BPM- Africa Zone

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 141-145

2010-12-14T02:46:00.000-08:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Nigeria: The Federal Government last week tightened security at the busy Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, a day after the militant group; the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) threatened an imminent attack in the nation's capital.

In its determination to stop corrupt politicians from participating in the 2011 general elections, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Nigeria, identified 54 corrupt aspirants on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.

Nigeria needs to move quickly to establish a new election timetable and get on with registering voters if it is to hold credible polls next year, a group of international observers said.

Liberia: Unveiling its first arsenal for 2011 campaign, including a fleet of vehicle, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has warned the opposition, 'There is no stopping us now.'

Ivory Coast: Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo is the most popular candidate in elections set for Oct. 31, with 46 % of voters intending to vote for him in the first round, according to a TNS Sofres opinion poll obtained by Reuters. Meanwhile President Laurent Gbagbo officially opened his election campaign last week in the rebel-held west, pledging to industrialize the West African nation by putting a cocoa factory in every growing region.

In Guinea; Campaigning began quietly last week for the delayed final round of what would be Guinea's first free presidential election, scheduled for Oct. 24. Meanwhile Guinea's two rival presidential candidates have agreed to include each other in government whoever wins a delayed Oct. 24 runoff aimed at returning the country to civilian rule, according to a senior minister.

East/Horn of Africa:

In Somalia, Over 1 million people have been affected by the expulsion by Al Shabaab militants of international organizations that provide support in areas such as agriculture and livelihoods, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, the United Nations reported in its latest update.

Meanwhile Somalia President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed last week appointed 48-year-old American-Somali Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as the country's new Prime Minister.

The continental organization has chosen former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings as its new envoy for Somalia. According to reports Mr. Rawlings will help promote peace and reconciliation, as well as focus more international attention on the war-ravaged country.

Sudanese officials rejected the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers on the border between the northern and southern Sudan saying such request is unacceptable and contrary to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Meanwhile Sudan's foreign minister told the U.N. Security Council last week that his government is "fully committed" to holding a referendum that could result in the south of the country seceding from the north.

A Tanzanian political science professor has told VOA the entire population seems well-educated and equipped to make informed decisions in the upcoming general election scheduled for 31stOctober.

While in Ethiopia Meles Zenawi is expected to appoint new ministers after being sworn in as Prime Minister by parliament last week, four months after a disputed landslide election win.

Central Africa: The recently released United Nations Mapping report on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), sparked anger amongst Senators and Deputies, who were angry by flaws in the controversial document. The report accuses the Rwandan army of committing atrocities in the former Zaire.

Also the news said the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) cautioned that military operations alone in the restless eastern region cannot ensure long-term security in the area, stressing the need to build the capacity of the country's military, justice system and the police force

The International Criminal Court says French authorities have arrested a senior leader of a Rwandan rebel group accused of mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Rwanda Justice Minister said his government is pleased with the arrest of a former rebel leader accused of masterminding genocide and violating human rights against Rwandans and Congolese villagers in 1994.

According to reports Human rights groups and the Rwandan government have hailed France's arrest of a suspected rebel leader whose group is blamed for atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The fifth session of the Rwanda Zambia Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) will open in the Zambian Capital. It was reveled officially that JPC is expected to review co-operation in various areas of trade and industry, communications and transport, agriculture, mining and culture as well as refugees and immigration.

South Africa: Zimbabwe: After months of putting an optimistic face on his power-sharing deal with President, Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai erupted last week with frustration at his rival and the country’s troubled progress toward democracy.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria: The Chinese Construction and Engineering firm, CCECC has announced its inability to deliver Nigeria's rail project on schedule. It attributed its inability to torrential rains this season and promised to deliver all the rail jobs in March about six months hence.

As the number of children known to have been poisoned by lead continues to mount in Northern Nigeria, a UN team has recommended the government help communities clean up the informal gold-mining sector, rather than quash it altogether.

Nearly 700 people in a small town within Lagos, Nigeria, will be moved to a relief camp due to heavy flooding that has plagued the region since September, according to a state governor.

Gambia: Drug smugglers in Gambia will face the death penalty after a law passed last week toughened sentences for narcotics offences in the West African nation.

The emergence of a new meningitis vaccine, rather than a large-scale outbreak of the disease, has prompted the current vaccination drive across West Africa. Health officials say the vaccine marks a “revolution” in preventing the highly contagious and fatal disease.

Ghana: The incidence of algal bloom in Ghana’s territorial waters along the western coast has been linked to activities of factories in neighboring Cote D’Ivoire.

China, criticized in the West for overlooking human rights abuses in its business dealings with poverty-stricken Africa, will encourage commercial banks to lend more to the continent, a Chinese trade official said.

South Africa: African Parliament (PAP) sitting in South Africa, discussed climate change as well as Africa's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In Swaziland abortion is not legal. So police is clamping down on people who practice backstreet abortion; meanwhile according to reports the culprits are easily assisted at the Mbabane Government Hospital without the involvement of the police.

Swaziland is one of very few African countries where hunger has become more widespread during the last decades, new evidence shows. But Swazi authorities tried to manipulate data to the UN, saying the opposite.

Zimbabwean economic refugees are struggling to become legal in South Africa, a long and difficult process for many Zimbabweans who fled from home during the past 10 years.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: According to reports 240 million people are undernourished in Africa. Now, for the first-time, small African farmers have been properly consulted on how to solve the problem of feeding sub-Saharan Africa. Their answers appear to directly repudiate a massive international effort to launch an African Green Revolution funded in large part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Meanwhile Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique have seen the greatest successes in fighting back hunger during the last 20 years, a new report reveals. At the same time, the situation in Burundi, Chad, the DRC and Eritrea deteriorated severely.

For development in Africa, Rural Africa needs to wake up to climate change, which is threatening food security, people’s resilience to cope with natural disasters, and economic growth, participants were told at the Seventh African Development Forum which ended in Addis Ababa last week.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa:

Ghana: Ghana's inflation eased for the 15th month in a row in September, data showed last week, but analysts put much of the latest fall down to seasonal effects and were cautious on prospects of fresh interest rate cuts. Ghana is also said to be losing millions of dollars in tax revenue from expatriate workers employed by the oil companies, including Tullow Oil and other partners in the Jubilee Oil Fields. Meanwhile the liberalized Skies Policy in the aviation sector has led to the increase in frequency of some airlines operating into Ghana, and admission of new ones.

The government of Ghana is developing a trade and investment program dubbed the “Middle East Strategy” to engage the Arab World to tap experience for Ghana’s economic growth. The strategy is also to engage Saudi Arabia and the Arab countries in Ghana’s economic development planning in areas of trade and commerce, agriculture and oil and gas management.

Nigeria’s government approved the sale of the state telecommunications company to Dubai’s Minerva Group and its partners, eight months after they bid $2.5 billion for the company at an auction.

Liberia: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf last week met with oil giant Chevron Corporation's corporate responsibility team, which visited Liberia to assess needs and to identify potential areas of social investment.

Togo: Togo, whose port capital Lome is an export hub for coffee and cocoa, turned on a 100 Megawatt triple fuel power plant last week in a move the West African state said made it self sufficient in energy.

Ivory Coast: The U.N. Security Council renewed last week arms, financial and travel sanctions on the Ivory Coast for six months, as well as a ban on trade in rough diamonds from the West African country.

South African coal exports to China plunged in September while shipments to India increased from a month earlier, said injunction Services Ltd., a web-based trader.

Meanwhile Beijing pledged $10 billion (R69bn) in "preferential" loans to Africa last year, but Ministry of Commerce official Zhong Manying said that was not enough. In view of Africa's demand for funds, the $10bn is too limited," Zhong told a news briefing.

East Africa/Horn of Africa

Kenya's economy grew at the rate of 5.4 % in the second quarter of the year powered by improved productivity in key agriculture, construction and financial services sectors.

With the help of the government, Indian industry is implementing a strategy to compete with China and European countries for capturing markets in growing African economies, particularly in East Africa.

South Africa: The economic improvement in Zimbabwe is attracting workers under 18-years-old to the now busy mining town of Shurugwi, about 350km south of the capital Harare in Midlands Province.

International investors are showing a growing interest in Africa's retail market. American retail giant Wal-Mart is in preliminary talks to buy South African wholesaler Massmart for more than $4 million. And the Dutch-based supermarket network SPAR recently opened a new outlet in Nigeria.

In Swaziland: The European Union (EU) has rejected a request from the Swazi government to finance the kingdom’s budget. The EU says there are no plans to channel funds into the Swazi national budget in the near future. Meanwhile officials from the International Monetary Fund are expected to arrive in the country at the end of this month to embark on a fact-finding mission on the country’s Fiscal Adjustment Roadmap.

Zambia is set to become the regional focal point for agricultural research support in southern Africa as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) picked the country to host its Southern Africa Administrative Hub to assist its R4D activities in the region. §

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 142

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Nigeria: Charles Okah, elder brother of militant leader, Henry, is being held in Abuja by the security agencies on the suspicion of funding the October 1 bombings which claimed at least 12 lives.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, last week played down the controversies trailing the zoning formula of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the President in power takes the decision about zoning in the ruling party. On the other hand, former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, said that Nigeria’s political elite adopted zoning to stabilize the country.

The leadership of the Goodluck Grassroots Movement has warned that it would not tolerate any act of fraud in the forthcoming congresses to be organized by the Peoples Democratic Party to choose delegates for the Presidential primaries.

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the sum of N2.1billion as Federal Government assistance to the governments of Lagos, Ogun and Jigawa states to alleviate the sufferings of victims of flood disasters in the three states.

Cape Verde: According to reports, though an unlikely candidate to be in the vanguard of African development progress, agriculture is seeing a major boost in Cape Verde, with massive investments in irrigation, infrastructure, disease control and distribution.

East/Horn of Africa: In Sudan, China, according to reports, will try to prevent the publication of a United Nations report that alleges Chinese bullets were used in attacks on UN peacekeepers in Darfur.

Tensions are rising over the contentious Abyei region as the two Sudanese ruling parties remain deadlocked over who will be eligible to vote in the region’s upcoming referendum in January.

In Somalia: Security officials say at least 27 people have died in intense clashes between pro-government forces in Somalia and al-Shabab militants.

Ethiopian Government communications minister Bereket Simon says food distribution in the country is based on humanitarian needs and not political considerations.

Central Africa: The Democratic Republic of Congo’s information minister has denied accusations his government has failed to fully implement a peace agreement signed in March with both Pareco and the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) rebel groups.

