LAGOS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A three-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)delegation is already in Niger for political consultations following Thursday's military coup.

Former ECOWAS President Mohammed Ibn Chambas told reporters in Abuja on Friday that the team arrived in the Nigerien capital Niamey in the day, hoping to make contacts with those in authority in the country.

"We have just arrived, we are hoping to make contact and have discussions with them," the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Chambas as saying.

Nigerian Acting President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday in Abuja condemned all acts of gaining power or remaining in power through unconstitutional means in Niger.

Jonathan, who is the current ECOWAS chairman, called on all Nigerien stakeholders, including the security forces, to resolve the constitutional crisis through dialogue and negotiations.

There had been political tensions in Niger since President Mamadou Tandja dissolved the country's parliament and conducted a referendum to elongate his two-term tenure last years.

The opposition condemned the Aug. 4, 2009 referendum to allow Tandja to finish his tenure extension in 2012, instead of stepping down in December 2009, at the expiration of two five-year terms.

Tandja and several cabinet ministers were taken to a military camp near the capital. The military junta has suspended the constitution and government insitutions. The 15-nation bloc has witnessed a series of coups in its member states since 2008, vowing not to allow the notorious coup culture to make a comeback in West Africa.

BAMAKO, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Four terrorists of the Maghreb wing of Al-Qaeda (AQMI) were sentenced then released by Malian authorities, apparently under the pressure of both the terror group and Paris in a hostage swap, the local newspaper l'Independent said on Friday.

The four were reportedly set free on Thursday without the confirmation from official sources.

Their release was one of the conditions put forward by the AQMI in exchange for the freedom of French hostage Pierre Camatte, who was kidnaped in the north of Mali and whose execution ultimatum was set on Saturday.

According to l'Independent, an extraordinary session of the court in district lll (Bamako) was opened 6:00 a. m. local time on Thursday.

"On the day's proceedings, there was the hearing of the case of the four AQMI terrorists who were arrested in the month of April 2009 for possessing arms and ammunition during a search operation that was carried out by the Malian army in Kidal region.

"The court declared the suspects guilty of possessing illegal arms and ammunition, sentenced them to nine months imprisonment and ordered the confiscation of the seized arms and ammunition from them," l'Independent reported.

But the newspaper immediately added "important information," saying "the suspects have already served their sentence and this automatically opens the way for them to be released."

"The hearing of the case on this date as well as the verdict that was arrived at could be considered as the direct result of intense pressure that was exerted on Bamako from Paris which was evident after (French Foreign Minister) Bernard Kouchner visited Mali twice in a space of two weeks," l'Independent said.

The four terrorists whose photos were carried by the article include Mohamed Ben Ali, born in 1969 in Algiers, Algeria, and a former railway company staff; Beib Ould Nafa, born in 1985 in Nouakchott, Mauritania, without profession; Houd Karifo, born in 1984 at Zeko of Burkina Faso; and Tayed Nail of Algerian nationality.

KHARTOUM, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A group of senior political and military officials of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) arrived in Khartoum on Saturday morning to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government.

"We have returned to Khartoum following intensive negotiations with the government after we have become fully convinced with importance of reaching a comprehensive peace to end the suffering of our people in Darfur," Ahmed Mohamed Wady, head of the group, told reporters upon their arrival at Khartoum airport.

Secretary of Political Mobilization at the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Haj Majid Suwar, who received the group at the airport, told reporters that an agreement would be signed later on Saturday between the group and the Sudanese government.

"We have held three rounds of negotiation with this group. The negotiations resulted in a framework agreement that we will complete today," he said.

"This agreement will contribute to ending all the tension in Kordofan region, which is adjacent to Darfur, and help achieving comprehensive stability in Sudan," he added.

The Sudanese government is currently conducting intensive contacts with the Darfur rebel groups in a bid to reach a peaceful settlement for the Darfur issue before the general elections, scheduled for April this year.

