Afrik.com : Africa and Maghreb's news

Sudan: NGO denounces intimidation and delays by NEC ahead of crucial polls

Geof Magga — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:05:09 +0100

An international NGO in Sudan ,The Carter Center, is not happy with the way Voters' registration is being handled by Sudan National Election Commission. The Carter Center, is one of the leading international NGOs involved in the observation of the current voter registration process that started four days ago.

The U.S. has no illusions over democracy in Guinea

Charles W. Corey — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:05:18 +0100

“Fifty years of authoritarian rule has been debilitating to the country. Money that went to the armed forces that could have been or should have been spent on health and education, social services, was basically squandered. In any case, the time is right, now, for the people of Guinea to get the elections they were hoping for,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs William Fitzgerald.

Somalia: A man who had sex with his girlfriend is stoned to death

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:15:12 +0100

Islamists in Somalia have stoned a man to death for adultery but spared his pregnant girlfriend until she gives birth, writes BBC. Abass Hussein Abdirahman, 33, was killed in front of a crowd of 200 people in the southern town of Merka. An official from al-Shabab group said the woman would be killed after she has had her baby.

Equatorial Guinea-South Africa: Mercenaries will not face second jail term

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:10:28 +0100

The four South African men convicted for their role in an Equatorial Guinea coup plot will not be re-arrested when they return home, reports BBC. According to the Deputy International Relations Minister, “they have been punished for their action.” Mercenary activities are banned in South Africa but a person cannot serve a jail term twice for the same offence.

Africa: Millenium Development Goals in danger

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:05:49 +0100

According to the United Nations, Africa's efforts to meet the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline are threatened by the impact of the global financial crisis on the continent's economy, said Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro. While Ms. Migiro noted that between 2000 and 2008, African achieved impressive economic growth that averaged more than five per cent per year, she added that this good news is now in peril. “The economic crisis, for which Africa bears no responsibility, has drastically reversed recent trends,” she announced. AllAfrica notes that Africa growth for 2009 is projected to hit a paltry 1.7 per cent as many people are losing their jobs and falling back into poverty.

South Africa: South African athletics apologizes to Semenya

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:55:20 +0100

Caster Semenya has received an unconditional apology from Athletics South Africa for their mishandling of the gender speculations, which followed her 800m win at the World Championships in Berlin. The country's Olympic governing body pending a disciplinary investigation into the affair, has suspended ASA President Leonard Chuene, the board of ASA and its members. Six weeks ago, Chuene refused to resign despite admitting he had lied when he said there had been no gender verification tests carried out on Semenya, before the Berlin event, states Dailymail.

Nigeria denies having blocked its border with Niger

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:50:45 +0100

The Nigerian government Thursday denied allegations that it had blocked its border with Niger, reports RFI. Despite the denials, the Maradi and Zinder border posts have remained closed since Tuesday. This has interrupted supplies for basic necessities to the people of Niger. According to the customs personnel, the closure is in line with economic sanctions imposed by the ECOWAS against President Tandja of Niger. Nigeria is expected to hold a round of negotiations with all the political stakeholders of Niger to find a solution to the West African country's constitutional crisis.

Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai calls off party boycott

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:44:42 +0100

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has called off his party's boycott of unity government partners Zanu-PF. The boycott had frozen relations with President Mugabe and paralysed the government, writes RFI. “We have suspended our disengagement in the government... We will give President Robert Mugabe 30 days to implement the agreements on the pertinent issues we are concerned about," Tsvangirai told reporters after talks at an emergency regional summit to break the impasse in Maputo. He said the South African Development Community (SADC) summit had agreed that the three main political parties will meet within the next 15 days to settle their disagreement.

South Africa cancels Airbus aircraft order

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:41:35 +0100

South Africa has just announced its decision to cancel an order for eight military Airbus A400M aircraft. According to the French company's programme director, Tom Williams, it is “a total surprise”, reports TV5. The cancellation is due to a rise in cost as well as delivery delays, indicated the South African government, which is also asking Airbus's parent company, European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co (EADS) to refund its 250 million euro down-payment.

Madagascar: Andry Rajoelina walks out of talks at AU headquarters

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:37:46 +0100

Andry Rajoelina, Friday morning, walked out of power-sharing negotiations organized at the headquarters of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, Le Monde has reported. The controversial Malagasy leader has refused to share power, as suggested by ousted former President Marc Ravalomanana, presently in exile in South Africa.

Michelle Obama: Honors After-School arts projects that inspire youth

Jeffrey Thomas — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:54:06 +0100

In Muqqatum, a community on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, students at Alwan wa Awtar (Colors and Strings) can participate in a wide range of after-school and summer arts activities in the performing, visual and literary arts. In Campeche, Mexico, children with Down syndrome attend two dance workshops each week to learn traditional and contemporary dances at La Chácara Children's Culture Center. In China's Sichuan province, children from low-income families train in opera, dance and the visual arts at Green Path of Art, which provides its students with academic and financial assistance.

2011 U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery: Open until November 30

Louise Fenner — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:56:39 +0100

Each year, the U.S. government makes 50,000 permanent residence visas (“green cards”) available through the Diversity Immigrant Visa program. Visa applicants are selected through a computer-generated, random lottery. The selection of a person's name in the lottery gives that person the opportunity to take the next steps in the visa application process.

2010 World Cup: South Africa promised quaterfinals by ex-Brazil coach

Sakhile Modise — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:38:23 +0100

South Africa's new but old national soccer coach Carlos Alberto Parreira arrived in South Africa Thursday to resume coaching and quickly said the 2010 World Cup hosts can reach quarter finals.

Somalia: Livestock-based economy receives major boost

Konye Obaji Ori — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:05:02 +0100

Somalia's livestock-based economy has received a major boost as its major market, Saudi Arabia lifts its 11 year ban on imported livestock from Somalia. The lift comes after many Somali farmers suffered from the severe east African droughts that dried the soil and dehydrated livestock to death. Last month, a U.S. based NGO embarked on a project that saw some 2000 families in the autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, from livestock supplies.

Egypt: US still opposed to Israeli settlements?

Stephen Kaufman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:01:37 +0100

Unites States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton repeated that the Obama administration does not accept the legitimacy of Israeli West Bank settlements and wants to see the establishment of a Palestinian state with borders based on territory that Israel has occupied since 1967.

Zimbabwe: MDC calls off boycott, gives ultimatum

Alice Chimora — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:40:51 +0100

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has called off his party's three week boycott but issued another 30 day ultimatum for President Mugabe to address “pertinent issues we are concerned about”.

Sudan: President Bashir tests new Obama policy on Sudan

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:29:58 +0100

With the news that President Omar al-Bashir plans to travel to Turkey and Egypt in the coming days, President Obama faces the first test of his recently announced Sudan policy.

Top European figures accused of fuelling African crises to rake in fortunes

Muritala Bakare — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:06:16 +0100

Last week, the son of former French President Francois Mitterand, and an ex-interior minister were convicted for their involvement in illegal arms deal in one of Africa's bloodiest civil wars in Angola. Observers have noted that many influential western figures have preyed on most African crises, while raking in fortunes as the continent bleeds. This week, Simon Mann, a British national who was implicated in a coup in Equatorial Guinea, vowed to help bring Sir Mark Thatcher, son of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, to book. Viktor Bout, an ex Russian lieutenant, was also charged with arms supply to former wartorn Liberia.

Sudan: Memorizing Quran or Bible as a prerequisite for prisoner pardon questioned

Geof Magga — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:51:04 +0100

Some members of the interim National Assembly are opposed over a law which requires long-term convicts to memorize either the Holy Quran or the Holy Bible as a precondition for pardon.

Zimbabwe: Food crisis looms as Agricultural budget dips and land invasions continue

Alice Chimora — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:34:45 +0100

Another crippling hunger is looming in the southern Africa country with reports that a majority of the country's large-scale producing White commercial farmers are unable to plant crops due to ongoing disturbances on farms. The mainly white Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) said the majority of its members were yet to plant crops for the forthcoming 2009/10 season. They blame farm invasions that have continued despite the formation of a coalition government nine months ago.

Sudan: South Sudan cries foul over dishonest census

Konye Obaji Ori — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:58:22 +0100

Northern Sudan has begun a census of southern Sudanese ahead of the 2011 referendum for independence. The voters' registration exercise is meant to include the southern Sudanese Diaspora, but the north has chosen to count southern Sudanese in countries where there are reportedly few southern Sudanese.