Africa: Behind the Scenes of Gadaffi's Failed Bid for a Second Term as AU Chairman
The reign of Libya's Moammar el Gadaffi as Chairman of the African Union has ended in a petulant whimper rather than in a big bang for African unity as the Colonel had promised. He flounced out of the AU summit in Addis Ababa on 1 February after failing to cajole his fellow leaders into giving him a second, unconstitutional term as Chairman. Offers of oil largesse to his usual supporters and then attempts to split the votes of a rival candidate all ran into the ground. Libyan diplomats candidly admitted that the AU was no nearer to his promised union government than it was when Gadaffi took over a year ago.

Tunisia: Cabinet Meeting Focuses On National Solidarity Fund
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali chaired on Friday a cabinet meeting focusing on the program of activities of the National Solidarity Fund for the current year.

Nigeria/Egypt: NFF Should Learn From Egypt's Victory, Okubule
The Technical Commitee of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and the technical crew of the Super Eagles have been advised to learn from the Egyptians who paraded about 98 percent of home-based players at the just concluded African Cup of Nations in Angola.

Africa: Pan Africanism - From Kwame Nkrumah to Libya's Gaddafi
African Union summits rarely escape a Muammar Gaddafi lecture on his pet project: the United States of Africa.

Africa: The Addis AU Summit in Two Acts
The 14th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union convened in Addis Ababa from January 31 to February 2 made some significant decisions that will help Africa realise its vision of a united continent. But certain impediments cannot go unnoticed.

Libya: Gaddafi's United States of Africa - Would You Buy a Used Camel From This Son of the Desert?
I admire Muammar Gaddafi more than I admire any other serving African leader.

Egypt: Tennis Ace Mugabe Gets Double Blow at Egypt Futures
DUNCAN Mugabe suffered a double blow in the New Year when he was beaten in the first round of the men's singles and doubles at the Egypt F1 Futures in Giza, Egypt on Thursday.

Egypt: Minimum Wage Not Enough
A stalemate between labour unions and business associations is preventing Egyptian authorities from setting a minimum wage that could improve the lot of millions of citizens living in poverty.

Egypt: Govt Investigates Growing Food in Uganda
The Egyptian government announced Monday that it would be sending a committee to assess farmland in Uganda to grow wheat to then import back into Egypt. Egypt is the leader in wheat consumption and has historically relied mostly on imports.

Libya: Gaddafi is Going Far, but the Wrong Way
When will Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi wake up and smell the coffee? This week, he was rebuking African leaders (some of whom are beneficiaries of his generous baksheesh).

Tunisia: Delegation of U.S. House of Representatives Visits Nation
A delegation of the US House of Representatives led by the Democrat Representative, Mr Stephen Lynch, met on Wednesday with Mrs Saïda Chtioui, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of American and Asian affairs.

Tunisia: Program Offers Opportunities for Local Students to Study in Japan
The Tunisian -Japanese cooperation continues to gain momentum in several sectors, including higher education especially. The "Study in Japanese Universities" program, which was the focal point in a seminar, held on Wednesday at the Auditorium of the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT), aims at encouraging

Tunisia: Meeting to Bolster Relations With Algeria
The annual meeting of Tunisian and Algerian businessmen was held on Wednesday in the governorate of El Kef.

Tunisia: New Publication - "Thalasso Tunisia 2010"
From the time of Roman Carthage, Tunisia has been blessed with natural hot baths and mineral springs. With a view to better promote this vibrant sector, the Tunisian agency, "Communication Marketing Media" (MCM) has recently published the 11th edition of the annual guide "Thalasso Tunisia 2010".

Tunisia: Local Disabled Athletes Shine at International Meetings in UAE
Three Tunisian disabled athletes won three medals (2 gold and 1 bronze) during the first day of the 4th Al Ain International Athletics Meeting for the disabled which is taking place from February 3 to 7, 2010 in Al-Ain, the Garden City of the United Arab Emirates.

Tunisia: First Batch of Unemployed University Graduates Given Half-Time Contracts
The problem of the unemployment of university graduates remains a "priority" for the Tunisian government.

Tunisia: Nation Will Take Part in 16th Edition of Maghrebi Book Fair in Paris
Paris will host the 16 th edition of "Le Maghreb des Livres [1]" , a book fair showcasing Maghrebi literature, which this year will highlight Algerian letters.

Tunisia: National Elections Observatory Issues Report, Recommendations
In a recent report issued by the National Elections Observatory following the October 2009 presidential and legislative elections, the Observatory notes that the members of the Observatory were able to discharge their duties satisfactorily thanks to the support of the President of the Republic and of the relevant administrative authorities.

Tunisia: Local Success Play Makes Come Back On Municipal Theatre Stage
Over the last years, Tunisia's vibrant theatre scene has been marked by an increasing influence of the one man show, which has led to the revelation of young, talented actors. However, older, cult plays are also being re-enacted as illustrated by the forthcoming staging of a play from the late 90's entitled "Rajel ou Mraa" (A man and a woman).

Tunisia: Low Child Mortality - Nation Cited As an Example in French Study
According to the monthly bulletin of the French Institute of Demographic Studies (INED) , "child mortality has significantly declined over the planet, as shown by recent statistics which show that 7 newborn children out of 100 die before reaching their 5th birthday, as against a ratio to 40 of 50 before".

Tunisia: Fifa World Rankings - Tunisia Drops to 55th Position
The new edition of the FIFA World Rankings for men's national teams ranks Spain in top spot, just ahead of Brazil. England maintains its ranking of 9th best team in the world while Argentina is 8th.

Tunisia: Meeting Examines Ways of Promoting Exports
With a view to promote Tunisia's position as a major exporter, a meeting on the role of International Trade Companies in the promotion of Tunisian exports was held on Tuesday in Tunis by Mr. Ridha Ben Mosbah, Minister of Commerce and Handicrafts.

Tunisia: Survey - Local Women Read More Than Men
A recent survey on "the book and reading" which was instructed by President Ben Ali in 2009, showed that 22.74% of Tunisians have never read any book. Seven Tunisians out of ten did not read a book in 2009.

Libya: Gaddafi's Paradox
The historical antecedents of achieving African continental unity can be traced to the era of the independent fighters and pan-Africanists, whose agenda was based on the fundamental ideologies that Africa could only realise its fullest potential, when social, economic and political integration was achieved.

Libya: Gaddafi Turns to Arab World After Failing to Win New Term
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who failed to win a second term as African Union chairman, now eyes a similar post at the League of Arab states.

Egypt/Ghana: Pharaohs Snatch Seventh Win
None of Egypt's three successive triumphs in the last African Nations Cup titles have been convincing but the Pharaohs still emerged as continual champions for a record seventh time.

Africa: AU Displays a Rare Glimpse of Courage
AFRICAN leaders displayed rare courage at the African Union (AU) meeting this weekend when they thwarted an attempt by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to extend his chairmanship of the organisation for a second term.

Africa: Gadaffi Blocked From Second AU Term
Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi yesterday failed in his bid to stay on as chairman of the African Union (AU) for another year.

Nigeria: Tunisia to Help Nigeria Combat Desertification
Nigeria could learn from the Tunisian experience in fighting off desert encroachment, the Tunisian Ambassador to Nigeria Moncef Gouja has said.Mr Gouja, who visited Media Trust Corporate Headquarters in Abuja yesterday, said the region of Regime Maatong located in the extreme south of Tunisia is a desert with no water but that the huge development and management of oasis in the area over the decades has turned it to a business hub.

Tunisia: Partnership Agreement Between Tunisair and Sixt Penned
The Tunisian flagship carrier "Tunisair" and "Sixt", one of the leading global vehicle rental in Europe, have signed a partnership agreement to enable customers of both companies to combine special advantages in their trip either by plane or car.

AllAfrica News: North Africa
All Africa, All the Time.

 

IFIwatch.tv and Bretton Woods Project website support (Volunteer 2-3 days)
The Bretton Woods Project is seeking a volunteer to offer technical support and bring in fresh ideas to develop the media aggregation and sharing functions of two websites that turn a critical eye towards the actions of international financial institutions: IFIWatch.TV and rethinkingfinance.org. The deadline for submissions is Mon 18 Jan 2009.

Summary: Recovery towards what? Finance, justice, sustainability
Recovery towards what? Finance, justice, sustainability was an exciting and timely one-day conference on 6 November in London on all aspects of global finance and its role in both developed and developing countries. It brought together experts, researchers, practitioners and civil society to discuss how to reshape finance so that it contributes to a just and sustainable economy.

The World Bank's new energy strategy
As the World Bank prepares to revise its energy strategy, Oliver Johnson of the Sussex Energy Group (Science and Technology Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex), reviews the Bank's chequered history in this sector. The conflicting agendas for energy are drawn out, and principles suggested to guide the Bank's support for low-carbon development.

IMF pours cold water on monetary reform
As academia and NGOs call for reform of the international financial architecture, the international monetary system is the focus of scrutiny. Support for capital controls and a financial transaction tax has met resistance from the IMF.

The role of the World Bank in climate finance
The World Bank currently plays four different roles in arrangements to distribute finance for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in developing countries. In addition, its overall lending portfolio can have significant environmental impacts.

Unjustifiable Bank domination over climate funds in Bangladesh
World Bank's record in Bangladesh shows there is no place for it in a just response to climate change, but it is set to dominate the new fund for adaptation in Bangladesh. Civil society critics speak out.

Faulty systems at the Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
As the Bank seeks to position itself as the vehicle of choice for future climate finance, the experience of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) calls its competence into question.

Burning controversy over Bank and environment
Hot on the heels of the start of its energy strategy review the Bank has launched a review of its 2001 environment strategy but continues to come under fire over its green record.

IFC lends a hand in great "land grab"
As the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, announces plans to increase investment in agribusiness by up to 30 per cent in the next three years, NGO reports shed light on the IFC's role in 'land grabs' and flaws in its approach to the food crisis.

IMF lending programmes: old wolf in sheep's clothing?
The debate over IMF conditionality heats up as data comes in about IMF programmes; economic turmoil continues in countries such as Latvia and Ukraine, which face stern IMF demands.

Expert panel calls for sweeping Bank governance reform
Official ambitions for reform of World Bank governance remain limited, while the Zedillo Commission calls for far-reaching change. At the IMF, aside from small shifts in voting share, details of further quota reform are notably absent.

Progress on Bank transparency?
The World Bank's draft disclosure policy, published in October, marks a significant step forward in Bank transparency but has been criticised for excluding key information from public access.

Bank accused of neglecting poorest countries
The Bank is under fire for failing to focus on low-income countries in its lending, and concentrating instead on the demands of rich and middle-income countries.

Leopard about to change its spots? IFIs debate role of financial sector
The financial crisis has divided perceptions within the IFIs about the role of the financial sector in development. While some parts of the World Bank and IMF highlight the merits of small banks, others continue to push globalised finance.

Destructive development: A case of ecological debt in Bangladesh
'Development' has become synonymous with destruction in Bangladesh as many of the so-called development projects, financed mainly by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs), have huge negative impacts on the ground. They have added to the global north's 'ecological debt', which must now be repaid.

Bretton Woods Project highlights
Critical voices on the World Bank and IMF

 

Egypt: Shari'a in favour of minority rights
Over the past decades, numerous polls have demonstrated that the majority of Egyptians want shari'a—or Islamic principles—applied to parts of their country's legal system. Egypt's constitution reflects this: Article 2 of the constitution states that shari'a is the principal source of legislation.

Sexuality: Artificial hymen, a Moroccan sore?
"Like a Virgin" sounds like an appropriate slogan for Gigimo, a Chinese company that sells artificial hymen. At a cost of 300 dirhams (26 euros), this pouch of water-soluble liquid, that releases a blood like substance, is attracting more and more young Moroccan seeking to simulate virginity for the "first time". Without a doubt, concerns over this phenomenon have been raised by some clerics.

Morocco: The sorry state of freedom
The head of Le Journal Hebdomadaire, Aboubakeur Jamai, Wednesday announced his decision to go into exile in protest against the closure of his publication. Moroccan authorities claim the independent weekly newspaper was closed for non-payment of "significant debts”. Journalists from the newspaper think otherwise. They believe it is nothing but a political gimmick. A Human Rights Watch report, published a week ago, talks about the liberticidal excesses of the Moroccan Kingdom.

Egypt break into FIFA's Top 10
After winning their third consecutive Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt jumped up 14 places to grab the tenth spot in the FIFA rankings for the first time ever.

Terrorism: Algeria threatens Washington and Paris
Are we going to witness American and Western nationals subject to the same control measures as those reserved for the Algerian population, now considered as a "threat" to international security? It might. That is, if Algerian Minister of Interior Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni's request is not taken seriously: To remove Algeria from the state sponsors of terrorism list, drawn by the United States following the terror attempt by the young Nigerian Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab on a Northwest Airlines flight to the U.S. carrier, last December.

Morocco: Blogger Boubaker Al-Yadib sentenced to six months in prison
On 2 February 2010, a Guelmim court sentenced blogger Boubaker Al-Yadib to six months in prison and a fine of 500 dirhams (approx. US$62) for "degradation of state property", "threatening a public official" and "participation in an illegal demonstration". He has been detained since his arrest on 26 January. The defence has decided to appeal the verdict.

UN Secretary-General on Western Sahara
Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General on Western Sahara.

Egypt: Pig-cull induced street rubbish a “national scandal”
The Egyptian government's decision to cull all of the country's 300,000 pigs in May 2009 is increasingly being viewed by experts and officials as a gross mistake as piles of organic waste the pigs once ate accumulate in Cairo's streets, posing serious health hazards.

Tunisia-led pro-Libya proposal for AU chair may split Africa
The rotating regional chairmanship of the 53-nation African Union (AU) has been hit by a dilemma of unparalleled complexity as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's tenure draws to an end. Libya's northern ally, Tunisia, has begun a propaganda to retain Gaddafi as AU leader. The move is widely seen as a threat to AU democratic principles, and could also foster divisions among member states. But the AU needs money, and Libya can provide it.

Counter-terrorism: UN human rights expert to visit Tunisia
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, will undertake an official visit to Tunisia from 22 to 26 January, at the invitation of the Government.

CAN 2010: Egypt make it three out of three
A 2-0 victory for Egypt over Benin makes them the only team to win all games.

CAN 2010: Nigeria join Egypt in final 8
Nigeria needed a win against Mozambique. Not only to qualify for the quarter finals of the 2010 African Cup of Nations but also to re-win their fan base, which was less than impressed with the Super Eagles disappointing run.

CAN 2010: Mali seeks sanctioning of Angola and Algeria
The Malians are a disappointed lot. The shameful draw between Angola, the host country, and Algeria, qualified for the World Cup, has eliminated them despite a fine win against Malawi. The Malian Football Federation has launched a complaint with the CAF.

Christian Copts of California: Christians of Egypt are Massacred, and President Mubarak is Still Silent!
The Copts, Egypt's Christian minority, number approximately 12 million, about 15% of Egypt's population. Under the rule of President Mubarak, violent attacks against them run rampant. These attacks were once carried out mainly by organized Islamic terrorist groups. The climate of hatred in Egypt has worsened to the point that attacks against Christians are now carried by their Muslim neighbors.

CAN 2010: Egypt reach last eight
Egypt 2 Mozambique 0, the Pharaos have booked their ticket for the quarters.

North Africa - Afrik.com : Africa and Maghreb's news - The panafrican daily newspaper
Afrik.com, Africa's portal offers a daily online newspaper with information on what is going on in the world, culture, economics, sport, societies of 56 african countries.

 

2010 World Cup: a Discussion about Crime
Some critics say that the 2010 World Cup should not have been awarded to South Africa, because of its crime problems, even though the country has proved itself capable of hosting major events in the past.

AIDS Fight in Africa
Africa still suffers from AIDS far more than any other continent. South Africa and Nigeria need to play leading roles in curbing the epidemic.

NGOs in Ghana Help Women in Need
International organizations are offering assistance to women in parts of Africa who need birth control or don't have access to a medical abortion.

World Cup 2010: Its Greenness in Question
With the Copenhagen failure fresh in our memory and the 2010 World Cup around the corner, many are wondering how green the soccer tournament will be.

A New Paradigm for Engaging Somalia
As Somalia scrambles toward a new era of peace, forces inside and outside the country can do much more by moving away from the costly strategies of "hard power."

Picking up the Pieces of Civil War in Sierra Leone
In the squalid slums of battle-scarred Freetown, an Irish charity is taking young women off the streets and giving them back their lives.

HIV and AIDS in 2009
Much progress has been made in the fight against AIDS, but the global financial crisis is proving to be a major hurdle in getting assistance to those affected in developing parts of the world.

The Kool-Aid Syndrome and Somalia's Fading Hope
President Ahmed and his government must find a lasting solution to the cycle of violence, somehow avoiding the countless pitfalls of those who came before him.

Sierra Leone's Youth: A Boon for Investment
As Sierra Leone continues to build its nation in the wake of civil war, the youth in the country are a valuable factor in continual improvement.

Shariah in Lawless Somalia
Shariah law comes in different forms, and if Somalia is to adopt a viable version of it, it must be a system that is accountable and takes care of its people.

Book Review: "The Candy Girl"
After a difficult childhood battling polio, Marcella Camara-Macauley studied early childhood education and has now written a children's book whose proceeds go to a worthy cause.

The Emerging Obama Doctrine on Africa
The Obama administration is making it clear to African nations that it intends to play an increasing role in Africa's development and governance.

Public Schools in Sierra Leone Gasping for Life Support
In the war-torn African nation of Sierra Leone, the public school system is crippled, ailing and corrupted by the government, affecting children, teachers and the nation as a whole.

China's Rise in Africa: Miracle or Mirage
Although China's burgeoning economic relationship with Africa is significant, many aspects of China's investment are being distorted and overlooked.

African News from World Press Review
World News Review

 

ICC rejects Darfur rebel charges
The first Darfur war crimes suspect to face international judges has the charges against him dropped.

Migrants saved from Gulf of Aden
Somali fishermen save some 126 migrants who were reportedly forced into the sea at gunpoint by traffickers.

Africa malaria drugs 'low-grade'
Many Africans with malaria are getting low-grade drugs, according to a study of Uganda, Senegal and Madagascar.

Nigeria election 'gravely flawed'
A state election in Nigeria is widely condemned amid reports of vote-buying, ballot-box theft and electoral roll anomalies.

Egypt detains Brotherhood leaders
Thirteen senior members of the Islamist opposition movement in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, are detained.

Tullow close to Ugandan oil deal
Heritage Oil says the sale of its assets in Uganda to the UK's Tullow Oil will be approved "imminently".

Ethiopian jet 'black box' retrieved
Lebanese searchers salvage a flight recorder from the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed into the Mediterranean, killing 90 people.

Swiss man cleared by Libyan court
A court in Libya dismisses a case against a Swiss businessman who was accused of illegal business activities.

Zuma apologises over love-child
South African President Jacob Zuma apologises for fathering an illegitimate child, after a national outcry.

Egypt finishes restoring world's oldest monastery
Egypt completes the restoration of Saint Anthony's, reputedly the world's oldest Christian monastery.

Win ends difficult week - Drogba
Chelsea's Didier Drogba admits his club had a "difficult" week because of allegations surrounding John Terry.

Ivory Coast to play South Korea
Ivory Coast will play fellow World Cup finalists South Korea in a friendly in London on 3 March.

Cricket: SA force India to follow on
South Africa's Dale Steyn takes eight wickets on the third day of the first Test as India are forced to follow on.

Audio slideshow
Huge port project threatens East Africa beauty spot

Significant dates
What links John Lennon and Nelson Mandela?

Delayed tribute
The struggle to put Mandela's old law office to good use

Week in pictures
Gays, monasteries, champions and divas across Africa

Who owns what?
Zimbabwe land audit blocked by Mugabe allies

Hung out to dry?
Farming threat to Kenya's untamed wetlands

Mass protest at Togo football ban
Over 10,000 people rally in Togo against a ban from the next two African Cup of Nations tournaments.

French aid worker freed in Chad
A French aid worker seized in Chad last year is released unharmed, the Red Cross says.

Taylor's son faces torture ruling
The son of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor is told to pay more than $22m in damages to people tortured during the civil war.

Nato troops free ship off Somalia
Danish troops serving with Nato's anti-piracy force free the crew of a cargo ship boarded by gunmen off Somalia.

Mandela dinner marks release
Ex-wife Winnie and a former jailer are among guests at a dinner to mark the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release.

Is Zuma's sex life private?
Is President Zuma's sex life any of our business?

Viewpoint: Will Nigeria split?
Will long-suffering Nigerians remain true to the cause?

Angola football rebrand
Did Angola lose 'war-torn' image by hosting African cup?

Captive life of British hostages
How are two British hostages of Somali pirates coping?

SA probes World Cup price-fixing
Six South African airlines are being investigated for allegedly colluding to hike fares for local flights during the football World Cup in June.

Tullow Oil eyes Uganda expansion
UK explorer Tullow Oil is seeking to take full control of two sites it co-discovered in Uganda, in a move that would block Italy's Eni.

Is car insurance worth it?
Vehicle insurance is becoming mandatory in Angola, costing on average $400 every year. Do you insure your car?

You the president
Rice for the people - what would you do as leader?

Is social media a waste of time?
As Facebook celebrates 6 years, we ask, how has social media changed your life?

Send us your pictures of Africa
Send in your shots of Africa from shadows to hats

BBC News | Africa | World Edition
Get the latest BBC News from Africa: breaking news, features, analysis and special reports plus audio and video from across the African continent.

 

ETHIOPIA: Dam Critics Won't Go Away
ADDIS ABABA, Feb 6 (IPS) - Ethiopia is building a 240-metre high dam on the Omo River that is intended to end the country's electricity shortage and supply power to neighbouring countries. Not everyone's happy.

ENVIRONMENT: Keeping Wetlands from Becoming Wastelands
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb 5 (IPS) - Swamps, marshes and other wetlands are beginning to be recognised as a country's 'green jewels', even in a tropical paradise like Mahé Island here in the Seychelles, with its stunning beaches and dramatic granite outcrops.

UGANDA: Early Diagnosis of HIV Still Elusive
KAMPALA , Feb 4 (IPS) - HIV-positive Justine Kirumira* is a mother torn between doing what is right for her daughters and her own fear of HIV/AIDS. She suspects that her eight and 12-year-old daughters may also have the virus. But she may never know the truth of their status because she refuses have them tested.

KENYA: Insuring Pastoralists Against Increasing Risks
NAIROBI, Feb 4 (IPS) - The droughts in the Turkana region were less severe when she was growing up, says Laura Letapalel, and pastoralists could still find some grass and water for their animals. Now, she laments, the droughts are longer and there is nothing to eat.

EGYPT: Minimum Wage Not Enough
CAIRO, Feb 4 (IPS) - A stalemate between labour unions and business associations is preventing Egyptian authorities from setting a minimum wage that could improve the lot of millions of citizens living in poverty.

SUDAN: Bashir May Face Genocide Charges
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 3 (IPS) - The International Criminal Court is to review its earlier decision not to add genocide to the charges against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.

KENYA: Victory for Anti-Abortion Lobby
NAIROBI, Feb 2 (IPS) - The threat by influential Christian leaders to mobilise a vote against Kenya's draft constitution if it does not explicitly prevent any expansion of abortion rights appears to have succeeded.

POLITICS-SUDAN: Security Essential to Ensure Peaceful Elections
ADDIS ABABA , Feb 01 (IPS) - Peace in Sudan remains an uncertainty ahead of the country’s first general elections in 24 years, according to the African Union Commission chief.

NIGERIA: No Oil Company Will Know Peace in the Creeks
YENAGOA, Nigeria, Feb 1 (IPS) - Three flow stations in the oil-rich Niger Delta have had to be closed after a pipeline was sabotaged, according to Royal Dutch Shell.

RIGHTS-UGANDA: Fugitives in Their Own Country
KAMPALA, Jan 29 (IPS) - Every morning Pepe Julian Onziema wakes up not knowing if she will live to see another rising sun. Onziema is transgender and she lives in fear for her life because of a national campaign against gay people.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Sierra Leone Sees Opportunity to Rise Up
FREETOWN, Jan 29 (IPS) - The World Social Forum held in Nairobi in 2007 inspired Sierra Leonean activists to organise themselves to demand things like housing, health care and greater accountability from their government. That inspiration was not sustained.

KENYA: Documenting Sexual Violence
NAIROBI, Jan 28 (IPS) - The testimonies of women who survived sexual violence during post-election conflict in 2008 should be heard, say advocates. The magnitude of the crimes committed against women because of their gender must be recorded and prosecuted to prevent such violence from occurring again.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Africa Continues to Draw Inspiration
HARARE, Jan 28 (IPS) - The same kind of worldwide solidarity that helped bring down apartheid is necessary to free the global South from economic domination.

HEALTH: Rotavirus Vaccine Making Headway in Africa
NEW YORK, Jan 27 (IPS) - New vaccination programmes against rotavirus are starting to have a positive impact, and could eventually prevent hundreds of thousands of child deaths a year, according to a new report.

SWAZILAND: Dreams of Free Education Deferred
MBABANE, Jan 26 (IPS) - Ten-year-old Tembuso Magagula sat outside her classroom with her shoulders hunched against the cold today, tears streaming from her eyes. Her long-awaited first day of school had turned into a nightmare.

IPS Inter Press Service - Africa
IPS Africa provides news features and analyses on the events and processes affecting political, economic and social development of people and nations in Africa. In directing this coverage, emphasis is put on not only hearing the voices of those in positions of power and formal authority, but more on providing access for actors in civil society and the majority of the people whose voices have often been silent in the media.

 

Dubai offered an alternative future
The city's fall from grace last year has prompted some soul searching and one view sees the government taking a smaller role and retreating from private-sector territory

China overtakes EU as Iran's top trade partner
China has overtaken the European Union to become Iran's largest trading partner, underlining China's reluctance to agree to any further economic sanctions on Tehran

Al-Qaeda offshoot calls for fresh US attacks
The Yemen-based al-Qaeda group that claimed responsibility for the failed Christmas day attack on a passenger jet in the US has called for further attacks against American and Jewish interests

Iran to start work on 20% nuclear fuel
Iran's president has ordered the country's Atomic Energy Organisation to start enriching uranium at higher grade, in a provocative move that could bring more penalties for the Islamic regime

Blair says public desires Iraq 'conspiracy'
The Iraq war inquiry is humouring the desire of the British public to 'uncover some great conspiracy', Tony Blair said on Monday, as the inquiry confirmed that it might recall him to testify

US courts support for Iran sanctions
The US launched a renewed push to rally support for sanctions against Iran after President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad pledged to enrich uranium closer to the level needed for nuclear weapons

Political thaw lets hope bloom in Kuwait
A $104bn economic development plan has at last been agreed, although obstacles remain, after a halt to the long-running conflict between the government and parliament

Sabic remains on expansion course
The Saudi Arabian petrochemicals group, after a difficult year in its US and European markets, is focusing on growth in China via a joint venture with Sinopec

Abbas needs to get off the fence
Faced with an array of unpalatable policy options, Mr Abbas's indecision is perhaps understandable. But if he wants his presidency to be remembered for more than diplomatic failure and internal strife, he will have to choose sooner rather than later

Hollywood casts spell on son of Gaddafi
Saadi Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader, has financed his first US film, The Experiment, a remake of a German thriller that will be released this year and stars a pair of Oscar winners

US and Germany say Iran not ready for nuclear deal
The United States and Germany said they saw no sign Tehran would make concessions on its nuclear programme despite upbeat comments from Iran's foreign minister over prospects for a deal

BAE to pay $450m to end bribery case
BAE Systems is preparing to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay one of the biggest ever fines over alleged corporate bribery after striking a deal to end transatlantic corruption probes

Blow to Netanyahu's standing
The Israeli prime minister is losing some popularity, but remains the dominant force in the country's politics, according to a new opinion poll

Shia targeted in fresh Iraq attacks
Two attacks on Shia pilgrims returning from the holy city of Kerbala have left at least 28 people dead – the latest in a series of bombings that appear designed to inflame sectarian tension ahead of March elections

Israeli hawk raises Syria tensions
Avigdor Lieberman, foreign minister, tells Damascus to abandon its claim to the Golan Heights, the territory it lost in the 1967 war

FT.com - World, Middle East
FT.com - World, Middle East

 

Iranian Atomic Plans Bring New Calls for Sanctions
Calls follow announcement by Iran that it intends to step up its enrichment of uranium

Human Rights Groups: Security Suspects Tortured in Bahrain
Human Rights Watch says report based on interviews with detainees, medical records, but officials from Gulf State deny allegations

Yemeni Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
More than 200,000 people have fled their homes since the war in northern Yemen began in 2004

Iran Orders Boost in Uranium Enrichment
Decision prompting speculation announcement may have more to do with negotiations with West than imminent enrichment

Black Boxes of Crashed Ethiopian Jet Retrieved
The devices could shed light on the cause of the crash that killed all 90 people on board

Israel Calls for Peace Talks Amid Tensions with Syria
Tensions soared last week when Syria's President accused Israel of avoiding peace

Iran Arrests 7 Linked to US-Funded Radio
State media accuses some of them of working for US spy agencies

Iraqi Parliament Debate on Candidates Postponed
Recent appeals court verdict allows hundreds of banned candidates with alleged ties to Ba'ath Party to take part in national elections

VOA News: Middle East
Middle East Voice of America

 

Guinea's new government: Will the army take a back seat?

Though a post-coup peace deal has been done, it is far from certain to last

A YEAR after an army captain pulled off a coup over the still-warm body of the military dictator who had run Guinea for 24 years, the country is being run by a civilian. Jean-Marie Dore will supposedly hold power until a proper election within six months. But Guinea has never had a genuine poll before, nor any tradition of civilian rule. Moreover, the transitional government that the 70-year-old Mr Dore has been asked to form is to include a big batch of soldiers. No one is betting on a smooth path to true multi-party democracy.

Guinea has been shaken since President Lansana Conte died just before Christmas in 2008. His coup-making successor, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, soon faced opposition. In September his troops massacred at least 157 protesters in a stadium in the capital, Conakry. Three months later, one of his own soldiers tried to kill him, causing him to fly to Morocco for medical treatment. ...

Iran's missile and uranium salvoes: Another puzzle

An offer to talk or just another ruse?

UNDER pressure at home and abroad, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is unbowed. The latest test of a satellite-capable rocket, “manned” by a hapless mouse, two turtles and an assortment of worms (accompanied by a promise soon to put a man into space) was no doubt aimed at repairing the president’s image with ordinary Iranians. They have been angered by the crackdown that has landed many in jail and some on the gallows since his disputed re-election last June.

The launch was also a finger in the eye for America, which has seen its latest long-range anti-ballistic-missile test in the Pacific suffer an embarrassing radar malfunction. America, meanwhile, has let it be known that it is increasing patrols in the Gulf by ships equipped to shoot down shorter-range missiles and is selling advanced land-based missile defences to several of Iran’s Arab and Turkish neighbours. What Iran learns from hoisting worms and other creatures aloft will help improve its military rockets, too. ...

Iran and Israel in Africa: A search for allies in a hostile world

Iran’s proclaimed ambitions in Africa are particularly worrying for Israel, which once had a lot of friends on the continent and wants to keep the few that remain

ARRIVING at the airport in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, you have a fair chance that the newish-looking taxi taking you into town will not be the usual French or Japanese model, but Iranian. And it will not have been imported, as most cars in Africa are, but assembled in nearby Thies. From here, the first few hundred taxis have just come off the production line at an Iranian-built Khodro plant. They are tangible symbols of a new power in sub-Saharan Africa that has, for some, begun to cause ripples of concern.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s controversial president, is in the vanguard of Iran’s push. Two years ago in New York he said he saw “no limits to the expansion of [Iran’s] ties with African countries”. Last year Iran’s diplomats, generals and president criss-crossed the continent, signing a bewildering array of commercial, diplomatic and defence deals. By one tally, Iran conducted 20 ministerial or grander visits to Africa last year, reminiscent of the trade-and-aid whirlwind the Chinese brought to Africa in the mid-2000s. ...

Yemen's elusive peace deal: A bloody blame game

The government and the rebels fluff a chance for peace

SPORADIC warfare has raged for six years between Yemen’s central government and the rebellious tribesmen in the mountainous north, known as Houthis. Now, in the sixth month of the bloodiest round yet, the two sides appear to be exchanging not just rockets and bullets but charges that the other is blocking a truce.

A halt to the fighting cannot come soon enough for the estimated 250,000 refugees driven from their homes, nor for aid-giving foreign governments that would prefer Yemen’s crisis-plagued government to focus on fighting al-Qaeda terrorists. The Houthis, a tribal movement demanding regional autonomy and greater respect for Yemen’s Zaydi Shia minority, late last month said they would meet five demands made by President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s government, which then apparently added a sixth one, that the Houthis should desist from attacking Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s rich and powerful neighbour to the north. ...

Corruption in South Africa: Stop that virus

As widespread corruption is exposed, will Jacob Zuma tackle it?

THE wife of South Africa’s minister of state security, Siyabonga Cwele, has been arrested, charged with drug-trafficking. The corruption trial of Jackie Selebi, the country’s former chief of police and one-time Interpol boss, is to resume next month. The head of Armscor, the state defence-procurement company, was recently sacked for dishonesty. And the managing director of the freight-rail division of Trans- net, the state transport company, is fighting his suspension for an alleged serious breach of procurement regulations.

And so it goes on, one report of public-sector sleaze after another. Willie Hofmeyr, head of South Africa’s anti-corruption body, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), said it had identified 400,000 civil servants getting welfare payments to which they were not entitled. A further 6,000 senior government officials had failed to declare their business interests, as required by the law, and were awaiting disciplinary hearings. But the state’s ability to convict and punish the guilty was, he said, “pretty limited and, in some cases, almost completely non-existent”. ...

South Sudan: Looking for laws

A would-be country drives away foreign investment

IF, AS many think quite likely, South Sudan breaks away to become an independent country after a referendum due in 2011, it will need a lot of investment. Its economic potential is not in doubt. It has teak, sugar and grain, as well as abundant oil. But so far it has miserably failed to lure investors except oil types. For one thing, corruption is already a massive headache, both for local Sudanese and for would-be investors. Yet the government seems to be turning a blind eye.

Take the case of KK Security of Kenya, one of the most successful firms of its kind in the region. It was the biggest private employer in South Sudan. A few months ago it had nearly 600 local workers and was set to double that number to meet a UN contract. Then, with the connivance of powerful officials from the Nuer tribe, the second-biggest in the territory, the firm, along with its vehicles and assets, was violently seized. Its accountant, a Kenyan, was held hostage while he was told to countersign cheques. In a raid to free him, other Kenyan workers were beaten up by a local mob. ...

The Palestinians and the peace process: Will he, won't he, join the dance?

The Palestinian president is in a pickle

A YEAR after he promised to put peace between Israel and the Palestinians near the top of his agenda, Barack Obama is still struggling to get negotiations going again. His envoy, George Mitchell, has been shuttling between Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and Mahmoud Abbas in an effort, so far in vain, to lure the Palestinian president (pictured) back to the table. What more can he do?

Mr Mitchell has veered away from trying to clinch deals over such big issues as the dismantling of Jewish settlements in the West Bank or devising ways of sharing sovereignty over Jerusalem. Instead he has been trying to get both sides to take more modest measures to build confidence: an exchange of prisoners; a deal to let cement into Gaza (hitherto banned because it may, say the Israelis, be used to build launch-pads for rockets); and Israeli agreements to give back a bit more land to the Palestinians and to stop its forces raiding Palestinian towns in the West Bank. ...

Reporting Iraq: Still fraught

A bomb in a hotel favoured by reporters illustrates the toughness of the job

IN THE past two years a correspondent’s job in Iraq has become a little easier. But it is still dangerous. The Hamra Hotel, hit by a car-bomb on January 25th, is a favourite haven for foreign reporters. Our own correspondent, in his room when the blast went off, was slightly cut. But his driver was killed, along with at least 15 other people. Blasts in two other well-known hotels brought the overall death toll to at least 41.

At the height of sectarian strife three years ago, no Western reporter who was not crazily intrepid would travel openly and alone, either in Baghdad or across the country, bar the Kurdish part or in the capital’s fortified Green Zone. Most reporting was done remotely, by telephone or through Iraqis working discreetly for media outlets. Even a year ago, it was unwise for reporters to drive around the country or city without guards. ...

Rising Angola: Oil, glorious oil

The country’s breakneck growth is slowly benefiting the masses

TWO years ago, oil-rich Angola was reckoned to have one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. In both 2006 and 2007 real GDP had surged by around 20%, and double-digit growth rates were widely predicted for at least the next five years. Then oil prices crashed with the global recession. Last year the economy is estimated to have grown, at best, by 1.5%. But it is bouncing back. Some say Angola will be among the world’s top five performers again this year, with growth exceeding 8%.

After four decades of strife, Angola was a basket case. A 14-year war of independence against its former Portuguese masters until 1975 had been followed by nearly three decades of fighting between the communist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and Jonas Savimbi’s pro-Western National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) that ended in 2002. Out of a population of 7m in 1980, some 1.5m were killed and more than 4m forced to flee their homes. A whole generation had missed their education. Infrastructure, political institutions and social services had to be rebuilt, often from scratch. ...

How to visit Angola: Patience, the essential virtue

If you want to do business, keep your temper

THOUGH Angola wants to woo foreign investors, everything seems contrived to deter all but the most intrepid and patient. Getting a visa, for a start, can take many months. Finding somewhere to stay in Luanda, a capital city built for 500,000 that is now home to 5m, is not much easier. A single hotel room, if you can find one, will set you back $500-600 a night. A bed in a simple guesthouse costs at least half that. Even then, you are liable to be chucked out if a guest with a deeper pocket turns up.

Luanda has earned the dubious title of the world’s most expensive city for the second year running, according to a study by ECA International, a consultancy. A rented two-bedroomed flat at $7,000 a month is considered fairly cheap; to buy the freehold could cost a good $2m. ...

Nigeria's Muslim sects: Stagnation stirs everything up

Sectarian strife is often more about money than faith

AT HIS meeting-house on an industrial estate in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil laments his country’s sporadic uprisings in the name of Islam. “I don’t know why this change has come,” says the 57-year-old Muslim preacher. “Twenty years ago we never used to have this. Everyone got along.”

Outside his vine-covered house, silence prevails on the Sharada estate. Most of the factories that once helped Kano honour its state slogan, “Centre of Commerce”, are shells. The economic slump worries the Americans, especially since it has strengthened the hand of the more militant of northern Nigeria’s Muslim leaders, who are rattling the mild-mannered sheikh. ...

A jazz revival in Ethiopia: Swing along again

An old tradition may be coming back

AFICIONADOS are hoping for a revival of the golden age of Ethiopian jazz, as players who emigrated westward a generation ago, especially to America, come home amid the global recession.

Tafari Assefa now plays his drums in a band at the bar of the Jupiter Hotel, one of the fancier newer establishments in Addis Ababa, the capital. Born in 1974, he studied music in Poland before emigrating to America. Life as a jazz man there was hard. “You had to beg for gigs,” he says. “Here, they call you.” He earned $70 a gig in America. Now, back home, he gets only $40. But the monthly rent, at $180, is several times less. He can get along. A cup of Ethiopian coffee, he notes, costs only 25 cents. ...

Iraq's coming election: Reopening the old sectarian wounds

Relations between Iraq’s Shias and Sunnis have again been badly damaged

IN THE run-up to a general election due on March 7th, Iraq’s authorities seem to be taking a page out of Iran’s illiberal electoral rule book by barring candidates they dislike. One of the competing parties, the Iraqi National Congress, led by Ahmed Chalabi, a longtime Shia exile who helped persuade George Bush to invade Iraq in 2003, has persuaded the election’s overseers to ban some 500 candidates deemed too close in the past to Saddam Hussein’s Baath party. After the invasion the Americans put Mr Chalabi, then their closest Iraqi ally, in charge of “deBaathification”, but he later fell out with them, so he turned for succour to Iran. Now, with a view to winning more votes for himself, he is using his long-dormant post to accuse his foes of having supported the deposed dictator. Though the list contains many Shias, Iraq’s minority Sunnis, who ruled the roost under Mr Hussein, are outraged, seeing a plot to discriminate against them. The episode could badly tarnish the poll.

