HARARE, 8 September 2009 (IRIN) - The government, NGOs and donor countries in Zimbabwe are rushing to distribute agricultural inputs ahead of the summer rains, but ending donor dependency and returning to food security in 2010 will still be a close-run thing, analysts told IRIN.

In the first quarter of 2009 nearly seven million Zimbabweans relied on emergency food aid; initial forecasts by aid agencies are that about 2.8 million people will require food assistance in the last few months leading up to the April 2010 harvest.

The unavailability of agricultural inputs like seed and fertilizer during Zimbabwe's economic implosion, as well as unseasonal dry spells, made the country - once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa - dependent on food aid to stave off starvation for several years.

Renson Gasela, agriculture secretary in the break-away faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Arthur Mutumbara, told IRIN there was a marked change from previous years in helping farmers access inputs, but warned that the effort may have been left to late. October is the main planting season.

"We are hearing discussions about providing inputs to farmers at a much earlier stage than in previous years, but one feels that this should have happened two or three months ago in order to ensure that farmers are adequately prepared for the oncoming farming season," Gasela said.

''Corruption is so endemic in Zimbabwe, and there are no reasons to assume that it will go away this time around. There is a likelihood that those in influential positions, as has happened in the past, will benefit at the expense of needy and vulnerable farmers''
The unity government of President Robert Mugabe, leader of ZANU-PF, and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, recently launched a US$210 million scheme targeting both small- and large-scale farmers with subsidized inputs for the 2009/10 season, to be distributed through the 80 depots of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), a parastatal monopoly.

Vice-President Joyce Mujuru told residents of Murewa district in Mashonaland East Province that the government placed great importance on ensuring food security at "household level", and was working with NGOs to "make sure that all intended beneficiaries get the inputs ... without favour on political or any other grounds".

She said the government scheme would be complemented by other projects that would make inputs available to about a million communal farmers, who produce around 70 percent of the country's cereals.

On 8 August 2009 the state-run broadcaster announced that fertilizer from South Africa was being transported to GMB depots for distribution. The European Commission (EC) to Zimbabwe is to provide free seed and 25 percent of the required fertilizer for about 180,000 rural farming households.

A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in July 2009 noted that "About 600,000 households will be receiving agricultural input support from non-governmental organizations and other humanitarian organizations." More than 10 NGOs pledged US$60 million to provide inputs to cover two hectares for each family.

Gasela said the US$210 million the government had set aside for inputs "sounds small to me, considering that we have around 220,000 resettled and needy farmers", but "it is bound to go a long way in addressing the problem of inputs shortages, considering that farmers will also get free inputs from other ... [sources]".

''It is a good thing that the government has decided to sell inputs to us at half the price, but it looks like the majority of farmers will have problems raising the money to buy the fertilizer and seed that we need''
Corruption

Gasela also had other concerns. "Corruption is so endemic in Zimbabwe, and there are no reasons to assume that it will go away this time around. There is a likelihood that those in influential positions, as has happened in the past, will benefit at the expense of needy and vulnerable farmers."

Thomas Sakarombe, 56, a farmer in Mazowe district, about 40km east of the capital, Harare, told IRIN he intended to put 60 hectares of his plot under maize and sorghum, but was struggling to raise a loan to buy government-subsidised inputs.

He was recipient of the fast-track land reform programme that began in 2000 and redistributed more than 4,000 white commercial farms to landless blacks.

"It is a good thing that the government has decided to sell inputs to us at half the price, but it looks like the majority of farmers will have problems raising the money to buy the fertilizer and seed that we need.

"Our farmers' unions have told us that we can raise the money for the loan from banks, but when I visited my bank I was referred from one branch to another ... The sticking point seems to be collateral, as the bank is unwilling to accept the offer letter that I have," Sakarombe said.

The government issued letters to beneficiaries of the land reform programme, conferring proof of formal occupation on the new farmers; however, the land is on a 99-year government lease and banks are reluctant to accept the land as collateral for loans.

NGOs struggle to support farmers

Fambayi Ngirande, head of communications at the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), an umbrella body for local NGOs, told IRIN that NGOs assisting farmers with inputs were encountering financial obstacles, as food security was not the only consideration.

"The NGO sector is finding it a bit difficult because of low funding levels and overwhelming demands ... There is preoccupation with meeting needs in such areas as school fees, feeding schemes for vulnerable people and the fight against cholera, especially as the rains are about to come," Ngirande said.

A cholera epidemic that lasted from August 2008 until July 2009 claimed more than 4,000 lives and afflicted nearly 100,000 other people. Humanitarian workers expect the waterborne disease to return with the rains.


irinnews

9 September 2009

Abuja — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has so far recovered over N70 billion from individuals and corporate organisations owing the five banks whose chief executives were recently sacked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The affected banks are Intercontinental Bank Plc, Oceanic International Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, FinBank, and Afribank.

EFCC's Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, told THISDAY on telephone last night that the Chief Executive Officer of Zenon Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola, was one of those who showed up with their cheques in the last few days.

Otedola paid over N3 billion last Friday to FinBank, while other recoveries were made from some other companies.

Babafemi gave a breakdown of the total amount recovered so far for the five banks, which showed that Afribank has the biggest recovery of over N24 billion.

Afribank is followed by Intercontinental Bank Plc with N15.5 billion; Oceanic Interna-tional Bank Plc with N15 billion and Union Bank with over N10 billion in that order.

Babafemi did not give the amount recovered for FinBank, saying he did not have the exact figure.

CBN had three weeks ago published the names of debtors owing the five affected banks a total of N774 billion.

EFCC then moved in picking up 68 of the debtors in a bid to recover the money.

By Wednesday last week, the commission had reportedly recovered N45 billion for the five banks. Another N21.2 billion was added to the amount last weekend.

Babafemi said the commission was not leaving any stone unturned in a bid to recover the money owed the five banks, saying EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri was committed to the task.

allafrica

8 September 2009

For the first time a Sierra Leonean is serving as acting prosecutor of the United Nations-backed Special Court trying those accused of violating international humanitarian law and national law in the civil war that tore the West African country apart between 1996 and 2001.

Appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, senior Sierra Leonean lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara took up his post today pending the naming of a new prosecutor to replace Stephen Rapp, who resigned earlier this month to become UN Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes.

Mr. Kamara, who worked for eight years as prosecutor in Sierra Leone's Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, rising to the rank of senior state counsel, joined the Special Court's Office of the Prosecutor in 2004 and was named Deputy Prosecutor a year ago. Earlier this year he was elected President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association.

Set up jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and the UN in 2002, the Court is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and national law committed in Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996.

In July, Mr. Rapp told the Security Council the Court had been ground-breaking in several respects, including the first-ever convictions on the charge of sexual slavery, both as a war crime and crime against humanity, as well as convictions on the use of child soldiers.

The Court, which normally sits in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, has completed three multiple-accused trials. A fourth trial, that of former Liberian president Charles Taylor on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, is currently under way in The Hague.

allafrica

8 September 2009

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today used the inauguration of a newly-elected president in Guinea-Bissau to pledge United Nations support to enhance peace and development in a country that has been plagued by grinding poverty and periodic bouts of civil war, coups, assassinations, and drug trafficking.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said the West African country was turning a new page in its history with the inauguration of Malam Bacai Sanhá of the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, who beat Kumba Ialá of the opposition Social Renewal Party in a run-off election in July.

The election followed the assassination of then-president João Bernardo Vieira in March. Since then a presidential candidate and a former defence minister were also killed.

"The Secretary-General reiterates the support of the United Nations for the consolidation of peace and the promotion of socio-economic development in the country," the statement said. "He is confident that, with the support of international partners, the people and leaders of Guinea-Bissau will continue their efforts to strengthen democracy and foster respect for the rule of law."

In July, Mr. Ban commended the Government, security forces, election officials and political parties for the peaceful staging of the run-off round.

allafrica

8 September 2009

The number of people hit by deadly floods across West Africa has now topped 600,000, and the heavy rains have also destroyed crops and infrastructure in a region already hard hit by poverty, the United Nations humanitarian arm reported today.

The rains that began in June have claimed nearly 160 lives, with Sierra Leone, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Niger among the countries most affected by flooding, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger, while a key hospital in Ouagadougou, the capital, of Burkina Faso, lost medicine and equipment. In the town of Agadez in Niger, almost 400 hectares of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away.

"It's a very worrisome situation that further weakens already impoverished populations," said Hervé Ludovic de Lys, head of the OCHA in West Africa.

"Natural disasters have lasting consequences that will have an impact for decades to come and take us back to square one in terms of the fight against poverty."

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing vital food supplies to over 100,000 people in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania.

Adults are being given a 15-day ration of cereals, pulses and vegetable oil, while children receive a monthly supply of food, including sugar and a nutritious corn-soya blend.

"People's lives have been turned upside-down overnight and WFP is moving as swiftly as possible to provide life-saving food assistance," said Josette Sheeran, the agency's Executive Director. "It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away, leaving them hungry and destitute."

Many of those in urgent need of help in Ouagadougou, where WFP has already reached 500,000 people since last week, were already receiving the agency's help, but those rations were lost in the floodwaters.

In Niger, WFP started providing supplies yesterday to 41,000 people, while it is planning aid distributions to some 12,000 people in Mauritania.

West Africa regularly experiences torrential rainfall during the annual wet season, and the rain can often devastate communities in a matter of hours. In 2007, for example, about 300 people died and 800,000 others were affected.

OCHA noted today that climate change is driving these natural disasters, with the region possibly paying a high human cost due to global warming. Ahead of December's UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, when nations are aiming to reach agreement on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, West African nations have been holding frequent high-level and expert meetings on the issue.

allafrica

08 Sep 2009

Colonel Qaddafi's son has said Libya will resist compensation demands from the families of IRA victims, as scandals over the event rumble on.

Seif al-Islam Qaddafi said on Monday that Libya would contest any claims for compensation over Tripoli's supply of weapons and explosives to the now-defunct Irish Republican Army (IRA).

"Anybody can knock on our door and ask for money. But you go to the court, we have lawyers," Seif told Britain's Sky News television.

His comments came a day after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown personally vetoed a campaign seeking compensation for victims of the IRA, who killed more than 1,000 people during their battle for sovereignty.

The premier found himself in hot water over his refusal, which is said to have jeopardized giant British oil deals with Libya.

In a move to quiet the raging scandals, Brown promised to set up a dedicated Foreign Office team to assist IRA victims, adding that the Tripoli embassy staff would also help them seek direct talks with Qaddafi, when they travel to Libya.

Libya has already paid 1.5 billion dollars to compensate victims of terrorism, including the Lockerbie bombing, following its normalization of ties with Washington and the West.

Britain's improving relations with Libya have come under close scrutiny after the early release of a former Libyan agent -- Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi -- convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing, in which 270 people were killed.

The 'terminally ill' Megrahi -- the only man convicted over Britain's worst terror attack -- was released from a Scottish jail on August 20 on grounds of compassion and returned to Libya.

However, official reports say that the prisoner transfer agreement was part of a wider set of negotiations aimed at advancing lucrative oil deals with the oil-rich African country.

Brown has denied the reports saying last week that "there was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, and no deal on oil" involved in Megrahi's release.

Muammar Qaddafi's influential son has meanwhile accused Britain of "disgusting behavior" over the Lockerbie case.

"They are trying to use this human tragedy for their own political agenda," he said. "It is completely immoral."

presstv

8 September 2009

LATE Local Government and Housing minister Benny Tetamashimba who died last Saturday will be buried tomorrow in Solwezi, Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has said.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the burial would be preceded by a Church service today at Lusaka's Cathedral of the Holy Cross, where mourners are expected to be seated by 09:00 hours.

"After the Church service, about noon, the body will be transported to Solwezi where it will lay in state overnight in readiness for burial the following day. "The burial arrangement will be drawn and announced by the local provincial administration," said Gen Shikapwasha.

United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema sent a message of condolences to Mr Tetamashimba's family following is death on Saturday.

Mr Hichilema said in a letter to the bereaved family that the UPND had learnt with a sense of deep sorrow the death of Mr Tetamashimba. The Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) has put off its annual conference scheduled for this week, following the death of Mr Tetamashimba.

The association expressed shock and sadness at the death of the Local Government Minister.

LGAZ president Charles Mumena said in an interview yesterday that the minister would be greatly missed because of his contribution to enhancing the performance of councils in the country.

allafrica

8 September 2009

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has said it is puzzling that former Finance minister, Ng'andu Magande's can call on Government to state its position on whether it will appeal against former president Frederick Chiluba when he knows the law.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said in Lusaka yesterday that as a former Cabinet minister, Mr Magande was aware that the Government was committed to upholding the independence of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and would not interfere with its decisions.

He said in an interview that the Government did not want to comment on former President Frederick Chiluba's acquittal because it did not want to influence the DPP's decision.

Gen Shikapwasha was reacting to Mr Magande who asked the Government to tell the nation whether it would appeal against Dr Chiluba's acquittal or not. He said the DPP was constitutionally mandated to decide on behalf of the Government on matters of appeal in cases such as that of Dr Chiluba.

"The Government does not come up with positions on matters which have something to do with the DPP. It has nothing to do with the decision on whether to appeal or not. We did not give our position on Dr Chiluba's acquittal because we did not want to sway the DPP's mind because we wanted to uphold the independence of the office," he said.

He said the Government had nothing to do with the decision on whether to appeal against any court verdict or not and urged the public, especially political leaders like Mr Magande to appreciate that fact.

Gen Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services minister, said according to the Republican Constitution, the office of the DPP was an independent entity, whose operation should not be influenced by any other office or individual.

He said it was equally puzzling that Mr Magande, who is a member of Parliament (MP) for the ruling party, could choose to rush to the media to discuss the issue when he had access to all the relevant offices including that of the DPP with whom he could have discussed the matter.

Gen Shikapwasha called on the people to take time and study what the law stipulates on various constitutional offices for them to fully understand their operations.

He said people should not politicise the office of the DPP because it was non-partisan which operated autonomously.

In another development, Gen Shikapwasha said the onus was now on Muvi TV and My TV to obey the ministerial directive to stop broadcasting the former's programmes countrywide or face sanctions.

Gen Shikapwasha said it had come to the Government's attention that My TV had entered into a contract to broadcast Muvi TV programmes nationally through its satellite broadcasting system programme by Muvi.

He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Government did not want to reach a level where it would close down a station but would not tolerate blatant disregard for the law.

He said he was not after punishing any of the organisations involved for the sake of it but that as minister, he was there to ensure that the laws were adhered to by all the stakeholders in the sec

allafrica

8 September 2009

THE Erongo Police on Friday arrested three suspects for being in possession of, and allegedly wanting to deal in, 170 kg (375 pounds) of uranium oxide (U3O8).

At the current market price of US$47,50 per pound, the confiscated material is worth about N$135 000. This is believed to be the biggest theft of uranium oxide in Namibia. In 2004, three men were arrested for the theft of about 28 kg of U3O8. Recently the police found three 500ml bottles filled with uranium oxide in a house in Arandis.

The Erongo Police Chief, Commissioner Festus Shilongo, told The Namibian that the three suspects had been under surveillance since June to establish the total number of people involved in the alleged syndicate, and their reasons for stealing U3O8 from the mines.

"We also wanted to remove this dangerous material from the community and get it back into safe storage," he said.

According to Shilongo, the suspects were allegedly on their way to sell the material for U$35 000 (N$265 000) per kg. They were stopped and arrested on the road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

"Obviously these people did not know what they were asking in relation to the actual worth of uranium on the international market," said Shilongo.

"However, because of greed and lack of information they wanted U$35 000 per kilogramme. We are therefore convinced that the purpose for their criminal activity was purely for commercial purposes."

"We request the management of the uranium mines to educate their employees and the public at large about the danger posed by this mineral, including its market value," Shilongo said.

On Sunday, Rio Tinto's Rössing Uranium Mine sent out a press statement on the incident. It said the Police had requested assistance in testing and identifying the confiscated materials, "which was done and confirmed to be radioactive material".

Rössing's management expresses concern about illegal possession of uranium and wishes to inform the general public that uranium in small quantities has no commercial value as it can only be used in overseas nuclear power reactors after the uranium has been converted, enriched, and assembled into fuel rods for nuclear power stations to generate electricity," the statement read.

The three suspects, Abraham Isack, Riaan Maasdorp and David Shindinifa, appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrate's Court yesterday before acting Magistrate Gerda Engelbrecht. The State was represented by Prosecutor Maria Shilongo.

They face a charge of dealing in uranium. All three suspects opted to be represented by a private lawyer. The case was postponed until September 17 for further investigation. The suspects were not granted bail due to the possibility of them interfering with the investigation. They remain in Police custody in Swakopmund.

Riaan Maasdorp is an employee at Rössing Uranium, Abraham Isack is a contractor at Rössing Uranium and David Shindinifa is a member of the Namibian Defence Force, according to Jerome Mutumba, Rio Tinto's RössingUranium Manager Corporate Communications & External Affairs. He told The Namibian that internal disciplinary action will be taken.

allafrica

8 September 2009

The United Nations emergency humanitarian relief wing today warned of an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea rife in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa that is threatening to continue its spread across other regions of the country.

Local health authorities reported a total of 2,330 new cases of the disease and 22 deaths between 17 and 23 August, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In response to the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has committed $30,000 for surveillance, case management and training activities, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) pledged $100,000 for training and operational costs.

UNICEF also sent 20,000 bottles of water guards to the Addis Ababa health bureau to enable the same number of households to access clean water for one month. The agency is also finalizing preparations to establish sanitation facilities in a number of areas in the coming two weeks

Meanwhile, the lack of food in many areas in eastern Ethiopia has prompted the World Food Programme (WFP) to underscore the need for an immediate and comprehensive contingency plan to feed the vulnerable people, especially given the prospect of poor food production in the coming months.

allafrica

8 September 2009

Kampala — The discovery of vast reserves of oil in western Uganda has sparked widespread conflict over land ownership, as ethnic groups in the region vie for a share in the wealth.

Uganda's energy ministry says that two billion barrels of oil have so far been discovered in the Bunyoro area, but predicts that this could rise to as much as six billion over the next few years.

This would put the country on the same footing as neighbouring Sudan, which has the fifth-largest proven oil reserves of any country in Africa.

The find has been made in exploration areas near Lake Albert by British independent operator Tullow Oil and Canada's Heritage Oil. Press reports say the companies are looking for bigger partners to cooperate on exploitation and building a pipeline to Mombasa, Kenya, that would be needed for any exports.

Tribal disputes have largely occurred between the indigenous Banyoro tribe and the Bakiga, who are relative newcomers to the area.

The Bakiga, sometimes disparagingly referred to as Bafuruki (meaning illegal immigrants), are thought to have arrived in Uganda from Rwanda.

Although there has probably been a Bakiga presence in the area for hundreds of years, their numbers rose significantly after the Second World War due to a series of resettlement schemes that promised the Bakiga people a better life.

Numbers swelled further in the early 1990s, when many tribal members fled to Uganda to escape persecution in Rwanda.

At the heart of current tensions lies a dispute over whether or not the Bakiga settled in the region legally.

The discovery of oil in the region has given greater importance to the issue of land ownership, which has coloured the history of the two tribes in the region for many years.

Uganda does not have a previous history of oil production, but distribution of the oil wealth will probably be defined according to the Mining Act, which was amended in 2003.

Under this legislation, the largest share (80 per cent) of revenue from minerals mined in the country goes to the central government. The remaining 20 per cent is split between local government (17 per cent) and landowners (three per cent).

Davis Rwamungu, the youth chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement, NRM, in Bunyoro, says that it is important to accurately map out land ownership in the region so that officials can remove illegal occupants

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, says that it is unfair for the Bakiga to enjoy a large share of the oil revenue, since they are only tenants on the land.

"We are very angry because the government is compensating the Bakiga, who are here as immigrants, leaving the indigenous Banyoro suffering," the resident said.

He added that the Banyoro have been very accommodating of immigrants to the region, providing refuge for people from northern Uganda who have been displaced by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army.

Rwamungu maintains that the Banyoro have a history of being cheated out of their land rights.

He says that land was taken away from the tribe as a punishment for the support they gave to the anti-colonialist movement and that successive governments - including the current administration of President Yoweri Museveni - have done nothing to sort out the problem.

A particular grievance is the distribution, by the British when Uganda was a colony, of the land of Buyaga and Bugangaizi counties to the Buganda people of the region.

A 1964 referendum agreed to reunite these counties with the Bunyoro region, but Rwamungu complains that the result of the referendum was never fully implemented, and that the land that had been stolen was never returned.

Rwamungu fears that history may be repeating itself and that, once again, the Banyoro will lose out to government policy.

"We want the issue of revenues to be sorted out before any production kicks off to avoid any further bloodshed," he said. "We cannot be cheated on our land."

In a bid to counter Banyoro discontent, Museveni has suggested "ring-fencing" key political positions in local government for ethnic Banyoro but this has caused uproar from people of the region from other tribes.

"It's our constitutional right to participate in politics of this country," said Haidah Nawanje, a resident of Hoima town and member of the Bakiga tribe. "We shall work hard to ensure that our dreams come true. Nobody, not even the president, should neglect our needs in Bunyoro. This land was provided to us freely by God and we must share it."

Nawanje says that the government's attempts to resolve the tribal wrangling in the region could mean non-Banyoro groups are squeezed out of participation in the oil revenues.

Barnabas Tinkasiimire, member of parliament for Buyaga county, says that it is unfair for the government to seek to constrain certain ethnic groups politically.

He points out that, under the national constitution, all Ugandans should enjoy the same rights and privileges of citizenship in whatever part of the country they live.

"It makes no sense to say that a Ugandan can become an immigrant in his own country," said Tinkasiimire.

However, Dr Beatrice Wabudeya, a minister for the presidency, defends the government's position, arguing that critics in the region have deliberately misinterpreted the proposal in order to stoke ethnic tensions.

She told IWPR that time would tell who is behind the Bunyoro crisis.

The presidential spokesman, Tamale Mirundi, said that the president had been brave enough to present a proposal on a very complex crisis.

He said that Museveni's proposals came amid concerns that some ethnic Bakiga had taken over vast tracts of productive Banyoro land, rendering them "slaves on their own land".

"The president wanted to find the root cause of the problem and a solution to it," Mirundi told IWPR by phone. "The critics are ignorant and do not understand the president's intent."

The Ugandan government says that it hopes oil production in the region will start by 2011, although the peak flow of 150,000 barrels a day may not be reached until 2015.

The imminence of large-scale oil drilling makes resolving the ethnic disputes in the area all the more urgent.

There is a fear that, unless an agreement is reached that is satisfactory to all parties, war and suffering could descend upon a region that has enjoyed decades of relative peace.

Solomon Gafabusa Iguru, the Omukama (king) of the Bunyoro region, told IWPR that they have been holding meetings to find a lasting solution to the conflict.

"We don't want this confusion to escalate because it will result in serious bloodshed," he said.

Bill Oketch is an IWPR-trained reporter.

allafrica

8 September 2009

Harare — DEFIANT Monomotapa are scheduled to fly out to Tunisia tonight for their make-or-break Champions League Group B encounter against Etoile du Sahel in Sousse on Saturday night.

After showing so much promise in the competition, Monoz have lost their way with the modest Harare side now needing more than just their own results to secure a semi-final berth.

Monoz got off to a blistering start to their Group B campaign when upstaging Etoile Du Sahel with a 2-1 win over the 2007 winners at Rufaro.

Sadly for Monoz, the victory at Rufaro remains their only triumph in Group B, as they went on to lose their next three games against Heartland of Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo giants TP Mazembe twice.

Those three straight defeats, especially their 5-0 humiliation by Mazembe in Lumbumbashi, have left Rodwell Dhlakama's men teetering on the brink of elimination from a possible semi-final slot.

Tonight Monoz will fly out to Tunisia via Johannesburg, South Africa, and Cairo in Egypt, knowing that anything short of victory will also mean that they would need to beat second-placed Heartland by a bigger margin at Rufaro in their last game.

Defeat in Sousse will also mean that Monoz's last group match would be of academic interest. Dhlakama yesterday made few changes to his squad when naming the final travelling party.

Former CAPS United striker Tendai Gwata, who came on as a second half substitute in the 2-0 defeat to TP Mazembe, has been left out so has former Chapungu goalkeeper Jorum Muchambo, who makes way for Tapiwa Mafunga.

But with the technical department likely to retain faith in Mangove, Mafunga, who joined from the now defunct Eastern Lions, might have to contend with a place on the bench.

Fidelis Mangezi, who has been struggling with his game at right back, has also been left out with the hard-working Tapiwa Khumbuyani -- who had a good game against Underhill in the 3-0 Premiership win over the Beitbridge outfit -- forcing his way into the reckoning.

Khumbuyani, who arrived from Chapungu at the start of the year, was included in the 24-member delegation released by club treasurer Bhekithemba "Far" Ndlovu yesterday.

Dhlakama has, however, kept the core of the side that has regularly done duty in this competition with the talented Darryl Nyandoro, roving midfielder Asani Nhongo, and the influential trio of Daniel Kamunenga, Daniel Zokoto and Charles Chiutsa available for selection.

The Monoz coach will also be hoping that his charges will continue with the scoring form they have shown in the domestic league in the last week. After struggling with their game for much of the season, Monoz fired six goals in two games inside a week.

They first crushed Njube Sundowns 3-1 at Rufaro last Wednesday before thumping Underhill 3-0 at Dzivaresekwa on Sunday. Dhlakama will also be happy to note that newboy Tawanda Nyamandwe has finally found his range at Monoz.

Nyamandwe, who joined Monoz from Kiglon just before the start of the mini-league campaign, broke his goal duck in the victory over Sundowns before finding the target again with the third goal in their triumph over Underhill.

Chiutsa also remembered how to score when grabbing a brace that set the tone for Monoz's victory over Underhill.

Monomotapa delegation:

Team:

G. Mangove, T. Khumbuyani, O. Mushure, L. Simango, V. Chitema, M. Maphosa, C. Semakwere, D. Zokoto, C. Chiutsa, D. Kamunenga, T. Nyamandwe, D. Nyandoro, A. Nhongo, L. Mdluli, A. Chimusaru, B. Mapfumo, T. Mafunga, T. Samanja.

Technical: R. Dhlakama (coach), T. Mangwiro, (assistant coach); C. Munemo (team manager); L. Maungwa (medic).

Officials: D. Makombe, O. Makwengura (head of delegation).

allafrica

08 Sep 2009

The Sudanese Union of Journalists has secured the release of a female reporter jailed over refusing to pay a fine for wearing "indecent" trousers in public.

Lubna Ahmed Hussein was freed on Tuesday after spending a day in detention. The union paid fine, the equivalent of $200, amid international outcry over the arrest of a dozen women in a restaurant for breaking decency laws.

A court ruling on Monday found the journalist guilty but spared her the punishment of 40 lashes, the customary punishment in Sudan for clothing deemed indecent.

The former UN media officer was arrested along with 12 other women in July in a restaurant in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, for wearing a pair of green slacks. She appeared at a Khartoum court attired in the same pair.

Ten of the women have since been subjected to floggings by police.

Hussein has resigned from her UN post to stand trial and remains defiant over the charges, vowing to appeal the sentence.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday condemned the sentencing as a breach of international law and fair trials noting that the problem went deeper.

UN spokesman Rupert Colville said another concern was the possible arbitrary nature of arrests, since "the criminal code does not define what constitutes indecent dress and leaves wide discretion to police officers."


presstv

8 September 2009

Lagos — Tunisian Carthage Eagles coach, Paulo Coelho, has told Nigerians to erase any hope of picking the sole group B ticket for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

He said this after playing 2-2 with Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

According to him, Mozambique and Kenya cannot stop their ambition of a fifth World Cup consecutive appearance, hinting that they are no threats.

The coach, who said picking a point in Abuja was all the team needed to qualify for the World Cup, added that Super Eagles lacked concentration, while saying that their next opponent in the World Cup qualifiers are no threat.

"Super Eagles has always been the stumbling block. If we can beat or hold them in Nigeria, then, we will make it to next World Cup" the coach said, adding, "with the outcome of this encounter with Nigeria on Sunday, we will defiantly make it to the World Cup," the coach boasted.

While saying no country in the group would be underrated in their quest to hit South Africa World Cup, Coelho said the friendly encounter with Cote D'ivoire before the match and the good camping facility in Sousse, helped them prepare well for the Abuja qualifier.

He also said other friendlies are being planned before their match with Kenya on October 30.

Tunisia will host the Harambes Stars in Tunis, while Nigeria will be home to Mozambique Mambas.

The last of the qualifiers will hold on November 14, when Tunisia will travel to Maputo with Nigeria being guest of Kenya in Nairobi.

allafrica

8 September 2009

Lagos — Libya has commenced massive deportation of Nigerians in the last five days, THISDAY has learnt. The deportees, who were seen walking in droves along Airport road towards the Domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, condemned the Libyan government for shabby treatment and also the Federal Government for its insensitivity to their plights.

As at the last count, over 600 Nigerians had been so far deported from Libya.

Some of the deportees, who volunteered to speak with THISDAY under condition of anonymity, explained that the security officials treated them as slaves.

"We were beaten like animals; treated like outcasts; and condemned to death even before any proper prosecution process could take place. More than 200 of us were packed inside a room like frozen fish," one said.

The deportees who were described as "illegal immigrants" by the Libyan authorities are mainly from Zamwia-Zamzu prison in Tripoli. After months of detention in this prison, the Libyan authorities moved these illegal immigrants to Zahba Camp.

"We were given the option to voluntarily buy our air tickets and return to Nigeria. But some of us who don't have money were given free tickets and deported to Nigeria. Each day since September 1, 2009 the Libyan authorities have been deporting 140 people from Zahba Camp alone. The camp houses both Nigerians and non-Nigerians already condemned by the Libyan authorities over issues bordering on illegal immigration," another deportee said.

When asked to describe the shabby treatment meted out to them by Libyan security officials, one of the deportees said: "We were lucky to be alive. We were beaten, treated like slaves, but we thank God that we were not summarily executed. Many Nigerians have been so killed and as we are talking many will still be killed."

But when told that the Federal Government of Nigeria had come out to deny the allegation of summary execution of Nigerians by Libyan security officials, a young deportee angrily said: "Nigeria is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians in Libya. The government most especially Nigerian government officials in Libya can only live in denial. But I tell you conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal. As a graduate, if our government has really provided us with the enabling environment to realise my dreams, I wouldn't have become a victim of Libya's illegal immigrants. It is true that we have thousands of Nigerians who are caught while trying to escape to Europe through this route. Nobody can deny that. The worry is the brutal way Nigerians are executed like fowls. We were being constantly reminded by Libyan security agents that they don't need foreigners to develop their land. There are still many Nigerians languishing in Libyan prisons."

When a call was put through to a Nigerian lady currently detained in Jadida Prison in Tripoli, she admitted the harrowing experience they are going through. "We are more than 100 in a very small room. Other Nigerians have been moved to our prison. We were asked to wait. So we hope to be deported to Nigeria by tomorrow Sunday or next. We have suffered enough. Regardless of the business you have come to do in Libya, the authorities see you simply as illegal immigrant that must be crushed," she said.

allafrica

8 September 2009

The head of the United Nations refugee agency today kicked off a five-day tour to North Africa to assess the conditions for people still sheltering in makeshift camps in Algeria after fleeing conflict in Western Sahara in the mid-1970s.

UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has been providing assistance to the Saharawi people since they fled to western Algeria in 1975-76, after fighting broke out between Morocco and the Frente Polisario - a Saharawi movement - at the end of Spain's colonial administration of Western Sahara.

Morocco has since presented a plan for autonomy, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the territory's final status should be decided in a referendum on self-determination that includes independence as an option.

António Guterres' mission to the camps - which takes place during the month of Ramadan - is the first visit from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees since 1976, and is meant as a sign of solidarity with the populations in the area, UNHCR spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, told reporters in Geneva.

Mr. Guterres is slated to visit Western Sahara and Morocco, as well as the refugee camps in western Algeria to observe the humanitarian work carried out by UNHCR.

Among the programmes Mr. Guterres will review is a scheme aimed at alleviating the effects of prolonged separation between the Saharawi refugees in the camps and their families in Western Sahara by helping arrange family visits and providing a free telephone service in the camps.

During meetings with top Government officials in Algeria and Morocco, Mr. Guterres plans to discuss the issue of refugee protection in North Africa and efforts to build national asylum systems.

allafrica

8 September 2009

Kenya recently completed a controversial census that enquired into, among other things, the ethnicity of its citizens. For Kenya's Human Rights Commission and other organisations, probing ethnic origins poured salt on fresh wounds, even though for minority groups such as the Ogiek people, reliable statistics on their numbers would help policymakers develop relevant solutions to the Ogiek's often obscure needs as a hunter-gatherer community. However, the furore over this one part of the census questionnaire obscures a more important subject – Kenya's persistent inequality.

The census came 18 months after Kenya had erupted into a spate of violence that claimed nearly 1,200 lives and left hundreds of thousands of people without homes. The clashes were ostensibly a response to a disputed election result, but the tenor of the violence exposed the ethnic tensions that have simmered beneath the surface of Kenyan politics for decades. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) mission to the country in 2006 had predicted that ethnic conflict would compromise Kenya's longstanding reputation as a bastion of stability in a neighbourhood prone to political and social unrest.

Not only does any discussion of ethnicity still strike a raw nerve among Kenyans eager to shed the unwelcome image of their country as a hotchpotch of warring tribes; they are worried that census results could be wrongfully manipulated by the ruling elite in order to exploit ethnic divisions during the next election, scheduled for 2012. The Human Rights Commission, among others, called upon the public to respond to the ethnic question in the census by identifying themselves only as "Kenyan".

Given that ethnic conflict is still fresh in the memories of most Kenyans, it is unsurprising that ethnicity is still such a sensitive subject. Yet what seems to have been glossed over in the recent debate is any discussion of Kenya's most pressing problem – economic and other forms of inequality – and the capacity of a well-run census to provide the data which will help the country address the issue.

For Duncan Okello, executive director of Nairobi's Society for International Development (SID), inequality is Kenya's true Achilles heel, and has not received the attention it deserves. On the contrary, he says discussion about inequality has fallen foul of what he calls a "conspiracy of silence."

As the SID points out, statistics already available have exposed gaping inequality on several levels. The country's top 10 percent of households earn 42 percent of its total income, while the bottom 10 percent earn less than one percent of income.

More worryingly, life expectancy and access to health services, childhood mortality and other critical social services are markedly unequal across gender and regional lines. Kenyans living in the southwest province of Nyanza can expect on average to die 19 years earlier than their counterparts in the Central province. Nationally, about 20,700 Kenyans share one doctor but in the North Eastern province the doctor-patient ratio is 120,000 to one.

While Kenya has managed to establish itself as one of a few countries to invest successfully in HIV/Aids treatment – before the displacement of caused by the December 2007 post-election violence – wide disparities in income make access much more difficult for the poor. Those hit hardest live on an average salary of 15,000 Kenyan shillings, or about U.S. $200 dollars per year – a very small amount on which to manage effectively the treatment and lifestyle required to cope with the disease, according to Kenya's National Aids Control Council.

To its credit, the Kenyan government has placed the creation of wealth and the bridging of inequality at the centre of its "Vision 2030" national development strategy. Encouragingly, the country is committed to implementing a wide array of reforms through its National Programme of Action under the APRM.

But the debate over the controversial census question on ethnicity suggests that much still needs to be done to elevate the discussion over what is arguably Kenya's most crucial challenge – bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. African countries which support Kenya's quest for sustainable solutions to its problems should not only provide support for the coalition government which was established after the post-election violence, but hold it accountable for the implementation of its Programme of Action.

George Katito is a researcher on the Governance and African Peer Review Mechanism Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs.

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Hassna Qassim with her grandchildren outside their hut at an IDP camp in Jowhar

JOWHAR, 8 September 2009 (IRIN) - If she is lucky, Hassna Qassim, 58, returns at the end of the day to her makeshift shelter in a camp for the displaced with 1kg of rice to share with her five grandchildren. Qassim is one of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) struggling to survive under extremely difficult circumstances in the Somali town of Jowhar, 90km north of the capital, Mogadishu. When her daughter abandoned the children a year ago, Qassim took on the task of caring for them. Her oldest grandchild is eight while the youngest is 18 months old, yet she has to leave them alone for long hours every day. Qassim spoke to IRIN on 8 September:

"We used to live in Shiirkole area [south Mogadishu] but when the Ethiopians [soldiers deployed in the country to assist the federal government] came, it became one of the most dangerous places in Mogadishu; there was fighting every day. It became impossible to stay.

"The road to Jowhar was the closest to us, so we took it and came here.

"I don’t know what happened to my daughter but she just left them [the children]. Now I have to take care of them. I don’t have anything to give them so every day I have to leave them and look for work.

"I don’t like leaving them but I have no choice if I am to find food for us. I either leave them and look for work or we starve. The eight-year-old looks after the others.

"I go to town every day. Sometimes I wash people's clothes. If I can't find any work, I collect grass and sell it to livestock owners.

"Most days I find enough for the night's meal. I cannot remember the last time we had more than one meal a day.

"But there are nights when I put the children to sleep with nothing. In the last two weeks, a Somali man in Galkayo, who heard about us, sent me US$100. I have never seen $100 before but it was a Godsend. The last two weeks the children have been eating every day.

"But life is often very hard and is not getting any better. It seems every year things are getting worse. Just when I think that things will improve, they get worse.

"My grandchildren have never known peace and they may never know it. All I can do is pray and hope that peace will come so we can return to our homes and lives."


irinnews

8 September 2009

Kinshasa — THE Sadc Council of Ministers shot down attempts by some lobbyists to have Zimbabwe on the agenda of the Heads of State and Government Summit that opened here yesterday with member-states saying the region was faced with more pressing issues than discussing the "staffing situation in Zimbabwe".

The summit agenda is essentially set by Foreign Affairs Ministers sitting as the Council of Ministers, who met this past weekend to review recommendations made by committees of experts who, in turn, converged here last week.

Officials from at least three countries yesterday revealed that Sadc member-states generally felt that the situation in Madagascar -- which was said to be on the verge of forming a transitional government -- was more urgent than a review of the Global Political Agreement and the inclusive Government in Zimbabwe.

"Zimbabwe will most likely not be a main agenda item. Yes, the Heads of State (and Government) will receive a brief from ex-Sadc chair President (Jacob) Zuma (of South Africa) and from your own President, but it seems this will not be within the context of the main agenda but as 'any other business'.

"The situation in Madagascar is more urgent. We don't feel we as Sadc should act as a staffing officer who determines who should occupy which office in your administration. You will have to sort that out yourselves with the full knowledge of our collective goodwill," said an Angolan minister after the official opening.

In a separate interview, an official from Namibia's delegation added: "The most pressing issue from a peace and security perspective was that we wanted the (Global Political) Agreement signed and the unity Government created. It is there now and the people of Zimbabwe must learn to resolve other internal issues without running to their neighbours all the time."

A South African delegate to the summit said their country was not pleased by the "attempts to lobby other countries ahead of Cde Zuma's briefing" as this made it appear that elements within Zimbabwe's inclusive Government did not trust him.

"The general feeling right now is that the attempt to lobby individual Sadc members as if Cde Zuma's briefing is already public reflects distrust. President Zuma has been in close contact with what has been happening in Zimbabwe.

"Sending a non-government delegation to lobby against a Sadc president at a Sadc summit means that these people don't trust Cde Zuma's integrity and they have not done themselves any favours by this. They are shooting themselves in the foot," he said.

Information doing the rounds at the African Union City -- the summit venue -- was that MDC-T has sent a delegation here to lobby Sadc leaders to take a hardline stance against President Mugabe and Zanu-PF over the implementation of the GPA.

It was also intimated by two reliable Sadc secretariat sources that MDC-T had lobbied hard, albeit unsuccessfully, for the summit to be moved from the DRC to -- "most likely" -- Botswana because the party "does not trust President Kabila".

"What they told some very senior colleagues of ours in the secretariat was that the DRC did not have the technical capacity to host the summit. The idea is that, we believe, they didn't want President Kabila to chair Sadc because they feel

he is too close to President Mugabe because Zimbabwe sacrificed a lot for the DRC. But then as a secretariat we are not dictated to by mere political parties and even President Mugabe's party cannot determine who will host the next summit," they said.

At the time of writing, it was understood that President Mugabe -- who is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces -- would brief his colleagues on the progress of the GPA and how best to follow up pledges made by fellow Sadc leaders to assist the country when they met in Swaziland earlier this year.

On the issue of the Sadc Tribunal, The Herald understands that the summit would be brought up to speed on the opposing arguments surrounding the contested legality of the court but would in all likelihood thereafter refer the matter back to regional Justice Ministers and Attorneys-General to thrash out the technical issues.

In his welcome remarks at the official opening of the summit here yesterday, host President and new Sadc chair, Joseph Kabila thanked Sadc member states -- led by Zimbabwe -- who contributed troops to safeguard his country's territorial integrity after it was besieged by Western-backed rebel forces from Uganda and Rwanda.

The DRC operation code-named Operation Sovereign Legitimacy, was spearheaded by Zimbabwe in its capacity as chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.

President Kabila lauded the intervention of the Sadc contingent -- in which Zimbabwe had the largest deployment of troops and equipment -- saying such unity augured well for Southern Africa's development.

He urged the regional bloc to build from its past achievements to foster greater regional development through unity of purpose.

"We will always be grateful to Sadc members who deployed troops to defend our territorial integrity in our time of need."

He reiterated these remarks in his acceptance speech after taking over the Sadc chairmanship from President Zuma.

In reference to the political challenges facing various member states, President Kabila said: "We have been there before and faced similar challenges. We owe it to the support of Sadc member states for the stability we enjoy today.

"We hope that we can still count on your solidarity in this time of consolidation of our peace because a peaceful DRC is important for the Southern Africa region . . . I am happy that in Zimbabwe you have signed an agreement and formed a unity government. I encourage you to implement this agreement."

Congolese musicians emphasised this message by performing a song in which they sang the praises of the countries that had sent soldiers to sacrifice life and limb in the DRC, while also thanking President Kabila for his fortitude in the face of the strife of the past decade.

In his farewell address, President Zuma appeared to borrow from the words of one of his predecessors, Cde Thabo Mbeki, when he was accepting the chairmanship of the bloc in Sandton last year, by reminding Sadc that it was the progeny of the Frontline States and must draw from this rich past to engender greater unity for development and enhanced regional integration.

"We are built on a solid foundation and therefore cannot fail in our mission of people-oriented development. We should build on the achievements of the past for the economic and social development of our people."

He said Africa had not played a part in the triggering of the current international economic meltdown but was suffering from it acutely all the same, and there was need for the region to create more mutually beneficial ties with the South instead of concentrating unduly on the North.

Zambia's President Rupiah Banda, representing the outgoing Sadc Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security, said the summit presented an excellent opportunity to review the bloc's operations and chart a sustainable way forward.

"Although the achievements we have made in the past 29 years are commendable, we have here an opportunity to energise and emphasise the importance of regional integration to improve the welfare of Sadc citizens.

"We are still faced with the daunting challenge of eradicating poverty . . . The prospects of mobilising resources from the West are doubtful in the present global financial crisis and there is an urgent need to intensify the mobilisation of domestic resources," he said.

Nine heads of state and government from the DRC, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia are here for the summit that ends today.

Apart from peace and security matters, Sadc leaders will also be seized with the global financial crisis, food security, climate change and how to speed up regional economic integration.

President Mugabe is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, his Justice and Legal Affairs counterpart Patrick Chinamasa and several senior Government officials.

allafrica

8 September 2009

Kigali — The Japanese government under its 'Non-Project Grant Aid' (NPGA) initiative has given Rwanda Rwf 3 billion (600 million Yen) grant to be spent in areas that government deems a priority within the national budget.

Receiving the grant on behalf of government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminali expressed gratitude for the excellent relations that exist between the two countries.

In the past, a similar form of grant was used by the government to replenish her strategic fuel reserves. The money is not tagged to any specific expenditure program but instead goes straight to the national budget.

"It is our sincere hope that this Non-Project Grant Aid will contribute towards realization of Rwanda's development goals," Ambassador Shigeo Iwatani, Japan's envoy to Rwanda said.

The last NPGA grant was disbursed in 2007 and it was used in the rehabilitation of Kigali Institute of Science and Technology and Tumba College of Technology.

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