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Sep 25, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - It often attracts the epithet "powerful", but on the evidence of this week's triennial conference, the only truly powerful thing about the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is its rhetoric.

For four days, leaders of the union body that played a key role in the anti-apartheid struggle berated their red-shirted comrades about the perils of bourgeois capitalism and the need to "build working class power in all sites of power".

Yet its stamp on policy is more noticeable by its absence, even though COSATU sees new president Jacob Zuma as "its man", having backed him in a 2007 internal putsch against the avowedly pro-business Thabo Mbeki as head of the ruling ANC.

With an election not due again until 2014, analysts say the ANC is only likely to pay lip-service to its junior partner in an alliance that also includes the Communist Party, another anti-apartheid actor with an identity crisis 15 years after the end of white minority rule.

"The ANC are 'open to the debate' -- that is often the terminology used -- but that doesn't necessarily translate into the policy shifts that are demanded by the unions," said Mike Davies of political risk group Eurasia.

"None of it has really moved the agenda."

South Africa's steady economic evolution since apartheid from mining and manufacturing to business services -- finance and real estate now account for 20 percent of GDP, the biggest slice -- also points to waning long-term union influence.

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Sep 25, 2009

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria intends to keep its October 4 amnesty deadline, the defence minister said, rejecting a request from rebel leaders in the oil-producing Niger Delta for more time for peace talks before handing over their arms.

President Umaru Yar'Adua has offered an unconditional pardon to militants who give up arms by the deadline, the most serious attempt yet to resolve years of unrest which has prevented Nigeria from pumping above two-thirds of its oil capacity.

But rebel leaders Ateke Tom and Government Tompolo, who are commanders in the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), urged Abuja last week to extend the deadline by three months to allow for dialogue on demands including a partial withdrawal of military forces from the area.

"To all those in doubt, the deadline for amnesty is Sunday, October 4, and the government does not intend to extend it," Defence Minister Godwin Abbe told amnesty participants at a ceremony in Nigeria's oil hub Port Harcourt on Thursday.

"Anybody or group of militants who fail to surrender their arms after the expiration of the amnesty period will be on his own after the October 4 deadline," he added.

MEND, responsible for attacks that have wrought havoc on Africa's biggest energy industry over the last three years, extended a two-month-old ceasefire last week by 30 days.

The militant group said it would allow more time for talks but threatened attacks on the oil industry if substantive negotiations were not held.

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Sep 25, 2009

RABAT (Reuters) - The resignation of Libya's top energy official is a setback for foreign oil companies that saw him as an ally in an insular, unpredictable north African country whose leader once threatened full-scale nationalisation.

Yet such a move remains unlikely as Libya is just beginning to reap the benefits of foreign investment and expertise that it spent years trying to lure, analysts say.

Mystery over the timing and the reasons for Shokri Ghanem's departure from National Oil Corporation (NOC) only underlined the opaque decision-making process that made him so useful to international oil companies (IOCs).

As if to underline the risks, Libya scuppered the sale of Canadian oil exploration firm Verenex to China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) by blocking the deal and forcing its own purchase of Verenex at a lower price.

Verenex put itself up for sale after striking oil in the desert country's concession Block 47. NOC had been contractually obliged to match CNPC's offer and analysts said the Verenex debacle probably helped to trigger Ghanem's resignation.

"While overseeing the progressive tightening of IOCs' terms, Ghanem attempted to insulate the oil sector from political pressure and establish a predictable environment for IOCs," said Wolfram Lacher of Control Risks Group. "His departure raises the risk of further damaging decisions at NOC."

Others warned against over-estimating the impact of Ghanem's departure.

"At the end of the day, Libya wants to leverage its oil wells for positive economic benefits. While the specific details of that process might change, the overall framework is fairly consistent," said Robert Tashima, regional editor at Oxford Business Group.

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Sep 25, 2009

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo reaffirmed on Friday that much-delayed elections would be held in the West African country on November 29, despite problems with the publication of voter lists.

Ivory Coast's election commission confirmed last week that it had missed a deadline to publish provisional voter lists and political parties warned that the world's top cocoa grower may miss another poll date.

The publication of the lists, initially delayed in late August, is a crucial step toward holding the poll aimed at ending a seven-year crisis, during which rebels have controlled the north and the country's economy has stagnated.

But in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Gbagbo said the election process had "entered an irreversible phase."

"The presidential election date is fixed for November 29, 2009. There is no longer any political obstacle to holding the ballot," he said. He did not refer to the voter list issue, according to an official text of his speech.

Questions of nationality and who will be eligible to vote are sensitive in Ivory Coast. They were among the reasons cited by the rebels, now known as the New Forces (FN), in fighting a 2002-2003 war against Gbagbo.

The conflict has since died down but polls, first due in 2005, have been repeatedly delayed in a tortuous peace process amid accusations that the belligerents were profiting from the status quo while most Ivorians suffered.

Analysts say Ivory Coast needs to hold a successful poll to reclaim its spot as one of West Africa's most vibrant economies and stable nations. Many of the reforms needed to improve the cocoa sector also hinge on the vote taking place, they say.

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Sep 25, 2009

GENEVA (Reuters) - Fresh donations of H1N1 vaccines are expected to swell a global stockpile created to ensure poorer nations have good supplies to contain the swine flu pandemic, a top United Nations health official said on Friday.

Dr. David Nabarro, the U.N. coordinator for fighting new emerging flu varieties, told reporters several richer states were likely to join nine which have agreed to share their own vaccines with developing countries.

"It is most likely that there will be other countries donating 10 percent of their H1N1 vaccine stocks," Nabarro said by telephone from New York during a break from meetings with already pledged and potential donors.

He declined to say who the new donors would be, indicating that announcements would be made by the countries themselves, probably after meetings he and other officials were holding with them on Friday and into the weekend.

Last week, vaccines were pledged to the U.N.-administered stockpile by Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United States.

Drug makers can only produce enough H1N1 vaccine each year for half the planet, forcing each country to choose who will get the limited supplies, the WHO said on Thursday.

Mass vaccination programmes could start in Europe within weeks after European healthcare regulators recommended two swine flu vaccines for approval on Friday.

Poorer nations are especially vulnerable to the H1N1 virus because many are badly affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and have under-funded health services, U.N. and World Health Organisation (WHO) officials say.

Sep 25, 2009

MORONI (Reuters) - The president of the Comoros has presented a plan to the United Nations to convince the island of Mayotte to remain within the four-island Indian Ocean state with a separate administration, and not to become part of France.

"(I propose) the four islands of the Comoros archipelago remain a single, undivided nation ruled by the fundamental principle of one country, two administrations," Ahmed Abdallah Sambi told the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday.

In March, Mayotte's 186,000 people voted overwhelmingly in favour of the island becoming an overseas French department -- a change in status that will end local traditions such as polygamy and Islamic courts.

Observers say the Comoros government has no leverage over Mayotte but Sambi is determined the four islands should remain a unified sovereign state.

France remains the biggest trading partner and provider of development aid to the Comoros, while more than 200,000 Comorians -- close to one third of the archipelago's population -- live in France.

The volcanic islands have a turbulent history, with some 20 coups or attempted coups since declaring independence from France in 1975.

Sep 25, 2009

DAKAR (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund urged Chad on Friday to curtail public spending and to better manage oil revenues in a first review since the central African country asked the IMF to begin monitoring.

Overspending on sectors including security means that Chad, which is looking to re-establish credentials with donors as oil revenues have taken a hit from the fall in world prices, will miss its 2009 financial targets, the IMF said.

The IMF warning follows a report the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank that said hopes of oil easing Chad's dire poverty have quickly been replaced by evidence of rampant corruption, increased rebellion and political repression.

Chad has agreed to an IMF Staff Monitored Program (SMP), which is meant to improve donor relations after a row over oil revenues, which were meant to be spent on the poor but analysts say have been directed to the military to fight eastern rebels.

"Implementation of the staff-monitored program has been uneven in the period through end-August," Christian Josz, IMF mission chief for Chad, said, adding that public spending had exceeded targets by "sizeable margins".

The IMF said that the authorities have agreed to take steps to reduce the gap between targets and actual spending in 2009.

"This will mainly entail some slowing of the pace of spending on non-priority investment projects," Josz said.

Chad is one of the poorest in the world and has experienced conflict for all but four of the past 30 years.

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Sep 25, 2009

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe accused Western countries on Friday of "filthy antics" aimed at undermining a power-sharing government forged in February under a pact with former rival Morgan Tsvangirai.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Mugabe said the United States and the European Union had refused to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe, and "some of them are working strenuously to divide the parties in the inclusive government."

"If they will not assist the inclusive government in rehabilitating our economy, could they please, please stop their filthy clandestine divisive antics," Mugabe said.

The United States imposed sanctions in 2003 on Mugabe and other prominent Zimbabweans accused of undermining democracy. The European Union imposed measures of its own.

Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, has long been a pariah in the West, blamed by critics for plunging his country, once the bread basket of Africa, into poverty through mismanagement and corruption.

In response, Mugabe has blamed the West for Zimbabwe's steep economic decline, saying sanctions were imposed to retaliate for the seizure of white-owned commercial farms for redistribution to blacks.

The power-sharing government was cobbled together after a disputed election, but the pact between Mugabe and Tsvangirai has been beset with problems as their parties accuse each other of failing to fully implement the deal.

Zimbabwe says it needs $10 billion in foreign reconstruction aid. Western nations are reluctant to release cash without further political and economic reform promised as part of the power-sharing pact.

An EU delegation that visited Zimbabwe this month said it was waiting to see whether human rights abuses had ended.

25 September 2009

Maputo — The number of cases of HINI influenza (better known as swine flu) in Mozambique is continuing to rise.

The health authorities have now confirmed 31 cases of the disease. The Deputy National Health Director, Leonardo Chavane, told a Maputo press conference on Thursday that there are a further 79 suspected cases, including 14 children under 10 years of age.

The first cases of swine flu were reported in Mozambique in August, and to date it has caused two deaths.

Chavane said that so far none of the confirmed cases are serious enough to warrant hospitalization of the patient. "All the hospitals, particularly in the provincial capitals, have a small room where one or two patients can be hospitalized, if necessary, but so far this has not been necessary", he added.

Most of the cases have been notified in Maputo and the neighbouring city of Matola, said Chavane. Almost all of them are people who have recently visited South Africa, the country in the region most affected by swine flu.

Despite the gradual rise in the number of confirmed and suspected cases, the health authorities say there is no reason for panic, and recommend continued observance of preventive measures, through improving individual and collective hygiene.

To prevent the spread of the disease, the authorities recommend regular hand washing, and covering the mouth and nose whenever coughing or sneezing.

allafrica

ABUJA, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua arrived back in Abuja on Friday after a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia, one of his aides said.

"We have just arrived ... everybody is fine," said presidential aide Sanni Mohammed.

Yar'Adua has travelled to Saudi Arabia in the past to seek medical treatment for a chronic kidney problem, raising concerns about his health every time he returns to the Gulf Arab kingdom.

The presidency said this week's trip was a "working visit" to meet with King Abdullah and top Saudi government officials. The presidency did not comment on whether Yar'Adua had visited a hospital during the visit.

Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are among the world's top oil producers.

LAGOS, Sept 25 (Reuters) - A senior member of Nigeria's ruling party said on Friday corruption charges against him were politically motivated and pledged to back President Umaru Yar'Adua for a second term should he stand in 2011 elections.

Former Delta state governor James Ibori, a member of the Elders' Committee of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), was instrumental in Yar'Adua's rise to power in 2007 and is one of Nigeria's most influential and controversial politicians.

He is among several former state governors to have been charged by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and several of his associates are facing money laundering charges in the United Kingdom.

"We believe that all of the charges bought in the UK and in Nigeria are politically motivated and are driven essentially by Nigerian politics," Ibori told Reuters in an interview.

