HARARE, 7 September 2009 (IRIN) - The fault lines between Zimbabwe's political parties are causing disruption at the opening of the third term in public schools, continuing years of decline in a sector once regarded as sub-Saharan Africa's finest.

It was hoped the formation of the unity government in February 2009 would resurrect the ailing schooling system, but lack of finance, teacher shortages and political spats between teachers' unions are stalling the sector's recovery.

The country ditched its own currency, the Zimbabwe dollar, to tame rampant hyperinflation. In a bid to revitalize public services, employees across the board are paid a similar wage in US dollars, which was initially welcomed but has since been derided as paltry by recipients.

The 40,000-member Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), seen as having strong ties to President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, is calling for a national strike, which some teachers are already heeding. The union said the current US$140 salary was inadequate and has demanded a US$500 monthly wage.

The usually militant Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), aligned to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is urging its 20,000 members to refrain from strike action.

"Our position as PTUZ is that the government has no money; going on strike now would not solve anything because there just isn't any. So what we are saying is that teachers are not going on strike - we are in talks with the ministers responsible for education and finance, and we believe that something positive is going to come out of those deliberations."

A teacher at a public school in the capital, Harare, told IRIN: "We are getting tired and confused by conflicting statements from our union leaders, and we get the feeling that we are being used in political games."

The allocation of portfolios in the unity government gave the MDC responsibility for many of the social services ministries, while ZANU-PF maintained their grip on the security ministries.

Western donors have adopted a wait-and-see approach to Zimbabwe's unity government as they are deeply uncertain of the extent of ZANU-PF's commitment to democracy, so billions of dollars of support remain on hold.
''I would like to appeal to the teachers to return to school because the third term is quite crucial ... public examinations like the Ordinary and Advanced Levels are just round the corner''

David Coltart, minister of education, sport and culture, and a member of a breakaway MDC party led by deputy prime minister Arthur Mutumbara, has called on teachers to appreciate the country's precarious financial situation and the importance of the third term to pupils.

"I would like to appeal to the teachers to return to school because the third term is quite crucial ... public examinations like the Ordinary and Advanced Levels are just round the corner," he said.

Teachers already not teaching

ZIMTA secretary-general Richard Gundani told IRIN: "It is actually not possible for teachers to continue because of inadequate incomes. We have done our assessments and established that a large number of teachers are not teaching - the few teachers still at work are in affluent suburbs, where parents and guardians have offered them extra incentives."

Secretary-general of the MDC, Tendai Biti, who, as Zimbabwe's finance minister is also responsible for coordinating the payment of public servants, told the state-controlled daily newspaper, The Herald, that the unity government could not afford any wage increases.

"Unless there is a dramatic improvement in the economy and revenue improves by 300 percent we have no extra fiscal space for a salary increment at the moment; there is no money, and government is currently operating on a cash budget."

He said the unity government had realized its largest revenue so far in July 2009, but the bulk of it went towards paying the country's 236,000 public servants.

"We paid around US$52 million for civil servants' salaries and the rest has gone to the hospitals for drugs, the various embassies across the world, food, and inputs for agricultural activities, among other expenses."

irinnews

NAIROBI, 7 September 2009 (IRIN) - The number of conflict- and drought-displaced Somalis has reached 1.55 million, despite a drop in the past two months in the rate of displacement from the capital, Mogadishu, according to the UN.

Roberta Russo, a spokeswoman for the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, told IRIN on 7 September that hundreds of families were still fleeing the city, despite a significant drop since the beginning of July, with almost 95,000 leaving all areas “in the last two months”; 77,000 of whom were from Mogadishu.

The UN estimates that up to 3.8 million Somalis, almost half the population, urgently need humanitarian aid.

“The displaced people are among the most affected by the crisis,” Russo said.

The displaced, most of whom are women and children, are living in desperate conditions, she said.

The main reason for their flight is insecurity, although drought and the lack of livelihoods are also cited as causes, Russo added.

Ali Sheikh Yassin, the deputy chairman of the Mogadishu-based Elman Human Rights Organization, told IRIN that people were continuing to flee Mogadishu, “because the insecurity is increasing, not decreasing. As we speak, people are leaving and I am sure many more will join them. There is nothing to stay for. No peace and no hope for peace.”

He said indications were that the violence - pitting government forces and African Union peacekeeping troops (AMISOM) against two insurgent groups, Al-Shabab and Hisbul-Islami - would get worse.

“All sides are preparing for what they think is a final battle but nothing is ever final in Somalia,” Yassin said.

He said the main losers in any such encounter would be civilians. “Neither side cares what happens to them so the displacement will probably go much higher in the next few months.”

