20100716
reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - The Scottish government denied on Friday it had any contact with oil firm BP before its decision last year to release the Libyan man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie airline bombing.

20100716
reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Britain may wish to explain the circumstances leading to last year's release of a Libyan convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and what role, if any, BP Plc may have played, to U.S. lawmakers investigating the matter, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

20100716
reuters

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda is ready to send an additional 2,000 peacekeeping troops to Somalia despite threats from hardline Somali Islamists of more attacks if peacekeepers are not withdrawn, an army spokesman said on Friday.

20100716
reuters

PRETORIA (Reuters) - Leaders of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) agreed on Friday to reconsider how they share their trade duty revenues, a move that could hit Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho very hard.

20100715
allafrica

KIMBERLEY Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) negotiators last night broke the deadlock on Marange diamonds after Zimbabwe agreed to a deal that allows it to export diamonds under strict monitoring and regulation.

20100716
africanews

Théophile Kouamouo, the Editor-in-chief of the Ivorian daily 'Le Nouveau Courier' and three of his collaborators are being held in detention at the headquarters of Ivorian judiciary police section in Abidjan, after publishing the results of the investigation carried out by the Prosecutor about alleged fraud and embezzlement in Cocoa and coffee sector.

20100716
africanews

Six elderly women all from the Bangwa ethnic group of Lebialem Division in the Southwest Region of Cameroon but settled in the municipality of Muyuka, Fako Division, have been jailed for two to six years, for killing through witchcraft.

20100716
africanews

Kenyan police detained more than 100 illegal Somalis in a raid a mainly Somali suburb of the capital Nairobi, officials said on Friday.

20100716
africanews

The captain of the Black Stars Stephen Appiah said he is not ready to retire from active football until he is 50 years. The Bologna midfielder has turned deaf ears to home pressure to give up on national duties due to poor form but the veteran insists he is fit to set a new retirement record in football.

20100716
africanews

The political tension in Rwanda is heightening as a leading opponent of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame on Friday called for a boycott of next month's presidential elections because she and a number of would-be candidates have been barred from standing.

20100716
africanews

Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika, has accused some faith groups for causing deaths of its faithful. A measles outbreak has killed 82 people and attacked about 17,496 between January and June 20 this year.

20100716
africanews

Sudanese government has expelled two foreign employees of the International Organization for Migration working in the country's Darfur region, the agency said Thursday. The organization's Geneva-based spokesman, Jean-Philippe Chauzy, said the Sudanese government gave no explanation for the move.

20100716
africanews

The new national team coach of South Africa is Pitso Mosimane. He succeeds Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreiria, who resigned after South Africa failed to progress beyond the group stage in the just ended 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Bethwel Kiplagat, the chairman of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission has been appointed Ambassador of Peace for the African Union.

The carrier envoy received the announcement last week via e-mail, and he'll disclose further details about it next week. He added that, they will be engaged and involved in promoting peace in conflict spots all over Africa.

Privatization of Mombasa port is key to the development of East African countries , a new report on transport costs within the region says.

The report which was done by CPCS Transcom Limited, a Canadian transport logistics research firm, also says that the private sector should play a major role in infrastructural development along the corridor. The report was carried out between November 2009 and May 2010 commissioned by the Northern Corridor Transit Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA).

The Northern Corridor links almost the entire East and Central Africa region, serving Kenya, Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and northern Tanzania. The competitiveness of the transport corridor countries' exports and processing of imports are highly influenced by the performance of Mombasa port. However, inefficiency at the port and slow movement of cargo due to capacity constraints and delays along the corridor are a stumbling block to development.

Currently, tyhe Kenya Ports Authority plays the roles of both a landlord and service provider at the port. Apart from managing the port, KPA also provides stevedoring and shore handling services. This dual role has contributed to inefficiencies in port operations.

The East African region risks being blacklisted by the rest of the world as insecure because of drug trafficking and the piracy menace off the Somali coast.

The two problems threatened to destabilize the region and make nonsense of the gains that the Common Market agreement entered on July 1 promises on the member states’ economies, Secretary-General Juma Mwapachu said.

He said the region need to be protected from the sea route against piracy, otherwise it will be in trouble because the menace is bound to affect port operations and trade despite the investments made infrastructure development and cargo handling equipment at the ports.

Former President Daniel arap Moi has criticized the American stance on the proposed constitution ahead of next month’s referendum.

Moi said it was irresponsible for the Americans to guide the country on the law, yet Kenyans could make their own decisions at the referendum. He said if Americans know Kenyans can do their best and think they are educated, then they should be left to decide on their own.

Meanwhile Lands minister James Orengo has accused the retired president of being an impediment in the process of obtaining a new constitution. He challenged him to account for his role in the quest for the document during his 24 years reign in power. He added, his regime is on record for having frustrated the agitators of the second liberation.

On the other hand, the minister defended US ambassador to Kenya Michael Reanneberger and asked him to continue to agitate for the rights of Kenyans. He said the ambassador was concerned about the leadership of the country, adding that there was nothing wrong with the envoy educating Kenyans on the content of the proposed constitution.

20100713
allafrica

Johannesburg — SA's banks have emerged from the global recession in a much healthier state than their UK and US counterparts.

20100713
allafrica

Root causes of conflicts in West Africa, including ethnic tensions and governance challenges, could overturn gains made in consolidating peace, leaving the region at a crossroads, a senior United Nations official said today.

20100713
allafrica

Lagos — Four journalists that were ambushed and kidnapped last Sunday have narrated how they ran into armed gunmen along Ikot-Ekpene-Aba road.