Peace and demilitarization is the main theme of the third International Action of the World March of Women whose activities were held in Bukavu, South Kivu province from 13 to 17 October 2010. Thousands of people including DRC's First Lady Ms. Olive Lembe Kabila were in attendance.

The European Union representative to the Central African Republic said the commission has made available more than $15 million to fund the country's presidential and legislative elections.

South Africa: In Zambian police have arrested the two Chinese nationals in connection with the shooting of 11 miners and one onlooker at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province, protesting about poor pay and conditions. Last week miners protesting against the shooting broke the wall fence, and ripped off the roof at shaft two and carried away the iron sheets.

In Zimbabwe, A call by President Robert Mugabe to hold national elections in 2011 and end any possibility of extending the government of national unity (GNU) has been greeted with concern by NGOs, fearing a surge in political violence.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

South Africa: Contrary to government expectations, the level of poverty in Mozambique increased slightly between 2003 and 2009, according to the latest figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The amnesty for visa-free crossing into South Africa granted to the Zimbabweans will expire at the end of this year, alarming immigrants who face mass deportations, increased exploitation by employers and a possible renewal of ethnic violence.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Clean water is essential in containing the spread of cholera; Nigeria is in the midst of its worst cholera outbreak in recent years, with nearly 40,000 cases and more than 1,500 deaths reported since the start of the year, the United Nations reported.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan has said that fight against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta has taken over the attention of his administration with the end of the militancy in the region, adding that the malaise was a source of concern to him. Meanwhile Former Vice President and presidential aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, have expressed grave concerns over worsening economic profile of the country.

Also according to reports controversy has stalled the 10-month-old process by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to transfer ownership and operatorship of three oil blocks to a consortium of two Nigerian companies.

Nigeria: Barely two months after the country attained Category 1 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Safety and Security status, it recorded yet another feat last week when President Goodluck Jonathan formally inaugurated the new radar facility that would ensure the total coverage of the country’s airspace.

South Africa: According to reports Government’s revelation that Zambia will soon become a middle income country is insensible as 70 % of the country’s population still lives in miserable poverty, a local economist has charged.

Meanwhile commercial banks in the country are worried that 2011 national budget will hurt the local financial sector as value added tax (VAT) on fee-based banking services is included in it, Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) chairman Saviour Chibiya has observed.

The IMF has observed that Zambia has a very expensive public sector which is not delivering all the services that everyone expects it should and has called for revision of the current maize growing and marketing in the country. According to them the current policy is not effective as it dampens the development of the private sector and creates pressures on the public spending.

Mining companies operating in South Africa regard securing reliable power supply as one of the key constraints on growth. So, Global mining giant Xstrata says it is forging ahead with plans for its own power station in Limpopo despite securing agreement from Eskom to provide electricity for a R4, 9bn expansion of its Lion ferrochrome plant.

The ministerial meeting of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries will be held in Macau on 13-14 November, the organization’s secretariat has announced.

A Chinese firm has secured a $5 million contract to build 90 wagons for the regional Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara).

Swaziland has signed a Letter of Intent with the Kuwaiti government for the establishment of a seven-star hotel. This development occurred during His Majesty King Mswati III’s visit to Kuwait.

The World Bank Board has approved an additional credit facility of US $15 million to Zambia to finance the construction of the Chiawa Bridge on Kafue River in the lower Zambezi.

Malila, a former Zambia Attorney General, observed that crime had become sophisticated due to advancements in technology. He called for the development of modern methods of fighting financial crime in Zambia.

In Swaziland; According to reports despite the country’s bad financial state, government cannot afford not to increase salaries for civil servants and politicians. Moreover, government cannot afford to cut the salaries by any margin because such ‘there would be social upheaval’, Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini said. §

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 143

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa:

Nigeria: Big brickbats were hurled across the political terrain with President Goodluck Jonathan threatening his former National Security Adviser, retired Lt-General Aliyu Mohamed Gusau that he could also engage in political mudslinging. Meanwhile President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will win at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary to pick the party's ticket for the 2011 poll fair and square.

Nigeria's secret police intercept weapons shipment at the port in Lagos city. The secret police say they intercepted 13 containers, some of which had rocket launchers and grenades and other explosives hidden under tiles. The authorities have said they cannot say who owned the containers or their intended destination. It was later speculated that the seized weapons were linked to Palestine and were actually heading for Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Israeli officials said the military-grade armaments came from Iran and were bound for the Gaza Strip.

Ghana: A group, Foot Soldiers for Unity and Victory (FOSUV) of the ruling NDC has condemned the actions of some foot soldiers of the party campaigning for the Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings to be elected as flag bearer to lead the party for the 2012 elections.

Cote d’ivoire: Ivoirians voted last week in their first presidential election in more than a decade, one they hope will draw a line under years of war, instability and under-investment in their once prosperous West African nation. Meanwhile Ivory Coast's ex-rebel Prime Minister Guillaume Soro appealed to all candidates in the presidential election to accept the declared result and put an end to the West African nation's protracted crisis.

Guinea: Guinea's electoral commission has proposed holding the delayed presidential run-off election, meant to transfer power to civilians from soldiers, on Oct. 31 but one candidate said last week that that was too soon. Guinea's attempt to shed military rule has hit the same wall of ethnic distrust that has for decades trapped the West African country in instability and poverty.

Niger: Some 6.7 million people in Niger are eligible to vote in a referendum on a new constitution aimed at starting a transition to democracy.

East/Horn of Africa:

Tanzania Peoples` Defense Forces (TPDF) chief of staff Lt. General Abdul-Rahman Shimbo has said his force has been highly impressed by the Chinese navy hospital ship ‘Peace Ark's, visit to Dar es Salaam.

AU reaction in Horn of Africa: The European Union (EC) has provided €500,000 to help in the prevention, control and reduction of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the region. The grant is part of the Africa-EU strategic partnership in the fight against illicit accumulation and trafficking of firearms and explosive materials.

In Sudan: Religious leaders from southern Sudan are urging strong international pressure on Sudan's northern-based government to ensure a January referendum on independence for the South takes place on time.

In Somalia: Somalia's parliament has approved a new prime minister; Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed About three-fourths of the 392 lawmakers present endorsed the prime minister in the vote in Mogadishu Sunday.

Central Africa:

Rwanda: The United Nations has pledged to increase its support of building peace and security in the country. In 2008, the UN Secretary General launched a global campaign known as "UNITE to end Violence of women and girls", to draw attention to the pervasiveness of the consequences affecting millions of women and girls worldwide.

30 Congolese Women Allegedly Raped, Held Captive in Angola; a few weeks after reports of hundreds of men, women and children being raped in the eastern DRC, there’s word of yet another brutal incident involving Congolese.

Chad: A new group of Chadian rebels left Darfur region to Chad in implementation of security arrangements ending proxy war between the two countries. Sudan and Chad agreed last January to end proxy war and to stop their support to the rebel groups.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

Nigeria: The Consumer Protection Council, CPC is set for 'war' with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over what it described as ill-treatment of passengers by air line operators in the country following incessant cancellation and delay of flight schedules without explanations.

South Africa:

Zambia: The United Nations refugee agency this week closed the last two remaining camps in Zambia which hosted refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after the deportation of the final group of refugees.

The Botswana Police Service Public Relations Officer, Mr. Christopher Mbulawa, has confirmed that a task force comprising Botswana and Zimbabwe officials has been set up to investigate serious torture allegations against Botswana security officials made by seven suspected illegal Zimbabwean immigrants.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

A cholera outbreak in Nigeria has killed more than 1,500 people, the United Nations said Tuesday. It is the worst cholera outbreak in Nigeria in recent years. The number of cases is three times higher than last year and seven times higher than in 2008, the United Nations Children's Fund said.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa:

Ghana: A $13 billion Chinese loan to Ghana is good for the African country and does not contravene any agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a senior IMF adviser told Reuters last week.

African palm oil producer Siat Group is set to get its Ghanaian output certified as sustainable by early next year, the Brussels based firm said on Tuesday.

Work on the installation of equipment at the Jubilee Field for the commercial production of oil is 92 per cent complete, the Director of Exploration and Production at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr. Thomas Manu, has said.

Ghana: The Russian government has indicated it s preparedness to make available to Ghana, classified documents on oil and gas reserves in the Voltaian Basin, if the government officially applies for them.

China and Africa celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, outlining future efforts for greater development of the new type of strategic partnership, Xinhua reported.

Ghana will use a series of multi-billion dollar deals with China to finance infrastructure projects and transform its economy through gas- and oil-driven industrialization, the government said.

Liberia: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has met and held talks with oil giant Chevron Corporation's corporate responsibility team, which visited Liberia to assess needs and to identify potential areas of social investment.

Cameroon: British oil explorer Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG) said its first gas sale may be pushed into early next year from its current target of December, as it is still waiting to receive a license from Cameroonian government.

Cote d’ivoire: Ivory Coast fuel storage company GESTOCI said on Tuesday it had awarded a provisional contract worth up to $400 million to two Saudi companies for projects to double its capacity.

Cote d’ivoire: Ivory Coast opposition candidate Henri Konan Bedie promised to diversify the cocoa-dependent economy into commodities such as oil and gold as he rallied thousands of supporters’ just days before a presidential vote.

Nestle will distribute an extra 600,000 disease-resistant cocoa trees to farmers in Ivory Coast during the 2010/11 cocoa season, after handing out 140,000 trees so far, its Africa research director said last week.

South Africa:

Eskom will get additional loan guarantees amounting to R350-billion, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan confirmed last week. The power utility warned, however, that even with the additional support from government, South Africa still faces power cuts, especially between now and 2012.

The World Bank and the IMF have opposed agricultural subsidies for poor African farmers because of the high costs associated with the initiative. But Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika, who is also African Union chairman, said last week that Africa should fight for subsidies for its poor farmers so as to achieve food security on the continent. §

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 144

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa:

Nigeria: The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Abuja has refused to make a categorical statement over allegations that some Iranian businessmen resident in Nigeria who are involved in the intercepted arms shipment said to have originated from Iran have sought refuge in that country's embassy to evade arrest by Nigerian authorities.

According to reports militant leader Henry Okah has said that the suspected mastermind of the October 1 bombings in Nigeria, Chima Orlu, is currently in South Africa.

The Chairman of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has called on Nigerians to vote out the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at next year’s election, insisting that the 12 years of the party at the helms in the country has been misrule.

Barely a week after militants blew up two Nigerian Agip Oil Company pipelines in Bayelsa state; the Joint (Military) Task Force on the Niger Delta (JTF) has raised the alarm of a possible militant strike again in the state, following intelligence report.

The Gambia: According to reports Gambian President Yahha Jammeh has said he will not run for another five-year mandate when his current third term ends early next year.

Guinea-Bissau: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged both the civilian and military leadership in Guinea-Bissau to show commitment to achieving long-lasting stability in the West African country, and to restore the rule of law by fighting impunity and curbing organized crime.

Niger: The overwhelming endorsement by Nigeriens of a new constitution for the country as shown in the outcome of last week's constitutional referendum sends a clear message that the citizens are eager for a quick return to democratic rule.

According to reports pirates have seized a Comorian passenger boat inside Tanzania's territorial waters and it has now run out of fuel, the Comoros' Centre for Rescue Operations and Civil Protection (COESP)

Central Africa:

A former Rwandan ambassador to the United States and former chief of staff to President Paul Kagame has called on Rwandans to continue their peaceful resistance to what he called Mr. Kagame’s state-sponsored terrorism.

Meanwhile the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda last week sentenced Gaspard Kanyarukiga to 30 years in prison. It was not immediately clear if he will appeal.

A French court has approved the transfer of an exiled Rwandan rebel leader to the International Criminal Court to face war crimes charges. The Paris appeals court approved the extradition of Callixte Mbarushimana to the ICC in The Hague, but only on the condition that he is not sent later to Rwanda. Rwanda has the death penalty, which France opposes.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

Nigeria: In Northern Nigeria an illegal diabetic clinic in Jos South local government area of Plateau state was raided last week and sealed by the officials of the National Administration for Food and Drug Control (NAFDAC).

Meanwhile as part of international efforts to seek solutions to Lake Chad whose water has receded about 90%, President Goodluck Jonathan is among six African Heads of State and Government currently in N'djamena, the capital of Chad Republic.

South Africa:

In a progress report on MDGs for Swaziland 2010, it is stated that incidences of TB are on the increase and there are calls for more awareness regarding the infectious disease.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa:

Ghana: Ghana's state-owned oil company and China's Cnooc Ltd. made an unsuccessful joint bid of $5 billion for a U.S. company's stake in one of Africa's most promising oil regions, an official of the Ghanaian company said last week.

Nigeria:

Following the rise of China to global economic and political prominence, Sino-Nigerian relations have been on the ascendancy. China has now displaced Japan as the world’s second largest economy.

Meanwhile the Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said last week it affirmed its 'B+' long-term and 'B' short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Nigeria.

Central Africa:

Rwanda: The World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region Obiageli Ezekwesili has labeled Rwanda as an African model in having concrete policies regarding investment. For the second year running, Rwanda has been declared as one of the world's best reformers in the latest World Bank Doing Business (DB)" report was released.

South Africa:

The IMF has maintained that Zambia should generate more revenue from the mines. Addressing the press last week, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Zambia George Tsibouris observed that Zambia could still generate more from the tax with the current tax regime.

Despite the international financial crisis, the Mozambican economy has continued to grow at a respectable rate, according to figures announced on 20 October by the Minister of Planning and Development, Aiuba Cuereneia.

Shrenuj Botswana, a subsidiary of the Indian diamond giants Shrenuj and Company Group, is set to open Botswana's first diamond jewellery manufacturing plant, thus putting the country on the road to becoming a regional diamond centre. §

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 145

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa:

The Federal Government of Nigeria has summoned Iran's ambassador to Nigeria, Hussein Abdullahi, over the arms shipment seized in Lagos last month, Reuters reported, quoting a Nigerian official and foreign diplomat.

A recent survey by London-based research group, International Institute of Social Science Research (IISSR), has shown that Nigeria’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peoples Democrat Party (PDP) Presidential aspirant is making significant gains among delegates to the party's convention.

Meanwhile according to reports if Nigeria’s National Assembly successfully introduces its planned clauses into the 2010 Electoral Act, the de facto leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole.

The Nigerian Senate last week passed for a second reading a bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2010 and consequently referred it to the Committee on Electoral Matters for committee work.

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) hold the key to credible, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria. Also on the up coming Elections, President John Attah Mills of Ghana has stressed the need for Nigeria to be able to conduct free and fair general election in order to send out a positive message to the world.

Concerning Security Ahead of 2011 general election, the Nigeria Police have acquired surveillance vehicles for monitoring elections in the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Lastly it was a mixture of good and bad news for Nigeria last week oil prices reached a two-year high point before the celebration was tempered by the report of yet another kidnap saga in the Niger Delta.

In Gambia Justice Ikpala of the Special Criminal Court, on 8th November 2010, adjourned the criminal charges of possession of arms and ammunition filed in by the state against 17 suspected Casamance rebels including, Yusupha Ceesay and 16 others to the 15th of November 2010, for plea taking.

Guinea- Bissau: Multilateral partnerships will help Guinea-Bissau build tougher security: Officials briefing the UN Security Council last week said that Guinea-Bissau should engage in multilateral partnerships in order to bolster its own state institutions, particularly in the area of security.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

The Worldview in Gambia, a local NGO recently organized in Kerewan, North Bank Region, a sensitisation programme for religious, opinion and women leaders on violence against women and girls.

Central Africa:

Religious Leaders from Eight Countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, who are meeting in Kigali, have promised to do their best to combat HIV/AIDS which they said is still a global concern.

An independent United Nations human rights expert has welcomed a draft law in the Republic of Congo intended to recognize and protect the rights of marginalized indigenous communities in the central African country.

Rwanda is among the three countries that will benefit from the US $ 180 million from The Education for All - Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI), a global partnership dedicated to ensuring that all children receive quality basic education.

Chad: A coalition of human rights organizations has said that a meeting of international donors in Dakar on November 24, 2010, to finance the prosecution of Hissène Habré is a potential turning point in the long campaign to bring the former Chadian dictator to justice,

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria: The Senate has ordered the National Environmental Standards Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to fully inspect seven containers at the Lagos sea port suspected to be laden with e-wastes.

South Africa: Africa's top climate negotiator says a loss of global momentum has lowered the chance of a breakthrough at the upcoming summit in Cancun. African leaders are already looking ahead to the next climate summit in South Africa.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa:

Nigeria: The strike committee set up by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to execute a three-day "total shutdown" of the nation by November 10 to 12 has declared that the planned strike must go on unless the government enacts into law the new national minimum wage.

Meanwhile the Bureau of Public Enterprises, (BPE), has rejected a demand from electricity workers to allow the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to continue to exist and compete with private companies once its monopoly is broken.

Meanwhile the Board of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has announced valuation methodology for the purchase of non-performing loans of the banking system. It has also stated its readiness to buy all the margin loans in the banking sector and all the non-performing loans of the rescued banks, both totaling in excess of N2.2 trillion.

The trials of two Siemens officials and four Nigerians allegedly involved in a $17.5 million bribery scam were stalled last week at an Abuja high court due to the absence of Siemens officials involved.

Nigeria and Russia are set to commence talks on enhancing Nigeria’s pursuit of nuclear energy for peaceful and developmental purposes. The talks were to take place as the Russian Foreign Affairs minister, Mr. Sergei Lavrov, visits Nigeria on the 17th November 2010.

The Gambia: The government of Gambia and the Oranto Petroleum Limited last week signed at State House in Banjul the Onshore Petroleum Exploration and Production Licence Block Lower River, an event that marked the culmination of two years of intense negotiations between the two parties. Meanwhile the Gambian government, in partnership with NEPAD, AUC, Ecowas, World Bank and development partners held a two-day meeting on The Gambia Agricultural Investment Plan (GNAIP) at Sheraton Hotel, Brufut.

Meanwhile in Gambia in another engagement at State House, the president of the Republic received in audience officials of the Tecnave Company based in Portugal.

According to the head of World Economic Forum for Africa, Africans should learn the Chinese language and culture in order to benefit more from the growing links with nation China. Meanwhile according to reports UNDP will be strengthening its cooperation with China to boost poverty reduction efforts on the African continent.

Chinese investments in Africa jumped by 81 % to United States$ 552 million in the first three months of 2010, a positive response to a pledge made by President Hu Jintao when he visited Africa in February 2009, the African union (AU) chief, Jean Ping, said last week.

Central Africa: Dal Brynelsen, President and CEO of Vanoil Energy Ltd - the Canada-based oil explorer, was expected to arrive in Rwanda last weekend with a team to kick start a crucial phase of the oil exploration survey on Lake Kivu that had earlier been postponed due to bad weather.

Meanwhile MTN Group and Western Union, a global payment services announced a commercial agreement to introduce international mobile firm remittance services in the 21 countries where MTN operates, including Rwanda. §

________________________________________________________

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.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 140

2010-11-07T23:42:00.001-08:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa:

Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday met with top ex-militants, former commanders and foot soldiers of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) numbering 100, who unanimously dissociated themselves from last week’s twin bombings in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), an umbrella of major militant groups in the Niger Delta has said that former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, contacted it to carry out the bomb attacks. Meanwhile as Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has ruled out that rebels from his own Niger Delta region stood behind the car bombs on Independence Day, government has directed suspicions towards the Muslim north.

A coalition of 60 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community based associations under the aegis of Arewa Youth Forum, has called for the total support of the Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo ticket in the forthcoming presidential election.

Meanwhile Nigeria dropped further in the ranking on governance index. The country ranks a distant 40th out of the 53 countries in the continent and 13th out of 16 countries in West Africa.

Ghana: a Political party proclaiming to bail Ghanaians out of poverty, the Trades Congress Party (TCP) formed by technocrats, would be launched in Ghana in October this year. They intend to contest in future elections to be able to direct national development with Socio-Capitalism.

Ghana is ranked 7th out of 53 African Countries in the latest MO Ibrahim assessment of governance on the continent.

Liberia: Liberia has registered the biggest improvement in governance on the African continent, jumping from 32 to 44 points in 4 years, according to the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance.

Arab and African leaders met in the Libyan town of Syrte for an Afro-Arab summit to discuss increasing mutual cooperation in various domains on the heels of an Arab League summit just one day earlier. Also the Afro-Arab Summit hailed AMISOM and affirmed the need to support its efforts reiterating the call for the international community and the UN Security Council to assume its role in war-torn Somalia.

African Union sources said the continental organization has chosen former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings as its new envoy for Somalia. The reports said Mr. Rawlings will help promote peace and reconciliation, as well as focus more international attention on the war-ravaged country.

Elections: Ivory Coast: Ivory Coast said it would distribute electoral identity and cards last week in the main commercial city of Abidjan, before its Oct. 31 presidential poll.

Guinea: Guinea will hold the delayed second round of its presidential election on Oct. 24, the presidency of the military-ruled West African minerals producer said last week. Diallo, a former prime minister, won the first round with 43.69 % of the vote. Conde placed second with 18.25%.

East Africa/Horn of Africa:

Sudan: There are some pending key challenges like Voters registration, Fears of fraud, Deployment of observers, North-South tensions, possible delays and demarcation problems Ahead of Voting Sudan's landmark referenda in 3 months time. Meanwhile Sudan's foreign minister told the U.N. Security Council that his government is "fully committed" to holding a referendum that could result in the south of the country seceding from the north and has warned against interference in the January 9 vote.

Also Sudan's president has warned of a return to civil war unless the country's north and south resolve key issues involving water, debt, wealth-sharing, citizenship and the north-south border before the plebiscite ahead of a referendum on southern independence.

A former south Sudanese envoy has rejected Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi suggestions over the weekend that south Sudan’s secession will be a disease that will spread throughout Africa.

Sudanese officials rejected the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers on the border between the northern and southern Sudan saying such a request is unacceptable and contrary to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Central Africa:

Congo: The International Criminal Court reversed an order to release alleged Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga; the trial now resumes.

Meanwhile Congolese forces have moved into the southern Pool region, which witnessed several civil wars between 1998 and 2003, in a move aimed at helping to restore state control ahead of plans to rehabilitate basic infrastructure, say officials.

South Africa:

A group of respected South Africans from across the spectrum have formed a group aimed at making the constitution more relevant for the country's citizens; they claim the Constitution is not helping the poor.

Zimbabwe: Residents of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare are expressing anger at the postponement of constitutional revision outreach meetings canceled last month and continued confusion as to when they will be rescheduled.

Meanwhile Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said his MDC party refused to recognize a string of senior appointments made by President Robert Mugabe, in a fresh row set to strain their fragile coalition.

Botswana President Ian Khama, one of Africa's most outspoken leaders critical of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, has called for a lifting of sanctions to help prod the country to greater openness.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

Mali: Drought is recurrent in northern Mali and many pastoralists will inevitably find themselves in crisis mode in the future, say aid agencies.

Central Africa:

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has made significant progress in education and child survival in recent years, but much more needs to be done to achieve the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a new United Nations-backed study.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

Nigeria: Gombe State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Mohammed Isa Umar, has declared that no fewer than 122 people have been killed by cholera out of the over 1,700 cases recorded since the outbreak of the disease few months ago.

Meanwhile two international aid groups say that as many as 400 children have died of lead poisoning-related illnesses in Nigeria since March, and as many as 30,000 people could be affected by lead contamination.

Central Africa:

Rwanda: A group of 14 medical doctors from the U.S. in the country for a one-week Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme have commended the progress the country has registered in improving the health sector.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa:

Nigeria: A former Nigerian bank chief has been sentenced to six months in prison for fraud and ordered to hand over $1.2bn (£786m) in cash and assets.

Senior workers in Nigeria’s oil industry, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have accused the International Oil Companies (IOCs) of deliberately engaging in practices to ambush and sabotage the newly-enacted Nigerian Content Act.

Meanwhile Nigeria is building a multi-billion dollar free trade zone with Chinese investors on the edge of its commercial capital Lagos to try to develop a local manufacturing base and help reduce its import dependence.

Ghana: vice president of Russia's No. 2 oil producer, LUKOIL said last week its offshore oil exploration project in Ghana will almost certainly lead to commercial exploitation.

Meanwhile the Services sector has displaced agriculture as the biggest contributor to GDP that’s according to the first ever half-year national income estimates released by the Ghana Statistical Service.

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, has warned the ruling NDC that should they impose further taxes on petroleum products in order to generate more revenue to complete their projects and programs by IMF advise, they will have to bring in IMF officials to vote for them in the 2012 elections, since Ghanaians will never forgive the NDC.

Liberia: The World Bank has announced additional development funding of US$39 million for Liberia in the coming year and the Ministry of Finance said 30.8 million US Dollars of the amount will go towards the Monrovia–Ganta road project. The remainder of the amount will be applied to power and other key economic sectors.

According to Burkina Faso’s premier the country expects its Essakane gold mine, opened last week, to boost its public finances and enable it to seek more borrowing for development projects in the future.

Since the launch of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation in 2000, bilateral trade has grown at an annual average rate of 33.5%, from $10bn in 2000.

East Africa/Horn of Africa:

Kenya's economy grew at the rate of 5.4 % in the second quarter of the year powered by improved productivity in the key agriculture, construction and financial services sectors.

Central Africa: The soundness of Rwanda's financial sector has significantly improved from the tight credit conditions experienced in 2009, enhancing stability within the sector, the Central Bank has said.

South Africa: Zimbabwe: The World Bank says it is not yet ready to fully re-engage Zimbabwe though it may provide nearly US$3 million to help rehabilitate the Southern African country's failing water and sanitation infrastructure.

Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Economic Planning Minister Tapiwa Mashakada were set to meet with US and top international financial officials in Washington last week seeking development aid and debt relief. §

________________________________________________________
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.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 139

2010-11-07T23:24:00.000-08:00

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. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 138

2010-10-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Ghana: At a time when world leaders were headed towards New York to attend the 26th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting, Ghana’s President, John Evans Atta Mills was touring China reportedly to attract investments and build stronger ties between the two nations.

Liberia: The country's President told the General Assembly at a UN debate that tackling corruption and mismanagement represents the greatest challenge that Liberia faces as it continues to rebuild its economy and society after the United Nations helped it end decades of civil war and misrule.

Cameroon: The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has lamented the incessant harassment of Nigerians by Cameroonian gendarmes in Bakassi Peninsula, saying the action amounted to a willful breach of the Green Tree Agreement brokered by the United Nations as part of measures to sustained peace in the area.

Nigeria: Former Vice President and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, have asked President Goodluck Jonathan to respond to allegations that his campaign funds are taken from the nation’s treasury. Meanwhile Nigeria’s ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has indefinitely suspended its party primaries, scheduled for October. The move gives President Goodluck Jonathan’s opponents, especially northern PDP elites, more time to choose a strong northern candidate to challenge Jonathan, who is running for the PDP nomination after replacing the deceased Umaru Yaradua as president in May.

The United States of America has de-listed Nigeria from the list of major drug trafficking countries due to the laudable efforts of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Guinea-Bissau’s President told the UN General Assembly that the country needs sustained international support to help the fragile and impoverished nation tackle its major challenges, such as organized crime, high unemployment, environmental degradation and a poorly performing justice system.

Niger’s head of State Salou Djibo has called for the United Nations and other international organizations to observe the forthcoming series of elections to restore the impoverished country to constitutional rule after February's coup d'état.

France's foreign ministry has confirmed that an al-Qaeda group is holding five of its citizens after abducting them from a uranium mine in Niger. France's defense minister has said that there is "every reason" to believe the five French nationals being held by militants are alive.

Elections: Ivory Coast: The head of the U.N. mission to Ivory Coast certified its final voter list as "fair and transparent", adding momentum to plans to hold elections at last after years of failure.

Guinea: Political fighting is preventing Guinea's electoral commission setting a new date for the West African country's delayed poll, raising the danger of unrest. However Guinea's electoral commission has proposed Oct. 10 as the revised date for the final round of voting in the West African country's first democratic election. Meanwhile the Member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have issued a three-week ultimatum to Guinea to organize a run-off election to restore constitutional order in the beleaguered country.

Nigeria: The request by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a shift in the dates of the 2011 general elections has enjoyed the support of more civil society groups in the country who urged the National Assembly to give speedy consideration to the proposal. Meanwhile as the controversy over the date and which constitution should be used to conduct the election rages, a cross section of eminent lawyers last week supported the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for postponing of the 2011 elections.

Central Africa: Congolese President Joseph Kabila arrived in Ituri as part of a tour of the eastern part of the country, which has also touched the Kivus and Katanga. His visit promised a number of development projects for the region.

United Nations peacekeepers are patrolling the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda after reports of arms trafficking by the rebel Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) across DRC and southern Sudan.

Rwanda: Following the recent ruling by French Court that released genocide suspect Eugene Rwamucyo, the Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga termed the ruling as a temporary setback against Rwanda's drive towards according justice to those aggrieved by the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

Central African Republic: The United Nations will continue to help the Central African Republic (CAR) to consolidate peace after years of ethnic conflict and political unrest by enhancing political dialogue and the reintegration of former fighters into national society.

Meanwhile the UN and the African Union (AU) launched a joint task force on peace and security as the two organizations stepped up their cooperation in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peace building across the continent.

East Africa/Horn of Africa: Sudan: Key leaders of north and south Sudan promised last week to ensure that next January's planned referendum on independence for the southern region will go forward peacefully and on time.

Meanwhile United States is urging Sudan to meet its obligations under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and hold a referendum on-time that could see the South of the country secede from the North, otherwise, Khartoum could face new sanctions.

Also Amnesty International said in a press release that the Sudanese authorities must halt the harassment and intimidation of journalists in the run up to the referendum on southern independence in January 2011, “No credible poll can be conducted in an environment where freedom of speech is being so openly violated,”

Somalia: The chairman of the Somali concerned group, an advocacy organization based in London has demanded the resignation of President Sheik Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, accusing the beleaguered leader of failing to meet the aspirations of Somalis. Meanwhile a recent clash in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, between government troops and Islamist insurgents has killed at least 20 people and wounded at least 68 others. Medics say most of the dead are civilians. Also the head of Britain's security services has said al-Qaida plots targeting Britain are increasingly originating from Somalia and Yemen.

The US wants to strengthen its ties with Somalia's breakaway region Somaliland and semi-autonomous region of Puntland. The "aggressive" engagement could help to head off the Islamist insurgents. Meanwhile showing concern the Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called on the Security Council to abandon what he called its hands-off approach to Somalia and strengthen the African peacekeeping force in the country to counter the threat from Islamist militants.

Eritrea is at risk of becoming a failed state, according to a new report from the International Crisis Group. It says internal repression coupled with international military conflict means the country is becoming increasingly isolated in the Horn of Africa.

Uganda: With less than six months until next presidential elections, international rights groups have gathered in Uganda to highlight the erosion of freedom of expression in the east African nation.

South Africa: South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has planned to make a new tribunal to punish the journalists on dishonest and immoral reporting. A press freedom group is urging South Africa to abandon proposed controversial laws to limit information involving national security. Whereas President Jacob Zuma has defended the two proposed laws, saying they are needed to protect human rights.

Zimbabwe: New crisis arose in the country when Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai issued a tough assessment of the constitutional revision process led by a parliamentary committee. Meanwhile a Civic Group has urged dissolution of the Parliamentary Committee on constitution charging the committee has demonstrated its incompetence.