According to Jowahir Ilmi, head of Somali Women Concern (SWC), a local NGO, the displaced from Mogadishu are still going to the Afgoye [30km south of Mogadishu] area.
"Every day we are registering new arrivals. Unfortunately, even the month of Ramadan has not led to a truce."

The fighting has been going on in Mogadishu since Ethiopian troops withdrew from the country in December 2008, leading to thousands of deaths and injuries as well as the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Mogadishu and parts of southern and central Somalia.

Yassin said the fighting was spreading beyond Mogadishu.

“In the past we had displaced from Mogadishu only but almost every town in parts of central Somalia is being touched by the violence," he said. "From Jowhar [south central] to Harardhere [to the northeast] people are being displaced by violence.”

He said the current drought was another factor. More and more drought-displaced pastoralists were heading into towns in search of help after losing all their livestock, he said. “The only problem this time is the town’s people are as badly off as they are, so cannot help them,” Yassin added.

He urged donor agencies to reach out to the displaced in remote and often inaccessible areas.

Many of the humanitarian agencies, however, lacked access to those who need their help.

“Access is still very limited due to insecurity in the areas hosting the majority of the displaced," said Russo.

irinnews

BALAKA, 7 September 2009 (IRIN) - Demeke Zualede, 28, fled drought, conflict and hunger in his homeland, Ethiopia, in 2008. He reached Mozambique but was deported and now lives in Dzaleka Refugee Camp in central Malawi. This is his story.

"There are so many problems in Ethiopia and I had to leave. I was a farmer and when drought hit my area for two years there was no food for everyone. The war in Somalia has affected us too - young men have to join the army to defend our country.

"I left Ethiopia with many other friends, seeking a better livelihood in other countries. We arrived in Kenya some days later, but even there life was not as good as we expected. We kept moving and arrived in Tanzania. There, too, things did not work out for us. The journey from Ethiopia to Malawi took us four months. Most of the trip was covered on foot, hence the long time to arrive in Malawi.

"When we arrived in Malawi we were put in a refugee camp. Most people think we are soldiers, and a danger to society, but some of us are just farmers. The authorities won't let us live in townships. They say we have to be in the camp, but life in the camp is not easy. The food is not enough. We receive a food ration of six kilograms every fortnight.

"In the refugee camp we face a number of problems. We need money, enough food, and all the essentials that one needs to lead a good life. We can't be offered any employment because our status is that of a refugee. We have to live in a camp until the time for repatriation comes.

"The other day we escaped and thought of going to Zimbabwe, where some of our colleagues are working. We heard that our colleagues there are doing fine. With no money, we have to walk long distances. When we crossed over to Mozambique we were arrested and brought back to Malawi.

"My dream to work in South Africa or Zimbabwe has been shattered, but I am not going to give up easily. If an opportunity avails itself I will jump on it and travel to South Africa. I cannot live in camp forever."

irinnews

September 8, 2009
More than 140 MONUC personnel have been killed

KASASA, Congo | On a winter night shortly after dark, a group of armed men burst out of the jungle and attacked a small camp here for displaced families.

By dawn, the rebels had massacred scores of civilians, pillaged crops and other valuables and left tents and huts ablaze.

But U.N. peacekeepers in a base camp less than a mile away did not hear the guns, grenades or screams, nor were they alerted by villagers who had the base's cell phone numbers, the local U.N. commander said.

The most expensive peacekeeping operation in U.N. history, with an annual budget of $1.24 billion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo mission known by its French acronym as MONUC has an authorized strength of 20,575 soldiers and military observers, and hundreds of civilians. Despite its size and resources, the 9-year-old mission has failed to pacify this tumultuous region.

"We have a large mandate, the country is huge, and there is obviously no peace to keep," U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Alain Le Roy told The Washington Times.

Col. Nambir Singh Vashishta, commander of the Indian battalion at the time of the raid in Kasasa, said Congolese expectations are too high.

"There are only so many soldiers here, for an area the size of Western Europe," he said. "We have one soldier for every thousand people."

The active combatants in eastern Congo — a patchwork of Rwandan- and Ugandan-financed militias and the unstable Congolese national army — have pushed MONUC into a more aggressive stance, closer to peace enforcement than peacekeeping.

washingtontimes

NAKURU, 7 September 2009 (IRIN) - The El Niño-related short rains that are expected from mid-September to December could help a significant recovery of drought-affected crops in parts of Kenya's Rift Valley Province, says an official.

"We had planned to hit 30 million, 90kg bags this year; we put in a lot of effort to ensure this target was met but we were relying on rainfall which did not come on time and was unevenly distributed; now we are hoping rains will help us recover part of the crop," Leonard Ochieng, provincial director of agriculture in the Rift Valley, said.

He said the province had the potential to feed Kenya, but its cereal yield this year had been affected by low, erratic and poorly distributed rainfall in some areas.

Up to 40 percent recovery of the maize crop is possible in the North Rift, which was adversely affected by the poor rainfall, Ochieng said, while the South Rift could recover up to 60 percent of the crop.

Michael Makokha, the food security and early warning systems specialist for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), urged farmers in Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western Provinces to take advantage of the anticipated rains to plant off-season crops and bridge their food gaps.

"It is high time communities... re-oriented their tastes and preferences towards agro-ecologically adaptable crops such as cassava, sorghum, sweet potatoes, green grams and cow peas to avoid recurrent household food insecurity," he told a multi-agency food security assessment team on 5 September.

Agriculture officials in the region called for seeds and fertilizers to be given to farmers by mid-September to take advantage of the rains.

A combination of poor rainfall, declining soil fertility from over-cropping, deforestation and high food prices has led to significant maize crop failure in parts of the three provinces.

Traditionally, these were considered Kenya's grain basket, but agriculturalists predict a maize deficit this year of at least 12 million 90kg bags.

Ochieng urged farmers to harvest water during the El Niño rains by investing in roof-catchment structures and water storage tanks.

"We need to look at all aspects of food security and water is an important component; we need to ensure that roof catchments are tapped at household level and each family should at least have a water storage tank," he said.

Rain damage fears

Some farmers, however, expressed fear of damage to the maize and bean crops that are nearing maturity stage.

Zablon Koech, a maize farmer in Nandi North District, said: "If we receive too much rain, we could lose the crop we have in our farms as it would rot before or during harvest. If the rains come before the maize dries, we might have to cut it and sell it as green maize."

However, agricultural officials have warned maize farmers against selling most of the crop as green maize as this would impact on food security in the long run.

Odoyo Bittar, the district agricultural officer for Bureti District, said public campaigns to sensitize farmers against selling all their crops as green maize were under way.

"We want to encourage them to keep the crop until its harvest as grain as this will boost food security in the region," Bittar said.

The Ministry of State for Special Programmes and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA Kenya) have called a workshop on 15 September in Nairobi to discuss El Niño-preparedness plans.

irinnews

08 Sep 2009
At least 10 civilians have been killed and scores of others have been wounded in heavy clashes between Somali fighters and African Union-backed government soldiers in Mogadishu.

Eyewitnesses said that clashes erupted on Monday evening in the north and south districts of the restive capital where insurgents carried out attacks on government and AU troops' positions.

AU troops responded with heavy artillery that rocked some parts of Mogadishu's deserted neighborhoods, including Hodon and Shibis, a Press TV correspondent reported late Monday.

The dead include a mother and her two children who were killed by a mortar shell that landed on their house.

Emergency health workers say at least 36 wounded people were admitted to Mogadishu's Medina Hospital, with the number of casualties expected to further rise.

The United Nations reported that the renewed violence since May 7 in Mogadishu has increased the number of internally displaced Somalis to 1.55 million.

It said that a large section of the displaced is comprised of women and children, "who are victims of human rights violations committed on a daily basis."

They are concentrated in Afgooye, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Mogadishu, where 524,000 Somalis are living in makeshift shelters without adequate access to basic necessities such as water, sanitation, medical care and education.

presstv

6 September 2009

Lagos — Renowned lawyer and frontline human rights activist, Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN), yesterday morning succumbed to a long fought battle with cancer of the lung. He was 71.

A statement from the family announcing the passage of the legal icon reads: "Chief Gani Fawehinmi, LLD, D.Litt, SAM, SAN is dead. He died at the early hours of today, Saturday, September 5, 2009 at the Lister Medical Center, Ikeja as a result of the cancer of the lung We thank all Nigerians for their strong support during the period of his illness." The statement was signed by his eldest son, Barrister Mohammed Fawehinmi.

One of Gani's two wives, Mrs. Ganiyat Fawehinmi who painted Gani's last moments said the late activist wanted his colleagues in the law profession to continue the struggle and as he would join them in the struggle, even in his grave. He said Gani regretted the fact that he was denied the opportunity to serve in elective capacity.

Also, yesterday, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and other eminent Nigerians, some of whom personally visited the Ademola Close, GRA, Ikeja residence of Gani however paid glowing tributes to the man they all acknowledged lived and died for the mass of the Nigerian populace.

Although, the deceased was known as a muslim, arrangements for his burial are yet to be scheduled. Family however said "the burial arrangements will be communicated to the public as soon as possible," the statement further stated in part.

