KINSHASA, 28 August 2009 (IRIN) - A mutiny over pay, by a section of the army in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Uvira territory, is restricting population movement and heightening fear, say officials.

Meanwhile, farther north, an escalation in attacks by Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has prompted large-scale displacement.

The Congolese army (FARDC) is in Uvira, South Kivu Province, in an operation to oust Rwandan Hutu FDLR [Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda] militia there.

"It [the mutiny] was [caused by] some FARDC soldiers who were demanding their four-month salary arrears," Victor Chomachoma, the Uvira territory administrator, said.

"[They] were firing into the air the whole day [and] barricaded roads, preventing all [pedestrian and vehicle] movement on the Uvira-Kamanyola axis." The road goes to Bukavu, the main town in the province.

Chomachoma said the mutiny had forced the population to stay in their homes on 26 August.

Confirming the mutiny, the spokesman for the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC), Lt. Col Jean-Paul Dietrich, said about 50 FARDC soldiers were involved.

The two said military authorities had convinced the mutineers to remove the blockades even if they had not been paid.

The mutiny has led to an increase in fear among residents already affected by ongoing anti-FDLR military operations.

Residents had to endure artillery fire on the night of 26 August following an FDLR attack on the village of Sange, 15km north of Uvira, he said.

The village of Nyakabere was also under fire on 25 August in an attack lasting 30 minutes, said Dietrich, adding that "two FARDC soldiers were injured and three FDLR militia killed. [The dead] were carried away by their fleeing colleagues."

"Three civilians, among them two girls, suffered bullet injuries. [Some] 53 houses were burnt by the FDLR, who also took away goats, sheep and cows,” Chomachoma said.

Farther north in Orientale Province, at least 125,000 people have been displaced in the past three weeks alone by LRA attacks in the district of Haut Uele, says the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

"A staggering 540,000 Congolese have been uprooted in Orientale by deadly LRA assaults since September 2008," UNHCR said in a 28 August statement.

During the same period, the rebels have reportedly killed some 1,270 people and abducted 655 children.

The attacks have caused about 8,000 Congolese to flee to neighbouring Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic. Of these, 6,500 are in the Western Equatoria region of Southern Sudan, where recent LRA attacks in the area of Ezo forced UN staff to evacuate.

Humanitarian agencies estimate that at least two million people have been displaced by anti-FDLR operations and FDLR counter-attacks since January in eastern DRC. This figure surpasses that during the 2006 civil war.

Recently, the DRC government said it would continue military operations against Rwandan militias in the eastern provinces until they were dislodged from Congolese soil.

irinnews

28 August 2009

Lagos — United States has deported about 63 Nigerians for allegedly being in possession of illegal firearm and residing in the country without legal documents, according to the country's Immigration Service Department.

The Nigerian deportees were brought into the country by a Boeing 737 with registration number N739mi, which landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 11.15 am on Wednesday.

THISDAY learnt that the Nigerians were brought into the country from Miami, USA and they included Nigerians who had spent many years in the United States, and may not have visited Nigeria in the past 10 years.

Among the deportees were seven female and 56 male whose faces were grim, sad and wrinkled with rage and who kept mum during the exchange procedure with Nigeria Immigration Service.

Also reports confirmed that many of the Nigerians had spent many years in U.S. with the least spending only two years. About 80 per cent of the deportees were illegal immigrants who did not have valid documents.

One of them who refused to disclose his name said he was arrested while he was on his way to the market, but admitted that his documents that authorised him to live in U.S. had since expired.In addition, he also lost his job to the global economic meltdown about three months ago.

He also disclosed that he traveled to U.S. in 2004 when he could not secure a decent job in Nigeria.Many countries had become intolerant of illegal immigration due to the economic recession that is ravaging the world.

allafrica

28 August 2009

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday recovered N19 billion from bank debtors, while Ibadan-based businessman, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola, Chairman of Zenon Oil and Chief Executive of African Petroleum Plc (AP Plc), Mr Femi Otedola and first civilian Governor of Delta State, Chief Alex Ibru, all visited the commission's office in Lagos.

The commission also said that non of the detained 16 executive bank directors had met the bail conditions set by the Commission.

Confirming the development to Vanguard, EFCC's spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi in a telephone chat said, "some of your colleagues (journalists) were at our office yesterday and they got up to date on latest recoveries by the commission and those who visited us".

He disclosed further that so far, about N19billion was recovered alone yesterday, while some other bank debtors, who visited the commission, promised to bring the money they are owing the affected five banks early next week.

He confirmed that Arisekola, Otedola and Ibru were at the commission's office and when asked if they were allowed to go, he said "we don't detain people. It is not our goal to keep people, once we attend to them, we allow them go. So one should not feel that we detain every body that comes to the commission".

On the detained bank executives, he said that any of the detainees that was able to meet the bail conditions would be released without further delay, adding that the aim of the Commission in relocating to Lagos in the past few days had been partially successful.

According to him, the Commission has been able to recover N10 billion for Union Bank as at yesterday, adding that the payment includes a N3 billion commitment by the Chairman, Ikeja Hotels, Mr Felix Ibru, who promise to pay the amount in two installments of N1billion as first installment and N2 billion as second installment.

Similarly, Mr Femi Otedola of Zenon Oil was said to have made a commitment of N4 billion, out of which N3 billion is to be paid to Union Bank, and N1 billion for Afribank as part of indebtedness to the banks. Babafemi said that about N3 billion was also recovered for Intercontinental Bank from an undisclosed debtors.

According to a source, "Arisekola, arrived the EFCC office at Awolowo Road, Ikoyi at exactly 11:35 a.m. decked in a white guinea brocade with a swagger stick". Arisekola, was chaufuer driven into the premise of the Anti-Graft Commission in a Mercedes Benz with Reg. No. AQ 03 BDJ.

The source added that he refused to say what he came to the commission to do, but the source pointing out that the visit might not be unconnected with the N5 billion his company, Lister Oil Limited, is owing Intercontinental Bank Plc.

Otedola on his part, arrived at about 10am. and also declined to speak to journalists. He went into the EFCC office, carrying some documents. Otedola's oil company, Zenon Oil, is said to be indebted to Union Bank to the tune of N6.2 Billion.

The commission it will be recalled had following the sack by Central Bank of Nigeria of the board and Managing Director of five banks, namely Intercontinental Bank Plc, Finbank Plc, Afribank Plc, Oceanic Bank Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, issued the debtors to the effected banks, a seven-day ultimatum to pay up or face prosecution.

And with the expiration of the ultimatum, some of the bank debtors have been trooping to the commission to deposit whatever they could put together.Meanwhile, counsel to Mr Cecilia Ibru, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, said that it was unacceptable for the Commission to detain his client perpetually in its cell beyond 48 hours, saying that the action amounted to a disregard to court orders that ordered otherwise.

He said, "the state of her health was brought to the attention of the Commission but that it received no sympathetic consideration, rather, was she got was a bail conditions that is strange and alien to the 1999 constitution."Akintola, however, warned that if the demands of his client were not met within a reasonable time, we have no other option than to go tocourt against the Commission, with all the attendant embarrassment.

We want to pay, debtors of safe banks cry out

IN apparent bid to avoid their names being included in the second list of bank debtors by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), debtors have started trooping to banks to restructure their loans.

Bankers who confirmed this to Saturday Vanguard said that most of the debtors have started coming by themselves asking for repayment plan or asking that their loans be restructured. The debtors also begged their banks not to de-categorize their loans as non-performing loansIt would be recalled that the CBN had said that it would publish another list which would contain all bank debtors whose loan is non-performing.

Throughout last week the apex bank worked on the expected debtors list asking the banks to verify the status of all their non-performing loans.

A branch manager in one of the big banks said that the debtors don't want to see their names published as bank debtors and so they have been coming to the bank requesting for repayment plan. "Some however appealed for restructuring of their loans with the promise to pay the accruing interest rate. These are people that you usually run after to discuss their loan and when they are going to pay back".

Head of Risk Management in another bank told SaturdayVanguard that the debtors have indicated willingness to repay the loans but the economy is not doing well and this is affecting their businesses hence the appeal to banks for loan restructuring.

Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard investigations revealed that with this development banks are revisiting cases of bad loans that have long been closed. Some of these loan have been written off more that three years ago.

These debtors have money they just decided not to pay because they are influential or connected to board members. But now that the CBN has asked us to submit the names of debtors with non-performing loans.We have asked them to repay otherwise we would include their names as non-performing debtors, a banker said.

Last week, in order to avoid the mistake and errors associated with the first debtors list the CBN ordered all the banks to verify their debtors list.

CBN spokesman, Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Alhaji M.M Abdulahi confirmed this to Vanguard yesterday saying to ensure accuracy of the information in the lists the CBN is working with the banks to verify the names and the amount owed by each debtor. "We have asked them to verify all the names and ensure they are accurately spelt and that the value of the loans are accurate and up to date," He said.

It would be recalled two weeks ago the apex bank released the list of individuals and corporate bodies owing the five banks, whose loan is not performing. But the generated controversy as the debtors faulted the list. Some of them denied owing the banks while others faulted the value of the loan published against their names.

Others denied having any relationship with the companies against which their names were listed as directors. Consequently the CBN issued an advertorial where it apologised for the typographical errors.

Cecilia Ibru challenges bail condition, threaten court action if ...

Former Managing Director of the Oceanic Bank PLC, Mrs Cecilia Ibru has criticized her continued detention in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos without any charge preferred against her by the anti graft commission.

In the petition to the Chairman of EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri, which was copied to the NBA, Mrs Ibru also challenged the N1 billion and the production of a serving minister as bail conditions imposed on her by the anti graft agency describing it as " condition that is strange and alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and other extant laws of the country."

The petition written by her lawyers and signed by Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) condemned the manner in which the operatives of the EFCC are handling the case, stating that they have disregarded the subsisting order of an high court, granted Ibru to enforce her fundamental rights against the commission.

Lamenting the worrisome and deteriorating health condition of Ibru, the lawyers cautioned that if she is not released urgently, they will be forced to return to court to compel her release from custody, without delay.

The letter read in part that "Dr. (Mrs.) C. Ibru (OFR) is our client who reported to your office on Wednesday, 26th August, 2009 from her hospital bed on your invitation. Since her said report, she has been held in your Commission's custody without any charge preferred aga\inst her and without her being granted bail to go home in spite of her failing health.

"The state of her health was brought to the attention of your Commission through a medical report but same received no sympathetic consideration. Rather, what she got was a bail condition that is strange and alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and other extant laws of the country.

"Suffice it to say that our client had earlier sought and obtained an order of a Court of competent jurisdiction to enforce her fundamental human rights against your Commission, the Police and other security agencies on 25th August, 2009 in Suit M/671/09 which was served on your Commission on 26th August, 2007.

Copy of the said order which speaks for itself and the affidavit of service are attached herewith for ease of reference. Respect for the rule of law in all its ramifications is sine-qua-non to the right against all ills of the society and we dare say that no resort of jack-book tactics in fighting same has ever succeeded in any part of the world.

"It is rather unfortunate that years after, your Commission hd been upbraided over this illegal act, it has found it expedient to go back to the unconstitutional act of asking our client to produce a bond of N1 billion and a serving Minister as a surety. These are conditions which no Court of competent jurisdiction will impose on any suspect.

"We however wish to demand that your Commission should operate within the ambit of the law setting it up and most importantly the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, respect the orders of the Court and their rulings by allowing our client to go home on bail on constitutionally recognised conditions or in the alternative charge her to Court within 24 hours as stipulated under the provisions of Section 35 of the Constitution.

The idea of holding a suspect first before investigating a crime is not part of our law and is alien to the country's Constitution. This was made clear in the attached Court order. This demand you will agree is not too much for us to make and certainly not too much for you to meet."

He said if the demands contained in the letter are not met within a reasonable time, "we would have no option that to return to Court against your Commission with all the attendant embarrassment." The counsel noted that the idea of holding suspects first before investigating a crime "is not part of our law and is alien to the country's constitution."

allafrica

28 August 2009

Militants in Rivers state are embracing the presidential amnesty. No fewer than eighty have so far gone for it. Some of them are Solomon Degbara a.k.a Osama Bin Laden, Soboma George and their boys.

According to a police source, even some youths that had been declared wanted for robbery operations have joined the long list of those showing up for the amnesty.

Solomon Degbara who prefers now to be addressed as Brother Solomon instead of his sobriquet, Osama Bin Laden, was virtually the leader of militant/brigandage groups in the whole of Ogoni part of Rivers state, an area that has had its own share of tension and crisis in the region. Kidnapping before now was a common feature in the area.

The Vice Chancellor of the state University of Science and Technology, Prof B.B. Fakae was among the numerous guests of hostage takers apparently led by the repentant militant leader, Solomon, in Ogoni area. The area also at a time experienced severe cult clashes among rival groups that resulted in the death of hundreds of promising youths in their prime.

Cult groups like Deebam and Dewell were very visible elements in communities like Bodo, Gokana local government and several other parts of Ogoni. Clashes between these cult groups in 2006 were very rampant. This sad situation even continued beyond the foregoing year. Strangely, calm seems to have returned to the Ogoni part of the state since the peace drive by the federal government in the region came on board.

Brother Solomon as he now prefers to be called was the first to embrace the amnesty in the state. He came out with his arms and ammunition a day after the federal government granted the presidential pardon to militants in the region.

And on hand to receive him at his Gokana community was the former Inspector General of Police, (then he was IG), Mr. Mike Okiro who led other principal security operatives to the area.

In a chat with the SaturdayVanguard on phone recently Solomon assured that nothing would make him go back to militancy.

After Solomon surrendered it was like no other militant in the state was willing to key into the project. This situation prevailed for some time and even caused many to think then that the amnesty was becoming a failure in the state until three Fridays ago when what could be described as a big fish in the circle of militants in the state, Soboma George turned in his riffles at a discreet ceremony in Port Harcourt .

Soboma George who is one of the frontline Commanders of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) led twenty other reformed militants to the ceremony at the office of the State Security Service. In attendance were the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Timi Alaibe and members of the Amnesty implementation Committee led by its national Coordinator, Air Vice Marshall Lucky Ararile. At the ceremony Soboma surrendered about forty rifles and four GPMGs (general purpose machine guns) and he promised never to go back to militancy again.

Soboma George until he repented was at the top of militancy in the Kalabari speaking part of Rivers state and some parts of Port Harcourt like Town, etc. He was reportedly the second in command to Ateke Tom before they parted ways.

And he went to float what later became known as Outlaws, a dreaded cult group in the state. He was arrested for sundry charges and kept in prison custody around 2004. In the bid to secure his release his loyalists reportedly organized a jail brake at the Port Harcourt prisons which saw his escape in 2005.

After the jail brake he went under ground for sometime. Meanwhile, Soboma it would also be recalled was arrested for alleged traffic offence at Hospital road in Port Harcourt on his way back from church in 2007. While being quizzed at the central police station in Town, hundreds of his followers, including ladies, stormed the streets of Port Harcourt that day with sophisticated riffles shooting sporadically.

And marching towards the Central Police station in Town, where he was detained. After forcefully setting him free they flung the gates of all the cells in the station open for other inmates to also flee.

Some persons who spoke to the Vanguard on Soboma George described him as a cat with nine lives. They said he should no doubt be grateful to his creator for sparing his life. They recalled in 2008 how hundreds of soldiers deployed to arrest him dead or alive missed him at his Marine base abode in Port Harcourt . "It was by whiskers. It was a narrow escape for him that day.

Though rumors went round Port Harcourt then that it was one of the top ogas of the soldiers that alerted him of the move that was why they missed him nevertheless he should be very grateful to his God", Miebaka John said.

The military invasion of his neighborhood that day reportedly claimed several lives. It was a combination of aerial and land attack by the soldiers.

At the surrender ceremony that Friday night at the SSS office in Port Harcourt, Soboma said he too had quit militancy for good. He however urged the federal government to take practical steps to address challenges in the region, adding also that the state government should beat a retreat from its planned demolition of water fronts in Port Harcourt .

Ateke Tom though yet to embrace the amnesty but sources very close to him said he would do

According to them, his greatest worry at the moment centered on how safe his life could be with Rotimi Amaechi as governor of his state. The source accused the governor of "waging a war against the militant leader". For instance the source queried why the governor had to issue a statement urging Nigerians to ignore the militant leader when he spoke through his lawyer that he was ready to embrace the amnesty. "These are some of the fears. But I am sure Ateke Tom will like to embrace the amnesty", the source said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the allegation that Ateke would not be safe in Rivers state as a repentant militant, the acting Chief Press secretary to the governor, Mr. Blessing Wekina said the governor had no personal grouse with any of the militants in the state.

He said the governor had made it very clear in different fora that he was ready to receive any genuinely repentant militant. "Since the amnesty is for peace the governor is disposed to it", he said. Farah Dagogo is another name in the circle of militants in the state. At the moment he is not so loud. So nothing seems to be coming from his end.

Another militant leader that is also very ready to embrace the amnesty is Sobomabo Jack Reece aka Egberipapa. He is currently cooling off in the custody of the JTF. He was picked up at the palace of the Amayanabo of Kalabari, Buguma in Rivers state some months ago when he showed up for an alleged peace meeting slated for the venue.

In spite of the seeming success of the amnesty programme in the state minds are still agitated, there is fear that amnesty is not the magic wand for peace in the state and the region. Some who spoke to the Vanguard expressed worries particular with the elections ahead. For them what today has become militancy was largely a creation of the political class. They recalled that some of these guys started as private armies of the politicians and were used to prosecute their political battles.

allafrica

28 August 2009

Lagos — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)'s onslaught against troubled bank chiefs and debtors may have yielded bountifully.

Yesterday, the commission announced that it had recovered N25.5 billion from loan defaulters.

EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri told journalists in Lagos that the recovered sums were in fulfilment of her promise to go after debtors who had failed to take advantage of the seven-day ultimatum given them to pay their debts.

She said the anti-graft body had continued with the arrest of loan defaulters and that by last night, 16 bank chiefs and 68 debtors were in EFCC's custody, though she did not reveal their identities.

The commission also announced that it had acceded to the order of a Lagos High Court that the two former Managing Directors of Afribank Nigeria Plc and Finbank Plc, Sabastine Adigwe and Okey Nwosu, who have been in the commission's custody for over a week now, be released on bail.

A Lagos High Court had on Tuesday granted an order that Nwosu and Adigwe, be released from detention on bail on reasonable terms.

EFCC, however, set stringent bail conditions that have to be fulfilled before they can regain freedom.

The conditions are that they-"deposit bank guarantee in the sum of N1 billion in favour of the commission and such bank guarantee should be procured from banks not involved in the current CBN/NDIC/EFCC investigations; the procurer of the said bank guarantee must provide tax clearance certificate of the preceding three years payable as at when due and in tandem with the amount of the guarantee; a surety in respect of each suspect/accused person; such surety must be a serving/current minister of the Federal Republic of Nigerian who will provide a landed property in Victoria Island or Ikoyi in Lagos or Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja whose title and value will be verified and found acceptable to the commission".

The EFCC boss said the two former bank MDs allegedly defaulted their banks through non-performing credits to the sum of N30 billion respectively.

Three of the five bank chiefs sacked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the wake of the post consolidation banking reforms namely Union Bank's Bartholomew Ebong, FinBank's Nwosu and Afribank's Adigwe have been in EFCC custody for more than one week now.

Their two other former colleagues, the Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic, Cecilia Ibru, and Intercontinental Bank Erastus Akingbola were declared wanted by EFCC for failing to honour the commission's invitation.

Ibru, however, surrendered herself to the commission on Wednesday and was interrogated and detained, though she had also secured a court order that her fundamental human rights should not be infringed upon.

Akingbola, on the other hand, is yet to show up.

EFCC, has, however, decided that notwithstanding that the order related to only two persons who had approached the courts, it shall extend same discretion of bail to all other suspects in custody in line with appropriate constitutional provisions.

Waziri, however, stated that EFCC's efforts were not targeted at genuine business people who had existing credit obligations to the affected banks and had dutifully complied with the terms of the facility.

The EFCC boss stated further that the agency was not out to criminalize legitimate borrowing from banks and was mindful of the fact that banking thrives on robust credit administration system.

"For the borrowers, we have been able to group them into two categories, namely, those who have legitimate business intentions and have continued to service their loans; and those whose loans did not follow due process and non-performing," she said.

Waziri declared that it was unfortunate that some of the bank chiefs in trouble at present abused their offices by granting unsecured loans in total disregard of banking rules and regulations to the second category of people.

She explained that the huge amounts owed by the latter category had enormous effect on the national economy, adding that every nation must guard that very seriously.

Waziri gave an example of an undisclosed businessman who secured a loan of N14billion from one of the banks to export crude and as soon as the crude was sold, instead of paying back the loan went to Dubai to buy choice properties.

She said the commission was committed to the rule of law and would not do anything to the contrary.

The total non-performing debt of the five troubled banks is put at N747 billion.

A breakdown of the loan indicated that Oceanic had N278 billion, Intercontinental N210 billion, Afribank N141.8 billion, Union Bank N73.6 billion and Finbank N42.445 billion.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the EFCC office was charged when the Group Managing Director of Global Fleet, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim visited.

The Global Fleet boss arrived EFCC premises at about 12:39 pm in a black Toyota Avalon Car with registration No. FG 274 C43, accompanied by Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, carrying cartons of documents, which he claimed were payment of his supposed debt.

He said: "We have paid Oceanic Bank International Plc the sum of N3.1bn and the rest M4.8 Billion will be paid later. We have to go through auditing as the bank has undertaken to reconcile their account and as soon as that is done, if there is any figure against us, it will be paid within 24 hours.

"Oceanic alleged that we owed them N8bn; we have paid N3.1bn, remaining N4.8bn. We will reconcile the account and once that is done, they will get the cheque within 24 hours".

He distributed a letter by the management of the bank dated May 27, 2007 and jointly signed by the General Manager (Corporate Banking Group), Mrs. Abisola Okoakin and Mr. Robinson Ofomata, to show that the bank billed excesses charges to Global Fleet Group account totaling N1.9bn.

The Managing Director of Dansa Group, Ahaji Sani Dangote, had earlier visited the office.

EFCC Spokesman Femi Babafemi told THISDAY that Ibrahim and Dangote were part of the group of debtors that are servicing their debts and that they only came, were interrogated and allowed to go.

Counsel to Nwosu and Adigwe, Mr. Wole Olanipekun (SAN), was also at the EFCC office.

He told journalists that Waziri had promised to release his clients yesterday in line with the Lagos High Court's order.

allafrica

28 August 2009

The Executive Director of the Rescue Alternative Liberia (RAL), Jarlee Tweh Geegbe says a one day consultative meeting amongst stakeholders in the country to draft an anti torture bill expected to start in Gbarnga City, Bong County.

He said the meeting is gear towards drafting the bill in order to make it a crime under the laws of Liberia, stating that torture in Liberia has not been considered under the country's criminal justice system over the past years. Mr. Geegbe also said at the consultative working meeting, ideas will be solicited as to what should found part of the anti torture bill which according to him will be submitted to the 52nd national legislature.

He made the disclosure yesterday before his departure to the city of Gbarnga City in Bong County. According to Mr. Geegbe, the 1986 Liberian Constitution under article 21 (e), and the United Nations Convention against torture article (4), request that torture be considered as a crime.

"at this working meeting, we are going to solicit ideas in what should be part of that bill that will be submitted to the national legislature making torture a crime as requested for under article 21 of the 1986 Liberian Constitution and the UN Convention against torture article (4)" Mr. Geegbe.

Speaking furthered, he said that the Gbarnga consultative meeting will not be the only one, more meeting have planned for Montserrado Constitution and the UN Convention against torture.

allafrica

28 August 2009

Kigali — Tanzania and Uganda clash in today's first semifinal match of the Cecafa Under-17 tournament following their victories in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Tanzania confirmed their place after a hard fought 1-0 victory over Ethiopia while Uganda ran down Malawi 2-0. Tanzania started their match strongly making a series of attacks in the Ethiopian goalmouth.

Their efforts were rewarded in the 35th minute when Hamisi Thabit headed past towering Ethiopian goalkeeper Zerihun Tadele. Uganda scored in the 30th minute through Julius Kigori who slotted home a penalty and Danniel Sserumkuma in the 58th minute capitalizing on a defensive blunder that left hard working goalkeeper and captain Victor Nangwale exposed.

Uganda would have run off with a bigger score line but the Malawi goalie was always at his best pulling off a series of saves. In the other quarterfinal played last evening in Wad Medani Eritrea beat Zanzibar 2-1.

The last quarterfinal between defending champions Burundi and Sudan had not yet been played by press time.

Eritrea scored their goals through Osman Mohamed (11) and Kulu Berhane (55). Yohanes Tilahune got Zanzibar's consolation in the 42 minute.

allafrica

NAIROBI, 27 August 2009 (IRIN) - Following below-average harvests in 2007 and 2008, Kenya's grain farmers need seed and fertilizer support to enable them to make use of El Niño rains, expected between October and December 2009, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says.

"Given that most of the farmers, both in high potential and agriculturally marginal ecosystems, lost most of what they invested in the short rains of 2008 and long rains of 2009, there is an urgent need to support them with inputs such as seed and fertilizer, to enable them to utilize the anticipated El Niño rains … [to enhance] their household food security and contribute towards bridging of the deficit in the national grain and other food budget," FAO said on 27 August.

The agency appealed for US$23 million to enable it and the Ministry of Agriculture to supply various inputs to at least 100,000 families, "each growing an average of three acres in Rift Valley, Central Kenya highlands and marginal agricultural areas of eastern Kenya".

Kenya’s Meteorological Department on 26 August said the outlook for the October-December short rains indicated that much of the country would likely experience near-normal to above-normal rainfall.

"This El Niño is currently classified as moderate or mild compared with that of 1997-1998. The distribution of the rainfall in time and space is expected to be generally good over most places," it said.

The department said the rainfall expected over most of the country's agricultural areas would be adequate for good crop performance.

"Farmers are, therefore, advised to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and take advantage of the expected good rainfall performance, the extended rainfall season, and extended length of the growing period, to maximize on the crop yield," the department said.

It recommended that the emergency measures currently in place – food and water being distributed by the military to drought-affected populations - should be sustained until March 2010.

FAO said the near-certain El Niño type of rainfall during the short rains, due to start mid-September, provided “an opportunity to utilize the rains in both agriculturally high to medium potential areas and marginal ecosystems in production of off-season crops such as Irish potato, hybrid maize-500 series, green grams, cowpeas and horticultural crops".

Insufficient harvests

Kenya’s annual consumption of maize, the staple food, is 33 million bags of 90kg each, said FAO; of this, 22 million are produced in agriculturally high and medium potential areas of Rift Valley and Western Province, mainly during the long March-June rains; another six million are produced in marginal agricultural eco-systems of Eastern Kenya, mainly during the October-December rains, while the remainder come from the Central Kenya Highlands and informal cross-border and official imports.

Since the harvest from the 2006 long rains, Kenya has not had a bumper maize crop with adequate surpluses that could stabilize supplies, the agency added.

"The declining trend in domestic maize supply is destined for the worst situation in the recent past, only comparable to 1984, this year, mainly due to an estimated 45 percent decline in production in the agriculturally high and medium potential areas during the long rains of 2009," FAO said.

"This will imply that the country will anticipate a deficit of 10 million bags from the traditional grain surplus regions. The impending scenario has been caused by inadequate and poorly distributed rainfall during the main growing long rains season this year."

Warmer oceans

According to the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), El Niño conditions have become established over the tropical Pacific, and it is likely these will continue through the remainder of 2009 and probably into the first quarter of 2010.

"The ocean surface and subsurface in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific has been substantially warmer than normal during June and July, supporting the development of an El Niño event," WMO said in an update issued on 19 August. "Atmospheric conditions across the tropical Pacific are increasingly showing patterns typical of a developing El Niño event. The development of a basin-wide El Niño has implications for the expected climate patterns in many parts of the world."

irinnews

27 Aug 2009
A march on government buildings by South African troops who demand higher pay has worried authorities, prompting an investigating into the affair.

More than 1,000 soldiers from Pretoria barracks approached the Union Buildings, which houses the president's office, on Wednesday in the countries latest campaign for higher pay.

Police dispersed the troops, who are campaigning for the highest demand so far -- a 30% pay rise --, with rubber bullets and teargas.

The strike has sparked concerns over the country's national security, with Defense Minister Lindiwe Sisulu saying that the defenseless bases that the troops had abandoned could have been exposed "to potential raids by criminals".

A wave of job boycotts has gripped the financially-challenged country since President Jacob Zuma took office in May this year. He has made several economically challenging concessions to nip the crippling strikes in the industrial and public sectors.

"Our position is that the march was illegal. The union needs to take responsibility for the actions of their members," ministry spokesman Ndhivuwo Mabhaya told AFP on Wednesday.

Sisulu announced that all of the participating soldiers would be suspended without pay.

The government has criticized the army strike, stressing that the military requires that personnel abide by a set of rules different from that of other sectors.

The country's largest walkout was by nearly of municipal workers, including city police. The workers settled for a 13% pay rise.

State power firm Eskom, with the country's largest union, threatened earlier this month to have all members on strike and to cut power across the country -- an economically crippling venture that could bring work to a halt in the country's gold mines.

But the union later said an agreement over pay and housing policy had helped avert the strike.

presstv

NAIROBI, 28 August 2009 (IRIN) - Countries tackling food insecurity and climate change adaptation can greatly benefit from agroforestry - integrating fleshy plants and trees into their farming systems, environmental specialists say.

Sub-Saharan Africa has a history of food insecurity brought on by meagre rains, land degradation, declining soil fertility and bad management of resources, among other factors.

"How do we, in a world of more than six billion people, rising to perhaps over nine billion, feed everyone while simultaneously securing the ecosystem services such as forests and wetlands that underpin agriculture, and indeed life itself in the first place?" Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), posited at the second World Congress on Agroforestry in Nairobi.

"We can empower people - not to wait for others to do something for them – but to take the initiative, one tree at a time," Steiner said. "Trees are one of nature’s most ingenious answers to many of our problems."

Agroforestry helps supply fodder, fruit and nuts as well as trees and shrubs that produce gums, resins and valuable medicines.

Steiner said agroforestry may have many roles to play in the new landscape of rewarding countries for their natural or nature-based services.

"Firstly it offers the potential for maximizing sustainable food production in the zones surrounding natural forests while also boosting biodiversity and other ‘natural infrastructure’.

"Secondly, it offers an opportunity for timber production and thus alternative livelihoods to meet perhaps a supply gap that may emerge under a fully-fledged REDD [Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation] regime.

"Thirdly these agroforestry areas can also potentially secure flows from carbon finance in their own right."


Better REDD

REDD is a strategy to help local communities conserve forests, including funding these efforts through governments and market-based mechanisms, such as trading the carbon stored by forests as credits to greenhouse gas-emitting industries.

Trees such as the Faidherbia albida, a leguminous acacia-like tree, are especially useful.

“Faidherbia goes dormant at the beginning of the rains and deposits abundant quantities of organic fertilizer on to the food crops to provide nutrients and increase yields, totally free of charge," said Dennis Garrity, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Director-General. "They are fertilizer factories in the food crop fields."

The leaves and pods of the Faidherbia, which are adapted to a wide array of climates and soils from deserts to humid tropics, provide fodder in the dry season too.

Garrity said: "The much higher food prices... have exacerbated the pain of hunger in hundreds of millions of households. The standard solutions just aren’t working. The question is, what are we as agroforestry scientists going to do about it? What are we going to contribute to sustainable solutions?"

With shrinking forests, he said, "the rising demand for tree products will have to be met from farm-grown sources. Clearly, agroforestry science has much to offer in overcoming the food security challenges in Africa, and elsewhere in the world."

Tree cover

According to a 24 August report by ICRAF, "tree cover is a common feature on agricultural land", and represents over one billion hectares of land.

"Agroforestry, if defined by tree cover of greater than 10 percent on agricultural land, is widespread, found on 46 percent of all agricultural land area globally, and affecting 30 percent of rural populations," stated the report.

Namanga Ngongi, president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), said: "Seventy-five percent of Africa’s farm lands are degraded, and deforestation is taking place at four times the global average, destroying 1 percent of our forests every year."

Agroforestry alone could remove 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 50 years, meeting about a third of the world’s total carbon reduction challenge, according to ICRAF studies.



Carbon payback

Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai suggested that subsistence farmers might be more willing to invest in farming trees if there were carbon credit revenue guarantees.

UNEP recently launched a Carbon Benefits Project in the catchments of Lake Victoria, Niger, Nigeria and China, which seeks to find a standardized way of assessing how much carbon is actually locked away in vegetation and in soils under different land-management regimes.

This has been a major challenge for African smallholders seeking to access the carbon market. Preliminary findings are expected within 18 months.

According to Steiner, economic incentives are required to reverse deforestation and forest degradation.

"...Simply locking away forests to secure their carbon as if they are the Queen’s jewels, or putting up the modern equivalent of a Berlin Wall between forests and people, is almost certainly folly and almost certainly a recipe for disaster," he said.

irinnews

28 August 2009
Luanda — The Angolan head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, Friday in Luanda received congratulation greetings on the occasion of his 67th anniversary.

The Noble Hall of the Presidential Palace in Luanda receives personalities linked to legislative, judicial and executive bodies, as well as other individualities of the most varied sectors of Angolan society.

The speaker of the National Assembly, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos will make a "brief intervention" before the guests to toast champagne with president dos Santos, who is accompanied by his wife, Ana Paula dos Santos.

Afterwards, in the gardens surrounding the Palace, the Kitoco Foundation will award a diploma to José Eduardo dos Santos during a fraternisation dinner.

Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, was born in Luanda on August 28, 1942.

allafrica

28 August 2009
Luanda — The Angolan head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, Friday in Luanda received congratulation greetings on the occasion of his 67th anniversary.

The Noble Hall of the Presidential Palace in Luanda receives personalities linked to legislative, judicial and executive bodies, as well as other individualities of the most varied sectors of Angolan society.

The speaker of the National Assembly, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos will make a "brief intervention" before the guests to toast champagne with president dos Santos, who is accompanied by his wife, Ana Paula dos Santos.

Afterwards, in the gardens surrounding the Palace, the Kitoco Foundation will award a diploma to José Eduardo dos Santos during a fraternisation dinner.

Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, was born in Luanda on August 28, 1942.

allafrica

28 August 2009
Civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are continuing to suffer at the hands of a notorious Ugandan rebel group, whose attacks have forced at least 125,000 people in Orientale province to flee their homes in the last three weeks alone, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a "staggering" 540,000 Congolese have been uprooted in Orientale province by deadly attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) since last September.

This includes at least 125,000 people known to have been driven out of their villages in the province's Haut Uele district in the past three weeks, UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva today.

Among other atrocities, the LRA is accused of widespread killings, kidnappings of civilians and raping of women. Over the past year, it has reportedly killed some 1,270 people and abducted 655 children in Orientale province, in addition to causing widespread destruction to homes, health centres and schools.

Mr. Mahecic said UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies have provided much needed supplies to some 11,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) near Dungu, the capital of Haut Uele district, but insecurity and impassable roads continue to hamper relief efforts.

"Moreover, as the number of IDPs increases, friction over the meagre resources has erupted between the displaced and host families who have been stretched to the limit," he stated, adding that some of the host families have been hosting the displaced since last September when attacks started in the area.

The attacks by the LRA have also forced an estimated 8,000 Congolese to flee to neighbouring South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).

allafrica

28 August 2009

Lubango — The chairman of the association of military attachés accredited in Angola, colonel Alessandro Pompeu Coelho, last Thursday in Lubango City, in the southern Huíla Province, considered as healthy the existing military relations between the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and his organisation.

Speaking at the end of a meeting he held with the commander of the southern military region, general Apollo Felino Yakuvela, the military diplomat said that it is necessary to strengthen and preserve the friendship and cooperation ties between both institutions, so as to increase the integration between the association and FAA.

The members of the association left for Huíla Province in order to learn more about the country, the particularity of each province and FAA in different regions of Angola.

The diplomat said that initiatives of this kind will continue so as to strengthen the relations even more.

On his turn , the commander of the southern military region, general Apollo Felino Yakuvela, highlighted the contribution of Armed Forces from the different countries whose defence attachés are part of the mentioned association, in the training of Angolan military cadres, logistical supply, among other issues.

The delegation, which is comprised by France, Belgium, Cuba, Portugal and Brazil, visited the headquarters of the Organising Committee o the African Cup of Nations (COCAN) in Huila Province, the construction works of the new stadium that will host matches of CAN-2010, the plant of ornamental rocks (Emanha) and the factory of mineral water (Chela), as well as project of FAA's pension scheme dubbed "Laranjinha".

This is the second time that representatives of the military defence visited the province. The delegation is travelling this Friday to the south-west Namibe Province.

allafrica

28 August 2009

THE national under-17 football side are in Angola for theâ-¨FESA under-20 tournament starting today in Lunda-Norte Province.

The 20-man squad who left on Wednesday include two notable faces - African Stars striker Ikuaterua Tjozongoro and Hansa Rostock's Manfred Starke.

The 18-year-old Tjozongoro once represented Namibia at under-17 level, when Namibia played Angola in the COSAFA u/17 Championships in 2007 and promised to make an impact.

Tjozongoro said: "It is my first time with this team and I want to make it my home and move up the ladder to the senior side. I'm happy that finally I made the team and surely I will do my best in helping the team win in Angola and beyond."

Another new face, Starke, who is a midfielder, is delighted about the call-up as well: "I have been in Germany playing for the Hansa Rostock junior team in the Bundesliga second league and I'm determined to impress."

Namibia will compete the Eduardo dos Santos Foundation (FESA) Tournament, against hosts Angola, Botswana and Malawi and new coach Richard Starke is cognisant of the latest challenge.

"It's a challenge for me to get the best out of the boys and I'm confident that we have a strong team that will bring us success and that we can ultimately be proud of.

"We have to develop the team for two years and with the talent we have I don't expect major problems with them. I'm still bonding with the players and its going great", Starke said.

The NFA will be sending the same group of players to South Africa for the COSAFA under-20 tournament in Bloemfontein later in December.

Other travelling members include Head of Mission Franz Mbidi, NFA technical director Klaus Staerk and team manager Jakes Amaning and Paulina Amwenye as the medic.

The squad: Tarioq Claasen, Gregorous Tsuseb, Wallaceâ-¨Mosiane, Gregorious Issak, Eslin Kamuhanga, Sakeus Wilbard,Petrus Shitembi, Neville Tjiueza, Collin Ndjai, Ikuaterua Tjozongoro, Gerson Asheelo, Robinson Iyambo, Randall Goagoseb, Oswaldo Xamseb (captain) , Manfred Starke, Samuel Goagoseb, Alpheus Handura, Clerence Engelbrecht (NFA Secretariat).

allafrica

28 August 2009

Algeria's U-17 national team are undergoing intensive preparation for the upcoming World Cup, which begins on October 24 in Nigeria. The youngsters are currently in Nigeria's capital Abuja, on a training camp that will last until September 1 under the watchful eyes of coaches Othmane Ibrir and Hakim Meddane.

According to dzfoot.net, the technical staff will be focusing the majority of their efforts on tactical preparations given that this was identified as one of the weaknesses that led to a disappointing sixth-place finish at a regional tournament played in Tunis three weeks ago.

The North African players will look to improve by facing both JS El Biar's and CR Belouizdad's U-20 sides in friendly matches at the El Biar stadium.

The team has three goalkeepers that include Merzouki Abdenour, Zaâbat Nacereddine (Académie FAF) and Talhi Abdelouakil (OM Ruisseau).

Defenders are Khida Bilal, Bekakchi Brahim El Khalil, Belkadi Abderrahmane, Cheheima Ahmed, Cherchar Mohamed Ilyès, Bouteldja Anis and Djouba Djelloul (Academie FAF) while midfielders include Ziane Mohamed Nadir, Ait Ferguene Nabil, Ferkous Houssem Eddine, Boughoula Abdelghani, Omrani Mohamed Lamine, Ferhat Zineddine, Haddouche Zakaria (Académie FAF), Ferguène Saïd (JS Kabylie)

Strikers are Bezzaz Abdelhakim, Toulait Aghiles, Khelifi Youcef, and Athmani Walid (Académie FAF).

allafrica

27 Aug 2009
Egypt arrests 50 protesters who oppose the possible resettling of members of the Bahai sect in a village in the southern province of Sohag.

The demonstrators believed that the government plans to re-house the Bahais in Ezba who were forced to flee from the southern village of Sharoniyah, when four of their houses were set ablaze last April.

However, a security official denied that the people being relocated were Bahais, saying they were people whose homes had collapsed, AFP reported.

The inhabitants of both villages remained skeptical and several dozen furious villagers gathered outside the Ezba municipal offices on Thursday, demanding the names of those being re-housed be published, to ensure that none were Bahais, the official said.

presstv

28 August 2009
Four candidates who reportedly pulled out of Gabon's presidential race to back a rival to frontrunner Ali Bongo Ondimba have dismissed the allegation, the latest twist in a fast-changing and increasingly confusing electoral campaign.

AFP - A bid to find a unity candidate in Gabon's presidential election backfired Friday, as four contenders denied having pulled out of Sunday's race to rally behind a rival to frontrunner Ali Bongo.

All four dismissed a statement issued earlier Friday saying they had agreed to back former minister Andre Mba Obame in a bid to beat Ali Bongo Ondimba, son of the former president Omar Bongo Ondimba.

But representatives of five other candidates told a press conference that they had decided to stand down and support Mba Obame, in line with an initial statement released by his camp.

Until Friday, 23 politicians were in the race to take over from Bongo, who died early in June after 41 years at the helm of the oil-rich central African nation, where an estimated 60 percent of the population of 1.5 million live below the poverty level.

The original statement, issued after talks that went into the early hours Friday, said 11 candidates had quit the race in favour of Mba Obame, who beat former prime minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong to become the unity candidate in a secret ballot.

But four of those listed in the statement swiftly issued denials.

Casimir Oye Mba, former minister for mines, oil and hydrocarbons, seen as one of the frontrunners, said he was still in the race.

"I am and I remain a candidate in Sunday's presidential poll," Oye Mba said, adding that he was about to take a plane to the provinces for a rally. "I'm pursuing my campaign like I began it."

Three other presidential hopefuls -- Victoire Lasseni Duboze, Bruno Ben Moubamba and Jules Aristide Bourdes Ogouliguende -- also denounced their inclusion in the statement.

"It's a dirty trick," Moubamba told AFP.

Those who confirmed that they had stood down were Eyeghe Ndong, former deputy prime minister Paul Mba Abessole, independent candidate Mehdi Teale, business leader Jean Ntoumoume Ngoua and the Pentecostal leader Anna Claudine Assayi Ayo.

Mba Obame's spokesman Francois Ondo Edou told Friday's press conference that 13 of the candidates or their representatives had attended the long meeting and said, "There was no hint of manipulation."

Oye Mba told journalists he had returned to Libreville late Thursday to find the meeting under way and said, "I observed that a whole day hadn't been enough for them to reach a precise political decision."

He had stayed until midnight, but was tired from campaigning, and went to bed, only to hear in the morning that "candidates had allegedly rallied round Mba Obama," he added.

"You can type my name on a statement, but what matters is my signature," Oye Mba added, disassociating himself from the text.

But Assayi Ayo told journalists, "The first person who voted was Casimir Oye Mba. It was he who suggested the idea of a vote!"

Ben Moubamba recalled that when Mba Obame was minister of the interior, he had last January jailed leaders of non-governmental organisations who wrote an open letter that was highly critical of the Bongo regime.

As things stand, Ali Bongo remains the overwhelming favourite to succeed his father, and he has himself spoken out against the former system of favouritism and kickbacks among an elite.

The ruling Gabonese Democratic Party backs him and he has a huge campaign war chest, but the opposition has denounce the corruption and favouritism that is endemic in Gabon and fears it will continue under Ali Bongo.

Gabon is sub-Saharan Africa's fourth biggest oil producer, the world's third biggest provider of manganese and Africa's second biggest wood exporter.

france24

28 August 2009
Former Centrafrican president Ange-Felix Patasse says he will leave his Togo exile and return to the Central African Republic this Saturday. Patasse has said he could "potentially" run in the country's presidential election scheduled for 2010.

AFP - Former president Ange-Felix Patasse of the Central African Republic said Thursday in exile that he was "potentially a candidate" for elections in his country next year.

"I am potentially a candidate in the presidential election of 2010 because there is a large groundswell of opinion in Centrafrica which is asking me to present myself," Patasse told a press conference at his home in Togo.

Patasse ruled the CAR from 1999 until 2003, when he was overthrown by General Francois Bozize, who has since quit the military and is elected head of state in his country.

"The time has come for me to return to my native country where my people is waiting for me," Patasse said, adding that he expected to return to Bangui on Saturday.

Asked about his ouster from the Movement for the Liberation of the Centrafrican People (MPLC), the party he founded in 1962, Patasse said he was "still its legal and legitimate president. When I am in Bangui, everything will return to normal."

The MPLC in 2006 announced that it was suspending its former leader from all political activity for "failing to respect the political line of the party."

Last June, the MLPC made former prime minister Martin Ziguele its candidate for the presidential election due next year, on a date that has yet to be announced.

Patasse returned to Bangui in December 2008 for a month to take part in a peace forum that brought together members of the government, the opposition, civil society and rebels, in an attempt to pull the deeply poor country out of years of conflict.

This forum decided that both presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in 2010 and stressed that they would be "transparent and fair."

france24

26 Aug 2009
Almost 8 million people in Kenya and Somalia are in need of emergency aid amid drought, rising food prices and conflict in East Africa, the UN has warned.

An assessment by the World Food Program (WFP) has found out that half of the Somali people need food aid. It has also appealed for $230 million in emergency aid to feed 3.8 million Kenyans over six months.

"Red lights are flashing across the country," Burkard Oberle, WFP Kenya Country Director, said in a statement. "People are already going hungry, malnutrition is preying on more and more young children, cattle are dying."

The WFP said that many parts of Kenya had suffered from failed rains during the last three of four rainy seasons and that the situation was only likely to deteriorate.

Somalia is facing an even more acute crisis, according to the UN's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit for Somalia (FSNAU).

Almost 1.5 million Somalis have abandoned their homes to live in camps for the internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands more have fled abroad, many of whom to the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.


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