Zimbabwe's Mugabe Tells UN Western Sanctions Blocking Anti-Poverty Progress during the General Assembly in New York that “the devastating sanctions” were hindering Zimbabwean progress toward U.N Millennium Development goals on poverty and hunger, among others. He said that despite the sanctions imposed by the United States, Europe and others, Harare had made great progress fighting HIV/Aids and maintaining quality basic education.

African nations pushed for permanent Security Council representation again at the UN General Assembly through the top officials from three African nations (South Africa, Swaziland and Congo) saying it was a travesty that the region that comprises so much of the body’s work does not have a permanent place.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria: Despite attempts by various government establishments and international organizations to stem human trafficking, it has been discovered that more Nigerians are at the moment stranded in Mali desperate to find their way to Europe.

Mali: According to aid agencies Good rains in much of northern Mali over recent months have caused pasture to regenerate and animals to begin to recover in parts of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal regions, but extreme vulnerability persists for Gao-based farming communities, who have exhausted all their coping mechanisms and are unable to recover their livelihoods. However with rain comes the risk of illnesses for animals weakened by months of malnutrition, making this a critical time for veterinary care.

Mauritania: Al-Qaeda offshoot in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) accused the Mauritanian government of killing civilians in Mali and of being the agents of France. In a communiqué published by the website Nouakchott Information, AQIM denounced an aerial raid by the Mauritanian army. Senior officers also confirmed that Mauritanian warplanes attacked militants of Al-Qaeda's North African wing in Mali, as the head of Mauritania's ruling party urged support for a "holy war against terrorists".

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last week adopted the Dakar Declaration that gives women equal participation and full involvement in all peace and security issues in compliance with a landmark UN Security Council resolution.

Five years before the target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a new report card shows sub-Saharan Africa making substantial progress. However not all countries there are advancing at the same rate.

Central Africa: Burundi: Several mysterious killings in Burundi, where memories of civil war are still fresh, have spread fear and disrupted livelihoods, while authorities have sought to play down talk of renewed armed insurrection, blaming some of the deaths on bandits.

Rwanda: The Ministry of gender and family promotion has disbursed Rwf 122,748,645 to 10 districts to support orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) to help their households’ start-up income-generating activities.

Meanwhile an increasing number of rape and defilement cases in Nyagatare district Rwanda are becoming the human rights’ issue. According to the district's Intermediate Court, on average, 45 out of 50 cases handled by the court, in a month, are related to sexual abuse with most of the victims, children under 14.

South Africa: Many Zimbabweans in South Africa fail to surmount hurdles to legal residence, due to their failure to meet documentary requirements. This follows the call by South African authorities for them to come forward and establish themselves as legal residents before a December 31 deadline.

Zambia: The United Nations refugee agency is preparing to close two refugee camps in Zambia as the number of Congolese who have successfully returned home in a UN-backed programme over the past three years tops 40,000.

Also in Malawi in a refugee camp where 11000 refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo live together, according to reports rape, stress, hopelessness, domestic and gender based violence are widespread problems.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria: An unprecedented outbreak of lead poisoning linked to a gold rush has killed at least 200 children in northern Nigeria this year, with a further 18,000 people affected.

Meanwhile according to an official about two million people in northern Nigeria have been displaced after authorities opened the floodgates on two dams. The dams are in Kano state, but about 5,000 villages in neighboring Jigawa state have been affected as well.

South Africa: A new measles outbreak has claimed lives of 70 children in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland Central province in the past two weeks in spite of a national vaccination program carried out earlier this year.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Ghana: Ghana's nearly $13 billion in Chinese loan agreements will be drawn on gradually as projects that require funding arise and only after financing terms are agreed, the government said.

Meanwhile Ghana oil ministry is making good progress in talks with Chinese investors interested in buying a stake in the nation's oil assets. Ghana's Bauxite and aluminum industries have also received a major boost, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese Firm, Bosai Minerals Group, to invest $1.2 billion into the sector, by establishing a modern alumina refinery plant in the country.

Ivory Coast: Ivorian petroleum stocking company GESTOCI will invest $400 million over the next five years to double its capacity to 680,000 tonnes, including building a new unit for stocking petroleum products in the major port of San Pedro, according to the firm’s director general.

Nigeria: The delay in implementation of a new national minimum wage is causing some disquiet in the labour movement as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is under immense pressure to call its members out on an industrial action.

Central Africa: Rwanda: Rwanda and France signed an Energy deal last month which will see France injects €3.3 million into RECO-RWASCO to support the national electrification programs.

East Africa/Horn of Africa: The 12th East African Community (EAC) partnership fund steering committee has approved a budget of approximately $7 million for the 2010/2011 Financial Year (FY). The EAC Partnership Fund is a basket fund with contributions from development partners to support activities in the EAC.

The Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia Gu Xiaojie said his government is taking various measures to strike the balance on the trade volume exchange between Ethiopia and China, which is in favor of his country.

South Africa: South African President Jacob Zuma tried to mend strained relations with his trade union allies who helped him come to power, promising to get tough on corruption and create more jobs in Africa's largest economy.

Zimbabwe: Billionaire Richard Branson urged people last week to invest in Zimbabwe, saying the world was wrong to wait instead of helping the politically unstable, poor southern African nation revive itself.

Despite re-engagement, Washington has declined to review sanctions on Zimbabwe's Mugabe saying supporters of Mr. Mugabe's former ruling ZANU-PF party have continued to violate human rights, most recently in the nation's constitutional revision process.

The Mozambican and Chinese governments signed an agreement in Maputo last week under which a team of 12 Chinese doctors will work in Maputo Central Hospital, the largest health unit in the country. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 137

2010-10-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Benin's President Boni Yayi has denied involvement in an alleged savings fraud, speaking publicly for the first time about accusations made by lawmakers in the impoverished West African country.

Nigeria: The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mrs Farida Waziri said the commission will work together with the INEC, the SSS, Police and political parties and advise parties on the candidates they are presenting for the next Election.

Elections:

Nigeria's ruling party has set its presidential primaries for next month between October 18 and 20, said Rufai Alkali, a spokesman for the People's Democratic Party. Meanwhile Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan showed the power of incumbency last week, mustering the support of more than two thirds of powerful state governors for the launch of his re-election campaign.

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo's signing of a decree last week validating a final voter list removed what appeared to be the last political hurdle to repeatedly delayed elections scheduled for Oct 31.

Guinea: dozens were wounded in clashes between supporters of rival candidates for Guinea's presidential election in the capital this week, witnesses said. The election campaigning had been suspended but there was no immediate threat of a delay to the planned Sept. 19 vote to restore civilian rule. Meanwhile Guinean authorities said last week that a presidential run-off would be delayed by as much as two weeks because of organizational failings, a move some fear could trigger unrest.

Central Africa: Rwanda: A French court has rejected a Rwandan government request to extradite a doctor accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A judge in Versailles ruled last week, Eugene Rwamucyo could not receive a fair trial in Rwanda.

Meanwhile Rwandan president Paul Kagame has again lashed out at the United Nations after a U.N. report suggested Rwandan soldiers were guilty of mass killings and rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Congo: According to reports violence and human-rights abuses are on the rise in the Congo, the international community is stepping up efforts to prevent "conflict minerals" from fueling further bloodshed.

According to reports China needs Sudan to vote peacefully; China has more to lose than most if things fall apart in Sudan this winter, where a potentially explosive national referendum on southern independence is due in January.

South Africa: Zimbabwe: Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says there is slow progress towards democracy, with many serious political and economic problems outstanding.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria: At least ten people suspected of belonging to the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram have been arrested in northern Nigeria in recent days.

Mali: A kidnap threat blocking Western aid workers from traveling to parts of Mali is hampering aid operations and underscoring the importance of local NGOs, humanitarian experts say.

Mauritania : French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner says he suspects a group linked to al-Qaeda was behind the kidnapping of seven people in Niger. Meanwhile Mauritanian military forces killed 12 members of al Qaeda's North African wing and suffered two fatalities in fighting in the desert along the border with Mali, a Mauritanian security source said.

Liberia: Liberian Ambassador to the European Union and the Benelux Countries, Conmany B. Wesseh, has outlined the adverse effects of illiteracy on postwar Liberia and the advantage of women’s education and called for a sustained fight against mediocrity and academic fraud.

Famine threat in Africa's Sahel has eased for now after abundant rains in Chad have raised hopes for an end to severe food shortages but the effects will linger and lead to new difficulties across Africa's Sahel region in 2011, aid workers predict.

East Africa/Horn of Africa: Chad: The United Nations refugee agency sounded the alarm last week about the situation facing thousands of residents of southern and south-eastern Chad, where the heaviest rains in 40 years have destroyed homes and infrastructure, wiped out cropland and cut off access to towns and communities.

South Africa: Malawi: An attorney for Malawi’s former President Bakili Muluzi has told VOA defense lawyers will go to court this week to agree on a date to enter a plea for the former leader’s corruption charges.

Zimbabwe's education ministry has backtracked on a new policy, introduced in August 2010, to grant pregnant schoolgirls and the prospective fathers maternity and paternity leave from school, and has opted for disciplinary measures instead.

South Africa is to resume the deportation of Zimbabweans on 1 January 2011, on the basis that conditions in their home country have improved sufficiently, while those with valid documents will be issued permits to stay.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Nigeria was notably absent at the first high level meeting of the African-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) where the African and European Union (EU) Energy Ministers took a joint action on a shared commitment to bring access to modern and sustainable energy services to an additional 100 million people in Africa by 2020.

Meanwhile the manufacturers association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the National Assembly to enact an Act with stiffer penalties that will deal with criminal acts of smuggling and dumping of toxic products in the country.

Poor diagnostics and weak surveillance helps spread cholera and are hampering government efforts to stem cholera in Nigeria says a government health worker.

Cameroon: U.S. firm Hydromine Inc. said it is studying a $2.8 billion aluminium smelter project in Cameroon that would include construction of two hydroelectric plants to power the 500,000 tonne per year plant.

Meanwhile countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are leading a global decline in new HIV infections, the UN has said.

Central Africa: DR. Congo: The eradication of smallpox is linked to an emerging related disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Scientists say the appearance of monkeypox could be a cause for concern. Monkeypox causes symptoms a lot like smallpox, but it's not nearly as fatal.

Equatorial Guinea’s minister of health and social welfare has denied reports the government has failed to invest in the healthcare of its people despite the country’s enormous oil wealth.

South Africa: Zimbabwe: Six church volunteers, who run two clinics for people with AIDS and AIDS orphans, arrested in Zimbabwe were charged with practicing without required medical licenses have been released on bail by a Harare court.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Nigeria: The Federal Government blamed former Central Bank Governor Professor Charles Soludo for the present problems facing the nation's banking and financial sectors saying that he caused a lot of havoc to the sector before he left about two years ago.

Ghana: British firm Tullow said last week that it has found what could be among the largest recent oil discoveries in Africa off the coast of Ghana, with the field holding a potential 550 million barrels.

Liberia: In order to contribute to restore the debt sustainability of the Republic of Liberia, Paris Club decided to cancel U.S. $1,260 million in nominal terms, which represents the Club's share of the effort in the framework of the enhanced HIPC Initiative.

Cameroon: African Development Bank (AfDB) Group approved USD 47.70 million for electricity supply to 423 localities in Cameroon to enhance the existing network’s technical performance.

Also in Burkina Faso the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Burkina Faso have signed a CFAF 19.63-billion (UA 25.15 million) grant agreement to finance basic energy infrastructure projects in the country, including improving the provision of electricity.

The Nigeria-China Friendship Association (NICAF) has called on Federal Government of Nigeria to curb influx of sub-standard products into the nation’s market.

Meanwhile African trade with China is growing at the expense of that with other major global markets which is either declining or stagnating, says the African Development Bank (AfDB) in a new report released last week. Trade volume between China and Africa hit 61.2 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 65 percent.

Central Africa: In Rwanda new regulations are expected to stimulate fishing and restrict the use of fishing methods to boost fishermen's incomes through more profitable catches and high quality products.

Southern Africa: Southern African countries have some of the world's worst income distribution, but can often afford social transfers, which have proved an efficient means of reducing the number of poor, regional experts said at a two-day meeting in Pretoria, South Africa.

South Africa's government has offered new enticements to 1.3 million state workers to accept a wage offer and formally end a strike which they suspended last week, union officials said. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 136

2010-10-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Ghana: According to reports President Atta Mills has been accused of secretly sponsoring persons within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to run down ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and his family.

Meanwhile in Nigeria Voter Registration is clashes with Hajj, according to a Muslim Group that has faulted the election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), especially the voter registration, fearing that Muslims on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina could be disenfranchised.

President Goodluck Jonathan has met the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Aso Rock, Abuja, and made known to them his decision to run in the 2011 presidential poll.

The U.S.-Nigeria Bi-national Commission convenes its third full working group met on September 13 in Washington for two days of talks that focused on the Niger Delta and Nigeria's role in regional security.

Central Africa: According to reports relatives of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi may sue the Belgian government for having withdrawn its peacekeeping troops from Rwanda at the peak of the Genocide.

Meanwhile a former chief of staff to Rwandan President Paul Kagame says the draft U.N. report that accuses the Rwandan army of committing war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo should be made public.

D. R. Congo: The U.N. peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo are extending special patrols another week in an area where more than 240 women and children were raped in recent weeks.

Elections: Cote d’Ivoire: The agreement reached on the final list of voters for next month's long-delayed presidential polls signals a major breakthrough in Côte d'Ivoire's electoral process, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the West African nation said today.

For many Ivorians, it is hard to shake off the feeling that a long overdue election now scheduled for Oct. 31 is just another mirage, tantalizingly close but destined to evaporate as the date approaches.

Guinea: Two senior Guinean election officials were sentenced to a year's imprisonment each over irregularities in the first round of the presidential election in June.

Nigeria: It’s Official: After extensive legal and administrative brainstorming, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the conduct of the 2011 general election, fixing the presidential election for January 22 next year.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

Central Africa: Rwanda: Human Rights Watch called for Rwanda President Paul Kagame to allow open political space and permit opposition voices as he began his second term in office.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that he will continue discussions with Rwanda's President on a soon-to-be released United Nations report on serious human rights violations committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

D. R. Congo: The aid organization OXFAM says the number of women, children and even men who were raped recently in the Eastern DRC is now about 500. That’s about double the figure currently being used by the United Nations.

Nigeria: Nigerian billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has donated $2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help the survivors of the devastating floods in Pakistan.

Christian-Muslims Peace Movement (CMPM),Group Condemns Insecurity in Nigeria and has called on the Federal and state governments to as a matter of urgency put in place pragmatic policies and solutions aimed at ensuring security of the lives and property of the citizenry.

Gambia: The Director of African Democracy and Good Governance Edwin Nebolisa Nwakame was last week sentenced by Magistrate Abeke of Banjul Magistrates' Court to a mandatory jail term of six months imprisonment with hard labour.

A Scottish Missionary man serving a jail sentence for sedition in the Gambia has been freed from Gambian jail, the Foreign Office confirmed.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Ghana: The country has been able to save close to $300million, following the vigorous campaign throughout the country on energy conservation since 2007, the Energy Foundation (EF) has revealed.

The country, especially Accra, has been hit by a devastating shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), leading to many households resorting to the use of charcoal.

Nigeria: The incessant setting and shifting of deadlines for ending the flaring of Gas by associated gas (AG) in Nigeria in spite of the 2005 ruling of Justice C. V. Nwokorie of the High Court of Benin that such practice had become illegal and it has been alleged attributed to the interest of some legislators.

The Federal Government of Nigeria came up with an update on the rampaging scourge of cholera epidemic in some parts of Northern States of the country, saying that 13,000 people have been infected by the disease, while 781 have lost their lives.

Central Africa: DR. Congo: The World Health Organization said polio is spreading in Democratic Republic of Congo from neighboring Angola, creating an international threat. Despite the vaccine for polio discovered more than 50 years ago, yet the disease is gaining a foothold in central Africa.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Ghana: India has sought a greater role in Ghana’s energy sector, pitching for more tie-ups between ONGC Videsh (OVL), the overseas exploratory and acquisition arm of the state-run upstream major, and oil companies of the African nation.

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) said on Monday that it had lifted about one million barrels of crude oil from Equatorial Guinea under an agreement signed between Ghana and Equatorial Guinea last May.

Liberia: The Governments of the Republic of Liberia and the Federal Republic of Germany on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 signed a Comprehensive Financial Cooperation Agreement.

Sierra Leone: London Mining's extended drilling programme at its flagship Marampa project in northern Sierra Leone has uncovered two structures with an estimated inferred resource of 111 million tonnes grading 33% iron.

Nigeria: The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) owes petroleum suppliers between $3 billion and $6 billion for previous imports, trade sources told Reuters, although the corporation said it was meeting its obligations.

Nigeria and the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the authorization of employment for dependants of Mission officers to engage in gainful employment during the period of the officers' posting.

Central Africa: ZIJIN Mining Group Co has dropped a plan to acquire a Congolese copper miner, the second time this year it withdrew from an overseas investment plan. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 135

2010-09-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: Equatorial Guinea has debunked allegations by the United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries that two of the seven Nigerians arrested in connection with last year's attack on the West African country presidential palace, died in detention.

A sense of unease is now pervading the North-west zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following pressure by some party leaders in the zone to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan’s yet-to-be declared presidential ambition.

United States has described Nigeria as one of the "strategic priority countries" it has been holding high-level dialogue with in the last one year. The other strategic priority countries include Brazil, India, Indonesia, Norway and Pakistan.

Meanwhile Cameroon's president has replaced the heads of the national police force and the intelligence service in a security shakeup that follows local media reports of a coup plot.

Elections: In Liberia the National Elections Commission (NEC) has disclosed that it is targeting 2.1 million people to register in the forth coming general and presidential Elections.

Ivory Coast's electoral commission said it had produced a final voter list for the first time, raising the chance that an election which has been delayed six times in five years might go ahead, now scheduled for Oct. 31.

Nigeria is due to hold elections in four months but uncertainty remains over whether President Goodluck Jonathan will stand, who his challengers might be and whether electoral reforms can be enacted in time.

Guinea: Doubts grow over arrangements for the decisive second round of Guinea's Sept. 19 presidential election is raising concern that the outcome of the landmark poll will be challenged and could trigger unrest.

The two rivals in Guinea's Sept. 19 presidential run-off agreed in writing last week to respect the final result of the landmark election intended to bring civilian rule to West African state.

Central Africa: Congo-Kinshasa: UN Peacekeeping Official who Visited Congo (DRC) following the recent mass rape of civilians by members of illegal armed groups, has now traveled to the eastern region of the country where the crimes were committed.

The African Union (AU) defended Kenya and Chad on the presence of controversial Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir, in those countries and for not cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in getting him arrested. Meanwhile Rwanda has joined the African Union (AU) in defence of Kenya's decision not to comply with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant of arrest issued against Sudanese President Omar al Bashir while he was invited to Nairobi for the new constitution's promulgation ceremony.

The Rwandan Government has put contingents of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) serving under UN-backed peacekeeping operations on standby for pull out, if the UN publishes a report alleging that Rwandan troops were involved in mass killings in the DRC between 1994 and 2003.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: Niger will avoid the "worst" in its most severe food crisis since 2005 with aid reaching millions left hungry by last year's failed harvest; it is feared that the crisis could become catastrophic without quick distribution of food to the nearly 8 million in need, according to the United Nations.

Nigeria: The killing of a powerful former Nigerian gang leader in the restive Niger Delta has laid bare the fragility of an amnesty programme for ex-militant fighters in Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.

Meanwhile four policemen were shot dead over the past month in the northern Nigerian town of Maiduguri, raising fears that a radical Islamic sect, which was behind an uprising which killed hundreds a year ago, is making a return.

Central Africa: Congo-Kinshasa: According to reports more than two dozen children were among the hundreds of civilians recently raped by members of armed groups active in the Far East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The report documenting the most serious human rights violations committed in the (DRC) between 1993 and 2003 will be made public on 1 October, according to the United Nations.

Rwanda: The Rwandan Government has described the latest report regarding the nation from the human rights watchdog, Amnesty International as very sensational, which portrays the dishonesty of some human rights organizations.

Southern Africa: South Africa: Striking South African state workers staged a protest last week after rejecting a revised wage offer aimed at ending their three-week strike that has the government and the labor movement at loggerheads. Meanwhile South Africa will resume the deportation of undocumented Zimbabweans on 1 January 2011, ending its 17-month moratorium, the Cabinet announced on 1 September.

Mozambique: A volley of price increases in basic commodities and services sparked rioting and looting in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, but the government refused to rescind them. Later in the week according to police reports calm was restored to the southeast African nation after three days of riots and demonstrations.

Malawi: According to reports surplus production of maize, Malawi's staple food, will not prevent at least one million people from being food insecure, a forecast that has not pleased President Bingu wa Mutharika who has threatened to close down the local newspapers that, he claims “lie and tarnish his government's image".

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: In Nigeria the Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, has expressed fears over possible threats of climate induced disasters to the country if nothing is done to check the trend, adding that Nigerians have an unfriendly attitude towards climatic issues.