Remains of the deceased has since been deposited at the morgue of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja. His corpse was sighted in LASUTH at about 11.58 am when it was being conveyed by a hearse with registration number TOS-3. After driving through the GRA to Maryland and back in LASUTH at 12.25 pm, apparently to shake off newsmen who were trailing it to know where the body would be kept, the hearse returned the remains of the late lawyer back to the mortuary of the teaching hospital.

Officials of the hospital told reporters that the deceased's family had planned to move his remains from LASUTH to a private mortuary in Lagos for reasons known to them. It was later gathered that the information was part of the decoy to confuse newsmen. The ploy, THISDAY later gathered may have been designed to disperse the herd of journalists who had gathered at the hospital following the news of Fawehinmi's death.

Fawehinmi recently returned to the country from the United Kingdom where he was receiving treatment for cancer.

But Ganiyat who spoke of Gani's resolve to fight on even in grave said the deceased believed he would have showcased the essence of his struggles and dogged opposition against maladministration that has pervaded the system over the years if only he was given the opportunity to serve.

According to Ganiyat, "he insisted that lawyers should continue to fight the battle to free the masses from oppressive tendencies. Gani says he would continue the struggle in the grave, but that it's unfortunate he never had the opportunity to serve the people in government.

"He knew he was going to die of the disease because it all started when he was locked up in prison during the Babangida military era till he eventually died. He was an unparalleled genius. He has gone to join Pa. Abraham Adesanya," she said.

In his condolence message, Yar'Adua said Gani would be remembered for his role in opening the political space which contributed to the development of the nascent democracy in the country.

The President, who spoke through the Minister of Information and Orientation, Prof. Dora Akunyili, said: "I am here to condole with the family of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the human rights community of Nigeria over the death of our brother, Chief Gani Fawehinmi. He said the nation had lost an illustrious son in Gani, whom he described as a great Nigerian.

"A Nigerian brand is gone. Gani was a human rights activist. He was an internationally renowned lawyer. He proved his activism in the law court to fight for the rights of the oppressed, the poor and the weak. Gani's numerous battles led to many positive developments in this country including the opening up of the political space with the registration of many political parties. He did not just open the political space, he also participated. Gani raised the bar of the legal profession with his weekly law report. I pray, we pray that God will raise many more Ganis for us in this country. May his soul rest in peace," he said.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) who called at the deceased residence at about 4.50pm said his emergence as governor was enhanced by Fawehinmi's doggedness for the enthronement of genuine democracy.

He said Fawehinmi's belief for true federalism amongst other democratic ideals paved way for his emergence as governor, adding that Fawehinmi played a pivotal role in ensuring that more parties were registered in the country.

"In fact, that really was what he was about. And as I said at the NBA conference in my inaugural address, it was the work of people like Gani that made it possible for people like me to be a governor today because I am standing on a platform of a party that would not have been registered at that time if Gani had not gone to court at that time to challenge the ceiling placed on party registration and it was those form of public spirited litigations that made him the enemy of some," Fashola said.

The governor said though, "Chief Gani Fawehinmi had battled with terminal illness that the physical separation has finally become imminent and in that regard, we never believed that people like Chief Gani Fawehinmi could really die. There, it is the mortality of our essence has come home to take away an icon of this country."

Senator Ganiyu Solomon who was amongst the early callers at the Fawehinmis residence said the deceased gave service to the people without minding the cost. "He served as a watchdog to successive governments. There's never been a government that did not fear Chief Gani Fawehinmi because he was always there to monitor them and his position has always been that of the masses."

Former President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba said "it is very sad that after 50 years of the struggle, you deserve to rest. Take care, sir".

National Coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), Comrade Joseph Evah, described Gani's death "as a sad chapter in the history of African people's struggle against bad governance, poor leadership, poverty and corruption." He said "Gani was born at the right time but he died at the wrong time in the continent of Africa. He was a blessing to our generation."

Speaking on Gani's death, factional leader of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun said: "Again, we have lost another personality whose doggedness, bravely epitomized liberation for the masses." His counterpart, Otunba Gani Adams said "Nigeria has lost a great son in the person of Gani. He remains the epitome of democracy."

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on his part, said: "Adieu, you are a fearless and fiery fighter for the Nigerian masses. You sacrificed your entire life for Nigeria's yesterday, today and indeed tomorrow. May all your struggle for a better Nigeria not be in vain and comfort your family."

Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi, senatorial candidate of the Action Congress (AC) for Ogun East said "Gani, the lion of the Nigerian human rights community has gone to join Senator Edward Kennedy, the lion of the US Senate- two great men who doggedly fought for the defenceless common people. It's a case of holy death in holy month. May Allah grant him Aljana."

Others who called at the home of Fawehinmi to identify with the family included former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, former Health Minister, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Spokesman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Mr. Yinka Odumakin, President, Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, former NBA Scribe, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN), former NCP chairman, Mr. Segun Sango, former NUJ President, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Special Adviser to Fashola on Transport, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Mr. Toyin Hamzat, Constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Baba Omojola, Mr. Richard Akinola, Chief Dele Momodu and Mr. Kayode Oladele who represented the Ogun State Government amongst others.

allafrica

6 September 2009

Lusaka — Pressure is mounting on Zambia's director of public prosecution (DPP) to appeal against the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba on $500,000 (Sh38.5m) public funds theft charges.

Some civil society organisations, lawyers and ordinary Zambians are demanding that the DPP, Mr Chalwe Mchenga, and Vice-President George Kunda, who is also Justice minister, resign if they will not appeal.

Mr Chiluba, who served as Zambia's president between 1991 and 2001, was last month acquitted of any wrong doing in relations to theft charges that were pressed against him in 2003.

Mr Chiluba claims that his $8.5 million private money was kept in a Zamtrop account belonging to the Zambia State Intelligence and Security Services (ZSISS) in London and he wants the Zambian Government to give him back the money.

Corruption case

The Taskforce on Corruption, which was set up to probe corruption cases during Mr Chiluba's 10-year rule, filed a notice of appeal in the Lusaka High Court against the magistrate's verdict. But Mr Mchenga withdrew that notice of appeal.

In his notice of withdrawal of the notice of appeal, filed in the Lusaka High Court on August 26, 2009, Mr Mchenga stated: "Whereas on the 24th day of August, 2009 a Notice of Intention to Appeal against the said acquittals was purportedly lodged on my behalf by a public prosecutor; Now these presents I, Chalwe Mchenga, DPP of the Republic of Zambia, do hereby give notice of the withdrawal of the said Notice of Intention to Appeal."

The government consequently sacked the head of the Taskforce on Corruption, Mr Maxwell Nkole, after indicating his organisation's intention to appeal against Mr Chiluba's acquittal.

An MP for main opposition political party, Patriotic Front (PF), has since filed a notice of judicial review in the Lusaka High Court to review the DPP' withdrawal of the notice of appeal against Mr Chiluba's acquittal.

A Lusaka lawyer has also challenged the DPP's action, while several law experts and civil society organisation are demanding that the DPP rescinds his decision.

Mr Chiluba still faces a civil case, in which the London High Court ordered him to repay $46 million to Zambia.

The London judgment is yet to be registered in the Lusaka High Court for it to be enforceable.

allafrica

6 September 2009

Arusha — The East African Community wants the dispute between Kenya and Uganda over the Migingo island to be sorted by the two countries amicably.

Ms Beatrice Kiraso, EAC deputy secretary general (Political Federation) said in Arusha, Tanzania, over the weekend the community does not have any solution to the border dispute.

"We cannot say anything on this. Migingo is a political issue which we hope can be resolved by the two countries amicably," she told reporters.

Kenyan and Ugandan leaders had agreed during the 10th EAC heads of state summit in April to await findings by experts assigned to find out the truth on the disputed borderline.

Ms Kiraso was briefing journalists on joint military exercises in Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Tanga regions which started near Arusha on Sunday. Soldiers from all five member states of the community, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, are taking part.

The journalists had wondered if the military manoeuvres, to involve nearly 1,600 military personnel, would truly reflect the spirit of EA unity with two member states almost at "war" over the small island.

Meanwhile, daily fish harvests from Migingo Island have dropped from ten to five tonnes, according to fisheries officials.

The row over the island's ownership was now affecting the operations of fish processing plants in Nyanza.

Most of them were now operating only once a week due to lack of Nile Perch, said Mr Simon Munguti, the Migori District Fisheries Officer.

On Sunday, Ugandan marine police directed Kenyan fishermen and traders to stop discussing ownership of the island in public.

Businesses on the island now display the portrait of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. A few Kenyans who tried to display the portraits of President Kibaki and Mr Odinga were harassed and forced to remove them from the walls.

allafrica

6 September 2009

Ghana's Black Stars became the first African soccer team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup when they beat Sudan at home in Accra by two goals to nil.

Although the win was widely anticipated, the team's place at the top of its group was sealed by a 1-1 draw between Benin and Mali, two other teams in the group, in Cotonou.

But Nigerians were disappointed when Tunisia held the Super Eagles to a 2-2 draw in Abuja. As a result the North Africans retain the top slot in the group, while Nigeria trails them in second place. In the other match in the group, Mozambique beat Kenya 1-0 at home in Maputo.

In Lome, Togo drew its match against Morocco (1-1). In the same group, Cameroon, playing away in Libreville on Saturday, prevailed over Gabon by two goals to none, but Gabon remains at the top of the group.

Also on Saturday, Côte d'Ivoire crushed Burkina Faso 5-0 at home in Abidjan, putting it on the verge of also qualifying for 2010. In that group, another home team, Rwanda, went down in Kigali to visiting team Egypt, 0-1.

In a statement issued in Johannesburg Sunday, the local 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee congratulated Ghana, saying it was "fitting that the first country to gain independence on the African continent is also the first country from Africa to qualify for the first World Cup on African soil."

The committee's chief executive officer, Danny Jordaan, added: “I am overjoyed that one of the continent’s greatest teams will be playing in Africa’s first FIFA World Cup."

allafrica

6 September 2009

Nairobi — An aircraft carrying 37 pirates was on Sunday still being held at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport under heavy guard as high-level negotiations continued.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga had been informed about the aircraft and its human cargo and were said to be in negotiations with both the Seychelles and Somali governments.

The government was said to be navigating the diplomatic minefield on the implications of allowing the pirates into the country, which is perceived by the international community to be helping in the fight against piracy and terrorism.

Police remained tight-lipped about the saga despite heavy presence of General Service Unit (GSU) officers at the JKIA.

The Nation has established that the 40-seater Dash-8 aircraft arrived at JKIA from the Seychelles on Saturday night and was immediately surrounded by the police officers.

The passengers and crew of three were not allowed to disembark. The crew comprises pilot Jimmy Owino; a Mr Anil, the first officer; and flight attendant Lorraine Nyaboke.

The aircraft, which belongs to a local company, was hooked onto a ground power unit for its lighting, air conditioning and toilet system so that the occupants use its facilities and not have the excuse to disembark.

According to sources in the aviation industry privy to the incident, the owners of the aircraft had been hired by a person in Kenya who told them that the passengers had been cleared by both the Kenyan and Seychelles governments to fly from Seychelles International Airport in Victoria city on Mahe Island.

The pirates are said to have been released by the Seychelles Government before their Kenyan contact made arrangements and paid the aircraft company to fly them through JKIA on their way to Mogadishu.

They were scheduled to disembark from the plane and enter Nairobi from where they would have either sneaked back into Somalia or remained in the country to enjoy their ill-gotten riches.

The aircraft was, however, intercepted and the passengers detained after it was established that it had no clearance and neither had any been arranged between Kenya and Seychelles or Kenya and Somalia. By late Sunday afternoon, the aircraft was being guarded at a secluded location of the JKIA near the military barracks.

allafrica

6 September 2009

Addis Ababa — The African Union will send a mission to Gabon to help restore order.

Former Senegalese Prime Minister Moustapha Niasse will lead the AU delegation to Libreville.

Mr Niasse was in Gabon until recently to mediate between competing political parties following the death of Omar Bongo.

The AU Commission has in the meantime urged all Gabonese parties to exercise utmost restraint and desist from further violence.

The commission appealed to all parties to work together to resolve the political stalemate amicably.

allafrica

06 September 2009
Highway Africa, the single largest gathering of journalists from across the African continent, has launched in South Africa this weekend.
Highway_Africa_Delegates
Highway Africa delegates partaking in a workshop

The conference is based in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape province, and hosted by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University.

The theme of the three day conference is Reporting Africa: 2010, Development & Democracy and will see key players from across the African media landscape coming together to debate the impact journalists will have in the promotion of Africa through the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The conference will also look at how African media has reported on development and democracy, and how ICTs can be used to enhance democracy and development in the African continent.

The conference was aptly launched by MTN at a reception held in the Nelson Mandela Stadium, in the neighbouring city of Port Elizabeth. This stadium is one of the seven built specifically for the FIFA World Cup tournament.

Besides the focus on the 2010 FIFA World Cup the conference also affords journalists and media personalities from the continent the rare opportunity to meet and discuss partnerships and mutually beneficial collaborations.

"We have to have quality print media, quality radio, quality television and quality online media to be able to rise above 'the culture of mediocrity' - as a leading African journalist calls it," said Chris Kabwato, Director of Highway Africa, in a statement.

"The World Cup is only months away now. How different will be our framing of the narrative of this soccer spectacle from that of the global media."

The 2009 Highway Africa Conference marks the 13 anniversary of this gathering. The conference organisers have high hopes for this years event, with a record attendance of 735 persons in 2008.

"The annual Highway Africa Conference is the flagship event of our University, and we are proud of it's continuous growth and evolution," said Dr Saleem Badat, Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University, in a statement.

