20110404
allafrica

Abuja — As Nigeria's attempt to hold parliamentary elections—the first round of a three-stage vote set for this month in Africa's most populous nation—floundered this weekend, there was no shortage of opinions from would-be voters across the country as they reacted to vote.

20110404
allafrica

Cape Town — Close allies of President Robert Mugabe have responded to criticism from Zimbabwe's neighbours by launching unprecedented, scathing attacks on South African President Jacob Zuma.

20110404
Vanguard

Abuja — The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, launched a stock taking mechanism to ensure that materials already used in some parts of the country before the postponement of last Saturday's elections were not used in subsequent elections.

20110404
IPS

Butuo — The yard at Peter Saye's is full: of kids, of cooking pots, of chickens, goats, and piles of belongings. Women carry firewood and stir coals, plait hair and snap at the children scampering around in the dust. There are nearly 100 refugees sheltering here from the violence across the border in Côte d'Ivoire.

20110404
reuters

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Forces backing Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara began a fresh assault to remove Laurent Gbagbo from his last stronghold in Abidjan on Monday.

20110404
reuters

SFAX, Tunisia/ BREGA, Libya (Reuters) - Gaddafi forces using tanks and snipers are carrying out a "massacre" in Misrata with corpses on the streets and hospitals full of the wounded, evacuees said, with one describing the besieged city as "hell".

20110404
reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Peace proposals by Muammar
Gaddafi insisting on a future political role for his family are
almost certainly non-starters but may buy Libya's leader the
time he needs to drive a wedge in coalition ranks.

20110404
reuters

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey said it was seeking to broker a ceasefire in Libya as an envoy from Muammar Gaddafi's government arrived in Ankara on Monday, with representatives of the Libyan opposition also expected in the coming days.

20110404
reuters

KINSHASA (Reuters) - A United Nations plane crashed while attempting to land at the airport serving Congo's capital Kinshasa on Monday, killing 10 people and injuring 16, a UN source told Reuters.

20110404
reuters

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army rulers froze assets belonging to three former aides of deposed President Hosni Mubarak, meeting a demand of reformers seeking tough action against figures of the past administration.

20110404
reuters

TUNIS (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi discussed in Tunisia on Monday how to repatriate thousands of Tunisian migrants, pledging to do so in "a civil manner" as more boats from North Africa reached southern Italy.

20110404
reuters

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria faces an uphill struggle to salvage credible elections from administrative chaos after aborting its first round of polling this weekend, but the move at least shows some determination to try to get things right.

20110404
reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A local tribunal would not be a credible mechanism to try Kenyan post-election violence suspects because the wealthy political elite would manipulate the court, Kenya's "Iron Lady" Martha Karua said on Monday.

20110404
reuters

LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia has dropped the charges against two Chinese managers accused of attempted murder for the shooting and wounding of 11 coal miners during a protest over pay, a lawyer said on Monday.

20110404 - East African Community is gearing to elect its third Secretary General, as its leaders continue to pay glowing tribute to Juma Mwapachu, whose tenure has expired.

East African Legislative Assembly meeting in Rwanda last week passed a resolution paying tribute to the outgoing EAC Secretary General and ex-officio member of EALA, as it entered its third straight day of deliberations at the Parliament of Rwanda, Kigali.

Mwapachu, a Tanzanian national, has successfully stirred the secretariat since 2006 albeit uncontroversial in a move that has seen the enactment of the Customs Union and the Common Market Protocol in the past five years.

Other than overseeing successful negotiations of the EAC Common Market, which was signed in November 2009 and entered in to force on July 1, 2010, Mwapachu is instrumental in putting together the development of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) to spearhead the negotiations of the EAC Monetary Union, which is the next level of integration.

The Heads of State Summit is expected to meet in Dar es Salaam mid this month to elect a new Secretary General in conformity with the provisions of article 67 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

While Tanzania and Uganda are not eligible to provide a secretary general, all focus is now on Kenya and the new entrants to the community, Rwanda and Burundi.

However, Rwanda is placed ahead of Kenya and Burundi as the possible holder of the office comes April 18, 2011 when the EAC Heads of State Summit takes place in Tanzania.

20110404 - Visiting Woirld Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy supports the strong determination of the East African states to integrate their economies. He reckons the initiative to merge was a move in the right direction for the region’s population.

Mr Lamy said in Mombasa that WTO viewed the process as the most dynamic in the whole of Africa, as it had the political will of the leaders and the momentum needed to ensure its success. Speaking when he paid courtesy call at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) headquarters, the WTO director general further commended KPA for steadying itself to serve EAC hinterland.

He added that not only serving Kenyans, but the vast hinterland areas of Uganda, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and lately the south Sudan.

KPA Managing Director Gichiri Ndua, who hosted Lamy, told the WTO chief that runaway piracy off the East African coastline has impacted negatively on the port operations. Mr Ndua said vessels calling at the port of Mombasa have to detour to avoid easy contact with pirates in the high waters.

Ndua said it is crucial for the international community to confront piracy, which remains the biggest threat to full utilization of the port of Mombasa. He informed Lamy that the port had successfully implemented a 24-hour working schedule to help hasten cargo clearance, and was carrying out massive investments to upgrade its facilities as it gears towards full efficiency.

20110404 - Political goodwill is required if the war against narcotic drugs is to be won, a Kenyan Government anti-drugs agency said as it called for the immediate arrest of a politician, activist and businesswoman protecting drug baron.

The Director of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority (Nacada), and a national chairman of the Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council (Kemnac), Sheikh Juma Ngao, said the top leadership should back the police to bring drug barons to book.

“President and Internal Security minister should intervene and ensure nobody shields drug barons in the country.” He said.

He was reacting to a statement from the Police headquarters that police have given up attempt to arrest the politician, who they say owns speed boats used to transfer the drugs from the high seas to his house.

The statement had indicated that the drug barons were intimidating and attempting to bribe police officers investigating the high profile case. Sheikh Ngao challenged the country’s leadership to put their foot down and ensure those protecting drug barons are put behind bars.

20110404 - Interim President sworn in, but some critics say move is not recognized and is a breach of law

After seven days of deliberations, Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government, members of parliament, civil society groups and clan elders agreed to the formation of a semi-autonomous state to be called Azaaniya.

Originally known as Jubaland, Azaaniya comprises lower and middle Juba and Gedo regions on the Kenya-Somalia border. And yesterday Prof Muhammed Gandhi was sworn in as the interim president of the newly created state.
He said they agreed on a plan that would see their people enjoy peace again. It has been over 20 years of death and tears. They determined to restore nationhood and unity in Somalia.

International community

The move is said to be supported by the international community, including the African Union and igad members, and backed by the Kenyan Government in the hope it would help crush the dreaded Al-Shabaab insurgents. Although the Kenyan Government did not send a representative to the event, there was obvious presence of Kenyan security personnel at the venue of the meeting, indicating it supported the formation of the new state along its border.

Immediately Gandhi was elected the president unopposed last Wednesday, Kenyan security personnel were deployed to guard him. Yesterday, tens of plain clothe security officers thoroughly screened all delegates before they could enter the venue of inauguration.

The state will act as a buffer zone to help keep al-Shabaab militia away from Kenya. Last week, al-Shabaab militia attacked a police station at Liboi town.

Jubaland Initiative Coordinator Prof Muhammad said the group would go to the ground to seek legitimacy from the people and denied they have broken away from the main government. He said just like Puntland and Somaliland, Azaaniya supports Sheikh Shariff Ahmed’s government.

But a swift censure greeted the creation of the new autonomous state. Maslah Mohamed, son of former Somali president Mohammed Siad Barre, dismissed the move terming it a serious breach of international law and unrecognized by the Somali people. Mohammed said “Prof Gandhi neither has the support of the people of the region nor Somalia.”

20110404 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guteres has decried the influx of refugees from Somalia into Kenya.

Guteres said since January, up to 10,000 refugees have crossed the border to Kenya, leading to congestion at the Dadaab camp. He blamed the al-Shabaab militia for the volatile situation in Somalia. Guteres spoke at Dadaab while accompanied by World Food Programme Executive Director Josette Sheeran and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachele.

They were assessing the food crisis, security situation and state of women and children. They also visited Ifo and Hagdera refugees camp.

Fresh fighting between al-Shabaab and Somali’s Transitional Federal Government troops near the Kenyan boarder has been raging in the past two months, forcing thousands of residents to flee.

Kenya has deployed hundreds of security personnel at the border to deter incursion. The gangs have more than twice attacked troops in Liboi in protest against alleged Kenya’s assistance to the TFG.

Last week, Internal Security Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia warned the gangs that they would not be spared. He added security had been beefed up along the porous Kenya/Somalia boarder to deter such attacks.

Al-Shabaab, aligned to al-Qaeda as claimed has warned it would attack Kenya for allegedly supporting the TFG. Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere has called on Kenyans to be vigilant in malls, social places and matatus (mini-buses).

20110404
IPS

Windhoek — As water resources in Southern Africa come under pressure from growing population, climate change and increasing industrial and agricultural use, economic accounting for water is among the tools that could aid better management.