KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebels on Wednesday condemned a death sentence on two of its members by a Khartoum court, saying it endangered the peace process.

Two Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) members were sentenced to death on Tuesday for their part in an attack on Khartoum in 2008.

They and 103 others also awaiting execution were due to be freed under a goodwill agreement last year, when JEM released 82 prisoners.

"This constitutes a clear violation of the goodwill agreement and the timing of this on the same day we arrived in Doha sends a clear message that the government does not want peace," said JEM spokesman Ahmed Adam.

"This is a declaration of new war," he added.

He was speaking to Reuters from the capital of Qatar where stalled peace talks between the JEM and the government were due to restart. "The aim of this sentence is to spoil the political process."

Khartoum said JEM were trying to cover up plans for a new offensive in Darfur. "We are ready to sign a monitored cessation of hostilities," Amin Hassan Omar, a member of the government talks delegation, told Reuters.

JEM fighters drove across desert and scrubland to within striking distance of the presidential palace in 2008 before they were stopped by government troops.

Sudan says more than 200 people, many of them civilians, were killed in the raid.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. intelligence officer said on Wednesday that a group set up to interrogate terrorism suspects should have been used when a Nigerian man was arrested in Detroit on suspicion of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told a Senate committee that when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was taken into custody, the so-called High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) should have been involved in questioning him.

"We should have automatically deployed the HIG. We will now," Blair told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He said that when the group was set up it was expected they would handle suspects detained overseas.

"We did not think about ... (a) case in which a terrorist was apprehended, as this one was, in the United States and we should have thought of that," Blair said.

He later issued a statement to clarify that the FBI had interviewed Abdulmutallab when he was taken into custody and "important intelligence" was obtained. Blair also said that the HIG was not yet fully operational.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the formation of the special group in August and gave the reins to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, replacing the CIA which had had the lead role in intelligence interrogations.

Republicans have been furious at the Obama administration's decision to prosecute Abdulmutallab in a criminal court rather than a military tribunal, arguing that it was an act of war and they may have given up an opportunity to obtain intelligence.

"It appears to me that we lost an opportunity to secure some valuable intelligence information, and that the process that Director Blair described should have been implemented in this case," said Maine Senator Susan Collins, the senior Republican on the Senate panel.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Wars are less deadly than they once were and national mortality rates have continued to decline even during conflicts due to smaller scale fighting and better healthcare, a report said on Wednesday.

The report by a Canada-based project sponsored by four European governments also dismissed a widely cited figure of 5.4 million people killed in wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo as "far too high."

It offered no exact alternative figure but suggested the true toll could be less than half that. The group that issued the original figure, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), stood by its findings and rejected the new report.

"We believe that the costs of war, the deadliness of wars, the number of people getting killed per conflict per year, has gone down pretty dramatically," project director Andrew Mack told a news conference at the United Nations.

Since 2000, the average conflict has killed 90 percent fewer people each year than in the 1950s, said the Human Security Report Project at Vancouver's Simon Fraser University.

In 2007, the average conflict killed fewer than 1,000 people as a direct result of violence, and there had been a 70 percent decline in in the number of high-intensity conflicts since the end of the Cold War 20 years ago, it said.

Wars fought with huge armies, heavy weapons and major-power involvement have largely given way to low-level insurgencies fought mostly by small, lightly armed rebel groups, said the report, entitled "The Shrinking Costs of War."

The report noted that most deaths in wars result from hunger and disease but said improved healthcare in peacetime had cut death tolls even during wartime, as had stepped up aid to people in war zones.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan has extended the deadline for nominations in the first multi-party vote in 24 years after candidates said they did not have enough time to prepare, election officials said on Wednesday.

Elections would go ahead as scheduled on April 11 when Africa's largest country, recovering from decades of war, will hold a poll already marred by accusations of fraud, vote-buying and intimidation during last year's voter registration.

"(The deadline for nominations is delayed) until the 27th January because we know that there are some who said the time is too short. But the elections will be on time," Abu Bakr Waziri from the National Elections Commission told Reuters.

The 10-day nomination period was announced just days before it began on January 12, and some prospective candidates were not given registration forms until much later, leaving little time to collect the signatures needed to be endorsed.

"They wanted 15,000 signatures (for a candidate) to be nominated and that from 18 states with a minimum of 200 in each state," said Abdel Aziz Khaled, a presidential candidate.

He said he had met the requirements but that after decades of north-south war it would be difficult for many independent, mid-level or new political parties to garner support in both the north and south within the original tight timeframe.

"They are making it difficult because (President Omar Hassan) al-Bashir doesn't want many candidates to run because this will divide the vote and affect him in the first round to not get 50 plus percent," Khaled said.

If no presidential candidate gets 51 percent, it will force a second round between the two leading candidates.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebels on Wednesday condemned a death sentence on two of its members by a Khartoum court, saying it endangered the peace process.

Two Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) members were sentenced to death on Tuesday for their part in an attack on Khartoum in 2008.

They and 103 others also awaiting execution were due to be freed under a goodwill agreement last year, when JEM released 82 prisoners.

"This constitutes a clear violation of the goodwill agreement and the timing of this on the same day we arrived in Doha sends a clear message that the government does not want peace," said JEM spokesman Ahmed Adam.

"This is a declaration of new war," he added.

He was speaking to Reuters from the capital of Qatar where stalled peace talks between the JEM and the government were due to restart. "The aim of this sentence is to spoil the political process."

Khartoum said JEM were trying to cover up plans for a new offensive in Darfur. "We are ready to sign a monitored cessation of hostilities," Amin Hassan Omar, a member of the government talks delegation, told Reuters.

JEM fighters drove across desert and scrubland to within striking distance of the presidential palace in 2008 before they were stopped by government troops.

Sudan says more than 200 people, many of them civilians, were killed in the raid.

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At least seven people were killed after Kenyan police clashed with protesters demanding the release of a Jamaican-born Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal last Friday.
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The police blocked the protesters who gathered in Nairobi after that day’s prayer and fired tear gas as the demonstrators replied with a stone.

They were alleged to have waved the flags of the Islamist group of Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Internal Security Minister George Saitoti said at a press conference on Saturday that Somali Islamist group of Al-Shabaab took part in the demonstration but the group has denied it.

AfricaNews reporter Muhyadin Ahmed Roble met with Kenya's Deputy Speaker of Parliament Farah Moalin Mohamed and picked his thoughts about the event:

Farah Moalim: It came to us as a shock the presence of some extremist elements in the country. They are now forming a radical terrorist element across the world to propagate Islam by forcing their selfish ideology which is very bad.

AfricaNews: Did you believe some Somali Islamists live in Kenya?

Farah Moalim: It is possible; it is possible that some of those radicals like Al-shabaab might be with us here.

AfricaNews: Did the police use excessive power?

Farah Moalim: I think the whole situation was not very well managed. The police should have exercised some amount of restraint but they clamped on the group as soon as they had a call about the incident.

Their actions have resulted in injuring some innocent Muslims. They should have acted on intelligence.

AfricaNews: How will it affect the Somali community in Kenya?

The Kenya-Somali community are living here with a legal status and Parliament is seriously going to deal with the situation. The government would take action against the radical groups towards the national interest.

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The Government of Lagos State and a religious body, Christ Embassy Church in Lagos, Nigeria have all pledge one million US dollars each to support the victims of the Haiti earthquake that happened last week. Since the earthquake the outpour of sympathy has continued to rise especially among church related organizations in Nigeria.
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Many institutions and individuals across Nigeria are showing brotherly concern to the victims of Haiti earthquake.

“We have been encouraged to donate to a pool of funds that will be sent to Haiti next week” said Akin Owoeye, a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigeria.

The United States branch of the Church made a donation of $50,000 to the earthquake victim last week.

Owoeye said an instruction was passed on to all 7,000 branches of the Church, across the world to make charity donation to Haiti.

Also, the Lagos State Government has opened a Haiti donation venue where items and cash will be collected and sent to Haiti sometime next week.

The Governor, Raji Fashola urged all the members of the House of representative to donate substantially to aid the support of the US, Red Cross and the United Nations in restoring hope to the earthquake ravaged country.

The Governor also added that the government will not only donate cash, it will also send personnel to Haiti.

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Rwandan officials have pursued their Malawian counterparts on the whereabouts of a 1994 Rwandese genocide suspect, Vincent Nzigiyimfura who was last freely conducting business in the country. Rwandan prosecutor General Martin Ngoga said the suspect was last reported in Malawi under the name Vincent Nzigiye.
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He added that the Africa Rights, a non-governmental organisation and his country officials were convinced the man had sneaked out to the United States of America.

"We do not know under what circumstances he managed to sneak out of Malawi and end up in the US," he said.

Malawian authorities, however, said they were investigating the matter through the Malawi Police but that this issue was better handled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Security.

Police chief, Inspector General Peter Mukhito said: "All refugee and asylum seekers movements are the responsibility of the ministry. That is beyond the police as we don't handle such matters," he told the Nation.