The conference also plays host to the Highway Africa annual Awards, aiming to recognise excellence in ICT journalism in Africa. The awards acknowledge those companies and individuals that aim to reach the widest possible audience through the innovative use of ICT technology.

"Africa exists because we relate. Africa exists because we stand on its earth and our identities are contingent on that. Africa deserves great story-tellers and chroniclers," said Kabwato.

africagoodnews

06 Sep 2009
French oil company Total has relocated its employees in Gabon amid fears of attacks on workers over allegations of French intervention in the presidential election.

Total announced the "temporary withdrawal" of the oil company's staff from Gabon's second largest city, Port-Gentil, on Saturday to the capital Libreville in a move to protect the employees from the post-election unrest prompted by allegations of vote fraud to instate Ali Bongo, the pro-France son of the late Gabonese president Omar Bongo, as the next leader of the West Central African country.

However, the oil firm has emphasized that it will continue to run the oil works at Port-Gentil's oil reserves with minimum workforce stationed in the fossil fuel hub.

Total's decision comes only days after the country declared the current Defense Minister Ali Bongo as the winner of the August presidential ballot with around 42 percent of the votes.

Bongo's victory drew the opposition's ire, which deems the polls as rigged and has called for “resistance” to Bongo's claim on power. The opposition has accused France of exercising its influence to help fix the latest polls in favor of the late leaders' son.

On Thursday, protesters scorched the French consulate and a number of French company offices in Port-Gentil amid anti-French sentiments stirred by the so-called Françafrique ties that is interpreted as the continuing French influence in its former African colonies including Gabon.

The situation in Gabon remains tense despite the deployment of troops to clamp down on the opposition that has thus far staged rallies during which two people have been shot dead and a number of others have received injuries after clashing with government forces.

Ali Ben Bongo, due to replace his father who ruled Gabon for 41 years before his death in June, has invited the opposition to embrace peace as around 1,000 security forces patrol Port-Gentil, which remains under a curfew due to renewed clashes between police and demonstrators on Saturday.

presstv

06 Sep 2009
Somalia's Al Shabaab militia say they have recaptured a key town in battle with pro-government forces, leaving 13 people killed and many others wounded.

Al Shabaab guerrillas claim to have retaken control of the key Somali town of Beledweyne in the central Somali region of Hiiran where a large military base sheltering pro-government troops was located.

At least nine government soldiers and four Al Shabaab insurgents have been killed in the ongoing fierce fighting initiated by the anti-government fighters in the surprise pre-dawn attack, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Al Shabaab group has also reportedly seized a number of soldiers at the base and injured scores of others during the nocturnal raid.

Fighting continues over the strategic border town of Beledweyne which links Mogadishu with Ethiopia and central Somalia and has so far been swapped several times between the fighters vying for control in the country's polity and Somali government forces.

The news of Al Shabaab's recapturing of some Somali towns and districts comes in the aftermath of a recent international troops rise under an African Union mandate in order to boost the government strongholds across the war-ravaged country.

Somalia has lately witnessed a resurgence of militancy across the poverty-stricken Horn of Africa nation that has been grappling with an ongoing civil war after the 1991 overthrow of the country's last military dictatorship under the former leader General Mohamed Siad Barre.

presstv

05 Sep 2009
The International Crisis Group has predicted violence in Ethiopia's upcoming June 2010 elections unless the country's leadership embraces democracy.

The group, through its director for African Affairs Francois Grignon, called on the international community to stop ignoring ethnic tensions in Ethiopia, a Press TV correspondent reported.

"Ethnic federalism has dampened conflict, but rather increased competition amongst groups fighting for land, natural resources, boundaries and government budgets," said ICG's Grignon.

In the 1990's, The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Front led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, had turned the country into Federal Republic in a bid to improve cohesion but it has increased ethnic polarization in the African nation instead. the report added.

"Donors must convince Ethiopia to improve current standards of governance and promote democratic reform or risk a future wave of violence and further destabilization of the Horn of Africa," said International Crisis Group Deputy Director of Africa Programs, Daniela Kroslak.

Many opposition groups in Ethiopia, preparing to challenge Zenawi's EPDF, have voiced fears of a violent government crackdown during the electoral period as it has happened in the past.

presstv

05 Sep 2009
A call by Madagascar's head of the transitional government Andry Rajoelina for a 'consensus government' falls flat due to refusal from main opposition movements.

On Friday, the leader of the island's March coup dismissed arguments against his choice of prime minister, Monja Roindefo, and offered the opposition -- led by three former heads of state -- to form a 'consensus government' within 72 hours.

The three opposition groups on Saturday rejected the transitional authority's attempt to keep both posts of president and prime minister, saying they would not give their confidence to a cabinet set up by Rajoelina's camp.

They accused the coup leaders of a breach of a power-sharing deal inked by ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, Rajoelina, and ex-presidents Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy in August in regionally-brokered talks in Maputo, Mozambique.

Under the deal, rival political parties should have agreed to form a transitional government with the presidential elections scheduled to take place in 2010. The deal also stipulated that, for the power-sharing transition period, the president and prime minister should be decided by consensus.

The Maputo talks, however, stopped short of an agreement on the key transitional posts of president, vice president and prime minister. Ravalomanana is also totally rejecting the motion to keep Rajoelina as head of the transition.

Rajoelina, who is constitutionally too young for the presidency, says he has plans to call for constitutional amendments that would allow him to run in the upcoming election.

The 35-year-old ex-mayor of the capital city, Antananarivo, has been seeking the presidency ever since he overthrew Ravalomanana following a series of deadly protests starting in late January that resulted into a military-backed coup in March.

presstv

05 Sep 2009
Clashes between gunmen and Sudanese forces have left at least 25 people dead and several more wounded in south Sudan, amid intensifying tension.

In the first incident, heavily armed fighters ambushed an ethnic Dinka settlement in Bony-Thiang, in Wilaya, early on Friday, according to a military spokesman.

The victims of the attack in oil-rich Upper Nile region of south Sudan included the chief of a local tribe and his family, Major General Kuol Diem Kuol of the southern Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) added.

The attack prompted a retaliatory raid by Dinka groups on the nearby Shilluk village of Bon, killing five people including a woman and two children.

Kuol accused a splinter group from the south's ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), known as SPLM Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) for backing the militia behind the Friday's attack.

Officials from the SPLM-DC denied the charges, threatening legal action against further "fabrications", aimed at linking the group to any militia.

Tribal disputes over cattle, land or water access, often turn deadly in southern Sudan, a region marred by more than two decades of civil war until the 2005 pact ended Africa's longest-running strife.

More than 2,000 people have died and 250,000 been displaced in inter-tribal violence across southern Sudan since January, according to the United Nations, which says the rate of violent deaths now surpasses that in the war-torn western region of Darfur.

Some southern officials have accused the political rivals in the north of fomenting and supporting tribal violence to hamper national elections, which under a 2005 peace past are likely to take place in 2010.

The officials say the north is using the unrest as an excuse to represent efforts by the semi-autonomous government in the south as inadequate in protecting civilians, as United Nations said the recent rise in tribal fighting could further delay the poll.

presstv

05 Sep 2009
The United Nations has sought greater international cooperation in controlling the increasing incidents of piracy near the Indian Ocean.

"The war against piracy off Somali waters will not be won unless more emphasis is laid on containing pirates on land before they reach the sea," a UN military advisor said.

Military advisor to the UN Political Office on Somalia (UNOPS), Colonel Victor Gamor, made the remarks at a regional maritime forum currently underway in the Kenyan capital, Mombasa.

"A total of 5,100 foreign troops are stationed in Somalia, while at least 8,000 were needed," Gamor said.

According to Colonel Gamor, the high numbers of firearms flowing into Somalia have encouraged piracy despite an international campaign to eradicate it.


presstv

05 Sep 2009
Somalia's foreign minister says the government is in direct negotiations with insurgents as a step in stabilizing the lawless horn of Africa nation amid escalating violence.

Ali Ahmed Jama Gengeli told reporters in Mogadishu on Saturday that the government of President Sharif Ahmed would soon regain complete control of the country.

He said Mogadishu was set on moving forward with reconciliation plans with "rebel groups of Hezb al-Islam and al Shabaab… We are working closely with community groups and the country will be under government control soon."

"Some of them have already joined the government and we hope our mission for broader reconciliation will be fruitful soon," the minister said without elaborating on the names or number of new members.

Hezb al-Islam led by former Sharif ally, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, is more political than Al Shabaab, and both rebel groups, that began waging a war against the country's new government almost from the start, have vowed to continue until the departure of African Union (AU) peacekeepers.

Although deadly clashes still erupt on a near daily basis in the conflict-torn capital, there has been less overall fighting since al Sabaab launched a military offensive against forces of the Transitional Federal Government on May 7.

Clashes have left scores of people dead this month alone, prompting a call by the Arab League on Thursday for troops from Arab countries to assist the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia.

Renowned aid agency Oxfam said this week that the international community had failed Somalia by not doing enough to end the war in a country that has lacked an asserting functional government since 1991, when warlords toppled the regime of Siad Barre.
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