MOGADISHU, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- A burst of gunfire which was heard on Friday in the war-ravaged Somali capital of Mogadishu made common Somalis feel uncertain about their future. Somalia, the Horn of Africa nation, has been plagued by civil strife since the overthrow of military strongman Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Islamist rebels run much of south and center of Somalia while the Somali government control small parts of the restive capital Mogadishu.

Thirty-six-year-old Yusurf Abdi, a former taxi driver, told Xinhua journalists that the gunfire everyday made him extremely uncertain about the future. He said the bombings and gun shots just made him feel very insecure.

His son, 12-year-old Ali, is so thin that he looks more like a boy eight or nine years old. The boy is of school age, but because of the long-lasting conflicts here, he never had the chance for education and could not speak English.

Currently, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is backing the country's transitional government to keep order. The AMISOM troops are backing the transitional government to keep the nation's institutions functional, and control strategic sites in the capital Mogadishu, such as the airport, sea ports and government buildings.

The AU had initially announced to send 8,000 soldiers for the Somalia mission, but currently there are only less than 5,000 troops mainly contributed by Uganda and Burundi.

The peacekeepers have struggled to make an impact in Somalia, while at the same time they are targeted by Islamist insurgents seeking to regain power from the government forces.

Apart form their peacekeeping tasks, the troops are also offering humanitarian assistance to the residents living nearby their bases.

"We also give water, portable water of about 60,000 litters everyday to those who live within the neighborhood of our camps. So, those are some of the humanitarian activities we are involved in", Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku, AMISOM's public information officer told Xinhua.

However, as fighting occur on a daily basis here, the peacekeepers themselves are targets of the militants.

On Sept. 17 last year, a suicide bomb attack by Islamist rebels on the headquarters of AU forces in Mogadishu left 17 peacekeepers dead while 29 others were wounded. AMISOM deputy commander Maj. Gen. Juvenal Niyonguruza, from Burundi, was among those killed while former AMISOM commander Gen. Nathan Mugisha, from Uganda, was wounded in the blast.

Unlike many of the Mogadishu residents, Abdi does not choose to flee the restive capital. He said the fact that his family lived close to the AMISOM base gave him some sense of security. However, he added he did hope the conflicts could end some day and his family could really live a safe life.

MOGADISHU, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Somali capital of Mogadishu was shadowed by more gunshots on Friday as Xinhua correspondents joined the patrolling team of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Wearing a 7.5 kg bulletproof jacket, 2.5 kg helmet each and carrying heavy machineguns, the African Union (AU) peacekeepers began their routine patrol on Friday morning in downtown Mogadishu. The dress and accessories will make people dizzy in the scorchy weather of about 38 degrees Celsius, but can save lives.

Under tight protection of the AU peacekeepers, Xinhua correspondents jointed the patrolling team in an armed vehicle. Sporadic gunshots erupted nearby, interrupted sometimes by roaring of shells. "Take it easy. It's normal. They (insurgents) want us know they are existent," said the team commander.

But he flatly rejected the request of the correspondents to make one-minute video record from the top of the vehicle.

"Can you member that words? Do not ignite three matches in the same place, the first you will be found, the second will be targeted, the third, you will die," the commander warned.

Intensive gunshots were heard almost every two hours, most of which focused on the surrounding areas of the AMISOM barracks, as a protest signal of the rebels against the AU peacekeeping forces.

"It is a little special today," said the commander, pointing out that there were more gunshots today than it used to be. "Maybe they know you are here."

Civilians have also become victims in the assaults of insurgents.

"My brother was shot just now," said a boy in the AU barrack.

His brother, a 10-year-old boy named Ali, was shot in the right leg by the intensive gunshots fired just now and sent to the AU barrack for treatment. With blood leaking from bandage, Ali suffered with pain.

Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku, AMISOM public information officer, told Xinhua that the armed group claimed they are targeting at the AMISOM or the Somali transitional government. "But the majority of the people who get injured or killed in those attacks are ordinary Somalis. They are civilians. At the end of the day when you count the casualties, they are neither Ugandan nor Burundi people, but Somalis. Somalia is losing its citizens."

"All the targets are the AMISOM and the government, but you can see the result: more and more Somalia people died, they come from the sub-clan, the same sub-family," Ba-Hoku said.

That is the reality of Somalia which has been plagued by civil strife since the overthrow of military strongman Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. About 1.3 million people have been displaced by the conflicts in the past two decades. Mogadishu has almost been mired in debris.

Uganda and Burundi are currently the only countries contributing troops to the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

"I hope it will be finish soon and I can go back," peacekeeper Owani Kenneth from Uganda told Xinhua frankly. To put an end to all these have become a wish of all.

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) will suspend Niger, a country in west Africa, according to agencies' reports on Friday.

The development came after Chairperson of the AU Commission Jean Ping on Friday condemned the seizure of power by force in Niger.

He said in a statement released to media that the relevant AU instruments systematically condemn any unconstitutional change and, accordingly, he condemns the seizure of power by force that took place in Niger.

He calls for speedy return to constitutional order and affirms the readiness of the AU, in close collaboration with the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), to facilitate such a process.

He is in direct contact with the president of ECOWAS Commission as well as with other concerned international actors, the AU chief said.

There had been political tensions in Niger since President Mamadou Tandja dissolved the country's parliament and conducted a referendum to extend his two-term tenure.

The opposition condemned the Aug. 4, 2009 referendum that would allow Tandja, who was scheduled to step down in December 2009 after the expiration of two five-year terms, to stay in power till 2012.

RABAT, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Death toll from a partial collapse of a mosque during a Friday prayer in Morocco rose to 25, a civil protection official told Xinhua.

The minaret and part of the ceiling of the 16th-century Khnata bent Bekkar mosque in the northern city of Meknes broke down onto the courtyard when worshippers were about to perform the Friday prayer.

The number of injured people also rose to 50, Meknes civil protection chief al-Elwi al-Ismaili said.

The rescue operation is still ongoing, the official added.

Official reports said medical teams rushed to the mosque, located near Bab Baradein district in the old city of Meknes, to provide medical care for the wounded.

Pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV earlier reported that seven people were killed and 47 others injured by the mosque collapse in the North African country.

KHARTOUM, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Friday expected "pleasant news" to come from the peace talks in the Qatari capital of Doha between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups.

Negotiators of the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups were holding separate meetings with international mediators on the resumption of direct peace talks to settle the festering conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

"Today we will hear pleasant news from the negotiations continuing (in Doha) on the Darfur crisis," the Sudanese president told a gathering of local residents in Khartoum.

He said those who want Darfur to be an entry to hit the stability in Sudan would be disappointed, adding that "we are waiting to hear the pleasant news today."

Al-Bashir disclosed that Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno had played an important role in bringing closer the positions of the Sudanese government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), one of the major rebel groups in Darfur.

"There is a message of thanks we must send to President Deby" who had been keeping in touch in the past four days with the Sudanese government and the JEM to bring closer the two sides, the Sudanese president said.

Delegates of the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups arrived in Doha on Jan. 24 for peace talks at the invitation of the United Nations, the African Union and the Qatari government.

However, no tangible progress has been achieved in pushing for a united position of the rebel movements in order to pave the way for the resumption of the direct negotiations.

The Sudanese government has announced the current peace talks in Doha should be the last round because general elections will be held in April this year.

The Darfur rebels held two rounds of talks with Sudanese government officials in Qatar -- in February and May last year.

OUAGADOUGOU, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore will be in Bamako, Mali, to attend the 14th ordinary session of the conference for the heads of state and government of the Economic and Monetary Union of the West African States (UEMOA) on Saturday, according to the presidential press service.

During this summit, the heads of state and government will discuss the situation in Niger, the development and functioning of the eight-member union and the necessary steps to promote the integration process in the region.