Many other Shia politicians have joined what looks like a witch hunt. Muhammad al-Haidari, a leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), a powerful Shia group, says that Baathists are worse than Nazis; all past members should, he says, be banned from public life. In the holy city of Najaf, ISCI’s heartland, a new rule decrees that former Baathists must be purged from government and chased out of town. Never mind that Iraq’s post-invasion constitution bars only senior Baathists from public office and that millions of ordinary Iraqis joined the party only out of necessity, not conviction. Ostracising them threatens once again to split Iraq down the middle and disfranchise many Sunnis, who used to dominate the Baath party. ...

A debate about fashion in Qatar: Cross about cross-dressing

Is it a wicked Western habit that should be stopped?

CROSS-DRESSING is on the rise among young Qataris. The local press says that more tradition-minded locals are upset by the growing number of young women affecting a masculine style of dress, baggy trousers, short hair and deep voices. These women, who call themselves boyat, which translates as both tomboy and transsexual (and is derived from the English word boy), are being seen in schools and on university campuses where some are said to harass their straiter-laced sisters.

In an episode of a talk show on Qatari television, called Lakom al Karar (The Decision is Yours), a leading academic said that the “manly women” phenomenon was part of a “foreign trend” brought into Qatar and the Gulf by globalisation. Foreign teachers, the internet and satellite television have been blamed. So have foreign housemaids, for badly influencing children in their care. ...

The Muslim Brothers' new leader: Which way now?

An influential movement sounds unusually hesitant

THE election of a new leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the Arab world’s most influential movements, has aroused an oddly muted response, not just from the group’s critics but from fellow-travelling Islamists as well. Muhammad Badeea, a media-shy 66-year-old veterinarian, whose elevation to the post of the Brothers’ “supreme guide” was announced on January 16th, is the eighth leader of a movement founded in 1928, with millions of sympathisers across the Muslim world. Nowadays he and his cohorts face mounting challenges from without and within.

Seen by some as a wellspring of global Islamist extremism and by others as a moderate and modernising defender of Muslim identity, the Brotherhood has long carried influence far beyond the borders of Egypt, where it remains the strongest opposition party, despite sporadic persecution and an official ban imposed since 1954. ...

Israel's prime minister and the media: Why they are getting at his wife

Sara Netanyahu proves controversial again

“SARA does influence me,” says Binyamin Netanyahu of his wife, a child psychologist by profession. “She helps me to be a more sensitive person and a more compassionate prime minister. She says, ‘Be more attentive to other people. Be attentive to the elderly, to children, to Holocaust survivors. Be a better father, a better son, a better friend.’ I owe her a lot.”

Mr Netanyahu’s recent paean to matrimony followed days of ugly reports and swirling rumours depicting Mrs Netanyahu as a henpecking harridan and the prime minister as her squirming victim. The couple in turn portrayed themselves as the hapless casualties of a nasty press war. ...

Anxious Ethiopia: Jangling nerves

Meles Zenawi will probably win the election. But that may not bring calm

WORRIES about Ethiopia’s election, due in May, are growing. Aid-giving Western governments hope it will pass off without the strife that followed the last one, in 2005, when 200 people were killed, thousands were imprisoned, and the democratic credentials of Meles Zenawi, despite his re-election, were left in tatters.

Though poor and fragile, Ethiopia carries a lot of weight in the region. A grubby election could worsen things in neighbouring Sudan, where civil war threatens to recur. The borderlands near Kenya, where cattle raiding, poaching and banditry are rife, would become still more dangerous. A renewal of unrest in Ethiopia would be exploited by its arch-enemy, Eritrea, which already backs sundry rebel groups in an effort to undermine the country’s government. And it could make matters even worse in Somalia, where jihadist fighters linked to al-Qaeda want to weaken “Christian” Ethiopia, where a third of the people are in fact Muslim. Foreign intelligence sources have long feared a jihadist attack in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. ...

Peace talks between Israel and Palestine: Do get a move on

After a long lull, the Americans believe they can get the talks going again

BARACK OBAMA’S peace envoy, George Mitchell, is back in his Middle East bailiwick after two months away, apparently hopeful he can get Israelis and Palestinians to agree to “terms of reference” that would let long-stalled negotiations resume. Both sides still balk at his draft document’s latest wording. Mr Mitchell is begging Egypt, Jordan and the Saudis to help him nudge the Palestinians back to the table. There is now at least a chance they will succeed.

The Israelis say they are ready to resume talks with the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen), “without preconditions”. But in the same breath, Israeli officials suggest that Binyamin Netanyahu, their prime minister, may seek alternative approaches, hinting at unilateral map-making of the West Bank, perhaps even with an American wink. They even speak of a “Jordanian option”, a long-discarded old favourite of Israeli hawks that would drastically water down Palestinian independence. ...

Nigeria's ailing president: Is he a goner?

The president’s absence is causing jitters and clogging up government

JUST before November’s Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, Umaru Yar’Adua, Nigeria’s president, started complaining of chest pains while he was in a mosque. As his compatriots happily began a four-day weekend, he was flown to a clinic in Saudi Arabia. More than seven weeks later, the leader of Africa’s most populous country is still nowhere to be seen.

Mr Yar’Adua’s mysteriously prolonged stay abroad is causing a furore at home. Ministers returning to work on January 12th after the Christmas recess encountered a rally led by prominent Nigerians, including Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate for literature. The protesters were calling for the president to hand over power to his vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, to end the country’s awkward drift. In a series of lawsuits, various citizens and lobbies are demanding that the president should step aside, at least until he is fit enough to go back to work. In the first, a federal judge ruled this week that Mr Jonathan may perform all presidential duties while Mr Yar’Adua is away but would still need a formal transfer of power to become the official head of state. Calls for a complete handover are continuing unabated. ...

The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa