Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 139

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Nigeria: Former Vice-President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim on zoning is “ludicrous”.

Also Former Senate President, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of being politicaly intolerant, saying unlike his predecessor, late Umaru Yar'Adua, President Jonathan is undermining the nation's constitution as well as Nigeria's nascent democracy.

The United States has said the issue of zoning, which is currently rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is purely the party’s affair while noting that it has a natural rotation system in its politics to encourage inclusion on all levels.

As Nigeria marked its 50^th anniversary a car bombing that rippled through Nigeria's capital Abuja last week; according to initial reports the blast killed eight people and wounded 21 others. Nigerian police have named two men suspected of organizing car bombings, meanwhile the number of casualties rose to 12.

Henry Okah former leader of the Nigerian militant group Mend was arrested in South Africa, according to Nigerian intelligence agency spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar.

Niger: The North African wing of al-Qaeda last week released photographs of seven hostages held in Niger, the first since the group was kidnapped earlier this month. A spokesman for the French foreign ministry declined to comment on the photographs.

Gambia: According to reports Gambia's state-controlled media were ‘obliged’ to make large headlines from a Statehouse announcing President Yahya Jammeh had "bagged four awards," and even been called "an inspirational leader" in a letter by US President Barack Obama. The White House however denies any such awards or letters.

Angola and Nigeria, engaged in resolving crisis in Guinea Bissau have reaffirmed to work hard in helping find solutions.

Elections: Ivory Coast: Ivory Coast's identity and electoral roll cards arrived in the country last week after being printed in Germany, the electoral commission said, nudging the West African nation a step closer to long overdue elections.

Meanwhile UN is set to send more troops to Ivory Coast before vote however according to reports the election hopes are fueling a mood of optimism in Ivory Coast.

Nigeria: In line with its desire for an adjustment in the timetable it earlier prepared for next year's general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has submitted a fresh proposal for voter registration to be held between January 8 and 22 next year.

Central Africa: The Government of Rwanda has warned that the "flawed and dangerous" United Nations Mapping Report to be released by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights could threaten regional stability. The report, an output of two-year investigations, chronicles wanton massacres and systematic sexual enslavement of Congolese allegedly by UPDF and Rwanda Patriotic Front soldiers as well as their brutal local militia allies.

Congo: UN has released its most extensive report to date on war massacres and rapes, atrocities committed in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 1993 to 2003. The report has sparked protests from both Rwanda and Uganda, whose armed forces are implicated in the crimes. The African countries of Angola and Burundi have also disputed aspects of the report.

South Africa: South Africa: The ruling African National Congress has faced mob protests over the last two years for failing to provide the poor with homes, hospitals and sanitation some 16 years after the end of apartheid when the party took over control of Africa's largest economy.

Zimbabwe: According to reports U.S. State Department has expressed that Zimbabwe must show greater respect for human rights and political freedoms before the U.S. sanctions on the poor African nation can be removed. Meanwhile the European Union (EU) has said it has "noted positive developments" in Zimbabwe as the deadline for a decision on targeted restrictions against the troubled Southern African country approaches.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria: Floods caused by heavy rains last week have rendered more than 1,600 persons from about 63 families’ homeless in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State. Meanwhile Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, inaugurated a 9 man committee under the chairmanship of Alhaji Sahabi Isa Gada for collection and distribution of relief materials to victims of flood disaster in the state.

Police in Nigeria have confirmed that the 15 school children whisked away by kidnappers earlier this week were all Nigerian nationals. All 15 children were later rescued by joint security forces.

Central Africa: The Rwandan government is set to promote cassava growing to boost food security in the country. Agriculture Minister said that Cassava should be a priority, because it's a staple food for most Rwandans and can be produced as different varieties.

Rwanda Education Alternative for Children (REACH) has launched a three year US$4.9m project which saw 21 model farms established in seven districts to rehabilitate victims of child labour.

South Africa: Mozambique: In response to food price demonstrations in early September, the Mozambican government has laid on a range of price cuts and subsidies to make life easier for the poor, and has promised to do some belt tightening of its own, but observers say the measures are unaffordable and will not address the deeper issues.

Zimbabwe: Increasing violence, carried out by the Patriotic Front of ZANU-PF against the supporters of MDC and other civilians, during community meetings lead to a constitutional referendum and new arrests of civil society activists highlight the lack of progress in ending human rights abuses and implementing urgently needed human rights reforms.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: The number of pregnant women being tested for HIV and accessing treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa has shown significant progress – indicating that virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of the virus by 2015 is possible.

In Nigeria: Communities’ resistance hampers lead cleanup, efforts to treat children poisoned by lead and to clean up contaminated sites in northern Nigeria's Zamfara State are being hampered by the reticence of communities to divulge cases, for fear of a government ban on lucrative illegal gold mining.

Nigeria Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke said last week that the Federal Government has designed a strategy to make Nigeria Carbon Neutral by 2025.

There is a 60% global shortfall in funds for malaria control, according to a report by UK and African experts.

Central Africa: A new report by several UN agencies has ranked Rwanda among eight countries worldwide that have registered significant progress in increasing access to anti-HIV/Aids services, including antiretroviral drugs.

South Africa: Angola: A polio immunization campaign targeting 5.6 million children was launched in Angola earlier this month (01 October 2010) as the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the southern African country was quickly becoming the greatest threat to continent-wide eradication efforts.

According to reports communities in Swaziland are coming together as never before to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has so deeply affected them. Some NGOs are also holding seminars to offer facts, clear confusions, provide education and counseling regarding HIV.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Nigeria: American energy giant, ExxonMobil has pioneered the use of made in Nigeria pipes in the oil and gas industry.

Ghana: The government has won the hearts of development partners for the country to continue enjoying Official Development Assistance (ODA), which is normally concessionary lending to the country. Meanwhile IMF has warned Ghana on debt build-up and improvement of its fiscal performance to avoid an unsustainable build up of public debt through increased foreign borrowing.

Yet Balance of Payment data from the Bank of Ghana (BOG) indicates that total private money transfers to Ghana between January and May this year is $4.2 billion. At the global level, $300 billion was transferred in remittances last year, out of which $40 billion was in Africa alone.

According to reports, Irked by accusations that it is the new colonizer of Africa, China is looking to use soft power and historical evidence of its ancient links to the continent to justify its economic embrace of Africa.

Trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries like Angola according to reports rose 60.52 % between January and August.

Central Africa: Director General of Tanzania’s Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), has said only a win-win partnership with China can lead to enhanced investment in World Bank-supported and other special economic zones (SEZs) in Africa.

South Africa: The International Monetary Fund said last week that it would not replace its outgoing Madagascar representative due to the constitutional vacuum on the Indian Ocean Island. §

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