17 July 2009
Mogadishu — The two Frenchmen consulted as security advisers for Somalia's U.N.-backed interim government were kidnapped by suspected fighters loyal to Hizbul Islam insurgent group from Hotel Sahafi in Mogadishu.

Hizbul Islam is considered the more moderate of the two Islamist rebel factions waging war to overthrow the Somali interim government.

Sources close to Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam confidentially told Garowe Online that Hizbul Islam had succumbed to pressure from Al Shabaab to "share" the French hostages. One of the hostages was "transferred" to Al Shabaab yesterday.

But on Friday, Al Shabaab fighters "used force" to snatch away the second hostage from the hands of Hizbul Islam gunmen, the sources added.

"Both men are now in our custody," said a member of Al Shabaab who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Separately, a top Hizbul Islam militia commander said the group "peacefully handed over" the French hostages to Al Shabaab "to avoid bloodshed."

He rejected reports that Al Shabaab guerrillas used force to seize the hostages. It is not clear what Al Shabaab will do to the hostages, but Western and regional powers have repeatedly accused Al Shabaab of having links to Al Qaeda.

Separately, Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake condemned the kidnapping of the French security advisers and demanded that Hizbul Islam release the hostages immediately.

But the Prime Minister did not mention the government soldiers who reportedly "helped" Hizbul Islam fighters to successfully kidnap the Frenchmen.

Some reports said Al Shabaab hardliners have asked that those government soldiers be turned over to them, but the latest reports say that no one knows the whereabouts of those soldiers.

Somalia's interim government in Mogadishu relies on security support from some professional soldiers and a host ex-insurgents, some of whom switch alliances randomly.

allafrica.com

17 July 2009
The top United Nations official in Côte d'Ivoire has called for the immediate publication of a timetable for the long-awaited presidential elections, which are now set for 29 November.

If the deadlines for each stage of the electoral process are not met, there is a risk that the polls - repeatedly postponed since 2005 - could be delayed, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Choi Y. J., said following a meeting on Wednesday with Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.

The UN Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), which is headed by Mr. Choi, has been providing technical and logistical support for preparations for the elections, including in areas such as voter identification and registration.

Over 6 million voters have been registered so far, or about 70 per cent of the eligible voter pool in the West African nation, which became divided in 2002 between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north.

Mr. Choi, who held a similar meeting with President Laurent Gbagbo earlier this week, also stressed that UNOCI is ready to assist the Independent Electoral Commission and the relevant authorities in overcoming any challenge on the road to the elections, according to a news release issued by the mission.

In addition, the Special Representative underlined the fact that the implementation of decisions associated with the country's 2003 peace agreement had been postponed, including the transfer of authority and the redeployment of the administration in the north of the country.

"We talked about how to strengthen the achievements and how to take up the challenges," said Mr. Choi.

In his latest report on the work of UNOCI, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that Côte d'Ivoire's political parties have the responsibility for ensuring that the elections are held on time and are free, fair and transparent.
He added that it is important that the parties sustain the progress achieved so far and complete, "in a timely manner," the remaining stages of the peace process.

In a related development, UNOCI staff met yesterday with their colleagues from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to identify challenges associated with the 1,000 microprojects programme.

Launched in 2008, the $4 million pilot initiative is designed to support the Government's efforts to reintegrate ex-combatants. Some 2,700 people are working on 507 projects throughout the country under the programme, which is financed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund that was set up to help jump-start projects in countries emerging from conflict.

allafrica.com

Juliana Taiwo
18 July 2009
Abuja — Up to 10, 000 militants in the troubled Niger Delta could benefit from the amnesty offered by the federal government aimed at ending the crisis in the region, which has almost crippled the oil industry.

The chief coordinator of the Amnesty Implemen-tation Committee, Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ararile, announced this yesterday in Abuja at a special media dialogue on the status of the amnesty deal.

Ararile also announced that the federal government has budgeted N200 million to feed the targeted 10,000 militants that will turn up to lay down their arms at the 50 to 60 camps spread across the six Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers.

"We are working on about 10,000 militants. Each militant will receive an allowance of N20, 000 per month in addition to N1, 500 per day for food while at a reintegration centre, translating to N65,000 a month.

"Disarmament and demobilisation part of the programme will last 60 days. Thereafter, the reintegration programme is indeterminate," Ararile said.

He said a few militants have already surrendered their arms but declined to give a specific figure.

Ararile continued: "If you compute 20,000 per month by 10,000 ex-militants, we will be talking of billions of naira. This is for the disarmament and demobilization part of the programme, which is for 60 days.

"Their duration at the camps will depend on the things they want to do. Some of skills will be acquired at home while others will be sent to relevant institutions to learn a trade, or back to school for those who want an education.

"For the re-integration centres, we are thinking of either building new ones or renovating structures that are available. But because of time constraint, we may be forced to renovate.

"So in certain cases, we are renovating and in others we will build. The degree of renovation varies from facility to facility but there is no fixed figure on that."

He called on more militants to take advantage of the amnesty offer and commended the level of enthusiasm so far expressed by those who have already surrendered their weapons.

