September 27 2009

South Africa’s deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is expected to deliver a keynote address at a conference of the Association of Public Accounts Committees in Cape Town today. The meeting is being attended by 600 government delegates from across the African continent. They will share ideas on how to effectively manage public funds.

Association chairperson, Fish Mahlalela says they don't have institutions of public accounts at a local government level. Mahlalela says there is a need for public accounts committees at municipal levels. He says there is a strong feeling about the need for such a development to help take on challenges that they are currently confronted with in relation to the provision of basic services.

Recent reports indicate that many countries are faced with problems ranging from overspending in the public service to ineffective service delivery. Mahlalela says the gathering is aimed at making sure that parliament, on behalf of the people of South Africa and which is entrusted to its people, makes sure that money that is given to government is mainly used to the benefit of the people and to ensure that there is maximisation of service delivery to the people.

sabcnews

September 27 2009

South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation deputy Minister, Ebrahim Ebrahim has today arrived in Iran ahead of the fourth meeting of SA-Iran deputy Ministerial Working Group. According to the department, South Africa and Iran are expected to enhance bilateral relations at the two-day meeting which kicks-off tomorrow.

The department says the meeting comes within the context of South Africa’s priority and commitment in enhancing and broadening the scope of the relationship and cooperation with Iran especially in trade and economic matters within the framework of South-South Cooperation. While in Iran, Ebrahim will also pay a courtesy call on deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini.

Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Iran were re- established on May 10, 1994 after the first democratic elections. Ambassador Mohammed Sharif Mahdavi was the first Iranian Ambassador to South Africa after the resumption of diplomatic relations. In turn, Ambassador Moosa Moolla was the first South African Head of Mission in Tehran after the resumption of ties.

In 1995, South Africa and Iran established a Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) to allow for a high-level review of bilateral relations and to consider ways in which these relations could be expanded further.

sabcnews

28 September 2009

Nairobi — Tanzania farmers in key arable areas face eviction by multinational corporations out to cultivate agrofuel products.

More than 5,000 rice farmers from various parts of the country could be affected.

This will trigger an environmental and humanitarian crisis as displaced villagers are left without land to grow food crops.

A new report made available to The EastAfrican last week by an international environmental group warns that Tanzania's water sources, so critical to food production, will also be diverted to fuel production, increasing conflicts over access to water.

The report was compiled by a local environmental group, the Environmental, Human Rights Care and Gender Organisation (Envirocare) Tanzania, and an international organisation, the Impact of Jatropha Trade in Tanzania.

It says the government has few qualms about evicting farmers from their only means of livelihood, even if this sparks civil conflict.

According to the report, the government wants to fast-track agrofuel initiatives and switch vast areas of land to sugarcane, palm oil and jatropha production, pushing out locals to poorer lands.

"The most fertile lands, with best access to water, are being targetted, even though they are already used for food production by small-scale farmers," said the report.

Abdallah Mkindi, environmental officer of Envirocare Tanzania, said that the country plans to place extensive areas under biofuel cultivation, including sugar plantations in the Wami River Basin, displacing small-scale rice farmers.

Mr Mkindi said that with the country routinely depending on imported food aid, owing to frequent drought, producing fuel for export instead of food for locals will deepen poverty and food insecurity in the years to come.

He said more than 1,000 rice farmers in Wami Basin, Coast region, a vast area in the alluvial flood and delta plain of the Wami River and its distributaries, and another 1,000 rice farmers in Ruipa, Mtwara region, will be displaced to pave the way for cane growing.

"The Usangu plains, another area identified for potential sugarcane production, have already seen the government's willingness to accommodate large investors at the expense of small-scale farmers," he said.

In Usangu district in Mbeya region, more than 1,000 rice farmers were recently displaced from their land to make way for a large plantation. The plantation has cut off the surrounding communities' access to the river, leading to disputes over water.

According to Mr Mkindi, several international investors are looking at fertile areas with good rainfall and access to rivers, particularly for sugarcane and palm oil cultivation.

The targetted areas include Ruipa, Ikongo, Mahurungu-Mtwara, Usangu plains, Malagarasi, Kilosa, Babati and Hanang in Tanzania.

But analysts have pointed out the discrepancy between the government's stated aim of using biofuels to bring energy to the rural poor, and the policy of evicting them from their land.