Nigeria’s ‘booming’ young population may become a major source of worry in the next three decades unless there are urgent steps to develop a comprehensive action plan for its next generation of youth, a report has warned.

Meanwhile Biofuel demand is driving a new "land grab" in Africa, with at least 5 million hectares (19,300 sq miles) acquired by foreign firms to grow crops in 11 countries, a study by an environmental group said.

Increasingly erratic rainfall patterns related to climate change pose a major threat to food security and economic growth in Africa, water experts said, arguing for greater investment in water storage.

Central Africa: For more than a year now, Rwanda has been immunizing its children against pneumonia. Its goal is to save the lives of 6,000 kids every year.

Southern Africa: Zambia: Mining prospectors in Luapula Province, northern Zambia, have forced small-scale farmers from their land at gun point, according to villagers in the region.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Senegal's sole oil refinery, Societe Africaine de Raffinage (SAR), said it had secured 194 billion CFA ($378.5 million) in loans to cover the cost of a year's worth of feedstock. Saudi Bin laden Group has a 34 percent stake in SAR, while French oil company Total (TOTF.) has 20 percent. The remaining stake is controlled by the Senegalese state, which has said it does not expect a long-term role in the business.

Nigeria is building a multi-billion dollar free trade zone with Chinese investors on the edge of its commercial capital Lagos to try to develop a local manufacturing base and help reduce its import dependence.

Meanwhile Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) has said its Nigerian SPDC joint venture is close to completing a new $1.1 billion pipeline to the Bonny export terminal which will have a capacity of 600,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The Nigerian naira NGN=D1 firmed to 151.30 to the U.S. dollar last week from 151.60 at Tuesday's close after the central bank met all demand at its foreign exchange auction, traders said.

Nigeria's stock exchange will have new management by the beginning of next year at the latest and listing the bourse will be among their priorities, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Friday.

Ghana will join the club of oil-producing nations this year, offering it the chance to transform the fortunes of its aid-dependent economy. Meanwhile the nation as the world's second-largest cocoa grower, could reach its target of producing 1 million tonnes of the main ingredient in chocolate next season -- a year ahead of schedule -- a senior official said.
The World Bank's investment arm said its investments in sub Saharan Africa rose by a third to $2.4 billion in its 2010 fiscal year and forecast further growth this year.

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced last week that it has signed a contract with the China-Africa Development Fund (CADF) on uranium exploration in Africa.

Meanwhile Chinese vice Premier Li Keqiang met with THE Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Odien Ajumogobia in Beijing last week, with the two sides pledging to boost bilateral ties.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has cautioned the recipients of the 1.2m Euros regional development grants against diverting the funds into purposes other than that which they are intended for. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 134

2010-09-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa:

Nigeria: Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar last week alleged that the inordinate ambition of General Ibrahim Babangida to remain in office "indefinitely" was the primary reason he annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Bashorun MKO Abiola.

Meanwhile all is now set for the endorsement of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2011 presidential election by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the south west zone of the country.

Elections:

Liberia: The National Elections Commission (NEC) has declared that all is now set for the conduct of Liberia's second post war democratic elections following more than two years of rigmarole leading to setting the process on pace.

Cote D’Ivoire: Ivory Coast election may not resolve its conflict and the prospect of peace in the country after the government announced an election date has left Ivorians cautiously optimistic about the future.

Nigeria: Barring last minute adjustments, the forthcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections are to be held on January 8, 2011, while January 15, 2011 is fixed for the governorship and state house of assembly polls.

Central Africa:

In Gabon: The President Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba says he will continue working closely with the African Union as well as the United Nations Security Council to resolve conflicts on the African continent.

Congo-Kinshasa: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the recent savage rape and assault of scores of civilians in the remote and troubled far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a "brutal reminder" of the obstacles faced in keeping the peace in conflict zones. The Secretary-General also urged the U.N. Security Council to consider new measures to protect civilians in Congo, where more than 150 villagers were raped by rebel groups in late July.

Elections:

Burundi: Amnesty International has called on Burundian authorities to investigate allegations that state security officials tortured 12 opposition politicians during the country's recent elections.

Rwanda: Congratulatory messages for President Paul Kagame's landslide victory continue to pour in, the latest being from the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Southern Africa:

A Madagascar court sentenced deposed leader Marc Ravalomanana in absentia to forced labor for the deaths of dozens of protesters during a march on the presidential palace last year.

Zimbabwe: Just few days after hopes were raised at the Southern Africa Development Community summit that Zimbabwe is set to make substantial political progress, President Robert Mugabe has once again turned his back on reforms he signed to nearly two years ago.

Elections:

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's electoral body does not expect elections planned for next year to take place because it still needs to carry out reforms and is not adequately funded to hold a credible vote, its chief told state media last week.

While in Malawi according to reports the nation’s November local government elections are to be postponed yet again, a development that has hit female candidates hard – and mostly in their pockets. It could mean that the country will have less female candidates to vote for when they finally go to the polls.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

Nigeria: Two Chinese workers abducted in southwest Nigeria's Ogun state last week were successfully rescued by police, according to an official of the Chinese Consulate in Lagos. Meanwhile a recent report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has ranked the Nigerian Police extremely high on corruption, extortion, brutality and rights' abuses.

In Northern Nigeria Members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect appeared to have resorted to guerrilla warfare as they waylaid and shot dead three policemen in Damaturu and Maiduguri, centers of the deadly violence sparked by the group in July last year.

Mauritania: According to the Spanish government two Spanish aid workers were freed after being taken hostage by al Qaeda in North Africa nearly nine months ago.

Niger: The population of Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, is growing at an unsustainable rate, according to the authorities and civil society groups. If current growth rates of 3.3 % per year remain unchanged, by 2050 Niger’s population will have reached 50 million. The current population is 15.2 million - and even at this level there is widespread malnourishment.

Central Africa:

Central African Republic: The United Nations World Food Program says tens of thousands of people in Central African Republic face malnutrition if the WFP cannot secure urgent funding. According to the UN World Food Program, it needs an additional $15 million in funding over the next eight months to continue feeding 600,000 peoplein the country.

Southern Africa:

Malawi: A new study by the Journalists Union of Malawi (JUMA) says over 80 % of the journalists employed in the country’s media houses work under “demeaning and exploitative” conditions.

Zimbabwe: In a pre-dawn raid last week, Zimbabwe Republic Police bashed down an informal settlement in Harare making scores of people, including children, homeless. Many of those whose shacks were destroyed by police were refugees from similar massive attacks on urban dwellings five years ago.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa:

Ghana: according to reports USAID supports Ghana Health Service with $ 4 million, projecting a four-year programme during which it would assist the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in three regions.

Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that Nigerians should expect stable electricity supply by December 2012. Meanwhile CBN has released a N130b intervention fund.

Lead poisoning has killed at least 160 in Zamfara State since June, when visiting doctors’ realized children in the region were dying in unusually large numbers. Investigating scientists traced the source of the poisoning to soil contaminated with lead which had been dumped in water sources by miners.

Chad: In parts of Chad acute malnutrition levels far exceed the international emergency threshold, according to a new study – fallout, partly, from crop failure hitting already fragile communities where access to basic health services is low and aid agencies are scarce. Also Flooding across Chad has destroyed homes, crops, livestock, wells and latrines in communities already pummeled by food shortages and high malnutrition, according to the UN.

Mali: Nomadic communities in northern Mali's desert regions are facing one of the most serious droughts of the last twenty years.

Niger: Further heavy rains in Niger have caused the number of people displaced by flooding to soar from 111,000 last week to 198,740 this week, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is calling on donors and aid agencies to urgently send shelter materials, blankets and mosquito nets.

UN Aid Agencies Responding to Cholera Outbreak in the three neighboring West African countries of Cameroon, Nigeria, Lake Chad Basin and Niger have reported that the epidemic has infected nearly 4,000 people and killed more than 260 others since May; the United Nations health agency blamed the epidemic on poor hygiene and inadequate access to clean water.

According to an aid monitoring group AidData a recently launched geo-coded global map outlining how much individual donors have given to which aid projects and where, will highlight aid gaps, imbalances and duplication, and through this, improve donor coordination.

Southern Africa:

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed a new campaign launched by the Angolan Government to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and encouraged authorities to ensure the necessary budget resources to improve health for women and children.

A new type of migration is taking place in Zimbabwe. While in the past people crossed the borders into South Africa and Botswana seeking work and fleeing from their repressive circumstances, now according to reports, a silent migration of HIV-positive children seeking antiretroviral treatment (ART) is taking place.

Mozambique: the United States says it will provide $1 billion over the next five years to help fight AIDS in Mozambique, where some 1.5 million people are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa:

Liberia: Moving closer to joining the growing ranks of African oil producers, Liberia has selected one of the world's largest oil companies as lead partner to explore potential offshore reserves. The Government has signed up Chevron as its oil exploration partner.

Another report revealed that Liberia has reason to celebrate US$4.8 billion Dollars debt waiver coupled with the improvement of its investment climate propelled by the UP led administration, with another multi-million dollar company, SFR, a lubricant oil company, has expressed interest in doing business in the country.

Cameroon: Cameroon, China Cooperation has intensified as both countries are devising new ways of partnership through which industrialization and particularly the mining sector could receive a boost for their mutual benefit.

Nigeria: NSE Probe; the forensic investigations into the financials of Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) may have claimed its first casualty, as the Assistant General Manager in charge of Management Services, which includes Administration and others, (names withheld) has been placed on an indefinite suspension.

Meanwhile market capitalization, which measures the value of equities listed in the market, fell from N6.108 trillion to N5.992 trillion, while the NSE All-Share Index went down by 1.9 % from 24,976.65 to close at 24,503.61.

According to Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Josephine Tapgun, Federal Government of Nigeria is now working on a new tariff regime to protect local industries in the country. Meanwhile the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has lamented the high interest rate charged on credit in the country.

Some good news came the way of Nigeria’s aviation industry last week as the country attained the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) certification, known as Category 1 Status. Meanwhile the management of the nation’s apex maritime regulatory authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has started a partnership with the United States of America (USA) on safety and security exercise to protect the country’s asset in the Gulf of Guinea.

Central Africa:

Rwanda: A long awaited mega commercial centre project by the US in the country slated to cost 200m dollars (approximately Rwf 117.6bn) was launched last week in Kigali city. Meanwhile President Paul Kagame has called on investors to add value to what they produce prior to exporting, since it will not only improve the quality of the country's exports, but will bring in higher revenues for investors and the country.

Gabon: A special adviser to Gabon’s leader has said the construction of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) forms part of President Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba’s plan to make the country competitive and provide jobs to thousands of Gabonese.

