HARARE, 5 October 2009 (IRIN) - Despite moves to salvage Zimbabwe's ailing education sector, exorbitant fees are keeping many poor students from writing the examinations that will allow them to gain a school-leaving certificate at the end of 2009.

A recent survey by the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) revealed that up to 75 percent of the 300,000 children who could sit their Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations in November had failed to register before the deadline.

PTUZ president Raymond Majongwe said exams had to be written in eight O-Level subjects at a fee of US$10 per subject, and in six A-Level subjects at a fee of US$15 each, which was simply beyond the means of most parents or guardians.

"The situation is terrible. Students learning in rural areas and on farm schools are the worst affected, with those coming from poor suburbs in urban areas accounting for a substantial amount of the victims," Majongwe told IRIN.

The number of students who could not afford to write their examinations this year was "the highest in the history of the country" said a PTUZ statement.

Hyperinflation, widespread food shortages, cholera outbreaks and an almost year-long strike by teachers in 2008 led to the near total collapse of an education system already undermined by the economic and political crises besetting the country. The standard of learning has declined dramatically.

"We seem to be going back to the pre-colonial era, when education was a privilege of the rich elite - the poor are slowly being edged out, even though the goal should be to provide universal education," Majongwe said.

No extension

''The poor are slowly being edged out, even though the goal should be to provide universal education''
The minister of education and sport, David Coltart, said there would be no extension of the 25 September deadline for registering to write the exams because it would delay the existing timetable and affect the printing of question papers.

"I am deeply concerned because children have been denied the chance to sit for their final examinations after working hard for probably four or five years," Coltart was quoted as saying by The Herald, an official newspaper.

Majongwe urged the government to allow all students to sit the examinations, "and then give them time to pay up, failure of which [would mean] their results should be withheld".

A sign of deeper trouble

Public servants, including teachers, have been paid in foreign currency as a hedge against hyperinflation since the formation of the unity government in February 2009, which has brought back some stability to schooling, but there are still mountainous problems to be overcome.

"Zimbabwe's education sector, once a model in Africa, continues to be riddled with challenges. Public financing of the sector declined significantly over the last decade, leaving most schools with no funds to purchase even the most basic teaching materials such as text books and stationery," said a recent statement by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

It is not uncommon for 10 pupils to share a text book, and despite the government's move to drastically slash school fees in February 2009, deepening poverty has meant that even the reduced cost of attending government schools in some areas had put education beyond the reach of thousands of children.

More and more have been dropping out: "Almost 50 percent of Zimbabwe's children graduating from primary school were not proceeding to secondary school," the UNICEF statement noted.

A school principal in Chitungwiza, a town about 30km south of Harare, the capital, told IRIN that 80 percent of the more than 1,000 students at his school had not paid fees since January.

"Of the hundred or so students who have paid to write their O-Level examinations, only 16 have registered for five subjects and above. Worse still, I don't have any reason to believe that things will change for the better next year if the economy does not improve dramatically."

Majongwe said although it was unlikely, he still hoped that part of the US$70 million Education Transition Fund unveiled by the government, UNICEF and the international donor community in mid-September would be used to rescue the stranded students.

irinnews

MBABANE, 5 October 2009 (IRIN) - A public health campaign to rid Swazi school children of potentially fatal parasitic worms has been halted by an inter-ministerial spat over the reasons for hospitalizing hundreds of children.

The health ministry had not released any official figures, but local media reported that between 400 and 800 children had fallen ill after taking deworming and bilharzia tablets administered at their schools in late September, fanning fears that teachers were administering the medication without proper instruction, and the combination of treatments was making children sick.

Bilharzia, or schistosomiasis, is caused by parasitic flukes, or worms, that are carried by freshwater snails and enter through the skin when people walk or bathe in infected water. It can become chronic and damage internal organs, and can also impair growth and cognitive development in children.

"Each drug - albebdazole and praziquantel - has an excellent safety record and can be safely co-administered," the World Health Organization (WHO) Resident Representative to Swaziland, Owen Kaluwa, told the media at a joint press conference called by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) and WHO to allay fears that the medicines were making children ill.

Ministerial infighting

Minister of Health Benedict Xaba said side effects like stomach cramps were normal reactions to the deworming process. "Children with heavy worm infestations tend to experience side effects to the treatment. In the process, the erosion of the gut occurs, resulting in severe pains, diarrhoea and vomiting."

But the Minister of Education, Wilson Ntshangase, was unmoved by the explanations and angrily denounced the campaign. "There is something wrong with these tablets, as many children have been affected. I have a serious problem with the way the whole exercise was done," he said.

"Teachers were going to take the blame, had these children died, and I just wonder why medical professionals like nurses were not dispatched to the schools to administer the taking of the drugs."

The public bickering between the ministers quickly turned into a ministerial blame game, leading Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini to suspend the campaign at the beginning of October. WHO in Swaziland and the MoHSW have both warned of the danger of halting the campaign and withholding treatment from infected children.

''Two cabinet ministers were clashing in public and government was embarrassed, so the life-saving treatments were halted''
"The children were reacting to side effects of the medicine because they were ill from worms, not because the medicines made them sick. They are lucky because they were treated. Our concern is the infected children who the campaign has yet to reach," a government hospital nurse, who declined to be identified, told IRIN.

A teacher in Manzini, the county's second city, said the WHO guidelines for administering the medicines had been followed. "Two cabinet ministers were clashing in public and government was embarrassed, so the life-saving treatments were halted - the suspension was not done for medical reasons. The education minister should himself be educated."

Bilharzia affects some 200 to 300 million people in the tropics and subtropics and ranks second only to malaria among human parasitic diseases in terms of socio-economic and public health importance in the 74 countries where it is endemic.

According to the Swaziland Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine, the disease is common in rural communities and is increasing in both distribution and intensity, partly because of the creation of new water resources to meet the increasing demand for agricultural irrigation.


irinnews

DOL-DOL, 5 October 2009 (IRIN) - Traditionally, life for women in pastoralist communities in the central Kenya region of Laikipia revolves around taking care of their children, leaving the men to provide for the family. However, a prolonged drought in the area, which has resulted in significant livestock deaths, has seen these roles reversed, with more women venturing into small-scale business to feed their families. Government officials estimate that at least 600,000 livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) have died in the past three months in the area. Dorcas Piroris, 50, from Olkinyei in Laikipia North District, is selling tourist trinkets to supplement her family’s income. She spoke to IRIN in the town of Dol-Dol on 5 October:

"This is the worst year that I have witnessed in my life; everything seems to be going against tradition and we do not know when things will improve.

"As you can see, there are no animals around this place. When the livestock started dying due to drought, our men took them far away to Mt Kenya in search of pasture. Some people had lost more than half of their herds by the time they left for the mountain.

"After a very long journey, some of our men, including my husband Solomon Lelongo, came back empty-handed; all the animals had died in the forest due to the cold, harsh weather there.

“As a result, an [NGO] mobilized women to seek alternative ways of feeding their families as we wait for the rains. I started selling these wares [walking sticks, leather belts and other items, all decorated with colourful beads] to get cash to buy essentials for my husband and our seven children because the relief supplies of maize, beans and oil that we get from the government and other donor agencies are not enough.

“I am finding it difficult since all along, since my childhood when I was married off by my parents, I have been relying on my husband to provide for me and these wares were the preserve for people with curio shops.

“I and some of my friends have yet to get used to the new role and we are hoping it will rain soon so that things can go back to the way they were.

"Life is difficult since most people do not have money to buy our wares. We usually send some of our colleagues and young men to Nairobi or Nakuru to buy the materials we use to make these wares. Some of us have yet to recoup what we initially spent when we started this job, nearly two months ago.

“The major problem is getting customers because we do not have a selling point like those in curio shops. We rely on people to come to our homes. The few who do, buy our wares cheaply, thereby giving me a very small profit margin.

“Today, I came to Dol-Dol following an invitation by a group [an NGO] that came up with this idea and assisted us in starting this business.

“Although it is dry at times, I have never witnessed a situation where we are forced to buy milk for our children as is the case now. How I hope it will rain soon."

irinnews

GARBATULLA/WAJIR SOUTH, 5 October 2009 (IRIN) - Contingency planning is needed to avoid the effects of perennial drought in the northeastern region of Kenya, says an aid official.

"Adequate funding is required to plan for impending drought and [other] programmes that will help reduce the impact anticipated during such a period," said Jane Kamau, Action Aid Kenya country director.

The vulnerable communities, Kamau said, must also be involved in preparing for drought-related crises.

She was speaking at the launch of a short-term emergency livestock purchase programme in Sericho, along the northern Garbatulla and Wajir South districts' border.

The programme, which is being carried out with the Sericho Development Initiative project at a cost of KSh1.2 million (about US$16,000), is helping some drought-affected pastoralists destock, and re-distributing the meat products to hungry families in Garbatulla and Wajir South.

At least 2,500 families have benefited, said Ibrahim Kosi, the programme coordinator.

Some 124 heads of cattle have been purchased in the first phase of the programme, which may be implemented in other parts of the region pending funding.

"It is a simple project with many benefits; livestock owners are happy, [while the] hunger-stricken [and] the poor who have lost livestock to drought are getting 4kg of meat [per week]," Kosi said.

A beneficiary from Wajir South, Fatuma Hersi, said her family had lost all their cattle in the past three months. She said her cows had died of thirst at the Hawaii watering point in Sericho, as she could not access the water wells.

Water shortages have hit Garbatulla, Isiolo, Samburu and Wajir areas.

Kamau said the impact of the current drought was the most severe in recent years and recovery would take a long time, despite expected El-Niño rains.


Livestock purchasing scheme

The government, through the livestock development ministry, recently launched an emergency livestock purchasing programme aimed at helping pastoralists in northern districts earn some income before their herds succumb to the drought.

Under the programme, herders are selling their cows at KSh8,000 each (about $106), a better price compared with current livestock market prices, which have been driven down by the livestock’s poor physical condition.

However, the programme has been dogged by complaints over long waiting times at abattoirs and the exploitation of pastoralists by middlemen who buy the herds for a pittance before reselling them to the government programme. It is also not able to reach all affected pastoralists.

According to Abdi Dullo, a resident, the few remaining watering points in the region were now congested with herders coming in from neighbouring districts.

"New rules have been introduced. Each person is only allowed to take 10 animals to the well; some people wait for up to two days to get a chance," Dullo, a father of eight, said. "We need water. Things are bad; we are also attacked very often [by] wild animals."

Some of the livestock are also not able reach the markets due to insecurity along the routes as well as a lack of water, said Garissa resident, Hajir Siyat.

irinnews

Until recently, Constance Okollet Ocham thought God was responsible for climate change

CAPE TOWN, 5 October 2009 (IRIN) - The "climate witnesses" - all poor farmers - told a special tribunal on climate change in Cape Town, South Africa, on 5 October: "We don't want any handouts from the West." Instead, they needed strategies and policies to help them overcome the effects of climate change.

It evoked memories of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but rather than apartheid, the first of 125 hearings being held in 17 countries before a global UN meeting in December to clinch a deal on tackling global warming in Copenhagen, Denmark, was part of civil society's efforts to ensure that the voices of those least capable of dealing with the effects of climate change would be heard.

"It was not until I went to a meeting in Kampala [capital of Uganda] about climate change that I heard it was not God, but the rich people in the West who are doing this to us by releasing too much [greenhouse] gases into the atmosphere," said Constance Okollet Ocham, a farmer from the Tororo district of drought-affected eastern Uganda.

"We are asking that they stop, or reduce [emissions]," she urged. Between 1991 and 2000, Uganda experienced drought seven times and water tables have dropped, leaving dry many boreholes on which the rural poor rely.

Small-scale farmers from Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Ethiopia and South Africa also gave moving accounts of how their communities were coping with the cycle of floods and droughts that has gripped their homelands to a panel of guests led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Okollet Ocham told the panel that the seasons in eastern Uganda had stopped following their normal annual pattern in 2007, when the region was hit by floods. "Before, we had two harvests every year, but now there's no pattern. Floods like we've never seen came and swept up everything [in 2007]. We went back when the waters had left and there was nothing: our houses, crops and animals were gone."

The receding flood water led to outbreaks of disease because the water holes were polluted and stagnant, which made them breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

"We are not rich, we are poor, and depend on agriculture to survive. People are getting only one meal a day, so many are dying. Sometimes five [people] or six each day are dying from disease and starvation," she said.

From 200 cows to 20

Omar Jibril, pastoralist, community leader and cattle farmer from drought-affected northern Kenya who takes care of 40 children and grandchildren, had a similar tale. The pastures in his region were devastated by drought in 2005 and have yet to recover because of the ongoing lack of rain.

"I had 200 cows then, but now I have only 20 left - they have all died. In the past our land was able to recover from drought, but not any more. I must give human food to the animals I have left if I want them to survive, and we must walk a long way to get water to drink."

Kenya's eastern, northern and southern pastoral zones have been hit by four consecutive years of poor rains. "I used to sell animals, so I could afford to send my children to school, but now some have had to drop out," said Jibril.

"The increase in drought has also brought disease, and because of the food shortage people are forced to resort to deforestation to survive - you will not see trees where I am from."

Repeated flooding has washed nutrients out of the soil, bringing degradation in the quality and productivity of farmland, and more failed crops; women in poor rural communities were sometimes forced to resort to sex work to survive.

Tutu and former UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson will take these messages to African and world leaders at the UN Climate Summit to bring home the human cost of climate change to the world's poorest regions.

"The testimony of women and men who are already struggling to cope with a changing climate is a powerful reminder of what is at stake in the international climate negotiations. Already impoverished communities across Africa stand to lose so much because of a climate crisis in which they have played no part," said Robinson, an Honorary President of Oxfam International, one of the organizers of the hearings.

"Their voices - and their demands for a fair, ambitious and binding climate deal - deserve to be heard by political leaders in Africa and across the globe."

irinnews

NOUAKCHOTT, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A high level French military delegation headed by officers at the rank of general will on Monday, together with Mauritania's Defense and Interior ministers, discuss ways of coordinating efforts in the anti-terrorism war being undertaken by the two countries, a security source revealed this.

The delegation has been in Mauritania for over 48 hours and it's not yet known for how long they will be staying there.

In August, Mauritania experienced an escalation of terrorist violence which led a Mauritanian Kamikaze to attack the French embassy in Nouakchott.

Two months before that attack, French President Nicolas Sarkozy had declared in a meeting with the ambassadors of his country that France will not give Al Qaeda any chance to use African soil as it's operation zone.

Sarkozy had equally cited the examples of terrorist attacks in Mauritania and other countries on the continent and said this issue was of paramount importance to France.

The military cooperation between France and her former colony dates back to the 1960s. In 1999, the relationship became cold under the regime of President Ould Taya following the indictment of Captain Ely Ould Dah in France.

The relations resumed to normal status in 2005 after the overthrow of President Taya through a military coup d'etat.

LAGOS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government has assured the people of the troubled Niger Delta area of its determination to develop the region, the News Agency of Nigeria said on Monday.

Nigeria's Minister of Defense Godwin Abbe gave the assurance in southeast Nigeria's Delta State on Sunday, while receiving arms and ammunition surrendered by the ex-militant leader of Camp 5, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

Tompolo arrived in Warri in a presidential jet at about 11:30 a.m. local time, and traveled to Oporoza to submit his arms after embracing the government's amnesty on Saturday.

The arms and ammunition submitted by Tompolo included 6 GMG, 14 AK47, 71 FN, 24 G3, 6 RPG, 5 GMPG and 6 RPGB guns.

Others are large boxes of arms and ammunition containing cartridges, dynamite, tear gas, thunder flares.

The minister commended Tompolo for beating the amnesty deadline which terminated by the midnight of Sunday.

"I do know that this was done with a lot of courage, enthusiasm, patriotism and selflessness for peace to reign,'' he said.

He warned that any militant who failed to submit his weapons before the expiration of the deadline would not have the chance to do so again since the government would not extend the Presidential Amnesty Program.

Abbe said that after the amnesty, militancy would no longer be tolerated in the region, adding that efforts would be made to integrate the people who were displaced by the disturbances and the ex-militants.

The minister expressed happiness about the large turnout of people who witnessed the event at Oporoza and the large cache of arms and ammunition that was surrendered.

Abbe pledged the government's readiness to develop the Niger Delta area, urging the people to promote the fulfillment of the peace process.

He said all the former militant leaders would soon discuss with the presidential committee on amnesty on how to chart the way forward.

Abbe gave the assurance that the integration of the ex-militants into the society would also involve ascertaining what they wanted to engage in for their sustainable living.

He implored the people of the region to promote and sustain the peace process.

Earlier, Tompolo urged militant groups to abandon sea piracy, fuel pipelines' vandalism and all forms of violence.

"No doubt, I have done my bit and I plead with all of you to continue with the struggle in a peaceful way," he said.

LAGOS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria is consulting with South Africa and Ghana in its efforts to reform its electoral system and ensure credible elections, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Monday.

Nigerian Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu disclosed this in Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday.

According to the senate leader, the leadership of the Ghanaian electoral commission had also been invited to share their experience with Nigeria in efforts to put in place an enduring electoral system.

"We have made contacts with the head of the South African electoral commission so that she can come and share her experience with us," he said.

He added that the electoral reform committee was determined to give Nigerians an electoral system that had been tested in other places, noting that the system would be able to advance the country's democracy.

"We owe Nigerians the responsibility to ensure good governance in the country and I want to reassure you that we will do our optimum to put Government in check and make sure that the peoples votes count," he said.

"We are serious about the exercise and we will complete it in good time so that by 2011, we will have a robust and world-class electoral system that can ensure that every vote counts," he added.

"We are not ashamed to say we have challenges in this area and we want to share experience with those in other parts of the world," said Ekweremadu.

He said the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa should be that of partners and not competitors so as to maximize the gains of their bilateral relations.

ANTANANARIVO, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Madagascar's ruling transitional president Andry Rajoelina urges the international community to lift sanctions against the island country to pay the way for the implementation of the transitional charter signed by main stakeholders two months ago.

Under the pressure of the international community, his political rivals and the armed forces, Rajoelina said on Sunday night in his national address that he was ready to appoint a new prime minister, who would be accepted by his political rivals.

The new premier would set up all of the transitional institutions according to the transitional charter and other related agreement, signed in Maputo, Mozambique on Aug. 9, he promised.

Madagascan stakeholders in the current political crisis, including Rajoelina and former presidents Marc Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka, and Albert Zafy, agreed in Maputo to share power during a 15-month transition.

However, the political camp led by Rajoelina refused to give up either the presidency or the premiership to other political rivals and unilaterally reshuffled the transitional government early last month.

As one of the conditions for compromise, Rajoelina urged the international community to sign a guarantee letter to lift international sanctions against Madagascar.

The international community denounced the power change in Madagascar in March as unconstitutional and even as a coup, and imposed sanctions against the transitional authority, including the suspension of development fund totaling 302 million euros by the European Union and 180 million U.S. dollars by the World Bank.

Rajoelina said he made the appeal after consultations with various forces in the country, including politicians, representatives of the armed forces, influential church leaders and leaders of civil societies late last week.

His announcement coincided with the arrival of the International Contact Group members, who planned to call a meeting on Tuesday to seek an end to the prolonged political crisis in the country.

The special envoy of the United Nations, Tiebile Drame, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator, Joaquim Chissano, arrived here on Sunday. The envoy from the African Union (AU), Ablasse Ouedraogo, and the representative of the International Organization of Francophonie, Edem Kodjo, came here on Friday.

AU Commission President Jean Ping and French Secretary of State for Cooperation Alain Joyandet are scheduled to arrive on Monday.

The presence of the international mediators sets off mixed reactions among different political groups, with three dozens of small political parties under the ruling transitional authority against any talks with their rivals, while supporters of Ravalomanana, Ratsiraka and Zafy expressing hope that international pressure would force Rajoelina and his political camp to implement the Maputo agreements.

Parties supporting Rajoelina see the arrival of international mediators in Madagascar as interference in Madagascar's internal affairs.

They have planned to hold a demonstration against the arrival of the international mediators on Tuesday in front of the hotel, where the international mediators settle down.

In another development, army generals held a close-door meeting with Rajoelina and his Prime Minister Monja Roindefo for nearly two hours on Sunday, but no information was disclosed from the meeting.

OUAGADOUGOU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore visits Guinea on Monday on a post-bloodshed mediation, according to the presidential press service.

Compaore was named the facilitator in the Guinea crisis by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the Sept. 28 clash, in which security forces opened fire at thousands of protestors in the capital Conakry, causing heavy casualties.

Compaore is also known for his role in mediating the political crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

According to the communiqué, Compaore will meet with the military junta and the pressure groups in hope for renewing the spirit of dialogue, which was interrupted by last month's deplorable event.

The junta put the toll at less than 60, but human rights groups said more than 150 people were killed and over 1,200 others injured in the confrontation.

On Friday, ECOWAS Commission President Mohamed Ibn Chambas sent a message to President Compaore through Nigerian leader Umaru Yar'adua, the current chair of the regional bloc, naming him the mediator in the Guinea political crisis.

Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, the junta leader, seized power in a military coup after the death of Guinean President Lansana Conte in December.

The clash erupted after he said he would run for president in the election set for January, going back on his promise not to take part in the race.

The bloodshed has drawn condemnation from the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union.

2009-10-05

KINSHASA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN special rapporteur on arbitrary and extra-judicial killings, Philip Alston, is paying an11-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on a human rights mission, according to the UN bureau in Kinshasa.

Alston is scheduled to discuss with Congolese officials about the situation of human rights violations in the central African country, the UN bureau said on Sunday.

Alston, who arrived on Saturday, is also expected to hold discussions with the Congolese political-judicial authorities on the preventive measures against human rights abuses, before meeting with the members of the civil society, families of the victims and the representatives of the international community.

After his stay in the capital Kinshasa, Alston will go to Bas-Congo, North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale provinces to continue the inspection tour.

MAPUTO, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican President Armando Guebuza has pledged if he wins this year's presidential election, he will make no attempt to amend the Constitution so that he could stand for a third term of office.

He was speaking to reporters after laying a wreath at Maputo's Monument to the Mozambican Heroes on Sunday to mark the 17th anniversary of the peace agreement between the government and the apartheid backed Renamo rebels, which as signed in Rome on Oct. 4,1992, AIM reported.

There has been some media speculation that, if the ruling Frelimo Party wins a two-thirds majority in parliament, it will use it to change the constitution, which provides for no person tobe elected to more than two consecutive terms of office as president.

Guebuza categorically denied that he wanted a third term. On the contrary, he had every intention of upholding the current constitution, of which he is the guarantor. "I respect the constitution and I respect the law," he said.

Guebuza also said the scattered outbreaks of violence that occurred during the current election campaign would not damage Mozambique's image as a peaceful country.

Asked about clashes between supporters of rival parties, Guebuza noted that there had always been violent incidents during Mozambican elections.

If we look at the other elections, we see that there were always spots of violence in all corners of the country," he said. "But this does not endanger the peace and stability of the country."

Guebuza urged supporters of the ruling Frelimo Party not to resort to violence and not to respond to provocation. The other two presidential candidates, Afonso Dhlakama of Renamo, and Daviz Simango of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), have made similar appeals.

Despite the positions taken by their party leaders, there have been repeated clashes between Frelimo, Renamo and MDM supporters, occasionally resulting in the hospitalization of some of those involved.

5 October 2009

Last week the citizens of Somaliland were due to have elected their president for the next five years. However, they did not get to the polls, since elections were postponed for the fourth time. What does the future hold for the self-declared, independent, and unrecognised Somaliland in the Horn of Africa?

After the end of colonialism in Africa, Somaliland was independent for a short period in the 1960s, between the end of British rule and the establishment of a union with the former Italian colony of Somalia. Following the overthrow of the military dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre, Somaliland proclaimed independence on May 18, 1991.

However, nearly two decades later Somaliland is not recognised by any country or international organisation. Nevertheless, the largely nomadic country has managed not only to survive, but even enjoy relative peace and stability – at least until now.

At present Somaliland is experiencing political unrest as a result of postponed elections. The term of office of the current president, Dahir Riyale Kahin, expired in April 2008, but the poll was delayed in order to complete voter registration. Since then, elections have been postponed repeatedly. The latest delay was a result of complaints about irregularities on the new voters’ registration list – the first to be drawn up since Somaliland’s formation.

While both the government and opposition parties wanted elections to go ahead, their conditions for this to happen differed. The opposition insisted that they take place on the basis of the flawed list, while the government suggested that the ballot should take place without a list. This prompted the opposition to set in motion the impeachment of the president. When officials put it up for debate, parliamentarians started fighting – one even pulled out a gun although no shots were fired.

While Somaliland was previously praised for a lack of violence in spite of political disagreements, this changed on September 12 when three people died and another six were injured during a confrontation in which police used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse opposition supporters protesting over the election delays.

In recent days it has been announced that the ruling and opposition parties have signed a six-clause agreement, formally ending the crisis. The agreement reportedly prohibits the current government from extending its term without consulting the opposition, calls for the election commission to be replaced and asks for international experts to complete the new computerised voter registration system.

What next for Somaliland?

Even though the early years of the nation’s existence were characterised by power struggles among rival clans, they eventually reached power-sharing agreements which resulted in its unique political structure: a hybrid system of governance consisting of a lower house of elected representatives and an upper house incorporating tribal clan elders. Somaliland even fulfils all four of the prerequisites of statehood laid down in the 1933 Montevideo Convention: a territory, a government, a population and the ability to enter into international agreements.

But in its quest for full statehood Somaliland lacks the most important unwritten qualification – recognition by fellow states in the international system. Whether the incumbent president stays or someone else comes to power, it is highly unlikely that this will change. Due to its “non-state” status, Somaliland cannot formally trade with other nations or seek financial assistance from global financial institutions. The backbone of its economy is livestock and donations from the diaspora.

Might Somaliland be awarded statehood in the future? This is a sensitive topic. The United States has previously claimed that "while the United States does not recognise Somaliland as an independent state, and we continue to believe that the question of Somaliland's independence should be resolved by the African Union, we continue regularly to engage with Somaliland as a regional administration."

Thus a global power whose recognition of Somaliland could lead the way for other governments believes Africa’s principal intergovernmental organization should handle the matter. The African Union has already sent fact-finding missions to Somaliland in 2005 and 2008.

According to Iqbal Jhazbhay, an associate professor at the University of South Africa and author of Somaliland: An African Struggle for Nationhood and International Recognition, “while the momentum for Somaliland’s recognition is picking up, ultimately it is up to the African states to take it forward… the problem here is that Somalia is the priority and as a consequence the case of Somaliland becomes marginalised.”

Thus far the African Union has been reluctant to question territorial integrity and unwilling to re-draw artificially-created colonial boundaries, however illogical. Whether this is right or wrong, it is certainly practical. On a continent with more 3,000 different ethnic groups, recognising secession may be a dangerous precedent, opening the way for the breakdown of many artificial states. However, the case of Somaliland, as a territory which briefly enjoyed independence after decolonisation, may be different.

Although it seems that for the immediate future at least it will remain an autonomous territory rather than a full state, the international community is set to be more involved. International diplomats mediated in the territory for the first time during last month’s election crisis. And the new election date will be set exactly one month after the international experts say they can complete the new voter registration system. While these developments fall far short of official international recognition for Somaliland, they are positive signs for the country that is not a state.

Yarik Turianskyi is a researcher on the Governance and African Peer Review Mechanism Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg.

allafrica

05 October 2009
A week after the bloody repression of an opposition rally in Guinea, Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore is expected in Conakry to broker peace. Meanwhile, France has officially stated that it no longer supports Guinea's leader.

AFP - France served notice Sunday that it no longer supported Guinea leader Moussa Dadis Camara after scores of people were killed in an opposition rally in the capital Conakry last week.

"Something terrible and savage happened. We cannot accept it," Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in an interview to RTL radio.

"It seems to me that we can no longer work with Dadis Camara and that there has to be an international intervention," he said, adding that France was pressing West African leaders from regional bloc ECOWAS to engage.

Dadis Camara said Sunday he bears "no responsibility" for the September 28 massacre in which the United Nations said more than 150 people were killed.

france24

5 October 2009

Istanbul, Turkey — As part of efforts to reflate the economy, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua may have directed the Ministry of Finance to release $2 billion from the Excess Crude Account this week to the federal and state governments under a fiscal stimulus package targeted at paying contractors and for the execution of infrastructure projects.

Confirming this to THISDAY last night, sources within the Presidency said the National Council of States (NCS) will be meeting tomorrow to ratify the money, which is an immediate stimulus package for the economy in the wake of a credit crunch following the recent bank reforms.

In the meantime, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has unfolded two options open to the apex bank in respect of eight out of the 10 banks it intervened in between August and October.

He listed the options to include controlled liquidation or conversion of government stakes to equity as a last resort until investors are found for the eight banks. He, however, denied that government was nationalising them.

The decision by the NCS might not be unconnected with efforts to jump start economic activities, which had slowed in recent months and was further compounded by the clean-up in the banking sector, resulting in a credit squeeze in the sector.

The goal, explained a government official, is to make sure money trickles down through the system and so that contractors owing the banks can start to repay their loans

CBN Deputy Governor, Operations, Mr. Tunde Lemo, had last Friday said the apex bank was working in conjunction with the finance ministry to stimulate the economy.

According to him, "we are now working in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance to stimulate the economy.

"The Federal Government has accepted to pay contractors the money it owes them so that they can in turn repay their bank loans. A fiscal stimulus is being worked out to reflate the economy," he said.

Analysts said once part of or the entire N620 billion injected into the eight banks is converted into equity, this would translate to nationalisation, even if it is done on a temporary basis.

The United Kingdom adopted the same approach last year when the Exchequer took a direct stake in the banks and called it nationalisation, even though the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, made it clear that it was temporary.

Sanusi also said the banking watchdog might be compelled to publish names of debtors with non-performing loans in the three banks whose managements were axed last Friday, if such banks are placed at risk over their non-performing loans.

The CBN Governor made these known to newsmen yesterday at a joint news conference with Finance Minister Mansur Muhtar at the ongoing 2009 annual meetings of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Istanbul , Turkey .

The CBN had fired the executive management of eight of the 24 banks in the country in the last two months and had provided N620 billion ($3.9 billion) in liquidity and loan support to the institutions.

The latest bank chiefs to be sent packing are Francis Atuche, BankPHB Plc, Charles Ojo, Spring Bank Plc, and Ike Oraekwuotu, Equitorial Trust Bank Ltd.

The sum of N200 billion was injected into the three banks taken over by the CBN last Friday.

CBN had earlier injected a N420 billion lifeline into FinBank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Afribank Nigeria Plc, Oceanic International Bank Plc and Intercontinental Bank Plc - after sacking their chief executives, saying lax management had left the banks dangerously undercapitalised.

These institutions had since been taken over by CBN appointed managements, which had since been running the banks as going concerns until new investors are found to recapitalise them.

The managements of the first five banks were removed following the outcome of the first round of the audit concluded by CBN early August - covering 10 banks of which five comprising First Bank of Nigeria Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, GTBank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc were certified fit.

The banks found wanting in the second round of audit were those whose CEOs were sacked last Friday.

Sanusi said: "Our preference is to move straight from the Tier II loans we have given these banks to private investment. If you are running an institution like the CBN you've got to ask yourself - what if our plans do not materialise in terms of what we consider to be appropriate or what happens if we do not see an investor for any of these banks?

"The two options that we have are that if any of the banks is not systemically important to Nigeria, we will look at the possibility of controlled liquidation that will ensure that all depositors are paid back their money until the bank is wound up.

"But where the bank is systemically important to Nigeria and its survival is considered critical to the financial system, there is a possibility of government converting its stake into equity till it finds a buyer.

"That is different from an active policy of nationalisation and that may happen by default."

The CBN governor was obviously responding to a Bloomberg report that allegedly misquoted Muhtar as saying that Nigeria would nationalise some banks in the interim.

According to him, "there is a limit to the time government can continue to run a bank on loans, because these banks need capital to run, which must come from private or government sources.

"Where the capital fails to come from private sources, then there may be need for government to take up equity to pay to the central bank loan as quickly as possible."

Sanusi said experience had shown that Nigeria had not been able to manage liquidation.

He said CBN was desirous of selling the weak banks because banking is not a business for government, given past experiences of government-owned banks.

The CBN governor acknowledged that only four banks - Oceanic, Union, BankPHB and Intercontinental - out of the 10 banks, in which the apex bank had intervened, have systemic importance to Nigeria because each of them controls five per cent of the market share.

He, however, said that currently, CBN assumes that all the eight banks have a future until proved otherwise.

On the criteria used in the selection of all the managing directors appointed to run the eight of the banks whose management were removed, Sanusi said they were appointed based on their pedigree, track records and ability to turn the banks around.

"The managing directors we appointed have always being on the list whenever we are looking for MDs. They are bankers and have distinguished themselves, have track records, reputation and ability to manage those institutions, turn them around, cope with the challenges and run these banks as going concerns. They (MDs) were appointed by both CBN and the National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC)," he explained.

On inflation, he noted that CBN had been able to bring it down to 11 per cent last August, stressing that there is a likelihood that inflation might fall further to 9 per cent by the end of this year.

On foreign exchange management, the governor, who observed that Nigeria had been losing $2 billion monthly in a bid to defend the naira between last January and June, said the country had not lost any foreign exchange in the last two months.

He said the difference between the official and parallel market rates had narrowed from 25 per cent to 2.9 per cent in the last two months.

Giving an overview of the CBN findings in all the 24 banks, Sanusi said that a stress test was conducted in all the banks with the assistance of some officials of IMF.

He said the CBN gave the IMF officials the financial statements of all the 24 banks without naming any of them and that results showed that the first five banks - Intercontinental, Oceanic, FinBank, Afribank and Union - whose managements were removed in August 14 were distressed.

On the redenomination of Nigeria's currency, Sanusi felt that the time was not ripe and that he had since voiced this out when he was the Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

"Redenomination is usually taken to signal the end of a reform programme in a country where inflation has taken place. So, I think it is too premature to talk about redenomination," he said.

allafrica

5 October 2009

Port Harcourt — Minister of Defence, General Godwin Abbe (rtd), in Port Harcourt, last weekend, gave an indication of how the government will engage the repentant militants in positive roles in the society as part of the post-amnesty programme.

Abbe made the disclosure when a former Commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Farah Dagogo, keyed into the amnesty project.

According to him, as part of its post-amnesty plan, the Federal Government will, from today, commence an immediate programme to constructively engage the ex-militants.

He said the Government will also meet with the ex-militants for further discussions on how the government can fast-track the development of the oil-rich Niger Delta.

And speaking in Warri yesterday, while receiving the weapons surrendered by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, Gen Abbe assured that the repentant militants would be adequately rehabilitated and re-integrated and assisted in every material way possible to make them self-sustaining in life be it in the area of education or skill acquisition and revealed that the President is committed to making the presence of oil in the region a blessing henceforth rather than a curse to the people.

Meanwhile, there was stampede in Warri, Delta State yesterday morning, as many residents abandoned their churches, homes and businesses to catch a glimpse of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of militants in the Niger-Delta, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who was present at the event where the Defence Minister spoke said he had forgiven all militants that had genuinely given up militancy and acts of brigandage. He said though he was in support of agitation for better attention to the region but he was against arm struggle.

He thanked the repentant militants for the honour they have done Rivers State, the Niger Delta and President Umaru Yar'Adua, in accepting the amnesty offer, assuring them that the governors of the Niger Delta States would follow up the terms of the amnesty and make the Federal Government keep its side of the bargain.

"We join you in the fight for our oil wells", he said, insisting that "no efforts will be spared in ensuring that the ex-militants are rehabilitated and accorded needed vocations".

MEND ordered militants' surrender -- Dagogo

In his speech, Farah Dagogo said the handing over of the arms was not a celebration in any way as he was under the directive of MEND to lay down the arms, so as to give peace a chance.

"In line with conditions attached to this amnesty offer, we are surrendering all weapons under our direct control, we are accepting this amnesty with the hope that it will usher in a time spirit of reconciliation exemplified by dialogue", he said.

Dagogo, whose group laid down different types of arms ranging from anti-aircraft launchers, GPMG, AK-47 rifles, Mark 4 rifles, and others appealed to those determined to fight on to "consider first the option of dialogue" and prayed for a just and peaceful Niger Delta.

Ex-militants who fought on the side of Farah Dagogo, Soboma Jackreece and Christian Don-Pedro, were also at the event to embrace the amnesty.

Tompolo causes stampede in Warri

Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, had arrived the Osubi Airstrip, from Abuja at about 10.49am en route Oporoza community in Gbaramatu kingdom to officially hand over his weapons to the Federal Government.

He arrived aboard a Nigerian Air Force plane with registration number 5N FGO alongside some of his lieutenants and no fewer than 5,000 persons, including Ijaw chiefs were waiting to receive him at the Osubi Airstrip.

Defence Minister and chairman of the Presidential Panel on Amnesty and Disarmament of Militants, Major General Godwin Abbe (rtd), Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta, Mr. Timi Alaibe landed at the Osubi Airstrip some minutes after Tompolo arrived, also in a Nigerian Air Force plane with registration number, 5N FGP.

Tompolo who met with the coordinator of the Disarmament Committee, Air Vice Marshal Lucky Ararile and the Commander of the Joint Task Force on the Niger-Delta, Major-General Sarkin-Yarkin Bello at the VIP lounge of the airstrip waited with them to receive the Defence Minister and Governor Uduaghan before he left for the Warri waterside.

One of his aides told Vanguard that the Minister and other members of the Amnesty Committee would proceed to Arogbo community in Ondo State to receive the arms of some of Tompolo's boys in the area, who have been told to disarm before proceeding to Oporoza.

All attention was on Tompolo as he left the airstrip in a motorcade.

With his face cap, the ex-militant leader was practically lost in the crowd and it took a long time before his boys were able to manoeuvre their way and get the crowd to allow him to enter a Hummer Jeep that took him to the Warri waterside.

He was cheered on by some of the people, some of whom wore T-shirts with the inscription: "Tompolo is our hero".

Tompolo surrenders arms, ammunition

On arrival at Oporoza village, Tompolo led over 1200 repentant militants to surrender over 157 assorted guns and large quantity of dynamites to the Minister of Defence, Gen. Abbe (rtd).

Tompolo who was accorded a heroic welcome at Oporoza by a mammoth crowd said armed struggle has stopped for now while they eagerly await the Federal Government's promise to develop the long-neglected region.

He warned his boys not to take to armed robbery as it was against the spirit of the struggle and charged them to be patient but very vigilant even as he stated that the Gbaramatu people have paid dearly for the Ijaw struggle.

The generalissimo of the militants broke down in tears in the middle of his address when he recalled that painful death of some of his trusted aides and brothers in the cause of the struggle and expressed his heartfelt condolence to their families and the families of the fallen serving military men in the course of the discharge of their official duties.

He stated that he needed to embrace the amnesty programme to stay alive as he could not continue to hide away in the creeks while his men were suffering untold hardship in different parts of the federation just as he alleged that some of his own men betrayed and almost assassinated him.

While stating that the struggle was started by the likes of late Isaac Adaka Boro until his time, he assured that unless the region was developed, the agitation would certainly be taken up by others and warned that nobody should spite the Egbesu deity as what happened was destined to be by Almighty God.

Receiving the weapons on behalf of the Federal Government, Gen. Abbe said yesterday's event marked a watershed in the history of the Niger Delta struggle as it has brought to the fore the need to truly address the fundamental causes of the agitation and proffer workable solutions to them.

Amongst the arms and ammunition surrendered were 16 General Purpose Machine guns, GPMG; 17 AK-47; 71 FN; 27 G3; 6 RPG and 5 Brandy Machine Guns ; rocket launchers, a large cache of explosives and countless numbers of various sizes of ammunitions.

His younger brother, Mr. George Ekpemupolo, who is the chairman of Warri South-West Local Government Area told Vanguard he was happy Tompolo had finally accepted amnesty.

He said the position of his brother as a militant kingpin affected him both positively and negatively as a council chairman, as he was denied certain things because of his brother's former status while it opened doors for him in some places.

Mr. Ekpemupolo, however, said now that Tompolo and other freedom fighters have dropped their arms, it behooved on the Federal Government to play its part by developing the Niger-Delta.

A chief of Gbaramatu kingdom, Godspower Gbenekame, who was at the airstrip to receive Tompolo told Vanguard, "Yes, I thank the Federal Government for giving us the opportunity to air our views.

It is not a personal matter, it is a matter that affects the entire Niger-Delta people. People can surrender guns without surrendering their hearts, the point I am making is that the Federal Government has a lot to do to make the amnesty work. They should come up with a programme to actually engage these young men that are dropping arms and give them a new lease of life.

Chief Gbenekame, who is the Benemowei (Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu Kingdom continued: "The government should know that the heart of the people of the region is more on practical development of the region. Anything short of that will be a fatal mistake on its part.

I commend Tompolo for accepting amnesty. He has fought a good fight for the Ijaw nation and the entire Niger-Delta", he added.

allafrica

4 October 2009

Nairobi — Mediator Kofi Annan flew into the country at 7.20pm on Sunday for a four-day visit likely to pile even more pressure on the government over reforms.

Mr Annan is expected to pressure Kenyan leaders to speed up the pace of reforms, a key pillar of which is the trial of those who bear the greatest responsibility for the violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives early last year following disputed presidential elections.

Electoral cycle

He said the country had no option but to institute all reforms in the next one year, adding that it would be dangerous for Kenya to "enter the next electoral cycle" without reforms.

"With a sense of urgency and national spirit, it can be done and within a reasonable time," Mr Annan said outside the Serena hotel.

"Kenya leaders must listen to the voices of the people, and this is what I will tell the two principals and other political leaders," he said.

The former UN secretary-general arrived as the government continues to face immense international pressure -- including travel ban threats -- over the pace of reforms.

There is also anxiety in official circles on the expected visit of International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who is believed to be readying the ground for arrest and trial of some Cabinet ministers and other key planners and financiers of post-election violence.

Mr Annan will meet President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga in their respective offices before the three retreat for a private lunch meeting at midday.

He will meet Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka before the lunch meeting and Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo later in the day.

On Tuesday, the former UN chief will engage ministers, NGOs, religious groups and the business sector on the progress made in the reforms especially those under Agenda Four.

Mr Annan comes to Kenya at a time when debate on trials at The Hague for those behind the post-poll violence is raging on. Discussions with the principals will include what steps the country will take after failing to meet the September 30 deadline to set up a local tribunal.

Historical injustices

Mr Moreno-Ocampo has said he wants to consult with the President and the PM on the way forward after the government failed to meet the deadline agreed on for a local special tribunal.

Besides the search for justice, Mr Annan is expected to engage the country's leadership on the slow pace of reforms envisaged under Agenda Four of the National Accord. The agenda deals with legal and institutional reforms, land reforms, historical injustices, poverty and inequality.

The international community led by the United States of American, have expressed concern over the slow pace of reforms.

The Obama administration and Canada have threatened to bar 15 Kenyan leaders from entering their countries. The 15 have been accused of hindering reforms.

Last Friday, the European Union expressed concern over the pace of reforms and urged the government to speed up the process. On the same day, former colonial masters, Britain, revealed that they have a list of 20 Kenyan personalities who it will deny visas over corruption.

But as Mr Annan flew into the country, Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua was putting up advertisement discrediting the international community's stand on the pace of reforms.

The third report released last month by South Consulting, the team tasked by the Panel of Eminent Persons to monitor progress of Agenda One to Four, also decried the slow pace of reforms.

The report by the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Monitoring Project indicates that insecurity is one of the reasons why some of the people displaced during the post-election violence have not gone back to their farms.

On Agenda Four, the report says that things are moving rather slowly, adding, however, "it is commendable that there is movement in each of the main components that constitute Agenda Item 4".

Mr Annan was last in the country on October 16 last year when he received the Waki report on post-election violence. He is also expected to engage the country's leadership on the stalled efforts to try the post-election violence suspects.

The latest development indicates that the ICC has narrowed down on at least four top Kenyan officials, including three Cabinet ministers for possible trials over the post-election violence. The ICC prosecutor is expected in the country soon to meet the two principals and chart a way forward.

The persons bearing the greatest responsibility seem to have been drawn from a combination of reports on the violence including that by the Justice Philip Waki inquiry.

The Waki report identifies a key office holder at the highest level of government who may have directly participated in the preparation of the attacks.

The official is suspected of having chaired two planning meetings held in State House and Nairobi Safari Club in the run up to the election with the involvement of senior members of the Government and other prominent Kikuyu personalities.

It also speaks of another prominent politician who during a public meeting in Kiptororo in Kuresoi in December 2007, reportedly urged the Kalenjins to fight the Kikuyus until they leave Molo area.

The politician is said to have once told his supporters that "all the investors in Kericho and in the estates will be either Kalenjins or Indians".

Another probable individual in the list is said to have said during an opening ceremony for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in a place called Mailing, that they would uproot the "sangari", 'shake off the soil', 'gather it together and 'burn it', in reference to 'outsider' communities.

A senior official of a State security agency said to have carried out indiscriminate killings has also been named as one of those who have been the focus of investigations.

allafrica

4 October 2009

Kampala — AT LEAST six people, five of them children, have been confirmed dead after a landslide hit Kyokyezo village in Rubanda county, Kabale district. According to Rubanda MP Godfrey Ahabwe, four bodies have been recovered.

Two children, twins, were still trapped under the mud, Ahabwe added. One of the deceased was identified as 29-year-old Annabel Anyijuka.

"This is a disaster and it needs the attention of the Government," said Ahabwe, who is also the State Minister for Local Government.

The landslide swept through Bwindi parish following heavy rains at lunchtime on Saturday.

It took only seconds for the earth on the upper ridges to give away, crushing the shops and residences in the valley.

Samson Besigye, the Bubare LC3 chairman, said hundreds of people in the parishes of Bwindi and Igomanda have been left homeless.

Most of the victims spent Saturday night under trees without food since the landslide swept away their gardens, he added.

Kabale RDC Cox Nyakairu estimates that 500 residents in Bubale and Hamurwa parish lost their property.

Among the buildings washed away are shops at Igomanda trading centre, a primary school block, library, toilets at Kyokyezo Primary School and furniture belonging to Kyokyezo Church of Uganda.

Kabale district leaders attribute the problem to climate change.

Landslides, along with floods, are listed as some of the symptoms of global warming, which are hitting the world with increased frequency.

Global warming is caused by waste gases, such as carbon dioxide, which form a 'blanket' around the earth and is responsible for trapping heat escaping from the earth. This leads to climate change, characterised by erratic weather patterns, causing floods and droughts.

The Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Tarsis Kabwegyere last month warned people living in mountainous areas of likely incidences of landslides.

The minister also warned people occupying the plains of Teso and western Uganda about possible floods.

Maria Mutagamba, the environment minister, said the peak of the El Nino rains is expected in mid-October.

The minister asked people living in wetlands and flood-prone areas to move to safer areas.

"Churches and mosques are usually located in safe places and this is where people should relocate if they notice signs of disaster," Martin Owor, a commissioner in the disaster preparedness ministry, told The New Vision yesterday.

"The problem is that too many people choose to stay, hoping that disaster will not strike."

He pointed at deforestation as a result of population pressure as one of the causes of land slides.

"The intense population pressure has caused environmental degradation. When heavy rains come, landslides occur, sweeping away houses and crops since there are no barriers to check the run-off."

He cited Sironko in eastern Ugandans as one of the areas where they have successfully encouraged people to plant trees.

"We have given them tree species that have deep roots to mitigate the impact."

allafrica

4 October 2009

Cape Town — Civil society should call African parliaments to account on international trade negotiations as parliamentarians have in the past not been "robust" enough in ensuring that such talks deliver on developmental priorities.

This candid admission came from Sisa Njikelana, a South African parliamentarian representing the ruling African National Congress, at a discussion organised by the Africa Trade Network and the Trade Strategy Group.

These organisations, which represent civil society groups from South Africa and the rest of the continent, advocate fair trade policies that advance social justice. They organised a two-day seminar on Oct 1-2 on the present state of the Doha Round of talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Njikelana, who is a member of the parliamentary portfolio committee on trade and development, admitted that South African parliamentarians have been "rumbling and mumbling about always getting the cake already baked when it comes to trade agreements", meaning parliamentarians only become aware of the content of trade agreements when they have been finalised.

At that late stage, parliamentarians can only ratify the agreements and not propose any amendments. "The question that arises is whether parliamentarians have become rubber stamps?"

He argued for a "more vigorous and visible role"for parliaments in the developing world and especially Africa with regards to oversight over the content and progress of trade talks, while still giving governments the space to engage in the actual negotiations.

Njikelana urged the trade activists present at the meeting to ensure that parliaments get involved with the content of trade agreements in the early stages of negotiation. "The trade and development agenda should be driven by the need to improve the quality of life of the poor. If we veer off the path, you should call us to account."

He also suggested that parliamentarians needed civil society's support in order to drive pro-poor trade and development policies. "Even the WTO has admitted the importance of civil society involvement with the WTO Public Forum held this week."

While there may be questions about the effectiveness of the event, where NGOs meet with governments to discuss the international trading system, it is still a "good thing". Njikelana urged activists to also engage with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and with the East African Legislative Authority (EALA).

While PAP is the legislative arm of the African Union, EALA serves as legislative arm for the East African Community.

Njikelana's statements provoked a heated debate. He was taken on by Moses Shaha, chairperson of the Kenya Small-Scale Farmers Forum, who declared, "government is turning against us and singing a foreign song.

"How can we remove a son of ours who is in parliament and becomes part of the problem? Once he leaves parliament, he'll be one of us again but while he earns money, he won't let it go (by making decisions against dominant interests)." The Kenya Small-Scale Farmers Forum is a non-governmental lobby group working to advance the interests of non-commercial farmers in Kenya.

Shaha admonished all present "to come out of the goody-goody feeling" and "provoke the law", as that was the only way to push back "the advancing wall", he said with reference to the agricultural agreement currently being negotiated as part of the Doha Round. "What is to be done?" he asked.

In response to Shaha's challenge, Angelica Katuruza, director in Zimbabwe's ministry of regional integration and international cooperation, said farmers "should make a lot of noise. If government officials are making the wrong decisions, make a noise. They have ears; they will hear it."

To which Nathan Irumba, chief executive of the Southern and East Africa Trade, Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) quipped, "But what if they don't want to hear?" SEATINI does research and advocacy on trade issues.

Marie-Lou Roux, executive officer of the environmental non-governmental organisation Habitat Council, threw down the gauntlet by asking whether activists "should chain themselves to the gates of parliament" if parliamentarians don't heed their calls.

In response Njikelana stated that, "I want my organisation (the ANC) to be challenged. You should take your public representatives on but in a positive way. Don't chain yourself to the gates. There is nothing wrong with contacting the chairpersons of portfolio committees (to put your case). But if we dilly-dally, then you can chain yourself."

Talking to IPS, he said he is upset about how little engagement there is between civil society and parliamentarians, which is why he decided to raise the issue forcefully at the meeting.

In an interview with IPS, Tetteh Hormeku, head of programmes at Third World Network (TWN) Africa, said that the activists at the meeting regard their role, among others, as "to show up, put demands and put pressure but also to support and encourage our governments in Africa to take position" against the current negotiations at the WTO. TWN works for trade justice.

For the past two years, activists mobilised around the issue of the trade deals known as economic partnership agreements (EPAs) as the WTO "was a bit comatose", explained Hormeku. With the new impetus towards concluding the Doha Round, African trade activists are focusing their sights on the different aspects of the WTO negotiations to mobilise people but also to assist African governments.

As Katuruza pointed out, some African countries do not even have permanent representatives in Geneva, where the WTO is based, as they cannot afford it. Njikelana also spoke about the serious "intellectual and administrative"capacity constraints that affect parliamentarians as they frequently do not have the knowledge or the support to get to grips with complicated trade issues.

TWN focuses on demystifying trade and making the issues more understandable. For example, Hormeku pointed out, "African countries never asked for non-agricultural market access (NAMA). Non-agricultural market access is a euphemism for industrial tariff reduction. It is obfuscation.

"Whenever developing countries say 'we don't want to cut our tariffs on industrial goods', the North says 'but you'll get market access'," he added. Given African states' inability to compete, this is untrue in most cases.

allafrica

4 October 2009

Lusaka — For 70 minutes, the girls in the distinctive gold-and-green jersey of Brazil shut out the attacks by the visiting team. The bare feet of chubby-faced left back Njavwa Silungwe are lively in defence.

The yellow-clad Chibolya Queens eventually lose the match. But their team's mere existence is a small victory for its members. Chibolya Queens is a poor and loosely-knit outfit - a closer look reveals the girls' jerseys don't match - but the coach, players and support staff are not just playing for three points.

"When I say they have nothing I mean just that. Most of these teams don't even have playing balls, and when they go for a match they have to walk there in addition to borrowing a competition ball," said Rhoida Kafunda-Tembo sadly. She coordinates the Women's Football League of the Football Association of Zambia.

Chibolya is a particularly tough neighbourhood, where even trained crime-busters from the Zambian police and the Drug Enforcement Commission fear to tread -despite it being only a stone's throw from the heart of Lusaka.

"Here in Chibolya youths smoke 'chamba' (cannabis/dagga), and drink 'kachasu' (local illicit gin) all day long, sunrise to sunset, without being arrested. Prostitution is also rife, as it is a way of life for females of all ages,"observed a resident, Robert Mwiinga.

Silungwe and her team-mates find playing football gives them access to the information and support they need to avoid HIV/AIDS or unwanted pregnancy.

It also gives Silungwe confidence. "I want to be a nurse when I finish school," she confides.

But there's a long road ahead if she is to realise this ambition -Silungwe is 16, still in grade eight. "It has not been easy for me, because even the uncle I live with now does not want me. Each time he goes out drinking he will return and tell me to leave his house and get married, saying I am old enough," she lamented.

Growing number of orphans

According to statistics from the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council, Zambia today has more than two million children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and 750,000 of these are street children.

To date the government has sent only 135,000 of them to a Youth Empowerment Programme run by the Zambia National Service of the Ministry of Defence at Chiwoko Camp (Eastern Province), and Kitwe Skills Training Camp on the Copperbelt.

Trainees learn agriculture, automotive mechanics, carpentry and brick-laying, alongside English, mathematics, sport, culture and psycho-social counselling.

Silungwe's mother and father died when she was just five.

Silungwe confesses that her relationship with her aunt is not strong enough for them to talk about intimate things such as HIV/AIDS, menstruation and pregnancy. That is why she turned to a football club for information.

Twice a week (Monday and Friday) the girls sit around in a corner of their football pitch, after training, to discuss HIV/AIDS, condoms, early marriages and unwanted pregnancies.

The Women's Football League has decreed that all teams must have matrons to mentor the girls, and counsel them on the advantages of self-control and abstinence, but also on how to engage in sex without contracting HIV/AIDS, or conceiving unwanted babies.

"We teach them discipline - coming early to training and returning home quickly after practice. We also teach them how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, and maintain high standards of personal hygiene," said Mazyopa Nkhula, matron for another Chibolya team, the Shalom Queens. Topics include advice on substitutes for store-bought sanitary napkins.

Shalom Queens team captain Victoria Phiri admits that in Chibolya, and elsewhere in Zambia, it is not uncommon for terrified girls to dump their babies in pit latrines, or on communal rubbish dumps, and it is knowledge of how to avoid these situations that helps the team bond.

"As a team we not only learn how to play football, but to protect ourselves from early marriage, and bad things like unwanted babies and HIV/AIDS," says the 17-year-old Phiri.

This is a large part of why local businessman Patrick Lubinda was aiming for when he formed the Chibolya Queens. He has shared some of the profits of his small retail outlet with the team, but doesn't have the resources to do much more for the players. Lubinda also coaches, manages and mentors the team.

"We have about 20 girls in the team, most of whom are orphans who due to poverty no longer attend school," he said.

Misheck Banda, coach and manager of the Shalom Queens and proprietor of a small private school in Lusaka also digs into his own pockets to keep the team going. "If only we were receiving a little help -not money but balls and stuff like that - we would be able to boost the morale of these girls a great deal."

allafrica