The documents for approval at the Bamako summit include the reports of the 2009 activities of the Commission, the Central Bank for the West African States and the West African Bank of Development (BOAD).

Among others issues on the agenda will be measures to fight against any eventuality of international economic and financial crisis, the progress made on regional initiative for sustainable energy, community reforms and the union's common market.

An key topic at the Bamako summit will be a common tourism policy for the UEMOA region.

According to observers, this summit will be dominated by the political situation in Niger following Thursday's coup d'etat, in which President Mamadou Tandja was ousted. They will also discuss the dissolution of the government and the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) in Cote d'Ivoire, which has rendered the planned presidential elections impossible between February and March.

BOAD is a financial institution of UEMOA, which comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Togo.

LUANDA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's state-owned oil and gas giant Petrobras has started production tests after new oil discoveries were made in deep-water wells of Nzanza-1 and Cinguvu- 1, which are located in Block 15/06, some 350 km northwest of Angola's capital city Luanda, sources in the oil industry said here on Friday.

Petrobras announced the new oil discoveries in Block 15/06 in a water depth of some 1,400 meters earlier this week. The company owns 5 percent stakes in Block 15/06 and Eni, which is the operator, holds 35 percent of the working interest in it.

During the production test, the Nzanza-1 well produced oil with a density of 18 API gravity at rates above 1,600 barrels/day. At Cinguvu-1, the production test reached a maximum flow of 6,400 barrels/day of oil with a density of 23 API gravity.

The other partners in the consortium are Angola's oil giant Sonangol P&P (15 percent), SSI Fifteen Limited (20 percent), Total (15 percent), Falcon Oil Holding Angola AS (5 percent), and Statoil Angola Block 15/06 AS (5 percent).

Currently, Angola rivals Nigeria as the largest oil producer on the African continent.

LAGOS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The West African bloc ECOWAS condemns Thursday's coup in one of its members Niger, according to Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Nigerian government, also a member of ECOWAS, condemns all acts of gaining power or remaining in power via unconstitutional means in Niger, the president said in response to the coup in Niamey, capital of Niger, where President Mamadou Tandja was seized by mutineers.

In a statement reaching here on Friday, Jonathan condemned the political unrest in that country.

The statement quoted Jonathan as calling on all Nigerien stakeholders, including the security forces, to resolve the constitutional crisis through dialogue and negotiations.

According to the statement, the Nigerian leader is consulting with the Chairman, AU Mediation Committee, President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, and Abdulsalam Abubakar, ECOWAS mediator, with a view to ensuring the speedy resumption of the inter-Nigerien dialogue.

In it reaction, the regional power bloc ECOWAS,said it rejects any change of power through unconstitutional means and violence in accordance with its protocol on Democracy and Good governance.

"In the same way ECOWAS had earlier condemned the change of the Constitution and the referendum held in August 2009 carried out by president Tandja," the statement said.

There had been political tensions in Niger since President Tandja dissolved the country's parliament and conducted a referendum to extend his two-term tenure.

The opposition condemned the Aug. 4, 2009 referendum that would allow Tandja, who was scheduled to step down in December 2009 after the expiration of two five-year terms, to stay in power till 2012.

DAKAR, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade announced on Thursday night that he was sending his foreign minister to Niger, where President Mamadou Tandja and several cabinet ministers were captured by soldiers in a military coup.

"I will send the Foreign Affairs minister as my emissary to Niger," he noted without giving the specific date of his departure.

Wade, who was reacting in his capacity as the mediator from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Nigerien crisis, termed the events happening in the country as very "sad."

He said the Nigerien opposition had sought for the sending of an envoy and that he had already spoken to the ECOWAS acting president, interim Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, about his plans.

He also pointed out that the solution to the crisis in Niger would be the drafting of a new constitution.

The military junta in Niger suspended the constitution of "the 6th Republic" on Thursday night, only months after Tandja put it in place to extend his tenure. His act to nullify the original constitution sparked tensions, in which the African Union and ECOWAS suspended the country.

Wade was named as the mediator in Niger's crisis by his West African counterparts at the 37th ECOWAS summit held Tuesday in the Nigerian capital Abuja .

NIAMEY, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerien military officers who on Thursday staged a coup d'etat against President Mamadou Tandja had their first voice heard at night, declaring an end to his rule since 1999.

In this declaration which was broadcast by the national radio and television at about 10. p.m. local time (2200 GMT), the putschists said through their spokesman Col. Abdoulkarim Goukoye that "the defense and security forces of Niger have decided on Feb. 18 to bring to an end the tensed political situation that the country was going through."

The West African country has been suffering tensions since Tandja had a new constitution in place last year to seek his third term, a move widely condemned as unconstitutional. The African Union and the regional bloc ECOWAS suspended Niger amid Tandja's further steps to consolidate his grip on power.

In Thursday's coup, a Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD) was set up by the military. It immediately suspended "the constitution of the 6th Republic" and dissolved all institutions created under the constitution.

"We are asking the population to remain calm and unite around the ideas cherished by CSRD which will guide Niger to become an example of democracy and good governance and just like other countries, be able to enjoy peace and stability."

"We reaffirm our commitment to honor the treaties and conventions that have recently been entered into by the state of Niger. We appeal to the national and international groups to help us in our patriotic move to save Niger and her population from poverty, lies and corruption," the CSRD spokesman said.

The military appealed to all Niger's partners to have confidence in the Nigerien army which it said will guarantee national unity, territorial integrity and guard the superior interests of the people.

The coup d'etat happened when the cabinet was meeting at the Presidential Palace in Niger in the presence of President Tandja, who is now reportedly in the hands of mutineers along with several of his ministers.

ABIDJAN, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- A group of soldiers launched a military coup in Niamey, capital of Niger, on Thursday, seizing the country's president, Mamadou Tandja, said reports from Niamey.

The soldiers in armored vehicles stormed the presidential palace with gunfires, and said they had dissolved the government, said the reports.

"The government is dissolved," said a spokesman for the military junta, named the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), in a statement on state television.

The CSRD described the coup as "successful" in putting an end to the tense political situation in the country, saying its head would be squadron leader Salou Djibo, whose heavily armed troops played a major role in Thursday's coup.

The CSRD spokesman also called on the people of Niger and the international community to have faith in their ideals which "could turn Niger into an example of democracy and of good governance."

The CSRD said it had decided to suspend the constitution of the Sixth Republic and dissolve all its institutions.

The statement did not mention the whereabouts of Tandja, but reports said he had been seized along with several other ministers.

The new military council declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew and announced the closure of all border entry points.

Explosions and bursts of gunfire were heard in the direction of the Presidential Palace in Niamey. Fierce shooting lasted between midday (1200 GMT) and 2:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Thursday.

Several people were injured in the fighting and sent to a hospital in Niamey.

French radio station Radio France Internationale said that the soldiers burst in and neutralized the presidential guard before entering the room where Tandja was holding a Cabinet meeting. They politely escorted him outside to a waiting car which drove him toward a military camp on the outskirts of the capital.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon was closely following the developments in Niger, said a statement attributable to Ban's spokesperson.

It said Ban "is receiving regular updates from his Special Representative for West Africa Said Bjinnit." He has also called on the stakeholders in Niger to swiftly revert to constitutional order in the settlement of the political crisis that developed in that country last year.

In another development, France has advised its citizens not to travel to Niger while warning those in Niamey to stay indoors.

Niger, a former French colony, gained independence in 1960. Local media estimate that there are around 1,500 French nationals living in the central-west African country, while 500 Europeans reside in Niamey.

Tandja, who has been elected twice since 1999, drew criticism at home and international sanctions after managing to amend the constitution last year to pursue a third term of office.

The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States deemed the move as unconstitutional and suspended Niger to press it to restore the constitutional order.

KHARTOUM, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A visiting U.S. Senate delegation to Khartoum on Thursday acknowledged reduction of violence in Sudan's western restive region of Darfur.

"There is a great reduction in the level of violence in Darfur. This is a positive development," Senator Richard Durbin, head of the delegation, told reporters following a meeting with Sudanese Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Mutrif Siddiq.

The U.S. senator, however, linked a full normalization of Sudanese-U.S. relations to the realization of a comprehensive peace in Darfur.

He said for the Sudanese-American relations to be fully normalized, a comprehensive settlement for the Darfur conflict must be reached through a comprehensive peace agreement.

Following the meeting between the U.S. Senate delegation and Siddiq, Spokesman for Sudanese Foreign Ministry Muawiya Osman Khalid told reporters that the meeting reviewed the political developments in Sudan and the government's efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the Darfur issue.

The meeting also touched upon the progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and preparations for the general elections, scheduled for April this year, he said.

"The American delegation expressed a great concern with progress of the electoral process and appreciated the developments in Darfur, in particular the security situation," he said.

He said the delegation also expressed hope that the ongoing efforts would continue to develop the Sudanese-American relations.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate delegation commenced a visit to Sudan starting with Juba, capital of south Sudan, where the delegation held talks with the Sudanese First Vice-President and President of the government of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The delegation is scheduled to meet a number of Sudanese officials to discuss issues between Khartoum and Washington, the American role in the settlement of the Darfur crisis and progress in the implementation of the CPA.

ABIDJAN, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Explosions and bursts of gunfire were heard in the direction of the Presidential Palace in Niger's capital Niamey on Thursday afternoon, an incident many suspected to be a coup attempt to topple President Mamadou Tandja.

Xinhua's correspondent reported at the scene that fierce shooting lasted between midday (1200 GMT) and 2:00 p. m. (1400 GMT) . Several people were injured in the fighting and sent to a hospital in Niamey.

Speculation is running high about where the 72-year-old president is, with some reports saying he was captured by a group of soldiers.

In another development, France has advised its citizens not to travel to Niger while warning those in Niamey to stay indoors. There are about 1,500 French citizens living in Niger and 500 Europeans in Niamey, according to Paris.

President Tandja, who has been elected twice since 1999, managed to amend the constitution last year in search for a third term of office.

The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States saw the move as unconstitutional and suspended Niger to press it to return to the constitutional order.

Niger, a former French colony, gained independence in 1960. On April 9, 1999, President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara was assassinated. His successor, Major Daouda Malam Wane, led a transitional government until an election was held and won by Tandja in December 1999. A former army colonel, Tandja is a member of the Kanouri minority from the region bordering Chad.

KHARTOUM, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chief of the United Nations- African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Ibrahim Gambari Thursday said two suspects of being involved in a recent attack on the mission peacekeepers in Darfur were arrested.

"Two suspects, believed to have been involved in the incident, were arrested," Gambari told reporters following a meeting with Sudanese Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Mutrif Siddiq in Khartoum Thursday.

"This is a positive development that will serve stability in Darfur and help UNAMID perform its tasks," he added.

He said it is important to bring the suspects to trial, saying that "they should be tried at once, which will send a strong message that assaulting the peacekeepers is not be tolerated."

"We are a neutral party and we are working for the interest of the Darfur people," he added.

Unidentified gunmen Tuesday ambushed a UNAMID police convoy near Nyala, capital of South Darfur State, leaving seven peacekeepers wounded, two of them were in serious condition.

About 22 UNAMID personnel have been killed in similar attacks against the mission patrols since it has taken over the peacekeeping task in the region.

UNAMID took over the peacekeeping mission in Darfur from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) on Dec. 31, 2007.