Currently, there is no biofuel policy, nor any legislation to govern its direction and production in Tanzania.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, a Biofuels Task Force was established in April 2006 to develop the sector and push for legislation to stimulate the use of biofuels. This followed a study on "Liquid Biofuels for Transportation in Tanzania."

A Swedish firm has been provided with 400,000 hectares of land to turn into sugar plantation at Wami River in Coast region, while more than 8,000 hectares of land in Kigoma region have been provided to a Malaysian and Indonesian firm for a proposed palm oil biodiesel project.

"Oil palms require major investment, and the trees can live for 30 years or more. Farmers entering into contracts to plant and grow palm trees may be forced to sign away use of their land for many decades," warned Mr Mkindi.

The firms that are in the final stages of cultivating biofuel include D1 Oils Tanzania Ltd, a local subsidiary of the UK company D1 Oils.

It plans to use outgrowers and to have biodiesel processing stations in every district in Tanzania.

A German investor, Prokon, has begun a 10,000 hectare jatropha outgrower programme in Mpanda district in southwest Tanzania.

Diligent Energy Systems, a Dutch company with branches in Tanzania and Colombia, has began cultivation of jatropha in Babati, Engaruka, Chalinze, Pangani and Singida and large-scale cultivation in Handeni district of Tanga region.

The report also mentions a UK-based international firm, Sun Biofuels, which has acquired 18,000 hectares of land in Lindi region to cultivate jatropha.

"Farmers who currently grow cassava, rice and maize will be encouraged to abandon food crops and instead grow jatropha," noted Mr Mkindi in the report.

Mr Mkindi said that, in addition, a US-UK group, a Malaysian group and a US-based venture fund are currently exploring more than 100,000 hectares for palm oil production.

To attract more investors, the government of Tanzania has analysed many fertile regions with good access to water, where farmers are already growing food.

Stephen Wasira, Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, said various regions of Tanzania were facing food shortages and about 970,000 people were in need of aid.

Hence the government has to make arrangements to distribute about 50,000 tonnes of food to the affected areas by September this year.

Mr Wasira said the government is cautioning farmers on food shortages and appealing for more concerted efforts to ensure delivery of at least one million tonnes of grain to avert starvation.

The food deficiency resulted from last year's insufficient cereal harvests, whereby 5.2 million tonnes were collected as opposed to the projected national demand of 6 million tonnes for the 2009/2010 crop season.

The National Food Reserve Authority had stockpiled over 107,269 tonnes of cereals required for 2009/2010, but by June this year the stock had declined to 89,842 tonnes.

The Tanzania Investment Centre has set up a land bank of 2.5 million hectares identified as suitable for agrofuel investment.

Where use of local resources is perceived as unproductive, land may be classified as idle or underutilised. It could, therefore, be made available to prospective investors, despite its economic, social and cultural functions.

While investment promotion agencies may help bring underutilised land into production, doing so creates the risk of dispossession.

A British firm that has taken over a 9,000-hectare area for jatropha cultivation in Kisarawe district, in which more than 11 villages have given out their land, wants farmers to abandon food crops.

According to the report, the villagers have been compensated for mango and cashewnut trees on the land without regard to the market price of the land.

"The farmers have not been made fully aware of issues such as the genuine value of their land and the consequences of giving it up," said the report.

The Holland based agrofuel firm Bioshape, a subsidiary of Bioshape Holdings, Holland, has applied to acquire about 81,000 hectares of land from the four villages of Mavuji, Liwiti, Migeregere and Nainwoke in Kilwa district, Lindi region.

But land officials say they have processed the purchase of only 34,736 hectares.

According to Mr Mkindi, the firm is in the process of paying $250,000 to the District Council, with the funds to be shared between the District Council (60 per cent) and the local communities (40 per cent).

"If they were to acquire the total 81,000 hectares they would pay $1.023 million. Bioshape is planning to use 60 per cent of the total land in plantation batches of 200ha plots and to maintain a 40 per cent buffer zone of natural vegetation, animal free zones, hills and wetlands, as well as thick forest," said Mr Mkindi.

allafrica

27 Sep 2009

As Sudan prepares for the first general elections in decades, President Omar al-Beshir lifts censorship on the press.

"As of today, censorship is over and journalists have complete freedom," said a presidential decree carried by the official SUNA news agency on Sunday.

Head of the country's Press Council, Ali Shimo, said the "pre-censorship" system was called off after editors, journalists' associations and censors signed an "ethics code" for practicing journalism.