"I think is in the interest of everybody to end this right now. Most Niger Deltans are tired.

"They are now the victims of this whole struggle. It is virtually impossible for development to take place in the Niger Delta today with the level of violence that we have.

"It is not just development that is affected, even our individual social lives have been completely affected."

The Media Coordinator of the committee, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, added that the consequences of this crisis "as we have seen in Gbaramatu Kingdom, is that it is the women and children that have been displaced.

"This is the reason we think the militants should accept this amnesty and save their parents, their mothers, even their grandparents the pain they are going through.
"If you should visit this camp, you will see a very sorry sight. The activity that led to this displacement shouldn't have happened."

Asked if the committee is in touch with Government Tompolo, a key militant, Ararile said there has been no direct contact with him.

It would be recalled that President Umaru Yar'Adua had announced the offer of amnesty from August 6 to October 4, 2009 for all those directly and indirectly engaged in militant activities in the Niger Delta.

Henry Okah, the leader for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had all charges against him dropped as part of the amnesty deal. He was released from jail last Monday.

In response, MEND declared a 60-day ceasefire on its "oil war" which has seen oil production cut by 50 percent.

allafrica.com

THE nation's domestic debt stock has spiralled to N2.58 trillion at the end of this year's first quarter, a 28.7 per cent rise over the level at the end of December, last year.
The disclosure came from the recently released first quarter report of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which also noted the dwindling foreign exchange inflow and outflow, during the period under review.
The rising debt stock, which was put at 9.6 per cent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was attributed largely to the issuance of additional FGN bonds during the quarter.
Essentially, the output growth in the economy, measured by GDP, according to the CBN report, was estimated at 6.3 per cent in the first quarter under review, compared with 5.8 per cent achieved in the corresponding period of last year.
The growth was said to have been driven mainly by the non-oil sector, particularly agriculture, which constituted 35.8 per cent of the total GDP and contributed 2.2 percentage points to the growth in real GDP in the first quarter.
The report disclosed that foreign exchange inflow and outflow, through CBN in the period under review, was $5.72 billion and $11.26 billion respectively, representing a net outflow of $5.54 billion.
"Relative to the respective levels of $10.78 billion and $18.93 billion in the preceding quarter, inflow and outflow fell by 46.9 and 40.6 per cent respectively," the report added.
The decline in inflow was attributed to the 56.9 per cent fall in oil receipts, while the rise in outfall was due largely to the 39.5 per cent rise in Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) utilisation during the quarter.
"Available data on aggregate foreign exchange flows through the economy indicated that total inflow amounted to $19.12 billion, representing a decline of 19.8 and 34.1 per cent on the levels in the preceding quarter and the corresponding period of 2008 respectively.
"Oil sector receipts which accounted for 22.2 per cent of the total, stood at $4.25 billion, compared with the respective levels of $9.87 billion and $10.69 billion in the preceding quarter and corresponding period of 2008.
"Non-oil public sector inflows, which accounted for 7.7 per cent of the total, rose by 62.6 per cent, while autonomous inflow, which accounted for 70.1 per cent, increased by 2.5 per cent," the report stated.
Specifically, the report stated that proceeds from crude oil during the first quarter was an 8.2 per cent higher than the budget estimate, which analysts said, would normally not impair implementation of approved votes by the government.
Also, receipts from non-oil business was N341.46 billion which was 1.6 per cent lower that what was realised in the corresponding period of last year and 37.7 per cent below budget estimate, showing dismal efforts at resource base diversification.
The drop in non-oil receipts relative to the preceding quarter was attributed mainly to the fall in revenue from Customs and Excise, Companies Income Tax and Value-Added Tax (VAT).
According to the CBN report, Federal Government's retained revenue for this year's first quarter was N747.37 billion, while total expenditure was N747.86 billion.
Consequently, the fiscal operations of the government resulted in an estimated overall deficit of N490 million, compared with the budgeted deficit of N140.8 billion.
During this year's first quarter, CBN reported that the states received N352.14 billion, which included the 13 per cent derivation fund and share of VAT, from the federation account. This represents however a decline of 22.8 per cent from their earnings in the preceding quarter and 14.6 per against receipts in the corresponding period of 2008.
On a worrisome note, the CBN report shared that domestic debt stock of the government, at the end if the first quarter, rose by 28.7 per cent to N2.58 trillion over the level in the last quarter of last year.

50112

Despite assurances from government and some experts that the current global recession presents a huge opportunity for Nigeria to diversify its economy and quickly move it from being a natural wealth to a wealth-producing economy, indications have emerged that the country could become a failed state if it fails to take advantage of this opening.
Sharing his thoughts in the country’s largest business center, Lagos with a group of journalists who was attending a regional training on business and financial reporting in Lagos, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, observed that if Nigeria fails to take advantage of this global development, it’s economic strength might depreciate further worse than anything it had ever seen.
Rewane, an economic expert who sits on the presidential committee on the global crisis, board of Guinness Nigeria, and part of the team on the reform of Nigeria's stock exchange, stressed that Nigeria was not in a recession, but rather, witnessing a slowing growth.
He shares the recent thoughts of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and that of the Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, that Nigeria could become a strong resilient economy if it took advantage of the situation.
Pointing out that Nigeria's economy was already in crisis before the emergence of the global crisis, he added: "It is necessary to use this golden opportunity to achieve an accelerated and sustainable rate of real economic growth and diversify the economy away from overdependence on oil and gas both from a fiscal and foreign exchange earnings perspectives. The global crisis is passing over. Oil prices are going up again.
"If we relax and fail to take advantage of this situation, we may never recover our economy. In fact, we will become a failed state," he submitted.
He was also quick to point out: "In the last eight to 10 weeks, the price of Bonny light has stayed steadily above $60 per barrel. The benchmark for policy easing and reform without adulteration is approximately $55per barrel. The production hiccups due to unrest poses a revenue problem."
The reality, according to him was: "Politicians will have their say but the markets will have their way."
Enumerating the role of journalists in ensuring economic transparency and accountability, he charged them to "take the bull by the horn" and truly become catalysts of debate, "by setting the agenda."
The training was put together by Thompson Foundation and The Investment Climate Facility for Africa to sharpen the skills of journalists on the business and finance beat.

50113

Unless young Nigerians are quickly made to develop interest in cocoa cultivation, the future of the cash crop is bleak, a cross section of farmers has said.
A number of old cocoa farmers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on in Ibadan, Oyo State said that the crop could go into extinction if young and able-bodied Nigerians were unwilling to take over its cultivation.
``We farmers are getting old and the youth are not interested in the cultivation of the crop. This has been our predicament,'' said Mr Josiah Olayiwola, Chairman Ogo-Oluwa Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN).
``We hardly have our young ones getting involved in cocoa farming. Once they are through with their primary or secondary education, they head for towns and cities in search of fast money,'' he said.
Also speaking with NAN, Mr Olajire Babalola, a farmer, said that cocoa's long gestation period had made it unattractive for the youth as they see its cultivation as a waste of time and energy.
``Most youths are not used to hard labour, all they want is to make fast money and buy big cars. We want them to have genuine interest in cocoa farming.
``It is disheartening that those of them (youth) who even studied agricultural sciences are not also showing interest in farming, as all they are interested in is how to make quick money,'' he said.
Mr Gabriel Kehinde, Project Manager, Oyo State Tree Crops Development Unit, urged the government to encourage youths to go into farming by allocating more funds to the agriculture sector.
Kehinde said that although government was doing its best to improve the sector, more farm hands were needed to boost cocoa production.
He said that at present, Oyo State had 4,800 registered cocoa farmers.

50114

The Summit of West Africa Monetary Zone (WAMZ) has resolved that adequate preparation and time were necessary before the launching of the monetary union.
It said the December 2009 dateline is not feasible for the start of the single currency and monetary union in the WAMZ.
A communiqué issued at the end of its 9th summit of the Heads of State and Government of the WAMZ /img]in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital said the summit has committed itself to the achievement of macroeconomic stability and convergence as a necessary condition for launching the WAMZ monetary union.
It added that the summit deliberated on the effects and consequences of the global financial crisis on the economies of the WAMZ and considered its implications on the launching of the monetary union.
According to the communiqué, the summit also extended the period for the completion of the establishment of the common central Bank (West African Central Bank) from January 2010 to June 2014 or earlier as may be determined by the Authority of Heads of State.
It also resolved to work for the launching of the WAMZ Monetary Union on or before January 1, 2015 and adopted an Action Plan in the State of Preparedness Report to be implemented by Member States over the extended period, (2009 - 2015) to achieve convergence as well as structural and institutional benchmarks under the Banjul Action Plan, Extension of the mandate of WAMI from 2010 to 2015.

50118

Desired development and growth would not be achievable if Nigeria did not prioritize the policy of budget tracking and monitoring, ActionAid Nigeria, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), has said.
Programme Administrator, Governance/Advocacy, Awareness and Civic Empowerment (ADVANCE) of ActionAid, Grace Okechukwu, said at the weekend in Abuja that countries like Brazil and India are doing very well in this regard because the government understand and recognizes that the people voice count in development.
She was speaking at the National Budget Stakeholders’ Summit organised by ActionAid Nigeria, EU-SRIP, Friedrick Ebert Stiftung, WaterAid and Pact Nigeria.
“Civil Society Governance engagement through promotion of participatory budget system in Nigeria is one key aspect of participatory development work that requires full commitment of all stakeholders if we are to reach a people centered development in Nigeria. Countries like Brazil and India are doing very well in this regard because the government understand and recognizes that the people voice count in development.
50117

Due to total neglect of key areas in the education sector, it would be difficult for Nigeria to attain the Education For All (EFA) target in 2015, Mr. Stephen Bradley, team leader of the Education Sector Support Program in Nigeria (ESSPIN), a DFID funded program has said.
Interacting with newsmen on the state of education in Nigeria in Kaduna, a state in the Northern part of the country, he said a lot of work needed to be done in the sector.
He said to assist the government in fast tracking the attainment of the EFA, ESSPIN was investing over 100 million pounds on education in five states of Kaduna, Jigawa , Kwara, Kano and Lagos . He said the intervention which was a six year programme was conceived by the Nigerian government in partnership with the DFID to support federal and state governments in improving the sector.
“ESSPIN is designed to help develop an education system in which every child in Nigeria is given the opportunity to receive basic education.
50116

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has alerted workers to a plan by the Federal Government to commence full deregulation of the oil industry by the beginning of next month.
NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, gave the warning in Maiduguri, Borno State, while addressing workers as part of the nationwide protest against the deregulation of the oil industry, agitation for increase in minimum wage to N52, 200 and the implementation of the electoral reforms.
According the NLC president, since Labor creates wealth which the people in government have decided to squander while a majority of the people suffer, the only option left is for them to ground wealth creation.
He said: "The wheel around our symbol in NLC logo signifies the toil of the workers moving the wheel to create wealth, and the minority group in government has decided to take our own natural resources which is oil beyond our reach, then the only plausible option is to ground the wheel that creates the wealth. The day deregulation is firmly entrenched in this country, Nigerian workers will stop running the wheel and let us see the wealth they will generate and use against us."
Omar said that the existing minimum wage was too poor when compared to the level of inflation in the country and the escalating cost of goods and services, adding that the revenue of government was sufficient enough to pay the minimum wage being agitated for by the workers.
While expressing solidarity with workers, former NLC President, Ali Ciroma, said it was against the rule of justice for political office holders elected to serve the people to increase their own salaries by over 800 per cent while the minimum wage of workers remained stagnant at N 5,500.
He said government should show enough political will to implement the Uwais panel on electoral reform report because it was the only way by which the will of the people through their votes could count.
According to him, the only way for democracy to thrive in Nigeria is to implement the report, which is targeted at eliminating electoral fraud and bringing about good leadership that will take the country to the next level.
As was the case in other state capitals where NLC held similar rallies, a letter was delivered to the Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, by Omar for onward delivery to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
Responding, Sheriff thanked the leadership of NLC and workers generally for toeing the path of peace and urged them to embrace dialogue in their quest for a better society and workers' welfare. He assured them that he would personally deliver the letter to the President.

50115

Ahamefula Ogbu, Juliana Taiwo and Chinwe Ochu

1 July 2009

Lagos — Federal Government's offer of amnesty to Niger Delta militants has suffered yet another setback as the Joint Task Force (JTF), the military body responsible for security in the oil-producing region, has stopped attempts by displaced persons to return to their villages.

The amnesty offer, which has already been met with scepticism by some militant groups and opinion leaders in the region, was also criticised yesterday by Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy organisation, which said it would not work as it is only "treating the symptoms and not the root cause" of the problem.

Militants who trooped into the Atlantic Hall of the Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, venue of the stakeholders meeting with the Presidential Committee on Amnesty and Disarmament yesterday, said even though they welcomed President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's offer, the continued heavy presence of the JTF in the region had increased their scepticism about the sincerity of government.

A government official who attended the meeting told THISDAY last night that the militants who attended the meeting complained particularly about the refusal of men of JTF to allow the indigenes of the villages recently attacked by JTF, who are now in Warri, to return to their community.

The source said: "There was a lot of scepticism from the hundreds that turned out at the stakeholders meeting today because of the security situation. A lot of them said if the men of the JTF would not allow the people of Oporoza, Okerenkoko and Abiteye who were displaced and had been in Warri to return to the community, they are suspicious that they would be killed as soon as they surrender.

"There are a lot of military men crawling along Port Harcourt for instance and government must find a way of withdrawing some of them if it wants to build trust. I mean the people of Oporoza want to go back to their community from Warri where they have been putting up, but they are not allowed to go back by the JTF and that is making the militants not secure.

"The President must create enabling environment for them (militants) to trust the government enough to come out and embrace the amnesty else this presidential committee will be wasting tax payers' money and the desired result will not be achieved."

And after a prolonged silence over the fate of the white paper on the recommendations of the Niger Delta Technical Committee headed by Mr. Ledum Mitte, the Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, Air Vice-Marshal Lucky Araribe, has explained that the present state of the region was the reason behind its non-release.

He said at the stakeholders meeting yesterday that with the militants still up in arms against the Federal Government and the general state of insecurity, "how the white paper would have been implemented?"

He said the process of disarmament which had started with the amnesty proclamation would pave the way for its implementation when released.

This was as the Chairman of the Technical Committee and President of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mitte, while suggesting ways of making the amnesty programme work, said JTF also needs amnesty because of the atrocities committed by soldiers in the Niger Delta.

Responding to the submissions of Hon. Uche Onyeaguocha, who is lawyer to the Okirika warlord, Ateke Tom, that most of the people who were swarming them now hope to benefit from the N50 billion announced for the programme, Araribe replied that the entire money would not spent by the Committee.