CAIRO, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cairo Airport authorities on Wednesday evacuated passengers on board a Rome-bound flight over bomb attack threat, state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

The police received a phone call from an unidentified man warning that the Alitalia airlines Rome-bound flight is booby- trapped. Egyptian Tourism Minister Zohair Garana was among the 157 passengers on board, the report said.

All passengers were asked to leave the plane, while the police started examining them and checking their luggage. They then moved to the VIP terminal.

The plane was also being re-examined. The check is expected to take several hours.

HARARE, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday dismissed the renewal of the European Union (EU) sanctions on his country as a futile attempt by the West to disrupt the country's developmental process.

In his first public reaction after Tuesday's extension of the sanctions for another year, Mugabe said the sanctions were designed to curtail progress, but vowed these would not derail government efforts to revive the economy.

"We know their attitude. They do not want any country to make any meaningful development and that attitude is more pronounced here in Zimbabwe," the State news agency, New Ziana, quoted him as saying.

"We have natural resources which they envy, we have land which we took and this has made them feel that they have lost what they thought belonged to them."

The EU extended the sanctions which target 200 people and 40 firms linked to Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, citing lack of progress in implementation of a power sharing accord.

However, the bloc removed six individuals, some of them dead, and nine companies from the sanctions list.

The sanctions were imposed in 2002 following policy differences with Harare.

Mugabe formed a coalition government with former foes Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara of the two MDC factions in February 2009.

This followed the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) by the three leaders in September 2008, but squabbles among the three parties on how to share executive power is threatening the survival of the one-year government.

Already, inter-party talks to thrash out outstanding issues to the GPA have stalled as the parties refuse to compromise on their demands.

Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has threatened not to make further concessions on the GPA talks unless the sanctions are removed.

The issue of sanctions and the removal of foreign radio stations beaming into Zimbabwe are the two major issues that Zanu- PF wants Tsvangirai's party to address, even though Tsvangirai has said the two issues are beyond him and his party.

Tsvangirai and his MDC party want Mugabe and his party to reverse the appointments of central bank governor and attorney general, and to appoint members from MDC as provincial governors.

The premier also wants Mugabe to swear into office, his MDC party treasurer Roy Bennett as agriculture deputy minister. Mugabe is refusing to do so arguing Bennett has to be cleared first of terror-related charges he is facing in the courts of law.

LOME, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Action Committee for Renewal (CAR) , the second largest opposition party in Togo, announced its return on Tuesday to the electoral process, although it admitted "far from being satisfied" with measures taken by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

This decision was announced during a press conference held at the CAR headquarters in Lome in the presence of the party's National President Dodji Apevon and the party's presidential candidate, Yawovi Agboyibo.

On Saturday, CAR decided to suspend the participation of its two representatives in CENI and its candidate Agboyibo in the electoral process, saying their demands "for measures that will bring about a free and fair election " had been rejected.

Hours after the opening of election campaigns on Tuesday, CENI decided to use serialized ballot papers, but said the principle of authentication of ballot papers will be done in the polling centers.

CENI announced, without elaborating, that the outlines of this principle will be defined and transmitted to the electoral clerks within the polling centers during their training.

"CAR is far from being satisfied with these partial solutions and is still waiting for convincing answers to all its demands," the party said.

However, CAR noted that they had raised their concerns with CENI which promised to work on their demands. The party then decided to ask their representatives to the institution and their candidate "to resume their participation in the electoral process. "

While suspending its participation from the electoral process, CAR said the whole election process appeared as "a farce" and that it would not take a risk of being part of it.

CAR holds complaints about the revision of electoral lists and code related to voting. It demands authentication of ballot papers by at least two of the agents in the polling station, usage of serialized ballot papers for easier traceability, consensus within CENI and a delay of the election to solve problems first.

The Togolese presidential election scheduled for March 4 will mark the end of the first term of President Faure Gnassingbe, who came to power after a hotly-contested election in April 2005 following the death of his father, general Gnassingbe Eyadema.