Up to now, a group of government-led sensors screened newspapers every night before hitting the stands to purge them of "sensitive" articles despite a law guaranteeing "freedom of the press".

Under the law, passed in parliament in June, the press were granted freedom but banned from "provoking religious or ethnic or racial sedition or calling for war or violence," while "respecting and protecting public ethics, religious values" and those found guilty of violating the press law had to pay a fixed penalty set by the courts.

But in practice, the law was impractical and the censors continued their job. The new press law and lifting of censorship will only be applied to the written press and not to television.

Sudan is to hold its first general elections in April, the first one since 1986. The national vote for Sudanese presidential, parliamentary and regional elections has twice been delayed.


presstv

27 Sep 2009

The Constitutional Court of Gabon has ruled that all the votes from the country's August presidential election be recounted after protests on 'poll-fixing' turned ugly.

The court's decision for a recount scheduled "for Tuesday, September 29 beginning at 1400 (1300 GMT)," follows the opposition lawsuit on last month's election results, which was prompted by the death of the country's long-time pro-French leader, Omar Bongo Ondimba.

Opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou challenged the late leader's son, Ali Bongo's victory in the election, reportedly accusing the ruling party of staging a 'show' election.

Gabon's election took place after the West African nation lost its second president since gaining independence from France in 1960.

The country has undergone a wave of unrest over the past month over allegations of French intervention in Bongo's assumption of power.

The opposition says that at least five people have lost their lives in recent scuffles between security forces and demonstrators challenging the authorities.

presstv

27 September 2009

Gabriel Ntisezerana, Second Vice President of Burundi

26 September 2009 - Burundi's Government is committed to ensuring that highly awaited presidential, parliamentary and local polls scheduled for next year take place peacefully and successfully, and will step up support to election authorities so it can achieve that goal, the country's Second Vice-President told the General Assembly today.

Gabriel Ntisezerana, addressing the annual high-level segment of the Assembly, said his Government was resolved "that an environment of calm should prevail" and therefore was strengthening key election structures, such as the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which is tasked with organizing the ballots.

Mr. Ntisezerana said the Government would grant $7 million to the IEC but called on the international community to also provide financial support.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced this week that it will manage a $44 million fund to promote the peaceful staging of the polls.

If the polls are successfully staged, it will mark the first time that an electoral cycle has run its full course in Burundi, where a UN Integrated Office known as BINUB operates to try to promote peace and stability after years of ethnically-based conflict.

In 2005 more than 90 per cent of Burundians approved a new constitution and separate ballots were held for parliamentary seats and for the presidency. Next year voters will choose a president, parliamentary lawmakers and local representatives.

Mr. Ntisezerana added that his Government also hoped that electoral success would boost the impoverished Central African nation's prospects for economic development, as well as allow the country to further redefine the mandate of BINUB.

allafrica

27 September 2009

Paul Toungui, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon

26 September 2009 - The Gabonese people have shown maturity and responsibility in the way they have handled the difficult period following recent presidential elections to succeed their long-running ruler, the country's Foreign Minister has told the General Assembly.

Paul Toungui, in an address last night to the Assembly's annual General Debate, praised the people of Gabon for their "commitment to the values of peace and democracy" after last month's presidential contest, which authorities say was won by Ali Bongo Ondimba. Mr. Bongo succeeds his father, Omar, who ruled Gabon as President from 1967 until his death in May this year.

Earlier this month Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern at reports that opposition activists had clashed with security forces in the days following the polls on 30 August, and urged calm and restraint from all sides.

Mr. Toungui described the time after Omar Bongo's death as "a delicate period of political transition" during which the impoverished African nation had to draw on its own resources to overcome.

But he said the people displayed a "high sense of responsibility and maturity," adding that the country was also helped by the support of the international community in recent months.

allafrica

26 September 2009

Kampala — After two decades of war during which thousands of children were used as child soldiers and many women raped, Northern Uganda's recovery plan is to be spent on building roads rather than helping the country's most vulnerable.

Civil society and women parliamentarians are not happy with the government and donors, as there are no concrete measures to meet gender-related concerns over the recovery plan for Northern Uganda.

The over 600 million dollar Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) - of which was 70 percent sponsored by donors and the remained by the Ugandan government - was designed to stabilise and bridge the economic disparities between Northern Uganda and the rest of the country.

Most of the money, to be spent over three years, is to be used to construct feeder roads and infrastructure destroyed during the war.

And while roads were needed, the needs of the women also needed to be met, said Oyam District Member of Parliament, Amongi Beatrice Lagada. "The women took on so many burdens during the war. So unless we recognise those gender roles we shall not restore the gender perspectives which were there before," she said.

An estimated 30,000 to 66,000 children were abducted during the 20 years of conflict. About 90 percent of the LRA ranks were populated by children forced to terrorise civilians by cutting off hands and lips, among other atrocities.

A study conducted by United Nations Children's Fund in 2005 in one of the Pabo displaced-persons camp found that at least 60 percent of women there had suffered sexual or domestic violence.

Monica Amonding, coordinator of The Uganda Women Parliamentarians' Association (UWOPA), says the PRDP has no budget to resettle single mothers, female-headed households, widows, formerly abducted girls, women with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Amonding said many war-affected women, girls and boys had resorted to begging in streets in urban centres because they had not been assisted to cope with life after two decades of war.

The Women's Task Force on a Gender-Responsive Peace, Recovery and Development Plan, and UWOPA say the war affected women and men differently, because of gender advantages or disadvantages.

They say women and girls have suffered from brutal levels of sexual and gender-based violence that increased their vulnerability to HIV/Aids. But the recovery programme lacks interventions to alleviate the plight of women.

Beatrice Anywar, a woman MP from Kitgum district on the Uganda-Sudan border, said the PRDP should help child mothers to return to school, or gain skills for income generation.

"We have stressed that women and children have suffered most, whether those who remained at home or those who were abducted and were serving with (Joseph) Kony. A woman is now charged with more responsibilities than a man, but there is little on the table to show she will get a fair share of the money," she said.

Joseph Kony, leader of Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for the atrocities committed on civilians during the two decades of war in Northern Uganda.

Uganda's Minister in Charge of Northern Uganda reconstruction, David Wakikona, told IPS the ministry was working toward including some of the women's concerns in the next budget. He said the people with disabilities, women, and other special interest groups had to present fundable projects through their groups.

"We shall definitely fund them, because we know that the women have suffered, so the women should not be worried," he said.

But Amonding said the government should not operate like a donor.

"For us PRDP will be meaningless as long as it continues to focus on hardware issues like roads, bridges and so on. We want software issues like counselling services, maternal health and adolescent-friendly services for boys and girls. But these have not been reflected anywhere in the framework."

Jane Alisemera, a female member of Parliament and UWOPA chairperson, told IPS: "Eighty percent of formerly displaced persons are women and children. The PRDP's intended objectives will fail to deliver tangible results if gender gaps are not urgently addressed."

The activists say the PRDP framework is not in line with accepted national, regional and international gender instruments such as Uganda's gender policy, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) or the Beijing Platform of Action. Uganda's gender policy, like CEDAW, requires the state to take measures to eliminate discrimination against women.

Alisemera further noted that sex-disaggregated data had not been included in the framework for planned interventions. "The budget allocation has not been broken down by gender; this makes it nearly impossible to determine the projected spending on men and women, or boys and girls. So you cannot come out with gender-responsive tools to monitor and evaluate its impact," she said.

The two years of peace in Northern Uganda have seen many formerly displaced people resettling in their villages, but it has not been easy for those with disabilities. This is one of the areas that the activists want the money channelled to if people with disabilities are to return home. For disabled people, moving from IDP camps means they will now have longer distances to travel for food, fetch water, access medical care and essential services.

Margaret Babadiri, a Member of Parliament from Kobko, is visually impaired. Climbing the Parliament of Uganda stairs with her white cane, she told IPS: "Well first of all I'm happy because the PRDP will benefit areas that have suffered from war for a very long time. But what I'm not happy with is the way it was developed. It did not involve everybody, or include people with a disability - women and so on. They think we are uniform. It is actually disability-blind and gender-blind.

"If I can take it close to home: during the insurgency a lot of havoc has been done, people were killed, many became disabled and the number of disabled persons in Northern Uganda is greater than any other region in Uganda.

"Because you step on a landmine, your leg is cut off, and the atrocities caused by Kony where the lips are cut off. So this PRDP should target people with disabilities, but we don't see any specific programmes aimed at us," she stressed.