Mukhito however said he would act only when a red alert was issued.

Nzigiyimfura was in the country in the capital city Lilongwe running a business, Mzigiye Shopping Centre in Area 2, situated just a few kilometres to the country's Area 3 Central Region Police headquarters.

In April 2009, Africa Rights produced a report that the former Rwandeese businessman in Nyanza town, is suspected to be a key architect during the genocide against Ttusti Rwandans that led to the killing of more than 100,000 people.

Rakiya Omaar of Africa Rights also told the newspaper it was hard to understand how the suspect managed to fly to the US using a visa.

"The good news, however, is that US authorities are aware of the allegations against him, and we have sent them a copy of our report, in addition, justice officials in Rwanda are actively following his case and working with US authorities.

Ngoga visited Malawi where he met with the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss the matter and said it was a shared responsibility of all other civilized nations to take some action.

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Nairobi — A recent defection of 80 Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) fighters to Ethiopian authorities in Northern Kenya will not affect the struggle, OLF says from Asmara.

OLF issued a statement from Eritrean capital Asmara today saying the recent surrender of its 80 fighter forces in northern Kenya was a conspiracy between Ethiopian intelligence and OLF traitors dismissed from the group a year ago.

Those who surrendered to Ethiopian regime are traitors, who had contact with the regime's intelligence network and had, for a long time, been sources of problems in the area, OLF added.

OLF said, traitors shall not determine the Future of the Oromo Liberation Front or the Destiny of the Oromo Nation.

OLF expressed its disappointment on the report on January 14, 2010 on the issue from the ground.

"It's misleading and unbalanced" the rebel group said.

OLF is fighting with Ethiopian governments since 1970s for independence and autonomy mainly based in northern Kenya and Eastern Ethiopia regions. Now days OLF senior officials based in Ethiopia's arch foe Eritrea.

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Kampala — SEVEN candidates, including a nephew to the late James Wapakhabulo, were yesterday nominated to contest for the Mbale municipality parliamentary seat in the byelections scheduled for February 16.

John Wekesa Wamboko, a nephew to Wapakhabulo who was the municipality MP until his death in 2004, was nominated on the NRM ticket.
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"I have come to revive the glory of this town. What has dragged us back is that the people in authority here are very corrupt. I will work closely with the civil servants and politicians to enhance service delivery in the town," he said.

On Monday, Wamboko clarified that he was not a son of Wapakhabulo as had earlier been reported. He said he grew up in Wapakhabulo's home and that was reason he was regarded as his father.

Others nominated included a loser in the NRM primaries, Dr. James Mutende, who is contesting as an independent.

Jack Wamai Wamanga was nominated on the FDC ticket, while Connie Nakayenze Galiwango, 42, a former teacher at Mbale High School, was the only female nominee for the race. She is running as an independent.

Other candidates were David Amos Walyemera (UPC), Sam Wambuya (Independent) and Musa Magomu (Independent).

The nominations that were held at the municipality offices started at 10:00am with Mutende.

Mutende arrived in a fleet of over 10 vehicles, including a vehicle with 'NRM 4th Term Mamba' as its number-plate. However, only two were allowed into the nomination grounds in line with the electoral commission guidelines that bar more than two cars.

Mutende's supporters, donning the NRM T-shirts and dry banana leaves, flashed the party's thumbs-up symbol and danced through the streets to celebrate the nomination of their candidate.

"I am the NRM Independent candidate. We were discontented with the way our party mishandled the party primaries. We tried to petition for a re-run but the top leadership turned a deaf ear. So other discontented members fronted me for the race," Mutende said.

Three other losers in the NRM primaries, Wasswa Masokoyi, Emmanuel Matsyetsye and Patrick Makweta, escorted Mutende to the nomination.

At 2:30pm, Wamanga's FDC procession defied the rules and stormed the nomination grounds overwhelming the Police officers who had been deployed to keep the candidates' supporters at bay.

Wamanga was flanked by the FDC spokesman, Wafula Oguttu and the Budadiri West MP, Nathan Nandala Mafabi.

Nakayenze Galliwango (Independent) vowed to trounce his male rivals.

"We have entrusted men with the mandate to steer this municipality and most of them have failed miserably. The resignation of former MP Wilfred Kajeke just confirmed that it's about time the leadership of the municipality is given to a woman," Nakayenze said.

The Mbale municipality parliamentary seat fell vacant after Kajeke resigned from the position on December 20 last year, citing widespread corruption in the country and high poverty levels in the eastern and northern regions.

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Nigerian businesses account for about 60 percent of foreign investment in Ghana, aided by the enabling investment climate of the West African country.

