Africa: Regional Counterterrorism Cooperation in the Sahel and Maghreb
The United States welcomes the decision of the governments of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger to meet on March 16 in Algiers to collectively confront the threat of terrorism. We hope the meeting will build upon ongoing efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and further consolidate collective action against groups that seek to exploit territories of these countries and launch attacks against innocent civilians.

Tunisia: Country Celebrates "Cinema of Peace"
The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation , jointly with the Tunisian Federation of Cine- clubs and the Maghrebi Ibn Khaldoun Cultural Centre, are organizing the 10 th edition of the "Cinema of Peace".

Tunisia: Nabeul Youth Conference Celebrates "Solidarity, Volunteerism And Tolerance"
On the occasion of Tunisia's celebration on March 20 and 21 of Independence Day and Youth Day, Nabeul, the cap bon capital , is hosting from March 14 to 23 an International Youth Meeting on the theme "Solidarity, volunteerism and tolerance".

Tunisia: Tunisian Pilots Take Part in 65th Ifalpa Annual Conference
The 65th Annual conference of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) which is due to take place from March 19 to 23, 2010 in Marrakech, Morocco, will see the participation of Tunisian airline pilots.

Tunisia: Country Hosts Seventh Edition of Mediterranean Farming And Husbandry Exhibit
Organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Tunisia will host from June 8 to 10, 2010, the 7th Mediterranean Export Farming and Husbandry Exhibition "PAMED 2010", at the Medina Expo Center, in Yasmine Hammamet.

Tunisia: Country to Host Pan- African Postal Conference "Technopost Africa 2010"
From March 16 to 18, Tunisia will host the works of the Pan-African Technology Conference on the "Role of Information and Communication Technologies in the Modernization and Prosperity of African Posts" (TECHNOPOST AFRICA 2010).

Tunisia: PM Invites EU to Set Up Centers of Innovation And Excellence in Southern Mediterranean
The Prime minister, Mr. Mohammed Ghannouchi closed, on Monday the works of the 7th Conference of the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP).

Tunisia: Workshop Discusses Energy-Effectiveness Policies in Mena Region
A regional workshop was organized on Monday in Tunis to discuss "The energy-effectiveness policies in the middle east and north Africa (MENA)". This workshop is organized by the Energy Management National Agency (ANME), the United Nations Development Program (PNUD), the World Energy Council (CME) and the French Agency for Environment and Energy Control (ADEME). Experts from 12 countries from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, took part in the event.

Tunisia: Textile Sector Exports Yield 4,729 Billion Dinars of Revenues
A vital sector in the country's economy due to its high added value namely in export, the textile and clothing in Tunisia is the first sector to have benefited from the industrial upgrading and Industrial Modernization Program, with 41% of companies, 46% of applications approved.

Tunisia: Prince Nayef Ibn Abdulaziz Arrives in Tunis
Prince Nayef Ibn Abdulaziz Al-Saoud, Saudi Arabia's Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Honorary President of the Arab Interior Ministers' Council, arrived in Tunis on Monday evening.

Tunisia: Country Holds Workshop On Protection of Women Under International Humanitarian Law
On the occasion of the celebration of the International Women's Day, a scientific workshop was held on Friday, at the Centre of Research, Studies, Documentation and Information on Women (CREDIF) on the theme "The Protection of Women under the International Humanitarian Law (IHL)".

North Africa: African Al Qaeda Should Stop Targeting Civilians
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has in recent months stepped up targeting tourists and aid workers for murder and kidnapping in Mali, Niger, and Mauritania, Human Rights Watch said today. AQIM should immediately and unconditionally free hostages in its custody and end attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said.

Tunisia: Nation to Generalize Use of Interactive Boards in Schools
During his visit on March 12 to the Ariana pilot school, the Minister of Education, Mr. Hatem Ben Salem, took cognizance of new tools and teaching methods such as interactive whiteboards that will be integrated from September 2010, in all of the country's secondary schools at first year level.

Tunisia: Nation Observes International Consumer Day
Similarly to the rest of the world, Tunisia observed on March 15, the International Consumer Day under the theme "For better financial services".

Tunisia: Nation to Boost Number of Invention Patents By 2014
According to the daily Arabic language newspaper "Assahafa", 33 patent applicants have registered their inventions at the National Institute of Standardization and Industrial Property (INNORPI) in 2009. By comparison, in 1999 only 5 applications were submitted.

Tunisia: Tunis Planetarium Hosts Exhibition On Nanotechnology
Tunisia is increasingly recognizing the importance of nanotechnology innovations and scientific research. Several associations and research units are up and running in the sector and regular awareness raising scientific events are being held throughout the country to trigger interest in this promising field of research and study.

Tunisia: Nation Takes Part in Higher Education Forum in Vienna
A Tunisian delegation led by Mr. Bechir Tekkari, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, took part in the Higher Education Ministers Forum held in Vienna, Austria, from March 11 to 12, 2010.

Tunisia: State to Host Regional Meeting of Digital Culture
On the occasion of the celebration of "2010 International Youth Year", the Essef Association for the Dissemination of Digital Culture organizes from March 19 to 21, the 5 th edition of the Regional Meeting of Digital Culture under the motto "International Youth Year". The event is scheduled to take place at the Ksour Essef cultural center, in Mahdia.

Tunisia: President Ben Ali Focuses On Elaboration of Strategies in High -Added Value Sectors
President Ben Ali conferred on Monday, in Tunis, with the Prime Minister, Mr. Mohamed Ghanouchi.

Egypt/Zimbabwe: Egypt's Al Ahly Demand 'Heaven and Paradise' On Earth
IN a rare display of pure showiness, cash-rich Egyptian club Al Ahly are coming with a 46-men delegation for their African Champions League tie against Gunners with the hosts footing the expenses of only 25 of them at a five-star hotel. According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regulations, the hosts are required to meet the hotel expenses of 25 people, which includes 18 players and seven officials.