Santos Okumu, representating the visually impaired in the Gulu District Disabled Persons' Union, told IPS the women had suffered most from war-related disabilities, and women with disabilities were no longer supported by their spouses

"They are really suffering. When they got married they were walking, but now the landmine has blown off one leg. They look like a cock that has folded one leg, so the spouses don't want them. These people are highly traumatised. They don't only need psycho-social support, they need financial support if they are to gain a livelihood. But unfortunately many will miss out on the PRDP in its current form," he said.

Irene Laker is a victim of a landmine planted by the Lord's Resistance Army. She was about to get married, but now lives a single life after her leg was amputated.

"You know at the time I was hit by a mine, I was going to get married. But because of that disability, that person saw me in the hospital without a limb, then he disappointed me. That was the first challenge. And then the family members look at me as a burden. I was doing some small work at the district, but lost that job because of the disability." Laker has remained unemployed, and is yet to marry.

Uganda's Finance Minister, Syda Bumba who until recently was Gender Minster, said the concerns of the women were genuine and expected they could be addressed in the subsequent budgets. "I'm aware that we discussed those issues even when I was still at Gender (Ministry). And I (am) aware that discussion are still going on between the different actors and the Prime Minister's office. So I believe those issues will be addressed by government," she said.

allafrica

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Latin American and African leaders urged rapid integration of both regions at the second Africa-South America Summit (ASA) which began here on Saturday.

At the inauguration ceremony, Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi called on leaders who attended the summit to transform the world that unites them.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged the speedup of the ASA regional integration.

"We must give strategic vision and feasibility to the idea of integrating South America and Africa with the structuring and implementation of a working agenda for the 2010-2020 period," he said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that ASA member countries had achieved concrete results since the 1st ASA Summit in Abuja in 2006.

"The South-South cooperation is the tool to build a fairer world," Lula said.

Fifteen African and six Latin American leaders have attended the two-day summit.

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- African countries are ready to play their roles in the construction of a new South-South cooperation model with Latin America, an official from the African Union Commission said on Saturday.

At the second Africa-South America Summit (ASA), Jean Ping, chairman of the commission, said that the way to build the new model was to boost friendship and exploit the real power of both continents.

Ping also urged materialization of the agreements reached during the1st ASA Summit in Abuja in 2006.

"We should not conform with a diplomatic and political rhetoric because this time the credibility of the South-South cooperation is in risk", Ping said.

According to the chairman, this summit was held in the frame of a wonderful alliance formed between two continents, an alliance that has been fed by similar historical characteristics, same economic aspirations and the wish to establish a new international order.

Africa has the will to walk on the path of economic growth, during which a joint work based on mutual respect is needed, Ping said

The two-day summit which started on Saturday has drawn 15 African and six Latin American leaders.

27 September 2009
Gabon's constitutional court has announced a recount of the votes in the presidential election held August 30. The recount is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, and is prompted by official challenges from opponents of president-elect Ali Bongo.

AFP - Gabon's constitutional court on Tuesday will recount all the votes from last month's contested presidential election won by the son of longtime leader Omar Bongo Ondimba, it was announced Saturday.

A recount is planned "for Tuesday, September 29 beginning at 1400 (1300 GMT)," according to a letter sent to candidates who filed appeals with the court, said Richard Moulomba Mombo, a spokesman for opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou.

Another candidate's team provided the same information on condition of anonymity. The court also confirmed the information and said all votes would be counted again.

According to official results approved by the constitutional court, Ali Bongo won the August 30 election with 41.73 percent of the vote.

Ex-interior minister Andre Mba Obame finished second with 25.88 percent and Mamboundou placed third with 25.22 percent.

The single-round election followed the death of ex-president Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years.

Opposition figures said the vote was rigged, and a total of 11 appeals were filed with the constitutional court, which has until October 18 to rule.

Mamboundou's spokesman said the letter from the court asked those who filed appeals to unite under one representative to oversee the recount. The spokesman, however, said candidates had different arguments and would not be able to do so.

The opposition claimed on Thursday that at least five people were killed in violence that swept Gabon's oil city of Port-Gentil between September 3 and 6 after the disputed poll.

france24

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The two-day second summit of Africa-South America (ASA) opened on the Venezuelan resort island on Saturday with calls for concrete measures to accelerate the integration of the two regions.

In his welcoming speech, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stressed in particular the need to translate the mechanisms established at the first ASA summit in 2006 in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.

At the first summit, "two documents were approved ..., but it lacks performance. Three years later, the importance of these documents has decreased," he said.

In response, Chavez proposed to create a mechanism of round-table of presidents or their advisers, so that it can be dedicated exclusively to designing a strategic program for the ASA.

"We must give strategic vision and feasibility" to the idea of integrating South America and Africa with the structuring and implementation of a working agenda for the period 2010-2020, he said.

In addition, he proposed to create a bank of the ASA between South America and Africa,

"I already got the name of Bancasa for it. This bank could repatriate our reserves in the North to provide credit to ourselves," he said.

In his speech, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, proposed to create an organization that brings together the nations of South America and Africa.

He said the organization should be created immediately to provide a real platform in the South, which is similar to that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "This organization could become a South Atlantic Treaty Organization," he said.

The goal is that all nations have the opportunity to participate actively in the decision-taking procedure about their development and are not subject to unilateral decisions by NATO or the Security Council of the United Nations, explained Gaddafi.

In the opinion of South African President Jacob Zuma, South-South cooperation between South America and Africa will contribute to the development of both regions.

"Our relations have great potential for success that will achieve the long waited development of our two continents," said South African President.

In this regard, Zuma has warned that a failure to take into account the link between the two regions, the global economic crisis that has affected millions of poor people around the world, will have worse consequences.

Thus, the African leader has called for forging closer ties between the two regions and a global multilateral system for the benefit of all, allowing strict control in the banking system.

In recent years, trade between the two regions has grown rapidly.

According to the calculations of the Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, six years ago, trade between the two regions stood at 6 billion U.S. dollars, but after the first ASA summit in2006, the amount reached 36 billion dollars. "This shows a process of strengthening our economic sovereignty," said Lula.

Lula noted that this meeting is a perfect setting to take a further step in building a partnership between two continents determined to build a bridge for dialogue and collaboration.

"That was the bold vision that brought together Africa and South America for the first time in Abuja in 2006, and it is with great pride and optimism as I see the concrete results that we are harvesting," he said.

President of the Commission of the African Union (AU) Jean Ping said on Saturday that African countries are ready to take their part in building a new model of South-South cooperation with Latin America and strengthening relations of sincere friendship, to jointly exploit the real potential of the two continents.

Representatives of 61 countries from both regions attended the summit which ends Sunday.

Under the theme "Closing the gap, opening up opportunities", the summit is aimed at boosting cooperation among the participant countries, coping with the food, financial, economic and environmental crisis, and following up agreements and plans of action adopted in the ASA Abuja summit.

PORLAMAR (Venezuela), Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday that trade between African and South American countries has grown rapidly in recent years as a result of cooperation driven by the Africa-South American summit for the development of peoples.

Speaking at the summit, Lula said that six years ago, trade relations between the two regions were calculated at 6,000 million dollars, but after the first Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, in November 2006, bilateral commercial exchanges have passed 36,000 million dollars, which shows a process of strengthening the economic sovereignty.

Lula said this would be possible without the substantial progress in Africa, and urged members of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to learn from Africa to consolidate the same results in their region.

He noted that this meeting is the perfect setting to take a further step in building a partnership between two continents determined to build a bridge for dialogue and collaboration, reduce distances, bringing peoples and consolidate strategy for development and peace.

"That was the bold vision that brought together Africa and South America for the first time in Abuja in 2006, and it is with great pride and optimism as I see the concrete results that we are harvesting," he said.

The second Africa-South America summit opened Saturday in Porlamar, the main town on the island of Margarita, Venezuela, with participation of over 20 heads of state and government.

Under the theme "Closing the gap, opening up opportunities", the summit is aimed at boosting the cooperation of the participant countries, facing the food, financial, economic and environmental crisis, and strengthening agreements and plans of action started in 2006 at the first Summit, held in Abuja, Nigeria.

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- South African President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday during the opening of the second summit of Africa-South American (ASA) that the South-South union between South American and African regions will contribute to the development of both.

"Our relationships have a great potential for success that will realize the long-awaited development of our two continents," said the South African leader.

Zuma warned that failure to take into account the link between the regions, the global economic crisis that has affected millions of poor people worldwide will bring worse consequences.

He called for forging closer ties and a global multilateral system of benefit to all, enabling strict controls in banking system.

Other topics of interest to the South African delegation are climate change, human rights and non-proliferation and disarmament, according to him.

The second Africa-South America summit started Saturday in Porlamar, the main town on the island of Margarita, Venezuela, with participation of over 20 heads of state and government from South America and Africa.