Director, Marketing and Public Relations, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr. Edward Ashong-Lartey, stated this last week, in Lagos, at a forum to announce the forthcoming 2010 International Business Events Management (IBEM) conference billed for Ghana in March.
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GIPC is a one-stop government agency, in the office of the Ghanaian Presidency, that facilitates and supports local and foreign investors in both the manufacturing and services sectors of Ghana.

According to him, the level of Nigerian investment in Ghana is very high, especially with the entrance of communications giant, Globacom, along with some other companies, into the country, adding that the Ghanaian officials to discuss possible areas of further collaboration with Nigerian investors and the kind of incentives that will promote investment and business relations between both countries, ahead of the IBEM conference.

Ashong-Lartey noted that the forthcoming event with the theme: "Investing and Growing Your Business in Ghana - Challenges and Opportunities", is aimed at enabling investors both in Africa and other continents to harness the business opportunities that are abound in Ghana, adding that the interest on Nigeria is borne out of the fact that she has the experience in manpower and technical capacity that are believed would be relevant to Ghana to develop its nascent sectors, especially oil and gas. "Talk about the population, the land mass, abundant natural resources, technocrats and so on. Already, Nigeria is seriously playing active role in Ghana's economy," he stated.

He said that GIPC sees investment opportunities for Nigerians in agriculture and agro-processing; fish processing; sports, Leisure and Infrastructure; transport; infrastructure, power and tele-communications, among others.

"Government would harness the opportunity that abound in the discovery of and exploration of oil in the country to woo and encourage would-be investors. All expectations of investors are assured and would not be dashed," he stated.

The Ghanaian government official, however, acknowledged that the country was currently experiencing some challenges in the areas of security, high interest rates, bank charges and inadequate power generation (at 1,850-mega watts) that may discourage investors, but noted that the government was working seriously on ways to address the issues. He said, for instance, that about six foreign companies have indicated interest to use gas to produce energy with the hope of boosting the power supply before the end of 2010, adding that tax holidays were being considered for some sectors and tourists just to create conducive environment for investors in the country.

Targets participants for the forthcoming conference, according to Ashong-Lartey, include manufacturers in Europe, America, UK, Asia and Africa; local and foreign investors, chambers of commerce and industry, regional and multinational corporate bodies, oil and gas companies, banks and financial institutions.

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Nairobi — Kenyans could soon access affordable anti-retroviral drugs made in Uganda. And Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has invited Kenya to buy shares in a company -- the only one in Africa -- that manufactures the drugs that control the effects of HIV.

Uganda opened Quality Chemicals, a joint venture with Indian drug maker Cipla, last year. President Museveni extended the invitation to Kenya, which has been suffering from high HIV/Aids prevalence in recent years.
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Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka on Monday visited the plant and praised the technology transfer taking place at the complex. He said he would advise the relevant health authorities back home to consider sourcing ARVs from the firm.

The plant that was established at a cost of Sh4 billion, produces 100 million tablets of ARVs, mainly the Duovir-n brand, every month. It also produces the anti-malarial drug Lumatern.

Uganda's Health minister Richard Nduhura said his country took the decision to manufacture generic ARVs after India, the traditional makers of generic drugs, ratified the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights Accord under the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Nduhura said that what Africa needed now was to produce its own low-cost medicines, which were safe and effective, without relying on outside help.

And in a meeting with members of the Ugandan business community, Mr Musyoka heard the challenges the traders faced in doing business with Kenya.

The Uganda Manufacturers Association cited inordinate delays in the clearing of their goods at the port of Mombasa and damages to goods during handling and transportation. The association also asked the Kenyan government to expedite compensation for goods lost during the 2007 post-election violence.

Later in a meeting the management of Rift Valley Railways, led by chairman Brown Ondego, Mr Musyoka expressed concern that at a time when the world was embracing high speed rail transport, East Africa was still saddled with a dilapidated system.

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The Kenyan Government was on Wednesday grappling with the last option available in the saga of radical Islamic preacher Abdullah al-Faisal -- hiring a private jet to deport him to Jamaica, his home country.

In Jamaica, measures were being put in place to ensure security officers would continuously monitor the cleric after he landed, according to reports by a newspaper based at the island nation.
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The Gleaner quoted an unnamed senior police officer on its Web site saying that "extra security measures" would be implemented once Sheikh al-Faisal, who has been linked to terrorism, arrives in his home country.

In Nairobi, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang' appealed to Britain and the United States governments to allow a-Faisal to transit through their countries. He said the government was stuck with the preacher because all routes to Jamaica must connect through either Britain or America.

The minister said if al-Faisal was to be flown out of the country by the national carrier, Kenya Airways, the connection would be at Gatwick in Britain then to Kingston, Jamaica. However Britain has been adamantly opposed to allow al-Faisal to transit through London. The preacher once served a four-year jail term in that country for hate speech.

The other option available to Kenya, according to Mr Kajwang' said, was an offer by the Qatar government allowing al-Faisal to transit through its capital Doha. However, the flight must connect through Miami in Florida, USA.

South Africa had also accepted to allow the preacher to pass through its airport en route to Brazil who have no problem either. But the flight has to go through Havana, Cuba, where authorities have declined the arrangement.

As such, Mr Kajwang' said, Kenya was left "with the last option of hiring a plane but it must connect through somewhere to fuel and again we do not have the money." Al-Faisal was expected in Kingston on Wednesday, the Jamaican newspaper reported.

Earlier, Internal Security minister George Saitoti said: "That person is not needed in this county and I am very surprised that there are people in this country who still believe this man is a saint. This is a man with a track record of criminality."

The 45-year-old Jamaican was arrested on New Year's eve for preaching at a mosque in Mombasa. Mr Kajwang said the action had breached provisions of his tourist visa. Initial attempts to get him back to Jamaica through Gambia failed after Nigeria declined to give a transit visa.

Muslims held violent demonstration in Nairobi on Friday which culminated in a bloody confrontation between them, the police and civilians opposed to al-Faisal's presence. Several people were injured during the confrontation as the government started a crack down on foreigners living in Kenya illegally.

The Muslim Human Rights Forum (MHRF) chairman, Mr al-Amin Kimathi, who called the demonstrations, was later arrested and charged in court alongside other people claimed to have incited the violence. Mr Kimathi had previously claimed the government failed to honour promises made by immigration minister to release documented evidence of Faisal's deportation."

According to him, the documents included a signed consent, flight manifest and the deportation order as a proof that the Jamaican had been informed of his fate after his lawyers were denied access to him. Several international airlines operating in Nairobi have refused to allow the radical preacher to board their aircraft. Al-Faisal has been on a watch-list of persons not allowed to visit the East African nations since 2007.

He was deported to Jamaica in 2007 after serving four years in a British prison for inciting murder and stirring hatred by calling for the slaughtering of Americans, Hindus and Jews.

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for maximum restraint after inter-religious violence in the central Nigerian city of Jos has reportedly left over 200 people dead.

He also appealed to all concerned to "seek peaceful solutions to religious and other differences in the country," in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

"In particular, he calls on all political and religious leaders in Nigeria to work together to address the underlying causes of the recurring sectarian violence in the country."

Mr. Ban took note of the Government's expressed determination to find a permanent solution to the crisis in Jos, and urged that every effort be undertaken to restore stability and avoid further deterioration of the situation, the statement added.

Deadly clashes between Muslims and Christians in Jos in November 2008 killed several hundred people and displaced thousands of others. In addition, at least 100 people were reportedly killed in northern Nigeria last July during clashes which pitted local Muslims against police forces.

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Some members of Somalia's transition parliament have voiced their criticism over remarks by Kenya's Immigration minister to expel Somali politician from the country.

The lawmakers numbering 50 held meeting in the restive capital Mogadishu to discuss and then declare their stand against the decision by Nairobi to expel all Somali lawmakers currently residing in its country.
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"Kenya's decision is the biggest blow that has hit Somalia's parliament. But we lay our blames on the top organ of the parliament because it has failed to reconvene the parliamentary sittings," said Lawmaker Bood Abdale Magan who addressed reporters after the meeting.

On Tuesday, Kenya's Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang said his country would not tolerate the behaviors of Somali politicians to abandon their country and stay in Nairobi.

He accused them of largely causing the chaos in the war-torn country with some even using Nairobi to undermine the fragile UN-backed transition federal government.

Kajwang said his government is contemplating on telling the Somali lawmakers to register with the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR or return to their homeland.

These as Somali embassy in Nairobi confirms that lawmakers who arrested in a security raid at a Somali-populated suburb in the capital were freed after sending a protest note to the Kenya's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Somali Ambassador Mohammed Ali Nur (America) said several Somalis were also released from the jails.

The arrest of Somalis has attracted criticism from all quarters of the country and neighbouring countries with Somali leaders accusing Nairobi of economical oppression.

"I think this is not a security operations but an economic war against Somalis," said Billow Kerrow, A well-known Kenya-Somali politician.