"What really concerns me is the fact that the UK court seems to have been used ... by disgruntled political office holders to settle scores at home," he said.

LAGOS, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Nigerian interbank lending rates rose to 11.33 percent on average this week from 9.16 percent last week as demand for credit outweighed available naira cash in the system, traders said on Friday.

The secured Open Buy Back (OBB) closed higher at 8 percent from 7 percent last week and 200 basis points above the central bank's 6.0 percent benchmark rate.

Overnight closed at 11 percent against 9.5 percent, while call rose to 12 percent from 11 percent previously.

About 147 billion naira came into the system from the distribution of crude oil savings to federal agencies and repayments of matured treasury bills, but it was not enough to meet the strong credit demand, dealers said.

"The system was short by about 44 billion naira in spite of the inflows of 87 billion naira from the excess crude account and repayment of 60 billion naira in matured treasury bills," one dealer said.

Traders said funding for foreign exchange purchases remained the only major source of cash outflow from the banking system in the week.

But they expect an increase in borrowing costs between banks next week when forex and treasury bill auctions further drain liquidity from the system.

* Qua Iboe said sold at dtd plus $1.15-$1.20, down 5-10 cts

* Nigerian Nov programmes may be 1.87 mln bpd (1.80 in Oct)

* November programmes emerging: 5 Erha, 3 Antan, 3 Okwori

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Nigerian crude oil differentials slipped further on Friday with benchmark Qua Iboe reported sold at around 50 cents below its official selling price (OSP) for October, traders said.

Preliminary indications suggested the Nigerian loading schedule for November could be well above the programme for October with as much as 1.87 million barrels per day (bpd), up from 1.80 million bpd in October but down from 1.95 million bpd in September.

This would make the Nigerian programme bigger than the loading schedule for Angola for the first time in several months. Angola is expected to export around 1.82 million bpd in November.

CAIRO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The Egyptian candidate who lost a bid to head the U.N. culture and education body after a row over remarks last year that he was ready to burn Israeli books has blamed the United States and Jewish lobby for his defeat.

Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni lost to Irina Gueorguieva Bokova, a former Bulgaria foreign minister, in this week's final round of voting to lead the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Egypt, in 1979, became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel but relations have stayed cool, while many Egyptians and Arabs remain deeply opposed to Israel for occupying Palestinian land and are against any normalisation.

"The campaign against me in UNESCO was spearheaded in public by the United States, and several European states cooperated," Hosni told the Friday edition of the state-run Al-Akbar.

"There were those playing behind the scenes, and they were the Jewish organisations and lobby who lit a fire of lies against me," he added.

Egyptian analysts said Hosni, had he won the UNESCO ballot, would have had to walk a tightrope on the issue of cultural ties with Israel to avoid alienating either constituents in the Arab and Muslim world or European and Western nations backing him.

Hosni, 71, had been favourite to become the Arab world's first UNESCO director-general, but his candidacy created outrage amongst Jewish organisations, while media rights activists accused him of turning a blind eye to censorship in Egypt.

Since the 1979 peace deal, the United States has provided billions of dollars of military and other aid to Egypt. However, many in the region criticise Washington for what they say is its unwavering backing of Israel against the Palestinians.

Speaking to other Egyptian media, Hosni spoke of a "conspiracy", echoing comments by other officials who have suggested big countries created a voting block against him.

NAIROBI, 25 September 2009 (IRIN) - Rising unemployment following the closure of diamond and gold mines in southwestern Central African Republic (CAR), due to the global financial crisis, has left many families in increasing poverty and triggered a nutrition crisis, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said.

Within the past six weeks, at least 1,300 children, mostly suffering from severe malnutrition, have been admitted to MSF's four feeding centres in Carnot, Boda, Nola and Gambouula. First assessments in some of these areas have revealed severe malnutrition rates way above the emergency threshold, the medical charity said in a 21 September statement.