Tunisia: 43 New Sites Allocated to Industrial Areas
The industrial land reserves and new sites proposed by the Tunisian Industrial Land Agency (AFI) in order to accommodate new industrial areas was the focus of a working session held on Thursday in Tunis.

Tunisia: UNDP to Strengthen Cooperation With Country
In conformity with the Objectives of the Millennium Development Goals , including the eradication of poverty and the fight against hunger, against illiteracy and disease, Tunisia is endeavoring to foster international cooperation in the social sector.

Tunisia: African Development Bank Grants Nine Million Dinars to Country
Tunisia and the African development bank (AfDB), signed on Friday in Tunis, nine donation agreements relative to the financing of 7 surveys and two training programs for managers.

Tunisia: Prime Minister Inaugurates Handicrafts Fair
On the occasion of Tunisia's celebration of the handicrafts National Day held every March 16, the Prime Minister, Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi inaugurated, on Friday, the 27th Handicrafts Creation Fair held under the high patronage of the Head of State, which is taking place from March 12 to 21, 2010, at the El Kram Exhibition Hall.

Tunisia: President Mahmoud Abbas Meets With RCD
A meeting was held, on Friday at the headquarters of the Democratic Constitutional Rally in Tunis, in the presence of Palestinian President, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas , as a sign of support to the Palestinian people's cause.

Tunisia: Country, Japan Sign 65 Million Dinar Loan Agreement
The vibrant Tunisian-Japanese cooperation and the strong relations that tie both countries in many sectors, make of Japan one of the major financial partners of Tunisia.

Uganda: Son of Otuke Returns Home After 48 Years
After close to half a century away, writes Jimmy Muwanika, Paul Oleng returns to his birthplace after a journey that took him to Sudan, Egypt, Greece and Germany.

Tunisia: Three Municipalities in Gafsa Join Embellishment Project
The project aiming at embellishing cities and villages has recently included the municipalities of Redayef, Moulares and Metloui, located in the governorate of Gafsa.

Tunisia: Launch of a Promotional Campaign to Encourage Young People to Don Traditional Garments
As part of Tunisia's celebration of the handicrafts national day held every March 16, a promotional campaign was launched from March 1st to 31 by the National Board of handicrafts (ONA), dubbed "The clothes of our ancestors, a model for our children."

Tunisia: President Ben Ali Focuses on Upcoming Municipal Elections
During his meeting with Mr. Rafik Belhaj Kacem , Minister of the interior and local development , President Ben Ali was handed a report on the activities of the Ministry.

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

 

Informal discussion between Rachel Kyte, IFC's Vice President for Business Advisory Services, and NG
Discussion of IFC and the financial crisis, climate change, performance standards and financial intermediaries

Bankspeak of the year 2009
Annual Bretton Woods Project award for the most incomprehensible or absurd use of language in a Bank or Fund document or speech.

World Bank prospects for climate finance, others weigh innovative sources
Leaked documents reveal that the World Bank is anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Copenhagen Accord on climate change and is optimistic that it will play a leading role in future climate finance. Meanwhile, the looming gaps in finance left unresolved in Copenhagen are turning attention to proposals for innovative sources, including those that involve the controversial the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Recommended resources on the World Bank and IMF 2009
Recommendations from Bretton Woods Project staff on the best papers, books and electronic resources of 2009.

Large hydropower: renewable or not?
Contradictions in the World Bank's approach to hydropower call into question its burgeoning portfolio in the sector.

Human rights and the World Bank's energy policy
If the World Bank is a global inter-governmental institution devoted to reducing poverty, then its global duty should be to focus on achieving energy access for the poor, and certainly for the most vulnerable amongst the poor.

IMF waters down transparency review
The IMF executive board significantly weakened many of the far-ranging proposals made by Fund staff in the recently completed transparency review, leaving significant power in the hands of countries to block the disclosure of country documents, and failing to require publication of draft policy proposals before they are discussed at the Board.

IMF economic policies under fire
While the political agenda at the IMF is shifting back to mandate and governance reform, there are growing calls that the Fund needs to fundamentally rethink the monetary and fiscal policies it recommends if the institution is to retain legitimacy and renew its mandate.

The World Bank's conflicted role in energy
A spat between the US administration and some middle and low income shareholders highlights political tensions carried over from Copenhagen climate talks. And while the Bank showcases its 'clean' energy investments, projects in the pipeline for 2010 look set to continue large-scale investment in fossil fuels.

Farming furore: World Bank launches new agriculture fund
The Bank’s new multi-billion dollar agriculture trust fund has got off the ground while its recent agriculture strategy signals a renewed attempt to push the controversial policies of the 2008 World Development Report.

IEG calls for overhaul of World Bank's lending criteria
The withholding of a critical evaluation of the World Bank’s method of allocating lending to low-income countries raises suspicions that the Bank is seeking to avoid public criticism in advance of the upcoming negotiations for replenishment of the Bank’s cheap loan arm.

IDA replenishment
This year, donor countries will decide on their financial contributions to the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) for 2011-2014.

IMF still failing to connect with member countries
An independent evaluation of the IMF's dealings with its member countries shows a startling amount of displeasure with the Fund's work in rich and poor countries alike. The IMF board failed to come up with a credible action plan to deal with the problems.

Debt aftershocks to shake Haiti's recovery?
An IMF loan to Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake in early January has been criticised for exacerbating the country's debt burden and endangering recovery.

World Bank moving backwards on gender?
An evaluation of the World Bank’s progress on gender suggests that the Bank may actually be going backwards in some areas.

