POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES
West Africa: Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office as acting president last week as President Umaru Yar'Adua’s 10-week hospitalization in Saudi Arabia has sparked political turmoil at home.
In Côte d'Ivoire demonstrators went on a rampage last week, burning down a sub-prefecture building in protest at the possible striking off of the electoral roll of people of foreign descent. Following the crisis President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and dismissed the electoral commission.
Last week’s clashes between Christians and Muslims in eastern Guinea have left one person dead and two missing. Meanwhile following the exile of former junta leader, Guinea's interim president has named a union leader to head a council charged with managing a transition from military to civilian rule.
Mali has announced that it will not give in to demands from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to free Islamist radicals held in its prisons in exchange for a French hostage as the French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived unexpectedly in Mali a week ahead of the deadline set by the group. Meanwhile two Malian negotiators met leaders of al-Qaeda last week in a bid to free six European hostages.
Central Africa: The United States Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes, Stephen Rapp, has said that his office has intelligence reports confirming that the alleged financier of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Felicien Kabuga is still in Kenya. Meanwhile in Rwanda visiting United Nations Police Commissioner General, Ann-Marie Orler, has urged the government to contribute more police personnel for UN peacekeeping missions.
Idriss Deby, Chad’s president visited Sudan in a thaw in relations that deteriorated in 2008 amidst accusations against both sides of supporting anti government fighters.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS
West Africa: Liberia's ex-information minister Laurence Bropleh has been charged with corruption after being accused of pocketing the salaries of fictional employees.
Talks between Niger's government and the opposition to end a political crisis were suspended last week.
After 18 years of successful multi-party democracy, Ghanaians are bracing themselves to review the Fourth Republican Constitution. Following cabinet’s approval of a memorandum on the consultative review, government has established an independent body to spearhead the process.
The Nigerian government has ordered investigation into a video clip aired on Al-Jazeera, showing extra judicial killings of defenseless cripples and underage citizens by the Nigeria Police Force, during the Boko Haram sectarian violence in Borno State, last year.
With 7.8 million people in Niger - or three fifths of the population - faci
ng moderate to severe food insecurity, the United Nations has appealed for international aid to help the impoverished nation.
South Africa: Following the scandal regarding Jacob Zuma’s adulterous relationship, the South African president has issued a public apology. Zuma's state of the nation speech last week was overshadowed by the scandal.
According to a new report from the South African Institute of Race Relations, violent crime is not necessarily linked to high poverty rates.
As Zimbabwe's Unity Government marked a shaky first year in power, former opposition party the MDC says that fresh elections may need to be called as political parties have failed to resolve their deadlock.
A case involving U.S.-based multinational companies and South African victims of apartheid is making its way through the U.S. court system. The claims totaling hundreds of billions of dollars allege the multinationals helped the pre-1994 racist apartheid government perpetuate human rights abuses.
Meanwhile Zimbabwe's unity government has been plunged into another crisis as new regulations designed by President Robert Mugabe's loyalists demand that 51 percent of all companies be given to blacks.
A study done by MISA-Mozambique on behalf of UNESCO on media development in has found that Mozambique has a political and legal framework favorable to freedom of expression, pluralism, and diversity in the media. However, constraints still persist in the practical application of media-friendly laws and policies. For example all print media in Mozambique operates exclusively in Portuguese and are thus not accessible to the majority of the population.
Malawi introduced free basic education in 1994, and the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools rose from 1.9 to 3.2 million; how ever current figures from the ministry of education indicate that up to 20 percent of children aged between six and 13 still do not attend primary school.
Central Africa: In Rwanda Joseph Ntawangundi, an assistant to presidential aspirant Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza has been arrested against charges of genocide. Meanwhile Human rights reports that in advance of Rwanda’s August 2010 presidential election opposition party members are facing increasing threats, attacks, and harassment.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) internally displaced people (IDPs) are still being abducted by armed groups for forced labor in several territories in North Kivu Province, even as authorities beef up security in IDP camps. Eight months after the end of joint military operations by (DRC) and Uganda, many parts of Orientale Province, in northeastern DRC, are still in turmoil. Meanwhile in the western Equateur Province, parents are keeping children at home amid security fears.
According to fresh estimates released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the number of women raped in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where sexual violence committed by warring factions has reached endemic proportions, topped 8,000 last year.
HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS
South Africa: South Africa and Australia have signed an agreement that will frame future bilateral cooperation on climate change issues.
Central Africa: In Rwanda the Environment Management Committees at the sector levels have been tasked to become vigilant in curbing down activities leading to environmental destruction.
POLITICAL ECONOMY
West Africa: A United Nations Panel of Expert has indicted Liberia for ‘abuse of internal control’ for failing to comply in the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification (KPC) system accusing it of exporting diamond valued over US$7.4m.
In line with efforts to meet its last quarter of 2010 time line to start pouring Ghana's first commercial oil from the jubilee fields, Tullow Ghana Limited has began the installation of a number of sub sea equipment required for siphoning oil from under the seabed.
South Africa: Last week Southern African parliament ratified an agreement of the International Monetary Fund, an agreement on the Establishment of Zambezi Watercourse Commission (Zamcom), and the SADC Mutual Defence Pact. Meanwhile the issue of the border between Malawi and Tanzania remains unresolved.
South Africa's unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2009 remained virtually unchanged at 24.3 percent.
Central Africa: A special summit dealing with the issue of illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is to be organized seeking to boost the peace process in the country.
The Government of Rwanda signed six agreements with the World Bank (WB) seeking finances for various government programs to the tune of $120.3 million. The government will also be getting Euros 38.5 million loan from a German development bank, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) (Reconstruction Credit Institute).
Meanwhile the Japanese government has given Rwanda Television (RTV) a grant of 46.1 million Japanese Yen (approx $0.5m). §
West Africa: Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office as acting president last week as President Umaru Yar'Adua’s 10-week hospitalization in Saudi Arabia has sparked political turmoil at home.
In Côte d'Ivoire demonstrators went on a rampage last week, burning down a sub-prefecture building in protest at the possible striking off of the electoral roll of people of foreign descent. Following the crisis President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and dismissed the electoral commission.
Last week’s clashes between Christians and Muslims in eastern Guinea have left one person dead and two missing. Meanwhile following the exile of former junta leader, Guinea's interim president has named a union leader to head a council charged with managing a transition from military to civilian rule.
Mali has announced that it will not give in to demands from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to free Islamist radicals held in its prisons in exchange for a French hostage as the French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived unexpectedly in Mali a week ahead of the deadline set by the group. Meanwhile two Malian negotiators met leaders of al-Qaeda last week in a bid to free six European hostages.Central Africa: The United States Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes, Stephen Rapp, has said that his office has intelligence reports confirming that the alleged financier of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Felicien Kabuga is still in Kenya. Meanwhile in Rwanda visiting United Nations Police Commissioner General, Ann-Marie Orler, has urged the government to contribute more police personnel for UN peacekeeping missions.
Idriss Deby, Chad’s president visited Sudan in a thaw in relations that deteriorated in 2008 amidst accusations against both sides of supporting anti government fighters.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS
West Africa: Liberia's ex-information minister Laurence Bropleh has been charged with corruption after being accused of pocketing the salaries of fictional employees.
Talks between Niger's government and the opposition to end a political crisis were suspended last week.
After 18 years of successful multi-party democracy, Ghanaians are bracing themselves to review the Fourth Republican Constitution. Following cabinet’s approval of a memorandum on the consultative review, government has established an independent body to spearhead the process.
The Nigerian government has ordered investigation into a video clip aired on Al-Jazeera, showing extra judicial killings of defenseless cripples and underage citizens by the Nigeria Police Force, during the Boko Haram sectarian violence in Borno State, last year.
With 7.8 million people in Niger - or three fifths of the population - faci
ng moderate to severe food insecurity, the United Nations has appealed for international aid to help the impoverished nation.South Africa: Following the scandal regarding Jacob Zuma’s adulterous relationship, the South African president has issued a public apology. Zuma's state of the nation speech last week was overshadowed by the scandal.
According to a new report from the South African Institute of Race Relations, violent crime is not necessarily linked to high poverty rates.
As Zimbabwe's Unity Government marked a shaky first year in power, former opposition party the MDC says that fresh elections may need to be called as political parties have failed to resolve their deadlock.
A case involving U.S.-based multinational companies and South African victims of apartheid is making its way through the U.S. court system. The claims totaling hundreds of billions of dollars allege the multinationals helped the pre-1994 racist apartheid government perpetuate human rights abuses.
Meanwhile Zimbabwe's unity government has been plunged into another crisis as new regulations designed by President Robert Mugabe's loyalists demand that 51 percent of all companies be given to blacks.
A study done by MISA-Mozambique on behalf of UNESCO on media development in has found that Mozambique has a political and legal framework favorable to freedom of expression, pluralism, and diversity in the media. However, constraints still persist in the practical application of media-friendly laws and policies. For example all print media in Mozambique operates exclusively in Portuguese and are thus not accessible to the majority of the population.
Malawi introduced free basic education in 1994, and the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools rose from 1.9 to 3.2 million; how ever current figures from the ministry of education indicate that up to 20 percent of children aged between six and 13 still do not attend primary school.
Central Africa: In Rwanda Joseph Ntawangundi, an assistant to presidential aspirant Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza has been arrested against charges of genocide. Meanwhile Human rights reports that in advance of Rwanda’s August 2010 presidential election opposition party members are facing increasing threats, attacks, and harassment.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) internally displaced people (IDPs) are still being abducted by armed groups for forced labor in several territories in North Kivu Province, even as authorities beef up security in IDP camps. Eight months after the end of joint military operations by (DRC) and Uganda, many parts of Orientale Province, in northeastern DRC, are still in turmoil. Meanwhile in the western Equateur Province, parents are keeping children at home amid security fears.
According to fresh estimates released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the number of women raped in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where sexual violence committed by warring factions has reached endemic proportions, topped 8,000 last year.
HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS
South Africa: South Africa and Australia have signed an agreement that will frame future bilateral cooperation on climate change issues.
Central Africa: In Rwanda the Environment Management Committees at the sector levels have been tasked to become vigilant in curbing down activities leading to environmental destruction.
POLITICAL ECONOMY
West Africa: A United Nations Panel of Expert has indicted Liberia for ‘abuse of internal control’ for failing to comply in the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification (KPC) system accusing it of exporting diamond valued over US$7.4m.
In line with efforts to meet its last quarter of 2010 time line to start pouring Ghana's first commercial oil from the jubilee fields, Tullow Ghana Limited has began the installation of a number of sub sea equipment required for siphoning oil from under the seabed.
South Africa: Last week Southern African parliament ratified an agreement of the International Monetary Fund, an agreement on the Establishment of Zambezi Watercourse Commission (Zamcom), and the SADC Mutual Defence Pact. Meanwhile the issue of the border between Malawi and Tanzania remains unresolved.
South Africa's unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2009 remained virtually unchanged at 24.3 percent.
Central Africa: A special summit dealing with the issue of illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is to be organized seeking to boost the peace process in the country.
The Government of Rwanda signed six agreements with the World Bank (WB) seeking finances for various government programs to the tune of $120.3 million. The government will also be getting Euros 38.5 million loan from a German development bank, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) (Reconstruction Credit Institute).
Meanwhile the Japanese government has given Rwanda Television (RTV) a grant of 46.1 million Japanese Yen (approx $0.5m). §
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Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Please Preview your comments before posting.
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Please Preview your comments before posting.
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