"In Boda and Nola... it is difficult to find patients only suffering from malnutrition, as many of them arrive suffering from other diseases and their condition is very severe," MSF’s Clara Delacre said.

"There are many case of malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis or AIDS, which further complicates children’s already delicate condition," she added. The situation has been aggravated by poor cassava-based diets and difficult access to health facilities.

irinnews

* Strong union rhetoric makes debate, not policy

* ANC only likely to court unions before elections

* Calls for union 'oligarchs' to keep out of government

By Ed Cropley

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 25 (Reuters) - It often attracts the epithet "powerful", but on the evidence of this week's triennial conference, the only truly powerful thing about the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is its rhetoric.

For four days, leaders of the union body that played a key role in the anti-apartheid struggle berated their red-shirted comrades about the perils of bourgeois capitalism and the need to "build working class power in all sites of power".

Yet its stamp on policy is more noticeable by its absence, even though COSATU sees new president Jacob Zuma as "its man", having backed him in a 2007 internal putsch against the avowedly pro-business Thabo Mbeki as head of the ruling ANC.

With an election not due again until 2014, analysts say the ANC is only likely to pay lip-service to its junior partner in an alliance that also includes the Communist Party, another anti-apartheid actor with an identity crisis 15 years after the end of white minority rule.

Sep 25, 2009

Shares on West Africa's BRVM bourse .BRVMCI finish lower over the week to Friday, weighed down in weak volumes mainly by a fall in foodstuff company Nestle NTLC.CI and oil retailer Shell SHEC.CI.

The all-share composite index loses about 1 percent over the week, or 1.16 points to 134.58 points. Uncertainty remains over the staging of a November 29 general election in the Ivory Coast that has already been long delayed.

Nestle is the worst performer, slipping by 4,125 CFA francs to 50,875. Shell falls by 1,715 CFA francs to 21,275 and Bank SGBCI SGBC.CI sheds 1,000 CFA francs to 36,000.

On the upside, cooking oil and soap producer Unilever UNLC.CI rises 4,000 CFA francs to 66,000 and Bank of Africa Benin BOAB.CI adds 900 CFA francs to 47,000.

Sep 25, 2009

Nigeria's all-share index .LAGLG falls by 0.75 percent to 22,332 points as investors book profits after five straight days of gains.

"Most investors decided to take advantage of the volatility of the market to book profits from the gains in the past few days," one dealer says.

The index had gained 5.72 percent in the previous five sessions after the central bank governor reassured investors there would be no further shocks in the banking sector audit.

Sterling Bank (STBP.LG: Quote) slips 5 percent to lead the decliners, followed by First Bank (FBNP.LG: Quote), down 4.97 percent, Starcomms (STCP.LG: Quote), which drops 4.96 percent, Zenith Bank (ZETH.LG: Quote) sheds 4.94 percent and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB.LG: Quote) loses 4.92 percent.

* England start Champions Trophy with win

* Morgan leads run-chase with unbeaten 62

(adds more quotes)

By Jason Humphries

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 25 (Reuters) - England began their Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket triumph over Group B rivals Sri Lanka on Friday.

Chasing Sri Lanka's 212 all out in 47.3 overs, England eased to 213 for four off 45 thanks to an unbeaten 62 in 83 balls from Eoin Morgan.

"There is a lot to be pleased about and we can take a lot of confidence from the performance," captain Andrew Strauss told reporters.

"We gave a pretty professional performance with the bat and if we play like that then we are a dangerous side. They took the game to the Sri Lankans and didn't allow their spinners to just bowl at us."

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 25 (Reuters) - All-rounder James Franklin will replace the injured Jacob Oram in New Zealand's Champions Trophy squad, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on Friday.

Oram damaged his hamstring in training and missed New Zealand's opening match against hosts South Africa on Thursday when they lost by five wickets.

Franklin, 28, has played in 26 tests and 65 ODIs, taking 80 and 64 wickets respectively.

His last ODI was against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, taking two for 46 in New Zealand's 81-run semi-final defeat.

New Zealand's second match in the Champions Trophy is on Sunday against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers.