20100418
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HARARE (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe on Sunday urged Zimbabweans to end political violence and focus on rebuilding a devastated economy that critics say is a victim of his three decades in power.

Addressing a rally to mark 30 years of independence from Britain, Mugabe said Zimbabwe would pursue its controversial land seizure policy and plans to transfer control of foreign firms to locals as part of a black empowerment drive.

In a fairly mild speech by his strident standards, Mugabe, now 86, denounced Britain, the United States and other Western countries for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwean leaders over charges of vote rigging and rights abuses.

But there was none of the usual name-calling in what has become a traditional attack on what he sees as imperialist forces.

In a conciliatory message to his domestic political opponents, Mugabe urged Zimbabweans to stop inter-party violence which local rights groups invariably blame on militant supporters of the president's ZANU-PF party bent on destroying the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

"Your leadership in the inclusive government urges you to desist from any acts of violence that will cause harm to others and become a blight on our society," he said at a rally attended by about 30,000 people.

BICKERING

Mugabe -- who spearheaded a guerrilla war against white minority rule in the then Rhodesia -- denies accusations that he has hung onto power over the last 10 years through violence and vote rigging.

On Sunday, the veteran leader called on people to support a constitutional reform program intended to lead to free and fair elections by 2013. But critics say his ZANU-PF is stalling the process to buy time to reorganize the party.

Mugabe was last year forced into a power-sharing government with Tsvangirai after a political crisis sparked by the disputed general election in 2008.

Although ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai's MDC continue to bicker over the pace of reforms and appointments of senior state officials, Mugabe said on Sunday the power-sharing deal was working and the country was focused on the economy.

"Many of the key provisions of the global political agreement which is the maker of our inclusive government, have been and continue to be in the process of being fulfilled."

Despite criticism that the move will damage the economy and discourage foreign investment, Mugabe said he was pressing on with plans to transfer 51 percent of shareholdings in foreign companies over the next five years to black Zimbabweans after a decade of seizing and transferring white-owned farms to blacks.

"The economic empowerment policies are chiefly designed to redress the historic imbalances in the ownership of the economy," he said.

Tsvangirai and members of his MDC executive -- who have criticized the new policy -- attended the rally and his MDC supporters in the crowd cheered when Mugabe acknowledged the presence of his arch rival.

The aging president, who says he will run again for office if his party nominates him, said although the national economy was in a bad shape, Zimbabweans should celebrate their freedom and remain vigilant against incorrigible racism.

"No challenge or hardship can overcome our sense of freedom, independence and sovereignty," he said.

20100418
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President Robert Mugabe on Sunday issued an unprecedented appeal for an end to politically and racially driven violence in Zimbabwe, as the nation marked 30 years of independence.

"The leadership of the inclusive government urges you to desist from any acts of violence that will cause harm to others and become a blight on our society," he told a ceremony in Harare marking the anniversary.

"As Zimbabweans, we need to foster an environment of tolerance and treating each other with dignity and respect irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, tribe, political or religious affiliation."

It was the first time Mugabe had ever issued such a call for non-violence, in a nation that has been wracked by political turmoil through much of its recent history.

Traffic jams clogged the streets around the National Sports Stadium as Zimbabweans gathered by the thousands for Sunday's celebrations, including township residents bused in early in the morning.

The stadium was decked out in Zimbabwean flags, but participants wore normal street clothes after a warning earlier in the week that political gear and party regalia would not be allowed.

It is the second year running that Zimbabweans across the political divide have joined in the commemorations, which in previous years had turned into rallies for Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Mugabe -- who at 86 is Africa's oldest leader -- delivered his speech as his rival in the power-sharing government, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, looked on.

Fanuel Chikwakwaire, a jobless 30-year-old from Glen View township, called for a change in leadership after three decades that have seen Mugabe dominate the political landscape.

"On this day I am hoping for change, especially for the president," Chikwakwaire told AFP at Sunday's ceremony. "He is not going to go on and on. The talks must end now so we can vote."

Mugabe, a former guerrilla leader, was hailed as a hero when he led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980 from the white-minority Rhodesian regime.

He invested in clinics and schools and made Zimbabwe a regional model of economic stability.

But now the the country needs food aid for most of its rural population, the result of a spectacular economic collapse through which Mugabe retained a stranglehold on the presidency.

Mugabe fell out with his Western allies following land reforms in 2000 that saw militant ZANU-PF members seize land from white commercial farmers.

The ensuing chaos undermined the agriculture-backed economy, which shrank to half its 1980 size. The Zimbabwean dollar went into free-fall, with hyperinflation spiralling to the point that prices doubled every day.

Western sanctions, including an asset freeze on Mugabe and his circle, were imposed after 2002 elections that observers said were rigged.

The government put itself in isolation, expelling foreign journalists, demonising the former colonial power and straining an already touchy relationship with the West.

In 2008, the end seemed near for Mugabe as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won a majority in parliament.

But MDC leader Tsvangirai withdrew from the presidential run-off election, citing violence against supporters. Mugabe hung on through months of talks to remain president in a power-sharing deal.

The unity government with Tsvangirai has restored some stability to the economy by ditching the former currency.

But the on-again, off-again partnership has also been bogged down in haggling over the allocation of key political posts.

The unity government is supposed to pave the way to fresh elections, but a date for new polls has not been set.

20100418
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said Sunday he hopes his country's tourism industry will get a boost from the football World Cup in neighbouring South Africa.

"With the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, it is government's hope that tourism will receive another boost for its total recovery towards being a major contributor to the country's economic growth," Mugabe told thousands of Zimbabweans gathered at the National Sports Stadium for the country's 30th independence celebrations.

He said Zimbabwe's tourism industry is showing signs of recovery.

"In 2009 the sector generated an estimated amount of 522 million dollars, contributing 6.5 percent to the gross domestic product," Mugabe said.

The southern African country is expecting to host some 100,000 foreign nationals during the month-long World Cup, mostly South Africans looking to escape the drama surrounding the tournament.

Zimbabwe's tourism industry has taken a beating as a result of the country's ongoing political and economic woes.

Tourist arrivals plunged from 1.4 million in 2000 to 223,000 in 2008, as several countries in Asia and the West issued travel warnings against going to Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean government has said it hopes to cash in on South African visitors who have no interest in sport and those who are renting their homes to foreign visitors.

South Africa is expecting hundreds of thousands of foreign football fans for Africa's first World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 11.

20100418
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Sudan's first multi-party election in more than two decades is an example other African and Arab countries can follow despite some deficiencies, observers from the Arab League said on Sunday.

"The elections did not meet international standards but they are a big step forward compared to other countries in the region," head of mission Salah Halima told reporters in Khartoum.

"They were an achievement despite the deficiencies," he said. "There was no evidence of fraud, but there were deficiencies and mistakes. These mistakes however do not greatly affect the results."

The Arab League sent a mission of 50 observers to oversee Sudan's presidential, legislative and local polls, a five-day process which ended on Thursday.

The Carter Center headed by former US president Jimmy Carter, with 70 observers, and 130 observers from the European Union agreed that the vote failed to reach international standards but did pave the way for a democratic transformation in Africa's largest country.

"There is a consensus among international observers to say that what happened in Sudan is better than what has taken place in other African countries... We want Sudan to be an example for other African and Arab countries," Halima said.

"If the elections did not meet all the international standards, it does not minimise the experience of democratic transformation for Sudan.

"The Sudanese government has opened up space of democracy and we must make the most of it."

The elections are likely to see the re-election of President Omar al-Beshir, who came to power in a military coup in 1989, but they were marred by a boycott of the opposition and logistical problems.

20100418
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Moving away from aggressive reform campaign, US cuts aid, hitting Egypt's democracy groups

President Barack Obama has dramatically cut funds to promote democracy in Egypt, a shift that could affect everything from anti-corruption programs to the monitoring of elections.

Washington's cuts over the past year amounting to around 50 percent have drawn accusations that the Obama administration is easing off reform pressure on the autocratic government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to ensure its support on Mideast policy, including the peace process with Israel.

"Obama wants change that won't make the Egyptian government angry," said Ahmed Samih, head of a Cairo-based organization that in 2005 used U.S. funds to monitor parliament elections. "And in the Egyptian context, that means there will be no change."

In a statement to The Associated Press, USAID Washington's main international aid agency said, "the United States is committed to the promotion of democracy and human rights and the development of civil society in Egypt." It said the cuts came as Washington was drawing down nonmilitary aid to Egypt in general over recent years.

The administration has made similar cuts in democracy aid to Jordan, another U.S. ally.

The policy in part reflects a change in focus, with more development and economic aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It also reflects how Obama has moved away from his predecessor George W. Bush's aggressive push to democratize the regimes of the Middle East.

Egypt was the centerpiece of the Bush policy, straining U.S. ties with Mubarak though by the end of the Bush administration, the American reform push had already seemed to fall by the wayside.

The democracy cuts for Egypt are "of particular concern as the environment there becomes increasingly restricted as evidenced by recent crackdowns against political activists, bloggers, and journalists," the U.S.-based democracy watchdog Freedom House said in a report released Friday.

Egypt has been one of the top recipients of U.S. foreign aid ever since it became the first Arab country to sign a peace accord with Israel, in 1979. The aid was as high as $2 billion a year in the past, including $1.3 billion in funds for Egypt's military. But since the Bush administration, Washington has been reducing the nonmilitary part of the package.

This year's aid, like last year's, is $1.55 billion, including $250 million in nonmilitary aid.

In 2008, the Bush administration dedicated around $45 million of that to programs for "Governing Justly and Democratically." A portion directly funded non-governmental organizations known as "civil society" groups that carry out independent programs to promote human rights, hold the government accountable and promote reform.

For the 2009 budget, the Bush administration dedicated the same amount. But when it came to office, the Obama administration rearranged the funds, with only $20 million put to the democracy program, moving the difference to strictly economic projects, according to State Department reports to Congress. It has laid out slightly higher funds, $25 million, for the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years.

It has also imposed new rules barring USAID money to unregistered groups, both Egyptian and international. Many groups do not register with the Egyptian government because they fear pressure and interference.

USAID said funds from other American agencies continue to go to unregistered groups, and cited the "constrained budget environment."

But the amount is reduced from $10 million in 2008 to around $2.6 million now, according to a report by the Project on Mideast Democracy, a Washington-based group that studied the budget.

Freedom House warned that the new rules are "essentially giving the Egyptian Government veto power over who receives funding from USAID."

The changes come at a murky time for Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation. Presidential elections are due in 2011, but the recent illness of the 81-year-old Mubarak has raised questions about whether he will run. Mubarak does not have a clear successor.

Past elections have been notorious for reports of widespread rigging to ensure ruling party victories.

Samih was unable to apply to USAID for funds to monitor upcoming parliamentary elections in November. He was also rejected for funds for another project Radio Horytna (Our Freedom Radio), Egypt's first youth-run online radio station.

The Egyptian Center for Human Rights was turned down for $300,000 from USAID to monitor elections for parliament's upper house last year, said its director, Safwat Girgis. He turned to one of the American agencies authorized to fund unregistered groups, but was told it does not deal with election monitoring.

USAID also yanked funding for another project of Girgis' group to promote the rights of women and the disabled and communication between Egypt's Muslims and Christians through public workshops, he said.

The Egyptian government now appears to be moving to shut down unregistered groups.

A bill before Egypt's parliament would impose heavy punishments on these groups unless they apply to the state. Under the bill, the government can refuse registration for any NGO if security agencies do not approve. The state can also disband the board of directors of any registered nonprofit or pull its license.

Samih warned that if the legislation passes, he would have to shut down his Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-violence Studies, which promotes democracy among youth and trains bloggers and new media writers.

"Obama wants to democratize the region the way the leaders of the Arab countries want, not the way the Arab people want," Girgis said.

20100418
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Sudanese polls were "free and fair" considering the context, African Union observers said on Sunday, a day after observers from the European Union and the Carter Centre said they had failed to reach world standards.

"It was not a perfect election... but it was a historic one," said Kunle Adeyemi who headed the AU observer mission in Sudan.

"Looking into the fact this is a country that had not had a multi-party election for almost a generation... to say they are free and fair, to the best of our knowledge we have no reason to think the contrary," Adeyemi said.

"We have not found evidence of fraud... we saw a vote that was very transparent."

Between April 11-15, Sudanese voters were asked to choose their president, legislative and local representatives in the country's first multi-party polls in more than two decades.

Earlier, observers from the Arab League said the election was an example that other African and Arab countries could follow, despite some deficiencies.

"The elections did not meet international standards but they are a big step forward compared to other countries in the region," said Salah Halima who headed a mission of 50 Arab League observers.

"They were an achievement despite the deficiencies," he told reporters in Khartoum. "There was no evidence of fraud, but there were deficiencies and mistakes. These mistakes however do not greatly affect the results."

The Carter Centre headed by former US president Jimmy Carter, with 70 observers, and 130 EU observers agreed that the vote was below international standards but did pave the way for a democratic transformation in Africa's largest country.

"There is a consensus among international observers to say that what happened in Sudan is better than what has taken place in other African countries... We want Sudan to be an example for other African and Arab countries," Halima said.

"If the elections did not meet all the international standards, it does not minimise the experience of democratic transformation for Sudan.

"The Sudanese government has opened up space of democracy and we must make the most of it."

The elections are likely to see the re-election of President Omar al-Beshir, who came to power in a military coup in 1989, but they were marred by a boycott by the opposition and logistical problems.

20100418
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Criticism of Sudan's multi-party elections by foreign observers including former US president Jimmy Carter has encouraged the opposition, but also damages the credibility of the former rebels ruling the south, where an independence referendum is due next year.

While struggling to coordinate their strategies, some opposition parties still took part in the election even if they shared the view of those who boycotted it that the vote had been rigged by President Omar al-Beshir's ruling National Congress Party.

Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi denounced the polls as fraudulent and said his Popular Congress Party, which did participate despite serious doubts surrounding their credibility, would not join the next government.

"The voting and the counting process are fraudulent," said the one-time mentor to Beshir, now one of his fiercest critics.

"We will take the matter to court and if the judge does not rule in our favour, we may have to use other alternatives than the ballot boxes."

But Beshir's powerful aide Nafie Ali Nafie downplayed criticism of the elections and dismissed any rejection of the outcome.

"(The observers) didn't say that the whole election didn't meet international standards. They said some aspects of it didn't, and that is a big difference," he told reporters.

On Thursday he had said that the opposition would not recognise the results.

"They will take to the streets to try to change the regime... through conflicts, riots," Nafie said.

"They give the example of Zimbabwe and Kenya (where violent protests led to political change) as if they expect to convince public opinion that this is possible," he added.

Mubarak al-Fadil, a prominent opposition voice, said those who opposed the regime should prepare themselves.

"The opposition is talking about organising political rallies and demonstrations, although not right now," he told reporters in Khartoum.

One Sudan analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if demonstrations were held now, the opposition was more likely to bring about change within the regime than removing it.

While international observers said the election process in the north was flawed, they also pointed a critical finger at the SPLM ruling the semi-autonomous region of south Sudan, where a referendum on independence is scheduled for January 2011.

"They were more irregularities in south Sudan," chief EU election monitor Veronique de Keyser said on Saturday, emphasising the "weakness" of the election's organisation in a vast region with only the most basic infrastructure.

"The elections in the south experienced a high incidence of intimidation and the threat or use of force," the Carter Centre, also observing the elections, said, while noting the importance of learning from the "irregularities" to avoid repeating them in the referendum on southern independence.

Zach Vertin, south Sudan expert with the International Crisis Group, agreed that lessons should be learnt from the election in order to improve the referendum process from an organisational point of view.

But the SPLM's former presidential candidate Yasser Arman, who pulled out of the race, denied the election's failings had any bearing on the planned referendum.

"There is no link between the election and the referendum," he told AFP.

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Two separate incidents in the Somali capital Mogadishu have claimed the lives of 10 people and left another 17 injured.

Officials and medics said four security personnel and two civilians were killed after a roadside bomb was detonated near a police station, AFP reported.

"A roadside bomb planted near a police station was detonated after some security forces gathered in the area. We are still investigating the incident, which occurred in a government-controlled zone", security officer Col. Ahmed Gaamey said.

The head of the city's ambulance service, Ali Muse, said four people were killed and 17 others were injured in brief clashes that broke out between government forces and al-Shabab fighters in southern Mogadishu's Hodan district.

War-battered Mogadishu has been the scene of deadly civil strife since the collapse of the country's central government in 1991.

During the 2006-2009 Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, thousands of civilians died and many others fled to neighboring Kenya.

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Sudanese opposition parties have announced that they will reject the official results from the country's landmark multi-party elections, saying there was widespread fraud.

President Omar al-Beshir's National Congress Party will most probably be declared the winner of the country's first competitive elections in more than two decades, pundits say.

The Sudanese opposition parties' decision to reject the result further complicates the situation, since the ongoing vote-counting process has already been marred by logistical problems and charges of fraud.

Hatem al-Sirr from the Democratic Unionist Party, who ran against Beshir in the presidential election, said he would not recognize the results of the poll that is likely to see the incumbent president re-elected.

"The result does not reflect real participation," Sirr charged.

Earlier, Hassan al-Turabi, who leads the Popular Congress Party, had described the vote as "fraudulent" and said his party would not participate in the next government.

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Two Sudanese opposition parties have refused to recognize the country's landmark elections held last week.

Hatem al-Sirr of the opposition Democratic Unionist Party, who ran against Beshir in the presidential race, said he would not recognize the results of the election.

"I reject the results of the elections and I will not recognize them," said Sirr.

Earlier Hassan al-Turabi, another opposition leader, described the country's first competitive elections in 24 years as "fraudulent," and said his party would not join the next government.

Beshir's NCP this week said that if elected, it would invite the opposition to join a future government.

Earlier on Saturday, international election observers from the Carter Centre and the European Union said the past week's presidential, legislative and local elections in Sudan should be recognized.

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Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir scored overwhelming victories in a sample of results from national elections, state media reported on Sunday.

Both European Union and Carter Center observers have said last week's elections stopped short of echoing opposition allegations of widespread rigging.

The polls, set up under a 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of north-south civil war, were supposed to help transform the troubled oil-producing nation into a democracy.

Bashir won between 70-92 percent of votes cast in around 35 scattered polling centers, foreign voting posts and one state, the state Suna news agency reported.

The figures have not been confirmed by the National Elections Commission and represent a fraction of the country.

A senior official from Bashir's dominant National Congress Party said he was expecting similar results across Sudan.

"This victory is a real victory ... The counting of the votes took place under the sun, not in a dark room. The observers saw everything," Rabie Abdelati said.

Sudanese expatriates overwhelmingly supported Bashir in polling centers set up in Libya, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, with majorities of between 77 and 92 percent.

The state agency said Bashir had secured 90 per cent of the votes for the presidency in the country's Northern State.

There were similar majorities recorded in individual voting centers across northern Sudan, said Suna.

The National Elections Commission has delayed issuing official results but says it will begin on Sunday. Election officials in south Sudan said some results might be delayed until Tuesday, the official deadline for announcements.

JOHANNESBURG, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Controversies over the murder of South African right-wing leader Eugene Terre'Blanche deepened on Sunday when South African National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele said there was semen found on the body.

Nonkululeko Mbatha, spokeswoman for Cele, on Sunday confirmed a report on South Africa's e.tv channel saying there was semen found on Terre'Blanche.

"His body was found half naked with semen on his private part. That is not new information, it has always been part of the evidence," she told the South African Press Association (SAPA).

Mbatha said this was part of the evidence being investigated and there were other leads being followed by the police.

Earlier Cele told Sunday's Afrikaans language newspaper Rapport that the "sex issue" had always been there because Terre'Blanche's body was found with his pants down and "were wet with semen."

However, Cele said there was no condom found on the scene, as it was reported in the media last week.

On Wednesday, at a bail hearing at the Ventersdorp magistrate's court in South Africa's North West province, a lawyer for one of the accused decided to abandon the claim that his client had been sodomized by TerreBlannche.

Lawyer Puna Moroko, representing Chris Mahlangu, 28, one of the two accused of Terre'Blanche's death, told journalists outside the court that his client initially spoke of being sodomized by the right-wing leader, but that further questioning had revealed this could not be true.

KHARTOUM, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) Elections Observation Mission (EOM) on Sunday described the general elections in Sudan as free and fair, noting that the elections held in a developing African country such as Sudan should not be measured by the criteria of the western developed countries.

"What happened in Sudan was a historical event and a great achievement for Sudanese people," Ambassador Kunle Adeyemi, the spokesman of the AU-EOM, told Xinhua, adding that "Sudanese voters had cast their ballots in transparent, free and fair elections in spite of the challenges."

The AU-EOM was dispatched to Sudan on April 8 by Chairperson of the AU Commission Jean Ping and led by John Kufuor, the former president of the Republic of Ghana, to observe the general elections held in Sudan last week, which were the first multi- party elections held in this African country since 24 years.

"We are satisfied with this event," the spokesman added.

Adeyemi further criticized comparing the Sudanese elections with western democracies and said the claim that the Sudanese elections did not meet international standards was "not fair."

"In our own perspective, applying those standards to Sudan, a country that has not seen elections for 24 years, is not fair," he said.

He urged the international community to help Sudanese people in their quest for democracy.

"Sudanese people have done a good job in this event, which reflects their determination to get their votes right to contribute to the democratic transformation of their country. I believe that the international community should assist them in this direction."

In the meantime, the AU-EOM commended in its preliminary statement on the Sudanese elections Sunday the remarkable turnout on the part of the voters, particularly in Darfur states and IDP ( internally displaced people) camps, and considered the elections a historical achievement for the Sudanese people and the Sudan National Elections Commission (NEC).

"The elections constitute an important milestone in the country 's democratization process," the statement said, adding that " given Sudan's history, its current and immense challenges on many fronts, the just-completed elections, though imperfect, are historic."

"The AU Mission wishes to acclaim and congratulate the people of the Republic of Sudan, political parties and candidates, for the peaceful 2010 executive and legislative elections," the statement noted.

ANTANANARIVO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A coup attempt was foiled on Sunday in Madagascar after the minister of armed forces in the Indian Ocean island country was sacked early in the month, according to the military.

Seven military officers and civilians planning to attack the leadership between Sunday night and Monday morning were arrested in the afternoon, announced colonel Rene Lilison, who heads the force of special intervention of the presidency.

The arrestees were captured around 1 p. m., Lilison told a press conference. They were shown to journalists before being transferred to a brigade of the gendarmerie stationed at Betongolo near the Defense Ministry.

Army chief Andre Ndriarijaona said the armed forces were still united, adding the suspects had recruited ex-military personnel, reservists and soldiers for peaceful purposes, proving that they had no control of the armed forces in service, who remain united.

The president of the security commission of the Highest Transitional Authority (HAT), Alain Ramaroson, disclosed that the coup attempt was foiled thanks to the information provided by police.

"Without the information they provided, this coup d'état could have been realized," Ramaroson declared.

The military reportedly developed signs of division since Prime Minister Camille Vital dismissed former minister of armed forces Noel Rakotonandrasana On April 7.

Vital said Rakotonandrasana had held suspicious meetings with senior officers without informing him, accusing him of causing confusion in the military ranks.

HAT President Andry Rajoelina made no comments on Ravalomanana's dismissal, but soon promoted colonel Vital to the rank of brigadier general, indicating the logic that colonel Vital could not overpower general Rakotonandrasana over the control of military officers, without the necessary promotion.

But Rakotonandrasana insists that he will still hold his post unless the prime minister himself comes to him so that he could hand over power. He says he will accept the dismissal if all the military officers want him to leave.

Rakotonandrasana was the main actor in the process of power transfer to Rajoelina, who ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana with the backing of the military in March 2009. The change is widely seen as unconstitutional.

Last month, the African Union imposed sanctions on Rajoelina and 108 other officials for failing to form a new government with the three camps respectively led by former presidents Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy.

The four parties reached agreements in Maputo and Addis Ababa last year on power sharing, but failed to carry them out amid differences.

On Wednesday, Rajoelina admitted that France, South Africa and the Southern African Development Community had proposed a new roadmap to end the crisis after last year's international mediation failed.

He said he had accepted the offer and would meet Ravalomanana on April 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss the signing of a new agreement. He also promised that the other two camps would share the future government if the planned talks turn out a success.

LAGOS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Two German nationals had been kidnapped in Nigeria's southeastern Abia states, media reported Sunday night.

The two, both male, were kidnapped as they were heading to their vehicle at the beach at Imo River, according to the report.

Local police spokesperson could not be immediately reached.

Abduction is not uncommon in Nigeria. On Wednesday, gunmen in the oil-rich country released four foreign nationals abducted in Rivers State.

ALGIERS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Algeria's state-run oil group Sonatrach announced on Sunday two hydrocarbon discoveries in Berkine basin, bringing to seven the number of oil and gas finds by the national company this year, state-run APS news agency reported.

The discoveries were made following drilling operations of the exploration wells in Menzel Ledjmet South East-9 (MLSE-9), and Zemlet el-Regab South (ZERS-1), respectively in blocks 405a and 405b1, the company said in a statement.

Last Sunday, Sonatrach unveiled two hydrocarbon discoveries in Illizi basin after drilling operations of the exploring wells of In Akarnil-2 (IAK-2) and Ain Antar East-2 (AARE-2) in blocks 239a and 244a respectively in Tinhert area in Illizi basin, around 1, 500 km south of capital Algiers.

Algeria is the world's fourth largest gas exporter and eighth biggest crude exporter, and its economy is largely relying on the energy sector.

ALGIERS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Air traffic disturbances in Europe caused by the volcanic ash cloud caused the delay of the 16th International Conference on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Algeria for one day, state-run APS news agency reported Sunday.

The conference will kick off in the western province of Oran on Monday instead of Sunday as originally planned, Algeria's Minister of Energy and Mining Chakib Khelil told a press conference on Sunday.

However, another event to be held on the sidelines of the conference, the 10th meeting of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries (GECF), will kick off on schedule on Monday, the minister said, adding that most of the energy ministers of the forum's 11 member countries have arrived in Oran.

The 16th LNG conference is expected to gather 4,000 participants from 62 countries in the gas industry to present the state-of-the-art technologies in the field.

The GECF session, on the other hand, will focus mainly on seeking solutions and required measures to boost the global gas market and stabilize prices.

Khelil told the press conference that his country wants the gas prices indexed to oil prices.

"Now, gas unit price is set at 13 U.S. dollars per mBtu, i.e. a sixth of current oil prices, whereas it is a clear energy source that is less polluting and offers considerable comparative advantages for the development of renewable energy sources," he was quoted by APS as saying.

"Regarding all these aspects, there is no reason that gas price is maintained at this level," said Khelil, whose country annually exports a volume of 62 billion cubic meters of gas.

The GECF will discuss the issue in a view to "reaching a profitable price for both exporting and consuming countries," he said.

Also on Sunday, Khelil opened the 16th LNG exhibition, in which about 200 exhibitors representing 60 countries are showing the latest technologies used worldwide in gas production and treatment.

Russian and Qatari energy ministers Sergei Shmatko and Abdullah al-Attiyah attended the opening ceremony, according to the report.

2010-04-18
KHARTOUM, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The head of the African Union ( AU) Elections Observation Mission on Sunday described the general elections in Sudan as free and fair, saying that the elections in a developing African country such as Sudan should not be measured by the criteria of developed western countries.

2010-04-18
CAIRO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sharm el- Sheikh, the first summit since his return to Egypt in March after a cholecystectomy surgery in Germany, state-run MENA news agency reported.

The two presidents held an expanded meeting attended by senior statesmen from both sides, MENA said without giving any further information about issues discussed during the summit.

The Yemeni president offered congratulations on the safe recovery of his Egyptian counterpart.

The latest summit Mubarak attended was with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin before undergoing the surgery in March.

On April 15, the Egyptian president resumed his work by holding a ministerial meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Mubarak, 81, received a successful surgery to remove the gall bladder and a benign tissue on March 6 in Germany. He had been suffering from acute gall bladder inflammation, accompanied by gall stones.

2010-04-18
KHARTOUM, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) Election Observation Mission said on Sunday that Sudan's general elections constituted an important transition despite mistakes that caused them to fall short of international standards.

The AL observers expressed satisfaction over the progress in the Sudanese elections, sayings the landmark first multi-party elections in the country in 24 years proceeded well with positive phenomena.

"The elections proceeded well with positive phenomena," said Salah Halima, the head of the AL observation mission, at a press conference in Khartoum.

He said those positive phenomena include "cooperation between heads and members of the polling stations, as well as security personnel with international and local observers and the representatives of the parties in facilitating their duties."

He applauded the regular presence of the parties' representatives in the polling stations during the five days of voting and the wide presentation of Sudanese, especially women, the elderly, and the disabled voters.

The AL mission head also commended safety and stability that most of the Sudanese states enjoyed throughout the polling period.

In the meantime, Halima said the AL mission has noticed some shortcomings in the Sudanese electoral process.

"There were flaws in the voting lists, election symbols, voting cards, delays in the arrival of some materials to the polling centers, insufficient training to the members of the polling stations, apparent drawbacks in the logistical arrangements and inability of observation in far and remote areas by international observers," he said.

However, Halima said those mistakes will not affect the overall results of the elections.

"We cannot say that the Sudanese elections have met international standards, but that does not reduce what has happened, which is an important transition," he said.

The AL mission head underlined the high turnout in the Sudanese elections.

"In northern Sudan, the turnout reached 70 percent in some polling centers and even 80 percent in others, while in southern Sudan, an average 70 percent of participation was recorded," said Halima.

As for the western restive region of Darfur, Halima said the turnout in cities was estimated at 60 percent and around 50 percent in IDPs (internally displaced people) camps.

He commended the Sudan National Elections Commission (NEC) for its efforts to solve the technical and administrative problems to make the electoral process a success.

Halima expressed hope that the Sudanese electoral process would be a motivation in democratic transformation and development, and that it would push for more collaboration between parties and political powers to positively contribute to this transformation.

The AL observation mission has deployed 50 observers and visited 700 polling centers, which consisted of 2,000 polling stations in 18 of Sudan's northern and southern states, including the three states of Darfur.