressed the need to consider the potential contribution of various stakeholders to the ratification on Small Arms and Light Weapons and its implementation as well as institution of the various structures for its proper functioning .Burkinabe Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, represented by Mr Vincent Zakane, said by convening the meeting, ECOWAS was encouraging a participatory approach to the realisation of its vision of transforming the organisation into a people- oriented institution by the year 2020.He said this would enable member states to take ownership of the regional programmes and called for a flexible coordination among the institutions, to facilitate implementation of ECOWAS programmes at national level.

Nigeria: Giaba Tasks Reps on Anti-Terrorism Bill:Luka Binniyat:19 February 2009:VANGUARD

Ill-gotten wealth running into billions of Naira is being laundered each year in Nigeria with a good chance that part of the money is being stashed to sponsor terrorism, the Action Group Against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA), told the House of Representatives in Abuja yesterday.GIABA leadership, which paid an advocacy visit to the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crime, tasked the House to expedite action on the Terrorism Prevention Bill before the House.The Director General of GIABA, Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, who led his team, regretted that no empirical evaluation of the true value of money laundered in Nigerian and the West Africa region has been made, adding that a risk assessment carried out on the issue in 2007 was confirmed last year that the region is ripe with laundered money.

Said he: "These crooks normally use this money to sponsor all kinds of illegal activities, including drug trafficking and terrorism."Our visit today is to urge the House of Representatives to hasten the passage of this anti-terrorism Bill just as it has passed the anti-cyber crime Bill into second reading".He praised Nigeria as a leading nation in the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering and anti-terrorism. He noted that "Criminals move with the lightning speed, and have no regards to boundary", adding that, " the law can only move at the speed of the law. That is why we want a legislation that will assist in tracking them more efficiently, before their activities destroy our regional economy".The Legal Adviser of GIABA, Mrs. Juliet Ibekeku, urged the House of Representatives to amend the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Act, to include the Beneficial Ownership clause.She also recommended that the Money Laundering Act, should be amended to give financial independence to its Finance Intelligence unit."The standard practice all over the world is that the arm of the law is always financially independent. Without its financial autonomy, it cannot achieve much", she said.On his part, the Chairman of House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crime, Mr Bassey Etim, said his Committee was elated by the visit and promised that it would do all within its means to push for a speedy passage of the Bill.

Nigeria: JTF Rescues Two Russian Hostages: Vanguard: 19 February 2009

Port Harcourt — THE Joint Task Force has rescued two hostages that allegedly escaped from a militant camp yesterday.According to spokesman of the security outfit, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, a military patrol boat ran into the hostages who were wandering around in the creeks around Ikasa in the state. Musa added that the hostages, who are Russians were abducted in Akwa Ibom in December of last year.The Russian hostages, Messrs Sergei Zermotalov and Konstantin Aksemov, had escaped from the militants' camp whose location is yet to be ascertained about four or five days ago, wandering around in the creeks before the JTF patrol ran into them at about 2.30 pm yesterday. Lt. Col. Musa added that the the expatriates have been handed over to the appropriate authorities.

Nigeria: Rivers - Kidnappers to Face Life Imprisonment: Ahamefula Ogbu:18 February 2009: THIS DAY

Port Harcourt — Kidnappers in Rivers State now risk life imprisonment as the Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday passed the Kidnap Prohibition Bill sponsored by the Leader of the House, Hon Chidi Llyod, into law.Also, failed attempt at kidnapping in Rivers State now carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.The Bill had generated a lot of interest with the Governor, Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, canvassing death penalty for the offence which has turned the state into a ghost of its former self.The lawmakers who deferred passage of the Bill at their last sitting said that life imprisonment was harsh enough and should act as deterrent to offenders.The passage of the Bill came as the former Attorney General of the State, Chief Orabule Adele, kidnapped four days ago was freed by his captors in circumstances that could not be explained except a confirmation that he was freed.