A south Sudan official said in statements to Bloomberg the only way for China to retain its millions-worth of oil assets in Sudan is to cultivate a “strong” relationship with the semi-autonomous region of south Sudan and recognize the outcome of a referendum due in January 2011 on the region’s possible independence.

Southern Africa:

In South Africa, Striking South African state workers defied a court order to return to work last week and police fired rubber bullets to disperse strikers who were blocking the entrance to a Johannesburg hospital. More than 60 protesters were arrested nationwide for obstructing roads and destroying property in violent demonstrations. President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has accused striking state workers of abandoning the sick at hospitals and said he expected a deal to be reached soon to end the labor action by about 1.3 million. Meanwhile the army has deployed more 1,800 medical staff to 47 public hospitals throughout South Africa to substitute for striking doctors and nurses as the nine-day industrial action becomes increasingly ill-tempered.

Zimbabwe: An auction of Zimbabwean diamonds has created an air of expectation that the country's economic plight will be eased or even improved, but the stones realized as little as a fifth of their value, and most of the proceeds are expected to benefit controversial mining companies.

A delegation of Chinese business people from Shanghai announced in Maputo last week that they intend to invest 13 billion US dollars in a number of projects in Mozambique over the next five years. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.

Zone 2- Africa Summary, week # 133

2010-09-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

POLITICS OF SECURITY AND CONFLICT ISSUES

West Africa: The head of Benin's parliament has rejected a request by lawmakers to impeach President Boni Yayi, saying they failed to follow procedures.

Guinea-Bissau's President Malam Bacai Sanha has said his citizens are ashamed of being thought incapable of solving the coup-ridden nation's problems.

In Nigeria FBI Begins Training of EFCC Operatives Next Month,as officials of United States and Nigerian government met behind closed doors in Washington DC to explore ways to help the nation effectively tackle the problem of corruption, especially as its involves politically exposed persons (PEP).

Nigerian Federal Government has raised alarm over influx of illegal arms and expressed concern over the flooding ahead of next year's general elections.

After months of rumors and intense speculations, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan will formally declare his interest in the 2011 presidential race early next month. Meanwhile in Abuja the raging controversy over whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan should sign the amended constitution before it becomes operational is set to be settled as the Federal Government has decided to ask the Supreme Court to make a pronouncement on the matter.

Elections: In Liberia 2011 Elections Calendar is set to be released; Liberians and the political leaders, some of whom are desirous of contesting various positions next year, will know how the process will proceed and what they need to be doing.

In Nigeria Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega has warned over the January elections, saying the commission is falling behind schedule in its preparations. Meanwhile President Goodluck Jonathan has said the Federal Government would put all machinery in motion to ensure that Nigerians in Diaspora can vote during elections that follow next year’s general election.

Central Africa: Congo-Kinshasa: UN Secretary-General has condemned killing of three peacekeepers, and has called on the Government to swiftly bring perpetrators to justice.

Soldiers have arrested two suspects in the killings of three United Nations peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a military spokesperson said.

Rwanda: Community Policing Will Make a Difference with a Report Released by Police Recently, With Statistics Covering Five Years (2005-2010) indicates that crime across the country has significantly gone down. The report shows the breakdown of the cases as murder, armed robbery; theft, corruption, etc.

Elections: Rwandan President Paul Kagame won another seven-year term in elections on 9 August, after already being in power for 15 years. He captured 93 percent of the vote by banning opposition parties and eliminating critical domestic news coverage, reports Human Rights Watch. Obama too has criticized Rwanda’s Government saying he is "concerned" by disturbing acts by the Rwandan government in the run up to the country's elections that President Paul Kagame won.

Southern Africa : Troop request for Somalia is likely to fall on deaf ears as South Africa is unlikely to deploy soldiers in support of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as it did "not believe" in the political direction being followed to resolve the conflict, and there was no exit strategy.

Southern African leaders have put off confronting Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe for his refusal to abide by a regional court's ruling that rejected controversial land reforms in favor of a group of white farmers.

Related news to The Hague court, a trustee of Nelson Mandela's charity has resigned after revealing that he accepted diamonds from British supermodel Naomi Campbell in 1997.

The strikes of South African public servants for higher wages have taken a violent shape preventing some senior health workers and volunteers, from going to work and surgical procedures. The Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi warned strikers that are interrupting medical operations are committing murder.

Over a million teachers, nurses and other government workers have downed tools across South Africa, suspending public education and healthcare while their demands for better pay go head-to-head with government's reluctance to accede.

Elections: South Africa’s largest Democratic Alliance (DA) party said on Sunday it would merge with the small Independent Democrats (ID) party to challenge the ANC in the elections of 2014.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: In Ghana a founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Kofi Mintah, has commended President John Atta Mills and his government for maintaining their focus despite attempts to detract them.
In Niger in April, the United Nations World Food Programme estimated it would need 190 million dollars to respond to a food crisis threatening more than 7 million people in Niger. By July, the WFP had revised the amount needed upwards to $371 million: a month later, the U.N. agency has been forced to scale back aid for lack of funds.

Also millions Nigerians, residents of Bagga village, in the central region of Tahoua, have been struggling to find enough food to eat. Granaries are empty and harvests are not due for another two months.

And the government revealed that this year again, Niger is short of food. Nearly half of the country’s 15.2 million inhabitants are facing hunger due to failed harvests in 2009.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), released a report in which it identified the Nigerian Police as the most corrupt government institution, the effects of which a community of civil society organizations said, would undermine the 2011 General Elections.

Central Africa: The Republic of Congo celebrated 50 years of independence Sunday with a parade and ceremony in the capital, Brazzaville.

Rwanda: FEDERAL officials in Germany have charged Onesphore Rwabukombe over his alleged involvement in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. The 53-year old Rwabukombe, a former Bourgmestre (Mayor) of Muvumba Commune, now in the eastern province, is accused of Genocide and murder, as well as inciting killings.

As many as 58 people, most of them Rebel and members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) returned home voluntarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Rwandan media reported.

A privately-owned broadcaster based in Kananga, capital of West Kasai Kasaï province in central DR Congo, was evacuated from Kanange by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) after receiving multiple anonymous death threats.

Southern Africa: Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Heads of State meeting in Namibia have been challenged to sign and ratify a protocol facilitating movement of persons by all SADC member states.

There is widespread and deep concern in South Africa that the ruling party and the government are seeking to introduce measures that will severely curtail the media freedoms guaranteed in the country's constitution.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

West Africa: The Energy Commission of Ghana, last week, played host to their Nigerian counterparts, the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), who are in the country to collaborate with them in order to map out strategies for the efficient management of the energy sector in their respective countries and the sub-region.

In Ghana foreigners using cyanide in galamsey and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have cautioned communities to report any foreigners engaged in illegal gold mining in their communities to the nearest EPA office and the police.

While a team of 14 medical experts from Cuba have arrived in the country to augment the efforts of an eight member Cuban team already in the country to eradicate malaria which is a collaboration between Ghana and Cuba that begun in 2007.

The Western Regional Office of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) last week assured the general public that, the HINI vaccines injected against contracting the HINI swine flu is very safe.

In Senegal many women refuse to take mentally disabled children on public transport; families hide children with mental or neurological disorders, and some parents disown them outright. Such is the stigma of having a child with these widely misunderstood illnesses.

Aid agencies in Niger and Chad have begun giving tens of thousands of malnourished children a product called Plumpy’doz to save them from sliding into often-fatal severe malnutrition.

In Nigeria, Out of a population of about 140 million Nigerians, only 17.2 per cent have access to pipe borne water, a United States government report has said.

The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) have agreed to promote the use of scientific information obtained from space-based facilities to better manage disasters in Africa, during a three-day meeting in Addis Ababa last month (6-9 July).

Southern Africa: In southern Africa, multiple concurrent partnerships (MCPs) prevention campaigns highlighting the HIV risks of having more than one partner at the same time have largely targeted heterosexuals and ignored the fact that men who have sex with men also have multiple partners.

Aids activists in Swaziland have criticized a top adviser to King Mswati III for saying the country's HIVepidemic is being exaggerated for the benefit of pharmaceutical firms.

POLITICAL ECONOMY

West Africa: Ghana: Oil firm Kosmos Energy announced last week it had cancelled a deal to sell its stakes in Ghana's Jubilee oilfield to ExxonMobil, an accord that met fierce resistance within the West African state.

Ghana has 1.2 trillion cube feet of gas in the Jubilee field, which could meet the requirement of 15,000 barrels of crude oil needed to operate the Aboadze Thermal Plant.

Liberia: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a new concession agreement that will provide at least 35,000 direct jobs for Liberians to the National Legislature for ratification. The investment which is put at US$1.6 billion covers an area of 500,000, and will run through five South-eastern Counties of Sinoe, Grand Kru and Maryland as well as Rivercess and River Gee.

Ivory Coast eyes position as top cocoa grinder Investments , cocoa processing facilities in the country, already the No. 1 grower of the main ingredient in chocolate, have pushed its share of the global grind up sharply since 2008 and could allow it to overtake the Netherlands for the top spot as early as next season.

That has interest Singapore commodities firm Olam International said that it will invest $43.5 million in Cote d'Ivoire to set up a greenfield cocoa processing facility in Abidjan as well as for a warehousing facility.

Nigeria’s crude oil export, which had stabilized at 2.5 million barrels per day in the last three weeks, has declined as Shell declared force majeure on the export of Bonny Light following production deferment that resulted from a recent attack on its pipelines in Rivers State.

While NATIONAL Economic Management Team, NEMT, and the World Bank, last week, endorsed a pact with stakeholders in the public and private sector to stem youth unemployment in the country.

China has supported Ghana's Energy Commission with $300 million grant to extend electricity to rural communities in Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions.

The Ministry of Commerce in China has launched the China-Africa Research Center, a think-tank focused on the economies of the two regions, to further bolster trade relations with Africa.

SUB-Saharan Africa is weathering the global downturn better than most other parts of the world and is projected to grow by 3.8% and 4.5% this year and next year respectively, faster than Latin America, Europe and Central Asia.

Central Africa: Gabon: France can no longer rely on its cozy relationship with Gabon, announced the country’s President, Ali Bongo Ondimba. His statement comes just days after the West African nation signed huge contracts with India and Singapore.

Rwanda's coffee has earned $ 23.5 million from exporting 8707 tons of green coffee an official has said. This is higher than 7810 tons valued at $ 19 million that were exported in the corresponding period last year to earn a record of $ 68 million dollars from its coffee exports. §

________________________________________________________

Please Preview your comments before posting.