Afrik.com : Africa and Maghreb's news

Ethiopian Federal court yet to hear coup plotters' sentence recommendations

Desalegn Sisay — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:22:26 +0100

The Ethiopian Federal High Court this week passed guilty verdicts against 27 defendants charged with plotting to kill senior officials and overthrow the government. Those found guilty belong to the Ginbot-7 group, founded and led by former Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD – a major opposition party) senior figure Berhanu Nega (PhD).

Nigeria pleased with efforts from European Union and Switzerland

Konye Obaji Ori — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:42:50 +0100

It's been a week of Europe's exhibition of support to the efforts of the Nigerian government in transparency, fight against corruption and state civility. The European Union (EU) has supported Nigeria's peace process in the Niger Delta with a fund pledge of $1bn. A Swiss court, on the other hand has ordered the seizure of $350m in assets from, Abba Abacha, son of Nigeria's former military ruler, General Sani Abacha.

Spain-Western Sahara: Hunger-striking Nobel Prize nominee sends message of hope to her children

Stefan Simanowitz — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:00:14 +0100

Aminatou Haidar, the Western Saharan Nobel Prize nominee who has been on hunger strike for six days has used a live telephone link-up during an international conference in Barcelona to send a message to her children.

Algeria-Egypt: A World Cup qualification and diplomatic row

Solomon Kapere — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:48:35 +0100

The Algerian "Greens" became the last African team to qualify for the South Africa 2010 World Cup finals with an undisputed 1-0 win over current African Champions, the Egyptian Pharoahs, in Khartoum on Wednesday november 18th. The Algerian "Greens" did it the hard way after being forced to a one-off clash with a stunning 2-0 loss to the Egyptian Pharoahs, given their first leg convincing 3-1 win in Algiers in June.

Somalia: Somalia to ratify UN child pact

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:45 +0100

According to the BBC, Somalia has vowed to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a move that would leave the US as the only nation not to back the accord. The UN which is celebrating 20 years since the agreement was put into force, welcomed Somalia's announcement. Analysts say the Somali government has little authority and its rulings are largely unenforceable.

Kenya-Tanzania-Rwanda-Uganda-Burundi: East Africa leaders to agree on trade deal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:03 +0100

The Presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi are due to sign a common market treaty later today. The leaders are expected to agree to the free movement of people and goods across the region in the hope that it will lead to greater economic clout, states Business Daily Africa. The common market should come into effect in July 2010.

Uganda: Cabinet meets to discuss Land Bill

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:38:29 +0100

The Ugandan Cabinet held a special meeting in Kampala yesterday to discuss progress on the Land Amendment Bill and the probe into the 2007 Commonwealth summit expenditure. According to All Africa, the National Guidance Minister Kabakumba Masiko said the Land Bill, which is currently before Parliament, is expected to enter its final stage next week. The Bill seeks to protect occupants on registered land from being evicted without a court order.

EU-Nigeria: EU gives Nigeria €677 million to fight corruption

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:37:46 +0100

The European Commission has signed a €677 million development pact with Nigeria, aimed at tackling corruption and promoting peace. A substantial amount of the funding will be spent on resolving conflicts in the oil-rich and crime-plagued Niger Delta, the EU's development chief said. The money will also target electoral reform and the improvement human rights. Some Nigerian citizens doubt the money will get to its intended targets, notes Reuters.

Sierra Leone: Police enlists youth volunteers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:19:27 +0100

Sierra Leone has launched an initiative to enlist youths as crime-fighting volunteers in Freetown. Police chief Chris Charley said the capital, which is being destroyed by criminality, would be divided into 860 zones with 10 youth volunteers in each, writes BBC. The volunteers are expected to help the police tackle endemic problems like anti-social behavior and armed robbery.

Ethiopia: 27 convicted in Ginbot Seven case

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:40:58 +0100

An Ethiopian court has convicted 27 people accused on conspiring to create public chaos in an attempt to bring down Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government. A three-judge panel handed down guilty verdicts for 27 out of 46 defendants in the so-called Ginbot Seven case. Thirteen others who are not in custody, had previously been convicted in absentia. The remaining six were acquitted. Some of the defendants could face the death penalty, notes VOA.

Egypt-Algeria-Sudan: Diplomatic rows after soccer violence

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:24:55 +0100

The Egyptian government has recalled its ambassador to Algeria following complaints about violence towards football fans, reports Al Jazeera. The move comes after Algeria's ambassador in Cairo was summoned to the Egyptian foreign ministry. Sudan has also summoned the Egyptian envoy in Khartoum; angry at Egyptian media coverage of the game's aftermath. According to the AFP, Egypt also suspended its membership of the Union of North African Football Federations on Thursday.

Zambia should raise electricity bills, says World Bank official

Belinda Phiri — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:38:21 +0100

The World Bank, which has in the past been accused of prescribing “suicidal economic policies” for third world countries, says Zambia should increase its low electricity tariffs to profitably run the power utility.

Nigeria: Relief as government releases allowances to rebels

Konye Obaji Ori — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:12 +0100

There is a sigh of relief in the Niger Delta as the Federal government of Nigeria began the first installments of monthly allowances that were promised to former militants in exchange for peace and civility. Earlier this month, the former rebels organized protest over non-payment of the arrears of their allowances and alleged neglect by government. While the government delayed the payments, fear arose over a return to violence and break in civility.

Gabon-France: Ali Bongo's visit to help restore France's image?

Falila Gbadamassi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:56:09 +0100

Newly elected Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, will be on an official visit to France, Friday, and will be conferring wih French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. The two are expected to review relations between the two countries. The visit is essential to restore the image of France among disgruntled Gabonese, who have accused France of a murky France-Afrique collaboration, among other subjects.

US-South Africa-Guinea: US ‘has evidence' of SA training military junta

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:46:43 +0100

The US has declared that it holds evidence that South African mercenaries are training supporters of Guinea's military junta. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, William Fitzgerald told the BBC that mercenaries had been seen at a camp south of Conakry. South African officials have already promised to investigate the reports.

Somalia: Hijacked tanker's captain is dead

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:37:11 +0100

The captain of a chemical tanker captured by Somali pirates earlier this week off has died of a gunshot wound sustained when the ship was attacked, reports UPI. The MV Theresa VIII and its 28 North Korean crew members was seized 290km northwest of Seychelles despite efforts to fend them off.

Zimbabwe: Security forces leave diamond fields

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:27:22 +0100

Zimbabwean security forces have started withdrawing from the country's eastern diamond fields to meet recommendations by the Kimberley Process and criticism over human rights abuses, states The Zimbabwe Guardian. Mines Minister Obert Mpofu said Zimbabwe had complied with more than 90% of the requirements set by the global watchdog Kimberly Process Certification (KPCS), which monitors trade in conflict diamonds.

South Africa: SA Government to fight corruption

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:19:07 +0100

President Jacob Zuma and his cabinet have vowed to deal with the «scourge» of corruption in the government in a determined and coordinated way to prevent it infesting every corner and crack of society. The Cabinet delivered on Zuma's promise in his state of the nation speech, to make rooting out corruption one of the priorities of the South African government, reports Mail&Guardian. As a result, South Africa will set up a new anti-graft ministerial task team to take strong action against corruption in the public sector.

Pan Africa: Vaccine price drops to help millions of children

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:08:06 +0100

According to VOA, millions of children in developing countries may be able to receive a major combination vaccine due to a drop in price. The GAVI Alliance, a public/private health partnership, made the annoucement on Wednesday in Hanoi regarding the pentavalent vaccine. It helps protects against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, as well as against Hib, a bacteria that cause meningtis and pneumonia. In the last few years, the price for a single vaccine dose has dropped from $3.65 to $2.94.

Guinea: Junta prepares to kill its own and destabilize West Africa

Konye Obaji Ori — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:02:46 +0100

A Guinean youth militia group largely recruited on ethnic basis is, reportedly, being assembled ahead of January national elections. The government of South Africa has deployed an investigation panel to the West African country following rumors that South African soldiers were training the ethnic-based militia. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, William Fitzgerald, said the U.S. was concerned by the development.

South Africa: Semenya to keep all prizes ahead of gender test results

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:48:16 +0100

The speculation over 800m World Champion, Caster Semenya finally comes to an end after the sports ministry announced that the athlete will keep her medal, her world title and prize money regardless of the results of her gender test. The ministry said in a statement that this was the outcome after talks between themselves, the world athletics governing body IAAF and Semenya's lawyers. "We have also agreed with the IAAF that whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the IAAF regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor," the sports ministry was quoted as saying in TimesLive.

Chad: Aid organizations halt work in Chad

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:19:55 +0100

The UN has announced that six aid organizations have suspended their work in Chad due to the risk of their staff being abducted or killed. According to Elisabeth Byrs, a UN spokeswoman, the aid groups include the International Red Cross and Doctors without Borders. The announcement comes after Laurent Maurice, a Red Cross worker was kidnapped on Monday and a Chadian aid worker was recently killed, writes Al Jazeera.

Sudan: 47 dead in tribal clashes

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:33 +0100

Forty-seven people have been killed in ethnic clashes in south Sudan's Lakes state region, reports France24. Armed men from the Mundari ethnic group launched an attack on two villages that belong to the Dinka Aliab tribe, part of the south's largest ethnic group. “These people are neighbors who have a tradition of cattle raiding,” said Major General Kuol Deim Kuol, spokesman for southern Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA), “we believe this was a continuation of those cattle raids, but using the modern automatic weapons for the killing,” he added.

Pan Africa: Africa population tops a billion

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:02:41 +0100

The population in Africa has passed the one billion mark, the UN Population Fund (UNPF) says in a report. UNPF Executive Director Thoraya Obeid told the BBC that the annual figures showed the continent's population had doubled in the last 27 years. “African countries are all growing fast (…) because there is large number of women who have no access to planning their families,” she said. The population of Nigeria and Uganda have been growing the fastest.

Algeria-Egypt: Yahia sends Algeria to World Cup

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:57:35 +0100

Algeria grabbed Africa's last qualification place for the 2010 World Cup by beating Egypt 1-0 in a tense deciding play off in Khartoum, Sudan on Wednesday, thanks to a first-half goal from Antar Yahia. This will be Algeria's first trip to the World Cup in 24 years, notes Goal.

Uganda: Escaped LRA fighters and abducted children return home

Geof Magga — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:27:16 +0100

Nine former fighters of the Lord's Resistance Army and abducted children, who recently escaped from captivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have arrived in their home district called Gulu located about 300 kms north of Uganda's capital, Kampala.

Ethiopian government's aid discrimination evoked by British minister

Desalegn Sisay,Will Ghartey-Mould — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:33:06 +0100

British Minister for International Development, Gareth Thomas, has indicated that UN agencies have condemned the Ethiopian government's habit of not allowing food aid to reach regions traditionally known to back opposition parties.

South Africa: Ras Dumisani's rendition of national anthem in France causes diplomatic row

Sakhile Modise,Lola Simonet — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:07:51 +0100

South African members of parliament, infuriated by a badly sung national anthem before Springboks and France clash have accused the reggae singer who “butchered the national anthem” on Friday night, of treason. Meanwhile, a tug of war between the French and South African rugby federations has seen the South African embassy in France implicated in an affair that has been deemed a sabotage.

Congolese sex workers attacked for infecting Ugandans with HIV/AIDs

Geof Magga — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:41:20 +0100

The government of Uganda is concerned about a great number of Congolese sex workers who have recently invaded Karamoja region in North eastern Uganda bordering with eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, leading to rapid increase in the spread of HIV-AIDs.

Zimbabwe-South Africa: 2,700 Zimbabweans displaced in SA attacks

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:50:49 +0100

According to Reuters, up to 2,700 Zimbabwean asylum seekers have set up a temporary “safety camp” at a rural South African town following xenophobic attacks on their shacks, a human rights group has announced. South African police fired rubber bullets on Tuesday to disperse a mob who attacked shacks belonging to hundreds of migrants following several days of simmering tensions over jobs. The attacks in De Doorns, a town 150 km from Cape Town, was reminiscent of 2008 xenophobic riots in which at least 42 people died and tens of thousands were displaced across South Africa.

Nigerian states to depend on state tax for budgets

Konye Obaji Ori — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:47:26 +0100

The Nigerian government is to introduce an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) scheme, beginning from the 2010 financial year. The main focus is to make IGR replace the Federation Account as the states' main revenue source. The scheme would see Nigerians taxed on a state level, in order to fund state budgets.