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.