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

 

Morocco: Reactions over expulsion of foreigners continue
The expulsion last week of a group of foreign workers for "religious proselytism" at the Village of Hope, an orphanage situated near Ain Leuh, continues to arouse questions over the real intentions of the Moroccan government which claims to be engaged in the fight against all “attempts to affect the moral and religious” values of the Kingdom.

CHAN 2011: Qualifiers get under way
The coming weekend will see teams vying to take part in the second edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) to take place in Sudan play one another in the eliminatory rounds. Fifteen other nations will join the host during the finals of the competition.

Morocco's expulsion of Christians abusive?
Sixteen Christian workers accused of religious “proselytism” were expelled from Morocco Tuesday. They were members of the Village of Hope, an orphanage located in the town of Ain Leuh, which fosters mostly abandoned children. They refute the “fight against proselytism” invoked by the Moroccan authorities.

Sudan-Eritrea strengthen ties against UN Eritrea sanctions
The Khartoum government of northern Sudan has moved to strengthen alliances with Eritrea by condemning the United Nations sanctions on Eritrea, which came after the emergence of documented allegations that Eritrea supports and arms rebel groups in Somalia.

Morocco eyes 2016 African Cup of Nations
Morocco is the only country to have submitted its candidacy to organize the 2016 Africa Cup of Nations. Although there is still time before the final application is submitted, the country's football infrastructure has raised a few eyebrows.

Second U.S. Science Envoy Begins Travel to North Africa
U.S. Science Envoy Dr. Zerhouni, M.D., arrived in Morocco today on a two-week trip to North Africa that will include visits to Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. On this trip, Dr. Zerhouni will seek areas for cooperation on health, science and technology, and education in meetings with heads of state, ministers, and representatives from the scientific, education, nonprofit, and business communities.

Africa registers disasterous World Cup friendlies
Carlos Alberto Parreira should have had a sleepless night Wednesday after his charges dug deep to salvage an undeserved one-all draw with minnows Namibia in their international friendly.

Football: 2010 World Cup trials begin
The countdown is on! It is 99 days to the D-day, and the six African teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2010 are busily getting ready, with some putting finishing touches to their strategies while others are still frantically looking for a coach or a midfielder... Wednesday has been set aside for friendly matches at all levels.

Libya: Gaddafi declares Jihad on Switzerland
Libya's president Mr. Muammar Gaddafi has called on all Muslims to shun Switzerland and begin a jihad against the Alpine nation. The antagonism is reported to be a spillover of a diplomatic row between Libya and Switzerland that began in 2008, following the arrest of Muammar Gaddafi‘s son, Hannibal Gaddafi's, in Geneva after he was accused of assaulting two servants.

Algeria and Mali in diplomatic row after terrorist release
Pierre Camatte, a Frenchman who was abducted last November in Mali, was released on Tuesday. But at what cost? Algiers has accused Bamako for ignoring bilateral agreements, following the western African country's release of four Al-Qaeda terrorists in exchange for the release of Western hostages. Algeria believes the Malian decision is a sign of weakness in the fight against terrorism. Tuesday, the northern African country recalled its ambassador in Bamako for “consultation”.

IMF - Arab Republic of Egypt 2010 Article IV Consultation Mission, Concluding Statement
IMF and Arab Republic of Egypt, 2010 Article IV Consultation Mission, Concluding Statement.

Egypt: African and Arab ministers in meeting to improve agricultural productivity and food security
African and Arab Ministers are meeting in Sharme El Sheikh, Egypt today to agree on a Joint Action Plan that will guide their collaboration in agriculture and food security. The initial work on the JAP had been done by experts from the two regions who met from 14- 15 February at the same venue.

Survey on Young People in Egypt 2009
Young people are a national priority and the future investment of the country, however despite their importance, there is a dearth of data on the many issues that confront young people today. To address this information gap, The Population Council and Information and Decision Support Center, conducted a survey entitled "Survey on Young People in Egypt.''

Morocco did not experience economic crisis?
Economic indicators available at the end of 2009 show a strong Moroccan economy in the face of a dreaded global crisis: unemployment fell from 9.6% in 2008 to 9.1% in 2009. According to figures from the Direction des études et perspectives financières, DEPF, the north African country's economy grew by at least 5.3% in 2009.

U.S. Welcomes Western Sahara Talks
The U.S. welcomes the announcement of the second round of informal talks on the Western Sahara, which will take place February 10-11, 2010.

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.

 

Debt Burden Cripples Poorer Nations
International lending, within its current framework, leaves developing nations in a hole that only gets bigger as they try to pay off their debt.

Boundless Hope in Sierra Leone
In a country where many families are too poor to buy books for their children, the organization Boundless Hope is helping kids get an education and putting essentials like pencils and toothbrushes in their hands.

Global Hunger
When food is treated as simply a commodity, a huge chunk of the population cannot afford it. People in the South die every day from hunger and related diseases, while an equal number in the North consume in excess.

The Real Evils
While the world

Guinea Making Steps toward Democracy
In a country that has seen a succession of brutal military leaders, the sudden prospect of fair elections forthcoming gives the people of Guinea new hope.

South Africans Remember Mandela's Release
Twenty years after his release form prison, Nelson Mandela remains an important and symbolic figure for South Africans. Many still remember his release.

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.

African News from World Press Review
World News Review

 

Zuma bid to ease Zimbabwe tension
South African President Jacob Zuma is visiting Zimbabwe, where he will try to smooth out rifts in the coalition government.

Nigeria vote 'may be held early'
Nigeria's next election could be held early if voting laws are reformed, helping to end rumours over the president's health.

Kenya theft linked to riot probe
Thieves take computers from a Kenyan charity which has been helping with an inquiry into election related violence.

S Leone court backs woman chief
A judge in Sierra Leone backs a woman's bid to become a paramount chief - the country's first such ruling.

Gaddafi says split Nigeria in two
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi says Nigeria should be split into two to avoid further bloodshed between Muslims and Christians.

TV shows Mubarak 'is recovering'
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is shown in TV pictures sitting up and talking to doctors 10 days after surgery.

Tanker released by Somali pirates
Somali pirates have released a chemical tanker and its North Korean crew of 28, maritime officials say.

Somali deal to tackle militants
A powerful Sufi Muslim group joins Somalia's government to help tackle hardliners from the al-Shabab group.

Explosions hit Nigeria oil talks
Two car bombs are detonated in Nigeria, during talks over an amnesty for militants in the oil-rich delta.

South Africa doubles wives' budget for polygamous Zuma
South Africa's official spending on the president's family doubles under Jacob Zuma, who has three wives and 20 children.

Fifa awaits Boateng switch documents
German Kevin Prince Boateng's nationality switch to play for Ghana is delayed by Fifa because the Ghana FA has failed to back his application.

Fifa denies Amrabat switch claims
Fifa dismisses reports that Holland youth international Nordin Amrabat has been cleared to play for Morocco.

Sekagya ruled out for four weeks
Uganda international defender Ibrahim Sekagya will be sidelined for four weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in Austria.

Street dreams
Homeless Wanda seeks World Cup glory in South Africa

Village of tears
No end in sight to Nigeria's brutal cycle of violence

Earth Watch
Ugly rumours put rhinos and tigers on extinction road

Polling Darfur
Can an election be held in a land of refugees?

Fighting poverty
How Malawi hopes social enterprise will help

Mommie? Poppie?
Addressing your elders is a thorny issue in Ghana

ANC figure guilty of hate speech
South African judge convicts ANC official Julius Malema of hate speech for insulting woman who accused Jacob Zuma of rape.

Zambia 'red card' priest defiant
A Zambian priest lashes out at the government after spending three nights in jail for handing out red cards.

Darfur rebel row jeopardises deal
A deadline for Darfur rebels and Sudan's government to finalise a peace deal is unlikely to be met, amid a rebel split.

French hostages 'freed in Darfur'
Two French hostages seized in the Central African Republic in November have been freed, the French foreign minister says.

Winnie denies maligning Mandela
Winnie Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela, denies giving an interview accusing him of letting down black South Africans.

Mogadishu residents told to leave
Mogadishu's mayor tells residents to leave parts of the Somali capital, as fierce fighting against insurgents continues.

Ivory and tuna top wildlife talks
UN wildlife negotiations begin on banning the trade in bluefin tuna and permitting sales of ivory at a two-week summit in Doha.

Charles Taylor's wife gives birth
The wife of Liberia's ex-President Charles Taylor - on trial in The Hague for war crimes - has a baby girl.

Profile: Ivorian wows UK
Ivorian who survived a coup to lead major firm

In pictures: Togo unrest
Togo in trouble as election protests continue to rage

Central Africa's beguiling republic
Meeting kindness and con-men in Central Africa

Lost Jewish tribe 'in Zimbabwe'
The Zimbabweans who trace their roots back to Israel

SA starts World Cup countdown
With 100 days to the World Cup, South Africans talk about their hopes and fears for the tournament

Zimbabwe move on firms' ownership
A Zimbabwean law that forces companies to sell a majority stake in their businesses to indigenous people comes into effect.

Should faith leaders do politics?
A priest in Zambia has been arrested for handing out red cards against the government. Is there room for religion in politics?

How does Africa deal with rape?
Police in Sierra Leone blame communities for not reporting rape. Do you feel safe enough to report rape?

Viewpoint: Passport lottery
Melting chocolate, exploding pants and travel immunity

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.

 

MALAWI: Rural Communities Jointly Care for Orphans
LILONGWE, Mar 15 (IPS) - At the age of 66, village headman Kamwala of Dedza district in central Malawi is starting to feel the effects of ageing. He gets tired easily and needs frequent naps but says he cannot afford this luxury. He and his wife are caregivers to a one-year-old orphan.

DEVELOPMENT-KENYA: Rapid Population Growth Threatens Development
NAIROBI, Mar 15 (IPS) - Margaret Atieno, a 38-year-old mother of six, says she wanted to avoid her last pregnancy. But consistent stock-outs of contraceptive devices at her health care centre in rural Siaya, western Kenya, gave her no choice but to fall pregnant once again, albeit the fact that she did not want another child.

HEALTH-UGANDA: EU Supports Law Threatening Access to Medicines
KAMPALA, Mar 15 (IPS) - The European Union (EU) is funding the drafting of Uganda’s controversial Counterfeit Goods Bill, a proposed law that has caused an outcry as it threatens access to life-saving generic medicines in this low income East African country. Some 90 percent of medicines used in Uganda’s health-care system are imported, of which about 93 percent are generics.

RIGHTS-MALAWI: Country Not Safe for Homosexuals
LILONGWE, Mar. 13 (IPS) - Malawi is quickly becoming unsafe for homosexuals as the country’s police service recently launched a campaign to hunt down and arrest prominent people who are suspected of being gay.

POLITICS-NIGERIA : In the Shadows of Men: Women’s Political Marginalisation
KANO, Mar 12 (IPS) - Ten years after Nigeria returned to civil rule women still play second fiddle in the male-dominated politics of Africa’s most populous nation, women politicians and activists say.

DEVELOPMENT-CAMEROON: Are Women the Magic Bullet for "Electoral Apathy"?
YAOUNDE, Mar. 12 (IPS) - A support network for women's political participation, is challenging head-on what it calls "electoral apathy", after noting a growing trend in electoral abstention.

KENYA: Proposed Constitutional Amendment Sets Back Women’s Rights
NAIROBI, Mar 11 (IPS) - Lillian Mutuku, a 34-year-old mother of three, describes her home in Katine area, in Kenya’s Eastern province Tala, as a harsh place to live. The soil is poor, she says, the sun beats down mercilessly and vegetation is sparse.

SOUTH AFRICA: Gender Loses Out in Basic Education Crisis
CAPE TOWN, Mar 11 (IPS) - With the 15th-year review of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women taking place at the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women in New York, South African teachers and education experts say they fear that a special focus on the advancement of girls is getting lost amidst the growing levels of poverty in the country.

SOMALIA: U.S. Should Accept Islamist Authority, Report Says
WASHINGTON, Mar 11 (IPS) - The United States should accept an "Islamist authority" in Somalia as part of a "constructive disengagement" strategy for the war-torn country, according to a new report released here by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Wednesday.

RIGHTS: Africa's Success Stories in Gender Empowerment
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 10 (IPS/TerraViva) - Whenever gender empowerment is a vibrant topic of discussion internationally, some of the countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America are invariably singled out for their success stories in politics, education, health care or civil liberties even as Africa is mostly left out of political reckoning - and wrongly so.

KENYA: New Bill to Improve State Witness Protection, If Passed
NAIROBI, Mar 10 (IPS) - Kenyans affected by the violence that erupted after the country’s disputed presidential elections in 2007 may soon be able to speak out without fear. A new bill will offer better protection to state witnesses.

EDUCATION-TANZANIA: Pregnant Teens Forced Out of School
DAR-ES-SALAAM, Mar 10 (IPS) - Pregnancy is the leading cause of dropouts for school girls in Tanzania. And a national law forbidding young mothers to return to school after giving birth did not make it any easier for them to continue their education.

TANZANIA: Weather Changes Turn Farming into Gamble with Nature
DAR-ES-SALAAM, Mar 10 (IPS) - Changes in weather patterns have turned agriculture into a gamble with nature for Tanzanian farmers. Prolonged droughts and floods have made the lives of small-scale farmers, who don’t have access to irrigation, extremely difficult.

ENVIRONMENT-UGANDA: Landslides - Experts Warn Worst is Yet to Come
KAMPALA, Mar 9 (IPS) - Fourteen-year-old Isaac Wadyegere of Bundesi village in Bududa district woke up to a rainy and chilly Monday morning and went to school as usual. But Mar. 1 was not a usual day in eastern Uganda.

NAMIBIA: Female Hip-Hop Artists Challenge Stereotypes
WINDHOEK, Mar 9 (IPS) - African hip-hop prides itself on a more positive portrayal of women, but traditional cultural attitudes towards women still dominate the industry, say Namibian female rappers.

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.

 

Palestinians clash with Israeli forces
Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli police across occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, marking what the Islamist Hamas group called a 'day of rage'. More than 100 Palestinians and at least 14 members of Israel's security forces were injured

Tightening race in Iraq elections
A coalition of opposition parties led by Iyad Allawi, a former prime minister, has seized the narrowest of leads in Iraq's general election.

Troubled Kuwaiti bank opts for openness
After defaulting on its debts, a repentant Global Investment House tried an unusual tactic in the Middle East – total transparency about its restructuring process

'Perfect' oil price disguises Opec divisions
A dispute is simmering beneath the surface as some members grab market share by flouting their promises to make production cuts

Palestinians eye ban on settler goods
Palestinian shopkeepers will be banned from selling products made in Israeli settlements under a draft law that is expected to carry the threat of prison sentences

Israeli envoy admits 'crisis' in US ties
Israel's ambassador to Washington has privately conceded that his country's relationship with the US is in "crisis"

Saudis urged to loosen binds on outsiders
The kingdom has taken large steps in facilitating economic activity but substantial obstacles and tribulations remain for both foreign businesses and workers

Boatbuilder buffeted by ripples from Dubai
Gulf Craft, a rare example of a luxury goods manufacturer in the Gulf region, is diversifying and looking abroad for custom after suffering by association

Gulf Keystone placing raises £16m
Oil explorer places shares to fund drilling costs after the default of its partner in Iraq last week

Kingdom Holding to buy back hotels arm
Saudi Arabian group owned by billionaire investor Prince Al-Walid bin Talal has made a cash offer for all outstanding shares in its subsidiary, in a cash offer valuing the company at $843m

Wealth fund reveals investment strategy
In a break from its traditional secrecy, one of the world's largest pools of capital, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority publishes its first annual review listing its long-term results and investment strategy

Netanyahu regrets settler homes 'incident'
The Israeli prime minister has expressed regret for the announcement during a visit by the US vice-president of a plan to build Jewish settler homes in mostly Arab East Jerusalem

Universal human rights need universal jurisdiction
Prosecuting war crimes, torture and other human rights abuses in every country should not be subject to diplomatic niceties, writes Geoffrey Bindman. Private arrest warrants are needed to ensure enforcement

Dubai executive guilty of abuse of power
A senior Dubai executive has been given a hefty fine after being found guilty of abusing his position as a director of a local developer

Activists target KPMG over Iran ties
A US-based lobby group that pressurises companies to sever ties with Iran has accused KPMG, the professional services company, of 'supporting this brutal regime and its illegal actions'

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

 

US Awaits Israeli Assurances, Delays Mitchell Trip
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says US in talks with Israel on steps that 'would demonstrate requisite commitment' to peace process

Iraq's Kurds Mark Anniversary of Poison Gas Attack
Participants observed five minutes of silence in memory of 5,000 Kurds killed

Opposition Leader: Iran 'Plagued by Despotism'
Iran's top opposition leader renews his attack on government, saying Islamic republic is, in his words, 'plagued with despotism'

Petraeus Cites Progress, But Says Difficult, Uncertain Year Ahead in Afghanistan, Iraq
US commander warns senators not to expect dramatic reduction of violence in Afghanistan this year

Israel Confident Diplomatic Crisis With US Will Blow Over
Israel's foreign minister says his country has no intention of halting expansion of settlement in East Jerusalem

Palestinians Riot in East Jerusalem to Protest Synagogue Consecration
Angered by Israel's consecration of a synagogue in East Jerusalem, demonstrators threw rocks and set tires ablaze

US Diplomat Seeks Areas of Cooperation with Syria
Robert Ford to work with Syria to stop foreign fighters from entering Iraq and to help Syria's many Palestinian, Iraqi refugees

US Calls for Israeli Action to Restore Confidence in Peace Process
Israel announced last week that it is building 1,600 new Jewish housing units in East Jerusalem

Iranian Authorities Clamp Down on Traditional Persian Festival Celebration
Government officials have gone on TV urging young people to avoid annual 'fire festival'

Israel's PM Vows to Continue Settlement Construction
Israel's defiant PM Netanyahu tells parliament Monday that construction will continue in Jerusalem as it has for the past 42 years

Israel Tries to Defuse Crisis with US
Israel's approval of 1,600 homes in disputed East Jerusalem triggered what some officials call worst recent crisis between Israel, US

Vote Counting Continues in Iraq, Coalition Government Likely
Preliminary returns indicate that no party will win an outright majority

Car Bomb Kills 7 in Western Iraq's Fallujah
Police say bomb went off early Monday as group of day laborers was gathering for work nearby

Britain FM: China Agrees to Press Iran About Nuclear Programs
British foreign secretary says Britain, China agree on need to press Iran about its nuclear programs, seeking engagement with Tehran

Wife of Iranian Opposition Leader Says Home Was Attacked
Fatimah Karroubi says that pro-government demonstrators attacked and vandalized apartment building where their family lives in Tehran

VOA News: Middle East
Middle East Voice of America

 

Iraq's election: The wrangling has only just begun

A government reflecting the people’s will should slowly and messily emerge

DOZENS of explosions woke up voters in Baghdad on March 7th, heralding the day of the general election. Every few minutes another thunderous bang reminded them to stay at home, away from polling stations. Officials said the city had been hit by a barrage of mortars. Voter turnout was lower than before, in Baghdad little more than 50%. It was hardly a shining model of democracy.

The American army played down the violence. Most of the bangs, said its spokesman, had been caused by water bottles stuffed with explosives. Insurgents had put them in bins around the city and set them off by mobile phones to terrify voters. Two big bombs had killed at least 38 people but nobody was badly hurt by the bottle-bombs, said General Ray Odierno, the American commander. The bangs were an act of desperation by a fading insurgency. The turnout overall was said to be 62%. Despite the fear, many Iraqis were plainly determined to assert their democratic right to choose their leaders. Barack Obama called the election a “milestone in Iraqi history”. ...

Israel's disputatious Avigdor Lieberman: Can the coalition hold together?

A religious issue is threatening the government’s cohesion

AFTER a year in office, Israel’s right-wing-cum-religious coalition is feeling an ominous tremor of internal discord. The issue, the bane of so many past coalition governments, is state and synagogue. A bill easing conversion to Judaism, championed by the foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, and his ex-Soviet immigrant party, Yisrael Beitenu, has run into furious resistance from the ultra-Orthodox party, the United Torah Judaism (UTJ), a coalition partner.

“When I die, I’ll go straight to heaven just for having pushed through this bill,” says David Rotem, chairman of parliament’s law committee and a member of Yisrael Beitenu (meaning “Israel is our home”). “I don’t know where opponents of the bill will go.” Ultra-Orthodox members, apparently confident of their place in heaven, protested. A member of the Labour party, another coalition partner, said that if the ultra-Orthodox were in heaven he would rather not go there. ...

The Israel-Palestine peace talks: More than just a charade?

Few of the participants have much hope that the resumption of talks, to be held indirectly through American mediators, will soon lead to a two-state solution

IT WAS a wretched beginning to what had been hailed as the hopeful resumption of peace talks, albeit indirect ones, between the Israelis and Palestinians under the aegis of an American mediator. Barely had America’s vice-president, Joe Biden, begun a visit to Israel to herald a new era of compromise and goodwill than it was announced that 1,600 houses would be built for Jewish settlers on the Israeli-annexed eastern rim of Jerusalem that Palestinians see as part of their future capital. Palestinians were united in fury. Peacemaking outsiders viewed the action as the illest of omens. Mr Biden sharply “condemned” it as “precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now.”

A sheepish-looking Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, let his aides claim lamely that he had been unaware of the decision. The next day his minister of interior apologised, conceding that the timing was unfortunate, but said that the announcement was merely a “routine, technical” step. Unsurprisingly, all this only increased scepticism about the promised new round of talks. ...

The IMF in Africa: Going green

The IMF says it wants to help Africa handle climate change

THE global recession was slow to hit Africa. Its banks and stock exchanges were isolated enough from the wider capital markets to suffer few shocks. Foreign investment remained steady. Oil-rich countries such as Angola continued to boom. But dampened demand for African exports last year, together with the shrinking of many venture-capital funds, has now hit the continent hard after a long period of unusually perky growth. Countries south of the Sahara together grew by less than 2% in 2009. In many places income has fallen and unemployment started to rise.

So the bullishness of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF’s head, who has been touring Africa, struck some as strange. He went out of his way to praise Africa’s central banks. He even said Africa’s economies were more dynamic than most of Asia’s. The main point, he said, was that Africa was recovering from the global crisis faster than expected. ...

Another massacre in Nigeria : An unending cycle

A terrible tit-for-tat is causing untold misery—and seems unlikely to end

THE number-plates in Nigeria’s Plateau state declare it to be the “Home of Peace and Tourism”. In the past decade this slogan has sounded ever more fanciful, as the state’s capital, Jos, suffers bouts of the most brutal ethnic violence. The latest took place before dawn on March 7th, when gangs attacked villages south of the city, razed houses and hacked their occupants with machetes. The death toll is hard to know. Aid and human-rights groups say that between 200 and 500 people were killed. The police put the total at 109.