Under the theme "Closing the gap, opening up opportunities", the summit is aimed at boosting the cooperation of the participant countries, facing the food, financial, economic and environmental crisis, and strengthening agreements and plans of action started in 2006 at the first Summit, held in Abuja, Nigeria.

MOGADISHU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdurashid Ali Sharmarke, on Saturday said the Somali government is in dialogue with "key" individuals in the opposition and he expected positive results from the talks.

The Somali government is fighting deadly insurgency with Islamist rebels since it returned to the capital early this year following a UN-sponsored talks in Djibouti late 2008 which culminated with the election of the current president and the formation of the government of national unity led by Sharmarke.

The prime minister, who was speaking in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, said there were both "direct and indirect" dialogues going on between the government and the opposition.

"We will continue to engage the opposition. We try to discuss directly or indirectly and I think there have been a lot of progress in our talk. I hope the results may be seen later on but we continue to have a meaningful dialogue," said the prime minister.

Sharmarke acknowledged that there are difficulties in the talks with the opposition groups who are basically two main Islamist factions of Al-Shabaab and the Hezbul Islam.

The prime minister said there will always be going to be "elements" within the opposition that as he put it "will not agree to anything", but he stated that as a government it was their responsibility to reach out to those who were "still out of the (peace) process of Djibouti".

The Somali prime minister was hopeful that the opposition groups would come to terms with the fact that the only way out was to join hands and move forward.

The official also talked about the current security situation, African Union peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the bilateral relations between China and Somalia, and the unfulfilled pledged funds from the international community.

Sharmarke, whose beleaguered government is confined to parts of Mogadishu and fights off daily attacks from insurgent groups poised to topple it, said his government was doing all it could to improve security in Mogadishu.

He acknowledged that the latest deadly twin suicide car bombings against AMISOM headquarters in Mogadishu was a "setback" and nothing could be done to prevent such attacks.

"I think you can hardly prevent such suicide bombings. I think you can only minimize the effects of such things. When one decides to blow himself up, I think very little can be done," the prime minister told Xinhua.

The suicide attacks which killed nearly 21 people, mostly peacekeepers, and wounded as many as 40 others, was claimed by Al-Shabaab Islamist rebels who along with the Hezbul Islam faction, control much of southern and central Somalia.

Meanwhile, the Somali prime minister praised what he called "the long and historic ties" between the Somali and Chinese peoples and governments and urged the further strengthening of the ties between the two nations.

He sent congratulation to the government and people of China as they celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"I would urge people and government of China to continue to do their own progress to continue to grow their economy. I think growth in China is a growth for the entire world," he told Xinhua.

He, however, described as unfortunate the international community's inability to deliver its pledged funds to support the Somali government and AU peacekeeping forces.

The official hoped that the 8,000-strong African Union peacekeeping forces, of which nearly 5,000 are currently on the ground in Mogadishu, would soon be fully deployed and that their mandate, which is now limited, would be strengthened to enable them to fight Islamist rebels.

26 Sep 2009

In a meeting with relatives of some victims of the Lockerbie incident, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi has condemned all terrorist attacks.

In 1988, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, organized by Libyan agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, killed 270 people.

Last month, Scotland freed Megrahi on compassionate grounds to the anger of many relatives of the victims. Libya has formally accepted responsibility for the bombing and has paid billions of dollars to families of the victims, Reuters reported.

In an interview with CNN that is to air on Sunday, Qaddafi compared the bombing to a 1986 US military raid against Libya that killed around 40 people, including Qaddafi's daughter.

"Whether it is Lockerbie or whether it is the '86 raid against Libya, we are all families ... terror in all its forms is a common enemy to all of us," he said.

Former US President Ronald Reagan ordered the military action after the bombing of a Berlin nightclub that was blamed on Libya.

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26 Sep 2009

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has accused Western countries of 'filthy antics' aimed at undermining a power-sharing government forged in February.

During his remarks, which were made at the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, Mugabe pointed out that the United States and European Union had refused to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe.

"Some of them (western countries) are working strenuously to divide the parties in Inclusive government-if they will not assist the Inclusive government in rehabilitating our economy, could they please, please stop their filthy, clandestine, divisive antics. Where stand their humanitarian principles? Where stand their humanitarian principles we ask, when their illegal sanctions are ruining the lives of our children?" Mugabe told the delegates.

The African country which gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1980 has long been under US and EU sanctions.