According to him, the bulk of the money would be expended by the Niger Delta Ministry in addition to their budget. He pointed out that those who were aiming at the money had missed the point since when viewed against the continuity of some of the programmes; the money might not mean much.

Also in attendance were reformed militants and repentant cultists such as Commander Zero from Oluasi Creek in Bayelsa State who lamented that though they heard the message and intended to inform their colleagues in the creeks, but the JTF had blocked all routes and taken over their homes.

One Onwuchekwa lampooned the government for luring him out with unfulfilled promises.

Some suggested that fishing implements be provided, especially fishing trawlers to enable their people go into the high seas to fish as pollution from oil exploration had spoiled aquatic endowments.

On its part, Amnesty International said the amnesty package "gives impunity to the human rights abusers", ranging from the military operatives of JTF to the militants perpetuating violence in that region.

"These packages do not work because nobody is held accountable and it gives impunity to human rights abuses. There should be accountability of the JTF for their actions. It is obvious that the government is trying to seek solutions for this problem, but it is clear that the package will only succeed in treating the symptom and not the root cause. So, I think that the Amnesty package will work, but it legitimises the human rights abuses in the Niger Delta. We condemn the human rights abuses by the government security forces and those of the militants that engage in killing and displacement of innocent citizens," the report said.

The report was contained in a major news report entitled: "Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta", released yesterday in Abuja co-authored by Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International's Head of Business and Human Rights.

She called the situation in the Niger Delta a "human rights tragedy".

According to her, "the people of the Niger Delta have seen their human rights abused by oil companies that their government cannot or will not hold to account. The Niger Delta provides a stark example of the lack of accountability of a government to its people and of multinational companies' almost total lack of accountability when it comes to the impact of their operations on human rights."

She decried the state of affairs surrounding the existence of the Niger Delta indigenes, stating that the human rights impact of pollution in the Niger Delta is greatly under-reported.

"People living in the Niger Delta have to drink, cook with and wash in polluted water. They eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins - if they are lucky enough to be able to still find fish. The land they farm on is being destroyed. After oil spills, the air they breathe smells of oil, gas and other pollutants. People complain of breathing problems and skin lesions - and yet neither the government nor the oil companies monitor the human impacts of oil pollution," said Gaughran.

She stated that protecting the rights of a citizenry is an international obligation for any government and the Federal Government had failed in that duty, since it had failed to assign responsibility to the different players in the situation.

"The Nigerian government is aware of the risks that oil-related pollution poses for human rights, but has failed to take measures to ensure those rights are not harmed. Despite the widespread pollution of the Niger Delta's land, rivers and creeks - and the many complaints from people living in the region - we could find almost no government data on the impact on humans of any aspect of oil pollution in the Niger Delta," she added.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200907010008.html

More than 170,000 people have been displaced from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, since early May when fresh fighting broke out began between Government forces and insurgents, the United Nations humanitarian wing reported today.

In addition to those uprooted from their homes, the fighting between Government forces and the Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam groups have also led to some 250 deaths, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Despite the ongoing fighting and insecurity, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), have continued to provide urgently needed life-saving assistance to the affected population.

Most of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) have moved to safer areas within Mogadishu or to makeshift camps on the capital's outskirts. UNHCR reported last week that an additional 45,000 people have fled towards the Afgooye corridor, 30 kilometres south-east of Mogadishu, joining 400,000 other IDPs who have been displaced since 2007.

In a related development, WFP reported that since late 2007, when naval escorts started protecting ships loaded with WFP food heading to Somalia, not a single ship carrying the agency's food has been attacked by pirates. This has helped to ensure that a vital lifeline to some 3.5 million need people in need is kept open.

Under the European Union's Atalanta operation, which started in December last year, WFP has been able to deliver more than 240,000 metric tons of food into Somalia, through Mogadishu, Merka, Bossaso, and Berbera ports.

WFP said it remains extremely grateful to the EU for committing itself to escorting ships carrying the agency's food for this year.

However, WFP is worried about any rise in Somali piracy attacks against ships carrying humanitarian assistance and commercial cargoes to the port of Mombasa in neighbouring Kenya.

Meanwhile, OCHA is also warning that drought is endangering the livelihoods of more than 700,000 pastoralists in Somalia.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906300957.html

Brazzaville — Barely two weeks before presidential elections in the Republic of Congo, Marcel Kombo decided to send his wife and children away from Brazzaville.

"When you listen to the politicians talking, you've got to be prudent," said Kombo, a secondary school teacher in the capital. The poll is due on 12 July.

"Their language is a bit violent and they don't give one confidence. I have decided to send my family - my wife, three children and a nephew - to the village so they are safe if fighting breaks out," he added.

With a past marred by army mutinies, rebellions, coups and attempted coups, Congo has been in the throes of a humanitarian crisis for more than a decade. Hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced, especially in the north of the country, where rebel activity is ongoing.

In the Pool region, for example, where government forces fought militias for years until 2003, the conflict destroyed livelihoods and set back years of progress, according to aid agencies.

Primary school enrolment, which used to be almost 100 percent, had by the end of the war dropped to less than 60 percent, according to the UN World Food Programme, which in May expanded its school-feeding programme in the Pool.

"People have not forgotten that elections have led to certain conflicts in the past," Henri Okemba, a former minister, explained. However, he thought the political class had sufficiently matured to avoid a civil war.

Marguerite Kongo, a vendor at Bouemba market, said she had put some cash aside in case the situation deteriorated. "With our politicians anything can happen; they want power so much that they could unleash war on the country again," she said. "When you hear people saying in the media that no one has a monopoly on violence, you get worried and take action."

Service breakdowns

Maixent Hanimbat, chairman of the Forum for Governance and Human Rights (FGDH), said Congo's socio-economic context was an important factor.

"Simmering discontent" was noticeable in the city, with frequent breakdowns in essential services such as water, healthcare and electricity, and discontent could lead to civil war when the election results are announced, he warned.

The socio-economic situation is precarious, with salaries unable to cover basic costs, he added. Education and health facilities are inadequate and unemployment is high - despite significant revenue from oil and timber.

Two supposedly "moderate" opposition candidates on 22 June threatened to withdraw from the elections in protest at the late publication of electoral lists.

They also claimed that the composition of the electorate and the number of polling stations was still not known by 26 June, and disputed the impartiality of the electoral commission.
* Human Rights

Parliamentary elections in 2007 and local elections in 2008, organized by the same electoral commission, were marred by fraud, according to observers from the African Union observers and the Coordination d'appui au processus électoral, a Congolese civil society body comprising more than 20 NGOs.

On 22 June, Prime Minister Isidore Mvouba, who is also vice-president of the National Security Council (CNS), sought to reassure people that adequate security measures were in place.

The CNS was deploying 17,000 security staff to protect polling stations and election rallies, as well as the candidates, including incumbent President Dennis Sassou Nguesso, who has ruled twice, from 1979 to 1992 and from 1997 to date. In March 2002, he won elections with 89.41 percent of votes cast.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906300809.html

Statistics from the Department of Geological Services (DGS) indicate that 111 Chinese private entities currently hold exploration licences in Botswana, up from nearly zero four years ago.

In bursting onto the Botswana mining sector, Chinese companies are vying with traditional Oriental rival, Japan, whose companies have also increased their presence on the Botswana mining scene.

According to the Chief Geologist at DGS, Johannes Tsimako, Chinese companies are being drawn to Botswana by the need to source and develop raw materials for their own industries. Thus, the major minerals Chinese companies are exploring for are copper, nickel, uranium and coal, among others.

"The key attraction is the need for raw materials for their own industries," Tsimako says. "They need to increase their supplies of metals - lead, zinc and other minerals. The Chinese are venturing into areas which have huge potential for exploration and development of these resources." Data trends from the DGS show that while a few years ago Chinese companies were content with holding equity or being in joint ventures with exploration companies in Botswana, they now focus on full control of their exploration activities.

"They are after ownership of the company exploring, perhaps because of the challenges they have experienced in joint ventures," Tsimako points out. "The Chinese companies would prefer to hold 100 percent equity in the company holding ground and would rather own the exploration licence themselves. Even if they bought into an existing company, they would want to take it over."

It is understood the Chinese private companies are partly encouraged by government funding. These companies are being empowered to source and develop raw materials in response to demand in their home country which has declined marginally this year due to the global recession. Import demand in China has been driven by that government's multi-billion US dollar stimulus plan designed to maintain development growth despite the reduced export earnings due to weaker international markets. With Botswana fast emerging as the new uranium destination, Chinese companies are eager to move into this sector and satisfy the huge demand for energy in their country. It is reported that China has a state-approved plan to improve its power generation capacity, which will drive up demand for uranium for reactors. China currently has 12 nuclear reactors under construction, with another 33 planned and another 80 proposed. By January last year, the Oriental giant had 11 operating nuclear reactors.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906291417.html

Just ahead of this week’s African Union summit in Libya, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has advocated an old and discredited approach for dealing with African heads of state facing international justice, write Comfort Ero and Piers Pigou.

When a leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress speaks on such critical issues as impunity for the perpetrators of human rights violations, the rest of Africa listens. We listen because we recall with passion how apartheid was dismantled, ushering in a new era of democracy for South Africa.

So it comes as a shock that President Jacob Zuma used the recent meeting of the World Economic Forum for Africa to call for a continental policy favouring impunity. Sharing a roundtable conversation with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Zuma proclaimed that the “world has changed” and that we must “do things differently and … not emphasise punishment” in dealing with leading perpetrators of serious crimes.

His statement is embarrassing and retrogressive, especially because the world has indeed changed – but not in the ways Zuma assumed.

What has changed is that over the last two decades a global consensus has grown that amnesty for violent crimes is morally and legally unacceptable. Africa led this change in many respects, and the newly-democratised South Africa enthusiastically supported the creation of the International Criminal Court in 2002.

What Zuma now proposes is not a “new” approach but an old and discredited one that would reinforce outdated visions of an Africa which resists human rights and is willing to tolerate the worst forms of brutality.

At a time when Radovan Karadzic is being brought before the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, Charles Taylor faces justice before the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and Peru has tried and convicted Alberto Fujimori, Zuma has chosen to make the worst kind of rationalization for African exceptionalism.

Even worse, Zuma’s statement was made just ahead of this week’s African Union summit in Libya, which has on its draft agenda at least two reports dealing with attempts to bring to trial African heads of state. Zuma’s “new” approach, coming just as the continent faces pressures from some of its leaders to thwart justice, threatens to undermine the legitimacy of international humanitarian law.

Zuma’s approach would protect the perpetrators and architects of violence at the expense of redress for their victims. Not only is no thought given to providing reparation to victims of such violence, but their right to see justice done would be extinguished. When societies fail to make victims’ needs a priority, those societies risk new cycles of violence.

President Zuma did not distinguish between short-term peace processes and durable peacebuilding. His “bold approach” would do more to promote political violence as a means of gaining power than promote peace. He would invite leaders of political violence to look forward to impunity and a mansion in a neighbouring state.

Zuma presents this position – a safe retirement home for African despots – as being “for the sake of our people,” when clearly this protection is antithetical to the public interest. His position suggests that domestic, regional and international legal commitments can be airbrushed away, cloaked under the rubric of the pragmatic notions of what best serves Africa.

Many commentators assume Zuma’s remarks refer mainly to President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Zuma is indeed faced with a serious problem in Zimbabwe that is likely to be resolved only when Mugabe is persuaded to step aside.

Mugabe’s decision to leave the scene will likely depend on guarantees of impunity being extended to members of his inner circle. That is all the more reason that accountability should not be bargained away. Prospects for sustainable transformation in Zimbabwe require more, not less accountability, extending to economic crimes and corruption.

Perhaps Zuma’s public remarks are a tactical gamble, presenting himself as “on side” with the recalcitrant leaders while knowing full well that Africa’s political leadership can provide no meaningful guarantees of impunity. If this benign interpretation is true, is it worth the egg that has landed on his face as a result of appearing an apologist for the continent’s perpetrators?

Comfort Ero is deputy director of the Africa Program of the International Center for Transitional Justice. Piers Pigou is a senior associate at the ICTJ.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906291356.html

Presidential elections took place in Guinea-Bissau in an atmosphere of calm on Sunday despite tensions generated by the assassination of President Joao Bernado Vieira by the military.

Le Potentiel reports that voting began at 07h00 (GMT) and closed ten hours later in the country of 1.3 million. Counting, which began immediately after the voting ended, was scheduled to carry on through the night. Provisional results are awaited in the coming days.

According to Johan Van Hecke, the head of the European Union observer mission, turn-out was lower than for the 2008 legislative elections. Heavy rains, especially in Bissau, were part of but not the only reason for the low poll. Hecke is the head of a 21-man mission, which visited 80 of the 2,700 polling stations around the country.

Three candidates, all former heads of state, have distinguished themselves among the 11 candidates who stood.
They are Bacaï Sanha (1999-2000) of the Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, which was the ruling party before the advent of multi-party rule, Kumba Yala (2000-2003) of the Socialist party, and Henrique Rosa (2003-2005), who is an independent candidate.

It is hoped the election will bring some stability to a country plagued by political instability for nearly 10 years. Guinea-Bissau is widely regarded as one of the poorest in the world.

Report from the original French adapted and translated by Michael Tantoh.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906291357.html

    

   LAGOS, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua expressed his welcome to the reported acceptance of his amnesty offer by four leading militant groups in the Niger Delta region.
    According to the Guardian report published Sunday, the president, who did not mention the militants, said their embrace of the amnesty was a sign that peace could be achieved in the Niger Delta to enable the government to focus on the development of the region.
    Representatives of Ateke Tom, Farah Dagogo, Soboma George and Ebikabowei Victor Ben (alia Boyloaf) issued a statement on Friday indicating their acceptance of the amnesty.
    The four factions have links to the main umbrella militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND),which is in reality a loose coalition of armed gangs.
    However, they said they would not surrender their weapons until holding talks with the president to know the actual package of the amnesty and secure the assurances of the president that he was sincere with the gesture.
    "We accept peace as encapsulated in the said offer of amnesty," they said in a joint statement.
    "Depending on the outcome (of the meeting with Yar'Adua), the leaders will then announce when they will begin to hand over the arms and ammunitions in their possession to the Federal Government," the statement added.
    Yar'Adua said Saturday his offer was part of the government determination for peace and security that would enable the administration to focus on the development of the country on the platform of his seven-point agenda.
    He urged other militants to emulate them for the overall peace and development of the Niger Delta.
    The president last Thursday offered a 60-day amnesty (from Aug.6 to Oct. 4) to gunmen in the Niger Delta, who have been responsible for pipeline bombings, attacks on oil and gas installations and the kidnapping of industry workers over the past three years.
    The amnesty proposal could mean that militants suspend a month-old campaign of attacks which have shut down at least 133,000 barrels of oil production per day.
    The unrest has prevented the world's 10th biggest oil producer from pumping nearly half of its capacity of 3 million barrels per day, costing Nigeria billions of dollars in oil revenues.
    Nigeria's chief of staff, Marshal Paul Dike, said the forces would observe a ceasefire and respect all the terms of the amnesty, but he warned that the army would respond, if attacked.
    However, MEND vowed to continue its arms struggle, describing the president's offer of amnesty as bait aimed at destroying the group's agitation for greater autonomy over the oil-rich Niger Delta, the Nation newspaper reported Sunday.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/29/content_11616264.htm
 

A Yemenia airline Airbus A310 is reported to have crashed in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros Islands.

The crash follows a month after another Airbus, operated by Air France, went down in the Atlantic Ocean while flying from Brazil, killing 228 passengers.

The plane which crashed last night disappeared from radar screens between Yemen and the Comores, according to airport sources. It was carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members, who had originally boarded the flight at Roissy (Paris) and Marseille in France.

Some bodies have been found near the Comoros and a French search team has been dispatched. According to sources, the plane had on board 66 French citizens, 40 of whom boarded at Roissy and 26 at Marignane (Marseille).

French sources said the weather was cloudy and windy at the time of the accident. The French transport secretary, Dominique Bussereau, confirmed on the Europe 1 television channel that the crash might have been caused by bad weather. Sources said the control tower in the Comores did all it could to help the plane, but in vain.

Yemenia is not a blacklisted airline in France, so the government will in one way or another be part of the investigation, Bussereau said. Two battalions from the national marines have already been sent to the Comores.

Yemen has announced that some bodies have been found. According to a Yemeni official, the aircraft had failed to land on its first attempt and was about to try a second time when it crashed. But Bussereau warned that this information was unverified informations.

Report translated from the original French by Michael Tantoh.

* The airline announced on its website that the aircraft was flight number IY626, travelling from Sana’a in Yemen to Moroni in the Comores. The aircraft was an Airbus 310-300, it said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906300586.html

WINDHOEK (AFP) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday called for boosting trade ties with Namibia, at the start of the first-ever visit by a Kremlin chief to the southern African nation.
"We will develop our partnership with Africa," Medvedev said at the start of talks with his Namibian counterpart Hifikepunye Pohamba.
"We should promote activization of trade and economic ties," he said.
"The first visit of the Russian president should open a qualitatively new stage in our relations."
Pohamba said his nation was also keen to "strengthen our cooperation" and build a "durable economic partnership."
"We would like to secure access of our products to Russia," he said, urging Moscow to lower tariffs on metal and farm goods.
After their meeting, Medvedev said he had discussed expanding cooperation in energy, including on Namibia's vast uranium deposits.
The Russian leader is later scheduled to go to the Okapuka natural park, famous for its rhinos, giraffes and crocodiles.
Medvedev is making a four-nation tour across Africa, aiming at boosting energy ties with the continent. His final stop will be in Angola on Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090625/ ... mibiarussiadiplomacytrade

    ADDIS ABABA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has no plan to deploy its troops in neighboring Somalia despite escalating insecurity in that country, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Wednesday.
    "We have no plans to do so for a number of reasons," said Meles.
    He said Ethiopia believes that the situation in Somalia could be stabilized without the deployment of Ethiopian troops.
    Through the international support to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its allies in Somalia, Ethiopia believes that the situation would be resolved, he told journalists.
    Ethiopia is not yet convinced that the situation would pose clear and present danger to its national security, Meles said, referring to the other factor for not deploying Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
    In addition, he said the deployment of Ethiopian troops in Somalia would be unwarranted.
    He reiterated that Ethiopia, which is in full support of the TFG in Somalia, now prefers to assist that country by means other than the deployment of Ethiopian troops.
    In recent weeks, witnesses have reportedly seen Ethiopian troops inside Somalia, mainly around Somalia's border areas.
    Meles admitted Ethiopia sometimes undertook military reconnaissance operations in border areas between the two countries.
    But,Meles said Ethiopia has no plans to go back to Somalia.
    Ethiopian troops entered into Somalia in late 2006 to back the embattled TFG against Islamist insurgents. But it has many times rejected accusations that it crossed back into the country in the wake of renewed fighting which has killed hundreds of local people.
    On Monday, Somalia's TFG declared a state of emergency in the country to counter an Islamist insurgency that has been battling with the government forces, urging neighboring countries to send troops to help.
    The neighboring Kenyan government said last week it would not sit back and watch security in Somalia to deteriorate further but declined to send troops.
    The radical Somali Islamist leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, said on Wednesday that his forces would fight any foreign troops coming to aid the Somali government, reiterating his call for the African Union (AU) peacekeepers in Mogadishu to leave.
    Nearly 4,300 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi are currently deployed in Mogadishu as part of the proposed 8,000-strong AU peacekeeping forces.
    Somalia has been through nearly two decades of civil strife and the current Somali government is the fifteenth attempt at setting up strong central authority for the fragmented Horn of Africa country.     

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/25/content_11596318.htm