Locals say the gang members belonged to the mainly Muslim Fulani tribe, whereas the villagers were mostly from the Christian Berom group. The killings looked like revenge for a clash in Jos in January, when hundreds died, most of them Muslim, although there were Christian victims too. “This appears to be some kind of reprisal attack,” said Robin Waudo, a spokesman for the Red Cross. ...

Stalemate in Zimbabwe: An early election?

The unity government is stuck. An early election might break the logjam

WITH a power-sharing government plainly going nowhere, Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, has announced that fresh elections could be held early next year, whether or not a new constitution is ready. At the age of 86, he says he is ready to stand again—if, he adds coyly, his ruling ZANU-PF party wants him to. Next month he will celebrate 30 years of untrammelled power.

Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s prime minister and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which was forced into a unity government despite winning a general election in the face of violence and fraud two years ago, wants South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, to intervene. Talks to encourage Mr Mugabe to implement fully the power-sharing agreement he signed 18 months ago under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a 15-country regional grouping, have foundered. ...

Egypt's new contender: A tantalising return

The return of Mohamed ElBaradei from abroad is rattling Egypt’s rulers

EGYPTIANS may breathe a sigh of relief. Seven of their political parties have formed a united front to defend the country against a foreign plot. Whether this conspiracy is Zionist or perhaps American remains unclear. But the parties agree that it aims to undermine Egypt’s stability and that its spearhead is none other than Mohamed ElBaradei, winner of the Nobel peace prize and the recently retired head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

The revelation of such a plot surprises few in Egypt. Ever since November, when Mr ElBaradei declared that, if rules were made fair, he might just consider running for president in 2011, expectations have grown that allies of Egypt’s current ruler, Hosni Mubarak, would find ways to attack this upstart rival. When Mr ElBaradei arrived in Cairo last month for a ten-day visit, such expectations soared. Not only did the thousand cheering fans who mobbed him at the airport outnumber the active membership of the seven government-sponsored opposition parties now aligned against him. The soft-spoken former diplomat became the talk of Egypt’s chattering classes, as scores of prominent intellectuals declared their backing for him, and membership of a Facebook support group rocketed to 160,000. ...

Progress and repression in Rwanda: Divisionists beware

President Paul Kagame has improved people’s lives at the expense of freedom

THE government of Rwanda is doing a lot of things right. It is pretty open in its handling of aid money. Most foreign governments and charities are so impressed by its detailed plans and apparent lack of corruption that they are funnelling more of their aid directly through Rwanda’s government. President Paul Kagame says he expects direct budget support to rise by a quarter this year, to $519m.

The country has recovered valiantly from its year zero in 1994, when 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered. Its centralised state is leading the way in economic and technological reform in the region. It is improving the country’s infrastructure, education and farming, and seeks to preserve its ecology. It pushes equality for women, who comprise half the government and parliament. ...

Trouble in Algeria: The president and the police

A mysterious murder exposes a rift within the country’s ruling circle

LATE last month Chouaib Oultache walked into Algeria’s police headquarters with a score to settle. What happened next is not entirely clear, but official reports say Mr Oultache pumped three bullets into the head of Ali Tounsi, the country’s powerful police chief, before being shot and wounded himself.

A few years ago, Mr Tounsi had hired Mr Oultache, a retired air force colonel and a close friend, to head the police helicopter unit. By the official account, Mr Oultache went crazy after reading in the newspapers that he was being investigated for corruption. He may have suspected a betrayal by his old friend. ...

Jerusalem: A city that should be shared

Israel builds still more facts on Palestinian ground, while stalemate persists

EVEN as the Americans strive to jump-start fresh talks between Israelis and Palestinians, the Israeli government has been using the hiatus to intensify the refashioning of East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as their future capital. This week the city’s Israeli mayor, Nir Barkat, unveiled his latest plan to turn Palestinian districts into Jewish biblical heritage parks. Fearing that their half of the city is being cast in an increasingly Israeli mould, Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli forces on the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, which Muslims venerate for its al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third-holiest shrine, and which Jews revere as the site of the biblical Temple. While George Mitchell, Barack Obama’s envoy, is yet again bidding to open “proximity talks” between the two sides, the Palestinians have been literally losing ground.

Unlike previous Israeli prime ministers, who built on the open hilltops above Arab population centres in the West Bank and on the edge of Jerusalem, Binyamin Netanyahu and his officials are concentrating on Jewish settlements bang in the midst of them. Car-parks and conservation areas, rich with Israeli symbols, are sprouting across East Jerusalem. Settlers with state protection are opening religious schools there. Scarcely a week passes without an Israeli newspaper heralding new Jewish housing units being built in Arab districts. Israeli archaeologists are scraping away the eastern parts of the city’s Arab surface in search of a Jewish past. Last month one of them declared she had “probably” found King Solomon’s city walls. ...

Senegal's politics: Statuesque or grotesque?

An outsize statue symbolises the defects of the president and his family

IT IS either a glorious tribute to the African Renaissance, as the government proclaims, or an overblown monument to the outrageous vanity of President Abdoulaye Wade, as many Senegalese believe. Either way, at least the vast statue that now dominates the skyline of the Senegalese capital of Dakar leaves no one indifferent. At 50 metres tall, a shade more than New York’s Statue of Liberty, it is designed to provoke.

To Mr Wade and his supporters the statue’s bronze rendering of a nuclear family represents Africa rising from centuries of “ignorance, intolerance and racism”. Senegal’s selflessness in giving physical expression to this grand theme is meant to reflect the country’s exalted standing on the continent. After all, it is the leader of Francophone Africa—at least since Cote d’Ivoire imploded—and is Africa’s only successful and stable Muslim democracy. The backers of the statue, which is to open officially in April, say it will become one of the continent’s top tourist sites. ...

Somalia's civil war: Jihadists on the march

The strongest Islamist militia is now formally linked to al-Qaeda

THE war in Somalia between the Islamist militias known as the Shabab and the Western-backed supposedly “transitional” government headed by Sharif Ahmed, himself an Islamist who promotes sharia law, is getting even bloodier. The UN says that ferocious fighting in the capital, Mogadishu, has caused at least 8,000 residents to flee this month, to add to the 1.5m Somalis already displaced, out of a population that once exceeded 8m. Government forces, which control a shrinking slice of the capital, are still on the defensive. But independent reports are scanty; it is hard to say exactly what is going on from day to day. Chaos and terror prevail.

For instance, when three Shabab fighters were found dead this week in Mogadishu’s Bakara market, each shot in the head, it was unclear who had killed them. Some said government forces. Others blamed Ethiopian spies. Or was it Hizbul Islam, a radical Islamist outfit that has fallen out with the Shabab? Or perhaps the Shabab itself was dealing with turncoats. ...

Israeli spies in Lebanon: Not such a success

A round-up of Israeli spies

WITH a lot less exposure in the world’s press than it got for its recent Dubai operation, Israel has quietly suffered a string of setbacks in Lebanon, a front-line state with which it has often been at war. Lebanon’s security service says that since November 2008 it has broken up no fewer than 25 Israeli spy rings. The reported arrest this month of a colonel in Lebanese army intelligence, identified solely by the initials GS, brings the number of those charged to 70-plus; 40 of them are in Lebanese police custody.

For a force better known for its failure to manage traffic, let alone resolve Lebanon’s sorry catalogue of political murders, the counter-intelligence sweep is an unprecedented coup. The arrests are said to have exposed a series of agents for Israel, ranging from a retired Lebanese army general who ran a housecleaning service to a garage owner who specialised in supplying Hizbullah, Lebanon’s Shia party-cum-militia, with vehicles that he secretly fitted with tracking devices. ...

Israel's controversial intelligence service: Does Mossad really make Israel safer?

In the wake of the assassination of a Hamas leader in Dubai, presumably by Mossad, the agency’s effectiveness, attitude and leadership are under scrutiny

ALTHOUGH they stolidly refuse to admit that their external security service had done it, Israeli officials say they are confident that in Europe and elsewhere outrage over the recent assassination in Dubai of a Hamas commander will quickly blow over. Israeli ambassadors were called in and carpeted in London, Canberra and Dublin over stolen passports and identities used by the team that killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh and was later exposed by the Dubai police. eu foreign ministers have “strongly condemned” the action. But the Israelis, seeking to minimise the damage, note innocently that the complaints focused on the passports rather than the actual killing—and anyway stopped short of explicitly fingering Mossad.

Indeed, despite the meticulous closed-circuit television records of the comings and goings through Dubai’s airport and hotels, Mossad people still say, with an almost straight face, that the evidence is circumstantial. A former spymaster, Rafi Eitan, even suggested half in jest that a rival service may have framed the Israelis. ...

Nigeria's president: A sudden return

There’s still a vacuum

IN THE early hours of February 24th Umaru Yar’Adua, Nigeria’s ailing and long-absent president, finally came home. After three months in a clinic in Saudi Arabia, the saga over who is in charge of Africa’s most populous country is bound to resume.

The matter seemed to have been solved just two weeks ago. Goodluck Jonathan, the vice-president, took over the top job on February 9th after the prolonged power vacuum had seen government business slow down, investors grow querulous and militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta threaten to resume their rebellion. ...

Niger's coup: It seems popular, so far

The African Union tut-tuts but the people appear to welcome a coup

WHEN soldiers seized power last week in Niger, thousands took to the streets of Niamey, the dusty capital, to celebrate. The new rulers, who kidnapped President Mamadou Tandja on February 18th, say they simply want to oust a tyrant and hold elections. Many of the desert state’s 15m people seem to believe them.

Mr Tandja, aged 71, had been growing ever more authoritarian as the end of his tenure approached last year. He changed the constitution to junk term limits and pushed elections back to 2012. He also dissolved parliament and tightened his grip on the press. Local human-rights campaigners say the army has indeed halted a worrying turn of events. The United Nations says Niger is the world’s least developed country. ...

South Africa's economy: Steady as she goes

A budget that gives little to the left

LEFT-WING trade-union allies of President Jacob Zuma have reacted with fury to the business-friendly budget, unveiled on February 17th, threatening to call a general strike in the second half of the year. The first of Mr Zuma’s ten-month-old government, the budget spurned left-wing calls for tax increases, nationalisation of the mines and dropping inflation-targeting by the central bank. Instead, the finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, is pursuing broadly the same prudent macroeconomic policies that prevailed under Thabo Mbeki’s presidency from 1999 to 2008.

Mr Zuma has been accused of weak leadership, particularly since his dreary state-of-the-nation speech earlier this month. But he has again shown—this time via Mr Gordhan—that he is not beholden to his noisy allies on the left who helped catapult him to power. ...

Correction: Najib Balala

Due to an editing error in our article last week on Kenya (“The politicians just don’t seem to get it”), we said that Najib Balala, the minister of tourism, was a former mayor of Nairobi. He was actually a former mayor of Mombasa. Sorry. This has been corrected online.

...

Fragile Kenya: The politicians just don't seem to get it

Kenya remains east Africa’s commercial hub, yet the bickering and dithering of its dodgy and unwieldy government could ruin what is left of its reputation

Correction to this article

“WE ARE sharpening our pangas [machetes],” says a man in a jam-packed matatu, the ubiquitous minibus taxi that is Kenya’s main means of public transport. “It is not if but when” is the commonest answer to the question, “Will political violence resume?” ...

The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Middle East and Africa