Though the position for death penalty for the offence was canvassed for by the Leader of the House, it was rejected by the House which reasoned that such punishment already exist in the country's penal codes for specified offences.Also, the recommendation of 20 years imprisonment for the offence suggested by Ad-hoc committee set up by the House to harmonise the law was rejected while majority voted for life imprisonment. Justifying the life imprisonment term prescribed by the law, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon Hope Ikiriko, submitted that the 10-year term for the offence contained in the Criminal Code was too lenient.He, however, noted that death penalty had become out of fashion with modern trends and that modern societies were no longer embracing it but hoped that the life imprisonment provided by the law would deter offenders.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Somalia: 11 African Union Peacekeepers Killed:22 February 2009: Garowe Online (Garowe)

Union says eleven peacekeepers from Burundi were killed in Somalia Sunday in an "unprecedented" attack, Radio Garowe reports. Witnesses near the compound of Somalia's old National University in the capital Mogadishu said two huge explosions occurred midday today, sending plumes of smoke into the air and terrifying residents weary of war and violence.The old university campus is a base for AU peacekeepers from Burundi."These attacks have reached today an unprecedented level, resulting in the killing of 11 Burundian soldiers, while 15 others have sustained serious injuries," read the AU statement, as published by the Reuters news agency.Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," the Al Shabaab spokesman, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings on Mogadishu radio stations.

"Two of our men were martyred...they inflicted heavy damage on soldiers at a church," Abu Mansur claimed, while identifying the suicide bombers as Ahmed Sheikhdon Sidow Wehliye and Mursal Abdinur Mohamed Ali.Abu Mansur demanded that AU soldiers leave Somalia or continue to face more attacks.He said Al Shabaab welcomes all groups who want to find a solution to the Somali crisis, but denied having knowledge of a group of Somali Muslim scholars who recently issued a declaration calling on the AU force to leave Somalia within 120 days.The scholars also called on Islamist rebels to stop the insurgency and allow AU peacekeepers time to withdraw.Sunday's violence becomes the deadliest attack on AU soldiers since Ugandan soldiers deployed in Mogadishu in March 2007. 59. NORTH AFRICA

Western Sahara: New UN Envoy Heads to Region for Consultations:17 February 2009:UN NEWS SERVICE

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara is on his way to the region for consultations with the parties, Morocco and the Frente Polisario, as part of United Nations efforts to help broker a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution regarding the Territory's status.This will be the first visit to the area for Christopher Ross since taking up the post last month. It follows meetings he held in New York last week, including with Mr. Ban and members of the Security Council, as well as with Morocco and the Frente Polisario.He will be in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, tomorrow, followed by Tindouf and Algiers. He will then travel to Madrid and Paris, the capitals of two of the members of the Group of Friends, from 25 to 27 February.

Mr. Ross, who replaced Peter van Walsum, is expected to return to New York following the trip for further consultations at UN Headquarters.Several rounds of UN-led talks, bringing together representatives from Morocco and the Frente Polisario, held last year resulted in the parties agreeing to continue negotiations in good faith towards a solution to the issue.Morocco holds that its sovereignty over Western Sahara should be recognized, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the Territory's final status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an option.

WiMAX Makes its Debut in North Africa: THE NORTH AFRICA JOURNAL: 21 February 2009.

Libya: Libya is North Africa's first market to deploy WiMAX, a technology that makes wireless access to the Internet available at a much wider range (up to 50 kilometers) than what Wi-Fi offers today. Built by three leading telecommunications equipment makers, France’s Alcatel, and China’s ZTE and Huawei, this new WiMAX network is meant to accommodate more than a quarter million users. The service will be managed by Libya Telecom and Technology Corporation (LTT), the country’s primary Internet mobile services company.

Libya is North Africa's first market to deploy WiMAX, a technology that makes wireless access to the Internet available at a much wider range (up to 50 kilometers) than what Wi-Fi offers today. Built by three leading telecommunications equipment makers, France’s Alcatel, and China’s ZTE and Huawei, this new WiMAX network is meant to accommodate more than a quarter million users. The service will be managed by Libya Telecom and Technology Corporation (LTT), the country’s primary Internet mobile services company. The Libyan government signaled its interest in WiMAX when it hired ZTE Corporation to build the first network. ZTE, which has already supplied similar networks to several markets, including the US, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, will tried its technology on the African continent for the first time through its Libyan engagement. Libya is not the first in the region to explore the use of WiMAX. Algeria made the first commercial deployment of WiMAX in the Arab World in 2006, using Smart Link Communication (SLC) technology. SLC, an Algerian startup says its goal has been to build a wireless broadband backbone covering the national territory, to develop the metropolitan broadband networks, and to set up an independent new generation telecom infrastructure. In neighboring Tunisia, Tunisian operator Divona Telecom hired in early 2008 the Canadian company Redline Communications to use its Forum Certified RedMAX products for a five-city WiMAX network. The $1 million network build out is expected to take place in several phases over the next two years, and will connect the five cities of Tunis, Nabeul, Souse, Monastir and Sfax.

Further west, Morocco has also been working to introduce WiMAX and IT giant Intel, a major advocate of this technology has been seeking to help push for wider adoption. In November 2007, Intel’s chairman Craig Barrett announced projects in collaboration with Morocco’s Department of Telecommunications and Information Technology to provide public Internet access centers, and with the Ministry of Education to train teachers and donate computers to schools. Intel and Morocco’s Ministry of ICT have installed a new WiMAX network at Saad Ibn Abi Al Ouakass School. The technology is viewed as a cost-effective way to deliver high-speed Internet access. But, despite Intel’s direct involvement, the commercial sector has been pushing with its own initiatives. Two service providers obtained in 2005 a license to operate a WiMAX service. They are long-established Meditel, the operator of the country second GSM license and Maroc Connect, traditionally operating as an ISP and recently expanding in the wireless services. In an online interview, Maroc Connect says it is “very confident in WiMAX capabilities and particularly regarding the development announced on that technology. One of the main arguments is the CAPEX / user will be low enough to allow us to offer disruptive offers on the market.” For its part, Meditel says “it is the technology of the moment and is particularly suited for operators in our position i.e. mobile GSM network operator becoming a multi-service operator challenging the incumbent no access to wired access infrastructures (no unbundling) ambitious service portfolio centered on broadband wireless access.

Islamic Banking in the Maghreb: The north Africa journal:23 February 2009.

Islamic financial instruments continue to attract consumer attention, with the central element of being interest-free products in compliance with Islamic Sharia law. According to financial sources, the value of funds involved in Islamic banking worldwide grew by an average of 15% annually over the past three years. Some analysts estimate Islamic banking to be worth some $500 billion, with the Middle East controlling a quarter of those assets. Kuwait is reportedly the biggest contributor, accounting for almost 29% of the sector’s value in the Gulf region. It is followed by Saudi Arabia with about 27%, and the UAE with 15.2%. The growth in Islamic banking is largely attributed to the immense wealth accumulated in Gulf nations, generated by strong oil and gas sales, but also to the religious influence in Middle Eastern societies. These nations are said to have imposed Islamic banking practices on many global banking institutions. Without such instruments, international banks would risk the loss of an important source of funds and therefore they found ways to accommodate their Middle Eastern clients.These so-called “halal” banking products have not made significant inroads in North Africa yet, excluding Egypt. However, some financial institutions felt it was necessary to offer financial services that follow the Sharia law. We are seeing some growing interest in the region, in particular in Morocco where the Central Bank, Bank Al Maghrib (BAM) authorized the offering of Halal services as recently as 2007. In its authorization, BAM did not focus on the difficult tax and fiscal issues, but left it up to the tax authority, the Direction Générale des Impôts, affiliated to the finance ministry to figure out how to solve the tax problem. This includes the value- added tax (VAT) required for the commercialization of such instruments. In Morocco, Islamic banking has introduced three products refer to as Ejara, Murabaha and Mucharaka. The first is essentially the equivalent of a leasing product, which typical is subject of a 20% VAT. But in the Ejara case, the financing does not originate from a bank per se, meaning that it is not considered a credit with the classic interest rates that apply to credit. Ejara is said to be financed by the own funds of the consumer credit company, that is its own resources and not what it labels as credit. What the financing firm gets is a sort of profit margin generated during the lease period through monthly installments, instead of an interest on financing. Nevertheless, the Moroccan tax authorities have decided to impose a 20% VAT on Ejara.In contrast, Murabaha was defined by the tax authorities as bank loans and imposed a 10% VAT. They consider it as a form of credit, just as it is defined in mainstream banking. Where the difference occurs is in the way the transactions are defined. In mainstream banking, credits are subject to interest on the money loaned. In the Murabaha case, the creditor actually sells the “product” in question and earns a “legitimate” profit on that product. Even if the creditor never saw or took possession of the product, the money it gave its client means that implicitly it (the creditor) purchased that product and resold to its customers in exchange for a profit margin. The problem with the financing institution is that it will actually pay a 20% VAT to acquire the product upstream but then recoup only 10% when it sells it to its customer downstream.

This problem has affected the lease-with-purchase option offerings (location avec option d’achat) in similar ways back in 2007, which put some key players in difficult position regarding the recovery of the VAT tax. The 2008 finance law readjusted the discrepancy and balanced the two ends of the lease-with-purchase option offerings.The fiscal and tax issues surrounding Islamic banking instruments are thorny problems for the credit sector in Morocco. Lobby groups in the sector have been putting pressure on the tax authorities to bring solutions to what they consider a source of loss in VAT imbalance. They threaten to delay the launch of such alternative financing options if a solution is not implemented. An exception to this is credit financing firm Wafasalaf, which has made its own interpretation of the rules when it launched a Murabaha-based auto loan package called Taksit, involving VATs of 10% on both ends of the spectrum. Wafasalaf uses a VAT grid released by the central bank as a reference, as opposed to a directive from the fiscal authorities, which uses a different grid structure. Although Wafasalaf’s decision is seen as an important precedent, it also highlights how difficult the implementation of Islamic banking has been thus far. While Wafasalaf is moving ahead with its offerings, all other credit firms are taking a wait and see position, seeking clear signals from the authorities.

Merger of Tunisian and Libyan Banks in the Offing: THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL: 14 February, 2009

Sources in Tunis report that the governments of Libya and Tunisia are currently negotiating the terms of a merger of three banks to create a bi-national financial entity capable of financing large projects. There is no official statement about the talks, but sources say the banks targeted for a merger are the North Africa Investment Bank, Al-Ubaf International Bank and Tunisia's BTL (Banque Tuniso-Libyenne).

Harassment of Ethnic Berbers on the Rise in North Africa: THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL: 14 February, 2009

North Africa is home of the Amazigh people, also known as Berbers. Although widespread in the Maghreb region, the Berbers continue to suffer from a minority status everywhere in the region, with government often ignoring their basic ethnic rights demands at best, or even actively contributing to blocking any progress toward cultural and economic improvement.Despite some tiny steps made here and there, from a questionable constitutional recognition to the launch of an embryonic linguistic program, the Berbers continue to suffer from harassment. If not always sanctioned by central governments, such harassments occur under the watchful but passive eye of the authorities. Two events in particular that have occurred recently point to the fragile state of Berber rights. The first occurred in the Algerian province of Ghardaia, the second in the Libyan town of Yefren.

Kaddafi the African: 14 February, 2009: THE NORTH AFRICAN JOURNAL: Arezki Daoud

The house of Africa has always been in trouble and Libya's take over the leadership of the African Union (AU) is not likely to change anything. For one full year, Muamar Kaddafi will lead the AU, probably to an uncertain future. Not that the organization was already on the right path, but it is unclear how Kaddafi will proceed. And yet, so many voices in Africa, including Franklin Cudjoe, a contributor to this issue, are in favor of allowing the Libyan leader to take a more leadership role and see where it all goes. But equally impressive is the amount of skepticism surrounding the new Libyan leadership role as many African governments voiced their displeasure. Among the chief opponents of the Libyan move is South Africa and most of its allies, who see in Kaddafi's idea of a unified confederation of states as a challenge to their own sovereignty and influence. For Kaddafi, a United States of Africa has been a dream ever since he realized that unifying the Arabs was an impossibility. The U.S. of Africa would encompass all the peoples of the continent from its northernmost region to its southernmost tip, and everyone in between. In power since 1969, Kaddafi first saw himself as the one who would lead the Arab world as a continuation of the late Egyptian leader Jamal Abdel Nasserâ€™s revolutionary path. The path would be built on the basis of a nationalist military regime that is essentially not open for negotiation or compromise. Anti western attitude would dominate the rhetoric and the literature emanating from the new regime. The first articulation of the Kaddafi unification plan was the first alliance inked in 1974 between Libya and neighboring Tunisia, call it the low hanging fruit. Although the then Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba endorsed the union, it was never formalized by the Tunisian parliament. The union failed only a few months after the two leaders agreed on its terms. Then Kaddafi turned his sight to Morocco with the signing in Rabat in 1986 of an Arab and African Union (AAU). If the union did not emerge as an important player, it enabled, however, reconciliation between Moroccoâ€™s King Hassan and Libya's Kaddafi. The Libyan leader later joined his North African counterparts on February 17, 1989 to endorse the Marrakech Treaty creating the Union of the Arab Maghreb (UAM). But once again, internal infightings, personalities that often clashed and the never ending Western Sahara conflict pitting Morocco to Algeria remained and continue to be major obstacles to any regional union or integration.After several attempts, Kaddafi proposed yet another idea, that of Union of Sahel States (USS), with nations from Egypt to the east, all the way to southern Morocco to the west being part of such union. Once again, the effort yielded no results, but provided the basis of a Union of African States, later renamed United States of Africa.

In pursuing a continental federated union, Muamar Kaddafi has his work cut out. Obstacles abound and are massive considering that there are 50 nations, many at war, diverse populations with a mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and civilizations. This year, as he leads the African Union, Kaddafi will have a front seat to witness the world's biggest problems in his own continent. From illiteracy to deadly epidemics, from tribal wars to ethnic conflicts, the continent's problems expand to issues of poor governance, corruption, nepotism, and an endless list of ills and problems, many of which come from the style of leadership that Kaddafi has himself supported and even embodies. But on the positive side, Africa is also synonymous of enormous economic potential and real proven mineral wealth that developed economies would like to grab. Can Kaddafi lead Africa to a better path? To do so, he will have to re-brand himself and his country as different in the 21st century as in the previous. He will have to shed the image of nepotism and that of an erratic leader to one who brings intelligence and strategy for sustainable growth and peace in Africa. The good news for Kaddafi is that many of the African leaders who have dealt with him in the past and had a bad experience are no longer in leadership roles. In fact, many died. If they were to testify on the character of Kaddafi as an African leader, they would unanimously say that he is the wrong man for this mission. Yet even the new generation of leaders in Africa may not be so keen as to follow Kaddafiâ€™s ideas so quickly. In particular since the Algiers-Pretoria axis, which has emerged as a serious obstacle to Kaddafi's African ambitions, has been strengthen the past years and could prove to be a tough opposition to avoid.

Tunisia: Democratic Constitutional Rally 'Think Tank' Holds First Meeting in Tunis:20 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — The first meeting of the Democratic Constitutional Rally's (RCD) "Think Tank" was held on Thursday in Tunis.Chairing the meeting, Mrs Hajer Cherif, in charge of foreign relations at the RCD, stressed the role of the think tank in promoting Tunisia's achievements as well as the pioneering policies launched by the Change of November 7,1987 in Tunisia and abroad.She also gave an overview of the future program of action of this laboratory which will meet on a monthly basis.The first theme will be devoted to "President Ben Ali's thought from the local to the international" and will present synthetic documents and reports by leading thinkers, she said.The RCD think tank will offer an intellectual forum for Tunisia's elites and competencies to express their opinions and give their recommendations on a large range of issues including politics, the economy, society and culture.

Egypt Invites New President of Somalia: February 2009:Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Somalia — Egypt has sent an official invitation Wednesday to the new Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed to visit Cairo for talks on bilateral relations.Munah Omar, the assistant secretary of foreign ministry for African affairs told reporters in Cairo that Egypt invited president Sheik Sharif to discuss the security situation of Somalia and expressed hope that the president would accept the invitation.Munah said Somalia was very important government to Egypt and expressed hope that the new president would bring peace and order to Somalia where fighting has been going on for the last 18 years.Islamist insurgents vowed fighting against the new president, but Egypt suggested the opposition groups to join the government and be part of unity government to work for the interest of the Somali people.Somali parliament elected Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed as president in neighboring Djibouti last month.

Tunisia: President Ben Ali says Maghreb Union 'Necessary, Strategic Choice':17 February 2009:TUNISIA ONLINE NEWS

Tunis — On the occasion of the celebration of the 20 th anniversary of proclamation of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali sent a message of congratulations to the Leaders of the countries of the Maghreb.In his message, President Ben Ali stresses his commitment to the Union as "a necessary, strategic choice", which calls on the leaders of the region to exert further efforts to meet the challenges ahead and continue the march towards unity in a climate of solidarity and fraternity.The Tunisian President also reasserts his determination to pursue common action to build the union which he termed "A historic ambition for our peoples and an exemplary framework for cooperation and partnership, which is likely to enable our Maghrebi grouping to adapt to the swift regional and international changes, as well as to the complex situations witnessed by the world."

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