Zimbabwe says it needs $10 billion in foreign reconstruction aid. Western countries, however, are reluctant to release cash saying the country should carry out further political and economic reform promised as part of a power-sharing pact.

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26 Sep 2009

The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez both will sign eight cooperation agreements, Venezuela's state media says.

The accords will be signed in Caracas, according to Venezuela's ABN news agency.

Venezuelan Ambassador to Tripoli Afif Tajeldine said five agreements have already been signed with Libya, Venezuela's top African ally, but he did not provide the figures or domain involved.

"Libya is the gateway to Africa for us because it is a country well-known for its socialist policies that plays an important and strategic role for us," he added.

Gaddafi was on Venezuela's scenic Isla Margarita, where a two-day summit began on Saturday, bringing together nine South American presidents and some 20 African leaders.

Chavez's other high-profile guests at the Caribbean resort destination included the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and the Democratic Republic of Congo's Joseph Kabila.

Gaddafi's trip to Venezuela is his first to Latin America since he came to power 40 years ago.

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NAIROBI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Saturday wrote a protest letter to U.S. President Barack Obama expressing displeasure and concerns about letters written to 15 prominent Kenyans.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, Kibaki said letters written to some ministers, lawmakers and permanent secretaries was out of step with the international protocol in the conduct of relations between friendly nations.

"His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki has written to President Barack Obama of the United States expressing displeasure and concern about letters written by a U.S. Government official to some Ministers, some Members of Parliament and some civil servants in their personal capacity on matters of Kenya's public policy," read the statement.

Kibaki's move comes just a day after Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Washington had the right to take action on individuals it deems to be blocking reforms.

Odinga who was delivering a speech at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in the United States said Washington could take action "if they are convinced the people they are banning from coming to the United States are engaged in forms of impunity".

He said he was at the forefront of championing reforms and was opposed to all forms of impunity.

"I have been a victim of impunity in the past," Odinga said, noting that he had been detained three times for a total of nine years. Odinga is the government's representative to the 64th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger announced on Thursday that they have dispatched threatening letters to the Kenyan officials with possible visa bans.

The U.S. government has been vocal on issues that touch on Kenyan public including corruption, post-election violence and lately the reform agenda.

"Letters signed by Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson have been sent to 15 persons making clear that the future relationship of those persons with the United States is tied to their support for implementation of the reform agenda and opposition to the use of violence," Ranneberger said.

This is the first time that President Kibaki has taken action on communications or threats issued by foreign ambassadors to the country.

"The action by the U.S. government official is considered out of step with international protocols in the conduct of relations between friendly nations," Kibaki said in the statement.

The U.S. letter also reiterated the reforms that were expected of the Kenyan government, among others "decisive, bold anti-corruption steps; reforms to ensure the rule of law, including police reform, judicial reform ... accountability for perpetrators of post-election violence, land reform".

Ranneberger said the steps taken by his country reflected the view at the highest levels of the U.S. government that implementation of the comprehensive reform agenda agreed to as the foundation of the coalition government must proceed with a much greater sense of urgency, because doing so was crucial to the future democratic stability of Kenya.

Both Kibaki and Odinga who signed a power-sharing deal to end the bloody post-election crisis, have publicly expressed their commitment to introducing necessary reforms in the country.

They reached a power-sharing deal last year to end post-election violence, which had left some 1,200 people dead and forced 350,000 from their homes.

KHARTOUM, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government Saturday denied the report that the government was not transparent in the distribution of the oil revenues between northern and southern Sudan.

Sudanese Minister of Energy and Mining Al-Zubair Ahmed Hassan criticized the London-based Global Witness Organization, which issued a report last month saying the figures of oil sales published by the Sudanese government are "less than what had been actually announced by the oil companies."

The Sudanese minister said "the oil revenues are managed by a joint mechanism between the Sudanese government and the southern Sudanese government besides foreign observers."

"The Global Witness Organization report depended on inaccurate information and had not asked the Sudanese government about the real situation," he added.

The minister downplayed the negative effect of the report on the relationship between the partners to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), namely the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, saying "there is a full transparency in the distribution of the oil revenues as stipulated in the CPA."

The two sides have agreed, according to the CPA inked in 2005, to share the country's oil revenues, as the South was stipulated to receive half of the official revenues of the oil extracted from the fields on its land.

The oil revenues constitute 98 percent of the budget of southern Sudanese government.