Somalis largely own businesses in Eastleigh, a suburb in the heart of Nairobi, which is also referred to as a 'city within a city'

Kenya, regarded as the second peaceful home for Somalis, was in the forefront in brokering a peace treaty for Somalia leading to the establishment of a transitional government.

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Lubango — Nigeria had little appetite for entertaining the possibility of a fairytale at the Africa Nations Cup finals and dispatched the challenge of plucky Mozambique with some ease in their last Group C game on Thursday. The match ended in a one-sided 3-0 triumph.

The Super Eagles needed only draw to book their quarterfinal place while Mozambique had the Herculean task over having to beat the giant west African nation to go through to the knockout stages. Having run Nigeria close in two World Cup qualifiers in 2009, Mozambique believed they might be able to surprise them this time.
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But Nigeria were in no mood for any high drama and by the early stages of the second half at the Tundavala Stadium in Lubango had settled the outcome and booked their onward passage.

Two goals from Peter Odemwingie enforced Nigeria's superiority but it could have been a whole lot more had the finishing been better on the night.

Mozambique could not afford too defensive an approach and as a result Nigeria were able to exploit their lack of pace and occasional defensive foibles.

Podgy goalkeeper Kampagno, who had spilt everything he touched in Mozambique's first two games at the tournament, suddenly started producing some top stops.

Lefty Shivambu/Gallo-Stanbic

He denied a snap effort from Yakubu Aiyegbeni, thwarted a close-in header from Chinedu Obasi and stifled a run by Odemwingie to hand the Mozambicans ever-increasing self-belief.

Wingback Miro then hit a bouncing shot off the Nigeria upright in the 41st minute to signal the possibility of a surprise to come.

But within minutes the dream had died, thanks to an extraordinary goal from Odemwingie.

Well outside the Mozambique's penalty area when he received the ball, and with fullback Campira waiting to see what he would do next, Odemwingie hit a thundering left-footed shot that would have challenged the speed of sound as it squeezed inside a diving Kampagno and his right-hand side post.

One minute after the break the result was made secure when Aiyegbeni beat the offside trap and unselfishly laid the ball square for Odemwingie to tap in from close range.

Aiyegbeni was later replaced by Obafemi Martins, having his first run out at the tournament after slow recovery from a shin operation.

Martins was dancing before the end, without any apparent signs of discomfort, snapping up a rebound after John Obi Mikel's 86th minute shot had been saved by Kampagno.

A much more convincing win this time means Nigeria finish the group stage with two successive wins after losing to Egypt in their opening game.

They will find out the identity of their semifinal opponent when Group D concludes on Thursday.

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Nairobi — Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has rejected South African President Jacob Zuma's calls for fresh elections next year to end the disputes that have constrained the work of the new administration in Harare.

Mr Tsvangirai, speaking on his return from leave on Tuesday said the South African leader cannot determine when elections should be held in Zimbabwe.
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He was reacting to Mr Zuma's assertion that the governing parties must consider putting aside some of the issues threatening ongoing talks so that they prepare for fresh elections next year.

President Robert Mugabe and his coalition partners have been squabbling over a number of fundamental issues arising from their Global Political Agreement (GPA) that led to the formation of the unity government last February.

"President Zuma cannot push for elections in Zimbabwe," Mr Tsvangirai told a German news agency.

According to the GPA, the unity government must first facilitate the drafting of a new constitution for the country before fresh elections are held.

The constitution making process, although hindered by financial problems and political squabbles is already underway and must be completed before the end of the year.

The draft constitution will be subjected to a referendum before it becomes law and will be used for the coming elections.

Zimbabwe has not held elections since the dispute June 27, 2008 presidential run-off poll because there is no election commission in place.

"The elections will be defined by the GPA. The GPA says after the referendum the president and prime minister will set a date for the election," Mr Tsvangirai added.

"So I think that people should not pre-empt a process which is already there and which is understood by all parties to be the law."

However, analysts say Mr Zuma's calls for elections in Zimbabwe showed that the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which appointed him to be the facilitator in the talks, had grown impatient with delays in concluding the talks.

The parties were expected to resume the talks on Sunday after a month long break but the negotiators are yet to regroup amid claims that Mr Mugabe's Zanu PF is now dragging its feet.

Meanwhile, Mr Tsvangirai has told a local radio station that he is frustrated that the power sharing agreement with Mr Mugabe has not been implemented fully almost a year after they formed their unity government.

But he remains confident that their troubled marriage will not collapse.

"It is 11 months after the formation of the transitional government and probably about 16 months after the signing of the GPA," he said.

"I am sure that it is a fact that it was not anticipated that we go into 2010 still talking about the implementation of the agreement.

"I think that's where the frustrating part is."

Over the past few months, the inclusive government has been rocked by disturbances on white owned commercial farms and threats to seize foreign owned companies by supporters of President Mugabe.

In December, Swiss based international food giant, Nestle temporarily suspended its operations in Zimbabwe after supporters of the ageing leader tried to force it to buy milk from his estate.

Commenting on the latest assault on white farmers Mr Tsvangirai said: "Well in this GPA we have always budgeted for resistance elements that will do something that is not within the core values of the inclusive Government and this is one of the examples.

"It must be condemned."

Last year, Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change temporarily pulled out of the unity government accusing Zanu PF of disrespecting their power sharing agreement but returned after the intervention of SADC.

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Nairobi — Senior Muslim clerics on Wednesday declared their intention to sue the state for the colossal damage and death that resulted after last Friday's demonstration in Nairobi.

Already the clerics have contacted a Mombasa based legal firm, Mohammed Balala and Company's Advocates to prepare legal procedures required for the case against Attorney General Amos Wako, Internal Security minister George Saitoti, Nairobi Province PPO Anthony Kibuchi, Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) head Nicholas Kamwede.
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Nominated MP Sheikh Mohammed Dor told Nation on the sidelines of a press conference attended by more than nine Muslims organizations that they will seek damages of millions of shillings following colossal damage of property belonging to Kenyans of different religion.

"We shall compel the government to compensate damages that occurred during the Friday demonstration and we shall not be asking for what happened to Muslims alone but other traders and motorists who lost property during the mayhem," he said.

Separate sources also told Nation that Muslims legislators are also expected to meet over the same at Jamia Mosque in Nairobi and by yesterday most of the members confirmed attending the meeting where they will be briefed on the decision.

The MP said although senior clerics are opposed to further demonstrations in the country, they will not just keep quiet when innocent Kenyans are mourning the death of their loved ones and others brainstorming the way forward after being engulfed into heavy losses.

The AG is being sued for "allowing the police force to target one ethnic community and religion" and thereby threatening nationhood.

"The AG failed to stop the police in applying the laws selectively and failing to make them accountable for attacking Jamia mosque, a place of worship that is regarded as special place in our constitution," said Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa of Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK).

According to the clerics, the AG allowed Mr Saitoti to abuse his ministerial powers by ordering police to conduct raids against the Somali community irrespective of their nationality on the pretext of fighting influx of aliens in the country.

The clerics will pray to the court to force Mr Kamende, as ATPCU head, to stop further persecuting the community on the pretext of fighting terrorism in the country and pay the price for putting several of their community members behind bars without tangible evidence.

"This time round his action, always commanded by foreign embassies in the country against Muslim community will backfire and we shall not seat back as citizens and instead demand what is legitimate in court," he added.

He said the police used excess force and incited non-Muslims against protesting Muslims in Nairobi where the officers were expected to remain impartial in accordance with their "Utumishi Kwa Wote" motto.

Sheikh Zubeir Noor Hussein also said Muslims will field one of their own to run for the presidency in 2012 general election and asked political parties intending to woo the community in the next general election to think twice.

"This time round we shall exploit any possible measures to tell the government that enough is enough and being peace loving community we shall resort to peaceful mechanisms acceptable all over the world," he added.

Muslims for Human Rights(MUHURI) council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya(CIPK)Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Changamwe and Liwatoni Muslims association,umoja wa waislamu wa Afrika Mashariki(UMUM)Majmau Al Akbab were represented at the joint press conference held at CIPK offices along Jomo Kenyatta Road in Mombasa.

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Dongou — John Kanilamba sits under the porch of a half-finished house on the outskirts of Dongou - his home, despite its lack of doors and windows - since early November. His four children play idly at his feet, all refugees from inter-communal clashes in Equateur province in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"We were all caught in violent fighting; no one was safe," the 39-year-old said, recounting the harrowing journey along roads littered with corpses, across the Ubangi river, to this town some 850km north of Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo.
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"Friends offered me a ride in their canoe across the river; I don't even know how to paddle," Kanilamba said. "I can't see myself going back, even if the [Kinshasa] authorities say it is safe."

For Kanilamba, the situation is desperate; for the humanitarian actors and resident families who are again opening their doors to new arrivals, it is all too familiar. Some 5,000 refugees have arrived in Dongou - among the more than 107,000 arrivals in total recorded by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in the Likouala region, most of them sheltering in straw and palm frond huts on 70 sites along a 250km stretch of the Ubangi river. A major concern is that this lifeline waterway, which marks the border between the two Congos and is the only available route to deliver aid to many of the refugees, is running low due to poor rains.

"We just don't have the resources; we made an initial appeal to assist 35,000 people, but now we have more than 107,000," said Daniel Roger Tam, one of the regional coordinators for UNHCR. "If people don't react, we will not be able to respond."

The agency has managed to deliver 160MT of aid - blankets, plastic sheeting, kitchen sets, sleeping mats and mosquito nets - to the most vulnerable refugees.

In addition, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has begun to deliver around 20MT of relief supplies, such as nutrition kits, tents, prescription drugs, school-in-a-box and recreation kits and water tanks to Likouala.

Medical shortages

In addition to the lack of food is a persistent shortfall in medical equipment and medical assistance. At the nearby evangelical hospital at Impfondo, US missionary doctors work round the clock to tend to the steady stream of wounded, almost all young men.

"Since the end of October, I have treated about 40 wounded; only three of them had knife wounds, the rest were gunshots," said Joseph Harvey, the hospital's director.

The risks to the population are also more acute because of the lack of rain; local food production is down, and health visitors who normally run mobile clinics on the Ubangi river have been forced to suspend their operations because they cannot navigate the river.

Instead, Doctors of Africa, an NGO that conducts check-ups and other medical procedures for UNHCR, has had to double the number of static clinics, from eight to 15, over 100km, said Rufin Mafouta of the agency.

Although the lack of resources poses a tremendous challenge to the humanitarians, there have been no security incidents since the refugees arrived. Those refugees who bore arms are separated from the civilians, their weapons taken away and handed over to the authorities, according to Tam.

The US and French governments have donated US$4.6 million and 400,000 euros ($568,330) respectively in response to the humanitarian appeals. France's embassy in Brazzaville has confirmed that French forces based in nearby Gabon at Libreville will ferry supplies to Impfondo before the end of January, including vehicles, boats and other supplies vital for UNHCR to operate in the region.

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allafrica

Ouagadougou — Disappointed by the "failure" of the Copenhagen talks to adequately help poor countries adapt to climate change, the Burkina Faso government and farmers are working to adjust farming techniques to changing weather patterns.

"Despite the failure of Copenhagen we must follow adaptation at our own cost because we have been experiencing the impacts of climate change in Burkina for several years, and they are getting worse," Bassiaka Dao, confederation of farmers in Burkina Faso (CPF) president, told IRIN.
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Dao said the US$10 billion that rich nations agreed to provide annually to developing countries to help mitigate climate change effects was insufficient. The UN said at the Copenhagen meetings that $25 billion to $50 billion per year would be required.

Impact

Over recent years the rains have begun and ended later than usual in Burkina Faso, continuing into October though September is traditionally harvest time, according to Dao.

The rains are also increasingly heavy, leading to soil erosion and flash floods, according to World Bank natural resource management specialist Emmanuel Nikiéma. Some 22,200 hectares of land were flooded in 2009 according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

"The rain comes in torrents, with the capacity to flood a field in 15 minutes," Dao told IRIN.

Meanwhile desertification, long a problem in the north, has now spread in pockets to the south, Nikiéma said.

Longer rains mean crops risk rotting. Forty percent of the cowpea crop and much of the sorghum harvest rotted in 2009, Dao said.

Farmers need more outside help to help adapt to these new conditions, he said.

Through its National Action Adaptation to Climate Change programme, the government has channeled $3 million to help people adapt in the farming, livestock, forestry and water resource sectors.

A key agriculture activity is to extend traditional soil protection techniques, said Dao. Methods include digging "Zai" pits - compost-filled planting pits which hold water, helping deep-rooted vegetables grow; building up grass and rock barriers around crops to protect them from soil erosion; and cultivating manure in septic tanks to use as fertilizer.

But to enable crops to survive erratic rains, many more farmers need access to high-yield, quick-growing seeds, said the World Bank's Nikiéma.

This is one of the priorities of the World Bank's agricultural production and food security support to Burkina Faso, amounting to $54.5 million from 2010-2015. Last year the Bank spent $5 million on distributing quick-harvest sorghum, maize and cowpea seeds.

New varieties of cowpeas can be harvested in 45 days, down from 80, according to agricultural experts; sorghum and maize down to three months from four or five.

Francois Traoré, grain farmer in Burkina's second largest city Bobo-Dioulasso and president of the National Union of Cotton Producers of Burkina, told IRIN more donors should follow suit.

"Aid to help farmers adapt to changes could open up new areas of agricultural production and transform how we produce crops here."