20100120
allafrica

A select group of Senators who are lawyers yesterday held a close door meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aoandoakaa with a view to find solution to the controversies generated by the absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua who is currently seeking medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

The two-hour meeting, which took place in room 313 new Senate building, was chaired by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Senator Umaru Dahiru.
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Although Senator Dahiru refuses to answer questions from newsmen at the close of the meeting, Vanguard however gathered that one of the agenda in the meeting was not unconnected with possibilities of invoking section 143 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The section empowers the Federal Executive Council to communicate to the National Assembly on the need to constitute a medical board of enquiry.

Vanguard further gathered that the Senators are also tinkering with the possibilities of with section of the constitution that will enable President Yar'Adua to transmit a letter to the National Assembly, by so doing confer the powers of acting President on Dr. Good Luck Jonathan.

This is substantiated by argument by a member of the Committee from the South-South who shouted to the Chairman during the meeting that the Vice President knows what to do in the present circumstances.

He said, "The vice president knows what to do; he does not need that advice" but it was not known what advice."

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allafrica

Nairobi — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $18 million (Sh1.4 billion) grant towards improving soil fertility in Kenya and seven other African countries.

The four-year financing will be channelled through the Biological Nitrogen Fixation Project, which targets more than 200,000 small-scale farmers in the eight countries by improving food production and soil fertility through expanding production of legume crops, thus increasing inputs from biological nitrogen fixation.
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In Africa legume crops often fail to fix useful amounts of nitrogen because their partner bacteria are not present in the soil or because the soil lacks other nutrients such as phosphorous, according to agriculture experts.

By using simple scientific technology, farmers can introduce the bacteria as inoculants, together with the seed and small amounts of other nutrients as fertiliser. This simple package gives more than double the yields of farmers in many cases, and helps to improve soil fertility.

On Wednesday, Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 minister Wycliffe Oparanya said growth of legumes to ensure effective biological nitrogen fixation could meet the use of 50 kilogrammes of nitrogen a hectare recommended by Abuja Summit in 2006.

He said in Brazil and Southern Africa rates of nitrogen fixation with soya-beans under field conditions could exceed 300 kilos a hectare. "Although the inclusion of legumes has the potential to improve system productivity, often less than five to 10 per cent of cultivated land is currently planted with field legumes," the minister said during the launch of the project at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi. "Grain legumes are often included as minor inter-crops in fields of cereals and other staple crops."The project's annual benefits at the conclusion of the project are projected at $31.9 million based on estimates of increased productivity by the targeted grain legumes and their contribution to yield of subsequent maize. Soya-beans, common beans, cowpeas, groundnuts, chickpea and pigeon peas are the target legumes.

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allafrica

Nairobi — Wartsila Corporation of Finland has won the contract to supply 117-megawatt emergency power plant to the Kenya Electricity Generating Company.

The company's Regional Director for Africa Tony van Velzen said the firm had been awarded a turn-key contract to supply equipment for Kipevu III thermal power in Mombasa to inject 117 MW to the national grid.
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"The contract was signed in November and the plant is scheduled to be operational in January 2011," he said. "The order has placed been by Kenya Electricity Generating Company, a partly state-owned utility."

He said in a statement the firm would supply to KenGen seven of its Wartsila 18V46 engines, initially to be run on heavy fuel oil, to provide generating capacity for flexible base load supply.

The delivery also includes a gas insulated switch-gear substation for connection to the existing grid. The power plant will also provide the utility with reliable grid stability.

"Competitive life cycle costs, product quality, fuel and operational flexibility and long-term reliability," Mr Velzen added, "make Wartsila power plants suitable for both stationary and floating base load applications."

Local presence

He said KenGen had requested a fast-track project with reliable equipment at a competitive price and Wartsila was able to meet the demand. "The engines can be converted to gas when gas supply is locally available. Our local presence and ability to provide service support was also a critical factor in our selection," he said.

When completed the Kipevu III project will raise the generating capacity delivered by Wartsila Corporation to Kenya to over 350 megawatts. Wartsila Eastern Africa Ltd has signed a 15-year operation and maintenance agreement with Tsavo Power Company that owns the 74-MW thermal facility in Mombasa known as Kipevu II power plant.

Tsavo Power Company was formed in 1998 as a special-purpose corporate entity owned by a consortium of international investors who provided debt and equity financing for development of the project. Meanwhile, EDF could be forced to sell up to 120 terawatt hours to rival French power suppliers as early as this year, according to a draft bill aimed at fostering competition in the heavily regulated French power market.

A copy of the draft bill was made available to Reuters by an industry source. The government, which plans to see the power market reform come into effect by July, presented the draft bill to French power industry players and consumer groups on Tuesday.

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allafrica

Mogadishu — More than 10 injured Somalis, most of them government soldiers have been flown to Turkey today, just as their situation was very critical condition, officials told Shabelle radio on Wednesday.

Reports say that the numbers of wounds were 11 including a young Somali teenager who was suffering a stray bullet that hit him as he was in Mogadishu and were all taken to Turkey to be medicated there.

Professor Abdirahman Haji Aden ( Ibbi ), a deputy PM of the transitional government told reporters in the airport before they were taken saying that they got medical contribution from the Turkish government about the wounded people in the capital adding that those injuries would be treated in Turkey.

"The person who is required to be helped should be a person who service for the nation, to be a government soldier or to be a person who is very weak as the children who could not be cured their injuries in the country," said Professor Ibbi.

Mohamed Adan Igale, one of the injured soldiers taken told Shabelle radio more about his injuries, where and when he was wounded in the capital.

"I was part of the government soldiers who were fighting at Shibis district in Mogadishu; the bullet hit me on the rectum side. I was sleeping at the Ugandan hospital for a long time. My injury could be treated in the hospital actually," said Mohamed Igale.

It is not the first time that the government receives medical contribution of treating injuries of soldiers and other people from the world.

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allafrica

Public Service Vehicle underwriting has been the graveyard of many an insurer.

Indeed, companies that insure the chaotic industry usually find themselves in a precarious position and it is little wonder the Insurance Regulatory Authority has instructed firms to separate general from life insurance business.

The general business dominated by matatu insurance invariably bleeds, and may result in life insurance compensating for the loss.
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Except for a brief period in which the Michuki Rules were implemented, this situation has remained constant over the years.

That is why firms like Invesco Assurance Company collapsed. Fortunately for the firm, the Matatu Owners Association has injected Sh200 million into the business to snatch it from certain death.

There is irony in what is probably more than a business adventure. The operators have bankrupted many an underwriter. They now face the same fate if they do not style up and comply with road safety rules.

It remains to be seen whether holding this stake will change the conduct of matatu owners and operators. But suffice it to say that the government now has to seek the industry's co-operation in enhancing standards for the public good.

While wishing PSV operators success in this venture, we also urge the government to play its part in ending the complicity of police officers in this chaos.

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allafrica

By agreeing to suspend new rules on the harmonisation of hardship allowances yesterday, the government tacitly admitted it may have erred in formulating them in the first place.

It also confirmed that teachers had firm grounds for vehemently rejecting the move, which could have seen most of their 94,000 colleagues endure cuts of as much as Sh7,000 from their payslips monthly.
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Essentially, the government had good intentions in coming up with the rules. However, the way it intended to implement the change in policy was utterly wrong, and smacked of bad faith.

The hardship allowance was a legally negotiated agreement signed in 1997, which should have been allowed to stand until it lapsed in three years.

It was, therefore, wrong for the government to haphazardly tinker with the arrangement without even referring the matter to the remuneration committee which has powers to negotiate salaries for teachers.

Nor did Public Service minister Dalmas Otieno, who announced the new rules, consult the teachers or their union representatives.

It took the intervention of Prime Minister Raila Odinga to apply brakes on the new rules when he opened the teachers' delegates conference last month - two months after the rules were introduced.

Although it is a good move to suspend the rules for now, we believe there is need to start fresh negotiations that can ultimately even out the allowances between all targeted staff.

This is mainly so because the disparities between teachers and civil servants regarding the allowances still persist. Such consultations should be informed by fresh data on the current hardship areas.

Given that the government has launched a survey that should produce the data, we hope the next classification exercise will be as accurate as possible.

This whole issue should serve as lesson - that there should be adequate consultation among government departments and workers before any major change in policy. The era of ministerial edicts is over.

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allafrica

Tunis — As part of day 3 and last of the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations (Group D), the Ivorian Désiré Doué Normandiez will referee the decisive match between Tunisia and Cameroon due on Thursday in Lubango.

Normandiez will be assisted by the Burundi's Désiré Gahungu and the Eritrean Ogbamariam Angessom.

The fourth referee will be Badara Diatta from Senegal.

The Tunisian football team continues its preparation in Lubango.

After a torrential rain on Tuesday, the Tunisian football team training session was held in a good atmosphere and with the presence of large crowds of supporters.

Because of injuries, the midfielder Oussama Darragi and goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha did not take part in the trainings.

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allafrica

Newmont Ghana announced that it has received notification from the Minister of Environment, Science & Technology of the report by the Ministerial Panel appointed to evaluate the Ahafo Mine Process Solution Overflow accident, which occurred on October 8, 2009.
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The company said it is prepared to finalize compensation for the overflow and has already implemented a number of corrective measures to prevent any future process solution releases. In recognition of the overflow's impact, the company made initial compensation proposals to the Panel.

While the report of the Panel recognized that there was no regulatory framework by which to assess compensation or penalties relating such incidents, it recommended that substantial compensation be paid and Newmont Ghana has stated its intention to meet its compensation obligations, once the process is complete.

Newmont Ghana also has reassured the government and local communities that the safety of its neighbours, employees and the environment is its first priority, and that the company is committed to operating at high standards. Newmont's Senior Vice President for African Operations, Jeff Huspeni emphasized that "The Company accepts responsibility for any failure to meet its standards, and we reiterate our regret and apologies for the overflow and for any anxiety caused in the local community over the safety of their drinking water supplies and fish."

The company is reviewing the report which says, among other things, the primary causes of the accidental release included operational supervision failures and some systems and mechanical failures. The report also provides recommendations which are focused on strengthening risk awareness, incident classification and notification criteria, and enhancing capacity to recognize and respond to emergency situations.

Newmont Ghana has rigorously reviewed and modified its control systems and monitoring procedures - with the participation of regulatory agencies - to ensure incidents like this do not happen in the future.

As a result, the company implemented a number of measures to: Reduce the risk of overfilling the event pond during mill shutdowns; Improve the reliability of the instrumentation and level detection systems; Increase the event pond pumping capacity to redirect process solution more quickly during rain events; Improve containment within the processing plant site in the event other systems fail during a process water overflow; Improve and accelerate communication with stakeholders; and, Improve onsite protocols and procedures.

Responding to suggestions that the company's failure to immediately notify government regulators of the overflow were indications of a possible "cover-up," Mr. Huspeni said that internal communications and assessment failures, along with the operational supervision lapses, resulted in the regulatory agencies not being immediately notified, which may have inadvertently created an appearance of an alleged "cover-up."

"Our failure to communicate immediately was due, in part, to the fact that our initial assessments mistakenly determined that the overflow was contained within the process plant area. Nevertheless, we should have notified the regulatory authorities immediately, and we apologized for failing to do so. This communication failure was a mistake on our behalf, and we will not let this happen again," Mr. Huspeni stated. "We are committed to working with the regulatory authorities to improve our reporting protocols and also to review and improve our emergency response mechanisms."

Since the time of the overflow, water sampling has continued to confirm that there is no threat from cyanide to human health or residual environmental impact. Newmont Ghana remains engaged with the local hamlets to ensure their wellbeing and to provide fresh water.

The company says it is continuing to engage with regulators to review the causes of the overflow, its impacts and will implement any additional recommendations to ensure an accidental release of this nature does not occur again.

"We are committed to improving our processes and to reassuring local communities of Newmont Ghana's ongoing commitment to their safety, while re-establishing confidence in our environmental controls and reporting mechanisms," said Mr. Huspeni. "Newmont's first priority remains the safety of our neighbors, employees and the environment."

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allafrica

Nairobi — A MP is preparing to table a Bill in Parliament that would ensure Kenyans have more than one draft constitution at the referendum.

Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara said Wednesday that the private members Bill is already with the National Assembly Clerk but will not be published until next week after the Parliamentary Select Committee comes out of the Naivasha retreat.
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The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution of Kenya Review Act 2008 that would see Kenyans given two draft constitutions to choose from in the referendum.

"Should the select committee fail to rescind the decision and recommend for an amendment to the Act to guarantee a yes-yes referendum, I shall table a private members Bill as soon as Parliament resumes in February," said Mr Imanyara.

The Bill, he disclosed, has received the backing of eleven legislators from smaller parties other than PNU and ODM.

"As I speak today (Wednesday), the Bill is in the office of the Clerk awaiting publication as soon as PSC concludes the retreat," he added.

PSC had on Tuesday rejected suggestions to have two draft constitutions at the referendum - one on pure parliamentary system of government and another proposing presidential system.

But Mr Imanyara accused the PSC of overstepping its mandate by rejecting the views of Kenyans on the suitable system.

According to the legislator, Parliament, the coalition principals and the Committee of Experts had failed to provide a way forward on the structure of government. In these circumstances, it is only fair that Kenyans are left to decide at the referendum, he stated.

"Rather than rejecting a yes-yes option, PSC should recommended an amendment to the Act so that Kenyans themselves make the decision. That way we are guaranteed a new constitution."

He rejected the notion of a hybrid system dismissing it as a recipe for chaos.

The Bill requires a simple majority to sail through and Mr Imanyara is confident he will be able to garner the support of the House.

"This Bill requires a simple majority and I am more hopeful it will see the light of day. We should not allow ourselves to be held at ransom by the coalition parties," said Mr Imanyara.

In rejecting the yes-yes vote, PSC resolved to arrive at a single system of government that would be acceptable to Kenyans.

ODM is rooting for a parliamentary system while its coalition partner PNU wants a pure presidential structure with one centre of power.

Meanwhile, a group of MPs from the arid and semi-arid lands yesterday accused Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Central Kenya MPs who are members of PSC of derailing the process of attaining a new constitution by insisting on one man one vote.

Addressing a press conference at Parliament Buildings, the MPs warned the PSC to respect the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission insofar as altering the constituency margins is concerned.

"The mandate of the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission is to delineate constituencies and other electoral units on basis of equality of votes and taking into account the population density, population trends, means of communication, geographical features and community interest," said Mr Duale who read the statement on behalf of the MPs.

The MPs said they will oppose the constitution if the electoral units are based on population alone.

He gave the example of Dujis and Gatundu south constituencies which have 104,075 and 113,635 people respectively. However, in terms of land area, Dujis is 5,688 sq kilometres while Gatundu South is 192 sq kilometres.

"I want to ask the Kenyan people that between these two constituencies which one deserves a split."

The MPs included: Adan Duale (Dujis), Adan Keynan (Wajir West Constituency), Danson Mwazo (Voi), Rachel Shebesh (nominated), Katoo ole Metito (Kajiado South) and Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem).

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LILONGWE (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund has asked a grouping of international donors to unlock budgetary support to Malawi which they have been withholding awaiting a new IMF programme, the Fund said on Wednesday.

Malawi's Finance Minister Ken Kandodo said support from the Common Approach to Budget Support group (Cabs), a donor grouping of Britain, European Commission, Norway, Germany, the World Bank and the African Development Bank, would help ease a foreign exchange shortage in the country.

"Donors were withholding $545 million in budgetary support in the absence of a programme with the Fund ... but we are now relieved that the Fund has written the Cabs group in the country to release funds," Kandodo told Reuters.

IMF resident representative in Malawi, Maitland Macfarlan, said: "I can confirm that we have asked the Cabs group to release budget support to Malawi ahead of next month's IMF board meeting."

Malawi is heavily reliant on donors with budgetary support accounting for over 40 percent of the national budget.

The IMF board last month shifted the decision for a new programme for Malawi to February 10, worsening fears that the Cabs group would not release the funds on time.

Economists have said that the delay in the disbursement of donor funds, low tobacco earnings last year and big bills for imported fertilisers and fuel have contributed to the scarcity of foreign exchange in the last eight months.

Malawi's programme with the IMF, the Exogenous Shocks Facility (ESF), was completed last year.

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LUSAKA (Reuters) - Chinese and other Asian mining firms in Zambia are creating "slave labour" conditions in Africa's top copper producer, with scant regard for safety or local culture, the main opposition leader said on Wednesday.

In a typically blunt assessment of the foreign mining sector, Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata, who has a fair chance of unseating President Rupiah Banda in 2011 elections, said the special tax status and "economic zones" granted to outside investors were a political and racial powder-keg.

"We don't hate the Chinese. We don't hate the Malaysians, but when they come here, they should treat us like human beings," Sata, a gruff 72-year-old nicknamed "King Cobra" for his venomous tongue, told Reuters in an interview.

"The Zambian government, by creating zones for the Chinese, the Malaysians, is sitting on a volcano," he said.

"This is a landmine because those who have no land will react one day. Why should there be special conditions for the Chinese and Malaysians? Why should they have special treatment?"

Sata, whose long and varied career includes stints in car assembly plants in Britain and with British Rail, lost a closely contested election in 2008 to Banda's Movement for Multi-party Democracy.

If his two-party opposition coalition hangs together, he has a good chance of ousting Banda next year, many Zambians believe.

It is unclear how his vehement and systematic anti-Chinese rhetoric would sit with the Asian mining firms that now dominate Zambia's Copper Belt, although he said nationalisation of the mines was not an option.

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JOS, Nigeria (Reuters) - The death toll after four days of clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs in the Nigerian city of Jos and nearby communities has topped 460, according to a mosque official and human rights activists.

Six military units and hundreds of police were stationed throughout Plateau state's capital city in central Nigeria to enforce a 24-hour curfew on Wednesday.

While the violence had subsided, streets were deserted and many businesses remained closed in Jos, which has been the scene of similar bloody sectarian clashes in recent years.

The relative calm has allowed mosque officials to retrieve more bodies from neighbourhoods just outside Jos.

"We found more than 200 bodies gathered at the mosque in Kuru Gada Biu and 22 more at Mai Adiko," said Muhammad Tanko Shittu, a senior mosque official organising mass burials, who had earlier estimated the death toll among Muslims at 177.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch put the number of Christian dead at 65.

Official police figures were significantly lower with 35 people dead, 40 injured and 168 arrested since Sunday.

"More troops have come in and the situation is now under control. But there are still many hoodlums dressed in fake police and military outfits causing havoc," said Gregory Yenlong, spokesman for the Plateau state government.

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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC party dismissed on Wednesday a furore over its investment wing's stake in a multi-billion rand government energy project, denying any conflict of interest.

The ANC's investment company Chancellor House owns a 25 percent stake in Hitachi Power Africa, a subsidiary of Japanese manufacturer Hitachi, which won a contract to supply boilers to two new coal-fired power stations, Kusile and Medupi.

But ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe rejected opposition allegations of cronyism in the project, which is part of a drive to boost electricity output after the national grid almost collapsed two years ago.

"Hitachi won the contract because it is a global company (with the skills) ... not because it has a minority shareholder which is called the ANC," Mantashe told Reuters. Such deals between the ANC's investment wing and companies helped the party to "sustain" itself and fund its activities, he added.

"There is nothing wrong with investing in public companies and the Chancellor House has done nothing wrong," Mantashe said.

The deal was signed in 2008 but controversy has resurfaced due to a request by state-owned power utility Eskom for huge electricity price increases, angering consumers.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa began a series of public hearings last week on the request by Eskom. The utility says power prices need to rise 35 percent a year for the next three years to help pay for the multi-billion dollar programme to expand generating capacity.

The ANC has defended its stake in Hitachi Power Africa, insisting that it was not illegal or corrupt. But opposition parties accused the ANC of cashing in on state deals.

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ABUJA (Reuters) - Former Nigerian governors, senators and ministers urged parliament on Wednesday to change the constitution to prevent a repetition of the political uncertainty plaguing Africa's most populous country.

President Umaru Yar'Adua has faced growing pressure to transfer power formally to his deputy since leaving Nigeria nearly two months ago for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Analysts say Yar'Adua's tight grip on power has slowed government business, threatens a fragile peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta and raises concern about the legality of decisions made in his absence.

More than 40 former leading politicians, many of whom are members of the president's ruling People's Democratic Party, said parliament must step in to defuse tension caused by his absence.

"The situation before us today is that President Umaru Yar'Adua has been out of the country for over 50 days on grounds of ill health," said the petition from "Concerned Nigerians".

"May we assure you that if we thought that a concrete solution could be found in protests, we would have joined those who protested," it said, referring to last week's rally in Abuja.

MORE FLEXIBILITY

The group, which included former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim and the chairman of Nigeria's energy firm Oando, Mohammed Magoro, urged parliament to amend the constitution to allow for more flexibility in the handover of presidential power.

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ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan can continue to exercise executive powers, including signing bills into law, in the absence of the country's ill president, a government official said on Wednesday.

A federal court ruled last week that Jonathan could perform all the executive duties for President Umaru Yar'Adua without an official transfer of powers but could not be "acting president."

In his first use of executive power, Jonathan on Tuesday sent soldiers and security chiefs to the central city of Jos to stop four days of clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs that have killed around 200.

Yar'Adua has not formally transferred power to his deputy since leaving Nigeria nearly two months ago to receive medical treatment for a heart ailment in hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Before Tuesday's military order, the vice president had only represented Yar'Adua at cabinet meetings and official functions.

"As long as the court ruling subsists, the vice president will continue to exercise executive powers. He can sign the budget or the appropriations bill and letters that ought to be signed by Mr. President," said the official, who declined to be identified.

Analysts viewed Jonathan's military order more as a necessity to prevent a humanitarian crisis than as a move to declare his new powers.

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africanews

Kenya's Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang decision to deport all Somali MPs in the country has received strong condemnation from the Somali government. Somalia's Minister for Foreign affairs, Ali Ahmed has said the Kenyan government made a decision that will have negative implications on Somalia's diplomatic relation with Kenya.
somalia pres.
According to the Minister, Kenyan police arrested all Somalis with out verification on whether they were in the country legally. A decision which he said was swift and did not follow legal procedures.

He said the Somali Embassy in Nairobi has written a protest letter to Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign affairs to request Kenya to reconsider it arrest of Somali MPs and all those who are in Kenya legally.

Kenya’s Immigration Minister told BBC focus on Africa that Somali MPs were plotting heinous plans against the Transitional federal government of Somalia.

“Kenya will not be used as launching pad to cause problems to the government of Somalia and we will not tolerate that,” Kajwang said.

On Sunday evening Kenyan police arrested 400 Somalis including 12 MPs , two army generals and several directors of government agencies in Somalia following protest last Friday that led to the death of one Muslim youth and seriously wounding a police officer.

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africanews

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has announced that the country will recognize the quest for independence from the south if southerners choose to be separated from the rest of the country in next year's referendum.
al-bashir
Speaking at a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary since the end of the north-south war, president al- Bashir said the north will be a good neighbour if that happens. He added that his National Congress Party favours unity of Sudan’s people but will be the first to accept the decision for independence.

“We will support the new-born government in the south," he said in stadium of Yambio town, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Southerners are expecting to choose independence of their region but their politicians fear that Bashir’s allies would oppose to the idea of losing the country's oil-producing south.

The Muslim north and Christian south Sudan has lived together after the 22-year civil war which brought into being the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on January 9, 2005.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir who was speaking to Sudan’s people asked to continue their resolve for peace. “Forget the War”, he said in the Ceremony speech.

He added "The north and south will continue to be economically and politically connected whatever the choice of the people of southern Sudan in their referendum in 2011."

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africanews

Renewed Muslim and Christian gangs fighting in Nigeria's central city of Jos has increased death toll to nearly 200 since it began three days ago. Nigeria's interim leader Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the deployment of the country's army to restore peace in the city where a 24-hour curfew has been imposed.
nigeria
Residents told the Voice of America (VOA) that the violence had been spreading to neighbouring communities. They said they heard gunshots and saw smoke billowing from several parts of the city throughout Tuesday.

Reports say security forces have ordered everyone to remain indoors after efforts to contain the violence failed. Tanks and armoured personnel carriers have been deployed in a bid to contain the violence.

Local TV stations showed armed police and soldiers manning roadblocks and separating rival gangs of mostly young men armed with homemade guns, bows and arrows, rocks, knives, machetes and clubs.

A worker at the mosque where the uprising began on Sunday told the BBC that 149 bodies had been brought there.

Red Cross officials say 300 people have been injured and 5,000 have been displaced in this latest round of religious violence in the city with a population of 500,000.

Mosques, churches, homes and government buildings have all been torched, according to NAN.

The curfew announcement is being relayed repeatedly over local radio.

Fighting erupted on Sunday when a wealthy Muslim attempted to build a mosque in a Christian-dominated neighbourhood.

Similar clashes in Jos killed more than 1000 people in September 2001. And in 2004, another Muslim and Christian conflict claimed some 700 lives. More recently in 2008, 300 residents died during a similar uprising.

The worsening communal clashes in Jos yesterday prompted Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to order the army to move in and restore order, following reports that hundreds of lives had been lost since the riots broke out on Sunday.

National Security Adviser General Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (rtd) announced the Vice President's marching orders to the army after emerging from a meeting between Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and security chiefs. He said "at the moment the military have moved in, in concert with the police, to normalise the situation".
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The troop deployment to Jos marked the first time that Vice President Jonathan assumed the Commander-in-Chief's powers since President Umaru Musa Yarádua left the country for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia last November.

General Mukhtar said the vice president also ordered top security chiefs including the Police Inspector General and the Director of Operations of the State Security Service to go to Jos and assess the situation.

Jonathan's media assistant Mr. Niboro issued a statement last night, saying, "Once again, there has been an eruption in Jos, the Plateau State capital, accompanied by a most regrettable loss of lives and property. This is one crisis too many, and the Federal Government finds it most unacceptable, retrogressive, and capable of further sundering the bonds of unity in our country.

"The country cannot afford these constant eruptions, and while the situation has been brought under control by the security agencies, government is determined to find a permanent solution to the Jos crisis. Today, the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, convened a meeting of security chiefs to review the situation and initiate forward processes to reign in the violence. This is in addition to the initial orders for the urgent containment of the crisis. He has further directed an urgent meeting of all key stakeholders, towards achieving lasting peace in the area.

"Today, he also directed the Inspector General of Police and the top hierarchy of the security services, to proceed to Jos immediately to assess the situation and advise on further steps. They are also to put in place comprehensive security strategies to ensure that these constant eruptions do not happen again."

Contrary to the Plateau State Police Commissioner Gregory Anyanting's earlier claim that the Jos crisis was sparked off when some Muslim youths attacked Christians during a Sunday church service, Mukhtar said yesterday that the government was yet to ascertain the cause of the crisis.

"As at yesterday, the situation seemed to have normalised but for reasons we can't explain yet, but which we are going to find out now, the VP has directed that the IGP, the director of operation of the SSS, and other officers connected with the situation should immediately move to Jos, assess the situation and return back... There have been very conflicting reports from different media and different sources and to have a clear picture we have to send the team, so any statement I am going to make now, will be presumptuous. Let them come back and we will have a fair assessment of the situation that will form the basis of the statement we are going to make", he said.

Daily Trust reported yesterday that the crisis apparently began at Dutse Uku on Sunday morning when some Christian community youth known as Yan Kasa tried to prevent Alhaji Kabir Muhammad from renovating his house that was sacked in the November 2008 riots in Jos. Alhaji Kabir, who gave a detailed account of what happened, said the youth told him that no Muslim should return to that part of Jos. He however said even while soldiers were trying to settle the row, some men came running to the scene, blood all over their cloth, saying they were attacked by thugs at a nearby location.

The lull experienced on Monday following last Sunday's eruption of hostilities in Jos gave way yesterday to the worst day yet in the Plateau State capital's latest orgy of violence. Although the state government extended the night-time curfew imposed on the city on Sunday to apply throughout the day and night, burning of houses, looting and killings continued in the eastern parts of Jos North Local Government, including Duala, Congo Russia and Tudun Fera.
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As early as 5am yesterday, indications that a new, worse twist to the crisis was underway was heralded by the sound of gun shots as well as thick smoke from burning houses billowing from those areas. The smoke soon enveloped the greater part of the city due to the direction of the wind.

It was not clear as to what caused yesterday's brutal escalation, though some sources said it may have been caused by some communities' anger at the losses in lives and property that they suffered during the crisis' first round on Sunday. Security agencies in the state had earlier assured that the situation had been contained following their intervention.

Witnesses who frantically called Daily Trust from various parts of Jos said hundreds of shops and houses had been looted and burnt in some city areas and that dozens of people had been killed. According to them, sophisticated weapons were used by both civilians and some security agents who were also accused of taking sides in the communal fighting, rather than curtailing it. A city resident who phoned the Daily Trust Newsroom early yesterday said when the burning and looting started again in his area, he ran to an army patrol team on the main road and sought for help. However, he said, the soldiers said they were too few to move into the deeper parts of the area, and that they could only remain on the main road.

The orgy of violence in Jos also caused serious telephone problems which impaired efforts to collate casualty figures. The state radio periodically broadcast a statement by the state Information Commissioner Gregory Yenlong. He urged citizens to remain calm and not to take the law into their hands. Yenlong also called on medical personnel to report for work. He also announced the imposition of the round-the-clock curfew.

He said, "The plateau state govt in consultation with the state security council after reviewing the current prevailing situation in Jos metropolis has directed the immediate imposition of a 24 hour curfew in Jos and Bukuru metropolis. All residents are therefore advised to adhere strictly to these directives. Residents are further warned not to take the law into their hands and remain calm as efforts are being made to bring the situation under control. All workers are advice to vacate all offices and return home immediately. Only those on essential services most especially medical officers, media personnel and security are exempted from these directives".

Daily Trust learnt that several soldiers and policemen were also killed or wounded in yesterday's riots. Water scarcity also bedevilled the city, and there was growing food shortage as many people were caught off-guard by the road-the-clock curfew. Hundreds of refugees were seen on Dogon Dutse, seeking for shelter. In the afternoon yesterday, an identified helicopter was seen hovering above the city of Jos, going round from area to area.

By afternoon yesterday, reports also filtered in that the crisis had spread to many villages around Jos, including Bukuru and Sabon Gida. Although there was no fighting in Vom and Tudun Wada areas of Jos South Local Government, tension was very high there.