A poster of junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara in the Guinean capital Conakry

CONAKRY, 28 September 2009 (IRIN) - Scores of people in the Guinean capital Conakry were killed and injured on 28 September when security forces cracked down on demonstrators protesting the presidential candidature of junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara.

“I saw soldiers shooting at and stabbing demonstrators,” said a woman who gave her name only as Fanta. Another marcher who requested anonymity told IRIN soldiers ripped clothes off of women demonstrators and beat people with clubs.

“They shouted insults at people as they beat them, calling them ‘enemies’,” he said.

Demonstrators told IRIN they saw dead bodies but could not say how many people were killed. Media reports say local doctors put the number at 58.

At least five women sought treatment for rape at local health centres, according to Médecins Sans Frontiéres.

One hundred first aid workers with the Guinea Red Cross were deployed in Conakry to assist the injured and bring them to hospital, a Red Cross worker told IRIN.

By afternoon of 28 September “hundreds” of people with bullet wounds and injuries from beatings were at Donka Hospital in Conakry, according to a doctor at the hospital who requested anonymity.

“They are lying everywhere. I could not even count how many injured we have here. At least in the hundreds.” The injured are a mix of men and women, the youngest about age 14, he told IRIN.

Political and civil society leaders on 19 September called for a rally in a Conakry stadium to protest Camara’s candidature in upcoming presidential elections. Camara came to power in a coup on 23 December saying he would organize elections but has since signaled he has not ruled out running. On 22 September Camara supporters demonstrated in Conakry.

Despite a ban by authorities on the 28 September stadium meeting, masses of people assembled in the morning, pushing past military and entering the arena.

Demonstrator Fanta said at one point soldiers drove into the stadium, descended from their vehicles and began to shoot at and beat up demonstrators.

Mamadi Kaba, president of the Guinean office of the pan-African human rights group RADDHO, called the events “completely beyond all acceptable limits” and said it is time for the international community to stop tolerating Guinea’s military regime.

“A few days back a group of Guineans demonstrated their support for [junta leader Camara],” Kaba said. “They were tolerated and even encouraged. Today another part of the population comes out peacefully to express an opposing view and they are violently repressed.”

He said: “Today the junta has shown what it wants and what it is ready to do to the citizens. African leaders and the international community must join together to help the Guinean people get rid of this junta.”

Marchers told IRIN if civil society and political leaders were to call for another demonstration they would resume immediately.

“We are fighting for freedom here,” said one protester. “We are fighting to block the way for not only Moussa Dadis Camara but any military person trying to become president of Guinea.”

Fanta said: “Even if they tell us to take to the streets again this evening, I will be out there. This is for the children of Guinea.”

irinnews

NAIROBI, 28 September 2009 (IRIN) - When pregnant women in Tanzania choose whether to give birth at home or in a clinic, the attitude of health workers and availability of drugs are more important factors than cost and distance to the clinic, a new study suggests.

The study, published in the September 2009 American Journal of Public Health, scored the results of 1,203 respondents in rural western Tanzania on health system factors influencing women’s delivery decisions. It provided two hypothetical clinic situations characterised by attributes such as distance, cost, type of provider, attitude of provider, drugs and equipment and free transport for scoring.

"If our finding - that women are willing to trade longer distance, higher cost, having to find transport, and higher-level providers for higher-quality of care — is supported by other research, it would be particularly salient as Tanzania’s government decides how to allocate funds from the health budget."

Skilled birth attendants have been identified as crucial in reducing maternal mortality as they are trained to diagnose obstetric complications and manage or refer them, notes the report. In 2004, only 33.6 percent of women living in rural Tanzania reported delivering their last child in a health facility. The maternal mortality ratio in Tanzania is estimated at 950 per 100,000 live births.

irinnews

[img align=right width=200]http://www.businessday.co.za/toolpages/thumbnail.aspx?id=337621&type=img[/img]

JUST 10 years after establishing diplomatic and trade relations, China has overtaken the US, Japan, Germany and the UK to become SA’s biggest trading partner, according to the latest figures from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Trade volumes with China between January and July have reached R32,4bn, followed by the US with R21,7bn, Japan’s R19,7bn, Germany’s R17,5bn and the UK’s R15,2bn. This indicated an increase in SA-China trade of 11,95% from 8,45% in the same period last year.

The US was SA’s major trading partner only briefly, in the 2006- 07 financial year, after taking over from the UK, which had held the number one spot for a long time.

The increase in trade between the US and SA had been largely due to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) .

Agoa had enabled sub-Saharan African countries to export more than 1800 tariff line items duty- free to the US — on top of the 4600 tariff-free items listed under the Generalised System of Preferences.

According to Chinese ambassador Zhong Jianhua, the warm diplomatic ties between China and SA since 1998 had been matched by growing economic engagement, putting this country among China’s top three African trading partners. B ilateral trade volumes have risen from 800m in 1998 to 17,8bn last year.

Since 2000, China-Africa trade has grown 10 times, reaching 106,8bn last year , according to the Chinese commerce ministry.

Chinese exports to Africa have hit 50,8bn , while China’s imports from Africa have reached 56bn.

Other than imports of Africa’s raw materials, at least 500 of the continent’s products from 31 countries such as wines, tobacco, coffee and olive oil have received a zero-tariff treatment from the Chinese government and exposure to the country’s markets.

Zhong said SA had for the first time enjoyed a trade surplus with China and that this could increase.

He attributed the increase in South African exports to China to the international financial crisis, which saw most developed countries reduce their orders, especially from emerging economies.

China imports iron ore, gold, copper, chrome, wine, timber and paper pulp from SA, while China mostly exports value-added products, such as appliances and clothing. Angola — accounting for 24% of China-Africa trade — is China’s major African partner as it is the biggest source of China’s oil imports.

SA follows on 17%, then Sudan (8%), Nigeria (7%) and Egypt (6%). Angola and SA are ranked 29 and 31 respectively among China’s trading partners worldwide.

These countries collectively account for 62% of total China- Africa trade.

Economists have been critical of the skewed nature of China- Africa trade, saying China supplies value-added manufactured goods to Africa while the latter supplies mainly primary products.

The top import s to China last year have been mineral products (82%); precious stones and metals (3%); parts for motor vehicles (3%); wood products (2%); and base metals (1%).

The top export products from China last year to Africa in general have been machinery, transport equipment, footwear and plastic products.

businessday.co.za

HOT SEAT: Kirsten Nematandani, the SA Football Association's new president, flanked by Safa executive members Raymond Hack and Shoes Mazibuko and Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, right Picture: SIMON MATHEBULA

The 2010 soccer World Cup - just 255 days away from kick-off - was the winner when Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza withdrew unexpectedly from contesting the South African Football Association's presidency at the weekend.

Their withdrawal led to Kirsten Nematandani, chairman of Safa's referees' review committee, succeeding Molefi Oliphant as president.

His election ends months of hostile horse-trading by the Khoza and Jordaan lobby groups, which raised fears 2010 preparations might be derailed.

Fifa had asked that should Jordaan or Khoza win the presidency, they should vacate their positions on the World Cup local organising committee. Khoza is chairman of the committee, Jordaan its chief executive.

Speaking to The Times yesterday, Jordaan said he had two reasons for withdrawing from the Safa race, the first being his 17-year commitment to the World Cup.

"The second issue is whether I was eligible or not. I formed Safa in 1991 and I was the acting president then," he said, disputing claims that he couldn't stand for the presidency because he is an employee, not a member of Safa.

He said if he had continued to stand for election, the meeting would probably have been adjourned to establish his eligibility. The adjournment, he said, would have taken about two or three months, an undesirable situation in light of the World Cup draw on December 4.

Jordaan said it was clear to him that he would have won.

"But I had to consider my own interests versus the country's interests . We cannot afford to put at risk the draw and create further uncertainty as to who is the president of Safa," he said.

Nematandani was competent for the job, having served in many portfolios, said Jordaan. "He cares for the grassroots."

Nematandani promised to be his own man and chart a new course for Safa.

He vowed not be seen as a ceremonial office bearer, as Oliphant was perceived to be.

"I am humbled to be elected and ready for this great challenge. As a leader I am a servant of the people. What I bring to the table will be a president who cares and will make sure we have stability, accountability and principles. We [the Safa executive] aim to take soccer in our country to a new level. That means hard work from everyone involved," he told The Times.

Khoza could not be reached for comment.

timeslive

At least four people were killed and 52 injured when an unidentified man lobbed a grenade into a crowd at a village market in Rwanda, public radio reported Sunday.
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The incident at Karambo village, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the Rwandan capital Kigali, took place Saturday night, but rescue efforts to recover the injured went into Sunday morning, it said.

Karambo is in an isolated mountainous region, meaning police and other authorities only belatedly learned of the incident due to poor telecommunications.

The injured were admitted to Butare university hospital, where about a dozen among them were in critical condition, said police spokesman Eric Kayiranga, quoted by Radio Rwanda.

"This attack has not yet been claimed, but the police suspect it was an act of sabotage to sow terror in rural districts," he said.

timeslive

Grace Mugabe, the wife of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, owns dairy farms that sell up to a million litres of milk a year to food giant Nestlé, London's Sunday Telegraph reported.

Grace Mugabe took over six of the country's most valuable white-owned farms around 2002, the newspaper said.

Mugabe, his wife and other members of his administration are the subject of European Union and United States sanctions as a result of their controversial 29-year rule over once-prosperous Zimbabwe.

Nestlé, the multinational food company which is the largest customer of Grace Mugabe's dairy farm, is not obliged to comply with those sanctions as its headquarters are in Switzerland, the Telegraph said.

Switzerland has its own set of measures, but Nestlé insists it has not broken Swiss law.

On Saturday, the Daily Telegraph reported that Robert Mugabe himself had built up a secret personal farming empire including at least five white-owned farms from which the owners were forced out.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Grace Mugabe's properties total about 4 856 hectares, but her most important is Gushungo Dairy Estate, formerly known as Foyle Farm. It is located in Mazowe, about 10km north of Harare.

The farm is managed by Russell Goreraza, her son from her first marriage.

Her biggest customer, according to her staff and other industry insiders, is Nestlé Zimbabwe, the local subsidiary of the Swiss company, the newspaper reported.

mg.co.za

President Jacob Zuma will meet with the South African Police Services station commissioners on Tuesday to discuss strategies that will help combat crime. According to the Presidency, more than 1 000 station commissioners will meet Zuma in Pretoria to discuss how to take forward the fight against crime.

In a statement released by the Presidency, the fight against crime is one of the five key priorities of government. Next week's meeting is the first of its kind and Zuma will share his vision with the station commissioners, and obtain from them, a first-hand account of work on the ground.

The discussion forms part of Zuma’s intention to meet with public servants who are in the forefront of service delivery, to ensure that they understand government objectives from the highest office.

Zuma will be accompanied by the Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe, Correctional Services’ Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Social Development’s Edna Molewa as well as National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele. The meeting will also be attended by the nine provincial premiers as well as MECs responsible for Community Safety portfolios.

sabcnews

Residents of Sakhile in Standerton, Mpumalanga are spilling litter on the roads and barricading them with stones as they protest against alleged corruption in the Lekwa Municipality.

The angry residents are demanding that all councillors to resign immediately and the municipality be put under provincial administration. Unconfirmed reports say a house owned by one of the councillors has been set on fire. This comes after two municipal offices were set alight last week.

Phanual Manana, spokesperson of the ANCYL in Lekwa, is among the protesters. Manana says: “People are very angry, and police seem to be ready to shoot following the chaos. Protesters believe that this issue is long overdue”.

Yesterday, the Mpumalanga Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Norman Mokoena acknowledged that there are serious capacity problems in the Municipality.

sabcnews

September 27 2009

South Africa’s deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is expected to deliver a keynote address at a conference of the Association of Public Accounts Committees in Cape Town today. The meeting is being attended by 600 government delegates from across the African continent. They will share ideas on how to effectively manage public funds.

Association chairperson, Fish Mahlalela says they don't have institutions of public accounts at a local government level. Mahlalela says there is a need for public accounts committees at municipal levels. He says there is a strong feeling about the need for such a development to help take on challenges that they are currently confronted with in relation to the provision of basic services.

Recent reports indicate that many countries are faced with problems ranging from overspending in the public service to ineffective service delivery. Mahlalela says the gathering is aimed at making sure that parliament, on behalf of the people of South Africa and which is entrusted to its people, makes sure that money that is given to government is mainly used to the benefit of the people and to ensure that there is maximisation of service delivery to the people.

sabcnews

September 27 2009

South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation deputy Minister, Ebrahim Ebrahim has today arrived in Iran ahead of the fourth meeting of SA-Iran deputy Ministerial Working Group. According to the department, South Africa and Iran are expected to enhance bilateral relations at the two-day meeting which kicks-off tomorrow.

The department says the meeting comes within the context of South Africa’s priority and commitment in enhancing and broadening the scope of the relationship and cooperation with Iran especially in trade and economic matters within the framework of South-South Cooperation. While in Iran, Ebrahim will also pay a courtesy call on deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini.

Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Iran were re- established on May 10, 1994 after the first democratic elections. Ambassador Mohammed Sharif Mahdavi was the first Iranian Ambassador to South Africa after the resumption of diplomatic relations. In turn, Ambassador Moosa Moolla was the first South African Head of Mission in Tehran after the resumption of ties.

In 1995, South Africa and Iran established a Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) to allow for a high-level review of bilateral relations and to consider ways in which these relations could be expanded further.

sabcnews

28 September 2009

Nairobi — Tanzania farmers in key arable areas face eviction by multinational corporations out to cultivate agrofuel products.

More than 5,000 rice farmers from various parts of the country could be affected.

This will trigger an environmental and humanitarian crisis as displaced villagers are left without land to grow food crops.

A new report made available to The EastAfrican last week by an international environmental group warns that Tanzania's water sources, so critical to food production, will also be diverted to fuel production, increasing conflicts over access to water.

The report was compiled by a local environmental group, the Environmental, Human Rights Care and Gender Organisation (Envirocare) Tanzania, and an international organisation, the Impact of Jatropha Trade in Tanzania.

It says the government has few qualms about evicting farmers from their only means of livelihood, even if this sparks civil conflict.

According to the report, the government wants to fast-track agrofuel initiatives and switch vast areas of land to sugarcane, palm oil and jatropha production, pushing out locals to poorer lands.

"The most fertile lands, with best access to water, are being targetted, even though they are already used for food production by small-scale farmers," said the report.

Abdallah Mkindi, environmental officer of Envirocare Tanzania, said that the country plans to place extensive areas under biofuel cultivation, including sugar plantations in the Wami River Basin, displacing small-scale rice farmers.

Mr Mkindi said that with the country routinely depending on imported food aid, owing to frequent drought, producing fuel for export instead of food for locals will deepen poverty and food insecurity in the years to come.

He said more than 1,000 rice farmers in Wami Basin, Coast region, a vast area in the alluvial flood and delta plain of the Wami River and its distributaries, and another 1,000 rice farmers in Ruipa, Mtwara region, will be displaced to pave the way for cane growing.

"The Usangu plains, another area identified for potential sugarcane production, have already seen the government's willingness to accommodate large investors at the expense of small-scale farmers," he said.

In Usangu district in Mbeya region, more than 1,000 rice farmers were recently displaced from their land to make way for a large plantation. The plantation has cut off the surrounding communities' access to the river, leading to disputes over water.

According to Mr Mkindi, several international investors are looking at fertile areas with good rainfall and access to rivers, particularly for sugarcane and palm oil cultivation.

The targetted areas include Ruipa, Ikongo, Mahurungu-Mtwara, Usangu plains, Malagarasi, Kilosa, Babati and Hanang in Tanzania.

But analysts have pointed out the discrepancy between the government's stated aim of using biofuels to bring energy to the rural poor, and the policy of evicting them from their land.

Currently, there is no biofuel policy, nor any legislation to govern its direction and production in Tanzania.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, a Biofuels Task Force was established in April 2006 to develop the sector and push for legislation to stimulate the use of biofuels. This followed a study on "Liquid Biofuels for Transportation in Tanzania."

A Swedish firm has been provided with 400,000 hectares of land to turn into sugar plantation at Wami River in Coast region, while more than 8,000 hectares of land in Kigoma region have been provided to a Malaysian and Indonesian firm for a proposed palm oil biodiesel project.

"Oil palms require major investment, and the trees can live for 30 years or more. Farmers entering into contracts to plant and grow palm trees may be forced to sign away use of their land for many decades," warned Mr Mkindi.

The firms that are in the final stages of cultivating biofuel include D1 Oils Tanzania Ltd, a local subsidiary of the UK company D1 Oils.

It plans to use outgrowers and to have biodiesel processing stations in every district in Tanzania.

A German investor, Prokon, has begun a 10,000 hectare jatropha outgrower programme in Mpanda district in southwest Tanzania.

Diligent Energy Systems, a Dutch company with branches in Tanzania and Colombia, has began cultivation of jatropha in Babati, Engaruka, Chalinze, Pangani and Singida and large-scale cultivation in Handeni district of Tanga region.

The report also mentions a UK-based international firm, Sun Biofuels, which has acquired 18,000 hectares of land in Lindi region to cultivate jatropha.

"Farmers who currently grow cassava, rice and maize will be encouraged to abandon food crops and instead grow jatropha," noted Mr Mkindi in the report.

Mr Mkindi said that, in addition, a US-UK group, a Malaysian group and a US-based venture fund are currently exploring more than 100,000 hectares for palm oil production.

To attract more investors, the government of Tanzania has analysed many fertile regions with good access to water, where farmers are already growing food.

Stephen Wasira, Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, said various regions of Tanzania were facing food shortages and about 970,000 people were in need of aid.

Hence the government has to make arrangements to distribute about 50,000 tonnes of food to the affected areas by September this year.

Mr Wasira said the government is cautioning farmers on food shortages and appealing for more concerted efforts to ensure delivery of at least one million tonnes of grain to avert starvation.

The food deficiency resulted from last year's insufficient cereal harvests, whereby 5.2 million tonnes were collected as opposed to the projected national demand of 6 million tonnes for the 2009/2010 crop season.

The National Food Reserve Authority had stockpiled over 107,269 tonnes of cereals required for 2009/2010, but by June this year the stock had declined to 89,842 tonnes.

The Tanzania Investment Centre has set up a land bank of 2.5 million hectares identified as suitable for agrofuel investment.

Where use of local resources is perceived as unproductive, land may be classified as idle or underutilised. It could, therefore, be made available to prospective investors, despite its economic, social and cultural functions.

While investment promotion agencies may help bring underutilised land into production, doing so creates the risk of dispossession.

A British firm that has taken over a 9,000-hectare area for jatropha cultivation in Kisarawe district, in which more than 11 villages have given out their land, wants farmers to abandon food crops.

According to the report, the villagers have been compensated for mango and cashewnut trees on the land without regard to the market price of the land.

"The farmers have not been made fully aware of issues such as the genuine value of their land and the consequences of giving it up," said the report.

The Holland based agrofuel firm Bioshape, a subsidiary of Bioshape Holdings, Holland, has applied to acquire about 81,000 hectares of land from the four villages of Mavuji, Liwiti, Migeregere and Nainwoke in Kilwa district, Lindi region.

But land officials say they have processed the purchase of only 34,736 hectares.

According to Mr Mkindi, the firm is in the process of paying $250,000 to the District Council, with the funds to be shared between the District Council (60 per cent) and the local communities (40 per cent).

"If they were to acquire the total 81,000 hectares they would pay $1.023 million. Bioshape is planning to use 60 per cent of the total land in plantation batches of 200ha plots and to maintain a 40 per cent buffer zone of natural vegetation, animal free zones, hills and wetlands, as well as thick forest," said Mr Mkindi.

allafrica

27 Sep 2009

As Sudan prepares for the first general elections in decades, President Omar al-Beshir lifts censorship on the press.

"As of today, censorship is over and journalists have complete freedom," said a presidential decree carried by the official SUNA news agency on Sunday.

Head of the country's Press Council, Ali Shimo, said the "pre-censorship" system was called off after editors, journalists' associations and censors signed an "ethics code" for practicing journalism.

Up to now, a group of government-led sensors screened newspapers every night before hitting the stands to purge them of "sensitive" articles despite a law guaranteeing "freedom of the press".

Under the law, passed in parliament in June, the press were granted freedom but banned from "provoking religious or ethnic or racial sedition or calling for war or violence," while "respecting and protecting public ethics, religious values" and those found guilty of violating the press law had to pay a fixed penalty set by the courts.

But in practice, the law was impractical and the censors continued their job. The new press law and lifting of censorship will only be applied to the written press and not to television.

Sudan is to hold its first general elections in April, the first one since 1986. The national vote for Sudanese presidential, parliamentary and regional elections has twice been delayed.


presstv

27 Sep 2009

The Constitutional Court of Gabon has ruled that all the votes from the country's August presidential election be recounted after protests on 'poll-fixing' turned ugly.

The court's decision for a recount scheduled "for Tuesday, September 29 beginning at 1400 (1300 GMT)," follows the opposition lawsuit on last month's election results, which was prompted by the death of the country's long-time pro-French leader, Omar Bongo Ondimba.

Opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou challenged the late leader's son, Ali Bongo's victory in the election, reportedly accusing the ruling party of staging a 'show' election.

Gabon's election took place after the West African nation lost its second president since gaining independence from France in 1960.

The country has undergone a wave of unrest over the past month over allegations of French intervention in Bongo's assumption of power.

The opposition says that at least five people have lost their lives in recent scuffles between security forces and demonstrators challenging the authorities.

presstv

27 September 2009

Gabriel Ntisezerana, Second Vice President of Burundi

26 September 2009 - Burundi's Government is committed to ensuring that highly awaited presidential, parliamentary and local polls scheduled for next year take place peacefully and successfully, and will step up support to election authorities so it can achieve that goal, the country's Second Vice-President told the General Assembly today.

Gabriel Ntisezerana, addressing the annual high-level segment of the Assembly, said his Government was resolved "that an environment of calm should prevail" and therefore was strengthening key election structures, such as the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which is tasked with organizing the ballots.

Mr. Ntisezerana said the Government would grant $7 million to the IEC but called on the international community to also provide financial support.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced this week that it will manage a $44 million fund to promote the peaceful staging of the polls.

If the polls are successfully staged, it will mark the first time that an electoral cycle has run its full course in Burundi, where a UN Integrated Office known as BINUB operates to try to promote peace and stability after years of ethnically-based conflict.

In 2005 more than 90 per cent of Burundians approved a new constitution and separate ballots were held for parliamentary seats and for the presidency. Next year voters will choose a president, parliamentary lawmakers and local representatives.

Mr. Ntisezerana added that his Government also hoped that electoral success would boost the impoverished Central African nation's prospects for economic development, as well as allow the country to further redefine the mandate of BINUB.

allafrica

27 September 2009

Paul Toungui, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon

26 September 2009 - The Gabonese people have shown maturity and responsibility in the way they have handled the difficult period following recent presidential elections to succeed their long-running ruler, the country's Foreign Minister has told the General Assembly.

Paul Toungui, in an address last night to the Assembly's annual General Debate, praised the people of Gabon for their "commitment to the values of peace and democracy" after last month's presidential contest, which authorities say was won by Ali Bongo Ondimba. Mr. Bongo succeeds his father, Omar, who ruled Gabon as President from 1967 until his death in May this year.

Earlier this month Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern at reports that opposition activists had clashed with security forces in the days following the polls on 30 August, and urged calm and restraint from all sides.

Mr. Toungui described the time after Omar Bongo's death as "a delicate period of political transition" during which the impoverished African nation had to draw on its own resources to overcome.

But he said the people displayed a "high sense of responsibility and maturity," adding that the country was also helped by the support of the international community in recent months.

allafrica

26 September 2009

Kampala — After two decades of war during which thousands of children were used as child soldiers and many women raped, Northern Uganda's recovery plan is to be spent on building roads rather than helping the country's most vulnerable.

Civil society and women parliamentarians are not happy with the government and donors, as there are no concrete measures to meet gender-related concerns over the recovery plan for Northern Uganda.

The over 600 million dollar Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) - of which was 70 percent sponsored by donors and the remained by the Ugandan government - was designed to stabilise and bridge the economic disparities between Northern Uganda and the rest of the country.

Most of the money, to be spent over three years, is to be used to construct feeder roads and infrastructure destroyed during the war.

And while roads were needed, the needs of the women also needed to be met, said Oyam District Member of Parliament, Amongi Beatrice Lagada. "The women took on so many burdens during the war. So unless we recognise those gender roles we shall not restore the gender perspectives which were there before," she said.

An estimated 30,000 to 66,000 children were abducted during the 20 years of conflict. About 90 percent of the LRA ranks were populated by children forced to terrorise civilians by cutting off hands and lips, among other atrocities.

A study conducted by United Nations Children's Fund in 2005 in one of the Pabo displaced-persons camp found that at least 60 percent of women there had suffered sexual or domestic violence.

Monica Amonding, coordinator of The Uganda Women Parliamentarians' Association (UWOPA), says the PRDP has no budget to resettle single mothers, female-headed households, widows, formerly abducted girls, women with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Amonding said many war-affected women, girls and boys had resorted to begging in streets in urban centres because they had not been assisted to cope with life after two decades of war.

The Women's Task Force on a Gender-Responsive Peace, Recovery and Development Plan, and UWOPA say the war affected women and men differently, because of gender advantages or disadvantages.

They say women and girls have suffered from brutal levels of sexual and gender-based violence that increased their vulnerability to HIV/Aids. But the recovery programme lacks interventions to alleviate the plight of women.

Beatrice Anywar, a woman MP from Kitgum district on the Uganda-Sudan border, said the PRDP should help child mothers to return to school, or gain skills for income generation.

"We have stressed that women and children have suffered most, whether those who remained at home or those who were abducted and were serving with (Joseph) Kony. A woman is now charged with more responsibilities than a man, but there is little on the table to show she will get a fair share of the money," she said.

Joseph Kony, leader of Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for the atrocities committed on civilians during the two decades of war in Northern Uganda.

Uganda's Minister in Charge of Northern Uganda reconstruction, David Wakikona, told IPS the ministry was working toward including some of the women's concerns in the next budget. He said the people with disabilities, women, and other special interest groups had to present fundable projects through their groups.

"We shall definitely fund them, because we know that the women have suffered, so the women should not be worried," he said.

But Amonding said the government should not operate like a donor.

"For us PRDP will be meaningless as long as it continues to focus on hardware issues like roads, bridges and so on. We want software issues like counselling services, maternal health and adolescent-friendly services for boys and girls. But these have not been reflected anywhere in the framework."

Jane Alisemera, a female member of Parliament and UWOPA chairperson, told IPS: "Eighty percent of formerly displaced persons are women and children. The PRDP's intended objectives will fail to deliver tangible results if gender gaps are not urgently addressed."

The activists say the PRDP framework is not in line with accepted national, regional and international gender instruments such as Uganda's gender policy, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) or the Beijing Platform of Action. Uganda's gender policy, like CEDAW, requires the state to take measures to eliminate discrimination against women.

Alisemera further noted that sex-disaggregated data had not been included in the framework for planned interventions. "The budget allocation has not been broken down by gender; this makes it nearly impossible to determine the projected spending on men and women, or boys and girls. So you cannot come out with gender-responsive tools to monitor and evaluate its impact," she said.

The two years of peace in Northern Uganda have seen many formerly displaced people resettling in their villages, but it has not been easy for those with disabilities. This is one of the areas that the activists want the money channelled to if people with disabilities are to return home. For disabled people, moving from IDP camps means they will now have longer distances to travel for food, fetch water, access medical care and essential services.

Margaret Babadiri, a Member of Parliament from Kobko, is visually impaired. Climbing the Parliament of Uganda stairs with her white cane, she told IPS: "Well first of all I'm happy because the PRDP will benefit areas that have suffered from war for a very long time. But what I'm not happy with is the way it was developed. It did not involve everybody, or include people with a disability - women and so on. They think we are uniform. It is actually disability-blind and gender-blind.

"If I can take it close to home: during the insurgency a lot of havoc has been done, people were killed, many became disabled and the number of disabled persons in Northern Uganda is greater than any other region in Uganda.

"Because you step on a landmine, your leg is cut off, and the atrocities caused by Kony where the lips are cut off. So this PRDP should target people with disabilities, but we don't see any specific programmes aimed at us," she stressed.

Santos Okumu, representating the visually impaired in the Gulu District Disabled Persons' Union, told IPS the women had suffered most from war-related disabilities, and women with disabilities were no longer supported by their spouses

"They are really suffering. When they got married they were walking, but now the landmine has blown off one leg. They look like a cock that has folded one leg, so the spouses don't want them. These people are highly traumatised. They don't only need psycho-social support, they need financial support if they are to gain a livelihood. But unfortunately many will miss out on the PRDP in its current form," he said.

Irene Laker is a victim of a landmine planted by the Lord's Resistance Army. She was about to get married, but now lives a single life after her leg was amputated.

"You know at the time I was hit by a mine, I was going to get married. But because of that disability, that person saw me in the hospital without a limb, then he disappointed me. That was the first challenge. And then the family members look at me as a burden. I was doing some small work at the district, but lost that job because of the disability." Laker has remained unemployed, and is yet to marry.

Uganda's Finance Minister, Syda Bumba who until recently was Gender Minster, said the concerns of the women were genuine and expected they could be addressed in the subsequent budgets. "I'm aware that we discussed those issues even when I was still at Gender (Ministry). And I (am) aware that discussion are still going on between the different actors and the Prime Minister's office. So I believe those issues will be addressed by government," she said.

allafrica

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Latin American and African leaders urged rapid integration of both regions at the second Africa-South America Summit (ASA) which began here on Saturday.

At the inauguration ceremony, Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi called on leaders who attended the summit to transform the world that unites them.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged the speedup of the ASA regional integration.

"We must give strategic vision and feasibility to the idea of integrating South America and Africa with the structuring and implementation of a working agenda for the 2010-2020 period," he said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that ASA member countries had achieved concrete results since the 1st ASA Summit in Abuja in 2006.

"The South-South cooperation is the tool to build a fairer world," Lula said.

Fifteen African and six Latin American leaders have attended the two-day summit.

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- African countries are ready to play their roles in the construction of a new South-South cooperation model with Latin America, an official from the African Union Commission said on Saturday.

At the second Africa-South America Summit (ASA), Jean Ping, chairman of the commission, said that the way to build the new model was to boost friendship and exploit the real power of both continents.

Ping also urged materialization of the agreements reached during the1st ASA Summit in Abuja in 2006.

"We should not conform with a diplomatic and political rhetoric because this time the credibility of the South-South cooperation is in risk", Ping said.

According to the chairman, this summit was held in the frame of a wonderful alliance formed between two continents, an alliance that has been fed by similar historical characteristics, same economic aspirations and the wish to establish a new international order.

Africa has the will to walk on the path of economic growth, during which a joint work based on mutual respect is needed, Ping said

The two-day summit which started on Saturday has drawn 15 African and six Latin American leaders.

27 September 2009
Gabon's constitutional court has announced a recount of the votes in the presidential election held August 30. The recount is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, and is prompted by official challenges from opponents of president-elect Ali Bongo.

AFP - Gabon's constitutional court on Tuesday will recount all the votes from last month's contested presidential election won by the son of longtime leader Omar Bongo Ondimba, it was announced Saturday.

A recount is planned "for Tuesday, September 29 beginning at 1400 (1300 GMT)," according to a letter sent to candidates who filed appeals with the court, said Richard Moulomba Mombo, a spokesman for opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou.

Another candidate's team provided the same information on condition of anonymity. The court also confirmed the information and said all votes would be counted again.

According to official results approved by the constitutional court, Ali Bongo won the August 30 election with 41.73 percent of the vote.

Ex-interior minister Andre Mba Obame finished second with 25.88 percent and Mamboundou placed third with 25.22 percent.

The single-round election followed the death of ex-president Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years.

Opposition figures said the vote was rigged, and a total of 11 appeals were filed with the constitutional court, which has until October 18 to rule.

Mamboundou's spokesman said the letter from the court asked those who filed appeals to unite under one representative to oversee the recount. The spokesman, however, said candidates had different arguments and would not be able to do so.

The opposition claimed on Thursday that at least five people were killed in violence that swept Gabon's oil city of Port-Gentil between September 3 and 6 after the disputed poll.

france24

PORLAMAR, Venezuela, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The two-day second summit of Africa-South America (ASA) opened on the Venezuelan resort island on Saturday with calls for concrete measures to accelerate the integration of the two regions.

In his welcoming speech, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stressed in particular the need to translate the mechanisms established at the first ASA summit in 2006 in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.

At the first summit, "two documents were approved ..., but it lacks performance. Three years later, the importance of these documents has decreased," he said.

In response, Chavez proposed to create a mechanism of round-table of presidents or their advisers, so that it can be dedicated exclusively to designing a strategic program for the ASA.

"We must give strategic vision and feasibility" to the idea of integrating South America and Africa with the structuring and implementation of a working agenda for the period 2010-2020, he said.

In addition, he proposed to create a bank of the ASA between South America and Africa,

"I already got the name of Bancasa for it. This bank could repatriate our reserves in the North to provide credit to ourselves," he said.

In his speech, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, proposed to create an organization that brings together the nations of South America and Africa.

He said the organization should be created immediately to provide a real platform in the South, which is similar to that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "This organization could become a South Atlantic Treaty Organization," he said.

The goal is that all nations have the opportunity to participate actively in the decision-taking procedure about their development and are not subject to unilateral decisions by NATO or the Security Council of the United Nations, explained Gaddafi.

In the opinion of South African President Jacob Zuma, South-South cooperation between South America and Africa will contribute to the development of both regions.

"Our relations have great potential for success that will achieve the long waited development of our two continents," said South African President.

In this regard, Zuma has warned that a failure to take into account the link between the two regions, the global economic crisis that has affected millions of poor people around the world, will have worse consequences.

Thus, the African leader has called for forging closer ties between the two regions and a global multilateral system for the benefit of all, allowing strict control in the banking system.

In recent years, trade between the two regions has grown rapidly.

According to the calculations of the Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, six years ago, trade between the two regions stood at 6 billion U.S. dollars, but after the first ASA summit in2006, the amount reached 36 billion dollars. "This shows a process of strengthening our economic sovereignty," said Lula.

Lula noted that this meeting is a perfect setting to take a further step in building a partnership between two continents determined to build a bridge for dialogue and collaboration.

"That was the bold vision that brought together Africa and South America for the first time in Abuja in 2006, and it is with great pride and optimism as I see the concrete results that we are harvesting," he said.

President of the Commission of the African Union (AU) Jean Ping said on Saturday that African countries are ready to take their part in building a new model of South-South cooperation with Latin America and strengthening relations of sincere friendship, to jointly exploit the real potential of the two continents.

Representatives of 61 countries from both regions attended the summit which ends Sunday.

Under the theme "Closing the gap, opening up opportunities", the summit is aimed at boosting cooperation among the participant countries, coping with the food, financial, economic and environmental crisis, and following up agreements and plans of action adopted in the ASA Abuja summit.